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

January 9.—In consequence of the destruction of a locomotive and construction train, upon the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, this day, by Richard McCann and Thomas Kilkird, leading a gang of outlaws, Col. R. S. Moore, of the Eighty-fifth Illinois volunteers, was ordered to proceed with his regiment to the houses of the above named persons, and to destroy their houses, barns, farms, and all property susceptible of destruction upon their respective grounds, by fire, or any other means at his command—General R. B. Mitchel’s Special Order.

—Colonel Ludlow, of General Dix’s staff, returned from City Point, Va., to Fortress Monroe, having accomplished an exchange of prisoners, by which twenty thousand men were restored to active service in the National army.—The army of the Cumberland, under the command of Major-General Rosecrans, was divided into three army corps, to be known as the Fourteenth, commanded by Major-General Thomas, Twentieth, commanded by Major-General A. McD. McCook, and the Twenty-first, under the command of Major-General T. L. Crittenden.—General Orders, No. 9.

—The lower branch of the Legislature of Indiana, adopted a series of resolutions, condemning the arrests made by order of the National War Department as “acts of tyranny and flagrant violations of the rights of the people.”

January 8.—A fight took place at Springfield, Mo., between the Union forces under Brigadier General Brown, and a numerically superior force of rebels under General Marmaduke, resulting, after a contest of more than ten hours’ duration, in a retreat of the latter. The loss was nearly equal on both sides.—(Doc. 98.)

—Yesterday a large reconnoitring force of Union troops, under the command of Major Wm. P. Hall, embarked at Yorktown, Va., on board the fleet of gunboats and transports, under the command of Captain F. A. Parker, and arrived at West-Point, at the junction of the Pamunkey and Mattapony Rivers, early this morning. Thence they proceeded to Lanesville, where they captured a wagon-train, consisting of contraband goods, en route for Richmond, consisting of gutta-percha, block-tin, paints, medicines, shek-lac, and ordnance stores. Leaving a strong picket-guard at Lanesville, they next proceeded to Indian Town, where they found two wagons loaded with meal, awaiting ferriage to White House, and destined for Richmond. After destroying these, with the telegraph, and seizing the mail, they crossed the Pamunkey to White House, where they destroyed by fire the ferry-boat, two sloops laden with grain, two barges, four pontoon-boats, the steamer Lottie Maynard, a store-house, containing over one thousand bushels of wheat, a large quantity of commissary stores, etc The torch was next applied to the railroad depot, containing a large amount of freight for Richmond, the tank, the rolling stock, signal station, sutlers’ buildings, and stores. The force remained until the demolition was complete, when, the object of the reconnoissance having been accomplished, they returned to Yorktown, having sustained no loss whatever during the expedition.—Official Report.

—Captain Moore, of the Twentieth Illinois cavalry, this morning at sunrise, made a sudden descent upon the camp of Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson’s rebel command, near Ripley, Tenn., and dispersed the occupants, killing eight, wounding twenty, and capturing forty-six prisoners, among whom were one major, two captains, and one lieutenant. He also seized twenty horses, and one wagon-load of arms. Dawson’s party had been engaged for many weeks burning all the cotton that could be found in that part of the country. Captain Moore did not lose a man, and had only three wounded.— Wolverine Citizen.

—The English sloop Julia was captured near Jupiter Inlet, Fla. — General Mansfield Lovell was dismissed from the service of the rebels for incapacity.—The steamer Mussulman was burned by guerrillas at Bradley’s Landing, ten miles above Memphis, Tenn.—General Pemberton, in command of the rebel forces at Vicksburgh, issued an order expressing his high appreciation of their “recent gallant defence” of that position.— The rebel steamer Tropic, formerly the Huntress, of Charleston, S. C, while attempting to run the blockade, was destroyed by fire. Her passengers were saved by the boats of the National gunboat Quaker City.

January 7.—The Richmond Examiner of this date, in discussing the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, says, that it is the “most startling political crime, the most stupid political blunder, yet known in American history,” that “servile insurrection is the real, sole purpose of the Proclamation,” that it “shuts the door of retreat and repentance on the weak and timid,” and that the “Southern people have now only to choose between victory and death.”— Four hundred and fifty women and children left Washington, D. C, for Richmond, Va., and other parts of the South, under official permission.— A reconnoissance from Winchester to Woodstock, Va., was made this day by a party of the First New-York cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Von Schickfuss. — Philadelphia Inquirer.

