The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-03-07
Mch. dwtd

A. NJ. CARTER, Sec'y.
Mch. 1-dwtd
The ROADS, within the memory Of the "old
est inhabitant," have never been blockaded
with snow drifts at all TO be compared with
those created by the snow storm Of Monday
the Sd, and the blow Of Monday night and
Tuesday. On Wednesday it was almost i'm.
possible for teams to move, in the country
In many places people could only get along
by leaving the fenced roads, and picking theil
way through the fields. The mails on some
of the routes failed to make their trips. Or
Thursday we saw men in town from Goa
Valley township, who said they came ON foo
over the tops of hard snow drifts to Coal Val
ley village, and took the cars there it being
utterly impossible to get along with teams.
We have had most remarkable winter, for
snow. The sleighing has been good from
Christmas TO the present time. We have had
unusually fine weather. all winter-verv lit
tie severely cold weather, and no high winds
until the blow Of Monday and Tuesday, the
Sd and 4th inst.
On Thursday the 9th, the weather moder-
a,ed, and the snow began to melt in our
streets 1t is time to expect warmer wealth
err and we presume that, in a few days more
the signs of coming spring will be apparent
MADAM RuMoR will have terrible accoun,
to settle in the next worll-if not in this. She
has been particularly busy since the battle Of
Fort Donelson, in circulating all sorts Of sto.
rcs in regard to the cowardicc of the men
engaged in that bloody fight and it is a no.
tceabe fact that, when any one cares enough
about these stories to trace out their origin,
they are all traced to some one who had some
motive in circulating them
We notice one thing quite plainly, viz The
old grannies who trot around town circulating
these stories, all have tender spot some
where Some are disappointed because they
were not elected to an Office in the company
some because they couldn't keep the office
they did have and some because their friends
were not elected some for one reason and
some for another--but all the retailers OF
these stories have some personal end to nc.
complish. A few days after the battle it wa,
currently reported, in Il sneering way, that
Capt Hawley was sick when the fight came
n-.eaving it to be inferred that he was pur.
posely sick. Capt Gregg exploded that sto
ry, by saying that Capt. Hawley was IN the
fight several times, all the time, except por
ton Of one day, when he tried to get out Of
his bed to lead his company, but was really
unable to do 50. This ended that story
All sorts of stories have also been circulat
ed about the conduct of Leuts knhler and
Jobe on the battle-tiold.ot Donelson, and now
it iscurrently reported that Capt Llttler, of
the % Iowa, and Lieuts. knhler and Jobe
of the 10Th Illinois, are to be shot to-day. 70,
cowardice. The story is traced to a lieuten
ant in some Iowa company, who came ovel
the Chicago & Rock Island railroad yester
| day,
| We do not believe word Of it. These Of
! fcers may have shown the white feather, bu
we prefer to believe in their good conduct IN
til we have some reliable evidence TO the con
trary. They can't be shot without a trial
unless in the act on the field Of battle n
report of any trial has been heard Of. n
report Of any charges against them has beef
heard Of. If they have been tried, and cor
demned to be shot, the news would hav
been sent all over the country, and we shout
have known it long before any Iowa lieu
tenant" could have brought it from some no.
pital, where he may have been for the last tw
weeks.
We do not say that these officers behave
bravely, for we know nothing about t,-bu
we do say that it is cowarily in the e1trem
tor any person to circulate storie. preiudicis
to any man in the army, without he has som
good and reliable evidence of the fact. w
prefer to believe every man patriot and
hero till the contrary is shown,