March 24th. Everything continues quiet. This afternoon it cleared up, and the sun made its appearance once more, which made things in general assume a more lively appearance. Tonight we are expecting one or two boats down from the upper fleet. I think that if they succeed in passing by the batteries at Vicksburg they will be very fortunate, as it is almost a matter of impossibility for a vessel to pass their casemates without being sunk, or at least very materially damaged; however, it is very probable that an attempt will be made, as it is highly necessary that we should have some assistance with us, in order to succeed in our object here. Our men have been engaged to-day erecting a barricade of sails on port side of poop deck; also building a breastwork of hammocks around the wheel.

Tuesday, 24th–It rained all night and day, and our camp is almost covered with water. The report in camp is that we will go down the river in a day or two.

24th. In the morning did some errands. Played chess with Thede and Melissa. Oysters for supper. Thede goes back tonight. I could see he dreads it–so do we. In the evening went to N. P. (North Professor street–Fannie Andrews’ home). Had such a good visit. Called at N. P. 2 a few minutes. (Fannie Henderson’s home.) Had a pleasant tete-a-tete with F. The more I see her, the greater is my love and admiration. Called on Fred and Fairchild. Thede returned to camp. Pictures. Sweet Home!

Gen. Foster Arrives.

March 24. Gen. Foster arrived this morning and went to work laying out a fort and other defences which we are to build. That job done, he took companies F, I and K of the 25th and H of the 27th Massachusetts with a party of marines, and a boat howitzer (on board his boat, the John Ferrin,) and left on some sort of an excursion up the Chowan river. The general is no idler, he is always on the move and seeing that everybody else is. He is ubiquitous, turning up at any time in all parts of his domain, and keeping everybody within fifty miles on the qui vive.

MARCH 24th.—Judge Lyons has granted an injunction, arresting the impressment of flour by the Secretary of War, and Congress is debating a bill which, if passed, will be a marked rebuke to the government.

Notwithstanding the wishes of the Secretary of War, the President, and Gen. Rains, Lt.-Col. Lay is still exempting Marylanders, and even foreigners who have bought real estate, and resided for years in this country, if they have not taken the oath of domicile.

In Eastern Tennessee, 25,500 conscripts were enrolled, and yet only 6000 were added to the army. The rest were exempted, detailed, or deserted. Such is the working of the Conscription Act, fettered as it is by the Exemption Law, and still executed under Judge Campbell’s decision. Gen. Rains has the title, but does not execute the functions of Superintendent of the Bureau of Conscription. The President has been informed of everything.

March 24, 1863, Peoria Morning Mail (Illinois)

We saw a lady–a lady in every sense of the term–at the market yesterday morning, with a “Copperhead” pin for a shawl fastening. We understand it was not worn merely as a matter of convenience, but as a badge to show she was for the Union and the Constitution.

March 24, 1863, The Charleston Mercury

The object of this war, on the part of the Confederate States, is the preservation of independence against unjust and vindictive assailants. It is the business of our Government and Generals to wage the war in that manner which will be most effective to the end desired. Throughout the past history of the struggle a practical arrogance and brutality has been exercised by the United States which required prompt and thorough curbing; and, under the garb of chivalry and humanity, on the part of the Confederate States, a short-sighted and unwholesome tenderness, meant for the benefit of mankind and the world at large, which has only encouraged the truculency of the enemy, entailed numberless woes upon our people, and given the appearance of timidity abroad. From all the signs around us, it is time to stop this mistrustful anxiety to toady foreign nations. Experience is teaching us that the exercise of a gingerly gentleness in war has only brought about the systematic and wholesale practice of the inhumanities first perpetrated. Vigor, promptitude and firmness might easily have checked them then. Now it will require more numerous and more signal examples to satisfy the United States of the virtue and power of retribution. We have been drifting steadily into a war without quarter, chiefly from our failure to impose, by examples, a definite, unmistakeable understanding as to the extent of barbarity to which the South would submit.

