were driven by necessity to hold, if possible, the section of the country comprising Boonsboro, Cane Hill, Roy's Mills, and Dutch Mills, all within a radius of fifteen miles, and comprising the greatest wheat-growing and flouring section in Arkansas. At four o'clock on the morning of the twentyeighth the column was put in motion, the Third brigade in the advance, under Col. Cloud, in the following order: The Kansas Second cavalry, Colonel Basset, Captain Rabb's Indiana battery, the Kansas Eleventh infantry, Colonel Ewing, the rebel taken at Fort Wayne, the Third Indian regiment, commanded by Major Elithorpe; next Colonel Weer's brigade, and the rear brought up General Salomon with his brigade. The column moved as rapidly as possible over the mountain roads; indeed one of the mountains was so precipitous that the men had to lay hold of the guns and assist the jaded animals to make the ascent. These difficulties did not deter the men or officers; silently as possible we pressed forward, hoping to get in sight of the enemy's camp without alarming them. The advance scout ascertained the position of the enemy's pickets, and "took them in," killing one and capturing the rest. This alarmed their grand guard, although but a few shots were fired. Immediately the whole camp was aroused and quickly formed in position, planting two batteries of four guns each, intending to rake us as we filed through the narrow ravine that led to the town. General Blunt was not to be caught in this kind of a trap. The column was at once moved from the main road up the steep hillside and through the thick brush, completely out of sight of the enemy. A position was gained upon the top of a hill, overlooking the town and the enemy. Three mountain howitzers, put in position, at once commenced the battle; some twenty shells were dropped amongst them before they could reply. While they were engaged in changing position, Capt. Rabb, with his battery, gained a favorable site, and opened with four twelvepound guns, with terrible effect, dismounting one of their guns and disabling another. By this time the enemy had located two of their guns, and paid their compliments to Captain Rabb, by way of killing and wounding five of his men, and killing six horses. for a distance of ten miles. Both armies were exhausted. Cavalry regiments dismounted and fought through the brush; artillery-horses dropped in their harness, and the men would seize the ropes and drag the guns forward. The closing scene was between sunset and dark. The enemy made a stand in a deep ravine. Our howitzers had not yet come up; our men, impatient, made a charge-cavalry men on foot, with sabres and pistols, infantry with bayonets, and Indians with rifles, in the very thickest of the woods. The cheering of the white man, the shrill war-whoops of the Indians, the clashing of sabres, and the incessant roar of small arms, converted this remote mountain gorge into a perfect Pandemonium. The enemy gave way, and darkness prevented further pursuit. This ended the battle of Cane Hill. The At this writing I have no idea of the loss of either side, and it would be but guesswork to estimate it. Yet it is evidently much smaller than if the battle had been in an open country. trees would stop the shot and shell frequently before they reached half-way to the enemy. The firing of the enemy was very wild, as is evident from the marks upon the trees, the balls lodging from four to ten feet over our heads. The whole force of the enemy have retreated to Van Buren, and will probably cross the river near there, as they have no forage in that vicinity. We have taken their last hope of subsistence in getting possession of the five flouring mills. This is a greater loss to the rebels than a dozen batteries. BOONEVILLE. Doc. 35. RETALIATION OF THE REBELS. RICHMOND, October 15, 1862. THE following preamble and resolutions, submitted to the House of Representatives by Mr. Barksdale, of Mississippi, were adopted on the eleventh instant, by a vote of thirty-five yeas to twenty-two nays. Three propositions were before the House-one of Mr. Russell, from the Judiciary Committee; another from Mr. Foote, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and a third by Mr. Barksdale, in behalf of a minority of the last-named Committee. The measure which was adopted recites the atrocities of the Lincoln Government-declares that justice and humanity alike demand that they should be met by retaliatory measures, and that the President will be sustained by the legislative department of the Government in whatever course he may deem it proper to pursue. There was no division of sentiment in the House upon the question or policy of retaliation, and the difference existed only as to the manner: Now the battle became general, and the artillery duel continued some fifty minutes, when the enemy