May 8, 1863
Macomb Journal
May 8, 1863
The Latest News.
The latest news from the Rappahannock is of a very indefinite character but the authorities at Washington seem satisfied that everything is moving on right.
The rebels have been reinforced from Richmond.
Gen. Heintzelman has reinforced Hooker with 30,000 men.
The rebels have retaken Fredericksburg, but this is considered of no importance.
3,000 prisoners have arrived at Washington and more coming.
Gen. Hooker had telegraphed to the President that his position was good, and that he could hold it.
On the whole, matters look encouraging for our side, although much hard fighting will have to be done before a victory is won. A day or two more will probably decide the contest. The slaughter on both sides has been great.
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A Slander.
Abbott publishes in the last Eagle, under the head of “Two Original Copperheads,” extracts from the writings of Washington and Madison. A baser slander was never published, than that a single word ever uttered by these noble patriots can, in any way, be tortured into a support of these hellish doctrines advocated by the Copperheads of this age. Every pulsation of their noble hearts was in favor of the Government – every word they uttered was in favor of the Union. How is it with the Copperheads? Every effort they make – every word they speak, is calculated to weaken and destroy the Government. Washington and Madison loved the glorious “Stars and Stripes.” Abbott and his companions love the “Stars and Bars” of Jeff Davis’ Government. The man that would place such men as Washington and Madison upon the same level with Vallandigham, Breckinridge and Jeff Davis (for Jeff Davis is as loyal a man as Vallandigham,) must be lost to every sentiment of loyalty and honor.
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The Greatest Cavalry Raid of the War.
The greatest raid of the war is that just accomplished by Col. Grierson, of the 6th Illinois cavalry, with a mounted force of two or three thousand. He left Holly Springs, made a dash into Central Mississippi cut the Central Mississippi and the Mississippi Southern railroads, burned bridges and caused damage and consternation all through that rebel State, and reached Baton Rouge, La., about three hundred and fifty miles south of Holly Springs.
Had this raid been made by a Stonewall Jackson or some other rebel hero, the croakers among us would pronounce it a most daring and wonderful feat, and lament that we have no such brave leaders. But Grierson’s raid beats all other cavalry dashes on either [obscured] to learn the particulars.
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Communications.
Chalmers, April 27, 1863.
Editor of Macomb Journal,
DEAR SIR: — I concluded to pen a short communication for your paper, relating a little circumstance that occurred a few days ago. What I will narrate is strictly true and happened in Chalmers township, about four miles southwest of your city.
A certain man stopped over night at a certain house in this neighborhood last Saturday evening, remained there all night, enjoyed the hospitalities of the place, and in the morning before departing, had the impudence to commence a debate with the ladies of the house. His arguments abounded in the most treasonable tirade against the Administration, against the army and everybody in favor of sustaining the Government – in fact, showed himself to be a rank secessionist and copperhead. He told the ladies – Misses Nancy E. Lane, Lucy J. Lane, Mary Westfall, Rebecca Jane Penrose and Annie C. Gill, that those Resolutions passed by the 16th Ill. Vol., and published in your paper, were forgeries; that they were written by yourself, without their knowledge and approval; that all those letters published in your paper, purporting to come from soldiers in the army, were forgeries and lies from the beginning to the end. He called them Black Abolitionists, Black Snakes, and epithets of a like character, and finally declared them as beneath his notice. The lady of the house, a widow, then told him to leave, as she did not wish to hear such treasonable talk in her house; that she had two sons in the army, and had no respect for persons asserting such disloyal sentiments, but, instead of leaving, he kept on in his treason. The young ladies then went out doors, collected a lot of eggs, deposited them at some convenient place, came in and told him that he must leave now. He concluded to leave finally, and when he had got out of the house, they left by another door and commenced pelting him with those eggs. I say served him right – The patriotism of those ladies cannot be praised enough. One of them is a Democratic lady, a true Democratic lady; none of your Copperhead Democrats; a loyal, Unconditional Union patriotism is still in existence in this vicinity. The ladies almost to a “man” are in favor of the Union. God bless them, is my sincere prayer. The man in question is the father of a certain Methodist preacher in this county, who has the damnable impudence to call the men at the head of our Administration ungodly. But, thank the Lord, copperheadism is about played out, and like the Cow Boys in the Revolutionary War, they will come to the same ignominious fate. Let this be a warning to copperheads, and if they will persist in their treason, I would advise them to shun this vicinity and our loyal ladies here, or else eggs might come uncomfortably close to their wise persons. Of course the copperheads will make a howl over this affair, but let them howl. The Tories howled, too. Their howling will hurt nobody but themselves.
