Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

?. jj. MUKRA Y & CO. Tho Peculiar Old Mvaf ANDERSON, S C., THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 20, 1883. VOLUME XIX. -NO. 23. A MAN WHO WAS SCALPED. Onc^of Cn.t?r*Brj8oldl*?r? Tell? a Graphic Htorrfof a'Plg-ht With th? lud?an, and Ilow'.lie.was Mutilated. Harvin Holly, of Dearborn County, Ind., ?3_visit?iigTfriends in Wesl Thir teenth "street, New York*. Mr. Holly was a soldier in the United States infan try, under Custer, and participated in many of tho battles with tho Indians during '.his .campaign of 18Gi\ among them the bloody light with Black Kettle's band in the Big Horn Valley. In this engagement Mr. Holly was wounded and scalped by the Indians, and ia one of the very few persons who were scalped and lived to tell of it. Aa evidence of his sacrifice he BIIOWS a round, bare, flat spot on the lop of his head, probably three inches in diameter, where his scalp was cut and torn away. Although fourteen years havo pusced since ho was scalped, tho spot is still extremely! tender. It is of a palo red color, anti iu very damp or cold weather ia painful. Mr. Holly gives a graphic aud realistic description of the circumstances which led to the mutilation and his sensations while the Indian was securing the trophy from bis head. "Wo had heard that Black Kettle was encamped somewhere in the Big Horn Valley," says Mr. Holly, "and was al most daily sending out preparatory bauds of his warriors to plunder settlers and emigrant trains, and General Custer de cided to hunt him up aud punish him. Tho infantry waa some two miles in ad vance of the cavalry, when oue day, just at daylight, wo came ?n sight oj" (he ena my's camp. Wo were on a high hill overlooking tho valley and the Indians were below. It was in the depth of Winter and the snow was very deep. Their camp waa in a rocky spot, and as tho women and children were there, it was evident that it was tho beadqua tors of the band. It was determined to .mr priso the village, and a portion of t ur J command was sent through the woods to tho right to get in the rear of the cann, while the remainder advanced quirily down the mountain, from the top of which o good trail led to thc valley through the thick woods. This ma noeuvring was so successful that before our presence was discovered by the In dians we wore within 400 yards of tho camp, and the detachment seut to opeu fire in the rear bad arrived iu position. We knew by the yells of the Indians and the great commotion among them that we wero discovered, and wo . once be gan the attack. Firing begau ou both sides of thom at once, and thus caused what at first promised to bo a panic among tho Indians that would make our victory an easy one, but suddenly an In dian of unusual sizo, with his face streak ed with bright yellow and vermilion paint, in crois bars, came dashing from some place among me rocks on a black pony. His yell ^ould be heard above everything else, as he tore to aod fro among tho warriors, and tho effect of his firesenco at once became apparent. In OBB than two minutes after our first fire every Indian wad in position behind some reek or tree, and we knew that the fight would be a desperate one. We were in a secure position, but the Indians were just as secure as we were, and the only way we could hope to defeat them was to charge upon their strongholds, dislodge them, and settle the fight band to hand. We were ordered to charge down tho hill upon the enemy, and, every man of us yelling as hideously os tho red devils themselves, wo rushed right info tho en emy's camp. Ar. soon aa we emerged from the woods we were met with rille balls from every side, and a good many poor fellows never reached the camp. The detachment in the rear of the camp came into tho conflict from that aide, and we forced the Indians out from their hiding places to the open ground, and the terribie battle waged right among their tents. Black Kettle seemed to be everywhere, and his hideous presence alone prelonged tho fight. "Te held his warriors to their ground, d tho fight became free and general. Tho Indian women and even the children took part in it, and among tho dead that soon strewed the snow, squaws and papooses were mingled. In a few minutes the snow was as red for rods around as the paint on Black Kettle's face from the Blood of dead and wouuded. In a hand to-hand fight like this, of course, it vras every ono for himself, and I soon fouud myself in one edge of the camp, tiri- 2 and bayoneting and clubbing with my gun, just as the situation required. A soldier named Wilson, who had messed with me, was killed right by my side by an Indian who fired from behind a tent. The next instant a b?U shattered my right arm, at the elbow, and it fell help less at my aide. Immediately following that shot a big Indian, no doubt the ono who killed Wilson and wounded me, sprang from behind the tent and rushed at me with his tomahawk raised. My gun was empty and mv left hand being useless I could not load. I think I could have run my bayonet through the Indi an, though, but an Indian woman stolo up behind me and, throwing one arm about my neck, jerked me backward in the snow. The thickest rtt rt of thc fight was in another part of the camp, and none of our men were near me, except poor dead Wilson. Tho Indian seemed to be the only one, too, that was not in the general engagement, except a lot of squaws and papooses that swarmed in tents from all directions to the spot where I lay, the squaw who threw rae holding mo down by the hair, while other women and papooses spit in my face, jumped on my body, kicked me, pinched me, and tortured me in every way they could. My arm was very painful, and was bleed ing profusely. Fortunately the Indian, who had jumped from behind the tout with his tomahawk drawn, gayo the women and papooses too much timo to have their fun with mc, thinkiug, per haps, that he had me sure. Suddenly I heard a shot, and two squaws full dead ID the snow by my side. One of bur boys bad discovered my situation. The papooses and squaws instantly escaped away, but the Indian was determined to run the risk of getting my scalp anyhow, and he pounced down on me with his knees on my chest, drew his knife and the next second, although it seemed hours to me, the top of my head waa in his band, and he was gone. Imagine some oue who hates you with the utmost intensity grabbing a handful of your hair while you are lying pros trate and helpless, and giving it a sud den jerk upward with force enough al most to loosen the scalp; then, while this painful tension is not relaxed, ima gine the not particularly sharp blade of a knifo being run quickly in a circle around your scalp with a saw like mo tion. Theo let your imagination t .