The American Civil War

October 9.—Two iron-plated rams, built on the Mersey, England, by the Lairds for the use of the rebel government, were seized by order of the British government, upon a charge of an intention to evade the neutrality laws.—Major-General J. G. Foster sent the following despatch to the National War Department: “I have the honor to report that the expedition sent out on Sunday, under General Wistar, to break up or capture the guerrillas and boats’ crews organized by the enemy in Matthews County, has returned, having in the main accomplished its object. Four rebel naval officers, twenty-five men, and twenty-five head of cattle belonging to the Confederacy, together with horses, mules, and arms, arc the results. A large number of rebel boats were destroyed. Our loss was one man killed. Generall Wistar reports the Fourth United States infantry (colored) making thirty miles in one day, with no stragglers.”

—Fort Johnson, in Charleston harbor, S. C., was again silenced. A well-directed shot from the Union batteries entered an embrasure and dismounted the gun.—One of the two-hundred pounder batteries on Morris Island, that had been silent for a week, opened on Fort Sumter and the other rebel forts.

October 8.—Last night the garrison at Harper’s Ferry, Va., were alarmed by an attack, and the cavalry and two regiments of infantry started out to meet the enemy. Near Charlestown a force of between three hundred and four hundred cavalry, commanded by Imboden, were posted. The rebels had a large portion of their force dismounted and in ambuscade. Captain Somers, with his company of cavalry, had advanced to hunt up the enemy. He met a company of rebel cavalry, who charged upon him and were repulsed. They purposely retreated, Captain Somers and his company pursuing until they entered the fatal ambuscade. At the first fire Captain Somers and ten men were killed, as many more wounded, and nearly all the others captured. The few who escaped carried the information into camp, and the rest of the cavalry started in pursuit, but were unable to come up with the rebels.—The following order was issued at Richmond, Va., by the rebel Adjutant-General Cooper: “The Chief of the Nitre and Mining Bureau is directed, through the officers of his bureau, to impress copper, coal, and such other minerals as may be needed for the use of the government.”—A fight occurred near Salem, Miss., between four thousand rebels, under General S. D. Lee, and five thousand Nationals, under McCullis and Phillips, resulting in the defeat of the rebels with a loss of fifteen killed and wounded.—A mob at Jackson, N. H., burned the hotel where the Deputy Provost-Marshal was stopping while serving notices on drafted men.— Carthage, Mo., was burned by the rebel troops. —A party of one hundred guerrillas, under command of Captain Richardson, at two o’clock this afternoon, placed obstructions on the track of the Lebanon Branch Railroad, at New-Hope, Ky., twenty miles from the junction, threw the train off the track, and fired into it, but did no damage to the passengers. They then captured the train, burned two passenger-cars, baggage and express cars, destroyed the locomotive, robbed the passengers of money and clothing, and decamped.

October 7.—Colonel Harrison’s force of West Tennessee cavalry were attacked at Como, Mississippi, by rebel guerrillas, under Colonels Faulkner and Wilson, and was forced to retreat after an engagement of two hours, with a loss of thirty-seven men. The rebel loss was large, Colonel Wilson being among the killed.—A fight took place at Farmington, Tenn., between the Union forces under General Crook and the rebels commanded by General Wharton.—(Docs. 181 and 191.)

—Acting Volunteer Lieutenant James P. Couthouy, having received information that a rebel steamer was tied up to the bank on Red River, fitted out an expedition, under charge of Acting Chief-Engineer Thomas Doughty, with twenty men and Mr. Hobbs, who crossed over from the Mississippi to Red River, and after great labor in getting through the entanglements of the bushes and other undergrowth, got a sight of the steamer lying at the bank. They managed to get up to her and capture her. A few moments afterward they were enabled to capture another one, and found themselves in possession of two steamers and nine prisoners. One of the prisoners was an aid to the rebel General Taylor who had been sent up expressly for the last steamer.—Admiral Porter’s Despatch.

October 6.—General Blunt and his escort were attacked at Baxter’s Springs, near Fort Scott, Mo., and nearly all of them were massacred.— (Doc. 190.)

—General Mitchell, with a body of National troops, overtook the rebels below Shelbyville, Tenn., and attacked them with, great spirit, putting them to a complete rout. They did not stop for their wounded, and left over one hundred dead upon the field.—An attempt was made to blow up the United States iron-plated frigate Ironsides, in Charleston Harbor, by means of a torpedo. The instrument of destruction was suspended from the bow of a small cigar-shaped steamer, which was driven against the Ironsides at full speed. A tremendous explosion followed, which throw a large body of water on the deck of the Ironsides, but did no serious damage to the vessel. Lieutenant Glassett, the commander of the rebel steamer, was taken prisoner, having been thrown overboard by the force of the explosion. On board the Ironsides, Ensign Charles Howard was killed by a musket-shot fired by Glassett, as his steamer was approaching the frigate.

