smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

The New York Herald of recent date says :


A "real live contTaband " was discovered,
half starved, in an alley this morning, endeavor.
ing to make breakfast of some garbage lying
in box on the sidewalk Upon being inter
rogsted, he said he was from Loudon county,
Va, aud that he had been induced to leave his
home by a Massachusetts soldier who told him
be would have plenty to eat and wear, and moth
ing to do when he got North. The soldier put
b N on the train for Philadelphia. and when he
reached the latter place some kind friend "
told hlm to follow the railroad and he would
reach New York or Boston, where he would be
looked after. The dark arrived here Sun
day night, completely tagged out be called
upon some of his free colOred brethern" and
asked for food and lodging, but they Indignantly
refused to have anything to do witt him, and he
was forced to sleep out Of doors, and eat what
ever he ctuld pick up in the cutters. The
darkey is quite young fellOw-about twenty
years of age-and gives his name as Bill Ander-
son. He was owned by a gentleman named
Wilcox, who resides in Baltimore, and he was
always well fed and kindly treated by his mas
ter. The contrabandr uas been taken care
Of by benevolent gentleman, who has engaged
him as servant, he is very indignant at the sol
dier who induced him to leave home. This Is
but one of the numerous cases daily transpiring
in this city.
Year: 1862




respondent of the Times says:


T e dangers of the city from high water hav-
ing been safely passed, a new cause of alarm
now b. anifests itself The surface of the river
is now several feet below that Of the city, and
the accumulated surface water, vast amount,
and covering acres in extent, and from two to
six feet deep, is being drawn off through the
sewers beneath the levee. These, however have
not been of sufficient capacity 20 permit the vast
volume of water TO pass away freely. The con-
sequence is the levee is breaking at a point on
the Ohio side, and g large piece, 200 feet in
ler 9Th and extending nearly half through the
levee, has slid away into the river. The break
is rapidly enlarging and extending Il is sup
posed that the percolation Of the surface water
through vein Of quicksand III the levee has
gradually undermined it at this point Should
the river take another rise now, which it Is liable
to do at any time, the city would be inundated
Year: 1862

LOST BAGGAGE-We call attention to the
great sale of lost baggage to take place this
morning at the Arcade. AS this is termed a
lottery sale, no doubt many will risk small sums
for large prizes.
Year: 1862

SUDDEN DEATH We regret 10 have to record
the sudden death Of John Hoffman, well known
on the river from his connection with the bars Of
the Vieksburg line of boats, and recently as the
active business agent of Capt. McManus. He
has been for sometime a member of the City
Guards, and has of late been much on duty.
After pronacted time on guard, he entered the
house of friend on Market street yesterday
morning and complained of great fatigue. He
eat hearty breakfast, and then fell asleep, and
continued drowsy and heavy throughout TIE
morning. He was suffering much from disnha,
for which he procured some powerful mrdicine,
of which he was directed to take il doses ol tea
drops. It is probable that irritated by suffering
and desirous of stopping the disease at once, he
took the medicine too rapidly, for at half past
three o'clock in the afternoon, he suddenly sunk
and died. He leaves a widow and two or three
children.
Year: 1862




OFF CHARLESTON, April IL, 1862.
An Attempt to Run The Bockade-The Vessel Ffred at, ana


Beached-A Sloop Captured by the Susqaehanna.


This morning about O'Clock large schooner was
seen approaching Charleston via the Rattesnake Shoal
channel the wind blowing heavy from the northeast
and she was coming down before 1t with great speed
The Augusta and Sumter fired at her at long range but
the shot fell short The gunboat Huron, beng of lighter
draugh getting reach her with
her elevennch pivot gun; but the very heavy,
and gave SO much motion to her that it next to i'm
possible to tell whore the shot would strke but enough
of them went sufficiently the schooner TO terry
them 30 that they her ashore just at the mouth OF
Beach Inlet between Suvans and Long Island The sea
Is now making clean breach her. 1t was their in
tentOn TO run into Bulls Bay; but on discovering
ar volunteer manofwar inside they headed for This
place as stated above Had there been less on the
Huron could have gone in close to have taken her
as prize However, she safe enough for the present.
and when the wind aid subsdos we will attend to
hor case 80 that she will be total lost to the rebels
1t has been blowing fresh from the northeast for the last
four days. There s nothing further OF interest TO
municate from this place. The blockade is very efficient
at this time, and in opinion cannot be evaded
by the smartest OF them.


