Friday, February 1, 2013

February 1.—General Robert B. Mitchell, commanding the National forces at Nashville, Tenn., admiring the zeal evinced by certain secession families, in administering to the wants and alleviating the sufferings of the confederate wounded carried to that city this day, and “desiring to give them still greater facilities for the exercise of that devotion which to-day led them through the mud of the public streets, unmindful of the inclemency of the weather, and desiring further to obviate the necessity of that public display, which must be repugnant to the retiring dispositions of the softer sex,” ordered his medical director “to select forty-five of the sick and wounded confederate soldiers, to be brought from the front and quartered as follows: Fifteen at the house of Mrs. McCall, fifteen at the house of Dr. Buchanan, and fifteen at the house of Mr. Sandy Carter, all on Cherry street, immediately below Church street;” each family to be held responsible for the safe delivery of the confederate soldiers thus assigned, on the penalty of the forfeiture of their property and personal liberty.—General Mitchell’s Order.

—The second attack on Fort McAllister at Genesis Point, Ga., was made this day, resulting in the retirement of the National fleet without any material damage to the rebels, except killing Major John B. Gallie, the commander of the rebel forces. The National iron-clad Montauk, under the command of Commander J. L. Wordcn, occupied the advance position in the engagement and received sixty-one shots, retiring without a man injured.

—Franklin, Tenn., was this day occupied by the National forces, under the command of Colonel Robert Johnson. The rebel General Forrest and staff narrowly escaped, while one of his captains and two men were captured. The Nationals lost one man killed.—The Legislature of North Carolina adopted a series of resolutions, vindicating the loyalty of the State to the rebel government, and protesting against any settlement of the struggle which “would not secure the entire independence of the confederate States of America.”—A. D. Boileau was released from Fort McHenry, Md.

—To-night an attack was made on Island No. Ten by a large body of rebels, composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. They had crossed the Obion River and stationed themselves on the Tennessee shore with three six-pounders. A National transport, passing just as they arrived, was fired at and compelled to surrender. Soon after, the gunboat New Era arrived and immediately opened fire on the rebels, who, after receiving one hundred shots from the gunboat, made a hasty retreat, leaving the transport, which had been captured, to proceed on her voyage. There were no casualties on the National side.—The Quakers, of New-York, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, memorialized Congress, asking exemption from the draft and the procurement of substitutes, and from the fines, which they deemed a penalty imposed for exercising “the right of conscience against the shedding of blood.”—Colonel T. W. Higginson, of the First South-Carolina colored regiment, made a full and explicit official report of the successful operations of his forces in Georgia and Florida.—See Supplement.

—Colonel Stokes’s regiment of loyal Tennessee cavalry and one of Kentucky volunteers, dashed upon a rebel camp at Middleton, Tennessee, and by a brilliant sabre charge succeeded in surprising the enemy and capturing his camp equipage, horses, wagons, stores, and over one hundred prisoners. Among the latter were the noted Major Douglass and all the officers of his battalion.—Colonel Percy Wyndham, with a detachment from the Fifth and First Virginia cavalry, surprised Warrenton, Va., and sent strong patrols to the Rappahannock, at Sulphur Springs and Waterloo.—A debate on the free navigation of the Mississippi River, was held to-day, in the rebel Congress at Richmond.