Captain Charles Wright Wills: March 29, 1863

Camp at Lagrange, Tenn., March 29, 1863.

All perfectly quiet except the regular picket firing every night which here exceeds anything I ever before met in my experience. ’Tis singular, too, for we have a large force of cavalry here and I should think the rascals would hardly dare to venture so near them. A few days since three guerrillas came up to one of our cavalry pickets, and while he was examining one of their passes the others watching their chance gobbled him. They at once retreated. The sergeant of the picket heard a little noise on the post and just got there in time to see the secesh disappear. He raised the alarm, and a party followed them on the run for 15 miles, rescued our man, killed three and captured four of the rascals, Yesterday some of Richardson's men displaced a rail on the track ten miles west of this place, and captured a train. They got away with their prisoners, but hadn't time to destroy the cars. ’Tisn't safe to go three miles from camp now, although 100 men can go 40 miles in any direction safely. Do you hear of any deserters returning under the President's proclamation? I hope to the Lord that my black sheep won't come back. A letter came for him to-day, and I opened it. ’Twas from his father advising him to get out of this “Abolishun” war as quickly as he could. His “Pa and Ma” are welcome to him. Generals Sullivan, Denver and Hamilton have all left this country within the last few days, for Vicksburg. General Smith commands our division now. We are now in the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps. The colonel of the 6th Iowa is the ranking officer in the brigade but he is now sick, so Colonel Wolcott of the 46th Ohio now runs. Two captains of the 46th Ohio, and myself have been constituted by Smith a “Board of Survey,” to appraise damages committed by our army in the property of loyal citizens here. I think he has just done it to get the citizens off his hands. Have no idea that they will ever be allowed anything for their losses. There were three bills, each over $2,500. sent in to us yesterday. I hope the general will allow us to drop the business this week; if he will not, however, we can be kept busy for almost any length of time. By Smith’s orders the reveille is sounded now at 4 o'clock a. m. and the men appear with arms and accoutrements, and form line of battle. This is to avoid any bad consequnces which follow a Rebel cavalry dash at daylight, if we should be found in our tents. I think 'tis an excellent policy to be always ready for the enemy, but I declare I dislike this early rising very much.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 165-6

John Brown to Franklin B. Sanborn et al, August 6, 1858

August 6.  Have been down with the ague since last date, and had no safe way of getting off my letter. I had lain every night without shelter, suffering from cold rains and heavy dews, together with the oppressive heat of the days. A few days since, Governor Denver's officer then in command bravely moved his men on to the line, and on the next adjoining claim with us. Several of them immediately sought opportunity to tender their service to me secretly. I however advised them to remain where they were. Soon after I came on the line my right name was reported; but the majority did not credit the report.

I am getting better. You will know the true result of the election of the 2d inst. much sooner than I shall, probably. I am in no place for correct general information. May God bless you all!

Your friend,

John Brown.

SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 476-7

The Department of Kansas

Brigadier General J. G. Blunt has been appointed to command the newly re-instated Department of Kansas.  Gen. Denver reports to Halleck; Gen Sturgis at Washington.  The Leavenworth Conservative which exults over the change, says, “it is believed that Gen. Blunt will give particular attention to the Indian country, restore the loyal Indians, and blot out every trace of rebellion in that Territory.  Gen. Sturgis refused to do this, and delayed obeying the order issued by the War Department.”

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 14, 1862, p. 2

From St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, May 1.

Col. Jennison received a letter yesterday from a Senator at Washington, which stated in explicit terms that an order relieving Gens. Sturgis and Denver of thei     r commands in Kansas had been forwarded from the War Department.

Jennison was yesterday relieved of his personal parole, and is now only obliged to report by letter.  Under this liberty, he expects to leave to-day for Washington City.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 2, 1862, p. 1

From Washington

WASHINGTON, March 24.

Col. Segur representative from the Accomac district, arrived here this evening, confirming the intelligence about the destruction of the Privateer Nashville, and Fort Macon, by the rebels.

Times’ Correspondence

The commission on State prisoners will to-morrow take up the case of the celebrated Mrs. Greenough [sic], who will probably be transferred from a State prison to a lunatic asylum.

Gen. Montgomery has been transferred from his post as military governor of Alexandria and placed in a like command at Annapolis.

Painful rumors have been afloat for two days affecting a prominent officer in the civil department of the government.  We are promised the denouncement this week.

