The grind of war continues this week 150 years ago in the Civil War as a contingent of 3,000 Confederate fighters overrun a 1,000-man Union force at Front Royal in northern Virginia in a battle fought May 23, 1862.President Abraham Lincoln reins in Union Major Gen. John Fremont, who recently declared martial law and also ordered Missouri’s slaves to be emancipated.
Lincoln disregards aides who urged that Fremont be sacked. Instead he appoints another general to work alongside Fremont and orders Fremont on Sept. 11 to rescind the order involving slaves of Confederate sympathizers in Missouri.
Lincoln’s letter, distributed by The Associated Press, notes Fremont insisted the president issue “an open order” modifying his martial law plan, to which Lincoln responds: “I very cheerfully do.” The president adds his signature: “Your obedient servant, A. Lincoln.”
Meanwhile, the northern Virginia countryside is largely quiet despite jitters over Confederate pickets causing some trouble near Washington.
“The rebels who moved in force from Fairfax Court-house fell back again, after burning a few houses,” an AP dispatch noted of their recent movements.
More fighting erupts to the west. On Sept 15, 1861, some 20,000 secessionist troops move against a badly outnumbered Union garrison of about 3,000 troops on bluffs commanding the Missouri River at Lexington, Mo. The Battle of Lexington, one of the two largest in the western campaign, is just opening and will rage for days, well into the coming week.
