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THE WASHINGTON GAZETTE. YOL. XX. BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS. INCIDENTS OF THE DAT IN HEB EI. RANKS. Standing In Six Inches qf Water Dnr in if a Drenching: Shower--A Brig''* ado s First Experience in Bear of a Battle. (Murrey in Washington Republican.) After the long at*.} harrassingoeige of Yorktown, and the wearisome march up the peninsula to Richmond the brigade (General James L. Kem per’s) to which the wrlicr’s regiment (Seventeenth Virginia Infantry) was attached, had been enjoying a much needed rest, even company drills hav ing been for the lime discontinued. On the evening of May 30, ISB2, we were camped' in tents on the Richmond fair grounds, which is a level plain of considerable extent. 'When we lay down to sleep that night the weather wis clear though very sultry. Boon after a thunder storm came sweeping along and we were subjected to a cloud-burst. The rain carat down for hours, not in drops or sheets, but literally by tbe bucketful and soon the enl ire camp was afloat. All wo could do was to liastilv pack up our blankets and traps and stand in a half foot of water and wait patiently for the water to subside. Not lung after midnight the adjutant came around with the order to pack our knapsacks (which we bad done al ready) and pile them, leave the tent standing, and he ready at a moment's warning in light marching order. AVo knew very well what this or der meant, for the sudden rise of the •Chicknhominy after a big rain was well known to us, and we knew also that the army of General McClellan was divided by this treacherous stream. Under the circumstances we were glad of our thorough soaking. By daybreak we were on our war down the WilHsmburg road in the direction of the enemy. The front line ot General McClellan's left wing was some five or six miles'" ‘from Richmond, a'nd we could have gotten over this distance in two hours with ease, in spile ol the tact that the road was covered with pools of water, but we were halted rt every mile or so w'ith a long wait and it was nearly noon before we got WITHIN VIEW' or THE ENEMY’S PICKETS. You may be sure there was much comment excited bv the unaccounta ble slowness of the movement—the American soldier was very ap t to criticise the strategy of Ills generals. Growls went along the line “Chiok ahominy will go down as fast as it has risen, anil they can lord it even if bridges are swept away. What in the li—ll are we waiting for." fun eral I). H. Hill's division was ahead of ns on the road and i! was some time after 12 m. before bis skirmish ers began to exchange shots with the hostile pickets. I have never been able to understand why the -m i* (V not made at Cor 10 O’clock inid tonght by the infantry, so that the difficulty of bringing up the ar tillery could nfit have been the cause of the delay. It is true that General Hager did not get up with the di vision until late in the afternoon, al though he did not have to march fur ther than we did, Wt then we had sufficient force for the job then appa rently on hand without him. When, however, Hill had once be gun to fight he did not let the grass under his feet, as it were. His onset was impetuous and delirmined, and the tremendous crashes of musketry, tho charging yells and the booming of Casey’s cannon showed to us in the rear that hot work wa* in progress in tho front. After tho battle was begun Kemper’s brigade was drawn up in the line of battle in reserve on the extreme right of the right wing— the brigade having suffered heavily at the stiffly fought battle of Williams burg aome weeks previously. We stacked arms and listened to the CONTINUOUS ROAR OF TIIE BATTLE until about an hour before sundown. That was the brigade’s first exper ience in the rear of a battle and it wa? a very pleasaut one. Streams of wounded men in ambulances, on stretches all bloody, dirty and grimy, painful and hobbling along, came constantly pouring back from the front and the sight was a douse of cold water so to speak thrown upon our enthusiasm. Moreover I think all soldiers will agree wih me, that the suspense when expecting every minute to be called into battle, is more wearing upon the nerves Ilian to he in the midst of the combat. At last one of Lon gst reel's aids came galloping towards us and our colonel remarked, ‘‘Now comes our turn,” and at once culled ns Id attention. The brigade was at once put in cob bmns of fours and iieaded down the AVilliamsburg road at the doubie quick, for we were told the enemy had been heavily reinforced, and Hill's inen wore giving back. The mml was a perfect loblolly and knee deep and double-quicking was hard work. When the brigado emerged from the woods into the large open field in front of the redoubt and rifle pits thrown up by General Casev, the head of the column was assailed liv a storm of shot, shells and bullets from tin Federal tines which were established in a