the success they had gained, but I understood it all later in the day. At this juncture I had about made up my mind to remain at the hospital and render Dr. Chittenden what assistance I could, although greatly disinclined to fall into the enemy's hands. Finding, however, that the enemy did not pursue as I had anticipated, I concluded to move back toward town. Before I had proceeded a hundred yards the bullets were whistling around my head in the most uncomfortable manner, and I must say that for the moment I heartily wished myself back. The firing soon after ceased, and I was not long in finding a place of greater security. During the battle near Rogersville, our cavalry, about five hundred strong, was drawn up in line on the farm of a Mr. Moore, about a mile north of the scene of the first conflict. Although there was no fight in them, and the wonder is they did not fly, as usual, at the first alarm, they made themselves very useful in rallying stragglers and panic-stricken men, and by their conduct enabled Gen. Manson, the senior officer on the field, to make another stand. It was two o'clock in the afternoon before our third line of battle was formed. The position chosen, like that at Mr. Moore's, was an elevated one, but the rebels had the advantage of woods and corn-fields, and for a time kept up a murder ous fire upon our men, sustaining at first but little loss themselves. This time they fought us with an Arkansas brigade. Here our artillery was used to good advantage, and finally drove the enemy from their shelter, when they formed on our right, our boys meantime pouring into their ranks some very destructive volleys. The loss of the enemy in this engagement was perhaps heavier than in either of the others, although our own was also very severe. This During the progress of this engagement, Gen. Nelson, who had been absent at Lexington, arrived on the field and assumed command. He saw that our men were fighting against fearful odds, and had no hope of success, but he attempted to rally them, shouting at the top of his stentorian voice that the rebels were retreating, and telling our thoroughly exhausted troops that reënforcements were coming to their aid. was perhaps well enough, but he is also charged with making use of the most profane, vulgar and abusive epithets to officers who had fought gal lantly all that weary day, and with cutting down with his sword and shooting two or three men who attempted to escape. Nobody questions the truth of the former charge, but how much credence should be given to the latter I am unable to say. All his efforts, however, to save the day were unavailing. The rebels drove back the supports to our batteries, and finally captured two or three of our guns, which could not be withre-drawn, as the horses had been killed. At this critical moment, the Twelfth Indiana, which had been ordered up, came along on the double-quick, and materially assisted in preventing a general rout. I shall never forget the sight of that gallant body of men, rushing by at a rightshoulder shift, their new Springfield rifles shimmering in the rays of a sultry August sun. Many of them were driving on to a swift destruction, and they knew it, but they never halted once, nor slackened their speed till they arrived on the ground. By this time the other regiments had fallen back to the new position, and were rapidly formed in excellent order. A fresh supply of ammunition had arrived for the artillery, and every thing was in readiness for a second engagement, which was not long delayed. At the battle near Rogersville, I have neglected to say, the enemy fought us with a brigade of Tennessee troops. These were now withdrawn, and a Texas brigade was placed in front. This fight was very similar to the first, beginning with artillery, and ending with close infantry firing, resulting, near noon, in the gradual repulse of our men. They were again flanked and outnumbered, and although they fought splendidly, they could not maintain their ground against the fresh and well-seasoned troops with whom they were contending. Exhausted by their efforts, and almost famished for water, they reluctantly yielded their ground, and fell back to a new point d'ap. pui-near the cemetery, about a mile beyond Richmond. The rebels did not pursue, much to the surprise of our men, but remained under shelter, as they had done at the close of the first fight. Had they dashed forward, it would have been impossible to reform our shattered column; but this was not their policy. They were playing a deeper game, as will be seen, and really desired to prolong the fight till as late an hour in the day as possible. A retreat was now ordered, and Gen. Nelson, satisfied that nothing further could be done, left Gen. Manson in charge of the column, and placing himself under the guidance of his friend Colonel Holloway, effected his escape, carrying off a bullet in one of his thighs. Still the enemy did not pursue. Before the last battle was fought, our immense wagon-train was placed in line on the road to Lexington. It was evident that we could not maintain our position, and must fall back toward the Kentucky River. Once across that, and all would be safe. Several pieces of artillery were moved to the front, and the train was put in motion. It progressed very slowly, frequently coming to a halt, and inducing many persons to believe that the result of the day's work had not been so disastrous after all, and that our troops were still holding the victorious enemy in check. Many of our men were coming into town, and moving toward Lexington, and many more were pushing out through the timber on both sides of the turnpike; but there was evidently a considerable number of our men still in the rear of the town. As soon as I learned that one of our batteries had been taken at the last fight, and that the day was undoubtedly lost, in company with the correspondent of the Commercial and a gentleman is useless to imperil innocent blood. Formalities are absurd in the face of such realities. So far as the city authorities can prevent, there will be no opposition to your possession of the city. They cannot, however, guaranty that your flag shall wave unmolested in the sight of an excited people; but such authority as they possess shall be exercised for the preservation of good order in the city. As to property belonging to the confederate States, they are not aware of any such within the limits of the city. