The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, May 28, 1886, Image 1
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to Hflrieulfurij, gortirulturq, Domestic fitonomg, fotite JTitijrature, folitie#, and the Current gfcuis of the gag.
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VOL. .XVII.?New Series. UNION C. H., SOUTH CAROLINA, MAY 28, 1886. NUMBER 21.
V n " ? ~ -
nciAin IOWAH
OF TUB
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY.
BT OWE or THEM.
No. 4.
Tbe liill of Iho highest altitude in the vicinity
of Waterloo bridge furnished us parking ground
for our nuns on the nieht of 2/ith Aim 1RA9
w O ? -VV?
AVe cat our scanty breakfast that morning before
sunrise, saw ne dinner, and were now in
camp late at night with no encouraging prospect
of supper. 1'ut our commissary, 8. M.
Dawkins, put in liis appearance, with some
hard tack and pickle pork, in time to prevent
us from going to bed hungry. . I remember
eating my hard tack and pickle-pork that night
with more relish and satisfaction than I do any
party, dinner or marriage supper it has ever
been -my privilege to enjoy. We were very
tired as well as very hungry that night; and as
soon as one of naturo's demands was satisfied;
we laid down and dropped off to sleep, to
satisfy the other. We rose from our beds of
mother earth next morning and viewed our
beautiful surroundings. Spread out within the
sweep of the eyes, in endless variety, were
hills and dales, forests and fields, corn and
meadow, land and water ; and in all this picture
of beauty and repose "only man was vile."
Scattered here end ih?r? h* /.mti.i .......
? ? ... ? ? ? ?V WVM1W WV OUVU iU
squads, companies, regiments, brigades, divieions
and corps, watching each other and waiting
for the coming storm of battle.
And deep down in tlio valley below, where
tha Rappahannock rushes seaward through the
great gorgo that nature cleft between the uplifted
hills, could be seen one of the anomalies
of the war of secession. Facing each other,
from the summits of these bills nnd in the
alleys below, were the pickets of the two
* great opposing armies disputing with leadon
arguments for the possession of the Waterloo
bridge. The iuvaders fighting to destroy the
bridge, so as to keep the army they came South
to destroy on the opposite side of the river.
The invaders were afraid of being invaded.
Pope and Lee wore equally vigilant, anxious
and apprehensive, but from different motives,
Lee was vigilant, trying to get over to the
a Northern side of the Rappahannock ; Pope was
vigilant to keep him from crossing. Lee was
auxious to bring on the fight without deluy;
Pope was anxious to stave it off. Lee was ap.
torehensive Imh 1m mnlil ha( <i?u? r
r ? ?? U4?l V A V|/V IIUIU
his strong position in timo to beat Lira in detail
before McClellan reinforced him from the peninsula
; Tope was apprehensive less Lee should
succeed in his daring plans before the peninsola
troops arrived. \Letf*Mw the atmoulty of ~
crossing the river in the face of a strong enemy
and strongly posted, lie decided that tbe
easiest nnd quickest way to dislodge Tope was
by n flank and rear movement* To Jackson
was assigned the duty of turning Tope's right
flank. And when he got into Tope's rear he
could not resist the temptation of calling at
Manasses Junction and issuing rations to his
almost famished soldiers, out of tbe supplies
that the Federals had collected there in great
abundance. To lougstrect was assigned tbe <
duty of holding Tope to the Rappahannock till
Jackson had time to carry out the details of
his part of the campaign. The success of the
bold and daring campaign hinged on unison of
action, rapid marching and strategic maneuvering.
