Fiom tbe New York Tribune. j
The Coal-Fielda of Pe»i>*a.
IIAZLETON, Luzerne Co.. Pa., )
November 28,1863. j
Yesterday morning at 11 o'clook. we
took the cars of the Beaver Meadow Iload |
at Mauch Chunck. bound for this place.
The road is one of the most romantic and
wild, so far as scenery is concerned, of
auy that 1 have seen yet. We wind in
Rud out around the base of the mountains,
following the course of the Lehigh all the
way. From Weatherly onto llazleton
Creek Bridge, a distance of two milea,
our course is steadily upward. Our {jood
old steam horse ahead snorts and j'ufl's
in. i»t furiously. We are ascending a grade
nil the way of 144 feet to the mile—prob
ably the heaviest grade upon any road in
the country. At the Bridge we change. 1
and take the llazleton road going onto j
Kckley, where passengers goiug to White
Haven or Wilkesbarre are again transfer
red. From Kckley we are backed down J
to the bridge again, and then run up to j
Hazloton. We pass all along the road i
large locomotives running down to the
Chunk, drawing behind them cars hold
ing from O,oi)d to 10,000 pounds of coal.
Tbe passenger car of our train is full.—
The passengers are nearly all miners or
their families, or the parties leasing the
mines. The entire population, not only
here, but all the way from Easton, speak
Pennsylvania l>uteh.a lingo a New York
Dutchman would never understand. Ido
not wish to be understood as saying that
no English is spoken, because nearly all
speak more or less of it, but simply that
it would be almost fruitless in any town
through here for a storekeeper, or one ex
pecting to do business, to settle unless he
could talk Pennsylvania Dutch.
At llazleton we find the mines of A.
Pardee & Co., the oldest, and probably the
wealthiest firm in this section of the State.
They have under their control, and are
working at this time, some six mines. At
Jeddo, some two or three miles beyond
Hazleton, are the Mines of (I. B. Markle
it Co. Those mines, with those at this
point I shall consider and speak of in most
instances as one. they being so to all prac
tical purposes, the firm at Jeddo being to
some extent a branch of A. Pardee & Co.
The<e two firms will this year forward 460,-
000 tuns from their mines; a large in
crease over last year. During the past
Summer they have shipped about 11,000
tuns per week, and in no instance have
they satisfied the orders of a single man.
• The same causes have operated hen; as at
Mauch Chunk, to hinder the fall working
of the mines. The difficulties have at
these points, however. '>een much greater
than at any other portion of the State.
Strikes have been frequent, and in conse
quence thereof the productions have di
miuishc' about 50,000 tuns from what
thev otherwise might have been. Trans
portation has also been lacking. Wages
have been increased enormously. At the
llazleton mines the miners formerly re-I
ceived from -ij to 5J cent.- per car for !
mining. Each miner's car holds about a j
tun. These men are now receiving from j
75 cents to t*l per cur. Laborers inside I
the mines are now receiving about double
from last year's prices. At the Jeddo
mines 6d cents per car was formerly paid '
the miners, whereas they arc now receiv
ing 81 for the same quantity. Their j
wages have been raised some six or eight j
different times. Some of the men are
making from 85 to 810 per day. Com- I
moil laborers arc averaging 815 a week ■
for simply loading the cars. Such are
some of the obstacles against which the ;
owners have been*obliged to contend, and [
vet these are but slight compared to those ;
1 shall now consider. The miners are I
composed of Welsh, Gftfman and English, \
and Protestant ami Catholic Irish—the
latter class have been at the bottom of all
the troubles, set on and abetted by the va- I
rious outside small fry Democratic Copper- !
head politicians of the State. The men
commenced by forming themselves into an !
organization styled, '-The Buckshots,"
having for its avowed aim and purpose in
sistence to the draft. Arms were furnish
ed them from Philadelphia, by a Copper
head politician of Ike Shite, at 81 50 a I
piece , they giving security for the safe re- !
turn of tbe pieces. Thank God that this 1
man has lately been arrested by the inili- ,
tary stationed here, and sent onto Head
ing. there to await the action of the au
thorities.' I wonder if some of our poli
ticians, and journals as well, won't soon be
calling it an "■arbitrary arrest?" Per
haps they have already done so. From a
resistance to the draft they soon assumed
the position that none but men of their own
nationality and religious faith should be al
lowed to work in the mines at all, and at
the same time demanded an increase of wa
ges. Seeing the state of affairs,the owners at
once commenced discharging, one by one.
these men. As each mail was discharged,
all the ''Buckshots" would quit work,
and not a thing was touched until the man j
was returned to his position. Not only
this, but they drove by force all others
from their work, thus completely paralyz
ing all operations. The conscqucnco was
that the men discharged had to be again
reinstated, or all oj>erations were at an end.
