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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 11/24/13 at 7:36 am to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 11/24/13 at 7:36 am to BadLeroyDawg
24 November continued...
The Richmond Examiner published the following: While a furious invading enemy is laying waste our fair fields, demanding unconditional submission to its government, offering no terms of peace, not even hinting at negotiation for peace upon any other basis, but avowing the unanimous purpose to deprive us of all right, of all law and of all property; and while our devoted armies are in the field, with their arms in their hands and their banners flying, to defy and resist and beat back that foul invasion, we do not comprehend how any man in the Confederacy can ? we do not say get "honorable peace" --but even talk of honorable peace, save by vanquishing those invading enemies. If the political system of those invading enemies break up, by reason of reverses in war, or financial troubles; if certain States of their "Union" remember that they have state rights, and act upon them by seceding from the Union, and offering us a peace, so far as they are concerned, it will be well; that will aid us materially in the one single task we have to achieve ? the task of defeating and destroying the military power of our enemies. But reasonable confederates would be at a loss to know how we can contribute to that happy state of things, except by continued and successful resistance in arms. Our sole policy and cunningest diplomacy is fighting; our most insinuating negotiator is the confederate army in line of battle.
Now we perceive, that just as Congress is about to meet, certain newspapers of the Confederacy are preparing the way for discussions in that body about some other method of obtaining peace. The other method suggested, in so far as we can comprehend it, consists in the several States of the Confederacy taking the matter out of the hands of the confederate government, ignoring the government and the army, and all that army has done and suffered for the independence of the Confederacy, and then making peace, each State for itself, as best it can. There would be an honorable peace!
We are sorry to have to mention that such an idea has shown itself. It was believed that it was confined to about two newspapers, both of Raleigh, North-Carolina. But something very similar is to be found in two other newspapers of Atlanta. As it is extremely essential that the time of this Congress should not be diverted for one instant from the business of carrying on the war by any vain palaver about peace, peace, when there is no peace, we reluctantly advert to the disagreeable circumstance in order that the small distracting element may be disposed of and made innocuous the more speedily.
Governor Vance, in a message to the Legislature of North Carolina, said: We know, at last, precisely what we would get by submission, and therein has our enemy done us good service ? abolition of slavery, confiscation of property, and territorial vassalage. These are the terms to win us back. Now, when our brothers bleed and mothers and little ones cry for bread, we can point them back to the brick-kilns of Egypt ? thanks to Mr. Seward--plainly in view, and show them the beautiful clusters of Eschol which grow in the land of independence, whither we go to possess them. And we can remind them, too, how the pillar of fire and the cloud, the vouchsafed guidon of Jehovah, went ever before the hungering multitude, leading away, with apparent cruelty, from the fulness of servitude. With such a prospect before them, people will, as heretofore, come firmly up to the full measure of their duty if their trusted servants do not fail them. They will not crucify afresh their own sons, slain in their behalf, or put their gallant shades to open shame, by stopping short of full and complete national independence.
The Richmond Examiner published the following: While a furious invading enemy is laying waste our fair fields, demanding unconditional submission to its government, offering no terms of peace, not even hinting at negotiation for peace upon any other basis, but avowing the unanimous purpose to deprive us of all right, of all law and of all property; and while our devoted armies are in the field, with their arms in their hands and their banners flying, to defy and resist and beat back that foul invasion, we do not comprehend how any man in the Confederacy can ? we do not say get "honorable peace" --but even talk of honorable peace, save by vanquishing those invading enemies. If the political system of those invading enemies break up, by reason of reverses in war, or financial troubles; if certain States of their "Union" remember that they have state rights, and act upon them by seceding from the Union, and offering us a peace, so far as they are concerned, it will be well; that will aid us materially in the one single task we have to achieve ? the task of defeating and destroying the military power of our enemies. But reasonable confederates would be at a loss to know how we can contribute to that happy state of things, except by continued and successful resistance in arms. Our sole policy and cunningest diplomacy is fighting; our most insinuating negotiator is the confederate army in line of battle.
Now we perceive, that just as Congress is about to meet, certain newspapers of the Confederacy are preparing the way for discussions in that body about some other method of obtaining peace. The other method suggested, in so far as we can comprehend it, consists in the several States of the Confederacy taking the matter out of the hands of the confederate government, ignoring the government and the army, and all that army has done and suffered for the independence of the Confederacy, and then making peace, each State for itself, as best it can. There would be an honorable peace!
We are sorry to have to mention that such an idea has shown itself. It was believed that it was confined to about two newspapers, both of Raleigh, North-Carolina. But something very similar is to be found in two other newspapers of Atlanta. As it is extremely essential that the time of this Congress should not be diverted for one instant from the business of carrying on the war by any vain palaver about peace, peace, when there is no peace, we reluctantly advert to the disagreeable circumstance in order that the small distracting element may be disposed of and made innocuous the more speedily.
