Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, October 28, 1894, Page 10, Image 10

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

    . . * si * - * iw- * . 'jttf
* n v\r A XT A TIATT.V irKVaV1 ; iCsVnsJ-rt A tta-
TI1E MAGIC OF TUB BRAIN
An Infinite Garden of Plants Performing
iss Mysterious Maryulfl.
\s
ii
- THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM OF THE BODY
HMeclianlim of Thouilit mid. Memory In
atrtirtlvc 1'iict * ICovoiilcil ILa to lle-
clifn on Ilio Mlcrino < jilo U
A. nnclnntliijT Subject.
JCopyrlghUst , IS9I , by McCluro. )
Dr. lUtnon V. Cajal. th eminent Span-
Iih hlstologlst. has , by lift late researches
oft tlio microscopic cells ot the brain , carried
the scientific world a perceptible- step for-
Vffrrd In the solution of that profoundly In
teresting problem , the mechanism of thought.
The practlco of thinking is Indulged In by
all human beings to a greater or lest extent ,
and un increasing percentage or the com
munity arc much Interested In thinking how
they think.
It can scarcely bo said , however , that Dr.
Cdjal's late lecture as delivered to the Hoyal
society would be ot Interest to the majority ,
as It was the lecture of a great expert to an
audience qf experts , was phrased In the
strange mid perplexing polysyllables of a
special rclcnce , and was. moreover , delivered
In French.
Consequently lla points. In the. meagre out
lined furnished through the press , conveyed
llttlo that wag new nnd leas that was under-
8tn.ntl.iblo to the lay mind. It has now been
translated In full , and when perused nnd pen
dered It Is perhaps the most Interesting con
tribution of Us kind that has ever been seen.
HOW DO WE THINK ?
The study of thought action Is one which
can omy be pursued by an investigator who
has mastered the latest principles and steps
In many other studies , and such an equip
ment U eminently the possession of Dr , Cajal.
All that has been learned of cell life , of pro
toplasmic action , of electricity In Its multi
tudinous aspects , of nerve constitution and
ncrvo conductivity , of tha Improved micro
scope and the Inventions bearing upon Its Im
provement , of vital chemistry , of the living
brain as explored by vivisection , and other
ErnnchcH of advancing knowledge must be
facts well In hand , In addition to the- latest
developments and concepts of anatomy and
physiology , before the highest and subtlest
form of vital activity Is explored.
- In all the directions named the special
sciences have boon aggregating facts bearing
On the great problem for the last twenty
years , though nil the kinds of electrical bat
teries now known yet fall to Indlcato what
kind of an electrical battery the brain Is ,
wbllo no photographic plato yet Invented has
remotely suggested the character of memory ,
that figurative photography within one's
head which records and stores all the scenes
qt a lifetime In small masses of living mat
ter , so that they may be recalled nt a mo
'
ment's notlco , and In groupings which pay
no nttcntlon to the lapse ot the years lying
between them.
It has lonjf been known that the brain was
composed of millions of minute cells , varying
from one eighth-hundredth to
oneftvetliou -
uandUi of an Inch In size. The control of
the bodily activities by the cerebellum and the
exercise of the Intellectual powers In the
Bray matter forming the cent of the cerebrum
nave been Indisputably established.
Vivisection has given us a knowledge of the
motor area lying along1 the fissure of Rolando
which has been of Incalculable benefit to brain
surgeons and their patients , and the thought
cells themselves , through the scries of Inven
tions for hardening and straining the brain ,
have- under the microscope , been studied
deep/ ! and successfully .by Investigators ,
wjioso results Dr. Cajal has only carried n
step further onward , That step is important
,
liowever.
h ' A T ELUSIVE .MYSTERY. .
t ' " ' ' '
Conscloushcss'"ls's'tiUa profound'mystery.
Memory * "Is still the" most inexplicable of
facts. The ' physical Brtfanfeatlon or an Idea
remains' about as unexplained as when
tlaudsley ' asked -the question ten years ; a go.
'
Itlb'ot'B s.tuny of the diseases or the memory
and ( ho diseases of the .will have. Uirown
light , on general taws ot notion , but have
said nothing us to physical constitution.
The intelligence of living matter is the
elusive mystery before which sclcnca ever
drops Its hands. The fact is that a man's
brain knows far more than the man does.
It does automatically and Intelligently a
thousand things far beyond his own power
and Knowledge. His heart beats , his nerves
conduct , , his. brain acts and his. jvholo bodily
economy is carried on without his volition
an4- assistance ,
lie cats and breathes bor
cause ' ; he. cannot 'help ' eating and breathing.
Ho' has a certain power lo Injure the mar
velous machine under his control , and In
theiirmr8ult of pleasure he usually injures It
as sroatlv a the social laws and his own
Ignorance permit The tenant for a life of
a structure whose Instincts will
always be
far more knowing than his Intelligence , his
study can only group after a. Knowledge of
how the brain
acts without
hope of ever i
knowing ; why.
But scientist or layman , this question of
the how li ever one of profound Interest
and from the discovery of air and respira ,
tion to the- discovery of the circulation of
the-blood. ' and from that point to Sir Joseph
Lister's antiseptic surgery , those surface dig
gings In the search for the deep-lying truth
liavo been
of
measureless
value to all
men ,
nnd
of Incalculable
influence upon the de-
telopmont
of society ,
VITAL ELECTRICAL MACHINERY.
To form on Idea of the chief point devel
oped by Dr. Cajal'a researches , let the reader
turn his eyes suddenly from this page and
throHf them upon some object. Suppose
that his glance- falls
upon a closed book , say
of dark green binding , lettered In gold. In
aa Instant he has combined
J'boolc."dark " many thoughts
green , a specialization ol
his general Idea of color : "letters" n. subdi
vision of the alphabet and words , and "gold , "
a specialization of hla general Idea of metal ,
With the quickness of an electric flash.
four Jdeas " have combined In his conscious
ness. According- the theory of Dr. Cajal
these jdcas did not come together , , but in
regular order , though the difference In time
between their respective arrivals' ' In con
sciousness were so minute as lo .bo imper
ceptible. Now , the exact point of their re-
ipectlyo combination the scientist does riot
Ventura to suggest , any more than ho as
sumes to theorize how we became conscious
of the combination.
He deals only with the machinery of this
process , viewed
and discussed from the
standpoint ot vital nnd electrical
machinery
as far as wo understand vital and electrical y
machinery. Carrying the familiar
further , in a. moment more the reader's process
mind has branched off from the book to a
lone train of Ideas past , present or future ,
all coming Into his consciousness -without
cessation , without confusion and without
any
perceptible time In their pasage.
JUST UKH MAGIC.
He reads tlio title , thinks whether he has
read the book or not ; recalls or does not re
call Its contents. Its characters or any of
them ; recalls hi * Impressions , of the author ,
thinks of another book which looked like It
or. bad a tttlo like It , which lie read as n ,
child In a garret twenty years ago , goes back
to the garret , goes out of the garret Into
childhood again and Is , in n moment , re
viewing a phase of his life that he has not
thought of for twenty years , but which in-
ctanllr comes back to him , clrnrly cut , fully
colored , perfect In all details ,
exactly
pre
served with
Its Infinitude of nilnuts ele
ments In
the
mysterious
storehouse of In
finite
fled located In the
living matter
be
hind his eyes. 'C- '
No two .readers starting -with
a glanca at
the boojtwlll have the same train of
thought.
