From The Constitution, Wednesday, August 27, 1862 (volume 25, number 1287)

The Indian Massacres.

Parties from the Minnesota River reached St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 22. They state that scouts estimate the number already killed by the Sioux at 500. This opinion is based on the number of bodies discovered strewn along the road and by trails of blood. It is believed that all the missionaries have been killed. The civilized Indians exceeded their savage brethren in atrocities. Mr. Frenier, an interpreter who has spent most of his life among the Indians, volunteered to go alone among them, trusting to his knowledge of them and his disguise, to escape detection. He dressed himself in Indian costume and started on his journey. He arrived at the Upper Agency at night. The place was literally the habitation of death. He visited all the houses, and found their former occupants all lying dead, some on the doorsteps and some inside their habitations. Others were scattered in the yards and in the roads. He went to the house of Hon. J. R. Brown, and recognized every member of the family. They numbered eighteen in all, and every one of them had been brutally murdered. At Beaver Creek he found that fifty families had been killed outright. At every house he went into he recognized the dead bodies of nearly all the former inhabitants of the place.

Ex-Gov. Sibley is now marching to the relief of Fort Ridgeley. He reports that the Sioux bands are united together to carry out a concentrated and desperate scheme, and says that he will be only too happy to find that the powerful upper bands of the Yanktons and other tribes have not united with them.

Mr. Frenier writes to Gov. Ramsey, on the 21st inst., saying that he left Fort Ridgeley at 2 o’clock on that morning. There were then over two thousand Indians at the fort, and all the wooden buildings there had been set on fire, and were burning.

In St. Paul and the adjoining country all the available horses are being gathered together, and all sorts of weapons will be used by willing hands for immediate and summary vengeance upon those bloodthirsty Indians.

It seems to be the general opinion among the best informed of our citizens that these Indian troubles originated with the cursed Secessionists of Mexico.

War News

On Saturday the gratifying intelligence was confirmed of the junction of the armies of Generals McClellan and Pope. Gen. Pope has fallen back from his advanced position at the Rapidan, and is now on the north bank of the Rappahannock. His advance commenced moving on Monday afternoon from Culpepper, and the crossing of the river was effected on Wednesday. There was some skirmishing and it was expected at one time there would be a general engagement. The rebels have a heavy force on the south bank, with strong batteries. All attempts to force our lines had been repulsed, and our troops were in the best of spirits. It is thought that General Halleck will take the field when our forces in Virginia are fully concentrated.

Secretary Seward writes that foreign residents who have merely declared their intention to become citizens are not liable to the draft.

Latest.

The news just received is very important. The rebels made an attack on Gen. Sigel’s corps on the morning of the 21st. They had built a bridge across the river, and Gen. Sigel suffered three rebel regiments to cross without opposition. He then opened his battery on the bridge, demolished it, and at the same time a deadly fire of musketry assails the rebels in front. Not a man of them escaped. Nearly 2000 are said to have been captured, and about 400 killed and wounded.

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It is believed that another attack upon Baton Rouge will be made soon by the rebels. Their army is stationed about ten miles distant, awaiting reinforcements. Gen. Butler has confiscated the property of John Slidell, and has ordered the citizens of New Orleans to deliver up all private arms in their possession.

Two or three demonstrations have been made against our pickets at Suffolk, Va., by rebel cavalry. The first was on the 15th and the second last Tuesday.

The frigate New Ironsides left Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, and put to sea on Saturday.

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Hon. John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, it is said, will decline any nomination for another public office.

The rush to the White Mountains has been very great this season. One day last week there were over two hundred persons on the summit of Mount Washington.

Over one hundred young ladies of Syracuse have signed a pledge to act as clerks and saleswomen in the places of such young men as will enlist for the war.

The mayor of Henderson, Ky., has fled to the rebel army. The property of the mayor was seized, and a new election has been ordered.

The towns of Amesbury and Salisbury, Mass., have offered bounties of $300 for three years’ volunteers and $150 for nine months.

Col. Michael Corcoran was, Monday morning, commissioned by the President a Brigadier General, to date from July 21st, 1861, the day on which he was taken prisoner at Bull Run.

The Government has nearly completed arrangements for the accommodation of 10,000 additional patients in the different hospitals east of the Alleghany Mountains.

The experiment is being made in Newburyport of lighting the streets with kerosene. It is said to give more light than gas, and at half the cost.

In 48 hours the Chicago Board of Trade raised $15,000 bounty money, and recruited a whole battery, to be called the Chicago Board of Trade Battery. They are also raising a regiment of infantry.

Naval Station at New London

It is considered highly probable that New London will be selected for the new naval station to be established by the Government. It certainly has superior claims. There is no better harbor on our coast. At all seasons of the year it is accessible from the ocean, free from ice in the winter, and with a capacity sufficient to float the largest navy in the world. It has a depth of water enough not only to float the Great Eastern, but the big ship could easily go up the river Thames at least five miles and find safe anchorage. Philadelphia is the principal competitor with New London. That city has offered League Island as a free gift to Government, if it will establish the naval station there. The place is difficult of access. Large vessels often get aground going up the river, and in severe weather in the winter season the ice prevents all navigation. It is the immediate neighborhood of a great city which gives League Island an advantage. But this is a small matter compared with the other more essential requisites for a great naval station. The board of officers which has the matter under consideration meets this week in New London. Connecticut is deeply interested in the decision about to be made. Should that decision be favorable to our sister city, as we hope and believe it will, a new impulse will be given towards drawing forth the resources of our state, and increasing our trade. The eastern section will be especially benefitted. A draft will be made on her treasures of ship timber and an increasing market will be found for all the products of the farm.

