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iOUNG PEOPLE'S 
 
 H I5T0RY OF America 
 
 <■. FROM THE 
 
 Earliest Discoveries to the Present Time 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 A COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE NORSEMEN ; THE MOUND-BUILDERS 
 
 VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS; HARDSHIPS OF EARLY SETTLERS; FRENCH 
 
 AND INDIAN WARS; THE STORY OF CANADA, 
 
 MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA 
 
 The Struggle for Liberty in the Revolution 
 
 THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND; PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
 
 UNITED STATES; THE GREAT CIVIL WAR AND THE 
 
 LATEST EVENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF CUBA AND HAWAII 
 
 - / 
 
 HENRY DAVENPORT NORTHROP 
 
 Aiilluir of " Story of the New World," "War in Cuba," "Gem Cyclopedia," Ktc, Ktc. 
 
 SUPERBLY EMBELLISHED WITH PHOTOTYPE AND WOOD ENGRAVINGS 
 
 National Publishing Company 
 
 Nos. 239, 241 and 243 Levant St. 
 PHILADELPHIA. PA 
 
 ^ \\^' 
 
 OCT 9 1897 
 
 
"Entered accordinj^ to Act of Congress, in tlie year 1S97 by 
 
 J. R. JONEvS, 
 
 Jn tha Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C 
 
 All Rights Reserved. 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 AYS the old Roman, Cicero: "Not to know what lias been trans- 
 acted in former times, is to be always a child. If no use is 
 made of the labors of past ages, the world must remain always 
 in the infancy of knowledge.'' The same thought is well stated 
 by an old English author : " History makes a young man to be 
 old, without wrinkles or gray hairs, and gives him the experience of age, 
 without the infirmities thereof" 
 
 This is not placing too high a value upon history, as will be admitted 
 by all intelligent persons. And what history can be more important and 
 valuable than that of America ? The very name awakens a thrill of patri- 
 otic emotion. Her story is the most captivating ever written, and is an 
 exhaustless source of instruction and entertainment. It should be familiar 
 to both old a|id young, and may become so by a perusal of the compre- 
 hensive volume prefaced by these lines. 
 
 This work contains a full account of the Norsemen, the earliest dis- 
 coverers of the Western world, and of the Mound-builders, the earliest in- 
 habitants. It then takes up the story of Columbus — his long years of 
 waiting and disappointment ; his successful appeal at last to the King and 
 Queen of Spain ; his tempestuous voyage, attended by dangers of the deep 
 and mutiny on board; his heroic courage, his splendid reception on his 
 return, and then the dark days and sorrowful death of the great discoverer. 
 
 It treats of the settlement of America, and narrates the fascinating story 
 of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas ; the attempts of the Indians to 
 destroy the Colonies ; the disasters and sufferings encountered by the settlers. 
 It details the persecutions of the Puritans in England, and their flight to 
 Holland ; the storm-tossed " Mayflower " voyaging to the " wild New England 
 coast;" King -Philip's war; the history of witchcraft in Massachusetts — that 
 strange craze which resulted in the death of many innocent persons ; the 
 colonization of Connecticut ; William Penn and the Quakers ; settlement of 
 the Carolinas and Georgia. Step by step the book traces the growth of the 
 Colonies, their hardships and dangers, and the frightful massacres by the 
 Red Men. It gives a vivid picture of the heroism and sacrifices which laid 
 the foundations of our Great Republic. 
 
vi PREFACE, 
 
 A graphic account is given of that terrible ordeal through which the 
 settlers passed, the French and Indian war, also of the uprising of an op- 
 pressed people ; their heroic struggle for independence ; exciting scenes and 
 progress of the war ; sufferings of the American army ; darkest days of the 
 conflict and final victory. Washington and his compeers stand out in bold 
 relief and majestic proportions, as seen in the light of history. The war 
 of 1812 with Great Britain and the Mexican war at a later period are fully 
 related, and the growth of the nation is traced from small beginnings to its 
 commanding position among the great and influential nations of the world. 
 
 Then comes a stirring account of the great Civil War ; the attack on 
 Fort Sumter ; the country aroused ; troops hurrying to the Capital ; opening 
 events of the war in Virginia; bloodshed in Missouri; campaign in Ken- 
 tucky and capture of Vicksburg ; battles of South Mountain, Antietam, and 
 Gettysburg; Sheridan's raid; Sherman's great march to the sea; terrible 
 battles in the Wilderness ; Grant before Richmond ; surrender of Lee's army 
 and end of the great conflict. 
 
 The history of this great struggle is the most wonderful narrative ever 
 penned. It is the story of the sublimest heroism ever witnessed, of the 
 most thrilling adventure, of the loftiest patriotism, and of the most inflexible 
 courage and determination. It is a story that should ever remain fresh in 
 the minds of the American people, and its glowing details should be trans- 
 mitted by them to future generations with patriotic fidelity. 
 
 All the events of our subsequent history are narrated, from the assas- 
 sination of President Lincoln down to the present time, including the ad- 
 ministrations of Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Harrison and McKinley. 
 
 Not the least interesting part of this work is the account it furnishes 
 of Alaska, the history of that vast territory, its natural characteristics, its 
 scenes of grandeur as well as desolation, its native inhabitants and their 
 traits, and the discovery of gold at Klondike. This is followed by a most 
 entertaining and instructive description of Mexico, that land of wonders, 
 whose romantic history has an absorbing interest. 
 
 The volume is also enriched with a concise history of Cuba, its great 
 struggle for freedom, its past attempts to throw off the Spanish yoke, and 
 the scenes of bloodshed and ravages of war which have reduced the Queen 
 of the Antilles to poverty and desolation. 
 
 The volume closes with very interesting information concerning Hawaii 
 and the countries of South America. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Northmen 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Famous Mound-Builders 25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Discovery of America by Columbus 30 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Adventures of De Soto and Others 44 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Story of Sir Walter Raleigh 52 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Captain John Smith and Pocahontas 59 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Story of the Virginia Colony 69 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 The Settlement of Maryland 73 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The Landing of the Pilgrims 77 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 King Philip's War 90 
 
 vii 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. PAGE i 
 
 The Growing Nation • • • • 98 i 
 
 CHAPTER Xn. ' 
 
 Pennsylvania and its Founder 107 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Witchcraft in New England 112 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Colonies on the Southern Coast 118 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Story of Captain Kidd 124 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 The French and Indian War 130 i 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 The Story of Canada and Quebec 139 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Beginning of the American Revolution 152 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Progress of the War 163 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Th:e Americans Resolved to be Free 176 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 The Struggle for Liberty 189 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 Battles and Sieges 201 
 
 • 
 
CONTENTS. ix 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. PAGE 
 
 Close of the War 218 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 The New Republic 22& 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Outbreak of the Great Civil War 261 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 Campaigns of McClellan and Lee 275 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 Important Union Successes 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 Campaigns of Sherman and Grant 302 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 Battles on Land and Sea 317 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 Surrender of the Confederate Army 327 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 Assassination of President Lincoln 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 Administration of President Grant 347 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIIL 
 Assassination of President Garfield 356 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 Administration of Grover Cleveland 370 
 
X CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. age 
 
 Administration of President Harrison 380 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 President Cleveland's Second Term 390 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 Inauguration of President McKinley 398 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 Alaska and Its Gold-Fields 405 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 Mexico and the Mexicans 416 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 Cuba and Her Struggles for Freedom 436 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 Story of Hawaii 463 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 Countries of South America 475 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 'Lief Eric— a Norse Sea-King 19 
 
 -Remarkable Mounds at Marietta, Ohio, 26 
 
 Christopher Columbus, 31 
 
 Columbus at the Monastery of La Rabida, 32 
 
 Landing of Columbus on the Island of San Salvador, .... 36 
 
 Columbus Receiving Natives on Board his Ship, 39 
 
 Natives Astonished at an Eclipse of the Sun, 42 
 
 ^Ferdinand De Soto, 47 
 
 "Spaniards Descending the Mississippi, 48 
 
 Sir Martin Frobisher, 60 
 
 'Sir Walter Raleigh, 53 
 
 "Murder of White's Assistant by the Indians, 56 
 
 Captain John Smith, 59 
 
 Pocahontas, 61 
 
 • Captain Smith's Fight with an Indian Chief, 63 
 
 •Flight of the Indians after the Massacre, 66 
 
 The Attack on the Doeg Wigwam, 70 
 
 Cecil, Lord Baltimore, 74 
 
 "Mock Suns, Seen by Early Explorers, 75 
 
 The "Mayflower" in Plymouth Harbor, 81 
 
 •Treaty between Plymouth Colony and Massasoit, 83 
 
 'Types of North American Indians, SQ 
 
 John Winthrop, 89 
 
 ' King Philip, 90 
 
 Attack of the Indians on Brookfield, 93 
 
 ' Indian Weapons, 96 
 
 -The Charter Oak, 101 
 
 Hendrick Hudson, 102 
 
 Peter Stuyvesant, 105 
 
 xi 
 
xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 page; 
 
 ^ William Penn, , 108 
 
 The Rev. Cotton Mather, . 114 
 
 General Oglethorpe, 119 
 
 John Wesley, . . .122 
 
 Digging for Captain Kidd's Treasures, 126 
 
 "Executing Negroes in New York, 128 
 
 Benjamin Franklin, 134 
 
 Disastrous Defeat of General Braddock, 137 
 
 ^ General Montcalm, 139 
 
 'William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, 141 
 
 ^General James Wolfe, 148 
 
 ^Washington Planting the Flag on Fort Duquesne, .... 144 
 
 'Death of General Wolfe before Quebec, 148 
 
 , Attack on the Fort at Presque Isle, 150 
 
 'Colonel Barre, 153 
 
 'John Hancock, 155 
 
 Samuel Adams, 157 
 
 Throwing the Tea Overboard in Boston Harbor, 159 
 
 Death of Captain Davis at I^exington Bridge, 161 
 
 Capture of Ticonderoga by Ethan Allen, 164 
 
 General Burgoyne, 166 
 
 ■ Battle of Bunker Hill, 167 
 
 Bunker Hill Monument, 169 
 
 ■Medal in Honor of the Recapture of Boston, 173 
 
 •Sergeant Jasper at Fort Moultrie, 174 
 
 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, 177 
 
 Old Independence Bell, 178 
 
 Rattlesnake Flag, 179 
 
 Flag and Shield, 180 
 
 ' American Marksman in a Tree, 181 
 
 Washington Crossing the Delaware, 185 
 
 ^The Marquis De Lafayette, 190 
 
 'General Burgoyne Addressing the Indians, 191 
 
 "General Horatio Gates, 193 
 
 Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Saratoga, 196 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xiii 
 
 PAGE 
 
 \ Attack on Chew's House, - . 198 
 
 ^ General Anthony Wayne, 199 
 
 'Seal of the United States, 202 
 
 'Death of Count Pulaski, 204 
 
 'An American Rifleman, 206 
 
 John Paul Jones, 207 
 
 . Medal in Honor of Paul Jones, 208 
 
 'Daniel Boone, 209 
 
 •Tarleton's Lieutenant and the Farmer, 211 
 
 •Benedict Arnold, 214 
 
 *Major Andre, 215 
 
 >iEscAPE OF Benedict Arnold, 216 
 
 *Lord Cornwallis, 219 
 
 » Continental Bills, 221 
 
 i Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, 224 
 
 ^Attack on the Block House, 226 
 
 I George Washington, 229 
 
 ''Indian Child in Cradle, 230 
 
 .John Adams, 231 
 
 * Thomas Jefferson, 233 
 
 >, James Madison, 234 
 
 A Pioneer Hero's Fight with the Savages, 236 
 
 , Capture of the "Guerriere" by the "Constitution," .... 238 
 
 •The "Wasp" Boarding the "Frolic," 239 
 
 •Perry's Victory on Lake Erie, 240 
 
 •James Monroe, 242 
 
 •John Quincy Adams, 243 
 
 "Henry Clay, 244 
 
 'Andrew Jackson, 245 
 
 •Daniel Webster, 247 
 
 .Martin Van Buren, 248 
 
 "William Henry Harrison, 249 
 
 John Tyler, 250 
 
 ^Professor Morse, 261 
 
 General Sam Houston, 252 
 
 IT 
 
xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 The Anti-Rent Riot, 253- 
 
 JAMES K. Polk, 255 
 
 Lieutenant Grant going for Ammunition at Monterey, . . . 256 
 
 'Zachary Taylor, 257 
 
 ^Millard Fillmore, 258 
 
 Franklin Pierce, 260 
 
 James Buchanan, 262 
 
 Abraham Lincoln, 263 
 
 Jefferson Davis, 264 
 
 • General Joseph B. Johnston, 265 
 
 General George B. McClellan, 267 
 
 Iron-clad Gunboat, 271 
 
 General W. T. Sherman, 273 
 
 General T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson, 277 
 
 Commodore David G. Farragut, 280 
 
 General Robert E. Lee, 284 1 
 
 Battle of Chancellorsville, 292 ' 
 
 General George G. Meade, 293 
 
 General Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, 295 
 
 Longstreet's Arrival at Bragg's Headquarters, 298 
 
 Wounding of General Longstreet, "'"^ 308 
 
 Battle of Cold Harbor, 311 
 
 Death of General Polk, 314, 
 
 Sinking of the "Alabama" by the "Kearsage," 32fl 
 
 General Philip H. Sheridan, 322 
 
 Sheridan's Cavalry Charge at Cedar Creek, 324 
 
 The Peace Commissioners, 3t^8 
 
 Gallant Defence of Fort Gregg, 330 
 
 Surrender of General Lee to General Grant, 334 
 
 The Grave of President Lincoln, 341 
 
 Capture of Booth, Assassin of President Lincoln, . .• . . 343 
 
 Andrew Johnson, 345 
 
 Ulysses S. Grant, 347 
 
 The Burning of Chicago, . 349 
 
 Horace Greeley, 350 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xv 
 
 PAGE 
 
 ^ Attack by Modocs on the Peace Commissioners, . , . . . 352 
 
 'I Centenniai. Medal, 353 
 
 ^Main Building of the Centennial Exhibition, 354 
 
 J Rutherford B. Hayes, . . . , 357 
 
 James A. Garfield, 358 
 
 vjAMES G. Blaine, 360 
 
 The Assassination of James A. Garfield, 361 
 
 ■ Chester A. Arthur, 366 
 
 , The Brooklyn Suspension Bridge, 368 
 
 ■' Grover Cleveland, 370 
 
 Administering the Oath to President Cleveland, 371 
 
 Cottage in which Grant Died at Mt. McGregor, . . . . 372 
 
 Death of General Grant, 373 
 
 ' General Grant's Temporary Tomb, 374 
 
 'Levi P. Morton, 378 
 
 'i Benjamin Harrison, 380 
 
 J Sitting-Bull in his War-Dress, 384 
 
 ^United States Battleship "Illinois," 394 
 
 ^William McKinley, 398 
 
 •Map of Alaska, 406 
 
 « Fernando Cortez, 419 
 
 > Slaughter of Native Mexicans by the Spaniards, 422 
 
 V Emperor Maximilian, 433 
 
 > Emperor Maximilian Shot by Mexican Troops, 434 
 
 City and Harbor of Havana, 438 
 
 'General Weyler's Trocha across Cuba, 450 
 
 'Terrible Eruption of Mauna Loa, 466 
 
 'The Grand Mauna Loa in Action, 468 
 
FULL-PAGE PHOTOTYPE ILLUSTRATIONS, 
 
 CoivUMBus before; Ferdinand and Isabella. 
 ^The Landing of Columbus. 
 ' The Landing op Roger Williams. 
 - General Pepperell at the Siege of Louisburg. 
 . Patrick Henry. 
 Patrick Henry Addressing the Virginia Convention. 
 -Battle of Bennington. 
 .Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia. 
 George Washington. 
 Putnam's Escape at Horse Neck. 
 Washington Crossing the Delaware. 
 Washington Reviewing the Army. 
 ■General Harrison and Tecumseh. 
 Commodore Perry at the Battle of Lake Brie. 
 Decatur's Conflict with the Algerine Pirates at Tripoli. 
 Henry Clay. 
 Ulysses S. Grant. 
 
 Capture of New Orleans— Fleet Passing Forts on the Mississippi. 
 General George G. Meade. 
 Battle of Gettysburg. 
 Washington Monument, Fairmount Park, Unveiled by President McKinley, 
 
 May 15, 1897. 
 Thomas A. Edison. 
 Lafayette Memorial. 
 General Andrew Jackson. 
 General Winfield Scott. 
 Lincoln Emancipation Statue. 
 Garfield Memorial. 
 General George H. Thomas. 
 Admiral David G. Farragut. 
 Rear Admiral Dupont. 
 United States Cruiser "Baltimore." 
 United States Cruiser "San Francisco." 
 United States Cruiser "Newark." 
 United States Cruiser *' Columbia." 
 United States Cruiser "Petrel." 
 United States Cruiser " Yorktown." 
 United States Cruiser "Philadelphia." 
 United States Cruiser '-Chicago." 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE NORTHMEN. 
 
 ^T is now pretty generally admitted by intelligent historians, that 
 America was discovered and colonized by the Northmen, some five 
 hundred years before the time of Columbus. A recent American 
 writer remarks that " the Northmen, at the time when the discovery 
 is supposed to have been made, were the greatest navigators in 
 Burope. During the two or three centuries preceding their discovery of 
 America, they had spread themselves over all the islands of the British 
 Archipelago, and had finally seated one of their princes, the great Canute, 
 upon the throne of England. At about the same time, they conquered one 
 of the finest portions of France, to which they gave their name of Normandy. 
 " When the Saxon blood temporarily regained the ascendancy in England, 
 one of their chieftains, as if to vindicate the honor of the stock, crossed 
 the channel from Normand}^, crushed by a single decisive blow the feeble 
 array of his competitor, at the battle of Hastings, and secured to himself 
 and his posterity the British sceptre. Not content with these conquests, 
 the Northmen entered the Mediterranean, took possession of Sicily and the 
 northern coasts of Italy and Greece, and for a time gave law from the 
 thrones of Jerusalem and Constantinople." 
 
 Among the achievements of the earlier history of the Northmen, were 
 the colonization of Iceland, in the year 875, and that of Greenland, in the 
 year 986. The leader of the colony which settled in the latter region was 
 Eric Raiida^ or the Red. He established his residence at a place which 
 he called Brattalid. He bestowed upon the country the attractive name of 
 Greenland — as a lure to emigrants, and his principal companions gave their 
 names to their respective places of residence. 
 
 The colonization of Greenland by the Northmen was the event that 
 
 led immediately to the discovery of America. Even before this time it was 
 
 in no way improbable that some of their ships navigating between Norway, 
 
 the British Archipelago and Iceland, all which countries were then in their 
 
 2 17 
 
18 THE NORTHMEN. 
 
 possession, should be driven out of their course by strong easterly winds 
 as far as the coast of America. Some such accidents are, in fact, alluded 
 to by the Icelandic writers, and others may have happened without leaving 
 any trace in history. 
 
 But when the Northmen had extended their settlements to a point so 
 near the American coast as Greenland, occurrences of this kind became 
 almost matters of course. We find, accordingly, that the year succeeding 
 their establishment in that country, is the one assigned by the Icelandic 
 writers to the discovery of America. The account of the latter event as 
 given by these writers is briefly as follows : 
 
 The Colony that Settled in Greenland in 986. 
 
 Among the companions of Kric Rauda, or the Red — the leader of the 
 colony which settled in Greenland — was Heriulf, whose name is still attached 
 to the southern promontory of Greenland, called by the English, Cape 
 Farewell. Heriulf had a son named Biarne, who is represented in Icelandic 
 chronicles as a young man of great merit. He had early engaged in 
 commercial enterprises which had been attended with success. It was his 
 practice to pass his winters alternately in foreign parts and at home with 
 his father. In pursuance of this habit, he had passed the winter of the 
 year, when his father emigrated to Greenland in Norway, and on returning 
 home the next summer found him gone. He determined at once to follow, 
 and, having obtained the assent of his crew, set sail without discharging his 
 cargo, though unacquainted with the course. 
 
 After losing sight of land they met with northerly winds and fogs, and 
 were driven about many days and nights without knowing where they were. 
 When the fog cleared away they made sail, and the same day saw land. 
 The coast was low and sandy, rising gradually into hills covered with wood. 
 As it did not correspond with the description given of that of Greenland,, 
 they left it to larboard and steered a northerly course. After another day's 
 sail they made land a second time. It was low and woody, as before. 
 
 They now put to sea again, and, after sailing three and a half days 
 with a southwest wind, made land a third time. It proved to be a bold 
 shore surrounded with ice, and on further exploration they discovered it to 
 be an island. Once more leaving the land behind them, and pursuing their 
 way to the north, after two days' and two nights' sail they made the southern 
 cape of Greenland, where Biarne found his father. 
 
THE NORTHMEN, 
 
 19 
 
 The discoveries of Biarne naturally became a subject of much conver- 
 sation in Greenland. At length Leif, a son of Eric the Red, the leader and 
 chief of the colony, determined to undertake another voyage in the same 
 direction. He accordingly purchased Biarne's ship, and engaged a crew of 
 thirty-five men, including a German named Tyrker, who had lived from his 
 youth in Eric's family. 
 
 The date of Liet's voyage is assigned to the year 1000. On leaving 
 Greenland, he first made the land, which had been last seen by Biarne, 
 and found it as described by him, a barren 
 coast, rising into lofty mountains covered 
 with ice and snow; the space between 
 them and the shore being a naked rock, 
 entirely destitute of herbage. 
 
 They now put to sea a third time 
 with a north-easterly wind, and, after two 
 days' sail, once more made land. There 
 was an island near the coast, upon which 
 they landed : the weather was pleasant, 
 and the grass covered with dew, which, 
 on tasting it, they found of a singular 
 sweetness. They sailed westward, through W-^^^ 
 
 a strait which separated the island from a '^^^^i&^lMf Xt^^I^^v _.^I^> '^^^ 
 promontory projecting northerly from the 
 shore, and finally reached a place where a 
 river, issuing from a lake above, fell into ^^^^ ERic- 
 the sea. Here Leif determined to establish his colony, and having trans- 
 ported his effects, in boats, from the ship to the shore of the lake, he 
 erected wooden huts for the temporary accommodation of his men. 
 
 Afterwards, when they had made up their minds to stay, they built 
 larger houses, and called the settlement Leit's Budir or Booths. When the 
 work of building was finished, Leif divided his men into two parties, one 
 of which regularly kept watch at home, while the other explored the coun- 
 try, but not so far as to be away more than a day at a time. Leif him- 
 self alternately accompanied each of the parties. The chronicle here inter- 
 rupts the narrative, to remark that Leif was a tall and robust man, 
 uncommonly dignified in his personal appearance, and very prudent and 
 judicious in the management of his affairs. 
 
 -A NORSE SEA-KING. 
 
20 THE NORTHMEN. 
 
 One evening, on the return of the exploring party, it appeared that 
 the German, Tyrker, was missing. Leif was much alarmed at this, and set 
 forth with twelve men in search of him; but had not proceeded far when 
 he met him returning. He gave as a reason for his delay that he had 
 been gathering grapes, of which he had found a great abundance. This 
 was a fruit unknown to the Northmen, but with which and its uses 
 Tyrker, as a German, was acquainted. In consequence of this discovery, 
 Leif gave to the country the name of Wineland, to which his countrymen 
 seem to have subsequently added the epithet Good^ as it is generally men- 
 tioned in the chronicles, under the name of Wineland THE Good. The 
 men now employed themselves alternately in gathering grapes and in cut- 
 ting wood, with which they loaded the ship. The river abounded with fish, 
 and particularly salmon of a large size. 
 
 Leif Eric Returns to Greenland. 
 
 On the shortest day of the year, according to the chronicle, the sun 
 rose at half-past seven o'clock in the morning, and set at half-past four in 
 the evening. This occurs about the latitude of Cape Cod, so that if the 
 record can be depended on, there is no doubt of the identity of Wineland 
 with Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is proper to add, however, that 
 the meaning of this passage is a matter of dispute among the learned. 
 The following spring, Leif set sail, with his cargo of wood, and arrived 
 safely in Greenland, having on his way rescued fifteen shipwrecked mari- 
 ners, from a rock near the coast. His father Eric died the same year, and 
 Leif took no further share in the exploration of the new-found territory. 
 
 The numerous discoveries of Leif, of course, increased the interest that 
 had been excited in Greenland by those of Biarne. Some time in the 
 following year, 1001, Thorwald, a brother of Leif, determined to explore 
 still farther the new-found region, and borrowing Leifs ship for the 
 purpose, set sail upon the expedition. He arrived, without any particular 
 adventure, at Leit's Booths, where he passed the winter, employing his 
 company chiefly in fishing. In the spring, Thorwald despatched a party 
 of men in the boat, to explore the country to the southwest. They found 
 it beautiful and well wooded, with but little interval between the woods and 
 the sea, which abounded in islands and shallows. They saw no traces of 
 human habitation, excepting a wooden shed upon one of the islands. The 
 party returned in the autumn to Leifs Booths. 
 
 I 
 
THE NORTHMEN. 21 
 
 In the following spring (1002), Thorwald sailed eastward in the ship, 
 and finally doubled a cape, upon which he was afterwards shipwrecked. 
 To this cape he gave the name of Keel Cape. It is supposed by the 
 Danish Society to be Cape Cod, which in fact bears some resemblance, in 
 the general outline, to the keel of a ship. After repairing his vessel, 
 Thorwald pursued his course to the west, until he reached a promontory 
 covered with wood, which he thought so beautiful that he determined to 
 make it the seat of his settlement. At this place the Northmen found 
 three canoes, each having on board three of the natives. A skirmish ensued, 
 in which eight of the natives were killed : the ninth escaped, and soon after 
 returned with an accession of force. 
 
 Leader of the Expedition Mortally Wounded. 
 
 Another engagement then took place, which terminated in the retire- 
 ment of the natives. In the course of it, however, Thorwald, the leader 
 of the expedition, received a mortal wound under the arm from an arrow. 
 He summoned his followers around him, and inquired whether any of them 
 were wounded, to which they all replied in the negative. " As for me," 
 continued Thorwald, " I have received a wound under the arm from an 
 arrow, and I feel that it will be mortal. I advise you to prepare imme- 
 diately for your return ; but ye shall first carry my body to the promon- 
 tory which I thought so beautiful, and where I had determined to fix my 
 residence. It may be that it was a prophetic word which fell from my 
 lips, about my abiding there for a season. There shall ye bury me, and 
 ye shall plant a cross at my head, and another at my feet, and ye shall 
 call the name of the place Krossanes — Cape Cross — through all future time." 
 
 Thorwald died, as he anticipated, of his wound, and was buried by his 
 companions in the manner which he had directed. On the return of the 
 expedition to Greenland, Thorstein, a third son of Eric, determined to 
 proceed to Wineland, and bring back his brother's body. He accordingly 
 fitted out the same ship, with a crew of twenty-five men ; taking also with 
 him his wife Gudrida. This voyage proved an unsuccessful one. They 
 were tossed about all summer without knowing where they were, until at 
 the opening of the winter they finally reached Greenland. 
 
 In the course of the following year (1006), there arrived in Greenland 
 two ships from Iceland, one of which was commanded by Thorfinn, who 
 was very significantly called Karlsefne^ that is, a man of promise. He 
 
22 THE NORTHMEN. 
 
 was a wealthy and powerful person of illustrious lineage, being descended 
 from Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Scotch and Irish ancestors ; some of 
 whom were kings, or of royal descent. He was accompanied by Snorre 
 Thorbrandson, also a person of distinction in Iceland. They remained in 
 Greenland through the year, and kept the festival of Yule, or Christmas, at 
 Brattalid, the residence of Eric, who was now dead. During the winter, 
 Thorfinn became enamored of Gudrida, the widow of Thorstein, and 
 obtained the consent of Leif to marry her. 
 
 Expedition of Thorfinn from Greenland. 
 
 The discovery and exploration of the new-found region of Wineland 
 the Good were still the principal subjects of conversation in the family. 
 Thorfinn was strongly urged by his wife, and other friends, to undertake 
 a voyage in that direction, which he finally determined to do. Accordingly, 
 the following spring (1007), he fitted out an expedition, composed of three 
 ships, carrying a hundred and forty men. He took the command himself 
 of one of the vessels, on board of which he was accompanied by his wife 
 Gudrida and his friend Snorre. One of the other ships was commanded 
 by Biarne Grimolfson, of Breidefiord, and Thorhall Gamlason, of Austfiord, 
 in Iceland. The third belonged to Thorwald, who had married a daughter 
 of Eric. With this little fleet, about equal in force to that with which 
 Columbus made his first voyage, Thorfinn set sail from Greenland. 
 
 After landing at Helluland and Markland, he proceeded on a south- 
 west course, having the land on his right, until he came to Keel Cape. 
 This Cape is described in the chronicle of his voyage as consisting of 
 unexplored deserts, skirted by a long, sandy shore. Here the navigators 
 remained a few days, and made some slight exploration of the country ; in 
 the course of which they found grapes and wheat growing wild. They 
 then continued their course, until they came to a frith or inlet at the 
 entrance of which was an island. 
 
 They found the island frequented by such an immense number of 
 birds, that it was hardly possible to walk, without treading upon their eggs. 
 Here Thorfinn landed, and fixed his residence for the winter. The following 
 spring Thorhall set forth with eight of the men, in search of Wineland, 
 but was driven by westerly gales across the ocean, upon the coast of Ireland, 
 where they were made slaves. Thorfinn with the rest of the company took 
 the other direction, to the southwest, and soon reached Leif's Booths, which 
 
THE NORTHMEN. 23 
 
 were situated, as has been seen, on the shore of a lake that discharged its 
 waters into the ocean, through a river. Thorfinn gave to the lake the name 
 of Hop — equivalent to haven or bay. He found wheat growing wild on the 
 low grounds, and vines on the hills. 
 
 Friendly Visits from the Natives. 
 
 The Northmen erected additional dwelling-houses at a little distance 
 from the bay, and passed the winter at this place. The climate appeared 
 to them, as it had to Leif and his company, extremely mild. No snow fell, 
 and the cattle were kept out at pasture through the winter. Barly in the 
 spring the settlement was visited by the natives in canoes, who carried on 
 a friendly intercourse with the Northmen, exchanging furs for milk-soup 
 and cloth. About this time Gudrida, the wife of Thorfinn, gave birth to a 
 son, who was named Snorre. At the opening of the following winter the 
 natives appeared again, in greater numbers, and with hostile intentions. A 
 skirmish ensued, in which some of the Northmen were killed, but in which 
 the natives were finally repulsed, not without the active interference of the 
 Northern women, and particularly Freydisa. The hostile disposition shown 
 by the natives, seems to have satisfied the Northmen that the country, not- 
 withstanding its natural advantages, would be an uncomfortable residence. 
 They accordingly determined to abandon the idea of a settlement, and 
 prepare for returning to Greenland. The following Spring (1011), after a 
 three years' abode, they took their departure from Wineland, and having 
 taken on board some of the natives, arrived safely in Greenland. 
 
 Such are the principal particulars given in the chronicles of the most 
 important expedition which was ever fitted out by the Northmen for the 
 exploration of the new-found region. It appears to have resulted in the 
 abandonment, by those who were engaged in it, of the plan of establishing 
 a colony, on account of the ferocious character of the natives. On his 
 return to Greenland, Thorfinn engaged in trading expeditions to Norway, 
 and in 1015 purchased an estate in Iceland, where he passed the 
 remainder of his life. His son, Snorre, who was born in Wineland, suc- 
 ceeded him in the estate and became a person of high consideration 
 in the country. On the marriage of Snorre, his mother, Gudrida, made 
 a pilgrimage to Rome, and after her return retired to a convent for the 
 rest of her life. 
 
 A numerous and illustrious progeny descended from Thorfinn, through 
 
24 THE NORTHMEN. 
 
 his American born son, Snorre, among whom may be mentioned Bishop 
 Thorlak (a grandson of Snorre, by his daughter Klfrida), who was the author 
 of the oldest work on the ecclesiastical law of Iceland, published in 1123. 
 To him we are probably indebted for the accounts of the voyages of his 
 ancestors to Wineland. The record of the several generations of this 
 remarkable family has been continued unbroken up to the present day. 
 
 Disastrous End of an Expedition. 
 
 Subsequently to the great expedition of Thorfinn, there are very few 
 particulars mentioned in the Icelandic writers respecting the new-found 
 regions. These appear to have been pretty soon virtually abandoned, and 
 finally almost forgotten. The same year, however (1011), in which Thorfinn 
 returned, Freydisa, who had accompanied him, fitted out a single ship, in 
 which she sailed herself, in company with two Norwegians, Helge and 
 Finnboge, recently arrived in Greenland, a crew of about thirty-five men and 
 a number of women. She returned the next year, without having attempted 
 a settlement, and her companions are represented as having destroyed each 
 other in private quarrels. 
 
 In 1026 an Icelander named Gudleif embarked for Dublin. The 
 vessel being driven out of her course, came near what is supposed to be 
 the American shore, where the crew were seized by the natives and carried 
 into the interior. Here they were accosted by a venerable chief, who 
 addressed them in their own language, and inquired after several persons 
 in Iceland. He refused to tell his name; but as he sent a present of a 
 gold ring to Thurida, the sister of Snorre Gode, and a sword to her son, 
 he was supposed to be Biorne the Bard, who had been her lover, who had 
 left Iceland in the year 998. 
 
 After this period we have but few and scattered notices of the colony 
 of the Northmen in America. The conquests of this enterprising people 
 in the southern parts of Europe are sufficient to account for their abandon- 
 ment, not only of the colony on the shores of Rhode Island and Massa- 
 chusetts, but of the larger and older colony of Greenland. It suited their 
 warlike propensities better to make descents on the shores of England, 
 France and Italy, than to cultivate their distant colonies on the compara- 
 tively inhospitable shores of North America. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE FAMOUS MOUND-BUILDERS. 
 
 )HAT North America was at some remote period occupied by a 
 more civilized and powerful race than the Indians, found by 
 the first explorers, is very certain. But who they were, what 
 was their history, or what the cause of their extinction, are 
 among the profoundest mysteries of the past. Traces as dis- 
 tinct as those which mark the various physical changes which the conti- 
 nent has undergone, exist to show that these primitive inhabitants were 
 both numerous and far advanced in civilization ; but this is all that we 
 know concerning them. 
 
 In various parts of the country, and especially in the valley of the 
 Mississippi, large mounds and other structures of earth and stone, but 
 chiefly of earth, remain to show the magnitude of the works constructed 
 by these people, to whom the name " Mound-Builders " is generally ap- 
 plied. Some of these earthworks embrace as much as fifteen or sixteen 
 miles of embankment. Indeed, their size, as well as their form and ar- 
 rangement, is one of their most remarkable characteristics. 
 
 As no domestic animals existed in this country at that period, these 
 works must have been constructed by bringing the earth used in them by 
 hand; a fact which shows that the primitive population was a large one. 
 The construction of the works proves that they had considerable engineer- 
 ing skill. The square, the circle, the ellipse, and the octagon are all used 
 in these structures, being all combined in a single system of works in some 
 places. The proportions are always perfect. The square is always a true 
 square, and the circle a true circle. 
 
 Many implements and ornaments of copper, silver and precious stones 
 — such as axes, chisels, knives, bracelets, beads, and pieces of thread and 
 cloth, and well-shaped vases of pottery have been found in these mounds, 
 and show the extent of the civilization of the " Mound-Builders " and their 
 knowledge of the arts. 
 
 In the region of Lake Superior are found old copper mines worked by 
 
 25 
 
'26 
 
 THE FAMOUS MOUND-BUILDERS. 
 
 these ancient people. In one of these mines there was discovered an im- 
 mense block of copper weighing nearly six tons. It had been left in the 
 process of removal to the top of the mine, nearly thirty feet above, and 
 was supported on logs of wood which were partly petrified. The stone 
 and copper tools used by the miners were discovered lying about as they 
 had been left by their owners ages before. At the mouth of this mine are 
 
 piles of earth thrown out in 
 trees are growing which are nearly 
 
 digging 
 
 it, and out of these embankments 
 
 four hundred years old. 
 
 k 
 
 REMARKABLE MOUNDS AT MARIETTA, OHIO. 
 
 The following interesting account of the mounds and their builders is 
 from the pen of Mr. J. H. Beadle, who has made a special study of this 
 subject: A people for whom we have no name, vaguely included under 
 the general term of Mound-Builders, have left evidences of extensive works 
 in the vicinity of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries. 
 These are of three kinds : mounds, square and circular inclosures, and 
 raised embankments of various forms. Of mounds the following are most 
 important and best known: One at Grave Creek, West Virginia, seventy 
 feet high and one thousand feet in circumference at the base ; one near 
 IMiamisburg, Ohio, sixty-eight feet high and eighty hundred and fifty-two 
 feet in circumference; the great truncated pyramid at Cahokia, Illinois, 
 seven hundred feet long, five hundred wide, and ninety in height ; the im- 
 
THE FAMOUS MOUND-BUILDERS, 'll 
 
 mense square mound, with face of one hundred and eighty feet, at Marietta, 
 Ohio ; and some hundreds of inferior mounds from sixty to thirty feet in 
 height, in different States, from Wisconsin to the mouth of the Mississippi. 
 Unlike all the mounds in Mexico and Central and South America, 
 those in our country have no trace of buildings on them. Why? Until 
 I visited Arizona I had no answer. There the solution was easy. In those 
 regions stone was abundant, and timber was scarce; here the reverse was 
 the case. Our predecessors built of wood, the others of stone ; the works 
 of the latter remain to this day, while wooden buildings would leave no 
 trace after one or two centuries, if indeed they were not burnt by the 
 savages as soon as abandoned. 
 
 Great Number of Mounds in Ohio. 
 
 Of the second class the best known are: the square fortification at 
 Cedar Bank, Scioto River, Ohio, with face of 800 feet, inclosing a mound 
 245 feet long by 150 broad; the works four miles north of Chillicothe, 
 Ohio, a square and a circular fortification inclosing twenty acres each ; the 
 graded way near Piketon, Ohio; about a hundred mounds and inclosures 
 in Ross County, Ohio; the pyramid at Seltzertown, Mississippi, 600 feet 
 long and 40 feet high, and a vast number of mounds, inclosures, squares 
 and pyramids on the upper lakes, and scattered through the Southern and 
 Western States. Every State in this great region contains these structures. 
 
 By far the greatest division is in Central and South America; and 
 here we find ourselves at the point where our ancient civilization reached 
 its height, among works which are the astonishment of explorers and per- 
 plexity of scholars. Yucatan is a vast field for antiquarian research, dotted 
 from one end to the other with the ruins of cities, temples and palaces. 
 But in the great forest which covers the northern half of Guatemala, the 
 southern half of Yucatan, and parts of other States, covering an area larger 
 than Ohio, is to be found the key to our ancient history. Within a few 
 years past cities have been discovered which must have contained a popu- 
 lation of a quarter of a million, in an advanced condition of civilization ; and 
 yet, owing to the jealous}^ of tlie natives and the indifference of modem 
 scholars, next to nothing is known, and few scientific researches have been 
 made upon this intensely interesting subject. In my limited space I con- 
 fine this inquiry to the remains in our own country. From what we see 
 in the West and South, the following conclusions are evident : 
 
28 THE FAMOUS MOUND-BUILDERS 
 
 1. The Mound Builders constituted a considerable population, under 
 one government. No wandering and feeble tribes could have erected such 
 works ; and the extent of the works, evidently many years in erection, as 
 well as their completeness and scientific exactness, show the controlling 
 energy of one directing central power, which alone can account for their 
 uniform character. 
 
 2. They were an agricultural people. The barbarous state requires 
 many times as large an area for the same number of people as the civilized 
 state; and the savage condition a much larger. The State of Ohio will 
 support an agricultural population of many millions ; yet it never contained 
 fifty thousand savages. It is easily proven that that portion of the United 
 States east of the Mississippi never contained half a million Indians. It 
 follows, also, that a very large portion of the country around their works 
 must have been cleared of timber and in cultivated fields. 
 
 Forest Trees which are the Growth of Centuries. 
 
 3. They left our country a long time ago. Nature does not give a 
 forest growth at once to abandoned fields ; a preparatory growth of shrubs 
 and softer timber comes first. But forest trees have been found upon the 
 summit of their mounds, which show, by annual rings and other signs, at 
 least six hundred years of growth. There could be no better proof of their 
 great antiquity. 
 
 Their works are never found upon the lowest terrace of the formation 
 on the rivers ; though many signs indicate that they built some as nearly 
 on a level with the streams as possible. Their " covered ways," leading 
 down to water, now terminate on the second terrace above. It is demon- 
 strable that of the various terraces — " second bottoms " — on our streams, 
 the lowest. was longest in forming. From these and many other signs, it 
 is proved that the last of the Mound Builders left the Ohio valley at least 
 a thousand years ago. 
 
 4. They occupied the country, at least the southern part of it, where 
 their population was densest, a very long time. This is shown by the 
 extent of their works, the evidences of their working the copper-mines of 
 the Superior region, and many other proofs. The best judges estimate that 
 nearly a thousand years elapsed from the time of their entrance till their 
 departure from the Mississippi valley. 
 
 5. At the south they were at peace ; but as they advanced northward^ 
 
THE FAMOUS MOUND-BUILDERS. 29 
 
 they came more and more into contact with the wild tribes, before whom 
 they finally retired — again towards the south. These facts are clearly 
 proved by the increase of fortifications northward, and broad flat mounds, 
 suitable only for building, southward. 
 
 So much for proof; and, connecting these with other proofs, the latest 
 antiquarians are of the opinion that the Toltecs — the civilized race preced- 
 ing the Aztecs — were our Mound-Builders. 
 
 Immense Forest in Central America. 
 
 When we pass to the more southern ruins the proofs of great an- 
 tiquity, large population and long occupation are vastly increased. Some 
 of them have been alluded to. The great forest of Guatemala and Yucatan 
 is nearly as large as Ohio and Indiana combined, and could easily have 
 sustained a civilized population of ten millions. The Aztecs, whom the 
 Spaniards found, were the last of at least three civilized races, and much 
 inferior to the Toltecs immediately preceding them. Their history indicates 
 that they were merely one of the original races, who overthrew and mingled 
 with the Toltecs, adopting part of their religion and civilization. The 
 Peruvian Incas, found by Pizarro, seemed to have been the second in the 
 series of races. But civilization is not spontaneous ; it must have required 
 nearly a thousand years for the first of the three dynasties to have de- 
 veloped art and learning far enough to erect the buildings we find. 
 
 Thus we have the series : A thousand years since the Mound Builders 
 left our country ; a previous thousand years of settlement and occupation, 
 and a thousand years for the precedent civilization to develop. Or, begin- 
 ning in Mexico, etc. : a thousand years of Spaniard and Aztec ; a previous 
 thousand years for Toltec migration and settlement, and a thousand years 
 before that for the Colhuas to develop, flourish and decline. This carries 
 us back to the time when the same course of events was inaugurated on 
 the Eastern Continent. We know that it has required so long to produce 
 all we see in Europe and Asia; all reasoning, by analogy, goes to show 
 that at least as long a time has been required to produce equally great 
 evidences in America. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 ^OIvUMBUS, notwithstanding the discovery of America by the 
 Northmen, deserves as much credit for his noble enterprise, as 
 though the continent had never been previously visited by any 
 European. He was probably ignorant of what had been done 
 by the Northmen, or if he acquired any knowledge of their 
 discoveries, it is not probable that he would ever imagine there was any 
 connection between the inhospitable countries which they described and the 
 luxuriant Indies which he sought. 
 
 Christopher Columbus was born at Genoa in 1441. It has been asserted 
 that his origin was humble. This is of the least possible consequence, or 
 it would not be difficult to produce evidence that he was well descended. 
 He studied awhile at Pavia, but quitted the university at an early period 
 to follow a maritime life. Between thirty and forty years were spent in 
 voyages to various parts of the world, during which geometry, astronomy and 
 cosmography occupied much of his attention. At length he settled at Lisbon, 
 where he married the orphan daughter of Palestrello, an Italian navigator. 
 From a long and close application to the study of geography and 
 navigation, Columbus had obtained a knowledge of the true figure of the 
 earth, much superior to the general notions of the age in which he lived. 
 In order that the globe might be properly balanced, and the lands and 
 seas proportioned to each other, he accordingly was led to conceive that 
 another continent was necessary. Other reasons induced him to believe 
 that this continent was connected with the East Indies. As early as the 
 year 1474, he communicated his ingenious theory to Paul, a physician of 
 Florence, eminent for his knowledge of geography. He w^armly approved it, 
 and encouraged Columbus in an undertaking so laudable, and which 
 promised so much benefit to the world. 
 
 Having fully satisfied himself with respect to the truth of his system, 
 lie became impatient to reduce it to practice. The first step towards this 
 was to secure the patronage of some of the European powers. Accordingly 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 31 
 
 lie laid his scheme before the senate of Genoa, making his native country 
 the first offer of his services. They rejected his proposals. 
 
 He next applied to John II. king of Portugal, a monarch of an enter- 
 prising genius, and no incompetent judge of naval affairs. The king listened 
 to him in the most gracious manner, and referred the consideration of his 
 plan to a number of eminent scholars, whom he was accustomed to consult 
 in matters of this kind. These men, from mean and interested views, started 
 innumerable objections, and asked many questions, on purpose to betray 
 Columbus into a full explanation of 
 his system. Having done this, they 
 advised the king to despatch a vessel, 
 secretly, to attempt the proposed dis- 
 covery, by following exactly the course 
 which Columbus had pointed out. 
 
 Columbus, after years of waiting, 
 abandoned the hope of obtaining a 
 noble assistance, and applied to Henry 
 VII. of England, from whom he re- 
 ceived a decided refusal. Quitting 
 Lisbon in 1484, Columbus went to 
 Spain, intending to lay his plans be- 
 fore Ferdinand and Isabella, the sov- 
 ereigns of that country. He could 
 scarcely have chosen a more unpro- 
 pitious time. He was told by the Christopher columbus. 
 
 sovereigns that on account of the Moorish war in which they were then 
 engaged they were too much occupied to treat with him, but would consider 
 his project at some future time when they would be better prepared to 
 decide upon its merits. 
 
 He accepted this answer as a refusal, and prepared to go to France to 
 ask the assistance of the king of that country, from whom he had received 
 a friendly letter. Traveling on foot he stopped at the monastery of Santa. 
 Maria de Rabida, near Palos, to visit the Prior Juan Perez de Marchena, 
 who had befriended him when he first came to Spain. The prior, learning 
 his intention to quit Spain, persuaded him to remain until one more effort 
 could be made to enlist the government in his plans. Leaving Columbus 
 at the convent, Juan Perez, who had formerly been the queen's confessor, 
 
COLUMBUS AT THE MONASTERY OF LA RABIDA. 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 33 
 
 mounted his mule and set off for the Spanish camp before Granada. He 
 was readily granted an interview by Queen Isabella, and he urged the suit 
 of Columbus with all the force of eloquence and reasoning of which he was 
 master, and finally was successful. 
 
 On the 3d of August, 1492, Columbus left Spain in the impressive 
 presence of a large crowd of spectators, who united their supplications to 
 heaven for his success. He steered directly for the Canary Islands, where 
 he arrived and refitted, as well as he could, his crazy and ill-appointed 
 fleet. Hence he sailed, September 6tli, a due western course into an 
 unknown ocean. Columbus now found a thousand unforeseen hardships to 
 encounter, which demanded all his judgment, fortitude, and address to sur- 
 mount. Besides the difficulties, unavoidable from the nature of his under- 
 taking, he had to struggle with those w^hich arose from the ignorance and 
 timidity of the people under his command. 
 
 The Sailors Filled with Terror. 
 
 On the 14th of September he was astonished to find that the magnetic 
 needle in their compass did not point exactly to the polar star, but varied 
 towards the west ; and as they proceeded, this variation increased. This 
 new phenomenon, which is now familiar, though the cause remains one of 
 the secrets of nature, filled the companions of Columbus with terror. 
 Nature itself seemed to have sustained a change ; and the only guide they 
 had left, to point them to a safe retreat from an unbounded and trackless 
 ocean, was about to fail them. Columbus, with no less quickness than 
 ingenuity, assigned a reason for this appearance, which, though it did not 
 satisfy himself, seemed so plausible to his companions, that it dispelled their 
 fears, or silenced their murmurs. The sailors, discontented and alarmed, 
 several times mutinied, and once proposed to throw their admiral overboard. 
 
 Columbus was now fully sensible of his perilous situation. He had 
 observ'ed, wdth great uneasiness, the fatal operation of ignorance and of fear 
 in producing disaffection among his crew; and saw that it was now ready 
 to burst out into open mutiny. He retained, however, perfect presence of 
 mind. He affected to seem ignorant of their machinations. Notwithstand- 
 ing the agitation and solicitude of his own mind, he appeared with a cheer- 
 ful countenance; like a man satisfied with the progress which he had 
 made, and confident of success. Sometimes he employed all the arts of 
 insinuation to soothe his men. 
 
f 
 
 v\ I 
 
 
 { I 
 
 fmilmiMIIMtilMdiJMmimi& 
 
 COWMBUS ADDRESSING HIS MBN DURING THE MUTINY ON BOARD HIS SHIP.. 
 
 S4 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 35 
 
 On other occasions he assumed a tone of authority, and threatened 
 them with vengeance from their sovereign, if, by their dastardly behavior, 
 they should defeat this noble effort to promote the glory of God, and to 
 exalt the Spanish name above that of every other nation. Even with sediti- 
 ous sailors, the words of a man whom they had been accustomed to rever- 
 ence were weighty and persuasive; and not only restrained them from 
 those violent excesses which they meditated, but prevailed with them to 
 accompany their admiral for some time longer. As they proceeded, the 
 indications of approaching land seemed to be more certain. 
 
 Columbus in Danger from Mutiny. 
 
 Columbus, in imitation of the Portuguese navigators, who had been 
 guided in several of their discoveries by the motion of birds, altered his 
 course from due west towards that quarter whither they pointed their flight. 
 But after holding on for several days in this new direction without any bet- 
 ter success than formerly, having seen no object during thirty days but the 
 sea and the sky, the hopes of his companions subsided faster than they had 
 risen ; their fears revived with additional force ; impatience, rage and despair 
 appeared in every countenance. All sense of subordination was lost. 
 
 The officers, who had hitherto concurred with Columbus in opinion, 
 I and supported his authority, now took part with the private men : 
 they assembled tumultuously on the deck, expostulated with their com- 
 mander, mingled threats with their expostulations, and required him in- 
 j stantly to tack about and to return to Europe. Columbus perceived that 
 'it would be of no avail to have recourse to any of his former arts, which, 
 having been tried so often, had lost their effect; and that it was impossi- 
 [ble to rekindle any zeal for the success of the expedition among men in 
 'whose breasts fear had extinguished every generous sentiment. He saw 
 that it was no less vain to think of employing either gentle or severe 
 measures, to quell a mutiny so general and so violent. 
 
 _ It was necessary, on all these accounts, to soothe passions which he 
 could no longer command, and to give way to a torrent too impetuous to 
 >jbe checked. He promised solemnly to his men that he would comply with 
 Jtheir requests, provided they would accompany him, and obey his commands 
 for three days longer; and if, during that time, land were not discovered, 
 |he would then abandon the enterprise, and direct his course back to Spain. 
 jEnraged as the sailors were, and impatient to turn their faces again towards 
 I 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 37 
 
 their native country, this proposition did not appear to them unreasonable. 
 Nor did Columbus hazard much in confining himself to a term so short. 
 
 The presages of discovering land were now so numerous and promising, 
 that he deemed them infallible. For some days the sounding line reached 
 the bottom, and the soil which it brought up indicated land to be at no 
 great distance. The flocks of birds increased, and were composed not only 
 of sea-fowl, but of such land birds as could not be supposed to fly far from 
 the shore. The crew of the Pinta observed a cane floating which seemed 
 to be newly cut, and likewise a piece of timber artificially carved. The 
 sailors aboard the Nigna took up the branch of a tree with red berries per- 
 fectly fresh. The clouds around the setting sun assumed a new appear- 
 ance ; the air was more mild and warm ; and, during night, the wind 
 became unequal and variable. 
 
 Welcome News that Land is Discovered. 
 
 From all these symptoms, Columbus was so confident of being near 
 land that, on the evening of the 11th of October, after public prayers for 
 success, he ordered the sails to be furled, and the ships to lie by, keeping 
 strict watch, lest they should be driven ashore in the night. During this 
 interval of suspense and expectation no man shut his eyes. 
 
 About two hours before midnight Columbus, standing on the forecastle, 
 observed a light at a distance, and privately pointed it out to Pedro Gut- 
 tierez, a page of the queen's wardrobe. Guttierez perceived it, and calling 
 to Salcedo, comptroller of the fleet, all three saw it in motion, as if it were 
 carried from place to place. At 2 o'clock next morning Roderic Triana 
 discovered land, and the jo3^ful sound of Land! land ! was heard from the 
 Pinta, which kept always ahead of the other ships. But having been 
 deceived so often by fallacious appearances, every man was now become 
 slow of belief, and waited, in all the anguish of uncertainty and impatience, 
 for the return of day. 
 
 As soon as morning dawned, all doubts and fears were dispelled. From 
 every ship an island was seen about two leagues to the north, whose flat 
 and verdant fields, well stored with wood and watered with many rivulets, 
 presented the aspect of a delightful country. The crew of the Pinta 
 instantly began the Te Deuin^ as a hymn of thanksgiving to God ; and 
 were joined by those of the other ships, with tears of joy and transports 
 of congratulation. 
 
38 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 This office of gratitude to lieaven was followed by an act of j ustice to 
 their commander. They threw themselves at the feet of Columbus with 
 feelings of self-condemnation mingled with reverence. The}^ implored him 
 to pardon their ignorance, incredulity and insolence, which had created him 
 so much unnecessary disquiet, and had so often obstructed the prosecution 
 of his well-concerted plan ; and passing, in the warmth of their admiration, 
 from one extreme to another, they now pronounced the man whom they 
 had so lately reviled and threatened, to be a person inspired by Heaven 
 with sagacity and fortitude more than human, in order to accomplish a 
 design so far beyond the ideas and conception of all former ages. 
 
