July
July 1.
At New York City a meeting was held this evening at the Cooper Institute, in response to a call addressed to “those who desired the Union as it was, and the Constitution as it is.” Speeches were made by Mr. Wickliffe of Kentucky, Wm. A. Duer, James Brooks, and Fernando Wood.
The battle of Malvern Hill, Va., the last of the “seven days contests” during the retreat of General McClellan, was fought this day. The National troops were successful, repulsing the rebels at every point.--(Doc. 78 and Supplement.)
A battle was fought at Booneville, Miss., by a body of Union troops under Colonel Sheridan, of the Second Michigan cavalry, and a force [35] of the rebels consisting of parts of eight regiments, numbering in all about four thousand seven hundred men. After seven hours hard fighting, Colonel Sheridan succeeded in defeating the rebels with great loss. They left sixty-five dead on the field. The loss on the Union side was forty-one killed, wounded, and missing.
President Lincoln, in reply to seventeen Governors of loyal States, who signed an address requesting him to call on the people of their respective States for more men for the Union army then in the field, informed them that he had decided “to call into the service an additional force of three hundred thousand men.” --(Doc. 143.)
C. C. Fulton was this day unconditionally released from Fort McHenry.
A skirmish occurred near Morning Sun, Tenn., between the guard of a Union wagon-train of Gen. Sherman's command, and a body of rebel cavalry, resulting in the retreat of the rebels, with a loss of several killed and wounded.
A fight took place between the Union rain fleet, under Commodore Porter, and the forts and land batteries at Vicksburgh, Miss. The fleet dismounted one gun in the water-battery, and another--“a big rifled piece” --in one of the forts. The rebels attempted to erect defences and drive off the fleet, but as often as they made the attempt they were driven off.--(Doc. 144.)
Gen. Butler sent to President Lincoln, from New Orleans, three swords, formerly belonging to the rebel General Twiggs, accompanied by a letter giving the history of their seizure, and suggestions as to their disposal.
The President, in accordance with the act for the collection of direct taxes in the insurrectionary districts within the United States, issued a proclamation declaring in what States and parts of States insurrection existed.--(Doc. 90.)
July 2.
The army of the Potomac, under the command of General McClellan, in their retreat from before Richmond, this day reached Harrison's Bar, on the James River, Va.--President Lincoln approved and signed the Pacific Railroad and internal tax bills.
A scouting party of Union troops proceeded from Catlett's Station to Warrenton, Va., and on reaching that place found it occupied by five hundred rebel cavalry.
Governor Morgan, of New York, issued a proclamation calling upon the citizens of the State for their quota of troops, to serve for three years or during the war, under the call of the President for three hundred thousand men.--At Clarendon, Ark., a party of Texas cavalry succeeded in capturing three men and six horses belonging to the National force near that place.
July 3.
The news of the retreat of the Union army under the command of General McClellan, from before Richmond to the James River, caused great excitement throughout the North, The details of the repulse fell upon the community with disheartening effect, and produced such a shock as had not been felt since the commencement of the war. Crowds of excited people were everywhere to be seen discussing the matter, and all sorts of inferences and conclusions were drawn therefrom.
The brig Delilah was captured off the Hole in the Wall, Abaco, by the United States steamer Quaker City.
Governors Tod, of Ohio, and Buckingham, of Connecticut, issued proclamations calling upon the citizens of their States for their quota of troops, under the call of the President for three hundred thousand men.
The bombardment of Vicksburgh was continued at short intervals all day. The rebels made an attempt to capture the mortar vessels, which lay at the levee within rifle-shot of the rebel pickets, but without success.
A skirmish occurred between a brigade of the Union army of the Potomac, on the James River, Va., under the command of Gen. Davidson, and a force of rebels, resulting in the rout of the latter, the Unionists capturing six guns and a number of prisoners.
July 4.
The American flag waved in every State of the Union. Since she rebelled, Texas had not been visited by the emblem of freedom, but to-day a party of men from the steamer Rhode Island landed at Galveston and raised the old flag. They were subsequently driven off, but they had accomplished their purpose.
The anniversary of American independence was celebrated with great enthusiasm in the Northern States. It was not celebrated as usual in Paris, France. There was a meeting of loyal Americans in London, England, but the proceedings were not reported. The London Times, in an editorial, satirized the anniversary, and published a mock “oration” for Americans. At Frankfort-on-the-Main, the day was celebrated in a very appropriate manner at the Forst Haus, [36] about two miles from Frankfort, in a beautiful forest. Consul General Murphy, the President of the day, opened the proceedings with some remarks, after which the Declaration of Independence was read in English by Dr. S. Townsend Brown, of Philadelphia, and afterwards in German by Aug. Glaser. Gen. B. A. Hill, of St. Louis, made some very striking remarks on the causes of the civil war in America, which he said could all be charged to slavery, which was the real cause. He said a great fight was going on to maintain the Union and constitutional liberty, and the God of battles would give the victory to the army of freedom, right, and justice. Being an intimate friend of Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War of the United States, he gave some interesting facts about the army. After the oration the party, at half-past 2 o'clock, sat down to a dinner, prepared by the host of the Forst Haus, in the large hall in the grove. The room was elegantly decorated with evergreens and flowers, and a large portrait of Gen. Washington, painted expressly for the occasion. The flags of England, America, and the city of Frankfort waved side by side. To the toast of “The Union, one and inseparable,” Gen. Hill responded in good style; and to the toast of “The Queen of England,” one of the thirteen regular toasts, Sir Alexander Malet, the representative of her Britannic Majesty, responded. He said there was no cause for ill-feeling between England and America. There was no reason for jealousy. England was proud of her children in America — a people with whom they were associated largely in business, and connected in language and consanguinity. Mother England was as proud of an Irving and a Cooper as were the people of the United States; and he knew America must reverence a country from whom they derived their notions of civil and religious liberty. The good feeling and the attention shown the
