re: 150 years ago this day...

Thursday, 14 April 1864

The Red River was low and dropping lower, and it was getting help in this effort from unnatural sources. This caused unpleasantness for Admiral David D. Porter and his ships. Two of his best ironclads were stuck above a sandbar and others were threatened. “If nature does not change her laws there will be a rise of water” Porter wrote in a rare attack of wishful thinking. “The Rebels are cutting off the supply by diverting different sources of water into other channels, all of which would have been stopped had our Army arrived as far as Shreveport.”

The CSS Alabama, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes, captured and burned the ship Emma Jane off the coast of Malabar, southwest India.

Small boats from the USS Roebuck, Acting Master Sherrill in charge, chased the blockade running British sloop Young Racer and forced her aground north of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, with a cargo of salt. The sloop was then destroyed by her crew.

Having failed in efforts to pull the grounded USS Iron Age off the beach at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, the Federal blockaders applied the torch and blew her up. "As an offset to the loss...." reported Lieutenant Commander Stone, "I would place the capture or destruction of 22 blockade runners within the last six months by this squadron [the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron]."

The USS Union, under Acting Lieutenant Edward Conroy, captured the blockade running steamer Mayflower near Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cargo of cotton.

Major General Alfred Pleasonton was assigned to duty as second in command of the Missouri Department, by order of Major General Rosecrans.

An expedition, under command of General Graham, consisting of the army gunboats, the Ninth New Jersey, the Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, the One Hundredth and the Eighteenth New York regiments, and two sections of artillery, under Captain Easterly, left Fortress Monroe last night, and landed at different points. They concentrated at Smithfield, Virginia, this evening, and succeeded in routing the enemy, capturing one commissioned officer and five men — all wounded; also several horses and carriages, and some commissary stores. A Confederate mail, and one piece of artillery, formerly taken from the gunboat Smith Briggs, were also captured. Fifty negro contrabands were brought off at the same time. The Union loss was one missing, and five slightly wounded.

From the Plaquemine Gazette and Sentinel: This morning, a force of Confederate Cavalry, estimated at some twenty in number, and supposed to be a portion of Captain Jumel's command, stationed on the Grosse Tete, appeared in front of the village and park on the opposite side of the Bayou Plaquemine, Louisiana, and a party being detailed, crossed over and set fire to all the cotton at that place, while parties were at the same time engaged in burning that on flatboats at the village.

Colonel Gallup, at Paintsville, Kentucky, while falling back to get an advantageous position, attacked an estimated one thousand Rebels, killing and wounding twenty-five, including a Confederate colonel, and capturing fifty Southerners, one hundred horses, and two hundred saddles.

Near Shelbyville, Tennessee, the Confederate advance ran into Colonel True's advance, which was going from West Liberty, a town in Morgan County, Kentucky, to Shelbyville; Colonel True captured six Rebels, and then pressed forward to join Colonel Gallup.

Saturday, 16 April 1864

Although few land battles took place in Florida, there was naval action going on there for most of the War. The Army transport General Hunter fell victim to this action today when it struck a floating mine in the St. John’s River and was sunk. It was the second victim of a number of explosives that had been planted by the Confederates late last month; the transport Maple Leaf had been destroyed earlier.

Southern Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory wrote Captain John K. Mitchell of the Confederate James River Squadron urging that action be taken against the Union fleet downriver at the earliest opportunity.

I think that there is a passage through the obstructions at Trents' Reach. I deem the opportunity a favor able one for striking a blow at the enemy if we are able to do so. In a short time many of his vessels will have returned to the River from Wilmington and he will again perfect his obstructions. If we can block the River at or below City Point, Grant might be compelled to evacuate his position...The clamor for action increased as the months passed- On 15 May Lieutenant Robert D. Minor, First Lieutenant and ordnance officer for the Squadron, wrote his wife: "There is an insane desire among the public to get the iron clads down the river, and I am afraid that some of our higher public authorities are yielding to this pressure of public opinion- but I for one am not and in the squadron we know too much of the interest at stake to act against our judgment even if those high in authority wish to hurry us into an action unprepared and against vastly superior forces..."

