an instructive light upon this whole movement and its objects: This phrase," wherever found," implies that there are friends of the Union in this Confederacy, and the resolution obligingly pledges to them the support of the New-Jersey Democracy-not surely without an equivalent return. war policy may be condemned by its results, yet all this will not be enough to enable the unterrified Democracy to clutch the "spoils"-or, "Resolved, That we renew our declaration of as they phrase it, to restore the Constitution of attachment to the Union, pledging to its friends, their fathers. This, of itself, would never give wherever found, our unwavering support, and to them a peace Democrat President and Cabinet: its enemies, in whatever guise, our undying hosit would only result in another abolitionist ad-tility, and that, God willing, we will stand by the ministration, with a new Secretary of War and Constitution and laws of our country, and under a new Commander-in-Chief, and a slightly dif- their sacred shield will maintain and defend our ferent programme for "crushing the rebellion." liberty and rights, 'peaceably if we can, forcibly These Black Republicans are in power, after if we must.' (Great cheering.)" long waiting, pining, intriguing in the cold shade of the opposition, and they have now the numerical preponderance so decidedly that they both can and will hold on to the office with a clutch like death. The Democrats can do absolutely nothing without "the South," as they persist in terming these confederate States, and they cannot bring themselves to admit the thought that we would refuse to unite with them (as alas! we used to do) in a grand universal Presidential "The contest of arms, however, will not be campaign for a Democratic President with a peace required; the certain and peaceful remedy will platform, and "the Constitution as it is." In be found in the ballot-box. Let us all possess fact, this whole two years' war, and the two our souls in patience. The remedy is ours.” years' more war which has yet to be gone through, General Fitz-John knows well that the remedy is itself, in their eyes, only a Presidential cam- is not theirs, unless "the South" consent to paign, only somewhat more vivacious than ordi-throw its votes into that same ballot-box; and it nary. This explains the Vallandigham peace meetings in New-York and New-Jersey, and the "manly declarations" of Mr. Horatio Seymour and other patriots. "Do not let us forget," says Fernando Wood, writing to the Philadelphia meeting, "that those who perpetrate such outrages as the arrest and banishment of Mr. Vallandigham do so as necessary war measures. Let us, therefore, strike at the cause, and declare for peace and against the war." This would sound very well if the said “declaring for peace" could have any effect whatever in bringing about peace. If a man in falling from a tower could arrest his fall by declaring against it, then the declarations of Democrats against the war might be of some avail. As it is, they resemble that emphatic pronouncement of Mr. Washington Hunt: "Let it be proclaimed upon the house-tops that no citizen of New-York shall be arrested without process of law." There is no use in bawling from the house-tops what every body knows to be nonsense. Or this resolution of the New-Jersey meeting: Resolved, That in the illegal seizure and banishment of the Hon. C. L. Vallandigham, the laws of our country have been outraged, the name of the United States disgraced, and the rights of every citizen menaced, and that it is now the duty of a law-respecting people to demand of the Administration that it at once and forever desist from such deeds of despotism and crime. (Enthusiasm.)" Demand, quotha? The starling that Mr. Sterne saw in the cage said only: "I can't get out." It would have been more "manly" to scream-"I demand to get out; I proclaim on the house-tops that I will get out." Another of the New-Jersey resolutions throws To the same meeting General Fitz-John Porter writes a letter, declaring, of course, for the Constitution and resistance to despotism, and ending thus: is for this, and this only, that the Democratic hook "Subjugation or annihilation being alike im possible, I am in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities-for an armistice-that 'mid the lull of the strife, the heat of passion shall have time to cool, and the calm, majestic voice of reason can be heard. In the midst of such a calm I am for endeavoring to learn from those in arms against us what their demands may be, and inviting their coöperation in the name of a common Christianity, in the name of a common humanity, to some