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

August 8.—At Huntsville, Ala., Gen. Rousseau issued the following special order:

“Almost every day murders are committed by lawless bands of robbers and murderers firing into the railroad trains.

“To prevent this, or to let the guilty suffer with the innocent, it is ordered that the preachers and leading men of the churches, (not exceeding twelve in number,) in and about Huntsville, who have been active secessionists, be arrested and kept in custody, and that one of them be detailed each day and placed on board the train on the road running by way of Athens, and taken to Elk River and back, and that a like detail be made and taken to Stevenson and back. Each detail shall be in charge of a trusty soldier, who shall be armed, and not allow him to communicate with any person.

“When not on duty these gentlemen shall be comfortably quartered in Huntsville, but not allowed to communicate with any one without leave from these headquarters. The soldiers detailed for guard of this character will report to these headquarters for further instructions upon the day preceding their tour of duty at three o’clock P.M.”—Special Order No. 54.

— “Certain Non-conscripts” of Richmond, Va., through their counsel, John H. Gilmer, respectfully presented to the confederate States Congress a remonstrance against the conscription law of the rebel government.

— At a banquet given by the Mayor of Sheffield, England, to the corporation of that town, several distinguished guests were present, and among them were Lord Palmerston and Mr. Roebuck, M.P. for the borough.

Lord Palmerston, in his after-dinner speech, took occasion to refer to the American war. He said: The Government had thought it their duty to advise their Sovereign to preserve a strict and rigid neutrality in that most unhappy conflict now raging in North-America. It was painful to witness the loss of life, the wasting of treasure, and other sad concomitants of the unfortunate contest; but, greatly as they might lament to see their brethren on the other side of the Atlantic suffering such wretchedness, greatly as they might themselves feel the evils consequent upon it, he was convinced that the course which the British government had pursued was the only course which became that country, and that it had received, and would continue to receive, the approval and sanction of the British people.

Mr. Roebuck afterward addressed the assembly, and, after referring to the distress in Lancashire, he touched upon the civil war in America, and said he had at first looked at the disruption of the Union with grief, but his present feeling was one of rejoicing. An irresponsible people, possessed of irresponsible and almost omnipotent power, was a people that could not be trusted; and he regarded the attempt of the North in endeavoring to restore the Union by force as an immoral proceeding totally incapable of success. Slavery was a mere pretence. In the North the feeling against the black man was stronger than in the South, and if North and South were reunited to-morrow, slavery would be more firmly fixed than ever. He looked to Lancashire, and would entreat Lord Palmerston to weigh well the consequences of what he called “perfect neutrality.” There had not yet been perfect neutrality. Great Britain was at that moment supporting the North with every means of offence and injury to the South. He, therefore, begged the noble lord deeply to consider whether the time had not come for him to be the first in Europe to ask the Great Powers to recognize the Southern Confederacy. Six months would not pass over before that was done. The Northerners would never be our friends. Of the Southerners we could make friends. They were not the scum and refuse of Europe, but Englishmen. A hand held out from Europe would stop the effusion of blood, and would make the homes of our workingmen happy again. He had not made these remarks lightly or in haste, and he submitted them to his fellow-countrymen, believing that, if acted upon, they would redound to their prosperity and their honor.

— Orders were issued from the War Department at Washington, to prevent the evasion of military duty, and for the suppression of disloyal practices; also authorizing the arrest of persons discouraging enlistments.—(Doc. 175.)

—At Baltimore, Md., several persons were arrested while endeavoring to escape from that city, in order to evade the draft ordered by the Secretary of War. —Portland, Calloway County, Mo., was captured by a party of rebel guerrillas under the command of Capt Cobb. After robbing the stores and residences, the guerrillas left the place. —General Blunt and staff left Leavenworth, Kansas, to take the field in command of the Indian expedition.—Leavenworth Conservative.