-asp if it can the effect that a strot., quick jerk on the tuft of hair to release 'the scalp from any clinging particles that may still hold it in place wouid have on your nervous and pnysical systems, and Sou will have some idea how it feels to e scalped. When that Indian sawed bis knife around the top of my head first ?sense of cold numbness pervaded my whole body. This was quickly followed by a fl Afb. of pain that started at my feet I and mn like an electric shock to my I brain. That was but momentary, hut it was terrible. When the Indian tore my scalp from my bend it seemed a* if it must have been connected with cords to every part of my body. The pain that followed the cutting around the scalp had been frightful, but it was ecslacy j compared with tho torture that followed the tearing of it from my head. Streaks of pain idiot in every nerve. My knees were drawn up almost to my chin, and my (inger? closed convulsively together in the snow, and that was all I remem bered. When I came to I was ic a tent. The cavalry had come up in tho mean timo, and the Indians were routed. Only a few escaped, bul Black Kettle wan among them. A comrade told me that he had ?hot and killed the Indian who scalped me, out the scalp was not recovered at any rate. I, with the rest of the wounded, waa sent to tho nearest agency, and 1 lay helpless and suffering untold misery for weeks, and when I re covered I concluded that I had seen enough of Indian lighting, and asked for my discharge. Tho nature of my wounds were euch that I received my discharge at once. General Ouster jocularly re marked to me afterward that I made s mistake in leaving the service. "Think," ?aid he, "how (surprised aud disgusted Borne red devil of an Indian might he if you should stay with us and ha ipen to fall in his hands when he went io raise your hair to (iud that some one has been there before him." The Deadliest Drug. "I will wager $1,0G0 that it W?H not prussic acid." said a medical man who had read au article about the death of a cat from prussic acid mentioned in the first edition of the Press. '"What is prussic acid worth?" was asked of the chemist at ?Strong, Cobb & Co's, wholesale drug store. "We uevor sell it," was the response; "It is not un article of commerce. Scheuer, the Swedish chemist, who dis co veted chlorine, Scheuer'a green, ?cc, was found dead in hi? laboratory, about which lhere lingered a peculiar, pungent smell. When one has eaten n fresh peach und cracked thc pit he will get a faint odor that resembles prussic acid, although thc HUICII of this acid is slightly sweeter. It can also be found in bil'.i-; almonds." "Some housewives in preserving peach es add ii few pits to the confection by way of improving the flavor. It may sound extravagant, hut it is nevertheless a fact that the improvement of the con diment is due partly to prus-ic acid. It ie in such minute quantities, however, that it is not injurious to health. Indeed, what is commonly called prussic acid is given as a medicine. It is really hydro cyanic acid, two parts of the acid to ninety-eight parts of water. S. M. Strong relates that when his father was very hick with pneumonia the doctors prescribed three drops of hydrocyanic acid. Thc sick man was himself an excellent doctor, and ho advised that the dose be increased to six drops. The attending physicians did not dare do it. The sick man died, and his friends enter tained a lingering belief that he would have pulled through had the doctors followed his advice." Prussic acid is the most deadly of all poisons, aud the fumes would instantly kill thc person who inhaled it. It is not known what the symptoms attending the death are, for the victim dies too sudden ly to manifest auy. There nppeara to be a sort of suffocation and a general par alysis. Hydrocyanic acid is .sometimes taken internally with suicidal iutent and death is almost instantaneous, the blood taking up the acid wonderfully quick, lt is colorless as water. A tragic story of a strange duel between a medical man and his rival in a beautiful New Orleans woman's aiTectioriB, many years ago, is told. The medical man, who baa the right to choose thc weapons, selected the deadly poison before mentioned. Two pills were made, ono harmless, the other containing thc poison to kill a dozen men. The duellists threw dice for the first choice of thc pills. The medical man, pale but firm, swallowed one and his rival the other. For a moment each stood aud glared at thc other. Then the medical man saw bia rival make a move, as if to place bin band on his heart, while a look of horror came over his face. Thc doctor turned away, nuable to wit acss the terrible sight. Almost before he could turn on bis heel his rival drop ped dead.- Cleveland Press Interview. Advice to n Young Han. You will perceive, my boy, that every time man undertakes to manufacturo a little Bible on his own account, he makes a mortifying failure of it. He is caught at it, and in one-tenth of the time it took him to conceive his fraud, io as many hours as it took him months to prepare it, he is expused, and hid hand-made addition to the Bible is Bwept away in the other rubbish of otbor counterfeit ers. You see, my son, the Bible doBen't need any of these nineteenth century proofs of its truth ; it needs the word of no man to establish its gen uineness ; it has stood by itself, "an anvil that has worn out many hammers," through century, after century, unchang ed and uuchangcablo. Every time a man manufactures a new verse or a new chapter we know it is not genuine, we detect the counterfeit. The Bible has no need of the supporting prop of a fraudlent ark or a leather Deuteronomy. There was a complete Biblo centuries before Sbapiira happened, and there will be the same Bible ages after Shapiraand h?3 paten'. Deuteronomy have together crumbled into indistinguishable dust. The Bible doesn't need our help, our testimony, our indorsement. And if there had never boen discovered in all the world a bit of parchment, a pieco of broken pottery or a scratched stone, the Biblo would be just ss strong as it is to day, and men would bolieve justas firmly aud trustfully in its truth. Don't you worry, my, boy, because Sbapira's ancient mauuscript was written with London ink, aud don't fret because the ark in the gla cier turns out to be put together with Pittsburgh nails. That all the frauds on the Biule and its history aro so quickly and easily detected should ouly convince you how impossible it is to counterfeit the work of God. Wait until some man fools us with an artificial moon ; and until snmo philosopher stores away the sunlight in parlor lamps, bofore you be lieve that man can successfully imitate what man never made.