smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1861

On page 29s of the present volume Of the
Scientific Ameaican, we stated that some
persons appeared to be- naturally incapable
of becoming good marksmen, as they dodge,
just when the trigger was pulled. A Mary
land correspondent alludes to our statement,
and asserts that twenty years experience
and observation have taught him that any
person may become good shot by observing
the following directions :--"Alow the rifle
to hang in the hands in an easy manner, de-
clined at an angle Of about 400 then raise
it steadily but quickly in line with the
object, the eye ranging carefully over the
sights, and at the instant the object arrived
ut i'd covered, touch the trigger" He says
''I find there is moment in which the gun
is absolutely still, that is, the instant the up
ward movement of it is arrested. These di.
rections observed will certainly make good
shot. If the sight is lost at the first trial, It
can be recovered by a second: ANY deyia-
ton from this rlle is fatal to accuracy"


1t has been tfe experience OF many per-
sons in shooting that nervousness in firing is
neutralized, in great measure, by drawing
the trigger slowly and steadily. We have
known several nervous persons becoMs very
accurate marksmen, by cultisating q habit
of steadiness, combined with promptness in
touching the trigger just at the instant the
sights covered the object, as described by
our correspondent. All sportsrnen who
shoot birds on the wing, must follow this
practice excepting ii 'one feature, lowering
instead of raising the m, zzle. Our abcrigi-
mes raise the muzzle when they fire most Of
our rifle shooters and military men raise it
first, above the line OF ann, and then lower it.
On this subject, marksmen differ in opinion
as to which is the best mode.


AS to the best attitude and mode Of hold
ing rifle in firing, no single rule can le
followed by all! Soldiers should learn to
take aim and FIRE rapidly in all positionsA
standing, kneeling or lying on the ground
rolled up like clods behind tufts ofbushwood
or grass. One contends that II is impossi-
BILE to shoot accurately with a rifle unless
person stands in the position of our Western
r;hemen-erecta and sidewise, with the right
elbow raised to the ear, muscles rigid as
stone, the left hand merely supporting the
rife, and the elbow resting upon the side
This may be the very best position for hunt
ers and fancy shooters, but a regiment of
soldiers drilled to fire exclusively upon such
principles. Would make excellent targets for
the skirmishing rifiemen of our modern mill
tary corps At distance Of 500 yards all
the standing-up shooters could be picked off
without single Zouave exposing himself to
chance shot. Several well known marks
men condemn rigid position Of the musies
in shooting. They recommend an easy and
graceful but firm position, the but Of the
rife held snugly, but not violently firm
against the muscle of the right arm above
the elbow, and the left hand placed under
the barrel at the vertical axis-the point
where the stock and barrel arc balanced
when held upon one finger Scientific
| amsricdn '':s
Year: 1861


That late, In hall. despair, Isaie:
stThe Nations ancient life Is dead;
Her arm is weak, her blood Is cold;
She hugs the peace that gives her gold
The shameful peace, that sees expire
Each beacon light Of patriot fire,
And makes her court traitors den"
Forgive me this, my Countrymen!
Oh, in your long forbearance grand,
Slow to suspect the treason planned,
Enduring wrong, yet hoping good
For sake Of olden brotherhood,
How grander, how sublimer far
At the reused Eagles call We are,
Leaping from slumber to the fight
For Freedom and for Chartered Right
Throughout the land there goes cry:
sudden splendor fills the sky:
From every hill the banners burst,
Like buds Of April breezes hurst.
In every hamlet, home, and mart
The nre-beat Of single heart
Keeps time TO strain whose pulses mix
Our blood with that of Seventy-Six
The shot whereby the old flag fell
From sumter's battered citadel,
Struck down the lines Of party creed
And made ye One, in soul and deed
One mighty People, stern and strong
To crush the consummated wrong,
Indignant with the wrath, whose rod
Smites as the awful sword of God
The cup is full They thought ye blind:
The props Of State they undermined
Abused your trust, your strength defed,
And stained the Nations name Of pride.
Now lift to Heaven your loyal brows,
Swear once again your fathers VOWS,
And cut through traitor hearts a track
To nobler fame and freedom back!
Draw forth your million blades as one
Complete the battle then begun
God fights with We, and overhead
Floats the dear banner Of your dead.
They, and the glories Of the past,
The Future dawning dim and vast,
And all the hottest hopes Of man,
Are beaming triumph in your van!
Slow to resolve, be swift to do +!
Teach We the False how fight the True
How bucklered Perfidy shall feel
In her black heart the Patriots steel;
How sure the bolt that Justice wings;
How weak the arm traitor brings;
How mighty they who steadfast stand
For Freedoms Flag and freedoms Land!
Year: 1861