plan of reconciliation or reconstruction by which the sections may unite upon a more stable basis-a plan in which the questions upon which we have differed so long may be harmoniously adjusted; and each section, by virtue of the greatness developed in this war, may profit by the experience. If it shall be found that sectional opinions and prejudices are too obstinate, and the exasperations of this war have burned too deep to settle it upon the basis of reconciliation or reconstruction, then I know that separation and reconstruction are inevitable." Here is the whole plan: an armistice, and then "inviting our cooperation." During that armistice they hope that the "calm majestic voice of reason" and a "common Christianity" might do something considerable. The game, as they calculate, would then be on the board, with stakes so tempting. Mr. Wall would endeavor to "learn from us what our demands are." Any thing in reason he would be prepared to grant us; but if we replied, our demands are that you bring away your troops from every inch of our soil, that you leave the Border States free to decide on their own destiny, that you evacuate all our forts and towns which you now hold, and make us rid of you and the whole breed of you forever, then Mr. Wall would exclaim: What! do you call that the calm majestic voice of reason? Is that your common Christianity? He would say, when I spoke of the calm majestic, etc., I meant the spoils; when I said a common Christianity, I meant money. Let us talk rationally-how much common Christianity will you take? before them and formed in a line of battle on the bluff facing the bridge across the creek. The rebels being ignorant of the force in their front, and supposing those in their rear to be home guards, left two companies just this side of the bridge, formed on the hill-side in the bushes, intending when they came up to bushwhack them to pieces. But they were mistaken in their game. The two companies in front, companies E and F, on being fired upon, charged right and left, clearing the hill at one sweep, capturing all their horses and some eight or ten prisoners. The rest fell back on the bridge, the Tenth fol| lowing close on them. At the moment the latter appeared on top of the hill, our men, the Eighth and Ninth Michigan cavalry, opened on them; also with two pieces of artillery. The Tenth, seeing the mistake of Colonel De Courcy, made signs to inform them and stop the firing, which was, for about ten minutes, terrific. But they "couldn't see it," In vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird. We are aware of them; and we will watch them well, and the friends of the Union, "wheresoever found." Our views go a little further than theirs. We have to so disorganize and disintegrate society in their country that they will rush into armed revolution and anarchy. We spit upon their ballot-box. We care not what they "demand in resolutions, nor what helpless trash they pro-and the Tenth were compelled to fall back beclaim on the house-tops. We do not believe in their power to attain so much as an armistice for two years to come. If an armistice, indeed, were offered, and the invading troops were withdrawn, of course we should not object to it, and good use could be made of it. The hind the hill. The rebels, profiting by this unfortunate mistake, crossed the bridge in front of the Eighth and Ninth, and filing off under the bluff, escaped up a ravine. Night coming on, the only means left was to send a regiment around to one of the gaps to cut them off. But mark well, ye armistice mongers! During Eighth Michigan was accordingly despatched on that suspension of hostilities all negotiations this business. We lost, singular to say, but one must be between government and government. man killed-William West, company C--and Our lines should be more strictly guarded than two wounded-Joseph Blair and James Hicks— ever. No negotiations or fraternization of parties all of the same company. West was shot in the by public meetings or private conferences; no forehead by a Minie ball, and fell fighting bravebargaining with the "calm voice of reason; no ly. The prisoners number about forty; among secret pocketing of Wall's "common Christiani- the number Captain James White, of Maysville. ty." The Eighth Michigan cavalry, which was left But armistice there will be none, and we are on the field, it is expected will capture the greatglad of it. Our sovereign independence is al-er part of the remainder. The rebel surgeon ready won and paid for with treasures of brave blood. It shall not be sold by peddlers, to be built into a Yankee platform. Doc. 16. -Richmond