October 5.—Great excitement prevailed at Nashville, Tenn., in consequence of the rebel General Forrest, with a force of over three thousand mounted men, having made a descent upon the railroad between that place and Bridgeport. Skirmishing occurred in the neighborhood of Murfreesboro, a railroad bridge at a point south of that place being destroyed by the rebels.—A Band of guerrillas, under the chief White, of Loudon County, Va., made a raid into Langley, six miles above Georgetown, D. C., driving in the pickets, without any casualty. — Colonel Cloud, in a message to General Blunt, dated at Fort Smith, Ark., said he had just returned from a raid in the Arkansas Valley. Near Dardanelles he was joined by three hundred “mounted Feds,” as the Union Arkansians are called, and with them and his own force routed the rebels, one thousand strong. They fled in confusion leaving tents, cooking utensils, wheat, flour, salt, sugar, and two hundred head of beef cattle behind. They reported as they ran that “Old Blunt, with his whole army, was after them.” Several hundred Union men offered their services as a home guard regiment. Colonel Cloud authorized them to enrol and offer their services to the Military Governor, when appointed. He left garrisons there and at Clarksville.—The batteries on Lookout Mountain, and at points all along the rebel lines, opened fire upon Chattanooga. The Unionists under Rosecrans, replied from their works on Moccasin Point, the Star Fort, and other works. The Tennessee River rose rapidly during the day.—A party of Captain Bean’s cavalry on a scouting expedition near Harper’s Ferry, Va., encountered a number of rebel cavalry belonging to the command of Colonel Imboden. A skirmish ensued, when the Union forces were repulsed, with a loss of one killed, three wounded, and ten captured. Two of the Unionists cut their way out and returned to camp, although severely wounded.

October 4.—The steamers Chancellor, Forest Queen, and Catahoula, were destroyed by rebel incendiaries at St. Louis, Mo.-—Information having reached Colonel William L. Utley, commanding the Union forces at Murfreesboro, Tenn., that that post would soon be attacked by the rebels, the following order was issued:

“Non-combatants, women, and children will, immediately on the approach of the enemy, repair to the fortifications or elsewhere for safety. All that portion of the city lying adjacent to the railroad will be shelled immediately upon the occupation of the city by the rebels. The remainder of the city will be shelled at the expiration of five (5) hours after the entrance of the enemy. Every possible facility will be afforded the citizens to get to a place of safety. It is to be hoped that there will be no unnecessary alarm, as every precaution will be taken against false rumors, and the citizens will be warned in time.”

—A slight skirmish took place near Newtown, La., between a party belonging to the Union forces under General Banks, and a body of rebels, who had ambushed themselves until they had fired one volley upon the Union advance; they then fell back, being pursued. National loss was one killed and four wounded.

October 3.—McMinnville, Tenn., was captured by the rebels under General Wheeler. Major Patterson, who was taken prisoner with a portion of the Fourth Tennessee infantry, relates the following history of the capture: He had with him seven companies, mostly fragments. On the second instant he sent out scouts, who returned and reported no enemy. On the next day he sent Lieutenant Farnsworth with twenty scouts, who were cut off. He then sent out Lieutenant Allen, who passed the pickets a quarter of a mile and returned, reporting the rebels in force. Major Patterson drew up his command, four hundred and four in all, and fifty convalescent from the hospital. Skirmishing followed for an hour and a quarter, during which the rebels were repulsed in three charges. Wheeler then sent in a flag of truce, with a verbal demand for a surrender, which Major Patterson refused, saying he would not surrender until he was compelled to do so. In half an hour Colonel Hodge of the Kentucky brigade brought a demand for surrender in writing.

Major Patterson, after consulting with his officers, deeming it useless to contend against an enemy so greatly superior in numbers, surrendered. Wheeler had four divisions of cavalry, artillery, and ten brigades, and said he had ten thousand men. The Union loss was seven killed and thirty-one wounded and missing. The rebels admitted a loss of twenty-three killed and wounded. After the surrender Major Patterson’s trunk was broken open, and one hundred and fifty dollars stolen out of it, while his men were generally robbed of their money, watches, knives, and other valuables. The prisoners were all paroled. While two of them were going on the Carthage road they were halted by a Dr. Fain, who drew his pistol on them, and cocking it, ordered one of them to pull off his boots and give them up. Protestation and pleas of sore feet and a long journey were of no avail, and the valiant highway robber rode off with the boots which he had taken from a defenceless paroled prisoner.”

—President Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the twenty-sixth of November as a day of general thanksgiving.—(Doc. 182.)

