Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-12-06

with the second brigade of Gen Nc
Calls division. on a foraging expedi
ton. He had with him a large num-
Der of transportation wagons. They
encoV tered no Confederates. The ex-
petition took from a farm near
Dranesyille, on the Leesburg turn
pike, large quantity of wheat corn.
oats, potatoes. brick and lumber;
twenty-seyen hogs. pair of oxen.
wagon and seven horses. They reach
ed their quarters at Langley, Virginia,
without incident
December 2, 1851.
Cyrus W Field addressed a letter
TO Gen. Mcclellan suggesting the lay
ing of a submarine cable to connect
all the forts and military stations
along the coast. from Newport News
to Galveston. Texas. Gen. Mcclellan
urged that the plan be adopted by the
government.
A party of Coufederates seized ten
muleteaIns that were in charge Of
Union foraging expedition twenty
miles west OF Se6alia. Missouri An
other party of Confederates entered
Independence. Missouri. arrested sew.
en- Union sympathizers. and forced
them TO take oath that they would not
take arms in support of the Union.
The United States gunboat De Soto
and the steamer New London engaged
! the Confederate armed vessels Pam
lico and California in Mississippi
Sound The Confederate vessels were
endeavoring TO run the blockade.
! bound from Mobile TO New Orleans.
Gen. John Pope was assigned to the
command of all the Union forces be-
tween the Missouri and the Usage riv'
ers in Missouri. The troops involved
were practically the army brought
into the state by Gen. Fremont
The side wheel steamer Octorora
was launched at the Brooklyn navy
yard. She was equipped with engines
made to run equally well in either
direction
December 8, 1861.
Port Royal Island. South Carolina,
on which was situated th. town of
Beaufort. was finally occupied by the
| Union forces, after or erations extend
ing through several days Union
! forces landed in strength on the sixth
and established foothold On the
eighth a reconnaissance in force, I'M
der Gen. Stevens, consisting of three
hundred of the 50th Pennsylvania.
three hundred "Roundheads" and
half Of Hamiltons battery succeeded
in driving the Confederates complete
~ from the island and town.
! A Confederate force consisting of
| four hundred infantry. two hundred
cavalry and twelve pieces OF artillery
| took position on the Virginia shore
| opposite Dam Number on the after
noon of December and opened fire
on the dam and the buildings on the
Maryland shore. They were opposed
! by company of the 18th Masachus-
etts. The houses were riddled by the
| Confederate fire The Confederates
! advanced their position on the morn
ing of the Sth. but we're obliged to
! abandon IL under the heavy fire OF
second company of the 18th armed
with Enfield rifles that had been sent
during the night. The Confederates
brought off all their guns in the after
noon.
The schooner E. Waterman. loaded
with salt, provisions, coffee. lead, and
munitions of war. was taken by the
U. s. S. S. Augusta off Savannah.
Georgia She was cruising for an op-
portunity to run the blockade.
The American Bible Society report
ed the distribution Of half million
copies of the Scriptures and New
Testament to Union soldiers and sail
ors since the beginning of hostilities-
December 9. 1861.
The y. S. S. SIS Harriet Lane. Ana
| costa, and Jacob Bell supported by
the Alliance. Stepping Stones. and
! Herbert, threw shot <and shell for an
hour and a half into the Confederate
! post at Freestone Virginia. on the
! lower Potomac. Confederate bat
terry at Shipping Point returned the
fire. and a Union battery at Budds
/ Ferry Joined in at intervals Lieut.
| McCrea, with boats crew from the
Jacob Bell and another from the Ana
/ costa went ashore and burned build
| ings and stores at Freestone Point.
after the Confederates had been driv
en- out by the Smelling.
Severe fighting between Confeder-
ate and Federal forces composed
largely OF Indian allies occurred on
Bushy Creek. near the Verdigris riv.
er. 1sa miles from Fort Smith, Arkan-
sas. The Indians with the Confeder-
ates we're reported to have taken 200
scalps.
Southern cotton planters in the VI
! entity of Port Royal. South Carolina
continued to burn their years cotton
crops to prevent Union soldiers from
obtaining possession of them.
Gen. Halleck. in command Of the
! Federal forces in Missouri. Issued or
ders from St Louis enforcing the au-
| thority OF the Missouri convention
which met in October and declared in
favor of the Union The Confederate
Gen. Price was reported to have been
at Oseeola ON the frs with $4,000
men. threatening to enter Kansas
Planoforte for Harmony.
The pianoforte as an instrument
I