LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSIT\' OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER 7 _E t 'V,, ^.'er.^ £iar:Ti. ^'^AyC^..-*:^^ t/^-/^' T't. r^i lliotoKraplilTrBraijbr i;>tfi^^^^^^<£L^i-^:>c-*-« — -^c-*,-^^ ^.w»rf««j7a.«»o^Qwymw'Jil25«S^K>m**ISwow m ^rOr»»ff^af^duiad.\ fixu»f^brih» souOt.'n.tUiVia'afllmSi^.. THE GREAT CIVIL WAR A HISTOKY OF THE LATE REBELLION BEIXG A COMPLETE NARRATIVE OF THE ORIGIX AXD PROGRESS OF THE WAR BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES OF LEADING STATESMEN DISTINGUISHED NAVAL AND :\IILITARY COMMANDERS, ETC. By ROBERT TOMES, M.D. CONTINDED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TEAR 1864 TO THE END OF THE WAR By BENJAMIX G. SillTH, Esq. ILLUSTRATED BY HIGHLY-FINISHED PORTRAITS, BATTLE SCENES, VIEWS OF FORTS AND BATTLE- FIELDS, COLORED MAPS, PLANS, Etc.. ALL ENGRAVED ON STEEL, FRO.M DRAWINGS MADE EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK, BY F. 0. C. BARLEY, AND OTHER EMINENT AMERICAN ARTISTS. VIRTUE AND YORSTON 12 DET STREET, AND 544 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in tlie year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-five, By YIKTUE & YORSTOX, In the Clerk's Ofiice of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. ft 1-1 (^*i5-»~ TO .-(iciuntl Selinfieltr S>tQtl TJ. S. A., THIS W^ORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS OBEDIENT SEETAifTS, THE PUBLISHERS. THE GREAT CIVIL WAR A HISTOET OP THE LATE REBELLION. CHAPTER I. state Sovereignty : its Honest and Dishonest Advocates. — Korthem Conciliatian. — Sonthem Domination. — Northern Independence. — Increased Power of the North. — Alarm at the Encroachments of the South. — The Kansas Straggle. — Organization of the Kepublican Party. — Nomination of John C. Fremont for President. — His Opinions on Slavery. — An exciting Political Contest. — ^Election of Buchanan. — Audacious Expressions of Opinion, — Uneasiness of Southern Partisans. — Causes of their Anxiety. — An early Secession Speech of Jefferson Davis. — ^The Appeals of the Southern Press. — ^Perversion of the Principles of the Eepuhlican Party. — Delusions of Commerce. — Ile-estatlishment of the Slave Trade. — Alliances with the "Cotton Kingdom." — Conspirators in high places. — Dlegal use of Public Moneys. — Ill uses of Munitions of War, Navy, etc. — Increased Strength of the Eepuhlican Party. — ^South Carolina fiist to move toward Disunion.— A Secession Resolution. — ^A Secession Commissioner. — ^An emphatic Speech from Brooks, of South Carolina. — Political Conventions. — Di\Tsion of the Democrats. — ^Nominations for the Vreniieacy. — Chicago Convention. — Lincoln nominated for President.^Motives of the South in the division of the Democratic Party. — A Secession Message from the Governor of South Carolina. — Suggestions of Treason from a Virginian Governor. — Election of Lincoln as President. Ma.nt of the political leaders of the extreme Southern States of the Ameri- can Union had long since boldly as- serted that each individual State pos- essed a sovereignty paramount to that of the united commonwealth of the Re- pubUc of the United States of America. Some of these men, deluded by the artful sophistries of the subtle Calhoun, the apostle of the doctrine of " State Rights," in avowing their pohtical her- esy, gave expression, it is beheved, to an honest conviction. Others, however, influenced by personal interests, sought only to gratify their ambition or to soothe their disappointment by creating a faction from which they hoped to ob- tain favors they had failed in extorting from the country. In the mean time the people of the Southern States, with the exception perhaps of those of South Carolina, who had been misled by the persuasive plausibilities of their favorite Calhoun, continued to cherish a patri- otic sentiment of attachment to the Union. While the partisan leaders of the South were enabled, through the concil- iatory concessions of Xorthem politi- cians, to wield the pohtical power of the country to their own purposes of per- sonal and sectional advantage, they 6 TIIE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. shrewdly disguised their selfish designs beneath a mask of traditional regard for the Constitution of the United States. When, however, the Xorth beo-au to Q;row restless under its subser- vience to Southern domination, and to manifest a desire for emancipation, the partisan leaders of the South became anxious lest they should lose the poht- ical mastery by which they had so long governed a nation in the interests of a faction. Alarmed by these evidences of Northern independence, the Southern leaders asserted their theory of State sovereignty with increased audacity, and threatened to evoke its exercise to the destruction of the Union. They thus hoped to frighten the Northern people, who were known to be fondly devoted to the united country, into renewed submission to Southern control. The North had, in the mean time, been rapidly gaining in power through the natural increase of population and an immense European immigration. The South had striven to balance this growing ascendancy by an increase of slave States. By artful party combinations, and skillful management of Northern politicians, the partisan leaders of the South for awhile succeeded in their purpose. Texas was annexed at the expense of a war with Mexico, and established a slave State ; an intrigue, though it proved abortive, was set on foot to force Spain into the sale of servile Cuba ; and finally the Missouri Compromise act was abrogated, for the purpose of admitting the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas as slaveholding States. The Northern people became alai'med at these continued encroach- ments of the South, and resolutely pre- pared to check them. In spite of the virtual abrogation of the Missouri Com- promise act, by which the new Territory was tlirown open to slavery, Kansas, through the efforts of the advocates of free soil, was filled with Northern set- tlers, and became by the votes of its in- habitants a free State. This, however, was not effected without a struErgle. The neighboring slave States had sent in armed bands to resist the Northern immigration, and a bloody strife en- sued, which greatly stirred the antago- nistic interests and sentiments of the Northern and Southern States. It was in the course of this bitter contention that the Republican party was formed, to resist the further exten- sion of slavery. It soon gathered to its standard such a force as to threaten a successful opposition to the oldest and most powerful political combinations. Fully organized, the Repubhcan party met in convention at Philadel- phia on the 17th of June, and *^^*' nominated John C. Fremont, the emi- nent explorer, for President. Though a native of South Carolina, he was known to be strongly opposed to the extension of slavery, and in favor of free labor. He, however, objected to any interference with the rights of the Southern States secured to them b}- the Constitution of the United States, as he thus declared in a letter addressed to some leading members of the Repub- hcan party: "I heartily concur," he DISCONTENT OF SOUTHERN LE.VDERS. wrote, " in all movements which have for their object to repair the mischiefs arising from the violation of good faith in the repeal of the Missouri Compro- mise. I am opposed to slavery in the abstract and upon principle, sustained and made habitual b}^ long-settled con- victions. While I feel inflexible in the belief that it ought not to be interfered with where it exists under the shield of State sovereignty, I am as inflexibly op- jDOsed to its extension on this continent beyond its present limits." This was probably not only a ftiir exposition of his individual opinion, on the exciting question of slavery, but of that of the great mass of tlie Republican party. The political contest for the Presi- dency which ensued upon the nomina- tion of Fremont was one of the most stirring of our periodical excitements. The result was the triumph of the can- didate of the Democratic party, James Buchanan, for whom the whole South, with the exception of Maryland, whose choice was for Fillmore, had cast its vote. Fremont, however, had received the large suffrage of one hundred and fourteen out of the whole electoral vote of three hundred and six. New York, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the six New England States were array- ed in favor of the Republican candidate. By the election of their favorite, Mr. Buchanan, the Southern leaders were apparently soothed, and they settled into a temporary political contentment. In the course of the electoral contest, some had audaciously declared that in case of the election of the Republican candidate, the slave States would ex- ercise their self-asserted sovereignty, and secede from the Union. This threat, however, deemed but the angry effusion of political contention, or a mere electioneering ruse, was little heeded. Though exulting in the triumph of the election of their favorite, Buchanan, of whose sympathy with their political views they did not seem to doubt, and by whose elevation to power they had appa- rently established the security of their own, the political leaders of the South soon began to show evident symptoms of restless discontent. The already ac- quired and growing strength of the Re- publican party darkened their prospect of continued domination ; the issue of the Kansas struilnn(], in PiNG Fort Moultrie, S. C. ' You are aware of the great anxiety of the secretary of war that a collision of the troops with the people of this State shall be avoided, and of his studied determination to pursue a course with reference to the military force and forts in this harbor, which shall guard against such a collision. He has therefore care- fully abstained from increasing the force at this point, or taking any measures which might add to the present excited state of the public mind, or which would 10 throw any doubt on the confidence he feels that South Carolina will not at- tempt b}' violence to obtain possession of the public works, or interfere with their occupancy. ' But as the counsel and acts of rash and impulsive persons may possibly dis- appoint these expectations of the Gov- ernment, he deems it proper that you should be prepared with instructions to meet so unhappy a contingency. He has therefore directed me, verbally, to give you such instructions. ' You are carefully to avoid every act which would needlessly tend to pro- voke aggression, and for that reason you are not, without necessity, to take up any jiosition which could be con- strued into the assumption of a hostile attitude ; but you are to hold possession of the forts in the harhor, and if attached, you are to defend yourself to the last ex- tremity. The smallness of your force will not permit you, perhaps, to occupy more than one of the three forts, but an attack on, or attempt to take possession of, either of them, will be regarded as an act of hostility, and you may then put your command into either of them which you may deem most proper to in- crease its power of resistance. You are also authorized to take similar steps when- ever you have tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act. "D. P. BUTLEK, ' Assistant Adjutant- General. 'Fort Moultrie, S. C, Dee. 11, I860.' ' This is in conformity to my in- structions to Major Bucll. ' John B. Floyu, Secretary of War.' 74 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. " These were the last iustructioii* transmitted to Major Anderson before his removal to Fort Sumter, with a single exception in regard to a partic- ular which does not in any degree affect the present question. Under these cir- cumstances, it is clear that Major An- derson acted upon his own responsi- bility, and without authority, unless, in- deed, he had ' tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act' on the part of South Carolina, which has not yet been alleged. Still, he is a brave and honorable officer, and justice re- quires that he should not be condemned without a fair hearing. " Be this as it may, when I learned that Major Anderson had left Port Moul- trie and proceeded to Fort Sumter, my first promptings were to command him to return to his former position, and there to await the contingencies pre- sented in his instructions. This would only have been done with any degree of safety to the command by the con- currence of the South Carolina author- ities. But before any step could pos- sibly have been taken in this direction, we received information that the ' Pal- metto flag floated out to the breeze at Castle Pinckney, and a large military force went over last night (the 27th) to Fort Moultrie.' Thus the authorities of South Carolina, without waiting or ask- ing for any explanations, and doubtless beheving, as you have expressed it, that the officer had acted not only without, but against, my orders, on the very next day after the night when the removal was made, seized by a military force two of the Federal forts in the harbor of Charleston, and have covered them un- der their own flag instead of that of the United States. " At this gloomy period of our his- tory, startling events succeed each other rapidly. On the very day, the 27th in- stant, that possession of these two forts was taken, the Palmetto flag was raised over the Federal custom-house and post- oSice in Charleston ; and on the same day every officer of the customs — col- lector, naval officer, surveyor, and ap- praiser — resigned their offices. And this, although it was well known from the language of my message that, as an ex- ecutive officer, I felt myself bound to col- lect the revenue at the port of Charles- ton under the existing laws. In the harbor of Charleston we now find three forts confronting each other, over all of which the Federal flag floated only four days ago ; but now, over two of them, this flag has been supplanted, and the Palmetto flag has been substituted in its stead. It is under all these circum- stances that I am urged immediately to withdraw the troops from the harbor of Charleston, and am informed that without this, negotiation is impossible. This I cannot do— this I will not do. Such an idea was never thought of by me in any possible contingency. No such allusion had been made in any communication between myself and any human being. But the inference is that I am bound to withdraw the troops from the only fort remaining in the possession of the United States in the harbor of Charleston, because the officer there in A SECOND LETTER TO BUCHANAN. 75 command of all of the forts thought proper, without mstructious, to change his position from one of them to an- other. " At this point of writing, I have re- ceived information by telegraph from Captain Humphreys, in command of the arsenal at Charleston, that ' it has to- day (Sunday, the 30th) been taken by force of arms.' It is estimated that the munitions of war belonging to this ar- senal are worth half a million of dollars. " Comment is needless. After this information, I have only to add, that while it is my duty to defend Fort Sumter, as a portion of the public prop- erty of the United States, against hos- tile attacks, from whatever quarter they may come, by such means as I possess for this purpose, I do not perceive how such a defence can be construed into a menace against the city of Charleston. With great personal regard, I remain yours, very respectfully, "James Buchanan. "To Hon. Robert W. Barnwell, James H. Adams, James L. Orr." Second Letter op the Commissioners to tue President. "Washington, D. C, Jan. 1, 1801. "Sir : We have the honor to acknowl- edge the receipt of your letter of the 30th December, in reply to a note ad- dressed by us to you, on the 28th of the same month, as commissioners from South Carolina. " In reference to the declai'atiou with which your reply commences, that your ' jDOsition as President of the United States was already defined in the mes- sage to Congress of the 3d instant,' that you possess ' no power to change the relations heretofore existing between South Carolina and the United States,' ' much less to acknowledge the inde- peiidence of that State,' and that conse- quently you could meet us only as private gentlemen of the highest char- acter, with an entire willingness to com- municate to Congress any proposition we might have to make — we deem it only necessary to say that the State of South Carolina having, in the exercise of that great right of self-government which underlies all our political organ- izations, declared herself sovereign and independent, we, as her representatives, felt no special solicitude as to the char- acter in which you might recognize us. Satisfied that the State had simply ex- ercised her unquestionable right, we were prepared, in order to reach sub- stantial good, to waive the formal con- siderations which your constitutional scruples might have prevented you from extending. We came here, therefore, expecting to be received as you did re- ceive us, and perfectly content with that entire willingness, of which you assured us, to submit any ^proposition to Con- gress which we might have to make upon the subject of the independence of the State. The willingness was ample recognition of the condition of public af- fairs which rendered our presence nec- essary. In this position, however, it is our duty, both to the State which we represent and to ourselves, to correct several important misconceptions of our letter into which you have fallen. 76 THE AVAR WITH THE SOUTH. " You say : ' It was my earnest de- sire that such a disposition might be made of the whole subject by Congress, who alone possess the power, to prevent the inauguration of a civil war between the parties in regard to the possession of the Federal forts in the harbor of Charleston ; and I therefore deeply re- gret that in your opinion the events of the last twenty-four hours render this impossible.' We expressed no such opin- ion, and the language which you quote as ours, is altered in its sense by the omission of a most important part of the sentence. What we did say was, ' But the events of the last twenty-four hours render such an assurance impossible.' Place that ' assurance' as contained in our letter in the sentence, and we are prepared to repeat it. " Again ; professing to quote our lan- guage, you say : ' Tlius the authorities of South Carolina, without waiting or asking for any explanation, and doubt- less believing, as you have expressed it, that the officer had acted not only with- out, but against, my orders,' etc. We expressed no such opinion in reference to the belief of the people of South Carolina. The language which you have quoted was applied solely and entirely to our assurances obtained here, and based, as you well know, upon your own declaration — a declaration which, at that time, it was impossible for the authorities of South Carolina to have known. But, without following this let- ter into all its details, we propose only to meet the chief points of the argu- ment. " Some weeks ago, the State of South Carolina declared her intention, in the existing condition of public affairs, to secede from the United States. She called a convention of her people to put her declaration in force. The conven- tion met and passed the ordinance of secession. All this you anticipated, and your course of action was thoroughly considered in your annual message. You declared you had no right, and would not attempt, to coerce a seceding State, but that you were bound by your constitutional oath, and would defend the property of the United States within the borders of South Carolina if an attempt was made to take it l))^ force. Seeing very early that this question of property was a difficult and delicate one, you manifested a desire to settle it with- out collision. You did not reinforce the garrison in the harbor of Charleston. You removed a distinguished and vet- eran officer from the command of Fort Moultrie because he attempted to in- crease his supply of ammunition. You refused to send additional troops to the same garrison when applied for by the officer appointed to succeed him. You accepted the resignation of the oldest and most eminent member of your cab- inet, rather than allow the garrison to be strengthened. You compelled an officer stationed at Fort Sumter to re- turn immediately to the arsenal forty muskets which he had taken to arm his men. You expressed, not to one, but to many, of the most distinguished of our pubhc characters,^whose testimony will be placed upon the record whenever it BrCIL\NAN CALLED TO ACCOUNT. 7T is necessary, your anxiety for a peaceful terniiuatinn of this controversy, and your willingness not to disturb tlie mili- tary status of the forts, if commission- ers should be sent to the Government, whose communications you promised to submit to Congress. You received and acted on assurances from the highest official authorities of South Carolina, that no attempt would be made to dis- turb your possession of the forts and property of the United States, if you would not disturb their existing condition until the commissioners liad been sent and the attempt to negotiate had failed. You took from the members of the House of Representatives a written memorandum that no such attempt should be made, ' provided that no re- inforcements should be sent into those forts, and their relative military status shall remain as at present.' And al- though you attach no force to the accept- ance of such a paper — although 3'ou ' considered it as nothing more in effect than the promise of highly honorable gentlemen' — as an obligation on one side, witliout corresponding obligation on the other — it must be remembered (if we were rightly informed) that you were l)ledged, if you ever did send reinforce- ments, to return it to those from whom you had received it, before you executed your resolution. You sent orders to your officers, commanding them strictly to follow a line of conduct in conformity with such an understanding. Besides all tliis, you had received formal and official notice from the Governor of South Carolina -th^tt-^we had been ap- pointed commissioners, and were on our way to Wasliington. You knew the implied condition under which we came ; our arrival was notified to you, and an hour appointed for an interview. We arrived in Washington on Wednesday, at three o'clock, and you appointed an interview with us at one the next day. Early on that day (Tluu-sday) the news was received here of tlie movement of Major Anderson. That news was com- municated to you immediately, and you postponed our meeting until half-past two o'clock on Friday, in order that you might consult your cabinet. On Friday we saw you, and we called upon you then to redeem your pledge. You could not deny it. With the facts we have stated, and in the face of the crowning and conclusive fact that your secretary of war had resigned his seat in the cabinet, upon the publicly avowed ground that tlie action of Major Ander- son had violated the pledged faith of the Government, and tliat unless the pledge was instantly redeemed, he was dis- honored, denial was impossible ; you did not deny it. You do not deny it now, but you seek to escape from its obligations on the grounds, first, that we terminated all negotiation by de- manding, as a preliminary, the with- drawal of the United States troops from the harbor of Charleston ; and, second, that the authorities of South Carolina, instead of asking explanation, and giv- ing you the opportunity to vindicate yourself, took possession of other prop- erty of the United States. We will examine both'- 78 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. " In the first place, we deny positively that we have ever in any way made any such demand. Our letter is in your possession ; it will stand by this on rec- ord. In it we informed you of the objects of our mission. We say that it would have been our duty to have assured you of our readiness to com- mence negotiations, with the most earn- est and anxious desire to settle all ques- tions between us amicably and to our mutual advantage, but that events had rendered that assurance impossible. We stated the events, and we said that until some satisfactory explanation of these events was given us, we could not pro- ceed ; and then, having made this re- quest for explanation, we added : ' And in conclusion, we would urge upon you the immediate withdrawal of the troops from the harbor of Charleston. Under present circumstances they are a stand- ing menace, which renders negotiation impossible,' etc. ' Under pi-esent cir- cumstances !' What circumstances ? Why, clearly the occupation of Fort Sumter and the dismanthng of Fort Moultrie by Major Anderson, in the face of your pledges, and without ex- planation or practical disavowal. And there is nothing in the letter which would, or could, have prevented you from declining to withdraw the troops, and offering the restoration of the status to which you were pledged, if such had been you desire. It would have been wiser and better, in our opinion, to have withdrawn the troops ; and this opinion we urged upon you ; but we demanded nothing but such an explanation of the events of the last twenty-four hours as would restore our confidence in the spirit with which the negotiations should be conducted. In relation to this with- drawal of the troops from the harbor, we are compelled, however, to notice one passage of your letter. Referring to it, you say : ' This I cannot do. Tliis I will not do. Such an idea was never thought of by me in any possible con- tingency. No allusion to it had ever been made in any communication be- tween myself and any human being.' "In reply to this statement, we are compelled to say, that yoiu: conversation with us left upon our minds the distinct impression, that j'ou did seriously con- template the withdrawal of the troops from Charleston harbor. And in sup- port of this impression we would add, that we have the positive assurance of gentlemen of the highest possible public reputation and the most unsullied integ- rity — men whose name and fame, secured by long service and patriotic achievements, place their testimony be- yond cavil — that such suggestions had been made to and urged upon you by them, and had formed the subject of more than one earnest discussion with you. And it was this knowledge that induced us to urge upon you a pohcy, which had to recommend it its own wisdom and the might of such authority. As to the second point, that the author- ities of South Carolina, instead of ask- ing explanations, and giving you the opportunity to vindicate yourself, took possession of other property of the United States, we would observe : 1. FALSE TRUST. 79 That even if this were so, it does not avail you for defence, for the oppor- tunity for decision was afforded you be- fore these facts occurred. We arrived iu Washington' on Wednesday ; the news from Major Anderson reached here early on Thursday, and was immediately com- municated to you. All that day men of the highest consideration — men who had striven successfully to lift you to your great office — who had been your tried and true friends through the troubles of your administration, sought you and entrefited you to act — to act at once. They told you that every hour compli- cated your position. They only asked }'ou to give the assurance that if the facts were so— that if the commander had acted without and against your orders, and in violation of your pledges — that you would restore the status you had pledged your honor to maintain. You refused to decide. Your secretary at war, your immediate and proper ad- viser in this whole matter, waited anx- iously for your decision, until he felt that delay was becoming dishonor. More than twelve hours passed, and two cab- inet meetings had adjourned, before you knew what the authorities of South Carolinti had done ; and your prompt decision at any moment of that time would have avoided the subsequent complications. • But, if you had known the acts of the authorities of South Carolina, should that have prevented your keeping your faith ? What was the condition of things ? For the last sixty days you had in Charleston harbor not force enough to hold the forts against an equal enemy. Two of them were empty — one of those two the most important in the harbor. It could have been taken at any time. You ought to know better than any man that it would have been taken, but for the efforts of those who put their trust in your honor. Believing that they were threatened by Fort Sumter especially, the people were with difficulty restrained from securing, without blood, the possession of this im- portant fortress. After many and reiter- ated assurances, given on your behalf, which we can not believe unauthorized, they determined to forbear, and in good faith sent on their commissioners to nego- tiate with you. They meant you no harm — wished you no ill. They thought of you kindly, believed you true, and were willing, as far as was consistent with duty, to spare you unnecessary and hostile collision. Scarcely had these commissioners left than Major Anderson waged war. No other words will de- scribe his action. It was not a peaceful change from one fort to another ; it was a hostile act in the highest sense, and only justified in the presence of a su- perior enemy, and in imminent peril. He abandoned his position, spiked his guns, burned his gun-carriages, made preparations for the destruction of his post, and withdrew, under cover of the night, to a safer position. This was war. JSTo man could have believed (without your assurance) that any officer could have taken such a step, ' not only without orders, but against orders.' What the State did was in simple self- defence ; for this act, with all its attend- 80 THE WAR ^YITH THE SOUTH. in£r cii-cumstances, was as much war as firing a voile}' ; and war being thus begun, until those commencing it ex- plained their action and disavowed their intention, there was no room for delay ; and even at this moment while we are writing, it is more than probable, from the tenor of yom- letter, that reinforce- ments are hurrying on to the conflict, so that when the first gun shall be fired, there will have been on j-our part one continuous, consistent series of actions, commencino; in a demonstration essen- tially warlike, supported b}' regular re- inforcements, and terminating in defeat or victory. And all this without the shghtest provocation ; for, among the many things which you have said, there is one thing you cannot say — you have waited anxiously for news from the seat of war, in hopes that delaj' would furnish some excuse for this precipita- tion. But this ' tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act, on the part of the authorities of South CaroUna,' which is the only justification of Major Anderson you are forced to admit, ' has not yet been alleged.' But you have decided, you have resolved to hold, by force, what you have obtained through our misplaced confidence ; and by refusing to disavow the action of Major Anderson, have converted his violation of orders into a legitimate act of your executive authority. Be the issue what it may, of this we are as- sured, that, if Fort Moultrie has been recorded in history as a memorial of CaroUna gallantrj% Fort Sumter will live upon the succeeding page as an unper- ishable testimony of Carolina faith. " By your course, you have probably rendered civil war inevitable. Be it so. If you choose to force this issue upon us, the State of South Carolina will ac- cept it, and, relying upon Him who is the God of Justice as well as the God of Hosts, will endeavor to perform the great duty which hes before her hope- fully, bravely, and thoroughly. " Our mission beincr one for negotia- tion and peace, and your note leaving us without hope of a withdrawal of the troops from Fort Sumter, or of the res- toration of the status quo existing at the time of our arrival, and intimating, as we think, your determination to rein- force the garrison in the harbor of Charleston, we respectfull}' inform you that we purpose returning to Charleston to-morrow afternoon. " We have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servants. "R. W. Barnwell, \ "J. H. Adams, >- Commissioners. " James L. Oer, ) "To His Excellency the Pbesident of the TJiaTED States." The only reply by Mr. Buchanan to this paper was these words endorsed upon it : "Executive Mansion, " IIalf-])ast three o'clock, Wednesday. " This paper, just presented to the President, is of such a character that he declines to receive it." FORT SUMTER BESIEGED. 81 CHAPTER VII. Increased Belligerency of South Carolina. — Progress of the Works in the Harbor of Charleston. — Betrayal of a United States Government Vessel. — Fort Sumter Besieged. — Stars and Stripes still Flying. — Offensive Emblem of Union to the Charlestonians.— Plans for Degrading it. — Example of South Carolina followed by other States. —Seizure of Federal Forts in Georgia and North Carolina. — Indications of Hostility. — A more Resolute Tone at Washington. The Order for Removal of Cannon from Pittsburg Revoked. — A feeble attempt to Reinforce Fort Sumter. — The SaDing of the Star of the West. — A cautious Offing. — Arrival at Charleston. — A vigilant Enemy. — Fire Opened.^ A critical Position. — Return of the Star of the West. — ^The Demonstration at Fort Sumter. — Correspondence be- tween Major Anderson and Governor Pickens. — The improvement at Wa,<;hington under the inspiration of a patriotic Secretary of War. — Correspondence of Holt with the Governor of North Carolina. — The Cotton States not checked by strong words. — Secession of Mississippi. — Secession of Florida and Alabama. — Secession Enthusiasm in Mobile. Seizure of Fort BaiTancas and the Navy Taid at Ponsacola. — An insolent Telegram from Florida to Washington. Secession of Georgia. — Opposition of some leading Politicians. — Popular Demonstrations. — Secession of Louisiana. — Seizure of Federal Property. — More cautious proceedings of Texas. — Secession of Texas. — Departure of the Sen- ators of the Seceding States from Washington. — Farewell Speech of Benjamin, of Louisiana. — Farewell Speech of Davis. — Hand-shaking in the Senate. — The slow Awakening of the North. — Union Meetings. — The Union Senti- ment variously Manifested. — Indignation against the Abolitionists. — Alarm about the Safety of Washington. — Scott on Guard. —Peace Convention. 1861. In South Carolina the people became daily more belligerent in their attitude toward the Federal Government. The works which had been ordered by the convention for the defence of the harbor of Charleston were labored at with great diligence, and soon the South Car- olinians boasted that they were able to resist any attempts to reinforce Major Anderson, now in command of Fort Sumter. Batteries of earthwork, pal- metto logs, and sand were erected and mounted with cannon on Sullivan's and Morris islands, guarding the approach to the harbor. The South Carolina commander at Castle Pinckney issued an order, forbidding all boats to ap- proach the wharfs without permission, under the severest penalties if disobeyed. The river front of the city was care- fully guarded, and mounted patrols pa- raded the streets night and day. Ship- 11 masters were notified that all vessels must enter and clear at Charleston. The United States revenue cutter the WilUam Aiken, betrayed by her captain into the hands of the insurrectionists, was received into the service of South Carohna, and with her armament and crew increased, was ready, under the Palmetto flag, to turn her guns against the government which her commander had sworn to defend against all enemies. So great was the ardor and diligence of the South Carolinians, that thej^ soon had their works in such a state of pro- gress that Fort Sumter was completely besieged, and Major Anderson threat- ened with an attack. The people looked with excessive hostility at the flag of the United States still floating in their har- bor, and the prevailing desire was to re- move, if possible, that emblem of the Union, so lately the object of their 82 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. pride, but whicli they now strove to dishonor. This intense feehng of aver- sion found expression in a universal cry for the capture of Tort Sumter. Plans of all kinds were devised to effect the purpose. Some proposed to float down jafts, loaded with burning tar-barrels, and thus smoke out the United States garrison ; some suggested bribing the soldiers ; some thought that a floating battery might be built with breastworks of cottou-bales, behind which sharp- shooters could post themselves and pick off each man in the fort ; some hit upon the expedient of filling bomb-shells with prussic acid to throw among the troops and person them, while others recom- mended a more protracted, if not more Christian method, of cutting off their supplies and starving them to death.* In the mean time, the example of South Carolina in taking possession of the Federal property, was being fol- lowed by other States. Fort Pulaski was seized by the troops of Georgia, by order of the Governor, and even Gov- ernor Ellis, of North Carohna, dispatched the troops of the State to take possession of Fort Macon, at Beaufort, the forts at Wilmington, and the United States ar- senal at FayetteviUe. At Mobile, too, Fort Morgan and the arsenal, containing six stands of arms, 1,500 barrels of powder, 300,000 rounds of musket car- tridges, and other munitions of war, were seized by the secessionists. These acts of undisguised hostility, though they preceded the meeting of the conventions in those States, gave an indication that * Soutli Carolinian. could not be mistaken of a predeter- mined purpose to defy and resist the Federal authority. A more resolute tone had, in the mean while, been assumed by the President. No longer exclusively under the control of traitorous advisers, he ventured to speak more authoritatively. The order for the removal of the cannon from the Alleghany arsenal to Southern forts, which had so greatly stirred the indigna- tion of the citizens of Pittsburg, was re- voked, and a feeble attempt* made to sustain Major Anderson and his little garrison at Fort Sumter. The steamship Star of the "West — a merchant vessel chartered by the Gov- ernment — having taken on board two hundred and fifty artillerists and ma- rines, and a supply of stores and ammu- nition, sailed at night for Charles- jan, ton, though she cleared for New 5t Orleans and Havana. She thus stole away in the darkness and under false pretences, with the hope that she might reach her destination and effect her pur- pose of reinforcing Major Anderson without exciting the susj)icion of his besiegers. After a prosperous passage, the steam- er having previously extinguished all her hghts, lest she should be seen, arrived at Charleston Bar at half-past one jan, o'clock in the morning. Here it 8» was necessary to check her speed and grope her way cautiously, for there were no lights in tlie light-houses to guide her in her dangerous course. She con- 's The secretiiry of the interior, Tiiompson, resigned in consequouce. THE STAR OF THE WEST. 83 tiiiued, however, to move on slowly, the lead being thrown at every moment until four o'clock, when a light was seen through the liaze of the early dawn. This was sujiposed to be a signal from Fort Sumter, and the ship having steered in that direction, hove to, to wait for daylight. As the day broke, a Charleston steam- er, the General Clinch, was discovered, which, as soon as she caught sight of the Star of the West, began to burn blue and red lights, as signals to the batteries. Those on guard at Morris Island were at once on the alert and at their posts be- fore the orders could be given them to prepare for action. They expected at every moment a volley from Fort Sum- ter as they themselves got ready to fire at the approaching steamer. The Star of the West, too, was preparing for a warm reception. The soldiers were thi'ust below, and none allowed on deck but the crew. She, however, proceeded on her course, following in the wake of the little Charleston steamer, which steamed on, keeping about two miles ahead, and perseveringly sending olT rockets and burning blue lights even until after broad daylight. When the Star of the West had reached within two miles of Fort Moultrie, and about the same distance of Fort Sumter, the battery at Morris Island, from which the Palmetto flag was flying, opened fire. After the first shot the Star of the West hoisted a large American ensign at the fore, in addition to the American flag flying from the flagstaff. She, in spite of the fire, continued her course for ten minutes. In the mean time, the shots from Morris Island came thick and fast. Several 23assed clear over the steamer, one between the smoke-stack and walk- ing-beam of the engine, one within an ace of the rudder, and another struck the ship just abaft the fore-rigging and stove in the planking. " At the same time," says McGowan, the captain, in his report, " there was a movement of two steamers from near Fort Moultrie, one of them towing a schooner (I presume nn armed schooner), with the intention of cutting us off. Our position now became rather critical, as we had to approach Fort Moultrie within three-quarters of a mile before we could keep away for Fort Sumter. A steamer approaching us, with an armed schooner in tow, and the battery on the island firing at us all the time, and having no caimon to defend ourselves from the at- tack of the vessels, we concluded that to avoid certain capture or destruction we would endeavor to get to sea. Conse- quently we wore round and steered down the channel, the battery firing upon us until the shot fell short." Fort Sumter, in the mean time, had " made no demonstration, except at the port-holes, where the guns were run out, bearing on Morris Island." * Major An- derson, however, at once dispatched a letter to Governor Pickens, which, wilh the answer and rejoinder, are here given : " To His Excellency the Goveunor of SoTJTU Carolina. "Sir: Two of. your batteries fired * CUarlestun Courier. 84 THE WAR Wirn THE SOUTH. this morning on an unarmed vessel bearing the flag of my Government. As I have not been notified that war has been declared by South Carolina against the United States, I cannot but think this a hostile act, committed with- 'out your sanction or authority. Under that hope, I refrain from opening a fire on your batteries. I have the honor, therefore, respectfully to ask whether the above-mentioned act — one which I beheve without parallel in the histoi'y of our country or any other civiUzed government — was committed in obe- dience to your instructions, and notify you, if it is not disclaimed, that I regard it as an act of war, and I shall not, after reasonable time for the return of my messenger, permit any A'essel to pass within the range of the guns of my fort. In order to save, as far as it is in my power, the shedding of blood, I beg you wiU take due notification of my decision for the good of all concerned. Hoping, however, your answer may justify a further continuance of forbearance on my part, I remain, respectfully, " Robert Andeeson." Gov. Pickens, in reply, after describing the position of South Carolina toward the States, said that any attempt to send United States troops into Charleston harbor, to reinforce the forts, would be regarded as an act of hostility ; and in conclusion, added, " that any attempt to reinforce the troops at Fort Sumter, or to retake and resume possession of the forts within the waters of South Caro- lina which Major Anderson abandoned, after spiking the cannon and doing other damage, cannot be regarded by the au- thorities of the State as indicative of any other purpose than the coercion of the State by the armed force of the Government ; special agents, therefore, have been off the bar to warn approach- ing vessels, armed and unarmed, having troops to reinforce Fort Sumter aboard, not to enter the harbor. Special orders have been given the commanders at the forts not to fire on such vessels until a shot across' their bows should warn them of the prohibition of the State. Under these circumstances the Star of the West, it is understood, this morning attempted to enter the harbor with troops, after having been notified she could not enter, and consequently she was fired into. This act is perfectly justified by me. " In regard to j^our threat about ves- sels in the harbor, it is only necessary for me to say, j'ou must be the judge of j^our responsibility. Your position in the harbor has been tolerated by the authorities of the State, and while the act of which you complain is in perfect consistency with the rights and duties of the State, it is not perceived how far the conduct you propose to adoj^t can find a parallel in the history of any country, or be reconciled with any other purpose than that of your Government imposing on the State the condition of a conquered province. "F. W. Pickens." " To His Excellenct Goveenoe Pickens. " Sir : I have the honor to acknowl- edge the receipt of your communication, and say, that under the circumstances I SECEDIXG STATES. 85 have deemed it proper to refer the whole matter to luy Government, and intend deferring the course I indicated in luy note this morning until the arrival from Washington of such instructions as I may receive. " I have the honor also to express the hope that no obstructions will be placed in the way, and that you will do me the favor of giving everj' facility for the de- parture and return of the bearer. Lieu- tenant T. Talbot, who is directed to make the journey. " ROBEKT AnDERSOX."' There were other evidences, besides this well-intentioned, but humble and fruitless attempt to reinforce Major Anderson, of an increased indisposition on the part of the Federal Govern- ment to continue to yield unresistingly to the demands and encroachments of the secessionists. Under the patriotic inspiration of the new secretary of war, Ilolt, a more positive assertion of Fed- eral authority was assumed. Dignified words at least were spoken, if not effect- ive measures taken, in vindication of the Government. To the Governor of Xorth Carolina, who, after restoring the forts of that State to the authorities of the United States, had asked if " it was the piu"pose of the administration to coerce the Southern States?" the sec- retary of war had responded somewhat equivocally, but still in words more authoritative than the Government of Buchanan had yet ventured to utter. " In reply to your inquiry," wrote the secretary, "whether it is the purpose of the President to garrison the forts of North Carolina during his administration, I am directed to say that they, in com- mon with the other i'orts, arsenals, and other property of the United States, are in the charge of the President, and that if assailed, no matter from what quarter or under what pretext, it is his duty to protect them by all tlie means which the law has placed at his disposal. It is not his purpose to garrison the forts to which you refer at present, because he considers them entirely safe, as heretofore, under the shelter of that law-abiding sentiment for which the people of Xorth Carolina have ever been distinguished. Should they, how- ever, be attacked or menaced with danger of being seized or taken from the i:)ossession of the United States, he could not escape from his constitutional obligation to defend and preserve them. The very satisfactory and patriotic as- surance given by your Excellency justi- fies him, however, in entertaining the confident expectation that no such con- tingency will arise." The cotton States, now, had got be- yond the influence of words however fitly spoken, and had been so long as- sured of impunity, that they did not hesitate in their career of insurrection. Mississippi was the first to follow South Carolina in seceding from the jan. Union. The ordinance of seces- ^' sion was opposed only by fifteen mem- bers of the convention, and they resisted but a day, when they, too, signed with the rest. Florida and Alabama Jan. immediately succeeded. In the ••• former State the secession ordinance 86 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. was carried by a vote of sixty-two to seven. In the latter, though there was the reputable minority of thirty-nine members of the convention to oppose the prevaiUug number of sixty-one, still the act of secession was hailed with immense enthusiasm. Judge Jones, of the United States District Court, an- nounced with exulting emphasis, from the windows of the court-room at Mobile, that the United States Court for the Southern District of Alabama was "adjourned forever." A prodigal se- cessionist of the same city gave one hundred cords of wood for the use of the secession garrison in occupation of the Federal Fort Morgan, and proffered twenty negro men to labor on the works to defend the harbor against the United States. The day was declared to be "the wildest day of 'excitement in the annals of Mobile." On receiving the news of the simultaneous secession of Florida an immense crowd collected about the " secession pole" to witness the raising of the "Southern flag," which was hoisted to the top amid the " shouts of the multitude and the thunders of can- non." The " Mobile Cadets" paraded the streets all day with the "splendid flag, a most gorgeous banner," which had been presented to them by " sympa- thetic ladies." At night the houses were illuminated so brilliantly, and tar- barrels burnt so profusely, that "the broad boulevard of Government Street became an avenue of light." To crown this exultant display of secession senti- ment, the Federal custom-house was lighted up by "patriotic caudles," thus affording "a choice epicureanism of triumph and rejoicing" to those excited citizens as they "piled Ossas of insult on Pelions of injury to Uncle Sam."* On the passage of the secession ordi- nance by Florida, her troops, joined by those of Alabama, seized upon Fort Barrancas and the navy-yard at j^q, Pensacola, and thus became pos- *4' sessed not only of important posts of defence, but large supplies of ordnance, ammunition, and stores. " Having no means of resistance," said the United States officer in command in his dispatch to the Government, " I surrendered and hauled down my flag." The secession- ists of Florida, themselves, telegraphed to their senators in Washington : " This move was in consequence of the Govern- ment garrisoning Fort Pickens, which has before remained unoccupied." "You wiU propose to the administration," they added, with insolent dictation, "to re- sume the status quo ante helium, and we will immediately evacuate." Georgia was the next to adopt in con- vention the secession ordinance by jau, a vote of two hundred and eight *9« against eighty-nine. Some of the lead- ing politicians of the State, as Alex- ander H. Stephens and Herschel Y. Johnson, lately a candidate for Yice- President of the United States, opposed this hast}^ action, and emphatic manifest- ations of dislike were exhibited by many of the people at being thus hurried out of the Union. The usual popular demonstrations, however, followed the o Mobile Advertiser. FAREWELL OF JEFF. DAVIS. 87 passage of the ordinauce ; sky-rockets were let ofl', torches burned, and mass meetings gathered and were stirred by martial music and jubilant speech. In a week after, Louisiana followed Jani Georgia, the convention having, by 26» a vote of one hundred and thirteen to seventeen, declared her out of the Union. The seizure of Federal prop- Febt crty, forts, ai'scnals, and treasure *• succeeded. Texas, checked by the obstinate loyalty of Governor Houston, was less precipitate, but linally passed, in convention, an ordinauce of secession. This, however, was on the condition of its approval by the people, to whoso suffrage it was to be submitted on the 23d of February, and, if sanctioned, to take effect on the 3d of March. Texas was thus far the only State which had ventured to submit the question of se- cession to popular vote. The State finally yielded, and declared itself out of ihe Union on the 4th of March. The senators of these various seceding States had lingered at Washington as long as, under the pretence of a desire for conciliation, they could, by intrig- uing with their confederates at the cap- ital, promote their plans, and by wheed- hng a feeble Executive, embarrass the action of government. They now, however, threw off all dis- guise, and in the Senate of the United States openly confessed their designs and defied all the efforts of the Federal authority to counteract them. Senator Benjamin, of Louisiana, publicly an- nounced his intention of taking farewell of the Senate in a parting " secession" speech. A large crowd gathered to hear him, and as he closed with the declaration that the South could never be subjugated, a shout of applause rose from the galleries, packed with his sym- pathizing friends. Jefferson Davis, then United States senator from Mississippi, afterwards Con- federate States' President, with an un- usual mastery of his impulsive rliet- oric, thus with studied deliberation and cool assurance confessed his seces- ja^, siou faith, and declared his readi- 21i ness to fight for it : " I rise for the purpose of announcing to the Senate that I have satisfactory evidence that the State of Mississippi, by solemn ordinance in convention as- sembled, has declared her separation from the United States. Under these circumstances, of course, my functions terminate here. It has seemed to be proper that I should appear in the Sen- ate and announce that fact, and to say something, though very little, upon it. The occasion does not invite me to go into the argument, and my physical con- dition will not permit it, yet something would seem to be necessary on the part of the State I here represent, on an oc- casion like this. It is known to sen- ators who have served here, that I have for many years advocated, as an essen- tial attribute of State sovereignty, the right of a State to secede from the Union. If, therefore, I had not believed there was justifiable cause — if I had thought the State was acting without sufficient provocation — stdl, under my theory of government, I should have 88 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. felt bound by her action. I, however, may say I think she had justifiable cause, and I ajjprove of her acts. I conferred with the people before that act was taken, and counselled them that if they could not remain, that they should take the act. I hope none will confound this expression of opinion with the advocacy of the right of a State to remain in the Union, and disregard its constitutional obligations by nulUfica- tion. Nullification and secession are in- deed antagonistic principles. NulUfica- tion is the remed}' which is to be sought and applied, within the Union, against an agent of the United States, when the agent has violated constitutional obh- gations, and the State assumes for itself, and appeals to other States to support it. But when the States themselves, and the people of the States, have so acted as to convince us that they will not regard our constitutional rights, then, and then for the first time, arises the question of secession in its practical ap]Dlication. That great man who now reposes with his fathers, who has been so often arraigned for want of fealty to the Union, advocated the doctrine of nuUification, because it preserved the Union. It was because of his deep- seated attachment to the Union that Mr. Calhoun advocated the doctrine of nullification, which he claimed would give peace within the limits of the Union, and not disturb it, and only be the means of bringing the agent before the proper tribunal of the States for judgment. Secession belongs to a dif- ferent class of rights, and is to be justi- fied upon the basis that the States are sovereign. The time has been, and I hope the time will come again, when a better appreciation of our Union will prevent any one denjdng that each State is a sovereign in its own right. There- fore I sa}' I concur in the act of my State, and feel bound by it. It is by this confoundmg of nullification and se- cession that the name of another great man has been invoked to justify the co- ercion of a seceding State. The phrase 'to execute the law,' as used by Gen- eral Jackson, was applied to a State refusing to obey the laws and still re- maining in the Union. I remember well when Massachusetts was arraigned before the Senate. The record of that occasion will show that I said, if Massa- chusetts, in pursuing the line of steps, takes the last step which separates her from the Union, the right is hers, and I wiU neither vote one dollar nor one man to coerce her, but I wiU say to her, ' God speed !' " Mr. Davis then pro- ceeded to argue that the equality spoken of in the Declaration of Independence was the equality of a class in political rights, referring to the charge against George III. for inciting insurrection, as proof that it had no reference to the slaves. "But we have proclaimed our independence. This is done with no hostility or any desire to injure any sec- tion of the country, nor even for our pe- cuniary benefit, but from the high and solid foundation of defending and pro- tecting the rights we inherited, and transmitting them unshorn to our pos- terity. I know I feel no hostility to NORTHERN LOYALTY. 89 you senators here, and am sure there is not one of you, whatever may have been the sharj) discussions between us, to whom I cannot now say, in the presence of my God, I wish you well. And such is the feeUng, I am sure, the people I represent feel toward those whom you represent. I, therefore, feel I but ex- press their desire, when I say I hope and they hope for those jjeaceful rela- tions with you, though we must part, that may be mutually beneficial to us in the future. There will be peace if you so will it, and you may bring dis- aster on every part of the countr}^, if you thus will have it. And if you will have it thus, we will invoke the God of our fathers, who delivered them from the paw of the lion, to protect us from the ravages of the bear ; and thus put- ting our trust in God, and our own firm hearts and strong arms, we will vindi- cate and defend the rights we claim. In the course of my long career I have met with a great varietj- of men here, and there have been points of collision between us. "Whatever of offence there has been to me, I leave here. I carr}' no hostile feelings away. Whatever of of- fence I have given, which has not been redressed, I am willing to say to sen- ators, in this hour of parting, I offer you my apology for anything I may have done in the Senate ; and I go thus released from obligation, remembering no injury I have received, and having discharged what I deem the duty of man, to offer the only reparation at this hour for everj'^ injury I have ever inflicted." As the senators from Florida, Ala- 12 bama, and Mississippi — all in open rp- bellion against the United States Gov- ernment — were about leaving the Sen- ate chamber, most of their fellow-sen- ators, even those of the North, shook hands with them ! The Northern people were slowly awaking to the great dangers which be- set the Union, and gradually rising to the efforts necessary to protect it. Pros- trated in sympathy with the long inert- ness of the Government and its still lan- guid action, they might have appeared to a casual observer inditferent to the, great issue. There were, however, al- ready indications of that loyalty to the Union which afterwards manifested itself in such a generous outpouring of men and money. Large meetings were held throughout the couutr}^ to express de- votion to its institutions and to offer service in their defence. At a popular gathering at Chicago, in Illinois, j^n, resolutions were adopted express- *• ing love for the Union ; declaring that ever}- attempt to rend it was the basest treason and most insane folly ; that the Constitution of the United States formed a union between the people of the sev- eral States, and was intended to be per- petual ; that every attempt by a State to secede or annul the laws of the United States was not only a usurpation of the powers of the General Government, but an aggression upon the equal rights of the other States ; that peaceable seces- sion, if possible, must necessarily be a matter of agreement between the States, and until such an agreement be made, the existing Government had no choice but 90 TIIE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. to enforce the law and protect the prop- erty of the nation ; that in view of what was occurring in the Southern States, of threats to prevent the inauguration of a President constitutionally elected, it was incumbent upon the loyal people of the several States to be prepared to render all their aid, mihtary and other- wise, to the enforcement of the Federal laws, and that Major Anderson deserved the thanks of the country for the course pursued by him. At Cincinnati, a large meeting of workingmen was held, at which resolu- Jani tions were adopted declax'iug that 5« the Union must be preserved in its integrity by the enforcement of the laws in- every part of the country, through whatever means might be necessary. At Portland, in Maine, also, the people gathered in a " mass meeting," and passed similar resolutions. The legislatures of various Northern States adopted resolutions in favor of the Union, and offered aid to the Pres- ident to sustain the Government. New York tendered whatever ' ' aid in men or money might be required to enforce the laws and uphold the authority of the Federal Government." Massachusetts did the same, and after declaring that South CaroUna had committed an act of war, passed a bill authorizing the in- crease of the volunteer military of the State. At the same time, it is true, that there were meetings of Northern citizens, at which there was a disposition to treat the recreant States with more tender- These, however, indicated no less ness. the Union sentiment of the country, though they favored more conciliatory treatment. In New Jersey, resolutions were reported deploring the state of the country — advising, as a means of settling differences, the adoption by the people of the Crittenden resolutions, or some other pacific measures, with such modifications as might be deemed expe- dient ; recommending the Legislature of New Jersey to pass a law to take a vote of the people, yes or no, on these ; ap- proving of the course of Virginia in ap- pointing a commission to go to Wash- ington, and counselling the Legislature to do the same. It- was the Union sentiment, more- over, however rudely expressed, which prompted some of the citizens of Roch- ester to break up an abolitionist meet- ing with noisy shouts for General Scott and Major Anderson, and others to re- sist with violence the hanging across the streets of a banner bearing the inscrip- tion, " No compromise with slavery." It was the same feeling, doubtless, which urged the crowd to overwhelm the dis- union declarations of Wendell PhilliiDS at Boston with noisy demonstrations of dissatisfaction, and hustle him in the streets until he was forced to take ref- uge with a squad of pohcemen. In the mean time, some alarm was excited in regard to the safety of Wash- in "ton, which was known to be liUed with secessionists. It was rumored that plots had been laid and military com- panies organized in Maryland and Vir- ginia, to seize the capital and prevent the inauguration of Lincoln. This call GEXER^U. AI^VltM. 91 to arms of General Carriugtou is a mem- orable illustratic)!! of the i)ublic fearfiil- ness begotten by the general suspicion. " To TUE Public. " Whereas the militia of the district is not organized, and threats have been made that the President-elect shall not be inaugurated in Washington, and there is reason, therefore, to apprehend that on the 4th of March next our city may be made the scene of riot, violence, and bloodshed ; and whereas the under- signed believes that the honor of the nation and our city demands that the President-elect shall be inaugurated in the national metropolis, and that the young men of Washington city are de- termined not to desert tlicir homes in the hour of danger, but to maintain their ground and defend their families and fi lends, in the Union and on the side of the Constitution and tlie laws, therefore the undersigned earnestly invites all who concur with him in ojiinion, and who are not now connected with some military company, to join with him in forming a temporary military organization, with a view of preserving peace and order in our midst on the 4th of March next, or when- ever the emergency requires it — and for that purpose to unite with the volunteer companies of our city, wliifh liave, in a spirit of gallantry and patriotism worthy of our imitation, pledged themselves to the cause of the Union, the Constitution, and tlie laws. It is proper to state that 1 take this stop after consultation with friends in whom I have the greatest con- fidence. It is not my object to interfere with my brother officers of the militia ; the organization proposed is to be purely volunteer, for the purpose above stated, in which I am willing to serve in any capaoit3\ I make the proposition, not as one of the generals of the militia, but as a citizen of Washington, who is pre- pared to defend his home and his honor at the peril of his life. "Edward C. Carrington." Lieut. General Scott, however, the venerable custodian of the Union, was on guard, and by his prompt military measures of defence soon relieved the inquietude at the capital. Even in New York a suspicion of se- cret plots arose, and excited public anx- iety. The entire force at the Brooklyn navy-yard was put under arms, the guns of the frigate North Carolina shotted, and tlie city militia mustered, in readi- ness to resist the rumored attack of a band of secession conspirators. A measure of obvious duty, though perhaps not of technical right, tardily begun and but ineffectively carried out, that of seizing, by the police of New York, arms intended for the seceded States, excited not unnaturally great in- dignation at the South, and some less expected disfavor even at the Nortli. jan. The ma}'or of the city of New York 24. eagerly disclaimed any responsibility for the "outrage," and declared tliat if he had the power, he " would summarily punish the authors of this illegal and un- justifiable seizure of private property."' The Governor of Georgia retaliated by seizing some New York vessels in the har- bor of Savannah, which were held until the arms claimed by him were restored. 92 THE WAR AVITII THE SOUTH. While the feehug between the union- ists and secessionists was thus becom- ing daily more exasperated, and threat- ening a collision of arms, a peace con- vention, suggested by the State of Vir- ginia, had assembled in Washington and been organized, with ex-President Tyler to preside over it. CHAPTER VIII. 'The Meeting of the General Congress of the Seceding States at Montgomery. — Organization. — Formation of Provisional Government and Constitution. — No Conciliation or Compromi.se. — Nature of the New Constitution. — Its Politic Clauses. — Election of President and Vice-President. — Good Choice. — Extremists and Moderates both suited. — Life of Jefferson Davis. — His Birth. — Parentage. — Military Career. — Kesignation. — Cotton Planting. — Political Career. — A Volunteer Officer in the Mexican War. — Turns the Tide of Rittle at Buena Vista. — Appointed Brigadier-General. ■ — Scruples of a Sfcites Rights Man. — Senator of the United States. — Chairman of Committee on Military Affairs. — Unsuccessful Candidate for Governor. — Electioneering for Pierce. — Secretai-y of War, and services in that office.— Personal Character and Appearance. — Elected President of the Confederate States. — Inaugural Address. — Biography of Alexander H. Stephens. — A poor Youth. — Educated by Ch.arity. — Eapid eminence as a Lawyer. — Leader of the Whig Party in Cougi'ess. — Retirement from Public Life. — Disease. — Stin-ed by the Secession Movement. — Strong for the Union. — A sudden Conversion. — An earnest Proselyte. — Personal Appearance and Character. — A remarkable Speech. — The Cabinet of President Davis. — Robert Toombs : his Life and Character. — Charles Gustavus Memminser : his Life and Character. — Le Roy Pope Walker : his Life and Character. — Judah P. Benjamin : his Life and Char- acter. — Stephen M. Mallory : his Life and Character. —John H. Reagan ; his Life and Character. 1861. In accordance with a proposition of Alabama, all the conventions of the se- ceding States sent delegates to a general congress, which met at Montgomery on the 4th of February. In a few days after its organization, the Feb. form of a provisional government 8« and a constitution were unani- mously agreed upon, to take effect im- mediately. No suggestion was made for the restoration of harmony with the Union from which the States repre- sented in the convention had separated. The subjects of conciliation and com- promise were waived as totally obsolete. To form an independent nation and provide for its government and defence was the sole object, apparently, of the desire, as it was the motive of the action, of the members of the convention. The constitution adopted was based on that of the United States, with mod- ifications peculiar to the new govern- ment. The preamble dwelt especially on the separate sovereignty of the individ- ual States of the new confederacy, and thus strove to give legal sanction to that heresy which had proved so fatal to the harmony of the Union. It declared : " We, the deputies of the sovereign and independent States of South Caro- lina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missis- sippi, and Louisiana, invoking the favor of Almighty God, do hereb}^, in behalf of these States, ordain and establish this constitution for the provisional govern- ment of the same, to continue one year from the inauguration of the President, or until a permanent constitution or con- federation between the said States shall COXSTITUTIOX OF SOUTHERN COXFEDERACY. 93 be put ill operation, whichsoever shall first occur." To conciliate the governments of Eu- rope, on whose interposition in behalf of the new confederacy great calcula- tions were made, but whose policy of abolishing the slave-trade seemed fatal to an alliance with any state which might favov that cruel commerce, the following article was adopted : "The importation of African negroes from any foreign country other than the slaveholding States of the United States, is hereby forbidden, and Congress is required to pass such laws as shall effectually «prevent the same." At the same time, to give full protec- tion to the institution as it existed in the slave States comprising the confederacy, a stringent fugitive law set forth that : "A slave in one State escaping to another shall be delivered up on the claim of the party to whom said slave may belong, by the executive authority of the State in which such slave may be found ; and in case of any abduction or forcible rescue, full compensation, including the value of the slave, and all costs and expenses, shall be made to the party by the State in which such abduction or rescue shall take place."" The following clause was ingeniously introduced as a forcible appeal to Vir- ginia and other border States, still re- luctant to leave the Union and try the liazards of the new confederacy. "Congress shall also have power to prohibit the introduction of slaves from any State not a member of this confed- eracy." In the clause relating to the tariff, the favorite Southern doctrine of taxa- tion for revenue, and not for protection, was distinctly enunciated thus : "The Congress shall have ^^ower to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises for revenue necessary to pay the debts and carry on the government of the confederacy, and all duties, im- posts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the confederacy." To close up all accounts with the old Union and start the new under the most favorable auspices, an ostentatious pro- fusion of fairness of dealing was made in an article declaring that " the gov- ernment hereby instituted shall take immediate steps for the settlement of all matters between the States forming it and their late confederates of the United States, in relation to the public property and public debt at the time of their -^dthdrawal from them, these States hereby declaring it to be their wish and earnest desire to adjust everything per- taining to the common property, com- mon liabiHties, and common obligations of that union upon principles of right, justice, equity, and good faith." After the adoption of the Constitution, the Congress proceeded at once to the election of a provisional President and and Vice-President. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was chosen the former, and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, the latter. No better appointments could have been made to further the purposes of the new confederacy. Both were experienced statesmen of prac- tised executive talents. Davis, who had p-1 THE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. been long known as an advocate of State Rights, served to give assurance to the extremists of the South that their special interests were safe in his keep- ing, while Stephens, whose reluctant se- cessionism had been equally conspicu- ous, gave confidence to the moderate men, and encouraged them to give in their adherence to a government of which he was a prominent executive officer. Jefferson Davis was born on the third of June, 1808, in Christian, now Todd, County, Kentucky. His Ittther, who was a planter and an officer in the army of Revolutionary renown, removed to Mississippi while his son was yet a child. After a sound preliminary academical discipline at school and coUege, young Davis was admitted a cadet at TVest Point in 1824. In 1828 he graduated, and entered into active military service. In the Black Hawk war he earned pro- motion by his gallantry, and being raised to a first heutenantcy of dragoons, served in that rank in various expeditions against the Indian tribes of the West. In 1835 he resigned his commission and took to cotton planting in Missis- sippi. He was, however, soon with- drawn from his retirement by the polit- ical interests of the country, and in 1844 was chosen a Presidential elector of Mississippi, to vote for Polk and Dallas, the candidates of the Democratic party, for which Davis had early shown his partiality. In 1845, Davis was chosen a member of Congress, and at once assumed a prominent position, as a debater, on the side of his political friends, the Demo- crats. The Mexican war having in the mean time broken out, and a Mississippi regiment having elected him its colonel, he left at once his seat in the House of Representatives, and hastened to the scene of hostilities. He was with Taylor at the storming of Monterey, and at the battle of Buena Yista came up, in the nick of time, at the head of his Missis- sippians, and it is said turned the tide of battle in favor of the American troops. He was wounded while pertinaciously resisting a superior force, but still re- mained in the saddle until the end of the battle. General Taylor conjphniented him highly in his dispatch. On the ex- piration of the term of service of his regiment he returned home, but on his way he was met with a commission of brigadier-general of volunteers from President Polli. This, however, with a scrupulous regard for the " sovereign" rights of his State, he refused to accejit, on the ground that the Federal author- ity, in making such an apjjointment, was interfering with the prerogative of Mississippi. In 1847, Davis was appointed by the Governor of Mississippi senator of tlie United States, to fill a casual vacancy. In the next year, however, he was unanimously elected by the Legislature to complete the term, and again in 1850 was a second time chosen. He was appointed chau'man of the com- mittee on military affiiirs, and took a prominent part in the debates on most important questions, but especially 5n those which bore upon the interests of JEFFERSON DA\1S PERSON^VLLY. 95 the slave States. He proved himself a resolute dofeiidcr of slavery, and be- came remarkable for his advocacy of State Rights as supremel}'' sovereign to those of the Union. In 1851 he was nominated candidate for governor ex- pressly as an exponent of these views, but was defeated by the " Union" can- didate, Henry S. Foote, who, however, secured bis election by the small ma- jority onl}^ of nine hundred. Having resigned his scat in the Sen- ate, on accepting the .nomination for governor, he, after his defeat, remained in retirement until the Presidential can- vass of 1852, when he electioneered ac- tively for Pierce, and was rewarded, on his accession to the Presidency, by the appointment of secretary of war. In this office Davis proved himself an ex- ecutive officer of great capacity and en- ergy. He infused a new spirit into the war department, and introduced various efl'ective reforms and improvements. The adoption of the liglit infantr}^ sys- tem of tactics, the manufacture of rifled muskets, pistols and the Minnie ball, and the increase of our coast defences are among the changes he effected. On the accession of Buchanan to the Presidency, Davis, being deprived of his secretaryship of war, was again elected by the Legislature of Mississippi to the Senate of the United States, and there he remained until the secession of his State, when he took his farewell in the remarkable speech already recorded. He is described at this time as "of meagre frame and feeble health, but pos- sessed of great energy and powers of endurance. His executive talents no one can question, and being ready of speech, some would claim for him the gift of eloquence. His military educa- tion and service, his experience as sec- retary of the war department of the United States, his familiai'ity with po- litical intrigue, his dauntless spirit, ajid his natural capacity arc what make Jef- ferson Davis so effective an ally and so formidable a foe." On the 18th of February, 1861, Davis was inaugurated provisional President of the " Confederate States of America," when he delivered his inaugural. IXAUGUEAL OF JeFFERSON DaYIS. " GEirrLESIEN OF THE CoNGBESS OF THE CON- FEDERATE States of America, Friends and Fellow-Citizen-s : " Called to the difficult and respon- sible station of Chief Executive of the Provisional Government which you have instituted, I approach the discharge of the duties assigned me with an humble distrust of my abilities, but with a sus- taining confidence in the wisdom of those who are to guide and aid me in the administration of public affairs, and an abiding faith in the virtue and pa- triotism of the people. Looking forward to the speedy establishment of a per- manent government to take the place of this, and which by its greater moral and physical power will be better able to com- bat with the many difficulties which arise from the conflicting interests of separate nations, I enter upon the duties of the office to wliich I have been chosen with the hope that the beginning of our ca- reer as a confederacy may not be ob- 9(1 THE WAR TTITH THE SOUTH. structcd by hostile opposition to our enjoyment of the separate existence and independence which we have asserted, and which, with the blessing of Provi- dence, we intend to maintain. " Our present condition, achieved in a manner un^Drecedented in the history of. nations, illustrates the American idea that governments rest upon the consent of the governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter and abolish gov- ernments whenever they become de- structive to the ends for which they were established. The declared com- pact of the Union from which we have withdrawn was to establish justice, in- sure domestic tranquihty, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of lib- erty to ourselves and our posterity ; and when in the judgment of the sovereign States now composing this confederacy, it has been perverted from the purposes for which it was ordained, and ceased to answer the ends for which it was estab- hshed, a peaceful appeal to the ballot- box declared that, so fiir as they were concerned, the government created by that compact should cease to exist. In this they merely asserted tlie right which the Declaration of Independence of 1776 defined to be inalienable. Of the time and occasion of its exercise they as sov- ereigns were the final judges, each for itself. The impartial, enlightened verdict of mankind will vindicate the rectitude of our conduct, and He who knows the hearts of men will judge of the sincerity with which we labored to preserve the government of our fathers in its spirit. "The right solemnlj' proclaimed at the birth of the States, and Avhich has been affirmed and reaffirmed in the bills of rights of the States subsequently ad- mitted into the Union of 1789, unde- niably recognizes in the people the power to resume the jyithority delegated for the purposes of government. Thus the sovereign States here represented pro- ceeded to form this confederacy, and it is by the abuse of language that their act has been denominated revolution. They formed a new alhance, but within each State its government has remained. The rights of person and property have not been disturbed. The agent through whom they communicated with foreign nations is changed, but this does not necessarily interrupt their international relations. Sustained by the conscious- ness that the transition from the former Union to the present confederacy has ' not proceeded from a disregard on our part of our just obligations or any fail- ure to perform ?very constitutional duty ; moved by no interest or passion to in- vade the rights of others ; anxious to cultivate peace and commerce with all nations, if we may not hope to avoid war, we may at least expect that pos- terity will acquit us of having needlessly engaged in it. Doubly justified b)^ the absence of wrong on our part, and by wanton aggression on the part of others, there can be no cause to doubt that the courage and patriotism of tlie people of the Confederate States will be found equal to any measure of defence which soon their security may require. " An agricultural people, whose chief run JUii.'crnitxt f-i/ /•. I). L. J>.