made a fruitless raid on the Baltimore portion of his own men and horses. Genand Ohio Railway west of Cumberland. eral Sigel was put at the head of a large A little later Gen. Jubal A. Early, in com- force in the Shenandoah Valley (April, mand of the Confederates in the Shenan- 1864), who gave the command of the doah Valley, sent a foraging expedition Kanawha Valley to General Crook. On under Rosser in the same direction, who his way up the valley from Staunton with was more successful, capturing 1,200 cat- 8,000 men, Sigel was met at New Market tle and 500 sheep at one place, and a by an equal force under Breckinridge. company of Union soldiers at another. After much manoeuvring and skirmishing, General Averill struck him near Romney Breckinridge charged on Sigel, near New

and drove him entirely out of the new Market, and, after a sharp fight, drove commonwealth (see WEST VIRGINIA), with him down the valley to the shelter of the loss of his prisoners and a large pro- Cedar Creek, near Strasburg, with a loss

of 700 men, six guns, 1,000 small-arms, strength that when Hunter attacked it and a portion of his train. Sigel was im- (June 18) he was unable to take it. Makmediately superseded by General Hun- ing a circuitous march, the Nationals ter, who was instructed to move swiftly entered the Kanawha Valley, where they

Virginius, THE. Troubles with the tem to the Society of Arts, London, March Spanish authorities in Cuba and menaces 14, 1866, and published a book in 1867. of war with Spain existed since filibuster- Vogdes, ISRAEL, military officer; born ing movements from the United States in Willistown, Pa., Aug. 4, 1816; graduto that island began, in 1850. Finally, a ated at West Point in 1837, where he Cuban junta, composed of native Cubans remained two years assistant Professor and American sympathizers, was formed of Mathematics. He entered the artillery, in New York City. An insurrection had and served in the Seminole War. In May, broken out in Cuba, and assumed formi- 1861, he was made major. He gallantly dable proportions, carrying on civil war defended FORT PICKENS (q. v.) from Febfor several years. When the junta be- ruary to October, 1861, when he was made gan to fit out vessels to carry men and prisoner in the night attack on Santa Rosa war materials to the insurgent camps, the Island. He was active in the operations United States government, determined to on Folly and Morris islands against forts observe the strictest neutrality and im- Wagner and Sumter, and commanded the partiality, took measures to suppress the defences of Norfolk and Portsmouth in hostile movements; but irritations on the 1864-65. In April, 1865, he was brevetted part of the Spanish authorities continued, brigadier-general, United States army, and and, finally, late in 1873, war between in 1881 was retired. He died in New Spain and the United States seemed in York, Dec. 7, 1889. evitable. The steamship Virginius, flying the United States flag, suspected of carrying men and supplies to the insurgent Cubans, was captured by a Spanish cruiser off the coast of Cuba, taken into port, and many of her passengers, her captain, and some of the crew were publicly shot by the local military authorities. The affair produced intense excitement in the United States. There was, for a while, a hot war-spirit all over the Union; but wise men in control of the governments of the United States and Spain calmly considered the international questions involved, and settled the matter by diplomacy. There were rights to be acknowledged by both parties. The Virginius was surrendered to the United States authorities, and ample reparation for the outrage was offered, excepting the impossible restoration of the lives taken by the Spaniards. While the vessel was on its way to New York, under an escort, it sprang aleak off Cape Fear, at the close of December (1873), and went to the bottom of the sea. See CUBA; SPAIN, WAR WITH.

Visible Speech, a system of communication devised by Alexander Melville Bell, who called it a "universal self-interpret ing physiological alphabet." It comprises thirty symbols representing the forms of the mouth when uttering sounds. About fifty symbols, the inventor asserts, would be required to represent the sounds of all known languages. He expounded his sys

Volk, STEPHEN ARNOLD DOUGLAS, artist; born in Pittsfield, Mass., Feb. 23, 1856; studied in Italy in 1871-73; was the pupil of Gérôme in Paris in 1873-75; and was elected to the Society of American Artists in 1880. His works include The Puritan Maiden; The Puritan Captives; Accused of Witchcraft, etc.

