smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1863

An army correspondent in Virginia re.
latcs the following incident of one of the
lodges which are resorted to by soldiers to
obtain their discharge:


One of the guards attracted my attention,
because he was apparently voiceless. This
soldier was robust and strong, but could con
verse only with "bated BREATH" or in low
whispers. Four weeks he was on duty, and
| saw him daily, in calm or storm. but he
never spoke aloud. He said he caught cold
on the p nnsula, it had settled in his throat,
and since then he could not talk. A few
days previous to the general movement of the
army he succeeded by some strategy in get.
ting bottle Of whisky. OF course he made
himself drunk. was walking up the yard
into the house late in the evening. 1t was
very dark. Suddenly some one seized me
by the foot, and in tremendous tones or.
deied me to " halt" 1t was the {" Whisper
er," for such his comrades called him. lie
could talk louder than /, and as he sung
snatches of hymns and songs, | fell asleep
wondering at the strange phenomenon
Next morning sought him early, and by
dlnt OF cross questioning discovered that he
had been working all the time for his dis
charge. He succeeded so well as to have his
discharge papers made out, and would have
soon been on his homeward way rejoicing.
But that fatal bottle of whisky unlooscd his
tongue, and thus he was betrayed. lie was
not discharged.
Year: 1863

BLoNDIN almost killed himself in Seville,


Spain, recently. While on his rope, during
an exhibition in that city, with fire. works on
his head, he found himself burning, and in
trying to relieve himself he slipped and fell,
but luckily caught one foot on the rope, and
with the utmost grace saved his brains from
being dashed out. "a
Year: 1863

AN ACroR's SrRATAGEM.-An eminent tra'
gedian, now deceased, was once locked up
in a room at the rear of the theatre, to keep
him in proper condition till he was called to
90 on the stage. One door of the apart
ment opened on the street, and while look
ing through the key-hole he saw man pass
ing and calling him up to the door he push
ed a crown through the crack and instructed
him to 90 to the publchouse at the opposite
corner and procurs pint of gin and a clay
pipe, promising him to reward him for his
trouble. The man did as directed, and when
he returned with the articles, the actor told
him to put the stem of the pipe through the
key'hole and pour the gin carefully into the
bowl. These instructions the accommoda,
ting individual also followed; and the result
was that, when the manager called to notify
the prisoner that it was time to dress for bis
part, he found him in a very happy frame of
mind, but not at all in a condition to add to
his fame as an actor.
Year: 1863

There are some Partisan ladies, on dit who
do not greatly like the Emperor, and who
have adopted novel mode of expressing
their contempt for him. When he goes to
the opera, it is said they look at him through
their orgnettes reversed, so as to make him
appear "Napoleon the Little"
Year: 1863

The contrabands in Washington who we're
in starving condition, were taken in charge
by the city, and put to cleaning the streets
The amiable chaps have now struck for high
er wages.
Year: 1863

An Upper and a Lower Mill


Fell out about the water;
To war they went, that is, to law,
Resolved to give no quarter.
A lawyer was by each engaged,
And hotly they contended;
When fees grew slack the war they waged >,
They judged were better ended.
The heavy costs remaing still
We're settled without pother--
One lawyer took the Upper Mill,
The Lower Mill the other.
Year: 1863

evidence of Of such sale, barter exchange,
pledge, loan or gift as, aforesaid.


Sec. o. And be it further enacted. That
every person not subject to the rules and
articles of war who shall procure or entice,
in the service of the United States to desert
or who shall harbor, conceal or give employ
ment to a deserter, or carry him or ald ia
carrying him away, knowing him to be suci,;
or who shall purchase from any soldier his
arms equipments, ammunition, uniform,
clothing or any part thereof and any cap.
tain or commanding officer of any ship or
vessel, or any superintendent or conductor of
any railroad or any other public conveyance,
carry away any such soldier as one of his
crew or otherwise, knowing him to have de,
serted, or shall refuse to deliver him up to the
orders of bis commanding officer, shall, upon
legal conviction, be fined, at the discretion
of any Court having cognizance of the
same, IN any sum not exceeding five hundred
dollars, and he shall be imprisoned not ex
ceeding two years nor less than six months.