belt of wood! about 200 yards beyond ill? rddoiibb' Kem per led the regiment on his columiia of four until we got right up -to the redoubt before lie gave the order to throw us into liue of bailie. A VEIiV CURIOUS MAXtEUVRE. Now, fifty yards beyond the re doubt was a house, 10 the right a short distance a barn, and to the left a huge pile of wood ten feet high mid and fifty yards long. Beyond 1 hose were the little dog tents pitched hel ter-skelter by Casey’s division, Up to this time we had no help from our artillery, the Fauquier battery, which accompanied us. being stuck in the mud. with half its horses killed, and the men unable to bring the guns to bear. AVhen t lie head of the column reached the redoubt, and we had se rious losses while crossing the field, froth the raking shots, the order was at last given to forward into line and charge,but this was easier said than done, especially as far the Seventeenth Regiment was concerned. We were rushed into line as well as tbe obstacle above referred to, which in our im mediate front, would permit,and than dashed in among the dog tents. Here it Mas Worse and worw,for ws could not mu crcrthem or tear down, except with frightful loss, and as it was we lost heavily in a few minutes. Kemper led the brigade, on foot as ganiely as a man could do, butliis position were faulty, and finally he yielded, “Give back, men, to the wood-piie and the rifle-pits l”and we did so without standing on the order of our going, but wo left many a bravo fel low bshmd us. Once behind tlie ri fle-pits we had our inniqgs, for the Fauquier battery had managed to get two of their 24-ponudcr howit zera in position behind us, and they poured shrapnel and cannister into THE HORNET S NEST IN THE WOOD at a lively rale, to which we added our quota in the infantry way. At the beginning of the fight Kemper had sent the Seventeenth Infantry to make a detour behind the wood and fall upon the enemy’s left flank and rear, and Colonel Florence executed the movement with success, for at this junction—it was twilight nearly —wo heard the crash of his volley on our right front, and when we jumped •ver the breast-works to go forward to help him, it was found that the troops who had worried us so badly had given back thrpugh the woods in disorder. That ended tho fighting for that day and it was a sorrowful day for me fir I lost my friend and blanket partner. When going into the fight lie said to me, "One of us will go under—l feel it.” On search ing 1 found him among the dog tents still living and conscious hut horribly wopnded. Both his arras were broken, two halls passed through his body, and he had a flesh wound in the thigh and yet he lived until midnight. His was the most re markable case of vital endurance that ever came under my notice during the war. The brigade made a' capture that day, which was some little sol ace for our loss. The barn referred to was literally grammed with sqtler’* supplies, barrelsfof brandies, whiskies, wines, boxes of crackers, cheese, and canned goods, and groceries were there sufficient to supply all. It was some time before the commanding officers found out the existence of this treasure trove, for the company officers were as zealous in sampling the delicacies as the men. and when at last a guard was placed over the delectable.?, or what remained of them the majority of the brigade were half seas over, and with canteens and hav ersacks filled besides. The troops slept peacefully that night, but there WASHINGTON, GA., FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1885. were many swelled heads and aching brows in tbe morning. The (inn had scarcely peeped above the horizon next day when tiring was leneweil on our left, where General (Ins Smith was in command and as Ihebattle rolled on toward our position the shells began to explode around anti over the brigade line very uncomfort ably. However, Hugev's men were now ordered up to (lie front, and Kemper was directed to hold the re doubt and rifle pits at all hazards in case the front line* was forceß hack, as it was thought that the fty tire Federal army was now across -flu river. AVhile welay itery Gen, ‘,Jeb” Small rodo out in front of tho fine In opcnVie-w of llte enemy’s batteries, and appeared purposely to make a target of himself, while Ihe shells were popping around him ho kept bits horse plunging and Curvet ring, and waving liis hat, seen ed lo enjoy the fun hugely. But. as one of ihe soldiers remarked : “Somebody ought to go out aud hit him with a stuffed club for making su.di a fool of himself. The brigade of Kemper needed no oncouragement to do their duty. Well Ihebattle of the second was a lame affair compared with tiie savageness of that of the day before, and about noon both sides seemed fa have got enough of St and the noise of the bat - lie gradually died away. The Con federates had failed to smash tiio fed eral left wing and had lost heavily, General Johnson