davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
System Of Government.

Our rulers, with view to the public
good, have saved the people the trouble
of a revision of the Constitution in the
mode prescribed. To alter the form Of
Government in legal manner would
cause delay, expense, and discussion.
1t has, therefore, been reformed by cor
ders" of military commandants. This
summary mode of reconstruction is new
in this country; but it has been tried in
Europe, and found to work well, especi-
ally in strengthening "he Gorernnae,,t.''
By "orders," the States have been, to
all intents and purposes, obliterated from
our political system, and =" Departments
substituted. Department." are para
mount to, and of higher authority than
the States. It is understood, however,
that Governors, Legislatures and civil
Courts will be tolerated, subject to the
control of the commandant of the several
" Departments. " This is gracious when
we consider that in the new system there
is no use for Governors, Judges and Leg
islators, as all their functions can be done
by the commandant.
The people may consider themselves
relieved from the task self government.
The time they have heretofore spent in
the discussion of public measures, in at
tending public meetings, elections, &c,
they may now devote to the work neces-
sary to raise money for the purpose of
" internal revenue" &C., or in military
drill. A very great saving.
The question, so often propounded at
the commencement of the war, "Have
we Government" is solved 1t is a
fact that will never be drawn in dispute
hereafter r-Hu56ard.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
Interesting Statement BY an Officer who
was Wounded and Captured at
Charlottesville.
From the Detroit Free Press


CAPTAIN WILLIAM ID. WILKINS, Of
the staff of General A. S. Williams, CON-
manding division Of the 18th Army Corps,
who was wounded and taken prisoner in
the battle Of ChancellorsviL :, returned
to this city on Tuesday evening, being on
parole. From him we learn some inter
esting particulars of the battle, never be-
fore published.
He was placed in charge of a guard,
who took him a short distance to the
rear, and to the plank road, where he met
General jackson and staff. Jackson had
at this time formed column of attack on
the plank road, with the design Of flank
ing our army and obtaining possession of
United States Ford, which would have
undoubtedly resulted in the total annihi-
lation of our army The column consis-
ted of upwards Of Is, 900 men, massed in
columns Of sections, having three batter
les of artillery on the flank. It is said
by learned military authorities that this
column of attack has never before been
adopted in modern warfare except by
Bonaparte at Areola. The military ge-
MUS of jackson shone brighter every
day, and had his plan succeeded, the re-
suit to our army can not be estimated
jackson was sitting on his horse at the
head of the column, surrounded by his
staff. He wore a new suit Of gray uni
form, and was spare man, with a wealth
er-beaten face, and bright, grayish blue
eye. He had a peculiarly sad and gloo
my expression Of eountenance, as though
he already saW-a premopition of his fate.
1t was but fifteen minutes later that he
was mOrtally wounded. As they came
into his presence the guard announced
" aacaptured Yankee officer" CAPTAIN
Wilkins asked if it was Maior-General
Thomas J. jackson. On being answer
ed IN the affirmative, he raised his hat
General jackson said "a Regular Army !
omeer, | suppose; your officers do not
OIsen s'l salute ours p Captain Wilkins re-
piled, " No, I am not; I salute you out
OF respect to you as a gallant officer"
lie then asked his name and rack. On
being informed, he further inquired what
corps and commanders were opposed in
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
For the Curious.


The greyhound runs BY sight only and this
we observe as fact, The carrier pigeon flies
two hundred and fifty miles homeward by
eyesight viz: from point to point Of objects
which he has marked, but this is our only
conjecture. The fierce dragon-hy, with two
thousand lenses in his eyes, darts from angle
to angle with the rapidity of flashing sword
and as rapidly darts bacl5--not turning in the
air, but with clash reversing the action Of
his four wings, and instantaneously calculating
the distance Of the objects or he would dash
himself to pieces. But IN what conformation
Of his does this consist? No one can answer.
A cloud of ten thousand gnats dance up
and down in the sun-the niinutest interval
between them-yet no one knocks another
headlong on the grass, or breaks head, or a
wing, long and delicate as they are. Sud
denly-amidst your admiration of this match
less dance-a peculiar high-shoulderedT vi
cions gnat with a long, pendant nose, darTs
out of the rising and falling cloud, and settling
on your cheek, inserts a poisonous sting. What
the little wretch to do this No
one knows.
A horse coach comes suddenly upon flock
Of geese on narrow road, and drives straight
through the middle Of them. A goose was
never yet fairly run over, nor duck. They
are under the very wheels and hoofs, and yet
they contrive somehow to flap aud waddle
safely of. HabituaIly stupid, heavy, and in
dolent they are, nevertheless, equal to any
Why does the lonely woodpeck-
sr when he descends his tree and goes to
drink, stop several times on his way--listen
and look arOund-before hetaEes bis draught7
No one knows,
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
WHOLE NUMBER 81.
The City Of VioEuburg.


