davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12
The Repulse at Petersburg.--NO Reason
to Despair.

The Repulse at Petersburg...NO Reason
to Despair.
The New York Herald, in the course
of an article on the unsuccessful assault
at Petersburg, says sd
Because an assault has been repulsed
we must not argue that the seige is to
fall. Bloody repulses have, on the con-
trary, always marked the progress of
great and successful sieges. Four ter
rife assaults were repulsed at Badaioz
before Wellington got possession of that
place. Two assaults, made in June.
1911, failed so disastrously that 1t was
necessary to raise the siege. Another
made in March, 1912, was partially sue
cessful, the British troops having taken.
after most desperate and bloody fight.
one large fort. But no sooner were thew
established in this than the French com.
mandant opened upon it every gun with
which he could hit it, and the British
were compelled to relinquish what they
had gained at such dreadful cost, just as
Burnside was compelled to relinquish
the line he had taken on Saturday last.
Indeed, if any one desires to consider
that our difficulties at Petersburg have
been all that we could desire, we recon-
mend him to read history of the siege
of Sebastopol. That great attempt of
four nations-two of them possessed of
great military power-was one contin-
1ed series of disasters from its inception
ill its final success. Indeed, at one time
n that great operation it was not Sebas-
tonol that was besieged, but the allied
army. The army lost $4,000 men; vet
t was not only not annihilated, but it
vas finally triumphant.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

The REASON WHY.-We are told the
Democracy don't propose fighting for
the liberty of the negro, or any one else
in the war now going on. The reason
of this is evident. Their sympathies are
on the other side-they are in favor of
enslaving all who do not vote theirtick-
ct, and knowing the negro is too intelli-
gent to be cajoled by them into the sup
port of their " men and measure" they
"don't propose" he is worthy of liber-
ty. They would hold the same opinion
about the citizen of Irish decent if he
could not be induced to vote with them.
The only trouble is, the negro cannot be
used by them as easily as theothercla
and they hate them. That's what ails
the snakes.-Peorio (lN.) Transcript.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

FOREIGN Neutrality-suspicious. trans
atlantic friends are posted on some
things, but evidently not much on geog-
raphy, as the following from Galgndni
(French) clearly demonstrates:
"Many persons inquire what is the meaning
of Kearsarge, the name of the vessel which sunk
the Alabama Kearsarge is a river in the south
ern part of North America, falling into the Bay
of Vera Cruz" ....
What do our American school boys
and girls think of that? And all the
way from France at that.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12
leaving their course strictly strewn with
the diving and dead.

leaving their course strictly StreWn Win
the dying and dead.
The colored troops, upon the heels OF
this repulse were ordered to charge, and
they moved out gallantly. A hundred
yards gained and they wavered. Then
the 39th Maryland regiment, which led
became panic stricken and broke through
to the rear, spreading decentralization
swiftly. Their officers urged them, en-
treated them, threatened them, but fail
ed to rally them, and, the mass, broken
and shattered, swept back like a torrent
into the crater which was already
choked with white troops. The confu-
sion incident to this wholesale crowding
and crushing of the negro soldiers into
the ranks of the white troops, very near
ly caused the panic to ospread. Hadsuch
been the result, it might have been for
tunate, and many brave fellow who
afterwards fell, might have escaped his
fate. But at the moment the rebel fire,
which had been murderously directed
upon the place, materially slackened,
and the white soldiers recovered their
stamina. Our lines were once more
Strengthened, and just in time to check
an impetuous charge, which was after
wards repeated, and with a similar re-
suit of heavy loss to the assailants.
So the morning waned. Itbecame ap-
parent, doubtless, that the position gain
ed could not be held without more sac
rifice of life than could well be afforded
at this time. At any rate, this seems a
fair inference, or the other corps would
have been ordered to advance upon those
portions of the first line still held by the
enemy, and, as far as can ascertain, no
such order was given. On the contrary,
about noon the order was given to re-
tire-a matter not easy of execution, as
to gain our works an open space must
be traversed, over which one man in
every twenty was to be bronghtd down by
the cross-fire which swept the spot.
l omitted to say that when the negro
division advanced to the charge they
were supported on the right of the
Prince George Court House road by
which gallantly advanceda long way be-
yond the spot where the negroes broke,
and strove unavailingly to breast the
storm of their retreat. The list of casual
ties in this division was heavy.
The losses on both sides, considering
the numbers engaged, were very severe.
The wounded in the hospitals are more
than 900. Probably 1900 were taken
prisoners, and the killed would swell
the list materially.
The losses in Ledlie's division are
roughly putat from 200 to 800, though
there are no correct means of getting at
the facts as yet; competent judges say
that the days operations has cost us be-
tween 1900 and 5000 men.
The negro division alone lost fifty
three officers.
Brig. Gen. w. F. Bartlett was taken
prisoner. He lost a leg at Port Hudson,
and his artificial limb was broken by a
mass of earth while he lay in the crater,
rendering him unable to move, and his
men could not bring him off except at
the risk of certain death.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

