Warren was sent out on the Weldon road to cut Southern connections, and some other minor blows were struck, without much result. Meade's and Butler's losses in this campaign were one hundred thousand. Lee was too much occupied to make another northward movement.

The Shenandoah Valley was the scene of more contests during the whole war, perhaps, than any other region of its size ; and some of the most brilliant exploits of the opposing forces there were performed this year. Early, the daring and skilful Confederate commander there, defeated first Sigel and then Hunter in May and June, and then made a bold raid on Washington. He had no such force at his command as that which McClellan turned back from Antietam in 1862, or Meade repulsed at Gettysburg the following summer; but it was a startling movement, nevertheless. It came early in July, just after Grant had forced Lee down near Richmond, and when few troops were left near the Federal capital. Early's advance came within seven miles of the latter city. Checked at Monocacy, on the 9th, by Lew Wallace, he was subsequently driven back into Virginia by Wright's corps, which opportunely arrived. To put an end to this distracting business, Grant sent Sheridan, whom he had come to value highly after the latter's service in the Chattanooga campaign, to take command in the valley. The bold young commander quietly waited, a little south of Harper's Ferry, until he got word from his superior officer to "Go in !" A vigorous attack was made on Early at Winchester, September 19th, and, after a hard-fought battle, in which the cavalry gave material help, Sheridan forced the enemy through and out of the town, and chased him up the valley. Resistance was again encountered and overcome; and the Union advance did not stop until Harrisonburg was reached. To preclude any more trouble from a Confederate force in the valley, Sheridan now destroyed the means of subsistence. The autumn crops were harvested, and these were destroyed along the whole line where they could not be carried off. Then Sheridan fell back, and, leaving his army intrenched at Cedar Creek, ran up to Washington to confer with the authorities. Early had followed the invaders down the valley, however, and discovered their commander's absence. This chance was improved with a well-planned attack. The Union soldiers were surprised in their camps before breakfast, October 19th, by a flank movement, and the left and centre of their line driven in. General Wright, ranking officer, whose corps was on the right, stayed the retreat two or three miles back, and tried to reorganize the shattered army. Meantime Sheridan was on his way back from Washington. He had slept in Winchester over-night, twenty miles away. One of the first sounds that greeted his ears as he started on his southward way in the morning was artillery, and he quickly divined that a battle was in progress. Alert and fiery, he put spurs to his steed, and rode furiously on. In an hour or two he began to meet the fugitives always to be seen in the rear of such a

battle as Cedar Creek, and, his zeal and anxiety increasing, he urged his horse to the top of its speed. The outlook at the front was gloomy enough when the Union commander came up. On the way he had reproved and encouraged the frightened stragglers, and persuaded many of them to return. But when he finally dashed on to the hesitating, imperfectly-restored line which Wright had formed, a wonderful change came over his command. He was a man of such magnetism and so idolized by his men that, as he rode down past them, shouting that he was going to take them back to their abandoned camps that night, his own enthusiasm and courage was imparted to the whole army. Long after noon, the formation being at last completed, he began his advance. Back to Cedar Creek the Union line now swept, carrying everything before it, and working worse disaster upon the apparently victorious Confederates than they had accomplished in the morning. So badly demoralized was Early's army by this defeat that it never again tried to reoccupy the valley. "Sheridan's Ride," that so brilliantly turned the tide of battle on this occasion, has been celebrated in a well-known poem.

Ra

The most destructive of the rebel cruisers, several of which were built in British ports, was the Alabama. She captured sixty-six prizes, worth $10,000,000, in her short career. phael Semmes commanded her. She encountered the Union frigate Kearsarge, Captain Winslow, near Cherbourg, France, June 19th, and was sent to the bottom. Her officers and crew were picked up by the friendly English yacht Deerhound, which came out to see the fight. Another Confederate cruiser, the Florida, was taken at Bahia, Brazil, by the Wachusett, Captain Collins.