Quite an original methon Of taking fort
is described in the last number of Blacknoods
Magazine. In 1896, large Russian army
besieged the Turkish fort of Azof, which was
situated on plain, strongly fortified, and
had small bit we'll disciplined garrison
No common approaches could be made to it,
and the Turkish cannon swept the level with
iron hail. In this case the engineering skill
of the Russians was baffled, but General
Patrick Gordon, the right hand man of Peter
the Great, and the only one for whose death
it is said he ever shed q tear, being deter.
mined to take the place at any cost proposed
to bury it with earth by gradual approaches.
He had a large army the soil of the plain
was light and deep, and he set twelve thou


sand msn to work with spades, throwing up
high circumvallation of earth, and advan-
cling nearer and nearer every day to the
place, by throwing up the huge earth wall
before them ia advance. The men Were
kept in gangs, working night and day, the
earth being thrown from one to another like
the steps of stair, the top gang taking the
lowest place every half hour in succession.
In five weeks the huge earth wall was carried
forward nearly one mile until it rose to and
above the highest ra,sparts, and the earth
began to roll ever thesn. This caused the
Turkish governor to hang out the white flag,
and gice an. Had he not done so General
Gordon would have buried tie fortress.
Year: 1861

itor calls your West Point correspondent
an Abolitionist and no Democrat. If he
had carried on as sharp "a correspondence
with him in the fall of 1860 as | did, he
would have had no doubt about his Dem
ocracy. Whether he is capable of appre-
ciating his splendid abilities is very
doubtful, for it takes man of intellect to
know another possessed of the same.


SCRIBE.
Year: 1861

deal with them and their proper
ty as their crimes deserve; prose-
cute the war with vigor, and it
will soon lie brought to a success
ful issue. Ii cannot be that
twenty millions of people, armed
IN defense of constitutional liber-
erty, are to be overcome by less
than one-fourth their number
fighting for the overthrow of free
Government, the establishment of
an arlstocracy, and the perpetual
ton and spread Of human slaves.


But while fighting this battle
In behalf OF constitutional liberty,
1t behooves us especially to see to
1t that the Constitution receives
no detrlment at our hands. We
will have gained but little in sup
pressing the insurrection if it be
at the expense of the Constitu-
ton, for the chains which the
bondman wears are none the light
er because they were pressed by
his own aud not another's hands
as we expect to come out OF this
contest with our flag full and
complete in all its proportions,
not a stripe erased or a star op-
scured, so let us preserve the Con-
stltutlon. perfect in all It's parts,
with all It's guarantees for the
protection of life and liberty un-
impaired and the instrument it.
self rendered doubly dear from
the fact that it has been sacredly
maintained and proven equal to
every emergency under clrcum-
stances the most trying to which
nation was ever subjected
Then, when this struggle is over
we will have assurance that our
Government is stronger than ever
before, and that constitutional
liberty is estimated on a founda-
ton which no human power will
ever be able to su6vert.


