Then they tried to return the compliment, but and an answer, of which I send you a copy, was missed us completely. Bang went our second returned. shot, and never did the fatal messenger take a At the end of thirty minutes, our troops were truer course, tearing straight through the enemy's advanced in pursuit. The wagons conveying the vessel, and blowing her half to pieces. The re-enemy's dead were but a short distance beyond mains were soon at our disposal, and proved to our front, with an escort, but, of course, were not be what was left of the rebel gunboat Teaser. molested. We took a parallel road, inclining The officers and crew, after firing their gun, more to the right, with a view of again engaging, jumped into a small boat, taking with them their if possible, the main body, who were seen retreatflag, but our second shot frightened them so they ing in such a direction as would take them across jumped out again, leaving every thing behind. our road, some four miles in the prairie. The We got the officers' uniforms, swords, belts, pis- intense heat of the day, and the uselessness of tols, muskets, silver, china, bedding, clothes, let- the pursuit of mounted men by infantry, induced ters, and papers; among the latter a full descrip- me to recall the troops after they had advanced tion of the submarine batteries at Drury's Bluff, three miles. and a diagram of all the fortifications. We also found a balloon made of silk dresses, and a commission from the confederate States navy, running to Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, formerly of the United States Navy. Doc. 146. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Col. Spicely and the men and officers of his regiment engaged. The enemy's force, as shown by their musterrolls, which fell into our possession, was four hundred and fifty. Our own engaged was two hundred. Their loss, as admitted by prisoners and sympathizers in the vicinity, was eighty-four in killed, wounded, and missing. But few prisoners were taken, from the facility afforded them Our loss is one man killed and twenty-one wounded, according to the accompanying list. THE BATTLE OF GRAND PRAIRIE, ARK. to escape by being mounted. OFFICIAL REPORT OF COLONEL FITCH. HEADQUARTERS INDIANA BRIGADE, July 6, 1862. Very respectfully, yours, G. N. FITCH, Colonel Commanding White River Expedition. Doc. 147. CHEROKEE DISLOYALTY. THE following letter from John Ross, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, settles the question Major-Gen. Grant, Commanding at Memphis: SIR: We arrived here yesterday. A scouting party was sent out, who discovered the enemy within two miles of this place. One prisoner was taken. On the morning of the sixth a reconnoissance was ordered, consisting of about two hundred of the Twenty-fourth Indiana, under Col. Spicely, followed, at an interval of half an hour, by the same number of the Forty-third, under Lieut.-Col. Farrow, and again, after a like interval, by another detachment of the same number, jointly, from the Thirty-fourth and For-as to the alliance of that nation with the rebels: ty-sixth, with a Dahlgren boat-howitzer, which last detachment I accompanied. The remainder of the command, under Lieut.-Col. Cameron, was ordered to hold themselves in readiness, if required, for support. Col. Spicely was directed to proceed upon the road on which the enemy had been discovered the evening previous, and attack him whenever and wherever he met him, and in whatever number. He followed the Duvall Bluff road four miles to an open woods, immediately upon the border of Grand Prairie, where his skirmishers discovered and drove in the enemy's pickets. Their main body, all mounted, made an attack upon his front, which was quickly repulsed; but, availing themselves of a point of thick timber, which concealed their movements, they very soon after attacked simultaneously his front, flank, and rear, charging up to within twenty paces of the ranks, but were repulsed with loss, and fled in every direction, the main body following the Duvall Bluff road. Soon after a note-a copy of which accompanies this was received by me, I having joined the advance, asking permission to bury their dead, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, PARK HILL, C. N., July 8, 1862. To Colonel Wm. Weer, U. S. A., Commanding : SIR: Your communication of yesterday, dated from headquarters, Indian expedition, camp on Wolf Creek, under a flag of truce per Dr. Gilpatrick, has been duly received; and in reply I have to state that a treaty of alliance, under the sanction and authority of the whole Cherokee people, was entered into on the seventh day of October, 1861, between