\ ICJ.l:. 1 ttnd otlHi- J-.miiiutt .Irtt.-itx. h^*<9- / W-^ -^^^^a^"" ^^ Ch'*PjP' ^UL^ VIRTUE & YORSTON, 12 DEY STREET, akd 544 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. I. — ^f%\ Tn ha Onmnlatorl in Pnrtu-fiuo Pnr+c at Pif+u f^pntc Parh. t=! i3 § s i ^j^M^t^J' / I' /)/'/'?■?, '^''c/ iM i PRESroENT DAVIS' ESTAUGUEAL. 97 interest is the export of a commodity required ia every manufacturing coun- try, our true policy is peace, and tlie freest trade whicli our necessities will permit. It is alike our interest and that of all those to whom we would sell and from whom we would buy, that there should be the fewest practicable re- strictions upon the interchange of com- modities. There can be but little riv- alry between ours and any manufactur- ing or navigating community, such as the northeastern States of the American Union. It must follow, therefore, that mutual interest would invite good-will and kind offices. If, however, passion or lust of dominion should cloud the judgment or inflame the ambition of those States, we must prepare to meet the emergency and maintain by the final arbitrament of the sword the position which we have assumed among the na- tions of the earth. "We have entered upon a career of independence, and it must be inflexibly pursued through many years of contro- versy with our late associates of the Northern States. We have vainly en- deavored to secure tranquility and ob- tain respect for the rights to which we were entitled. As a necessity, not a choice, we have resorted to the remedy of separation, and henceforth our ener- gies must be directed to the conduct of our own affairs and the perpetuity of the confederacy which we have formed. If a just perception of mutual interest shall permit us peaceably to pursue our separate political career, my most earn- est desire will have been fulfilled. But 13 if this be denied us, and the integrity of our territory and jurisdiction be assailed, it will but remain for us with firm re- solve to appeal to arms and invoke the blessing of Providence on a just cause. " As a consequence of our new condi- tion, and with a view to meet antici- pated wants, it will be necessary to provide a speedy and efficient organiza- tion of the branches of the Executive department having special charge of for- eign intercourse, finance, military affairs, and postal service. For purposes of de- fence the Confederate States may, un- der ordinary circumstances, rely mainly upon their militia ; but it is deemed ad- visable, in the present condition of af- fau's, that there should be a well in- structed, discipUned army, more nu- merous than would usually be required on a peace establishment. I also sug- gest that, for the protection of our har- bors and commerce on the high seas, a navy adapted to those objects will be required. These necessities have, doubt- less, engaged the attention of Congress. " With a constitution differing only from that of our fathers in so far as it is explanatory of their well-known intent, freed from sectional conflicts, which have interfered with the pursuits of the gen- eral welfare, it is not unreasonable to expect that the States from which we have recently parted may seek to unite their fortunes to ours under the govern- ment which we have instituted. For this your constitution makes adequate provision, but beyond this, if I mistake not, the judgment and wiU of the people are, that union with the States from 98 THE WAPv, WITH THE SOUTH. which they have separated is neither practicable nor desirable. To increase the power, develop the resources, and promote the happiness of the confed- eracy, it is requisite there should be so much homogeneity that the welfare of every portion would be the aim of the whole. Where this does not exist, an- tagonisms are engendered which must and should result in separation. " Actuated solely by a desire to pre- serve our own rights and to promote our own welfare, the separation of the Confederate States has been marked by no aggression upon others, and followed by no domestic convulsion. Our indus- trial pursuits have received no check, the cultivation of our fields progresses as heretofore, and even should we be in- volved in war, there would be no con- siderable diminution in the production of the staples which have constituted our exports, in which the commercial world has an interest scarcely less than our own. This common interest of pro- ducer and consumer can only be inter- cepted by an exterior force which should obstruct its transmission to foreign mar- kets, a course of conduct which would be detrimental to manufacturing and commercial interests abroad. "Should reason guide the action of the government from which we have separated, a policy so detrimental to the civilized world, the Northern States in- cluded, could not be dictated by even a stronger desire to inflict injury upon us ; but if it be otherwise, a terrible re- sponsibility will rest upon it, and the suffering of millions will bear testimony to the folly and wickedness of our ag- gressors. In the mean time there will remain to us, besides the ordinary rem- edies before suggested, the well-known resources for retaliation upon the com- merce of an enemy. " Experience in public stations of a subordinate grade to this which j^our kindness has conferred, has taught me that care and toil and disappointments are the price of official elevation. You will see many errors to forgive, many deficiencies to tolerate, but you shall not find in me either want of zeal or fidelity to the cause that is to me the highest in hope and of most enduring affection. Your generosity has bestowed upon me an undeserved distinction, one which I neither sought nor desired. Upon the continuance of that sentiment, and upon 3'our wisdom and patriotism, I rely to direct and support me in the performance of the duties required at my hands. "We have changed the constituent parts, but not the system of our gov- ernment. The Constitution formed by our fathers is that of these Confederate States. In their exposition of it, and in the judicial construction it has received, we have a light which reveals its true meaning. Thus instructed as to the just interpretation of that instrument, and ever remembering that all offices are but trusts held for the people, and that delegated powers are to be strictly construed, I will hope by due dihgence in the performance of my duties, though I may disappoint your expectation, yet to retain, when retiring, something of ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS. 99 the good will and confidence which will welcome my entrance into office. " It is joyous in the midst of perilous times to look around upon a people united in heart, when one purpose of high resolve animates and actuates the whole — where the sacrifices to be made are not weighed in the balance against honor, right, liberty, and equality. Ob- stacles may retard, but they cannot long prevent, the progress of a movement sanctioned by its justice and sustained by a virtuous people. Reverently let us invoke the God of our fathers to guide and protect us in our efforts to perpetuate the principles which by His blessing they were able to vindicate, es- tablish, and transmit to their posterity ; and with a continuance of His favor ever gratefully acknowledged, we may hope- fully look forward to success, to peace, to prosperity." Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice- President of the new Confederacy, was born in Georgia on the 11th of Feb- ruary, 1812. His parents were too poor to educate him, but the youth showing an early quickness of parts, attracted the attention of some neighbors, who chari- tably sent him to school and college and supported him until he was able to make his own livelihood. Choosing the law for his profession, he was admitted to the bar in 1834, and rose rapidly to dis- tinction. In 1843 he was elected by the Whigs a member of Congress, but on the dissolution of their party, he joined the Democrats, and became one of their most prominent leaders. In 1858 he refused to be any longer a can- didate for Congi-ess, and retired, ap- parently forever, to private life. From early youth he had suffered from illness, and now, after the wearing effects of a stirring political career, he seemed in- capable of further activity of effort. He was, however, roused by the seces- sion movement in his State, and came forward to resist it. He voted against the secession ordinance passed by the convention of Georgia, and sustained the cause of the Union so manfully in a re- markable speech, that he was hailed by loyal men throughout the country as their great Southern champion. It was even rumored that President Lincoln had offered him a seat in his proposed cabinet. Stephens, however, did not long resist the prevailing sentiment of his State, but giving in his adherence to the secessionists, exhibited the usual zeal of sudden converts by surpassing the veteran apostles of secession in his defence of the doctrine. He is pictured thus : " Wasted to a shadow by a pro- tracted disease, the Vice-President of the Confederacy weighs but ninety-six pounds. He yet seems, in spite of a fee- ble body, capable of great mental effort. Though his voice, in its shrill and piping tones, gives manifestation of the physical weakness of the invalid, he yet does not hesitate to exercise it hi prolonged ef- forts of oratory, which not seldom rise to the power of true eloquence." Eager, apparently, to vindicate him- self from all suspicion of the sincerity of his conversion, to which his former loyal- ty to the Union might have exposed him, he manifested an ultraism of opinion in 100 THE WAR "WTTH THE SOUTH. favor of the benefits and rights of slav- er}', which few even of the most vio- lent secessionists had ventured to assert. Blarcb He thus held forth to the applause 21* of his fellow-citizens of Savannah, and to the horror of the Christian world, in a speech exposing the objects of the Southern rebellion : "The new Constitution has put at rest forever all the agitating questions re- lating to our peculiar institutions — Af- rican slavery as it exists among us — the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson, in his forecast, had anticipated this as the ' rock upon which the old Union would split.' He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the lead- ing statesmen at the time of the forma- tion of the old Constitution were, that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature ; that it was wrong in principle, socially, mor- ally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was, that somehow or other, in the or- der of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the Constitution, was the prevailing idea at the time. The Constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly used against the constitutional guarantees thus se- cured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the idea of a govern- ment built upon it ; when the ' storm came and the wind blew, it fell.' " Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea ; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man. That slavery — subordination to the supe- rior race — is his natural and moral con- dition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even among us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The erroi's of the past generation stiU clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North who stiU cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowl- edge, we justly denominate fanatics. " In the conflict thus far, success has been, on our side, complete throughout the length and breadth of the Confed- erate States. It is upon this, as I have stated, our actual fabric is firmly plant- ed, and I cannot permit myself to doubt the ultimate success of a fuU recogni- SLAVERY— A ( 101 tion of this principle throughout tlio civihzod oiid culigiitoncd world. " As I have slated, tl»e truth of llus principle may be slow in development, as all truths are, and ever have been in the various branches of science. It was 80 with the principles announced by Galileo ; it was so with Adam ^^mith and hh principles of political economy ; it was so with Harvey and his theory of the circulation of the blood. It is stilted that not a single one of the medical pro- f.-^Ioii, Uving at the time of the an- imiiiircment of the truths made by him, admiited them. Now they arc univer- sally acknowledged. May we not, there- fore, look with confidence to the ulti- mate universal acknowledgment of the truths upon which our system rests. It is the first government ever instituted upon principles of strict conformity to nature, and the ordination of Provi- dence, in furni.shing the materials of human society. Many governments have been founded upon the principle of certain classes, but the classes thus enslaved were of the same race, and in violation of the laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature's law.s. The negro, by nature, or by the curse against Canaan, is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our .system. The architect, in the con- struction of buildings, lays the founda- tion with the proper materials, the granite ; then comes the brick or the marble. The substratum of our society is made of th e mat' -■ ' '•ted by na- tare for it, and by c,\, e we know that it is best, not only for the superior, but for the inferior race, that it should bo so. It is, indeed, in conformity with the ordinance of the Creator. It is not for us to inquire into the wiMlom of His ordinances, or to (juestioii them, l-'or His own purposes he has made one race to did'er from another, as Ho has made ' one star to differ from another star in glory.' " The great objects of humanity are best attained when conformed to His laws and decrees, in the formation of governments, as well as in all things else. Our confederacy is founded upon principles in .strict conformity with these laws.' This stone which was rejected by the first builders ' is become the chief stone of the corner' in our new edifice. " The progress of (U.-sintegratiou in the old Union may be expected to go on with almost absolute certainty. Wa are now the nucleus of a growing power, which, if we are true to ourselves, our destiny, and high mi.ssion, will become the controlling power on this continent. To what extent acces-sions will go on in the process of time, or where it will cud, the future will determine." With Trcsideiit Davis and Vicc-Tres- idcnt Stephens were associated in the executive department of the confederacy Uobert Toombs, of Georgia, aa secre- tary of state ; C. S. Memminger, of South Carolina, as secretary of the treasury ; I^croy Pope Walker, of Ala- bama, as secretary of war ; .ludah P. Ikinjamin, of Louihiana, as attorney- general ; Stephen M. Mallory, of Flor- ida, as secretary of the navy ; and John II. Ucagan as postmastcr-gcucral. 102 THE WAR TTITH THE SOUTH. Toombs was born in Wilkes County, Georgia, on the 2d of July, ISIO. His early education was received in his na- tive State, but after a short collegiate career at the University of Georgia, he was transferred to Union College, at Schenectady, in New York, where he graduated. After studying for the bar, his restless hankering for adventure in- duced him to volunteer to serve in the Creek war, and he was chosen captain. On his return home he was elected to the Legislature, and subsequently a member of the United States House of Representatives and of the United States Senate. He was conspicuous always as an intemperate advocate of slavery and of the sovereign rights of the Southern States. It was he who boasted that he would call the roll of his slaves at the base of the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston. He was among the first to move in behalf of secession, and while still a senator of the United States, did not cease to conspire and stir up his fellow-citizens in rebellion against the Union. Possessed of an impulsive tem- per, and unscrupulous in the use of means to gratify his desire, he was one of the most audacious and active, if not the most capable, of the confederate leaders. Charles Gustavus Memminger was born in "Wurtemburg, Germany, on the 7th of January, ISOo. At the age of two years he was brought to Charleston by his mother, a poor widow, who soon after died and left him destitute. Found a vagrant child in the streets, he was sent to the orphan asylum of the cit}^, where he remained until he was nine years old. His lively jjarts attracted the notice of Governor Thomas Bennett, who received him into his fam- ily and sent him to Columbia College, the university of the State, where he graduated in 1820. He now studied law, and was admitted to practice in 1825. His first political action was as an opponent of South Carolina nullifica- tion, which he resisted strenuously and so conspicuously, that he was recognized a leader of the Union party. He aided the cause with pen as well as speech, and not only wrote against nullification in the political journals, but ridiculed it in a work entitled, " The Book of Nulli- fication," written in Scriptural style. In 1836 he was first elected to the Legislature, and continued to serve un- remittingly until 1852. Being appointed chairman of the committee on finance — a position he retained for many 3'ears — he made that subject an especial study. He opposed the suspension of specie payment by the banks of South Caro- lina in 1839, and on the question com- ing before the com-ts, was employed to assist the attorney-general in the prose- cution of a case. Though opposed by the ablest counsel of the State, he gained his cause, and the banks were declared to have forfeited their charters. Wliile in the Legislature, he advocated the adop- tion of the Sub-treasury scheme, and abandoning his early opinions, sustained the peculiar pohtical views of Calhoun. In 1852 he retired from public hfe, but again in 1854 sought and obtained THE COXFEDERATE CAEIXET. 103 his election to the Legislature, with the view of effecting a reform in the system of public schools, in which he finally succeeded, in spite of an obstinate op- position. In 1859 he was appointed a commis- sioner of South Carolina to the State of Virginia, to induce co-operation, on the part of the slave States, in resistance to the abolitionists of the ^^orth, a fear of whom had been awakened by the insur- rectionary attempt of John Brown at Harper's Ferry. Previously he had al- ways borne the character of an upright man in private life, though for a long time his political integrity was suspected by the constant disunionists, as they recalled his early efforts in favor of the Union and his tardy conversion to the doctrine of State Rights. His active interest in the Episcopal Church, to whose general con- vention he was frequently a delegate, and his earnest efforts to advance the public education and improve the charitable in- stitutions of his city and State, had given him a character for piety and benevo- lence which few were disposed to ques- tion. His practised capacity as a finan- cier, and his general accomplishments, made him one of the most efficient of President Davis' cabinet. Leroy Pope Walker was born in Ala- bama in the year 1816. His family is one of note ; his father was a man of wealth and some military distinction ; one of his brothers was a member of Congress, another a judge, both being prominent men in the late confederacy. Prominent as a politician, he was always known as a Southern Democrat, espe- cially devoted to the interests of the slave States. He stood high as a law- yer, and man of eloquence and capacity in business, and was among the first and most ardent to espouse the cause of se- cession in his State. The attorney-general, Judah P. Ben- jamin, attained to great eminence as a jurist and an advocate in Louisiana. While a senator of the United States, he was a professed Whig, but always a State Rights' partisan. Being a brilliant rhet- orician, a subtle lawyer, a man skilled in political intrigue, and unscrupulous in the use of means to effect the objects of party or to reach the aim of his personal ambition, he proved an able adviser. Stephen M. Mallory was for a long period a United States senator from Florida, and though unobtrusive, bore the character of a useful member of the upper house of Congress. He was al- ways considered a conservative man in his political views, and supposed to be strongly attached to the Union. He is thought to have linked his fortunes to secession rather from the force of cir- cumstances, than from any personal predilections for the cause. He was probably appointed secretary of the navy of the Confederate States in con- sequence of his presumed experience obtained as chairman of the committee of the United States Senate on naval affairs. John H. Reagan, the postmaster of the Confederate States, was but little known beyond the boundaries of his own State, although he had served sev- eral terms in the national Congress. 104: THE WAR. WITH THE SOUTH. CHAPTER IX. Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin declared duly elected President and Vice-President of the United States. — Opening of Electoral Votes. — ^Tbe reading of the Vote of South Carolina.— Concentration of public attention upon Lincoln. — The Siege of Springfield. — Throng of Visitors. — Insatiable Curiosity. — Lincoln Photographed. — House and Furniture minutely described. — Habits and Personal Appearance of the new President taken off. — Social Free- dom and P. litical P.eticence. — A Newspaper Intei-preter. — Lincoln speaking for himself. — A grave Farewell. — Com- mencement of a triumphal Journey. — Speeches. — Homely Oratory. — A clever Hlustration. — A Kight Surprise. — An imexpected Visitor. — Portentous Intelligence. — A Tragic Plot. — Who were the Conspirators ? — The effect of the intelligence upon Lincoln and his Friends. — A sudden and mysterious Movement. — Lincoln safe in Washington.— Indignation at Baltimore. — Exposition of the Plot, and how it was ferreted out. — Congressional Debates. — Critten- den Compromise. — Adjournment of Peace Conference. — The Product. — Hopefulness of the North. — Speculations in regard to Lincoln's Policy. — The Inauguration. — The Ceremonies. — Novel Additions. — Thirty-four young Ladies in loving Union. — A strong Military Force in Ambush. — Eeading of the Message. — The Notables. — The Crowd. — The Message of Lincoln. 1S61. On the 14th of February, Abraham Lincohi, of Illinois, and Hannibal Ham- lin, of Maine, were declared " duly elected" President and Yice-Pres- ident of the United States for the four years commencing on the 4th of March, ISGl. The senators and members of Congress having been assembled in the House of Pepresentatives, and Vice- President Breckinridge having taken his seat at the right of the speaker, he, in accordance with the Constitution, opened the packages containing the electoral votes of the several States, and the re- sult was announced. The reading of the vote of South Carolina was received with an exhibition of good-humored lii- larity. Immediately after the election of Lin- coln, and before it was constitutionally announced, all the attention of the pub- lic was concentrated upon the future President. Eager office-seekers, news- paper gossip-mongers, insatiate photog- raphers, aspiring pohticians, and civic deputations thronged the Httle town of Springfield, in Illinois, and beset Mr. Lincoln in his humble home. With his usual readiness of welcome, he had a hand to shake with all comers, and none went away without a good-natured word and an impression of the unpretending amiability and simple honesty of the new President. His visitors, with a desire to satisfy the insatiable curiosity of the pubhc, concentrated their powers of ob- servation upon him, and took care to describe with photographic minuteness his every feature, word, movement, and local surrounding. Through his wicket gate, open to every comer, they walked, unbidden, into his residence, noting each clap-board of its shingly structure, and reproduced in print and picture the "good-sized house of wood, simply but tastefully furnished, surrounded by trees and flowers." Having a free run from kitchen to garret, thej^ strolled into the library, cataloguing his law-books, and inspecting his accounts, informed the LINCOLN PHOTOGRAPHED. 105 world that " he owes no man a dollar ;" they lounged in the parlor and took an inventory of Brussels carpet, sofa, pi- ano, and of Mrs. Lincoln, in her newest silk. They dogged Mr. Lincoln every- where, from his breakfast, through the town to his daily round of business, and back again to his diniug-table, duly re- porting that " he loves a good dinner, and eats with the appetite which goes with a great brain, but his food is plain and nutritious ; he never drinks intox- icating liquors of any sort." Meanwhile, they had fixed every line and tint, every hght and shadow, of the man upon their memorandum-books and photographic plates. Thus his fellow- citizens throughout the country could see at a glance that ' ' his features, though they are those of a mau of mark, are not such as belong to a handsome man ; tliat his eyes are " dark grey, and fine when lighted up ;" his hair black and, though tliin, wiry ; "his head sits well on his shoulders, but beyond that, defies de- scription ;" that his "head is unlike either Webster or Clay's, but is very large and phreuologically well propor- tioned, betokening power in all its de- velopments ;" that he has " a slightly Roman nose, a wide-cut mouth, and a dark complexion, with the appearance of having been weather-beaten." There was, however, notwithstanding the free exposition of Mr. Lincoln to his inquisitive visiters on most points, a res- olute reticence in regard to his future action toward the secession States of the South. To the " hundreds of people" who had flocked to Springfield and met u him at a public reception in the town- hall, he frankly declared that the time had not come for a definition of the policy of his administration, and that they must be satisfied for the present with a hearty greeting, which he pro- ceeded to give by "shaking hands with most of the attendants."* Public curiosity was aroused to the highest pitch, and although Lincoln res- olutely kept silence, some of the news- papers, unable to resist the universal eagerness for an oracular response, spoke for him : "I will suffer," said his news- paper interpreter in behalf of Lincoln, " death before I will consent, or will ad- vise my friends to consent, to any con- cession or compromise which looks like buying the privilege of taking possession of this government, to which we have a constitutional right, because whatever T might think of the merit of the various propositions before Congress, I should regard any concession in the face of menace the destruction of the Govern- ment itself, and a consent on all hands that our system shall be brought down to a level with the existing disorgan- ized state of affairs in Mexico. But this thing will hereafter be as it is now, in the hands of the people ; and if they desire to call a convention to remove any grievances complained of, or to give new guarantees for the perma- nence of vested rights, it is not mine to oppose." When his election was, however, duly declared, Mr. Lincoln ventured to speak for himself. On the 11th of February * Nuw York Times, Feb. 4th, 1861. 100 THE "WAR "WTTH THE SOUTH. lie bade farewell to his fellow-citizens at Springfield in these grave words : " My Friends : No one not in my po- sition can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all that I am. Here I have lived more than a quarter of a centiuy, here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. I know not how soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is, perhaps, greater than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of Divine Providence, upon wliich he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot succeed without the same Di- vine aid which sustained him ; and in the same Almighty Being I place mj^ reliance for support, and I hope you, my friends, will all pray that I may re- ceive that Divine assistance, without which I cannot succeed, but with wliich success is certain. Again I bid you all an affectionate farewell." This solemn leave-taking brought tears into his eyes and those of his fellow-cit- izens. He now commenced a triumphant journey toward "Washington. Crowds of people, with ci^^ic deputations at their head, met and welcomed him on his passage through the large cities. His speeches, which were frequent, showed an amiable desire, though not always gracefully expressed, to conciliate his political opponents by yielding his par- tisanship to the general interests of the country, but evinced a resolute deter- mination to uphold the Federal au- thority against the attacks of its ene- mies. His homely oratory was taken generally in good part by those who hstened to it, and it occasionally, by an apt illustration, struck a chord of pop- ular sympathy. " In their [the seces- sionists] view," he said happily at In- dianapohs, " the Union, as a family relation, would seem to be no regular marriage, but rather a sort of free-love arrangement, to be maintained on pas- sional attraction." After passing through Cincinnati, In-, dianapohs, Columbus, Pittsburg, New York, and Trenton, he finally reached Philadelphia. Here, to the usual pro- gramme of militaiy parade, public re- ception, speech-making, and shaking of hands, was added that of raising the American flag upon Independence Hall, the ancient seat of Congress, on Fri- day, the 22d of Februaiy, the anniver- sary of "Washington's birthday. On the night previous, Mr. Lincoln, after having gone to bed in the hotel, was aroused and informed that a visitor desired to see him on "a matter of hfe and death." He was refused admission, unless he gave his name, which he did, and as it was one that carried with it an authority* that Mr. Lincoln was not disposed to pass unheeded, he, while " yet disrobed," received the visitor. The object of this mysterious, noc- turnal visit was to inform Mr. Lincoln of the organization of a body of men who had determined that he should not be inaugurated President, and to effect their purpose, were ready to capture <=■ The visitor was, it is believed, tlie son of Mr. Lincoln's secretary of state. LIlSrCOLN SAFE IX WASHINGTON^. 107 him or to take his life on his way to Washington. Some influential persons in the interests of the secessionists were Feb. supposed to be implicated in the 23i plot. The morning's telegram came with this startling announcement : "Statesmen laid the plan, bankers in- dorsed it, and adventurers were to carry it into effect. As they understood Mr. Lincoln was to leave Harrisburg at nine o'clock this morning by special train, the idea was, if possible, to throw the cars from the road at some point where they would rush down a steep embank- ment and destroy in a moment the lives of all on board. In case of the failure of this project, their plan was to sur- round the carriage on the way from depot to depot in Baltimore, and assas- sinate him with dagger or pistol-shot." Whatever may have been the exact nature of the revelation, it was suffi- ciently serious to induce his wife and friends to persuade the reluctant Mr. Lincoln to forego the continuance of his triumphal progress of public reception, flag-raising, speech-making, and hand- shaking. " Mr. Lincoln did not want to yield,'' says the telegraph reporter, "and Col. Sumner actually cried with indignation ; but Mrs. Lincoln, seconded by Mr. Judd Pel,, and Mr. Lincoln's original inform- 23i ant, insisted upon it, and at nine o'clock Mr. Lincoln left on a special train. He wore a Scotch plaid cap and a very long military cloak, so that he was en- tirely unrecognizable. Accompanied by Superintendent Lewis and one friend, he started, while all the town, with the exception of Mrs. Lincoln, Col. Sumner, Mr. Judd, and two reporters, who were sworn to secresy, supjDosed him to be asleep. " The telegraph wires were put be- yond the reach of any one who might desire to use them." At the same moment that the world was excited by this alarming intelli- gence, its agitation was composed by the welcome statement that Mr. Lin- coln had arrived safe at Willard's Hotel, in Washington, and on the same day, " accompanied by Mr. Seward, had paid his respects to President Buchanan" at the White House. The press and people of Baltimore supposed to be friendly to secession ex- pressed great disappointment and indig- nation that Lincoln and his friends should have manifested any distrust of their hospitality. Those, however, who were unquestionably loyal to the Union, confessed to a riotous intent on the part of some of the people of Baltimore, and declared that Lincoln's proceeding was "a simple and practical avoidance of what might have been an occasion of disorder and of mortification to all inter- ested in the j^rcservation of the good name of the city."* A detailed, and apparently authentic exposition of the formation of the plot, the agents employed, and the means used to thwart it, appeared in one of the Northern journals.f " Some of Mr. Lincoln's friends having heard that a conspiracy existed to as- sassinate him on his way to Washington, **" Baltimore American. f Albany Evening Journal. 108 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. set on foot an investigation of the matter. For this purpose they em- ployed a detective of great experience, who was engaged at Baltimore in the business some three weeks prior to Mr. Lincoln's expected arrival there, employing both men and women to assist him. Shortly after his coming to Baltimore, the detective discovered a combination of men banded together under a most solemn oath to assas- sinate the President-elect. The leader of the conspirators was an Italian refu- gee, a barber, well-known in Balti- more, who assumed the name of Orsini, as indicative of the part he was to per- form. The assistants employed by the detective, who, like himself, were stran- gers in Baltimore city, by assuming to be secessionists from Louisiana and other seceding States, gained the con- fidence of some of the conspirators, and were intrusted with their plans. It was arranged in case Mr. Lincoln should pass safely over the railroad to Balti- more, that the conspirators should mingle with the crowd which might sur- round his carriage, and by pretending to be his friends, be enabled to approach his person, when, upon a signal from their leader, some of them would shoot at Mr. Lincoln with their pistols, and others would throw into his carriage hand-grenades filled with detonathig powder, similar to those used in the attempted assassination of the Emperor Louis N'apoleon. It was intended that in the confusion which should result from this attack, the assailants should escape to a vessel which was waiting in the harbor to receive them, and be carried to Mobile, in the seceding State of Alabama. " Upon Mr. Lincoln's arrival in Phila- delphia upon Thursday; the 21st of February, the detective visited Philadel- johia, and submitted to certain friends of the President-elect the information he had collected as to the conspirators and their plans. An interview was immedi- ately arranged between Mr. Lincoln and the detective. The interview took place in Mr. Lincoln's room, in the Conti- nental Hotel, where he was staying dur- ing his visit in Philadelphia. ' ' Mr. Lincoln, having heard the officer's statement, informed him that he had promised to raise the American flag on Independence Hall on the next morning — the morning of the anniversary of Washington's birthda}' — and that he had accepted the invitation of the Pennsylvania Legislature to be publicly received by that body in the afternoon of the same day. ' Both of these en- gagements,' said he, with emphasis, 'I wiU keep if it costs me my life. If, however, after I shall have concluded these engagements, you can take me in safety to Washington, I wiU place my- self at your disposal, and authorize you to make such arrangements as you may deem proper for that purpose. " On the next day, in the morning, Mr. Lincoln performed the ceremony of raising the American flag on Indepen- dence Hall, in Philadelphia, according to his promise, and arrived at Harrisburg on the afternoon of the same day, where he was formally welcomed by the Penn- TIIE ASSASSIN'S' PLOT. 109 sylvania Legislatui-e. After the recep- i tion, he retu-ed to his hotel, the Jones House, and withdrew with a few con- fidential friends to a private apartment. Here he remained until nearty six o'clock in the evening, when, in company with Colonel Lamon, he quietly entered a carriage without observation, and was driven to the Pennsylvania Railroad, where a special train for Philadelphia was waiting for him. Simultaneously with his departure from Harrisburg, the telegi-aph wires were cut, so that his departure, if it should become known, might not be communicated at a dis- tance. " The special train arrived in Phila- delphia at a quarter to eleven at night. Here he was met by the detective, who had a carriage in readiness into which the party entered, and were driven to the dt'pot of the Philadelphia, Wil- mington, and Baltimore Railroad. " They did not reach the depot until a quarter past eleven ; but, fortunately for them, the regular train, the hour of which for starting was eleven, had been delayed. The party then took berths in the sleeping car, and without change of cars passed directly through to Washington, where they arrived at the usual hour, half-past six o'clock, on the morning of Saturday the- 23d. Mr. Lincoln wore no disguise whatever, but journeyed in an ordinary traveling dress. " It is proper to state here that, prior to Mr. Lincoln's arrival in Philadelphia, General Scott and Senator Seward, in Washington, had been apprised, from independent sources, that imminent dan- ger threatened Mr. Lincoln in case he should publicly pass through Baltimore ; and accordingly a special messenger, Mr. Frederick W. Seward, a son of Sena- tor Seward, was dispatched to Philadel- phia, to urge Mr. Lincoln to come direct to Washington, in a quiet manner. The messenger arrived in Philadelphia late on Thursday night, and had an interview with the President-elect, immediately subsequent to his interview with the detective. He was informed that Mr. Lincoln would arrive by the early train on Saturday morning, and, in accord- ance with this information, Mr. Wash- burn, member of Congress from Hlinois, awaited the President-elect at the depot in Washington, whence he was taken in a carriage to Willard's Hotel, where Senator Seward stood ready to receive him. "The detective traveled with Mr. Lin- coln under the name of E.J. Allen, which name was registered with the President- elect's on the book at Willard's Hotel. Being a well-known individual, he was speedily recognized, and suspicion nat- urally arose that he had been instru- mental in exposing the plot which caused Mr. Lincoln's hurried journey. It was deemed prudent that he should leave Washington two days after his arrival, although he had intended to remain and witness the ceremonies of inaugu- ration. "The friends of Mr. Lincoln do not question the loyalty and hospitality of the people of Maryland, but they were aware that a few disaffected citizens 110 THE "WAR Wirn THE SOUTH. who sympathized warmly with the se- cessionists, were determined to frus- trate, at all hazards, the inauguration of the President-elect, even at the cost of his life. "The characters and pursuits of the conspirators were various. Some of them were impelled by a fanatical zeal which they termed patriotism, and they justified their acts by the example of Brutus, in ridding his country of a ty- rant. One of them was accustomed to recite passages put into the mouth of the character of Brutus, in Shakspeare's play of " JuUus Caesar." Others were stimulated by the offer of pecuniary re- ward. These, it was observed, staid away from their usual places of work for several weeks prior to the intended assault. Although their circumstances had pre\'iously rendered them depend- ent on their daily labor for support, they were during this time abundantly supplied with money, which they squan- dered in bar-rooms and disreputable places. " After the discovery of the plot, a strict watch was kept by the agents of detection over the movements of the conspirators, and efficient measures were adopted to guard against any attack which they might meditate upon the President-elect until he was installed in office. " Mr. Lincoln's family left Harrisburg for Baltimore, on their way to "Wash- ington, in the special train intended for him. And as, before starting, a mes- sage announcing Mr. Lincoln's^-;depart- ure and arrival at "Washington had been telegraphed to Baltimore over the wires, which had been repaired that morning, the passage through Baltimore was safely effected. "The remark of Mr. Lincoln, during the ceremony of raising the flag on In- dependence Hall on Friday morning, that he would assert his principles on his inauguration, although he were to be assassinated on the spot, had evident reference to the communication made to him by the detective on the night pre- ceding. " The names of the conspirators wiU not at present be divulged ; but they are in possession of responsible parties, including the President. " The niunber originally ascertained to be banded together for the assassina- tion of Mr. Lincoln was twenty ; but the number of those who were fully ap- prised of the details of the plot became daily smaller as the time for executing it drew near. " Some of the women employed by the detective went to serve as waiters, seamstresses, etc., in the families of the conspirators, and a record was regularly kept of what was said and done to fur- ther their enterprise. A record was also kept by the detective of their de- liberations in secret conclave, but, for sufficient reasons, it is withheld for the present from publication. The detec- tive and his agents regularly contributed money to pay the expenses of the con- spiracy." In the mean time, wliile the tri- umphal progress of Mr. Lincoln was brought to so inglorious a close by his TIIE PEACE CONFERENCE. Ill forced flight to the capital, and the country was rejoicing at his escape from his enemies, the Senate was busily at work striving, by excited debate and discordant motions, to compose the country. The "Crittenden Comprom- ise" continued to be the main subject of discussion, which jiromised to be in- definitely protracted by the perplexing amendments of the secessionists on the one hand, and the Republicans on the other. The "Peace Conference," too, Feb. '"^'is in constant session, and after a 27. long labor iinally adjourned sine die, after having brought forth a propo- sition of compromise which was destined to prove, like the rest, but an abortive attempt to conciliate discordant factions. The more important points of this plan were embraced in these two sections of the thirteenth article : ''Sec. 1. In all the present territory of the United States north of the par- allel of 36 degrees 30 minutes of north latitude, involuntary servitude, except as punishment of crime, is prohibited. In all the present territory south of that hne the status of persons held to service or labor, as it now exists, shall not be changed. Nor shall any law be passed by Congress or the territorial legis- lature to hinder or prevent the taking of such persons from any of the States of the Union to said territory, nor to impair the rights arising from said rela- tion. But the same shall be subject to judicial cognizance in the Federal courts, according to the course of the common law. "When any territory, north or south of said hne, with such boundary as Congress may prescribe, shall contain a population equal to that required for a member of Congress, it shall, if its form of government be re- publican, be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, with or without involuntary serv- itude, as the constitution of such State may provide. " Sec. 2. Territory shall not be ac- quired by the United States, unless by treaty ; nor, except for naval and com- mercial stations and depots, unless such treaty shall be ratified by four-fifths of all the members of the Senate." The other articles prohibited Con- gress from abolishing slavery in the Dis- trict of Columbia without the consent of Maryland and of the owners, and without making due compensation ; from abolishing slavery in the United States dock -yards ; and from taxing slaves high- er than land. One article prohibited the slave-trade forever ; and another aimed at a more thorough execution of the Fugitive Slave law. These pro2:)ositions of the peace con- ference seemed to meet with no more favor than the other attempts to har- monize the discordant opinions of the Senate. The people of the North, how- ever, were still hopeful, though they despaired of the efficacy of congres- sional action. It was to the future Pres- ident that the universal attention was directed. Various speculations were in- dulged in, in regard to his policy ; but while some believed that it would be conciliatory or conservative, as they termed it, and others, that it would 114 THE WAR "WITH TIIE SOUTH. while I do not choose now to specify particular acts of Congress as proper to be enforced, I do suggest that it will be much safer for all, both in official and private stations, to conform to and abide by all those acts which stand unrepealed, than to violate any of them, trusting to find impunity in having them held to be unconstitutional. "It is seventy-two years since the first inauguration of a President under our national Constitution. During that period fifteen different and very distin- guished citizens have in succession ad- ministered the executive branch of the Government. They have conducted it through many perils, and generally with great success. Yet, with all this scope for precedent, I now enter upon the same task, for the brief constitutional term of four years, under great and peculiar difficulties. " A disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced, is now formi- dably attempted. I hold that in the con- templation of universal law and of the Constitution, the union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination. Contmue to execute all the express provisions of our national Constitution, and the Union will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself. " Again : if the United States be not a government proper, but an association of States in the nature of a contract merely, can it, as a contract, be peace- ably unmade by less than all the parties who made it ? One party to a contract may violate it — break it, so to speak ; but does it not require all to lawfully rescind it ? Descending from these gen- eral principles, we find the proposition that in legal contemplation the Union is perpetual, confirmed by the history of the Union itself. " The Union is much older than the Constitution. It was formed, in fact, by the Articles of Association in 1774. It was matured and continued in the Dec- laration of Independence in 1776. It was further matured, and the faith of all the then thirteen States expressly plighted and engaged that it should be perpetual, by the Articles of Confedera- tion, in 1778 ; and, finally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution was to form a more perfect Union. But if the de- struction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully pos- sible, the Union is less than before, the Constitution having lost the vital ele- ment of perpetuity. ' ' It follows from these views that no State, upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the Union ; that re- solves and ordinances to that effect are legally void ; and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States, are in- surrectionary or revolutionary, accord- ing to circumstances. " I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union WIIAT LINCOLN WILL DO. 11! is unbroken, and, to the extent of my abil- ity, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union shall be faithfully executed in all the States. Doing this, which I deem to be only a simple duty on my part, I shall perfectly perform it, so far as is practicable, unless my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the requisition, or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary. " I trust this wiU not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared pur- pose of the Union that it will constitu- tionally defend and maintain itself. " In doing this there need be no I bloodshed nor violence, and there shall be none, unless it is forced upon the na- tional authority. " The power confided to me will he used to hold, occupy, and possess the prop- erty and places belonging to the Govern- ment, and collect the duties and im- posts ; but beyond what may be neces- sary for these objects, there wiU be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere. " Where hostility to the United States shall be so great and so universal as to prevent competent resident citizens from holding the Federal offices, there will be no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the people that object. While the strict legal right may exist of the Government to enforce the exercise of these offices, the attempt to do so would be so irritating, and so nearly impracti- cable withal, that I deem it better to fore- go for the time the uses of such offices. " The mails, unless repelled, will con- tinue to be furnished in aU parts of the Union. " So far as possible, the people every- where shall have that sense of perfect security which is most favorable to caka thought and reflection. "The course here indicated wiU be followed, unless current events and ex- perience shall show a modification or change to be proper ; and in every case and exigency my best discretion will be exercised according to the circumstances actually existing, and with a view and hope of a peaceful solution of the na- tional troubles, and the restoration of fraternal sympathies and affections. " That there are persons, in one sec- tion or another, who seek to destroy the Union at all events, and are glad of any pretext to do it, I wiU neither affirm nor deny. But if there be such, I need ad- dress no word to them. "To those, however, who really love the Union, may I not speak, before en- tering upon so grave a matter as the destruction of our national fabric, with all its benefits, its memories, and its hopes ? Would it not be well to ascer- tain why we do it ? Will you hazard so desperate a step while any portion of the ills you fly from have no real exist- ence ? Will you — while the certain ills you fly to are greater than all the real ones you fly from — will you risk the commission of so fearful a mistake ? All profess to be content in the Union if all constitutional rights can be main- tained. Is it true, then, that any right, plainly written in the Constitution, has 114 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. while I do not choose now to specify particular acts of Congress as proper to be enforced, I do suggest that it will be much safer for all, both in official and private stations, to conform to and abide by all those acts which stand unrepealed, than to violate any of them, trusting to find impunity in having them held to be unconstitutional. "It is seventy-two years since the first inauguration of a President under our national Constitution. During that period fifteen different and very distin- guished citizens have in succession ad- ministered the executive branch of the Government. They have conducted it through many perils, and generally with great success. Yet, with all this scope for precedent, I now enter upon the same task, for the brief constitutional term of four years, under great and peculiar difficulties. " A disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced, is now formi- dably attempted. I hold that in the con- templation of universal law and of the Constitution, the union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination. Continue to execute all the express provisions of our national Constitution, and the Union will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself. " Again : if the United States be not a government proper, but an association of States in the nature of a contract merely, can it, as a contract, be peace- ably unmade by less than all the parties who made it ? One party to a contract may violate it — break it, so to speak ; but does it not require all to lawfully rescind it ? Descending from these gen- eral principles, we find the proposition that in legal contemplation the Union is perpetual, confirmed by the history of the Union itself. " The Union is much older than the Constitution. It was formed, in fact, by the Articles of Association in 1774. It was matured and continued in the Dec- laration of Independence in 177C. It was further matured, and the faith of all the then thirteen States expressly plighted and engaged that it should be perpetual, by the Articles of Confedera- tion, in 1778 ; and, finally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution was to form a more perfect Union. But if the de- struction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully pos- sible, the Union is less than before, the Constitution having lost the vital ele- ment of perpetuity. "It follows from these views that no State, upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the Union ; that re- solves and ordinances to that effect are legally void ; and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States, are in- surrectionary or revolutionary, accord- ing to circumstances. " I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union WHAT LINCOLN WILL DO. lit is unbroken, and, to the extent of my abil- ity, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union shall be faithfully executed in all the States. Doing this, which I deem to be only a simple duty on my part, I shall perfectly perform it, so far as is practicable, unless my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the requisition, or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary. " I trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared pur- pose of the Union that it will constitu- tionally defend and maintain itself. " In doing this there need be no bloodshed nor violence, and there shall be none, unless it is forced upon the na- tional authority. " The power confided to me will le used to hold, occupy, and possess the prop- erty and places belonging to the Govern- ment, and collect the duties and im- posts ; but beyond what may be neces- sary for these objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere. " Where hostility to the United States shall be so great and so universal as to prevent competent resident citizens from holding the Federal offices, there will be no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the people that object. While the strict legal right may exist of the Government to enforce the exercise of these offices, the attempt to do so would be so irritating, and so nearly impracti- cable withal, that I deem it better to fore- go for the time the uses of such offices. " The mails, unless repelled, will con- tinue to be furnished in all parts of the Union. " So far as possible, the people every- where shall have that sense of perfect security which is most favorable to calm thought and reflection. "The course here indicated will be followed, unless current events and ex- perience shall show a modification or change to be proper ; and in every case and exigency my best discretion will be exercised according to the circumstances actually existing, and with a view and hope of a peaceful solution of the na- tional troubles, and the restoration of fraternal sympathies and affections. " That there are persons, in one sec- tion or another, who seek to destroy the Union at all events, and are glad of any pretext to do it, I will neither affirm nor deny. But if there be such, I need ad- dress no word to them. "To those, however, who really love the Union, may I not speak, before en- tering upon so grave a matter as the destruction of our national fabric, with all its benefits, its memories, and its hopes ? Would it not be well to ascer- tain why we do it ? Will you hazard so desperate a step while any portion of the ills you fly from have no real exist- ence ? Will you — while the certain ills you fly to are greater than all the real ones you fly from — will you risk the commission of so fearful a mistake ? All profess to be content in the Union if all constitutional rights can be main- tained. Is it true, then, that any right, plainly written in the Constitution, has 116 THE WAR "WITH THE SOUTH. been denied ? I think not. Happily the human mind is so constituted, that no party can reach to the audacity of doing this. " Think, if you can, of a single in- stance in which a plainly written pro- vision of the Constitution has ever been denied. If, by the mere force of num- bers, a majority should deprive a mi- nority of any clearly written constitu- tional right, it might, in a moral point of view, justify revolution ; it certainly would if such right were a vital one. But such is not our case. ' ' All the vital rights of minorities and of individuals are so plainly assured to them by affirmations and negations, guai'- antees and prohibitions in the Constitu- tion, that controversies never arise con- cerning them. But no organic law can ever be framed with a provision specif- ically applicable to every question which may occur in practical administration. No foresight can anticipate, nor any doc- ument of reasonable length contain, ex- press provisions for all possible questions. Shall fugitives from labor be surrendered by national or by State authorities ? The Constitution does not expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery in the Territories ? The Constitution does not expressly say. From questions of this class spring all our constitutional con- troversies, and we divide upon them into majorities and minorities. "If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or the Government must cease. There is no alternative for continuing the Government but acqui- escence on the one side or the other. If a minority in such a case will secede rather than acquiesce, they make a pre- cedent which in turn will ruin and di- vide them, for a minority of their own will secede from them whenever a ma- jority refuses to be controlled by such a minoritj^. For instance, why not any portion of a new confederacy, a year or two hence, arbitrarily secede again, pre- cisely as portions of the present Union now claim to secede from it ? All who cherish disunion sentiments are now being educated to the exact temper of doing this. Is there such perfect iden- tity of interests among the States to compose a new Union as to produce harmony only, and prevent renewed secession ? Plainly the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy. " A majority held in restraint by con- stitutional check and hmitation, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and senti- ments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it, does, of necessity, fly to anarchy or to despot- ism. Unanimity is impossible ; the rule of a majority, as a permanent arrange- ment, is wholly inadmissible. So that, rejecting the majoi-ity principle, anarchy or despotism in some form is all that is left. " I do not forget the position assumed by some, that constitutional questions are to be decided by the Supreme Court, nor do I deny that such decisions must be bmding in any case upon the parties to a suit as to the object of that suit, while they are also entitled to very high respect and consideration in aU parallel BIPOSSIBILITY OF SEPARATION. 117 cases by all other departments of the Government ; and while it is obviously possible that such decision may be erro- neous in any given case, still the evil effect following it, being limited to that particular case, with the chance that it may be overruled and never become a precedent for other cases, can better be borne than could the evils of a different practice. "At the same time the candid citizen must confess that if the policy of the Government upon the vital questions affecting the whole people is to be irre- vocably fixed by the decisions of the Supreme Court, the instant they are made, as in ordinary litigation between parties in personal actions, the people will have ceased to be their own masters, unless having to that extent practically resigned their government into the hands of that eminent tribunal. " Nor is there in this view any assault iipon the court or the judges. It is a duty from which they may not shrink, to decide cases properly brought before them ; and it is no fault of theirs if others seek to turn their decisions to political purposes. One section of our counti-y believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not to be extended ; and this is the only substan- tial dispute ; and the fugitive slave clause of the Constitution, and the law for the suppression of the foreign slave- trade, are each as well enforced, perhaps, as any law can ever be in a community where the moral sense of the people imperfectly supports the law itself. The great body of the people abide by the dry legal obligation in both cases, and a few break over in each. This, I think, cannot be perfectly cured, and it would be worse in both cases after the separa- tion of the sections than before. The foreign slave trade, now imperfectly suppressed, would be ultimately revived, without restriction, in one section ; while fugitive slaves, now only partially surrendered, would not be surrendered at all by the other. "Physically speaking, we cannot sepa- rate — we cannot remove our respective sections from each other, nor build an impassable wall between them. A hus- band and wife may be divorced, and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country cannot do this. They cannot but remain face to face ; and intercourse, either amicable or hostile, must continue between them. Is it possible, then, to make that inter- course more advantageous or more satis- factory after separation than before ? Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws ? Can treaties be more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws can among friends ? Suppose you go to war, you cannot fight always ; and when, after much loss on both sides and no gain on either, you cease fighting, the identical questions as to terms of intercourse are again upon you. " This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, tliey can exercise 118 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. their constitutional right of amending, or their revolutionary right to dis- member or overthrow it. I cannot be ignorant of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of having the national Constitution amended. While I make no recom- mendation of amendment, I fully recog- nize the full authority of the peo^Dle over the whole subject, to be exercised in either of the modes prescribed in the instrument itself, and I should, under existing circumstances, favor, rather than oppose, a fair opportunity being afforded the people to act upon it. "I will venture to add, that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to orig- inate with the people themselves, in- stead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by oth- ers not especially chosen for the pur- pose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish either to ac- cept or refuse. I understand that a proposed amendment to the Constitu- tion (which amendment, however, I have not seen) has passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of States, including that of persons held to service. To avoid mis- construction of what I have said, I de- part from my j^urpose not to speak of particular amendments, so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable. "The chief magistrate derives all his authority from the people, and they have conferred none upon him to fix the terms for the separation of the States. The people themselves, also, can do this if they choose, but the Ex- ecutive, as such, has nothing to do with it. His duty is to administer the pres- ent Government as it came to his hands, and to transmit it unimpaired by him to his successor. Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate jus- tice of the people ? Is there any better or equal hope in the world ? In our present differences, is either party with- out faith of being in the right ? If the Almighty Ruler of nations, with his eter- nal truth and justice, be on your side of the North, or on yours of the South, that truth and that justice will surely prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal, the American people. By the frame of the Government under which we live, this same people have wisely given their public servants but little power for mischief, and have with equal wisdom provided for the return of that little to their own hands at very short intervals. While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the Government in the short space of four years. ' ' My countrymen, one and all, think calmly and well upon this whole sub- ject. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. " If there be an object to hurry any of you, in hot haste, to a step which you would never take deliberately, that ob- ject will be frustrated by taking time ; EFFECT OF LINCOLN'S JIESSAGE. 119 but no good object can be frustrated by it. " Such of you as are now dissatisfied still have the old Constitution unim- paired, and on the sensitive point, the laws of your own framing under it ; while the new administration will have no immediate power, if it would, to change either. "If it were admitted that you who are dissatisfied hold the right side in the dispute, there is stiU no single reason for precipitate action. Intelligence, pa- triotism, Christianity, and a firm reli- ance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present difficulties. " In your hands, my dissatisfied fel- low-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you. " You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to "preserve, protect, and defend" it. " I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. "The mystic cords of memory, stretch- ing from every battle-field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearth- stone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." CHAPTER X, The opinion of the Secessionists on the Message. — The opinion of the Unionists. — Unanimous satisfaction at the exit of Buchanan.— The fate of Buchanan.— A Nation's Reproach.- Difficulty of forming a Judgment.— What were the Motives of his conduct.— A fatal Administration.— Life of Buchanan.— Birth.— Origin.— Early Education.— Political Career.- Member of the Legislature.— Jlinistcr to Rus.sia.— United States Senator.— Adherent of General Jackson.— Opposed to Nullification.— Political friend of Van Burun.— Supporter of his Policy.— Puallics to the support of Tyler. —In favor of the Recognition of Texas.— An advocate of the War with Mexico.— Secretary of State under Polk. — Retirement to Private Life. — Opposed to the Wilmot Proviso. — Advocates Compromises. — Ambiissador to Great Britain.— The famous Ostend Conference.— Its Manifesto.— Return to the United States.— Candidate for President.— Elected President.— Public Confidence.— His conduct in regard to Kansas.— Charged with Partisanship.— Secession of Six States from the Union.— Historic importance of Buchanan.— Could Buchanan have checked the Rebellion ?— Why he did not.— Last act of his Administration.— Opinion of Free Traders of his signing the Morrill Tariff.— The two Patriots in his Cabinet.— Lincoln's Cabinet.— Its party character.— William H. Seward.— His Life.— Education. Political Career.— Character and Personal Appearance.— Salmon Portland Chase.— His Birth.— Education.— Pro- fessional success.— Opinions on Slavery.- Political Career.— Character.— Simon Cameron.— His Origin.— Influence in Pennsylvania.— His Character.— Gideon Welles : his Career and Character.— Montgomery Blair : his Career and Character.— Edward Bates : his Career and Character.— Caleb B. Smith : his Career and Character. WniLE the secessionists pronounced the message of President Lincoln war- like, and affected great indignation, and even in Baltimore some of the daily journals declared it "sectional and mis- chievous," the unionists accepted the 120 THE WAR WITII TIIE SOUTn. document as firm, but conservative. Those in North Carolina who were still clear of the heresy of secession, wel- comed it as a hopeful indication of the peace policy of the administration ; and while in Missouri the exponent of one party declared that it "met the highest expectations of the country, both in point of statesmanship and patriotism," that of another expressed its disappointment at not having ' ' a more conservative and conciliatory expression of sentiments." Whatever may have been the differ- ence of opinion in regard to Lincoln, there was a unanimous feeling of satis- faction, among all who continued loyal to the Union, that Buchanan was no longer President. It was said of him at this time that "whatever may be his hope of justification by posterity, he must resign himself for the present to the reproach of an afflicted people. With his administration will always be asso- ciated those complicated ills of factious and corrupt government, vacillating and contemned authority, to which are owing the present civil strife and the arrested progress of the country. It would be difficult in the heat of war and under the pressure of national suffering to as- sume that equanimity of temper or reach that elevated height necessary to a broad and dispassionate judgment of the de- gree of responsibility to be attached to the head of an administration which has proved so fatal to the country. " Whether liis conduct is to be attrib- uted to habitual partisanship, evil coun- sel, corrupt motive, or senile weakness, cannot be easily determined. To the direful results of his administration, however. President Buchanan can tri- umphantly oppose a previous career of prosperous statesmanship and a private life of unquestioned purity. " James Buchanan, the fifteenth Presi- dent of the United States, was born at Stony Batter, in Franklin Count}^, Penn- S3ivania, on the 22d of April, 1791. His father was an Irishman who emi- grated to America in 1783. His mother, however, Elizabeth Spear, was the daughter of a Pennsylvania farmer. In spite of the poverty of his parents, their son was sent to Dickinson College, where he graduated with the honors of his class. In 1812 he began to practice law at Lancaster, and with such success, that he retired, at the age of forty, with a fair competence. At twenty-three years of age he was elected a member of the Legislature. In 1820 he first entered Congress, and continued to serve until 1831, when he resigned, and was appointed minister to Russia by President Jackson, to whom he was a faithful adherent. In 1833 he returned, and was elected United States senator from Pennsylvania, and continued a firm supporter of Jackson's pohcy. He stood firmly by the President in his successful conflicts with the United States Bank and the nullification of South Carolina. During the agitation in 1835 of the question of the abohtion of slavery in the District of Columbia, he advocated the reception by Congress of petitions in its favor, but strove to resist their effect by the introduction of an act de- claring that Congress had no power to LIFE OF BUCHANAN". 121 legislate upon the subject. Buchanan gave to President Van Buren the same uncompromising poUtical support that he had given to his predecessor. On the change of pohcy effected by President Tyler, after the death of Har- rison, Buchanan rallied to the supj^ort of the administration ; he advocated the recognition of the independence of Texas, as he subsequently did its admission into the Union and the consequent war with Mexico. Under President Polk he be- came secretary of state, and at the ex- piration of the Presidential term retired to private hfe. He, however, used his great poUtical influence in opposition to the Wilmot proviso, and in favor of an extension to the Pacific Ocean of the Missouri Compromise line of latitude 36 degrees 30 minutes north. On the accession of Pierce to the Presidency, Buchanan was appointed ambassador to Great Britain. It was while thus serv- ing that he joined with the United States minister to Paris, and Pierre SouM, the minister to Madrid, in forming the no- table Ostend Conference, the object of which was to, induce Spain to sell Cuba. A memorandum of the proceedings of the conference was published, and has been dignified with the title of a protocol. This set forth the import- ance of Cuba, commercially and de- fensively, to the United States ; the advantage to Spain in consenting to receive compensation for a possession the prolonged tenure of which was so uncertain, and the necessity — in case the island should fall under the control, like St. Domingo, of its African population — 16 of the interference of the United States to secure the Southern slave States from so dangerous a neighborhood of free negroes. Mr. Buchanan returned to the United States in the spring of 1856, and in the following June was unanimously nom- inated, by the Democratic Convention at Cincinnati, candidate for President. In November he was elected by the electoral vote of nineteen States. Upon his accession to office there was a gen- eral willingness to concede to him a dis- position to repress sectional differences and to administer the Government with a national spirit. His administration, however, served only to reinvigorate factious dispute, and the Republican party attacked him with great animosity for his partisan efforts to secure the ad- mission of Kansas as a slave State. The most momentous event, however, during Buchanan's administration, was the secession of six States from the Union. This will always give him an historic importance, and serve to make his char- acter and conduct subjects of the deep- est interest to the investigator of the causes of the civil war initiated dui'ing his Presidency. " That Buchanan could have checked the fatal movement [the rebellion], no one can affirm ; but that it was his duty to make the effort, few will deny. That he did not do so, is attributed by some to corrupt connivance with the conspir- ators who shared liis counsels ; by some, to the timidity of enfeebled age ; and by others, to the conviction that neither right nor expediency would justify an 122 THE VJ^AR WITH THE SOUTH. attempt to repress the rising rebellion. His irreproachable personal character, his previous career of reputable states- maushiji, and his honored position as President, forbid the imputation of trea- sonable design or corrupt motive. It is more reasonable to attribute his conduct to the influence of unworthy but unsus- pected counsellors acting upon an in- firm judgment and unsteady moral courage."