The Richmond Enquirer reported that 26 ships on blockading station off Wilmington "...guard all the avenues of approach with the most sleepless vigilance. The consequences are that the chances of running the blockade have been greatly lessened, and it is apprehended by some that the day is not far distant when it will be an impossibility for a vessel to get into that port without incurring a hazard almost equivalent to positive loss. Having secured nearly every seaport on our coast, the Yankees are enabled to keep a large force off Wilmington."

Henry Hotze, commercial agent of the Confederate States, wrote from London to Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin suggesting complete government operation of blockade running: "The experiments thus far made by the Ordnance, Niter, and other Bureaus, as also the Navy Department, demonstrates that the Government can run the blockade with equal if not greater chances than private enterprise. But the public loses the chief advantages of the system, first, by the competition of private exportation; secondly, by the complicated and jarring machinery which only serves to grind out large profits in the shape of commissions, etc.; thirdly, by confounding the distinctive functions of different administrative departments. If blockade running was constituted an arm of the national defense, each would perform only its appropriate work, which therefore would be well done, The Treasury would procure without competition the raw material and regulate the disposition of the proceeds; the Navy, abandoning the hope of breaking the blockade and throwing all its available energies into eluding it, would purchase, build, and man the vessels for this purpose..." As the War progressed, more and more blockade runners commanded by naval officers did operate under the Confederate government.

Boat crews from the USS Fernandina, Acting Master Edward Moses in charge, captured the sloop Annie Thompson in St. Catherine's Sound, Georgia, with a cargo of cotton, tobacco, and turpentine.

The USS Gertrude, under Acting Master Henry C. Wade, captured the blockade running schooner Ellen off Mobile, Alabama, with an assorted cargo.

The report of the United States Commissary of Prisoners was made public. It showed that the number of Rebel officers and men captured by the Federal troops since the beginning of the war was one lieutenant-general, five major-generals, twenty-five brigadier-generals, one hundred and eighty-six colonels, one hundred and forty-six lieutenant-colonels, two hundred and forty-four majors, two thousand four hundred and ninety-seven captains, five thousand eight hundred and eleven lieutenants, sixteen thousand five hundred and sixty-three non-commissioned officers, one hundred and twenty-one thousand one hundred and fifty-six privates, and five thousand eight hundred citizens. Of these, there remained on hand at the date of the report twenty-nine thousand two hundred and twenty-nine officers and men, among whom were one major-general and seven brigadiers. There had been one hundred and twenty-one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven rebels exchanged against one hundred and ten thousand eight hundred and sixty-six Union men returned.

Sunday, 18 April 1864

The cavalry expedition of General John S. Marmaduke, CSA, scored its first victory today in a battle at Poison Springs, Arkansas. They came upon a large Federal wagon train, made up of foragers who were trying to unite with General Nathaniel P. Banks’ part of the Red River expedition. After a short, but harsh, battle the Federals fled, leaving their wagons behind, all 198 of them. This was another Federal failure in the hapless Red River campaign.

Rear Admiral David G. Farragut arrived off Mobile Bay to inspect Union ships and the Confederate defenses. He had sailed from New York in his renowned flagship Hartford after an absence of five months, and was to officially resume command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron on January 22 at New Orleans. Farragut was concerned about the reported strength of the Confederate ram Tennessee, then in Mobile Bay, and determined to destroy her and silence the forts, closing Mobile to the blockade runners. To this end, he immediately began to build up his forces and make plans for the battle.

Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles directed Captain Henry Walke, commanding the USS Sacramento, to search for "...the piratical vessels now afloat and preying upon our commerce," adding: "You will bear in mind that the principal object of your pursuit is the Alabama." Alabama had by this date taken more than 60 prizes, and the effect of all raiders on Union merchantmen was evident in the gradual disappearance of the U.S. flag from the ocean commerce lanes.

Boat crews from the USS Roebuck, Acting Master John Sherrill, captured the sloop Caroline off Jupiter Inlet, Florida, with a cargo of salt, gin, soda, and dry goods.

The USS Stars and Stripes, Acting Master Charles L. Willcomb in charge, captured the blockade running steamer Laura off Ocklockonee River, Florida, with a cargo including cigars.