Sec. 25. And be it further enacted. That
tany person shall resist any draft of men
enrolled under this Act into the service of
the United States, or shall counsel or aid
any person to resist such draft, or shall as
sauIt or obstruct any officer in making such
draft, or in the performance of any service
in relation thereto, or shall counsel any per-
son to assault or obstructIany such officer, or
shall counsel any drafted men not to appear
at the place of rendezvous, or willfully dis.
suade them from the performance of military
duty, as required by law, such person shall
be subject to summary arrest by the Provost
Marshal, and shall be forthwith delivered to
the civil authorities and upon conviction
thereof be punished by a fine not exceeding
five hundred dollars, or by Imprisonment not
exceeding two years, or by both of said pun
ishments. y


Sec. 49, And be it further enacted That
the President Of the United States is hereby
authorized aad empowered during the pres
ent rebellion, to call forth the national force
by draft in the manner provided for in this
Act.


SEQ. "a. And be it further enacted, That
all persons drafted under the provisions of
this Act shall be assigned by the President
to military duty in such corps, regiments or
other branches of the service as the exigen
cies of the service may require. Il


Sec. 3S. And be it further enacted, That
all persons who, in time Of war or rebellion
against the supreme authority Of the United
States, shall be found lurking or acting as
spies in or about any of the Notifications,
posts, quarters, or encampments OF any of
armies of the United States, or elsewhere
shall be triable bv a general court martial or
military commission, and shall upon convict
ion suffer death.


Approved March 3rd. 1863.
Year: 1863

WHEN you lind - before your name on
your paper, please renew your subscription,
as it is notice that the time for which it
has been paid will expire in few Gays


Articles Of much length, intended for publ.
cation, must be handed in in the forenoon 70
insure publication next day.
Year: 1863

Prosperity OF FooLs.-I have ALWAYS


maintained that the one important pheno-


lnenon presented by modern society is


the enormous prosperity of fools Show
me an individual fool, and l will show yotf
an aggregate society which gives that


highly favored parsonage nine chances


out OF ten, and grudges the tenth to the


wlsest man in existence. Look where
you will, in every high place there sits an
ass, settled beyond the reach of all the
greatest intellects in the world to pull him
down. Hee is the perfectly hopeless
BOBBY Frank he has never done any,
thing in his life to help himself, and, as a
necessary consequence, society is in a con-
splracy to carry him to the top of the
tree. lie has hardly had time to throw
away that chance you gave him, before
this letter comes and puts the ball at his
loot for the second time. My rich cousin
(who is intellectually fit to be at the tail
OF the family, and who is therefore. as a
matter of course, at the head of it has
been good enough to remember nv exis-
tence, and has offered his influence to
serve my eldest boy. Read this letter,
and then observe the sequence of events.
MY rich cousin is BOBBY who thrives on
landed property; he has done something
for another BOBBY who thrives on politics,
who knows a third BOBBY who thriyes on
commerce, who can do something for A
fourth BOBBY thriving at present on moth
ing, whose name is Frank. So the mill
goes. So the cream of all human rewards
is supped in endless succession by the
fools,- WSlkie Collins.
Year: 1863

representation; and no man in the North


ern states, except a fool or knave,


thinks now of opposing any such steps as


these. No more should there be any op-
position in the enrolment, which, if
thoroughly carried out few times, as the
law requires it shall be, cannot fail to be
OF immense advantage in many ways.
The question of the draft has nothing
whatever to do with it, except as it en-
ables the Government to know who ought
and who ought not to be drafted. A
Conscript law is an indiscriminate enforce
ment of the population into the military
service, as is the case in the South at the
present time. An enrolment is nothing
ol the kind The two should not, there
fore, be confounded.


The draft may never take place. That
Will depend on the public necessity and
the Executive will. But he who opposes
or endeavors to impede the carrying out
OF the enrolment, so far from taking anv
step toward preventing the draft, is simply
doing the very thing which may render a
draft inevitable and indiscriminate. But
we have no fear Of any such result. If
nothing Gse, the return to their homes of
SO many of our brave soldiers, who have
recently been mustered out at the close of
their honorable service, is a sure guaranty
That eve ything in the shape of the violent
opposition thereto will be promptly sup
pressed.
Year: 1863

THE subscriber takes this method Of informing the
i public that he can make 10 order AWNINGS at
reasonable rates considering the high price cotton He
does this by making Superior article To cotton cut Of
Linen Duck which is more durable, and costs onehrd
less money.