Men belonging to the '• Buckshots " were
ofteutinies sent for to proceed to other
mines, sometimes eight or ten miles dis
tant, and help there to carry out the same
programme. Strikes then became the
order of the day, and came frequently.—
Their demands were obliged to be acceded
to, or no work could be done. Threats I
were made against the lives of the owners. I
Soiue of them were shot.souie killed, oth- -
ers tired at wherever they appeared. The :
lives of the owners and overseers were un- 1
safe, and also those of their families. The
daughters of Mr. Pardee were overtaken
upon the road an 1 stopped by these men |
who demanded 85 from each. After much
cntieaty. an 1 int ; ruin.' them that they had
uo money with them, the ladies were al- \
lowed to proceed a short distance, but were
ngaiu stopped by the same parties, who in
sisted u|ion having the amount. The
young ladieajlnally escaped them, and the
men were arrested. Upon being taken
before the Luzerne county court then sit
ting in the vicinity, the "Grand Jury de
clined to find an indictment against them,
and they were released. I presume it is ;
needless to add that the Jury was Copper- !
head to the core. The men, when arrest
ed, were defcuded by small shy storing i
Democratic lawyers. In fact, the plan
was one simply to obtain control of the i
Wines, drive away the proprietors, and |
t«sb of tbe work i*ou a a were not mem-:
berg of their organization, and then by
force of aims prevent all work being done,
and thus by stopping the coal from being
furnished to.the Government, these poor,
deluded creatures, the tools of men cring
ing to them for their votes (and here let
me say tha>, if needed, satisfactory evi
dence can be obtained that from 100 to
200 illegal votes were cast in the town of
llazleton alone, at the recent election),
hoped to obtain exemption from the draft.
Truly, the fools are not all dead yet. One
more instance, and I will drop the subject.
G. 1!. Markle. Esq., the proprietor of the
Jeddo mines, while riding on the road in
his carriage, was several times shot at in
broad daylight. Several balls were put
through the top of his buggy, and three
passed through his hat. This gentleman
was particularly marked by tbe " Buck
shots," owing to his firm refusal, in many
instances to accede to their demands.—
Such, very briefly, was the state of affairs
when a company or two of the 10th New
Jersey were ordered here. Previously
the men controlled the mines, but now the
proprietors are once more gaining.although
very slowly, the ascendency over them.—
Strange, indeed, is the respect these''Buck
shots " have for our veteran troops. A
company of fifty men at any one point is
sufficient to awe them at once into submis
sion. Some one or two hundred arrests
have been made, and hundreds have fled
from the mines through fear. At Jeddo,
where formerly the Catholic Irish out
numbered the other nationalities three to
one, the others are now in a majority. It
will, however, be necessary to keep troops
on hand throughout the district during the
entire Winter. By so doing hundreds of
these men will be forced to leave for other
regions in order to obtain a livelihood,
and their formidable organization will, it
is hoped, thus become broken up and dis
banded."
A few words now as to the cost of get
ting the coal to market. The net cost for
the labor of mining, at tbe Jeddo mines,
is about 81 25 per tun. The net cost of
a tun delivered in the New York market,
is from 8-'! 75 to 84. The average price
obtained for their coal is about 85. At
the llazleton mines not a tun has been
sold for over 85 HO. Thus I think it will
be readily seen that the coal operators here
arc free from all charges of combining to
keep the price of coal up. If any such
combination exists, it lies with the middle
men, as they are termed, to whom the pro
ducers sell. No one who has not been
here and seen and learned of the diffiuel
ties that arc in the way of the owners of
the mines, can have any idea of the state
of things as they exist. The owners have
lost all control of their mines and over
their men, and it is the sincere prayer of
many, ay. most of them, that the price of
coal may fall in order that the price of
wages may with it decrease, and that they
may thus regain their past control* 'l'hev
feel intensely, the delicateucss of their po
sition. The cure and anxiety of mind
that they possess is dragging tliein down
very rapidly. They all go heavily armed,
not knowing when they leave their fami
lies in the morning that they shall ever
return to them again alive. I said, in my
last letter, that i would endeavor to state
here, for the benefit of inquirers, wheth
er there was any hope that the price of
coal would fall, and if so, when; so 1 must
not close without noticing it.l can only
say that 011 this question the coal men are
divijkd. No one can tell anything defi
nite lwd>out it. The present price is an
unhealthy one. It is one which I have
shown has been brought about by au un
healthy state of afiairs. The demand is
far greater for it than is the supply that
can be furnished. It is the natural re
suit of this fact, together with the state of
affairs at the mines. It is something that
at present seems beyond control. A large
proportion of the advance is chargeable to
the teachings of the so-called Democratic
party, who have been instigating the mi
ners and laborers to assume thoir present
position, in hopes (vain men of thereby
materially " aiding the Government in a
vigorous prosecution of the war," by stop
ping its supply of coal, and preventing
the enforcement of the draft. Some seem
to think that it will not be long ere coal
will fall if they are allowed to work their
mines to their full capacity. Others seem
to think that the demand is so great that
it may be months ere they will be able to
supply it. All, hail with satisfaction the
recent low sales at auction in New York.
