The American Civil War

September 17.—A fight took place at Mariatown, Mo., between six hundred Federals under Colonels Montgomery and Johnson and four hundred rebels, in which the latter were completely routed with a loss of seven killed, and one hundred horses and all their tents and supplies captured. The Nationals lost two privates killed and six wounded. Col. Johnson, while riding at the head of his command, was pierced by nine balls and instantly killed. Three bullets took effect in his head, two buck-shot in the neck, one bullet in the left shoulder, one in the left thigh, one in the right hand, and one in the left. He died, urging his men to fight for the Stars and Stripes.—Buffalo Courier, September 23.

—The Legislature of Maryland was prevented from organizing at Frederick by the arrest of its clerk and several of the members. During the evening the Union members of the House and Senate met in caucus and resolved that, the action of the Senators present in not assembling having virtually brought the Legislature to an end, they would return to their homes and not attempt again to assemble.

—This evening a train on the Ohio and Mississippi road, containing a portion of Colonel Torchin’s Nineteenth Illinois regiment, while passing over a bridge near Huron, Ind., one hundred and forty-three miles west of Cincinnati, fell through, killing and wounding over one hundred soldiers.—Louisville Courier, September 10.

—A large concourse of citizens from all parts of the State assembled at Hartford, Conn., today, to listen to Hon. D. S. Dickinson and others. General James T. Pratt presided. All the political parties of the State were represented, and places of business were closed during the meeting. Mr. Dickinson’s speech was one of his best efforts, and had a powerful effect. Senator Latham, of California, sent a letter of apology for his absence, full of patriotic spirit. Thomas Francis Meagher sent a despatch as follows: ” I cannot go to Hartford to-day. I go to the war. Talking is over. Fight is the word.” —National Intelligencer, September 20.

—Two fights occurred at Blue Mills Landing, Mo., to-day. The first was between five hundred of the Third Iowa regiment, with one piece of artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, and about four thousand rebels. After a desperate struggle of an hour’s duration, in which Scott lost one hundred and twenty killed and wounded and all his horses, he retreated slowly half a mile, dragging his cannon by hand. He subsequently took a position with his howitzer on an eminence, and waited for the enemy to renew the attack. But he was not pursued. Not long afterward Colonel Smith’s command, with four pieces of cannon, approached Blue Mills by another road and engaged and routed the rebels as they were about crossing the Missouri River.—(Doc. 53.)

—The Fifteenth regiment (Elmira Engineers) N. Y. S. V., under the command of Colonel C. B. Stuart of Geneva, left Elmira for the seat of war.—N. Y. Herald, Sept. 22.

—Clement Smyth, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, in a letter to the Adjutant-General of that State, held the following language: “I ever avoid all matters of a political nature as foreign to my sacred duties, yet in this present hour of trial, when the honer and the happiness of our nation are at stake; when some prejudiced mind may construe my silence into a disrespect for you, whose friendship I highly prize, or into a criminal opposition to our National Government— the Government of the United States, the only one to which I owe fealty—it may not be departing too far from my usual course to say that my feelings and sentiments are for the Union, and though peace is now the darling object of my ambition, yet I would not consent to purchase peace at the sacrifice of principle.”

—At Washington the following order was issued to-day from the War Department:

The commanding officer at Hatteras Inlet, N. C., is hereby authorized to accept the services of such loyal North Carolinians—not to exceed one regiment—as in his neighborhood may volunteer to take up arms for the United States, and to designate regular officers to muster them into the service. The recruits will be organized in the first instance into a battalion or regiment according to numbers. The mustering officer will make timely requisition for arms and other necessary supplies. The commanding officer will, on the recommendation of the volunteers, propose such persons as officers as he may deem suitable, to officer the companies that may, if approved, be commissioned by the President.

L. Thomas, Adj.-Gen.

—The anniversary of Washington’s Farewell Address was celebrated by Cassius M. Clay’s Washington Guards. Professor Amasa McCoy, Secretary of the Guards, delivered an Oration on “The London Times on the Rebellion and the war against the National Constitution.”

—The Continental Guard, Forty-eighth regiment N. Y. S. V., under the command of Colonel James H. Perry, left Fort Hamilton this morning for the seat of war. The regiment numbers about one thousand men, well equipped and armed with Enfield rifles. The uniform is the United States regulation. A considerable number of the men were formerly members of the Seventy-first. About sixty recruits, not yet uniformed, were left in charge of the camp, near Fort Hamilton, under Lieutenant Wallace. Colonel Perry, the commandant of the regiment is well-known as a West Point graduate. N. Y. Evening Post, Sept 17.

September 16.—An expedition from Hatteras Inlet, under the command of Lieutenants Maxwell and Eastman, of the steamer Pawnee, visited Ocracoke Inlet and destroyed Fort Oregon, a fine fortification at that place. The expedition was entirely successful.—(Doc. 51.)

—The gunboat Conestoga captured the steamers V. R. Stephenson and Gazelle, on the Cumberland River, Ky. The Stephenson had fifty tons of iron aboard. The Gazelle was without a cargo.—Louisville Journal, September 19.

—Ship Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, was evacuated by the rebels and immediately taken possession of by the National forces.—(Doc. 52.)

—Major French, the commanding officer at Key West, published the following important order; its promulgation caused a vast amount of commotion among the secessionists:

Headquarters U. S. Troops

Key West Florida, September 16, 1861

I. Within ten days from this date all male citizens of the Island of Key West who have taken the oath of allegiance will send their names to these head-quarters to be registered.