-JJurdeite. - It appears to us that tho dentist's game is always a draw. - In one district in Yucatan in a fort night there were killed 80,000 pounds of grasshoppers and over 11,000 pounds of locusts. -- The Turkish woman is marriageable at the age of nine yean. In this coun try girls don't even think of marriage until they get to be over ten. - The wretch has been arrested who at a social party said that a young lady Slaying the pianoforte was like an ape ecause her fingers were 'moog keys. UlItISTMAS DAY. VM0116 of Clillilbood aud Ola Age. Atlanta Constitution. There is a little halo arouud these Christmas holidays that brighten up tho fireside aud makes things lively, weather or no weather. There are hopes and ex pectations^ and everybody is in a good humor. Even the dog and the cat seem happier than usual, and tho turkey gob bler struts and gobbles like ho was proud to be sacrificed and have tho place of honor?t tho head of tho table. I see tho old folks and sisters of the naborhood perusing around the stores in the village and looking at the pretty things and try ing to make up their minds what to buy, and hide away for the little folks and tho little folks aro laying their mysterious plans to surprise mama and papa. Carl and Jessie have begged a little chaugo from their motin-,- to buy me a pipe, anu a little more from me to buy her some cologne, and, ol' course, we are not to tell anybody, and now they have got a little store hy the big gate on tho road and got nahor Freeman's children to help, nud they are selling apples aud crackers and cheese and oranges and old clothes and broken crockery and everything else they can beg from their mothers. Consider ing what tho partners eat up themselves and sell to thc darkies on credit, I think tho concern is getting shaky and will fail before long. Imagination now wings its flight over tho civilized world ana see thousands, yes millions of happy children around the Christnios tree?, or gathered in tb? parlor to receive the beautiful prcst.its that old Santa Claus bas brought. Ar rayed iu their beat clothes aud with joy ful faces they must present to the All Seeing eye a beautiful and lovely ;;;ght. Would to God that this was the only child picture to be Been on next Chri.t tnas morning. There aro thousands who will see no Christmas tree, no stockings by the mantle, perhaps no stockings to put there, no Christmas dinner, no good warm clothes, no, nothing hut poverty, flinching poverty, that chills the warm blood of youth and withers hope and feeds despair. What shall we do, what can we do for tho children of the poor? Well, I will tell you children who have been blessed with comforts and hardly ever knew a want ; you can divido-di vide. Pick out some poor child and make him or her happy even for a little while and then you will be happy too. Company . is coming, kindred and friends are expected and things are sorter in a hurly-burly at my bouse. I hear the lively bent of thc pestle and morler as tho cinnmon and the mace and the ginger are being crushed. I hear tho chopping knife iu the tray for Mrs. Arp is making up mince meal, and there is a powerful to do over it and so I got ready to take a little hunt and depart theso coasts and get out cf il, but Bho uaw mo und said she had two width* of a carpet that looked right well on tho wrong aide aud she wanted me to put them down in thc hull, a strip on each side as it were and then to put down a strip of cocoa matting in the middle and just cover the edges of the carpeting. Well, I've done it all nice and straight, and nobody will know but what the hall is carpeted all over and the matting put down in the middle over it to walk on and catch all the dirt. Put aa sure as you are born there is nothing under that matting but the floor. Now who would have thought of that but a contriving ingenious woman. She bas got through with the sausage meat and 1 think is satisfied with that job, for while ? was writing up stoirn she was working away in the basement and had plenty of help, and evsr and anon would cook a fragment and send it up to me to taste and wanted to know wheth er it wanted more suit or more pepper or more sage or what. Well I tasted and tasted and eat it all up and looked wise aud Raid it was just about right-in fact it couldent be better-it was exactly right, it was splendid. In about half an nour she Bent up another little dab and said she had put in more salt and more sage, and so I tried it again and said it was mighty good before, but now it was delightful. The next time she Bent some and said she put in more pepper and BO I eat it all with a gush and pronounced it immaculate, infallible, in discrisable, and all the adjectives and adverbs I could think of. And so after she bad satisfied herself the sausage was pronounced all right. There is nothing* like having a good wife to mix things anti a good husband to tasto and pronounce judgment. When both work together these domestic affairs are a grand success. But what worries me now is the abun dance of good things that cluster around theso Christmas holidays. Why I never saw the like in my life. Here is the hog killing that bringa us spare rib and back bone and sausage and cou ec and bog brains and cracklins, and nabor Freeman sent ua down a quarter of a nice fat calf, and now comes the turkey and mince pies close on, and the children is Florida sent us two boxes of oranges and I'm afraid we will eat ourselves to death, or if we don't we will all perish when these good things are gone. It is a feant or a famine at my house. But the good of it all is that it didont take any money hard ly and so its nobody's bnsiness but ours. The pride of a former's life is to raise his ?;ood things at home. His meat, his owla, his butter, and potatoes and apples and sage and so forth, and his wife can aet her company down to a good dinner and say hero is enough for a dozen and it has not cost us more than 26 cents. That is farming and I wish wo could ali do it, and I believe we could if we would try. Home productions are the beat, for they are aiways pure and genuine. Let us keep our money at home and quit running after people who say and think, "I like yonr money firstrate, but dad burn your morals and your politics." I'm going to let them fellers alone I am, I dou't ask them any odds. I own half a dozen children and three darkeys and they all do as I say, and think I'm a good father and a good master, and I don't want them fellers to interfere with the one or the other. J erst let us alone and we will all get to heaven as soon as they will and live as happily in this subloonary world. I wou?dent sell one of my niggers any sooner than I would one of my chil dren, for they love me aud don't want to go. BILL A BP. - Fifteen years ago an Alabama man killed a peddler. Ever since that time his wife has held ti e crime over him as a whip, obliging 'rim to split all the wood, build the fir ra and rock