Rivers to operate against Fort Hindman, a rebel work commanding the former stream. The following dispatches will explain the result of the movement: HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, POST OF ARKANSAS, January 11, 1863. Major-General U. S. GRANT, Commanding Department of the Tennessee: I have the honor to report that the forces under my command attacked the Post of Arkansas to-day, at one o'clock, having stormed the enemy's work. We took a large number of prisoners, variously estimated at from seven thousand to ten thousand, together with all his stores, animals, and munitions of war. Rear-Admiral David D. Porter, commanding the Mississippi Squadron, effectively and brilliantly co-operated, accomplishing this complete success. JOHN A. MCCLERNAND, Major-General Commanding. UNITED STATES MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, SIR-The gunboats Louisville, De Kalb, Cincinnati, and Lexington, attacked the heavy fort at the Post, on the Arkansas, last night, and silenced the batteries, killing twenty of the enemy. The gunboats attacked again this morning, and dismounted every gun, eleven in all. Colonel Dunnington, late of the United States Navy, commandant of the fort, requested to surrender to the Navy. I received his sword. The army co-operated on the land side. The forts were completely silenced, and the guns, eleven in number, were all dismounted in three hours. The action was at close quarters on the part of the three iron-clads and the firing splendid. The list of killed and wounded is small. The Louisville lost twelve, De Kalb seventeen, Cincinnati none, Lexington none, and Rattler two. The vessels, although much cut up, were ready for action in half an hour after the battle. The light draught Rattler, Lieutenant-Commander Wilson Smith, and the other light draughts, joined in the action when it became general, as. did the Black Hawk, Lieutenant-Commander R. B. Breese, with her rifle. guns. Particulars will be given hereafter. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral, CHAPTER XIX. DISCIPLINE.-GUERILLAS. DURING the investigation that followed the surrender of Holly Springs, it was discovered that political agencies had been brought to bear, to induce certain regiments to throw down their arms and refuse to fight, and even to surrender to the enemy. General Grant, in order to check an evil that would soon prove disastrous, if allowed to go inpunished, issued the following special order concerning one of the regiments so disaffected. [Special Orders, No. 58.] HEAD-QUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, It having been alleged that the 109th Regiment Illinois Infantry Volunteers has shown indications of disloyalty, and many members of the regiment having voluntarily hunted up citizens in the neighborhood of their camp to surrender and obtain parole from, is hereby placed in arrest. The regiment will be disarmed by the commander of the brigade to which the regiment is temporarily attached, and the arms and ammunition of the regiment turned over to the Ordnance Officer, Lieutenant Carter, to be disposed of as may hereafter be ordered. Officers and men will be confined within camp limits until other wise ordered. The conduct of Company K, of said regiment, being in honorable contrast to the balance of the regiment, is exempt from the effect of the above order, and will be placed on duty with the brigade to which said regiment is attached. By command of JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A.-G. Major-General U. S. GRANT. ད The condition of this regiment was made the matter for a special court of inquiry, which was convened under an order from General Grant, bearing date January 2d, 1863. The case was carefully investigated, and exonerated the regiment as a body. The result of the investigation was publicly set forth by General Grant, in general orders, and read at the head of each regiment. [General Orders, No. 12.] HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF TENNESSEE, The proceedings of the Court of Inquiry, convened at Holly Springs, Miss., by Special Orders, No. 2, of date of January 2d, 1863, from these head-quarters, and of which Lieutenant-Colonel Dewitt C. Loudon, of the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was president, to inquire into and investigate the allegations and charges of disloyalty against the 109th Illinois Infantry Volunteers, exonerate said regiment, as a regiment, from all suspicion of disloyalty, satisfactorily vindicate its innocence, and place it where the commanding-general hoped to find it, among the pure and patriotic in their country's defence; that whatever cause for suspicion or charges of disloyalty there was arose from the conduct and declarations of the following named officers, who are hereby dismissed the service of the United States, with forfeiture of pay and allowances, to take effect from this date, for the offences of which they are severally shown to be guilty. Lieutenant-Colonel Elijah Willard, for disobedience of orders, and deserting his command in the face of an enemy, that he might be taken prisoner. Captain John M. Richie, for disobedience of orders, encouraging his men to desert, and discouraging his men from fighting in the face of the enemy. Captain Thomas Boswell, for encouraging his men to desert, that they might be captured and paroled, and advising them to apply for discharges for slight causes; also, for trying to impress upon the minds of the officers and men of his regiment that they were embraced in the surrender of Holly Springs by Colonel Murphy, on the 20th day of December, 1862, well knowing the same to be false. Captain John McIntosh, for declaring in the hearing of his men, and in the presence of the enemy, that he would not fight if attacked, nea Holly Springs, on the 20th December, 1862. Captain Penninger, of Company G, for proposing a plan by which the regiment could be surrendered to the enemy, and attempting to induce others of the regiment to aid in carrying it into execution during the raid of the enemy's cavalry on Holly Springs, on the 20th day of December, 1862. Second-Lieutenant John Stokes, for straggling from his command, and procuring for himself and a number of his men fraudulent paroles from a rebel citizen. Second-Lieutenant Daniel Kimmel, for advising the colonel of his regiment, if attacked by the enemy, to surrender, and on feigned sickness procuring a surgeon's certificate, to go to the hospital, at Holly Springs, Miss., by reason of which he was captured and then paroled by the enemy during the raid on that place. First-Lieutenant and Adjutant James Evans, for inciting dissatisfaction among the men of his regiment, and speaking in an improper manner of the war and President, in violation of the 5th Article of War. Commissary-Sergeant Joshua Wisenheimer is reduced to the ranks for declaring that he would never fire a gun upon the enemy, and on hearing a camp rumor that Major-General Burnside was defeated with a loss of twenty thousand men, wished that it was so. By order of JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A.-G. Major-General U. S. GRANT. Cavalry operations were continually taking place in the vicinity of the Union posts, and on January 8th, 1863, a descent was made on a camp near Ripley, Tennessee, killing and wounding several rebel soldiers, and capturing forty-six, besides horses, arms, camp equipage, etc. The remainder of the force was dispersed. The commander at Memphis gave notice that, for all guerilla raids upon Union citizens and communications with the city, the resident secessionists should be punished in the forfeiture of their property and expulsion beyond the extreme limits of the Union army lines. General Grant's immediate army, except the special posts held at Corinth and elsewhere, was also withdrawn from Northern Mississippi, after the diversion of the forces acting along the Mississippi River, and the head-quarters of the Department were located at Memphis. From this city General Grant announced the victory at Arkansas Post. After the withdrawal of the army, the rebel guerilla forces began to make raids upon all towns recently held by the Union troops, and any person or persons that had manifested to Grant's army any evidence of returning loyalty, were summarily punished, either in person or property. On the 23d of January, the Army of Mississippi, having destroyed all offensive and defensive works at Arkansas Post, returned to Memphis and reported to General Grant. General Grant was also determined that the President's Proclamation of Emancipation should be carried out in his department, and issued an order, relative to the negro regiments, of which document the following is an ex tract: [General Orders, No. 25.] MILLIKEN'S BEND, La. I. Corps, Division, and Post Commanders will afford all facilities for the completion of the negro regiments now organizing in this Department. Commissaries will issue supplies, and Quartermasters will furnish stores on the same requisitions and returns as are required from other troops. It is expected that all commanders will especially exert themselves in carrying out the policy of the administration, not only in organizing colored regiments, and rendering them efficient; but also in removing prejudica against them. * By order of JOHN A. RAWLINS A. A-G * * * Major-General U. S. GRANT. |