January 6.—The British iron steamer Antona, laden with Enfield rifles, a battery of brass fieldpieces, powder, medicines, boots, tea, etc., from Liverpool vid Havana, was captured off Mobile, by the United States steamer Pocahontas, while attempting to run the blockade.—(Doc. 97.)

—General Rosecrans, from his headquarters at Murfreesboro, Tenn., issued a general order, announcing to the commissioned officers of the rebel army, taken prisoners by the forces under his command, “That, owing to the barbarous measures announced by President Davis, in his recent Proclamation, denying parole to our officers, he will be obliged to treat them in like manner.”

—The expedition under the command of General Samuel P. Carter, reached Manchester, Ky., on its return from East-Tennessee.—A meeting was held at Beaufort, N. C, at which resolutions were adopted, denouncing the course of Governor Stanly, in his administration in that State.

January 5.—Captain John H. McNeill of Imboden’s rangers, made a descent upon the National troops in Hardy County, Va., and succeeded in killing one, and in capturing thirty-three men, sixty-one horses, with accoutrements, besides several revolvers and other articles of value. This was accomplished after the rebel forces under General Jones had retired from Moorefield.— Richmond Dispatch.

—By direction of the President of the United States, the troops in the Department of the Gulf were constituted the Nineteenth army corps, to date from December fourteenth, 1862, and Major General N. P. Banks was assigned to the command.—The English sloop Avenger, while trying to run the blockade at Jupiter Inlet, Fla., was captured by the gunboat Sagamore.—Captain W. B. Cushing with the schooner Home, made an expedition up Little River, N. C, surprised and captured a rebel fort, destroyed all its defences and stores, and retired without any casualty.—Official Report.

— Brig.-Gen. R. H. Milrot, commanding the National forces at Winchester, Va., issued a notice to the citizens of that place, of his intention to maintain and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln.—The rebel pickets, stationed eighteen miles below Kinston, N. C, were driven in by the advance of General Foster’s forces.—An emancipation jubilee was held at Cooper Institute, in New-York City.—Jefferson Davis returned to Richmond from his tour in the South-west.

January 4.—Major-General Hurlbut, commanding District of Tennessee, issued an order at Memphis, warning the resident sympathizers with guerrillas, that threats having been made that the railroads in his command would be interrupted, he would, for every attempted raid upon such roads, send to the South ten families of the most noted secessionists in Memphis, and those to be selected from the wealthiest and highest social position.—General Order, No. 10.

—At Galveston, Texas, the rebel General J. B. Magruder issued the following proclamation: “Whereas, the undersigned has succeeded in capturing and destroying a part of the enemy’s fleet, and in driving the remainder out of the harbor of Galveston and beyond the neighboring waters, and, the blockade having been thus effectually raised, he therefore proclaims to all concerned, that the harbor of Galveston is open for trade to all friendly nations, and their merchants are invited to resume their usual commercial intercourse with this port.”—Official Proclamation.

January 3.— Captain William Gwin, of the United States gunboat Benton, died this evening of the wounds he received in the action near Vicksburg, Miss., on the twenty-seventh of December last.—A volunteer cavalry company, under the command of Captain J. Sewell Reid, arrived at New-York from California, on the way to Massachusetts, in order to join the Second cavalry of that State. They were raised in San Francisco, and represented nearly every loyal State in the Union.—Murfreesboro, Tenn., was evacuated by the rebels. — (Dec. 26.)

— Last night a portion of the command of General Washburne’s cavalry left camp at Helena, Ark., and in a terrific storm of wind and rain, proceeded to a point near La Grange, where, at daylight this morning, they dashed upon a camp of rebel cavalry, and succeeded in scattering them through the woods and destroying their camp, besides capturing ten men and two officers, and killing and wounding ten others.— General Gorman’s Despatch.

—Early this morning Moorefield, Va., was attacked by the strong rebel force under the command of General Jones, and after a contest with the garrison of several hours’ duration, they were beaten off and compelled to retreat, carrying with them, however, sixty-five prisoners with their arms, and six horses.— Wheeling Intelligencer.

