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

February 6.—The English steamer Dee was discovered ashore and on fire, at a point one mile south of Masonboro Inlet, N. C, by the National gunboat Cambridge. Finding it impossible to extinguish the flames or get her off, Commander Spicer, of the Cambridge, abandoned the attempt, and still further destroyed her by firing into her.—Admiral Lee’s Report.

—The Sixteenth army corps, General Hurlbut, and Seventeenth corps, General McPherson, under orders of Major-General Sherman, entered Jackson, Miss., the enemy offering but little resistance.—(Doc. 122.)

—A party of Yankees went to Windsor, in Bertie County, N. C, in boats, while another party landed on the Roanoke River, eight miles below, and marched on the town, where they made a junction with those that went up in boats. They burned up some meat, destroyed some salt, and carried off the Rev. Cyrus Walters, of the Episcopal Church, and several others. They attacked Captain Bowcrs’s camp, and routed the small force there; but, Captain Bowers being reenforced with a small body of cavalry, after some sharp fighting, the Yankees retired.—Raleigh Confederate.

—A detachment of the Seventh Indiana entered the town of Bolivar, Tenn., under the impression that the place was still occupied by the Federal troops. Much to their surprise, they found a regiment and a half of rebels in posession. They were in the town, and demanded what troops they were. The reply was, Mississippi. The Indianans, with the shout, “Remember Jeff Davis!” made a furious attack upon the astonished and disconcerted rebels, and drove them out of Bolivar in the utmost confusion, killing, wounding, and capturing about thirty. The Union loss was one killed and three wounded.

—In the rebel Congress, the following resolution was introduced this day: “Whereas, The President of the United States, in a late public communication, did declare that no propositions for peace had been made to that Government by the confederate States, when in truth such propositions were prevented from being made by the President, in that he refused to hear or even to receive two commissioners appointed to treat expressly of the preservation of amicable relations between the two governments; nevertheless that the confederate States may stand justified in the sight of the conservative men of the North of all parties, and that the world may know which of the two governments it is that urges on a war unparalleled for fierceness of conflict, and intensifying into a sectional hate unsurpassed in the annals of mankind; therefore,

Resolved, That the confederate States invite the United States through their government at Washington, to meet them by representatives equal to their representatives and senators in their respective congresses ——, on the day of ——, next ——, to consider, first, whether they cannot agree upon a recognition of the confederate States of America. Second, in the event of declining such a recognition, whether they cannot agree upon the formation of a new government, founded upon the equality and sovereignty of the States; but if this cannot be done, to consider, third, whether they cannot agree upon treaties offensive, defensive, and commercial.

February 5.—The Fourteenth Illinois cavalry, commanded by Major Davis, which had been out on an expedition from Knoxville, Tenn., reported at headquarters, after having performed one of the most daring raids of the war. Evading the enemy’s cavalry, the force dashed round into Jackson County, North-Carolina, surprised the camp of Thomas’s celebrated Indian Legion, capturing fifty of those outlaws—among whom were three lieutenants and an Indian doctor—besides killing and wounding a large number. Thomas, himself, with a remnant of his band escaped. Before the war he was the United States agent for the Cherokees of East-Tennessee and North-Carolina, a position which gave him great influence with the savages.

The Union loss in the fight was three killed— among whom was Lieutenant Capran, son of the colonel who first commanded the regiment—and five wounded. A detachment of the Forty-ninth Ohio were sent to bring in the prisoners.

—Day before yesterday a scouting-party sent out from Cape Girardeau, Mo., by Colonel J. B. Rogers, under command of Captain Shelby, Second regiment of cavalry, M. S. M., attacked a largo band of guerrillas under the noted chief, John F. Bolin, killed seven, and captured eight men, thirteen horses, and fifteen wagons loaded with corn. Bolin was captured and confined in the guard-house at that post.

At a late hour to-night he was forcibly taken by the enraged soldiers and citizens from the custody of the guard, and hung. No intimation of the act reached the officers until the deed was perpetrated. The officers did all in their power to suppress the violation of the law, but to no avail. Bolin made the following confession before his execution:

“I was at Round Pond; there were eight men killed; two by Nathan Bolin and one by John Wright. They were killed with handspikes. I emptied one revolver. At Round Point I shot one man; at Dallas I wounded another. I captured eight men on Hickory Ridge; I told them I was going to shoot them, but their soldiers recaptured them before I could do so. I have killed six or seven men; I killed my cousin; I ordered him to halt—he would not, and I shot him down.”

