smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

A HAPPY MAN-Most readers have often
heard Of the Duke of Brunswick, man Of
immense wealth he has in his possession
diamonds valued at several millions of dol
lars. The pleasure Of possessing this wealth
is shown in his manner of life. lie dares
not leave Paris at any period of the year
he dares not leav5 his house for a single
night. His house is not constructed for
comfort, but for the security of his posses
sions. To make it burglar proof. it is sur
rounded on every sid.s by 3 high wall, and
that by lofty iron railing, defended by


nnumerable sharp spear heads, so contrived
that if any one touches them chime of
bells begin instantly to ring an alarm. lie
keeps his diamonds in safe, built in a
brick wall and has his bed placed against
it, so that no burglar may break into it
without killing, or at Least waking him, and
that he may amuse himselfwith them with
out leaving his bed. This safe is lined with
granite and iron the locks have secret
which must be known before they are open
ed if opened byviolence discharge of fire.
arms takes place which must inevitably kill
the burglar, and at the same time a chime
of bells in every room in the house are set
ringing. lie has but one window in his bed
room the sash is of the stoutest iron the
shutters are of thick sheet iron. The cell
ing of his room is plated with iron several
inches thick. and SO is the floor. The door
opening into it is of solid sheet iron, and
cannot be entered unless one be acquainted
with the secret combination of the lock- A
case of dozen six barrelled revolvers, load
ed and capped, lies open upon the table with
in reach of his bed.
Year: 1862

A correspondent of the Hartford Times
gives the following version of the finale of the
Hollins Ram, at New Orleans:


After passing the forts April 25) we had
not finished all the work that was to be ac-
complished. The first object of her attack
was the Verona, which ran ashore to save the
lives of her crew. After striking the Verona
she made for the Hartford. and ran along
side of her, but did no damage. Next she
tried the Pensacola, and then the Richmond.
(the latter vessel being the one she tried to
sink at the head of the Passes on the 18th of
October last Sh struck the ship on the
starboard bow, but did little damage As
soon as she cleared, the Richmond poured a
whole broadside into her, the effects of which
cannot state. In return, she fred upon
the Richmond. One shot Struck her stern.
Just above the water line, and started the
hood ends of six plank, and the shot is still
there. Another struck little further aft
close to the water line, and passed across the
berth deck, destroying mess chest and all
the provisions for tbe day. The Richmond s
hull received fourteen shots. one of which cut
two and half inch iron chain in two, and
is now in the ships side in direct line : it'll
the engine reom. Had it not been for the
chain, this shot would probably, haze pass
ed through ihe ship. The = RAM then
passed the Richmond and bore down on the
side wheel steam sloop Mississippi; and here
she @ caught it, IS soon as the Captain OF
the Mississippi saw her coming, he directed
his steamer into the ram, striking her in the
side and pushing her ashore. The Mississippi
then backed off and again dashed into the
ram: a second time She backed off, giving the
ram broadside then lowered a boat, went
on board and found her deserted. All the
steam pipes were cut, and she was in sink
ing condition. The officers and men had all
escaped among the bushes. As it was hardly
daylight they could not be seen.
Year: 1862

ARE NEWSPAPERS LIARs.-Rev. Henry
Ward Eeecher, in the course of recent
sermon made an eloquent plea for news
papers, speaking of them one Of the po-
tent elements of our civilization 9 There
is,' said be, ga common vulgar objection
about newspapers that they lie SO, theY
don't lie any more than you do. Mar is
naturally lying creature. Truth is sifG
from Heaven, and very few Of US possess
it before we get there. The newspapers
give both fact and rumors, and they would
be blamed if they did not do so. 1t is for
the reader to judge of these rumors.-
The last economy should be in regard to
newspapers. 1t is better to deprive the body
of some ribbon or jewel or garment, than to
deprive the mind fits sustenance.
Year: 1862