GEN. BANKS IN MATAMORAS.—After
the capture of Brownsville, Gen. Banks
paid an official visit to the American con
sul at Matamoras. The Mexicans, hav
ing previously learned of his intention to
! do so. decided to give him a public re
j eeption, of which we find an account in
I the New Orleans Times. A deputation
| was dispatched to invite him to the public
j hall. The military were paraded, a salute
j was fired, and all the enthusiasm of a ga
|la day was manifested. Speeches were
j made by Srs. Argues, Cortina and others.
| expressing their sympathy with the Fed
| era I cause in the United States, and their
I belief that the result would be favorable
| to the cause represented by Gen. Banks.
! Genera! Banks replied, hoping that Mex
! ico would come out of her present trou
; bles triumphantly ; and after a great ma
! Ny mutual expressions of friendship and
| sympathy, the party adjourned to the of
fice of the American consul.
FORTRESS MONROE, Dec. 14th inst.—
The following has been received, dated
Yorktuu-n, Va.. Dec. 14. To Major
Gcncrul Butler : —I have the satisfaction
to announce the complete success of the
exjjidition sent out uuder Col. West. All
worked in successful combination. Our
cavalry carried the enemy's camp at
Charles City Court Bouse, after sharp
fighting, the enemy firing from their hou
ses. We captured eight officers and eigh
ty-two men, being the whole command,
(three companies.) fifty-five horses, and
three mules, besides many small arms.&e.,
left on the ground. The enemy's camp,
with its equipments, ammunition and pro
visions. were all thoroughly destroyed.—
Our loss is, Capt. Gregory severely wo«nd
ed, one sergeant and one" eorporal killed,
and four men wounded. All are entitled
to high commendation for gallantry and
unflinching endurance, and Col. West es
pecially, for his precise execution of a
difficult combination, by which alone he
could have accomplished my object.
Signed. J. J W ITTAR. Brig. Gen. [
£hc gmtcvican Cittecn.
a \ TP*?*
THOMAS ItO BT NSON\ 1
CYRUS E. ANDERSON, [ £ - dlto1 s.
butlerlpa.
WCP»B»PA Y,iiPgt!. M,
and Union. Now and Forever. One
and'nieparable."—D. Webster.
FOtt PRESIDENT IN 1804 :
AltltlHAtt LIXC'OLX.
Tilt' Impt'iitling Ih-al'l.
As the time approaches which has been
fixed for making the impending draft,
those likely to bo effected by it naturally
begin to feel uneasy. This uneasiness is
increased somewhat, by the knowledge of
the fact that Congress is now in session,
and is even now debating tbe propriety of
making some changes in the law. 'j he
present law, at the tiuic of its passage,
was generally believed to be fair, but
when it was reduced to practice, many im
perfections were thought to be diseover
el by some. Amendments have*already
been reported by the Militaay committee
of the Senate, and are now being consid
ered by that body. One of these propo
ses to strike out the distinction created by
the present law, between the two classes,
and thereby placing all able bodied men
between the ages of twenty-one and forty
five, in the same class. Another proposes
to strike out the commutation clause.—
This clause, we believe, was opposed by
the Democratic side of the House wlieu
the bill was on its passage. It has been
used by that party ever since it became a
law for the purpose of bringing the whole
law into disfavor, and whether it is right
or wrong, so great is the prejudice of the
people against it now, that its repeal seems
to be a necessity. Conscripted service, at
tbe best, is unpleasant. It is our duty
therefore, to yield a cheerful obedience to
whatever just laws Congress may pass on
the subject. There can be 110 law 011 this
subject but what will work great hardship
to some. Let us yield strict obedience to
the law ourselves, and encourage others
to do likewise. Whether the proposed
changes will become a part of the law be
fore the pending draft is made or not, it is
impossible to say. We think it probable
that some of them will.
THE SITUATION.
111 a great ;ivil strife like that in which
we have bijjjii engaged for more than two
years past, the scene undergoes many
changes. Before the first Bull Run dis
aster, wo were full of hope—after the
treachery of Patterson brought that hu
miliation upon us, all nas gloom—sadness
pervaded every loyal heart. So too when
McClellau'sgrand army pitched their tents'
in front of Yorktown ; all were confident;
all were cheerful. But after the " seven
day's battle," how changed! Not ouly
were the unconditional loyalists disap
pointed, and therefore, to some extent,
discouraged, but those who were not so
devotedly faithful, embraced every fresh
reverse to our arms, to stir up a feeling of
hostility to the Administration. By them
the Administration was held responsible
for our Bull Bun disaster, having forced
that battle on too soon; when in truth it
should have been fought ten days sooner,
and it would have been a glorious victory
as it was, had Patterson obeyed orders.—
By them also, the Administration was at
fault for not sufficiently reinforcing Mc-
Clellan, although all that was possible to
be done in that behalf without leaving
Washington to the tender mercies of Lee,
a; ! his rebel army, was done.