There was no friction between Jaokson
and Longstreet. Kaoh acted his part nobly and
well; aud both were equally successful. Longstreet
kept Tope busy preparing to meet attacks,,
that were never designed to be made. Tope
soon learned that he oould not keep up with
Lee without two sets of eyes : one to watch his
commissary stores in his rear and the other
T.nntv?lrAPt in Kin fwnf WKav* 4.,
up at Manasaes Junction, Pope no longer remained
in hia atrong-hold on the Kappahannook
to diapute ita croaaing with Longatreet, but
abandoned it at once and hurried off after
Jackson, with the hope of crushing him before
Longatreet could auccor him. Thus far the
success of the campaign waa all that the moat
anguine rebel could wish ; and in order that
the future development of the campaign might
not be attended with any disaster, it waa neoeasary
that the two great dorps commanders
should still work in perfect accord and travel
day and night. The Rappahannock River and
Pope, with an army more than double Jackson's,
were between him and Longatreet. Pope had
the advantage, too, over Longatreet in start,
and in that hiB line waa shorter, more direct
and unobstructed, while Unminti
to Ibe necessity of (Unking the deep water of
the Rappahannock and marching around Carter'*
Mountain out of the way, thus making
his diatanoe three times aa far from Jackson as
Pope's.
?uoh was the status of the campaign on the
vnorning of the '26th of August 186*2 ; and Longstreet's
men were in possession of thw facts and
impressed with the importance of every man
doing his duty. And they proved equal to the
demands made ou them, for the very moment
that Jackson needed Longstreet he was there,
bristling for a light.
On that morning, the 20tb, we cut loose from
Vur dependence on commissary stores, and put
ting ine grw inns mai sxiri iui? southern valley
of tho Rappahannock between us end the
enemy, to conceal our more, we swept onward
end etill onward, Northward end Kaatward,
following in the wake of Jackson a maroh of
the few previous days. We looked to cornfields
end apple trees for our rations and lost but little
time in cooking, eating and sleeping. Lee's
army moved liko well adjusted end well oiled
machinery under lbs touoh of a master
mechanic. We continued our marches late into
nights and started before day the next mornings.
When the hour for breakfast came the
army was halted, quick fires made, rations
gathered from the adjaoent cornfield, hastily
cooked, quickly eaten and into line and onward
we moved. The weather was very hot and oor
horses, from fast driving, were almost famished
but officers were stationed on banks of streams
to present any stoping to water them. I has*
seen eur horses forced across risers under whip
with their nostrils under water from one bank
to the other trying to quench their thirst as
they moved along. I base seen men so exhausted
from marching and osercome with sleep
drop on the ground when the army halted and
lose consciousness in a moment of time. I
hase seen 'hem go so fast to sleep in a minutes
time that the rumbling of the battery failed to
wake them when the march was resumed. But
they recognised the importance of the forced
march and their grit and indurnnce were perfectly
wonderful. I ncscr before nor since
knew our soldiers to make better time or
straggle less. Calvin Humphries, the wag of
the Macbeth, came trotting niong one day and
on being asked what wai up, replied, "you sec
I have the advantage over the other boys:
when I get tired walking I run, and when 1
get tired running I walk, and in that way I keep
rested all the time." His humor under trying
circumstances w&s much better than his logic.
On the evening of the 27th we left Jno. Watts
Gallman at a house on the road, sick, and that
was the last we ever heard of him. Like mauy
another soldier, I suppose he sleeps in an unknown
grave. As we were approaching Thor
oughfare Gap that evening, musketry was
heard in that direction, and presently Absalom
Humphries, a member of Uadbcrry's old com-*
pany passed to the rear with a bullet in his
shoulder, reported the Gap in the possession
of the enemy. They had beaten us to the Gap
and I imagined Jackson's situation was a very
perilous one. We went into camp that night
with some apprehension as to what tho next
twenty-four hours would bring about; but to
our surprise the next morning we found that
the enemy had abandoned tho Gap. As we
marched through tho Gap that morning, I looked
up to the towering heights of mountains that
rose up on cither side of that rock bed stream,
whose waters gurgled through the gap, and
seeing that it was a place of great natural
strength I was amazed and rejoiced that the
Federals did not put a few thousand soldiers
there with instruction to make it a veritable
Thcrmopylre. There is no v. ay of estimating
the damages Lee might have sustained from the
heroic endeavors of a few thousand determined
men on those hills.
When we passed north of the gap signs of
the coming storm of battle began to multiply.