Every reader , however , will have aome train
of this Icliu ! which may flash , to the
past ,
4we p the present or dart Into the futur
by combination of stored facts In jpeoulRt
Srouplngs an the case may beThis
orful combining procers It the first and
most Impresilve- quality of bruin notion
, and
the- chief internal In Dr. Cajal's lecture lies l
In Iho
description of the apeclal
Upon which tli machinery
| action depend , * .
He fltuU In the coat of gray matttr. which
In many < 5onVolutlons
covers the
cntlro
cerebrum -
brum , .tbrpo dlitlnot layer * of cells. The
-whole thlcKncis of the gray matter , which li
the upquBillonod seal of there procosaea , la
only * quarter ot an Inch , and Inn middle
layer of the thre Is so much thicker than
the other tire thai other observer * have
alrMfil It l.Uo | thrs and vei four layers.
A ll pKUllir cell * nr alt ot the earno char
acter , huwrvir , though ot different sites. Dr.
Cajil makes only one layer of these pyr.i-
mldal cells , which are beyond any doubt
the actualsphcro ot the operations which
constltuto tha highest form ot thought.
LUCE ELONGATED "PVHAM1D3.
They vary In size , an staled , from one-
eight-hundredth to one-five thousandth ot an
Inch. They are- shaped like- elongated pyra
mids , Each ono sends upward to the mole
cular layer on the ourslde a protoplasmic pro
jection , a pltimo of living : matter , which as It
goes upward throws out Any number of
minute microscopic branches , these branches
In turn sending out other branches , more
microscopic , till Ilio ramifying process ends
In even more microscopic spines.
The main shoot upon reaching the surface
branches out Into a minute treelike mass of
fibres , as delicate In comparison with the
microscopic Mem aa the foliage ot a tree
compared with the trunk. Each one of
the tnlllloi.s of pyramidal cells composing
tlllfl layer sendg upwind ono of these plumes ,
and these plumes and their branches arc
an Important pnrt of the materials composIng -
Ing the outer layer. Bach pyramidal cell
also sends a shoot or root downward , passing
through * > th layer.'beloWr and entering the
white matter underneath , which forms the
great bulk of. tlio brain.
Each pyramidal cell also sends out peri
pheral growths horizontally. Betting up nn
Infinity of connections between the cells of
"
that layer , ana many of these peripheral
growths hl o branch upward nnd form parts
In their feathery endings of the outer or
molecular layer.
EXTENSION'S OF LI.VING MATTER.
The layer below the pyramidal cells Is ono
of cells of varying shapes nnd microscopic
sires , the bulk of them being triangular In
form. They nlso send out extensions of liv
ing matter In. all directions , connecting
themselves with each other throughout all
their extentj and , In Infinite complexity , plac
ing them presumably In touch , through the
protoplasmic extensions , with the whole
IUJVT of pyramidal cells. Like the latter ,
the third layer of'cells 1mvo each an exten
sion which passes through the pyramidal
layer to the outer surface , and each also
sends a shoot downward Into the white
matter.
At numberless microscopic points there also
rise , through these two layers , microscopic
offshoots , bundles of nerve fibres from the
white matter passing upward to the surface ,
The molecular , or outside layer. Is thus
primarily composed of an infinity ot nervous
nnd protoplasmic , extensions from the two
layers below , nnd' the white matter Inter
twisted and interwoven in indescribable com
plexity with n microscopic minuteness of de
tail , compared to- which any texture woven
by hands would be gross and glantcsque.
Every minute nervous constituent of It Is
an electrical conductor ot the highest sensi
bility. In addition to the terminals men
tioned there are also interwoven terminals
from the other half of the cerebrum , the com
pleteness and complexity of the connection
between the two'sides of the brain being as
perfect as tlm way In which all the cell
parts of either half are placed In connection
with each other.
From all parts of the brain como micro
scopic conductors to this surface. layer.
From all parts of the body , through their
centers In the brain , Impulses flashing over
the surface of the outer layer reach the
sensitive plumes of the pyramidal cells.
LIKE A TELEGRAPHIC HEADQUARTERS.
Everything that may occur throughout the
body is telegraphed at the same- time to the
brain , to this outer layer , and consequently to
the pyramidal thought cells. All the bodily
labor Is beautifully and equably subdivided ,
nnd beautifully and harmoniously carried on
by the various departments. Nut , as In nil
other well ' -Drgnnlzftl establishments , every
Item of action Is automatically telegraphed
Instantly to headquarters , reported to the
pyramidal seat of consciousness , and thus
forms part of tlmt comparatively mechanical
cell process which we call thought.
The whole constructive scheme seems to be
the aim ot placing every microscopic cell of
the pyramidal layer In immediate contact
with every other cell and every other organ
of brain or body. .And to this end It has
constructed Itself with an ingenuity -which
the word Infinite can alone express.
The thought cells' are not only thus con
nected with , each other , , but nlso , through the
necessities. , ot nourlshmcut , with , the minute
arterial and venous , .systems of the circular
\\on \ by which new blood Is furnished and
waste material is removed. Each ceil Is.
therefore , ' fho seal'of chentlcal action' , . ahd"a
generator 'of what wo call electrical force.
T The 'rdmlfyfng processes of , each cell ap
pear to absorb nutriment as well 'as conduct
Impulses to aad fro , and It these two duties
be subdivided'among - the ramifications the
evidences of the subdivision are so minute aa
to escape the microscope' yet. Dr. Cajal
does not afree with Colgl In making a sharp
distinction based upon form between purely
sensory and purely motor cells , having found
cells of sensation In. motor tracts and -vice
versa.
POLARIZED CELLS , TOO.
That all brain cells are electrical generatnra
to an extent Is undoubted , though some of
tlirm have special transmitting or specially
electric functions. Me finds that In all
centers -whence an excitatory impulse , a
sending of a message. Is known fo come , that
the ceils nro polarized , the nervous Impulse
uniformly entering by way of the pro
toplasmic extension , and being sent out
latterly by an axis cylinder which transmits
It to new protoplasmic apparatus and other
cells.
And In this -way , throughout the -whole
field of the thought centers , the millions cf
cells are , roughly speaking , minute batteries
receiving Imputet > 6 and combining them and
sending off new Impulses to cither traverse
the field qt thought. In new combinations ,
forming ne'w Idraa , or to sweep over the Held
of muscular activity to express In action
the volitional result of the- thought process ,
Ills Idea of the cerebral gray matter Is. In
fact-best convoyed by the metaphor which
he uses. He compared It to a garden filled
with wonderful and diverse growths , In
which the plants , the foliage overhead and
the roots below are Interwoven and Inter
twisted as to form a solid , living mass. The
whole mass Is mndo up of minute electrical
conductors , and through tha electrical garden
an Impulse- from -without or one generated
f10111 within flashes through part or all the
extent of the garden , so that any special
excitation ot any one part Instantly be
comes a general excitation throughout Its
entire extent , a. fact of which all the parts
are equally conscious.
THE .OPTIC NERVE AND MEMORY.
In an address , the now facts of which are
fruitful of new niggeetlonii , and , perhaps , of
new theories , the most Interesting vista of
possibilities opened up la the bearing of Dr ,
Cajal's microscopic study of the optic nerve
upon the mysterious process called memory.
What memory IB and how it is carried on
nobody has yet remotely suggested , All the
late advances in the knowledge of the phe
nomena of jound and of light will , ultimately
assist the solution of the problem , but they
have thrown no clear light upon It as yot.