Volney, CONSTANTIN FRANÇOIS CHASSEBŒUF BOISGIRAIS, COMTE DE, author; born in Craon, France, Feb. 3, 1757. When war with France seemed to be inevitable, in 1798, suspicions of the designs of Frenchmen in the country were keenly awakened. Talleyrand, who had resided awhile in the United States, was suspected of having acted as a spy for the French government, and other exiled Frenchmen were suspected of being on the same errand. It was known that Frenchmen were busy in Kentucky and in Georgia fomenting discontents, and it was strongly suspected that M. de Volney, who had explored the Western country, ostensibly with only scientific views, was acting in the capacity of a spy for the French government, with a view to finally annexing the country west of the Alleghany Mountains to Louisiana, which France was about to obtain by a secret treaty with Spain. These suspicions led to the enactment of the ALIEN AND SEDITION LAWS (q. v.). The passage of the alien law alarmed Volney and other Frenchmen, and two or three ship-loads left the United States for France. He died in Paris, France, April 25, 1820.

VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOONS-VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

Volunteer Refreshment Saloons. share. The citizens of Philadelphia so Working in harmony with the organiza- generously supplied these committees with tions of the UNITED STATES SANITARY means that during the war almost 1,200,COMMISSION and CHRISTIAN COMMISSION 000 Union soldiers received a bountiful (qq. c.), were houses of refreshment and meal at their saloons. In the Union Satemporary hospital accommodations fur- loon 750,000 soldiers were fed; 40,000 were nished by the citizens of Philadelphia. That accommodated with a night's lodging; city lay in the channel of the great stream 15,000 refugees and freedmen were cared of volunteers from New England after the for, and employment found for them; and call of the President (April 15, 1861) for in the hospital attached the wounds of alThe 75,000 men. The soldiers, crossing New most 20,000 soldiers were dressed. Jersey, and the Delaware River at Cam- refreshment-tables and the sick-room were At all hours of the attended by women. night, when a little signal-gun was fired, these self-sacrificing women would repair to their post of duty.

den, were landed at the foot of Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, where, wearied and hungry, they often vainly sought for sufficient refreshments in the bakeries and Volunteers of America, THE, a philangroceries in the neighborhood before entering the cars for Washington. One morning thropic and religious organization, inthe wife of a mechanic living near, com- augurated in March, 1896, by Commander miserating the situation of some of the and Mrs. Ballington Booth in response to soldiers who had just arrived, went with numerous requests on the part of Ameriher coffee-pot and a cup and distributed can citizens. It is organized in military its contents among them. That generous style, having as its model the United bint was the germ of a wonderful system States army, but in conjunction with mili of beneficent relief to the passing soldiers tary discipline and methods of work it which was immediately developed in that possesses a thoroughly democratic form of city. Some benevolent women living in government, having as its ideal the Conthe vicinity of this landing-place of the stitution of the United States of America. Its adherence to American principles has volunteers imitated their patriotic sister, and a few of them formed themselves into been further signalized by the movement a committee for the regular distribution having been incorporated in November, of coffee on the arrival of soldiers. 1896. The object of the volunteers is to Gentlemen in the neighborhood interest- reach with the gospel of the Bible the ed themselves in procuring other supplies, millions of this and other countries which and for a few days these were dispensed have hitherto been unreached by any existThe fact is under the shade of trees in front of a ing religious organization. cooper-shop at the corner of Otsego Street recognized that these untouched masses and Washington Avenue. Then the cooper- pervade every section of society, and while shop (belonging to William Cooper) was those of the lowliest walks of life-the used. The citizens of Philadelphia be- poor, the vicious, the criminal, the drunkcame deeply interested in the benevolent ard, and others-will always be the obwork, and provided ample means to carry ject of the tenderest solicitude of the

it on. Whole regiments were supplied. volunteers, the teeming thousands of the The cooper-shop was too small to accom- middle class, and the sinful and godless modate the daily increasing number of in even aristocratic circles, will also be soldiers, and another place of refreshment confronted with the eternal truths of was opened on the corner of Washington divine revelation and the gospel of full Avenue and Swanson Street, in a building salvation. formerly used as a boat-house and rigger's The volunteers are represented in nearly loft. Two volunteer refreshment-saloon 150 cities and towns in this country. Durcommittees were formed, and known re- ing the nine months between Jan. 1 and spectively as the Cooper-shop and the Sept. 30, 1900, 1,113,683 persons were Inion. They worked in harmony and ac- present at the 30,000 Sunday and weekcomplished wonderful results all through night services held in volunteer halls. Rethe period of the war. In these labors ports further show that 1,733.637 individthe women of Philadelphia bore a large uals were attracted to the 11,532 open