I presume he will give his version of the affair to the editor of the “Buzzard” who will fairly shriek with rage. He will distort the affair to suit his own selfish purpose. But if he does so, I will be ready to deny his falsehoods and particularize in another article.
Yours, respectfully,
UNCONDITIONAL.
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Illinois Sugar.
For the Macomb Journal.
Mr. Editor: — About the 10th of October last, in company with Mr. H. Miller, of Laporte, Ind., I visited the place of Mr. Samuel Hooker, with a view of ascertaining certainly his success in making sugar from cane, his mode of operation and the variety used, and if all was satisfactory Mr. M. wished to purchase a large quantity of the seed for Mr. Belcher the Sugar Refiner of Chicago, and for himself. – Mr. Hooker was absent from home, visiting a son sick in the army, and his family had been doing but little at boiling for some time, but had that morning taken off one boiling or batch which we saw yet hot in the barrel. They were working on a small scale, and had few conveniences. We, however, saw about 4 pounds of the sugar which we pronounced very fair, but Mrs. H. told us it was the poorest she had made – that she had sold all that was fit, about 100 lbs, which was both fairer and drier. They were working with an old, one-horse wooden mill, and boiled in a pan with sheet iron bottom which would hold probably about half a barrel. – Their process was, as the family informed us, when they got juice enough to fill up a pan, to place it over a little furnace built of stone for the purpose, and get to the boiling, skimming in the usual way, and filling up with fresh juice from time to time until they get as much boiled in as they wished. In one batch, they then boiled it down, putting in a little soda and skimming when required until it was very thick molasses – a stage known by the drops from the skimmer drawing out into thin sheets or fine threads – the pan was then lifted off the fire and the contents poured into a barrel with only one head, set in the kitchen near the stove, and covered with a quilt to prevent rapid cooling, in which operation the sugar grained at the bottom of the barrel, the molasses rising to the top, and when cool they were poured off into another vessel and the sugar put into a sack ported at the bottom to drain. The time of cooling was about 24 hours or a little more. The yield of sugar is about seven pounds to the gallon as taken from the pan. Specimens of the sugar can be seen at the stores of G. W. Bailey, C. M. Ray and O. F. Piper, and at the Journal office.
We found Mr. Hooker’s seed all sold to Mr. Scripps, of Rushville, but procured a large quantity of the same variety raised in the immediate neighborhood, for Mr. Belcher and Mr. Miller, also a supply for this vicinity, which may be found at the above named stores – Bailey’s being direct from Scripps of Rushville.
In compliance with a promise, I give this statement to the public with a few suggestions and a description of the cane.
1st. I would put my cane patch, if I could, on rather thin land. 2nd, I would soak my seed in pretty hot water for a few hours, then put it into a small sack and bury it in moist, mellow earth on the south side of a wall or some other object, until the hull of the seed began to open, when having my ground well prepared, I would plant about the width of corn – on clean land in drill, but on such as inclined to weed, in hills, and not until the season was good for planting corn. It will then come forward rapidly and be much easier to tend.
Mr. Miller, who has been experimenting on the sorghum and imphee for some years, recommends making up early in the season, when the seed is in the dough. He says the juice is sweeter at that stage and will give the best article of syrup. He and Mr. [obscured] kind of cane, with his Rotary pan for boiling.
The Hooker cane is, we suppose, the variety known as the Otaheitian. It has a long, slender stock, not so heacy a head as the Chinese or African, does not give suckers as they do, will bear about four or five stalks in a hill, and is as early at least as they are. It has been raised for two or three years in the neighborhood and may have become mixed with the other kinds. I would therefore recommend attention to this in procurring seed for another year, and have no doubt that even if somewhat adulterated it will be greatly superior to our old varieties. Mr. Hooker is an experienced maker of sugar from the tree, and it may be that such operating on a small scale may succeed best. A. BLACKBURN.
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A Rural Copperhead.
