HIGHLY IMPORTANT: A Forward Movement of the Army of the Potomac; Occupation of Charlestown by a Heavy Force (10/17/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 10/17/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Thursday, Oct. 16, 1862.

The following special dispatch for the TIMES is just received, dated.

BEYOND HALLTOWN, Va., Thursday, Oct. 16, 1862.

This morning, soon after 6 o'clock, a reconnoissance in force, under Gen. HANCOCK, and comprising the same General's entire Division, with Gen. DANA's Brigade from SEDGWICK's Division, and under command of Col. LEE, of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment, together with four batteries, two regiments of cavalry and one battery of flying artillery, left Bolivar Heights and proceeded out on the Winchester and Harper's Ferry turnpike, toward Charlestown, in the following order:

First, the Sixth New-York Cavalry, Col. DEVIAN, together with a battery of Flying Artillery, under the command of Lieut.-Col. MCVICKERS First Battalion.

Next, the Fifty-third, Sixty-fourth and First Minnesota, of the Third Brigade, under Col. BROOKS.

Following these, were TOMPKINS' First Rhode Island Battery, six pieces.

The remainder of the Third Brigade, under Col. Looke.

Next, Capt. THOMAS Fourth United States Artillery with six pieces.

Following, came the Second Brigade, under the brave and able Gen. CALDWELL.

Capt. PETTIT's celebrated First New-York Battery, with six pieces, were next in order.

Following them was the First Brigade, under Gen. MEAGHER.

Next, the Brigade of Gen. DANA, from Gen. SEDGEWICK's Division, under the command of Col. LEE, and joining us afterward, were a battalion of cavalry, the Third Indiana.

In this order they advanced until just after passing Halltown, which is some two miles from Harper's Ferry. A battery of the rebels, comprising certainly not more than four pieces, here opened at short range upon our advance -- their range being so short as to fail to reach the parties for whom it was intended. The Fourth Regular Battery, under Lieut. DICKENSON, promptly returned their fire, and with such effectiveness

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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/4100942/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Highly Important: A Forward Movement of the Army of the Potomac – 2
The Army of Virginia: Indications of Immediate Hostilities – 2-3
The Victory in Tennessee: The Rebels under Anderson Defeated at Lavergne – 3
The Pirate Alabama: Her Operations in the Track of Vessels Going to England – 3-4
Important from Kentucky: Humphrey Marshall Reported to be Retreating – 4
The Battle of Perryville: Opening of the Engagement – 4-6
News from Washington: Our Special Washington Dispatches – 6-7
Slavery as Conserved by War – 7
Editorial: The Black Flag vs. Better Feeling – 7-8
Editorial: Don Pacifico Abroad – 8
Affairs on the Mississippi: Operations of the Guerrillas – 8

[rxh4n1]

Highly Important: A Forward Movement of the Army of the Potomac – 2

McClellan back to his old slow self.

[BroJoeK]

"Slavery as Conserved by War – 7"

Using reports in Confederate newspapers our editors estimate that to date Civil War has cost the Confederacy around 60,000 runaway slaves.
Editors note, this is before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, a time when the Union did little or nothing to encourage "contraband of war" to escape to Union lines.

Some of our pro-Confederates claim the Emancipation Proclamation didn't actually free anybody, but the 60,000 estimated here were declared free immediately, and before the war's end another 3.5 million Confederate slaves were freed by the Union army before passage of the 13th Amendment.

[jeffersondem]

“. . . before the war's end another 3.5 million Confederate slaves were freed by the Union army before passage of the 13th Amendment.”

Inexplicably, the Union's slave states continued to cling to slavery well after the South was defeated.

It was legal under the Union's pro-slavery constitution which Lincoln and millions of northern soldiers fought to defend.

[BroJoeK]

"Inexplicably, the Union's slave states continued to cling to slavery well after the South was defeated."

Civil War timeline of when Union slave-states & territories abolished slavery:

1. April 16, 1862, Washington, DC, -- compensated emancipation freed all slaves.
   Similar legislation rejected by Delaware.

2. June 19, 1862, New Mexico & Oklahoma territories -- Congress prohibited slavery in all US territories.

3. January 1, 1863, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared Confederate slaves freed.
   The last Texas slaves declared free on "Juneteenth", 1865.

4. November 1, 1864, Maryland abolished slavery.

5. January 11, 1865, Missouri abolished slavery.

6. February 3, 1865, West Virginia abolished slavery.

7. December 18, 1865, 13th Amendment ratified, abolished slavery in remaining Union states of Kentucky and Delaware.

8. 1866, Oklahoma, by treaty with Federal government, slavery abolished among various Indian tribes.

9. 1867, Peonage Act abolished defacto slavery in New Mexico.

10. 1867, Alaska slavery abolished after US purchase from Russia.

[jeffersondem]

“Civil War timeline of when Union slave-states & territories abolished slavery: . . .”

Thanks for providing the documentation to prove my earlier post. I knew it was something like that.

The United States continued to cling to slavery well after the South was defeated.

[BroJoeK]

"The United States continued to cling to slavery well after the South was defeated."

Well, August 20, 1866 is the date Pres. Andrew Johnson declared the US Civil War officially ended.
By that date there was no official slavery recognized anywhere in the United States.
There were, however, still categories of oppression addressed by Congress in:

1. 1866 & later, Oklahoma Indian tribes were slow to abolish slavery, even after signing treaties to do so.

2. March 1867, Peonage Act abolishing defacto slavery in New Mexico.

3. July 9, 1868, 14th Amendment establishing citizenship, due process and equal protection for former slaves.

4. March 30, 1870, 15th Amendment intended to guarantee voting right of former slaves.

Of course, you might well say the Civil War did not last until August 20, 1866, you might even say "the South" was effectively defeated at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863.
However, the political war to officially end slavery went on a good long time afterwards.

Indeed, the very idea of slavery -- unjustly forcing others to work to benefit you, without just compensation -- that idea is still alive & well in the Democrats' party, only the roles of taxpaying slaves & welfare beneficiaries have been reversed.