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CH. V.]

BATTLE AT BRISTOE STATION.

385

This sagacious movement was admirably timed, and it enabled Warren to repulse Hill's corps with severe loss, and to secure about 450 prisoners. It was well, however, for Warren's safety that night soon after came on; for about sunset Ewell's corps joined Hill, and nothing but the darkness prevented an

night, Warren retired, and the next morning came up with the main body of the army at Centreville.

This repulse at Bristoe Station, and the strong position now held by Meade, put an end to Lee's further advance. After a few demonstrations of no great moment, and after destroying the railroad from Cub Run southwardly to the Rappahannock, Lee began his retreat, Sunday, October 18th, and the next day passed through Warrenton, and thence across the river, leaving his cavalry in front of Meade. Troops, sent out from

Ewell had begun pressing severely on embankment of the railroad, on the inthe rear, and already, on Wednesday stant jumped his men, unseen, into it. morning, at Auburn, the rear-guard became engaged with a portion of his force. Meade, it will be noted, was obliged to move with the utmost celerity in order to reach Centreville in advance of Hill, who had the start of him, and was on the shortest line; he was under the necessity also of keeping back the enemy from his trains in the rear. The overwhelming assault. During the army having passed Auburn, pushed rapidly on toward Catlett's. A couple of miles beyond Auburn, Warren received a message from Meade, directing him to hold on, so as to give sufficient time for the trains. The 2d corps, accordingly, for two hours, exhausted all the resources of tactics to keep back the enemy, by forming line of battle, skirmishing, shelling the woods, etc., the enemy making vigorous demonstrations all the while. The task was bravely and effectually performed by Warren. About noon, he reached Catlett's, and began his retreat toward Bristoe Station. The latter place was reached about three o'clock in the afternoon of October 14th. The rebel corps, under Hill, arrived at Bristoe shortly before Warren, and found that the whole army, excepting Warren, had just pass ed beyond that point; whereupon, Hill arranged a line of battle perpendicular to the railroad. The position was perilous, but Warren was equal to the emergency. The troops were brought up at the run; those which had been marching on the left of the railroad were brought quickly over to the right; and Warren, observing that the rebels

had neglected to occupy the cut and

VOL. IV.-49.

Harper's Ferry, forced him immedi ately to retreat. On the 7th of November, Gens. Sedgwick and French attacked the enemy at Rappahannock Station and Kelly's Ford, capturing several redoubts, four guns, eight flags, and about 2,000 prisoners. The enemy now retreated to his old position on the Rapidan, and Meade, having followed in pursuit, took up nearly the same ground which he had previously held. Lee states, in his report, that the whole number of prisoners captured by him was 2,436, of whom forty-one were commissioned officers.

Meade, anxious to accomplish something before going into winter quarters,

planned an operation known as the Mine Run Move. The intention was, by a rapid and vigorous movement, to get between the forces under Ewell and Hill, and destroy them in detail. The march was begun at dawn, on November 26th, and had it not been for vexatious delays, and consequent destroying the combinations relied upon by Gen. Meade, there is every reason to believe that he would have met with success. The attack on Lee was fixed for the morning of November 30th, but that commander having strongly entrenched himself behind Mine Run, south-west of Chancellorsville, the assault was deemed too hazardous, in fact hopeless, so far as victory was concerned.* There being no alternative, Gen. Meade withdrew across the Rapidan, and the army returned to its former quarters.

During the period of these campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, the forces in Western Virginia had been generally employed on the defensive, with occasional encounters with the enemy.

1863.

Gen. Kelly, near Clear Springs, in July, concentrated his force on the enemy's flank, and was of much service to Meade's operations. On the 24th of July, Col. Toland attacked the enemy at Wytheville, on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, capturing two pieces of artillery, 700 muskets and 125 prisoners. In August, Gen. Ave

* Mr. Swinton relates a touching instance of the

mode and spirit in which the soldiers prepared for the expected fight: "Recognizing that the task now be

fore them was of the character of a forlorn hope, know

ing well that no man could here count on escaping death, the soldiers, without sign of shrinking from the sacrifice, were seen quietly pinning on the breast of

their blouses of blue, slips of paper on which each had written his name."-" Army of the Potomac," p. 397.

rill attacked a rebel force under Gen. Sam. Jones at Rocky Gap, in Greenbrier County, capturing one gun, 150 prisoners, and killing and wounding some 200. On the 11th of September, Imboden attacked a small force of our troops at Moorfield, wounding fifteen and capturing about 150. On the 5th of November, Averill attacked and defeated the enemy near Lewisburg, capturing three pieces of artillery, 100 prisoners, and a large number of small arms, wagons and camp equipage.

