CHAPTER XXIV.

AUGUST SEPTEMBER, 1862.

BATTLE OF BATON ROUGE INCIDENTS OF THE CONFLICT-DEATH GENERAL WILLIAMS-EFFICIENT AID OF THE FEderal guNBOATS-DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY-THE RAM ARKANSAS DESTROYED-INDIAN ATROCITIES IN MINNESOTA, THEIR DEFEAT BY COLONEL SIBLEY-BATTLE NEAR RICHMOND, KENTUCKY-GENERAL NELSON-THE DISASTER-INVASION OF MARYLAND-LEE'S PROCLAMATION TO THE PEOPLE OF THAT STATE GOVERNOR CURTIN CALLS OUT THE MILITIA OF PENNSYLVANIA -ARMY OF THE POTOMAC IN MOTION-COLONEL ELLET ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND YAZOO-CAPTURE OF THE TRANSPORT FAIR PLAY-BATTLE NEAR DENMARK, TENNESSEE-THREATENED INVASION OF OHIOGENERAL LEWIS WALLACE-MURDER, BY GUERILLAS, OF GENERAL ROBERT MCCOOK-BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN.

DURING the occurrence of these events, vital in their importance to the Republic, the enemy was persevering with great energy, in other portions of the country, to gain the ascendency, and at various points, the war was pursued with incessant vigor. On the 5th of August, General Williams had a severe contest with the rebels under General John C. Breckinridge, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Federals had twenty-five hundred effective men. The rebel force, about five thousand in number, was detached from the garrison at Vicksburg, and when near the Federal forces, drew up in line of battle. The centre, where the Twenty-first Indiana was posted, became the point of attack, and this regiment, with the Fourteenth Maine, which had come to its support, was compelled to fall back. Pushing on, the rebels occupied a portion of the deserted Union camp. Having plundered and burnt it, and gained possession of one of Everett's guns, they were in turn assailed by the Sixth Michigan, with musketry and artillery, and the Indianians having rallied and charged, the foe was driven from the camp and the lost gun recaptured.

It was in this brilliant charge that General Williams, leading his men to victory, was mortally wounded by a musket ball in the chest. With his last expiring breath, he animated his troops. The enemy, meanwhile, being handsomely repulsed on the centre, attacked the Sixth Michigan,

240

THE REBEL RAM ARKANSAS DESTROYED.

which now occupied its original position. Attempting to scale a high picket fence which intervened, the Federal troops took aim from behind it, and poured a volley in their faces. The contest continued over the fence, till the foe tore it down, and were repelled. In an hour, the rebels attempted to turn the Union right wing. The troops reserved their ammunition until the foe was within fifty paces, and then a deadly musketry fire was freely interchanged. The Federals being driven back, quickly rallied, and, aided by a portion of the Sixth Michigan, charged the enemy with such effect, that they fled panic stricken, leaving some prisoners, their flag, and one cannon, in the hands of the victors. The battle had raged on other portions of the line at the same time, and three successive attacks on Nim's battery, which was supported by the Thirtieth Massachusetts, were repelled, with great loss to the enemy. Great execution was done by Everett's battery, in this engagement; Colonel Cahill, who took command of the army after the death of General Williams, was particularly distinguished for his skill and daring.

The rebels were disappointed at not receiving the expected aid of the ram Arkansas in this action. When the battle had continued from four o'clock in the morning until noon, the Federal gunboats, Essex, Sumter, and Kineo, shelled the woods in which the enemy lay, and checked their advance. The Union troops perhaps ultimately owed their safety to the gunboats. The designs of Breckinridge were frustrated, and he ordered a general retreat. The rebel General Clarke was slain in this action. The Federals lost two hundred and fifty killed and six hundred wounded; the enemy's loss was much greater. The rebel ram Arkansas left Vicksburg on the 3d, and when within fifteen miles of Baton Rouge, suffered such derangement of her machinery as unfitted her for action. Drifting helplessly down the stream, she finally grounded, and the day after the battle the Federal gunboats opened fire on her. Lieutenant Stevens, in command, ordered the crew to abandon her, and escape ashore. She was then blown into atoms. Thus ended the career of the Arkansas.

The harmony which had long existed between the citi zens of the United States and the Indians on the frontier, was at length interrupted, and in August of this year

INDIAN ATROCITIES IN MINNESOTA.

