ate infantry and cavalry. The Federal loss was five killed, six wounded, and seven missing. The cars were burned, and a considerable quantity of carpenters' tools, blankets, and other baggage was taken by the enemy, who suffered no loss. At the same time the Potomac was crossed at Williamsport by the Union forces under the command of Gen. Patterson, and Piedmont, a village on the Manassas Gap Railroad, sixty-one miles west of Alexandria, was occupied by the enemy. As an offset a small squad of Missouri troops, numbering thirty-five men, was captured at Liberty in that State.

On the 23d, by an order of Gen. J. E. Johnston, in command of the Southern troops, fortysix locomotives and three hundred and five cars of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad were gathered at Martinsburg, and with wood from the company's supply, piled around them, set on fire and destroyed. The destruction of property was estimated at $400,000.

On the 26th an attack was made on a small force sent on shore to clear the wood from Mathias Point, on the Potomac, fifty miles below Washington. The party were about to go on board the gunboat Freeborn, when they were attacked. They escaped without loss under the cover of the gun of the Freeborn, but Capt. Ward, her commander, while sighting the gun was wounded, and died a few hours' afterwards. On July 1st, Gen. Morris, commanding the 3d and 4th Ohio regiments, near Buckhannon, on the east fork of the Monongahela River, attacked a body of Virginia troops under Gen. Henry A. Wise, and routed them with a loss of twenty-three killed and a number taken prisoners. On the same day a skirmish took place at Falling Water, Virginia, and on the next day another at Martinsburg, with a very small loss on either side. On the next day an entire company of Confederates were captured at Nesho in Missouri. This was followed by the seizure of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad by Tennesseans on the 4th, and a battle at Carthage, Missouri, on the 5th, between some of Gen. Lyon's troops under Col. Sigel, assisted by Col. Solomon, and a body of State troops under Gen. Rains and Col. Parsons. The Union loss was thirteen killed and thirty-one wounded. The movement of Gen. Lyon up the Missouri River and through the central part of the State, it now appeared, had the effect to restrain the secessionists and prevent them from organizing a formidable force. Two days later another skirmish occurred at Brier Forks near Carthage, in which neither party gained any special advantage. Meantime a skirmish occurred at Middle York bridge, near Buckhannon, in which a part of a company of the 3d Ohio regiment encountered a body of Virginians unexpectedly, and escaped without serious loss.

On July 8th a communication was brought to President Lincoln from Jefferson Davis by Col. Taylor, relative to prisoners who had been taken with vessels which sailed from Southern ports as privateers. Col. Taylor, in displaying

a flag of truce before the Federal lines in Virginia, opposite Washington, was brought blindfolded into camp, and his letter sent to Lieut.Gen. Scott, who delivered it to the President. Gen. Scott sent back as an answer, that the President would reply. No reply was ever made. The President of the new Confederacy had issued a proclamation as early as April 17th, proposing to grant letters of marque and reprisal on certain conditions. The announcement of this privateering policy caused at the North, where there was so much at risk, a great sensation, after it was seen that the insurrectionists would be successful in obtaining vessels, and were determined to do all the injury possible to Northern commerce. President Lincoln, in anticipation of these efforts at privateering, closes his proclamation of April 19, announcing a blockade of Southern ports, with this threat:

And I hereby proclaim and declare that if any person, under the pretended authority of the said States, the United States, or the persons or cargo on board or under any other pretence, shall molest a vessel of of her, such person will be held amenable to the laws of the United States for the prevention and punishment of piracy.

Among the first vessels to take out letters of marque at the South, under the proclamation of Jefferson Davis, was the Petrel, formerly the revenue-cutter Aiken, which had been surrendered to the Confederates in Charleston harbor, and the crew of which had volunteered under the new government. This vessel had run the blockade, but was no sooner at sea, July 28, than she fell in with the United States frigate St. Lawrence, and was captured. The captain of the St. Lawrence observed the Southern vessel in the distance, and immediately hauled down his heavy spars and closed his ports. Then, with the men below, the old frigate looked very much like a large merchant vessel, and the privateer bore down, hoping to take a good prize. The commander of the Petrel, William Perry, of South Carolina, gave the St. Lawrence a round ball over her bows and some canister over the stern, but the frigate sailed on as if trying to get away, when the Petrel gave chase, and when in fair range of the frigate the latter opened her ports and gave the Petrel a compliment of three guns, two of grape and one of round shot. The latter was a 32-pounder, and struck the Petrel amidships, below the water line, and she sunk in a few minutes. Four of the crew were drowned, and the rest, thirty-six in number, were rescued. Some of the men, when fished out of the water, were at a loss to know what had happened to them. The suddenness of the St. Lawrence's reply, the deafening roar of the guns, and the splinters and submerged vessel, were all incidents that happened apparently in a moment.

