Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September 20.—At Lexington, Mo., Colonel Mulligan surrendered to the rebel general, Price, after a fifty-nine hours’ fight without water; the only supply—from the river—having been cut off by the rebels, after a severe fight. The camp ground contained no springs or wells, and embraced ten acres, with breastworks around it, except the river front. The rebels procured bales of hemp and rolled them in advance, and under their cover succeeded in securing a position in the rear. They made but few assaults, their object being to surround the fort and cut off supplies of water, and this accomplished, wait till necessity compelled Mulligan to yield. Previous to the surrender, Colonel Mulligan offered to take a position on a level spot of ground and give General Price the odds of four to one in a fair open fight, but he declined. After the surrender the rebels mounted the breastworks, mad with joy, and trailed the National flag in the dust. A large amount of gold, supposed to be a quarter of a million, fell into the possession of the rebels. It had previously been buried by Colonel Mulligan, but was unearthed by the enemy. The brave Colonel wept like a child when he found himself compelled to surrender. —(Doc. 33.)

—The rebels troops evacuated Mayfield, Ky., this day. They numbered about seven thousand, under the command of General Cheatham, were nearly all armed, but poorly clothed and indifferently fed.

Mayfield is a small town, the seat of Graves County, on the railroad from Paducah to Union City, and midway between the two places. It is about thirty-six miles east of Columbus, Ky. —Chicago Tribune.

—A Federal scouting party from the Thirty-fourth N. Y. regiment at Darnestown, Md., went across the Potomac near the mouth of the Seneca, and were attacked by a superior party of the rebels. One of the Nationals was killed outright and several were wounded; one of the latter was shot through the cheek, but fled, pursued by the attacking party; on reaching a creek he threw off his gun and plunged in himself laying on his back and resting his head upon a stone with his mouth and nostrils above the water. He avoided his pursuers, and after three hours’ submersion he crawled to the shore of the river; his companions, who were concealed on the Maryland side, discovered and rescued him while making a vain attempt to swim across.

A skirmish took place below Fort Holt near Cairo, Ill., between company I, of the Tenth regiment, and a small party of rebels, in which the latter were routed.—Ohio Statesman, September 24.

—Colonel Crittenden, from Indiana, who was the first to bring a regiment from another State into Western Virginia in aid of the Federal Government, and the first to come to the aid of Kentucky, passed through Louisville, with his regiment well armed and equipped. The troops were enthusiastically received at different points on the route—Baltimore American, September 21.

—Two changes have been made in Jeff. Davis’s Cabinet; Robert M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, has been made Secretary of State in place of Robert Toombs, of Georgia; and Braxton Bragg, of Louisiana, has succeeded Leroy P. Walker, of Alabama, as Secretary of War.—N. Y. World, September 21.

—A Grand Union meeting was held at Newark, N. J. Speeches were made by Daniel S. Dickinson and others. Large delegations from the surrounding towns were present. Resolutions were adopted, deprecating party movements as unpatriotic and prejudicial to the public interest; and proposed an inauguration of a people’s Union movement throughout the State. A committee was appointed for that purpose.