Commander Hollins Attack on the Blockading Squadron.

ESCAPE OF THE NASHVILLE, & C.

|

"expedition" the New Or

359

Hollins' Report.

feet below the water line. I present a broadside. She had, therefore, to The men were quickly at fight with her head down stream. their quarters, and, as the On the success of this ram passed abreast the ship, the entire port battery gave the adventurer a salute of iron hail. The Richmond's cable was then slipped and she proceeded to drop down the river the other ships of the blockade being signaled to pass on ahead, while the Richmond covered their exit by way of the S. W. pass, to the Gulf. The ram did not again make her appearance. The river above presented a somewhat startling spectacle. A line of blazing fire rafts stretched entirely across the channel, bearing down upon the squadron with the current. Behind them, to assist in the consummation of the proposed destruction, were five steamers, well armed and of light draught, ready to play upon the Federal ships from any quarter. The Preble passed the bar in safety, but the Vincennes and Rich mond grounded. Captain Pope in his report

leans people counted with confidence. It was a well conceived plan for ridding the river of a provoking obstruction; but, it was so | badly executed as to result in nothing. The report of Commodore Hollins, however, made it a grand success. It read:

said:

“This occurred about eight o'clock, and the enemy, who were now down the river with the fire steamers, commenced firing at us, while we returned the fire from our port battery and rifled gun on the poop-our shot, however, falling short of the enemy, while their shell burst on all sides of us, and several passed directly over the ship.

At half-past nine Commander Handy, of the Vincennes, mistaking my signal to the ships outside the bar to get under way for a signal to abandon his ship, came on board the Richmond with all his officers and a large number of the crew, the remainder having gone on board the Water Witch. Captain Handy before leaving his ship had placed a slow match at the magazine. Having waited a reasonable time for an explosion, I directed Commander Handy to return to his ship with his crew, to start his water, and if necessary, at his own request, to throw overboard his small guns, for the purpose of lightening his ship, and to carry out a kedge with a cable to heave off by. At ten A. M. the enemy ceased firing, and withdrew up the river. During the engagement a shell entered our quarter port, and one of the boats was stove by another shell.”

The two ships were dragged over the bar safely during the day. Captain Pope stated that he would have stopped at Pilot-town (the junction of the passes), and there have given battle, but the great length of the flag ship would not allow her to wind so as to

"FORT JACKSON, Oct. 12th, 1861. "Last night I attacked the blockaders with my little fleet. I succeeded, after a very short struggle, in driving them all aground on the Southwest Pass bar, except the Preble, which I sunk.

"I captured a prize from them, and after they were fast in sand I peppered them well. "There were no casualties on our side. It was a complete success. HOLLINS."

The prize referred to was the coal transport cut away from the Richmond's side on the first shock of the ram. No Federal ves

sel was sunk nor any disabled. The Com

modore rested on his honors, and was heard
of no more. But to him belongs the credit
of having first tried the principle of the water
ram, and his partial success served to incite
those other efforts, in the same direction,
which resulted in the introduction of a new
and most powerful agent of destruction.
The Confederates were
Escape of the Nash-
further delighted, at this
ville, &c.
time, by the escape from
Charleston S. C. harbor, (October 11th,) of
the steamer Nashville, having on board a val-
uable cargo of cotton and turpentine. Also
of the steamer Theodora, October 12th, with
the Commissioners extraordinary of the South-
ern Government to the Courts of St. James
and St. Cloud, viz: James M. Mason of Vir-
ginia, and John Slidell of New Orleans. The
Nashville passed out of the harbor on the
night of Friday, October 11th, under com-
mand of Captain Robert B. Pegram, formerly
of the United States navy. She was a fine
fleet craft, stolen from her New York owners
by the South Carolina "authorities,” before
the date of President Lincoln's proclamation
of April 13th, with the design of making her
the nucleus of the proposed Confederate navy.
Could those authorities have been as suc-
cessful in "appropriating" Government vessels

Escape of the Nashville, &c.

The Chicacomico
Affair.

as in other preparatory | being to cut off Brown's plunder of the resources retreat. This, however, they of the United States, they failed to do, for Colonel might have had a navy with which to defend Brown destroyed whatever property was not their harbors quite effectually. The Theodora portable, and, after a double quick march passed out the night following the Nashville's through the sand, reached the lighthouse in escape, running direct for Cardenas, Cuba. the evening, with the loss of about fifty-most The drama of their arrest by the vigilant of them being stragglers, and officers trying Commander Wilkes, was soon to follow, form- to reclaim them, taken prisoners. ing one of the most exciting and important events of the year.

The Chicacomico
Affair.

A somewhat remarkable conflict occurred on the Hatteras beach, Oct. 4th and 5th, which deserves more than a brief Summary allusion.

