davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02

Losses IN WESTERN REGIMENTS AT Prrrs.
BuRo.-Thc eighteenth Wisconsin lost $40
men. All the field officers, and all the cap
tains but three, fell on the field.
Twenty-eighth Illinois, 24O killed, wound.
ed and missing.
Fourteenth Iowa lost all commissioned of.
fcen but one, who was taken prisoner.
Sixth Ohio lost 237 killed and wounded.
Forty.fst Illinois, lost go killed and
wounded.
Fifteenth Illinois, 2l2 killed, wounded and
missing.
Fourteenth Illinois, lost 2lO killed, wound.
ed and missing.
Thirty-second Illinois. lost 232 killed and
wounded.
Twsnty-nipth Indiana, lost $50 killed and
wounded.
Twcnty-third Indiana, lost SO killed and
wounded.
Martins Indiana battery. Capt. Behr. 4
wounded lost 8 guns and rs horses, and oil
their clothes.
Forty.fourth Indiana, lost 240 killed and
wounded.
Thirty-6rst Indiana. lost l2s killed and
wounded.
or Gen. Lanman's third brigade of l727
faen 427 were shot down, IS were killed.
or Gen. Hurlburt's division, 3OS wsrs
killed, l4l7 wounded, and 2O3 missing.
About 1000 OF our troops were taken pris-
oners on Sunday morning. On Monday NO
captured about 1900 Of tho enemy. They
took from US on Sunday some thirty pieces
Of artillery. On Monday We re-captursd
them, and, in addition, between forty and
fifty Of theirs. Their los In killed and
wounded cannot bc lcs than IL 900, Of that
number 5000 were killed. Our own los will
approximate 10000 in killed, wounded and
missing.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02

Col. BKRpAN's RuLS.-Ths target riac
which has produced the crack shots Of Col.
Berdan's regiment Is . very peculiar instru-
ment. It is made with an increasing twist ;
Il has q false muzzle-a contrivance which
preserves the fnc, true edge Of tho real mul-
zle from wear IN the act Of loading; the bar
rel is Of steel; the balls are made OF com
pressed lead, and the weapon Is fitted with q
telescope Of such power thatat four hundred
yards it is possible to distinguish the color
Of mans eyes. This rifle does execution at
the distance Of more than thousand yards |;
and Col. Berdan has In his regiment no mau
who cannot kill an enemy with at least two
out Of every three shots, at the distance Of Q
quarter Of mile. These arc the men who
are teaching the rebels severe lesson before
Yorktown. A party Of thirty such shos
can pick OF every man from battery Of
light artillery in one minute, at distance Of
nearly half mile.-N Y. Post.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02

1.-THE times have been.
That when the brains were out. the man would die
And there an end but now, they rise again,
" nth twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools"
So with the supcrstitions Of the sailors and
soldiers. They have moro lives than cats.
The brains have been knocked out Of this
one many times, but here It comes again.
Col. Russell falls dead in the cannonade nj
Roanoke; no wound is found upon his body;
ergo, say the soldiers, he was killed by the
pind of the balls. Non sequiter, says the
surgeon.
The wind Of cannon ball never hurts any.
thing, for many reasons, the FIRST Of which
is, that there is no such thing.
The dir displaced by the ball closes instant.
behind it, but has no lateral effect.
THIS is proved in various ways, but is
placed beyond cavil or question by the com.
mon occurrences in every severe cannonsde.
For instance, the dispatch received from Fort
Donelson says: "a shot struck the pilot
house of the St. Louis, passing through it,
bst,ceen the piiots legs, without injurig him."
Why did not the wind Of that ball at least
bark his sbins'
The fact Is, that military surgery abounds
n cases which provo that cannon balls pass
lin grazing contact with all parts Of mans
body, and never do the slightest harm, cI-
cept to parts actually struck. They have
smashcd clean through hats and helmets,
ra.ing the hair; they have cut OF ears close
to the skull arms close to the side; one
thigh close to the other; and yet the ada
cent parts arc left as sound as ever.
An instance Is given Of heavy shot strik-
ing rank Of marching men in the flank,
taking of the right leg Of the first, OF the
third, and Of the 9th man, Of course pas'-
ing between the legs Of the Others, and yet
the lstf legs Of the wounded men were unin-
jured, and tho other men knew nothingabout
II. According the wind theory, their legs
should have been badly injured.
But how to account for the death Of men
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
From the N. Y. Tribune.
A National Bankrupt law.

