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VOLUME 1. •4- LADIES’ COLUMN, -f /'FA'. ‘Tis but a little distance Between the cradle ami (he grace. A llitle thing called courage, Bet*eon the hero frtd the slave. One fear- 1 without that pomo to die, That tells the world hi* fall. Inc other-- tho’ he knows not why Fjars to die at all. Yet wo all must make the passage, I rom ihe cradle to the grave. The hero with his empty pomp. And the un pretending slave. But when the joumoy’H over, \nd Nature’s debt is paid. Who shall say, between the graves, In which tho hero's laid? The life of one may lie filled up With cruelty and wrong. Yet have Ids praises sounded In pose, and song; While religion’s nobler work M. ly crown the other’s year?, Whose only monument in ty be A grateful people’s tears. — [./. J . Wall ae,in Xe u York Mirror. THE TABLE, [We give our la ly friends this week Mrs. Toiiiicnt’s ideas about arranging a table.—Ed.] It Is uncivilized, and worse—it is ot our meals and never return thanks to the Great Giver. You may be silent, and yet feel tlwuikful, but speak it in words and let your children behold youc reverence. A child of live years oan he taught it, and it' necessary should take the place of absent father and mother. A touching tale Is tol 1 of a little girl who, In days of pros nority, was taught to say,“l than!; Thee, \ oru, lor pty good dinner.” lie verses came and bad grew worse, and worse merged into utter destitution. One day she had a dry crust of corn bread and a glassot water, and with bowed head and clasped hands,' and a deep reverential frgilqg slje said; “{ tfVfilK T‘ice, I<ord, for my good dinner,” Tlie table linen should be faultlessly neat and free from stains. A pure white cloth is prettiest for dinner and supper, a cojqrpc) Qnp i not Inappropriate lor breakfast. It is lux ury to have a woolen or felt cover under the tablecloth, lie sure that you have everything on the table that will be needed during the meal. It is annoying to every one present to ho obliged to leave the table in search of some forgotten article, Do not uso small plates for dinner, or dinner plates for supper. In the first instance they will be crowded; in tho neat the supper which is generally a m<Ntlof*)e*S Variety, will leave 4 very unseeable margin on the plate. The goblets should be highly polished and tho napkins either put in them loosely nr laid on the plate. Jio not cross the knives and forks, hut lay them side by side. Slice the butter evenly and always place a but ter knife on the dish. If individual plates are used do ut have th butter looking ragged but snjootli it nicely with a knife dipped in hot water and have tho impress of small an 1 dainty sign on top. Always have-your cruets filled. The pepper, salt mustard, vinegar, and catsup will do but little good II not in resell. Nearly tfvorv one, and especially a guest, will do without rather than ask for them. Natural flowers add much to the appear ance of a table, and often divert atten tion from a very short bill of fare. A pitcher ol clear, cold water is jrxlisjaupju jWej have your water in a glass pitcher, ‘t here is a popular prejudice against drinking Water from a china cup, and it extends to the pitcher also. Bread should he sliced evenly, and all rough edges de tached. Nothing looks worse than a clqyeqjy bread plate, tf the first course consists of soup, bring it to the table in a covered tureen with a large soup ladle, ho not till the plates to full. When this is partaken of, remove the plates and tureen, and bring the coffee, vegetables, and meats as quickly as possible. Never, except for your own family, with whose tastes you are acquainted, trust yourself to add the sugar and cream to coffee. Every one can do it best for himself. Your coilce may be pjear, strong and well flavored, and for the lack of one m ira spoonful ot sugar or on account of too much cream, it is partaken of spar ingly—-just enough to save your feelings. When you are ready for dessert remove everything except the pitcher of water; brush ofl the crumbs, and if there is a fruit piece place it directly in the center. The host generally slices the cake and the host serves the plates. Finger bowls should be provided, and they are made ornamental by placing a fragrant leaf on top of the water. Coffee, instead of being served at the beginning of dinner, is often served at the last. Use ‘‘after dinner’’ eoflee cups and beaten or oraeker biscuit. It Depends. • “Who owns this store, anyhow?” he a kel of a St. Louis clothier with whom he had had a dispute about a coat. “Vhell, I vhas oivner to-day.” “And who was yesterday;” “My vhife.” “And who will be to-morrow?” “Vhell, dot depends. You see, when peesness vhas depressed I sells oudt to ray vhife. If peesness vhas good she sells back to me, und if times vhas so-so uiy brudder Moses steps in for a few* days.” “Well, you’d