A boat at length arrived from New Orleans, bound for Nashville in Tennessee, and I secured a passage to Smithland, at the mouth of the Cumberland river, where I had a double opportunity of getting to Louisville, as boats from St. Louis, as well as those from Orleans, stop at that point.  The day following my arrival a boat came up, and I proceeded to Louisville.  On board, whilst I was amusing myself forward, I was accosted by a deck-passenger, whom I recollected to have seen at Harmony.  He told me, amongst other things, that a Mr. O——­, who resided there, had been elected captain, and added that he was “a considerable clever fellow,” and the best captain they ever had.  I inquired what peculiar qualification in their new officer led him to that conclusion.  Expecting to hear of his superior knowledge in military tactics, I was astounded when he seriously informed me, in answer, that on a late occasion (I believe it was the anniversary of the birth of Washington), after parade, he ordered them into a “groggery,” “not to take a little of something to drink, but by J—–­s to drink as much as they had a mind to.”  It must be observed, that this individual I had seen but once, in the streets of Harmony, and then he was in a state of inebriation.  Another anecdote, of a similar character, was related to me by an Englishman relative to his own election to the post of brigadier-general.  The candidate opposed to him had served in the late war, and in his address to the electors boasted not a little of the circumstance, and concluded by stating that he was “ready to lead them to a cannon’s mouth when necessary.”  This my friend the General thought a poser; but, however, he determined on trying what virtue there was—­not in stones, like the “old man” with the “young saucebox,”—­but in a much more potent article, whisky; so, after having stated that although he had not served, yet he was as ready to serve against “the hired assassins of England”—­this is the term by which the Americans designate our troops—­as his opponent, he concluded by saying, “Boys, Mr. ——­ has told you that he is ready to lead you to a cannon’s mouth—­now I don’t wish you any such misfortune as getting the contents of a cannon in your bowels, but if necessary, perhaps, I’d lead you as far as he would; however, men, the short and the long of it is, instead of leading you to the mouth of a cannon, I’ll lead you this instant to the mouth of a barrel of whisky.”  This was enough—­the electors shouted, roared, laughed, and drank—­and elected my friend Brigadier-general.  Brigadier-general! what must this man’s relatives in England think, when they hear that he is a Brigadier-general in the American army?  Yet he is a very respectable man (an auctioneer), and much superior to many west country Generals.  The fact is, a dollar’s-worth of whisky and a little Irish wit would go as far in electioneering as five pounds would go in England; and were it not for the protection afforded by the