LOSS OF THE MONITOR AT SEA. 319 fought with great heroism, and had eleven killed and forty wounded, among the former the brave Major Rosengarten. The total loss of the Federals in this battle, was one thousand five hundred and twenty-three killed, including ninety officers, seven thousand two hundred and forty-five wounded, and several thousands prisoners. Among the Federal officers killed, were Brigadier-general ill, Colonels Roberts and Schaffer, and Lieutenant-colonel Gareché. Among the wounded, were Major-general Alexander McCook, and Brig. adiers Willich, Kirk, Wood, and Van Cleve. The Union loss was over twenty per. cent of the whole force. The rebels lost General Rains, killed; and Bragg acknowledged a loss of ten thousand killed and wounded, not including twenty-eight hundred in prisoners and wounded, left in the hands of the victors. In this battle, both sides fought with great determination. In few fields did the Confederates suffer a more disastrous defeat; but the victory was dearly bought by the Unionists. On the 30th of December (1862), the iron-clad Monitor, which had achieved such a splendid triumph over the rebel ram Merrimac, in the early part of the year, at Hampton Roads, and which was the oldest of the Federal iron-clads, foundered at sea off Cape Hatteras, with a loss of two officers and twenty-eight men. Captain John P. Bankhead, was in command, and on the 29th, it was found that the packing under and around the base of the tower, had been loosened by the working of the latter. In a short time, the Worthington and Centrifugal pumps, both in turn applied, were not found of any benefit, and the water rose above the floor, in the engine room. The Rhode Island lay along-side of the Monitor, and several of the boats of the former rescued most of the crew of the sinking vessel. Several remained clinging to the turret, fearful of leaving it, as a few had been swept off the deck; these, when the Monitor gave a lurch, and sunk in the sea, found with her a watery grave. On the Mississippi, the first attempt to capture Vicksburg had failed, and on the 21st of June, a new effort had been made by Captains Davis and Porter, with the gunboats and fleet. An effort to dig an artificial channel for the river, across the narrow peninsula on which the city stands, was found at that time to be impracticable, and the co-operation of a land force was deemed necessary, in order to capture 320 SHERMAN'S ADVANCE ON VICKSBURG. the stronghold, and open the Mississippi. After considerable delay, in the month of December, 1862, General William T. Sherman, with a powerful land force, was about to attack the city. The naval portion of the expedition left Memphis and Helena on the 23d of December, and consisted of nearly one hundred vessels, including transports and gunboats. Many of the gunboats had already been renowned in the annals of this great rebellion. Among them was the Benton, Carondelet, Black Hawk, Mound City, Louisville, Lexington, and Switzerland. The reinforcements to the rebel garrison in Vicksburg, from Arkansas, were sent by the railroad from Shreveport, which traverses Milliken's Bend. To attack the works at Shreveport was important, and some Federal troops being disembarked for that purpose, proceeded twenty miles inland, burned part of the town, and after destroying the track, bridges, culverts, and stations, returned to Milliken's Bend, and proceeding down the stream, reached the mouth of the Yazoo on the 26th. They then advanced up the Yazoo sixteen miles, and disembarked between the confluence of the Yazoo with the Old river and Johnson's Ferry. The landing was made on the south side of the stream, eight miles from Vicksburg. The main body of the rebels was posted at Haines' Bluff, with a battery of twenty guns. Every hill and approach to the city was well fortified. The Federal forces, about twenty-five thousand strong, consisted of the troops stationed at Memphis, part of the army of Curtis, in Arkansas, the army which had evacuated Cumberland Gap, and some recruits from the Western States, the whole being under the command of General Sherman. There were four divisions, viz.: those of Generals Frederick Steele, Morgan L. Smith, George W. Morgan, and A. J. Smith; the brigade commanders were, Frank Blair, A. P. Hovey, Thayer, and Colonel De Courcy. The place was regarded as a second Gibralter, and was defended by a large Confederate force. This fortified position had powerful intrenchments, made of fallen timber earth embankments, sloughs, and rifle pits. and mounted one hundred guns. His dispositions being ready, Sherman ordered the brig ades of Blair and Stuart to advance on the enemy's position. They drove in the pickets of the foe; Smith's division fol lowed, and moving up on the front, was placed in position. The arrangements were con pleted on the 27th of December, FAILURE OF THE ATTACK ON VICKSBURG. 321 and on Sunday morning, the 29th, both armies were drawn up in order of battle. It began with cannonading, and for the space of an hour, the Federals lay on their backs; when the order was given to charge on the nearest battery, which was successfully executed, and the rebels removed their guns beyond the lagoon, to the foot of the bluffs. In this charge, the Union Colonel Wyman was killed, and General M. Smith wounded. The Sixth and Eighth Missouri regiments had participated in the attack. A heavy cannonading on the left, seemed to indicate an attack upon General Steele, and Sherman determined to carry the outer line of the enemy by assault; consequently he ordered General Morgan and Colonel De Courcy forward, with Colonel Ladrum's brigade as a reserve. The first line was carried, and the Federals now saw what formidable intrenchments must be taken before the city could be captured. The