withdrew their batteries and commenced to fall back to a new position. The regiments comprising the First brigade rapidly advanced, covered by the artillery. Deafening shouts went up from our lines as they pressed forward. The rebels could stand it no longer, and now the skedaddle commenced. From one hill to another, through every deep ravine, up and down mount- Whereas, the Northern States, now representains, and through the woods they fled, occasional-ed by the Federal Government of the late Union, ly making a stand in some masked place, until charged and shelled out. Thus the battle continued, the retreat and pursuit, from ten in the morning until dark. Almost every rod of ground was fought over commenced the present war of invasion to enforce an unfounded and tyrannical claim of dominion over sovereign States which had withdrawn from the Union; and, pretending that these States are in rebellion, have sought to deny to them, from and the massacre of families to the calamities of war; and, whereas, since the passage of said act executive and military orders have evinced a determined purpose of the enemy to carry out this policy of rapine and extermination with brutal and surprising severity; and whereas, justice and humanity require the government of the confede atrocious practices and designs of the enemy by inflicting severe retribution; therefore, Resolved, by the Congress of the confederate States, that the President will be sustained in resorting to such measures of retaliation as in his judgment may be demanded by the above-recited lawless and barbarous conduct and designs of the enemy. Doc. 36. A LETTER from Apalachicola, Florida, gives the following particulars of the naval expedition to that place: the beginning of the war, the rights accorded to belligerents by the usages of nations; and, after prosecuting this war, without success, more than a year since this government was recognized by European nations as a belligerent power, have continued, under the same pretext, to inflict upon the good people of these States inhuman injuries in contemptuous disregard of the usages of civil-rate States to endeavor to punish and repress the ized warfare, exacting from them treasonable oaths and service, and, upon refusal, subjecting unarmed citizens, women and children to banishment, imprisonment, and death; wantonly burning their dwelling houses, ravaging the land, murdering men for pretended or trivial offences; making rapine of private property a systematic object of the war; organizing the abduction of slaves by armies and agents of Government; endeavoring to foment servile insurrection by tampering with slaves, by proclaiming schemes for emancipating them, by passing laws to equalize EXPEDITION TO APALACHICOLA, FLA. the races; by protecting slaves in resisting their masters, and by preparing armed bands of negroes to fight in the presence of negro slaves for the subjugation of the white race; permitting outrages on women to be committed by a licentious soldiery, encouraged, in a memorable instance, by the order of a major-general and the acquiescence of his government; attempting, until restrained by a threat of retaliation, to murder privateersmen for engaging in a mode of warfare expressly sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States and the confederate States, and by the laws of nations; refusing, with double inhumanity, to exchange prisoners, until constrained by the long duration and adverse fortune of the war; attempting to ruin our cities by filling up the entrances to their harbors with stone and diverting the ancient channels of great rivers; cutting off our supplies of medicines, needed as well for suffering women, children, and captive enemies, as for the sick of our armies, and perpetrating other atrocities, which would be disgraceful to savages. And, whereas, the said Government of the United States, in the same spirit of barbarous ferocity, has recently enacted a law entitled, "An Act to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate the property of rebels, and for other purposes;" and has announced by a proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln, the President thereof, that, in pursuance of said law, on the first day of January, 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall be in rebellion against the United States, shall be thenceforward and forever free; and has thereby made manifest that the vast war of invasion which it wages with such lawless cruelty is conducted with a view, by judicial murders, banishments, and otherwise, to exterminate the loyal population of these States; to transfer their property to their enemies; to emancipate their slaves; to destroy their labor system; to subvert their institutions, human and divine, upon which it is founded, employing slaves and other negroes for these