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the orders of thanks of the commanding general."

The next important event in the affairs of the Department of the South was the arrival of General Mitchel, toward the end of September, as the successor of General Hunter, who, at his own request, was relieved of the command. General Stevens had also returned to the North, on his way to his last campaign with the Army of the Potomac. General Mitchel, immediately on his arrival, sought to infuse the patriotic enthusiasm of his character into every province of his command. The condition of the negro race, in the absence of any adequate force for immediate extended operations, particularly engaged his attention. Immediately upon his arrival at Port Royal, General Mitchel reviewed General Brannan's troops at Beaufort, and a day or two after addressed the garrison at Pulaski, with his accustomed earnestness of speech. "I am here," he said, "to say that we have an immense work to perform. I am just from the North, where, having conversed and associated with the thinking men of the country, I am satisfied that the work before us is the most stupendous, the most arduous that has ever been attempted; and it is a work in which we can never be successful unless we enter upon it with a firm determination never to succumb. I believe that we are fighting the battle of human liberty, not for this country alone, but for the whole world. If we permit the iron heel of the southern aristocracy to crush us, I undertake to say before you all, that the last hope of humanity will die out forever. *** I was told that I should receive instructions here. I find that they permit me to do pretty much as I please; and I shall endeavor to do the best I can. I assure you of this; that I will omit no opportunity of giving you active employment. *** Your fortunes are, to a certain extent, in my keeping. Rest assured that day and

night I shall think of you; day and night I shall care for you, and your interests shall be in my thoughts." Such was the spirit in which General Mitchel entered upon his work.

An opportunity also presently arose at the dedication of a new church erected by General Hunter's order, for the colored population, to inform that class of the people of his views of their duties and prospects. After urging upon them the necessity of respecting the marriage relation, to which slavery had been so unfriendly, and of organizing themselves into families, he held up before them the blessings of liberty which would result to them from the war if they were true to themselves. Announcing the provision which was making by the superintendent for their agricultural labors, he sought to awaken in them a love of order, neatness, and even elegance. "A gang of fifty men are building your houses at the rate of six a day. These houses are to make you more comfortable. You are to have a patch of ground which you can call your own, to raise your own garden truck, and you may work for the government for good wages. And you women must make your houses shine; you must plaster them and whitewash them, and gradually get furniture in your cabins, and a cooking stove. I have arranged in such a way that you will get your clothing cheaper and better than before, and you are to have a school for your children. And you must have flowers in your gardens and blossoms before your doors." This was new language to be addessed to the field hands of South Carolina. It was the calculation of General Mitchel that an industrious family of three persons might save from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars, with which they might secure their own homes and begin the world for themselves." Such was his solution of the industrial problem of the South. With a fair chance it would peacefully solve itself. Writing to Sec

EXPEDITION TO POCOTALIGO.

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and General Terry's 2d brigades of the 10th Army Corps, assigned to the department. They were landed at Mackay's Point, at the confluence of Broad and Pocotaligo rivers, on the morning of the 22d, and immediately proceeded towards the village of Pocotaligo, eleven miles distant. "The line of march," writes a correspondent who participated in the fight, "was taken up soon after ten, the section of Lieutenant Henry's battery being at the head of the column, with skirmishers of the 47th Pennsyl

retary Chase, the next day, of this address at the church, he said :-"I have spoken to the élite of Boston, the solid and the scientific and the literary men of that learned city; I have spoken to the fashionable crowds of New York in the Academy of Music; I have spoken to the rich and proud citizens of New Orleans; I have spoken to multitudes in almost every State in the Union, but I do not think I ever addressed any audience whose presence touched me more deeply than the sable multitude to whom I endeavored to utter words of encour-vania regiment. Advancing slowly over agement and hope yesterday. And, my dear governor, they are encouraged, and they do hope; and I feel that it is possible to convert the officers and soldiers from their unjust and ungenerous prejudices, and to make them the firm, fast, sympathizing friends of those unfortunate blacks. Already I find a very great change, and some of my thinking officers, who were most gloomy and most despondent when I first arrived, are now full of cheerful hope."*

an admirable road for seven miles, we failed, during the march, of encountering the enemy, who had prudently recoiled from a meeting until it should take place beyond range of our gunboats, although the nature of the ground over which we passed afforded many excellent positions for defence. The road alternated through dense woods, and through marshes, only passable over a narrow causeway, save at one or two points. Choosing a position at the opposite end of this causeway, the enemy opened a furious fire of shell and canis

promptly met by the battery under Lieutenant Henry. Immediately the order was given by General Brannon for his brigade to form line of battle, the centre resting on the causeway. After a brisk fire of both musketry and artillery the rebels retired to the dense woods in their rear, tearing up the causeway-bridge, which delayed the advance of our artil

