davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
SeceSsionist Badly Sold.

Afriend vouches for the truth Of the fol-
lowing: Soon after the battle of AHtietam,
paroled rebel prisoner wounded in that bat
tie, and calling himself Col Preston of Louis
lana. appeared in Baltimore. A name of
such distinction procured him attention at
once, and he was Immediately taken into his
family by Col P-k, an old resident and
a warm sympathizer With the rebels C.l
Preston was treated With the mn>t d;s,in-
guished cnnsid, rs,'n... i,i> po,i,.,.s c. ,rfutn
attended tn. arr | h warts e,.ru>t
supplied. lnu.eL. lie Was gre II, iiui z,d,
introduced to the club, the envy of the men
and idol of all the secesh ladies. After the
lapse of few weeks, Col P--k.one day,
learned that Mr. B.. relative of his dis,in-
guished guest had arrived in the city. He
Informed Col Preston, who expressed great
JOY at the intelligence. and begged his host
at once to invite Mr. b. to his house. This
was done the same day, and upon his arrival,
Col Preston. in his chamber. was informed
by the servant of the fact. Twill make nv
toilet Immediately" said the Colonel. and
wait upon Mr. b." But long time elapsed,
longer than Col PIX thought the most
elaborate toilet required. and the gallant
Preston did not appear The servant vas
dispatched for him agaia, when-it was dis
covered that the chivalrous southerner had
slipped of, taking as souvenirs of his visit,
Col P-k's gold headed cane, and lazy
P-k's diamond ring. Of course in
quiries as to the Preston were pushed: and
il was soon ascertained that hr was no Pres
ton al all. but New Orleans barber, who had
given his entertainer certainly olose share.
-Ner Bedtord nercmp.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
Pumpkins and Apples for Cattle.

THERE'S much to be said in regard to the val
ue of pumpkins as food for stock. Some write
in their favor while Others do not see any
value in them; some saying the seeds must
be taken out or they are an injury to cattle;
others do not discover any hahn in feeding
them with the seeds. | have been amused
to hear farmers who have devoted years to
their calling, say that pumpkins dry up their
COWS; also that apples do the same if given
to them; and that they are not worth gath
ering for that purpose.
For the purpose of ascertainins the value Of
pumpkins for feeding purposes, | had one
yoke of oxen {. years old,) weighed about
the lst Of October: also a par of stag> )
years old, THAT had just been castrated.)
and yearling steer, fed with them, as they
were taken from the field, that is, green or
ripe as they might be, but as the fall vas
fine, mostly ripe ones ,and were nearly all
gathered and housed before any frost, which
think should always he done to get the val
ue of them. The oxen were unruly, and
were fed about two bushels each per day and
then run loose in large stable, and eat from
a NOW of wheat, that was partitioned of
from one side of the stable and filled when |
threshed my wheat, and so fixed that they
could get what they would eat without
wasting. The stags were also kept in the
stable, but fed hay and cornstscks, with IL
bushels per day, and the steer mad half a
bushel per day and run in the pasture. ex-
cept he was brought to the stable for his
feed.
The result; The oxen gained 800 pounds
one stag 100 pounds, the other l2O pounds,
and the steer 100 pounds, which think was
as cheaply done as could be done with meal
or any other feed. The stays l have no
doubt would have done much better, b1t
they were not well when the experiment com.
menced; as they we're put in the stable and
commenced feeding Immediately after castra-
ton; they were fed without any regerd to
seeds, some being taken out of the best one,
for seed, the rest fed as they were. Hay'
ing plenty of pumpkins, some were given 10
two farrow cows, and they doubled theil
milk in the months OF November the De
cember, till they we're all fed out
! This year apples we're too scarce to feed
but l think from some experiments 1 have
made, that they are at least equal to carrots
in weight for feeding to neat stock, and es
pecially to mich COWS, they always gaining
both in milk and flesh with me, when fed on
them. Apples and pumpkins should not be
suffered to freeze, as that Injuries their feed
ing properties very much.-Jona. Talc0tt, q
Ico,astry gentleman.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
General Burnside.

Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside,
the new commander Of the army in Virginia,
was born at Liberty, Ind. in 1924, and is
therefore but IS years old. He graduated at
West Point in 1851, which is equivalent in
the opinion of the despisers of the science of
war to saving that il is impossible he should
be good fighter. He Immediately Joined
the artillery of the regular army. In lS41
he became a lieutenant in Bragg's battery,
with which be served in the Mexican war;
He left the army ia 1853. and lost money in
a patent rife OF his own invention. Subse-
qnently he was with Gen Mcclellan on the
Illinois central railroad, where he was presi-
dent of the land office department He was
in New York, acting as treasurer of the CEN
tral railroad when the war bioke out He
accepted the eolonelcy Of the first Rhode L.
land volunteers. and acted as brisadier gener-
al al Bull Run. His subsequent career as
the successful head of the Roanoke expedi-
ton to North Carolina is familiar. Gen
Burnside is an officer of fine personal ap-
pearance, a good disciplinaian, and a man
of great vigor and courage How well he
will FIJI the difficult place Ire now occupies
time VIII show.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21

"SHALL | LEARN To DANCE Asks a
Young reader of the American Agriculturist.
Certainly, by all means. Commence with the
"Q1ickstep" out of bed in the morning. and
keep il up until the chores are finished
The boys will of course have " "cor-dril =
al the barn, while the girls are engaged in a
..couairy-dance in the kitchen. After this,
all hands change, and promenade to school,
keeping step to the music OF merry laughter.
Repeat the same on the way home al night.
with an occasional variation in Winter by
tripping the toe" and having break
down in snow bank. \ reel !" now and
then will be quite in place for the girls who
have learned to spin, but the boys should
never think of it. II these and kindred
dances be thoroughly practiced, they will
leave little time and no necessity for the pol
kas. schottisches, and other immodest fooler-
les of the ballroom.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21

of one who has not got a man since last
month.
January 1st 1862, the number of men and
officers in the old regiments of infantry was
5,S2O,in the new, 2l,996, making total of
2S,S16. In April this number may have been
increased to $4,000. Since then the number
of enlistments must have been far from COM
pensating for losses by battle, sickness, death
and desertious and now You will hardly find
a regular army officer who will set the num-
Der as high as 10000. These losses are
continually going on, and recruiting is at a
stand.
Our regular army is disappearing.
Recruiting offices, with their recruiting
parties, are stationed all over the Northern
states, at heavy monthly expense for rent
fuel and subsistence, and one recruit month
becomes costly one, nor does he 90 far
towards filling up the regular army. Gov
ernment sees this and has attempted a rem
edy. An order was issued that those men
of the volunteers who chose might be trans
ferred to the regulars. Of course, in many
regiments there were men who were dissat-
isfed about something and jumped at the
chance for change, and directly some regi-
ments lost many of their best men. | learn
of one or two Michigan regiments which
lost nearly all but their sick. Volunteer Off
GERS. naturally objected to losing their men
so summarily and raised perfect storm
about the ears of the Department. Such
usage was unbearable, they would resign. -
There was almost in>ubordination, the tele-
graph tells us, and the Department was
obliged TO modify matters. Another order
was issued, that not more than ten from
each company should be allowed to 60 into
the regulars, and none should be allowed to
go from a volunteer battery.
Thus it stands, but it is to be supposed
that hard feelings have not vet ceased. Gov
Curtin of Penn. it is said, has had an inter
view with the President about it. We hear
of no results from that interview. Probably
the President knows that it will not do tc
allow the regular army to decrease. But i,
looks hard for volunteer officers who have
worked night and day to raise companies
and when at great personal expense the,
succeeded to have regular officers take the
men away. But what is Government to do
Should the war soon close, where would lt
the men to garrison our forts, protect ou
frontiers and repress struggling squads o
guerilas, and local instructions Hardl,
any one will deny that for years to come W,
must have standing army of at least ont
hundred thousand men. NJ 5.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
newspaper LaW.-l. A postmaster Is re-

newspaper LaW.-l. A postmaster Is re-
red to give notice by letter returning the pa
sr does not answer the law when subscriber
NO, not take his paper from the office, and state
. p reasons for its not being taken; and neg
1T 10 do so makes the postmaster responsible to
. e publishers for the payment
. Any person who takes paper regularly from
,os, .otHce-whether directed to his name or
..,,hcr-or whether he has subscribed or not, is
,.ponsible for the pay.
3. If person orders his paper discontinued,
voust nav all arrearages, or the publisher may
r,inue to send i. until payment is made. and
,vcc, the whole amount whether it is taken from
. = Office or not. There can be no legal discon-
nance until the payment is made.
II the subscriber orders his paper to be
..7,pcd al certain time, and the publisher con-
.,.es to send it. the subscriber is bound to pay
sri,i: he takes it out Of the post-otfce. The law
,,ncct!, on the ground that man must pay for
VA, he 'SeS.
T. In, courts have decided that refusing to
..,e newspapers and periodicals from the post
Zee. or removing and leaving them uncalled for,
grlma tacie evidence of intentional fraud
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
Making a Needle.

