October 31, 1861 – Gifts from Litchfield

Sergeant Smith of the 4th Regiment, took back with him on Monday to his company a vast amount of comforts and luxuries for “the boys.” He had Hams, Cheeses, Tubs of fresh butter, Crackers, Shirts, Stockings, pipe and cigars, amounting in all to three large dry goods boxes and one barrel full! Something over seventy pairs of good, thick, warm wollen stockings were sent. Notable mothers, sisters and grandmothers, habituated to such labors, have plied their needles during the past fortnight more industriously than ever, and dainty fingers which never before manipulated anything harsher than Berlin wool, have bravely toiled over the heavy blue yarn, anxious to contribute something to the comfort of their brothers in the distant camp.

October 29, 1861 – Army Correspondence

Fort Tillinghast Va., Oct. 10, 1861.
Editors Mineral Point Tribune :

It has rained most of the day, and as darkness slowly comes on, all wonder how the night will pass—whether we freeze, or be dampened and chilled by the cold blasts of the Old Dominion. Well may the gallant crew wonder ; for within the last two weeks we have experienced more or less of cool nights, and are anxious to know how Uncle Sam will manage with his grand army of children as winter approaches. The 2nd will return thanks to the aforesaid Uncle Samuel for the nice over-coats he has been pleased to distribute among us ; and if you would just walk into our quarters, you would readily observe the plenty of everything. The 2nd has been newly clothed throughout, and it is with pride they don them and appear upon dress parade, with eyes front, body erect, and a sober, benign countenance. We calculate the 2nd capable of “dressing up” to any of the volunteer regiments ; and, upon review, parade, or in the camp, their actions bespeak for them a well disciplined and sturdy set of “Badger boys,” capable of going through all manner of hardships.

October 28, 1861 – Dispatches from Head of Passes

U.S. steamer Richmond, showing a near side-on view. Her sails are partly unfurled, and her smokestack sits mid deck.

Washington, Oct. 25.—Commodore McKean’s dispatches are received at the Navy Department. Capt. Pope of the Richmond, reports the hole made in her by the ram was two feet below the water line and five inches in circumference. At the first alarm, the crew cooly repaired to quarters, and as the ram passed abreast the Richmond, the entire port battery was discharged at her, with what effect, it was impossible to discover in the darkness. A red light was shown as a signal of danger, and the entire squadron was under way in a very few minutes, the Richmond covering the retreat. The Preble went over the bar while the Vincennes and Richmond grounded.

October 27, 1861 – Iron Breast-plates for Valiant Secessionists

Among the innumerable contraband articles seized by the Louisville inspectors, during the smuggling season, were two or three breast-plates of cast iron, about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, covered with bunches of cotton cord half an inch thick, with which some valiant Secessionists expected, I presume, to protect their carcasses from Minie balls. The other day one of them was put to the test, without a man to stand behind it. It withstood the balls of Colt’s navy pistol, receiving only a deep indentation, and cracking very slightly; but when tried with the Minie musket, at fifty paces, it fractured like a gourd. Mr. Durett, now of Fort Lafayette, made some efforts to get them released from seizure, and it may be one was intended for his protection.

Coast Guard Boats Riddle Liquor Craft

Photo of the Helen, a rum runner, sitting low in the water after being shot up by the Coast Guard. Men on board are seizing crates of liquor.

Two Vessels Captured After Early-Morning Battle in Long Island Sound.

NEW LONDON, Conn., October 25.—Guns aboard Coast Guard vessels blazed away yesterday in a hectic battle, fought in the darkness of early morning, with two suspected rum runners.

With five craft already to their credit as the result of previous encounters earlier in the week, the Coast Guardsmen in yesterday’s engagement riddled the liquor-laden speed boat Helen of Newport with machine-gun bullets and one-pound shells and captured a second speed boat, the Pueblos of Bridgeport, believed to be a sister ship of the Helen.

October 26, 1861 – Details of the Battle at Fredericton

Death of Col. Lowe—Pursuit of the Retreating Rebels.

