CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862 Abstracts 637 - 642 CIVIL WAR Confederate Army (Cont'd) 637 L May 17; ed: 2/2 - The report from Cairo that General Lovell, with 30,000 troops, had joined Beauregard is known in Washington to be wholly absurd. "Lovell had not the third of that force when he left New Orleans, and they were a motley set of craven city loafers called 'Home Guards,' whose presence would be weakness at Corinth." (2) 638 L May 20; ed: 2/1 - Governor Clark of North Carolina has declined to furnish any more soldiers for Jeff Davis' army and has called home all the troops for that state, determined that they shall fight no more for the interests of a demoralized and dying Rebellion. "The population of North Carolina in 1860 was 992,660. Of these a majority were really in favor of the Union and opposed to all the ordinance of secession, but they were not allowed to express their preferences, the arms being in the hands of the rebels. Gen. Burnside has done much toward showing them the error of their ways, and the people have now a Governor who represents them in their late decided action." 639 L May 26; ed: 2/2 - General Beauregard has rewarded a portion of the Texan troops with what he chooses to call "The Order of the Southern Cross of Honor." "How strangely will this phrase strike upon the ears of Northerners who have seen and read of 'Southern honor'; and if Beauregard would accept suggestions from a Northern source, what numerous recommendations to the same honor would be made from the records of the rebel army.' (5) (6) 640 L June 16; ed: 2/1 - The latest report of the Rebel strength at Richmond puts the army there at 75,000 men. "While this is probably rather an under than an over estimate, the reports of 200,000 troops there are doubtless exaggerated. (2) 641 L June 21; ed: 2/1 - The mother of a lieutenant colonel in the secession army, living a short distance from Winchester, has received a letter from her son. He says that as soon as the harvest is gathered, Jackson with 75,000 men will enter this valley to thresh and bear it off, if they are not able to hold total possession of this fertile region. "This accords with the theory of the campaign in regard to a supposed and highly probable evacuation of Richmond." 642 L June 23; ed: 2/1 (2) General Beauregard, who is generally reported in a half a dozen places at once, is according to reports at both Mobile and Richmond. "It is evident that no formidable stand will be made in the Southwest by the rebel army. Gen. Bragg is said to have succeeded Beauregard in command of the rebel army of the West." (3) CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862 Abstracts 643 - 649 CIVIL WAR - Confederate Army (Cont'd) 643 L July 24; ed: 2/2 - The aged traitor, David E. Twiggs, is dead at Augusta, Ga. He was one of the earliest United States officers who joined the Jeff Davis crew and served his base cause by turning New Orleans over to them. Three swords presented to him were seized by General Butler and sent to the President. He had left them in the care of a colored woman. A vigorous denunciation of Twiggs' lack of loyalty to his government is in General Butler's report. 644 L Aug. 14; ed: 2/2 - The Nashville UNION to the declaration of the Louisville JOURNAL that Morgan took away from Kentucky the best horses and meanest men in the state, tartly replied: (12) "No he didn't, he left Beriah Mayoffin and Lazarus Powell." This may well pass for a centre shot. (1) 645 L Aug. 27:2/3 - In a reprint of Washington correspondence there appears the statement that the Rebels have 350,000 soldiers in the west. (1) 646 L Sept. 13; ed: 2/1 - How is it that the ragged, ill-treated. ignorant Rebel soldiers are a match for the well-clothed, well fed, intelligent soldiers of the Union armies? The answer is discipline. The men know they must obey. The man who steps out of the ranks is shot on the spot; the deserter is hung when captured. "We can also learn from them in handling incompetent, cowardly or treacherous generals. John B. Floyd was cashiered for surrendering Fort Donelson altho he was the right hand man of the Confederacy." (9) 647 L Sept. 26; ed: 2/2 - General Sibley, who led the Rebel expedition into Mexico and was signally defeated by General Canby, is reported to have been shot by his own men, Texans, who alleged that the defeat was due to the drunkenness and inefficiency of their leaders. General Sibley was formerly a major in the U. S. cavalry. The Rebel Colonel Steele met a similar fate. "The end of these men may be regarded as a precedent of what will happen to the great leaders of the rebellion when their deluded followers come to their senses." (3) 648 L Oct. 17; ed: 4/1 - A correspondent of the Savannah REPUBLICAN, who is with Lee's army at Winchester, Va., says: "The men must have clothing and shoes this winter.... This must be done, though friends at home should have to wear cotton and sit by the fire. "Already the hills and valleys in this high latitude have been visited by frost, and the nights are uncomfortable and cool to the man who sleeps upon the ground." 649 L Oct. 24; ed: 2/4 - A Rebel journal relates the following incident that occurred in Maryland between Stonewall Jackson and some ladies. (8) CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862 The latter surrounded the old gamecock, cut every button off his coat and commenced on his pants. Jackson declared: "Ladies this is the first time I was ever surrounded." He feared he would be in the uniform of a Georgia colonel minus everything save a shirt collar and spurs. "For once he was badly scared." (2) 650 L Oct. 24; ed: 2/4 - On the 8th instant Jeff Davis sent in a special message to the rebel Congress, upon the subject of getting rid of incompetent officers, in which he uses the following language, which is adapted to other meridians than that of Richmond: "'Tender consideration for worthless and incompetent officers is...cruelty to the brave men who fall... to the defects of their leaders.' (2) ་་་ 651 L Oct. 25; ed: 2/1 - William S. Wight of Cleveland, has just returned from Nashville. He and a party of 12 left here on Aug. 12 to do service for the government and were overhauled near Gordonsville by 50 Confederate cavalry, who took their baggage and money. The Rebels promised to refund the money, but needless to say the promise was not fulfilled. Wight says our troops are strong enough to protect Nashville. (11) 652 L Oct. 27; ed: 2/1 - While we are dissatisfied with Buell, the Rebels are cursing Bragg because he did not take Cincinnati or