Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

A Diary of American Events – June 9, 1861

June 9, 2011

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

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—A detachment of the Rhode Island Regiment finished building a floating bridge on the Potomac, near Georgetown, by which thousands of men could be transported across in a few hours. Capt. Medlar, Provost-marshal of Alexandria, seized army supplies consisting of uniforms and cavalry swords, to the value of fifteen hundred dollars.—N. Y. World, June 10.

—Two prisoners were captured yesterday by four privates of Company B, Michigan Regiment, one mile this side of Berke Station, and thirteen miles from Alexandria, Va., on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. One of the prisoners is a corporal in a cavalry company, and the other a private in the Governor’s Guards of Richmond, which is also a cavalry company. The Michigan men while scouting approached near Berks Station, when they saw a number of stacks of muskets. They put back and were pursued by the two cavalry, but sought refuge in ambush, and succeeded in capturing their prisoners and brought them to Alexandria, where they are treated with exceeding kindness. They appear to be quite contented, and one of them, who is a physician, is writing a statement of his experience. The names of the prisoners are Dr. Thomas M. Flemming and Samuel Green.

Seven thousand yards of cassinet and other military goods were seized at the Adams Express office to-day, consigned to Point of Rocks, via Alexandria and London Railroad, valued at about $10,000.

Expedition, the first number of the soldiers’ newspaper, printed by the Pennsylvania Fifth Regiment, appeared this evening. It is printed in fine style on the old Alexandria Sentinel press, and is full of interesting information regarding the condition of the soldiers, &c. It is edited by Lieutenant Ely, of Lebanon county. Several columns are devoted to German literature.—N. Y. Courier & Enquirer, June 10.

—In the last number of the Danville (Ky.) Review, Rev. Dr. Breckinridge discusses the southern rebellion in temperate but forcible language. He traces the origin and progress of the insurrection, and demonstrates not only that the rebel leaders are bent upon the accomplishment of selfish ends, but that the latent loyalty of the masses of the southern people needs but the protection of the Federal Government to be able to assert itself, to the utter discomfiture of Jeff Davis and his fellows. Dr. Breckinridge is the uncle of the late Vice-President of the United States.—N. Y. Evening Post, June 22.

—All day the Naval Brigade, under the direction of a company of United States marines, were engaged off Fortress Monroe, Va., practising the management of eight or ten scows, each carrying twenty-four oars, and capable of transporting 180 men each, besides the rowers. When this marine drill was concluded every oar was carefully muffled, and the scows, manned each by a coxswain and twenty-six rowers from the Naval Brigade, glided out from the fort, and rowed in the harbor to the mouth of Hampton River, and up the stream. At about midnight they were moored on the hither shore in Hampton, and just below the remains of the bridge destroyed in the rebel retreat two weeks previously. The stream at that point is from sixty to one hundred yards in width. In the afternoon orders were given for a concerted movement of forces from Newport News, and from the camps at Fortress Monroe, against a position that the rebels had taken up at or near Great Bethel, in York county, a place about 12 miles northwest of Fortress Monroe. In accordance with the terms of the order three companies of Duryea’s regiment, under Capt. Kilpatrick, went forward from Hampton on the Bethel road at 10 P. M., and soon after the remainder of Duryea’s regiment, and the New York Third, Col. Townsend, followed, and were ferried over Hampton Creek by the boats of the Naval Brigade previously taken round from Fortress Monroe. Meantime, 5 companies, each from the Vermont First Regiment, and the Massachusetts Fourth, under Lieut.-Col. Washburne; six companies of the N. Y. Seventh, Col. Bendix, and a squad of regulars with 2 howitzers, under Lieut. Greble, moved forward from the position at Newport News, to form a junction on the road with the men from Fortress Monroe.

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