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franchised. He also reiterated the details of the several acts of Congress of March 13 and July 17, 1862, forbidding the fugitive slaves of Rebels who came within the Federal lines to be restored to their former owners, or employing the Federal forces in any way to restore them to their former owners.*

These were the chief features of this remarkable proclamation. It inflicted a deadly blow upon slavery, which had been one of the chief causes and supports of the Southern Rebellion. It was wise and prudent, when viewed either as a simple war measure, as a tribute to the spirit of pure humanity, or as a response to the loud, fervent, and enlightened requirements of the present age. And although it cannot with truth be affirmed that the original and legitimate purpose, in the commencement of hostilities, on the part of the Federal Government, was the abolition of slavery as such, yet it must be admitted that the measures thus recommended by the President had become desirable, perhaps they had even become indispensable, to the subjugation of the revolting States, and to the restoration of the dissevered Union.

To assist in the accomplishment of this result, the President issued another proclamation on the 24th of September, 1862, by which he enacted, that during the existence of the "insurrection," all Rebels and insurgents, their aiders and abettors, within the limits of the United States, and all persons who should discourage volunteer enlistments, or resist the militia drafts, or be guilty of any other disloyal practices against the authority of the Federal Government, should be thenceforth subject to martial law, and be tried and punished by courts-martial or military commissions. In the same proclamation he ordained that the writ of habeas corpus should be suspended in respect to all persons who should be arrested for these causes during the continuance of the Rebellion, and were imprisoned by any military authority, by the sentence of any court-martial, or by the decree of any military commission.

*See Appendix.

VICTORY OF THE FEDERAL FORCES AT IUKA.

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CHAPTER XXXI.

THE BATTLE AT IUKA-DISPOSITIONS MADE BY GENERAL GRANT-INCIDENTS OF THE ENGAGEMENT VICTORY OF THE FEDERAL TROOPS-REBELS REPULSED AT BOONSBOROUGH-CONVENTION OF THE GOVERNORS OF LOYAL STATES AT ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA-THEIR ADDRESS TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN-HIS REPLY-PROPOSAL OF PEACE DISCUSSED IN THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS-ARGUMENT OF MR. FOOTE-FATE OF THE PROPOSITION-BATTLE OF AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY-ENGAGEMENT AT CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI-POSITION OF THE REBELS -FIRST DAY'S FIGHTING-INCIDENTS OF THE SECOND DAY-DESPERATE CHARGES MADE BY THE REBELS-THEIR FINAL DEFEAT AND FLIGHT-SKETCH OF MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS -INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA BY THE REBEL GENERAL STUART HIS ROUTE-INCIDENTS WHICH OCCURred at chaMBERSBURG-STUART'S SAFE return to VIRGINIA-SKIRMISHES ON THE POTOMAC-RESULTS OF HIS RAID.

On the 19th of September, 1862, General Rosecrans gained a brilliant victory over the Rebel forces under Sterling Price, at the village of Iuka, in Mississippi. The latter had left Tupelo, with about twenty thousand men, for the purpose of crossing the Tennessee river at Muscle Shoals, and forming a junction with General Bragg. General Grant, the commander of the Federal forces in that vicinity, having obtained information of the movements of the enemy, determined if possible to defeat them. For this purpose, he despatched Rosecrans with a body of troops, twenty thousand strong, to Rienzi. General Ord was sent with another toward Iuka, while his own army retained its position at Corinth. By this arrangement, the enemy would be enclosed within the lines of a triangle, and his escape would be rendered difficult if the plan adopted by the Federal commander were vigorously executed.

