smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

in view, and as the star assembled in altis
tude, became still better seen. In point
of brilliancy il does not differ greatly
from the we'll known "sixth star ia the
trapezium" of Orion.


This discovery must be regarded as
one of the very highest interest in side
real astronomy at this time, on account
of the connection il may have with the
phenomenon of Orbital motion of Sirius.
But whether this newly discovered min
ute star is physically connected with
Sirius or whether its proximity to that
star results solely from the small angle
under which il appears, and the smaller
star is far more remote, or even still
much nearer us than Sirius, remains to
be determined. The probabilities are in
favor of its beng physically associated
with the larger star. In case it is physi-
cally connected with Sirius, it is of the
highest astronomical interest to know
whether IL is the non-iuminuus body ;"
which the astronomers have assigned to
Syrius to account for its anomalous
motion.


That the deviatiOns in the proper
motion of Sirius indicate its connection
with some body hitherto undiscovered,
is clear from the independent deduction
of Bessel, Peters, and more recently those
of Mr.. Stafford, of the Cambridge Obser-
yatory. The Two latter astronomers have
concurred in assigning period of fifty
years to Sirius, in which time it performs
a revolution round some object hitherto
undiscovered. 1t is highly improbable
that Sirius revOlves round so small a
body as this little star would seem to be
as centrol attracting mass, but the
laws of syn0mics assure us that two
bodies connected with aud revolving
about each other in space, do revolve
about their common centre Of gravity,
which is situated in line joining them
and nearest the greater mass. This
being so, the larger star would appear TO
describe an orbit round the common
centre of gravity. Further observation
and calculation will be necessary to make
out the true character of this little star.


From so slight an examination of this
great telescopeit would be impossible to
declare its highest capacity, or the limit
beyond which it becomes powerless.


Mr.. Tuttle closed his remarks. saying
that it was matter of just national and
individual pride that our countryman
struggling against adverse circumstances
had at length rivalled the best opticians
abroad, and had succeeded in building
so noblean instrument.
Year: 1862

The SIZE OF Our Notwithstanding an
army of 100000 men formed into a line,
single rank, they will show a front of
twenty-three miles. Should the gener-
alissimo wish to make rapid inspection,
if he had the appliance of a parallel rail-
road track and a fast locomotive, he may
run down in front of the line in a quar-
Ter Of an hour, and make a hasty review.
If mounted on his charger, at a smart
trot it would require over half hour,
The respectable army, formed in hollow
square, in double rank, would be nearly
three miles from side TO side, showing
ON each front a fraction under three
miles. The inclOsure would cOtain abont
$500 acres, an area equal to some inn
mense Indian corn fields in Illinois.
Year: 1862

Tcrrible Explosion and Less Of LEfea


We take the following from the PhiIa-
delphia Bulletin of Saturday evening:


Our readers who heard the fire bells
ring between eight and nine o'clock this
morning had no idea that just at ihaE..
time a terrible explosion had taken
place in the Southern part of the city,
and that number OF men and women
had been killed as terribly and suddenly
as il they had been blown from the
mouth of cannon. The explosion took
place at the corner of Tenth and Reed
streets, and just above the junction OF
the Passayunk road. The fire works and
cartridge mandatory of Mr. Samuel
jackson was blown up in some, as yet,
unaccountable manner, the edi6ce taking
fire and in short time leaving only q
few ruins. The building was one
story frame, located on q lot about one
hundred feet square The edifiee ;lsele
was about fifty feet square. Mr.. Jack
son was engaged in filling heavy order
for cartridges for the United States
Government and he had about fifty girls
and about twenty-four men working for
him, The effects of the explosion were
terrible. The edifice was scattered in
runs, at least four or I've OF tiie wOrn
people were killed instantly, and two
or three of them were blown TO minute
fragments. The heads of three persons,
number of arms, and numerous parts Of
bodies were found around the immedi-
ate vicinity of the factory. The police
and citizens Immediately rendered all
the aid possible. The dead and wound
ed were carried out and placed in var
ious neighboring dwellings, drug stores,
etc, while some of the injured were ta-
ken to the Pennsylvania Hospital Al
though there were no buildings immedi-
ately contiguous to the factory, the ex-
plosion did much damage TO the sur
rounding property.
Year: 1862

AS some misunderstanding exists in re.
latiou' to the ordinance of the Convention
10 relation to the exemption of overseers,
we re publish it for general information.