About the middle of December, Ave rill's famous raid took place on the communications of Longstreet, on the Tennessee Railroad. Averill's own ac count is given with soldier-like brevity and point, and is well worth consulting by the reader. It is under date of December 21st, and reports the cutting of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, at Salem, on the 16th; the destroying three depots, containing 2,000 barrels of flour, 10,000 bushels of wheat, 50,000 bushels of oats, and 2,000 barrels of meat, and numerous other valuable stores; the cutting and destroying the telegraph line; the burning of bridges in connection with conflicts with the enemy; the crossing the Alleghanies by a road thought to be impassable; etc. Averill sums up with stating his loss to have been six men drowned and nineteen wounded and missing. "We captured," are his concluding words, "about 200 prisoners, but have 1863.

retained but forty officers and eighty men, on account of their inability to walk. We took also about 150 horses. My horses have subsisted entirely upon a very poor country, and

CH. V.J

REBEL PIRATICAL EXPLOIT.

387

the officers and men have suffered cold, purchased their tickets in the morning, hunger, and fatigue, with remarkable fortitude. My command has marched, climbed, slid and swam 350 miles since the 8th inst."

Toward the close of the year, the rebel authorities set on foot a plot to liberate some 2,500 of their officers confined on Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, and also to burn and destroy Buffalo and other lake cities. The expedition was to rendezvous in Canada, and carry on operations from thence. The American consul at Montreal, having informed the Canadian authorities on the subject, news was sent to Washington, and, through Lord Lyons, communicated to our government. Immediate steps were taken by the secretary of war, and telegrams were sent, November 11th, to Buffalo, Detroit, and other western cities, warning them of danger aud of the need of activity and vigilance. In consequence of the prompt movement of troops to the points threatened, and the measures adopted by the local authorities on the frontier, the rebel plot happily came to nothing.

and came on board with the rest with out suspicion. They each brought a heavy trunk, which, it was afterwards found, was filled with fire-arms and ammunition. Eight others eme (n board just after the Chesapeake left the wharf, and with their comrades quietly made preparation for what followed. On Sunday evening, after the officers and crew, except those on necessary duty, had retired, the pirates, fully armed and prepared, seized the vessel, which at the time was about twenty miles north-east of Cape Cod, murdered one of the engineers, and attempted to murder the captain and others. On Tuesday morning, December 9th, the Chesapeake reached the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, whence, proceeding towards St. John's, she received on board a rebel privateer commander, and got rid of her prisoners by placing them on board an English pilot boat, by means of which they found their way to Portland.

When the news of this piratical exploit reached the United States, it Early in December, a daring act of stirred up great indignation, and a fleet piracy was perpetrated by a party of of cruisers was immediately dispatched rebel desperadoes, who had made their from New York and other ports in purway for this purpose to New York from suit of the robbers. Some days were St. John's, New Brunswick. The spent in the chase, the Chesapeake scheme was to enter as passengers and dodging her pursuers in the waters of take possession of the steamer Chesa- Nova Scotia. At one of her stopping peake while on her way as one of the places, a portion of her stolen cargo was regular line from New York to Port- sold to the inhabitants at trifling 1863. land, Maine. The Chesapeake sailed prices. She was finally taken from New York on the afternoon of into Sambro Harbor, near Halifax, Saturday, December 6th, with twenty- where, on the 17th of December, she four passengers. Eight of the latter, was captured by the United States. being part of the piratical adventurers, gun boat Ella and Annie. The crew

I L

Great Britain, subjecting them to for
feiture; and that their restoration to
their original owners was an act of
justice to the offended dignity of the
British crown. With a proper apology
on the part of our government for
capture made in British waters, the
case of the Chesapeake was satisfacto-
rily settled.*

offered no resistance, mostly leaving of Nova Scotia was an offence against
the vessel and flying to the woods on
the shore. The capture having been
made in British waters, the vessel was
promptly carried into Halifax and trans-
ferred to the British authorities for ad-
judication. An attempt was made by
the government officers to take the
pirates on board in custody, but they
were rescued by a mob of southern
agents and partizans, and escaped ar-
rest. When the case came before the
colonial court, the Chesapeake was
promptly restored to her owners, while
steps were taken to follow up the pi-
rates. The court decreed such restora-

tion, on the ground that the bringing
of the vessel and her cargo into a port

* On the subject of prizes, i. e., any property cap
tured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, see, for the
cases brought before the United States courts at this
date, Appleton's “American Annual Cyclopædia,” for
1863, pp. 765-769. See also, for the substance of the
authoritative and final decision of the Supreme Court
in the prize cases, argued in the spring of 1863, Whit-

ing's "War Powers under the Constitution of the Uni
ed States.” pp. 141–156.