! Yicksburg is the capital Of Warren County,
Mississippi, which county is bounded north
east BY Yazoo County, east and south By the
Big Black River, west by the Mississippi Ri7-
er, and northwest by Yazoo River. The
country around Yic<sburg is drained By
brancher of the Big Black. The surface of
the soil is rough and lnIy on the east. Al
most the entire area between the Yazoo Riv-
er and Ficlsburg is covered with close tim
rber, chiefly ofstuutsd size, mostly interviewer
with luxuriant underground, and interspersed
with numerous bayous, creeks and swanps
The city Of Vieksburg is built upon a hill
or bl6G, the highest point Of which Is between
two and three hundred feet above the BIissis-
sippi The Walnut Hills, a little above Eiel1s-
burg rise boldly with alternate sweIs and
gullies to the hight Of nearly Eve hundred feet,
and form one Of the most striking views the
traveller meets with on the Lower Mississippi.
Below the city are TerrilFs Bluffs, which ike
wise present al imposing view. An the COM
manding points on the hills have been foFti-
fed, both in front and in the rear. Of the town.
Yicksburg contained a resident population Of
between four and Eve thousand people. It
has a court house, Eve or six churcises, three
academies, a theatre, three printirg-oHices,
and sevefal public and private schools, In
ordinary times an active business is done here
in the preparation Of lumber and building ma
terials by saw-mills, shingls factories and
brick-yards. In 1850 about one hundred
thousand bales Of cotton were eshipped to New
Orleans, the ci:y being the depot Of al the
Yazoo country.
Vicksburg, and not Charleston, was really,
the first place where cannon belched forth.
On the 18th Of january, 1861, four days after
Mississippi seeded, the Quitnan battery,
which had been ordered to Yiclsburg By
Governor Pettus, was planted on the bluffs,
and fired a shot across the bow of the steam
boat A. 0. Taylor. vessel which has snos
been transformed into a gunboat, and done
good service on the Mississippi Tennessee and
Cumberland Rivers. After that, Custom
house was established at NeInes Landing,
where, for a short time, restrictions were
placed upon the navigation Of our grest IN
squadc highway. The women of VickstuFz
were among the most savage Of the female
secessionists Of the South, going 50 fa-, we
believe, as to organize a company of Home
Guards, the real object of which was, by .
peculiar kind of coercion, to operate upon the
male portion Of the population and drive the
men of to the war.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
Great Acoustic Mystery.

On the ecclesiastical trial Of the Rev. Mr..
Hager, lately, at Peoria, Ill.,, an order of Sc
cresy was made, and reporters requested not
to make the proceedings known. This had
no effect, as the day following the testimony
appeared in the Chicago papers. Then an
oath OF secresy was administered to all in the
room; still the proceedings were made pub
lie; then the gas-pipes were examined and all
holes stopped; still the proceedings found
light, and great wonder was excited, and in
dignation And "still the wonder grew, and
continued to grow until, at the end of the trial,
it assun I'd mammoth proportions, while the
superstit GUS attached to the mystery ofsome-
thing supernatural. The trial over the re-
porter Of the Chicago Tribune divulges the
mystery. He says:
The investigation was held in the second
story of stone building, in a room used by
the Common Council The lower story is oc-
cupied by the Fire Department, and the room
directly beneath the Inquisition Chamber con-
tains the wagons and apparatus Of the Hook
and Ladder Company, also an old hand FIRE
engine Eagle" By the Introduction of the
large suction hose into the chimney fue Gn
the lower room) which receives the pipe from
the immense sheet-iron stove which is in the
Courtroom above, we were enabled TO hear
most that was said in the Courtroom with
distinctness. The simplicity of the
modus operandi was its principal security from
detection. The two reporters Of the Tribune
and Times attended to the leak in turns, Of an
hour or two each, and were assisted at times
by competent outside party, when they
found it necessary from being too closely
watched.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
How Much Seed Per AOre7

