and insulted a family two miles distant. In fact, unless checked by summary example, there is danger of our whole noble army degenerating into a band of cut-throats and robbers. I am glad to say that General Smith is disposed to punish all offenders severely.

It was decided that the column should march overland to Fort De Russy, the place to which it was supposed they had retreated, distant thirty-five miles. At daybreak, they started in light marching order. The boats were steamed up the Red River, which proved to be extremely tortuous and difficult of navigation. At a point sixty-five miles above the mouth, and twentyfive above Black River, we came upon a small earthwork, without guns, distant by land about five miles from the main fort. Hewn piles and timbers had floated past during the day, preparing us for the evacuation above.

Meanwhile the column under General Smith, with Morse's brigade in the advance, made a night march across from Simmsport. Before they had gotten five miles out on their march, they were beset by the enemy's cavalry, which kept harassing front and rear during the entire route. A company of cavalry, under Captain Hughes, preceded the column, skirmishing continually. General F. Kilby Smith, who commanded the division in the rear, was often obliged to form in line to repel their threatened attack. Notwithstanding that a delay of three hours occurred in rebuilding a bridge destroyed by the flying enemy, the entire march, thirty miles, was accomplished in twenty hours, and, as the result showed, captured a strong position before sundown-a feat which has hardly a parallel. The country back of the Fort is an undulating table-land, beautiful to behold, and inhabited by descendants of the early French settlers. Indeed, many of them had hoisted over their porches the tri-color of France, although they have been living here, receiving the privileges of citizenship, for more than twenty years.

Two new earthworks were found in course of construction, and abundant evidences of the traffic across the stream at this point. A short distance up the bayou, which enters at this point, were found twenty-four pontoons used for a bridge; also, portions of a raft of timber long enough to stretch across. News reached us that a camp near the river had been hastily evacuated at the sight of the fleet; afterward we heard that about two thousand had a fortified camp three miles from the river, at the intersection of Bayou Glaize, (Yellow Bayou.) Next morning the land forces were disembarked, and marched out by sunrise to find the camp broken up and the enemy gone; the bridge leading across the stream burning, and evidence of a fright. There were two extensive earthworks, still incomplete, and a prodigious raft being constructed across Bayou Glaize so as to prevent the gunboats ascending the little channel during high-water. This location of their principal fortifications is significant in two things: their intention to make the Atchafalaya as their line of defence, and their distrust of their ability to hold forts immediately on the banks of navigable streams. Henceforth we imagined their policy would be It was about three o'clock as the head of the to hold the roads to the interior by works erect-column neared Fort De Russy; some time was ed beyond the range of the gunboats. Their abandonment of Simmsport was indicative that they had lost hope of defending successfully these latter.

Five miles further out, our force overtook five teams loaded with tents, which they burned, and loaded up the teams with sugar and molasses, which the rebels had unsuccessfully attempted to destroy. The whole column then returned to the boats. I should not be a faithful historian if I omitted to mention that the conduct of the troops since the late raid of General Sherman, is becoming very prejudicial to our good name and to their efficiency. A spirit of destruction and wanton ferocity seems to have seized upon many of them, which is quite incredible. At Red River landing they robbed a house of several thousand dollars in specie, and then fired the house to conceal their crime. Simmsport, a party of them stole out, and robbed

At

spent in making cautious approaches to the position, when the lines were moved up to the edge of the timber. The Fort then opened heavily with four guns, firing shells and shrapnel, our forces bringing two batteries into action. The cannonading continued two hours, when General Smith ordered a line of skirmishers to advance, when a heavy fusilade followed. A charge was ordered; the Fifty-eighth Illinois and the Eighth Wisconsin led, when just as the men had reached the ditch the garrison surrendered. About this time the boats made their appearance, the Eastport in the lead. They fired two shots without effect, across a rock, when the cheers of our delighted soldiers told them the Fort was ours. The gunboats were not engaged; the honor of this victory may be set down to the credit of the land forces.

The Fort consists of two distinct and formidable earth-works connected by a covered way.

certainly does not find corroboration in the fact that they surrendered to forces which marched across the country. Of this sort was the unfinished obstruction of piles about nine miles below here, which the gunboats had to tear away to allow the huge transports to pass through. As nearly as I can learn, Walker has two thousand men, mostly infantry, south of us. Taylor has, perhaps, as many at Alexandria, and it is probable that they may be united at the latter place. Banks has some, doubtless, in his front about Opelousas.

