Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1912 — The CIVIL WAR [ARTICLE]

The CIVIL WAR

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

May 20, 1862. Edwin Stanly of North Carolina received his commission as military governor of the state, with authority to perform all the functions of that sta* tlon and suspend the writ of habeas corpus during the pleasure of the president, or until the loyal citizens of the state re-established a loyal government, in accordance with the Constitution of the United States. Lieutenant Colonel Downey, who was sent to Wardensville,, near Norfield, Va., after guerrillas who had recently overpowered a company of convalescent wounded National soldiers, reported having killed the chief of the band and taken twelve prisoners. A train of seventeen wagons that left Rolla, Mo., was captured by a partisan Confederate band twenty miles out on- the Springfield road. The wagons and their contents were burned, and the mules driven off. Lieutenant Colonel West took possession of Tucson, Aris., for the United States. The Confederate force guarding the town retreated before overbalanced numbers, and the citizens turned out to welcome the Union troops. Four Union gunboats bombarded the Confederate works on Cole’s Island and Stone Inlet, S. C., compelling the Confederates to abandon the island, which they did after burning the barracks. General Shepley was made mayor of New Orleans by order of General Butler until such time as the citizens should elect to that office a loyal citizen of the United States. May 21, 1862. The second division of General Halleck’s Union army, advancing toward Corinth, under command of Gen. Thomas A. Davies, the Confederates battle at Phillip’s Creek, Miss. • General Stoneman, In company with Prof. Lowe, made a balloon reconnolssance from Gaines Mills, Va., where, from an altitude of 500 feet, they could see the city of Richmond, and : forces of Confederates in motion. General McClellan sent the following report to the war department:- “I have just returned from Bottom’s Bridge. Have .examined the country on the other side, and made a reconnolssance on the heels of the enemy, who probably did not like the skirmish of yesterday. The bridge will be repaired by tomorrow, and others built. All the camps have advanced today.” Two mortars opened on Fort Pillow at one o’clock and continued to fire until six. The fire was returned at Intervals. Deserters from Fort Pillow reported that 185 dead bodies had been removed from the gunboats after the recent engagement with the Union flotilla. Colonel Sedgewick, with the First, Second and Twentieth Kentucky 'National regiments, made a reconnolssance In front of Corinth to develop the position and strength of the enemy. He returned after a two hours’ scrimmage, In which he learned what he wanted to know. Recruiting offices that had been previously closed were reopened by order of the United States government ■ ~ ~ ■ ■ - Brig. Gen. I. P. Hatch, commanding the cavalry In General Banks* Union division, had a skirmish with some of Canby’s cavalry near Strasburg, Va. May 22,1862. An attempt by civil officers to arrest fugitive slaves In the city of Washington 'Was frustrated, after two negroes had been taken, by the Sev-enty-sixth New York. The soldiers leveled their muskets at the police and carried the remainder of the slaves away with them. The foreign consuls at Galveston, requesting of Captain Eagle, on the U. S. S. S. Santee, that he assign a place where they would be safe In the impending bombardment, received the following reply: "Let me assure you, gentlemen, that no person can deplore more than myself the misery that would result from the bombardment of the town Of Galveston and its fortification, yet it is a duty that will become necessary to enforce its surrender.. It Is not in my power to give you an assurance of security during the bombardment, for It is impossible to tell what direction the shot and shell will take.’* General Prentiss’ troops, captured at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Miss., were paroled by the Confederates In Montgomery, Ala. The Court of Impeachment for the purpose of trying West H. Humphreys, late district judge of the United States for the Second district of Tennessee, on charges of treason presented by the house of representatives, was organized In the senate chamber at Washington, District of Columbia. May 23,1862. Colonel Kenly's Union command of Infantry and cavalry, in General Banks' department, was driven from Front Royal by the Confederates with considerable loss. Captain Tilford, stationed with forty men on the east side of the Rio Grande, seven miles below Fort Craig, was driven on the fort by an attack ot,two cundred Texans. He resisted for three hours. Portions of the Army of the Potomac crossed the Chlckahomlny river tn two places, Bottom’s Bridge and the Railroad bridge.