True to his promise, of keeping his troops in activity, though unable from the fewness of his command of attempt-ter on our advancing column, which was ing any movement of magnitude, General Mitchel presently set on foot several expeditions, the most important of which was designed to destroy the bridges on the Charleston and Savannah railroad in the vicinity of Pocotaligo and Coosawhatchie. The movement was made by a combined land and naval force, which left Hilton Head on the night of the 21st of October. The troops, under the com-lery until it could be repaired. Meanmand of General Brannan, who had recently led an expedition to the St. John's river, attacked the fortification on St. John's Bluff, and ascending the river to Jacksonville, again temporarily occupied that town, consisted of detachments of the New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania regiments, from General Brannan's 1st

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while, the 1st brigade pressed on to the woods, which they penetrated, driving the enemy before them, and closely followed by the 2d brigade, under General Terry, who came up with a cheer, and were quickly in the engagement. Here the fight, it may be said, fairly commenced-the enemy's sharpshooters picking off our men rapidly. The artilwhile the bridge was being repaired, and lery fire from our side was not slackened

act force of the rebels, of course, we know nothing, although General Brannan was of the opinion that it equaled our own. Certainly their artillery exceeded ours by four or five pieces, and this we have from the seven prisoners taken, one of whom, William Judd, belonged to Company B, 2d South Carolina cavalry, whose horse was also captured. The prisoners informed us that General Beauregard commanded in person.

it was not long before the batteries went forward to the work in support of the infantry. This action began between twelve and one, and lasted about an nour, ending in the retreat of the rebels to another position at Frampton's plantation, which lies two miles beyond. The enemy were closely followed, and after a fight more hotly contested than the first, our troops were again victorious, the second time driving the rebels from their well-chosen position, and two miles beyond, which brought them up "While these events were taking place to Pocotaligo bridge (not the railroad between the main forces on either side, bridge), over which they crossed, taking Colonel Barton, of the 48th New York, shelter behind earthworks on the farth- with three hundred of his own men and est side. To this point our troops near-fifty of the 3d Rhode Island Regiment, ly approached, but found farther pro- under command of Captain J. H. Gould, gress impossible, as the bridge had been went up the Coosawhatchie river, concut by the enemy on his retreat. This fact we construe into a clear acknowledgment of his defeat. Although these events are thus briefly noted, it required upward of five hours of impetuous and gallant fighting to accomplish them. At no one time was the entire field of combat in view from a given point, and I therefore find it impossible to speak in detail of the operations of my own regiment. Both brigades participated in the action, and both Generals Brannan and Terry were constantly under fire, leading and directing the movements of their men, awakening enthusiasm by their personal bravery and the skillful manner in which they maneuvered their commands. Frequently, while the fight was progressing, we heard the whistles of the railroad trains, notifying us of reinforcements for the rebels, both from Charleston and Savannah, and even if we had had facilities for crossing the river, it would have been unwise to have made the attempt in view of these circumstances. General Brannan therefore ordered a retreat, which was conducted in a most orderly manner; the regiments retiring in successive lines, carrying off their dead and wounded, and leaving no arms or ammunition on the field. Of the ex

voyed by the Patroon, to within two miles of the town of the same name. Landing this force here, a march was made to the village through which runs the railroad. Arrived there, they commenced tearing up the rails, but had scarcely engaged in the work when a long train of cars came from the direction of Savannah, filled with troops. This train was fired into by our party, killing the engineer and a number of others. Several soldiers jumped from the cars while they were in motion, and were wounded. One was taken prisoner

thirty muskets were captured, and colors of the Whippy Swamp Guards taken from the color-bearer, who was killed by our fire. The work of tearing up the rails was not accomplished in time to prevent the onward progress of the train, and our men afterward completed the job-also cutting the telegraph, and bringing away a portion of the wire with them. Colonel Barton next attempted to reach the railroad bridge, for the purpose of firing it, but was unable, as it was protected by a battery of three guns. Fearing that his retreat might be cut off by the enemy's cavalry, he gave the order to retire to the steamboat, which was done success

DEATH OF GENERAL MITCHEL.

fully. His men had nearly all embarked when the cavalry boldly came directly under the guns of the Planter and Patroon, and fired upon both steamers. A few round of canister dispersed them, and the only damage which they inflicted was the serious wounding of Lieutenant J. B. Blanding, of the 3d Rhode Island artillery."* The Union loss in these unprofitable engagements was thirty-two killed, and one hundred and eighty wounded. The enemy left fifteen or twenty of their dead on the field, from which it was inferred that their loss was severe. Two caissons filled with ammunition were captured from them at an opportune moment when the powder of the assailants was nearly exhausted.