This day at noon, three Confederate guerrillas were discovered in the town of Hunnewell, on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, forty miles west of Hannibal, Missouri. A dozen of the citizens, some armed, mustered to capture them. They had been purchasing stores, and were then at the saloon of a Union citizen, Mr. Dieman. On the approach of the squad, the guerrillas drew in defense, closed doors, and fired upon the citizens, wounding a militia captain, but not dangerously. They also fired upon Dieman, inflicting a severe wound. The citizens fired, killing two of the guerrillas, and wounding the third, who succeeded in escaping from the house and the vicinity.

The Maryland State Fair, for the benefit of the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, was opened with appropriate ceremonies at Baltimore. A speech was made by President Abraham Lincoln, in which he referred to the changes that had taken place in Baltimore during the past three years, and to the recent Fort Pillow battle, which he said should be amply retaliated.

The Confederate schooner Good Hope was captured and destroyed at sea, by the schooner Fox, tender to the Union steamer USS San Jacinto.

The Confederate schooner Oramoneta, with a cargo of munitions of war, was captured off St. Augustine, Florida, by the USS Beauregard.

An attempt to blow up the United States frigate Wabash was made off Charleston Harbor this night.

The Confederate attack on Plymouth, North Carolina continued today.

General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was given command of the Confederate Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia. Beauregard’s objective was to guard Richmond, southern Virginia, and northern North Carolina, a region threatened by Benjamin Butler’s Federal Army of the James.

Addressing the Baltimore Sanitary Fair, President Lincoln said, “We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.”

A Federal expedition began from Burkesville, Kentucky.

Skirmishing occurred in Virginia, Alabama, and Missouri.

Wednesday, 20 April 1864

After days of bitter fighting, the Confederacy had scored one of its largest victories in many months at Plymouth, North Carolina. The Union garrison had been supported by two gunboats, but their defeat yesterday by the CSS Albermarle had made the loss of the garrison inevitable. Brigadier General Robert F. Hoke’s men captured 2800 Yankee prisoners along with a considerable quantity of supplies.

From another source: Plymouth, North Carolina, garrisoned by over two thousand six hundred men, under the command of General Henry W. Wessells, was captured by the Confederates, after an obstinate and prolonged fight. The following account of the operations in the vicinity of Plymouth, and its capture, was given by a participant:

On Saturday evening, April seventeenth, at about half-past 5 o'clock, the Rebels attacked Fort Gray, on the Roanoke, two miles above the town, with six pieces of field artillery. They were speedily repulsed, doing but little damage, except sinking our gunboat Bombshell by firing into her. She dropped down and sunk opposite Plymouth, much injured. On Monday they fired occasionally all day at Fort Wessells, and took it by assault on Monday night, with a loss of some sixty killed. Here our men fought like tigers, and the heroic Captain Chapin, of company K, Eighty-fifth New York, fell. This little fort is about a mile from the town; in it we had about sixty men and four thirty-two pounders. Here, through mistake, the Rebels fired on their own men, and, it is said, killed several of them. Our loss here, so far as known, was only two killed, beside Captain Chapin. Our artillery played heavily upon this fort all day Tuesday, ceasing at intervals. On Monday, at dusk, they drove in our pickets in front, killing one and wounding one; and at dark they opened and continued for two hours and a half a most fierce fire of artillery upon Fort Williams, our strongest fort, in which General Wessells had his headquarters during the siege. Fort Williams fired in upon them heavily, with great slaughter, and received but little injury, excepting the death of Lieutenant Cline, of the One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania. Just after dark, one of our gunboats opened upon them a most galling fire. The cannonading now for more than two hours was most grand, awful, terrific, and sublime. I stood upon the piazza of my own room, with shells and balls dropping around me. Men who had been in the Peninsula campaign said they never saw any thing to equal the firing here. One shell from our gunboat, commanded by Captain Flusser, who afterward fell dead on the deck of his own ship, it was said, killed three and wounded nineteen Rebels. About nine o'clock all firing ceased, and the Rebels retired to the woods in front of Fort Williams.