AN ORDINANCE TO EXEMPT OvERsEERs


FROM THE PERFORMANCE OF MILITIA


Duty. ~,


We, the people Of the State Of South
Carolina, in Convention assembled, do
declare and ordaiu, and 1t Is hereby dc.
clared and ordained, ... '-.....s..


l. That during the time when portion
of the State may be in the possession of Or
under the control of the forces of the Uni
ted States, it shall and may be lawful for
every owner agent or trustee in charge Of
plantation and negroes, and who shall ae-
desire to keep upon the said plantation the
overseer of the negroes thereon, to appl5
to the Adjutant and Inspector General Of
the State, setting forth the number Of ne
groes under the charge Of the overseer,
and the situation Of the plantation. And
the Adjutant and INSPECTOR General may
thereupon make an order exempting such
overseer from militia duty, except as an a.
larm man, and furnish, also, such overseer
with copy of the order. =


2. The order of the Adjutant General
shall be given where the number Of slaves
exceeds fifteen working hands, and the
owner or other'person having charge Of the
plantation is absent in the service of the
State, or is above the age of sixty, or is
decrepit or a female and in general, where
ever of fifteen or more slaves, there is nc
Year: 1862

The Richmond Examiner says:


/ We lean that the Government not only
cordially approves the strsgetio movement
of General johnson in changing his line
of defence, but that the question of falling
back from the old line of the Potomac was
confided entirely to his own decretion some
weeks ago by the President himself.


1t is now ascertsined that some three or
four weeks before the army fell back, Gen.
Johnston visited the President and disclo.
sed to him the extraordinary plans com.
passed BY the enemy, which made it vital
ly necessary, in his opinion, to fall back
and organize new line of defence. He
stated his conviction that the enemy, by a
movement of some forty or fifty thousand
troops through Aarper's Ferry and the
Valley, designed to fall upon his rear, and
proposed to defeat this object by confron-
ting him on new line of defence.


For the space of three weeks before the
arly left its entertainments at Manassas,
preparations were being made for falling
back, by the quiet and gradual removal of
the vast accumulations of army stores; and
with such consummate address was this
managed that our own forces had no idea
of what was intended until the march was
taken up. The first intimation the enemy
had of the evacuation of Manassas was the
smoke of the soldiers huts that had been
fired by our army, and as the last column
of our forces retired, we are assured that
the advance of the movement on General
Johnston's rear was already at Smokers.
vile, gap in the Blue Ridge.


That the stragetic plans of the enemy
were completely foiled by this mastery
movement of Gen. Johnston is quite evl-
dent in the tone OF disappointment and
vexation in which the Northern newspa-
pers refer to the evacuation of Manassas,
which unless there had been some discon-
cert Of their own strategy by such an event,
they would be likely to regard as cousid-
erable advantage on their side in letting
them further into the territory of Virginia.


The advantages accomplished in the fall
ling back Of our army are.that it has 7foiled
the stragetic plan of the enemy almost at
the instant of its accomplishment, besides
bringing our forcas into a position to en-
counter any demonstrations that the enemy
may make in new directions. The excite
ment Of locomotion and change of scene were
said, too, to have had the most happy eff.
feet upon the spirits of our troops, who are,
altogether, in better fighting trim than they
have ever been since the battle of Manas.
Year: 1862