Inquirer. THE expedition against Pete Everett's gang of guerrillas has returned. They were the Eighth and Ninth Michigan cavalry, and the Tenth Kentucky cavalry, the two former under Colonel De Courcy, the latter under Major Foley. The rebels were about two hundred and fifty strong. They immediately, after committing their depredations at Maysville, broke for the mountains. The Tenth, under Major Foley, went as far as Fleminsburgh, and finding that they had escaped, pushed on to overtake them. In the mean time the Eighth and Ninth Michigan cavalry had gone by the way of Owingsville to cut them off. The Tenth overtook them at Triplitt's Bridge last evening, some twenty miles east of the former place. In the mean time Colonel De Courcy, with the Eighth and Ninth regiments, had got on About came in with their wounded and gave himself up; To conclude, I think that guerrillaing has very near played out in this section of the country, especially as long as a man remains in the Doc. 17. TENTH. MAJOR-GEN. M'CLERNAND'S REPORT. CORPS FROM MILLIKEN'S BEND TO VICKSBURGH, HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, BATTLE-FIELD, NEAR VICKSBURGH, MISS., June 17, 1863. } Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Rawlins, Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Tennessee: COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the principal operations of the forces with me, since the thirtieth of last March, in compliance with orders from department headquarters. * See page 637 Docs., Vol. VI. R. R. These forces consist of a portion of the Thirteenth army corps, and comprise four divisions, organized as follows: NINTH DIVISION-Brigadier-General P. J. Osterhaus commanding : the State of Mississippi above Vickburgh, and to turn the rear of that city, it became a question of the highest importance, whether a point below on the Mississippi River, might not bo reached, and a way thus opened to the attainment of the same end. First Brigade-Brigadier-General T. T. Garrard commanding, consisting of the Forty-eighth My corps, happily, was in favorable condition and Sixty-ninth Indiana, One Hundred and to test this question. It was inspired by an Twentieth Ohio, One Hundred and Thirteenth eager desire to prove its usefulness, and impaIllinois, and Seventh Kentucky. tiently awaited an opportunity to do so. Sharing Second Brigade-Colonel L. A. Sheldon (For-in this feeling, I was more than rejoiced in perty-second Ohio) commanding, consisting of the mission to essay an effort to cross the peninsula Sixteenth, Forty-second, and One Hundred and opposite Vicksburgh, from Milliken's Bend to Fourteenth Ohio, Fifty-fourth Indiana, and Twen-New-Carthage. ty-second Kentucky. Artillery-First Wisconsin and Seventh Michigan batteries. Cavalry-Companies A and K Third Illinois cavalry. Accordingly, on the twenty-ninth of March, I ordered Gen. Osterhaus to send forward a detachment of infantry, artillery, and cavalry to surprise and capture Richmond, the capital of Madison Parish, La. On the morning of the thirtieth, Colonel Bennett, with the Sixty-ninth Indiana, a section of artillery, and a detachment of the SecFirst Brigade S. G. Burbridge commanding, ond Illinois cavalry, took up the line of march in consisting of the Sixteenth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-execution of this order. By two o'clock P.M. he sixth Indiana, Eighty-third and Ninety-sixth Ohio, and Twenty-third Wisconsin. TENTH DIVISION-Brigadier-General A. J. Smith commanding: had marched twelve miles over a miry road and reached the bank of Roundaway Bayou, opposite Richmond. Second Brigade-Col. W. J. Landrum (Nineteenth Kentucky) commanding, consisting of the Artillery first, and infantry next, opened fire Nineteenth Kentucky, Seventy-seventh, Ninety-upon the small force garrisoning the town, and seventh, One Hundred and Eighth, and One Hun- immediately dislodged it. A portion of the cavdred and Twentieth Illinois, and Forty-eighth Ohio. alry dismounting from their horses, sprang into Artillery-Chicago Mercantile and Seventeenth the small boats brought along on wagons, and Ohio batteries. paddling them across the bayou with the butts of their carbines, hastened to occupy the town. Hot pursuit of the fugitive enemy was soon after made by another portion of cavalry, who swam their horses over the bayou. Seven of the enemy were wounded, four of whom fell into our hands. Cavalry-A company of the Fourth Indiana cavalry. TWELFTH DIVISION-Brigadier-General A. P. Hovey commanding: First Brigade-Brigadier-General G. F. McGinnis commanding, consisting of the Eleventh, Twenty-fourth, Thirty-fourth, and Forty-sixth Indiana, and