While Vallandigham, Voorehees, and
thoir co-laborers were always hostile to the
war for the Union, they were still more
defiant and vindictive after each reverse
to our arms. They saw in every reverse
irretrievable disaster. In every question
that seemed to require diplomatic solu
tion, they saw a foreign war. Every blun
der of a commander in the field—every
mistake of an agent, in whatever depart
ment he might be, TO laid upon the
shoulders of the President, and his advi
sers ; nor did their immediate removals
make amends. For then, it would be de
clared to be political persecution. Thus,
while the prca:vit Administration has.
from the beginning, had to struggle with
a gigantic rebellion, covering about one
third of the whole country. It ha also h; d
to contend with a '• fire in the rear." which
being for the most part, masked in the
robes of Loyalty, was the more dangerous.
While the great body of the people of
the loyal States, without distinction,
were rallying around the '• powers that
be," and wishing them God speed, these
men were watching the signs of the times,
hoping for something to turn up favora
ble to their disloyal purposes. Thus,
when we won a great victory, such as the
occupation of. New' Orleans, they could
see nothing particularly encouraging in
itj it was a barren success, aud the dis
tinguished General, to whom it surren
dered, has-over since been the subject of
their animadversions and abuse. While
on the other hand, a defeat has always
been hailed by this same class of patriot*. '
as an evidence of our entire inability to
conquer the rebellion—with theui on such
occasions, the only question was whether
they would not conquer us.
And thus it was, that in the fall of
1862, while half a million of the uncondi
tional Unionist* were absent from the
polls fii;hting the open enemies of our
common country; they, by stirring the<
prejudices of some, and arousing the fears
of others, stole a march on the Adminis
tration—carried a few of the elections,
and then claimed it as a victory of the
people against the policy of tlic Adminis
tration. Imboldcncd by their success they
at last unmask themselves and declare in
favor of withdrawing our armies—of grant
ing an armistice, and of doing every thiug
else necessary to successfully interfere with
a vigorous prosecution of the war. But,
although they had carried the elections in
a number of the States, still, with the ex
ception of New York, their victories were
barren of any practical result. The
Union party, composed of Republicans and
War Democrats, still holding control of
one or more departments of the State gov
ernments. In New York it was otherwise.
Having succeeded in one campaign,
they at once began to prepare for another;
even in our own county, as elsewhere, the
people who had but lately been addressed
by men of both parties, in behalf of unity
and vigor in the prosecution of the war,
were nowappealed to, to turn their back up
on it; to withhold from it their confidence
and their support, assuring' them that it
had violated all its pledges; had changed
its policy, aud was now i: carrying on an
unconstitutional war for the liberation of
the negro;" that we could neither look for
victory to our arms nor final success to our
cause, Bave through the overthrow of the
Administration, and the disorganisation
of the par y that brought it into power.
On the otlier hand, the friends of the
Administration, and of the country, well
knowing the imminent danger that threat
ened us, determined to appeal once more
to the people in behalf of their country
and iis cause. The contest was a despe
rate one. They had to bear the responsi
bility of every blunder in the field, or di
vision, or alleged division in the Cabinet
—the misdoings of selfish contractors—
the imbecility or cowardice of unworthy
officers, all these they had to bear.
The invasion of this State by Lee, was
an additional reason urged on behalf of
the opposition, the people should speak
out against the povers that be; "were the
election to come off now," say they, " we
would you fifty thousand." Lee's
was limited and brief.
1 hanks to Gen. Meade and bis patriotic
army. The draft was ordered—its in
foroement was discouraged by Gov. Sey
mour—his "friends" resisted it—some
twenty thousand from the army of the
Potomac arc detailed for the purpose of
enforcing the law in the Empire State,
whose people had always been loyal and
patriotic up to the advent of the Seymour
dynasty; here the people hail a foretaste
of the workings of the policy of thatpar
-4y which was promising so much. Or
phan Asylums were burned; persons of
I all ages and sex became the unfortunate
| victims of the excited and brutal mob.—
The sight of a patriot wearing the dress
of a Union soldier was sufficient to arouse
! their fury, which was only subdued when
the unfortunate victim lay helpless at
their feet.
j Thus, the country was furnished with a
| foretaste of tjie fruits of the change of
policy so eagerly insisted upon.
The enemies of the Administration still
pressed forward—tliey were confident—
even insulting and defiant, but to their
great surprise, they were driven from one
battery, then from another, until by a gen
eral and final assault, they were driven
from the field.
