The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1912-01-16

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the troops. This expedition was alse
delayed iii fitting ouf and had moi sail
ed at the Beginning Of the new year.
The Situation In Missouri.
If the Federal army west of me aIis
sippi was ID unorganized condition
the close of 1861. army heldluarters
itself was still more so. General John
G. Fremont had held the chief com
mand from July to November. and m
der his regime Wilson's Greek was
fought and lost in August. General Da-
vid Hunter succeeded Fremont Nov.
2 and a week later gave way to Hal
leck. At that time the principal Feds
eral army lay at Rolla. north of Spring
field, in southern Missouri. confronted
BIZ the Ccnfaderates Sterling Price and
Ben McCulioch. against whom the III
starred Lyon had fought so CALAMITY
at Wilson'S Greek. Halleck changed
the commanders of the force in front
of Springfield twice within a week at
the end of December. leaving it finally
in the hands of General S. r. Curtis.
Curtis Immediately started southwark
toward Springfield on a toilsome win
ter march toward the Arkansas border.
Both Sides Building Warships
While the war on land waited for
the muster and equipment Of armies
and the development of plans the whir
of machinery and the din of anvil and
/ hammer resounded in all the shipyards
of both sections. getting ready for a
/ struggle between ironclad vessels The
ram MerrImac was slowly and secret
w growing into shape at Norfolk. and
the pygmy which was to cut short her
career was still in the hands of Erics-
son and his mechanics at Greenpoint.
N. Y The Eads fleet of paddle wheel
ironclads. famous during the war as
/ the ninety day gunboats" on account
of the haste in their construction. were
under way on the Mississippi
The Confederates. having few seago-
ing ships. fell back upon river boats
/ for defense and turned their attention
| to the building of clumsy plated YES
sells from old hulks. The Louisiana
and Mississippi were built on the low.
/ err Mississippi. the Arkansas and Ten
nessee at Memphis. the Atlanta at Sa.
vannah and the Palmetto State and
/ Chicora at Charleston. OF all the Con
4 federate ironclads begun In 1861 only
the Merrimac and Arkansas became
famous in battle. and. of course. the
commerce destroyers Alabama an6
Shenandoah were yet unheard of al
this time fifty years ago.
Minor Events of the Week.
i On the first day of the new year Ma
son and Slidell. the two Confederate
commissioners under arrest as prison
ers Of the United States and claimed
by Great Britain. were released from
confinement at Fort Warren. Boston
and delivered into the hands of Lore
Lyons. the British minister at Wash
ington This arrangement was accord
ing to the stipulations in England!
diplomatic but urgent request that th'
gentlemen be set at liberty. fie mex
day the British gunboat Rinaldo sailet
from Provincetown. Mass. for Eng
land. having the commissioners as pas
sengers.
The first release of Union prisoner
of war held by the Confederates i
Richmond was effected on James rive
on Jan. 3 The captives numbered "A
and were chiefly those taken at Blu
Run. July. 81. 1861. This was the be
ginning of regular exchanges, althoug
army commanders had sometimes mad
exchanges on. their own responsibility
at the close of battle. especially 9
wounded men The exchange on Jane
river led to the appointment OF con
mission to visit southern prisons b
President Lincoln and later to the Of
ganization of regular system of e,
change
On the 4th Stonewall Jackson
troops. led by him in person. capture
the town OF Bath. near Romney. Va
and burned bridge behind them afte
carrying off valuable Union army SUI
plies. This was the beginning of Jacl
sons enterprises as an independeI
commander in the western section (
Virginia.
A New Battlefag.
A new Confederate battleflag fir
appeared in the field in front of Was
ington. Its distinguishing mark ws
red st. Andrews cross spanning II
whole flag This could be seen fro
distance and produced a startIir
effect. 1t had been designed especia
! ly to overcome the similarity of Il
: opposing national flags. the stars al
stripes and the stars and bars. I'll
!, red. white and blue in each had on Sc
Z eral battlefelds caused them to
I mistaken for friendly flags. The mi
! take occurred twice at Bull Run, bo
times to the advantage OF the COME