The climate, meanwhile, was telling on the health of the troops of the department. The sick list in several of the regiments was increasing to an alarming degree. As the month wore on several undoubted cases of yellow fever oc

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curred at Port Royal. Captain J. C. Williams, an aid on General Mitchel's staff, Captain L. A. Warfield, chief commissary of subsistence, and Colonel N. W. Brown, of the 3d Rhode Island artillery, fell victims to the disease, and General Mitchel, sickening, was removed to Beaufort, where he died on the 30th of October. General Brannan, who succeeded to the command as the senior officer in the department, in a general order, recorded the energy of his administration, and the Christian principle which inspired it." Brief as his career in the Department of the South, yet had he already won the esteem and regard of all by his energy and activity, in directing the movements of the corps against the adjoining rebels, and the firmness and tempered justice with which he conducted the administrative duties of the department. He died with the calm fortitude of a believing Christian, and while we lament the death of a gallant soldier and a kind friend, let us en

Port Royal Correspondence New York Times, October deavor to emulate the virtues and sol24, 1862. General Halleck's Report, December, 1862.

dierly qualities of our late commander."

CHAPTER LXXVI.

REBEL INVASIONS OF KENTUCKY, JULY-OCTOBER, 1862.

WHEN General Halleck, after the enemy had been driven from Corinth, and Memphis had been restored to the Union, in the beginning of July, was called to the position of General-in-Chief at Washington, the military commands of the Department of the Mississippi were thus distributed The main body of the army, under command of Major-General Buell, was to the east of Corinth, between Huntsville and Stevenson, on the northern border of Alabama, moving toward Chattanooga the key of eastern Tennessee and the great line of Confederate

railway communication with the Southwest. West of the Tennessee river, on the confines of Tennessee and Mississippi, Major-General Grant held the line from Memphis to Iuka, protecting the railways from Columbus south. MajorGeneral Curtis was in command of a force at Helena, Arkansas, and Brigadier-General Schofield of the troops in southwestern Missouri. "These several armies," says General Halleck, "spread along a line of some six hundred miles, from the western borders of Arkansas to Cumberland Gap, and occupying a strip

of country more than one hundred and in turn, where Union troops were at fifty miles in width, from which the ene- hand, and intercepted in his movements, my's forces had recently been expelled, when the members of his command at were rapidly decreasing in strength from times were severely dealt with, he conthe large numbers of soldiers sent home stantly manages, by his knowledge of the on account of real or pretended disabil- region and the friendly aid of sympaity. On the other hand, the enemy's thizers, by his presence of mind and ac armies were greatly increased by an ar- tivity, to bring off his shattered forces, bitrary and rigidly enforced conscription. who disperse to meet again on some With their superiority in numbers and early occasion to inflict new injury and discipline they boldly determined to re-create fresh terror and alarm. Bold and occupy Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, unscrupulous, he was the foremost of the and Kentucky, and, if possible, to in-partisan leaders, the Ashbys, Jenkinses, vade the states of Ohio, Indiana, and and others, who promptly sprang up, the Illinois, while our attention was dis- natural and inevitable offspring of the tracted by the invasion of Maryland rebellion. and Pennsylvania, and an extended Indian insurrection on the western frontiers."

In this comprehensive scheme of rebel aggression much reliance was evidently placed upon the aid which would be given to the regular invading force by a system of partisan or guerrilla warfare, which had been already set on foot in the department, with no little success, by a redoubtable leader in this branch of the service, John Morgan of Kentucky. A thriving planter at the outbreak of the rebellion, he gave the whole strength of an energetic and determined nature to its service. Thoroughly acquainted with the temper and resources of the people, familiar with the roads and communications of the country, a popular leader of the desperate and disaffected, we find him throughout the war ever recruiting his desultory bands of cavalry, and constantly on the aggressive; at one time attacking a railway train, plundering the mails and property in transitu and imprisoning the passengers, or destroying the rails and cars; at another, falling upon a supply train or an isolated detachment of the Union forces, tarrying in the prosperous regions of eastern and middle Kentucky-sure at no long interval to furnish a paragraph to the newspapers of some fresh daring act of outrage and depredation. Often attacked

The months of July and August were marked by the efforts of the guerrilla parties of the confederates along the borders of Tennessee and Kentucky and even in the heart of the latter state. Raids and assaults were the order of the day. At daybreak on the morning of Sunday, 13th of July, an unexpected attack was made upon the Union brigade, under command of General Thomas T. Crittenden, in charge of Murfreesboro, by a cavalry force over three thousand in number, of Texan, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee troops, led by BrigadierGeneral N. B. Forrest, a rival of Morgan in these flying expeditions. The Union effective force at the place was only about eight hundred. The attack was made with great vigor by about eight hundred Texans and Georgians upon a detachment of the 9th Michigan volunteers, about two hundred in number, stationed three-fourths of a mile east of the town. Overpowered by the superior force, the men fell back to the main camp, when they maintained an action of twenty minutes with the enemy, inflicting heavy injury on their pursuers. The Michigan regiment in this part of the affair lost one officer and twelve men killed, and three officers and seventy-five men wounded, among whom was its colonel, William W. Duffield. The enemy now closing in, the whole

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