It is not true that the steamer Vanderbilt has been purchased by the Government to be altered to an iron-clad vessel.  She is merely charted for a short time as transport.

The commanding officer at Fort Craig writes to the Government that he has not a doubt of being able to hold that post.

Tribune Correspondence.

It is rumored that Green Clay will be transferred from the Secretaryship of Legation at St. Petersburg to that at Turin, the present incumbent, Mr. Fry, having resigned on account of ill health.

Dr. John Evans, of Chicago, has been nominated and confirmed as Governor of Colorado Territory, vice Gov. Gilpin.

Stephen S. Harding, of Ind., was, on Friday, nominated Governor of Utah, vice Gov. Dawson, rejected.

Small squads of rebel horsemen are scouring the country within five miles of Manassas, impressing all the able bodied men left, robbing the former for the hundredth time, and destroying what they can’t carry away.

The Saturday’s work of the ways and means committee on demands of delegations for modifications of the tax bill, was to put a 3 per cent ad valorem charge upon paper of every description; to adopt the schedules on leather substantially as they were presented to the committee by Mr. Alley, a tanner and a member of the House; to fix the rate on hoop skirts, umbrellas, and parasols, at 5 per cent ad valorem; on ready made clothing, at 3 per cent ad valorem; to leave salt as is in the bill; and after long discussion, to let the tax as first reported on tobacco and all its manufacturers stand unaltered.  The tax on billiard tables was reduced half to ten dollars a year; on rock oil, petroleum and coal oils, the only change was of phraseology, so that gas, tar, and the products from redistillation shall not be changed; for brokers the committee took off the tenth of one per cent on their stock sales, thinking that through their use of powers of attorney, transferred stamps and other assessable incidents of the business, they would get taxed enough.  Flour was not disposed, the desire to tax it of course duly exists of; the only difficulty in fixing the rate has been presented by the Canadian reciprocity treaty.  The belief has at least obtained in committee that flour can be taxed by branding the barrels and taxing the sales without violating the stipulations of that treaty; the charge on the gross receipts of horse railroads was reduced one half; it was decided not to tax coal at all; because it enters into the business and domestic life of nearly the whole nation.

During the discussions on the bill the work on the tariff progresses.  Reference is continually had to it, when an article is tax for internal revenue; at the same time an equivalent customs entry is placed on the tax list.  This principle will be adhered to throughout.

Herald’s Dispatch.

The party which left here on Tuesday ot look for the remains. Of Col. Slocum, Major Ballou, and Capt. tower of the 2d Rhode Island regiment, killed at Bull Run, returned this morning bringing their remains.  The party was composed of Gov. Sprague, Col. Arnold, Mr. Walter Coleman, his secretary Tristram Burges, Lieut. Col. Sayles and Capt. Dennison and Surgeon Greely, of the R. I. Cavalry, accompanied by two of the R. I. volunteers, who had been twin prisoners at Bull Run, and had noted the place where the officers were buried.  The party arrived Friday at Sudley’s Church.

Col. Slocum and Maj. Ballou were buried in the yard of a building near by, which was used as a hospital on the day of the battle.  This building had been destroyed by the rebels, but the graves were found.  After they had commenced to dig a negro girl inquired if they were digging for the body of Col. Slocum, and stated that about six weeks after the battle some soldiers of a Georgia regiment had dug it up, cut off the head, and buried the body at the side of the run close by, and taken the coffin away to bury a dead negro.  Her story was corroborated by a white boy and a white man who lived in the same neighborhood.  On repairing to the spot indicated, there was found a pile of ashes and bones, which were pronounced by the surgeon to be human. – Col. Slocum had been buried in a box, and Maj. Ballou in a coffin.  Upon opening the graves the box was recognized by Mr. Richardson, who was present at the interment, and the remains in it were identified as Col. Slocum.  Upon opening the other grave it was found to be empty, showing that the body dug up and burned by the Georgia barbarians was that of Maj. Ballou, only those two having been buried in that yard.

Gen. Hitchcock is here, aiding the war department by his advice.

Senator Lane, of Ind., has received advices from Savannah, Tenn., of the formation of a Union regiment in Alabama.

The Republican asserts that the President has remove Gen. Denver from the command of the department of Kansas.

The entire national debt is now four hundred millions of dollars.

The Senate to-day confirmed about 400 army appointment, principally of minor ranks.  Among them in the Adjutant General’s office department is R. J. Wagoner, of Ky.; Assistant Ad.t. Gen., with rank of Captain.  The only two Brigadier Generals of volunteers confirmed are Wm. K. Strong and Col. Mahon M. Monson [sic], of Ind.

