NEWS: Items from The Alleghanian, November 21, 1861, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ The Alleghanian, Ebensburg, Pa., Volume 3, Number 9, Thursday, November 21, 1861 Local and Personal Local Military Matters A telegraph to the associated press, dated Harrisburg, Monday, Nov. 18, reads thus~ "This afternoon the 66th regiment, Col. J. M. Power and the 56th regiment,**[probably means 55th regiment since that was Richard White's command] Col. Richard White were presented with the State flags by Governor Curtin. The regiments were drawn up in the rear of the Capitol and presented a fine appearance. The Governor's presentation speech received the most enthusiastic applause particularly when he referred to the scene of the future operations of these regiments in South Carolina whither they are ordered. Colonel Power will leave tonight and Colonel White tomorrow." Colonels Power and White are both residents of this county and their regiments contain a large proportion of Cambrians. We congratulate them upon the privilege of being allowed to bear a hand in bearding the monster Sesesh in his very den and feel assured that they will be "in at the death," should that desirable event not transpire until their arrival at their proposed destination. A squad of eight or ten men left this place on Monday for Indianapolis to recruit the ranks of Capt. Williams' 19th regular infantry company. Some addition was expected to be made in the number in the lower section of this county. Capt. Palmer informs us that he confidently anticipates to be able to leave for camp with his company, the far-famed "Silver Grays," within the next ten days. Not True Some weeks since we published a statement from another paper to the effect that Capt. Spires of Co. I, 11th Regiment P. R. C. had been court-martialed for sleeping on his post. The Captain has written a letter to a Greensburg paper emphatically denying the charge, in the course of which he takes occasion to say - "I was not found sleeping on my post, neither was I court-martialed. Unless my reason has failed me, I am sure I am yet Captain of the Bairdstown Blues; and with the help of God, intend to remain such, unless removed by disease or I fall by the shafts of the enemies of our once happy but now distracted country." Bully for Captain Spires! Accident A man named James Merther residing in Conemaugh Borough was recently seriously injured on the railroad near New Florence by attempting to jump from a freight train while under full headway. He failed to clear the track and suffered a terrible laceration of the right arm by having it caught under one of the wheels. He was brought back to Johnstown when it was found necessary to have the injured arm amputated at the elbow. So we learn from the TRIBUNE. Appointed It is rumored that Col. James M. Swank of Johnstown, the present efficient incumbent of the County Superintendency of this county has received the appointment of a clerkship in one of the departments at Washington Hope it is true for there is no man who deserves the honor more highly than the Col. Snow The peaks of the mountains in this section were covered with a mantle of snow on Saturday and Sunday. Winter is about here and no mistake. Letter from Kentucky Camp Nevin, Ky., Nov. 6, 1861 The Cherry Tree Guards, a military company not altogether unknown to many of your readers, especially in the northern portion of your county, left Cherry Tree Boro for Kittanning on Wednesday morning, 24th September, accompanied by the Cherry Tree Band and an escort of citizens on horseback. A pleasant day's ride brought us to Indiana where we were received by a committee of citizens and assigned places for the night. The next day at noon we resumed our march and arrived at Kittanning on Friday evening. We marched into Camp Orr on Saturday morning and were sworn into the service of the United States under Col. Wm. Sirwell. We were drilled by that popular and efficient officer in camp until Monday, 14th October, when we were ordered to Pittsburg. On arriving there our regiment, the "Columbia Cadets," was placed in the Col. Negley's brigade and became the 78th regiment P. V. Here we received our uniforms, arms, equipments and tents. On the Thursday following the brigade was marched to Allegheny City where a stand of colors was presented to each regiment by Gov. Curtin. In the course of his remarks, Gov. C. announced that by an order of the War Department the destination of our brigade had been changed from Missouri to Kentucky. The next afternoon we embarked on board steam boats for this latter point. The boats, six in number, steamed out soon after sundown. Nothing of interest occurred on our way down the Ohio with the exception that salutes in our honor were fired at Wheeling and several other places. We steamed up to the wharf at Louisville on Monday evening but remained in our boats over night. Next morning we disembarked and formed in line of battle on the wharf. Shortly after, we marched through the principal streets of the city and thence to Camp Oakland, one and half miles south. Before bedtime we were under marching orders again. An accident on the railroad however detained us until Thursday morning when we took the cars on the Louisville and Nashville RR and soon after found ourselves at Nolin, a railroad station in Hardin county, fifty-two miles south of Louisville where we are now encamped. We have not yet been gratified by the sight of an armed rebel but have reason