smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

WASHINGTON, Jan. l9. 1862.


MY DEAR S1R--I am in receipt of yours
of the 18th. l will maze very short re>
ply /: First, as to why our army does not
strike at some other point han the strong
hold of the enemy here. We can't with
draw any considerable force from the army
of the Potomac without weakening our
line, and we have vigilant foe ready to
take advantage of any movement of the
kind. They can afford to have their wings
turned, if they can force our centre. Trust,
my dear sir, to the skill of men quite as
anxious for victory as either you or 1 can
be, with more knowledge of the means by
which it can be attained. A joint commit
tee has been in session for the last few
weeks. 1t was created by those opposed to
the manner in which the war has been
conducted. I opposed it, but that was
among my mistakes. 1t has done good !;
the plans of the army have been disclosed
to this committee. They must keep the &C.
crets thus communicated, but know they
are now satisfied with the plans; McClel-
Ian has been before them. The President
stated the other day in my presence that
there was probably but one man in the
country more anxious for battle than
himself, and that was Mcclellan. He re-
pudiated, in words of whitening rebuke to
those who make the charge, that be or Mr..
Seward or Gen. Met Clellan were tampering
or delaying out of any consideration for re.
bells or rebel institutions, or that they in
dulged any thought of ending the war by
any means other than conquest on the bat
tie field. / wish every man in our land
could have heard him.


This brings me to the second subject of
your letter That this rebellion must be
put down by force of arms. That is exactly
where you and ] (while we appear to agree)
differ. /, more than you, believe that the
sword must stay this rebellion. That is
not only the best way, but it is the only
Year: 1862

The Yankees, in accounting for their terrible defeat at Richmond attribute it to every cause but the right one They explain it by saving We out numbered them They have thus explained every defeat they have sustained since the commence ment of the war. We only wish the explanation was true Had it been, the war would long ago have been transferred to the enemy's country. We have won our battles alone by the desperate cour age of our troops and their numbers have always been too few to enable them to pursue and follow up their victories The want of arms has caused his deficiency, and we supply that want we will fight more to the purpose.

 The truth occasionally wild be heard The re- crminations between Secretary Stanton's friends ana the friends of Mcclellan, brought about by the disaster at Richmond, has had the happy effect to bring out the truth. Senator Chandler gives an official statement, showing that McClellan's forces, when he commercrd his C on to Richmond,'' ,'' amounted to l58 000-half as many more as the Confederates had We take the following report of the proceedings of the Federal Senate from the Bulletin of the 2O,h, paper published in Mem l phs by the Yankees:
Year: 1862

AN ADMIssIoN.-The New York Spirit of he TimeS adnits the drubbing the federas received at Richmond and says ,ciu take sir months to Tecoper from the disaster.

 The New York Times makes the same admis- sion, and thus goomily closes its long article on the defeat at Richmond:

 Beyond all question, this intelligence will fall with heavy weight upon the public heart. It is entirely unexpected, and shattsrs the high hope which the whole country has of late ndulged, that with tine fall of Richmond, the end of the rebel lion was close at hand But this depressing effect will be temporary. days reflection will rouse the whole country to the necessity of another effort to crush the rebellion. However vs may regret the necessity of further sacrifices, there is no alter native. ''We have no election, even if we were base enough to desire one" We cannot yield to the rebels in arms, without absolute and perra. nent disgrace-without complete ruin to all our hopes of national renown, without the loss of everything that makes our country great, prospe- and free.

 Whipped and foiled of their object, the Yankees bitterly reflect that, with the loss of the South, they lose national renown," and "eUrWaing that makes their country grcat prO&perous and tree
Year: 1862

4 CoRREcIoN.-Week before last we published order issued by Gen. (Stonewal) Jackson, in which mortifying typographical error occurred The printers made the sentence read thus "The General commanding would warmly express to the officers and men under his command his joy in their achievements, and his achievement, and his thanks" etc., when the original was: q his joy in their achievements, and his thanks" etc.

 By the repeat,' as printers ttrm it, the old hero is made to puff himself piece of bad taste of which he, of all men, would not be guilty. It escaped our notice in reading the proof-sheet, as errors will, despite the utmost care And this in stance may serve as preface to anecdote we somewhere found in print, as foliUws:

 VexatiouS typographical errors will sometimes occur in newspapers i'll spite of all the vigilance that can be exercised. Editors do not often trouG}e themselves much about them, knowing their req der5 to be capable of distinguishing those that are the fault of the prootreader, and trusting for in diligence to the extenuating circumstances of haste and hurry in going to press. They cannot always be avoided, even when time is given for thorough reading, and all percevable precautions adopted. We have recently met with curious historical fact, which may be appositGly related in this nection It is to the effect that some hundred years ago, number of the professors ot tn Edin- burgh Univ ersity attempted to publish work which should be perfect specimen of typographical ac- curacy Every precaution was taken to secure the desired result. Six experienced proof readers were employed, who devoted hours to the reading of each page, and after 1t was thought to be perfect,