In two hnndred yards of the Gap, lying by
the roadside, was the first dead Federal I saw
in that campaign. That evening, when we
neared Gainesville, the booming of cannon was
heard in the direction we were marching, and
to tho safely of Jackson's command ; for we
were now conscious that our Stonewall was
still standing. A little further on we'passed
some beeves the enemy had just killed partially
skinned and abandoned. These seemed to be
strong evidences, coming to us by tho hearing
of the ear and by the seeing of the eye, that we
were on a warm trail and a battlo eminent.
we uici not go much further before the truth of
these signs wan verified. On top of the hill
just north of the branch where we passed the
beeves, 1 saw our troops filing through an open
field to tho right of the turnpike and forming a
line of battle. 1 could not understand the procrastination
that followed the formation of our
line of battle. We had marched day and night
to get up with l'ope and expected a bat tie
would be precipitated without delay. Itoth
aides reminded one of two game cocks, dubious
of each other's strength piokiug around hunting
for each other s blind side before delivering a
blow. But the blind side was not found, aud
the two armies made a simultaneous forward
move to test the strength of each other's position.
It was nearly sundown when they met,
and the shock of battle was terrific and raged
with increasing fury till at last it died away on
the midnight air. The .Macbeth did no more
thau follow up Longstreol's advancing line,
passing over numerous dead yankees, some of
Jackson's bloody work dono on the previous
day, when King interposed between him
and Longstreet. During the night Longstrcet
feel back to his original line of battle. Our
guns were parked on the summit of the highest
bill in the vicinity of the battlefield.
We arose next morning to find that we had a
magnificent view of all that surrounding
country. We could trace our line of battle
from the frowning hills on our extreme right,
held by Longstreet' men, to whero it entered
lit* woods in our front, and then, to the left of
the turnpike, we could see Jackson's heroes of
the two drevious days' buttle still holding their
position along the unfinished railroad, defiant,
ready and waiting for the command " up and
at them."
I insert here a parenthesis, to show that Pope
lost his advantage over Lee and let his opportunity
slip when he let Jackson slip. 'On 26th,
Pope's command, under Heno, was in nine
miles of Jackson who was then at Dristo station.
Longstrect was between forty-five and
sixty miles from Jackson, the routo he had to
march. On the 27th Jackson *?. \l ?? ?
Junction and Hooker near enough (o him to
bring on a bloody tight in the afternoon of that
day. McDowell, Stgel, Reno and Kerney were
all alx miles west of him and directly between
him and Longatreet, who wera atill south of
Thoroughfare Gap, and at least twenty miles
from Jackson. On the 28th Jackson made a
aland at Groveton. Kerney on the day before
was about six miles west of Jackson, bdt on the
28th was about three miles north-east of him.
Hooker and Reno were about the same dislanee
due east. Sigel was one mile south of Jackson
and Reynolds a Utile south of Sigel. King was
on the pike west of Jackson and between him
and Longstreet. And Rlokett was till farther
weal, at Thoroughfare Gap ; and Longstreet
was atill sooth or west of the gap and ton or
fifteen miles from Jackson. Jackson was retreating
towards Longstreet, pursued Ky Hooker
and Reno, when be met King's eorps, and a
bloodj battle was precipitated. Thus it wtyl be
Been that Jackson was all but surrounded by
the enemy for two days. So perilous was bis
position that Tope was encouraged to say to bis
officers " there is no hope of esoape for Jackson."
But the ubiquitous Jackson kept slipping
throuoh Pope's command, turning on his pursuers,
Hooker and Kerney, and hitting them
some stunning blows, that made them more cautious
than daring. As soon as these were
checkmated he then turned on King and swept
him out of the way. Itickett thought discretion
was the better part of valor and he, too,
got out of the way, nnd our march from the gap
to Manassas was unobstructed.
On the afternoon of that day^ the 29th, Long|
street firmed on Jaokson's right, and Pope's
! chances for marshal glory faded out of history.