Congress exercises some powers which have
been gravely QUESTIONED; but the power to
enact bankrupt law is given II In express
terms by the Constitution, with manifest in
tent that II be exercised. This is one Of ssv.
eral important provisions which severally
provo that the great men who aided Wash.
ington, Franklin and Madison 10 franc the
Federal Constitution intended TO effect, and
did effect, transition from confederate to
q national existence. A uniform bankrupt
law for q mere league Of sovereign States
would DO as inappropriate as q church and
pastor for q racc.course or gambling.house.
The Constitution confen this power with In.
tent not only that It be exercised, but that
1t should be exclusive. A uniform system Of
bankruptcy precludes the idea Of State legis-
lation on the subject at all, In our view,
Congress should not only enact and main
tain bankrupt law, but should annul and
preclude all State bankrupt laws whatever.
The history Of our legislation on this sub
ject is "a thoroughly discrcditable one. For
time the country prospes. trade aourishes,
every body seems solvent, and there is no call
for bankrupt law. At length q crash
comes-thouands iail-many arc hopelessly
buried under load Of debt-and now there
arises wild clamor for national bankrupt
law. Congress listens and accedcs most Of
the bankrupts 60 through the whitowashing
process; Others are enabled to compromise
with their creditors and get aaoat again
some knaves conceal their property, by per-
jury defraud their creditors. and como out
good as new the unthinking multitude arc
disgusted, and curse the bankrupt law: 90 II
is repealed, and all things fall into the old
round. Just when the law has done oil pos
sible harm, and when II can henceforth do
nothing but good, It is killed, and We 20 on
twenty years or so without one, when wearo
ready to so the round over again. Such
cowardly, aimless legislation Is wopc than
none ut all.
We hope Congress has not conclusively
resolved not to pass bankrupt law at this.
session. The short session never did, and we
fear never will, afford opportunity for per-
fecting measure Of such Importance and
difficulty. The act should be passed now
should be exceedingly stringent with regard
to frauds and onccalments-shouldc compel
wiliul delipquents to pay their debts as well
as liberate the moneyles from the gripc Of
merciess creditop-in short, should com.
mend itself to the creditor as we'll a. to tho
debtor interest by It's impartial vigor, and
the facility with which it may be rendered
available. Let US have the best possible
bankrupt law-let US amend II as experience
shall FROM time to time suggest but let us
resolve that bankrupt law shall be main
tained evermore. We know that tho great
mass Of the bankrups are not Republicans
we know that three.fourths Of those who
take the benefit Of the act will curso thoss
who passed it-but II Is always wise andsafs
to do right, and there Is real and urgent need
Of national bankrupt law, and We trust
one will pass at this session.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
agricultural.
Planting Potatoes---Thick or thin
SeedingP

We call the attention Of the farming CON-
munity to the following article selected from
the Maine Farmer, In relation to "one OF the
doings Of the Board OF Agriculture at its
session in January last" Should any farm
ers in this county follow out the desire of the
Board we should be happy to have them fur
nish us the result Of their experiments for
our agricultural columns-as soon as ascer
tained.
The potato Is the staple hood crop oil Maine.
Potatoes have been planted good many
years, by good many people Of good judS-
mcnt and keen observation, and the result is
that these same men hold opinions on various
points exceedingly diverse from one another.
Now Is this because several different methods
are each the best one, or because somebody
made up his mind from tallacious or INSULT
cient dataf
Almost all farmers try more or less exreri-
menss, but in truth il requires 50 many and
90 repeated and 50 careful experiments fully
to prove ono point, and there are 50 many
points about which doubt exists. that there
ia now almost as much guess work IN agri-
culture as their was fifty years ago.
We wish to call attention again, at this
time, to one of the doings OF the Board Of
Agriculture. at its session in January last,
and exhort all farmers TO contribute one ex-
pertinent this year, ina way that 1t shall
count for something in the final settlement
Of one doubtful point.
The preamble and resolutions to which We
refer are as follows:
"Whreas, A great diversity OF opinions
prevails in regard to the culture Of the pota-
to-ths proper distance atwhich they should
bs planted, tho quantity of seed to be used,
for best results, &C., and
WAersas. II is desirable that conflicting
opinions should be harmOni,cd and errors in
practice corrected, concerning q crop Of such
magnitude and importance, through the re-
sults Of numerous and well conducted eIpe-
rimsnts, therefore
Resolved, That We pledge ourselves to con-
duct an experiment the present year as fol-
lows:
"Sslect piece Of land, Of uniform quali-
yw near as may be; manure the whole
Equally leach experimenter to determine
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
Contraband Philosopher.

