were met by a deputation from the Baxter Blues, who conducted us to New York City, where a large number of our friends and relatives had assembled at the Astor House to greet us. I was the recipient of much kind attention from my fellow-citizens; was given a reception ball at Castle Garden and presented a medal by the Corporation of New York. Subsequently, I was made captain by brevet by the Governor of the State. Upon the recommendation of Gen. Winfield Scott, who called the attention of the President to what he was pleased to term my "gallant conduct during the War with Mexico," I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Second United States Infantry, to date from the 3d of March, 1848. I was stationed at Fort Columbus, Governor's Island, New York Harbor, from March to July, 1848, when I was ordered to join my regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. While stationed at Jefferson Barracks I was the recipient of a present of a parcel of left-hand kid gloves, sent me by Brevet-Colonel Loring, of the Mounted Rifles, who had lost his left arm at the fight at the Belen Gate, City of Mexico. This unique gift was accompanied by the following note from Colonel Loring: My dear Sweeny I send you for your acceptance a bundle of "Kids", Pray receive them and wear them for old acquaintance sake— Rifle Camp August 7, '48. Truly your friend W. H. Loring THOMAS W. SWEENY, SECOND INFANTRY. LATE BRIGADIER GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY.* *Edited by his son, WILLIAM M. SWEENY. SIXTY YEARS AFTER The City of New York, on October 1, 1907, by unanimous resolution of the Board of Aldermen, authorzed he transfer of these battle-flags to the United States military authorities at Governor's Island. The veterans of the Mexican War with the colors were met at the boat landing by the general commanding the department and staff and officers of the Twelfth United States Infantry, and were escorted to the chapel by the uniformed detachment of the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York. The colors were carried by the following-named veterans of the Mexican War: National Color: First Sergt. J. R. Riley, First New York Volunteers. Regimental Guidon: Private J. Butterfield, Third United States Infantry. Regimental Guidon: Musician J. P. Eckweiller, First United States Artillery. The colors were received and saluted at the west door of the chapel, and in the presence of a large congregation including representations of the army, navy, National Guard, and vari: ous patriotic societies, were hung upon the walls of the chapel. HISTORY OF THE COLORS OF THE FIRST NEW YORK REGIMENT --MEXICAN WAR. The First Regiment of New York Volunteers in the Mexican War was presented with a stand of colors on January 8, 1847, by the City of New York. The colonel of the regiment, Ward B. Burnett, received the colors personally; part of the regiment having sailed for Mexico before the date of presentation. The flags were received by the regiment when the first parade took place after the presentation on the Mexican Island of Lobos about sixty miles north of Vera Cruz where the fleet containing the army assembled. The officers of the regiment were called to the front and center, where they formed a circle about the colors. Each officer placed his left hand on one of the staffs, raised his right hand, and took a solemn oath under the direction of Colonel Burnett to protect the flags with his life blood. The colors consisted of two flags and two guide colors, one the national flag and the other a red flag with the coat of arms of the City of New York on one side and the coat of arms of the State on the other. The red flag was the first over the inner wall of the Castle of Chapultepec, on the morning of September 13, 1847. Color Sergt. Hipolite Dardonville carried the red flag. Orderly-Sergt. Robert M. Harper, of Company D, supported him on one side and First Lieutenant Francis E. Pinto supported him on the other. All went over the wall together. The regiment took an active part in the siege and capture of Vera Cruz, the storming of Cerro Gordo Pass, the taking of the City of Pueblo, the Battle of Contreras, and Churubusco where Color-Sergeant Romeyn was killed, the storming of the Castle of Chapultepec, where Color Guide Zimmerman was killed inside of the inner wall of the castle, and the capture of the City of Mexico. The regiment belonged to the First Division that entered the city at daybreak of the morning of September 14, 1847. -From the Journal of the Military Service Institution. I ARTEMUS WARD IN NEVADA N 1863, the Comstock mines of Nevada were in the full swing of their youthful prosperity. Already Virginia City contained about 12,000 inhabitants when, staging it over the mountains by the old Placerville route, Artemus Ward arrived under an engagement to deliver his famous lecture entitled the "Babes in the Wood"-a lecture in which not the slightest reference was made to the "poor innocents" that wandered in the wood "till death did end their grief." Artemus had been lecturing in San Francisco, and other places in California, and expectation was on tip-toe when he arrived in Virginia City. He was "hail, fellow, well met" with every one the moment he reached town. All had so often read and laughed over the letters and sketches of the proprietor of the Great Moral Show that when he appeared on the Comstock he was greeted as an old acquaintance. Ward was then in fine health and spirits. Everything he saw called forth a joke or a quaint saying. His drollery was without effort. His fun like the quality of mercy was not strained. It was natural to him to see the comical side of everything. He teemed with waggery which on the slightest provocation expanded into a surprising flow of facetiousness-into a merry, sportive string of pleasantries. There was nothing malicious in