The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-28
WASHING
General Grant Determined to
Root Out the Rings.
The Reported Duel q Probable
Canard.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IT, 1858.

TOT tne CnrstlnaS nOltuayS ana the recess OF Con-
gress, is as folows:-
Secretary OF StQte-HOn. Charles Francis Adams
OF Massachusetts
Secretary Qrthe Treosury-Hon. John Sherman, OF
Ohio.
secretary or war-General George B. Mcclellan,
OF New York.
Secretary ort,e Napy-Admiral David d. Porter,
United States Navy, OF Pennsylvania.
The positions OF Secretary OF the INTERIOR Attorney
General and Postmaster General are now blank.
General Grant and the Rings.
General Grant says he Is 80 much OF radical that
he will tear up the whiskey, railroad and insular
rings BY the roots II he has to I'LL every important
civil ONCE in the country with army and navy regu
lar officers whom he knows he can rely on for an
honest and faithful discharge OF their duties" His
r0nunctarient0 viii also explain senator Edmund's
silly bill about two Offices
Old Army Omcers TO be Retired.
The President Is contemplating retiring all the
old army officers over sxtytwo years OF age, in ac
cordance with section twelve OF law approved
July IT. 1882, which says that 'whenever an officer
shall have served fortyve years. shall be OF the
age Of sixtytwo years, the President retire him
from active SERVICE" This will retire General
Lorenzo Thomas the adjutant general; General Ben
jamin Brice, the paymaster general; General Philip
st. George Cooke and dozen others OF lesser note
and will give the President important vacancies to
I'LL before retiring to the shades Of Greenve, Tenn
The Once Of General of the Army.
The office OF General, especially created for Gen.
eral Grant, Is to be abolished this session OF Con-
gress to take effect the 4th Of March next. This
will leave General Sherman in command of the
army with the rank Of Lieutenant General
The Alabama Claims.
The State Department has not received from
Reverdy Johnson for q week past, any intelligence
concerning the Alabama claims negotiations.
Affairs I'm ACKNOWLEDGMENT Murder Of a
Republican Congressman.
From Information received here this evening by q
member Of the committee appointed by the late Con-
vention at Jackson, Miss, to urge before Congress
the admission Of that State to the Union 1t appears
an attempt has been made to assassnate General
Mckee, who was elected as republican Congressman
for the Fourth district OF Mississippi The following
is the despatch:-
NATCHEZ Miss, Dec. q, 1868.
Bill Hewitt and others attempted last night to as
sassinate General Mckee on the steamer Lee. Nc
Kee was slightly wounded, Hewitt severely General
Dudley. military commander Of the post, Is investi-
eating tile matter. MORGAN.
1t appears from the statement OF the committee
here that Hewitt was convicted some time ago
Of an outrage on republican named Stewart and
was tried by military commission at vicksburg,
Miss, and sentenced to the Pententary for twelve
months. He was taken out OF prison by writ OF
habeas corpus and brought before Judge
Hill, OF the United States District Court,
and released from further custody. General Mckee
was elected as Congressman from the Fourth dis
trict OF Mississippi and is also Register In Bank
ruptcy for the same section Of the State. The
beers Of the Mississippi committee at present here
George F. Brown, chairman; A. Mygadd, Rev.
Thomas w. Stringer, Major w. II. Gibbs, Major E. J.
CASTILLO, Captain G. E. Morgan DR.. Charles A. Foster
and Fleming Hodges. Major Gibbs is chairman Of
suits OF the election and which issued proclana-
ton declaring the constitution ratified and the
OF the following counties invalid on the score OF
fraud:-Carro, Chickasaw, DE Soto, Lafayette Ran
kin and Yaabusha. The other committee, which are
asking for the same action from Congress In regard
to Mississippi as was taken In the instance Of Ala
bama, have already furnished the greater portion OF
their evidence to the Reconstruction Committee
They entertain strong hopes OF their being successful
and prognosticate an era Of unexampled prosperity
Mississippi when 1t passes under the civil rule OF
republican government.
Judgments Awarded by the Court or Claims.
A document just published shows the number OF
judgments rendered by the United States Court OF
Claims during the present year, the names Of the
parties In whose favor they were rendered and Of
their attorneys and the amounts awarded. The
court gave favorable judgments in ftythree cotton
cases, the cotton having captured by the United
States forces. The claimants In all such suits are
required to prove loyalty to the United States at the
time OF the capture. The aggregate OF these cotton
claims is 100000. The sums awarded range from
under 81, 900 TO $4,000. The court threw out the
claims for acceptances OF sundry bills OF exchange
or drafts by John D. Floyd Secretary Of War.
The Dazzling Sensation-A Probable Hoax.
The supposed duel between Phil. Forney and an
unknown army ofcer on further investigation looks
remarkably like a huge hoax. The name OF the
army ofricer whose blood was spilled cannot be as
certained after the most diligent inquiry, and the
people who profess to believe that a duel really
took place differ widely as to the time, place and
manner OF the affair OF honor as to give 1t strong
flavor Of lively canard, Manufactured specially for
the sensation loving people OF washington.l One
version OF the story makes the scene OF the Diff
Guilty the famed Bladensburg, where all the
duels for sixty years or more have taken place.
Another version fixes the location In the vicinity OF
Lincoln Barracks; another at Russell Barracks;
other across table at Wizards Hotel, and another
but it would take too long to mention all the &C
counts, even In the briefest manner. According TO
one account the terrible Forney's opponent was
shattered oil to pieces had his shoulder crushed his
arm broken, his breast pierced by a cruel bullet and
one OF his legs spoiled. to say nothing OF his trigger
finger, which was placed out Of duelling order for
an indefinite period. Another account plays the
mischief with Forney himself, while still another
lets him OF with only three wounds in one
OF his arms and damaged upper lip.
An of1cer at Lincoln Barracks states that
the mysterious adversary OF Forney Is a certain
Lieutenant Brewster. who appears in the army reg
lister to pertain to the Seventh United states cavalry
and who, Immediately after the duel, left with his
broken bones and satisfied honor for his home In
New York or some other place. According to a lady
who Is intimately acquainted with both Forney and
his second, the aair originated In thisway;-Forney
met an officer at WIZARDS Hotel, who invited both
Forney and his friend to accompany him to Lincoln
Barracks for frolic. When leaving the hotel some
OF Forney's friends asked him where he was
going, to which he answered. ITO fight
duel. The three Jumped into carriage
and on the way to tho barracks, being
rather lively with wine, some gymnastc exercises
occurred resulting in the smashing Of the carriage
window and the lacerating Of the wrist OF Forney,