Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-12-20


The stone feet, consisting of sixteen
old whaling vessels that had been
purchased by the United States in
New England and loaded with stone
and bricks. arrived of Charleston and
were sunk in the ship channel, for the
purpose of more effectively closing
the port of Charleston.
A resolution offered in the United
States senate directing the Commit
tee on the Judiciary TO report a bill
eonfscating all property of supporters
of the Confederacy, the liberation Of
slaves, and their protection from re-
capture by their masters. failed to
pass by two votes.
Two regiments of British infantry
sailed for Canada from England. to
the tune of u Wis., were in Dixie"
and Should Aud Acquaintance be
Forgot
December 81, 1861.
The Southern papers OF this date
were filed with expressions of delight
at The prospect of war between the
United States and England over the
seizure of Messrs. Mason and Slidell.
emissaries from the Confederate
states to Great Britain and France.
when under the protection of the Brit
ish flag on board the British steamer
Trent.
The Kentucky House of Representa-
tives, by a vote of 50 to IL. concurred
In the state senate's amendment to
the bin reported by the House Com
mittee on Federal Relations. thanking
President Lincoln for his modification
of Gen. Fremont's order and Secre-
tary Camerons report and requesting
the president to dismiss Secretary
Cameron from the cabinet.
Union pickets at Stump Neck, on
the Potomac. intercepted mail car
riers of the secret mail route from the
South to the North, obtaining a guam
tity of mail of a private character,
much of which was significant
The Gunboat Resolute, U. S. ~,
discovering a detachment OF Confed-
crate cavalry at Holland Point, near
White House on the Virginia shore of
the Potomac. dispersed them with
shell fire.
The Cabinet of the United States
decided that troops should not pass
through Baltimore thereafter unless
Obliged to do so by interruption of
other routes of travel Maryland
north of Washington was In arms
against the federal government
December %, 1861.
General Halleck, commanding the
Department of the Missouri of the
Union army, issued an order from St.
Louis declaring that anyone caught
in the act Of burning bridges or de-
stroying railroads would be shot, and
that anyone charged with the crime
would be tried for his life by a mill
tary commission. He further ordered
that slaves of southern sympathizers
were to be impressed by officers of
the Union army to repair damages
done: that anyone claiming TO have
Union sympathies and who knew Of
projected destruction, who did not in
form, would be treated as particeps
criminis, and that towns in the Viein-
ity OF destroyed property would be
held for the expense of repair unless
it could be proven that there had not
been sufficient force among their citi-
zens to prevent the destruction.
Four companies of Union soldiers
sent out from Newport News under
Major Schoepf with orders to bring
in fuel, encountered the Confederates
in force near New Market Bridge, and
withdrew. Being reinforced by Col.
Max Weber's New York infantry,
they returned and closed with the
Confederates The result was a
slight sl1irmish, from which both sides
voluntarily retired The purpose Of
the Union expedition was frustrated.
Citizen volunteers of Richmond, Vir-
ginia. under Capt 7. M. Laid, who
had offered to escort 175 Federal
prisoners south. formed on Capitol
square and received muskets and am
munit,on for the journey.
The Confederacy commissary and
ordnance stores at Nashville. Tennes-
see, were destroyed by fire. The loss
was estimated at nearly $1,000000.
December %, 1861.
General Rosecr1ns, in command Of
the Federal army in Western Virginia,
issued an address to his troops in
which. after referring to their record
in the service, he urged them TO per
feet themselves in drill. instruction
and discipline. He promised that he
would organize board of examiners
for the army that would rid It of all
officers unworthy the responsibility in
which their command placed them.
The prize schooner Charity, captured
off Hatteras Inlet on December II
by the e. s. S. s. Stars and Stripes.
was wrecked of Hampstead, Long
Island. on her way to New York.
She was under charge Of Capt. George
Ashbury.
In a fight near Joseph Coexson's
house, in Perry county, Kentucky, 11s
Confederates were driven from the
! field by body of Union troops. The
loss on each side vas slight.
Copyright. 1911. b. w. G. Chapman)