CHAPTER VI.

1863.

THE THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS: CLOSE OF 1863: GENERAL STATE OF AFFAIRS.

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The Thirty-eighth Congress, first session-Organization, officers, etc.—The president's message - Extracts
from-Mr. Lincoln's policy of emancipation - Reports of the secretaries of departments-Report of Mr.
Stanton as to the army, its efficiency, etc.-
Statements respecting exchange of prisoners — Course pursued
by the rebels Report of Mr. Welles, secretary of the navy Extent of the navy- Report of the secre-
tary of the treasury - Clear and well arranged document - Valuable and satisfactory information - Prin-
cipal objects kept in view-- Jeff. Davis's statements as to the rebel financial condition-Congress enters
on its work-Various resolutions introduced - Several quoted, and action upon them — Harris and Long,
in the House, severely censured — A résumé of matters of general interest at close of 1863 - Military and
other successes
Commerce and trade of the country-The shipping interests-Success of the rebel
privateers in burning and plundering ships - Diplomatic correspondence-England's course, how regarded
in the United States-Relations with the French Government- - Resolution of the House on the subject
of Mexican affairs - General patriotic spirit of the people - Rebel style of talking— APPENDIX TO CHAP-
TER VI.—The president's proclamations.

pared to legislate to any extent in order
to put down the rebellion
promptly and effectually. The

1863.

THE Thirty-eighth Congress began its first session on Monday, December 7th, having, in both Houses, a decided majority of its members in favor of the Hon. Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, was policy of the administration, and pre-elected speaker of the House; the

CH. VI]

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S MESSAGE.

vice-president, Hannibal Hamlin, presided in the Senate; and the new senators from West Virginia, Messrs. Willey and Van Winkle, were admitted to their seats by a vote of 36 to 5. On the 9th of December, the president's message transmitted to both Houses, and with great clearness and plainness set forth the existing condition of affairs, and the views of the chief magistrate on various questions of immediate and pressing interest. The opening paragraph was as follows:

389

Courts, by the impartiality of their adjudications, have commanded the res pect and confidence of maritime powers."

Having touched briefly upon the position and claims of naturalized citi zens, the condition and importance of the territories, the propriety of providing remedies for injuries unintentionally done to foreigners during the war, etc., the president gave a summary of the reports of the secretaries of the several departments, and added various suggestions for the further effectiveness of the army and navy. He then proceeded to a succinct review of his emanci pation policy, claiming for it definite and positively beneficial results, and stating, that "of those who were slaves at the beginning of the rebellion fully 100,000 are now in the United States military service, about one-half of which number actually bear arms in the ranks," and also that, so far as tried, the black soldiers are little, if at all, inferior to the white.

"Another year of health and of sufficiently abundant harvests has passed. For these, and especially for the improved condition of our national affairs, our renewed and profoundest gratitude to God is due. We remain in peace and friendship with foreign powers. The efforts of disloyal citizens of the United States to involve us in foreign wars, to aid an inexcusable insurrection, have been unavailing. Her Britannic Majesty's government, as was Looking to the present and future, justly expected, have exercised their and with a reference to a resumption authority to prevent the departure of of the national authority in the states new hostile expeditions from British where that authority had been susports. The Emperor of France has, by pended, Mr. Lincoln thought fit to issue a like proceeding, promptly vindicated a proclamation, dated December 8th, the neutrality which he proclaimed at a copy of which he transmitted to Conthe beginning of the contest. Ques- gress with his message. Our limits do tions of great intricacy and importance not admit of giving the president's have arisen out of the blockade, and views and arguments in full. They other belligerent operations, between were set forth clearly and at large, and the government and several of the mari- may be consulted by the reader to ad time powers, but they have been dis- vantage; the proclamation also, as markcussed, and, as far as was possible, ing out a line of policy on the difficult accommodated in a spirit of frankness, and delicate subject of reconstruction, justice, and mutual good will. It is is worthy of a careful perusal. We especially gratifying that our Prize give it in the appendix to the present

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