Needles are made of steel wire. The wire
is first cot by shears, from coils, into tie
length of the needles TO be made. After a
batch of such bits of wire have been cut of
they are placed in a hot furnace and then
taken out and rolled backward and forward
on a table till they are straight They are
now to be ground. The needle pointer then
takes up two dozen or so of the wires and
rolls them between his thumbs and fingers,
with their ends on the grirdstone, first one
end and then the other. Next is a machine
which fat;ers and cutters the heads OF ten
thousand needles in an hour. Next comes
the punching of the eyes, Ly boy, so fast
that the eve can hardly keep pace with him.
The splitting follows. which Is running fine
wire through dozen perhaps of these tsin
needles. y woman with little anvil before
her fl es between The hesds ard separates
them
They are now ccn.p ple,e needles. hut they
are rough and rusty, and easily bent. The
hardening comes text They are heated
in patches in a furnace. and when red hot
ar- thrown into pan o: cold water. Next
they must he tempered, ana this j. done hv
rolling them backward ans. forward on q hut
metal plate. The polishing still remains &c
be done. On very coarse cloth needles are
spread TO the number offorty TO fit, Thousand.
Emery dust Is s,rewei orrr them, ell Is
sprinkled and soft SOAP Is daubed over; the
cloth is rolled hard up. and with several 9th
ers of ihe SAME kind thrown into a sort of
wash pot to roll 10 and fro twelve hours or
more They come out dirty enough, but al
ter a rinsing in clean hot water, and tossing
in SawGust, they become bright, and are
ready TO be sorted and put up for sale.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
The Game of Life.
BY JOHN e.. SANE.

BY JOHN e. SANE.
here's game much in fashion-I think it's
called Euchre;
Though never have played it, for pleasure or
In which, when the cards are in certain condi-
The players appear to have changed their posi-
hons.
Aud one of them cries, in confident tone,
i TANK may venture to go 1t alone.
VA lc watching the game, It's whim of the
bafd's
4 moral to draw from that skirmish of cards,
And to fancy he finds in the trivial strife
some eXcellant hints for the battle of life;
Whorc-whether the prize be ribbon or throne
The winner is he who can "go it alone W
When the great Calico proclaimed that the world
In regular orbit was ceaselessly whirled,
And got-not a convert-for all of his pains,
BIT only derision and prison and chains,
II moves for oil that :" was his answering tone,
For he knew, like the earth, he could ''go it a.
lone
When Kepler with intellect piercing afar.
Discovered the laws of each planet and star,
And doctors. who ought to have lauded his name,
per,dcd his learning, and backened his fame.
own.
For he felt in his heart that he could "go it a
lone"
A.as for the player who idly depends.
In the struggle of life, upon kindred or friends
Whatever the value of blessings like these,
They can never atone for ing!orious ease,
Nor comfort the coward who finds, with groan,
Lat his crutches have left him to 'go it alone. y
There's something, no doubt, in the hand you
may hold,
Health. family. culture, wit, beauty and gold
The fortunate owner may fairly regard
As each in its way, most excellent card,
le, the game may be lost, with all these for youl
own,
rniess YOU have courage to Ego it alone"
II battle or business, whatever the game,
In lsw or in love it is ever the SINE;
Ii the struggle for power, or the scramble fol
pef,
Let this be your motto-"Rely on yourself!'
Tor, whether the prize be a ribbon or throne,
lie 'ctor is he who can "go it alone!'
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
High.heeled Shoes are Bad.