the confederate States and the Cherokee Nation, and published before the world. And you cannot but be too well informed on the subject to make it necessary for me to recapitulate the reasons and circumstances under which it was done. Thus the destiny of the people became identified with that of the Southern Confederacy. There is no nation of Indians, I venture to say, that has ever been more scrupulous in the faithful observance of their treaty obligations than the Cherokees. Allow me to further appeal to the history of my long public and private life to sustain the assertion that my policy has ever been to preserve peace and good feelings among my people, and the observance of law and order. The horrors of civil war with which this beautiful country is threatened are greatly to be deprecated, and I trust that it may be averted by the observance of the strict principles of civilized and honorable warfare by the army now invading our country, under your command. I cannot, under existing circumstances, entertain the proposition for an official interview between us at your camp. I have, therefore, respectfully to decline to comply with your request. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient Doc. 148. CAPTURE OF HAMILTON, N. C. each side, through a continuous storm of bullets and grape from the innumerable masked batteries which lined both banks of the river on the bluff commanding the approach to Hamilton. Hamilton is situated upon an eminence, back some distance from the river, and separated from this important stream by a thick growth of heavy tim ber, which sheltered the hidden foe, who were raining down an incessant fire upon our gunboats, which were unable to elevate their guns sufficiently to do all the execution they desired. However, they continued to advance, when suddenly the rebel fort on the eminence, which was concealed from view, opened a terrific fire on the approaching fleet. In the thickest of the fight, and when the result was very doubtful, Capt. Flusser discovered a large rebel steamer, loaded with rebel sharpshooters, coming down upon our fleet. Suddenly she turned a short bend, and before the enemy were aware of the near approach of our fleet, she was in good musket-range. Captain Flusser and all his men were in readiness for the new foe. NEWBERN, N. C., July 15. AN engagement of no little importance took place on the morning of the ninth instant, on Roanoke River, some sixty miles from its mouth, between three of our gunboats, the Commodore Perry, Ceres, and Shawsheen, and a company of A shell from the Ceres raked the decks of the Hawkins's Zouaves, under Capt. Hammell, on our Wilson-for that was the name of the rebel craft side, and a regiment of rebel cavalry, supported—and bang again went a hundred or more Union by a strong force of infantry and artillery, and a rebel fort which commanded the river. The particulars are as follows: On the eighth instant Capt. Flusser, of the Commodore Perry, who is commanding officer of the naval forces in Albemarle Sound, decided to make a reconnoissance up the Roanoke as far as Hamilton, where he understood a rebel steamer was anchored, and also that the enemy were erecting a fortification and collecting a large force, with the intention of resisting all approaches to Weldon by the river. rifle-bullets among the sharp-shooters on the rebel steamer, who, being astonished at the rapid advance of Flusser's fleet, leaped from every side of the Wilson into the water, leaving their de serted craft to drift into our possession. As soon as our fleet got beyond the enemy's batteries, the Zouaves, under Captain Hammell, were landed, with a howitzer, and with fixed bayonets commenced the advance on Hamilton, accompanied with a strong company from each of our gunboats, armed in the same manner, making After taking on board Captain Hammell's com- four companies in all, who were ordered by Capt. pany of Zouaves, which are stationed at Ply-Flusser "to flank the rebel fort and take Hamil mouth, (a very important point at the mouth of the Roanoke, and also the headquarters of the naval force in the Albemarle Sound,) the fleet proceeded up the river at a rapid rate, meeting with no difficulties until they arrived at a point some six miles above Williamston, where a barricade of rafts and piles were chained together, reaching transversely up and across the river. Just before the fleet arrived at the barricade, a deadly fire from infantry in an ambush was opened upon the Ceres, which was in the advance, killing one seaman, John H. Bridges, of Danvers, Mass., and wounding several more. The Ceres immediately responded with grape, which, with some