One Abbott, the editor of the Macomb (Ill.) Eagle, and a small vender of rural treason, is abusing the City Hotel of Chicago because he was kicked out of it. The rustic martyr upon a late occasion came to this city and forgot to leave his treason behind him, but brought it to the City Hotel in the shape of a copperhead badge. The consequence was that he suddenly found himself in the street, and he ought not to complain, but thank his stars that he got off so cheaply. We do not know what is the fashion at Macomb – loyalty or disloyalty – but the former prevails here to a considerable extent, as this country martyr has found. The same kicking out would have occurred at any other hotel in the city, or in any decent society here, to the latter [obscured] young man is evidently a stranger. His Copperhead badge may do very well in Macomb, possibly, but this way it is emblematical of treason, and if he will very likely get kicked out again. As for the abuse of his two penny concern we suppose the City Hotel can stand it, and that jolly Dick Somers will not lose a pound of his fat. We advise the small rustic Copperhead to stay at home in future and preach his treason to his pigs, though even in that case he might get kicked out of the pen. – Chicago Tribune.
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The Slime of the Serpent. – Abbott, the shameless treason-monger of the Macomb (Ill.) Eagle, who, for insulting the decent society he obtruded himself upon at the City Hotel in this city one day last week, by wearing a copperhead treason pin, was, at the request of the house, ordered to leave, blackguards the hotel and its loyal and gentlemanly proprietor in the last issue of his dirty sheet. The fellow calls his copperhead badge of treason, “the badge of liberty,” and calls the City Hotel, which is in fact a very well-kept and homelike public-house, “a one-horse tavern.” Next time Abbott comes to Chicago, we advise him to bethink himself that he may come in contact with decent people and to leave his badge behind. There is only one place in town, that we know of, where copperhead badges are tolerated with complacency, and that is the Times office – a place of very bad repute among patriots and honest men. – Chicago Journal.
June 27 and 28, 1862
Macomb Journal
June 27, 1862
Murder in Hancock County.
The constable of Walker township committed a man names Louis Gray, to jail on Monday last on a charge of murder. The facts as reported are substantially as follows:
Gray had for some time been paying attention to a sister of James Gordon, the murdered boy; but did not meet with the desired success, and from some cause obtained the impression that her brother was instrumental in defeating his suit. On Saturday last Gray was seen to leave a meeting, which was held in the vicinity of Tioga, in company with Gordon. When he returned Gordon was not with him. Suspicion was aroused, a search instituted, and on Sabbath Morning the body of the deceased was found in the woods, some distance from the place of meeting. – The skull was fractured evidently with a club, which bore evidence of having been used, was also found lying across the body. Gray was immediately arrested, and blood was found upon his clothes, for which he attempted to account in some other way. After examination he was committed to Jail to await trial at the next Circuit Court. – Reports say that the people of the neighborhood were very much incensed and were with difficulty restrained from inflicting summary punishment upon the prisoner. Gray is between 25 and 30 years of age. The age of the murdered boy was about thirteen. All the circumstances related to us, stamp the murder as one of the most atrocious character. – Carthage Republican.
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Dr. Warren Returned.
Rev. Joseph Warren, chaplain of the 26th Missouri Regiment, who was captured near Farmington, Miss., by the rebels on the 23d of May last, had arrived at Cairo Sunday last, having been discharged without parole by order of Gen. Beauregard. He was captured while visiting a sick lieutenant of the 26th Missouri, by Col. Forrest of the rebel cavalry, and taken to Corinth, where he remained till the 26th, when he was sent to Jackson. He states that as early as the 23d, the enemy commenced evacuating Corinth; that before the grand and final evacuation they carried away not less than 30,000 sick and wounded troops. Arriving at Jackson he was thrust in confinement with other prisoners.
When he left Jackson it was being evacuated. The State archives and all public and private property were being removed to Columbus, Miss., a little east of the Ohio and Mobile railroad, which the confederates say is to be their line of operations in future.
The intelligence brought by Dr. Warren was deemed so important by Gen. Wallace that he immediately dispatched a messenger to Gen. Halleck. Through the instrumentality of Dr. Warren, Col. Morehead who was skulking six miles from Memphis disguised as a Confederate picket was captured and is now a prisoner in our hands.
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Off for the War.
