January 8, 1864

Macomb Weekly Journal
Apology. – We have to apologize to our readers for appearing this week on a half sheet.  We sent for a supply of paper in time, but the snow storm last week has prevented its reaching here.  We hope that the trains will be running regularly next week, so that we can come out all right after this.

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Exchange of Prisoners – Gen. Butler
to be Continued Government Agent
with Increased Power.

            By telegraph to Quincy, we learn that the Government decline any change of agents at Norfolk, and Gen. Butler is further entrusted with the disposal of the whole list of rebel prisoners in our hands.  The rebel Secretary of War, Benjamin, had declared, very modestly, Gen. Butler to be an outlaw, because he made some very badly behaved ladies of New Orleans deport themselves more modestly.  But as our Government had long before declared Jeff. Davis, Benjamin, & Co., themselves criminals of the highest order, Gen. Butler, of course, is not much distressed, and our Government choose to have them transact this business through him and none other.  We doubt not some scheme will occur to old Ben. adequate to remedy the existing wrong on the exchange question.  He has been equal to all past emergencies in his command.

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New Copperhead Dodge.

            It is stated that a new attempt is now being made by the wire-pullers of this defunct association, to galvanize the party by a wash of war spirit gotten up at Washington and retailed over the country by the pages and runners of the party.  They are to vote war supplies freely, and, at the same time, clamor that the Administration is impotent and will never crush the enemy.  What next, when these angels (?) of peace and love will turn out to shoot their erring brethren – but party before country.

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Extreme Cold Weather.

            Few storms, if any, that have ever passed over this region, equaled in severity the storm of the last day of the old year and the first day of the new.  The thermometer stood in our city on new year’s day, at 6 o’clock, A. M., at 24 deg’s below zero.  On the 2nd, it stood 17 below, and the 3rd was but a little less severe.  On new year’s day the thermometer did not rise higher at any time during the day than 10 below zero.  At St. Louis, on new year’s day the thermometer stood 25 below zero; at Cairo, 20, and at Memphis, 10 below.  At Louisville the cold was equally severe.  At Cairo and Memphis, there was much suffering during the storm.  In these places the cold was unprecidented.  The soldiers especially felt the storm severely.  On Island No. 10, eight or ten negro soldiers are said to have perished with the cold.

8,000 hogs being shipped from St. Joseph to Quincy, were frozen to death in the pens and cars.  The roads and railroads in all directions are blocked with snow.  We are still at this date (Jan. 6th,) without mail, except through Quincy, since December 30th.

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            December 31st, 1863. – The last day of December, 1863, will long be remembered by the inhabitants of this section of the country.  A furious snow storm raged all that day and far into the night.  The snow drifted badly, blockading the roads in every direction, and causing almost a total suspension of business.

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            No News. – We are compelled to go to press this week without any news. – When we will get any is beyond our power to tell.  We cannot tell whether the war has stopped or not, but we can tell that we have had no mails for over a week, with a good prospect of being without for another week.

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            Photographic. – Messrs. Hawkins & Phillips announce to the citizens of this place and vicinity that they are prepared to take all or any of the latest styles of pictures, and we can vouch as to the truth of what they promise. – Give them a call, whether you want to sit for your picture or not.  See advertisement in another column.

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–          Rev. T. J. Carney will preach at the Universalist Church next Sunday at 10 1-2 o’clock, A. M., and 6 1-2 P. M.  Subject in the evening – “The great Armenian ‘if’”.

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Good Cooks. – Ladies, if you would be known as good cooks, and would avoid the mortification of having poor buisicuit for tea when you have company, use. D. H. DeLand & Co.’s Chemical Saleratus, and that only, and be careful when you buy to get the article in red papers, for there is a counterfeit put up in green.

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Correspondence.

            The following letter was not intended by the writer for publication, but as it will serve to show how the boys feel and what they are doing, we insert it. – [Ed.

LaGrange, Tenn.,
Dec. 22nd, 1863.

            Editor Macomb Journal:

I have just been talking to the boys of this company, and we are of the universal opinion that we must have our county paper. – It would be as good as a letter every week provided it came to hand.

We start to-morrow after Forrest, who is now near Jackson, Tenn.  We take along ten days’ rations and one hundred rounds of ammunition to the man; the latter for the rebs, the former for ourselves.  The boys are in good health and fine spirits.  We have now nine months to serve, but should the war continue, we will re-enlist almost to a man.

We are now occupying the same camping ground we did last winter.  A person would think we had been idle; but far from it.  Since the 17th of April, we have been as far south as New Orleans.

We have been in a number of fights and skirmishes, but have been uncommonly lucky.  At Inkid, Miss., eight of our company could show bullet marks, but none sufficiently severe to send them to the hospital.  At Water Valley, last December, we lost Samuel Shell – a brave and noble boy, beloved by all that knew him.  At Colliersville, in the late fight with Chalmers, Humphrey West was wounded in the fact; James Harland, Jonas Whissler, John Smith, T. Matteson and Jos. Hopwood were taken prisoners.  The rest of the company, without one exception, are well.

You will find enclosed $2.00.  Please send the Journal to my address.

Yours truly,
S. A. Epperson,
Co. L, 7th Ill. Cav.

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Illinois Troops in Missouri Regiments.

            It has been announced that the counties of Adams, Madison and St. Clair are in arrears under the present call for volunteers to the number of one thousand each.  A part of this large deficit is undoubtedly due to the fact that volunteers from all those counties, (but more especially from Madison and St. Clair,) in the early stages of the war, enlisted in Missouri regiments in larger numbers than from any other section of the State.  This, we presume, will be found to be the case when our account shall be settled with Missouri.

Col. J. S. Loomis, of Gov. Yates’ staff, is now in St. Louis, endeavoring to effect an adjustment with the Missouri State authorities in behalf of the Adjutant General of this State.  He will, without doubt, succeed in procuring a complete roll of all the Illinois soldiers who have been mustered into Missouri regiments, (with, as far as possible, the counties to which they belonged,) and who are to be credited to this State. – The figures will probably be given to the public in a few days. – Springfield Journal.

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            All Right. – A Democratic cotemporary says that whenever a loyal man comes into town to make a speech, he always begins with saying he was once a democrat.  We are glad to hear evidence of this sort.  We knew that a great many noble Democrats had left that party and its leaders, when they saw that they must choose between party and country, but were not aware that the defection had been so general.

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            → It is reported that snow has already fallen to the depth of forty feet in the Rocky Mountains.  There has been nothing like so heavy a fall of snow for many years past, and it will doubtless be followed by tremendous floods in the spring.

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            →The 37th Iowa, the “Graybeards,” have been ordered away from Alton to Keokuk.  A Minnesota regiment takes their place.

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Married,

            At the Methodist Parsonage, in Macomb, Dec. 14th, by the Rev. William Watson, Mr. David Stice, and Mrs. Elizabeth Ratekin, both of Greenbush, Warren county, Illinois.

At the same place, Dec. 17th, by the same, Mr. Wm. F. Stickle, and Miss Sarah J. Saffell, both of McDonough county.

At the residence of Mr. Hunt, Macomb, Dec. 31st, by the same, Mr. Geo. B. Gash, and Miss Maggie Powers, both of Macomb.

George is “in for it” at last, and we can do no less than wish him and his fair lady a long life of prosperity and happiness.