Among the innumerable contraband articles seized by the Louisville inspectors, during the smuggling season, were two or three breast-plates of cast iron, about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, covered with bunches of cotton cord half an inch thick, with which some valiant Secessionists expected, I presume, to protect their carcasses from Minie balls. The other day one of them was put to the test, without a man to stand behind it. It withstood the balls of Colt’s navy pistol, receiving only a deep indentation, and cracking very slightly; but when tried with the Minie musket, at fifty paces, it fractured like a gourd. Mr. Durett, now of Fort Lafayette, made some efforts to get them released from seizure, and it may be one was intended for his protection.
This Mr. Durrett is the principal editor of the Courier, lately suppressed by the Federal authorities. A year or two ago he quarreled with Prentice of the Journal, and after shooting once or twice at the Journal editor in a street fight, took to his heels and clambered over a high board fence, pursued by the irate Prentice, who shot and shot away at his fugitive enemy as long as there was a ball left in his revolver. The principals in the affray escaped unharmed, but an unlucky spectator received a bullet in the foot.
W. N. Haldeman, the proprietor of the Courier, has played an extremely craven part. After the suppression of the paper, he set to work to revive it, laid all the blame of its Ultra-Secession course upon Durrett and Overton, and promised to make it a loyal Union sheet. To this end he got money from Union men, and submitted a proof of his salutatory article to General Anderson, pledging himself that it fairly indicated the tone of the paper in its new form. Permission was granted him to re-publish it, but instead of availing himself the order, he ran off to a Secession camp, and now heads a company in Buckner’s ranks. He held the office of Collector of the port of Louisville, during the Administration of Mr. Buchanan; and just before his removal, made way with about $12,000 belonging to Government.—Bulletin’s St Louis letter.
Daily National Democrat, Marysville, CA