A daring and useful feat was performed by a boat's crew commanded by Lieutenant Cushing of the Navy, October 27th. The rebel ram Albemarle, in the sound of that name, had been making destructive raids upon Union shipping down on the coast, and it was a formidable obstacle to any invasion of that region. Approaching stealthily, by night, Lieutenant Cushing planted a huge torpedo under her, and blew her up.

Congress, in February, passed an act modifying the existing Enrolment bill in some particulars. It authorized the President to call for as many men into service as the necessity might require, and drafts to be ordered if the quotas were not filled. Substitutes might be furnished by those enrolled; all persons under forty-five to be enrolled; drafted persons could furnish substitutes; commuters exempted only from the special draft; all male persons of African descent, between twenty and fortyfive, whether citizens or not, to be enrolled; and colored troops not to be assigned as State troops, but to be mustered into regiments or companies as United States volunteers.

Congress, in March, passed an act establishing a Bureau of Freedmen's Affairs. By it all questions relating to persons of African descent were to be determined, with authority to make

regulations for their employment and treatment on abandoned plantations.

Congress passed a bill reviving the grade of lieutenant-general, which was approved by the President, who at once appointed General Grant to the position, and, on the 9th of March, gave him, in person, his commission. Subsequently, the President approved a bill creating the rank of vice-admiral, of equal grade with that of lieutenant-general in the army. Admiral Farragut was given the position.

Authority was given the Secretary of the Treasury to issue bonds not exceeding two hundred millions of dollars, payable in five or forty years in coin, and bearing interest not exceeding six per cent, payable in coin. Subsequently, another bill was passed authorizing the issue of four hundred millions of bonds of like tenor; or, in lieu of an equal amount of bonds, the Secretary of the Treasury might issue two hundred millions in Treasury notes, in denomination of not less than ten dollars, payable in three years, and bearing interest at the rate of seven and three tenths per cent per annum, payable "in lawful money," and to be a legal tender to the same extent as United States notes.

An act was approved by the President, on the 3d of June, amending the National Bank Act, by which the entire issue of notes for circulation under the act was confined to three hundred millions; the banks to be allowed to charge seven per cent interest on loans; and no bank established under the act to have a capital less than one hundred thousand dollars, and, if located in a city of more than fifty thousand inhabitants, not less than two hundred thousand dollars.

The Fugitive Slave Acts of Congress, passed in the years 1793 and 1850, were repealed by act of Congress approved by the President on the 28th of June.

A new Tariff Act went into effect on the 4th of July. Among the articles specified, teas were to be charged a duty of 25 cents per pound; sugar, according to grade, 3 to 5 cents; brandies, $2.50 per gallon; other spirits, $2 per gallon; champagnes, not less than $6 a dozen for quarts; spirituous liquors not enumerated, 100 per cent upon the value; ales, porter, and beer in bottles, 35 cents; not bottled, 20 cents per gallon; cigars, from 75 cents to $3 per pound, besides from 20 to 60 per cent, ad valorem; tobacco, 35 to 50 cents per pound; iron, various rates, but none less than 33 per cent on the value; coal, from 40 to 125 cents a ton; lead, on an average, 2 cents a pound; gems, unset, 10 per cent; wools, from 3 to 10 cents, according to grade, with 10 per cent additional ad valorem; woollen goods, various specified rates, none less than 50 per cent on the value, and many more than this; cotton, 2 cents per pound; cotton manufactures, from 5 to 7 cents per square yard, besides from 10 to 35 per cent ad valorem; linens, 35 to 40 per cent; silk, 25 to 40 per cent; silk goods, generally, 60 per cent; china and earthenware, 40 to 45 per cent; books, 25 per cent; fancy

soaps, 10 cents a pound, and 25 per cent ad valorem; and plain soaps 1 cent a pound and 30 per cent ad valorem.

