seaman, severely; James Mohegan, landsman,
do. ; George Millard, seaman, do. ; Win. Nicholas,
landsman, slightly; Charles Howard, ordinary
seaman, do.
Oneida Richard M. Hodgson, assistant engi
neer, severely; Wm. Cowell, seaman, do. ; Henry
Clark, boatswain s mate, slightly.
Pinola John Brown, ordinary seaman, severe
ly ; Wm. H. Shucks, landsman, slightly.
Scioto -Edward Hathaway, seaman, amputated
arm; Wm. Arne, .landsman, slightly; Clarence
Miller, ship-steward, severely.
KILLED, eight Mortar flotilla Six scalded,
one killed, one drowned.
Total Killed, fifteen ; wounded, thirty.
Returns have not yet been received from Capt,
Porter s mortar flotilla, and that portion of the
fleet below Vicksburgh.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. M. FOLTZ,
Fleet Surgeon.
Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT,
Commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Doc. 143.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN S CALL.
LETTER FROM THE GOVERNORS.
To the President :
THE undersigned, Governors of States of the
Union, impressed with the belief that the citizens
of the States which they respectively represent
arc of one accord in the hearty desire that the re
cent successes of the Federal arms may be followed
ip by measures which must insure the speedy
restoration of the Union, and believing that in
view of the important military movements now in
progress, and the reduced condition of our effec
tive forces in the field, resulting from the usual
and unavoidable casualties of the service, that the
time has arrived for prompt and vigorous meas
ures to be adopted by the people in support of
the great interests committed to your charge, wo
respectfully request, if it meets with your entiru
approval, that you at once call upon the several
States for such numbers of men as may be re
quired to fill up all military organizations now in
the field, and add to the army heretofore organ-,
ized such additional number of men as niay, in
548
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
your judgment, be necessary to garrison and hold
all of the numerous cities and military positions
that have been captured by our armies, and to
speedily crush the rebellion that still exists in
several of the Southern States, thus practically
restoring to the civilized world our great and
good Government. All believe that the decisive
moment is near at hand, and to that end the people
of the United States are desirous to aid promptly
in furnishing all reinforcements that you may
deem needful to sustain our Government.
ISKAEL WASHBURNE, Jr., Governor of Maine.
N. S. BERRY, Governor of New-Hampshire.
FREDERICK HOLBROOK, Governor of Vermont.
WM. A. BUCKINGHAM, Governor of Connecticut.
E. D. MORGAN, Governor of New- York.
CHAS. S. OLDEN, Governor of New-Jersey.
A. G. CURTIN, Governor of Pennsylvania.
A. W. BRADFORD, Governor of Maryland.
F. II. PIBRPONT, Governor of Virginia.
AUSTIN BLAIR, Governor of Michigan.
J. B. TEMPLE, President Military Board of Ken
tucky.
ANDREW JOHNSON, Governor of Tennessee.
H. R. GAMBLE, Governor of Missouri.
0. P. MORTON, Governor of Indiana.
DAVID TOD, Governor of Ohio.
ALEXANDER RAMSEY, Governor of Minnesota.
RICHARD YATES, Governor of Illinois.
EDWARD SALOMON, Governor of Wisconsin.
THE PRESIDENT S REPLY.
MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 1, 1SC2.
GENTLEMEN . Fully concurring in the wisdom
of the views expressed to me in so patriotic a
manner by you in the communication of the twen
ty-eighth day of June, I have decided to call into
the service an additional force of three hundred
thousand men.
I suggest and recommend that the troops should
be chiefly of infantry. The quota of your State
would be - . I trust that they may be enrolled
without delay, so as to bring this unnecessary
and injurious civil war to a speedy and satisfac
tory conclusion.
( An order fixing the quotas of the respective
States will be issued by the A\ r ar Department to
morrow. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Doc. 144.
OPERATIONS BEFORE VICKSBURGH, MISS.
COMMODORE PORTER S REPORT.
UNITED STATES STEAMER OCTARORA, OFF VICKSBURGH, )
Tuesday, July 1, 1862. f
SIR : You no doubt wondered what our firing
has been about. The enemy are trying to erect
defences to sweep the river and drive off the mor
tars. We drive them away as often as they at
tempt to work.
We have dismounted one gun on the water-
battery, which they cannot mount again, for our
fire, which is very accurate. We have dismounted
another in the large fort their big rifled gun
and they dismounted a gun by overworking it,
carrying away the leap-squares.
We found out the two former by prisoners
taken, and the last by reconnoitring.