The women, children, and our sick, were sent to Roanoke Island on Saturday night, together with a schooner-load of old Negroes. Another load went on Monday night.

About four o'clock on Tuesday morning, the Rebel ram, with two guns, came down and swept out all our gunboats, upon which we had depended so much to protect the left and lower part of the town, The gunboats Miami and Southfield were linked together, and the ram ran between them, and ran into the Southfield, and she soon sank. Then the Miami went below.

All day on Tuesday, the ram lay some two miles below town, and kept up firing all day, but with little or no execution, save perforating the houses. She threw shells most awfully swift. I could dodge balls from other pieces, but it would be hard to dodge one from her. Her guns are thirty-two pounders; a good many of her shells never burst. It takes her about eight minutes to load and fire.

Early on Wednesday morning, about daylight, the Confederates, with five brigades, commanded by General Ransom, (a part of Jackson's old Stonewall Brigade) made assault after assault upon the redoubt on the left, in which we had about two hundred men and four thirty-two pounders. Coming up with such an overwhelming force, they succeeded, with the loss of scores of killed, in taking this little fort, which let them into the town, up Main street. Shortly after their entrance into the town, about three hundred of us were taken prisoners of war, and marched nearly two miles below town, leaving our beautiful flag still floating over Fort Williams, with the brave General Wessells, his staff, and some two hundred men, still holding out, and refusing to surrender until ten P. M. on Wednesday.

Their force engaged has been estimated at ten thousand, with a reserve of four or five thousand. Our effective force was about two thousand. Their killed and wounded, I suppose, is about one thousand--some put it at one thousand five hundred. General Hoke, commanding the rebel forces, was heard to say that their loss was about one thousand five hundred, Our killed won't exceed twenty, and wounded not eighty; captured, including citizens, two thousand two hundred. They shot a great many blacks after the fight was over.

In truth, the forces facing each other were almost 7000 Confederates versus over 3000 Federal troops at the four forts around Plymouth. Union losses were over 2000 while the Rebels reported 800 casualties.

Friday, 22 April 1864

Confederate President Jefferson Davis was faced with a problem that would only increase as the War continued: what to do with captured Union soldiers who happened to be Negroes. One aspect seemed obvious, and he wrote as much to General Leonidas Polk today: “If the Negro soldiers are escaped slaves, they should be held for recovery by their owners. If otherwise, inform me.” Davis added, “Captured slaves should be returned to their masters on proof and payment of charges.”

The first two-cent U.S. coin was minted, on which the phrase “In God We Trust” was imprinted for the first time. The phrase had been suggested to Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase by Reverend M.R. Watkinson due to the strong religious sentiment, on both sides, during the War.

Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren wrote Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V. Fox regarding Charleston: "...do not suppose that I am idle because no battles are fought; on the contrary, the blockade by four monitors of such a place as this, and the determined intentions of the Rebels to operate with torpedoes, keep all eyes open."

Acting Ensign James J. Russell, commanding the USS Restless, accompanied by two sailors, captured the blockade running schooner William A. Kain in St. Andrew's Bay, Florida. Russell and his men had intended originally to reconnoiter only, but after discovering and capturing the Captain and several of the crew members of the blockade runner in the woods near the vessel, he determined to take her himself. Compelling his prisoners to row him out to the Kain, Russell captured the remaining crew members and managed to sail her from Watson's Bayou out into the bay and under the protection of the Restless' guns.

An expedition up the Rappahannock River, under the command of Foxhall A. Parker, commanding the Potomac flotilla, terminated this day. The following communication detailing the facts connected with it, was made by the commander in charge:

Having learned, from various sources, that the Rebel government had established a ferry at Circus Point, a few miles below Tappahannock, on the Rappahannock River, and was busily engaged in collecting boats at some point on the river for the purpose of attacking the blockading vessels, I proceeded thither with a portion of this flotilla, on the eighteenth instant, where I remained until this evening, visiting both banks of the river and all its various creeks, (some of which I was told had not before been entered during the war,) from Circus Point to Windmill Point, with the following result: Two ferries broken up, seven large lighters, (each capable of carrying one hundred men, three pontoon-boats, twenty-two large skiffs and canoes, two hundred white-oak beams and knees, (large enough for the construction of a sloop-of-war,) five hundred cords of pine wood, and three hundred barrels of corn destroyed. Twenty-two fish-boats, (one of which is fitted for carrying small-arms,) one thousand pounds of bacon, two horses, sixty bushels of wheat, a chest of carpenter's tools, and many other articles, (a correct list of which will be sent to the department at an early day,) brought off. Five refugees and forty-five contrabands (men, women, and children) were received on board of this vessel, and landed in Maryland, with the exception of five stout fellows whom I shipped.

