Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1912 — CIVIL WAR [ARTICLE]

CIVIL WAR

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

February It, 1862. ‘ The Nashville American seconded the warning against apathy and confidence in providence on the part of southerners which the Richmond Courier lately expressed In a strong editorial. “From the beginning of the war to the present time the constant cry of the people of the south has been, 'God and the British are on our side.* That cry has seemed to satisfy too many of those whose lives and all have been at stake that we would triumph without proper energy of our own. The first news that is looked for In the morning paper is 'The latest foreign intelligence, . . . We put our trust in God and the British. The disaster at Fishing Creek and the equally fatal result at Fort Henry may begin to open our eyes to the fact that God and the British will not help us untilLwe learn to help ourselves. This defeat may also serve to teach us that which every great general has found out before he has fought many battles, that individual bravery is valueless against organized drill and discipline. . . .” The Sawyer gun at Newport News burst while being fired, killing two men and injuring several. ‘ Dr. Luther V. Bell, medical director to General Hooker’s division of the Federal army, died in camp, near Budd’s ferry, Maryland. February 12, 1862. Gen. Price, who had. long maintained a footing in Missouri with his small Confederate force against the operations of the Federals under Fremont, Hunter, and Halleck, was obliged to abandon Springfield, and fall back toward Ozark and Wilson creek. For want of transportation facilities, he was forced to leave behind him some military stores and equipments, that fell into the hands of Gen. Curtis, who occupied Springfield with a Federal force after Gen. Price had left The Confederate states undertook to build a railroad from Danville, Va., and Greensborough, N. C. The congress passed an act and President Davis approved it, providing for the construction of the road as a military necessity. A Union expedition under command of Col. Reggin returned to Fort Henry from the country along the Tennessee river. They brought with them stores seized at Paris, Tennessee, and reported having found the tents and camp equipage used by the Confed erate troops who had evacuated Fort Henry. February 13, 1862. The convention for the purpose of drawing a constitution for the pew state of West Virginia, meeting at Wheeling, western Virginia, declared against admitting negroes within the boundaries of the state, by the adoption of the following article 6f the section on the fundamental provisions of the constitution: “No slave or free persons of color shall come into this state for permanent residence after this constitution goes into operation." In the United States senate Mr. Davis introduced a series of resolutions, concerning the Constitution of the United States and the secession of the southern states, stating “that it is the duty of the United States to suppress the Rebellion, to carry the sword in one hand and the olive branch in the other, and to restore the states as they were before the war.” Bowling Green, Ky., suffered from an extensive fire. Several large establishments were destroyed. The Confederate soldiers under Gens. Johnson and Hardee finally succeeded in putting out the flames, under the per* sonal direction of Gens. Johnson and Hardee. ‘ Springfield, Mo., evacuated during the night by Gen. Price, was occupied by the union forces under Gen. Curtis. The Federal troops advanced in line of battle at, three o’clock in the morning, but found the place deserted. Over six hundred Confederate sick were left behind. An expedition under Lieut. William N. Jeffers, U. S. N., from the mouth of North River, near Edenton, N. C., proceeded to the mouth of the Chesapeake and Albemarle canal and blocked it by sinking and burning two schooners. February 14, 1862. Earl Russell., answering a question by the Earl of Stanhope in the British House of Lords concerning the blocking of the entrances to Charlestown hwbor by the sinklng of stone laden hulks, expressed the complaisance of England in the matter. England would have protested against the permanentdestruction of any harbor, Russell returned to Stanhope’s specific complaint, but the American government had sunk the vessel* as a war measure, and the obstruction would be* removed as soon as peace was established. There had been a hope in some quarters that the stone fleets would become the basis of another international misunderstanding. Edwin M. Stanton, secretary war (for the United States, issued an order releasing all political prisoners held in confinement by the Federal «governmeat, on condition that they would not take part in er abet the armed rebellion against the Federal authority or hi any way attempt to injure the government. President Lincoln grant-1

