"an humble tobacconist," but who evi-
dently had had some experience as a
speaker, that they were all good Union
men — ^that they had even voted for Mr.
Lincoln, and intended to do so again, —
consequently they were entitled to a hear-
ing, and that they were sure of the inno-
cence of their employer. A good deal of
eloquence was expended, but the Presi-
dent would not be moved. It was even
ascertained that this same merchant had
given money — some hundreds of dollars —
toward carrying on the war. At last the
President spoke:

" Gentlemen, this Grovemment is a big
machine, even in times of peace ; it is no
small thing to keep it in good running or*



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der — but now, when added to the usual
duties of my position, I have on mj hands
this great rebellion {which is to he put
daum,) I have no time to waste. I have
been visited already more than once by
parties fitnn Baltimore, urging my inter-
ference in this case. Ton protest that
this man is innocent ; then let him awidt
his trial, when he can easily prove it."

" But," said the speaker, in behalf of
his friend, " but we vote for you."

^ Can't help it; it is not so essential
that I have votes, as that the rebellion be
crushed. To what purpose is it that you
vote for me ; that you pay a small sum of
money to soldiers, as a cover up, while
you supply the rebels with goods or arms?
I tell you, gentlemen, it wiU not do. Al-
ready has the War Department declared
to me that it could not and would not
stand by me in this work of subduing the
rebels, if every time they catch a rascal,
I let him loose. Gentlemen, I am't going
to do it"

"Well, but, your excellency, I am a
fighting man. I once paid three hundred
dollars for knocking a man down."

The President drew himself back, and
with much good nature said —

** Let me beg you not to try that on
me."

Then the speaker, in behalf of the ac-
cused, took another turn.

" Mr. President, even your enemies say
you have much goodness of heart Will
you not parole this man, accepting bonds,
which we will procure to any amount ? "

The President could not be moved.
When appeals were made to his sympathy,
he said, with great decision, —

« I will not listen."

" But, Mr. President, you can do this
thing."

" Certainly I can, and I can end this
war and let the rebels have their own
way ; but I am not going to do it"

" Six months m the White House, " by
Mr. F. B. Carpenter, is a volume of in-
tense interest, as exhibiting, by an eye-



witness and fiuniliar household associate,
the winsome, inner-life traits, of the late
beloved President But for Mr. Carpen-
tei's fortuitous and fortunate residence at
the Presidential mansion, in his profes-
sional occupation, at a period when Mr.
Lincoln's personal and official traits were
so strikingly called forth, the world would
have lost one of the most authentic and
affecting portraitures of the martyred
President Mr. Carpenter's book will
happily be accessible to multitudes who
may never have the opportunity to look
upon his splendid "Emancipation" pic-
ture.

♦

VUfirlit from the Sheziandoah.

The order for the desolating of the
Shenandoah Valley, issued by General
Grant, that it might not afford sustenance
to the Confederate raiders, was the source
of wide-spread ruin to the inhabitants of
that region. Property of all descriptions
was swept away as with a besom in
an iron hand, and families without num-
ber were scattered houseless to poverty,
exposure and hunger. An illustration
of the scenes attending such a hegira
is afibrded in the case of a woman — ^a
very Niobe in her distress — ^who was dis-
covered sitting by the wayside, on an old
chest, and with whom the following con-
versation transpired :

" You look very sad. Ma'am."

" Yes, and I feel so, too. Sir," replied
she ; " but I've got through ciying long
ago. Sir ; Tve no more tears to shed."

" Do you come from the Valley ? "

" Yes, we are all from the Valley."

"Howfer?"

"Nigh fifty miles I reckon we came.
Why, we were rich," continued she ; " we
had a nice ftmn, a good house and bams,
and, let me tell you what we had. We
had nine head of young cattle, we had
four cows, and four old horses, and six
colts. Then there were thirty sheep, and
six fatted hogs, and six pigs. Then I had
in the house two barrels of apple buttei^



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three hundred pounds of honey, three
crocks of butter, and I had silk in the
house for two new dresses — to say no-
thing of my drawers being full of sheets
and pillow cases, and all kinds of house
linen, and a feather bed on every bed-
stead. Well, Sir, I was s^ Union woman,
I was ; I ga\ e my honey and my apple
butter, and all my things to your men,
when they came up there scouting, and I
never begrudged it. When the order
came for your men to clear the Valley,



said she ; " we fold a colt to one of your
mcB, and he was a kind man, too, for thirty
dollars. We had considerable of Confed-
erate money, but that was no good."
" Well, where do you intend to go ? "
" Me and the children hope to go to
Ohio, but we don't know as we shall. We
don't know what to do."