Our pickets have been almost inside of the
fortress. Yesterday the rebels came down on the
head of the mortars with one regiment of Tennes
see troops and one regiment of Mississippians,
while a brigade attempted to get into the rear of
them, not knowing the force of steamers we had
there. Our pickets discovered them and fell back
and reported.
One of the vessels opened on the bushes for a
mile along, the mortars dropping shells in the
bushes and over them at three hundred yards.
The result was a perfect stampede on the part of
the rebels.
They had attempted to pass a deep marsh, and
got stuck in the rnud.
After firing for half an hour on them, our men
went in and found three men stuck fast in the
mud, unable to get out. They were captured with
all their arms and accoutrements. The marsh was
strewn with knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, boots and
shoes. Among other things, the boots of a gen
eral officer, with silver spurs. They were taken
by surprise, when they expected to catch us nap
ping.
With a hundred men on shore, we would have
taken many of them.
The prisoners inform us that at one time the
whole party got stuck in the mud, and were per
fectly helpless.
The rebel troops were told they were going to
attack land forces, and were very indignant at the
officers for leading them into such a scrape.
W. D. PORTER.
To Flag-Officer FARRAGUT.
Doc. 145.
THE CAPTURE OF THE TEASER.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP MARATANZA, JAMES RIVER, )
Saturday, July 5, lbfr>. j
YESTERDAY being the Fourth of July, we wanted
to have a celebration, so at three o clock started
under moderate steam for a reconnoissance up
the river. Just as we reached " Haxall s," where
it has been our custom to anchor, our member of
the signal corps cried out from aloft : "Rebel flag
in sight !" "All hands to quarters, and let her
go ahead full steam !" said Commander Stevens,
(who has, by the way, a quick eye and ready
will for his business.) We soon hove in full sight
of the stranger ; she was flying the " Red, White,
and Red." We trained our one hundred-pounder
on her, and got all ready to fire, when down came
her flag. It was a clever subterfuge for escape,
but our glasses did not deceive us ; her guns were
being trained at us, and it was evident they didn t
mean to surrender honorably. Bang went our
gun, making a beautiful shot, and knocking over
board several loose articles from the enemy s deck.
DOCUMENTS.
Then they tried to return the compliment, but
missed us completely. Bang went our second
shot, and never did the fatal messenger take a
truer course, tearing straight through the enemy s
vessel, arid blowing her half to pieces. The re
mains were soon at our disposal, and proved to
1)0 what was left of the rebel gunboat Teaser.
The officers and crew, after firing their gun,
jumped into a small boat, taking with them their
nag, but our second shot frightened them so they
jumped out again, leaving every thing behind.
We got the officers uniforms, swords, belts, pis
tols, muskets, silver, china, bedding, clothes, let
ters, and papers ; among the latter a full descrip
tion of the submarine batteries at Drury s Bluff,
and a diagram of all the fortifications. We also
found a balloon made of silk dresses, and a com
mission from the confederate States navy, running
to Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, formerly of the
FInited States Navy.
Doc. 140.
THE BATTLE OF GRAND PRAIRIE, ARK.
OFFICIAL REPORT OP COLONEL FITCH.
HEADQUARTERS INDIANA BRIGADE, July 6, 1S62.
Major-Gen. Grant, Commanding at Memphis :
SIR : We arrived here yesterday. A scouting
party was sent out, who discovered the enemy
within two miles of this place. One prisoner
was taken. On the morning of the sixth a re-
connoissance was ordered, consisting of about
two hundred of the Twenty -fourth Indiana, under
Col. Spiccly, followed, at an interval of half an
hour, by the same number of the Forty-third,
under Lieut. -Col. Farrow, and again, after a like
interval, by another detachment of the same
number, jointly, from the Thirty-fourth and For
ty-sixth, with a Dahlgren boat-howitzer, which
last detachment I accompanied. The remainder
of the command, under Lieut. -Col. Cameron, was
ordered to hold themselves in readiness, if re
quired, for support. Col. Spicely was directed
to proceed upon the road on which the enemy
had been discovered the evening previous, and
attack him whenever and wherever he met him,
and in whatever number. He followed the Du-
vall Bluff road four miles to an open woods, im
mediately upon the border of Grand Prairie,
where his skirmishers discovered and drove in
the enemy s pickets.
Their main body, all mounted, made an attack
upon his front, which \vas quickly repulsed ; but,
availing themselves of a point of thick timber,
which concealed their movements, they very soon
after attacked simultaneously his front, flank, and
rear, charging up to within twenty paces of the
ranks, but were repulsed with loss, and fled in
every direction, the main body following the Du-
vall Bluff road.