D%" Lay me down and save the
Flag" was the utterance of Mulligan
after receiving the wound of which he
died. No nobler words have beer ut
tered by any one since the war broke out.
They show that his first thought, as it
ought to be the first of all of us, was for
the honor and safety of his country, Of
which the Flag is the sign and emblem.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12


The courage of our troops cannot be
questioned. The material of our army
was never surpassed. The enthusiasm
of our veterans was never greater
Gradually, but certainly, our lines have
been extended while those of the enemy
have been contracted. The grand arm
les of the rebellion have been pushed
back, and they have permanent hold
upon the ground we have wrested from
them. In Georgia we have been glori-
ously victorious, at an expense of 10000
men to the enemy. At Petersburg an
assault by our troops has been repulsed,
but we have lost no ground that we held
previously. What Is there to cause us
to despair? With whom rests the pow
er to push forward our eagles to final
victory? Men of the North, to give a
speedy termination to this struggle we
must have overpOwering numbers. 1t
is too late to lament that the President
did not make his call for 100000 men
earlier. The men are now wanted. We
have them and they will respond
Whatever may be said to the contrary,
there can be no doubt that the rebellion
has passed the point of reinforcing its
armies, Their hated oonscription has
stripped the country of its arms-bearing
population. Their new levies are made
up of the youthful stripplings of sixteen
summers and the men of sixty winters.
We are in no such strait. Oh! who can
estimate the value of 100000 trained,
disciplined men, could they be sent to
the front the present week How
much blood, how many lives, might be
saved, that must otherwise be sacrificed,
or our armies in Virginia remain mac
tive! We are not prepared to submit to
foe so nearly exhausted. We are not
prepared to acknowledge the independ-
ence of our enemies.
Less than a month and the govern
ment selects 500, 900 men to fight out this
rebellion. They are needed. They must
and will be furnished. The brave, the
patriotic, and the intelligent of all par
ties will see the necessity and acquiesce'
None but the cowardly spirits who love
treason more than country will attempt
to do violence. Let us prepare to dc
our duty to our country, and never des-
pair of our ability to triumph over
treason. The skies are not always clear
and bright, but, nevertheless, let us
cherish confidence in the righteousness
of our cause.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12
Gen. Sturgis has published a report OF

Gen. Sturgis has published report of
his disastrous expedition from Memphis
on the Sd of June. His force consisted
of 5000 men, comprising infantry, cav
airy and artillery. The loss in the
engagement with Forrest he estimates
as follows: Officers killed, 8; wounded
Is; missing 81; total IS; enlisted men
killed, 2l5; wounded, s7s; & missing, i,S1l: l.
encountered at 1900, whereas Forrest
himself, in his report just made public,
says that, all told, it numbered only
5000. Gen. Sturgie highly compliments
Col. Karge, of the second New Jersey
Volunteers, for valuable services rem
dered' in various ways.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