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, To JAS. S. PALMER, Mayor. "By JOHN T. Cowan, "Deputy." On the fifteenth Governor Letcher issued the Commander U. S. Steamer Iroquois, at anchor off Natchez, Miss. following proclamation, declaring that "the capi Doc. 109. RICHMOND TO BE DEFENDED. THE following joint resolutions were adopted by the Virginia Legislature on the fourteenth of May: Resolved, by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the General Assembly hereby express its desire that the capital of the State be defended to the last extremity, if such defence is in accordance with the views of the President of the confederate States, and that the President be assured that whatever destruction and loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result, will be cheerfully submitted to. "Resolved, That a committee of two on the part of the Senate and three on the part of the House be appointed to communicate the adoption of the foregoing resolution to the President. from the rolls. "A copy "Teste, "By JNo. T. COWAN, WM. F. GORDON, Jr., "Deputy." "O. H. D. and K. of R. On the fifteenth instant the joint committee made the following report: "The joint committee, appointed by the two houses to communicate to the President of the confederate States the joint resolutions of the General Assembly in relation to the defence of the city, have discharged the duty confided to them, and respectfully report that their interview with the President was in the highest degree satisfactory, and his views, as communicated with entire frankness to the committee, were well calculated to inspire them with confidence and to reässure the public mind. After reading the resolutions, he desired us to say to the General Assembly that he had received the communication of those resolutions with feelings of lively gratification, and instructed us to assure the houses that it would be the effort of his life to defend the soil of Virginia and to cover her capital. "He further stated that he had never entertained the thought of withdrawing the army from Virginia and abandoning the State; that if, in the tal must not be surrendered," and calling a meeting to provide for the public defence: "By the Governor of Virginia-A Proclamation. "The General Assembly of this commonwealth having resolved that the capital of the State shall be defended to the last extremity, if such defence is in accordance with the views of the President of the confederate States,' and having declared that 'whatever destruction and loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result will be cheerfully submitted to,' and this action being warmly approved and seconded by the Executive: therefore, I do hereby request all officers who are out of service, from any cause, and all others who may be willing to unite in defending the capital of this State, to assemble this evening at the City Hall, at five o'clock, and proceed forthwith to organize a force to cooperate with the Tredegar battalion, and any other force which may be detailed for the purpose indicated. The organization, upon being reported to the Executive, will be recognized and properly officered, as prescribed by law, and be subject to the orders of the Governor for local defence, under regulations to be hereafter prescribed. "Prompt and efficient action is absolutely neWe have a gallant army in the field, Cessary. upon whom we fully and confidently rely; but no effort should be spared which can contribute to the noble object. The capital of Virginia must not be surrendered. Virginians must rally to the rescue. L. S. "Given under my hand and under the seal of the Commonwealth, at Richmond, this fifteenth day of May, 1862, and in the eighty-sixth year of the Commonwealth. 66 "JOHN LETCHER." The meeting thus called assembled at the City Hall, Capt. J. B. Danforth presiding, and Mayor Mayo and Governor Letcher made speeches. "Mr. Joseph Mayo, the Mayor of the city, stated that the City Council had adopted resolutions requesting the Governor to place the Tredegar battalion at his disposal for the defence of the city. He indorsed in the most enthusiastic manner the proposed action of the meeting, and said that if the city of Richmond was ever surrendered to our enemies it should not be by a descendant of its founder. He would sooner die than surren der our city, and if they wished a Mayor who would surrender the city, they must elect another in his place. "Governor Letcher was then called on, and heartily approved the objects of the meeting. He said that the city should never be surrendered by the President, by the Mayor or by himself. "The following committee was appointed by the chairman: "Colonel St. George Rogers, of Florida; Lieutenant-Colonel William Munford, Colonel R. M. Nimmo, Peyton Johnston, William G. Paine, Lieutenant Č. O. Lamotte, of South-Carolina. that event. The government is not only just but wise in its determination to stand by Virginia to the last. "To lose Richmond is to lose Virginia, and to lose Virginia is to lose the key to the Southern Confederacy. Virginians, Marylanders, ye who have rallied to her defence, would it not be better to fall in her streets than to basely abandon them, and