Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood to Governor John Letcher, January 24, 1860

Executive Office, Iowa

Des Moines, January 24. 1860.

To His Excellency, the Governor of Virginia:

On yesterday, Mr. Camp, of your State, presented to me a requisition for Barclay Coppoc, which I declined to grant, for reasons stated in a letter to you, which I handed to him, (Mr. Camp).

I have since examined more carefully the body of the affidavit of Andrew Hunter, and beg leave to call your attention to it. Mr. Hunter states that from information received by him from certain persons condemned and executed in your State and from other facts which have come to his knowledge, he believes that Coppoc was aiding and abetting John Brown and others, who on certain days, in Virginia, committed certain crimes, and that from information recently received, he verily believes Coppoc is a fugitive from justice, escaping in this State. It is not stated, unless it be inferentially, that Coppoc committed the acts charged, in the State of Virginia, nor are any of the facts upon which affiant bases his belief of Coppoc's guilt stated.

It seems to me very desirable that in case you shall deem it your duty again to demand Coppoc from the Executive authority of this State, that no question may arise upon the sufficiency of the papers upon which the demand shall be made, and I have therefore deemed it proper to make to you the above suggestions.

Very respectfully,

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.

SOURCE: Henry Warren Lathrop, The Life and Times of Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's War Governor, p. 98

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Colonel Samuel Bassett French, March 21, 1862

colonel, — Please request the governor¹ to order three thousand muskets to Staunton at his earliest convenience for the militia of this district. None of the militia beyond the county, except five hundred from Augusta, have yet arrived, but they are turning out encouragingly. There are three religious denominations in this military district who are opposed to war. Eighteen [men] were recently arrested in endeavoring to make their escape through Pendleton County to the enemy. Those who do not desert will, to some extent, hire substitutes, others will turn out in obedience to the governor's call; but I understand some of them say they will not “shoot.” They can be made to fire, but can very easily take bad aim. So, for the purpose of giving to this command the highest degree of efficiency, and securing loyal feelings and co-operation, I have, as these non-combatants are said to be good teamsters and faithful to their promises, determined to organize them into companies of one hundred men each, rank and file, and after mustering them, with the legal number of company officers, into service, assign them to the various staff departments without issuing arms to them; but if at any time they have insufficient labor, to have them drilled, so that in case circumstances should justify it, arms may be given them. If these men are, as represented to me, faithful laborers and careful of property, this arrangement will not only enable many volunteers to return to the ranks, but will also save many valuable horses and other public property, in addition to arms. . . . All I have pledged myself is that, as far as practicable, I will employ them in other ways than fighting, but with the condition that they shall act in good faith with me, and not permit persons to use their names for the purpose of keeping out of service.

_______________

¹ John Letcher, Governor of Virginia.

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 251-2

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Governor John Letcher

WINCHESTER, February 6, 1862.

His Excellency JOHN LETCHER, Governor of Virginia:

GOVERNOR: Your letter of the 4th instant was received this morning.*

If my retiring from the Army would produce that effect upon our country that you have named in your letter, I of course would not desire to leave the service, and if, upon the receipt of this note, your opinion remains unchanged, you are authorized to withdraw my resignation, unless the Secretary of War desires that it should be accepted. My reasons for resigning were set forth in my letter of the 31st ultimo and my views remain unchanged, and if the Secretary persists in the ruinous policy complained of, I feel that no officer can serve his country better than by making his strongest possible protest against it, which, in my opinion, is done by tendering his resignation, rather than be a willful instrument in prosecuting the war upon a ruinous principle.

I am much obliged to you for requesting that I should be ordered to the Institute.

Very truly, your friend,

 T. J. JACKSON.

_______________

* Not Found.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 5 (Serial No. 5), p. 1062-3; Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 234-5

Robert E. Lee to John Letcher, August 28, 1865

NEAR CARTERSVILLE, VIRGINIA, 28th August, 1865.

HON. JOHN LETCHER, Lexington, Va.

MY DEAR SIR: I was much pleased to hear of your return to your home and to learn by your letter of the 2d of the kindness and consideration with which you were treated during your arrest, and of the sympathy extended to you by your former congressional associates and friends in Washington. The conciliatory manner in which President Johnson spoke of the South must have been particularly agreeable to one who has the interest of its people so much at heart as yourself. I wish that spirit could become more general. It would go far to promote confidence and to calm feelings which have too long existed. The questions which for years were in dispute between the State and General Governments, and which unhappily were not decided by the dictates of reason, but referred to the decision of war, having been decided against us, it is the part of wisdom to acquiesce in the result, and of candor to recognize the fact.

