X
'1
t
FEELINGS OF A MAN DURING A BATTLE,
Takes Your Weight In Lead to Kill You Familiarity with Danger Undei
Fire of Shot and Shell Increases Courage and Lessens Fear.
Men who have never Been a battle
are generally very desirous of seeing
one, all the more desirous, perhaps, the
Jess their prospect Is. As a rule, they
want to take part In a battle, If not
lor the cause It represents, for the
nake of the experience, which they
are opt to to be singularly nnxlous to
share. Very few of our rlBlng genera
tion have any personal acquaintance
with war, which may account for the
eagerness of many to participate in the
Spanish conflict, before It Is too late.
The older and parsing generation, who
wer alive at the outbreak of the re
bellion, have or had a realizing sense
of the horrors of a long and terrible
strife.
When a boy, I fancied, like most
boys, that fighting must be romantic
and attractive. And the fancy was
the more vivid and Impressive, per
haps, because our country then en
Joyed profound peace, without the least
likelihood of Its Interruption In nn
ordinary life-time. Some years later
the firing on Sumter brought on the
civil war, at which the north was sur
prised, although it had no reason to
be; impartial observers having regard
ed It as Inevitable for years. That was
my chance to see something of war.
and ns military correspondents were
In active demand. I attached myself to
a New York paper in that capacity and
was assigned to the southwest for ser
vice. For the first ten months, In my de
partment, the unionists had very little
success. Wc were entirely new to war.
We considered skirmishes noted bat
tles, and those who hnd been In twi
or three ranked themselves as veter
ans. I had been In several campaigns
without any positive results, though 1
bad had the satisfaction of hearing
many guns fired In anger, accompa
nied by a few casualties. But we were
steadily, though slowly, learning the
martial trade. I had often heard the
whistling of bullets and the bursting
of shells, but not In very dangerous
proximity. Still, bb I was forced to
admit to myself, I had not been fairly,
fully, squarely under Are, and I felt
humiliated by the fact, after being with
the army five or six months. I was
Independent, and could go where I
pleased, as I soon learned, having a
roving, exclusive, unconstrained, free-and-easy
command of one, which
pleased me. To be military correspond
ent In the southwestern armies, as they
then were, and to be In the twenties,
too, was not quite devoid of compen
sation, as things go.
The first time I was fairly under fire
was at Donelson, fought In February,
1862.
. The siege lasted three days, though
generally reported as but two. During
those three memorable days I was in
troduced to the music of musket and
mlnle-rlfle balls and cannon shot; act
ing as amateur sharpshooter, and win
ning a reputation I did not deserve,
and having served as aid for General
Grant, bearing important oiders in n
crisis of the battle.
Comparing notes with many a vol
unteer officer afterward as to hlB early
sensations undei tire, I found that
theirs were substantially the same as
mine. Before any actual expeiltnee a
man's notions are usually exaggerat
ed, alarming, chaotic. He is inclined
to think that he will never survive his
first engagement; that every shot
strikes somebody; that each explosion
of n gun is followed by the death of a
victim. After he has been awhile
among the bullets, whizzing above him,
to the right and left of him. and doing
no apaprent damage, much less inflict.
Ing visible death on all sldts, he Is
likely to reconsider the question soine
wlmt calmly, perhaps to underrate the
peril. He may remember then the
military declaration that a man's
weight In lead, discharged In the form
of bullets, Is required to kill him. Very
soon the declaration seems monstrously
untrue. He cannot understand what a
vast amount of ammunition is wasted
on every field.
Raw recruits, burn powder at a prod
igal rate, and do very little else. To um
up their cartridges quickly Is theJr
proof of valor and efllclei'icy.
They enjoy firing their piece, though
they fire it In the air. The sound and
smoke of the field are to their minds
what mainly constitutes the battle. A
cool soldier seldom knows If he has
killed anybody, such l.s the excitement,
confusion and uproar of an engage
ment; but the untried soldier Is prone
to imagine he has slain many. Long
after the latter has learned that tbe
firing of the average musket is com
monly harmless, he believes that his
own Is n dealer of destruction.
It is hard, if not impossible, to tell
just how men feel in the midst of hos.
tilitles. so differently are men consti
tuted. But. as a rule, the longer they
are engaged the less they feel. Every
added moment reduces their apprehen
sion, their nervousness. No one can
calculate time on the battlefield. A
minute may seem an hour, and an
hour a minute. The excitement is In
tense. A man Is keyed up to his high
est, even though unconscious of It. He
lives days and weeks, sometimes. In an
hour. Fighting Is the hardest of hard
work; It Is exhausting. The enlisted
man Is not long actively employed at
nny time, because he cannot bear the
strain. After nn hour or two, at the
most, he is relieved and fiesh troops
areb rought up. The highest officers,
who mainly observe and direct, who
must be cool and calm, feel the pres
sure, too. Only a certain amount of
perfect rest, of oblivious sleep, can re
store them; and every great general
must have the power of snatching rest
and sleep under the most adverse cir
cumstances. No new soldier can think much, the
enlisted men least of all, when under
fire. The rage of battle, the fury for
conflict, possesses and absorbs him.