 1t was pasted up in the University, with n0ttca- tion that reward of fifty pounds sterling would be paid to any person who could discover an error. Each page was suffered to remain two weeks in the 1 place where it had been pasted, before the work was completed, and the professors thought they had attained the object for which they had been striving When the work was issued, it was dis covered that several errors had been committed- one of which ill the first line of the first page
Year: 1862

In the battle near Rich nond, the federal bat teries were surrounded and protected by iron picket fences, the posts being made sharp and driven in the ground. These posts were near together made the barricade firm and it was so high that horses could not jump it. Our men had to chamber over this iron railing and made three charges before they carried the principal battery.
Year: 1862

nsy We are informed that the ladies
of New Berlin. although without any form
al organization, have not been behind their
sisters anywhere in providing and sending
to the hospitals delicacies and comforts
for the sick and wounded soldiers.
Year: 1862

NHERE is no malady Of deeper Importance,
l either in medical or moral point of view,
TO which the human family is more liable, than
that arising from impure connections.


AS medical man it is the duty of every Ply.
sician to look at disea-e us it affects health and
life, and his sole object should be to mitigate, as
far as in his power their bodily suffering. HUI
man nature is at best but fral; but all are liable
to misfortune.


OF all ills that affect man, none are more terri
BILE than those Of a. private nature. Dreadful as
it is in the person who contr cts it, trghtiul rs
are its rtvagts upon his constitution, ending tre.
quently in destruction and loathsome grave. it
becomes of still greater importance when it is
transmitted to an Innocent offspring Such being
the case how important it becomes that every one
having the least reason to fear that they have
contracted the disease, should attend to it at once
by consulting some physician, whose respectable
ity and education enables him to warrant safe,
speedy. and permanent cure. In accordance with
This necessity. Dr. Young feels called upon to
state that by loug study and extensive practice,
he has become perfect master OF all tboso diseases
Year: 1862

LIQUID GRATING WAx.-Melt pound Of
rosin over gentle fire; add to it an ounce
of beef tallow, and stir it well. Take it
from the fire, let it cool down a itile and
mix with it a teaspoonfuII of spirits of ter
pentine, and after that about seven ounces
of very strong alcohol. (95 per cent) The
alcohol roo!s it down 50 rapidly that it will
be necessary to put it again on the fire, stir
ring it constantly, the greatest care being
taken to prevent the alcohol from getting
intlamed TO avoid it. it is best to remove
the vessel from the fire when The lump that
NAV have been formed, commences melting
again. This must be continue Until the
whole is homogeneous mass similar 10
honey.
Year: 1862

The following are selected from IL volumnlous
accumulation Of testimonials of the press OF the
United States and tlom eminent Professors OF
our institutions where the practice Of medicine
is taught.
Year: 1862

Also, a regiment raised under,
and by the authority OF the State
of Texas for the frontier defence,
now in the service Of said State,
wlile in such service; and such 9TH
err persons as the President shall
be satisfied on account Of justice
or equity, or. necessity, ought to
be exempted, are hereby exempt
ed from military service in the ar
mics of the Confederate States;
provided that the exemption here
Year: 1862




pays the following high tribute 10
the fighting qualities OF our noble
troops:


1t is beyond all wonder how
such men as the rebel troops can
fight as they do. That those rag
ged and filthy wretches, sick, hun
cry and in all ways miserable,
should prove such heroes in fight,
is past explanation. Men never
fought better. There was one reg
iment that stood up before the fire
Of two or three of our long range
batteries and two regiments of in
fantry, and though the air around
them was vocal with the whistle
of bullets and the scream Of she'll,
there they stood and delivered
their Ere in perfect order; and they
continued to stand until a battery
of six light twelyes was brought to
bear on them, and before that they
broke. Nothing mortal can stand
a battery of six light Napoleon
guns if there is plenty OF grape
and canister In the ammunition
chests
Year: 1862

not be expected to move in so great a
matter as that brought to their notice in
the foregoing address while as yet the
Congress had taken no step beyond the
passage of resolution, expressive rather
OF a sentiment than presenting a substan,
tial and reliable basis of action.


The President aclnowled Eed the force
Of this view, and admitted that the bor-
der States We're entitled to expect a SUBJ
stantial pledge of pecuniary aid as the
condition Of taking into consideration a
proposition so important in its relations
to their social system.


1t was further represented, in the Con-
ference, that the people Of the border
States were interested in knowing the
great importance which the President at
tached to the policy in question, while it
vas equally due to the country, to the
President, and TO themselves, that the
representatives Of the border slaveho!d. q.
ing States should publicly announce the
motives under which they were called to
act and the considerations of public poll
cy urged upon them and their cohstitu5
ents by the President.


