The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

January 16. — General Sturgis’s cavalry, in pursuit of General Longstreet, reached Dandridge, Tenn., thirty miles east of Knoxville, and drove the rebel videttes out of the town.

—President Lincoln, in a note to the proprietors of the North-American Review, said:

“The number for this month and year was duly received, and for which please accept my thanks. Of course, I am not the most impartial judge; yet, with due allowance for this, I venture to hope that the article, entitled ‘The President’s Policy,’ will be of value to the country. I fear, I am not quite worthy of all which is therein kindly said of me personally.

“The sentence of twelve lines, commencing at the top of page 252, I could wish to be not exactly as it is. In what is there expressed, the writer has not correctly understood me. I have never had a theory that secession could absolve States or people from their obligations. Precisely the contrary is asserted in the inaugural address; and it was because of my belief in the continuance of these obligations, that I was puzzled for a time as to denying the legal rights of those citizens who remained individually innocent of treason or rebellion. But I mean no more now than to merely call attention to this point” [1]

[1] The sentence referred to by Mr. Lincoln is as follows: “Even so long ago as when Mr. Lincoln, not yet convinced of the danger and magnitude of the crisis, was endeavoring to persuade himself of Union majorities at the South, and to carry on a war that was half peace, in the hope of a peace that would have been all war—while he was still enforcing the fugitive slave law, under some theory that secession, however it might absolve States from their obligations, could not escheat them of their claims under the Constitution, and that slaveholders in rebellion had alone, among mortals, the privilege of having their cake and eating it at the same time—the enemies of free government were striving to persuade the people that the war was an abolition crusade. To rebel without reason was proclaimed as one of the rights of man, while it was carefully kept out of sight that to suppress rebellion is the first duty of government.”

January 15.—The United States schooner Beauregard captured, near Mosquito Inlet, the British schooner Minnie, of and from Nassau.

—”The utmost nerve,” said the Richmond Whig, “the firmest front, the most undaunted courage, will be required during the coming twelve months from all who are charged with the management of affairs in our country, or whose position gives them any influence in forming or guiding public sentiment.” “Moral courage,” says the Wilmington Journal, “the power to resist the approaches of despondency, and the faculty of communicating this power to others, will need greatly to be called into exercise; for we have reached that point in our revolution which is inevitably reached in all revolutions, when gloom and depression take the place of hope and enthusiasm—when despair is fatal and despondency is even more to be dreaded than defeat. In such a time we can understand the profound wisdom of the Roman Senate, in giving thanks to the general who had suffered the greatest disaster that ever overtook the Roman arms, ‘because he had not despaired of the Republic’ There is a feeling, however, abroad in the land, that the great crisis of the war—the turning-point in our fate—is fast approaching. Whether a crisis be upon us or not, there can be in the mind of no man, who looks at the map of Georgia, and considers her geographical relations to the rest of the Confederacy, a single doubt that much of our future is involved in the result of the next spring campaign in Upper Georgia.”

—The Fifty-second regiment of Illinois volunteers, under the command of Colonel J. S. Wilcox, reenlisted for the war, returned to Chicago. —The blockade-runner Isabel arrived at Havana. She ran the blockade at Mobile, and had a cargo of four hundred and eighty bales of cotton, and threw overboard one hundred and twenty-four bales off Tortugas, in a gale of wind.

January 12.—A portion of Colonel McCook’s cavalry attacked the Eighth and Eleventh Texas rebel regiments, at Mossy Creek, Tenn., and defeated them, killing fourteen and capturing forty-one of them.—Contributions were made in Georgia to equip a new command for the rebel General John H. Morgan. Among the contributors was Governor Joseph E. Brown, who gave five hundred dollars.—Richmond Whig.

January 11.—The United States bark Roebuck, off Jupiter Inlet, Florida, captured the English schooner Susan, while attempting to run the blockade. At the same time and place the United States steamer Honeysuckle captured the English schooner Fly, of Nassau.—The blockade-running steamers Ranger and Vesta were beached and burned near Lockwood’s, Folly Inlet, North-Carolina. Admiral Lee reported that the latter was the twenty-second blockade-runner destroyed within six months.—(Doc. 116.)