The wild beast Is In most of us; It Is
roused to excess by the clash of arms,
by the roar of guns. No doubt fighting
is at once natural and unnatural. We
lost our best, our highest selves in war
fare. He who has gone through a bat
tle Is never quite the Fame afterward.
He sees himself and his fellows in a
new light, aften at the worst. But he
rarely regrets the experience; It Is
eo strange, so tumultuous, so peculiar,
and so Illuminating. And he Is almost
certain, so perverse are we. to long for
more experience of the name baleful
kind.
I remember that, on the first day at
Donelson, another correspondent from
New York and myself were In a sparse
wood, not far from the breastworks,
looking around for adventure. We were
on fot, having marched from Fort Hen
ry, eleven miles distant, across the
neck of land sepaiatlng the Tennessee
from the Cumberland river. Many of
us had come without horses, tents or
provisions, expecting to take Donelson
before breakfast, and we were sur
prised to find a formidable fortified
post, for General Grant had been whol
ly deceived by his scouts as to the
strength of the place.
While In the woods some field plecei
opened on the fort, which we could noi
see for the Intervening trees. The en
emy's batteries Immediately replied
Grape and canister rattled all arounc
us, cutting off the twigs and boughs oi
the trees over our heads, and giving ui
a vivid 6ense of wnr. We saw that the
locality was the reverse of safe, but w
stood In the open, trusting to luck. Ir
a few minutes a middle-aged Germar
officer, who had seen service In hit
own country, stepped from behind e
tree and Insisted on our seeking similat
shelter.
"There Is no courage,' he said, "Ir
exposing yourselveB needlessly. You
only show that you are not trained
soldiers. I have been In a number ol
battles, and I have learned prudence.
As the firing continued and the Iron
hall still fell all around us, we followeO
the officer's advice.
The second day I was nenrlng the
fortifications, where hostilities were
very active. There I fell In with a com.
pany of Blrge's Illinois sharpshooters,
vainly trying to pick off a confederate
gunner, whom we could not see, as he
was behind the breastworks, but whose
position we could determine, we thought
by puffs of smoke from the vent.
He hnd his cannon trained on some
of our men and appeared to be doing
them harm, us he fired steadily at reg
ular Intervals. I was very anxious to
silence him, and expressed my anxiety.
"Do you think you could?" asked one
of the sharpshooters. "Here, take my
rifle and try."
I accepted the rifle, got down behind
a log, ns was the sharpshooters' cus
tom; leveled the piece, and waited for
the puff. Sharpshooters on the othei
side were pitted against ours, Every
few seconds n bullet whistled near my
head, or struck the log with an oml.
nosu thud that sugested sudden mor
tality. Blrge's men often drew the
I fire of the confederates by exposing a
cap or a bit of an old garment, which
was always duly punctured. And the
trebel yell not Infrequently denoted
thnt the enemy hnd been deceived Into
thinking that another odlouB Yankee
had been disposed of.
Several times I fired at the Invisible
gunner, and the familiar puff at the
regular Interval Indicated thnt I had
still missed. I tried harder and harder,
though I did not privately assume to
be anything of a shot. At last I fired
once more, nfter preparing myself for
several minutes. I had a faint hope
that I had succeeded. The Interval of
the puff passed. The sharpshooter lok
ed at me significantly, and said: "J
guess you've fetched him this time. I
felt in my bones you would."
I had no Idea that I had; but T did
not wish to disturb the faith of the Illl
noisan. So I replied: "I shouldn't won
der," looked wise, and withdrew tc
another part of the field before my rep.
utatlon had been shattered.
My limited experience as a sharp
shooter had benefited me. It had great
ly steadied my nerves, and I felt I was
gradually getting used to be under
fire.
The third day I borrowed a musket
as I had done befoie on several occa
sions and did such service on my own
nccount as I felt Inclined to. Strictly
speaking, I was not right In so acting,
for a military correspondent is sup
posed to be a non-combatant. But I
was liable to be shot at any time,
going wher I chose, where I had no
business. I felt, if I should be hit, thnt
I would have the satisfaction of know
ing that I had shot at the enemy re
peatedly. Such a thing would not have
been allowed In the Army of the Poto
mac. Nor was It allowed in the army
of the Tenessee, but if not winked at,
It was not forbidden. Each and every
man in that field had the broadest lib
erty. If he did not abuee It, f-o long ah
he kept out ! trouble. The freedom of
the correspondents undei Grant was
delightful, and they never clashed.
