Decease of two Able Federal Generals. 
Tub latest intelligence from the “Department 
of the South,” is ot a melancholy character, inas¬ 
much as it brings to our knowledge the loss of one 
of our ablest military men—Major-General 0. M. 
Mitchell, who expired at Beaufort, S. C., at half- 
past six o'clock on the evening ot Thursday, Oct. 
30th. A malignant fever, which for the previous 
ten days, had prevailed almost with the fury of a 
scourge, ended his life after four days of illness. 
On the 25th ult., Gen. Mitchell removed with his 
personal staff to Beaufort. Lieut-Col. W. I', i’ren- 
tice, Capt. F. A. Mitchell, Capt, J. 0. Williams and 
Capt E. \Y. Mitchell, all of the General’s military 
household, were at that time seriously ill, and it 
was for their improvement that the change of air 
and locality was made. Gen. Mitchell, at that date, 
was apparently as well as ever, but on the Monday 
following he was stricken with the fever. Nothing 
serious was apprehended in his case until Wed¬ 
nesday night, when he seemed to realize that ho 
was sinking and beyond recovery. With this im¬ 
pression ho seut for the Rev. Dr. Strickland, chap¬ 
lain of the Forty-eighth New York Volunteers, 
whom he desired to attend him in his last moments; 
and to M»j. Birch, his aid-de-camp, he dictated the 
disposition of his property. Almost to tho moment 
of his death he retained possession of his faculties, 
looking forward to his release with all tho calm¬ 
ness and fortitude which the Christian faith can 
lend. His last words were, “I am ready to go;” 
and, when he was no longer able to speak, be 
pointed triumphantly towards heaven, and, smil¬ 
ing, breathed liis last. As we have already given 
a full biographical sketch, together with a portrait 
of the General, (see Rural of July 12th, present 
volume.) we now publish but an epitome of his 
life and limes: 
General Ormsby McKnight Mitchell was born in 
Union Co., Ky., August 23, 1810. On graduating 
at West Point, in 1320, he was made acting-assist¬ 
ant professor of mathematics, which post he held 
for two years. From 1832 to 1843 he was counselor 
at law at Cincinnati, Ohio; from 1834 to 18-14 pro¬ 
fessor of idatheniatica, philosophy, and astronomy 
at Cincinnati College; in 1836 and '37 we lind him 
chief engineer of the Little Miami Railroad; and 
in PHI he was a member of the hoard ot visitors 
of the Military Academy. In 1845, at tho close of 
a course of lectures on astronomy in Cincinnati, he 
proposed the establishment of an observatory in 
that, place; and the proposition having been carried 
out, mainly by his own exertions, he became direc- 
In 1853 be was made director 
others, to make a proper and judicious selection 
of books to be used in our public schools; it they 
will but do this, I venture the assertion that we 
shall hear no more of the boreisin of traveling 
school book agents, while the interests will be 
greatly enhanced by so doing. 
“Jopas” has commenced the good work in Ohio, 
and I trust there will rise up others, Jopas like, not 
only in the Buckeye State, but also in every school 
district in the Union, and all will be well. Teachers 
be independent! don't be brow beaten or coaxed, try 
book agents or oflicials, into an exchange of text¬ 
books, and you will receive the thanks of an appre¬ 
ciating public. Jopas has set a ball in motion 
which should not be stopped until thi3 evil is also 
stopped. Senex. 
Monroe County, N. Y., Nov., 1862, 
tilt flint: 
INCREASE OP THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE 
[Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker.] 
ABOUT SCHOOL BOOKS, AGENTS, &c, 
The Bourse Gazette of St. Petersburg, has the 
following remarks on the progressive increase of 
the Russian Km pi re: 
In tho time of John III, that is to say, in the 
second half of the fifteenth century, it. only occupied 
a surface of 18,000 square miles. In the reign of 
Alexis Michailovich. in 1650, its extent had already 
reached 237.000; under that of Peter tho Great, 
280,000; under Catharine II, 335,000; and under the 
present reign, 302 000 miles. Tho result is that the 
most considerable increase took place under Peter 
the Great and Catharine. The former conquered a 
part of Finland, the Daghestan, and some other 
Caucasian provinces, and the country of the Ivir- 
ghises, and also annexed to the Empire Kamts- 
ohatka and some islands in the Pacific ocean. The 
western province, Courtland, the rest of Finland, 
the Crimea, a part of Bessarabia, and some other 
Caucasian provinces, and Georgia, were subjected 
to the scepter of the Czarina. Tho country of the 
Amour, an extent of 0.200 square miles, has been 
annexed under the present reign. The surrender of 
Sohamyl pacified some provinces which may conse¬ 
quently be considered as having been added to the 
Russian territory. The population of the Empire 
has increased in an equal proportion. In 1792 it 
was fourteen millions; in 1803, thirty-six millions; 
in 1820, fifty millions, and at present it amounts to 
sixty-five millions. 