* The last act of President Buchanan's administration was the signing of the Morrill tariff. This sanction of high protective custom dues was contrary to his professed opinion that duties should be levied only for revenue. The advo- cates of free trade, both in tlie United States and Europe, condemn this act as one of the most unworthy of his admin- istration, while the protectionists doubt- less commend it as the best. Within a few weeks of the close of his term of office, Buchanan had called to his aid in the cabinet two statesmen whose energetic action, inspired by the truest patriotism, had served to redeem, to some degree, an administration which had proved so fatal to the country. These men were Jose^^h H. Holt, of Kentucky, and John A. Dix, of New York, the former the secretary of war, and the latter secretary of the treasury. It was hoped that Lincoln would have waived so far his party predilections as to have retained these statesmen, who had won the confidence of the nation by their loyal firmness in sustaining the dignity and power of the Federal au- o Manuscript work, by the author. tliority against the menace of disaffec- tion and the attack of treason. The new President, however, in ac- cordance with traditional practice, chose his cabinet from that party to which he was indebted for his own elevation. TTm. H. Seward, of New York, was appointed secretary of state ; Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio, secretary of the treasury ; Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, secretary of war ; Gideon Welles, of Connecticut, secretary of the navy ; Montgomery Blair, of Maryland, postmaster-general ; Edward Bates, of Missouri, attorney- general ; and Caleb B. Smith, of In- diana, secretary of the interior. Some of these were known to the country as prominent statesmen ; others, possessed only of local fame, were com- paratively obscure, but all had been active promoters of the " Republican" cause. The most distinguished was the secretary of state. William H. Seward was born in the village of Florida, Orange County, in the State of New York, on the 16th day of May, 1801. After a good elementary schooling he was sent to Union College, at Schenectady, where he received his academic degree with the honors of his class. In 1820 he became a student at law in the office of John Anthon, Esq., an eminent counsellor of the city of New York, but completed liis studies under the guidance of Ogden Hoffman, then district attorney. In 1822 he was ad- mitted to the bar at Goshen, in Orange County, but soon after removed to Au- burn, where he formed a partnersliij) with Judge Miller, whose daughter he LIFE OF SEWARD. 123 subsequently mamed. His success as a lawyer was rapid and well assured, and he soon ranked among the most honored luembers of the profession. His first political step was as a warm partisan of the anti-masonic cause, but in 1823 he appeared as a youthful leader in the canvass for the re-election of John Quincy Adams to the Presidency. Elected senator of his State in 1830, he soon became prominent as au advocate of measures of reform. After four years' service in the Sen- ate of New York, he was nominated the Whig candidate for Governor, but was defeated by his veteran Democratic op- ponent, William L. Marcy. Again a candidate at the succeeding election, he ti-iumphcd over his old competitor, and was elected Governor by the large ma- jority of ten thousand. In 1840 he was a third time a candidate and once more successful, being chosen as a rep- resentative of the i^arty which had tri- umphantly carried the election of Pres- ident Harrison, of whom he had proved himself in the canvass an energetic supporter. In 1848 he advocated the nomination of General Zachary Taylor, and strove zealously in behalf of his election. The successful Whig party of the New York State Legislature soon after elected Seward senator of the United States. On the death of Taylor and the accession of Fillmore, Seward was suddenly deprived of that leader- ship upon which he had not unnaturally presumed. His supposed extreme opin- ions on the subject of slavery were un- doubtedly averse to his being accepted. by Fillmore, as an exponent of the pol- icy of his conciliatory administration. Seward opposed emphatically the com- promise measures of 1850. "I feel assured," said he, in his speech on the question, " that slavery must give way, and will give way to the salutary instructions of economy and to the ripen- ing influences of humanity ; that eman- cipation is inevitable and is near ; that it may be hastened or hindered ; that all measures which fortify slavery or extend it tend to the consummation of violence ; all that check its extension and abate its strength tend to its peace- ful extirpation. But I will adopt none but lawful, constitutional, and peaceful means to secure even that end ; and none such can I or will I forego." In 1852, Seward was an advocate for the election of General Scott as Pres- ident, though he did not concur with the concessions made to the slave in- terests of the South in the manifesto of his party. In the Senate he at the same time continued his persistent opposition to the extension of slavery, and em- phatically denounced the Kansas-Ne- braska bill. After the dissolution of the Whig party, and the formation of the new Republican combination, of which he was one of the promuient founders and leaders, he was a candidate for nomina- tion as President. He, however, was forced to yield to the superior "avail- ability" of Colonel Fremont, for whose election, notwithstanding, he canvassed vigorously. During the summer of 1859, Mr. Sew- 124 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. ard visited Europe, and extended his toui' to Syria and Egypt. His reception was everywhere studiously courteous in deference to liis recognized position as a distinguished and leading statesman in his own country. In 1860, Seward was forced again to yield his presumed claims to a compara- tively obscure man. At the Repub- lican Convention which met at Chicago, Seward was the leading candidate for nomination as President, but after sev- eral obstinate ballots gave way to !Mr. Lincoln, who was chosen, and whose subsequent triumphant election to office was greatly due to the zealous efforts of his late rival. Notwithstanding his previous persist- ent resistance to the encroachments of, and his apparent readiness for, the " ir- repressible conflict" with slavery, Sew- ard is considered to have been the most conciliatory of Lincoln's cabinet. Though some doubted his possession of that mor- al grandeur which was so necessary to the imi^ortaut office he had to administer, none questioned the secretary's mental capacity to master the ordinary tech- nical difficulties of his office. A man of refined culture and tact, his speeches and writings possess a dignity of tone and a completeness of literary finish which are rarely to be discovered in the effusions of our extemporized speakers and writers. Judging him from the rapid flashes of speech, struck off in the course of a heated pohtical canvass, there are some, especially in Europe, who aflfect to think that Seward is more eager to captivate the undiscerning many than to convince the judicious few. In appearance, Mr. Seward, with his slight figure of medium size, his heavy features, and his worn expression, is not imposing. His eyes, however, brighten with excitement, and his face not seldom assumes an attractive vivacity. The secretary of the treasury, Salmon Portland Chase, was born at Cornish, in New Hampshire, on the 13th of Jan- uary, 1808. Two years after the death of his father, and at the age of twelve, he was placed under the charge of his uncle, Bishop Chase, of Ohio, with whom he removed from Worthington to Cin- cinnati, and there entered the college of which the bishop had been appointed president. Here, however, he remained but a year, when he retui-ned to his mother's home in Keene, New Hamp- shire. In 1824 he was admitted a stu- dent of Dartmouth College, where he received his degree after two years' study. After graduating, he opened a school at Washington, and numbered among liis pupils the sons of Henry Clay, William Wirt, and Samuel L. Southard. In the mean time, he studied law under the direction of Wirt, and in 1829, quitting his school, he was ad- mitted to the bar at Washington. In 1830, Mr. Chase removed to Cin- cinnati, where he strove to establish himself as a lawyer. While waiting for practice, he pubUshed an edition of the Statutes of Ohio, with original notes, and a prefatory sketch of the history of the State. This work served to bring him into notice, and add to his legal S^\LMOX P. CHASE. 125 business. He now became a thriving practitioner, and was appointed soliiutor of two of the banks. Being employed in 1837 in behalf of a negro woman who was claimed to be a fugitive slave, Mr. Chase argued that Congress had not the right to impoije upon State magistrates any duty or con- fer any power in such cases. Again, soon after, while defending James E. Birny, who had been arrested for harboring a negro slave, he held that slavery is local, and dependent for its legality upon State law, and that therefore a slave who made his escape into Ohio became free, and might be harbored with impunity. In 1846, Mr. Chase, together with William H. Seward, was defendant's counsel in the Van Zandt case, before the Supreme Court of the United States. In an elaborate argument, he contended that, by the ordinance of 1787, no fu- gitive from service could be reclaimed from Ohio unless there had been an es- cape from one of the original States ; that it was the clear understanding of the framers of the Constitution, and of the people who adopted it, that slavery was to be left exclusively to the dis- posal of the several States, without sanction or support from the National Government ; and that the clause in the Constitution relating to persons held to service was one of compact, and con- ferred no power of legislation on Con- gress. Other cases ensued in which Mr. Chase defended the same positions, and thus became identified with those who resisted aU national recognition of slavery. Devoted to his professional pursuits, Mr. Chase avoided for a long time aU positive alliances with political parties, but had voted sometimes with the Dem- ocrats, and at other times and more fre- quently with the Whigs. In 1841, how- ever, he became one of the originators of the " Liberty" party of Ohio, and was the author of their address to the peo- f)le. In 1843 he was a member of the convention of this party which met at Buffalo. While one of a committee nominated by said convention, he op- posed the resolution, "to regard and treat the third clause of the Constitu- tion, whenever applied to the case of a fugitive slave, as uttei'ly null and void, and consequently as forming no part of the Constitution of the United States, whenever we are called upon or sworn to support it." This resolution was accord- ingly rejected by the committee, and not reported, although it was afterward I'e- uewed by its original mover, and adopted by the convention. When twitted in the United States Senate by Senator Butler, of South Carolina, for the men- tal reservation seemingly sanctioned by this resolution, Chase responded : "I have only to sa} , I never proposed the resolution ; I never would propose or vote for such a resolution. I hold no doctrine of mental reservation. Every man, in my judgment, should speak just as he thinks, keeping nothing back, here or elsewhere."* o The New American Cyclopedia. Appletou & Co. New York : D. 126 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. In 1845, a convention, at the sug- gestion of Mr. Chase, met in Cincinnati, of "all who, believing that whatever is worth preserving in republicanism can be maintained only by uncompromising war against the usurpations of the slave power, and are therefore resolved to use all constitutional and honorable means to effect the extinction of slavery within their respective States, and its reduction to its constitutional limits in the United States." The gathering was large, con- sisting of two thousand delegates and four thousand interested visiters. The address — the main burden of which was opposition to the extension of slavery — was written by Mr. Chase, and was widely circulated. When the second convention met, in 1847, Mr. Chase op- posed the making of Federal nomina- tions, believing that the general agita- tion throughout the country in regard to the Wilmot proviso would extend the basis of the movement against slavery extension, and afford a less restricted foundation for a party. In 1848, however, distrusting the Whig and Democratic parties, Mr. Chase again called a convention in fa- vor of free territory. It was largely attended, but it merged itself in the National Convention, which met at Buf- falo in August of the same year, and nomhiated Martin Van Buren for Pres- ident. The Democratic party of Ohio aaving now adopted the free-soil views of Mr. Chase, he accepted their nom- ination for the United States Senate, and in 1849 was elected. He continued to act with the Democrats of his State until 1852, when, upon the nomination of Pierce, they accepted the platform of the Baltimore Convention, approving of the compromise acts of 1850, and denouncing the further agitation of the question of slavery extension. Having abandoned his old allies, he gave in his adherence to the Independent Demo- cratic Convention, assembled at Pitts- burg in 1852, which adopted a manifesto mainly prepared by Mr. Chase. When the Nebraska bill agitated the country, and induced the formation of the Repubhcan party, Mr. Chase, find- ing its principles in consonance with his long estabhshed views, eagerly joined it, and became one of its leaders. In 1855, Mr. Chase was nominated as Governor of Ohio, and being elected, was inaugurated in January of the suc- ceeding year. He gave proof, in his new office, of a moderation and discre- tion which many were disposed to ques- tion, in consequence of his supposed extreme opinions on slavery. At the close of his first term he was disposed to retire, but was so urgently pressed to accept a re-nomination, that ho was pre- vailed upon and re-elected Governor. After the expiration of his second term he was again elected senator of the United States, but resigned his seat to accept the office of secretary of the treasury in the cabinet of Mr. Lincoln, of which he was considered not only one of the ablest, but firmest members. Simon Cameron, a man of humble origin, successively a printer's appren- tice, printer, journalist, a local politician, a United States senator, and afterward SQION C^VJNIERON. 127 secretary of war, was born in Penn- sylvania. He has been for a long time one of the most influential men in that State, and the success of the Republican party there was greatly indebted to his efforts. Wielding a large capital act- ively employed in railroads, mining operations, and other active enterprises in Pennsylvania, he was enabled to ex- ercise a wide influence, which was owing not less to his financial than to his political ability. His executive talents, thoroughly exercised by his extensive business relations, were calculated to make him an effective officer in the busy department of which he was the chief. Gideon Welles was originally a prin- ter, and subsequently editor of the Hartford Times, in the skilful conduct of which he has acquired all his political fame. His reputation had, however, hardly extended beyond the limits of his native State of Connecticut, when he was called to a position in Lincoln's cabinet, at the earnest solicitation, it is believed, of his brother-in-law, Vice- President Hamlin. As the editor of the Hartford Times, he was considered one of the most forcible exponents of the Democratic policy. Warmly espousing the doctrine of non-extension of slavery, he soon identified himself with the Re- publican party, of which he was an ardent supporter. He has frequently represented his State in its own Le-gisla- ture and Senate, but never in the Fed- eral councils. It may be doubted whe- ther, with his reflective habits as a pohtical thinker and writer, and his restricted experience of the business of state, he had the scope of view and energy of action necessary to the chief of the naval department during a great war. Montgomery Blair, a son of the vig- orous Democratic journalist, Francis Preston Blair, the founder and editor of the Washington Qlohe, was born in Kentucky. Like his father, he is a valiant defender of the Republican cause, and is supposed to have been one of the most emphatic of the cab- inet to urge the full exercise of the Federal authority in checking treason, as he was among the most resolute in favor of vigorously waging war against rebellion. His energy of will and san- guineness of temperament rendered him a spirited coadjutor of the executive in the stir of conflict ; but in the quiet of peace, his fitness for ofiice, and especially that practical one which he holds, might be more questionable. Edward Bates, the attorney-general, was born in Goochland County, in Virginia, in 1791. Having been care- fully educated by a relative of high culture, he emigrated with a brother to Missouri, where he began to practice law. He soon acquired eminence as a jurist. Although ho served in the Legislature of Missouri, and represented that State in Congress, his life had been mostly devoted to the pursuits of his profession. In 1847, however, he was a member of the convention which met at Chicao-o for the advancement of internal improvements, where he com- manded attention by a brilliant speech and his impressive character. Efforts were made to induce him to give to the State the benefit of his acknowledged powers, but he refused office in Missouri and resisted the offer of a place in tlie cabinet of President Fillmore. His early pohtical bias was shown by his support of Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, with whose views of public policy he generally accorded. At a later period he opposed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise act, and the admission of Kansas as a State under the Lecompton Constitution, and other- wise exhibited his sympathy with the free-soil party. An accomplished jurist, he filled satisfactorily the office of attor- nej'-general, and a man of digniGed per- sonal cliaracter, he gave increased weight ■ to Mr. Lincoln's cabinet. Caleb B. Smith, of Indiana, the secre- tary of the interior, had brought with him from his own State a high reputa- tion for ability and integrity, and he was also considered an effective member of the Government. CHAPTER XI, Action of the Confederate States. — Organization of an Army. — Its composition. — Officers. — Resignations in the tTnited States Army. — Buchanan's sanction of Treason. — A change of conduct under Secretarj- Holt. — Tlie Treason of Twiggs. — His E.xpulsion from the Army. — His Surrender of Government Property to the Authorities of Texas. — Its Character and Value. — Jlilitary Career of General Twiggs. — His motives for Seceding. — ^Treachery. — Encouragement of the Confederate States. — Defiant Tone and Attitude. — Commissioners to Washington. — Their Letter to the Sec- retary of State. — A polite Rebuff. — The Commissioners linger in Washington. — Career of Independent Government of the Confederate States. — A new Flag. — ^A Political Blunder. — The influence of a bit of Bunting. — The motive for adopting a new Flag.— The Confederate Flag described. — Active preparation for War. — General Beauregard sent to Charleston. — Call upon the Confederate States for Militia. — Progress of the Works in the Harbor of Charleston. — Soldiers and Negroes. — Floating Battery. — Ardent Gentlemen as Privates. — Statesmen in the Ranks. — Rumored Evacuation of Fort Sumter.— Courteous relations between Major Anderson and Citizens of Charleston. — Messengers from the Feder;il Government. — Vigilance of the Batteries. — An Eastern Schooner driven out of the Harbor. — Per- plexities of Lincoln and his Cabinet. — A Decision at last. — A Demonstration to he made in favor of Major Anderson. — Preparations. — A Special Messenger sent to the Authorities of Charleston. — The purport of his Message. — The effect upon the Southern Confederacy. — Excitement at Charleston. — Appeal to Arms.^Departure of the Confederate Commissioners from Washington. — Their parting Defiance. — Correspondence between Beauregard and the Secretary of War of the Confederates. — Correspondence between Beauregard and Anderson. 1S61. The " Confederate States" having or- ganized a government, proceeded to prepare to sustain it by the formation of a mihtary establishment. This was composed of one corps of engineers, one corps of artillery, six regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry, and of a staff department, making in all ten thousand seven hun- dred and forty-five officers and men. Those who had abandoned the United States for the Confederate service gave the new army a large supply of highly educated and experienced officers. This number was daily increasing. The government of Buchanan had at fu-st sanctioned the disloyalty of many of our officers by accepting their resig- TREASOISr OF TWIGGS. 129 nations, though their purpose in giving up their commissions could not be doubted. Inspired, however, by the patriotic counsels of his new secretary of war, Holt, Buchanan had become less considerate toward treason. When, Peb, therefore, Genedil Twiggs, a vet- 1^' eran officer of the army of the United States, surrendered the posts which he commanded to the commis- sioners of Texas, the President, with unusual impatience and severity, did not wait for a resignation, but expelled the disloyal officer from the army. By this action of General Twiggs, the State authoi'ities of Texas, which was on the eve of its secession from the United States, became possessed of an immense supply of arms and military stores of all kinds, to be added, as none could doubt, to the resources of the Confederate States. In San Antonio, the arsenal contained forty-four cannon and howitzers of different caUbres, one thousand nine hundred muskets, rifles, and Sharp's carbines, four hundred Colt's pistols, two magazines full of am- munition, containing one million five hundred thousand ball-cartridges, and five thousand five hundred pounds of powder. At Forts Brown, Duncan, and Clark there were large numbers of cannon and magazines filled with ammunition. At the various posts there were sev- eral thousand mules and horses, many hundred wagons, abundant clothing and stores, and a great variety of valuable implements. The whole of the Fed- eral property thus traitorously dis- 17 posed of amounted in value to nearly a million and a half of dollars. General Daniel E. Twiggs was one of the oldest officers in the United States army, which he had entered in 1812, at the age of twent3^-two years. He had served under our flag with a fair reputa- tion. He was a captain during the war with Great Britain ; served as a ma- jor under Generals Gaines and Jackson in the Florida campaign ; took part in the Black Hawk war ; was in command of the arsenal at Auscusta during the nullification excitement, and in the Mex- ican war received the rank of brevet brigadier-general for his services at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma ; com- manded a division at Monterey, and shared with General Scott in the tri- umphs of our army from Vera Cruz to the capital of Mexico. He was in com- mand of the department of Texas, with his headquarters at San Antonio, when he brought to so dishonorable a close his long career of reputable military service. He ranked next to Lieutenant- General Scott, and would have been en- titled, if he had remained loyal to his country, to have succeeded him in the cliief command of our army. A Geor- gian by birth, and a large owner of land and slaves, his adherence to his own State was not unexpected, but few thought that one of the most honored officers of the Federal army would have been guilty of adding treachery to treason. Encouraged by the addition of Texas to the confederacy, and an unconcealed sympathy on the part of some of the 130 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. other slave States, which gave promise of further acquisitions, the uew govern- ment at Montgomery, Alabama, assumed a more independent tone and defiant at- titude. Commissioners Messrs. John Forsyth and Martin J. Crawford were appointed to negotiate with the United States. On their arrival at Washington they presented themselves as the rep- resentatives of an independent power. March " Seven States," they said, " of the !-• late Federal Union having, in the exercise of the inherent right of every free people to change or reform their po- Utical institutions, and through conven- tions of their people, withdrawn from the United States and reassumed the attri- butes of sovereign power delegated to it, have formed a government of their own. The Confederate States constitute an in- dependent nation de facto and de jure, and possess a government perfect in all its parts and endowed with all the means of self-support." With this assumption of independence, the commissioners pro- ceeded to declare their purpose. "With a view to a speedy adjustment of all questions growing out of this political separation upon such terms of amity and good-will as the respective in- terests, geographical contiguity, and fu- ture welfare of the two nations may render necessary," they said that they were instructed to " make to the Gov- ernment of the United States overtures for the opening of negotiations, assuring the Government of the United States that the President, Congress, and people of the Confederate States earnestly desire a peaceful solution of those great questions ; that it is neither their inter- est nor their wish to make any demand which is not founded in strictest justice, nor to do any act to injure their late confederates." The secretary of state, Mr. Seward, had already declined the request of the commissioners for an unofficial interview with him, and now refused their demand for an official presentation to the Presi- dent. It is curious, however, at this period, to note with what studied court- esy a high state officer is constrained to address, and with what diplomatic con- sideration to argue the question of re- belhon with its confessed representa- tives. "The secretary of state," wrote Mr. Seward, ' ' frankly confesses that he understands the events which have recently occm-red, and the condition of pohtical affairs which actually exists in the part of the Union to which his at- tention has thus been directed, very differently from the aspect in which they are presented by Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford. He sees in them, not a rightful and accomphshed revolution and an independent nation, with an estab- lished government, but rather a perver- sion of a temporary and partisan ex- citement to the inconsiderate purposes of an unjustifiable and unconstitutional aggression upon the rights and the authority vested in the Federal Govern- ment, and hitherto benignly exercised, as from their very nature they always so must be exercised, for the mainten- ance of the Union, the preservation of hberty, and the society, peace, welfare, happiness, and aggrandizement of the THE FLAG OF THE COXFEDERACT. 131 American people. The secretary of state, tliercfore, avows to Messrs. For- syth and Crawford that he looks pa- tiently but confidently for the cure of evils which have resulted from proceed- ings so unnecessary, so unwise, so un- usual, and so unnatural, not to irregular negotiations, having in view new and untried relations with agencies unknown to and acting in derogation of the Con- stitution and laws, but to regular and considerate action of the people in those States, in co-operation with their brethren in the other States, through the Congress of the United States, and such extraordinary conventions, if there shall be need thereof, as the Federal Constitution contemplates and author- izes to be assembled. "It is, however, the purpose of the secretary of state, on this occasion, not to invite, or engage in, any discussion of these subjects, but simply to set forth his reasons for declining to comply with the request of Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford. " On the 4th of March inst., the newly elected President of the United States, in view of all the facts bearing on the present question, assumed the executive administration of the Government, first delivering, in accordance with an eai'ly, honored custom, an inaugural address to the people of the United States. The secretary of state respectfully sub- mits a copy of this address to Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford. " A simple reference to it will be suffi- cient to satisfy those gentlemen that the secretary of state, guided by the princi- ples therein announced, is prevented altogether from admitting or assuming that the States referred to by them have, in law or in fact, withdrawn from the Federal Union, or that they could do so in the manner described by Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford, or in any other manner than with the consent and concert of the people of the United States, to be given through a national convention, to be assembled in conform- ity with the provisions of the Consti- tution of the United States. Of course the secretary of state cannot act upon the assumption, or in any way admit that the so-called Confederate States constitute a foreign power, with whom diplomatic relations ought to be estab- Hshed." The commissioners, in spite of this re- buff, or encouraged probably by the courteous style in which it was con- veyed, still lingered at the capital awaiting the issue of events. The Confederate States continued to pursue with vigor their career of inde- pendent government. Having set up a constitution and an administration of their own, they now adopted a flag. In this respect they acted with less than their usual discretion. Presuming, as they still did undoubtedly, however justly or unjustly, upon a strong sym- pathy in the border and middle States with their movement, it was not politic in them to disregard the revered sym- bol of the united glory of the country. They thought, doubtless, that it was merely a matter of a bit of bunting with more or less colored stripes and 132 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. stars, but they forgot how such trifles are endeared to the heart of a nation when they have once become associated with its history. The committee to whom was referred the subject of the Confederate flag, seemed not altogether unconscious of the influence of the stars and stripes upon the national sentiment, and in their report thus ingeniously strove to weaken it: "Whatever attachment may be felt, from association, for the • stars and stripes' (an attachment which, your committee may be per- mitted to say, they do not all share), it is manifest that in inaugurating a new government, we cannot," said the com- mittee, " retain the flag of the govern- ment from which we have withdi-awn, with any propriety, or without encount- ering very obvious practical difficulties. There is no propriety in retaining the ensign of a government which, in the opinion of the States composing this confederacy, had become so oppressive and injurious to their interests as to re- quire theu- separation from it. It is idle to talk of ' keeping' the flag of the United States when we have voluntarily seceded from them. It is superfluous to dwell upon the practical difficulties which would flow from the fact of two distinct and probably hostile govern- ments, both employing the same or very similar flags. It would be a political and mihtary solecism. It would pro- duce endless confusion and mistakes. It would lead to perpetual disputes. As to 'the glories of the old flag,' we must bear in mind that the battles of the Revolution, about which our fond- est and proudest memories cluster, were not fought beneath its folds ; and although in more recent times — in the war of 1812 and in the war with Mexico — the South did win her fair share of glory, and shed her fuU measure of blood under its guidance and in its defence, we think the impartial page of history will preserve and commemorate the fact more imperishably than a mere piece of striped bunting. When the colonies achieved then' independence of the ' mother country' (which up to the last they fondly called her), they did not desire to retain the British flag or any- thing at all similar to it. Yet under that flag they had been planted, and nurtm'ed, and fostered. Under that flag they had fought in their infancy for their very existence against more than one determined foe. Under it they had repelled and driven back the relentless savage, and carried it farther and farther into the decreasing wilderness as the standard of civilization and rehgion. Under it the youthful Washington won his spm-s, in the memorable and un- fortunate expedition of Braddock, and Americans helped to j^laut it on the Heights of Abraham, where the im- mortal Wolfe fell, covered with glory, in the arms of victory. But our fore- fathers, when they separated themselves from Great Britain — a separation not on account of their hatred of the En- glish constitution or of English institu- tions, but in consequence of the tyran- nical and unconstitutional rule of Lord North's administration, and because PREPARATIONS AT CHARLESTON". 133 their destiny beckoned tliem on to in- dependent expansion and achievement — cast no hngering, regretful looks be- hind. They were proud of tlieir race and hneage, proud of their heritage in the glories, and genius, and language of Old England, but they were influenced by the spirit of the motto of the great Hampden, ' Yestigia nulla reirorsum.' They were determined to build up a new power among the nations of the world. They therefore did not attempt 'to keep the old flag.' We think it good to imitate them in this compara- tively httle matter, as well as to emu- late them in greater and more import- ant ones." The committee (of which it may not be impertinent to say that a South Carolinian was chairman, who, from the traditional disloyalty of his native State, was less likely to sympathize with the rev- erence of the nation for the symbol of its union) therefore recommended a new flag for the Confederate States, which was adopted, " consisting of a red field with a white space extending hori- zontally through the centre and equal in width to one third the width of the flag, the red spaces above and below being of the same width as the white ; the union blue extends down through the white space, but terminates at the lower red one. In the blue are stars corresponding in niunber to the States of the confederacy. The three co"- ors, red, white, and blue, are the true republican colors. In heraldry they are emblematic of the three great virtues, of valor, purity, and truth," reported the committee, while they added, "the col- ors constrast admirably, and are lasting." The Confederate Government besran to prepare actively for war. The gov- ernors of the several States having been ordered by President Davis, issued pro- clamations, calling upon the militia to muster. Greneral Beauregard, formerly a major in the United States engineer corps, was dispatched to take lUarch command of the works and forces 5' at Charleston. In the mean time the South Carolinians had made great pro- gress in strengthening and manning their defences. The people of Charles- ton were becoming each day more ex- cited as they contemplated the flag of the Union persistingly raised in their harbor. "The fate of the Southern Confederacy hangs," they said, " by the ensign halliards of Fort Sumter." The Governor of South Carolina made re- peated calls for troops, until seven thou- sand men had been gathered, and im- mense gangs of negro slaves brought from the plantations in the interior and set to work upon the fortifications. The floating batteries, which had been in course of construction for months, were now finished, mounted, manned, and anchored in the harbor. Ardent gentlemen of South Carolina volun- teered as privates, among whom there was a large number of the members of the convention, which had lately ad- journed. Senators and members of Congress from Carolina and other se- ceded States had offered their services, and while some, hke Senator Wigfall, of Texas, received appointments on General 134: THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. Beauregard's staff, others were con- strained to take their places in the ranks. In the mean time, however, there were still rumors that a conflict would be avoided by the evacuation of Fort Sumter by Major Anderson, with whom there continued to be preserved a court- eous relation by the citizens of Charles- ton, who not unfrequently had liim to dinner, or supplied him with delicacies from their tables and madeira from their cellars. Messengers traveling by land passed between the Federal Govern- ment and the fort, with the concurrence of the authorities of South Carolina. The batteries in the harbor, however, abated not a jot of their vigilance, and were determined not to let a vessel enter under the flag of the United States. A trading schooner of Boston, laden with ice, having drifted in a dense fos over the Charleston bar, close to the fort on Morris Island, was fired at. The captain hoisted the stars and stripes, but this only increased the intensity of the attack ; and he was glad finally to make his escape to sea, after having received several tliirty-two-pounder shots in his rigging. At Washington, the President and cabinet were supposed to be a long time perplexed how to act in regard to Fort Sumter, but finally came to a de- cision. It was determined to make a demonstration at least of sustaining Major Anderson. A fleet was hurriedly fitted out for the purpose, and prepared to sail, the destination of which it was not doubted was Charleston, although not publicly announced. At the same time a special messenger was sent by the United States Government to the authorities at Charleston, bearing the message that a peaceable effort would be made to supply the garrison of Fort Sumter with provisions, and that if this were not permitted, force would be tried. The Southern Confederacy accepted this as a menace of hostility. The people of Charleston were roused to a high degree of excitement. "We have patiently submitted," they said, " to the insolent military domination of a hand- ful of men in our bay for over three months after the declaration of our in- dependence of the United States. The object of that self-humiliation has been to avoid the effusion of blood while such preparation was making as to render it causeless and useless. " It seems we have been unable, by discretion, forbearance, and preparation, to effect the desired object, and that now the issue of battle is to be forced upon us. The gage is thrown down, and we accept the challenge. We will meet the invader, and the God of battles must decide the issue between the hostile hirelings of Abolition hate and Northern tyranny, and the people of South Car- olina defending their freedom and their homes. We hope such a blow will be struck in behalf of the South, that Sumter and Charleston harbor will be remembered at the North as long as they exist as a people."* The commissioners of the Con- jvpril federate States now left Washing- ^' o Charleeton Mercury. SUERENDER OF FORT SIBITER DEMANDED. 135 ton, after sending a defiant missive to the secretary of state : " It is proper, how- ever, to advise you," they said in their dispatch to Mr. Seward, " that it were well to dismiss the hopes you seem to entertain, that, by cny of the modes indicated, the people of the Confeder- ate States will ever be brought to sub- mit to the authority of the Government of the United States. You are dealing with delusions, too, when you seek to separate our people from our Govern- ment, and to characterize the deliberate, sovereign act of the people as a ' per- version of a temporary and partisan ex- citement.' If you cherish these dreams, you will be awakened from them, and find them as unreal and unsubstantial as others in which you have recently indulged. The undersigned would omit the performance of an obvious duty were they to fail to make known to the Government of the United States, that the people of the Confederate States have declared their independence with a full knowledge of all the responsibil- ties of that act, and with as firm a de- termination to maintain it by all the means with which nature has endowed them, as that which sustained their fathers when they threw off the author- ity of the British crown." As soon as it was suspected at Charleston that there was an intention on the part of the Federal authorities to make an effort to sustain Major Anderson and his garrison, all communi- cation between the people and the fort was at once stopped. Upon the arrival of the Federal messenger, Beauregard announced the fact by telegraph to the secretary of war of the Confederate States, Leroy P. Walker. " An authorized messenger from Pres- ident Lincoln just informed Gover- April nor Pickens and myself," wrote ^' Beauregard, " that provisions will be sent to Fort Sumter peaceably, or other- wise by force." To this the secretary answered : " If you have no doubt of the author- ized character of the agent who ^pril communicated to you the intention !•*• of the Washington Government, to sup- ply Fort Sumter by force, you will at once demand its evacuation, and if this is refused, proceed in such a manner as you may determine to reduce it. An- swer." Beauregard briefly responded : xj^^n "The demand will be made at 1^« twelve o'clock." The secretary, in his impatience, again replied: "Unless there are especial reasons connected with your own con- dition, it is considered proper that you should make the demand at an early hour." ' ' The reasons are special for twelve o'clock," was the positive response jVpril of the General. ^^' Accordingly Beauregard made his de- mand on the 11th of April, which led to the following correspondence : "Headquarters, Pkovisiokai. Army, C. S. A. ) CiiAELESTOX, S. C, April 11, 1861—2 p.m. J " Sir : The Government of the Con- federate States has hitherto forborne from any hostile demonstration against Fort Sumter, in the hope that the Gov- 136 THE WAR WITII THE SOUTH. ernment of the United States, ■with a view to the amicable adjustment of all questions between the two governments, and to avert the calamities of war, would voluntarily evacuate it. There was reason at one time to believe that such would be the course pursued by the Government of the United States ; and under that impression, my Government has refrained from making any demand for the surrender of the fort. "But the Confederate States can no longer delay assuming actual possession of a fortification commanding the en- trance of one of their harbors, and necessary to its defence and security. " I am ordered by the Government of the Confederate States to demand the evacuation of Fort Sumter. My aids, Colonel Chesnut and Captain Lee, are authoized to make such demand of you. All proper facilities will be af- forded for the removal of yourself and command, together with company arms and property, and all private property, to any post in the United States which you may elect. The flag which you have upheld so long and with so much fortitude, under the most trying circum- stances, maybe saluted by you on taking it down. " Colonel Chesnut and Captain Lee will, for a reasonable time, await your answer. " I am, sir, very respectfully, " Your obedient servant, " G. T. Beauregard, " Brigadier-General Commanding. " Major Robert Axdekson, commanding at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, S. C." " Headquarters, Fort Sumter, S. C, ) Ajiril 11, 1861. j " General : I have the honor to ac- knowledge the receipt of your communi- cation demanding the evacuation of this fort ; and to say in reply thereto, that it is a demand with which I regret that my sense of honor and of my obliga- tions to my Government jsrevent my compliance. " Thanking you for the fair, manly, and courteous terms proposed, and for the high compliment paid me, "I am. General, very respectfully, "Your obedient servant, "Robert Anderson, "Major U. S. Army, Commanding. " To Brigadier-General G. T. Beaukegakd, commanding Provisional Army, C. S. A." " MoNTGOiiERT, April 11, " Gen. Bbaurkgakd, Charleston : " We do not desire needlessly to bom- bard Fort Sumter, if Major Anderson will state the time at which, as indicated by him, he will evacuate, and agree that, in the mean time, he will not use his guns against us, unless ours should be employed against Fort Sumter. You are thus to avoid the effusion of blood. If this or its equivalent be refused, re- duce the fort as your judgment decides to be most practicable. "L. P. Walker, Sec. of War." "Headquarters, Provisional Armt, C. S. A. ) Charlestox, April 11, 1861 — 11 p.m. [ "Major : In consequence of the verbal observations made by you to my aids, Messrs. Chesnut and Lee, in relation to the conditon of your supplies, and that you would in a few days be starved out CORRESPONDEXCE BETWEEN BEAUREGARD AND ANDERSON. 137 if our guus did not batter you to pieces — or words to that effect — and desiring no useless effusion of blood, I communi- cated both the verbal observation and your written answer to my communica- tion to my Government. " If you will state the time at which you will evacuate Fort Sumter, and agree that in the mean time you will not use your guns against us, unless ours shall be employed against Fort Sumter, we will abstain from opening fire upon you. Colonel Chcsnut and Captain Lee are authorized by me to enter into such an agreement with you. You are therefore requested to com- municate to them an open answer. "I remain, Major, very respectfully, " Your obedient servant, " G. T. Beauregard, " Brigadier-General Commanding. " Major Robert Anderson, commanding at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, S. C." " Headquarters, Fort Sumter, S. C, ) 2.30 A.M., ^I;j»ri7 12, 18G1. ) " General : I have the honor to ac- knowledge the receipt of your second communication of the 11th inst., by Colonel Chesnut, and to state, in reply, that cordially uniting with you in the desire to avoid the useless effusion of blood, I will, if provided with the proper and necessary means of transportation, evacuate Fort Sumter by noon on the 15th instant, should I not receive, prior to that time, controlling instructions 18 from my Government, or additional supplies ; and that I will not, in the mean time, open my fire upon your forces, unless compelled to do so by some hostile act against this fort or the flag of my Government, by the forces under your command, or by some por- tion of them, or by the perpetration of some act showing a hostile intention on your part against this fort, or the flag it bears. " I have the honor to be, General, " Your obedient servant, "Robert Anderson, "Major U. S. A. Commanding. "To Brigadier-General G. T. Beauregard, commanding Provisional Army, C. S. A." « Fort Sumtek, S. C, ) April 12, 1861, 3.20 a.m. i" "Sir: By authority of Brigadier- General Beauregard, commanding the Provisional forces of the Confederate States, we have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his batteries on Fort Sumter in one hour from this time. " We have the honor to be, very re- spectfully, " Your obedient servants, " James Chesnut, Jr., " Aid-de-Camp. " Stephen D. Lee, " Captain S. C. Army and Aid-de-Camp. "Jl.ojor Robert Anderson, United States Army, commanding Fort Sumter." 138 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. CHAPTER XII. Excitement in the North in regard to Fort Sumter. — Precarious position of Major Anderson and liis Ganison.— Opinion of General Scott.— No effort to sustain Fort Sumter reported. — Effect of the Intelligence. — Government at last re- solved to make an Attempt. — Change of Feeling at the North. — Preparations of the Federal Government. — ^A Fleet got Ready. — Its Composition and Force. — Tlie proposed destination uncertain. — AiTival at the Eeudezvous at Charleston. — Non-arrival of the Tug-boats. — Defeat of purpose. — Schemes concocted. — Failure. — Fort Sumter. — The Artificial Island. —Construction and Cost. — The Fortress. — Its Cliaracter. — Strength and number of Guns. — Its in- completeness. — Its Position and Distances. — Its meagre Garrison. — Activity of the Enemy. — SliUful Engineering of Beauregard. — Description of Fort Moultrie. — Its Strength and Armament. — The Iron Battery at Point Cum- mings. — The Floating Battery. — Its Construction and Efficiency. — The Batteries at Fort Johnson. — Their Strength and Construction. — The Force of the Enemy. — Defences of Charleston. — Sliill of Beauregard. — Life of Beauregard. — Birth. — A Cadet at West Point. — Curious change of Name. — His Father. — Ducal descent of his Mother. — Graduation of Beauregard. — His Services in the War with Mexico. — Differs in opinion with his superior. — Beauregard' s Judg- ment Triumphant. — Rewards of Gallantry. — Another illustration of superior Judgment and another Triumph. — Return to Louisiana. — Honor to the young Hero. — Government appointments. — Personal appearance and character. — Becomes a Secessionist. — Correspondence between Beauregard and Anderson. — Opening of the Fire upon Fort Sumter. — Extent of Fire surprising. — T;udy Response of Major Anderson. — Division of his Garrison. — Who fired the first Gun ?— Enthusiasm of the Men.— Effect of the Fire. — The Enemy's Vigor. — The Parapet of Fort Sumter dreadfully damaged.— Danger to Life. — Havoc among the Gum en barhdle. — Tlie effect of the Enemy's Rifled Can- non. — On guard. — " Shot or Shell." — The laborers at the Guns. — A Hit in the Centre. — The Barracks on Fire. — Danger of the Magazine. — Continued Conflagration. — Tlie descent of the Flag. — Only a Salute. — A genuine Sliot. — The Flag still flying. — " Knocked down temporarily." — Cessation of the Fire of Fort Sumter during the Night. — Tlie Enemy still firing. —Attempt to rig new Halyards for the Flag. — Expecting Aid or an Assault. — Saturday Morn- ing. — ^The Conflagration of the Barracks continuing. — ^Its Effect. — Terrific Scene. — Danger of an Explosion. — Powder thrown overboard.— Scarcity of Cartridges. — An Explosion — The Crash. — Breaking of the Flagstaff. — Flag nallerl to its Place. — Arrival of a Stranger through an Embrasure. — The agitated Wigfall.— His pui-pose.— Displays his white Handkerchief. — An uncomfortable Post. — An Interview with the Slajor. — " I am General Wigfall." — Depart- ure of Wigfall. — An unauthorized Messenger. — Commissioners from Beauregard. — Interview with Major Anderson. — Hoisting of the White Flag. — Terms of Surrender agreed upon. — Departure of Major Anderson and his Garrison. — Firing of Salute to the United States Flag. — Accident. — Major Anderson sails for New Yorlt. 1861. The public mind at the North had been greatly excited in regard to Fort Sumter. The position of Major Anderson with his meagre garri- son was known to be very precarious, besieged as he was by the powerful works in Charleston harbor, with an in- furiated mob of seven thousand men to defend them, and cut off from all com- munication by land or sea. The highest military authority of the Union, Lieu- tenant-General Scott, was reported to have given it as his opinion that it was impracticable, without such a military and naval force as the Government at that time could not command, to rein- force Fort Sumter. Anderson's mas- tei'ly movement, in quitting Fort Moul- trie, and his resolute and protracted support of the flag of the United States, while surrounded by those who with intense hostility were resolutely bent upon dishonoring it, had won for him the sympathy of the whole countiy. When, tlierefore, it was authoritatively declared again and again that no effort could or would be made to sustain him, anguish of despair wrung every an UlSriTED STATES EXPEDITION TO FORT STOITER. 139 patriotic heart. A sudden change, how- ever, came with the rumor that the Government had at last determined at all hazards to make the attempt, and the desponding nation was once more cheered with hope. The Federal authorities were evi- dently preparing for some momentous movement. Orders had been issued to have the vessels of war at the various navy yards immediately detailed for service. A number of large merchant steamers and sailing vessels had been chartered. The garrisons of the various forts in the Northern harbors had been got ready to embark. The recruiting in the large cities for sailors and soldiers had been stimulated to an unusual degree. Finally, a fleet was got ready and sailed, and although the Government strove to keep its destination a secret, all sus- pected, as they hoped, that it was Charleston. The vessels sailed from the various ports where they happened to be, to meet at a certain rendezvous de- termined upon. The steam sloop of war Pawnee, Captain S. C. Rowan, of ten guns, and with two hundred men, sailed from Washington with sealed orders on the morning of Saturday, April ^pril 6th. On the afternoon of 6tl>» the same day, the steam sloop of war Powhatan, of eleven guns, and with two hundred and seventy-five men, left the Brooklyn navy yard. On the following Monday, the revenue April cutter Harriet Lane, after having 8» exchanged her revenue flag for that of the United States, sailed from the harbor of Now York with an armament of five guns and a crew of ninety-six men. Three of the largest and swiftest of the merchant steamers hitherto enfraErod in peaceful commerce had been char- tered, and now laden with armed men and munitions of war joined the ex- pedition. The Atlantic, with three hun- dred and fifty-eight troops, com- j^p^jj posed of Companies A and M of ''• the Second Artillery, Companies C and H of the Second Infantry, and Company A of Sappers and Miners, from West Point, steamed out of the harbor of New York on the morning of Sunday, April 7th. Two days after, the Baltic fol- lowed, with a hundred and sixty j^pry ti'oops. Companies C and D, which ^' had been lately recruited and stationed at Govei-nor's Island, in New York bay. On the same day the Illinois put to sea with three hundred troops, made ^pril up of Companies B, E, F, G, and H, 9' of a detachment of Company D, and two companies of the Second Infantry gathered from the recruits at Governor's Island, Bedloe's Island, and Fort Ham- ilton. Two steam-tugs — the Yankee, which sailed on Monday, the 8th of April, j^pru and the Uncle Ben, which followed ^' on the day after — completed this hurried- ly gathered but not unimposing naval force. Thirty launches were also distributed among the larger steamers, to be used for the purpose of landing the troops through the surf under the cover of the fire of the armed vessels, or, being pro- tected with sand-bags, and armed with 140 THE TVAR WITH THE SOUTH. swivel guns and riflemen, to aid in the attack of batteries.* Of this force, though the whole was supposed by the people to be destined for Charleston, only the Powhatan, the Pawnee, the Harriet Lane, the Baltic, and the steam-tugs sailed for that port. The rest took their course for the Gulf of Mexico, to reinforce the garrisons of the Federal forts on the coasts of Ala- bama and Florida. The Pawnee, the Harriet Lane, and April the Baltic reached the rendezvous 12. off Charleston on the 12th of April, but the Yankee and Uncle Ben had foiled to ari'ive, having been de- tained by unfavorable weather. The orders of the fleet were, that unarmed boats should first be sent in with stores ; but if they were fired upon, an effort was to be made to relieve the fort by force. "Without the tug-boats, the pro- posed object of the expedition could not be eflectually accompUshed, as the only unarmed steamer, the Baltic, was of too great a draught of water to pass the bar of Charleston, and the steam-tugs were alone capable of approaching the fort through the shallow water. The naval commanders, however, after a o The whole force may be thus recapitulated : TfSids. Ouns. 2!fn, Sloop of war Pawnee 10 200 Sloop of war Powhatan 11 275 Cutter Harriet Lane 5 96 Steam transport Atlantic — .353 Steam transport Baltic — 160 Steam transport niinois — 300 Steam-tug Yankee Ordinary crew. Steam-tug Uncle Ben Ordinary crew. Total number of vessels 8 Total number of guns (for marine service) 26 Total nnmber of men and troops 1,384 council, determined to make an efibrt for the reUef of Major Anderson, who was already under shot, for as soon as the first rockets had been sent up to signalize the concentration of the fleet, the enemy had opened fire. The plan agreed upon was to hoist out the small boats and launches, load them with men and stores, and to tow them as far as possible, and then, while covering them with the guns of the steamers, to send them in alone. This, however, failed in consequence of the Baltic having got aground during the night, while prepa- rations were being made to disembark her stores and troops. Other schemes were devised, but before they could be put into execution, the time for action had past. Fort Sumter had fallen. Fort Sumter had been considered one of the strongest works in the United States. The island upon which it is built was artificial!}' constructed by placing upon the original sand and mud a large quantity of refuse granite, brought from Xorthern quarries, and pressing it deeply down until an un- yielding foundation was laid. This alone cost the labor of ten 3-ears and an expense of five hundred thousand dol- lars, to which another half milhon was added before, the completion of the whole fort. The walls of the fortifica- tion, composed of brick and compact concrete, are sixty feet in height and from eight to twelve feet in thickness. The fort is pentagonal, and is pierced for three tiers of guns, on all sides but the southern, where are the sally-ports and docks, which had been left uupro- FORTS AT CHARLESTON". 141 tected, as it looks toward the land, and the work had been mainly intended as a defence against attack from the sea. Although it was originally designed to have ai-med the fort with one hun- dred and forty cannon of various cali- bres, there were but seventy-five in position when the enemy opened fire. Of these, eleven were Paixhans, and a number, thirty-two pounders, four of which were en larbeiie, and uncovered, and being on pivots could be made to take a wide range. Fort Moultrie was within command of nine of the Paix- hans, and the two others pointed toward Castle Pinckney, too far distant, how- ever, to be within range. Most of the large columbiads in the fort were ?iot yet mounted. The magazines were well supplied with ammunition, sufficient it was thought for a year, and artificial wells had been constructed capable of holding a supply of water for the same period. The distance from Fort Sumter to Charleston is three miles and three eighths of a mile. Together with Fort Moultrie, which had been abandoned by Anderson, Sumter was surrounded by Cumming's Point and Fort Johnson, where strong works had been con- structed and mounted, and a floating battery. From Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter is distant one and one-eighth of a mile ; from Cumming's Point three- fourths of a mile ; from Fort Johnson one and one fourth of a mile ; while the floating battery had been anchored about half a mile from the weak side of Sumter. The greatest range of the guns of Fort Sumter was estimated at three miles, which placed the city of Charleston beyond reach of its fire. Six hundred men would have been required fully to garrison the fort and work the guns ; but Major Anderson could only muster one hundred and nine,* of whom thirty were laborers, and fifteen composed the band. The enemy had dihgently improved every moment in strengthening the Fed- eral forts they had taken possession of, and in adding new woi-ks, under the skilful direction of General Beauregard, once esteemed as among the ablest offi- cers of engineers in the United States service. Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, had been repaired, its dismantled guns unspiked and mounted again, and the lateral spaces between the cannon pro- tected by sand-bags, to secure them against a flank fire. Though a weak work, in comparison with Fort Sumter, its walls, built of brick, capped with stone and filled in with earth, presented a solid enclosure of nearly sixteen feet in thickness. Its original armament ° The garrison was thus composed : „ . . « OHfflnal Entry Officera. Bank. Re^jiraent or Curpti. j^^j^^ seiTloe. E. Anderson ..Major Ist Artillery .. .July 1,1325.. . S.W. Crawford. Ass"t Surgeon.. Medical Staff ..Miirch 10, ISol A. Doubleday.. Captain. Ist Artillery .. ..July 1, 1*13..., T. Seymour.... Captain Ist Artillery ...July 1, 1S4(!..., T. Talbot Ist Lieut 1st Artillery .. .May 22, 1*4T.. Jeff. C. Davis.. 1st Lieul 1st Artillery ...June IT, 1»13., J.N. Hall 2d Lieut 1st Artillery ...Julyl, 1M9 .. J. G. Foster Captain Engineers July 1, 1*46 ... G. \T. Snyder. .1st Lieut Engineers July 1, 1S56. . . E. K. Meade... 2d Lieut Engineers July 1, 185T.... Officers Band Artillerists . Laborers . . . Born iQ Ky. Penn, N. Y. Vt. ,D. C. Iiid. .N.T. N. H. N.T Va. 9 15 65 80 Total IDS 142 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. was composed of eleven guns of hea^y calibre and several powerful mortars. On Cumming's Point the enemy had erected a battery made of thick logs of yellow pine. This was covered with a slanting roof of the same material, which had been rendered baU-proof by railroad iron dovetailed and riveted together. The port-holes were supplied with iron shutters, which opened as the guns were thrust out to fire, and fell as they re- coiled after a shot, and thus shut in the artillerists within an hon-bound and im- penetrable cover. This novel battery was mounted with three columbiads, which bore directly on the southern and weakest side of Fort Sumter. The most cui'ious, and not the least effective, perhaps, of the enemy's works, was the floating battery, which in the course of its construction had given rise to much speculation and not a httle rid- icule. This, too, was constructed of heavy pine logs and faced with a double layer of railroad iron. It was about a hundred feet in length and twenty-five in width. Its face presented an angle horizontally disposed, formed by its re- treating roof and the front wall inclining backward as it descended to the water. It was mounted with four guns of the heaviest caUbre, which were said to re- quire sixty men to work them. A mag- azine for ammunition was built in the hold, below the water-hne, and hned with sand-bags, laid seven feet thick, not only to protect it from shot, but to act as ballast necessary to counterpoise the heavy armament above. To the stern of this strange structure was attached a floating hospital, to provide for the or- dinary emergencies of war. At Fort Johnson — so called from its being the site of an old work no longer existing — on James' Island, two long batteries were erected of sand, and mounted with heavy cannon and mor- tars. Other temporary structures were raised, some of palmetto logs, and oth- ers of earth and sand, on Morris and Stono islands, Hadril's Point, and other parts of the harbor, which bore on its approaches, or upon Fort Sumter. A large force, said to have amounted to over seven thousand men, had been mustered to the defence of Charleston. Four thousand of these were manning the works in the harbor, while the rest were held in reserve on Sullivan and Morris islands and in Charleston, to be ready to repel any attack by land. The city itself was immediately de- fended by the fort at Castle Pinckney, and cannon on the Battery in front of Charleston. These, however, could only be of service in case the above works had failed to keep out any intruder. Castle Pinckney is situated at the south- ern extremity of Shute's Folly Island. Its armament consists of some thirty- two pounders, columbiads, and mortars, amounting in all to about twenty-five pieces. Its walls are six feet in thick- ness, and are pierced for one row of guns, while there is another en harbette. The work is small, and of little import- ance in an attack from the sea. AU the old defences had been greatly improved, and new ones constructed, by the skilful engineering of General Beauregard, the LIFE OF BEAUREGAED. 143 officer who had been sent by the gov- ernment of the Confederate States to take command at Charleston. Peter Gustavus Toutant Beauregard had ah'eady, while in the service of the United States, won a distinguished rep- utation as an engineer. He was born on his father's plantation, near New Or- leans. The family name is said to be Toutant, and that of the estate Beaure- gard, which, by a curious accident, was originally attached to the patronymic, and assumed by the present bearer, in this wise : The youth, when admitted a cadet at West Point, was presented as Toutant de Beauregard, signifying mere- ly that he was a Toutant of the planta- tion of Beauregard, and thus entered upon the records of the institution. This, however, was supposed to be his surname, and he was so called. Not averse, probably, to the dignified sound- ing of the appellation, the youth did not care to correct the error, and subse- quently assumed the name of Beaure- gard as his own. His father was a wealthy Creole, with extensive estates in Louisiana, and a descendant of a reputable French fam- ily. His mother's name was Reggio, for whom has been claimed a descent from the Italian ducal house of the Reg- gios of Italy. In 1834;, young Beaure- gard entered the military academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1838, ranking the second of a class of forty- five cadets. On his graduation, he re- ceived the commission of a second lieu- tenant in the First Regiment of Artillery, but iu a week after was transferred to the Corps of Engineers. In June, 1839, he was promoted a fii-st lieutenant, and was serving in this grade when the war with Mexico broke out. He accompa- nied the ai'my to Vera Cruz, and con- tinued with it during its career of con- quest to the capital of Mexico. At the very first moment he gave in- dications of that surety of eye, precision of foresight, and carefulness of judgment which are his distinguishing qualities. Before Vera Cruz, he was sent out at the head of a party of sappers and miners to dig and pre^^are a trench, in accordance with the directions of his colonel. Upon examining the ground, however, he appeared to find serious obstacles to the proposed plan. To as- sure himself, he climbed a tree, and with the aid of his glass took a careful survey, which resulted in confirming the objections to his colonel's plan. He dis- covered that the trench, if made as pro- posed, would be enfiladed by the en- emy's guns. It was a difficult position for a young subaltern thus to find him- self at variance with the judgment of his superior. He, however, did not hesi- tate, but returned to his colonel without having turned a sod. The officer, sur- prised to see him so soon, asked if he had done the work ah-eady. Beaure- gard replied that he had not touched it, and gave his reasons. The colonel was still more startled by the presumption of the youthful subaltern who had ven- tured to dispute the judgment of his su- perior, instead of submissively obeying his orders. He accordingly, with the characteristic peremptoriness of the lU THE "WAR WITH THE SOUTH. military commauder, reminded him of duties of obedience, and at the same time impatiently declared that " the ground had been thoroughly exarmned, a perfect reconnoisance had been made, and that a mistake was impossible."' Notwithstanding this, he was impressed by the judgment of Beauregard, and took another survey of the ground, when he found reason to concur with the view of his young heutenant. For his gallant conduct at Contreras and Cherubusco, Beauregard was bre- vetted captain, to date from 20th of August, 1847, and again for his services at Chapultepec, he was promoted to the brevet rank of major, to date from the loth of September of the same year. At the assault of the Belen gate of the city of Mexico, Beauregard was wounded, and throughout the whole campaign he was not only among the most brave, but ranked among the ablest and most use- ful of the officers. General Scott, in his dispatch from the capital of Mexico, into which he had just entered as conqueror, spoke of Beauregard as one of " our dis- tinguished engmeers," by the aid of whose efficient and daring reconnois- sances, he was enabled to foUow up the victory of El Molino del Rey with the triumphal capture of the city of Mexico. Again, in his official report, Scott al- luded to Beauregard as one of the five lieutenants of engineers "who were the admiration of aU" during the storming of the fortress of Chapultepec, the strug- gle at the gates, and the entrance into the capital. Another illustration of the correct- 1 ness of his judgment is given in the following incident, said to have occurred before the city of Mexico : A night or two before the attack, a council of war was held. There were assembled all the officers, from the Lieu- tenant-General, including Major-General Worth and others, down to Beauregard, the youngest in the room. The council sat many hours. All the officers, but one, had spoken, and unanimously main- tained a plan of operations at variance with that of Scott. The officer who had not tendered his opinion was Beau- regard. At last General Pierce crossed over and said : " You have not expressed an opinion." "I have not been called on," said Beauregard. Pierce, soon resum- ing his seat, announced that Lieutenant Beauregard had not given his views. Being then called upon, he remarked, that if the plan which had received the con- sent of all but the commanding general was carried into effect, it would prove disastrous. It would be another Cheru- busco affair. He then detailed the ob- jections to it at length ; and taking up the other, m-ged the reasons in its favor with equal earnestness. The council reversed their decision. The city of Mexico was entered according to the plan urged by the young heutenant, and it would seem that his reasons in- fluenced the decision. A few days after- ward. General Scott, in the joresence of a number of general officers, alluded to Lieutenant Beauregard's opinion at the council, and the consequences which had followed from it. On his return to Louisiana, the yoimg STANDARD ILLUSTRATED BOOKS. BEISOX J. LOSSmG'S "LIFE OF WASHINGTON "BATTLES OF AMERICA BY SEA AND LAND." j " THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH," by Robt. Tomes, MJ Illustrated by F. 0. C. DAEIEY, and other Eminent Artists. 1 OFFICE OF WEALE'S SERIES or BfflllMENTAM, SCIENTIFIC, Efliicational CLASSICAL WORKS REISSUE tj, , k, k. illusteat: WORKS, ON THE SCEKEKY '. The United Stai CANADA ITALY, SWITZERLAI THE BOSPHORU Tlie DASIIBl &c., &c. '• THE ' TURNER GALLI Vernon Gallei WILKIE GALLEl ScnlBture Galler &c., &c. 12 DEY ST., and 544 BROADWAl Piirt 4 It!-i.rr.,t.,t I.,, !■: n r i> \i:i IV .,■ l ■• ,. /,,.,,„- I-.,-. I ICC -n't. h».W= VIRTUE 4 YORSTON. i; I'Kv j»ri:»:i:r. a>» .44 uuuauway. xkw tohk r^ yp^-^^^^^^^ ^^-y FmE OPENED OlSr SIBITER. 145 Lero was presented witli a costly sword. The Government of the United States appointed him the chief engineer to su- perintend the construction of the Mint and Custom-house at New Orleans, and of the fortifications at the mouth of the Mississippi. Beauregard at this time was forty- three years of age, and willi his healthful manhood, his vigorous and concentrated frame, his promptitude of movement and power of endurance, had all the bodily qualifications for a hardy cam- paigner. His abilities and thorough cul- ture as an engineer are unquestioned, and his admirers claim for him great capacity as a strategist and leader of armies. Born in Louisiana, and bound to it by the strong ties of family and prop- erty, he had not unnaturally joined his destiny to the fate of his native State. He is, moreover, supposed to have been early involved in the Southern conspir- acy, through the influence of his brother- in-law, John Slidell, the former senator of the United States from Louisiana, and one of the main instigators of the late rebellion. "By authority of Brigadier-General Beauregard, commanding the provisional April forces of the Confederate States, i2' we have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his batteries on Fort Sumter in one hour from this time." This was the communication ad- dressed by the aids-de-camp of Beaure- gard to Major Anderson at twenty min- utes past three o'clock on the morning of Friday, the 12th of April. At twenty minutes past four o'clock, accordingly, 19 the batteries surrounding Fort Sumter opened fire. Major Anderson waited until full daylight, as he did not care to waste any of his ammunition before re- plying. He, however, immediately or- dered the sentinels away from the para- joets, the posterns closed, the flag drawn up, and forbid his men to leave the bomb-proofs until summoned by the drum. The extent of the enemy's fire greatly surprised the garrison, which, however, was now explained by the revelation, for the first time, of a battery of which there had been hitherto no suspicion. This was a battery on Sullivan's Island, masked by a cover of brush-wood and other materials. Skilfully constructed, heavily mounted, and artfully protected, its fire was very eS'ective. It showed seventeen mortars, throwing ten-inch shells, and thirty-three heavy cannons, most of which were columbiads. The shots from these powerful guns struck against the walls of Fort Sumter with a "terrific crash," as the defenders de- clared, and several of the shells burst inside the fort. Major Anderson, however, did not re- spond, and as late as half-past six o'clock had not fired a shot, the men at that hour being at breakfast, which they ate " leisurely and calmly." Immediately after, however, everything was got ready for work. The garrison was so few in number and so worn out by the harass- ing labors of a long siege, that it was found necessary to husband its strength. The whole was accordingly divided into three reliefs or parties, which were to 146 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. work the batteries in turns each during four hours. The first relief was under the com- mand of Captain Doubleday, of the Artillery, and Lieutenant Snyder, of the Engineer Corj^s. Upon this party ac- cordingly devolved the duty of opening the fire, and at seven o'clock in the morning the first gun was fired by Doubleday. The fire was directed against the batteries at Cumming's Point, sixteen hundred yards distant ; the u'on floating battery, anchored about two thousand yards away, and Fort Moultrie and the additional batteries on SulUvan's Island. The cannonade was kept up with great spirit for four hours ; and such was the enthusiasm of the garrison, that it was impossible to prevent the reliefs off duty from taking part in the work. The fire told apparently with good effect upon the waUs of Fort Moultrie, the embrasures of which were considerably damaged. The battery on Cumming's Point, however, seemed invulnerable, shot and shell glancing harmlessly off from its mail of iron. The enemy's fire was constant and effective. Their shells burst in rapid succession against all parts of the fort, scattering the loosened brick and stone in every dii-ection, breaking the windows and settmg fire to whatever wood-work they touched. The gorge in the rear of the fort was already so pierced with balls that it looked like a sieve. The enemy poured their heaviest fire on the parapet of the fort, and it became impossible to go there without the cer- tainty of death. Their shot, aimed priu- cijDally at the guns en barbette, soon made great havoc among them, disabhng one ten-inch columbiad, one eight-inch co- lumbiad, one forty-two pounder, and two eight-inch howitzers. At the same time, a large portion of the parapet, ujjon which these guns were placed, was carried away, and Major Anderson was obUged to forbid his men to expose themselves there any longer in manning the barbette, or uncovered, cannons. The garrison was thus limited to the use of the two lower tiers of guns, which were protected by casemates. An English rifle cannon, which had been presented to Charleston by an enthusiastic friend of secession at Liver- pool, was fired with great accuracy. Its baUs frequently entered the embrasures of Fort Sumter, and on one occasion slightly wounded four men. More mis- chief would have been done, had not a man been kept constantly on the look- out to cry, whenever the enemy fired, " shot" or " shell," as it happened to be, so that our men could seek safety under cover. Our soldiers never faltered at their work, and even the laborers, though at the beginning reluctant to handle the guns, finally took hold and vied with the others in the dangerous service. "We had to abandon one gun," wrote one of the officers, "on account of the close fixe made upon it. Hearing the fii'e renewed, I went to the spot. I there found a party of workmen engaged in serving it. I saw one of them stoop- ing over, with his hands on his knees, convulsed with joy, while the tears rolled do^yn his powder-begrimed cheeks. FIRST DAT OF THE SIEGE. 