On the third day, on the left, several
western regiments scaled the breast
works at Donelson. After they hud
gut inside the entrenchments, a con
federate battery opened on them, nnd
there wns fear lest they might eventu.
ally be driven back, though they stood
their ground firmly. Several subordi
nate batteries saw the threatening
peril. We know that a union battery
was needed to counteract the confed
erate guns. But where could It be
found, and who could order It up? I
volunteerd to perform the service, and
knowing where n Missouri battery and
General Grant had been, a little while
before, horseles sas I was, I started
on a run to hunt them up. Grant, nn
being found, listened Intently to the
message I brought, and sent an order
by me to the captain of the Missouri
battery to hasten to the place Indi
cated. The circumstance so flattered
me that I ran back, over a mile, thro'
a fire of shot and shell, never heeding,
never thinking of it. I was big. for
the moemnt, with my own Importance,
with the responsibility of my mission,
which wns faithfully discharged, and
the Missouri battery rendered good
service.
It Is plain from what has been writ
ten that courage, as clearly compre
hended, Is chiefly the result of famili
arity with danger. Experience nnd ob.
servntlon both teach this. Bravery
and courage, used Indisc'minately.
regarded genernlly as synonymous, are
very different Bravery Is much the
rarer: courage much the higher. One
Is Inherent, temperamental; the other
nt firs unusual. In a sense accidental. It
Is difficult to understand why courage
Is so much praised, so universally. In
deed, by none more than the Anglo
Saxon to whom It is particularly at
tributed. One might think It a rare
glfe, an exceptional endowment, from
the encomiums constantly bestowed
upon It. But it is common enough, and
It may be taught by discipline and ex.
ample. The man of thought, of cul
ture, of character, may be spontane
ously timid; but his qualities, natural
and acquired, enable him to conceal
his timidity.
The most ordinary mortals, without
education. Intelligence or pride, may
be drilled into courage. Many of the
raw recruits, who, yielding to panic,
ran like hares at the first battle of
Manassas, afterward proved themselves
heroes. Having grown used to danger,
they despised It, ns men are apt to do.
We soon learn to discriminate between
actual and aparent peril. What we
have often escaped from we come In
time to disregard. Soldiers eventually
grow almost unconsciously Into fatal
ists. They ore disinclined to thought,
which is troublesome, profitless and an.
desirable In .their calling. They deter,
mine to do their duty nnd let results
take core of themselves. Determlna.
tlon ultimately settles Into something
like Instinct nnd becomes the ruling
power. Physical courage alone 13
needed for the soldier, for the nrmy.
Moral cournge. as much rarer as It is
better nnd higher, is needful for the
long, hard battle of life, whose grand
er and permanent victories are al
ways spiritual.
BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR.
The Interest In wnr rttnlnlvrnce ere
nted by the present difficulty wltr
Spain has Influenced me to contribute
something to the numerous articles thnl
have already appeared, but upon a sub.
Ject not heretofore touched upon. Thrc
the courtesy of Captain L. M, Kellej
the obliging deputy ceimmlssloner ol
pensions, 1 wns permitted to unenrtr
ccrtain facts relating to the civil wni
that will absolutely distinguish It at
being a conflict truly tltnnlc; nnd nl
the same time It may furnish a surprise
to those who are only familiar wit
the great battles. Captain Kelley, b
the way, Is a gallant union soldier, and
participated In many of the hard
fought battles that engaged the ar
mies of the west. He entered the ser
vice ns a private ami emerged from the
conflict ns captain of company A, Thlr-ty-sixth
Illinois Infantry. A vast num
ber of engagements were fought In
states where only n few are ever spo
ken of and of the actual number but
little Is known. For Instance, should
a civil service examination require an
applicant to name the state In which
the greatest number of battles took
place, he would nnturnlly reply Ken
tucky or Tennessee, while as a matter
of fact more battles were fought In
Missouri thnn In nny other stnte. In
Texas the fewest took place of any
of the Becedlng states, while Florida
and Maryland came next In the ns
cendlng scnle. The actual number of
engagements thnt occurred In each
state will doubtless surprise those who
have not Investigated the matter. As
Virginia was the great theater of that
struggle we hear oftenest of Bull Bun,
the Seven Dnys' bnttlcs, Fredericks
burg, the Wilderness. Chancellorsvllle,
Petersburg nnd the Valley campaign,
but by actual count tnken from the
records, 627 bnttles were fought In thnt
commonwealth during the civil war. In
Missouri the greatest prominence In
given to the battles of Elk Horn nnd
Wilson's creek, while ns a matter of
fact, 417 engagements took place al
together. Tennessee Ip famous Is the
scone of the bnttles of Murfreesboro,
Lookout Mountain, Chlcknmaugn,
Franklin and other Important strug
gles, but nt the close of the strife 378
engagements were put down as her
quota.
