Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 123, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1912 — The CIVIL WAR [ARTICLE]

The CIVIL WAR

FIFTY YEARS AGO g| THIS WEEK

May 13,1882. * Martial law went into force In Charleston, S, C. General Fremont with his command reached Franklin, W. Va., by forced marches, nnder the apprehension that an attack would be made on Generals. Schenck and Milroy, already in that neighborhood. His was part of the force of 70,000 men held from joining General McClellan’s Army of the Potomac on the peninsula by the elusive operations of Stonewall Jackson. The Army of the Potomac moved 12 miles nearer Richmond during the day. Major General Halleck, at Monterey, Miss., issued an order expelling newspaper correspondents from his lines. General Butler, In New Orleans, issued an order suppressing the New Orleans Crescent, owned and edited by a Confederate. Brigadier General Kelly’s force of National troops was attacked by guerrillas in a pass at Reedy Creek, Virginia. His men made a gallant charge up the mountain, driving the enemy. There was loss of only gunpowder and breath on either side. Suffolk, Va., was occupied by Nationals nnder Major Dodge. A Federal reconnoltering party under General Smith had a skirmish with Confederates near Monterey, Tenn. - - - • General Butler issued an order interfering with a day of fasting and prayer In the churches of New Orleanß, proclaimed by President Davis. The Union General Nfegley occupied Rogersville in northern Alabama. May 14,1862. In a BkiTniHh five miles from Trenton Bridge, North Carolina, Lieut. Rogers, a favorite Confederate officer, was killed and his men driven by a superior force of National troops under command of Col. Amory. The Charlestown Mercury published the following circular, composed by Pittgjfflg of New Orleans: “To cotton planters —New Orleans has fallen, not degraded or enslaved, but yielding to armed ships with guns leveled at the homes of our defenseless wives and children. The escutcheon of Louisiana Is untainted, and her flag has been desecrated but by her enemies. None could be found among us so vile, low, or degraded as to lower her national insignia. We have yielded to brute force but for the moment. "It becomes now the duty of all planters to display more than ever their patriotism and devotion to their country. They have sealed that devotion upon the battlefield. Now let us fight our enemies, as well by burning and destroying every bale of cotton upon the river or rivers liable to capture, as well as refusing ever to ship or sell a bale of cotton until peace is declared and our nationality fixed. Let their conquest be a barren one. “The merchant ships of Europe and Yankeedom will soon be bringing their riches to trade among us, expecting an exchange of cotton. . . . If we are true to ourselves there will be no trade, and the countless millions of foreign products will be without purchasers. How long will they remain idle spectators of such a scene? The powers of Europe will see that there no sentiment or regard for the old flag—that we despise the race; and when we withhold or destroy our property, they will find that Unionism is dead forever.” The U. S. S. S. Ceres and Lockwood captured the Confederate steamer Alice in Roanoke river, about two miles below Wllllamstown. She had on board bacon for the Confederate army, and the church bells of Plymouth, which were to have been cast into guns. May 15, 1862. A detachment of Infantry sent to guard the wagons of a column of Gen. Geary’s National forces, arriving at the destination of the march before the infantry, which was on a train, was attacked by Confederates and captured in a body. The U. S. gunboats Monitor, Galena, Naugatuck, Aroostook and Port Royal were repulsed in, an attack on Fort Darling 4n the James river.' 1 The one hundred pound gun on the Naugatuck exploded at the first discharge. Great excitement existed In Richmond over reported prqgress of the Union army under-General McClellan and'the Union fleet A joint committee was appointed by the legislature of Virginia to communicate with President Davis in relation to the defense of the city. general, assembly resolved that the capital of the state Should be defended to the last extremGov. Letcher Issued a proclamation calling all officers out of the service, others who were willing to unite in defense of the capital, to meet at the city hall that evening. The meeting was held amid great excitement and enthusiasm. The action of the governor Was warmly commended. In the senate of Virginia Mr. Collier submitted a joint resolution declaring that slavery was the fundamental doctrine of the southern civlllA skirmish took place nine miles * Gen. Butler Issued "Order No. 16" at thnf^PCnv