Can any tall person give good reason for
wearing high-heeled shoes or boots? In the
case of persons Of short stature there may be
an excuse, if not a reason for the practice.
Every one naturally desires to stand up to
the average hight in community, and an ex
ira inch of leather under the heel is perhaps
as inexpensive way of gratifying this vani-
ty as can be devised. Yet it costs more than
may be generally supposeG-more We think
than the bene6tC) derived can balance. The
arrangement is clearly an unnatural one.
The untortured foot of child forms an
arch, with the heel and the "ball" for the
abutments, which rest squarely upon the
ground. In the natural position, much of the
weight of the body rests upon the key or top
of the arch. which from its elasticity partly
yields to the pressure, and thus acts like
spring to relieve the jar which walking, run
ming, ETC., would give to the whole frame.
Now when one abutment of the arch, the heel,
is raised from its proper level, the weight
above is partly thrown from the top tf the
arch where it belongs,on to tie heel ,and thus
the step is rendered less elastic, and more
jarring is given to the frame. The increased
shock is very slight, it is true. but the con-
slant repetition of even this, which occurs in
the every day exercise of the feet,will in time
make itself felt. This is more to be appre-
hended from the fact that the spinal column
which is directly affected by any such jar, is
the most important center of nervous infu-
ence, and extremely sensitive to any unnatu-
raj treatment.
But even if no danger be feared from the
above effects, there are palpabie evils to the
foot ITSELF resulting from wearing high heels.
By their use the foot is forced forward into
the shoe, ,crowding the toes against the leath-
er, which very soon results in corns ,bunions,
in-growing nails,and all the evils which have
called into existence the race of corn-docters
and chiropodis,s. This difficulty is still fur
ther aggravated by the absurd fashion OF
stub-toed" shoes, which has been, prevalent
for sometime past. To prevent the foot thus
sliding forward. .shoemakers often fit the shoe
tight upon the ins.ep. This in,erferes with
the free movement of the muscles and bones
of the foot, impedes the circulation, produces
cold toes, and general discomfort.
Another objection to high heels.of no small
Importance, is the danger from falls which
they occasion. We have known several &C
rious caused by the heels catching upon the
edge Of a stair ard sending the vearer head
foremost down the whole flight. 1t is to bt
hoped that all readers OF the 4mericn -dg
riculturit are so sensible as not to follow tn,
absurd whims of fashion, vet some of thei
neighbors may be benefited by the hints
above given, if conveyed to them. A singl,
layer of leather under the heel to receive ths
extra wear, is all that should be allowed. ex
, cepting in the cases of those very short peo
. pie who can rise in the world by no othe
means; they may be permitted to sufe
/ corns and risk their necks if they insist upor
, it-4mer1can 10rjrulfurjsf
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21

GA newspaper correspondent writes:
Il have seen mention made in the papers of
the hero of Corinth-a private. Let me tell
YOU of another, who belonged to our diri-
sion. He was private in The sd Illinois.
and unfortunately. drunk-so drunk that
they had taken his gun away from him
When the line fell back before that furious
rebel charge, and when they so nearly oh
tanned pussc>>;on Of the fcri, he refused 10 90
back, aud picked uD gun and remained in
possession. \ rebel captain, who was
one pf the first TO enter the works. called on
him 10 Surrender: Ire replied, Il never sur
render, altl shot the captain; prirase at
,ackin- him Just thea, he knocked him down
with his gun and bayoaeted him: and before
any more could get 10 him, our men had raj
lied and driven The rebels OF, SO that he held
the work SOLITARY and alone. and by The time
the regiment got in again, be had robbed
the rebel captain of $40 confederate money
and such other little articles of value as
he had about his ,ser>en-
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
Sentiment in an Indian.

the following charming story is by Rob-
ert f. Coleman, on the pioneers Of Ken
tucky:''
The lady, when girl of eighteen or nine
teen, resided with her father on the outskirts
Of the settlements at period when the older
parts Of the state had become well populated,
and tie Indians. intimidated by the frequent
expeditions into their own country, had ceas-
cd to cross the Ohio in large bodies, but
sinsly, or in small parties, prowled along the
frontiers with the design rather of plunder-
ing than staying seldom hssitating, howev-
er, to take scalp when the opportunity Of
iered, SO tina. the whites still thought it dam
sercus to move far from home without CON-
pany, but at the same time regarded their
cabins as perfectly secure from attack, ex-
cept in very isolated situations where sue
Cor could not be readily obtained. Miss
NJ, therefore, was in the habit of
rambling fearlessly into the fields near her
fathers house, for the purpose, among other
things, Of feeding and petting favorite po-
ny. One evening she went forth about sun
SET and remained for an hour standing upon
a log carressing the gentle animal. throwing
her arms rouad his neck, stroking his face
with her handkerchief, talking to- him as
young ladies are apt to do with pet of any
description. Next morning, to Ter great
grief the pony was missing, and the exam
ination showed that he had been stolen 5y
an Indian. A small party, consisting of her
brothers and few neighbors, quickly start
ed in pursuit of the robber, and late in the
evening came in sight of a single young war
rior standing on log with his arm around
the neck of his prize-stroking his face with
piece of cloth, and talking to him in a soft
girlish voice, just as he had seen the young
lady doing the evening before. The pursu-
ers, guessing the truth, and moved to mos,
unusual degree Of clemency, instead of shoot
inc the thief down in his tracks, ok the
pains to surround and capture Linn, and thus
learned that he had been lying under the
very log on which Miss NJ stood while
caressing her pet. And his savage fanc!
had been so much captivated by the grace
full taJleau that he had forborne to injurt
her, though within arms reach, for an hour
and was trying to enact the scene himsel
when his enemies came upon him."
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
From the 18th Regiment.
CAMP VERMONT, Nov. 8, 1862