nal Epistle,” and signed “ Jopas ” Of all the nuis- 
an es that ever pervaded a community, that of 
school book agency is the worst, and one which 
should not, lie tolerated by auy Bchool trustee, com¬ 
missioner, teacher, or superintendent On the an i 
val of one of these agents into a district the cold 
shoulder should be turned to them at once, and be 
fore they have a dunce to introduce their works. It 
i 3 a duty the teacher, trustee, commissioner. &c., owe 
the patrons of our public schools, and the school 
itself, to discountenance the frequent aud constant 
change, and introduction of new books into the 
school-room — many of which are well printed and 
highly illustrated with engravings, but whose read¬ 
ing matter is no improvement on, but far inferior to 
the hooks in use. 
Beware then of the wily school book agent, it 
you would preserve your district school inviolate, 
which should be- the first duty of the teacher, as 
well a the official and patron of a public or district 
school. Many of the book agents traversing the 
country arc old, superannuated teachers, andiiaving, 
while teaching, been bored and imposed upon by 
agents themselves, know well how to approach 
others. They first seek out some favorite teacher in 
a eity public school, solid Lis co-operation, anrl en¬ 
deavor to eulist him in behalf of the new books, by 
a bonus or otherwise. Then, on the recommend¬ 
ation of thifi teacher, he applies to the City Super¬ 
intendent of Public Instruction, requesting his 
co-operation also, and with a fee in hand , the 
superintendent introduces the new works (though 
he knows them to be far inferior to those in use.) to 
the notice of the “ Committee on Text-Books of the 
Board of Education.” This Committee is generally 
composed of persons who have no interest, person¬ 
ally. Jit our public schools—having no pupils attend¬ 
ing—leave the matter entirely in the hands of the 
superintendent, who proceeds at once to introduce 
the new books into the several schools, inrbreing 
an unjust and tyrannical (au>—which some Boards of 
Education have passed — Lhatil pupils do not. in 
a given period, (usually a very short time,) furnish 
themselves with said new books, they will be debar¬ 
red the privilege of attending a public (P) school,— 
institutions which the American people so much 
glory in. 
Thus it will he seen the work is accomplished — 
the agent is successful in the city, and proceeds to 
the districts armed with the recommendation of the 
City Superintendent, and the assurance that the 
books are to be used in tho Publio Schools of the 
City of-, and have been “ adopted by the Board 
of Education,” ho has no trouble in convincing the 
trustees or commissioner that his is just the book 
that should be used in that particular district. The 
consequence is the bate takes and the books are 
adopted, by the trustees or commissioner, without 
the consent or advice of the teacher, (who should 
be consulted,) thereby imposing an enormous tax 
upon the patrons of the schools, without benotiling 
pupils in the least, aud entailing upon the attention 
of the teacher a book or set of books which ho 
knows to be worthless, and injurious to the best in¬ 
terests of his school; but ilie edict has gone forth 
and he must submit to the dictum of the trustees or 
commissioner, as may be the case. 
I am cognizant of an instance where a City 
Timix's a bright and starry pennant 
Floating wide upon the air, 
With its lines of changeless beauty, 
Borrowed Iron! the rainbow fair ; 
*Tis our banner, our proud banner, 
The glorious emblem of the free ; 
"Tis tho life-boat of oar nation— 
’Tis the smile of Liberty! 
MORAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., NOVEMBER I 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
Scene* in Our Hospital*. 
Who shall describe, with “thought that breathe 
and words that burn,” in language that shall com¬ 
press a volume into a sentence, a sentence into a 
word, the agony of mind and body, which is the 
hourly boon of the hundreds in our hoppitals. Aged 
men and tender boys suffer alike. One youth, the 
very picture of’ manhood’s budding beauty, has lost, 
a foot or leg, and limps along upon his crutch. An¬ 
other, with bandaged breast and brow, remembers 
the fatal bravery which inspired him on the battle¬ 
field, and weeps involuntarily, as he never wept 
before, at the sweet thought of home aud mother. 
