The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-12
The PresldRent's Last story.
2 Correspondence Of the Chicago, Tribunc.

Il The sPresiaents Last story. n,
Correspondence Of the chicago, Tribune !.
WAsHrNoroS, Dec 23.-The military 81,
uation is certainly bright er and more chez
! ing than at any former period Of the strus
gle. The rebels exhibit unmistakable SYM
toms Of exhaustion and des pondency. Th
rank and file Of the common people. feel tina
they are whipped, and the leaders Emo,
| that sooner or later they must succumb.-
The tone Of the Richmond papers IS no lona
es braggadocia and insoIent, defiant swaa
ger. Their editorials are cries of distres
and despair. Ths triumphant march o
Sherm,n's army struck them with couster
nation; what now must be their feeling
when they learn Of the r9ut and destruc
ton Of Hoods army,a The rebel chiefs hav,
but ,ne army left, worthy the nspe OF ar
my, viz; The force under. Lea, deiendjni
Richmond, and that is held as 10 vice b.
Bulldog Grant, who intends to fight It ou
on that line if it takes TO the year 1900.
Three months ago the rebels had an army
able to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania,
and besiege Washington. but, gallant Phil
Sheridan has sent that hostile host to the
bourne whence no traveller returns. Early's
army exists only as a fragment ,es sdispirited
skulkers, and Washington is safe! A lit
tie while ago, Daddy Price, at the head Of
$4,000 grcybacks, invaded Missouri in al
the ,pomp and pride Of war. Where is that
army now ? Echo answers where. One
legged, dare devil Hood, with ARMY mum.
Der three. $4,000 strong, crossed the Ten.
nessee River and marched towards. the Ken
tucky border. Sherman concluded to ,le,
him march, while ne with his boys in blue
explored the mysteries of the Empire State
of the South Hood pursued bis course
North, and went straight to destruction.
butting his brains out against the rear guard
of western warriors nnder Thomas, left to
the care Of just such madmsn as Hood.
must not omit to illustrate the present con-
ditiou of Hoods army by relating little
story told by Father Abraham last evening.
/ dropped in on him before the crowd had
taken possession of the ante.roou. when,
after few remarks, the following conversa-
ton occurred:
We'll, Mr.. President, the military situa-
tion seems quite cheering; good news come,
in from every quarter; victory follows. on
the heels Of victory. Sea 1;.er.,se -.
Yes, things are hooking better than at any
time since the war began. have stronger
hope in speedy and successful termination
of this causeless and unnatural rebellion than
at any time since the first gun was fred, ~,
Il am glad 10 hear you express yourself 80
confidently. The rebels have really but ons
army num srmy n y mHsaty orHnA
izstson, is pretty effsctually destroyed Itis
even worse used up than Prices invaders,
and there is not much left Of them.' i'elii q
THAT is true. The present condition Of
Hoods army reminds me OF the story of Bill.
Sykes dog. Did you ever hear it?' 9at
mo. don't think did ine' 'w7i -
Well, the thing happened down below
Reardsrown, on the Illinois river, good
many years ago. Sykes owned onglegged
wolfish, 'yellar' dog, that was in the habit
Of prowllng about and breaking into the
neighbors' meat houses, killing sheep and
committing other depredations. People had
tried to shoot and poison him, but somehow
they failed to dispatch the brute. At last a
neighbor, named John Henderson. concluded
he would try an experiment on him. The
dog had plundered his milk-house, eaten
his cream, and upset the crooks of milk
So he took coon's bladder, which one Of
his boys had dried, filled it with powder,
-scooped out the soft part of biscuit, slipped
in the bag Of powder, and when the dog
next came in sight he stuck q piece Of punk
in the mouth Of the bladder, set, fire to i.
closed up the biscuit with butter, and laid it
down. In minute the sdorg' came along,
smellad the bread, and gohbled it down at
a single gu!p- sAll right says Hender-
son. we shall soon. see how things will
work. In minute or two there was .
tremendous explosion, as II torpedo had
gone off under one Of our gunboats. The
head Of the. tyall.r dorg' rolled down the
hill; the hind legs flew some distance catch.
ing on fence stake; the fore quarter fell on
the porch, and the intestines scattered
around on the ground fos couple Of rods,
Well. says a neighbor. who, happened to
COME along, guess you haye got rid Of
that cussed dog at last ? Yes s,ys Hender-
son, / reckon th,t that dog, as a dog, won't
be Of much account hereafter, So with
Hoods army: I reckon that that army a.
an army. won't be Of much account. ~,
The Presidents story described the pres
ent condition Of the rebel army Of the South
west to perfection. This. ! believe. is Old
Abe's story, and | submit that i isa good
one. ip.-..,. t.e. sf,a,-l .,,,
The conversation next turned on the oper.
atoms Of Sherman's army AMI its gran d
march. The Presi1ents expressed himself
sanguine that Sherman would soon bag the
IL 900 rebel soldiers in Savannah all
the artillery, and munitions Of war and
was proceeding to illustrate the condition Of
the rebels within the city by another story,
when we were interrupted BY the coming 10
ofa Secretary, three Senator'S and two GOV
ernors, when seeing no chance for c,ntin-
uance Of our exceedingly pleasant converse
ton. took my. departure, promising d