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hending and self-sacrificing patriotism, we can, with the blessing of God, avert the perils which environ us, and achieve for ourselves and children peace and freedom. Hitherto the Lord has interposed graciously to bring us victory, and in his hand there is present power to prevent this great multitude which come against us from casting us out of the possession which he has given us to inherit.

given to slip the chain, beat to quarters, and call the Captain. Just after issuing these orders, the Master's Mate from the forcastle reported the suspicious appearance to the officer in charge. The officers and men were promptly on deck, but by this time the submarine machine was so near us that its form and the phosphorescent light produced by its motion through the water were plainly visible. At the call to quarters it had stopped, or nearly so, and then moved toward the stern of the vessel, probably to avoid our broadside guns. When the Captain reached our deck, it was on the starboard quarter, and so near us that all attempts to train a gun on it were futile. Several shots were fired into it from revolvers and rifles; it also received two charges of buckshot from the Captain's gun.

The chain had been slipped and the engines had just begun to move, when the crash came, throw. ing timbers and splinters into the air, and apparently blowing off the entire stern of the vessel. This was immediately followed by a fearful rushing of water, the rolling out of a dense, black smoke from the stack, and the settling of the vessel.

T. J. Semmes, J. L. Orr, A. E. Maxwell, Committee on the part of the Senate; J. W. Clapp, Julian Hartridge, J. L. W. Curry, John Goode, Jr., W. N. H. Smith, Committee of House of Representatives; Thomas S. Bocock, Speaker of House of Representatives; Walter Preston, John McQueen, Charles W. Russell, W. Lander, A. H. Conrow, C. J. Munnerlyn, Thomas S. Ashe, O. R. Singleton, J. L. Pugh, A. H. Arrington, Walter R. Staples, A. R. Boteler, Thomas J. Foster, W. R. Smith, Robert J. Breckinridge, John M. Martin, Porter Ingram, A. A. Garland, E. S. Dargan, D. Funsten, Thomas D. McDowell, J. R. McLean, R. R. Bridgers, G. W. Jones, B. S. Gaither, George W. Ewing, W. D. Holder, Daniel W. Lewis, Henry E. Read, A. J. Davidson, M. H. Macwillie, James Lyons, Caspar W. Bell, Orders were at once given to clear away the R. B. Hilton, Charles J. Villers, J. W. Moore, Lu- boats, and the men sprang to the work with a cien J. Dupre, John C. Atkins, Israel Welsh, will. But we were filling too rapidly. The ship William G. Swan, F. B. Sexton, T. L. Burnett, gave a lurch to port and all the boats on that George G. Vest, William Porcher Miles, E. Barks- side were swamped. Many men and some offidale, Charles F. Collier, P. W. Gray, W. W. cers jumped overboard and clung to such porClarke, William W. Boyce, John R. Chambliss, tions of the wreck as came within reach, while John J. McRae, John Perkins, Jr., Robert John- others sought safety in the rigging and tops. ston, James Farrow, W. D. Simpson, Lucius J. Fortunately we were in but twenty-eight feet of Gartrell, M. D. Graham, John B. Baldwin, E. M. water, and two of the boats on the starboard Bruce, Thomas B. Hanly, W. P. Chilton, A. H. side were lowered. Most of those who had Kenan, C. M. Conrad, H. M. Bruce, David Clop-jumped overboard were either picked up or ton, W. B. Machen, D. C. De Jarnette, H. C. Chambers.

Doc. 84.

THE LOSS OF THE HOUSATONIC.

A NAVAL OFFICER'S ACCOUNT.

On the evening of February seventeenth, the Housatonic was anchored outside the bar, two and a half miles from Beach Inlet battery, and five miles and three fifths from the ruins of Sumter her usual station on the blockade. There was but little wind or sea, the sky was cloudless, and the moon shining brightly. A slight mist rested on the water, not sufficient, however, to prevent our discerning other vessels on the blockade two or three miles away. The usual lookouts were stationed on the forcastle, in the gangway, and on the quarter-deck.

At about forty-five minutes past eight of the first watch, the officer of the deck discovered, while looking in the direction of Beach Inlet battery, a slight disturbance of the water, like that produced by a porpoise. At that time it appeared to be about one hundred yards distant and a-beam. The Quartermaster examined it with his glass, and pronounced it a school of fish. As it was evidently nearing the ship, orders were at once

swam back to the wreck. The two boats then pulled for the Canandaigua, one and a half miles distant. Assistance was promptly rendered by that vessel to those remaining on the wreck.