Dr. Cajal has discovered In tha optic nerve
a certain apparatus whose only use nnd ob
ject can be' to enable the brain or thought
centers to exclt * the retina of the eye from
within. Ordinary sight depends upon the
excitation of the retina from without by light
coming- from objects. It appears now , haw-
over , that tha retina can also be excited from
within ,
this , Indeed , bears out a fact ot common
knowledge , n.i wo often sea with our eyes
shut , sec In our dreams , and in trying lo
remember the appaarince of an object In the
past cloas our eyes ana strain them tn the
effort to recall It to our vision.
The machinery by which this Is carried on
Is a system of centrifugal nerve * lying
within the cptlo ncrvo and running hot frojfi
the eye to the- brain , but from th brain to
the eye. Thay play no pnrt In the pnenorri-
onon of sight , as It takes place frbm without :
torn ; no part of the electrical apparatus of
external vision , as It is fairly Well under
stood.
Their construction shows clearly that they
carry electrical Impulses from the optic cen
tres to the retina , and they end in spongy
ttrtnlnattoiu at the- back of the retina.
\Vhile , according to Dr. Cajal , their Blgnlfl-
cancQ la obicuro , they leave no doubt that
the spectd organ of light can be excited In
two wayf , from within as "well as from
without ,
MEMORY IN TUB RETINA.
The RP OI I importance of this i the light
which It may throw upon the actual aeat of
memory. Memory Ins been
auppoaid ( o be
loci Dd. in nil It , complexity. In the two
cerebral lobe * cf tto brain. U appears to be
pofalble , and probablo. however , that the
power of Tcmmnbering lho appearance of any
pa.t objeot ll a principally In tlm retina
and not In the Uraln ; that In response- an
Irnpnhic from the pyramidal cells of the cere ,
bnim tljo retina a * rapidly create * or repro
duce * and traiumlU ono ct today.
If this be aa trua as It appear * to be , and
If aaelng na obj ct again depandi upon a recre
ation of Ita Imagv by tin r tlna , thera 1 * no
doubt thai h rta a aounil again depend *
upon a recreation ot the vibration Ire theear. .
In the aural apparatus , therefore , similar
centrifugal nccvos conducting from within
lo without will be looked for , and this study
has already begun. ;
Analogy Indicates tlmt the organs of taste ,
small and touch will ba found similarly
equipped , and that retailingresmelllng and
retouching- wo often do In memory nnd
In dreams , consists of an actual duplication
of Ihe original process , thai any experience
wo may gn through and Iho act of remem
bering- that experience art similar mechan
ical processes- employing precisely the name
machinery. In other words , that the actual
seat of memory Is not In the brain by Itself ,
but the whole nervous system of the body.
Any reader who happens to bo Interested
In memory can develop for himself the out
lines of this fact by simple analysis. As
"thought" is the combination In the brain of
any number of special "thoughta , " so "mem-
cry" Is the recreation of any niitnber of
special "memories. "
Suppose that Iho memory under considera
tion Is that of a dancing party which the
reader attended some years ago. The mem
ory -will bo found to bo entirely made up
'
o'f special memories , visual , aural , motor , In-
eluding his muscular actions on the occasion ,
and others comprising all Iho sensations clurK
ing the evening. A large part of It will bo
mido up of words alone. Words nro Just as ;
important to the action of memory as they
are to the action at thought. To remember
what wo did on a special occasion we say
It over to ourselves say It aloud.
ALL OVER THE HODY.
Whether wo employ the organs of articula
tion mutely , from within , or sufficiently to
crcalo sound , thereby uttering the words
aloud , our memory of our past actions de
pends upon our ability to describe them In
words , a fact clearly established by the
power o'f memory In savage tribes , which
varies directly with the "copiousness of their
vocabularies.
The general Illustration of this peculiar
fact , that memory Is located , generally speak
ing , all over the body , and the way.ln which
"memory" Is made up of "memories" Is
thus open to any one , and the rzsearohes of
Dr. Cajal and his colleagues upon these re-
arousiiif ; memory nerves are looked forward
to with great interest ,
Other corollaries from Dr. Cajal's facts nro
numerous and profoundly Interesting We
cannot Increase the number of cells In our
brains. They are determined by Inheritance.
Study or the exercise ot the mind can , how-
ovor. Increase the cell ramifications and de
velop the general "connectedness" of the
cells.
cells.The
The physical measure or test of culture ap
pears to be complexity and richness In brain
cell connections. Another surmised measure
of It Is cell forms , they appearing to vary
somewhat with higher Intellectual d velop-
ment. The. number of thoughts. Ideas , .con
clusions , conjectures or suggestions which
nro excited In the thought centers by a
given object In other words , fertility ol
ideas appears to depend upon the extent to
which the cell or cells praSumably devoted
to interest In that object are connected with
cells of the same pone ml Held.
INTRUSION OF TELEPATHY.
If Ideas consist of reduplicated sensations ,
combined -with unutteml words , or of either
by themselves , their grouping appears clearly
to bo a matter microscopic protoplasmic and
nerve fibers , Infinite In number and com
plexity ,
The ego , the controlling power" which com
bines and wills the consensus of nil these
Sensations , words and memories. Is , ' however ,
a greater mystery , than ever. We may learn
by existing methods all that thf brain does
and how it does It , and be as far as ever
from knowing what It is.
The world's greatest authority on the cau
sation of vital action came over from Ger
many a few years ago to lell the Royal so
ciety In a famous lecture that lie knew , noth
ing absolutely about It. Telepathy has lat
terly Intruded Its. presence upon thought
study , and , now declares In a way that com
pels a hearing that ideas have an essence
apart from matter as we Icnow It , and can
bo flashed by brain bntterli-s and received by
other brain batteries over Indefinite distances.
None the loss , liowever , will the researches
Into brain action now In progress have' a
very practical and beneficial effect upon the
brain powers of future generations , and
sooner or later give ua n .fairly good mechani
cal , If not fundamental , definition of the long -
studied , rnyste.ry o.f thought. . . ui * \
THK CimK.Ul . , ? tlNhU UI'TION.
The Times , London , Knclnnd , of September
3 , 18DJ ,
Since Dr. Koch's abortive 'experiments Sn
Inoculation for the cure of consumption ,
science seems to have made no further at
tempt , or , ut any rate , no successful attempt
to discover a permanent remedy for this most
dreaded and fatal of diseases. Pure Nor
weglan cod liver oil , no doubt , is as yet the
best known palliative , but It'cannot bo recog
nised strictly as a remedy , though Its In
troduction to- the world -was Justly looked
upon as n most marvellous advance In
therapeutics , and its use has doubtless served
to prolong the lives of countless thousands. '
The chief objection to the employment of
cod liver oil was Its utterly nauseating taste
and smell. That objection , however , was
after a lapse of time In a degree overcome ,
and the various emulsions and other spe
cially prepared forms. In combination , wl
hypoposhltes. malt extract , etc. , offered the
welcome advantage of being nearly tasteless
as regards the oil and more palatable as far
as medicinal preparations can be made
palatable. It has been given to Dr. T. A.
Slocum , an American practitioner , to effect
a combination of medicinal products whereby
one of the greatest remedial agents In cases
of consumption la for the first time success
fully allied ; with cod liver oil. As to the
curative- properties ot Gualacol no learned
physicians are at variance ; but tt was found
next to impossible to administer It , with sue-
OMB for the reason that patients were rarely
able to retain on the stomach mor * than an
Infinitesimal quantity , so that this most
potent curative was virtually useless.