At Bohler's Rocks, on the south side of the Rappahannock, the landing of our men was opposed by a large force of cavalry (rumored to be almost five hundred), which was kept at bay by the fire of the Eureka, commanded by Acting Ensign Hallock, and a howitzer launch in charge of Acting Master's Mate Eldridge. Acting Master W. T. Street, who had charge of this expedition, showed good judgment, and proved himself a valuable and efficient officer. He speaks highly of Acting Ensign Roderick and Acting Master's Mate Borden, who accompanied him on shore. In Parrot's Creek, eight seamen, led by Acting Ensign Nelson, chased six of the Rebel cavalry.

Yesterday afternoon, as the Eureka got within thirty yards of the shore, just below Urbanna, where I had sent her to capture two boats hauled up there, a large number of Rebels, lying in ambush, most unexpectedly opened upon her with rifles, and a piece of light artillery. Thus taken by surprise, Acting Ensign Hallock displayed admirable presence of mind, and I think not more than five seconds had elapsed before he returned the fire from his light twelve-pounder, and with small arms; and, although the little Eureka, with officers and men, has but sixteen souls on board, for some ten minutes (during which time the fight lasted) she was one sheet of flame, the twelve-pounder being fired about as fast as a man would discharge a pocket-pistol. The Rebels were well thrashed, and I think must have suffered considerably. They fortunately fired too high, so that their shells and bullets passed over the Eureka without injury to the vessel or crew. It was quite a gallant affair, and reflects a great deal of credit upon both officers and men of the Eureka, a list of whom I herewith enclose.

This morning, April twenty-second, observing a party of eighteen men at a distance of about two miles from this ship, with muskets slung over their backs, crawling on their hands and knees to get a shot at some of our men then on shore, I directed a shell to be thrown at them from a one-hundred pounder Parrott gun, which struck and exploded right in their midst, killing and wounding, I think, a large number of them, as only four were seen after the explosion, who were, as might be supposed, running inland at the top of their speed.

Lieutenant Commander Eastman, who had the detailing of the various expeditions, well sustained, in the performance of this duty, the reputation which he had already acquired as an officer of marked energy and ability.

I have it from the best authority that the Rebels have placed torpedoes in the Rappahannock, just above Bohler's Rocks, where this flotilla was anchored; off Fort Lowry, off Brooks's Barn, opposite the first house above Leedstown, and at Layton's, somewhat higher up. All these are on the port hand going up. Others are said to be placed at various points in the river, from Fort Lowry to Fredericksburg. They have also been placed in the Piankatank River, and in many of the creeks emptying into Chesapeake Bay.

U.S. Major General Joseph G. Totten died of pneumonia in Washington, D.C., at the age of 75, having served almost 60 years in the Army and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery.

“...the capture of Richmond,” said the Columbus, Georgia, Times, of this day, “would prove of greater importance to our enemies, in a political point of view, than any other sense. With our capital in their possession, we would find additional influence brought to bear against us abroad; but as a material loss, its fall would in no manner compare with the disadvantages which would result from a defeat of General Johnston, and the occupation of Georgia that would follow. The first point is near our boundary lines; the second is our great centre. To lose the one would be as the loss of a limb; should we be driven from the other, it would be a terrible blow at our most vital point. This we must admit, and our enemy knows it.”

A party of six Rebel guerrillas were captured near Morrisville, Virginia. They had attacked a Federal picket station, and killed one man a short time before that.

Confederates continued harassing retreating Federal troops on the Red River.

