of what they before destroyed. After their first raid the rebels partially repaired and reestablished the communications that were broken then. This last raid has done the work more effectually, and now it will be a long while before the rebels can repair the damages. Our cavalrymen enter heartily upon the work. They are determined that the rebels' lines of communications shall remain broken, and to this end they intend to bend their energies. The expedition lost six killed, twenty-eight wounded, and seven missing. The enemy lost heavily in the several encounters. We could have captured large numbers of the enemy, but this was not deemed advisable, as to have kept them would have retarded the movements of our troops at a time when it was absolutely necesary to be free from all encumbrances. Doc. 64. THE ATTACK ON LACLEDE, MO. ST. JOSEPH, Mo., June 24, 1864. On last Saturday afternoon one of the boldest raids of the season was perpetrated on the town of Laclede, in Linn county, situated on the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad. A party of guerrillas, numbering thirty men, all well armed and mounted, entered and commenced shooting and plundering. They first made for the post-office. Knowing that the muskets and ammunition of the town company was in there, they took possession, and frightened the postmaster nearly out of his wits. Four of the gang undertook to break open the safe, which contained from five to seven thousand dollars; but finding it it too tedious a job, they gave it up. They stole what they saw worth taking, and left. Others of the gang went to the drug store of Mr. Jones, but he, seeing them approaching, fled, but was shot and immediately killed. They then made for a dry goods store. The proprietor, seeing them coming, prepared himself with his revolver and fired, wounding one of the thieves. The merchant was immediately shot and killed, and another citizen wounded. The whole party next proceeded to the office of the American Express Company. The agent ordered them to leave, but they persisted in their work, and attempted to open his safe with an axe. They damaged it to a great extent, and might have succeeded in getting it open, had not the whistle of the passenger train bound west been heard about this time, when they mounted their horses and left, carrying with them the most valuable portion of their plunder, including a large quantity of dry goods and some twelve hundred dollars in money. The Linneus hack was also taken, in which was placed their wounded comrade. A despatch was sent to Brookfield, informing the militia there of the raid, and asking assistance. A special train was at once sent up with troops, who, upon arriving, at once started in pursuit. The raiders were soon overtaken, and found secreted in a grove of timber. As soon as the militia had poured one volley into them, they scattered in every direction, leaving the hack with their wounded comrade. The latter died on the way back to Laclede. Doc. 65. CAPTURE OF THE YOUNG REPUBLIC. NEW HAVEN, May 21, 1864. Assistant Engineer J. M. Wheeler, attached to the United States gunboat Grand Gulf, gives us the following particulars concerning the chase and capture of this splendid vessel. It appears that the officers of the Grand Gulf saw the Young Republic running into Wilmington one week before her capture, and they also state that the rebel forts fired salutes as she steamed up the river. On the afternoon of the fifth, the same steamer, heavily loaded with cotton, came down the river and anchored near the rebel forts. To entice her out, Captain Ransom, of the Grand Gulf, steamed away and headed up the coast; but returned at daylight and discovered the blockade-runner far out to sea. He was confident of being able to overhaul her, and immediately gave chase. After getting within two or three miles, Captain Ransom commenced throwing his hundred-pound shell, and at the same time the stranger was busily at work throwing over cotton to lighten ship. There was hardly a ripple on the water, and Mr. Wheeler states that for the last thirty miles they passed some two or three hundred bales of cotton, which the stranger sacrificed in his endeavor to escape. The Grand Gulf gained gradually, continuing her fire. The rebel captain could be distinctly seen standing upon the top of one of the paddle-boxes, giving his orders as coolly as though no enemy was near. The smooth sea and the valuable prize before them, made the chase unusually exciting. It now became apparent to the captain of the Young Republic that he must be captured, and he gave orders for a general destruction of property, but still continued his course. Then the scene that followed was particularly aggravating The rebels now commenced throwing over everything of value-cotton, furniture, silverware, hose, pump-handles, barrels, &c. The water was thickly dotted with these goods, and Captain Ransom concluded there would be but little left