Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-29
Civil War Stories


On the evening of March Is, after a
| stormy passage, the Arabia arrived in
| New York, and l was installed that
night In the Clarendon Hotel under the
wing Of my old friend, Colonel Rowan,
K. A. The proprietor, Mynheer Kerner,
an old Hollander, had served under
Wellington at Waterloo. Next day l
was invited to see parade Of the Six
ty-ninth New York Militia, and hidden
to the St Patrick's dinner. The regi-
ment, fne-looking body of men-all
Irish, under Colonel Corcoran-wore
green uniforms with yellow facings,
green colors with a crownless harp.
dined next day at Butler Duncan's,
the other guests including Mr.. Tilden,
Mr.. Sherman, Mr. Barlow, Governor
Seymour and Mr.. Fish. The views ex-
pressed after dinner by some of the
guests were astonishing to me- l had
met on board the steamer ladies who
were quite prepared to wipe up the New
England States or to introduce martial
law in the South; but here, men like
Governor Seymour asserted with con-
viction that the Washington govern
ment would not be justified in relieving
Fort Sumter by force.
A tall, lean, careworn old man, with
wan face and unkempt gray hair tum-
bled anyway on his head, keen eyes and
mobile lips, dressed in an ill-ftting
seedy suit of black, a twisted neck
Goth with the ends hanging anyhow
over crumpled shirt, called on me
plunged in medias res by asking me
whether I had 'grasped all the facts
Of the great victory achieved by Mr..
Lincoln's election; that is, sir, if the
President knows how to use it, There
is the victory What are the fruits of
it to be?' I candidly confessed that 1
was like man cropping his way through
a wood in the dark. There is no dark
ness, sir! 1t is all light to those who
open their eyes and wish to see." Then
and there he bound me to come over
and breakfast with him next morning.
Il will let you see the light and know
the truth! l shall have papers ready
for yOu-yOu can give me a couple of
hours, [ suppose?' l kept my tryst,
found my way to his room by the aid
Of his help" Opening his door, be-
held piles Of newspapers, books and
pamphlets on the chairs, on the floor,
on the table at which he sat with proofs
laid out something like a shipwrecked
mariner on reef drying his clothes
in the sun; but the confusion Of the
scene and the want of comfort in the
look Of the place and of the man were
speedily forgotten. After a few words
Of courteous welcome, Horace Greeley
proceeded to expound his doctrines con-
corning "chattel slavery" which, he
was careful to remind me, had first
been introduced by Englishmen into
America. He spoke with earnestness
then reading a passage from a book or
pamphlet, occasionally depressing to
heave rhetorical bricks against Mr.
Buchanan and SOutherners whose names
I was not familiar with. An hour
passed and still he went ON. I was
saucers. After another hour I looked
at my watch. Bear with me a little
| longer wish you to understand clear
" the viilainous Vaccinations by which
these scoundrels mastered the people,
blinded them, destroyed their moral
sense, degraded the Legislature, and
corrupted the administration of the
| law" etc. For another hour and ten
minutes sat, and still the flood poured
on. Mr.. Greeley had forgotten all about
breakfast. I had not. Besides, I had
engagements to keep. AS he was rising
to the height of his great argument,
with many apologies for the Interrupt
ton, said l must go. But you will
come back again? l have some more
important matters to explain to you,
and was only just breaking ground"
I never saw Horace Greeley again.
ARRIVED at Wizards Hotel, Wash
ington, on the 26th March" In a mael-
strom! Every room full, every corridor
! crowded. and currents of nervous, anX-
ious men flowing down and struggling
up the staircases, groups on the land
| ings, in the hall, the readingroom and
| BARRIERS shop, the writing room, on the
hotel steps-these were the seekers
after office-"the place hunters" 1.-Two
! thousand five hundred patriots dined
here, sir, few days before you came
I guess you could not well equal that
| in your city," said the clerk at the
office desk Every one wants a place
| and it must be found, or he'll know the
reason why he's not in Abraham's
! bosom" The clerk was, as I discov-
cred later, gentleman ''of Southern
| proclivities." 1 dined with Mr.. Sand
ford, who was going out as minister to
Brussels, and was introduced to Mr.
| Truman Smith, large, solid-headed
| citizen; Mr.. Foster, Mr.. Sherman, Mr..
Keen, Mr. Anthony, Mr.. Seward, and
| some others whose names l forget-a
very interesting evening.
Noyt dav called on Mr. Cauard ond