The 20th Indiana regiment, Colonel Brown, was dispatched by Colonel Hawkins-commandant at the fort—to form a camp at Chicacomico, a settlement about forty miles south of the Inlet, where a number of Unionists were understood to dwell. The camp was formed for their protection. The regiment proceeded, late in September, to the point named, in the propeller Fanny, accompanied by the gunboats Ceres and General Putnam. Nothing transpired to cause alarm until the capture, by the rebels, of the Fanny, on the 29th of September, when she was proceeding from the fort to the camp, with a full cargo of stores and forty men, chiefly belonging to the 30th Indiana and 9th New York regiments. This capture was effected by three armed steamers. It much encouraged the enemy, and a bold descent was arranged, by which the camp of Colonel Brown was to be cut off and the troops captured. It was also determined to "punish" those Union families at Chicacomico, who had given the Federalists such warm welcome.

Colonel Hawkins, apprised of this attempt to bag the whole regiment, at once communicated with the fleet, and then marched, with six companies, to the lighthouse, to reenforce Colonel Brown. Of the fleet, the Susquehanna and Monticello were present. These vessels at once moved up to the vicinity of the lighthouse. Thus affairs stood during the evening and night of the 4th. On the following morning, the Monticello, commanded by Lieutenant Braine, doubled the cape and proceeded along the shore to look for the enemy. The vessel had not gone far when the rebels were seen, whereupon the Monticello opened fire. The exploding shells did the work proposed. Not only were the rebels scattered in every direction, but, owing to the precision with which the shells were thrown, many were killed, wounded or driven to the water. It is said that a single shell, entering the side of one of the schooners, exploded in her hold, filling the air with the wreck, mingled with the remains of human beings. It was an appalling sacrifice. The level and barren beach, being but three fourths of a mile in width, afforded no spot of refuge from the terrible missiles, which not only swept the sands, but were dropped among the vessels beyond. Dead bodies strewed the beach and sank in the waters. Accoutrements, guns, clothing, musical inEarly on the morning of October 4th, Colo- struments were flung aside in despair, and nel Brown discovered five rebel steamers, each soldier sought such place of refuge as with flatboats and schooners in tow, emerg- the barren spot offered a sand heap—a ing from Croatan Sound, steering for the clump of bushes, a scrub oak or holly tree. Federal encampment. Colonel Brown lost For three and one half hours the rain of shot no time in communicating these facts to Colo- and shell was not intermitted, and only ceasnel Hawkins at the Fort, informing him thated when night drew its pitying veil over the he would retreat to the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras. The steamers succeeded in landing over fifteen hundred men about three miles above Colonel Brown's position, and proceeded to land troops further down, their policy

field. The Monticello having expended one hundred and eighty shells withdrew to the cape. The forces there then marched to the Fort, accompanied by the families of Unionists who had fled from Chicacomico to avoid

STRENGTH OF THE NATIONAL ARMY.

361

the threatened vengeance of their fellow citi- | gave forth accounts astonishing for their miszens from the mainland. It was a mistake in statements. The Norfolk Day Book, then conthe Federal commander not to have moved sidered good authority, reported only one his forces up the beach to co-operate with the man wounded; and, to the latest day, when Monticello. Had there been a few companies the carnage was confessed by those engaged present the entire rebel force would, doubt- in the expedition, that journal never gave less, have been secured. As it was, the dis- any other statement of the disaster. The aster covered the enemy with confusion, and truth, in that instance as in many others, was sent an alarm through the rebel heart at the not calculated to "fire the Southern heart"mention of the word gunboat. Yet, the se- therefore it was suppressed. The actual rebel cession journals, true to their old instincts, loss wan never published.

CHAPTER XIL

STATE OF PUBLIC

FEELING AT THE NORTH DURING THE FALL

OF 1861. FORCES IN THE FIELD,

FEDERAL AND CONFEDER
ACT AND ITS ENFORCE-

ATE. THE FEDERAL CONFISCATION
MENT. SEWARD'S CIRCULAR TO THE GOVERNORS. GOOD CON-
DITION OF GOVERNMENT FINANCES. THE BALTIMORE BOARD

OF POLICE.

Unity of the War
Feeling.

THROUGHOUT the North | quate to he great task of

tional Army.

public sentiment remain- suppressing the rebellion Legislation. The Na-
ed, up to the meeting vi et armis. Up to August
15th, the States had answered the President's
first and second calls thus prodigally :

of Congress in December (1861), a unit on the
policy of a vigorous prosecution of the war.
Scarcely a voice was raised, throughout the
whole domain of the Free States, for peace
or in justification of the Southern movement.
This solidity of feeling and purpose gave the
Administration great cause for satisfaction,
filling, as it did, its armies, its coffers, its
commissariat, and indicating the straight for-
ward course to pursue. No government could
have been more loyally or more materially
sustained.

