smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1864

Here, in Louisiana, wonders have been
wrought A few months sge, to find ne
gro who could resd was a wonder; to find
one who could write was greater wonder,
and to fad one who understood arithmetic
was a greater wonder still. Fortunately.
good Probidence has seen ft to ordain
better things, and now here, in this sim
cursed city, nineteen hundred colored chill
dren are reading and writing in the day
schools which they attend.


One year ago, Colonel Eainss was fsed-
ing from the Government Commissariat
more than twenty thousand negroes. Be
side this number, there were quite fifteen
thousand who hung around the camps and
elsewhere, obtaining their living partly
By cooking, washing, fishing snd stealing;
yet these were, to large extent an incu-
bus upon the Government.


Now all the negroes have been placed
in condition Of profit to the Government
and to themselves. Not only does the
labor system furnish employment to those
within the limits Of this department, but
had we ten Thousand more they could all
be employed without expense, but rather
with great benefit 10 the Government.


The benefits that will return to the
Government this year, resulting from the
operations Of this system Of labor, will
more than pay all the expenses that the
refugee negroes have been to it since the
occupation Of the State by our forces.


Facts furnish the best proof Of the sue
cess OF any system; and, when we COM
pare the condition Of fifty thousand ne
groes in this State last year with their
condition now. Uo R',sd hardly sllude to q
thsessnd particulars. We feed to-day at
public expense fifty cOlOred orphsns, and
about one hundred aged men and women.
Year: 1864




The Bozrd Of Directors Of the western
Union Telegraph Company have been in
session at their Office in this city for some
days past, and il is understood have trans.
acted some very important business. Be-
sides the acceptance Of the valuable grants
from the British and Russian Govern
ments, by which very speedy connection
is to be effected between the Western Un-
ion and the Russian lines, consolidation
has also been made Of the VI. o. and the
Pacific Telegraph Company. The terms
are said to be advantageous TO all con
eerned in the consolidated lines. The de-
tails Of the plan for putting up the wires
along the Pacific up to Behring's Straits
are under confederation, and it is said
that vessels will be prepared to sail in
few weeks with sll the requisite material
for carrying this gigantic telegraph enter
prise to immediate completion. 1t will be
an era in the history Of telegrsphs and of
the world, when all commercial countries
can communicates by the magnetic wires
with one another.


The projectors Of this vast enterprise
have had too much experience, and have
been too uniformly successful in similar
undertakings, to doubt their success
Rochester Democrat.
Year: 1864

| cultivated and made a large crop of
corn and hay in 1860, especially for the
benefit of the army, and they paid me no
fair price, In 1861 l made short crop
from bad seoson, and the unsettled state
of affairs-one of my men going to the
Yankees, and by moving the others for
some time to guard against their escape.
| was just making preparations for large
crop again; but if they strip me (ana
that with inadequate compensation of the
means to feed my hands and team, can't
make crop, which will show the bad
policy of government; though cannot
believe that government sanctions such
course as have described.


Is there no redress in such case? AM
to have my corn and hay taken away at
less than its value, against my consent,
aud to be driven from my own home to-
seek a support elsewhere? | am told too,
that behind all this. new sett is coming,
pressing nearly everything that can sus-
tain life in man or beast, as they 60. =


Has not Congress jurisdiction to regu
late with some discretion the high handed
curse of petty oficials-or are we without
the protection of civil law?


Can get the value of my corn from
the government, or how can get more to
supply the loss, not of money, but subsis-
ten ce. ...r.. ..


The government prices as they are call
ed, were fixed to suit the northern part of
the state, and kept up here as the army
fell back. 1t is not right or just to take
one mans property at less than its value
and let others escape while al are required
to pay their part of the tax to support
the government and the army. .....


desire you therefore, as my represent.
ative in the Confederate Government, to
advise me what to do. Can | petition
Congress for redress, witbany prospect of
success? Or in what other way can I
find relief and safety.
OF three sons, have had two in the
army-the third one is exempt by law,



but has furnished substitute.