the baby. Bendered desperat J by ber treatment he has given himself up to be hung. - The Winter exodus from the North to Florida b unusually large thia year. About 250 people leave is cw York every day for Jacksonville, and probably 500 people arrive in the Leter city every day from different parta of the country. The number will continue increasing until February. A good many settlers are go ing at present. A majority of the er t tlers go to South Florida, io the neigh borhood of Sanford. Great numbers are going from New England, New York and Pennsylvania. HOW HILL WAS SLAIN. A Narrative Detailing the Clrcuuittanc?o ol his Fall. The only men who ?aw Gen. A. P. Hill killed before Petersburg.on April 2,1865, were two Federal soldier*, names un known, and Sorgt. G. W. Tucker. Tho latter wa? chief of Gen. Hill's couriers, and was riding with the distinguished officer at the time of the tragic occurence. For the first time Mr. Tucker tells of tho death-shot, and describes the death scone. In the current number of the Southern Historical Society Papers he says : About midnight the cannonading in front of Petersburg, which had begun at nightfall, became very heavy, increasing as the hours went by. Gol. Palmer, chief of staff, woke Maj. Starke, A. A. G., and requester him to find out the cause and effect of the prolonged firing. This was between 2 aaa 3 o'c?c-ck cn the mernina: of April 2. Maj Starke returned before daylight, and reported that "tho enemy had part of our line near the Rives salient, and that matters looked critical on tbs lines iu the front of the cit}." This he communicated to Gen. Hill at Venable's. Before sunrise Gen. Hill came over and asked Gol. Palmer if he had any re port from Gens. Wilcox and Heath, whose divisions on the right extonded from tho front of Fort Gregg, to and beyond Bur gess's mill, on Hatcher's run. The Colo nel told him that he had heard nothing from thom, and had nothing further to report beyond Maj.Starke's statement. The General then passed on to his lent, and a few minutes later tho Colonel, noticing bis colored servant, Charles, leading the General's (idled horse to his tent, ran to him just as he was mount ing and asked permission to accompany him. He told the Colonel no, and de sired him to wake up the staff, get every thing in readiness and havo tho head quarters' wagon hitched up. He added that he was going to Gen. Lee's, and would take Sorgt. Tucker and two couri ers, and that as soon as he could have an interview with Gen. Lee be would return. MOVEMENTS OF GEN. HILL. Gen. Hill then rode to the couriers' quarters and found me in the act of grooming my horse. [I did not then have the slightest intimation of what had taken place since our roturo from the linea the night before.] He directed ma to follow bim with two couriers immedi ately to Gen. Lee's headquarters. He then rode off rapidly. It was our custom in critical times to nave during the night two ol the couriers' horses always saddled. I called to Kirkpatrick and Jenkins, t' 3 couriers next in turn, to follow the Gen eral as quickly as possible. I saddled up at onco and followed them. Kirkpatrick and Jenkins arrived at Gen. Lee,s to gether, only a few minutes after Gen. Hill, who at once directed Kirkpatrick to ride rapidly back to our quarters (I met him on the road, going at full spoed) and tell Col. Palmer to follow him to the right. This was the first information re ceived at corps headquarters that our right bad given way. Gon. Hill thon rode, attended only by Jenkins, to 'he front gate of Gen. Loo's beadqui -s (Turnbull house, on the Cor rr?' one and a half miles wester Hill's) whero I met then} We went directly across tho . the opposite field, and riding due so \ Bhort distance, tho General drew rein and for a few moments used his field-glass, which, in my still profound ignorance of what had happened, ?corned exceedingly queer. We then rode cn in the samo di rection down a declivity toward a small brauch ruuuiug eastwaid to Old Town Creek and a quarter of a mile from Gen. Lee's. We had gone little more than half this dislance when we suddenly came upon two of the enemy's armed in fantrymen. Jenkins and myself, who up to this time rode immediately behind the General, were instantly upon them, when at the demand "surrender" they laid down their gunn. Turning to the General I asked what should be done with the prisoners ; he said : "Jenkins, take them to Gen. Lee." Jenkins started back with his men and we rode ou. "TO THE RIGHT." Though not invited, I was at the Gen eral's side, and my attention having now been aroused, and looking carefully ahead and around I saw a lot of people In and about the old log hut, win ter quarters of Gen. Mahono'u division, situated to the right of Whitworth house and on the hill beyond the branch we were approaching. Now aa I knew that these quarters bad been vacant since about March 15 by the transfer of Ma hone to the north of tho Appomattox, and feeling that it was the enemy's troops in possession, with nothing looking like a Confederate anywhere, remarked, point ing to the old camp, "General, what troops aro those ?" He quickly replied, "The enemy's." Proceeding still further and Gen. Hill making no further remark, I became so impressed with the great risk ho waa running ?bat I made bold to say : "Please excuse toe. General, but where are yon going?" He answered: "Ser geant, I must go to the right os quickly os possible." Then, pointing southwest, he said : "We will go np this side of the branch to the woods, which will cover us until reaching the field in rear of Gen. Hetti's quarters ; I hope to find the road clear at Gen. Beth's." From that time on I kept slightly ahead of the General. I had kept a Colt's army pistol drawn since the affair of tho Federal stragglers. We then made the branch, becoming obscured from the enemy, and, crossing the Bowdtniu (not "Boydtown," os some writers have called lt) plank road, soon made the woods, which were kept far about a mile, in which distance we did not see a ningle person, and emerging into the field oppo site Gen. Heth's at a point two miles aus southwest from Gen. Lee's headquarters at the Turnbull house, and at right angles with the Bowdtoin plank road at the "Harman" house, which was distant half a milo. When going through the woods the only words between Gen. Hill and myself, except a few relating to the route, were by himself. He called my attention and said: "Sergeant, should anything happen to me you must go back to Gen. Leo and report it. THE ENEMY. We came into the field near ita corner, at tho foot of a small declivity, rising which I could plainly see that the road was fnll of troops of some kind. The General, raising his field-glass, said : "They are there. I understood perfectly that ne meant the enemy, and