An OBSERVING BoY-'' Papa, didn't you
whip ME once for biting Tommy ~ Yes
my child you hurt him so much.'a Well,
then, papa, you ought to whip sisters mus
ic teacher too, for he bit sister yesterday
right on the mouth. and / know he hurt her,
because she put her arms around his neck
and tried to choke him"
Year: 1862




the progress Of the Mason and Slidell affair, has
expIoded in general expression Of disappointment
at the announcement that England is pleased at
and satisfied with, the surrender Of those gentle
men. There are two reasons why England should
he pleased, and none why she should be displeased
The prompt surrender of Mason and Slidell was all
she demanded, and of course could not have been
otherwise than agreeable; and the readiness to
obey, in this instance Is the very hest assurance
tlat any future demand will be as promptly com.
piled with. But to argue from this, that England
intends 70 rest satisfied with an inefficient block
sde trto deny herself the right to take any step,
in the fdturc which her interest may demand, is a
hatty conclusion, unwarranted by ahy demonstra-
iions ef Joy that may accompany the surrender of
the Confederate Commissioners.
But the discouragng feature of this whole affair,
Is the fact that the Southern people suffer them
selves to be depressed or nsprited by the different
phases of British feeling. IF this revolution was
set ON foot under the conviction that England
would come to our aid, il was a grave mistake not
70 have assured ourselves of that aid before the first
blow was given. But presuming that as proud
and gallant people, we went to war for the main
anance of our rights and liberties relying for vic
tory upon our own good cause strong arm and un-
faering patriotism, il Is humifating to witness the
anxiety with which the chances for foreign aid are
watched. This Is not the spirit that should ami
mate any Southern man. On the contrary, all
should desire independence as the reward OF brave
deeds and rstient endurance and not as "a joint





achievement and divided honor. All should de-
sire to come ont OF this struggle free from entang-
ling alliances or such fancied obligations as may
interfere with that Freedom OF eemmercial inter
course so essential to national prosperity


Should England or France interfere, Il win bs
from no sympathy with the South, but purely the
promptings of sordid interest and inasmuch as
Year: 1862

A STARTLING SrATEMENT.-The Chicago Tri-
bune publishes the following paragraph cditorially
We hace hefofe us three cartridges brought from
Annapolis by friend, They are portion of the
ammunition for Enfield rifles served out to Burn
sides forces for the great expedition. To the eye
they are all alike in appearahce, and the slight
difference in weight could not instantly be detec-
ted But the difference is that one of the three
contains not a particle Of poVder A prominent
officer of the expedition told our informant that
this was about the proportion throughout the en-
tire lot Of .Enfeld cartridges third Of them
carefully put up without powder. Now, here Is a
case for investigation. Is it fraud, or treachery,
that seeks to palm off upon brave troops On the
eve of an expedition, sham cartridges? Let us
have an explanation of the affair, Secretary STAN
tor .f fr."
Year: 1862

a9 The New York Tribune announces
the following: The town listens With de.
light to rumor that President Lincoln has
declared his purpose to take the actual
command of the army, and suppress the re
bellion in Virginia without further delay,
The credit of planning the victories which
has just saved US Kentucky and Tennessee
is justly recorded to him. Whatever plar
of action upon the Potomac line will b.
finally adopted will undoubtedly be his
The actual execution Of it BY the Presiden
in person would be splendid success
No man in the country could so awaker
the enthusiasm and restore the confidence
of the troops as he.
Year: 1862

The HEROIC BUcHANAN.-The self,
abnega,ing heroism of Capt Buchanan, Of
Maryland, commander Of the Virginia in
the recent memorable conflict, will be gen
orally appreciated when it is known that
his younger and favorite brother was purser
of the frigate Congress, at which the fire
of the Virginia was most pertinaciously d.
rected, and is supposed to have perished
on board Of her.
Year: 1862

forthwith organized iu each District and
Parish, TO consist of the Commanding OFF,
GERS of Regiments, and at least two prac-
ticiug Physicians of respectable standing.
to be selected by said officers, aud the evi.
deuce of iu6rmity, in all cases, must rest
upon the personal knowledge of one or
more members of the Board of Exemptions.
The Board will conform its action to the
fifth section of the above system. The
Pay Rolls Of the Board will be forwarded
to this Office for payment.


". A conscription will be ordered to
fill the requisition of the Secretary of War
for five Regiments, as soon as the enroll
ments are returned to this Office.


V. All officers charged with the execu.
ton of the above order, will proceed with.
out further notice to the prompt discharge
of their duties By command.


s. r GlST,
Adjutant and Inspector General Of S. G.