Extract from an Army Letter.

We are permitted to give below an extract from a letter written by one in General Pope’s army to his wife in this town. It is dated on the 14th of August from the camp near Culpepper Court House :

“We arrived here yesterday after a fatiguing march of sixty hours, day and night, without stopping only to feed. But we came through safe and sound over as rough a road as a man ever wants to travel. Our camp is situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains about a mile from the battle of last Saturday and Sunday, between Jackson and Banks. They have just finished burying the dead. Jackson has retreated back into the mountains, but the troops will follow him up. We have a force here of one hundred and twenty thousand men, and unless he runs he has but a poor chance, for General Pope is bound to have him. General Banks’ division was badly cut up in the fight of Saturday and Sunday.”

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At the town meeting held last Wednesday, a bounty of one hundred dollars was granted to all volunteers from this town under the late calls of the President, including the three years men who have enlisted since the first of April and the nine months men. No opposition whatever was offered to this vote. The meeting was a large one, and not a man present voted in the negative. This is quite a change from the last meeting held there for the purpose of voting a bounty to volunteers. When a draft was not anticipated, some men opposed the bounty and discouraged enlistments. Not a word of it now. The expected draft has made them quiet and docile as lambs. They will pay any amount necessary to escape the draft. Mayor Warner made a sharp speech, in which he told his quondam democratic friends who have hitherto discouraged enlistments some wholesome truths. A tax of five mills was laid by the meeting.

This town is now prepared to do its part towards raising the full quota by voluntary enlistments. A bounty of one hundred dollars ought to procure men enough for the nine months service, and we believe it will do so with a little exertion on the part of individuals. There is a desire on the part of all that the men should be raised and a draft should be avoided. Let our citizens take hold of the matter in earnest for the few days remaining, and the work can be done.

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Gen. E. W. N. Starr.—It was stated in an article in the Palladium last week, that Gen. Starr of Middletown was reported to have said that for every gun fired towards the South he would fire one towards the North, and that he would not march further South than Washington. It always give us pleasure to relieve any one from the charge of disloyalty, when it is possible, and we cheerfully give place to the following letter from Gen. Starr :–N. H. Palladium.

Middletown, Aug. 18, 1862.

Editors Palladium—Gents. : My attention has just been called to an article in your paper of last week, in relation to the appointment of Major-General of our State Militia, wherein you strongly intimate my disloyalty to the Government: All that I propose to say at this time, in reply to your charge is briefly this, that in common with numerous other Union men, I did, at an early period of the rebellion, deprecate a subjugation of the Southern states ; believing that all differences should be adjusted by compromise and concession ; but after the open acts of hostility precipitated by the South, my sympathies for them ceased, and I have, to the best of my feeble abilities, advocated the crushing out of this inhuman insurrection by the raising of a force so overwhelming that any serious resistance by the South would not be attempted.

Please do me the justice to insert this note in your next issue and oblige,

Yours respectfully, E. W. N. Starr.

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A Contrast.—A young man who had been absent from town for several months returned last week, and learned that his name was not on the enrollment. He immediately called on the selectmen, and had it placed on the list. This is quite in contrast with the conduct of some others who have attempted to evade the draft by the most unworthy means.

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Elias Lewis, Esq., an old and prominent citizen of Middletown, died at his residence on Monday morning. He has been out but little for a year past on account of ill health, but has nevertheless been able to attend to the details of his business. His age was 67. The funeral will be attended on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock.

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A Regiment to be Quartered Here.—A regiment of nine months men will be quartered in Middletown. The camp will be located on Fort Hill, which is a spot well adapted to the purpose.

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The sword presentation, which took place at Camp Foote last week on Monday was a transaction of much interest to the people of Middletown. A sword sash and belt had been purchased by his company and was presented by Capt. Gibbons. The address was by Sergeant John G. Pelton. Hon. A. B. Calef presented a pair of pistols given by Douglas workmen to Lieut. Walter M. Lucas. Also, a sword, sash and belt, the gift of Pacific Hose Company, of which he had been foreman, was presented to Lieut. Lucas by G. T. Hubbard, Esq. To 1st Lieut. Broatch, a sword, sash and belt, given by his friends in this city, was presented by D. Newland Davis. A pair of shoulder straps were presented to Major Clark by the Middletown company.

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Street Fight.—War on a small scale took place in Main street on Monday noon. A Yankee and an Irishman got into an enthusiastic state, and mutually defied each other to mortal combat. They rushed upon one another like a couple of iron-clads. What would have been the result if foreign intervention had not taken place just at this interesting period, it is impossible to say. In spite of the remonstrances of the parties, and without regard to the value of the questions involved in the contest, the Irishman and Yankee were separated, and all further proceedings of a violent nature were suspended.