The recent bloody orders of ROSECRANS, and the diabolical plans set afoot by HUNTER, imperatively call for the infliction of summary, unsparing punishment upon all belonging to those commands. It is a matter of self- preservation, and the cause of humanity is involved. As men whose words proclaim them hostes humani generis, and whose deeds put them beyond the pale of law, it becomes the duty of all charged with the defence of the country to use every effort for checking their brutal career. Practical proofs of the position they occupy as criminals, can alone bring conviction, and restrain, by the penalties affixed to crime. Mercy to murderers and incendiaries is cruelty to those who may become their victims. Are we not satisfied of the folly of longer trifling with this question, and of the unavoidable necessity of meeting this issue boldly and manfully – soldiers, officers and government?

March 24, 1863, The New York Herald

The news from the Southwest today is important. It is stated that on the 14th instant Admiral Farragut came into action with his fleet at Port Hudson, and after a brisk engagement with the batteries, succeeded in passing the fort with all his fleet, consisting of eight vessels, leaving the Mississippi behind, which ran aground, and was set on fire by order of the Admiral. The army is reported to be within five miles of the enemy’s works. Despatches from Southwest Pass, La., appear to confirm this statement. They are dated on the 15th, and add that heavy skirmishing was going on in the advance; that Colonel Clark, aid to General Banks, was slightly wounded, and that the army was in good spirits and would move in a few hours.

No news from any of our naval officers to this effect has been received, and this fact excites much suspicion concerning its truth.

Our Baton Rouge correspondence relative to the movements of General Banks’ army, today, will be found full of interest upon this subject.

Admiral Porter, in a despatch to Washington yesterday, says he has received information from Lieutenant Commander Watson Smith that on the 7th instant the whole expedition arrived in the Tallahatchie, which gives us control of the heart of the State of Mississippi. The vessels all got through in fighting condition, excepting the Petrel, which lost her wheel. This movement alarmed the rebels. They are energetically at work preparing themselves for defence. There is much distress in Vicksburg. The occupants have no meat, but are living almost exclusively on corn meal.

Advices from the Yazoo pass expedition represent that the movements are slow, but that there is every prospect of getting through successfully. Our forces had debarked near Greenwood, and were besieging Fort Pemberton. A number of our transports were badly damaged in getting through the Pass. The ram Lioness overhauled the steamer Parallel [continue reading…]

March 26, 1863, Savannah Republican (Georgia)

The Southern Recorder says:   “Our last bill for printing paper, such as we now use for the Recorder, was at the rate of $14 per ream.   Of the propriety of raising the price of subscription our readers can judge, when we state that paper of the same size formerly cost $3, which, compared to present rates, shows an advance of nearly five hundred per cent.

March 24, 1863, Daily Southern Crisis (Jackson, Mississippi)

 We learn from the Atlanta Intelligencer that, one day last week, a party of ladies some dozen in number, the wives and daughters of soldiers in the field, were seen parading the streets of that city who represented themselves and their families to have been deprived of anything to eat in the few days previous, save a small portion of corn bread.   They proceeded to a store of a Provision Merchant and entered, led by a tall lady whose countenance betrayed care, and who was the spokeswoman of the crowd.   She asked the price of bacon.   The merchant told her one dollar and ten cents per pound.   She remonstrated with him on the exhorbitance of the price and told him how impossible it was for ladies situated as they were to purchase food at such rates.   Finding him inexorable, she drew from her bosom a navy revolver and ordered the other women to proceed to help themselves, which they did, carrying off about two hundred dollars’ worth of provisions.

Subsequently a fund was subscribed by the liberal citizens of Atlanta and placed at the disposal of these ladies, but they could not be found.

The Confederacy gives a different version to the story, and says that there were about fifteen or twenty of these hungry females, all decently and some even well-dressed–wearing golden ear-bobs and breast-pins–who went round to various houses in the city and pressed provisions–taking bacon at one place, meal at another, vegetables at another, &c., &c.  They did not plead poverty, or pressing want, or solicit donations, or anything of the kind. They had money and were doing government service whereby they could make money.   They were only determined not to pay the common prices for provisions.

 The Confederacy says they were only following the example previously set them by Governor Brown, but the results were not the same.  When the Governor seized provisions, the people submitted to it; but when the ladies aforesaid attempted it, the police was put upon their track and soon dispersed them.