Capt. Ervin’s company designs starting to Camp Butler on Tuesday, July 1st, on the noon train. The company goes from Camp Butler to the Camp of Instruction on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, Maryland, within a few miles of the cities of Baltimore and Washington. No more desirable service has yet been offered. Our boys will get to see something of the world. Capt. Ervin wants some more men to fill up this company. If it is not filled the responsibility will rest upon those fathers who so far forget their duty to their country, as to keep their sons back. A whole regiment could be made up in McDonough county within a week if each father in it would say to his grown up boy, “My son our forefathers fought, suffered and bled to achieve our independence, and to give us this Government which has given us peace, prosperity and protection. Go where your country calls, win a share of the imperishable glory clustering around the stars and stripes, and take my blessing with you.” Fathers do your duty or you may regret for all time to come.
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- The Pacific Railroad bill has passed both Houses of Congress.
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Emancipating the Slaves of Rebels.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday of last week, passed the bill for the emancipation of slaves of rebels, as follows:
Of all officers of the Rebel army and navy;
Of all high rebel officers of the State, Judges, and Foreign Ministers and Council;
Of all rebel Governors and members of State Conventions, Legislatures and Judiciary;
Of all who have held office under the United States who take office in the Rebel States;
Of all who hold any office or agency whatever under the Confederate States accepted since the adoption of the Secession ordinance, of the State in which said person resides;
Of every person who, after the passage of this act, shall be in rebellion against the United States, and who shall not within sixty days return to allegiance;
All the above specified persons are disqualified from holding office under the United States. The President is authorized to negotiate for territory whereon to colonize the liberated slaves.
This bill passed by a vote of 82 against 54. Its friends are confident that it will pass the Senate without difficulty, and that the President will approve it.
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July 4th, 1776.
We, the undersigned, doing business in the city of Macomb, agree to close our respective establishments during the entire day of July 4th, and would hereby give notice to our customers accordingly.
NAMES.
O. F. Piper, Anderson & Bro., A. J. davis, S. P. Dewey, J. Venable, W. F. A. Kohler, Updergraff & Monfort, Henry Feltger, G. W. Bailey, Chambers & Randolph, W. Whiting, H. R. Bartleson, Adler & August, Jos. Burton, B. F. Goodrich, J. W. Atkinson, J. McMillen & Co., Geo. D. Keefer, Chas. Chandler, Luther Johnson, N. P. Tinsley, W. Weatherhold, F. R. Kyle, and many others.
June 25, 1862.
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Where are the Wide-Awakes?
We are still receiving responses to this inquiry, which was started derisively by some of the Democratic presses of the country. A friend in Hire has made a careful canvas of that precinct, and has sent us the result. It is found that twenty-seven persons have left that township to fight for the Union cause, of which number twenty-five are Republicans, and two Democrats! We shall in a week or two have a canvass of two or three more townships, which will throw a little further light upon the inquiry, “Where are the Wide-Awakes?”
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- Volunteers. – Any persons wishing to volunteer to Capt. Ervin’s company can do so by handing in their names at any time before the train leaves. Boys ask your fathers to let you go. Fathers ask of your consciences your duty to your country. McDonough county must not falter now after having done so well.
- The Fourth. – We learn that the young gentlemen and ladies of the neighborhood of Argyle, about 9 miles west of town, have determined upon celebrating the coming fourth of July in becoming style. We have not learned their programme of particulars, but have no doubt it will be well gotten up. The people of Macomb will pass the day in quiet retirement.
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Macomb Eagle
June 28, 1862
“Free White Labor.”
