I charge thee, fling away ambition:
By that sin fell the angels, how can man then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by't?
Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee:
Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues.
THE blood and treasure poured out so freely in the
suppression of the rebellion were by no means offered up on the
shrine of freedom. Notwithstanding Abraham Lincoln had expressed
himself in controversy to the effect that a nation half free and
half slave could not long exist, he felt constrained under the
constitution to swear that under his rule he should do his best
to keep it so.. The removal of that foul blot, which had so long
disgraced our otherwise fair escutcheon, we owe to the
exigencies of war: showing that terrible as war is, it is not
the worst of evils that afflict our erring race. The cost of
that dreadful ordeal is most abundantly compensated by making
this nation what it is. Never till I die can I cease to remember
the intoxicating news of the fall of Richmond in Chicago. But
oh! how fleet the overjoy ! The bells had hardly ceased to
vibrate on that national jubilation ,when lo! the wires
proclaimed the foul murder of the idol of a joyous
people—Abraham Lincoln —at the hands of a daft theatrical, who
shall here be nameless, stimulated by the blind enemies of
"freedom" behind. The manner of the taking-off of that great,
good man needs not any comment here. It is patent
to the world, and lamented by every well-regulated mind the
world contains. The perpetrator of this deed of darkness evaded
justice for about fourteen dreadful days, to be hunted and shot
down like a wild beast. Where his body lies is known to very
few. The incipient elements of this rebellion were characterized
by a species of craft, or what may be termed low cunning, which
reflects anything but credit to the prominent movers of the lost
cause. For instance, take the conduct of Floyd. That gentleman
occupied the office of secretary of war under James Buchanan—an
office fraught with the utmost importance. In the hands of
conservative patriotism a bulwark; in the hands of a traitor,
dreadfully dangerous.
The part Floyd played in treacherous lust,
Betraying of a nation's trust,
While those in high power were sleeping—
The potent means in his keeping
Were ceded to the nation's foes,
That deadlier might fall their blows
Against our government and laws,
While they exult in fiend's applause,
In hopes that on the nation's ruin.
To build an odious despotism. We have reason,
I think, to thank heaven it was otherwise ruled. It was during
the civil war that we had the misfortune to lose our only
son—John Washington. I may here remark that that portion of his
time which ought to have been devoted to out-door recreation
while running his photographic gallery was spent in the
cultivation of the arts of drawing and painting, which told on
his lungs. In pursuit of art he went to New York, thence to
Montreal, and improved in health greatly, and was on the eve of
marriage with a Miss Fraser in that city when we received the
unwelcome news that he was prostrate from hemorrhage of the
lungs, with fears that a second attack might prove fatal. No
time must be lost in getting him home. His brother-in-law, John
Balfour, to whom he was much attached, volunteered his services
to repair to Canada and fetch the poor fellow home to die,
which, with much care and delicacy, he performed to the
satisfaction of all the members of the family. But it required
only a few short months to finish the progress of the dire
disease on his poor, emaciated frame. His remains were interred
in Rosehill cemetery, nor had they long to lie alone, for in
about three years the second grave in our little lot had to open
to receive his sister Margaret. Maggie suffered much agony with
great patience, and rallied sufficiently after her first
operation to enable her to participate in a New Year's family
gathering, whereat there were twenty members sitting down to
dinner. All present entertained lively hopes of her recovery,
but in a few days the virulent monster showed symptoms of having
been only " scotched, not killed."
The loss of the Lady Elgin, January 18, and the great fire of
Chicago merit a passing notice here; the former in 1860, the
latter in 1871.
THE LADY ELGIN DISASTER.
States and nations in their endeavors to dispense with large
standing armies find it necessary to use means by which to
strengthen the volunteer arm.
Military companies deemed reliable are furnished with arms,
accoutrements and halls wherein to drill, etc., at the public
expense. In seasons of political excitement, however, when
partisanship runs high and manifestations of disloyalty ooze
out, or, in other words, whensoever the attitude of a company
shall become dubious as to how these arms shall be pro or con
directed in case of a popular outbreak against the public peace,
it becomes the duty of the governor of the state to cite the
officer in command to the seat of
government, and there subject him to a personal interrogatory,
and on being found unreliable deprive his company of all their
arms and military privileges whatsoever.
