SEPTEMBER 14. J
DIARY OF EVENTS.
A. Dal ton and Walter Harriman, passed through
New-York, en route for the seat of war.
A WAR meeting of the wholesale grocers was
held at New- York City this afternoon, for the pur
pose of raising an enlistment fund. Mr. Win.
McKenzie called the meeting to order, and nomi
nated G. W. Lane, Esq., for chairman. D wight
Townsend was appointed secretary. Mr. Lane,
on taking the chair, made a few appropriate and
introductory remarks, after which the following
resolution, presented by Mr. Wm. McKenzie, was
offered and unanimously adopted : " Whereas, the
grocers and the trades connected therewith in the
city of New-York desire to aid the Government
in suppressing the present rebellion against our
Union and Constitution ; we do therefore Resolve,
that a committee be appointed by the chairman,
who shall have full powers to collect money and
expend the same in procuring men to enlist as
soldiers in the army of the United States, in such
a way as shall seem to them most suited to attain
the object for which the meeting has been called."
A committee of fourteen was appointed to carry
out the object of the resolution. Bloomfield, Mo.,
was recaptured by a force of Union troops under
the command of Col. Boyd.
AN important, debate took place in the rebel
House of Representatives at Richmond, Ya., upon
the propriety of an invasion of the Northern
States. See Supplement.
THE following commands in the army of Vir
ginia were designated by the War Department :
First corps, Major-Gen. Hooker ; Second corps,
Major-Gen. Surnner ; Third corps, Major-General
Heintzclman ; Fourth corps, Major-Gen. Keyes ;
Fifth corps, Major-Gen. Fitz-John Porter ; Sixth
corps, Major-Gen. Franklin ; Seventh corps, Ma
jor-Gen. Dix ; Eighth corps, Major-Gen. Wool ;
Ninth corps, Major-Gen. Burnside ; Tenth corps,
Major-Gen. Mitchel ; Eleventh corps, Major-Gen.
Sedgwick ; Twelfth corps, Major-Gen. Sigel.
JOHN Ross, chief of the Cherokee Indians,
nad an interview with President Lincoln, at
Washington, this morning, with regard to the
rescue of his nation from the rebels.
THE Union army under General Burnside
entered Frederick, Md. A slight skirmish oc
curred between the Union advance-guard and the
rear-guard of the rebel army, in which there
were several men killed and wounded on both
sides. Great enthusiasm was manifested by the
inhabitants, on the appearance of Gen. Burnside
and his army. (Doc. 202.)
FRANKFORT, the capital of Kentucky, was oc
cupied by a large force of rebel cavalry under
Gen. E. Kirby Smith. He issued a proclamation,
informing the citizens that they must fight for
him or against him. He also organized a city
government and appointed a mayor. N. Y. Times.
THE attack upon Harper s Ferry, that posi
tion being completely invested by the rebel army,
commenced this afternoon in a skirmish with the
Union troops upon Maryland Heights, under
command of Colonel Ford, lasting until sundown.
(Doc. 120.)
September 13. The military excitement in
Philadelphia, Pa., continued. A large number of
armed citizens were leaving for Harrisburgh.
The Mayor of Harrisburgh issued a proclamation,
forbidding the citizens to leave town under pen
alty of arrest.
THE rebel chief Porter, with about five hun
dred guerrillas, made a descent on Palmyra, Mo.,
this morning and released forty rebel prisoners.
He held the town for a while, but withdrew when
he heard an engine from Hannibal whistle. He
did no damage whatever. A force of rebel troops,
under the command of Gen. Loring, took posses
sion of the Kanawha salt-works, near Charleston,
Va. RiclimomlDispatch, Sept. 20.
THE rebels continued the attack upon the
Union forces on Maryland Heights, who held the
place until three o clock, when an order was
received to spike the guns and remove down the
valley to Harper s Ferry.
September 14. The entire National army
moved from Frederick, Md., at daylight this
morning, taking the route towards Harper s Fer
ry. Ripley, Va., was occupied by the advance
of Col. Lightburn s troops.
THIS evening the stockade fort at Bacon
Creek, Ky., was surrendered to the rebel cavalry
under Colonel J. J. Morrison. The garrison con
sisted of Sergeant Ellis and twenty-eight men of
company D, Fifty-fourth regiment of Indiana
lome guards. The regiment had been posted at
different points along the railroad, and this squad
at Bacon Creek. This afternoon, about dark,
Col. Morrison made his appearance, and, while
sending in a flag of truce, planted his artillery so
as to destroy the fort. He demanded its sur
render, threatening, in case of his refusal, to open
ipon it with his artillery. Sergeant Ellis con
sulted with the rebel officer, and represented their
)osition to Morrison. It was agreed that the
80
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
[SEPTEMBER 15.
party should be paroled, not to take up arms
until regularly exchanged or discharged from the
service. The men then surrendered. Morrison
destroyed the fort and took about fifty guns.