Twenty-ninth Wisconsin. Second Brigade-Colonel J. R. Slack (Fortyseventh Indiana) commanding, consisting of the Forty-seventh Indiana, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa, and Fifty-sixth Ohio. Artillery-Peoria light artillery, Second and Sixteenth Ohio, and First Missouri batteries. Cavalry-Company C First Indiana cavalry. FOURTEENTH DIVISION-Brigadier-General E. A. Carr commanding: First Brigade-Brigadier-General W. P. Benton commanding, consisted of the First U. S. infantry, Eighth and Eighteenth Indiana, and the Thirty-third and Ninety-ninth Illinois. Second Brigade-Brigadier-General M. K. Lawler commanding, consisting of the Eleventh Wisconsin, and Twenty-first, Twenty-second, and Twenty-third Iowa. Artillery-First Indiana battery. cavalry. Detachments of the Second and Third Illinois and Sixth Missouri cavalry, also formed part of my immediate command. This spirited and successful attack was consummated under my own observation, and effectually cut off the supplies which were wont to be transported through Richmond from the rich tracts traversed by the Tensas River and Bayou Macon to Vicksburgh. On the night of the third a bridge two hundred feet in length, made of logs taken from houses, was thrown across Roundaway Bayou at Richmond, by the pioneer corps, under Capt. Patterson. This was the work of twenty-four hours, and a way being thus opened, the remainder of General Österhaus's division was rapidly moved forward and so disposed as to cover and hold the only practicable land route between Milliken's Bend and Smith's plantation, two miles north of New-Carthage. Meantime, many obstacles were overcomeold roads were repaired, new ones made, boats constructed for the transportation of men and supplies; twenty miles of levee sleeplessly guarded day and night, and every possible precaution used to prevent the rising flood from breaking through the levee and engulfing us. Other obstacles were also encountered. Harrison's rebel cavalry, supported by a detachment of infantry, were active and vigilant to oppose After several fruitless attempts to penetrate our advance, but after having been repeatedly re MARCH FROM MILLIKEN'S BEND TO PORT GIBSON. pulsed, on the fourth fled across Bayou Vidal, and returned to their camp at Perkins's plantation, on the Mississippi, six miles below Carthage. On the same day, embarking in a skiff at Smith's plantation, and accompanied by General Osterhaus and a few members of our respective staffs, I made a reconnoissance, terminating only a half-mile from Carthage and the river, and in full view of both. We discovered the country to be deluged from Smith's plantation, where Bayous Vidal and Roundaway unite, and whence they communicate by a common channel with the Mississippi to Čarthage. Also, that the levee extending from Bayou Vidal to Carthage and the Mississippi was broken and crossed by rapid currents at three different places. Upon our approach to the last crevasse, a half-mile from Carthage, we were fired upon by the enemy, and our skiff stopped, but not until we had ascertained that steamers could pass from the Mississippi to Smith's plantation, and that by such means our forces could be transferred from. Smith's to the Mississippi shore. Having thus determined this important point, on the fifth a flat-boat was wrested from the enemy on Bayou Vidal, eight miles below Smith's, and brought to the latter place. On the sixth, after the boat had been hastily prepared to receive them, a party with two mountain howitzers were embarked and moved forward to dislodge the enemy at Carthage. of the enemy fell back upon their reserves, who being rapidly reënforced promptly attacked and forced the enemy to recross Mill Bayou, taking two prisoners; our own loss being one man killed and one wounded, of the Second Illinois cavalry. Thus failing at this point, that portion of the enemy operating in front of James's retreated. Up to this time I had been restrained from throwing any considerable portion of my forces upon the river, for want of any other means than a few skiffs and small boats; and because, in the absence of gunboats to protect them, while limited by the flood to the occupancy of the Mississippi levee, they would have been exposed to destruction by the gunboats of the enemy, then supposed to be cruising near New-Carthage. To supply the means of moving my forces from Smith's to Carthage and across the Mississippi to some point from which operations could be directed against Vicksburgh, and also to afford them needed protection against river attack, I ventured earnestly to urge the pressing and transcendent importance of forwarding