A Federal expedition began from Jacksonport to Augusta, Arkansas.

Skirmishing occurred in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Saturday, 23 April 1864

Major General William Tecumseh Sherman was in charge of a considerable operation in central Tennessee, and he needed transportation. He had cancelled civilian railroad operations and taken over the trains for the military, but they only ran 60 trains a day. He begged, he pleaded, he ordered twice the number; the trainmen said their operation only allowed 60, otherwise the rails would wear out. Sherman didn't care about this, and put soldiers in to run the trains, and was soon up to 193 cars per day from Nashville to Chattanooga.

Rear Admiral John A.B. Dahlgren in a letter to President Lincoln wrote: "The city of Charleston is converted into a camp, and 20,000 or 25,000 of their best troops are kept in abeyance in the vicinity, to guard against all possible contingencies, so that 2,000 of our men in the fortifications of Morris and Folly Islands, assisted by a few ironclads, are rendering invaluable service...No man in the country will be more happy than myself to plant the flag of the Union where you most desire to see it." The Union's ability to attack any part of the South's long coastline from the sea diverted important numbers of Confederate soldiers from the main armies.

This morning a group of partisan Rebels attacked the Federal pickets at Nickajack Trace, Georgia, and after compelling them to surrender, reportedly committed the most flagrant outrages upon them. A correspondent at Chattanooga, Tennessee, gives the following particulars of the affair:

Sixty-four men, detailed from the Ninety-second Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel D. F. Sheets, commanding, were doing picket-duty near Lyle's farm, under command of Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, company K. Eighteen of the men were placed in reserve near the farm, the rest were distributed at seven different posts.

The supposition is, that a regiment of Rebel infantry crossed Taylor's Ridge during the night, about five miles from Ringgold, and formed a line, extending from the base of the ridge to the Alabama road. This line faced south, being in the rear of our pickets. Another regiment crossed the ridge higher up the valley, and faced west. A body of cavalry (probably two companies) came on our pickets from the south, and a smaller body advanced from the direction of Leet's farm. Thus were our men nearly surrounded by the wily enemy, before the attack commenced, and the assault was made simultaneously upon all the posts. The enemy's cavalry first assailed our videttes, who retired, fighting desperately, until reinforced from the reserve, when the rebels were temporarily repulsed. Advancing again in still larger numbers, they forced our men to fall back. But the latter soon found their retreat cut off by the infantry which had formed in their rear, and barricaded the road. Such was the disposition of the Rebel force, that the reserve at Lyle's house, now reduced to nine men, were cut off from the remainder. Consequently, there was nothing left for our brave fellows but to surrender, or cut their way out, each man fighting for himself. They resolved to attempt the latter. Some desperate hand-to-hand contests ensued, and some chivalric daring was displayed, which the historian will never record. Of the sixty-four men, thirty-four escaped death or capture; and with heroic determination not to return to camp until relieved, they reoccupied the ground from which they had been driven, although they knew not at what moment the enemy might return to the attack, and kill or capture the remainder of them. Of that heroic band not a man came to camp without orders. Five were killed, four mortally wounded, three severely wounded, and eighteen missing. Lieutenant Scoville was wounded and captured. The Rebel loss in killed and wounded must at least have equaled our own, and we took one prisoner.

The men speak in high terms of Lieutenant Scoville's conduct until he was wounded; and I am informed that Colonel Sheets speaks highly of Sergeant Strock, of company C, and Sergeant Hine, of company E, who saved most of their men, and commanded the party who reoccupied the field.

From the statements of wounded soldiers, and of citizens living near the roads along which the enemy retired, I gather the following facts, and offer no comment.

A citizen saw a Rebel officer shoot down one of our men, after he had surrendered and marched some distance with his captors. The only excuse for the vile outrage was, that the poor fellow could not keep up with the fiends who had taken him prisoner. After the officer had shot the man, the citizen heard one of the Rebel scoundrels say: “That's right, cap, give it to him again!”