The friends of the Government breathe
freely once more; the Administration feels
safe in the hearts of the loyal people, and
the gallant Union army turns itself to it
patriotic labor with fresh ardor, knowing
that the people are with it, and the result
is now before us. Every where the Union
cause is steadily advancing. Arkansas,
'lVxas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee,
and Xorth Carolina, will all soon be«uoor
ed safely in the old Union, and beneath
the unsullied emblem of our nationality.
The political, as well a# the military,
campaign oflßo3, will long bp remembered
by those who participated in it—upon it
hung the destiny of our country, and
thanks to the God of nations, the balance
turned* in behalf of national unity and
perpetuity.
And now that the whole canvass is
over, and we are permitted to look back,
it is a matter of wonder how thestT politi
cians feel, who undertook to " reconstruct"
the remains of the old Democratic party
into an organization, for the overthrow of
a patriotic administration. Doubtless they
are astonished at their own folly, and may
now exthim:
"Wedo 11 wrong, brillß »o nvije-tic&l.
To offer it the show of violence.
For it In, M the air 4 invulnerable,
AD<l our vain bluws maliciotM mockery.'*
A GEM.—A beautiful sentiment,
beautifully expressed, is the following
from the Chicaga Journal: "If aman
die, shall he live again?" and once a
day have the daisies answered it, and
"spring's little infant" given its frag
rant testimony testified, and yet the
world, is murmuring still, "if a man
die, shall he live again?"
The Realities of Slavery.
To the Editor of the N. Y. Tribune.
SIR : — During the latter part of June,
or first of July, there appeared in Har
per's Weekly Journal of Civilization two
excellent illustrations, representing some
of the real beauties of that " Divine In
stitution." as faithfully portrayed upon the
bare back of a scourged negro, which was
, horribly scarred, and lacerated iu a terri
ble manner by the blood-stained whip ofa
" driver."
The second wood-cut gave a faithful
an<J lifelike representation of a negro slave
sitting for his photograph, clad in the pe
culiar and ragged nondescript habiliments
of the plantation, tattered, torn, and bare
footed. These engravings were accom
panied by a short descriptive account,
which very briefly stated that the negro
whose bare bade attested the excruciating
ordeal of torture through which he had
passed, was whipped iu this brutal man
ner by an "overseer," as the inhuman
"drivers" are delicately called by the ad
mirers and devotees of human bondage.—
My object in thus referring to these re
volting pictures of the real • barbarism of
Slavery," at this late day, is to contradict
the malicious falsehoods that.havc appear
ed iu the Rebel organs of the North. No
sooner had this heart-stri<Jcing picture be
gun to circulate, and awaken a thrill of
horror among the loyal and humane por
tion of the community, than the Copper
head press at once spit forth their poison
ous venom, and boldly asserted that the
whole story was a fabrication from begin
ning to end—the fruitful results of a fa
natical Abolitionist's deluded imagination.
This prejudiced and inconsistent state
ment was copied into nearly all the l'ro-
Slavery organs, for they deemed it a mon
strosity that should not go unpunished,
notwithstanding Messrs. Harper k Pro.
announced that the wood-euts were exact
copies from the original photographs, ta
ken from life by McPherson it Oliver at
Raton Rouge, Pa.. It will thus be seen
that not only did these venal sheets en
deavor to deride the whole exposure of the
outrage, and thereby deceive the public,
but they deliberately and willfully attempt
ed to cast the stigma of falsity and untrust
worthiness upon this loyal and honorable
publishing firm. Since the publication of
the above pictures in Harper*' Weekly the
friends of freedom in New York and Bos
ton have purchased " carte dc visite" size
photograph copies of the abused negro, as
a faithful picture of the realities of Sla
very as it exists in the Southern States.
Through the mysterious agencies of the
camera obseura the most wonderful as
well as beautiful results have been ob
tained, and it is to the genius and perse
verance of Daguerra and M. Niepec that
ivc of the nineteenth century to-day be
hold the outside view of the moon and the
inside view of Slavery, The light of
heaven that shoots through well-defined
lenses of the camera, and quick as a flash
precipitates the outlines of the imago up
on the chemically-prepared plate within,
cannot and docs not lie. All the logic of
the blind and infatuated believers in Hu
man Slavery cannot arrest or thwart the
progress of truth, any more than they can
prevcut tho development of the positive
picture, when aided by the silent and
powerful process of chemical action.
With this much of an explanatory in
troduction, permit me to saturate this
'■ Copperhead" falsehood with a considera
ble solution of truth', and it will not re
quire a very great exercise of metaphysi
cal ingenuity on tho part of your loyal
readers to detect that the sunlight of truth
has developed, printed and made indeli
ble a positive fact. The original photo
graphs from which tho two faithful engra
vings in Harper's Weekly were copied I
brought from Louisiana last June, and 1
can therefore vouch for their entire
racy, as well for the truthfullness of the
brief account of the outrages perpetrated
upon the unoffending negroes which was
published in connection with the pictures.