steam transports and gunboats from their moorings above Vicksburgh below to Carthage. Happily, on the seventeenth, my recommendation was responded to by the appearance of five transports and seven gunboats, and on the twenty-second by three more transports, all of which had run the blockade. Upon the approach of the boat the enemy A number of barges having started in tow of hastily evacuated Carthage and took refuge a the transports and been cut loose on the way, mile and a half below, among a number of build- were caught and brought to by parties from Gen. ings on James's plantation. Rapidly disembark-Osterhaus's division, who went out in skiffs for ing, the party pursued and again dislodged him, killing a rebel lieutenant and taking possession of the buildings. On the seventh, Gen. Osterhaus pressed his advantages by sending forward artillery and shelling the woods beyond Bayou Vidal, in the neighborhood of Dunbar's plantation, and dislodging the enemy's sharp-shooters. In turn, on the eighth, the enemy took the of fensive and sought to dislodge the detachment at James's. For this purpose he opened two twelvepound howitzers upon it, but after an hour had been spent in fruitless endeavors again fell back to Perkins's. On the eighth, Lieut. Stickel, with a company of the Second Illinois cavalry, while scouring the country westward toward the Tensas, fell in with a recruiting party of the enemy, and succeeded in capturing three officers and one private. Having been considerably strengthened by reenforcements supposed to have been sent from Grand Gulf, on the east bank of the Mississippi, the enemy on the fifteenth sought to reinstate his line between Perkins's and Dunbar's-the latter place being eight miles from Perkins's, and the same distance from Smith's. For this purpose he divided his force, directing one portion across Mill Bayou against our rear in the neighborhood of Dunbar's and the remainder against the detachment at James's. Our pickets near Dunbar's upon the approach that purpose. Nor should I omit to add that during the advance of my forces from Milliken's Bend, they subsisted in large part upon the country through which they passed, and seized and sent back as a forfeiture to the United States a large quantity of cotton owned by the rebel government. The increased facilities afforded by the transports and barges alluded to, hastened the removal of the Ninth division from Smith's to Carthage. The Fourteenth division followed from Milliken's Bend to the same place; also, the Tenth division to Smith's, and a part of it to Carthage. The rest of the Tenth division rested near Smith's until a land route had been opened ten miles from there to Perkins's. The Twelfth division, which only arrived at Milliken's Bend on the fourteenth, followed to Smith's, and was followed from there to Perkins's by the rest of the Tenth, a large part of the trains of the whole corps, and afterward by the Seventeenth and Fifteenth army corps. The last five miles of the route from Smith's to Perkins's, was obstructed by numerous bayous. To accelerate the general movement, Gen. Hovey undertook the experiment of overcoming these obstacles. In order to do so, he constructed near two thousand feet of bridging out of material created for the most part on the occasion. This he did within the short space of three days and nights, thus extending and completing the great military road across the peninsula from the kins's, on the twenty-eighth, without wagons, Mississippi River above to the Mississippi River baggage, tents, or officers' horses, which were left forty miles below Vicksburgh. The achievement behind for want of transportation, the whole of is one of the most remarkable occurring in the it except the detachment at Hard Times and two annals of war, and justly ranks among the high-regiments ordered to remain at Perkins's as a garest examples of military energy and perseverance. |rison, embarked on steamers and barges includOn the twenty-second, receiving a communica-ing the gunboat General Price, for Grand Gulf. tion from Admiral Porter, informing me that he Arriving at Hard Times that evening, they restwould attack the enemy at Grand Gulf on the ed there during the night on boats and on shore. following morning, and requesting me to send an infantry force to occupy the place when he had silenced the enemy's guns, I directed Gen. Osterhaus immediately to embark his division on all available boats, and to cooperate with the gunboats in carrying into effect the purpose men-ed on transports, casting anchor in full view of the tioned. In prompt execution of my order, General Osterhaus embarked his division