In Arkansas, one of the border states,
there was much hnrd fighting. Pea
Ridge was one of the Importnnt en
gngements, but there were 294 bnttles
In all. Vlcksburg was In the fury of
n long siege, nnd the battles of Cor
inth, Holly Springs nnd Jackson also
took place In Mississippi; ndd to these
the other engagements thnt occurred
In thnt stnte, nnd we have a total of
284. Louisiana comes next In point of
numbers, with 181, among those being
the bnttles of New Orleans. Pleasant
Hills and the siege of Port Hudson nB
events thnt will live In history. Geor
gia, the route of Shermnn's march to
the sea. furnished many of the notable
battles of the wnr, among them At
lanta, Kenesnw Mountain, Peach Tree
Creek, Resacn. Savannah nnd Ringgold,
the total being 162. In Kentucky there
were 1R3 battles during the war, thnt
of PerryvlWe being perhaps the most
Important. In Alabama there were UTi
engagements, notable among them be
ing th bombardment or Mobile nnd
bnttles nround Selmn and Monttmm
erv. Next on the list comes North
Carolina with n total of 102 bntlb-s,
among thorn Bentonvllle. Wilmington
nnd Greensboro. In West Virginia 8
engagements took place. In South Car
olina, where thi first gun of the wnr
was fired, there were 75 battles. In
cluding the capture of Columbia and
the numerous bombardments of Fort
Sumter nnd the nssaults that were
made upon the batteries In Charleston
harbor. In the Indian Territory there
were 40 battle?, nnd In Florida there
were 39, the most Important being the
bnttle of Olustee. Maryland Is famous
for strategic Importance because the
battle eif Antletam took place within
her borelers, but there were also 38
other engagements. There were 22 en
gagements In Kanrns during the war,
and In Texns 2. Gettysburg, the great,
est battle of the war, was fought In
Pennsylvania, but there were six oth
er engagements In the state which
have been overshadowed by thnt more
Important event. In Ohio there were.
5 engagements, in Indiana 5, Illinois 1
nnd In the District of Columbia (Ear
ly's raid) 1.
According to the above figures, nnd
thy are taken from the records, the
totnl number of bnttles that wern
fought betwee-n the union and confed
erate armies from April It", 1861, to
April 9. 1R6r.. Is 3.12.1. This period em
braced the four years of the civil
strife'. To give an Iden of how this
compares with other struggles In which
the United Ptntes has been engaged,
It may be here stated thnt more bat
tles took place in West Virginia dur
ing the civil war than were fought In
the entire country during the revnlu
tlnnnry wnr or during the wnr with
Mexico. Of course, therp were numer
ous battles of grenter Importance dur
Ing the latter conflicts, but by count
the number of engagements by rum.
parison Is In West Vlrglnln's favor
His Holy 'l error.
It was certainly the greatest battle
that bad ever been waged on th sen.
The admiral, by his sd-ntlflc tactics
and superior knowledge cf naval war
fare, had sunk or drslroyed every ves
sel belonging to the enemy, whose loss
of life, too, was enormous. They were
absolutely demoralized, and quickly
cupltulatt-d.
Moreover the victors suffered no loss
of life whatever. It was undoubtedly
the most extraordinary affair that had
ever taken place since the world began
to revolve.
Amidst the hush following the end of
the strife the conquering admiral wns
seen suddenly to shudder violently and
then to turn pale.
"Cut all the cables thnt connect the
harbor with the rest of the world!" he
cried. In stentorian tones, that never
theless shook with emotion.
It wns done Immediately, but every
body wondered at his agitation. He
who had been the coolest all during
the fight now trembled like an aspen
leaf.
And so the squadron rested upon the
heaving billows day after day, doing
nothing. It was suggested by Beveral
that some communication be made
with home, but the admiral refused
vehemently, his pallor Increasing at
each suggestion of the sort.
No, he would not!
At last one of the captains, a per
sonal friend, ventured to remonstrate.
"Why do you not send home news of
our glorious victory?" he asked anx
iously. The admiral shook his head
and gazed with a troubled look far out
onto the horizon.
"No, no!" he said, "and Vet I sup
pose It Is my duty. But, no! How how
can I bear It?"
"Bear what?" asked the captain, won
derlngly. "Benr the puns on my name the
newbpapers will print when they get
the news!" burst out the admiral, the
drops of perspiration bedewing his
brow.
And It wnB long before he could be
reconciled to facing the ordeal.