At muster the next morning, five of our number were found missing. The Captain was thrown several feet into the air by the force of the explosion, and was painfully but not dangerously bruised and cut.

It was the opinion of all who saw the strange craft, that it was very nearly or entirely under water, that there was no smoke-stack, that it was from twenty to thirty feet in length, and that it was noiseless in its motion through the water. It was not seen after the explosion. The ship was struck on the starboard side abaft the mizzen-mast. The force of the explosion seems to have been mainly upward. A piece ten feet square was blown out of her quarter-deck, all the beams and carlines being broken transversely across. The heavy spanker-boom was broken in its thickest part, and the water for some distance was white with splinters of oak and pine.

Probably not more than one minute elapsed from the time the torpedo was first seen, until we were struck, and not over three or four minutes could have passed between the explosion and the sinking of the ship. Had we been struck in any other part, or before the alarm had been

given, the loss of life would have been much greater.

The Housatonic was a steam-sloop, with a tonnage of one thousand two hundred and forty, and she carried a battery of thirteen guns. She was completed about eighteen months ago, and has been in the blockade ever since. She is the first vessel destroyed by a contrivance of this character, and this fact gives to this lamentable af fair a significance which it would not otherwise possess. Deserters tell us that there are other machines of this kind in the harbor, ready to come out, and that several more are in process of construction. The country cannot attend too earnestly to the dangers which threaten our blockading fleets, and the gunboats and steamers on the Southern rivers. X.

OFF CHARLESTON, February 22, 1864.

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blockade.

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If vessels on blockade are at anchor, they are not safe, particularly in smooth water, without out-riggers and hawsers, stretched around with rope netting, dropped in the water.

Vessels on inside blockade had better take post outside at night, and keep underweigh, until these preparations are completed.

All the boats must be on the patrol when the

vessel is not in movement.

The commanders of vessels are required to use their utmost vigilance—nothing less will serve.

I intend to recommend to the Navy Depart ment the assignment of a large reward, as prizemoney, to crews or vessels who shall capture, or, beyond doubt, destroy one of these torpedo

boats.

JOHN A. DAHLGREN, Rear-Admiral, Commanding S. A. B. Squadron.

Doc. 85.

REBEL IMPRESSMENTS.

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
RICHMOND, VA., March 7, 1864.

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 80.

THE following act of Congress concerning impressments, and the instructions of the War Department respecting it, are published for the information and direction of all concerned: AN ACT to amend "an act to regulate impressments," approved March twenty-sixth, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and to repeal an act amendatory thereof, approved April twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.

erty is impressed for the use of the army and navy, or for other public use, under said act, the same shall be paid for at the time of said impressment, unless an appeal shall be taken from said valuation, as hereinafter provided, according to the valuation agreed upon between the parties, or ascertained by loyal and disinterested citizens of the city, county, or parish in which the impressment may be made, in the manner and according to the regulations provided in the first, second, and third sections of the above-recited act, or in the eighth section thereof, where it is applicable.

Sec. 2. Whenever the officer making the impressment of property, under the act hereby amended, shall believe that the appraisement is fair and just, he shall indorse his approval upon the appraisement, and make payment accordingly; but if he shall believe that it is not fair and just, then he shall refuse to approve, and indorse the reasons of his refusal on the certificate, and shall have the right to appeal from the decision commissioners appointed under said act to which of the appraisers, by reporting the case to the this is an amendment, for their decision, whose judgment shall be final, and in the mean time the property shall be held and appropriated by the officer impressing the same, who shall give a rethe right of appeal as herein provided. ceipt therefor to the owner, who shall also have

Sec. 3. The said commissioners shall have power to summon and examine witnesses to enable them

to fix the value of property impressed which shall be a just compensation for the property so impressed, at the time and place of impressment; and when the commissioners shall have fixed the value of property in cases of appeal, they shall statement of such value, which valuation by the furnish the owner and impressing officer with a

the time of impressment.

commissioners shall be within three months from

Sec. 4. That said commissioners shall be sworn

faithfully to discharge all their duties under this

act and the act to which this is an amendment.

Sec. 5. That the tenth section of the act of

which this is an amendment be stricken out, and the following inserted instead thereof: "No slave laboring on a farm or plantation exclusively devoted to the production of grain or provisions shall be taken for public use, without the consent of the owner, except in case of urgent necessity and upon the order of the general commanding the department in which said farm or plantation is situated."

Sec. 6. That the act amendatory of the above recited act, approved April twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and so much of the first section of said act as requires an affidavit to be made by the owner or his agent, that such property was grown, raised, or produced by said owner, or held, or has been pur chased by him, not for sale or speculation, but for his own use or consumption, be and the same is hereby repealed.