Longstreel's men went to sleep some time during
the night of 29th, with an inward conviction
that with the morning's dawn the battle would
be renewed. The confidence in Lee's ability to
beat the Federal commander was shared by
every soldier in the army. Some may have
made up their minds to shirk, but they had
faith in the staying qualities of those who would
do the fighting, and was conscious that Leo
would win. What a pity it was not renewed in
time to reap the harvest after viotory. It was
not renewed until late in the day. During the
morning hours before the fight Lee was busy
with his plans of battle. He, Longstreet, Jackson,
Stewart and others were squatted on the
ground just in the Tear of us butffly examining
a map of the country spread out on the ground
before theni. As tbey rose Lee and Jackson
stepped aside from the group of officers, Lee
looking at bis watch, and after a few minutes
whispered conversation Jnckson mounted his
old claybank horse and made off to join his
command to the left of the pike, as leisurely as
if he was going to church, and looking more
liko an ungainly farmer than tho great soldier
he was. These maneuverings were interpreted
to mean fight, and I supposed Jackson was returning
to bring it on. lie had soarcely reached
his position before tho hills were reverberating
with one continuous roar of musketry. All
eyes, as well as the Federal soldiers, were concentrated
on Jackson's hard pressed but resolute
men. The storm of battle was beating and
raging about them in its fury, and in full view
of our position. It was the graudest and most
inspirieg exhibition of well ordered attack and
heroic defense I ever beheld. The Federal
armies of the Polomao and Virginia had been
united under the leadership of Popo and were
now concentrated in overwhelming numbers to
crush lackson. His jtlau of battle eliminated
Longstreet, but that old soldier had no thoughts
of remaining passive while Tope was battering
Blfimt] '* ') nnr*of
the concentrated effort to crush him. lee
saw it and was anxious, and Longstreet was in
the right place to break its force. Longstreet
says "so terrible was the onslaught thatJaokcon
sent to mo anil begged for reinforcements.
About the same time I received an order from
General Lee to the same effect. To retire from
my advanced position in front of tbo Federals
and get to Jackson would have taken one- hour
and a half. 1 had discavered a prominent position
that commanded a view of the great
struggle, and realising the opportunity I quick'
iy ordered out three batteries, making twelve
guns. They were placed in position to rake the
Federal ranks that seemed to break through
Jackson's line. In a few moments crash after
crash of shot and shell was being poured into
the thick raaks of the Federals. In tea minutes
the stubborn Federals began to waver and
give back. For a moment the mass was ohaos/i
then order returned and they reformed, apparently
to renew tho attack. Again from the crest
of my little hill the fire of the twelve guns out
them down. As the cannons thundered the
ranks broke only to be formed again with dogged
determination. A third time the batteries
tore the Federals to pieces, and as they fell
back under this terrible fire I sprung everything
to the charsre." It was duo to filntorv to ??.
w ? f
terity, And the batteries that saved Jackson's '
line, that their names should have been given 1
to the public. I propose to show the Macbeth I
was one of them. Seeing that the chancos were '
as a thousand to one against giving Jackson 1
tiie reinforcement he needed in time, and re cog- ?
