Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-03-14

Oeii 81 ulViSlO
[,ignedI ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
EXECUTIVE MANSION
WAsHIsGTON, March 18th, 1862. I
PRESIDENTS WAR ORDER NO. 3.
Major General Mcclellan having personal
ly taken the field, at the head of the army of
the Potomac, until otherwise ordered, he is
relieved from the command Of the other
military departments-he retaining the COM
mand Of the department of the Potomac.
Ordered, further, That the two depart
of Gems Halleck and Hunter, together with
Of north and south line indefinitely drawn
through Kn xville. Tennessee, be consolida-
ted and designated the department of the
Mississippi, and that, until otherwise ordered,
Major Genera Ha!leck have command of the
said department.
Ordered, also, That the country west of
the department of the Potomac and east of
the department Of the Mississippi, be mil ia
ry department, and the same be commands
by Major General Fremont. That all COM
mandcrs of departments, after receipt of this
order, respectively report, severaily and d.
rectly. to the Secretary Of War, and that
prompt and frequent reports will be expected
of all.
[Signed.l ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, March H.
| The offic al report of Lieut. Pend.rgast, of
the Congress, address ed to om. Marston,
has been forward d to the Navy Department.
| Lieut.. Pendergast states that owing to the
death of the late commanding officer, James
B. Smith, it becomes h duty to make to you
u report of the part which the U. S. Frigate
Congress took in the efforts of our vessels at
| Newport News to repel the attack of the reb
el fotilla on the Sth inst
| The report says when the Merrimac, with
gun-boAts, we're seen steaming down from
| Norfolk and had approached near enough to
| discover her character, the ship was cleared
| for action
At minutes past o'clock the Merrimac
| opened with her bow gun with grape, passing
! on the starboard side at a distance of about
| 300 yarus, receiving our broadside and CIV
ing one in return. After passing the Con-
grcsS she ran and sunk the Cumberland. L e
| smaller vessels then attacked US, Killing and
| woundng many CT our crew Seeing the
fate of the Cumberland, we set he ito and
ropsail and with the assistance of tue gun
| boat Zouave ran The vessel ashore.
At half-past two the Merrimac took posi-
| ton astern of us, at distance of $50 Yards,
and raked US fore and aft with shells. Thu
gun-boats took a position to rake us from an
opposite direction, doing US great damage
Our two stern guns were our only means of
| hcfense. These were soon disabled, one be-
ing dismountcd and the other its muzzle
knocked away. The men were knocked away
from them with great rapdity and slaughtc, ed
BY the terribl" fire Of the enemy. It. Ponder.
CAST first learned of the death of 1t. Smith
at half-past 4. The death happened 10 min
utes previous. seeing that our men were be-
ing killed, without the prospect of any relief
from the Minnesota, which vessel had been
grounded in attempting to get to us, not
being able to get single gun to bear upon
the enemy, and the sh p being on fire in sew
erai places, upon consultation with the COM
manner, VIM Smith, We deemed it proper to
hsul down our tolors, without further loss of
life We were soon boarded by an officer of
the Merrimac, who said he would take the
ship. He left shortly afterwards, an small
tow came alongside, when the Captain de-
manded that we should surrender and get out
of the ship, as he intended to burn her i'm
mediately.
A sharp fire with muskctry and artillery
was maintained, by our troops ashore upon
tho tugs. The Merrimac again opened fire
upon US although we had flag ahead to
show that we WIRE out of the action. After
having fired several shells into US she left US
and engaged the Minnesota and shore bat
terry; after which, Lieut.. Pendergast states,
the wounded were taken ashore in small
boa's-the ship having been on fire from the
beginning Of the action, from the hot SHOT
fired from the Merrimac.
He speaks of the death of the following
officers: Lieut.. James B. Smith, Acting Mas
ter Thomas Moore, and VIM. Rhodes.
CHICAGO, March r.
special Washington dispatch to the 7rib
une saws it is believed the rebels have been
evacuating Manassas for months back.
Gen Mcclellan will, tomorrow, cease to be
General-in-C Chief. Stanton will issue a gem
eral order, announcing the change
Flag Officer Dup mt writes, IN a private
letter, that the rif1cd l20-pounder, captured
at Fernandina, was finer cannon than any
we have.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March II.
Humphrey Marshall is at Gainesville, s
miles from the Kentucky line, near Pound
ing Gap, with the few unscattered, demora'
lied forces belonging to Col. Williams reo
ment. Marshall att, mpted to conc:IIiiate The
people Of that region, but since his dec.at has
become irritable and overbs., ling
Tennessee advices sa. the citizens Of Sbal.
oyvll'e' Bedford comfy, burned, on Sunday
n'ght, large Quantity of Confederate stores
I" prevent :snelr falling into the hands of the
reoel Troops under Gen. a. Sidney johnson,
VINO were IN full ret eat from Murfreesboro.
Special to the Missouri Republican.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, March 10.
A messenger who arrived this morning at
3 O'Clock reports that the battle lasted from
Thursday noon till Saturday night, and that
our loss was about $50 killed and wounded. |
The rebel loss was about 1000 Kill ed and |
and one thou sand taken prison |
ers. Among them is Col. McRea and an |
AR ansas Regiment.
The attack was made from the North |
md West, our army being completely sur
rounded and Van Do.en, Price, Nee lloch
md Mcintosh were present, with about 25,-
700 men. McCulloch and McIntosh are re.
ported wounded.
The tack from the rear was made by
dccu loch and met by Sigel. routing him
His corps scattered in wild con-
usion.
We have also captured large amount oil
torres, teams, cannon, small arms land am
nunition.
ST.. LOUIS, March. IL.
A special dispatch to the democrat, from
afro, says two Union men reached t.aarci
rom New Orleans, to-day. They left east
lty on the 26th ult., and bv careful travel
'g were GRABBED to get off in safety. both
pent the winter in New Orleans, where the q
reatest excit ment and distress prevail. Tie
pproaches to the city OF the south are pretty