timely and well-directed shells from the Perry and Shawsheen, soon dispersed the cowardly assassins with heavy loss, who then pushed on to the fort at Hamilton, to assist their comrades in resisting us at that point. ton," while the gunboats were again to advance and silence the rebel batteries in front. Again the gunboats went into action, and such an unearthly sound-owing to the peculiar situation of the country-as the echo from their heavy ordnance in this dense forest was never before heard. Soon there was a response from the rear of the enemy, which was the rapid report of the howitzers, and deafening cheers from our brave mariners and Zouaves, who had been led in a successful charge against the fort, which they took, despite a strong opposition, together with the village of Hamilton, over which the Stars and Stripes were raised, with an additional outbreak of enthusiasm. The shouts of our land forces were soon responded to by a shout still more deafening, which was given by the crews of the three gunboats as they drove the rebels out of their masked batterOn arriving at the barricade Capt. Flusser pro-ies by three well-directed broadsides; leaving our ceeded at once to blow up and destroy the ob- forces in possession of the highly important port structions in his usual dashing way. It was not of Hamilton, with all its steamers, schooners, and long before he succeeded in cutting his way a large amount of commissary stores and cotton, through this difficult blockade, which was con- which the rebels had no time to destroy. sidered by the enemy quite as strong as the barricade in the James River. On went the fleet up this narrow river, darkened by a dense forest on The rebel steamer captured is exceedingly valuable to this department, for the purpose of transporting troops through these shallow wa ters. She was not crippled or injured in the least, strange as it may appear, by our shells, which raked her decks. She is a stern-wheel steamer, of very light draught, and capable of carrying a regiment of troops. In this engagement every officer and man behaved in the most heroic manner. Capt. Flusser, of the Commodore Perry, Capt. Macdiarmid, of the Ceres, Captain Woodward, of the Shawsheen, have been through all the important battles in this department, and are now well known to the country. Lieut. Green, of company F, with a portion of the Zouaves, was on the Ceres, lending valuable assistance with his dashing followers all through the action. He was wounded in the leg, and was brought to the deck, where he lay during the remainder of the action, loading guns for his men, and speaking words of good cheer to them. The following are the names of the killed and wounded on board the Ceres: John H. Bridges, killed; Manuel Sylvia, seriously wounded in the chest; John J. Dennison, seriously wounded in left breast; George Waterman, in the leg; Nicholas Waysen, in the leg; Edward B. Perry, in the arm; Timothy Dacey, in the arm; Thomas Rodgers, in arm and hand; Henry G. Rose, shoulder. Of the Zouaves none were killed, though many slight wounds were received. On the Shawsheen, Thos. Smith was seriously wounded through the head, and a few others on the same boat received some slight wounds. On the Perry, one powderboy-a contraband, named Stephen Jones-was killed, while bravely performing his duty, and Daniel Donovan, a seaman on the same boat, was wounded, and Mr. Coleman, the executive officer of the Ceres, had his pants torn by a rebel bullet while in the act of fixing a shell for the enemy, and a splinter sent into his throat from a ball which struck the deck near his head. Captain Woodward, Capt. Macdiarmid, and Capt. Flusser each had very narrow escapes. This victory is of great importance, inasmuch as it clears the way to Weldon. It is impossible to estimate the loss to the enemy, who, it is said, left some forty or fifty dead on the field. Since the departure of Gen. Burnside with a part of his army for Virginia, Acting Major-Gen. Foster, the wheel-horse of the Burnside expedition, is chief officer in command of this department. This is said to be a permanent arrangement, as it is understood that Gen. Burnside will be continued hereafter in a more active field of labor. Doc. 149. SKIRMISH AT THE RAPIDAN RIVER. THE FIRST MARYLAND CAVALRY SCOUTING. CAMP NEAR CULPEPER COURT-HOUSE, VA., July 17, 1862. WE left Camp Goodrich, near Middletown, on Saturday, the fifth instant, late in the evening, and arrived, after a very tedious night march, near Front Royal, where we encamped on the identical spot which was occupied by the gallant First Ma ryland infantry when Jackson attacked them. The camp was called after Brig.