noticed upon the hurricane deck to-day
an elderly darkie with avery philosophical
and Retrospective cast Of countenancc, squat
ted on his bundle, toasting his shins against
the chimney. and apparently in q state Of
profound meditation. Finding upon inqui.
,ry that he belonged to the 9th Illinois, one
Of the most CALAMITY behaved and heavily
losing regiments at the Fort Donelson battle,
and part Of which was on board, I began to
interrogate him upon the subject. His phil
osophy was so much in the Falstafian vein
that I will give his views in his own words,
as near as my memory serves me:
"Were you in the fght3"
"Had little taste of 1t, sa."
"Stood your ground, did your"
"No, 50. l runs"
"Run at the first FIRE, did you"
eyes, 50, and would hab run soona, had ]
knowd it was coming"
"why, that wasn't very creditable to your
courage"
"Dat isn't in my line, sa,-cookin's my
perfeshun."
"well, but have you no regard for your
reputation2"
"Reputation's muffin to me by the side o'
life."
"Do you consider your life worth more
than other peoples'"
1T is worth more to me, sa."
"Then you must value 1t very hlgbly2
eyes sa, I does-more than oil this wuld
moro dan million dollars, 81, for what
would dat be wuth to man wild the bref out
OBJ him ? Self.preserbashun am do fust law
wid me-"
"But why should you act upon different
rule from other men?"
because different men set different values
upon dar liyes-mine is not in de market" J"
"But II you lost 1t you would have the
satisfaction Of knowing that you died fo'
your country"
What satisfaction would dat bo to me
when de power OBJ feclin was gomez"
"rhen patriotism and honor arc nothing
to your"
"Nufin whatever, sal regard dem as
among do vanities."
"If our soldiers were like you. traitors
might have broken up the Government with.
out resistance"
"Yes, sa, dar would hab been no help for
1t. l wouldn't put my life in do scale 'ginst
any Gobernment dat eber existed, for no
Gobernmeht could replace thu loss to me" F"
"Do you think any Of. your company
would have missed you If YOU had been kill.
ed?"
"May be not, sa-a dead white man amt
much to desc sojers, let alone dead nigga
but I'd missed myself an dat was do pint wild
me-"
It is safs to say that the dusky corpse Of
that African will never darken the field Of
carnage.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
B1DDEFoRD, MAINE, FRIDAY MORNING,
they shall suffer. Send 'em the best! = and
the old lady gcstured oratorically.
Thev uene interrunted nv n knock ut the

the OLD LADY gestured oratorically.
They were interrupted by knock at the
door, and too men entered and announced
themselves as commissioned by Congress to
search out supplies for the army. Now the
plot thickens. Aunt Hitty few in every di.
rection, through the entry passage, meal
room, milk room, down cellar, up chamber
her cap border on end with patriotic zeal
and followed by John, Dick and Grace, who
eagerly bore to the kitchen the supplies that
she turned out, while Mrs. Ward busted her
self in quietly sorting and arranging, in the
best possible travelling order, the various con-
tributions that were precipitately launched
on the kitchen floor.
Aunt Hitty soon appeared in tho kitchen
with an armful of stockings, which, kneel-
ing on the floor, sho commenced counting
and laying out.
There she said, laying down large
bundle on some blankets, that leaves just
two pair apiece, oil round
la said John, whats the use Of saving
two pair for me? ! can do with one pair as
well as father
Sure enough said his mother, besides l
can knit you another pair in o day.
And can do with one pair said Dick.
Yours will be two small, young master,
guess said ono of the commissioners.
NO. said Dick, Il have got good foot OF
my own, and Aunt Hitty will always knit
my stockings an inch too long, cause shosa
grow 80. See here-these will do, and the
boy shook his head triumphantly.
And mine, too, said Grace, nothing doubt
ing, having been busy all the time in pulling
of her little stockings.
Here she said to the man who was pack
ing the things into wide.moutbed sack ;
'here's mine, and her large blue eyes looked
earnestly through her tears.
Aunt Hitty few at her. Good land the
child's crazy. Don't think the men could
wear your stockings 2-takc 'em away
Grace looked around with an air of utter
desolation, and began to cry. Il wanted to
give them something said she; 'I'd rather
60 barefooted all day, than not to send them
any thing
'Give me the stockings, child, said the old
soldier. There, I'll take 'em, and show 'em
to the soldiers, and tell them what the little
girl said that sent them, and 1t will do them
as much good as though they could wear
them. They've got little girls at home, too.
Grace fell on her mothers bosom, complete
ly happy, and Aunt Hitty only muttercd-
Every body does spoil that child, and no
wonder neither'
Soon the old sleigh drove of from the
brown house, tightly packed and heavily
loaded. And Grace and Dick were creeping
up to their little beds.
There's been something put on the altar
Of liberty tonight, hasn't there, DickT
Yes, indeed said Dick; and looking up
to his mother, he said, But mother, what
did you give9
~ said his mother, musingly.
Yes, you, mother. what have you given to
the country?'
'All that l have, dears, said she, laying
her hands gently on their heads-'my hus-
band and my children =
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
Number 10.