Soon after a note a copy of which accompanies
this was received by me, I having joined the
advance, asking permission to bury their dead,
and an answer, of which I send you a copy was
returned. ij
At the end of thirty minutes, our troops were
advanced in pursuit. The wagons convcvino- tho
enemy s dead were but a short distance* beyond
our front, with an escort, but, of course, were riot
molested. We took a parallel road, inclining
more to the right, with a view of again engaging
if possible, the main body, who were seen retreat
ing in such a direction as would take them across
our road, some four miles in the prairie. The
intense heat of the day, and the uselessness of
the pursuit of mounted men by infantry, induced
me to recall the troops after they had advanced
three miles.
Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Col.
Spicely and the men and officers of his regiment
engaged.
the enemy s force, as shown by their muster-
rolls, which fell into our possession, was four
hundred and fifty. Our own engaged was two
hundred. Their loss, as admitted by prisoners
and sympathizers in the vicinity, was eighty -four
in killed, wounded, and missing. But few pris
oners were taken, from the facility afforded them
to escape by being mounted. Our loss is one
man killed and twenty-one wounded, according
to the accompanying list.
Very respectfully, yours,
G. N. FITCH,
Colonel Commanding Wldte River Exue-Uiion,
Doc. 147.
CHEROKEE DISLOYALTY.
THE following letter from John Ross, principal
hief of the Cherokee Nation, settles the question
as to the alliance of that nation with the rebels :
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, PAKK HILL, C. N., July 8, 1862.
To Colonel Win. Weer, U. S. A., Commanding :
SIR : Your communication of yesterday, dated
from headquarters, Indian expedition, camp on
Wolf Creek, under a flag of truce per Dr. Gilpat-
rick, has been duly received ; and in reply I have
to state that a treaty of alliance, under the sanc
tion and authority of the whole Cherokee people,
was entered into on the seventh day of October,
1SG1, between the confederate States and the
Cherokee Nation, and published before the world.
And } r ou cannot but be too well informed on the
subject to make it necessary for me to recapitulate
the reasons and circumstances under which it was
done. Thus the destiny of the people became
identified with that of the Southern Confederacy.
There is no nation of Indians, I venture to say,
that has ever been more scrupulous in the faithful
observance of their treaty obligations thai) the
Cherokees.
Allow me to further appeal to the history of
my long public and private life to sustain^ the as
sertion that my policy has ever been to preserve
peace and good feelings among my people, and .
the observance of law and order.
550
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
The horrors of civil war with which this beau
tiful country is threatened are greatly to be de
precated, and I trust that it may be averted bj
the observance of the strict principles of civilized
and honorable warfare by the army now invading
our country, under your command. I cannot,
under existing circumstances, entertain the pro
position for an official interview between us at
your camp. I have, therefore, respectfully to
decline to comply with your request.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient
servant, JOHN Ross,
Principal Chief Ciaerokee Nation.
Doc. 148.
CAPTURE OF HAMILTON, N. C.
NEWBERN, N. C., July 15.
AN engagement of no little importance took
place on the morning of the ninth instant, on
Roanoke River, some sixty miles from its mouth,
between three of our gunboats, the Commodore
Perry, Ceres, and Shawsheen, and a company of
Hawkins s Zouaves, under Capt. Hamrnell, on our
side, and a regiment of rebel cavalry, supported
by a strong force of infantry and artillery, and a
rebel fort which commanded the river.
The particulars are as follows : On the eighth
instant Capt. Flusser, of the Commodore Perry,
who is commanding officer of the naval forces in
Albemarle Sound, decided to make a reconnois-
sance up the Roanoke as far as Hamilton, where
he understood a rebel steamer was anchored, and
also that the enemy were erecting a fortification
and collecting a large force, with the intention of
resisting all approaches to Weldon by the river.
After taking on board Captain Hammell s com-
pany of Zouaves, which are stationed at Ply
mouth, (a very important point at the mouth of
the Roanoke, and also the headquarters of the
naval force in the Albemarle Sound,) the fleet
proceeded up the river at a rapid rate, meeting
with no difficulties until they arrived at a point
some six miles above Williamston, where a barri
cade of rafts and piles were chained together,
reaching transversely up and across the river.
