davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11
BALLOT MEASURE.
Houss Committee Report. Substitute for
TsrrsIis Biii.

Horsf Committee hfports rup'uute t"f
TsrreIl's nan.
Austin. Feb. lO.--The house commit
tee on privileges. suffrage and elections
voted 10 report a substitute for the
election bills offered BY Messrs. Ter
reli Of Travis and Onion OF Bexar. The
substitute In the main follows the pro-
visions OF Judge Terrelrs bill. Instead
OF n blanket ballot there will be one
for each party. and at expense OF each
party.
Primary election expenses are 70 be
borne by each party holding them. One
provision requires votes to participate
in primaries AZ the party with which
they declare they affiliate when paying
their poll tax
/ No voting precinct shall contain
more than $50 voters. according TO the
last vote for governor. except In cities.
where II shall be according to the vote
In the las, city election. The tax coll
ieotor shalt have poll tar receipt
book for each precinct.
TO conform 10 the recent opinion OK
the attorney general. persons Offering
TO pay county and state poll tar must
first produce receipts showing that they
have paid town or city poll tax, where
subject 10 such poll tax.
The provision relating 20 the pro
curing OF certificates OF exemption from
payment OF psll tax r. limited 20 cities
OF more than 10000 inhabitants.
Voters may require the particular
ballot they desire. otherwise they will
receive one copy Of each ballot. select
and prepare the ballot they desire 10
vote in a booth and the ballot 80 Sc
lected will be deposited In the count
ing box and the others In a blank box
Provisions are made for guarding the
secrecy Of all these ballots. II Is pro-
vided that there may be primaries for
special election az we'll as for general
elections. II II provided that In dis
trleis the blanket system shall prevail
where primaries are held. but there
may be conventions upon the call OF
the district executive committees OF
the respective parties.
In the house consideration % the bll
providing for a department Of agri
culture as an Independent institution
was deferred until the 18th.
Mr.. OQuinn secured consent 10 taxi
up bill relating 10 selling liquor 10 ha
bitual drunkards and the bill wa
placed on its second reading.
Mr. Sanford offered an amendment
providing that TIE oiense shall con
slst In selling liquor knowingly 20 al
hahitual drunkard. Adopted.
Mr Mays offered an amendment max
ing II an Ofense for a hahitual drunk
ard TO buy liquor and providing tina
4 the bondsmen on the liquor dealers
bonds should not BE- made liable 10
violations OF the provisions OF the act
Adopted.
BIZ went 10 third reading.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11

Philadelphia. Feb. lO.-ln eonse-
queuee OF the wreck NJ Graeeland. ".
j.. on the New Jersey Central railroad.
recently, the adoption % an entire set
OF new and revised rules TO govern the
dispatching and operation OF passenger
aud freight trains on the Joint Read
ing and jersey Centrsi system has been
decided, AZ a .nessinE bald ~ the o.
srstisg sfices Of both roads o.. 30.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11
Ransom Must Hang.

Georgetown. Tex. Feb. l0.-Iohn
Ransom. cOlored. convicted Of killing
Wesley Kicker. colored. AT the last
term OF court. and sentenced 10 be
hanged. and who appealed his case.
heard the confirmation Of his sentence
read by District Judge Penn. The
negro hangs April 3.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11
R.r.r,.a neurh, Central.

Houston. Feb. i0.--It Is reported At
Houston that the Rock Island has
bought outright the Houston and Tex
as Central railway for s. 100000.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11

Dallas. Tex. Feb. I'D. r. Hoyi. a
brakeman. had both legs cut on by a
Santa Pc train here. lie died In a
short while.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11

Houston. Feb. i0.-Ella Koenlr.
charged with killing Camille Valentine.
was acquitted In ten minutes after the
jury got the case.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-11
LAG. n. SCHEDULE.

