The American Civil War

September 1.—A fight took place at Barbee’s Cross-Roads, Va., between a patrol of forty-nine men belonging to the Sixth Ohio cavalry, under the command of Major John Cryor, and a party of rebel guerrillas, in which the former lost two killed, four wounded, and twenty-four prisoners.

— Thomas E. Bramlette was inaugurated as Governor of Kentucky, to-day. In his inaugural address he contends that the revolted States did not change their status by rebelling; that all that is necessary for them to do is to return to their fealty, and take their position as States; that the rebellion did not remit them to a territorial state.

He says we have now, and will have before the rebellion closes, the identical Constitution which extremists seek to destroy, the one by innovation, the other by force. It is not a restored Union, not a reconstructed Union that Kentucky desires, but a preserved Union and a restored peace upon a constitutional basis.

The Governor strongly objects to the arming of negro regiments, and asks what is to be done with such soldiers at the end of the war. He points to the result of the recent election as a proof that Kentucky will not fraternize with rebellion, either open or covert, and declares that Kentucky ever has been, and now is, and always will be, loyal to the Government of our fathers.

—A general engagement took place in Charleston harbor, between the iron-clads, and Forts Wagner, Sumter, and Moultrie. Fleet-Captain Oscar C. Badger, the successor of Captain Rodgers, was injured by the explosion of a shell.

—An engagement took place at the Devil’s Back-Bone, a point sixteen miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas, between a portion of the army of General Blunt, under Colonel Cloud, and the rebel forces under Cabell, in which the latter was routed with a loss of twenty-five killed and forty wounded. The National loss was two killed and twelve wounded and missing.—Fort Smith, Ark., was captured by the Union forces under General Blunt—(Doc. 179.)

— A force of rebel cavalry crossed the Upper Potomac, at Edwards’s Ferry, Va., and captured a large number of cattle, which, however, they were unable to carry off, being pursued by the National forces.—Six hundred persons, chiefly heads of families, and resident in Kansas City and vicinity, who were believed to be aiders and abettors of the rebellion, or strong sympathizers with it, were ordered to remove from the district, by General Ewing.

August 31.—The rebel transport, Sumter, having on board the Twentieth regiment of South Carolina volunteers, and the Twenty-third regiment of Georgia, was sunk in Charleston harbor by the guns of Fort Moultrie. The Twenty-third Georgia had been on duty at the rebel Battery Wagner, and, being relieved, went on board the steamer to go to Fort Johnson. The tide being low, they could not go the usual course, but steamed off in the direction of Sullivan’s Island. The watch at Moultrie, supposing it to be a Yankee monitor, awakened the gunners, when they opened a spirited fire on the defenceless vessel. Every means possible were employed to signal to them, both from Sumter and the boat, but they recognized no signal.

“The third and fourth shots sunk the boat, yet they kept firing until a small boat was sent to tell them who we were. This was about three o’clock A.M. The men were panic-struck, and leaped off into the water by fifties and hundreds, and it seemed for a while that nearly all would be either killed or drowned; but the cool conduct of Major Ballinger, the Commandant of the Twenty-third Georgia, and a sand-bar on the left of the boat, covered by some four or five feet of water, saved them from a watery grave.

“By nine o’clock, the whole regiment was once more on dry land, and, miraculous as it was, not a single life has been lost by the dangerous wreck. But guns, blankets, oil-cloths, haversacks, canteens, boots and shoes, and, in fact, all kinds of clothing, were left upon the rugged waters of the boiling deep.”—Atlanta Intelligencer.

—The sloop Richard, loaded with cotton, was captured off the coast of Florida, by the United States bark Gem of the Sea.

August 30.—Lieut.-Colonel Clark, with the Ninth Kansas cavalry, returned to Kansas City, from the pursuit of Quantrell, through Jackson, Cass, and Johnson Counties, Missouri, having killed, during his expedition, forty of the perpetrators of the Lawrence massacre.