William Chattannach, or Chattnach, a private in company B, after surrendering, was marched off with several others upon the double-quick, until totally unable to go further. A Rebel lieutenant then came up to him, and shot him twice, the first time inflicting a slight, the second a mortal wound. He then left him, supposing le had killed him. Shortly after, two Rebels came up to him and robbed him of his pocketbook and boots. One of them said, “Let's scalp the----Yankee!” but did not execute the proposition. This statement was taken from poor Chattannach's dying lips.

Reginald O'Connor, company B, was shot for the same reason, after being captured.

George A. Springer and John Craddock, company E; George Marle, company F ; and William Reynolds, company I, all make similar statements with regard to themselves.

William Hills, company K, was found dead a mile from the post where he had stood on picket during the night. A lady living near where he was posted, declared, that she saw him pursued by some rebel cavalrymen. On being overtaken, he at once handed over his gun to one of the savages, who immediately fired the contents of the same into Hill's body, killing him instantly.

In the case of O'Connor, three soldiers who saw the murder, declare, upon oath, that it was also committed by a Rebel officer.

Such are some of the details of this stupendous crime, whose atrocity is perhaps unsurpassed even by the bloody murders recently committed by these Rebel miscreants in west Tennessee and Kentucky.

The following list of killed and wounded is nearly complete. Killed: Garner McKeel, company E; William Hills, company K; John Douns, company B; William Gifford, company H.

Wounded: Reginald O'Connor, company B. fatally; William Chattannach, company B, fatally; G. A. Springer, company E, fatally; John Craddock, company E, severely, not dangerously; George Marle, company F, fatally; D. W. Butler, company A, dangerously; James Rhoades and William Reynolds, company I, both fatally.

Of these killed and wounded, two had not surrendered when shot; seven were either killed or wounded (all but one, mortally) after they had surrendered to the enemy as prisoners of war; the circumstances connected with the shooting of the other three have not been definitely ascertained. Of the facts connected with these horrid outrages, there is no room to doubt. They are taken mostly from the affidavits of dying men — the surest testimony in the world.

Monday, 25 April 1864

The orders continued to come down from Major General William T. Sherman’s headquarters office. Yesterday, the orders were to prepare to march on short notice, without tents, and with the men carrying most of their rations for a month. Today he sent a request to Fleet Captain Alexander Mosely Pennock, in command at Cairo, Illinois, requesting that additional patrols be put on from the Ohio River to the Tennessee River. With Sherman going into Georgia, the lines of communication and supply on the Tennessee would be in jeopardy.

This afternoon, a wagon train consisting of two hundred and forty wagons returning to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, together with the escort--under the command of Colonel Drake, comprising the Twenty-sixth Iowa regiment, the Seventy-seventh Ohio regiment, and the Forty-third Indiana regiment, along with four pieces of artillery--was captured by the Confederates.

A small party of Rebels, in an attempt to surprise the Federal pickets, on the King's Road, near Jacksonville, Florida, were surrounded and captured by the Seventy-fifth Ohio mounted infantry.

Confederate Major General Robert Ransom, Jr. was assigned to command the Department of Richmond, Virginia and performed duty around Richmond, western Virginia, and eastern Tennessee.

Almost constant Confederate harassment continued against Major General Frederick Steele’s Union forces in Camden, Arkansas, and Major General Nathaniel Banks’ Federals on the Red River. Banks’ Federals began arriving in Alexandria, Louisiana after their most recent retreat.

A Federal expedition began from Bull’s Gap to Watauga River, Tennessee.

Further skirmishing occurred in the State of Mississippi.

Wednesday, 27 April 1864

One Jacob Thompson was issued enigmatic orders today by President Jefferson Davis. He was also issued a title of “Special Commissioner” along with the directions, which were to proceed at once to Canada. He was joined a few days later by Clement Claiborne Clay, Jr. Written commands to the men have never been found, but it is believed that Davis sent the agents to attempt to find cooperative Canadians to initiate discussions with the United States to achieve a truce or ceasefire.

Thompson also met with Clement L. Vallandigham, the Union exiled Copperhead and leader of the Sons of Liberty, and with George N. Sanders, a Confederate agent with a background of collaboration with European radicals.

After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Clay was accused of having taken part with a plot in Canada against Lincoln's life and also of having planned raids across the border, and a substantial reward was offered for him.