better burn the durned thing tip!” “Softly, my front—softly. Pot was d*r peesness of my brudder Abraham Yhftn he holds a $3,000 mortgage on SSOO worth ol stock!” A correspondent, writes that it would ivot sur prise New Yorkers greatly to read In any morning's paper of Gen. Grant’s death. Yet he is able to go out, and walks daily down to Twenty-six street, where Drs. Douglass and Parker treat his throat. The affection has yielded to the influence of eoacine, except one hi ight red sp it at the root of his tongue. It w is at first the size of a pin head, now It Is larger than a pencil top and spread ng rapidly. THE CARTERSVILLE COURANT. For Inc Cocraxt. Reminisceaces of the Cherokees. THE FOUR SCOTHMEN WHO BECAME IMUI AN CHIEFS. By HO i. J. W. IT. UNDERWOOD, of Rome, Georgia. CHAPTER I. Copyrighted. All rights reserved.J My information concerning the Chero kees was gathered from the natives them selves. 1 am individually acquainted with many of the facts which will be chronicled here; and I propose to inter sperse these reminiscences, covering more than forty years, with anecdotes, incidents, etc., illustrative of the charac ter, manners and habits of the Chero kee tribe. 1 do not propose to confine my self to the history of the ‘‘red man,” but to relate many things which will be, I hope, interesting to the suryiyors of the great namy?, .judges, solicitors and lawyers, who travelled and practiced law through this Cherokee country, in days gone by. Under the heading, ‘‘Chero kees,” I include the population, both the white and red people—the whole—as in habitants of ijiu [‘phtuoKee Nation.” In 1830, the Cherokee Indians occu pied the territory north of the county of Carroll, and northwest of the Chatta hoochee river. wHlffr. tue chartered limits of Georgia, extending to the mouth of the phestatee, to the top of the Blue Ridge, and the SJorth Carolina side, and the adjacent portions of the States of Alabama, North Carolina and Tennes see —perhaps the most picturesque re gion in America This Country abounded in springs, rivulets, brooks, creeks and small rivers. Their waters, clear as crystal, mingled their rippling music with myriads of birds, singing their matin songs, amidst the rising mountain peaks. The flyers flowing between theae hills, abounded in mountain trout, while quails, turkeys and deer, were found plentifully scat tered over these wooded heights. In such surroundings as these the red pgan made his beige. ju these grand old woods he lived, and his spirit caught in spiration from the glorious mountain tops, Qn the road that runs east from Mur phy, the county site of Cherolflee county, N. C., to Franklin, in Macon county, N* C., from the tenth to the fifteenth mile post, is located the most beautiful moun tain valley that ever greeted the eyes of man. Extending east and west, as level as a floor, about live miles long by three miles wide, with a small river running through the centre, its entire length—as lovely a spot as the valley of the Arne, there dwelt these Indian trihes in sweet serenity. The eagle who soared above, the water that sparkled in the sunlight, the birds that filled each tree, were not happier or freer than the hearts of these children ol the forest. The landscapes Hie Indescribable. The rail, fresh verdure was adorned with the beautiful Cherokee rose and trumpet flower, and my soul swells with rapture at the recollection of this scene ot un rivalled loveliness. To have seen it in the spring-timp of the year, and in the Spring-time of life, was worth a voyage round the world. To the ‘‘thoughtful, the young and the free, every thing was blithe, jocund and jovial.” Hia watha’s wooing could boast no fairer spot, where ‘’silken meshes” entangled the young braves and dusky maidens of a tamous Indian tribe. This romantic section is pact of West ern North Carolina, adjacent to Eastern Tennessee anti Kentucky. During the revolutionary war, cer tain inhabitants from North Carolina and Western Virginia, moved to and settled in this “Switzerland of America.” John and Valentine Sevier, John Tipton, Joseph White, (the father of Hugh Law son White,) John Williams, William Clarke, tire Browns, Vaughns, Camp bells, Walkers, McGhees, McGaughys, Wylys and Sheibleys, were among the bold pioneers, who, imbued with the spirit of adventure and the energy ot robust manhood, built their camp-tires among these Alpine heights—afterwards erecting homes and dwellings, and here they reared their offspring, finding health and happiness, comfort and plenty, while the gay youngsters danced on the green sward by the light of the silver moon. The beautiful rivers flowing towards the mighty Mississippi, may be traced to the purest sources and fountains, rival ling any on the habitable globe. The air and climate is suited alike to the pur suits of pleasure, th expansion of the mind, and the enjoyment of perfect