The bill was ordered to be
printed, and referred to the Judi
clary Commltte.
Year: 1861

SCIENCE AIDING IN THE DEFENSE OF THEUNIoN
The Government has made an arrangement to use
the Calcium light at Fortress Monroe and the
apparatus will be set up or the parapets IL few
Illuminating power One of the reIectors, which
was once placed on the Lattlng Observatory, in
this city, cast distinct shadow At Tarrytown,
thirty miles slant. By the aid of this ght the
garrison at Fortress Monroe will be able to detec
any vessels that may atem pit to pass the fortress
night, and give its artillery distinct object on
which to be effective, no matter how great the
surrounding darkness.--N. Y. Post
Year: 1861

Froa tie Lendon ulust-assd Times, Azgus. g


At the worst period of the Crlmean War an l.
lustrioas person ventured to remark that represen-
tative institutions were then on their trial The
result probably disappointed the expectations of the
Royal orator, for they nOt only passed uniDjuFed
through the fiery ordeal to which tIsy were sub
jected but came forth with rene wed youth and wig
or. Democratic institutions are now exposed to a
similar test Onthe other side Of the Atlantic; but
at present, at least, very different consummatOn
seems likely to be attained. In the first place. Pres


dent Lnco himself is evidf ntly unsqual to the esr
genGy.' "0id Abe'' is not the his friends pre-
dicted be would skow himself to be. He has prov
ed equally incapable of taxing the initiative and OF
making firm stand against the Grdor ciuaun prGUG
Jabentiun. Impelled by the clsmOrs of an ignorant
and heeDtous press, he forced the hard of his own
Commander lin Chief, aud caused battle to be
fought under every possible disadvantage. More
recently he is reported to have again acted con
trary to his own Judgment ID ahXing his signature
to 6 proclamation offering freedom TO al slaves
who shall Join the anks of the FedeFalis1s At
the risk of alternating Kentucky, he has ssn.ioued
all the atrocities that usually perpetrated 10
struggle of that nature. But Democracy with
all forms of government. With its multitude
of eOunsellors virtually irresponsible it is Ut
terly incapable of combined and resolute ae-
ton, unless the head Of the executive department
has courage and character enough to assume the
functions Of dictator. 1t may undoubtedly be OF
ected that dictatorship is the ordinary prelude 70
an empire in the strict sense of the word and that
although the State msy be saved, the Democracy
will be lost. But this very objection goes to prove
that the experience Of mankind has discovered that
in critical periods where union and promptude are
needed there must be but one head one ruler, who
can keep his left hand in ignorance Of what his right
hand purposeth to do. Another rock on which q
Democracy Is certain to be wrecked is financial ex-
travagance on the part of the magistrates united to


practically dishonest inpahence Of tsxstiOn the
part of the people. We have En apt il uIuation of


this fact in the reckless expenditure Of the Federal
Government which is spending at the rate of nearly
two millions a week on the one hand, and on the
other, is Obliged to borrow money at per cent,
because the sovereign people refuse to be taxed It
is evident from all this, that although Democratic
institutions viii not save a nation from rushing
bIindfoId into hostilitss they are whelly unsuted
for the conduct of subsequent operations, and can
not be preserved in their integrity without heavy
loss and disgrace to the country. =
Year: 1861

n9y-Iow TO Know TRAGTots Some of
our negro-loving exchanges are publish :
ing series OF paragraphs, purrorting to
describe the men in the North who may
be set down rs traitors to their country.
We have very little faith in any of tho
political receipts thus given, and, there -
fore. present one Of our own, which we
have never known to fail Whenever you
meet mar who has more love for the
African than the Constitution, you can
rest assured that lis pretended Loyalty to
the whole Union means only eno-half of
it. GrecnSJurg Dem.
Year: 1861

VERY TRUE.-A New Haven paper, describing
the localities of three prominent institutions Of
that city, says: The Medical College is on the
road to the Cemetery the Divinity College on
the road to the Poor House, and the Law School
on the road to the Jail"
Year: 1861

| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in pursu-
l Y ance Of an order of the Probate Court Of the
county of Trinity in the State of California, made
on the 2lst day of October, A. d., 1861, in the
matter of the Estate of s. Clark Jones, deceased,
the undersigned Administrator of said Estate will
sell at public auction to the highest bidder, for
cash, and subject to confirmation by said Probate
! Court on
Year: 1861