AMUSING EFFECTS OF THE WAR SCARE,
Rigid Surveillance of Strangers In WashingtonOfficials as Watchful
as the Old Maid who Looked Under Her Bod Every Night.
The timid spinster who never went to
bed without looking under It for the
burglar she was sure would one night
be found there, ought to have lived In
Washington In wnr time. She would
then have found something actual for
her Imagination to exercise Itself upon,
In the ublquttouBness of the secret serv
ice operatives. We hae no Seward In
the state department with his "little
bell" nt hand, nnd our fortresses nre
garrisoned with something else thnn
civil prisoners; but nny one Is liable
to constant espionage and summary
arrest ob a suspect, nnd the authorities
are in no mood to make light of what
would ordinarily be trifling evidence for
conviction.
Washington Is, of course, not the
only place where this state of things
exists. The precautions tnken every
where by the government to prevent
untownr dnccldents nnd defent the
machinations of the public foes assume
as many shnpes ns Proteus. The sud
den suspicion aroused In the mind of
Commodore Schley ngalnst the Cuban
refugees whom Consul Dent hnd In
troduced to him as a pilot able to tnke
his fleet Bnfely through the tortuous
channel Into Snntlngo hnrbor, hnB not
laid Mr. Dent open to nny charge
against his loyalty and good fnlth, but
It can hardly fall to be annoying, for It
putB him nt lenst In the light or pos
sessing Indifferent Judgment of humnn
nature. News comes from one nrmy
headquarters on our southern const of
the dismissal of nn ex-flllbustcr who
had been engaged as n guide to a force
about to Invade Cuba, because the
commanding officer felt some doiibt as
to the man's sentiments. The capture
of the incriminating letter written by
Carrnnzn in Cnnndn shows how far the
ramifications of our secret service ex
tend at a critical time like this.
The telegraph censorship has been a
delicate task In more thnn one sense.
It Is all very well to assert the abstract
principle that nn officer should do his
duty unquestlonlngly when the welfare
of the country Is at stake; but the
same officer who would not flinch for
a moment at facing a battery does
draw back Instinctively nt nny sugges
tion which savors of spying upon the
correspondence of his fellow citizens,
and of harnessing down a press whose
freedom Is the common bonst of the
country. It has been noteworthy that
every officer who has been nble to
shirk the direct responsibility of snylng
"no" to the newspnpers or their cor
respondents In the field his tried to
foist It off upon General Greely, who
has thUB been compelled to pose an n
Spartan judge nnd Issue prohibitory
mandates In defiance of the love or In
dividual liberty which he cherishes to
a very uncommon degree. But this
has to be done by Bomebodv, and the
general's shouldero nre broad.
In Washington the chief outwnrd
signs of an era of uncommon tension
are to be found In the Increase of the
police force nt thn Whle house nn'i the
extra rnre p-rpipd nbnut the ndtnls-
slon of visitors to the department
uullnlrT"" " enter'!" the ground
surrounding ibe pxppr''vp mansion, th
strnrr-pr Prrl Vimpif I'mler the eve
of a police- oPVer, nnd pnses from tbe
supervision of one trunrd'nn to another
nil t"e tlr he rr"nn'ns there. On en
terlrg tbe W)i"o ibir'nr the- nnen hours
the hh!p tWn Is noticeable. Always
one. and usnlly two. gunrds an on
duty nt the front door. rndv to Inter
cept nny sns'ikioiis lnoVlne person. In
side the lobby, n soon ns the visitor
Is out or reach of one officer, he comes
within reach of another. These nre
all courtpnui. nttrntlve men, willing to
give proner lnformntion to anyone who
comes there obviously for an honest
GETTING WAR NEWS.
Durlngthe Four Years of the Civil
War.
With the breaking out of the wnr a
southern bureau or department was es.
! labllaiieii in the office or the New York
Herald. It wns the duty of the chief of
this bureau to collect nnd file away all
Information, of whatever charncter,
thnt came from the south. Of the In
structions issued to correspondents the
principal one wns to obtain rebel news,
papers. Neither trouble nor expense
were to be spared In their acquisition.
Contraband and deserters, abandoned
camps and villages wen: se-arched ror
them. Many were obtained, and are
now In the office library of that Jour
nal, The chief of this bureau compiled
for these paper lists, or rosters, of the
military forceH or the secessionists. Oc
casionally these, In nn Incomplete form,
would be published, but finally a very
full roster of the whole rebel nrmy
made Its appearance In the Herald.
When a copy of this paper, with this
wonderful array of numes and figures,
reached Richmond It created n verita
ble commotion in the war office or that
capital. Several of the clerks, accused
of furnishing the information, were
placed under arrest. On the evening of
Its appearance In New York one of the
attaches or the Herald rode In a Fourth
avenue car with George M. Snow of
the Tribune ns a fellow passenger.