THE following suggestions condensed
from an article in the Mark Lane Express
(England,0 will apply equally well Oh
this side the Atlantic. Land, naturally y
poor, or temporarily reduced in fertility
by over-cropping, requires thick seeding.
Soil in low condition can not force vege-
tatiOn to any extent, therefore little OF
no tillering takes place. Consequently
each kernel will produce but one stem,
and when thickly seeded no more are ro-
quired or can find room to grow. The
opposite of this is the case With rich soil.
The increase by tilIering will far exceed
the difference made in the quality of the
seed generally put on. Suppose five
bushels of oats per acre arc to be sown
on poor land, and two bushels on good
soil. If each plant of the latter should
throw out three tillering stems there
would be a heavier yield than on the
thickly seeded portion. But where the
tillering process is. fully developed as on
the wheat plant in rich ground, the aver
age will far exceed three collateral stems.
Of course, every allowance should be
made for liability to loss from other
causes, as worms, insects, unfavorable
weather, etc.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
From your sad-sad
unhappy cister
MARY ANN

TuE SEA SERPENT CAUGHT AT LAsr.-The
following is part Of letter from an officer on
board H. NJ. S, Stromboli at Rio:
&" We go back to the Mentevido as soon as
the Curlew arrives. Captain Forbes, Of the
Curlew, has written to the Admiral to say
that the great sea serpent has been canght at
last This monstrosity was washed OF shore
in very sickly state, which enabled the na-
tives to dispatch him easily. Report says that
he is $50 feet long, with head and tail like
a lizard, and that it took Elk men to carry one
of his ribs"
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

ALL MCCLELIAN MEx-Judging from their
conversation, the members Of the Sixteenth
Regiment are all Mcclellan men, Asa party
Of them were extroTing the merits of 4 Little
Mac" as they call aim, citizen inquired
How does it come then, that he was not
more successful" One Of them promptly re-
piled, Because he always had two armies 20
fght-the enemy IN front and the army OF
politicians in the rcarl" and his comrades
seemed to fully acqniesce in this theory.-aI-
bGny Argus.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

Flax is now. used quite extensively in some
parts Of Wisconsin for manufacturing purpo-
ses. At Milwaukee there are exhibited spec
linens Of fax as white as snow, and also COZ
ored with a brilliant hue calico made Of ffty
per cent Of Hax; cotton flannel, one-hslt fax
felted cloths, and variety Of other Dnsnnfac-
lures. of which fax is a component part. The
market sales of these calicoes is six cents per
yard. AS handsome an article Of broadcloth
is manufactured from this cottonized fax as
could be desired.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

A LETTER writer and an admirer of
General Stoneman, as an evidence that
he is one of the best and boldest cavalry
officers in the army, relates that when a
Lieutenantin in California some years since,
on being challenged to do SO by lady
friend he ascended the front steps, rode
into her parlor, turned round and came
out, as he said he could, "without ever
soiling the carpet"
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
Constitutional Limitations.