ed an amnesty to all such persons torpast offenses. Included in the number affected were those taken on vessels that had attempted to run the blockade. Gen. Lander, of the Union army, made a reconnoissance in force and broke up a Confederate camp "at Blooming Gap, Va. Col. Carr oil, with some Ohio volunteers, made a reconnoissance to Unger’s store, in Virginia. Gen. Dunning captured a herd ot beef cattle from a band of guerrillas at New Creek, Va. , Hamilton Fish and Bishop Ames, who had been commissioned to visit the Union prisoners in southern prisons, returned to Washington. They had been refused permission to visit the prisoners, for military reasons, but the Confederate government had negotiated with them for a general exchange, which was brought about February 15, 1862. Bowling Green, Kentucky, was evacuated by the Confederates, and occupied by a Union force under Briga-dier-General D. C. Buell. The national troops reached the Big Barren river, opposite the city, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, after a hard march of 40 miles in 28% hours. The bridge across the river having been destroyed,‘the brigade under Colonel Turchin was sent across the river in a flat boat, under cover of a heavy fire from the batteries of field artillery, under Captain Loomis. The Confederates were not in sufficient force to resist General Buell’s army, and left the town. It had lost much value as a strategical position because of the recent fire. The national batteries on Venus Island Point, in the Savannah river, were attacked at 3 o’clock in the’afternooh by four Confederate gunboats. The gunboats sought to silence or destroy the batteries in order that vessels might pass the point from Fort Pulaski. The engagement was heavy for an hour. It was terminated by a lucky shot that disabled the boat of the Confederate flag officer, which was towed out of action by another of the fleet of gunboats. The steamer that had come with the gunboats from Fort Pulaski to take advantage of the passage they might effect; returned whence it had come. The Confederates attempted to break through the Federal lines drawn by General Grant about Fort Donelson. They Were repulsed and driven into their inner works by a general advance. Commander Foote bombarded Fort Donelson. February 16, 1862. Fort Donelson, a strong Confederate position on the Tennessee river, in Tennessee, surrendered on the morning of the 16th to the Union forces under General Grant, who had been operating against the fort for several days. On the 13th there had been an attack by the Union gunboat flotilla, which had been repulsed after a heavy duel between the boats and batteries. On the 13th more gunboats arrived with reinforcements. General McClernand’s column had occupied a position in front of the works the day be fore. On the 14th the gunboats attacked again, but with no better success, losing heavily from the plunging fire of the Confederate batteries. Finding it out of the question to carry the works by a river attack, General Grant determined .to invest the place, but his plans were upset by a fierce sortie from the Confederate works early on the morning of the 15th. The Confederates succeeded in driving back the right wing of th* Union army, and held a decided advantage until General Grant ordered General Smith to move against the Confederate left. The movement was executed with dash, and was successful. The Confederates were driven from that part of the.field, and subsequently from the right, where they had gained ground earlier in the day. On the morning of the 16th the Confederates surrendered. Generals Floyd and Pillow, with a large part of the garrison, had escaped during the night Generals Buckner and Tllghman remained with the fort and were taken prisoners. The capture of the fort was considered a decisive victory in the North and did much to raise General Grant in the popular esteem. ’Brigadier-General Price of the Confederate army, son of Sterling Price, together with a number of Confederate officers, was captured near Warsa, Missouri, by lowa troops under Colonel Stubbs. February 17, 1862, , There was a savage encounter in the woods on the banks of Sugar Creek, Arkansas, between a body of Confederates whose identity was not known, and the First Missouri Cavalry, Fourth Missouri Cavalry, and Major Bowen’s battalion. The First Cavalry, attempting to drive the Confederates from their shelter behind the trees on the top of a ridge, Were driven back. Major Bowen opened with a howitzer, to which the Confederates replied briskly. No further attempt was made to dislodge them, the Union forces withdrawing to their camp. Two regiments of Tennessee Confederate volunteers marched Into Fort Donelson and were captured. They did not know the place had been captured and occupied by the Uhion The legislature of Ohio held h jubilee over the success at the national Fiery Speeches Were made, advocating th* bangfog <Oae“rebels,** and a war on Great Britain. The Confederate provisional con(Copyright, mg «- ChapmaaJ