147 ' What are you doing here with that gun V I asked. ' Hit it right in the centre, ' was the reply ; the man meaning that his shot had taken effect in the centre of the floating battery." The shot of the enemy was particu- larly destructive to the barracks where the officers had their quarters. Most of the brick work was demolished, and the interior, of wood, was in flames several times. As the day advanced, the fire was continued with more vigor by the enemy than ever, while Major Anderson soon found his ability to re- spond gi'eatly diminished. His car- tridges became exhausted about noon, and he was forced to set his men to work in the magazine, making them of blankets and shirts. The frequent conflagration of the officers' barracks was now a source of increased anno3Mnce and danger. Three times they had caught, and three times been put out. While extinguishing the flames, the men were obliged to go out upon the parapet, where, though di- rectly exposed to the thickest of the shower of balls, they could not resist the temptation of discharging clandestinely the cannon which had been loaded and pointed on the day before, ready to fire. The soldiers throughout exhibited great daring. On Friday, when some of our vessels outside having saluted the fort, Major Anderson ordered his flag to be lowered and raised in response, Ser- geant Hart, catching a glance at it just as it was descending, and thinking it had been cut away by a shot, rushed out into the open parade in the thickest of the fire, m order to raise it. As it rose, a ball really did come which divided the halyards, but the rope caught by the wind twisted around the staff" and held the flag in its place. A veteran sergeant, of the name of Kearnan, who had served in the Mex- ican campaigns, was struck on the head by a portion of masonry shivered by a shot, and felled to the ground. On rising, he was asked if he were badly hurt. " No," said he, " I was only knocked down temporarily." The men were now obliged to keep so close to their work, that their meals were served to them while at their guns. The fire of the enemy became more brisk and accurate as the day was closing. Their iron battery at Cumming's Point, with its rifled cannon, was making great havoc, striking the embrasures at every shot. During Friday night some of our men strove to chmb the flagstaff" and rig new halyards m place of those which had been cut away, but could not suc- ceed. The flag, however, still was fly- ing. At night, Major Anderson ordered the jDort-holes to be closed, and ceased active operations, but the enemy con- tinued their fire. A shot or shell struck against the walls, within which the httle garrison was cooped up, about every fif- teen minutes during the whole night. Major Anderson stationed until next morning a non-commissioned officer and four men at each salient embrasure, to be in readiness for any boats that might come, whether from friend or foe, as relief from the fleet outside or an assault from the enemy was not improbable. 148 TIIE WAli WITH THE SOUTH. On Saturday morning the officei's' quarters again caught fire from the burst- April i^g of ^ ten-inch shell discharged 1^' by the enemy. It was now found impossible even to make the attempt to put out the conflagration, as red-hot shot were pouring constantly into the fort, and from the general ruin the ex- posure was so great. The main gates were already destroyed, so that five hun- dred men could have readily formed in the gorge and marched in without oppo- sition. The walls, too, were so weak- ened, it was feared that each shot might pierce or prostrate them. The fire of the barracks spread rapidly, and was soon sweeping up all the wood-work of the fortress. Great fears were now entertained for the safety of the magazine. Every man who could be spared was put to work in removing the powder. Ninety-six barrels were rolled out through the ■ flames, at the imminent hazard of life, and most of them flung into the sea. Two hundred were left behind, as it was found impossible to make any further effort, in consequence of the excessive heat, to remove them. The doors of the magazine were now closed and locked, but there was a constant dread of an explosion as the flames gathered about the whole structure. The direction of the wind was such that it blew the smoke into the fort, and so filled it that the men could no longer see each other, and the air became so hot and stifling that it was almost im- possible to breathe. They were finally forced to cover their faces with wet cloths, and often thus to he prostrate on the ground. Some, however, man- aged to grope their way to the cannon. A gun was occasionally fired, to give the fleet and the enemy notice that the gar- rison still held out, but the cannoneers could not see to aim, and the cartridges had became so scarce that there was hardly a cannon wad left. As the sparks flew thick in every direction, it was impossible to attempt to make fresh cartridges. The men at the same time had become prostrate, as much in con- sequence of their constant working at the guns as for want of proper food. They had eaten their last biscuit thirty- six hours previous. In the mean time the enemy increased their fire, which, added to the conflagra- tion, the heat and the smoke, the crash and the ruin, produced a scene of inde- scribable awe and confusion. " The crashing of the shot, the bursting of the shells, the falling of walls, and the roar of the flames made," reported an eye- witness, "a pandemonium of the fort." Now, to add to the horror of the scene, the shells and ammunition in the upper service-magazines exploded, scat- tering the tower and upper portions of the structure in every direction. " The crash of the beams, the roar of the flames, the rapid explosion of the shells, and the shower of fragments of the fort, with the blackness of the smoke, made the scene," wrote one who was present, " indescribably terrific and grand." The conflagration continued to spread, and having reached the men's quarters, soon enveloped them in flames. The ARRIVAL OF WIGF^VLL. 149 barrels of powder which had been taken out of the magazine and retained for use, were now in danger of explosion. All but four were accordingly thrown through the embrasures into the water, and those which were left were wrapped in many thicknesses of wetted woollen blankets. The garrison was now re- duced to its last three cartridges, and those were ah'eady in the guns. The flagstaff, which seemed to have been the constant aim of the enemy, had been struck already eight times, when it received a ninth shot, which broke it at about fifty feet from the truck and brought down the flag. " The flag is down — it has been shot away !" was the cry, when Lieutenant Hall rushed out and brought it in safely. It was found impossible, from the entanglement of the halyards, to hoist it again, and it was accordingly nailed to the broken staff and planted upon the ramparts in the midst of a shower of shot and shell from the enemy's busy batteries. Soon after the flag had fallen, and toward the close of day, a man presented himself at one of the embrasures of the fort in a boat, with a white handkerchief tied to a sword, asking to see Major Anderson. In his impatience, however, to get under cover, he climbed up, and was crawling through the embrasure when he was told that Major Anderson was at the main gate. He, however, did not heed what was said, but continued to make his way into the fort, where, on landing, he said, hurriedly : " I wish to see Major Anderson ; I am General Wigfall, and come from General Beauregard ;" while he added, with great agitation, ' ' let us stop this firing. You are on fire, and your flag is down. Let us quit." Lieutenant Davis replied : " No, sir— our flag is not down. Step out here and you wiU see it waving over the ramparts." "Let us quit this," exclaimed the agitated Wigfall. " Here's a white flag [handing his handkerchief] — will any- body wave it out of the embrasure ?" " That is for you to do, if you choose," was the reply ; to which Wigfall re- joined : " If there's no one else to do it, I will ;" and jumping into the embrasure through which he had just crawled, he waved his white handkerchief toward Fort Moultrie. The firing, however, of the enemy still continued, to the evident disappointment of Wigfall, who, after repeated requests on his part, was re- lieved from his hazardous position by a« corporal who took his place and waved the flag. The enemy, however, still gave it no heed, and the corporal, finding the shot falling thick and fast about him, leaped down from the embrasure, exclaiming: "Damn it! they don't re- spect this flag — they are firing at it." " They fired at me two or three times, and I stood it," answered Wigfall, "and I should think you might stand it once." As he spoke, he turned toward the officers and added : " If you will show a white flag from your ramparts, they will cease firing." Lieutenant Davis replied: "If you request that a flag shaU be shown there while you hold a 150 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. conference with Major Anderson, and for that purpose alone, it may be done." At this moment Major Anderson came up, and Wigfall said to him: "I am General Wigfall, and come from General Beam-egard, who wishes to stop this." The Major, rising on his toes, and coming down firmly on his heels, ex- claimed, "WeU, sir!" "Major Anderson," resumed Wigfall, "you have defended your flag nobly, sir. You have done all that is possible for man to do, and General Beauregard wishes to stop the fight. On what terms. Major Anderson, will you evacu- ate this fort ?" "General Beauregard is already ac- quainted with my only terms," replied the Major. "Do I understand that you will evac- uate upon the terms proposed the other day ?" " Yes, sir, and on those conditions #only." "Then, sir," said WigfaU, "I under- stand that the fort is to be ours ?" " On those conditions only, I repeat," firmly declared Anderson. "Very well — that's all I have to do. You mihtary men will arrange every- thing else on your own terms," said the modest Wigfall, and retired. He now left in his boat, his white handkerchief waving from the rampart where it had been placed at his request, but the United States flag nailed to the broken staff was no longer standing. Shortly after his departure. Major Lee, the Honorable Porcher Miles, Sen- ator Chesnut, and the Honorable Roger A. Pryor, the staff of General Beaure- gard, approached the fort with a white flag, and said they came from General Beauregard, who had observed that the flag had been down and raised again a few minutes afterward. The General had sent over, desiring to know if he could render any assistance, as he had observed that the fort was on fire. Ma- jor Andei'son, in replying, requested them to thank General Beauregard for the offer, but it was too late, as he had just agreed with General Beauregard for an evacuation. The three, com- prising the deputy, looked at each other blankly, and asked with whom ? Major Anderson, observing that there was something wi'ong, remarked that Gen- eral Wigfall, who had just left, had rep- resented himself to be the Aid of General Beauregard, and that he had come over to make the proposition. After some conversation among them- selves, they said to Major Anderson that Wigfall had not seen General Beauregard for two days. Major Anderson rephed that General Wigfall's offer and its ac- ceptance had placed him in a peciiUar po- sition, and ordered the United States flasr to be raised again. They then requested him to place in writing what General Wigfall had said to him, and they would lay it before General Beauregard, and at the same time urged him to leave the flag down in the meanwhile, with which request Anderson comphed. After the note reached General Beau- regard, he sent his adjutant-general and other members of his staff", including the Honorable Roger A. Pryor and Gover- SURRENDER OF FORT SUIITER. 151 nor Manning, proposing the same con- ditions which Major Anderson had of- fered to go out upon, with the exception only of not saluting his flag. Major An- derson said that he had already informed General Beauregard that he was going out. They asked him if he would not accept of the terms without the salute. Major Anderson told them, No ; but that it should be an open point. General Beauregard soon after sent word that Major Anderson's terms had been accepted, and that he would send the Isabel, or any other vessel at his command, to convey him and his men to any port in the United States he should choose. The terms of evacuation were, that the garrison should take all their indi- vidual and company's property with them ; that they should march out with their side and other arms, with all the honors in their own way and in their own time, and that they should salute their flag and bear it away with them. It was late on Saturday night when the terms demanded were finally agreed to by General Beaiuregard. N^ext morn- ing, on Sunday, the Isabel came ^pru down from Charleston and an- 14« chored near Fort Sumter, and the little steamer Chnch lay alongside the wharf to transport Major Anderson and his men to the larger vessel. When the baggage had been all put on board the Chnch, the soldiers being inside of the fort under arms, a number were detailed to salute the United States flag. At the fiftieth gun, the flag was lowered and the men set up a loud cheer. In firing, however, this last discharge, a premature explosion took place which kiUed one man instantane- ously, seriously wounded another, and injured less seriously two other men. These were the only casualties of mo- ment dui'ing the whole conflict. The troops, now being formed, were marched out, while the band played "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail to the Chief." Remaining on board the Isabel during the night, in consequence of the» state of the tide, Major Anderson and his command were transferred next morning to the Baltic, and during the evening of the day after sailed for New York. 15i THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. bed. Our limited time prevented us from visiting the battery to the north of Fort Moultrie. We learn, however, that though many of the buUdings around it had been struck several times, and fences, trees, etc., cut away, the battery sustained no injury. Provi- dentially, no hot shot was thrown from Sumter — probably from the fact that the garrison had no fuel." The battery ou Cumming's Point had escaped without damage, beyond six in- dentations in its iron armor, showing the accuracy of the firing of Fort Sum- ter, as weU as proving the invulnera- bility of the novel structure. The greatest interest had been nat- urally displayed by the people of Charles- ton at the approach of and during the bombardment of Fort Simiter. The en- thusiasm was described as "intense, and the eagerness for the conflict, if it must come, as unbounded." For days before the attack, the citizens of Charleston were alert with expectation. Thus, at midnight, on one occasion, a dischai'ge of the signal guns of Citadel Square being fired, the whole city was aroused. Hundi-eds of men left their beds, hurry- ing to and from then- respective posts. In the absence of sufficient annories, the armed citizens gathered at the corners of the streets, in the public squares, and other convenient places, and all night long the roll of the drum, the steady tramp of the mihtary, and the gal- lop of the cavalr}- resounding tlu'ough the city betokened, apparently, the approach of the long-expected hostihties. The Home-Guard corps of old men, who from their age were exempt from the ordinary mihtary duties, rode through the city, arousing the soldiers to arms, and doing other duty required by the emergeucj^ ]^umbers of citizens were up all night. The Seventeenth Regiment, eight hun- dred strong, mustered in an hour, and left for the fortifications. The Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, the Charleston Dra- goons, the German Hussars, and Phenix Sharpshooters, composed of the citizens of Charleston, followed, and in a short space several thousand homes were be- reft for a time of aU then- male members capable of bearing arms. The guards of the city were trebled. One hundred " beat men," armed with muskets and revolvers, who, at the first sound of the " beU of St. Michael's," would be remforced by eight hundred moi-e, patrolled the streets, in addition to the usual horse and foot poUce. A flotilla of small boats, with flaming torches, guarded the bar every night. A. veteran Southern pohtician, well known as a secession agitator through- out the South, the Honorable Edmund Rufl&n, of Vfrginia, a man over sixty years of age, shouldered his rifle and marched to the works as a private ;* and even boys, hardly in their teens, volun- teered to serve in the ranks, and bore part in the conflict. From the firing of the first gun at Fort Sumter until its sm-render, the in- tensity of interest continued unabated. Day and night the streets were thronged with people, "full of excitement and enthusiasm." The housetops, the Bat- o He fired the first gun against Fort Sumter. SOUTHERX JOY ON THE FALL OF SIBITER. 155 tery, the wharves, the shipping, and every place from which a view could be had of the scene, were thronged by an eager multitude. When at last, after thirty -three houi's of impatient watching of the struggle, the Confederate flag rose upon the ruined walls of Fort Sum- ter, the bells of all the churches in the city of Charleston rang out " a merry peal," and the citizens became " wild with joy."* General Beauregard announced the April f'^U of Sumter in a general order, 14' studiously flattering to his troops : Headquaeteks PKO\^sIONAL Army, C. S. A., ) Chaeleston, S. C, A2>ril 14. j General Orders, No. 20. " The Brigadier-General commanding is happy to congratulate the troops under his command on the brilliant success which has crowned their gal- lantry, privations, and hardships, by the reduction of the stronghold in the har- bor of Charleston. This feat of arms has been accomplished after a severe cannonading of about thirty-three hours, in which all the troops have indicated, by theii' daring and bravery, that our cause must and shall triumph. "Fort Sumter, which surrendered yes- terday about 1.45 P.M., will be evacu- ated at 9 o'clock, A.M., to-day, and to show our magnanimity to the gallant defenders, who were only executing the <» A newspaper correspondent wrote : " The scene in the city, after the raising of the flag of truce and the surrender, is indescribable ; the people were perfectly wild. Men on horseback rode through the streets proclaiming the news, amidst the greatest enthusiasm. " On the arrival of the officers from the fort they were marched through the streets, followed hy an immense crowd, hurrahing, shoutLug, and yelling with excitement." orders of their government, they will be allowed to evacuate upon the same terms which were offered to them before the bombardment commenced. Our success should not lull us into a false security, but should encourage us in the neces- sary preparations to meet a powerful enemy, who may at any time attempt to avenge this, their first check in the present contest. " The commandants of batteries will promptly send in their reports through the proper channels, giving a journal of the firing of their batteries against Fort Sumter, and of the fire of Fort Sumter against their batteries ; furnishing the names of those who particularly distin- guished themselves, and other incidents relative thereto, in order that the Gen- eral commanding may be able to make known to the Confederate States Gov- ernment, in a proper manner, their bravery and gallantly. " The General is highly gratified to state that the troops, by their labor, privations, and endurance at the batte- ries, and at their posts, have exhibited the highest characteristics of tried sol- diers, and he takes the occasion to thank all, his staff, the regulars, the volun- teers, the mihtia, the naval forces, and the numerous individuals who have con- tributed to the surrender of Fort Sumter. "By order of Brigadier-General Beau- regard, " D. R. Jones, Ass't. Adj. -General." The authorities at Montgomery, the seat of the Confederate Government, were honored on the occasion by a serenade, when the secretary of war, 154 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. bed. Our limited time prevented us from visiting the battery to the north of Fort Moultrie. We learn, however, that though many of the buildings around it had been struck several times, and fences, trees, etc., cut away, the battery sustained no injury. Provi- dentially, no hot shot was thrown from Sumter — probably from the fact that the garrison had no fuel." The battery on Cumming's Point had escaped without damage, beyond six in- dentations in its iron armor, showing the accuracy of the firing of Fort Sum- ter, as weU as proving the invulnera- bihty of the novel structure. The greatest interest had been nat- urally displayed by the people of Charles- ton at the approach of and during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. The en- thusiasm was described as ' ' intense, and the eagerness for the conflict, if it must come, as unbounded." For days before the attack, the citizens of Charleston were alert with expectation. Thus, at midnight, on one occasion, a discharge of the signal guns of Citadel Square being fired, the whole city was aroused. Hundreds of men left their beds, hurry- ing to and from their respective j)osts. In the absence of sufficient armories, the armed citizens gathered at the corners of the streets, in the public squares, and other convenient places, and all night long the roll of the drum, the steady tramp of the military, and the gal- lop of the cavalry resounding through the city betokened, apparently, the approach of the long-expected hostihties. The Home-Guard corps of old men, who from their age were exempt from the ordinary mihtary duties, rode through the city, arousing the soldiers to arms, and doing other duty required by the emergeuc}^ Numbers of citizens were up all night. The Seventeenth Regiment, eight hun- dred strong, mustered in an hour, and left for the fortifications. The Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, the Chaiiestou Dra- goons, the German Hussars, and Phenix Sharpshooters, composed of the citizens of Charleston, followed, and in a short space several thousand homes were be- reft for a time of all then* male members capable of bearing arms. The guards of the city were trebled. One hundred " beat men," armed with muskets and revolvers, who, at the first sound of the "bell of St. Michael's," would be reinforced by eight hundred more, patroUed the streets, in addition to the usual horse and foot pohce. A flotiUa of smaU boats, with flaming torches, guarded the bar every night. A veteran Southern pohtician, well known as a secession agitator through- out the South, the Honorable Edmund Ruffin, of Vu'ginia, a man over sixty years of age, shoifldered his rifle and marched to the works as a private ;* and even boys, hardly in their teens, volun- teered to serve in the ranks, aud bore part in the conflict. From the firing of the first gun at Fort Sumter until its surrender, the in- tensity of interest continued unabated. Day and night the streets were thronged with people, " full of excitement and enthusiasm." The housetops, the Bat- o He fired the first gun against Fort Sumter. SOUTHERN JOY ON THE FALL OF SUMTER. 155 tery, the wharves, the shipping, and every place from which a view could be had of the scene, were thronged by an eager multitude. When at last, after thirty-three hours of impatient watching of the struggle, the Confederate flag rose upon the ruined walls of Fort Sum- ter, the beUs of aU the churches in the city of Charleston rang out " a merry peal," and the citizens became " wild with joy."* General Beauregard announced the April f*U of Sumter in a general order, 11« studiously flattering to his troops : Headquakteks PEO\^SIOXAL Army, C. S. A., | Chaelestox, S. C, A2)nl 14. j General Oedees, No. 20. " The Brigadier- Greneral commanding is happy to congratulate the troops under his command on the brilliant success which has crowned their gal- lantry, privations, and hardships, by the reduction of the stronghold in the har- bor of Charleston. This feat of arms has been accomplished after a severe cannonading of about thirty-three houi's, in which all the troops have indicated, by their daring and bravery, that our cause must and shall triumph. "Fort Sumter, which sm-rendered yes- terday about 1.45 P.M., will be evacu- ated at 9 o'clock, A.M., to-day, and to show our magnanimity to the gallant defenders, who were only executing the o A newspaper correspondent wrote : " The scene in the city, after the raising of the flag of truce and the surrender, is indescribable ; the people were perfectly wild. Men on horseback rode through the streets proclaiming the news, amidst the greatest enthusiasm. " On the arrival of the officers from the fort they were marched through the streets, followed by an immense crowd, hurrahing, shouting, and yelling with excitement." orders of their government, they will be allowed to evacuate upon the same terms which were offered to them before the bombardment commenced. Our success should not lull us into a false security, but should encourage us in the neces- sary preparations to meet a powerful enemy, who may at any time attempt to avenge this, their first check in the present contest. " The commandants of batteries will promptly send in their rej^orts through the proper channels, giving a journal of the firing of their batteries against Fort Sumter, and of the fire of Fort Sumter against their batteries ; furnishing the names of those who particularly distin- guished themselves, and other incidents relative thereto, in order that the Gen- eral commanding may be able to make known to the Confederate States Gov- ernment, in a proper manner, their bravery and gallantry. " The General is highly gratified to state that the troops, by their labor, privations, and endurance at the batte- ries, and at their posts, have exhibited the highest characteristics of tried sol- diei's, and he takes the occasion to thank all, his staff, the regulars, the volun- teers, the militia, the naval forces, and the numerous individuals who have con- tributed to the surrender of Fort Sumter. "By order of Brigadier-General Beau- regard, " D. R. Jones, Ass't. Adj.-General." The authorities at Montgomery, the seat of the Confederate Government, were honored on the occasion by a serenade, when the secretary of war, 3 56 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. Walker, after exulting in the success at Charleston, prophesied " that the flag which now flaunts the breeze here [Montgomery] , would float over the dome of the old Capitol before the first of May." " Let them try," he added, "Southern chivalry, and test the extent of Southern resources, and it might float eventually over Faneuil Hall itself." Throughout all the States which had akeady seceded, great delight was mani- fested at the fall of Sumter. Even in Yii-ginia, which still affected to be loyal, but whose convention was on the eve of passing an ordinance of secession, a "wild shout" of delight went up from the crowds which had gathered about the newspaper offices, eager for the news, when the telegram was an- nounced : " Sumter is taken, and the Confederate flag waves over it !" At the l^orth, the progress of the bom- bardment, as it was briefly told in the hourly telegrams, was watched with painful anxiety. Many doubted, it is true, the ability of Major Anderson to hold out, although generally the hope was entertained of a successful issue to the attempt of the Government to rein- force him. When, therefore, the daily newspaper, so eagerly clutched and read, gave out with spasmodic emphasis its meagre revelations, the public mind was tortured with doubt and fear. First came the brief announcement : " The cannonading is going on fiercely from all points." Then followed immediately the ominous intelligence : " Fort Sumter is on fii-e !" relieved, however, by the cheering news : " The Federal flag still waves." Again the telegram declared : " Major Anderson is hemmed in by ruins and fire. Every building in Fort Sum- ter is burning." This alarming intelli- gence was, however, mitigated by the encouraging assurance, " This does not in anywise diminish liis strength." " The destruction of Fort Sumter is inevita- ble," was the next disheartening word -, but in a succeeding paragraph hope smiled once more with the declaration, that " Two ships are making in toward Morris Island, with a view to land troops and silence the batteries there." " The flames have nearly subsided in Fort Sumter," was again a hopeful gleam of sunshine, blotted out, however, by the dark line which closed the paragraph : "but Major Anderson does not fire any guns." Finally came the announcement of the last scene of the exciting drama : " Chaelestox, via Augusta, ) April 13, 1861. S " Fort Suiitek has Sueeendeeed ! "The Confederate flag floats over its walls ! " None of the garrison or Confederate troops are hurt. " The bombarding has closed. " Major Anderson has drawn down the stripes and stars, and displays a white flag, which has been answered from the city, and a hoat is on the way to Sumter.'^ The conduct of Major Anderson was freely discussed ; but though there were some to question his miUtary capacity, and even to doubt his loyalty, the coun- try finally settled into the conviction that he had acted bravely and pru- dently, and resolutely persisted in claim- LIFE OF MAJOR ANDERSON. 157 ing liim as one of its heroes who had gallantly sustained the honor of the United States flag. Robert Anderson was born in Ken- tucky. In 1821 he was admitted a cadet at the military academy of West Point. After completing the usual four years' course of study, he graduated on the 1st of July, 1825, and entered the army as second Heutenant of the Second, but was soon after transferred to the Third, Artillery. During the Black Hawk war, in 1832, he served as acting inspector- general of the lUinois volunteers, of which Mr. Lincoln, late President, was captain. In June, 1833, Anderson was pro- moted to a first lieutenancy, and in 1835 he became assistant instructor of artillery in the military academy at West Point. After serving for three or four months in the subordinate position, he was appointed iustructor-in-chief of this branch of study, and held the place until 1837. In 1838, he was selected by General Scott as one of his aids-de- camp, and served in the campaign against the Indians in Florida. He was rewarded for his gallant conduct by pro- motion, in 1838, to the brevet rank of captain. In the same year he served as adjutant-general, but resigned in 1841, on being promoted to the captaincy of bis own regiment. During the Mexican war. Captain Anderson served under General Scott, whom he accompanied in all his tri- umphs, from the siege of Vera Cruz to the capture of the Mexican capital. He greatly distinguished himself at El Molino del Rey, one of the hardest fought battles of the whole campaign. Here, while acting field officer, he was severely wounded, but continued at the head of his column, ' ' regardless of pain and self-preservation, and setting a hand- some example" — ^wrote Captain Blake in his report — "to his men, of coolness, energy, and courage." His services on that day won for him his brevet as ma- jor. His conduct of the battery he commanded at Chapultepec elicited the praise of Scott, who mentioned him in his dispatches with an emphatic dec- laration of his great services. On the 18th of November, 1860, Ma- jor Anderson was ordered to Fort Moul- trie, in the harbor of Charleston, to re- lieve Colonel Gardiner, sent to Texas. His judicious movement in abandoning this post, as well as his defence and final surrender of Fort Sumter, have been al- ready described. The want of concert of action between Major Anderson and the fleet has been the source of perplexity. Some have attributed it to the fact that the message to him, conveying the intention of his government, had been studiously with- held by the authorities at Charleston. Others, however, have surmised that it was never seriously designed to expose the armed vessels to the fire of the Chai'leston forts, and that Major Ander- son, made aware of this circumstance through his private dispatches, had acted accordingly. It has been also suggested that the administration at Washington had intended only to make a demonstration of force, without con- 158 THE "WAR WITH THE SOUTH. templating the exercise of it, either for the purpose of intimidating the people of Charleston, or precipitating them, if war was then- purpose, into the first act of hos- tility, while the Government was per- forming an obvious act of duty in making an attempt to supply a starving garrison with provisions. Whatever may have been the real or pretended object, the first gun fired by the Charleston forts was considered an act of war against the Union, and rallied aU its friends to •its defence. Anderson's report of the surrender of Fort Sumter was brief, and to the point : " Having defended," he wrote to the secretary of war, Cameron, " Fort Sum- ter for thirty-four hours, untU the quar- ters were entirely burned, the main gates destroyed by fire, the gorge wall seriously injured, the magazine sur- rounded by flames, and its door closed from the efiects of the heat, four barrels and three cartridges of powder only being available, and no provisions but pork remaining, I accepted terms of evacuation offered by General Beaure- gard, being the same offered by him on the 11th instant [April] , prior to the com- mencement of hostilities, and marched out of the fort Sunday afternoon, the 14th instant [April], with colors flying and drums beating, bringing away com- pany and private property, and saluting my flag with fifty guns." The secretary of war responded with a complimentary tribute : "lam directed," he wrote, "by the President of the United States, to com- municate to you, and through you to the officers and men under j-our command at forts Moultrie and Sumter, the ap- probation of the Government of your and their judicious and gallant conduct there, and to tender to you and them the thanks of the Government for the same." Major Anderson, as an adopted hero of the country, became at once an object of universal curiosity. His portrait was displayed in every shop-window, and his name was soon familiar to every ear. Personally there is nothing very impressive about the " hero of Fort Sumter." A man of small stature and shrunken frame, he would easily pass unnoticed. The general expression of his face is that of quiet amiabihty, yet in the keenness of his concentrated eyes and in the firm closure of his thin lips there are signs of a resoluteness equal to the severest trials of a soldier's pro- fession. There is a simple earnestness, to which a certain puritanical fervor of piety gives zest, that marks aU his words and writings, and commends him to the sympathy of the unsophisticated multitude. His raising of the flag he had brought with him from Fort Moultrie, as he took possession of Fort Sumter, was accompanied by a ceremony character- istic of Major Anderson's devotional tendencies. Having gathered all his men about the staff, he himself took the halyards in his hand, and kneeling down, directed the chaplain to offer a prayer. At its close, having fervently uttered the " Amen," in which he was THE FORTS OF PENSACOLA. 159 joined by the rest, he slowly raised, the flag, as the band struck up " Hail, Co- lumbia !" When the United States Government had resolved upon an attempt to send provisions to Port Sumter, it also deter- mined to reinforce Fort Pickens, which was the only one of the several jaublic works in the harbor of Pensacola which reniained in the possession of the Fed- eral Government. The insurgents of Florida had seized aU the rest early in January, and now held them with a strong force under the command of General Bragg, of the Confederate army, more honorably known as Captain Bragg, the commander of the battery which did such good service in the battle of Buena Vista, and to whom General Taylor ad- dressed his famous command : "A little more grape. Captain Bragg." Pensacola being one of the largest and safest harbors on the Southern coast, had been chosen as the principal naval station of the South. Here, ac- cordingly, a large navy-yard and arsenal had been estabhshed, and strong works of defence constructed. The principal of these was Fort Pickens, built upon the island of Santa Rosa, a long stretch of low land which intervenes between the harbor and the sea. The fortress rises upon the extreme western point of the island, and commands both the harbor and approaches. It is a bas- tioned work of great strength and ex- tent, requiring a garrison of one thou- sand two hundred and sixty soldiers. The walls are of granite — forty-five feet high and twelve feet thick, pierced for three tiers of guns, two of which are concreted, and the third en barbette. Its whole armament, when complete, consists of sixty-three forty-two pound- ers, seventeen thirty-two pounders, forty- nine twenty-four pounders, five eight- eens, thirteen twelves, six brass field- pieces, twenty-six brass flank howitzers, thirteen heavy eight-inch howitzers, one thirteen-inch mortar, four heavy ten- inch mortars, four hght eight-inch mor- tars, four sixteen-inch stone mortars, and five cohorns — making in all two hundred and ten guns. Fort Pickens was begun in 1828, and completed in 1853, at a cost of one miUion of doUars. Directly opposite, on the mainland, stands Fort ^IcRae, also a bastioned work of considerable strength, with walls of brick, twelve feet thick, and mounting one hundred and fifty cannon, in three tiers — two under casemates, and the third en barbette. When properly garrisoned, it contains six hundred and fifty men. The guns, Hke those of Fort Pickens, have a wide range, and, to- gether with the water-battery of eight guns toward the south, Forts Pickens and McRae defend the harbor of Pen- sacola from every approach in the direc- tion of the Gulf of Mexico. On the mainland, directly north of Fort Pickens, is another strong bas- tioned work, called Fort St. Carlos de Barrancas, from the ancient Spanish for- tress originally standing upon the same site. It is mounted with forty-nine guns, and requires a garrison of two hundred and fifty men. A strong re- doubt is built in its rear to give it ad- 160 THE "WAR WITH THE SOUTH. ditioual suj^port. Forts McRae and Barrancas, together with the navy-yard and arsenal, having been seized by the Confederates, there seemed imminent danger of their getting possession also of Port Pickens, but they were thwarted in their design by Lieutenant Slemmer, the United States commander. This young officer being on the alert, no sooner discovered their purpose, than he concentrated his little garrison of eighty men within the fort, and kept the enemy at bay until the 12th of April, when the first successful attempt was made to reinforce him. This was ef- fected by the United States man-of-war Brooklyn, and is thus described by one* who shared in the enterprise : "On Priday, April 12th," says he, " our captain received orders to pre- pare for landing the troops (Company A, Pirst ArtiUery) which we brought from Port Monroe. After sunset, all the boats were hoisted out and dropped astern. Volunteers were called for to man them, and every man in the shi2D volunteered. After selecting the crews, they were ai'med to the teeth for cover- ing the landing of the troops. As the enemy threatened to prevent the land- ing, having stationed coast-guards along shore for that jim-pose, it was necessary to send a considerable force ; so the Sabine and St. Louis' boats were sent to assist our men. After the moon had set, all deck lights were extinguished, to prevent the enemy discovering our move- ments. Strange to saj, the light-house on shore, whose powerful hght would » (Jorrespondent " Hakpebs' Wi^jlly." make the position of our ships visible, was put out about the same time. Be- tween ten and eleven o'clock the ship got under way, creeping slowly toward the shore and sounding all the way, an- choring in seven fathoms of water, which indicated close proximity to the shore. The boats were then got alongside, and the men disembarked. At this time the ship's deck presented an interesting and lively spectacle, though aU was done very quietly, reflecting great credit upon the officers in command. After all was ready. Lieutenant Albert N. Smith, who had command of the boat expedition, shoved off, and the other boats followed in line. He intended landing on the beach near the ship and marching to the fort, a distance of about three miles ; but finding the surf too heavy, he de- termined to pull into the harbor and land in front of Pickens. He was successful ; the doors of the fort were opened, and the troops entered. In the mean while the Wyandotte carried aU the Sabine's marines and put them on the Brooklyn, which, together with the Brooklyn's marines, were to go also. The boats made a second trip, being successful in getting the marines into the fort ; but day broke before the boats got out of the harbor, makmg the sleepy sentinels on McRea and Barrancas rub their eyes in astonishment, not daring to molest the returning party." This landing of marines was, however, but a temporary provision. The regu- lar reinforcements soon arrived and took their place. The ti'ansport steamer At- lantic was the first to arrive, with four REINFORCESIENT OF FORT PICKENS. 161 hundred and fifty men, sixty-nine liorses, and large supplies of food and muui- April tions. She sailed from New York 1®' on the 7th of April, and having stopped on her way at Key West to take on board additional men and sup- phes, arrived on the evening of the 16th off the island of Santa Rosa, and anchored four miles from the shore, close to the frigate Sabine. The Sa- bine, 50 guns, was the flag-ship under Captain Adams, the commander of the squadron, which was composed in ad- dition of the steam-corvette Brooklyn, 14 guns, the corvette St. Louis, 22 guns, the Water-Witch, Crusader, the Wyandotte and Mohawk, each 10 guns, for some time stationed off Pensacola. Immediately after the arrival of the Atlantic, the operation of landing her reinforcements began. Taking in tow the small boats of the fleet, some twenty in number, and the night having closed in and aU lights being put out, the steamer stood in toward the shore and anchored within a mile of Fort Pickens. The guns of Fort McRae and of the water batteries, in command of the rebels, were in direct range, and signal rockets were firing from Fort Pickens, indicating the expectation of an attack. The first boat from the Atlantic pushed off at half-past nine o'clock, containing Colonel Brown, the commander, who was to supersede the intrepid subaltern, liieutenant Slemmer. The other boats containing the troops soon followed, and before midnight the most of the ofiicers and troops had reached the fort in safety. On the next morning, at an 21 early hour, the rest of the men jVpril were landed, with the exception of 1^* the artillerists of Barry's Flying Artil- lery. To land these with their horses, the Atlantic weighed anchor and moved to a point three and a half miles distant from Fort Pickens, but within half a mile of the beach of the island of Santa Rosa. The troublesome work of landing the horses did not com- mence before noon, and continuing all night, was not completed until next morning. The steamer Powhatan, Commander David D. Porter, had in the mean April time arrived, and in two days ^^t after was followed by the transport steamer Illinois, which had been April detained by long-continued severe 19. weather. The reinforcements brought by the Illinois consisted of three hundred men and a number of horses, besides five hundred muskets and a large quantity of munitions of war and provisions. The troops were landed in safety during the next morning, but three days passed before the horses, forage, the ordnance, provisions, and general stores were con- vej^ed to the shore. Four of the horses on board the Ilhnois had perished during the stormy passage, one was drowned alongside the ship, another had his neck broken while landing through the surf, and a third died from exhaustion. Dur- ing the debarkation, the steamers Pow- hatan and Brooklyn took such a posi- tion that they could at the same time shield the transports under the cover of their guns, and prevent the enemy on the mainland from attempting to invade 162 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. the island, and thus obstruct the land- ing. Colonel Brown now being the senior officer, assumed the command of Fort Pickens. He succeeded, with additional men and defences, in keeping at bay the large forces of the Confederates gathered on the mainland opposite. The rebel General Bragg was reported to have had under his command, at various times, no less than ten thousand men, who were kept busily strengthening the works in the hai'bor and entrenching their camp. CHAPTER XIV. Divided Opinion of tlie North in regard to the Political Causes of the Civil Quarrel. — Uniformity of Sentiment in regard to the Attack on Fort Sumter. — The National Dignity insulted. — Necessity of Striking in hehalf of the National Honor. — The cry of the Masses. — Their faith in the indissolubility of the Union. — The Flag to be again raised all over the United States. — The Opinions of the Press. — War pronoimced to be inevitable. — Change of Senti- ment. — Union Sentiment of a Jomiial once threatened by the Mob for its Sympathy with the South. — ^The Tirades of the Ultra-Eepublicans. — An Ultra- Republican Paper on the Unity of Feeling. — The Proclamation of President Lincoln. — Its effect at the North.- — Enthusiasm of the People. — A sudden and universal blazing of the " Stars and Stripes." — Scaicity of Bunting. — Patriotic Waistcoats and Eoddices. — Patriotic Neckerchiefs and MantiUas. — Patri- otic Shopkeepers and Patriotic Customers. — Patriotic fervor of the Newspapers. — Flowers of Rhetoric. — A ferrid Leader. — Exceptional cases of protest at the North against the President's Proclamation. — Bold dissent in New En- gland. — An Appeal in behalf of the Secessionists from Maine. — An Opposition to the War from Connecticut. — A vigorous word for the Union from Kentucky. — Call for Militia. — Chcular of the Secretary of War. — Quotas of Militia of each State. — The Patriotic Response from the North. — The Refusal and bold Defiance of the Slave States. — The Answer of the Governor of Virginia. — Answer of the Governor of Missouri. — Answer of the Governor of North Carolina. — Answer of the Governor of Kentucky. — Answer of the Governor of Tennessee. — Poetical Response from President Jefferson Davis. — His Privateering Proclamation. — His Call for Soldiers. — ^The effect of his Proclamation at the North. — Opinion of Privateering, which is pronounced Piracy. — President Lincoln's Proclamation. — A Blockade announced. — Southern Privateers to be dealt with as Pirates. Although opinion at the North, in re- gard to the pohtical causes of the civil quarrel, was still widely di- vided, there was httle diversity of senti- ment concerning the blow which had been struck by the rebellious South at Fort Sumter. It was universally felt that in this violence to its flag, a gross indig- nity had been offered to the nation, and that it had become necessary, in order to vindicate the national honor, as well as to preserve the national existence, to meet force with force. The few who were less sana-uine as to the issue even acknowledged that an appeal to arms was absolutely obHgatory, were it only to assert the idea of government, and thus save the country from anarchy and social disorder. The more hopeful, however, who formed the great mass of the people, were eager not only to avenge the insulted flag, but to restore it to its former proud position tlu-ough- out the wide domain of the United States. With their traditional reverence for the Union, and faith in its power, they could not contemplate the possi- bility of its disruption ; and doubting the PEESroENT'S PROCLAMATION. 163 persistency of secession, and presuming on its weakness, thej^ fondly believed that with a single effort of the Federal might, rebeUion could be suppressed, and the flag raised once more over a united land. Though the expression of opinion by the press was toned somewhat by its various shades of partisanship, there was hardly a journal which ventured to dispute the necessity of war. They in- dulged, it is true, in mutual recrimina- tions, charging each other with having caused an event which they all now ac- knowledged to be inevitable. One jour- nal, which had before so warmly and perseveringly advocated the cause of se- cession as to bring upon itself the anger of a Northern mob, now declared : "In a conflict of this sort, there can be but two parties — a Northern and a Southern party ; for all other parties will cease to exist. The political principles, organ- izations, and issues which have divided our country and our people, in various shapes and forms, since the treaty of our independence with England, will all be very soon overwhelmed in the sweep- ing changes of a civil war. It would be foUy now to argue what might, could, would, or should have been done by Southern fire-eaters and Northern dis- organizers in 1854, 1860, or by Mr. Buchanan, or by Mr. Lincoln, or by the late session of Congress. Civil war is upon us, and the questions which now supersede all others are : What are the consequences now before us? Where is this war to end, and how, and when ? What is our duty under this warlike condition of things? and what are the movements and the conditions necessary to change this state of war to a state of peace?" An ultra Republican journal, after giving vent to a tirade against " our journals lately parading the pranks of the secessionists with scarcely disguised exultation," declares, " Democrat as well as Republican, Conservative, and Radical, instinctively feel that the guns fired at Sumter were aimed at the heart of the American Republic. Not even in the lowest groggery of our city [New York] would it be safe to propose cheers for Beauregard and Governor Pickens. The Tories of the Revolution were relatively ten times as numerous here as are the open sympathizers with the Palmetto rebels. It is hard to lose Sumter ; it is a consolation to know that in losing it we have gained a united people. Henceforth, the loyal States are a unit in uncom^sromising hostihty to treason, wherever plotted, however just- ified. Fort Sumter is temporarily lost, but the country is saved. Live the Re- public !" The proclamation of the President, giving an authoritative sanction to the national sentiment, served still more to arouse the spirit of union. Proclamation of the Pkesident. "Whereas the laws of the United States have been for some time past, and now are, opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, by combinations too powerful to be sup- 161 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. pressed by the ordinary course of judi- cial proceedings, or by the powers vested in the marshals by law ; now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, Presi- dent of the United States, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitu- tion and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth, the militia of the several States of the Union to the aggregate number of 75,000, in order to suppress said com- binations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed. " The details for this object will be im- mediately communicated to the State authorities through the War Department. I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facihtate, and aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integrity, and existence of our national Union, and the perpetu- ity of popular government, and to re- dress wrongs already long enough en- dured. I deem it proper to say that the first service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to repossess the forts, places, and property which have been seized from the Union ; and in everjr event the utmost care will be observed, consistently with the objects aforesaid, to avoid any devastation, any destruction of or interference with pro- perty, or any disturbance of peaceful citizens in any part of the country ; and I hereby command the persons compos- ing the combinations aforesaid to dis- perse, and retire peaceably to their re- spective abodes within twenty days from this date. "Deeming that the present condition of public affairs presents an extraordinary occasion, I do hereby, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution, convene both Houses of Congress. The senators and representatives are there- fore summoned to assemble at theii" re- spective chambers at twelve o'clock, noon, on Thursday, the fourth day of July next, then and there to consider and determine such measures as, in their wisdom, the jDublic safety and interest may seem to demand. " In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. " Done at the city of Washington, this fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-fifth. " Abraham Lincoln. " By the President. " Wm. H. Sewakd, Secretary of State." Throughout the North the effect of this proclamation was to excite the people to an intense enthusiasm. The population of the large cities became suddenly so absorbed in the excitement of the hour, that aU the ordinary trans- actions of business were suspended. Flags floated from every pubhc building, church steeple, and private house. Such was the demand for bunting, that the ordinary supply was soon exhausted, and the ardent gathered every chance- colored rag or ribbon that fell in their way, to fashion into the ' ' stars and stripes" of their patriotic desire. Union devices and badges were sold at the corners of every street, and flaunted upon each patriotic waistcoat and boddice. A BURST OF PATRIOTISM. 165 Shop windows patriotically glowed with the national colors, and a display of bonnets and mantillas, not less abund- ant than neckerchiefs and shirt bosoms, profusely studded with stars and varie- gated with red and white stripes, re- vealed the enthusiasm of patriotic deal- ers, and awakened the longing of patri- otic wearers. The newspapers forgot their factious contentions and joined in a fervid ex- pression of Union sentiments. Their leading articles burst forth into unusual flowers of patriotic rhetoric. The lan- guage of one'"" may serve to show the spirit pervading all : " The incidents of the last two days will live in histor3^ Not for fifty years has such a spectacle been seen, as that glorious uprising of Ameri- can loyalty which greeted the news that open war had been commenced upon the Constitution and Government of the United States. The great heart of the American people beat with one high pulsation of courage, and of fervid love and devotion to the great Republic. Party dissensions were instantly hushed ; political differences disappeared, and were as thoroughly forgotten as if they had never existed ; party bonds flashed into nothingness in the glowing flame of patriotism ; men ceased to think of themselves or their parties, they thought only of their country and of the dangers which menace its existence. Nothing for years has brought the hearts of all the people so close together — or so in- spired them aU with common hopes, and common fears, and a common aim, as o New York Times, April 16th. the bombardment and surrender of an American fortress. " We look upon this sublime outburst of public sentiment as the most perfect vindication of popular institutions — the most conclusive reply to the impugners of American loyalty, the country has ever seen. It has been quite common to say that such a Republic as ours could never be permanent, because it lacked the conditions of a profound and abiding loyalty. The Government could never inspire a patriotic instinct, fervid enough to melt the bonds of party, or powerful enough to override the selfish- ness which free institutions so rapidly develop. The hearts of our own peo- ple had begun to sink within them, at the apparent insensibility of the public to the dangers which menaced the Government. The public mind seemed to have been demoralized — the public heart seemed insensible to perils which threatened utter extinction to our great Republic. The secession movement, infinitely the most formidable danger which has ever menaced our Govern- ment, was regarded with indifference and treated as merely a novel form of our usual political contentions. The best among us began to despair of a country which seemed incompetent to understand its dangers, and indifferent to its own de- struction. "But all this is changed. The can- non which bombarded Sumter awoke strange echoes, and touched forgotten chords in the American heart. Ameri- can loyalty leaped into instant hfe, and stood radiant and ready for the fierce 166 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. encounter. Fi'om one end of the land to the other — in the crowded streets of cities, and in the sohtude of the country — wherever the s^Dlendor of the stars and stripes, the gUttering emblems of our country's glory, meets the eye, come forth shouts of devotion and pledges of aid, which give sure guarantees for the perpetuity of American freedom. War can inflict no scars on such a people. It can do them no damage which time can- not repair It cannot shake the r-olid foundations of their material prosperity, while it will strengthen the manly and heroic virtues which def}' its fierce and frowning front." Although the prevaihng tone of the North was one of enthusiasm in behalf of waging war against those who had insulted the flag of the Union, there were stiU some of the Northern papers which ventured to protest against the President's proclamation. From New England, by a strange contrast with its general feehng, came some of the bold- est dissent from the predominating sen- timent of the nation. " Democrats of Maine !" was the dar- ing appeal of an audacious Northern editor,* " the loyal sons of the South have gathered around Charleston as your fathers of old gathered about Boston in defence of the same sacred principles of liberty — principles which you have ever upheld and defended with 3'our vote, your voice, and your strong right arm. Tour sympathies are with the defenders of the truth and the right. Those who have inaugurated this unholy o Bangor (Me. ) Union. and unjustifiable war are no friends of yours, no friends of Democratic liberty. Will you aid them in their work of sub- jugation and tyranny ? ' ' When the Government at Washing- ton calls for volunteers or recruits to carry on the work of subjugation and tyranny under the specious phrase of ' enforcing the laws,' ' retaking and pro- tecting the public property,' and ' col- lecting the revenue,' let every Democrat fold his arms and bid the minions of Tory despotism do a Tory despot's work. Say to them, fearlessly and boldly — in the language of England's great lord, the Earl of Chatham, whose bold words in behalf of the struggUng Colonies of America, in the dark hours of the Rev- olution, have enskrined his name in the heart of every friend of freedom and immortalized his fame wherever the name of liberty is known — say in his thrilling language : ' If I were a South- erner, as I am a Northerner, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I would never lay down my arms — • never, never, never!" Another,* more calmly, but not less decidedl}'-, opposed the war : "The President has issued his proc- lamation, calling Congress to meet on the 4:th of July. Also calling for 75,000 volunteers to aid in carrjdng on a con- flict with the South. The news already received from the border States indi- cates that they wUl leave the Union, and that the war will be between nineteen free and fifteen slave States. "Could this war policy possibly save = Hartford (Ct.) Tima. THE CALL FOR MILITIA. 167 the Union and promote the welfare of the people, we could look npon it with more complacency. But as it must in- evitably more completely divide the Union and injure the interests of the whole country, we believe it to be an unwise and unsafe policy. To march soldiers into the Southern country to contend with armies and yellow fever, and to end in no good, but much evil, does not seem to be a discreet or a righteous pohcy. " A bloody conflict may be continued with the South for weeks, for months, or for years. At its close a compromise must be made no more favorable to the North than was the Crittenden com- promise. But the evils of the unneces- sary strife will continue into the long years of the future, and be felt by millions. No good whatever can come out of the shocking conflict. "War has been commenced. Its or- igin is tlie negro agitation. Let the friends of the agitation point out tlie spot where a slave has been benefited, if they can. Great evils have come. Where are the benefits ?" As a set-off, however, to this expres- sion of Southern opinion at the North, there was a vigorous word uttered for union in the slave State of Kentucky : " The secession leaders," wrote the editor of the Louisville Journal, " are relying very largely upon the first shock of battle for the promotion of a general secession feeling in the Southern States. They ought, however, to consider that the sympathies of honest and sensible men are not likely to go witli the wrong- doers. If the General Government com- mit any wrong or outrage upon South Carolina or Florida, it will be con- demned ; but if a United States vessel shall be fired into and her men slain for a mere attempt to take food to the Gov- ernment's troops in the Government's own forts, and if war shall. grow out of the collision, no spirit of secession or re- beUion will be created thereby this side the cotton line. Such, at least, is our opinion, founded upon our conviction that the great mass of our fellow-citizens are sensible, and patriotic, and just. Who that loves his country would see it humiliated and its honor trampled on ?" With the proclamation by the Presi- dent came the call upon the several States for their quotas of militia to make up the required number of troops to be mustered for the suppression of the re- bellion and the defence of the Union. The following circular was addressed by the secretary of war to the governors not only of the free States, but of those slave States whose lo3-alty might be sus- pected, but which yet nominally contin- ued to acknowledge the Federal au- thority : " Sir : Under the act of Congress for calling out the militia to execute the laws of the Union to suppress insurrec- tion, to repel invasion, etc., approved February 28, 1795, I have the honor to request your Excellency to cause to be immediately detailed from the militia of your State the quota designated in the table below, to serve as infantry or riflemen for a period of three months, unless sooner discharged. Your Excel- 168 THE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. lency will please communicate to me the time at about which your quota will be ex^^ected at its rendezvous, as it wUl be met as soon as practicable by an officer or officers to muster it into the service and pay of the United States. At the same time the oath of fidelity to the United States will be administered to ever}' officer and man. The mustering officers will be instructed to receive no man under the rank of commissioned officer who is in years apparently over forty-five or under eighteen, or who is not in physical strength and vigor. The quota for each State is as follows : Maine 1 New Hampshire 1 Vermont 1 Massachusetts 2 Rhode Island 1 Connecticut 1 New York 17 New Jersey 4 Pennsylvania 16 Delaware 1 Tennessee 2 Maryland 4 Virginia 3 North Carolina 2 Kentucl^y 4 Arkansas 1 Missouri 4 Ohio 13 Indiana 6 Illinois 6 Michigan 1 Iowa 1 Minnesota 1 Wisconsin 1 "It is ordered that each regiment shall consist, on an aggregate of officers and men, of 780. The total thus to be called out is 73,391. The remainder, to constitute the 75,000 men under the President's proclamation, will be com- posed of troops in the District of Co- lumbia." In response to this call, there came from aU the free States, without an ex- ception, an ardent expression of patriotic sympathy with the President's procla- mation, and an immediate effort to meet its requirements. Proclamations were at once addressed by the governors to the people of the several Northern States, appealing to their loyalty, and invoking them to manifest it by taking up arms in defence of the Union. The slave States, with the exception of Maryland and Delaware, answered with a resolute refusal, expressed in a tone of bold defiance of the Federal au- thority. The Governor of Virginia, John Letcher, wrote : "I have only to say, that the mihtia of Yu-ghiia wUl not be furnished to the powers at Washington for any such use or purpose as they have in view. Tour object is to subjugate the Southern States, and a requisition made upon me for such an object — an object, in my judgment, not within the purview of the Constitution or the act of 1795 — will not be complied with. You have chosen to inaugm-ate civil war, and having done so, we wiU meet it in a spirit as determined as the ad- ministration has exhibited toward the South." C. F. Jackson, Governor of Missouri, wrote : " Your requisition, in my judg- ment, is illegal, unconstitutional, and revolutionary in its objects, inhuman and diabolical, and cannot be complied with. Not one man wUl the State of Missouri furnish to carry on such an unholy crusade." John W. Ellis, Governor of North Carolina, wrote : "I have to say in reply, that I regard the levy of troops made by the administration for the pur- pose of subjugating the States of the South, as in violation of the Constitu- tion, and a usurpation of power. I can be no party to this wicked violation of the laws of the country, and to this war SOUTHERN- PRIVATEERESTG. 169 upon the liberties of a free people. You can get no troops from North Carolina." Magoffin, the Governor of Kentucky, wrote : "I say emphatically that Ken- tucky wiU furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister Southern States." Governor Hai'ris, of Tennessee, re- plied : " Tennessee will not furnish a single man for coercion, but fifty thou- sand, if necessary, for the defence of our rights, or those of our Southern brethi'en." Governor Reeder, of Arkansas, an- swered with equal resoluteness of re- fusal, but less courtesy : ' ' In answer to your demand for troops from Arkansas to subjugate the South- ern States, I have to say that none will be furnished. The demand is only add- ing insult to injury. "The people of this Commonwealth are freemen, not slaves, and will defend to the last extremity their honor, lives, and property against Northern men- dacity and usurpation." President Davis, of the Confederate States, after venting this exulting jeu d^esprit, " With mortar, Paixban, and petard We sent the foe our Beauregard," met the proclamation of President 1 lin- coln with this menacing document : " Whereas Abraham Lincoln, Presi- dent of the United States, has, by proc- lamation, announced his intention of in- vading the Confederacy with an armed force, for the purpose of capturing its fortresses, and thereby subverting its 22 independence and subjecting the free people thereof to the dominion of a foreign power ; and whereas it has thus become the duty of this Government to repel the threatened invasion, and de- fend the rights and liberties of the people by all the means which the laws of nations and usages of civiUzed war- fare place at its disposal ; " Now, therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, do issue this, my proclamation, inviting all those who may desii-e, by service in private armed vessels on the high seas, to aid this Government in re- sisting so wanton and wicked an aggres- sion, to make application for commis- sions or letters of marque and reprisal, to be issued under the seal of these Confederate States ; and I do further notify all persons applying for letters of marque, to make a statement in writing, giving the name and suitable description of the character, tonnage, and force of the vessel, name of the place of resi- dence of each owner concerned therein, and the intended number of crew, and to sign each statement, and deliver the same to the secretary of state or collector of the port of entry of these Confederate States, to be by him transmitted to the secretary of state ; and I do further notify all applicants aforesaid, before any commission or letter of marque is issued to any vessel, or the owner or the owners thereof, and the commander for the time being, they wiU be required to give bond to the Confederate States, with, at least, two responsible sureties not interested in such vessel, in the 170 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. penal sum of five thousand dollars ; or if such vessel be provided with more than one hundred and fifty men, then in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars, with the condition that the owners, officers, and crew who shall be employed on board such commissioned vessel shaU observe the laws of these Confederate States, and the instructions given them for the regulation of their conduct, that shaU satisfy aU damages done contrary to the tenor thereof by such vessel dur- ing her commission, and deliver up the same when revoked by the President of the Confederate States. "And I do further specially enjoin on all persons holding offices, civil and military, under the authority of the Confederate States, that they be vigilant and zealous in the discharge of the duties incident thereto ; and I do, more- ever, exhort the good people of these Confederate States, as they love their country — as they prize the blessings of free government — as they feel the wrongs of the past, and those now threatened in an aggravated form by those whose enmity is more implacable, because unprovoked — to exert them- selves in preserving order, in promoting concord, in maintaining the authority and efficacy of the laws, and in support- ing and invigorating all the measures which may be adopted for a common defence, and by which, under the bless- ings of Divine Providence, we may hope for a speedy, just, and honorable peace. "In witness whereof, I have set m}^ hand and have caused the seal of the Confederate States of America to be attached this seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. " Jefferson Davis. " Robert Toombs, Secretary of State." At the same time that President Davis thus threatened Northern com- merce with a fleet of privateers, he called upon the Confederacy for a hun- dred and fifty thousand men, in addition to the thirty-two thousand already de- manded. A loan of five millions of dollars had been issued, and subscrip- tions were reported to be rapidly coming in under the stimulus of approaching war. Davis' invitation to apphcations for letters of marque created great alarm, and was received by the Xorth with a universal burst of indignation. Priva- teering was pronounced an infamous weapon of warfare. The destruction of private property in the course of a con- flict between two hostile parties was declared to be a rehc of barbarism. Davis was reminded of the treaties of the United States with certain European powers, which prohibited citizens of either nation from accepting letters of marque from any authority hostile to the agreeing parties. This, they de- clared, would prevent his obtaining pri- vateers from Europe, and destroy any hope of toleration from them from that quarter. It was declared that there was not one foreign port where, if Davis' privateers should venture to enter, they would not be seized as pirates, and dealt with accordingly. If any man, in this country, or in any other, dared to ac- THE FRIGHT AT THE NORTH. 171 cept a letter of marque from the Con- federacy and act upon it, be would, it Avas llircatened, be bung as a pirate. The proclamation was, in a word, branded as a formal sanction of piracy, and it was met not only with the menace of the yard-ai'm, but its author was re- minded that the most terrific retaliation awaited him if be should carry out bis purpose. "The first seizure of an American vessel by one of his privateers will let loose," said a jouruaHst,* " upon the South more John Browns than he can hire pirates in a year." The commercial cities of the North were greatly fluttered by the prospect of a swoop hy the rebellious birds of prey upon their fleets which were winging their way over every sea and ocean. The Chamber of Commerce of New York met and resolved, "That the proposition of Mr. Jefferson Davis to issue letters of marque to whomsoever may apply for them, emanating from no recognized government, is not only without the sanction of public law, but piratical in its tendencies, and therefore deserving the stern condemnation of the civilized world." To this was added the further resolution, that "it is the duty of our Government to issue at once a proclamation warning all persons that privateering under the commissions pro- posed will be dealt with as simple pi- racy." The President promptly responded by estabhshing a blockade of the ports of the seceding States, and did not hesitate to warn all privateers sailing « New York Times. under the flag of the Confederates that they would be treated as pirates : " Whereas an insurrection against the Government of the United States has broken out in the States of South Caro- lina, Geoi-gia, Alabama, Florida, Missis- sippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and the laws of the United States for the collec- tion of the revenue can not be efliciently executed therein conformably to that provision of the Constitution which re- quires duties to be uniform throughout the United States ; ' ' And whereas a combination of per- sons, engaged in such insurrection, have threatened to grant pretended letters of marque to authorize the bearers thereof to commit assaults on the lives, vessels, and property of good citizens of the country lawfully engaged in commerce on the high seas, and in waters of the United States ; "And whereas an Executive Procla- mation has been already issued, requir- ing the persons engaged in these dis- orderly proceedings to desist therefrom, calling out a militia force for the purpose of repressing the same, and convening Congress in extraordinary session to deliberate and determine thereon ; "Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, with a view to the same purposes before men- tioned, and to the protection of the public peace, and the lives and property of quiet and orderly citizens pursuing their lawful occupations, until Congress shall have assembled and deliberated on the said unlawful proceedings, or until the same shall have ceased, have further 172 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. deemed it advisable to set on foot a blockade of the ports within the States aforesaid, in pursuance of the laws of the United States and o-f the laws of nations in such cases provided. For this purpose a competent force will be posted so as to prevent entrance and exit of vessels from the ports aforesaid. If, therefore, with a view to violate such blockade, a vessel shall approach, or shall attempt to leave any of the said ports, she will be duly warned . by the commander of one of the blockading vessels, who will endorse on her register the fact and date of such warning ; and if the same vessel shall again attempt to enter or leave the blockaded port, she will be captured and sent to the nearest convenient port, for such proceedings against her and her cargo as prize as may be deemed advisable. "And I hei'eby proclaim and declare, that if any person, under the pretended authority of said States, or under any other pretence, shall molest a vessel of the United States, or the persons or cargo on board of her, such person will be held amenable to the laws of the United States for the prevention and punishment of piracy. " Abrahah Lincoln. " By the President. " WrLiiAM H. Sewaed, Secretary of State. " Washingtok, April 19, 1861." CHAPTER XV. Inquietude atout the Border States. — The Convention of Virginia. — Committee appointed to wait upon the President. — Its Message. — President Lincoln's Answer. — Its effect. — Virginia Convention passes an Act of Secession. — Im- patience of the Secessionists. — Proclamation of GoTemor Letcher. — Recognition of the Southern Confederacy. — Preparations for War. — The Harbor of Norfolk Obstmcted, — Attempt on Harper's Ferry. — Description of the place. — Its picturesque beauty. — Its Kesources.— Unhappy Associations.— Virginia Troops Mustering for an Attack upon Harper's Ferry. — A Force Marches. — Description of the March. — The Federal Commander and his little Garrison.^ Anticipated Attack. — Preparations to thwart its object.— Preparing for a Cortflagiation. — Positive Information. — The Torch applied. — Retreat of the Federal Commander and his Men. — An excited Populace. — Held at Bay.