1HE OOnSIGuJlOn, alLeI COuIeTIlng SeY
t eral weIl-defned political powers upol
! the Federal Government, declares tina
? all political powers are reserved to tn,
States or the people; and it further Sc
cures to every citizen certain inalienabl,
rights of person and property, which i
recognizes as inherent in the citizen for
ever, beyond all possible control of thai
government Now, does any one suppose
that it was done without a serious pur,
pose2 Does any man imagine that il
was done for what is yulgarly called
" Buncombe 2" Do you believe that il
was done with mental reservation of the
doctrine of public necessity standing be-
hind the Constitution, and ready to strike
it down from its supreme control over us
and our affairs Let me suggest to you,
that you connot study the Constitution
and the purposes of the great generation
who made it, without seeing that the
very object of all this careful provision
for rights that we're placed beyond the
reach of the Central Government was to
exclude forever this doctrine of PUBLIC
NECESSITY as a measure of the powers
that were conferred upon that govern
ment. I use this language deliberately.
I affirm that when the Constitution re-
peated the words of Magma Charta, not
as statute, but as a fixed principle of
fundamental law, and declared that "no
person shall be deprioed of life, liberty or
property, aoithout due process Of la0," it
meant to make a rule for all time and all
circumstances, shutting the door forever
against any supposed public necessity for
violating the rights of the citizen. In
like manner I affirm that when the Con-
stitution reserved to the States or the
people all political powers not granted to
the Federal Government, it meant to pre-
clude every ground of necessity for the
assumption by that Government of the
powers withheld.
In fact, the idea of a written Constitu-
tiOn-a fixed and supreme LAWS utter
ly irreconcilable with the theory that the
Administration of such "A government
can resort to their own judgment of pub
lie necessity, and act contrary to the su-
preme law, and that good citizenship re-
quires the people to acquiesce in that
judgment They who set up such claims
for our rulers claim for them an entirely
irresponsible power. We arc required,
for example, to believe that what are
called arbitrary arrests" are necessary,
but no one explains the grounds of that
No account Is rendered. We
are to assume the existence of causes of
justification, but no one tells what those
causes are. They may remain forever
locked in the bosoms of those who do
the acts of which we complain. Why
should American citizens, filing high
places of public trust act upon such
as this? Can anything be more
degrading, more injurious to the public.
of people than to form
habit of implicit belief in the existence
Of necessities which nobody explains, and
Of which nobody is required to give an
You may hear hundred men
N day speaking of some particular
case Of this kind, profess its necessity,
md not one man in the whole hundred
IAN tell you what the military necessity
Vas.-George TTcEnor Curtis.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
A School Marm,a Latter.


Yesterday we picked up, on Locust street,
the following letter, from a young lady, teach
ing school in the rooral deestricts, y to a sis
ter there. While we know we have no bu-
siness to pry into the private affairs Of the
young ladies, owing to a vast deal Ct amazin
cussidness we possess, we can notr refrain from
publishing the document:
TURcEEY VAIY
Dere Cister,
You didn't reseye my last fond epistoI be-
cause eff you he'd you'de ought to reply, Which
you haint, and forgive you.
1 toled you had got a schoole, which I
like very exceedingly mutch. have so
schoolersi fore boy pupils and the ballanse
gurls. have bin studeing very severe all
winter, and passed the exaninashun bully. I
don't no how long shall teach if / keep on
Hckeing Of it as do now, but shall probably
teach sicbs months
/ some times get dredlul Ionesomeish but
then when reflex that on to rests the care
of trainin up all them Htus innoseuts, and
and when George he comes to see me, I be-
comes contended and gives myself up to bis.
George he is the beautifuIlest young fellei
into this here plaice. He is q noble union
man, and has often tolde me he was willing
to saccrifyce his life onto the caws. q
Father, he aint mutch OF union man, he
swears dreGlul about the war and told George
in to my presents he would boote him ef he
didn't discontinue to continue his visits to me.
OIL dear ime so unhappy, I never can get
because becawze father he says he
would rather sea me dye an old made than to
marry dam black abolishum sponney which
is the horrid words he used respeckting nv
george
From your sad-sad
unhappy cister
MARY ANN -
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
Another Great BattIs. !,