The Congress of the confederate States of Sec. 7. That no impressment shall be made America do enact, That in all cases where prop-under this act, or the act to which this is amend

atory, for the use or benefit of contractors with the government.

Sec. 8. Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the impressing officer to enter an appeal from any decision of the local appraisers, under the seventh section of the act to which this is amendatory.

Approved February sixteenth, 1864.

I. Impressments according to this act, and the act to which this is an amendment, may be made for necessary supplies for the confederate armies in the field, and for their accumulation in magazines and at posts and dépôts, and to carry on the various operations of the military bureau connected with the war department, whenever the same cannot be obtained by contract.

appraisement, he will decline to approve it, and indorse the reason for his refusal on the certificate, and forthwith report the case to the commissioners appointed under the fifth section of the act to which the act above recited is an amendment, and in the mean time the property will be taken and a receipt describing the property and the proceedings for the adjustment of the price and the appeal, given to the owner. The impressing officer will immediately report the case to the appraisers, with a statement of the quality and condition of the property, and his opinion upon the subject.

V. No officer or agent will impress the necessary supplies which any person may have for the consumption of himself and family, employés, slaves, or to carry on his ordinary mechanical, manufacturing, or agricultural employments.

II. They may be made under orders from the generals commanding armies, departments, corps, divisions, and by commanders of detached parties If any question arise as to the fact whether when a necessity arises therefor. These orders the supplies are necessary, or whether there be may be executed by appropriate officers of the a surplus, it will be determined by appraisers staff belonging to the army. The chiefs of the mutually selected according to the preceding secvarious bureaux shall designate the officers and tion, and in this case the decision of the appraispersons who shall be competent to make imers will be binding on the officer, who will not pressments under the authority conferred upon

them.

be allowed an appeal therefrom.

VI. These regulations are published as a sub-
stitute for the regulations contained in General
Orders Nos. 37 and 161, series of 1863.
By order.

S. COOPER,
Adjutant and Inspector-General.

Doc. 86.

THE REBEL JUDICIARY.

PERSONAL LIBERTY IN THE
SOUTH.

III. Before any impressment shall be made, the impressing officer or his agent will make an offer to the owner, his bailee, or agent, in writing, for the purchase of the property, describing the property he wishes to purchase, the price he is willing to pay, and the mode of payment, and stating that, upon a refusal to accept the same, compensation will be made according to the acts of Congress for the regulation of impressments. This notice will be considered as binding the STATE RIGHTS AND property until the completion of the negotiation for the sale and transfer of the same to the im- FIRST DECISION IN GEORGIA UNDER THE ANTIpressing officer. The property will remain in SUBSTITUTE LAW. Judge O. A. Lochrane, of the the custody of the owner, and at his risk, during Superior Court, Macon Circuit, delivered an orithe pending of these proceedings, unless a de-ginal and highly important opinion under the act livery of the same be thereupon made to the im- repealing the substitute law, in the case of Denpressing officer, with his consent. In case of a nis Daley and Philip Fitzgerald vs. C. J. Harris, change of possession under these circumstances, on Thursday morning, February eleventh, as is the confederate States will be regarded as the reported by the Macon Telegraph: owner, and the property held for its use and at its risk.

IV. In all cases in which the offer of an impressing officer is refused, he will proceed to adjust the price according to the first section of the act above recited-that is, by the judgment of two loyal and disinterested persons of the city, county, or parish in which the impressment may be made one to be selected by the owner, his bailee or agent, and one by the impressing officer. In the event of their disagreement, these two will select an umpire of like qualification. The persons thus selected will proceed to assess just compensation for the property so impressed, whether the absolute ownership or the temporary use thereof be required. If the impressing officer believes that the appraisement is fair and just, he will indorse his approval, and pay for the property; and the right in the object impressed will become the property of the confederate States. But if he does not approve of the

He held it was not only the right but the duty of a nation to protect itself, and that any contract or right flowing out of the operation of law which came in conflict with the preservation of the State, was an unconstitutional act, not obligatory on the law-making power, and within the constitutional power of the government to repeal.

That the act allowing substitutes was to be regarded as a contract discharging principals from being called into the service; it was then a contract that the principal should not fight in the defence of the country, when it was endangered, and such contract was unauthorized by every principle of constitutional law. If our first Congress had agreed to exempt all men from taxation during the war who paid into the treasury five hundred dollars, such exemption could have been set aside by any subsequent legislature, when the public safety and self-preservation of the government demand it.

