ever, as a fact developed in the course of our in- self, and all of his officers, frankly and with alacvestigation that many of the newly arrived con-rity responded to every inquiry addressed to scripts do suffer for the want of clothes and blan- them touching the matter to which we directed kets. This is not the fault of the commander or our inquiries. his officers. It results from the circumstance that conscripts recently enrolled are sometimes hurried to camp without an opportunity being afforded them to visit home and provide themselves with clothes and blankets, and make other preparations for camp-life, but often from their own neglect to do so after ample notice. If there be blame anywhere, it is attributable to the carelessness or indifference of the enrolling officer in the country to the wants and comforts of the conscripts, or to defects in the provisions or execution of the law. The fault lies here, and not, as your Committee are assured, in the administration of the laborious and responsible department, under the management of the commander, Colonel Shields, whose high character, urbane manners, delicate feelings of humanity, and eminent qualifications for his post forbid the conclusion that he would exercise his authority otherwise than in the most considerate and humane manner toward the conscripts under his charge, or would practise or tolerate any other than a proper care and attention to their wants and necessities. As far, therefore, as your Committee could pursue their investigation and it was as searching as the nature of the case and their sources of information admitted-they could discover no instance of a death, cruelty, inhumanity, or even of extreme suffering or hardship. Hardships there undoubtedly are and have been; but only such, and not more severe than are incident to camp fare and a soldier's life. We are informed by the surgeon, Dr. Palmer, of a case where a man fell in a fit; but he was known to be subject to fits, and they were not produced by exposure to the cold, as the surgeon believes. It happened during the severe weather, in February, and probably gave origin to the report of inhumanity at the camp, which was so widely propagated and excited the sensibility of the General Assembly and the people. Your Committee did not consider themselves limited in their inquiries to the rumor of suffering among the conscripts for the want of wood. Their duty embraced a wider scope. It was to examine whether any abuses or inhumanity was practised or tolerated at Camp Lee in the treatment of conscripts in any way or in any form. The General Assembly of Virginia had a special interest in the investigation, as the camp is near her capital, and the place of rendezvous for her conscript soldiers. Over them she was bound to exercise a parental care. Your Committee, therefore, proceeded to Camp Lee, and take pleas We were allowed unrestricted access to every place we desired to visit, and an officer accompanied us, to show us through the hospital, the barracks and quarters of the men, which we inspected as closely as time and our inexperienced habits in relation to such matters would enable us. We found the hospital clean, well provided with comfortable beds and bed-clothing, and, we do not doubt, the patients are attentively nursed and attended with skilful medical treatment. The large building appropriated as the principal quarters of the men, we would remark, is, by reason of the open floors being made of green plank, and the small fire-places, difficult to be warmed sufficiently to be comfortable in extremely cold weather. But otherwise the quarters are dry and well cleaned, and as well adapted to the sleeping uses of the healthy soldier as could be expected. Camp Lee is situated upon an elevated plain, remarkably dry, and represented to be unusually healthy. Although it was generally understood at camp that the Committee had made the visit to ascertain if there existed or had been practised any abuses, yet no complaints were made, nor in answer to inquiries could we learn that any existed upon which complaint could be founded. No facts, at least, were brought to our knowledge. Your Committee take pleasure in reporting this as the result of their inquiries. They believe that the investigation will have a good effect, and was, under the circumstances and gravi ty of the charges, alike due to our conscripts and the officers of the post. It will show to our people that the General Assembly are not insensible to the wants and sufferings of our noble soldiers, in whatever field or camp they are called to render service to their country; nor faithless to her solemn obligations to extend a parental care over them, and to shield and protect them whenever oppression and distress may come upon them. It will accomplish more. It will relieve the minds of distant families and friends as to the supposed maltreatment of husbands, sons, and brothers in Camp Lee, and mitigate something of that repulsiveness and dread with which that military post is viewed by conscripts who are sent there, pursuant to military regulations. G. W. LEWIS, Chairman of Senate Com. B. H. MAGRUDER, Chairman of House Com. Doc. 113. ure in stating were received with politeness and PROCLAMATION OF AMNESTY DEFINED. courtesy by Colonel Shields, the commandant, and all the officers at the post. Every facility and opportunity were afforded them for examination and inquiry into the condition of the camp, and of the wants, necessities, accommodations, and comforts of the men. