The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-06-15

Just Before the Battle"

Iu his jail Journal. John Mitchell
writes "thusly" of beilaa days (l8G2)
in Richmond
"And speaking of tho organization
Of the Confederate army, let mo men
tion here very surprising part of it,
history. The officers being elective,
aid the time appointed for new
election falling Inst summer, just
when tho enemy in Overwhelming
fvres was pressing upon Yorktown on
their way up the Peninsula towards
Richmond, tho elections was held,
there and then on tho ines, in
the trenches, in actual presenoc Of an
enemy. Was there ever before an
instance of an army changing, by
election, tho whole body of its regi-
mental officers on tho worry ovo of
battle? Yet here it was done, quiet
~, regularly, without moments
excitement or confusion. This, as
we'll as several other examples could
mention, has brought mo to tho con-
clusion that Of all races of men in
the world, these Southerncrs have the
largest amount Of sang froid, of genu-
inc impossible GOODNESS and steadincss.
Yet the very contrary is the current
and received idcn Of their character.
Southern impulsivencss., Soathern
passion, and wild blind fury-this is
the oant-the direct opposite is the
fact.
cit happened the hill We were
standing upon was occupied by one Of
our city artillery companies-tho
Richmond IIowitzcrs-under tie com.
mand of Captain Mccarthy. One
fearturc of our Confederate army,
which Gnd very notable, is tho mum
Der of instances in which trades.
mans son commands some company or
battalion composed principally of
gentlemen in high position in society.
Many young planter, as private or
lieutenant, oboys tho orders of
young man who at home was saddler
or bont-maker to that same planter.
The Richmond Howitzcrs count in
their ranks some Of tho. ellie Of the
city, aud Ned McCarthy., who com.
mands them, is tho son cii; an honest
tradesman on Broad-st, ee,;,s It is true
that Eedvif you 60 to{:ake,try7-has
ing g0s'st doseendans see thaa of sso Easmsn as1
kings of South Munster, but this con-
sideration did not count for him; nor
do any such considerations, I am
proud to see, influence the organiza.
tion of this noble citizen army. If
Ned Mccarthy commands this artillc-
ry company, it is that his comrades
all Judged he would make the best
officer"
A friend of ours, says an exchange,
who took trip to California, said
that he was not afraid of tho Indians,
because he belonged to tho Beueso-
lent Order of Red Men, and knew all
the passwords and winks, and the fgu-
rative language and things, and no
savage was going to touch him, iDitia-
tod and fxod up i'll regalia as he was.
lie had not gone more than hun
dred miles from Omaha before band
of Indians came at him and scooped
him up. He took the chief aside
and whispered the password in his
ear and gavo him the grip twonty. six
times Oil both hands, and mude some
observations about "fifth moon'' and
happy hunting grounds" The chief
replied in q fratornal manner by
tomahawking him and iobbing his
butcher.knife into his vitals. Our
friend remarked that these ceremonies
were not observed in his Lodge; but
the chief wanted to show him all the
peculiaritics of the Western systom,
SO he scalped him and chopped off his
nose, and was about to build bonfire
on his stomach when some soldiers
arrived and rescued him. He Is now
the bald-hoadedest Red Man this side
of the Pacific ocean, and you never
saw a person 80 disgusted with secret
societies and Indian poetry. He is
going to sue his Lodge for passing q
counterfeit grip On him, and for dam.
ago done by the loss of his hair.
RIoTlNa AND SHooTING.--A dis
turbanoe at the Third Ward polls, in
Washihgton, on Monday, was caused
by difficulty between whites and
blacks, during which one of the latter
was shot in the wrist. A riot OCCUR.