— Con- tinued Flight of the Federal Commander. — Safe arrival in Pennsylvania. — Rewards of Gallantry. — Another De- struction of Public Property. — Hemming in of the Gosport Navy Yard. — Exulting Dispatch. — Description of the Navy Yard. — The Ships. — Resolution of Commodore Macaulay. — The Demand of the Insurgents. — AiTival of the Pawnee. — Her SaU from Fortress Monroe to Norfolk. — Boisterous Welcome. — The Marines set to work. — Securing the Papers. — Destruction of Arms. — The Fii-ing of the Barracks. — Laying of the Trains. — Departure of the Pawnee. — A Signal. — The Conflagration of Ships and Navy Yard. — The Burning of the old Pennsylvania. — The People of Norfolk bursting through the GKites of the Navy Yard. — The Havoc. —Incomplete Destruction. — Curious Reasons for it. — Details of the Property destroyed. — The Feeling at the North.— The Destruction pronounced unnecessary. — Quick work of the Insurgents. — Erection of defiant Batteries. The greatest inquietude had long ex- isted at the North in regard to the action of the border States, and more especially of Maryland and Virginia. In the latter State a convention had been for some time in secret session, and the result was awaited with intense anxiety. A. committee, consisting of PRESIDENT'S ANSWER TO VIRGIXIA. 173 Messrs. Preston, Stuart, and Randolph, had been ai^pointed to wait upon the President at Washington, and to present to him the following preamble and res- olution passed by the Convention of Virginia : " Whereas, in the opinion of this Con- vention, the uncertainty which prevails in the public mind as to the policy which the Federal Executive intends to pursue toward the seceded States is extremely injurious to the industrial and commer- cial interests of the country, tends to keep up an excitement which is unfavor- able to the adjustment of the pending difficulties, and threatens a disturbance of the public peace, therefore, "Resolved, That a committee of three delegates be appointed to wait on the President of the United States, present to him this preamble, and respectfully ask him to communicate to this Conven- tion the policy which the Federal Ex- ecutive intends to pursue in regard to the Confederate States." The bearers of this demand, courteous April ii^ form but insolent in substance, 13i were duly presented at the White House, and received from Mr. Lincoln a response in which he characteristically rather discussed the question amiably with his interlocutors, than firmly as- serted his Executive authority. "In answer, I," said the President, " have to say that having, at the begin- ning of my official term, expressed my intended policy as plainly as I was able, it is with deep regret and mortification I now learn there is great and injurious uncertainty in the pubhc mind as to what course I intend to pursue. Not having as yet seen occasion to change, it is now my purpose to pursue the course marked out in the inaugural ad- dress. I commend a careful considera- tion of the whole document as the best expression I can give to my purposes. As I then and therein said, I now re- peat : ' The power confided in me will be used to hold and possess property and places belonging to the Grovernment, and to collect the duties and imports ; but beyond what is necessary for these objects there will be no invasion, no using of force against and among the people anywhere.' By the words ' prop- Qxiy and places belonging to the Gov- ernment, ' I chiefly allude to the military posts and property which were in pos- session of the Government when it came into my hands. But if, as now appears to be true, in pursuit of a purpose to drive the United States authority from these places, an unprovoked assault has been made upon Fort Sumter, I shall hold myself at liberty to repossess it, if I can, and like places which had been seized before the Government was de- volved upon me ; and in any event I shall, to the best of my ability, repel force by force. In case it proves true that Fort Sumter has been assaulted, as is reported, I shall, perhaps, cause the United States mails to be withdrawn from all the States which claim to have seceded, believing that the commence- ment of actual war against the Govern- ment justifies and possibly demands it. I scarcely need to say that I consider the militai'y posts and property situated 174 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. within the States which claim to have seceded, as yet belonging to the Govern- ment of the United States, as much as they did before the supposed secession. Whatever else I may do for the purpose, I shall not attempt to collect the duties and imj)0sts by any armed invasion of any part of the country ; not meaning by this, however, that I may not laud a force deemed necessar)- to relieve a fort upon the border of the countr3^ From the fact that I have quoted a part of the inaugural address, it must not be in- ferred that I repudiate any other part, the whole of which I reaffirm, except so far as what I now say of the mails may be regarded as a modification." This answer, however, was sufficiently firm to convince the Virginian commis- sioners that the President had deter- mined to exercise his proper authority in the suppression of rebellion. Their return to Richmond with this response served to precipitate the action of the Convention, and accordingly it passed, in secret session, on the 17th of April, an April ordinance of secession, conditional, 17' however, upon its ratification by a majority of the votes of the people of the State on the fourth Thursday in the ensuing month of May. The secession leaders of Virginia, however, in their impatience to rebel, could not await the deliberate course of law, and began at once a series of hostile acts, soon to result in open war against the Federal authority. Letcher, the Governor of Virginia, April issued a proclamation in which ho 17« recognized the independence of the seceded States, declaring that they have, " by authority of their people, solemnly rescued the powers granted by them to the United States, and have framed a constitution and organized a government for themselves, to which the people of those States are yielding willing obedi- ence, and have so notified the President of the United States by all the formal- ities incident to such action, and thereby become to the United States a sejDarate, independent, and foreign power." At the same time he thought jj roper ' ' to order all armed volunteer regiments or companies within the State forthwith to hold themselves in readiness for im- mediate orders." Before the j^eople of the State, how- ever, had an opportunity of exj^ressing their will as legally jarovided by the acts of the Virginia Legislature and Conven- tion, Governor Letcher commenced to wage war against the United States. He ordered the main entrance of the harbor of Norfolk to be obstructed by the sinking of small boats, to prevent communication with the Federal navy- yard at that port, which he had evi- dently determined to seize on the first occasion favorable to his purpose, as will be developed in the course of this narrative. His first attempt, however, was to capture the United States arsenal and armory at Harper's Ferry. This town, now so memorable, is in JeiTerson Co., Virginia. It is situated on the Potomac River, just where the Shenandoah enters, and the two streams united pass through the Blue Ridge. The town originally A FORCE JIARCHES. 175 clustered about the base of a hill, but is gradually rising up its steep sides, and some scattered hamlets and houses have already reached the table-land on the summit, nearly four hundred feet above the water. The ridge on either side of the gap through which the Potomac, united with the Shenandoah, forces its way, rises in steep and bare cliffs to an elevation of twelve hundred feet or more, the simple grandeur of which, contrast- ing with the picturesque beauty of the lesser and cultivated heights, gives to the surrounding scenery of Harper's Ferry the most impressive effect. Thomas Jefferson said that it was ' ' one of the most stupendous scenes in nature, and well worth a voyage across the Atlantic to witness." The town is described as at4his time "containing a population of 10,000, and of considerable trading importance as the point of junction of the Baltimore and Ohio and the "Winchester and Potomac railways. A bridge of nine hundred feet in length connects it with the op- posite shore of Maryland. The main business of the place is manufacturing. It has one of the largest mills in the United States for grinding flour." Addi- tional importance was given to the town by the estabhshment there of the Fed- eral arsenal and armory. Ninety tliou- sand stand of arms were ordinarily stored in the depots, and the work-shops were capable of producing twenty-five thousand annually. The place had already acquired an unhappy association with our sectional quarrels, by the invasion of John Brown, who, at the head of twenty-two men, had taken possession of the town and strove to excite the negroes of Virginia to insurrection. It has again repeatedly become a scene of commotion and con- flict during this civil war. The Governor of Virginia was eager to possess himself of the arsenal and armory, and thus supply his secession allies with the means of carrying on the war against the United States, which he contemplated. He accordingly sent j^prn secret orders to Charlestown, the l^* county seat of Jefferson, to muster a force for the purpose of seizing the Fed- eral property at Harper's Ferry. Some three thousand men had been summoned, but only two hundred and fifty, in con- sequence of the suddenness of the call, mustered at Halltown, the rendezvous half way between the county town and Harjjer's Ferry, and about four miles from each place. Here they remained until night, that they might have the cover of dai'kness for their intended act of violence against the laws of the United States. The foi'ce having been formed, con- sisting of a small body of infantry, termed the Jefferson Battalion, commanded \pYH by a Captain Allen, one piece of ar- 18. tillery, and a squad of " Fauquier" cav- alry, under a Captain Ashby, marched, at about eight o'clock in the night of the very day on which the order had been received from Richmond. " The troops marched," says one who was with them, "in silence, and about a mile from the starting-point the col- umn was challenged by sentries posted 176 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. in the road. They halted, loaded with ball-cartridge, and advanced with fixed baj'onets until they reached the brow of the hill overlooking the town and at the outsliirts of the village of Bohvar. Here the advance was again challenged, and the column halted. As these sen- tries were known to be employes of the armoi'ies, and as it was thought prob- able from the temper manifested during the day that the whole body of work- men had united with the Government troops, thus giving them four hundred effective men, with full preparation and choice of position, it was thought proper to send a flag into the town to ascertain how matters stood. An influential gen- tleman accompanying the troops, of- fered his services to execute this deli- cate duty, and to dissuade the citizens, if possible, from taking part in the con- test. From after-knowledge it was as- certained that this precaution was un- necessary, as the mass of the inhabitants were loyal to the soil where they lived, and such as might have entertained dif- ferent sentiments were silenced by the reports of the imjjosing force which was supposed to be at hand. " While the Virginia officers were in consultation, there was seen in the di- rection of the ai'mory a flash, accompa- nied by a report like the discharge of a cannon, followed by a number of other flashes in quick succession, and then the sky and surrounding mountains were lighted with the steady glare of ascend- ing flames. Captain Ashby, with his squad, immediately rode down into the town, and in a short time retui-ned with the report that the troops had fired the pubhc buildings and retreated across the Potomac bridge, taking the mount- ain road toward Carhsle Barracks, in Pennsylvania. "On our way down we met a long line of men, women, and boys, carrying loads of muskets, bayonets, and other military equipments. The streets at the confluence of the two rivers were brill- iantly illuminated by the flames from the old arsenal, which burned like a furnace. The inclosure around these buildings was covered with spUntered glass, which had been blown out by the explosion of the powder-train. A few arm-boxes, open and empty, lay near the entrance ; but nearly all the mus- kets in this building, fifteen thousand, as stated, were destroyed. " Of the armory buildings on Poto- mac Street, one large work-shop was in a light blaze, and two others on fire. Alarmed by the first explosions, the citizens hesitated to approach the work- shops, and warned the Virginia troops not to do so, supposing them to be mined ; but presentlj- becoming reas- sured on that subject, they went to work with the engines, extinguished some of the fires, and prevented their extension to the town and railroad bridges." The plans of the secessionists had been anticipated and theu* designs thwarted by the Federal commander and his little force at Harjaer's Ferry. The Federal garrison consisted of a detachment of United States Rifles, amounting to about forty in number, BURNING OF HARPER'S FERRY ARSENAL. 177 under the command of Lieutenant Roger Jones. This officer had been notified some days previously by the Govern- ment at Washington of the danger wliich April threatened his post. On the 17th 17t of April, before the march of the Virginians, he learned from various sources that the attack was to be made on the succeeding day. The militia of the town of Harper's Ferry, although they professed loyalty, were either alarmed at the rumors of an approach- ing force, or unwilling to oppose it, and consequently disbanded. The workmen employed at the arsenal and armory showed symptoms, if not of disaffection, at least of great uneasiness. Every hour brought with it fresh rumors, more or less exaggerated, of the advancing secessionists. The railroad was in their power, and a special train, bearing armed men, was known to be hurrying forward. Troops, amounting to two thousand in number, were reported to have gathered from Winchester, Charles- ton, and other neighboring points, and to be marching to Harper's Ferry. Lieutenant Jones, conscious of the purpose of this movement, and unable, with his meagre garrison of forty men in a country believed to be hostile, to defend his post, determined to destroy the arsenal and armory, lest their im- portant works and valuable supphes of arms should fall into the possession of those who were undoubtedly determined to use them in waging war against the Federal Government. Early in the evening of the 17th of April, accordingly, the Lieutenant set his 23 men to woi-k in making prepara- Aprji tions for the destruction of the 17. public property, should it prove neces- sary. With swords the soldiers cut up the planks and other timber to suppl)'^ wood for firing the buildings. The mattresses were ripped up, their con- tents emptied out, and then filled with powder. This was all done inside of the arsenals and armories, to conceal the purpose from the people of the town, whose loyalty was susjjected, and who, if they should discover it, might rise and prevent it. The arms, some fifteen thousand stand, were now collected and jjiled together, and the chipped wood and mattresses filled with powder were so placed that the guns and the buildings might all be destroyed together in one common explosion and conflagration. On the next night, having received April "positive and reliable information IS* that twentj'-five hundred or three thou sand State troops would reach Harper's Ferry in two hours from Winchester, and that the troops from Halltown, in- creased to three hundred, were advanc- ing, and even at that time^a few min- utes after ten o'clock — within twenty minutes' march of the Ferry," Lieuten- ant Jones gave the order to apply the torch. The windows and doors of the buildings had been opened so that the flames coidd have free sway, and when all was ready, the fires were started in the carpenter's shop, and the trains lead- ing to the powder ignited. This done, the Lieutenant marched out his men and began a rapid retreat. In three min- utes after, the buildings of the arsenal TILE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. and the carpenter's shop were in a "com- plete blaze." The fire alarmed the town, and its ex- cited populace pursued Lieutenant Jones and his men, coming upon them just as they had reached the bridge, for the pm'pose of escaping across. The crowd pressed forward, crying vengeance upon them for having set Sre to the buildings. Jones wheeled his men, and facing the multitude declared, unless they dis- persed, he would fire upon them. The intimidated throng shrunk back, and Jones took the occasion to continue his retreat and take to the woods, followed, however, by several shots, which fortu- nately were without effect. He now hurried northward, his way being hghted up by the blazing buildings. The ex- plosion took place almost as soon as he got beyond the town, and he flattered himself that the destruction of the ar- senal and armory had been complete. Hurriedly marching all night across streams and bogs, he reached Hagers- April town in safety on the next morn- W» ing, at seven o'clock, and thence pursued his way to Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania, where, confident of being among a loyal people, he could stop to refresh his wayworn men, who had marched all night and eaten nothing since they left Harper's Ferry. Four of his little garrison, however, were missing, and it was feared that they had been captured, or perhaps slain. From Chambersburg Lieutenant Jones proceeded with his men to Carlisle Bar- April racks, a Federal post, whence he 20. dispatched a report of his pro- ceedings to the United States Govern- ment. His conduct met with the approbation of the President, who, in consideration of " his skilful and gallant conduct at Harper's Ferry," gave him the commis- sion of assistant-quartcr-master-general with the rank of captain, and sent to him through the secretary this flattering tribute : " War Depaetieent, Washington, 1 April 22d, 1S61. f " Lieutenant Roger Jones : " My dear Sir : I am directed by the President of the United States to communicate to you, and through you to the officers and men under j-our com- mand at Harper's Ferry armory, the approbation of the Government of jouv and their judicious conduct there, and to tender to you and them the thanks of the Government for the same. " I am, sir, very respectfully, " Simon CAiiERON, " Secretary of War." This was soon followed by another more important, but less justifiable de- struction of public property in Virginia. It will be recollected that Governor Letcher had akeady ordered the main entrance of the harbor of Norfolk to be obstructed by the sinking of small boats. Seven vessels had been sunk at the mouth of the Elizabeth River, the only channel of communication between the sea and the Gosport navy-yard. The obvious object of this was to hem in that important naval station, so that by preventing the egress of the United States vessels there, or the ingress of THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD. 179 any force that might be sent to their aid, the navy-yard with its ships and its stoi'es should be at the mercy of the State of Yirgiuia. The dispatch which announced the execution of the Gover- nor's order exultiugiy declared : " Thus have we secured for Virginia three of the best ships of the navy," alluding to the Cumberland, Merrimac, and Penn- sylvania, then among the vessels in the Gosport navy-yard at Norfolk. The inhabitants had, moreover, shown their hostile intentions by seizing the United April States magazine, situated below the *^' city, and containing four thousand kegs of powder. The navy-yard was in command of Commodore Charles S. Macaulay, a vet- eran naval officer. The establishment, one of the largest in the United States, contained not only stores of naval and mihtiiry munitions of war and ships, but arsenals, foundries, workshops, and docks — a mass of pubhc projserty which had cost the United States over fifty millions of dollars. There were twelve vessels of war stationed at the yard, with an aggregate tonnage of about thirty-five thousand tons, and an armament of six hundred and fifty guns. These were the Penn- sylvania, a sailing vessel, the largest line- of-battle-ship ever built in the United States. Her tonnage was three thou- sand three hundred and forty-one tons, and she was built to carry a hundred and twenty guns, to work which and the ship would have required a crew of a thousand men. Launched in 1837, at Philadelphia, she remained there as the wonder of all sight-seers, until she sailed to Norfolk, many years after, where she remained a useless hulk, too un- wieldly and too expensive for service. The Delaware, also a sailing line-of- battle-ship, was of two thousand six hun- dred and thirty-three tons, carrying an armament of eighty-four guns, and a crew of eight hundred men. She, however, was rotten, and had been long condemned as unfit for service. The Columbus, a hne-of-battle-ship, of two thousand four hundred and eighty tons burthen, and rated for eighty guns and eight hundred men, was also useless as a saihng vessel, but was thought capable of being converted into a steamer. The Raritan, a frigate of one thousand seven hundred and twenty-six tons, and fifty guns, was another vessel which had been condemned as unfit for service. The Plymouth, a first-class sloop-of- war, of nine hundred and eighty-nine tons, and twenty-two guns, was under- going repau's, and was a vessel of httle value. There was the New York, the keel of which was laid forty-five years ago, still on the stocks, and was hardly thought to be available. To these vessels of little value, may be added the old United States, built in 1797. There were, however, the four saihng ships, the fine frigate Cumberland, the Germantown, the Columbia, and the brig Dolphin, which were for the most part in good condition and capable of the best service. In addition was the fii-st-class steam frigate the Merrimac, 180 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. of three thousand two hundred tons, and forty guns. Built at the Charlestown navy-yard, near Boston, in 1855, she had proved herself ever since to be one of the most powerful and valuable steamers in the United States nav3\ Commodore Macaulay, supposed to be acting with the concurrence of the authorities at Washington, now deter- mined to save what little he could of this valuable Government property, and destroy the remainder in order to pre- vent its falling into the possession of the April Virginians. The commander of 20i the insurgents at Xorfollv, General TaUafero, had already demanded the surrender of the navy-yard, and after a conference with the Commodore, at noon, declared that he had liis assurance that " none of the vessels should be removed, nor a shot fired, except in self-defence." However this may be, the Commodore doubtless was so persuaded of the hos- tile intent of the force assembled in Xorfolk, as to beheve that the most de- cided measures had become necessary to thwart it. In the evening the United States April steamer the Pawnee arrived from 20t "Washington with two hundi'ed volunteers and a hundred marines, in addition to her own crew, and after stopping at Fortress Monroe and taking on board a reinforcement of men, pro- ceeded at once to co-operate with Com- modore Macaulay, and aid him in what- ever action he had determined upon. It was about seven o'clock, on a clear April moonlight night, that the Pawnee, 20> Captain Paulding, flying at her peak the commodore's pennant, moved from the dock of Fort Monroe cheered by the shouts of the garrison gathered on the parapet of the fortress, and steamed off for Xorfolk. Ifotwithstand- ing the sunken vessels in the channel, the steamer passed without difficulty up Hampton Roads, past Norfolk, to Gos- port navy-yard, where she arrived at half-past eight o'clock. The people of Xorfolk and Portsmouth were greatly distm-bed by her approach, as they be- lieved she had come to aid in bom- bardinsc their towns. Overcome with fright, and imprepared for resistance, thej^ made no show of opposition, but every inhabitant took care to keep at a discreet distance. Our people at the navy-yard, expect- ing the coming of the Pawnee, were on the alert, and as she came alongside the dock, the sailors on board the Cumber- land and Pennsylvania, crowding into the shrouds and manning the yards, heartily cheered her. Cut off as they had been for so long a time from all communication with the town, insulted and threatened daily and hom-ly by the infuriated insurgents of Virginia, they saw, in the arrival of the Pawnee, a means of relief, if not an opportimity of vindicating the national dignity, and exulted greatly. As soon as the steamer had made fast to the dock, Colonel Wardrop, the mil- itary commander, marched out his men and stationed them at the gates of the navy-yard, to prevent the entrance of the insurgents, should they make the attempt. The marines of the different DESTRUCTION OF NORFOLK NAVY YARD. 181 vessels were now mustered and set busily to work. Some collected the records, 23apers, and archives from the offices and placed them on board the Pawnee, aud some gathered whatever was val- uable, important, and easily transferable from the various ships, and stored it in the Cumberland. After thus having se- cured what could be readily carried away, the marines were ordered to be- gin the work of destruction. Many thousand stands of arms, and a large quantity of pistols and revolvers, were broken by severing the barrels from the stocks, and thrown into the river. Thou- sands of shot and shell followed, and everything on the ships that might be of service to the insurgents met with the same fate. The cannon which were still left unspiked were now sjoiked and dismounted, and some fifteen hundred, of which several were Dahlgrens and columbiads, were thus rendered useless. The men persevered in this work of destruction from nine o'clock in the evening until midnight, when the moon sunk below the horizon. The barracks, situated within the yard, were then set on fire, in order that the marines might, by the glare of the flames, be enabled to continue their labors, which they re- newed with increased spirit, as if en- livened by the crackling and blaze of the conflagration. The daj'', however, was approaching, and it was feared that the insurgents, gathering in force, might obstruct the escape of the Pawnee and the Cumberland. Gunjiowder trains were now laid upon the decks of the doomed ships and the ship-houses. The crews of the various ships and all who belonged to the navy-yard, with the ex- ception of two left behind to fire the trains, now hurried on board of the April Pawnee and Cumberland. The for- 21. mer left the dock on Sunday morning, at four o'clock, on her return. As she cast off her moorings she sent up a sig- nal rocket, and as it burst, the torch was applied, and in a moment the whole yard seemed to be wrapped in a com- mon flame. Ships and ship-houses caught simultaneously, and the old New York, the keel of which had been laid forty-five years before, and was still on the stocks, burned, with its huge wooden cover, like tinder. The Pennsylvania, the Merrimac, the Germantown, the Plymouth, the Raritan, the Columbia, and the brig Dolphin caught at the same time, and were left in flames. Some of the guns were loaded, though not charged with shot, and when the fire reached them they exploded and added to the effect of this scene of destruction. "The Pennsylvania burned hke a vol- cano for five hours and a half before her mainmast fell. I stood watching," say;3 an eye-witness,* "the proud but per- ishing old leviathan, as this sign of her manhood was about to come down. At precisely half-past nine o'clock by my watch, the tall tree that stood in her centre tottered and fell, and crushed deep into her burning sides, while a stream of sparks flooded the sky." Two of the ships — the Delaware and Columbus — had been already scuttled and sunk on the day before the arrival « New York Times, April 26. 182 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. of the Pawnee. The rest, with the ex- ception of the old hulk, the United States, left untouched, had been fired. The only vessel thus which was saved was the fine man-of-war Cumberland, which, in tow of the Yankee tug-boat, followed the Pawnee down the river. No sooner had the Pawnee steamed away, than the people of Norfolk and Portsmouth broke through the gates and filled the navy-yard. Soon after, a military company raised the flag of Vir- ginia and took formal possession of the place in the name of that State. The insurgents, though grieved at the loss of the Cumberland, which they had hoped to secure, were surprised that the destruction, when once begun, had not been more thorough. A hopeful writer, whose sanguine speculations it is curious now to read, gave, at the time of the act, this reason for its in- completeness. " Long before," he says, " the workshops and armories, the foun- dries, and ship-wood left unharmed, can bring forth new weapons of offence, this war will be ended. And may be, as of yore, the stars and stripes will float over Gosport navy-yard. All that is now spared will then be so much gained!" A Norfolk editor reported, after a cur- sory visit, that " the property destroyed embraced, besides the ship-houses and contents, the range of buildings on the north line of the yard (except the com- modore's and commander's residences, which are unhurt), the old marine bar- racks and one or two work-shops, the immense lifting shears, the ships Penn- sylvania, Merrimac, Raritan, Columbus, and brig Dolphin — burned to the water's edge ; the sloop Germantown, broken and sunk ; the Plymouth, scuttled and sunk even with her deck ; and a vast amount of small arms, chronometers, and valuable engines and machinery in the ordnance and other shops, broken up and rendered utterly useless." The feeling at the North, on the de- struction of this valuable public prop- erty, was one of national humiliation, not unmixed with anger at the Govern- ment for not having avoided it by timely precaution. Every one spoke of it as a great loss and a national disgrace. By proper foresight, steam-tugs could have been provided, it was believed, to tow every vessel away from the navy-yard in safety. Even when by delay it had become too late to make such means available, it was thought that a more resolute commander would have been able to keep the insurgents at Norfolk at bay. With a fleet of ships heavily armed at his command, it was urged that he might have turned his guns upon the towns of Norfolk and Ports- mouth, and have successfully rejjelled every attack. The insurgents, on the very day of the departure of the Pawnee, had be- gun to unspike the cannon and remove them below Norfolk to mount the sand batteries which they had raised in de- fence of their harbor and in defiance of the Federal authorities. The Cumberland was towed from the navy-yard by the steam-tug Yankee, which followed in the wake of the Paw- nee. The three vessels proceeded down GREAT MEETING AT NEW YORK. 183 ihe river until nine o'clock in the morn- ing when they came to anchor at the point where the channel had been ob- structed with sunken vessels. Boats were sent out to sound, with the view of discovering another passage. This, however, proving without avail, the fleet weighed anchor and forced its way di- rectly through the obstructions. The Cumberland got entangled with one of the sunken vessels and cai'ried it along with her, and for a time there seemed danger of her drifting on the shore, where the enemy had their batteries. Another steamer, the Kej'^stone State, however, arriving from "Washington, went to her aid, and, in conjunction with the tug Yankee, succeeded in free- ing her from the wreck and towing her safely under the guns of Fort Monroe, CHAPTER XVI, Increased War Spirit of the North. — Unity of Sentiment. — Great Meetings. — Great Meeting at New Torli. — The Patii- otio Enthusiasm of the Citizens. — Tlie display of Union Colors and SjTnbols.— The Immense Gathering at Union Square. — A dozen " Monster Meetings." — Officers and Orators. — The supposed effect of the New Yorli Demonstra- tion upon the Southern Rebellion. — No passing Effervescence of Popular Emotion. — Generous Largesses of Men and Money. — Rapid Military Organization. — March to the Capital. — Dangers of Washington.— Precautions for its Safety. — Disaffection of Maryland. — Au anxious Proclamation. — The Agitation of Baltimore. — Continued Anxiety about Washington. — Kumored Approach of Jefferson Davia. — ^The effect at the North. — Military Aspect of the Northern Cities. — March of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment. — Triumphal Ovations on its route. — Arrival m Bal- timore. — ^ Anxieties about its reception. — The Mob of Baltimore. — The Cars Attacked. — Obstruction of the Track. — The March of the Massachusetts Men through the Streets of Baltimore. — The Attack on them by the Mob. — The First Shot. — The Soldiers return the Fire. — A continned Struggle. — The tr.agic Result. — The Massachusetts Men Fight their way and reach Washington. — The Philadelphia 3Ien turned back. — The Killed and Wounded. — Indig- nation at the North. — A pathetic Dispatch from the Governor of Massachusetts. — An Official Statement. — Deter- mined Hostility of M.aryland. — The impotent Authorities of Maryland. — Vague Response of the Mayor of Baltimore to the Governor of Massachusetts, — A decided Rejoinder. — The Governor of Maryland perplexed. — A Message to the President. — Commissioners sent. — The President's Answer. — Continued Alarm of the Governor of Maryland. — A strange Proposition. — A dignified Rebuke from the Secretary of State. The war spirit which had been aroused at the North by the fall of Fort Sumter continued to increase in intensity. Immense meetings were held in the free States, at which leading politi- cians of all parties vied in their ex- pressions of devotion to the Union, and willingness to sustain it at all hazards to life and property. Stirring resolu- tions were passed and committees ap- pointed to coUect money and organize troops for the defence of the Union and vindication of an insulted government. The most memorable of these great gatherings was that which was called by "leading citizens, without dis- \pj.\\ tinction of party," and assembled 20t around Union Square, New York. On the day appointed, the business of the city was by common consent arrested. Commerce, trade, and wealth all de- serted their usual resorts, and sought to 186 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. " The people of this State will, in a fihoi't time, have the opportunity af- forded them, in a special election of members of Congress of the United States, to express their devotion to the Union, or their desii'e to have it broken up. T. H. Hicks. "Baltimore, April 18, 1861." Baltimore especially, never renowned for its respect for public order, was suspected of a disposition to combine with the insurgents of Virginia, in a violent disruption of the Union. The Virginians openly in arms, were thus threatening the capital of the United States on one side ; the disaf- fected of Maryland on the other, were scarcely restrained from violence, while secret conspirators, and a suspected pop- ulation in Washington itself, aroused the fears of the whole Northern people for its safety and quickened them to effort in its defence. An additional stimulus came in the rumor that Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States, was hurrying to the North, at the head of a considerable force which was rap- idly increasing on the way. The militia from the nearest points jjushed forward at once, and the volunteers of all the Northern States organized with great rapidity. The large cities assumed a warlike air. Men in uniform filled the streets ; the public parks were turned into parade grounds ; public buildings were appropriated and rude structures of wood raised for barracks ; and troops were constantly marching in and out on their way to Washington. The Sixth Regiment of Massachusetts militia was the first to march, and j^prji passed through a succession of 17. triumphal ovations from town to town, greeted on their arrival with the cheers of immense multitudes of enthusiastic people, and urged forward on their patriotic mission with inspiriting shouts of encouragement. After having thus triumphantly passed through New York and Philadelphia, this noble regiment arrived in Baltimore, where a different reception awaited it. It was half- jvprji past ten o'clock in the morning 19. when the Massachusetts men reached the city. Here horses were attached to the cars to convey them from one end to the other of the city to reach the depot of the Baltimore and Wash- ington Railroad. The regiment filled eleven cars. Meeting with no opposition on their arrival, or indication even of an unfriendly spirit, the regiment started in the most cheerful mood. Fears, it is true, had been expressed by some anx- ious inhabitants of the danger of an at- tack, but these were now deemed only the alarms of the timid. The cars, how- ever, had only proceeded the length of two blocks, or squares of houses, when it became clear that the anxiety of the Baltimoreans was not unfounded. A great mass of excited people so ob- structed the streets that the horses could hardly push through it. This mob at the same time began with hootings, yells, and threatening cries, to try to provoke the Massachusetts men. The soldiers, however, neither showed them- selves nor responded to the insults they were receiving. Stones, brickbats, and BALTIMORE MOB. 187 bits of pavement torn from the side- walks were now thrown by the infuria- ted mob against the cars, smashing the windows and bruising some of the troops. In spite, however, of this at- tack, nine of the cars moved steadily on, and deposited their inrnj^tes in safety at the depot. Two cars, with the rest of the Massachusetts men, were yet be- hind. In the mean time, the Baltimore mob had succeeded in obstructing the track by means ■ of large and heavy iron anchors, lying near by, which they dragged into the street and placed across the rails. The mob having ac- complished this work, began to exult with loud shouts for " the South," " Jef- ferson Davis," "South Carolina," and " secession," to give vent to their hatred of the Noi'th by groans for "Lincoln" and "Massachusetts," and to attack the soldiers, from some of whom they suc- ceeded in snatching the muskets. It was now determined to abandon the cars, and march through the streets to the depot. The one hundred men, accordingly, who were all that were left behind of the regiment, alighted, and forming, prepared to push forward. Just as they began to move they were met by a large throng crowding down the street, with a secession flag borne at their head. As they approached they saluted the little band of Massachusetts men with a volley of stones, and cried out to them that they could not proceed through the city, and that if they at- tempted it, " not a white nigger of them would be left alive." Nothing daunted, the soldiers con- tinued their march, when the missiles from the mob began to fly thick and fast. The crowd increased at every step and became more violent each moment, hurling paving stones and brickbats at the soldiers continually. Two of them had been struck and knocked down by stones, when there came a shot from either jDistol or gun. The captain in command of the Massa- chusetts men now ordered them to prime their guns, which had been hith- erto loaded though not capj^ed, and to protect themselves. The soldiers ac- cordingly fired into the people, who, with renewed fury, returned the shot by an increased volley of missiles and the discharge of revolvers. The Mayor of Baltimore at last came forward, and occasionally putting himself at the head of the troops, made a show of protec- tion, which proved, however, of little effect. The Massachusetts men were forced to fight their way through the streets to the dej)ot, a mile distant. The route was a continued scene of struggle between the mob and the sol- diers — -the one hurling missiles of all kinds, and occasionally discharging re- volvers and guns, and the other return- ing the attack with a regular musket fire from their ranks. Many, both sol- diers and citizens, fell dead by the way- side, some of whom were borne away by their comrades, while others were carried into the nearest apothecary shops. Reaching the depot, the little band of soldiers, who had thus cut their way through the infuriated mob, once 186 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. " The peoi^le of this State will, in a short time, have the opportunity af- forded them, in a special election of members of Congress of the United States, to express their devotion to the Union, or their desu-e to have it broken up. T. E. Hicks. "Baltimoee, April 18, 1861." Baltimore especially, never renowned for its respect for public order, was suspected of a disposition to combine with the insurgents of Virginia, in a violent disruption of the Union. The Virginians openly in arms, were thus threatening the capital of the United States on one side ; the disaf- fected of Maryland on the other, were scarcely restrained from violence, while secret conspirators, and a suspected pop- ulation in Washington itself, aroused the fears of the whole Northern people for its safety and quickened them to effort in its defence. An additional stimulus came in the rumor that Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States, was hurrying to the North, at the head of a considerable force which was rap- idly increasing on the way. The militia from the nearest points pushed forward at once, and the volunteers of all the Northern States organized with great rapidity. The large cities assumed a warlike air. Men in uniform filled the streets ; the public parks were turned into parade grounds ; public buildings were appropriated and rude structures of wood raised for barracks ; and troops were constantly marching in and out on their way to Washington. The Sixth Regiment of Massachusetts militia was the first to march, and April passed through a succession of '7' triumphal ovations from town to town, greeted on their arrival with the cheers of immense multitudes of enthusiastic people, and urged forward on their l^atriotic mission with inspiriting shouts of encouragement. After having thus triumphantly passed through New York and Philadelphia, this noble regiment anived in Baltimore, where a different reception awaited it. It was half- j^prj] past ten o'clock in the morning 19« when the Massachusetts men reached the city. Here horses were attached to the cars to convey them from one end to the other of the city to reach the depot of the Baltimore and Wash- ington Railroad. The regiment filled eleven cars. Meeting with no opposition on their arrival, or indication even of an unfriendly spirit, the regiment started in the most cheerful mood. Fears, it is true, had been expressed by some anx- ious inhabitants of the danger of an at- tack, but these were now deemed only the alarms of the timid. The cars, how- ever, had only proceeded the length of two blocks, or squares of houses, when it became clear that the anxiety of the Baltimoreans was not unfounded. A great mass of excited people so ob- structed the streets that the horses could hardly push through it. This mob at the same time began with hootings, yells, and threatening cries, to try to provoke the Massachusetts men. The soldiers, however, neither showed them- selves nor responded to the insults they were receiving. Stones, brickbats, and BALTBIORE MOB. 187 bits of pavemeut torn from the side- walks were now thrown by the infuria- ted mob against the cars, smashing the windows and bruising some of the troops. In spite, however, of this at- tack, nine of the cars moved steadily on, and deposited their inmg,tes in safety at the depot. Two cars, with the rest of the Massachusetts men, were yet be- hind. In the mean time, the Baltimore mob had succeeded in obstructing the track by means- of large and heavy iron anchors, lying near by, which they dragged into the street and placed across the rails. The mob having ac- complished this work, began to exult with loud shouts for " the South," " Jef- ferson Davis," "South Carolina," and " secession," to give vent to their hatred of the North by groans for "Lincoln" and " Massachusetts," and to attack the soldiers, from some of whom they suc- ceeded in snatching the muskets. It was now determined to abandon the cars, and march through the streets to the depot. The one hundred men, accordingly, who were all that were left behind of the regiment, alighted, and forming, prepared to push forward. Just as they began to move they were met by a large throng crowding down the street, with a secession flag borne at their head. As they approached they saluted the little band of Massachusetts men with a volley of stones, and cried out to them that they could not proceed through the city, and that if they at- tempted it, " not a white nigger of them would be left alive." Nothing daunted, the soldiers con- tinued their march, when the missiles from the mob began to fly thick and fast. The crowd increased at every step and became more violent each moment, hurling paving stones and brickbats at the soldiers continually. Two of them had been struck and knocked down by stones, when there came a shot from either pistol or gun. The captain in command of the Massa- chusetts men now ordered them to prime their guns, which had been hith- erto loaded though not capped, and to protect themselves. The soldiers ac- cordingly fired into the people, who, with renewed fury, returned the shot by an increased volley of missiles and the discharge of revolvers. The Mayor of Baltimore at last came forward, and occasionally putting himself at the head of the ti'oops, made a show of protec- tion, which proved, however, of little eflfect. The Massachusetts men were forced to fight their way through the streets to the dejDot, a mile distant. The route was a continued scene of struggle between the mob and the sol- diers — the one hurling missiles of all kinds, and occasionally discharging re- volvers and guns, and the other return- ing the attack with a regular musket fire from their ranks. Many, both sol- diers and citizens, fell dead by the way- side, some of whom were borne away by their comrades, while others were carried into the nearest apothecary shops. Reaching the depot, the little band of soldiers, who had thus cut their way through the infuriated mob, onoe 188 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. more joined their fellows who awaited them, and the whole regiment prepared to start for Washington. The mob, how- ever, had followed, and stiU beset them. "The scene while the troops were changing cars," wrote an eye-witness, " was indescribably fearful. Taunts, clothed' in the most fearful language, were hurled at them by the panting crowd, who, almost breathless with run- ning, passed up to the car windows, pre- senting knives and revolvers, and cursed up into the faces of the soldiers. The police were thrown in between the cars, and forming a barrier, the troops changed cars, many of them cocking their muskets as they stepped on the platform. " After embarking, the assemblage ex- pected to see the train move ofi', but its departure was evidently delayed in the vain hope that the crowd would dis- perse ; but no, it swelled ; and the troops expressed to the officers of the road theii' determination to go at once, or they would leave the cars and make their way to Washington. " While the delay was increasing the excitement, a wild cry was raised on the platform, and a dense crowd ran down the platform, and along the raikoad toward the Spring Gardens, until the track for a mile was black with an ex- cited, rushing mass. The crowd, as it went, placed obstructions of every de- scription on the track. Great logs and telegrapli poles, requiring a dozen or more men to move them, were laid across the rails, and stones roUed from the embankment. "A body of i^olice followed after the crowd, both in a full run, and removed the obsti'uctions as fast as they were placed on the track. Various atterajits were made to tear up the track with logs of wood and pieces of timber, and there was a great outcr}^ for pickaxes and handspikes, but only one or two could be. found. The police interfered on every occasion, but the crowd grow- ing larger and more excited, would dash off at a break-neck run for another position farther on, until the -county hne was reached. The police followed, run- ning, until forced to stop from fatigue. At this point many of the throng gave it up from exhaustion ; but a crowd, longer-winded, dashed on for nearly a mile farther, now and then pausing to attempt to force the rails, or place some obstruction upon them. They could be distinctly seen for a mile along the track, where it makes a bend at the Washingtou road bridge. When the train went out, the mass of people had almost returned to the depot." In the same railroad train by which the Massachusetts regiment had come from Philadelphia, there were some Pennsylvania ti'oops. These formed one half of the Washington Brigade, and con- sisted of six companies of the First Reg- iment, under the command of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Berry, and foiu: companies of the Second Regiment, under Lieu- tenant-Colonel Schoenleber and Major GuUman. Being, however, unarmed, they did not venture an attempt to force their way, and remained in the cars at the depot where they had at first arrived. THE MASSACHUSETTS DEAD. 189 They, too, were assailed by the insulting cries of the mob, and some of them were bruised severely by missiles hurled against the cars, which broke the win- dows and penetrated inside. After re- maining for two hours thus exposed, they were finally protected by the po- lice of Baltimore, but were obliged to retrace their way back to the North. The total number of killed and wounded, in the street conflict between the Massachusetts regiment and Balti- more mob, amounted to twenty-two. Of these, nine citizens and two soldiers were killed, and three citizens and eight soldiers wounded. This tragic event excited great indignation throughout the North, and especially in Massachu- setts, where the victims of the Balti- more riot were considered as martyrs who had been sacrificed in a holy cause. The Governor of the State expressed his reverence for their memory in this pa- triotic dispatch to the Mayor of Bal- timore : " I pray you cause the bodies of our Massachusetts soldiers, dead in battle, to be immediately laid out, preserved in ice, and tenderly sent forward by ex- press to me. All expenses will be paid by this Commonwealth. " John A. Andrew, " Governor of Massachusetts." The occurrence,* however, presented o The following report by Captain FoUambec, who com- manded the Massachusetts men who fought their way through Baltimore, though not in every respect accurate, is interesting : " We arrived in Baltimore about ten o'clock A. M. The cars are drawn through the city by horses. There were about thirty cars in our train, there being, in addition to Colonel Jones' command, 1,200 troops from PhiUulelphia, a graver aspect than it showed merely in its sentimental bearings. The com- without uniforms or anns, they intending to get them here. After we arrived, the cars were taken, two at a time, and drawn to the depot, at the lower part of tlie city, a mob assaulting them all the way. The Lowell Mechanic Phalanx car was the ninth, and we waited till after the rest had left for our turn, till two men came to me and informed me that I had bettor talic my command and march to the other depot, as the mob had taken up the track to prevent the passage of the cars. I imme- diately informed Captain Pickering, of the Lawrence Light Infantry, and we filed out of the cars in regular order. Captain Hart's company, of LoweU, and Captain DUk's, of Stoneham, did the same, and formed in a line on the side- walk. The captains consulted together, and decided that the command should devolve upon me. I Immediately took my position at the right, wheeled into column of sections, and requested them to march in close order. Before we had started, the mob was upon us, with a seces- sion flag attached to a pole, and told us we never could march through that city. They would kill every white nigger of us before we could reach tlie other depot. I paid no attention to them, but after I had wheeled the batta,lion, gave the order to march. "As soon as the order was given, the brickbats liegan to fly into our ranks from the mob. I called a policeman, and requested him to lead the way to the other depot. He did so. After we had marched about a hundred yards, we came to a bridge. The rebels had torn up most of the planks. We had to play ' Scotch hop' to get over it. As soon as we had crossed the bridge they commenced to fire upon us from the streets and houses. We were loaded, hut not capped. I ordered the men to cap their rifles and protect themselves, and then we returned their fire, and laid a great many of them away. I saw four fall on the sidewalk at one time. They followed us up, and we fought our way to the other depot, about one mile. They kept at us tiU the cars started. Quite a number of the rascals were shot after we entered the cars. We went very slowly, for we expected the rails were torn up along the road. "I do not know how much damage we did. Report says about forty were killed, but I think that is exag- gerated. StUl, it may be so. There is any quantity of them wounded. Quite a number of horses were killed. The mayor of the city met us almost half way. He said that there would he no more trouble, and that we could get through, and kept with me for about a hundred yards; but the stones and balls whistled too near his head, and he left, took a gun from one of my company, fired, and brought his man down. That was the last I saw of him. We fought our way to the cars, and joined Colonel Jones and the seven companies that left us at the other end of the city ; and now we are here, every man of 192 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. President Lincoln's answer was tend- erly considerate of the nervous agitation of the Maryland officials, and indicated as well by its comjjlacent concessions how at that early period the Govern- ment was embarrassed by the manoeuvres of its enemies. "Washington, April 20, 1861. " GovKENOB Hicks axd Mayor Beown : " GrEXTLEMEN : Tour letter, by Messrs. Bond, Dobbin, and Brune, is received. I tender you both my sincere thanks for your efforts to keep the peace in the trying situation in which you are placed. For the future, troops must be brought here, but I make no point of bringing them through Baltimore. " Without any military knowledge myself, of course I must leave details to General Scott. He hastily said this morning, in the presence of these gen- tlemen, ' March them around Baltimore, and not tkrough it.' "I sincerely hope the General, ou fuller reflection, will consider this prac- ticable and proper, and that you will not object to it. " B}'^ this a coUision of the people of Baltimore with the troops will be avoided, unless they go out of their way to seek it. I hope you wiU exert your influence to prevent this. ' ' Now and ever I shaU do all in my power for peace, consistently with the maintenance of the Government. "Your obedient servant, " Abraham Lincoln." The Governor's agitation was not calmed, however, by the good-natured sympathy of President Lincoln and his readiness of concession. On the con- trary, each day the disaffected people of Marjdand became more threatening anl their Governor more alarmed. He now begged that no more troops should be sent not only thi'ough Baltimore, but through Maryland, while he proposed, with a strange disregard of the dignity of the Government to which he claimed to be loyal, that the English ambassador at Washington should be invited to mediate between the United States and its rebeUious citizens ! " Executive Chamber, Annatolis, ) April 22, 1861. ) " To His Excellency A. Lincoln, Peesideni OF TriE United States : Sir : I feel it my duty, most respect- fully, to advise you that no more troops be ordered or allowed to pass through Maryland, and that the troops now off Annajjolis be sent elsewhere, and I most respectfully urge that a truce be offered bj' you, so that the effusion of blood may be prevented. I respectfull}^ sug- gest that Lord Lyons be requested to act as mediator between the contending parties of our country. "I have the honor to be, very re- spectfully, your obedient servant, " Thos. H. Hicks." The President, on receiving this re- markable missive, no longer trusted to his own amiable and informal mode of dealing with his adversaries, but sub- mitted the Governor's dispatch to tlie secretary of state, to be dealt with ac- cording to that distinguished statesman's more official and dignified manner : NEW Rational work on the late rebellion. / Noiv PHhlishimj, in Parts at 50 ceitts, and Divisions at $1. THE GREAT CIVIL WAK; •A HISTORY OF Being a complete Narrative of the Events connected with the Origin, Progress, and Conclusion of the War, with Biographical Sketches of Leading Statesmen and Distinguished Military and Naval Commanders, etc., etc. By ROBERT TOMES, M.D. Conthnicd from the heijimiitig of the i/ear 1864 to the end of the ^Var, By BENJ. G. smith, Esq. HlHStrated by iiiiineroiis lii^Iily fliiished Steel En,?raviii£;s, Colored Maps, Plaus, etc., from Drawings by F. 0. €. Darley and other eminent Artists. — 'S^^se^ The four years' war, now happily ended — so remarkable for it.s sudden outbreak, its unexpected duration, and its entire termination — not only ab.sorbed universal attention at homo, but had, during its cuntinuance, a paramount interest for the nations of Europe, and was the subject of constant comment and prophecy on the part of both the friends and enemies of national self-government. It not oidy displayed the astonishing i-esources of the country, and exhibited, even while the .struggle continued, in the vast armies raised and the persistent spirit of the people, a capacity for wa"r that entitles the United States to the first rank .among military nations, but also demonstrated the enduring character of the government and institutions, which have proved themselves able to withstand even the fearful shocks of a gigantic civil war. A history of this great war will be a necessity to every loyal American. To be Avithout a know- ledge of the causes and events of the great struggle for the preservation of the Union would be as niexcusable as to be ignorant of the events which led to its formation. The present work will be a complete history of the war and of its immediate causes, from the election of Mr. Lincoln and the commencement of actual hostilities by the attack on Fort Sumter, to the evacuation of Richmond and the surrender of the armies of Lee. Johnston, and Kirby Smith. It Avill contain detailed accounts of the great battles, sieges, marches, and naval operations, a recoi'd of polit- ical events, remarks on foi'eign relations, statistical facts with regard to the resources of both the Northern and Southern States, descriptions of foi'tresses and battle-fields, and a large number of bio- graphical sketches of distinguished commanders and statesmen, to which will bo appended a copious and elaborate Index. Not the least attractive feature of the work Avill be the large mnnber of beautiful and costly steel engravings, comprising portraits of statesmen and military and naval commanders, Northern and South- ern, who have become famous in the course of the war. Among the illustrations are also splendid bird's-eye views of Fortress Monroe and vicinity, Ciiarles- ton, Richmond, and New Orleans ; representations of battle-scenes, views of forts and battle-fields, sea views, and a number of carefully prepared colored maps and plans, highly useful in making clear the movements and positions of armies. CONDITIONS OF PUBLICATION. Tlie work will be printed in a clear, bold type, on siipertine, calendared [japer, and issued in Parts at Fifty Cents, and Di\ isions at SI each. I'lie illustrations will comprise fifty-tour portraits and thirty-six battle- scenes, plans, maps, bird's-eye views, etc. until completed, the whole not to exceed .fortj-'five Parts, at Fifty Cents each. No subscriber's name received for less than the whole work ; and each Part or Division will be payable on delivery, the carrier not being allowed A Part will be published every two weeks and a Division every month 1 to give credit or receive payment in advance. VIBTUE & VORSTONt t2 OEV STREET^ ^ 544 BROADWAY, NEW VORK» Artd Sotcfi by ttielp Afeots in atl the Prfncipal Cttfes of ttt© Ifnlteii States af>^ Canadas, New National Work on tlie Late Rebellion. Pari 5 IthutrtUtdby F. O. C. J>AKLf:yrondotl.to^jniMHt AHiM». I'rirr Sue To be Completed in Forty-five Parts, at Fifty Cents each. ^x^. ■ .jt*.'t,*Kfr .~^i)^Jtjvit» ntt^rr^H^D A DIGNIFIED REBUKE FROM SECRETARY SEWARD. 193 "Depaetment of State, ) April 22, 1861. f " Bts ExcKLLKNCY Thos. H. Hicks, Goveknoe OF Maetland : " Sir : I have had the honor to re- ceive your communication of this morn- ing, in which you inform me tha.t you have felt it to he yotir duty to advise the President of the United States to order elsewhere the troops then off An- napohs, and also that no more may be sent through Maryland j and that you have further suggested that Lord Lyons be requested to act as mediator between the contending parties in our country, to prevent the efl'usion of blood. " The President directs me to ac- knowledge the receipt of that communi- cation, and to assure you that he has weighed the counsels which it contains with the respect which he habitually cherishes for the Chief Magistrates of the several States, and especially for yourself. He regrets, as deeply as any magistrate or citizen of the country can, that demonstrations against the safety of the United States, with very exten- sive preparations for the effusion of blood, have made it his duty to call out the force to which you allude. " The force now sought to be brought through Maryland is intended for noth- ing but the defence of this capital. The President has necessarily confided the choice of the national highway, which that force shall take in coming to this city, to the Lieutenant-General com- manding the army of the United States, who, like his only jDredecessor, is not less distinguished for his humanity than 25 for his loyalty, patriotism, and distin- guished public service. ' ' The President instructs me to add, that the national highway thus selected by the Lieutenant-General has been chosen by him, upon consultation with prominent magistrates and citizens of Maryland, as the one which, while a route is absolutely necessary, is furthest removed from the populous cities of the State, and with the expectation that it would, therefore, be the least objection- able one. " The President cannot but remember that there has been a time in the his- tory of our country when a General of the American Union, with forces de- signed for the defence of its capital, was not unwelcome anywhere in the State of Maryland, and certainly not at An- napolis, then, as now, the capital of that patriotic State, and then, also, one of the capitals of the Union. " If eighty years could have oblit- erated all the other noble sentiments of that age in Maryland, the President would be hopeful, nevertheless, that there is one that would forever remain there and everywhere. That sentiment is, that no domestic contention whatever that may arise among the parties of this Republic ought in any case to be re- ferred to any foreign arbitrament, least of all to the arbitrament of a European monarchy. "I have the honor to be, with distin- guished consideration, your Excellency's most obedient servant, "William H. Seward." 194 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. CHAPTER XVII. J Indignation against Maryland in the North. — To Washington through Baltimore. — An energetic Citizen of New York addresses the President. — An Editorial Be-echo.— Increased Martial Ardor. — The Seventh Regiment. — Its composi- tion. — Anticipatory Heroes. — Their Departure from New York. — Enthusiasm of the People. — March of the Sev- enth. — Its Glorification. — An Account hy an Historiognipher from the Ranks.— The Eighth Massachusetts. — Obstructions to their March to the C.ipital. — General Butler in command. — ^His Promptitude and Energy.— Seizure of the Ferry-boat Maiyland. — Arrival at Annapolis. — Rescue of "Old Ironsides." — ^The difficulty of the Achieve- . ment. — Honor to Butler. — His Biography. — ^Birth and Descent.— Education. — Piofessional Career. — Prominence as a Lawyer. — His Legal Characteristics. — First Appearance in Public Life. — A Delegate to the Democratic Convention at Charleston. — A Breckenridge Elector.— A Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. — Suspiciously regarded. — A proof of Loyalty. — Welcomed as a Defender of the Union.— Appointed to Command by his Political Opponent. — His Energy and Success. — National Gratitude. — Pertonal Description and Character of Butler. — His Coolness in Danger illustrated. — Other proofe in the course of this History. IS61. The attack of the mob of Baltimore upon the Massachusetts troops, and the apparent determination of the se- cessionists of Maryland, by ob- structing the raikoads, tearing up the tracks, and burning the bridges, to cut off all commimication through their State between Washington and the North, greatly angered the Northern people. The universal cry was now, "To Washington through Baltimore!' and the determination was expressed that the way must be cleared at all haz- ards. An energetic citizen* of New York addressed the President in an emphatic letter, in which he said : ' ' It is demanded of Government that they at once take measures to open and estabhsh those hues of communication, and that they protect and preserve them from any further interruption. Unless this is done, the people will be compelled to take it into then- own hands, let the consequences be what it ' Mr. George I^w. may and let them faU where they will." The press echoed these resolute senti- ments of a private citizen with emphatic sjTnpathy, and declared : "If any man of position as a military leader or as a strong, resolute commander, woidd offer to lead a force through Baltimore, with or without orders, he could have fifty thousand followers as soon as they could rush to his standard.'' To this, an ed- itor added, aUuding to the energetic private citizen .akeady referred to, that he " could raise in three days volunteers enough to clear the track, even if it should leave Baltimore an ash-heap." The doom of that city was foreshadowed as a second Sodom which must be de- stroyed, "if it is necessary first to de- stroy the Government at Washington that now defends it." In the mean time, the martial ardor of the country was daily intensifying. The choice miUtary coi'ps of the large cities hurried forward to the endan- gered capital. The Seventh Mihtia Reg- THE NEW YORK SEVENTH. 195 imeut of the city was the first to move of the large force rapidly mustering everywhere in jSTew York. This corps, composed of young men belonging more or less to the wealthier classes, and long admired for the precision of their drill and the elegance of their tenue, was the pet regiment of the city. When, there- fore, it was announced that these youth- ful soldiers, who had been hitherto the mere ornaments of a gala parade, had determined to come forward to assmne the serious work of fighting for their country, the population of the city ap- plauded their spirited resolution, and, confident of their good conduct, antici- pated its rewards by bestowing upon them the honors of an accomplished April heroism. On the day of their de- i^« parture for Washington the city was unusually excited. ' ' Never be- fore," said a daily paper, "were the people moved to such a pitch of enthu- siastic patiiotism. There have been gala days, and funeral pageants, and mihtary shows, and complimentary re- ceptions, and triumphal processions that filled the streets with crowds of curi- ous, wondering, sympathetic people, but never has there been developed such a universal, heartfelt, deep-rooted, genu- ine enthusiasm. The American colors were prominent everywhere — on house- tops, on flagstafifs, on horses attached to all kinds of vehicles, on ropes stretched across the streets, on the masts of ship- ping in the harbor, on breastpins, on the lappets of coats, on the fronts of men's hats ; on all sides the glorious old red, white, and blue waved in the joyous breeze and every eye was dazzled with bright colors. The awful solemnity of civil war came pressing home to our people who had sons, and brothers, and fathers just departing, perhaps never to return. The news of the difficulties in Baltimore, the struggle of the troops with the rabble, the reported death of many, the rumors of an attack on the capital, the tearing up of railroad tracks, and all the attendant horrors of internecine warfare, struck terror into many a stout heart, while the tears of kind-hearted women flowed copiously as a rain-storm." " It was many Fourths- of- July rolled into one," was the comprehensive cU- max arrived at by a writer* who had in vain attempted an adequate description of the scene. The story of the journey of the Seventh to Philadelphia ; its prudent dodging of the rioters at Baltimore, by passing down the Delaware and up the Chesapeake ; its arrival and encamp- ment at Annapolis, and its famous march to Washington were told again and again in daily newspapers, in pictorial week- lies, and in grave monthlies. The regiment did not want for his- toriographers, as in its gallant ranks there were those who were not unknown to fame for their skill in the literary art. Onef who recorded the eventful progress of the Seventh to Washington, gave an animating account, from which the following extracts are made : " Swift through New Jersey. * * * " New York Times, April 20. f Captain Fitz-James O'Brien, in tlie New Torii Times. 196 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. All along the track shouting crowds, hoarse and valorous, sent to us, as we passed, their hopes and wishes. When we stopped at the different stations, rough hands came in through the win- dows, apparently unconnected with any one in particular imtil you shook them, and then the subtle magnetic thrill told that there were bold hearts beating at the end. This continued until night closed, and, indeed, until after midnight. " Within the cars the sight was strange. A thousand young men, the flower of the North, in whose welfare a million of friends and relatives were interested, were rushing along to con- jectured hostilities with the same smil- ing faces that they would wear going to a ' German' party in Fifth Avenue. It was more Uke a festivity than a march. Those fine old songs, the chorusses of which were familiar to all, were sung with sweet voice. * * * " Our arrival at Philadelphia took place at four o'clock. We slept in the cars, awaiting orders from our Colonel, but, at daylight, hunger — and it may be thirst — becoming imperious, we sallied out and roamed about that cheerless neighborhood that surrounds the depot. * * * Finding that we were likely to remain for some time in the city — al- though under the impression that we were to go straight through to Balti- more — we wandered away from the desert of the depot and descended on civilized quarters. The superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum was a man for the emergency. He provided a handsome breakfast for aU such mem- bers of the Seventh as chose to partake of it, and we commanded beefsteak on our fingers, and ordered tea by sign- manual. Great numbers of our regi- ment, being luxurious dogs, went down to the Continental and Girard hotels, where they campaigned on marble floors, and bivouacked on velvet couches ; they are such delicate fellows, the Seventh Regiment ! * * " We, of course, were entirely ig- norant of our route, or how we were going. The general feeling of the regi- meiit was in favor of pushing our way coute qui coute straight through Balti- more. Rumors came along that the city was in arms. The Massachusetts troops had to fight their way through, killing eighteen, and losing two men. This seemed only to stimulate our boys, and the universal word was Baltimore ! But, as it turned out afterward, we were under a wise direction, and the policy of our Colonel, to whom we perhaps are altogether indebted for bringing us safe here, was, I presume, to avoid all un- necessary collision, and bring his regi- ment intact into Washington. The rails were reported to have been torn up for forty miles about Baltimore, and as we were summoned for the defence of the capital, it follows, according to reason, that if we could get there without loss we would better fulfil our duty. As it happened afterward, we had to run through more peril than Baltimore could have offered. " There seemed but little enthusiasm in Philadelphia. * * I understand that the people were out in large num- DODGING BALTIMOKE. 197 bers to see us enter, but our delay dis- appointed them, and they went home. * * We came and went without a re- ception or demonstration. " There was one peculiar difference that I noticed existing between the Massachusetts regiments that we met in Philadelphia and our men. The Massa- chusetts men — to whom all honor be given for the splendid manner in which they afterward acted in a most trying situation — presented a singular moral contrast to the members of the Seventh. They were earnest, grim, determined. Badly equipped, haggard, unshorn, they yet had a manhood in their look that hardships could not kill. They were evidently thinking all the time of the contest into which they were about to enter. Their grey, eager eyes seemed to be looking for the heights of Vir- ginia. With us it was somewhat differ- ent. Our men were gay and careless, confident of being at any moment capa- ble of performing, and more than per- forming, theu" duty. They looked battle in the face with a smile, and were read}'- to hob-nob with an enemy and kill him afterward. The one was courage in tiie rough ; the other was courage bur- nished. The steel was the same in both, but the last was a little more pol- ished. " On April 20, at 4.20 p.m., we left the Philadelphia dock, on board the steamer Boston. The i-egimeut was in entire ignorance of its destination. Some said we were gomg back to New York, at which suggestion there was a howl of indignation. Others presumed that we were going to steam up the Poto- mac — a course which was not much ap- proved of, inasmuch that we were cooped up in a kind of river steamer that a shot from the fort at Alexandria might sink at any moment. * * * " The first evening, April 20, on board the Boston, passed delightfully. We were all in first-rate spirits, and the calm, sweet evenings that stole on us as we approached the South, diffused a soft and gentle influence over us. The scene on board the ship was exceedingly picturesque. Fellows fumbling in hav- ersacks for rations, or extracting sand- wiches from reluctant canteens ; guards pacing up and down with drawn bay- onets ; knapsacks piled in corners ; bristhng heaps of muskets, with sharp, shining teeth, crowded into every avail- able nook ; picturesque groups of men lolhng on deck, pipe or cigar in mouth, indulged in the Mce far niente, as if they were on the blue shores of Capri rather than on their way to battle ; un- buttoned jackets, crossed legs, heads leaning on knapsacks, blue uniforms everywhere, with here and thei'e a glint of officers' red enlivening the foreground — all formed a scene that such painters as the English Warren would have rev- elled in. ' ' I regret to say that all was not rose- colored. The steamer that the Colonel chartered had to get ready at three or four hours' notice, he having changed his plans, in consequence of the tearing up of the rails around Baltimore. The result was that she was imperfectly pro- visioned. As the appetites of the men 198 THE WAK -WTTH THE SOUTH. begiui to develop, the resources of the vessel began to appear. In the first place, she was far too small to accom- modate a thousand men, and we were obliged to sleep in all sorts of impossible attitudes. There is an ingenious device known to carpenters as 'dove-tailing,' and we were so thick that we had posi- tively to dove-tail, only that there was very little of the dove about it ; for when perambulating soldiers stepped on the faces and stomachs of the sleepers, as they lay on deck, the greeting that they received had but little flavor of the olive-branch. " Notwithstanding that we found very soon that the commissariat was in a bad way, the men were as jolly as sandboys. I never saw a more good-hmnored set of men in my life. Fellows who would at Delmonico's have sent back a turban de volaille aitx truffes because the truffles were tough, here cheerfully took their places in file between decks, tin plates and tin cups in hand, in order to get an insufiicient piece of beef and a ^dsion of cofifee. But it was aU merrily done. The scant fare was seasoned with hilar- ity ; and here I say to those people in New York who have sneered at the Seventh Regiment as being dandies, and guilty of the unpardonable crimes of cleanhness and kid gloves, that they would cease to scoif and remain to bless had they beheld the square, honest, genial way in which these militaiy Brummells roughed it. Farther on you wiU see what they did in the way of endurance and activity. ' April 21st was Sundaj'. A glorious. cloudless day. Tv'e had steamed all night, and about ten o'clock were in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay. At eleven o'clock A. M. we had service read by our chaplain, and at one p. M. we were seven miles from the coast. The day was calm and dehcious. In spite of our troubles with regard to food — troubles, be it understood, entirely unavoidable — we drank in with delight the serenity of the scene. A hazy tent of blue hung over our heads. On one side the dim thread of shore hemmed in the sea. Flights of loons and ducks skimmed along the ocean, rising lazily, and spat- tering the waves with their wings as they flew against the wind, until they rose into air, and, wheehng, swept into calmer feeding grounds. Now and then the calm of the hour was broken with the heavy tramp of men and the me- taUic voice of the corporal of the guard reUeving his comrades. At five o'clock p. M. we passed a hght-ship and hailed her, our object being to discover whe- ther any United States vessels were in the neighborhood waiting to convoy us up the Potomac River. We had heard that the forts at Alexandria were ready to open upon us if we attempted to pass up, and our steamer was of such a build that, had a shell or shot struck it, we would have been burned or drowned. It therefore behooved us to be cautious. The answers we got from the light-ship and other vessels that we hailed in tliis spot were unsatisfactozy, and although the feehngs of the men were unanimous in wishing to force the Potomac, wiser counsels, as it proved, were behind us. ARRIVAL AT ANNAPOLIS. 