 Astonishment of the People on Shore. 
 
 As soon as the sun arose all their boats were manned and armed. 
 They rowed towards the island with their colors displayed, with warlike 
 music, and other martial pomp. As they approached the coast they saw 
 it covered with a multitude of people, whom the novelty of the spectacle 
 had drawn together, whose attitudes and gestures expressed wonder and 
 astonishment at the strange objects they saw. 
 
 Columbus was the first European who set foot in the New World 
 which he had discovered. He landed in a rich dress and with a naked 
 sword in his hand. His men followed ; and, kneeling down, they all kissed 
 the ground which they had so long desired to see. They next erected a 
 crucifix, and, prostrating themselves before it, returned thanks to God for 
 conducting their voyage to such a happy issue. The island was one of 
 the Bahama islands, to which he gave the name of San Salvador.^ and took 
 possession of it in the name of their Catholic Majesties. 
 
 In this first voyage he discovered several other of the Lucayo or 
 Bahama Islands, with those of Cuba and Hispaniola. The natives con- 
 sidered the Spaniards as divinities, and the discharge of the artillery as 
 their thunder; they fell prostrate at the sound. He afterwards touched at 
 several of the islands in the same cluster, inquiring everywhere for gold, 
 which he thought was the only object of commerce worth his attention. 
 In steering southward he discovered the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, 
 inhabited by a humane and hospitable people. 
 
 Before embarking for Spain, Columbus took on board some of the 
 products of the new world to convince the people on the other side of the 
 ocean that he had made a great and important discovery. He captured some 
 
COLUMBUS RECEIVING NATIVES ON BOARD HIS SHIP. 
 
 39 
 
40 DISCOVERY OB AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 of the birds and animals, and also induced several of the natives to accom- 
 pany him. The latter were ornamented with feathers, necklaces, etc. 
 
 On his return he was overtaken by a storm, which had nearly proved 
 fatal to his ships and their crews. At a crisis when all was given up for 
 lost, Columbus had presence of mind enough to retire into his cabin, and 
 to write upon parchment a short account of his voyage ; this he wrapped 
 in an oiled cloth, which he enclosed in a cake of wax, put it into a tight 
 cask, and threw it into the sea, in hopes that some fortunate accident might 
 preserve a deposit of so much importance to the world. 
 
 Colurabus Welcomed by the Court and People. 
 
 He arrived at Palos in Spain, whence he had sailed the year before, on 
 the 15th of March, 1493. He was welcomed with all the acclamations which 
 the populace are ever ready to bestow on great and glorious characters ; and 
 the court received him with marks of the greatest respect. 
 
 A second expedition, consisting of seventeen ships and fifteen hundred 
 men, was now fitted out, and sailed from Cadiz under the command of Co- 
 lumbus on the 25th of September, 1493. On this voyage he discovered 
 Jamaica and many of the Caribbee Islands. 
 
 In 1498 Columbus made a third voyage, and in this expedition he 
 discovered the mainland of the American Continent near the mouth of the 
 Orinoco, and explored the coast of the provinces, since called Para and 
 Cumana. He was not aware of the true nature of his discovery, but 
 supposed that the South American coast was a part of a large island 
 belonging to Cathay or Farther India. 
 
 In the meantime gold had been discovered in Hayti, and crowds of 
 adventurers were drawn hither from Spain. They inflicted great hardships 
 upon the natives, and when Columbus arrived he found the affairs of the 
 colony in a most deplorable state. The sovereigns at length sent over a 
 commissioner named Bobadilla to investigate the affairs of the colony. He 
 was a narrow-minded, incompetent man, and instead of investigating the 
 charges against the admiral, arrested him, and sent him back to Spain in 
 irons. When the officers of the ship which bore him back home wished to 
 remove his fetters, he refused to allow them to do so, saying, "I will wear 
 them as a memento of the gratitude of princes." The news of this outrage 
 filled the people of Spain with honest indignation. "All seemed to feel it as a 
 national dishonor," says Prescott, "that such indignities should be heaped 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 41 
 
 upon the man, who, whatever might be his indiscretions, had done so much 
 for Spain, and for the civilized world." 
 
 Queen Isabella at once ordered his fetters to be struck off, and he was 
 summoned to court, reinstated in all his honors, and treated with the highest 
 consideration. Isabella gained from the king a promise to aid her in doing 
 justice to the admiral, and in punishing his enemies ; but Ferdinand, who 
 could never bear to do a generous or noble act, evaded his promise, and the 
 admiral failed to receive his just recompense. 
 
 Shipwrecked on the Coast of Jamaica. 
 
 In 1504 Columbus sailed on his fourth voyage; his object this time 
 being to find a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, by which 
 he might reach India. He explored the Gulf of Honduras, and saw 
 the continent of North America, but was compelled by the mutiny of his 
 crew and by severe storms to abandon his attempt and return to the north- 
 ward. He was shipwrecked on the coast of Jamaica, where he remained 
 more than a year. 
 
 Returning to Spain in November, 1505, he found his best friend. Queen 
 Isabella, on her death-bed. The enemies whom his great success had raised 
 up for him were numerous and powerful, while he was now old and broken 
 in health. He vainly sought from Ferdinand a faithful execution of the 
 original compact between them ; but though he received fair words and 
 promises in abundance from the king, Ferdinand steadily refused to comply 
 with the just demands of the admiral. 
 
 On the last voyage of Columbus the Spaniards were so harsh and 
 unjust to the Indians that they refused to bring in the supplies on which 
 it may be said the lives of the visitors depended. Columbus led them to 
 do so by appealing to their superstition. He foretold an eclipse of the 
 Sun, which, proving true, they were so terrified that they hastened to do his 
 will. In addition to these trials, Columbus suffered very much from the 
 diseases that had rooted themselves in his system. At last relief vessels 
 arrived, and he set sail for Spain, landing, after a tempestous voyage, at 
 Seville, September 7, 1504. 
 
 Disease was making rapid inroads on the brave old navigator, who had 
 undergone such vicissitudes of fortune. He had overcome obstacles that 
 would have crushed ordinary men ; he had quelled mutinies and faced 
 perils innumerable by land and sea; but he could not beat off the attacks 
 
42 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 which came with increasing years. When he reached Seville he was too 
 
 ill to go to court, and his son Diego was 
 
 sent forward to attend to his interests. 
 
 The feeble admiral was treated kindly and 
 
 with great honor. In May, 1505, he was 
 
 removed to the court at Segovia, and thence 
 
 to Valladolid, growing steadily weaker in 
 
 body all the time. 
 
 The 1 i^l diKumtnt- 
 
 ii\ n< l<. nl C hniibus is 
 
 n I lin il cddiLil to his 
 
 will ni idi It ^ ill idolid, 
 
 May 19, 1506. This he 
 
 wrote and signed with 
 
 NATIVES ASTONISHED BY THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. -^-^ ^^^^ hand. The next 
 
 day he passed away. He was quietly buried at Valladolid; but, some 
 
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS. 43 
 
 time later, "his bones were removed to the Carthusian monastery of Las 
 Cuevas, Seville, where the remains of his son Diego were also subsequently 
 laid. In 1536 the bodies of father and son were exhumed and taken across 
 the ocean to San Domingo (Hispaniola), where they were buried in the 
 cathedral. There they remained until 1 795-1 796, when, on the cession of 
 the island to the French, the ashes were again exhumed, and with great 
 state and ceremony, transferred to the cathedral of Havana, where they 
 now remain. This male issue of Columbus ended with the third genera- 
 tion, and the estates and titles were transferred by marriage to the scion 
 of the house of Braganca. 
 
 Columbus lived to experience the ingratitude of the sovereigns whom 
 he had so faithfully served. They sought to deprive him of the reward 
 they had promised ; and it was only by a long and expensive lav/suit that 
 his son succeeded at last in establishing his rights and founding a noble 
 family, whose descendants are still among the highest grandees of Spain. 
 
 Story of Oolumbus and the Egg. 
 
 Columbus's readiness and address are well illustrated by the following 
 anecdote : " Soon after Columbus's return from his first voyage, a splendid 
 entertainment was proposed, to which he was invited, again to recount the 
 particulars of his voyage in a more familiar and detailed manner than he 
 had done before. There were manj^ of the courtiers who secretly envied 
 the good fortune of Columbus, and tried to disparge his success, by hint- 
 ing that anybody might have done the same thing — that there was nothing 
 very marvellous in discovering a western world — that if he had not done 
 it, somebody else would ; that the thing was, after all, by no means 
 difficult. 
 
 " Upon this Columbus took up an ^^g^ and civilly asked those present if 
 they could make it stand on either of its ends. The courtiers tried, and 
 tried, and tried again without success ; and, after a while, were forced to 
 give up the point. ' You see,' said Columbus, ' it is impossible.' Colum- 
 bus then gave the ^'g<g a. slight blow on one end, so as just to break in the 
 shell. The egg stood immediately. ' There,' said he, ' it is possible after 
 all ; but I found out the way to do it, which none of you could.' The 
 queen laughed heartily, and declared that Columbus was the victor." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 
 
 iFTER the discovery of the Western world by Columbus, the 
 principal European nations who made discoveries were the 
 English, the French, the Spanish and the Dutch. 
 
 It was under the reign of the politic, though cruel, Henry 
 VII. of England, that the shores of the United States were 
 explored. The names of the Cabots should be remembered by American 
 citizens with that of Columbus, for they equally form connecting links 
 between our history and that of Europe. John Cabot, a native of Venice, 
 had, with his family, settled in England. He and his renowned son, 
 Sebastian, were men of great learning, enterprise and ability. By a com- 
 mission of Henry VII., dated March 5th, 1496 (the oldest American state 
 paper of England), they had authority to discover any heathen countries 
 not before known to Christians. They, defraying the expenses of the voy- 
 age, were to possess these countries as the king's lieutenants, paying him 
 one-fifth of all gains. 
 
 They sailed from England in Ma}^, 1497, and in June discovered the 
 Island of Newfoundland, which they called Prima Vista. Steering north- 
 ward, they made the first discovery of the continent on the coast of Lab- 
 rador. On their return they pursued a southerly direction to an uncertain 
 distance. 
 
 Sebastian Cabot sailed a second time — reached Labrador, thence turning 
 southerly, and became the discoverer of the coast of the United States, 
 along which he proceeded as far as the southern latitude of Maryland. It 
 is much to be regretted that so few particulars remain on record of these 
 two voyages, which form so fundamental a portion of our history. 
 
 Smitten by the common passion of the sovereigns of Europe for 
 American discovery, Francis I., of France, turned aside alike from his 
 elegant and his warlike pursuits, and one year before his defeat at Pavia 
 he found for his service another Italian discoverer. This was John Verra- 
 zani, a Florentine, who reached the continent in the latitude of Wilmington, 
 44 
 
ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 45 
 
 North Carolina. He then sailed fifty leagues south, but finding no con- 
 venient harbor, he returned and cast anchor ; being the first European who 
 had afforded the astonished natives the spectacle of the white race. They 
 were received with rude, but fearless hospitality. 
 
 'The French looked with wonder upon the wild costume of the natives, 
 made of the skins of animals, and set off by necklaces of coral and gar- 
 lands of feathers. As they again sailed northward along the coast, their 
 senses were regaled by the verdure of the forests, and the perfume of the 
 flowers which they scented from the shores. 
 
 At a fine harbor, supposed to be that of Newport in Rhode Island, 
 Verrazani remained fifteen days, and there found "the goodliest people he 
 had seen." From thence he followed the northeastern shore of New Eng- 
 land, finding the inhabitants jealous and hostile. From the peninsula of 
 Nova Scotia he returned to France, and wrote a narrative of his voyage, 
 w^hich is the earliest original account of the coast of the United States. 
 
 Discovery of Canada. 
 
 James Cartier was, however, the mariner to whose discoveries the French 
 trace the extensive empire which they possessed in North America. Cartier, 
 after a prosperous voyage of twenty days, made Cape Bonavista, the most 
 easterly point of Newfoundland. Sailing around the northeastern extremity 
 of the island, he encountered severe weather and icy seas. Then, stretching 
 to the southwest, he discovered on St. Lawrence's day, the noble gulf which 
 bears the name of that saint. In July he entered a bay which, from the 
 heats of the rapidly changing season, he named Des Chaleurs. Coasting 
 thence to the small bay of Gaspe, he there landed and reared a cross, upon 
 which he hung a shield bearing the arms of France, in token that the 
 country was thenceforth a part of its domain. Boisterous weather soon 
 obliged him to return. 
 
 In 1535 he sailed on a second voyage, entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
 proceeded up the river to which he gave the same name, and anchored at 
 an island, which, abounding in grapes, he named Bacchus Isle, now the Isle 
 of Orleans. He continued his voyage to the island of Hochelaga ; when 
 mounting on an eminence where his spirit was gladdened by the actual 
 view of a beautiful region he had before seen in vision, he gave it the name 
 of Mont Real. It was then the resort of native tribes, whose language 
 proved them to be Hurons. 
 
46 ADVENTURES OF BE SOTO AND OTHERS. 
 
 He returned to the isle Bacchus, built a fort, and there suffered not 
 only the unwonted rigors of winter, but the attacks of the scurvy, a terrible 
 malady, to which many of his company fell victims. He returned in the 
 spring with dreary accounts of the country, which, however, he named New 
 France. It was also called Canada, but at what time, or whether from any 
 significance in the word, is not known. 
 
 Fort Built on the Site of Quebec. 
 
 France now possessed a country in the New World, through which 
 flowed a river, more majestic than any in Europe. To hold sway over so 
 extensive a region, though a wilderness, seemed to Francis De La Roque, 
 of Roberv^al, more honorable than to govern a small and cultured domain 
 in Picardy; and he obtained from the king full authority to rule, as viceroy, 
 the vast territory around the bay and river of St. Lawrence. Cartier was 
 necessary to him, and received the title of chief pilot and captain-general 
 of the enterprise. The prisons were thrown open to find persons willing to 
 become their colonists. 
 
 Nothing good could be expected from such beginnings. Cartier sailed 
 up the St. Lawrence, built a fort near the site of Quebec, and there spent 
 a winter, in which he had occasion to hang one of his company, put several 
 in irons, and "whip divers women as well as men." In the spring he took 
 them back to France, just as Roberval arrived with supplies and fresh 
 emigrants. By him, however, nothing permanent was effected ; and after a 
 year, he abandoned his viceroyalty, and, cured, at least for a time, of his 
 inordinate ambition, he returned to Picardy. 
 
 Coligni, the distinguished high admiral of France, sent out, under the 
 command of John Ribault, well known as a brave and pious Protestant, 
 two ships laden with conscientious Huguenots, or Protestants, many of whom 
 were of the best families in France. They made land in the delightful 
 clime of St. Augustine; and on the 1st of May discovered the St. John, 
 which they called the river of May. Sailing along the coast northeasterly, 
 they at length fixed on Port Royal entrance. There they built a fort, and 
 in honor of the king of France, called it Carolina, a name which is pre- 
 served in the appellation of two of our States. Ribault left there a colony, 
 and returned to France. 
 
 The commander of the fort provoked a mutiny, and was slain. The 
 colonists longed for home. They put to sea without suitable provisions, 
 
ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 
 
 47 
 
 and, forlorn and famishing, were found by a British vessel and were carried 
 by it to England. 
 
 The persevering Coligni soon after sent out another colony under 
 Laudonniere, a seaman of worth and intelligence. Upon the banks of the 
 river of May, with psalms of thanksgiving, they made their dwelling-place 
 and erected another fort, called also Carolina. The next j^ear Ribault 
 arrived with vessels containing emigrants 
 and supplies ; and, taking the command, 
 the colony seemed happily planted. 
 
 To bring together the discoveries of 
 the same nation, we go back fifty years 
 in the order of time. It is impossible 
 at this day to conceive how much our 
 knowledge of the geography of the earth 
 has diminished the marvellous, so rife 
 in the times of which we treat. Won- 
 derful discoveries were continually ex- 
 pected, for such had already been made, 
 and human hope is ever in advance of 
 reality. 
 
 John Ponce de Leon, a Spanish soldier 
 who had once voyaged with Columbus, had 
 received an impression common in those 
 times, that there existed in the New World 
 a fountain whose waters had power to arrest disease, and give immortal 
 youth. The aged Ponce set forth to seek it, and to conquer a kingdom. 
 He searched among the Bahama Islands, then steered to the northwest. On 
 Easter Sunday, called by the Spaniards Pascua Florida, and a little north 
 of the latitude of St. Augustine, he discovered what he deemed a land of 
 flowers, so brilliant were the forest trees. The fountain of life was not there ; 
 but Ponce took possession of the country in the name of the Spanish king, 
 and called it Florida. 
 
 The part of South Carolina in the vicinity of the Combahee River 
 was soon after visited by a Spaniard, Vasquez De Ayllon. The country 
 was named Chicora, and the river, the Jordan. De Ayllon had two ships. 
 He invited the natives to visit them, and while the unsuspecting throngs 
 stood upon his deck, he hoisted sail, and in a moment they became miser- 
 
 FERNANDO DE SOTO. 
 
48 
 
 ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 
 
 able slaves, torn from their families, and condemned to ceaseless toil. De 
 Ayllon obtained afterwards a commission to conquer the country, but the 
 hostility of the natives could not be overcome, and numbers of Spaniards 
 perished in the fruitless attempt. 
 
 By an unsuccessful effort of the Spaniards under the adventurer Nar- 
 vaez, to conquer Florida, and the adjoining country, an army of three hun- 
 dred Spanish, partly mounted cavaliers, wasted away till but four or five 
 returned; and those not until after incredible wanderings and hardships. 
 
 SPANIARDS DESCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI AFTER THE DEATH OF DE SOTO. 
 
 They, however, insisted that Florida was the richest country in the 
 world ; and Ferdinand De vSoto, already famous as the companion of Pizarro, , 
 the cruel conqueror of Peru, and ambitious to be in conquest equally great, 
 listening to the marvelous tales of the wanderers, obtained a commission 
 from Charles V. to conquer Florida at his own cost. His reputation gave 
 him followers; and with high hopes he sailed to Cuba, of which he had 
 been made Governor ; and there adding to his armament, he landed in 
 1539 at Espirito Santo in Florida, with six hundred soldiers; an army 
 
ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 49 
 
 far greater in numbers and much better appointed than that with which 
 Cortez conquered Mexico. 
 
 He expected to find mines and cities of gold ; and being from time to 
 
 time deluded by the natives, he pursued these shadows, which ever fled as 
 
 he approached. He went north, crossed the Alleghany Mountains, then 
 
 marched southerly to Mobile, where he fought a bloody battle with the people 
 
 of a walled city containing several thousand inhabitants. At Pensacola he 
 
 met ships from Cuba, with supplies for his exhausted army; and too 
 
 proud to be wise, he still pursued a phantom, rather than retrace a false step. 
 
 The hope of the precious metals still lured him on, and he now bent 
 
 his course to the northwest, and in latitude thirty-four degrees discovered 
 
 : the majestic Mississippi. He continued west until -he reached the Wachita, 
 
 ' when, becoming at length dispirited, he turned homewards his course, 
 
 descended that stream to its junction with the Red River, and thence down 
 
 its current ; and where the Red mingles its waters with the Alississippi, 
 
 \ there he died ; and his body, inclosed in a hollow oak, was committed to 
 
 j the broad stream, from the discover}^ of which he derives his unenviable fame. 
 
 The Oldest City in America. 
 
 j The ofiicer who succeeded him in command, conducted the poor 
 
 ! remains of the army down the Mississippi, seeking a place, where, no 
 \ longer perpetually watched by concealed savage foes, he might once more 
 "sleep out his full sleep." 
 
 When the news reached Spain that Florida had been colonized by 
 French Huguenots, Philip H. found in Pedro ]Melendez de Aviles a fit 
 agent of his own bigoted spirit ; and he gave him the double commission 
 to take possession of that country, and to destroy the heretics. More than 
 I five hundred persons accompanied Alelendez, among whom were men with 
 their families, soldiers, mechanics and priests. Coming upon the coast south 
 of the settlement, he discovered the harbor of St. Augustine on the day of 
 that saint; and here was now laid the foundation of the city of that 
 name, the oldest by more than fort}^ years, of any within the limits 
 of our Republic. 
 
 The French had received from Melendez the terrible notice that he had 
 come to destroy every person who was not a Catholic. Ribault, supposing 
 that the Spaniards would make the attack by sea, embarked to meet them. 
 A tremendous storm drove him from his track, and shipwrecked his whole 
 
50 
 
 ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 
 
 fleet. The Spaniards, meantime, crossed the forest and attacked by land. 
 Unprepared and surprised, the defenseless fort soon surrendered; when cruel 
 bigotry performed her murderous work upon all — without distinction of age 
 or sex. The shipwrecked mariners were afterwards found, feeble and 
 
 exhausted upon the 
 shore. IMelendez in- 
 vited them to come to 
 him and trust to his 
 compassion ; they 
 came — and he slew 
 them I 
 
 When the new^s 
 of this cruel massa- 
 cre crossed the At- 
 lantic, a cry of ven- 
 geance reached the 
 French monarch, for 
 the blood of nine 
 hundred butchered 
 subjects, but it was 
 unheeded. Yet so 
 deep was the feeling 
 among the people of 
 France, that three 
 3'ears afterwards, in- 
 dividuals headed by 
 the gallant chevalier 
 Gouges, made a de- 
 scent on the settle- 
 ment of Florida and 
 put to death two 
 hundred Spaniards. 
 The Spanish colony was thus checked, but it was not destroj^ed ; and it proved 
 to be the first permanent settlement made by Europeans upon the shores 
 of our Republic. 
 
 Though England had made no effort to colonize America during the 
 long period we have been considering, she never abandoned her claims to 
 
 THE REXOWNED EXPLORER, SIR MARTIN FROBISHER. 
 
ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO AND OTHERS. 51 
 
 that region, claims which were based upon the discoveries and explorations 
 of John and Sebastian Cabot. The voyages of her fishermen to Newfound- 
 land kept the country fresh in the minds of the sea-faring Englishmen, 
 and from time to time voyages were made to the American coast for the 
 purpose of trading with the savages. Under Elizabeth, who pursued the 
 wise policy of fostering her navy, a race of hardy and daring sailors grew 
 up in England, and carried the flag of their country into every sea. 
 
 A Cargo of Worthless Dirt. 
 
 In this reign Martin Frobisher with two small ships made a voyage 
 to the frozen regions of Labrador in search of the northwest passage. He 
 failed to find it, but penetrated farther north than any European had yet 
 gone, A. D. 1576. His second voj^age was made the next year, and was 
 undertaken in the hope of finding gold, as one of the stones he had brought 
 home on his first cruise had been pronounced b}^ the refiners of London to 
 contain the precious metal. 
 
 The fleet did not advance as far north as Frobisher had done on his 
 first attempt, as a large mass of yellow earth was found which was believed 
 to contain gold. The ships were loaded with this, and all sail was made 
 for home, only to find on reaching England that their cargo was but a 
 heap of worthless dirt. A third voyage with fifteen ships was attempted 
 in 1578, but no gold was found, and the extreme northern latitudes were 
 ascertained to be too bleak for colonization. 
 
 The idea of discovering gold in America seems to have been constantly 
 in the mind of the various discoverers who, at this period, commanded ex- 
 peditions. High hopes were entertained of finding untold wealth in the 
 new world, and when such attempts failed, evil reports were naturally carried 
 back by the disappointed adventurers. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 STORY OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
 
 )HE history of English colonization in America begins with two 
 remarkable men, Sir Humphrey Gilbert and his brother-in-law, 
 Sir Walter Raleigh. The English monarchy claiming the 
 country, in virtue of the discovery of Sebastian Cabot, Queen 
 Elizabeth, the reigning sovereign, gave to Sir Humphrey Gil- 
 bert, in 1578, by an open or patent letter, " all such remote, heathen and 
 barbarous lands," as he should discover in North America, and of which 
 he should take possession ; these lands not having been before occupied by 
 any other Christian power. 
 
 She vested in him and his heirs the full right of property in the soil, 
 and also the complete right of jurisdiction over those countries, and the 
 seas adjoining them ; declaring that all who settle there should enjoy the 
 privileges of free citizens and natives of England ; and finall}^, she pro- 
 hibited all persons from attempting to settle within two hundred leagues 
 of any place which Sir Humphrc}^, or his associates, should have occupied 
 for the space of six j^ears. For these privileges the patentee was to 
 acknowledge the authority of the crown of England as supreme, and pay 
 to the sovereign one-fifth of all the gold and silver which should be obtained 
 from these countries. 
 
 In the first attempt made b}^ Gilbert to plant a colou}^, he put to sea, 
 but was obliged to return. In the second, he reached St, John's, in New- 
 foundland, where he took j^ossession of the country for his sovereign by 
 raising a pillar inscribed with the British arms. He next sought means to 
 secure to the English the fisheries on the banks, which were now so valuable 
 as to be contested by different European nations. From thence he sailed 
 southwesterly, till he reached the latitude of the mouth of the Kennebec. 
 Here the largest of his three vessels struck, and all her crew perished. 
 
 Gilbert now finding it impossible to proceed, set his face towards Eng- 
 land, keeping in the smallest of his remaining vessels, a barge of only ten 
 tons ; for his generous heart refused to put any to a peril he was himself 
 
 52 
 
STORY OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
 
 53 
 
 pupil of 
 
 unwilling to share. The passage was stormy, but liis pious mind found 
 comfort in the reflection which, as he sat reading in the stern of his barge, 
 he uttered to his companions in the larger vessel : '' we are as near heaven 
 at sea, as on land ;" and he might have added, in the words of that book 
 which was doubtless in his hand, " Ye shall seek me in the morning, but 
 I shall not be ;" for in the night the lights of his little bark suddenly 
 vanished, and he was heard of no more. 
 
 The bold and energetic Raleigh, who had in France been 
 Coligni, pursued with unabated ardor the 
 great career in which Gilbert had wasted 
 his fortune, and lost his life. From his 
 courtly demeanor and brilliant genius. Sir 
 Walter had made himself a favorite with 
 the stately Queen, and he readily gained 
 from her a patent, with privileges no less 
 ample than those which she had granted 
 to his brother. 
 
 Raleigh had learned from the unsuc- 
 cessful emigrants of France the superior 
 mildness and fertility of the south, and 
 thither he dispatched two vessels under 
 Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow. They 
 approached the shore at Pamlico Sound, 
 and, according to their florid descriptions, 
 were regaled with " the delicate smell of 
 the flowers " far off at sea ; and on landing 
 in Ocracok, or Roanoke Island, they found the grapes so abundant on the 
 coast, that the surges of the sea often washed over them. 
 
 The natives were as kindly as their climate and soil. The king's son, 
 Granganimo, came with fifty of his Deople and received them with dis- 
 tinguished courtesy. He invited them to his dwelling at twenty miles 
 distance on the coast ; but when they went it chanced he was not at home. 
 His wife came out to meet them, and with a hospitality which no instance 
 of civilized life can surpass, she ordered some of her people to draw their 
 boat ashore to preserve it, and others to bring the Englishmen on their 
 backs through the surf. Then, conducting her guests to her home, she 
 had a fire kindled, that they might dry their clothes, which were wet with 
 
 SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
 
54 STORY OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
 
 rain ; while in another room she spread a plentiful repast of fish, venison, 
 esculent roots, melons and fruits. As they were eating, several Indians, 
 armed with bows and arrows, entered. She chid them, and sent them away, 
 lest her visitors should suffer from alarm. 
 
 When the navigators returned to England, and made to Elizabeth their 
 report of this delightful region, she was induced to give it the name of 
 Virginia, as a memorial that the happy discovery had been made under a 
 virgin queen. The name soon became general throughout the coast. 
 
 Raleigh now found many adventurers ready to embark in his project; 
 and in 1585 he fitted out a squadron of seven ships, under the command 
 of Sir Richard Grenville, who followed the course of Amidas and Barlow, 
 and touched at the same islands ; in one of which he cruelly burned a 
 village, because he suspected an Indian of having stolen a silver cup. He 
 then left a colony under Captain Lane at the island of Roanoke. The 
 colonists, reduced to great distress for want of provisions, the next 3^ear 
 were carried to England by Sir Francis Drake, who was returning from a 
 successful expedition against the Spaniards in the West Indies. 
 
 A Crew that was never Heard From. 
 
 Soon after their departure they were sought by a ship which had been 
 sent by Raleigh with supplies, and afterwards by Sir Richard Grenville. 
 He, not finding them, most unwisely left fifteen of his crew to keep posses- 
 sion of the island, and then returned to England. Of this small number 
 nothing was afterwards heard. Probably they were destroyed b}^ the injured 
 and revengeful savages. 
 
 The account of Virginia furnished by the colonists to Sir Walter 
 Raleigh was such as to encourage that enterprising speculator to make 
 another attempt. The faults of the previous expedition were now apparent, 
 and could be guarded against. It was true that the Indians were not to be 
 relied on, and that their hostility had resulted in a very serious disaster; 
 but the country itself was a prize worth winning. Raleigh, therefore, 
 determined on an effort of a more elaborate character. This time the male 
 emigrants should be accompanied by their wives and children, and a real 
 colony, not merely a settlement of explorers, should be formed. To the 
 community thus about to be created. Sir Walter granted a charter of 
 incorporation, and at the same time established a municipal government for 
 a contemplated city, which was to be called after the great adventurer himself. 
 
STORY OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 55 
 
 The governor was to be one John White, and under him were placed 
 ■'.welve , assistants. The fleet of transport ships consisted of three vessels, 
 all fitted out at the charge of Raleigh, for the queen declined to bear any 
 portion of the expense. Implements of husbandry were supplied to the 
 emigraTits ; and when the ships set sail from Portsmouth, on the 26th of 
 April, 1587, it might well have seemed that fortunate da3^s were in store for 
 the part3\ The}^ arrived off the coast of North Carolina in July, and, on 
 reaching Roanoke Island, made search for the fifteen men left there the 
 year before b}^ Sir Richard Grenville. But all was desolate and solitary. 
 
 A few human bones lay scattered about, and, at the north end of the 
 island, the fort erected by Lane was found levelled with the earth. The 
 dwelling-houses of his men were still standing ; but the lower rooms were 
 overgrown with melons, already springing up in rank luxuriance under the 
 enchantment of that exquisite climate; and deer were couched within, 
 feeding on the fruit which there were no hands to gather. 
 
 Killed by Arrows and Clubs. 
 
 This was far from an encouraging commencement ; but the colonists 
 set to work repairing the houses and building new ones. They had not been 
 there man}'- days when one of the twelve assistants of Governor White was slain 
 by a jDarty of savages who came over to Roanoke, and, hiding themselves 
 among the tall reeds on the shore, transfixed the poor Englishman (who was 
 alone, and two miles away from his comrades) with sixteen arrows, and then 
 beat in his head with clubs. Captain White returned to England to solicit 
 supplies for the colon}'. Before he departed, his daughter, Mrs. Dare, gave 
 birth to a female infant, the first child of English parents born in America. 
 The infant was baptized by the name of Virginia. 
 
 The attempts made by Raleigh for the relief of this colony were 
 unremitted, but unsuccessful ; for at this time the Spanish Armada threatened 
 to overwhelm England itself; and three 3'^ears elapsed before he could procure 
 the means of sending Captain White to their relief. It was then too late. 
 Not one remained ; nor, though repeatedly sought, has any clue to their fate 
 ever been found. Appalled and in danger of perishing himself. White 
 returned, without leaving one English settler on the shores of America. 
 
 In consequence of the unfortunate issue of these attempts, Raleigh was 
 easily induced to assign his right of property, together with all the privi- 
 leges contained in his patent, to a company of merchants in London. This 
 
56 
 
 MURDER OF WHITE'S ASSISTANT BY THE INDIANS. 
 
STORY OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 57 
 
 company, satisfied with a paltry traffic with the natives, made no attempt 
 to take possession of the country. 
 
 In 1602 Bartholomew Gosnold, with thirty-two men, sailed from Fal- 
 mouth, and steering due west, he was the first English commander who 
 reached the country by this shorter and more direct course. He approached 
 the coast near Nahant, but failing to find a good harbor, he bore to the 
 south, discovered and gave name to Cape Cod, which was the first ground 
 in New England ever trod by Englishmen. Thence sailing round Nan- 
 tucket, he discovered and named Martha's Vineyard, entered Buzzard's Bay, 
 and, finding a fertile island, he gave it, in honor of the Queen, the name 
 of Elizabeth. Near its western shore, on an islet in a lake, he built a 
 fort and storehouse, and prepared to leave there a small colony. But the 
 natives became hostile, and his intended settlers would not remain. Having 
 freighted his vessel, mostly with sassafras root, then much esteemed in 
 pharmacy, he hoisted sail and reached England with all his men, after a 
 passage of five weeks, the shortest then known. 
 
 Expedition Sent to America by France. 
 
 France, wasted by her wars, had for fifty years neglected her claims to 
 territory on the western continent. At length she sent out an expedition, 
 and attempted to plant a colony. This expedition discovered and named the 
 rivers St. John and St. Croix, and sailed along the coast as far as Cape Cod. 
 
 The English becoming alarmed at this encroachment on territory which 
 they claimed, James I., the successor of Elizabeth, divided that portion of 
 North America which lies between the 34th and 45th degree of North lati- 
 tude into two districts nearly equal ; granting the southern part, or first 
 colony of Virginia, included between the 34th and 41st degrees, to a com- 
 pany of merchants called the London Company ; and the northern or second 
 colony of Virginia, included between the 38tli and 45th degrees, to another 
 corporation, called the Plymouth Company. The king authorized these 
 companies to make settlements, provided they were not within one hundred 
 miles of each other, and vested them with a right of land along the coast, 
 fifty miles each way, and extending into the interior one hundred miles 
 from the place of settlement. 
 
 The London and Plymouth companies prepared to take possession of 
 the lands which had been assigned to them. The first vessel fitted out by 
 the Plymouth Company, in 1606, was taken by the Spaniards. In 1607 
 
58 STORY OF. SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
 
 they sent out Admiral Raleigh Gilbert, with a hundred planters, under 
 Capt. George Popham, their president. They landed at the mouth of Ken- 
 nebec river, where they built and fortified a storehouse ; but in two or three 
 months the ships returned to England, leaving only forty-five men. The 
 sufferings of the colony, under Capt. Popham, were, through the winter, very 
 severe. They lost their storehouse by fire, and their president by death, 
 and the next year returned to England, considering the country " a cold, 
 barren, mountainous desert," where, in the quaint language of that period, 
 they declared " they found nothing but extreme extremities." This was the 
 first and only attempt to settle this part of the country till 1620. 
 
 Thus, after a period of one hundred and ten years, from the time of 
 Cabot's discoveries, and twenty-four years after Raleigh planted the first 
 colony, there was not, in 1607, an Englishman settled in America. The 
 wilderness was not inviting to those who had been accustomed to a country 
 long settled and furnishing all the conveniences and luxuries of civilized 
 life. The American savages were not always to be depended upon and on 
 account of some real or fancied injury were ready to take revenge on the 
 unprotected settlers. It was but natural that the imigrants should feel the 
 separation from their former home and friends. These causes all operated 
 to retard the settlement of the new country. Still, America was not destined 
 to long remain a territory unoccupied by Europeans. " Westward the course 
 of empire took its way." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 N 1607 the London Companj^ sent out Captain Christopher Newport, 
 with three ships and one hundred and five men, among whom was 
 the navigator, Gosnold, and Captain John Smith, the Father of 
 Virginia. He was already celebrated for his daring and chivalrous 
 exploits, to which he was led by the love of adventure and of 
 glory, and by a desire to serve 
 both God and man. In boyhood 
 he fought for freedom in Holland; 
 and thence traveled over France, 
 Egypt and Italy. In Hungary 
 he bravel}^ met the Turks in bat- 
 tle, and was promoted to com- 
 mand. In presence of the ladies 
 particularly, he ever showed him- 
 self a brave knight, and was often 
 conqueror in single combats. He 
 was repeatedly taken prisoner, and 
 alread}^, both in Turkey and in 
 Russia, had been rescued from 
 destruction by female benevolence. 
 The fleet sailed by the West 
 Indies, and being driven north of 
 Roanoke by a storm, an accidental 
 discovery was thus made of the captain john smith. 
 
 entrance of the Chesapeake Bay, the boundaries of which were now named 
 Capes Charles and Henry, in honor of the king's sons. Stretching at once 
 into the noble bay, the adventurers sailed up the Powhatan river, to which 
 they gave the name of the James, and upon its banks, fifty miles from its 
 mouth, they fixed their residence, and raised a few huts. The place was 
 called Jamestown, an appellation which it still retains ; and though it has 
 
 59 
 
60 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS, 
 
 never risen to wealth or distinction, and is now only discernible by a few 
 falling ruins, still it was the first of the English settlements in the New 
 World; and hence has all the honor among the American states that 
 antiquity can confer and is regarded with unusual interest. 
 
 Rights Denied to the Settlers. 
 
 The. colony was under charter government, the instrument having been 
 drawn up by James himself It did not give to the proprietors the power 
 to govern the people who should settle the country, but the right of 
 jurisdiction was reserved to the king. To the colonies no assurance was 
 given, but the vague promise that they should continue to be Englishmen. 
 Religion was established by law, according to the forms and doctrines of 
 the church of England. There was, for the present, no division of property ; 
 and, for five 3- ears, all labor was to be for the benefit of the joint stock. 
 
 The government was to be administered b}^ a council nominated by the 
 king, but to reside in the colony. As soon as the emigrants landed, the 
 king's commission, according to his direction, was opened ; the council was 
 organized, and a governor elected. They chose Edward Wingfield, their 
 worst man ; while Smith, their best, was, from envy, to be excluded even 
 from a seat in the council, although he was one whom the king had 
 nominated. Gathering misfortunes, however, and the kindly influence of 
 their good clergyman, Robert Hunt, reversed this sentence, and made the 
 colonists glad to submit to the man whose talents and zeal for the settle- 
 ment marked him as their natural head. 
 
 The neighboring Indians soon annoyed the colony b}^ their petty 
 hostilities. Their provisions failed, and the scanty allowance to which they 
 were reduced, as well as the influence of a climate to which they were not 
 accustomed, gave rise to disease, so that the number of the colonists rapidly 
 diminished. Sometimes four or five died in a day, and there was not 
 enough of the well to give decent burial to the dead. Fifty perished before 
 winter, among whom was the excellent Gosnold. The energy and cheerful 
 activity of Smith threw the only light which glanced upon the dark picture. 
 He so managed as to awe the natives, and at the same time to conciliate 
 and obtain from them supplies of food; while, among the emigrants he 
 encouraged the faint-hearted and put in fear the rebellious. Winter at 
 length came, and with it relief from diseases of climate, and plentiful sup- 
 plies of wild fowl and game. 
 
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 61 
 
 The London company, with au ignorance of geography, which even 
 then was surprising, had given directions that some of the streams flowing 
 from the northwest should be followed up in order to find a passage to the 
 South Sea. Smith was superior to the company in intelligence, but he 
 knew the duties of a subordinate, and he therefore prepared to explore the 
 head waters of the Chickahominy, which answered as nearly as possible 
 to their description. 
 
 Powhatan, the chief or emperor of the savage confederacy inhabiting 
 or wandering about the waters of the James and its tributaries, had been 
 visited by the colonists early after their 
 arrival. His imperial residence consisted 
 of twelve wigwams near the site of Rich- 
 mond. Next to him in power was his 
 brother, Opechacanough, who was chief of 
 the Pamunkies on the Chickahominy. 
 Smith embarked in a barge on that 
 river, and when he had ascended as far 
 as possible in this manner, he left it, 
 with the order that his party should not 
 land till his return ; and with four attend- 
 ants he pursued his objects twenty miles 
 farther up the river. 
 
 The Indians had watched his move- 
 ments, and when the men left in the 
 barge, disobeying his order, had landed, pocahontas. 
 
 they fell upon them, took them prisoners, and obliged them to discover the 
 track of their captain. He, in pursuit of game, soon found himself hunted 
 b}^ swarms of savage archers. In this extremitj^ he bound to his breast, 
 as a shield, an Indian youth who was with him ; and then shot three 
 Indians, M^ounded others and kept the whole part}' at ba3^ Attempting to 
 retreat to his canoe while yet watching his foe, suddenly he sank to his 
 middle in an oozy creek. The savages dared not even then touch him, till, 
 perishing with cold, he laid down his arms and surrendered. 
 
 They carried him to a fire, near which some of his men had been 
 killed. By his Indian guide and interpreter he then called for their chief 
 Opechacanough appeared, and Smith politel}^ presented to him his pocket 
 compass. The Indians were confounded at the motions of the fly-needle, 
 
62 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 which, on account of the mysterious glass, they could see, but could not 
 touch. He told them wonderful stories of its virtues, and proceeded, as he 
 himself relates, " by the globe-like figure of that jewel, to instruct them, 
 concerning the roundness of the earth, and how the sun did chase the 
 night round about the world continually," by which his auditors were filled 
 with profound amazement. 
 
 Their minds seemed to labor with the greatness of the thought, that 
 a being so superior was in their power ; and they vacillated in their opinion 
 whether or not it was best to put him to death ; and as often changed their 
 conduct. They took him to Powhatan, thence led him round from one 
 wondering tribe to another, until, at the residence of Opechacanough, these 
 superstitious dwellers of the forest employed their sorcerers or powows for 
 three days to practice incantations, in order to learn, from the invisible 
 world, whether their prisoner wished them well or ill. 
 
 Smith's Life Saved by Pocahontas. 
 
 The decision of his fate was finally referred to Powhatan. At his 
 residence that majestic savage received him in state, but he condemned 
 him to die. His warriors were around, and his women sitting near him. 
 All were painted with gaudy colors and adorned with feathers. The queen 
 of Apamattuck brought the captive water to wash in, and another Indian 
 queen feathers to serve as a towel. Others gave him food, as for a feast. 
 Then two stones were brought and laid before the chief, and two savages 
 stood with uplifted war-clubs. Smith was dragged to the spot, and his 
 head placed upon the stones. Pocahontas, his daughter, of tender age, 
 rushed forward, and with cries and tears begged of Powhatan to spare 
 him. He refused. The devoted girl then ran and knelt beside the victim, 
 and laid her young head upon his. Then the stern savage relented, 
 and Smith was saved. 
 
 It cannot be doubted that the extraordinary boldness and audacity of 
 Smith often prevented disasters by striking a panic into the savages. One 
 day towards the latter end of 1608, he and fifteen others went to Pamunkey, 
 with a view to obtaining supplies of Opechacanough, from whom he had 
 been led to expect some assistance. The savages appeared with a warlike 
 array, but with so poor a stock of provisions that it was not worth having. 
 
 Smith, suspecting treachery, addressed his followers first, and, having 
 obtained their promise to stand fast even in the greatest danger, challenged 
 
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 63 
 
 ^^\ '^^'//i^^^^^^^"'"'"''^y v^ 
 
 the chieftain and his companions to fight him and his men openly ; the 
 
 Indians to stake a large 
 quantity of corn, and the 
 Englishmen an equal value 
 ^j^ in copper ; the conqueror 
 ^"^ to take all. He was an- 
 swered by fair speeches, 
 but it was found that 
 the wigwam was beset by 
 armed men, with their bows 
 ready prepared for shooting. 
 
 CAPTAIN SMITHS FIGHT WITH AN INDIAN CHIEF. 
 
 Angered at the manifest intention of the savages, Smith seized 
 Opechacanough by the long lock which Indians wear in front of their 
 
64 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 heads, presented a pistol to his breast, and dragged him out into the midst 
 of his armed followers, whom he reproached with their design, daring them 
 to shoot him, and vowing to exterminate the whole tribe if one of his men 
 were hurt. At the same time he professed his friendly intentions, if he 
 were allowed to trade peacefully for their commodities. This produced the 
 desired effect, and good-will was again established for the time being. 
 
 Smith having now learned much of the Indians, their country, modes 
 of warfare, dispositions and language, and having also by his great address 
 and honorable bearing, won their affection and confidence, his visit to the 
 chief proved, under divine Providence, a means of establishing the colony. 
 During his absence, however, there had been disorder and misrule; and 
 when he returned to Jamestown he found only thirty-eight person remaining. 
 The spirits of the people were broken; and all, filled with despondency, 
 were anxious to leave a country so inhospitable. He prevailed upon them, 
 however, partly by force and partly by persuasion, to remain till the next 
 year, when Newport arriving from England with some supplies and one 
 hundred and twenty emigrants, hope again revived. 
 
 A Powerful Indian Tribe. 
 
 During the 3^ear 1G08 Captain Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay to 
 its head, discovered its fine streams, and gained new information concerning 
 the native productions and inhabitants of the country. In an excursion 
 which he made up the Rappahannock, he had a skirmish with the Manna- 
 hoacks, a tribe descended from the Delawares, and took prisoner a brother 
 of one of their chiefs. From him he first heard of the Iroquois, who, the 
 Indian told him, "dwelt on a great water to the north, had a great many boats, 
 and so many men that they waged war with all the rest of the world." 
 
 Immediately on his return he Avas chosen president of the council. 
 He found the recent emigrants "goldsmiths and gentlemen." But he 
 promptly gave them their choice, to labor for six hours a day or have 
 nothing to eat. He represented to the council in England that they should 
 send laborers; that the search of gold should be abandoned, and that 
 "nothing should be expected except by labor." 
 
 Pocahontas repeatedly saved the life of Smith, and preserved this 
 earliest English settlement from destruction. In the various fortunes of 
 the colony, she was its unchanging friend, often coming with her attendants 
 to bring baskets of provisions in times of scarcity, and sometimes giving 
 
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 65 
 
 notice of liostile desigus. On one occasion, when Captain Smith, with a 
 considerable escort, had visited her father, and was to be feasted, she came 
 privately, and told him that a great number of Indians would be sent to 
 bring in his food, and would, if possible, such was the plot, murder him 
 and his company at table, with their own arms. Otherwise it was intended 
 to kill them in the night. Smith was penetrated with gratitude, that she 
 had again saved him, and wished to give her some testimonial. She turned 
 away with tears, saying it would but betra}^ her, and she was suspected alread3\ 
 
 Famine and Death in the Colony. 
 
 At length a calamity deprived the colony of its father. An accidental 
 explosion of gunpowder so injured Smith that no medical skill there was 
 adequate to the treatment of his case ; and, delegating his authority to 
 George Percy, brother to the Earl of Northumberland, he returned to 
 England. After his departure all subordination and industry ceased among 
 the colonists. The Indians, ever on the watch, harassed them with hostilities, 
 and withheld their customary supplies. 
 
 Their stores were soon exhaused. The domestic animals, which had 
 been sent to breed in the countr}^, were taken and devoured : and, in the 
 extremity of their distress, they even perjDetrated, in two instances, the act 
 of feeding on human flesh. Smith left four hundred and ninety persons. 
 In six months anarchy and vice had reduced the number to sixt}^, and those 
 so feeble and forlorn that in ten days more they must all have perished. 
 
 In the meantime Sir Thomas Gates and his companions, who had been 
 wrecked on the rocks of Bermuda, had found there the means to construct 
 a vessel ; and now approaching Jamestown, they anticipated a happy meeting 
 with their friends. How were their hearts smitten as they beheld the 
 meagre spectres of famine and death which met them! They were obliged 
 to yield to the universal cry, desert the settlement, and re-embark with 
 the whole colony. 
 
 They departed in the morning, and, falling down the stream with the 
 tide, they descry at evening, near the river's mouth, three ships, and Eord 
 Delaware, their paternal governor, arrives, supplies their wants, and turns 
 their hearts to the pious and consoling thought that God had delivered 
 them. And then this residue returned, a chastened and a better people. 
 Thus Providence prevented a dissolute band from becoming the founders of 
 our first settled State, and gave a better seed. 
 
66 
 
 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS, 
 
 The colony again became comparatively flourishing, but in March, 
 1611, the governor's health unfortunately declined, and he was obliged to 
 
 FLIGHT OF THR INDIANS AFTER THE MASSACRE. 
 
 leave the country. On the departure of Lord Delaware, Percy was again 
 at the head of the administration, until the arrival of Sir Thomas Dale, in 
 May. Dale had received from the company power to rule with martial law, 
 
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 67 
 
 which he exercised, but with such moderation, that good order and industry- 
 prevailed. The state of the colony, however, was not flourishing, and Dale 
 immediately wrote to England for aid. In less than four months. Sir 
 Thomas Gates arrived, with six ships and three hundred emigrants. 
 
 After Captain Smith's departure, Captain Argall, at the head of a 
 foraging party, learned that Pocahontas was for a season with the family 
 of Japazaws, the chief of the Potomacs. Him, Argall bribed, with a kettle 
 of shining copper, to betray the Indian princess, whom for interested motives 
 he wished to make prisoner. Japazaws concerted with his wife that she 
 should appear to be seized with an invincible desire to visit Argall's vessel 
 lying in the river. He was to affect anger, and threaten, but at length so 
 far to relent as to engage to take her to the vessel if her friend Pocahontas 
 would accompany her. The plot succeeded, and thus the English, by the 
 goodness of her heart, ensnared and made prisoner their benefactress. 
 
 The Indian Maiden Wedded. 
 
 When she was taken to Jamestown an unceremonious message was 
 sent to Powhatan, that he must ransom her with certain men and articles, 
 which he was accused with having taken. To this the dignified old chieftain 
 made no reply for three months. In the meantime an English youth of 
 the colony, John Rolfe, wooed the Indian maiden, and obtained her consent to 
 marriage, the connection proving a bond of union during the life of Powhatan. 
 
 Pocahontas received Christian baptism under the name of Rebecca ; 
 after which she went with her husband to England, where special attention 
 was paid her by the king and queen, at the instigation of Smith. She 
 had been told that he was dead, and when he came to see her she turned 
 away, and for a time could not or would not speak. He kindly soothed 
 her, and at length she addressed him as her father, and endearingly recalled 
 the scenes of their early acquaintance. Having given birth to a son, she 
 was about to return, when she sickened and died, at the age of twenty-two. 
 Her son survived and reared an offspring, which being perpetuated in some 
 of the best families of Virginia, they boast their descent from one who ranks 
 high, not merely on the roll of savages and of women, but of humanity itself 
 
 On the twenty-second of March, 1622, a general attack was made by 
 the savages upon all the settlements of the colon3^ On the previous night 
 the plot had been revealed to a converted Indian named Chauco, who at 
 once hastened to Jamestown and gave warning of the danger. The alarm 
 
68 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 
 
 spread rapidly to the nearest settlements, but those at a distance could not 
 be reached in time to avert their fate. Those settlements which had been 
 warned were able to offer a successful resistance to their assailants, and 
 some of those which were surprised beat off the Indians ; but the number 
 of victims, men, women and children, who fell this day amounted to three 
 hundred and fort3^-seven. All these were slain, and their fate would have 
 been shared by the whole colony but for the warning of the friendly Indian. 
 
 The effect upon the colou}^ was appalling. The distant plantations had 
 been destroyed by the savages, and out of eighty settlements eight alone 
 survived. These, and especially Jamestown, were crowded beyond their 
 capacity with fugitives who had fled to them for shelter. Sickness soon 
 began to prevail, the public works were discontinued, and private industry 
 was greatly diminished. A gloom rested over the entire colou}^, and the 
 population fell off. 
 
 At the end of two years after the massacre, the number of inhabitants 
 had been reduced to two thousand. Much sympathy was manifested for 
 the suffering colonists \iy the people of England. The city of London sent 
 them liberal assistance, and private individuals subscribed to their need. 
 King James was aroused into an affection of generous sympath}^, and sent 
 over to the colony a supply of muskets which had been condemned as 
 worthless in England. 
 
 The whites recovered from their gloom, and on their part began to 
 form plans for the extermination of their foes. During the next ten years 
 expeditions were sent against the Indians at frequent intervals. The object 
 kept steml}^ in view was to either destroy the savages altogether, or 
 force them back from the seaboard into the interior. As late as 1630 
 it was ordered by the General Assembly that no peace should be made 
 with the Indians. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 STORY OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. 
 
 iN 1644, the aged Opechacanougli once more struck for the inhtrit- 
 ^ ance of his forests, by another attempt to cut off, simultaneously, 
 the scattered colonial population. Scarcely had the warfare begun, 
 and the English aroused to resistance, when the Indians were 
 struck with panic and fled. The Virginians pursed them vigor- 
 ously and killed three hundred. The chief was taken prisoner, then 
 inhumanly wounded. His proud spirit suffered from his being kept as a 
 public spectacle, and he welcomed relief by death. 
 
 Charles I. had perished on the scaffold ; and the powerful mind of 
 Cromwell led the policy of England. To promote her commercial pros- 
 perity, he continued, and perfected a system of colonial oppression in 
 respect to trade, by the celebrated " Navigation Act." By this the colonies 
 were not allowed to find a market for themselves, and sell their produce to 
 the highest bidder, but were obliged to carry it direct to the mother coun- 
 tr3r. The English merchants bought it at their own price ; and thus they, 
 and not the colonist, made the profit on the fruits of his industry. At the 
 same time the act prohibited any but English vessels from conveying 
 merchandise to the colonies ; thus compelling them to obtain their supplies 
 of the English merchant, of course at such prices as he chose to fix upon 
 his goods. Even free traffic among the colonists was prohibited. 
 
 Charles II. was restored in 1660. Berkele}^, after various changes, 
 was at the moment exercising the office of Governor under the authority 
 of the Assembly of Virginia, by whom he had been elected. The fires of 
 rejoicing were kindled in the province, and Berkeley changed his style, 
 and issued his mandates in the name of Charles. The monarch afterwards 
 confirmed him in his office. 
 
 Berkeley was accused of favoring the Indians for the sake of the 
 monopoly in the beaver-trade, and the settlers resolved that if he would not 
 protect them, they would protect themselves. They went sullenly to their 
 homes^ and awaited what they knew was certain to come. 
 
