Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-02-04

nlississippi Territory, ard Louisiana Ter
ntory, as suppose our fathers learned
such things but the old fellow had natcbed
in Texas, too; he had carried his western
boundary all the way to the Pacific, but on
that shore he had defined nothing.
oh, Danforth," he said, i know an
dying. ! cannot get home Surely YOU
will Tell me something now?-Stopl stopl-
Do not speak till say what am sure You
know, that there is not in this ship, that
there is not in America, God bless herr
a more loyal man than l. There cannot be
man " no loves the old flag o. do, or
prays for it as do, or hopes for il as do. -
There are thirty-four stars in il now, Dam
forth. l thank God for that, though do
not know what their names are. There has
never been one taken away: thank God
for that. know by that, that there has
never been any successful Burr. Oh, Dan
FORTH Danforth,' he sighed out, how like
wretched nights dream boys idea of rer-
sonai fame or Of separate sovereignty seems,
when one looks back on il after such life
as minel But tell me,-teIl me something,
tell me everything, Danforth, before | die!'
"lngham, | swear to you that | felt like a
monster that had not told him everything
before. Danger or no danger, delicacy or
no delicaey, " no was |, that should have
have been acting the tyrant all this time
over this dear, sainted old man, who had
years ago eIplated, in his whole manhood S
life, the madness of boys treason? Mr..
Nolan, said |, 1 will tell you everything
you ask about. Only, where shall I beginf'
"Oh. the blessed smile that crept over
his white face! and he pressed my hand
and said, God bless youf' Tell me their
names, he said, and he pointed to the stars
or the flag. The last l know is Ohio. Ny
father lived in Kentucky. But have guess
ed Michigan and Indiana and Mississippi,
that was where Fort Adams is,-they
make twenty. But where are your other
fourteen? You have not cut up any of the
old ones, l hope@
'Weu, that was not bad text, and I
told him the names, in as good order as I
could, and he bade me take down his beau.
tiful map and draw them in as best could
with my pencil. He was wild with delight
about Texas, told me how his brother died
there; he had marked gold cross where he
supposed his brothers grave was; and he
bad guessed at Texas Then he was de-
lighted as he saw California and Oregon;-
that. he said, he had suspected partly, be-
cause he had never been permitted to land
on the shore, though the ships were there
SO much. And the men, said he, laugh
ing, brought off good deal besides furs.'
Then he went back-heaveus, how far!-to
ask about the Chesapeake, and what was
done to Barron for surrendering her to the
Leopard, and whether Burr ever tried
again, -heoground his teeth with the
only passion he showed But in moment
that was over, and he said, God forgive me,
for am sure | forgive him. Then he ask
ed about the old war, told me the true story
of his serving the gun the day we took the
Java,-asked about dear old David Porter,
as he called him. Then he settled down
more quietly, and very happily, to hear me
tell in an hour the history of fifty years.
How l wished it had been somebody
who knew somethingl But did as well as
| could. | told him of the English war
ltold him about Fulton and the steamboat
beginning. told him about old Scott, and
Jack son; told him all l could think about
tho Mississippi and New Orleans, and Tex
as, and his own old Kentucky. And do you
think he asked who was in command of the
Legion Of the West" | told him it was
very gallant officer, named Grant, and that,
by our last news, he was about to establish
his headquarters at Vicksburg. Then,
Where was Vicksburg? Iwerked that out
on the map: it was about hundred miles,
more or less. above his old Fort Adams and
| thought Fort Adams must be ruin now.
1t must be at old Vick's plantation, said
he; well, that is a changel'
/ tell you, lngham, it was hard thing
to condense the history of halt century
into that talk with sick man. And l dc
not now know what I told him,-of emf
grafton, and the means Off, t,-ofsteamboats
and railroads and telegraphs, s,-ofinvention
and books and literature,-of the college:
and West Point and the Naval School, -
but with the queerest interruptions that ev.
er you heard. You see it was Robinson
Crusoe asking all the accumulated questions
Of fifty six yearsi
] II remember he asked, all of sudden,
who was President now; and when L told
him, he aske. if Old Abe was General Ben:
jjamin Eneolns son. He said he met old
General Lincoln, when he was quite boy
himself, at some Indian treaty. l said no,
that Old Abe was Kentuckian like him
self, but could not tell him Of what family;
| for himp cried Nolan; L am glad of that -
As | have brooded and wondered, 1 have
Thought our danger was in keeping up thos'
| fcSuihI cuCCSoSiOuS III luc uISI fdilllitS. =
Then l got talking about my visit to Wash
ington. l told him of meeting the Oregon
Congressman, Harding; l told him abou
the Smithsonian and the Exploring Expe
dition; told him about the Capitol, Am
the statutes for the pediment,-and Craw
hford's Liberty and Greenoughs Wasf
Iingtop: Ingham, I told him everything
could think ofthat would show the grandeu
of his country and its prosperity; bu: coul
not make up my mouth to tell him Wor
about this internal Rebellion!
/. "And he drank it in, and enjoyed il as
cannot tell you. He grew more and NOR
silent, yet l never thought he was tired o
faint. Egave him glass of water, but h
just. wet his lips, and told me not to g
away. Then he asked me to bring the Pres
byterian Book of Public Prayer which la.
there, and said, with smile, that it woul'
open at the right place,---and SO 1t did,
There was his double red mark down til
! page; and knelt down and read, and h
; repe ated with me,-'For ourselves and ou
) country, o gracious God, We thank The,
; that, notwithstanding our manifold tran
gressions of Thy holy laws, Thou hast col
|, tiuucd to us Thy marvellous Kindness >
! and so to the end of that thanksgiving
, Then he turned to the end ofthe same bool
IL