The Naval Battle---ohcial Reports.
We extract the following from the Rich.
moud Eraminer of Wednesday:


The account of the conflict between the
Ericsson battery, now called the Monitor,
and the Virginia, surpasses all we have
ever heard of cannonadng on the water
At one time, we are informed, the vessels
were within few feet of each other. Shot
after shot was poured upon the Virginia
from the immense armament of the Moni
tor her iron plates resisted the fire, but
the balls were so thick that the plated sides
are said to have been bent by incessan'
impact of cannon balls upon particular por'
tions of her surface During this spell Of
close cannonading the crew of the Virginia
within her iron shell, perceived no effect
from the fire but the sullen thug of the
balls that fell from the sides.


The collision of the Virginia with the
Cumberland is said to have produced nc
more disturbance in the motion of the for
mer vessel than if her iron cleaver had beer
cutting its way through sheet of writing
paper. There is report that her prov
was broken, aDd that she is ut present ir
the dry dock for repairs. We are assured
however, that but trifiug repairs are ne
cessary, and that she will soon be gu the
water again.


We annex below communication sem
into Congress yesterday by the President
with reference to the victory, and covering
the official report of the engagement
Year: 1862

made stand there in the gully-worn track, and in
space OF less than two hundred yards, nearly
thousand had met their deaths In the piece of
woods near and west of this road, our own loss
was heavier tEan anywhere else, the enemy max
ing good fight from their natural intrenchments


But while these were the spots where death
held its fercest carnival the whole field of combat
was strewn with victims. Our informant states
that several times his company paused to count
the number of corpses Of the enemy in. sight, and
after counting in every instance over three hun
dred, they ceased from inability to distinguish
among those lying furthest off. He declares that
he speaks In great moderation when he expresses
the opinion that he not less than five thousand
slain Yankees, and judges an additional thousand
as small estimate for those he did not see. One
of the enemy lay stretched across the grave of Mrs
Henry, the victim of the last years fight The
wounded appeared on every hand imploring assis-
tance He thinks twenty thousand u moderate es-
innate of the killed and wounded of the enemy


1t will be exceedingly gratifying to learn that,
after careful observation, the same gentleman is
perfectly convinced that our slain cannot exceed
six hundred, and he believes will be hundred
less Our wounded, too had all been cared for
and the burial Of our dead commenced on Mon
day


When we contemplate not merely the great vic
tory we have won, but cur very small comparative
loss, we have>double reason for gratitude to God
for his manifest favor. 1t is proper to add that
the great disparity in the casualties to the opposing
armies does not exist in the opinion of our present
informant only, but it was the judgment of his
companions also, and has been asserted by numer-
Gus other Independent observers.


Let the whole Confederacy, then, bow in CRATE
full alteration that not only is our country saved,
but our friends are spared
Year: 1862

A letter dropped by rebel was recently
picked up by our men near Holly Springs
from which the following is an extract,


Il am discouraged, sick and worn out
physically, mentally and morally. need
to be encouraged. l want to know what
sensible men think now of our prospects.


II must confess that the prospects look
very gloomy. l look around and see so
much ambition, selfshncss and wickedness,
almost blush to hear such men claim the
Lord to be on our side. just think we are
overpowered. A great many of the deIu-
sions with which we started ou. have be-
come unveiled and vanished, such as whip
ping three to one, and so forth. know it
takes mighty hard fighting to whip one to
one here. Now, it seems to me that it
would take every available man to protect
our frontier. They have '$i=ed our pi1e,'
and called out several hundred thousand
more'


Writing about the newspaper accounts O.
barbarities committed on both sides he says


"Our own men do as bad as ever want
to see or read about:'


But the question is what sort Of peace
could be obtained can say that if it was
to do over again, would not be in favor O.
| the war. Can We &c: the constitution and
the Uuon as it was before If so, had we
pot better accept it, than carry it on anothc,
year Even in view Of emancipation, how
many valuable lives are we willing to lose
and how many helpless widows and orphans
are we willing to see made for the uphold
ng Of our Gyorite institution?