To find the - means of combining (
this product with coil liver oil
was the object'of Dr , Slocum's experiments
and researches. In this ho has succeeded '
almost beyond his expectations. Not only '
Is the Gualacol Indlssolubly allied with pure
Norwegian cod liver oil , but by a. specla
electrical process the compound Is Ozonized ,
thus adding another -vitalizing element , the
whole forming' an admirable and easily as
similated medicine possessing In the highest
degree the properties considered on patho
logical authority to be essential tn the euro
of consumption and other pulmonary d'seascs. "
It may be both Interesting and useful to
examine more fully into the properties ot the
component parts of Dr. Slocum's remedy
trla Junctn In uno. Those of. cod liver oil
are of course too well known to need de
scription here. Gualacol Is a produci
of pine and beech wood , and a power
ful antiseptic. It Is for the sake of breath
ing In the beneficent exhalations from the
pine trees that to many consumptives flock
yearly to the health-giving , pne-wooded | re
sorts of Switzerland , Germany , elc. , where
the native population is proverbially free
from pulmonary diseases. This , then , Is the
healing principle so successfully introduced
Into the new preparation , with consump
tives the stomach and Intestines contain
myriads ot parasitic baclll ) , which. It Is dla
covered , Gualacol effectually destroys , at thi
same time' preventing any further prcrpaga
tlon of the ' germs. So much for the first twi
Ingredient's Cod liver oil , the emollient and
nourishing- element , and Gualacol , the nnti
septic nnd germ destroyer. Now , as to thi
Ozone which Dr. Slocum Introduces by meani
of electricity. Ozone is oxygen In a con
traded state. Its specific grarit ? being hal
as much again as that of oxygen. By It
peculiar odour and Us exhilarating action it
presence In the atmosphere la easily detectei
after an electrical discharge ; H ? vivifying "
erects experienced at the seaside , or In
the clear pure mountain air. In Dr. Slo
cum's remedy the very necessary function
performed by the Ozone la that of more
readily replacing the oxygen of the bqJy ot
taken up by the fatty matter of the products
during their absorption into the system. As
suredly the whole process seems on the faoe
of It aa plausible , as consistent and as perfect
as may be. It only remains to be seen from
pratlcal experience whetjier Ihe result
Justify Dr. Slocum a sanguine1 but perhap In
not too sanguine anticipations as to th
healing power of hla remedy for a dlseas
that has wrought such havoc amoncst man
kind , and which has hitherto ladled tin
knowledge , time and research of the entln
mc-dlcal profession.
eignlflcnnca at tli Marks.
Indianapolis Journal ; "See here , " said th
auspicious Woman , "I believe this reoom
m&ndatlon la one you have had for a loni
time , Inatrad of being from your laat ml *
tress. How did It get all those create snot
on it ? "
"Sura , ma'am , " aald Ihe lady who wa
looking for a situation , "Ihlm Is marks o
the tears ahe shed because aha had to let m
NEW I'OfflS ' GREAT ESTATES
Old Parma tL § AO tfow Near tha Heart of
| io , 'Oity ' ,
CO.D BLOODCftlfoLICY OF THE ASTORS
OulcWTjKxnlts IJIOod The llngln
nine , .AliitnlpcitK-nl-utKl Teller < > f it lie
LniullorcU
of 1Iu > atntropoiu. I
( Copyrlfilitcil , 1891. )
NEW TOOK , -Oct. 27. An observant Dos-
onlan remarked "before "tho era of great for-
unes Jn this- country that In America It |
rns only three 'generations from shirt sleeves
to shirt sleeves , , and the saying had at one
ttn ( ' a great vogue belng used to' clinch nr-
K ; umcnts upon > < fjilch.it had a bearing and
Iso l < > add a spice of neat and epigrammatic
yntclsm'to conversation upon the Iransltory
laturo of worldly riches. In these latter
lays , when there nro fortunes in this coun-
ry that rival In slzu and in apparent per-
iiancncy those vast estates ot Great Britain
hat have been fostered under , the protection
successive cndurcments upon first born
ions , the- remark Is quite as applicable aa
ivcr before , the estates alluded to serving )
is admirable exceptions to prove the rule ,
the rule la that where the fathers nc-
luntulate the children waste , though to be
; ure the muchmoregeneral rule Is Ihnt
iven the fathers do not gather wealth enough
.o bother aboutv-or to tempt Into prodigal
nd spendthrift'habitsSince the beginning
f colonial life In' this ' 'country the very
real majority of , mon hnve hud to make
heir own way by toll through the encom-
iasstng xlimeultlesofMnhcrlted poverty and
ver changing Industrial methods .and condl-
.latin. And so It will remain unless our
riends , the socialists , manage by levelling
ip and levelling down to put and keep all
nen In nn equality.
MONEY QUICKLY EXALTS BLOOD.
Even In the colonial days there were men
vho were reckoned rich by their neighbors ,
LIK ! according to the standard then prevail
ing they were rlclj. Nowadays such wealth
" would command ; biit little respect. Some of
"liese men , ; however , laid the foundations for
ortunes that havfr lasted till now and these
ave _ served to keep whole families rich
vlth no cther effort than that'required to
efuso to sell Innd around which the great
: lly was growing , The men who started
hese fortunes were frequently small farmers
nd petty shop kjepers ; their grand children
nd great grand children are more fre-
juently than not proud with nn nrroganc ?
if race beyond that of the most exclusive
loblllty In any ot the old world kingdoms ,
" 'his "noble" class in New York Is not only
rottd of its wealth , but It is proud of Its
lesceut , f hough It Is. scarcsly to'bo expected
; liat many of tlvein.'Inhistorical retrospect
go- back so far aa to find an ancestor meas
uring tape an'd bowing to-customers frani
lohlnd n counter. Dut unless such was
he occupation ot these old worthies it was
pt to. have- been In a furrow behind a plow.
Such commonplace ancestry Is entirely
lonorable. and it would not be worth noting
n this place were It not for the fact that
many of thosp osning Jnherlted fortunes
'rom such souicteirjiave Ignored the humble
Beginnings with such persistence that they
: iivo absolutely passed out of memory. A
rifle over a year ago a bundle of receipted
accounts , made by a resident of New York
Just prior to the beginning of this conlury ,
was fpund nml .thB bills , were published.
Astonishment was' eard "upon"many" sides
that , this ( ll&Ui | iilBhed name nnd that had
onca graced signs .p'v'er , shops where , articles
of divers Iclnd mffiht have been bought pt'
retail. Indeed Uie bearer of'phe of tns8
- - - - - Stuy ? nf , I beUeve-pWote Urttia
aperis fn.jflfpt ii ijlylng that.'ltWas news'
, . , . , , J n'd so jtt'ey1 , way have'
. 'bandsuch ' employment , but the estates
were likely to have included retail shops
where the owners' 'served customers with _ a'
shrewd politeness' tliat concealed If it did"
not dull'-the keen edge of bargaining.
THE STUYVESANT ESTATE.