Ouo touching incident we hear of—one that will 
draw tears to every eye, and thrill each bosom with 
a pang. Several charitabl* ladies lately visited one 
of the military hospitals. Every refreshment that 
couhl be furnished they supplied. Ice cream was 
handed round, and the poor invalids eagerly par¬ 
took of it. In one corner of the room, however, the 
spoon and saucer had not been touched. On the 
bed, by the little table containing them, lay a young 
boy, his features pale, his eyelids drooping. A lady 
gently fanning his fair forehead, softly whispered 
“ the poor little fellow is asleep, we must not dis¬ 
turb him.” 
“ No, ma’am, I’m not asleep. 
HOW MIST IS GENERATED 
Tub production of mist is the subject of a note by 
the veteran Dr. John Davy (brother of Sir Hum¬ 
phrey) in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. 
The cause usually assigned for mist is tho access of 
cold air, and its admixture with warm air saturated, 
or nearly saturated with moisture, (such as that 
re-acting on the surface of large bodies of water,) 
and strikingly exemplified in our autumnal and 
whiter fogs, 'when the water, owing to the heat ab¬ 
sorbed during summer, is of higher temperature 
than the inflowing air. 
Dr. Davy, however, refers to another cause, not so 
much noticed, viz.:—a mild, moist air, coming in 
contact with a colder air, equally humid, resting on 
cold surfaces, whether of land or water, about the 
end of winter or beginning of spring. lie de¬ 
scribes mists, which he considers to have been thuB 
formed in the lake district of Cumberland. To a 
similar cause, also, he refers the phenomenon 
termed sweating, which is the precipitation of mois¬ 
ture on walls and flagged floors excluded from the 
influence ot fire. He also attributes to a warm 
south wind, succeeding a very cold north wind, the 
deposition of a large quantity of moisture in the 
gallery of a nobleman in Devonshire, and quotes 
the saying in Homer. “ Tho south wind wraps the 
mountain top in mist” 
tor of the institution 
of the Dudley Observatory at Albany, retaining at 
tho same time his connection with that at Cincin¬ 
nati. In September, 1861, Le was appointed Briga¬ 
dier-General of Volunteers, and a few days after 
leaving his home at Albany for duty his wile died. 
This blow seemed to render him perfectly indif¬ 
ferent to either life or death, and ho yielded up 
every energy to the war. His exploits and succes¬ 
ses in Alabama are well known. He had but. just 
commenced active operations in the department of 
South Carolina, when the fever carried him oil. 
Brigadier-General Israel B. Richardson, died 
at Sharpsbnrg, M<L, from wounds received at the 
battle of Antietam. Gen. Richardson was a native 
of Vermont. Ho was commissioned Brigadier-Gen¬ 
eral on the 17tb of May, 1861. He was a graduate 
of West Point, class of 1841, and served in the army 
leaving it with the rank of Mujor a few years ago. 
At the battle of Bull Run he was Colonel of a Mich¬ 
igan regiment and acting Brigadier-General, and 
covered the retreat of the Federal army, and subse¬ 
quently preferred charges against Col. Dixon H. 
Miles for intoxication. He remained with the army 
during its re-organization under Gen. McClellan; 
accompanied it to the Peninsula; fought with valor, 
determination and .skill; followed the fortunes of 
Gen. MClellau into Maryland; fought at Antietam, 
where he commanded the extreme left of the main 
column, was wounded and died. 
he answered. It 
was a silvery voice, full of the sweetness of inno¬ 
cence and boyhood. 
“AVell, my little fellow,” continued the lady, as 
she nearer drew, “are you not fond of ice-cream?” 
“Very much so,” he replied. 
“Didn’t you see me place this on your little table?” 
reaching for the plate of cream. 
“Oh, yes,” he answered, tremulously, “but I 
shut my eyes and cried to myself.” 
“Cried, my child? why, what made you cry, my 
dear?” 
“Oh, madam! if you will pull the quilt down a 
littlo, you will see.” 
The lady did so, and found that he had no arms ! 
Both of them ha had lost in battle. 
Poor little fellow! the sympathy ol silence and 
tears was all that could be bestowed upon his 
wounded spirit The remembrance of sister and 
brother, or lather and mother, of childish frolics and 
playmates loved of yore, was awakened to soothe 
the fancy of tho little sufferer, and to wreathe his 
young brow with the still tenderer beauty of resig- I 
nation to the will of God. 