The upper part, the one facing the road from the interior, is a beautiful specimen of engineering skill, and is remarkable for the substantial and permanent manner in which every part is constructed. It mounted at the time of capture four guns, two field and two siege, though capable of accommodating twenty. It is perhaps a quarter of a mile from the river-bank, and seated on the gradual slope of a ridge, the first seen on ascending the river. In the lower work commanding the river was a casemated battery of three guns of superior construction. Upon a solid frame of twenty inches of timber were laid two layers of railroad iron, the upper tier reversed and laid into the interstices of the lower. But two guns were in position in it-one eleven-inch columbiad, taken from the Indianola, and an eight-inch smooth bore. On each side were batteries of two guns each, one a seven-inch rifle, ty miles; Alexandria, one hundred and forty of Parrott pattern, making in all eight siege and two field-pieces. There were found besides large quantities of ammunition and a thousand muskets, besides flour, sugar, etc.

Our loss in the affair was four killed and thirty wounded; rebels, five killed and four wounded. Two hundred prisoners constituted the garrison then in the Fort, all of which fell into our hands, with twenty-four officers. A force of about a thousand men has been stationed at De Russy until recently. The smallness of the garrison is a matter of much surprise, as the enemy must have known of our presence for some days; besides, it appears that a small number left in the morning before the attack. Two thirty-two pounders, on wheels, were hauled off only a few hours before our arrival, and narrowly escaped capture by our forces. It is unaccountable that the rebels should leave so valuable a position almost defenceless at this time, and can only be accounted for on the ground that General Banks was menacing Alexandria, and they decided to sacrifice one of the two places to hold the other. The troops have already reembarked, and are on the way to Alexandria.

Fort De Russy takes its name from Colonel De Russy, who formerly commanded in this vicinity, and lives not far distant. LieutenantColonel Bird was in command, though he reported to General Walker, whose headquarters were at Alexandria.

The following officers are prisoners: Captains Stevens, Morran, Wise, Wright, Laird, and King; Lieutenants Denson, Fuller, Fogarty, Claydon, Trumbull, (Eng.,) Burbank, Hewey, Assenheimer, Fall, Hauk, Ball, Little, Barksdale, Spinks, Bringhurst, and Stout.

From various sources we gather that the rebels here have about abandoned the idea of defending any of their navigable streams. When asked to account for their apparent neglect of so important a fort, they reply that this was considered merely as an experiment in engineering, (certainly a very creditable one, and one which the gunboats alone might have vainly assailed for a month,) but claim that so soon as we leave the rivers they will fall on us for destruction. This

The Red River has not been used for large transports or gunboats since May last, being hitherto too low. The Webb, Missouri, Grand Duke, and Mary Keene are at Shreveport, armed. The distances on this river from the Mississippi are: Black River, forty miles; De Russy, sevenmiles; Shreveport, four hundred and fifty miles.

Doc. 97.

An Act to reduce the Currency and to authorize a new issue of Notes and Bonds.

Sec. 1. The Congress of the confederate States of America do enact, That the holders of all treasury notes above the denomination of five dollars, not bearing interest, shall be allowed until the first day of April, 1864, east of the Mississippi River, and until the first day of July, 1864, west of the Mississippi River, to fund the same, and until the periods and at the places stated, the holders of all such treasury notes shall be allowed to fund the same in registered bonds payable twenty years after their date, bearing interest at the rate of four per cent per annum, payable on the first day of January and July of each year.

Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to issue the bonds required for the funding provided for in the preceding section; and, until the bonds can be prepared, he may issue certificates to answer the purpose. Such bonds and certificates shall be receivable, without interest, in payment of all government dues payable in the year 1864, except export and import duties.

Sec. 3. That all treasury notes of the denomination of one hundred dollars, not bearing interest, which shall not be presented for funding under the provisions of the first section of this act, shall, from and after the first day of April, 1864, east of the Mississippi River, and the first day of July, 1864, west of the Mississippi River, cease to be receivable in payment of public dues; and said notes, if not presented at that time,

shall, in addition to the tax of thirty-three and one third cents imposed in the fourth section of this act, be subject to a tax of ten per cent per month until so presented; which taxes shall attach to said notes wherever circulated, and shall be deducted from the face of said notes whenever presented for payment or for funding, and such notes shall not be exchangeable for the new issue of treasury notes provided for in this act.