With a view to such a statement Of
their position. the members thus address.
ed met in council to deliberate on the re-
ply they should make to the President,
and, as the result of comparison of opin
ions among themselves, they determined
upon the adoption of majority and mi
nUrity answer,
Year: 1862

we were not willing toimpose tax on
our people sufficient to pay the interest
on that sum, in addition to the vast and
daily increasing debt already fixed upon
them by the exigencies of the war and,
if we had been willing, the country could
not bear it, Stated in this form the pro-
position is nothing less than the deporta.
ton from the country of sixteen hundred
million dollars worth Of producing labor
and the substitution in its place ofan in.
terest bearing debt of the same amount.


But, if we are told that it was expected
that only the States we represented
would accept the proposition, we respect,
fully submit that even then it involves a
sum to great for the financial ability OF
this government at this time. According
to the census of lS6O.-
Year: 1862

the weapon any man needs, and a pistol or
knife is burdensome weight which will trou-
BILE you deal, especially on a skedaddle, which
hope you may never see.


q. You will do well to wear very wide boots
The Government Bootee is capital walking
shoe, but not high enough to keep out dust
and mud. Don't wear a boot that is tight in
the least. "a mans soul is in his feet tno
pun intended.) give it as a maxim which
every man who has suffered from tight shoes
ON long march will acknowledge to be true.


T. You want two long and narrow bags that
you can pack in your haversack easily-one
for sugar and the other for coffee. In travel
lug in civilized country and through cities,
you can draw or buy all you want, but when
you are sent to drumming" you will have to
take your regular rations in your haversack,
and my advice is that you do take them and
keep them YOURSELF and not give away to fel-
lows who throw their own away, &c. The
State of Maine Dipper, is the strongest dipper
have ever seen. We lost ours on the. Win
chester skedaddle, and have been in poor shape
since.


1t is coming on cold weather now Have
your blouse lined, ifnot made so, and have two
pockets in it. You cannot carry much in your
pants as your legs will get chafed


You need box of salve, or bottle of castor
oil, or both, when you expect to march any
distance, cover your feet-top and bottom
with light coating of the oil or salve. 1t dir
ties the stockings bnt saves the feet. l have
no faith in soap on the feet when you can get
oil. After little time your feet will get tough
and need only to be Kept ordinarily clean.


You need no havelock, but be sure and have
towel, and if you lose it, get another as soon
as possible.


lost mine somewhere on our grand retreat
from Culpeppcr, and suffered almost as much
from loss of towel as of food.
Year: 1862

The following advice given to a recruit in
the Portland Battalion, by an officer in the
Tenth Maine Regiment, will prove useful to
many of our young soldiers:


Allow me to give you the benefit ofa years
experience in soldering. III you follow my
advice you will certainly become first Cor
poral, next Sergeant, and SO on as far as cir
cumstances will permit.


/. Recollect your rank, and be humble. II
you get damned by your second Lieutenant,
who probably would be mere snob, smother
your wrath, grin and bear it.


O. Learn all you can while a private; learn
the use of your gun, how to march, how to
live, how to get along with little or nothing,to
put yourself on level with your company and
not get the name of "Captain's Petm Learn
how to make your men more comfortable in
case you should be an officer; and finally, if
you get in with dirty and lousy crew, grin
and bear it again, charge it to your country,
and let it go at that.


B. Every day you stay in camp, or remain
on guard over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad,
count as gain, for as much as you may wish
to get into active service, you will never en-
joy yourself more anywhere than in a quiet
camp.


A. Don't load your knapsack with six pairs of
stockings, two or three white shirts, handker-
chiefs, blacking-brushes, several ambrotypes
ofyour lady love, &c, because one day you
will lose your whole kit, and you will lament
the many aches you have had in Juggling it
around only to lose.


D. Don't buy pistol or dirk-knife on any
account; they are the two greatest nuisances
imaginable, and you will one day have them
stolen from you. A gun with bayonet is all
Year: 1862

ident has certainly put in the knife with
stout purpose, and if there has been any doubt
heretofore in the minds of the opponents of
emancipation, as to the cause of the rebellion,
they can 'see it" plainly enough now, if they
will look


The recent movements of the grand army
cause much apprehension all over the coun-
try In regard to the speedy success of our
arms; but we have no reason to fear any con-
siderable disaster, with a commander who
seems to possess in so eminent degree the
requisite qualities of fighting general as does
Gen. burnside. The worshippers of McClel-
Ian will, OF ofcourse, be ready enough to say that
they knew it would be so,' and will prophesy
evil in consequence of his removal.