Just before the fleet arrived at the barricade, a
deadly fire from infantry in an ambush was
opened upon the Ceres, which was in the ad
vance, killing one seaman, John H. Bridges, of
Danvers, Mass., and wounding several more. The
Ceres immediately responded with grape, which,
with some timely and well-directed shells from
the Perry and Shawsheen, soon dispersed the
cowardly assassins with heavy loss, who then
pushed on to the fort at Hamilton, to assist then-
comrades in resisting us at that point.
On arriving at the barricade Capt. Flusser pro
ceeded at once, to blow up and destroy the ob
structions in his usual dashing way. It was not
long before he succeeded in cutting his way
through this difficult blockade, which was con
sidered by the enemy quite as strong as the bar
ricade in the James River. On went the fleet up
this narrow river, darkened by a dense forest on
each side, through a continuous storm of bulleta
and grape from the innumerable masked batteries
which lined both banks of the river on the bluff
commanding the approach to Hamilton. Hamil
ton is situated upon an eminence, back some dis
tance from the river, and separated from this im
portant stream by a thick growth of heavy tim
ber, which sheltered the hidden foe, who were
raining down an incessant fire upon our gun
boats, which were unable to elevate their guns
sufficiently to do all the execution they desired.
However, they continued to advance, when sud
denly the rebel fort on the eminence, which was
concealed from view, opened a terrific fire on the
approaching fleet.
In the thickest of the fight, and when the re
sult was very doubtful, Capt. Flusser discovered
a large rebel steamer, loaded with rebel sharp
shooters, coming down upon our fleet. Suddenly
she turned a short bend, and before the enemy
were aware of the near approach of our fleet, she
was in good musket-range. Captain Flusser and
all his men were in readiness for the new foe.
A shell from the Ceres raked the decks of the
"Wilson for that was the name of the rebel craft
and bang again went a hundred or more Union
rifle-bullets among the sharp-shooters on the
rebel steamer, who, being astonished at the rapid
advance of Flusser s fleet, leaped from every side
of the Wilson into the water, leaving then- de
serted craft to drift into our possession.
As soon as our fleet got bevond the enemy s
batteries, the Zouaves, under (Captain Hammell,
were landed, with a howitzer, and with fixed
bayonets commenced the advance on Hamilton,
accompanied with a strong company from each of
our gunboats, armed in the same manner, making
four companies in all, who were ordered by Capt.
Flusser " to flank the rebel fort and take Hamil
ton," while the gunboats were again to advance
and silence the rebel batteries in front. Again
the gunboats went into action, and such an un
earthly sound owing to the peculiar situation of
the country as the echo from their heavy ord
nance in this dense forest was never before heard.
Soon there was a response from the rear of the
enemy, which was the rapid report of the howit
zers, and deafening cheers from our brave mariners
and Zouaves, who had been led in a successful
charge against the fort", which they took, despite
a strong opposition, together with the village of
Hamilton, over which the Stars and Stripes were
raised, with an additional outbreak of enthu
siasm.
The shouts of our land forces were soon re
sponded to by a shout still more deafening, which
was given by the crews of the three gunboats as
they drove the rebels out of their masked batter
ies by three well-directed broadsides ; leaving our
forces in possession of the highly important port
of Hamilton, with all its steamers, schooners, and
a large amount of commissary stores and cotton,
which the rebels had no time to destroy.
The rebel steamer captured is exceedingly val
uable to this department, for the purpose of
transporting troops through these shallow war
DOCUMENTS.
551
Slough for Washington, Rappahannock County,
by a circuitous road, the First and Second bri
gades marching directly on to Flint Hill, and from
thence to Washington, twelve miles above which
place the sentinels of the Second brigade were
fired upon by the enemy. For various reasons,
the troops were ordered back to Gaines s Cro-.s-
Roads, near Flint Hill, where they encamped for
the night, and from thence they marched on Fri
day, the eleventh instant, six miles in an easterly
direction towards Warrenton, when they
camped on Elias Corder s place, which was
ters. She was not crippled or injured in the ryland infantry when Jackson attacked them
least, strange as it may appear, by our shells, | The camp was called after Brig. -General Slough.
which raked her decks. She is a stern-wheel Wednesday, the ninth instant we left Camo
steamer, of very light draught, and capable of
carrying a regiment of troops.
In this engagement every officer and man be
haved in the most heroic manner.
Capt. Flusser, of the Commodore Perry, Capt.
Macdiarmid, of the Ceres, Captain Woodward, of
the Shawsheen, have been through all the impor
tant battles in this department, and are now well
known to the country. Lieut. Green, of company
F, with a portion of the Zouaves, was on the
Ceres, lending valuable assistance with his dash
ing followers all through the action. He was
wounded in the leg, and was brought to the
deck, where he lay during the remainder of the
action, loading guns for his men, and speaking
words of good cheer to them.