In this same condition, each with its
kindred tale of wo, were hundreds of fami-
lies, on their way from the depopulated
ValLy of the Shenandoah. In the dark-



Flight from Qkb Shenuidaah Valley.



some of them came while I was over to a
neighbor's. I saw the light in my direc-
tion, and, oh dear I I knew what was going
on — ^I knew my bam was going. I run
all the way, and I come on one man with
a pot of butter, and another with a pot of
honey, and all my things ; I knew whose
they were, and when I got there they had
gutted my house. I just had time to get
a few things together— there's all that's
left. Sir,** pointing with an air of unutter-
able despondency to a little pile of effects
at her feet

" Have you nothing left but those ? **
" Only tlurty dollars in money besides,"



ness of the night, the scene was one that
mingled the wretched and the picturesque
in a manner that never yet engaged the ar-
tist's pencil. An angry sky over their heads,
and bleak, cold winds whistling around
them ; women with children of tender years,
often with babes at the breast; young
girls and boys and feeble old men — for
there were no young or able men among
them; such were the scenes and groups
which met the eye and wrung the heart



Happy Baxial Oooasion tor the Twenty-

â– erenth Illinois.
Early one morning in 1862, while at
Farmington, near Corinth, IVCssissippi, as



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General Palmer was riding along his
lines to inspect some breastworks that had
been thrown up during the previous night,
he came suddenly upon some of the hoys
of Company I, Twenty-seventh Illinois
Volunteers, who had just shot a two hun-
dred pound hog, and were engaged in the
interesting process of skinning it The
soldiers were startled ; their chief looked
astonished and sorrowful.

"Ah! a body, — a corpse. Some poor
fellow gone to his last home. Well, he
must be buried with military honors. Ser-
geant, call the officer of the £,uard."

The officer was speedily at hand, and
received orders to have a grave dug and
the body buried forthwith. The grave
was soon prepared, and then the company
were mustered. Pall bearere placed the
body of the de€d upon a stretcher. The
order was given to march, and with re-
versed arms and funeral tread, the sol-
enm procession of sixty men followed the
body to the grave. Not a word passed,
nor a muscle of the face stirred, while the
last rites of sepulture were being per-
formed. The ceremony over, the Greneral
and his staff waved their adieux, and were
soon lost in the distance.

The philosophy of a soldier is usually
equal to the emergency. He has read
and pondered. He can painfully realize
that flesh is as grass, and that life is but
a shadow. But he thinks of the resur-
rection,' and his gloom passes away. So
with the philosophic boys of Company I,
Twenty-seventh lUmois. Ere the Gene-
ral was fairly seated at his own breakfast
table, there was a raiding of the dead, and
savory pork steaks were fiying in many a
camp pan.



I and their fates with the dLuniouLsts, and

I their premises were assigned by General

Bumside as the headquarters of the Sani-

I tary Commission for his division, "Aunt

Charlotte " came into the employ of the

Sanitary Inspector for the Department of



''Aunt Charlotte," th* Old Oook at New-
bdm.

"Aunt Charlotte " was one of the insti-
tutions within the Union Lines at New-
bem, N. C. She was an old family cook.
When her master and mistress ran away
and deserted her, to join their fortunes



AuDt Churlotte, the Old Cook.

North Carolina, and many a sick and
wounded soldier from the States of New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
Massachusetts, had x-eason to bless the cu-
linary accomplishments of this venerable
contraband cook, and to praise the alacrity
with which, in times of their greate-t
need, she exerted her skill to save them
from suffering.

On one occasion, soon after the battle,
when a steamboat load of sick and wound-
ed soldiers from the battle-field were un-
expectedly landed in Newbem, and found
themselves in a bare hall, with no accom-
modations for the night, without 'any pro-
visions or any appliances for cooking, and
too late in the evening for any relief from
the ordinary " regulation " sources, " our
old cook " was appealed to, and the alac-
rity with which she came to the relief of
those sick and wounded men, will never
be forgotten.