On the of lust March, four ne
groes. the property of ('apt. John Lyon
and Louis Fabyan of Clinton, La., start
ed off at midnight in search of freedom,
which they well knew would be guaran
teed them as soon as they reached our
lines at Baton Rouge, La. Their depar
ture was quietly effected, and during the
night they traveled at a rapid rate, not
daring to venture out of their hiding-pla
ces durjng the day, for fear of being cap
tured by the " hunters" or gangs of guer
rillas that infested the "woods for miles,
and surrounded the swamps. The second
day, one of the party, - John," ventured
out in search of food. He had not been
gone more than half an hour when the
loud report of firearms startled and terri
bly alarmed his companions] Believing
that poor ''John" had fallen into the hands
of the "hunters" or guerrillas, they kept
secluded all that day. The fears of these
oppressed creatures, as they hid in the de
cayed trunks of old trees, surrounded on
all sides by swamps and turbid bayous,
the delectable abode of the most poison
ous snakes, venomous reptiles, and the
scaly alligator, can be imagined, but not
described.
Night fame, and the timid party set
out on, their perilous journey, hoping to
reach our lines next day. Passing thro'
a sugar plantation, they stopped at one of
; the negro huts (described as neat, com
i fortable cottages, by the Pro-Slavery wri
i ters), where they were furnished with
| (juite a liberal quantity of such wretched
ftx* as the slaves receive from their hu
mane; generous, and chivalrous masters.
It was hero that the dreadful tale was told
of the murder of poor " John." He had
been shot by one of the brave and chival
rous hunters. Jim Fassel, a notorious vil
lain—the fear of every colored person for
miles around. This same mnrderer, the
day bofore, had assisted in the butchery
of the young mulatto slave of 21 years, an
intelligent '• field hand," who had escaped
from a cruel master at Vicksburg, Miss.
It seems that this young man had been
concerned in a sort of conspiracy aiding
and advising the flight of able-bodied men
to our lines for the purpose of eulistiug in
our army. Hearing that, his master sus
pected him, he resolved to decamp, and
success seemed to crown his efforts for i
freedom until the sixth dcy, when a large j
reward being offered by the Rebel planters)
for his capture, or murder, a band of'huntH
ers' with apaek of panting hounds thirst-,
ing for blood, set out ou full chase for the I
fugi:ive. At Cypress Bayou, about ten or I
twelve mile# from Raton Rouge, he wa« '
i overtaki n in a Hiim.'l swamp, baving eluded
| the track of his eniVgcd aud hoarderspuf
i sue'rs for six dij*. Most of the time he
was obliged togo without food, not daring
!to show himself even to the slaves. Com
i pletely exhausted, with his coarse gar
ments hanging iu shreds, he sought ref
uge in the branchesof a large but the
bloodhounds sented his traek—until one
of them, howling at the footof the tree,at
tracted the attention of the 'man hunters.'
Their discovery was signalled by the ut
terance of the most horrible oaths,' shout
ing for the unfortunate man to come down •
out of the tree. He was in the act of do
ing so, but begged most piteously for the
inhuman wretches to call off their savage
bounds, who flocked around the tree anx
| ious to satisfy their bloody appetite. His
I request was answered by another oath.fol
j lowed by the whistling of a bullet, which
| lodged '.n bis thigh, bringing him to the
ground, where he was set upon by the
; bounds, and his face terribly lacerated.—
I His captors desired to return with him
alive to the planters in the vicinity of
Vicksburg, who had so generously offered
a large reward for bis capture—and it was
this circumstance alone saved him from
being entirely torn to pieces by the blood
hounds.
With exultant shouts and fearful itn
i precations upon their lips, they placed the
I half-lifeless and bleeding body upon a
j horse, and, supported by one of the' hun
ters." the brutal party started on their way
i back with their victim. After riding a
j few miles, tlicy alighted at the house of a
| "bushwhacktVr' - Here they remained an
i hour or two, imbibing freely of that gun
j powder stimulant known as •• Lousinna
whiskey." Excited almost to frenzy,they
j galloped some four or five miles; till they
| reached a small bayou, whore they halted
jto water their horses. The wrath of Hea
; von had manifested itself during that
| death-gallop, aud a righteous God inter
posed, and with Ilis silent and mysterious
| power lie summoned the agonized soul to
j the bar of judgment, snatching it from the
j clutches of those demon- while thoy were
. gloating over the fiendish tortures iu store
| for their innocent and helpless victim.—
While in the act of adjusting a portion of
his harness, the "hunter" holding the
bleeding captive discovered that the vital
spark had fled. They were greatly enrag
ed to think that they were obliged to car
ry an inaniu.a e piece of flesh. The body
j was carried in this way to Jackson, where
its arrival was welcomed by a brutal crowd,
| who complimented the ' hunters" upon
j their success, and heaped the vilest anath
emas up in the remains, that, bleeding,
torn, and disfigured, lay before them.—
i One of the planters, who had lost several
! negroes since the Emancipation Proclama
| tion, called all his slaves together, and
compelled them to witness the burial of
the murdered man in a ditch adjoininghis
plantation.
