Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-01-09
Miscellaneous.


RoxAS7Ic At FoRr SxrLIIsG Not long
since there appeared squad Of men st Fort
Smelling for the purpose Of joining tie regi-
mcnt Of Mounted Rangers for Indian fighting
The Orderly in charge was very boyish look
ing, but Of singularly neat and soldier-like
appearance. The morning reports from the
squad were neatly and correctly made ont
and were always the frst received at the
headquartcrs Of the Colonel the young orderly
tzking them up and delivering them without
word, but giving nlways the proper salute
N the most graceful manner.
OF course such spparently extreme youth
and fine s3liierly qualities did not escape
che Yigilant eye Ofthe Colonel, who, believing
the young soldier under eighteen, made up
his mind that he had run away from his Tar-
cnts, and 50 told him, but he assured him he
would yet obtain their written consent u the
enlistment. Thus matters passed along for
several days.
About this time the highly esteemed daugh-
ter Of arespectahle farmer in an int rior county
Of Minnesota suddenly disappeared, and no
traces could he found of her. From remarks
that she made to her mother, wishing she
was n man, 80 that She CO Id volunteer and
hunt down the Indians, DC, suspicion was
aroused that she might have undertaken to
cArry her wishes into effect The father pro
oee1ed to Fort Smelling, where, in our hero
he found his daughter, and went 10 the Col.
to get his son discharged on account Of being
under age but the Colonel told him be would
have to take certain legal steps before he
could be discharged This would not do, as
they would no sooner disclose their secret in
court than in camp. As last resort the
young man was introduced to the Colonel as
the daughter OF the old gentleman, and she
was then promptly discharged. The Colonel
bas, however, kept their scccret, and to this
day the soldiers forming her squad don t know
the fact about their young orderly.
LOOK our rog SPONTANEOUS C0ABUsIIoS.
The question has often been asked if horse
manure would heat to such an oxtont as to
produce fire A perfect dcm1nst-ati1n oft1i7
question occurred yesterday Sunday morning
st Mr. Oliver Mlrla's, Minlt Border. About
tenO'cl1ck one of the members Of the family
went t. the barn and discovered il to be par
italy filed with smoke, and gave the alarm.
On examination it was found that the pile ol
manure had heated sd SAG tosct the boards on
frc which covered the walls Of the cellar.
But for the discovery q that time, the barn
IN one hour would have been in flames. This
fact, so fully demonstrated, Is q warning %
farmers and stable keepers L2Cist0n Journal
zen Rp,ecran5 has better ideas Of discipline
thsn some of 0urgoncrals. He holds his oiiieoF-
responsible for the conduct of their men. On
RENEW, short time since, he gave q loIcihle
illustration II his ideas on the subject. lie no.
ticod private whose knaTsack was very much
swrY, and drew him from the ranks, calling
at the same time for lis captain, who approach
ed. "Captain, / am sorry T. rec y0a don I
know how t. strap i knapsack on soldier's
back - "But didn't do it, General. ~ 'Ohi
YOU didn't Well, hereafter you had better do
It yourself or sec that it is correctly done by
the pTivatcs. ! have nothing more to say to
him. | shall hold you responsible, sir, for the
appearance Of your men," "Bnt if | cannot
make them attend - these mattcrs?' "Then
you cant y0u had better leave the service.
Gyou don't, Il see that you do leave it."
ABOUT THE ALAEauA.- Captain Jones Of
the Ariel says that the Alabama can steam
fourteen knots with II pounds Of steam, and
is allowed t. carry p pounds Of steam. She
has two engines of 52-inch cylinder and II
inch stroke, and is in all respects perfect
model of beauty. Her armament is, be says,
i00-pOunder rifle, and one 6S-p0undeT piy-
ot gun, besides six medium 30 Founders. He
can fight seven guns a side, having arrange
ments for transferring two Of the br0adsidc
guns from side % side with great rapidity.
Captain = mes further says that the Alabama
has iinc crew, and that they are well dis
ciplined, that the slip is in fine order, and
that the deck Is arranged for two additional
pivot guns, which, he was informed were
lOO-pounder rifles, and in the Alabama hold,
ready to he mounted shoald they be required.
Capt Jones says that the only ship that
Scmmes fears Is the Vanderbilt. He laughs
st all the other ships we have, and remarked
that he - cared nothing for the San ,Jacinto
that he went to sea by her when in Martin
ique, and paid no attention 30 her. What
ne cannot whip he can run away from.
1t is the opinion Of Capt. Jones that
Ssmmes has gone to Aspinwall or of that
harbor, 70 intercept the California steamers
both ways; he held on to the Ariel long
enough to determine that the steamer bound
the other way had passed him before she WAS
allowed to proceed.
A letter from an officer of the Alabama 10
friend in Liverpool, dated Oct. 80, 1862,
lat. Al . so, lon. IS > says:
1t would he an endless task for me to at
tempt to give you even an outline of the fear
fUl havoc we have committed among the
Yankee vessels since we left the shores Of the
&ersey, Of the destruction of the many sDlcn-
did ships, Of which not one plank was left
fastened TO another. We have
already taken about twenty vessels, laden
with every article which it is possible almost
for the countries Of the world to produce.
and they have all been destroyed with the
exception Of one or two, whose commanders
have given bonds for various amounts Of ran
som to Capt. Semmes, payable to the Presi-
ucnt Of the Confederate States when peace Is
proclaimed.
Since we have come into these waters We
have got some splendid guns additional, all
mounted and what with our own crew and
she brave volunteers who have since Joined
as, we are now able to fight as well as run,
and both at the same time if need be 50. We
have also plenty Of news about ourselves on
board, IN the New York Times and Herald.
tne NaPplNg Gaeefte, Liverpool Mercury and
GoTe S Advertiser, &c.
One thing Is celtiin they will never take the
Alabama, nor man Of US alive Captain.
officers and men know their duty. and are
quite aware Of the doom which would bel,1
them if taken, for there are no croakers or
skulkers here; but if so unlikely a thing
should take place, and the hair Of one Of our
heads should be injured, our commander as
suIes us that the Government of Richmond
will hang regiment of Yankee officers in