volley upon them. The first man who feli'
with six bullets in his body, was VIM. Scott,
of Co. X. His comrades caught him up,
and as his life blood cbbed away, he raised to
heaven. amid the din Of war, the cries Of the
dying, and the shouts Of the enemy, aprayer
for the President, and as he died he remarked
to his comrades that he had shown he was
no coward and not afraid to de- Yorktorn
cor. Phil. Inquirer.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02

= Among the rewards lately msds BY
her British Majestys Government for AviDs
life at sca, We fnd the following 10 Maine
captains:
To Capt. L. @. Blair. OF the ship Brasil,
Of Richmond, sextsnt, for his humanity
in rescuine the crew Of the schooner Mary
Ann Gam, Of iavsuham, abandoned 7th oe-
tober, last. E
To Capt. Thomas L. Libby, Of the Amer.
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
MisteIlaneous.
Tho Wind OF Cannon Balls.

''The times have been.
That when the brains were out. the man would die
And there an end but now, they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools"
The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-05-02
4ustrg.
Prom the New York Home Journal.
News from tho War.

News nom tho War.
Two women sit at the farmhouse door,
Busiiy reading the news,
While sofily around them hir Twilight sheds
Her tender shadows and dews.
Peace smiles In the elOudless heaven AboyeI
Peace rests on the landscape falri
And peace, like holy spirit OF love,
Broods In the baimy air.
But not one ray OF peace illumlnes
Those sad and wistful eyes
which search that printed record o'er,
As smariners search the SKIES.
Look on their nces-Ons like . rose
Fresh with the beauty Of Mays
The other pale as waning moon
Seen through thin clouds Of gray.
Yet. though one Is young and the other old,
With the same son glory they shinei
For they are tinted with tsndsrest Light and shsd,
by love. the artist divine.
Now, fast as q radiant vision. fades
The glory Of the western skiesi
Yet the readers read on-unmindfal Of all
save the paper before their eyes.
Nothing to them the charms Of that hour
The magic Of meadow and hill
For spirits bowed down with weight OF case
Arc blind to the beautiful still.
Deeper the shadows OF twilight falli
More hushed grows the dewy air,
When suddenly breaks on that holy calm
Aqu'ek, Wild cry Of despair.
The younger glances have found Il arst-
The record so sad and so briefi
"Mortaliy wouuded"-two dread words
Winged arrows Of pain and grief.
.Mortally wOunded"-lOOk again
Alas! Il Ia all too true
Not the brave alone, but the fond and fair
Are mOrtAlly wounded, too,
He. on the battlefield ar away,
They, I'm their quiet home
The wife and the mother. who never more
Shall see their loved hero come.
The grass win grow where the warrior fell.
And sweet wild-nowers may bloom
On the very turf once blsekened and burned
by the FEARFUL Ares Of doom.
Bu. the smiling summers, that come and 20,
Can never. never heal
The bleeding bosoms which felt to-day
Something sharper than steel.
.Mortaliy wounded '"-oh, dread war
Many victim is thine,
Save those Who hear your terrible voice
Gothundering along the line
II We give proud names and eehoing hymns,
And build up monuments grand
To the gallant spirits who suffer and fan
In defense Of their native Land,
Let Us yield . tenderer tribute still
Sad tears aud plying sigh,
To the unerownsd martyrs who silently sink,
And die when their heroes die.
Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-09
The Latest News.

