January 1, 1863 Thursday
“I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free.” Thus read the final Emancipation Proclamation (
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featur ... clamation/ ) of Jan 1, putting into effect President Lincoln’s preliminary proclamation of Sept 22. Even that very morning discussions had continued, but shortly after noon the President signed the document that opened the door to the end of slavery in the United States. No slaves were freed specifically at that moment, for the Proclamation pertained on to areas “the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States.” These areas were indicated. However, as Federal armies advanced into these areas, the slaves were to be free. Further, this final Proclamation provided that former slaves would be officially received into the armed services of the nation. In Tremont Temple, Boston, people met in celebration; at Norfolk, Virginia the Negro populace marched through the town, Union flag at their head, cheering; at Beaufort, South Carolina the freedmen heard speeches, sang an “Ode for Emancipation Day,” and enjoyed five roasted oxen.
In Tennessee at Murfreesboro the armies of Bragg and Rosecrans were poised, awaiting renewal of the struggle along Stone’s River. Some troops were shifted and Bragg made a slight indication of attack; there was skirmishing at La Vergne, Stewart’s Creek, and Clifton, Tennessee. Sherman was about to abandon his efforts at Chickasaw Bayou north of Vicksburg; there was an affair near Helena, Arkansas; and a skirmish at Bath Springs, Mississippi.
Confederate warships under Major Leon Smith, CSA, defeated Union blockading forces at Galveston in a fierce surprise attack combined with an assault ashore by Confederate troops that resulted in the capture of the Northern Army company stationed there. Smith's flotilla included the improvised cotton-clad gunboats C.S.S. Bayou City and Neptune, with Army sharpshooting boarding parties embarked, and tenders John F. Carr and Lucy Gwin. The Union squadron under Commander William B. Renshaw, U.S.S. Harriet Lane, Owasco, Corypheus, Sachem, Clifton, and Westfield, was caught off guard. Despite the surprise, Harriet Lane, under Commander Jonathan M. Wainwright, put up a gallant fight. She rammed Bayou City, but without much damage. In turn she was rammed by Neptune, which was so damaged by the resulting impact and a shot from Harriet Lane taken at the waterline that she sank in 8 feet of water. Bayou City, meanwhile, turned and rammed Harriet Lane so heavily that the two ships could not be separated. The troops from the cotton-clad clambered over the bulwarks to board Harriet Lane. under Commander Wainwright was killed in the wild hand-to-hand combat and his ship was captured.
In the meantime at Galveston, Westfield, under Commander Renshaw, had run aground in Bolivar Channel prior to the action, could not be gotten off, and was destroyed to prevent her capture. Renshaw and a boat crew were killed when Westfield blew up prematurely. The small ships comprising the remainder of the blockading force ran through heavy Confederate fire from ashore and stood out to sea. Surprise and boldness in execution, as often in the long history of warfare, had won another victory. The tribute paid by Major General John Bankhead Magruder, CSA, was well deserved: "The alacrity with which officers and men, all of them totally unacquainted with this novel kind of service, some of whom had never seen a ship before, volunteered for an enterprise so extraordinarily and apparently desperate in its character, and the bold and dashing manner in which the plan was executed, are certainly deserving of the highest praise."
In Washington the after effects of Fredericksburg came to a head. Burnside consulted with President Lincoln on the general’s plans to launch another assault across the Rappahannock River. Burnside then wrote a frank, open, modest letter stating that officers and men lacked faith in Sec of War Stanton, in Halleck, and in himself. Burnside pointed out that not a single grand division commander agreed with his plan and that in view of this he believed he should retire to private life, to “promote the public good.” President Lincoln goaded Halleck into deciding on the military plan and this provoked a resignation from the General-in-Chief. The windup – both Halleck and Burnside stayed. President Lincoln’s tiring day included the usual New Year’s Day reception at the White House.
At Charleston, South Carolina one Robert Yeadon offered $10,000 reward for the capture and delivery of Ben Butler, dead or alive.
The extensive use of Confederate torpedoes in the western waters required similar ingenuity on the part of Union forces to cope with them. Colonel Charles R. Ellet proposed a plan to clear the Yazoo of torpedoes, to enable the gunboats to operate more freely. He wrote: "My plan was to attach to the bow of a swift and powerful steamboat [Lioness was chosen] a strong framework, consisting of two heavy spars, 65 feet in length, firmly secured by transverse and diagonal braces and extending 50 feet forward of the steamer's bow. A crosspiece, 35 feet in length, was to be bolted to the forward extremities of these spars. Through each end of this crosspiece and through the center a heavy iron rod, 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 feet long, descended into the river, terminating in a hook. An intermediate hook was attached to each bar 3 feet from the bottom. The three bars were strengthened by a light piece of timber halfway down, through which they were passed and bolted. . . . The torpedoes are sunk in the water, but the cords by which they are fired are attached to buoys floating on the surface. My belief was that the curved hooks of the rake would catch these cords, and, driven by the powerful boat, would either explode the torpedoes or tear them to pieces and break the ropes, thus rendering them harmless to succeeding vessels." In fundamental principle, the method compares with the sweeping of mines in World War II and Korea.