nixing tbe supreme necessity of prompt action,
Longstrect acting on tbe impulse of the mo* '
ment and with the discretion of an experienced '
officer hurried twelve guns into position 4nd 1
in less than ten minutes broke the furious on- '
slough of the charging Federals. While we were
standing on our gun and caisson carriages, 1
watching with intense interest and great admi- <
ration tlfo heroio effort of Jackson's metf to i
heat back the ever increasing numbers of the i
federal soldiers, a courier was seen emerging. J
from a piece of wood-land to tbo right and Well ^
in front of Jackson* line, urging hid hoi so tfe 9
wards us with all the speed that tbe ?4|jJI 1
gcncy of tbe occasion could impel him. John" 4
Lyles, from Camden, then in his teens, raid I <
would rather see a shell coming. In answer Ig
the summons we moTc-J forward at a sweeping
gallop and took our position on tbe erest cf a
hill to left of the pike, and well in Jackson'e
right front. In three minute*after we received
our order we were in poeition hurling shot and
shell into the double oolamns of the federal
soldiers sweeping down in trcmenduous odds
against Jacksona struggling heroes. The efcVn/
were approaching Jackson's position by a loft 1
oblique march, for the purpose of laming Jack- >
eon's right flank. The move expcssd their loft <
flank to an infllade fire from oar gnne. We <
reached our position seemingly unnoticed, as^l
were glad of so favorable an ppportuallyT to I
give expression to our feelings for Ike mtjsrffer <
in which they received as at Ornveyari* llilk I
The men went to work with a will, and fhrtfri- t
like/Turks. Not a musket was leveled af wfr I
and only an oceasional shell and ball fsilsnaonf 1
us?most of them passing over our beads. Wa I
fired therefore with deliberation, btQ| rapidly j
and with great accuracy. Laokily, the fat I
shell straok the head of tho Federal ttolumn 9n I
buratod just right. Tha number of ascends it I
*
va* cut ran down the lino as a guage forth*
tutting of other*, and thus it happen*!, from i
he very beginning, that we fired into the advan:lng
column* of fhe enemy without guessing at
listance or shooting at random. We cut them |
iown like grass. A soldier who had a com- i
nanding view from the woods said, "I never
taw such splendid shooting. Each fire seemed :
o lift the Federals off the ground.
The firing was so accurate and deadly that no |
tourage could stand it. We saw that the enemy
vera weakening. The forward more was gradtally
getting slower and slower. Then they
:ame to a halt; now iltoy waver and break in
lome oonfuaion. Again they rally and refbrm ;
ind kgain the deadly fire splits them asunder.
)ncc more, with fearless courage, the Federals
ire formed, but the inevitable was against them
ind shattered once more by the well aimed
ihots and shell, they beat a retreat. As we
vere taking our positiob, I saw a Confederate
>attery going into position on our left and
ibout midway between us and Jackson's line.
f there was a third battery as tien. Longstreet
itates, then it was out of my sight. It may
tare been bolilnd the woods from us, and not |
ar from Jackson extreme right front. When |
he enemy began to retreat one section of the \
>nttcry already alluded to, moved up aad took |
tosition on our left next to Lieutenant Porter's ,
ection. When the Federal soldiers passed be
rond the range of our pieces, Lieut. Porter saw (
hat a four gun Federal battery was kuocking |
he section that had taken position on^his left ,
o pieces, wheeled his guns nround and for a
aw minnlM wo In?i1 oololtoJ "-,:l 1 L
V ? a|-nmu ?i 111 lOi J tUIUUHI
bur and four on each side. The Federal batter/ (
oou joined in the retreat with their fleeing inantry.
Of the twelve guns that broke the
hrious onslaugh of the Federal charge half of '
hem, six?belonged to the Macbeth Light '
Artillery, which leaves Longstreet's statement ]
0 bo explained. Had he said two batteries,
welve guns I could understand it. Tho Macicth
was the only battery that was directly on
ho Federal's flank, and that had a direct inilade
fire. The other gnns were a little to the 1
ront of the enemy. So it is beyond all quesion,
that the Macbeth inflicted one-half of the
lamage to the Federals claimed by Gen. Longtrect,
to have been done by the twelve guns
roiu his little hill.
Whilo Jackson and Longstreet will justly
igure in history, as tho great heroes of second
dauasses, and whilo the immortal Lee will
ivershadow them both in the luster of marshal
(lory, the three batteries that turned what
hrcatened to be a disaster into a glorious vicory,
and thus changed what might havo been
he history of that battle, will neither be known
?-v1-- >ri .fipr to th* remote pof'erity of the
sat SRv SiSu nSuCU toward ad^smug" that
rictory from the jaws of defeat.
As w? were going into action I saw no Cou'ederate
infantry nearer than Jackson's men,
1 quartet of a mile to our left. Some lime dur
og i a# ngut uen. laws brigade was sent to
lur support, and vh never lying on ths ground
iniler the cover of tho hill, just in our rear.