General Rosecrans reached Rienzi promptly. But Price, having detected the snare which had been laid for him, adroitly evaded it by diverging from his right line of march, and advanced diagonally across the country toward Iuka. Of this unexpected movement, Rosecrans also obtained speedy information, which enabled him to pursue the foe. He reached Iuka, after marching twenty miles, at the moment the vanguard of the Rebels were evacuating it. Though his men were exhausted by a long and rapid march, he continued the pursuit, and overtook the enemy two miles beyond the town. Skirmishing immediately began between the hostile forces; but as the darkness of night soon spread over the scene the decisive engagement was, by a mutual impulse, reserved until the next morning. The two armies reposed in sight of each other during the night, and with the early dawn they resumed the contest. The Rebels had taken an admirable position. But Rosecrans arranged his troops so as partially to surround them. General Hamilton commanded his right wing; General Stanley his left; he himself led the centre. The fighting

continued with desperate energy and with changing vicissitudes until about twelve o'clock. At one time, the enemy made a resolute charge, and cut their way through the eleventh Missouri, and the twenty-seventh Illinois. It was here that the Federal loss was the heaviest. But the admirable effect of the Federal artillery broke their victorious tide; and having thus failed in their most determined effort, the Rebel lines gradu ally gave way, broke, and a general retreat ensued. The enemy were pursued for some distance, but they succeeded, with the loss of three hundred prisoners, and five hundred killed and wounded, in making good their escape. The Federal loss was also heavy, being three hundred and fifty killed and wounded.

On the same day, the 20th of September, the fortunes of war were again adverse to the Confederate cause at Boonsborough, Kentucky; though the number of men engaged, and the results of the combat, were not of sufficient importance to require a more particular notice.

On the 24th of this month, an unusual convention of the Governors of all the loyal States took place at Altoona, Pennsylvania. Their deliberations were secret, but they finally adopted an address to the President of the United States, which they afterward presented to him in person at the Federal capital. That address contained an expression of sincere personal and official respect for the Chief Executive. It tendered a pledge that, under all circumstances, they would support his constitutional authority throughout their respective States. It offered him their assistance in all measures calculated to bring the war to such a speedy termination, as should lead to victory, and the return of the Rebels to their obedience to the Federal Government. It also congratulated the President upon his "Emancipation proclamation," and expressed the conviction that it would be productive of the most beneficial results. It concluded with bestowing well deserved praise upon the services rendered by the Federal soldiers in the field, and of sympathy with their sufferings. The President received the Governors with great courtesy. His reply, however, was brief. He thanked them for what they had done, and for what they promised to do, in support of the Federal Government. He was greatly encouraged by the approval which they had expressed of his proclamation respecting the abolition of slavery. He promised to give the suggestions which their address contained his serious attention, and would follow them as far as the interests of the Union and his sense of duty permitted. After the official interview terminated, an informal conversation ensued between the Governors and the President, of the most cordial and harmonious character. The effect produced upon the public mind, by this spontaneous movement of the chief executives of so many States, was extremely beneficial in its influence upon the further prosecution of the war against the armed enemies of the Federal Union.

It was at this period that an incident occurred in the Confederate Con

PEACE PROPOSITION IN THE REBEL CONGRESS.