My opinion is that bad peace is better
| than no peace at ALL"
Year: 1862

v shot does not make hole Of its own size right
through wood; but ipdents it, the fbers sprinpipg
hack after the shock. Generally. the course Of
the shot only can be traced with a wire, some.
times by hole as large as mans finger. The
damage most often happens in the inside of a YES
sci, in spin,ering and breaking the wood, after
the main force of the shot is spent. Forts Halpil
ton and Richmond, which are about nile apart.
with vessel lying between them, could not with
their gans,, send shot through two feet of its
timbers. There is rarely an instance where n
ship was sunk by 4 solid shot Hot shot and
shells do the mischief The latter will sometime IS
make apertures of several feet in ex.opt tbroupb
the sides of vessels
Year: 1862

There can be no doubt that this was an impor-
tant battle, and that the victory was on the side of
the Confederates It was fought near Culpeper
Courthouse, Virginia, which is one hundred miles
northwest of Richmond, and about fifty miles
from Alexandria, by the Orange and Alexandra
Railroad The Northern accounts of this conflict
are confessions of defeat their part One of the
correspondents Of the New York Times says:


"During all this time the firing on both sides was
terrific and the men were falling by the score The
line advanced steadily, with the exception of the Sd
Wisconsin, under CALLING fire, and drove the rebels
back The Wisconsin regiment fled at the first fire,
and it was with great difficulty and at great person.
al risk that the General succeeded in getting them
into line again. They had hardly returned to their
position however before they broke and run again
in fact, proved worse than useless The remainder
of the infantry charged upon the enemys batteries,
several of which could not be seen until they enter
ed the wood, where they came suddenly upon large
infantry force that had lain concealed from the COM
mencement of the fight This force opened fire up
this point was very great than-One halt OF the
men of the a8th New York were killed and wound
ed. Colonel Donnelly, commanding, was mortaliy
wounded the Lieut. Colonel, Brown, and the MAJOR,
are both wounded, and there is not q Captain Of q
companv left to the regiment. The 10th Maine lost
about one hundred and fifty in killed and Wounoeo;
the 5th Connecticut suffered similarly besides losing
Colonel Chapman, who was taken prisoner. me
46th Pennsyicania had hardly enough men LETT TO
form full company. Col Knipe was wounded in
the head and in the arm, but not fatally; Lieut. COL
Sefridge was slightly injured, and the Major was
shot through the arm"


The loss of the enemy in killed. wounded, and
prisoners, was heavy. Several of their principal
officers are among the killed and wounded. Some
of the enemy, while engaged in burying their dead,
admitted loss of 400 killed, including many OIL
GERS, and one of their Surgeons ncautiously stated
that 1,15O wounded were under treatment The
Confederate loss was 100 killed, and some to 500
wounded and missing.


Gen. Jackson and Gen. Pope have both been large
ly reinforced, and general pitched battle in that
quarter is looked for every day. 1t is said that
Gen. Mcclellan has transferred the great body OF
his forces to that quarter, and Gen. Lee is in Gull
nener in command Of the Confederate forces. We
have every confidence that in the great conflict which
is supposed to be near at hand, our brave troops
will be victorious.
Year: 1862

Our readers will peruse with pleasure the mes
sage of President Davis to Congress, sent in on
Monday last Like all his papers, it is short manly,
and to the point The emphasis with which he
dwells on the barbarous practices of certain Yankee
officers in the conduct of the war, and the determi-
nation at which he has deliberately but reluctantly
arrived to arrest such conduct by prompt retalia-
ton, must meet the approval of every Southern
man. 1t is dernier resort for an enlightened
Christian people, forced upon them by an enemy
who seems lost to all the claims of reason and hu-
MARTY.


The President, it will be seen, again asks that
Congress will assume the control of the Railroads
within the States. Congress has no power, under
the Constitution, to do this. If the Railroads are
not disposed to do all they can in aiding the govern
ment to transport troops and supplies, and muni-
tions Of war; let the military power see to it in par
tcular cases that the cause is not injured by such
assumed indisposition on the part of the Roads;
but let this power, when exercised, be limited and
restrained by law. But we do not believe that the
Roads are deserving of censure in this respect.
They have done all they could for the government
and the wonder is that in their condition they have
done so much. Besides, these Roads belong to the
States, and not to the Confederate government We
forbear, however, to discuss the subject further.