having been severe ly wounded, bnt they had not been whipped and they held their ground until after nightfall, when they qneit ly withdrew to their own lines,taking with them twenty pieces of captured artillery. THK STAN DA It 1, DOLLAR. Rlnnl.he. that the Counterfeiters Intitule au<t Olheru Don't Sec. {From tbo Now York Tritium:.) Morgan the engraYcr of the die for tho standard “buzzard” dollar, ani nated perhaps by an ambition simi,- !ar to that of the youth who filed the Ephesian dome, smuggled into his work ill two places the initial letter of Ids surname. Although micro scopic in size these “Ms” arc plainly discernible on the coin even to the naked eye after a careful search. An eagle-eyed Wall street man recent ly discovered one o( tho letters and started among ids acquaintances the following puzzle: “Find three letter Ms on tlie standard dollar.” Two arc readily found—one in the word “unum” and another in “America,” but the third is net so easily found. An interview with Chief Drummond of the United Secret Service, showed that there arc four Ms instead of three, and the fourth, hilherto unno ticed even by Wall street men was pointed out lo the reporter. Mr. Drummond laugh when his attention was called to the matter and said : “The presence of these extra letters an the standard dollar was first brought to my notice by one of my clerks. They were of course cut in the die by Morgan.” The Chief of Ihe Secret service acknowledged that they had not escaped the attention of the counterfeiter who iiad placed them on the false coins. Similar instances of tlie mutilation of dies arc recalled in the case of English and French engravers’ work. Wyon, the artist to (lie English mint, many years ago placed on the plate of a postage stamp a “W” on so minute a character that for years the stamp circulated without a doubt of its perfection. The eventual discov ery of the blemish created a sensation in England; die obJctioYiab!e addi tion to the work promptly erased, and a stringent law passed against (he commission of a like offense. In tho reign of Napoleon 111. an ejigrater placed tiie initial letters of ids sur name on the plate for a stamp. This also was ot such microscopic dimen sions that ft escaped detection job a long time. The discovery of the fact led to the same result as in the Eng lish case. Some of the large property owners of Boston propose to inaugurate a new system of mutual fire insur ance, which will probably be modeled Bomewhat after the assessment of life insurance societies. It is not proposed to supplant the regular insurance companies doing busiuess in that city, but to supplement them, it being impossible to obtain eufficent insur ance, tho demand being much greater than the available capital - THK PANAMA OUTBREAK. Effect of tho Rebellion on Klnffßton AY lint tbe PnrNor of tbe AI boss Saw—-Terriblo Condition of Affairs at Colon* Tiie Atlas steamship Alims, run ning between New York and tho West Indies, says the New York Tribune, reached this port from Kingston Jamaica, lata Wednesday. On hpr outward voyage (lie Athos readied Kingston on March 28. The reports of the terrible condition of affairs at Colon and Cartagena were so alarming that the West In dian agent of Hie Atlas lino in King ston was unwilling to permit Capt. Low to take the ship any further. The trip io the rebellious district upon the isthmus was not taken and tho Athos remained in Jamaica till April 8. wliei) she started on her re turn to lids port. “We saw quite a good deal of tbo rebellion, however.” said Mr, McAl ister, the persur of tho Alims, to a Tribune reporter, “or rather of its effects. Kingston was crazy with excitement. We got there almost simultaneously with the news of the t !irst victories of tho rebels. All the .thieve*,; blacklegs, sharpers and dis solute women from Kingston, Hon duras, l’ort Huron and everywhere else flocked in droves to Colon. For tho first time since the llay I inn rebel lion the cities of Jamaica were free from these fierce anil wicke 1 wretches. They [are of all nations, Fioneh, Spanish, Mexican, Coolies, Chinese Creole, negro aud half breeds of all lines and kinds, and they poured out of the dons of the Indian cilios for Hie scene of disorder. When Colon was burned and pillaged their appetite for greed had its opportunity. “In a few days tho Belize and Ibe Para, steamships of the Royal Mail' aud tho West India aud Pacific Steam Navigation Company, came to Kingston from Colon. Each of them had on board about 800 laborers Aho had been working on tbo canal. 