But at that time the Stuyvesants were very
considerable land owners on Manhattan
Jiland , their farm stretching from the
Dowory east to to the East river and north
and south from. Houston to Twenty-third
street. The Stuyvesnnts have husbanded
this estate very cnrefdlly. and much of this
'original tract still belongs to members of the
family , while part of it is managed as n
whole like the business of a bank or any
commercial concern. ' And within this Stuy-
vesant area are somo-ol the most crowded
tenement house sections In the great city. '
These swarming tenement houses must con
tribute no-little to swell both the Stuyvesant
pride and purse , and a member of the fam
ily contemplatlng.'them In midsummer can
not be blamed fort believing that he belongs
to a superior rac < v As for recognizing the
Stuyvesanl who kept- shop
OTHER FAF.MS NEAR THE HEAflT OF | {
- THE .CITY.
A glance alTtha lower half of Manhattan
Islanil will show that the Stuyve.-anLs
had in the DC Lancys near neighbors , alsn
with a considerable tract of land , and this
family has alao held on to large portions of
the old farm. And without any doubt the
most hopeless tenement house lite lo be
found anywhere on this continent flourishes
or languishes. If ydu please , ) oh the land
where old James De' . Lancy marked out his
furrows. It is In this district the gentle
men of the University Settlement society
'are living In the hope of assisting In some
'measure to ameliorate the hard conditions
of the very poor 'who are huddled' In
wretched houses like rabbits In a warren.
But the property ylelia a good return in
rentals , and further concern than this Is
not lo be expected from those who with the
Income treat the world to an unexpected
sight of aa American nobility.-
"A. " Land of Trinity church , called
"King's Farm. "
"D. " ' Anthony Jlutger's farm.
'C , " Land of Trinity church , called "Old
Jan's land. "
"D. " Elbert Herring's farm.
"E. " Land of .Abljah Hammond , part of it
Sir Feter Warren's land.
"F. " I and ot John Ireland , formerly
part of Sir Peter Warren's. on
"G. " Farm of .Governor George Clinton of
and John Jacob Astor.
"H. " Hapelve farm.
"I. " Land of Clement G. Moore.
"K. " Dayard' * V e farm.
"L. " BayariJta , ast farm.
"II. " noosoreltifarm.
"N. " Rut BsrAi'farm. .
" 0. " FormiKt James De Lancy. In
"IV Knrm of P-WlIlp Mlnthorne.
"Q. " Stuyv * fintarm. ; .
"R. " "Sallows gong Harbor" land.
"S. " Farm o&tH/wry Brevoort.
"T. . " FannaVl Hflnry Springier.
U. " Farm-rtifc James Duane.
V. " Farm i o ( .Cornelius Tlebou. In
'
\V. " Land flf 'Sln.Pfter . Warren to
Across the noflyfr.3road | from the De Lancy
farm were the iwa' fiayard farms , separated
Into East and < $ § $ ! farm by Broadway ,
North of this , | < k\l \ JrontlnR on Iho Dowery. tn
wai the Gilbert' Hirrlns farm. Including
"Washington Bo. hre and itlll to the north
the farm Ihat'oTJ ISiptaln ' Randall gave to
the Sailors' Srnisr'H'aVbor. The Henry Dro-
voort farm separa'r'fft' ' this from the place
Henry Springier'which Included Union
square and frtnVTwelfth to Eighteenth
"
street ran east aiiU "west from where Fourtli
avenue now Is to midway between Fifth am
Sixth avenues.u
How much of tun ; not taken for public
use , the Splngler heirs still hold I have not
gone to the records to. see , but It Is enough
all conscience , as witness the spacious
old residence on the north side of Four
teenth Mrcet , with .Its carriage drive , Ita old
fashioned garden and its contempt for the
enterprising -arms of commerce which stretch
ell about U , but have not .como further than
the tall Iron fence. Strangers and New
Yorkers , too. have looked at this old hou
and have wondered , why It ahould be uf
fered to remain so Jong after those like 1
Had been tumbled down. Though I canno
aniwer the question I do know that th
steady Increase In value la enough to compensAte
pensAto for Its comparative idleness. Ant
then th heirs of James Splngler do no
need to worry about money for household
xpenses or v n a Trip to the country when
tUe weather li warm.
Wiat of the Splutter farm waa Ihe
place. Farmer Rogers had. ft pretty daughter
whoso bright errs won th heart of n young
foreigner , a man who , in the abacnca of any
better name , was called Rhlnelandor , Just
wo would calf a lad newly come from the
valley of the 1'ocpmoko a Mnrylander. Dut
the beginning of this humble romance be
tween the nil but nameless German youth
and Iho country maiden was also the beginning -
ginning * of a. ( Treat fortune , a great family ,
forte the Hhlnclamlcr's pretty wlfo succeeded
toher the acres of her father and left them for
her children and her children's children.
Wore It worth while the map of New York
with the land .lines as they existed eighty
or ninety years agi could be gone over and
man/ curious little facts rescued from ob
livion. ' . Were the descendants of the people
who then owned Hie land pious In the same
way ; that In Now England the Puritans'
7roat grand children are they would have
thi : done. Hut bless us , they never will.
They can get much nearer what they desire
from ! some college of genealogy and heraldry ,
'
' 'rom some Institution that will be sure to
glvo to each patron something to gratify the
pride regardless of the varieties that would
hinder ' the hand of a. conscientious archaeo
logist' ' nnd teacher nfter tlicf trouble. So wo
will ' ' pass tlieja things by for on the map
via art now near the first considerable bit
Of land.purchased 1 by thefounder of n landed
eatato ; so large that'to * borrow an expression
from ' the race track , It Is first and the rest
nowhere.
' I1EOINNING OF THE ASTOR ESTATE.
I allude to the- farm owned In partnership
byst Governor George Clinton and John Jacob
Astor , bounded by Eighth avenue and the
Hudson river and G.tnsevoort street and
Nineteenth street. Mr. Astor had already be
come n rich man before- his first large ven
ture In real estate. Ills previous ventures
Had been In.tho fur ( ratio arid In that he
liad sovcrelgned sway for many years for
like a king he sent his. fleets to the far seas.
Ills armies .of hunters and trappers to unex
plored : countries.
Same of tha people In New York t.iko a
curious kind of pleasure In recalling the
fact that the first John Jacob Astor beat
furs tn New York for 11 a day , when their
grandfathers wore ow"hers of the land. II
iccms to mo that the. period In Aster's ca
reer to Inspire the pride of his descendants
and command the respect of the world Is
that part before he became a great land
owner. As a' merchant" and ns a trapper he
was an enterprising man , more farslghtcd
then his contemporaries , more thrifty , more
onorgetlc , more resourceful. His early
active life was spent In this trade and In
It ho accumulated a fortune that was looked
upon at that time aa collosaal. Ho went
Into real estate because he wanted to In
vest the money he 'had made In furs nnd
looking upon his land purchases purely a&
Investments , ho began a policy that has
l > ? cn continued by his descendants dawn to
' .ho present time. This
policy , it may be
. -emarked , has been usually considered
one
of the most Intense and cruel selfishness ,
Before telling what this policy Is It Is well
to say that It has been , condemned quite
as severely by those who recognize the full
and complete rights of
property as by any
others , for the policy leaves out of account
entirely the responsibility that the owner
ship of property Imposes , the responsibility
to the rest of the community and the obli
gation to assist In all the work that tends
toward neighborhood advancement. Neglect
ing these responsibilities and obligations the
Asters have as owners of real estate In New
York been In a position somewhat analogous
to the m/iii Vho- thought ho kept within the
law Inall Ills' acts nnd consequently out of
Jail , yet falls''to win either the affection or
respect of his -neighbors.