... Very respectfully yours,


VIM A. GILLESPIE.
Year: 1864

A correspondent of the ~ 7. Times,
in giving an account of the battle of Cold
Harbor, on the Chickahominy on Friday
the Sd instant, has the following:


lone portion of our line retained all
day e position within fifteen yards Of the
rebel works. This heroic band was the
brigade of Col. Mexican, q brigade of
Gibbon' division of Hancock s, corps, and
numbering about eight hundred men.
The conduct of these eight hundred is as
splendid stroke Of heroism as ever lit
up the story of " the glory We call Greece:
and the grandeur we call Rome" Through
the live,long day these men held their
line, within fifteen yards of the enemy.
and all his force could not dislodgc them.
Repeatedly, during the day the rebels
form double columns of attack to come
over the work and assail them, and the
officers could be heard encouraging their
troops by telling them " there are only
four or dye hundred Of them-come on"
But the moment the rebels showed them
selves above the parapct line of fire
flashed out from behind the earthen mound
where those eight hundred heroes stood in
new Thermopyla. and many rebel
threw up his arms and fell prone under
their swift avepging hulets.


The sequel of this bit of history is as
curious as the dead itself-for while the
rebels dare not venture out to assail Me-
Kean's men, neither could he nor his COM
mand recede from the periious position.
He could not get back to us-wo could
not 60 forward to him. In this dilemma
the ingenious device was hit upon of run
ming sap" or zigzag trench. up from
our line to his. In this way working
party were able to dig their way up to
where they lay, begrimed with powder
and worn down with fatigue, and few
hours ago they were.brought safely away.
9 All that we're left Of them, left Of eight
hundred |" But Mexican, their gallant
leader, he came not away alive. Since
eleven in the morning he had lain behind
the bulwark his valor defended corpse.
While standing up preparing to resist q
rebel assault, he fell, pierced BY the bullet
Of sharpshooter, and after living for an
hour or swo in au agonizing deathlu life.
Year: 1864

BY LINE AT THE DISTRICT CoNvEN-


TION AT HYDE PARK.
Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen:


| have been requested by Mr. Baxter
in his absence, as his ueighbor and towns
man to thank you on his behalf for any ex-
preston Of approval of his official course,
or of continuance of your confidence in
him which your appreciativc kindness
might lead you to make here today.


That approval and endorsement you
could not have expressed more forcibly or
more generously than you have by this
cordial and unanimous denomination.
You all regret and no one more than my
self, that Mr.. Baxter could not be here to
respond to it with his own lips. need
not say to you that it would have given
him the greatest pleasure to have been
hero today, member Of this convention
VI tuc Culon iHci Vi tHc lHllu DtStliCO
of Vermont, and to have met here his
life long friends from whom he has always
drawn sympathy and encouragement in
every patriotic thought and endeavor, and
to have here rendered up to your charita-
Bile consideration an account Of his stew
ardship as your public servant and repre-
sentative; but his duties at his post have
detained, or if he could be away. it has
seemed to bin that at this time there is
field Of usefulness among those who
have in their charge the honor, the glory,
and the life Of our little commonwealth
imperatively demanding his heartiest and
most untiring efforts. Whenever oul
thinncd and gallant regiments are bear
ing the green colors Of Vermont, those Of
forts are and always have been upspar
ingly given, and your interests in thes'
Year: 1864

dlSmounted men with seven shooters croS-
sed and attacked the rebels in their works,
for they had thrown up hastily such
breastwolks as they could. A strong
force of mounted men followed and the
rebels soon scattered in every direction.
The column soon commenced to cross and
in little while we were all safely over
General Gregg had punished them severe
ly in our rear they came upon him with
their city militia, he massed his guns and
moved them down, charged upon them
and. scattered them, taking some prison
ers. We moved on to Mechanicsville,
had little fighting there and that was
the last.


"The men in our front at Meadow Bridge
were from Beouregard's army, and were
ordered to hold the road as long as man
lived, but they failed to do so. We
moved to near Gaines Mills and stopped
for. the night. The first part of our
march was very dry and dusty, and the
heat intense. Some were sunstruck, but
while we were at Meadow Bridge it CON-
mcnced to rain and more thankful set
mortals never travelled than we we're. 1t
continued to rain for several days. in
showers; makingit pretty hard travelling.
The next day we moved on to Malvern
Hill; here our gunboats shelled US some
before they found out who We were; hut
they did not do much damage. Our men
started out with but two or three days
rations, and now we had been out near
seven. Everything in the eating line
was taken through the country which we
passed. All the bread kind to be found
was corn meal meat was pretty plenty.