1, -i-ftr’es of bloodshed and crime were terrible. Men and wosier, they say,having been shot down like droves, lav rotting away in hotel reels, There was no food tier shelter, and where bullets had not dono the work of destruction, famine and pestilence hail. A lot of small sailing vessels, filled with provisions and lumber, put right out for Colon. On April 8 a French man-of-war went down heavily laden witli provisions, 1 “Then came tho nows that a compa ny of Columbian troops, variously re ported to be {rom 00 to 120 in num ber, iiad pushed through from Pana ma lo Colon, arriving there on April 2, and nad retaken the city from Hie rebels. This news was confirmed, aud (\id stories of the punishment iu flielod by the troops upon Hie prison ers were frightful. They made them dig their own graves, long trenches, into which they shot the poor wretch es, Then another relay of them was brought u)i any tpreed to cover up (lie bodies of tlioeolasi killed, only to suf fer death themselves. Massacre suc ceeded massacre, and f be carnage, riot aud misery were far worse than oc cured during tho Haytaln rebellion. In fact, I never listened to such sick ening stones in my life. Then tbe s'eamships began to return to King ston, and ail the riff-raff came on them. Kingston is a poor town, and knowing that these rascals had come back with their pockets full of gold and jewels, the people turned out cn masse to receive them. The last three days that we were in Jamaica, the town was being painted red and red der a,ll the time. They had piles of moqey and tbe gambling dens reaped a harvest they have not enjoyed in many a year. “Colon is being rapidly rebuilt. Hundreds of speculative schooners laden with building materials went down, and I expect to sec a good sized town there on tho old ruins when we go down again. It was a mistake that we did not go before. Wc should have made a good deal of money bringing laborers and others back to Kingston. Most of the es caped rebels retired into the swamps of the isthmus, where they will pur sue their old business of brigandage. The general idea in tho Indies js that this occasion presents a splendid op portunity for Iho United States to se curo control of the canal. They-have by far the biggest hold there now, wilb plenty, of troops, and people wonder why they have not seized and occupied the isthmus. GREAT RUSH OF IMMIGRANTS. Sale of a Hundred, Thousands cheap Tickets. Tho movement of 100,000 emigrants from Europe has commenced. All of them will loeato in the West aud Northwest, all will be earned from Chicago,by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroad, over whose line 5,000 ®r 6,000 arrived in Minneap olis, Minn., last Saturday. It is ex pected that the work of transferring them will require all summer and ex tend late in the fall, and that large daily special trains will bo necessari ly run to accomplish this. A promi nent Chicago railroad official, gives this explanation : “Tho reconi rate war of trunk lines between New York and Chicago resulted largely from the Gratd Trunk ami and West Shore insisting tbe differential rales. Tills moans that sl.soextra was asked as their right on each New York and Chicago passenger, as their lines of road were that much longer than the competing roid. When this was de nied them a wholesale slaughter be gan, which resulted in the Pennsyl vania at one fell swoop dropping to $1 per capital on at! passengers Iroin New York to Chicago. At the same time 100,000 tickets at tuts rate were thrown upon tho European markets, where they were readily taken up by the steamship companies. • The Pennsylvania had expected by this cut-off-your-own-nese act to compel Grand Trunk and West Shore to mako this same rate, which the Pennsylvania knew meant worse ruin lo them than tail, because each have many miles longer pull,and the West Slioro lias not sufficient ears to do such a carrying business on sueii short notice. Indeed, a similar stop by tho West Slioro would undoubted ly have glutted it, and brought it to Hie wall. To tiie great disappointment and surprise of Iho Pennsylvania neither of the opponents took the bail hut re-established former rates. Thus the Pennsylvouia was left alone with a European elephant on its hand*. This unparalleled reduction enabled the steamship agenls to make a rate from I iverpool to Chica go at $8 50. Now let us see what the Pensylvania is going to mako on 60 cents per capila to got them out of Castle Garden, and another 20 cents for in New York city before- it can begin to carry litem. This leaves just 20 cents to the company for 1,000 miles of travel. A BIG SUIT. The Central Railroad Sued tor 9110,000 Damages. Savannah News; Among the cases filed in (lie City Court yesterday for trial during the ensuing term is one brought by Messrs. Garrard & Mel drim at tho instance of a number of plaintiffs in the western part of this State and in the adjoining States ef Alabama and Florida, against the Central Itailroad and Banking Com pany for the sum of SIIO,OOO. There are eleven plaintiffs in the suit, tho repeclive claims of tho parties avera ging about SIO,OOO. The suits are predicated upon the destruction of the steamboat George W. Wylly, which was running on tho river be tween Columbus, Gu„ and Appalaclu cola, Florida, and collided with the bridge pier at Fort Gaines on the