NEWS: Items from The Alleghanian, May 15, 1862, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ The Alleghanian, Ebensburg, Pa. Thursday, May 15, 1862 Volume 3, Number 34 Appointed We are glad to learn that our good friend, Mr. Wm. W. Young has been appointed Post Master at Cresson, this county, vice John J. Troxell. He will make a model official. Accident We learn from the TELEGRAPH that a man named Myers from Johnstown belonging to the Silver Grays, fell and broke his right leg in Harrisburg one day last week. He was immediately attended by a physician and is now doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Railroad A new passenger car was put on the Ebensburg and Cresson Road last week. It is a large and handsome affair and a decided improvement on the old. One end of the car is partitioned off for baggage. A new locomotive will also shortly be put on this road. It is now in process of construction at Philadelphia. Fire! The atmosphere just now presents the hazy, smoky appearance of Indian Summer owing to the burning of large quantities of wood and brush in the neighborhood. Fire may be seen in almost any direction but especially in the forest along the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Wilmore and Cresson does the devouring element take the form of a well-defined and extended conflagration. Whole tracts are blasted by its withering influence and the damage to timber will undoubtedly be immense. Where all this will stop moreover unless we soon have a copious fall of rain, there is no telling. Ice Cream The lovers of this warm weather luxury should drop in at Mrs. Stahl's on High street and partake. A number one article is manufactured and for sale every night. "A Brick!" A couple of weeks since we made mention of the bravery displayed by Rolla N. Evans, a former Cambrian, at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and we take great pleasure in adding the following complimentary confirmation, extracted from the war correspondence of a Bloomington, Illinois paper: "R. N. Evans, formerly 1st sergeant of Co. G., (20th Illinois) and lately promoted to be 1st Lieutenant of Co. I for gallantry at Fort Donelson and who had not yet received his commission was fighting gallantly in Co. C. When our color sergeant fell badly wounded, Rolla seized the colors and bore them bravely aloft, shaking them defiantly at the enemy until he fell badly wounded in the ankle. Rolla is a "brick," sure and the boys of Co. C hate to lose him." The President at Fort Monroe President Lincoln, accompanied by Secretaries Chase and Stanton paid a visit to Fortress Monroe on Wednesday. The party were met on board the steam revenue cutter Miami, by Major General Wool and Staff in full uniform, who escorted them into the Fortress where they were tendered a handsome reception by the garrison. As the President entered the Fortress he was favored with the usual salute of twenty-one guns. Mr. Lincoln made a thorough inspection of the Fort, water battery and machine shop. At the latter place his attention was particularly directed to the machine for rifling cannon. It was in operation at the visit. The simplicity and efficiency of its movements were highly satisfactory. The President in turn visited Fort Wool (Rip Raps) where he was received without the customary salute, it being dispensed with at his request. The splendid rifled guns of the fort were loaded and shell fired at the rebel battery at Sewall's Point. The President watched the modus operandi of loading the guns and when the first shot was fired, he watched the curling smoke and listened attentively to the whiz of the burning fuse as the shell proceeded thro' the air. As it fell the shell stuck directly in the rebel works, exploding with a loud report, throwing up a cloud of dust and smoke in the air. The President subsequently visited the iron batteries Galena and Monitor. He examined these vessels with much care, making the most detailed inquires as to their construction and operation. On the Monitor especially his inquiries were numerous. The President was about to proceed to pay a formal visit to Flag Officer Goldsborough on board the flag ship, Minnesota. As the officers of that vessel were getting their men ready to man the yards and fire a salute, the look out on the foretop announced that the Merrimac was coming out of Norfolk. The men were beat to quarters and the fleet in the harbor signaled to get ready for action. True enough the Merrimac was seen off the north end of Craney Island with steam up and black smoke curling out of her pipe. The fleet formed in line of battle and soon were in readiness to give the rebel monster a hearty reception should it have the temerity to visit the Roads. The Merrimac remained stationary under the guns of Craney Island for several hours and then returned to Norfolk. The President meanwhile visited the flag ship, Minnesota, where he was received by the customary honor of manning the yards, firing a salute, &c. The President examined particularly the portions of the ship that had been struck by rebel shot and which the philosophy of how four state rooms were knocked into one by a hostile rebel shell was explained, he was forced to express his surprise at the terrible effect of an explosion of a ten-inch shell which gave him a perfect horror of wooden war vessels. Twelfth Penna. Cavalry This regiment to which is attached the company recently recruited in this county by Capt. Wm. Linton, has been fully organized and the regimental officers commissioned by Gov. Curtin. Lewis B. Pierce, of Bradford County, is Colonel in place of Wm. Frishmuth, displaced. The regiment is now probably at Washington having gone thitherward from Philadelphia a few days since. Fifty-Fourth Penna. Vols. The Fifty-Fourth regiment, Col. Campbell, as we learn by a communication from our friend, "Horace," is still stationed along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the headquarters being at Sir John's Run. The letter will appear in the next issue. Letter from Johnstown Johnstown, May 13, 1862 Deeming a few local items from this neck o' timber not unacceptable I send you the following: On Friday last a child whose parents reside near the canal basin, wandered to the brink of the water and falling in, was drowned before aid could be rendered. The mother, attracted by its cries was the first to discover her child's situation but powerless to save, she saw her darling go down before her very eyes. Her frantic cries soon brought assistance, but all efforts to resuscitate the body, which was recovered shortly, were without avail. A lad name Smith, while attempting to cross the "iron bridge" the other day was caught by the cow catcher of a freight engine and fatally injured. The boy's sense of hearing, it appears, is somewhat defective and just after getting on the bridge the train came round the curve. The engineer sounded the alarm whistle and tried to check the train but failed. The cow catcher tripped up the boy who fell backward and strange to say retained a position thereupon until the train stopped when he rolled off and fell into the river below. He received injuries which he cannot survive. [Signed] E