Louisville. (2) 653 L Oct. 29; ed: 1/3 - "John Morgan is a bad example. But we hope our troops will follow him." (1) 654 L Oct. 29; ed: 2/1 - While it is true that the Rebel army is suffering and destitute, it is safe to say that the Rebels military strength was never greater. Every day of delay has been an advantage to them. What is demanded is action. Let incompetents be weeded out and let Fighting generals lead. "This, and this only will bring an honorable peace." (7) (1) 655 L Nov. 18; ed: 2/2 - Current rumors about the Rebels being in Hancock and Cumberland, Md., prove untrue. Confederate Navy 656 L Feb. 15; ed: 2/2 - "The Rebels have placed great dependence upon the steamer MERRIMAC, which they have iron plated at Norfolk, intending to whip all our fleet at Hampton Roads with her. It appears that she is after all a failure.... The error, which we believe to be one of consider ably more than one hundred tons, was discovered when the ship was floated, and to that fact it is to be attributed her detention to dock. In consequence of this some parts of her machinery have been taken out." CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862 Abstracts 657 - 662 CIVIL WAR Confederate Navy (Cont'd) 657 L Oct. 20; ed:2/2 - The Rebel troops have abandoned the Kanawha Valley, taking with them their sick and wounded, all their effects and several days' rations, and hurried up the valley, leaving the impression that they were going into the Valley of Virginia to reinforce General Lee at Winchester. "The rebels have made a good thing out of the Charleston salt works, which our officers strangely left undestroyed. The distress for want of that article at the South has been in great measure relieved by these works since they fell into rebel hands.". (3) 658 L Oct. 22; ed: 2/2 - Some say the Rebel craft ALABAMA was designated "290" because her length is 290 feet. Another, and the most probable reason is that the ship was bought by a subscription made by 290 British merchants. "One of these days a settlement of this account will be made." (2) 659 L Oct. 22; ed: 2/4 - The "pirate" ship ALABAMA or "290" which was built in England for the Rebels, is now creating more of a sensation than did the NASHVILLE. Her escape from Liverpool deceives no one. This vessel is about 1,200 tons and usually sets the St. George's cross on approaching a vessel. She has shelled nearly 20 American vessels and then burned them and paroled their officers and crews. (11) 660 L Oct. 22; ed: 4/1 - "Old Beeswax" Captain Semmes, commander of the Confederate steamer ALABAMA, uses a plan in seizing merchant vessels. He captures one and waits till night to burn it. This attracts another victim which his crew first plunders and then burns, thus setting the plan in operation all over again. "This will continue until we have ships of greater speed than we now possess or expect soon to have." (8) Confiscation 661 L May 2; ed: 2/2 - The House of Representatives has passed an efficient confiscation bill, by which the Rebel states will be compelled to pay a part of the expenses of the war they have inaugurated. "The people will hail the passage of this act with joy. They have given their sons and money for the suppression of the rebellion, and they will continue to do so as long as there is any demand for their sacrifices, but they are not willing to pay the whole bill that the rebels have entailed." 662 L May 20; ed: 2/1 The speech of the Hon. B. F. Wade upon the confiscation bill appears elsewhere in our columns today. "It is an able review of the whole subject, and will repay a careful reading. There is no man in the country more thoroughly in earnest in the work of crushing the rebellion and restoring the dominion of the Government than Mr. Wade." (6) (2) CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862 Abstracts 663 - 666 CIVIL WAR - Confiscation (Cont'd) 663 - L May 23; ed: 2/4 - A Union man from Norfolk, who was worth $30,000 a year ago, every dollar of which the Rebel government confiscated, took to the woods and swamps of Norfolk. Hearing that the old flag waved once Meeting an old northern friend on more over his native city, he returned. the streets he threw himself into his arms and fell to the ground a shrieking maniac. "The convulsion of joy was too much for mind and body, enfeebled by his starving life in the woods, and he is now a lunatic." (3) 664 L June 3:3/1 The meeting called by a number of prominent citizens at Brainard's hall this evening, of those in favor of confiscating the property of the Rebels including their slaves, will be so fully attended, it is to be hoped, as to give to its action a significance not to be misunderstood. 665 L June 11; ed: 2/1 The Senate did a good thing in resolving that the commander-in-chief of the army and navy should instruct all the officers commanding departments that the army of the republic will be subsisted, as far as possible, upon the property of those in Rebellion and those who give aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States. "This is just what the people of the loyal North have been demanding since the war commenced. 666 L July 11:2/2 In a letter to the editor, an officer in Nelson's division says: Outside pressure may be handicapping the president as commander-in-chief and preventing him from putting into operation such measures as will forever remove from our country the cause of all our troubles. It would be just and right as well, to order the confiscation of all the Negro property of those who have in any way helped this unholy rebellion. That slavery is the first great cause none may doubt. That it is the bone and sinew of the southern army is equally plain to me. The abolition of slavery is warranted and this should be the firm and unalterable determination of the government. (3) (5) Before the rebellion good men and true were in doubt, but now there can be no doubt. The leaders of the rebellion have published to the world that slavery is the corner stone and foundation of their government. That government is in open rebellion against us. Take away their slaves and they will be brought to a state of dependence on the arts of peace rather than on the arts of war. Let it be woe to him who cries peace until this great evil is removed. Let us not be clamorous, but let us take second thought and act with intelligence and firmness. Let our motto be: No more slave territory. No more slavery in America. Then, let us adopt such measures as will place the government on a solid foundation to maintain her independence against domestic or foreign invasion. (21) |