THE.ASTOR POLICY.
There is nothing wonderful In this policy ,
but It Is
remarkable that three generations
should have persisted in It. The first Astor's
active business life was spent In Now York.
at that period when the city was making Ua
first
strides
toward
commercial
supremacy ,
and Its growth was both
steady and rapid.
The shrewd old Germ nti had complete faith
In the development of the town
' , and he saw ,
what'Jt seams diUlcull that any othrrs couM
fall to See , "that
Its growth would be to the
nortjh. . Indeed. , th.ero was no other way for
It. to .grow. So he bought parcels of land
wherever ho could buy to advantage , and
established the policy pf.holdlne on until tha
Improvements of others should make this
land desirable for ibualnese or residence
poses. His polfcy , Vas ' to.ksecure for purr his
Mtate every farthing of 'the uritarned Incre
ment and to refrain from doing a single
thing to earn this advance In value. Ho
was quite within. Iris rights in so , doing , but i "
those
whoso enterprise and whose more |
active Investments
gave Increased value to
his lands did not love the policy any the
more because it was lawful. He would not
sell the vacant lots he held , ncr would he
as a general ' thing reprove them , but he
would lease 'them for '
twijify-ono
or
' forty- i
two years tenants' , who would build what ,
he considered suitable houses. Under th'j ' |
policy ho
converted a. greater part of Ills
wealth Into real estate In New York , and his
lichcs grew with amazing rapidity. The
policy was successfully continued by his son
and his grandsons , and the present masters
of the estate , Th founder's
great grand- . -
eons , William Waldorf Astor and John I
Jacob Astor , pursue It with only
very slight
modifications.
From the "time the first Astor Joined with
Governor Clinton In
purchasing the farms at
the foot of Fourteenth street , the Astora
have been steady and regular buyers of real
estate property until now It is scattered all
over town , from the Daltory to the Harlem
river and way beyond. Though they have
built'hundreds ! of houses
they have built so
llttlo In proportion to their holdings that the
policy of letting others improve their
property has not. been affected. Even the
great hotels put up on Fifth avenue by Wil
liam Waldorf Astor are not considered to be
any marked departure from tha established
policy. Rather than a departure It la but
following the example of the founder , who
built the Astor bouse at Barclay street and
Broadway so long ago , that at that time the
hotel was thought to be on the outskirts of
the town. Whr < n an Astor buys a square of
land In any neighborhood the nearby property
owners consider It Is a misfortune to them ,
for they have learned by experience that this
great estate will do nothing more actlvo i >
than to hold on and await the profits that In
developments by others will bring , A recent
Instance In point was that of the present
John Jacob Astor , who clioso to build a
stable In Madison avenue , though the stable
was distasteful lo the neighbors and In
jurious to their property. No feeling of
nelghborllness could move him ; all he
wanted to know was whether or not he was
within the law.
MANAGEMENT OF THE ASTOIl ESTATE ,
the founder of the Astor estate managed
himself ; thoao who have como since him
have needed assistance and the corps of
clerks , collectors , real estate exports and so
has grown until now It Is a staff like that
a bank or the executive department of a
railway corporation. The large London
estates , such as those ot the dukes of Ilol- by
ford and Westminster , are In a great lo
measure In tracts or districts , where every
thing in sight belongs to the one. landlord ,
but the Astor. properties are scattered all I
over town and therefore cannot be managed
the same way as throe ducal holdings.
The manager of the Aetor estate has given
more than half a century to his work and he
may personally know all ot the properties , as
but the younger men and the owners them-
Blves need la refer to the maps and the
books to aid memory. In buying , In leasing , sco
InsuringIn building , In making repairs do
houses everything Is done according * o a
system that lias grown out of Ihe Astor
policy. Bo long as this adhered to the
Income will probably remain so large thai to
get rid of It would baffle Ihe efforts of the
most rccldfss spendthrift. Dut tha Aston
have never be n of this kind nnd the ruling
generation may bo depended on to take safe ho
care of their own. Nothing less than a and
revolution Is likely to disturb them.
The Vandcrbllta own very valuable real
estate In New York , but their holdings do
not compare with the Asters , nor do they
"
rent to tenants."any great number of houses.
They are not , therefore , among the great
landlord * of the meJrppoHs. I ne
JOHN GILIIER SPEED.
Pretty llttlothreecornered tea cabinet *
that either Bland or hang now sometime * Ing
replace the C o'clock tea table. Hook * are
screwed Into the back of the upper shelf , ami
pretty cups hung- from them. The saucera
stand up behind a cleat arranged for them ,
and In the lower part , protected by a glass
door , stands the > tea caddy , sliver Jug and
spoons , a iplrlt lamp and kettle occupying
the center of tbo main shelf ,
hla
Dr. Carroll estimates that 20,000 000 r -
lleloua services , not counting the Sunday
schools , are held every year In the United
Slates , and that 10,000,000 sermons are i . „
preached In 165,000 places of worship. This by
does not look u It Christianity Is "dying Wi
a
| I BATTLE f OF EZRA CHAPEL
Gen. Howard's ' Description as Given at tbo
Reunion of the Army of tboTonucssoo.
RECALLING ITS DEPARTED COMMANDERS
Strangci Colncldrnrc of Bucceoillnc In
1'lieratm'H footnlop * Confcderato
VorMom of tlm nin'rcliVhat
tt'iva Uitlnnil by the \Vt r.
Comrades ; How .Ihe 'years roil around I
Grant , Sherman , McPherson and Logan
successive commanders ot the Army of the
Tennessee Jmve passed on tii tha other
shore of tin mortal life.1 'ntu the only one
ot that series .of cqmmandcrs left to meet
and' address you tonight.
You may sayth.it U not a cheerful chord
totouch. - . Why not ? "T often mingleIrf
my dreams \vllh' these ' .old. friends and In-
llmates. I never meet them in lho tomb ,
but InBotnv active spherti correspondent to
Ihe old places. Grunt is earnest ; Sherman , |
gay and off-hand ; Mcl'herson , quietly happy ,
nnd Ijogan electric !
My own parl in a given dream may be-
slightly depressing , often shnme-jiroduclng
or ludicrous , or , to coin tt word , dBfcatful !
llut their parts In the drama of the night
visions nro now fraught with \ho triumphs
only whether they bo of war or peace.
For example : One night I fancied that I
had a roll ot Ilrnssels carpet much soiled
from use. Sherman appeared lo be standIng -
Ing not far olt and talking' rapidly In n
most animated ntylo to , a host ot com
panions. I called out lo him , "General , let
me bathe my carpet In your tub. "
lie had a quizzical look as lie removed his
Cigar and lifted ono ot his brows after the
plcl fashion.
"Put that carpet Jn my tub ? All right.
Howard , do what you like. " This was said
with the name , old trombone voice and joyous
manner 'which'we never forg'ut.
. So you perceive , my comrades , these
friends and many others who leave ua one
by ono are not really dead , but living en
tities not far off from our thbugats night
and day.
: A WOUD FQH M'PHBRSONV
[ You have given me "Ezra Chapel , " All
j-lsht.
"
: Hut a few days before that batle | , the
22(1 ( day of .July. IgCI , In tho'morning , all
these commanders were .here ,1 bodily pres ?
bnco living. During that day , as you , Mr.