 69 
 
THE ATTACK ON THE DOEG WIGWAM 
 
STORY OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. 71 
 
 Some months later, several persons on their way to church came upon 
 a mortally-wounded settler in front of his own door, while a friendly Indian 
 lay dead a few feet away. The neighbor lived long enough to say that 
 some Doeg warriors were the cause of their deaths. The alarm quickly 
 spread, and in a brief while thirty men had taken the trail and were in hot 
 pursuit. Crossing the river twenty miles above the trail forked, and the 
 pursuers divided into two parties. 
 
 Bloody Conflicts with the Indians. 
 
 One of these speedily came upon a Doeg wigwam, and here the pur- 
 suers killed eleven of the Indians. It is more than likely they were the 
 murderers. Almost at the same time the other party discovered a wigwam 
 and opened fire, without waiting to ask questions. After killing fourteen 
 it was found they were not Doegs, but Susquehannocks. However, the settlers 
 concluded they had avenged the death of their neighbor and went home. 
 
 The surrounding tribes were roused to fury. The peril was so immi- 
 nent that Virginia and Maryland sent out a force of a thousand men under 
 Major Thomas Truman, of Maryland, and Colonel John Washington, of 
 Virginia, great-grandfather of George Washington. They surrounded a strong 
 fort on the Piscataway, in which the Susquehannocks had taken refuge, 
 with their women and children. Before opening fire, six of the chiefs were 
 called out for a conference. They denied that any of their tribe had 
 harmed the whites, saying that the Senecas, who had fled northward, were 
 the offenders. Major Truman was satisfied and assured them they should 
 suffer no harm. 
 
 The Virginians thought the major was too credulous. The next day, 
 when the mutilated bodies of a settler and his family, that had recently 
 been murdered, were brought into camp, the infuriated soldiers seized five 
 of the chiefs who had come out for another conference, and put them to 
 death. This piece of treachery filled the authorities in Maryland and 
 Virginia with indignation. Truman was tried by the Maryland legislature, 
 and found guilty of causing the death of the five Indians contrary to the 
 laws of God and of nations. When Washington took his seat in the 
 Virginia assembly at Jamestown, Governor Berkeley in his opening address 
 pointedly rebuked him. This was the only punishment Washington received, 
 and the records do not show what was done with Truman, when found guilty. 
 
 Again the Indians were aroused to deeds of atrocity. The}'- assailed 
 
72 STORY OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. 
 
 the settlers along the Rappahannock, James and York rivers, with the fury 
 of wild beasts, killing more than fifty during the following winter. 
 
 The people awoke in their might. They desired to organize for self- 
 defense, and in a peremptory manner demanded for their leader Nathaniel 
 Bacon, a popular 3"oung lawyer. Berkeley refused to grant him a commis- 
 sion. New murders occurring, Bacon assumed command, and with his 
 followers departed for the Indian war. Instigated by the aristocracy, Berke- 
 ley declared him and his adherents rebels. 
 
 The People Again Aroused. 
 
 The people, in a fresh insurrection, required of the governor the election 
 of a new house of burgesses ; and he was forced to submit. Bacon having 
 returned from his expedition, was elected a member for Henrico county. 
 Popular liberty now prevailed, and laws were passed with which Berkeley 
 was highly displeased. Bacon, fearing treachery, withdrew to the country. 
 The people rallied around him, and he returned to Jamestown at the head 
 of five hundred armed men. 
 
 Berkeley met them, and, baring his breast, exclaimed, " a fair mark, 
 shoot." Bacon declared that he had come onty for a commission, their 
 lives being in danger from the savages. The commission was issued, and 
 Bacon again departed for the Indian warfare. Berkeley in the meantime 
 withdrew to the seashore, and there collecting numbers of seamen and 
 loyalists, he came up the river with a fleet, landed his army at Jamestown, 
 and again proclaimed Bacon and his party rebels and traitors. 
 
 Bacon having quelled the Indians, only a small band of his followers 
 remained in arms. With these he hastened to Jamestown, and Berkeley 
 fled at his approach. In order that its few dwellings should no more 
 shelter their oppressors, the inhabitants set them on fire, the owners of the 
 best houses applying the match with their own hands. Then leaving that 
 endeared and now desolated spot. Bacon pursued the royalists to the Rap- 
 pahannock, where the Virginians, hitherto of Berkeley's party, deserted and 
 joined his standard. His enemies were at his mercy ; but his exposure to 
 the night air had induced disease, and he died. 
 
 The party of Bacon, now without a leader, broke into fragments, and 
 the royalists were again in the ascendant. As the principal adherents of 
 Bacon, hunted and made prisoners, were one by one brought before Berkeley, 
 he adjudged them, with insulting taunts, to instant and ignominious death. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE SETTLEMENT OF MARYLAND. 
 
 )0 go back a little in our History, previous to the events narrated 
 in the preceding chapter, Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, 
 and the hero of his age, formed, in 1627, the project of sending 
 to America a colony of his subjects from Sweden and Finland. 
 About ten years afterwards, in 1638, they came over headed by 
 Peter Minuets, and settled at Christiana Creek, on the west side of the 
 Delaware, calling that river Swedeland stream, and the country. New Sweden. 
 Though this was the first effectual settlement, 3^et the Dutch had, in 
 1629, purchased of the natives a tract of land extending from Cape Henlopen 
 to the mouth of the Delaware river. A small colony conducted by De 
 Vries came from Holland, and settled near Lewiston. They perished by 
 the savages ; but the Dutch continuing to claim the country, dissensions 
 arose between them and the Swedish emigrants. 
 
 In 1631 William Clayborne obtained from Charles I. a license to traffic 
 in those parts of America for which there was not already a patent granted. 
 Clayborne planted a small colony on Kent island, in Chesapeake Bay, 
 opposite to the spot where Annapolis now stands. 
 
 George Calvert, afterwards Lord Baltimore, had represented, in the 
 English Parliament, his native district of Yorkshire. The favor of the 
 monarch and the principal ministers had been manifested by influential 
 appointments at court ; but these he resigned to make a public profession 
 of the Roman Catholic faith. To enjoy his religion unmolested, he wished 
 to emigrate to some vacant tract in America. He had fixed on Virginia 
 as a desirable location, and accordingly made a visit to that colony. The 
 people there would not encourage a settlement, unless an oath was taken, 
 to which he could not in conscience subscribe. Finding he must seek an 
 asylum elsewhere, he explored the country to the north, and then returned 
 to England. The Queen, Henrietta Maria, daughter to Henry IV. of 
 France, gave to the territory the name of Maryland, and Lord Baltimore 
 obtained it by a royal patent. 
 
74 
 
 THE SETTLEMENT OF MARYLAND. 
 
 He died in London in 1632, before his patent passed to a legal form; 
 but his son, Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, by the influence of 
 Sir Robert Cecil, obtained the grant intended for his father. By this patent 
 he held the country from the Potomac to the 40th degree of north latitude ; 
 
 and thus, by a mere act of 
 the crown, what had long 
 before been granted to Vir- 
 ginia was now taken away ; 
 as what was now granted 
 was subsequently given to 
 Penn, to the extent of a de- 
 gree. Hence long and ob- 
 stinate altercations ensued. 
 Lord Baltimore appoint- 
 ed as governor his brother, 
 Leonard Calvert, who, with 
 two hundred emigrants, 
 sailed for America near 
 the close of 1633, and ar- 
 rived at the Potomac early 
 in 1634. Here they pur- 
 chased of the natives Ya- 
 maco, one of their settle- 
 ments, to which was given 
 the name of St. Mary. 
 Calvert thus secured by a 
 pacific course comfortable 
 habitations, some improved 
 CECIL, LORD BALTIMORE. ^'^^^^s, and the friendship 
 
 of the natives. Other circumstances served to increase the prosperity of 
 the colony. The country was pleasant, great religious freedom existed, and 
 a liberal charter had been granted, which allowed the proprietor, aided by 
 the freemen, to pass laws, without reserving to the crown the right of 
 rejecting them. Emigrants accordingly soon flocked to the province from 
 the other colonies and from England. 
 
 Thus had the earliest settlers of this beautiful portion of our country 
 established themselves, without the sufferings endured by the pioneers of 
 
77//: SErTL!-:MI-.\ r 01- MAKYLAMK ;:< 
 
 lonncr scttleniciits. The propiicUiry ^ovcninicnt, geiierall)- so ilctriuicntiil, 
 ])i-.)\-ccl here m uinsin;^- iuoIIkt. I^ord l!;Lhiiiiurc expriKicd tor Llic eo]oii;>is, 
 ulUiiii a few 3-ears, Inrly ih.oiisaiKl pouiuls ; and ihcy, " out of dcsiiv to 
 return sonic Icslinionv of -MMlitudc," \-oLcd in Uicii- asscnildy "such a sub- 
 sidy as the low and poor estate of tlie colon \' C(.)uld hear/' 
 
 Lord ]:>altiniore in\-itcd the Pnritan.s <)!" Massachusetts, of whom we 
 shall read later, to cnii-ratc to Maryland, orieiing them 'MVee liberty of 
 
 MOCK si'xs, si'.r'x i'.v i".A!-Ji.v r;x!':.i 
 
 re 
 
 di,L!a"n/' Thcv rejectctl this, as tlic\- (hM 
 
 :i s-;n 
 
 )r)os;tion Ironi Lroy.i- 
 
 well, to remove to the West I'ldies. Tiic re-lle--, intri-nin.-- Cla\-borne, inc 
 e\-il L^'cnins ^A Mar\d:ind, had bi-ru con^'ian' iy om Vr- ale^-t to c>tab!i->li a 
 
 .. ,.,.11lO^-1- .111,1 C> C iJ >\-, •'•< -ill,. ( .. ,^■, ■•■'! IM; •• 1 ' ,,r l1l,. ..-,,,,,1 
 
 ;it < i! 1 he l:'i >i n\ :)r< )i)rietar\-. 
 
 claim to the count r\-, and to snl)\-ert the -owr 
 In his trahlc with the natiws lie liad loaruc'; liie'r disjiositj, ,iis. and he 
 wrou.L;-ht them to iealous hostilitv. In lui.'-^lan^l ;he antliorit\- of ih.e lone 
 Parliament now su'perseded that of the kin-', ami those \\ho deri\-ed thei:' 
 aitthorit\- from him; and of this, not .mdx- Cla\-l)orne, but other tlisorder]\- 
 subjects of Lord I'Salliniore. wero inclin.ed to take undue ad\-anta.ye. ddius 
 the fair dawn o{ this risiU'"' setlh/nn-nt was carlx' o\-ercast. 
 
76 THE SETTLEMENT OF MARYLAND. 
 
 In 1621 Sir Francis Wyatt arrived as governor, bringing from the 
 company in England a more perfect and permanent constitution for the 
 colony. The power of making laws was vested in the general assembly. 
 No regulations, however, could be enforced until they had received the 
 sanction of the general court of the company in England. At the same 
 time the orders of the company were not binding upon the colony, without 
 the sanction of their assembly. These liberal concessions not only gratified 
 the settlers, but encouraged emigration; and a large number accordingly 
 accompanied Governor Wyatt to the province. This year cotton was first 
 planted in Virginia, and "the plentiful coming up of the seed," was regarded 
 by the planters with curiosity and interest. 
 
 Butchering Men and Women. 
 
 Opechacanough, the brother and successor of Powhatan, had determined 
 to extirpate the whites, and regain the country for its savage lords. For 
 this purpose he formed a conspiracy to massacre all the English; and 
 during four years he was, with impenetrable secrecy, concerting his plan. 
 To each tribe its station was allotted, and the part it was to act prescribed. 
 On the 22d of March, 1622, at midday, they rushed upon the English in 
 all their settlements, and butchered men, women, and children, without pity 
 or remorse. In one hour nearly a fourth part of the whole colony was cut 
 off. The slaughter would have been universal, if compassion, or a sense of 
 duty, had not moved a converted Indian to whom the secret was communi- 
 cated, to reveal it to his master on the night before the massacre. This was 
 done in time to save Jamestown and the adjacent settlements. 
 
 A bloody war ensued. The English, by their arms and discipline, were 
 more than a match for the Indians, and they retaliated in such a manner 
 as left the colonists for a long time free from savage molestation. They 
 also received considerable accessions of lands by appropriating those of 
 the conquered natives. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 N 1592 a law was passed requiring all persons to attend tlie 
 established worship, under penalty of banishment, and if they 
 ^ returned, of death. Among those who could not conscientiously 
 comply with these exactions were John Robinson and his congre- 
 gation, of the sect of Separatists, in the north of England. 
 
 To enjoy their religion, the pastor and his whole flock determined to 
 exile themselves to Holland. But this was a diffictxit undertaking. Once 
 they embarked with their families and goods at Boston, in Lincolnshire. 
 But the treacherous captain had plotted with English of&cers, who camj on 
 board the vessel, took their effects, searched the persons of the whole 
 company for money, and then, in presence of a gazing multitude, led them 
 on shore and to prison. They were soon released, except seven of the 
 principal men, who were detained and brought to trial, but at length freed. 
 
 Again they bargained with a Dutch shipmaster at Hull, who was to 
 take them in from a common hard by. At the time appointed the women 
 and children sailed to the place of rendezvous in a small bark, and the men 
 came by land. The bark had grounded; but the Dutch captain sent his 
 boat and took the men from the strand. But, in the meantime, the authorities 
 of Hull had notice ; and the Dutch commander, at the sight of a large 
 armed company, having a fair wind, with oaths " hoisted anchor and away," 
 though the Pilgrims even wept, thus to leave their wives and children. 
 
 Behold these desolate women, the mothers of a future nation, their 
 husbands forcibly carried off to sea, while on land an armed multitude are 
 approaching! They are taken, and dragged from one magistrate to another, 
 while their children, cold and hungry and affrighted, are weeping and 
 clinging around them. But their piteous condition and Christian demeanor 
 softened at length the hearts of their persecutors, and even gained friends 
 tc their cause 
 
 The men, in the meantime, encountered one of the most terrific sea- 
 storms ever known, continuing fourteen da3's, during seven of which they 
 
 77 
 
iS THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 saw neither sun, moon or stars. At length they all arrived in Holland. 
 They settled at first in Amsterdam. They did not, however, find cause to 
 be satisfied, and they removed to Leyden. Here, by hard labor and frugal 
 honesty, they lived highly respected ; but after a few years they experienced 
 evils which made them think of another removal. Not only were their own 
 toils constant and severe, but they were obliged to employ their children, 
 so that these were necessarily deprived of education. And the health of 
 the young often fell a sacrifice to the length of time and confined positions 
 in which they labored. Some died, and some became deformed. 
 
 Choosing the Wilderness for a Home. 
 
 Their morals also were likely to suffer from the habitual profanation 
 of the Sabbath, which they must necessarily witness, and especially from 
 contact with a disbanded soldiery, at this time residing at Leyden. The 
 Pilgrims had heard of America, and in its wilderness they believed they 
 might serve God unmolested, and found a church, where not only the 
 oppressed in England, but unborn generations, might enjoy a pure worship. 
 The Dutch wished them to colonize under their government. But they 
 loved their country, though she had shaken them from her lap ; and they 
 sent agents to England to procure, by the influence of Sir Edwin Sandys, 
 a patent under the Virginia Company. 
 
 By the aid of Sandys the petitioners obtained the patent. But they 
 needed money. To provide this their agents formed a stock company, 
 jointly, with some men of business in London, of whom Mr. Thomas 
 Weston was the principal ; they to furnish the capital, the emigrants to 
 pledge their labor for seven years, at ten pounds per man ; and the profits 
 of the enterprise, all houses, lands, gardens and fields, to be divided 
 at the end of that time among the stockholders, according to their 
 respective shares. 
 
 They then prepared two small vessels, the Mayflower and the Speed- 
 well ; but these would hold only a part of the company, and it was decided 
 that the younger and more active should go, while the older, among whom 
 was the pastor, should remain. If they were successful they were to send 
 for those behind ; if unsuccessful to return, though poor, to them. 
 
 Previous to their separation this memorable church worshipped together 
 for the last time, on an appointed day, when they humbled themselves by 
 fasting, and " sought of the Lord a right way for themselves and their 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 79 
 
 children." When tliey must no longer tarry, their brethren accompanied 
 them from Leyden to the shore of Delft-Haven. Here the venerable pastor 
 knelt with his departing flock around him ; and the wanderers, while tears 
 rolled down their cheeks, heard for the last time, his beloved voice in 
 exhortation and in prayer for them. " But they knew they were Pilgrims, 
 and lifted up their eyes to heaven, their dearest country, and quieted their 
 spirits." From Delft-Haven they sailed to Southampton in England. 
 
 Among the leaders of the party was Elder Brewster, who at this time 
 was fifty-six, but sound in body as in spirit. Of the seven who were taken 
 at Boston, it was Brewster who was most severely dealt with. John Carver 
 was near his age, beloved and trusted, as he was good and wise. William 
 Bradford was strong, bold and enduring ; but withal, a meek and prudent 
 Christian. Next these, in honor, superior in native endowments, as in 
 estate and family descent, was Edward Winslow. He was at this time 
 twenty-six. Bradford was thirty-two. Allerton and Hopkins were also lead- 
 ing men. Miles Standish had been an of&cer in an army, sent by Eliza- 
 beth to aid the Dutch against the Spaniards ; and he, as was the case 
 with Winslow, falling in with Robinson's people about three years before 
 their removal from Holland, accompanied them to America. 
 
 Last Look of their Native Land. 
 
 After remaining in Southampton a fortnight, the Pilgrims put to sea. 
 But misfortunes befalling they returned, left the Speedwell, and finally, to 
 the number of one hundred, they set sail from Plymouth, in the solitar}^ 
 Mayflower. On the 6th of September they took their last, sad look of their 
 native shore. After a stormy and perilous passage they made land on the 
 9th of November, at Cape Cod. The mouth of the Hudson had been 
 selected as the place of their settlement, and they accordingly steered 
 southerly ; but soon falling in with dangerous breakers, and all, especially 
 the women, being impatient to leave the ship, they determined to return 
 and settle on or near the Cape. The next day they turned the point 
 of that singular projection, and entered the harbor now called Provincetown. 
 
 They fell on their knees to thank the kind Power who had preserved 
 them amidst so many dangers, and then " they did," says Cotton Mather, 
 " as the light of nature itself directed them, immediatel}^, in the harbor 
 sign an instrument as the foundation of their future and needful govern- 
 ment ;" solemnly combining themselves in a civil body politic, to enact all 
 
80 THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 sucli ordinances, and frame all such constitutions and offices, as from time 
 to time should be thought most meet and convenient for the general good ; 
 all which they bound themselves to obey. 
 
 This simple, but august compact, was the first of a series by which 
 the fetters of a vast system of political oppression have been broken. Upon 
 some parts of the old continent that system still remains, building upon 
 the fiction that sovereigns own the world and its inhabitants, having derived 
 all from God, and that the people are to have only such a measure of 
 personal freedom and such possessions as kings may choose to bestow. 
 Here was assumed for the first time the grand principle of a voluntary 
 confederacy of independent men, instituting government for the good, not 
 of the governors, but of the governed. 
 
 First Encounter with the Savages. 
 
 There were the same number of persons on board the Mayflower as 
 had left England; but one, a servant, had died, and one, a male child, 
 Peregrine White, was born on the passage. Carver was immediately chosen 
 governor, and Standish captain. 
 
 No comfortable home or smiling friends awaited the Pilgrims. They 
 who went on shore waded through the cold surf to a homeless desert. But 
 a place to settle must be found, and no time was to be lost. The shallop 
 unfortunately needed repairs, and in the meantime a party set out to make 
 discoveries by land. They found " a little corn and many graves ;" and in 
 a second excursion they encountered the chilling blasts of a November 
 snow-storm, which laid in some the foundation of mortal disease. The 
 country was wooded, and tolerably stocked with game. 
 
 When the shallop was finished Carver, Bradford and Winslow, with a 
 party of eighteen, manned the feeble bark and set forth. Steering along 
 the western shore of Cape Cod they made, in three days, the inner circuit 
 of the bay. "It was," says one of the number, "very cold, for the water 
 froze our clothes, and made them many times like coats of iron." They 
 landed occasionally to explore; and at night, inclosed with only a slight 
 barricade of boughs, they stretched themselves upon the hard ground. 
 
 On the second morning, as their devotions closed, they received a 
 shower of Indian arrows, when, sallying out, they discharged their guns, 
 and the savages fled. Again they offered prayers with thanksgiving; and 
 proceeding on their way, their shallop was nearly wrecked by a wintry 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 81 
 
 storm of terrible violence. After unspeakable dangers, they sheltered 
 themselves under the lee of a small island, where, amidst darkness and 
 rain, they land, and with difficulty make a fire. In the morning they 
 find themselves at the entrance of a harbor. The next day was the 
 Sabbath. They rested and kept it holy, though all that was dear to them 
 depended on their promptness. 
 
 The next day, the 22d of December, a day ever to be observed in the 
 annals of New 
 England, the Pil- 
 grims landed on 
 the rock of Ply- 
 mouth. Finding 
 the harbor good, 
 springs abundant, 
 and the land pro- 
 mising for tillage, 
 they decided to 
 settle here, and 
 named the place 
 from that which 
 they last left in 
 England. In a 
 few days they | 
 brought the May- 
 flower to the har- 
 bor, and began 
 building, having 
 first divided the 
 whole community 
 into nineteen fam- 
 ilies, and assigned 
 them contiguous 
 
 lots, of size according to that of the family, about eight feet front and fifty 
 deep to each person. Each man was to build his own house. Besides 
 this, the company were to make a building of twenty feet square, as a 
 common receptacle. This was soonest completed, but was unfortunately 
 destroyed by fire. 
 
 THE "MAYFLOWER IN PLYMOUTH HARBOR 
 
82 THE LANDING OF THE PHGRIMS. 
 
 Their huts went up but slowly, for though their hearts were strong, 
 yet their hands had grown feeble through fatigue, hardship and scanty 
 fare, and many were wasting with consumptions. Daily some yielded to 
 sickness, and daily some sunk to the grave. Before spring half of their 
 number, among whom were the governor and his wife, lay buried on the 
 shore. Yet they never repined, or repented of the step they had taken ; 
 and when, in April, the Mayflower left them, not one so much as spoke 
 of returning to England ; but they rather confessed the continual mercies of 
 a "wonder-working Providence," which had carried them through so many 
 dangers, and was making them the honored instruments of so great a work. 
 
 Welcome from an Indian Chief. 
 
 The Pilgrims had as yet seen but few of the natives, and those hostile, 
 when Samoset, an Indian who had learned a little English at Penobscot, 
 boldly entered their village, with a cheerful " Welcome Englishmen." He 
 soon came again, with four others, among whom was Tisquantum, who 
 had spread favorable reports of the English among his countrymen, and 
 was afterwards of great service as an interpreter. They gave notice that 
 Massasoit, the sachem of the Pokanokets, was hard by. Appearing on 
 a hill, with a body of attendants, armed, and painted with gaudy colors, 
 the chief desired that some one should be sent to confer with him. 
 Edward Winslow, famed for the sweetness of his disposition and behavior, 
 as well as for talents, courage and efficiency, was wisely chosen. Captain 
 Standish found means (for neither civil or military organization had been 
 neglected) to make a martial show, with drums and trumpets, which gave 
 the savages wonderful delight. 
 
 The sachem, on coming into the village, was so well pleased with the 
 attentions paid him, that he acknowledged the authority of the King of 
 England, and entered into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the 
 colonists, which remained inviolate for more than fifty years. 
 
 In July, Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins went on an embassy 
 to Massasoit, at Montaup. Their object was to negotiate a traffic in furs, 
 and to preserve amity with the natives. Much to his delight they gave 
 the sachem a red coat, from Governor Bradford, who had succeeded Carver. 
 They hinted that his subjects were somewhat too free with their presence 
 at Plymouth, though himself and his particular friends should always be 
 welcome. They mentioned that on their first arrival they had found a 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PHGRIMS. 
 
 83 
 
 small quantity of buried com, whicli in their necessity they had appro- 
 priated, but they now wished to discover and remunerate the owners; 
 and finally, they requested that the Pokanokets would sell their furs 
 to the colony. 
 
 Massosoit gathered his council. " Am I not," said he, " commander 
 of the country? Is not such a town mine? — and such an one? — going on 
 to the number of thirty — and finally, should not all bring their furs to him 
 if he wished it?" The Sannops ejaculated a hearty affirmative to each 
 successive proposition, and the matter was happily adjusted. The trade 
 thus secured to 
 the colony proved 
 of great conse- 
 quence. 
 
 The ship For- 
 tune arrived in 
 November, and 
 brought over as 
 many as thirty- 
 five persons to 
 join the settlers. 
 The corn which 
 they had found 
 in their excur- 
 sions from Cape 
 Cod providential- 
 ly saved them ; 
 
 for they had planted it, and the crop was their dependence, scanty though 
 it proved, for their second winter. 
 
 Massasoit feared the Narragansetts, and was doubtless on that account 
 desirous of cultivating the friendship of the English. Canonicus, the old 
 hereditary chieftain of that confederacy, perhaps offended at this intimacy, 
 or regarding the whites as intruders, meditated a war against them ; which 
 he openly intimated by sending to Governor Bradford a bunch of arrows 
 tied with the skin of a rattlesnake. Bradford stuffed the skin with 
 powder and ball and sent it back ; and nothing more was heard, at 
 that time, of war. 
 
 News came to Plymouth that Massosoit was sick. Accompanied by 
 
 TREATY BETWEEN PLYMOUTH COLONY AND MASSASOIT. 
 
34 THE LANDING OF THE PHGRIMS. 
 
 *' one Master Jolin Hampden," believed by some to be the celebrated Eng- 
 lishman of that name, then on a visit to the colony, Winslow taking suit- 
 able articles, went to Montaup. He found the Indians bewailing, and prac- 
 ticing their noisy powows or incantations around the sightless chieftain. 
 Affectionately he extended his hand and exclaimed. " Art thou Winsnow ?" 
 (He could not articulate the liquid 1.) "Art thou Winsnow? But, O, 
 Winsnow! I shall never see thee more." Winslow administered cordials, 
 and he recovered. He then revealed a conspiracy which the Indians had 
 formed and requested him to join. "But now," said he, "I know that 
 the English love me." He was very grateful for their kindness. 
 
 The Conspirators Put to Death. 
 Agreeably to Massasoit's advice, that a bold stroke should be struck, 
 and the heads of the plot taken off, the intrepid Standish, with a party of 
 only eight, went into the hostile country, attacked a house where the prin- 
 cipal conspirators had met, and put them to death. In justice to the 
 Indians, it should be stated that they were provoked to this conspiracy by the 
 lawless aggressions of "Master Weston's men." These were a colony of 
 sixty Englishmen, sent over in June, 1622, by Thomas Weston. Though 
 hospitably received at Plymouth they stole the young corn from the stalk, 
 and thus brought want and distress upon the settlers the ensuing wmter 
 and spring. They then made a short-lived and pernicious settlement at 
 Weymouth. The Pilgrims had been more alarmed at this Indian con- 
 spiracy, on account of the horrible news from Virginia, of the great 
 Indian massacre there. 
 
 Notwithstanding all the hardships-all the wisdom and constancy, o 
 the colonists, the partners of the concern in London complained of small 
 returns- and even had the meanness to send a vessel to rival them m 
 their trade with the Indians. Winslow went to England and negotiated a 
 purchase for himself and seven of his associates in the colony, by which 
 the property was vested in them; and they sold out to the colony at 
 large, for the consideration of a monopoly of the trade with the Indians 
 
 for six years. j- -j j 
 
 New Plymouth now began to flourish. For the land being divided, 
 each man labored for himself and his family, and not for the public, or for 
 distant usurers. Their government was a pure democracy, resembling that 
 now exercised in a town meeting. Each male inhabitant had a vote; the 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PHGRIMS. 85 
 
 Governor had two. At first some delicacy was felt, as they had no charter, 
 being north of the bounds of the Virginia company, but at length they 
 proceeded to the exercise of all the powers of self-government. After the 
 establishment of the Grand Council of Plymouth, of which mention will 
 soon be made, they received from it a charter, by which they exercised 
 these rights, under the authority of England. 
 
 Numbers of their brethren of the church at Leyden came over within 
 the first few years to join the settlement; and Winslow relates that the 
 people of Plymouth gave a thousand pounds to assist them to emigrate. 
 But the good Robinson was not permitted to enter the land of his hopes 
 and affections. He died in I^eyden, 1625, to the great grief of the Pil- 
 grims, who had kept their church without a pastor. Elder Brewster offici- 
 ating, in hopes, until they heard of his death, again to enjoy his ministra- 
 tions. A part of his family came to America. 
 
 Character of the Pilgrims. 
 
 Ten years after its first settlement New Plymouth had three hundred 
 inhabitants ; and had no other colony followed, there is every reason to 
 believe they would have sustained themselves. Their history forms a 
 striking contrast with that of colonies where men were sent by others to 
 labor in distant lands, or induced by worldly motives to enlist under 
 ambitious leaders. Like the Captain of their Salvation, the Pilgrims were 
 self-devoted. No man took from them, but they voluntarily laid down what 
 pertained to this life, in the cheerful and assured hope of a better. Faithful- 
 ness they regarded as their concern; reward, as that of their Heavenly Master. 
 
 In December, 1G20, the same month in which the Pilgrims arrived on 
 the American coast, James I. issued a charter to the Duke of Lenox, the 
 Marquisses of Buckingham and Hamilton, the Earls of Arundel and Warwick, 
 Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and thirty-four associates, styling them the "Grand 
 Council of Plymouth, for planting and governing New England in America " 
 This patent granted them the territory between the " fortieth and forty-eighth 
 degrees of north latitude, and extending throughout the main land from 
 sea to sea." This territory, which had been previously called North 
 Virginia, now received the name of New England, by royal authority. 
 
 From this patent were derived all the subsequent grants under which 
 the New England colonies were settled. But either from sinister motives, 
 sheer ignorance of the geography of the country, or reckless disregard to 
 
TYPES OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
 
 86 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 87 
 
 consequences, tlie affairs of this corporation were transacted in a manner 
 so confused that endless dispute and difficulties were occasioned. 
 
 Sir Ferdinando Gorges had been an officer in the navy of Elizabeth, 
 and a companion of Sir Walter Raleigh. Various circumstances had bent 
 his mind strongly to the ambition of founding a colony in America. Per- 
 haps he imagined it would become a principality or a dukedom. He was 
 hence the prime mover in getting up the Grand Council of Plymouth, and 
 was made its president. Similar motives actuated Captain Mason, and he 
 became its secretary. They were simply indulging in delusions. 
 
 More Colonists Arrive from England. 
 
 Mason procured from the Grand Council the absurd grant of "all the 
 land from the river of Naumkeag (Salem), round Cape Ann to the mouth 
 of the Merrimack, and all the country lying between the two rivers, and 
 all islands within three miles of the coast." The district was to be 
 called Mariana. 
 
 The next year Gorges and Mason jointly obtained of the council 
 another patent of " all the lands between the Merrimack and Kennebec 
 Rivers, extending back to the Great Lakes, and river of Canada." This 
 tract received the name of Lacaonia. Under this grant some feeble settle- 
 ments were made at the mouth of the Piscataqua, and as far up the river 
 as the present town of Dover. 
 
 The persecution of the Puritans continued unabated during the reign 
 of James I., the successor of Elizabeth, and many of the ablest divines of 
 England, obliged to feel the rigor of the law or violate their consciences, were 
 wandering in foreign lands or meditating a removal. Among the latter was 
 Mr. White, a minister of Dorchester, in the south of England — a Puritan, 
 though not a Separatist. Having learned what godly quietness his brethren 
 of New Plymouth enjoyed, he turned his eyes in that direction, and pro- 
 jected another colony to America. Encouraged by him, as early as 1624, a 
 few persons established themselves, first at Cape Ann, and afterwards on the 
 site of Salem. 
 
 Their representations of the country, together with the solicitation of 
 White, induced several gentlemen of Dorchester to purchase of the Grand 
 Council of Plymouth, in 1628, a patent "of that part of New England 
 which lies between three miles north of the Alerrimack River and three 
 miles to south of the Charles River, and extending from the Atlantic 
 
88 THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 to the South Sea." Thus the avaricious council covered by a second grant 
 lands which they had already some time previously conveyed by a former 
 one to Mason. 
 
 John Bndicott, a rugged Puritan, was the leader; and in Salem began 
 the " wilderness-work for the colony of Massachusetts." He brought over 
 his family, and other emigrants to the number of one hundred. Roger 
 Conant and two others, from New Plymouth, had selected for him this spot, 
 then called Naumkeag, for their settlement, and Conant was there to give 
 to Endicott and his party such welcome to the New World as the desert 
 forest could afford. 
 
 The next year the proprietors obtained of King Charles a charter, 
 confirming the patent of the Council of Plymouth, and conveying to them 
 powers of government. They were incorporated by the name of the 
 " Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England." The 
 first general court of the company was held in England, when they fixed 
 upon a form of government for the colony, and appointed Endicott governor. 
 About three hundred persons sailed for America during this year, a part of 
 whom joined Mr. Endicott at Salem, and the remainder, exploring the coast 
 for a better station, laid the foundation of Charlestown. 
 
 John Winthrop Chosen Governor. 
 
 In the meantime other pious Puritans, with similar views to those of 
 'White, were meditating similar projects in other and opposite parts of 
 England. The pious family of the Earl of Lincoln, in the Northeast, 
 regarded the religious enterprise with enthusiastic admiration; as did also 
 John Winthrop, a native of the county of Suffolk, and others of rank and 
 fortune. A more extensive emigration was now thought of than had been 
 before attempted. But an objection arose; the colony was to be governed 
 by a council residing in England. To obviate this hindrance, the company 
 agreed to form a council of those who should emigrate, and who might 
 hold their sessions thereafter in the new settlement. 
 
 On the election, the excellent John Winthrop was chosen governor. 
 He had afterwards for his eulogy a praise beyond that of any other person 
 in the colony. " He was," say they, " unto us as a mother, parent-like 
 distributing his goods, and gladly bearing our infirmities, yet did he ever 
 maintain the figure and honor of his place with the spirit of a true gentle- 
 man." The company had determined to colonize only their " best." Eight 
 
THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 hundred accompanied Winthrop, and, during the season, seventeen vessels 
 were employed, bringing over, in all, fifteen hundred persons. 
 
 Winthrop and his friends found no luxurious table spread for them 
 in the wilderness ; but they freely imparted the stores which they brought 
 to the famished and enfeebled sufferers whom they met. Regarding Salem 
 as sufficiently peopled, the newly- 
 arrived located themselves without 
 delay beyond its limits. Their 
 first care, wherever they went, was 
 to provide for the ministration of 
 the gospel. In August Charles- 
 town had a church, at the head 
 of which was the ardent, eccen- 
 tric and benevolent Wilson — ever 
 ready to encourage the despond- 
 ing, either in poetry or prose. 
 Dorchester soon after had a church, 
 gathered by Mr. Warham, who 
 afterwards emigrated to Windsor, 
 Connecticut. Boston, Roxbury, 
 Lynn and Watertown followed 
 in their order; so that, at the 
 end of two years, Massachusetts 
 enjoyed the exceedingly rare dis- 
 
 JOHN WINTHROP 
 
 tinction at that time of having seven churches, supplied with devout and 
 learned ministers. 
 
 Unused, as many of this company of settlers were, to aught but plent}'- 
 and ease, the hardships before them, though borne with a willing mind, 
 were too much for the body, especially in the case of women. Many died, 
 though in the joy and peace of believing. Among these was the beloved 
 Arbella Johnson, of the noble house of Lincoln. Her husband, Isaac John- 
 son, the principal of the emigrants in respect to wealth, felt her loss so 
 severely that he soon followed her to the grave. He made a liberal bequest 
 to the colony, and died " in sweet peace." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 
 
 HILIP was the younger of the two sous of Massasoit. He had 
 become embittered against the English by circumstances attend- 
 ing the death of his brother, which he ascribed to them; and 
 though he was thus left sole chieftain of the Pokanokets, yet 
 he deeply felt his loss, and bitterly resented it. The extension 
 of the whites had now alarmed the savage 
 nations. They remembered that their 
 ancestors had reigned sole lords of the 
 forest. Now their hunting-grounds were 
 abridged; and the deer, the bear, and 
 other animals on which they depended 
 for subsistence, were frightened away by 
 the hum of civilization. 
 
 The new race, whom their fathers re- 
 ceived when a poor and feeble band, were 
 ^^ now gradually spreading themselves over 
 the land, and assuming to be its sover- 
 eigns. ■ Nothing remained to the native 
 savage but to be driven by degrees from 
 the occupations and possessions of his 
 forefathers, or to arouse, and by a mighty 
 effort extirpate the intruders. This was 
 the spirit which, emanating from Philip, 
 spread itself throughout the various Indian tribes. The Narragansetts, so 
 long friendly, were now under the rule of Conanchet, the son of Mianto- 
 nomoh, and doubtless he remembered the benefactions which his father had 
 bestowed upon the whites, and their refusal to hear his last plea for mercy. 
 Philip had not proceeded farther than to work upon the minds of the 
 Indians by secret machinations, when Sausaman, one of the natives whom 
 Eliot, the famous missionary to the Indians, had instructed in Christianity 
 
 90 
 
 KING PHILIP. 
 
KING PHILIP'S WAR. 91 
 
 gave to the Englisli intimations of his designs. Sausaman was soon after 
 murdered. On investigation, the Plymouth court found that the murder 
 was committed by three of Philip's most intimate friends, and forthwith 
 they caused them to be executed. 
 
 The savages no longer delayed; but, on the 20th of June, Philip's 
 warriors began by attacking Swansey, in New Plymouth. The colonists 
 appeared in defense of the town, and the Indians fled. Receiving fresh 
 troops from Boston, the united English force marched into the Indian 
 towns, which on their approach were deserted. But the route of the savages 
 was marked by the ruin of buildings which had been burned, and by the 
 heads and hands of the English, which were fixed upon poles by the wayside. 
 The troops finding that they could not overtake them returned to Swanse3^ 
 
 Reward Offered for the Capture of King Philip. 
 
 The commissioners of the colonies meeting at Boston were unanimous 
 in deciding that the war must be prosecuted with vigor, and each colony 
 furnished means, according to its ability. Of the thousand men which they 
 determined to send immediately into the field, Massachusetts was to furnish 
 five hundred and twent3^-seven, Connecticut three hundred and fifteen, and 
 Plymouth one hundred and fifty-eight. Subsequently the commissioners 
 voted to raise double this number. 
 
 The army was sent from Swansey into the country of the Narragansetts, 
 and negotiating, sword in hand, with that confederacy, on the 15th of July, 
 a treaty of peace was concluded. The commissioners, among other stipula- 
 tions, agreed to give forty coats to any of the Narragansetts who should 
 bring Philip alive, twenty for his head, and two for each of his subjects, 
 delivered as prisoners. The Indian king retreated with his warriors to a 
 swamp at Pocasset, near Montaup. There, on the 18th, the colonists attacked 
 them, but gained no decisive advantage. Philip then made his headquarters 
 with the Nipmucks ; but by the spirit of his destructive movements, he seemed 
 to be everywhere present. 
 
 In August it was clear that the Nipmuck Indians, living on the northern 
 tributaries of the Thames, were making ready to go upon the war-path, and 
 Captain Edward Hutchinson and twenty troopers were sent to hold a con- 
 ference with the savages. When near Brookfield they fell into ambush and 
 eight were killed and four wounded, Captain Hutchinson being among the 
 latter. The survivors managed to reach Brookfield and give the alarm. 
 
92 KING PHILIPS WAR. 
 
 Bvery one in the little village knew wliat was coming, and the 
 inhabitants, numbering less than a hundred, ran pell-mell into the only 
 house which was strong enough to offer any chance of defence. The men 
 had barely time enough to catch up their guns, sling the strings of their 
 powder-horns and bullet-pouches over their necks, when several hundred 
 Indians rushed into the village like a cyclone. Their ear-splitting screeches 
 filled the air, and the dusky warriors were seen dashing hither and thither, 
 many with a musket in one hand and a blazing torch in the other. 
 
 The gleaming knife and tomahawk thrust in the girdle at the waist, 
 and the hideously painted faces caused many a mother to shudder and 
 press her infant to her breast, while the fathers compressed their lips, raised 
 the flints of their muskets, and took careful aim. 
 
 Savage Attack and Heroic Defense. 
 
 Every house was fired except the one in which the settlers had taken 
 refuge. Whenever an Indian attempted to steal up to that with a torch 
 he was riddled with rifle-balls. No more thrilling incident can be found 
 in the early history of our country than the attack and defence of this 
 single house at Brookfield. The first voUe}^ which the Indians poured into 
 the structure mortally wounded one of the men. Another, who ventured 
 near enough to be seized, was flung to the earth, his head cut off and kicked 
 about for a foot-ball. When tired of this horrible sport the head was stuck 
 on a pole and set up in front of his own house. 
 
 Twice a skilled messenger started out in quest of help, but the Indians 
 were too watchful, and he was barely able to get back in time to save his 
 own life. The night which followed was dreadful beyond description. The 
 savages were on the alert, darting hither and thither, firing at every open- 
 ing that could be detected between the logs, and continuing their efforts to 
 destroy the structure by means of firebrands, tied to the ends of long poles. 
 The defenders, crowded together so there was barely room to move about, 
 were equally vigilant. 
 
 While the tired children slept the mothers peered through the crevices 
 and gave their husbands what help they could. Sometimes in the gloom 
 a flickering torch revealed the warrior, creeping stealthily among the ruins 
 of the building, and a sturdy rifleman sent a ball through his body. The 
 savage would leap high in the air with one piercing death-shriek, and that 
 was the end of him. 
 
ATTACK OP THE INDIANS ON BROOKFIELD. 
 
 91 
 
94 KING PHILIPS WAR. 
 
 Finding such attempts too dangerous the Indians wrapped their arrows 
 with burning tow, and launched them against the building, but provi- 
 dentially the little twists of flame died out without communicating to the 
 wood. The dense darkness was relieved after midnight by the full moon, 
 which, however, disclosed an alarming fact : the Nipmucks had heaped a 
 a large quantity of combustible stuff at one corner of the building to 
 which they set fire. 
 
 Under cover of the marksmen, a number of settlers dashed out and 
 scattered the burning material. This was twice repeated. During the 
 excitement one of the defenders reached the woods without detection and 
 started on a desperate journey to obtain help. He had a long way to 
 travel to obtain assistance, and the fate of the defenders was likely to be 
 settled before it could reach them. 
 
 Air Filled with Flaming Arrows. 
 
 The attack continued without abatement all that day and the succeed- 
 ing night. At times the air was filled with flaming arrows, many of which, 
 curving high overhead, came down with such force on the roof that they 
 stuck fast, and the smell of burning wood warned those within of their 
 danger. Holes were hurriedly chopped through the roof and water dashed 
 on the fire — this being repeated again and again until it seemed that one 
 party must tire out and stop. 
 
 On the third day it looked to the brave defenders as though all hope 
 was ended. A wagon was piled high with flax, hemp, hay, dry wood and 
 other inflammable material ; set fire, and then with long poles the savages 
 shoved it against the building. When the choking smoke poured through 
 the crevices between the logs, and the crackling flames began communi- 
 cating, the defenders were in despair ; but, at that terrible moment, a vio- 
 lent shower of rain came down, and not only quenched the flames but 
 made it impossible to rekindle them. 
 
 During the same day, Major Simon Willard, of Boston, and about fifty 
 men, learning of the sore strait of the Brookfield people, made all haste 
 thither. The Major, who was fully seventy years old, was on his march 
 west, and had to travel thirty miles over a bad road to reach the imperiled 
 settlers. He and his soldiers did it in gallant style. The sun was setting 
 when they dashed into the town, and without a minute's hesitation they 
 went at the Indians right and left. In the course of a few hours not 
 
KING PHILIP'S WAR. 95 
 
 a live warrior was in tlie neighborhood. The number killed by the 
 Major's party, added to those who had fallen by the bullets of the 
 defenders, was eighty. 
 
 Intending to collect a magazine and garrison at Hadley, Captain 
 Lathrop, with a corps of the choicest young men, selected from the vicinity 
 of Boston, was sent to transport a quantity of corn from Deerfield to that 
 place. They were suddenly attacked by the Indians, and, though they 
 fought with great bravery, they were almost all cut off. The brook, by 
 which they fought, flowed red, and to this day is called " Bloody Brook." 
 In October the Springfield Indians, who had previously been friendly, con- 
 certed with the hostile tribes, and set fire to that town. While its flames 
 were raging they attacked Hadley. 
 
 The Colonists in Great Danger. 
 
 Dreadful beyond description was now the condition of the colonists. 
 The object of the Indians was totally to exterminate them, and aimed 
 equally at the lives of the armed and the defenseless. They were with- 
 held by no restraints of religion, and their customs of war led them to 
 the most shocking barbarities. The previous state of peace and security, 
 in the course of which the whites had spread themselves over a large 
 extent of country, and mingled their dwellings with those of the Indians, 
 rendered their situation more perilous. The Indians, thus acquainted with 
 their haunts and habits, ambushed the private path, rushed with the dreadful 
 war-whoop upon the worshiping assembly, and during the silence of mid- 
 night set fire to the lonely dwelling, and butchered its inhabitants. 
 
 When the father of the family was to go forth in the morning he 
 knew he might meet his death-shot, as he opened his door, from some foe 
 concealed behind his fences or in his barn; or he might go, and return to 
 find his children murdered during his absence. When the mother lay 
 down at night, with her infant cradled on her arm, she knew that before 
 morning it might be plucked from her bosom, and its brains dashed out 
 before her eyes. Such were ever the consequences of savage warfare ; but 
 at no time during the settlement of the country were they so extensively 
 felt as during the year through which this war continued. 
 
 Conanchet again manifested hostility. In violation of the treaty, he 
 not only received Philip's warriors, but aided their operations against the 
 English. On the 18th of December one thousand troops were collected 
 
96 
 
 KING PHILIP'S WAR. 
 
 from the different colonies. Captain Church commanded the division from 
 Massachusetts Major Treat that from Connecticut, and Josiah Winslow, 
 of Plymouth, was in supreme command. After a stormy night passed in 
 
 /I . the open air, they 
 
 waded through 
 the snow sixteen 
 miles, and about 
 one o'clock on the 
 afternoon of the 
 19th they arrived 
 near the enemy's 
 fortress. 
 
 It was on a 
 rising ground in 
 the midst of a 
 swamp, and was 
 so well fortified 
 with palisades and 
 thick hedges that 
 only by crossing 
 a log which lay 
 over a ravine, 
 could it be ap- 
 proached. The 
 snow was deep, 
 but the footsteps 
 of the whites were 
 providentiall}^ di- 
 rected to this en- 
 trance, and though 
 commanded by a 
 block-house forti- 
 fied and manned, the officers led the men directly across the narrow and 
 dangerous bridge. The first were killed, but others pressed on, and the 
 fort was entered. 
 
 Conanchet and his warriors fought with desperation, and forced the 
 English to retire; but they continued the fight, defeated the savages, and 
 
 INDIAN WEAPONS. 
 
KING PHILIP'S WAR. 97 
 
 again entering the fort they set fire to the Indian dwellings. One thousand 
 warriors were killed ; three hundred, and as many women and children, 
 werQ made prisoners. About six hundred of their wigwams were burnt, 
 and many helpless sufferers perished in the flames. 
 
 The wretched remains of the tribe took shelter in the recesses of a 
 cedar swamp, covering themselves with boughs, or burrowing in the ground, 
 and feeding on acorns or nuts, dug out with their hands from the snow. 
 Many who escaped a sudden, thus died a lingering death. Conanchet was 
 made prisoner in April, and was offered his freedom if he would enter into 
 a treaty of peace. The chieftain indignantly refused, and was put to death. 
 
 An Enemy to the Last. 
 
 In the midst of these reverses Philip remained unshaken in his enmity. 
 His chief men, as also his wife and family, were killed or made prisoners ; 
 and while he wept at these domestic bereavements, with a bitterness that 
 evinced the finest feelings of human nature, so averse was he to submission 
 that he even shot one of his men who proposed it. After being driven 
 from swamp to swamp, he was at last shot near Montaup by the brother 
 of the Indian whom he had thus killed. Of the scattered parties which 
 remained, many were captured. Some sought refuge at the north. These 
 afterwards served as guides to those parties of hostile French and Indians 
 who came down and desolated the provinces. 
 
 In this dreadful contest New England lost six hundred inhabitants. 
 Fourteen towns had been destroyed, and a heavy debt incurred. Yet the 
 colonies had received no assistance from England, and they asked none. 
 The humane Irish sent the sufferers some relief. If Philip's war was to 
 the whites disastrous, to the savage tribes it was ruinous. The Pokanokets 
 and the Narragansetts henceforth disappear from history. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 OGER WILLIAMS was a Puritan minister, who had been driven 
 from England by tbose persecutions for opinion, which, like 
 the confusion of languages at Babel, drove men asunder, and 
 peopled the earth. When Williams arrived in Massachusetts, 
 he proclaimed, that the only business of the human legislator 
 is with the actions of man as they affect his fellow-man ; but as for the 
 thoughts and feelings of his mind, and the acts or omissions of his life, as 
 respects religious worship, the only lawgiver is God ; and the only human 
 tribunal, a man's own conscience. 
 
 Hence he condemned as unjust the church-membership restriction of 
 the right of suffrage, all laws to compel attendance on devotional exercises, 
 and all taxation to support public worship. Great was the astonishment 
 caused, and the disturbance made, by what was called this " ill tgg of 
 toleration." Williams, the eloquent young divine, frank and affectionate, 
 had, however, won the hearts of the people of Salem, and they invited him 
 to settle with them as their pastor. The general court forbade it. Wil- 
 liams withdrew to Plymouth, where he remained as pastor for two years, and 
 then returned to Salem, where he was again gladly received by the people. 
 The court punished the town for this offense by withholding a tract 
 of land to which they had a claim. Williams wrote to the churches, 
 endeavoring to show the injustice of this proceeding ; whereupon the court 
 ordered, that until ample apology was made for the letter, Salem should 
 be disfranchised. Then all, even his wife, yielded to the clamor against 
 him ; but he declared to the court before whom he was arraigned, that he 
 was ready to be bound, or if need were, to attest with his life, his devo- 
 tion to his principles. 
 
 The court pronounced against him the sentence of exile. Winter was 
 approaching and he obtained permission to remain till spring. The affec- 
 tions of his people revived, and throngs collected to hear the beloved voice, 
 soon to cease from among them. The authorities became alarmed, and 
 sent a vessel to convey him to England; but he had disappeared. 
 
 98 
 
THE GROWING NATION. 99 
 
 Now a wanderer in the wilderness, he had not, upon many a storni}^ 
 night, either " food, or fire, or company," or better lodging than the hol- 
 low of a tree. At last, a few followers having joined him, he fixed at 
 Seckonk, since Rehoboth, within the limits of the colony of Plymouth. 
 Winslow was now Governor there ; and he felt himself obliged to com- 
 municate to Williams that his remaining would breed disturbance between 
 the colonies ; and he added his advice to that privately conveyed to Wil- 
 liams by a letter from Winthrop " to steer his course to Narragansett Bay." 
 
 Generosity of an Indian Chief. 
 
 Williams now threw himself upon the mercy of Canonicus. At first 
 the sachem was ungracious. The English, he said, had sought to kill him, 
 and had sent the plague among his people. But Williams won upon him 
 by degrees, and he extended his hospitality to him and his suffering com- 
 pany. He would not, he said, sell his land, but he freely gave to Wil- 
 liams, whose neighborhood he now coveted, and who was favored by his 
 nephew, Miantonomoh, all the neck of land between the Pawtucket and 
 Moshasuck Rivers, " that his people might sit down in peace and enjoy 
 it forever." Thither they went, and with pious thanksgiving named the 
 goodly place Providence. 
 
 The Dutch and English both claimed to be the original discoverers of 
 Connecticut River, but the former had probably the juster claim. The 
 natives along its valley were kept in fear by the more warlike Pequods on 
 the east, and the terrible Mohawks in the west ; and hence they desired 
 the presence of the English as defenders. As early as 1631, Wahquima- 
 cut, one of their sachems, being pressed by the Pequods, went to Boston 
 and afterwards to Plymouth, earnestly requesting that an English colony 
 might be sent to his country, which he truly described as a delightful 
 region. Governor Winthrop declined his proposal ; but Edward Winslow, 
 then Governor of Plymouth, favored the project, and visited and ex- 
 amined the valley. 
 
 The Plymouth people had been, some time previously, advised by the 
 Dutch to settle on Connecticut River ; and they now determined to pursue 
 the enterprise. They fixed on the site of Windsor, as the place to erect 
 a trading-house. But delays occurred, and the Dutch having repented of 
 their former moderation, and now anxious to secure the territory for them- 
 selves, erected a small trading fort, called the house of Good Hope, on a 
 
100 THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 point of land in Sukeag, since Hartford, at the junction of the Little river 
 with the Connecticut. 
 
 How firmly the little state had become established in a short time is 
 shown from the shock which it now met and repelled. The Pequods were 
 endeavoring to unite the Indian tribes in a plot to exterminate the English, 
 especially those of this colony, named from its river, Connecticut. 
 
 A general court was called on the last of May, at Hartford. Thirty 
 persons had already been killed, and the evidence was conclusive that the 
 savages designed a general massacre. The court, therefore, righteously 
 declared war. The quota of troops from the three towns now settled, shows 
 the rapid progress of the settlement. Hartford was to furnish ninety men, 
 Windsor forty-two, and Wethersfield eighteen, making one hundred and fifty. 
 John Mason was chosen captain. The troops embarked at Hartford, sailed 
 down the river, and along the coast to Narragansett Bay. Miantonomoh 
 furnished them two hundred warriors, Uncas sixty. There were actually 
 embodied of the English only seventy-seven, of whom twenty, commanded 
 by Captain Underbill, were from Massachusetts. 
 
 Terrible Slaughter of the Natives. 
 