Acting Master Hill, commanding the United States steamer Currituck, of the Potomac Flotilla, succeeded in destroying two thousand bushels of grain, which was in process of transportation to Richmond.--Commander Parker's Report.

The British schooner O. K. was captured by the Federal vessel Union, off the coast of Florida.

The Army under General Nathaniel Prentice Banks, including the forces of General Andrew Jackson Smith, finally completed their retreat in the Red River campaign and all returned to Alexandria, Louisiana.

The Maryland constitutional convention assembled at Annapolis.

A Federal expedition began from Williamsburg, Virginia.

Skirmishing occurred in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri.

Friday, 29 April 1864

Admiral David D. Porter’s fleet seemed doomed this morning. Trapped on the Red River, they had realized that their nemesis, Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Taylor, a brother-in-law of Jefferson Davis and also a son of President Zachary Taylor, was proposing to take one of their own disabled boats and re-float it for use as a fire boat to cause havoc and destruction to the Union fleet. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bailey came up with a somewhat deranged plan. Among their Yankee troops were many Midwestern and Maine men with years of lumberjack experience. Bailey proposed to have them build a dam across the rapids. This would raise the water level under the ships enough that when the dam was blown, they would all be able to get downstream. For lack of any alternative, both Porter and General Nathaniel P. Banks--commander of the land forces--agreed to let him try it.

Commander Thomas H. Stevens, of the USS Patapsco, reported to Rear Admiral John A. B. Dahlgren on an extended reconnaissance of the Wilmington River, Georgia, during which several Confederate sharpshooters were engaged. Stevens concluded: "From what I can see and learn, an original expedition against Savannah at this time by a combined movement of the land and sea forces would be probably successful." Though the Navy kept the city under close blockade and engaged the area's defenses, troops for the combined operation did not become available until late in the year.

Lieutenant Commander James C. Chaplin, with the USS Dai Ching, reported to Dahlgren that information obtained from the master of the blockade runner George Chisholm [captured 14 November 1863]"...vessels running out from Nassau, freighted with contraband goods for Southern ports...always skirt along on soundings and take the open sea through the North East Providence Channel by Egg and Royal Islands, steering from thence about N.N.W. course toward Wilmington or ports adjacent on the Carolina coast, while those bound to Mobile run down on the east side of Cuba through Crooked Island Passage, sweeping outside in a considerable circle to avoid the United States cruisers in the vicinity. The vessels bound to the coast of the Carolinas take their point of departure from a newly erected lighthouse in the neighborhood of Man-O-War Cay [a small island in the Abaco region of the Bahamas]. They are provided with the best of instruments and charts, and, if the master is ignorant of the channels and inlets of our coast, a good pilot. They are also in possession of the necessary funds (in specie) to bribe, if possible, captors for their release. Such an offer was made to myself...of some £800. The master of a sailing vessel, before leaving port, receives $1,000 (in coin), and, if successful, $5,000 on his return; those commanding steamers $5,000 on leaving and $15,000 in a successful return to the same port."

The British schooner Miriam was captured in lat. 25° 25' N. long. 84° 30', W., by the Federal vessel Honeysuckle.

An expedition, under the command of Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Hooker, sent to Carter's Creek from the Potomac Flotilla, succeeded in destroying eleven boats and canoes, a large quantity of grain, and a number of log huts, which had been used as barracks by the Rebel soldiers. In approaching these, Acting Master Street, who had charge of the landing party, consisting of twenty-five seamen, fell in with a company of Confederate cavalry, who, mistaking his force for the advance guard of a much larger one, put spurs to their horses and fled. Lieutenant Hooker well planned the expedition, and Acting Master Street displayed boldness and decision in carrying it out.--Commander Parker's Report.

Considerable excitement was caused in Richmond, Virginia, today, by the presence of the Confederate government impressing agents for the collection of horses for the use of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

The United States Congress passed a joint resolution raising all tariffs 50 percent for 60 days; the rate was later extended to 1 July.

Federal expeditions began from Ringgold, Georgia and Newport Barracks, North Carolina.

Skirmishing occurred in Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

the end is nigh. i can smell it.