—Governor Yates, of Illinois, issued a proclamation, saying that that State, under every call, had exceeded her quota, and was not, on the first of January or at any other time, subject to a draft.

—Day before yesterday, an expedition, under command of Colonel Jourdan, left Newport, N. C, for the White River, for the purpose of making a reconnoissancc. The command was made up of Vermont and New-York troops, and a part of the Second North-Carolina regiment, who rendered efficient service as guides. Last evening they came upon a body of cavalry about five miles from Young’s Cross-Roads, and captured the entire party, numbering twenty-eight men and thirty horses, with their arms and equipments. A quantity of corn was also captured and brought in. The command returned to Newport this day, without losing a man.

—The steamer Emma was fired into at a point fifteen miles below Helena, Ark., with cannon and musketry. The shells were filled with Greek fire, three of which exploded in various parts of her, setting her on fire, but the flames were extinguished.—The bombardment of Fort Sumter was continued; eighty-six shots were fired at the city of Charleston during the day.

February 4.—The British steamer Nutfield, from Bermuda to Wilmington, N. C, was chased ashore and destroyed near New-River Inlet, N. C, by the National war steamer Sassacus.— Admiral Lee’s Report.

February 3.—Major-General W. T. Sherman, with the Sixteenth army corps, under the command of Major-General Hurlbut, and the Seventeenth army corps, commanded by General McPherson, left Vicksburgh upon an expedition through Mississippi.—(Doc. 122.)

—The guard of one company of infantry posted at Patterson Creek Bridge, eight miles east of Cumberland, Va., was attacked at half-past one P.M. yesterday, by five hundred rebel cavalry, under General Rosser, and after a spirited resistance, in which two were killed and ten wounded, the greater part of the company were captured. This accomplished, the rebels set fire to the bridge, and leaving it to destruction, started off with their prisoners in the direction of Romney. The employés of the railroad succeeded in staying the fire, and saved the bridge, with only slight damage. General Averill, with his command of nearly two thousand cavalry, and who had been sent out from Martinsburgh by General Kelley, this morning overtook the rebels near Springfield, and a severe engagement ensued. The rebels were driven through Springfield, and thence to and south of Burlington. Many of the rebels were killed and wounded, and the Union captures were large, including the recovery of the men yesterday taken at Patterson’s Creek, and many horses. The enemy retreated rapidly to the back country, hotly pursued by the cavalry.— A fight took place at Sartatia, Miss., between a body of rebels numbering about three thousand, under General Ross, and the National gunboats, on an expedition up the Yazoo River to cooperate with General Sherman.—(Docs. 122 and 124.)

February 2.—The United States steamer Underwriter, lying at anchor in the Neuse, River, N. C, was surprised and destroyed by a party of rebels, who belonged to the forces on the expedition against Newbern.—Admiral Lee’s Report.

—One hundred and twenty-nine deserters from the rebel army under the command of General Johnston, who had effected their escape during his late movement, entered the provost-marshal’s office at Chattanooga, and took the oath of allegiance to the United States.—This morning eleven prisoners and ten horses, belonging principally to the Sixth Virginia cavalry, were captured near Blue Ridge, in the vicinity of Thornton’s Gap, Va.—The British steamer Presto, in attempting to run into Charleston Harbor, ran ashore off Sullivan’s Island, where she was destroyed by the National fleet.

February 1.—President Lincoln issued an order for a draft of five hundred thousand men, to serve three years or during the war.—(Doc. 72.) —A fight took place late this afternoon in the New-Creek Valley, Va., between an advancing column of the enemy’s troops and one column of Nationals. After a sharp engagement the rebels were repulsed and driven back over two miles.— A fight took place at Bachelor’s Creek, N. C, between a large force of rebels under the command of Generals Pickett and Hoke, and the Union forces under General J. W. Palmer, resulting in the retreat of the latter with considerable loss in men and material.—(Doc. 69.)

—The blockade-running steamer Wild Dayrell was chased ashore and burned, near Stump Inlet, N. C, by the National gunboat Sassacus, under the command of Lieutenant Commander F. A. Roe.—Admiral Lee’s Report.

January 31.—Warsaw, N. C, was destroyed by fire.—Governor R. H. Gamble died at St Louis, Missouri.