purposes, with an atrocious design of adding servile insurrection An expedition was formed on the morning of the fifteenth of October, to proceed several miles up Apalachicola River, in order to cut out a cotton sloop that was reported ready to run the blockade. The expedition was made up of boats from the United States steam gunboat Sagamore and the United States gunboat Fort Henry. The boats were armed, each having a twelve-pounder boathowitzer, and rifles for the crew and the officers. Two boats started up the river before break of day, and after rowing four miles they discovered the cotton-sloop in a small bay or inlet on the eastern bank of the river. Before the sloop could be reached by our sailors, the rebels at Apalachicola City had gained a knowledge of our intentions, and the result was that shortly after a troop of cavalry came down from an adjoining town to protect the sloop, with her load of cotton. Our men were obliged to seek a place of greater safety by moving out into the river, and sent a boat down to the Sagamore and Fort Henry for help. Two more boats were sent up the river as soon as possible, also an additional boat from the storeship J. L. Davis, and still another from the United States steamer Somerset-a steamer that had just arrived from Cedar Keys, Fla. As soon as all the boats had collected up the river, two of them were sent to capture the sloop. The rebels were secreted in ambush, and taking deliberate aim, fired upon our advance, wounding three of our men. The fire was immediately returned from the howitzer in the Sagamore's launch, in the direction from which the rebel bullets had come. The canister must have had some effect upon the rebels, for that and the shrapnel were distributed pretty freely into the ambush. The guerrilla bands here in Florida seem to have adopted the mode of warfare practised by the Indians in these swamps not many years ago. The rebels were quickly driven from the sloop, which was then unfastened from its moorings and towed down Apalachicola River, though it was necessarily slow work, as the rebels had scuttled the sloop on leaving her, and now she was slowly filling with water. Before arriving at the mouth of the river it was found necessary to take off about thirty bales of the cotton and tow them or raft them down the river to the gunboats. The rebel company had gone in advance of the sloop and our boats, and had secreted themselves behind an embankment and in the storehouses along the wharves in the city of Apalachicola. The rebels now fired another volley into our boats, slightly wounding several men, but killing none, although our enemies were but a short distance off and fired a number of times. Our howitzers were immediately turned upon our enemies, and whenever one of them was seen attempting to fire from behind a storehouse or fence, a discharge of canister and shrapnel was fired into their midst. A shell was fired which exploded in one of the buildings, blowing the roof from it and setting it on fire. Two or three more shells were fired, which set other buildings on fire, and by this time the rebels, having some killed and several wounded, concluded they were getting the worst of it, and stopped firing into the boats, and went to work extinguishing the conflagration which our exploding shells had enkindled. Our men finally arrived safely on their respective ships, having captured a sloop with eighty bales of cotton and two prisoners. It was supposed that the rebel ram Chattahoochee, which is reported to be ready to come down to demolish the ships on the blockade here, would have appeared the same day. She would have had the advantage if she had attacked our boats when in the river. The Chattahoochee is commanded by Ap. Catesby Jones, who was second in command of the Merrimac at the time of the fight with the Monitor last spring. The crew of this rebel ram also belonged in part to the Merrimac. The gunboats are expecting this rebel steamer as soon as there are seven feet of water at the mouth of the river. She is said to have a heavy armament and to be partially iron-clad; but the gunboats Sagamore and Fort Henry are prepared to meet her. The rebel steamer will have to do some hard fighting when she comes down, and will find it a very difficult matter to run the blockade and get into the port of Nassau, N. P. The United States steamer Somerset reports that they were fired into at Cedar Keys, Florida, and eight of their crew wounded, some of them severely. It seems that a guerrilla band enticed a boat ashore by displaying three white flags from the houses on shore. As soon as the men had landed they were fired upon from the windows of the houses-the flags of truce were flying all the time. The sailors got off in their boats with their wounded, and soon returned with a larger force and burned the town. It is