for him, unless he checked the enemy at once. He put on all steam, and in a few minutes was in a position to give her an oldfashioned broadside. The rebel captain knew what he might expect, and stopped his engine. A pillow-case went up to mast-head, and the rebel steamer Young Republic was a prize to the United States gunboat Grand Gulf. Captain Harris, of the former, had designed blowing up his ship. To accomplish this he had fastened down the safety valve, expecting to take to the REBELLION RECORD, 1862-65. boats and get off a short distance before the Doc. 66. ESCAPE OF THE HARRIET LANE. veston. OFF GALVESTON, TEXAS, May 5, 1864. The late United States revenue cutter Harriet Lane, in company with three other notorious blockade running steamers-viz.: Matagorda, alias Alice, Isabel, and one whose name is unknown, has escaped from the harbor of GalAfter being so closely watched for the past fifteen months, her escape, in company with the other steamers, was effected on the night of the thirtieth ultimo, during a squall, in this wise: During the day the weather was dull and cloudy throughout, and the night set in dark and squally, with occasional quick flashes of lightning, at which time it was difficult to see anything, even at a short distance. The Harriet Lane, with a schooner in tow, followed by the Matagorda and Isabel, at intervals of three minutes, left her moorings off Pelican Spit Fortbehind which the Lane and all blockade-runners to Galveston are protected, and laden with cotton-about half-past eight o'clock in the evening, and steamed slowly along the land to the southward and westward in the South-west channel, keeping close in to the island, to elude detection by our blockading vessels. To deceive our forces, the rebels, a few days previously, had planted buoys in the North-east, or Bolivar, channel, to give us the impression they were to run out that passage. Therefore, on the night in question, apprehending their attempt to escape, additional blockading vessels were placed in that channel, and only one in the South-west channel, which was deemed too shallow for the Lane to run through, as by the chart not more than eight feet of water can be obtained therein. By information received from deserters, the Lane, when loaded, drew ten or eleven feet. The main ship channel was considered the only one in which she could run, and therefore the most effective and swiftest vessel on the station (the Lackawanna) was stationed there. Well, to return. The Harriet Lane, deeming herself secure, from being so close to the shore, was slowly steaming out, when she was discovered by the United States gunboat Katahdin, stationed in the South-west channel, which immediately slipped her cable and gave chase without making any signal, except-about an hour and a half after slipping, she overhauled the Lane within two thousand or two thousand five hundred yards-when she fired four shots at her, if that can be called a signal; after which all was quiet. The firing of guns is not deemed any signal unless quick and rapid, as that might be occasioned by a schooner running in or out, and when the firing ceased we were given to understand that all was over; and instead of making a signal, as he is required to do by the instructions of the blockade, the captain of the Katahdin, like the dog in the manger, chose to disobey his express orders (if his instructions were the same as those of all the rest of the gunboats here), and left the blockade, and the most dangerous of all channels open, without notifying the commanding officer, Captain J. D. Merchant, of it in any manner. Besides, it was the Lackawanna (flagship) was the only vessel generally understood among us gunboats that fitted to chase any steamer, especially the Harriet Lane, and that she alone was to fulfil that duty. tahdin making the most possible speed-the The chase was very exciting indeed, the Kavessels being at times near enough to distinguish the men on each other's decks, then again separating, the Lane keeping out of range of the Katahdin's rifled guns. lowing morning the Katahdin found she was not only chasing the Lane, but three other vessels At daylight the folnot seen before, which proved to be the three steamers before mentioned-all keeping in company and close to each other. During the day the chase was most exciting, the wind freshening so that the Katahdin could go a little faster, thus having the advantage of the Lane, whose masts had been removed before she left port; and she also gained on the Matagorda so fast that, soon coming within range, she gave her Yankee compliments in the shape of shot and shell, in many instances causing the splinters to fly, and frightening her crew into throwing overboard her whole deck load of cotton, some three hundred bales, after doing which the crew went to work tearing up the hurricane deck to burn in her furnaces; but again the pursuer and pursued separated, and during the night