Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 155, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1912 — THE CIVIL WAR FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK [ARTICLE]

THE CIVIL WAR FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

■ June 17, 1862. '" Maj. Gen. J. C. Hindman, commanding the Confederate forces in Arkansas, Issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of the Trans-Mlsslssippi dis* trict, Arkansas, calling upon all of those not subject to conscription to organize themselves into independent commands, arm themselves, and serve in their own part of the country. ■ / v The Confederate batteries at City Point, on the James river, below Fort Darling, Va., opened flre'On the Union gunboats. The fire was returned so briskly with shell and shrapnel that the guns were silenced, and the Confederates retired. General Wallace assumed command in the city of Memphis, Tenn. His first official act was to take possession of the office of the Argus. T. Knox and A. D. Richardson were appointed to supervise all editorials that appeared in the local papers. i Threats having been made to tear down some of the Union flags floating over the houses of citizens in Memphis, the provost-marshal of that city issued an order instructing the guard to shoot down anyone attempting to haul down the flag or offering Insult or molestation to resident citizens who had thus manifested their devotion to the Union. The U. S. gunboats Lexington, St. Louis, Conestoga and Mound City, on an expedition up toe White river, .Arkansas, opened fire on a Confederate battery at St Charles, while the For-ty-third and Forty-sixth Indiana made a land attack, which resulted in the capture of toe battery. During toe fire a ball entered toe steam drum of the Mound City, exploding it.

June 18, 1862. The fort over Eastern Branch, near Washington, D. 0., In the vicinity of thejiamlet of Good Hope, hitherto known as Fort Good Hope, was named Fort Wagner in honor of Lieutenant Wagner of the topographical engineers, who died of wounds received near Yorktown on the 17th of April. Colonel Averill returned to the headquarters of General McClellan, on the Chickahomlny, from a reconnoissance to Mattapony, in search of a band of guerillas. He destroyed the bridge over the Mattapony, took a number of wagons and carts loaded with supplies for Richmond, destroyed large stores of Confederate grain, and captured several Important prisoners. A reconnoissance was made by the Sixteenth Massachusetts for the purpose of ascertaining the exact character of the ground in front of the Union pickets at Fair Oaks. A band of Confederates was attacked by Major Zeley and a party of Union troops, near Smithville, Ark. Captain Jones, their leader, and fourteen of their men were captured. The Union loss was four killed and two wounded. An expedition composed of four companies of Union troops under Colonel Kimball, sent from New Orleans to Manchac, La., for the purpose of dispersing a large number of Confederates encamped there, returned to New Orleans, having accomplished the purpose in their going. The Confederates decamped on the approach of the Nationals, leaving their camp equipage, colors and guns. The guns were spiked and the colors brought off. GAeral Morgan marched with his Union force at one o’clock in the morning to attack the Confederates In Cumberland Gap, but found on arrival that, the enemy had abandoned the position the day before. The bill emancipating the slaves of Confederates passed the house of representatives by a vote of 82 to 54. Juno 1», 1862. ,A skirmish took place between the Twentieth Indiana, in General Kearny's division of the Army of the Potomac, and a body of Confederate troops, which lasted for more than an hour. The Union troops held their position with slight loss, having only three men wounded. In the afternoon General Kearny complimented the regiment for its conduct - The Confederate schooner Louisa, laden with cotton, two fiatboats laden with rice, and a steam tug boat, were captured about twelve miles up Santee river by a boat’s crew from the U. S. S. S. Albatross, blockading oil the North Santee, 8. C. - ■ June 20, 1862. A force from General Sherman’s command occupied Holly Springs and destroyed several pieces of trestle work on the Mississippi Central railroad. The machinery for repairing and manufacturing arms had been removed from Holly Springs to Atlanta, Ga., previous to the evacuation of the place by the Confederates. The Paris Constitutional expressed the opinion that mediation was but a matter of time. The cause had gained. More than one hundred provincial journals of France had given their adherence to it The idea had gained ground in England Such an expression of public opinion in two great countries could not remain without effect, but mediation could not be proposed with the certainty of rojectlon. It was for the government to seize on a favorable opportunity. -,.A delegation from the religious aoof uiLiiiiintlnir ame