I by word, or gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer, . . . she shall be held and regarded as a woman of the town plying her trade.” May 16, 1862. President Lincoln issued the following order: “The skillful and gallant movement of Maj. Gen. John D. Wool and the forces under his command, which resulted in the surrender of Norfolk and the evacuation of the strong batteries erected by the rebels on-* Sewell's Point and Craney Island, and the destruction of the rebel Ironclad steamship Merrlmac, are regarded by the president as among the most important successes of the presept war,” The order continued, order, lng thanks to Wool and the officers and soldiers of his command. The U. S. 8. 8. Oriental was lost on Body’s Island, thirty miles north of Cape Hatteras, Carolina. Gen. Butler, commanding the National occupation of New Orleans, Issued an order suppressing the New Orleans Bee for encouraging the southerpers to burn their cotton, and prohibiting the circulation of Confederate notes. “On and after the twenty, seventh day of May Instant,” the order read, “all circulation in Confederate notes and bills will cease within this department; and all sales or transfers of property made on and after that day, in consideration of such, bills or notes, directly or indirectly, will be void, and the property confiscated to the United States —one-fourth thereof to go to the Informer." Two Union gunboats opened fire on Darien, Georgia, but did no harm. The day was observed as a fast-day throughout the Confederate states. The National Intelligencer carried a three-column article denouncing Gen. Hunter’s proclamation freeing the Blaves and asserting that the president would revoke it. Commodore Goldsborough, moving up the James river with four gunboats to reduce Confederate batteries on the southern shore, found them abandoned. May 17, 1862. There was a general advance of the Union lines toward Corinth, Mississippi, with much skirmishing and several severe engagements. Gen. Sherman’s division lost forty-four killed and a number wounded In a fight for the possession of Russell’s house. Capt. Henry Eagle, commanding the United States naval forces, sent a message to the commander of the Confederate defenders of Galveston, Texas, demanding the surrender of the place, and threatening a bombardment as soon as the National forces appeared, to which the Confederate general, Herbert, replied that an answer would be returned when the enemy arrived. The Confederate commander urged the people to keep cool, assuring them there was no danger and advising every man to hold himself in arms to fight for every inch of ground. The gunboat Currituck, accompanied by the transport steamer Seth Low, moved up the Pamunkey toward Newcastle, to destroy several Confederate vessels on the river. The vessels were burned by the Confederates. The gunboat Penobscot opened fire on the Confederate batteries at Newlet inlet, near Wilmington, North Carolina. Having developed the position and strength of the batteries, the gunboat withdrew. —- May 18, 1862. A skirmish took place near Searcy, on the Little Red river, Arkansas, between one hundred and fifty men of Osterhause’s division and some six hundred Confederates under Colonels Coleman and Kicks, In which the latter were defeated, with a loss of one hundred and fifty left on the field and quite a number wounded. A fight took place at Princeton, Virginia, between the Nationals under the command of Gen. Cox and a body of Confederates under Humphrey Marshall, in which the Nationals were defeated with a loss of thirty killed and seventy wounded. S. Phillips Lee, United States navy, commanding the advance naval division on the Mississippi river, demanded the surrender of Vicksburg to the authority of the United States. SufTolds, near Norfolk, Virginia, was occupied by Federal troops. Gen. jgrant invested Vicksburg, with communications opened via the Yazoo. May 19, 1862. Gen. Stoneman’s brigade of McClellan’s army advanced within fourteen miles of Richmond. They left their encampment near White house at daybreak and pushed on to six miles above Turnstabull’s Station. They were opposed only by a small body of Confederate pickets, who were dispersed in a charge. Gen. Hunter’s proclamation, by which the slaves of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were declared free, was officially repudiated and pronounced void by President Lincoln. Governor Yates of Illinois Issued a proclamation asking for recruits to fill up the state regiments at the front, some of which had gone forward with little more than the minimum complement, and all of which had suffered' from death by bullet and disease. In a reconnoissance to Clinton, nine miles south of Newbern, North Carolina, the advanced pickets of the Confederates were encountered and a bloody skirmish ensued. The legislature of Virginia adjourned in accordance with a resolution previously adopted. In the house of delegates the speaker, Mr. Sheffey, of Augusta, delivered an affecting valedlc- - tory. rfr - - John T, Monroe, mayor or the city of New Orleans, and other municipal officers were arrested and sent to Fort Jackson by order of Gen. Butler of the National army. (Copyright. IM2. by W. O. Chapman.?