Otago Witness, 22 March 1862, Page 5
PROGRESS OF THK WAR,
Mr. Russell, writing from Washington on the 2Sth of December, touches upon the salient features of tho present "military situation" — if such an expression can be properly applied to a number of scattered, disconnected, and sometimes apparently conflicting operations :" The troops are suffering from sickness. Those at Hatteras are in a miserable plight. The corps of occupation at Beaufort is much reduced by sickness. In Missouri the indefatigable Price (Confederate), having been threatened by the successes and activity of the Federal General Pope with the loss of communications, is making a retreat once more to Arkansas, whence he will, no doubt, emerge in a few days to lay waste once more anything left to be wasted in that unhappy Province or State. General Siegel, in the West is disappointed because he has not an independent command of 20,000 men, and threatens to resign.
Otago Witness, 24 May 1862, Page 6
The victory of General Curtis over the Confederate generals Price and McCulloch, in Arkansas is confirmed. The loss on each side was reported to exceed 1000.
Taranaki Herald, 31 May 1862, Page 5
BATTLE AT SUGAR CREEK. General Halleck officially reported that the Federal army of the south-west, under Gen. Curtis, had gained a victory, after three days' hard fighting at Sugar Creek, Arkansas, over the combined Confederate forces of Van Dorn, Price, and McCulloch. Guns, flags, and provisions, were captured in large quantities. The Federal cavalry were pursuing the enemy. The Federal loss was estimated at 1,000 killed and wounded, the enemy's loss larger.
President Lincoln, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, has issued War Order No. 1, saying that, on the 22nd March, a general movement of general forces against the insurgents shall be inaugurated. The forces at Fort Munro, the forces on the Potomac, the Western Virginia army, and the naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, shall be ready for movement on that day. General Fremont has received a command.
Taranaki Herald, 7 June 1862, Page 7
In other directions the Federal armies have also been successful. General Curtis has driven General Price over the Boston mountains, and probably over the Arkansas River. To show the spirit in which the war is carried on, we may notice that the Confederates at one place left behind them poisoned food, and burnt Fayetteville before they fled from it over the mountains. Missouri, except in the neighbourhood of the Mississippi, is now clear of Confederates.
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 21 June 1862, Page 3
Springfield, Mo., March 1. A special despatch to the Missouri Democrat says, that, on Wednesday, night there was a battle, when the Confederates were surprised by a regiment at Keittsville, Barry County. After a short engagement, the rebels retired, taking away seventy horses belonging to the Federals.
Price had burned several buildings at Fayetteville, Arkansas, including the arsenal and lead factory, and several flouring mills. Fears that Price, reinforced by Van Dorn, McCullock, and McIntosh, would again overrun the country, deter thousands from avowing their sentiments. Many inhabitants along the road fled, deceived by Price that all would be butchered by the Federals.
St. Louis, March 4. News from Arkansas reports that the enemy had commenced an active guerilla warfare against Curtis, and had attacked a wagon-train going to Casulla, drove it back, and captured and destroyed several wagons.
Daily Southern Cross, 24 June 1862, Page 4
Washington, April Since the date of my previous letter the events of the "war for the Union," or of "the slaveowners' rebellion," as it is sometimes called, have continued rapidly ascending in importance.
Following up the victories of the army of the south-west at Forts Henery and Donelson, the evacuation of Columbus and Nashville, and the retreat of the enemy from many of their best strongholds, came the news from the more distant army of operations of a great and decisive victory over the rebels at Pea Ridge. The enemy was commanded by General Price, who but a month or two previously had overrun and occupied three-fourths of Missouri. The plan of the campaign was so laid down that the several divisions of the grand army of the south-west commenced their march at the same time. On their approach, the enemy's scattered forces began to fall back upon their selected line of defence upon the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and there concentrated. The strongest point was Columbus, which they were compelled to abandon after the fall of Fort Donelson. Price, subsequently defeated at Pea Ridge, commanded the whole of the forces in the interior of the State, keeping possession of the route to the fruitful districts, from which he provisioned his army. But as he could not cope against the press of Federals under Generals Cutis and Franz Siegel, he sought and succeeded in forming a junction with the forces under McCulloch, a famed guerilla chief, with the forces under the Arkansas General McIntosh, and those of Van Dorn. This done, the battle was in turn pressed upon the pursuers, at the moment scattered, for they had to divide the army into three divisions on account of the scarcity of supplies, and there was much reason to fear that they would be cut off in detail. This had been all along the object of the wily General Price, and now when he had got his foe on the distant and sterile wilds of Arkansas he thought his opportunity had