J'rosUlrnt , . lee vividly , remember ; one of
them , Jlcriierson , , he .young man of finest
talent and brightest earthly prospect , fell
In battle. I have visited his singular tomb ,
sel up there on the field , also the , 'statuolh ,
Washington , and have had a description of ,
the other erected In Clyde , O./Hl's history ,
however. Is everywhere and Ills name does
not need monuments" dflroii , ' stbno"and' mar
ble to keep fresh his memory In lho minds
and 'hearts of the thousand ; } who knew anil
loved him.
On the 27th of July , ftvo days after the
death of Mcl'hereon , I assumed command of
the Army of tha Tennessee , There 'Is
something a little remarkable tn the se
quence of his work and mine , at points
where they came In contact.
He entered the military academy In 1819 ;
HowardIn - 1850. He glilduatcd In 1853 ;
Howard In 1851. He was cadet quarter
master sergeant during hU second class
year ; Howard the same , succeeding him.
Ho waa cadet quartermaster In bis gradu
ating year ; Howard 'the ' same In his. He
was president of the Dialectic society at
West Point In 1852-53 ; Howard , waa his Im
mediate successor also In this.
I did not seek the field command which
McPherson had vacated. No friends
prcs&ed my name upon General Sherman ,
nnd so It. was , Is , and ever will be a special
gratlflaatloiui'to ' my military prifUu tbat J ,
was selected" lor the" high -position.
You will agree with m& that by the time
II had been occupied by so many generals
of distinction some whose ability and repu
tation the world will have difficulty to match
that It was a1 great honor and enhanced
with unusual responsibility.
HOW THE AUMY MARCHED.
The very day I passed from the Fourth
'r > rps to the new command I set tha army
In motion and , we proceeded , General Dodge's
corps leading. Blair's and lagan's following
In order.from.thp field of. their bloody tri
umph , , now called'the. battla field of Atlanta ,
around the rear ot the .Armies of thq Ohio
and the Cumberland to and beyond the then
extreme right ot Thomas' position.Va'vcre
to go across Proctor's creek , ' and Sherman
desired me to march In the usual order of
columns ct 'four stretching out as far as I
might , so as to encompass tlio confederate
works ot Atlanta and gain , If Confederate
Hood , would allow mo to' 'do so , his south
bound railroad track , and thus cut hla vital
com in unl cation. I demurred a little at the
manner of going , and so with Sherman's as
sent changed the order ot. coming Into. line. It
General Dodge had hardly passed Thomas'
Hank when. General Corse being on thp. lead ,
Hodga began skirmishing with the confeder
ate pickets and advance guards , driving them
back. They gttVe way step by step as our
men advanced. General Dodge handsomely
iwung up into line brigade by brigade * com
ing into deployment , as wo would say with
nmaller fro-nt's , 'by division on the left Into
line each successive brigade covered and
protected the rear and then the flank of Its
predecessor. General Olalr , In the aamc
orderly manner , passed beyond Dodger and' led
name nearly Into position , curving up toward
the confederate intrenchmentsr , but hewaited
lor completer adjustment till the daylight
f the 'following morning. Logan unrolled
a similar manner , except that he de
ployed -nearly his entire' corps during the
night , forming a largo angle at the Junction
with Illalr. Wood's division was near Ezra
church , and then came Harrow's , and then
last on the extreme right Morgan L. Smith's ,
commanded In this battle by Llghtburn ,
whose own brigade was on the extreme
right of Smith's division. Each corps had
Its own artillery , but Uiere was no cavalry ,
except a small escort at army headquarters. He
General Sherman , with the view of protect
ing our general communications , caused Gen
eral Thoma-i to send Morgan's division to
TuincrV Ferry at the same time that -we
wore moving. To the same end , 1 had Gen
eral Dodge reinforce Morgan with the Ninth
Illinois mounted infantry. Morgan , so helped
mounted men , waa to watch all the roads
our right and rear , and after his recon-
nolrsanco came back as rapidly as possible to
my right flank. It should bo observed that
confederate works In front ot Thomas ,
Dodge and Illalr were held In force by Har- to
ilee'a corps.
Now In order to make this battle aa plain
possible , we- can do at this time what we
could not do on the 27th or 28th of July ,
18S4. Wa can stop over to the other slda nnd
what our opponents were doing , I cannot
better , perhaps , than to give you what our
good General Cox has- ferreted out from con I
federate reports :
"He ( Hood ) determined upon another effort
crush Sherman's flank ; and since the thing
wn& to be again tried , It must be admitted
that he was wise In determining to strike
Howard't ' right while In motion , and bsfore
could entrench. Ha withdrew Lorlng'a
Walt hall's divisions of Stewart's corps to was
support General 8. D. Lee , who with his by
corps ( latterly commanded by Cheatbam ) was and
ordered to move- out on the Llckakillet road ,
attack Howard and drive him from that road
and the one by Ezra church. Stewart's orders
directed him to remain In support of Lee
near the fortifications till needed , and next the
morning (29th ( ) , reinforced by his other di and
vision ( FYenqh'K ) , to move beyond Leo and
turn completely the flank of Howard , attack-
him in the rear. Hardce'a corps and and
Smith' * Georgians were ordered to occupy the also
works In front of Thomas and Schofleld. " Ism
Perhaps General Hood himself makes It leas
oven plainer. Hla offlclal statement it a
follows :
"Sherman began to mati hla forces In ( hat they
quarter. On ttfo 28th it became manifest
that the enemy ( Howard ) desired to place long
right Oh Utoy creek. I determined to Ihe
hold the Llckskillet road , and accordingly
ordered Lieutenant General Lee , who on Iho
26tli relieved Major General Clioalham from und
command of the corpi formerly commanded
, myself , to move his forces so as to pre
vent the enemy from gaining that road. He
was ordered to hold the enemy In check on
lias usarly parallel with the LJck klllot for
road , runnfnrr. through EIM church. tlan
oral Loo. finding thnt th enemy hoj- already
gained that pmltlon , engaged him wltli tha
Intention la recover that lln-o. This brought
on the engagement of Iho 2Slh , " towlt , tha
battle of Kzru Church.
"My old cla&smntc , General S , TJ. Leo ,
whom our men reported aa riding In tha
thickest ot the fight on a. whlto her * all
that pxcltln * day. ) ' of his movement *
"Tho ( confederate ) army was then In | iosl
tlon and Intrenched around Atlanta , dally
shiftingI I Li position tomoot the
flank movements of Iho enemy. On
the 27 th Hlndninn's nnd Clayton's
divisions went withdrawn from the
trcnchcM ami massed on tlio I.lcksklllrt road.
On the 2Sth. about 11 n , m. , I received or *
ders to move out on the Llckaklllet road
and cheek the enemy ( Howard ) , who wa *
then moving to our Mt , as II was < 1oalrnbl
to hold that road , to bo used for a cdrt-
tcmplatcd movement. I scon.found that tha
enemy ( Howard's sklnnlnliers
) had pa I neil
that road and was gradually driving back out
cavalry. Ilrown's division
was nt once
formed on the left of and obllqilely lo the
road , nnd Clayton's division
on the rlgh
connecting by a line of skirmishers with the
main works around the
city. As
soon as
Urown
was formed ho
moved forward
, hand-
aonuiy : drivlnjrlho '
enemy ( Llghtbiirn's men )
across the road nnd to
a distance half n mlle
beyond
, whcro lie encountered
breastworks , from which ho was driven temporary back
with considerable loss. Clayton's division
moved ! ' forward aa soon a , ? formed , and about
ten minutes after Hrown'a advance ami
,
met
with similar results , 1 found It dlillcull lo
rally Hrown's division :
, and moved It against
the enemy a. second time. The consequence
was that
ono or two brigades of
this
di
vision , as also Clayton's division
, sustained !
heavy -i -
; losses because of Iho failure In the
attack of portions of their lines. Wallhall's
division '
, of Stewnrt's
corps , had moved out
on the Llckakillrt road , while Hrown's rind
'
Clayton's
divisions
were engaged with the
enemy. At
my
suggestion this
.division , was
thrown
against the
enemy where Brown hail
attacked.
