davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

The latest biography in the Great
Commanders" series is General For
est" by Capt. J. Harvey Mathes, who
was intimately acquainted with Forrest.
and also knew many members Of his
staff and others who served with the
famous cavalry leader. While the work
is not as large or as ambitious as the
Life of General Forrest" by DR.. John
A. Wyeth, which came out some three
years ago, it is a very good biography.
General Forrest was one OF the most
picturesque characters on the Confeder-
ate side Of the civil war. He viii prob
ably be best remembered by the theory
OF war which he is said to have summed
up in the characteristic words. Cit
there fustest with the mostest." ."
Whether he ever said just that or not,
there is no manner OF doubt that that
was the quintessence OF his military
science, and that if he had undertaken
to express the idea he would have done
It in very much that way He was an
ipcarnate battering ram.
The story is told throughout with dra-
matte effect, and it is a picturesque one.
Among the earlier incidents of Forests
life is that Of his rescuing, single hand
ed. the victim of mob, cutting the rope
from the mans neck. and facing the
crowd Of some 5000 men as he escorted
the victim TO the Jail. This happening
is thoroughly characteristic of Forests
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

deny all and every accusation against
the Beers. An example of this, Sc
lected at random from a chapter half
way through the book, is this:
THE behavior of some of Methuen's
officers and men after the battle of
Modder River was an outrage upon al
most every code of civilized warfare.
1t was worthy of the Lancers at
Elandslaagte. In one of the houses in
the rear of the little village some
twenty Beers were lying wounded.
This house was near the center of
Cronje's position, and was therefore
within the zone of fire during the day.
These wounded men were all ruthless
ly bayoneted by body of guardsmen,
after the fight had ceased. on the pre-
tence thai the house where the disa-
bled burgHers lay must have been fired
from while the Guards were being
badly cut up in the heat of the morn
ing's encounter. Not single shot
had been fired from the building after
the wounded had been placed inside it,
and the killing of the men found with
in it in the evening was simply an act
of revengeful fury.
"An English version of this Incl
dent, given by the Daily Chronicle
war correspondent. reads as follows:
While the Argylls were pushing
across the river they were fired upon
from the house and several fell,
whereupon dozen of the Highlanders
stormed the house. and though the
enemy hoisted the white flag. no quar-
ter was given. They were all shot.
The enemy had acted most unscrupu-
lously, shellng our field hospital, so
that some Of our wounded were kill
ed. and repeatedly firing our our
stretcher parties
Here we have two contradictory
stories, of which the reader must take
his choice. Either there is a mistake
somewhere. or somebody has lied. Mr..
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

him I don't want to hear of Tennessee
being behind.
Turning to another aid. he said: You
go to Colonel Mccullough. commanding
on our left, and tell him when he hears
my orderly bugler sound the charge, to
go over the works if ne is killed and
every man in his command. and tell him
that / don't want 20 hear of Missouri
being left behind" Waiting until the
officers had time to reach the brigade
commanders he turned to Gaus, his
ever-faithful bugler, and said: 'Gaus,
ride your horse up the rayine until you
reach about the ca"ter of our lines and
sound the charge Gaus gallopel to the
center and promptly gave the blast
which settled the fate of Fort Pillow.
The whole line was Immediately in mo-
tion. The guns OF the fort roared and
the infantry fired volley after volley
The parapet was a sheet OF fame and
smoke. The Confederates answered
with yell which rose above the din of
battle. but they reserved their fire. They
dashed across the twelve-foo ditch and
clambered up the escarpment. the lead
ers helping those behind and were soon
pouring into the fort. They had no
bayonets, but at once opened a murder
Gus fire on the now thoroughly demOral-
lied garrison. The colored troops, who
had been the most defiant while the flag
OF truce was flying, were the first to
break and run down the bluff. and num-
bers Of them plunged into the river, but
many Of the white and some of the
black troops made a desperate show of
resistance and there was never any for
NAL surrender"
The spelling of Forrest was as orig
inal as his methods of warfare. Here are
three examples CT it, the first being the
dispatch announcing the capture Of Fort
Pillow:
we busted the forth at ninerclock and
scattered the niggers. The men is stiIIa
"a KILN em) in the woods. "
When private had worried Forrest for
a furlouCh. he indorsed the third appli-
cation: Il told you twist CtwiceD Cod
damit know (no)." Describing how he
punished looting he wrote: Them as
was cotch with spoons and brestpins
and sich. was ciled (killod). The rest
Of the lot was pay rold (paroled) and
told to git'
New York: u Appleton G. Coz
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

