The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13
RusseIrs RecoIIections.

Sir William Howard Russell, Ii. D.,
who was a special correspondent of the
London Times during our civil war, and
who at that time was known as 'Bull
Run Russell" has begun the publication
of an account of hts observations and ex-
periences while In this country. The first
of his series of articles appears In the
February number of the North American
Review. and a very interesting paper 1t
Is. II begins with an account of Mr.. Rus
sells engagement as correspondent by Mr..
Delane. who, at that time, was the editor
of the Times, and ends with Mr.. Russells
arrival at Wilmington, N. c. In it he
gives ketches of many men whom he met
almost Immediately after his arrival In
New York, and who afterwards played
prominent part In the great war drama
which he came to witness and describe.
The interest in these sketches lies In the
fact that Mr.. Russell was wholly new to
the country. knew little or nothing about
its public men or the questions which
divided the North and South. The I'M
Pressions, which were made upon his mind
were, therefore entirely fresh ones.
Among the men he met in New York
were Samuel j. Tilden, Gov. Seymour,
Hamilton Fish and Horace Greeley. In
Washington he came in contact with
President Lincoln, Secretary of State
Seward, Senator Sumner, Prof. Henry of
the Smithsonian Institution and many
others. With most of these men he had
conversations, from which he quotes
az - tI,.a
men who were In the front of affairs at
that time and the general tenor of their
thought on secession, the question of the
hour.
Speaking of Horace Greeley Mr.. Rus
sell, after giving a brief description of
him, says he was invited to breakfast
by him. When he arrived he found Mr..
Greeley sitting in the midst of a great
collection of books, pamphlets and news
paper clippings Mr.. Greeley began to talk
at once on the questions which were the
cause of the trouble between the North
and the South, and he continued to talk
for an hour and ten minutes without
break Mr.. Russell, who was hungry and
had other engagements, showed signs OF
a desire to take his departure. Mr.. Gree
ley begged him TO give him few minutes
more, and for another hour he poured
forth a steady stream of talk. Although
deeply interested, because of Mr.. Gree
ley's earnestness, Mr.. Russell could not
stay longer. and SO he left, without his
breakfast presumably, but thoroughly
convinced that Mr.. Greeley was fully pre-
pared to talk throughout the whole cay.
In Washington Mr.. Russell was made
much of. A day or two after he reached
that city he was presented to President
Lincoln. OF Mr.. Lincoln he says: II do
not suppose that the appearance of any
| man, not even Prince Bismarck, Is better
| known to the world; but have never seen
any likeness which conveyed the nelan-
choly. tender expression of Mr.. Lincolns
eyes-soft, full and bright-all the rest of
the large-featured, dark-skinned, deeply
scanned face, almost morose in the cast of
the square jaws, firm mouth and hollow
cheek. Tall, over six feet certainly, loose
| limbed, with long arms and large Tapping
hands, dressed in a shining new black
cloth suit he balanced himself uneasily
| on his feet. AS he took a step to meet
| me with outstretched hand there came
most pleasant expression and kindly, hon
est look into his eyes. You are welcome
What a squeeze that was! My fingers tn
gled afterwards. 1 cannot remember all he
said"
Mr.. Russell was invited to dine with the
| President and his cabinet ministers the
day following his presentation, and he
felt very uneasy because he was wholly
unfamiliar with the question of secession,
but Sam Ward put him more at his ease
by saying: "You will find them ordinary
people-good, honest folk, most of them.
Chase is a remarkable man and worth
talking to- He won't praise all of his
| colleagues. Cameron Is as cute as &ny
| yankee, live or dead. Smith & Co. are
! Just respectable people"
| Mr.. Russelrs sketches Of Sumner, Doug
lass, Gen. Scott, and the talks he had
with them, and his account of his trip
through Virginia and North Carolina, are
highly interesting. His articles are certain
| to attract great deal of attention.