The President admits that Executive appoint
ments in the army have been sometimes unfortu-
nate" No doubt Of it The power, however, to
dismiss Incompetent officers without trial is high
and summary one; but that such officers ought to
be dismissed there can be no doubt This is due
alike to our brave soldiers and to the cause.


We regret to see that the President asks for ALI
extension of the conscription law. If nothing else
,ciU do let it 5e extended; but agree with Gen.
Foote, that the best mode of raising troops for the
future would be to call for volunteers for the war
through the State authorities. We may hereafter
point out the defects in the conscripton law to say
nothing of its unconsttutiopality. 1t can be shown
that it operates unequaly and unjustly, and among
other things tends to tester the spirit of specula
ton and extortion which is doing so much to en-
barrass our efforts for independence We are salts
fed that this State, if called upon for volunteers
would raise and tender twenty thousand at a much
earlier period than the same number of conscripts
could be obtained. Let the government give boun-
ties, and land warrants, and promise pensions
to the wounded and disabled-and let the volun-
teers have the right to elect their own officers and
our word for it this State would have twenty thous
and more men Cher full quota, if not more) in the
field in sixty days. The people Of the other States
can answer for themselves.
Year: 1862

The Wilmington Journal says that the chief cause
of the late election result in North Carolina op
position to the conscription law.-Rieh. Enquirer.


The Wilmington Journal is mistaken. The con-
scripton law was not generally discussed, either
the stump or in the newspapers. Nnty-nine hun
dredths of our people, like the Wilmington Journal,
were opposed to the passage of the law and depre-
Gated the necessity which appeared to lead to it;
but after the law was passed, our people submitted
to it like patriots. Opposition to it had nothing
to do with the result of the election in this State
The Wilmington Journal opposed the law, before it
was passed, with more vehemence even than we
did, and it seemed probable at one time that the
Journal would advocate resistance to it. We never
thought of resisting it; and ours is the only paper
in the State which has made direct appeal to the
conscrpts themselves to obey the law and stand by
the flag. The Journal has made no such appeal
That paper we beg the Enquirer to remember, sup
ported Mr.. Johnston for Governor, and we support
ed Col. Vance.


We will tell the Enquirer what was the "chief
cause of the late election result" in this State 1t
was caused by the proscrptive spirit of the early
secessionists towards the late secessionsts and by
the necessity Wnicu eXlste0 LOT REFORM IN OUT Otate
government The early secessionists in power
both at Richmond and Raleigh, had not only i'm
peached the loyalty Of the late secessionsts or old
Union men, through those who spoke for them in the
newspapers and on the stump, but they had studi-
ously excluded them as untrustworthy from every
office of prominence and influence. 1t was against
such injustice, which was injuring the common
cause while it threatened to blast the political and
personal character of the late secessoniss that the
people Of this State rose up,-and this, repeat,
with the demand for reform, constituted the "chief
cause" of the result in this State.


The Enquirer very absurdly imagines that the
old Democratic party is still in existence, and it
considers the Baltimore boilers the Democratic par
ty. Hence the confidence 1t places in such papers
as the Wilmington Journal. We may as well in
form the Enquirer that the Wilmington Journal is
any thing now but Democratic paper tina! its in
fuence, never great, is now confined to small
locality; and that even this influence is maintained
by the manner in which it suppresses and perverts
the truth. If the people who read the Journal had
been thoroughly posted in relation to the issues be-
fore the people in the late election they would have
risen above their prejudices and voted almost to
man for Col. Vance
Year: 1862

HEART FORCE. mans force in the
world, other things being equal, is just
in the ratio of the strength and force
of his heart. A full hearted man is
always a powerful man. IF the thing
is in his heart, he is sure to make It
notorious, even though it may be g
downright falshood. Let a man be
ever SO ignorant, still, if bis heart is
full Of love to the cause, he becomes a
powerful man for that object; because
he has heart power, heart force. A
man may be deficient in many of the
advantages of education, in MANY of
those niceties which are so much looked
upon in society, but once give him q
strong heart that beats hard, and there
is no mistake about his power. Let
him have heart that is right foil mp
to the brim with an object, and that
man will do the thing, or he will die
gloriously defeated, and will glory in
his defeat. Heart is power.