ard did may lie in the very fact that
Nj. Kennans book appeared and was
read by Russian officials. who may thus
have been brought to see that the con-
cealment policy would be about the
worst for them 20 pursue in the future.
While in general the view which DR..
Howard takes of the convict system is
more favorable than Mr.. Kennans, one
or two of the chapters in the book GER
tainly do not indicate that Russian bar
barity is less than it was pictured by
the latter. The most revolving of these
is enc which describes the fioggiuE.
with the kncUt. OF a convict who had
congenital thief, and would in this coun-
try be considered a degenerate. morally
insane. Or. Howard apparently takes
the view that the man deserved all he
got; but il is rather hard to see what
good that particular kind of punishment
is supposed TO do. The tlcggins was
dcne with knotted cords. which literally
tore away pieces Of the flesh. so that
when the hundred strokes were com
pleted the man was taken to the hos
pital, where the wounds, in the words of
the author. fell into state of gan
creme and sloughed away in pultaceous
masses. leaving an excavation which,
for size and depth. | have never seen
eGualed except in few cases of shell
wounds on the fell of battle" We are
informed that while this wound was
healing the patient was given careful
and gentle treatment in the hcspital-at
government expense. In view of this. the
,ri,icb ,,.au ba
The Washington times., 1902-06-08
q q d AFFAIRS IN CUBA D. ,. D.

Uncle Sam, Trustee" by John Ken
drick Bangs, is demonstration on
the part of Mr.. Bangs that he is not
merely, or essentially, or all the time.
a humorist. At least, that is the first
impression which it will convey to the
reader. Later it will dawn on him
that the book is really very good work
of its kind, if somewhat rcseate in its
patriotism It. conveys the idea that
the government of the United States
in Cuba has been absolutely perfect,
and that is a comforting thing to
know.
Mr.. Bangs writes both from per-
sonal observation and from research,
having taken pains to study all that
has been written on the subject of
Cuban history, and get whatever in
formation could be obtained from
those who have been actively engaged
of late in promoting the welfare of
the island. The book is fully illus
trated with portraits of the various
army officers and other officials who
have been part of the new regime,
with views OF Havana and other Gu
ban scenes, and with pictures of the
schools, hospitals. and other estab-
lishments which have come into being
under the rule of the United States
Government. IN short, the book is a
comprehensive account of the work
done by Gen. Leonard Wood and his
assistants since the close of the re-
cent war.
The largest part OF this work ap-
pears TO have been most necessary,
and also most unpicturesque and dig
agreeable. namely. the work OF clean
ing up an unspeakebly dirty town.
The author gives a detailed account
Of the conditions which General Wood
found ana the thorough manner in
which he changed them, and at the
end of the narrative the average
reader will feel high respect for the
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

The Boer Fight for Freedom" by
Michael Davitt, is a new book dealing
with the South African conflict Mr..
Davitt takes the Boer side of the
question much more strongly than
anyone else who has written on the
subject. though he is not by any
means the only one to do so, Mr.. How
year ago, from much the same point of
year aio, from much the same point of
view. 1t seems to be the present au-
thor's intention to combat as success
fully as possible every argument
which has been made for England,
and to defend the Beers as powerfully
as may be. He is personally acquaint-
ed with several of the Boer leaders,
and the book is fully illustrated with
portraits of them and characteristic
scenes of the Transvaal. There are
several pictures of President Kruger
alone. The title of one of the pic
lures seems to be misnomer. and as
it can hardly be anything but inten-
tional. it challenges criticism. A COM
pany of negro guerrillas is shown in a
uniform resembling that of the Brit
ish army, and accompanied by an ac-
count OF looting and outrage by them
at Mafeking. The picture is entitled
THE Black Watch at Mafeking,"
which appears to be a somewhat clum-
sy and unnecessary slur on the IA
nous Highland regiment known as
THE Black Watch This sort of
thing is puerile.
The first chapters of the book are
taken up with a detailed statement of
the events and causes leading to the
war. which are fairly familiar to the
public by this time, in both the Brit
ish and Boer versions. Then follows
an account of each campaign from the
Boer point of view, especial pains be-
ing taken to call attention to atroci-
ties on the part OF the British and to
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

