The American Civil War

February 10.—The English steamers Fannie and Jennie, and the Emily, were destroyed near Masonboro Inlet, N. C, by the National gunboat Florida, commanded by Pierce Crosby. The Fannie and Jennie was the old prize Scotia, captured in 1862, and condemned, not being considered suitable for naval purposes. She was commanded by the celebrated blockade-runner Captain Coxetter, who was drowned while attempting to escape.—Commander Crosby’s Report.

—The Richmond Enquirer, of this date, contained an editorial, denouncing the Virginia Legislature, for attempting to interfere with the state and war matters of the rebel government, by the passage of an act, requesting Jeff Davis to remove the act of outlawry against General Butler, in order to facilitate the exchange of prisoners.

—Major-General Meade, in a speech at Philadelphia, in response to an address of welcome by Mayor Henry, stated, that it might “not be uninteresting to know that since March, 1861, when the army of the Potomac left its lines in front of Washington, not less than one hundred thousand men had been killed and wounded.”

February 9.—Jefferson Davis approved the bill, passed in secret session of the rebel congress, to prohibit the exportation of cotton, tobacco, naval and military stores, molasses, sugar or rice; also one to prohibit the importation of luxuries into the confederate States.—Colonel A. D. Streight, and one hundred and eight other National officers, escaped from Libby Prison, at Richmond, Va. Forty-eight of these were recaptured by the rebels, and returned to prison.

February 8.—The expedition sent by General Butler, with the object of making a sudden dash into Richmond, Va., and releasing the Union prisoners confined there, returned, having been unsuccessful. The following are the facts of the affair: On Saturday morning, February sixth, General Butler’s forces, under command of Brigadier-General Wistar, marched from Yorktown by the way of New-Kent Court-House. The cavalry arrived at half-past two o’clock yesterday morning at Bottom’s Bridge, across the Chickahominy, ten miles from Richmond, for the purpose of making a raid into Richmond, and endeavoring, by a surprise, to liberate the prisoners there.

The cavalry reached the bridge at the time appointed, marching, in sixteen hours and a half, forty-seven miles. A force of infantry followed in their rear, for the purpose of supporting them. It was expected to surprise the enemy at Bottom’s Bridge, who had had for some time only a small picket there. The surprise failed, because, as the Richmond Examiner of to-day says, “a Yankee deserter gave information in Richmond of the intended movement.” The enemy had felled a large amount of timber, so as to block up and obstruct the roads and make it impossible for our cavalry to pass. After remaining at the bridge from two o’clock until twelve, General Wistar joined them with his infantry, and the whole object of the surprise having been defeated, they all returned to Williamsburgh. On his march back to New-Kent Court-House, his rear was attacked by the enemy, but they were repulsed without loss. A march by the Union infantry, three regiments of whom were colored, of more than eighty miles, was made in fifty-six hours. The cavalry marched over one hundred miles in fifty hours.

—The office of the newspaper Constitution and Union, at Fairfield, Iowa, edited by David Sheward, was visited by company E, Second Iowa, to-day. The type and paper were thrown out of the windows, and subscription-books destroyed.

—General Foster telegraphed from Knoxville, under date of yesterday, that an expedition sent against Thomas and his band of Indians and whites, at Quallatown, N. C, had returned completely successful. They surprised the town, killed and wounded two hundred and fifteen, took fifty prisoners, and dispersed the remainder of the gang in the mountains. The Union loss was two killed and six wounded.—General Grant’s Despatch.

February 7.—The reconnoissance which was sent out from the army of the Potomac on Friday night and yesterday morning, returned to-day, having ascertained the rebels’ exact position and probable strength. The Second corps (General Warren’s) took to Morton’s Ford at seven A.M. yesterday, under Generals Caldwell, Webb, and Hayes. General Alexander Hayes, commanding the Third division, led the advance in person, fording the river waist-deep, on foot, at the head of General J. T. Owen’s brigade. The rebel sharp-shooters, in rifle-pits, on the other side, kept up a galling fire, while a battery stationed on the hills to the right, and a mile beyond the ford, hotly shelled the advancing column. On reaching the south bank of the Rapidan, a charge was made on the rebel rifle-pits, and twenty-eight men and an officer captured. Much skirmishing ensued, and at midnight Warren recrossed his troops.—(Doc. 104.)