199 aud we kept on. * * * ALL this time we were entirely ignorant of where we were going. The officers kept all secret, aud our conjectures drifted like a drifting boat. On the mornrug of the 22d we were in sight of Auuapohs, ofi' which the Constitution was lying, • and there found the Eighth Regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, on board the Maryland. They were aground, owing, it is supposed, to the treachery of the captain, whom they put in irons, and wanted to hang. I regret to say that they did not do it. Duriirg the greater portion of that forenoon we were oc- cupied in trying to get the Maryland off the sand-bar on which she was grounded. From our decks we could see the men in file trying to rock her, so as to facihtate our tugging. These men were without water and without food, were well conducted and uncom- plaining, and behaved, in aU respects, like heroes. They were under the com- mand of Colonel Butler. * * * "On the afteruoeu of the 22d we landed at the AnnapoUs dock, after having spent hours in trying to reUeve the Maryland. For the first time in his life your correspondent was put to work to roll floiu- barrels. He was intrusted with the honorable and onerous duty of transporting stores from the steamer to the dock. Later still ha descended to the position of mess servant, when, in company with gentlemen weil-known in Broadway for immaculate kids, he had the honor of attending on his company with buckets of cooked meat and crack- ers, the only difference between him and Co. and the ordinary waiter being, that the former were civil. "After this I had the pleasing duty of performing three hours of guard duty on the dock with a view to protect the baggage and stores. It was monotonous — being my first guard — but not un- pleasant. The moon rose calm and white. A long dock next to the one on whicli I was stationed stretched away into the bay, resting on its numerous piles, until it looked in the clear moon- light hke a centipede. All was still and calm, until at certain periods the guard challenged persons attempting to pass. TJiere was a holy influence in the hour, and somehow the hot fever of anxiety that had been over us for days, seemed to pass away under the touch of the magnetic fingers of the night. ' ' We were quartered in the buildings belonging to the Naval School at An- napohs. I had a bunking-place in what is there called a fort, which is a rickety structure that a lucifer match would set on fire, but furnished with imposing guns. I suppose it was merely built to practice the cadets, because as a defence it is worthless. The same evening, boats were sent off from the yard, and toward nightfall the Massachusetts men- landed, fagged, hungry, thirsty, but indomitable. At an early hour there was a universal snore through the Naval School of An- napolis. " The two days that we remained at AnnapoHs were welcome. We had been without a fair night's sleep since we left New York, and even the hard quarters we had there were luxury compared to 200 THE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. the dirty decks of the Boston. Besides, there were natural attractions. The grounds are very prettily laid out, and in the course of my experience I never . saw a handsomer or better bred set of young men than the cadets ; and they have proved loyal, only twenty liaving left the school owing to political con- viction. The remainder are sound Union fellows, eager to prove their de- votion to the flag. After spending a delightful time in the Navy School, rest- ing and amusing ourselves, our repose was disturbed, at 9 p. ji., April 23d, by rockets being thrown up in the bay. The men were scattered all over the grounds ; some in bed, others walking or smoking, all more or less undressed. The rockets being of a suspicious char- acter, it was conjectured that a Southern fleet was outside, and our drummer beat the roll-call to arms. From the stroke of the drum until the time that every man, fully equipjjed and in fighting order, was in the ranks, was exactly, by watch, seven minutes. It is needless to say anything about such celerity— it speaks for itself. The alarm, however, proved to be false, the vessels in the offing proving to be laden with the Seventy-first and other New York regi- ments ; so that, after an unpremeditated trial of our readiness for action, we were permitted to retire to our virtuous couches, which means, permit me to say, a blanket on the floor, with a military overcoat over you, and a nasal concert all around you that, in noise and num- ber, outvies Musard's celebrated concerts monstres. "On the moi-ning of the 24th of April we started on what afterward proved to be one of the hardest marches on record. The secessionists of Annap- olis and the surrounding district bad threatened to cut us off in our march, and even went so far as to say that they would attack our quarters. This, of course, was the drunken Southern ebullition. A civilian told me that he met in the streets of Annapolis two cavalry soldiers who came to cut our throats without delay, but as each brave warrior was " endeavoring to hold the other up, my friend did not apprehend much danger. "A curious revulsion of feeling took place at Annapolis, and indeed aU through Maryland, after our arrival. " The admirable good conduct which characterizes the regiment, the open liberality which it displays in all pecuni- ary transactions, and the courteous de- meanor which it exhibits to all classes, took the narrow-minded population of this excessively wretched town by sur- prise. They were prepared for pillage. They thought we were going to sack the place. They found, instead, that we were prepared and willing to ]3ay liberal prices for everything, and that even patriotic presentations were steadilj^ re- fused. While we were in the Navy School, of coui'se all sorts of rumors as to our operations were floating about. It surprised me that no one suggested that we were to go off in a balloon ; however, all surmises were put to an end by om* receiving orders, the evening of the 23 d, to assemble in marching MARCH TO "WASHIiSrGTOX. 201 order next morning. The dawn saw us up. Knapsacks, with our blankets and overcoats strapped on them, were piled on the green. A brief and insufficient breakfast was taken, our canteens filled with vinegar and water, cartridges dis- tributed to each man, and after muster- ing and loading, we started on our first march through a hostile country. "General Scott has stated, as I have been informed, that the march that we performed from Annapolis to the Junc- tion is one of the most remarkable on record. I know that I felt it the most faliguing, and some of our officers have told me that it was the most perilous. We marched the first eight miles under a burning sun, in heavy marching order, in less than three hours ; and it is well- known that, placing all elementary con- siderations out of the way, marching on a railroad track is the most harassing. We started at about eight o'clock a. m., and for the first time saw the town of Annapolis, which, without any disre-, spect to that place, I may say, looked very much as if some celestial school- boy, with a box of toys under his arm, had dropped a few houses and men as he was going home from school, and that the accidental settlement was called An- napolis. Through the town we marched, the people unsympathizing, but afraid. They saw the Seventh for the first time, and for the first time they realized the men that they had threatened. " The tracks had been torn up be- tween AnnapoUs and the Junction, and here it was that the wonderful qualities of the Massachusetts Eighth Regiment 20 came out. The locomotives had been taken to pieces by the inhabitants, in order to prevent our travel. In steps a Massachusetts volunteer, looks at the piece-meal engine, takes up a flange, and ^ says coolly, ' I made this engine, and 1 can put it together agahi.' Engineers were wanted when the engine was ready. Nineteen stepped out of the ranks. The rails were torn up. Practical railroad makers out of the regiment laid them again, and all this, mind you, without care or food. These brave boys, I say, were starving while they were doing this good work. What their Colonel was doing I can't say. As we marched along the track that they had laid, they greeted us with ranks of smiling but hungry faces. One boy told me, with a laugh on his young lips, that he had not eaten anything for thirty hours. There was not, thank God, a haversack in our regiment that was not emptied into the hands of these ill-treated heroes, nor a flask that was not at their disposal. "Our march lay through an arid, sandy, tobacco-growing country. The sun poured on our heads like hot lava. The Sixth and Second companies were sent on for skirmishing duty, under the command of Captains Clarke and Nevers, the latter commanding as senior officer. A car, on which was placed a howitzer, loaded with grape and canister, headed the column, manned by the engineer and artillery corps, commanded by Lieu- tenant Bunting. This was the rallying point of the skirmishing party, on which, in case of difficulty, they could fall back. In the centre of the column came the 202 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. cars laden with medical stores, and bear- ing our sick and wounded, while the extreme rear was brouglit up with a second howitzer, loaded also with grape and canister. The engineer corps, of course, had to do the forwarding work. New York dandies, sir ! — but they built bi'idges, laid rails, and headed the regi- ment through that terrible march. After marching about eight miles, dur- ing which time several men caved in from exhaustion, and one young gentle- man was sun-struck and sent back to New York, we halted, and instantly, with the divine instinct which character- izes the hungry soldier, j^i'oceeded to forage. The worst of it was, there was no foraging to be done. The only house within reach was inhabited by a lethargic person, who, like most Southern men, had no idea of gaining money by labor. We offered him extravagant jjrices to get us fresh water, and it was with the utmost reluctance we could get him to obtain us a few pailfuls. Over the mantle-piece of his miserable shanty I saw — a curious coincidence — the portrait of Colonel Duryea, of our regiment. ' ' After a brief rest of about an hour, we again commenced our march ; a march which lasted until the next morn- ing — a march than which, in historj^, nothing but those marches in which de- feated troops have fled from the enemy, can equal. Our Colonel, it seems, de- termined to march by railroad, in pref- erence to the common road, inasmuch as he had obtained such secret informa- tion as led him to suppose that we were waited for on the latter route. Events justified his judgment. There were cavalry troops posted in defdes* to cut us off. They could not have done it, of course, but they could have harassed us severely. As we went along the rail- road we threw out skirmishing parties from the Second and Sixth companies, to keep the road clear. I know not if I can describe that night's march. I have dim recollections of deep cuts through which we passed, gloomy and- treacher- ous-looking, with the moon shining full on our muskets, while the banks were wrapped in shade, and each moment expecting to see the flash and hear the crack of the rifle of the Southern guer- rilla. The tree frogs and hzards made a mournful music as we passed. The soil on which we traveled was soft and heavy. The sleepers lying at intervals across the track made the march terribly fatiguing. On all sides dark, lonely pine woods stretched away, and high over the hooting of owls or the plain- tive petition of the whip-poor-will rose the bass commands of Halt ! Forward ! March ! — and when we came to any ticklish spot, the word would run from the head of the column along the hne, ' Holes,' ' Bridge, pass it along,' etc. " As the night wore on, the monotony of the march became oppressive. Owing to our having to explore every inch of the way, we did not make more than a mile, or a mile and a half an hour. We ran out of stimulants, and almost out of water. Most of us had not slept for four nights, and as the night advanced, our march was almost a stagger. This was not so much fatigue as want of ex- SLiRCH OF THE EIGHTH MASSACHUSETTS. 203 citement. Our fellows were spoiling for a fight, and when a dropping shot was heard in the distance, it was wonderful to see how the languid legs straightened and the column braced itself for action. If we had had even the smallest kind of a skirmish, the men would have been able to walk to Washington. As it was, we went sleepily on. I myself fell asleep walking in the ranks. Numbers, I find, followed my example ; but never before was there shown such indomitable pluck and perseverance as the Seventh showed in that march of twenty miles. The country that we passed through seemed to have been entirely deserted. The inhabitants, who were going to kill us when they thought we .d^iren't come through, now vamosed their respective ranches, and we saw them not. Houses were empty. The population retired into the interior, burying their money and carr3dng their families along with them. They, it seems, were under the impression that we came to ravage and pillage, and they fled as the Gauls must have fled when Attila and his Huns came down on them, from the North. As we did at Annapolis, we did in Maryland State. We left an impression that can not be forgotten. Everything was paid for. No discourtesy was of- fered to any inhabitant, and the sobriety of the regiment should be an examjile to others. * * * " The secret of this forced march, as well as our unexpected descent on An- napolis, was the result of Col. LefFerts' judgment, which has since been sus- tained by events. Finding that the line along the Potomac was closed, and the route to Washington by Baltimore equally impracticable, he came to the conclusion that Annapolis, commanding, as it did, the route to the capital, must of necessity be made the basis of mili- tary operations. It was important to the Government to have a free channel through which to transport troops, and this post presented the readiest means. The fact that since then all the Northern troops have passed through the line that we thus opened, is a sufficient comment" on the admirable judgment that decided on the movement. It secured the in- tegrity of the regiment, and saved lives the loss of which would have plunged New York into mourning. Too much importance can not be attached to this strategy." The Eighth Massachusetts Regiment, which had passed through New York on the day of the departure of the \rff[\ Seventh Regiment, had, after reach- 19' ing Philadelphia, pushed forward by the railway as far as the Susquehanna River. Here it was found impossible to continue the route through Maryland, in consequence of the destruction of the bridges by the secessionists. Brigadier- General Butler, of Massachusetts, had accompanied the Eighth on his way to Washington to assume the general com- mand of the militia force of his State, sent to aid in the defence of the capital. He accordingly assumed the command and directed the movements of the Massachusetts soldiers when thus ob- structed on their march. It was by his energy and promptitude of action that 201 THE WAR ^YlTn THE SOUTH. a way was finally cleared to the capital. General Butler seized the steam ferry- boat the Maryland, on the Susquehanna, and embarking his troops sailed down the river into Chesapeake Bay and took possession of the city of Annapolis. Here his first act was to save the ship Constitution — used by the cadets of the Naval School as an exercise ship, and familiarly known as " Old Ironsides," one of the most revered of our national relics — from the clutch of some insur- gents who were about pouncing upon her. The General learning of the help- less condition, from want of a crew, of the old ship, mustered his men and de- clared "if there are any men in the ranks who understand how to manage a ship, let them step forward." Fifty-tlu-ee presented themselves, and they were immediately put on board. The Mary- land then took her in tow, and she was safely borne out of harm's way. The General's announcement of the event April ™ ^^is order of the day was char- 22i acteristic : " The purpose which could only be hinted at in the orders of yesterday has been accomplished. The frigate Con- stitution has lain for a long time at this port, substantially at the mercy of the armed mob which sometimes paralyzes the otherwise loyal State of Maryland. Deeds of daring, successful contests, and glorious victories had rendered Old Ironsides so conspicuous in the naval history of the country, that she was fitly chosen as the school in which to train the future officers of the navy to like heroic acts. It was given to Massa- chusetts and Essex counties first to man her ; it was reserved to Massachusetts to have the honor to retain her for the ser- vice of the Union and the laws. This is a sufficient triumph of right — a suffi- cient triumph for us. By this the blood of our friends, shed by the Baltimore mob, is so far avenged. The Eighth Regiment may hereafter cheer lustily upon all proper occasions, but never without orders. The old Constitution, by their efforts, aided untiringly by the United States officers having her in charge, is now ' possessed, occupied, and enjoyed' by the Government of the United States, and is safe from all her enemies." The revered Constitution had been thus rescued with much difficulty from imminent danger. For four days and nights, previous to the arrival of Gen- eral Butler, her crew had been at quarters with the guns shotted. The insurgents of Maryland were plotting her destruction or capture. It may easily be imagined that it was a work of no little difficulty to move her, threatened as she was by the people on shore. She had four anchors and seven chains out when the Maryland was ordered by General Butler alongside. One anchor alone was hove up, the rest were slipped, and finally by lighting and careening, and by dint of hard labor, she was dragged over the bar. The crew of the Maryland were only kept to their work and duty by placing a guard over them armed with revolvers. After dragsfinsr her over the bar, the vessel grounded on the Outer Spit. About ten RESCUE OF THE COXSTITirTIOX. 205 ! P. M., information having been brought off that the channel outside the ship would be obstructed, kedges were laid out, and it was endeavored to warp the ship over the Spit, part of the men being at the guns. The Maryland hav- ing been run aground by her officers during the warping, a squall came up and drove the ship ashore again. At daylight a steam-tug from Havre de Grace came in sight, arfd was taken to tow the ship out. She was then taken in tow by the R. R. Cuyler, and brought to New York. Subsequently slie was sent to j^ewport, Rhode Island, whither the Naval School formerly at AimapoliS was removed. The General's next operation was to re-establish the railroad between An- napolis and Washington. His otVn ranks supplied skilled mechanics to reconstruct the broken engines, and the hardy men of Massachusetts, aided by the tender hands of the gentlemen of New York, performed the rude labor of laying the iron rails. These timely services of General Butler won for him the gratitude of the whole Northern people who fondly cherished his rising military repute, and hailed him in advance as one of their future heroes. Benjamin P. Butler was born in Deer- field, Rockingham County, New Hamp- shire, in 1818. He claims relationship with the Cilleys, a family of Revolution- ary renown, from which sprang the Honorable Jonathan Cilley, who was killed in a duel with his associate in Congress, Graves, of Kentucky, Young Butler was educated at a Baptist college in Waterville, Maine. He subsequently studied law, and removing to Massachu- setts commenced its practice at Lowell. Here he soon acquired prominence as a successful advocate in jury cases. He was remarkable for his devotion to the interests of his clients, and the oratori- cal vehemence with which he defended their cause. With an impulsive nature, and great flexibility and readiness of speech, restrained by no over-fastidious- ness of rhetoric, his eloquence is distin- guished rather by its force than its re- finement. Though long prominent as an active politician of the Democratic party, his first appearance in public life was in 1853, when he became a member of the Legislature of Massachusetts. In the same year he was elected to the Con- stitutional Convention, and in 1859-60 was senator of the State. In May, 18C0, he was chosen a delegate to the Demo- cratic Convention, which first met at Charleston. In the rupture which ensued in the party, he sided with the Southern faction, and was a member of the subsequent convention at Baltimore which nominated Breckenridge for Presi- dent. He was appointed one of the Presidential electors for Massachusetts, and headed the electoral list on the Breckenridge ticket. He was also nom- inated as the catudidate for Governor of Massachusetts, by that portion of the Democratic party supposed to be favor- able to the policy of the slave States. Though suspiciously regarded in the anti-slavery State of Massachusetts as a 206 THE WAK vnrn the south. political ally of the "States Rights" men of the South, he, on the first overt act of Southern rebellion, proved his loyalty to the Union by coming forward among the earliest to offer his services in its defence. Governor Andrew, of ^Massachusetts, though always his politi- cal opponent, was glad to welcome so spirited and able a co-operator in the common cause of national luiity, and appointed him commander of the Eighth Massachusetts Regiment. Leading this corps to the defence of the capital, he found his progress suddenly obstructed ; and an occasion offering for the exercise of those energies which characterize him, he exerted them with a spirit and a suc- cess which won for him the gratitude of the whole nation. His picture was thus forcibly drawn at this time as " in the prime of life, being forty-three years of age. Though somewhat unwieldly in ap- pearance, he is possessed of great physical activity. His expression, disfigiu'ed by a cast in his left eye, might be thought severe and even sinister by the casual observer, but by his friends he is es- teemed as an amiable companion, and by his subordinates readily obeyed as a popular commander. " With his acknowledged energy in action, fertility of resource, and cool- ness in danger, there is reason to be- lieve when his natural impulsiveness of character has been diily temjDcred by military experience, that he will become one of the most efficient leaders in the present war." As proof of his coolness and intre- pidity in danger, the following incident is told. It occurred in Lowell, Massa- chusetts, in 1856. " It was during the Presidential con- test, and Hon. Rufus Choate had been invited to address the conservative citi- zens. The largest hall of the city was crowded to excess ; the audience was wild with enthusiasm, as the brilliant orator swayed them by his eloquence ; but in the midst of the applause a jar was felt, a crash was heard, and every face save one turned pale as the cry went forth, ' The floor is sinking !' The man whose cheek knew no pallor was General Butler. He sprang up and calmed the fears of the multitude by telling them that he did not apprehend the least danger ; that the architect was present ; but to allay any misgiving, he would gt) with the architect and exam- ine the building. An immediate in- vestigation showed that the edifice was in the greatest possible danger, and a sudden movement, a rush on the part of the assembly, would result in the slaugh- ter of thousands. Forgetful of himself, he bravely pushed through the dense crowd. He did not shriek — he showed no marks of trepidation — but with a, bland comitcnanco whispered a few ap- parently pleasant and assuring words to Mr. Choate. Mr. Butler then turned to the audience, and in a calm, clear voice remarked : ' My friends, there is no present danger ; but as the house is overcrowded, it will be better to quietly adjourn to the open air ; and I there- fore invite you to the front of the Mer- rimack House.' The whole thing was accomplished in a few moments. It CHARACTER OF GENERAL BUTLER. 207 was only by Mr. Butler's self-possession that the catastrophe was avoided. On this occasion he showed more cool cour- age than any battle will ever call into requisition. In the Ufe of Mr. Choate we find what the words were that blandly fell, sotto voce, from Mr. Butler, viz., ' Mr. Choate, I must clear this house, or we shall all be in h — 11 in five minutes!'"* Before the close of this history, there will be found otiier more memorable incidents recorded, in which Butler has given ample proof of his characteristic energy and courage. CEAPTER XYIII. Perplexities of President Lincoln and his Cabinet. — Humiliating Expedients. — The Governor of Marjdand and the llayor of Baltimore summoned to Washington. — The Conference with the President.— Opinion of General Scott. — The Federal Authority agrees not to bring Troops through Baltimore. — End of the Conference. — Another Inter- view. — Troops Kecalled from Cockeysville. — The continued Movement of Troops to W.oshington. — ^The Route by Annapolis kept open by General Butler. — Opposition from Maryland. — A Protest from the Governor. — Response of Butler. — Another Letter from Butler.— A jicrtinent Question as to the Loyalty of Maryland. — A Rebuke to the Governor.— Another Piotest from Governor Hicks. — The Legislature of Maryland convened. — A Home-tlirust from Butler. — Fastidious regard for Maiyland. — Offer to suppress a Slave Insurrection. — The offer declined. — The Legis- laturs of Maryland meets at Frederick. — The Message of the Governor. — Amiable Rhetoric. — Gentleness, Peace, and Neutrality. — The Secession tendencies of the Legislature. — Hesitation. — Union Meetings. — A forcible Appeal to Loyalty. — Movement of Butler to the Relay House. — Indirect Action of the Legislature. — The " Board of Public Safety." — Its purpose. — Defeated by the Conservatives.— Animosity of the Legislature. — E.xpression of Opinion in regard to the Re-opening of Communications. — A quasi Justification of the violence of the Maryland Rioters. — • Guarantees demanded from the Federal Goverimieut. — Commissioners sent to the President. — Their Report.— Sympathy with Secession manifested. The President and his cabinet, beset by a rebellion the extent of which it was impossible to measure, and unpre- pared to meet it with the scattered resources of a government they were so suddenly called to administer, were nat- urally perplexed. Surrounded with dan- gers, the greater as they were unde- fined, and prevented from the exercise of powers which, however great, were yet beyond their control, the Federal authorities were obliged to resort to the humiliating expedient of temporizing with the insurgents of Maryland. The President accordingly summoned the Governor of Maryland and the Mayor of Baltimore to Washington to April "consult" with them for "the pres- 21. ervation of the peace of Maryland." " Governor Hicks not being at hand, Mayor Brown, with several notable cit- izens, proceeded without him to the capital in obedience to the summons of the President. An audience was imme- diately granted by President Lincoln, accompanied by all the members of his cabinet and Lieutenant-General Scott. A long conversation and discussionf en- o Harper's Weddy. f The occurrences at this interview are related as re- ported in the " statement" of Mayor Brown, National In- telligencer, April 22. 208 THE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. sued. The President recognized the good faith of the city and State author- ities of ^Maryland, and insisted upon his own. He admitted the excited state of feehng in Baltimore, and his desire and duty to avoid the fatal consequences of a collision with the people. He urged, on the other hand, the absolute, irre- sistible necessity of having a transit through the State for such troops as might be necessary for the protection of the Federal capital. The protection of Washington, he asseverated with great earnestness, was the sole object of concentrating troops there, and he protested that none of the troops brought through Maryland were intended for any purposes hostile to the State or aggres- sive as against the Southern States. Being now unable to bring them up the Potomac in security, the Government must either bring them through Mary- land or abandon the capital. " General Scott being called upon for his opinion, said that troops might be brought through Maryland, without passing through Baltimore, by either carrying them from Perryville to An- napolis and thence by rail to Wash- ington, or by bringing them to the Re- lay House, on the Northern Central Railroad, and marching them to the Re- la}' House, on the Washington Railroad, and thence transporting them by rail to the capital. If the people of Maryland would permit the troops to go by either of these routes uninterruptedly, the ne- cessity of their passing through Balti- more might be avoided. If, however, the General declared, the people would not allow them to take this cu'cuitous route, the soldiers would be obhged to select their own best course, and, if need be, fight theu' own way through Baltimore, a result which he most earnestly depre- cated. " The President expressed his hearty concurrence with the desire of the Gen- eral to avoid a collision, and said that no more troops should be ordered to pass through Baltimore, if they were permitted to go uninterruptedly by ei- ther of the routes suggested by General Scott. The secretary of war, Cameron, gave his assent to the decision of Mr. Lincoln. " Mayor Brown assured the President that the city authorities would use all lawful means to prevent their citizens from leaving Baltimore to attack the troops in passing at a distance ; but he urged at the same time the impossibility of their being able to promise anything more than their best efforts in that di- rection. The excitement was great, he told the President ; the people of all classes were fully aroused, and it was impossible for any one to answer for the consequences of the presence of Northern troops anywhere within the borders of Maryland. He reminded the President, also, that the jurisdiction of the city authorities was confined to their own population, and that he could give no promises for the people elsewhere, because he would be unable to keep them if given. The President frankly acknowledged this difficulty, and said that the Government would onl}^ ask the 'city authorities to use their best THROUGH ]MARYT.A]SrD. 209 efiforts with respect to those under their jurisdiction. " The interview terminated with the distinct assurance on the part of the President, that no more troops would be sent through Baltimore, unless ob- structed in their transit in other di- rections, and with the understanding that the city authorities should do their best to restrain their own people. " The Mayor and his companions, be- fore departmg, urged upon the Presi- dent in the most earnest manner a course of policy which would give peace to the country, and especially the with- drawal of all orders contemplating the passage of troops through any part of Maryland." The Mayor had, however, just as he was about leaving the capital, received a dispatch informing him of the march of Pennsylvania troops to Cockeysville, in Maryland, oaily distant fifteen miles from Baltimore. This appeared to him as a threatening approach, and he hur- ried with his dispatch to the President, who expressed great surprise at its pur- port, and immediately summoned Gen- eral Scott and the secretary of war, who at once appeared, in company with the other members of the cabinet. The dispatch containing intelligence of the movement of the Pennsylvania troo^Ds was now submitted to the whole con- clave. Mr. Lincoln having declared that he had no idea that a force was to move on that day to Cockeysville, urged emphatically the immediate recall of the troops, to avoid the slightest suspicion of bad faith on his part in summoning 27 the Mayor of Baltimore to Washington, and allowing troops to advance toward the city during his absence. The Pres- ident then expressed his desire that the troops might, if practicable, be sent back at once to York or Harrisburg. General Scott warmly concurred, and immediately issued an order to that ef- fect and deUvered it to an aid-de-camp, who departed on the instant. At the same time assurances were given that the troops at Cockeysville were not in- tended to march through Baltimore, but to the Relay House, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The military activity, however, of the free States was quickly relieving the Government from its position of per- plexity and humiliation. The militia regiments akeady organized, and the volunteer corps forming with wonderful rapidity, kept daily moving on toward the capital. Some reached AnnapoUs by the way of Philadelphia, while others were transported directly thither from Northern ports on steamers chartered by the Government for the purpose. The route from Annapolis to Washing- ton, through a disaffected State, was kept clear by the energetic action of General Butler, who continued to hold the chief command in that quarter. This spirited afificer met with great opposition in Maryland from the au- thorities of that State, either intimidated by the rebellious, or disposed to sympa- thize with their disloyalty. Governor Hicks had repaired to Annapolis, the capital of ]\Iaryland, and remonstrated against Butler's landing of the troops : 210 TILE WAR -WITH THE SOUTH. April " I would most earnestly advise," -W' -fio wrote, " that you do not land j'our men at Annapolis. The excite- ment, here is very great, and I think that you should take your men else- where. 1 have telegraphed to the sec- retary of war, advising against your landing your men here." To this communication Butler merely answered, in the iirst place, that the ar- rival of his command at Annapolis was the result of circumstances beyond his control, and that their landing was a necessary part of the performance of his duty to the Federal Government. Re- ceiving no I'eply, he wrote another com- munication to the Governor, demanding a direct answer to a question very per- Anril tinent to the loyalty of the State 22. of Maryland: "I desire of your Excellency an immediate reply," wrote Butler, "whether I have the permission of the State authorities of Maryland to land the men under my command, and of passing quietly through the State on my way to Washington, respecting pri- vate property, and paying for what I receive, and outraging the rights of none — a duty which I am bound to do in obedience to the requisitions of the United States." At the same time Gen- eral Butler took occasion, to object to the sectional character the Governor had attributed to the State troops, sum- moned to the defence of the Union : "I beg leave," he said, "to call your Ex- cellency's attention to what I hope I may be pardoned for deeming an ill-ad- vised designation of the men under my command. They are not Northern troops ; they are a part of the whole militia of the United States, obeying the call of the President." Governor Hicks withheld his consent to the landing of the troops, but con- tented himself with a protest against the movement, declaring, that "in view of the excited condition" of Maryland, he considered it an " unwise step on the part of the Government." In the mean time. Governor Hicks, though hitherto he had firmly refused, summoned the Legislature to meet at AnnapoHs. This was a timid con- April cession to the secessionists, who 26. were belieVed to control that body. Butler having, in spite of protests and threatened resistance, landed his troops, had, in order to secure their transit, taken possession of the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad. The Governor protested against this seizure of the railroad, declaring that its military pos- session would prevent the members of the Legislature from assembling at An- napolis, the capital. He, however, thus exposed his secession proclivities, if not his complicity with the rebellious, which he had vainly attempted to conceal, but which had caused his ready compliance with their demands. Butler, in his answer to the Governor's protest, thrust this charge of prevarication home to him : " Hjeadqcaetees, Third Bkigade,TJ. S. Mil., }^ An>"apolis, Md., April 23, 1861. ) " To His Excellency Thos. H. Hjcks, Gov- EEXOK OF Martlaitd: "You are credibly informed that J have taken possession of the Annapolis BUTLER AT ANNAPOLIS. 211 and Elk Ridge Railroad. It might have escaped your memor}', but at the official meeting between your Excellency and the Mayor of Annapolis, and the au- thorities of the Government and mj'self, it was exj^ressly stated as the reason why I should not land, and that my troops could not land, because the com- pany had taken ujj the rails, and they were private property. It is difficult to see how it could be that if my troops could not pass over the raih-oad one way, the members of the Legislature could pass the other way. I have taken possession for the purpose of preventing the carrying out of the threats of the mob, as officially represented to me by the master of transportation of this city, ' that if my troops passed over the rail- road, the railroad should be destroyed.' " If the government of the State had taken possession of the railroad in any emergency, I should have long waited before I entered upon it. But, as I had the honor to inform your Excellency in regard to insurrection against the laws of Maryland, I am here armed to main- tain those laws, if your Excellency de- sires, and the peace of the United States, against all disorderly persons whatever. I am endeavoring to save, and not to destroy, to obtain means of transporta- tion, so I can vacate the capital prior to the sitting of the Legislature, and not be under the painful necessity of occu- pying your beautiful city while the Leg- islature is in session. I have the honor to be your Excellency's obedient serv- ant, Br. -Gen. B. F. Butler." While thus resolute, however, in the performance of his duty to the General Government, Butler was not less solic- itous to uphold the institutions and sup- port the laws of Maryland. His fastid- ious regard for the State was manifest on the occasion of a threatened rising of the negroes. Butler oflfered the aid of his troops in suppressing the rumored insurrection. " Headquaetees Thied Beig. Mass. V. Mil., ) Annapolis, A^jril 23, 1861. ) " To his Excellency Thomas H. Hicks, Gov- EENOE OF THE StATE OF MaeTLAND : "I did myself the honor, in my com- munication of yesterday, wherein I asked permission to land the portion of the militia of the United States under my command, to state that they were armed only against the disturbers of the peace of the State of Mainland and of the United States. " I have understood within the last hour that some apprehensions are en- tertained of an insurrection of the negro population of this neighborhood. I am anxious to convince all classes of per- sons that the forces under my command are not here in any way to interfere with or countenance any interference with the laws of the State. I am there- fore ready to co-operate with your Ex- cellency in suppressing most promptly and efiectivcly any insurrection against the laws of Mar3dand. " I beg, therefore, that you announce publicly that any portion of the forces under my cornmand is at your Excel- lency's disposal, to act immediately for the preservation and quietness of the jjeace of this community. 212 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. " And I have the liouor to be your E:s;cellency's obedient servant, "Benjamin F. Butler, " General of Third Brigade." The Governor gi-atefully acknowl- edged this tender of service, but, confi- dent in the ability of the citizens them- selves to suppress any insurrection of the slave population of Maryland, de- clined General Butler's coucUiatory but officious offer. The Legislature of Maryland, under the pretence that it was not safe to meet in Annapohs, the capital, while in the m^ilitary jDOSsession of General Butler with Northern troops, convened at Fred- erick. The Governor, in his message, April gfive a resume of his action, and after bewailing the angry disposi- 27. tion of the State, strove, in a strain of amiable rhetoric, to compose it by counseling gentleness, peace, and neu- traUty. "It is my duty," he said, " to advise you of my own convictions of the proper course to be pursued by Maryland in the emergency which is upon us. It is of no consequence now to discuss the causes which have induced our troubles. Let us look to our distressing present and to our portentous future. The fate of Maryland, and perhaps of her sister border slave States, wiU undoubtedly be seriously affected by the action of your honorable body. Therefore should every good citizen bend aU his energies to the task before us, and therefore should the animosities and bickerings of the past be forgotten, and all strike hands in the bold cause of restoring peace to our State and to our country. I honestly and most earnestly entertain the conviction, that the only safety of Maryland lies in preserving a neutral position between our brethren of the Xorth and of the South. We have vio- lated no right of either section. We have been loyal to the Union. The un- happy contest between the two sections has not been commenced or encouraged by us, although we have suffered from it in the past. The impending war has not come by any act or any wish of om-s. We have done aU we could to avert it. We have hoped that Maryland and other border slave States, by their conserva- tive position and love for the Union, might have acted as mediators between the extremes of both sections, and thus have j)reveuted the terrible evils of a prolonged civil war. Entertaining these views, I cannot counsel Maryland to take sides against the General Govern- ment until it shall commit outra2;es on us which would justify us in resisting its authoi'ity. As a consequence, I can give no other counsel than that we shall array ourselves for tmion and peace, and thus preserve our soU from being polluted with the blood of brethren. Thus, if war must be between the Jf oi'th and South, we may force the contending parties to transfer the field of battle from oiu* soil, so that our hves and property may be secure." There was a strong disposition on the part of a majority of the Legislature of Maryland to precipitate the State into secession. Checked, however, by the mcreased manifestation of loyalty to the DEFEAT OF SEGESSIOX IX MARYLAND. 213 Uuion, ou the part of some of their fel- low-citizens, and awed by the rapid ac- cumulation of United States troops in Maryland and in Washington, they hes- itated. Meetings had, in the mean time, gathered in Baltimore and other parts of the State, and passed resolutions of loyalty to the Uuion. The United States flag began to be unfurled, and secession badges and colors to disappear. There was, however, in the rapid mustering of the Xorthern militia, a more forcible appeal in behalf of the Union. The concentration at Annapolis of a large May force, and the movement of Gen- s' eral Butler to the Relay House, at the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio and Baltimore and Washington rail- ways, only seven miles south of Balti- more, and commanding its most import- ant communications, caused even the most headstrong of the Maryland Legis- lature to pause before taking the dan- gerous step of secession to which they had been otherwise so inclined. Find- ing the Federal Government prepared to vmdicate its authority, and fearful of bringing upon their State its armed vengeance, the secessionists gave up all hope of the direct accomplishment of their purpose,* but strove to secure its fultibuent by indirect action. Not ven- turing to pass an act of immediate se- cession, they made an effort to bring it about sooner or later through the es- tablishment of a " Board of Public Safety," to be officered and controlled by their own friends. This board was ^ A vote, however, was talcen, which resulted in flfty- thiec against and thirteen for secession from the Union. intended to assume the executive power of the State in place of the regularly constituted authorities, whose supposed fidelity to the Union was an obstacle to the designs of the secessionists. Thus they hoped to accomplish indirectly their fixed purpose of wresting Maryland from the Union. Their intention, however, being obvious, was at once opposed and defeated by the timely interposition of the conservatives of the State. At a con- vention which met at Baltimore, the jjay following resolutions were passed : *• "Resolved, That the Convention, in the name of the order-loving people of Baltimore, do solemnly protest against the attempt now making in the Legis- lature of Maryland to inaugurate a mil- itary despotism, by the enactment of a biU to create a Committee of Public Safety, which, under a profession of providing for the protection, safety, peace, and defence of the State, would, if enacted into a law, confer on an irre- sponsible body powers which are uncon- stitutional and tyrannical in principle, and which, by withdrawing from the citizen all guarantees now enjoyed for his individual security, must endanger the public peace ; and in the event of the enactment of that bill, we shall es- teem it our duty to avail ourselves of all constitutional remedies for defeating its execution and vindicating pubhc liberty. ''Resolved, secondly, That the mea- sures enacted and enacting by the Leg- islature are indicative of a purpose on the part of the majority thereof, to pre- cipitate Maryland into a struggle with the 2U THE W^\Il WITH THE SOUTH. constitutional authorities of the Union, and to efl'ect, by indirect action, a re- sult which they acknowledge they are unable to accomplish by direct legisla- tion on the subject, and that we depre- cate any efforts to change the relations at present existing between the Union and this State, by any authority whatsoever." The secessionists of the Legislature, though thwarted in their plans of hos- tility, did not conceal their animosity to the Northern States and the Federal Government. When called upon by the Mayor of Baltimore for action in regard to the restoration of the communications between that city and other parts of the country, which had been closed by the destruction of railroad bridges, and the hostile attitude of the people of Mary- land, a committee was appointed to con- sider the subject. In their report, while they confessed that ' ' the almost total interruption of direct communication between Baltimore and the North, by destruction of bridges upon the North- ern, Central, and Philadelphia raih'oads, is an evil very aggravated in its charac- ter, not only in itself but in its manifest bearings upon the prosperity of the "State and its commercial meti-opolis," they could not refrain from a quasi justification of the violence which had caused it. The committee declared that "in the face of a danger which would seem inevitable, if facilities for invasion were offered to the fanatical and excited multitudes of the Northern cities, where animosity to Baltimore and Maryland is measured by no standard, and who pub- licly threaten our destruction, without subordination even to the Federal au- thority, it could hardly be consistent with the commonest prudence to re- open the avenues which would bring them to our very doors." Adding, "that the channels of intercourse with the Northern States cannot be effectually re-established without a guarantee from some quarter of the safety and peace of Maryland," the committee recommended that this should be sought from the Federal Government. Three commissioners were accordingly appointed to communicate with the President of the United States " in re- gard to the present and any proposed military use or occupation of the soil and property of the State by the Gen- eral Government." Having proceeded to the capital and communicated with Mr. Lincoln and his cabinet, the commis- sioners duly reported the result. The report is a cautiously worded document, but the sympathy of its authors with secession is manifest, in spite of their technical adherence to the legal obliga- tions of loyalty. "To THE Honorable General Assemblt op jMartlajnt) : " The undersigned commissioners have the honor to report to the General may Assembly of Maryland that they <*• waited in person on the President of the United States on the 4th inst., and pre- sented him with a copy of the joint res- olutions adopted b}^ your honorable body on the 2d inst. They were received by the President with respectful coiu'tesy, and made such representations as were necessary to convey to him the sense of REPOUT OF MARYLAND COiBUSSIOXERS. 215 the General Assembly of Maryland, in relation to the occupation of the capital of the State by Federal troops, and the forcible seizure of property of the State, and of private citizens on the Annapolis Railroad, and on the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ; and in this connection his attention was called to the suspension of intercourse between Baltimore and "Washington, and other parts of the State with Annapolis, and the indignity put upon the State while stiU in the Federal Union, by such an interference with the private rights of its citizens, and by such an occupation \ of its soil and ways of communication j by the Federal Government. Full ex- I planations were exchanged between the I undersigned and the secretaiy of war ' and secretary of state, who were present I and participated in the discussion, as to ! the facts and circumstances rendered [ necessary by the extraordinary incidents I accompanying the passage of the Fed- eral troops through Maryland en route to the city of Washington, and especially in reference to those acts of the author- ities of the city of Baltimore, which arrested the progress of the troops by the railroads leading from Pennsylvania and Delaware into Maryland, and of the opposition to the landing of the troops subsequently at Annapolis by the Gov- ernor of the State, and in conjunction with the action of the authorities of the State. The hostile feeling manifested by the people to the passage of these troops through Maryland was considered and treated with entire frankness by the undersigned, who, while acknowledging all the legal obligations of the State to the Federal Government, set forth fully the strength of the sympathy felt by a large portion of our people for our Southern brethren in the present crisis. Although many of the instances and circumstances referred to were regarded in difierent lights by the undersigned and the Federal Government, even to the extent of a difTerence of opinion as to some of the facts involved, yet in re- gard to the general principle at issue a concurrence of opinion was reached. The President concurred with the under- signed in the opinion that so long as Maryland has not taken, and was not about taking, a hostile attitude to the Federal Government, that the executive military occupation of her ways of com- munication, and the seizure of the prop- erty of her citizens, would be without justification ; and what has been referred to in this connection, so far as it oc- curred, was treated by the Government as an act of necessity and self-preserva- tion. The undersigned did not feel themselves authorized to enter into any engagement with the Federal Govern- ment to induce it to change its relations to the State of Maryland, considering « it proper under the circumstances to leave the entire discretion and responsi- bility of the existing state of things to that Government, making such repre- sentations as they deem proper to vindi- cate the moral and legal aspects of the question, and especially insisting on its obhgation to reheve the State promptly from restraint and indignity, and to ab- stain from aU action in the transportation 216 TIIE WAK WITH THE SOUTH. of troops that can be regarded as in- tended for chastisement or prompted by resentment. The undersigned are not able to indicate to what extent or to what degree the executive discretion will be exercised in modifying the rela- tions which now exist between the State of Maryland and the Federal Govern- ment, and in the particular matter of the commercial communication between the city of Baltimore and the other part of the country, brought to the attention of the General Assembly by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore ; but they feel authorized to express the opinion that some modification may be expected. The undersigned feel painfully confident tliat a war is to be waged to reduce all the seceding States to allegiance to the Federal Government, and that the whole military power of the Federal Govern- ment will be exerted to accomplish that purpose ; and though the expression of this opinion is not called for by the res- olution of your honorable bodies, yet, having had the opportunity to ascertain its entire accuracy, and because it wiU explain much of the military prepara- tions and movements of the troops thi'ough the State of Maryland, it is proper to bring it to your attention. " Otho Scott, "Robert M. McLane, " Wm. J. Ross." CHAPTER XIX. The rapid Response to the President's Call for Troops. — The Capital pronounced safe. — Maryland Awed. — ^Virginia kept in check.— Increased Resources of the Government. — Reinforcement of Fortress Monroe. — Description of Fortress Monroe. — The importance of its Position. — Its Consiruction. — Site. — Communications with the Maiuland. — ^The Outer Walls. — ^The form of the Fort. — The Armament. — Late Additions. — The Moat. — The Water Battery. — The Gates. — The Redoubt. — How Commanded. — Its Approaches. — How Defended. — The Defects of the Fort. — ^The Ex- terior. — The Hygeia Hotel. — Old Point Comfort. — Luportance of the Post. — Danger of losing it. — Anjuety of the North. — Reinforcements from Massachusetts. — Increased Authority and Vigor of the Federal Government. — New Military Departments. — Another Call from the President for Troops. — His Proclamation. — The swift Answer of the North. — Virginia and North Carolina included in the Elock:ule. — Increase of the Fleet. — Purchase of Merchant Steamers, — General Butler's Fortifications at the Relay House.— Command of the Baltimore and Ohio R;ulroati.— Reconstruction of Bridges and Opening of Communications. — Fort McHenry Reinforced. — Its effect upon Baltimore. — Description of the Fortress. — The good conduct of its Commander. — Position of the Fort. — Reaction of Sentiment in Maryhmd. — Union Feeling claimed to he prcdomirant. — Union Meetings and Union Orators. — Speech of Rererdy Johnson.— Presentation of Flag to the Home Guard of Frederick.— Great Crowds of Unionists. — Remarkable dis- pliiy of Union Emblems. — Manly Rhetoric of Johnson. — Sensible Adrice to Marjlanders. — A fervid Appeal in behalf of tlie United Suites Flag.- The Secessionists awed to !^ilence. — Secret eflforts to advance Secession.— The City of B.»itimore tranquilized. — Disbandment of the City Soldieiy. — Butler Marches into the City.^His Reception. — Encampment on Federal Hill. — Proclamation of Butler. — Seizure of Arms. — Arrest of prominent Citizens. — Good effects of Decision. — ^The Governor of Maryland takes Cour;\ge. — He responds to the President's Call for Troops. — A Proclamation Modified to suit Equivocal Loyalty. — Comparative Propriety of the Legislature. — ^A Spirit of Dis- affection finds vent.— The last Act of the Legislature.- The Route through Baltimore opened.— The first great Victory for the Union. 1861. Such had been the promptitude with which the North had responded to the proclamation, of the loth of April, of the President calling forth the militia, that in less than ten days after, more than twenty thousand troops had FORTRESS MOXROE. 217 marclied. The capital, which was sup- posed to have been in imminent danger from Virginia and Maryland, was now pronounced safe. The insurgents of the former State in arms against the Federal Government, and who had mustered to the number of several thousands,. and en- camped on the banks of the Potomac opposite to Washington, were kept in awe by the militia which had rapidl}^ accumulated at the capital. Maryland, dominated by a considerable Federal force in possession of the channels of communication, also feared any longer to make violent demonstration of its dis- aflfectioUj and appeared suddenly to be converted to loyalty. The Federal Government strength- ened thus by the military ardor and promptitude of the loyal States, was enabled not only to provide for the im- mediate defence of the capital, and to check the rebeUious tendencies of Mary- land, but to reinforce a post of the greatest importance in the future con- duct of the war. This was Fortress Monroe, the most extensive work of defence in the United States. Situated at the mouth of the Chesapeake, it com- mands the only approaches from the sea to Maryland and Virginia, and to the various rivers, the Susquehannah, the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, James, and the numerous small streams and creeks which empty into the bay, and thus find their outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. Fortress Monroe was designed by the celebrated French engineer General Barnai'd, in 1819, then in the service of 28 the United States. Fort Wool, on the Rip Raps, intended to cross fire with it, is 3^et incomplete. Fortress Monroe is built upon a peninsula connected with the mainland by a naiTOW strip of sand beach, not more than forty rods in width. In addition to this communica- tion, there has been constructed a cause- way with a bridge toward its end which leads from the fort to the road on the mainland which passes to Hampton. This passage is so narrow and so com- pletely commanded by some of the heaviest guns of the fort, as to render any approach in that direction ahnost impracticable. The waters of the bay which flow in between the peninsula and the mainland, enclosed, as it were, hke a lake, between the natural neck of sand and the artificial causeway, vary in width from one to three miles. The outer walls of Fortress Monroe embrace an area of nearly sixty-five acres, of which twenty-five regularly laid out and shaded by a fine growth of live oak form the parade ground. The work is bastioned, and is of an irregular heptagon form. The walls, constructed of gi-anite and embanked with thick mounds of sand and clay, rise lo a height of thirty-five feet. On the ramparts are mounted heavy guns, some of which are forty-two pounders and others co- lumbiads. These being en barbette are uncovered. There are about seventy large casemates, which are bomb and shot proof Some of these are appro- priated for oflicers' quarters, and others for guard-houses and general barracks. The embrasures, though intended orig- THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. inally I'or foi-ty-two pounders, are suffi- ciently large for columbiads of the great- est size. The armament of the fortress as orig- inally recorded in the official statement ■was composed of forty-two forty-two pounders, a hundred and thirty-nine thirty-two poundei'S, ten twenty-four pounders, fourteen eighteen pounders, twenty-five twelve pounders, twelve field pieces, sixteen flank howitzers, twenty heavy eight-inch howitzers, five light eight-inch howitzers, three thirteen-inch mortars, seven heavy ten-inch mortars, three light ten-inch mortars, five light eight-inch mortars, five sixteen-inch stone mortars, and fifteen cohorns, mak- ing in all three hundred and seventy-one guns. This armament, however, has been much modified and considerably aug- mented since. Columbiads of various calibres have been liberally supplied, and mortars of various construction and other cannon added, so that its ramparts now frown with the most formidable enginery of war yet constructed. A broad and deep moat surrounds the whole work. This is faced with dressed granite, and when flooded by the opening of the gates, is frupplicd with water, varying from eight to fifteen feet in depth, and from seventy-five to a hundred and fifty feet in breadth, present- ing a formidable obstacle to be overcome in an attempted assault. As the fort was chiefly intended to protect the approaches from sea, the chief labor and expense were concen- trated upon the work in that direction. Here is what is termed the Water Battery, wliich is constructed of stone, of a thickness so great, and of a masonry so solid, that it is supposed to be proof against any weight of metal. It has forty-two embrasures, originallymounted with that number of forty-two pounders. Presenting a formidable front to the sea, this defence would seem impregnable to a naval attack from without. The slope of the battery is laid with green turf, like the ramparts of the rest of the fortress, and in times of peace was a favorite promenade for the fiishionable frequenters of the peninsula seeking the fresh breezes of the ocean. On the north side of the fort there is a- postern gate, which leads to a redoubt or outerwork, built to protect the land side, which, as the work was never in- tended except as a protection against a foreign enemy, was left, as in all our coast defences, comparatively weak. Since, however, the commencement of this civil war, great efforts have been made to give additional strength to this portion of the works. Heavy guns and mortars have been mounted to command tlie artificial causeway and the strip of beach which join the peninsula with the mainland. The surface of the country in the immediate neiaihborhood, more- over, being generally level, there is hardly a favorable point for commencing the operations of a siege. The only rising ground for many miles is a slight elevation with trees on either side, at the extremity of tlie neck of land. This, however, is so commanded by the guns of the fort as to be untenable. FORT MONROE SECURED. 219 On the beach outside of the walls there is a fifteen-inch columbiad placed there for practice, and for additional de- fence against an attack from the sea. It, however, also commands the neck of land, and would seem to check the ap- proach of the most ventursome in tliat direction. The whole cost of the ex- tensive works of Fortress Monroe has been estimated at nearly three millions. The greatest deficiency of the fort is the precariousness of its supply of water. An attempt was made some fifteen years ago to bore an Artesian well, but the effort was abandoned, and the only de- pendence at present is upon large- cis- terns, which are supplied by the rains. Outside of the fort are the numerous foundries and woi'k and machine shops, where large quantities of munitions of war can be rapidly fabricated. There is a wharf on the southern side of the peninsula, three hundred yards distant from the fort, where vessels of the greatest draft of water can lie. About a quarter of a mile distant, and on the western side of the walls, stood the "Hygeia Hotel," a famous resort in past summers for the planters of the South in search of the sea breeze at "Old Point Comfort," as the peninsula is called. Within the fort itself there is a group of nearly fifty houses of brick and wood, formhig quite a village, and on one side of the parade ground is a seemly Episcopal chapel. To secure this important post became at once a matter of the greatest moment. Placed as it was within the boundaries of a State already in open rebellion, and threatened by a force gathered appar- ently for the purpose of attempting to wrest it from the meagre garrison which held it, there was great danger of its loss. Massachusetts, however, which had been foremost in pouring out her resources of men and money in defence of the Union, came to the rescue, and promptly sent one of her regiments of militia to aid in its defence. Embarking on board of the steamer Maine, at Boston, the Fourth Regiment of Massa- chusetts militia sailed directly to the Chesapeake, and landed in safety April at Fortress Monroe on the 20th of 20. April. The Government, encouraged by tlie enthusiasm of loyalty of the people, and fortified by their generosity of service, began to assert with more confidence, and to vindicate with more firmness, its contemned authority. New military de- partments were organized. The April District of Columbia, Fort "Wash- 27. ington and the adjacent country, and the State of Maryland as far as Bladens- burgh, were erected into the Department of Washington, and placed under the command of Colonel J. K. F. Mansfield, inspector-general, with his headquarters at the capital. That part of Maryland including the country for twenty miles on each side of the railroad from An- napolis to the city of Washington, as far as Bladensburgh, was formed into a new military department, entitled the De- partment of Annapolis, and Butler, with the rank of brigadier-general of Massa- chusetts volunteers, assigned to the command, with his headquarters at An- 220 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. napolis. To these was added a tliird, tlie Department of Pennsylvania, includ- ing that State, the State of Delaware, and all of Maryland not within the other departments, and the command given to Major-General Patterson, with his headquarters at Philadelphia, or any other point which he might be tempo- rarily oceup3dng. This was soon after followed by this May proclamation of the President call- 3« ing for volunteers for three years, and an increase of the -regular* army and navy : " Whereas existing exigencies demand immediate and adequate measures for the protection of the national Constitu- tion and the preservation of the national Union, by the suppression of the insur- rectionary combinations now existing in several States for opposing the laws of the Union and obstructing the execution thereof, to which end a miUtary force in addition to that called forth by my proclamation of the fifteenth day of April in the present year appears to be indispensably necessary, now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, and Commander-in-chief of the Army and iNavy thereof, and of the mihtia of the several States, when called into actual service, do hereby call into the service of the United States forty-two thousand and thirty-four vol- unteers, to serve for a period of three years, unless sooner discharged, and to be mustered into service as infantry and cavalry. The proportions of each arm and the details of enrolment and organ- ization will be made known through the department of war ; and I also direct that the regular army of the United States be increased by the addition of ^eight regiments of infantry, one regi- ment of cavalry, and one regiment of artillery, making altogether a maximum aggregate increase of 22,714 officers and enlisted men, the details of which in- crease will also be made known through the department of war ; and I further direct the enlistment, for not less than one nor more than three years, of 18,000 seamen, in addition to the present foi'ce, for the naval service of the United States. The details of the enhstment and 'Organization wiU be made known through the department of the navy. The caU for volunteers, hereby made, and the direction of the increase of the regular army, and for the enlistment of seamen hereby given, together with the plan of organization adopted for the volunteers and for the regular forces hereby authorized, will be submitted to Congress as soon as assembled. " In the mean time I earnestly invoke the co-operation of all good citizens in the measures hereby adopted for the effectual suppression of unlawful vio- lence, for the impartial enforcement of constitutional laws, and for the speediest possible restoration of peace and order, and with those of happiqess and pros- perity throughout our country. " In testimony whereof, I have here- imto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be afiSxed. " Done at the city of "Washington this third day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and BALTDIORE AWED. 221 sixty-one, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-fifth. " Abraham Lincoln. " By the President. " WnxiAM II. Sewaed, Secretary of State." All the Northern States began to re- spond rapidly to this caU of the Presi- dent for additional troops, and the Gov- ernment was judiciously availing itself of its increased naval and military re- sources. Virginia and North Carolina were included in the blockade already April declared, of South Carolina, Geor- 27« gia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Merchant steam- ers were purchased or chartered to strengthen the naval arm, quite inade- quate to the duty of watching so exten- sive a Hue of sea-coast. The various ports on the Chesapeake and the Poto- mac were especially guarded by the Government cruisers, and the communi- cations of Virginia with the sea thus effectually cut off. As before stated, General Butler, witli May ^ large force, took possession of the 5' Relay House, at the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, only seven miles from Baltimore. Here he planted eight howitzers on the viaduct over the Patapsco River and threw up en- trenchments. He thus could overawe the rebellious tendencies of that disaffected city, and, by commanding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, prevent the sending of supplies to the insurgents of Virginia in force at Harper's Ferry, by their sympathizers in Maryland. At the same time the communications between Balti- more and the North were being opened by the reconstruction of the railroad bridges, destroyed by the rioters of Maryland, and troops from Pennsylvania were preparing to advance. Fort McHenry, too, which had been fortunately preserved to the Govern- ment by the resolute conduct of its Fed- eral commander. Captain Robinson, was reinforced, and, with its guns thi'eaten- ing the destruction of their city, kept the people of Baltimore discreetly quiet. When the Northern troops were at- tacked on their passage through Balti- more, Fort McHenry had been threat- ened by the mob ; but Captain Robin- son made it so manifest that he was de- termined to defend his post to the last extremity, that the most violently dis- posed forbore to attack him. Fort McHenry is an old-fashioned work, built many years ago. Though never of great strength, it succeeded during the war of 1812 in resisting a bombardment by the British fleet. Its guns were all on the parapet, without any protection from casemates, and its armament, prin- cipally composed of forty-two pounders, ten-inch mortars, and eight-inch how- itzers, though originally deemed formi- dable enough, would prove of little ef- fect against the improved cannon of more modei'u times. Situated, how- ever, on a point of land between the harbor of Baltimore and the Patapsco River which empties into it, its posi- tion is favorable for defending the ap- proaches, while it commands at the same time a portion of the city. Sev- eral artillery companies were thrown in to reinforce the garrison, and Major 220 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. iiapolis. To these was added a third, the Department of Pennsylvania, includ- ing that State, the State of Delaware, and all of Maryland not within the other departments, and the command given to Major-General Patterson, with his headquarters at Philadelphia, or any other point which he might be tempo- rarily occupying. This was soon after followed by this May proclamation of the President call- 3' ing for volunteers for three years, and an increase of the -regular* army and navy : " Whereas existing exigencies demand immediate and adequate measures for the protection of the national Constitu- tion and the preservation of the national Union, by the suppression of the insur- rectionary combinations now existing in several States for opposing the laws of the Union and obstructing the execution thereof, to which end a military force in addition to that called forth by my proclamation of the fifteenth day of April in the present year appears to be indispensably necessary, now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, and Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy thereof, and of the militia of the several States, when called into actual service, do hereby call into the service of the United States forty-two thousand and tliirty-four vol- unteers, to serve for a period of three years, unless sooner discharged, and to be mustered into service as infantry and cavalry. The proportions of each arm and the details of enrolment and organ- ization will be made known through the department of war ; and I also direct that the regular army of the United States be increased by the addition of _^eight regiments of infantry, one regi- ment of cavalry, and one regiment of artillery, making altogether a maximum aggregate increase of 22,714 officers and enlisted men, the details of which in- crease will also be made known through the department of war ; and I further direct the enhstment, for not less than one nor more than three years, of 18,000 seamen, in addition to the present force, for the naval service of the United States. The details of the enlistment and 'Organization wiU be made known through the department of the navy. The caU for volunteers, hereby made, and the du'ection of the increase of the regular army, and for the enlistment of seamen hereby given, together with the plan of organization adopted for the volunteers and for the regular forces hereby authorized, will be submitted to Congress as soon as assembled. " In the mean time I earnestly invoke the co-operation of all good citizens in the measures hereby adopted for the effectual suppression of unlawful vio- lence, for the impartial enforcement of constitutional laws, and for the speediest possible restoration of peace and order, and with those of happiijess and pros- perity throughout our country. " In testimony whereof, I have here- unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. " Done at the city of Washington this third day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and BALTDIORE AWED. 221 sixty-one, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-fifth. " ABRAHAii Lincoln. " By the President. " WnxiAii H. Sewaed, Secretary of State." All the Northern States began to re- spond rapidly to this call of the Presi- dent for additional troops, and the Gov- ernment was judiciously avaihng itself of its increased naval and militaiy re- sources. Virginia and North Carolina were included in the blockade already April declared, of South Carolina, Geor- 27» gia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Merchant steam- ers were purchased or chartered to strengthen the naval arm, quite inade- quate to the duty of watching so exten- sive a Hue of sea-coast. The various ports on the Chesapeake and the Poto- mac were especially guarded by the Government cruisers, and the communi- cations of Virginia with the sea thus effectually cut off. As before stated. General Butler, with jlay a large force, took possession of the 5« Relay House, at the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, only seven miles from Baltimore. Here he planted eight howitzers on the viaduct over the Patapsco River and threw up en- trenchments. He thus could overawe the rebellious tendencies of that disaffected city, and, by commanding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, prevent the sending of supplies to the insurgents of Virginia in force at Harper's Ferry, by their sympathizers in Maryland. At the same time the communications between Balti- more and the North were being opened by the reconstruction of the railroad bridges, destroyed by the rioters of Maryland, and troops from Pennsylvania were preparing to advance. Fort McHenry, too, which had been fortunately preserved to the Govern- ment by the resolute conduct of its Fed- eral commander, Captain Robinson, was reinforced, and, with its guns threaten- ing the destruction of their city, kept the people of Baltimore discreetly quiet. When the Northern troops were at- tacked on their passage through Balti- more, Fort McHenry had been threat- ened by the mob ; but Captain Robin- son made it so manifest that he was de- termined to defend his post to the last extremity, that the most violently dis- posed forbore to attack him. Fort McHenry is an old-fashioned work, built many years ago. Though never of great strength, it succeeded during the war of 1812 in resisting a bombardment by the British fleet. Its guns were all on the parapet, without any protection from casemates, and its armament, prin- cipally composed of forty-two pounders, ten-inch mortars, and eight-inch how- itzers, though originally deemed formi- dable enough, would prove of little ef- fect against the improved cannon of more modern times. Situated, how- ever, on a point of land between the harbor of Baltimore and the Patapsco River which empties into it, its posi- tion is favorable for defending the ap- proaches, while it commands at the same time a portion of the city. Sev- eral artillery companies were thrown in to reinforce the garrison, and Major 222 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. Moi'ris assumed the command, while Robiuson was trausferred to other service. The union sentiment of Maryland was now claimed to be predominant. Large meetings were held and addressed in strains of loyal rhetoric by leading poli- ticians of Marj'land, who, although their fidelity to the Federal Government had never been questioned, had hitherto been prevented from openly manifesting it. Reverdy Johnson, an eminent law- yer and statesman of Maryland, took the occasion of the presentation of a United States flag b3-the ladies of Fred- erick, to the Home Guard of that place, to deliver a glowing eulogy upon the Union. There was a large audience gathered to listen to his ardent rhetoric. The population of the city was swelled by the influx of a large number of friends of the Union, from tlie neigh- boring towns and villages, some in troops on horseback, some in long trains of country vehicles of evexy kind, and others in groups afoot. All came in their holiday costume, and with bloom- ing manifestations of their loyalty. " Union cockades and badges were dis- played in profusion upon the coats of the jubilant Union men, numbers of whom were decidedl}^ ambitious in their ideas of patriotic personal adornment, wearing cockades as large as sunflow- ers. The stars and stripes fluttered from about forty difierent points, and alto- gether," says an exultant newspaper re- porter, " Frederick may be said to have donned her holiday suit for the occa- sion." Reverdy Johnson's speech was a manly defence of the Government, and a sensible exposition of the advantages of the Union to all the States, and espe- cially to Maryland : "I hope," he said, "you will con- sider the occasion as justifying a few thoughts as to the duty and interest of our State in the present emergency. In the original causes which have pro- duced il, she, thank God, had no share. Among the foremost and bravest in winning our indejDendence ; among the truest and wisest in forming our Gov- ernment, and among the first in adopt- ing it, her sons have uniformly given it a faithful and zealous sujiport. No treasonable thought, so far as we know, ever entered the mind of one of them ; certainly no threat of treason was ever whispered by them. They ever felt the immense advantage of the Union ; they saw evidenced by everything around them the blessings it conferred upon Maryland and upon all ; prosperity un- exampled, a national power increasing every year with a rapidity and to a de- gree never before witnessed in a na- tion's history, and winning for us a name challenging the respect and admiration of the world. They saw in the extent of the country, and the diflerences of climate and habits, elements of strength rather than of weakness, and appre- hended therefore no parricidal eflorts in any quarter to destroy the Government. If occasionally murmurs of dissatisfac- tion were heard elsewhere, they were attributed to the whining disposition of some and the disappointed ambition of SPEECH OF REVERDY JOHNSON. 