The country along the Chickahominy
is excellent, notwithstanding what have
heard to the contrary. We had near two
hundred prisoners and between three and
four hundred of our own men that we re-
took near Beaverdam Station of the 5th
corps on their way to Richmond un-
der a small guard in twenty minutes
more they would have been on board a
train at the station and out of our reach.
An immense quantity of provisions Was
destroyed at this station. Two trains of
cars, two large locomotives the, track. and
every thing connected with it, large
quantity of muskets, &C. A part of the
re-captured men took guns and fought
along with our advance On this raid
General Sheridan has won the confidence OF
all his men. think it was conducted in
mastery manner; we moved fearlessly
and defantly through the enemy's coun-
try, everything in order and not the
slightest chance for surprise. From
Malvern Hill we moved down to the vari.
Gus landings and went into camp and
soon had plenty of rations and forage"
| ~-,--
Year: 1864

AND again We know nothing which


could SO raise the reputation of the Go.
sernment Of the United States among its
friends in Europe as a prompt offer Of
reparation to Brazil for this unquestion-
able and objectionable outrage


The last pro7erbial adjective in this
latter quotation is probably not TO be
taken literally. If the outrage, as it is
termed. be objectionable, there would
oe very little use in making any offer of
reparation. The quotation serves, how
ever, to show that even our best friends
resort to the strongest language in ex-
pressing their dissatisfaction with the act
in question.
Year: 1864

A CHEAP LUxURY.-As weary
traveller was vending his way through
the mud, out in far west region Of
the country he discovered@abroad a
young maiden standing in the door of
a small log house He rode up in front
of the house and asked the maiden for
a drink of water; he drank it, and she
being the first lady he had seen for
several days, he offered her q dime
for kiss" The young maiden accept
ed the offer, and received both kiss and
dime. The traveller was about to pro-
ceed:


"What am I to do with the diner"


You may use it in any way you
wish" he replied; +" it is yours"


"That being the case, she replied,
'I'll give you back the dime and take
another kiss. -
Year: 1864

HOME MANNERs.-We sometimes meet
with men who seem to think that any in
dulgence in an affectonate feeling is
weakness They return from a journey
and greet their families with distant dig
nifty, and move among their children with
the cold and lofty splendor of an iceberg,
surrounded by its fragments. There is
hardly more unnatural sight on earth
than one of these families withouta heart


A father had better extinguish a boys
eyes than take away his heart. Who that
has experienced the joys Of friendship,
and values sympathy and affection, would
not rather lose all that is beautiful in ma
ture's scenery, than be robbed of the hid
den treasures of his heartY Cherish, then
your hearts best affections Indulge in
the warm and gushing emotions of filial,
parental and fraternal love. Think it not
weakness God is love. Love God,
every body, and every thing that is lovely.
Teach your children to love; to love the
rose; the robin; to love their parents; to
love their God. Let it be studied OBJ
ject Of their domestic culture, to give them
warm hearts, ardent affections. Bind
your family together by those strong
chords. You cannot make them too strong.
Religion is love; love to God, to man.
Year: 1864




A GooD ExAMPLE.-A boy was once
tempted by some of his companions to
pluck some ripe cherries from tree his
father had forbidden him to touch.
"You need not be afraid" said they, ''for
if your father should find out that you
had taken them, he is SO kind that he will
not hurt you"


"That is the very reason, replied the
boy, why would not touch them. II is
true, my father may not hurt me; yet my
disobedienceI ! know would hurt my father
and that would be worse to me than any
thing else, Was this not very good
reason?
Year: 1864

A SMART WoMAN.-A preacher not
long since asking to stay all night at a
country house was forbidden by the lady.
Knowing her to be member of the
church and generally pleased to entertain
ministers, he began to quote Paul to her,
hoping she would understand by this
hint that he was preacher. He had
hardly got out for thereby some have enter
tanned angels unawares," when she said,
"butangels, sir would not come with tobac-
costuck in their mouth" The preacher left
without any further ceremony.
Year: 1864

BE- Every school boy knows that a
kite would not fly unless it had string
tying it down. 1t is justso in life
The man who is tied down by half a
dozen responsibilities and their mother
will make q stronger and higher
fight than the old bachler, provided
they allow him to rise at all.
Year: 1864

THE CAT MARKET.-There is a man
who regularly visits one of the river towns
and buys up all the cats he can find, ta-
king them to New York The country
people are in doubt whether they are
bought for the fnrriers or the sausage ma
kers s.--ArJus
Year: 1864

occurred In the ooO6Cc CQdluUcI, anu tuat
is the reason why didit.