health. Among such scenes and sur roundings as here described, the spirit of freedom and independence which has ever characterized the sons and daugh ters of the “highlands,” has grown and flourished. On the south side of this valley the Tusquittah mountains rise one thousand feet above the plain. On the north, the Cheowee mountains rise as high. Mon tahaia mountains make, the barrier on the east, while tht? west is opened for the exit of the beautiful mountain stream before described. The mountain magnolia, called by the natives the cucumber tpee, grew upon these slopes, intermingled with the lo cust ami tulip trees, the birch and beech, while the ivy, the laurel, the Rhododen dron, aud many twining plants were found, in seme places covering the ground and veiling the tender blossoms from the heat of the sun. In localities, the space of 15 acres was often solidly cov ered, the foliage so dense that a wolf or wild-cat could bide itself inside of twen CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA, MARCH 5, 1885. ty feet, the thickets were so closely woven and matted with vines. The valley towns of the Cherokees were located in this vale of beauty—the principal one of the Nation. The Taylors’ the Welchs’ and Mor ris’s, were their most distinguished peo ple. Daniel Taylor was well-known and highly respected by the whites. Some of (heir descendants now live over the Cheowee mountains, (on a snaallcreek of that name,) called the North Carolina In dians. During the American revolution —the Cherokee Indians were very troublesome. Incited to acts or violence by the emissa ries of the British government, they made constant forays upon the exposed frontiers, where the settlers were few and therefore open to depredations and raids. John Sevier and Isaac Shelby organ ized bands of bold, intrepid mountain men, to be within easy call. These or ganized frontiersmen were obliged to chastise the Indians very often, and sometimes severely* Danger and expe rience taught these hardy mountain sol diers how to draw their rifles on the crafty red-skins, and man}’ of them fell under the unerring aim of these expert marksmen of the frontier. In the early of the year 1776, four young men, who were born, raised and educated in the North of Scotland, sailed from Glasgow tp fa*’ distant America. names were Mclntosh, I McLeuiore, Ross and Owen. Young, courageous, filled with a spirit of con quest, and thp ilesire for great achieve ments, they found their way to these grand old mountains and primeval for ests of the Southern States. They landed at Norfolk, Virginia. They restpd awiiUp at a Scotch settle- Culpepper county, Virginia, ; among the Quines’ Thompson Stroth ers, Hendersons, Slaughters, Saddlers and Underwoods. They started again and travelled §outh and West together, until they reached fhe Savannah river. There thev se p ; „ rated, Mclntosh, (the ancestor of tho Creek Indian chief who executed the treaty of Indian Springs in 1525,) wchi id the Creek Indian Nation, and in. process of time married Yohola, the daughter of Tastenuggee, a leading chief of tlie Muscogees. In 1825, the younger Mclntosh became the principal chief of the Creek Nation. The treaty uf Indian Springs, made and executed with the United States Commissioners, gave the whites a large and fertile tract of country’, embracing many counties on the western side of Middle Georgia. Mclntosh resieded on the wrnst side of Chattahoochee river, in what Is now the county of Carroll, opposite to Coweta. It is known this treaty made him ex ceedingly unpopular with the Creeks. During a night in November, 1825, his house was surrounded by Creek warriors. He was roused, forced out of his house, to be most inhumanly butchered by his foes. These blood-thirsty Indians came over from Alabama. The brother of the murdered chief, Chillie Mclntosh, es caped a similar fate by jumping out of a window, swimming the river, ancj seek ing protection with the whites. The Abbaeoochies, the tlie Choeoloco’s and the were fierce, cruel, vindictive and unrelenting. Chillie Mclntosh still lives wf TFfe Creek Nation, west of the Mississippi. Ross, the ancestor of John the great Cherokee chief, well-known to many Georgians yet living, settled among the Cherokees, (“Achalagues”) and married the daughter ot Jim Coody, who lived on Silver Creek, two miles south of Rome. He was a quarteroon, a powerful and leading chief. Lew is Ross, was the first-born of this marriage. He became an Indian trader, and at first set tled himself where the city of Chatta nooga is now located. John Ross, another son, married and settled one-fourth of a mile northwest of the junction of the Etowah and Ooste naula rivers. He wrote “Head of Coosa” oi* his letters, before he dated thfem. Often have I read the letters from John Ross, written to my father. He was only 30 years old when he became the principal chief of the