Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

February 26.— Yesterday, a rebel cavalry scout, eighty strong, came inside the National pickets on the Strasburgh road, Va. After a skirmish with infantry pickets, in which two were wounded on each side, they retired, capturing a cavalry picket of twelve men. This morning, five hundred of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania and First New-York cavalry sent in pursuit, recaptured, beyond Strasburgh, most of the prisoners and horses, and also took a number of prisoners. The commander of the Union detachment, exceeding his orders, pursued them beyond Woodstock. After driving in the rebel pickets, he stood parleying in the road, without guarding against surprise. The enemy returned in force, charged upon and threw them into confusion, killing and capturing two hundred.—See Supplement.

—The National Council of the Cherokee Indians adjourned this day, having repealed the ordinance of secession passed in 1861. They also passed an act depriving of office in the nation, and disqualifying all who continued disloyal to the Government of the United States; and also an act abolishing slavery.—The yacht Anna was captured in the Suwanee River, Ga., by the National steamer Fort Henry.—New-York Journal of Commerce.

—A very large and enthusiastic meeting of the people of Indiana was this day held at Indianapolis, the capital of the State. Loyal and patriotic resolutions were adopted, and speeches were made by Governor Wright, Governor Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, General S. F. Carey, of Ohio, T. Buchanan Read, of Pennsylvania, Charles W. Cathcart, Charles Case, and others.

—A freight train on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, laden with merchandise belonging to private individuals, and a quantity of Government stores, and two hundred and forty mules, were this day captured near Woodburn, Tenn., by a party of rebel guerrillas. After driving off the mules and rifling the cars of their contents, they set fire to and totally destroyed them; they then raised steam upon the locomotive to its fullest height, and started it along the road at the top of its speed, hoping that it would encounter the passenger train coming from Nashville. The locomotive drove along the track through Franklin, and passed other stations at a fearful rate of speed, but the supply of steam was finally exhausted, and the machine came to a full stop, without doing any harm.

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