August 29.—Five deserters, belonging to the Fifth corps of the army of the Potomac, were executed according to sentence.—General Wistar’s cavalry returned to Yorktown, Va., from an expedition to Bottom’s Bridge. The force engaged were parts of the First New-York Mounted Rifles, Colonel Onderdonk, and of the Fifth Pennsylvania cavalry, Lieut-Colonel Lewis. They left Williamsburgh on the twenty-sixth instant, and pushed through New-Kent Court-House, directly to Bottom’s Bridge. At the latter place, they found one regiment of infantry in rifle-pits, supported by a squadron of cavalry. A charge was immediately made, which carried the rifle-pits, and drove the enemy across the bridge, which they took up. The Union troops lost one killed, and one wounded. They captured five prisoners from the enemy, who left dead on the ground one officer, one sergeant, and two men, besides those they carried off. The bridge being rendered impassable, and the object of the expedition being entirely accomplished, the troops returned.—(Doc. 159.)

—Correspondence between Major-General Dix and Governor Seymour, relative to the draft, was made public.

August 28.—The Board of Supervisors of the city of New-York devoted two millions of dollars to exempt the firemen, the militia, and the police, and to provide for the families of drafted men in indigent circumstances.—By direction of Jefferson Davis, Lieutenant-General W. J. Hardee assumed command of the paroled rebel prisoners, captured at Vicksburgh and Port Hudson.—(Doc. 158.)

—Samuel Jones, a Major-General in the rebel service, issued an order from his headquarters at Dublin, Va., thanking the home guard and other citizens for their services in the action at White Sulphur Springs.—A party of rebel guerrillas attacked the mail-carriers from a cavalry division of the army of the Potomac, stationed at Harwood Church, Va., killing one man and capturing four others, together with the mail.

August 27.—John B. Floyd, a General in the rebel service, died at Abington, Virginia.—A portion of Colonel Wilder’s cavalry, belonging to the army of the Cumberland, encountered a rebel force at Hanover, Ala., and succeeded in defeating them, killing three, and capturing one. —A Government train of twenty-eight wagons was captured by a party of rebel guerrillas, at a point about six miles from Philippi, on the road to Beverly, Va.—The battle at Bayou Metea, Ark., between a large infantry and cavalry force of rebels, and General Davidson’s division of National cavalry, took place this day.—(Doc. 156.)

August 26.—A fight took place near Perryville, Arkansas, between the rebel forces under Cabell, who were retreating from Camp Stand Watie, and the National troops belonging to the army of General Blunt, in which the former were routed with considerable loss.—Major John J. Stevenson, Lieutenant D. H. Chambers, and sixty men of Rober’s Third Pennsylvania artillery, left Fortress Monroe, Va., last Sunday night, on the armed steamboat C. P. Smith, and reached the Chickahominy River the next morning. They proceeded about ten miles up, landing scouting-parties at different points along the shore, and destroying a number of small boats. When about nine miles up the Chickahominy, they met a detached party of thirty rebel cavalry, belonging to Robinson’s regiment. The latter were repulsed, without any injury being sustained. They then shelled and destroyed the building used as the headquarters of Colonel Robinson, of the rebel army. Two men were captured, who were released after all the information that could be obtained from them was received. The expedition returned to Fortress Monroe this afternoon, having succeeded in the reconnoissance, with the most satisfactory results.—The steamer Live Oak was captured at Berlin, Mo., by a gang of guerrillas, who, having plundered the boat and passengers, released them.—The rifle-pits of the rebels at Vinegar Hill, on Morris Island, S. C., in front of Fort Wagner, were assaulted and captured by the troops of General Gillmore’s army, with a loss of ten killed and seventeen wounded.—The battle at White Sulphur Springs, Va., was fought this day.—(Doc. 157.)

