March 23, 1863, The New York Herald
Although no positive information regarding the movements of the army and naval forces, either on the Atlantic coast or the Mississippi, has been received by the government for some days past – at which points some great enterprises were looked for – still, the military authorities at Washington are said to be quite confident that success is certain in both directions.
General Wool has issued a general order from his headquarters in this city, calling attention to the recent proclamation of the President relative to soldiers and officers absent without leave. He conjures all such to avail themselves of the […..] President’s clemency” by returning before the 1st of April.
It is stated that the first call of the President under the new conscription law will be for the deficiency of men under the last two calls. The State of New York is represented as requiring 29,139 men to complete its quota. Of this number this city has yet to furnish 18,523, and the county of Kings is short 1,799.
We have still further particulars today of Colonel Hall’s brilliant action at Milton, Tennessee, the official account of which, from General Rosecrans, we gave yesterday. The rebels made a fearful assault with their dismounted cavalry and three regiments of infantry upon a section of our batteries which was throwing a most destructive fire amongst them; but the First Missouri regiment, who were lying concealed behind the battery, waited until the enemy were within thirty yards, when they opened a terrible fire, causing them to recoil, and finally to retreat in confusion from the field, leaving their dead and wounded behind them.
A despatch from Louisville states that the rebel commander, Col. Cluke, surrounded Mount Sterling, Ky., at two o’clock yesterday morning. Our forces, amounting to two hundred, fought from the houses for four hours, but were finally compelled to surrender. The rebels then burned the town, and it was thought that Col. Cluke intended to make an attack on the town of Paris last night.
From the same source we are informed – upon rumors not authenticated – that a portion of Gen. Stanley’s force encountered John Morgan’s rebel cavalry at McMinnville on Saturday and whipped them badly, driving them entirely away.
Our correspondence from Barbados today contains some highly interesting details of the visit of the rebel privateer Florida to that island, a fact which we have before adverted to. Captain Maffit was received with great deference, he and his officers being feted. He was liberally supplied with coal by British merchants, and was welcomed with all the honors due to the representative of a bona fide government. Captain Maffit, it appears, was seriously wounded in one of his recent attacks upon our vessels, but when in Barbados was sufficiently recovered to participate in the enthusiastic ovation tendered to him by our […..]” friends there. The Vanderbilt, it is known, started in pursuit of the Florida; but, as far as we have heard, without any success whatever.