This was one of the watchwords of the republicans in the campaign of 1860. It served to round their sentences grandly. No matter what the politicians topic of discussion, a republican could always ring the changes upon the benefits and blessings of “free white labor.” All other kinds of labor, they told us, was degrading and revolting, and hindered the development of the resources of a State and clogged the wheels of its prosperity. Under their benign rule “free white labor” was to make the southern wilderness blossom as the rose, and was to continue the North in its unexampled career of prosperity and individual wealth. Well, the republicans succeeded, and we are now beginning to feel some of the blessings they had in store for the people generally, and it will not be long ere free white laborers will come in for their particular share of the beauties of republicanism. In some parts of the country this is already being done. The Philadelphia Evening Journal says that “the great influx of negroes into Chester county, Pa., has so reduced the price of labor that the negroes actually work for ten cents a day.” The London (O.) Democrat says that a farmer in Madison county lately “discharged all his white farm hands and employed eighteen negroes sent thither by Col. Moody, at 12 1-2 cents a day.” The Dayton (O.) Empire says that “four negro blacksmiths are at work in one shop in that city, to the exclusion of white men” – that a “white man running a stationary engine in a carpenter shop had to leave and make room for a negro,” who worked for lower wages – and that various persons in that city have discharged white laborers from their employ and hired negroes at lower wages. These are but samples – but a few cases which have come to the surface – of the fate which will await farm hands, laborers, and mechanics, if republicanism is carried out. It is thus shown that “free white labor” was merely one of their numerous phrases with the aid of which they deceived people into voting their ticket. They are false to that promise, as well as to every other promise they made. Free [African-American] labor – or the compelling of white men to work at negro wages, is the sequel of all their fine promises.
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- We are astonished at the number of republicans in this county who have become so thoroughly abolitionized as to vote against excluding negroes from immigrating into this State. By the returns published in another column it will be seen that 1185 votes were cast against section first, 19 against section second, and 330 against section third, of the article excluding negroes and mulattoes. In other words 1185 voters of this county have declared in favor of [African-Americans] coming into and settling in this State, 19 are in favor of such [African-Americans] voting and holding office, and 230 are in favor of their coming into the State and voting. This result, we say, we are astonished at. It shows that a majority of the republicans of this county are in favor of the unrestricted influx of negroes and mulattoes into our midst! We regret that we have to record a fact so full of shame and disgrace to our people – a fact so repugnant to the intelligence and so humiliating to the pride of white men. There are so many republicans, we know, who will regret this as much as we do, and who will be pained to learn that a majority of their political associates have become so thoroughly abolitionized. It remains for them to decide whether their self-respect, as well as their duty to their country, should not induce them to sever all association with a party a majority of whom have thus declared in favor of filling up our county with negroes and mulattoes.
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From Columbus, Ky.
Correspondence of the Macomb Eagle,
You will perceive that we are at the much vaunted “Manassas of the West,” where the Ditch Digger and his ragamuffins vowed to “die in the last ditch,” i.e. Columbus. This boast, of dying in the last ditch has been made so often, that I suspect they have not yet found that last ditch.
We left Paducah on the 7th inst. and arrived here at noon the next day. Col. Noble of 2nd Cavalry started the day previous, as did also the 54th Illinois infantry – the latter coming by the river. The troops here – the 2nd and 6th cavalry, 54th and 62nd infantry and 2nd artillery (all Illinois troops), the 1st Kansas infantry, and two or three companies of regulars – have been formed into a brigade under Brig. Gen. Quinby. We are under marching orders to the South. Some assert Memphis to be our destination, and the belief prevails that we will be moved as soon as sufficient transports are furnished us.
The Mobile and Ohio Railroad, terminating at this town, is being put in repair, and will be ready for use as soon as the necessary rolling stock can be procured. This road, connecting Grand Junction and Corinth, will enable the department to transport supplies to the army direct.
Many persons have an idea that the war is nearly over; but I think not. The action of the abolitionists in Congress and in the army – there are but few in the latter – has been such as to nerve the rebels to madness and induce them never to give up. It is a great pity that we cannot contrive some plan to compel the vile abolitionists to do their own fighting – that is, to fight the rebels.
Ere you receive this, the election for the new constitution will have passed. I hope it may be adopted triumphantly, despite the intrigues and lies of the army republicans. – They have stooped to every means their low cunning could suggest, and to every species of lying, which had any appearance of yielding the fruits of the evil spirit that is in them. At the time the vote was taken in the army, the 2nd battalion of the 6th cavalry was at this post. Comp. G of that battalion are blessed with Democratic officers, and every vote in the company was polled for the new constitution. This shows what the soldiers would do, if not influenced by the lies and dictation of republican officers.
I am in no humor to write. The weather is hot, and the dust is flying in clouds, and then I am sick and tired – nay, I am disgusted – with the turn the republican abolitionists are giving to this war. The cowardly dogs! They sit idly, or loll and spout and sputter in Congress about the eternal negro, all the while endeavoring to make this a war of vengeance, while they will not so much as put the weight of their little finger to the work where there is any danger. J.M.O.
The Eagle and The Journal 