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(1862), the most savage cruelties were perpetrated by the tribes, who introduced civil war in all its horrors. Discontent had arisen among them in consequence of the nonpayment of money due them by the Government, and the frauds of its agents. The Sioux and Chippewas had been cheated infamously for a number of years. The rebel emissaries had stimulated their passions, and told them that the Federal Government was in confusion, and that the present opportunity was propitious to their deliverance and revenge. The Indian insurrection extended along the western border of Minnesota, from Fort Ripley to the southern boundary. The savages practiced the most revolting cruelties throughout the northwestern region; farmhouses were plundered and burned, and the inhabitants most cruelly murdered, without respect to the helplessness of women and children, or the weakness of old age. An attack was made by two hundred mounted Indians on the village of New Ulm, a part of which was burned. In different attacks, several hundreds were killed or wounded. The people of the town made such defence as was in their power, but, had not timely reinforcements of men and arms been sent by the State government at St. Paul, the whole town would have been laid in ashes, and the entire population massacred. The roads between New Ulm and the different Sioux agencies were covered with the bodies of men, women, and children, who in attempting to escape, had been brought down by the rifle, or sacrificed with the murderous tomahawk. Fort Ripley, which contained one hundred Union troops, commanded by Lieutenant Sheehan, was attacked on the 20th of August by a body of Indians nearly one thousand strong. Their attack upon a detachment of the garrison was met by musketry, and many of the savages were killed by a shell which exploded among them. The fight continued till darkness intervened.

A large body of Indians made a second attack on New Ulm, on the 23d of August. The place was defended by Captain Flandreau, with a small force. The soldiers and some of the inhabitants charged the savages through the streets of the town, which was partly burned in the conflict. The attack was renewed on the 24th, and lasted till noon. At that hour, reinforcements of one hundred and fifty men, under Captain Cox, sent by Colonel Sibley to the relief of the place,

242 DEFEAT OF THE INDIANS BY COLONEL SIBLEY.

arrived. The Indians then withdrew. The place was evacuated, and the inhabitants began their dangerous journey through the midst of prowling savages. Two thousand people had to traverse a distance of thirty miles. A wagon train carried the sick, wounded, women, and children. Escorted by Captain Flandreau and his men the entire distance, they escaped with their lives, but lost their property, being stripped of nearly every thing.

Atrocities by the Indians being still committed, Governor Ramsey called on the militia of Minnesota valley and the frontier towns to arm, equip, and join the expedition which was about to move up the Minnesota river, under Colonel Sibley. The latter obtained one thousand infantry and three hundred cavalry, with such volunteers as might join, and marched from Fort Ridgely on the 19th of September. On the 22d he reached Wood Lake, near Yellow Medicine. Various conflicts took place between the Union troops and a desperate band of the savages, under Little Crow, in one of which, at the above named place, the latter was utterly defeated, the insurrection crushed, and peace once more restored to a country rendered desolate with all the horrors of a savage and relentless foe.

The 30th of August was the day on which the Union troops suffered a disgraceful overthrow at Rodgersville, some miles from Richmond, Kentucky. General M. D. Manson commanded the Federals, about eight thousand strong, consisting of infantry, cavalry, and nine pieces of artillery. The rebel forces, fifteen thousand strong, under General Kirby Smith, on the 29th, having driven in the Federal pickets from Big Hill, ten miles from Richmond, were attacked by General Manson, who halted at Rodgersville during the night. As day dawned, the enemy's pickets were encountered. A line of battle was formed, and the action soon became general. Colonel Korf, with the Sixty-ninth Indiana, being ordered to support the forces engaged on the left, performed his duty with such vigor as to repel the enemy. Their overwhelming numbers, however, forced back the Sixty-ninth. Lieutenant-colonel Topping and Major Conkling being killed, panic spread among the Union troops; they fled, and were pursued by the enemy two and a half miles. General Manson rallied his men, and restored the line of battle, artillery protecting the flanks. The troops were raw

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recruits, and soon broke and fled toward Richmond. Majorgeneral Nelson and his officers rallied the fugitives, and again formed them in line of battle. The ammunition was found to be exhausted, ard flight had reduced the troops to three thousand men, who were now nearly surrounded by the rebels. The disorder increased, and the only way of escape was by cutting through the rebel lines. In this attempt, General Nelson was wounded in the thigh, but subsequently reached Lexington. The rebels pursued the retreating columns to Richmond, drove them from that place, and occupied it. The Federals lost one third their entire force in this battle. The forces under General de Coursy made a disgraceful retreat from Tazewell to Cumberland Gap, August 9th.

At this stage of the rebellion, the Confederate command. ers, seeing the success which attended their arms, grew more confident of their ultimate success. The defensive policy was now abandoned, the offensive assumed, and they determined to invade the loyal States. They calcu lated, and not without reason, that there was a large number of persons in those States who were not indifferent to their cause. The plan was deliberately laid, as the writer was informed by numbers of rebel officers, while a captive in Lynchburg. The information was communicated by him, on his return, to the Governor of Pennsyl vania, who was somewhat incredulous.

The Confederate forces at Manassas began to move from Fairfax Court House, and approached the Potomac on the 5th of September. They continued their march through Leesburg, crossing at Edwards' Ferry, and at those of Conrad, Nolen, and Smith. Proceeding, they destroyed the bridge across the Monocacy, and their advance, under General Hill, reached and occupied Frederick on the 6th. The Point of Rocks and Poolesville were in their possession, such of the Federal property as came within reach being seized or destroyed. General Lee issued, on the 8th, a proclamation to the people of Maryland, promising to protect their property; and after setting forth the imagin ary wrongs which that State had endured at the hands of the Federal Government, offered his services and those of his army to aid them in the recovery a their rights as freemen.