II. Within thirty days from this date all the citizens of this island are required to take the oath of allegiance to the United States.

III. At the termination of sixty days all citizens of this island who have failed or refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States will be removed from Key West. This will also apply to their families and the families of these who have left the island to join the Confederate States.

Wm. H. French,

Brevet-Major U. S. A., Commanding.

—The Washington Grays, Forty-seventh regiment N. Y. S. V., commanded by Colonel Henry Moore, left East New York for the seat of war.—N. Y. Times, September 17.

—There was an interesting ceremony at General Smith’s camp near Washington, this afternoon. Some days ago, General McClellan gave directions that the flags of the Seventy-ninth should be restored to the regiment. This afternoon the regiment marched to the parade-ground of the brigade, for the purpose of receiving the banners, which were escorted to the field by the Third Vermont regiment. The two regiments being drawn up in line, facing each other, the colors were saluted, and then transferred from the Vermont to the Highland regiment. On transferring the banners, General Smith thus addressed them:

Soldiers of the Seventy-ninth: By direction of the Major-General commanding, I restore to your custody the banners of the regiment. Since you have been under my command yon have earned them. I hope that when any opportunity offers you will prove yourselves worthy of them.

The Seventy-ninth then saluted the colors, and a salvo of artillery from Captain Mott’s battery of thirty-two pounders also greeted them. After these ceremonies the troops were reviewed by General Smith, the two regiments warmly cheering each other as they marched from the field.—N. Y. Times, September 17.

—Governor Hicks of Maryland issued his proclamation exhorting the observance of the last Thursday in this month, as appointed by the President of the United States, as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. — Baltimore American, September 18.

—General Price commenced an attack on the intrenchments at Lexington, Mo., commanded by Colonel Mulligan, this morning. The fight lasted all day, and was very severe. General Price assaulted the works, and was repulsed with severe loss.—N. Y. Herald, September 20.

—The Forty-sixth regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Knipe, left Harrisburg for the seat of war, being the first instalment of the last requisition on Governor Curtin. The regimental colors were presented by Governor Curtin.

The Second Buffalo regiment, under command of Colonel D. D. Bidwell, left for New York.

The Forty-third regiment N. Y. S. V., under the command of Colonel Francis L. Vinton, left Albany to-night for the scat of war. They are a fine body of men, fully equipped and armed. —N. Y. Times, September 17.

—The Provost-marshal’s Police seized over two hundred muskets and a lot of ammunition, to-day, which were found buried in the establishment of Messrs. Egerton & Keys, on North street, at Baltimore, Md. The guns are of Harper’s Ferry manufacture. The Police also seized a lot of muskets at the armory of the Independent Greys, on North High street.—Baltimore American, September 17.

—The Fremont Rifle regiment N. Y. S. V., under the command of Colonel Rudolph Rosa, left their encampment at Turtle Bay Brewery, New York, for the seat of war on the Potomac. —N. Y. Times, September 18.

September 15.—The British brig Mystery, of St. Johns, N. B., was seized by the Surveyor of the port of New York, to-day, under suspicion of having run the blockade at Georgetown, S. C. Letters of instruction and the charter party, found on board, clearly show that there was a plan to land a cargo of ice at that rebel port, but the Consular certificate at Havana proves that the Mystery entered the latter port on the 7th of August, with the identical cargo of ice, and two days afterward cleared for Matanzas, where she received a cargo of sugar, and then sailed for the North, coming into the port of New York.—N. Y. Times, September 17.

—The Second regiment, of Kansas Volunteers, arrived at Leavenworth, from Holla, Mo. —Ohio Statesman, September 21.

—Col. F. P. Blair, Jr., was ordered by the Provost-marshal, at St. Louis, Mo., to report himself under arrest on the general charge of using disrespectful language when alluding to superior officers.—Louisville Journal, Sept. 17.

—About three o’clock this afternoon a force of five hundred rebels attacked a portion of the troops under Col. Geary, stationed about three miles above Harper’s Ferry, on the Potomac. Col. Geary commanded in person, and the fight lasted about three hours. The enemy were driven from every house and breastwork, and no less than seventy-five of them are reported, as killed and wounded. The National loss is one killed and a few slightly wounded. The troops behaved like veterans. Companies B, D, and I, of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania regiment, and two companies of the Thirteenth Massachusetts, were engaged in the conflict. During the fight a rebel was seen taking aim at Col. Geary, when the colonel grasped a rifle from a soldier and shot him on the spot.—(Doc. 50.)

—The Thirty-ninth Ohio, Colonel Groesbeck; Third Iowa, Lieutenant-Colonel Scott; Sixteenth Illinois, Colonel Smith, with a force of the Missouri State Militia and Iowa State troops, under Colonels Craynon and Edwards; three hundred regulars and irregular cavalry and six pieces of artillery, under Captain Madison, left St. Joseph and Chillicothe, Mo., in two columns for Lexington, to-day, on their way to reinforce Colonel Mulligan.—N. Y. Herald, September 20.

—This morning the Abbé McMaster, proprietor and editor of the Freeman’s Appeal, a peace organ of New York city, was arrested by the United States Marshal, Mr. Murray, and sent to Fort Lafayette, on a charge of treasonable matter contained in his paper.—N. Y. Herald, September 17.