/ TIE CONFEDERATE CoURT FOR THE WHISPERS D1srRIcr-It is reported here that the western division has been created a separate judicial district, aad Mir. Gallagher appointed judge Ger impression is that the act of the Confeder- ate Congress did not include the Indian country, and since the ratification of the treaty with our Indian neighbors and allies, it was necessary to give thetn court and the protection Of our laws. We are advised that the new district will be confined to the Indian territory, and will not embrace western Arkansas, as was the case before the dissolution of the old union.
Year: 1862

cloth will be in demand and will bring full prices, and our good housewives must prepare to sup ply the soldiers and civilians. The above re- cord of industry is proud one for Arkansas, and true gentleman will sooner take off his hat to one of the patriotic women than to par venue with soft hands who dresses in silk and despises honest toi
Year: 1862

shall deprive rebels OF their negro proper
ty, and in all districts de facto in rebel
lion as States or communities, the negro
shall be declared free of his disloyal mas
ter, and invited to deprive himself of the
necessity of being disIoyal. Every in
ielligent man can see that this measure,
which depriyes rebels of one great source
of power, so far as it can lie carried out
practically will essentially weaken them in
prosecuting further their wicked purposes.
Aud practically it can be carried just as
tar as the seizing, destroying and confs-
eating all the other property of the rebels
an as the imprisoning and killing of the
rebels can be, and no farther. 1t rests
on just t he 81 me practical basis az oil the
other efforts to weaken and suppress the
rebellion. They must be carried forward
and executed by the arm of power, and
that is the war power legally and consti-
tutionally exercised by the President


But says the wise man of thc Times,
"in war as in peace, the Constitution is
the supreme law Of the land" Granted ;
yet the Constitution which provides for .
state Of war and imposes upon the Presi-
dent the duty of Commander-in-C Chief to
conduct it, and also imposes upon him
the duty to see that the laws are faithfu
ly executed, and the duty of suppressinc
domestic insurrection, no where points
out the mode Of discharging these duties
II leaves sll that, Of necessity, to the &C.
knowledged military power, as established
and regulated by the law of nations and
the necessities of the civilized world
To say that the rebellion is only TO bt
suppressed by the accustomed machinery
OF civil government, provided BY the Con.
sttution for peaceful times, is to say tina,
it shall not be suppressed at all; for with.
out the justification Of this military OF
war power, every arrest is false impris.
onment; every seizure of psoperty tres
pass, and every killing Of rebel, murder


Those who are earnestly desirous that
rebellion may be suppressed. will see in
government Of the United States, inclu-
ding the military and naval authority
thereof, will recognize and maintain the
freedom Of such persons, and will do no
act or acts to repress such persons, OF
any of them in any efforts they may make
for actuol freedom" A notice addressed
to property that has Intelligence and will
to make these efforts for actual freedom,
and perhaps give their rebel masters
something else TO do besides plundering
public property and butcbering federal
soldiers. Such apprehended sefforts'
may make strong diversion in favor Of
federal arms based on the fear of rebel
masters, not only of loosing the labor and
service which has been great support of
the rebellion, but of someting worse.


At all events. the power Of the Presi-
dent to take this step as war u.casule,
is undoubted and il is Idle IN tl.t, iiaes
or its clique of secession >yuapathizers 10
attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the
loyal intelligent people.


A WAR DEMOCRAT.
Year: 1862

1he correspondent of the Freeman. visit
ing the hospital the next day after the battle
OF Williamsburg, thus describes an inter
view with wounaed lieutenant:


Passing along, l was soon in converse
hon with Young Lieutenant who had been
wounded near The knee, and as he fell over
upon his hands he received another wound
IN the thigh, the ball passing up his back and
lodging in his neck His wound. had been
well dressed, his bed furnished with mattrass
blankets and pillow, and clean under clothes
given him by Lieut.. SAWYER of the ID Yer
mont. In short, be was comfortable, suffer-
ing but little from his wounds: and heinu
very talkaiive, remained in conversation
with him for some time. Not many, if any.
leading questions were asked or answered
he talking main y upon the relative manhood
OF the two armies, saying, of course. very
much about Southern Llood. now the world
over 1t had ever been victorious. For q sick
room, and more especially for a sick man.
our conversation was quite spirited d,-perhaps
Ponaed would he better word,-and though
most OF his remarks were pregnant with
taunt, boasting and abuse, and that damna-
Ole Southern ar, accent and emphasis, that
alone IS enough to vex and irritate the best
nafured man IN The world, remained per-
teetly cool. L knew, as Dcesticks used to
characterize one OF his friends, that he was
a dam phool," for no man with his talents
and education could be anything else and
hold commission under JEFF Davis. Final
ly said something, but his quick and wick
ed response made me SO angry that could
not remember what die say. "Why," said
he, Il hope this war viii last twenty years,
for the moment recover, l will be in it
Don't Won think l am weaned or cured by
any kindness. No sir, not me and if YOU
doubt my sincerity, gire ne q nxska and I7l
Year: 1862