the Lane and Isabel were lost sight of, about thirty miles off the west coast of Louisiana, near Vermilion bayou, and the next day at dark the other two were lost to sight, owing to a head wind springing up, lessening the speed of the Katahdin some two knots, and enabling the steamers to get away. munition and being short of coal, returned to this The Katahdin, having expended all her amstation on the third instant at daylight. not blunders) of the war, as the Harriet Lane This I think one of the greatest mistakes (if will undoubtedly again appear upon the high seas as an armed enemy of the United States, and do more harm to our commercial marine than either the Florida or Alabama, from her great speed when in good order. The greatest speed she made while chased was not more than nine knots and that of the pursuing gunboat eight knots six fathoms, doing her best; while on this station there is not a slower craft. Even this vessel will make ten or eleven knots easy in smooth weather, and the flagship Lackawanna, the fastest vessel in the Gulf, I understand, has DOCUMENTS. If the latter been known to make thirteen or fourteen knots under favorable circumstances. vessel had gone in chase, all four steamers would, in ten hours afterward, have been on their way to New Orleans in charge of a prize crew. prayer. Deeming, furthermore, that the present condioccasion, and in view of the pending expiration tion of public affairs presents an extraordinary The Lackawanna, I believe, was sent here for of the service of (100,000) one hundred thouthe express purpose of looking after and chas-sand of our troops, I, Abraham Lincoln, Presing the Harriet Lane, and the captain of the ident of the United States, by virtue of the Katahdin, by his neglect of duty, lays himself power vested in me by the constitution and liable to great blame. My only hope left is that laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby these vessels-more especially the Harriet Lane do call forth, the citizens of the United States, -may be "gobbled up" by some of our cruis- between the ages of (18) eighteen and (45) forty ers before reaching Havana, in which case it five years, to the aggregate number of (400,000) existing rebellious combinations, and to cause will prevent one privateer from being fitted out four hundred thousand, in order to suppress the the due execution of the laws. to prey on our commerce. Doc. 67. THE FORGED PROCLAMATION. The publication of the following forgery in the World and Journal of Commerce, on the morning of May eighteenth, 1864, created great excitement, until the fact that it was utterly false, concocted by enemies of the Union and of the Administration, became patent. dignation was aroused, and was neither reserved nor unstinted in its expression. But meantime it had operated in Wall street, had found its way on the steamer to Europe, and had secured against the Administration an unusual amount of declamation and condemnation. And, furthermore, in case any State or number of States shall fail to furnish, by June fifteenth next, their assigned quotas, it is hereby ordered that the same be raised by an immediate and peremptory draft. The details for this object will be communi- I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate EXECUTIVE MANSION, Fellow-Citizens of the United States: In all seasons of exigencies it becomes a nation carefully to scrutinize its line of conduct, humbly to approach the throne of Grace, and meekly to implore forgiveness, wisdom and guidance. teenth day of May, in the year of Lord one Done at the city of Washington, this seventhousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth. (Signed), WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The The above was received at the New York For reasons known only to Him, it has Times publication office about 3.30 A. M. been decreed that this country should be the night clerk sent it up to the night editor, who scene of unparalleled outrage, and this nation suspected it at once, for several reasons, viz.: the monumental sufferer of the nineteenth cen- it came without the usual Associated Press entury. With a heavy heart, but an undiminished velope; the handwriting was strange, not being confidence in our cause, I approach the perfor-that of any one known to be connected with the mance of a duty rendered imperative by my sense of weakness before the Almighty, and of justice to the people. office of the association; in addition, the usual been received from that office fifteen minutes nightly indication that everything was in had It is not necessary that I tell you that the before. These facts were sufficient to cause the first Virginia campaign under Lieutenant-Gene- suppression of the document, but to render the ral Grant, in whom I have every confidence, and matter positively sure, a messenger was sent to whose courage and fidelity the people do well the Associated Press office, who soon returned He