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gress, then in session at Richmond, which deserves notice. It was the introduction of a resolution by Mr. Foote, of Tennessee, to the following effect: "Resolved by the Congress of the Confederate States of America, That the signal success with which Divine Providence has so continually blessed our arms, for several months past, would fully justify the Confederate Government in despatching a commissioner or commissioners to the Government at Washington city, empowered to propose the terms of a just and honorable peace." This proposition for peace was advocated by Mr. Foote with ability; and its author exhibited unusual boldness in bringing it forward at that crisis of the Rebellion. But the arguments with which he advocated its adoption formed a singular medley of shrewdness, prejudice, and folly. He began by asserting that he entertained little hope that the insolent and cruel enemy of the Confederate States, the Federal Government, would listen to the proposition with favor. Nor had he any confidence in the wisdom, sagacity, or true manliness of Mr. Lincoln and his deluded Cabinet. He was aware that those functionaries had been spurred on ever since their commencement of hostilities at Fort Sumter, by a numerous host of infuriated fanatics and unscrupulous demagogues, until they had almost reached the lowest depths of hopelessness and ruin; nor had he any confidence that the weak and vacillating Federal Executive at Washington possessed sufficient moral courage to receive the commissioners of the Confederate Congress if they should be sent thither. Nevertheless, there were reasons which strongly commended the adoption of the measure. If the Federal authorities should madly reject the tenders of a just and honorable peace which should thus be made to them, all the responsibility of a continuance of bloodshed, and of the unspeakable horrors which would attend the prosecution of the war, would be accumulated on their heads. The civilized world would hold them alone accountable for their infliction. On the other hand, the Confederate Government would be exculpated. The Confederate soldiers would be justified in using still more determined and unrelenting efforts to crush the power of the common enemy. Moreover, the armies of the Confederate States had uniformly been the victors in the contest thus far. They had driven the vandals of the North with irresistible energy and with matchless valor from their confines. The Federal Government and its armies had been humbled on every battle-field. "Such a succession of brilliant and decisive triumphs," said Mr. Foote, "had never heretofore adorned the pages of history." Therefore it was the part of a sublime magnanimity in them, as conquerors, to tender the olive branch to their humbled and enervated foes. Notwithstanding these potent arguments, and these glowing appeals, the Confederate Congress was either so stupid or so wise as to vote down the proposition, by an overwhelming majority.

The town of Augusta, Kentucky, was the scene of a spirited contest, on the 27th of September, between six hundred mounted Rebels under

Colonel Morgan, and a small Union force of a hundred and twenty infantry under Colonel Bradford, who were posted at that place. The latter maintained the fight with heroism until they were overpowered by the superior numbers of the enemy. They were eventually compelled to surrender, but before doing so they had set their fatal mark on the ranks of the enemy. A large number of Rebels were slain, among whom was Lieutenant-Colonel Prentice, a son of the patriotic George D. Prentice, of Louisville. The Federal loss was nine killed and fifteen wounded. That of the enemy was seventy-five in killed, wounded, and missing. A portion of the town was burnt during the progress of the engagement.

The next scene in this grand martial drama which demands our attention, occurred at Corinth, in Mississippi. A desperate battle was fought in its vicinity on the 3d and 4th of October, 1862. The Rebel force, numbering about thirty-five thousand men, was commanded by Generals Van Dorn, Price, and Villipigue. The Federal troops were led on by General Rosecrans, the hero of Iuka. The right wing of the enemy rested on the Chevalla road, their left on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, their centre on the space between them. Early in the morning of the 3d the pickets of the two armies commenced to skirmish. They were gradually reinforced, until the engagement became general. This part of the contest took place a mile and a half from the redoubts occupied by the Union troops; but the nature of the ground, which was covered with heavy timber, prevented the use of the heavy guns. The day was spent in irregular and fragmentary charges and repulses on both sides, in which the advantage was generally obtained by the Rebels. The undergrowth of wood being very dense interfered materially with the operations of the troops. During the day the enemy succeeded in outflanking the Federal right wing, by which operation the Federal troops in that part of the line were compelled to give way. Subsequently, however, the line was reformed, a charge was made by the seventeenth Wisconsin and Baldwin's brigade, by which the Rebels were driven back half a mile. Some pieces of artillery which had been lost were recaptured.

Thus ended the operations of the first day. The armies then took their several positions for the night. They proceeded leisurely to light their camp-fires, to cook their rations, to take their rest, in close and quiet proximity to each other, as if they had not but an hour before been engaged in mortal combat, and as if they did not intend to resume the struggle on the following day. At half-past three o'clock on the morning of the 4th the battle was promptly commenced by Lieutenant H. C. Robinet, of the first United States infantry, with his battery of siege guns. The enemy, who had planted some cannon during the night in an appropriate position, as promptly responded. This exchange of shots continued until six o'clock, when an enfilading fire was commenced upon the enemy by several additional batteries, which compelled them to aban

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