On the Sd instant the Susquehanna captured small
sloop from Nassau with boots, shoes, salt matches,
cheese, &C.. &C. Her name, think, is Coquete. She
has been sent TO Philadelphia.
Year: 1862

repairs the Magnolia enabled her to 60 direct to
New York with only one boiler. These repairs were
made after many OF the same profession had remarked
that nothing could be done with her there to render her
SeaWorthy.
Year: 1862

On Thursday last the administration and the
cause of the Union achieved great victory in
the House Of Representatives, in the passage,
by the important vote Of 93 to 81, of the only
available measure left for the immediate relief
cessities Of the government. We alluds to the
Treasury Note bill, the particular features OF
which are that the Sl50,000,000 Of demand
Treasury notes which it authorizes are made a
legal tender for all public and private debts,
are receivable by the government for duties on
and coupon bonds Of the government at seven
per cent, redeemable seven years, or at six per
cent redeemable twenty years after date.


The practical effect of this legal tender clause
is to give the Treasury banking circulation
of one hundred and fifty millions of dollars,
reissuable to the absorption of the five
hundred millions Of bonds authorized, re-
lieving the government meantime of the
impossible task Of specie payments by making
these demand notes for while a substitute for
gold and silver The bill was urged upon the
House by the Chairman Of Ways and Means,
Mr.. Stevens, as an administration measure. in
dispensable at this crisis, TO save the Treasury
from bankruptcy, and the financial affairs of
the country from a panic and revulsion involv-
ing government and people in universal beg
gary and ruin. Under this appeal to the
patriotism of the House, this great relieving
measure was passed by the handsome vote in
dicated. To the credit of the republican party
be ii said the bulk of its members voted for
the bill, while the bulk of the opposition odds
and ends, with liberal sprinkling of the re-
publican radicals, were in the negative, as will
be seen from the following list of the
Year: 1862

SUCCESS OF Our NAvY.-The success which
has attended our navy since the commencement
of the war is worthy of the reputation it won
in two wars with England. Since the latter Of
these wars, in which the British were over
whelmed with defeat in our inland seas, our
navy has had no opportunity of Distinguishing
itself, with the exception of the Mexican
war and the Paraguay expedition. 1t
has been neglected by the jealousy of
the West, which, because at a distance
from the seaboard, fancied it had no need
of naval armament to protect its interests.
Hence our naval force became almost con-
temptible for such great maritime Power as
the United States


The events of the present war have proved
how fallacious was the calculation of the
Western politicians, and how injurious are
selfish distinctions of interest founded upon
mere geographical reasons. Had the West been
more liberal TO the navy for the last half CEN
tury this war would have been terminated in
few months, the West would have been saved
from immense taxation, and would not now be
shut out from the natural outlet for its produc-
tions through the mouths Of the Mississippi.
But the recent successful naval operations in
the waters of the West, as well as those on the
Atlantic seaboard, must have wrought rcvo-
luton in that section of the Union, and hence
forth none other will be more enthusiastic for
the navy than the West. The effect of the victo-
rics at Hatteras and Port Royal. and of that
in the Tennessee, achieving the speedy reduc-
ton of Fort Henry, must be to convince all
sections of the necessity Of maintaining navy
suitable to such an immense seaboard and so
vast an area of inland waters. 1t was neces-
sary to improvise navy for the war; and the
success which has crowned its operations in
maintaining an effective blockade Of thousands
of miles of coast, and in defeating the enemy
in three important engagements, more than re-
pays the expenditure. Dupont's achievement
at Port Royal Is scarcely excelled in the his
tory of naval actions; and were il not for the
conduct of the abolition press in divulging hi,
secrets the victory would have been followed
up by others, from which greater fruit would
have been reaped.


