April 2, 1862 – Forced March Against a Rebel Camp at Union City

Chicago, April 1—A special dispatch to the Journal from Cairo says that Col. Buford yesterday, accompanied by the 27th and 47th Illinois Regiments, and part of the 15th Wisconsin Regiment, from the force near Island No. 10, with a detachment of cavalry and artillery from Hickman, under Col. Hedge, made a descent upon Union City, Tenn, after a forced march of 30 miles, and fell on the rebel encampment there at 7 o’clock In the morning, dispersing the entire force stationed there under Clay King, both cavalry and infantry.

March 16, 1862 – Bounty to Soldiers

On motion of Mr. Garner, House bill No. 290, to grant bounty to volunteers enlisting in the Confederate service for three years or the war, was taken up. The amendment of the committee on military affairs, to appropriate two millions of dollars for the purposes of the bill and authorizing the Governor, in his discretion to issue treasury notes to that amount, adopted.

February 20, 1862 – The Battle of Fort Donelson

Chicago, Feb. 19. —The Tribune correspondent, in giving a description of the battle at Fort Donelson, says, that when Col. Crafts’ brigade, which had been ordered to reinforce Gen. McClernand, came up in the rear of the thirtieth, thirty first, and twenty-fifth Kentucky, these regiments were lying down and firing over the crest of a hill. They rose, and not knowing whether the force in their rear was friend or foe, the twenty-fifth Kentucky, supposing them to be rebels, poured in a raking volley on them, which did terrible execution, and was sufficient to throw the entire brigade into disorder at once, which was almost a panic. Some threw down their guns and equipments, and fled immediately. The woods were filled with stragglers. Some even fled to fort Henry.

February 10, 1862 – The Capture of Fort Henry

The telegraph reports the surrender of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river, after a short engagement with the gunboats and before the land force had arrived at the scene of action. It is also stated that our forces had advanced fifteen miles beyond Fort Henry and had taken possession of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad bridge. This is an important victory, if we have force enough to take advantage of it. In this event it will be attended with the most important and decisive results. The St. Louis Republican thus detailed the importance of General Grant’s expedition a few days ago:

If the communication between Bowling Green and Columbia can be cut off, the Union forces still have it in their power to achieve such a victory as will make the Confederates tremble from Nashville to Pensacola.

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.