Persons wishing Awnings will do we'll to call at the
Sail Loft of the subscriber Of Water and Marx
streets, in tho HunsburJer building, and examine his


40 9s.im ROBERT W. BRINE.
Year: 1863

We take this method Of rendering our
thanks to the public Of this and surround
ing counties, for the liberal patronage they
have heretofore extended to us, and will say
to them that E. D. Rand q Co., have on
hand at present, "a sufficient stock of season.
ed lumber for immediate call, and are in re
ceipt of new stock to take the place ofthat
destroyed by fire on Sunday night. We
will have at all times as full and complete
stock on hand as can be found in the West,
and we hope to merit a continuance of such
patronage. And we say to the people OF
Ottumwa, who assisted in saving our rlum-
ber from the fire. we sincerely Thank you for
your efforts, and may we never ie called
upon to assist any Of YOU in like manner.


9-l5tf e. d. RAND & Co.
Year: 1863

The fall in gold and exchange has caused a
serious decline in every description OF produce
and merchandise. This decline has been some
what checked in New York by the rally Of gold,
but speculation has been checked and prices
must rule considerably lower for the present.


Last week breadstufs, provisions and do
nestle produce generally, suffered a serious de-
cline.


The market for foreign produce and mcr-
chandise was very duh and depressed-great
falling of in prices and stagnation of business.


The dry-goods trade experienced the greatest
shock, and no business is doing. The buyers,
although numerous, refuse to purchase while
prices are falling. Last week forced sales Of
cotton goods were made at a concession Of 90
to 25 per cent. The cotton mills have In many
instances stopped producing and thrown their
raw material upon the market. Even domes.
tic woollens were sold at discount of to 10
per cent. In foreign goods there were hardly
any transactions.


The boot and shoe trade and carpet trade
also suffered. Although prices did not decline
as much, yet business was brought to a stand,
still.
Year: 1863

We doubt if better argument for
improved agriculture can be given than
is found in the speech Of an Indian
Chief to his tribe in the far west 1t
ran thus:


"Do you not see the whites living upon
seeds, while we eat flesh? That the flesh
requires more than thirty moons to grow
up, and is then often scarce? That each
of the wonderful seeds they SOW in the
earth returns them hundred fold? That
the flesh upon which We subsist has four
legs to escape, while We have but two to
pursue and capture it? That the grain
remains where the white man puts it, and
grows? That winter with US is the time
for laborious huntng-to them period
of rest? For these reasons they have so
many children aud live so much longer
than We do. l say, therefore unto every
one that will hear me, that, befor" the
cedars of our village shall have died
down with age, and the maple trees Of
the valley have ceased to give us sugar,
the race Of little corn sewers will have
exterminated the race Of flesh eaters.
provided their huntsmen do not resolve
to become sewers" History shows the
truth of these prophetic words.
Year: 1863

BEAUTlrUL.-Moss will grow upon
gravestones; tho ivy will cling to the
moulderi"g pile; the mistletoe springs
from the dying branch; and, God be
praised, something green, something fair
to the sight and grateful to the heart,
will yet twine around and grow out Of
the seams and cracks of the desolate tenn
pie Of the human heart
Year: 1863

UNPUNCTTAL PEOPLE. What bores
they are--what havoc they make with the
precious moments Of orderly, systematic
men of business. A person who is faith
less to his appointments, may not intend
to swiudle people, but he does. To those
who know how to turn time to advantage,
every hour has an appreciable pecuniary
value; minutes, even, are worth SO much
apiece He who rohs you of them,
might just as well take SO much money
from your purse The act is petty larce-
ny or grand larceny, according to the
amount Of time he compels you to waste,
and the value of it, at fair apprlsal, to
yourself or your family The only capi-
tai Of large portion Of community, is
time. Their compensation is measured
by the clock. The moments of which
promise breakers cheat them, may repre-
sent in fact, the necessaries of life, and
the loss of an hour may involve the pri-
walton of a loaf, or a joint, or some other
article urgently needed at home. No
body places any confidence in persons
who are hahitually behind time. They
scarcely succeed in any enterprise. --
Therefore for yonr own sake as well as
the sake of others, be punctual.
Year: 1863

1t is fully confirmed that Jeff Davis
has recalled Mason from London, because,
as he says in letter to Earl Russell, sit
is not consistent with the dignity of the
Confederate Government to be longer
snubbed as it has been "The dignity
Of the Confederate Government" is a
good joke
Year: 1863