Cherokees, and through all mutations of fortune he sus tained his power with his people. John Ross was a man of fine intelligence, with considerable education. In stature, six feet high, erect, with commanding appearance and fine address. During the time of the troubles of his people, he spent many days at my fath er's house. He appeared to centre his mind and soul in the welfare of the Cherokees. * 1/emember him well. His hair was streaked with grey, but it had been originally very dark. He had a dark brown, brilliant eye. His com plexion was a little florid. His second wife was an elegant lady, highly accom plished, raised and educated 3n Con necticut. Much will be said of John Ross in these papers as we go along. Andrew* Ross, the youngest son, was a jovial, thriftless fellow. He had dis tinction as the brother of John Ross — that and nothing more. Lewis Ross, left Chattanooga and moved to the spot where Charleston, on the Hiwassee river, now stands. He lived in affluence, and dying, left a large estate. So much for two of the Scotch men. McLemore, another one of the four, settled in what is.now* known as Me lie more’s Cove, on the Chieamauga, in Walker county, Georgia. This region is unrivalled for fertility in Northwest Georgia. He married there, and died, leaving a numerous posterity, who are now located in Arkansas. McLemore’s old homestead and farm is now pointed out to visitors in the cove. The Indians in that part of the country I had some peculiar names. A large con- neetion went by the name of “Killers.” There was “One Killer,” so on up to “Eight Killer.” “Five Killer Ford” is a notable crossing of the Cbieamauga. We leave it to the reader to gather as well as he can the original meaning of simh names. It may be, they took one, two, five or eght scalps, and for this prowess in battle, received the name of “One Killer,” and etc. It might he, they killed so many bear or buffalo, from y’outh to middle life. They had no name but “Killer.” McLetnore’s Cove is now settled by a highly respectable and prosperous agri cultural people, with fine churches and schools, and bids fair in a few years to present a very high type of Christian civilization. The capabilities of the section are very great. When brought into complete cultivation, enlivened by railroads, it will be a most delightful and lonaantic spot for a home. Wheat, corn, oats, ry’e and clover grow to a great per fection here, srd the rich forest growt in spring and summer presents such va ried and entrancing landscapes as to fill the eye with delight, and the heart with gratitude to the living Cyod, who has fashioned such scenes of beauty and gladness /or our pleasure. The fburth Scotchman was Owen. He married, it is a sister of the “Morning Star*” and built a cabin at Crawfish spring—now the splendid resi dence of Col. James Dee. Owen died without offspring. He was killed in battle, at the great bend in Chiekamauga Creek, one mile north of the town of Ringgold, Catoosa, county Georgia. In this battle, Johu Sevier, before mch tioned, commanded the whites, and Owen the Ind|ani-=the Chiekamauga tribes anu the “Red Sticks,” from Val ley River, Owen was as brave as Bruce, and com manded the most warlike and skillful tribes of the Cherokees. ffha contest ' was terrible, prom daylight Qn t(|e 2Qth day of u ’ ntil sun _ down, tb* battle raged. When the sun went down behind Mission Ridge, Owen fell, leading his exhausted warriors, and expired. Panic-stricken at the sight, the Indians inglociously fled, leaving their brave leader on the bloody’ field. Owen! was buried where he died. A rude stone, now worn and broken, in a thicket of bushes and briars, marks the spot. The reader can find it about one mile north of Ringgold, near Graddy’s mill. Owen was a brave man—as intrepid as Wallace or William of Lorraine. Where in the realms of fancy or fic tion can be found such a history’ as at tended these four Scotchmen, who, in spired by’ adventure, filled to the brim with Scottish annals, that made their native land the home ot poesy and song; venturing to cross tho Atlantic in that slow sailing era of our times, entering an unbroken wilderness and capturing the leadership of four powerful factions of the most civilized Indian tribes, and instilling into the natives some of their own energy and enterprise, made of them as warlike a ..race as ever drew a bow or tomahawked an intruder? [TO BE CONTINIi^S7j FKOM FLOYD. Rome, Ga., Feb. 23, 1885. Editors Courant .