thrift blushing in beauty where their planta-
tions used to be so thin and bare, or by the
noise of strange water wheels along their
wild and so long neglected streams making
New England all over the sacred soil"-to
ask: sis them the Yanks ?" that it will be
safe for them to answer themselves in their
own lingo: IT ARE !-Congregationalist.
Year: 1862

women, gloating over the horrid sight.


The case of DIR Ferguson, of one of the
New York regiments, is mentioned by DR.
Swain. "When getting into his ambulance
to lock after his own wounded he was fired
upon by the rebels. When he told them
who he was, they said they would take a
parting shot at him, which they did, wound
ing him in the leg. He had his boots on.
and his spurs on his boots. and as they drove
along his spurs would catch in the tail-board
of the ambulance, causing him to shrek with
agony. An officer rode up, and, placing his
pistol to his head, threatened to shoot him if
he continued to scream. This was on Sum
day, the day of the battle"
Year: 1862

The great destruction Of sheep by dogs has
aroused the farmers in various parts of the State
to do something to curtail this great loss, and
accordingly they are making an effort by get.
ting up petitions te lay before the Legislature
to tax the canine race. and by this means if
possible, get rid of many of the worthless ours
On dit, We give the following from an ex.
change:


Does-We agree with all whs express the
opinion that dogs are great loss in an econom.
zeal point Of view. Take all it costs to keep
the dogs In Oalo, and add it 20 the value Of all
the stock they kill, and of all the time they ire
the means of wasting, and all the quarreIs thew
occasion, and all the hydrophobia they cause,
and place the sum total on one side of the &c
count. Then place on the other side all the
real good they do, and we question whether
the most devoted dog -worshppers would n
own that the idOlatry was costly concern.-.
With very few exceptions, we believe il
would be blessing If all the canine race in
our State were to disappear and be seen ne
more forever Ed Ohio Farmer.


Our opinion exactIy.-Ed Ger. telegram.


And exactly ovrs.-Ed Amer. AgricuH.


lt"suits us,"-Del Republican.
Year: 1862

The ART OF WAR.-The newspapers that
ignore science in war seem to have an idea that
marching brave army upon fortified works is
all that is necessary to reduce them, and that
an assault is equivalent to victory at all times.
1t REQUIRES an astonishing amount Of faith IN
the courage, determination, discipline and eff
cheney of the troops on one side, and cores
ponding dstrust of the like qualities in the
troops of the other. to reach this comfortable
doctrine. In the present campaign, every cal
culation based on such fiatter ng distinction
has feiled, as it has deserved toi and now we
find both sides acting with some wholesome re-
gard to the strength and fighting qualities OF
each other.
Year: 1862

DONG AN EXTENSIVE BUsINEss.-A woman
at Newburyport has been discovered with rather
mixed up family arrangements. She has been
drawing Sl2 per month for herself and child
rem as the wife of a volunteer and she also re-
ceivee sl5 per month from the wages: of sail
or paramour. Her first husband died then
she married man with one wife living, who ,, is
now in the army, and on whose account she
drew money from the relief fund.- but one OF her M
four children was by man in the navy, whom
She became acquainted with during long ao.
sence of her second husband She was Just
about to marry her sailor lover, when the SOL oil
dier spouse turned up, placing her in this queer
predcament.
Year: 1862

The latest news from Harper's Ferry is
that the large stables and work shops close
by the Railroad bridge were entirely de-
stoyed by tho rebels, who evacuated the
town on Saturday the Goth. The old en-
gine house, made famous in the John
Brown raid, and since used as prison,
was destroyed. The cars were burned
whilst standing on the track as well as the
long wooden structure upon which the
track was laid.