asked : "Which way now General ?" He pointed to that side of the woods parallel to the Bowdtoin plank road, about one hundred yarda down hill from where our horses stood, ?AVtog : "We most keep on to the right." I opu'red ahead and wo L iii ruado two-thirds of the distance and, coming to a walk molted intently into the woods, at the immediate edgo of which there were several large trw?. I saw what ap peared to bs aiz or eight Fed?rala, two of whom, being some distance in advance of the ra?t, who halted some forty or fifty yarda /rom the field, ran quickly forward to thy cover of one of the targe trees and, ona Above the other on the same aide, lev elled their guns. il looked around io Geri. HUI. He said : "We'iuiist take them," at the same time drawing"for the first time that day, his Colt's navy pistol. I said : "Stay there, I'll take them." Ry this time wo were in twenty yard* of tho two behind the tree aud getting closer overy moment. I shouted : "If you fire, you'll be swept to hell ! Our men are hero -surrender!" When Gen. Hill wa? at my side culling "eurreuder," now within'ten'yards of the men covering us with their muskets (tho upper one the general,?the lower one my self,) the lower soldier let the stock of his guu down from bin sholder, but rccov eredquickly ns his comrade spoke to him (I'onlyjsaw his.lipstnovc),and both fired. Throwing out my right hand (he was on that side) toward the General, ? caught the bridle of his horse, and wbceliug'to tho left, turned iu tho saddle and saw my General on the ground, with -his limbs oxtended motionless. REPORTING TO UKN.^LEK. Instantly retracing the ground, leading his horse, which gave mo no trouble, 1 ?ntered tho woods again where wo had left them, and realizing the importance, and of all things most desirous of oboy ing my General's last order, "to report to Gen. fyoo," I changed to his horse, a very superior one aud quite fresh, and letting mine free kept on as fast as the nature ot tho ground would permit. Hut after sighting and avoiding several parties of Federal stragglers and stirinishors, I felt that it would be beat to take to tho open country and run for it. After some dis? lance of thia I made for tho Mahoue di vision log but wiuter quarter.), which were still full of tho enemy, upon thc principie of greater sufety in running through its narrow streets than taking their leisurely lire iu the open. Emerg ing thcuce down hill lo tho brauch, along the north sido of which Gen. Hill had i so shortly ridden in his most earnest eu- i deaver to reach our separated and shat tered right, and in a straight line for Gen. Lee's headquarters, I came in sight of a . mounted party of our own pooplo, who, when tho branch was croped ami the hill risen, proved to be Lieut Gen. Loug Btroet aud staff, just arrived from north of tho Appomattox. Meanwhile, moat ing Cola, l'aimer and Wingate and oth ers of Gen. Hill's staff and ?courier-, and halting a moment to answer tho kindly expressed inquiries of Gen. Longstreet, we rode on and found Gen. Leo mounted at the Cox road in front of army head quarters. I rcpor'ed to him Gen. Hill's last order tome. Gen. Lee theu asked for details, receiving which and express ing his sorrow, he directed mo to accom pany Col. Palmer to Mrs. Hill. Qeu. Lee said : "Colonel, break tho news to her as gently as possible." Fonr ltlind brother*. The four blind musical brothers of Unioutown reads more like the caption to a talo in the "Arabian Nights" tirana simplo statement of facts. A family of this singular description have, however, been living in a suburb of Washington. Unioutown is a little settlement that has grown up across the East brauch of tho Potomac, within easy reach of tho navy yard. It is a Bleepy, tumble down vil lage, whose chief claim to aristocracy is the nomenclature nf the streets, which bear the name of every President to Buchanan. Its chief citizen is, perhaps, Frederick Douglass, who owns a fine country place near the river's bnnk. Some years ago a family moved into this village from Baltimore of the com mon namo of Smith, but of a very extra ordinary family make up. Thorn were Gr had been tweltg or fifteen children, every one of whom, in rogular proces sion, had bO'.n born blind. Of this nu merous aar singular progeny all who were born with sight died but one, a girl, and at present only five children aro left, this girl aud four blind brothers, named James, Ignatius, George and Al Ired. They are all smart and happy, all are masters of some trade, and ul 1 aro musi cal. When iu a frolicsome mood each in turn will play on the family fiddle while the others dnuce. One of the brothers iu quite an accomplished musician, and supporte himself by gi nug lessons on the piano. The others pi<ty merely for re creation. Two are broom makers by trade, and make a broom which is famous through the neighborhood for its excellence. The remaining brother is a cabinet maker, with a special knack at coffins: The oldest of the brothers has a high reputation in Unioutown. Not only does he make the best broom in all the region and make the violin sing, but he is en dowed with a wonderfully acute sonse of touch. It is said, for instance, that ho can tell a five from a ten dollar bill by feeling the two notes. One of the two brothers is married and has a large family. The siBtor is the wife of an elderly carpenter. They all live together with their widowed molhor and seem to be sn affectionate and happy household. Recently they have moved from the settlement some five miles into the country, but they frequent tho village still to sell their brooms or pr?vido a cof fin.- Washington Special. Important Society Muta. It is no longer considered en regie to kiss the bride at a wedding. Take it out on the bridesmaids. Both dresB and demeanor should al ways be appropriate to thc occasion. Even a full suit of the deepost black will not OSCURO joking with the sexton at a funeral. When making a morning call carry your hat with you to the parlor and hold it in your band until you depart. The city is full of sneak thieves, and hat racks are their favorite prey. At dinner do not throw tho bonos un der the table. Thia rule may be relied on, for il was one of those made by no less a personage than Queen Elizabeth for the government of her court. When invited to dinner accept or re ject the invitation the same day. It is no longer considered g >od form to anoak around and ask your host's cook what the bill of fare is to be before roplying. If you use tobacco do not put a fresh quid in your mouth just before entering a strange house. Some parlors are not furnished with cuspidors, and frequently raising the window interrupts conversa tion. Never call on a lady simply because she asks you to "como again." Wait for a more urgent hint. "Come again" is a mere