 Guided by a Pequod deserter, they reached Mystic, one of the two forts 
 of Sassacus, at dawn of day. Their Indian allies showed signs of fear, and 
 Mason, arranging them at a distance around the fort, advanced with his own 
 little army. If they fell there was no second force to defend their state, 
 their wives and helpless children. As they approach a dog barks, and an 
 Indian sentinel cries out, " Owannox, Owannox!" the English, the English! 
 They leap within the fort. The Indians fight desperately, and victory is 
 doubtful. Mason then seizes and throws a flaming brand, shouting, "we 
 must burn them." The light materials of their wigwams were instantly in 
 a blaze. Hemmed in, as the Indians now were, escape was impossible ; 
 and six hundred, all who were within the fort, of every sex and age, in 
 one hour perished. 
 
 Three hundred Pequods, issuing from the other and royal fortress of 
 Sassacus, pursued Mason with infuriated rage, as he retreated to the Pequod 
 River, where he embarked on his vessels, which he met there. Two of the 
 English were killed, and twenty wounded. 
 
 The subjects of Sassacus now reproached him as the author of their 
 misfortunes ; and, to escape destruction, he with his chief captains fled to 
 
THE GROWING NATION. 101 
 
 the Mohawks ; but lie was afterwards slain by a revengeful subject. Three 
 hundred of his warriors, having burned his remaining fort, fled along the 
 sea-coast. Massachusetts had raised a body of men to aid in the war, which 
 on account of the theological disturbance, arrived too late for the battle. 
 These, under Captain Patrick, now joined with forty men under Mason, 
 pursued the fugitive savages, traced them to a swamp in Fairfield, and there 
 fought and defeated them. 
 
 The prowess of the English had thus put the natives in fear, and a 
 long peace ensued. All the churches in New England commemorated this 
 deliverance by keeping a day of common and devout thanksgiving. 
 
 Charles II. died in 1685, and was succeeded by the Duke of York, 
 under the title of James II. He declared that there should be no free 
 governments in his dominions ; and accord- 
 ingly ordered writs to be issued against the 
 charters of the colonies of Connecticut and 
 Rhode Island. These colonies presented 
 letters and addresses, which, containing ex- 
 pressions of humble duty, the king con- 
 strued them into an actual surrender of 
 their charters ; and, affecting to believe that 
 all impediments to the royal will were 
 removed, he proceeded to establish a tem- 
 porary government over New England. Sir 
 Joseph Dudley was appointed president in 1686 ; but in December of the 
 same year he was succeeded by Sir Edmund Andros, as governor-general, 
 in whom, with a council, was vested all the powers of government. 
 
 Sir Edmund began his career with the most flattering professions of 
 his regard to the public safety and happiness. It was, however, well observed, 
 that " Nero concealed his tyrannical disposition more years than Sir Edmund 
 did months." He assumed control over the press, and appointed the 
 detested Randolph, licenser. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of Andros, he sent to Connecticut, demanding the 
 surrender of her charter. This being refused, in 1687, he came with a 
 guard to Hartford, during the session of the general assembly, and in person 
 required its delivery. After debating until evening, the charter was produced, 
 and laid on the table where the assembly were sitting. The lights were 
 extinguished, and one of the members privately conveyed it away, and hid 
 
102 
 
 THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 it iu a cavity of a large oak tree. The candles were officiously relighted, 
 but the charter was gone ; and no discovery could be made of it, or at that 
 time, of the person who carried it away. The government of the colony 
 was, however, surrendered to Andros. 
 
 It is time now to give some account of the settlement of New York, 
 the greatest State in the Union in population and wealth. It contains the 
 finest river for navigation, possesses the commercial capital, and holds a 
 position which alone connects New England with the South and West. 
 
 In 1609 occurred the discovery 
 of the Hudson river, which has 
 proved the finest for navigation of 
 any in America, and under cir- 
 cumstances which, giving to two 
 nations claims to its waters and 
 their adjoining country, became 
 the occasion of subsequent wars. 
 Hendrick Hudson, the discoverer, 
 was an Englishman by birth, but 
 in the service of the Dutch East 
 India Company. The next year 
 the Dutch sent ships to this river 
 to open a trade with the natives, 
 but the Court of England disowned 
 their claim to the country. The 
 Dutch, however, followed up their 
 
 '- , , HENDRICK HUDSON. 
 
 good fortune, and soon erected 
 
 forts Orange and Manhattan, near the sites of Albany and New York. 
 
 Holland was one of those kingdoms which the early Fathers of New 
 England were wont to say, " the Lord had sifted for good seed to sow the 
 wilderness," It was just after this nation had succeeded in its struggle 
 against the bloody tyranny of Philip II. of Spain, and established an 
 independent federal government, that Henry Hudson, in the service of the 
 Dutch East India Company, as already stated, sailed from the Texel for the 
 purpose of discovering a northwest passage to India ; but being unsuccessful, 
 he coasted along the shores of Newfoundland, proceeded south as far as 
 Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, then returning northward he became the 
 discoverer of the noble river which bears his name. 
 
THE GROWING NATION. 103 
 
 In 1614 a company of mercHants having received permission from the 
 State's General, fitted ont a squadron of several ships, and sent them to 
 trade to the country vi^hich Hudson had discovered. A rude fort was con- 
 structed on Manhattan Island. One of the captains of the squadron, Adrian 
 Blok, sailed through the Bast river and determined the insulated position 
 of Long Island. He probably entered Connecticut river, and it is fully 
 believed that he examined the coast as far as Cape Cod. 
 
 Fort Built by the Traders. 
 
 The next year the adventurers sailed up the Hudson, and on a little 
 island, just below the present position of Albany, they built a small fort, 
 naming it Fort Orange. But no families had emigrated. The Dutch were 
 then merely traders. Afterwards they changed their location, and fixed 
 where Albany now stands. 
 
 Holland was torn by factions. Grotius, the most enlightened of her 
 sons, was sentenced to imprisonment for life, and the disciples of his school 
 were now ready to emigrate. To promote trade, the " West India Company " 
 was formed, with full powers. The willing settlers were sent over. Cot- 
 tages clustered around Manhattan fort, now called New Amsterdam, and 
 Peter Minuets was made its first governor. 
 
 Many settlements were now made, and a great part of the best land 
 was soon appropriated. The Indian chiefs conveyed to the excellent Van 
 Renselaer the tract around Fort Orange to the mouth of the Mohawk, and 
 the College of Nineteen gave a patent. Six years afterwards the grant 
 was extended twelve miles further to the south. De Vries conducted from 
 Holland a colony which settled Lewistown, near the Delaware ; a small fort 
 called Nassau having been previously erected by the Dutch. 
 
 In consequence of disagreements among the company in Holland, Peter 
 Minuets returned, having been superseded by Walter Van Twiller. Minuets 
 became the leader of a colony of Swedes. The Dutch were now curtailed 
 of the territory which they claimed on Connecticut river by the settlement 
 of Hooker and others, and also by the subjects of Gustavus xA^dolphus, led 
 by Minuets, of that on the banks of the Delaware. 
 
 Difficulties also arose with the savages. Governor Keift, who had 
 succeeded Van Twiller, had an inconsiderable quarrel with the Man- 
 hattan Indians. Notwithstanding, when the Mohawks came down upon 
 them, they collected in groups, and begged him to shelter and assist 
 
104 THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 them. Instead of this, the barbarous Keift sent his troops, and at night 
 murdered them all — men, women and helpless babes — to the number of a 
 hundred. Indian vengeance awoke, as well it might, and its tokens spread 
 quickly from tribe to tribe. 
 
 No English family within reach of the Algonquins was safe. The 
 Dutch villages were in flames around, and the people fleeing to Holland. 
 Near New York the family of Anne Hutchinson, and many others, were 
 massacred ; and in New England all was jeopardy and alarm. The Dutch 
 troops defended themselves, having placed at their head Captain Underbill, 
 who had been expelled from Massachusetts. At this time is supposed to 
 have occurred a bloody battle at Strickland's Plain, in Greenwich, Connec- 
 ticut, of which, however, the details seem strangely lost. 
 
 Tomahawk Buried under the Tree of Peace. 
 
 The Mohawks, who were friendly to the Dutch, at length interfered, 
 and the congregated Indian sachems met in council with the whites, on the 
 ground of the battery in New York. " The tree of peace was planted and 
 the tomahawk buried beneath its shade." Keift, execrated by all the colo- 
 nies, was remanded to Holland; and, on his return, perished by ship- 
 wreck on the coast of Wales. Peter Stuyvesant had succeeded to his of&ce 
 before his departure. He went to Hartford, end there entered into negotia- 
 tions. The Dutch claims to Connecticut were relinquished, and Long 
 Island was divided between the two parties. 
 
 The Dutch had built fort Casimir on the site of Newcastle, in Dela- 
 ware. The Swedes conceiving this to be an encroachment on their terri- 
 tory, Rising, their Governor, by an unworth}'- stratagem, made himself its 
 master. In 1655, Stuyvesant, acting by orders received from Holland, em- 
 barked at New Amsterdam with six hundred men, and sailing up the Dela- 
 ware he subjugated the Swedes. New Sweden was heard of no more; but 
 the settlers were secured in their rights of private property, and their 
 descendants are among the best of our citizens. 
 
 Man}^ emigrants now came to New Netherlands, from among the 
 oppressed, the discontented, and the enterprising of other colonies and of 
 European nations. At length the inhabitants sought a share of political 
 power. They assembled, and by their delegates demanded that no laws 
 should be passed, except with the consent of the people. Stuyvesant very 
 unceremoniously let them know that he was not to be directed "by a few 
 
THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 105 
 
 ignorant subjects;" and he forthwith dissolved the assembly. The "Nine- 
 teen " highly approved his course ; and charged him not " to allow the 
 people to indulge such visionary dreams, as that taxes should not be im- 
 posed without their consent." 
 
 But popular liberty, though checked here, prevailed in the adjoining 
 provinces ; and they 
 consequently grew 
 more rapidly and 
 crowded upon the 
 Dutch. The In- 
 dians made war upon 
 some of their vil- 
 lages, especially that 
 of Esopus,now King- 
 ston; and New Neth- 
 erlands could not ob- 
 tain aid from Hol- 
 land. The States 
 General had given 
 the whole concern 
 into the hands of the 
 Nineteen, they to 
 pay all expenses ; 
 and this council re- 
 fused to make need- 
 ful advances. 
 
 In the meantime, 
 Charles II. had 
 granted to his 
 brother James, then peter stuyvesant, governor of new york. 
 
 Duke of York and Albany, the territory from the banks of the Connecti- 
 cut to those of the Delaware. Sir Robert Nichols, a confidential of&cer of 
 his household, was dispatched with a fleet to take possession. Nichols 
 brought over commissioners to New England, and landed them at Boston. 
 Taking in from Long Island the younger Winthrop, now Governor of 
 Connecticut, he sailed to New Amsterdam, and suddenly demanded of the 
 astonished Stuyvesant to give up the place. Winthrop advised him to do 
 
106 THE GROWING NATION. 
 
 so, but the faithful Dutchman replied that a tame surrender " would be 
 reproved in the fatherland;" and he would have defended his post if he 
 could. But the body of the people preferred the English rule to that of 
 the Dutch, the privileges of Englishmen having been promised them. 
 Nichols therefore entered, took possession in the name of his master, and 
 called the place New York. 
 
 Pv part of the English fleet, under Sir George Carteret, sailed up the 
 Hudson to Fort Orange, which surrendered and was named Albanj^ The 
 Dutch fort on the Delaware was also taken by the English. The rights 
 of property were respected, and a treaty was made with the Five Nations. 
 The whole line of coast from Acadia to Florida, was now in posses- 
 sion of the English. But there was destined to be a long struggle between 
 the European nations for the mastery of the new world. There was as much 
 rivalry as could have been expected at a time when the vast resources of 
 the new country were quite unknown and the difficulties of ocean naviga- 
 tion were so great. 
 
 Most of the towns that now teem with population, were, in the first 
 place, trading stations and forts. These became centres of industry and 
 traffic, and as the country grew older such centres of population became 
 rallying points for the settlers. Our history shows that these early settle- 
 ments nearly all suffered during the wars with the Indians which broke out 
 from time to time, and were carried on Avith savage barbarity. 
 
 The strong hold the English obtained in America continued, and their 
 settlements increased in number on almost every part of the coast. Even 
 at this early period, there was a stir in the old world, and westward the 
 course of empire was taking its way. The growth of the colonies fluctuated 
 according to circumstances, but there was a steady movement of industrious, 
 thrifty, resolute people toward the American wilderness. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FOUNDER. 
 
 )HB great and good man, to whom Pennsylvania owes its origin, 
 was the son of Vice Admiral Sir William Penn, and was born 
 in London in 1644. He was regarded as a child of great 
 promise. At eleven years of age, being, as he relates, at 
 Oxford School, he was suddenly surprised " with an inward 
 comfort, and an external glory in the belief of God, and his communion 
 with his soul." Nothing, through a long life, ever shook his faith in the 
 realit}'' of this divinely communicated " inner light." 
 
 At fifteen he entered Oxford College ; but though an excellent scholar 
 — his religious sensibilities having been farther excited by the preaching 
 of- Thomas Loe, a Quaker, he was led to some irregularities as a student, 
 involving a contempt of the authority, which caused his expulsion. His 
 father, disappointed in the ambitious hopes which the uncommon talents 
 of his son had raised, used every means, not excepting fatherly chastise- 
 ment, to cure him of what he considered his whimsical obstinacy. All his 
 efforts failing, he turned him from his door. But a generous nature, with 
 the persuasions of his wife, soon made him relent, and restore his son 
 to his favor. 
 
 William was next sent to travel in France and Italy, where he spent 
 two years. He returned with an elegant polish of manners, which delighted 
 his father. But the admiral soon found that, wherever his religion was 
 concerned, his son had the same peculiar views, and the same unbend 
 ing spirit as before. 
 
 His father next sent him to Ireland, in hopes that the splendid court 
 of his friend, the Earl of Ormond, now Lord Lieutenant of that kingdom, 
 would make him a man of the world. Having the agency of his father's 
 large estates in Ireland, William applied himself to business with so much 
 ability that his father was delighted with his success. But he again heard 
 the preacher, Thomas Loe, and became a decided member of the Quaker 
 Society, and as such he was persecuted and imprisoned. His father hear- 
 
 107 
 
JOS 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FOUNDER. 
 
 ing of this, recalled liim to England. Mortified at liis oddities, but proud 
 of his talents, the impassioned father entreats and beseeches, — even with 
 tears. The affectionate son struggles between his love for his earthly and 
 that for his Heavenly Parent, and decides that he must, at whatever cost, 
 be in subjection to the Father of his spirit. 
 
 The admiral is willing to endure much, and finally proposes to com- 
 promise, and allow his son's peculiarities, provided he will consent partially 
 to waive the Quaker custom of wearing the hat in every human presence, 
 
 and uncover his head before the King, 
 the Duke of York and himself Penii 
 reflected that his spiritual strength 
 and comfort depended upon obedience 
 to his inward monitor. Christianity 
 taught that the outward act should 
 never belie the heart; and "hat-wor- 
 ship " he believed could not otherwise 
 be practiced. He therefore refused 
 his father's proffer, and ^vas again 
 excluded from the shelter of his roof. 
 Penn now became a preacher and 
 an author, and was ere long cast into 
 prison for his violation of the severe 
 P^ laws respecting public worship; and 
 though released by his father's medi- 
 ation, he was soon re-committed. His 
 fearless eloquence on one occasion, 
 gained the jury to his cause. He 
 was accused before the Mayor and 
 Recorder of London of holding a private meeting with his brethren for 
 religious worship; and though the court directed, threatened, and kept the 
 jury two days without " meat, drink, fire or tobacco," these twelve bold jurors 
 would not find a bill against the prisoner. For this the court fined them, 
 and cast them into prison for their fine. Such was the spirit of the times 
 Admiral Penn, when his health failed, recalled his beloved son. He 
 gave a charge on his death-bed to his friend, the Duke of York, who 
 accepted the office, to watch the fate of William, and, as far as possible, 
 shield him from the evils to which his peculiar tenets must expose him. 
 
 WILLIAM PENX. 
 
PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FOUNDER. 109 
 
 Soon after his father's death Peuu is again in prison. But notwithstanding 
 this, we soon find him allying himself in marriage to a family of high 
 respectability, and to a woman of extraordinary intelligence, beauty, and 
 goodness. That he had now the public confidence also appears from the 
 trust reposed in him by the assignees of Edward Billinge, while the high 
 order of his talents was manifested by his legislation for the two Jerseys. 
 His thoughts were by this turned to America ; and the sufferings of 
 his dear persecuted brethren led him to plans of colonizing there, which 
 he proceeded to put into operation. His father had left claims to the 
 amount of sixteen thousand pounds against the crown ; and Penn, finding 
 that there was a tract yet ungranted, north of Lord Baltimore's patent, 
 solicited and obtained of Charles II. a charter of the country, "which was 
 bounded on the east by the river Delaware, extending westward through five 
 degrees of longitude, and stretching from twelve miles northward of New- 
 castle to the forty-third degree of latitude, and was limited on the south by 
 a circle of twelve miles drawn around Newcastle, to the beginning of the 
 fortieth degree of north latitude." It was called by the king Pennsylvania. 
 
 A Oouncil to Establish Peace, 
 
 Soon after the date of this grant, two other conveyances were made to 
 Penn by the Duke of York ; one of which embraced the present state of 
 Delaware, and was called the "Territories." The other was a release from 
 the Duke of any claims to Pennsylvania. 
 
 Directions had been given to Colonel Markham, who preceded Penn, 
 that the natives shold be treated kindly and fairly ; and accordingly no 
 land had been entered upon but by their consent. They had also been 
 notified that Penn, to whom they gave the name of Onas, was to kindle a 
 council fire at a certain time, in order to meet and establish with them a 
 treaty of perpetual peace. On the morning of the appointed day, under 
 a huge elm at Shackamaxon, now a suburb of Philadelphia, William Penn, 
 majestic in person, beautiful in countenance, graceful, though plain in 
 manner and attire, his only ornament being a sash of pale blue, stood and 
 held in his hand the roll of peace. 
 
 Sending around his loving glance, he sees "far as his eyes can carry" 
 among the trees of the forest, its painted and plumed children gathering 
 towards him. The chiefs came forward and half encircle him. The principal 
 sachem puts upon his own head a horned chaplet, the symbol of his power. 
 
110 PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FOUNDER. 
 
 At once every warrior lays down his bow and t.-mahawk, and seats himself 
 upon the ground. The grand chief then announces to Onas that the 
 nations are ready to hear his words, believing him to be an angel sent to 
 them by the Great Spirit. 
 
 Penn gave them instructions, and solemnly appealed to the Almighty, 
 who knew his inmost thoughts, that it was the ardent desire of his heart 
 to do them good. "He would not call them brothers or children, but they 
 should be to him and his, as half of the same body." The chiefs then 
 gave their pledge for themselves, and for their tribes, " to live in love with 
 him and his children, as long as the sun and moon should endure." The 
 treaty was then executed, the chiefs marking down the emblems of their 
 several tribes. The purchases of Markham were confirmed and others made. 
 
 The City of Philadelphia Founded. 
 
 After this Penn went to a villa which his nephew had built for his 
 residence, opposite the site of Burlington, and called Pennsbury. Here he 
 gave directions for laying out towns and counties, and in conjunction with 
 the surveyor, Holme, drew the plan of his capital, and in the spirit of 
 " brotherly love," named it Philadelphia. 
 
 Vessels came fast with new settlers, until twenty-two bearing two 
 thousand persons, had arrived. Some came so late in the fall, that they 
 could not be provided with house-room in the rude dwellings of the new 
 city ; and " the caves " were dug in the banks of the river to receive them. 
 Providence fed them by flocks of pigeons and the fish of the rivers ; and the 
 Indians, regarding them as the children of Onas, hunted to bring them game. 
 
 Penn had left beyond the ocean his beloved family. Letters from 
 England spoke of the sufferings of his Quaker brethren, and he believed 
 that he might exercise an influence there to check persecution. He 
 embarked on the fourth of August, and wrote on board the ship an affec- 
 tionate adieu to his province, which he sent on shore before he sailed. He 
 said, " And thou, Philadelphia, virgin of the province ! my soul prays for 
 thee, that, faithful to the God of thy mercies, in the life of righteousness, 
 thou mayest be preserved unto the end!" 
 
 After William Penn's arrival in England he became one of the most 
 influential persons in the kingdom ; for when the Duke of York was made 
 king, under the title of James II., he manifested for him much confidence 
 and affection. The influence thus possessed at court was never used for 
 
PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FOUNDER, 111 
 
 selfish purposes, but mainly to obtain benefits for distressed Quakers, and 
 laws in favor of general toleration. 
 
 Wlien James became an exile in France, Penn was suspected, by bis 
 successor, of holding with him a treasonable correspondence, and upon 
 vague charges to this effect he was a number of times imprisoned. In 
 1692 the government of Pennsylvania was taken from him, and Fletcher, 
 governor of New York, appointed by the crown to rule his province. After 
 strict scrutiny, the conduct of Penn was found to be irreproachable, and in 
 1694 he was restored to the favor of the king, and reinstated in his govern- 
 ment ; but not immediately returning to Pennsylvania, he appointed the 
 worthy Thomas Lloj^d his deputy-governor. 
 
 The Duke's Claims Adjudged to be Oppressive. 
 
 Sir Bdmund Andros, when governor of New York, under pretence of 
 the claims of the Duke of York, usurped the government both in East and 
 West Jersey, and laid a tax upon all goods imported, and upon the pro- 
 perty of all who came to settle in the country. Penn received complaints of 
 these abuses, and with such strength of argument opposed the claims of the 
 duke that the commissioners to whom the case was referred adjudged the 
 duties to be illegal and oppressive; in consequence of which, in 1680, they 
 were removed, and the proprietors reinstated in the government. Edward 
 Byllinge was appointed their governor, and the next 3'ear, 1681, he sum- 
 moned the first General Assembly held in West Jersey. In 1682 the people, 
 by the advice of Penn, amended their government. Contrary to the wishes 
 of the proprietor, the next year they proceeded to elect their own governor. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 |HH story of witchcraft in the Massachusetts colony is one of the 
 most singular ever recorded. In 1688 a case occurred which 
 excited general interest, and was the beginning of one of the 
 r^lj^^j^^ saddest periods in the history of New Hngland. The daughter 
 of John Goodwin, a child of thirteen years, accused the daughter 
 of an Irish laundress of stealing some linen. The mother of the laundress, 
 a friendless emigrant, succeeded in disproving the charge, and abused the 
 girl soundly for making a false accusation. 
 
 Soon after this the accuser was seized with a fit, and pretended to be 
 bewitched in order to be revenged upon the poor Irish woman. Her 
 younger sister and two of her brothers followed her example. They pre- 
 tended to be dumb, then deaf, then blind, and then all three at once. 
 Nevertheless their appetite was good, and they slept soundly at night. 
 The youngest of these little impostors was less than five years old. It was 
 at once given out that the Goodwin children were bewitched, and no one 
 suspected or hinted at the fraud. They would bark like dogs and mew 
 like cats, and a physician who was called in to treat them solemnly de- 
 clared that they were possessed by devils. 
 
 A conference of the four ministers of Boston, and one from Charles- 
 town, was held at Goodwin's house, where they observed a day of fasting 
 and prayer. As a result of their efforts the youngest child, a boy of less 
 than five 3'ears, was delivered of his evil spirit. The ministers now had 
 no doubt that the children had been bewitched, and as the little ones 
 accused the Irish woman of their misfortune, she was arrested, tried for 
 witchcraft, convicted and hanged, notwithstanding that many persons 
 thought the poor creature a lunatic. 
 
 Among the ministers who had investigated this case and had procured 
 the execution of the woman was Cotton Mather, the son of Increase Mather, 
 then president of Harvard College. He was a young man who had but 
 recently entered the ministry, and was regarded as one of the most learned 
 
 112 
 
WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 113 
 
 and gifted preachers in the colony. He was withal a man of overweening 
 vanity and full of ambition. He could not bear contradiction, and was 
 devoted to the maintenance of the political power of the clergy. He was 
 superstitious by nature, and was firmly convinced of the reality of witchcraft. 
 
 He had become deeply interested in the case of the Goodwin children, 
 and in order to study it more deeply took the eldest girl to his house, 
 where he could observe and experiment upon her devil at his leisure. She 
 was a cunning creature, and soon found that it was to her interest to 
 humor the j^oung pastor in his views, and she played upon his weakness 
 with a shrewdness and skill which were remarkable in one so young, and 
 exhibit the credulity of the investigator in a most pitiable light. 
 
 Mather carried on his experiments with a diligence which would have 
 seemed ludicrous had its object been less baneful to the community. He 
 read the Bible, and praj^ed aloud in the presence of the girl, who would 
 pretend to be thrown into a fit by the pious exercise. At the same time 
 she read the Book of Common Prayer, or Quaker or Popish treatises, with- 
 out any interruption from her familiar spirits. The minister then tested 
 the proficiency of the devil in languages, by reading aloud passages of the 
 Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, which the girl professed to understand. 
 
 Concluded that all Devils are not Alike. 
 
 When he tried her with an Indian dialect, however, she could not 
 comprehend him. By other experiments, designed to ascertain if the spirits 
 could read the thoughts of others, Mather came to the sage conclusion that 
 " all devils are not alike sagacious." The girl flattered his vanity, and 
 lulled his suspicion of fraud by telling him that his own person was 
 especially protected against the evil spirits by the power of God, and that 
 the devils did not dare to enter his study. 
 
 In 1692 a new case of witchcraft occurred in Salem village, now the 
 town of Danvers. The minister of this place was Samuel Parris, between 
 whom and a number of his people there had for some time existed dissen- 
 sions of such a bitter nature that the attention of the general court had 
 been directed to them. In February, 1692, the daughter and niece of 
 Parris, the former a child of nine years, and the latter of less than twelve, 
 gave signs of being bewitched. Parris at once recognized the opportunity 
 which was thus offered him for vengeance upon his enemies, and deliberately 
 availed himself of it. 
 
 8 
 
114 
 
 WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 He demanded of the children the names of the persons who had 
 bewitched them, and then proceeded to accuse those whom he succeeded in 
 inducing the girls to denounce. The first victim was Rebecca Nurse. She 
 was known in the community as a woman of exemplary Christian character; 
 
 but she was one of 
 the most resolute 
 opponents of Parris. 
 Upon his accusation 
 she was arrested and 
 imprisoned. The 
 next Sunday Parris 
 preached a sermon 
 from the text, 
 " Have I not chosen 
 you twelve, and one 
 of you is a devil." 
 As his remarks were 
 directed against 
 Mistress Nurse, 
 Sarah Cloyce, her 
 sister, at once left 
 the church. 
 
 This in itself 
 was a serious of- 
 fence in those days, 
 and Parris took ad- 
 vantage of it to ac- 
 cuse the offender of 
 witchcraft, and she 
 was seen to join 
 THE REV. COTTON MATHER. her sistcr iu prison. 
 
 Mather, who deemed his credit at stake, lent his active aid to the prosecution 
 of these unfortunate people, and had the vanity to declare that he regarded 
 the efforts of "the evil angels upon the country as a particular defiance 
 unto himself" Parris scattered his accusations right and left, becoming 
 both informer and witness against those whom he meant to destroy for 
 their opposition to him. 
 
WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 115 
 
 In a few weeks nearly one hundred persons were in prison upon the 
 charge of witchcraft. Abigail Williams, Parris's niece, aided her uncle with 
 her tales, which the least examination would have shown to be absurd. 
 George Burroughs, one of the ministers of Salem, had long been regarded 
 by Parris as a rival, and he now openly expressed his disbelief in witchcraft, 
 and his disapproval of the measures against those charged with that offence. 
 This boldness sealed his doom. He was accused by Parris and committed 
 to prison "with the rest of the witches." "The gallows was to be set 
 up, not for those who professed themselves witches, but for those who 
 rebuked the delusion." 
 
 Governor Bradstreet, who had been chosen by the people, was unwilling 
 to proceed to extreme measures against the accused, as he had no faith in the 
 evidence against them. The arrival of the royal governor and the new 
 charter in Boston in May, 1692, placed Cotton Mather and his fellow-prosecu- 
 tors in a position to carry out their bloody designs. The General Court alone 
 had authority to appoint special courts, but Governor Phipps did not hesitate 
 to appoint one himself for the trial of the accused persons at Salem, and this 
 illegal tribunal, with Stoughton as its chief judge, met at Salem on the 2d 
 of June. In this court, Parris acted as prosecutor, keeping back some 
 witnesses, and pushing others forward, as suited his plans. 
 
 A Woman Suspected and Hanged. 
 
 The first victim of the court was Bridget Bishop, " a poor, friendless old 
 woman." Parris, who had examined her at the time of her commitment, was 
 the principal witness against her. Deliverance Hobbs being also accused, a 
 natural infirmity of her body was taken as a proof of her guilt, and she was 
 hanged, protesting her innocence. Rebecca Nurse was at first acquitted of 
 the charges against her, but the court refused to receive the verdict of the 
 jury, and Parris was determined that the woman against whom he had 
 preached and prayed should not escape him, and the jury were induced to 
 convict her, and she was hanged. John Willard, who had been compelled, by 
 his duty as a constable, to arrest the accused, now refused to serve in this 
 capacity any longer, as he had become convinced of the hypocrisy of the insti- 
 gators of the persecution. He was immediately denounced, tried and hanged. 
 
 When George Burroughs, the minister, was placed on trial, the witnesses 
 produced against him pretended to be dumb. " Who hinders these witnesses 
 from giving their testimonies?" asked Stoughton, the chief judge. "I 
 
116 WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 suppose the devil," replied Burroughs, contemptuously. " How comes the 
 devil," cried Stoughton, exultingly, " so loath to have any testimony borne 
 against you ? " The words of the prisoner were regarded as a confession, and 
 his remarkable bodily strength was made an evidence of his guilt. He was 
 convicted and sentenced to be hanged. He was executed on the 19th of 
 August, with four others. As he ascended the scaffold, Burroughs made an 
 appeal to the people assembled to witness the execution, and effectually vindi- 
 cated himself from the absurd charges against him, and repeated the Lord's 
 prayer, which was regarded as a test of innocence. The spectators seemed 
 about to interfere in favor of the victim. 
 
 A Reign of Terror in the Colony. 
 
 Cotton Mather, who was present on horseback, now exerted himself to 
 complete the judicial murder. He harangued the people, insisted on the 
 guilt of Burroughs, reminding them that the devil could sometimes assume 
 the form of an angel of light, and even descended to the falsehood of 
 declaring that Burroughs was no true minister, as his ordination was not 
 valid. His appeal was sucsessful, and the execution was completed. 
 
 Giles Cory, an old man over eighty years of age, seeing that no denial 
 of guilt availed anything, refused to plead, and was pressed to death, in 
 accordance with an old English law, long obsolete, which was revived to 
 meet his case. Samuel Wardwell confessed his guilt, and escaped the 
 gallows. Overcome with shame for his cowardice, he retracted his confes- 
 sion, and was hanged for denying witchcraft. A reign of terror prevailed 
 in Salem ; the prisons were full, and no one could feel sure how long he 
 would escape accusation and arrest. 
 
 Many persons confessed their guilt to save their lives. Children accused 
 their parents, parents their children, and husbands and wives each other 
 of the most impossible offences, in the hope of escaping the persecution 
 themselves. Hale, the minister of Beverley, was a zealous advocate of the 
 persecution, until the bitter cup was presented to his own lips by the 
 accusation of his wife. Many persons were obliged to fly the colony, and 
 the magistrates, conscious that they were exceeding their powers, did not 
 demand their surrender. 
 
 We have mentioned only some of the principal cases to show the 
 character of the persecution, as our limits forbid the relation of all. The 
 total number hanged was twenty ; fifty-five were tortured or terrified into 
 
WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND. 117 
 
 confessions of guilt. The accusations were at first lodged against persons 
 of humble station, but at length reached the higher classes. 
 
 Stoughton's court, having hanged twenty of its victims, adjourned about 
 the last of September, 1692, until November, and on the eighteenth of October 
 the general court met. The indignation of the people had been gathering 
 force, and men were determined to put a stop to the judicial murders and 
 tortures which had disgraced them so long. Remonstrances were at once 
 presented to the assembly against " the doings of the witch tribunals,'' the 
 people of Andover leading the way in this effort. The assembly abolished 
 the special court, and established a tribunal b}^ public law. 
 
 The Dreadful Mistake is Acknowledged. 
 
 The danger was now over. It was no longer possible to procure a 
 conviction for witchcraft. The indignant people of Salem village at once 
 drove the wretched Parris and his family from the place. Noyes, the 
 minister of Salem, who had been active in the persecutions, was compelled 
 to ask the forgiveness of the peoj^le, after a public confession of his error. 
 The devotion of the rest of his life to works of charity won him the pardon 
 he sought. Sewall, one of the judges, struck with horror at the part he 
 had played in the persecution, made an open and frank confession of his 
 error, and implored the forgiveness of his fellow-citizens. His sincerity was 
 so evident that he soon regained the favor he had lost. Stoughton passed 
 the remainder of his life in proud and haughty disregard of the opinion of 
 his fellow-men, scorning to make any acknowledgment of error, and evincing 
 no remorse for his cruelties. 
 
 As for the prime mover of the delusion, the Rev. Cotton Mather, 
 nothing could induce him to admit that he could by any possibility have 
 been in error ; not even the recollection of the sorrow he had brought upon 
 some of the best people in the colony could shake his impenetrable self- 
 conceit or humble him. When it was plain to him that he was the object 
 of the indignation of all good men in New England, he had the hardihood 
 to endeavor to persuade them that after all he had not been specially active 
 in the sad affair. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST. 
 
 iFTER Charles II. was restored to the throne of England his 
 rapacious courtiers, taking advantage of his improvident good 
 nature, obtained for their services real or pretended, from him 
 who had little else to give, large tracts of American territory. 
 Nor was that monarch, as we have already seen, at all scrupu- 
 lous when a favorite was to be gratified, if what he gave had before been 
 granted, or if it belonged to other nations. 
 
 But settlers were wanted, and to procure these, various inducements 
 were held out. Two settlements had already been formed. One of these, 
 near the Sound, called, from the title given to the restorer of Charles II., 
 Albemarle, was begun at an early day by enterprising planters from Vir- 
 ginia; and enjoying entire liberty, it had been augmented from that and 
 other colonies, whenever religious or political oppression had scattered 
 their people. 
 
 The other colony was to the south of this, on Cape Fear or Clarendon 
 River; and had been originally made by a little band of adventurers from 
 New England. They, as well as the former colony, had purchased their 
 laud of the natives — they had occupied it, and they claimed, as a law of 
 nature, the right of self-government. In the meantime, a number of 
 planters from Barbadoes, desiring to re-establish themselves in independ- 
 ence, purchased lands of the sachems, and settled on Cape Fear River, near 
 the territory of the New Englanders. The two parties united. In 1667 
 they were in danger of famine, and Massachusetts sent them relief 
 
 William Sayle, the first proprietary governor of Carolina, brought over 
 a colony, with which he founded old Charleston, Dying in 1671 his colony 
 was annexed to that of Governor Yeamens. In 1680 the city was removed 
 to the point of land between the two rivers, which received, in compliment 
 to Lord Shaftsbury, the names of Ashley and Cooper. The foundation of 
 the present capital of the south was laid, and the name of the king per- 
 petuated in that of Charleston. 
 118 
 
COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST 
 
 119 
 
 During the year 1690 King William sent out a large body of French 
 Protestants, who had been compelled to leave their country by the arbitrary 
 measures of Louis XIV. To a part of these, lands were allotted in Vir- 
 ginia on James River, and others settled in Carolina on the banks of the 
 Santee, and in Charleston. They introduced the culture of the vine, and 
 were among the most useful settlers of the province. 
 
 About 1723 a new colony was projected in England. The country 
 between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers, although within the limits of 
 the Carolina grant, was still unoc. 
 cupied by European settlers. The 
 patriotic deemed it important that 
 this region should be planted by a 
 British colony, otherwise, it was 
 feared, it would be seized by the 
 Spaniards from Florida, or the 
 French from the Mississippi. At the 
 same time, a spirit of philanthropy 
 was abroad in England, to notice 
 the distresses of the poor, especi- 
 ally those shut up in prisons, and 
 to provide for their relief. 
 
 Actuated by these generous 
 considerations, a number of gentle- 
 men in England, of whom James 
 'Oglethorpe was the most zealous, 
 formed a project to settle this tract 
 by such of the suffering poor as 
 
 might be willing to seek, in the new world, the means of subsistence, 
 company, the territory between the Savannah and Altamaha, now, in honor 
 of the king, denominated Georgia, was granted ; and with its settlement was 
 completed that of the thirteen veteran colonies, which fought the War of 
 the Revolution, and whose emblematic stars and stripes still decorate the 
 banner of American Independence. 
 
 Oglethorpe, having prepared for the settlement of Georgia, by the 
 assistance of a corporation, consisting of twenty-one persons, who were called 
 " Trustees for settling and establishing the colony of Georgia," embarked 
 in November, 1732, with one hundred and sixteen emigrants for America. 
 
 GENERAL OGLETHORPE. 
 
 To this 
 
120 COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST. 
 
 They arrived at Charleston in January, 1733. Governor Johnson, 
 sensible of the importance of having a barrier between his people and the 
 Southern Indians, gave them all the aid in his power, and accompanied 
 them to the place of their destination. This was Yamacraw Bluff, since 
 called Savannah, which they reached on the 1st of February, and Ogle- 
 thorpe immediately commenced a fort. 
 
 His next care was to propitiate the Indians. The tribe settled at 
 Yamacraw was considerable. The Creeks, at this period, could muster 
 2,500 warriors; the Cherokees, 6,000; the Choctaws, 5,000; and the Chick- 
 asaws, 700; amounting in the whole to 14,200. Aware, that without the 
 friendship of these nations, his colony could not even exist, much less 
 prosper, Oglethorpe summoned a general meeting of the chiefs, fifty of 
 whom met him in council at Savannah. By means of an interpreter, he 
 made them the most friendly professions, which they reciprocated ; and these 
 amicable dispositions passed into a solemn treaty. 
 
 Idle and Vicious Emigrants. 
 
 Soon after these occurrences, Georgia was increased by five or six hun- 
 dred emigrants ; but most of them were idle, and many of them vicious. 
 In 1 736, Oglethorpe erected three forts, one on the Savannah, at Augusta ; 
 another called Frederica, in the vicinity of the Scotch settlement, on the 
 island of St. Simons; and a third, named Fort William, on Cumberland 
 island. The Spaniards remonstrated, and insisted on the evacuation of the 
 country as far as the thirty-third degree of north latitude. 
 
 Oglethorpe about this time returned to England. That nation being 
 determined to maintain their claim to the disputed territory, appointed him 
 commander-in-chief of the British forces in Carolina and Georgia, and sent 
 him back with a regiment of six hundred men. On his arrival in America, 
 he established his headquarters at Frederica. 
 
 About this time, a number of slaves near Charleston, influenced by the 
 Spaniards, rose in a body, armed themselves by forcing open a magazine 
 at Stono, and, thence proceeding south twelve miles, they killed all the 
 whites they met, and compelled the negroes to join them. At length, 
 becoming intoxicated, they were attacked and overcome by the men of a 
 worshipping assembly, who, according to law, went armed. Most of them 
 were put to death. 
 
 - In May, 1742, a fleet was sent from Havana, from which in June, 
 
COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST. 121 
 
 debarked 2000 Spanish troops at St. Siraons. Oglethorpe, with his wonted 
 energy, had collected troops and posted himself at Frederica. He was not 
 in sufficient force openly to attack the enemy, but was himself attacked by 
 a party of Spaniards. His troops, particularly the Highlanders under 
 Captain Mcintosh, fought bravely, repulsed, and slew two hundred of the 
 enemy at " the Bloody Marsh." 
 
 Oglethorpe, on being informed of a division in their camp, next deter- 
 mined on a surprise, and marched his army during the night within two 
 miles of their entrenchments, when a French soldier of his party discharged 
 his musket and ran into their lines. Discovery defeated every hope of 
 success, and Oglethorpe returned to his camp. He then adroitly planned 
 to make the Spaniards believe that the deserter was a spy, and was giving 
 them information to mislead them. He wrote him a letter, urging him to 
 give the Spanish such an account of the situation of his army as should 
 induce them to attack him, or would, at any rate, serve to detain them in 
 their own camp until the succors which he expected should arrive. 
 
 The Panic-Stricken Spaniards Flee. 
 
 This letter, as Oglethorpe had contrived, fell into the hands of the 
 Spanish, who, having loaded the deserter with irons, were deliberating upon 
 its contents, when they perceived off the coast some ships of war, which 
 South Carolina had sent to Oglethorpe without his knowledge. Panic- 
 struck, the Spaniards embarked, and left the coast in such haste that their 
 artillery, provisions, and military stores fell into the hands of the Georgians. 
 
 Georgia, in its early settlement, was distinguished by the peculiar 
 humanity in which it was founded. The chivalric Oglethorpe "sought not 
 himself, but others ;" and for ten years he gave his disinterested services, 
 without claiming so much as a cottage or a farm. Though a brave warrior, 
 compassion was the leading trait of his mind. Hence the imprisoned debtors 
 of England, the unfortunate adherents of the Scottish Stewarts, and those 
 holy persecuted men, the missionary Moravians of Germany, each found in 
 him a father. His mercy was also extended to the African ; and he would 
 not, at first, allow a slave in his colony. 
 
 The refusal of Oglethorpe to allow the Georgians to possess slaves, 
 when the adjoining colonies carried on their plantations by their labor, was 
 greatly injurious to its pecuniary prosperity; and at length even the pious 
 Moravians, a party of whom were, for a time, in Georgia, agreed that if their 
 
-,22 COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST. 
 
 salvation was regarded, it was, under the circumstances, proper to own and 
 employ them. This opinion at length prevailed, it being also justified by 
 the ardent and eloquent Whitfield, who, with the two Wesleys, the three 
 founders of the sect of Methodists, sympathized with Oglethorpe in his 
 benevolence; and each spent some time in America, assisting him in his 
 
 enterprise, Whit- 
 field founded, near 
 Savannah, a house 
 for orphans. In 
 1752 the trustees, 
 wearied with a trou- 
 blesome and profit- 
 less charge, resigned 
 their office, and 
 Georgia became a 
 royal province. 
 
 Louisiana, after 
 havingbeen for four- 
 teen years under a 
 company of avari- 
 cious speculators 
 formed at Paris, re- 
 verted to the French 
 crown ; and Bien- 
 ville was appointed 
 as governor. The 
 Chickasaws were 
 the dread of the 
 Louisianians. They 
 had incited the 
 Natchez to commit 
 JOHN WESLRY. cruel murders upon 
 
 the whites, which had ended in the entire destruction of that peculiar nation ; 
 the Great Sun himself, with four hundred of his subjects, having been sold 
 into slavery. The Chickasaws occupied a large and beautiful tract east of 
 the Mississippi, and on the head of the Tombigbee. This they would not 
 allow the French to occupy, but maintained their own independence. 
 
COLONIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST. 123 
 
 It was concerted in France that a force nnder Bienville should ascend 
 the Tombigbee to meet an army collected from the region of the Illinois, 
 under^ the young and valorous d'Artaguette. At the time appointed the 
 ardent young warrior with his small array was in the country of the hostile 
 savages; but the laggards from the south had not seasonably arrived. After 
 a brave effort to subdue the Chickasaws, he was overcome. Bienville at 
 length arrived, but the Indians, aware of his approach, and aided by English 
 traders, received their army in such a manner that they threw their artillery 
 into the Tombigbee, and, crest-fallen, returned down its stream. The Chicka- 
 saws compelled the brave d'Artaguette to witness the torture and death of 
 his companions, one of whom was the same Vincennes who had given his 
 name to the capital of Illinois. The young warrior was then dismissed to 
 go and relate to the whites the deeds of the Chickasaws. 
 
 Four years afterwards a larger French and Indian force, aided by troops 
 from Canada, invaded the country of the Chickasaws; but sickness wasted 
 them, and at length Bienville, who led them, was glad to treat with the 
 Indians on their own terms. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD. 
 
 ^E must now return to the liistor}^ of the province of New York, 
 of which the Karl of Bellamont became governor in 1G98. He 
 found, on taking charge of affairs, great irregularities which 
 had grown up under the administration of Fletcher, his imme- 
 diate predecessor. The navigation laws were not enforced, and 
 piracy prevailed to an alarming extent. To the suppression of this great 
 evil the governor, during his rule of three 3^ears, devoted his utmost energy. 
 
 He had entered upon this work, however, before he was governor. 
 Captain William Kidd — sometimes, but wrongly, called Robert — was a daring 
 privateersman in time of war, whose services under the English govern- 
 ment attracted much favorable mention. Lord Bellamont was persuaded 
 that Kidd was the best man that could be selected to send against the 
 pirates, and a company was formed in London for the equipment of a ship, 
 the "Adventure Galley," to be placed under Kidd's command. Six thousand 
 pounds were subscribed by a number of gentlemen, among whom were 
 Bellamont and several noblemen in England. The king was to receive 
 one-tenth part of the treasure which might be taken, and not more than 
 one-fourth of the prizes were to go to the crew. 
 
 The royal commission under which Kidd sailed authorized him to 
 cruise against the French, and to seize certain notorious pirates who were 
 mentioned by name. Unable fully to man his ship in the Thames, he 
 sailed for New York, where he soon increased the number to one hundred 
 and fifty. Among them were many characters gathered from the most 
 desperate criminals in the provinces. Leaving New York in February, 1697, 
 he headed for the coast of Madagascar, where the pirates were very numerous. 
 
 It was a five months' voyage thither, and he cruised almost as long 
 after reaching that latitude without taking a prize. Disgusted with his 
 failure, he made for the west coast of Hindoostan, where no better fortune 
 attended him. He finally turned pirate himself, and it is not impossible that 
 such was his purpose when he disobeyed orders by sailing for Madagascar. 
 
 124 
 
STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD. 125 
 
 Much romance has been written about this famous rover of the seas. 
 Few particulars of his voyages and exploits are known with certainty, but 
 no donbt he was a thorough scoundrel, who, placing himself on good terms 
 with the other pirates in those distant waters, plundered right and left, 
 whenever opportunity presented. He was cruel to the last degree, and, 
 when he landed, as he frequently did, he burned houses and murdered 
 innocent people. He acquired enormous gains, so much so that it is said 
 even the common sailors became wealthy. Having gained all the riches he 
 wanted, he had the hardihood to set sail for Boston, believing he could 
 bribe or deceive his former friends as to his guilt. 
 
 Orders Given to Arrest the Pirate. 
 
 But news having reached London that Kidd had become a pirate, orders 
 were sent to the English colonies to use all efforts to arrest him. Before 
 this could be done, he had burned his ship and dispersed his men. He 
 deceis'ed Lord Bellamont for a time, but he was finally arrested and sent 
 to London, where he was hanged in 1701. 
 
 Ever since the death of this famous pirate, stories have been told of 
 the riches which he buried at different points along the Atlantic coast. 
 You would be astonithed if you could learn how many persons have searched 
 for those hidden trearures, which have never yet been, and are not likely 
 to be, brought to light, since there is no reason to believe that the free- 
 booter ever hid any part of his surplus wealth. 
 
 The increase of the number of proprietors in West Jersey had intro- 
 duced great confusion into that province, disputes constantly arising not only 
 among the settlers, but between the proprietors themselves ; so that for three 
 3^ears it might be said that West Jersey had no regular authority whatever. 
 On this account, in 1698, the proprietors surrendered the right of government 
 to the crown. Queen Anne united it with the east province, and New Jersey, 
 as the whole was now called, was to be ruled jointly with New York by a 
 royal governor, having a separate council and assembly of representatives. 
 
 The Queen appointed, as governor of the two provinces, the worthless 
 Lord Cornbury, who, as well as herself, was a grandchild of Lord Claren- 
 don. He rendered himself odious to the people, squandering, for his own 
 use, large sums of money which had been appropriated for public purposes, 
 and left to his disposal as governor. In 1708 the assemblies of New York 
 and New Jersey, no "longer willing to submit to his government, drew up 
 
DIGGING FOR TREASURES SUPPOSED TO BE BURIED BY CAPTAIN KIDD. 
 
 126 
 
STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD. 127 
 
 a complaint against him, and sent it to the queen. She removed him, and 
 appointed Lord lyovelace in his room. After a short administration Lovelace 
 was succeeded by Sir Robert Hunter, known as the friend of Dean Swift, 
 and he, in 1719, by Peter Schuyler, so often mentioned as the mediator 
 between the whites and Indians, he being the oldest member of the council. 
 Commissioners were, at this time, appointed to draw the line of partition 
 between the provinces of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. 
 
 A Trading House made into a Portress. 
 
 In 1720 Mr. Burnet succeeded Schuyler. In order to deprive the 
 French of their supplies for the Indians, he instituted measures to stop the 
 trade between New York and Canada ; and by this means displeased the 
 merchants. They being thus prohibited from a direct traffic with Canada, 
 built a trading house at Oswego, which, in defiance of the protest of the 
 French, and the displeasure of the Iroquois, was, in 1727, converted into a 
 fortress. At length Burnet became so unpopular with the merchants, that 
 though generally acceptable to the people, he was superseded in the gov- 
 ernment by Colonel Montgomery. 
 
 On his death the command devolved on Rip Van Dam, he being the 
 oldest member of the council, and an eminent merchant. He passively 
 permitted the encroachments of the French, and during his administration 
 the}^ erected a fort at Crown Point, which commanded Lake Champlain, 
 and Avhich was within the knowledged limits of New York. 
 
 A few years later occurred in New York the events of what is known 
 in history as the " Negro Plot." Slaves at that time were numerous in 
 the town and city. In the winter of 1740-41 fires broke out, and followed 
 each other so rapidly that no doubt many of them were kindled on pur- 
 pose, though it has been proved that a number of the first were purely 
 accidental. The suspicion was aroused that the slaves caused these con- 
 flagrations with the intention of burning the town. One of the easiest 
 things in the world is to start a panic. A proclamation was issued by the 
 magistrates offering pardon, freedom and rewards to any slave who would 
 bear witness against incendiaries and conspirators. Such inducements are 
 sure to bring forward those who are eager to commit perjury for the 
 sake of gain. 
 
 The magistrates did not have to wait. Some women of bad character 
 swore that the negroes had formed a plot for burning the city and placing 
 
128 
 
 EXECUTING NEGROES IN NEW YORK. 
 
STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD. 129 
 
 one of their own number at the head of affairs. Other witnesses did their 
 best to gain the reward by adding their testimony, which often was of the 
 most worthless character. White men, too, were accused, and New York 
 shuddered with a terror like that caused by the witchcraft delusion which 
 swept through Massachusetts half a century before. 
 
 People went wild with panic, losing their judgment and sense of 
 humanity and mercy. Before the strange excitement ended, over thirty 
 persons had been executed, several of whom were burned at the stake, 
 while others were transported. When the citizens regained their senses it 
 came to be generally doubted, as many cool-headed persons had doubted 
 all along, whether there had ever been any plot at all. 
 
 Crazed and Deluded for no Reason. 
 
 The story of this delusion is much like that of witchcraft in Massa- 
 chusetts. A strange delirium seized the populace, and in the excited state 
 of the public mind suspicions were easily formed. These did not need any 
 basis of fact in order to convince the persons who entertained them that 
 they were well founded. When an excited community makes up its mind 
 to believe a thing, however absurd, no argument can prevent it. Facts are 
 easily ignored for the time being, and only after the strange craze has 
 begun to subside do people come to their senses and discover their mistake. 
 
 What horrible reproaches and pangs of self-torment must have taken 
 possession of the credulous people of New York when they made the awful 
 discovery that they had been killing persons who were entirely innocent of 
 the crimes charged against them ! 
 
 9 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 
 
 iHE French, by virtue of the discoveries of Champlain, Marquette, 
 La Salle, and others, claimed all the lands occupied by the 
 waters flowing into the St. Lawrence and the Lakes, and all 
 watered by the Mississippi and its branches. In fact, our whole 
 country, according to their geographers, was New France, except 
 that east of the great ranges of mountains, whose streams flow into the 
 Atlantic ; and of this portion they claimed the basin of the Kennebec, and 
 all Maine to the east of that valley. 
 
 The British, on the other hand, asserted a right to the entire country, 
 on account of the discovery of Cabot, as may be seen by their early patents, 
 to which they gave an extension from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This 
 title they had sought to strengthen. The chiefs of the confederate Iroquois 
 had set up a claim, that their nations had, at some indefinite period, con- 
 quered the country of the Mississippi ; and this title, such as it was, the 
 English had bought. 
 
 But in this contest for the right, which was rather with the savage 
 occupants of the soil, than with either of the disputants, one thing was 
 evident ; the question would ultimately be settled between them, by an 
 appeal to arms ; and the crisis approached. 
 
 The French had formed the vast plan of a chain of forts to connect 
 their settlements, recently made at the mouth of the Mississippi, with their 
 earlier colonies on the St. Lawrence. They had accomplished their purpose 
 in part, having fortresses along the Lakes as far as the southern shore of 
 Lake Erie, where they had two forts, one at Presque Isle, and another on 
 French creek, twelve miles south. On the Mississippi, and on the Ohio 
 and its branches, they had also their fortifications. 
 
 A number of gentlemen, mostly in Virginia, of whom Lawrence Wash- 
 ington was one, procured, in 1750, an act of the British Parliament, 
 constituting them " the Ohio • Company," and granting them six hundred 
 thousand acres of land on or near the Ohio river. They caused the tract 
 
 130 
 
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 131 
 
 to be surveyed, and opened a trade with the Indians in the vicinity. This 
 becoming known to the French, the governor of Canada complained to the 
 authorities of New York and Pennsylvania, threatening to seize their traders 
 if they did not quit their territory ; and several of their number were 
 accordingly taken and carried to the fort at Presque Isle. 
 
 A Trader who Acted as a Spy. 
 