By the time comfortable beds had been
prepared for their occupation, "Aunt
Charlotte" had sent over a warm ar.d
bountiful supper for some forty or mo- e



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famished and exhausted patients — a supper
of those choice materials with which the no-
ble charity of northern ladies had so gener-
ously supplied the service through the
Sanitary Qommission, and which the skill
of " our old cook," on that night of wretch-
edness, served up to the wan and hungry
soldiers with a nicety and a delicacy of
flavor which can only come from an ac-
complished cutsine, but which all palates,
however unsophisticated, can appreciate.
The poor soldiers were no less surprised
than gratified at such unexpected relief
from the sufferings of that wretched day
of exposure and hunger. And their ex-
pressions of satisfaction, as they quietly
dropped off to sleep after their hunger was
appeased and their wants attended to,
would almost have paid the old slave wo-
man for her long life of bondage. The
next morning, and the next night, and
a second morning, did this old "col-
ored lady " add to her ordinary day's la-
bor the preparation of suitable food for
this whole hospital of sick and wounded
soldiers.

"Aunt Charlotte " was bom in Charles-
ton, South Carolina, but came many years
ago to Newbem, and was the slave of one
of its wealthiest citizens. She is about
sixty-five years old ; has a great deal of
character, and follows a thorough, system-
atic routine of life — always at her post —
always reliable. She possesseB no mean
administrative abilities, reminding one of
an old merchant, habituated to a regular,
systematic life, with ability enough to
keep all surroundings subordinate to that
system. It seemed as if, were she to be
superseded in that kitchen, she would lose
her hold on life, and the whole " darkey "
appendage to the domestic establishment
would be deprived of its balance wheeL

When, therefore, on the first occupation
of the premises, she was told that so long
as she did rights she would keep her place
in the kitchen, and receive six dollars a
month, the "old lady" i^preciated her
poeition at once, and from that day forth.



without further trouble to her employer,
was secured the proper regulation and de*
portment of all the servants " on the lot"
— ^men, women and children — and of all
who visited them. Nothing ever hap-
pened among them to annoy or displease,
the household being as well ordered as if
the white mistress were still there to di-
rect

"Aunt Charlotte's" domestic relations
were as well ordered as the household.
She had children, grandchildren, and great
grandchildren. Her old husband — ^ Un-
cle Sam " — in propria persona — but almost
superannuated, at the age of seventy-five,
was Greneral Bumside's gardener. It was
touching to witness the habitual care
which " Old Aimty " took of this venera-
ble partner of her life and her bondage.
As regular as the dock, the old man, with
his staff, came in at mid afternoon frx>m
his daily employment. He invariably
found a chair set for him on the kitchen
piazza, by the side of a well-scoured deal
table. On this, " Old Aunty " placed be-
fore him a plate well filled from aU the
dishes which she had that day served from
her employer's table.



"Woatldiig tha Monate r Pazrott Ghm.
There being, of course, no manual laid
down for the operating of that novel Phi-
listine in military practice, the "three-
hundred-pounder Parrott," the mode of
working it will be best understood by an
explanation fr-ee from technical language —
thus : The piece is on its carriage and
" from battery." Implements, no two in
the same place and no one in its proper
place. The instructor gives the command,
"Load her up!" At this command the
gunner says, " Some of you fellers bring a
shell," and "John, bring a cartridge."
Some of the ' fellers ' take a small himd«
barrow and bring a shelL Gunner says,
"Stick in that powder." "Now, boys,
hold on till I get out a fuse." " Stick it
in." All hands by hard heaving get the
shell to the embrasoie. Gunner says.



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« Swab her out" She is swabbed out
" Now, heave and haul, and m it goes." It
goes in accordingly. " Now, ram it down."
It is rammed down. " Now, run her in."
She is run in. " Screw down the recoil-
bands." They are screwed down. Gun-
ner Bxma. "Slew her round a little."
*A11 right!" "Where's that primer?"
^'Now, git out of the way, everybody."
All go to windward, and No. 3 steps round
a comer, so as not to be hit if the gun
bursts. Gunner says, ''Maze away/"
She blazes away. Remark of the gunner
on returning to the gun : " How are you
Sumter ? " Repeat.