The accuracy of the firing in the attack on
Fort Henry, as we'll as at Hatteras and Port
Royal, could not be exceeded by any navy in
the world, and is admitted by the rebels them
selves. 1t will be rccollected by our readers
that short time ago, off the harbor of Charles
ton, one Of our ships utterly demolished the
privateer Petrol with single shell thrown into
her from considerable distance.


What has been the character of the rebel
firing from their boosted batteries on the Po-
tomac, by which they said they had closed the
river and cut off communication by water with
Washington? They fire as many as sixty shots
at vessel without touching her; and they
scarcely ever hit anything, though wasting vast
quantities Of ammunition. Our navy deserves
the support of Congress, and is entitled to the
| gratitude of the country.
Year: 1862

A VOICE FROM THE TOMBS.-Mr Gulian G.
verplanck, one Of the fossil remains of past
generation, has come out in Q letter to show
that it is not constitutional for Congress to
make paper money legal tender In the be-
ginning of the present century number Of
men of letters and genius sprang up in and
around New York. Among the most distin-
guished were Washington Irving. Cooper,
Paulding, Drake and Fitz Greene Halleck, the
poet. They formed sort of literary CO.
terie, contributed to the Knickerbocker
the Sdln0g,ndi and other periodicals, and
wrote pleasant novels and good poetry. Gu
lian c. yeplanck became associated with
these wits, though very stupid, and without
ray of the genius which they shed around them
Their delight was to make him a butt for
their raillery, while he, deluded individual
imagined that he was q man of parts because
he mingled with men of talent, just as If a man
were to fancy himself rich because he handled
great quantities of gold, or as if pickpocket
were to consider himself pious because ho went
to church In the pursuit of his vocation. III


Upon reputation derived from this reflected
lustre, and not from any original merit of his
own, also from writing about commercial alb
stractions, which he derived from other mems
ideas, he managed to get himself elected to
Congress as democrat. His literary associates
were oil democrats. In Congress he talked
some dull essays upon commerce; but he was
so completely eclipsed by Mr.. Cambreling
who was man Of ability, that the people
would never send him to represent them again
When he was in Congress he did not scruple to
appropriate to himself the credit of other mems
writings. He proved to be mere man Of
books. To man of genius books are useful
TOOLS Books, to q man without 1t, and who
would be somebody, are like surgical instru.
ments in the hands of man who does not know
his profession. verplanck was compelled to
retire into obscurity.


All his companions have shuf1ed off their
mortal coil except Halleck. He still lives
But Verplanck, ever since his brief career in
Congress, comes out at intervals with a letter
like voice from the tombs expecting that the
reputation Of the ilustrious dead will
still adhere to whatever he may commit
to print. These blue-moulded and dusty
lucubrations are characterized by one
remarkable feature--they attempt to prove
what everybody knows and nobody will ven
ture to deny. For instance, it cannot be dis
puted that in a time of peace gold and silver
are the proper legal tender. We are in the
midst of revolution, and necessity knows no
law. But Mr.. verplanck has gone beyond his
denth into constitutional law when he says
Congress has no constitutional power to make
paper legal tender, because the constitution
does not expressly give it such power. The
difference between the old constitution of the
Confederation and the present constitution Is
that under the Confederation no power could
be used that was not expressly delegated"
whereas under the new constitution powers are
delegated by implications and it is well
known rule Of law that when any power is cx
Year: 1862

No Type FoUNDRIEs AT THE SOUTH -
There is not a single type foundry south
of Baltimore, and most Of the Southern
papers, unless they succeed in replenish
ing from Europe, will be compelled, in
the course Of year, to suspend publca-
tion on account Of the worn-out condition
Of the type on which they are printed.
So far as typography is concerned, the
rebel newspapers already present a
wretched appearance
Year: 1862

A Fort Monroe correspondent Of the N.
Y. Times, under date of the 11th, says:


Yesterday met Gen. Prim and staff at
the hotel, on their return from Mcclellan s
headquarters. Gen. Prim and all his Off
GERS agreed in saying that they found the
morale Of our army is beyond anything
they could have possibly imagined-ap-
plauded Mcclellan, and said that our sue
cess was as certain as fate.