MAYSVILLE, Ky., was evacuated by the rebels
and taken possession of by the National forces
under Colonel Norton of the Twenty-first Ohio
volunteers.
GENERAL BUTLER, at New-Orleans, La., issued
the following general order : " As in the course
of ten days it may become necessary to distin
guish the disloyal from the loyal citizens and
honest neutral foreigners residing in this Depart
ment,
" It is ordered that each neutral foreigner, re
sident in this Department, shall present himself,
with the evidence of his nationality, to the near
est Provost-Marshal for registration of himself and
family.
" This registration shall include the following
particulars :
" The country of birth. The length of time
the person has resided within the United States.
The names of his family. The present place of
residence, by street, number, or other description.
The occupation. The date of protection or certi-
.ficate of nationality, which shall be indorsed by
the Passport Clerk, registered, with date of
register.
" All false or simulated claims of foreign alli
ance by native or naturalized citizens will be
severely punished."
GENERAL LORING, the rebel commander at
Charleston, Ya., issued the following order this
day: "The Commanding General congratulates
the army on the brilliant march from the South
west to this place in one week, and on its suc
cessive victories over the enemy at Fayette Court-
House, Cotton Hill, and Charleston. It will be
memorable in history that, overcoming the moun
tains and the enemy in one week, you have es
tablished the laws and carried the flag of the
country to the outer borders of the Confederacy.
Instances of gallantry and patriotic devotion are
too numerous to be specially designated at this
time ; but to brigade commanders and their offi
cers and men, the Commanding General makes
grateful acknowledgment for services to which
our brilliant success is owing. The country will
remember and reward you."
DRAFTING in the State of Ohio was postponed
until the first day of October, by order of Gov
ernor Tod. The First Metropolitan regiment,
N.Y.S.V., left Riker s Island for Washington.
THE battle of South-Mountain, Md., was
fought this day, between the rebel army invading
Maryland, under General Lee, and the National
forces, commanded by Generals Hooker and Reno,
resulting in the defeat of the rebels, who, after
stubbornly contending the whole day, abandoned
the field of battle at night, leaving their dead and
wounded in the hands of the Nationals. The
loss of the rebels was not known, although it
was acknowledged to be greater than that of the
Nationals, which amounted to over two thousand
killed, wounded, and missing. Gen. Reno was
among the killed. (Doc. 119.)
THE attack upon Harper s Ferry, Md., was
continued by the rebels this morning in a vigor
ous cannonading from Maryland and Loudon
Heights, and from Sandy Hook ; the Union troops
under Gen. Miles replying frequently.
THE funeral of Col. George W. Pratt, of the
New- York Twentieth regiment, took place at Al
bany to-da}\ It was one of the largest assem
blages ever seen in that city on a similar occa
sion. It was attended by the Governor and
staff, the Tenth and Twenty-fifth regiments, de
putations from Masonic orders, and a number of
distinguished strangers -om New- York and else
where.
AN engagement took place at Munfordsville,
Ky., between a force of Union troops stationed in
that town, under the command of Col. Wilder,
Seventeenth Indiana, and a large body of rebels,
under General Duncan, resulting, oftor a fight of
seven hours duration, in the repulse of the rebel?
with great loss. (.Docs. 121 and 207.)
THIS evening the Union cavalry at Harper s
Ferry, two thousand in number, succeeded in
cutting their way out by the Sharpsburgh road,
and while so doing captured one hundred prison
ers, and the rebel General Longstreet s wagon
train. (Doc. 120.)
September 15. The rebels advanced again to
wards Cincinnati, Ohio, as far as Florence, and
drove in the Union pickets.
COLONEL McNEiLL had a two hours fight with
Porter s gang of guerrillas, near Shelburne, re
sulting in the complete rout of the latter, with a
loss of two killed and a number wounded. Col.
McNeill captured twenty wagons and a number
of horses and guns. Ponchatoula, La., was occu-
SEPTEMBER 17.]
DIARY OF EVENTS.
81
pied by the National forces under Major George
C. Strong, of Gen. Butler s staff. (Doc. 208.)
HARPER S FERRY, Md., surrendered to the
rebels under the command of Gen. Jackson, after
a contest of three days duration. (Doc. 120.)