CAMP VERMONT, Nov. 8, 1862.
Mr.. EnIToR Somebody has written that
a some period in the worlds history, Green
and was a vine-growing country, and that
from India's coral strand once pealed forth
the Jingle of the merry sleigh bell.
How this may have been, the present gen
c:ation can speculate upon, perhaps pro6ta-
bly,.
lnis much the 10th regiment V. Y. NJ.
lor fr'im persona. experience, that on the
tn day of November A. d. 1862, the sacred
SOL Of Virginia was clothed in spotless white.
0a this day it showed and blowed la Yer
mont during a genuine "Cabot thaw.'
>aow fell to the depth Of 3 inches in tie
woods. In the open country the drifts loom
dup TO a height unprecedented in the his
Tory Of the "Sunny South" And "what
made il very much worse than it otherwise
would have BEEN" we marched through the
-F.y!ng storm and sacred mud, the distance
OF two and one half miles to Alexandria and
back again to get our new muskets, which by
Inc way We didn't get, 50 we boldly marched
Up The hill and then marched down again.
1t IS military necessity that inferior Off
Gers must obey the orders of their superiors.
imagine Col Proctor appreciates the sub
.m.'y of this rule, when he carries into exc
l~hQn the various commands and counter
'naAd> issued to him.
HE 18th left Camp Seward near Arlington
Highs at about p p. NJ. on Monday last
and arrived in a t." fell piece" about one-hal
ME from Camp Vermont at P. NJ, where
W spent the night-had shelter tents to pro-
'ect US against the night air, and plenty o.
brush for fires to make the scene cheerful
and the men comfortable.
doubt not the few left behind in Vt woult
nave their hearts filled with pity at the sigh
OF whole regiment lying in such an exposed
condition, but dear friends withhold you
pity and let the fountain of your tears b
tredfor never was there merrier crew thai
the 5th on this night.
We took up our line of march the mex
morning, reached this point,pitched our tent
and commenced house Aeeping in due form.
Camp Vermont consists Of the 18th, 13tl
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21

A HoRRIFIEp DANDY. 4 laughable Incl.
dent is related of dandy who was seated
on balcony of Saratoga hotel, among q
large company. He was exquisitely dressed
and very highly persumed with musk, which
is very disagreeable TO some persons. A
plain far ner happening to pass near him
commenced snuring suspiciously, and look.
ing around for the cause-of the musky efflu.
via, he soon smelt out the dandy, and thus
addressed him: 81 say mister, | can tell ye
what1l take the smell ont of yer clothes
Just bury EN- under ground for week.
My uncle ran agin skunk once and -
but before the sentence was finished the en-
ragged dandy sped from the crowd to escape
the shouts of laughter. while the innocent
farmer who only meant to do him a kindness,
was wondering what caused his sudden de-
parture.
The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-21
RebeliiOn...A Sonnet.
BY /. h. GAGE.

Anlness from hoary Cruelty is born,
AID Freedom out of old Oppression springs;
50 God arranged it in that first great morn
WArn he established and ordained all things.
God acts and counteracts in all our plans,
And makes mans wrath to sound his highest
praise;
AID mans defiance, passing through His hands,
|, tanned to blessings in unwonted ways.
s.. vile Rebellion, tempered in this wise,
Nay work at last the Nations greatest good
And the World witness, with its wondering eyes,
Via, only God had fully understood,
Alt unto Abraham family shadowed forth,
For him to promise and proclaim to all the
earth.