In these days of railroad transportation the importance of the Mississippi River before and during the Civil War can hardly be realized. So essential was it that the Confederates considered that their control of its navigation would ultimately force the Western States to join them. Lincoln, a Westerner, was impregnated with this sentiment. From a military point of view Federal success on the Mississippi was a vital wound to the Confederacy. Across its broad bosom Texas sent her grain and beef for the army, and Louisiana her sugar. It was an avenue for munitions of war, sent from abroad to Mexico. In 1862 the Confederate line ran from Columbus on the Mississippi, to Fort Henry on the Tennessee, to Fort Donelson on the Cumberland, and thence to Bowling Green. On February 6, 1862, Foote's gunboats, of the types shown in the illustration, reduced Fort Henry. On February 14th the troops under Grant combined with the gunboats to reduce Fort Donelson. During the remainder of the year the river was opened down to Vicksburg. When on July 3, 1863, Grant received the surrender of Vicksburg, the final outcome of the war was settled. Various river battles are described in the Encyclopedic Index, as for instance, "New Madrid (Mo.), Battle of," "Island No. 10 (Tenn.), Battle of," "Vicksburg (Miss.), Battle of," and "Arkansas Post, Battle of." WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., August 8, 1862. By direction of the President of the United States, it is hereby ordered that until further order no citizen liable to be drafted into the militia shall be allowed to go to a foreign country. And all marshals, deputy marshals, and military officers of the United States are directed, and all police authorities, especially at the ports of the United States on the seaboard and on the frontier, are requested, to see that this order is faithfully carried into effect. And they are hereby authorized and directed to arrest and detain any person or persons about to depart from the United States in violation of this order, and report to Major L. C. Turner, judgeadvocate at Washington City, for further instructions respecting the person or persons so arrested or detained. II. Any person liable to draft who shall absent himself from his county or State before such draft is made will be arrested by any provost-marshal or other United States or State officer, wherever he may be found within the jurisdiction of the United States, and be conveyed to the nearest military post or depot and placed on military duty for the term of the draft; and the expenses of his own arrest and conveyance to such post or depot, and also the sum of $5, as a reward to the officer who shall make such arrest, shall be deducted from his pay. III. The writ of habeas corpus is hereby suspended in respect to all persons so arrested and detained, and in respect to all persons arrested for disloyal practices. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, D. C., August 14, 1862. ORDER RESPECTING VOLUNTEERS AND MILITIA. Ordered, first. That after the 15th of this month bounty and advanced pay shall not be paid to volunteers for any new regiments, but only to volunteers for regiments now in the field and volunteers to fill up new regiments now organizing, but not yet full. Second. Volunteers to fill up new regiments now organizing will be received and paid the bounty and advanced pay until the 22d day of this month, and if not completed by that time the incomplete regiments will be consolidated and superfluous officers mustered out. Third. Volunteers to fill up the old regiments will be received and paid the bounty and advanced pay until the 1st day of September. Fourth. The draft for 300,000 militia called for by the President will be made on Wednesday, the 3d day of September, between the hours of 9 a. m. and 5 p. m., and continue from day to day between the same hours until completed. Fifth. If the old regiments should not be filled up by volunteers before the 1st day of September, a special draft will be ordered for the deficiency. Sixth. The exigencies of the service require that officers now in the field should remain with their commands, and no officer now in the field in the regular or volunteer service will under any circumstances be detailed to accept a new command. By direction of the President, all the clerks and employees of the civil Departments and all the employees on the public buildings in Washington will be immediately organized into companies, under the direction of Brigadier-General Wadsworth, and will be armed and supplied with ammunition, for the defense of the capital. By command of Major-General Halleck: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING A PROVISIONAL COURT IN LOUISIANA. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington City, October 20, 1862. The insurrection which has for some time prevailed in several of the States of this Union, including Louisiana, having temporarily subverted and swept away the civil institutions of that State, including the judiciary and the judicial authorities of the Union, so that it has become necessary to hold the State in military occupation, and it being indispensably necessary that there shall be some judicial tribunal existing there capable of administering justice, I have therefore thought it proper to appoint, and I do hereby constitute, a provisional court, which shall be a court of record, for the State of Louisiana; and I do hereby appoint Charles A. Peabody, of New York, to be a provisional judge to hold said court, with authority to hear, try, and determine all causes, civil and criminal, including causes in law, equity, revenue, and admiralty, and particularly all such powers and jurisdiction as belong to the district and circuit courts of the United States, conforming his proceedings so far as possible to the course of proceedings and practice which has been customary in the courts of the United States and Louisiana, his judgment to be final and conclusive. And I do hereby authorize and empower the said judge to make and establish such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the exercise of his jurisdiction, and empower the said judge to appoint a prosecuting attorney, marshal, and clerk of the said court, who shall perform the functions of attorney, marshal, and clerk according to such proceedings and practice as before mentioned and such rules and regulations as may be made and established by said judge. These appointments are to continue during the pleasure of the President, not extending beyond the military occupation of the city of New Orleans or the restoration of the civil authority in that city and in the State of Louisiana. These officers shall be paid, out of the contingent fund of the War Department, compensation as follows: The judge at the rate of $3,500 per annum; the prosecuting attorney, including the fees, at the rate of $3,000 per annum; the marshal, including the fees, at the rate of $3,000 per annum; and the clerk, including the fees, at the rate of $2,500 per annum; such compensations to be certified by the Secretary of War. A copy of this order, certified by the Secretary of War and delivered to such judge, shall, be deemed and held to be a sufficient commission. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, October 29, 1862. Two associate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States having been appointed since the last adjournment of said court, and consequently no allotment of the members of said court to the several circuits having been made by them, according to the fifth section of the act of Congress entitled "An act to amend the judicial system of the United States," approved April 29, 1802, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in virtue of said section, do make an allotment of the justices of said court to the circuits now existing by law, as follows: For the first circuit: Nathan Clifford, associate justice. |