Pilot Knob, Oct. 22. [Special to the St. Louis Republican.]— From responsible parties who witnessed the light at Fredericton yesterday, we gather the following particulars

Col. Carlin, with parts of the Twenty first, Thirty third, and Thirty-eighth Illinois regiments, Eighth Wisconsin, Col. Bakers Indiana Cavalry, and Major Schofield’s battery, reached Fredericton at 9 o’clock in the morning, and at 1 o’clock P. M, was joined by the Eleventh, Seventeenth, and Twentieth Illinois, and 400 cavalry from Cape Girardeau. They then advanced in pursuit of the rebels under Jeff. Thompson and Col. Lowe, who had left the place 24 hours before, and were reported to be rapidly retreating south, but about a mile distant they discovered the entire force of the enemy drawn up in line of battle, partly posted in the open field and partly in the adjacent woods, with four iron 9 pounders well planted in their front. Major Schofield immediately opened fire, and at the fourth round silenced one of the rebel guns. The engagement then became general, and lasted about two hours, but after the first half hour the rebels left the Hold in disorder and took to the woods, closely followed by both our infantry and cavalry. Before leaving the field the rebel Colonel Lowe was shot in the head and instantly killed.

October 25, 1861 – The Iron-Clad Steamer at Savannah

A correspondent of the Montgomery Advertiser gives the following interesting particulars of the iron-clad steamer, whose arrival at Savannah with arms and stores for the Confederate Government, has been briefly noticed in the papers. These particulars were obtained from a gentleman who was himself on board of the steamer:

She had the rig of a full rigged brig, and coming into port under sail, with a light head of steam, and her smoke stack down, her appearance, at a short distance, indicating nothing more than an ordinary brig. She has no sign of a port-hole from the outside, and the only indication on the decks that she is designed for a war vessel is the presence of four ring bolts firmly fixed in the decks. She is designed to carry four guns on deck, and, although there are no gun carriages to be seen, yet there are four ten-inch rifled cannon slung in such a way that they could be brought into action, had there been occasion, on very short notice. Her bulwarks, instead of being solid, as usual, were constructed of fancy wire netting. She had on board 18 of the above guns, the Enfield rifles as before mentioned, and large quantities of munitions of war.

He said that they kept the hatchets closed and allowed no one to go between decks; therefore, we can get no description of her arrangements internally at present. She presents a beautiful appearance externally, and when she is fully fitted for action she will, no doubt, prove an ugly customer for the enemy to cope with.

Thus we are progressing, and gaining strength, step by step, to punish the

“Slaves for pillage fighting,
Obdurate vassals fell exploit enacting.
In moody death, and ravishments delighting:
No children’s tears, nor mothers’ groans respecting”

The Athens Post, Athens, TN

Unlaid Ghost of Tar Delays Ship

Illustration of the ghost appearing, with a spectral cat on each shoulder.

Mates Won’t Sail on the Annie Smith With Steve Jackson’s Wraith Roaming Decks.

SAILOR WAS MURDERED

And Worse Still, Two Black Cats perched on the Spirit’s Form, So the Commander of the Barkentine Was Unable to Put to Sea.

New, York.—It was not exactly the fault of Capt. Frederick Foote that the Annie Smith, as trim a little barkentine as you can see in any port, did not sail the other day for Brazilian ports. Nor was it the fault of Edwin Moore, the mate negro that of Steve Jackson, a negro seaman, lately deceased. The blame really belonged to the ghost of the said Steve Jackson.

The Annie Smith, with her general cargo stowed away, her clearance papers signed, her sails ready to he set, was unable to cast off, because Captain Foote could find no mate to sail in her.

And if you speak to Captain Foote and your conscience and your constitution can weather oaths that will make your hair stand on end, you will learn that when Steve Jackson slipped his cable with a knife stuck in between his ribs, he carelessly allowed his ghost to roam at random on the Annie Smith.