-General Slough. Wednesday, the ninth instant, we left Camp Slough for Washington, Rappahannock County, by a circuitous road, the First and Second brigades marching directly on to Flint Hill, and from thence to Washington, twelve miles above which place the sentinels of the Second brigade were fired upon by the enemy. For various reasons, the troops were ordered back to Gaines's CrossRoads, near Flint Hill, where they encamped for the night, and from thence they marched on Friday, the eleventh instant, six miles in an easterly direction towards Warrenton, when they encamped on Elias Corder's place, which was formerly the headquarters of General Banks's division. Here the First Maryland, First Vermont, First Michigan, First Virginia, and Fifth NewYork regiments of cavalry were consolidated into one brigade of cavalry, under the command of Brig.-General J. P. Hatch. Accompanied by one battery of six pieces and one regiment of infantry, the brigade advanced on Saturday, the twelfth instant, to Culpeper Court-House. They met the enemy in various places, dispersed about the neighborhood of Jefferson and other small towns and villages. During the various skirmishes on this advance several of our men were wounded, and one of the First Vermont cavalry killed. In all, eleven secesh soldiers were taken prisoners, and sent to Warrenton. On the arrival at Culpeper Court-House it was found that the cars had left a short time before with two hundred secesh soldiers. Scouting parties were immediately despatched in different directions to find the enemy. Major James M. Deems was sent with three companies eight miles towards Sperryville, as far as Devil's Run, but no enemy in force was found. A few bushwhackers were seen, and three of them taken prisoners. The Major returned to town at sundown, when he was again ordered, and with six companies, namely, company L, Capt. Thistleton; company I, Captain Charles Russell; company H, Captain Grafflin; company B, Capt. John Hancock; company D, Lieut. Marsdorf, and company E, Lieut. Joseph Cook. The order was to proceed at once to Rapidan station, and burn the large railroad bridge over the Rapidan River. Six miles from Fairfax the command was fired upon by the enemy, when a brisk skirmish for ten miles in succession took place, the enemy being driven rapidly before us. On the arrival at the railroad bridge, where the enemy's guards were stationed, a sharp encounter took place, in which a secesh Lieutenant by the name of Maxwell was killed. Lieut. Maxwell was from the District of Columbia, and well known to some of our men. Taliafero, whose dwelling is near the bridge, escaped, in company with a physician and a telegraph operator, through the back-door. It being very dark, the troops had no opportunity to take more than three prisoners and three horses. Preparations were now made to burn the bridge, which, on account of the absence of tar, rosin, and other material usually applied for that pur Col. pose, was at first very slow. The men were obliged to carry sheaves of wheat, fence-rails, etc., to the bridge before the torch could be applied; but the work was so thoroughly done that not a single timber remained. The telegraph wire was then cut and the battery destroyed, when the command returned to camp, where it arrived next (Sunday) morning at ten o'clock. Doc. 150. ADDRESS OF GENERAL POPE. WASHINGTON, Monday, July 14. To the Officers and Soldiers of the Army of Virginia: By special assignment of the President of the United States, I have assumed command of this army. I have spent two weeks in learning your whereabouts, your condition, and your wants; in preparing you for active operations, and in placing you in positions from which you can act promptly and to the purpose. I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies-from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him when found, whose policy has been attack and not defence. In but one instance has the enemy been able to place our Western armies in a defensive attitude. I presume that I have been called here to pursue the same system, and to lead you against the enemy. It is my purpose to do so, and that speedily. I am sure you long for an opportunity to win the distinction you are capable of achieving-that opportunity I shall endeavor to give you. Meantime I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue amongst you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions and holding them-of lines of retreat, and of bases of supplies. Let us discard such ideas. The strongest position a soldier should desire to occupy is one from which he can most easily advance against the enemy. Let us study the probable lines of retreat of our opponents, and leave our own to take care of themselves. Let us look before us and not behind. Success and glory are in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear. Let us act on this understanding, and it is safe to predict that your banners shall be inscribed with many a glorious deed, and that your names will be dear to your countrymen forever. JOHN POPE, Major-General Commanding. Doc. 151. THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. WASHINGTON, Monday, July 14, 1862. Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: HEREWITH is the draft of the bill to compensate any State which may abolish slavery within its limits, the passage of which substantially as presented I respectfully and earnestly recommend. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever the President of the United States shall be satisfied that any State shall have lawfully abolished slavery within and throughout such State, either immediately or gradually, it shall be the duty of the President, assisted by the Secretary of the Treasury, to prepare and deliver to each State an amount of six per cent interest-bearing bonds of the United States equal to the aggregate value at — dollars per head of all the slaves within such State as reported by the census of 1860, the whole amount for any one State to be delivered at once if the abolishment be immediate, or in equal annual instalments if it be gradual, interest to begin running on each bond at the time of delivery, and not before. And be it further enacted, That if any State having so received any such bonds shall at any time afterward, by law, reïntroduce or tolerate slavery within its limits, contrary to the act of abolishment upon which such bonds shall have been received, said bonds so received by said State shall at once be null and void in whosesoever hands they may be, and such State shall refund to the States all interest which may have been paid on such bonds. THE แ Doc. 152. 'ESSEX" AND "ARKANSAS." REPORT OF COMMANDER PORTER. UNITED STATES GUNBOAT ESSEX, OFF BATON ROUGE, August 1, 1862. To the Honorable Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy: SIR: Permit me to draw your attention to some facts relating to this ship running the blockade at Vicksburgh. These facts will relate principally to the manner in which she is plated; but in their detail it will be necessary to enter into a statement of all the circumstances connected with my running the blockade. At six A.M. on the morning of the fifteenth of July we heard heavy firing up the Yazoo, and as I had the evening previously taken on board two deserters from Vicksburgh, who had stated that the Arkansas ram was ready to come down the river, (they were sent on board the flag-ship Benton,) I suspected this vessel was making her way down, and I prepared for action. I beg to state that on my passage from Cairo to Vicksburgh, my port boiler had burst one of the bottom sheets, and we were repairing it at the time herein mentioned. At eight A.M. the United States gunboat Tyler came out of the mouth of the Yazoo, closely followed by the rebel ram. The former passed down and took refuge behind this vessel, as well as some other rams belonging to Colonel Ellet's fleet. As the Arkansas passed I discharged at her seven guns, striking her three times; one of my shot penetrated her iron covering and did and eighteen feet long on the inside. A conical shell struck the casemate on the port side, as we were rounding to, penetrated the three quarterinch iron, and came half-way through the wooden side. It exploded through, killing one man and slightly wounding three. A small piece grazed my head, and another piece tore the legs of the first master's pantaloons. considerable damage; but, recovering, she passed feet from the deck. It penetrated the iron, but on, the Benton getting under way and following did not get through, though so severe was the her some distance down the river. She, how-blow that it started a four-inch plank two inches ever, reached in safety the batteries at Vicksburgh. It was now determined by the two commanders-in-chief to make some effort to destroy the ram, and hence, on the evening of the same day the Arkansas passed the upper fleet, FlagOfficer Farragut, with the New-Orleans fleet that had previously attacked the Vicksburgh batteries, coming up-stream, concluded to run the blockade, and, while going down, try to sink her. The flag-ship Benton, with the gunboats Louisville and Cincinnati, accompanied his fleet to within range of the forts; but the destruction of the ram was not accomplished. Flag-Officers Farragut and Davis, with myself, on