Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-05-22
Civil War Stories
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stormy passage, the Arabia arrived in
New York, and / was Installed that
night in the Clarendon Hotel under the
wing of my old friend, Colonel Rowan,
X. A. The proprietor. Mynheer Kerner,
an old Hollander, had served under
Wellington at Waterloo. Next day
was invited to see parade of the Six
ty-ninth New York Militia. and hidden
to the St Patrick's dinner. The regi-
ment, tine-looking body Of men-all
Irish, under Colonel Corcoran-wore
green uniforms with yellow facings
green colors with crownless harp.
] dined next day at Butler Duncan's,
the other guests including Mr.. Tfden,
Mr.. Sherman, Mr.. Barlow, Governor
Seymour and Mr.. Fish The views ex-
pressed after dinner by some of the
guests were astonishing to me. / 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-fitting
seedy suit of black, a twisted neck
Goth with the ends hanging anyhow
over crumpled shirt, called on me
early in the day at the Clarendon and
plunged In medias res by asking me
whether | 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
Il TO be?F / candidly confessed that
was like a 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, / supposeT' | kept my tryst,
found my way 10 his room by the aid
of his help" Opening his door, l be
held piles of newspapers, books and
pamphlets on the chairs on the aoor,
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
which commanded attention, now ant
then reading passage from book oil
| pamphlet, occasionally DEPRESSING tC
heave rhetorical bricks against Mr.
Buchanan and Southerners whose names
l was not familiar with. An hour
passed and still he went on. ! was
hungry, and heard no clink of cups and
saucers, After another hour | looked
at my watch. Bear with me a little
longer wish you to understand clear
ly the yillainous Vaccinations by which
| these scoundrels mastered the people,
blinded them, destroyed their rlora!
sense, degraded the Legislature. and
corrupted the administration of the
law" etc. For another hour and ten
minutes | sat, and still the food poured
on. Mr.. Greeley had forgotten all about
breakfast. / had not. Besides, / had
engagements to keep. AS he was rising
to the height of his great argument,
with many apologies for the interrhp-
tIon, said ! must go but you viii
come back again? / have some more
important matters to explain to you,
and / was only just breaking ground. /"
/ never saw Horace Greeley again
Arrived at Wizards Hotel, Wash
ington on the 2Gth March" In a maeI-
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 reading-room and
BARRIERS shop. the writing room. on the
hotel steps-these were the seekers
after ofiice-"thc place hunters 1.-TWO
thousand five hundred patriots dined
here. sir, a few days before you came
guess you could not well equal that
In your city" said the clerk at the
Office desk Every one wants a place
and ii must be found, or bell know the
reason why he's not in Abraham's
bosom" The clerk was as | disc0y-
cred later, a gentleman "of Southern
proclivities." / dined with Mr.. Sand
ford who was going out as minister 70
Brussels, and was introduced to Mr.
Truman Smith, a large, solid-headed
citizen; Mr.. Foster, Mir Sherman, Mr.
Keen, Mr. Anthony, Mr.. Seward, and
some others whose names | forget-a
yary Interesting evening