Blind Job Parson3 op Baltimore.—A corres¬ 
pondent of the Boston Transcript, writing Irom the 
hospitals at Alexandria, relates the following anec¬ 
dote: 
Joe enliBted in the 1st Maryland regiment, and 
was plainly a “rough,” originally. As we passed 
along the hall we first saw him, crouched near an 
open window, lustily singing, “ Pm a hold soldier 
boyand observing the broad bandage over his 
eyes, I said, “What's your name, my good fellow ?” 
“Joe, sir,” he answered, “Joe Parsons.” 
“ And what is the matter with you ?” 
“ Blind, sir,—blind as a bat.” 
“In battle?" 
“Yes—at Antietam. Both eyes shot out atone 
clip.” 
Poor Joe was in the front, at Antietam creek; and 
1 a Minie ball had passed directly through his eyes, 
! across his face, destroying his sight forever. He was 
! hut twenty years old; but he was as happy as a 
1 lark! 
1 “ It is dreadful,” I said. 
“ I'm very thankful Pm alive, sir. It might ha’ 
‘ been worse, yer see,” he continued. And then he 
3 tolrl us his story. 
3 “I was hit,” he said, “ and it knocked me down. 
3 I lay there all night, and next day the fight was 
) renewed. 1 could stand the pain, yer see, but the 
9 balls was flyin’ all round, and I wanted to get away. 
I couldn’t see nothin', though. So 1 waited, and lis¬ 
tened; and at last I heard a feller groanin’ beyond 
n me. ‘ nello !’ says I. ‘ Hello, yourself,' says he. 
a ‘Who be yer?’ Fays I— ! a rebel?’ ‘You’re a Yan- 
i, kee,’ says he. ‘ So I am says I; * What’s the matter 
t. with you?’ ‘My leg’s smashed,’ says he. ‘Can't 
is yer walk?’ ‘No.’ ‘Can yer see?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well,’ 
r- says I,’ ‘you’re a rebel, but, will you do me a little 
u favor?’ ‘I will,’says he, ‘ ef I ken.’ Then 1 says, 
d ‘Well, ole butternut, I can’t see nothin.’ My 
le eyes is knocked out; but I ken walk. Come over 
le yere. Let’s git out o’ this. You p’int the way, an' 
:h I'll tote yer off the field, on my back.’ ‘ Bully for 
of you 1’ says he. Aud so we managed to git together. 
10 We shook s ands on it. I took a wink outer his can- 
id teen, and he got oil to my shoulders. I did the walkin’ 
ss for both, an’ he did the navigatin.’ An' ef he did’nt 
Singular Facts in Human Life.— The average 
length of human life is about28 years. One-quarter 
die previous to the age of 7; one-half before reach¬ 
ing 17. Only one of every 1,000 persons reaches 
100 years. Only six of every 100 reaches the age 
of 05, and not more than one in &00 lives to SO years 
of age. Of the whole population on the globe, it is 
estimated that 90,000 die every day; about 3,700 
every hour, and GO every minute, and 1 every 
second. These losses are more than counter-bal¬ 
anced by the number of births. The married are 
longer lived than the single. The average duration 
of life in all civilized countries is greater now than 
at any anterior period. M acanlay, the distinguished 
historian, states that in the year 1085—not an un¬ 
healthy year—the deaths in England were as one to 
20, but in 1850 one in 40. Dupui, a well known 
French writer, states that the average duration of 
life in France from 1776 to 1843 increased 52 days 
annually. The rate of mortality in 1781 was one in 
29, but in 1850 one in 40. The rich men live, on an 
average, 42 years, but the poor only 30 years .—Free 
Nation. 
Writers have often discussed the importance of 
correct habits of thought and have dwelt at length 
on methods of mental culture. While it would be 
unjust to decry the value of their labors, it may be 
asked of what use are they to persons who do not 
think? Every intelligent man must be conscious 
that there are many whose thinking is so extremely 
limited in its scope that they can scarcely be said to 
think at all. They are content to depend upon the 
thinking of others. Often they pay a heavy price 
for their folly. 
It iB the business of the educator to teach to think, 
as well as to teach how to think. This should be 
the one great object of his efforts. It is well for him 
to cause his pupils to acquire as many facts for 
future use as possible, and to give the memory its 
due share of culture, 
superintendent not only received a good bonus for 
being dishonest, in the introduction of books that he 
knew lobe worthless, but also secured a good situa- 
tionf b.-ing dishonest —thus fully illustrating the 
true old adage that “ there is honor among thieves.” 