what Siberia is to the rest of Russia.
torious. Sakhalin is the penal region
which is most distant from St. Peters
burg: Korsakoffsk is its most distant
settlement, and therefore the most dis
tant penal settlement within the Rus
sian empire. The dreadful reputation
or the place and the fear of it are
proportionate TO its distance.
The period Of my residence in Kor-
sakoffsk was within the time when.
even more than now. those sent there
were almost exclusively double murder
ers, or such politicals as were consid-
cred equally dangerous. They included
chiefly such assassins and brigands as
the various prisons of continental ST.
IBERIA had been unable to hold, and who
therefore, were sent to this island pris-
on for safe-keeping. Sakhalin, more
than any other penal region, is still re-
garded as inevitably the grave of ey-
erybody sent there. The knout and other
punishments. long since abolished ev-
erywherc else, are here still retained
and prac.icod in fullest force.
q need hardly say that for a for
eigner my experience was exceptional.
believe that it was unique. Indeed,
several of the officials in Korsakoffsh
told me that, previous to my coming, no
foreigner had ever been known to pass
a single night there
To most people there will seem to
have been possible reasons why Mr..
Kennan did not witness the punishments
in question. The reason Why Dr.. How
The Washington times., 1902-06-08
6BsTg3SD68sB z6.5zElszlszasz1aI

seen from what l have said that in the
way OF material aids on these lines there
is not much to choose between the lot
of the exile and that Of the officials over
him. One kind OF reformation there cer-
tainly is. Let us look at the complete
ness of the reformation of the circum-
stances and conditions Of the convict
compared with his former and ante
prison conditions.
These new conditions consist briefly
in securing to the exile. first, mini
mum of temptation; second, the re-
straint arising from the certainty that
the slightest crime Is sure to be fol-
lowed by detection and punishment; the
impossibility of immunity"
There is a great deal that is inter-
esting in the book, for the conditions
under which the convicts' lives are de-
scribed in detail, and many anecdotes
related which throw light on the char
scters of criminals in that part of the
world. Dr. Howard is of the opinion
that prisoners are often in greater dan
ger from each other than from the
malice of officials, and in proof of this
tells of one case in which a prisoner
found a poisonous plant in the locality
where he was at work, and deliberately
poisoned several of his companions by
their soup with it.
The prisoners at Sakhalin are mostly
murderers and other desperate crimi-
nails. most of whom would have suffered
the death penalty in England or in this
OF the political prisoners, the
class dealt with by Mr.. Kennan. this
book gives but little account, and, in
fact, it occupies a field almost wholly
different from that of the former work.
New York: D. Appleton & Coz
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

thoroughly demoralizing that eYen the
strongest characters can hardly be ex-
pected to survive it without damage.
ITO mitigate or counteract this con-
dition of things the Administration does
absolutely nothing, the morals of the
prisoners being understood to be en-
tirely beyond its sphere.
When TO the fact of the merely ami
nal existence of these convicts during
the Incarceration period we add one
ether fact. viz, the weeks and months
of enforced idleness of many Of them
during the long winter, we have before
US the prime cause of by far the larger
pumber of the worst evils incident to
the prison life in Sakhaln, as also
throughout Siberia. Imagine over a
hundred such men, mostly murderers. in
single herd, as I have seen them, who
:cr months and months have no more
occupation of any kind than swine in
sty and it will be easy to believe that
my contention On this point was agreed
10. even by the officials with whom
discussed the matter.
''It is only as it concerns free con-
victs, and after release from prison, that
the question of reformation can come
within reasonable consideration.
What are the means especially pro-
vided for the mental and moral eleva-
tion of the free convict? So far as l
could discover there were none what
ever. There are no restrictions, how
ever. He is free to follow his best III
clinations as far as he can. To be sure.
this does not seem all that could be
wished for, but it will have been already
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