Governor Vance, in a message to the Legislature of North Carolina, said: We know, at last, precisely what we would get by submission, and therein has our enemy done us good service ? abolition of slavery, confiscation of property, and territorial vassalage. These are the terms to win us back. Now, when our brothers bleed and mothers and little ones cry for bread, we can point them back to the brick-kilns of Egypt ? thanks to Mr. Seward--plainly in view, and show them the beautiful clusters of Eschol which grow in the land of independence, whither we go to possess them. And we can remind them, too, how the pillar of fire and the cloud, the vouchsafed guidon of Jehovah, went ever before the hungering multitude, leading away, with apparent cruelty, from the fulness of servitude. With such a prospect before them, people will, as heretofore, come firmly up to the full measure of their duty if their trusted servants do not fail them. They will not crucify afresh their own sons, slain in their behalf, or put their gallant shades to open shame, by stopping short of full and complete national independence.
1
Posted on 11/24/13 at 7:45 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Wednesday, 25 November 1863
The Battle of Missionary Ridge opened today with General William T. Sherman attacking the north end, and making no progress against the troops of General Patrick Cleburne. General Joseph Hooker was attacking the south end, the Confederate left wing, with a similar lack of success. Around 2 p.m. the true attack began: General Hiram U. Grant ordered General George Thomas’ men to attack the center. Fighting straight uphill should have been disastrous for the Federals--but in one of the great mysteries of the war, the artillery had been improperly placed and could only shoot over the heads of the attackers. It was anticipated that about half the hill could be taken today, but the blue-clad fighters, outrunning their commanders, simply didn’t stop until they took the top of the hill. Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, who much later in life would have a son named Douglas, won the Medal of Honor for his part in this charge.
The valiant, but overpowered Confederate Navy faced many problems in the struggle for survival. One of them was the inability to obtain enough ordnance. Commander Brooke reported to Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory this date that ordnance workshops had been established at Charlotte, Richmond, Atlanta, and Selma, Alabama. While great efforts were made to meet Southern needs, Brooke wrote: "The deficiency of heavy ordnance has been severely felt during this war. The timely addition of a sufficient number of heavy guns would render our ports invulnerable to the attacks of the enemy's fleets, whether ironclads or not."
The USS Fort Hindman, under Acting Lieutenant John Pearce, captured the steamer Volunteer off Natchez Island, Mississippi.
An expedition composed of details from the First North Carolina volunteers, Twelfth New York cavalry, and the Twenty fourth New York battery, under command of Captain George W. Graham, First North Carolina volunteers, (Captain R. R. West, Twelfth [14] New York cavalry, having generously waived his rank, in deference to Captain Graham's familiarity with the country to be traversed,) attacked a camp of Rebels near Greenville, North Carolina, and after a brief and gallant contest, more than fifty prisoners, a hundred stand of arms, and a considerable amount of subsistence and quartermaster's stores fell into the hands of the Federals, while but one of their men was fatally wounded.
It was an affair in which the sterner virtues of the soldier, patience and fortitude, were equally exhibited with gallantry and daring, but twenty-four hours having been occupied in all, and a march of nearly seventy miles having been performed.
The Battle of Missionary Ridge opened today with General William T. Sherman attacking the north end, and making no progress against the troops of General Patrick Cleburne. General Joseph Hooker was attacking the south end, the Confederate left wing, with a similar lack of success. Around 2 p.m. the true attack began: General Hiram U. Grant ordered General George Thomas’ men to attack the center. Fighting straight uphill should have been disastrous for the Federals--but in one of the great mysteries of the war, the artillery had been improperly placed and could only shoot over the heads of the attackers. It was anticipated that about half the hill could be taken today, but the blue-clad fighters, outrunning their commanders, simply didn’t stop until they took the top of the hill. Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, who much later in life would have a son named Douglas, won the Medal of Honor for his part in this charge.
The valiant, but overpowered Confederate Navy faced many problems in the struggle for survival. One of them was the inability to obtain enough ordnance. Commander Brooke reported to Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory this date that ordnance workshops had been established at Charlotte, Richmond, Atlanta, and Selma, Alabama. While great efforts were made to meet Southern needs, Brooke wrote: "The deficiency of heavy ordnance has been severely felt during this war. The timely addition of a sufficient number of heavy guns would render our ports invulnerable to the attacks of the enemy's fleets, whether ironclads or not."
The USS Fort Hindman, under Acting Lieutenant John Pearce, captured the steamer Volunteer off Natchez Island, Mississippi.
An expedition composed of details from the First North Carolina volunteers, Twelfth New York cavalry, and the Twenty fourth New York battery, under command of Captain George W. Graham, First North Carolina volunteers, (Captain R. R. West, Twelfth [14] New York cavalry, having generously waived his rank, in deference to Captain Graham's familiarity with the country to be traversed,) attacked a camp of Rebels near Greenville, North Carolina, and after a brief and gallant contest, more than fifty prisoners, a hundred stand of arms, and a considerable amount of subsistence and quartermaster's stores fell into the hands of the Federals, while but one of their men was fatally wounded.
It was an affair in which the sterner virtues of the soldier, patience and fortitude, were equally exhibited with gallantry and daring, but twenty-four hours having been occupied in all, and a march of nearly seventy miles having been performed.
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