To the wild range of accepted British
maxims, there is none, take it all in sll,
more abominable than this one as to the
sowing of will oats Look at it on wha.
side you will, and ! will defy you to
make anything but DEVILS maxim of it.
What q man-be he young, old, or mid
die aged-sows that, and nothing else,
shall he reap. The only thing to do with
Wild oats is to put them carefully into
the hottest part Of the fire and get them
burnt to dust, every seed Of them. If
you sow them, no matter in what ground,
up they will come, with long, tough
roots, like couch. grass, aud luxuriant
stalks and leaves, as sure as there is sun
h art cold to think of. The devil, too,
whose special crop they are, will see that
they thrive, and you and nobody else,
will have to rear them; and no common
reapipg will get them ont Of the SOIL and
must be dug deep, again and again 49,
Well for you if, with all your care, you
can make the ground sweet again by your
dying day "Boys will be boys,' i not
it; but this encouragement to the sowing
of wild oats is simply devilish, for it
means that young man is to give way
to the temptations and follow the lusts Of
his age. What are we to do with the
wild oats Of manhood and old age-with
ambition overreaching, the false weights,
hardness, suspicion, avarice-if the wild
oats of youth are to be sown and not
burnt? What possible distinction can
we draw between them? If we may sow
the one, why not the o'her?-" Tom
Broun at Orford," in Nc .Mltan's Mag
aztne.
Year: 1863

\ TOUCuING lNCIDENT.-Thes saddest
story that We ever read, was that OF IT.
tie child in Switzerland, pet boy, just
as yours is, reader, whom its mother, one
bright morning, rugged out in a beauti-
tul jnchet, all shining with silk and but
tons, aud gay as a mothers love could
make it, and then permitted him to 60
out and play. lie had scarcely stepped
from the door of the "Swiss Cottage,'
when an enormous eagle scoopcd him
from the earth, and bore him to his nest,
high up among the mountains and yet
within sight of the house Of which he
had been the joy. There he was killed
and dcvourcd, the eyrie being at a point
utterly inaccessible to man, so that no re-
lief could be afforded. la tearing the
child to pieces, the eagle so placed the
gay Jacket in the nest that it became a
fixture there, and when the wind blew it
would futtcr and the sun would shine
upon its lovely trimmings and ornaments.
For years it was visible 20 the lowlauds,
long after the eagle had abandoned the
nest. What a sight it must have been
to the parents of the victim.
Year: 1863

Tuesday Morning, June y, 1000. }


When wrote last Friday our division was sx-
pecting to move, as we did shortly after, but as
we moved with our train we did not expect light
close by--at least did not--and ! was somewhat
surprised to hear all Of sudden tremendous
csnnonading opposite the Bernard House. did
not start with the regiment and was back with the
ambulance train when the firing commenced, but
at the first volley my horse became excited and
hurried forward to where the cannon were blazing
and our brigade were in line ready to cross. The
9th Vermont and Goth New Jersey crossed trss
in boats with some loss, and soon drove the enemy
from the rifle pits and took some Of them prison-
ers. The rest OF the brigade soon followed.
During the night bridge was laid in the old place.
On Saturday the 9Th held the skirmish line under
q very hc, fire from the enemy. The official re-
port of killed and wounded will have reached you
before this. Two were killed on the hsld and
two we're brought to the hospital and lived some
hours, praying almos. constantly. ] remained at
our hospital only going over to the regiment Tor
few minutes OF a time.


Our division Is now on this side Of the river,
having been relieved by another. Thereha been
but little firing since Saturday although both sides
work at their rife pits and other earth works at
night, and their skirmsh lines and lines Of battle
are facing each other, ready to commence or re-
pei an attack at any moment. The whole is in
plain sight of the hill where am writing. Some
Of our Vermont ladies are occasionally seen among
the spectators Perhaps they may yet witnsss
great battle. a
Year: 1863

answer to this view OF the case is that It 10 an in
vasiOn Of Free Speech to punish person by mill
tary power for talk that does not constitute .
crime. Holding these opinions we can see no
contradiction in our position in favor Of the i'm
munities OF Free Speech until that Speech ceua-
sells resistance to law, and the statement that We
do not object 10 the pdnishmsnt Of vallsndsham,
but to the method by which be was punished.
Year: 1863

New ORLEANS, Jan. 80.


