rms against the United States or who took an
active part with their enemies in the field; the other property of
all such persons also to be confiscated. The same proclamation
ordered all disloyal persons taken within his lines with arms in
their hands to be tried by court-martial, and if found guilty,
shot.( 3)

President Lincoln disapproved this proclamation in the main. He
ordered Fremont, by letter dated September 2d, to allow no man to
be shot without his consent, and requested him to modify the clause
relating to confiscation and emancipation of slaves so as to conform
to an act of Congress limiting confiscation to "_property_ used
for insurrectionary purposes."

Lincoln assigned as a reason for this request that such confiscation
and liberation of slaves "would alarm our Southern Union friends
and turn them against us; perhaps _ruin our rather fair prospect
for Kentucky_.": Fremont declining to modify his proclamation,
Lincoln, September 11th, ordered it done as stated.( 4)

But as matters did not progress satisfactorily in Fremont's
Department, he was relieved by General David Hunter, October 24th,
who was in turn relieved by General H. W. Halleck, November 2,
1861.( 4)

Brigadier-General U. S. Grant, September 1, 1861, assumed command
of the troops in the District of Southeastern Missouri, headquarters
Cairo, Illinois.( 5)

The most notable event of 1861, in Grant's district, was the spirited
battle of Belmont, fought November 7th, a short distance below
Cairo. Grant commanded in person, and was successful until the
Confederates were largely reinforced, when he was obliged to retire,
which he did in good order.

The Confederates were led in three columns by Generals Leonidas
Polk, Gideon J. Pillow, and Benjamin F. Cheatham.

The event, really quite devoid of substantial results to either
side, save to prove the valor of the troops, was the subject of a
congratulatory order by Grant, in which he states he was in "all
the battles fought in Mexico by General Scott and Taylor, save
Buena Vista, and he never saw one more hotly contested or where
troops behaved with more gallantry."( 5) The Confederate Congress
voted its thanks to the Confederate commanders and their troops
for their "desperate courage," by which disaster was converted into
victory.( 5)

General Robert Anderson was relieved, October 6, 1861, and General
W. T. Sherman was assigned to command the Department of the
Cumberland.( 6)

Sh