bogus, and was not promulgated through that to honor, is virtually closed. He has conducted with the statement that the proclamation was his great enterprise with discreet ability. has inflicted great loss upon the enemy. He office. In the meantime the night editor of the the Times editorial rooms to ascertain how the has crippled their strength and defeated their Daily News, suspecting the affair, had sent to plans. matter was regarded there, and upon receiving the assurance that it was undoubtedly a forgery, and would not be printed in the Times, the News also concluded to suppress it. As soon as the copy was received in the Times editorial rooms, information was sought as to the party In view, however, of the situation in Virginia, the disaster at Red river, the delay at Charleston, and the general state of the country, I, Abraham Lincoln, do hereby recommend that Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of May, A. D. 1864, be solemnly set apart throughout these United who delivered it, but the only thing that could be ascertained was, that a boy had rushed in, thrown it on the counter and rushed out. Early the World discovered its serious error and bulletined a reward of five hundred dollars for the discovery of the forger of the proclamation. It also published, in an extra, a disclaimer and explanation. The following official denial of the proclamation was received from the Secretary of State, and to it is appended the disclaimer of the Agent of the Associated Press. To the Public: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Pursuant, as was understood, to orders received from Washington for the seizure of the offices of the World and Journal of Commerce, the arrest of the publishers and proprietors, and the suppression of the papers, General Dix detailed a force of the Reserve Guard for the purpose. At a few minutes before nine o'clock, Lieutenant G. Tuthill, in command of twelve men, appeared at the World office; possession was taken of the publication office, a guard placed therein, and the lieutenant visited the editorial and composing-rooms. He made no arrests but }directed a cessation of business, and took possession of the premises. A paper purporting to be a proclamation of the The office of the Journal of Commerce was President, countersigned by the Secretary of seized by a detachment of twelve men of the State, and bearing date of the seventeenth day Reserve Corps, under command of Captain Canof May, is reported to this Department as hav-dy, about nine o'clock in the evening. A reing appeared in the New York World of this date. This paper is an absolute forgery. porter was informed that Mr. Hallock, one of the proprietors, was arrested at the office, and that officers were despatched to effect the arrest of Pre-Messrs. Prime and Stone, the other members of firm. The office of the Journal was closed and work was stopped in the composing-room, but the printing of the weekly was allowed to go on, as it does not contain the forged proclamation. No proclamation of this kind or any other has been made or proposed to be made by the sident, or issued or proposed to be issued by the State Department, or any other Department of this Government. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. At the Produce Exchange, in New York, immediately after the close of the regular business hours, an indignation meeting was organized. Mr. R. P. Getty called the meeting to order, and in a few pertinent remarks introduced a series of resolutions, expressive of the views of all patriotic produce merchants. Mr. James P. Wallace, in seconding the resolutions, spoke in the strongest manner condemnatory of the infamous hoax, its authors, and all concerned in giving it publicity. The resolutions, as unanimously adopted, read as follows: Whereas, There was published in the Journal of Commerce and World newspapers of this morning what purported to be a proclamation by the President of the United States, calling for four hundred thousand additional men, and also appointing a day of fasting and prayer: and Whereas, Said proclamation proves to have been a forgery of the most nefarious and villanous kind; therefore, Resolved, That in view of the present condition of our country, the authors of such a forgery, and the publishers of it (if knowingly), are unworthy of our support or confidence, and deserve the reprobation and denunciation of every loyal man in this community, and merit the severest punishment which either civil or military law can justly inflict. It is stated by the assistant-foreman of the Journal that the copy of the bogus proclamation was handed into the office about a quarter past three o'clock yesterday morning, when only four men were in the composing-room. The copy was cut into slips without being read, and set up by the different hands, who thought they were doing a great thing in getting out so important a document. The editors of the Journal, it is