The Calhoun, a side-wheel steamer of 1,058 tons, was built in New York in 1851. She was 175 feet long, 27 feet wide, 11 feet hold. She was commanded by George N. Hollins, formerly of the United States navy, and carried

one 24-pounder, and two 18-pounder Dahlgren guns. By the 27th of May she had captured and sent into New Orleans two schooners, the John Adams and the Mermaid, of Provincetown, and the brig Panama. Their united crews numbered 63 men, and they had on board 215 bbls. whale and sperm oil. She captured also the ship Milan, from Liverpool, with 1,500 sacks of salt, worth $20,000; the bark Ocean Eagle, from Rockland, Maine, with lime, worth $20,000; and the schooner Ida, from Tampico, with fruit, worth $5,000. The Calhoun was commander Hollins's flag-ship when the attack on the Union fleet was made on the Mississippi,

October 11.

The schooner William C. Atwater, Capt. Allen, belonged to New Haven, and was in the service of the Government. The crew numbered eight men. Off Cedar Keys, Florida, on the 10th of May, she was captured by the steamer Spray, which had on board thirty-one men, armed with bowie-knives, revolvers, muskets with bayonets, etc. The captors took her to Appalachicola, where she arrived on the 13th of May.

The Ivey, a small steamer of 200 tons, was armed with two 8-inch rifled 32-pounder guns. She captured the ship Marathon, from Marseilles, in ballast, worth $35,000; and the ship Albino, from Boston, with a cargo of ice, worth $20,000. The armed steamer Murie captured the Marshall Sprague, of Providence, from Havre, in ballast, worth $50,000; and the ship John H. Jarvis, from Liverpool, worth $10,000.

The steamer Wm. H. Webb was formerly a towboat in New York, where she was built in 1856; she was 650 tons, draught 7 feet, 197 feet long, 31 feet beam, 12 feet hold, and was one of the strongest and largest boats of that class. A few years previous she had been purchased by some of the New Orleans merchants for the purpose of towing the heavilyladen ships to and from that city. She was converted into a gunboat and seized three vessels laden with oil, on the 24th of May.

The Dixie, a schooner of about 150 tons burden, was fitted out as a privateer in Charleston, from which place she ran the blockade on the 19th of July, and on the 23d encountered the bark Glen, of Portland, Maine, of which she at once made a prize. On the 25th she captured the schooner Mary Alice, of New York, with a cargo of sugar, from the West Indies, bound to New York, and placed a prize crew on board; she was, however, retaken by the blockading fleet almost immediately after. On the evening of the 31st the Dixie came up with the Rowena, a bark laden with coffee, bound to Philadelphia; she was taken possession of, and the captain of the Dixie himself took the place of prize-master, and successfully reached Charleston on the 27th of August, after several narrow escapes from the vessels of the blockading fleet. The following were the officers of the Dixie: captain, Thomas J. Moore; first

lieutenant, George D. Walker; second lieutenant, John W. Marshall; third lieutenant, L. D. Benton; gunner, Charles Ware; boatswain, Geo. O. Gladden; steward, C. Butcher. had also twenty-two seamen and a cook, and her armament consisted of four guns.

She

The Jeff. Davis, early in June, appeared on the eastern coast, running in as near as the Nantucket Shoals, and making on her way prizes that were roughly estimated at $225,000. She was formerly the slaver Echo, that was captured about two years previous, and was condemned in Charleston harbor. She was a fullrigged brig, painted black on the outside, and had a rusty, dull appearance, that would not be likely to alarm any vessel of ordinary sailing qualities; crew 260 men. Her armament consisted of a 32-pounder gun, placed amidships, mounted on a pivot, so that it might be used in all directions, and on each side a 32-pounder and a 12-pounder, so as to equalize the strength of the broadside. Captain Coxetter was her commander. His first lieutenant, named Postel, was at one time a midshipman in the United States navy, and also held a position in the Savannah custom-house.

The Davis had previously taken three prizes; one of these, and the most valuable, was the J. G. Waring, captured within 200 miles of New York. The captain, mates, and two seamen, were taken out, and five of the Davis crew put on board. The colored steward, W. Tillman, was allowed to remain. The vessel then made for Charleston. On the 16th of July Tillman, aided by McLeod, a seaman, killed the prize-captain and mates, and sailed for New York, where he arrived with two prisoners of the prize-crew. Tillman was awarded salvage. The Jeff. Davis also took the ship John Crawford, from Philadelphia, for Key West, with arms and coal for the United States. She drew 22 feet water, and was burned.