Some people are very apt to use harsh, an
cry words, perhaps because they think they
will be obeyed more promptly. They talk
loud. swear and storm, though after all they
arc only laughed at; their orders are forgot.
and their i'll temper is remembered. How
strong is kind word! 1t will do what the
harsh word or even blow cannot do it will
subdue the stubborn will, relax the frown,
and work wonders. Even the dog, the cat,
or the horse, though they do not know what
you say, can tell when you speak kind to
them. A man was one day driving cart
along the street. The horse was drawing a
heavy load, and did not turn as the man
wished him. The man was in ill-temper
and beat the horse; the horse reared and
plunged, but he either did not or would not
60 in the right way. Another man who was
with the cart went up to the horse, and pat
ted him on the neck, and called him kindly
by his name. The horse turned his head
and fixed his large eye on the man as though
he would say, " will do anything for you
because you are kind to ~ and bending
his broad chest against the load, turned the
cart down the narrow lane, and trotted on
briskly as though the load were plaything.
Oh, how strong is kind word
Year: 1861

A possR.-Takc for granted that rail-
road train is going at the speed with which
a cannon ball fired from cannon would
Then suppose the cannon on the train, and
fired off from the car in opposite direction
from that in which the train is moving -
Where would the ball fally
Year: 1861

The ABIDING FAITH OF A PATRIor.- Joseph
Holt Of Kentucky, in a private letter says:
" Dark as arc the clouds upon our sky, and
long and anxiously as we have watched for
the light to penetrate them, my faith in the
ultimate triumph Of the Government remains
unshakcn. If did not believe that our be-
neacent and glorious institutions would sur
vive the attrocious treason by which they
arc SO remorselessly assailed, would pray
for the mountains to cover INC and for tho
gave to open at my feet.
Year: 1861

young tribune, who had defended California
from the doom Of Slavery, and stood the
stern bulwark against the dominecring hordes
of Southern Chivalry," had been taken in
the tolls Of band Of pistol sharpers, and
slain.


"Thcy have killed me because was op-
posed to the extension of Slavery and cor.
rupt Administration" was the last declara-
ton Of the dying Senator and as the words
fell from his lips, they became fire in the heart
Of the weeping orator who helped to close his
eyes. ~ t O.


The empire of the Western Ocean was
STEPPED in gloom at the contemplation of the
monstrons deed All trade was stopped; no
sound of bust,c was heard along the street !;
and, by common consent, without pageant or
parade, or any sound but the low, measured,
mufflcd throb Of the church bells, the dejec-
ted people, walking as if they held their
brcaths, gathered in the main square, and
formed themselves like so many shadows,
round the bier. At the foot of the coffin
stood the priest at its head, and so that he
could gaze freely on the face of his dead
friend, stood the pale figure Of the orator. =
Both Of them, the living and the dead, were
self.made men; and the son of the stone-cut-
ter, lying in mute grandeur, with a record
floating around that coffin which bowed the
heads of the surrounding thousands down in
mute respect, might have been proud Of the
tribute which the woavcr's apprentice was
about to lay upon his breast For minutes
after the vast audience had settled itself to
hear his words, the orator did not speak. He
did not look in the coffin-nay, neither to
the right or left; hut the gaze Of his fixed
eye was turned within his mind, and the still
tears coursed rapidly down his check. Then,
when the silence was the most intense, his
Year: 1861

THE CALL FOR TRooPs.-Last week we re- ferred to the proclamation of Gen. McCulloch, calling for five regiments of three years men, and also published the circular of the Military Board, calling for five regiments to serve for one year. An erroneous impression has gone abroad than these are distinct calls and that ten regi- ments will be required It appears that the call of the Board and that of McCulloch are both based upon the same acquisition from the Confederate government. The conflict arose from the fact the Board was not aware that Gen. McCulloch had issued, or would issue cali and their circular was in print before that of Me Culloch reached here. We hope this conflict may be reconciled and the two calls blended.