existence are utterly Incompatible. and
that romance is dependent on Illusion.
AS soon as a man finds out what Q
woman really is he cannot continue to
love her, though the woman-poor thing
will probably continue to love him,
and he must put up with her if she is
sensible enough to make herself nec-
essary to him.
There is something rather STACEY
about this view of things. 1t may be
that only a Frenchman can appreciate
romance. but the kind of thing which
Max O'Rell calls love smells of foot
lights ani red fire, and seems to be-
long to a world which is in the nature
of things transitory and made up OF
sham. In America he sententiously
says, woman is a spoiled child Ma
trimony is play. in which the best ac-
tor is most successful. And all this
somehow does not fit the old-fashioned
American ideals. which some of us have
not yet lost. Boston Lothrop Pub
fishing Company
The Washington times., 1902-06-08
SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS

Davitt asserts that the English have
done the lying; English correspond
ents are likely to make the contrary
assertion. Kipling and other English
correspondents have said that houses
supposed to be hospitals, and places
occupied by Beers ready and willing
to shoot down any Englishman credu-
lous enough to approach them; and
in that case English troops might be
massacring the willy foe. 1t seems to
be rather difficult, at this distance, to
decide which of two partisan accounts
of the war is true. One thing is GER
tain, it is impossible to make var
with gloves on, and things are likely
to be done in battle. by both sides,
which cannot be defended by any
known law OF morality. 1t seems IN
likely that the Boer is the paragon of
all the virtues which Mr.. Davitt rep
resents him to be, or the concatena-
tion of all the vices which Mr.. Julian
Ralph pictures him. If one could
strike an average between the two,
the true Boer might be the result.
Meanwhile, it is useful to remember
that the justice or injustice of either
cause is not determined by individual
acts of brutality committed by private
soldiers: that the relative size of the
two countries has nothing to do with
the essential rights of either; and
that the fact that the Boer has most
of the military advantages on his side
does not make him necessarily any
more OF hero than the other man.
All of these things the impetuous |
of Mr.. Davitt appears to dis
regard. When it comes to an impair
tial view of the war, however, they |
ought to be considered, and an i'm
partial eye is just what DR.. Davitt. |
like some other writer's on both sides |
Of this question. has not got. New |
York: Funk & Wagnalls Company. s2.) |
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

He has a kitchen soul. He Is the
French chef of literature.
One-half of the book is devoted to
men, the other half to women. The
one on men is more or less concerned
with things common to humanity. The
chapters on women mostly concern
themselves with marriage. in which the
author has apparently very little faith.
He says frankly in some places. and
slyly insinuates in others. that no man
can possibly love one woman for more
than three months. If the woman hopes
for even moderate regard beyond that
time she must be contented with about
the measure of affection which one gives
to a house cat-a comfortable creature,
good to catch mice, and inexpensive.
People who are capable of a contented
marriage are commonplace people, de-
void of Imagination, who do not know
what real love means. The author
has the soul of n Frcnchman. He
knows that romance and ?. commonplace
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

convalescence of the sick city of San
tiago began.
THE streets were cleaned; the dead
were buried; the poor were fed; the
idle were set at work; the initial steps
of the wonderful work in sanitation,
which has shown such marvellous re-
suits in the later administration of
Cuba, were taken; schools were estab-
lished order was restored; the citi-
zenship which lurked within dark re-
cesses and fed upon unscrupulous de-
vices-whether Cuban. Spanish. or
American-was warned to employ it
self in useful directions or to relieve
the community of it's presence; the
custom house was placed upon a basis
at least OF honesty, IL not OF immedi-
ate efficiency; a police force was or
ganized;. useless offices were abol-
ished; the militant side of Amer
Jean control was made subordinate to
the civil; and where there had been
community demoraliZed by war,
there was within month established
a city enjoying the blessed privi-
leges of peace"
Some idea of the magnitude of the
job of cleaning Havana is given by
the statement that from the COVER
nor's palace nearly two score of cart
loads of dirt had to be removed and
that in one room of castle occupied
by the civil guard the bodies of fif-
teen cats and dog were found These
animals had not died Of starvation:
they had strayed into the place and
died of the foul atmosphere. 4 can
die would not burn in that room.
a particularly interesting chapter is
that which deals with the schools es-
tablished under the American govern
ment. The whole book should have a
particular interest for the American
people Just at this time, when Cubas
promised freedom has been conceded.
tNew York: Riggs Publishing Com
pany.)
The Washington times., 1902-06-08
A Novel of the Revolution.