While cOnversing with Gen. Prim alone
distinguished member Of the New York
Press came up, was introduced, and com
menced aecosting the General in the Eng
lish language, of which the General knows
nothing. I consequently found myself in
terpTeteT. On inquiring how he found the
army, the General repeated what I said
before and then added, Significantly, and
as literally as / can recall his words of
this gentleman has influence with the
Press, implore him not to urge on General
Mcclellan. He has nothing to fear from
the cannon and bayonets of the enemy, but
he cannot fight the elements; mortal man
cannot do more than Gen Mcclellan is do
ing at this moment, and success is certain
if yOu only leave him alone


These words came fresh from the lips of
a Spanish General of honor and renOwn in
his own country, and who understands-if
some among US do not-the tremendous
issues involved in success or failure before
Richmond 1t was enough to warm the
heart of any American to stand by and see
the energy and feeling with which General
Prim gave expression 70 the sentiments I
have just faithfully recorded.
Year: 1862

One of Berdan's sharpsbooters, after the
battle of Hanover Court House, writes as
follows; IID EFEFtq


When we were IN our camp the next
morning, two Of our men went into house
to get some meal baked, and found three
old negro women cooking. They refused
to bake meal for the men, saying that their
mistress would have them whipped, al
though she made them bake for the C. S. A.
But our men coaxed them to put some bread
n the oven for them, when sure enough,
the Iadu of the house sent her son, a boy
tsn psaTs Of age, to whip these three old wo-
men. That is fine business to set boy at.
Whipping women sixty years Old. One Of
our men took the little varmint and used
his own whip over him till he was quite
satisfied to run into the house. Fine effect
such education must have on children.
Year: 1862

Extract Of Letter from Paris, May 81 =


Let me take this opportunity Of con-
graduating your army and the Government
on the glorious successes of the Union
| know nothing in history finer than Com
modore Farraguts capture Of New Orleans.
Ifhe were an Englishman, he would have
been made Peer and an Admiral by this
Year: 1862

deficiency in the Post Ofice can constitute any
argument for such q reform. We learn that
the Post -0fice receipts Of the Confedefate
Government have fallen of about half million
OF dollars, compared for corresponding period
Of time under the old Government, notyith-
standing the e.cision of the franking privilege,
the fact that since the LIST Of June last there
have been more petty offices discontinued than
established, and the amount Of public and
private correspondence induced by the war
and incident to the army. The only expli.
cable cause for the falling of Of receipts, where
all other causes have conspired to enlarge
them, can be In the excessive rates of Confed.
crate postage; the effect of high postal rates
being always to diminish correspondence in
more than an inverse proportion to the in.
creased rate, thereby reducing the revenue
derived from this branch of the public service.
TILE STARS AND STRIPES AND HAIL COLUMBIA.


"a From the Richmond Dispatch.I -,


An esteemed correspondent and q gallant
ofhcer desires to know If the South intend to
give up to the Yankees not only the old flag,
but Hail Columbia, and everything good, to
which We have as much right as they. As TO
the flag, We have already given reasons why
anything that resembles 1t is likely to produces
collisions in action between our OWE soldiers,
apart from the odium that belongs to what Is
now an emblem Of an inhuman despotism. It
is no longer the flag Of the free; it is the flag Of
the tyrant and oppressor, and Is stained With
the blood Of our sons and brothers. Let it be
henceforth the winding sheet Of the defunct
Union As the body without the spirit is dead,
so is the United States flag, when it ceases to
be the emblem of q free Government, dead
also.


We have no Partially, however, for the
Confederate flag. Our objections to it are
that it resembles closely the old and now
hideous ensign Of despotism. We want none
of its unnecessary stars and sickly stripes
The two flags Of the two nations ought to be as
distinct and different as the character and
instincts of the two peoples.