He held that the interest of every citizen was

the same as that of the government of which he formed a part, and the military service rendered by the substitute was just as much rendered to the principal as a citizen of the government itself; his life, his honor, his property, and his liberty were defended by the act, and the consideration inured to him as a member of the society which composed the government.

Contracts and vested rights must all bend to the exigencies of the government, of which the Legislature was the judge, and any act of the legislature contravening the public interest, may be repealed when the safety of the people becomes the supreme law.

under the command of General Seymour, left Hilton Head on the morning of the sixth. The forces consisted of cavalry, artillery, and infantry. The entire fleet arrived without accident of any kind at the bar off the mouth of St. John's River, between the hours of eight and ten A.M., to-day. In consequence of the ebb-tide, only thirteen of the vessels were able to ride over the bar this morning. At twelve M., that number, including the Maple Leaf, General Seymour's flag-steamer, started to go up St. John's River. On the passage up, the propeller Tilley and the side-wheel steamer General Meigs got aground at a point about five miles from here. At the present writing they have not arrived, but they will probably be here in the course of two or three hours, as the

The vested rights of fathers may be annulled over their minor children, to make them soldiers when the public interests demand it, and the law-high-tide at eight o'clock will enable them to float. making power has so declared.

The gunboats Ottawa and Norwich were on duty at the mouth of the river. The Norwich took the lead up the river, and anchored off Jacksonville, with her starboard-guns trained on the town. Immediately following the gunboat was the flag-steamer Maple Leaf, which was followed

All rights, all property, all persons who are citizens of a government, may be used by the government in time of war, and it was the duty of courts to sustain the government in the appropriation of the means exercised rightfully by the legislature to protect the whole people from sub-in turn by the other vessels. jugation and ruin.

Doc. 87.

THE CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA.

GENERAL GILLMORE'S DESPATCH.

BALDWIN, FLA., February 9.

To Major-General H. W. Halleck, General-inChief:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that a part of my command, under Brigadier-General F. Seymour, convoyed by the gunboat Norwich, Captain Merriam, ascended St. John's River on the seventh instant, and landed at Jacksonville on the afternoon of that day.

The advance, under Colonel Guy V. Henry, comprising the Fortieth Massachusetts infantry, independent battalion of Massachusetts cavalry under Major Stevens, and Elders's horse battery of First artillery, pushed forward into the interior. On the night of the eighth, passed by the enemy drawn up in line of battle at Camp Vinegar, seven miles from Jacksonville, surprised and captured a battery three miles in the rear of the camp, about midnight, and reached this place about sunrise this morning. At our approach, the enemy absconded, sunk the steamer St. Mary's, and burned two hundred and seventy bales

of cotton a few miles above Jacksonville. We have taken, without the loss of a man, about one hundred prisoners, eight pieces of artillery in serviceable condition, and one well supplied with ammunition, and other valuable property to a large Q. A. GILLMORE, Major-General Commanding.

amount.

A NATIONAL ACCOUNT. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., Sunday, Feb. 7, 1864. The National forces occupied Jacksonville, Fla., at five P.M., this day.

The expedition, comprising twenty steamers of various classes, and eight schooners, the whole

Not a gun was fired until the Maple Leaf and the General Hunter were making fast to the piers at Jacksonville, when a squad of rebel infantry, who were skulking in a piece of woods on the outskirts of the town, fired three shots at the General Hunter, one of which wounded the second mate, Mr. Norris, the ball entering the chest and com. ing out at the back. The wounded man received prompt medical attendance, but his condition is precarious.

Soon as the boats touched the piers, General disembark, form by companies, and pursue the Seymour gave orders for the troops to instantly enemy. The first troops to land were companies A, B, and D, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, (coloreral Hunter, and at the same time company C, ed,) next came the colored troops from the GenFirst Massachusetts cavalry, Captain Webster, from the Rappahannock.

The colored troops filed into the streets bordering on the river, and at the word of command started on a double-quick for the enemy. The enemy did not number over twenty-five foot and mounted soldiers. He fired six or seven shots, and then fled to the woods. None of our men the colored troops for a distance of two miles. were wounded. The pursuit was maintained by They then (having been relieved by company C, First Massachusetts cavalry) returned, bringing with them five prisoners. Two of the prisoners toward Baldwin. The cavalry went a distance of were taken from a wagon which was being driven five miles, and brought in eleven prisoners, including two signal-officers who were on their station. Two signal-flags and a quantity of material used for signal purposes, were captured, and a number of horses and mules were also driven in.

To-night our troops are making preparations to march forward toward Baldwin at daylight tomorrow. Baldwin is a small town on the Florida Central Railroad, and eighteen miles distant from here.