superfluous conventionality, like tho word "obey" in tho marriage service. A presentation to a lady at a ball does not authorize yon to claim her acquaint ance afterward unless sho first shows some desire to renew the intercourse. Such presentations are Hko summer-re sort-engagements, mere formalities. At an evening party carefully note tho location and size of the house and the probable value ef the furniture and bric? a-brae. If there are evidences of wealth and refinement on every side, devote your attention to your host's unmarried daughter. - The jewel of assurance is best kept io the cabinet of an hnmble heart. LOSING ? PRISONER. Row Ute Guard l'scuiiod C?nsur?. Thomas B. LOTO, of Hill County, Tex., was a Confed?rate Soldier under Brig. Gen. Lyons, and while the commaud was on tho march in Western Kentucky, in tho Winter of 186T>, a Federal, who turned out to he a notorious spy aud bushwhacker, was captured. After tho commaud went into camp for tho night the prisoner waa aeutenccd to die next morning. Ixive carno on guard at 8 o'clock, anil the rest of tho story is given in hin own words : Hy this time all were sound asleep, as tho men were thoroughly worn out. The prisoner and I sst on apposite sides of the fire. An hour passed and nota word was spoken between us. He seemed all the while thinking of the morrow, know ing full well that if he over saw th? sun rise a prisoner it wouhi be his ?asl day on earth. I wat only 17 years old and a little reckless, but strict to obey orders. I had no pity for him, and perhaps be reulizcd this and waa ailent. Tho pris oner sat beside a post or stump, some times leaning against it, and the distance betweon us waa not over eight feet. About y o'clock a comrado, who bsd been out foraging, returned and emptied a bag of apple? just behind me. I turned partly around to pick up one and as I turned back I did not look di rectly at the prisoner, for I was certain he was all right, I having beard no sound to aromo my suspicions to the contrary. As my fido was to bim when I pioked uti the apples, ho must bava atol?n away as noiselessly as a ahadow, as soon as he caught my eyoB off of him. I can now imagine that ho went on a 2:40 g_ait. I went on eating my apples, certain that the post ho was sitting by was the pris Doer himsolf and all right. I atipposo flfleon minutes bad passed whiUt ealing apples. About this time nur captain bad occasion to got up. He noticed that the prisoner was not there and asked me where be was. I almost ?umped out of my boots-rauto with as tonishment-when I realized what had happened, aud my tongue almost became paralyzed. The captain motioned me to bc still. I finally asked him what on earth I would do, knowing full well what s stern general wo had when duty callod for it, notwithstanding he carried a great big heart and nono of us but would nave died for him in a moment. The captain was satisfied that I bad not purposely let the prisoner escape, so he told me to take out a pair of my pistols and go up a creek that run through the lot and away from tho bouso, and fire as fast aa I could, yelling halt I halt! haiti You may bolieve I obeyed ordera promptly that time. The prisoner had boen gone, I suppose, at least twenty minutes. The firing raised Old Harry ; ail were up and in arum in an instant, thinking the Fed erals were iu camp. Tho general carno out half dressed, and when I came hack be asked me if I thought I hit him. I told him I was almost sure I had filled him with pistol shots, and while he looked a bit doubtful I escaped censure. Lest She Should Fall Dead. Philip Guyer, of Paterson, lost a large sum of money by theft recently. He uuspected an old woman of the neighbor hood, but did not have sufficient evidence to warrant his making a complaint against her. What made it the moro auspicious was that the woman called every morning to atk Mr. Guyer if ho had got any traco of the thief. The following story ia told by a Paterson po lice official : Mr. Guyer* ascertained that abo was very superstitious, and the next morning when she called and asked, as usual, if there was au/ news of the thief, he replied : "No ; but I expect to know who it was to-nlgbt." "How," asked the woman. "Do you see those nails?" said Mr. Guyer, showing the woman three very old and rusty nails. "Well, they came from a coffin that had been buried for a hundred years." "The Virgin save us," said the woman, crossing herself. "And do you see that paper ?" "I do." "Well, that is a prayer, which I just got from the priest.'1 "And what aro you going to do*- with tboao things ?" "Well," answered Mr. Guyer, slowly and impressively, Socking tbs ??V?.?S la the faco, "to-night at 12 o'clock i am going into a certain yard where there is a poar tree. I am to nail that prayer to the tree with these three nails. Every time I drive a nail I am to repeat that prayer aloud. When I drive the last nail and repeat the prayer for the last time the person who stole the money will drop dead." The woman turned pale and departed without saying a word. That evening about 8 o'clock there was a rap at hts front door. He went io tho door an? there waa no one in sight, but on the sill he found a small package containing the money that had besn stolen.-New York Sun. Scheming to Evado Giving Christmas Presenta. A boy of twelve stood loaning against the fence on Duffield street yester day, hat nulled down, feet crossed, and his right hand going up occasionally to wipe bis nose, when along came another anatomy about his size and asked : "Sick?" "No." " Any the family ^ead ?" "No, I've just been licked." "Who dun it?" "Dad." "Did your ma ask him to?" "Yes. She told him I bad been aching for it more than a month." "Say," said the new arrival, "you aro in luck. I am trying my best to get dad to whale me. I'd give fifty cents if he tanned me this noon and it was all through hurting." "Why ?" ''Why ' Haven't I got $3 saved up to buy pap and marm Christmas presents, and if I can get them to whale me be fore Christmas won't I spend every cent of that money on myself? How much you got?" "Two dollars." "Bully 1 You are all rightl You've bin licked, and they won't expect even a \ stick of gum from their pounded son. I'll go home and slam the baby around and steal sugar and hick the cat and sass mother, and if I can get wolloped to night I'll meet you here to-morrow, and we'll pool In and buy moro pistols and I scalping knives and rock-candy sod nate and raisins than yon ever saw before I Yip I neel me down, dear father ; hang my bide on the fence, mother darling." -Detroit Pott. , ' " , - "Oh, will he bite?" exclaimed one of Middletown's sweetest girls, with o look of alarm, when aha saw one of the danoing bears on the etreet tho othei day. "No," replied har escort, "ho can not bite-he is muzzled; hut he can hu-." "Oh," she aald, with a distract ing smile, "I don't mind that." JEWELS OF THE LOST CAUSE. Th? Illddau Trou?tiro Itox of the Confed eracy Accidentally Fourni lu Georgia. ATLANTA, GA., December 29.