South Danvers Wizard, 2/24/1864, p. 2/6
THE CALLS FOR MEN – “The calls for men to enter the military service of the government as thus dated and numbered:
 April 6, 1861,    75,000
 May 4, 1861    64,748
 July to Dec. 1861  500,000
 July 1, 1863   300,000
 August 4, 1862  300,000
 Draft, summer of 1863 300,000
 February 1, 1864  500,000

 Total,               2,039,748”

South Danvers Wizard, 3/23/1864, p. 2/7
NOW FOR THE ARMY – “Positively the last chance for volunteering is now offered.  By order of the President all bounties to volunteers will cease on the last day of March.  Those who would reap the big rewards must therefore present themselves by that day.”

South Danvers Wizard, 4/20/1864, p. 2/5
SENTENCED TO BE SHOT – “Augustus Peabody, son of Benjamin W. Peabody of Middleton, has been condemned by Court Martial (near Washington) to be shot on Friday next, for desertion.  This fact did not come to the knowledge of Mr. Alley till Wednesday last; since which time, however, our indefatigable Representative has exerted his influence to have the sentence of Peabody commuted, with hoped prospect of success, although he meets with the strenuous opposition of Peabody’s officers.
 We learn that Peabody did not desert at all.  He merely left camp under the influence of one Rum, who had him charge. As Rum left him, and he was about to return to duty, he was arrested, tried by court martial and condemned to be shot. Peabody was condemned to be shot, not Rum.  Rum still has his entire freedom of the Camp 
and large influence with the officers and men.” Reprinted from the Reg. 

South Danvers Wizard, 4/27/1864, p. 2/1
EDITORIAL ITEMS [Editorial] – “…It seems that our troops, when overpowered by numbers and beaten in the first day’s fight on the Red River, were under the immediate command of General C.P. Stone.  This is the same General who commanded at the Ball Bluff massacre, when the 15th Mass. Regiment was badly cut up and Col. Baker was killed. We wish it could be said that this was only the first instance in the prosecution of this war that officers, either incompetent or unlucky, or disloyal, have been replaced in position after the grossest failures. We suspect that the fact that an officer is a regular graduate of West Point has in many instances been allowed to cover a multitude of sins of commission and omission….There is every reason to believe that there will soon be a general engagement of the main armies in Virginia.  Grant will command upon our side and Lee upon the other.  If the rebels beat, the war will be prolonged; if they are beaten – and decisively so, it is not unlikely that the Confederate Government will sue for peace….The deficiency of recruits in Massachusetts under the last call, after all just credits are given, is said to be about 8,000.”

South Danvers Wizard, 4/27/1864, p. 2/2
MILITARY REPORT – “We have received the Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts for the year ending December 31, 1863, for which our thanks are due to the author.  This is a book of over a thousand pages, bound in cloth, containing many valuable tables, and unexhaustible store of military statistics… a few touching words the author pays an eloquent tribute to the memory of Col. William Brown, the Assistant Adj. General, who died in February of last year. Col Brown was well known in this vicinity as an amiable gentleman and an energetic and faithful officer.  The Report also makes a generous acknowledgement of the valuable services of mayor Nehemiah Brown, who also has many friends hereabout, who will appreciate the kind words spoken of him…”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864, p. 2/1
ACTION [Editorial] – “The administration ought not now to complain of any expression of impatience which the people may make at the delay in the movement of the Army of the Potomac.  The roads have been good for three weeks, and the Rebels are active, bold and defiant, everywhere, and, very much to our discredit, are successful about everywhere.  Of course it is a very fair plea for delay to say that the army needs time for organizing and preparing.  But we hear the trouble has been that the War Department did not begin early enough.   A bold dash of the army towards Richmond, or even in almost any direction, would almost necessarily compel the Rebels to withdraw their forces from North Carolina, …We do hope that the delay of the Richmond campaign of 1862 will not be repeated in 1864.” 

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864, p. 2/2
SOLDIER’S PAY

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864, p. 2/3
LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD – “There seems to be quite a difference of opinion in the public mind, whether Gen. [Nathaniel] Banks, in the late battles on the Red River, was a “conquering hero” or a hero conquered. Private letters from the Union officers  and soldiers say it was a complete rout, and that the whole affair was bunglingly managed; but it is said that Banks claims a victory – and so, also, does Dick Taylor, the Rebel General.  If Banks is the victor, why does he relinquish the expedition and retire to Alexandria.  If it was a victory for our forces to be driven fifteen miles in a disordered flight, losing camp equipage, cannon, muskets and thousands of prisoners, what could the result have been to the rebels?  We think if we had done to the rebels what they did to us, the popular verdict would have been unanimous that we had gained a victory.”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864, p. 2/3
RETALIATION under African-Americans.

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864. p. 2/4
THE RED RIVER REPULSE – “The Red River repulse proves to have been a disastrous defeat.  We lost some four thousand men, thirty pieces of artillery, a large lot of small arms, several hundred wagons, and the army chest, containing over a million dollars worth of greenbacks. A correspondent of the Philadelphia Post represents the first day’s fight as a ‘Bull Run’.  He writes:….”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/4/1864, p. 2/4
MILITARY MOVEMENTS NEAR HOME – “Most or all of the companies doing garrison duty at the forts in the northern cities, have been ordered to be in readiness to leave for Washington; and their places are expected to be applied by levies on the State military for sixty days….”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/11/1864, p. 2/1
THE CAMPAIGN OPENED – “Since our last issue the armies of the Union have moved upon the enemy at four different points…”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/11/1864, p. 2/5-6
THE GREAT CONTEST IN VIRGINIA – The Battles of Wednesday and Thursday – Account by “Carleton” – A Fair Stand up Fight – 200,000 Men in Deadly Conflict – But Little Strategy. – The First Man Killed a Massachusetts Man. – The Great Battle of Friday. Reprinted from The Boston Journal.

South Danvers Wizard, 5/11/1864, p. 2/7
THE LATEST NEWS LAST NIGHT – “Rumors prevailed at Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia that General [Benjamin] Butler had captured Fort Darling, the key of Richmond. General [George Gordon] Meade is still pursuing the enemy, who are in full retreat to Richmond. Victory of General Grant fully confirmed. McPherson is in the enemy’s rear at Georgia.  Battle probably raging.”

South Danvers Wizard, 5/18/1864, p. 2/6-7
THE CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA – Day by day account of the recent series of battles.

South Danvers Wizard, 6/1/1864, p. 1/6-7
VISITING THE HOSPITALS by Carleton of the Boston Journal.  Section headings include: Fredericksburg, May 12; The Commons; Gone to their Last Home; In the Hospitals.

South Danvers Wizard, 6/1/1864, p. 2/7
A BATTLEFIELD INCIDENT – “A sergeant of a Pennsylvania regiment in the Army of the Potomac discovered, on one of the recent battle fields, a dead soldier with the picture of a female in his hand.  The photograph bore on the back the name of the artist, ‘Proctor, Salem, Mass.’ and it was accordingly forwarded to this city for identification.  The picture proved to be the likeness of the wife of William Peachey of Marblehead and the dead soldier was undoubtedly her husband, who was drafted the July last and assigned to the 9th regiment.  In one of the late battles he was wounded and left on the field, where he probably died  before he could be rescued.” – Reprint from the Register.