Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1912-04-18
US
CIVIL WAR
FIFTY YEARS AGO
THIS WEEK

The Union force under Genera
Banks advanced from Strasburg, Vir
ginia. to Woodstock. Colonel Ashby
resisted them at Woodstock with {
force Of infantry. cavalry and artil
lery, but was not In sufficient strength
to hold them in check. Ashby, re
treating, burned one railroad and two
turnpike bridges. All the railroad
bridges between Strasburg and Wood
stock had previously been destroyed
A detachment of Union troops follow
ed the Confederates as far as Edin
burgh, 1--WE miles beyond Woodstock.
Three brigades composed OF foreign
soldiers were organized in New Or
leans for the defense Of the city
against the northern armies. The en-
tire enlistment was about 10000 men.
OF the first brigade 1000 were
Creoles and 1000 French, Spaniards,
Italians and Germans. The second
brigade comprised $500 French, 800
Spaniards. 500 Italians. 400 Germans
and Scandinavlans and 500 Swiss, Bel
CLANS, English, Slavonians, etc. The
third brigade, $500 strong. was COM
posed entirely Of unnaturalized
Frenchmen.
Warrenton, Virginia, was occupied
by the Union forces.
A party Of National troops. belong
ing to the forces under General Steele,
commanded by Colonel Carline, had
an engagement with the Confederates
at Putnam's Ferry, Arkansas, in
which four Southerners were taken
prisoner and one Of their officers kill
ed. A large quantity Of military
stores and equipment was taken.
April 2, 1862.
General Mcclellan arrived at Fort
Monroe, and began campaign
against Richmond.
The United States Senate passed
the House resolution, suggested by
President Lincoln, that the govern
ment ought to give pecuniary aid to
any states that might desire to adopt
the gradual abolition Of slavery, with
compensation to the owners.
A dashing attack by the Confeder-
ates drove in the cavalry pickets Of
Gen. Lew Wallace's division at
Crump's Landing, on the Tennessee
river. Company /, Fifth Ohio cavalry,
lost three prisoners.
Major Donaldson. U. s. A., chief Of
the quartermaster's division in New
Mexico, arrived at Washington and
reported that the Confederates, as a
result Of their recent raid, held every
position Of Importance in New Mexico
excepting Fort Craig and Fort Union.
Fort Union, the most important post
In the west at that time, holding sew
eral million dollars worth Of army
stores, was declared to be safe from
capture. It's absolute safety was final
ly secured by the arrival Of 900 men
from Colorado, under Colonel Gilpin,
who had marched the final .160 miles
in the four days on a rumor that the
fort was about to fall.
Colonel Geary's command at White
Plains, Virginia, working on the
Manassas Gap railroad, narrowly e.
capped being captured by a force of
Confederates that crossed the Kappa
hammock.
The schooner Kate, Of Nassau. was
destroyed when attempting to run tho
blockade at Wilmington, N. C.
April 8, 1852.
The Federal army under Mcclellan
left Fortress Monroe in an advance on
Yorktown, held by General Magruder
with 10000 Confederates.
Albert Sidney Johnson, Major-Gen-
eral. C. s. A.. issuing a fiery address
to his army at Corinth, Mississippi, in
which he called upon them to march
to a decisive victory over the agrar-
Ian mercenaries sent to subjugate
you and despoll you Of your liberties,
and honor" put his army in
motion to meet the force advancing
under General Grant. Accompanying |
the address were general orders d.
viding the Army Of the Mississippi |
into three corps, under Generals Polk,
Bragg and Hardee, respectively. Gen.
eral Beauregard was proclaimed Sec
ond in command, and General Critten.
den was assigned to q command Of re-
serves.
Apalachicola, Florida, was occupied |
by party of Union seamen from the |
gunboats Meredita and Sycamore, UNI
der command of Commander Stell.
wagon. The town was nearly desert
ed Of male population, and the Gen.
Iederate sand batteries for its defense
were dismantled and the guns re
moved. A number Of schooners and
sloops. some of them blockade run
ners, were captured and either taken
away or destroyed.
The West Virginia constitution was
approved by the people Of the new
state in a general election.
The United States Senate, by a vote
Of 20 to II, passed a bill abollshing
slavery in the District Of Columbia.
April q, 1862!
The national troops at Pittsburg
Landing, Tenn, were attacked by two