August 25.—Early this morning, Deputy Marshal Taylor of Coshocton County, Ohio, with a squad of five men, went to a house near Chili, in Crawford Township, to arrest two men, Wens and J. Lour, Germans, who were drafted last fall, but had, up to that time, evaded the authorities. Not finding them at the house, they approached the barn to search it, when Wens and Lour came out of it, armed, and fired. Taylor and his men closed upon them to secure them, when a hand-to-hand fight occurred. Stafford, one of the Marshal’s men, fell dead, pierced with nine balls. One other of the Marshal’s men was severely wounded, and Wens and Lour, the two drafted men, both killed.—Cincinnati Gazette.

—The advance-guard of General Steele’s army, under General Davidson, consisting of five thousand men, arrived in front of Brownsville, Arkansas, and immediately opened fire upon the town. A sharp fight was kept up for about fifteen minutes, when the rebels commenced a retreat, evacuating the town and leaving, in the hands of the Nationals, General Burbridge and a number of privates.

August 24.—A party of Missouri cavalry, under the command of Colonel R. G. Woodrow, made a descent upon Pocahontas, Ark., and succeeded in routing and capturing a number of rebels, among whom was Brigadier-General Jeff Thompson.—(Doc. 154.)

General Gillmore, in a despatch from his headquarters on Morris Island, S. C., reported the partial demolition of Fort Sumter, as the result of seven days’ bombardment of that work.— Charleston was again shelled by the troops under General Gillmore.—(See Supplement.)

—A meeting of a portion of the people of Cumberland County, Va., was held this day, at which the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That we heartily approve of the action of our Governor in calling an extra session of the Legislature for the purposes designated.

Resolved, That whereas we are engaged in a war for the maintenance of principles dear to every freeman, and that we are firmly resolved to prosecute this war under all circumstances and through whatever disasters may befall us, until our independence is established; therefore, we do request our representatives in the Senate and House of Delegates to advocate the passage of a bill for the enrolment, organization, and drilling, for home defence, of all capable of rendering such service, who are not already subject to military duty.

Resolved, That the said representatives be requested to advocate all measures having for their object the vigorous prosecution of this war.

Resolved, That we look with abhorrence on the idea of the reconstruction of the Union with the United States.

Resolved, That these proceedings be published in any Richmond papers.

—A skirmish took place at Coyle’s Tavern, on Little River turnpike, near Fairfax, Va., between a detachment of the Second Massachusetts cavalry and Mosby’s guerrillas. The Nationals, numbering only twenty-five, were attacked front and rear at the same time, but fought manfully. Their loss was two killed, three wounded, and nine taken prisoners, together with all the horses they had in charge, fifteen of which, however, were afterward recaptured, leaving eighty-five still in the hands of the enemy. The loss of the enemy was one captain and one lieutenant killed, and one lieutenant and three privates wounded. Mosby was himself wounded in two places, side and thigh. Colonel Lowell pursued the enemy from Centreville as far as Snicker’s Gap, but they succeeded in making their escape by reason of having constant remounts of fresh horses.—Fitz-Hugh Lee, with a rebel cavalry force, crossed the Rappahannock River near Corbin’s Neck, six miles below Fredericksburgh, but was soon driven back by the brigade of General Custer, with a loss in prisoners of three engineer officers, and a number of privates killed and wounded. The Union loss was slight—The Richmond Whig of this day contained the following: “A Southern paper, some weeks ago, threw out a suggestion that the Confederacy should arm some five or six hundred thousand negroes, and precipitate them upon the Yankees. The suggestion was doubtless to frighten the Yankees; but it has imposed upon a few of our own people. The proposition is too preposterous for serious discussion. It is enough to say it would be exchanging a profitable laborer for a very unprofitable soldier. Let the Yankees have negro armies. Nothing but their cowardice could have betrayed them into such a folly. They use the poor creatures as breastworks, but thus far with very little advantage. The Southern people arc willing to employ their slaves in any way that would tell best against the enemy. But it has yet to appear that they can do so in any manner so effective as in raising food for our armies. Some may be occasionally used in ditching and throwing up breastworks, and it is possible a limited number might be advantageously substituted for teamsters; though, in respect to the last, there may be doubts. In the main, no doubt, the most useful function compatible with their capacities is that to which they are accustomed—food-raising.”