The interests of the State are therefore the same as those of the United States. Its prosperity will rise or fall with the welfare of the country. The duty of its citizens, then, appears to me too plain to admit of doubt. All should unite in honest efforts to obliterate the effects of war, and to restore the blessings of peace. They should remain if possible in the country; promote harmony and good feeling; qualify themselves to vote, and elect to the State and general legislatures wise and patriotic men, who will devote their abilities to the interests of the country and the healing of all dissensions. I have invariably recommended this course since the cessation of hostilities, and have endeavored to practice it myself. I am much obliged to you for the interest you have expressed in my acceptance of the Presidency of Washington College. If I believed I could be of advantage to the youth of the country, I should not hesitate. I have stated to the committee of Trustees the objections which exist in my opinion to my filling the position, and will yield to their judgment. Please present me to Mrs. Letcher and your children, and believe me

Most truly yours,

R. E. LEE.

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 386-7

From Washington

Times’ Dispatch.

WASHINGTON, May 8.

The following dispatch is from the commander of a corps in our army at Yorktown Peninsula, to his wife in this city:

WILLIAMSBURG, May 6.

“We had a hard fight yesterday in front of the rebel works covering this town. – Gen. Hooker Kept Gen. Longstreet in check till about 3 p. m., when Gen. Kearny’s division came into action, and the engagement continued till after dark.  A moment before our reinforcements came we gave way, being out of ammunition, and we lost some guns.  We afterwards recovered our ground, and held it during the night.  The rebels retreated, and at 7 a. m. we occupied their works.  Gen. A. P. Hill Commanded a rebel brigade, and Longstreet the whole.  We lost between 500 and 1,000 in killed and wounded.  We found 600 wounded in this town besides other prisoners.”

Our to-day’s dispatches from Fredericksburg contain little news of importance.  The merchants of Fredericksburg, who are largely indebted at the North, are selling out their estates and personal property, with the avowed intention of defrauding their Northern creditors.

An anonymous letter has been sent to nearly all the Union men of Fredericksburg, threatening their lives and property after our army leaves.

Letcher’s guerilla bands are infesting the hills, with the intention of capturing pickets and Union men.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 10, 1862, p. 1

The Fight in Hampton Roads

In giving place to all the details which have yet reached us of the Naval combat in Hampton Roads on Saturday and the following night, which (though the Rebel assailants were ultimately driven back to their hiding places – the Merrimac, their best ship, apparently in a sinking condition) will inevitably be regarded by the impartial as a National defeat and disgrace, it seems our duty to recall some antecedent and not very creditable facts.

The Rebels opened fire on Fort Sumter on the 12th of April last – and the fact was known throughout the country forthwith.  It was intended and understood to be a challenge of the Nation by the Slave Power to mortal combat.  Norfolk, as by far the greatest Naval arsenal in the Slave States – perhaps in the country – was of course in imminent danger.  It was within less than a day’s passage of Washington and Baltimore, not two days from Philadelphia and New York.  On the 17th (five days after fire was opened on Sumter) the Virginia Convention pretended to take their State out of the Union, and, though the act was passed subject to ratification by a popular vote, Gov. Letcher immediately issued a Proclamation of adherence to the Southern Confederacy.  On the 19th, the Virginia traitors obstructed Elizabeth River below Norfolk, so as to prevent the passage of the National vessels from the Navy Yard down into Hampton Roads, and so out to sea.  On the 20th (eight days after the opening of fire on Sumter) the Navy Yard was hastily dismantled by our officers in charge of it, the Cumberland sloop-of-war, (sunk by the Rebels last Saturday) towed out, while the Pennsylvania, Delaware, Columbus, Merrimac, Raritan, Columbia, Germantown, Plymouth, Dolphin, and the United States – all ships of war of various sizes, from a three-decker down – were (it was reported) scuttled and set on fire to keep them from falling into the hands of the Rebels.  We do not learn that any attack was made by the Rebels (who were certainly in very moderate force,) nor that any effort was made to arm the workmen in and about the Navy Yard – who were naturally, instinctively loyal – nor to appeal to the loyalty of the vicinage.  It is popularly understood that Taliaferro, the Rebel chief, was drunk, so that he failed to attack, and let our Navy officers have things very much their own way.  That, with more power on hand than they knew how even to destroy, they might have blown every vessel to atoms in three hours, is at least a very strong presumption.  The Merrimac – Which inflicted so stinging a blow on us last Saturday – was one of those vessels.

Of course, we do not know that those Navy officers who have not yet openly affiliated with the traitors, did not here do their best.  We only know that somebody ought to have been put on trial for their shameful, disastrous miscarriage – by which the Nation lost and the Rebellion gained twenty-five hundred cannon and more military and naval material than could be bought for Ten Millions of Dollars.  We do not know that any one yet  has been, though nearly eleven months have elapsed since the disaster, and the then commandant at the Yard, still wears the uniform and pockets the pay of a U. S. officer.  That this is as it should not be is our very decided opinion.