September 16. Major-Gen. 0. M. Mitchel ar
rived at Port Royal, S. C., and assumed command
of the department. A grand Union demonstration
took place at Jefferson City, La. Paynesville,
Stearns County, Minn., was attacked by a part}*-
of Indians, who retired after burning one house
and committing other depredations. St. Paul s
Pioneer, September 20.
September 17. The objects of the invasion of
Pennsylvania were thus set forth in the Richmond
Dispatch of this day : " The road to Pennsylva
nia lies invitingly open. There are no regular
soldiers on the route, and it would be a task of
little difficulty to disperse the rabble of militia
that might be brought to oppose them.
" The country is enormously rich. It abounds
in fat cattle, cereals, horses, and mules. Our
troops would live on the very fat of the land.
They would find an opportunity, moreover, to
teach the Dutch farmers and graziers, who have
been clamorous for this war, what invasion really
is. If once compelled to take his own physic,
which is a great deal more than he ever bargained
for, Mynheer will cry aloud for peace in a very
short time. For our own part, we trust the first
proclamation of Pope, and the manner in which
his army carried it out, will not be forgotten.
We hope the troops will turn the whole country
into a desert, as the Yankees did the Piedmont
country of Virginia.
" Let not a blade of grass, or a stalk of corn, or
a barrel of flour, or a bushel of meal, or a sack of
salt, or a horse, or a cow, or a hog, or a sheep, be
left wherever they move along. Let vengeance
be taken for all that has been done, until retribu
tion itself shall stand aghast. This is the coun
try of the smooth-spoken, would-be gentleman,
McClellan. He has caused a loss to us, in Vir
ginia, of at least thirty thousand negroes, the
most valuable property that a Virginian can own.
They have no negroes in Pennsylvania. Retalia
tion must therefore fall upon something else, and
let it fall upon every thing that constitutes pro
perty. A Dutch farmer has no negroes, but he
has horses that can be seized, grain that can be
confiscated, cattle that can be killed, and houses
that can be burnt. He can be taken prisoner
and sent to Libby s Warehouse, as our friends in
VOL. V. DIARY 6
Fauquier and Loudon, Culpeper, and the penin
sula have been sent to Lincoln s dungeons in the
North. Let retaliation be complete, that the
Yankees may learn that two can play at the
game they have themselves commenced.
" By advancing into Pennsylvania with rapid
ity, our army can easily get possession of the
Pennsylvania Central Railroad, and break it down
so thoroughly that it cannot be repaired in six
months. They have already possession of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the York River
Railroad. By breaking down these and the rail
road from Philadelphia to Baltimore, they wil.
completely isolate both Washington and Balti
more. No reinforcements can reach them from
either North or West, except by the Potomac and
the bay."
COLONEL DUNHAM, in command of the Na
tional garrison at Munfordsville, Ky., surrendered
to the rebel forces under General Bragg. (Doc.
121.)
A FIGHT took place this morning near Dur
hamville, Tenn., about twenty-five miles south
east of Fort Pillow, between a detachment of one
hundred and fifty men, belonging to the Fifty-
second regiment of Indiana volunters, under the
command of Lieut. Ross Griffin, and a party of
rebels under Lieut. -Col. Faulkner, which resulted
in the complete rout of the rebels, with a loss of
eight killed and twenty wounded. The National
loss was one killed, one missing, and ten wound
ed, Surgeon Martin s JReport.
COLONEL GEORGE W. BERRY, of the Han
son County home guards, left Covington, Ky.
with six hundred of Colonel Tevis s cavalry
for the purpose of reconnoitring up the Ken
tucky Central Railroad as far as Falmouth. Be
fore reaching Falmouth, the officer in command
of the cavalry declined going any further, ant.
started back toward Covington. Colonel Berry
was not to be baffled in his enterprise in thie
way; so he pushed ahead, in company with
Greenbury Reed, U. S. Marshal of Bourbon Coun
ty, and nine other men, and reached Falmouth in
a few hours, finding it evacuated by the rebels.
The little band had not been there long when
twenty-eight Texan Rangers came into the place,
and immediately attacked Colonel Berry s small
force. A desperate fight ensued, resulting in the
rebels being driven out of the town with a loss
of two killed, four wounded, and one prisoner.