Now, sir, have found out one thing this
morning which is some reliefto me, and /
am Rlad to find it out; and that is the cause
Of ofiense which has prevented the country,
the Naval Committee, the Senate, the Con-
Uress. and the cause of the country from
receiving the distinguished services Of the
Senator from Iowa upon the Naval Com
mittee. It il that he did not have sufficient
influence upon the COMMITTEES; that the
chairman was overbearing, usurped the
whole, and did everything his own way,
and Of course therefore the Senator from
Iowa did not have that consideration to
which he was entitled. Notwithstanding
the vituperation with which he has assalled
me, Notwithstanding the covert attacks
no, hardly covert, the open attacks upon
my veracity, the various filings he made,
and the exhibition of good temper and
amiability which he has given this morn
ing, / want to say that when the Senator
was upon the Committee ON Naval Affairs,
and met there, SO far was from engross-
ing the affairs of the committee, that the
most important changes that were made in
the naval laws during the last Congress,
and they were very important, were made


by bills introduced into the Senate and


which never saw or heard word Of un-


til after they were introduced; and even


in some cases, where matters had been


specially referred to joint committee ot
| the Senate and House of Representatives
and was at the head of the committee,
was not even there consulted, and when
came to call the committee together fOun(


that they had agreed on their bills and re
| ported them, and never saw one Of then
| until they were introduced into the Senate
i I believe the Senator from Iowa did no
exhibit anything more than his usua
modesty in the discussions Of the navs
bills: and / would stand or fall by the as
sertiop Of every member who was ON tn
! committee that there was more considera
Year: 1864

PEACE ALONE Can PREVENT SrARvA-
TIoN-The Raleigh North Carolina Pro-
gress, in speaking Of supplies in the
Confederacy, says: "Peace alone can
prevent starvation. Il is folly to
talk to US about there being enough.
Confederate money is bad enough we
know, bat dearth Of provisions is not
caused by want Of confidence in it, but
because producers have nothing to bring
in. When the currency fails, and will
no longer buy what the soldiers and
people want, the army and people will
resolve themselves into 3 mob and those
who have misled and ruined them will
have 70 flee for their lives. Do our peO-
pie realize how near we are TO this state
Of things? If not, let any citizen take
small sum Of money and visit the city
market some cold morning. We tell the
people and authorities that the present
condition Of things cannot and viii not
last. The masses have been deceived
and misled long enough, and they will
not suffer and endure always. Peace
they want, and peace they viii have, if
not with such terms as leaders, who
have betrayed them, desire, upon such
terms as they themselves shall prescribe.
A peace can be made that the world will
consider honorable, and those who as
sumo to rule Us ought to take steps at
once to make il, for enough has been
said by the enemy to satisfy al reason
able men that they would gladly remove
the quarrel from the sword and refer il
to the council chamber"
Year: 1864


To tie E1.tor tile Richmond Dtspatcd:'


think it is very strange We cannot
get our pay. IL has been nine months
since we have received any money and
we are sadly in need Of clothes. know
that some Of this company sleep on the
cold ground without blanket. We lost
our battery at Spotsylvania; and since
then we have been continually in the
field. | do not know what l would have
done for clothes, had | not been near
home. There are plenty Of clothes IN
Richmond and | would like 10 know
the reason why we do not get them. We
have been in all the battles; and We in
tend to stay in the army until we drive
the enemy from our soil If We had our
company officers with US, We would get
what we wanted; but they are in tho
hands of the enemy. We are now op-
posite For, Harrison. | will let you
hear from me when they come, We are
in fine spirits and anxious to meet tho
enerny.-A PRIVATE IN rns MANcHEsrER
ARTILLERY.
Year: 1864

crushes more people than Abraham Lin
coin, who is the representative Of Lib


ual Government in the Republic across
the ocean? No; there is no tyranny
more terrible than that which bears the
banner of liberty that banner which
crushes the liberty of others whilst it
raises up itself, which brings itself into
fame; because it has trodden down
almost everything else that may be near
Year: 1864