The Evansville Journal of Monday reports
battle at Shawneetown, Illinois, on the Ohio
which deserves an Iliad" of its own. g
A gentleman who desired to do The State
some service bad sought and obtained com
mission as colonel of volunteers whsrzupon
he rented his house to a tenant Of the feminine
persuasion. She had not long occupied the
premises until the Colonel had reason to BE-
lieve that her longer stay would not be cred
table to his house, and he at once set to work
to have her vacs'e. But, as is well known, 4
woman has a viii, as a general rule, and thia
one proved no exception Having the ad-
vantage in the matter of contract and posses
sion, she positively refused to leave. Persus-
sion, enheaty, and threatenings were tried and
exhausted, but all to no purpose.
The Colonel, determined to carry his point
at all hazards, planted battery consisting Of
one 6-pounder within range. The feminine
belgerent stood her ground beroicaHy. and
the Colonel opened brisk cannonade upon
his own house. three shots passing directly
through it. The Madame stood her ground
bravely for time until the firing becoming
too hot-she changed her position, retired to
the back yard, and there formed a new line
Of battle The firing Of artillery ceased, and
the Colonel cautiously advanced to oreoonnoft-
er in force. Discovering that the enemy had
been dislodged by his artillery he advanced
within the house, when the enemy opened a
rapid fire upon him with a revolver, at short
range, clipping locks Of hair from both side,
of his head, and perfOrating his clothing Hav-
ing emS6ed her six-shooter, the Colonel open
ed FIRE p reply with asix-shooter, ezhausting
all bis shots without material loss to the enc
my, who, becoming much dsnnoraissd. hung
out a flag Of truce, and sued for pesee, which
was made much ike it always is between be-
fgerents; on the very terms proposed before
the war commenced. She vanosed the rancho.
The battle was spirited while it lasted, and
produced great excitement in shawneetoWn.
Az Irishman was fishing and among other
things that he had hauled in was large tur-
tie To enjoy the surprise Of the servant gir,
be placed itin her bedroom. The next mora.
ing the first that bounded into the breakfast
room was Biddy, exclaiming:
"Be jabers, I've got the devilP
-"What dovil2" inquired the head Of the
house. feigning surprise. -5 ~
The bully bed bug that's been eatin' the
children the last month"; have got him sure"
CHrBss finds nothing to abuse except his
wife's cHnoIle and Mrs. Long6ows' hoops.
"If they have no other advantage, sReeFed)
Mrs. c., "they keep the men at distance,
aud that's great blessing" To the men,
growls out Gibbs.
A RECTOR in England who was 60 unfortu-
nate as to give out that on a certain day he
would perform the marriage ceremony. gratis
in honor Of the late royal marriage, had the
pleasure Of uniting in the bonds Of rnatrinony
forty couples
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
stItrt 9nttrr.
NY HOME


IHEvE beautiful home
Beside the freshest sea,
And angels are wont to come
On neighbOrly visits to nc.
They come in the morning grey;
They come in the evening red;
They walk with me by day,
And at night sit round my bed.
I've an orchard smoothly liinbed,
And cattle sleek and clean
A garden neatly trimmed,
And lawn forever green.
And the house within is sweet
AS milk yet warm in the pail;
There's the sound ofchildren's feet,
But never Of chIldren's vail
And the chamber where I sleep
Is a perfect eastward ROOM
There the mornings earliest peep
With an odor of elover-bloom;
Ny study the danticst nook
On the wall no idle mark
And if I want book
can find it in the dark.
When neighbors of heat complain
There is GOODNESS in my hall;
And no matter how hard the rain,
A sunbeam ca nay wall
I've nothing TO do but enjoy;
Work does itself in my plan;
I live like needless boy
And dread to be a man
I see the night draw on,
And the sweet stars open their eyes
see the morning dawn
Without thought Of SURPRISE
see my cattle fed
In the pastures deWy green;
see men moving the mead,
And believe that have seen.
Such is my beautiful home,
Beside beautiful sea,
Where angels are wont to come
On daily visits to me.
The Century
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
LAW Of HEw8PAPERSi

I. Subscribers who do not give express notice
o the contrary, are considered as wishing to con-
inue their subscriptions to the paper.
2. IL subscribers order the discOntinuance of
heir periodicals, the publisher nav continue to
send them until all arTearages are paid.
), II subscribers neglect or refuse to take their
periodicals from the Office tO which they we're d.
rected, they are held responsible til they have set
tied the bill and ordered them discontinued.
T. If subscribers remove to other places with
out informing the publisher, and the papers are
sible.
5. The Courts have decided that refusing 10 take
periodicals from the Office or removing and lesy-
Ing them uncaIed for. is priEga Jdeie evidence Of
Intentional fraud.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

A YASKEE boy had a whole Dutch cheese
set before him by a waggsh friend, who, how
ever, gave him no knife. This is a funny
cheese, Uncle Joe, but where shall cut it {?
Oh, said the cunning friend, cut it where you
ike. Very well, said the Yankee, cody put
ting it under his arm, I'll cut it at home.
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

EVERYBODY will be glad to learn that Col
Grierson, who led the famous cavalry raid
through Mississippi, is now Brigadier-General
Thomas H. Grierson,
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17
VOLUME Il. NO, p.
URBANA UNION


OFFICE -CouIson's Building, second floor,
aVest side North Main-street near the Square.
TERMS 81. per annum, invariably in advance
copies one year, SO
Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-06-17

john PEMBERToN, the rebel comman-
der at Vicksburg, is a native of the city
of Philadelphia, and by birth connected
with the Society of Friends.