The following are the names of the killed and
wounded on board the Ceres : John II. Bridges,
killed ; Manuel Sylvia, seriously wounded in the
chest ; John J. Dennison, seriously wounded in
left breast ; George Waterman, in the leg; Nicho
las Waysen, in the leg ; Edward B. Perry, in the
arm ; Timothy Dacey, in the arm ; Thomas Rodg-
ers, in arm and hand ; Henry G. Rose, shoulder.
Of the Zouaves none were killed, though many
slight wounds were received. On the Shawsheen,
Thos. Smith was seriously wounded through the
head, and a few others on the same boat received
some slight wounds. On the Perry, one powder-
boy a contraband, named Stephen Jones was
killed, while bravely performing his duty, and
cil
ia for-
merly the headquarters of General Banks s divi
sion. Here the First Maryland, First Vermont,
First Michigan, First Virginia, and Fifth New-
York regiments of cavalry were consolidated into
one brigade of cavalry, under the command of
Brig. -General J. P. Hatch. Accompanied by one
battery of six pieces and one regiment of infantry,
the brigade advanced on Saturday, the twelfth
instant, to Culpeper Court-House. They met the
enemy in various places, dispersed about the
neighborhood of Jefferson and other small towns
and villages. During the various skirmishes on
this advance several of our men were wounded,
and one of the First Vermont cavalry killed. In
all, eleven secesh soldiers were taken prisoner s,
and sent to Warrenton.
On the arrival at Culpeper Court-House it was
found that the cars had left a short time before
with two hundred secesh soldiers. Scoutim
par-
Daniel Donovan, a seaman on the same boat, was | ties were immediately despatched in different
wounded, and Mr. Coleman, the executive officer
of the Ceres, had his pants torn by a rebel bullet
while in the act of h xing a shell for the enemy,
and a splinter sent into his throat from a ball
which struck the deck near his head. Captain
Woodward, Capt. Macdiarmid, and Capt. Flusser
each had very narrow escapes.
This victory is of great importance, inasmuch
as it clears the way to Weldon. It is impossible
to estimate the loss to the enemy, who, it is said,
left some forty or fifty dead on the field.
Since the departure of Gen. Burnside with a
part of his army for Virginia, Acting Major-Gen.
Foster, the wheel-horse of the Burnside expedi
tion, is chief officer in command of this depart
ment. This is said to be a permanent arrange
ment, as it is understood that Gen. Burnside will
be continued hereafter in a more active field of
labor.
Doc. 149.
SKIRMISH AT THE RAPIDAN RIVER.
THE FIRST MARYLAND CAVALRY SCOUTING.
CAMP NEAR CULPEPER COURT-HOUSE, VA., July 17, 1S62.
WE left Camp Goodrich, near Middletown, on
Saturday, the fifth instant, late in the evening,
and arrived, after a very tedious night march, near
Front Royal, where we encamped on the identical
spot which was occupied by the gallant First Ma-
directions to find the enemy. Major James M.
Deems was sent with three companies eight miles
towards Sperryville, as far as Devil s Run, but no
enemy in force was found. A few bushwhacks
were seen, and three of them taken prisoners.
The Major returned to town at sundown, when
he was again ordered, and with six companies,
namely, company L, Capt. Thistleton ; company
I, Captain Charles Russell ; company II, Captair.
Grafllin ; company B, Capt. John Hancock ; com
pany D, Lieut. Marsdorf, and company E, Lieut.
Joseph Cook. The order was to proceed at once
to Rapidan station, and burn the large railroad
bridge over the Rapidan River. Six miles from
Fairfax the command was fired upon by the ene
my, when a brisk skirmish for ten miles in suc
cession took place, the enemy being driven rap
idly before us. On the arrival at the railroad
bridge, where the enemy s guards were stationed,
a sharp encounter took place, in which a secesh
Lieutenant by the name of Maxwell was killed.
Lieut. Maxwell was from the District of Colum
bia, and well known to some of our men. Col.
Taliafero, whose dwelling is near the bridge, es
caped, in company with a physician and a tele
graph operator, through the back-door. It being
very dark, the troops had no opportunity to take
more than three prisoners and three horses. Pre
parations were now made to burn the bridge,
which, on account of the absence of tar, rosia,
and other material usually applied for that pur
552
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
pose, was at first very slo\v. The men were
obliged to cany sheaves of wheat, fence-rails, etc.,
to the bridge before the torch could be applied ;