One of Colonel Berry s men, named A. McNees,
from Harrison County, was badly wounded. This
82
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
[SEPTEMBER
was the only casualty on the National side. Th
rebels threatened to return soon with a cannon
They burnt the railroad near Falmouth, in thei
retreat. Cincinnati Commercial, Sept. 20.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL L. F. Ross, U.S.A.
commanding at Bolivar, Tenn., issued a genera
order requiring the owners of slaves living within
ten miles of that place to send in three fourths o
their male slaves, between sixteen and forty-fiv
years of age, to be employed upon the fortifica
tions. The guerrilla chief Poindexter escapee
from the Nationals at Hudson, Mo. /St. Loui
Republican, September 18.
THE ship Virginia, of New-Bedford, Mass., was
captured and burned by the rebel privateer Alaba
ma, Capt. Semmes, in latitude 39 10 and longitude
34 20 . The privateer when first seen displayed
English colors, but when a quarter of a mile from
the Virginia set the rebel colors and sent an
armed boat s crew aboard. The Captain was in
formed that he was a prize to the Alabama, and
was ordered to take his papers and go on board
that steamer. The privateers then stripped the ship
of all the valuable articles on board, and at four
P.M. set fire to the vessel. On arriving on board
the steamer the captain of the Virginia asked
Semmes to release him, as he was doing no
harm. His answer was : " You Northerners
are destroying our property, and New-Bedford
people are having their war meetings, offering
two hundred dollars bounty for volunteers, and
send out their stone fleets to block up our har
bors, and I am going to retaliate !" Captain Til-
ton s Account.
THIS evening, before dusk, a scouting-party
of fifty-three of the Tenth Kentucky cavalry, un
der Major Foley, when near Florence, Kentucky,
engaged a party of rebels one hundred and one
strong. The rebels, after a short engagement,
were routed, with a loss of five killed and seven
wounded. Among those killed was one citizen, a
rebel sympathizer. The National loss was one
killed and one wounded. The enemy sent in a
flag of truce, asking permission to bury their dead
and take care of their wounded, which was grant
ed. Cincinnati Commercial, September 18.
IN the rebel House of Representatives, at
Richmond, an animated discussion was held on
the bill authorizing a suspension of the writ of
habeas corpus.
Mr. Conrad, of Louisiana, was in favor of an
early opportunity to discuss the bill. If Congress
should fail to pass such a law, circumstances
might arise in which the President might be com
pelled to suspend the writ without authority.
The Richmond Examiner in commenting on
the debate, strongly denounced the proposition
of Mr. Conrad. Richmond Examiner, Sept. 20.
THE battle of Antietam, Maryland, was fought
this day between the National forces under Gen.
McClellan and the rebel army commanded by
General Robert E. Lee. (Doc. 122.)
LIEUT. -COLONEL KILPATRICK, of the Ira Har
ris cavalry, made a reconnoissance up the road
from Edward s Ferry to Leesburgh, Va.
At Goose Creek he met a rebel force, and dis
persed it with artillery. On arriving at Lees-
burgh he encountered a regiment of infantry and
a battalion of cavalry. A sharp action took place,
and the rebels were driven from the town, the
Tenth New- York pressing them at the point of
the bayonet. A regimental flag, several guns and
a number of prisoners were captured.
GOVERNOR CURTIN of Pennsylvania announc
ed that seventy-two thousand men had responded
to his call for the defence of the State, and that
he expected that the number would be increased
to one hundred thousand. These men were fur
nished with equipments, and moved to the State
border as rapidly as possible.
- THE rebel House of Representatives passed
i bill authorizing Jeff Davis to call into the mili-
:ary service, for three years or during the war,
all white male citizens of the rebel States, between
he ages of eighteen and forty-five years. Such
)ersons to serve their full term ; no one being
ntitled to a discharge because he might have
>assed the age of forty-five before such term of
ervice expired.
AN expedition consisting of the United States
;unboats Paul Jones, Cimerone, and three other
team vessels, left Port Royal, S. C M on the thir-
eenth instant, and proceeded to the Saint John s
,iver, Florida, where they arrived to-day. They
mmediately attacked the rebel batteries, and,
fter a few hours shelling, succeeded in dismount-
ig most of their guns, greatly damaging their
reastworks, and completely silencing them.
CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn., was evacuated by
e National forces under the command of Gen.
xeorge "W. Morgan. (See Supplement.)
IN consequence of the reported approach of
le rebel army under General E. Kirby Smith,
onsiderable excitement existed in Louisville,
Kentucky. The troops commenced fortifying the
SEPTEMBER 20.]
DIARY OF EVENTS.
83
city. Negroes were impressed to throw up rifle-
pits and dig breastworks.
September 18. The whale ship Elisha Dunbar
of New-Bedford, Mass., was captured and burned
by the confederate privateer Alabama, in latitude
30 50 , and longitude 35 20 .