No. Observation-Disclosures
ger Leaves ... .........i:2D p. IN.
(Aahes close connection Nth main line
LAO. n. going east and vest
No. Acknowledgement
ger-Arrives .......... 7:l5 p. IN.
Leaves next morningl ...sa, N.
The National tribune., 1903-06-04

Some time after dark Col. Landram
told me that it had been decided to fall
back that night to Pleasant Hill; for me
to go until 1 found Gen. Ransom and
notify him: that would probably find him
at Gen. Franklin's headquarters. When
L found the headquarters l was told that
the General had already been removed to
Pleasant Hill. / kept on to Pleasant Hill.
tied my horse to tree, and went into an
o,d shanty and fell asleep. Next morning
when | woke my horse was gone. / soon
found what was left of our division.
L was without a horse, so Comrade
.Wycoff. 23d Wis, clerk at division head
quarters, let me have his horse. A few
years ago l attended a reunion at Nevada,
Mo-, and there met Wycoff, who was a
private patient in the asylum at this
place. As soon as l told him my name,
he spoke about letting me have his horse
at Pleasant Hill. This poor fellow died
about year ago.
We did not take any part In the fight
the next day, norStlid We do any moro
fighting on this campaign. When we
reached the Mississippi River we were
sent to Baton Rouge and our regiment
was put on provost duty at this place.
Gen. Ransom in his official report of this
expedition thanked Lieut.. Ayers and my
self for the assistance we rendered him
that day. l do not care to criticize any
one, but Just tell what I saw.-JoHN
LANDRAM. 705 South Ash ST., Nevada,
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
Battle of Farmington, Miss.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: am
much pleased with Comrade ]. NJ. Will
iams's account of this affair in your issue
of May Z. and can only suggest one cor
rection. The squadron of Regular cavalry
was Of the 4th U. s.. not the I'd
of that bright May morning, as my
horse was shot under me just as We start
ed the charge, and as l meandered to the
rear with carbine, revolver and saber ln-
tact, but wondering how l should ever
account" for the saddle, bride, nose bag,
etc. / saw the live eagle of the Sth Wis.
and thought that with his wings l would
be far from there. / saw an apparently
badly wounded officer of the Sth being car
ried to the rear by his men: saw a tele-
graph lineman, when the solid shot began
crashing around him while he was up a
tree, ''come down" to the apparent detri-
ment of his trousers; was crowded oil the
corduroy into the swamp when the guns
were galloping to the rear, and not being
in the confidence of Gen. Pope. thought
that we were getting licked like biazes.
Your editorial in the same issue seems
to be the only logical mode of procedure
in the matter of service pension, for il
we do not act in concert We cannot hope
to accomplish anything. / do not think
that a fat rate of SO would be equal and
exact justice to all. but am satisfied that
the majority are in favor of it. and that if
not united we only invite defeat. More
over, we are now at an age when to bene-
fit many of us it must come quickly or not
at all. My own experience shows that we
cannot expect increased benefit from pres
ent laws, as it took me 12 years, with
three examinations, under three admins
trations. to have my pension increased
from Sc to So per month, which shows
that there is no reasonable probability of
having it raised to $40 in my lifetime, un-
less the service law is passed. l would
suggest that all the G. A. Il. Posts in each
Congressional District join in a petition,
to be signed by, all and everybody, and
present same Through their Congressman.
Capt. Henry A. Castles article in same
issue showing statistics as to how much
Of the pension expenditure is chargeable
to the soldiers of the civil war and how
money for same"is raised, is timely and
good. The New York City Journal that
he mentions as comparing our pension bill
with that of foreign countries, would no
doubt compare the.deluge to the Johns
town fiood.-JaMEs II. WIswELL, Co. c.,
4th u, S. Cayl. iBangor, Pa
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
Death of Gen. Polk.

EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: have no.
ticed quite a number Of articles in Tho
Lieut.-Gen. Polk at Pine Mounlain, Ca
June IA, 1864. 1t seems there are quite a
number of claimants for the honor Gf
there was any especial honor in it), but
never supposed there could be any ques-
tion about it until I saw the Rebellion
Records. wherein it is credited to the 9TH
Ind. Battery.
/ have not the faintest idea who did the
work. but this ] know, and my diary and
a letter / wrote home at the time and
which l now have, confirm me in it: Bat
terry M, 1st Ill. l.. A, had been kept up
with the skirmish line all day, frequently
having few shells as well as many bull
lets sent around it by the enemy. To-
ward evening. coming cut of the woods
into an open field, the battery halted, and
an infantry regiment filed out and stacked
arms Immediately to the north of it, the
battery being directly north of the noun
tain. They had occupied this position but
a few minutes when a body of horsemen
rode along the side of the mountain about
halfway up, going from the west; there
they halted. Some of our officers rode up
to the battery at that time, l think Gen.
Sherman among them, but am not sure
about that now, and cne of the battery
guns was ordered to fire st the group.
Two or three shots We're sent over, when
the norSemen started or toward the east,
soon disappearing around the mountain.
There was q creek down near the noun
tain, to which the battery horses were
taken at dusk to water. The rebel pickets
were but short distance from the creek,
ard they told the batterymen that Gen.
Polk was killed by the shots from the gun
from Battery NJ, and the Positions
brought the word back to that effect. A.
few days later the report was confirmed Of
POlk'S death. At that time there was no
other battery in sight, and if the 9TH Ind
Battery or any other fired at that group,
they were far away to the west, so far
that their shots were not heard at the bat
terry, nor could their shell have reached the
mountain.-G. f. DoLToN, ST. Louis, Mo.
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
THE BATTLE OF THE CRATER.
What Led to the Failure of Promising
Movement.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1 shall
give you my recollections Of that terrible
day, July 30, 1864, when the Burnside
mine" was exploded and the "crater" was
formed, which exists unto this day.
Much has been written and published
about that disastrous attempt to pierce the
Confederate line in front of Petersburg,
but the true inwardness Of it may never
be settled. AS an eyewitness, l will SIM
ply give my recollections as they occur to
me to-day. At the time I was Abide
Camp on the staff of Lieut.-Col. Royce,
commanding First Brigade, Third Divi-
sion, Eighteenth Corps. For some time
prior to July 80 we had been located n
half mile east of the Ninth Corps and the
mine. Three days previous to July ~ L
went up the line of works to the mine en-
trance. 1t was then completed. The sap
pers and miners around the entrance had
brought the yellow clay out from under
the Confederate front, put the impression
of the Ninth Corps badge on small pieces,
cut it out in shape of the badge Ia shield
and dried it in the sun, selling them for
% cents. I have one Of those to-day.
Now, this is how we understood it: l had
many officer friends in the Third Division,
Ninth Corps, and often visited them in
their camp 4 half mile in the rear of the
main line. 1t was n large division, all
colored except commissioned officers, and
the officers always informed me that the
division was being instructed and drilled
for the purpose Of taking the advance in
the charge when the mine was exploded.
They said that was their full understand
ing. During the night of July 20 our
brigade was moved to the left and occu-
pied the front line next on the right of the
Ninth Corps. In addition to our forts
back of us, all the available field batteries
were posted on the high ground back of us
to fire over us and support the contem-
plated movement.
In the early morning of the Both we dis
covered that the front works Of the Ninth
Corps and all the zigzag covered ways
leading to it were crowded with white
troops (the First and Second Divisions).
We then heard the rumors that, late the
evening previous Gen. Meade had changed
Gen. Burnsides plans and ordered the two
white divisions sent in advance-he fear
ing the colored troops might not be equal
to the occasion; but many surmising it
was through jealousy, fearing Gen. Burn
side might win great laurels. l am giving
this as reported and understood at the
time. 1t is still believed by many that had
Burnside been permitted to carry out his
plan, the result might have been very diff
ferent. There was delay in the explosion,
caused by damp fuse (no ones fault, and
there was great delay after the explosion,
and that was someone's fault. Had the
charge been made promptly while the en-
emyuHas in q panic, and had left their
works to the right and left of the crater.
still the result might have been glorious
success; but when the charge was made
the enemy had reoccupied their works and
all the Confederate forts to the right and
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
Allatoona and other Matters.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Strange
as it may appear, no cOmrade has SO fan
disputed any Of the statements of my
article published in your issue Of March 2t
on matters connected with Hoods northern
movement in the Fall of ga, and ALA
toona in particular. Comrade w. A. Fulk,
Co. Il, 59th Ind, has written private let
ter from which l am permitted to quote,
warmly indorsing what was written, and
mentions that another division of Johnnies
was within two miles of the Etowah
bridge, where We were, but for some cause
came no nearer. Perhaps the disastrous
defeat of one of their strongest divisions
at Allatoona, the near approach Of the
Twenty-third Corps, and their own dis
tance from the main body Of Hoods army,
then en- route from Dallas to Rome, all
combined, prevented the attack.
Comrade Fulk speaks very affectionate-
ly of our battery 18th Wis.,, saying they
regarded us as brothers, from long service
together. He adds: MY mind goes back
to Jackson, Miss. when your battery made
the charge with the balance of the brigade
1t is the only case on record where bat
terry made a charge with the line of bat-
tle." In this, Comrade Fulk is slightly
mistaken, as similar movement is men-
toned in the "Gannoneer," occurring at
Bethesda Church. in Grants campaign
against Lee. in 1864. The battery which
made the charge, however, was one of
those most noted for hard fighting in the
civil war, if not in history-Battery H.
4th U. S., serving with the Iron Brigade,
one of the very best brigades in service
anywhere. T5 be in the same class with
such a battery is certainly something to
be very proud Of, and proves that the 9th
Wis. Battery and its infantry supports
had the fullest confidence in the staying
qualities Of each other. ------. r. --
l am inclined Ito get angry with Gen.
Raum. in not giving our battery a place
in Gen. TboIhas's army, after we were
sent back from Sherman's. But believe
he also fails to mention about 1S others,
comprising the Reserve Artillery Military
Division. Mississippi, mostly at Nash,
At the close of the Atlanta campaign
our battery was reduced, from muster-Out
of non-veterans and other causes, to only
50 men present for duty, which, taken
with lack of horses, settled our fate so far
as the march to the sea was concerned.
Say, comrades, don't you want to know
what regiment the "200th Ind" really
was? l guess it was the 101st Ind, or
possibly the 10Th. They were in Baird s
Division, Fourteenth Corps. The "Osh-
kosh fellers," believe, was the I'd MINI.
Now, some other comrade tell rs who the
"Kankakee Muskrats" were.-E. j. ORR,
9Th Wis. Battery l.. A., Villisca, Iowa..
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
Cavalry.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In The
National Tribune of May Z. Comrade Le-
roy S. Falls, Co. A, Sth Ind. Cav. under
takes to correct mistake of Gen. Raum's
in giving the brigade commanders of Kill
patrick's Cavalry Division, and makes a
mistake himself. The First Brigade was
commanded by Col. (afterward Brevet
Brig.-Gen.) Eli H. Murray. Stand cor
rected. Leroy.
Also, in same issue, read an article by
James A. Bird, I'd Iowa Cav, headed
"Critter Companies" in which he urges
cavalry boys to write up what the cav
airy did in the war. If Comrade Bird, or
any one else, will read Gen. Raum's con-
tribution of May (which they surely
will if they are as much interested in these
articles as l am-they will know some
thing of what we of Kilpatrick's Cavalry
did for n few days and nights. By the
way, l hold that to be one of the most
graphic descriptions of ''mix-up" 1 ever
read. While speaking on this cavalry
subject we might mention Gen. Wilder at
Chickamauga; Gen. Rousseau's raid
through Alabama; Kilpatrick's raid
around Atlanta, and many others might be
mentioned showing cavalry service in the
Western army; but I simply mention
these because 81 was there" and know
whereof I speak.-M. c. MILLS. First
Lieutenant and Adjutant, Sth Ind. Cav,
Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The National tribune., 1903-06-04