—Great excitement and consternation existed in Richmond, Va., on account of the approach of General Butler’s forces upon that place. Last night the bells of the city were rung, and men were rushing through the streets, crying: “To arms, to arms! the Yankees are coming!” During the remainder of the night there was an intense commotion everywhere visible. The Home Guard was called out, and the tramp of armed men could be heard in all directions. Cannon were being hauled through the streets; women and children were hurrying to and fro, and there was all the evidence of such a panic as had never before been witnessed in Richmond.

This morning there was no abatement in the excitement. The guards were all marched out of the city to the defences, and the armed citizens placed on guard over the prisoners. Horsemen were dashing to and fro, and the excitement among the prisoners to know the cause of all this commotion became intense. It was soon learned that a large cavalry and infantry force, with artillery, had made their appearance on the peninsula at Bottom’s Bridge, within ten miles of the city, a point so famous in McClellan’s peninsula campaign, and that Richmond was actually threatened by the Yankees. The same hurrying of troops, arming of citizens, and excitement among the women and children continued during the morning. At two o’clock in the afternoon, the alarm-bells were again rung with great fury. The rumors that prevailed were conflicting and wild, and it was the impression that eight or ten thousand cavalry would have found but little difficulty in entering the city, liberating the prisoners, destroying the forts and public property, and retiring by the peninsula before any sufficient force to resist them could be brought to the aid of the small garrison left to defend it.—A fight took place at Vidalia, La.—(Doc. 76.)

February 6.—The English steamer Dee was discovered ashore and on fire, at a point one mile south of Masonboro Inlet, N. C, by the National gunboat Cambridge. Finding it impossible to extinguish the flames or get her off, Commander Spicer, of the Cambridge, abandoned the attempt, and still further destroyed her by firing into her.—Admiral Lee’s Report.

—The Sixteenth army corps, General Hurlbut, and Seventeenth corps, General McPherson, under orders of Major-General Sherman, entered Jackson, Miss., the enemy offering but little resistance.—(Doc. 122.)

—A party of Yankees went to Windsor, in Bertie County, N. C, in boats, while another party landed on the Roanoke River, eight miles below, and marched on the town, where they made a junction with those that went up in boats. They burned up some meat, destroyed some salt, and carried off the Rev. Cyrus Walters, of the Episcopal Church, and several others. They attacked Captain Bowcrs’s camp, and routed the small force there; but, Captain Bowers being reenforced with a small body of cavalry, after some sharp fighting, the Yankees retired.—Raleigh Confederate.

—A detachment of the Seventh Indiana entered the town of Bolivar, Tenn., under the impression that the place was still occupied by the Federal troops. Much to their surprise, they found a regiment and a half of rebels in posession. They were in the town, and demanded what troops they were. The reply was, Mississippi. The Indianans, with the shout, “Remember Jeff Davis!” made a furious attack upon the astonished and disconcerted rebels, and drove them out of Bolivar in the utmost confusion, killing, wounding, and capturing about thirty. The Union loss was one killed and three wounded.

—In the rebel Congress, the following resolution was introduced this day: “Whereas, The President of the United States, in a late public communication, did declare that no propositions for peace had been made to that Government by the confederate States, when in truth such propositions were prevented from being made by the President, in that he refused to hear or even to receive two commissioners appointed to treat expressly of the preservation of amicable relations between the two governments; nevertheless that the confederate States may stand justified in the sight of the conservative men of the North of all parties, and that the world may know which of the two governments it is that urges on a war unparalleled for fierceness of conflict, and intensifying into a sectional hate unsurpassed in the annals of mankind; therefore,

Resolved, That the confederate States invite the United States through their government at Washington, to meet them by representatives equal to their representatives and senators in their respective congresses ——, on the day of ——, next ——, to consider, first, whether they cannot agree upon a recognition of the confederate States of America. Second, in the event of declining such a recognition, whether they cannot agree upon the formation of a new government, founded upon the equality and sovereignty of the States; but if this cannot be done, to consider, third, whether they cannot agree upon treaties offensive, defensive, and commercial.

February 5.—The Fourteenth Illinois cavalry, commanded by Major Davis, which had been out on an expedition from Knoxville, Tenn., reported at headquarters, after having performed one of the most daring raids of the war. Evading the enemy’s cavalry, the force dashed round into Jackson County, North-Carolina, surprised the camp of Thomas’s celebrated Indian Legion, capturing fifty of those outlaws—among whom were three lieutenants and an Indian doctor—besides killing and wounding a large number. Thomas, himself, with a remnant of his band escaped. Before the war he was the United States agent for the Cherokees of East-Tennessee and North-Carolina, a position which gave him great influence with the savages.