March 23, 1863, Tri-Weekly Telegraph (Houston, Texas)

Editor Telegraph:-As I believe that there are many in the “Lone Star State” who like to hear from the brigade, I will occupy a short space in your columns with the account of what I saw in Richmond.

Among the first attractions in which Texas has an interest, stands most prominently the Texas Hospital, a very large building capable of accommodating 300 patients very comfortably, and 350 if put to the push. Dr. Lindly has the entire supervision, assisted by Dr. Dandridge, both from Texas. Dr. Hughes is likewise a sharer in the duties, though not as yet commissioned. Dr. Allen of Washington county, has been with the institution since its establishment, but leaves for Texas in a few days. All the offices of clerk, steward, matron, nurses, &c., are filled by Texians; Mr. and Mrs. Fenell, of Houston, holding the positions of steward and matron respectively, with great satisfaction to all concerned. The sick are delighted with this successful hospital, and I am rejoiced to see how completely all works for the general good–fulfilling to the letter the description that I gave your readers, when to Richmond last, of what we ought to have.

In this age of hero-glorifying, much encomium may be expected from the author of this letter in relation to the surgeon in charge; but I know that such would be distasteful to him, and I will say simply that he is as accomplished in his [continue reading…]

March.—Nothing special occurred up to the 23d of March. On the 16th, paid $15.00 for hat; on 23d, regiment went down to Warrenton on picket, but Brother I. L. being sick, I was left to wait on him.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

March 23, 1863, Charleston Mercury

Fifteen or twenty women, the leader of whom carried a revolver, in Atlanta, on Wednesday, went around to a number of grocery stores, seizing bacon, meal, and vegetables, paying such prices as they thought proper.   They were dispersed by the police.   The Confederacy says the women were only imitating the example set them by Government officials.

Monday, 23d–It rained nearly all day and our new camp has become very muddy. Today I read the two books of Chronicles in the Bible, sixty-five chapters in all. Our picket duty here is very light at present.

23rd. Awakened at 3:30 A. M. Off at 4 A. M. Reached Oberlin at 9:15. So good to see the dear friends. Minnie and Ellie came down. At 11 started for Elyria with Delos. Very muddy. Took dinner with Floy. Aunt Mary looking well, pretty little baby. At 8:15 saw Fannie, the dear girl, good child! Home a little after ten. How hard to return to camp again.

MARCH 23d.—The snow has nearly disappeared, and the roads are very bad. No food is brought to the market, and such as may be found in the city is held at famine prices.

I saw a letter to-day from Bishop Lay, in Arkansas. He says affairs in that State wear a dark and gloomy aspect. He thinks the State is lost.

Gen. Beauregard writes the Hon. Mr. Miles that he has not men enough, nor heavy guns enough, for the defense of Charleston. If this were generally known, thousands would despair, being convinced that those charged with the reins of power are incompetent, unequal to the crisis, and destined to conduct them to destruction rather than independence.

March 23, 1863, The New York Herald

Although no positive information regarding the movements of the army and naval forces, either on the Atlantic coast or the Mississippi, has been received by the government for some days past – at which points some great enterprises were looked for – still, the military authorities at Washington are said to be quite confident that success is certain in both directions.

General Wool has issued a general order from his headquarters in this city, calling attention to the recent proclamation of the President relative to soldiers and officers absent without leave. He conjures all such to avail themselves of the […..] President’s clemency” by returning before the 1st of April.

It is stated that the first call of the President under the new conscription law will be for the deficiency of men under the last two calls. The State of New York is represented as requiring 29,139 men to complete its quota. Of this number this city has yet to furnish 18,523, and the county of Kings is short 1,799.

We have still further particulars today of Colonel Hall’s brilliant action at Milton, Tennessee, the official account of which, from General Rosecrans, we gave yesterday. The rebels made a fearful assault with their dismounted cavalry and three regiments of infantry upon a section of our batteries which was throwing a most destructive fire amongst them; but the First Missouri regiment, who were lying concealed behind the battery, waited until the enemy were within thirty yards, when they opened a terrible fire, causing them to recoil, and finally to retreat in confusion from the field, leaving their dead and wounded behind them.