Biif6rd'a Method of Spnrrinff np Teamsters.
While Meade's army was on its retro-
grade movement, an incident occurred
which showed that General Buford was as
fertile in expedients as he was brave in an



Bridge Acrora Platte Creek

emergency. While bringing up the rear,
with the rebels not far behind him, he
came up with a train of wagons several
miles long, numbering, in all, some eight
hundred. The train was stopped, and
Buford could find no one in command to
start it. No time was to be lost. The
enemy were coming— coming ! and Bu-
ford's command would be cut up and the
train captured. The teamsters in that
long line could not be made to comprehend
and act But General Buford, in a few
seconds, both comprehended and acted.
He ordered one of his rifled pieces to be



planted in the rear of the train, and began
firing shells up the road, over the wagons,
at the longest range, and with a good ele-
vation. A few of those "rotten cannon
balls " bursting over the train roused the
lagga^s and fixed the business. Believ-
ing that the rebels were thus close — very
close upon them, the wagon-masters and
teamsters applied whip and spur, and the
whole caravan was moved off safely.



History of a Sword.
Major William Stubbs captured a sword
at the battle of Shiloh, which has a histo-
ry which pertains to few weapons of its
kind, or indeed to any other. It had been
presented to him by his fellow-conductors
on the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad,
and bore an appropriate inscription of re-
spect from the donors to the Major. When
captured it fell into the hands of a Con-
federate Lieutenant- Colo-
nel, who was taken prisoner
at the battle of Corinth by
= a private of the Tenth Mis-
r souri regiment. The pri-
vate, however, having no
fj. use for the article, gave it to
his Lieutenant. Afler the
r fall of Vicksburg the origi-
- nal owner of the sword was
exchanged, and the Missouri
private, reading a list in a
Chicago paper, saw the
name of the officer, which
was the same as that inscribed upon the
sword. He thereupon wrote to the Major,
who answered in person, and the sword
was returned. It had passed through
three campaigns, sometimes wielded for
and sometimes against the Union.



Sdldier Mechanics.
Captain Arnold, of company E, Rhode
Island Fourth regiment, was one day or-
dered to take possession of the cross-roads
at Havelock station. Near this place he
came upon a large and valuable property,
in the shape of a com and flour mill, com-



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bined with a saw-mill, belonging to Dr.
Master, of Newbern. He found the place
deerted, and the miiciiinery purposely
thrown out of gear to prevent its use by
tli3 Yankees. The turbine wheel had
wedges and clogs placed in it, so that it
would be both difficult and dangerous to
attempt to start the mill. Being a practi-
cal mechanic, and withal possessing some
experience in the management of mill,



mechanism, from the soldier-boys of the
victorious army.



luUadit^ c.je i.'ouU>oa.

Captain Arnold immediately discovered
" what was the matter with the mill." He
accordingly first drew down the pond, came
to the seat of the difficulty, repaired dam-
ages, and in a few hours the mill was jog-
ging along as good as new, doing capital
service in the cause of the Union by grind-
ing corn-meal for the use of the troops.
After it had been restore 1, a person, claim-
ing to be an agent of the Doctor, made his
appearance, when, everything being made
satisfactory, the premises were gracefully
turned over to him without any charges
for repairs. It was the easiest thing in the
world, for Union soldiers from the North
and West to improvise machinery of all
sorts, repair locomotives, build bridges, dig
canals, throw up dams, and, as to pontoons.
Prof. Airy himself might have taken les-
sons in the philosophy of that kind of



Couli not Wait for Death.
At the general hospital in Washin.:]^on,
says Prof. Hackett, a soldier from Penn-
sylvania, who had been severely wounded
— so much so as to be beyond recover}' —
was lying on the floor. When the exam-
ining surgeon of the hospital came along
and looked at the
condition of the suf-
ferer, expressing his
hopeless beUcf as to
_ the recovery of the
I man, to his assist-
ant, he raised his
head and said :

" Doctor, will I re-
cover? is there any
hope for me ? — for,
if not, I want you to
kill me.*'

The surgeon tried

to calm him, and ho

k appeared to drop into

? a doze. In a few

moments he took a

revolver from his

pocket, placed it resting against his ten.-

ple, and fired ; being so feeble he coidd not

hold it firmly, and the ball ju:t glanced

over the skin without starting blood, but

the discharge blackened his face. The

pistol was immediately taken from him,

when he said — though tl:en only half an

hour before he was a corpse, —

" I do not want to linger in pain with-
out a ho|>e."

