June 17.
Major-General J. C. Hindman, of the rebel army, issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of the Trans-Mississippi District, Arkansas, calling upon all those who were not subject to conscription, to organize themselves into independent companies of mounted troops or infantry, as they might prefer, arming and equipping themselves, and to serve in that part of the district in which they might belong.--(Doc. 134.)
The rebel batteries at City Point, on the James River, below Fort Darling, Va., opened fire on the Union fleet of gunboats, but the boats returned it so briskly with shell and shrapnel, that the batteries were silenced, and the rebels retired.
General Wallace assumed command of the city of Memphis, Tenn. His first official act was to take possession of the office of the newspaper Argus. T. Knox and A. D. Richardson were appointed to supervise all editorials which appeared in the newspapers.
Threats having been made to tear down the Union flags flying over the houses of some of the citizens of Memphis, Tenn., the Provost-Marshal of that city issued an order instructing the guard to shoot down any one attempting to haul down the flag, or offering any insult or molestation to resident citizens who had thus manifested their devotion to the Union.
The United States gunboats St. Louis, Lexington, Conestoga and Mound City, on an expedition up White River, Arkansas, opened fire on a rebel battery at St. Charles, while the Forty-third and Forty-sixth Indiana regiments made a land attack, which resulted in the capture of the battery. During the fire a ball entered the steam-drum of the Mound City, and it exploded.--(Doc. 75.)
This afternoon the stage from Fort Scott was stopped eight miles from Kansas City, Mo., by six men armed with double-barreled shotguns, supposed to belong to Quantrell's band of [29] guerrillas, and the passengers robbed of seven hundred dollars in money, three gold watches, four revolvers and several overcoats. One passenger saved two thousand dollars, which he had sewed in the linings of his coat, and the express-agent's trunk, containing over ten thousand dollars, was thrown aside as of no value.