A despatch from Louisville states that the rebel commander, Col. Cluke, surrounded Mount Sterling, Ky., at two o’clock yesterday morning. Our forces, amounting to two hundred, fought from the houses for four hours, but were finally [continue reading…]

March 23, 1863, The Charleston Mercury

GOOD NEWS FROM THE YAZOO PASS EXPEDITION – THE YANKEE FLEET RETREATING.

MOBILE, March 21. – The Advertiser has the following despatch, which it gives as official:

FORT PEMBERTON,

YAZOO RIVER, March 20.

LORING has whipped the enemy back from this point, and they are now in full retreat for Yazoo Pass.

Fort Pemberton is situated at the confluence of the Tallahatchie and Yallabusha Rivers – streams which form the Yazoo. Yazoo Pass, of which so much has been heard, is a sort of bayou, formed by the overflow of the Mississippi during the rainy season, and makes a connecting link between that stream and the headwaters of the Tallahatchie. In ordinary times, this pass is navigable only for dugouts, and even in times of high water was thought impassable to anything but flat-boats. The Yankees have ditched it out, cut down the trees, rooted up the cypress trees, and converted this shallow pass into a ship canal, through which their gunboats have steamed, and, after a voyage of a hundred or more miles, reached Fort Pemberton and attacked it – only to be defeated and compelled to fall back.

LATEST FROM PORT HUDSON.

PORT HUDSON, March 21. – Reports prevail here that the U.S. sloop-of-war Richmond has sunk from the injuries she received here in the fight on the 15th inst. Nothing definite, however, has been ascertained. The mortar fleet still occupies its former position, below and out of range of our batteries. Yesterday the enemy fired slowly at our transports [continue reading…]

March 23, 1863, The Charleston Mercury

VICKSBURG, March 16.

It must be a very provoking dilemma for the Yankee General Grant to be placed in a position where he cannot advance, and dare not turn back. In order to accomplish the former, he has been engaged for two months in digging and cleaning up the stumps and logs from the canal, but still he is unable to move his transports below by means of this ditch. His iron-clads may run by batteries, but that will only insure their capture, and the transports and troops have to remain above or make an attempt against the formidable batteries.

The following conundrum, got up by an improvised minstrel band, is a good one: ‘Why is Vicksburg like a hundred dollar Confederate bill? Because the Yankees can pass it, but can’t take it.’ Their gunboats can pass by, but they can’t take the place. It matters but little whether they are above or below, as far as operations against this point are concerned. One thing is self-evident, they can never reduce this place unless they make an attempt at it, and thus far they have not ventured to expose themselves within range of our batteries.

I have learned some further particulars of the capture of the Indianola. She was a formidable iron-clad, with powerful guns – those mounted on the bow being eleven inch columbiads, and the stern guns were nine inch. On her passage by the batteries on the way down, the Yankees had taken the precaution to grease her sides with tallow to make the balls glide off easily, and the whole craft was daubed over to the thickness of a quarter of an inch. She fought well in the engagement, but none of our men were lost.

She had a coal barge on each side of her, and on her cruise she captured a pig from the plantation of Mr. Sims, and had the porker quartered on one of the coal barges, together with a lot of chickens, which had also been captured. When the [continue reading…]

March 23, 1863, The New York Herald

The late Congress, in the estimation of the great body of the people of the loyal States, atoned for numerous blunders and covered a multitude of sins in its broad, comprehensive measures for a vigorous and overwhelming prosecution of the war. The men, money, means and resources of the country at the service of the government, and the powers of the President to draw upon them, are ample for the suppression of the rebellion before the expiration of the approaching summer. The issue is now in the hands of the administration, and a responsibility from which, in the event of another indecisive campaign, President Lincoln need not hope to escape.