1 boj in hit toons seeing that we were needing
i man to aid in manning ouc of our guns,
iprang forward and fought like a hero until his
irigade advanced. It would l>e a pleasure to
tnovf his same and what became of him.
Commencing at tho stone house and running
int in our front almost at right angles to- the
>iko, as a hill that commanded our position.
iVhile tho Federal infantry was,being cut to
>ieces by our guns a battery charged up and
ried time and again to take positiou on that
till. Hut we were already in position and had
he drop on thorn. We tired quick and rapidly
tod wjth affect, and it heat a hasty retreat,
dad Tope known Gen. Lee as well as McClcllan
lid, the"ffecond Manassas would not have been
)recipitalfed as it was.
Pope was following up what he believed was
t retreat and had not anticipated the fight just
a here it took place. llcnce he neglected to
iae the hUl in our front with batteries. Had
['ope patted a few guns on that hill the Mac>eth
could mover have occupied the position or
;ot the lutlade fire it did. They did not occupy
t when they could we refused to let them when
ho* (???,)
imvj . w. Avnaiuo iuv wiuic Ul HIU UiXl WC I
law under the hill, in our rear, ncur the pike,
lee. Le? end Longstreet. Lee looked Animated
ind silting his horse as erect as a jouth. Long- I
it reel seemed to be carelessly picking liis teeth,
is thlttgfc nothing of an exciting character was
jro gresaing in his front. |
When the enemy passed out of our range, (.'apt.
do J CO stopped np to Longstreet and said, "Uenirst
they are out of range. "Can't you get in
range falMO Lpogstreeta laconic reply, liut.it
sad nest nearly dark and the infantry had I
iprang to the charge and with a deafening
ret*! ysti ware pushing the enemy rapidly towards
Washington. We were ordered to pass
.0 right ef the pike and birouao for the
light. pre were going into camp a shot or
>r eheil from some long range gun of the enemy
sausod' d>wa uncomfortably near uiy head and
taryin* |io?if in the ground iu a few inches
>f Sergwat J. K. Young, and threw the sand
>rer 111* with stinging force. Fortuoalely
there to .explosion. During the battle
Lie*. Phftsr's fine mare was kiliei by a solid
kalL ttt- sf our men were wounded?Joseph
uirner anu oonn nays severely. ?. ncn i tneulion
Of Alexander Hints, the oompaoy
oil! eattifcfteiind an unobtrusive, quiet, gentlemanly
ttttlh. JBootohmnn, who cheerfully discharged?
"Mo duty, whether standing guard in
the enemy, on the battle field.
Ue iMinBMpgjpceod qualities, but I remember
the not 14ft ktt?W most of all for bis disinterested
e?ura?agiHBa' was a stranger in Union, at the
begkdfljpht war, end personally had no inkrflWlwdispuie
between the sections, and
difference with him as to which
toaJ^Hgpfe the becond Maoassas battle a
,he,l?H* just in bit froal aud a piece
|(rtM^H|9Kht)M slemacli, knocked him down
C^fHRPlw* wA sup posed to be morlallyfMpdod
and. home to the base of the
kilt mP^hf hie eostrads; but oa cxaminatoin
ho sow ho hod only received a severe bruise,
ond promptly returned and fought through the
bottle, llow manv to the manor horn onil with
more interest to fight for, would have been
glad of such an honorable excuse to have kept
out of the fight. ?
The Macbeth was in a poor trim for the battle
that day. It is known that in the rapid
march from Waterloo bridge to Mrnassas that
the commissary wagons were things of the past,
both as to time and distance. For the most
part we had subsisted during that march on
green corn and green apples. Wc had seen but
little substantial food on the day of the fight
for thirty-eight hours and the green com and
apples bad been exhausted for twenty-four
hours. The cornfields aud apple trees on the
plains of Manassas had been foraged, pillaged
and plundered by soldiers of both armies who
had passed and repassed until they were as
barren of life giving food for present emergencies
as tho sand of the great Fahara desert.