view from the surrounding hills the humiliation of the capital of the Southern Confederacy? To die in her streets would be bliss to this, and to fall where tyrants strode would be to consecrate the spot anew and wash "The committee was requested to meet at the it of every stain. City Hall at nine o'clock to-morrow (Saturday) "The loss of Richmond in Europe morning, for the purpose of receiving the names would sound like the loss of Paris or London, of all persons who are disposed to unite under and the moral effect will scarcely be less. Let the organization recommended by the proclama- us, therefore, avert the great disaster by a relition of the Governor. The meeting then adjourn-ance on ourselves. It is better that Richmond ed." REMARKS OF THE PRESS. "We are proud of the spirit of our governments, confederate and State, relative to this question of holding and defending this State to the last. The army will not abandon the sacred soil of Virginia. That has been made the battleground, and on that must the enemy establish his superiority in a fair fight before it will be abandoned to him. The evacuation of the seacoast positions and cities became a necessity. There was no avoiding it, in consequence of the immense advantage enjoyed by the enemy in his possession of the entire navy of the United States, and the material and mechanical skill for the rapid construction of iron-clad gunboats, while we had neither a navy nor the material and the mechanical force to enable us to compete with him in any sense. It is true we had the Virginia; but, besides her, nothing. Her destruction, and the questions it involves, suggest matters of debate which afford neither satisfaction nor benefit now to discuss. Our inability to meet the enemy on the water, as a general question, was clear and indisputable, and the withdrawal from the sea unavoidable. "Second to Virginia is the defence of this city, for manifold reasons, and it is in keeping with the general purpose of both governments that they should resolve to the uttermost to defend Richmond. All the means in the power of the State and the Confederacy are pledged to this, and we may be assured that the enemy will not be allowed to gratify the prominent desire of his heart, to hector and domineer over the inhabitants of this far-famed and beautiful town, until every means is exhausted. "The President nobly takes the stand that, though Richmond should fall, there are plenty of battle-fields yet in Virginia to fight for the cause for twenty years. The sentiment is as truthful as patriotic. The confederate government assures us that the Old Dominion is not to be given up. God forbid that it should. It would be giving up much more than Virginia. The cause would be, indeed, itself, well-nigh surrendered in should fall as the capital of the Confederacy, than that Richmond exist the depot of the hireling horde of the North. But Richmond can be defended, and saved from pollution. The fate of the capital of the Confederacy rests with the people. "The next few days may decide the fate of Richmond. It is either to remain the capital of the Confederacy, or to be turned over to the Federal government as a Yankee conquest. The capital is either to be secured or lost-it may be feared not temporarily and with it Virginia. Then, if there is blood to be shed, let it be shed here; no soil of the Confederacy could drink it up more acceptably and none would hold it more gratefully. Wife, family and friends are nothing. Leave them all for one glorious hour to be devoted to the Republic. Life, death and wounds are nothing, if we only be saved from the fate of a captured capital and a humiliated Confederacy. Let the government act; let the people act. There is time yet. "If fate comes to its worst, let the ruins of Richmond be its most lasting monument." - Richmond Dispatch. PROCLAMATION OF GOVERNOR LETCHER. Executive to provide a proper force for the de- VICKSBURGH, Miss., May 18, 1862. } To S. Phillips Lee, Commanding Advance Naval "NOTICE.-All young men out of the army who are familiar with the use of the rifle, and who Your communication of this date, addressed have patriotism enough to join a body of sharp-"To the Authorities of Vicksburgh," has been deshooters for the defence of our beloved capital, will meet at the Washington Monument this day, at twelve o'clock M., for the purpose of forming a body of sharp-shooters to operate on James River." Doc. 110. OPERATIONS ON JAMES RIVER, VA. SIR: In consequence of a report from Commander Rodgers that there were two batteries on the south side of this river-one at Rock Wharf Landing and the other at Hardin's Bluff or Mother Pine's Landing-which required reducing in order to open the river and get supplies up to him, of which he was about to stand in need, I moved up to them yesterday with this ship, the Wachuset, Dacotah, Maratanza, and tug Young America, but found that both had been recently abandoned and left comparatively in a useless condition. At Hardin's Bluff the guns were spiked, carriages burnt, and magazines blown up, but a little below a solitary gun remained intact, and this we put out of use. At Rock Wharf Landing the guns were also spiked and carriages burnt; but neither the magazines nor bomb-proofs had been destroyed. This I ordered to be done, and it was effectually accomplished. The James River is now open from its mouth up to Ward's or Drury's Bluff; or, in other words, up to within eight miles of Richmond, where, as you will perceive by Commander Rodgers's report of his fight, it is seriously obstructed. I am, very respectfully, your ob't servant, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, livered to me. In reply, I will state to you that so far as the municipal authorities are concerned, we have erected no defences, and none are within the corporate limits of