NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
March and April 1864
From The Missouri Democrat, Tuesday, March 15, 1864.
THE LATEST NEWS.
BY TELEGRAPH.
FROM WASHINGTON.
ASSIGNMENT TO DUTY OF THE DIFFERENT GENERALS.
Amendments to the National Bank Bill.
MILITARY PROTECTION FOR THE GREAT LAKES.
OTHER INTERESTING ITEMS.
[Special Dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]
WASHINGTON, March 14.—The statements sent last night concerning important military changes, seem fully confirmed. The Intelligencer this morning says it has good authority for denying that Meade has been or is to be relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac; but there is very little doubt that it is mistaken.
General Smith has been nominated Major General with the understanding that, on confirmation, he is to be assigned to command the Army of the Potomac.
There is to be a grand review of the whole army, excepting the 5th corps, some day this week.
The following other announcements are made here this evening, apparently by authority. By order of the President, the following military arrangements have been made:
Lieutenant General Grant has been assigned to the command of all the armies of the United States. He will establish his headquarters in the field with the respective armies operating under his personal supervision.
Major General Halleck is relieved from duty as General-in-Chief, and assigned to special duty at Washington as Chief of Staff of the Army.
Major General Sherman is assigned to the command of the Division of Mississippi, lately commanded by General Grant, and comprising the Department of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee and Arkansas.
Major General McPherson is assigned to the command of the Department of the Tennessee, recently commanded by General Sherman.
Lieutenant General Grant, by means of extraordinary facilities afforded him upon the different railroads from this city to the West, will reach the headquarters of the Department of the Mississippi to-night.
The President has received a dispatch from Arkansas announcing that over twelve thousand of the inhabitants have taken the oath prescribed in his amnesty proclamation, preparatory to the reconstruction of the State Government on the one-tenth principle.
Captain S. K. Williams, late 2d Ohio cavalry, was dismissed the service on charges preferred by a fellow officer for hanging some guerrillas in Kentucky in a style of justice more summary than regular. After his dismissal he insisted on and succeeded in securing a trial before the military committee in the city, of which General Ricketts was president. He has just been honorably acquitted by this committee, restored to the army, and promoted to be major in the Invalid Corps. He is a brother-in-law to General Bates, of Cincinnati.
The following are among the provisions of Hooper’s highly important amendments to the National Bank bill, reported to-day. Associations for banking may be formed by not less than five persons, with articles of association not inconsistent with this act, signed by such number and forwarded to the Comptroller; in their organization certificate must specify the name assumed, subject to approval by the Comptroller; 2d, location, designation, village town, district, and State; 3rd, amount of capital and numbers of shares; 4th, names and residences and number of shares of shareholders; 5th, declaration that such certificate as made to enable such persons to avail themselves of its advantages, to be acknowledged before a notary or a court of record.
The minimum limit of capital is $100,000, $200,000 in cities of 30,000 inhabitants. They may have five directors, each to own not less than ten shares, and to take a stringent oath for the performance of their duty. Shareholders are held individually responsible, equally and ratably, for all debts and contracts, increase of capital may be voted, the maximum to be determined by the Comptroller of the Treasury, or it may be reduced by a two-thirds vote of the shareholders. Fifty per cent of the capital must be paid in, and bonds to the amount of one-third of the paid-in capital be transferred to the Treasurer before the bank can commence business, when it is entitled to receive notes to the amount of ninety per cent of the market value of the bonds transferred.
The amount of circulation under this bill is limited to three hundred million dollars; total liability of one individual or company shall not exceed one-tenth of the paid-in stock; rate of interest is fixed at seven per cent., And taking of higher rate forfeits the interest; banks in certain cities must have at least twenty-five per cent. of the amount of circulation on hand, all others fifteen per cent; one-tenth of all the profits must be carried to a surplus fund before dividends are declared, until such fund shall be equal to twenty-five per cent. Of the stock, and they are forbidden to make loans or discounts on the security of their own shares of capital stock.
Resolutions of the Chicago Board of Trade, submitted to the Senate, represent the necessity for the military protection of our lake region, and transportation of the rapidly increasing agricultural products of the West; of the immediate construction of the Niagara Falls ship canal. The merchants of Sandusky City, Ohio, sent in a similar petition.
The Kansas legislature is pressing upon Congress the propriety of requiring the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western railroad company to make Wyandotte, Lawrence, Topeka, Wabaunzee, Manhattan and Junction cities, points on their line.
Citizens of Ohio are petitioning Congress for the improvement of Ashtabula Harbor.
Systematic efforts are being made to destroy the New Jersey railroad monopoly by the location of a new route. Memorials from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburg, were presented to the Senate today on that subject.
Inventors have been in trouble since the passage of the amendment to the patent act in March last, in many cases in which final fee was unpaid, and patent lost by limitation. A clause in the bill was reported today by the Senate committee on patents, perfecting all such patents by payment of their final fee within six months from the passage of the amendment, but no reclamation for manufactures in use meanwhile, is allowed.
SECOND DISPATCH.
WASHINGTON, March 14. – The following order dated March 12 has been prepared at the War Department but is not out in print; it will be issued to the army as soon as printed.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE.
Washington, March 13, 1864.
General Order number 16.)
The President of the United States orders as follows:
1st. Major General Halleck at his own request is relieved from duty as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and Lieutenant General U. S. Grant is assigned to the command of the armies of the United States. The headquarters of the army will be at Washington, and with Lieutenant General Grant in the field.
2d. General Halleck is assigned to duty at Washington as Chief of Staff of the army, under direction of the Secretary of War, and Lieutenant General Commanding. His orders will be obeyed and respected accordingly.
3d. Major-General W. T. Sherman is assigned to the command of the Middle Division of the Mississippi, composed of the Districts of Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Major-General McPherson is assigned to the command of the Department and the Army of Tennessee.
In relieving Major-General Halleck from duty as General-in-Chief, the President desires to express his approbation and thanks for the able and zealous manner in which the arduous and responsible duties of that position have been performed.
By order of the Secretary of War.
E. D. Townsend, A. A. G
[To the Associated Press.]
WASHINGTON, March 14. – With the exception of the single fact that General Wadsworth has left the city for Fort Monroe, there is not a shadow of foundation for the report sent this noon relative to the exchange of prisoners.
[Special Cor. of the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.]
WASHINGTON, March 14 – It is understood that the Senate will reconstruct House bill providing for the establishment of a bureau of Freedmen’s affairs.
General Meade’s friends are making very active exertions to have him retained in command of the Army of the Potomac, but their chances of success are said to be very slim.
A movement is under way, having in view the transfer of all low priced wools from the free list to the duty paying schedule of tariffs.
[Special to the New York Post.]
Mr. Blair concluded his argument be for the committee on elections this morning. His case will be concluded tomorrow in committee.
WASHINGTON, March 14. – Major-General Butler is not to be interfered with in the matter of exchanges. The whole subject still remains in his hands.