August 7. — At Blackburn, England, a large public meeting was held to consider the advantages of recognizing the “Southern States of America,” with a view to bring about an early termination of hostilities. Mr. R. R. Jackson, after declaring that “it was impossible for the North to vanquish the South,” submitted the following resolution:

“That a petition to the Queen be adopted by this meeting, and signed by the Mayor, praying her Most Gracious Majesty to take immediate measures in coalescing with France and such other Powers as may be willing to give their cooperation to recognize the independence of the confederate States of America.”

The resolution was not received with unqualified approval, there being a strong expression of opinion against it; and an amendment was moved by Mr. J. C. Fielden, disapproving the policy of intervention. This amendment was supported by Mr. W. Crossley, but finally withdrawn, and the following amendment, moved by Mr. F. Johnston, was agreed to:

“That this meeting, recognizing the desirability of referring all national disputes to impartial arbitration for settlement, respectfully urges the government of this country to immediately cooperate with other European Powers in recommending to the contending parties in America the above plan as the simplest and most satisfactory method of reestablishing peace, and in their negotiations strongly recommend the abolition of slavery.”

—The rebel expedition to New-Mexico, under Colonel Sibley, was met near Fort Fillmore, by a body of California troops under the command of Colonel Canby. A battle ensued, in which the rebels were routed. Colonel Sibley was assassinated by his own men, who charged him with drunkenness and inefficiency.

— Captain Faulkner, with a body of rebel cavalry, encamped in a swamp near Trenton, Tenn., was surprised by a detachment of the Second Illinois cavalry, losing thirty killed and twenty wounded. — Col. McNeill with a force of one thousand National troops defeated the rebel guerrilla Porter at Kirksville, Mo.—A fight took place in the northern part of Dodd County, Mo., between a party of National troops, under the command of Major Montgomery, and Coffin’s rebel guerrillas, in which the latter were defeated, with a loss of eleven killed, four wounded, and seventeen prisoners.

—A shirmish took place between a small force of Union troops and a body of rebel cavalry at Wolftown, a few miles from Madison Court-House, Va., resulting in the defeat of the rebels, who were driven beyond the Rapidan River, with a loss of two men killed and a number wounded.

—Malvern Hill, Va., was abandoned by the National forces under Gen. Hooker, information having been received that an overwhelming force of rebels, under the command of Gen. A. P. Hill, were advancing upon that place.

August 6.—Col. Thomas C. Johnson, aid to the rebel Gen. Price, at Quitman, Miss., issued the following call to the people of that State:

“I am in your midst for the purpose of procuring shoes and yarn-socks for Gen. Price’s army. Some of his veterans—men who have been in six or eight pitched battles and twenty skirmishes— are to-day destitute of these two articles, necessary even in camp, but indispensable when the army takes the field. As this army now guards the gates to the entrance of the Mississippi, preliminary to driving the enemy northward, Gen. Price desires that the patriotic men of this State should furnish the shoes, and her glorious women the yarn-socks. If possible, he would like every white woman in the State to knit at least one pair of socks for his army. While I make this appeal, I think it is proper to add, that I do not ask a donation, but am prepared to pay a liberal price for both shoes and yarn-socks. I shall be pleased to contract with tanners and shoe-manufacturers for shoes now on hand, or to be made hereafter; and will be obliged to any person who will let me know where I can make contracts.

“For socks, all yarn, white or colored, of good size and length in the leg and foot, I will pay seventy-five cents per pair. They may be sent to me or Dr. France at this place, where they will be paid for, or may be left with the station-agent of the nearest depot of any of the three railroads now in our possession, and some time soon I will call or send an agent to get them and pay for them.”

—At Point Pleasant, Mo., a skirmish occurred between the citizens of that place and the State troops, on account of a difficulty growing out of the enrolment act.—A large war meeting was held at Scranton, Pa., at which speeches were made by Galusha A. Grow and W. W. Ketchum.—A skirmish took place near Montevallo, Mo., between a force of Union troops under the command of Major Montgomery, and a small party of rebel guerrillas, resulting in the rout of the latter with great loss.—Springfield (Mo.) Journal, Aug. 11.

