The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-05

total OF the campaign, yet both may be
correct. The explanation is that a5
least 40 per cent of those reported
wounded recovered in few weeks and
many of those reported missing reached
their commands again
From War to Agriculture.
Though the aggregate of the separate
reports would show that from the Will
derness to Five Forks. inclusive. Grant
lost within few score of 100. 900 men.
yet the mortally wounded and perma-
nently disabled would certainly not
make more than half that number.
Similarly it is roughly stated that Nc
Clellan reached the James river with
loss of 10, 900 men and inflicted loss
of %. 600 upon Lee. but when the final
returns were made it appeared that Nc
Clellan's net or absolute loss was only
5,249 and that of the Confederates q
little over $4,000. To illustrate how
little Americans knew of war even at
the end of 5 months OF it, it only re-
mains to add that Richmond was from
a true military standpoint more in dan
ger from tbs Army of the Potomac on
the James than on the Chickahomiuy.
and yet the north grisVed as over a great
forces had really been defeated in every
one of the seven days battles, issued
a proclamation of thanksgiving. wnils
the whole south went wild with Joy
Verify. it took as long time to learn
cur business.
The face of nature, as I said, IS COM
paratively unchanged. but e everything
else the contrast is indeed remarkable
In all the region just north of the
Chickahominy and for many miles i'll
any direction from Cold Harbor and
Mechanicsville at least one-third Of tho
people are northern men who have coma
in since the war and are nearly all en-
gagged in what they call trucking" for
the Richm market Lard is very
cheap and for few purposes very good,
Immense crops of sweet potatoes are
raised, from goo TO 900 bushels per acre,
not half that of Irish potatoes. Forty
bushels of corn or ten of wheat are
counted good crops Cabbages and GU
ions are usually profitable, but this year
there is glut. and these are rctting in.
the fields. For poultry the northern
settlers tell me there is no otker part of
America so favorable, SO eggs ard chick
ems are abundant, cheap and good. The
country is not favorable for grasses.
The highest price could hear of being
paid for land within ten years was $35
per acre, and from that it grades down
to $40 There is still so much wild
country that game abounds. and fox
hunting is a great winter sport.
A Surplus.
Socially and politically the universal
testimony is that there is harmony AL
most everybody seems to have some re
ligion, and commandments are about
equally divided between Baptist. Meth
odist, Presbyterian and ''Campbellite "
Every section is we'll supplied with
schools for both races. and the average
country term is five months. The white
people take their open air sports chiefly
in hunting and their mental recreation
in debates at the country schoolhonses
and in religious discussions The negroes
have their fun at dances and religious
revivals, the latter often running three
or four months at stretch, and [ am
told that at their big church near Eller-
son mill as many as 20 have been
'struck with the power" in one night.
There are no official statistics on this,
however. Incidentally it is estimated
that the county of Hanover contains
600 colored Democrats, but down to
1884 those who voted that ticket were
turned out of meeting'' and ostracized
by their own race When Cleveland be-
came president, and no attempt was
made to re enslave them, there was q
growth of liberality. l was told that the
first negro who voted the Democratic
ticket in the Mechanicsville precinct
was killed for the act. but the evidence
shows. think, that the murder was the
result of a quarrel about a woman.
Most of the negroes quarrels are about
dogs and women, which is quite sur
prise. as that race has a surplus Of both.
a Question of Losses.
Riding and walking over this truly
historic region, am led into a train of
reflections on the peculiar ways of Amer
leans in considering their own history
There have been i'll this country three
great victories which amazed mankind
at the time and on which the critics
have bestowed one might say millions
of written pages, apologists for the de-
feated have given us thousands Of able
arguments and which historians havo
vainly tried to explain They are San
Jacinto. New Orleans and Cold Harbor.
The first secured the independence Of
Texas and settled it forever that the
Latin race was to be of little conse-
quence in North Americas destiny.
Neither of the two others made tho
slightest difference in the worlds cur
rents. for New Orleans was fought after
the treaty of peace. and so far as any
one can point out Cold Harbor neither
heightened nor shortened the war by a
day Yet it was by far the bloodiest re-
pulse. At San Jacinto 500 Texans killed
and wounded as many Mexicans and
captured nearly as many more, losing
only eight-a hundred to onel At New
Orleans the Americans had killed and
18 wounded, 81 in all, while the Brit.