October 2.—The Natchez Courier of this day contained the subjoined editorial:

The following communication appears in the Columbia (S. C.) Guardian :

To His Excellency Governor Bonham: The stream of negro emigration from Mississippi has commenced flowing into this State, having been prohibited in Georgia and Alabama. The heavy rains of the summer have so damaged the corn crops that the question of subsistence for another year may be of great importance, and it becomes doubly so from the influx of consumers. Would it not be well for this State also to adopt some precautionary measures before it is too late? This suggestion is only thrown out to catch the attention of the proper authorities, the writer having every confidence that if any thing ought to be done in the premises, it will not be overlooked. Very respectfully,

Citizen.

To this the Augusta Constitutionalist replies:

It is untrue that either Georgia or Alabama have refused refuge and domicil to the unfortunate fugitives from Mississippi. Our people are incapable of so outrageous a breach of hospitality.

We have before alluded to this matter of emigration, and we do so again more in sorrow than anger. Although the people of Alabama and Georgia perhaps have not formally protested against Mississippians flying to those States, several of the press have spoken out against it. At the time we alluded to this matter, it was done with the view of presenting to the Mississippi citizen his true position in the present crisis.

If he emigrates with his family and negroes, he is denounced by some of the journals as a coward, for surrendering his home. Where he stays at home, endeavoring to pursue the even tenor of his way in raising crops for the support of his family, he is by other prints stigmatized as a submissionist; and cavalry squads are sent out by the confederates to subsist on his already diminished supplies, and with a view to make him miserable and poor indeed, his little crop of cotton is burnt to cap the climax of trouble.

This is no fancy sketch — it is a reality, as almost any planter on the Mississippi .River can testify. When the planter is thus made poor and even destitute, does the confederate government come to his relief? Never! Instead of this, the confederate force gradually falls back toward the Alabama River, leaving the property of Mississippians almost a total wreck.

How shall the resident of Mississippi act under this state of things? If he takes refuge further East, he is censured for leaving home; and if he remains home to raise another crop in the confederate lines, as soon as the Union army again presses forward, his supplies will once more be taken by the confederate cavalry, and his cotton committed to the flames again!

Mississippians! by staying on your places and cultivating the soil, in our humble opinion, you are doing much good for yourselves and those around you. Though given the “cold shoulder” occasionally of those who appear to think themselves entirely safe from the ravages of war in the mountains of Alabama and Georgia, by remaining at home you will have the consolation of knowing that you have been tried in the fire and have done the best for your country.

Unto the new order of things instituted by the military authority of the United States, it behooves us all to assimilate; and as its lines extend, if we have not realized all our hopeful visions, we can have the blessed consolation of knowing that we have been discreet, law -abiding citizens.

For our part, we look forward with daily renewed hope to that time when our internal strifes shall end, when brother shall cease to be arrayed against brother, and when the Constitution and Union of our fathers shall be revered by every one on American soil.

—General Rosechans issued an order, thanking his soldiers for their patience, perseverance, and courage, displayed in the campaign against General Bragg.—(Doc. 183.)

—Colonel Edward McCook, with the First Missouri and Second Indiana cavalry, attacked Wheeler’s rebel force, four thousand strong, at Anderson’s Cross-Roads, Tenn., and whipped them badly, killing and wounding one hundred and twenty, taking eighty-seven prisoners and recapturing all the Government property, including eight hundred and nine mules, and the prisoners taken from the Nationals yesterday.

Among the prisoners was a major on Wheeler’s staff, commander of the escort; a major on General Martin’s staff, Colonel Russell, commanding a brigade, and nine other officers. The enemy was completely routed and driven ten miles. — Greek fire-shells were thrown into Charleston, S. C., from the batteries of General Gillmore, on Morris Island. — The English schooner Florrie was captured six miles from Matagorda, Texas, having on board a cargo of medicines, wines, saddles, and other stores.—A cavalry skirmish occurred near Franklin, La., between the Union troops under Colonel Davis, and the rebels commanded by Captain Squires. The rebels were defeated at the first fire, Squires being mortally wounded. Colonel Davis captured one piece of artillery.

October 1.—The rebel General Wheeler, with a large body of mounted men, crossed the Tennessee River at Washington, at a point thirteen miles above Chattanooga, and passed down the Sequatchie Valley. He captured fifty wagons belonging to one of General Rosecrans’s trains, at the foot of the mountain, near Anderson’s Cross-Heads, burning a number of them, and killing about three hundred horses and mules. The train was laden with ammunition, clothing, and rations. Forty wagons carrying medical and sanitary stores, and about fifty sutlers’ teams were also lost.

—The loyal men and women of De Kalb County, Ill., and adjoining counties, met in mass meeting at De Kalb, to renew to each other their solemn pledges to stand by the Government in the vigorous prosecution of the war, “till this accursed rebellion and its cause shall be buried in one common grave.”