"If anything were wanting," said
Snow to the aforesaid attache, "to
show the intimacy between the rebels
in Richmond and the office of the Her
ald In New York, the list of the rebel
army, as published this morning, Is
that thing."
"What do you menn," asked the Her
ald attache.
"What do I mean? That roster of the
rebel army could only have been ob
tained from the rebel wnr office. That
is quite enough, I should think." re
plied Snow, with a touch of profession
al Jealousy.
"Why, Snow, you don't mean to say
that the Herald obtained the list direct
from the war department In Richmond?
That Information wns wholly made up
from advertisements nnd locnl news
paragraps or the southern newspapers
which were run through our lines."
"Nonsense," said Snow. "Don't you
suppose the Tribune and Times could
have done the same thing?"
" 'Let ub know,' said the Tribune on
the 9th or June, 18C2, 'from what source
und through what channels the Herald
has twice procured ror publication the
alleged muster rolls or the rebel ar
mies. Let us see by what means the
Herald has been supplied with rebel
newspapers.' "
It Is fair to suppose that the Herald
did not tell the Tribune how these pa
pers were obtained.
On one occasion n union prisoner wns
released from Llbby, where several
Herald correspondents were confined.
This soldier, on his arrival in New
York, called at the Herald, cut off one
of his hollow military buttons and
presented it to the editor. "You will
find a letter In that." e.'nl he. On tak
ing It apart a letter found, written
on tissue paper, describing affairs in
Richmond, which made three-fourths
of a column In the Herald. No one
knew how that Intelligence reached the
office.
purpose, but quick to detect the vis
itor with the furtive eye or flighty
manner, for this Is a time when not
only persons of evil design must be
watched, but when "cranks" are liable
to be attracted to the seat of power.
At the state, war and navy building
the most rigid rules prevail regarding
visitors during the closed hours that
Is, before 9 In the morning nnd after
2 In the afternoon. Then the ordinary
pass is of no avail. A special card Is
required, nnd this Is Issued only to
persons who are personally acquainted
with Custodian Bnlrd, and whom he
known to have legitimate business nt
the department. Any one else muBt
be halted nt one of the main doors till
hlB name and the nature of hlB errand
are conveyed to the officer whom he
wishes to see. If the officer Bonds word
thnt he Is to be admitted, tha guards
permit him to pnss In, and, If he Is a
stranger, furnish him with a messen
ger to guide him to the room where
he In to have his Interview.
At the other government buildings
the old pnsscs nre still In force for the
closed hours, for newspaper correspond,
cnts, attorneys, etc.; but no matter
what the hour he calls, even between
9 and 2, the unfamiliar visitor Is scru
tinized by the doorkeepers, who must
be satisfied from his appearance that
he Is a safe person to be allowed to
roam about.
Occasionally funny things happen.
One of the best known nnd most re
spected members of the treasury staff
hns been nccustomcel for some time
to buy the fresh eggs for his home
tnblc of a clerk In the department who
lives out of town and hns a little poul
try yard. The clerk brlngB In eggs
three times n week, nnd the purchaser,
who lives near the department, carries
them In a paper parcel or a basket
when he goes home nt the luncheon
hour. One day his most convenient re
ceptaclc for his eggs happened to be a
little leather reticule with a somewhat
uncertain handle. He wns going home
as usual at noon, and took a short cut
across the White house grounds. It
was Just after some sensational arti
cles suggestive of dynamite plots had
appeared In the yellow Journals. As
he entered the grounds a new police
man, who had been stationed near the
gate on the treasury Bide, was looking
In the other direction; but suddenly
turning, the officer cnught sight of the
gingerly carried reticule. In nu Instant
he shouted nn order to holt. The un
conscious civil servant passed on, and
the officer Bhoutcd again, at the same
time making a significant gesture With
hlB club. This time the order was un
derstood and the man halted. The offi
cer came up. "What have you In that
bag?" he Inquired.
"Only some things I am carrying
home," was the answer.
"What kind of things?"
'Oh, some household supplies."
The officer wns not convinced. "Let
me see them."
By this time several passers-by had
been attracted to the Incident nnd
gathered around. With many blushes
the Innocent gentleman gently opened
the reticule, nnd the olfiour took a cnu
tlous peep Inside, evidently expecting
to see a stick of dynamite. The ex
pression of his face when he saw In
stead a dozen cream-colored eggs, was
a study. Without exchanging n glance
with the suspect he mude o quick mo
tion with his club, Indicating thnt the
reticule might be closed, turned on hlB
heel nnd strode majestically away.
If any crnnk docs succeed In terror
izing Washington during the present
crisis, it will not be because of nny lack
of vigilance on the part of the police.