The news from Island No. 10, from Cor
NTH and from Fortrass Monroe, Is be-
coming Of more interest as the crisis a. :
proaches at those 10 .al:ties. CannonadlnG
Is still kept up Al No 10. The gunboat
Caroadolct run the block. de on the night
of the 4.h, AMI is now below the Island,
ready for a FIRE in thc rear The was fired
At. but received 10 injury ia the enter
prise
The headquarters of our army is now
but fr4. miles from Yorktown, which place
will soou be taken by our troops, and then
:. On to Richmond Skirmishing has
become an everyday occurrence 10 Viz
giuia.
General BANKS division is still advan-
cling A portion of JACKSON 5 men refuse
to fight, and, having entrenchcd them
selves, defy their General
BEAunEGAED is evidently outflanked BY
Gen. GRANT, and fight may be looked iol
= though it is reported that the rebels a
Corinth arc falling back.
Look out for exciting news.
Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-09
L ow the Rsbal Steamer Merrimac (Vir-
gini Al Is to be Sunk

In the debate in the Senate on the Ste
ven floating battery, Senator Pemerov
OF Kansas expressed his opinion that it
VIII soon be demonstrated that any wood
en- vessel, any large ocean steamer, for in
stance, can run down such battery as
the Virginia and sink her He said il he
was captain of the Minnesota he would
surely tighten her, except in the steam,
and put her ut her highest speed and run
her upon the Virginia and sink her The
Boston Commercial Bulletin says on the
subject:
II the Minnesota, or any other vessel
OF the same size should run bows on with
the speed OF twelve knots an hour. strik-
ing the -He'rimac on her broads;de. she
would sink her As, for instance, III 1899
the ship Columbian, 500 tons, lying at Da-
mon wharf, Charleston, parted her bow
hawser, and swinging with the tide, run
BOWS on against Charleston bridge, and
cut l. through. In 1S4l the ship Ell Whit
ney; OF foQ tons, coming up the harbor,
with her three topsails set, ran three quar-
tiers OF her length into the end of Lon.
W hart In 1850, ship going up the
Docks IN Liverpool became nnmanageable
ana ran INTO the stone pierhead, moving
the stones twelve or thirteen feet doing
comparatively little damage 10 the ship
We believe there is tact and skill enough
IN our navy to dispose Of the -Nerrimac if
she ventures out of Norfolk
Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-09

HE PROSPECTS OF AN OPENING OF LAKE
NAvIGArIoN-W nave news from Mack
lnaw up to the 10Th Of March, on which
day the ice was only twelve inches thick,
with prospects of an unusually early open
ing
Navigation on Lake Erie is now re-
sumed-propellers running regularly be
tween Detroit and Buffalo and Toledo and
Dunkirk
Accounts from the WelIand Canal are
not quite so favorable. At Port Robinson
the ice was fourteen inches thick, and al
Burlington Bay, loaded teams were cross
ing the ice as in midwintrr
From Detroit we learn that the ice still
Obstructs navigation between that port
and Port Huron; bu it was thought the
strong northeast winds which have pre-
vailed for the past few days would open a
passage yesterday. The Sea Bird had
made two or three attempts and failed t.,
get through the ice
From Green Bay we have advices up to
the lst inst On that date the Ice near
Menominee river was firm, and teams
we're coming up on the ice from below
Chic Tiib
Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-09

THE INTEREST LAw.-The Legislature
has passed an act reducing, the legal rat
Of interest t. seven per cent, but very
wisely put in provision that it shall not
70 into effect until some time IN January
next, giving the next legislature a chance
to repeal it before it becomes a law 1t
is only a year since this same interest law
was amended by the Legislature. and the
provisions of the amendment arc hardly
known to the people before another is en-
acted. it may not become US TO question
the wisdom of our Law Makers, but we
cannot but believe it would be far better
for the people if our Legislative sessions
were less frequent than at present We
believe nearly all classes OF people were
satisfied with the interest law fixing the
rate at ten per cent by agreement, and we
trust the present amendment may be suf-
fered to expire still-born by the acts OF
the next Legislature.