 The governor of Virginia, the zealous and active Dinwiddle, alarmed 
 at these movements on the part of the French, had sent a trader among 
 them as a sp}', who, returning, increased his fears by vague accounts of 
 the French posts near Lake Erie, without gratifying his curiosity as to the 
 number or object of their forces. Dinwiddle determined, although the 
 season was advanced, to send immediately a trusty person to require the 
 French commandant to quit the territory ; and also to bring back such 
 an account of his strength and position, that if he refused peaceably to 
 retreat, some feasible method of ejectment might be adopted. A young 
 man of twenty-two, an officer of the militia, was chosen. His figure 
 was commanding, his air inspired respect and confidence. His name 
 was George Washington. 
 
 Major Washington was now placed over one of the four divisions into 
 which Dinwiddle had portioned the militia of " the Dominion," the name 
 then given to Virginia. He introduced a uniform discipline, and infused 
 throughout his command his own military spirit. It was at this period 
 that he was chosen by the governor as his envoy to the French. The 
 seat of government for Virginia was Williamsburg. Thither Washington 
 repaired, and was furnished with instructions and dispatches ; the most im- 
 portant of which was a letter from Dinwiddle, to St. Pierre the French 
 commandant, requiring him with threats, to withdraw from the territory 
 belonging to the English sovereign. 
 
 Washington departed late in October, 1753, to traverse more than five 
 hundred miles, much of the way a pathless, as well as a wintry desert. 
 His route lay through Fredericksburg, Alexandria and Winchester, to 
 Will's Creek, since Cumberland. Here, taking leave of every vestige of 
 civilization, and having procured Mr. Gist, agent of the Ohio company, as 
 interpreter and guide, his party of eight plunged into the recesses of the 
 wilderness. They passed through snow and storms, over mountain preci- 
 pices, and down among thickets into flooded valleys, to ford unbridged and 
 
132 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 
 
 swollen rivers on frail and dangerous rafts. Coming upon the Yough- 
 iogeny they followed it to the Monongahela, and that to its junction with 
 the Alleghany. " The Fork," as the site of Pittsburg was called, was then 
 a desert, but Washington noticed, and afterwards reported it, as a suit- 
 able place for a fort. 
 
 From the Fork he went down the river twenty miles to Logstown, 
 where he was to deliver friendly greetings from Dinwiddle to the great 
 chief of the Southern Hurons, Tanacharison, or the Half-king; whose 
 friendship was courted both by French and English. The chief received 
 him with kindness. He had been, he told Washington, to the French 
 camp and had there made a set speech, in which he declared to the ofi&cers 
 that the land in question belonged neither to the English nor the French ; 
 but the Great Spirit had given it to the Indians, and allowed them to 
 make it their residence. " I desire you, therefore," said he, " to withdraw, 
 as I have our brothers, the English ; for I will keep you at arm's length." 
 
 He would Obey his Orders. 
 
 After Major Washington had attended a friendly council with the 
 Indians, Tanacharison and three of his principal men, accompanied him 
 north, more than a hundred miles to the encampment at French Creek. 
 Here St. Pierre, who had been but a few days in command of the post, 
 received him with the courteous bearing and hospitable attentions of the 
 French gentleman. But to Dinwiddle's request that he would leave the 
 territory which belonged to the British, he replied, after two days consul- 
 tation with his officers, that it did not become him to discuss treaties ; 
 such questions should rather be addressed to the Governor-General, the 
 Marquis du Quesne; he acted under his orders, and those he should be 
 careful to obey. 
 
 Washington and his party, by previous concert, had been making 
 every possible observation on the state of the forces and camp, and now 
 receiving the reply of St. Pierre, he was desirous to depart ; but the French 
 were tampering with the Indians, and unwilling to dismiss the Half-king, 
 until they had corrupted his fidelity; but in this they failed. 
 
 The return of Washington in the dead of winter was full of startling 
 and perilous adventure. Once a treacherous guide aimed his musket at 
 him, but it missed fire ; and once, on the Alleghany River, he and his 
 guide, having made in a day, with one poor hatchet, a miserable raft, they 
 
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 133 
 
 at sunset trusted themselves upon it to cross tlie swollen river, amidst large 
 masses of floating ice. It came down upon them, and threw them from 
 their raft into ten feet water. But they saved themselves by swim- 
 ming to an island. 
 
 Major Washington arrived at Williamsburg on the 16th of January, 
 having been absent only eleven weeks. The boldness, energy and prudence 
 with which he had met and overcome dangers, and the ability which he 
 had manifested in the discharge of his trust, sunk deep into the minds of 
 his countrymen ; and his written reports were published with applause, not 
 only through the colonies, but in England. 
 
 Troops were now raised in Virginia, and Washington was made lieuten- 
 ant-colonel and intrusted with the command. In April, 1754, he marched 
 into the disputed territory, and, encamping at the Great Meadows, he there 
 learned that the French had dispossessed the Virginians of a fort which, 
 in consequence of his recommendation, they were erecting at the Fork, and 
 which the French finished and named Fort du Quesne. He was also 
 informed that a detachment of French troops had been sent against him, 
 and were encamped but a few miles west of the Great Meadows. 
 
 The Little Army Intrenched in the Fort. 
 
 Surrounding their encampment he surprised and defeated them. The 
 commander, De Jumonville, was killed, with ten of his party. On his 
 return to the Great Meadows he was reinforced by regulars from New York 
 and South Carolina, and erected there a small stockade called Fort Necessity. 
 
 With less than 400 men Washington now marched to dislodge the 
 enemy from Fort du Quesne; but after proceeding thirteen miles he 
 received the intelligence that they had been reinforced from Canada, when 
 he reluctantly relinquished the enterprise and retired. Unable to continue 
 his retreat, from a failure of expected munitions, he intrenched his little 
 army within Fort Necessity. A party of 1,500 French, under Monsieur 
 De Villiers, soon followed and assaulted the fort; the Americans bravely 
 resisted, from ten in the morning until dark. Washington deeming it folly 
 longer to contend with so unequal a force, signed, in the course of the 
 night, articles of capitulation, by which the fort was surrendered, but the 
 garrison permitted to march out with the honors of war, and return 
 unmolested to their homes. 
 
 The British cabinet had perceived that a war was inevitable. Accord- 
 
134 
 
 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 
 
 ingly in their instructions to the colonies, in 1753, they directed them to 
 cultivate the friendship of the Six Nations, and recommended what they 
 had at a former period proposed, though not formally, that a union be 
 formed among the colonies for their mutual protection and defense. Agree- 
 ably to these instructions a congress was held at Albany in June, 1754, to 
 which delegates were sent from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
 Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. About one 
 hundred and fifty Indians of the Six Nations were present, with whom the 
 convention concluded an explanatory and pacific treaty, and then proceeded 
 to consider the subject of the proposed union. 
 
 Their situation, with regard to the French, called for immediate and 
 
 effectual measures ; and it was unanimously 
 resolved " that a union of the colonies was 
 absolutely necessary for their preserva- 
 tion." Desiring that their counsels, treas- 
 ure and strength might be employed in 
 due proportion against the common enemy, 
 a committee, consisting of one member 
 from each colony represented, was ap- 
 pointed to draw a plan of union. That 
 which was drawn by Benjamin Franklin, 
 of Pennsylvania, was substantially adopted 
 and signed on the 4th of July, twenty-two 
 years before this great statesman signed 
 that more important instrument, which he 
 also assisted in forming — the Declaration 
 of Independence. 
 
 The delegates from Connecticut alone 
 refused their consent to this plan, and on 
 the ground that it gave too much power to the presiding general, who was 
 to be appointed over the colonies by the crown. It was presented to the 
 colonial legislatures and the British parliament for their sanction, but it 
 was rejected by both; by the colonies because it gave too much power to 
 the crown, and by the crown because it gave too much power to the people; 
 thus showing how widely different, even at this period, were the views of 
 Great Britain and her colonies respecting the rights of the latter, and fore- 
 boding the contest and separation which afterwards followed. 
 
 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 
 
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 135 
 
 The ministry, having rejected this scheme of union, proposed to Governor 
 Shirley and others, that the governors of the colonies (most of whom were 
 appointed by the crown), attended by one or more of their council, should 
 meet from time to time to concert measures for the general defense, with 
 power to draw on the British treasury for such sums of money as they 
 needed ; which sums were, however, to be reimbursed by a tax, to be imposed 
 on the colonies. But the colonies were not so to be drawn into a consent 
 to submit to a taxation by Great Britain, and they rejected the plan. As 
 the only alternative, the crown then resolved to carry on the war with 
 British troops and such auxiliary forces as the colonial assemblies might 
 voluntarily furnish ; and to this the Americans cheerfully assented. 
 
 The establishment of French posts on the Ohio, and the attack upon 
 Colonel Washington, were stated by the British government as the com- 
 mencement of hostilities; and 1500 troops, under General Braddock, were 
 dispatched from England. On his arrival in America, he requested a 
 convention of the colonial governors to assemble in Virginia, to concert 
 with him a plan of military operations. 
 
 Planning for a Combined Attack. 
 
 Four expeditions were here resolved upon. General Braddock was to 
 attack Fort du Quesne ; Governor Shirley was to lead the American regulars 
 and Indians against Niagara; the militia of the northern colonies were to 
 be directed against Crown Point ; and Nova Scotia was to be invaded. 
 Early in the spring the French sent out a powerful fleet, carrying a large 
 body of troops, under the Baron Dieskau, to reinforce the army in Canada. 
 
 For the expedition against Nova Scotia three thousand men, under 
 Generals Monckton and Winslow, sailed from Boston in May. They arrived 
 at Chignecto, on the Bay of Fundy, the 1st of June. Here they were joined 
 by 300 British troops, and proceeding against Beau Sejour, now the principal 
 post of the French in that country, invested and took possession of it, after 
 a bombardment of five days. The fleet appearing in the river St. John, the 
 French set fire to their works, and evacuated the country. With the loss 
 of only twenty men, the English took possession of Nova Scotia. 
 
 Colonel Washington, on his return from the Great Meadows, had public 
 thanks voted him by the house of burgesses. He rejoined his regiment at 
 Alexandria, and was ordered by the governor to fill up his companies by 
 enlistments — go back immediately — conquer the French, and build a fort 
 
136 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 
 
 beyond the mountains. He wrote to a member of the council, showing the 
 folly and impracticability of the scheme; and it was given up. 
 
 Dinwiddie had new plans. He reorganized the militia into independent 
 companies, so that there was now no higher office than captain. Washington 
 promptly offered his resignation, but his services being needed, he was 
 warmly solicited to remain, and it was hinted that he might keep his 
 commission. This he indignantly rejected, as neither rank nor emolument 
 were offered with it ; and he wrote that those who supposed he would accept 
 it on such terms must think him "more empty than the commission itself." 
 
 Pushed on Regardless of Danger. 
 
 Braddock, when he arrived, requested Colonel Washington to become 
 one of his military family, preserving his rank. This Washington did not 
 hesitate to accept, because he knew his own value to his country, and 
 wished to improve in military skill. General Braddock marched from Vir- 
 ginia in June ; but such were the delays occasioned by the difficulty of 
 procuring horses, wagons, and provisions, that, by the advice of Wash- 
 ington, he left the heavy baggage behind, under the care of Colonel Dunbar, 
 with an escort of 600 men, and placing himself at the head of 1,200 select 
 troops, he proceeded by more rapid marches, towards Fort du Quesne. 
 
 Braddock was not deficient in courage, or military skill; but he was 
 wholly ignorant of the mode of conducting warfare in American woods and 
 morasses, and at the same time he held the opinions of the colonial officers 
 in contempt. Nevertheless, Washington had ventured to suggest the expe- 
 diency of employing the Indians, who, under the Half-king, had offered 
 their services, as scouting, and advance parties. Braddock not only dis- 
 dained the advice, but offended the Indians by the rudeness of his manner. 
 Thus he rashly pushed on, without knowing the dangers near. 
 
 Washington had, the day before, rejoined the army, from which he 
 had been for a short time detained by severe illness. It was noon, on the 
 9th of July, when, from the height above the right bank of the Mononga- 
 hela, he looked back upon the ascending army, which, ten miles from Fort 
 du Quesne, had just crossed the stream for the second time. Every thing 
 looked more bright and beautiful than aught he had ever witnessed 
 before. The companies, in their crimson uniform, with burnished arms 
 and floating banners, were marching gaily to cheerful music as they 
 entered the forest. 
 
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 
 
 137 
 
 Suddenly there burst upon them the Indian war-whoop, and a deadly 
 fire, from opposite quarters, and from unseen foes. Many fell. Panic-stricken, 
 their ranks broke, and they would have fled, but Braddock rallied them ; 
 and, a bigot to the rules of European warfare, he constantly sought to 
 preserve a regular order of battle. Thus he kept his men like sheep 
 penned in a fold, fair marks for a foe beyond their reach, and whose num- 
 bers were so much inferior to their own, that they had not dreamed of 
 
 DISASTROUS DEFEAT OE GENERAL BRADDOCK. 
 
 defeating, but only expected to annoy and delay the British army. Their 
 places of concealment were two ravines on each side of the road ; but Brad- 
 dock would neither retreat, or pass beyond that fatal spot. 
 
 The Indians, singling out the officers, shot down every one on horse- 
 back, Washington alone excepted. He, as the sole remaining aid of the 
 general, rode by turns over every part of the field to carry his orders. 
 The Indians afterwards averred that they had specially noticed his bearing 
 and conspicuous figure, and repeatedly shot at him; but at length they 
 became convinced that he was protected by an Invisible Power, and that 
 no bullet could harm him. After the battle was over four were found 
 lodged in his coat, and two horses had been killed under him; but the 
 appointed guardian of his country escaped without a wound. 
 
138 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 
 
 Braddock, who had been undismayed amidst continued showers of 
 bullets, at length received a mortal wound. Upon his fall the regular 
 troops fled in confusion. Washingon formed, and covered their retreat with 
 the provincials, whom Braddock in his contempt had kept in the rear. 
 The defeat was total ; sixty-four officers out of eighty-five, and nearly half 
 the privates, were killed or wounded. 
 
 Death of General Braddock. 
 
 The flight of the army was so precipitate that it made no halt till it 
 met the division under Dunbar, then about forty miles in the rear, where 
 Braddock died. To this division was communicated the same spirit of 
 flight, and they continued to retreat till they reached Fort Cumberland, 
 one hundred and twenty miles from the place of action. The command 
 now devolved on Colonel Dunbar, who withdrew the regulars to Philadel- 
 phia, leaving the whole frontier of Virginia open to the depredations of 
 the French and Indians. 
 
 The French at Fort du Quesne attempted to seduce the Cherokees 
 from English interest. Some of their tribe gave notice of this to the 
 governor of South Carolina, who, at their suggestion, met a council of the 
 Cherokee chiefs in their own country, and concluded with them a treaty of 
 peace and amity, in which they ceded to Great Britain a large tract of 
 land in South Carolina. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 )HE campaign of 1757 was made no less disgraceful to tHe Englisii 
 than the former, by the futile schemes and inefficient measures 
 of Lord Loudon. It is chiefly memorable in our annals for the 
 dreadful " massacre at Fort William Henry." Montcalm, the 
 French comman- 
 der, had early concentrated 
 
 his forces, amounting to 9000 
 
 regulars, Canadians and In- 
 dians, on the shores of the 
 
 Champlain, at Ticonderoga. 
 
 Passing up Lake George, he 
 
 laid siege to Fort William 
 
 Henry, was commanded by 
 
 Col. Monroe, a British officer. 
 
 Gen. Webb was at the time 
 
 lying at Fort Edward, with 
 
 the main British army, four 
 
 or five thousand strong. 
 Monroe, being vigorously 
 
 pressed, while he defended 
 
 himself with spirit, earnestly 
 
 entreated Gen. Webb for aid. 
 
 But he entreated in vain, 
 
 and necessity compelled him, 
 
 in August, to surrender. By 
 
 the articles of capitulation 
 
 Montcalm engaged that the 
 
 English should be allowed to leave the fort with the honors of war; and, 
 
 in order to protect them from the Indians, that an escort should be pro- 
 vided to conduct them to fort Edward. 
 
 180 
 
 GENERAL MONTCAI.M. 
 
140 THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 Soon after a detachment of tHe French took possession of the works. 
 At the same moment the Indians, who had engaged to serve in the war on 
 the promise of plunder, irritated at the terms of the surrender, rushed over 
 the parapet, and began their outrages. Monroe, feeling the horrors of his 
 situation, with his troops exposed at midnight, within the camp, to the 
 cruelty of the savages, vainly attempted to conduct them forth ; but no 
 sooner had he put them in motion than he found that, bad as was their 
 position within, it was worse without, for the woods were infested with 
 ferocious Indians thirsting for blood and plunder. He complained to 
 Montcalm, and, demanding the promised escort, left the camp at morning 
 to begin his march for Fort Edward. 
 
 A Oold-Blooded Massacre. 
 
 The French, themselves intimidated, gave them only the poor meed of 
 advice, to yield up their private property as a means of appeasing the 
 furious savages and saving life. They attempted this, and threw them 
 their money and effects ; but their rapacity increasing with this partial 
 gratification, they rushed, tomahawk in hand, upon the English, now a 
 band of desperate fugitives who, stripping off their clothes, were glad to 
 escape naked with their lives. Tne sick, the wounded, the women and the 
 children, unable to escape, were murdered. Webb, on receiving intelligence 
 of the capitulation, ordered five hundred men to meet the captured troops, 
 and conduct them to his camp. The few who survived were discovered flying 
 through the woods, singly or in small parties — some distracted, and many 
 bleeding with the horrid cuts of the tomahawk — faint and nearly exhausted. 
 
 There is little in the separate civil history of the colonies, during this 
 period, which deserves particular attention. In all their proceedings with 
 the royal governors, as well as in their direct intercourse with Great 
 Britain, the colonists evinced that jealousy of their liberties which pre- 
 vented any bold attempt, on the part of Great Britain, to enforce restric- 
 tive measures, especially during the war. 
 
 In Pennsylvania a dispute arose between the proprietary governor and 
 the assembly, respecting the right of the proprietors to exempt their own 
 lands in the province from a taxation, the object of which was to pay for 
 the defence of those lands. To adjust this dispute Benjamin Franklin was 
 sent to England, and the business was soon closed by the proprietors 
 submitting their property to be taxed, provided the assessments were just. 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 141 
 
 The languid and spiritless manner in which the war had been con- 
 ducted, and its consequent ill success, aroused both England and America, 
 and produced a reaction which brought forward as prime minister, the 
 greatest statesman of the British annals, William Pitt, afterwards Barl of 
 Chatham. So powerful was his eloquence and so austere his patriotism, 
 that he controlled at 
 length the energies of 
 the government and 
 the spirit of the peo- 
 ple. His dreaded voice 
 fearlessly denounced 
 the selfishness and 
 pusillanimity of the 
 public agents. With 
 intense search he 
 found out worth, and 
 resolutely brought it 
 forward for public em- 
 ployment. His per- 
 severance was equal 
 to his energy ; and his 
 efforts were guided by 
 a judgment, which 
 whilst it was rapid, 
 was, at the same time, 
 profound and compre- 
 hensive. 
 
 Aware that the col- 
 onies were in danger 
 of becoming discour- 
 ag;ed by the inef&ci- william pitt, earl of Chatham. 
 
 ency of the parent country, the minister assured them, in a circular 
 which he addressed to the governors of the provinces, that an effectual 
 force should be sent against the French ; and he exhorted them to use 
 their utmost exertions to raise men in their respective colonies, pledging 
 himself that their own choice should direct by what officers their troops 
 should be commanded ; and that those of the colonies should no longer be 
 
142 . THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 made inferior to Britisli officers of the same rank. Reassured and animated 
 by this call, the colonists renewed their efforts and increased their army 
 to twenty thousand. 
 
 General Abercrombie was appointed to succeed the Karl of Loudon in 
 the command of all the British forces in America. An armament was sent 
 out under Admiral Boscawen, conveying twelve thousand British troops 
 commanded by General Amherst, which, with the British forces previously 
 in America, and the provincials, made up an army far greater than had 
 ever before existed in America. These troops were all in readiness for 
 action early in the spring. Nor were they delayed by irresolution as to 
 the objects to be attempted. These having been well considered the pre- 
 ceding winter, three expeditions were resolved on, against Louisburg, Crown 
 Point and Fort du Quesne. 
 
 The Town Oaptm'ed after a Regular Siege. 
 
 The possession of Louisburg was deemed important, principally, because 
 it would, by opening the gulf of St. Lawrence to the English, facilitate the 
 seizure of the capital of Canada; the grand project of the British minister 
 having in view the absolute destruction of the French power in America. 
 The enterprise against this fortress was conducted by the land and naval 
 commanders, Amherst and Boscawen, with twenty ships of the line, and 
 14,000 men. The armament left Halifax late in May, and arrived before 
 Louisburg early in June. 
 
 A regular siege, the best conducted of any which had ever been laid 
 in America, placed this fortress in the hands of the British. It was by his 
 gallant conduct during this siege, that James Wolfe began his high career 
 of military renown. The loss of Louisburg was deeply felt by France, and 
 its gain by England and her rejoicing colonies. The garrison and mariners, 
 to the amount of nearly 6000, went prisoners to England, and the inhabi- 
 tants of the place were transported to France. With Louisburg the whole 
 island of Cape Breton, and that of St. John's, fell under the power 
 of the British. 
 
 General Abercrombie, at the head of 16,000 men, proceeded against ^ 
 Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Early in July he crossed Lake George, and 
 debarking at its northern extremity, he attempted, with unskilled guides, to 
 pass the three miles of dense woods which lay between his army and 
 Ticonderoga. As he approached that fort a detachment of the French fell 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 14a 
 
 upon him, and an engagement ensued in which the assailants lost 300 men; 
 but of the British fell the amiable Lord Howe ; a young officer of great 
 promise, and much beloved both in England and America. 
 
 Abercrombie, learning that reinforcements were daily expected by the 
 French, without waiting for his artillery, made a brave but imprudent 
 assault upon the fort, and was repulsed with the heavy loss of nearly two 
 thousand killed and wounded. 
 
 He then retired to his 
 former quarters, on the south 
 side of Lake George. Here 
 he consented, at the solicitation 
 of Colonel Bradstreet, to detach 
 him with 3000 men, against 
 Fort Frontenac. With these 
 troops, who were mostly provin- 
 cials, he marched to Oswego, 
 embarked on Lake Ontario, 
 and landed late in August 
 within a mile of the fort, 
 opened his batteries, and in 
 two days forced this impor- 
 tant fortress to surrender. As 
 this fort, afterwards named 
 Kingston, contained the mili- 
 tary stores which were in- 
 tended for the Indians, and 
 for the supply of the south- 
 western troops, its demolition general james wolfe. 
 contributed to the success of the expedition against Fort du Quesne. 
 
 To General Forbes, with an army of 8000 men, was assigned the 
 capture of this fort. Early in July the army marched from Philadelphia 
 to Ray's Town. Washington, gratified that the expedition was at length 
 to be undertaken, was at Cumberland v/ith the Virginia militia, whom 
 he commanded, and who were in readiness to join the main army. Here 
 he learned to his surprise, that General Forbes, induced by the citizens 
 of Philadelphia, had decided to open a new road from Ray's Town to the 
 Ohio. In vain Washington remonstrated. 
 
1^ WASHINGTON PLANTING THE FLAG ON FORT DU QUESNE. 
 
 1 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 145 
 
 But before the army had arrived the weather became so cold and the 
 men endured such severe sufferings that a council of officers decided that 
 they must abandon their object and return. This they were about to do 
 when they received such intelligence of the weakness of the French garri- 
 son, that they roused to fresh effort, and late in November reached du 
 Quesne. But it was only a solitary pile of ruins which they found. On 
 the preceding night the French had set fire to the fort, and embarked to 
 go down the Ohio. 
 
 While the army were engaged in making the new road, Major Grant 
 with a detachment had been suffered to throw himself forward, so as to 
 encounter the full force of the French garrison. He was totally defeated 
 and made prisoner, with eighteen of his officers. Three hundred of his 
 party were either killed or taken by the enemy. New works were erected 
 on the site of du Quesne, and named Fort Pitt. 
 
 The Whole Garrison Captured. 
 
 More distant Indian tribes felt that their safety, since the capture of 
 Fort du Quesne, was best consulted by peace with the English, and at a 
 grand council held in Easton, Pa., deputies from the Six Nations met with 
 those from New England, and from the tribes ranging along the eastern 
 Alleghanies, as far south as North Carolina. On the part of the English, 
 Sir William Johnson and the governors of New York and New Jersey 
 entered with them into friendly relations, and the calumet sent up to heaven 
 a far more grateful odor than the steam of reeking battle-fields. 
 
 The campaign of 1759 had for its object the entire reduction of Can- 
 ada. Prideaux besieged Niagara on the 6th of July. He was killed by the 
 bursting of a shell, and the command devolved upon Sir William Johnson. 
 The French gave battle to the English, but the Indians in their alliance 
 deserted them in the heat of the engagement, and victory declared in favor 
 of the English. The garrison, consisting of six hundred men, fell into the 
 hands of the British, who now possessing this important post, all com- 
 munication between the northern and southern possessions of the French 
 was barred, and the quiet behavior of the Indians secured. 
 
 After the taking of Louisburg, Wolfe returned to England. Pitt, who 
 had discerned his extraordinary qualities while he was yet obscure, and had 
 brought him forward against the prejudices of the King, and resolutely 
 sustained him, confided to him the command against Quebec. His sub- 
 
 10 
 
146 THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 ordinate officers were carefully chosen. He was provided with a choice 
 army of eight thousand men, and a heavy train of artillery. Admirals 
 Saunders and Holmes, seamen of great merit, commanded the fleet. 
 
 It was late in June when the army debarked upon the Island of 
 Orleans. From this spot Wolfe reconnoitered the position of his enemy, 
 and saw the full magnitude of the difficulties which surrounded him. The 
 city of Quebec rose before him upon the north side of the St. Lawrence; 
 its upper town and strong fortifications, situated on a rock, whose bold and 
 steep front continued far westward, parallel with the river, its base near to 
 the shore ; thus presenting a wall, which it seemed impossible to scale. 
 From the northv/est came down the St. Charles, entering the St. Lawrence 
 just below the town ; its banks high and uneven, and cut by deep ravines 
 while armed vessels were borne upon its waters, and floating batteries 
 obstructed its entrance, A few miles below the Montmorenci leapt down its 
 cataract into the St. Lawrence ; and, strongly posted along the sloping bank 
 of that river, and between these two tributaries, the French army, com- 
 manded by Montcalm, displayed its formidable lines. 
 
 Heavy Batteries Opened on the Town. 
 
 The first measure of Wolfe was to get possession of Point Levi, oppo- 
 site Quebec, Here he erected and opened heavy batteries, which swept 
 from the lower town, the buildings along the margin of the river ; but the 
 fortifications, resting on the huge table of rock above, remained uninjured. 
 
 Perceiving this, Wolfe next sought to draw the enemy from his en- 
 trenchments, and bring on an engagement. For this purpose he landed his 
 army below the Montmorenci ; but the wary Montcalm eluded every artifice 
 to draw him out. Wolfe next crossed the stream with a portion of his 
 army, and attacked him in his camp. The troops which were to commence 
 the assault fell into disorder, having, with irregular ardor, disobeyed the 
 orders of the general. Perceiving their confusion, he drew them off with 
 the loss of four hundred men, and recrossed the Montmorenci. Here he 
 was informed that his expected succors were likely to fail him. 
 
 Amherst had found Ticonderoga and Crown Point vacated, and was pre- 
 paring to attack the French forces withdrawn from these forts to the Isle 
 aux Noix. Prideaux had lost his life, but his plans were carried out by 
 Sir William Johnson. But the enemy were in force at Montreal ; and 
 from neither division of the British army could the commander at Quebec 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 147 
 
 now hope for any assistance. At this point of the enterprise Wolfe was 
 severely tried. The plan which he had revolved in his mind, and, with the 
 approbation of his officers, had determined to attempt, was to scale, in the 
 night, and at some distance above Quebec, the bold precipice on which the 
 fortifications were built, and thus reach the level plain above, called the 
 Heights of Abraham. 
 
 Montcalm, perceiving that something was to be attempted, dispatched 
 M. de Bourgainville, with one thousand five hundred men, to move higher 
 up the St. Lawrence and watch the motions of the English. Wolfe, pur- 
 suant to his plan, broke up his camp at Montmorenci and returned to 
 Orleans. Then embarking with his army he directed Admiral Holmes, 
 who commanded the fleet, in which himself and the army had embarked, 
 to sail up the river several miles higher than the intended point of de- 
 barkation. This movement deceived De Bourgainville, and gave Wolfe the 
 advantage of the current to float his boats down to the destined spot. 
 
 Wolfe's Array Scales the Precipice. 
 
 This was done about an hour before daylight. Wolfe was the first 
 man who leaped on shore. When he saw the difficulties around him, he 
 said to some one near, " I do not believe there is a possibility of getting 
 up, but we must do our endeavor." The rapidity of the stream was hurry- 
 ing along their boats, and some had already gone beyond the narrow 
 landing-place. The shore was so shelving that it was almost impossible 
 to ascend, and it was lined with French sentinels. One of these hailed, 
 and was answered by a captain, who fully understood the French language, 
 and who had been especially instructed for this purpose. 
 
 Escaping these dangers at the water's edge, they proceeded, though 
 with the utmost difficulty, to scale the precipice, pulling themselves up by 
 the roots and branches of the trees and the projecting rocks in their way. 
 The first party v/ho reached the heights secured a small batter}^, which 
 crowned them ; and thus the remainder of the array ascended in safety, and 
 there, on this lofty plain which commands one of the most magnificent 
 prospects which nature has formed, the British army, drawn up in a highly 
 advantageous position, were, in the morning, discovered by the French. 
 
 Montcalm, learning with surprise and deep regret the advantage gained 
 by his opponent, left his strong position, crossed the St. Charles, and, dis- 
 playing his lines for battle, intrepidly led on the attack. Being on the left 
 
148 
 
 THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 of the French, he was opposed to Wolfe, M-ho was occupying the right of 
 the British forces. In the heat of the engagement both commanders were 
 mortally wounded. 
 
 The wound with which Wolfe fell was the third which he had received 
 in the battle. He was removed from the field; but he watched it with 
 
 DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE BEFORE QUEBEC. 
 
 intense anxiety as, faint with the loss of blood, he reclined his languid 
 head upon the supporting arm of an officer. A cry was heard, "They fly, 
 they fly!" "Who fly?" he exclaimed. "The enemy," was the reply. 
 "Then," said he, "I die content;" and expired. Not less heroic was the 
 death of Montcalm. He rejoiced when told that his wound was mortal ; 
 " For," said he, " I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec. 
 
 After the battle the affairs of the English were conducted with great 
 discretion by General Townshend, whereas the French, in their panic, appear 
 to have yielded at once to the suggestions of their fears. The capitulation 
 of Quebec was signed within five days after the battle. Townshend gave 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 149 
 
 favorable terms to the garrison, for he knew that the resources of the 
 French were by no means exhausted. 
 
 The French, in retiring from Fort du Quesne, passed into Louisiana. 
 On their route they had intrigued with the Cherokees, who continued a 
 predatory war upon the Carolinians. General Amherst, in 1760, sent 
 Colonel Montgomery with a body of regulars to their relief. Being joined 
 by such forces as could be raised in Carolina, he marched into the Cherokee 
 country, destroyed all their lower towns, and was approaching Btchoc, the 
 first of their middle settlements, when he was attacked, in an almost 
 impenetrable thicket, by a large body of savages. In the battle which 
 ensued the English claimed the victory; but so great was their loss, that 
 they immediately retreated from the country. 
 
 Fierce Attack on the Block-House. 
 
 There was hard fighting at Fort Presque Isle, which stood near the 
 present site of Erie, Pennsylvania, and was under the command of Ensign 
 Christie, with a courageous garrison. Early on June 15th, it was surrounded 
 by two hundred Indians, most of them from the neighborhood of Detroit. 
 The garrison immediately withdrew to the block-house, prepared to fight as 
 long as the last hope remained. As at other points, burning arrows rained 
 upon the roof, which repeatedly caught fire, but was as often extinguished 
 by the cool daring of the soldiers. The assailants threw up a rude but 
 strong breastwork on a ridge commanding the fort, and for two days and a 
 half the desperate fight continued. 
 
 A number of the Indians, with unusual daring, attempted to run from 
 behind their breastworks, and shelter themselves close to the walls of the 
 fort, but the watchful garrison picked off every one of them. The defenders, 
 though as sparing in the use of water as possible, were compelled to use 
 all they had to fight the flames that broke out again and again. The well 
 in the parade ground was swept by the iron sleet, so that it was sure 
 death to seek water from that source. Then the men set to work to dig 
 a well inside the block-house. By the most desperate toil, they succeeded 
 in reaching water just in time to extinguish the flames kindled by 
 the blazing arrows. 
 
 The bravery of the garrison only nerved the assailants to more deter- 
 mined work. They began a mine, and, there being no way of checking them, 
 succeeded in reaching and firing the house of the commanding officer. The 
 
150 
 
 THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 
 
 smoke and hear almost stifled the garrison, but they held out grimly, and, 
 whenever they could catch sight of a dusky figure, riddled it with bullets. 
 
 €:' 
 
 'ah that nig^t and 
 through the next day 
 the heroes fought and 
 labored with unsur- 
 passed courage. 
 
 Meanwhile the as- 
 Tailants pushed their mining 
 operations, until the sound 
 of their digging was heard 
 under the edge of the block- 
 house itself. Further resist- 
 ance could avail nothing, and 
 Ensign Christie agreed to surrender under pledge that he and his exhausted 
 
 ATTACK ON THE FORT AT PRESQUE ISL 
 
THE STORY OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. 151 
 
 men should be allowed to depart unmolested. The promise was given, but 
 broken ; all were bound and taken as prisoners to Pontiac's camp, from which 
 Christie succeeded in escaping and reaching the fort at Detroit. 
 
 Pontiac's Treachery Discovered. 
 
 Pontiac chose to command in person at Detroit, that post being regarded 
 as the key to the upper countr}^ The Indians, to the number of six 
 hundred, had collected in the woods about the fort. In the evening a 
 squaw, who had been kindly treated, betrays to Major Gladwin, the com- 
 mandant, the designs of the savages. Pontiac, with a party of his chiefs, 
 present themselves as in peace, desiring to hold a council with the ofi&cers 
 within the fort. They are admitted, but to their surprise immediately 
 surrounded by the garrison, fully armed. Major Gladwin approaches Pontiac, 
 lifts his blanket, and finds a short rifle concealed beneath it. Similar ones 
 are sought for and found upon each of his party. Thus unexpectedly 
 discovered, Pontiac himself was disconcerted. The Indians from without 
 were not let in ; but the chief escaped, or was suffered to go forth. 
 
 He then besieged the fort, holding the garrison confined for many months, 
 and cutting off supplies and reinforcements. At length his allies grew weary 
 of war, and peace was concluded. Pontiac died three years after^vards. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 )N 1765 Lord Grenville introduced into the British Parliament his 
 plan for taxing America, to commence with duties on stamps. 
 By this act no written instrument could be legal unless the paper 
 on which it was drawn was stamped ; and this stamped paper was 
 to be purchased, at exorbitant prices, of the agents of the British 
 Government. Provision was made for the recovery of penalties for the 
 breach of this act, as of all others relating to trade and revenue, in any 
 admiralty, or king's marine court, throughout the colonies. These courts 
 proceeded in trials, without the intervention of a jury. This act, both in 
 regard to the suspension of what the colonists regarded as one of the most 
 important of their rights, that of trial by jury, and also in regard to that 
 extension of jurisdiction, by which they were liable to be called to trial 
 for real or supposed offenses, to distant provinces, was, next to that for 
 direct taxation, the most obnoxious to the colonies of any aggression of 
 the British government. 
 
 In the House of Commons the project, though ably supported, met 
 with ardent and animated opposition. It was on this occasion that Colonel 
 Barre was roused to that unpremeditated effort of eloquence which has 
 made his name, to this day, appear to Americans like that of a friend. 
 
 In answer to Charles Townshend, he having caught that orator's last 
 expression, he rose and exclaimed, "Children planted by your care 1 No I 
 Your oppressions planted them in America ! They fled from your tyranny 
 to an uncultivated land, where they were exposed to all the hardships to 
 which human nature is liable, and, among others, to the cruelties of a 
 savage foe the most subtle and, I will take it upon me to say, the most 
 terrible that ever inherited any part of God's earth. Nourished by your 
 indulgence ! No ! They grew by your neglect ! When you began to care 
 about them that care was exercised in sending persons to rule over them 
 whose character and conduct has caused the blood of these sons of liberty 
 to recoil within them. Protected by your arms ! They have nobly taken 
 
 152 
 
BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 153 
 
 up arms in your defense! The people of America are as truly loyal as 
 any subjects tlie king has, but a people jealous of their liberties, and 
 they will vindicate them." 
 
 Neither the eloquence of Colonel Barre, the petitions of the London 
 merchants, nor the 
 remonstrances of 
 the colonies could 
 prevent the passage 
 of the Stamp Act. 
 Of three hundred 
 who voted in the 
 House of Com- 
 mons, only fifty 
 were against it; in 
 the House of Lords 
 there was not a sin- 
 gle dissenting voice, 
 and the royal as- 
 sent was readily ob- 
 tained. Anticipa- 
 ting opposition to 
 these measures. Par- 
 liament passed laws 
 for sending troops 
 to America, and 
 obliging the inhab- 
 itants of those colo- 
 nies to which they 
 should be sent to 
 furnish them with 
 quarters, and all supplies necessary for carrying on the war successfully. 
 
 The Stamp Act was to take effect on the first day of November. The 
 night after its passage Dr. Franklin, then in London as agent for Pennsyl- 
 vania, wrote to his friend, Charles Thompson, "The sun of liberty is set; 
 you must light up the candles of industry and economy." " Be assured," said 
 Mr. Thompson, in reply, " we shall light up torches of quite another sort." 
 
 On the arrival of the Stamp Act the smothered feelings of the colonists 
 
 COLONEL BARRE. 
 
154 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 broke forth into one general burst of indignation. The house of burgesses 
 in Virginia were at that time in session. It was here that the first public 
 opposition was made to the odious act; and the man by whom the resolu- 
 tions, which expressed this opposition, were introduced was the eloquent 
 and ardent Patrick Henry, then a young lawyer and a new member. Of 
 his five celebrated resolutions, the first four asserted the rights and privi- 
 leges claimed by the colonists; the last declared they were not bound to 
 yield obedience to any law imposing taxes upon them, excepting such as 
 were passed by the general assembly of the colony. These resolutions, 
 more especially the last, were warmly opposed by the house of burgesses ; 
 but the bold and irresistible elequence of Henry finally prevailed, and they 
 were passed by a majority of a single voice. 
 
 Exciting Scene Caused by Patrick Henry. 
 
 In the heat of the debate, the conduct of the king was, for the first 
 time in any public body in America, arraigned; and Patrick Henry, in this, 
 dared what might have cost him his life. He asserted that the king, in 
 assenting to the law for taxing the colonies, had acted the part of a tyrant ; 
 and, alluding to the fate of other tyrants, he exclaimed, " Caesar had his 
 Brutus, Charles I. his Cromwell, and George III." — he was interrupted by 
 the cry of "treason!" — pausing for a moment, he deliberately concluded — 
 "may profit by their example; — if this be treason, make the most of it." 
 
 The next day the members were alarmed, on considering the bold 
 stand which they had taken, and in the absence of Henry the fifth reso- 
 lution was rescinded; but it had already with the others gone forth, and, 
 although at first cautiously circulated, all were at length openly published, 
 and produced violent excitements throughout the country. 
 
 Although, on account of the bold opposition to it, the Stamp Act was 
 repealed in 17GG, yet the colonists continued a jealous watch over the 
 British government. 
 
 In May, 1767, Charles Townshend, then chancellor of the exchequer, 
 influenced by Lord Grenville, brought into Parliament a second plan for 
 taxing America by imposing duties on all tea, glass, paper and painters' 
 colors, which should be imported into the colonies. This bill passed both 
 houses of Parliament without much opposition. And during the same ses- 
 sion an act was passed, suspending the authority of the assembly of New 
 York until they should comply with the requisition to quarter troops. 
 
BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 155 
 
 which they had refused; and another, appointing the officers of the navy, 
 as custom-house officers, to enforce the acts of trade and navigation. 
 
 These three acts following each other in quick succession, caused, 
 throughout America, a revival of the same feelings which the passage of 
 the Stamp Act had produced. In January, 1768, the assembly of Massa- 
 chusetts prepared a 
 petition to the king 
 and sent letters to 
 those persons in Great 
 Britain who had been 
 most active in defend- 
 ingthecause of Amer- 
 ica, again asserting 
 what they considered 
 their rights and claim- 
 ing deliverance from 
 those unjust and op- 
 pressive taxes, which 
 had been imposed by 
 the recent acts of Par- 
 liament. They also 
 addressed circulars to 
 the other colonial as- 
 semblies, entreating 
 their co-operation in 
 obtaining the redress 
 of their grievances. 
 
 In June the custom- 
 house officers seized 
 JOHN HANCOCK. a sloop belonging to 
 
 John Hancock, a merchant of eminence and a patriot much beloved by the peo- 
 ple of Boston. They assembled in crowds, insulted and beat the officers, and 
 compelled them to leave the town. Non-importation agreements, with regard 
 to all articles on which duties had been laid, were at this time very 
 extensively adopted. 
 
 A report was circulated that troops were ordered to march into Boston. 
 A town meeting was called, and the governor was earnestly entreated to 
 
156 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 convoke the assembly. His reply was " that he could not call another 
 assembly this 3^ear without further commands from the king. 
 
 Orders were given to General Gage, the commander-in-chief of the 
 British troops in the colonies, to station a force in Boston, to overawe the 
 citizens, and protect the custom-house officers in the discharge of their duty. 
 Two regiments were accordingly ordered from Halifax, and escorted by 
 seven armed vessels, they arrived at Boston in September. 
 
 Resistance in the Assembly of Massachusetts. 
 
 In May the assembly of Massachusetts convened. They refused to 
 proceed with business while the state house was surrounded by an armed 
 force. The governor would not remove it, but adjourned them to Cambridge. 
 Here they expressed their decided belief that the establishment of a standing 
 army in the colony in time of peace, was an invasion of their natural 
 rights. They refused to make any of the appropriations of money which 
 the governor proposed. 
 
 In March, 1770, some of the inhabitants of Boston insulted the military, 
 while under arms; and an affray took place, in which four persons were 
 killed. The bells were instantly rung ; the people rushed from the country 
 to the aid of the citizens, and the soldiers were obliged to retire to Castle, 
 William, in order to avoid the fury of the enraged multitude. A trial was 
 instituted ; the soldiers arraigned were all acquitted, except two, who were 
 found guilty of manslaughter. 
 
 In England Lord North was appointed to the ministry. He introduced 
 a bill into Parliament, which passed on the 12th of April, removing the 
 duties which had been laid in 1767, excepting those on tea. But, as had 
 been predicted by those who opposed this partial removal, the people of 
 America were not satisfied, while the system was adhered to and Parliament 
 claimed the right of taxing the colonies. 
 
 In 1772 meetings were held in the towns throughout Massachusetts, 
 where committees were appointed to maintain a correspondence with each 
 other. These meetings, which proved the nurseries of independence, were 
 censured by Great Britain as being the hot-beds of treason and rebellion. 
 In Rhode Island a daring resistance was made to the custom-house officers; 
 and the "Gaspee," an armed schooner which had been stationed in that 
 colony for the purpose of enforcing the acts of trade was destroyed. 
 
 The non-importation associations had, upon the repeal of the duties we 
 
BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 157 
 
 liave mentioned, limited their opposition to the nse of tea, and the East 
 India Company in England found itself burdened with an enormous stock 
 of tea, which it could not dispose of as usual in consequence of the cessation 
 of sales in America. The company, therefore, proposed to pay all the duties 
 on the tea in England and ship it to America at its own risk, hoping that 
 the fact of there being 
 no duty to pay in Amer- 
 ica would induce the 
 colonists to purchase it. 
 
 This plan met the 
 determined opposition of 
 the king, who would not 
 consent to relinquish the 
 assertion of his right to 
 tax the Americans. Lord 
 North could not under- 
 stand that it was not the 
 amount of the tax, but 
 the principle involved in 
 it, that was opposed by 
 the Americans, and he 
 proposed that the East 
 India Company should 
 pay three-foMTths of the 
 duty in England, leav- 
 ing the other fourth — 
 about three pence on a 
 pound — to be collected 
 in America. His lord 
 ship was told plainly 
 that the Americans would not purchase the tea on these conditions, but he 
 answered: "It is to no purpose the making objections, for the king will have 
 it so. The king means to try the question with the Americans." 
 
 There were men in America who fully understood that the king meant 
 " to try the question with the Americans," and were willing the trial should 
 come. Samuel Adams was satisfied as to what would be the result, and was 
 diligently working to prepare the people for it. He had the satisfaction of 
 
 SAMUEL ADAMS. 
 
158 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 seeing public opinion in America daily assume a more enlightened and 
 determined condition. A convention of all the colonies for taking action 
 for a common resistance seemed to him a necessity, and he sent forth 
 circulars to the various provinces urging them to assert their rights upon 
 every possible occasion, and to combine for mutual support and protection. 
 The news of the agreement between the East India Company and the 
 government for the exportation of tea increased the determination of the 
 colonists to resist the tax. It was also resolved that the tea should neither 
 be landed nor sold. A meeting was held in Philadelphia and resolutions 
 were passed requesting those to whom the tea was consigned " to resign 
 their appointments." It was also resolved that whosoever should " aid or 
 abet in unloading, receiving or vending the tea" should be regarded "as 
 an enemy to his country." Meetings of a similar nature were held in New 
 York and Charleston, and similar resolutions were adopted. 
 
 Ships from England Loaded with Tea. 
 
 A fast-sailing vessel reached Boston about the 1st of November, 1773, 
 with the news that several ships laden with tea had sailed from England 
 to America. On the 3d of November a meeting was held at Faneuil Hall, 
 and, on motion of Samuel Adams, it was unanimously resolved to send the 
 tea back upon its arrival. A man in the crowd cried out: " The only way 
 to get rid of it is to throw it overboard." The meeting invited the con- 
 signees of the tea to resign their appointments. 
 
 The first of the tea ships reached Boston on the 25th of November, 
 1773. A meeting of the citizens was held at Faneuil Hall, and it was 
 ordered that the vessel should be moored to the wharf, and a guard of 
 twenty-five citizens was placed over her to see that no tea was removed. 
 The owner of the vessel agreed to send the cargo back if the governor 
 would give his permit for the vessel to leave Boston. This the governor 
 withheld, and in the meantime two other ships arrived with cargoes of tea 
 and were ordered to anchor beside the first. The committee appointed by 
 the meeting of citizens waited on the consignees, but obtained no satis- 
 faction from them. 
 
 On the 16th of December another meeting was held. The next day 
 the time allowed by law would expire, and the tea would be placed under 
 the protection of the fort and the armed ships in the harbor. The owner 
 had gone to see the governor, at Milton, to obtain a pass for his vessels. 
 
BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 159 
 
 without which they could not leave the harbor. This the governor refused, 
 on the ground that he had not a proper clearance. He returned to Boston 
 late ii; the evening and reported the result of his mission to the meeting. 
 Then Samuel Adams arose and gave the signal for the action that had 
 been determined upon by saying : " This meeting can do nothing more to 
 save the country." 
 
 THROWING THE TEA OVERBOARD IN BOSTON HARBOR. 
 
 Instantly a shout rang through the room, and a band of forty or fifty 
 men " dressed like Mohawk Indians," with their faces blackened to prevent 
 recognition, hastened from the meeting to the wharf where the ships were 
 moored. A guard was posted to prevent the intrusion of spies, and the 
 ships were at once seized. Three hundred and forty-two chests of tea were 
 broken open and their contents poured into the water. The affair was 
 witnessed in silence by a large crowd on the shore. When the destruc- 
 tion of the tea was completed the " Indians " and the crowd dispersed to 
 their homes. Paul Revere was despatched by the patriot leaders to carry 
 the news to New York and Philadelphia. 
 
 At New York and Philadelphia the people would not allow the tea to 
 
160 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 be landed, and at Cliarleston it was stored in damp cellars, where the whole 
 cargo was soon ruined. At Annapolis a ship and its cargo were burned, 
 the owner of the vessel himself setting fire to the ship. 
 
 The British government was greatly incensed at the refusal of the 
 colonists to allow the tea to be landed, and determined to compel the 
 Americans to submit to the authority of Great Britain. Boston, in par- 
 ticular, was to be made a terrible example to the rest of the colonies. A 
 bill was introduced into Parliament, and passed by a majority of four to 
 one, closing the port of Boston to all commerce, and transferring the seat 
 of government to Salem. The British ministry boasted that with ten 
 thousand regulars they could " march through the continent," and they 
 were resolved to bring America to her knees, and make her confess her 
 fault in dust and humiliation. Lord Howe sought an introduction to Dr. 
 Franklin, through his sister, Mrs. Howe, the friend of the latter, and an 
 honest endeavor was made on both sides to devise some plan to which the 
 parties would consent. But the result of these secret and unofficial nego- 
 tiations shows clearly that so wide was the difference of opinion in England 
 and America that a war was inevitable. 
 
 Drilling Minute-men in the use of Arms. 
 
 In the meantime affairs in America were tending to a crisis which 
 would preclude all hope of reconciliation. One Congress had been called 
 by the colonies, and met in Philadelphia. The opposition to the unjust 
 acts of the British government was very emphatic. A second provincial 
 Congress, having assembled in Massachusetts, had ordered military stores 
 to be collected, and encouraged the militia and minute-men to perfect 
 themselves in the use of arms. 
 
 The British General Gage, having learned that a number of field-pieces 
 were collected at Salem, dispatched a party of soldiers to take possession 
 of them in the name of the king. The people of Salem assembled in great 
 numbers and, by pulling up a draw-bridge, prevented their entering the 
 town, and thus defeated their object. A large quantity of ammunition and 
 stores was also deposited at Concord, about twenty miles from Boston ; 
 these General Gage resolved to seize or destroy, and, with that view, he 
 sent a detachment of 800 men under the command of Colonel Smith and 
 Major Pitcairn, ordering them to proceed with expedition and secrecy. 
 
 The Americans had notice of the design, and when the British troops 
 
BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 161 
 
 arrived at Lexington, within five miles of Concord, the militia of the place 
 were drawn up and ready to receive them. The advanced body of the 
 British approached within musket-shot, when Major Pitcairn, riding forward, 
 called to the Americans, " Disperse, you rebels ! — throw down your arms 
 and disperse." Not being instantly obeyed, he discharged his pistol, and 
 ordered his men to fire. They fired, and killed eight men. The militia 
 dispersed, but the firing continued. 
 
 One of those killed at the Lexington bridge was Isaac Davis, the 
 
 DEATH OF CAPTAIN DAVIS AT LEXINGTON BRIDGE. 
 
 young wife a 
 A little later 
 
 captain of the minute-men of Acton. He had bidden his 
 touching good-bye, as he ran to lead his men to the fight, 
 his dead body was brought to her door. 
 
 The British troops then proceeded to Concord, and destroyed or took 
 possession of the stores. They then began their retreat ; but the colonists 
 pressing upon them on all sides, they went to Lexington, where they met 
 Lord Percy with a reinforcement of 900 men, without which it is doubtful 
 whether they could have reached Boston, for the Americans, better acquainted 
 11 
 
162 BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
 
 with the grounds, continually harassed their march. From every place of 
 concealment — a stone fence, a cluster of bushes, or a barn — the concealed 
 Americans poured upon them a destructive fire. At sunset the British, 
 almost overcome with fatigue, passed Charlestown Neck, and found on 
 Bunker's Hill a resting-place for the night, and the next morning, under 
 the protection of a man-of-war, they entered Boston. 
 
 Startling News Alarms the Country. 
 
 Blood had now flowed, and no language can portray the feelings which 
 the event excited. Couriers were dispatched in every direction, who gave, 
 as they rode at full speed, their news, to be taken up and carried in like 
 manner to other places ; and thus, in an increasing circle, it spread like 
 electric fluid throughout the land. The messenger, if he arrived on Sunday, 
 at once entered the church, and proclaimed to the breathless assembly — war 
 has begun ! Everywhere the cry was repeated, " war has begun ! " and the 
 universal response was, "to arms, then! liberty or death!" 
 
 The legislatures of the several colonies convened, appointed officers, and 
 gave orders to raise troops. Everywhere fathers were leaving their children, 
 and mothers sending their sons to the field ; and an army of 20,000 was 
 soon collected in the neighborhood of Boston. 
 
 Thus war was beginning in earnest. But our fathers had a righteous 
 cause ; and the contest was important, not only to themselves and their 
 posterity, but to human rights. They had done all that was possible, and 
 what none but great men could have done, to secure an honorable peace. 
 What our country now is, and what it must have been, had they shrunk 
 from the conflict, and tamely submitted to the yoke of servitude, speaks for 
 their virtue and wisdom, in resolving to contend. The God of justice, in 
 whom they trusted, proved their deliverer. They were, to the death, true 
 to us, their posterity. Let not us be false to them ; but let us transmit 
 the liberty and the noble institutions of our country, the inheritance earned, 
 by their blood, uncontaminated, to our descendants. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 HNHRAL GAGE was now closely besieged in Boston by an army 
 of twenty thousand. He bad made bis fortifications so strong 
 tbat tbe Americans did not attempt tbe place by assault; nor 
 g^ |^;j^^ a would tbey bave taken any sucb measures to annoy tbe enemy 
 as would bave exposed tbe inbabitants. But so closely were 
 tbe Britisb invested, tbat, altbougli tbey bad tbe command of tbe sea, tbeir 
 provisions became scarce. Great vigilance, to prevent tbeir obtaining 
 supplies, was used along tbe coast, tbe inbabitants, for tbis purpose, often 
 driving tbeir cattle into tbe interior. 
 
 Tbe possession of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, on wbicli depended 
 tbe command of Lakes George and Cbamplain, was an object of essential 
 importance. Witbout waiting for tbe action of Congress, individuals in 
 Connecticut, at tbe bead of wbom were Dean, Wooster, and Parsons, deter- 
 mined to undertake it on tbeir own responsibility; and accordingl}^ tbey 
 borrowed of the legislature of tbat colony eighteen hundred dollars. 
 