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, it has become necessary to define Colonel Shields him- the cases in which insurgent enemies are en titled to the benefits of the Proclamation of the President of the United States, which was made on the eighth day of December, 1863, and the manner in which they shall proceed to avail themselves of those benefits: And whereas, the objects of that proclamation were to suppress the insurrection and to restore the authority of the United States : And whereas, the amnesty therein provided by the President was offered with reference to these objects alone: Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim and declare that the said proclamation does not apply to the cases of persons who, at the time when they seek to obtain the benefits thereof by taking the oath thereby prescribed, are in military, naval, or civil confinement, or custody, or under bonds, or on parole of the civil, military, or naval authorities or agents of the United States as prisoners of war, or persons detained for offences of any kind, either before or after conviction, and that, on the contrary, it does apply only to persons who, being yet at large and free from any arrest, confinement, or duress, shall voluntarily come forward and take the said oath with the purpose of restoring peace and establishing the national authority. Prisoners excluded from the amnesty offered in the said proclamation, may apply to the President for clemency, like all other offenders, and their applications will receive due consideration. I do further declare and proclaim, that the oath prescribed in the aforesaid proclamation of the eighth of December, 1863, may be taken and subscribed before any commissioned officer, civil, military, or naval, in the service of the United States, or any civil or military officer of a State or Territory, not in insurrection, who, by the law thereof, may be qualified for administering oaths. All officers who receive such oaths are hereby authorized to give certificates thereon to the persons respectively by whom they are made. And such officers are hereby required to transmit the original records of such oaths at as early a day as may be convenient to the Department of State, where they will be deposited and remain in the archives of the Government. The Secretary of State will keep a register there of, and will, on application, in proper cases, issue certificates of such records, in the customary form of such certificates. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done in the City of Washington, the twentysixth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Doc. 114. ATTACK ON COLLIERVILLE, TENN. A NATIONAL ACCOUNT. MEMPHIS, November 5, 1863. WE have learned late and interesting particulars concerning the recent attack on Collierville. It seems that the confederates have not felt just right since their former unsuccessful attempt on the place, but have been seeking a favorable opportunity to remove the disgrace which that affair brought upon them. Chalmers, learning that there was but a small force there, determined to take the place by surprise. He moved up to the Coldwater on the night of the second. On the morning of the third, he sent Colonel Geary, Acting Brigadier-General, with his brigade, numbering one thousand five hundred men, forward to attack the place. At that time there was but a sin. gle regiment, the Seventh Illinois cavalry, at Collierville, but they had heard of the premeditated attack, and had sent to Colonel Hatch for reënforcements. Colonel Hatch arrived very opportunely with the Second Iowa cavalry. In fact, they came up just as the fight commenced. The rebels had already captured two picket posts with twentyfive prisoners. Our forces were protected by a stockade, defended by two pieces of artillery. The rebels charged across an open space, of perhaps a thousand yards, up to our defences. The firing was very hot, and they were speedily driven back with a loss of twelve killed, nearly one hundred wounded, and twenty-five prisoners. Among the latter was Colonel Geary, their commander. His horse stumbled and fell, is said to be the reason of his capture. Just as the confederates fell back, the Sixth Illinois cavalry came up from Germantown in time to participate in the pursuit. Subsequently, word was sent to the Third Michigan, Seventh Kansas, and Sixth Tennessee, to intercept the retreat of the rebels if possible. The troops sent out in pursuit of the enemy have not yet returned, so that it is impossible to know the success of their attempt. We think, however, that the rebels have too many facilities for retreat to be caught so easily. If Geary's command can succeed in crossing the Coldwater, and form a junction with Chalmers's, they will probably escape. This attack on Collierville did not succeed even as well as did their former attempt. They find it very hard to catch our forces asleep, though they have many facilities for obtaining information. Our cavalry, under the command of the gallant Colonel Hatch, proves too formidable for the confederates. It is understood that a large part of Sherman's army is across the Tennessee. There has been no fighting except skirmishing by the advance force. His advance, by way of Tuscumbia, proves to have been only a feint, and he fell back to Iuka, and crossed over to the Tennessee at the nearest point. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. CAMP SECOND IOWA CAVALRY, EDITORS GAZETTE: Times have been quite lively of late, with some fighting interspersed, in which the Second cavalry, as usual, had a share. The rebels, notwithstanding their recent defeat by Colonel Hatch's forces, when they undertook to break this line of railroad, seem not to have been satisfied without at least another trial. The Second is stationed here, the Sixth Illinois at Germantown, and others farther eastward. The rebels being on the move northward, on Sunday, the first, the Second was ordered out at nine P.M., with three days' rations. They left camp on the morning of the second, at two o'clock A.M., and proceeded to Germantown. That night a serious affair between two officers terminated in blood. Several officers were present at supper-among whom were Lieutenant-Colonel Loomis, commanding the Sixth Illinois cavalry, and Major Herrod, of the same regiment. In the conversation, Colonel Loomis made a remark reflecting on Major Herrod, when he called on Colonel Loomis to "take it back." The Colonel refusing, Major Herrod instantly drew his revolver and fired five shots into the Colonel, killing him on the spot. Major Herrod is now in irons in the Irving block in this city. Colonel Loomis's body went north to-day. the rebels were repulsed, and commenced a hasty retreat. The following are the casualties to the Second Iowa at that place: Frank Byland, company L; Charles F. Brown, company I, killed on the field; and Nathan Patterson, company M, wounded, since dead. Their bodies came into camp this evening. Wounded: Corporal Thomas Dulin, company L, face and right arm; private James H. Reed, company L, left leg broken; Sergeant James Crawford, company L, right lung, severely; Corporal Joseph Steele, company C, in calf of leg, serious; Private Edward Perry, company C, in left breast, serious; Corporal William Wallace, company B, in left breast, serious; private Stelton Heinly, company G, in head, serious; private E. B. Chamberlain, company H, through breast, serious. The wounded are now all in camp, except Crawford Z. Chamberlain, who is too danger ously wounded to be moved. The rebels left eighteen dead on the field. Their loss must have been near one hundred. After being repulsed, the enemy fled, hotly pursued by our regiment, and reached the Coldwater at night, where they had reënforcements and artillery posted on the opposite side. Colonel Hepburn formed line and attacked, and had quite a brisk engagement-firing only by the flashes from the enemy's guns. It being night, and the rebels with reenforcements, our troops fell back, and rested for the night. this place Captain Horton, of company A, was wounded in the spine. He was brought to the city to-day. At Colonel Hatch left Collierville, early this morning, with other forces of his command, and will pursue the enemy vigorously. The Colonel has added another laurel to his chaplet, and the Second Iowa added one more to its glorious list. On Tuesday, the third, the regiment had moved to Collierville, seven miles beyond Germantown, on the railroad. About noon the rebels made an attack on the place with a force of about one thousand five hundred strong. A portion of the Seventh Illinois cavalry occupied a The rebels were armed with Austrian mussmall earthwork, with one small gun. The Sec-kets. I saw two bullets extracted from the ond Iowa cavalry, under command of Lieuten- wounded, and they are large and effective. ant-Colonel Hepburn, was dismounted on the I omitted to state that Orderly-Sergeant Dannorth side of the railroad, and formed in line iel Estell, of Company L, was missing at the enalong the railroad, there being a slight cut at that gagement at Collierville, and not yet heard from. place. The two mountain howitzers, under the command of Lieutenant P. S. Reed, of company K, took a position just north of the track. The rebels expected, no doubt, to find only the Seventh Illinois there, as they are stationed at that point, and two companies of whom they had captured on picket on the way up. They saw the guns bidding them defiance, and not fully aware of the Iowa boys with their five-shooting rifles being in such close proximity, they swooped down on a furious charge to capture the pieces. The rebel right was under command of General Richardson, the left of General George. Lieutenant Reed stood by his guns manfully, and handled them admirably. When the rebs had got within easy range, the boys poured out their rapid fire from along the railroad track; the rebs pressed forward, but Iowa was too much for them; but three succeeded in reaching our line one of them was General George. Just as he reached the line, his horse was killed, and in a moment he was in the grasp of a "Yank," a prisoner; one of the others was wounded, and the other killed. After fighting for some time, Doc. 115. RAID OF STUART'S CAVALRY ON THE ORANGE AND ALEXANDRIA RAILROAD. WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 1968. LIEUTENANT PECK, of the Second regiment District volunteers, gives the particulars of a bold raid made by Stuart's cavalry, last night, upon