He realized that the rebels were in earnest, and that all attempts at pacification by timidity and concessions to traitors were unavailing, and would but add fuel to the flame. He therefore at once seized the rod of justice and determined to severely chastise the men, who labored to overthrow the Goverment. The proclamation of freedom, to the slaves, however, came too soon for the authorities at Washington; accordingly on the 11th of September, twelve days after its promulgation at St. Louis, the proclamation was modified by President Lincoln, so as to apply only to slaves employed by the rebels in military service.

The battle of Wilson's Creek was fought on the 10th of August. General Lyon, the officer in command, was killed early in the engagement. The number of killed, wounded and missing was one thousand two hundred and thirty-five. The rebel General McCulloch reported the Confederate loss to be four hundred and twenty-one killed, and one thousand three hundred wounded. The Union troops withdrew to Rolla, thus abandoning southwestern Missouri to the enemy.

On the 20th of September, Colonel Mulligan, after a brave resistance during five days, surrendered Lexington to General Price's army of Confederates. Marauding parties now marching through the western portion of the State, laid waste the country, until General Fremont, at the head of his army, marched to Springfield and drove the Confederates, under Price and McCulloch, into Arkansas. On the 2d of November, Fremont was relieved of the command of the department. General Halleck was sent to St. Louis to assume command, and active operations were transferred to the east side of the Mississippi. On the 7th of November, a battle was fought at Belmont, in Missouri, in which the National forces were commanded by General Grant. The Confederates, under General Cheatham, were driven from their works, but after retreating a short distance, were largely reinforced, and compelled Grant to fall back and take refuge with his army on the transports, and, defended by gunboats, to return to Cairo. To these disasters in the West were added

those on the Potomac during the autumn of 1861, until General McCall, with a brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves, changed the fortunes of war, and honored the National arms with victory at Dranesville.

Then followed a season of preparation unparalleled in the history of nations. Armies were created to engage in campaigns extending along a front of two thousand miles; a navy was improvised to blockade a coast three thousand miles in extent; to defend the vast merchant marine of the United States, and to organize powerful fleets for the reduc tion of strong harbor fortifications in the seceded States An expedition, sent out in command of Commodore Dupont, had successfully attacked Port Royal, and on the 7th of November captured the rebel forts and established the National flag on the soil of South Carolina. On the 11th of January, 1862, an expedition, comprising over one hun dred vessels of all classes, carrying an army of fifteen thousand troops, commanded by General Burnside, and accompanied by a fleet of gunboats, commanded by Com modore Goldsborough, sailed from Hampton Roads. The squadron encountered a severe storm, which threatened every vessel with destruction. Nearly a full month had elapsed before the hearts of the people were gladdened with the news of the success of the expedition. On the 7th of February, the gunboats attacked the enemy's works on Roanoke Island, defended by forty-two guns of heavy calibre, supported by a force of three thousand infantry and eight gunboats. From early in the morning until an hour after dark, the fleet of gunboats rained a storm of shot and shell on the island; the bombardment ceased, and during the night General Burnside landed his troops, and at daylight on Saturday morning, moved against the enemy's position on the centre of the island. The battle raged with unabated violence until four o'clock in the afternoon, when, finding the supply of ammunition was nearly exhausted, General Burnside ordered the works to be carried by storm, with the bayonet. Before five o'clock the enemy surren

dered unconditionally. A victory was won unequalled by any other since the National forces had taken the field. It was a victory that thrilled with joy every loyal heart throughout the land. Six forts, two thousand five hundred prisoners, forty-two heavy guns, three thousand five hundred stand of small arms, and seventy-five tons of ammunition, fell into the hands of the victorious army.

General Burnside followed up his advantage with an assault on Newbern, and after a desperate engagement on the 14th of March, routed the enemy and captured the city. In the meantime the gunboat fleet had driven the rebels from the navigable waters of North Carolina, leaving the city of Wilmington as the only possession of the enemy on the coast of the State.

While the nation was waiting to hear from the expedition to North Carolina, tidings of victory came from the West. On the 19th of January, General Thomas had met and defeated the rebel army under General George B. Crittenden, at Logan's Cross-Roads, near Somerset, in Kentucky. General Zollicoffer, a favorite in the Confederate army, was killed, and the army completely routed and scattered in the mountains. On the 6th of February, Commodore Foote, with a fleet of seven gunboats, entered the Tennessee river, and attacked and captured Fort Henry; this engagement demonstrated the power of the Mississippi squadron, which, up to that time, had been regarded as an untried novelty. But still more glorious achievements awaited the progress of the army in the West. On the Cumberland river, the enemy had constructed a strong fort and had garrisoned it with an army of eighteen thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine men. On the 12th of February, General Grant appeared before these works, which the enemy had named Fort Donelson, with an army of forty thousand men. He invested the position on the land side, while Commodore Foote's fleet attacked the water batteries. A terrible battle 13th, which was

was commenced on the morning of the

continued with great vigor for three days. Early in the

morning of the fourth day, General Buckner, commanding the rebel troops, surrendered his army unconditionally to General Grant. General Floyd and General Pillow had stolen away during the night with three thousand men, who thus escaped being captured. By this surrender the national forces took thirteen thousand three hundred prisoners, three thousand horses, forty-eight field pieces, seventeen heavy guns, twenty thousand stand of small arms, and a large quantity of supplies. The Confederates reported a total loss of fifteen thousand and sixty-seven men in killed, wounded and prisoners. The National loss was two thousand three hundred and thirty-one.

The exultations that spread throughout the loyal States on the receipt of the news of the victory at Fort Donelson, had not yet subsided, when, from the far distant hills of northern Arkansas, the report of another victory of the first magnitude filled all loyal hearts with joy. On the 6th of March, the combined rebel armies under Generals Van Dorn, Price and McCulloch, numbering about thirty-five thousand men, attacked the National army, commanded by General Curtis, at Pea Ridge, in Arkansas. Darkness ended the battle on the first day; both armies slept on their arms; early on the following morning the contest was resumed, and continued with great severity and heavy losses on both sides. General McCulloch fell at the head of his army mortally wounded. Night again closed on the contending armies, and both rested with arms in hand, certain of victory on the morrow. On the morning of the 8th, the struggle was resumed and continued with great desperation, but before darkness again veiled the scene of carnage, the Confederate forces were totally routed, and vigorously pursued by the Union army. General Curtis reported a loss in killed, wounded and missing, of one thousand three hundred. The rebels lost eleven hundred killed, two thousand five. hundred wounded, and one thousand six hundred prisoners.

The power of the rebellion in the West was broken, and the only hope of the leaders was to reinforce the armies of