the city. But, sir, in further reply, I will state that neither the municipal authorities nor the citizens will ever consent to surrender the city. Respectfully, HEADQUARTERS DEFENCES VICKSBURGH, MISS., S. Phillips Lee, U.S.N., Commanding Advance SIR: Your communication of this date, ad- Doc. 112. A CASE OF REBEL TREACHERY. THE following particulars are given by the The balance of the party who landed, including the surgeon, Chief-Engineer Baker, and the signal-officer, with six of the crew and one petty officer, whose names I could not learn, were all surrounded on reaching the town, and taken prisoners by an armed guerrilla band. A letter was received from them announcing the fact, as well as that they were about being sent as prisoners to Raleigh. The Galena immediately moved up toward the settlement, and opened her ports, preparatory to shelling and destroying the place. This, of Another bad affair has occurred on the James -River, resulting in the loss of a whole boat's crew and several officers of the gunboat Wachusett. It appears that on Saturday last, when the fleet, consisting of the Wachusett, Captain Smith, the Monitor, the Galena, the Port Royal, and Aroos-course, caused great consternation, and the wotook, anchored off City Point, the people came down with flags of truce and suspended white flags at every prominent point. Captain Smith accordingly landed and found the inhabitants of the little town to consist largely of women and children, who made the most earnest protestations of opposition to the war, and that they were suffering for many of the necessaries of life. In fact, the desire for peace among them was so great that many of them professed Union sentiments, and Captain Smith returned to the vessel highly pleased with the people, and deeply commiserating their condition. Arrangements were made to receive from them vegetables, and some assistance was given to the most destitute. On Monday morning an application was sent to the Wachusett to allow a physician to come on shore to visit a woman said to be dangerously ill. Believing the application to be a genuine appeal that humanity required should be promptly attended to, Captain Smith gave permission for the surgeon of the ship to go on shore on a visit of mercy. The Wachusett lay some distance below City Point at the time, and the surgeon, accompanied by the chief-engineer, the signal-officer, and one of the master's mates and twelve men-the latter unarmed and the officers carrying only their swords-proceeded up to the vicinity of the town. The party landed without any interruption, and proceeded to the town, leaving six of the unarmed sailors in the boat. The men left in the boat heard nothing more of the party that landed, but in about a half-hour a sharp fire was opened upon them from a party of rebels in the woods. At the first fire two of the six fell dead, when the balance, being unharmed, cried out for "quarter." The answer of their inhuman assailants was, "We'll quarter men ran down toward the water, bearing white flags and screaming for mercy, protesting that they knew nothing of any rebel bands being in the vicinity, and denouncing the perpetrators of the outrage for their inhuman conduct. They also gave information of a large rebel force having returned to a point within three miles of City Point, a party from which they declared had been the perpetrators. When the Baltimore started, the shelling of the town had not commenced, but negotiations were going on between the people and Captain Smith, by way of investigating the matter. Doc. 113. BATTLE OF PHILLIPS CREEK, MISS. BEFORE CORINTH, May 22, 1862. THE second division of Gen. Halleck's army, commanded by Brig.-General Thomas A. Davies, received orders to move yesterday at seven o'clock. Punctual to the time designated, the line of battle was formed, ten regiments front to occupy the ridge north of Phillips Creek. The line was halted and formed on the first ridge beyond Bridge Creek, and the artillery brought up -a section between each two regiments, on account of the density of the timber. The pickets, who occupied the ridge and slope in advance of the whole front of the line, then opened a brisk fire on the four regiments and the picket line of the enemy concealed in the thick underbrush on Phillips Creek, which they heartily returned. Under the noise which ensued, the infantry line advanced behind the crest of the ridge, formed in line of battle, and the artillery were again ," when a second volley brought up. Our whole picket line was then was fired, and three more fell into the bottom of withdrawn at double-quick time, which the enethe boat wounded. The only remaining man my took for a retreat and followed. As soon immediately pushed the boat off with his dead as our pickets fell back upon the infantry line, and wounded comrades, and taking to the water with the painter of the boat in his mouth, swam out of range of the weapons of the cowardly assassins. He then took the ensign, and waving it over his head, a boat from the Wachusett immediately started to his assistance, and towed the boat back to the ship. It presented a most terrible sight, the dead and the dying lying together. One of the wounded soon after died, and the other two were brought to Old Point this morning on the steamer Baltimore. you, you the artillery opened with two-second fuses, then with three, and then with four, and the enemy's advance was suddenly changed to a retreat, ending in a complete rout. The firing ceased, and our pickets were again at double-quick, and occupied all the ground desirable to hold. Some prisoners were taken. The enemy left behind guns, canteens, haversacks, blankets, and such like, which our advancing pickets secured. division line was intrenched in about three hours after, and the pickets reënforced. The enemy The |