'Toon PETER"
is the name of the negro whose lacerated
back, as presented in the original; photo
graph, has excited both the sympathy and
indignation of every humanitarian that has
seen it. Here is his own statement, taken
from his lips April 2,1863, at Baton Rouge,
La. just after he had entered the Provost-
Marshal's office. It may be well to state
i that''Peter" could speak but, little Kng
i lish, and that in broken accents. The
majority of the negroes of Lousiaria are
owned by Frenchmen or those of French
descent, and nearly all speak French ; ih
deed. thousands were to be found along
our line of march who could not under
stand a word of English.
15eing interrogated in French, ''Poor
] Peter," who stood before us the picture of
poverty, shrouded in ragsof every imagin
able color, began his doleful story. 'Ten
days from to-day I left the plantation, run
away from massa.' 'What made you run
away, Peter; was your master ugly—did
be whip you ?' With a peculiar shrug of
his shoulders, and raising his eyes towards
the ceiling he shouted, 'Lor Gor Almighty
Massa! look here'—and suiting the action
to the word, he pulled down the pile of
dirty rags that bait' concealed his back,
and which was once a shirt, and exhibit
ed bis mutilated sable form to the crowd
of officers and others present in the office,
j It sent a thrill of horror to every white
| person present, but the few Blacks who
! were waiting for passes, both men, w omen
i and children, paid but little attention to
| the sad spectacle, such terrible scenes be
ing painfully familiar to them all. 'Who
J whipped you, Peter V 'Overseer Artayon
; Carrier whipped me—l don't remember
| the whipping. I was two months in bed.
j sore from the whipping arid salt brine,
which Overseer put oi my back. By and
by my senses began to come—they said 1
was sort of crazy, and tried to shoot every
body. I did not know it—l did not know
that I had attempted to shoot any one—
they told me so. I burned up all my
clothes, but I don't remember that. I nev
er was this way (crazy) before. I don't
know what make me coinc that way (crazy). ;
My master came after I was whipped—-aw
me in bed. He discharged the overseer
They told mc I attempted to shoot mv wife j
first one. I did not shoot any one. I did
not harm anyone. My wife tcllmc I nodo :
these things when I come away. Shetho't i
t was dead with whipping. My master's
name is Captain John Lyon, cotton plant- !
cr, on Atchafalaya River, near Washing
ton, La. I was whipped two months before
Christmas.'
The above is a verbatim copy of the
original statement of 'Poor Peter', as writ
ten up in the bank of the photograph at
Baton Rouge. La., a few hours afteritwas
printed. If 'Copperheads' still doubt the
authenticity of cither the pictures or the
j narrative, tiic originals of both are open
. fir free inspection aod criticism. '-Poor
Peter.'' with "Gordon," tho sable youth
clad in variegated and torn garments, and
whose likeness also appeared at the same
time in Harpers Weekly, together with
another negro, reached our lines at Baton
Rouge, La., in safety, after enduring un
told hardships. They were in feeble con
dition, hunger havinggreatly reduced them
and exhausted their energies.
Although half famished, and tlieirswol
lcn feet bleeding at every pore, they could
not refrain froui weeping with joy when
their colored brethern surrounded them,
clothed in the Federal uniform, and offer
ed them plenty of food and warm oloth-
All of these men were chased by 'hunt
ers' with their savage pack of hounds, but
they -were ingenious enough to wade and
swim through every stream they could find
on their way, twice swimming' the turbid
waters of the Amite River in their wan
derings. Upon coming from the water,
they had presence.of mind and sagacity
enough to rub every portion of their body
with onions and strong-scented weeds, irt
order to elude the trail ofthe bloodhounds,
who were several times close upon tlu'ln.
To their intelligence may be attributed
their narrow and fortunate escape from tho
terrible fate that befell - Poor John,' their
companion. This concludes my narrative
of the two pictures, libeled by the Pro-
Slavery press as ''the fruitful results of a
fanatical Abolitionist's deluded imagina
tion."
New York, Nov. 12, 1868.
BOSTONIAN.
FORKIGtf i'KHS.
NEW V ORK. Dec. 18. —It is reported an
undoubted ram was lately launched at
Hull, with steam up. and immediately put
to sea, with sundry Southern looking gen
tlemen.
It is also reported that there is dangcrof
complications between France and Ameri
ca. owing to California and Sonora supply
ing the Mexicans with arms.