Postmaster General Blair to-day issued the following notice to the Postmasters of the U. S.:

“The Secretary of War now regulates the transmission of information by telegraph affecting the conduct of the war.  In order to prevent the communication of such information to the rebels, it is also thought necessary by the secretary to put restrictions on the publication of facts of this character, however derived, and the aid of this department is requested for this purpose.

“You will therefore notify publishers not to publish any fact which has been excluded from the telegraph and that a disregard of this order will subject the paper to be excluded from the mails.

Signed,

M. BLAIR, P. M. Gen.”

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, March 25, 1862, p. 1

Col. Jennison Released

ST. LOUIS, May 1.

Col. Jennison received a letter from a Senator at Washington City, which stated in explicit terms that an order reliving Generals Sturgis and Denver of their commands in Kansas had been forwarded from the War Department.

Jennison was yesterday relieved of his personal parole, and is now only obliged to report by letter. Under this liberty he expects to leave to-day for Washington City.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 3, 1862, p. 3

Col. Jennison

Among all the men who have periled their lives in defence of the Union, none have had more at stake, or strong reason for being truly loyal to their government, than the citizens of Kansas. Living in the immediate vicinity of a vindictive and relentless foe, who hold against them an old grudge and through whose hearts hatred has percolated until they have become hard as adamant; a foe that had earned for themselves and gloried in the title of “Border Ruffians,” and who would take advantage of the license to villainy that the present turbulent state of affairs gave them to inflict every species of cruelty that the most depraved mind could conceive of; these men had the highest incentives to loyalty, to ridding the country of an organized band of traitors steeped to the eyes in double-dyed villainy. Their homes, their families, their Government, all that their hearts held dear, were at stake, and when occasion presented, they fought as men who have risked all on the result.

Among the bravest of the number was Col. Jennison, whose fault – his only fault – was uncompromising hostility to Border Ruffianism and the institution upon which it feeds, viz: slavery. Col. Jennison is a slender, delicate man, a physician; he immigrated from New York with his little family, to whom he was devotedly attached, a wife and an only child, accustomed as himself to all the delicacies of city life, to the wilds of Kansas. What tempted him, a man of cultivated mind, to leave the refinements to which he had been accustomed and bring his tenderly-reared wife, a hot-house plant, to meet the rough winds and rougher people of the Western prairies, we know not; but it is a question that men all around us can ask of themselves, and their reply may suit the case of this gentleman.

We have no account of Dr. Jennison pursuing other than a quiet life, until one day a troop of Boarder Ruffians passed his little domicil on their way to organize a provisional government for Kansas. Attracted by so many persons passing, his wife and child stepped to the door to look upon the cavalcade, and there, upon their own doorstep, they were both shot dead by those ruthless villains. Is it any wonder when Dr. Jennison returned home and saw the idols of his household thus butchered, that the hot blood coursed impetuously through his veins and he vowed hostility forever to Border Ruffianism? Yet, because he has since harassed these scoundrels at every opportunity, and sought to overthrow their beloved institution of slavery, the Democrat of this city calls him “the most heartless villain that every cursed the border.” Our neighbor is ignorant of the antecedents of Col. Jennison, or he never could utter so calumnious and libelous expressions. He has gleaned his knowledge from pro-slavery sheets, or he never would be guilty of such language toward one who has passed through the experience of Col. Jennison. That he is bitterly opposed to Border Ruffianism and an avowed abolitionist, we admit, and heaven knows he has good reason to be, but that he is a heartless villain, is as false calumny as ever was uttered. The very quotation that the Democrat makes from the covert secession sheet, the St. Louis Republican, shows that the man, so far from being heartless, is possessed of tender sensibilities, notwithstanding the terrible ordeal through which he has passed.

Col. Jennison has resigned his command and since been arrested, for what reason no one knows, further than that the officer who arrested him, Gen. Sturgis, is a man of drunken habits and suspected loyalty. He is no doubt, the victim of the dirty malice of the pro-slavery Generals – Sturgis, Denver and Mitchell. The noble and gallant Colonel, we are happy to hear, has been released on giving bonds, and now stands ready to meet his accusers face to face and show them he has done no wrong. Perhaps, as our neighbor of the Democrat says that “his crimes are legion,” he may be able to put his finger upon a single crime, just one, that ever Col. Jennison committed.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 2