reported that the Sagamore will be obliged to go to Key West in a few days. Her officers and crew hope the rebel ram will come down before they are obliged to leave this station. Lieut. Commander Bigelow has been detached from the Sagamore, and our Lieut. Commander (English) has been ordered to the command. A flag of truce arrived from Apalachicola with a request that our naval surgeons should go up to the town and dress the stumps of some of the rebels who had their limbs blown off by the fragments from our shells. Drs. Stevens, Scofield, and Draper have volunteered their services as an act of kindness to our enemies. Apalachicola was once the largest commercial town in Florida; but now every thing looks desolate. A small rebel steamer comes down the river from Columbus, Ga., about once a week, and supplies the inhabitants with corn-meal, as this is about the only food they have to keep them from starvation. The rebels in this State have supplied the rebel army in Virginia largely with salt beef, so that the cattle of nearly all the planters have been killed and packed in salt for the government. Large quantities of salt were of course required, and the rebels had erected salt-works all along the bays on the Gulf coast of Florida. The gunboat Sagamore demolished thirty-six of these salt-works in St. Andrew's Bay, about a month ago. We have demolished the works here in Apalachicola Bay, and the works at St. Mark's, Cedar Key, and at Tampa, have also been broken up. Should the rebels again fire upon our boats when they approach Apalachicola, it is the determination of our commanders to lay the city in ashes. Doc. 37. THE AFFAIR AT HAYMARKET, VA. WE are indebted to a friend for the particulars of a skirmish at the town of Haymarket, Va., in which our cavalry, the Second North-Carolina, two hundred strong, supported by two pieces of artillery, advanced within two miles of Sigel's command, numbering thousands-passed the enemy's outposts near Manassas Junction, pushed to Haymarket, captured thirty prisoners and twelve or fifteen thousand dollars' worth of property, and returned to Warrenton in time to repulse the advance of one thousand five hundred cavalry and one battery of artillery, and that without the loss of a single man killed or wounded. On Friday morning, seventeenth October, Major C. M. Andrews, commanding seven companies of the Second North-Carolina cavalry, and two pieces of artillery, which have been recently attached to the regiment, left this place for the purpose of reconnoitring in the vicinity of Manassas and Centreville. Having marched without opposition till late in the night, a halt was made when within three miles of Centreville, and the whole command slept on their arms. At three o'clock the next morning a countermarch was ordered, leading via Manassas and on to Gainesville. At the latter place information was obtained that a Yankee train of wagons, with a cavalry escort, had passed there during the night, going in the direction of Thoroughfare Gap. Our cavalry immediately started in pursuit, and had proceeded not more than a mile when the "blue coats" were discovered at a small village known as Haymarket. Not waiting to ascertain their strength or position, the commanding officer ordered companies D, G, and H to charge upon the town, while he held companies A, B, F, and I, with the artillery, in reserve. our officers had it in their power. But Colonel Lowe, of the Fifth Iowa cavalry, was in command of these three posts-Donelson, Henry and Heiman, and for some reason-known only to himself-chose to divide us. But he has lately been ordered to Washington; leaving Col. Harding in command here. As soon as he could do Regardless of the numbers that might oppose so, he got us together. We earnestly hope that them, our boys raised a yell and dashed off at we may not again be separated. I like the loca full speed-Capt. Randolph, of company H, lead- tion much better than that at Fort Heiman. ing the column in the most gallant style. After On our arrival here, we learned that five coma slight resistance, the enemy commenced a pre-panies of the Eighty-third, with one field-piece cipitate flight, when the remaining companies were of Flood's battery, had gone out on a scout, in ordered to charge. The work was short and quick the direction of Waverly, a small town about -the whole party being "bagged" in a few mo- thirty-five miles south-west from here, where a ments. One lieutenant and twenty-six privates rebel regiment was said to be encamped. The were made prisoners, and three killed; seven place is called by the rebels "secesh heaven," wagons, loaded with quartermaster and commis- from the fact that no Union soldiers have ever sary stores, were taken; also, two contrabands, been there. But, if reports are true, our boys (runaways,) twenty splendid horses, twenty-four