But just now hear news confrinatory of
rumors which have been current for few
days past, of the resignation of Gen. Burn
side. This, if il proves true, will doubtless
dampen the ardor of our soldiers, and the pail
of gloomy uncertainty will again hang over
us for season. The world looks on amazed
at our stupendous war establishment, and won-
ders that, with our preponderating strength
and resources, the rebellion was not crushed
long ago. Bat few realize the immense and
determined hatred of the South for the Union
government. Its seeds were sown when the
first slave was imported in 1920. Strange CO.
incidence! Liberty and Slavery planted dur
ing the same year; and, after nearly two cen
turies and half, each with rcd hands upon
the others throat, struggling still for the mas
terry. Liberty will triumph. Slavery midst
bite the dust. 1t may be long before we wit
ness its last convulsive throe, but its heart is
pierced, ,'and with its downfall will tyranny the
world over receive a vital thrust Popular
sovereignty-not the kind advocated by char
latans and slavocrats-is to be the basis of
popular government; and no country can
long maintain an internal peace, when the
law and the administration thereof are con-
ducive to the oppression of the masses. It
never was so, and in the nature of things, it
is impossible to be.


SI-RAITFRN
Year: 1862

Tt1HE GREAT EASTERN HAVING .SogChED THE
ground on her late passage from Lverpo0S hss been
considered advisable 10 make thorough examinaaoY hr
bottom before sending her departure will there


fore delayed beyond ho previously advertised day Of sail


ing Holders OF return tickets Will have them renewed


the money returned they may desire Due notice viii be
given Of the ships departure
Year: 1862

\ SOLDIER in camp before Yorktown writes
thus TO his friends in Boston,


There has not been a slave seen here since
we came, and upon inquiry | learn that the
rebels took them all off to work upon the for
tiications. | also learn that at one time the
rebels had five thousand negroes working on
the Yorktown forti6cations. Since We came
here four companies from each regiment have
been employed building roads The sight is a
novel one. so many men with q muSlet in one
hand and pick, shovel or AK in the other
Last evening, as we were returning from hard
days work, member of PENNSYLVANIA regi-
ment remarked that it was little Singular
that Uncle Sam should send soldiers out 10
work upon the roads. and at the same time
forward bands Of negroes to Philadelphia to
live IN idleuess at :he expense of the Govern
ment.
Year: 1862

NAIrING--A Memphis correspondent OF
the Richmond Examiner writes that there is
very little panic in Memphis. The people are
quietly if not almost calIously anticipating the
worst" This is really strange 1t would not
surprise US to hear that they had even hailed
the arrival of Commodore Foote with joy
These are days in which the rebels will meet
with many such surprises.
Year: 1862

An account of the Pittsburg battle says
that the Mississippi brigade dashed like fierce
wave upon our left wing" The brigade may
have been big wave, but its subsequent mo-
tion was big waver.- Prentice.
Year: 1862


OF all tho myriad moods Of mind


That through the sorl come thronging,
Which one was e'er so dear, 80 kind,


So beautiful, as Longing
The thing VIC look tor, that we are


For one transcendent moment,
Before the present. poor and bare,


Can make its sneering comment.
Still, through our paltrv stir and strife,


CLOVIS down the wished Ideal,
And Longing moulds in clay what Life


Carves in the marble Real;
To let the new life in, we know


Desire must ope the portal;
Perhaps the longing to be so


Helps mako the soul immortal.
Longing is Gods fresh, heavonward will


With our poor, earthward striving;
We quench it, that it may be still


Content with merely living;
But. would wo know that hearts full scop


Which we are bourly wrenging,
Our lives must climb from hope to hope,


And realize our longing.
Ah let US hope that to our praise


Good God not only reckoBs
Tho moments whom we tread His ways,


But when the spirit beckons.-
That some slight good is also wrought


Beyond self. satisfaction,
When we are simply good in thought,


Howe or We fall in action.
Year: 1862

A SALUTARY THoUGHr.-Wheu I was
young man, there lived in our neigh
borhood a farmer who was usually re-
ported TO be very liberal man, and un-
commonly upright in his dealings. When
he had any of the produce OF his farm to
dispose Of, he made it an invaria5le rule
to give good measure-rather more than
could be required of him. One of his
friends, observing him frequently doing
so questioned, him why he did it-told
him he gave too much, and said it would
not be to his advantage. Now mark the
answer of this excellent man. "God
Almighty has permitted me but one Jour-
ney through the world, and when | am
gone cannot return to rectifv mistakes"
Think Of this. But one journey through
the world
Year: 1862

A LAWYER OUTwITTED.-A Yankee once
asked an attorney how an heiriss might be
carried off "You cannot do it with safety,
said the counsellor, shut ] tell you wha,
you may do. Let her mount horse, and
hold bridal whip; do you then mount be.
bind hor and you are safe. for she runs
away With you ia lieu Of your running away
with her." The next day tho lawyer found
that i was bis own daughter who ran away
With his client