January 2.—The battle of Stone River, or Murfreesboro, Tenn., between the Union army of the Cumberland, under the command of Major-General Rosecrans, and the rebel force under General Bragg, which commenced two days previous, was resumed this morning, and, after a most obstinate and bloody contest, which lasted all day, resulted in the retreat of the rebel forces with great slaughter.—(Docs. 26 and 146.)

— Skirmishing continued yesterday around Vicksburgh, and this morning the rebels advanced upon a portion of General Grant’s army who were engaged erecting works on the lake near the city, causing them to retreat with a slight loss. General Pemberton, in command of the rebels, sent a despatch to Richmond stating that “the enemy finding all his efforts unavailing to make any inroad upon our position here, has reembarked, leaving a considerable quantity of intrenching tools and other property, and apparently has relinquished his designs upon Vicksburgh.”

— President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was officially issued as “General Order No, 1.”

—A Detachment of Stuart’s rebel cavalry, commanded by Major Herring, made a descent into Dumfries, Va., and captured a quantity of public stores and ten sutler’s wagons, belonging principally to Maine and New-York regiments. The movement was accomplished with such extraordinary expedition, that but two drivers only escaped.— At Richmond, Va., brown sugar sold at one dollar and ten cents per pound, molasses at eight dollars a gallon, and other necessaries of life in proportion. — Richmond Examiner.

Salutes in honor of the confirmatory proclamation of the President of the United States, declaring freedom to the slaves of rebels, were given in many portions of the loyal States.— Boston Transcript.

—Union prisoners captured at Galveston, yesterday, arrived at Houston, Texas. In noticing the event, the Telegraph said: “They are a fine looking body of men, and ought to be ashamed of themselves for volunteering their services in the villainy of trying to subjugate a chivalrous people.” —Colonel Hoskins, commanding military post at Lebanon, Ky., made report of his operations before that place, commencing on the twentieth day of December, 1862, at which time he was notified by General Boyle that the rebel forces under General Morgan had again entered Kentucky, and ending on this day, when the pursuit of them was abandoned, by order of General Fry, three miles beyond Columbia, Ky.— (Doc. 52.)

JANUARY 1, 1863.

—Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, issued his confirmatory Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the slaves in certain States and parts of States in rebellion to be henceforth and forever free.—An enthusiastic meeting was held in Tremont Temple, Boston, throughout the whole of this day—morning, afternoon, and evening—in honor of the Proclamation. The day was also celebrated in Norfolk, Va., by the entire negro population. They marched through the town in procession, numbering over four thousand persons, headed by a band of music, carrying the Union flag, cheering for the downfall of slavery, etc. At Beaufort, S. C, the day was celebrated by the freedmen, by an excursion up the Beaufort River to the encampment of the First South-Carolina colored volunteers, where they were addressed by Brigadier-General Saxton, Colonel Higginson, Rev. Mr. French, and others. After singing an “Ode for Emancipation Day,” the multitude partook of refreshments. The tables were loaded with roast beef, bread, coffee, etc. Five oxen were roasted whole for the occasion.

—Galveston, Texas, was captured by a rebel force under General Magruder. The town was garrisoned by only three hundred troops, protected by six small gunboats: namely, the Westfield, Clifton, Harriet Lane, Owasco, Sachem, and Corypheus. Of these, the Harriet Lane was captured, after fighting until her captain and most of his officers and crew were killed; the Westfield got aground and was prematurely blown up, together with the commander of the fleet, Commodore Renshaw, and most of her officers and crew; the others escaped.—(Doc. 95.)

—Richard Yeadon, of Charleston, S. C, issued the following notice: “President Davis having proclaimed Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachusetts, to be a felon, deserving of capital punishment, for the deliberate murder of William B. Mumford, a citizen of the Confederate States, at New-Orleans, and having ordered that the said Benjamin F. Butler be considered or treated as an outlaw and common enemy of mankind, and that in the event of his capture, the officer in command of the capturing force do cause him to be immediately executed by hanging, the undersigned hereby offers a reward of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the capture and delivery of the said Benjamin F. Butler, dead or alive, to any proper confederate authority.”