made them think it was nearly-something else. mules, twenty-five sabres, twenty-seven army re- On Thursday afternoon three runners came back, peaters, and the same number of breech-loading and reported that we were hotly engaged with rifles. Our loss was none killed or wounded. the enemy a few miles from Waverly; but could Having learned that a large force was advanc-give no particulars, more than that we had lost ing on our rear from Centreville, we then commenced a forced march for Warrenton, in order to save the spoils, and had been in camp not more than an hour, when a courier arrived, stating that the enemy were advancing upon Warrenton. Posting the different squadrons in the most advantageous positions beyond the town, with two pieces, (twelve-pounders,) under command of Lieut. Betts, drawn up on a hill, to the extreme left, a determined stand was resolved upon. Scarcely had these dispositions been made when a small body of cavalry, supposed to be the advance-guard, was discovered advancing up to the turnpike, about three quarters of a mile distant. Lieut. Betts was ordered to open on them; and, after several rounds were fired, they concluded to advance no further, but retreated. The cavalry were then ordered to charge, but night coming on they were prevented from following up the retreat to a very great distance. Their force is reported by citizens who saw them, at fifteen hundred cavalry and six pieces of artillery. Their loss in the skirmish beyond the town was one killed and six wounded. Our loss none. Captain Randolph of company H, also Lieut. Tidwell, of company A, Lieut. Baker, of company D, and Lieut. Betts, of the artillery, conducted themselves most gallantly throughout the whole affair. Doc. 38. FIGHT AT WAVERLY, TENN. MONMOUTH "ATLAS" ACCOUNT. MR. CLARK: The Eighty-third are all together once more. Companies C and H were ordered here, bag and baggage, on Tuesday of last week. The Seventy-first Ohio, or what is left of it four companies-took our places at Fort Heiman. The same thing might, and should have been done long ago. It would have been done, had one man killed and several wounded. All was excitement in camp. All kinds of rumors were afloat; some saying that our boys had been surrounded by the rebels, and all killed and captured. The long roll was beaten, and we were called into line of battle. Orders were given for us to repair to our quarters and remain there, ready to turn out at a moment's warning, and to sleep on our arms at night. About eight o'clock two messengers arrived with despatches to the effect that we had had a fight, scattered them, captured several prisoners, and were retreating back. It was thought best not to follow them up, with the force they had, as it was said there was a strong rebel force encamped about ten miles beyond. As soon as this report came in, a few, who happened to be at headquarters, heard it, and gave a shout. All made a rush to hear the news, knowing that some good news had come. As soon as the facts were made known to us, oh! what long and loud cheers were given for the Eighty-third. I don't think as many of us slept on our arms that night, as would, had we not heard the true state of things. We also learned from these messengers, that the men that came in in the af ternoon, had thrown away their guns, etc., and run at the first fire. What will be done with them, I do not know; but they certainly should be punished. On Friday morning, four companies more were ordered out, with five days' rations. The cause of which I could not learn; for they, with the five first sent out, all returned in the afternoon. The victors brought in eleven prisoners, taken in the fight. One or two of them are said to have been taken in the fight at this place in February last, and but lately exchanged. George Cox, company A, of Ellison, was shot through the heart, and died instantly. Dick Wagstaff, company A, was slightly wounded. A spent ball struck a leather strap across his breast, slightly bruising, but not breaking, the skin. A buckshot passed through the side of his knee, and another lodged in the butt of his gun at the same time. Two in company E were slightly wounded—one through the thigh, the other getting a bullet-hole through his ear. attack. While they were filing through a long lane, the Kansas boys, shouting like devils, rushed right up to the fence on one side, and poured in a torrent of lead from their revolving rifles and navy pistols. Volleys of buckshot were returned All but the few who ran at the first fire, are indeed, a horse was shot within a few feet of said to have acted nobly, and fought bravely the Colonel-but in a few moments the rebels while they had a chance. Great praise is given broke and fled, and we pursued them till their to Major Brott, who was in command, for his retreat became a rout. They left