THANKS OF CONGRESS.
Is an Honor Seldom Conferred and
What It Means.
I have received several inquiries as
to the effect of the vote of thanks by
congress to Admiral Dewey, his ofll
cers and men for their gnllant victory
at Manila. The Impression seems to
prevail In some places that the vote
carried with It n sent In congress. This
Is a mistake. The piivlltge of the floor,
which Is n greater honor, Is the right
to enter the house of representative
at pli-asure, except when the latter
body Ib In secret executive session. It
Is conferred by law upon the president
nnd the members of his cabinet, Jus
tices of the supreme court of the Unit
ed States, ex-members of congress who
are not Interested as agentc In pend
ing legislation and those who have re
ceived by name a vote of thanks fiom
congress. Persons not entitled to the
privilege are compelled to enter the
galleries to hear the proceedings and
to send their cards to members they
want to see.
A vote of thanks by congress Is an
honor seldom conferred. During the
civil war It occurred only 12 times. It
was first given on December 24, 1861,
to Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon,
his officers and men for their gallant
conduct at the battle of Springfield,
Mo. On March 3, 1863, Major Genernl
William S, Rosecrans was thanked by
congress for the gallant conduct of his
officers and men at the battle of Mur
freesboro, Tenn. , Major General Ulys
ses 8. Grant received the honor and a
medal on December 17, 1863; Major
General Nathaniel P. Banks on Januury
28, 1864, for services at Port Hudson;
Major General Joseph Hooker, George
G. Meade, Oliver O. Howard and the
officers and soldiers of the Army of the
Potomac, all In one vote on the same
day as General Banks, for skill, ener
gy and endurance In covering Wash
ington and Baltimore, and for skill and
heroic valor displayed at Gettysburg.
Major Genernl W. T. Sherman, his offi
cers and men twice received the honor,
the first time on February 19, 1864, for
gallant and arduous services In march
ing to the relief of the Army of the
Cumberland, nnd again on June 10, 1865,
for gallant conduct In the brilliant
movement through Georgia. Lieuten
ant Colonel Joseph Bailey, or the
Fourth Wisconsin volunteers, wns
thanked on June 11, 1864, for distin
guished services. Brevet Major Gtn
eral Alfred H. Terry, on January 24.
1865. wns mentioned for unsurpassed
gallantry and skill exhibited by his
command In the nttack on Fort Fisher.
Major General George H. Thomas on
March 3, 1865, received resolutions for
the signal defeat of the rebel army un
der General Hood.
The last on the list prior to Admiral
Dewey wns Major General Wlntleld
Scott Hancock on April 21, 1866. for his
sei vices with the Army of the Potomac
la 1863. When pe-ace was restored on
May 30, 1866, "the officers, soldiers and
teamen of the United States, by whose
valor nnd endurance on lnnd and on
pea the rebellion has been crushed," re.
celved a Joint resolution expressing the
gratitude of the nullon.
SURVEILLANCE IN PARIS.
More curious than n'l Its strange call
ings and Its strange customs In the
police system In Paris. When nn Eng
lishman gets to his hotel he remarks,
probably to his wife, "Well, now, Mar
tha, we can do an we like. No worry
about what Mrs. Brown would say If
we had met her at Brighton, Hero
we are free, nnd nobody knows who wo
nre or enres who we arc." But before
he has time to dress for dinner the
police know thnt he Is In Paris and his
name Is Inscribed at the prefecture.
Every hotel must keep n register of all
foreigners and hnnd It over dally to
the special officers who nre sent around,
to collect. In the case of the English
or American citizen little Interest- Is,
tnken unless their expenditure Is not.
Iccably extravagant, and then a friendly)
Interest Is taken In them, and their
description sent to Scotland yard.
It Is almost Impossible to concclvo
the thoroughness of the French pollco
spy system. You never know who 1b a
mouchard In France. The waiter who
serves you, the man who shaves you.thc!
conchcr who drives you, are as likely
ns not to be In the police pay. They)
know everything and they know every
body. Here Is an Instance that occurred)
to a friend of mine only the other
day. He received from the prefecture!
an order to appear on the following day.
So far ns he knew he had done noth-j
ing particularly out of the way, and
even If he had done It unintentionally
The magistrate Invited him Into hi
private roam and put htm at his ease at
once by explaining that the affair did,
not conoeni his personally, but ha
wanted some Information on two or
three of the English colony with whom,
he wbb nBsoclnted. The answers werq
perfectly satisfactory nnd. In leaving,
he turned to the magistrate and said,
laughingly. "Why don't you ask mei
something about myseir?" "But I know)
an about you," ne repueu. "wouia you
like to know what you did on any parti
cular day within the last three,
months?" My friend replied at random
"Take last Friday week. I haven't tho,
remotest knowledge nn' to what hap
pened." The mnglstrnte turned over,
his donsler nnd replied: 'You got homo
nt half-past two In a cub that you
had taken at Madeline. You rode out;
on your bicycle at half paBt 9. You
lunched at the Cafe de rEnperancsl
and so on throughout the day he re-j
counted everything thnt had passed.,
There was no reason to have mado
the Inquiry, ns there wn not, the
slightest mark on his dossier, but Itj
suited the police to know just how ha
passed his time.