the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, about one mile and a half beyond Fairfax Station. The rebels, about eight hundred strong, and accompanied by the notorious Mosby, at six o'clock attacked the guard upon the railroad at that point, which consisted of company I, of the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth New-York regiment. The company made a brave resistance, and were only captured by the cavalry entirely surrounding them. The rebels had previously cut the telegraph wires, but word was conveyed as quickly as possible to Colonel Drew, in command of a battalion of four companies of the Second District of Columbia volunteers, at Fairfax Station, and he started with his command to reënforce the attacked. The progress of the train was stopped at Pope Run, where the rebels had burned the bridge and torn up the track for about two miles. When Colonel Drew arrived at Pope Run, it was extremely dark, and the rain poured down furiously. He fired several volleys at the rebels, which they returned. None of our men were wounded. It was evidently the object of the raiders to capture a railroad train from Alexandria, loaded with large quantities of provisions and forage for the army, which was due at the time. The train happened to be an hour and a half late, and consequently escaped capture. It is quite likely that the rebels committed further outrages upon the railroad beyond Pope Run, of which we have not been informed. This raid revives very forcibly the former exploits of Stuart's cavalry in this line of business. WASHINGTON, December eighteenth.-The Star has the following account of the raid: Doc. 116. } DESTRUCTION OF BLOCKADE-RUNNERS. REPORT OF ACTING REAR-ADMIRAL S. P. LEE. UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA, OFF LOCKWOOD'S FOLLY INLET, Jan. 11, 1864. SIR: At daylight this morning a steamer was seen beached and burning one mile west of this inlet. Mr. O'Conner from this ship boarded her, with the loss of one man, shot under the fire from the enemy's sharp-shooters occupying riflepits on the sand-hills, which were high and near, and got her log-book, from which it appears that she is the Ranger; that she left Newcastle November eleventh, 1863, for Bermuda, where, after touching at Teneriffe, she arrived on the eighth of December; that she sailed from Bermuda January sixth, 1864, made our coast January tenth, about five miles north-east of Murrill's inlet, and landed her passengers. The next morning at daylight, intercepted by this ship, the Daylight, Governor Buckingham, and Aries, in her approach to Western bar, she was beached and fired by her crew as above mentioned. The attempts of the Governor Buckingham, aided by the Daylight and Aries, to extinguish the fire and haul the ranger off, were frustrated by the enemy's sharp-shooters, whose fire completety commanded her decks. This ship, drawing about twenty-four (24) feet, was taken in four and one half (44) fathoms of water in front of the wreck, and the other vessels stationed to cross-fire on the riflemen on the sand-hills opened a deliberate fire, with a view to dislodge the enemy, and allow an attempt to haul off the Ranger at high-water at night. Meanwhile the Ranger was burning freely forward, and the commanding officers of the Governor Buckingham and Daylight, who had a good view of her situation, thinking that it was not practicable to get her off, she was also fired into, which, as her hatches were closed, had the effect of letting the air in, when the fire burnt freely aft, and doubtless burnt the Ranger out completely. Meanwhile black smoke was rising in the direction of Shallot inlet, and the Aries, withdrawn last night from her station there, was ordered to chase; she soon returned, and Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Devens reported a fine-looking, double propeller blockade-runner, resembling the Ceres, beached and on fire between Tubb's and Little River inlets, and that the enemy's sharpshooters prevented the boats from boarding her. This was probably the same steamer that was chased the previous evening by the Quaker City, Tuscarora, and Keystone State, and escaping from them, made the western shore, where, comAs soon as daylight appeared, General Cor- municating and learning of the presence of the coran, in command of Fairfax, sent cavalry in blockaders in force, and perhaps being short of pursuit of the foe, and has since reported that coal, she was beached by her crew and fired its advance had came up with the rebel rear. rather than be captured. The department will The wounded rebel taken prisoner has since perceive that this is the twenty-second (22d) died. His name was Van Meter, of Captain Cort- steamer lost by the rebels and the blockade-runwell's company, Eleventh Virginia cavalry. He ners attempting to violate the blockade of Wilreports his captain and four horses of his com-mington within the last six months, an average pany as amongst the rebel killed. We learn, through despatches received at headquarters of this department, from General Corcoran, that last night company I, of the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth New-York regiment, at Sangster's Station, in the midst of the terrible storm then raging, were attacked by a body of Stuart's rebel cavalry, about one thousand strong, under command of the rebel General Bower, which left Fredericksburgh