The three war steamers recently sold by
the Uritish Admiralty, in addition to the
Victor alias Rappahannock, were the Phoe
nix. Cyclops and Amphion, the latter a
twenty-six gun screw frigate. It is feared
they were intended for the«rebcls.
Austria and Prussia have offered to abide
by the treaty 0f1852, as regards the Crown
of Denmark.
Oreat Britain will advise Denmark to
make concession, and thereby remove all
anger and hostilities.
Denmark will regard the entrance of
Federal troops into Hoist as a declaration
of war. '1 he Federal Diet, however, is not
yet determined to carry out coercive
measure. |
Cotton closed with a decline of 1 (<r '<!. '
CINCINNATI, Dec. 21.— '1 he great San
itary Fair will be inaugurated to-day.
(Jen. Grant arrived at Nashville on Sat
i urday.
A spccjal dispatch to the Commercial
: from Cumberland Gap, dated Pee. 18th,
i says: LongstrcetdividedhisaiTnyonMon-
; day, one part making an attack at Dean's
| Station, and the other at Kelly's Ford.—
The design beingto cutoff Shakelfordand
Foster, but the movement of Gen. Ferrcro
j frustrated the plan.
Heavy firing was heard yesterday be
i tween Tazewell and Clinch river.
Longstrcet is reported killed aud his for
' ces surrounded.
A dispatch to the Commercial, dated,
Loudon, Ky., Dee. 20th, says: General
Shackelford and staff arrived herein route,
: for home. They left Blair's Cross Roads
on the 16th. 'I bo battle of Bean's Sta-
I tii«n on the 14th commenced at 2 o'clock
| and lasted till dark, Shackelford holding
the ground tilltliattimewhen he withdrew.
Our loss was from one hundred and fifty to
two hundred killed and wounded. Our
forces were concentrating at lilair's Cross
Roads wheu Shackelford left.
Since the Senate Committee indicated
its purpose to repeal the >3OO exemption
clause enlistments have substantially ceas
ed all over the country. Governors of
many States, iu letters to leading Senators,
protested against its repeal, as it is sure to
run up the price of substitutes to at least
81,000. The probability to-day is that
the.exemption will be increased by the Sen
ate Committee to SSOO.
The government will dispatch a messen
ger to Halifax to-morrow, with instructions!
to our Consul their.
The action of the British authorities inl
protecting the pirates of the Chesapeake, .
caused much comment in diplomatic cir
cles.
NEW YORK, Dec. 18. —By thestcamer
Arago it is stated that the recent heavy
gale*swept away nearly all the rebel ob
struction in Charleston Harbor, and their
remnants line the shares. The entrance
to the harbor is now believed to be clear,
and it is supposed that our navy will take
due advantage of the fact.
The New Orleans Picaywtr, of the oth,
has news of the recapture of Pubela by
Juaraz's force, and that Comonfort was
advancing against the i^nch.
The French in Tampico are in a state
of siege, and hav lost 800 men by yellow
fever.
WASHINGTON. Dec. IS.—The Senate
Military Committee bad a long session to
day on the Amendment to the Conscription
Act. After an animated debate the SiijoU
exemption clause was stricken out, and
the two classes put into one. These are
the principal amendments to the bill, which
will be reported to-morrow, and an cffoit
made to pass them at once, so that the
House may have the bill on Monday togo
to work on.and complete it before the ad
journment ofthe holidays. The object is
to prevent the postponement of the draft >|
the sth of January.
Tiik Prekidfnt'S MESSAGE IN CANT
ADA. —The Toronto GUJ>e , probably ll i
; ablest of the Canadian journals, opens ill
comments on the President's message ill
words :
" The great Southern rebellion is on its!
i Inst legs. It may last six months or a year. I
| but it is not to be disputed by any lair
j minded observer that it is dying. The fall
I of Richmond and the flight of Jeff. Davis
I and his Cabinet cannot be far off. The
i (lb)hc, thinks Mr. Lincoln docs not fully
set forth in his message what is tffbe done
with the South when it is cnuquored, but]
his present movement for the paeiiiuationj
of the South is of the "pegging awny 'l
order. "It is not strictly logical, nor i-J
it comprehensive, but it may achieve m
great suceess." The Globe thinks tiif
Southern people will sor»n be ready to takl
the oath after their armies are subduc'J
and though so.nc fierce spirits may lonl
hold out, rt thjy will be regarded as thl
Jacobites in Britain, who,even within thl
present century, have refused to take til j
oath of fealty to the Hanoverian line.-!
There will be commotions and rumors J
commotions, a great army will be needJ
to preserve order, and the expense will >1
heavy; but in the end Mr. Lincoln's "peg
ging away," will bring the Southern pel
pie to submit to what is inevitable." I
afif* The poet speaks to the heart; tl
musician to the soul; the painter to 112
imagination ; the sculptor to the eys I