General Seymour has already established his headquarters on shore. We may look out for lively times during the week.

As we neared the pier, a few handkerchiefs were waved at us from some of the buildings near the water. Every person in the place claims to be Union.

I will state that the troops which had disembarked on the previous day left their camping ground at three P.M., and proceeded toward the interior The families remaining in Jacksonville do not of the State. The force was divided into three number over twenty-five. They are mostly wo-columns, commanded respectively by Colonel men and children. They had not the slightest Barton, Colonel Hawley, and Colonel Henry. intimation that we were coming, until they saw The columns travelled by different routes, Colthe gunboat Ottawa anchor off the town. Even onel Henry's taking a road at the right of the then they did not suppose the place was to be oc- main road, Colonel Hawley's one still further to cupied by our forces. The sight of our steamers, the right, and Colonel Barton's the main road however, coming up in quick succession, soon pre- itself. The side-roads join the main road at a pared them for the event. point three miles above Jacksonville. From the first day of the march the main body of the expedition followed the line of the Florida Central Railroad. According to the original orders, the columns were to unite at the three-mile point, march in a body that night an additional three miles, bivouac till morning, and then proceed to the rebel Camp Finnigan, which was situated eight miles from Jacksonville. The last of the troops did not reach the three-mile point until after dark, consequently it was considered advisable for the infantry to halt there till daylight. In the mean time, Colonel Henry with his cavalry and artillery was ordered to push forward on a reconnoissance. I was fortunate enough to join Colonel Henry's column at the outset, and more fortunate in having had an op

The place itself is in a ruinous condition. Many of the houses are burned, others have been demolished. I learn from the citizens that the rebel troops in Florida are under the command of General Finnigan. His force is scattered, and amounts altogether to about two thousand five hundred.

The Florida Central Railroad, which extends from this place to Tallahassee, is in running order. A train came and departed to-day. It was the intention of the rebels, however, to take up the rails next week and transport them to another portion of the Confederacy. That move-portunity to accompany it throughout the raid. ment was to precede the abandonment of Florida. We hope to push forward so as to prevent the enemy from damaging the road to any great extent. A gentleman, named Bennett, a prominent citizen of this place, and a Union man besides, was to attend a convention to-morrow, with a view of dissuading the rebel authorities from tearing up the railroad. The same gentleman has nearly two hundred bales of cotton near Baldwin, which he had ordered to be sent to this place. General Finnigan telegraphed him to-day, that, in case the enemy should land at Jacksonville, his cotton would be burned. So it seems that the rebel general had some information of the expedition.

The

I shall now ask the reader to follow me with the advance column, which I have no hesitation in saying has completely eclipsed, during its six days of experience and adventure, the achievements of any raiding party within the same space of time. It was quite dark when Colonel Henry left the three-mile point; but notwithstanding this circumstance, the column moved on at a brisk trot. It was thought the enemy would be met at a small creek two miles this side of Jacksonville; but as it turned out, he did not attempt to make a stand between here and Camp Finnigan. Thus, it will be observed, Colonel Henry, after detaching his column from the main force, travelled over a space of five miles without I omitted to mention in the proper place that noticing any indications of opposition. Major Stevens, of the First Massachusetts cav-country through which we passed is low, level, alry, was with company C in the reconnoissance and marshy. The road on each side is flanked this afternoon. Captain Ray, formerly lieuten- with pine forests, but by no means dense. ant of the same company, and about to take a roads have a hard, sandy foundation; and, in command in another regiment now forming in many places, pools of water had settled, in some Massachusetts, volunteered his services to the instances forming a depth of one and two feet. expedition and was with his company to-day. Unlike the roads in Virginia and other portions of the country, after a fall of rain, those in Florida are not made disagreeably muddy and impassable. If the water is too deep, or a fallen tree obstructs the way, it is an easy matter to go round it; and, judging from the numerous S's in the road, such has frequently been the case. What I write in regard to the general condition of the roads and aspect of the country, applies to the entire district through which we passed, from the commencement to the end of the road. I did not observe but one vegetable patch and not a single flower-garden anywhere along the route. The eye is wearied with viewing nothing

Every thing thus far has gone on in the most prosperous manner. The State abounds in cattle, and provisions are not scarce.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., Sunday, February 14, 1864. I have already noticed in a previous letter the safe arrival at Jacksonville of the troops forming the expedition which left Hilton Head on the sixth instant, for Florida. I now propose to chronicle the events which have occurred in this region since the landing. Prudential reasons deter me from giving the numerical strength of the force. Commencing from the eighth instant,

The

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