The only way, in my opinion, to get rid of this 
evil is by exposing and bolding up to public ridi¬ 
cule. these intrigueing school book agents. There 
should be a perfect concert ot action between the 
teacher, trustees and commissioner upon this ques¬ 
tion of a change of text-books. Allow no agent 
inside of tbelBchool room to introduce his works,— 
allow no book to be introduced into your district, 
through the influence of traveling book agents, for 
ten to one you will be cheated even in an even ex¬ 
change ot text-books, which is frequently done. 
Another thing. There is nothing, as a general 
rule, to be gained to a school or district by a change 
of text-books—unless the new are in every respect 
superior to the old ones. .Patronsof schools, as well 
as trustees, commissioners, and superintendents, 
should give this matter their serious consideration. 
Let every teacher show his independence by dis¬ 
countenancing the too frequent change of books, 
though requested to do so by the trustees or commis¬ 
sioner, and appeal to the patrons of his school to 
sustain him—and he will be sustained. It is no easy 
matter for the patrons of our public schools to be 
taxed every three, six, or twelve months,— as the 
case may be,—twenty-five, titty or seventy-five cents 
each, tor new school books, to meet the whims of 
some “ text-book committee,” at the instigation or 
bonus of some book agent. 
The remarks of the editor of the Rural, iu this 
connection, are to the point, and worthy of attention. 
It is a truism, and will not bear contradiction or 
gainsaying, that editors too frequ jntly commend 
school books without knowing or seemingly oaring 
anything of the merits or demerits of the same, but 
puS them for the sake ot the pay ’.hey receive, or 
the good opinion of ihe publishers; or allow pub¬ 
lishers to write their own notice? and let them 
appear as editorials. This is a gr iwing evil, and 
should be discontinued by all editors who wish 
honestly to serve the public interest If editors 
But let it be constantly borne 
in mind that the facts learned in the school room 
bear but a small proportion to those acquired by 
observation and reading. A true education, will so 
develop the mental powers that they make a proper 
use of the knowledge thus gained. This result can 
only be reached by the cultivation of habits of 
thinking in the pupil. Not habits of thinking in 
this or that manner, but of continuous, earnest 
thought upon any subject that may be present till it 
is mastered. 
Mestai. Excitement.— Bad news weakens the 
action of the heart, oppresses the lungs, destroys 
the appetite, stops digestion, and partially suspends 
all the functions of the system. An emotion of 
shame flushes tho face; lear blanches it; and an 
instant thrill electrifies a million of nerves. Surprise 
spurs the pulse into a galfcp. Delirium infuses 
great energy. Volition commands, and hundreds 
of muscles spring to execute. Powerful emotion 
often kills the body at a stroke. Eminent speakers 
have died in the midst of an impassioned burst of 
eloquence, or when the deep emotion that produced 
it suddenly subside. Largrave, the young Parisian, 
died when he heard that the musical prize for which 
he had competed was adjudged to another. 
An Absentee.—A country school teacher, pre¬ 
paring for an exhibition of his school, selected a class 
of pupils, and wrote down the questions and answers 
to the questions which he would put to them on 
examination day. The day came, and so came the 
young hopefuls, all but one. The pupils took their 
places as had been arranged, and all went on glibly 
until the question came for the absentee, when the 
teacher asked: “In whom do you believe?” 
“ Napoleon Bonaparte." “ You believe in the Holy 
Catholic Church, do you not?” “No," said the 
pupil, amid roars of laughter, “ the boy who believes 
in the church hasn't come to school to day: he is 
home sick abed.” 
The Years’ Coinage in England— Seven mil¬ 
lions and a half of sovereigns and over a million of 
half-sovereigns were coined last year. Since 1S52, 
16,000,000 florins, 24.000.000 shillings and 20,000,000 
of sixpences have passed through the mint. During 
the same period, 47,000 silver two-penny pieces, 
80,000,000 silver pence, and a large quantity of sil¬ 
ver three-half-penny pieces were issued, the latter 
for circulation in Ceylon. The coinage of half-far- 
things ceased in 1856, when 913,000 were struck. 
The total value of all the pieces coined since 1852 
to the beginning of the present year is about £64,- 
000 , 000 . 
It is one of the gravest mistakes in the world to 
be looking for great opportunities. 