—W. D. Porter, commanding a division of the Mississippi gunboat flotilla, with the gunboat Essex, attacked the rebel iron-clad Arkansas, at a point about four miles above Baton Rouge, La., and after a short engagement succeeded in destroying her.—(Doc. 91.)

—Charles A. Carroll, a rebel colonel commanding North-west Arkansas, at Fort Smith, issued general orders compelling all persons in the counties of Benton, Washington, Madison, Carroll, and Newton, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five to attach themselves at once to the companies raised by him, and declaring “that the oaths administered by the Federals were without legal authority, having no binding efficacy with any civilized people; and a citizen who would think of regarding such iniquitous oaths would be as infamous as those who administered them; and any such would be dealt with as they deserve, understanding at the same time, that the confederate officers everywhere would protect citizens in this their first duty to their country by every means of retaliation necessary to the end in view.” —General Order*.

—At Harrisburgh, Pa., Gen. Wadsworth, by direction of the War Department, arrested the editors and publishers of the Patriot and Union, charged with issuing treasonable posters, calculated to retard and embarrass recruiting throughout Pennsylvania.

—Brigadier-general Robert L. McCook, died from wounds received from a party of guerrillas, who attacked him while proceeding in an ambulance from Athens, Ala., to the National camp near Dechard, Tenn.—(Doc. 172.)

—A Reconnoissance was made from General Burnside’s army by two forces, one under command of Gen. Gibbon, and the other under Acting Brig.-Gen. Cutler, for the purpose of breaking the railroad communication with Richmond, Va. The first advanced as far as the Mattapony River, where they were met by a force of Gen. Stuart’s rebel cavalry, when a skirmish ensued, resulting in the retreat of the rebels. Gen. Hatch having joined Gen. Gibbon, the two forces crossed the river and advanced seven miles, but learning that a large rebel force was on his right, and fearing lest he should be cut off, Gen. Gibbon retraced his steps and returned to camp without having accomplished the object for which he was sent The column under Gen. Cutler was more successful. It advanced to Frederickshall Station, and tore up a section of the railroad, destroyed the water-tanks, five thousand bushels of grain and a quantity of whisky; cut the telegraph-wires and blew up the road-bed. One detachment was sent above and another below the station, both doing great damage. On returning to camp, a large bridge on the Pamunky River was burned to prevent the rebels from following. The expedition was considered satisfactory, and returned to camp with a loss of one killed and seventy-two taken prisoners.

—Yesterday and to-day a series of sharp skirmishes occurred near Tazewell, Tenn., between a body of Union troops under the command of Col. De Courccy, and a superior force of rebels, resulting on each occasion, in a repulse of the latter with considerable loss.—(Doc. 173.)

—An enthusiastic war meeting was held at Washington, D. C, at which patriotic resolutions were adopted and speeches made by President Lincoln, Gen. Shields, and others.—(Doc. 174.)

James Samuel Wadsworth (October 30, 1807 – May 8, 1864) was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864. (Wikipedia)

August 5.—Recruiting for the old and new regiments under the call of President Lincoln for three hundred thousand men was carried on with the greatest success throughout the North, the citizens of every loyal State vieing with each other in their endeavor to support the Government—The War Department ordered, that the use of the telegraph-lines being required for military purposes, all persons actually employed in constructing and operating telegraph-lines at the date of the order calling for three hundred thousand men, be exempt from military duty so long as they remain in such service.

—The battle of Baton Rouge, La., was fought this day between a large force of rebels under the command of Gen. John C. Breckinridge and the Union forces under Brig.-Gen. Thomas Williams. The rebels made the attack at daylight, when a severe engagement ensued, and the National troops were driven from their position; soon after, however, they rallied and compelled the rebels to retreat, leaving their dead and wounded on the field.—(Doc. 91.)

