The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-06-14
CHAUTAUQUA.
BY a Member of Glass ID.

n
remember when my nameSake Gen. Fran
Pierce became president of the United State.
That was forty-one years ago. This prison wa
built and Minnesota was admitted to the Unto
during Pierces administration. This prison wa
a small affair at that time, they didn't have an
sick call or five O'Clock tea in those pioneer days
The half dozen cOnvctS were allowed to roam a
will Through the streets of the village during tn
day but always reported promptly for meals ant
a bed at night At one time they found the gat
locked when they came to the prison at night
The next day they complained to the Governor
that the warden had beat them out of night!
lodging. Kansas was refused admission to the
Union as free state during Perce's admnistra
ton. Congress would willingly have admitted
her as slave state. 1t was net until Buchanan s
administration which was four years later
when the question of slavery began to be hotly
discussed. The balance of power in congress
was held by those in favor of slavery and great
effort was made to extend slavery into the
northern states. In November 1860 Abraham
Lincoln man of strong abolition sentiments was
elected President of the United States and in
December South Carolina seeded from the
Union and in January and February 1861 GeOr-
gia, Florida. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Texas all passed ordinances of secession.
Floyd who was secretary of navy under Buchan-
an had robbed every arsenal in the north and
sent the arms to southern fronts and the slave
holding congress had utterly robbed the L. S
treasury by passing appropriation bills in favor
OF the south which the President was either too
cowardly or too diSlOyal to veto. When Abra:
ham Lincoln took his seat in Washington March
4th. 1861, seven states had already seeded; he
found the treasury empty, weak and incompe-
tent navy, no standing army and every arsenal
robbed of its guns and small arms. Virginia.
North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas now Sc
coded and delegates from the eleven southern
states met at Richmond Virginia and elected
JEFFERSON Davis President of the southern con-
federacy. The western part of Virginia from
the Shenandoah valley to the Ohio river with
drew from the old Dominion and was admitted
as one OF the loyal states Kansas was also adj
mitted as free state. Missouri remained loyal
although the southern part of the state was con-
federate until brought into subsection by Gem
Grant. Gen. Fremont and Gen. Lyons. Kentucky
remained neutral, refusing to furnish troops for
either north or south. This is why Petroleum V.
Nasty called it the cross roads of the confeder-
acy On the twelfth day of April 1861 thirty-three
years ago the first rebel gun was fired on Fort
Sumpter in Charleston harbor, South Carolina.
Thus opened the great war for the Union which
cost this country one half million of lives and
over three thousand million of money The
boom of that rebel gun sent tidal wave of ter
ror up along the Atlantic coast New York. Phil
adelphia and Boston felt its shock. 1t echoed
along the Appalachian range and through the
green valleys OF Maryland PENNSYLVANIA and
New York! 1t roared along the peaceful waters
OF the great lakes and bayed like blood hound
at the doors of Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago,
IL numbered at the gates of Baltimore and Pitt
Durg, then travelled like a frightened spectre
down the fertile Ohio valley and shrieked like :,
railing shell over Cicinnatti and st Louis! 1t
traVerSed the wide prairies of Kansas and N.-
oraska like grasShOpper plague! AS it noun |
ted the granite wall of the Rockies it shook the
eternal SHOWS on top of Pixies Peak and Mar
shall Pass! Yet, the seismic wave halted not, |
1t shook the old Mormon temples as it passed |
the Great Salt Lake, and the eagle screamed as |
1t crossed the Sierras and went kissing like :,
Dal OF fire through San Francisco and the Gold |
en- Gate into the Pacific! The great shin of |
State was in a storm; but thank God. in that |
hour OF peril, there great pilot at the helm |
Abraham Lincoln stood like a rock when every
cneek was blanched. He called for IS 600 yol H.
teers to serve for three months, and supplemcrt
ed IL by another call for 100000 men to ser\efo
three years or through the war Pittsbury i'm
medlately became the headquarters for the M H.
fracture OF heavy ordinance small arms and
ihunlIlohs or war. Fathers, sons and brothers
left comfortable homes and rushed to the field
Inc tears and prayers of devoted mothers wives
or sweethearts counted for naught NV oldest
prother, young man of nineteen had enlisted
and gone to the front and my mother was heart
n
hsted and went to the defenses at Washington,
The President issued another call for vo,un. ce..
ana enlisted going into camp at Camp Howe.
ten miles above Pttsbllrg. The three n,on.l
spent IN camp was quite picnic and | soon be-
came favorite with the men of orr rcyimont
1t was pleasant thing, while in camp TO have
the many fair visitors from Pittsburg call us
ordVe soldier boys although we never smelt
powder In 1865. came the news of Lees SIR
render All the bells in the city were set ringing
ana the Whistles on steamboats,, mills and fac
IoIles pleW at once. Such rejoicing have never
oelore witnessed and never expect to see again
hien LOOK OH Their silk hats and threw them I'M
ooi Vile Ieet OF horses and Rugged one another
III perIect frenzy of JOY. But their Joy was
sooh turned TO sorrow, for in few DAYS came
'he appalilng news of Lincoln's assassination
ana every house, both private and public. was
oraped In mourning At last the battle-scarred
veterans came marching home, and with them
came my TWO brothers, 1 saw them mustered
OUT ana as the Old veterans grasped each others
hanos IN good by many an eye was moist which
had never known tear before After the war
1 mao Che pleasure of taking Gen, Grants hand 4
Id flttsDurg, and of seeing Sherman, Sheridan
HOOKER Mcdowell Butler and Banks. I have
also visited many of the old battle fields and
national cemeteries. In conclusion cannot do
better than quote the words of the poet.
ION Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn round
The bvOuac of the dead"