An Internal Revenue Law was passed, imposing licenses upon every trade and profession, varying from the presumed amount of business; discrimination being made against liquordealers, shows, lotteries, gift enterprises, and the like. "Every person whose profession was not specially enumerated was to pay a license of ten dollars if his business should bring an income of one thousand dollars. Every possible legal document, to be valid, was required to be stamped; all patent medicines and similar preparations were made subject to excise, the general principle being to impose one cent for every twenty-five cents of the price of the article; almost every article of manufacture was noted with a special tax, amounting as nearly as possible to five per cent on the value; railroads, express companies, and similar branches of business, to pay from two to five per cent of their gross receipts, and a special tax was imposed upon many articles of show and luxury.

An act was passed guaranteeing to certain States, whose governments had been overthrown or usurped, a republican form of government, and authorizing the President to appoint a Provisional Governor for such States until a regular State Government should be established.

On the 1st of February, the President ordered a draft of five hundred thousand men, to begin on the 10th of March, to serve for three years or the war. On the 15th of March, he made a call for two hundred thousand volunteers; on the 18th of July, for five hundred thousand more; and on the 20th of December, for three hundred thousand.

The Territory of Montana was authorized to be organized, and Nevada was admitted to the Union as a State.

On the 19th of October, the town of St. Albans, in Vermont, about fifteen miles from the Canadian frontier, was subjected to a raid, accompanied by bloodshed, by armed Confederates entering the State from Canada. They overpowered the employes of three banks, seized over two hundred thousand dollars in money, and, stealing all the horses they could in the streets and livery-stables, escaped into Canada.

The city of Detroit was thrown into great excitement, on the 30th of October, by a report that a raid on the city was to be made during the night by armed parties of the enemy from Canada. Soldiers were called out; artillery was brought from the barracks and posted in the streets; the steam fire-engines were made ready for sudden use, and the depots and public buildings guarded. No enemy, however, appeared.

The money-order system of the post-office department went into operation in November. The postal-car service-the assorting of mail-matter while in transit-commenced on the Iowa division of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, on the 28th of August. It next went into operation between New York and Washington, and subsequently on other prominent railroad routes.

Street-railway cars commenced running for the first time in the cities of Indianapolis and Lowell.

The "Colt Armory," at Hartford, was partially destroyed by fire on the 8th of February, destroying property valued at a million of dollars, and throwing about nine hundred men out of employment. On the night of the 22d of December, the steamship North America, which left New Orleans on the 16th, sunk at sea. Of those on board, nearly two hundred persons were lost, most of whom were sick soldiers.

At the presidential election held in November, the Republican candidates were Abraham Lincoln, for re-election as President, and Andrew Johnson for Vice-President, and they were elected, receiving the electoral votes of twenty-two States, two hundred and thirteen in all. The Democratic party nominated General George B. McClellan for President, and George H. Pendleton for Vice-President, and secured the electoral votes of the States of New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky, only twenty-one in all. The platform adopted by the Democratic party, with other less important resolutions, declared, That this Convention does explicitly declare, as the sense of the American people, that after four years of failure to restore the Union by the experiment of war, during which, under the pretence of a military necessity or war power higher than the Constitution, the Constitution itself has been disregarded in every part, and public liberty and private right alike trodden down, and the material prosperity of the country essentially impaired, justice, humanity, liberty, and the public welfare demand that immediate efforts be made for a cessation of hostilities, with a view to an ultimate convention of all the States, or other peaceable means, to the end that, at the earliest practicable moment, peace may be restored on the basis of the federal union of all the States." The platform of the Republican party resolved that the rebellion should be suppressed without compromise, and that slavery should be abolished by Constitutional amendment.

On the 18th of May, the Journal of Commerce and the World, New York City newspapers, were suppressed by order of the President, and their editors directed to be arrested. A forged proclamation, purporting to be issued by the President, calling for half a million more troops, was distributed to all the city papers the night before, and was published in these two only, its character having been suspected. The arrest of the editors was subsequently vacated by the President's order. The forgers were discovered and imprisoned.

Several attempts to fire the city of New York caused great excitement, in the belief that they were made by the Confederates, and an order was issued that all persons residing in the city should register themselves or be treated as spies. One person was arrested for setting fire to several hotels; he confessed his crime, and was executed.

The New York quotations of gold were, on the 1st of Janu