* —We have seen enough of The Courant to be assured t hat it will be second to no weexly news* paper in Georgia in point of ability of its editorial columns, the high stand it will Lake in all motel* state and national political questions, and in discriminating such news as will be wholesome family reading. A friend remarked tc ns the other day that one article (Ireland), in the first is sue, was worth the year’s subscription. But, Messrs. Courant, your paper is in complete. Here! Rome! the incompar able city of the State, is not breathing the yearnings of her soul into its col umns; so to make it a well-rounded, symmetrical paper, we write you from Rome. Rome, the “attorney’l city,” sleeps upon her seven hills, and so far as trade goes she might hibernate for the next month urrless the weather changes. Business in all lines except groceries, guano and coal, is very dull, notwith standing our twenty whisky saloons which w r e license to draw trade. Farmers from all parts of the county complain greatly of the damage to wheat and oats from the continued freezes. The acreage is short, too, on account of the proti acted drought last fall and the low price of wheat. The prospect for wheat to be high next summer is good, and from the number of idle men on our streets one might conclude that we would soon reap a large harvest in town, but not of wheat. The only advance we noticed last week in our city was the Ilerdic line, placed upon our streets by J. M. Harrison. Let er roll, Jim, it don’t interfere with the street.cars. Rome has been well represented at the New Orleans Exhibition. So far, about eighty of our people have attended. Hon. J. Lindsay Johnson’s claims upon the incoming administration, it is said, will be awarded by appointment to the Berne Switzerland Consulate. Dr. Chas. F. Deerus, New York, will lecture for the benefit of the new Metho dist church, March 16. The skating rink is doing a tremendous business now. Strange how* much easier it is for some people to make characters with their heels than their brains. Postmaster for Twenty Years. Esquire Rogt-rs has been postmaster at tliis place for 21 years." During 20 years of that time, notwithstanding he was above 50 years of age, he walked into the office every day, Sundays excepted, from his farm, three and a quarter miles above here, and home again at night. Consid er what walking he did around the of fice, and he has walked during those 20 years nothing le than 40,000 miles. — i,aFayetie Messenger. For 1 he Cocraxt. REMINISCENCES Of tho Civil Service of the Confederate States. BY HENRY D. CAPERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW. A lew days after his inauguration, President Davis called to his aid Mr. Ju dah P. Benjamin, of Louisiana, as the legal adviser of the newly formed gov ernment. From the fact that I was the first among the subaltern officers on duty’, also from the formative state of the departments, as a matter of courtesy as well as a service from a sort of improvis ed factotum, I received the orders of the several department chiefs for their official conveniences and vvou’.d point out the wavs, as best I bad found them in Mont gomery, where these could be obtained. My chief, Mr. Memminger, had preceded the other cabinet officers several days in his installation, so that as each came to as sume his duties, the office of the secre tary’ of the treasury' was ready to greet these gentlemen with. jn3t such recep tions as the good taste of a cultured per son would suggest. First impressions tire with me, as I sup pose with everyone, not easily’ overcome. Let subsequent events or associations be what they may, it is by no means easy to efface these from the memory. Sitting in my oiiiee, which adjoined that of Mr. Memminger, and busy with some one of the many details of bis great labors, I was interrupted by’ tlie entrance of the secretary, who was intro duced to me Mr. Benjamin, who had just made his appearance at the executive building, and who Mr. Memminger de sired me to serve in providing the equip ment of his office-. Wo went into the open space, or tourt, on tlie second floor, and to * Voom on the South side, on the uoor of which was a card marked, “At torney General.” After entering this room he at once asked me to be show n the rooms to be used by’ the President, which were immediately opposite. As we returned I ventured to ask the secre tary it he desired the room I had shown him shelved for law books or it lie pre ferred a book case. “It is not law books we want now, my young friend,” was his immediate reply, “tlie law of this revolution has been fully established; we are making an assertion of constitutional rights in which 1 hope we will not need arms to resist a law of might.” Upon re-entering my office I repeated this an swer of Mr. Benjamin in the hearing of a young clerk from \ irginia who incor porated it in a letter to a newspaper, an imprudence which caused him to be dis missed from the department with a sharp reprimand from Mr. Memminger. During this first meeting and conver sation with Mr. Benjamin I became im pressed with his wonderful vitality, both of mind and body, an impression which subsequent obserations only deepened. He was then in the full vigor of manhood, with his remarkable intellect at the