The Forrest City times., 1912-04-05
Ie CIVIL WAR FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

April ], 16b2.
 The Union force under General Banks advanced from Strasburg, Vir- ginia. to Woodstock. Colonel Ashby resisted them at Woodstock with q 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. five 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 12 900 men. Of the first brigade 1000 were Creoles and 1000 French. Spaniards. Italians and Germans. The second brigade comprised 2.500 French 500 Spaniards, 500 Italians, 400 Germans and Scandinavians and 500 Swiss. Bel gians, English, Slavonians, etc. The third brigade, 4,500 strong, was con- 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 Wallaces division at Crumps Landing. on the Tennessee river. Company I. 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 sev- 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 Gi!pin, in the four days on rumor that the fort was about to fall
 Colonel Geary's command at White Plains, Virginia. working on the Manassas Gap railroad, narrowly es- caped being captured by a force of Confederates that crossed the Kappa hammock.
 The schooner Kate, of Nassau, was destroyed when attempting to run the blockade at Wilmington, N c. April 3, 1862.
 The Federal army under Mcclellan left Fortress Monroe in an advance on Yorktown. held by General Magruder with 10000 Confederates.
 Albert Sidney Johnson. Maior-Gen- eral C. s, A., issuing a fiery address to his army at Corinth, Mississippi. in which he called upon them to march to decisive victory over the agrar- ian mercenaries sent to subiugate you and despoil you of your liberties property and honor," put his army in motion to meet the force advancing under General Grant Accomnanving the address were general orders di- 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 a command of re-
  serves
 Apalachieola, Florida. was occupied by party of Union seamen from the gunboats Meredita and Sagamore. un- der command of Commander Stell. wagen. The town was nearly desert ed of male population. and the Cen federate sand batteries for it's defense were dismantied and tha guns ra moved. A number of schooners and sleops, 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 general election.
 The United States Senate, by vote of 29 to Ii. passed a bill abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia. April 4, 1862.
 The national troons at Pittshurg