Experience should be to him as she is to other thoughtful men – the teacher of wisdom. The terrible instructions of the disastrous three months of June, July and August, 1862, should not be forgotten. Granted that the misfortunes which in those months befel the army of General McClellan and the army of General Pope resulted from the disarrangement of McClellan plans and combinations by intermeddling and ignorant politicians, we still contend that even after the sanguinary seven days’ battles in front of Richmond McClellan would have been able from Malvern Hill to follow up that wholesale slaughter of the rebel army into the rebel capital had reinforcements to his army to the extent of even twenty thousand men been promptly forwarded from Washington. The radical abolition military leaders of Congress had stopped enlistments; all the troops that had been raised were in active service, and the Virginia army of General Pope had absorbed all the reserves that could be spared, and was still so weak that against a forward movement of the enemy it was considered imperatively necessary to bring up the army of General McClellan to his support to save the national capital. Thus failed the peninsular campaign of last summer, when a reserved force at Washington of even twenty thousand men, in addition to the army of General Pope, and the forces in the fortifications of Arlington Heights, &c., would have enabled the government to carry General McClellan triumphantly into Richmond. As it was, the disasters to General Pope’s army at Manassas, which enabled the rebel General Lee to push forward into Maryland, and to capture our twelve thousand men and their valuable supplies of artillery and military stores at Harper’s Ferry, would have been [continue reading…]

March 23, 1863, The Charleston Mercury

On Tuesday last the Yankees, with from 1000 to 1200 men, advanced some two or three miles from Jacksonville. The object was to burn down some buildings behind which the Confederates were stationed. Major BREVARD’S battalion attacked them, and the fight lasted about an hour, during which we had five men wounded, but none killed. During the skirmish the enemy’s wagons could be seen carrying off their dead and wounded. The enemy being in superior force, came near surrounding the Confederates, who were compelled to retire to a more favorable position. The centre of the Yankee forces was composed of white troops, and their right and left wings of negros, officered by whites. In a few days we look for more important information from that quarter. The Confederate troops have been reinforced, and are anxious to meet the enemy.

March 23, 1863, The Charleston Mercury

The long silence at Fredericksburg has at last been broken by the clash of arms. The enemy has begun his […..] movement,’ and made his first step by attempting to cross the river at Kelly’s Ford, above Fredericksburg. On last Tuesday morning, about 9 o’clock, a.m., the advance of the enemy, some 3000 strong, as estimated in the official despatch to General Lee, and supposed to be Averill’s division, appeared on the north bank of the Rappahannock, and succeeded in effecting a crossing. Accounts brought down by passengers put the enemy force a little higher – say some four or five thousand. They were here met by a portion of General Fitzhugh Lee’s command, about 1200 strong, according to the reports we get. A severe engagement ensued. The fighting is said to have been terrific, and the enemy are reported to have fought with great stubbornness. The battle wavered a long time, and the great bravery of our men alone won the victory. Our men dashed on the enemy with all the force of an avalanche, and for a long time the fight raged – hand to hand. The Yankees contested every inch of the ground, but finding the fire of our men too much they fell back in great disorder, and retired to the other side of the river. As soon as the retreat was ordered the Yankees fled in great dismay and confusion, leaving behind them their dead and wounded on the field, and a number of supplies. So rapid was the enemy’s flight across the river that his hospital, established in the rear for his wounded was abandoned, and his dead lay strewn over the ground – everything left behind in his panic.

Of the loss in the action we can get very little information. It is quite certain, however, that the enemy suffered severely. We can get no actual estimate of his loss, but from the accounts brought down by passengers last night, as well as from the official despatches, it is very plain that the fight was a hard and desperate one, and the loss severe. The Yankees would scarcely have been thrown into such confusion and disorder had not they have been terribly cut up.

So far as regards our own loss, we are without any definite information. It is to be hoped from the accounts we get that our men suffered not seriously. The despatches we have convey no idea as to the extent of our loss, beyond the mere fact [continue reading…]

March 22d. At ten A. M., the Albatross got under way and dropped down the river a short distance, and shelled the batteries at Warrenton, receiving in return a brisk fire from musketry and field pieces; after engaging the batteries a short time, came up and anchored ahead of us. Last night a very large coal lighter was floated down to us from the fleet above Vicksburg, the enemy not discovering it until it had got some distance below their batteries, at which time they fired a few shots at it, but doing it no damage. We are not altogether out of coal, but as it is believed that we are in rather a tight fix, it has been deemed necessary to take in a good supply of this precious article. To-day the ship’s company have been engaged coaling ship from lighter. The Albatross is also taking in coal from the same lighter.

Sunday, 22d–I worked all day setting up our tent, my two tent mates being on duty. General Logan’s Division started for Vicksburg today. It commenced to rain this evening.