prime of its power and in possession of a fund of information such as but few acquire in lifetime of patient toil. His physical strength was a demonstrationt>f the phys iological maxim, Sana Mens in Sana Cor- pore. About live feet eight inches high, with broad shoulders, a deep, round chest, well knit body, a well-shaped head, in which, like two carbon points, were placed small jet black eyes, from which the current of his genius would play with an expression irresistibly charming. Although an Israelite by lineage he did not possess the marked features of this strong race. While bis complexion had the characteristic hue of the East, the mould of his face was rath er more Teutonic than Syrian. In ordi nary conversation his voice was pitched too high to be melodious if there had not been in all he said the sparkle of a bright mind and the eloquence of strong thought admirably expressed. His voice was not as shrill as that of Mr. Stephens, nor was it the whine we sometimes hear, but a distinct high note that would have been monotonous in one less fluent and graceful in diction. A few days after the incident detailed above, Mr. Benjamin introduced to me his nephew aud private secretary, Mr. Jules St. Martine, a young gentteman with the polished manners and culture of the Parisian schools, in which he had been educated. This introduction brought me in pleasant relations with one near my own age, and in the inter change of social courtesies enabled me at times to enjoy the company of the great counselor without the constraint natural in one of my comparative youth. Wheth er because of the small service I had ren dered in ordering the appointments of his office, or from the mutual regard that St. Martine and I formed for each other, it wa.s not long before I found, at the proper time, that the department of law was the most agreeable placed to me about the executive building. Without an exception, Mr, Benjamin was the most entertaining person I have ever met. His manners were perfectly easy without being too familiar; genial, with out a loss of personal dignity and cordial without any degree of annoying persist ance, Always in a good humor, -eady for any emergency, wonderfully fluent in language, quick at repartee, strong in thought and perfect in diction, he would become the centre of interest in an intel- ligent eompanv anywhere in the civil ized world. The ease with which he could be approached and his indisposi tion to even appear rude caused him no little acquaintance and at times would really retard the despatch of business in his department. To provide against this, when subsequently he became secretary of war, a s eeial bureau was created and interposed between the genial secretary, and the outside world. This was denom inated the “Bureau of War, 'and at its head was placed the very opposite of Mr. I Benjamin in every social trait, l>r. A. T. Bledsoe, tlie distinguished philoso pher of Virginia. Of Mr Benjamin as a jurist I was not prepared at that time to form a proper opinion. There were, however, men of mature judgments, and able southern barristers, who placed him in the very front rank of his profession, while his ca reer in tlie Senate of the United States had evidenced his accomplishments as a constitutional lawyer. It was an appre ciation of his ability’ that prompted Mr. Davis to invite him to become the legal adviser of the Confederate Executive, and no outside pressure, such as lias too often placed men of inferior capacity in places of so much responsibility. The remark made by Mr. Benjamin “that the law of the question had been established” was fully explained by sub sequent events. The commencement of hostilities between the sections, which soon followed, closed the doors of the temple of Reason, and left the written and the unwritten law to moulder in the dust or to be outraged by the vandalism of passion. Beyond such direction as he was called upon to give the action of the government in conforming it to the con stitution of the Confederacy and the gen eral principles of international law, Mr. Benjamin found but little to tax the pow ers of his mind or to bring into requisi tion the vast amount of legal Knowledge he had acquired. The matters of detail were disposed of by his efficient assistant, Hon. Wade Keys, of Montgomery, Ala., himself an able lawyer, who had held a distinguished position among the jurists of his State. Upon the withdrawal of Gen. Walker from the cabinet of Mr. Davis, Isis place was at once filled by the appointment of Mr. Benjamin, who brought to the ar duous duties ol this responsible position his lucid mind and wonderful capacity for labor. Much complaint had been made of tlie want of system and despatch of business in this department of the pub lic service, which had grown into such magnitude by the exigencies of the war as really to have absorbed, in connection