A casserole that 1b to say, a mouch
ard who has, by some Indiscretion, let,
his connection with the police become
known, nnd Is accordingly valueless
once told me a lot about the working,
him that It seemed to me thoroughly!
Impossible that 1 could have my foot
steps dogged during a whole day with
out becoming aware of the fact. Ho
answered: "Naturally. This, for In
stance. Is how I should have acted If
I had wanted to find out all about
your movements. When you left thin
cafe I should hove followed you until
such time that I know you hnd noticed
thnt I was at your heelB. Then 1 should
have passed the signal." "To whom?"
1 suggested. "Have you ever noticed,"
he said, "that around all the big cafes
there nre men offering novels out of
dnte. but who nre alwnys scanning;
closely the faces of those on the ter
races? Well, 1 should nave passed tne
signal on to one of those men. He
would hnve followed you In a cab, If ne
cessary, and on seeing you enter n cafe
would have followed on the pretense of
selling wares, nnd handed you on to
another of the band. And so It would
have gone on. After nil. are the French,
police wrong? The foreigner comes
here nnd Inscribes his name at the pre
fecture of police, We nre not like you
In England. We have only Just enough
money for our own poor, and we do not
encourage the out-of-works of the worle
to come here. Nc'tner do we want to.
harbor e'rlmnals. Accordingly the police
trace the man. and If he Is honorably
earning his existence he Is left alone;
but If there Is a shadow of suspicion
agulnst him, his dossier gets heaver
every day, and one morning he finds:
that he bus forty-eight hpurs In which
to quit the country. tl is owing to
this system that the police rim K
comparatively easy to arrest criminals,
the vilest class of ruflhiri and the
painted woman meet In the night cafes
are all useful the women especially.
Your own servant may be spylnic on
you. Your concierge certainly Is." Ho
hostttated for n minute, -and then said
to me In a seml-whlsper. "Watch that
gentlemnn In front with the ribbon of
the Legion of Honor In his button
hot"." I looked at him. but noticed
nothing particular, except thnt ho
seemed very Intent In his newspaper.
"That's a mouchard." he continued.
"I'n prepared to Let lie" fias" heard
every word that hns pnsae.l. If you
rnd eyed him as closely ub I have you
would have noticed that he hns been,
looking nt the same paragraph for over
an hour." The man paid for his drink:
and went out. Next morn'ng, I suppose,
his report was xent in. The ruse of
tin se men In finding out persons who
nre "wanted" have no limit. Only the
other day the English police hnd sent
over the description of n man they
would like to put In the -lok. As ho
spoke French without the slightest ac
cent, nnd ns It wns certain that he,
would be disguised out of all recogni
tion, the task was a difficult one. One
afternoon two of these defectives
noticed a well dressed man and sus
pected him. One of them took off his
overcoat and hung It up side by side,
with his. A few minutes later they
got up ta leave and the wrong coat,
was put on. In the most fluent nnd
polite French the suspected man pointed
Ajt the erroj The mouchard took It
off and looked at the name or the
maker and saw that It was a London,
firm. They had found their man.
vJho Is a
An Idiot
Genius,
Jeptha Palmer is an idiot and a
genius. Although 50 years old, he has
to be cared for as If he were a child,
but he cun make wonderful machinery,
construct musical Instruments, play
upon them nnd compose music.
He lives near the village of Fair
mount, In the Georgia mountains. He,
is poor and helplessly Ignorant.
When he wns a child he could not!
ask properly for food or find his way."
from the barn to the house. One day,
a horsepower wheat thresher was
brought to his father's farm, and he
examined It closely.
He announced his Intention of mak
ing a thrasher himself and he did. He4
completed a model of pine bark, with
strings for belts. He made a clock of
wood, with stone weights. He built
a pounding mill, using a dammed-up
Spring to give the power. Musical In
struments he made and played upon
them with marvelous skill.
He has built an ergan; he has com
posed waltzes, marches and song mu.
sic which critics call remarkable.
MIfs Addle Lake of Elizabeth, N. J.,
now Mrs. Cecil Stanley Newberry, ..
soldier's bride, had said her last good
bye to her warfarlng lover when he
hnatched her from a moving train and
carried her off to the regimental chap,
lain.