The Merrimac, it was soon announced, was raised by the Rebels, and was being iron plated and otherwise fitted for the destruction of some of our vessels in the Roads.  She has been so fitting ever since, almost within sight of our fleet.  Several times she has been announced on the eve of coming out.  Once or twice it was given out by the Rebels that she was a failure; and, as a Western man has said, they “would rather lie on a twelve months’ note than tell the truth for cash,” this should have incited to greater vigilance.  If we had not the proper vessels on hand to resist her, they should have been hurried up at least six months ago.  Yet when she does at last see fit to put in an appearance, lo! One of our principal war steamships have been lying in the Roads disabled for four months and cannot get near her, while the only other ship fit to engage her gets aground – in water that her officers should know as thoroughly as their own cabins – and cannot be brought into action while two of our noble frigates are torn to pieces, one of them sunk, the other captured and burned, and some two or three hundred of our brave tars killed, drowned, or captured.

We do not attempt to fix the blame of these disasters.  Possibly, there is no one to blame; but the people will not believe it in advance of thorough scrutiny.  We respectfully call upon the commander-in-chief of the army and Navy to have this whole business sifted to the bottom. – {N. Y. Tribune.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 2

Official Report of the taking of Roanoke Island

FT. MONROE, February 13.

The gun-boat Stars and Stripes arrived this noon from Burnside’s expedition with a bearer of dispatches for the Government.  They report the rout of the rebels as complete.  Three thousand prisoners were captured, and all their gun-boats burned or captured except two, which escaped in the canal.  The Federal loss in killed is 42, wounded about 140.  Rebels killed about 30 and their wounded less than 100.

The advance from Hatteras took place on Wednesday morning, consisting of about 60 vessels.  The fleet anchored off Stumpy Point that night and the next day proceeded to the entrance of Cotton Sound.  After a reconnoisance the attack commenced.  On Friday morning the Underwriter led on the column.  The rebel fleet was attacked and dispersed in half an hour by the navy, while the remainder attacked the lad batteries.  The fight continued till dark.

During the night ten thousand men were landed, and on Sunday morning 7,000 more.  A masked battery of three guns was soon discovered by skirmishers, and was attacked in front and both flanks.

The 21^st, 25^th and 27^th Mass., the 9^th and 51^st N. Y. and the 10^th Conn. Were particularly engaged.  The 25^th Mass. And the 10^th Conn. suffered most severely.

The fight lasted only two or three hours, when the battery was abandoned.  Our troops pursued, surrounded the rebel camp and took nearly the whole command prisoners.

O. Jennings Wise was shot twice while endeavoring to escape in a bot.  Col. Russell, of the 10^th Conn., was killed at the head of his regiment.  Col. D. Montelle, of the Depennel Zouaves, whose Zouaves were voluntary, was killed.  No other officers were killed above the rank of Lieutenant.  Our total loss in killed and wounded is less than 200, and the number of killed less than 50.

On Sunday P. M. a fleet of fifteen gun-boats started for Elizabeth City.  The place was shelled, and having been evacuated and partially burned by the rebel troops, was occupied.

The Sea Bird, which was the flag ship of Com. Lynch, was run down and boarded, and the gallant Commodore escaped by swimming to shore.

The news from Elizabeth City was received at Roanoke Island on Monday eve.

Gen. Wise was at Nag’s Head and succeeded in escaping to Norfolk.

The rebels made no fight after being driven from their entrenchments, which was done by the Hawkins’ Zouaves and the 21^st Mass.  Young Wise resisted the storming parties till he was wounded and carried off, when his command retreated with the others to the upper part of the island, where they laid down their arms.

Elizabeth City was about half burnt by the rebel soldiers.  The people sent a delegation to Com. Golsborough, asking him to send a force to assist in extinguishing the flames.

Edenton was taken possession of on Wednesday, by Com. Goldsborough, no opposition being offered.

Norfolk and Richmond papers attribute the loss of Roanoke Island to the blundering inefficiency of the navy.  They still persist in asserting that 1000 Federals were killed; they also charged some Roanoke Island farmer with directing and piloting the Yankees to the only point they could effect a landing, the landing being flanked on all sides by an extensive march.

A dispatch from Memphis to Norfolk, admits the Federal flag was cheered on Tennessee River, by people, and assert that the Federals neither seized nor destroyed any private property, not even cotton.

Gov. Letcher issued an order for the formation of home guards, for the defense of Norfolk, Petersburg and Richmond.

Bishop Ames and Hon. H. Fish returned to Baltimore, the rebels refusing to receive them.

The Richmond Dispatch says, our Tennessee exchanges give us gloomy prospects for the future in that part of the Confederacy.  Several leading journals intimate plainly that there is really a threatening state of affairs in East Tennessee, growing out of the idolatrous love of many of those people to the old Union.  The correspondent of the Memphis Avalanche writes that the condition of the interior counties is not improved by the lapse of time.  The people apprehend an immediate advance of the Northern men, and traitors to the south evince their joy.  In every village and neighborhood, the Unionists are making demonstrations.  In many of the Northern counties and even at Memphis there were exhibitions of joy on the arrival of the news at Beach Grove.  Armed bands of Johnson’s and Maynard’s followers are prowling about all directions through the mountains.  In the remote counties in the State men have been shot at night in their own houses, who adhered to the fortunes of the South.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, February 15, 1862, p. 1