Sec. 4. That on all said treasury notes not funded or used in payment of taxes at the dates and places prescribed in the first section of this act, there shall be levied at said dates and places a tax of thirty-three and one third cents for every dollar promised on the face of said notes. Said tax shall attach to said notes wherever circulated, and shall be collected by deducting the same at the treasury, its depositaries, and by the collectors, and by all government officers receiving the same, wherever presented for payment or for funding, or in payment of government dues, or for postage, in exchange for new notes as hereinafter provided; and said treasury notes shall be fundable in bonds as provided in the first section of this act, until the first day of January, 1865, at the rate of sixty-six cents and two thirds on the dollar, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury, at any time between the first of April, east, and the first of July, 1864, west of the Mississippi River, and the first of January, 1865, to substitute and exchange new treasury notes for the same, at the rate of sixtysix and two thirds cents on the dollar: Provided, that notes of the denomination of one hundred dollars shall not be entitled to the privilege of said exchange: Provided, further, that the right to fund any of said treasury notes after the first day of January, 1865, is hereby taken away; and provided, further, that upon all such treasury notes which remain outstanding on the first day of January, 1865, and which may not be exchanged for new treasury notes, as herein provided, a tax of one hundred per cent is hereby imposed.

a treaty of peace with the United States, unless sooner converted into new notes.

Sec. 6. That to pay the expenses of the gov ernment, not otherwise provided for, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to istue six per cent bonds to an amount not exceed ing five hundred millions of dollars, the principal and interest whereof shall be free from taxation; and for the payment of the interest thereon, the entire net receipts of any export duty hereafter laid on the value of all cotton, tobacco, and naval stores, which shall be exported from the confederate States, and the net proceeds of the import duties laid, or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay annually the interest, are hereby specially pledged: Provided, that the duties now laid upon imports, and hereby pledged, shall hereafter be paid in specie, or in sterling exchange, or in coupons of said bonds.

Sec. 7. That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized from time to time, as the wants of the Treasury may require it, to sell or hypothecate for treasury notes said bonds or any part thereof, upon the best terins he can, so as to meet appropriations by Congress, and at the same time reduce and restrict the amount of circulation in treasury notes within reasonable and safe limits.

Sec. 8. The bonds authorized by the sixth section of this act may either be registered or coupon bonds, as the parties taking them may elect, and they may be exchanged for each other under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; they shall be for one hundred dollars or some multiple of one hundred dollars; and shall, together with the coupons thereto attached, be in such form and of such authentication as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; the interest shall be payable half-yearly, on the first of January and July in each year; the principal shall be payable not less than thirty years from their date.

Sec. 9. All certificates shall be fundable, and shall be taxed in all respects as is provided for the treasury notes, into which they are convertible, if not converted before the time fixed for taxing the treasury notes. Such certificates shall from that time bear interest upon only sixty-six and two thirds cents for every dollar promised upon their face, and shall be redeemable only in new treasury notes at that rate; but, after the passage of this act, no call certificates shall be issued until after the first day of April, 1864.

Sec. 5. That after the first day of April next, all authority heretofore given to the Secretary of the Treasury to issue treasury notes, shall be, and is hereby, revoked, provided the Secretary of the Treasury may, after that time issue new treasury notes in such form as he may prescribe, | payable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace with the United States, said new issue to be receivable in payment of all public dues, except export and import duties, and to be issued | in exchange for old notes, at the rate of two dol- Sec. 10. That if any bank of deposit shall give lars of the new for three dollars of the old issues, its depositors the bonds authorized by the first whether said old notes be surrendered for ex-section of this act in exchange for their deposits change by the holders thereof, or be received into and specify the same on the bonds by some disthe Treasury under the provisions of this act; tinctive mark or token, to be agreed upon with and the holders of the new notes, or of the old the Secretary of the Treasury, then the said denotes, except those of the denomination of one positors shall be entitled to receive the amount hundred dollars, after they are reduced to sixty-of said bonds in treasury notes, bearing no insix and two thirds cents on the dollar, by the tax terest, and outstanding at the passage of this aforesaid, may convert into call certificates, bear-act: Provided, the said bonds are presented be ing interest at the rate of four per cent per an- fore the privilege of funding said notes at par num, and payable two years after a ratification of shall cease, as herein prescribed.

Sec. 11. That all treasury notes heretofore issued of the denomination of five dollars shall continue to be receivable in payment of public dues, as provided by law, and fundable at par under the provisions of this act, until the first of July, 1864, east, and until the first of OcSec. 18. The Secretary of the Treasury is heretober, 1864, west of the Mississippi River; but by authorized and required, upon the application after that time they shall be subject to a tax of of the holder of any call certificate, which, by thirty-three and a third cents on every dollar the first section of the act to provide for the promised on the face thereof; said tax to attach funding and further issue of treasury notes, to said notes wherever circulated, and said notes approved March twenty-third, 1863, was requir to be fundable and exchangeable for new treas-ed to be hereafter deemed to be a bond, to issue ury notes, as herein provided, subject to the de- to such holder a bond therefor, upon the terms duction of said tax. provided by said act.

to one.

me.