The party inimical to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860
was pretty outspoken, and the patriotism of not a few in
Milwaukee fell under the suspicion of the state authorities. One
of the suspects was Captain Barry, who was summoned to Madison
to explain his position, or rather his sentiments, and, as far
as he knew, or was willing to expose, those of the company under
his command. The result of this inquiry proved adverse to the
company, and disarmament was the result. But the boys, being
spirited, and smarting under the frown of the state, resolved to
keep up their organization by procuring guns of their own, and
to raise the necessary means resolved on chartering the Lady
Elgin to Chicago and back to Milwaukee, which, being
accomplished, a very numerous party (about 400), provided with
fine music, awaited the arrival of the steamer on the wharf at
Milwaukee for some hours, notwithstanding the weather was rather
rough. The passage to Chicago was spent in dancing and
merrymaking. On the early morning of one tempestuous day the
Lady Elgin, with her precious freight of gay, light-hearted
souls, arrived, and as the hour of departure from Chicago was
fixed for 11 p.m. the interim gave ample opportunity of doing
the lions of Chicago, which was duly done. The weather in the
meantime had increased in violence, and Captain Wilson, of the
Elgin, was requested to delay his starting until morning, but
having cattle on board, and other merchandise for the north, he
could not comply therewith. And well do I remember on retiring
to bed hearing through the howling storm of that fatal night the
sounds of the strains of that music which was destined to usher
them all, or nearly all, into eternity! And such was the hasty
desire to resume that fascinating pastime (I am informed) that
the steamer had scarcely cleared the lights of the harbor when
the figurative marriage bell was ne'er so gay as with that
joyous party, bound as they were by ties most sacred—by blood
relationship, by intermarriage, by nationality, by political
proclivity, and by religious faith. A more genial and happy
company it were difficult to conceive. A thorough knowledge of
the object of the excursion was doubtless confined to the few,
and the youthful members, having confidence in their leader,
took for granted that to purchase warlike weapons with a portion
of their surplus earnings was an act entitled to praise—at
least, to be above censure. Be that as it may, I have no doubt
but there were many on that fatal errand who never bestowed a
thought upon the purport of the expedition. It is safe to say
that in cases of this kind conscience is a light ingredient.
There were a few passengers on their way north who secured
berths on the ill-fated ship in Chicago, thereby adding to the
doomed number, among whom were Mr. Ingram, the distinguished
editor and proprietor of the Illustrated London News, and
his son. Notwithstanding the night was dark and stormy, so bent
on pleasure were the youthful excursionists that the lights of
the harbor had scarcely waned when dancing was resumed, and up
to the fatal moment was with hilarity kept up.
When about two hours out of Chicago, and abreast of Winnetka,
the mirth and music of over four hundred young people were in
less time than I require to write it turned to weeping and
wailing. A lumber-laden schooner, by some culpable blunder in
reading the lights, ran straight into the larboard quarter of
the steamer. Oh! the horror of that crash. It was soon
discovered that the damage sustained was such as to cut off all
hope of saving the ship, or even of saving a soul on board.
Already she was perceptibly sinking, and rapidly, by
displacement of her treacherous support, forming that fearful
gulf yawning to swallow up four hundred happy creatures in the
morning of their lives. Comparatively happy those that with the
sinking ship went down! Most of those who clung to floating
fragments were doomed to perish in the angry surf. Among those
who were so destroyed was Capt. Wilson. He had improvised a raft
of hatches, whereon he succeeded in reaching the surf with
fourteen persons clinging thereto, but such was the violence of
the waves lining the shore that the raft no sooner touched the
land than it went to pieces, and all
on board were drowned or killed by the floating debris of the
wreck.
Wilson was one of the most experienced and careful captains
on these lakes. A number of warm, admiring friends survive to
lament his loss. It appeared by the hole in his forehead that he
had received his death wound from being violently thrown against
some floating part of the wreck.
Among the few that were saved may be mentioned the
bass-drummer of the band, who, by corking up the sound-hole of
his drum, improvised a buoy, on which he safely drifted ashore.
For many days the bodies of the unfortunates were deposited for
identification around the court house of Chicago, and during
those days the influx of the bereaved from the sister city in
search of their lost dear ones made the scene sufficiently
heart-rending, until the sanitary safety of the city demanded a
change, and ever afterward all victims found of the ill-fated
steamer were deposited among the shrubbery of the old cemetery
(now forming part of Lincoln Park). At length identification
became impossible, which to anxious searchers was most
distressing. The remains of Mr. Ingram were found, and
identified by his gold watch and other personal property. They
were taken to the Briggs House, and thence by countrymen,
members of the St. George's Society of Illinois, to the railroad
depot, on their way to his beloved Nottingham. Those of his son,
I believe, were never discovered.
THE GREAT FIRE OF CHICAGO.
On Saturday, the 8th day of October, 1871, there had been a
strong breeze blowing all day from Chicago's dangerous quarter
(the northwest), when a fire broke out on Canal street, near to
Van Buren street, which well-nigh bade defiance to the efforts
of one of the most efficient fire departments in the world. Nor
could the firemen for one moment relax their noble efforts until
the morning of the 9th, after the destruction of valuable
property covering sixteen acres of the business part of the
city.
To the exhausted condition of the firemen on the 9th has been
mainly attributed the fierce, ungovernable hold which
characterized the early features of that dreadful disaster,
which claimed for its ravages through the principal streets of
that splendid city a distance of four and a half miles.
For an accurate description of this calamity the reader is
referred to a volume written by Mr. Good-speed, embellished
copiously and graphically by wood engravings of excellent
quality.
This visitation had the effect of provoking the benevolent
sympathy of the Christian world into boiling heat.
The amount of money, food and raiment poured into the hands
of the relieving committees of Chicago was marvelous, and I am
sorry to say that while the fire proved the ruin of many an
honest, struggling family there were those who, by barefaced,
unscrupulous means, realized positions to which they never could
attain by legitimate effort. Having lost in the fire my
inimitable Voigtlander viewing tube and all my bread-winning
tools and chemicals, in the way of assistance I acknowledge the
receipt of $135 from the bounty of Scottish societies abroad;
$100 through the medium of the St. Andrew's Society of Illinois,
and $35 through the Caledonian Club.