Wilder had also been reinforced by two
regiments and six cannon that had sue
ceeded in reaching the river some dis
tance below the Confederate outposts,
passing into the bottom land and, in the
darkness, quietly marching up between the
bluffs.
On Tuesday, the 10th, the Confederates
were busy. Their main army had arrived,
their cavalry was scouting, and they en-
ergetically planted batteries on both sides
of the river, their infantry taking COM
Terrill was afterward built, on the north
bluff of the river, was higher than Fort
Gregg. There the Confederates placed 10
heavy guns.
The Union troops were now precariouSly
situated. They were about 1000 in num-
bcr, and the small fort could not accom-
modate half Of them. The infantry para
pet faced southwark and now a heavy
battery commanded it on the north-bat-
teries on both sides. Trenches were dug
hastily, the dirt being thrown out on the
restb side, for protection from the enc.
my's missiles coming from that direction
There was no battle, however, during the
day compared with that of Sunday. Abou.
sunset Gen. Bragg sent in flag Of truce
demanding a surrender, stating that he
then had 40 cannon bearing upon the
works, and that the position was sur.
rounded by some 10000 men.
A SURRENDER WITH THE HoNoRs OF WAR
Wilder replied that if the statement was
true, further resistance would be useless
The officer bearing the flag said that to
convince him beyond a doubt he would
take him out and let him see for himself
This was done. In passing from one posi-.
The National tribune., 1903-06-04