Our large city exchanges have already
published in full the erpose OF the
Northern Conspiracy as it exists in In
diana, under the alluring title of Sons
of Liberty" 1t is altogether too long
for our columns. 1t is substantially the
same rs the Missouri order, has the
same c. l.. Vallandigham as Supreme
Commander, and its principles and pur-
poses are of the same reasonable and
revolutionary character. 1t declares
that the States are absolutely sovereign; !;
that the Union is revocable Mt the pleas
ure of any State; that the National Gov
ernment has no right to enforce its laws,
unless the State permits; declares the
rebellion legal and just, that revolution
against the Government is both right
and duty; that the obligations to the
order are above those due to the State or
the Union; that it is its purpose to stop
this war; that negroes should be kept
in servitude; pledges its cooperation
with the rebels against the Government
and accepts the creed of the rebels, its
plans and principles as true "Democ-
racy," and as its own bond of cOher-
ence.
A great many particulars are given;
the Constitution, laws, obligations,
oaths, many of the officers, its mode of
initiating members, &C., all of which
may we'll astound men of but ordinary
sense. The names, plans, and modes of
procedure of the chief conspirators, are
given with precision and minuteness,
and supported by authority, which for
bid the possibility of forgery. Indeed,
we are assured that three of the leaders
in Missouri, finding concealment no
longer possible, have made clean breast
and sought by confession to gain re-
lease from apprehended and richly de-
served punishment.
OF course denials in abundance are
made up by the organs of the traitors,
and such cowardly sheets as the Musca-
tine Courier declare they will not pub
lish the telegraphic announcements of
the developments made in the plot
But the people will not shut their eyes,
to the facts, and if the Government does
not take hold of the plotters and punish
them as they deserve, honest voters will
condemn at the ballot box all who have
had anything to do with the nefarious
alliance with the common enemy in
this greatest trial of our country.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12
The SANITARY FAIRS AND THEIR

THE SANITARY FAIRS AND THEIR
RESULTS The magnificent series of
Sanitary Fairs begun several months
ago at Chicago is now nearly closed
The movement was one of the most
beautiful and gigantic exhibitions of
patriotism ever witnessed on the earth.
Its substantial results have been in the
highest degree satisfactory.
The following is tolerably accurate
statement of the net proceeds Of the
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

There are but three men in Cincinnati
who are millionaires. Ten are worth
a half a million, and twenty-three are
taxed for $25O,OOO.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

A National Convention of Spiritualists
conyenes in Chicago to-day, (9th,) to
continue till the 18th.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

The Dewitt Observer says there is
to be great snake rattle in that town
tomorrow. Whisky bearing the brand
"Billy-jee-hown," we should judge, is
the Snowman. We would give fifteen
cents to see the crowd that will then and
there assemble. 4.-fr
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

~ After the expiration of the time
allotted for the burning of the fuse at
Petersburg without an explosion, half
an hour was consumed in finding a man
willing to volunteer to enter the mine,
at the risk of being buried alive, to find
out the difficulty. A gallant fellow,
whose name is not recorded, finally
offered, followed upthe fuse till he found
time to escape before the explosion.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

ing down the James River, she was fired
! at by battery on Harrison's Landing.
Six shots were fired, three of which
, passed over the steamer and three fell
short. She turned back to get to our
gunboats for protection, but in the
meantime two of them came up the riv
er and shelled the rebels out.
ALBANY, August 5.-An order signed
by Adjt. Gen. Sprague was issued to-day,
which states that the quota of the State
under the last call of the President
amounts to S9,318 men.
The following is Gov. Seymour's letter
to Secretary Stanton, relative to quotas
in the first ten districts of the State of
New York:
State of New York, Executive Depart
ment, Aug. 3.-HON. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War-Sir: 1t is my duty to
call your attention to the enrollments
made, with view to the draft lately Or
dered by the President. In some of the
Congressional districts they are especial
ly excessive and injurious. The average
quotas in thirty-one Congressional dis
tricts of New York are 2,881. In Massa-
chusetts and New Hampshire they are
2,167, and in Pennsylvania 2,571. 1t
will be seen that the average demand
made in every Congressional district in
the State is for 31Omen per district more
than required in Pennsylvania, and for
ia men per district more than Massa-
chusetts and New Hampshire. name
these States as [ have not been able to
procure the quotas assigned elsewhere
There are no differences in the character
of the population of these States to ac-
count for these discrepancies. The most
oppressive enrolment appears in the
Congressional districts in the cities of
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

