Posted inUS Civil War

September 17, 1861 – From the Potomac

A general rumor was brought down on the Central train Thursday, of renewed heavy skirmishing on our lines. From what we can learn, however, there bas been no movement of consequence, outside of the usual brushes between the pickets.

Reconnoisances of the banks of the Potomac show that the enemy have perfected a line of works from the Chain Bridge to four miles south of Alexandria, having accomplished, for a distance of about fifteen miles, a line of well-constructed earthworks.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

September 14, 1861 – Latest News

The U. S. gunboats Conestoga and Lexington, on Tuesday, attacked a rebel battery of sixteen suns, on the Missouri side of h Mississippi river, near to Lucas bend, and, after an action silenced the battery, and disabled the rebel gunboat Yankee.

Charles H. Foster, a loyal member of Congress, from North Carolina, called on President Lincoln, and tendered to him a full brigade of loyalists from that State.

The lower house of the Kentucky Legislature yesterday adopted, by ayes 71, noes 26 resolutions directing the Governor to issue his proclamation ordering the rebel troops to evacuate Kentucky. The Legislature also refused to receive a resolution directing a proclamation to be issued for the departure of both the United States and rebel troops.

Posted inUS Civil War

September 8, 1861 – Letter from Col. Vaughn

From the Knoxville Register

Munson’s Hill, in sight Washington City, August 31, 1861.

Dear Register:—Agreeable to my promise to you yesterday, I now write you a line from within full view of Washington City, Alexandria and all the encampments of Lincoln’s army this side of the Potomac. Since I wrote you last nothing has transpired on a large scale. We have had several skirmishes with their pickets; in a skirmish this morning, we killed two and took three prisoners.

We have now finished our fortifications on Munson’s Hill, also on Mason’s Hill, and we will commence fortifications to-morrow on Upton’s Hill, which will give us three strong positions some two miles apart, in plain view of Washington city, which we can hold against 40,000 Vandals with 15,000 Southern will-be freemen. We have been here since the morning of the 28th. We have been on picket duty and at work in the entrenchments all the time; but the East Tennessee boys can stand anything.