Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Nov. 28, 1861

Nov. 28, 1861: The Provisional Congress in Richmond formally admits Missouri to the Confederacy, even though that state’s legislature has never voted to secede, nor even made a gesture toward attempting to do so.

–Federal officials and troops in and around Beaufort and Port Royal, South Carolina are authorized by Washington to seize agricultural products, supplies, and slaves from the plantations in the vicinity as "contraband of war," in order to discomfit the enemy.

–Mr. Thomas Bragg of North Carolina, the new Attorney General in the Confederate Cabinet, writes in his journal abouit measures to repress the Unionists of East Tennessee:

We have no news today. Mr. Smith called at my office and shewed me a letter from John Baxter formerly of N.C. now of Knoxville, Tenn. He represents East Tennessee, as in a very disloyal State, which he says is owing to the improper courses pursued towards the population, that he could tranquilize things if the Government here would give him its confidence and adopt his suggestions, and that he would come on & make known his plans to the Gov’t if it would receive him kindly and hear his proposal – What he intends he did not say. I went with Mr. Smith to see the President on the subject, who stated that he had been heretofore induced to deal mildly with the Union men of East Ten. but they had abused his confidence, burnt the Rail Road Bridges on the East Ten. Road and that in consequence he had been compelled to change his policy – that Gen’l Zollicoffer and others had informed him that the time had passed by for mild measures &c. But consented to see Mr. B. if he would come to Richmond and hear what he had to propose and that he greatly preferred a resort to mild measures if he could thereby tranquilize the people. Mr. Benjamin was present – he referred to the late hostile attitude of the people of East Ten. said he had issued orders to capture those in arms and hold them as prisoners of war, sending them to Tuscaloosa, where a number of Yankee prisoners now are, and that if any were taken burning bridges & destroying the property of loyal citizens, they were to be treated as outlaws amenable to military law, tried by a drum head Court Martial and shot.

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