—A fight took place at Malvern Hill, Va., between a reconnoitring force of Union troops under the command of Gen. Hooker, and a body of rebels stationed on the hill. The fight lasted for nearly two hours, when the rebels retired, taking with them their field-pieces, and leaving the Nationals in possession of the position.—(Doc. 171.)

August 4.—Gen. James H. Lane, having been appointed by the Government to raise and organize an army in the Department of Kansas, issued a proclamation from his headquarters at Leavenworth City, calling upon the inhabitants of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Dakota to aid him in the work by volunteering into its ranks.

—In England an important debate took place in the House of Lords, on the propriety of recognizing the Southern Confederacy.

—Governor Sprague, of Rhode Island, issued an order calling upon the colored citizens to enlist into the Sixth regiment of that State, then forming. The regiment was to be composed entirely of colored persons.

—A skirmish took place near Sparta, Tenn., between a small party of Union troops, under the command of Col. Wynkoop, and a superior force of rebels, resulting, after a fight of nearly an hour’s duration, in the retreat of the Nationals. —(Doc. 169.)

—Enthusiastic war meetings were held at Providence, R. I., and Erie, Pa.—Great excitement existed in the Union fleet at Port Royal, S. C, in expectation of the rebel ram Georgia making her appearance among them.

—An order directing “that a draft of three hundred thousand militia be immediately called into the service of the United States, to serve for nine months, unless sooner discharged,” was this day issued from the War Department.—(Doc. 170.)

—In order to provide for the suffering poor of New-Orleans, Gen. Butler issued an order assessing the secessionists of that city, who subscribed to the rebel defence fund, and the cotton brokers who counselled the planters not to bring their staple to market. The amount assessed was three hundred and forty-one thousand nine hundred and sixteen dollars. The Citizens’ Bank of Louisiana, which subscribed three hundred and six thousand four hundred dollars to the defence fund, was assessed seventy-six thousand six hundred dollars.—General Order No. 55.

—A fight took place on the White River, Mo., forty miles from Forsyth, between Col. Lawther and his band of rebels and a party of National troops, under the command of Capt. Birch, of the Fourteenth Missouri State troops, resulting in the defeat of the rebels, with a loss of three killed and seven wounded.

August 3. — General Sherman, commanding United States forces at Memphis, Tenn., issued an order directing that all able-bodied negroes who might apply for work on Fort Pickering or other Government work, should be received and employed by the proper officer in charge. Such negroes would be supplied with rations, necessary clothing and tobacco. An account would be opened with each individual, and his wages would be charged with the value of the clothing and the tobacco; but no wages would be paid until the courts determined whether the negro was slave or free.

—The British propeller Columbia, with a cargo of twelve Armstrong guns and equipments, several thousand Enfield rifles, and various other munitions of war, was captured, after a chase of seven hours, off the Bahamas, by the United States steamer Santiago de Cuba.—The town of Alexandria, Mo., was this day entered by a band of rebel guerrillas, who pillaged the Union stores of all their arms and ammunition.— The schooner Aquilla was captured by the United States gunboat Huron, while attempting to run the blockade of Charleston, S. C.

—A reconsoissance was made by a force of Union troops, under the command of Col. Averill, from the James River to within fourteen miles of Petersburgh, Va. When about five miles from Cox’s River, they encountered the Thirteenth Virginia cavalry, drawn up in line. The Union troops charged upon them, when they broke and ran for their encampment at Sycamore Church, a distance of two and a half miles, where they again formed, but were again put to flight, leaving behind them all their camp equipage and commissary stores, which the Union troops gathered together and burned. The rebels had six men wounded and two taken prisoners. The Union loss was one horse killed. After scouring the country in that neighborhood, the Unionists returned to their encampment on the James River.

August 2.—A woman named Belle Boyd, who had been acting as a rebel spy and mail-carrier to Richmond, from points within the lines of the Union army of the Potomac, was captured near Warrenton, Va., and sent to the old Capitol prison at Washington.—Gen. Butler transmitted to the Secretary of War copies of a correspondence between himself and Gen. Phelps, in relation to the military employment of the negroes of Louisiana.

—This morning at daylight a band of one hundred and twenty-five rebels attacked seventy-five National troops at Ozark, Mo. The commander of the troops, Capt. Birch, having been apprised of the meditated attack, abandoned his camp and withdrew into the brush. Soon afterward the rebel commander called on him to surrender, but received a volley of musket-balls for a reply. Upon this the rebels fled, leaving most of their arms, their muster-rolls, and correspondence.— (Doc. 167.)

—The bark Harriet Ralli, the first French vessel captured since the commencement of the rebellion, arrived at New-York, from New-Orleans, where she was seized by Gen. Butler a short time after the city was occupied by the National forces. —Large war meetings were held at Lancaster, Pa., and Pittsfield, Mass. At the latter a bounty of ten thousand two hundred dollars was voted.

—The Norfolk, Va., Union newspaper was this day suppressed, for publishing a burlesque proclamation, calculated to bring Commodore Goldsborough into ridicule.

—A sharp fight took place at Orange Court-House, Va., between a reconnoitring party of Union troops, under the command of Gen. Crawford, and a force of rebels, resulting in the flight of the latter. The Unionists had four men killed and twelve wounded.—(Doc. 168.)

August 1.—At about one o’clock this morning the rebels opened fire from their batteries stationed at Coggin’s Point, opposite Harrison’s Landing, Va., upon the Union army under Gen. McClellan and the gunboat fleet on the James River. After a brisk fire from the fleet, and land batteries, of nearly two hours’ duration, the rebel batteries were completely silenced. The rebels lost one killed and nine wounded.—Doc. 165.

—James D. Fessenden, Colonel Commanding the First regiment of South-Carolina volunteers, at Drayton’s, S. C, issued the following regimental order:

“The Colonel Commanding takes pleasure in announcing that free papers will soon be issued to those faithful soldiers who have steadfastly stood by their colors and performed with willingness and alacrity the duties of a soldier. They have shown by their prompt and willing obedience to the orders of their officers, and by their fidelity in the discharge of the various duties of camp, that they deserve to be free; and the Colonel Commanding hopes that their conduct hereafter will justify the exercise of the authority which has made them free men.”[1]

—A party of rebels, under the guerrilla Dunn, attacked Canton, Mo., to-day, and shot a man named William Craig, in order to get possession of some rifles stored in his warehouse. They then took possession of the rifles, and plundered all the stores in the place.

—John H. Winder, the rebel General, issued the following from his headquarters at Richmond, Va.: “The obtaining of substitutes through the medium of agents is strictly forbidden. When such agents are employed, the principal, the substitute, and the agent will be impressed into the military service, and the money paid for the substitute, and as a reward to the agent, will be confiscated to the government The offender will also be subjected to such other punishment as may be imposed by a court-martial.”

—This evening the Yankees infesting the waters of James River, landed at “Maycock’s,” the elegant residence of Mrs. Dr. Wm. Cole, and set fire to the dwelling and all the outhouses, which were completely destroyed. Mrs. Cole and her children were absent at the house of a neighbor, but her comfortable home, and all the furniture it contained, has fallen a prey to Yankee madness and malignity. The dwelling at Maycocks was one of the handsomest specimens of cottage architecture on James River, nearly new, and cost some fifteen thousand dollars.— Richmond Enquirer, August 5.

—Six hundred Union troops crossed the James River at Harrison’s Landing, and destroyed all the houses at that point. After accomplishing their object they returned to the Landing without losing a man. — The oath of allegiance to the United States was this day administered to the employés in the Government Navy-Yard, at Brooklyn, N. Y. A few of the men refused to subscribe the oath, and were dismissed from the service.

