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

Monday, December 10, 2012

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Rebel War Clerk

December 10, 2012

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, By John Beauchamp Jones

DECEMBER 10TH.—Not a word from the Rappahannock. But there soon will be.

Official dispatches from Gen. Bragg confirm the achievement of Col. Morgan, acting as brigadier-general. There was a fight, several hundred being killed and wounded on both sides; but Morgan’s victory was complete, his captures amounting to 1800 men, a battery, wagon train, etc.

We have also a dispatch that Major-Gen. Lovell, the Yankee, had a battle with the enemy, killing, wounding, and capturing 34!A characteristic letter was received to-day from Mr. Sanford, Alabama, recommending Col. Dowdell for a brigadiership. I hope he may get it, as he is a gallant Southerner. Mr. S. has some hard hits at the government; calling it a government of chief clerks and subordinate clerks. He hopes Mr. Seddon will not be merely a clerk.

Gen. Jos. E. Johnston has written from the West a gloomy letter to Mr. Wigfall, Texan Senator. He says he is ordered to reinforce Lieut.-Gen. Pemberton (another Northern general) from Bragg’s army. Pemberton is retreating on Grenada, Mississippi, followed by 40,000 of the enemy. How is he, Gen. J., to get from Tennessee to Grenada with reinforcements, preceded by one army of the enemy, and followed by another?Mr. Wigfall recommends the Secretary (as if he could do it!) to concentrate all the armies of the West, and beat the enemy out of the Mississippi Valley. Gen. Johnston says Lieut.-Gen. Holmes has been ordered to reinforce Pemberton. Why, this is the very thing Mr. Randolph did, and lost his clerkship for it! The President must have changed his mind.

Gen. Randolph sent in his resignation as brigadier-general to-day. The younger [click to continue…]

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A Diary of American Events.

December 10, 2012

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

December 10.—A fight took place between seven or eight United States gunboats on the Rappahannock River, above Port Royal, Va., and the rebel shore batteries. At the commencement of the fight, the gunboat Teazer succeeded in bringing out two schooners which were within range of the rebel guns. The firing lasted for nearly three hours, when the rebels’ guns were silenced. The fleet lay off all night and reopened in the morning, but no reply was made. Two of the gunboats were struck several times, killing one man and wounding three.

—The town of Plymouth, N. C, garrisoned by a small force of Union troops, was this day captured by a body of rebels, and partially burned. The U. S. gunboat Southfield, Captain C. W. P. Behm, lying in the stream opposite the town, was also attacked; but, after being considerably damaged she escaped.

—The schooner Alitia, with thirteen bales of cotton on board, was this day captured by the United States gunboat Sagamore, while attempting to escape from Indian River, Florida.—The bill creating the State of Western Virginia, was passed by the United States House of Representatives by a vote of ninety-six to fifty-five, having been previously adopted by the Senate.—J. Wesley Green published an extended statement, that he brought certain peace propositions from Jefferson Davis to President Lincoln, and that he had several interviews with the President, and two with the Cabinet.—New-York Evening Post.

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