The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-15
Have We n Joan Of Arc in this
Country!

Many Of our readers are oil COURSE
familiar with the name AMI fame OF that
romantic character in French history
known as Joan OF ARC, the Maid Of Or
leans, and those who are not posted will
haycan opportunity Of becoming so when
Miss ANNA Dickinson delivers her lecture
at Washington Hall on the eth OF this
month. Suffice it for the present that
JoAH OF ARC was o young lady Of eigh-
teen years, who, after hearing strange
noises, seeing strange visions, and feeling
herself irrcsistibIy called TO the aid Of her
country, undertook and accomplished the
raising of the siege of Orleans, an en-
plot, which, together with her tragic
and cruel death ut the hands of her bigot-
ed cOuntrymen and their British invaders
has made her name Immortal.
But the question at the head of this ar
ticle has nothing in particular to do with
the strange life and death of the Maid OF
Orleans. We shall leave that subject for
Miss DICxINsON's lecture. What we
want to know is, had we JoAS OF ARC
during the war against the rebellion? 1t
would seem that We had, if implicit faith
can be put in the testimony of high Off
cial authority. Quite recently there has
appeared in print an article giving an &C.
count OF what certain lady accomplish
ed for this country in her hour Of sore ex-
trcmity Her name is Miss ANNA ELLA
CARROLL, and she is descendant OF
CHARLES CARROLL, Of Carrollton, Md, OF
patriotic memory, one of the signers OF
the Declaration of Independence. 1t
seems that like the Maid Of Orleans this
lady felt that she had a part TO perform in
the rescue of her country, and to this end
she not only wrote, published and dissem'
mated articles at her own expense on be-
half of the Union, but in addition under
took and accomplished most important
and active part in the military operations
of the Government.
According to the account now publish
ed she became convinced that the pTGjec
set on foot In the fall Of 1861, of descend
ing the Mississippi river with a fleet o
gunboats, would turn out TO be not only
mistake but grave and perhaps a fata
blundcr on the part Of the Government
Accordingly, she prepared, after quite al
elaborate investigation Of the matter
plan for u campaign by another route
Her idea was that the vulnerable ayenul
through which to strike decisive blow
at the very vitals Of the rebellion, was BY
the Tennessee river. And this idear to
gcther with Il prepared plan of campaign
she submitted to the War Department, il
November, 1861, while the Mississippi
expedition was in course Of preparation
She proves her submission Of such plal
by the testimony Of Hon. THOMAS A
sCorr, Assistant Secretary OF Wa
at the date mentioned. That gentle
man testitics that at about the tint
named Miss CARROLL called on hin
and suggested the abandonment of thu
Mississippi river route, and handed hin
"thc plan of campaign" rCfcrredto, which
plan, he says, he submitted to tho secrc
tary of War, and "its general ideas wCrt
adopted" HC also says further that HI
subsequently informed Miss CARROLL
that through the adoption of this plar
the county had been saved millions, ant
that it entitled her to tho kind cOnsidcra
ton OF Congress"
In addition to this important tcstimon.
from Mr.. SCOTT, We have also the tcsti
mony of the Hon. DEN. WADE, who, n
will be recOllcCted, was chairman Of III
Congressional Committee on the COnduC
Of the War. He tcstiIles that he had nj
ways understood that it was through hi
lady's plan Of campaign, us submitted L
the War Department, that the Mississippi
river campaign was abandoned and til
Tennessee river campaign adopted in II
stead. And furthermore that to hi
knowledge both Mr.. LINCOLN and Nj
STANTON highly appreciated Miss Car
ROLLS service in this matter, and hG
heard them say that she ought to be lii
orally rewarded.
All this reads strangely enough at thi
late day, so long utter the war, vile
people have almost forgotten the fact Of
Tennessee river campaign, and in vieV
also Of the fact that most Of us are no'
hearing of Miss CARROLL for the fir
time. We do not wonder that even Coz
gressmcn at Washington seem somewhi
inCredulous and inclined to discount I'll
magnitude of the service claimed. Til
incredulity is indicated by the fact that
bill has been introduced for the relief I
Miss CARROLL, but which only appropr
ates five thousand dollars for her beneti
This sum she, on her part, regards rs il
consistent with the dignity Of the natio
as well rs the lar.reaching nature Of III
services. She takes the ground that la
the Mississippi river campaign gone c
there is no estimating what its ncccssal
failure might havccost us, Her idea is tn
then was the supreme crisis in the struggl
England and France were looking on ar
stood ready to recognizethc ConfcderaC
after blunder of such consequence ontl
parto Government, This great di
ustnr Uhn CIOir,o thut hnr DlON vOrtlp1 n