sixteen dead, coolness and bravery. Adjutant Casey is said to and we captured one hundred and seventy-five have showed coolness and good judgment in the prisoners, one hundred horses, and a stack of fight. Dan. Eilenberger, who had lately been re-shot-guns. Among the prisoners were nine commoved from the position of wagon-master, and missioned officers. The enemy had with them put into the ranks, for some imaginary miscon- two field-pieces, and not a shot was fired from duct, when our teams had got into a close place them. With all the agility of the most flying arand were about to be captured, rushed forward, tillery, they were whisked away in the retreat. took charge of them, and drove them to a place of safety. He has since been reinstated, which speaks well for his conduct on that occasion. Doc. 39. COLONEL LEE'S RECONNOISSANCE. MISSOURI "DEMOCRAT" ACCOUNT. And so ended what seemed to me one of the We then hastened back to the road whence we had thus been diverted, and advanced to Hudsonville about nine P.M., when we came up with Col. Hatch, who had finished a considerable skirmish, and captured thirty-five prisoners. Falling back a mile, we camped for the night, and next morning, with three hundred men, dismounted, we crossed the Coldwater, and soon found the enemy drawn up in line of battle, on a SOUTH OF GRAND JUNCTION, Monday, November 10, 1862. range of hills, and apparently about ten thousand I WRITE in great haste to give you an account strong. As they very rudely opened upon us a of the reconnoissance just completed, to Cold-fire of canister and shell, we concluded to retire. water, Miss. On the eighth instant, Gen. Grant ordered a strong force upon this errand, consist-most dashing and successful reconnoissances of ing of part of the cavalry division and two divisions of infantry and artillery. The cavalry, about one thousand five hundred strong, was under command of Col. Lee, of the Seventh Kansas, who now leads the division during Colonel Mizner's absence, and the infantry, numbering some ten thousand, was commanded by MajorGeneral McPherson, and Brig.-Generals Quimby and Sullivan. The object of the expedition was, of course, to harry and observe the enemy; but the directions were positive not to bring on a general engagement. the war-especially if you remember that it was mainly achieved by our cavalry division, our infantry force remaining near Lamar. The information we obtained may be briefly summed up. On November second, Gen. Mansfield Lovell, in command at Coldwater, fell back through Holly Springs. Gen. Pemberton coming up from the capital of Mississippi, on the fifth, stopped him, and ordered that Coldwater should be again occupied. Since then Lovell has been there with his division; and also Tilghman, with a division composed chiefly of exchanged prisoners from Island No. Ten and Donelson. Attached to this force are six four-gun batteries. Price lay with twelve thousand men seven miles below Holly Springs, on the Salem road, while twenty-two miles further south, at Abbeysville, were some thirteen thousand militia, or conscripts. constitutes all the rebel force in this vicinity at the date of this letter, though others may be crossing at Vicksburgh, thanks to those who permit crossing to be done at that point. This Colonel Lee started on the advance from this point at seven o'clock on the eighth, and soon drove in the enemy's pickets just this side of Lamar, a little village which lies about twelve miles south of La Grange. Three miles further on we encountered a force of rebel cavalry, perhaps five hundred strong, whom, after a short skirmish, we scattered and drove into the hills. Rushing on about three miles more, down the same main road, we learned that the enemy's cavalry and artillery were hurrying up past us on a parallel Three weeks ago Gen. Armstrong left Holly road lying to the west, in such a way as to throw Springs with seven thousand men on his way to themselves in our rear, and between us and our Port Hudson, a point above Baton Rouge, which infantry support. Col. Lee immediately divided is being strongly fortified. He has since resignhis column, ordering Col Hatch to keep on down ed. Van Dorn is now at Holly Springs under toward Hudsonville, while he himself, with about arrest, and is succeeded, as you know, by Pemseven hundred troopers, turned back and across berton. to attack the hostile column on the flank. hurried through the woods by a blind by-road, and fairly surprised the enemy. They were three regiments of rebel cavalry, and numbered about one thousand seven hundred; but our approach was masked by a grove, and we had the vast advantage of a sudden, sharp, and stunning He Doc. 40. SKIRMISH AT SOUTH-FORK, VIRGINIA. HEADQUARTERS, CINCINNATI, Nov. 12, 1862. Major-General H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief: |