Our commissary reached the company a few
minutes in advance of the order hurrying us
into the fight. D.awkins was as proud to see the
men as they were glad to see him ; but he was
too late to do them much good. They had time
to get the flour that had been issued to them in
the consistency of dough and ready for the
t>ven when we were summoned into action.
The men held on to their dough and cat it as
Ihoy ran on to the battle field. 1 do not know
but that soldiers will fight better when tlicy
are hungry. Vidi.
Clover as a Fertilizer.?The question
as to the value of clover as a fertilizer,
when and how it is most valuable, &c., has
bad limited discussion in thoso columns,
and is entitled to all tho consideration it is
likely to receive.
Clover is a bicunial plant, and to do tho
land tho most good should bo allowed full
possession of tho grouud until into the second
year. Probably the best results will follow
ploughing in the first crop of the second
year when in full bloom, but the crop is so
valuablo for feed when cut aud cured that
most farmers will prefer to do that and
piougn unucr tno second crop, which i> almost
as good, and with tho additional
growth of roots is, in some eases, just as
good. The value of the roots of clover is
sometimes overlooked and scarcely ever appreciated.
Proof lloberts, of Cornell University,
N. Y., had a portion of a clover
erop analyzed, roots and all, after drying it
Ouitt (nitj 1? pir , cent,
of water aud the stalks 11J per cent., the
tops of stalks on an aero of ground were
found to weigh 3,295 pounds, while the
roots of an acre weighed 4,893 pounds.
Thus it%ill bo seen that it is important to
have tho crop remain on the ground for
the second year's growth sinco thev con
tinuo to grow from tbo start, while the tops
arc cut off or die down each year.
Another object iu letting the crop remain
so long without ploughiug up is, that as
tho roots grow long they penetrate to a greater
depth into a subsoil and carry into it
elements of nature which release and utilize
plaut food in that stratum which would otherwise
lie dormant. Still another advantage
is the smothering of the weeds. A
good heavy growth of clover will do this
pretty effectually. It will also rot out old
stumps by keepiug them almost constantly
wet. Clover can hardly be dispensed
with on clay land, and the man who undertakes
to farm without it makes a great mistake,
and he will be fortunate if he discovers
it early.
A Live Snake in a Boy's Stomach.
?Lewiston, Me., May 13.?Tho almost incredible
story recently printed about the
death of u boy near Grand Fulls from hemorrhage
caused by pulling from his mouth
a live snake which had grown to his flesh
proves to be literally true. The lad's name
---1 *- ?
nuo 1'iuiivusuu, aim uib ago o years.
He wad a bright little fellow, and lived with
his parents on a farm about four miles from
the town. Early last winter tho boy began
to act strangely sick. He had a most
voracious appetite, and it was impossible
for him to get enough to ent. His friends
got alarmed about him, and sent for physi.
cians, who bogan dosing him for worms.
As the winter woro on the boy grew worse
and worse. One day ho felt something
crawling up from his stomach into his throat*
He almost choaked to death, for the crawling
creature tried ineffectually to come
out by the nasal passage. In a short time
the snake (for such it was) forced his way
up the boy's throat and stuck ite head out
of his mouth. Tho lad's sister, who was
near by, saw tho head of the serpent just
before it drew it back into the boy's month.
Very soou tho snake stuck his head out a
second time, and his little sister made a
grab at it and pulled from the boy's mouth
a live snake fourteen inohes long. It had
a piece ol flesh attached to its tail nearly as
large as a hen's egg. The boy lived a short
time only after the snake was taken from
hitn. dying of violent hemorrhage. It is
supposed that the boy had gone to sleep in
some field, and that tho snake had crawlee
down bis throat. The reptile has been preserved
in alcohol.
'Hold on There !'?A young man and
woman of Wapella, III., appeared before
a justice to get married. The young uinn
banded the justice what ho thought was
the liceuse, and the ceremony was proceeded
with. Arriving at homo, tho justioo
discovered what he supposed to bo a liccmo
was simply a pedigree of a bull. As faft
as his legs could carry him, the justice ran
to the homo of the newly-married couple.
The yOung lady had already retired,
aud the young man was in the act of disrobing.