223 others. They were ridiculed, subjected to no other punishment, but left to stand as ' monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left fi'ee to combat it.' No ' whisky insurrection' ever occurred within our borders ; no ordinance of nullification was ever threatened by us ; and, if we continue true to patriotic duty, no ordinance of secession, direct or indi- rect, open or covert, will ever be adopt- ed by those in authority, or, if madly adopted, be tolerated by the people. " To this steadfast attachment to the Union we are not only bound by grati- tude to the noble ancestry by whose patriotic wisdom it was bequeathed to us, and by the unappreciable blessings the bequest has conferred upon us, but by the assurance, which the most stolid intellect can hardly fail to feel, that its destruction would not only and at once deprive us of all these, but precipitate us into irreparable ruin. In this ruin all would more or less participate, but our geographical position would make it to us immediate and total. A jieace- able disseverance the good and great men who have heretofore guided our public councils ever predicted to be im- possible. The proclamations now trum- peted through the land, the marshaling of hosts by thousands and tens of thou- sands, the whitening of our waters with an immense naval marine, the blockade of ports, the prostration of commerce, the destruction of almost all civil em- ployment, the heated tone of the public press of all sections, belching forth the most bitter enmity— all, all testify to the truth of the prediction. How this is to result. Heaven alone knows. " But to my mind one thing is cer- tain : the Government by no single act of its own has given cause for resist- ance to its rightful authority. The pow- ers which it was exercising at the mo- ment when rebellion began to muster its ' armies of pestilence,' were clearly con- ferred upon it by the Constitution. And if the Executive, then just legally cho- sen, had meditated any illegal policy, the friends of constitutional rights were numerous enough in Congress, had they remained at their posts, as they were bound to do by their oaths and their duty to the holy cause of constitutional government, successfully and peacefully to have thwarted it. "The professed especial friends of Southern rights, instead of this, rudely shot from their spheres, and, under the utterly ridiculous claim of constitutional right, advised State secession. Mad- men — if not worse — they desecrated, too, in support of this dogma, the name of Calhoun. He may have committed political errors — who has not ? His doc- trine of nullification was certainly one, in the judgment of all his great com- peers, sanctioned by almost the entire country, but he never maintained the nonsensical heresy of rightful secession. On the contrary, long after that of the short-lived nullification, in February, 1844, writing to his 'political friends and supporters' refusing to permit his name to be presented before the then approaching Baltimore Convention, he said : 224 THE "WATl WITH THE SOUTH. "'That each State has the right to act as it pleases iu whatever relates to itself exclusively, no one will deny ; hut it is a perfectly novel doctrine thai any /State has such a right when she comes to act in concert with others in reference to what concerns the ivhole. In such cases it is the plainest dictate of common sense, that whatever affects the whole should be regulated by the mutual con- sent of all, and not hy the discretion of each.'' " That great philosophical statesman understood, as in another letter of the 3d of July, 1843, he invites his coun- trymen to understand, ' in all its- great and beautiful pr^portions, the noble po- htical structure reared by the wisdom and patriotism of our ancestors, and to have the virtue and the sense to pre- serve and protect it,' and declared it the ' duty of the Federal Government, un- der the guarantees of the Constitution, 'promptly to suppress physical force as an element of change, and to keep wide open the door for the free and full action of all the moral elements in its power.' " The truth is — and I regret sincerely to believe it — that fear of a violation of Southern rights was with the prompters of the rebellion but a pretence. ' ' What they have done and are still doing at the sacrifice of the nation's wel- fare, and of the welfare of their own sec- tion, exerting every nerve to accomplish, was and is but to retain official power, which they fancied was passing from them. Look at the usurped government at Montgomery. The mention of names is unnecessary ; they are destined to an unhappy immortality. Those who plot- ted the seizure of forts, arsenals, mints, navy-yards, custom-houses, the admitted property of the United States, seducing soldiers and sailors from their sworn al- legiance — using the very Senate cham- ber, dedicated and sacred to duty, as a spot from which to issue their treach- erous telegi'ams — are there to be seen all iu power, actual or pi-ospective. The fact too clearly tells the revolting story. Men long enjoying public honors, earn- ing thi'ough many years of service a na- tional fame — owning their renown be- cause of the world-wide fame of a glori- ous government, are striving, day and night, to reduce it to dishonor and de- struction. Thank God, our consolation is that the effort, however pregnant with the present calamity, will fall short of its horrid aim. They may ' as weU strike at the heavens with their arms' as lift them against the • ' American Union.' " That the end must fail, who can doubt ? The recent census fui-nishes pregnant proof of this. It shows that the free States have a population of males, between eighteen and forty-five, of 3,778,000, and aU the slave States only 1,655,000, and the seceding States, excluding Virginia, but 531,000 ; and if to this vast difference of men is added that of wealth, inventive skill, habits of industry, and the absence of any ele- ment of domestic danger, the disparity is infinitely greater. In a struggle be- tween such hosts — which may God in his mercy avert — who can fail to see what must be the end ? HONOR TO THE FLAG. 225 " But to our State these facts teach a lesson that all can understand. If mad and wicked enough to attempt it, what could we do to resist this immense power on our borders ? Call on the South ? Make our State the battle- field ? How long could the entire South, if flying to our succor, remain with and aid us ? They might assist in drenching our land with blood ; thej^ might witness with us the desolation that in such a contest would be our doom. They would be compelled to retire within their own limits, and we left alone in' our calamity, to be rendered the more acute when we awoke^ — as we should^to the insanity and crime which occasioned it. Looking, therefore, to interest alone, adherence to the Gov- ernment is our clear policy." The orator closed with a fervid appeal to the reverence of his listeners for the national flag. " Though not especially impulsive, I cannot," he said, "imagine how an American eye can look upon that stand- ard without emotion. The twenty stars added to the first constellation tell its proud history, its mighty influence, and its unequalled career. Are these now to be forgotten and lost? Tell me not that this is sentiment. Sentiment, to be sure it is, but it is one that purifies, and animates, and strengthens the national heart. God may be worshipped (I make the comparison with all proper reverence) in the open field, in the stable — but is there no virtue in the cathedral ? Does not the soul turn its thoughts heavenwards the moment its sacred 29 threshold is crossed? This, too, is senti- ment, but it is one that honors our nature, and proves our loyalty to the Almighty. "So it is with our national emblem. The man who is dead to its influence is in mind a fool or in heart a traitor. It is this emblem I am the honored organ now to present to you. I need not commend it to your constant, vigilant care ; that, I am sure, it will ever be yom- pride to give it. When, if ever 3'our hearts shall despond — when, if ever you shall desire your patriotism to be specially animated, throw it to the winds, gaze on its beautiful folds, remember the years and the fields over which, from '76 to the present time, it has been trium- phantly borne ; remember how it has consoled the dying and animated the survivor ; remember that it served to kindle even to a brighter flame the patriotic ardor of Washington — went with him through all the struggles of the Revolution, consoled him in defeat, gave to victory an additional charm, and that his dying moments were consoled and cheered by the hope that it would forever float over a perpetual union, and you at once feel its almost holy influence and swear to stand by and maintain it till life itself shall be no more." With this increased demonstration of Federal power, and this bolder mani- festation of loyalty on the part of the unionists of Maryland, the secessionists no longer ventured upon an open dis- play of their • sentiments. They, how- ever, still continued secretly to aid the insurgents of Virginia with supplies of 226 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. men and means, and to promote their cause by concealed efforts to involve the State in the Southern insm-rection. The city of Baltimore had suddenly become woudrously tranquihzed, and jHay submitted almost -without a mur- ^« mur to the disbaudment of its citizen soldiery. A few days subse- quently, General Butler, who marched jHay into the city with a force of two 1B« thousand men, of whom the Sixth Regiment of Massachusetts, before so crueUy treated, formed a part, was welcomed with apparent enthusiasm. " The streets were crowded with ap- plauding people. Union flags flung to the breeze, and in some instances the private dwellings were illuminated."* Butler immediately encamped "upon Federal Hill, an elevation commanding the city, and proceeded at once, with characteristic energy, to secure the mili- tary occupation of Baltimore. On the next day he issued this proclamation : " DEPABTiTENT OF AxJTAPOLIS, FeDERAX Hir.T,, ) Balttmore, May 14, 1861. ) "A detachment of the forces of the Federal Government under my com- mand have occupied ihe city of Balti- more for the purpose, among other things, of enforcing respect and obedi- ence to the laws as well of the State, if requested thereto b)' the civil authorities, as of the United States, which are being violated within its limits by some malig- nant and traitorous men ; and in order to testify the acceptance, by the Federal Government, of the fact that the city and all the weU-intentioned portion of o New York T.ma, May 16. its inhabitants are loyal to the Union and the Constitution, and are to be so regarded and treated by all. To the end, therefore, that all misunderstanding of the purposes of the Government may be prevented, and to set at rest all un- founded, false, and seditious rumors, to relieve all apprehensions, if any are felt by the well-disposed portion of the com- munity, and to make it thoroughly understood by all traitors, their aiders or abettors, that their rebellious acts must cease, I hereby, by the authority vested in me, as commander of the de-" partment of Annapolis, of which the city of Baltimore forms a part, do now command and make known that no loyal and well-disposed citizen will be disturbed in his lawful occupation or business, that private property will not be interfered with by the men under my command, or allowed to be interfered with by others, except in so far as it may be used to afford aid and comfort to those in rebellion against the Govern- ment, whether here or elsewhere, all of which property, munitions of war, and that fitted to aid and support the re- bellion, will be seized and held subject to confiscation ; and, therefore, all manu- facturers of arms and munitions of war are hereby requested to report to me forthwith, so that the lawfulness of their occupation may be known and under- stood, and all misconstruction of their doings be avoided. No transportation from the city to the rebels of articles fitted to aid and support troops in the field will be permitted, and the fact of such transportation after the publication BUTLER EST BALTIMORE. 227 of this proclamation will be taken and received as proof of illegal intention on the part of the consignees, and will ren- der the goods hable to seizure and con- fiscation. "The Government being ready to re- ceive all such stores and suppUes, arrangements will be made to contract for them immediately ; and the owners and manufacturers of such articles of equipment, and clothing, and munitions of war, and provisions are desired to put themselves in communication with the commanding General, in order that their workshops may be employed for loyal purposes, and the artisans of the city resume and carry on their wonted profitable occupations. " The acting assistaut-quarter-master and commissary of subsistence of the United States here stationed, has been instructed to procure and furnish at fair prices 40,000 rations for the use of the army of the United States, and further supplies will be drawn from the city to the full extent of its capacity if the patriotic and loj^al men choose so to furnish supi^lies. ' ' All assemblages, except the ordinary, pohce of armed bodies of men, other than those regularly organized and com- missioned by the State of Maryland and acting under the orders of the Governor thereof, for drill and other purposes, are forbidden within, the department. ' ' All officers of the militia of Mary- land having command within the limits of the department, are requested to re- port through their officei's forthwith to the General in command, so that he may be able to know and distinguish the regularly commissioned and loyal troops of Maryland from armed bodies who may claim to be such. " The ordiuai'y operations of the cor- porate government of the city of Balti- more and of the civil authorities will not be interfered with, but, on the con- trary, will be aided by all the power at the command of the General upon proper call being made ; and all such authori- ties are cordially invited to co-operate with the General in command to carry out the purposes set forth in the procla- mation, so that the city of Baltimore may be shown to the country to be, what she is in fact, patriotic and loyal to the Union, the Constitution, and the laws. No flag, banner, ensign, or de- vice of the so-called Confederate States, or of any of them, will be permitted to be raised or shown in this department, and the exhibition of either of them by evil-disposed persons will be deemed, and taken to be, evidence of a design to afford aid and comfort to the enemies of the country. To make it the more apparent that the Government of the United States by far more relies upon the loyalty, patriotism, and zeal of the good citizens of Baltimore and vicinity than upon any exhibition of force calcu- lated to intimidate them into that obe- dience to the laws which the Govern- ment doubts not will be paid from in- herent respect and love of order, the commanding General has brought to the city with him, of the many thousand troops in the immediate neighborhood, which might be at once concentrated 228 THE WAR -WITH THE SOUTH. here, scarcely more than au ordinary guard, and, until it fails him, he will continue to rely upon that loyalty and patriotism of the citizens of Maryland which have never j^et been found want- ing to the Government in time of need. The General in command desires to greet and treat in this part of his department all the citizens thereof as friends and broth- ers, having a common purpose, a common loyalty, and a common country. Any infractions of the laws by the troops un- der his command, or any disorderly, un- soldierlike conduct, or any interferences with private j^roperty, he desires to have unmediately reported to him, and he pledges himself that if any soldier so far forgets himself as to break those laws that he has sworn to defend and en- force, he shall be most rigorously pun- ished. " The General beheyes that if the suggestions and requests contained in this proclamation are caiTied out by the co-operation of all good and Union-lov- ing citizens, and peace, and quiet, and certainty of future peace and quiet are thus restored, business wiU resume its accustomed channels, trade take the place of dulness and inactivity, efficient labor displace idleness, and- Baltimore wiU be, in fact, what she is entitled to be — in the front rank of the commercial cities of the nation. " Given at Baltimore, the day and year herein first above written. " Bexj. F. Butler, " B.-G. Com. Depart, of Annapohs." This was soon followed by the seizure of a large quantity of arms, amounting to "fifteen dray-loads," which had been secreted by the secessionists of Balti- more, and the arrest of some leading citizens suspected of conniving at the overtlirow of the Federal authority. These decided measures produced an immediate effect. The Governor of Ma- ryland, who had been so intimidated by the disaffected of his State that he had not hitherto ventured to pay full alle- giance to that government to which he claimed to be loyal, now, after a jjay delay of a month, responded favor- H* ably to the President's caU for troops. He yet, however, was constrained to deal tenderly with the uncertain temper of his feUow-citizens, and to qualify his appeal to arms in defence of the Union, by a condition to smt their equivocal loyalty. "Whereas the President of the United States, by his proclamation of April 15, 1861, has called upon me, the Governor of Marj-land, for four regiments of in- fantry or riflemen, to serve for a period of three months, the said requisition being made in the spirit and in pursu- ance of the law ; and "Whereas to the said requisition has been added the written assurance of the secretary of war, that said four regi- ments shall be detaile'd to serve within the limits of the State of Maryland, or for the defence of the capital of the United States, and not to serve beyond the limits aforesaid ; " Now, therefore, I, Thomas HoUiday Hicks, Governor of Maryland, do, by this my proclamation, call upon loyal citizens of Maryland to volunteer their _J THE FIRST VICTORY. 229 services to the extent of four regiments, as aforesaid, to serve during a period of three months within the Umits of Mary- land, or for the defence of the capital of the United States, to be subject under the conditions aforesaid, to the orders of the Commander-in-chief of the army of the United S'ates. " Given under my hand and the great seal of the State of Maryland, at the city of Frederick, this 14th day of May, 1861. "Thos. H. Hicks." The Legislature, too, was frightened into comparative propriety, and brought May ^^^ refractory proceedings to a close *!• by a sudden adjournment. The spirit of disafifection, however, which May prevailed, was made manifest by ^^' the adoption, a few days before, of these resolutions : " Whereas the war against the Con- federate States is unconstitutional and repugnant to civilization, and will re- sult in a bloody and shameful overthrow of our institutions ; and while recog- nizing the obligations of Mai-yland to the Union, we sympathize with the South in the struggle for their rights— for the sake of humanity, we are for peace and reconciliation, and solemnly protest against this war, and will take no part in it ; therefore, ' ' Eesolved, That Maryland implores the President, in the name of God, to cease this unholy war, at least until Congress assembles ; that Maryland de- sires and consents to the recognition of the independence of the Confederate States. The military occupation of Ma- ryland is vmconstitutional, and she pro- tests against it, though the violent in- terference with the transit of Federal troops is discountenanced ; that the vin- dication of her rights be left to time and reason, and that a convention, under existing circumstances, is inexpedient." The last act of the Legislature of Ma- ryland was to appoint two commission- ers to visit President Jefferson Davis, two to visit President Lincoln, two to visit Richmond, and two to visit Penn- sylvania. The route through Baltimore to the capital was now secured, and the Fed- eral Government could claim its first great victory in the struggle for the as- sertion of its authority. 230 TIIE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. CHAPTER XX. Increased Knergy of the Government. — Augmenting force of Secession. — Progress of North Carolina to Secession. — Seizure of United States Mint and Arsenal.— Action of the Governor. — Convening of the Legislature. — Dennncia- tion of the President's Proclamation. — Ordinance of Secession. — Union with the Confederate States. — Action of Arkansas. — Seizure of Federal Property. — Act of Secession. — Sanguine hopes entertained of Tennessee. — Union Sentiment in Tennessee. — A Vote ag.ainst a Convention. — Disregarded by the Governor. — Legislature Convened. — Military League with the Southern Confederacy. — Ratification of League. — Opposition in the Legislature. — Question submitted to the People. — Strange Contrast. — Arbitrary Action. — Pretended Submission to the Will of the People. — Apology of the Tennessee Legislature. — The strong Union Sentiment in Eastern Tennessee. — Description of East Tennessee. — Character of the Pupul.ation. — Opposition to the Action of the Legislature. — A Convention called at Kno-xville. — Its object. — The unavailing resistance in East Tennessee. — Piatification by the People of the State of the Ordinance of Secession. — Great Encour.agemeut for the Union in Western Virginia. — Description of Western Virginia. — Geographical and Social Characteristics. — Whites and Blacks. — Free Labor. — Sj-mpathy with the North. — Enterprise and Thrift. — Immense Resources. — Future Prospects. — Disputes with Eastern Virginia. — Difference of Interests. — Unequal Taxation. — Opposition to Secession. — Union Meetings. — Convention in Western Virginia — "New Virginia." — Action of the Convention. — An ardent Appeal for the Union. — Rallying to Arms.— Union En- thusiasm. — Union Militiuy Companies. — Union Preachei-s. — The first Encounter in Western Virginia. — A bloodless bectlnning of a Bloody War. 1861. While the Federal Government was asserting its authority with in- creased energy and power, and the Union sentiment of the North was daily strengthening, the Southern rebellion was augmenting with even greater force and rapidit}'. North Carolina was passing through the various phases of defiance and spoliation of the General Govern- ment which had marked the career of the other slave States in their progress to secession. Her Governor had reso- lutely and contemptuously refused the caU of the President for the State's quota of troops for the defence of the Union. April The United States Branch Mint 21« had been seized and held by a military force under his command, and April on the next day the Federal arsenal 22« at Fayetteville, filled with muni- tions of war belonging to the United States, was forced to surrender to the State authorities. At the same time the Governor of North Carolina called for thirty thousand volunteers, in addition to the regular militia, and ordered them to be ready at a moment's notice. These acts, the purport of which was obvious, were followed by j^prii the Governor's proclamation con- 26. vening the Legislature. In this docu- ment he denounced President Lincoln's proclamation and Secretary Cameron's requisition for seventj^-five thousand ti-oops, the " high-handed act of tyran- nical outrage," the object of which was ' ' the violent subversion of the liberties of a free people constituting a large part of the whole population of the United States ; it is not only," the Gov- ernor added, "in violation of all con- stitutional law, utter disregard of every SECESSION OF NORTH CAROLINA. 231 sentiment of humanity and Christian civiUzation, and conceived in a spirit of aggression unparalleled by any act of recorded history, but is a direct step toward the subjugation of the whole South, and the conversion of a free re- public, inherited from our fathers, into a military despotism, to be established by worse than foreign enemies on the ruins of our once glorious Constitution of equal rights." He closed by an appeal to the hdelity of the j^eople of North Carolina, to the "sovereign" authority of their State. " I furthermore ex- hort," he said, "all good citizens throughout the State to be mindful that their first allegiance is due to the sover- eignty, which protects their homes and dearest interests, as their first service is due for the sacred defence of their hearths, and of the soil which holds the graves of our glorious dead. United action in defence of the sovereignty of North Carolina, and of the rights of the South, becomes now the duty of all." IHay In three weeks after, a convention 20. ' ' declared and ordained that the ordinance adopted by the State of North Carolina, in the Convention of 1789, whereby the Constitution of the United States was ratified and adopted, and also all acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly ratifying and adopting amendments to the said Constitution, are hereby repealed, rescinded, and abrogated." It was then " declared and ordained" that, the union with the United States being dissolved, and North Carolina in full possession of the "rights of sov- ereignty, the State accepts the Constitu- tion of the ' Confederate States of Amer- ica,' and will enter into federal association with them, when admitted in due form. North Carolina thus gave in her adher- ence to the new confederacy, and joined in the armed combination to dissolve the old Union. Ai'kansas was the next to follow. She began, too, with spoliation. At April Napoleon, the Federal depot was 22. seized by order of the Grovernor, and military supplies belonging to the United States, consisting of one hundred and fifty thousand ball cartridges, a hundred Maynard rifles, two hundred cavalry saddles, and five hundred sabres, were appropriated by the State. Fort Smith, too, which had cost the Federal Gov- ernment over three hundred thousand dollars, was forced to surrender. The State troops upon taking possession April raised the Confederate flag amid 25. the firing of cannon and the exulting cheers of the people, who gave shouts of applause for the citizen soldiery of Arkansas, its Governor, and for Jeffer- son Davis. These usual preliminaries of disrup- tion were soon followed by the jjay act of secession from the Federal ''• Union, the adoption of the Constitution of the Confederate States, and the ad- mission of the State as another member of the Southern Confederacy. Tennessee, the last to attach her fortunes to the chances of the new con- federacy, it was fondly hoped by the North would have clung to the old Union. Though her Governor, who was 232 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. known to be in league with the Confed- erates, had responded so defiantly to the President's requisition for troops, there was yet believed to be a loyalty to the Federal Government so strong, particu- larly in the eastei'u part of the State, that it could counteract the machinations of those pohtical leaders of Tennessee who were striving to wrest her from the Union. This behef was encouraged by the vote of the State on the question of holding a convention for the considera- tion of the policy of seceding. By a large majority, the people of Tennessee decided against the convention. The Governor, though thus rebuked by this expression of popular will, gave it no heed, but persisted in his determination to force the State out of the Union. He accordingly convened the Legislature — the majority of which accorded with him in* sentiment — for the purpose of accomphshing indirectly what seemed impracticable through the direct action of the sufifrage of the people. The Legislature having met, both Houses May passed at once, in secret session, !• a joint resolution authorizing the Governor to enter into a military league with the Confederate States. Three commissioners were accordingly ap- pointed ; and having held a conJFerence with an agent of the new government, jtlay expressly delegated for the pur- ''• pose, the following was agreed to : " The State of Tennessee, looking to a speedy admission into the confederacy established by the Confederate States of America, in accordance with the Consti- tution for the Provisional Government of said States, enters into the following temporary convention, agreement, and military league with the Confederate States, for the purpose of meeting pressing exigencies affecting the com- mon rights, interests, and safety of said States and said Confederacy : "First. Until said State shall become a member of said Confederacy, accord- ing to the Constitutions of both powers, the whole mihtary force and military operations, offensive and defensive, of said State in the impending conflict with the United States shall be under the chief control and direction of the Presi- dent of the Confederate States upon the same basis, principles, and footing as if said State were now and during the in- terval a member of said Confederacy ; said force, together with that of the Confederate States, to be employed for the common defence. " Second. The State of Tennessee will, upon becoming a member of said Con- federacy, under the permanent Constitu- tion of said Confederate States, if the same shall occm*, turn over to the said Confederate States all the pubhc prop- erty, naval stores, and munitions of war of which she may then be in possession, acquired from the United States, on the same terms and in the same manner as the other States of said Confederacy have done in like cases. " Third. Whatever expenditure of money, if any, the said State of Tennes- see shall make before she becomes a member of said Confederacy, shall be met and provided for by the Confederate. States. TENNESSEE FORCED FROM THE UNION. 233 "This couveution entered into and agreed on, in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, on the seventh day of May, A.D. 1861, by Henry W. Hilliard, the duly authorized commissioner to act in the matter for the Confederate States, and Gustavus A. Henry, Archibald 0. W. Totten, and Washington Barrow, commissioners, duly authorized to act in like manner for the State of Tennessee. The whole subject to the approval and ratification of the proper authorities of both governments, respectively. "In testimony whereof, the parties aforesaid have hereunto set their hands and seals, the day and year aforesaid, in duplicate originals. "Henry W. Hilliaed, " Commissioner for the Confederate States of America. ' ' Gustavus A. Henry, "A. 0. W. Totten, " Washington Barrow, ' ' Commissioners on the part of Ten- nessee." The Legislature hastened to ratify this league, and thus secure the future secession of the State, by an act which, placing the military resources under the control of the Confederate States, would enable them to repress by coer- cion any appearance of dissatisfaction in Tennessee. There was, however, a manifestation of opposition, even in the Legislature, to this disregard of the voice of the people. The resolution ratifying the league was opposed in the Senate by a vote of six to fourteen, four not having voted at aU ;^ and in the 30 House by a vote of fifteen to forty-two, eighteen having withheld their votes. After having thus deprived the people of all independence of action, the Legis- lature, with an aifected regard for the popular will, formally submitted to the vote of the State a question which they had abeady decided by an act of their own, in defiance of the declared senti- ment of a majority of their fellow-cit- izens. The following is a curious con- trast to the league akeady formed with the Confederate States. The semblance of deference to popular wiU and the reality of arbitraiy power, not seldom combined, was never more strikingly manifest than in these two doc- jjay uments emanating front the same 6* source : " Sec. 1. Be it enacted ly the General Assembly of the /State of Tennessee, That immediately after the passage* of this act, the Governor of this State shall, by proclamation, direct the sheriffs of the several counties in this State to open and hold an election at the various voting pre- cincts in their respective counties on the 8th day of June, 1861 ; that the said sher- iffs, or, in the absence of the sheriffs, the coroner of the county, shall immediately advertise the election contemplated by this act ; that said sheriffs appoint a deputy to hold said election for each voting precinct, and that said deputy appoint three judges and two clerks for each precinct ; and if no officer shall, from any cause, attend any voting pre- cinct to open and hold said election, then any justice of the peace, or, in the absence of a justice of the peace, any re- 234 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. s-pectiih]c f?-eehoIder may appoint au offi- cer, judges, and clerks to opou and hold said election. Said officers, judges, and clerks shall be sworn as now required by law, and who, after being so sworn, shall open and hold an election, open and close at the time of day and in the manner now required by law in elec- tions for members to the General As- sembly. " Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That at said election the following declaration shall be submitted to a vote of the qual- ified voters of the State of Tennessee, for their ratification or rejection : " Declaration of Indepexuexce and Ordinance dissolving the Federal Re- lation between the State of Tennessee and the United States of America. "First. We, the people of the State of Tennessee, waiving an expression of opinion et/i>iui»f/ of the year 1864 to the end of the liar. By BEXJ. G. smith, Esq. Illustrated by numerous highly flnishcd Steel rnirraviugs. ( olored 3Iaps, Plans, etc., from Drawings by F. 0. f . Darley and other eminent Artists. >s^W33^ The four years" war, now happily ended — .so remarkable for its sudden outbreak, its unexpected duration, and its entire termination — not only absorbe^ evacuation of Richmond and the surrender of the armies of Lee, Johnstcni, and Kirby Smith. It will contain detailed accounts of the great battles, sieges, marches, and naval operations, a record of polit- ical events, remarks on foreign relations, statistical facts with regard to the resources of both the Northern and Southern States, descriptions of fortresses and battle-fields, and a large number of bio- graphical sketches of distinguished commanders and statesmen, to which will be appended a copious and elaborate Index. Not the least attractive feature of the work will be the large number of beautiful and costJy steel engravings, comprising portraits of statesmen and military and naval commanders, Xorthern and South' crn, who have become famous in the course of the war. Among the illustrations are also splendid bird"s-eyc views of Fortress Monroe and vicinity, Charles- ton, Richmond, and New Orleans ; representations of battle-scenes, views of forts and battle-fields, sea views, and a number of carefully prepared colored maps and plans, highly useful in making clear the movements and positions of armies. -♦♦♦ CONDITIONS OF PUBLICATION. Tlie work will be printed in a clear, bold type, on superfine, calendered until completed, the whole not to .exceed fort}- -five Parts, at Fifty Cents paper, and issued in Parts at Fifty Cents, and Divisions at SI each. each. The illustrations will comprise fifty-four portraits and thirty-six battle- No subscribers name received for less than the whole w^ork ; and each scenes, plans, maps, bird's-eye views, etc. Part or Division will be payable on delivery, the airrier not being allowe the one made up of the New York regi- ment of Zouaves, commanded by Col- onel Duryea, and the Albany (N. Y.) regiment under Colonel Townsend, sup- ported by a detachment of United States artillery, with three cannon, led by Lieutenant Greble. The other division was composed of the New York Steuben Regiment, commanded by Colonel Ben- dix, and detaclmiehts of the First Ver- mont and Third Massachusetts, under Lieutenant-Colonel Wasliburn. The whole expedition was placed under the command of General Pierce, a mih- tia brigadier-gfeneral of Massachusetts, whose military service had hitherto been restricted to the holidaj^ parades of Bos- ton Common or the village green. The 272 THE WAH AYITH THE SOUTn. l)lan of the enterprise is thus set forth by General Butler himself : " I ordered," he wrote, in his official report, " General Pierce, who is in com- mand of Camp Hamilton, at Hampton, to send Duryea's regiment of Zouaves June to be ferried over Hampton Creek J^» at one o'clock this morning, and to march by the road up to Newmarket Bridge, then crossing the bridge, to go by a by-road, and thus put the regiment in the rear of the enemy and between Big Bethel and Little Bethel, in part for the purpose of cutting him off, and then to make an attack upon Little Bethel. I directed General Pierce to support him (Colonel Duryea) from Hampton with Colonel Townsend's regiment, with two mounted howitzers, and to march about an hour later. At the same time I directed Colonel Phelps, commanding at Newport Xews, to send out a bat- talion, composed of such companies of the regiments under his command as he thought best, under command of Lieu- tenant-Colonel Washburn, in time to make a demonstration upon Little Bethel in front, and to have him supported by Colonel Beudix's regiment, with two field-pieces." From this not very persjjicuous state- ment of General Butler, it may be in- ferred that Colonel Duryea's regiment from Hampton, and Lieutenant-Colonel Washbm-n's force from Newport News, were to move in advance, the former to the rear and the latter to the front of Little Bethel, while Colonel Town- send's regiment from Hampton, and Colonel Beudix's regiment from New- port News, were to move later and act as a reserve. The two latter were to form a junc- tion at a fork of the road leading from Hampton to Newport News, the two points from which they were separately to march, about a mile and a half from Little Bethel. "I directed," continues Butler, in his official report, " the march to be so timed that the attack should be made just at daybreak, and that after the attack was made upon Little Bethel, Duryea's regiment and a regiment from Newport News should follow imme- diately upon the heels of the fugitives, if they were enabled to cut them off, and attack the battery on the road to Big Bethel, whUe covered by the fugi- tives ; or if it was thought expedient by General Pierce, failing to surprise the camp at Little Bethel, they should at- tempt to take the work near Big Bethel." This Big Bethel is some four miles farther from Fortress Monroe than Little Bethel, on the road from the town of Hampton to Yorktown, of revo- lutionary renown. Its exact locality, the character of the surroundiug coun- tr}", the force of the enemy, the strength of their fortifications, or even the fact of theu- existence, was a mystery prob- ably not only to the General-in-chief, but to all his subordinate officers. It was, however, soon to be solved with a fatal result. Colonel Duryea ha\-ing formed his regiment of Zouaves, seven hundred and forty strong, and sent skirmishers for- ward in advance, began his march from ]\IARCII TO LITTLE BETHEL. 273 Hampton at half-past eleven o'clock at night, toward Little Bethel. His men moved spiritedly forward, cheered with the prospect of a successful issue to their enterprise. The march for two miles was slow, in consequence of the tardy arrival of the howitzer which was to be placed at the head of the advanc- ing column. There was again a delay at Hampton Creek, for want of surf- boats, to convey the troops across. These, however, iinally arrived, and the troops being transported to the other side, re- sumed their march, and soon came up with the two companies sent forward as skirmishers an hour and a half in ad- vance of the main body. Tlie whole force now pushed on with quickened step, without pausing a moment for rest, and at four o'clock in the morning fell in with the picket guard of the enemy at Little Bethel. This, consisting of four soldiers and an officer in command, being captured, the regiment began to move forward on the road toward Big Bethel. At this moment a heavy lire of musketry and cannon was heard in the rear. Believing it to be an attempt by the enemy to cut off l«is reserve. Colonel Duryea immediately gave the order to countermarch his men, and they at once proceeded in double quick time in direction of the cannonade. After having thus rapidly retraced their march for five miles, they discovered that there was no enemy in their rear, but that the firing had come from their friends brought into collision by a fatal blunder. Lieutenant-Colonel Washburn, with his detachment of Massachusetts men 35 and Vermonters, had also, in accordance with the plan of the expedition, moved on. Setting out from Newport News, he had marched within reach of the front of Little Bethel, when the cannonade heard in his rear startled him too, and in- duced him to march back again to meet an enemy, but only to discover that he and Colonel Duryea had been deceived by the same fatal blunder of our troops. This was soon explained. Colonel Bendix having with his German regi- ment set out in due time from Newport News, reached the cross roads, and halted, to await the coming up of, and to form a junction with, the Albany regi- ment under Colonel Townsend, on their route from Hampton. " Up to this point the plan," says Butler, in his offi- cial report, "had been vigorously, ac- curately, and successfully carried nut ; but here, by some strange fatuity and yet unexplained blunder, without any word of notice, while Colonel Townsend was in column en route, and when the head of the column was within one hun- dred yards, Colonel Bendix's regiment opened fire, with both artillery and mus- ketry, upon Colonel Townscnd's column, which, in the hurry and confusion, was irregularly returned by some of Colonel Townsend's men, who feared they had fallen into an ambuscade. Colonel Townsend's column immediately re- treated to the eminence near by, and were not pursued by Colonel Bendix's men. By this almost criminal blunder, two men of Colonel Townsend's regi- ment were killed and eight, more or less, wounded." 971 THE WAR Wmi TIIE SOUTPI. Every one was naturally anxious to free himself from the blame of what the General has termed an " almost criminal blunder." He in his own justification declared, that " to prevent the possibil- ity of mistake in the darkness, I directed that no attack should be made until the watchword — Boston — should be shouted by the attacking regiment, and, in case that by any mistake in the march the regiments that were to make the junc- tion should unexpectedly meet and be unknown to each other, also directed that the members of Colonel Townsend's reg- iment should be known, if in daylight, by something white worn on their arm." The General seemed to impute the fault to Colonel Bendix's Germans, who, he declared, were the first to open fire. They, however, strenuously defended themselves, asserting that the mistake was mutual, and the attack on both sides simultaneous. The adjutant of the German regiment came to the res- cue of its fame with the followmg dec- laration : " Colonel Bendix had not received any order or intimation that our troops should wear white badges around the arm for the purpose. of mutual recogni- tion, and if he had, he would not have been able to distinguish such badge at the distance 'and in the dusk of the morning. Colonel Bendix's command did not wear such badges. The uniform of the Albany regiment was very sim- ilar to the uniform of the secession troops. It is doubtful which side opened fire. Many of the Albany boys admit that they fired first, mistaking the Steu- ben regiment for enemies, probably for the reason that the latter wore no white badges. " When Colonel Townsend's troops approached the junction over a slight ridge, they appeared to be a troop of cavalry, because General Pierce and staff, and Colonel Townsend and staif, in a body, rode in advance of their troops, and without any advance guard thrown out, as customary, to reconnoi- tre and protect the head of the column. If the latter precaution had been taken, the unfortunate mistake would not have happened. It was known that our side had no cavalry." INEXPERIENCED LEADER. 275 CHAPTER XXIV, Serious Effects of the Blunder at Little Bethel. — Inexperienced Leader. — Unwise Counsellors. — Second Advance of General Pierce. — Eeinforcements.— Ai'rival of the Advance at Little Bethel.— A deserted Camp. — March to Big Bethel. — The Enemy reported in Force. — Battle given. — Sph-it of the Men. — Plan of Battle.— Colonel Duryea's Zouaves. — The Struggle. — Retreat. —The Sldnnishers. — ^Thoir Retreat. — Death of Greble. — Withdrawal of the Artil- lery. — Action of the New York Tioops. — Relative Number of Troops Engaged. — Losses. — Enemy's Account of the Aflfair of Big Bethel.— Attempts at Justification by the Federal Officers.— Consoling Reflection of General Butler. — Censure of General Pierce. — Promises to Justify Himself. — Patriotism. — Gallant Behavior of the Soldiers. — pioofa. — Rescue of Guns. — Rescue of Body of Lieutenant Greble. — The Last to Retreat. — Death of Major Win- throp. — His Bravery. — His Last Moments. — Admiration of the Enemy. — Life of Winthrop. — Adventurous Career. —Restlessness.— His Militaiy Career.— Author of the Plan of Battle at Big Bethel.— Literary Tastes.— Success of his Posthumous "Works. 1861. Grievous as had been the blunder at Little Bethel, and fatal as it was to our own men destroyed by their com- rades, it was still more serious in its efi'ects upon the subsequent fate of the expedition. The inexperienced leader, counselled by those who were no more skilled in the art of war than him- self, and piqued into an indiscreet ac- tivity by disappointment, determined to make an effort to redeem the unsuccess- ful beginning of the enterprise. He accordingly ordered his troops again to the advance. The enemy, in the mean time, were on the alert, and had fallen back from Little to Big Bethel, where the main body was posted under the cover of a strong battery of several heavy guns. General Pierce, without having made any rcconnoissance, and en- tirely ignorant of the force of his antag- onists or the nature of their position or defences, did not hesitate to push on his troops, against this concealed and un- numbered foe, at Great Bethel. He, however, had the prudence, as he ad- vanced, to send back to General Butler for reinforcements, who sent forward Colonel Allen, with his New York city regiment, and Colonel Carr, with that of Troy (N. Y.) Colonel Duryea, with his Zouaves, again assumed the advance, supported by Colonel Bendix and his Germans, and Colonel Townsend, with the Albany regiment. On reaching Little Bethel, from which a stray shot was fired by a retreating troop of cavalry, the camp was found deserted, and this being de- stroyed, our troops pushed on toward Big Bethel. Here the main body ar- Juue ri^'ed at about ten o'clock in the 1^' morning, and halted in consequence of the intelligence brought back by those who had been sent forward to skirmish in advance. Captain Kilpatrick, who commanded these skirmishers, had evi- dently not underrated the strength of the enemy, for he reported that he had found them "with about from three 276 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. tliousaud to five thousand men, posted in a strong position on the opposite side of the bridge — three earth-works and a masked battery on the right and left ; iu advance of the stream, thirty pieces of artillery and a large force of cavalry." In face of this portentous report of the numbers aud strength of position of the enemy, the troops were drawn up in line of battle, and prepared to give fight. The soldiers, though previously fatigued by their long and rapid march, and dispirited by the fatal mistake of the previous night, were at once reani- mated by the prospect of a struggle. " It put a new spirit into the men, as the word passed down the line. The}" were no longer tired aud sleepy. Each freshened up to his place in tlie ranks and closed up in column." The skirmishers, now led by Lieuten- ant-Colonel Warren, were again thrown forward on the right and left, supported by the advance guard of Duryea's Zou- aves and three pieces of United States artiUery, under the command of Lieu- tenant Greble. The enemy at once opened fire from their batteries directly facing the road, but our men answered with a shout, and continued to press forward. The enemy's fire was so heavy that it was found useless to attempt to meet it directly by discharges of musketry, and accordinglj^ the Federal forces were de- ployed. Lieutenant Greble, with his three howitzers, being posted in the road toward the front, was left alone to face the batteries, while the rest as- sumed positions toward the enemy's right and left, with the view of flanking. Colonel Duryea's Zouaves and Colonel Townsend's xllbany regiment crossed from the road on the left through some cultivated farm-ground and orchards, to an open field on the enemy's right, with their skirmishers in advance, and the Germans, the Massachusetts men, and Vermonters passed into a forest on the right of the road, and toward the left of the enemy. As the Zouaves advanced, the enemy opened their batteries upon them. Col- onel Duryea, however, urged them for- ward at the double-quick step, until, finding the fire very "destructive," he thought it prudent to seek refuge in a neighboring wood, where he halted to rest his men, and to complete his prep- arations for charging the batteries in flank. After remaining two hours and a half in this imperfect cover, where they were still within range of the enemy's guns, the Zouaves returned to the open field and spiritedly advanced toward the rebel batteries, with the intention of making an attempt to carry them by storm. They had not proceeded far, how- ever, before they discovered lying across their path an almost impassable swamp, with a small stream running through it. These proved to be insurmountable ob- stacles. They persevered, however, with great spirit till the order came from General Pierce to retreat. Colonel Duryea, now collecting such of liis killed and wounded as he could find, withdrew his men and took to the road in the rear. The Germans, at the same time, were ORDER TO RETREAT. 277 acting ou the right in conjunction with the Zouaves on the left, and, like them, had made several spirited attempts at charging the batteries, but foiled by the same obstacles of morass and creek and heavy lire, were also forced to witlidraw. Lieutenant Greble, with his three pieces of artillery, had, in the moan time, been returning the fire of the en- emy with considerable effect, and had steadily advanced until he reached within two hundred yards of the Confederate works. The skirmishers, headed by Lieuten- ant-Colonel Warren, had made good progress. "We continued to advance," reported Captain Kilpatrick, in com- mand, "clearing all before us, till we reached a point just ou the edge of the woods where the fire was so hot and heavy that we were compelled to halt, and there we remained as directed by Lieutenant-Colonel Warren, till that gal- lant otHcer had made disjDOsitions to turn their flanks. The enemy's fire at this time began to tell upon us with great effect. My men were falling one after another, as was the case of the rest of the command. " Our object being now accomplished, to remain longer in this exposed posi- tion was useless ; numbers of our men being killed and wounded, having re- ceived a grape-shot through my thigh, which tore off a portion of the rectangle on Colonel Duiyca's left shoulder, passed through my leg. and killed a soldier in the rear, I withdrew my men to the skirts of the wood. We managed to reach Lieuteirant Greble's battery and bring to his aid several of my men. The chai'ge was then sounded, and Lieu- tenant G-reble opened fire with grape and canister within two hundred yards of the enemy's lines. Captains Win- slow, Bartlett, and myself charged with our commands in front ; Captain Denike and Lieutenant Duryea (sou of Colonel Duryea), and about two hundred of the Tro}^ Rifles, upon the right ; Colonel Townsend, with his men, to the left. The enemy w;ere forced out of the first battery, all the forces were rapidly ad- vancing, and everything promised a speedy victory, when we were ordered to fall back. Where this order came from, I do not know. We maintained our position till Colonel Townsend be- gan to retire with his whole command. Being left thus alone, and no prospects of receiving aid, we ordered the men to fall back, which they did, and in good order, forming their line of battle about one hundred and fifty yards in the rear. A few minutes afterward, orders came from General Pierce to cease firing and retire." Greble, after two hours of spirited work with his artillery, was struck by a cannon-ball in the head and killed in- stantly. With his death, the fall of the larger number of the artillerists, and the exhaustion of ammunition, it was found necessary to withdraw the guns, which was done by the Massachusetts men and Vermonters, under Lieutenant-Colonel Washburne. The body of the young lieutenant was borne off, lying upon one of those cannon which he had so gal- lantly served. 278 THE WAli WITH THE SOUTH. The New York regiment sent to rein- force the Federal troops, reached the battle-lield in time to sliare in the en- gagement. The commander, Colonel Allen, in his official report, says : "Upon reporting to General Pierce, he directed me to proceed to the front and deploy my regiment in front of the bat- tery, wliich I did, and so remained for one hour and forty minutes under a heavy fire of at least twenty guns, some of them rifled, and about four shell guns — the enemy deploying in my front with about 1,200 men and two guns, but made no advance. They, however, threw out two heavy flanking parties on my right and left, the former with two guns, and completely outflanked the en- tire brigade, at which time General Pierce deemed it proper to retire." The number of Federal troops on the field of battle, including the reinforce- ments, amounted to about four thou- sand. Of these, sixteen were killed, thirty-four wounded, and five missing, making a total of fift^^-three. The Fed- eral loss, moreover, was increased by llie fatal blunder, which resulted in kill- ing two and wounding nineteen. The enemy reported that their whole force engaged did not exceed eleven hun- dred men, under the command of Gen- eral Magrudcr, and one killed and two wounded, as the total of their loss. One who served with them gave this account of the afl'air : "On Monday morning, six hundred infantry and two guns, under General Magruder, left the camp and proceeded toward Hampton, but after advancing a mile or two, received information that the Yankees were coming in large force. We then retired, and after reaching camp the guns were placed in battery and the infantry took their places be- hind their breast- work. Everybody was cool, and all were anxious to give the invaders a good reception. About nine o'clock the glittering bayonets of the enemy appeared on the hill opposite, and above them waved the star-span- gled banner. The moment the head of the column advanced far enough to show one or two companies, the Parrott gun of the howitzer battery opened on them, throwing a shell right into their midst. Their ranks broke in confusion, a.nd the column, or as much of it as we could see, retreated behind two small farm-houses. From their position a fire was opened on us, which was replied to by our bat- tery, which commanded the route of their approach. Our firing was excel- lent, and the shells scattered in aU di- rections, when they burst. They could hardly approach the guns which they were firing, for the shells which came from our battery. Within our encamp- ment fell a perfect hail-storm of canis- ter shot, bullets, and balls. Kemarkable to say, not one of our men was killed inside of our encampment. Several horses were slain by the shells and bullets. Finding that bombardiuent would not answer, the enemy, about eleven o'clock, tried to carry the posi- tion by assault, but met a terrible re- pulse at the hands of the infantry as he tried to scale the breast-works. The men disregarded sometimes the defences THE DEFEAT AT BIG BETHEL JTTSTIFTEI). 279 erected for them, and, leaping ou the embankment, stood and lired at the Yankees, cutthag them down as they came up. One company of the New York Seventh Regiment, under Captain Winthrop, attempted to take the re- doubt on the left. The marsh they crossed was strewn with their bodies. Their captain, a fine-looking man, reached the fence, and, leaping on a log, waved his sword, crying, ' Come on, boys! one charge, and the day is ours!' The words were his last, for a Carolina rifle ended his life the next moment, and his men fled in terror back. At the redoubt on the right, a company of about three hundred New York Zou- aves charged one of our guns, but could not stand the fire of the infantry, and retreated precipitately. During these charges the main bodjr of the enemy on the hill were attempting to concentrate for a general assault, but the shells from the howitzer battery prevented them. As one regiment would give np the effort, another would be marched to the position, but with no better success,' for a shell would scatter them like chaff. The men did not seem able to stand fire at all. About one o'clock their guns were silenced, and a few moments after, their infantry retreated precipitately down the road to Hampton. Our cav- alry, numbering three companies, went in pursuit, and harassed them down to the edge of Hampton. As they re- treated, many of the wounded fell along the road and died, and the whole road to Hampton was strewn with hav- ei'sacks, overcoats, canteens, muskets, etc., which the men had thrown off in their retreat." The Federal officers engaged in the unfortunate afliiirs of Little and Big Bethel strove to justify their conduct of the expedition, or to shift upon one another the responsibility of its failure. The commander-in-chief. General But- ler, consoled himself with the thought, "in tl]j2 unfortunate combination of cir- cumstances, and the result which we have experienced, we have gained more than we have lost. Our troops have learned to have confidence in themselves under fire, the enemy have shown that they will not meet us in the open field, and our officers have learned wherein their organization and drill are defi- cient." The mihtia Brigadier-General Pierce, who commanded the expedition, was so overwhelmed with censure, that he was forced to seek refuge within the col- umns of the newspaper, and persisting in the assertion of the exceUence of his military conduct, promised a future justification of his skill as a com- mander : * " Camp Hamilton, tTune 12, 1861. " To THE Editoes of the Boston JouitisrAL : "Please correct the erroneous reports set afloat by my enemies. There were but seven killed of the forces that went from this camp, in the expedition to Little and Big Bethel, on the 10th of this month, and Colonel Townsend, of the Third Regiment New York Volun- teers, who was formex'ly adjutant-gen- •* His justification was eubsetiuently published. It cast tlie blame upou his superior in comiuuad. 2S0 THE ^Y^Ii "VN'ITH THE SOUTH. eral of the State of New York, offers to certify that I gave my orders properly, and that, under the circumstances, the battle could uot have been managed better. •' This I write that the pubUc may not judge me before I have time to be heard. "Captain Haggert}' and Major Win- throp, of General Butler's staff, were with me, and advising me to do as I did. General Butler has not intimated to me, us yet, that he blames me at all. In haste, yom-s, E. W. Pierce." He subsequently confessed his incom- petency as an ofl&cer by modestly re- tiring from the brigadier-generalship, and proved his patriotism by serving as a private in the ranks. The soldiers unquestionably behaved with even more gallantry and firmness than might have been expected from raw troops, indiscreetly exposed to the batteries of a concealed and numerous enemy, and unskilfully managed by in- competent leaders. There were many instances of individual courage, which proved the spirit of the men and their capability, under proper command, of effectively serving the cause which they had so eagerly adopted. During the retreat. Captain Wilson, of Colonel Carr's regiment of Troy (N. Y.), finding that a six-pounder had been left on the field, about fifty rods from the battery, shouted to his men : " Boys ! there's a cannon ; we must not leave it behind ; we must take it with us." The whole company to a man cried out, " We'll take it ;" and they were immediately marched back to ob- tain the piece. The}^ had hardly reached it, when the enemy opened fire upon them, killing one of the brave fellows and wounding two others. The drag- ropes were detached, but the men tied them to the gun, in the midst of a shower of shot, and with a cheer ran it into the woods bordering the road. Captain Wilson, then, followed by five men, returned once more to the ex- posed spot to which the enemy's fire was hotly aimed, and securing the cais- son, and also the body of poor Greble, who had fallen dead at his post, re- tired again to the cover of the woods, whence he retreated in safety with his hard-earned trophies. A score of men only, under the command of Lieuten- ant White, after fii'ing their last charges from their howitzer, were left far in the rear, and being the last to leave the field, kept at bay a squadron of the enemy's cavalry and some infantrj^ dui-- ing their retreat to the main body. The young Major Winthrop fell whUe gallantly urging on the troops, by his example and stirring words, to the at- tack. A fellow-officer who was with him during the engagement has testified to his spirit. "I made a reconnoissance," he said, " with Major Winthrop about twelve o'clock in the day, and can testify *to his bravery and daring. He was very much exhausted, having wanted for sleep, food, and water, and the day had turned out very hot. We stuck our heads out of some underbrush, and in- stantly there was a perfect shower of balls rained upon us, which compelled us to withdi'aw a few paces. Major DEATH OF 3IAJ0R WINTHROP. 281 Winthrop laid himself behind a tree, saying if he conld only sleep for five minutes he would be all right. He re- marked as he did this, that he was going to see the inside of that iutrenchment before he went back to the fortress — liis manner being that of cool, ordinary con- versation. He continued self-possessed and cool throughout the whole engage- ment, up to the time when he received his death-wound, which happened by the side of Lieutenant Herringen, Company E, who remained with him and cared for him until life had fled. He was shot in the side." The enemy found him to be the most conspicuous aim for their fatal shots. Their riflemen from their covers in the pits before the batteries had several times deliberately fired at him, as they declared he was constantly " conspicu- ous at the head of the advancing Federal troops, loudljr cheering them on to the assault." . Theodore "Winthrop was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1834, and was a descendant of the famous colonial gov- ernor of his name. He was possessed of a warm temperament, which gave the impulse to effort, but at the same time of a vagrant fancy, which hindered con- centration and led to uncertainty of pur- pose. Educated at Yale College, and endowed with a natural taste for litera- ture, he at one time aspired to be an author. Again his impulsive character, untutored by the discipline of routine, sought vent for its irregular forces in the adventure of exploration and travel. He crossed the Rocky Mountains to 36 California, and again on his return he started with Lieutenant Strain on his bold expedition across the mountains, the jungles, and unnavigable rivers of tlie Isthmus of Darien. His physical strength, however, proved unequal to the trials of that adventurous explora- tion, and he returned to New York, his nominal home, to venture upon a new field of labor. He studied and began the practice of law. His errant fancies, however, were not favorable to the steady pursuit of the law, and he met with but little success. One of the fondest of his friends who knew him well, has said that "partly from ill- health, partly from temperament, a dreary sadness overhung his life and dispirited his eflbrts. Glad of his friends' success, and conscious of the kindred impulse, he still wistfully de- layed. Of great industry and restless endeavor, he saw success slide by, and seemed to be waiting in melancholy patience the rising of a happier star. It has risen at last, and shines upon his grave." On the fall of Sumter, he saw in the war which must ensue a new scope for his adventurous spirit and unemployed energies. " On the Sunday afternoon after the fall of Sumter he was walking with a friend in the woods upon Staten Island, near his home. No man could have a clearer conception of the significance of that event. An American in the no- blest sense, he felt that the time had come in which our liberties could be maintained only in the same way that 2S2 THE WAR Wrni THE SOUTH. they were won. ' To-morrow,' said his friend, ' we shall have a proclamation from the President.' ' Then to-mor- row,' he answered, ' I shall enlist.' He did so. If ho had hesitated before, there could be no hesitation now. ^Mother, sisters, brother, farewell ! It is God who calls in the voice of my comatry."'* He joined, together with his brother, the Seventh Regiment, which was the first to leave New York to go to the defence of the capital. After his regi- ment was mustered out of the Federal service, young "Winthrop was appointed aid-de-camp and military secretar}' to General Butler, whom he accompanied to Fortress Monroe. He was now fairly embarked for the war. With his natu- ral hopefulness of temper, he was ex- ceedingly sanguine of the success of the Federal arms. ' ' A few burned villages, a dozen guerrillas hung, one scouring sku'mish or battle will pacify," he wrote, "a whole State. Under the discipline and esprit du corps of a regiment or an army the South may fight ; but they will not have moral conviction enough to risk e Harper's Weekly. their separate lives except in assassina- tions, and those a few sharp examples will terminate. We heard their threats at Annapolis. We heard also the pitiful plaints of the timid who believed the threats. JVb ; if ive are patient and well led, we shall do our work without much massacre." The equivocal honor of the plan of the expedition to Little Bethel has been claimed for him, and a memorandum with its main details was found among his papers after his death, and published. The fact that to so inexperienced a soldier recourse was had for the plan of the expedition, is a confession of incom- petency on the part of his elders and sujjeriors which betokened ill for its success. Young Winthrop during his campaign wrote frequently for a Boston magazine, and his spirited account of the march of the Seventh Regiment, and its first experiences in actual warfare, was re- ceived with great popular favor. Since his death, several of his stories and two novels written by him hnve been pub- hshed, awakening an interest naturally heightened by the heroic death of their patriotic author. GENERAL McCLELLAN. 283 CHAPTER XXV. The Call of the Country for the services of its Citizens. — The Sword laid aside for the pureuits of Peace. — States com- peting for a military leader. — George B. McCIellan. — Proud position. — Hopes for the future. — A Bonaparte or a Washiugton ? — Life of George B. McCIellan.— Inlieritance of paternal qualities. — Family Descent. — Militaiy Edu- cation. — At West Point. — First of his class. — Enters the Army. — Organizes the Sappei-s and Miners. — His success. — Services and rewards in the Mexican Campaign. — Laborious work at Vera Cniz. — A dangerous P»econnoissance at Contreras.— In the fight. — Services at Churubusco. — Well-earned praise. — Brevetted Captain. — At Molino del Key. . — At Chapultepec. — One of the "five Lieutenants of Engineers who won the admiration of all." — In the same list. with Beauregard. — McCIellan accepts the command of the Sappers and Miners. — Two years at West Point. — Scientific Pursuits and Writings. — Superintendent of construction of Fort Delaware. — Married. — Chief Engineer in Texas. — Surveyor of North Pacific Eailroad. — Services acknowledged by Jefierson Davis. — Secret Service in the West Indies. — Sent to the Crimea.— -Report on European Armies. — The character of the work. — Description of the Storming of the Malakoff. — Practical views in regard to Coast Defences. — McCIellan resigns his Army command. — Vice-President and Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central Eailroad. — President and General Superintendent of the Oliio iuid Mississippi Eailroad. — Summoned by the country to resume his Sword. — Services competed for by Pennsylvania and Ohio. — Accepts a Major-Generalship from Ohio. — Commissioned by the United States a Major- General. — Command of the Department of Ohio. — Personal appearance and character of McCIellan. — Campaign in Western Virginia. — Movements of the Enemy. — Movements of General Patterson from Pennsylvania and McCIellan from Ohio. — Proclamation of McCIellan. — Crossing the Ohio into Western Virginia. 1S61. "When our domestic quarrel had be- come SO exasperated that civil war was inevitable, and the country called for the services of all who were able to take up arms in its defence, there was one who, though he liad laid aside the sword for the pursuits of peace, had given such proofs of military ca- pacity, that States competed for him as tlic leader of their armies. This was George B. McCIellan, afterward com- mander-in-chief of the United States forces, who held for some time the proudest position in the country, and seemed destined, should the capricious fortunes of war favor liim, to acquire a military fame rivaling that of a Ctesar or a Bonaparte. Such was his popularity after taking command of the Army of the Potomac that high hopes of his ability to end the rebellion were antici- pated, and that with a moderation of power and a disinterestedness of patriot- ism he might rise far beyond the imperial grandeur of the Roman and French emperors, and appear in moral greatness as the saviour of the republic next to Washington its revered founder. George B. McCIellan was born in Philadelphia, on the third of January, eighteen hundred and twenty-sis. His father was a surgeon of that city, famous in his profession for skill, intrepidity, promptitude, and dexteritj^ — qualities which his son was believed to have in- herited, though exercised in a different sphere of duty. The family, as its name indicates, was of Scotch descent, and originally settled in New England, whei'e some of its members are still to be found. In 1842, young McCIellan, at the age of sixteen, entered the Military Acad- 2S4 THE W.\R WITH THE SOUTH. emy of West Point. After the usual course of four years of study he grad- uated in 184G, being twenty years old, at the head of his class. He entered the army as brevet second lieutenant of engineers, an honored corps into which the most distinguished students of West Point are only admitted. On the dec- laration of war against Mexico, Congress passed an act establishing a company of sappers, miners, and pontoon construc- tors to be added to the corps of engi- neers, and young McClellan was ap- pointed its second lieutenant. Upon him and two other officers devolved the duty of organizing and drilling this new branch of service. The recruits were accordingly mustered at West Point, where they were practised in sapping, mining, constructing bridges, and pre- paring the materials for sieges. At the same time they were thoroughly drilled and disciplined as infantry sol- diers. Colonel Totten, the chief of this department, declared in his report, that when this new company, composed of seventy-one men, left West Point for the war, they were in " admirable discipUne," and warmly applauded the skill and energy displayed by McClel- lan and his associates in their work of* organization and drill. Proceedins; first to Camargo, in Mexico, and reporting for duty to General Taylor, the com- pany was ordered to return to Mata- moras, and act with the column about marchins; under the command of General Patterson. At Matamoras the captain and nine- teen men of the corps were mvalided and left in the hospital. Lieutenant McClellan and his comrade. Lieutenant Gustavus W. Smith — afterward a gen- eral in the Confederate arm}- — proceeded in command of the remainder of the company to Vera Cruz. "During the march from Matamoras to Vittoria," reported Colonel Totten, " the company, then reduced to forty-five effectives, ex- ecuted a great amount of work on the roads, fords, etc., as it did in proceeding thence to Tampico, where it formed, with one company of the Third and one of the Seventh Infantry, a pioneer party, under Captain Henry of the Thu'd Infan- try. The detailed reports of these labors exhibit the greatest efficiency and excel- lent discipline under severe and trying circumstances, Lieutenant Smith having then but one officer, Lieutenant McClel- lan, uiider his command." On arriving at Vera Cruz, the captain, invalided at Matamoras, resumed the command of the company, to which was attached also another subordinate officer. To the conduct of the sappers and min- ers at the siege of Vera Cruz, Colonel Totten paid this tribule : "During the siege of Vera Cruz," he said, " I was witness to the great exertions and ser- vices of this company, animated by and emulating the zeal and devotion of its excellent officers. Lieutenants Smith, McClellan, and Foster." During the whole work of the siege, the labors of the company were incessant. " The total of the company was so small," said Totten, " and demands for its aid so inces- sant, that every man may be said to have been constantly on duty, with scarcely a m MEXICO. 