August 2d, the extra session of Congress passed its War tax and modified tariff bills, supplying the National exchequer with funds for immediate use. The Army bill authorized an equivalent of five hundred thousand men for active service, including all arms of infantry, cavalry and artillery. Under this act enlistments were active, and generals in the field found themselves with men ade

Connecticut...

Illinois.
Indiana...

Iowa..

Massachusetts.

Michigan

Inf.

Cav.

Art.

Total.

Kansas..
Maine..
Minnesota.
New York..
New Hampshire.
Pennsylvania

New Jersey.

Ohio..

Rhode Island.
Vermont....
Wisconsin..

Total...

1,200 1,100 12,300

..384,700 35,500 5,300 425,500

To these enormous numbers must be added the National and State troops provided by Kentucky and Missouri, viz :

California
Delaware..

The National Army.

about 9,500.

of Congress, was, to some extent, enforced. This important measure and the proclamation for its enforcement we subjoin:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represent

bled, That if, during the present or any future insurrection against the Government of the United States, after the President of the United States shall have

declared, by proclamation, that the laws of the

United States are opposed, and the execution there

Giving, as the grand total of men enlisted in the Union cause, from April 15th to August 15th, (1861,) the aggregate of four hun-atives of the United States of America in Congress assemdred and ninety-nine thousand two hundred and fifty. At the date last named there were, in the field, about three hundred and seventyfive thousand men. Of this vast mass McClellan had (at the date of Sept. 14th) in the of obstructed, by combinations too powerful to be immediate Department of the Potomac (in- suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial procluding the Departments of Annapolis, Lower ceedings, or by the power vested in the marshals by Virginia, and the defenses around Washing-law, any person or persons, his, her, or their agent, ton,) one hundred and eighty thousand men attorney, or employee, shall purchase or acquire, of all service. One month later, the Com-sell or give, any property of whatsoever kind or demanding - General held two hundred and scription, with intent to use or employ the same, or sixty thousand men under call, with which suffer the same to be used or employed, in aiding, abetting, or promoting such insurrection or resistto assail the Confederate Capital. ance to the laws, or any person or persons, engaged therein; or if any person or persons, being the own er or owners of any such property, shall knowingly use or employ, or consent to the use or employment of the same as aforesaid, all such property is hereby declared to be lawful subject of prize and capture wherever found; and it shall be the duty of the President of the United States to cause the same to be seized, confiscated and condemned.

Confederate Forces in

the Field

The Confederate forces enlisted up to August 1st, were put down by rebel writers at three hundred and twenty thousand; but, it is certain that no such numbers were in the field at that time. In Eastern In Eastern Virginia there were not, to exceed one hundred and twenty thousand at any time prior to the evacuation of Manassas Junction (Feb"Sec 2. And be it further enacted, That such prizes ruary 8th, 1862). In Western Virginia not and captures shall be condemned in the district or to exceed twenty-five thousand. In Tennes- circuit court of the United States having jurisdiction see, up to the fall of Nashville (Feb. 25th, of the amount, or in admiralty in any district in 1862,) not to exceed one hundred thousand. which the same may be seized, and into which they may be taken and proceedings first instituted. In Missouri, up to the battle of Pea Ridge "Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Attor(March 6th, 8th, 1862), not to exceed thirty-ney-General, or any district attorney of the United five thousand. These figures are outside estimates, drawn from the concessions of the Southern authorities after their several defeats in the departments named; and, from a careful collaboration of accounts bearing on this question, we are prepared to state with confidence that, at no time prior to the advance on Richmond from Yorktown (May 2d, 1862), had the Confederate generals more than two thirds the number of available men, at any particular point, than were at the disposal of the Union commanders. The great diversity of opinions and statements on this point renders exactness of estimate impossible; still, we are confident that we have closely approximated to the truth in our figures and assumptions.

States in which said property may at the time be, may institute the proceedings of condemnation, and in such case they shall be wholly for the benefit of the United States; or any person may file an information with such an attorney, in which case the proceedings shall be for the use of such informer and the United States in equal parts.

"Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That whenever hereafter, during the present insurrection against

the Government of the United States, any person

claimed to be held to labor or service under the law of any State shall be required or permitted by the person to whom such labor or service is claimed to be due, or by the lawful agent of such person, to take up arms against the United States; or shall be required or permitted by the person to whom such labor or service is claimed to be due, or his lawful agent, to work or to be employed in or upon any

THE PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION.

The Proclamation for the enforcement of this Act vehicle conveying the same, or conveying persons was as follows: