The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-11

more revolving than trust ever again 10
behold. The poor girls back was fiayed
until the uuivering flesh resembled q fresh
beefstake scorched on a gridiron. With
cold chill creeping through my veins,
turned away from the sickening spectacle,
and for an explanation ofthe affair, closely
scanned the various persons about the
room.
In the center of the group, at his writing
table sat the General. His head rested on
his hand, and he was evidently endeavor-
ing to fix his attention upon the remarks
of a tall, swarthy-looking man who stood
opposite, and who, soon discovered, was
the owner of the girl, and was attempting
defense of the foul outrage he had COM
mitted upon the unresisting and helpless
person OF his unfortunate victim, who stood
smarting, but silent, under the dreadful
pain inflicted by the brutal lash.
By the side of the STAKEHOLDER stood our
Adjutant General, his face livid with almost
irrepressible rage, and his fists tight-clench-
ed, as if to violently restrain himself from
visiting the guilty wretch with summary
and retributive justice, Disposed about
the room, in various attitudes, but all ex-
hibiting in their countenances the same
mingling of horror and indignation, were
other members of the Staf-while near
the door stood three or four house servants
who were witnesses in the case.
LIZ IhO SaulSC Va udNlllS
the inhuman castigation, Landry (the own
er of the girl plead guilty, but urged in
extenuation that the girl had dared to
make an effort for that freedom which her
instincts, drawn from the veins of her
abuser, had taught her was the God-given
right ofall who possess the germ of immor-
tality, no matter what the color of the case
in which it is hidden. 1 say ''drawn from
the veins of her abuser," because she de-
clared she was his daughter; and every one
in the room, looking upon the man and
woman confronting each other, confessed
that the resemblance justified the asser-
ton.
After the conclusion of all the evidence
in the case, the General continued in the
same position as before, and remained for
some time apparently lost in abstraction. [
shall never forget the singular expression
on his face.
had been accustomed to see him in a
storm of passion at any instance of OPP
preston or fragrant injustice; but ON this
occasion he was too deeply affected to OBJ
tain relief in the usual way.
His whole air was one of detection, al
most listlessness;his Indignation too intense
and his anger too stern to find expression
even in his countenanCe.
Never have l seen that peculiar look but
on three or four occasions similar to the
one am narrating, when l knew he was
bordering upon the baleful curse that had
cast its whitening blight upon ali around,
until the manhood and humanity were
crushed out OF the people, and outrages
such as the above We're looked upon with
complacency, and the perpetrators treated
as respected and worthy citizens, and that
he was realizing the great truth, that how
ever man might endeavor to guide this
war to the advantage of favorite idea or q
sagaci"Is policy, the Almighty was direct
ing it surely and steadily for the purifica-
ton OF our country from this greatest ofna-
tional sins.
But to returnto my story. After sitting
il the mood which | have described at such
length, the General again turned to the
prisoner, and said, In quiet, subdued tone
of voice
MT. Landry, l dare not trust myself to
decide to-day what punishment would be
meet for your offense, for am in that state
OF mind that l fear 1 might exceed the
strict demands Of justice. / shall there
fore place you under guard for the present,
until l conclude upon your sentence
A few days after, number of intiuen-
tial citizens having represented to the Cen
eral that Mr.. Landry was not only a "high-
toned gentleman" but person Of unusual
AVAILABILITY OF character. and was con-
sequently entitled to no small degree OF
leniency, he answered that, in consiGera-
ton Of the prisoners "high- toned" charac-
ter, ana especially OF his ''amability." OF
which he had seen so remarkable proof,
he had determined to meet their views and
therefore ordered that Landry givea deed
of manumission to the girl, and pay fine
of five hundred dollars to be placed in the
hands OF trustee for her benefit.
THE MONITOR ToRPEDo.-Th New York
Herald in notice of the torpedoes provi-
ded for the Monitors, says:
These machines. we find, are yery diff
terent things from the rebel powder bag,
with its sixty pounds OF powder stuck at
the END of a thirty foot pole. The Monitor
torpedo consists of a monster shell, thirty
feet long, weighing upward of 8 900 pounds,
with a charge of 700 pounds OF powder.
By means of raft-the 'devil'-these
shells are pushed some fifty feet ahead OF
the Monitor, suspended at any desirable
depth.
We shall know in good time how the reb
els succeed i'll obstructing the passage of
the Monitors when armed with these terri
bic shells, the explosion of which will re-
semble an earthquake under water. 1t
appears that the naval officers were afraid
of employing the potent means placed at
their disposal for clearing Charleston har-
Dor of distractions for fear the explosion
of the shells would act backward on their
structor has guarded against such an oc-
currence.
The Secretary of the Navy, with view
of removing all doubts on this point, or
dered trial to be made last winter with
one of the RATS, the very ''devil'' afterward
lowed to Port Royal. The trial proved
eminently satisfactory; for, although the
explosion of the shell pushed up noun
tain of water fifty feet high above the sur
face Of the Hudson, near the head of the
raft, not the slightest injury was sustained
by the latter. The perfect preservation of
slender pieces of wood attached under the
rat proved beyond a doubt that the effect
OF the explosion, was as had been designed
IN the forward direction only. This singu-
Lar feature of the Monitor torpedo we are
not at liberty to describe. What De have
stated on the subject can do no harm, as it
is known at Richmond as well as at Wash
lngton. So also is the fact that couple of
shploads OF these under water pioneers are
now at hand where their good services are
Ihere is great scarcity of coal in Cincin-
natl, and prices have considerably advan-
ced. 1t is estimated that there is not over
six weeks supply of coal in the city, and
unless there is good stage of water in the