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October 18, 1861 – Our Army Correspondence

Camp McClellan
Davenport, Oct. 11, 1861

DEAR JOURNAL: –Here we are at last, the members of Capt. Ben. Beach’s company, snugly ensconced in comfortable quarters at Camp McClellan. We are not disappointed as to the position of our camp; its location is beautiful and healthful, but at present thoroughly “muddled” from recent rains, which causes us some inconvenience in “navigatin ;” however. I think one or two days of this beautiful sunshine will dry things up.—

We arrived at Davenport at 7 o’clock Thursday evening, where our friend and fellow soldier, Capt. Charles E. Compton, was waiting to receive us but owing to the inclemency of the weather, we were directed to the Railroad depot, which was furnished us for temporary quarters: While supper was being prepared for us at the Le Claire House, we amused ourselves in sundry ways, singing and dancing being the chief amusement. At the hour of 9, the company was formed and marched down town, where we engaged in supplying the wants of the inner man. Supper over, songs were sung by the “Sardine Club,” the performance closing with Charles Fowler’s inimitable woman’s rights speech, which was loudly applauded by the curious spectators.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

October 14, 1861 – The Great Naval Victory

Confederate ironclad ram CSS Manassas attacks the USS Richmond in the Battle of the Head of the Passes, 12 October 1861. Harper's weekly, 1861 Dec. 7, p. 773.

Last Saturday, the 12th day of October 1861, has now a place in history, and a place, too, inferior to none connected with the history of the people of America, the Fourth of July only excepted. Thursday gave to the South also another hero, one who will rank with the Jones’, the Hulls, the Perrys, and the Decaturs, those glorious defenders of the rights of the old Union. Yes, henceforth the name of Hollins will be mentioned with pride throughout the broad extent of the Southern Confederacy. He has fought against odds, we believe, which have never before been encountered, and obtained a victory which, so for as we recollect, has no parallel in history. Five extemporised gun boats, armed with 17 guns all told, attacked a fleet of four men of war, armed with about 40 guns, sunk one of them, put the balance to flight, ran them ashore, and captured a transport schooner from them.

This expedition, which had such a glorious termination, was fitted out here and over in Algiers by Capt. Hollins, amidst the most profound secrecy, not the slightest hint of what was intended getting noised abroad until the vessels were almost ready for departure, and even then nothing definite could be learned, nor did any one know exactly what was going to be done.

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October 13, 1861 – Important From Fort Pickens

Fight Between Col. Wilson’s Zouaves and Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama Soldiers on Santa Rosa Island

Baltimore, Oct. 12,1811.

The Norfolk Day Book, received this morning, contains despatches from New Orleans giving an account of a surprise and attack made on Col. Wm. Wilson’s Zouaves, at Rosa Island, on the 8th inst. Detachments from several Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama regiments made a landing in the night and drove in Wilson’s pickets, and shortly afterwards a fierce fight began. The Zouaves of Colonel Wilson are credited with having fought with great bravery, and the rebels admit a loss of forty killed and about double that number wounded. The rebels claim to have spiked the guns of the Zouaves and destroyed all their camp equipage. They also claim to have committed great slaughter among the Zouaves, but give no number of the killed. The rebels also say they carried off a number of prisoners.

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October 11, 1861 – From the Army

Camp Advance, Fort Smith
4th Vermont Regiment

Friend Swain:—We are now encamped on the “sacred soil,” at the advanced post of the division, in the vicinity of Chain Bridge. But a word regarding our trip.—

We left Camp Holbrook, at Brattleboro, Saturday evening about 8 o’clock, and arrived at New Haven about daylight, and embarked immediately on board the steamer Elm City and landed at Jersey City Sunday, about 12 o’clock, and started immediately by rail for Washington. We were furnished at Philadelphia with a splendid supper, and I assure you the boys did ample justice to the good things, for more hungry set would be hard to find. I understand every regiment passing through is fed—and in good shape too—a large building has been erected, and everything arranged in the best shape, with a separate room for working, which is all supported by a voluntary subscription, with plenty of pretty volunteer girls to wait on the bold soldier boys.

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October 10, 1861 – Scoundrels

We are mortified beyond expression to remark that there are men in the South who, in this war of independence, find the dictates of selfish interest stronger than that of patriotism, to a degree which is only not criminal in the popular understanding because there is no law that makes it amenable to criminal statute.—The Richmond papers state that certain persons have secured in advance the product of a number of mills which the government chiefly relied on for furnishing the cloth for the manufacture of winter clothing for our soldiers at the Confederate factory in that city, and now hold their bargains, demanding an exorbitant profit on the prices of fabrics.

Posted inUS Civil War

October 9, 1861 – A Friendly Interview Between Pennsylvania Regiments and the Rebels

A Washington correspondent of the New York Tribune says :

I have just learned the particulars of two interviews which took place on Sunday last between some members of Colonel Hays’ 8th Pennsylvania regiment and the Virginia 43d (rebel) stationed oil the opposite banks of the Potomac at Great Falls. The river is here not more than a hundred yards wide, and the pickets on both sides have occasionally hailed each other. On Sunday the rebels invited some of our men across, stating that if they would leave their arms behind them they would receive hospitable treatment and be allowed to return.