VJHAKLES S. OLDEN, Governor of New-Jersey,
issued a proclamation to the people of that State,
setting forth the condition of the country and
calling upon the young men to enroll themselves
in the uniformed companies, and perfect them
selves in drill, in order that they might defend
their homes in case the State should be invaded.
THE bridge on the Hatchie River, four miles
north of Memphis, Tenn., was burned by a party
of rebel guerrillas. The rebels evacuated Har
per s Ferry, Va.
THE rebel General Bragg, issued a procla
mation from his headquarters at Glasgow, Ky.,
informing the people of that State that he had
come with the confederate army of the West to
offer them an opportunity to free themselves from
the tyranny of a despotic ruler. They came not
as conquerors or despoilers, but to restore to them
the liberties of which they had been deprived by
a cruel and relentless foe ; to guaranty to all the
sanctity of their homes and altars, to punish with
a rod of iron the despoilers of their peace, and to
avenge the cowardly insults to their women.
September 19. General McClellan, from his
headquarters near Antietam, Md., sent the fol
lowing despatches to the War Department at
Washington :
8.30 A.M. But little occurred yesterday ex
cept skirmishing. Last night the enemy aban
doned his position, leaving his dead and wound
ed on the field. We are again in pursuit. I do
not know whether he is falling back to an interior
position or crossing the river. We may safely
claim a victory.
10.80 A.M. General Pleasanton is driving the
enemy across the river. Our victory is com
plete. The enemy is driven back into Virginia.
Maryland and Virginia are now safe.
IN the rebel House of Representatives in ses
sion at Richmond, Va., Mr. Foote offered the fol
lowing resolution :
Resolved, by the Congress of the confederate
States of America, That the signal success with
which Divine Providence has so continuously
blessed our arms for several months past, would
fully justify the confederate Government in des
patching a commissioner or commissioners to the
Government at Washington City, empowered to
propose the terms of a just and honorable peace,
Richmond Examiner, September 20.
GENERAL HALLECK issued the following cir
cular from his headquarters at Washington :
" Major- General Foster, commanding the De
partment of North-Carolina, has called attention
to an article in the New- York Evening Post of
September 4, in which is published the numbers
and positions of his troops. He remarks that
the New- York papers always reach the enemy in
a few days after publication, and that such in
formation from our friends is more injurious than
that gained by the rebel spies. The newspaper
press is earnestly requested to make no publica
tion in regard to the numbers and movements of
our troops.
" No information could be more desirable to the
enemy than this. Such publications have done
immense injury to our cause."
THE funeral exercises over the remains of
Major-General Reno took place to day in Trinity
Church, Boston, Mass. Bishop Eastman officiat
ed. Governor Andrew and other State officials
were present.
THE battle of luka, Mississippi, was fought
this day by the National forces under General
Rosecrans and the rebels under the command of
General Price. (Doc. 126.)
September 20. Commander George Henry
Preble, senior officer in command of the blockad
ing squadron off Mobile, having permitted the
steamer Oreto to run the blockade, was this
day dismissed the naval service of the United
States. The correspondence between General
Butler and General Phelps relative to the contra
band negro question in Louisiana, was this day
made public by General Phelps.
YESTERDAY a skirmish occurred near Owens-
boro, Ky., between a force of Union troops under
the command of Colonel Netter, and a large body
of rebel guerrillas. At the first fire Colonel Net
ter was killed, when the Nationals retired, per
mitting the rebels to ride through and through
the town. To-day the guerrillas were attacked
near the town by about four hundred and fifty
of the Spencer (Ind.) home guards, under the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, First In
diana cavalry, and routed with great loss. Thtj
home guard had two men killed and eighteea
wounded.
84
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
[SEPTEMBER 22,
A FIGHT took place near Shirley s Ford
Spring River, Mo., between the Third Indiana
regiment, Colonel Ritchie, and a force of abou
six hundred rebels, among whom were som<
eighty or ninety Cherokee Indians, resulting in
a rout of the latter with a loss of sixty or seventy
killed and wounded. St. Joseph s Journal.
LAST night a rebel force consisting of Stuart s
cavalry and the Hampton Legion, with one regi
inent of infantry and seventeen pieces of artillery
crossed the Potomac at Williamsport, Maryland
and occupied that town ; but, to-day, ascertaining
that a strong Union force under General Coucl
was approaching, they drew in their pickets and
safely recrossed into Virginia. The rebel troops
committed no improprieties while they occupied
the town, beyond forcing the citizens to open
their stores and sell their goods for confederate
money.
A FIGHT took place at Blackford s Ford be