to believe that we are surrounded by those who entertain sesesh sentiments and would avow the same were it not for the restraint imposed by the presence of Union troops. Our brigade expects to move soon, perhaps towards Bowling Green. When anything of interest occurs you may hear from me again. Signed - Boanerger Capture of Mason and Slidell The entire country was electrified on Monday by the intelligence that Messrs. J. M. Mason and John Slidell, envoys of Jeff Davis to England and France, respectively, had been captured in the Bermuda Channel by the U. S. frigate, San Jacinto, Capt. Wilkes. They had embarked on board an English steamer. They are probably now in New York. The Great Naval Expedition A Glorious Victory! Capture of Beaufort Confirmed We last week gave all the news that had come into our possession up to the hour of going to press concerning the success of the Great Naval Expedition on the Southern coast. Herewith we append full and minute particulars of the glorious engagement at Port Royal by which it will be seen that the federal forces have achieved an overwhelming victory and struck Treason a deadly blow near its very birthplace. An important harbor is in our possession, Forts Walker and Beauregard are successfully reduced and our Flag now floats triumphantly o'er the town of Beaufort! This is certainly glory enough for one day. The first official intelligence of our success was brought by the steam, Bienville, which was detailed from the Fleet for that service and arrived at Fortress Monroe on Tuesday 12th inst. She left Port Royal on the Sunday previous. The gale encountered by the fleet was very severe. The Union and Osceola went ashore and were lost as previously reported. The Governor foundered at sea, but the Isaac T. Smith succeeded in saving her crew. The fleet arrived at Port Royal on Monday, the 4th inst. On Tuesday the smaller gunboats rounded and buoyed out the channel, under a fire from the forts, which did no damage. On Wednesday the weather prevented active operations, but on Thursday morning the 7th inst., the men of war and the gun boats advanced to the attack. The action commenced at ten a.m. and was hotly carried out on both sides and lasted about four hours, at the end of which time the rebels were compelled by the shower of shells to abandon their works and beat a hasty retreat. Our loss was eight men and officers, the chief engineer of the Mohican killed and about twenty wounded. The rebel loss is not known. Fifty-two bodies were found by our men and buried. All their wounded, except two were carried off. Two forts were captured ~ Fort Walker on Hilton Head, mounting twenty-three guns, and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point, mounting nineteen guns. The guns were of heavy caliber. The forts were both new and splendid. The earthworks were of great strength, constructed in the highest type of military science and pronounced by our Engineers as impregnable against any assault of land forces. The final retreat of the rebels was a perfect rout. They left everything, arms and equipments of all kinds, even to the officers' swords and commissions; all the letters and papers, both public and private; order books and documents were left in their flight and fell into our hands affording our officers much valuable information. Among the papers was a telegram from Jeff Davis to the commander of the post, informing him of the sailing of the fleet and that he knew their destination to be Port Royal. The whole surrounding country was seized with a perfect panic. The day after the fight the Seneca and two other gunboats, under the command of Lieutenant Ammon proceeded up to Beaufort and found but one white man in the town, and he drunk, and the plantations up the river seemed to be deserted except by the negroes, who were seen in great numbers and who, as the boats passed came down to the shore with bundles in their hands, as if expected to be taken off. They seized all the letters in the post office at Beaufort. After the capture of the forts the whole army ~ about 15,000 men ~ were safely landed and established on shore. The forts were but little injured but the rebels could not stand the explosion of our big shells. The force of the enemy as ascertained from their papers was from three to four thousand men under Gen. Drayton of South Carolina. Our victory is complete ~ the enemy leaving everything but their lives, which they saved by running. The boats from the Wabash were the first to land after the fight and Captain John Rodgers was the first man on shore. The boats returned loaded with valuable trophies of all kinds. The rebels set a trap but it missed fire. When our brave fellows landed to take possession of the Forts, they found the rebel flag at the Fort in Hilton Head still flying and just as one of our men pulled at the halyards to draw down the traitorous banner an explosion took place in the house just vacated by the rebel officers but doing little damage and injuring none. It was found on examination that the rebels had before evacuating the place arranged what they thought would prove a deadly trap to the victors. Mines had been laid and matches so arranged that when the halyards of the flag should be drawn down the mines would be sprung, firing the magazines and blowing up the whole works and involve the victors in a common ruin; but it did not go off and soon the brave old flag, the stars and stripes, waved in triumph from the rebel flagstaff.