Aiunfordsville, a small village some 65
miles south of Louisville, was important
because of the great railroad bridge there,
which, if destroyed, could not be rebuilt
within a year. Green River is q narrow,
winding stream, bordered by precipitous
bluffs ranging from a few feet to 200 or
300 feet high, and in many places there
are oveEhanging cliffs. The bridge at Mum
louisville was 1923, perhaps 1,OS9, feet
long, and ordinarily it was 120 feet from
the railway track down to the water.
Someone has said in The National Tribune
that it was 175 feet high, but l measured
It myself, and, therefore, l know. The
bridge was of the Fink truss pattern, sup
ported by FIVE solid stone piers and two
abutment piers, forming six spans of
about $50 feet each. The highest part of
the bridge was the track, passing over the
tops of the piers, supported by heavy bars
Of wrought iron running obliquely down.
ward from the tops of tie piers and join
ing at the bottoms of iron posts standing
upright, supporting the bridge above. The
south pier was, I think. about 60 feet
high, the next one, 20, the next 80, the
one on the river bank 80 and the one in
the middle Of the stream was 11S feet
aabove the water, the railroad track being
two feet higher. Excepting the stone piers
and the ties and stringers of wood the
bridge was oil iron. From this description
It will readily be seen that the destruction
of the structure would mean the cutting
off Of supplies for many months from any
large Union force operating south Of Green
River.
COL. wILLIcH's FIGHT.
Dec II, 1861. Col. Which with the 32d
Ind. was at Munfordsville guarding the
The National tribune., 1903-06-04

early; therefore, we would turn out about
3 o'clock in the morning to be ready for
his coming. If he did not come that day
we expressed no regrets, but exPectantly
turned out to greet him early the next
morning. 1t developed that instead of
Munfordsville.s Morgan's objective point
was the stockade at Bacon Greek. eight
miles north of us, toward louisville. The
stockade was garrisoned by two compa-
mics of the SOth Ind. think Morgan ap-
peared and demanded surrender Dec. q.
which was refused, and fighting imme-
diately began. We could hear firing up
the road during the forenoon. and about l
O'Clock our scouts again reported that the
trough riders were surrey coming. Co.
Il was ordered forward as skirmishers.
Lieut.. Chase commanded the right platoon,
l the left. Our. orders were to engage Nor
gan gently and 'endeavor to decoy him III
front of our big gun, the strongest part of
the works. Spreading from the railroad to
the pike, and Beyond, we advanced nearly
n mile with our eyes wide open and keep
ing well in the brush. We waited until
some time after the noise Of the battle at
the stockade had ceased We caught two
scouts, but as no formidable force ap-
peared we returned to camp. We soon
learned that Morgan's artillery had knock
ed down the stockade and the garrison
had surrendered, the so men having fought
1000 nearly all day. Having paroled his
prisoners, Morgan burned the Bacon Greek
bridge. and then turned north. burning all
the bridges, and finally the high trestle a:
Nolin's Fork. This enterprise of Morgan
cut off our railroad connection with Louis
vile for nearly three weeks. causing us
much Inconvenience and suffering.
We had another Morgan scare in July,
when that famous rider was on his way
to Indiana and Ohio. Col o. II. Moore,
of the 25th Mich, and 203 of his men
signally repulsed the raiders ut Tebbs
Bend, Green River, ard they turned north
toward Lebanon, leaving us unmolested.
There was no more fighting at Munfords-
vile. After the defensive works ON the
north side of the river were ready for oc-
cupancy in July, 1863, Fort Gregg and all
the parapets on the south side were lev
eled to the ground. The new works had
been we'll sodded, and in 1885 they ap,
peared in good condition.
The National tribune., 1903-06-04
Fort UrmStOu,

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In Johr
W. Fosters a.New Jersey md the Re
bellion" is a sketch of the intrenched
lines in the Immediate front Of Peters
burg, surveyed under the direction of N
Michler, Major of Engineers, in which
between Fort Conahay and Fort Tracy is
Fort Urmston."
Can you give me any information who
the fort Urmston) was named from and
oblige one of your regular readers
DANL. G.. URMsToN, First Sergeant, Co
e. 18th N. j., Railway, N. ].
Probably the fort was named fol
Thos. Duff Urmston, who enlisted in the
Regular army from Connecticut, rose tc
be a First. Lieutenant, and was brevetted
Captain for distinguished gallantry al
the battle of Chapel House. Oct. l, 1864
where he was killed., Perhaps some OF
our readers have further or other informa
tion.-Editor National Tribune.]