with the treasury, most of tlie active functions of the government. Here, as in the law department, Mr. Benjamin re flected his systematic habits, and won, even from the critical West Pointers, the applause justly due to his indefatigable energies. My r own duties,as well as those properly belonging to others in responsi ble positions, prevented my meeting the secretary as often at Richmond as I had while we were in Montgomery, but there were now and then opportunities offered in social life which I gladly embraced to share with friends the charm of his com pany. It was shortly after Mr. Benjamin be came Secretary of War that I resigned my position as chief clerk and disbursing officer of the treasury department ana enteied the army. Notices of the hand some souvenir presented to me by those with whom 1 had been so pleasantly as sociated, appearing in the Richmond pa pers, I received among others the follow ing note from Mr. Benjamin, which 1 incorporated in these memoirs as a record of his kindly spirit, which expressed itself in some way to all who were brought in official or social relations with him : Richmond, Ya., Feb, 23,1*62. Dear Sin:—l am pleased to see in the news papers of this morning the recognition of your services, made in so handsome a manner, hy your associates in the treasury. Permit me to unite my own well wishes with those of youi other friends, and to hope that the out-door life of a soldier may fully restore you to health. With sin. ere regards, very truly yours, J. P. Benjamin. With my commission as an officer in the army I received orders requiring me to report for duty to Geu. Magruder, at Yorktown. On reporting, a few days thereafter, I found that my considerate friend had preceded my arrival with a note to the general, which made my way into the Court of Prince John as easy to me as I could have desired. In referring to these matters of person al attention my object is not to preserve the mere fact of a pleasant social relation with the eminent subject of this sketch so much a3 it is to refute the unfounded statements which have been made public by the cynical spirit of his Richmond critic. Mr Benjamin wa3 not “a selfish Jew, who made his own agrandizement the leading purpose of his life.” On the contrary he was utterly unselfish, gener ous even to an avowed enemy and kind in the impulses of his nature, especially to those in inferior stations. It is only very small people who are constantly' looking up to the great but never regard ing those who by any accident of circum stances may be their inferiors. Nor was Mr. Benjamin “a pork eating Jew with out a principle, who could not aspire beyond the service of a master,” as a dis tinguished Georgian has expressed in his vigorous opinion. Jew he undoubtedly was by lineage and in faith, one who had a reason for his faith. I have never lis tened to a more eloquent tribute than I have heard from him when discoursing on the characters of David, the hero, the ruler and the man, or the devoted pa triotism of Queen Esther; a Jew, withal who honored the traditions as well as the records of his strong race. Judged by the standard of certain Christian socie ties his social life may not have reflected the sanctity of professed puritan ethics, but if there were these expressions of a genial nature in hours of relaxation, no one ever heard him blaspheme the name j of his Jehovah or knew him guilty of a j dishonorable act. In allying himself with the cause of the Confederacy Mr. I Benjamin was actuated b>' higher con ! siderations than time service of a “mas ter.” The attachments of his life-long associations had given birth to a genuine love for the land and the people of the cypress and the vine. It was this moral force, sanctioned by the convictions that NUMBER 5. the cause was just that prompted him to resign his seat in the United States Sen ate and devoted the energies of his mind to the service ot the Confederacy. The earnestness of his service from the be ginning to the bitter end, his maul}' ut terances and logical state papers clearly exhibit the sincerity of his convictions and are alone sutlicient to negative the assertion that ho was moved by mercenary considerations. During the year 18S0 my attention was called to a severe stricture on his professions ot pa triotic devotion to the Confederate cause, which appeared in one of our prominent journals. I sent this article to Mr. Ben jamin, expecting, if lie replied to my let ter, some expression which would recall the sentiments ot patriotism I had often heard expressed by him in the days gone by. The following answer did not dis appoint me: Thk Temple, London, March, 12, isso. 11. L>. Capers, Esq.:—My Dear Sir—l am in receipt this morning of your letter, with its en closure, and desire to tliauk you for your kindly expressions. I recall, with much pleasure, the associations of my official