285 moment for rest aud refreshment." Tlic cajDtam was unable, from continued ill- ness, to take any very effective part in the onerous duties of the command, and soon after died, leaving the weight of labor and responsibility to rest upon his j-outhful subordinates, who proved them- selves equal to the task, and earned another tribute from their superior. Col- onel Totten, who declared that they " directed the operations with unsur- passed intelHgence and zeal." The same officer, in his reports of tlie services of the company, whether on the march, in the field, or in the trenches, had occasion but to repeat his praises both of men and officers. He said : " Severe labors followed the surrender of Vera Cruz aud its castle, and accom- 2>anied the march to the battle of Cerro Gordo, in which the company displayed, in various parts of the field, its gallantry and efficiency. It entered the city of Jalapa with the advance of Twiggs' division, and Puebla with the advance of Worth's. During the pause at the latter place, the instruction of the com- pany in its appropriate s|;udies and ex- ercises was resumed by its persevering and zealous officers, and assistance was given by all in the repairs of the de- fences. Marching from Puebla with General Twiggs' division, the company was joined to General Worth at Chalon, and arrived in front of San Antonio on the 18th of August, having greatly assisted in clearing the road of obstruc- tions placed by the enemy." On the next day, the 19th of August, the company was placed at the head of the column commanded by General Pillow. Before the battle at Contreras opened. Lieutenant McClellan was or- dered, together with another officer of engineers, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy. They, however, fell in with the advance guards of the Mexicans, and being fired upon, and losing their horses, which" were killed, barely escaped in safety back to the lines. During the engagement which ensued. Lieutenant McClellan joined Magruder's battery. General Twiggs bore testimony to his good service on that day : "Lieutenant George B. McClellan, after Lieutenant Calender was wounded, took charge of and managed the how- itzer battery (Lieutenant Reno being detached with the rockets) with judg- ment and success, until it became so dis- abled as to require shelter. For Lieu- tenant McClellan's efficiency and gallan- tr}- in this affiiir, I present his name for the favorable consideration of the Gen- eral in-chief" On the next day, when the battle of Chm'ubusco was fought and the victoi'y won, McClellan again obtained the "hon- orable mention" of his commander, and a brevet rank. General Persifer F. Smith, with whose division the young Lieuten- ant served, declared in his report : " Lieutenant G. W. Smith, in com- mand of the engineer company, and Lieutenant McClellan, his subaltern, dis- tinguished themselves throughout the whole of the three actions. Nothing seemed to them too bold to be under- taken, or too difficult to be executed, and their services as engineers were as 286 THE WAR WITH TILE SOUTH. valuable as those they rendered in battle at the head of their gallant men." In the battle of M'olino del Rey, too, which succeeded, McClellan was again conspicuous among the most active and brave. He was brevetted captain in acknowledgment of his services. He, however, declined the promotion, and was still only a lieutenant dui-ing the attack on Chapultepec. His services on this occasion, in erecting batteries before the engagement, and his gallantry in fighting during the battle, brought him once more within the notice of his supe- riors. General Scott named him in his dispatch as one of "those five lieuten- ants of engineers" who "won the ad- miration of all." The name Of his famous competitor, Beauregard, was on the same honored list. McClellan was tluis with the army of General Scott during tlie whole of its victorious progress from Vera Cruz to the capital, and at every step the young Lieutenant won an increase of honor for his good conduct. He was brevetted captain for his service in Mexico, and returned in 1848 to West Point with his company of sappers and miners, of which he soon after became com- mander. Here McClellan remained for more than two years, in comparative inac- tivity, but improved the time by study and devotion to the welfare of the service. He translated from the French, with which he is said to be thoroughly acquainted, a military work, which has been adopted as a text-book, and modi- fying in accordance with the latest sys- tem of tactics, the bayonet 'exercise, introduced it into the arm3^ During the summer and autumn of 1851, McClellan was charged with the superintendence of the construction of Tort Delaware, and in the spring of the same year was ordered to duty in the exploration of the Red River, under Major R. B. Marcy, whose daughter he married. While engaged in this work he was ordered to Texas, as chief engineer, under the command of General Persifer Smith of that department, and had been occupied for several months in surveying tlie rivers and harbors of the State, when he was transferred to the Pacific coast, to command the Avestern division of the survey of the route for the North Pacific Railroad, to pass from the Mis- sissippi to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson Davis, afterward President of the Southern Confederacy, then secretary of war of the United States, in his report to Congress thus acknowl- edged tlie services of McCleUan as an explorer : " The examination of the approaches and passes of the Cascade Mountains, made by Captain McClellan, of the corps of engineers, presents a reconnoissance of great value, and, though performed under adverse circumstances, exhibits all the information necessaiy to deter- mine the practicability of this portion of the route, and reflects the highest credit on the capacity and resources of that officer." Again he added : " Captain McClel- lan, of the corps of engineers, after the completion of his field operations, AT THE CRIMEA. 287 was directed to visit vaiious railroads, and to collect information and facts established in the construction and work- ing of existing roads, to serve as data in determining the practicabilit}^ of con- structing and working roads over the several routes explored. The results of his inquiries will be found in a very valuable memoir herewith submitted." This pubUc duty was followed by the performance of some secret ser\dce for the Government in the West Indies. In 1855, McClellan received a com- mission of- captain in the United States cavalry, and was appointed by the Grov- ernment, tosrether with Colonel Richard Delafield and Major Alfred Mordecai, to proceed to the Crimea and report upon the war then waging between Russia and the allied powers of France and England. The result of his observations was embodied in a work entitled, " Re- port on the Organization of European Armies and the Operations of the War." It is acknowledged to be a production showing a thorough mastery of the mil- itary art. Its demonstrations evince an exact knowledge of science and a broad view in the application of its principles. The author, in the freedom of his criti- cism, does not hesitate to disregard the pretensions of rank and authority, and submit the strategy and tactics of the most distinguished European officers to the test of his own judgment. This self- reliance, though it might be thought by some jjresumptuous in so j'oung a man, came from a consciousness of power, derived not only from original genius but careful culture, Avhich gave promise that j\IcClellan would be the great leader the country required. Of the clear and precise style of McClellan as a writer, the following de- scription of the storming of the Mala- kofF presents a good illustration : ' ' In their admirable arrangements for the attack of the Malakoff, the French counted on two things for success : first, they had ascertained that the Russians were in the habit of relieving the guard of the MalakofF at noon, and that a great part of the old guard marched out before the new one arrived, in order to avoid the loss which would arise from crowding the work with men ; in the second place, it was determined to keep up a most violent vertical fire until the very moment of the assault, thus driving the Russians into the bomb-proofs, and enabling the storming party to enter the work with but little opposition. ' ' The hour of noon was therefore selected for the assault, and the strong columns intended for the work were at an early hour assembled in the advanced trenches, all in admirable order, and furnished with precise instructions. ' ' The mortars maintained an unre- mitting fire until the moment appointed. The very instant the last volley was dis- charged, the storming party of Zouaves rushed over the thirty paces before them, and were in the work before the aston- ished Russians knew -R-hat had happened. It was stated that this party lost but eleven in entering the work. Other troops advanced rapidly to support the storming party, a bridge was formed by rolling up five ladders with planks 288 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. lashed to them, a commuuication was at once commenced between the advanced trench and the bridge, brigade after brigade passed over, the redoubt was at once occupied by the storming partj^, and thus the MalakofF, and with it Se- bastopol, was won. The few Russians remaining in the work made a desperate resistance. Many gallant attempts were made by Russian columns to ascend the steep slope in rear and regain the lost work ; but as the road was narrow, difficult, and obstructed, the position strong, and the French in force, all their furious efforts were in vain, and the Malakoff remained in possession of those who had so gallantly and skilfully won it. With regard to the final retreat to the north side, it can only be said that a personal examination of the locality merely confirms its necessity, and the impression so generally entertained that it was the finest operation of the war ; so admirably was it carried out that not a strao;2;ler remained behind : a fSWmen, so severely wounded as to be unfit for rough and hurried transportation, were 'the only ghastly human trophies that remained to the allies. The retreat, being a more difficult operation than the assault, is worthjr of more admiration, but the Russian retreat to the north side, and the French assault upon the Malakoff must each be regarded as a masterpiece of its kind, deserving the closest study. It is difficult to imagine what point in either can be criticised, for both evinced consummate skill, dis- cipline, coolness, and courage." The practical tendency of his mind and the character of his studies may be seen in the conclusions with which he has closed his report. From these it might be inferred that his efforts wouLl early be directed to obtaining a disci- plined army. " It is believed that a calm considera- tion of the events so hastily and imper- fectly narrated in the preceding pages must lead all unprejudiced persons among our countrymen to a firm con- viction on two vital points : "1st. That our system of permanent coast defences is a wise and proper one, which ought to be completed and armed with the least possible delay. " 2d. That mere indiv-idual courage cannot suffice to overcome the forces that would be brought against us were we involved in a European war, but that it must be rendered manage- able by discipline, and directed by that consummate and mechanical miUtary skill which can only be acquired by a course of education instituted for that special purpose, and by long habit.^ "In the day of sailing vessels the successful siege of Sebastopol would have been impossible. It is evident that the Russians did not appreciate the advantages afforded by steamers, and were unprepared to sustain a siege. "This same power of steam would enable European nations to disembark e%'en a larger force than that which finally encamped around Sebastopol. To resist such an attack, should it ever be made, our cities and harbors must be fortified, and these fortifications must be provided with guns, ammunition, and STANDARD ILLUSTRATED BOOKS. BENSON J. LOSSIiNG'S "LIFE OF WASHINGTON." "BATTLES OF AMERICA BY SEA AND LAND." " THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH," by Robt. Tomes, M.D. Illustrated by F. 0. C. DABLEY, and other Eminent Artists. OFFICE OF WEALE^S SERIES OP EUDIMEHTAEY, SCIENTIFIC, Eflncatiflil AND CLASSICAL WORKS REiSSOE e>>' a k, k. ILLUSTRATED WORKS ON THE SCENERY OF Ttie United Stales, W% CANADA, ITALY, ill SWITZERLAND, THE BOSPHORUS, Tlie BAlinBE, &c., &c. TKIC TURNER GALLERY Vernon Gallery, fILKIE GALLERY, Sculpture Gallery, &c., &c. 12 DEY ST., and 544 BROADWAY, New National Work on the Late Eebellion. Part 7 Jtlustr,tt.:Jh,j F. O. C. Jt.l/:/.F)0 De- PAETJiENT West St. Loms — Sir: The President observes with concern that, notwithstanding the pledge of the State authorities to co-operate in preserving the peace of Missouri, loyal citizens in great numbers continue to be driven from their homes. It is immaterial whether these outrages continue from inactivity or indisposition on the part of the State authorities to prevent them. It is enough that they continue, and it will devolve on you the duty of putting a stop to them summarily by the force under your command, to be aided by such troops as you may require from Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. The pro- fessions of loyalty to the Union by the State authorities of Missouri are not to be relied upon. They have already falsified their professions too often, and are too far com- mitted to secession to be admitted to your confidence, and you can only be sure of their desisting from their wicked purposes when it is not in their power to prosecute them. Tou will, therefore, be uncea-singly watchful of their movements, and not permit the clamors of their partisans and the opponents of the wise meassures already taken to prevent you from checking every movement against the Government, however disgvdsed, under the pretended State authority. The authority of the United States is paramount, and whenever it is apparent that a movement — whether by order of State authorities or not — is hostile, you will not hesitate to put it down. ' " 'L. Thojias, Adjutant-General." " It is my design to carry out these instructions in their letter and spirit. Their justness and propriety will be ap preeiated by whoever takes an enlightened view of the relations of the citizens of Missouri to the General Grov- ernment, nor can such policy be construed as at all dis- paraging to the rights or dignity of the State of Missouri, or as infringing in any sense upon the individual liberty of its citizens. The recent proclam.ation of Governor Jackson, by which he has set at defiance the authorities of the United States, and urged you to make war upon them, is but a consummation of his treasonable purposes, long indicated by his acts and expressed opinions, and now made manifest. If, in suppressing these treasonable pro- jects, carrying out the policy of the Government, and maintaining its dignity as above indicated, hostilities should unfortunately occur, and unhappy consequences should follow, I would hope that all aggravation of those events may be avoided, and that they may be diverted from the innocent, and may fall only on the heads of those by whom they have been provoked. " In the discharge of these plain but onerous duties, I FIRST MOVEMENT OF LYON. 313 of Missouri, where they were plotting against and making ready to attack the Union troops and overthrow the Fed- eral authority. CHAPTER XXVIII. General Lyon's movement from St. Louis. — Occupation of the Railroad. — Force under Lyon. — Embarkation of Troops. — An-ival at Jefferson City. — Fliglit of tlie Enemy. — Their destructive proceedings. — General Lyon in pursuit. — Doernstein at the capital. — Route of General Lyon. — Reception by the way. — Kochefort. — First Indication of the Enemy. — Dispersion of Scouts. — Disembarkation of General Lyon. — March of the Federal Troops. — Coming up with the Enemy. — Position of tlie Antagonist. — Opening Fire. — Battle of Booneville. — Flight of the Enemy. — Courage and coolness of General Lyon. — Pursuit of the Enemy. — Another Stand and another Rout. — A deserted Camp. — A half-cooked Breakfast. — The Federal Boats doing good service. — Capture of a Battery. — The stand at the Fair Grounds. — A third Rout. — The scattering of the Enemy. — The Killed and Wounded. — ^The Prisoners. — A warlike Parson. — Successful Appeal to an " old Rebel." — Comparative strength of Forces. — Approach to Boone- ville.— A civic and military Delegation. — Welcome to the Town. — Union Enthusiasm. — The Secessionists' Demand. — Danger to the Unionists. — The "Greatest Crime," etc. — General Lyon's Proclamation. — Forgiveness of Rebels. — Mildness and Severity. — Proclamation of Eoernstein at Jefferson City. — The Missouri Convention taking Cour- age. — Convoked to reassemble. — The Congratulations of the Unionists. — Another Riot in St. Louis. — Attack upon the Federal Soldiers. — Tragic Results. — The Verdict of a St. Louis Jury. — General Lyon inspirited. — A bold move to the Southwest. — Sterling Price and Ben McCulloch. — Departure of Lyon. — An Augmenting Force. 1861. General Lyon's first movement "was to send the Second Regiment of Missouri Volunteers, under the com- mand of Colonel Siegel, by land, along June the Pacific Railroad, to occupy the !-• line, and thus prevent any further destruction, by the secessionists, of the bridges. This detachment proceeded, without any show of opposition, as far as the Gasconade River, where the enemy had destroyed the bridge. . On June the next day, Lyon embarked his 13. troops in two divisions ; one con- sisting of the Second Battahon of the First Regiment of Missouri Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel An- drews, one section of Totten's light ar- shall look for the countenance and active co-operation of all good citizens, and I shall expect them to discounte- nance all illegal combinations or organizations, and sup- port and uphold, by every lawful means, the Federal Gov- 40 tillery, and two companies of regulars under Captain Lathrop ; and the other of the First Battalion of the First Regi- ment of Missouri Volunteers under Colonel Blair, another section of Tot- ten's artillery, and a detachment of pioneers, numbering in all about two thousand men. Each division was em- barked on board of a river steamer at the wharves of St. Louis, and together \rith the men a large supply of horses, baggage wagons, camp equipage, am- munition, and provisions was put on board, evidently with the view of a long march. General Lyon and his staff" em- barked with the second division, and the two steamers proceeded up the Missouri emmcnt, upon the maintenance of which depend their liberties and the perfect enjoyment of all their rights. " N. Lton, " Brigadier-General U. S. Volunteers Commanding." 3U THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. to Jefferson City,' the capital, situated on that river, near the centre of the State. On the second day after embarking, June General Lyon reached Jefferson 15. City, hut on marching into the place found that Governor Jackson, General Sterling Price, and their seces- sion confederates and bands, had re- treated the day before to Booneville, some forty miles farther up the Missouri, within the interior of the State. They had striven to conceal their destination, but the people of Jefferson City had no doubt of the direction of their flight, and being loyally disposed, freely gave all the information thej- possessed to the Federal officers. In theii* retreat the secessionists had sought to hinder pursuit, by seizing the cars and loco- motives, which they carried along with them, and by destroying the bridges and telegraphs, as they hurriedly pushed forward. Lyon promptly hurried on in pux'- June ^^it. Embarking again in the 16« steamers, to which was added a third, he moved with his ti'oops up the Missouri, having left three companies of Boernstein's regiment under the command of the Colonel himself, at Jefferson City, to protect the capital. On passing the little town of Marion, on the Missouri River, the inhabitants manifested their loyalty by heartily cheering the expedition. Having reach- ed Providence during the night, the steamers hauled up until daybreak, when they continued their course. At Rochefort the suUenness of some of the people indicated that the Federal forces had arrived in a part of the State where they were less welcome. Though the citizens were little disposed to be com- municative, the information was obtained from them that the enemy were in con- siderable force some miles below Boone- ville. The expedition, after pressing into the service a steam ferry-boat at Roche- fort, continued its course up the river, until it reached a point within eight miles of Booneville. Here was seen the fii'st indication of the enemy in a battery on the bluff or high embankment of the river, and some scouts appeared, who hastened, on seeing the steamers, to convey information of their approach to the main body of the secessionists. The boats now moved at once to the shore, where there was a stretch of al- luvial land or "bottom" a mile and a half in width between the water and the bluff, on the south side of the river, and making fast, the troops disembarked without opposition. Scouts were now sent in advance, and the main body followed them, marchhig along the river road. The troops had thus proceeded about a mile and a half to the point where tlie road ascends the bluffs, when a firing was heard, indicat- ing that our scouts were engaged with the picket guards of the enemy, whom they succeeded in driving back. The Federal troops continued to push on, marching up the gentle slope of the as- cent for nearly half a mile, when their advanced guard came galloping back with the information that the enemy BATTLE OF BOONEYILLE. 315 were in full force, posted advantageously upon the summit of the rising ground, about three hundred yards in front. Their position was on the crest of the hill along which the road ascends. Colonel Marmaduke, in command, held the road itself with a ti'oop of horsemen and a battalion of infantry. On his left was a brick house occupied by a portion of his force, and to tlie rear, in a lane leading to the river, was formed the main body of his left wing. .Behind this again stretched a wheat-field, in which had gathered small bodies of men apparently without form or order. The enemy's right wing was posted be- hind a "worm" fence, which divided the wheat-field where the men were formed from a neighboring field of Indian corn. The Federal troops, as soon as they discovered the position of the enemy, formed on the ridge of rising ground facing them and separated only by a shallow valley with a scattered growth of oak. On our right there were also some trees, while on the left there was a field of Indian corn. The regular troops were posted, with Colonel Blair's regi- ment of Missouri Volunteers, on the left, and the Germans, also volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colonel ShaefFer, on the right. Captain Totten, of the light artillery, opened the engagement by firing a shell from a twelve-pounder, among the enemy's force in the road. This was immediately followed by anotlier well- aimed shell, which fell among the throngs in the wheat-field, and forced them to a hasty retreat. The battle thus begun, our men on the right and left advanced in good order and soon opened with a volley of musketrj^, which was spiritedly returned by the enemy. The regulars on our right marched boldlj^ along the field of In- dian corn, until they reached the ascent which led to the crest upon which the enemy were posted. They now began to move more cautiously, creeping along and firing when a good opportunity for a shot presented. The volunteers sent to support them gallantly followed the ex- ample of the regulars and spiritedly joined in the attack. The Germans on the right were advancing no less firm- ly and persistently and engaging the enemy's left. The secessionists were forced back by the steady advance of our men, and the effective firing of Totten's artillery. They, however, as they retired, still made a show of re- sistance. Two bombshells, sent by Totten against the brick house, withhi which the enemy had sought cover, penetrated the wall and effectually routed them out. After this the secessionists gave way more rapidly before the steady ad- vance of our troops, and were soon forced to abandon their position, which the Federalists occupied in twenty min- utes after the first shot fired by Totten, which opened the engagement. " The commander. General Lyon," says an eye-witness of the battle, " ex- hibited the most remarkable coolness, and preserved throughout that undis- turbed presence of mind shown by him 316 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. alike in the camp, in private life, and on the field of battle. ' Forward, on the extreme right ;' ' give them another shot. Captain Totten,' echoed above the roar of musketry, clear and distinct, from the Jips of the general who led the advancing column." The enemy continued to retreat and the Federalists to pursue without further collision, until the latter had advanced about a mile and a half, when the for- mer made a stand in some woods near their encampment. Two shells, how- ever, and a volley of musketry soon put them again to the rout, and they fled in confusion towards Booneville. Their deserted camp, which our men now oc- cupied, was found to contain a consider- able quantity of provisions, arms, and ammunition. The evident haste with which, after the landing of the Federal- ists, they had advanced to meet them, proved how unexpected had been their arrival. The breakfasts of the men were found in the course of preparation in the camp ; the half-baked bread, the partially fried pork, the ham with the knife sticking in the meat, and the pots of coffee still on the fire, showed how sudden had been their movement. Our troops gave them no opportunity of re- suming the cooking of their morning's meal, or of breaking their long morning's fast. A company being left to guard the camp. General Lyon led the rest of his force on to Booneville. In the mean time, while the main body of the Federalists had been acquitting themselves so satisfactorily on land, the artillerists under Captain Voorhies, and the company of infantry in command of Captain Richardson, who had been re- luctantly left behind to take charge of the boats, contrived also to do some effectual service. After the troops be- gan their march, Richardson went ashore with his men, and captured a battery of two iron six-pounders, posted on the river about five miles below Booneville. He then moved on with one of the boats, the McDowell, towards the town, with the view of co-operating with the land force. This he was able to effect, when Lyon had marched within a mile of Booneville, where the secessionists, again at the fair grounds, seemed disposed to make a stand. Captain Richardson being from his position on the river in their rear, first discovered their intention, and was enabled to fire upon them with great effect. A shot from his howitzer, fol- lowed by a fire from Totten's artillery, and a volley of musketry from Lyon's main body, which had in the mean time become aware of the enemy's purpose, soon scattered them for a third time. The secessionists now continued their flight, dispersing in various directions. Some crossed the river, some went south, but the chief portion, after hav- ing -passed through the town, escaped up the Missouri in boats to the west. In the course of the attack and pur- suit by the Federal forces, there were but three of them killed, ten wounded, and one missing. It was difficult to es- timate the loss of the secessionists, but it is supposed to have been large. Eighty were taken prisoners, of whom SUDDEN CONVERSION" TO LOYALTY. 317 twenty-six were captured by the chap- lain of the First Regiment. " He had charge," says the authority before quoted, " of a party of four men, two mounted and two on foot, with which to take charge of the wounded. Ascend- ing the brow of a hill, he suddenly came upon a company of twenty-four rebels, armed with revolvers, and fully bent upon securing a place of safety for their carcasses. Their intentions, however, were considerably modified, when the parson ordered them to halt, which they did, surrendering their arms. Surround- ed by the squad of five men, they were then marched on board the Louisiana, prisoners of war.' The parson also captured two other secessionists during the day, and at one time, needing a wagon and horses for the wounded, and finding friendly suggestions wasted on a stubborn old rebel, placed a revolver at his head, and the desired articles were forthcoming. In time of peace the preacher had prepared for war." The enemy were reported to have been four thousand strong, and the Federalists only two thousand, of whom less than half were actively engaged. Governor Jackson is supposed to have discreetly kept at a distance from the battle, and to have been among the first to seek safety in flight while General Sterling Price was prevented by an in- opportune attack of illness from taking command of the secession forces. As General Lyon was approaching the town of Booneville, he was met by some of the officials and leading citizens bearing a flag of truce. They were anxious to impress upon the victors, that the greater proportion of their fellow-citizens were favorable to the Federal cause. General Lyon received them in a conciliatory spirit, and as- sured them that, if no resistance should be offered to the entrance of his troops, no harm need be feared. Soon after Major O'Brien, a military officer of Booneville, presented himself, and tlie town was foi'mally surrendered. The Federal troops now advanced, headed by General Lyon and the civic and military representatives of the place. On pass- ing through the principal street, they were met by a party of citizens waving the United States flag and cheering lustily for the Union, to which the Fed- eral troops gave a hearty response. The " stars and stripes" now suddenly fluttered out from house window and church steeple, and Booneville pro- claimed itself once more a loyal town. " One can hardly imagine," declares a writer who was present on the occasion, " the joy expressed and felt by the loyal citizens when the Federal troops entered the city. Stores which had been closed all day, began to open, the national flag was quickly run up on a secession pole, cheers for the Union, Lyon, Blair, and Lincoln were frequently heard, and everything betokened the restoration of peace, law, and order. ' True men' are reported to have said, ' that had tlie troops delayed ten days longer, it would have been impossible for them to have remained in safety. Irresponsible vaga- bonds had been taking guns wherever they could find them, and notifying the 318 THE WAR ■U'lTlI THE SOUTH. most substantial and prosperous citizens to leave.' One worthy citizen, the pro- prietor of the City Hotel, was said to have denounced ' the whole secession movement as the greatest crime com- mitted since the crucifixion of our Saviour.' " On the next day after entering Boone- June ■^ille. General Lyon released his 18* prisoners, most of whom were youths and had been misled, as he be- lieved, by the artful devices of older conspirators. In the mean time Colonel Boernstein, who had been left with a battalion of the Second Regiment of Missouri Yolun- teers, in command of Jefferson City, the capital, was effectually keejjing in check the secessionists, and striving to soothe the disaffected with proclaiming summary punishment for treason and security for projDcrty . ' ' Your personal safety," he said, " will be protected, and 3^our property respected. Slave prop- erty will not be interfered with by any part of my command, nor will slaves be allowed to enter my lines without written authority from their masters ; and, notwithstanding we are in times of war, I shall endeavor to execute my in- structions with moderation and forbear- ance, and at the same time shall not suffer the least attempt to destroy the Union and its Government, by the pei'- formance of any unlawful act." Under the protection of the military rule of Boernstein, at the capital, and in- spirited by the success of the Federal troops under Lyon, the members of the Convention of the State of Missouri took courage. Having already, as early as February, refused by a large majority to consider the question of secession, they now pi-epared to execute the will of the people whom they represented, in thwarting the action of the secessionist Governor and his confederates of the Legislature. The Convention was ac- cordingly called to reassemble in Jeffer- son City, on the twenty-second day of July. Lyon having by his prompt movement swept the eastern part of Missouri, from St. Louis to Booneville, clear of the secession leaders and their bands, the unionists began to congratulate them- selves that the State Vas now secure in the enjoyment of a loyal tranquillity. There was, however, even in St. Louis, some unwillingness to submit quietly to the Federal power. The mihtary au- thorities having considered it prudent to station guards on the various railways leading from the city, had detailed a regiment commanded by Colonel Kail- man for that duty. After detailing the necessary number of men, the rest of the regiment returned, passing through St. Louis, when a collision took jynp place with the citizens. 17. The event was thus related by one of the journals* of that city. " Forming at the depot in good order, they marched quietly down Broadway and Seventh Street without interruption or disturbance of any kind, so far as is known, till Company B reached St. Chaiies Street. At that point a half- drunken or crazed individual insulted o St. Louis Democrat. RIOT EST ST. LOUIS. 319 the troops with language so abusive and threatening, that several of them took him into custody. The captain came up, inquiring into the circumstances o.f the case, and, on the prisoner's protest- ing that he meant no harm, ordered his release. This took place in Olive Street. In a moment afterward a pistol was fired from a second-story window on the east side of the street, just south of Olive, a second almost simultaneously from near the pavement, and instantly a third from the window above. " Some of the troops noticed that an attack was in contemplation, and began arranging caps on their muskets, a movement perceived by spectators, who were as yet unaware of the cause. During this quick movement one of the muskets accidentally exploded, and this occurred near the time of the first firing of the pistol as described. " Colonel Kallman gave the order to halt, pistol shots still firing from the windows. The order was promptly obeyed, and the troops, till then march- ing four abreast, wheeled westward and formed into double file, fronting east. No order to fire was given. Captain Risech, of Company I, marching in the rear, was shot so as to be disabled from command, and a soldier at the same time fell senseless in the ranks. The troops began firing briskly up to the windows of the Missouri engine-house and Recorder's court-room, and the second story of the building adjoining on the north. The fire of the pistols was returned, but soon ceased, the officers below passing along the ranks and ordering the troops to stop fii'ing. The terrible scene, which lasted scarcely a minute and a half or two minutes at the furthest, was thus terminated." There were no less than six victims of this tragic occurrence, all of whom wore private citizens, while the soldiers escaped with but some slight wounds. The coroner's jury, after a long investi- gation of ten days, rendered a verdict which, while it exonerated citizens and the military officers, imputed the blame to the soldiers. They declared that the ' ' wounds were inflicted without any provocation or discharge of firearms from the citizens then present, and also without any order to fire having been given by the officers of the said com- panies." General Lyon, inspirited by his success in the north and cast, and trusting to the loyalty which his triumphs had en- couraged to manifest itself, now boldly determined to push on to the south- west, where Sterling Price and Ben McCuUoch, the Texan ranger, had form- ed a junction and mustered a strong force. Lyon accordingly, with his char- acteristic self-reliance, left Boone- juiy ville, with only two thousand men. ^' This meagre band, however, rapidly in- creased on the march by the accessions of the loyal men of the country, who welcomed and offered their services readily to the victorious leader of the Federal troops. The events of this campaign and its fatal results will be re- lated in the due course of this narrative. 320 TlIE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. CHAPTER XXIX. Unabated spirit of the North. — Large mustering of Troops. — ^The Force at Washington. — ^The Potomac Line. — Com- manders.— Force at Fortress Monroe.— Force in the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry.— Force in 'Western Virginia. —Force at Cairo. — Force in Jlissouri. — Force in Maryland. — Tlie Line on the Potomac— Topography of the Country. —The dangers of the ground.— Fortifications.— Arlington Heights.— Alexandria.— The ghost of a city.— Deserted Streets.— Abandoned Houses. — Closed Warehouses and Shops. — Military Occupation. — Present Inhabitants.— Soldiers and Negroes.— Description of Vienna.— Description of Fairfax Court House.— The Position of the Enemy in Virginia. — Manassas Junction. — Position and Fortilications. —Distances and Communications. — Exploit of Lieut. Tompkins at Fairfivx Court House.— A spirited Charge.- The result.— The affair at Vienna.— A clear field reported. —Orders to General Schenck.— Departure of Schenck.— His Force.— How it was disposed of —A sudden stoppage. —A M.asked Battery.— A Conflict.— Killed and Wounded.— Conduct of the Engineer. —Criticism upon the manage- ment of the Expedition.— The Enterprise denounced.— The Bacrifice.— Gallantry of Federal Troops.— An account of the Enemy.— Tribute to a "Few." — The Enemy's Batteries on the Potomac. — Captain Ward's Reconnoissance of Matthias Point.- An Attack planned.— Landing of Men.— Federal Batteries raised on the Virginia Shore.— A sudden surprise from the Enemy. — Death of Captain Ward. — An official criticism on the expedition. 1861. There was no abatement of the naili- tary spirit of the loyal North. With each development of secession there was an increased vigor shown on the part of the defenders of the Union. In two or three months after the fall of Fort Sumter it was estimated that two hundred and twenty-five thousand men, militia and volunteers, had already mus- tered into the service of the United States. Of these there were some sixty thousand who had marched to the pro- tection of the capital, one half of whom were stationed in and about the city of Washington, under the command of Brigadier-General J. K. T. Mansfield, and the other half on the opposite and south side of the Potomac, under the command of Brigadier-General T. McDowell. Twelve thousand men were at Fortress Monroe and its environs, in command of Major-General B. F. Butler. Twenty thousand had marched from Pennsyl- vania under Majors-General Robert Pat- terson and W. H. Kein to the neighbor- hood of Harper's Ferry, to which point Major-General George Cadwallader with six thousand was also proceeding. This combined force was intended to co-oper- ate with Major-General George B. Mc- Clellan, who, crossing the Ohio from the west, was in Western Virginia at the head of twenty-five thousand men. Seven thousand had gathered at Cairo, under the commafid of Brigadier-Gen- eral B. M. Prentiss ; and Brigadier-Gen- eral Lyon was supposed to be able to muster throughout the State of Missouri a force of nearly thirteen thousand. MajoF-General N. P. Banks, who had suc- ceeded Cadwallader, was keejaing Balti- more and Maryland in check with over ten thousand. The rest of this large army was still in camp in the various Northern and Western States, ready to THE GHOST OF A CITY. 321 march to any point to which it might be directed. The Hne of the Federal forces on the soutli side of the Potomac opposite to Washington extended from Alexandria on the east in the direction of Vienna on the west, a distance of about sixteen miles, and again to the north toward Fairfax Court House, over twelve miles from the capital. The whole country is rolling, composed of hills and shallow valleys, and intersected with numerous small streams. The ground is very favorable for defence. Its approaches, winding in narrow roads or lanes about the hills, are readily commanded by fortifications, while a march through it would be greatly exposed to surprises from ambuscades and concealed batter- ies. There is hardly a spot which a com- manding officer would select for the manoeuvering of a large force in regular battle. The most commanding heights had been seized by the Federal forces, upon which they had raised entrenchments and redoubts. Among these was Arling- ton Heights, directly opposite and com- manding the cajiital, formerly the prop- erty of George Washington Custis, the descendant of Washing-ton's wife, and belonging at tliis time to Mrs. R. E. Lee, wife of the ■ celebrated General in the Confederate service. Here General Mc- Dowell had his headquarters.. • Alexandria, on the Potomac, about seven miles from Washington, was also held in force by the Federal troops, and its approaches commanded by the con- struction of an earthen redoubt. This 41 city ordinarily contained about ten thou- sand inhabitants, mostly engaged in com- merce. Grain, flour, and tobacco were its principal exports, and its domestic trade was in negroes, for the sale of whom there were two thriving slave-pens. On the possession of Alexandria by our troops, the greater portion of the lead- ing people, who were devoted to the cause of secession, abandoned the place and allowed it to become little more than barracks for soldiers or a refuge for the negroes whom their masters could not compel to fly with them. Its communi- cations with the interior, by means of canals and railways, and with other ports by the Potomac, were cut off by the war. An eye-witness at this time pictures the city as "a ghost of its former self." Warehouses and mills on the wharves are closed, save perhaps here and there one which has been opened as a guard- house for soldiers or a receptacle for munitions of war. The little river steam- boats still ply between Washington and the town, but convey only armed sol- diers, or a few privileged visitors, who can neither embark nor disembark with- out submitting their ' passes' to a vig- ilant sentinel. The main street, still bearing in its name, ' King,' a reverential reminiscence of colonial loyalty, is silent except to the rumbling of heavy bag- gage wagons or the clatter of the mounted dragoon. Most of the shops are closed and their shutters heavily barred with iron. The few which re- main open, show the timid anxiety of their occupants, by the darkened win- dows and half-opened doors. The villas 322 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. ill the suburbs are deserted, with the vines hanging from the verandahs in tangled neglect, and the gardens over- grown with weeds. The public halls and hotels are turned into barracks, and private mansions and school-houses into military hospitals ; chm-ches and chm-ch- yards are locked and abandoned by priest and sexton. Soldiers are on guard at the corner of every street. But few of the ordinary inhabitants of the town are to be seen, except some "poor whites," who may be still slinking out of hovels or into the groggeries, and the negroes, who are idly chatting as they he in groups upon the door-steps, or striving to support their sudden inde- pendence by selling fruits and pastiy and other delicacies to lounging soldiers." Vienna, towards which the other ex- tremity of the Federal line of occupation extended on the south side of the Potomac, is a small village on the Loudon and Hampshire Raikoad, about fifteen miles from Alexandria and nearly twelve from Washington. It was near this point that the Federal troops were im- prudently exposed to an attack from the enemy, which will soon be narrated. Fairfax Court House, though of in- considerable size, is a place of more importance than Vienna. It is situated on the turnpike road leading from Alex- andi-ia to Ccntreville, and is about fifteen miles both from Washington and Alex- andria. This was also the scene of an early skirmish, between a troop of Fed- eral cavalry and the enemy, in which our soldiers were enabled by the gal- lantry of their leader to acquit them- selves with more credit than in the blundering expedition to Vienna. The enemy had, in the mean time, while the Federal forces had been cross- ing the Potomac and occupying the country bordering on that river, been mustering a large number of troops in Virginia. Their main force was posted at " Ma- nassas Junction," a railway station where the Manassas Gap Railroad joins that between Orange and Alexandria. The place derives all its importance from its strategic position, as it commands the land communications from the north with Richmond. Here Beauregard was in command, and exercising aU his skill as an engineer in fortifying the post. The distance of Manassas Junction, to the south-west, from Alexandria is about twenty-seven miles ; from Washington, south, thirty-two ; and from Richmond a hundred and thirty-five miles north. From Manassas Junction the enemy's line extended toward Acquia Creek on then.' right ; in the direction of Harper's Ferry on their left, whence a consider- able body was manoeuvering with the view of subjecting Western Virginia, and in front to Fairfax Court House. It was at this last place that Lieu- tenant Tompkins performed his spirited exploit. Being ordered on a scout- gjay ing expedition, he set out from the 3'« camp* on the Potomac, at half-past fen o'clock at night, with a company of United States cavalry numbering seven- ty-five men. He reached Fairfox Coui-t House next morning before dayhght, at three o'clock. Having surprised and DISASTER AT VIENNA. 323 captured the enemy's picket guard, the Lieutenant boldly pushed into the town. As he entered, he was met by a fire from the windows of the houses. He then charged on the troops he found there, and drove them from the town. They, however, being reinfoi'ced bj^ several companies, were encouraged to return, when Tompkins, finding himself greatly outnumbered, retreated in good order, bringing with him as trophies five prison- ers fully armed and equipped and two horses. " My loss," the Lieutenant ofl&cially reported, " is three men missing, three slightly wounded, and twelve horses lost. The loss of the rebels is from twenty to twenty-five in killed and wounded. From observations I should judge that the rebels at that point numbered fully one thousand five hundred men." The Lieutenant hunself was reported to have lost two horses kiUed under him, but to have escaped with but a slight wound from the fall of one of them. The affair which occurred at Vienna was less successful. A detachment of Connecticut troops having been sent out to reconnoitre, reported, although one of the men had been wounded by a concealed shot, that the railroad from the Federal lines to two miles beyond Vienna was clear of the enemy. On the same night, however, General McDowell learned that the secessionists were about to obstruct the road, by destroying the bridges and tearing up the rails. He accordingly ordered Brigadier-General Schenck, of the Ohio Volunteers, for- merly member of Congress, to recon- noitre the ground and station guards at the various exposed points of the road. Schenck accordingly mustered six hun- dred and sixty-eight rank and file, with twenty-nine field and company officers of the First Ohio Volunteers, and started on the expedition from his camp three miles beyond Alexandria. Placing his men in the railroad cars he proceeded on his route along the Loudon and Hampshire Railroad, upon which the village of Vienna is situated, at a dis- tance of about fifteen miles from the city of Alexandria. In accordance with his orders, Schenck stationed one hundred and thirty men at the crossing of the road, and sent one hundred and seventeen men to Falls Church to reconnoitre in that di- rection. He then went on, leaving one hundred and thirty men to guard the railroad and the bridge between the crossing and Vienna. He had now only four companies left, consisting of two hundred and seventy-five men. With this remnant of his force he proceeded toward Vienna." ' ' On turning the curve slowly, within one quarter of a mile of Vienna," said the Brigadier in his official report, "we were fired upon by raking masked batteries of, I think, three guns, with shells, round shot, and grape, killing and wound- ing the men on the platform and in the cars before the train could be stopped. When the train stopped, the engine could not, on account of damage to some part of the running machinery, draw the train out of the fire. The engine being in the rear, we left the 324 THE WAR Wmi THE SOUTH. cars, and retired to the right and left of the train through the woods. " Finding that the enemy's batteries were sustained by wliat appeared about a regiment of infantry, and by cavah-y, which force we have since understood to have been some fifteen hundred South CaroUniaus, we fell back along the rail- road, throwing out skirmishers on both flanks; and this was about seven p.m. Thus we retired slowly, bearing off our wounded five miles to this point, which we reached at ten o'clock." The loss reported was five killed, six wounded, and ten missing. The Gen- eral had good ground of complaint against the engineer, who, he says, " when the men left the cars, instead of retiring slowly, as I ordered, detached his engine with one passenger car from the rest of the disabled train and aban- doned us, running to Alexandria, and we have heard nothing from him since. Thus we were deprived of a rallying- point, and of all means of conveying the wounded, who had to be carried on litters and in bla'nkets." The conduct of the expedition was se- verely censured. A writer* who accom- panied it, and wrote a graphic descrip- tion of it, while he did not withhold his admiration of the courage of the Ohio troops and their leaders, did not hesitate to rebuke the imprudent management of the enterprise. He wrote : " However wise or necessary this plan of dropping squads behind might be in an ordinary advance, it certainly was of doubtful ex- pediency in this case. There were no o CoiTcspondent of the New York TrOmne. villages or groups of houses along the route, among which the enemy's men could have established themselves in force, and the only point from which an attack could be seriously apjireheuded was Vienna itself. Had the entire regi- ment — and a larger body would have been better — been pushed rapidly down to Vienna,- we should have been more fidly prepared to encounter and act against an ambush ; and, had all proved quiet, nothing would have been lost, since we had the advantage of railroad speed, by stationing the guards on the return, instead of the advance. It is true that, the entire course of the road is through a valley, and that the hills on either side, and the heavy thickets which screen them, appear to offer excellent situations for ambuscade ; but the roads in the neighborhood are few, and those which exist are quite impracticable for the ready transportation of troops, not to speak of artillery. Decidedly the sus- picious spot was Vienna and its vicinity. A certain disposition to tardy caution was frustrated by the carelessness of the engine-driver. He had been directed to stop at the distance of a mile from the town, whence skirmishers were to be thrown out, and proper reconnoissances to be made. Instead of doing so, he shot ahead until within half a mile or less, so that this single chance of avert- ing the impending danger was wasted. The train was rounding a gentle curve, and the men were laughing, quite un- conscious of peril, when the first round of shot fell among them, tearing five of them to pieces, and wounding many THE AjVIBUSH AT VIEXNA. 325 others. The rebels' guns had been care- iully. planted in the curve, and were hidden until the worst part of their work was accomplished. The first dis- charge was the most fatal. The four companies were disposed upon open jalatform cars, and were first of all ex- posed ta the enemj^'s fire. The engine was at the rear of the train. It was fortunate that most of the men were sitting, for the shot flew high, and only those who stood erect were struck. Major Hughey was among the foremost, but was unharmed. General Schenck and Colonel McCook were in a covered car behind the troops. The Colonel instantly sprang out, and gathered the best part of his men together. The enemj^'s field-pieces had been stationed to command the line of the railroad and nothing else. They were at the termin- ation of the curve, to the left of the track, and elevated a few feet above the grade. With the exception of that company which was the most exposed, and which suffered the most, the men promptly assembled near Colonel ]\Ic- Cook, who proceeded to form them in line of battle, and to lead them into the protection of a little wood, or thicket, at the right of the track, apai't from the range of the battery. Meanwhile shot and shell continued to assail the train, and those who lingered near it. The engine-driver, in a panic, detached his locomotive and a single car, and dashed off at full speed. The rebel artillerists then directed their range, so as to menace Colonel McCook's three com- panies, upon which the Colonel quietly marched them over to the left of the track, into another clump of trees, where he collected all his little force, and arrayed them boldly in line. The shot from the rebels now flew very wild, cutting the trees overhead and around, and, in their hurry, they made the frequent blunder of discharging their shell without opening the fuse. But, notwithstanding this. Colonel McCook's position was far from comfortable. He saw that he was prodigiously outnum- bered, and that if the enemy could only keep their wits for a few minutes, he must inevitably be captured, or ven- ture a struggle at fearful odds. He had only about one hundred and eighty men, while the rebel force exceeded two thousand. Their field-pieces alone, de- cently managed, would have destroyed the little Ohio band in a twinkling. But the Ohio men never flinched, and this was the reward of their bravery : the rebels observing such a mere handful bearing themselves undaunted before their superior host, were at first amazed, and then startled into the conviction that powerful reinforcements must be close at hand. How else, it seemed to them, could this sprinkling of troops hold their ground. It could be nothing but the confidence of overwhelming strength that sustained them. And tliis is not conjecture. The information since re- ceived from Vienna proves it to have been their real belief Disheartened by this belief, they became irresolute, their fire slackened, they wavei'ed, and, in a few minutes, broke up their lines and slowly retired. At the same time 326 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. Colonel McCook, having secured his wounded, also withdrew, his two thou- sand assailants making no attempt or motion to oppose his retreat." The enemy, too, gave their version of the affair at Vienna, claiming a victory, which they said the}^ had won with a force of six hundred Carolinians, a com- pany of artillery, and two companies of cavahy. They, moreover, insisted that the attack was an extemi^oraneous one, and that thej^ "had scarcely time to place two cannon in position" when the Federal troops first showed them- selves. One " well-directed shot," which raked the railroad cars, was sufficient, they asserted, to cause consternation and dismay, and force the Federalists to fly to the woods. "A few of the party," however, they confessed, "exhibited some bravery, and endeavored, by shouts, to rally their flying comrades, but it was imjiossible." The enemy had possession, on their right, to the south of Alexandria, of the Virginian bank of the river Po- tomac, and here they had been zeal- ously at work, protecting themselves with batteries. Captain Ward, of the steamer Freeborn, and in command of the flotilla of the Potomac, was on the alert, and was eager to prevent the completion of these batteries. Ac- cordingly, having discovered that the enemy were about to erect works at Matthias Point, a commanding position fifty miles below Washington, where the river narrows and makes an abrupt turn, first to the north and then to the south, Captain Ward determined to try to dislodge them. His plan was, to eflcct a landing ujion the point under cover of the guns of his steamer, and after driving away the enemy, to de- stroy the works in progress and cut down the trees which concealed them from the river. He accordingly obtained from Captain Rowan, in command jun^ of the Pawnee, stationed above on 27t the Potomac, ofl' the mouth of Acquia Creek, two boats' crews, and these, to- gether with some of his own men, num- bei'ing in all about forty, armed and equipped with axes and building ma- terials, he sent ashore at Matthias Point, while he closed in with his own steamer to cover their landing. The men succeeded in reaching the land without resistance, and selecting a 250sition began at once to construct sand-bag breastworks. Under cover of the guns of the Freeborn they re- mained at work unmolested for four hours and a half. At five o'clock in the afternoon, however, when returning to their boats, with the view of going on board the steamer to obtain cannon to mount upon the woi'k, a large number of the enemy suddenly made their ap- pearance, and fired upon them a volley of musketry. The men hurried in confusion to their boats, and as they pushed off, left some of their comrades behind. The Free- born, in the mean time, brought her guns to bear upon the enemy, who were, however, greatly protected by the brushwood, behind which they had sought cover, and whence they kept up a direct fire upon the steamer. The gun- DEATH OF CAPTAIN WARD. 32T bow guns being wounded, ner at the Captain Ward took his place himself, and was sighting the piece, when a Minie ball struck him in the abdomen and killed him almost on the instant. That the enterprise of Captain Ward, however gallantly conducted, was an imprudent one, seemed to be the opinion of some of his fellow-officers. Captain Rowan, of the Pawnee, says " the Res- olute returned, with a request from Captain Ward that I should send her back, if I had no more important service for her. I immediately despatched the Reliance to Captain Ward, knowing the danger to which our people would be exposed if he contemplated a lauding at Matthias Point, as I feared was his in- tention, judging from the nature of the order he gave me, to furnish him with such equipments as were necessary to cut down trees on the Point and burn them ;" and Captain Rowan continues with the declaration, that " Lieutenant Chaplin and his command" (whom he sent to the aid of Ward, and complimented for their gallantry) " escaped utter de- struction by a miracle." CHAPTER XXX. Occupation of Harper's Ferry by the Enemy. — Their Force. — General Johnston. — His Life and Character. — The advant ages of position at Harper's Ferry. — The defences of the place. — The movement of the Federal Forces upon Har- per's Ferry. — Combination of Federal Generals. — Alarm of General Johnston. — Evacuation of Harper's Ferry. — Destructiveness. — A lively description by a Secessionist. — A conflagration. — A picture. — Route of Johustou.^Ad- vance of the Federali.^ts. — Movement of General Patterson. — Crossing the Potomac. — Coming up with the Enemy. — Battle of Falling Waters. — A drolL description. — The Secessionists routed. — Flight to Bunker Hill. — Pursuit by General Patterson. — An-ival at Martiusburgh. — Losses at Falling Waters. — Harper's Feny unoccupied. — Return to Harper's Ferry of a detachment of the Enemy. — Tlicir proceedings on the occasion. — Terror and destruction. — Com- bined movement of the Secessionists.— Subjection of Western Virginia intended. — The Secession force under Gen- eral Gamett. — The encampment at Laurel Hill. — Distriliution of Troops. — March of General Wise. — Position of Johnston. — Ad\^ance of General McClellan. — Proclamations. — Disposition of his forces. — Skilful strategy. — General Kosencranz sent against the enemy. —Battle of Rich Mountain. — Flight of the Enemy. — Losses. — A rich Capture. — Advance of McClellan to Beverly. — Sudden disappearance of the Enemy. — McClellan in possession of Beverly — The retreat of the Enemy. — Possession of their camp. — MoClellan's movement to cut them off. — Importance of Beverly. — The enemy's works, — Inner and outer works. — Rifle Pits. —Abattis. — Redoubts.— McClellan's reports. — Surrender of Pegram and his force.— Correspondence on the occasion. — Coming up with Garnett. — B.attle of Carrick's Ford. — Death of Garnett. — Account of the Battle. — Reports of McClellan. — A glowing tiibute to his Soldiers. — Failure of a well-laid plan.— Escape of the Fugitives.— An enemy's account of the Battle of Rich Mountain. 1861. Ever since the abandonment and un- fortunately incomplete destruction of the public works at Harper's Perry by Lieutenant Jones, already described in an earlier part of this nar- rative, the enemy had occupied the place. A large force, amounting to nearly twenty thousand men, was here mustered under one of their ablest officers. General Johnston. Joseph Eccleston Johnston was born in Virginia, in 1804, and at an early 328 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. age entered the military academy of West Point. After a career of succes.s- ful study in this institution, he received the commission of second Ueutenant of artillery. In 1836, he became first lieutenant, and was appointed to the lucrative position of assistant commis- sary of subsistence. In 1838, such was his high professional repute, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy in that corps d'elite the Topographical Engineers, in which rank he served during the Indian war in Florida, and was brevetted captain in reward for his services. In 1846, he was promoted captain in full, and during the Mexican war served with distinction, first in the engineer corps, and subsequently with the volti- geurs. He was brevetted twice for good service and gallant conduct. At the end of the war he resumed his position as an officer of engineers, and after a long service in the bureau of that de- partment, was appointed, by General Scott, in June, 1860, quartermaster-gen- eral. Notwithstanding this late ap- pointment to so important a post, which would seem to have been a proof of great reliance placed in his fidelity by the commander-in-chief of the United States, Johnston was among the earliest of the Federal officers of Southern origin to abandon the Union and give in his adherence to secession. At this time, although fifty-seven years of age, a man of great energy, he was esteemed one of tlie ablest ofiicers in the service of the Southern Confederacy. With great ability as a strategist and a man of inflexible spirit, he proved to be as a leader and conspirator a most persistent and formidable antagonist. A square and compact head, a firm compression of the upper lip and a certain fulness of animal development about the lower lip, chin, and neck, are the external in- dications of those qualities of calcula- tion, firmness, and brute courage which are known to characterize him. Johnston seemed determined to hold Harper's Ferry as a basis of operations. Commanding the Ohio and Baltimore Railroad, the great avenue of communi- cation between the valley of the Ohio and the sea, through Chesapeake Bay, and being separated from Maryland only by the river, and from Pennsylvania by a narrow stretch of the former State, Harper's Ferry was favorably placed for operating in Western Virginia, Mary- land, or even in Pennsylvania. Tlie enemy seemed determined to hold the position, and raised works of defence commanding the various approaches not only on the Virginia but the Mar3dand side of the river, where they occupied the high banks in force. The Federal forces now moved from three different points with the view of driving the secessionists from Harper's Ferry. General McClellan was advanc- ing from the Ohio through Western Virginia ; General Stone, detached from the army before AVashington, was mov- ing up the Potomac ; and General Pat- terson marching with his column from Pennsylvania in the north, with the view of closing in upon the enemy's position at Harper's Ferry. General Johnston becoming alarmed, EVACUATION OF HARPER'S FERRY. 329 detenniued to evacuate the place. Be- fore leaving, however, he strove to rea- der it untenable by and useless to his antagonists. All the machineiy of tlie public works left, after the incomplete de- struction by Lieutenant Jones, had been already removed to Richmond and there utilized, greatlj' to the advantage of the enem3^ Johnston, however, destroyed all the remnant of the arsenals and work- >shops, the great railway bridge over the Potomac, and a portion of the railroad itself. A secessionist officer has given a lively description of the evacuation. June " On Thursday, just as the troops 1 13. were in a fair way for the enjoy- 1 ment of the holiday from military duty, i consequent upon the fast-day, an order i was circulated among the different regi- ments for immediate preparations for march. This was the first intimation we had of General Johnston's purpose to evacuate Harper's Ferry. Instantly the whole place was in a stir. Hundreds of baggage-wagons were laden, burly, big-bellied broad treads, and stuffed with provision stores, while ammunition was carefully deposited in safe trains, and from every side arose the swelling strains of music as the troops took up the line of march. " The necessity of this step was ren- dered the more apparent by the fact that intelligence had been received of the rapid approach of General McClel- lan's division of the Federal army toward Winchester. Thus we were to be intercepted, and our small force com- pletely hemmed in by the constantly augmenting numbers of the Northerners, 42 and either cut to pieces or compelled to surrender. Our commander very pru- dentty chose to take neither horn of the dilemma, but resolved to desert Harper's Ferry and boldly strike into the valley of Virginia, where he could attack the enem3^ We are thus to be made the offensive party, and shall certainly, in good time, make a proper report of our interview with the blustering Hoosiers and Buckeyes. "The companies of Captains Desha and Pope were quickly under arms, and moved to the armory yard, where, hav- ing stacked their rifles, they awaited orders. The Kentuckians, under Col- onel Duncan, reported themselves at the same place, and were subsequently re- moved to Camp Hill, overlooking the battery. A large number of men left by railway for Winchester, and others, for lack of transportation, marched afoot. During the day there was an indescrib- able scene of excitement. Broadway, in its palmiest day, never witnessed such a jam as this little town. The business houses were closed, families were at- tempting to move their effects, and every street and avenue was crowded with loaded wagons. Officers were dashing hither and thither, and soldiers were on the qui vive for movement. Loads of provisions, that it was found impossible to transport, were dumped in the river. There was a general rush by the boys for sugar and bread. It was, indeed, in more senses than one, a fast day. In the first place, we had no regu- lar meal, and every movement was made at the most accelerated rate of speed. 330 THE WAR ^^'ITir THE SOUTH. "Duriug the afternoon, the pickets of the enemy were distinctly observable on the Maryland Heights, and Captain Desha and Lieutenant Rogers took a crack at them with their rifles, wliich caused the tories to disappear rather suddenly. " Just after dark, Captain Desha's company was ordered to accompany Major Whiting, the chief engineer, across the Potomac, and make preparations for blowing up the bridge. This was an undertaking of no inconsiderable hazard. The enemy was known to be in the im- mediate vicinity, and it was thought not milikely that they might attempt to force a passage of the bridge. I have slept in many places and under many disadvantages, but never before above a foaming, turbulent river, and just above a terrible mine that in an instant could flash the structure into a myriad of frag- ments. The night, however, passed quietly, and in the early grey of the morning we were visited by Major Wluting. The immense bridge, over three quarters of a mile in length, was thoroughly saturated, the torch lit, and just as we reached the Virginia shore the masrnificent structure was hurried into mid air, falling a shapeless mass of ruins into the rapid stream. The burn- ing cUbris, with the clouds of lurid flame, presented a picture worthy an artist's study. In an horn- or two the massive and extensive armory buildings were ignited, and the conflagration that en- sued was of the most terriflc and im- pressive character. In order to prevent the flames extending to private property, ; the troops were detailed to act as fire- men, under Captain Fauntleroy, of the Confederate navy, and right manfully did they discharge their arduous duty. Not a penny's worth of that which did not belong to the Government was de- stroyed." ■ After evacuating Hai'per's Ferry, Gen- eral Johnston retreated along the valley of the Shenandoah to Winchester, in order to secure his communications with the main body of the secessionists at Manassas Junction and the city of Rich- mond. It is here necessary to recur to the' progress of the Federal forces, which had caused this sudden and important movement of the enemy from Harper's Ferry. General Patterson left Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania, on June 8th, with nearly twenty thousand men, on his march southward through Maryland. From Cumberland and Hagerstown, in the latter State, he marched to WiUiams- port, on the Potomac, about twenty- j„jic five miles northwest of Harper's 18. Ferry. Here he crossed the river into Virginia, a movement effected with- July out opposition or difficulty. The 2* enemy, however, although they made no show of resistance to the passage of the troops over the Potomac, were in consid- erable force at a short distance from the ford by which the Federal army was passing. This was the enemy's rear guard, con- sisting of three or four thousand men, with cavah-y and artillery under the command of General Jackson, encamped AFF^UR AT FALLIXG WATERS. 331 at a place called Falling Waters, near Hainesville. The advance of the Federal army, consistiuo; of the ^Yisconsiu First and the Pennsylvania Eleventh and Twelfth Regiments,- with artillery and cavalry, was immediately thrown forward by Patterson, while his main body was still crossing the river to attack the enemy at Falling Waters. The commencement of the engagement is thus drolly de- scribed by a participator : "The battle commenced about nine o'clock, as no other battle probably ever commenced in the history of war. Colonel Perkins' battery was in advance, and the Colonel himself a quarter of a mile in the lead of his' men, when, u^jon making a turn in the road, he came suddenly upon two mounted officers. Military salutes were passed, hands were shaken all round, and the strangers asked Colonel Perkins what company he belonged to, and when he had got m. The Colonel replied that he belonged to Companj^ C, and had just arrived. One of the strangers observed, reflectively, ' Company C ! Company C !' and just then the first piece of the battery showed itself around the turn, when he ex- ^jfcmed, ' Artillerj^, by God!' and fled fornis life with his companion. Colonel Perkins immediately shouted to his men, ' Now, boys, come on, we've got 'em.' In less than a minute the battery was in operation, and blazing away right and left, while the rebels could be seen in all directions, trying to form their men." The infantry in support of the battery came promptly into line after the first shot, and poured such rapid volleys of musketry upon the enemy that they did not find time to form. They ac- cordingly retired in confusion, turning and shooting irregularly as they went. However, on reaching a farm belonging to a person of the name of Porterfield, they succeeded in forming, and made a brief stand. Although covered by the house and barn, behind and within which they sought refuge, they were soon again forced to fly, being shelled out by the artillery. They were pursued be- yond Hainesville, when our wearied men awaited the coming up of their comrades, and the secessionists continued their retreat to Martiusburgh. Joined by the secession troops in occupation of that place, they again fell back until thejr reached the main body under Gen- ei-al Johnston, encamped at Bunker Hill. General Patterson followed closely with his whole force, and took possession of Martiusburgh without resistance, on the day after it had been abandoned by the enemy. The loss of the Federal troops engaged in the affair at Falling Waters, was three killed and ten wounded ; that of the enemy was esti- mated to amount to nearly thirty killed and fifty wounded. Their force in the battle was said to have numbered five thousand men, while the unionists were less than three thousand. Harper's Ferry, for some good strat- egic reason, doubtless, was not occupied by the Federal troops, and General Johnston, emboldened by the fact, sent back a detachment to the j^lace, which 332 THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH. destroyed the fine bridge over the Shen- andoah, the raih'oad bridge, and many of the piibUc buildings and* priv-ate dwellings. Co-operating with the army under General Johnston, Avhose retreat from Harper's Ferry and subsequent ma- nceuvres mitil he reached "Winchester have been alreadj' alluded to, were two other columns of Confederate troops, thrown into Western Virginia with the object of subjecting that loyal district. One of these columns, estimated to num- ber about ten thousand men, under the command of General R. S. Garnett, a Yirginian, and fonnerly an oiBcer of repute in the Federal service, had marched into the valley of Cheat River, the principal and eastern branch of the fork of the Monongahela. Garnett had his headquarters at Beverly, on the eastern side of the ridge called Laurel Hill, which lies parallel to the Alleghanj'- ransce of mountains. Detachments of his command were distributed in various parts of Western Virginia, at Bealington, Buckhannon, Romney, and at points ap- proaching Philippi and Grafton, which had been seized by the unionists under General Kelley. The third column of secession troops, under the command of "Wise, the former Governor of Virginia, had advanced from the extreme southwest of the State beyond the Greenbrier Mountains, into the valley of the Kanawha. Johnston was thus to the east of the Allcghanies, between that range and the Blue Ridge, and so placed that he might co-operate either with the Confederate line extending from Manassas to the Potomac, or give aid to Garnett, who was not far from him, though on the other side of the mountains, while "Wise was to act in co-operation with the whole to the extreme west beyond the AUegha- nies. General McClellan* having now, in =■ General McClellan, on entering Virginia, issued these proclamations : " Headqcaetees Dedaetjiext of the Ohio, i Geaitox (Va), Jum 23, 1861. ) "To THE IxnAi>iT.\M3 OF Westeex VIRGINIA : Tlic army of this department, headed by Virginia troops, is rapidly occupying all Western Viigiuia. This is done in co operation with and in support of such ciril authorities of the State as are faithful to the Constitution and laivs of the United States. The proclamation issued by me under date of May 26, 1861, will be strictly maintained. Tour houses, families, property, and all your rights will be religiously respected. We are enemies to none but armed rebels, and those volunfcxrily giving them aid. All oiBcers of this army will be held responsible for the most prompt and vigorous action in repressing disorder and punishing aggression by those under their comm;md. ' ' To my great regret I find that the enemies of the United States continue to caiTy on a system of hostilities prohibited by the laws of war among belligerent nations, and of course far more wicked and intolerable when di- rected against loyal citizens engaged in the defence of the common Government of ail. Individuals and marauding parties are pursuing a guerrilla warfare, firiug upon sen- tinels and pickets, burning bridges, insulting, and even killing citizens because of their Union sentiments, and committing many kindred acts. " I do now, therefore, make proclamation and warn all persons that indi\-iduals or parties engaged in this species of warfare, irregular in ever}' view which can be fciken of it. thus attacking sentries, pickets, or other soldiers^ \ stroying public or private property, or committing in I against any of the inhabitants because of UnionrSenfl- ments or conduct, will be dealt with in their persons and property according to the severest rules of military law. "All persons giving information or aid to the public enemies will be arrested and kept in close cust