Year: 1876

mosphere mo pun on haze, because the
wheeler is omitted) brings the sky


so near to the earth that paradise


does not seem 50 very far off after all.


Last night in the full glory Of the


harvest, ! strolled up Pennsylvania


avenue past the White House and War


Department under the shadow of the


magnificent old trees. My thoughts


went back to the April night in 1865,


when about half-past ten o'clock, in
company with two gentleman from


Kentucky, we hearing the news of the
assassination at the Metropolitan Hotel


went full speed in hack to the White
House to learn its truth. The moon


was struggling through cloud as we
stopped at the door-no sentry, no ush-
er, no servant barred the way, and ii
was not until we had penetrated to
the very attic where the officers were
then located, and aroused n sleepy
clerk, who appeared to be the only in
mate object of the premises so far as
we could see. About five minutes af-
ter the Presidents own carriage came
up the horses on n run and little Tad,
the Presidents son, came out from
below the stairs weeping and crying
out to be carried to his dear father.


Nobody could ever tell where the
crowd came from, hut i'm from five to
seven minutes after, the space in front
of the White House was packed by the
multitude. As we turned to leave, a
horseman on a foaming steed asked i'm
an excited tone if anyone could tell
where Sergeon General Barnes could
be found; that Secretary Seward had
been assaulted in his bed, and his
throat cut, and they feared he was dy-
ing. We then looked each other in
the face. What could this mean? Was
this rebel or copperhead work? We
walked down toward the Treasury,
and talked in low, sad tones about the
tragedy, and all at once Mr.. b., one of
the party, said, ANDY would stand a
poor chance if anybody went for him


Il tried to transact some business


with him tonight and he was drunk
as fiddler. "They didn't want to kill
Andy Johnson, they knew where TO
STOP" said a tall long haired, bilious
looking man, by the Kirkwood House,
rs we paused for moment on our
way down in town.


Will the secret ever be divulged 1t
has hovercd in the air, its murmur
faint and scarcely distinguishable; it
has almost taken shape sufficient to
give it graspful substance, yet never
quite crossed the verge on whose foot
stool falls the pail of mystery.


For a venture will suggest that a
certain person now gone hence (who
was as all powerful in Tammany as is
the Captain General Of the Jesuit or
der in his cabinet) might have been
able to throw some light upon this
matter. His lips We're sealed, howev-
er, and the weight upon his soul crush
ed out his life.


Thought still-as I passed the War
Department the memory of the old
days when Stanton sat like fate and
held the destiny of America in his
grasp, came full upon me. There used
to be Il stump of tree standing upon
the platform On the north front Of the
War Department; it was about eight
teen inches in diameter at the base,
and about four feet high, and from
half its height tapered to a point like
a lead pencil, sharpened by a school
girl, (unevenly,) it was souvenir
from the front of Fort Hell on the
Rappahannock, and ii was cut in the
shape it bore by bullets fired from the
lines ON either side. Warm work
there you would say; believe you my
boy; the name of the fort would show
ii, and, as leaned over the fence and
looked at the grim old building where
our War Chief used to sit, l wondered
if the people of this country were so
anxious to try it over that they were
willing to elect Tilden and Hendricks.


Right here before ! forget it, ! must
tell you little circumstance of the
close of the war.


A Colonel of New York Regiment,
who was at Appomattox at the sur
render, was moving down with his
to guard a portion of Lees
captured wagon train, and was asked
by rebel officer Il think Colonel
from South Carolina) to be allowed to
ride in his company for safety against
any predatory band that might be met.
The permission was cheerfully accord |
ed, and the two gentlemen fell into |
and insensibly while |
the war got upon the
question Of their various parties. The
South Carolinian became very incensed
at the New York Colonel, and at last
refused to further avail himself of the
escort and rode away. Just prior to
parting he turned in his saddle and |
spoke these words: "Col. Morgan, this |
is your turn now; we have appealed
to the abitrament of arms and have
been defeated, but sir, we will win by |
craftsmanship what We have
failed to gain upon the field" Did the
mantle of prophesy rest upon that cool
rebel soldiers form, on that bright
spring morning amid those Virginia
glades? l must confess it looks vastly
like it. The rebels are in Congress to
the exclusion of all else in the South
and the columns of the papers daily
show that where they cannot defeat us
in any other way, the shotgun and
hired assassin furnish ready means.


Just now, here in Washington, we
are feeling lively over the contraction
of force, and much speculation over
the grand result is INDUCED in. The
Postmaster General in his department
has commenced by relieving his rolls