♦

Foor-leflTg^ Messenger proving Disloyal.
A Federal officer who came up from
City Pomt, Virginia, one October's day, to
Washington, was observed to have with
him an ugly-looking specimen of the genus
canine, which he guarded very carefiUy.
The dog, it appears, was a great pet wiiU
both tlie Union and Confederate pickets in
front of Hancock's corps. The an!iual hud



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been trained to cany messages from time
to time between the pickets. A southern
paper would be placed in his mouth, and
he would scamper off to the Union lines,



Foar-legged



proring DiBloyal.



deliver up the paper, and then return with
a northern paper. He would at other
times be intrusted with packages of coffee
and tobacco, which he always delivered
promptly and safely. The secessionists,
however, ader a while undertook to make
use of him for transmitting information
from one portion of their lines to another,
' and the four-legged messenger having been
caught with one of these contraband mes-
sages, he had to suffer the penalty of such
disloyalty by being confiscated and brought
J^orth.

Ammunition Sent try ffa* Enemy Just in

Time.
Late one night, after the redoubts had
been captured, an ammunition wagon,
drawn by six mules, was driven up from
the direction of Petersburg, to a particular
point in the cluun of fortifications. Gen-
eral Birney, surprised to see it coming from
that direction^ asked the driver at once
what he had in the wagon? The answer
was, ^ Ammunition for Battery No. 9."
* Where did it oome from?" inquired the
General, supposing that additianal ammu-



nitioa might have been sent for some of
the field-pieces he had placed in the breast-
works. '^ From the arsenal," said the
driver. "Oh, very well," said Birney,
" 111 take charge of it" This was ammu-
nition sent from the city to the rebeb ; but
Birney and some of his troops, unknown
to the driver of the ammunition wagon,
occupied Battery No. 9. The General
duly appreciated such a timely addition to
his supplies. It was the right battery but
the wrong General



Onstamer tar Ghrant'a Biography.
Rather an amusing incident concerning
Greneral Grant is related as having occur-
red while he was on a journey in a raiboad
train, and where he displayed, as usual,
none of the insignia of his military rank.
A youthfiil book peddler traversed the
cars, crying, "Life of Greneral Grant"
A mischief-loving lud pointed the young-^
ster to the General's seat, suggesting to
him that " that man might like a copy."
General Grant turned over the pages of
the book, and casually asked, " Who is it
this is all about ? " The boy, giving him a
most incredulous grimace of indignation
and disgust, replied, "You mujst be a
darned greeny not to know General
Grant I " Af^er this volley the Lieuten-
ant-Creneral of course surrendered, and
bought his biography.



Oonsol and General matched affainet each
other in Savannah.
The scene which took place between
General Sherman and the British Consul
at Savannah was one of the richest and
most piquant during that geneaal's event-
fril peregrinations. On his arrival in that
city, the General saw a large number of
British flags displayed from buildings, and
his curiosity was naturally excited to know
how many " British Consuls " there were
in that important city! He soon ascer-
tained that these flags were on buildings
where cotton had been stored away, and
he at once ordered it to be seized. Soon



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after that, while the Greneral was busy at
his head-quarters, a pompous gentleman
walked in, apparently in great haste, and
inquired if he was General Sherman?
Having received an affirmative reply, the
pompous gentleman remarked :

" Well, sir, when I left my residence.
United States troops were engaged in
removing my cotton from it, notwithstand-
ing its protection by the British flag."

"Stop, sir!" said Greneral Sherman;
" ndt your cotton, but my cotton ; my cot-
ton, in the name of the United States
government, sir. I have noticed a great
many British flags here, all protecting cot-
ton ; I have seized it all in the name of
my government.'*

^ But, sir," said the Consul, indignantly,
" there is scarcely any cotton in Savannah
that does not belong to me."

" There is not a pound of cotton here,
sir, that does not belong to me, for the
United States," responded Sherman.

" Well, sir," said the Consul, swelling
himself up with the dignity of his office
and reddening in his face, " my govern-
ment shall hear of this. I shall report
your conduct to my government, sir."

'*AhI pray, who are you, sir?" said
the generaL

" Consul to her British Majesty, sir."

" Oh I indeed I " responded the General.
" I hope you will report me to your gov-
ernment. You will please say to your
government, for me, that I have been
fighting the English government all the
way from the Ohio river to Vicksburg,