James Harlan

MARCH 25, 1865.]

HARPER'S WEEKLY.

181

HON. JAMES HARLAN, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.—[PHOTOGRAPHED BY BRADY.]

HON. JAMES HARLAN, SECRETARY
OF THE INTERIOR.

HON. JAMES HARLAN, who has just been appointed Secretary of the Interior, was born in Clark County, Illinois, August 26, 1820. He is now, therefore, nearly forty-five years old. At the age of twenty five he graduated at the Indiana University, and devoted him self to the profession of law, in which he obtained a high position. Two years later he was Superintendent of Public Instruction in the State of Iowa, where he had taken up his residence. In 1853 he was chosen President of the Iowa Wesleyan University, which office he retained one year, when he was elected United States Senator. He was re-elected for the term ending in 1867, serving as Chairman of the Committee on Public Lands. His past experience in the West, and his relation to the Committee on Public Lands, have well fitted Mr. HARLAN for the important duties of his new office.

CORRESPONDENCE.

WITH GEN. SHERMAN IN THE CAROLINAS. NEAR BRANCHVILLE, Feb. 20, 1865.

I AM one of the " uncounted throng" who compose General Sherman's army; and the general purpose that brings us here, or takes us elsewhere, is as well known to you as myself. Cadmus, perambulating the Oriental world in search of his sister, Europa; Japhet in search of a father; or Diogenes looking for an honest man, had no such task as ours. We are looking for a rebel army that we expect to find, burrowed or "ditched," somewhere in the Carolinas.

Nature's picture gallery hereabouts is monotonous. No mountains, no valleys, no "cattle upon a thousand hills," or even one hill worthy of the name ; no pretty villages thickly set, with beautiful women and happy children flitting about like butterflies nothing of the sort. Silence and gloom, swamps and forests ; a low, level country, inhabited mainly by negroes and alligators the former migrating seaward, the latter dormant are the general features of the region from whence I write.

This forest is but an enormous growth of evergreens, beneath which day is always dusky, and night gloomy and hideous. Among these vast fields of pine silence reigns supreme. Night, dark as Erebus within the cavernous woods, tinges with

seasons of the year hold nocturnal revels. To get through this swamp our men and animals have to wallow in mud and water, compounded into a bot-

Where and when we are to emerge from the wilderness of pines is problematical. We have left the land of cotton rearward, and are making our-

anxious to see the man whose name is such a terror to traitors.

An aged "specimen," bowed down with years and much stooping over the cotton plant, requested permission to behold the "man of war" of whom so much had been told in his bearing. His request being made known to the General, he was admitted. The military monstrosity was seated astride a chair, smoking, when the patriarch was shown in and stood before him. "Africa" bowed very low, and, with dilapidated hat in quivering hand, stood mute with fear and wonder.

Growing bolder, he asked, " Are you Massa Sherman ?" " I am General Sherman ; do you want to see me ?" was the reply. "Lord-a-massa ! is it true that you is the man I hear so much about ? I bress God I live to see your face ! tank de Lord! tank de Lord ! May I come up and leek at you !" he asked. "Certainly," said the General ; "take the candle and look at me as long as you choose." Seizing the light in his trembling hand, the old man walked slowly around the General's chair, holding the candle frequently quite close to his face, and looking at him on all sides with intense interest. His curiosity gratified, he reluctantly departed, frequently ejaculating his thanks to the Lord that he had been permitted to see Massa Sherman face to face, and on the old plantation. Absurd notions prevail among people of the South, claiming intelligence, as to the character and motives of leading men in our Government, whether in cabinet or field. On one occasion a man of prominence in Georgia propounded the following question to General Sherman: "General," said he, "what kind of a man is your President, Mr. Lincoln ? Is he not a hard hearted, tyrannical man, with very little sympathy or love for his race ?" "By no means," said the General. " Mr. Lincoln is a tender hearted man very tender hearted; so much so," said he, "that I dare not let him know I was coming down through Georgia, lest he should stop me, fearing that I might hurt somebody." And thus were set aside the erroneous views of one man at least as to the character of our amiable Chief Magistrate. Doubtless, ere your readers have perused these desultory lines, this army, under its restless and successful leader, will have finished its immediate work, and assumed a temporary stability. Our campaign through South Carolina will have ended, its capital city will have felt the heavy hand of war, and the national colors will be floating in triumph

FORT MORGAN, IN MOBILE BAY.--FROM A SKETCH SHOWING THE NORTH AND WEST SIDES OF THE FORT.—[BY GEORGE WATTERS.]

gloom the meditations of the wakeful. A stillness reigns here as deep and solemn as that which prevails in a country church yard. In the dense swamp hard by the alligators have their lair, and at certain

tomless chaos. But the birds are here, and singing merrily ; while the morning sun makes futile efforts to penetrate the gloom, and plant its rays upon the cold, damp earth.

selves familiar with the land of turpentine. We give some attention to botany, and the geology of the country through which we pass; and are not indifferent to the fascinations of natural history.

The negro is ever before us. We see him in all his gradations from the unmixed specimen up to that which is nine parts white man to one of " Africa." It is interesting to note the gradual improvement in physiognomy as they progress upward. The mouth recedes, the nose contracts laterally, the forehead advances and spreads out on either flank, the labial organs diminish in size and protuberance, the cuticle changes its hue, and the hair loses its propensity to be rooted at both ends, with numerous Gordian knots intervening.

The negroes along our line of march display a great desire to see "Massa Sherman." On one occasion, during our Georgia campaign, General Sherman had chanced to make his head quarters for the night at a plantation belonging to Howell Cobb, and the proprietor's "people" were extremely

over Sumter, and Charleston, and Wilmington, and other points now yielding readily to the supremacy of the legitimate Government.

South Carolina is just now in a transition state, and is about to become a proselyte to the true faith. Externally she has the appearance of being sick. (Next Page)

THE BADGE OF THE TWENTY-THIRD (SCHOFIELD'S) ARMY
CORPS.—[Sketched by E. H. HALL]

GENERAL SCHOFIELD'S HEAD-QUARTERS AT WILMINGTON.—[SKETCHED BY E. H. HALL.]