 Tbey then proceeded to Bennington, confident of tbe co-operation of tbe 
 hardy freemen who had settled in that vicinity by tbe authority of New 
 Hampshire, and who had, under the name of the " Green Mountain corps," 
 manifested their resolution in defence of their lands from the sheriffs of 
 New York, that state claiming over them a jurisdiction which they would 
 not allow. At tbe head of these veterans were Colonels Ethan Allen and 
 Seth Warner. Tbey gladly engaged in tbe enterprise. Troops were soon 
 raised, and the command was intrusted to Allen. 
 
 In the meantime, Benedict Arnold, with the intrepid boldness of his 
 character, had, in Boston, formed and matured tbe same design, and was on 
 the march to execute it, when be found, with astonishment, tbat he had 
 been anticipated. Becoming second in command to Allen, tbey marched 
 together at tbe head of three hundred men, from Castleton, and reached 
 Lake Cbamplain, opposite Ticonderoga, on the 9th of May. On the morning 
 of the 10th tbey embarked with eighty-three men, landed at dawn of day, 
 
164 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 and completely surprised the fortress. The approach of a hostile force was 
 so unexpected to De La Place, the commander, that he knew not from what 
 quarter they were ; and \vhen summoned to surrender, he demanded by what 
 authority: — "In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Con- 
 gress," said Allen. De La Place, incapable of making any resistance, 
 delivered up the garrison, which consisted of only three officers and 
 forty-four privates. 
 
 The remainder of the troops having landed, Colonel Warner was dis- 
 patched with a small party against Crown Point, of which he took peace- 
 able possession. Arnold, having manned and armed a small schooner 
 
 found in South 
 Bay, captured 
 a sloop-of-war 
 lying at St. 
 John's. The 
 pass of Skeens- 
 borough was 
 seized at the 
 same time, by 
 a detachment of 
 volunteers from 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Thus were 
 obtained, with- 
 
 CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA BY ETHAN ALLEN. OUt bloodshcd 
 
 these important posts, and the command of the lakes on which they stood, 
 together with one hundred pieces of cannon, and other munitions of war. 
 The success with which this expedition was crowned, greatly tended to 
 raise the confidence which the Americans felt in themselves. The Conti- 
 nental Congress again assembled at Philadelphia on the 10th of May, and 
 Mr. Hancock was chosen president. Bills of credit to the amount of three 
 millions of dollars were issued for defraying the expenses of the war, and 
 the faith of the " Twelve United Colonies " pledged for their redemption. 
 
 Lord Dunmore, the governor of Virginia, on plea of insurrection in a 
 neighboring county, caused some powder to be seized, by night, from the 
 magazine belonging to the colony at Williamsburgh, and conveyed on 
 board an armed schooner, then lying in James River. Patrick Henry 
 
CARPENTER'S HAI,L--PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 In this building assembled the first Continental Congress on Monday, Sept. 5, 
 delegates were present, representing twelve Colonies. 
 
 Fifty-four 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 165 
 
 assembled an independent company, and was marching towards the capital, 
 to obtain it by force, when he was met by a messenger from the governor, 
 who ^paid him the full value in money. Henry and his party returned. 
 Lord Dunmore, having fortified his palace, issued a proclamation, and 
 declared them rebels. 
 
 This highly incensed the people, with whom Henry was the favorite 
 leader. About the same time, letters of Dunmore to England were inter- 
 cepted, which were considered as gross slanders against the colony. Thus 
 situated, he became apprehensive of personal danger, abandoned his gov- 
 ernment, and went on board the Fowey, a man-of-war, then lying at York- 
 town. In North Carolina, Governor Martin took refuge on board a national 
 ship in Cape Fear River ; and in South Carolina, Lord William Campbell 
 abandoned his goverment, and retired. 
 
 Stirring Events Around Boston. 
 
 Tryon, the artful and intriguing governor of New York, was still in 
 or near the province, and no delegates to Congress were chosen at the 
 proper time; but after the battle of Lexington a convention was held for 
 the sole purpose, and members were elected. In North Carolina the people 
 of Mecklenburg County having, on the 20th of May, assembled at Char- 
 lotte, passed resolutions embodying the bold declaration of Independence — 
 the first made in America. 
 
 In May, 1775, the British army in Boston received a powerful reinforce- 
 ment from England, under Generals Howe, Clinton and Burgoyne. General 
 Gage, thus reinforced, proceeded to bold measures. He proclaimed martial 
 law throughout Massachusetts. He, however, offered pardon to all rebels 
 who would return to their allegiance, except Samuel Adams and John 
 Hancock. General Gage had, in the meantime, agreed to permit the people 
 of Boston to depart ; but after a portion had gone he changed his policy, 
 and kept the remainder. 
 
 Learning that the British threatened to penetrate into the country 
 Congress recommended to the council of war to take such measures as 
 would put them on the defensive, and for this purpose a detachment of one 
 thousand men, under Colonel Prescott, was ordered, on the night of the 
 16th of June, to throw up a breastwork on Bunker's Hill, near Charlestown. 
 By some mistake the troops entrenched themselves on Breed's Hill, nearer 
 to Boston. They labored with such silence and activity that by return of 
 
166 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 light they had nearly completed a strong redoubt without being observed. 
 At dawn, however, the British, discovering the advance of the Americans, 
 commenced a severe cannonade from the ships in the river; but this not 
 
 interrupting them, 
 General Gage sent 
 a body of nearly 
 3,000 men, under 
 Generals Howe and 
 Pigot. They left 
 Boston in boats, 
 and landed under 
 the protection of 
 the shipping in 
 Charlestown, at the 
 extreme point of 
 the peninsula, and 
 advanced against 
 the Americans. — 
 Generals Clinton 
 and Burgoyne took 
 their station on an 
 eminence in Bos- 
 ton, commanding a 
 distinct view of the 
 hill. The spires of 
 
 the churches, the 
 roofs of the houses, 
 and every height 
 which commanded 
 a view of the bat- 
 tle-ground, were covered with spectators, taking deep and opposite inter- 
 ests in the conflict. 
 
 The British set fire to Charlestown, and amidst the glare of its flames 
 glittering upon their burnished arms they advance to the attack. The 
 Americans wait their approach in silence, until they are within ten rods 
 of the redoubt; then, taking a steady aim, and having advantage of the 
 ground, they pour upon the British a deadly fire. They are thrown into 
 
 GENERAL BURGOYNE. 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 167 
 
 confusion, and many of their officers fall. They are thus twice repulsed. 
 Clinton now arrives ; his men again rally, advance towards the fortifications, 
 and attack the redoubt on three sides at once. The ammunition of the 
 colonists failed. Courage was no longer of any avail, and Colonel Prescott, 
 who commanded the redoubt, ordered a retreat. The Americans were obliged 
 to pass Charlestown Neck, where they were exposed to a galling fire from 
 
 BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. 
 
 the ships in the harbor. Here fell General Joseph Warren, whose death 
 was a severe blow to his mourning country. 
 
 In this engagement three thousand men, composing the flower of the 
 British army, were engaged. Their killed and wounded were more than a 
 thousand, while the loss of the Americans was less than half that number. 
 Although the ground was lost, the Americans regarded this as a victory, 
 and the British as a defeat. Or, if they pretended otherwise, it was 
 tauntingly asked, how many more such triumphs their army could afford? 
 
168 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 The boldness with which the undisciplined troops of the colonies so long 
 withstood the charges of the regulars increased their confidence, and con- 
 vinced the English that they had to contend with a resolute foe. 
 
 On the fifteenth of June Congress, still in session, elected, by a unani- 
 mous vote, George Washington, who was then present, and had, from their 
 first meeting at Philadelphia, been a delegate from Virginia, to the high 
 office of general and commander-in-chief of the army of the United Colonies. 
 He declined all compensation for his services, for as money could not buy 
 him from his endeared home, and as he served his country for justice, and 
 the love he bore to her cause, he would not allow his motives to be mis- 
 construed. He should keep an exact account of his expenses, and those 
 Congress, he doubted not, would discharge. 
 
 The British Army Harrassed by Washington. 
 
 Artemas Ward, of Massachusetts; Colonel Lee, formerly a British officer; 
 Philip Schuyler, of New York, and Israel Putnam, of Connecticut, then 
 before Boston, were at the same time appointed to the rank of major- 
 generals; and Horatio Gates to that of adjutant-general. Soon after his 
 election Washington set out for the camp at Cambridge. He found the British 
 army strongly posted on Bunker's and Breed's Hill, and Boston Neck. 
 The American, consisting of 14,000 men, were entrenched on the heights 
 around Boston, forming a line which extended from Roxbury on the right, 
 to the river Mystic on the left, a distance of twelve miles. This disposition 
 of the troops greatly distressed the British, who were confined to Boston, 
 and often obliged to risk their lives to obtain the means of sustenance. 
 
 Georgia now entered into the opposition made to the claims of the 
 British Parliament to tax America, and chose delegates to Congress ; after 
 which the style of " the Thirteen United Colonies " was assumed, and by 
 that title the English provinces were thenceforth designated. 
 
 During this session of Congress also the first line of posts for the 
 communication of intelligence through the United States was established. 
 Benjamin Franklin was appointed, by a unanimous vote, postmaster-gen- 
 eral, with power to appoint as many deputies as he might deem proper 
 and necessary for the conveyance of the mail from Falmouth, in Maine, to 
 Savannah, in Georgia. 
 
 While the British army was closely blockaded in Boston, congress con- 
 ceived the design of sending a force into Canada ; as the movements of 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 169 
 
 Sir Guy Carleton, the governor of that province, seemed to threaten an 
 invasion of the northwestern frontier. Two expeditions were accordingly 
 organized and dispatched, one by the way of Champlain, under Generals 
 Schuyler and Montgomery, the other by the way of the river Kenne- 
 bec, under the command of Arnold. General Lee, with twelve hundred 
 volunteers from Connecticut, was directed to repair to New York, and 
 with the aid of the 
 inhabitants, forti- 
 fy the city, and the 
 highlands on the 
 Hudson River. 
 
 In pursuance of 
 the plan of guard- 
 ing the northern 
 frontier by taking 
 Canada, Generals 
 Montgomery and 
 Schuyler with two 
 regiments of New 
 York militia, and 
 a body of men 
 from New Eng- 
 land, amounting 
 in the whole to bunker hill monument, erected in 1825. 
 
 about two thousand, were ordered to move in that direction, while Gen- 
 eral Montgomery was directed to proceed with the troops then in readiness 
 and lay siege to St. John's. 
 
 Colonel Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, had a command under Mont- 
 gomery ; and was sent by him with about eighty men to secure a party 
 of hostile Indians. Having effected his object, he was returning to head- 
 quarters, when he w^as met by Major Brown, who, with a party, had been 
 detached on a tour of observation. Without orders they rashly undertook 
 to make a descent upon Montreal. They divided into two parties, intend- 
 ing to assail the city at opposite points. Allen crossed the river in the 
 night, as had been proposed; and although Brown and his party failed, 
 he, with only eighty men, by desperate valor attempted to maintain his 
 ground though attacked by Carleton, at the head of several hundreds. 
 
170 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 Compelled to yield he and his brave associates were loaded with irons and 
 sent to England. 
 
 On the 13th of October a small fort at Chamble, which was but slightly 
 guarded, was taken by the Americans. Several pieces of artillery, and 
 about one hundred and twenty barrels of gunpowder, were the fruits of the 
 victory. This enabled Montgomery to proceed with vigor against St. 
 John's. Carleton, on learning the situation of that fort, raised a force of 
 eight hundred men for its relief, and embarked them in boats to cross 
 the St. Lawrence to Longueil. Colonel Warner, who was stationed there 
 with three hundred mountaineers, and a small piece of artillery, received 
 him with a brisk fire ; prevented his landing, and compelled him to 
 return to Montreal. 
 
 When the news of this repulse reached Montgomery, he sent a flag to 
 Major Preston, who commanded the besieged fortress, summoning him to 
 surrender. The summons was obeyed on the 3d of November, and the fort 
 entered by the Americans, 
 
 Escaped Down the River in the Night. 
 
 Carleton now abandoned Montreal to its fate, and made his escape 
 down the river in the night, in a small canoe with muffled oars. The next 
 day, Montgomery, after engaging to allow the inhabitants their own laws, 
 the free exercise of their religion, and the privilege of governing them- 
 selves, entered the town. His benevolent conduct induced many Canadians 
 to join his standard: yet some of his own troops deserted, from severity 
 of climate, and many, whose time of enlistment had nearly expired, insisted 
 on returning home. With the remnant of his army, consisting of only 
 three hundred men, he marched towards Quebec, expecting to meet there 
 troops under Arnold, who were to penetrate by the way of the rivers Kene- 
 bec and Chaudiere. 
 
 Arnold commenced his march with one thousand men about the mid- 
 dle of September. After sustaining almost incredible hardships in the 
 trackless forests of Maine, he arrived at Point Levi, opposite Quebec, on 
 the 9th of November. On the night of the 13th he crossed the St. Law- 
 rence, and climbing the same precipice which Wolfe had ascended, he 
 formed his army, now reduced to seven hundred men, on the heights near 
 the memorable plains of Abraham, and advanced in the hope of surprising 
 the city. Being convinced, by a cannon shot from the wall, that the gar- 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 171 
 
 rison had obtained knowledge of his approach, and were ready to receive 
 him, and feeling his force to be insufficient, either to carry on a regular 
 siege, sor hazard a battle, he retired on the 18th, to Point aux Trembles, 
 there to await the arrival of Montgomery. 
 
 Spirited Attack upon Quebec. 
 
 General Carleton, on retiring from Montreal, had proceeded to Quebec, 
 and now had a garrison of 1500 men. Montgomery joined Arnold on the 
 1st of December. The united forces of the Americans amounted to less 
 than 1000 effective men. On the 5th Montgomery sent a flag to the 
 governor, with a summons to surrender. Carleton ordered his troops to fire 
 upon the bearer, and forbade all communication. The American general 
 attempted to batter the walls and harass the city by repeated attacks. 
 During one night he constructed a battery of ice, where he planted his 
 cannon ; but they were not of sufficient force to make any material impres- 
 sion, or to alarm the garrison. 
 
 Montgomery now found himself under circumstances even more critical 
 and embarrassing than those which had sixteen years before environed 
 Wolfe at the same place. The severe Canadian winter had set in, and 
 several feet of snow covered the ground, and his troops had suffered much 
 already. Yet to abandon the enterprise was to relinquish fame and disap- 
 point the expectations, however unreasonable they might be, of his too 
 sanguine countrymen. He, therefore, with the unanimous approbation of 
 his officers, came to the desperate determination of storming the city. 
 
 Just at the dawn of the last day of the year, and during a violent snow 
 storm, the troops marched from the camp, in four divisions, commanded by 
 Montgomery, Arnold, Brown, and Livingston. The two latter were to make 
 feigned attacks ; but, impeded by the snow, they did not arrive in season to 
 execute their orders. Arnold and Montgomery were to make an assault at 
 opposite points. Montgomery, at the head of his valiant band, was obliged 
 to advance through a narrow path, leading under the projecting rocks 
 of a precipice. 
 
 When they reached a block-house and picket he assisted with his own 
 hands to open a passage for his troops, encouraging, by his voice and his 
 example, his brave companions. They advanced boldly and rapidly to force 
 the barrier, when a single and accidental discharge from a cannon, proved 
 fatal to this brave and excellent officer, and thus destroyed the hopes of the 
 
172 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 enterprise. Several of Montgomery's best ofi&cers shared his fate; and 
 Colonel Campbell, on whom the command devolved, found it impossible to 
 pursue the advantages already gained. 
 
 In the meantime, Arnold, at the head of his detachment, was intrepidly 
 advancing, when he received a musket ball in the leg, and was carried from 
 the field. Colonel Morgan, who, succeeded him, led on the troops with vigor, 
 and soon made himself master of the second barrier. But the British, freed 
 from their apprehension of attack at any other point, turned their undivided 
 force upon his part3\ Three hours did this resolute band resist, although 
 attacked both in front and in rear; but at length were compelled to 
 surrender themselves prisoners of war. The Americans lost 400 men in 
 this disastrous attempt. 
 
 The treatment of Carleton to his prisoners did honor to his humanity. 
 Arnold, wounded as he was, retired with the remainder of his army, to the 
 distance of three miles below Quebec, where, though inferior in numbers to 
 the garrison, they kept the place in a state of blockade, and, in the course 
 of the winter, reduced it to distress for want of provisions. 
 
 Recruiting the American Army. 
 
 Although Britain was preparing a formidable force, yet the American 
 army was not only reduced in numbers, but, at the close of the year 1775, 
 was almost destitute of necessary supplies. The terms of enlistment of all 
 the troops had expired in December, and, although measures had been 
 taken for recruiting the army, yet on the last day of December, there were 
 but 9,650 men enlisted for the ensuing year. General Washington, finding 
 how slowly the army was recruiting, proposed to Congress to try the 
 influence of a bounty; but his proposal was not acceded to until late in 
 Januar}^, and it was not until the middle of February, that the reg- 
 ular army amounted to 14,000. In addition to these, the commander- 
 in-chief, being vested by Congress with the power to call out the 
 militia, made a requisition on the authorities of Massachussetts for 6,000, 
 which were furnished. 
 
 Washington had continued the blockade of Boston during the winter 
 of 1775-6, and at last resolved to bring the enemy to action, or drive them 
 from the town. On the night of the 4th of March, a detachment, under 
 the command of General Thomas, silently reached Dorchester Heights, and 
 there constructed, in a single night, a redoubt, which menaced the British 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 173 
 
 shipping with destruction. When the light of the morning discovered to 
 General Howe the advantage the Americans had gained, he preceived that 
 no alternative remained for him but to dislodge them, or evacuate the place. 
 He immediately dispatched a few regiments to attempt the former, but a 
 violent tempest of wind and rain rendered their efforts ineffectual. 
 
 The Americans had, however, continued with unremitting industry, to 
 strengthen and improve their works, until they were now too dangerous to 
 be neglected, and too secure to be forced, and it was determined, in a 
 council of war, to evacuate the town. Accordingly, on the morning of the 
 17th, the whole Brit- 
 
 ish force, with such 
 of the loj^alists as 
 chose to follow their 
 fortunes, set sail for 
 Halifax. As the rear 
 of the British troops 
 were embarking, the 
 forces of Washington 
 entered the town in 
 triumph. 
 
 The British fleet, 
 destined to the re- 
 duction of the south- 
 ern colonies, sailed. 
 
 MEDAL STRUCK BY CONGRESS IN HONOR OF THE 
 RECAPTURE OF BOSTON. 
 
 under Sir Peter Parker, to attack Charleston, where they arrived early in 
 June, 1776. The marines were commanded by General Clinton. An inter- 
 cepted letter had given the Carolinians such information of the enemy's 
 movements, that they were not unprepared for their reception. On Sulli- 
 van's Island, at the entrance of Charleston harbor, they had constructed 
 a fort of the palmetto tree, which resembles the cork. The militia had 
 heen called out, under the command of General Lee, now exceedingly pop- 
 ular ; and they formed a force five or six thousand strong, for the defence 
 of the menaced capital. The general was ably seconded by Colonels Gads- 
 den, Moultrie, and Thompson. 
 
 The palmetto fort was garrisoned by about 400 men, commanded by 
 Colonel Moultrie. On the morning of the 28th of June, the British ships 
 ■opened their broadsides upon it. The discharge of artillery upon the little 
 
174 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 
 
 fort was incessant, but the balls were received by the palmetto wood, and 
 buried as in earth; while Moultrie, and the brave Carolinians under his 
 
 command, returned 
 the fire, and defended 
 the fortification with 
 such spirit, that it 
 has ever since been 
 called by the name 
 of Moultrie. 
 
 Once during the 
 day, after a thunder- 
 ing discharge from 
 the British cannon, 
 the flag of the fort 
 was no longer seen to 
 wave; and the Amer- 
 icans, who watched 
 the battle from the 
 opposite shore, were,, 
 every moment, ex- 
 pecting to see the 
 British troops mount 
 the parapets in tri- 
 umph. But none ap- 
 peared, and, in a few 
 moments, the striped 
 banner of America 
 was once more un- 
 furled to their view. 
 The staff had been 
 SERGEANT JASPER AT FORT MOULTRIE. Carried away by a 
 
 shot, and the flag had fallen upon the outside of the fort. A brave ser- 
 geant, by the name of Jasper, jumped over the wall, and, amidst a shower 
 of bullets, recovered and fastened it in its place. At evening, the British, 
 completely foiled, drew off" their ships, with the loss of two hundred men; 
 and, a few days after, they set sail, with the troops on board, for the vicinity 
 of New York, where the whole British force had been ordered to assemble. 
 
PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 175 
 
 It had early occurred to Washington, that the central situation of New 
 York,^ with the numerous advantages attending the possession of that city, 
 would render it an object of great importance to the British. Under this 
 impression, before the enemy left Boston, General Lee had been detached 
 from Cambridge, to put Long Island and New York in a state of defense. 
 Soon after the evacuation of Boston, the commander-in-chief followed, and, 
 with the greater part of his army, fixed his headquarters in the city 
 of New York. 
 
 Washington showed how well he deserved the confidence reposed in 
 him, by making every exertion to increase his army, which, enfeebled as 
 it was when he commenced his march, had hourly diminished. His troops 
 were unfed amidst fatigue; unshod, while their bleeding feet were forced 
 rapidly over the sharp projections of frozen ground. In such a situation, 
 the wonder is not, that many died and many deserted, but that enough 
 remained to keep up the show of opposition. 
 
 In this distressing situation, Washington manifested to his troops all 
 the firmness of the commander, while he showed all the tenderness of the 
 father. He visited the sick, paid every attention in his power to the wants 
 of the army, praised their constancy, represented their sufferings to Con- 
 gress, and encouraged their despairing minds, by holding out the prospects 
 of a better future ; while the serene and benignant countenance with which 
 he covered his aching heart, made them believe that their beloved and 
 sagacious commander was himself animated with the prospects which he 
 portrayed to them. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 N the Tth of June, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, made 
 a motion in Congress for declaring the colonies free and inde- 
 pendent States. The most vigorous exertions had been made 
 by the friends of independence to prepare the minds of the 
 people for this bold measure. Among the numerous writers 
 on the momentous question, the most luminous and forcible was Thomas 
 Paine. His pamphlet, entitled "Common sense," was read and understood 
 by all. While it demonstrated the necessity, the advantage, and the prac- 
 ticability of independence, it treated kingly government and hereditary 
 succession with ridicule and opprobrium. Two years before, the inhabitants 
 of the colonies were the loyal subjects of the king of England, and wished, 
 not for independence, but for the constitutional liberty of the British subject. 
 But the crown of England had, for their assertion of this right, declared 
 them out of its protection, rejected their petitions, shackled their commerce, 
 and finally employed foreign mercenaries to destroy them. Such were the 
 exciting causes which, being stirred up and directed by the master-spirits 
 of the times, had, in the space of two years, changed the tide of public 
 feeling in America, and throughout her extensive regions produced the 
 general voice — We will be free. 
 
 Satisfied, by indubitable signs, that such was the resolution of the 
 people. Congress deliberately and solemnly decided to declare it to the 
 world; and the Declaration of Independence was agreed to in Congress 
 on the 4th of July, 1776. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Frank- 
 lin, Roger Sherman and R. R. Livingston had been appointed, on the 11th 
 of June, to prepare a Declaration of Independence. It was agreed by this 
 committee that each one should make such a draft as his judgment and 
 feelings should dictate; and that, upon comparing them together, the one 
 should be chosen as the report of the committee which should prove most 
 conformable to the wishes of the whole. Mr. Jefferson's paper was the first 
 read, and every member of the committee determined, spontaneously, to 
 
 176 
 
THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 177 
 
 suppress his own production, observing that it was unworthy to bear a 
 competition with that which they had just heard. 
 
 
 (yL^^ ^'''^^^ 
 
 -^- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 yu^-e^9^ 
 
 ^^e^ 
 
 
 yi^i^^-1^Jc 
 
 
 THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 
 
 A long enumeration of the oppressions of the British government is 
 
 therein made, and closed with the assertion that "a prince, whose character 
 
 is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be 
 
 the ruler of a free people." 
 12 
 
178 
 
 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE, 
 
 The signing of this declaration by the American Congress was a 
 mornentous procedure. That firm band of patriots well knew that, in 
 affixing their signatures, they were, in the eyes of England, committing 
 the very act of treason and rebellion; and that, in case of her ultimate 
 success, it was their own death-warrant which they signed. Their country- 
 men felt that there was now no receding from the contest, without devoting 
 to death these their political fathers, who had thus fearlessly made them- 
 selves the organs of declaring what was equally the determination of all. 
 
 Thus it was now the general feeling that 
 the die was cast, and nothing remained but — 
 " liberty or death !" 
 
 Congress was in session in the hall of the 
 State House in Philadelphia when the Decla- 
 ration of Independence was adopted. In the 
 spire of this venerable building hung a bell, 
 inscribed with the words of Scripture: "Pro- 
 claim liberty throughout all the land unto all 
 the inhabitants thereof." On the morning of 
 the fourth of July vast crowds assembled around 
 the building, as it was known that Congress 
 would on that day take definite action upon 
 the declaration. The bell-ringer stationed him- 
 self in the tower, ready to proclaim the good 
 news the moment it should be announced to 
 him, and had posted his little son at the door of the hall to await the 
 signal of the door-keeper. 
 
 When the announcement of the vote was made the door-keeper gave the 
 signal and the boy ran quickly to the tower. The old man heard him coming, 
 and clutched the bell-rope with a firm grasp. The next instant the glad cry 
 of the boy's voice was heard. "Ring! ring!" he cried, and then the deep, 
 sonorous tones of the bell went rolling out of the tower, and were answered 
 with a mighty shout from the assembled throng without. The declaration 
 was received by all the States and by the army with enthusiasm. 
 
 There is a common impression that the old Liberty Bell was cracked 
 on the day it rang out liberty for the American people. This, however, is 
 a mistake. The bell was cracked in 1835, while tolling for Chief Justice 
 Marshall. It is the one sacred relic of the nation, is an object of great 
 
 OLD INDEPENDENCE BELL. 
 
THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 179 
 
 interest to all Americans, and is always regarded with, a feeling somewhat 
 akin to veneration. 
 
 The thirteen united colonies were now the thirteen United States. It 
 should not be forgotten that the declaration did not make the colonies 
 independent states, or states in any sense. It was simply their announce- 
 ment to the world that they had, each for itself, by the exercise of its own 
 sovereign power, assumed the independence which rightfully belonged to it. 
 
 The Declaration of Independence put an end to all the hopes that had 
 been cherished of an accommodation with Great Britain, and caused those 
 who were still wavering to embrace the cause of their country. It relieved 
 Congress of the disadvantage 
 under which it had hitherto 
 acted, and enabled it to pursue 
 a more vigorous and decisive 
 policy in prosecution of the war. 
 There was no retreat now ; 
 nothing remained but to con- 
 tinue the struggle until Great 
 Britain should be compelled to 
 acknowledge the independence 
 of the states, or they should 
 be reduced to the condition of 
 conquered provinces. 
 
 Soldiers must have a flag rattlesnake flag. 
 
 under which to fight. The first one hoisted over the American troops in 
 Boston contained thirteen stripes like the Star Spangled Banner, but instead 
 of the white stars in a blue field, it had a union of the crosses of Saint 
 Andrew and Saint George. It is not certain that the Americans had any 
 flag at the Battle of Bunker Hill, though there is a tradition that one floated 
 over Prescott's redoubt with the words, "Come if you Dare." 
 
 Gadsen, of South Carolina, on the 10th of February, presented the 
 Colonial Assembly with a flag of the American navy, showing a rattlesnake 
 with thirteen rattles, and the motto, "Don't tread on me." There were other 
 variations, but the first recognized Continental standard was the one that 
 Washington raised on the 2d of January, 1776. By resolution of Congress, 
 June 14, 1777, this was replaced by the flag just as it is to-day, excepting 
 that it then had only thirteen stars. Whenever a new state is admitted to 
 
180 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 the Union another star is added to the constellation of the flag on the 4th 
 of Jnly following its admission. 
 
 The troops from Halifax, under the command of General Howe, after 
 touching at Sandy Hook, took possession of Staten Island on the 2d of 
 July; and those from England, commanded by Admiral Howe, landed at the 
 same place on the 12th. About the same time Clinton arrived with the 
 troops which he had reconducted from the expedition against Charleston; 
 and Commodore Hotham, with the expected reinforcements from England. 
 These, with several Hessian regiments which were daily expected, and which 
 had been hired by Great Britain, would make up an army of 35,000 of the 
 best troops of Europe. 
 
 The American army occupied New York and its vicinity. Two de- 
 tachments guarded Governor's Island and Paulus Hook. The militia, under 
 the American Clinton, were stationed at East and West Chester, and New 
 Rochelle, to prevent the British landing in force on 
 ^^ the north shore, penetrating to Kingsbridge, and thus 
 ^ inclosing the Americans in the island. A still larger 
 portion of the army was placed by Washington on 
 Brooklyn Heights, in a fortified camp, extending from 
 Wallabout Bay to Gowanus' Cove, of which the com- 
 mand was given to Greene. 
 
 This able of&cer, daily visited by his commander, 
 FLAG AND SHIELD, carefully strengthened his fortifications and made him- 
 self acquainted with every defile by which they might be approached. 
 Unhappily he was smitten with fever, and four days before the battle of 
 Brooklyn, Putnam received the command. Sterling and Sullivan appear 
 to have acted under him. 
 
 On the 22d of August the English landed without opposition on Long 
 Island, between the villages of New Utrecht and Gravesend. They extended 
 themselves to Flatlands, distant four miles from the Americans, and sepa- 
 rated from them by a range of wood-covered hills, called the heights of 
 Gowanus, which, running to the northeast, there divide the island. 
 
 About midnight of the 2Gth Howe sent General Grant to attack the 
 Americans from the left, thus inducing the belief that against this post 
 the main strength of the British would be directed. Here he was met and 
 bravely fought by General Sterling, with a detachment from the American 
 camp. At daybreak on the 27th the Hessians, under General de Heister, 
 
 I 
 

 J^^j^^^ 
 
 ^ ^^ 
 
PUTNAM'S ESCAPE AT HORSE NECK 
 
THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 181 
 
 attacked from the centre, and General Sullivan, who commanded the forces 
 in front of the American camp, led them to repel the assailants ; little 
 thinking that their attack was merely a stratagem to divert his attention 
 from the real point of 
 
 danger. The ships 
 also made much noise 
 by a show of cannon- 
 ading. 
 
 Colonel Miles was 
 sent by the Ameri- 
 cans to guard the 
 Jamaica pass, and re- 
 connoitre the move- 
 ments of the enemy. 
 This service, as events 
 proved, was the most 
 important, and the 
 worst performed of 
 any on the side of the 
 Americans. It was 
 here that the British 
 generals made their 
 grand effort, and here ^ 
 that the Americans 
 suffered a fatal sur- 
 prise. The right wing 
 of the English, which 
 was the most numer- 
 ous, and entirely com- 
 posed of select troops, 
 was commanded by 
 General Clinton ; and American marksman in a tree. 
 
 before Miles perceived their approach, they had obtained possession of the 
 Jamaica pass, upon the heights. Generals Percy and Cornwallis followed 
 with the main army. Scouts sent out by Sullivan were captured ; and he 
 was thus left in ignorance of the enemy's approach, until his flank was 
 attacked by their infantry. 
 
182 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 He instantly ordered a retreat ; but he was intercepted by the Eng- 
 lish, who now attacked him in the rear and compelled his troops to throw 
 themselves into the neighboring woods. There they were met by the Hes- 
 sians, who drove them back tipon the English. Signal guns here informed 
 Grant and de Heister, and they made earnest their feigned attack. The 
 distressed Americans were alternately chased and intercepted, until, at 
 length, several regiments cut their way, with desperate valor, through the 
 midst of the enemy, and gained the camp of Putnam ; but a great part of 
 the detachments were killed or taken prisoners. The loss of the Ameri- 
 cans was variously estimated from one to four thousand. The British lost, 
 in killed and wounded, three hundred and sixty-seven. 
 
 Great Disaster to the Patriot Army. 
 
 In the height of the engagement General Washington crossed to 
 Brooklyn from New York. He saw his best troops slaughtered or taken 
 prisoners, and with a glance which searched the future, he viewed in its 
 consequences the terrible magnitude of the disaster, and he uttered an 
 exclamation of anguish. But his prudence and wisdom remained unshaken. 
 He might, at this moment, have drawn all his troops from the encamp- 
 ment ; and also called over all the forces in New York to take part in 
 the conflict ; but he could have no reasonable hope of recovering the 
 battle ; and, with true heroism, he " preserved himself and his army for 
 a happier future." 
 
 On the night of the 29th, Washington, by advice of a council of his 
 officers, and aided by a dense fog, withdrew the remainder of his troops 
 from Brooklyn to New York; to which place the detachment from Gover- 
 nor's Island also retired. Finding that it would be impossible to defend 
 the city he removed his forces to the heights of Harlem. 
 
 About this time Captain Hale, a highly interesting young officer from 
 Connecticut, learning that Washington wished to ascertain the state of the 
 British Army on Long Island, undertook the dangerous service of a spy. 
 He entered the British army in disguise, and obtained the desired informa- 
 tion ; but being apprehended in his attempt to return, he was carried before 
 Sir William Howe, and by his orders was executed the next morning. This 
 was the work of the infamous Cunningham, by whom many prisoners were 
 inhumanly executed. Hale was refused a clergyman, and even a Bible, and 
 letters which he wrote to his mother and sisters were destroyed. At the 
 
THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 183 
 
 place of execution he exclaimed, " I lament that I have but one life to lay 
 down for my country." 
 
 On the 15th of September the British army entered and took posses- 
 sion of the city of New York. A few days after a fire broke out, which 
 consumed nearly one-fourth part of the buildings. It was said that the fire 
 was discovered in many different places at once ; and hence some have 
 supposed that it was fired by the citizens, as Moscow, when threatened by 
 Napoleon, was burned, to deprive its enemies of its hospitable shelter. 
 
 On the 16th of September, the day after the British took possession of 
 New York, a considerable body of their troops appeared in the plain between 
 the two armies. Washington ordered Colonel Knowlton and Major Leech 
 with a detachment, to get in their rear, while he amused them with prepa- 
 rations to attack them in front. The plan succeeded ; and although the 
 brave Knowlton was killed, the rencontre was favorable to the Americans, 
 as it served, in some degree, to restore that confidence in themselves which 
 their preceding misfortunes had destroyed. 
 
 Gallant Defence of Fort Washington. 
 
 General Howe next turned his attention towards the forts, Washington 
 and Lee. They had been garrisoned, with the hope of preserving the 
 command of the Hudson River, but the British had already, on two occa- 
 sions, sent their ships past them. General Washington, foreseeing their 
 danger, had written to General Greene, who commanded in that quarter, 
 that if he should find Fort Washington not in a situation to sustain an 
 assault, to cause it instantly to be evacuated. General Greene, believing it 
 might be maintained, left it under the command of the brave Colonel Magaw, 
 with a force of 2700 men. 
 
 On the 16th of November the British attacked the fort in four different 
 quarters. The Americans repelled them with such spirit that in the course 
 of the day about 1200 of the assailants were killed or wounded. At length 
 the Americans were forced to capitulate ; but not without securing to them- 
 selves honorable terms. The prisoners taken by the British at this time 
 amounted to about 2000, a greater number than had, on any previous 
 occasion, fallen into their hands, and a most disastrous loss to their country. 
 
 The British army immediately crossed the Hudson to attack Fort Lee; 
 but the garrison, apprised of their approach, evacuated the fort, and, under 
 the guidance of General Greene, joined the main army now at Newark. 
 
184 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 The acquisition of these two forts and the diminution of the American 
 army, by the departure of those soldiers whose term of ser\dce had expired, 
 encouraged the British to hope that they should be able to annihilate with 
 ease the remaining force of the republicans. 
 
 Washington, still undismayed, pursued the policy of avoiding an 
 engagement, as the only hope of preserving his little army, which, at this 
 time, amounted to only three thousand. Finding himself, in the post which 
 he had taken at Newark, too near his triumphant foe, he removed to Bruns- 
 wick. The same day Cornwallis, with a part of the British army, entered 
 Newark. Washington again retreated from Brunswick to Princeton, and 
 thence to Trenton. The British still pursuing, he finally crossed the 
 Delaware into Pennsylvania. 
 
 The British general, not choosing to take the trouble of constructing 
 flat-bottomed boats, for carrying over his troops, and the Americans having 
 been careful not to leave theirs for his accommodation, he arranged his 
 German troops, to the number of 4,000, along the Delaware, from Mount 
 Holly to Trenton ; placed a strong detachment at Princeton ; stationed his 
 main army at New Brunswick, and retired himself to New York, to wait 
 for the river to freeze, that thus he might be furnished with a convenient 
 bridge ; not doubting, as it would seem, that the Americans would quietly 
 wait until he was ready to pass over and destroy them. 
 
 A Bold Move against the British. 
 
 Washington now determined to recross the Delaware, and attack the Hes- 
 sians at different points. A force of twenty-four hundred picked troops, 
 under his own command, was to cross the river a few miles above Trenton, 
 and attack the enemy at that place; and the same time another detach- 
 ment, under Reed and Cadwallader, were to cross over from Bristol, and 
 drive the Hessians, under Colonel Donop, out of Burlington. These attacks 
 were to be simultaneous, and were ordered to be made at five o'clock, on 
 the morning of the 26th of December. 
 
 The division of Washington was accompanied by a train of twenty-four 
 field-pieces, under Colonel Knox. The river was high and full of floating 
 ice, and the weather was cold and stormy. A detachment of boats had 
 been collected for the service, and was manned by Colonel Glover's regi- 
 ment of Marblehead fishermen, who had ferried the army over the East 
 River, in the retreat from Long Island. The march was begun just after 
 
]86 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 dark on Christmas night, and Washington hoped to reach the New Jersey 
 shore by midnight; but the passage of the river was difficult and tedious, 
 by reason of the floating ice and the high wind, which repeatedly swept 
 the boats out of their course, and it was four o'clock before the artillery 
 was landed. The march was at once resumed. Washington, with the main 
 body, moved by a wide circuit to gain the north of the town, while a 
 detachment, under Sullivan, was ordered to advance by the river road, and 
 attack the enemy from the west and south sides. 
 
 The Enemy Taken by Surprise and Routed. 
 
 A blinding storm of hail and snow delayed the advance of the troops, 
 but also concealed their movements from the enemy ; and it was eight 
 o'clock before Trenton was reached. The attack was at once begun, and 
 was pressed with vigor. The Hessians were completely taken by surprise ; 
 they flew to arms promptly, but by this time the Americans had gained 
 the main street, and were sweeping it with a battery of six pieces. Colonel 
 Rahl M-as mortally wounded while leading his grenadiers to the charge, and 
 his men, seized with a panic, endeavored to retreat. Finding that they 
 were surrounded, about one thousand of them threw down their arms, and 
 surrendered. The remainder succeeded in escaping, and joining Colonel 
 Donop at Burlington, 
 
 Two days after the action, Washington crossed his whole army over 
 the Delaware, and took quarters at Trenton. Howe was thunderstruck by 
 this astonishing reverse. Lord Cornwallis was in New York, on the point 
 of embarking for England; but the commander ordered him instantly to 
 New Jersey, where he joined the British forces, now assembled at Princeton. 
 Leaving a part of his troops at this place, he immediately proceeded towards 
 Trenton, with the intention of giving battle to the Americans, and arrived, 
 with his vanguard, on the 1 st of January. 
 
 Washington, knowing the inferiority of his force, sensible, too, that 
 flight would be almost as fatal, as defeat, conceived the project of marching 
 to Princeton, and attacking the troops left in that place. About midnight, 
 leaving his fires burning briskly, that his army should not be missed, he 
 silently decamped, and gained, by a circuitous route, the rear of the enemy. 
 At sunrise, the van of the American forces met, unexpectly, two British 
 regiments, which were on the march to join Cornwallis. 
 
 A conflict ensued : the Americans gave way : — all was at stake : Wash- 
 
THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 187 
 
 ington himself, at this decisive moment, led the main body. The enemy 
 were routed, and fled. Washington pressed forward towards Princeton, 
 where 'one regiment of the enemy yet remained. A part of these saved 
 themselves by flight ; the remainder, about three hundred in number, were 
 made prisoners. The number killed on the side of the British was upwards 
 of one hundred ; that of the Americans was less ; but among them was the 
 excellent General Mercer, with several other valuable officers. 
 
 Thrilling were the emotions with which these successes were hailed by 
 a disheartened nation. Even to this day, when an unexpected and thrilling 
 event is to be related, the speaker, who perchance knows not the origin of 
 the proverb, joyfully exclaims, "Great news from the Jersej^s!" 
 
 Continued Successes of the Revolutionists. 
 
 On hearing the cannonade from Princeton, Cornwallis, apprehensive 
 for the safety of his Brunswick stores, immediately put his army in motion 
 for that place. Washington, on his approach, retired to Morristown. When 
 somewhat refreshed he again took the field ; and having gained possession 
 of Newark, Woodbridge, Elizabethtown, and indeed of all the enemy's 
 posts in New Jersey, except New Brunswick and Amboy, he retired to 
 secure winter quarters at Morristown. 
 
 Washington's military glory now rose to its meridian. Indeed, noth- 
 ing in the history of war shows a leader in a more advantageous point of 
 light than the last events of this campaign did the commanding general. 
 Where can we find a passage in the life of Hannibal, of Julius Caesar, or 
 Napoleon, in which the soldier's fearless daring and contempt of personal 
 danger more strikingly blends with the commander's fertility of resource, 
 promptness to decide and act, vigor to follow up success, and moderation 
 to stop at the precise point between bravery and rashness ? But Hannibal 
 made war for revenge ; Caesar and Napoleon, for personal ambition ; Wash- 
 ington for justice, for the rights of his country and of mankind. 
 
 On the 12th of July, 1776, a committee, who had been appointed by 
 Congress to prepare and digest a form of confederation, reported certain 
 articles, the discussion of which occupied a great share of the attention of 
 that body until November 15, 1777, the day of their final adoption. They 
 were subsequently agreed to by the several state governments. By these 
 articles it was determined that, on the first Monday of November in each 
 year, a general Congress should be convoked, of deputies from each of the 
 
188 THE AMERICANS RESOLVED TO BE FREE. 
 
 States, and invested witli all the powers which belong to the sovereigns of 
 other nations. These powers were set forth, and the limits between the 
 authority of the state and national government as clearly defined, as was 
 at the time practicable. These " Articles of Confederation '' gave to the 
 nation the style of the " United States of America," and formed the basis of 
 the American government until the adoption of the federal constitution. 
 
 Unlimited power was granted by Congress to Washington to raise 
 troops, command them, and carry on the M-ar, an act which showed the 
 unbounded confidence reposed in him by all who were engaged in the 
 great struggle for independence. 
 
 Never was a more devoted or a wiser band of patriots than that which 
 composed the Congress of '76. They were environed with difficulties which 
 would have utterly discouraged men of weaker heads or fainter hearts. 
 They were without any power except the power to recommend. They had 
 an exhausted army to recruit, amidst a discouraged people, and a powerful 
 and triumphant foe ; and all this, not merely without money, but almost 
 without credit ; for the bills, which they had formerly issued, had greatly 
 depreciated and were daily depreciating ; yet, amidst all these discourage- 
 ments, they held on their course of patriotic exertions undismayed. 
 
WASHINGTON REVIEWING THE ARMY. 
 
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CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 |HE first attempts of the enemy, during the campaign of 1777, 
 were against the American stores collected at Courtland Manor, 
 in New York, and at Danbury in Connecticut. Peekskill, the 
 port of the Manor, was then in command of Colonel McDougal. 
 The 23d of March the British, under Colonel Bird, attacked 
 this post; and McDougal, knowing his small force could not defend it, 
 destroyed the magazines and retired to the back country. The 25th of 
 April two thousand men, under Governor Tryon, major of the royalists, or 
 tories, having passed the sound, landed between Fairfield and Norwalk. 
 The next day, proceeding to Danbury, he compelled the garrison, under 
 Colonel Huntington, to retire ; and not only destroyed the stores, but 
 burned the town. 
 
 About this time the effects of the mission to France began to appear. 
 Congress had, with great judgment, selected Dr. Franklin as one of the 
 commissioners. A profound knowledge of human nature, united with a 
 warm and cheerful benevolence, had given to this philosopher a manner 
 possessing a peculiar charm, attractive to all, however different their 
 tastes or pursuits. 
 
 Several individuals of distinction in France formed the generous reso- 
 lution of embarking in the cause of America, and combating in her armies. 
 The most distinguished of these was the young Marquis de lyafayette. 
 With everything to attach him to his country, rank, wealth, a deserving 
 and beloved bride, he was yet moved by compassion to suffering virtue, 
 and by indignation against oppression, to leave all that was individually 
 dear, to expose his life, and impair his fortune in the cause of American 
 liberty, and the rights of man. He had early communicated his resolution 
 to the commissioners. 
 
 After hearing of the disasters which followed the battle of Long Island, 
 they felt bound to make known to him the despairing state of their countr}^; 
 and to say that such was its extreme poverty, that they could not even 
 
 189 
 
190 
 
 THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 provide him with a vessel for his conveyance. "Then," said Lafayette, 
 " if your country is indeed reduced to this extremity, this is the moment 
 that my departure to join its armies will render it the most essential ser- 
 vice." His arrival caused a deep sensation of joy among the people. 
 
 Congress soon made 
 him a major-general in 
 the army ; and Wash- 
 ington received him 
 into his family, and 
 regarded him through 
 life with parental affec- 
 tion. 
 
 On the night of 
 July 10, 1777, occurred 
 the capture of the Brit- 
 ish General Prescott, 
 then in command on 
 Rhode Island. Colonel 
 Barton,with forty coun- 
 try militia, from War- 
 wick, under his com- 
 mand, proceeded ten 
 miles in whale boats, 
 landed between New- 
 port and Bristol, and 
 marched a mile to Pres- 
 cott's quarters, took 
 the general from his 
 bed, and conducted him 
 THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE. with dispatch to a place 
 
 of safety on the main land, where he remained secure from molestation. 
 
 Meantime great preparations were making for a descent upon the 
 United States from Canada. The plan of dividing the states, by effecting 
 a junction of the British army through Lake Champlain and the Hudson, 
 was, at the beginning of this year, looked to, by the whole British nation, 
 as the certain means of effecting the reduction of America. This scheme 
 had gained new favor in England, by the representations of General Bur- 
 
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 191 
 
 goyne, an officer who had served under Carleton, and whose knowledge of 
 American affairs was, therefore, undisputed. Burgoyne, by his importunities 
 with the British ministry, obtained the object for which he had made a 
 voyage to England. He was appointed to the command of all the troops 
 in Canada, to the prejudice of Governor Carleton, and was furnished with 
 an army and military stores. With these he arrived at Quebec in May. 
 
 General Carleton exhibited an honorable example of moderation and 
 patriotism, by seconding Burgoyne in his preparations, with great diligence 
 
 GENERAL BURGOYNE ADDRESSING THE INDIANS. 
 
 and energy. To increase the army, he exerted, not only his authority as 
 governor, but also his influence among his numerous friends and partisans. 
 Though himself averse to using the savages, yet, such being the orders of 
 the British government, he aided in bringing to the field even a greater 
 number than could be employed. 
 
 Burgoyne's army was provided with a formidable train of artillery. 
 The army consisted of 7,173 British and German troops, besides several 
 thousands of Canadians and Indians. Burgoyne's plan of operation was, 
 that Colonel St. Leger should proceed with a detachment by the St. Law- 
 
192 THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 rence, Oswego, and Fort Stanwix, to Albany. Burgoyne, proceeding by 
 Champlain and the Hudson, was to meet St. Leger at Albany, and both, 
 join General Clinton at New York. 
 
 His preparations completed, Burgoyne moved forward with his army, 
 and made his first encampment on the western shore of Lake Champlain, 
 at the river Boquet. Here, in two instances, he betra3^ed that vanity 
 which was his characteristic weakness. He made a speech to his Indian 
 allies, in which, in terms of singular energy, and with an imposing manner, 
 he endeavored to persuade them to change their savage mode of warfare. 
 
 Daring Exploit of Two American OfBcers. 
 
 St. Leger had united with Sir John Johnson, and having nearly 2,000 
 troops, including savages, they invested Fort Stanwix, then commanded by 
 Colonel Gansevoort. General Herkimer, having collected the militia, 
 marched to the relief of Gansevoort. He fell into an Indian ambuscade on 
 the 6th of August, and was defeated and slain, with 400 of his troops. 
 St. Leger, wishing to profit by his victory, pressed upon the fort. In this 
 perilous moment, Colonel Willet and Lieutenant Stockton left the fort, 
 fighting their way through the English camp; and, eluding the Indians, 
 they arrived at German Flats, and proceeded to Albany, to alarm the 
 country and gain assistance. 
 
 General Schuyler, on hearing the danger of the fort, dispatched Arnold 
 to its relief On hearing of his approach, the Indians, having previously 
 become dissatisfied, mutinied, and compelled St. Leger to return to Mon- 
 treal. On the way, they committed such depredations on the British troops, 
 as to leave the impression, that they were no less dangerous as allies, than 
 as enemies. Burgoyne took possession of Skeenesborough ; and the Amer- 
 ican army, under Schuyler, retired from Fort Edward to Saratoga, and, on 
 the 13th of August, to the islands at the mouth of the Mohawk. 
 
 Congress was aware of the great merits and exertions of General 
 Schuyler; yet they found that the misfortunes of the army had, though 
 undeservedly, made him unpopular ; and, therefore, it was necessary to super- 
 sede him, in order to make way for a leader who should inspire a confidence 
 that would draw volunteers to the service. Accordingly, General Gates was 
 appointed to the command, but did not arrive at the camp until the 21st 
 of August. Lincoln also was ordered to the north, as were Arnold and 
 Morgan, whose active spirits and brilliant achievements, it was hoped, would 
 
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 193 
 
 reanimate the dispirited troops. The celebrated patriot of Poland, Kosciusko, 
 was also in the army, as its chief engineer. 
 
 Burgoyne, having, with great expense of labor and time, opened a way 
 for his army from Skeenesborough to the Hudson, arrived at Fort Edward 
 on the 30th of July. But being in a hostile country, he could obtain no 
 supplies except from Ticonderoga ; and these he was compelled to transport 
 by the way of Lake 
 George. Learning 
 that there was a 
 large depot of provi- 
 sions at Bennington, 
 he sent 500 men, 
 under Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Baum, a 
 trusty German offi- 
 cer, to seize them. 
 
 General Stark, 
 with a body of New 
 Hampshire militia, 
 was on his march to 1 
 join General Schuy- 
 ler, when hearing of 
 Baum's approach, he 
 recruited his forces 
 from the neighbor- 
 ing militia, and, with 
 1600 men, met him 
 four miles from Ben- 
 nington. After a 
 sharp conflict Baum 
 was killed and his 
 party defeated. The general horatio gates. 
 
 militia had dispersed to seek for plunder, when a British reinforcement of 
 500 men, under Colonel Breymann, arrived. Fortunately for the Americans, 
 the Green Mountain Boys, under Colonel Warner, appeared at the same 
 time, and the British were again defeated and compelled to retreat. Their 
 loss in both engagements was 600, the greater part of whom were taken 
 
 13 
 
194 THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 prisoners. The speech attributed to General Stark, as he was about to lead 
 his men to battle, is worthy of being remembered. " Now, my boys," he 
 said, "we must beat them, or Mollie Stark is a widow to-night." The 
 American loss was inconsiderable. 
 
 The victory at Bennington was important in its consequences, as it 
 proved the turning of that tide of fortune which had set so strongly in 
 favor of the British arms. It embarrassed, weakened and dispirited them ; 
 and was the first step in defeating their grand scheme of dividing the 
 north from the south — while it revived the drooping hearts of the Ameri- 
 cans, and gave the impulse of hope to their exertions. This was strength- 
 ened by an impulse of another kind, but operating in the same direction. 
 A cry of vengeance for murder was raised against the British on account 
 of an atrocious act, committed by their Indian allies. 
 
 Romantic Story of Miss McCrea. 
 
 Miss McCrea, an interesting young lady of Fort Edward, was betrothed 
 to Captain Jones, then in the army of Burgoyne, which had now approached 
 near to that place. Impatient for his marriage, the lover sent a party of 
 Indians, as the safest convoy he could procure for his bride across the 
 woods to the British camp ; having secured, as he thought, their fidelity 
 by promise of reward. Confiding love prevailed in her mind over her strong 
 fears of these terrible guides ; and the unfortunate girl left, by stealth, the 
 kind shelter of her paternal roof 
 
 Meantime her anxious lover, to make her safety more sure, sent out 
 another party with like promises. The two met ; and the last demanded 
 that the lady should be committed to them. Rather than give her up, and 
 thus, as they supposed, lose their reward, the barbarians tied to a tree 
 their innocent and helpless victim, and shot her dead. Instead of his bride 
 the bridegroom received the bloody tresses, which the murderers had cut 
 from her dying head. The sight withered and blasted him ; and, after 
 lingering awhile, he died. 
 
 The complicated miseries of a battle scene crowd the picture and con- 
 fuse the mind ; and thus often produce less sympathy than a single case 
 of distress. In the present instance every man could feel what it would 
 have been or would be to him to have his bride torn, as it were, from his 
 arms, shrieking, and murdered in the hour of his love and expectation ; 
 and every pains was used to awaken these sympathies to their utmost 
 
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 195 
 
 extent, and turn them against the British who had let loose such blood- 
 hounds upon the land. There was a general rising in the northern region 
 and it seemed as if every man, who could bear arms, was rushing to the 
 camp of Gates, to avenge the death of Miss McCrea, no less than to 
 deliver his country. 
 