1 • '-'. MW. • r mortal praying him to decree W iriHU * th Slavas The United States gunboat Jaeob Bell, commanded by Lieut. E. P. MoCrae, proceeded up the James river the Monitor. She succeeded in her mission, but was considerably damaged by the fire from the Confederate batteries along shore. / The brig Yankee Blade arrived at New York laden with sugar, molasses and cotton—the first arrival since toe remission of the blockade. June 21, 1862. A series of skirmishes took place at toe mouth of Battle Creek, Tenn., between a force of Union troops under Colonel Sill and a considerable body of Confederate infantry and artillery. A fight took place at Fair Oaks, Va, .between the pickets of toe Union army, supported by a redoubt, and a large attacking force of Confederates, in which toe Confederates were eventually repulsed. General Butler, commanding the Department of toe Gulf, issued toe following order at New Orleans: "Any vessel attempting to leave this port and take away any person of color who did not come here on board her, and has not a pass from these headquarters, will be liable to confiscation, and her master punished by imprisonment.

“No vessel shall so leave this port until the master shall take an oath that he has not any such person on board, and will not allow any such to come on board.” The Confederates kept up a continuous shower of shells along toe entire lines of toe Union army before Richmond. They opened on General Hooker’s advance, but did no damage. General Hooker replied from his batteries by throwing heavy shells among their artillery-men. Z; A reconnoissance was made by Captain Keenan, with two companies of Pennsylvania cavalry, to the James river, Virginia. He successfully passed the Confederate pickets and communicated with the Union gunboat Galena.

An engagement took place at Simon’s Bluff, Wadmelaw Sound, S. C., between the United States gunboats Crusadee and Planter and a body of Confederates stationed at that place.

June 22, 1862. •‘Yesterday thirty Sisters of Charityarrived at Fortress Monroe, and proceeded today to White House Point, Va., for the purpose of ministering to the sick and wounded of the Army of the Potomac.” Press despatch. A detachment of the Sixth Illinois cavalry made a descent on a squadron of Confederate cavalry guarding a train near Coldwater Station on the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad, and captured twenty-five prisoners and about twenty thousand pounds of bacon that was on the train. They proceeded to destroy the bridges of the railroad, rendering it impassable. A party of the Eighth Vermont, stationed at Algiers, near New Orleans, took an engine and a car and went out a short distance on the Opelousas railroad to reconnoitre. They had proceeded but a few miles when they were fired on by a party of guerillas, and had three men killed and eight wounded. They escaped to Algiers on the engine. Juno 23, 1862. The London Times of this date said that whatever, might be the result of the Civil war in America it had reached a point in which it was a scandal to humanity. It had become, a war of extermination. Utter destruction might be possible, or even imminent, but submission was as far off as ever. Persons ■pho listened to the excited railers on either side might think that there was no alternative but to let a flood of blood pass over the land; but, at that calm distance, it might perhaps be wisely calculated that such voices did not represent the mind of the American people. Both parties ought by thiq time to be tired of the strife. There had been enough blood shed, fortunes enough made, losses enough suffered, and wrongs enough inflicted and endured. The opportunity ought to be either be present or at hand when some potent American voice, prudently calling "Peace,” might awaken an universal echo. Martial law was proclaimed In the cities of "Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., by order of Brig. Gen. F. L. Vlele, military governor. Brigadier General Schofield, military commander of the District of Missouri, issued a general order from his headquarters in St Louis warning "rebels and rebel sympathizers in Missouri” that he would hold them responsible in their property and persons for any damages that might hereafter be committed by lawless bands of armed men which they had brought into existence, subsisted, encouraged, and sustained up to that time. The Third batalMon, Fifth Pennsylvania cavalry. Colonel Campbell, stationed at Gloucester Point, made a reconnoissance under Major Wilson into the counties of Gloucester and Mathews/ in Virginia, for the purpose of capturing a body of Confederate cavalry who were overrunning those countries, arresting deserters and Impressing into the service others who were unwilling to enlist. On arriving at Mathews* court house Major Wilson found that the cavalry had left the day before. (Copyright, 1912, by W. G. Chapman.)

Would Have to WaH a While. \ Ah old gentleman who had Just finished shaving himself said to his little grandson: “Come here, Charlie, and I’ll shave you, too." "Top can’t shave me, grandpa,” replied the boy, “ ’cause my whiskers are not ripe Ht- _