As to Hail Columbia" we are willing to
say "Hail and Farewell" We think the
theme is played out. Columbia is no longer
a happy land" Columbia, we begin to sus-
pect is q humbug. We want to have a new
country in its songs as we'll as its laws. At
the same time we would give up nothing to the
Yankees that is worth keeping. They are by
no means satisfied with any national anthems,
for they have offered a prize for new one |;
but even their money cannot produce the
music. Of what value will "Hail Columbia
be to people who prostrate " Columbia" at
the faint roar Of the British Lion OF what
value any national anthem to a nation which
has neither national spirit nor national honor.
Year: 1862

A correspondent of the Picayune
suggests to cotton planters to divert
portion Of their force to getting out
hoop-poles for the use Of the sugar
planters. They have been entirely
dependent on the Western States for
this supply which is now mostly cut
off: The estimated value of the
hoop-pole trade, this correspondent
says, cannot be less than S5OO,OOO.
Ihis amount invested in sugar and
molasses, at its present low price,
would afford relief to a very great
number Of individuals who are now
harrassed with prospect of Il scant
supply of the necessaries of life.


The sugar planters prefer small
hickory for hoops for their hogsheads
and barrels. This is the season for
cutting hoop-poles, as all cut after
the last of February would be worth
less.


Cur river will soon be in good
boating order and our boats will be
without any freight down, and our
people Will have three fold induce
ment to embark in this business: 1st.
It will greatly benefit themselves.
I'd. 1t will greatly benefit the sugar
planter. Sd. 1t will be patronizing
our steamboats,.
Year: 1862

MORE 1SsUDoRD1SAT1oN.-Six nine Of the
Mechanic Fusilcc1s were confined in the City
Armory, on Saturday, for insub and
Will be kept there until they promise obc-
diencc. The fact is not a very surprising ono,
and hardly worth the mention, as subordina-
ton and obedience at Camp Douglas arc more
Of a farce than a reality.
Year: 1862

The Louisville Journal urgesi,s readears
to stand by the government, TO ''do or say
nothing in consequence Of the wild but void
and transient policy of the Administration
which NAV tend to cripple or relax the
prosecution of the war, but TO bend without
abatement their whole energies to the
speedy breaking up and dispersion ofthe
military power Of the rebellion"


In this way. tho Journal thiuks, "both
rebels and abolitionisis will be put down
Aud it is right, Let the war be prosecuted
with all possible vigor, support tho Admin
istration in every act against the enemy
that is the true way 10 restore permanent
peace, and 10 destroy slavery, which IS abe
cause both Of abolitionism and rebellion.
When slavery ceases to excite, abolitionlsls
will no more be heard Of-when slavery
receives lis death-bloW, the very spirit Of
rebellion will be killed in this country. Let
us, therefore, BY all means, do all We can
to ex,erminAle that terrible evil which has
so torn and divided the country. Lot all
true meu support the Administration.
Year: 1862

Here is a rare bit of satire from Orpheus c.
Keer in the Sunday Mercury;


But the whole body of the Mackerels, sane and
insane alike unite in feeling ef strong anguish
blended with enthusiasm, at the removal OF the
beloved General of the Mackeral brigade. He
has been so much father to them all, that they
never expected to get a step farther while hew
with them.


There's piece of domestic philosophy for
you, my boy.


When the General heard of his removal, my
boy, he said it was like divorcing husband from
wife who had always supported him, and inn
mediately let fly the following farewell address;


Headquarters of Army of Accomae,


Foot of the Blue Ridge.


My CHILDREN: An order from the Honest Abe
divorces US, and gives the command of all these
attached beings to Major General WObert Wob-
inson. Hearirending and enthusiastic cheers
In parting with you l cannot express how
much love your dear bosonls. As an army,
you have grown from youth TO old age under
my care. In you / never found doubt or cold
ness, nor anything else. The victories you have
won under my command viii live in the nation s
work of fiction. The strategy We have achieved
the graves Of many unripe Mackerls, the broken
forms of those disabled by the emancipation
prOclamation--the strongest associations that
can exist among men-still make 1t advisable
that you should vote Tor me as President Of the
United States in 1865. Thus We shall ever be
comrades in supporting the Constitution, and
making the Constitution support us.


The General ofthe Mackeral Brigade.
[Greon Seall