On the evening Of the 23d inst,
steamer rugged rs bark, with a ragged
appearance, came in sight of the South
west Pass. She had nothing above the
topmasts, and moved slowly by the Pass,
evidently watching for signals or effect
ing some. A number Of tho Pass pilots
are now under arrest for communicating
with a strange vessel some days since,
and it is supposed further attempts will
be made preparatory to a raid on the
river.


The schooner captured off Sabine
Pass by the rebels was the transport We
locity. At the time of the capture OF the
Morning Light aud Velocity, a dead calm
prevailed.
Year: 1863

TnE work on tho Adjutant Generals
report will be finished IN shout two weeks
IL will be most complete record. hut will DO
extremely luminous, probably making betw sen
three and four thousand pages
Year: 1863

GooD.-Our ne'ghbor has declared
his intention o! giving US the benefit Of hi-
local columns in advertising our business. for
which kindness he vii. pleas accept our most
hearty and unqualified thanks. We spprec'.
advertising medium, and trust some day we
SHALL ba in a posilion to return the many acts
Of kindness recently showered upon us. We
wish cur friend would be particular and in
as it is very essential that our fellow citizens
10 the country know our position TO pin hoi,
Year: 1863

have seen those that have been in battles.
saw one the other day that said ne was at the bat
tie Of Bull Run. asked him if he ran when
they began to fight, and he said be did. asked
him what made him. He said be had no gun and
could do no good if be stayed. Said he' II l
had had gun would have fought till had died
before would have run" and that is great deal
mit is. Seme have said that negroes would mt
stand fire because they had seen them run under
similar circumstance. One Of our officers SAID the
other day that if our government should arm


hre. hundred blacks il would take five hundred
whites to guard them. ted him that was ad-
millng that the blacks were the suarlest'
think there was just about as much sense IN that
az in half the arguments against atmng the
blacks If black blood 10 worth more than whlse
then do net arm them. II il is not, thea lssy
e! them share the harlthips and bear part OF
the burden in tho war that s to declare their
freedom to the world


When our government ceases to tympathlze
With rebels aud to guard their property and use.
every means in its power to crush the rebellion,
then our army will begin to gain ground. How
many thousand. Of our best soldiers are employed
not in way to secure victory to our arms, but
only to guard the property of the "sece'h " and
to wait lon officers staying back ia camp or lurk-
ing about Washington


Many soldiers complain because of rot having
their ration Of rum. Now think We can get
along better without it. But the officers have it
and il rum is good to lake command cf battle
why is it not good to fight batte'


believe our casso is A. just one and will fsslly
prevail. If cause that uphelds freedom OF
speech and Of the press, and liberty to every clan
and color under the sun, will not prosper in the
face OF slavery and oIigarchy, then say let our
nation be IS ancen, Rome, nation known only
in history. New RECRUIT.
Year: 1863

On the och ult family FAMED Dus =
tin, travelling over the Minnesota plains,
were assaulted by Indians and some of ,he
number murdered. Two days after the
bodies were found, presenting horrible
spectacle. The St. Panl Daily Press SAYS ::
Amos Dustin the father, was sitting in
the front part Of the wagon, dead, with
An arrow sticking in his body, aud a
deep wound in his breast. probably made
with tomahawk or war club His left
hand had been cut off and carried away
by the Indians.


beneath his seat crouched little child
Of six years. who had conc eaied herself
there when the attack was male The
life blood other father had streamed down,
covering her face and clothes, and her
shoes were literally filled with the blood
that had trickied from the mangled body
She saws that the Indians saw her and
looked quite sharply at her, but did not
offer violence. 1t is probable that she is
mistaken about this, As she is the only
member of the family uninjured, and from
the displays we have had of savage fe-
rocitv we should not infer tha. they would
knowingly spare victim in their power.
In another part Of the wagon lay the
corpse of Mrs. Dustin, the grandmother
of the children. An arrow was in her
body also. and her head was hanging over
the side Of the wagon, her long hair dis
heveled and streaming in the wind filed
with the clotteG blood that had flowed
from her Wounds ....


The mother, and child twelve years OF
age. were in the wagon, still alive but SO
badly wounded that no hopes are enter
tanned of their recovery. For two days
they had lain and suffered beside the dead
bodies Of their friends, unable to procure
| .ustenance or assistance.