the twenty-first, held a council of war on board the Benton, and I volunteered the services of the Essex to make an attempt to destroy the ram, and the following programme was agreed on: That on the morning of the twenty-second, precisely at four o'clock, the whole available fleet under command of Flag-Officer Davis, was to get under way, and when within range to bombard the upper batteries at Vicksburgh; the lower fleet under Flag-Officer Farragut was to do the same, and attack the lower batteries; the Essex was to push on, strike the rebel ram, deliver her fire, and then fall behind the lower fleet. On the morning herein stated I got under way and passed the Benton. Flag-Officer Davis hailed me and "wished me success.' "9 I now pushed on, according to my understanding of the programme, and precisely at half-past four A.M. the enemy's upper batteries opened upon me, but I heard no response at this time from our fleets. I arrived at the ram, delivered my fire and struck her; the blow glanced, and I went high on the river-bank with the bows of the ship, where I lay ten minutes under three batteries of heavy guns. I backed off and loaded up. The enemy had drawn up three regiments of sharp-shooters and several batteries of field-pieces, ranging from six-pounders to twenty-four pounders. I found it impossible, under these circumstances, to board the rebel boat, though such was my original intention. After I delivered my fire at but five feet from the ram, we distinctly heard the groans of her wounded and saw her crew jumping overboard. She did not fire a gun after we had delivered ours, and I have since seen in the rebel papers that they admit a loss of eighteen killed and thirtyfive wounded. We knocked a very large hole in her side. At this time I began to look for aid from the fleets, but without result. I ordered the pilots to get the Essex's head up-stream, with the intention of holding on until the lower fleet came up, and then make another attack on the ram. At this time I was under the guns of three batteries, one of which was not over one hundred feet off. A heavy ten-inch shot from the nearest battery struck my forward casemate, about five fect from the deck, but fortunately did not penetrate. A rifle seven and a half-inch shot, from the same battery, struck the casemate about nine I had now been under fire for upwards of an hour, and thirty minutes of the time from eighty feet to one hundred yards of some of the enemy's heaviest batteries. I still looked for the arrival of the lower fleet, but saw nothing of it. I held on for a short time longer, but the enemy began to fire with such rapidity and we were so close that the flashes of his guns through my gun-holes drove my men from the guns. At last, through the smoke, I saw the lower fleet nearly three miles off, and still at anchor. Seeing no hope of relief or assistance, I now concluded to run the gauntlet of the enemy's lower forts and seek an anchorage below the fleet. I therefore reluctantantly gave the order to "put her head downstream;" but I was determined to be in no hurry. They had now plenty of time to prepare, and so rapid was their fire that for half an hour the hull of this ship was completely enveloped in the heavy jets of water thrown over her by the enemy's shot, shell and rifle-balls. The department may have some idea of the amount and number of shot, shell, plugs and rifle missiles thrown at this vessel, when they are now informed we were two hours and a half under fire of seventy heavy guns in battery, twenty fieldpieces and three heavy guns on board the ram. During that time this vessel was heavily struck forty-two times, and only penetrated twice. This fully proves the admirable character of the ironplating, as the thickest iron was but an inch, with one inch of India-rubber beneath, according to my method now patented. I still hope an opportunity may yet be given me to make a second attempt to destroy the Arkansas, as I believe it can be done, and I am ready and can do it. Very respectfully, your obed't servant, COMMANDER WALKE'S REPORT. GUNBOAT CARONDELET, July 15, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your orders, passed to me yesterday by acting Fleet-Capt. Phelps, I got under way this morning, accompanied by the gunboat Tyler and steam-ram Queen of the West, and proceeded up the Yazoo on a reconnoissance. We had proceeded about six miles up the river, when we discovered a formidablelooking rebel ram or gunboat, since proved to be the celebrated Arkansas. The Queen of the West, Tyler and Carondelet at once retreated down the river to avoid being inevitably sunk, firing upon her with our stern and occasionally |