alleged, were all away, and knew nothing of the proclamation until they read it in the paper. It was also stated that the editors had prepared an article, which was set up, for publication this morning, disavowing all complicity in the matter, and offering a reward of one thousand dollars for the discovery of the perpetrator of the forgery. The World offered five hundred dollars for the discovery of the party or parties perpetrating the forgery. The Journal of Commerce offered a reward of one thousand dollars for the same. The Associated Press published the following: ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD. At an early hour on Wednesday morning, a fraudulent proclamation, signed by the President, was delivered in manuscript to each of the editors of the morning papers in this city. By direction of the Executive Committee of the Associated Press, and with the approval of the publishers of the Journal of Commerce, Tribune, Express, World, Times, Herald and Sun, the Association will pay a reward of one thousand dollars for such evidence as may lead to the conviction of the author of the above-named fraudulent document. D. H. CRAIG, General Agent N. Y. Associated Press. No. 145 BROADWAY, May 18, 1864. DOCUMENTS. A CARD FROM THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE. To the Editor of the New York Times: The following leading editorial was prepared for the Journal of Commerce of Thursday morning. As it cannot appear in that paper in consequence of its suppression by the United States authorities, you would confer a favor by inserting it in your columns. PRIME, STONE, HALE & HALLOCK. A FORGERY.-A hoax, as ingenious in execution as it was infamous in design, was perpetrated yesterday on several of the morning papers connected with the Associated Press, ourselves among the number, by which we were led to publish, in part of our edition, a proclamation purporting to emanate from the President of the United States, but which soon proved to be a forgery. It is unnecessary to waste words in characterizing the criminality of this hoax. Whatever its design, it was the basest and most infamous outrage on the public, as well as on the individual newspapers concerned. The injury done to ourselves is but a small matter in comparison with the public wrong attempted to be inflicted; nevertheless we owe it to ourselves, as well as to our readers, to explain the circumstances under which this fraud was effected. The utmost care and vigilance are exercised in our office, as our readers are well aware, but no amount of care in a wellregulated newspaper office seems to be sufficient to prevent frauds by persons who are acquainted with the internal economy of such an establishment. That some persons familiar with the telegraphic arrangements of the Associated Press, as well as with newspaper office hours and rules, was concerned in this forgery, we think cannot be doubted. iton of the foreman, would have been deceived, men as one of the most critical moments in the There are numerous details of the manner in We close our form regularly at about half past three o'clock. Associated Press and other despatches are received frequently at the last moment, and sometimes after the form has gone down to the press-room. The Associated Press despatches are always written iu a peculiar style, being manifolded on tissue paper, and having certain peculiarities of paging, &c., which mark them. At about half-past three on Tuesday morning, our form was so nearly closed that the foreman discharged the compositors, the entire force of night editors and proofreaders having already left. At this moment a despatch arrived, brought by a boy to the foreman, which was the proclamation in question. It was, in all respects, a perfect imitation of Associated Press despatches, in the minutest details of paper, paging, &c., and the foreman, thoroughly deceived, stopped a few of the men who had not yet gone out, and having set it up, inserted it in the form, so that it appeared in the latter portion of the morning editionthe early part of the edition not containing it. We may remark here, that the fraud was so perfect that we venture to affirm that ninetynine men out of a hundred, placed in the situa-ishment. We have dwelt with such particularity on this fraud, because it is important that our readers and the public at large should know what ingenious scoundrels are at work, devising every possible method of deceiving the people, either for purposes of stock speculation or with intent to aid the enemies of the country. It is no pleasant duty to acknowledge ourselves, and our associates in the press, the victims of a forgery like this, but we trust that the exertions we are making personally, as well as all the members of the Associated Press, and the Government authorities, will result in the arrest of the forger, and his consignment to a fitting pun |
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