January 30.—This morning a reconnoitring force that had been sent out from Colonel Campbell’s command, returned to headquarters of his department of West-Virginia, after having gone to Romney. There they divided into three columns, one going out on the Winchester road thirty miles, the other down the Grassy Lick road to the vicinity of Wardensville, and the third on the old Moorfield road. None of these columns met with serious opposition on their advance. The information which they gained proved to be of high importance.—A Party of Southern sympathizers were banished from Knoxville, Tenn.

—Major-General Rosecrans, at his headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., issued the following address: “In relieving General Schofield, who, in assuming the arduous duties connected with this command, relinquished high prospects of a brilliant career as commander of Thomas’s old division in the then opening campaign of the army of the Cumberland, I tender him my compliments for the admirable order in which I have found the official business and archives of this department, and my best wishes, as well as hopes, that in this new field of duty he may reap that success which his solid merits, good sense, and honest devotion to his duty and his country so well deserve.

“While commanding here, I sincerely trust I shall receive the honest, firm, and united support of all true National and Union men of this department, without regard to politics, creed, or party, in my endeavors to maintain law and reestablish peace and secure prosperity throughout its limits. The past should be remembered only for the lessons it teaches, while our energies should be directed to the problem of assuring our future, based firmly on the grandeur of our position, and on the true principle of humanity and progress to universal freedom, secured by just laws.”

January 29.—Last night a train of about eighty wagons was sent out from New-Creek, heavily laden with commissary stores for the garrison at Petersburgh, West-Virginia, and accompanying the train was an escort of about eight hundred men, being detachments from the Twenty-third Illinois, (Irish brigade,) Fourth Virginia cavalry, Second Maryland, First and Fourteenth Virginia infantry, and one hundred of the Ringgold Cavalry battalion, the whole under command of Colonel J. W. Snyder.

Nothing unusual occurred until the train got about three miles south of Williamsport to-day, when it was suddenly set upon at different points by open and concealed forces of the rebels. Although somewhat surprised by the suddenness of the attack, the guard at once formed and deployed for action. Then it was that a hard fight ensued, commencing at three o’clock in the afternoon and lasting for over four hours, at the expiration of which time it was found that the Nationals had lost about eighty in killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss was about one hundred.

In the early part of the fight the rebels opened fire from four pieces of artillery. The superiority of their strength—there being in all about two thousand men—also gave them the advantage in outflanking movements, and they exercised their ingenuity simultaneously to operate on the front, rear, and flanks of Colonel Snyder’s command. They, however, completely failed of their object, which seemed to be to try to surround, and, if possible, capture the whole party. Several times the rebel lines were broken, and several times the rebel charges were repulsed. At last, as night closed, the superior numbers of rebels gained them a success.

—Colonel Jordan, commanding the sub-district of Beaufort, made a dash into Jones and Onslow counties, N. C, for the purpose of surprising and capturing detachments of cavalry near Swansboro and Jacksonville. He returned to Morehead City this day, having been entirely successful, the expedition being a complete surprise to the rebels. He captured about thirty prisoners, (cavalry,) including one lieutenant, a large number of horses, arms, and equipments, and destroyed a large quantity of ammunition and other property. His command consisted of detachments of the One Hundred and Fifty-eighth New-York, Ninth Vermont, Twelfth and Mix’s cavalry—in all, about three hundred men. They marched one hundred miles in about fifty hours, meeting with no loss whatever.

—The Twenty-first Missouri regiment, in command of Major Moore, left Memphis yesterday, on board the steamer Sir William Wallace, and today, while passing the foot of Islands Nos. 70 and 71, the boat was fired upon from the Mississippi shore by a large party of guerrillas, who were lying in ambush at a place where boats had to run close to shore. There were from fifty to one hundred shots fired in the space of about ten minutes, resulting in killing one man and wounding six others.

—Last night Colonel Thoburn, in command of the National garrison at Petersburgh, West-Virginia, evacuated that post in consequence of receiving information that the enemy in large force would attack him in the morning. The enemy did attack Petersburgh this morning with artillery. They made regular approaches, and finally charged, but found no opposing force. Colonel Thoburn was within hearing with his retreating column.

—A party of seven men belonging to the steamer Southwester were sent ashore at Bolivar Landing, Tenn., on a foraging expedition, taking with them nine mules and horses and wagons. They had scarcely got out of sight when they were set upon and surrounded by nine guerrillas, who leaped from the bushes with shouts to surrender. This they did. The animals were cut from the wagons, and the prisoners ordered to mount, when they were taken to the interior.