 The army at the islands having thus been reinforced, and now amount- 
 ing to 5000, Gates left that encampment the 8th of September, and proceeding 
 to Stillwater, occupied Bemus Heights. On the 12th Burgoyne crossed the 
 Hudson, and on the 14th encamped at Saratoga, about three miles distant 
 from the American army. An obstinate and bloody battle occurred at 
 Stillwater on the 19th. At first it was partial, commencing with a skirmish 
 between advanced parties. Each side sent successive reinforcements to their 
 own combatants, until nearly the whole were in action. The American troops 
 took advantage of a \vood which lay between the two camps, and poured 
 from it a fire too deadly to be withstood. 
 
 Hard-Fought Battle at Saratoga. 
 
 The British lines broke ; and the Americans, rushing from their 
 coverts, pursued them to an eminence, where their flanks being supported, 
 they rallied. Charging in their turn, they drove the Americans into the 
 woods, from which they again poured a deadly fire, and again the British 
 fell back. At every charge the British artillery fell into th2 hands of the 
 Americans, who could neither carry it off or turn it on the enemy. At 
 length night came on, and to fight longer would be to attack indiscrimi- 
 nately friend and foe. The Americans retired to their camjD, having lost 
 between three and four hundred men. The loss of the British was five 
 hundred. Both sides claimed the victory; but the advantage was clearly on 
 the side of the Americans. 
 
 Skirmishes, frequent and animated, occurred between this and the 7th 
 of October, when a general battle was fought at Saratoga. At this time 
 the right wing of General Gates occupied the brow of the hill near the 
 river, his camp being in the form of the segment of a large circle, the 
 convex side towards the enem3^ 
 
 The Americans, under General Poor, attacked the left flank and front 
 of the British ; and, at the same time, Colonel Morgan assailed their right. 
 The action became general. The efforts of the combatants were desperate. 
 Burgoyne and his officers fought like mon who were defending at the last 
 
EXPLOIT OF BENEDICT ARNOLD AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA. 
 
 J96 
 
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 197 
 
 cast their military reputation; Gates and his army, like those who were 
 deciding whether themselves and their children should be freemen or slaves. 
 The invading army gave way in the short space of fifty-two minutes. The 
 defenders of the soil pursued them to their entrenchments, forced the guard, 
 and killed Colonel Breymann, its commander. Arnold, the tiger of the 
 American army, whose track was marked by carnage, headed a small band, 
 stormed their works, and followed them into their camp. But his horse was 
 killed under him, he was himself wounded, and darkness was coming on. 
 He retired ; thus reserving to another day the ruin of the British army. 
 
 Surrender of General Burgoyne. 
 
 Burgoyne now made efforts in various directions to effect a retreat; but 
 in every way he had been anticipated. He found himself in a foreign and 
 hostile country, hemmed in by a foe whose army, constantly increasing, 
 already amounted to four times his own wasting numbers. His boats, laden 
 with his supplies, were taken, and his provisions were failing. He had 
 early communicated with Sir Henry Clinton at New York, and had urged 
 his co-operation. More recently, when his fortune began to darken, he had 
 entreated him for speedy aid, stating that, at the farthest, his army could 
 not hold out beyond the 12th of October. The 12th arrived without the 
 expected succor. His army was in the utmost distress, and Burgoyne 
 capitulated on the 17th. 
 
 The whole number surrendered amounted to 5752 men, which, together 
 with the troops lost before, by various disasters, made up the whole Brit- 
 ish loss to 9213. There also fell into the hands of the Americans thirty- 
 five brass field pieces and 5000 muskets. 
 
 The British, having been driven out of New Jersey, formed the plan 
 of taking possession of Philadelphia by an approach by way of Chesapeake 
 Bay. In August Sir William Howe sailed from New York with 16,000 
 men, and on the 24th reached the head of Klk River, in Maryland, from 
 which point his army marched in two columns upon Philadelphia. On the 
 11th of September the American army on the Brandy wine was defeated 
 with considerable loss. Lafayette was among the severely wounded. Wash- 
 ington entered Philadelphia the following day. On the 19th his army 
 crossed the Schuylkill and posted themselves on the eastern bank of the 
 river. Detachments were placed at the several fords where the enemy 
 were likely to cross. 
 
ATTACK ON 
 
 CHEW'S HOUSE AT THE BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN. 
 
 198 
 
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. 
 
 199 
 
 General Anthony Wayne, with 1500 men, was concealed in the woods. 
 His purpose was to assail the rear of the invading army, but his presence 
 •was' revealed to the British, who on the night of the 20tli attacked him and 
 killed about 300 men. This event is known as the Paoli massacre. 
 
 Having secured the command of the Schuylkill, Howe crossed with 
 his whole army. He advanced to Germantown, and on the 27th took 
 peaceable possession of Philadelphia. The American army, re-enforced to 
 11,000 men, established some eighteen miles from Germantown. 
 
 Washington having learned that Howe had withdrawn a part of his 
 force from Germantown, resolved to surprise the remainder. A night march 
 brought the American army to 
 
 Germantown at sunrise on the / ^^ 'SA' 
 
 morning of the 4 th of October. 
 A heavy fog hung over the coun- 
 try and prevented the command- 
 er-in-chief from seeing either the 
 position of the enemy or that of 
 his own troops. 
 
 The British were taken by 
 surprise and were driven in dis- 
 order. The victory seemed with- 
 in the grasp of Washington, when 
 the Americans abandoned the pur- 
 suit to attack a stone house, known 
 as " Chew's House," in which a 
 number of the enemy had taken 
 refuge. While thus engaged they general axthony wayne. 
 
 were seized with an unaccountable panic, which threw them into confusion. 
 The British rallied, and, assailing the Americans in their turn, drove them 
 from the field with a loss of one thousand men. Washington was greatly 
 mortified by this failure. He wrote to Congress : " Every account confirms 
 the opinion I at first entertained, that our troops retreated at the instant 
 when victory had declared itself in our favor." 
 
 A few days after the battle, the royal army removed from Germantown 
 to Philadelphia. Scarcity of provisions prevented Howe from following the 
 Americans, and he wished to co-operate in the design of opening the nav- 
 igation of the Delaware. Indeed, this measure became necessary to the 
 
200 THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY, 
 
 preservation of liis army, whicli could not draw subsistence from tiie adjacent 
 country ; so effectually did the menacing attitude of Washington's army 
 operate, and also the edict of Congress, which pronounced the penalty of 
 death upon any citizen who should dare to afford him supplies. Thus 
 situated, the British general found, as Dr. Franklin wittily remarked, that, 
 " instead of taking Philadelphia, Philadelphia had taken him." Lord Howe 
 finally opened the navigation of the Delaware, so that he could communi- 
 cate with his brother, the admiral. 
 
 Sufferings of Our Army at Valley Forge. 
 
 Washington, on the 11th of December, retired to Valley Forge, on the 
 Schuylkill, twenty miles above Philadelphia. Here, in a wood on a high 
 ground, he laid out his camp, and employed his army in building huts for 
 winter-quarters. This work was not completed, when the magazines were 
 found to contain scarcely a single day's provision. As to their clothing, 
 some few of the soldiers had one shirt, some the remnant of one, the 
 greater part none at all. Barefooted, on the frozen ground, their feet cut 
 by ice, they left their tracks in blood. A few only had the luxury of a 
 blanket at night. Cold and naked, more than 3,000 were excused from duty. 
 
 Straw could not be obtained ; and the soldiers, who, during the day, 
 were benumbed with cold, and enfeebled by hunger, had at night no other 
 bed than the humid ground. Diseases attacked them, and the hospitals 
 were replenished as rapidly as the dead were carried out. The unsuitable- 
 ness of the buildings, and the multitude of sick that crowded them, caused 
 an insupportable fetor. Hospital fever ensued. It could not be remedied 
 by change of linen, for none could be had ; nor by salubrious diet, as even 
 the coarsest was not attainable ; nor by medicines, as even the worst were 
 wholly wanting. The hospitals resembled more receptacles for the dying 
 than places of refuge for the diseased. 
 
 The patience with which these patriotic votaries of freedom endured 
 such complicated evils, is, we believe, without a parallel in history. To go 
 to battle, cheered by the trumpet and the drum, with victory or the speedy 
 bed of honor before the soldier, requires a heroic effort ; much more to 
 starve, to freeze, and to lie down and die, in silent obscurity. Sparta knew 
 the names of the individuals who fell in her cause at the pass of Ther- 
 mopylae ; but America scarcely knows how many hundreds perished for her 
 in the camp at Valley Forge. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 BOUT the 5tli of June, 1778, the British took measures to evacuate 
 Philadelphia. This they accomplished on the morning of the 
 18th, their army proceeding through New Jersey towards New 
 York. Washington immediately put his camp, at Valley Forge, 
 in motion, and sent out a detachment to collect the New Jersey 
 militia, in order to harass their rear. He thought it would be wise to bring 
 the British to a general engagement ; but this opinion was contrary to that 
 of the majority of his officers. 
 
 He, however, persisted, and, following with his whole army, an engage- 
 ment was brought about at Monmouth, or Freehold, on the 28th, in which 
 the Americans had the advantage. The loss of the English was 700, that 
 of the Americans much less. Though both sides claimed the victory, yet 
 historians agree in awarding it to the Americans, as they remained masters 
 of the field of battle. 
 
 A French fleet, consisting of twelve ships of the line, and six frigates, 
 was now sent to the aid of America, commanded by the Count d'Estaing. 
 The admiral left Toulon on the 18th of April, with the intention of block- 
 ading the British in the Delaware. He entered the mouth of the river, on 
 the 8th of June ; but, finding that Admiral Howe had left Philadelphia for 
 New York, he proceeded to that place, designing to engage him there ; but 
 the large size of his ships prevented. 
 
 In place of the combined attack upon New York, it was resolved by 
 Washington, in concert with the French admiral, to attack Newport, and 
 drive the British out of Rhode Island. The British had established one of 
 their principal depots of supplies at this point, and had there a force of 
 6,000 men, under General Pigot. It was arranged that a force of American 
 troops, under General Sullivan, should attack the enemy by land, while the 
 French fleet and army should co-operate Avith Sullivan from the sea. On 
 the 29th of July, d'Estaing reached Narragansett Bay with his fleet, and 
 on the 8th of August entered Newport harbor, in spite of the fire of the 
 
 201 
 
202 
 
 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 British batteries. A whole week had been lost, however, by the failure of 
 the American troops to reach the positions assigned them as prompt as 
 the French fleet. The delay was unavoidable, but it ruined the enterprise. 
 The inhabitants of Wyoming valley, a beautiful region on the Sus- 
 quehanna, had driven away the Tories from that region, and these had 
 resolved upon revenge. The Tories were called such on account of their 
 sympathy with England. Early in July a force of about eleven hundred 
 Tories and Indians, under Colonel John Butler and the Indian chief Brandt, 
 entered the Wyoming valley, in Pennsylvania. Nearly all the able-bodied 
 settlers were absent with the American army, and upon hearing of the 
 approach of the enemy a small force had been dispatched by Washington 
 under Colonel Zebulon Butler, to the assistance of the settlers. 
 
 OBVERSE. 
 
 SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 REVERSE. 
 
 This force was defeated by the Tories and Indians, who then pro- 
 ceeded to lay waste the valley and murder the inhabitants. They per- 
 formed their bloody work in the most barbarous manner, and the beautiful 
 valley was made a desolation. In the following month Cherry Valley, in 
 New York, was ravaged with equal cruelty by a force of Tories and Indians, 
 and the inhabitants were either murdered or carried into captivity. The 
 entire region of the upper Susquehanna and Delaware and the valley of 
 the Mohawk were at the mercy of the savage allies of Great Britain. 
 
 The American forces in the Southern States were commanded by Gen- 
 eral Benjamin Lincoln. The Tories were very numerous and very active 
 in this region, and the feeling between them and the patriots was one of 
 the bitterest hostility, and often manifested itself in bloody and relentless 
 conflicts. Seven hundred Tories under Colonel Boyd set out in February, 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 203 
 
 1779, to join Colonel Campbell, at Augusta. On the 14tli they were at- 
 tacked at Kettle Creek by a force of patriots under Colonel Pickens, and 
 were defeated with heavy loss. Pickens hung five of his prisoners as traitors. 
 
 General Lincoln now sent General Ashe with two thousand men to 
 drive the British out of Augusta. Upon hearing of his approach Colonel 
 Campbell evacuated Augusta and fell back to Briar Creek, a small stream 
 about halfway to Savannah. Ashe followed him, but without observing 
 proper caution, and on the 3d of March was surprised and routed by 
 Campbell, with the loss of nearly his entire force. This defeat encouraged 
 General Prevost to attempt the capture of Charleston. 
 
 He marched rapidly across the country to Charleston, and demanded 
 its surrender. Lincoln, who had been reinforced, no sooner heard of this 
 movement than he hastened by forced marches to the relief of Charleston, 
 and compelled Prevost to retire to St. John's Island, opposite the mainland. 
 The British threw up a redoubt at Stone ferry to protect the crossing to 
 this island. It was attacked on the 20th of June by the forces of General 
 Lincoln, who were repulsed with heavy loss. A little later Prevost with- 
 drew to Savannah. The intense heat of the weather suspended military 
 operations in the south during the remainder of the summer. 
 
 Savannah Besieged by the American Army. 
 
 In September, 1779, the French fleet under Count D'Estaing arrived 
 off the coast of Georgia from the West Indies, and the admiral agreed to 
 join Lincoln in an effort to recapture Savannah, which had been taken by 
 the British earlier in the year. The American army began its investment 
 of the city on the 23d of September, and everything promised favorably for 
 success ; but D'Estaing became impatient of the delay of a regular siege, 
 and declared that he must return to the West Indies to watch the British 
 fleet in those waters. Savannah must either be taken by assault, or he 
 would withdraw from the siege. 
 
 To please him, Lincoln consented to storm the British works, and the 
 assault was made on the 9th of October, but was repulsed with severe loss. 
 D'Estaing himself was wounded, and the chivalrous Count Pulaski was 
 killed. Lincoln now retreated to Charleston, and the French fleet sailed to 
 the West Indies, having a second time failed to render any real assistance 
 to the Americans. This disaster closed the campaign for the year 
 in the south, 
 
204 
 
 DEATH OF COUNT PULASKI AT THE BATTLE OP SAVANNAH. 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 205 
 
 In the meantime Sir Henry Clinton had been ordered by his govern- 
 ment to harass the American coast, and in accordance with these instrnc- 
 tions, dispatched a number of plundering expeditions from New York against 
 exposed points. One of these was sent in May, under General Mathews, 
 into the Chesapeake. Mathews entered the Elizabeth River, plundered the 
 towns of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and burned one hundred and thirty 
 merchant vessels and several ships of war on the stocks at Gosport, near 
 Portsmouth. He then ascended the James for some distance and ravaged 
 its shores. He destroyed in this expedition two millions of dollars' worth 
 of property, and carried off about three thousand hogsheads of tobacco. 
 
 Towns Plundered and Burned by the British. 
 
 Upon the return of this expedition, Clinton ascended the Hudson for 
 the purpose of destroying two forts which the Americans Avere constructing 
 a short distance below West Point, for the protection of King's Ferry, an 
 important crossing-place between the Eastern and Middle States. One of 
 these, which was being built at Stony Point, was abandoned. The work on 
 Verplanck's Point, on the east side of the Hudson, immediately opposite, 
 was compelled to surrender early in June. 
 
 Returning to New York, Clinton sent General Tryon with twenty-five 
 hundred men to plunder the coast of Long Island Sound. He plundered 
 New Haven, burned Fairfield and Norwalk, and committed other outrages 
 at Sag Harbor, on Long Island. In the course of a few days this inhuman 
 wretch burned two hundred and fifty dwelling-houses, five churches, and one 
 hundred and twenty-five barns and stores. Many of the inhabitants were 
 cruelly murdered, and a number of women were outraged by the British 
 troops. Tryon would have carried his outrages further had he not been 
 recalled to New York by Clinton, who feared that Washington was about 
 to attack him. 
 
 The loss of Stony Point was a serious blow to Washington, as it com- 
 pelled him to establish a new line of communication between the opposite 
 sides of the Hudson by a longer and more tedious route through the 
 Highlands. He resolved, therefore, the recapture of the post from the 
 British at all hazards. The British had greatly strengthened the fort, 
 which the Americans had left unfinished, and the only way in which it 
 could be captured was by a surprise. It was a desperate undertaking, and 
 Washington proposed to General Anthony Wayne to attempt it. 
 
206 
 
 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 Wayne readily consented, and the two generals made a careful recon- 
 noissance of the position. It was agreed to make the attempt at midnight, 
 and in order to guard against a betrayal of the movement every dog in 
 
 the vicinity was put to death. A negro 
 who visited the fort regularly to sell fruit, 
 and who had been for some time acting 
 as a spy for the Americans, agreed to 
 guide them to the work. 
 
 At midnight on the 15tli of July the 
 storming party, guided by the negro, ap- 
 proached the fort in two divisions. Not 
 a man was permitted to load his musket, 
 lest the accidental discharge of a gun 
 should ruin the movement. The negro, 
 accompanied by two soldiers who were 
 disguised as farmers, approached the first 
 sentinel and gave the countersign. The 
 sentinel was at once seized and gagged, 
 and the same was done with the second 
 sentinel. The third, however, gave the 
 alarm, and the garrison flew to arms 
 and opened a sharp fire upon the Ameri- 
 cans. The latter now dashed forward at 
 a run, scaled the parapet, and in a few 
 moments the two opposite divisions met 
 in the centre of the fort. 
 
 The Americans took more than five 
 hundred prisoners and all the supplies 
 and artillery of the fort fell into their 
 hands. Though they were justly ex- 
 asperated by the brutal outrages of the 
 AN AMERICAN RIFLEMAN. British, which we have related, they con- 
 
 ducted themselves towards their prisoners with a noble humanity. 
 
 The privateers w^ere unusually active, and were hunted with unremit- 
 ting vigilance by the English war vessels. They managed to inflict great 
 loss upon the commerce of Great Britain, however. A number of Ameri- 
 can cruisers were fitted out in France, and kept the English coast in terror. 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 207 
 
 John Paul Jones, a native of Scotland, wlio had been brought to Vir- 
 ginia at an early age, was one of the first naval officers commissioned by- 
 Congress. He was given command of the " Ranger," a vessel of eighteen 
 guns, and by his brilliant and daring exploits kept the English coast in 
 a state of terror, and even ventured to attack exposed points on the coast 
 of Scotland. In 1779 he was given command of a small squadron of three 
 ships of war fitted out in France, 
 and sailing from Iv'Orient, pro- 
 ceeded on a cruise along the 
 coast of Great Britain. 
 
 On the 23d of September 
 he fell in with a fleet of mer- 
 chantmen convoyed by two 
 English frigates, and at once 
 attacked them. The battle 
 began at seven in the evening 
 and was continued for three 
 hours with great fury. Jones 
 lashed his flagship, the " Bon 
 Homme Richard," to the Eng- 
 lish frigate "Serapis," and the 
 two vessels fought muzzle to 
 muzzle until the Serapis sur- 
 rendered. The other English 
 vessel was also captured. The 
 battle was one of the most 
 desperate in the annals of naval 
 warfare, and Jones' flagship was 
 so badly injured that it sunk john paul jones. 
 
 in a few hours after the fighting was over to the bottom of the sea. 
 
 Jones was absent from home for about three years, during which time 
 his exploits were numerous, and of the most astonishing character. He 
 was denounced as a pirate by the English, who became so alarmed by his 
 achievements that many people did not feel safe even in London. Some of 
 the timid ones looked out on the Thames, half-expecting to see the terrible 
 fellow lay their city under tribute. At one time he landed on the coast of 
 Scotland, and, appearing at the residence of the Earl of Selkirk, captured 
 
208 
 
 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 a large amount of silver plate and booty. But lie treated the earl's house- 
 liold witli great courtesy, and the plate that was seized at the time is now 
 in the possession of the members of the Selkirk family. 
 
 Paul Jones returned to Philadelphia February 18, 1781, and received 
 
 a hearty welcome. Congress gave him 
 an appropriate medal, and a vote of 
 thanks. 
 
 While these events had been trans- 
 piring upon the Atlantic seaboard, the 
 United States had been steadily pushing 
 their way westward beyond the mountains. 
 In 1769, before the commencement of the 
 Revolution, the beautiful region now known 
 as Kentucky had been visited and explored 
 by Daniel Boone, a famous Indian hunter. 
 He was charmed with the beauty of the 
 country, and the excellence of the climate, 
 and resolved to make it his home. The 
 reports of Boone and his companions 
 aroused a great interest in the new coun- 
 try among the inhabitants of the older 
 settlements in Virginia and North Caro- 
 lina, more especially as it was in this 
 region that the lands given to the Virginia 
 troops, for their services in the French 
 war, were located. Surveyors were soon 
 after sent out to lay off these lands, and, 
 in 1773, a party under Captain Bullit 
 MEDAL STRUCK IN HONOR OF PAUL reached the falls of the Ohio, and built a 
 JONES. fortified camp, for their protection while 
 
 engaged in their work of surveying the region. 
 
 This was the commencement of the city of Ivouisville, but the actual 
 settlement of the place was not begun until 1778. In 1774 Harrodsburg 
 was founded by James Harrod, one of Boone's companions ; and, in 1775, 
 Daniel Boone built a fort on the site of the present town of Boonesborough. 
 The savages made repeated attacks upon his party, but failed to drive 
 them away. The fort was finished by the middle of April, and soon 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 209 
 
 after Boone was joined 
 by his wife and daugh- 
 ters, the first white 
 women in Kentucky. 
 
 About the last of 
 December, 1779, Sir 
 Henry Clinton, leav- 
 ing a strong garrison 
 under General Knyp- 
 hausen to hold New 
 York, sailed South, 
 with the greater part 
 of his army, in the 
 fleet of Admiral Ar- 
 buthnot. He proceeded 
 first to Savannah, and 
 then moved north- 
 ward, for the purpose 
 of besieging Charles- 
 ton. General Lincoln 
 exerted himself with 
 energy to fortify that 
 city. Four thousand 
 citizens enrolled them- 
 selves to assist the 
 regular garrison in the 
 defence, but only two 
 hundred militia from 
 the interior responded 
 to Lincoln's call for aid. 
 Reinforcements were 
 received from Virginia 
 and North Carolina, 
 and Lincoln was able danie:l boone. 
 
 to muster seven thousand men, of whom but two thousand were regular troops. 
 
 In February, 1 780, the British landed at St. John's Island, about thirty 
 
 miles below Charleston. Clinton advanced towards the city along the 
 
 14 
 
210 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 banks of the Ashley, while the fleet sailed around to force an entrance 
 into the harbor. The advance of Clinton was very gradual, and Lincoln 
 was enabled to strengthen his works, and prepare for a siege. It was not 
 until early in April that Clinton's army appeared before the American 
 works, and began preparations to reduce them. A day or two later, the 
 British fleet passed Fort Moultrie, with but little loss, and took position 
 off the city. 
 
 Charleston was now completely invested, and the siege was pressed 
 with vigor by Clinton. Lincoln's situation became every day more hope- 
 less. The fire of the British artillery destroyed his defences and dismounted 
 his cannon, and, as he was entirely cut off from the country, he had no 
 hope of relief from without. On the 9th day of May a terrific fire was 
 opened upon the defences and the city of Charleston. The city was set on 
 fire in five places, and the American works were reduced to a mass of ruins. 
 
 Marion and Sumter Continue the Fight. 
 
 On the 12th Lincoln surrendered the town and his army to Sir Henry 
 Clinton. The prisoners, including every male adult in the city, numbered 
 about six thousand men. The regulars were held as prisoners of war, but 
 the militia were dismissed to their homes, on their promise not to serve 
 again during the war. 
 
 The only resistance kept up by the Americans was maintained by the 
 partisan corps of patriots led by Marion, Sumter, and Pickens. The exploits 
 of these daring bands caused the British commander to feel that he could 
 not hold the Carolinas except by the aid of a strong force, and kept 
 him in a state of constant uneasiness. On the IGth of August Sumter 
 defeated a large body of British and Tories at Hanging Rock, east of the 
 Wateree River. Large numbers of negroes deserted their masters and fled 
 to the British. 
 
 The fighting of Marion and his men was much like that of the wild 
 Apaches of the southwest. When hotly pursued by the enemy his command 
 would break up into small parties, and these, as they were hard pressed, 
 would subdivide, until nearly every patriot was fleeing alone. There could 
 be no successful pursuit, therefore, since the subdivision of the pursuing 
 party weakened it too much. 
 
 " We will give fifty pounds to get within reach of the scamp that 
 galloped by here, just ahead of us," exclaimed a lieutenant of Tarleton's 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 cavalry, as lie and three other troopers drew up before a farmer, who 
 hoeing in the field by the roadside. 
 
 The farmer looked up, . ;.-:::^....n::..:rr:-. 
 
 leaning on his hoe, took 
 off his old hat, and mop- 
 ping his forehead with his 
 hatidkerchief. 
 
 211 
 
 was 
 
 « 
 
 tarleton's lieutenant and the farmer. 
 looked at the angry soldiers, and in a somewhat nonchalant manner said; 
 
212 BATTLE:^ AND SIEGES. 
 
 "Fifty pounds is a big lot of money." In our money it is two hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 " So it is in these times, but we will give it to you in gold, if you'll 
 show us where we can get a chance at that rebel; did you see anything 
 of him?" 
 
 "He was all alone, wasn't he? And he was mounted on a black horse 
 with a white star in his forehead, and he was going like a streak of light- 
 ning, wasn't he?" 
 
 "That's the fellow!" exclaimed the questioners, hoping they were about 
 to get the knowledge they wanted. 
 
 "It looked to me like Jack Davis, though he went by so fast that I 
 couldn't get a square look at his face, but he was one of Marion's men, 
 and if I ain't greatly mistaken it was Jack Davis himself." 
 
 He Escaped on His Swift Horse. 
 
 Then looking up at the four British horsemen, the farmer added, with 
 a quizzical expression : 
 
 "I reckon that ere Jack Davis has hit you chaps pretty hard this time, 
 ain't he?" 
 
 "Never mind about that^^ replied the lieutenant; "what we want to 
 know is where we can get a chance at him for just about five minutes. 
 He has been in our camp, robbing and stealing like a pirate; two men 
 grabbed him, but he knocked down one, killed the other, ran to his horse, 
 and away he went. He had his animal in the woods close by, but it was 
 such a poor looking brute that we felt sure of catching him. But we've 
 ridden hard for two hours and are further off than when we started. His 
 horse seemed to be tired, and I've an idea that he may be hiding some- 
 where around here." 
 
 The farmer put his cotton handkerchief into his hat, which he now 
 slowly replaced, and shook his head : 
 
 "I don't think he's hiding round here," he said; "when he shot by 
 Jack was going so fast that it didn't look as if he could stop under four 
 or five miles. Strangers, I'd like powerful well to earn that fifty pounds, 
 but I don't think you'll get a chance to squander it on me." 
 
 After some further questioning, the lieutenant and his men wheeled 
 their horses and trotted back toward the main body of Tarleton's cavalry. 
 The farmer plied his hoe for several minutes, gradually working his way 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 213 
 
 towards the stretch of woods some fifty yards from the roadside. Reaching 
 the margin of the field, he stepped in among the trees, hastily took off his 
 clothing, tied it up in a bundle, shoved it under a flat rock from beneath 
 which he drew a suit no better in quality, but showing a faint semblance 
 to a uniform. Putting it on and then plunging still deeper into the woods, 
 he soon reached a dimly-marked track, which he followed only a short 
 distance, when a gentle whinney fell upon his ear. 
 
 The next moment he vaulted on the back of a bony but blooded horse, 
 marked by a beautiful star in his forehead. The satin skin of the steed 
 shone as though he had been traveling hard, and his rider allowed him to 
 walk along the path for a couple of miles, when he entered an open space 
 where, near a spring, Francis Marion and fully two hundred men were 
 encamped. They were eating, smoking and chatting as though no such a 
 horror as war was known. 
 
 You understand, of course, that the farmer that leaned on his hoe by 
 the roadside and talked to Tarleton's lieutenant about Jack Davis and his 
 exploits was Jack Davis himself. 
 
 Infamous Plot of Benedict Arnold. 
 
 About this time a plot was discovered which involved the fair fame of 
 one of the most brilliant officers of the American army. General Benedict 
 Arnold had been disabled by the wounds he had received at Quebec and 
 Saratoga from undertaking active service, and through the influence of 
 Washington had been placed in command of Philadelphia after its evacua- 
 tion by Clinton in 1778. There he lived in a style far beyond his means, 
 and became involved in debts, which he was unable to pay. To raise the 
 funds to discharge them he engaged in privateering and mercantile specu- 
 lations. These were generally unsuccessful, and merely increased his 
 difficulties. His haughty and overbearing manner involved him in a quarrel 
 with the authorities of Pennsylvania, who accused him before Congress of 
 abusing his official position and misusing the public funds. 
 
 He was tried by a court-martial and was sentenced to be reprimanded 
 by the commander-in-chief Washington performed this disagreeable task 
 as delicately as possible, but did not lose his confidence in Arnold. He 
 knew him as an able officer, but, as his acquaintance with him was limited, 
 was most likely ignorant of the faults of Arnold's character, which were 
 well known to the members of Congress from Connecticut, who had no 
 
214 
 
 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 confidence in him. To them he was known to be naturally dishonest, 
 regardless of the rights of others, and cruel and tyrannical in his dealings 
 with those under his authority. Arnold never forgave the disgrace in- 
 flicted upon him by the sentence of the court-martial, and cherished the 
 
 determination to be revenged 
 upon Washington for the rep- 
 rimand received from him. 
 
 While in Philadelphia, 
 Arnold had married a mem- 
 ber of a Tory family, and was 
 thus enabled to communicate 
 readily with the British of- 
 ficers. He opened a corres- 
 pondence with Sir Henry Clin- 
 ton, signing himself Gustavus. 
 He kept up this correspond- 
 ence for several months, and 
 then made himself known to 
 the British commander. In 
 the meantime, at his earnest 
 solicitation, he was appoiuted 
 by Washington, in August, 
 1780, to the command of West 
 Point, the strongest and most 
 important fortress in America. He did this with the deliberate intention 
 of betraying the post into the hands of the enemy. 
 
 The correspondence had been conducted on the part of Sir Henry 
 Clinton by Major John Andre of the British army, a young man of ami- 
 able character and more than ordinary accomplishments. He wrote under 
 the assumed name of John Anderson. He was an especial favorite of Sir 
 Henry Clinton, and was beloved by the whole army in which he served. 
 -Soon after the appointment of Arnold to the command of West Point, Andre 
 volunteered to go up the Hudson and have an interview with him for the 
 purpose of completing the arrangements for the betrayal of that fortress. 
 His offer was accepted by Clinton, and he ascended the Hudson as 
 far as Haverstraw in the sloop of war " Vulture." He was set ashore and 
 was met near Haverstraw on the west bank of the Hudson by General 
 
 BENEDICT ARNOLD. 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 215 
 
 Arnold, on the 22d of September. The meeting took place about dark, 
 and the night had passed before the arrangements were completed. Much 
 against his will, Andre was compelled to pass the next day within the 
 American lines. During the 23d the "Vulture," having attracted the at- 
 tention of the Americans, was fired upon and forced to drop down the 
 river. Andre found the man who had set him ashore unwilling to row 
 him back to the sloop, and he was compelled to return to New York by 
 land. He changed his uniform for a citizen's dress, and, provided with a 
 
 pas 
 
 s from Arnold, under the 
 
 name of John Anderson, set 
 out for New York along the 
 east bank of the river, which 
 he deemed safer than the 
 opposite shore. 
 
 All went well until Andre 
 reached the vicinity of Tar- 
 ry town. He was stopped there 
 by three young men, John 
 Paulding, David Williams, 
 and Isaac Van Wart. They 
 asked him his name and 
 destination, and he, suppos- 
 ing them to be Tories, did 
 not use the pass given him 
 by Arnold, but frankly avowed 
 himself a British officer travel- 
 ing on important business. 
 To his great dismay he then 
 learned that his captors were major andre. 
 
 of the patriotic party, and he offered them his watch, purse, and any re- 
 ward they might name, if they would suffer him to proceed. They refused 
 to allow him to stir a step, and searched his person. They found con- 
 cealed in his boots papers giving the plan of West Point, and an account 
 of its garrison. 
 
 Andre was taken by his captors before Colonel Jamison, the com- 
 mander of the nearest American post. Jamison recognized the handwriting 
 as that of Arnold, but, unwilling to believe that his commander could be 
 
216 BATTLES AND SIEGES. 
 
 guilty of treason, lie detained the prisoner, and wrote to Arnold, informing 
 him of the arrest of Andre, and of 
 
 the papers found upon his person. ' ' _ 
 
 The papers themselves he forwarded ' 
 by a special messenger to Washing- 
 'ton, who was on his return from ^ 
 Hartford. — - ^^^Wr' 
 
 ESCVPh Ol^- 15EXEDICT ARNOLD. 
 
 Arnold received Colonel Jam- 
 
 ^^ _-:S^ ison's letter, as he sat at breakfast 
 
 with some of hTs of&cers. He concealed his emotion, and, excusing himself to 
 his guests, called his wife from the room, told her he must flee for his 
 life, and hastening to his barge, escaped down the river to the "Vulture," 
 
BATTLES AND SIEGES. 217 
 
 and was received on board by the commander of that vessel. From his 
 place of safety, he wrote to Washington, asking him to protect his wife, 
 who, he declared, was innocent of any share in his plot. 
 
 When he learned that Arnold was safe, Andre wrote to Washington 
 and confessed the whole plot. He was at once brought to trial upon the 
 charge of being within the American lines as a spy. The court-martial 
 was presided over by General Greene, and Lafayette and Steuben were 
 among its members. Andre asserted that he had been induced to enter 
 the American lines by the misrepresentations of Arnold. 
 
 Sentenced to be Hanged. 
 
 He denied that he was a spy, and, though cautioned not to say any- 
 thing that might criminate himself, he frankly confessed the whole plot. 
 He was sentenced, upon his own confession, to be hanged. Clinton made 
 great exertions to save him, and Washington, whose sympathy was won 
 by the amiable character of Andre, was anxious to spare him. The cir- 
 cumstances of the case demanded that the law should be executed, and 
 Andre was hanged at Tappan, near the Hudson, on the 2d of October, 
 1780. Congress voted to each of his three captors a pension of two hun- 
 dred dollars for life, and a silver medal. 
 
 The plot of Arnold had been discovered by the merest chance, and 
 the American cause had narrowly escaped a crushing disaster. The loss of 
 West Point would have given the British the entire control of the Hudson, 
 and have enabled them to separate New England from the Middle and 
 Southern States. It might have proved fatal to the cause, and certainly 
 would have reduced Washington to great extremities. Arnold received for 
 his treachery the sum of ten thousand pounds sterling, and a commission 
 as brigadier-general in the English service. He was regarded with general 
 contempt by the English officers, who refused to associate with him, and 
 were greatly averse to serving under him. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 )HB American army passed tlie winter of 1780-81 in cantonments 
 east and west of the Hudson. The Pennsylvania troops were 
 stationed near Morristown, and the New Jersey regiments at 
 Pompton. Though the troops were better provided with food 
 than during the previous winter their sufferings were still very 
 severe. They were neglected .by Congress, which was too much occupied 
 with its dissensions to make any serious effort to relieve the wants 
 of the soldiers. 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1781, thirteen hundred Pennsylvania troops left 
 the camp at Morristown under arms and set off for Philadelphia to obtain 
 redress from Congress. General Wayne, their commander, placed himself 
 in front of them, and, pistol in hand, attempted to stop their march. In 
 an instant their bayonets were at his breast. " We love, we respect you," 
 they exclaimed, "but you are a dead man if you fire. Do not mistake us; 
 we are not going to the enemy; were they now to come out you would see 
 us fight under your orders with as much resolution and alacrity as ever." 
 They halted at Princeton, where they were met by the agents of Sir Henry 
 Clinton, who endeavored to induce them to join the British service. They 
 promptly seized these men and delivered them up to General Wayne as 
 spies. At a later period it was proposed to reward them for this action, 
 but they refused to accept anything, saying: "We ask no reward fordoing 
 our duty to our country." 
 
 Congress was greatly alarmed by the approach of these troops, and a 
 committee, accompanied by Read, the president, of Pennsylvania, was sent to 
 meet them. The committee met the leaders of the mutineers and agreed 
 to relieve their immediate wants and to secure them their back pay by 
 means of certificates. Permission was given to all who had served three 
 years to withdraw from the army. Upon these conditions the troops 
 returned to duty. 
 
 Washington was very anxious to attempt something decisive with his 
 218 
 
CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 219 
 
 own army, if he could secure the aid of a French army and fleet. Two 
 enterprises offered themselves to him — an attack upon New York, which 
 had been greatly weakened by detachments sent from its garrison to the 
 south, and an expedition against Cornwallis. That commander had left 
 Wilmington on the 20th of April, and had advanced without encountering 
 any serious resistance, 
 to Petersburg, Virginia. 
 He arrived there on the 
 20th of May, and was 
 joined by the troops 
 under General Philips, 
 who had been plunder- 
 ing the country along 
 the James River. 
 
 While Washington 
 was hesitating which 
 would be the best course 
 to pursue, a French 
 frigate arrived at New- 
 port, with the Count de 
 Barras on board, who 
 had come to take com- 
 mand of the fleet at 
 Newport. He brought 
 the good news that a 
 fleet of twenty ships-of- 
 the-line, under the 
 Count de Grasse, hav- 
 ing on board a consid- 
 erable force of troops, 
 had sailed for America, 
 and might be expected to arrive in the course of a few months, Washing- 
 ton held a conference with the Count de Rochambeau, at Weathersfield, 
 Connecticut, and it was resolved to attack New York. The French army 
 was to march from Newport and form a junction with the Americans on 
 the Hudson. A frigate was dispatched to the West Indies to inform the 
 Count de Grasse of this arrangement, and to ask his co-operation. 
 
 LORD CORNWALLIS. 
 
220 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 Sir Henry Clinton, who suspected the designs of Washington, now 
 ordered Lord Cornwallis, who had crossed the James River, and was at 
 Williamsburg, to send him a reinforcement of troops. Cornwallis prepared 
 to comply with this order, and for that purpose marched towards Ports- 
 mouth, followed cautiously by Lafayette and Steuben, who had with them 
 about four thousand American troops. On the march a slight engagement 
 occurred, near Westover, between Lafayette and Cornwallis, in which the 
 Americans narrowly escaped a defeat. 
 
 Yorktown Fortified by Cornwallis. 
 
 The British army crossed to the south side of the James, and a de- 
 tachment was embarked for New York. At this moment a second order 
 was received from Sir Henry Clinton, who had received a reinforcement of 
 Hessians from England, directing Cornwallis to retain all his force, choose 
 some central position in Virginia, fortify himself in it, and await the 
 development of the American plans. Cornwallis should have taken position 
 at Portsmouth, from which place his line of retreat to the South would 
 have remained intact. In an evil hour for himself he recrossed the James, 
 and crossing the peninsula between that river and the York, took position 
 at the towns of Gloucester and Yorktown, opposite each other on the York 
 River. He had with him an army of eight thousand effective troops, and 
 proceeded to fortify his position with strong intrenchments. A number of 
 vessels of war were anchored between Yorktown and Gloucester to main- 
 tain the communication between those points and to assist in the defence 
 of the place. 
 
 During all this time the financial affairs of the republic were growing 
 worse and more hopeless. The continental currency had become utterly 
 worthless — one dollar in paper being worth only one cent in coin at the 
 opening of the year 1781. In the spring of that year Congress sought to 
 put an end to its financial troubles by taking the control of the finances 
 from a board which had hitherto managed them, and intrusting them 
 to Robert Morris. 
 
 In July Washington was joined in the Highlands by the French army 
 under Count de Rochambeau, and preparations were made to attack New 
 York. An intercepted letter informed Sir Henry Clinton of this design, 
 and he exerted himself to put the city in a state of defence. In the midst 
 of his preparations Washington received a letter from the Count de Grasse, 
 
CLOSE OF THE WAR, 
 
 221 
 
 stating that he would sail for the Chesapeake instead of Newport. This 
 decision of the French admiral compelled an entire change of plan on the 
 part^ of the Americans. As De Grasse would not co-operate with them 
 they must abandon the attack upon New York, and attempt the capture of 
 Cornwallis at Yorktown. No time was to be lost in making the attempt, 
 for it was now the month of August. By a series of skilful movements 
 Sir Henry Clinton was induced to believe that an attack upon New York 
 
 CONTINENTAL BILLS. 
 
 would soon be made, and at the same time the American army was marched 
 rapidly across New Jersey, followed by the French. Lafayette, who was in 
 Virginia, was ordered to prevent at all hazards a retreat of Cornwallis' 
 army to North Carolina, and was directed to ask assistance of General 
 Greene if necessary. 
 
 The plan of Washington was to blockade Cornwallis in the York 
 River by means of the French fleet, and at the same time to besiege him 
 in Yorktown with the army. The troops were somewhat unwilling to 
 undertake a southern campaign in August, but their good humor was 
 restored at Philadelphia, where they received a part of their pay in specie, 
 and a supply of clothing, arms and ammunition, which had just arrived 
 from France. From Philadelphia the combined armies proceeded to Elkton, 
 at head of the Chesapeake, where they found transports, sent by the French 
 admiral and by Lafayette, to convey them to the James River. 
 
 The first intimation Sir Henr}^ Clinton had of a change in the Ameri- 
 
222 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 can plans was tlie sudden sailing of the Frencli fleet from Newport on the 
 28tli of August. Supposing that De Barras's object was to unite with 
 another fleet in the Chesapeake, Clinton sent Admiral Graves to prevent 
 the junction. Upon reaching the capes the British admiral was astonished 
 to find the fleet of the Count de Grasse, consisting of twenty ships-of-the- 
 line, anchored within the bay. De Grasse at once put to sea as if to 
 engage the enemy, but in reality to draw them off and allow De Barras to 
 enter the Chesapeake. For five days he amused the English by constant 
 skirmishing. De Barras at length appeared and passed within the capes, 
 and De Grasse at once followed him. Admiral Graves was unwilling to 
 attack this combined force and returned to New York. 
 
 Arnold's Depredations in New England. 
 
 The movement of the American army to the south was known to 
 Clinton, but he supposed it was only a manoeuvre to draw him off Man- 
 hattan Island into the open country. When the Americans were beyond 
 the Delaware, and the French fleets had effected their junction in the 
 Chesapeake, he recognized his mistake, and saw that the object of Wash- 
 ington was the capture of Cornwallis. It was too late to prevent it; but, 
 in the hope of compelling Washington to send back a part of his force to 
 defend New England, Clinton sent the traitor Arnold, with a large body 
 of troops, to attack New London, in Connecticut. On the 6th of September 
 Arnold captured that town, and burned the shipping and a large part 
 of the town. 
 
 He then took Fort Griswold, on the opposite side of the Thames, by 
 storm, and basely massacred Colonel Indyard, the commander, and sixty of 
 the garrison, after the surrender of the fort. The militia of the State were 
 summoned to take up arms for its defence, and responded in such numbers 
 that Arnold became alarmed for his safety, and returned to New York. 
 The object of his expedition failed most signally. Washington left New 
 England to defend herself, and continued his movement against Cornwallis. 
 
 Cornwallis was very slow to realize his danger. He believed the small 
 force under Lafayette the only command opposed to him, and, on the 10th 
 of September, wrote to Clinton tbat he could spare him twelve hundred 
 men for the defence of New York. He did not perceive his error until 
 the French fleet had anchored in the Chesapeake, and cut off his escape 
 by water. He then attempted to retreat to North Carolina, as Washington 
 
CLOSE Oh THE WAR. 223 
 
 had foreseen, but Lafayette, who had been reinforced by three thousand 
 French troops, under the Marquis de St. Simon, from the fleet of De Grasse, 
 was too active for him, and, finding his retreat impossible, Cornwallis sent 
 urgent appeals to Clinton for assistance, and strengthened his fortifications. 
 In the meantime the American and French armies descended the Ches- 
 apeake, and took position before Yorktown, while the French fleet closed 
 the mouth of the York river. The siege was begun on the 28th of Sep- 
 tember. Sixteen thousand men were present under Washington's orders. 
 Works were erected completely enclosing those of the British, and on the 
 9th of October the cannonade was begun. It was continued for four days, 
 and the British outworks were greatly damaged, and several of their 
 vessels in the river were burned, by means of red-hot shot thrown into 
 them by the French vessels. 
 
 The Enemy's Intrenchments Stormed. 
 
 On the 14th, two of the advanced redoubts of the enemy were stormed 
 and taken, one by the Americans, the other by the French. From the 
 positions thus gained, a very destructive fire was maintained upon the 
 English lines, which were broken in many places, while many of their 
 guns were dismounted and rendered useless. On the 15th Cornwallis found 
 himself almost out of ammunition, and unable to maintain his position but 
 for a few daj^s longer. 
 
 In this strait, the British commander resolved upon the desperate 
 alternative of crossing the York to Gloucester, abandoning his sick and 
 wounded, and baggage, and endeavoring to force his way northward by 
 extraordinary marches to New York. It was a hopeless undertaking, but 
 Cornwallis resolved to make the trial. On the night of the 16th of October, 
 he crossed a part of his army from Yorktown to Gloucester, but a sudden 
 storm delayed the passage of the river by the second division until after 
 daylight, when it was useless to make the attempt. 
 
 The first division was with difficulty brought back to Yorktown, as the 
 boats were exposed to the fire of the American batteries while crossing the 
 river. Nothing was left to Cornwallis now but a capitulation, as his works 
 were in no condition to withstand an assault, and simple humanity to his 
 men demanded that the contest should cease. He sent to Washington an 
 offer to surrender, and the terms were soon arranged. On the 19th of 
 October Cornwallis surrendered his army of seven thousand men as pris- 
 
224 
 
 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 oners of war to WasHington, as commander of the allied army, and his 
 shipping, seamen and naval stores to the Count de Grasse, as the repre. 
 sentative of the king of France. 
 
 Washington dispatched one of his aids to Philadelphia to communicate 
 the good news to Congress. The officer pushed forward with all speed, and 
 reached Philadelphia at midnight, and delivered his message. Soon the 
 peals of the State-house bell roused the citizens, and the watchmen took up 
 the cry, " Cornwallis is taken! Cornwallis is taken!" The people poured 
 
 SURRENDER OF LORD CORNWALLIS. 
 
 out into the streets in throngs, and no one slept in Philadelphia that night. 
 The next day Congress proceeded in a body to a church and gave thanks 
 for the great victory. A national thanksgiving was ordered, and throughout 
 the whole land rejoicings went up to God for the success which all men 
 felt was decisive of the war. 
 
 On the 19th of October, the day of the surrender of Cornwallis, Sir 
 Henry Clinton sailed from New York to his assistance with a force of seven 
 thousand men. Off the capes he learned of the surrender of the British 
 army at Yorktown, and as his fleet was not strong enough to meet that of 
 the French, he returned at once to New York. 
 
CLOSE OF THE WAR. 225 
 
 The news of the surrender of Cornwallis was received in England with 
 astonishment and mortification. It was the second time England had lost 
 an entire army by capture, and her efforts to subdue the United States 
 were no nearer success than they had been at the opening of the war. 
 The English people had never regarded the attempt to conquer America 
 with favor, and they now became more open and energetic in their demands 
 for peace. "Lord North, the prime minister," says an English writer, 
 "received the intelligence of the capture of Cornwallis as he would have 
 done a cannon ball in his breast; he paced the room, and throwing his 
 arms wildly about, kept exclaiming, 'O God! it is all over! it is all over!'" 
 The king and the aristocracy, however, had no thought of yielding yet to 
 the popular pressure, and were resolved to carry on the war. 
 
 Washington's Army again on the Hudson. 
 
 After the surrender at Yorktown, Washington urged the Count de 
 Grasse to co-operate with General Greene in an attack upon Charleston. 
 The French admiral declined to comply with his request, alleging the 
 necessity of his immediate return to the West Indies. The French troops 
 were quartered for the winter at Williamsburg, Virginia, and the American 
 army returned northward and resumed its old position on the Hudson, 
 Washington, though convinced that peace was close at hand, did not relax 
 his vigilance, and urged upon Congress the necessity of preparing for a 
 vigorous campaign the next year ; but so thoroughly was Congress carried 
 away by the prospect of peace that his recommendations were unheeded. 
 
 In the south the British and Tories were so disheartened by the 
 surrender of Cornwallis that they ceased active operations and evacuated all 
 their posts but Savannah and Charleston. General Greene at once disposed 
 his army in such a manner as to confine them closely to Charleston. In 
 the Northern States the only place held by the British was New York. 
 
 Some of the staunchest patriots and some of the most ferocious Tories 
 resided in Monmouth county. New Jersey. The patriots built a block- 
 house of logs at Dover, which was a strongly fortified building. The only 
 method of ingress or egress was by the use of a scaling ladder. Captain 
 John Huddy was commander of this post, and was one of the bravest men 
 Avho fought for the American cause. His house was once surrounded by 
 his foes, but escaping he jumped into the waters of the bay, and 
 as he swam he shouted, "I am Huddy!" His escape was remarkable. 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 On March 20, 1782, a party of forty Tories and eighty seamen, all 
 fully armed, left New York in whaleboats for the purpose of capturing 
 Captain John Hudd3\ Their coming was announced by scouts, and prepa- 
 rations were made to receive them. The bat- 
 tle was one of the fiercest of the war. The . - - 
 powder in the fortress at length gave out, 
 and Huddy, with sixteen men, four of 
 whom were seri- 
 ously wounded, 
 was taken 
 prisoner. 
 Huddy was 
 
 
 :vv; 
 
 '^M\ 
 
 ''t^i^ 
 
 
 ■/^■^ a prisoner of 
 
 !\\ '^ , war, and was entitled to treat" 
 
 '/' ment as such, but his enemies 
 
 conspired to put him to death. He 
 was executed on the morning of April 
 12, and his last words were, " I shall 
 die innocent, and in a good cause." 
 Captain Lippincott, who ordered 
 men because they were unwilling to take 
 the life of so brave a foe, and with his own hand helped to pull the rope. 
 
 V 
 
 ATTACK ON THE BLOCK-HOUSE. 
 
 Huddy's execution, cursed his 
 
CLOSE OF THE WAR. 227 
 
 Returning to New York lie reported to the board of loyalists that he had 
 " exchanged " Captain Huddy for Philip White. The pastor of the Presby- 
 terian Church at Freehold preached the funeral sermon from the front porch 
 of the old Freehold hotel, and the body was buried with the honors of war. 
 The desire of the English people for the close of the war had grown 
 too strong to be resisted, and the king and his ministers were at length 
 forced to yield. The impossibility of conquering America had become so 
 apparent to the continental nations that in the spring of 1782 the Dutch 
 republic recognized the independence of the United States, and received 
 John Adams as envoy from that government. The king of England main- 
 tained his obstinate opposition to the wishes of his people to the last 
 moment. On the 22d of February, 1782, a resolution was introduced into 
 the House of Commons to put an end to the American war and was sup- 
 ported by the leaders of the Whig party. It was defeated by a majority 
 of one, but on the 27th of February a similar resolution was introduced 
 and was carried by a majorit}^ of nineteen. 
 
 A Cessation of Hostilities Proposed. 
 
 On the 20th of March Lord North and his colleagues were forced to 
 relinquish their offices, and a new ministry was formed under the Marquis 
 of Rockingham. Sir Henry Clinton was removed from his command in 
 America and ^vas succeeded by Sir Guy Carleton, whose humane conduct 
 of the war while governor of Canada we have related. Carleton arrived in 
 New York in May, 1782, with full powers to open negotiations for peace. 
 He at once put a stop to the savage warfare of the Tories and Indians on 
 the borders of Western New York, and opened a correspondence with 
 Washington proposing a cessation of hostilities until a definite treaty of 
 peace could be arranged. 
 
 Five commissioners were appointed by Congress to conclude a peace 
 with Great Britain. They were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John 
 Jay, Henry Laurens, who had just been released from the tower of London, 
 where he had been kept a prisoner for about a year, and Thomas Jefferson. 
 Mr. Jefferson was unable to leave America. Five commissioners were 
 appointed by Great Britain to treat with " certain colonies " named 
 in their instructions. 
 
 The commissioners from the two countries met at Paris, but the Amer- 
 ican commissioners refused to open negotiations except in the name of the 
 
228 CLOSE OF THE WAR. 
 
 " United States of America." This right was acknowledged by Great 
 Britain, and, on the 30th of November, 1782, a preliminary treaty was 
 signed, which was ratified by Congress in April, 1783. This treaty could 
 not be final, because, by the terms of the alliance between the United 
 States and France, neither party could make a separate treaty of peace 
 with England. In January, 1783, France and Great Britain agreed upon 
 terms of peace, and, on the 3d of September, 1783, a final treaty of peace 
 was signed by all the nations who had engaged in the war — by the United 
 States, France, Spain and Holland on the one side, and Great Britain 
 on the other. 
 
 Close of Hostilities Proclaimed. 
 
 In the spring of 1783 the news of the signing of the preliminary treaty 
 of peace was received in America, and was officially communicated to the 
 nation in a proclamation by Congress. On the 19th of April, 1783, just 
 eight years from the commencement of the war at Lexington, the close of 
 hostilities was proclaimed, in general orders, to the army at Newburg. A 
 general exchange of prisoners followed, and large numbers of Tories were 
 obliged to leave the country, as they feared to remain after the protection 
 of the British forces was withdrawn. They emigrated chiefly to Canada 
 Nova Scotia, and the West Indies. 
 