Colonel Heath, commanding a Confederate force of three thousand infantry and cavalry and six guns, attacked the Union force under Colonel Crook at Lewisburgh, Va., but was repulsed after a spirited fight lasting an hour, with the loss to the attacking column of four guns and one hundred prisoners. The Confederates burned Greenbrier Bridge In their retreat. The town of Grand Gulf, Miss., was shelled by the Union gunboats Richmond and Hartford. Considerable damage was done to the town, but no person was injured. The attack on the defenseless post was made because two' United States transports loaded with soldiers had been fired upon from a battery four miles from the town. May 24, 1862. A collision between a squad of Federal pickets and a body of Confederate Infantry at Craighead Point, near Fort Pillow, drew the Federal gunboat Benton into an engagement with the fort’s batteries. The Benton steamed up to the rescue of the pickets, who were hard pressed, and was opened on by the fort’s guns. The Benton retired upon the Union fleet. Four companies of the Fbuth Michigan dealt a heavy blow on the Louisiana Tigers In a skirmish at Cold Harbor; While the main body of the Michigan regiment was moving to the skirmish a •small detachment gained the rear of the Tigers and opened a demoralizing fire at short range. The jDonfederates were reported to have lost fifty killed and fifty captured. A Union meeting was held at Murphreesboro, Tenn., at which speeches were made by Governor Johnson and others. General Stopeman’s and General Davidson’s Union brigades of the Army of the Potomac were held in check for eighteen hours at Ellison’s Mills, on Bell’s creek, by four regl-, ments of Confederates, with nine pieces of artillery and a small command of cavalry. The Union force, on the move from New Bridge to clear the way for McClellan’s advance, found the enemy on t!Vo sides of the creek, and succeeded in driving them into the village with the fire from three batteries, but It was morn•ing before they were finally and completely dislodged. A reconnoitering party from Poe’s Union command encountered a force of eConfederates near Corinth and gained an advantage over them,, after a desultory but brisk engagement. May 25, 1862. The Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, continued his diversion In the Shenandoah to prevent McClellan from being reinforced, by attacking and defeating General Bank's command at Winchester, Va., in the valley. The government of the United States called for additional troops, and took military command of all the railroads, ordering that officials and servants of the railroads hold themselves in readiness to transport troops to the exclusion of all other business. The National force under General McDowell, long held In suspense by the activities of General Jackson In the Shenandoah, advanced.a short distance In the direction of Richmond and encamped six miles from Fredericksburg. The news of General Bank’s defeat and the call for additional troops aroused intense excitement throughout the north. In the city of Baltimore the enthusiastic rejoicing of southern sympathizers in Bank’s defeat and the repulse of the First Maryland regiment created extreme tension. k reconnolssance of the Confederate defences dT’Tlcksburg, Miss., was made by the Union gunboat Kennebec, under command of Captain Russell. The Kennebec gained within two miles of the works, when a battery opened on her, killing one man and wounding another. General McClellan Issued an order to the effect that upon the passage of the Chlckahomlny, the troops of the Army of the Potomac were to be "prepared for hattie at a moment’s notice.” May 26, 1862. Four regiments of New York militia were ordered to be ready to go to Washington. One militia regiment left for Washington, and another volunteered In a body. General Banks’ command crossed the Potomac safely at Williamsport, Md., driven from the Shenandoah' val ley by Jackson and EwelL Judge Richard Carmichael and James Powell, prosecuting attorney of Talbot county, Maryland, were ar* rested, charged with treason, by order of General Dlx. - The steamer Shawsheen, with one company of infantry, proceeded up the Whowan river. North Carolina, to Gates county and burned a warehouse containing heavy supplies of foodstuff for the Confederate army. The vessel was fired upon by a small squad of Confederate cavalry, but none was Injured. The confiscation bill passed the house of representatives. ;/ • The British steamer Patras was cap. tured twenty-two miles off Charlestown bar by the U. 8. S. S. Bienville. She carried gunpowder, rifles, coffee and quinine. She had no papers showing her nationality or destination. A landing party from the Union gunboat Kennebec at Grand Gulf, Miss., was routed by a body of Confederate cavalry, with the loss of their leader. Lieutenant Qe Kay, who was killed at me first flrou. '. _ Lieut Frank 0, Davis of the Third Pennsylvania cavalry returned to Fair Oaks station after successfully delivering a message from General McClellan to Captain Rodgers, in command of the Union gunboats on the James river. (Copyright, mg hy W.G, ChspmsaJ