IMPORTANT ARMY NEWS: An Expedition to Rappahannock Station; Gen. McClellan’s Congratulations to his Army (10/10/1862)

A reconnoissance was made yesterday by Gen. STAHL to Aldie and Middlebury, resulting in the capture of forty or fifty rebel soldiers, several negroes and an ambulance. The prisoners were at once paroled.

An expedition, commanded by Col. DAVIES, consisting of BAYARD's Cavalry and a battery, started out on Tuesday for the purpose of capturing some rolling stock of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, in the vicinity of Rappahannock Station. It was ascertained that the rebels were evidently preparing to fall back from Winchester to Richmond, and had transferred all the rolling stock lately in use north of the Rappahannock, to the south side, and sawed off the large beams of the bridge across that stream. Supplies for the rebel army at Winchester are sent from Culpepper through Thornton's Gap. A small rebel force is left at Rappahannock Station, composed of cavalry, artillery and infantry, and another, consisting of conscripts, at Culpepper. Only a strong picket force remains north of the Rappahannock, and an occasional expedition is made for forage. The expedition returned to-day.

Our best information leads to the belief that the rebels have sent the artillery captured at Harper's Ferry southward, and are preparing to follow, if not actually on the march, but keep out strong picket guards to deceive our Generals as to their movements.

GENERAL ORDERS No. 160. -- The Commanding General extends his congratulations to the army under his command for the victories achieved by their bravery at the Passes of the South Mountain and upon the Antietam Creek.

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4099331/posts

"A Battle in Kentucky: Two Divisions of Buell’s Army Attacked by Bragg at Perryville – 3"

The war's 153rd engagement, Kentucky's 13th and largest battle of the war, Union victory.
Perryville resulted in over 7,600 total casualties, including 1,355 killed in action.

Kentucky 1861-'62 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Sep 19	Barbourville, KY	Union KY Home Guard (Black ~300) & Confederate Dept 2 (Zollicoffer ~800)	Union 15-total (1-killed); Confederates 7-total (7-killed)	CSA
Oct 21	Camp Wildcat, KY (near Cumberland Gap)	Union IN & KY Infantry, KY Cavalry (Schoepf ~7,000) & Confederate TN Infantry (Zollicoffer ~5,700)	Union 25-total (5-killed), Confederates 53-total (11-killed)	USA
Nov 8-9	Big Sandy-ivy Mountain, KY	Union: Dept of Ohio (Nelson ~5.500) & Confederate 5th Kentucky (Williams, ~1,010)	Union 62-total (12-killed), Confederates 235-total (41-killed)	USA
Nov 20	Skirmish at Brownsville, KY	Union Dept of Cumberland (~115) & Confederate Cavalry (Morgan ~200)	Union 14-total (6-killed), Confederates 1-total (1-killed)	CSA
Dec 17	Rowlett's Station, KY	Union 32nd Indiana (Willich ~500) & Confederate 8th Texas Cavalry, 1sT Ark. (Terry ~1,350)	Union 46-total (13-killed), Confederates 91-total (33-killed, including Terry)	inconclusive (outnumbered Union forces held the field)
Dec 28	Sacremento, KY	Union cavalry (Murray ~500) & Confederate Cavalry (Forrest ~250)	Union 23-total (10-killed), Confederates 5-total (2-killed)	CSA
Jan 10	Middle Creek, KY	Union KY&OH Inf (Garfield 2,100) & Confederate KY Inf & VA Art+Cav (Marshall 2,500)	Union 27 total, Confederates ~65 total	USA
Jan 11	Lucas Bend, Columbus, KY	Union gunboats Essex, St. Louis (Foote, Porter) & Confederate Gunboats Jackson, Ivy, Polk, N.O. (Holland, Rogers)	Union none, Confederates unknown	Inconclusive
Jan 19	Mill Springs, KY	Union KY, IN, OH, Mn, TN Inf, Cav & ART (Thomas ~4,400) & Confederate MS, TN, KY, AL Inf, Cav & Arty (Crittenden, Zollicoffer ~5,900)	Union 246-total (39 killed), Confederates 529-total (125 killed incl Zollicoffer)	USA
Aug 22	Big Hill, KY	Union Army of Ohio (Metcalfe), Confederate Cavalry, E. Tenn (Scott).	Union 270-total Confederates 16-total	CSA
Aug 30	Richmond, KY	Union Army of KY, (Nelson ~6,850), Confederate Army of E TN (Smith, Cleburn -6,500)	Union ~5,353-total (206-killed), Confederates ~451-total (78-killed)	CSA (CSA outnumbered)
Sep 14-16	Munfordville, KY	Union garrison (Wilder, Dunham ~4,200), Confederate Army of MS (Buckner, Chalmers ~25,000)	Union 4,148-total (4,000+ captured), Confederates 714-total (100?-killed)	CSA (fort held)
Oct 8	Perryville, KY	Union Army of the Ohio (Buell, Thomas, 22,000), Confederate Army of Mississippi (Bragg, Polk ~16,000)	Union 4,241-total (845-killed), Confederates 3,396-total (510-killed)	USA (strategic)

"News from Washington: The Negro Colonization Scheme at an End for the Present – 3-5"

Yet again the New York Times explains why "Negro Colonization" in Central America is a bad idea.
So the plan for Chiriquí Province, today in Panama, is cancelled, even though 13,700 freed blacks had applied to join.
Eventually, over 400 will sail for Île-à-Vache, an island off Haiti.
Very few will survive long enough to return a year later.

Recolonization did not end with the Civil War:

"The ACS

continued to operate during the American Civil War, and colonized 168 blacks during the conflict.
It sent 2,492 people of African descent to Liberia in the five years following the war.
The federal government provided a small amount of support for these operations through the Freedmen's Bureau.[69]"

"Antietam Abroad – 5"

The pro-Confederate British press -- i.e., London Times -- is having a hard time coming to grips with the reality of the Confederate defeat at Antietam/Sharpsburg, MD.

"Other English papers, however, manifest less obstinacy, and the cotton speculators of Manchester experienced a sudden abatement of ardor.
In spite of the continued and determined incredulity of British statesmen and writers, there is evident always a latent conviction on the part of the people of England that the rebellion is a desperate chance, and the cause of Freedom as against Slavery ordained to triumph."

Clearly, by "now" the war is seen as "Union Freedom against Confederate Slavery".

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