-Wilkes I County, this Stnte, is in great excitement I over tho discovery of a large quantity of ] Confed?ralo treasure, about whk eo much has been said and written. During a storm this week a small oak tree was blown down niue miles from Washington. John Frank, while riding by, saw some thing shining, and examined tho roots of tho tree. Ho fouud almost a peck of I gold, and a largo quantity of iewels and j precious stones. Among the latter were diamonds, rubies and pearls and many pieces of exquisite workmanship, the value of which has been placed by sever al connoisseurs at ?20,000. The belief expressed by all who have seen the treasure ia that it is part of that ?ott by tho Confederate Cabinet during ?ts flight through this section. The road upon which the treasure was found is the name over which tho Confederates re treated, It ia supposed that the person who recured thin part of the treasure, being unablo to carry it off in safety, bia it and either diod a natural death or was killed soon after, and consequently the treasure was never unearthed. The great quantity of jewelry and precious stones suggest that they must ho the contonts of the mysterious jewelry bes intrusted to Mrs. Moss, and taken from her shortly afterward by a stranger while retreating through the country. Prcaidont Davis and hit Cabinet, together with other distinguished Confederates, stopped at the residence of Mrs. Mos?, an aged widow, where it is believed tho last ] counsel of tho Confederacy was held. When the meeting was about over, General John O. Breckenridge called in Mrs. Moss, and, banding har a box of) quaint device, told her lt waa of great value, containing rare jewelry which had beon pawned by ladles of tho Confederacy for the benefit of the causo, and desired her to secrete it until tomo one with proper authority thould come to claim it. When the party resumed ita retreat Mn. Moss examined the contente of the box, and waa dazzled by tho brilliance which met her gare.. For several wooka clio kept her tntii a profound secret, and garded it from hundreds ol men who were searching th? country for remnants of ! the robbed treasure train. One night a horseman rode up to her residence. Alighting, he called Mrs Moss aside, aud, in whispered words, told her he was the accredited agent of the persons who had left tho jewelry box in hor possession, and that he h.J1 boen instructed to call for it. Completely deceived by the man's assurance and appearance of hon esty, she placed the box in bis bands, to seo bim disappear in the darkness, and to realize the next day that she had been cruelly imposed upon. She died a month later. Tho fact that the jewels just found correspond so well with the contents of | the mysterious box, lends color to the supposition that they are tho same. Beast Taming. Falmali, tho celebrated tamer of wild beasts, declares that there is no empiri cal receipt for beast-taming, and that the great secret is, fear nothing. No doubt, it ls to a great extent a matter of nervous organization ; but the animals aro prob ably al H o subdued by deprivation of sleep, no food, and by toe administration of lowering drugs. And herein, in our opinion, constitutes the difference- be tween the Bportom&n who boldly e~eks his carnivorous opponent in its native hauuts, and him who seeks to further subjugate an already balf-hroken-in ani mal. It seems that the hyena is the least intelligent and most irreclaimable of all the Carnivora; tho leopard, the most affectionate and tractable; while the Cape lion is in this respect superior to his congenor of the Sahara and Sene gal. Individuals ol tho same Bpecies, lowever, show great differences in dispo sition. The lion is most easily tamed between three and four years old, while his character Ii, so to speak, in processor development. The young lion retains bis infantine sportiveness, enjoying a game or a roll on tho floor ap to six years old, but after that age becomes serious and saturine. Care as to ventilation and cleanliness is much required for the health of the animal?, which ar*) m-Tre liable to nutter i; tiZSmi ihv.ll ?typ? C?'l?. Th O HOD i? fuses motton, goat's Heh, cat and dog, pr efe M veal and beef, but will accept fowl, rabbit and horse. The tiger, wolf and hyena are less fastidious, and the latter prefers its meat "high;" black hears eat bread, meat and fruit, and can fast for a week without inconvenience. All the great carn?vora have a passion for milk. Though the wild animals will breed pretty freely in captivity, Falmali'a ex perience was that ibo young are never vigorous or healthy ; and- of eighty lion whelps born io hit menagerie, we are surprised to learn that one survived its third or fourth year. In mott of the feline tribe, the maternal instinct requires io be assisted by a carions precaution the total exclusion of light from the mother and cubs during the first nine or ton days of their existence ; otherwise these fierce, matrons would reven? the order of nature, by devouring instead of nourish lng their young. According to the authority quoted, an adult tiger ts the mott expensive of the carn?vora, costing six thousand francs, but as much or more may be given for a chimpanzee. The lion costs an equal sum ; but the lioness may be had from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred frat a. The price of jaguars varies from one to two thousand francs ; that of Java pan* then, from two thousand to three thou sand ; and of lynxes, from six to eight hundred; while leopards are sold for twelve hundred franca per pair. Wolves may be had at a much cheaper rate ; and hyenas from sixty to one hundred francs ; but in Africa the latter may be purchased at low as a franc.-Chamber'? Journal. A Match Found For a Boston Qnlz. Two Boston gentlemen whilo tramping through the White mountains the past summer came across a lonely hut among the hills from which the prospect waa particularly flue and extended. The proprietor of tho establishment waa hoe ing in a small garden, and the travelen began to quiz bim. Said one: "You nave an excellent view from your hcuse." "Purvy fair," replied the farmer. ' . "I suppose," continued the fini speaker, winking to. his companion, "on a fair day yon can see almost to Eu rope 7" . T'Ktn see further'D that," returned the man. -M-? j.-; V? eifcfcvi ' "How tot" was asked Ut surprise : "Wo don't think nothin' of Boole* af Air na tho ruuno."-Bozlon Courier. ? ? < aMWJ?[mL] o ...?.-..