come. The battle of Pea Ridge, or Sugar Creek, will be long remembered as connected with the most atrocious act of the war the employment of some three thousand Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Seminole Indians, who, after the first few hours fighting, commenced their horrid practice of scalping the fallen, not always those who had been opposed to them, but friends and foes indiscriminately. The rebel army was 30,000 strong, the Union army not more than 12,000. The fight raged for three days, and ended in the defeat and dispersion of the rebels. Sigel, in the first day's fight, was cut off with some 800 men and all the army baggage train from the main body, but with superhuman efforts and resistless energy, the brave German extricated his command and joined his friends. Bullets whistled round Sigel, carrying off cap and spectacles, and yet he was unhurt. The first day's battle lasted till late in the afternoon so far a victory that the Unionists had successfully joined forces, and Sigel had saved the train. The close of the second day's fight saw the Union army terribly cut up, and almost to a man prostrated with the fatigue of the two day's fighting against great odds. During the night the troops lay upon their arms, and at six o'clock the battle was renewed. For three hours the whole rebel force battled for the mastery, and there was little hope that the Unionists could longer hold out. At this time six Union batteries took up most advantageous positions, and began to play with deadly effect upon the enemy. This gave time to the national troops to rally again; the line of battle, extending ten miles, was formed, and volley after volley was fired into the Secession ranks. The contest raged fiercely, but at last the endurance of the Western men prevailed. The foe winced, they faltered, they broke, and ran, leaving the victory with the defenders of freedom. They lost 3,000 men in the fight. General McIntosh, their leader, was among the slain. The Union loss was about 2,000, between killed aud wounded. Simultaneously, and immediately preceding and following the battle of Pea Ridge or Sugar Creek, were and have been minor conflicts, between the defenders of the Union, and those who would everthrow it, in every instance favourable to the Union.
Daily Southern Cross, 1 July 1862, Page 3
NORTHERN ARKANSAS.
Since the departure of General Curtis army from South West Missouri the rebels in Northwest Arkansas have begun to renew their depredations.
An attack on Cassville was hourly expected. The force of Federals had 6 field pieces, and were confident they could defend the place.
It is reported that 2,000 Texans and 600 Indians, near Bentonville, Arkansas, are preparing to march into Missouri, and also that roving bands commit depredations along the borders.
Otago Witness, 19 July 1862, Page 5
From America we learn that the Confederates have evacuated York Town, Norfolk. The Federals pursued the Confederates within 20 miles of Richmond, which the Confederates will defend. Beauregard has strongly fortified Corinth. Battle daily expected. Blockade of New Orleans, Beaufort, and Port Royal, raised. Confederates, on Arkansas side of Mississippi, have flooded the country for forty miles. All cotton along the banks being burnt, all sugar and molasass being thrown into the river. The Confederate army has evacuated New Orleans, after six days hard fighting, taking with them eighteen millions of dollars, and destroying shipping and cotton to the value of eight or ten millions of dollars. The whole of the Mississippi from the coast to Memphis is in the hands of the Federals. York Town, in Virginia, has fallen, and the great battle between Jefferson Davis and McClellan was daily expected to be fought, and on issue depends the fate of. Richmond. The Confederates have also abandoned Norfolk, after destroying the Merrimac and the Navy-yard. A bill abolishing slavery in the territory of the States has been passed in the House of Representatives by eighty-five votes to fifty.
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 25 October 1862, Page 3
The Confederate States seem to have energetic engineers. They lately built on the Mississippi a new steam ram, called the Arkansas, which, on the 14th of July, defied the whole Federal fleet. Fifteen Federal gunboats, mounting 200 guns, were lying just above Vieksburg, when the Arkansas steamed down among them, and, though mounting only 12 guns, at once engaged the whole fleet. From the first it was clear that the contest wus hopeless. " The huge solid shot flew off the Arkansas like India-rubber balls," and the captain of one gun-boat, the Carondelet, therefore tried to board. The boarders poured into the Arkansas, " but not a man or a way passage could be found," and they returned unhurt. She ran tho gauntlet of the whole fleet, 11-inch shot in one instance rebounding harmlessly from her sides, and anchored safely under the batteries of Vicksburg, having inflicted a loss of 123 in killed, wounded, and " missing." We have stated above that the siege of Vicksburg has recently been raised by the Federals. One of the latest despatches from New York informs us that the Arkansas has shared the fate of the Merrimac and been blown up by the Confederates. It appears that, in attempting to run down the Mississippi from Vicksburg, past Baton Rouge, she was attacked by the Federal flotilla. She suffered considerable damage in her machinery, and was obliged to run ashore. To save her from capture, she was blown up and abandoned by her officers.