rea. An important feature of the last
call for troops is that under it substitutes
are accepted for one year as well as for
three. Persons who cannot afford to
pay the high price of three years'isub-
stitute, as we'll as those who have an
abiding faith in an early end of the war,
will find this great advantage.
Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-08-12

neA. The news from Mexico is of unu-
sual importance. Gen. Uraga has pro-
posed terms of surrender to the Emperor
Maximilian, which have been accepted,
and SO far as that important command is
concerned, peace is restored to large
section of Mexico. There is no disguis-
ing it, the new empire on our south
western border seems to be becoming
more consolidated as time passes by
The French Government holds nearly
all the important military and CONNER
cial positions in the country.
The weekly union record., 1864-08-20
The Distressed Widow.

Brother Joseph R. Chandler. Past Grand
Master of Pennsylvania, now President Of the
Girard College in Philadelphia, IN az address
''On the Physical Benefits of Masonry" re
cords the following interesting incident, given
in his owu language. The high character and
exalted rank OF our illus;rious Brother as
scholar. a mar. and Mason, are s. sufficient
warrant for its truth:
Not long since. constable Of Philadelphia
was Instructed bv large property owner to
proceed to make an attachment OF household
furniture for rent dues The distress would
reach nearly all that the law allowed talake ;
and painful rs was the task 10 the kind hearted
officer, il was, nevertheless. duty. The ten
ant was widow, with little family Of children.
While the officer was sitting. distressed at the
misery be was compelled TO iDfict the widow
entered the room, bearing upon her the gar
ments of her wid0whood, whose fIeShneSS
showed the regency of her loss. and teStifying
by her manner, the uiier de.titu,ion to which
this attachment was reducing her and her chill
dren.
Il know not" said she what to do.
have neither friend nor relation to whom, to
apply. | am alone-utterly alone-iIiendless
helpless destitute widow"
"But. said the officer "is there no associa
tion upon which you have a claim -
None am a member Of no beneficial 50
ciety," she replied. But. | remember" she
continued, "that my husband has more than
once told me that if should ever be in distress
| might make this available = and she drew
out Masonic jewel. But it is now too late
am afraid
Let me see it. said the officer aud with a
Sklliul eye he examined the emblem couSecra-
ted to charity, as the token of brotherly affec
tion. The officer was Mason be knew the
name Of the deceased and recognized his stand
ing.
We will see,7 said the officer. what effect
this will have, though the landlord is no Ma
son. Who is your clergyman?" The widow
told him The clergyman was Mason.
The attachment of goods was reliuquished for
a moment. The officer went TO the clergyman
made known the distress of the widow, and
her claims through Masonry.
And who" said the clergyman. sis the
landlord ?" And the constable informed him
"Ah! 70 said the clergyman, does bis relig
ion teach him to set US no better example !?
We must show him what Masonry requires at
our hands. have spent all OF the last pay
ment of my salary, but here is my note at a
short date for the amount due; the landlord
will scarcely refuse that"
In twenty minutes the rent was paid The
kind hearted officer forgave his fees, and per-
haps gave more, and the widow and the or
phans blessed God for the benefits which they
had enjoyed through Masonry.
The weekly union record., 1864-08-20

A MYSTERY ExpLAlSED.-The Atlanta In
ielligencer publishes the following among its
selected items
1T is well known fact that the reason as
signed by many for the panic which caused
our troops to break at the battle OF Mission
Ridge, was that the enemy showed themselves
in such overwhelming numbers that the boys
thought the whole world was marching to at
tack them. We. to show the opinion prevail
ing among our boys, will relate the following
auecdote, which we do not remember to have
seen in print. As line after line, aud mass af
ter mass of Yankees appeared, crossing the
plain aud ascending the hillside, marching on
ward with seemingly resistless force, our troops
began to waver, and many of them, to their
shame. fled without firing gun. Some of them,
however. staid until the last, and among these
was one fellow who, to use his own language,
'slaid thar till he got so close that be heard
one Of the Yankee Generals give the command
Attention, world BY nations. right wheel ,
BY States, fire !! ? and thea | thouht it was
time for this darned little Southern Confeder-
acy to be gittin out O the way Don t
blame him for it ii was about time to git
out O. the way"
The weekly union record., 1864-08-20