on Wednesday night last, on this raid. Contrary to their expectations, the company on railroad guard duty there made a gallant, and, as it turned out, successful, resistance, having beaten them off four times before being flanked, and having all their tents burned by a portion of the enemy, who got in the rear. The company was then forced to retire with a loss of but two men wounded and one taken prisoner. The rebels then attempted to burn the bridge over Pope's Run, but took a stampede before succeeding in doing it any damage to speak of, as it was repaired in two hours this morning, and the trains are now running. On running off, the rebels sent back to Fredericksburgh three ambulance loads of their wounded, and left one prisoner in our hands. They left in the direction of Centreville. of nearly one steamer every eight (8) days. These losses must greatly lessen the means of the rebel authorities to export cotton, obtain supplies, and sustain their credit, and thus dispirit and weaken them very much. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, yours, S. P. LEE, Acting Rear-Admiral, Commanding N. A. B. Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. REPORT OF ACTING VOLUNTEER LIEUTENANT UNITED STATES STEAMER ARIES, OFF LITTLE RIVER, January 12, 1864. salt, and a large number of empty barrels for Secretary of the Navy. SIR: I would most respectfully report that the steamer stranded between Tubb's Inlet and Lit- REPORT OF COLONEL JOURDAN, (ONE HUNDRED AND tle River is the blockade-runner Vesta. Boarded Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, Commanding. Commanding N. A. B. Squadron. Doc. 117. EXPEDITION TO BEAR INLET, N. C. REPORT OF REAR-ADMIRAL S. P. LEE. UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA, SIR: I have the honor to report the result of a joint army and navy expedition from Beaufort, North-Carolina, for the purpose of capturing the salt landed by the Bigelow (the abandoned prize of the army transport Fulton) at Bear Inlet, and the cargo of naval stores reported to have been collected there for shipment in her, previous to her destruction by the Mount Vernon, of this squadron, as reported by me. FIFTY-EIGHTH NEW-YORK.) HEADQUARTERS SUB-DISTRICT, BEAUFORT, Commander Dove, United States Navy : SIR: I have the honor to inform you that our expedition to Bear Inlet has been a complete success, in destroying extensive salt-works, and a large quantity of salt, without having one man injured, or the loss of one cent's worth of property. The home-guards, numbering about two hundred men, made a great effort to assemble and attack us, as also did the cavalry, but the demonstrations of our cavalry up White Oak River, in the direction of Young's Cross-Roads, so completely diverted their attention in that direction, as to make it impossible to collect them in time to prevent us from destroying the property, and moving away at our leisure, uninterrupted. The conduct of the officers and men, so kindly placed at my disposal by you, deserves high praise, and reflects much credit on your branch of the public service. Discipline, order, energy, and enthusiasm were their leading characteristics; and through you, as their commander at this port, permit me to extend to them my sincere thanks; and by your hearty cooperation, kindness, and courtesy, you have placed me under many obligations, and have my best thanks. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant. J. JOURDAN, Colonel Commanding. A NATIONAL ACCOUNT. MOREHEAD CITY, N. C., Dec. 29, 1863. I arrived at Beaufort on December twentyfourth, and found preparations for the expedition being made under Commodore Dove's directions. I directed that the Daylight and Howquah should offer their services to Colonel Jourdan, One Hundred and Fifty-eighth New-York State volunteers, On Wednesday night, the twenty-third in(commanding the military force.) to transport stant, we received orders to get volunteers from troops. This offer was thankfully accepted. The the different companies, to go on a scout. Acvessels accordingly left Beaufort on the morning cordingly, every thing was ready-about one of the twenty-fourth, having an armed launch hundred and eighty of this regiment, one hunfrom the Iron Age, and some lighters, and carry-dred and fifty of the Ninth Vermont, and three ing the troops, portions of the One Hundred and pieces of artillery from the Second Massachusetts Fifty-eighth New-York State volunteers and the heavy artillery-when we embarked on the gunNinth Vermont volunteers, arriving off Bear In-boat Daylight, at ten minutes after eleven A.M., let about four P.M. The troops were sent into the inlet in boats, eight (8) in number; only two landed that night, the tide being too low. Early on the following morning they proceeded up the inlet, found no naval stores, (as I learned when at Bear Inlet the next day in the Fah-kee,) but destroyed without loss or serious opposition three salt-works, one hundred and fifty (150) sacks of of the twenty-fourth, we up stream and proceeded to about ten miles beyond Swansborough, to a place called Bougue's Sound, where we came to anchor, and took to the small boats and launches; went up the sound a long distance, and destroyed several large salt-pans; also forty thousand bags of salt. We then about ship and took another course to the left, and proceeded about five |