Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-04-22
TELEGRAPHIC.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S SPEECH
AT BALTIMORE,
FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI.
Forrest Preparing to Return
South.

SVuVAO
New YORK, April 20.
A 7Tsbune's special states that Gen. Prince
has been ordered to the command of the mil
itary district of Paducah, Columbus and
Cairo.
Gen. Grant reviewed the 9th corps on Mon
day also the reserve artillery, End corps and
Sd division Of cavalry
On Tuesday detachment of the I'd Mass
achusetts cavalry, under Major Forbes, re-
turned from reconnaissance through Gen.
terville, Green Springs and Drainsville, bring
ing six prisoners, and the inform ation that q
large body of rebel cavalry, supposed to be
FROM their main army, were at Leesburg and
vicinity selz'ng forage, grain and all available
teams, and taking them off towards Upper
VILE Col. Lowell Immediately started with
his brigade of cavalry from Vienna, support.
ed by Gen. Tyler's brigade Of infantry from
Fairfax Court House, to give them battle.
New YORK, April 20.
A Norfolk letter to the World says the
late mission of the rebel Commissioner Ould
to Fit. Monroe, was to ask Gen. Butler to
send up for the sick of our prisoners at Rich.
mond, who were too far gone to be moved
South, and 663 have since arrived 1T Old
Point, of whom Ould said he would consider
it almost miracle if our government sue
ceeded in saving one-half.
CINCINNATI, April 90.
A dispatch to the Commercial dated Cat
lettsburg, Kentucky, April 10Th, says Capt.
Patrick had arrived with over 100 prisoners
captured at the battles of Paintsville and
Half Mountain, on the Licking river.
Col. Hodges rebel brigade attacked COL
Galespie's force at Paintsviile on Tuesday,
but was repulsed. Col. Gillespie pursued
the retreating rebels with 800 men of the l4th
and seth Kentucky regiments, and surprised
them in camp at Half Mountain, capturing
70 prisoners, 200 horses, 400 saddles, 800
stand of small arms and all their camp equip
page. The rebels lost IS killed and wound.
ed. A large amount of stolen property was
recovered and returned to the citizens. A
rebel wagon train was captured and burned
Our loss was one killed and four wounded
The rebels were commanded by Coils Hodge,
Clay, Prentiss and Johnson. Col. Clay is
among the prisoners.
New YORK, April 20.
The steamer Liberty arrived here bringing
New Orleans papers Of the 18th.
The True Delta has dates from Grand
Ecore, 18th, and Alexandria, 9th.
Gen. Banks headquarters were at Natchi-
toches.
No news of the battle reported via Chica.
go, in the New Orleans papers.
Quarantine will be rigldly enforced below
New Orleans after May Is.
The crop prospects of Northern Louisiana
and Arkansas are improving. Wheat and
corn are SAID to be destroyed.
An Alexandria letter of the 9th, says the
rebels are burning all the cotton on Red and
Ouchita rivers.
The New Orleans Times has a Baton
Rouge letter Of the 10th, which states that
on Wednesday last an advance cavalry regi.
ment had a skirmish at Pleasant Hill, five
miles from Shreveport. We had few wound
ed
On Thursday another occurred five miles
above Natchitoches. We were driven in but
rallied, when the enemy retreated, with small
loss on both sides.
New YoRK, April 20.
Gold 67A.
Cotton firm. Higher grades nominal ow.
ing to scarcity.
BALTIMORE, April IS.
The Inauguration exercises of the great
fair at the Maryland Institute were very i'm
posing. The Presidents appearance in the
hall was greeted with tremendous applause.
After the reading of the inaugural address o.!
Gov. Bradford, the President was loudly call
ed for, and in respo 1se proceeded to make =
brief address. He referred to the great
change which has taken place in Baltimore
in the last three years. The world, he said,
L - &c
of the word Freedom. Whilst al! professed
to advocate liberty, there wss in the minds Of
many very opposite views As to what liberty
was: with one man liberty implied work for
himself and to do as he pleased with the pro-
ceeds of his labor with others liberty meant
to do as you pleased with other men and their
labor One of these two conflicting ideas
would have to give way to the other. He
thought from some occurrences lately taken
place in Maryland, that her people were
about to determine which of these views of
freedom should control her destiny. He then
alluded to the occurrence reported to have
taken place at Fort Pillow--the massacre of
several hundred colored soldiers by rebels.
He said many supposed the government did
not intend to do its duty in regard to protect.
ing colored soldiers. He desired to say all
such were mistaken. When the question of
employing colored men as soldiers was left to
the government, it rested very much with
himself whether he should make soldiers of
them or not. He pondered the matter care
fully, and when he became convinced that it
was duty to so employ them, he did not
hesitate to do so. He stood before the Amer
lean people, before the Christian world, and
before the eye of the historian, responsible
for that act He stood before God and he did
not shrink from the decision he had made,
for he believed he was right. But when the
government determined to make soldiers of
colored people, he thought it only Just that
they should have the same protection as
white soldiers, (applause) and he hesitated
not to declare that the government would 50
protect them to the utmost of its power.
Whenever a clear, authenticated case is made
out, retribution will follow. Hitherto it has
been difficult to ascertain with the certainty
which should govern in = matter so seriou 8,
but in the affair of Fl. Pillow he thought We
were likely to find clear case The govern.
ment had no direct evidence to confirm the
reports IN existence relative to the massacre,
but he himself feared the facts related were
true. When the government does know the
facts from official sources retribution will fol-
low. (Great applause.) But how retribution
was to be administered was question still to
be settled. Would it be right to take the life
Of prisoners IN Washington, Delaware, or
elsewhere, in retaliation for acts in which
they had not shared, and which will probably
be found to be the deeds Of only few indi-
viduals and possibly of only one man. The
President reiterated that the government
would not fail to visit retribution when the
facts were clearly proven.
Throughout his remarks the President
was warmly applauded, especially for his de.
termination to visit retribution to the rebels
for their barbarous deeds.