The remains of the old pontoou bridge
are scattered about the rocks in the river.
The new bridge has been in use for several
days. The temporary bridge erecting for
the Railroad will probably be in condition
for travel by Friday next. No conteder-
ates have been seen in the immediate
vicinit!r of the Ferry for several days.
They are supposed, however, to be in
strong force beyond LoudOu Heights and
are fortifying the crest of the mountains.
Year: 1862

From aletter in the New York Herald


The first of these officials who attracted
our attention as we entered the hotel was
Governor Andrew, OF Massachusetts, who,
from his activity, important bearing, loud
conversation and general flourish, would
lead a stranger to believe that he was the
great man of the occasion. He was every
where, and took particular pains to inform
those to whom he was introduced that he
had telegraphed to Boston to have ratifi-
cation meeting held to endorse the action
of the convention the moment that they had
concluded their labors, and urged upon the
other Governors to do the same, that the
echo mightreach Washington from all parts
of the country Immediately after the action
of the conference was made known there,
and thus have greater effect upon the ad-
ministration. Governor Andrew is rather
below the mediEm height, probably about
five feet four or five, somewhat Stoutly
built, aud walked as though one leg was q
trife shorter than the other, and always
threw his head back and chin up; has q full
reddish face, his head as near round as it
we'll could be, his hair brown and quite
curly, but not very thick, and wore pair
of gold spectacles. 1t was frequently re-
marked by observers, in my presence, that
they expected TO see in every feature of
Governor Andrew the marks of humanity,
and that in person he was the representa-
tive of the higher or human feelings of
mankind, but that they regretted to say
that his features and physiognomy indica-
ted the very reverse.


The next person who attracted my atteu-
tion was Governor Sprague, of Rhode Is
land. This was the first time that ever
saw that official, and 1 am compelled to
confess that l was never so disappointed in
my expectations. In fact, asked the third
person if that was really Governor Spra-
que, of Rhode Island, before ] could be-
lieve that my first information was correct.
He is slimly built, medium herght, and has
the appearance of person about eighteen
years of age, without any expression of the
countenance or eye that would indicate
that he possessed the dash and energy that
the newspapers have given him the credit
Year: 1862

FALSE ALARM.-The alarm Of fire for the
first district, rang on Saturday morning was
false. Il Was caused by the burning out Of q
chimney in the late Jackson Hall. There was
no loss.
Year: 1862

OPENING OF TRADE AND NAvIGATToN.-The
spring being now fairly begun, navigation has
opened on the rivers, and soon will be
on the lakes and canals. The icy blockade
is broken by the genial atmosphere Of a
delightful season, vand business has at once
assumed buoyancy which promises well
for an improved spring and summer trade.
Already the effects are observable in the hustle
and activity which prevail all over the city
in the opening of the millinery magasins; the
flashing Of bright groups up and down Broad
way end the whrl Of gayety in the Central
Park, Just now donning its emerald sheen and
putting forth its young buds.
Year: 1862

DESPERATE SrRAIGHrs or THE REBELs.-1t is


not long ago 81 ce some OF the Southern papers
strongly advocated that the types in the print


ing Offices, and the solder from the old iron
fences. should be melted down to make
bullets in consequence Of the scarcity Of lead.
They recommended that all the old type metal
should be used first, and if that was not suffi-
cient then let the new type go; for what were
newspapers compared to bullets in such an
emergency? A still more novel mode of sup
plying the desperate necessities Of the rebels is
now urged 1t is no less than proposition to
all the churches TO send in their bells to the
arsensls, to be cast into light artillery guns, az
there is an absolute dearth of the kind Of metal
required for that purpose. The clergy are
promised that new bells shall be cast for them
when the war is over. These incidents show 70
what terrible straights the subjects Of jeff
Davis are reduced for the materials Of war


Surely the balls thrown from this church bell
artillery would issue tones of reprosch upon
the unholy cause in which they we're employed