night of April 11,1883. The bout al most immediately sank, and two of her clerks, a fireman and seven deck hands were drowned. The cargo was either destroyed or greatly damaged. A number of passengers who were on the steamer were res cued, after undergoing more or less exposure, and many of them lost their baggage. The general unscaworthincss of the boat is alleged in tho declaration of the plaintiffs, some of whom sue for damages on account of the ex posure to which they were subjected, while others seek to roeover the value of portions of the cargo. A Boston man who has recently re turned from the South, gavo a terri ble picture of Southern depravity to a Courier reporter. lie accused the women of a certain town lie visited of being over fond of intoxicating liq uors, and altogether ho conveyed (lie impression that lie had mingled with the very lowest class of Southern wo men during his tour, or that he man ufactured his lies out of tho whole cloth. NO. 17 SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE. The excellent qualities, for various useful purposes, possessed by yellow pino, found so abundantly in. Hie Carolinas. and particularly m Georgia and Florida, appear to bo constantly growing in favor ii all parts of this count ry and Europe. The demand for yellow pine lumber,there fore, is all the time Increasing, anil new uses for it are being discovered. For flooring it is now regarded as in dispensably The more a floor made of it is used the better it looks. Its durability is something marvelous. It would.have met with appreciation sooner, perhaps, if it had not been for the difficulty ot working it, because of its toughness. This quality of it, however, is not now an objection to it. On Hie contrary, it is regarded as ad ding greatly to its value. The tools and machinery now in use handle yellow pine without difficulty. A writer in the new York Sim says that “no wooden flooring that is used bare is superior to narrow strips of seasoned Georgia yellow pine. A well laid surface of tho wood improves with age and friction, its resinous quality hardens and forms for it a sort of natural varnish. Art, too, has recently touched this sturdy old timber. Thin door panels are sawed out of planks containing thiclt de posits of rosin. AVhen these panels arc placed in doors that the sun can strike, the effect produced is a rich red wine color, showing inside of tho room. There is a processs of artificially seasoning pine. There is also one of steaming it, so that tiie rosin will show uniformly in tho board, but the naturally veined surfaces are hand some enough when properly smooth— oned.” The amount of yellow pine timber in the South is apparently almost in exhaustible. There are mauy mil lions of acres of it that have not been touched by the naval stores operator nor the lumberman. If it is carefully preserved for lumber it will supply Hie increasing demand of tho world fora century or more, but if it con tinues to be wasted, as it is now being wasted in many localities by the naval stores operators, it will not he many years before the supply will fall far below the demand. Yellow pine timber is so plentiful and cheap tbal there is no attempt to preserve it.— Savannah News. DODGED FOR EIGHT YEARS. On last Thursday the deputy sher iff of Clarke county arrested a negro by the namo of Henry Iluggins in lieu Smith’s district and carried him to Athens. It seems that eight years ago Henry had a difficulty with another negro in Clarke county. He struck at the negro with a hoe and killed a ohild which his enemy held in his arms. 110 immediately fled the county and scoured around for two years. A bill of indiciment charging him with murder was re turned by tho grand jury, lint the defendant kept out of tho way. He has been living in this county for six years and con ducted himself so well that he had no difficulty in finding a homo. It is probable that ho would not liavo been discovered iiad not his brother, who was in thocliaiii-gang, got away anil in pursuing him Henry was found.— Lawrcnceville Herald. STRANGELY DEMENTED. For some time it has been known that the mind of Mr. W. A. Kbcrhart near the Glade, sound. Re cently lie has grown worse, and on Saturday last he was tried before a jury Those verdict was that ha Was not capable of managing his own affairs and a fit subject for the asylum. He not being at all vielent his relatives will not permit him to go to the asylum as yet, but a guardi an will be appointed for him. Hi* case is a strange one. lie has taken up an idea that his head is ihhabited by myriads of earwigs. Ho say* that when ho was a boy, oiie of these Insects crawled into his ear where it has been ever since, generating myr iads of its offspring. Otherwise ho seems to bo sound but cannot be persuaded that it is only imagination about the bugs. It is hoped and thought that lie can bo cured.—Ogle thorpe Kclio. The Gainesville library now mimi' bjrs 73 members.