In attempting, August 17, to cross the bar at St. Augustine, Fla., the brig grounded on the North Breakers. This was about half-past six o'clock, Sunday morning. A small boat was sent ashore with Dr. Babcock and Lieut. Baya, and the prisoners landed. The officers and crew of the privateer then went ashore, and were greeted with the most enthusiastic demonstrations by the inhabitants. About halfpast nine two lighter-boats went off to the brig with Capt. Coxetter and other officers. The starboard guns were thrown overboard to lighten the vessel, in order to clear her decks of water, and save as much as possible of the supplies on board the brig. Every effort was finally made to change her position, but it was supposed that the guns when thrown overboard stove her in and caused her to bilge. The lighter boats, however, were filled with a large amount of provisions and baggage, and finally succeeded in saving all the small-arms on board. About two o'clock all hands left, and were conveyed to St. Augustine. The crew

on Occoquan River and Quantico Creek, was famous for her boldness in running down to within gunshot of the Federal batteries, and occasionally throwing a shell into them, thereby keeping up continuous alarm.

The Judith, schooner, of 250 tons, armed with a heavy pivot-gun, and four broadside guns, was destroyed in Pensacola harbor, September 13. The Union loss was 3 killed, 12 wounded.

The Yorktown was formerly used in the New York and Virginia line of steamers. She was a side-wheel steamer of 1,400 tons burden, built in New York in 1859; length, 251 feet; breadth, 34 feet; depth, 18 feet. She had been completely fitted out at Norfolk, her sides having been plated with iron, and other means taken to strengthen her, and to render her formidable. She was commanded by Capt. Parish, her old commander, and carried two pivots, and six broadside guns.

The Everglade was a small side-wheel steamer, purchased by the State of Georgia for the sum of $34,000. She was made a gunboat, for the purpose of cruising as a coast-guard at the mouth of the Savannah River. Her officers, as at first appointed, were as follows: commander, J. McIntosh Kell; midshipmen, R. F. Armstrong, S. N. Hooper, J. A. Merriweather; chief engineer, Joshua Smith; assistant engineer, Norval Meeker; clerk, William J. Bennett.

The North Carolina steamer Winslow, Lieut. Crossman commanding, captured off Cape Hatteras the schooner Transit, Knowles master, last from Key West. The prize was in ballast, having sailed from New York for Key West

with provisions, shot, etc., about the 27th of May. Having landed her cargo safely at Key West, the Transit was upon her return north when captured. She was a fine schooner, of 195 tons burden, and was built at a cost of $13,000. She was copper-fastened up to 9 feet, and had galvanized iron fastenings above that. She belonged to New London, Conn. The prize was carried to Newbern, by Lieut. Seawell. Lieut. Crossman also captured off Cape Hatteras, the Hannah Balch, a hermaphrodite brig, which was captured previously off Savannah by the United States ship Flag, Lieut. Sarton. She was just from Cardenas, and laden with 150 barrels of molasses.

The little schooner Savannah was formerly pilot boat No. 7, doing duty in Charleston harbor, 54 tons burden. She carried one 18pounder amidships, and was commanded by T. Harrison Baker, of Charleston, and had a crew of 20 men. On the 1st of June she captured the brig Joseph, of Maine, from Cuba, loaded with sugar, and sent her into Georgetown, S. C., in charge of eight men. On the 3d of June, off Charleston, she fell in with the U. S. brig Perry, which she mistook for a merchantman, and immediately engaged, but was soon taken. Her crew were placed in irons on board the United States steamer Minnesota, and she was sent to New York, in charge of prize-master McCook. Her appearance created great interest among the people, on account of her being the first privateer captured, and crowds of people flocked to the Battery, off which she lay, to see the little craft. She was afterward taken to the navy yard.

MILITARY operations now began to be conducted with more concentrated forces. From the first moment great activity in raising troops had prevailed in the State of Ohio.

Gen. George B. MClellan was invited from his duties in connection with the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad by the Governor of Ohio, and appointed to the chief command in the State. Under his directions the volunteers were organized, and preparations for a campaign made. Early in May the forces were ready to cooperate with the two or three regiments organized in Western Virginia, to oppose the advance of Virginia troops. The occupation of Western Virginia, which had voted against the ordinance of secession, and its control, was early an object with the Confederate Government. To oppose them, Gen. McClellan pushed

forward, under the orders of the United States Government.

On the 26th of May he issued the following proclamation to the people of Western Virginia, from his headquarters at Cincinnati, Ohio:

To the Union Men of Western Virginia.

VIRGINIANS: The General Government has long enough endured the machinations of a few factious rebels in your midst. Armed traitors have in vain endeavored to deter you from expressing your loyalty at the polls. Having failed in this infamous attempt to deprive you of the exercise of your dearest rights, they now seek to inaugurate a reign of terror, and thus force you to yield to their schemes and submit to the yoke of traitorous conspiracy dignified by the name of the Southern Confederacy. They are destroying the property of citizens of your State and ruining your magnificent railways.

The General Government has heretofore carefully