Hearts Courageous" by Miss Halle
Erminie Rives, is proof positive that
the author can tell story. Writing
novel is not synonymous with story
telling. as the confirmed novel reader
knows to his cost. There is enough life.
movement, and spice in this for any or
dinary three historical romances.
1t is a tale of the Revolution, Mis-
tress Anne Tillotson, of Williamsburg,
Va, being the heroine. and a young
French nobleman the hero. Patrick
Henry figures prominently in the plot,
and Philip Freneau, Colonel Tarleton.
General Lafayette. and other famous
characters of the time play a certain
part in its development The central
figure however. is that of the heroine.
who is a spirited and delightful maiden.
and probably succeeds in being in more
places at nearly the same time than
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

any other damsel OF recent fiction, ex-
cept Dorothy Vernon. She is by no
means a quiescent figure to be wooed
and won: she takes a most lively part
in all the exciting scenes. The old fash
ioned heroine may have answered to
the definition of woman as a verb in
the passive voice; Anne Tillotson 10
very much in the active voice. general
ly first person. singular. present tense.
Seriously. the story is a good one
from any point of view, and there are
several scenes which are really fine.
notably the one in which a huge dead
tree falls on the coach in which Anne
and her lover are seated, and the one
which forms the climax of the book,
where the complicated situation is un-
raveled with the swiftness of the cut
ting of a Gordian knot. The illustra-
tions, by a. B. Wenzell. are charming.
indianapolis: The Bowen Merrill Com
pany.)
The Washington times., 1902-06-08
White House "reminiscences.

"Thirty-six Years in the White
House" Is a little book Of "reminiscences
by Mr. Thomas F. Pendel, who was for
half a lifetime doorkeeper TO the Prcsi-
dent. II includes bits Of the history Of
nine Presidents, from Lincoln 10 Nc
KiBley. The part OF the book which
deals with Lincoln is naturally most
Interesting. There are several anec-
dotes of Tad Lincoln. whose name for
The Washington times., 1902-06-08

Mr.. Pcndel was Tom Pen" 1t was Mr..
Pendel who took charge Of the little
fellow on the night of Lincoln's assas-
sination, and endoavored to soothe his
grief and terror The rest of the book
contains portraits of the various Pres
idents with whom II deals. and the
cover is decorated with facsimiles OF
ten autographs, President Rooscvelt's
being the tenth. (Washington: The
Neale Publishing Company
The Washington times., 1902-04-17
SONS OF REVOLUTION.
Regular Triennial Meeting Of the General
Society to Be Held This Week.

The regular triennial meeting OF the
general society Of the Sons of the Revo-
luticn and the accompanying exercises
will be held in the city of Washington
tomorrow. Saturday, and Sunday.
This meeting will be the first held IN
der the resolution adopted at Denver IN
1899, and an invitation TO all the exer-
ciscs is extended not merely to delegates,
but to each member of every State So
cie;y as well.
The program, subject TO modification,
is as follows
Tomorrow the members and guests CT
the general society will leave Washing
ton by steamer Macaiister, promptly at
10 a. m. reach Mount Vernon at II a. m,
remaining until p. NJ, and arriving at
Washington at i:30 p. n. Luncheon viii
be served en- the steamer.
Saturday the members and guests OF the
society will proceed by trolley cars,
starting at 10 a. m. and reaching Ar
lineton at 12 NJ, witnessing at l p. m.
drill and dress parade Of the United
States troops stationed at Fort Myer'
Virginia.
At 7:3O p. m. the society will enter
tain its members and guests at ban
Guet in the New Willard Hotel. The
speakers will be of the distinguished
guests present On the occasion.
Sunday. special services at II a. m. and
sermon before the society, at a church
ana by rector to be selected later.