Tho juBtico broke in upon them,
exclaiming : 'Hold on there! Put on
,'your clouthcs! You are not uiaaried !
You guve uie the wrong license I'NVhcn tho
matter was explained, the youug man dressed
himself again, and, cursiug his stupidity
for presenting a registered bull certificate
instead of a marriage liceuse, he bado
his prospective brido good-night aud went
sorrowfully away. Tho nexc day the proper
license was found, the ceremony was performed
again, and now happiness reigus
supreme about the new family hearthstouc.
A Criminal Lawyer.?Major Gassaway,
a prominent San Antonio lawyer,
seemed tired and worn out ou calamine to
his residence.
'You look tired, dear. I suppose you
havo had a hard day's work agaiu in Court,'
said Mrs. Gassaway.
Yes, l'u> very tired. Iv'e had a difficult
case, but I've won it.'
'You had better drink a cup of tea, and
theu co to bed early and get a good night's
rest.'
'No rest for uio to-night. I'll have to
sit up and watch the stable with a shot-guu
to sec that the carriage horso is not stolen."
Why, who is going to steal it
You sec, I was defending one of the
worst horse thieves iu Western Texas, this
afternoon, and I cleared him. lie is foolloose
now, and I am afraid he will couio
around to-uight and steal my horses. Nobody's
horses will bo safo until that doubledyed
scouudrcl is out of town.'?Texas
Siftinys.
Tub Language of the Hand.?Diuiplo
bones and wriukles mark the three stages
of life's progress. With the wrinkled
stages tho steadiness of youth often remains
in resoluto character. When the Duke of
Wellington was a very old man, he could
still fill a glass of water to tho last possible
drOI). and hold it un ateadilv brimful Tbn
, . r j > - -?
helpful heads keep their youthful activity,
too, for into the withcriug age. And in
nobly loving natures there is a sort of immortality
of youth ; the warmth of alfcction
has given more thuu a royal prerogative ;
the hand is beautiful always to the eyes that
know it familiarly. The latter years only
stump it with the impress of a longer past
of tenderness, faithfulness nud bounty. It
is not the ''old" hand, but the "dear" hand,
aud it never grows older, but only more
dear. lie who doubts the truth of this,
las: mystery has not yet found out that
hands as well as hearts, have a peculiar
place in our knowledge and love of ouc another.
-r
Got Mouk n IIe Wanted.?A wounn
about forty years old, having a peculiar
gliut iu her eye aad a lighting jaw, cauio
into the couuting-rooui rf the Free I'rcsa
the other day, aud brusquely said ;
'I waut to stop an advcrtiseineut.'
'Yes'm. Which one is it V
'It's on the sixth page, and reads that
fifty good-looking girls aro wanted to canvas-s
for orders for a fast-selling article.'
'Ycs'm. Got all the girls you wanted V
4Oh. it was my husband who put it in,
aud he got uiore'u ho wanted, L guess. I
went iuto his office yesterday afternoon, and
found sixteen of theui there at once, and
when I got through with the crowd thcro
was just a barrel of hair-pins, nets, paper
cuffs, and paper rags. If you ever want
any testimony as to how advertising in the
Free Press pays, just call ou inc for a certificate.'?Detroit
Free 1 rets.
A scotch dominie, after relating to his
scholars tho story of Ananias and Sapphira,
asked thorn 'why God did not strike every
body dead who told a lie? After a long
silence, ouc little fellow got to his feet and
exclaiuu-d ; 'llecause, sir, there wadna bo
onybody left'
What luck did you havo fishing yesterday,
Peouybucker ? asked an Austiu gentleman
of a well-known impecunious character,
who owes nearly everybody. 'Splendid!
While I was out on the wharf twenty
uien with bills called at my house to collect
money.'"
' Mamma/' said Johunic, 'cant anybody
hear with their mouth?' 'No child, I don't
think they can. replied his mother. 'Then,
mama, what made Mr. Jones tell his sister
he wauled to tell her bomethiug, and put
bis lips to her mouth instead of her car?,