TRAGEDY IN MIssIssIPP1-A frightful
tragedy was enacted on Monday last
near Tibbee, the particulars of which we
learn from gentleman who resides in
that vicinity. The perpetrator of the
foul deed was man by the name of
Robert Wingfeld. For some time he
has been trying to get divorce from his
WIFE IN order to marry again, hut failed :;
and at the time Of the deed was living
separate from her On Monday last he
nired negro boy to 90 to his wif3s
house and murder her. The boy went
to the house, and calling Mrs. Wingticld
to the door, first checked her down and
then drew a knife and inflicted many
friehtful gashes upon her head and
throat; after which he fled, thinking her
dead The news having spread through
the countrv-MrS. Wing!icld recovering
sufficiently to give information "a search
was made for the negro by the neigh
bors. During the search, suspicion rest
ing on Wingticld, his house was visited,
where he was found in company with a
Young man who Was living with him. -
During the conversation with the party
he betrayed signs Of guilt, and, after
their .depaHure, he remarked to the
young man that he would have to Kill
the negro (who was then under his
house, to save himself from trouble. -
Accordingly, the next morning he took
the negro out and shot him with two
loads of bucbshot-one through the
heart and the other through the head


He was present at the inquest next morn
ing, stated that it was the negro who had
attempted the killing of his wife, and
that he had caught and killed him He
was there arrested; and the above facts
brought forward, in the trial duly con-
ductel by the citizens, he paid the pen
atty Of his crime on a tree near by
Wingtield has long been regarded bad
man. and has been several times impli-
Gated in deeds almost as dark and terri
bic as this one, but has heretofore es.
capped his doom His wife, though still
alive, is in a dreadful condition. But
little hope is entertained Of her recovery.
She is represented to us as good wo.
man. - CoiuD.Jus .Southern Republican.
Year: 1864

Twenty clerks in store. Twenty
hands in printing ofice-twOnty
young men in a village. All want TO
get along in the world, and all expect
to de SO. One of the clerks will rise to
be pnrtneV aud make a fortune. One
of the Compositors will own newspa-
per and become an influential and pros.
porous citizen. One Of the apprentices
will become a master. builder. One of
the villagers will get a handsome firm
and live like a patriarch. But which
is destined to be the lucky individual
Lucky2 There is no luck about it.
The thing is almost ss certain as the
Rule of Three. The young fellow who
will distance his competitors is he who
masters his business, who preserves his
integrity, who lives oIeanly and purely,
who novcrgstsih debt, who gains friends
by deserving them, and puts his money
into a savings bank. There are some
ways to fortune that look shorter thar
this old dusty highway. But th'
staunch men of the community, the
men who achieve something really
worth having, good fortune, and a Sc


rene old age, all 60 this road.
Year: 1864

TREASURY INVESTIGATION. - The
Treasury Investigation Committee will
soon finish the examinati of the Note
Printing Bureau. Nothing was found
vrong. and CLARK continues at work as
usual. Every effort 10 now being made
to prove that his character for chastity
is not as good as it ought to be.
Year: 1864

debt required by law, and the annual ex-
pense will be $305, 900, 900, or .1fce times
The amount Of the national savings. And
here let Us remember that this enormous
debt has been more than doubled by the
use of paper money, and this it is that con-
stitutes the great crime of Mr.. Chase. he
knew perfectly well the effect of paper
money, and when demonstrated with on
it's proposedH issue, answered that "the
people would not bear taxation"


The writer in the Times claimed that,
if it was true that the country was almost
in state Of bankruptcy, it was scanda-
lous to say so, to which the Magazine re-
spends: care we to see public officer
pursuing policy that will ruin the gov
eminent, and yet not lift our voice in pro-
test7 Criticism may bring about change
that will save us; silence allows the evil
to continue until all is lost. We love our
country too dearly; we desire too earn
estly that it may be again united and hap
py, not to warn those who are sailing our
ship Of state of the rocks before them. If
it is called patriotism to keep silence un-
der such circumstances, all we can say is,
God save our poor country from such pa
triOts!"