during the night of the twenty-second, but Admiral Porter informing me in the morning, that the enemy was in much stronger force than he first supposed, and that more extensive preparations on the part of our land and naval forces were required than could be immediately made, the comtemplated attack was postponed. On the morning of the twenty-ninth the gunboats steamed three miles down the river to Grand Gulf, and closely approaching, the enemy's batteries opened fire upon them. The Ninth, Tenth, and Twelfth divisions of my corps follow Gulf, and holding themselves in readiness to push forward and disembark the moment the enemy's water-batteries should be silenced and a footing for them thus secured. General Carr's division remained at Hard Times, waiting for the return of transports to bring them on too. At the termination of a daring and persistent bombardment of five and a half hours, the principal batteries had not been silenced, several of the gunboats had been crippled, and all of them were On the twenty-third, accompanied by Genc-drawn off. ral Osterhaus, I made a personal reconnoissance Returning to Hard Times, the Ninth, Tenth, of the enemy's works and position at Grand Gulf, and Twelfth divisions disembarked, and together on board the gunboat General Price, which had with the Fourteenth division, crossed over the been kindly placed at my disposal for that pur-point opposite Grand Gulf that evening and night pose by Admiral Porter, and found them very to D'Schron's. The same night the gunboats, strong. On the twenty fourth in obedience to my transports, and barges ran the blockade at Grand order, General Osterhaus sent a detachment of Gulf, and landed at D'Schron's. the Second Illinois cavalry, under Major Marsh, If the attack upon Grand Gulf had succeeded, and the Forty-ninth Indiana, and the One Hundred it would have secured either or both of two oband Fourteenth Ohio infantry, together with a jects. First, a base for operations against the rear section of artillery, all under command of Colo- of Vicksburgh; second, safety in reënforcing nel Kaigwin, to reconnoitre the country between General Banks at Port Hudson; but failing, it Perkins's and the month of Bayou Pierre, and to became important to gain a footing at some other examine into the practicability of expediting the favorable point. The reconnoissance made by my general movement by marching troops across the cavalry, in pursuance of Major-General Grant's country to the mouth of that stream. The ex- order, indicated Bruinsburgh to be the point. pedition was frequently interrupted by rebel cav-Hence, embarking on the morning of the thirtieth alry, but not until reaching a point on the west my corps immediately proceeded to that place, side of Bruin's Lake did it meet any considerable resistance. and disembarked before noon. Only halting long enough to draw and distribute three days' rations, at four o'clock all my corps, except the cavalry on the opposite side of the river, took up the line of march agreeably to Major-General Grant's instructions, for the bluffs some three miles back. Reaching the bluffs some time before sunset, and deeming it important to surprise the enemy if he should be found in the neighborhood of Port Gibson, and if possible to prevent him destroying the bridges over Bayou Pierre, on the roads leading to Grand Gulf and to Jackson, I determined to push on, by a forced march, that night as far as practicable. Here the cavalry of the enemy, six or seven hundred strong, with several pieces of masked cannon, drawn up in line of battle on the opposite side of Choctaw Bayou, made a resolute stand. A desultory fight, however, of four hours served to dislodge him and leave us master of the field. Thence the detachment continued its march to Hard Times, fifteen miles below Perkins's, and three miles above Grand Gulf. Thence the cavalry marched across Coffee Point to D'Schron's plantation, three miles below Grand Gulf, and on to a point opposite Bruinsburgh, the Landing for Port Gibson, twelve miles below Grand Gulf, thus demonstrating the existence of a practicable land route from Perkins's to a point About one o'clock, on the morning of the first opposite Bruinsburgh. The whole or a portion of May, upon approaching Magnolia Church, thirof the Seventeenth army corps, afterward follow- teen miles from Bruinsburgh, and four miles from ed to D'Schron's, and so the Fifteenth, as far as Port Gibson, General Carr's division leading the Hard Times. advance was accosted by a light fire of the enc Having concentrated my whole corps at Per-my's infantry, and soon after by the fire of his BATTLE OF PORT GIBSON. |