The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-03-09

THE MARlON
under construction at New Orleans and
Memphis.
Captain Porter had sailed north In
the fall and. reaclling Washington
laid the case before The president. who
Immediately said. Lets 20 and see
Mcclellan. After n short consultation
in which the secretary of the navy
took part Lincoln. addressing McClel
Ian and Porter. said. I'VE will leave
this In the hands of you two gentle.
men," The matter was settled Mt once.
and David Glasgow Farragut was
summoned from his home on the Hud
son river 10 take command Of the ma
val end of the expedition The fight
hg vessels OF the fleet were 10 mount
at least 200 guns and be augmented BY
a feet of mortar boats under Porter.
Ben Butler was selected to command
the troops. This expedition was also
delayed in fitting out and had not sail
ed at the beginning of the new year
The Situation In missouri.
II the Federal army west of the Mis-
slppl was in unorganized condition at
the close of 1861. army headquarters
itself was still more so. General John
G. Fremont had held the chief com
mand from July TO November, and I'M
der his regime Wilson's Creek was
fought and lost in August General Da-
vid Hunter succeeded Fremont Nov.
. and week later gave way to Hal
leck At that time tie principal Fed
eral army lay at Rolla. north OF Spring
field, in southern Missouri, confronted
by the Confederates Sterling Price and
Ben McCulloch. against whom the III
starred Lyon had fought so CALAMITY
ut Wilson's Greek. Halleck changed
the commanders OF the force in front
OF Springfield twice within week at
the end of December, leaving 1t finally
in the hands of General $. II. Curtis.
Curtis Immediately started sOuthward
toward Springfield on 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 Il
struggle between ironclad vessels. The
ram Merrimac was slowly and secret
ly growing into shape at Norfolk. and
the pygmy which was to cut short her
career was still in the hands Of Fries
son and his mechanics ut Greenpoint.
n. Y. The Eads feet 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
er 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
! federate ironclads begun In lSGl only
I the Merrimac and Arkansas became
famous In battle. and. of course, the
commerce destroyers Alabama and
Shenandoah were yet unheard OF at
this time Gfty years ago.
Minor Events of the Week.
On the first day of the new year Ma
son and Slidell. the two Confederate
commissioners under arrest az 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 stipuations in England
diplomatic but urgent request that tn
gentlemen be set ut liberty. The mex
day the British gunboat Rinaldo sale,
from Provincetown. Mass. for Eng
land, having the commissioners as pas
sengers.
The first release OF Union prisoner
OF war held by the Confederates Il
Richmond was effected on James rive
J on Jan. 3. The captives numbered 81
and were chiefly those taken ut Bul
Run. July II. 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 q
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 o
ganization of regular system OF e.
change
j On the 4th Stonewall Jackson
9 troops, led by him In person. capture
the town OF Bath. near Romney. Va
and burned bridge behind them aflG
carrying or valuable Union army SUI
piles. This was the beginning Of JacI
sons enterprises as an ndependeI
commander in the western section {
Virginia.