his fun, and he harbored no feeling of resentment when he himself was the victim. Even when that poor old "chestnut“ of “an oat" being in waiting for him at a certain place was played off on him he did not lose his temper. He said it merely made him feel sad, as it detracted from the "high opinion he had formed of the wit and originality of the Comstockers." Said he, "I could weep for the poor man.' 999 Artemus remained in Virginia City about a week, spending much of his leisure time in the editorial rooms of the Enterprise. It devolved upon Mark Twain and myself to show him the silver mines and the wonders of the town; a very agreeable task, as the novelty of many sights and situations aroused in his soul the spirit of the "wax figger" man, and drew from him whole trains of witty remarks. He was as much at home among the miners a thousand feet below the light of day, as on the surface among the people on the street. The talk of the miners amused him and he treasured up all the mining terms and phrases he heard, asking the meaning of them as he jotted them down. "These are the things," he would say, "that give the life touches to a sketch." He made no elaborate notes. I never saw him write to exceed half a dozen words at any one time. "A line," said he, "if you can hit the right thing, will give as good an idea of a place as whole pages." The serious manner and solemn face assumed by Artemus Ward added not a little to the fun of his impromptu "quaints." A stranger would gaze at the man for a moment in blank amazement. Then the oddity of the thing would prove too much for him and he would be obliged to "let go all holds" and indulge in a regular explosion of laughter -Artemus the while, more solemn than ever, gazing from face to face, as though astonished and somewhat hurt at being interrupted by the sudden outburst of merriment. He worked this trick with telling effect in his lectures. He had wonderful control of his facial muscles, and could make his face absolutely wooden. Nothing could surprise him into a laugh at such times, or even into the slightest approach to a smile. Artemus had a favorite trick that he loved to indulge in, and out of which he appeared to get a good deal of congenial fun. This was the disbursing of a rigmarole of nonsense in a solemn and impressive manner, as though he was saying something of unusual weight and importance. It was a game of mystification in which he greatly delighted. "At a dinner given him by leading Comstockers at the International Hotel, Ward played this trick on Mark Twain, all others present being let into the secret beforehand. Artemus was seated beside Mark near the head of the table. Presently something was said about genius. Artemus at once cleared his throat and turning to Mark began in a voice loud enough to attract the attention of all present and put a stop to general conversation, about as follows: "Ah,-speaking of genius, Mr. Clemens, now, genius appears to me to be a sort of luminous quality of the mind, allied to a warm and inflammable constitution, which is inherent in the man, and supersedes in him whatever constitutional tendency he may possess, to permit himself to be influenced by such things as do not coincide with his preconceived notions and established convictions to the contrary. Does not my definition hit the nail squarely on the head, Mr. Clemens?" "I don't know that I exactly understand you," returned Mark. "Somehow I-I didn't fully grasp your meaning." "No?" queried Artemus. And then he elevated his eyebrows and gazed at Mark with a countenance expressive of profound astonishment and some shifting shades of pity. All at the table gave utterance to half-smothered "humphs," snorts and grunts of disgust at Mark's stupidity. "Didn't grasp my meaning?" said Artemus, "why that is very singular. However," he added, pulling himself together more hopefully, "I will try and express my idea more clearly. Genius, Mr. Clemens, does not appear to me to consist, or rest, merely in sensibility to that degree of beauty which is perceived by all, as there is an inherent illuminating power the possession of which causes luminous ideas to dart like meteors across the intellectual firmament, and which, I say, checks in the person possessing it a tendency to permit himself to be influenced by preconceived opinions in regard to those beauties in nature which all objects display to the eye of one of a warm and inflammable temperament, and which is not at all understood by those detractors who are constitutionally incapable of seeing those beauties. The-but I must have already made it plain to you, Mr. Clemens?" "I am almost ashamed to say it," drawled Mark, "but, to tell you the truth, I was not able to catch your exact meaning. I will admit, however, that what you say appears reasonable enough, and you speak it in a very logical and convincing tone of voice; still I somehow fail to grasp your idea of genius." "Indeed!" exclaimed Artemus, and for half a minute he gazed at Mark with a face in which a shade of impatience began to mingle with astonishment and compassion. Then heaving a sigh, he said: "Well, perhaps I was not sufficiently explicit. What I wished to say was simply that genius is a sort of illuminating quality of the mind inherent in those of constitutionally inflammable natures and whose conceptions are not of that ambiguous and disputable kind which may be said-" "Hold on, Artemus," interrupted Mark, "it is useless for you to repeat your definition. The wine, or the brandy, or the whiskey or some other thing has gone to my head. Tell it to me some other time; or, better still, write it down for me and I'll study it at my leisure." "Good!" cried Artemus, his face beaming with pleasure. "I'll give it to you to-morrow in black and white. I have been much misunderstood in this matter and it is important that I should set myself |