life at Montgomery and in Richmond, remembering well the geutlo man who pays me so pleasant a visit this morn ing. Laborious professional duties so much oc cupy my time that I rarely read more than the telegrams in our newspapers and but seldom see those from the United States. lam not, however, indifferent to the opinions of those of our Southern people who were true to the cause they expressed and have not, in their misfor tunes, deserted their principles. While I have a contempt for those who, for any considera tion, untruthfully represent either the cause or the men who were honestly engaged in it. I heartily appreciate any effort to preserve the facts for a future historian. In all probability my residence for the residue of life will be in England, yet, in the most loyal of hearts, I will ever cherish the deepest affection for the laud in which the vigor of my manhood w as nourish ed, and for the gallant people who so often hon ored me with their copfldenco. It is needless to t ay to you that the article you send me is vicious ly false. Its venomous spirit can do me no harm and provokes my pity for the meanuess of the author, while it merits only contempt. History cannot be written to suit the oapic.es of individuals. In the years to come, when preju dices have been buried beneath the wreck of our revolution, those who have been faithful in the discharge of duty will llud their plaee in a re cord upon whose pages will be written no sin gle line, by the hand of a passionate scribbler. Again, thanking you for your kind letter and with assurances of sincere regards, I am re spectfully yours, J. P. Benjamin. FROM FOLK. Ckdartown, Feb. 23, 1885. Editors Courant: —Polk Superior Court, after having a two week’s session, ad journed last Friday evening till the 2d Monday in June, when we will have an adjourned term of one week. Judge Branham disposes of business rapidly and pleasantly. There were only fifteen true bills found by one grand jury, which is a very good argument of prohi bition, when we remember that while whisky was sold in Polk, there were an average near one hundred per term ot eourt. While on the subject of prohibition and temperance, we desire to call atten tion to an extract that I clipped from a paper two or three weeks ago. It is this: “That George Washington usually drank five glasses of wine at dessert,” and the writer goes on to say he “never heard of liis being drunk. He was not opposed to the moderate use of liquor, and when he was first elected to the House of Bur gesses of Virginia, among the items of his election expenses, were a hogshead and a barrel ot whisky, thirty-five gal lons of wine and forty-three gallons of beer.” Such a statement as the above have a tendency to injure George’s character both as to sobriety and his honesty in politics, and what we wish to say is, that we have known George nearly ever since we have known anyone, and wo never heard of his drinking so much wine before, and we do not believe he he used so much whisky and wine and beer in treating his constituents, and drinking and spreeing around with them for the purpose of getting an office. George was not that kind of a man, and no one can come in at this late day aud publish such things on him without meeting an emphatic denial from us. We have always been a friend to George, and now, that he is dead, no one shall attack his good name with im punity. _ G. Little Robert Williams, described by the New York Tribune as a six-year-old flaxen-haired boy, is delivering temper ance lectures in that city. That journal adds: “Last evening he took the plat form meekly and at once surprised the audience with the manner in which ho delivered an oration on the evils of in temperance. The composition abounded in big words and long phrases, yet the precocious little fellow did not falter or hesitate once. He not only assumed the voice, but also the gestures of a Lilipu tian Brutus, nor did occasional laughter at his comical earnestness embarass him in the least.” James Gordon Bennett’s yacht Xamou na has been provided with one of the dense air machines, which is able to pro duce one thousand pounds of ice per day. Yet it is so compact that It occupies a space only seven feet long, four wide and four high. The cold air above what is needed for making ice is used for cooling two refrigerator rooms, one of which holds the bulk of supplies in the hold and the other contains the temporary stock of provisions on the lower deck. The machine is worked with 9team from the main boiler and has the advantage of being easily handled and taking up little room. They say that Mr. William H. Vander bilt’s fortune has, by unfortunate in vestments, dwindled down to one-half what it was in 1881, and that noyv he is worth barely .$100,000,000. Toe Cocraxt allows liberal commis sions to all its agents. Write for terms aud begin work at once.