>.? Genuino producta of tho dimo noyol are discovered in th^B^t? toidf*^ who wore arrested in the suburb* of Now Yori, whore they bad-, m ado arrange ments to abduct blushing moldeas and wealthy tourists, A Horrible Tragedy In North Carolina. Charlotte Observer says : Nows was received in this city yester day afternoon of a strange and fatal Poisoning affair that occurred near Beaver lam, in Union county, last Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Mr. J. C. March, a young lawyer, and the almo8t^fatalj~sickness of turee of his friends. Thc party wero poisoned by eating eggs that were impregnated with strychnine, lt "appears that on Inst Sunday morning Mr. Marsh accompanied by Miss Marnio.Peterson, of Morganton, aud Mesara. James Hoy lin and Reese Blair, of Monroe, went out to ..Mr. Marsh's new home, a short distancojfroin Beaver Dam, to spend tbe day. Mr. Marsh had recently completed a new rc8idence.,and-was just furnishing it for occupancy by himself and wife. The party arrtved at the house in due time and breakfast being prepared for them, they proceeded to dispatch it. Friea eggs constituted one of the dishes and of this Mr. Marsh and his friends partook quiet freely. Shortly after eating they wore all taken violently nick, and it waa evident thal something was wrong. Tho whole party were put to bed, and medical assistance was at once summoned. Dr, Ashcraft *oon arrived, and on making himself acquainted with the symptoms, saw at once that it was a ca.o of poison ing. He set about immediately doing what he could for tho relief of the un fortunate victims, and soon had the sat isfaction of seeing Miss Peterson and Messrs. Boylin and Blair showing signs of improvement. Mr. Id .-.rslj, however, faiicd io rally despito ail efforts, and a little before noon ne expired. An investigation was made into tho cause of tho poisoning, and it was found that the eggs eaten by the party contain ed a quantity of strychnine. The eggs were purchased at Austin's store fn Beaver Dam. Mr. Austin bought them from a countryman, hut beyond thia nothing is known that will throw light upon the afluir. There are DO suspicions of foul play, os it is generally thought to be tho result of careieaaness on the part of the countryman, who it is supposed had poisoned a lot of eggs with the in tention of catching a thief, or an egg sucking dog. In collecting a basket of eggs to take to the storo, ho bad through ignorance, accident or carelessness mixed the poisoned eggs with the others and sold them to Mr. Austin ia turn, being ignorant of their fatal contents and never dreaming of anything being wrong with them, sold them to Mr. Marsh and nonce' tho tragedy. The matter is to undergo a full ana searching investigation. Tho victim of this deplorable affair was a young lawyer of talents and Viad a bright futuro before bim. He waa married about four months ago to Mina Gillespie, of Morganton, whom be leaves crushed and overwhelmed with grief at hiB sad ending. The community is stir red to its heart with sympathy for the family of the decoased. Mr. Marsh was to have moved into his now horne to-day, and for some time past had been bueily engaged in arranging it for occupancy. How Many Murderers Escape. It appears that from 18C0 to 1882 a hundred and seventy persons were tried lu Massachusetts for murder in the fi rat degree. Of thia number only twenty nine were convicted and only Bixtoen paid the extreme penalty of the law. Of those convicted ono committed suicide and twelve got their aentenccB commut ed. Here, thea, during a period of little more than twenty years were a hundred and seventy murders in ooo Stats and only aixteen executions. In Connecticut during a period of thirty yean, from 1850 to 1880, ninety seven persons were tried for murder in the first degree. Of these only thirteen were convicted of that crime and not more than eeven wero hanged. The statistics for other States would doubtless ahow similar results. In Now York city there were a hundred and eighty-five homicides during the fonr years ending with 1877. Tbero was an average of nearly one homicide a week. During the same period there were fonr executions, or just one a year.' The number of persons tried for morder in the first degree in the city is about twenty-five every year, the number hanged does not exceed on Ihe average one or two a year. " These figures are full or significance. They show that either through- the fault of the law itself or ita administration by jarles the statute imposing the death penalty for murder is in the vast majori ty of cases a dead letter. They further show that while murder is a common crime the murderer in a great many in stances succeeds in escaping punishment entirely.-N. Y. Herald. Weather Troubles. We must remember that this ia a large country, and that our tronbles from bad weather are really almost always com? punitively local. With our railroads I uniting all parts of the country, bringing ' the farmers of the extremos ts near each other as residents of a county need to bo, there is tar less canse for melancholy foreboding than in the days of our grand fathers, when a single BQOW storm or cold snap might cot off all traffic and commu nication between comparatively near neighbors for whole weeks at a time. Now, if the hay crop ia short, or our corn is frozen, we can fiad plenty of either waiting for c market almost at our very doors. To the farmer who lives from "hand to mouth,3' who uses np each year what each year produces, a short crop means a degree of want, possibly hunger and cold, bat this is not tbe character of the farmers generally. We believe that there is no considerable class of working neople in the community who from year to year suffer less from actual want Utiujj the farmers. Their very oc;> cuat? ou teaches them to look ahead auu provide for the future. Tradesmen and manu facturers have their poor yean, and fiats men must not expect to be exempt. As one extreme ia expected to follow another we may hope for an exceptionally pro ductive Benson next year.-New England fbrmer. A Soldier's Bones In the Wilderness. A relio of the battle of tho Wilderness was discovered by Mr. B. A. Larkins, of this city, who has just returned from Chancellorsville, where he spent a few weeks. Mr. Larkins stated to a Mepubli* eon reporter, yesterday evening, that while ho was forcing his way through a dense thicket on the tragic battlo-f old last Thunda?, digging bullets oat of the trees, ho soddenly carno across the skele ton of a Confed?ralo soldier, who had evidently crawled into the thicket allst being wounded. Tl? skeleton was hare and white. The clothing was destroyed, and the Only marl: cf identl?catloa waa thc waist-belt, with Ita "O.K V^iTha sWistTn recUnot) on a kwpswk and ffiete^alnfrifc portions cf ? gray Manket, A CathoHo *3ble wa* also found, out tho Inscription ott its fly-leaf wis illegible. Tho skeleton waa buried near hjdlw gloomy thicket* where the soldier died.