—Three shells were thrown into the city of Charleston, S. C., from the National defences under the command of General Gillmore.—The United States steamer Iron Age, attempting to tow off the blockade-runner Bendigo, which had been driven ashore near the batteries at the mouth of Cape Fear River, grounded, and owing to her proximity to the rebel forts, was destroyed by fire.—Official Reports.

January 10.—General J. C. Sullivan sent the following to headquarters:

“Major Cole’s camp at Loudon Heights, Va., was attacked this morning. He fought gallantly and drove the attacking party off. I send you his report:

“‘I have the honor to report that my camp was attacked this morning at about four o’clock, by Mosby and his command.

“‘After a brisk fight of about one hour, they were repulsed and driven from the camp. Our loss is two men killed and thirteen wounded. Among the latter is Captain Vernon, seriously, and Lieutenant Rivers, slightly.

“‘There are some missing, but it is impossible to give the exact number at present. The rebels left four dead in the camp—one captain, and one a lieutenant.

“‘They left three prisoners in our hands, two of them wounded, and one a lieutenant'”— (Doc. 46.)

—The United States bark Roebuck captured the rebel sloop Marie Louise while attempting to run out of Jupiter Inlet, Florida. She was of about eight tons register, and laden with three thousand pounds Sea Island cotton.—Eighteen shells were thrown into the city of Charleston, S. C, from the National defences around that city.

January 9.—To-day the noted guerrilla McCown and three of his men were captured by the Forrester New-York cavalry regiment, reconnoitring in the direction of Sperryville, Va.—A fight took place in Mobile Bay, between the rebels in Fort Morgan and the National gunboats stationed on the blockade. On the discovery, this morning, of a steamer ashore under the guns of the Fort, all the gunboats of the fleet got under way; and, while some repaired to the flag-ship for instructions, the Octorara steamed in and opened fire on the rebel craft, which speedily drew a reply from the Fort. The rest of the fleet soon steamed in and took up their positions, when the fire became quite spirited. The rebel steamer was struck several times, and abandoned; but she lay so near the Fort, it was impossible to get her out. Finding the efforts to set her on fire were fruitless, the fleet withdrew, after firing two hours.—A Squad of rebel cavalry entered Cleveland, Tenn., and conscripted every man able to perform service.

January 8.—David O. Dodd, charged with being a rebel spy, was executed this afternoon, in front of St. John’s College, at Little Rock, Arkansas.—General John Morgan held a reception at Richmond, Va. Judge Moore, of Kentucky, in a speech on the occasion, spoke of the worth of General Morgan, and the great credit with which he had served his country. He was now receiving the grateful testimony of the mother of States. He said that Morgan and other Kentuckians who were battling for the liberties of the South, would not sheathe their swords until her liberty was achieved. Despite the thraldom in which Kentucky was held, the muster-rolls of the army showed that forty-nine thousand of her sons had joined their fortunes with ours, and this, despite the fact that the heel of the tyrant was on her neck. He knew the sentiment of the people there—they would be found with the South. The Yankees have desolated her homes and murdered her people. Kentucky never will join her fortunes with the Northern Government.”—The rebel blockade-runner Dare, while attempting to run into the harbor of Wilmington, N. C, was chased ashore and destroyed.—(Doc. 65.)

January 7.—Madisonville, La., was entered and occupied by the National forces.—Twenty shells were thrown into the city of Charleston, S. C, from the National batteries under the command of General Gillmore.— Caleb B. Smith, Judge of the United States Court for the District of Indiana, and late Secretary of the Interior, died suddenly at Indianapolis.—The rebel schooner John Scott, while attempting to escape from the harbor of Mobile, Ala., was captured by the Union gunboat Kennebec.

January 6.—Major General Foster, from his headquarters at Knoxville, issued the following order: “All able-bodied colored men, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, within our lines, except those employed in the several staff departments, officers’ servants, and those servants of loyal citizens who prefer remaining with their masters, will be sent forthwith to Knoxville, Loudon, or Kingston, Tennessee, to be enrolled under the direction of Brigadier-General Davis Tillson, Chief of Artillery, with a view to the formation of a regiment of artillery, to be composed of troops of African descent.”

—By orders from General Foster, Brigadier General O. B. Wilcox was assigned to the command of the district of Clinch, including the region between the Cumberland and Clinch Mountains, and extending from Big Creek Gap on the west, to the eastern line of the State of Tennessee, on the east.