*

train of reflections: "I shall be frightened of become a hero upon the same principle. I am course. At what? Why, at the danger to which aware of the military dogma that men, to become my life is exposed. Well, now, what is really good soldiers, must first become mere machines. the extent of the danger? In the most sanguin-If this be true, then it were better for us (policy ary battle, not one fifth of the combatants are killed or wounded. The chances are, therefore, five to one that I shall not be hurt. The proportion of the slightly and recoverably wounded is to the killed and mortally wounded as five is The chances are, therefore, five to one, that if touched at all, I shall not be mortally wounded. The cannon are the common engines which unnerve men. Now, of the whole number of killed in battle, not more than one in one hundred are killed by cannon." A hundred to one, therefore, that those noisy bellowers do not hurt The alternative is presented to me to stand my ground in spite of my fears, or to run. Now, in which is the most danger? Why, surely in running; for, as a general rule, of a given number, more men are killed in flight than in fight. While I stand my ground, I am all the time destroying, weakening, and disheartening the enemy, and encouraging my companions in arms. Victory, therefore, is likely to insure my safety. But in running, I may be killed by the very men whom I would have disabled had I stood firm. I weaken our forces, throw the battle upon a reduced number, expose them to increased labors and losses, become then an object of their hatred and contempt, dispirit them and invigorate the foe, not only for this battle, but for all future battles. The regulars show that battles lose their terrors when we become used to them; how am I ever to become used to them by running? If I save my life by it, I increase the danger of being made prisoner a hundred-fold. Fear or no fear, then, I will fight as long as the regulars fight."

aside) to make up our armies of stout, able-bodied negroes, inured to toil, than of their high-minded, chivalrous, but more feeble masters. At the opening of the war, our armies were composed mainly of troops of the latter class-men of science, men of wealth, men of the learned professions, Congressmen, legislators, professors, and students-all accustomed to a life of comparative ease. There was little drilling of them, or time for drilling them, before they were engaged in a series of battles. The conscript laws filled our ranks with men from all grades of society, and of all descriptions of character-in the main, hardworking, strong-muscled, able-bodied men, accustomed to hard living and constant fatigue. They have been long in the machine factory, long enough to have every attribute of humanity drilled out of them. Has this class proved themselves to be better soldiers than the other? Have they fought better? Have they gained any more victories? Have they endured any more hardships, and with more patience? Let the advocates of machinery answer these questions.

The dogma which I have been considering is not only false, but is in the highest degree mischievous. If scientific war be but a conflict of machines, it necessarily follows that the power which has the greatest number of machines must in the end be victorious. How is it possible for nine millions of population-six, we may sayto bring into the field as many men as can twenty-three millions? And yet we seem to be trying the hopeless experiment. Every body is to be called to arms. In reason's name, I ask, Why? We have plenty of men enrolled to whip all the Now, in all this, I put love of country, Yankee Yankees in the field at this time, if our men will insolence, and brutality entirely out of the ques- but fight as they did at the beginning of the war! tion; for with panic-stricken troops, carrying in Did we lose the battle of Mission Ridge from their bosoms no antidote for their fears or moral want of men? No, but from derangement of our remedy for their natural defects, these considera- machinery. And why should that defeat run us tions are utterly worthless, as has been most la- all crazy? I see nothing alarming in it. One of mentably proven in our last great battle. The the bitter fruits of the dogma in question is that remedy is found in the foregoing train of reflec-officers who subscribe to it will take no pains to tions. They cannot make brave men of cowards; they cannot prevent fears on the battle-field; but they surely ought to make the coward and the timid fight manfully in spite of their infirmities. Officers should impress them on the minds of their new recruits; and as such men fight well under a general in whom they have confidence, they should always, if practicable, be attached to the brigade, division or corps in whose generals they have the most confidence. Lord Wellington is reported to have said that by nature he was a great coward, but that his pride of character, self-respect, and love of country predominated over his fears. The consequence was, that he became the hero of heroes. I see no reason why every soldier in the confederate army might not

*I state this upon the authority of a brigadier-general of

many battles, who has turned his attention to this matter on the field.

inspire their men with courage, self-confidence, and high-toned patriotism, but will treat them pretty much as they would so many prize-fighters. Away with the false, demoralizing dogma! Soldiers, you are moral agents; do for yourselves, then, what I would do for you, if I could. Nerve yourselves up by your own mental energies to deeds of noble daring and unflinching valor, though your enemy be three to your one.

CHAPTER II.

My first chapter was addressed to raw recruits. It was not designed to dissipate their fears in battle, for no counsel can do this; but to teach them to be good soldiers in spite of their fearsto show them that if they will consult their own personal safety, they will fight in fear rather than run from fear. I now address the soldiers gen