 We are credibly informed that Gen. Hardee has called upon the Board for four regiments. This will make nine new regiments to be fur nished by Arkansas. They can be raised If proper steps are taken, and timely provision made
Year: 1861

This is the last paper that will be sent to de- linquent subscribers until they pay up. Of this each subscriber has had ample notice consequently none ought to complain.

 For the last six or eight months it has been apparent to us that we must either adopt the cash system or suspend the True Democrat We adopted the former course, and we trust it will give no offence to our friends, for we cer- tainly think none have right to complain.

 We still propose to settle all arrearages at $2 per year, if sent by mail or private conveyance free from expense to us. We will take war bonds, Confederate treasury notes, bank bills, or, better than either, the gold.
Year: 1861

The Gazette of last week called our attention to an omission i'll our list of Arkansas regiments in the field, and says:

 In this estimate Col. Borland's regiment of mounted men is entirely omitted. It is fact well known that, though Col. B's regiment has not yet been in battle, 1t has done more and harder service than any regiment the same time in the army We are certain that this omission was an inadvert- ence and not an intentional act the part of the editor."

 Capt. Danley does us simple justice in the ahove We counted the list on our fingers, without having means of referring to any record oroficial lists, and, strangely enough, overlooked gallant regiment, part Of which is made up from Pulaski county. We cordially indorse all the editor says of the regiment and we will add that though in past times we have differed with Col Borland, yet we cheerfully bear testimony to his ability and bravery and congratulate his command on their selection. Col. B. has been confined to his room for week or more, but his health, we are gled to say, is improving.

 Add his regiment to the list, and the two or three thousand disbanded troops that Col. Hind- man succeeded in re-enlisting in the Confeder- ate service, and we may safely estimate the number of Arkansians now in, or shortly to be in the Confederate service, at 10000. Five more regiments will still make less number than half the voting population of our State
Year: 1861

RELIEF OF THE FAMILIES OF VOLUNTEERS We respectfully suggest to the county court of Pulaski county, the propriety, if not the neces- sity, of levying tax, under the provisions of the ordinance, of the convention of May llth and 3Oth; and to issue county scrip, based upon and anticipating the tax. The families of vol unteers must not be permitted to suffer or want. If the matter is left to voluntary con- tributions, g. few will do it all, while the nig gardly will stand aloof. It is a melancholy truth that we have wealthy men in our county who have done nothing, or next to nothing, for the great southern cause. Perhaps one has given horse, another gun, or some such small matter, and taken good care to let every body know of their iberality They are able to give thousands, and if they had any patriot ism, would give it. We can reach these men by tax, and in no other way. For this reason it has been strongly s,ed that such tax should be levied. We submit the matter to the county court.
Year: 1861

SOUTHERN MONTHLY Is the title of new literary magazine published monthly by Messers Hutton & Freligh, of Memphis, Tenn, and in- tended to take the place of the Aurora, recently published at the same place; and will be sent to the subscribers of the Aurora at the same price, where payment has been made in advance which was $2 per annum.

 The central location of Memphis, in the Con federate States, and its easy access by the Mis- sissippi river and railroads, give it importance at once as favorable point, well adapted to the building up a high toned southern literary magazine to meet the great southern demand for that description of reading. The number before us contains vast amount of choice read ing, as well as exhibits good taste and ability in its preparation.
Year: 1861

CALL FROM TEE LADIEs.-We are requested to say that all the ladies in the city and vlcinity are earnestly invited to meet at the Theatre Hall, this morning (Thursday) at 3 clock, TOT the purpose of organizing society to facilitate the good work in which they are now engaged, that of making up clothing for the volunteers