Tlie '
enemy ( Logan's line
within ) waa still
easy range of the Llckskillet road
and i I bctlevcd he ,
would
yield
before n de
termined
attack. The
effort
was , however '
failure. " ,
GENERAL IIOWAHD'S VIEW.
As Dodge and IJlalr
confederate wcro occupied with tha
forces Inside of the Atla'nth1
works , U Is
ovldcnt that
the
-
federate column moving- con
greatly outnumbered -
our-
men , who
wcro engaged at the
points of
attack. '
Some- writers
think
that Hood , after hla
sad
experience at the two battles of the
22d of July and Peach Tree "Creek , Should
have managed to stand on the defensive nnd
have waited for our coming. If lie''had ' done
so we would have
had his railroad' com
munications cut off by
two hours after
sun-
Hso of the 28th. Once
there , h6 could fiol
have dislodged us , nnd the' siege of Atlanta
would soon have ended tn 'prompt ' abandon
ment or surrender.
Certainly our
move
ment would have ' '
forced
even Johnsto'rf la
have '
attacked us' us Hood tlij ,
HOW ' THE ACTION DEGA f.
Al ) the'morning of the 28th'Logan' kept
moving steadily forward , /
y/cll- covered by
his sklrmls.li
line. With my staff and small
escort I kept him In slgbt.r follow.Ing.up'-tbe
movement. tfetweeh. 7 , aml , ! Sherman
Joined me as wet were passing through a
heavily wooded country. , As we .
- were.con - <
versing the skirmishing became more brisk
nnd what I look to bo grape-shat cut
through the } rees over our hends , 'breaking
off the limbs. Wo both felt , that the enemy
was " becoming more obstinate. I said :
"General Hood will attack " '
" me here- .
"I guess not : he will hardly try it again , "
Sherman
replied ,
I then remarked thnt Iwas three years'nt
West " Point with Hood-and pronounced him' '
"Imloinltabla In heart. ' . '
Now , aa the sounds of battle kept on In
creasing , Sherman turned back to Thomas ,
probably having a double motlver-lflrst lo
be where he could best *
ro-enforce , ana sec- '
and to let me exercise my new command
without embarrassment. On many occa
sions I noticed that Sherman took this course-
with subordinates In whom ho had contl-
denco.
From the direction of the enenly'R firing. I"
had no great fcnr for my right flank , -and
know from the shape of my position that
I could easily , and 'largely ' 'rc-enforec ' thrd *
right , If necessity should require. I watclied
Logan as lie- gained the higher ground , and
saw with satisfaction thousands of men run- '
nlng forward with rails and such logs as
they could seize-r cpoii , with , which they
were making a continuous pile. The sbeI- >
ter at best was but little , but was a fair 0119
to men when kneeling , and better -when
lying down. Of course , It was too late for
Intrenching. .
It did not take long to- verify my pre
diction. That shrill , terrifying yell who
can ever forget it ! Hood'a ' men charged nnd
fired aa they came. All along' ' the lines our
men remained In place. I. saw thnt a few
straggled back from ono cause or another ,
but not many. These few Logan and offi
cers who were with him rushed to meet ,
and back they went' to duty , Impelled by tha
shrill fierceness of his Indignant voice.
Though it seems hardly possible that so
much time hod passed since Sherman left ,
yet all the diaries place the hour of the
flrot assault after 11 'a. m.
Krom Harrow's and Smith's front the first
charge was met with rapid .and well di
rected firing , Nothing could stand against
, and the most of the confederates either
fell to the earth or turned and fled , protesting -
testing themselves " as best they could by
tha trees "and tha Incidents of the ground.
Our right was slightly overlapped , and a
number of the enemy appeared pe'yond us ,
Permit me to repeat an account I gave
Homo years ago of this part of the battle
when It was fresher Jn my memory than
now :
To withstand them , four regiments came
from Dodge , Including the Sixty-fourth n'nd
Sixty-sixth Illinois , Inspector General Strong
thither from Blair , and my chief of artil
lery placed several batteries , armed with re-
pentlng rifles , BO as to sweep thnt exposed
flank. These were brought In at * tlio exact
moment , anil after a few rapid .discharges ,
the repeating riles being remarkable In their
execution , all the groups of flankers wcro
cither cut dawn or had sought safety In
flight. This battle wan prolonged for hours ,
We expected help all that day from. Morean'n
division of Palmer's corps , coming back from
Turner's ferry , but the confederate cavalry
kept that division In check. Our troops ex
hibited nerve and persistency. Lo an 'Waa '
cheerful and hearty and full of enthusiasm.
stopped stragglers , as we have scon , aud
cent them back , nnd gave every .needed . .or
der. Blair was watchful and helpful ; BO waa
Dodge , After the last charge had been repelled - <
pelled I went nlong my lines and felt proud
and happy to be entrusted with sucli bravo
and efficient soldiers. Iloo < l , bavins again
lost three times as many as we , withdrew
within his fortified lines. Our skirmishers
cleared the field , and the battle of Ezra.
church was won ; and with this result I con
tented myccif. Ono officer who was a llttlo-
panic-stricken ran with the first atrngglgrt. ,
Sherman and cried substantially , as I re
member : "You've made a mistake in Mc-
Plierson's " successor. Everything la going to
pieces !
Sherman said : "la General Howard
there ? "
"Yea , I suppose ho Is. "
"Well , I'll wait before talcing action tilt I
hear from him. "
So Sherman sustained and trusted me , und
was content.
GAINS OP TUG WAU.
When the war spirit Is upon us , as U
must bo when we return to our fit-Ida of
conquest * , we do not. I tlilnk , enough em
phasize what was gained by the war.
It is not enough to cry out that slavery
abolished. All our institutions covered ,
the constitution of Ihe United Statca
still developing under Its nourishing
sunshine more and more year by- year , were
Ihnn at ttake.
What were those Institutions ? I love lo
reckon among them the American family ,
American achool , tlm American , churches
the American ballot.
Wo , my comrades have1 given ( hear , com
pleted , roundetl out , Intact , lo our children ,
I hope wo have given to our clilldrm
, we veterans , the t'nt-rgy , tlio patriot *
, the eplrlt of lelf-gacrlflce and Iln fear-
loyalty which Iniplreil and animated
ourselves from 13S1 lo 1B05.
The atoriiiD coma even In limey of peace :
come from all quarters and In all
shapes , and they will continue to como a *
aa aelflihneaa and greed are found la
breasts of mean mon , whether their po
sitions In society b Mali or low ,
So comrades , at times wo may trombl *
fancy that the very foundations of lb
government are being- shaken to ifa fall ,
Hut cot BO ! No , not to ! The children ar
worthy of their parental Tha very Initi
ation * we Lava Riven ( hern prepare them
A fitruggle agaluat vrmy onpoalai : fa * .