gunboats, in the meantime, had been engaged, and in an attack of a few hours' duration on Haines' Bluff, each vessel had fired sixty guns. Captain Gwin, of the Benton, was mortally wounded; the balls of the enemy had twice. pierced his vessel, and four men on board were also killed. The attack failed, and the gunboats were withdrawn. The grand assault took place on the 29th, at an anticipated point, and therefore the movement was an injudicious one. The first gun boomed at nine o'clock A. M., and a severe cannonading took place, which lasted until noon. Sherman now resolved to storm the works by a general assault, and Steele's troops were brought forward, together with those of Morgan; Blair, with his troops, occupying the west of the bayou. The advance toward the enemy's second line, was made with great spirit; the intrenchments were reached, and the enemy driven out of their strongholds. The Federals lost heavily. Blair's brigade heroically advanced on the enemy's batteries, and followed by the troops of Fletcher Diester, Peckham, Thayer, and Cavender, they scaled the hill, and hoisted the Union flag upon the inner breast works. A deadly struggle ensued, in which the advantages of the enemy's artillery, and superior numbers prevailed; the assailants being hurled down the heights with dreadful slaughter, which decimated their ranks. The attack was a failure, and proved that the stronghold could not be taken from the Yazoo, as a base. The Federal loss 322 SLAVES OF REBELS PROCLAIMED FREE. amounted to six hundred killed, one thousand five hundred wounded, and one thousand captured. On Thursday, January 16th, General Sherman was superseded by General McClernand, and a council of war, on board the Tigris, concluded that the present force was insuf ficient to capture Vicksburg. The design was therefore for the present abandoned, and the troops re-embarked, to make an attempt elsewhere with more prospect of success. On the 10th of January, 1863, the rebels, in considerable force, made an attack on Springfield, Missouri, which was defended by Colonel Crabb, with the Nineteenth Iowa, but were repulsed with the loss of thirty-five killed and wounded. The Union loss was seventeen killed and fifty-two wounded. At the same time, a fight took place at Hartsville, in the same State, in which seven hundred troops, under Major Collins, attacked and routed several thousand marauders, under Marmaduke, and drove them five miles toward the south, with the loss of one hundred men; the Federal loss being only thirty-five killed and wounded. In the beginning of 1863, the President, in accordance with the promise of his proclamation of the 22d of September, 1862, proceeded to designate the States, and parts of States, which should be in a state of resistance to the Federal Government on the 1st of January, 1863, in which States all slaves should become forever free. The States, or parts of States, were Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, except ten parishes (including the city of New Orleans), Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, except West Virginia, and seven counties. The radicals regarded this proclamation as the mortal blow of slavery, and rejoiced in consequence. The conservatives received it with approbation, and the loyal North was universally satisfied. Not so the rebel Congress, who poured their unmeasured execrations on the name of Mr. Lincoln, in all the ferocity of men who knew it would be detrimental to the rebel cause. The general voice of the Southern community and press was such that no terms of reprobation could be employed too severe in denouncing the policy of the President of the United States. CHAPTER XXXII. JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH, 1863. BATTLE OF HUNT'S CROSSROADS-CARTER'S EXPEDITION INTO EAST TENNESSEE SKIRMISH AT MOorefield, VIRGINIA-REBEL ATTACK ON, AND CAPTURE OF, GALVESTON, TEXAS-THE WORKINGMEN OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ADDRESS MR. LINCOLN HIS REPLY-BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ARKANSAS POST-GENERAL BURNSIDE SUPERSEDED-THE QUESTION OF negro troOPS IN THE ARMY-REBEL CRUISER ORETO-DESTRUCTION OF THE STEAMBOAT HATTERAS-REBEL ATTACK ON FORT DONELSON-THE CONSCRIPTION BILL-CAPTURE of the QUEEN OF THE WEST-DESTRUCTION OF THE PIRATE NASHVILLE-FIGHT AT THOMPSON'S STATION, TENNESSEE-CAVALRY FIGHT OF AVERILL, AT KELLY'S FORDATTACK ON PORT HUDSON-ITS INCIDENCES AND RESULTS-VICTORY OF GENERAL GILMORE AT SOMERSET-REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR. CONTEMPORARY with the battles of Murfreesboro and Vicksburg, was that of Hunt's Crossroads, Tennessee, between the rebel General Forrest, with seven thousand cavalry and ten guns, and General J. C. Sullivan, on the Federal side, with six hundred men and eight guns. This battle occurred in the vicinity of Lexington, Tennessee, and was fought on December 31st, to intercept the passage of Forrest across the Tennessee river, at Clifton, with his plunder. After a bloody contest, in which the Union troops fought gallantly, the rebels having lost two pieces, which were turned against them, were forced to retire, with the loss of one thousand men. The Federal loss was twenty killed, one hundred wounded, and sixty prisoners. The fruits of the victory, including those before mentioned, were seven cannon, with caissons and ammunition, and five hundred horses, together with wagons, ambulances, and small arms. On the 21st of December, General Carter, with one thousand cavalry, started from Manchester, Kentucky, on an expedition into East Tennessee. He destroyed several im portant bridges, a locomotive and train, and captured five. hundred and fifty prisoners, and seven hundred stand of arms. The expedition was made in the midst of great diffi |