SCIENTIFIC CoSIECrURES. - Scieoce has
never been able 10 discover any atmosphere
surrounding the meon. We know that We
cannot imagine life without air. There could
be no sound, no haa,. 20 sky. no cloud. We
can hardly fud anything We call hging but
owes its life TO air; therefore the conjecture has
been arrived at, thst the moon was uninhabi-
ted. But Mr., Hansen. distinguished as
tronomer, has found Discrepancy 10 the idea.
and couceives that there may be lie there. at
least on one side.
Several cases OF iTregulari,y in the time c,
the moons course he aScribes to the effect Of
uneven graviiation. He states that The cealre
Of figure and the centre of gravity are not CO.
incident, one being distant from The other eight
miles. Thus her sphere is heavier on the one
side than the other, Ike en- egg. Balls have
been cas-, hollow, but with one side thicker
than the other; the density being given. calcu-
lalion describes the curve 10 a nicitv. ana vice
versa" The conclusion Of Mr.. Hansen is that
the hemisphere turned toward Us ia the lighter
half As air and water would naturally gray
i,ate 10 the heaviest side, he coucluded tha; it
is probable that life may exist on the hidden
side, and iha, world corresponding 10 our
own, may have lis men in the moon.
This is the most tantalzing suggestion that
science has given Us. To thipk that our neigh
bors must perforce keep themselves on the hid
den side, and are forbid forever all the inveSti
gations Of science seems a little too bad. We
have always been calculating on the time
when new discoveries in lenses would bring Us
a glimpse Of some wouder 10 that bride of the
night that walks SO calmly through her star.
encompassed pathway, throwing her beautiful
veil even TO the shadows of our earth, moving
our seas by her love, aud sending through the
nervous life Of Us poor mortals some sense Of &
presence that is so near and yet so far"
One thing We are sure Of if this state Of
things really exist, aud the Moonites have a
bit of Yankee spirit, they will contTiye some
way to flood her waste places both with air
ard water, and we yet shall be able to feel the
active energies Of her working will
The weekly union record., 1864-08-20

KILKENNY CArs,-That quaint little publ
cation. Notes and Queries, has explained a
provert which to some at least wanted an ex,
PLANTATION. 1t appears that the story Of the
Kilkenny Cats had its foundation in an afro
cious act Of cruelytv. A regiment OF Hessans
quartered iu that town in 1903, used to tie
two cats by the tails, hang them across a close
line, head downwards, and watch them tearing
each other to death The officers prohibited
the amusement, which, however, continued till
one day the officer of the day arrived a little
too suddenly. Unable to unite the cats, a
soldier cut off their tails, and when they were
perceived explained that the two cats fought
so desperately that nothing was left but their
tails.
The weekly union record., 1864-08-20

The Paris papers say that two Confederate
cruisers are of Cherbourg waiting for the
hearsarce. II Commodore Winslow is lucky
enough TO meet them be will show John Bull
that We can hghl one ship against two now as
VIGOROUSLY Is Stewart in the Constitution did
the levant aud Cyaue SITS years ago. The
vessels which the kearsarge may encounter
are probably the Rappshannock, formerly the
British steam Sloop-ofwar Victor. and the rev
steam vessel the leddo. which the Bordeaux
Gironde saws was constructed hy NJ. Arman.
Is supposed to belong 10 the Contederates and
recently left that roadstead os.easibly ior Am.
stordam. Everything concerning her depart
uTe a8d the object and aim Of her voyage. re
mains profound mystery. The freighlers
oficers and seaman maintained the mystery TO
the last. She i six hundred and eighty tons.
and has a French crew of 65 me0. She is
commanded by a Captain Pater. native ot
France. aui IS frejgh;ed with various goods
She was despatched by Nj. ATmau himself
l. orr Com. Wiuslow should lay hands on this
Armau We hope be viii extend to him the fate
Of liaman. As the anglo rebel Alabama now
lies roItinG at the bottom Of the British chan
mel, The hearsarge can send the Rappahsnaock
and The lodio to keep it and the fish comp my.