The Union loss in the fight was three killed— among whom was Lieutenant Capran, son of the colonel who first commanded the regiment—and five wounded. A detachment of the Forty-ninth Ohio were sent to bring in the prisoners.

—Day before yesterday a scouting-party sent out from Cape Girardeau, Mo., by Colonel J. B. Rogers, under command of Captain Shelby, Second regiment of cavalry, M. S. M., attacked a largo band of guerrillas under the noted chief, John F. Bolin, killed seven, and captured eight men, thirteen horses, and fifteen wagons loaded with corn. Bolin was captured and confined in the guard-house at that post.

At a late hour to-night he was forcibly taken by the enraged soldiers and citizens from the custody of the guard, and hung. No intimation of the act reached the officers until the deed was perpetrated. The officers did all in their power to suppress the violation of the law, but to no avail. Bolin made the following confession before his execution:

“I was at Round Pond; there were eight men killed; two by Nathan Bolin and one by John Wright. They were killed with handspikes. I emptied one revolver. At Round Point I shot one man; at Dallas I wounded another. I captured eight men on Hickory Ridge; I told them I was going to shoot them, but their soldiers recaptured them before I could do so. I have killed six or seven men; I killed my cousin; I ordered him to halt—he would not, and I shot him down.”

—Governor Yates, of Illinois, issued a proclamation, saying that that State, under every call, had exceeded her quota, and was not, on the first of January or at any other time, subject to a draft.

—Day before yesterday, an expedition, under command of Colonel Jourdan, left Newport, N. C, for the White River, for the purpose of making a reconnoissancc. The command was made up of Vermont and New-York troops, and a part of the Second North-Carolina regiment, who rendered efficient service as guides. Last evening they came upon a body of cavalry about five miles from Young’s Cross-Roads, and captured the entire party, numbering twenty-eight men and thirty horses, with their arms and equipments. A quantity of corn was also captured and brought in. The command returned to Newport this day, without losing a man.

—The steamer Emma was fired into at a point fifteen miles below Helena, Ark., with cannon and musketry. The shells were filled with Greek fire, three of which exploded in various parts of her, setting her on fire, but the flames were extinguished.—The bombardment of Fort Sumter was continued; eighty-six shots were fired at the city of Charleston during the day.

February 4.—The British steamer Nutfield, from Bermuda to Wilmington, N. C, was chased ashore and destroyed near New-River Inlet, N. C, by the National war steamer Sassacus.— Admiral Lee’s Report.

February 3.—Major-General W. T. Sherman, with the Sixteenth army corps, under the command of Major-General Hurlbut, and the Seventeenth army corps, commanded by General McPherson, left Vicksburgh upon an expedition through Mississippi.—(Doc. 122.)

—The guard of one company of infantry posted at Patterson Creek Bridge, eight miles east of Cumberland, Va., was attacked at half-past one P.M. yesterday, by five hundred rebel cavalry, under General Rosser, and after a spirited resistance, in which two were killed and ten wounded, the greater part of the company were captured. This accomplished, the rebels set fire to the bridge, and leaving it to destruction, started off with their prisoners in the direction of Romney. The employés of the railroad succeeded in staying the fire, and saved the bridge, with only slight damage. General Averill, with his command of nearly two thousand cavalry, and who had been sent out from Martinsburgh by General Kelley, this morning overtook the rebels near Springfield, and a severe engagement ensued. The rebels were driven through Springfield, and thence to and south of Burlington. Many of the rebels were killed and wounded, and the Union captures were large, including the recovery of the men yesterday taken at Patterson’s Creek, and many horses. The enemy retreated rapidly to the back country, hotly pursued by the cavalry.— A fight took place at Sartatia, Miss., between a body of rebels numbering about three thousand, under General Ross, and the National gunboats, on an expedition up the Yazoo River to cooperate with General Sherman.—(Docs. 122 and 124.)

February 2.—The United States steamer Underwriter, lying at anchor in the Neuse, River, N. C, was surprised and destroyed by a party of rebels, who belonged to the forces on the expedition against Newbern.—Admiral Lee’s Report.

—One hundred and twenty-nine deserters from the rebel army under the command of General Johnston, who had effected their escape during his late movement, entered the provost-marshal’s office at Chattanooga, and took the oath of allegiance to the United States.—This morning eleven prisoners and ten horses, belonging principally to the Sixth Virginia cavalry, were captured near Blue Ridge, in the vicinity of Thornton’s Gap, Va.—The British steamer Presto, in attempting to run into Charleston Harbor, ran ashore off Sullivan’s Island, where she was destroyed by the National fleet.