—A fight took place at Newark, Mo., between a company of the State militia, under the command of Captain Lair, and a superior force of rebel guerrillas, under Colonel Porter. The fight lasted about two hours, the Nationals taking refuge in the houses, from whence they killed a large number of their enemies, but the rebels threatened to burn them out, and they surrendered. The rebels captured about one hundred guns, a large number of horses, a quantity of commissary stores, a number of tents, and eight or ten thousand rounds of cartridges.—(Doc. 166.)

—A series of skirmishes occurred along the Rapidan River, in the vicinity of Orange Court-House, Va., between a reconnoitring party of National troops under the command of General Bayard, and a force of rebels, resulting in the retreat of the latter.

—Yesterday Jeff Davis sent a letter to General Lee, of the rebel army, inclosing an order dated this day, which recapitulated, first, the order of President Lincoln, issued on the twenty-second July, wherein the commanders of the armies of the United States were directed to seize and use any property within the rebel States which might be necessary or convenient for their several commands; second, the order issued by General Pope on the twenty-third July, directing commanders of army corps, divisions, brigades, and detached commands, to arrest all rebels within their lines, and such as would not take the oath of allegiance to the United States to be sent South, and those having violated the oath to be shot, and their property seized and applied to the public use; and third, the order issued on the thirteenth July, by General Steinwehr, directing five prominent citizens of Page County, Va., to be held as hostages, and to suffer death in the event of any of his command being shot by bushwhackers. On account of these orders it was declared in that now issued by Jeff Davis that Generals Pope and Steinwehr were not to be considered as soldiers, and therefore not entitled, in case they should be captured, to the benefit of parole of prisoners of war, but that they, or any commissioned officer serving under them taken captive, should be held in close confinement so long as the above orders of the United States should continue in force. The order further declared that in the event of any rebels being executed by virtue or under the pretext of the above orders, whether with or without trial, or under the pretence of being spies or hostages, or any other pretence, it should be the duty of the General commanding the rebel forces to hang an equal number of the Union commissioned officers who might happen to be prisoners of war in his hands.

[1] The following is a copy of one of the “free papers” loaned to the colored soldiers:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,

Port Royal, S C, August 1, 1862.

The bearer, Prince Rivers, a sergeant in First regiment South Carolina volunteers, lately claimed as a slave, having been employed in hostility to the United States, is hereby, agreeably to the law of the sixth of August, 1861, declared FREE FOR EVER. His wife and children are also free. D. Hunter,

Major-General Commanding.

July 31.—The Secretary of War issued an order revoking all furloughs and leaves of absence from the army, except those given by the War Department, on Monday, the eleventh day of August, and ordering all officers capable of service to join their regiments forthwith, under penalty of dismissal from the service or court-martial. On Monday, the eighteenth August, each regiment and corps would be mustered, the absentees would be marked, and if not appearing within forty-eight hours would be dismissed from the service or treated as deserters.

—Several vessels belonging to the mortar-fleet, under the command of Commodore Porter, arrived at Fortress Monroe, Va., having left the south-west pass of the Mississippi on the seventeenth of the month.—The rebel steamer Memphis was captured by the United States gunboat Magnolia, she having run the blockade of Charleston, S. C, on the night of the twenty-seventh. —Simeon Draper, of New-York, was appointed by the War Department a Special Commissioner to superintend the execution of the order respecting officers and privates absent from the army of United States.

—Large and enthusiastic meetings were held in Milwaukee, Wis., Bergen, N. J., and Cincinnati. O., to promote enlistments into the army under the call of President Lincoln, for additional troops Patriotic speeches were made and resolutions adopted, sustaining the Government in a more vigorous prosecution of the war, recommending the confiscation of the property of traitors everywhere, expressing unalterable opposition to compromise with rebels or traitors, and that they would sustain the Government in resisting hostile foreign intervention.