 On the 2d of December, Washington issued a farewell address to the 
 army, and, on the 4th of that month, took leave of the officers at New 
 York. He then proceeded to Annapolis, where Congress was in session, 
 and, on the 23d of December, under circumstances of great solemnity, 
 resigned his commission to that body ; and, after receiving the thanks of 
 Congress for the able and faithful manner in which he had discharged the 
 task intrusted to him, retired to his home at Mount Vernon, which he had 
 not visited for eight years, except for a few hours, while on his way to 
 attack Cornwallis at Yorktown. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 )HE Constitution of the United States was adopted and went into 
 operation on the fourth of Marcli, 1789. Elections were held for 
 President and Vice-President of the United States, and for mem- 
 bers of Congress. New York was named as the seat of the new 
 government. The fourth of March, 1789, was ushered in with 
 a public demonstration at New York; but a sufficient number of members 
 of Congress to form a quorum for 
 the transaction of business did not 
 arrive until the thirtieth of March. 
 On the sixth of April the electoral 
 votes were counted, and it was found 
 that George Washington had been 
 unanimously chosen first President 
 of the United States, and John 
 Adams Vice-President. 
 
 Commerce now began to show 
 signs of a grea.*- revival from the 
 stagnation and loss caused by the 
 war. The duties levied upon for- 
 eign goods gave to domestic manu- 
 facturers an opportunity to place 
 themselves upon a firmer founda- 
 tion. Very great improvements 
 were made in the character of 
 American manufactures. In New England the weaving of cotton and woolen 
 goods was begun, in a feeble way it is true, but the foundation was laid of 
 that great industry which has since been a constant and growing source of 
 wealth to that section. 
 
 In 1790 the first census of the United States was taken, and showed 
 the population to be 3,929,827 souls. 
 
 229 
 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
230 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 The Indians of the northwest had been very troublesome for some time. 
 The British agents in that region incited them to hostility against the 
 United States, and urged them to claim the Ohio as their southern and 
 eastern boundary. They committed innumerable outrages along this river 
 and almost put a stop to the trade upon its waters by attacking and plunder- 
 ing the flat-boats of the emigrants and traders which were constantly des- 
 cending the river. The general government resolved to put a stop to their 
 outrages, and General Harmer was sent against them in 1790, but was soon 
 
 defeated with great loss. 
 
 In 1791 General St. Clair, the gover- 
 nor of the northwest territory, was placed 
 in command of an expedition against the 
 savages. He set out from Fort Washing- 
 ton, now Cincinnati, about the middle of 
 September, with a force of two thousand 
 men, but near the headwaters of the Wa- 
 bash was surprised and defeated by an In- 
 dian force under Little Turtle, a famous 
 chief of the Miamis. The wreck of his 
 army fled to Fort Washington, and the 
 frontier was once more defenceless. 
 
 President Washington now placed Gen. 
 Anthony Wayne in command of the forces 
 destined to operate against the Indians. 
 With his usual energy Wayne assembled 
 his army at Fort Washington, and in the 
 INDIAN CHILD IN CRADLE. summcr of 1794 marched into the Indian 
 
 country, laid it waste and defeated the Indian tribes in the battle of the 
 Maumee, on the twentieth of August. In the summer of 1795 the Indians, 
 cowed by their defeat and alarmed by the withdrawal of the British from 
 the frontier posts, met General Wayne at his camp on the Miami and en- 
 tered into a treaty Mdth the United States, by which they ceded all the 
 eastern and southern part of Ohio to the whites and themselves withdrew 
 farther westward. 
 
 In the elections of 1792 Washington and Adams were chosen Presi- 
 dent and Vice-President of the United States, for a second term of four 
 years. The disputes, which had been begun by the adoption of the Consti- 
 
 wni '^ * -1^ -x I 
 
 ^i^^espci. 
 
 ms^^y^'Vnm 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 231 
 
 tution, had been continued during the first term of Washington's presi- 
 dency, and had given rise to two political parties — the Federalists, or those 
 who, favor a strong national government, and who supported the adminis- 
 tration; and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the policy of the administration. 
 
 At the close of his term of office, Washington withdrew to his home 
 at Mount Vernon, to enjoy the repose he had so well earned, and which 
 was so grateful to him. His administration had been eminently successful. 
 When he entered upon the duties of the Presidency, the government was 
 new and untried, and its best friends doubted its ability to exist long ; the 
 finances were in confusion, and the coun- 
 try was burdened with debt ; the dis- 
 putes with Great Britain threatened to 
 involve the country in a new war ; and 
 the authority of the general government 
 was uncertain and scarcely recognized. 
 
 When he left office the state of affairs 
 was changed. The government had been 
 severely tested, and had been found equal 
 to any demand made upon it ; the finances 
 had been placed upon a safe and healthy 
 footing, and the debt of the country had 
 been adjusted to the satisfaction of all 
 parties concerned in it. The disputes with 
 England had been arranged, and the 
 country, no longer threatened with war, 
 was free to devote its energies to its im- 
 provement. Industry and commerce were 
 growing rapidly. The exports from the United States had risen from nine- 
 teen millions to over fifty-six millions of dollars, and the imports had 
 increased in nearly the same proportion. The rule of non-interference in 
 European quarrels, and of cultivating friendly relations with all the world, 
 had become the settled policy of the republic, and its wisdom had been 
 amply vindicated. The progress of the republic, during the eight years 
 of Washington's administration, was indeed gratifying, and gave promise 
 of a brilliant future. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1797, John Adams was inaugurated President of 
 the United States, and Thomas Jefferson took the oath of office as Vice- 
 
232 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 President. Mr. Adams was in the sixty-second year of his age, and in the 
 full vigor of health and intellect. He made no changes in the cabinet left 
 by President Washington, and the policy of his administration corresponded 
 throughout with that of his great predecessor. He came into office at a 
 time when this policy was to be subjected to the severest test, and was to 
 be triumphantly vindicated by the trial. Mr. Adams began his official 
 career with the declaration of his " determination to maintain peace and 
 inviolate faith with all nations, and neutrality and impartiality with the 
 belligerent powers of Europe." 
 
 The second census of the United States, taken in 1800, showed the 
 population of the country to be 5,319,762 souls. 
 
 Author of the Declaration of Independence. 
 
 Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was inaugu- 
 rated at the new capitol, in the city of Washington, on the 4th of March, 
 1801. He was in his fifty-eighth year, and had long been regarded as one 
 of the most illustrious men in America. He was the author of the Declara- 
 tion of Independence, had represented the country as minister to France, 
 had served in the cabinet of General Washington as Secretary of State, 
 and had filled the high office of Vice-President during the administration 
 of Mr. Adams. 
 
 He was the founder of the Democratic party, and was regarded by it 
 with an enthusiastic devotion, which could see no flaw in his character. 
 By the Federalists he was denounced with intense bitterness as an enemy 
 of organized government. He was unquestionably a believer in the largest 
 freedom possible to man, but he was too deeply versed in the lessons of 
 statesmanship, and was too pure a patriot, to entertain for a moment the 
 levelling principles with which his enemies charged him. Under him the 
 government of the republic suffered no diminution of strength, but his 
 administration was a gain to the country. 
 
 Mr. Jefferson had long been anxious to obtain for the United States 
 the country bordering the lower Mississippi, as he was convinced that the 
 power holding the mouth of that river must of necessity control the great 
 valley through which it flows. Accordingly, Robert R. Livingston, the 
 American minister at Paris, was ordered to open negotiations with the 
 French government for the purchase of Louisiana. 
 
 He found this an easier task than he had expected, for Napoleon, who 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 233 
 
 was on the eve of a great Kuropean war, was much in need of money, and 
 was by no means anxious to add to his troubles by being obliged to defend 
 Louisiana. A bargain was soon concluded by which the United States 
 became the possessors of the whole region of Louisiana, from the Mississippi 
 to the Pacific, 
 embracing an 
 area of over a 
 million square 
 miles. 
 
 The United 
 States paid to 
 France the 
 sum of $15,- 
 000,000 for 
 this immense 
 region, and 
 guaranteed to 
 the then in- 
 habitants all 
 the rights of 
 American citi- 
 zens. " This 
 accession of 
 territory," said 
 Napoleon upon 
 the completion 
 of this very 
 great purchase 
 " strengthens 
 forever the Thomas jefferson. 
 
 power of the United States, and I have just given to England a maritime 
 rival that will sooner or later humble her pride." 
 
 James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, was inaug- 
 urated at Washington on the 4th of March, 1809. He was in the fifty-eighth 
 year of his age, and had long been one of the most prominent men in the 
 Union. He had borne a distinguished part in the Convention of 1787, and 
 was the author of the Virginia resolutions of 1786, which brought about 
 
234 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 the assembling of this Convention. He had entered the Convention as one 
 of the most prominent leaders of the National party, which favored the 
 consolidation of the States into one distinct and supreme nation, and had 
 acted with Randolph, Hamilton, Wilson, Morris, and King, in seeking to 
 bring about such a result. 
 
 When it was found impossible to carry out this plan Mr. Madison gave 
 
 his cordial support 
 to the system which 
 was finally adopted 
 by the Convention ; 
 and while the con- 
 stitution was under 
 discussion by the 
 states, he united 
 with Hamilton and 
 Jay in earnestly re- 
 commending the 
 adoption of the con- 
 stitution by the 
 states, in a series 
 of able articles, to 
 which the general 
 title of the "Feder- 
 alist " was given. 
 
 The Indians 
 of the northwest 
 were becoming very 
 troublesome, and 
 their aggressions 
 were attributed to 
 the instigation of 
 the British in Can- 
 jAMES MADISON. ada. Tecumseh, a 
 
 Shavmee chief of unusual abilities, attempted to unite the Indians of the 
 continent in a grand effort against the Americans, and for this purpose 
 passed from tribe to tribe, from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and 
 urged them to take up the hatchet. He was assisted by his twin brother, 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 235 
 
 Klskwatawa, generally called '' the Prophet," who appealed to the superstitious 
 fears of the savages by his jugglery. 
 
 The federal government determined to strike a blow at the savages 
 before their plans for union could be brought to a successful issue. In the 
 autumn of 1811 Major-General William Henry Harrison, then governor of 
 Indiana Territory, was sent to operate against the tribes on the Wabash. 
 He took with him a body of Kentucky and Indiana militia, and one regi- 
 ment of regiment troops. On the Gth of November he arrived at the 
 junction of the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers, near the town of the 
 Prophet, the brother of Tecumseh. 
 
 Furious Attack on the American Camp. 
 
 The Prophet sent several of the principal Indian chiefs to meet Harrison 
 with offers of submission. They informed him that the Prophet would come 
 into camp the next day, and make a treaty with him. Harrison suspected 
 that the purpose of the Indians was simply to gain time, and that they 
 would probably seek to surprise him during the night, and accordingly 
 caused his men to bivouac on their arms that night. His precautions were 
 well taken. About four o'clock on the morning of November 7th the 
 savages made a furious attack on the American camp. They were promptly 
 received, and after a severe conflict of several hours were put to flight. 
 Tecumseh was not present in this engagement. General Harrison followed 
 up this victory by destroying the Prophet's town, and building some forts 
 for the protection of the country. The battle of Tippecanoe quieted the 
 Indians of the northwest for a while, but greatly increased the desire of the 
 people of that region for war with England. 
 
 Disagreements having arisen between this country and Great Britain, 
 our government demanded redress; otherwise war would be declared. On 
 the 30th of May, 1812, the British minister at Washington delivered to the 
 government of the United States the final reply of his government to the 
 demands of this country in the questions at issue between them. This 
 nltimatuin was submitted to Congress by the President on the 1st of June, 
 accompanied by a message in which he recapitulated the wrongs inflicted 
 by Great Britain upon this country, her violations of the rights of neutrals, 
 her impressment of American seamen, her seizures of American ships and 
 her refusal to enter into any equitable arrangement for the settlement of 
 these questions. The determination of Great Britain to drive American 
 
236 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 commerce from the seas was evident, and the question was submitted to 
 Congress whether the United States should continue to submit to these 
 outrages or should resort to war to protect their rights. 
 
 After a debate of several days an act declaring war against Great 
 Britain was passed by Congress and was approved by the President on the 
 18th of June, 1812. On the 19th the President issued a proclamation 
 
 A PIONEER HERO'S FIGHT WITH THE SAVAGES. 
 
 declaring that war existed between the United States and Great Britain 
 and her dependencies. 
 
 In the first campaign, including the year 1812, the results were disas- 
 trous to the Americans. The attempts to invade Canada had ended with 
 the surrender of Detroit and the defeat at Queenstown. A large part of 
 the frontier was lost, and over twenty-five hundred men had been captured 
 by the enemy. The failures had aroused the discontent of a considerable 
 portion of the people of the Union, and the opposition of the New England 
 States to the war was greatly increased. Matters would have seemed hope- 
 less had not the navy, which had been the most neglected branch of the 
 public service, redeemed the national honor by a series of brilliant successes. 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 2Z1 
 
 It was tlie intention of the government at tlie outset of the war to 
 retain the vessels of the navy in the ports of the country to assist in the 
 defeiice of the harbors of the United States. The fear was openly expressed 
 that if these vessels should venture to put to sea they would certainly be 
 captured by the British cruisers. The officers of the navy were indignant 
 at these insinuations, and as soon as the news of the declaration of war 
 was received at New York several of the vessels of war in that port put to 
 sea at once to avoid the orders which their commanders feared were on the 
 way to detain them in port, and also for the purpose of making a dash at 
 the Jamaica fleet, which was on its way to England. They followed this 
 fleet to the entrance of the British Channel, but without overtaking it. 
 
 A British squadron sailed from Halifax to cruise off the port of New 
 York. The American frigate "Constitution," Captain Hull, while endeav- 
 oring to enter New York, fell in with this squadron, and was chased by it 
 for four days. Her escape was due entirely to the superior skill of her 
 officers and the energy of her crew. The chase was one of the most 
 remarkable in history, and the escape of the American frigate won great 
 credit for Captain Hull. Failing to reach New York, Hull sailed for Boston, 
 and reached that port in safety. Remaining there a few days, he put to 
 sea again, just in time to avoid orders from Washington to remain in port. 
 
 Spirited Naval Engagements. 
 
 In July the American frigate " Essex " captured a transport filled with 
 British soldiers, and a few days later encountered the British sloop of war 
 " Alert," which mistook her for a merchantman. The " Essex " suffered 
 her to approach, and then opened a rapid fire upon her, which soon dis- 
 abled her and forced her to surrender. 
 
 The " Constitution " sailed from Boston to the northeast. On the 
 19th of August, while cruising off the mouth of the St. Lawrence, she fell 
 in with the British frigate " Guerriere," Captain Dacres, one of the vessels 
 that had chased her during the previous month. The " Guerriere " im- 
 mediately stood towards her, and both vessels prepared for action. The 
 English commander opened his fire at long range, but Captain Hull 
 refused to reply until he had gotten his ship into a favorable position, and 
 for an hour and a half he manoeuvred in silence, under a heavy fire from 
 the British frigate. 
 
 At length, having got within pistol shot of her adversary, the " Con- 
 
238 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 stitution " opened a terrible fire upon her, and poured in lier broadsides 
 with such effect that the " Guerriere " struck her colors in thirty minutes. 
 The " Guerriere " lost seventy-nine men killed and wounded, while the loss 
 of the "Constitution" was but seven men. The "Guerriere" was so 
 much injured in the fight that she could not be carried into port, and 
 Hull had her burned. 
 
 CAPTURE OF THE " GUERRIERE " BY THE "CONSTITUTION.' 
 
 The "Constitution" then returned to Boston with her prison ^-s, and 
 was received with an ovation. It was the first time in half a century tnat 
 a British frigate had struck her flag in a fair fight, and the victory was 
 hailed with delight in all parts of the country. 
 
 On the 18th of October the American sloop-of-war " Wasp," eighteen, 
 Captain Jones, met the British brig " Frolic," twenty-two, convoying six 
 merchantmen. In order to give her convoy a chance to escape, the 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 239 
 
 '' Frolic " shortened sail and awaited the approach of the " Wasp." The 
 " Wasp " poured a raking fire into her antagonist and then boarded her. 
 The boarders found the deck of the " Frolic " covered with the dead. 
 Only one man remained unhurt, and he stood gallantly at his pest at the 
 wheel. Before the prize could be secured the British frigate " Poictiers," 
 74, hove in sight and captured both vessels. The " Wasp " lost eight men 
 in the engagement ; the " Frolic " eighty. 
 
 THE ' WASP BOARDING THE " FROLIC. 
 
 These victories aroused the greatest enthusiasm in the United States. 
 The great disparity in the losses sustained by the respective combatants 
 made it evident to both nations that the American ships had been better 
 handled in every engagement. The British endeavored to account for the 
 American successes by declaring that the United States vessels were 
 seventy-fours in disguise, or that they carried heavier guns than their 
 adversaries ; but the thinking men of both countries saw that they had 
 been v.-on by the superior skill of the American officers. 
 
 It was clear that nothing of importance could be accomplished on land 
 as long as the British held Lake Erie. Oliver Hazard Perr}^, a young 
 lieutenant of the United States nav}-, volunteered to win back the lake from 
 
240 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 tlie enemy, who 
 held it with a 
 small squadron 
 under Capt. Bar- 
 clay. B}^ extraor- 
 dinary exertions, 
 Perry built and 
 equipped a fleet 
 at Presque Isle, 
 now Erie. It con- 
 sisted of nine ves- 
 sels of various 
 sizes, from one 
 carrying twenty- 
 five guns down 
 to one which car- 
 ried one gun. Its 
 total armament 
 amounted to fifty- 
 five guns. It 
 was manned by 
 a small force of 
 sailors from the 
 east, and by a 
 large number of 
 volunteers from 
 General Harri- 
 son's army. As 
 soon as his fleet 
 was in proper 
 condition, Perry 
 stood out into the 
 lake to seek the 
 enemy. The Brit- 
 perry's victory on lake ERIE. ish squadron con- 
 
 sisted of six vessels, carrying sixty-three guns. Each carried a complement 
 of somewhere near five hundred men. 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 241 
 
 The two squadrons soon encountered each other, and on the 10th of 
 September a severe battle was fought between them, at the western end of 
 the lake. Perry, at the opening of the fight, displayed a flag from his 
 vessel, bearing the words of the brave Lawrence, " Don't give up the ship." 
 It was greeted with cheers from the men. During the battle, the American 
 flag-ship, the " Ivawrence," was disabled, and Perry passed in an open boat, 
 under a heavy fire, to the " Niagara," the next largest ship, and trans- 
 ferred his flag to her. The result was that the British fleet was defeated, 
 and forced to surrender. Perry announced his victory to General Harrison 
 in the following characteristic message: "We have met the enemy and 
 they are ours. Two ships, one brig, a schooner, and a sloop." 
 
 Death of the Famous Chief Tecumseh. 
 
 This victory was of the highest importance to the Americans. It gave 
 them the command of Lake Brie, and opened the way to Canada. Harrison 
 hastened to profit by it, and advanced rapidly towards Detroit and Maiden. 
 Proctor abandoned those places, and retreated with his own forces, and 
 Tecumseh and his Indians, into Canada. At Detroit Harrison was joined 
 by thirty-five hundred mounted Kentuckians, under the aged Governor 
 Shelby, one of the heroes of King's Mountain, and Col. Richard M. John- 
 son. He at once entered Canada in pursuit of Proctor, and, by a forced 
 march of sixty miles, came up with him on the banks of the Thames, on 
 October 5th. A short, but desperate battle ensued, in which Tecumseh 
 was killed, and his Indians put to flight. The British were routed, and 
 Proctor saved himself only by the speed of his horse. By these successes 
 the Americans won back Michigan Territory, and for the present gave 
 peace and security to the northwestern frontier. The second war with 
 Great Britain closed with victory for the American arms, and a treaty of 
 peace between the two countries was signed on the 14th of December, 1814. 
 
 James Monroe was inaugurated President of the United States, at 
 Washington, on the 4th of March, 1817. He had served during the revo- 
 lution in the army of the United States, and had entered Congress soon 
 after the formation of the government as a representative from Virginia, 
 and had won great credit by his services in that body. He had been secre- 
 tary of state during Mr. Madison's administration, and increased his fame 
 by his discharge of the diflicult and delicate duties of this position. 
 
 In his inaugural address he declared his intention to administer the 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 government in accordance with the principles of Washington, and the sen- 
 timents of this document were warmly applauded throughout the country 
 by Federalists as Avell as Democrats. The administration of Mr. Monroe 
 covered a period generally known in our political history as " the era of 
 
 good feeling." Party 
 lines were almost 
 blotted out, and the 
 people of the coun- 
 try were more united 
 than at any previous 
 or subsequent period 
 in the support of na- 
 tional measures. A 
 few months after his 
 inauguration Presi- 
 dent Monroe made 
 a tour through the 
 Eastern States. He 
 was ever3^where re- 
 ceived with marked 
 attention, and the 
 Federalistcity of Bos- 
 ton entertained him 
 with the cordial hos- 
 pitality which is one 
 of her characteristics. 
 The last year of 
 Mr. Monroe's admin- 
 istration was marked 
 JAMES MONROE. by an advent of the 
 
 deepest interest to the whole country. In 1824 the venerable Marquis 
 de Lafa3rette came to the United States at the express invitation of Con- 
 gress to visit the nation whose freedom he had helped to achieve. He 
 reached New York on the 13th of August, and was received with 
 enthusiasm. He travelled through all the States, and was everywhere 
 received with demonstrations of respect and affection, and he was given 
 abundant evidence in all parts of the country that the nation cherished 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 243 
 
 with love and pride the memory of the generous stranger who came to its 
 aid in its darkest hour of trial. 
 
 Returning to Washington during the session of Congress, Lafayette 
 spent several weeks there. Congress, as a token of the gratitude of the 
 nation for his services, voted him a township of land and the sum of two 
 hundred thousand dollars. The frigate " Brandy wine," just finished, was 
 appointed to convey him back to France, a delicate compliment, as the ves- 
 sel was named after the stream on whose banks Lafayette fought his first 
 battle and was wounded in the cause of American independence. At the 
 time of his visit to the United States Lafayette was nearly seventy years old. 
 
 In the fall of 1824 the Presidential 
 election was held amid great political ex- 
 citement. The " era of good feeling " 
 was at an end, and party spirit ran high. 
 There were four candidates in the field, 
 Mr. Monroe having declined a third term: 
 Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, 
 William H. Crawford and Henry Clay. 
 
 None of these received a popular ma- 
 jority, and the election was thrown into 
 the House of Representatives in Congress, 
 and resulted in the choice of John Quincy 
 Adams, of Massachusetts, as President 
 of the United States. John C. Calhoun, 
 of South Carolina, had been chosen Vice- 
 President b}^ the popular vote. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1825, John John quincy adams. 
 
 Quincy Adams was inaugurated President of the United States. He was 
 the son of John Adams, the second President of the republic, and was in 
 his fifty-eighth year. He was a man of great natural ability, of strong 
 personal character, and of unbending integrity. He had been carefully 
 educated, and was one of the most learned men in the Union. 
 
 Apart from his general education, he had received a special training in 
 statesmanship. He had served as minister to the Netherlands, and in the 
 same capacity at the courts of Portugal, Prussia, Russia and England, 
 where he had maintained a high reputation. He had represented the State 
 of Massachusetts in the Federal Senate, and had been Secretary of State 
 
244 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 in the cabinet of Mr. Monroe, during the last administration. He was, 
 therefore, thoroughly qualified for the duties of the high office upon which 
 he now entered. 
 
 He called to his cabinet men of marked ability, at the head of which 
 was Henry Clay, who became Secretary of State. The administration of 
 Mr. Adams was one of remarkable prosperity. The country was growing 
 wealthier by the rapid increase of its agriculture, manufactures and com- 
 merce, and abroad it commanded the respect of the world. Still party spirit 
 
 raged with great violence during 
 the whole of this period. 
 
 On the 4th of July, 1826, died, 
 within a few hours of each other, 
 two ex-Presidents of the republic 
 — John Adams and Thomas Jef- 
 ferson — the latter the author of the 
 Declaration of Independence, and 
 the former its most efficient sup- 
 porter. Mr. Adams died at his 
 home at Quincy, Massachusetts, at 
 the ripe age of ninety years ; Mr. 
 Jefferson, at Monticello, his beauti- 
 ful Virginian home, at the age of 
 eighty-two. Both had filled the 
 highest stations in the republic 
 ~~~ ~ and both had lived to see the coun- 
 
 HENRY CLAY. try they loved take rank among 
 
 the first nations of the globe. They died on the fiftieth anniversary 
 of American independence. 
 
 Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, was 
 inaugurated at Washington, on the 4th of March, 1829. President Jackson 
 was in many respects one of the most remarkable men of his day. He 
 was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in North Carolina, during the 
 controversy between the colonies and Great Britain, which preceded the 
 Revolution. He was left fatherless at an early age, and his youth was 
 passed amid the stirring scenes of the war for independence. At the age 
 of thirteen, he began his career by taking part in the fight at Hanging 
 Rock, under General Sumter. 
 
DECATUR'S CONFLICT WITH THE ALGERINE AT TRIPOLI. 
 
X 
 
 /,„l;.^ %;^t> 
 
 \\M' 
 
 '■^a -<^-^y^-^^^i/^^^ K, 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 245 
 
 The home of the Jacksons was broken up and pillaged by the Tories, 
 and the mother and her two sons became wanderers. The sons were 
 shortly after made prisoners by the Tories, and the day after his capture 
 Andrew Jackson was ordered by a British officer to clean his boots. He 
 indignantly refused, and the officer struck him with the flat of his sword. 
 The boys were at 
 
 length exchanged, 
 through the exer- 
 tions of their lov- 
 ing mother. Both 
 had contracted the 
 small-pox during 
 their captivity, and 
 the elder son soon 
 died of his disease. 
 Not long after- 
 wards, Mrs. Jack- 
 son, with a few 
 other ladies, went 
 to Charleston to 
 minister to the 
 wants of the Amer- 
 ican prisoners of 
 war, confined there 
 by the British. A 
 fever was raging 
 among these un 
 fortunates at the 
 time, and Mrs. 
 Jackson was soon 
 numbered among 
 
 its victims. Thus, ANDRICW JACKSON. 
 
 at the age of fifteen, Andrew Jackson was left alone in the world 
 without a relative. Though young in years, he had been greatly matured 
 in character by his trials. Even at this early age he was generous to a 
 fault to his friends, and immovable in his resolutions when once formed. 
 A few years later he removed to Tennessee, then a Territory, and, 
 
246 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 upon the admission of the State into the Union, was elected as her first 
 representative in Congress. His brilliant victory over the British at New 
 Orleans made him one of the most noted men of the day, and his prompt 
 and decisive measures against the Spaniards in Florida, during Mr. Monroe's 
 administration, greatly added to his reputation. 
 
 General Jackson Elected President. 
 
 During the administration of John Adams, General Jackson occupied 
 a seat in the United States Senate, and gave a cordial support to the prin- 
 ciples of Mr. Jefferson. Resigning his seat in the Senate before the close 
 of his term, he was elected one of the judges of the Supreme Court of 
 Tennessee. The election of General Jackson to the Presidency was regarded 
 with some anxiety, for though his merits as a soldier were conceded, it 
 was feared by many that his known imperiousness of will and his inflexi- 
 bility of purpose would seriously disqualify him for the delicate duties of 
 the Presidency. Nature had made him a ruler, however, and his adminis- 
 tration was marked by the fearless energy that characterized every act of 
 his life, and was on the whole successful and satisfactory to the great 
 majority of his countrymen. 
 
 The tariff question now engaged the attention of the country once 
 more. The manufacturing interests were still struggling against foreign 
 competition, and it was the opinion of the Eastern and Middle States that 
 the general government should protect them by the imposition of high 
 duties upon products of foreign countries imported into the Union. The 
 south was almost a unit in its opposition to a high tariff. Being, as we 
 have said, an agricultural section, its interests demanded a free market, and 
 it wished to avail itself of the privilege of purchasing where it could buy 
 cheapest. The south and the west were the markets of the east, and the 
 interests of that section demanded the exclusion of foreign competition in 
 supplying these markets. 
 
 In July, 1827, a convention of manufacturers was held at Harrisburg, 
 Pennsylvania, and a memorial was adopted praying Congress to increase 
 the duties on foreign goods to an extent which would protect American 
 industry. When Congress met in December, 1827, the protective policy 
 was the most important topic of the day. It was warmly discussed in 
 Congress and throughout the country. The interests of New England were 
 championed by the matchless eloquence of Daniel Webster, who claimed 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 247 
 
 that, as the adoption of the protective policy by the government had forced 
 New England to turn her energies to manufacturers, the government was 
 bound to protect her against competition. x\fter a very able and exhaustive 
 discussion the tariff bill was passed by the House on the fifteenth of April, 
 1828, and was approved by the President a little later. It was termed by 
 its opponents the " Bill of Abominations." 
 
 The Presidential election was held in the fall of 1836. General Jackson 
 having declined to be a candidate for a third term, the Democratic party 
 supported Martin Van Buren for 
 President, and Richard M. Johnson, 
 of Kentucky, for Vice-President. 
 Mr. Van Buren was elected by a 
 large majorit}^ ; but the electors 
 having failed to make a choice of 
 a candidate for Vice-President, that 
 task devolved upon the Senate, 
 which elected Colonel Richard M. 
 Johnson by a majority of seven- 
 teen votes. 
 
 Martin Van Buren, the new 
 President, entered upon the duties 
 of his of&ce on the 4th of March, 
 1837. He was in his fifty-fifth 
 year, and had occupied many dis- 
 tinguished positions in public life. 
 
 He had represented the State of daniel webster. 
 
 New York in the Senate of the United States, and had been governor of that 
 State. He had been minister to England, had been made Secretary of State 
 at the commencement of General Jackson's first term, and had been elected 
 Vice-President of the United States at the period of Jackson's re-election. 
 
 The extraordinary prosperity which had prevailed throughout the nation 
 during the last year of Jackson's term came to a sudden end almost imme- 
 diately after the inauguration of Mr. Van Buren. For some time past a 
 reckless spirit of speculation had engrossed the nation, and had led to 
 excessive banking and the issuing of paper money to an extent far beyond 
 the necessities of the country. 
 
 The distress of the country was very great. Hundreds of thousands of 
 
248 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 laborers were thrown out of employment, and business of all kinds was 
 mucli depressed. The government, which a few months before had been out 
 of debt and in possession of a surplus of forty millions, now found itself 
 unable to provide funds for its ordinary expenses. The President was com- 
 pelled to 
 
 summon 
 an extra session of 
 Congress, that met 
 on the 4th of Sep- 
 tember, 1837. The 
 President in his 
 message attributed 
 the confused con- 
 dition of the coun- 
 try to the exces- 
 sive issues of bank- 
 notes, the great fire 
 in New York in 
 1835, and the reck- 
 less speculations of 
 the people for sev- 
 eral years past. He 
 suggested no spe- 
 cial legislation for 
 the relief of these 
 troubles, as he re- 
 garded such a course 
 as beyond the con- 
 stitutional author- 
 ity of the general 
 government. In- 
 
 MARTIN VAN BUREN. 
 
 deed, the govern- 
 ment could do but little to restore public confidence ; that was the task of 
 the people themselves, and it was not accomplished for several years. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1841, William Henry Harrison was inaugurated 
 President of the United States at Washington, in the presence of an immense 
 concourse of citizens from all parts of the Union. He was in his sixty- 
 ninth year, and had spent forty years of his life in the public service. His 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 249 
 
 services during tlie Indian hostilities wliich. preceded the War of 1812-15, 
 and his exploits during that war, have been related. He had served as 
 governor of Indiana Territory, and had been both a member of Congress 
 and a senator of the United States. 
 
 He was a man of pure life and earnest character, and the certainty of 
 a change of policy in the measures of the federal government had caused 
 the people of the country to look forward to his administration with hope 
 and confidence. He began by calling to seats in his cabinet men of promi- 
 nence and ability. At the head of the cabinet he placed Daniel Webster, 
 as Secretary of State. The President issued a proclamation convening 
 Congress in special session on the 31st of 
 May, 1841. He was not destined to fulfil 
 the hopes of his friends, however. He was 
 suddenly seized with pneumonia, and died 
 on the 4th of April, 1841 — ^just one month 
 after his inauguration. 
 
 It was the first time that a president ; 
 of the United States had died in oflace, and |^ 
 a gloom was cast over the nation by the '■,,;i{ 
 sad event. The mourning of the people 
 was sincere, for in General Harrison the 
 nation lost a faithful, upright and able 
 citizen. He had spent forty years in 
 prominent public positions, and had dis- 
 charged every duty confided to him with william henry harrison. 
 marked ability and integrit}^, and at last went to his grave a poor man. 
 ' ' Brave old Cincinnatus ! he left but his plow. ' ' 
 
 Upon the assembling of Congress, that body, "out of consideration of 
 his expenses in removing to the seat of government, and the limited means 
 he had left behind," appropriated the equivalent of one year's presidential 
 salary — twenty-five thousand dollars — to Mrs. Harrison. 
 
 According to the terms of the constitution, upon the death of General 
 Harrison, the office of president of the United States devolved upon the 
 vice-president, John Tyler, of Virginia Mr. Tyler was not in the city of 
 Washington at the time of the death of his predecessor, but repaired to 
 that city without loss of time, upon being notified of the need of his 
 presence, and on the 6th of April took the oath of office before Judge Cranch, 
 
250 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 chief justice of the District of Columbia. Mr. Tyler was in his fifty-second 
 year, and had served as governor of Virginia, and as representative and 
 senator in Congress from that state. On the 9th of April President Tyler 
 issued an address to the people of the United States, in which there was 
 no indication of a departure from the policy announced in the inaugural of 
 
 General Harrison. 
 He retained the cab- 
 inet ministers of his 
 predecessor in their 
 respective positions. 
 In 1842 a series 
 of disturbances oc- 
 curred in the state 
 of Illinois, which 
 were but the fore- 
 runners of a more 
 serious embarrass- 
 ment to the general 
 government at a still 
 later period. A new 
 religious sect had 
 sprung up some 
 years before in the 
 western part of New 
 York. They called 
 themselves Mor- 
 mons, and were 
 founded by a most 
 remarkable man by 
 the name of Joseph 
 
 JOHN TYLER. g^^^ith, who pro- 
 
 fessed to have a new revelation from God, written on plates of gold. 
 Among the articles of the Mormon faith is one which teaches the doctrine 
 of a plurality of wives. Feeling that the east was not favorable to their 
 growth, the Mormons at an early day removed to the west. They settled 
 at first in Missouri, but so exasperated the people of that state by their 
 conduct that they were soon driven out of Missouri- 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 251 
 
 They settled in Illinois, and founded a city which they called Nauvoo, 
 and built a temple. Their numbers increased rapidly from emigration from 
 nearly every country in Europe. The new-comers were mainly persons of 
 low position and without education. Conscious of their strength they raised 
 troops, and set the authority of the State of Illinois at defiance. The State 
 endeavored to reduce them to obedience, and their conduct, as in Missouri, 
 turned the people against them. Several conflicts ensued between the Mor- 
 mons and the authorities. In one of these Joe Smith, the prophet, and 
 his brother, were seized and put in jail, and while lying there were mur- 
 dered by the mob in July, 1844. This brought matters to a crisis, and 
 the people of Illinois determined to 
 drive the Mormons across the Missis- 
 sippi. Nauvoo was attacked in 1845, 
 and the Mormons were compelled to 
 leave the State. In 1846 they bent 
 their steps westward, and after a 
 long and painful journey across the 
 plains, reached the valley of Salt 
 Lake, and established a settlement 
 there. Out of this settlement grew 
 the Territory of Utah. 
 
 In 1 844 occurred one of the most 
 important events in the history of 
 the world. In 1832 Samuel F. B. 
 Morse, a native of Massachusetts, 
 invented the electric telegraph. He 
 spent some years in perfecting his in- professor morse. 
 
 vention, and in 1838 applied to Congress for a small appropriation to as- 
 sist him in building a line of wire to demonstrate the usefulness of his 
 discovery. He was obliged to wait five years for a favorable answer, and it 
 was not until he had given up all hope of receiving aid from Congress 
 that that body, on the last day of the session of 1843, appropriated the 
 sum of thirty thousand dollars to construct a telegraph line between Wash- 
 ing City and Baltimore, a distance of forty miles. The line was com- 
 pleted in 1844, and was successfully operated by Professor Morse. This 
 was the first line established in the world. In the thirty-one years which 
 have elapsed since then the use of the telegraph has become general 
 
252 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 throughout the civilized world, and in the United States alone there are 
 more than sixty thousand miles of telegraph lines in operation at the 
 present time. 
 
 In the fall of 1844 the Presidential election took place. The leading 
 political question of the day was the annexation of Texas. It was advocated 
 by the administration of President Tyler and by the Democratic party. 
 This part}' also made the claim of the United States to Oregon one of the 
 
 leading issues of the campaign. Its 
 candidates were James K. Polk, of 
 Tennessee, and George M. Dallas, 
 of Pennsylvania. The Whig party 
 gave their support to Henry Clay, 
 of Kentucky, and Theodore Fre- 
 linghuysen, of New Jersey, and op- 
 posed the annexation of Texas. 
 
 During this campaign, which 
 was one of unusual excitement, the 
 Anti-slavery party made its appear- 
 ance for the first time as a distinct 
 political organization, and nominated 
 James G. Birney as its candidate 
 for the Presidency. 
 
 The result of the campaign was 
 a decisive victory for the Democrats. 
 This success was generally regarded 
 as an emphatic expression of the 
 popular will respecting the Texas and Oregon questions. Mr. Birney did 
 not receive a single electoral vote, and of the popular vote only sixty-four 
 thousand six hundred and fifty-three ballots were cast for him. 
 
 One of the leading men in Texas at this time, and in fact for many 
 years, was General Sam Houston, whose popularity assured him the most 
 eminent positions both as governor of his adopted state and senator at 
 Washington. He commanded the Texan army in a revolt against Mexico 
 and gained a brilliant victory. 
 
 An alarming tendency to anarchy was experienced in the anti-rent 
 disturbances in the State of New York in 1844. In the early history of 
 this State certain settlers received patents of considerable portions of land — 
 
 GENERAL SAM HOUSTON. 
 
COMMODORE PERRY AT THE BATTLE ON LAKE ERIi^l 
 
 1 
 
THE ANTl-REiNT RIOT IN COLUMBIA COUNTY, 
 NEW YORK. 
 
254 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 of wHicli that of Van Rensselaer was the most extensive — comprehending 
 the greater part of Albany and Rensselaer Counties. These lands were 
 divided into farms containing from 160 to 100 acres, and leased in per- 
 petuity, on the following conditions : The tenant must each year pay to 
 the landlord a quantity of wheat, from 22i/{ bushels to 10, with four fat 
 fowls and a day's service with horses and wagon. If the tenant sold his 
 lease, the landlord was entitled to one-quarter of the purchase-money. 
 
 In process of time the tenants began to consider these legal conditions 
 as anti-republican — a relic of feudal tyranny. The excellent Stephen Van 
 Rensselaer, who came into possession of the patent in 1785, had, in the 
 kindness of his nature, omitted to exact his legal rights ; and $200,000 
 back rent had accrued — which he, dying in 1840, appropriated by will. 
 The tenants murmured when called on to pay it, and sheriffs, in attempting 
 to execute legal precepts, were forcibly resisted. An ineffectual attempt to 
 put down these disorders was made on the part of the State authorities by 
 a military movement, called in derision " the Heldeberg war." 
 
 Mounted Bands Disguised as Indians. 
 
 In the summer of 1844 the anti-rent disturbances broke out with great 
 violence in the eastern towns of Rensselaer, and on the Livingston manor, 
 in Columbia County, Extensive associations were formed by the anti- 
 renters to resist the laws. They kept armed and mounted bands, disguised 
 as Indians, scouring the country; and the traveler as he met them, issuing 
 from some dark w^ood, with their hideous masks and gaudy calicoes, was 
 required, on penalty of insult, to say, " Down with the rent." These law- 
 less rangers forcibly entered houses, took men from their homes, and tarred 
 and feathered or otherwise maltreated them. In Rensselaer County, at 
 noonday, a man was killed where about fifty " Indians " were present — 
 some of whom were afterwards arraigned, when they swore that they knew 
 nothing of the murder. Sometimes 1,000 of these disguised anarchists were 
 assembled in one body. Similar disturbances occurred in Delaware Count}^ 
 At length Steele, a deputy-sheriff, was murdered in the execution of his 
 official duty, and his murderers were apprehended. 
 
 Meanwhile Silas Wright was chosen governor of the State. IVIuch doc. 
 his country owe him for the wisdom and firmness of the measures by 
 which public order was restored. On the 27th of August he proclaimed 
 the County of Delaware in a state of insurrection. Resolute men were 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 255 
 
 made sheriffs, and competent military aid afforded them. Leading anti- 
 renters were taken, brought to trial, and imprisoned. The murderers of 
 Steele were condemned to death — but their punishment was commuted to 
 that of perpetual confinement. On the 27th of January, 1847, Governor 
 Young, the successor of Mr. Wright, by his proclamation, released from 
 the State's prison the whole number of eighteen, who had been committed 
 for anti-rent offences. 
 
 The inauguration of James K. Polk as President of the United States 
 took place on the fourth of March, 1845. He had served the country as 
 governor of the State of Tennessee, 
 and for fourteen years had been a 
 member of the House of Represen- 
 tatives in Congress from that State, 
 and had been several times chosen 
 speaker of that body. His cabinet was 
 selected from the first men of his party. 
 
 In 1845 the government of the 
 United States sent an ambassador to 
 Mexico to settle the boundaries, and 
 arrange any difficulties that existed 
 between the two countries; but, on 
 his arrival, the Mexican government 
 refused to receive him. In the 
 meantime the American army had 
 been ordered to march to the Rio 
 Grande, and in 1846 hostilities commenced between the two countries. 
 
 Mexico claimed that the limits of Texas properly ended at the Neuces 
 river, while the Texans insisted that their boundary was the Rio Grande. 
 Thus the region between these two rivers became a debatable land, claimed 
 by both parties, and a source of great and immediate danger. It was 
 evident that Mexico was about to occupy this region with her troops, and 
 the legislature of Texas, alarmed by the threatening attitude of that 
 country, called upon the United States government to protect its territory. 
 The President at once sent General Zachary Taylor with a force of fifteen 
 hundred regular troops, called the " army of occupation," to "take position 
 in the country between the Neuces and the Rio Grande, and to repel any 
 invasion of the Texan territory." 
 
 JAMES K, POLK. 
 
256 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 General Taylor accordingly took position at Corpus Christi, at tlie 
 mouth of the Neuces, in September, 1845, and remained there until the 
 spring of 184G. At the same time a squadron of war vessels under Com- 
 modore Conner was despatched to the Gulf to cooperate with General 
 Taylor. Both of these of&cers " were ordered to commit no act of hostility 
 against ^Mexico unless she declared war, or was herself the aggressor by 
 striking the first blow." 
 
 In the war that followed, the Americans were successful in every 
 
 I.IEUTENANT GRANT GOING FOR AMMUNITION AT MONTEREY. 
 
 engagement. They took possession of all their chief cities and towns, and 
 even their strong fortress at Vera Cruz. They conquered several provinces 
 north and east of the capital, and on the 23d of August, 1847, they took 
 possession of the City of Mexico. Their armies were then spread over the 
 country to occupy the principal cities. In May, 1848, peace was declared, 
 and the American troops were withdrawn from the country. 
 
 It was at the battle of Monterey, that one of our great generals in the 
 Civil War first exhibited those daring qualities that afterward gave him fame. 
 General Grant, then an unknown young lieutenant, was in the battle, and 
 distinguished himself on account of " gallant and meritorious services." 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 257 
 
 Several times during the battle lie demonstrated his superior judgment and 
 courage, not more in the fierce charge, than in volunteering to make a 
 dangerous ride under fire, in search of ammunition. 
 
 The 4th of March, 1849, fell on Sunday, and the inauguration of 
 General Taylor as 
 President of the 
 United States took 
 place on Monday, 
 the 5th of March. 
 
 The new Presi- 
 dent was a native of 
 Virginia, but had 
 removed with his 
 parents to Kentucky 
 at an early age, and 
 had grown up to 
 manhood on the fron_ 
 tiers of that State. 
 In 1808, at the age 
 of twenty-four, he 
 was commissioned 
 a lieutenant in the 
 army by President 
 Jefferson, and had 
 spent forty years in 
 the military service 
 of the country. His 
 exploits in the Flor- 
 ida war, and the war 
 with Mexico, have 
 been related. His zachary taylor. 
 
 brilliant victories in Mexico had made him the most popular man in the 
 United States, and had won him the high office of the Presidency. He was 
 without political experience, but he was a man of pure and stainless 
 integrity, of great firmness, a sincere patriot, and possessed of strong, good 
 sense. He had received a majority of the electoral votes of both the Northern 
 and Southern States, and was free from party or sectional ties of any kind. 
 
 17 
 
258 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 On the 29tli of January, 1850, Henry Clay introduced into the Senate 
 a series of resolutions, designed to settle all the points in dispute by a 
 general compromise. The resolutions was referred to a committee of thir- 
 
 Mr. 
 
 MILLARD FILLMORE. 
 
 teen, of which 
 Clay was made chair- 
 man. In due time 
 the committee re- 
 ported a bill, known 
 as the " Omnibus 
 Bill," from its em- 
 bracing in one meas- 
 ure all Mr. Clay's 
 propositions. It pro- 
 vided for the admis- 
 sion of California as 
 a free State; the 
 organization of the 
 Territories of Utah 
 and New Mexico, 
 without reference to 
 slavery; the adjust- 
 ment of the bound- 
 ary between Texas 
 and New Mexico, 
 by paying to the 
 former ten millions 
 of dollars ; the aboli- 
 tion of the slave 
 trade in the District 
 of Columbia ; and 
 the enactment by 
 the return to their 
 
 Congress of a more stringent and effective law for 
 masters of fugitive slaves. 
 
 The Omnibus bill was warmly opposed in Congress, and in the country 
 at large. The debate in the Senate brought out the views of the leading 
 statesmen of the country. Senator Jefferson Davis declared the bill in no 
 sense a compromise, because it was unequal in its provisions. The 
 
THE NEW REPUBLIC. 259 
 
 South, he declared, gained nothing by this measure, as the Constitution 
 already required the rendition of fugitive slaves. He proposed, therefore, 
 that the Missouri Compromise line should be extended to the Pacific, 
 "with the specific recognition of the right to hold slaves in the territory 
 below that line." 
 
 Mr. Clay replied to this that "no earthly power could induce him to 
 vote for a specific measure for the introduction of slavery where it had not 
 existed, either north or south of that line. I am unwilling that the pos- 
 terity of the present inhabitants of California and New Mexico should 
 reproach us for doing just what we reproach Great Britain for doing to us. 
 If the citizens of those Territories come here with constitutions establishing 
 slavery, I am for admitting them into the Union ; but then it will be their 
 own work, and not ours, and their posterity will have to reproach them, 
 and not us." 
 
 Mr. Calhoun was too ill to take part in the debate in person, but he 
 prepared a speech of great ability, which was read for him in the Senate 
 by Senator Mason, of Virginia. He declared that the Union could be pre- 
 served only by maintaining an equal number of free and slave States, in 
 order that the representation of the two sections of the country might be 
 equal in the Senate of the United States. 
 
 Great Union Speech by Webster. 
 
 Mr. Webster also took part in the debate, and on this occasion delivered 
 what is known as his "great Union speech of the 7th of March," which 
 occupied three days in its delivery. He expressed substantially the same 
 views as those advocated by Mr. Clay. His speech created a profound 
 sensation throughout the country, and did much to secure the final accept- 
 ance of the compromise measures. 
 
 A few months later. President Taylor was suddenly stricken down with 
 a fever, which, in a few days, terminated fatally. He died on the 9th of 
 July, 1850, amid the grief of the whole country, which felt that it had lost 
 a faithful and upright chief magistrate. Though the successful candidate 
 of one political party, his administration had received the earnest support 
 of the best men of the country, without regard to party, and his death was 
 a national calamity. He had held office only sixteen months, but 
 had shown himself equal to his difficult and delicate position. He 
 was sixty-six years old at the time of his death. By the terms of the 
 
•260 
 
 THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
 Constitution, the office of President devolved upon Millard Fillmore, Vice- 
 President of the United States. 
 
 President Pierce took the oath of office at the capitol at Washington 
 on the 4th of March, 1853, in the presence of an immense throng. He 
 was in his forty-ninth year, and had won an enviable name by his previous 
 services to the country. He was a native of New Hampshire, and had 
 represented that State for four years in the Lower House of Congress, and 
 
 for nearly a full term in the Senate of 
 the United States. He had also served 
 with distinction during the Mexican war, 
 as a brigadier-general. 
 
 In February, 1854, the American mer- 
 chant steamer " Black Warrior" was seized 
 by the Spanish authorities at Havana, on 
 the pretext that she had evaded or violated 
 some uncertain revenue law, and the ship 
 and her cargo were declared confiscated. 
 This action of the Havana officials was 
 regarded in the United States as unjust, 
 and aroused a great deal of feeling against 
 the Spaniards, and gave a sudden impetus 
 to the national sentiment in favor of the 
 acquisition of Cuba. The affair of the 
 " Black Warrior " was satisfactorily settled by the Spanish government. 
 While the feeling aroused by the affair was at its height a conference 
 of some of the American ministers in Europe, including Mr. Buchanan, 
 minister to England, Mr. Mason, minister to France, and Mr. Soule, min- 
 ister to Spain, and some others, was held at Ostend, in Belgium, and a 
 circular was adopted recommending the acquisition of Cuba by the United 
 States. This measure attracted much attention, and elicited considerable 
 European criticism of the alleged ambitious designs of the United States. 
 Mr. Soule, on his return to Madrid, was stopped at Calais by order of the 
 emperor of the French, who had personal reasons for disliking him. The 
 emperor, however, reconsidered his action, and allowed Soule to pass through 
 France to the Spanish frontier. 
 
 FRANKLIN PIERCE. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 )AMES BUCHANAN, the fifteenth President of the United States, 
 was inaugurated at Washington on the 4th of March, 1857. He 
 was in his sixty-sixth year, and was a statesman of great accom- 
 plishments and ripe experience. He was born in Pennsylvania 
 in 1791, and was by profession a lawyer. He had served his state 
 in Congress as a representative and a senator, had been minister to Russia, 
 under President Jackson, and had been a member of the cabinet of President 
 Polk as secretary of state. During the four year previous to his election 
 to the presidency he had resided abroad as the minister of the United 
 States to Great Britain, and in that capacity had greatly added to his 
 reputation as a statesman. 
 
 During the whole of Mr. Buchanan's administration the question of 
 slavery in the territories continued to engross the minds of the people. In 
 Kansas, which had not yet been admitted as a state into the Union, there 
 sprang up a bitter warfare between the party favoring slavery and the party 
 opposed to it. 
 
 John Brown, an eccentric yet sincere and earnest opponent of slavery^ 
 took part in the struggle, and afterwards attempted, with a small band of 
 followers, to strike a death-blow at slavery in West Virginia. He seized the 
 United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and gave orders for the arrest of 
 prominent citizens. He was apprehended, tried on the charge of having 
 committed treasonable acts, and was executed. His band of followers was 
 dispersed, yet such was his heroism, and so deep an impression did his 
 self-sacrificing spirit make upon a multitude of people at the north that 
 thousands were animated by his example, and the well-known song begin- 
 ning, "John Brown's body lies mouldering in the ground," was sung as a 
 war-cry by the Union army. 
 
 The anti-slavery party in Kansas finally triumphed, and the territory 
 was admitted into the Union as a free state. The people of the south, 
 with a resolve quite unanimous, determined to sever their connection with. 
 
262 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THh GREAT CIVIL WAR, 
 
 the other states and form an independent Confederacy. South Carolina 
 was the first state to take this serious step, which was the forerunner of 
 one of the greatest conflicts known in history. Virginia was the last of 
 the Southern States to secede, and this was done contrary to the wishes 
 
 of many of her 
 people. 
 
 Previous to this, 
 in the election of 
 1860, Abraham Lin- 
 coln, the nominee of 
 the Republican par- 
 ty, had been chosen 
 President of the 
 United States, an act 
 that gave offence to 
 the South. Mr. Lin- 
 coln was born in 
 Kentucky, in 1809, 
 of poor but honest 
 parents. His father 
 removed in 1817 to 
 Indiana. The lad 
 accompanied him, 
 and, young as he 
 was, aided in build- 
 ing the log cabin 
 which sheltered the 
 family ; and after- 
 wards, on their re- 
 moval to Illinois, by 
 helping to split the 
 rails which fenced the farm, he obtained the title of " Rail-Splitter," which, 
 though meant to be opprobrious, he regarded as most honorable. When 
 President of the United States he carried a cane manufactured from one 
 of those very rails, by which his honest and faithful industry had aided 
 his indigent parents. 
 
 His mother had early taught him to read the Bible, and imbued his 
 
 JAMES BUCHANAN. 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 263 
 
 mind witli its Holy morality. She also taught him to write, and to com- 
 municate his thoughts by writing. Everything was done that the poverty 
 of tlje family allowed, to assist him in gaining from common schools an 
 imperfect education. Among his few books were two biographies of Wash- 
 ington and one of Henry Clay. At the age of nineteen he was intrusted 
 with the care of a flat-boat, in which he made a voyage to New Orleans. 
 He boldly chose the law as his profession, though with very imperfect 
 means of learning its principles ; but in the beginning of his practice he 
 had a case in which he proved the innocence of a widow's son, who would 
 otherwise have been condemned and im- 
 prisoned. By this he gained friends and 
 reputation. 
 
 Following the examples of Washing- 
 ton and Henry Clay, he ever took great 
 interest in the political movements of his 
 country, and he was put forward to vari- 
 ous offices of trust, first, in the State, and 
 then to a seat in the House of Represen- 
 tatives in Congress ; and he was, at the 
 time of his great dispute with Douglas, a 
 rival candidate with him for a seat in the 
 United States Senate. 
 
 His innate sense of right, which he 
 never weakened or debased, either as a 
 lawyer or a politician, by speaking in favor 
 of what he knew to be wrong, was his guide 
 in making political as well as other dis- Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 tinctions ; so that in debate his mind was never distracted by being 
 divided against itself. The whole man went one way. His illustrations 
 were always at hand, from a ready memory stored with abundant facts, 
 which were often amusing, as seen through his love of the ludicrous. 
 Hence his great success when the State became the arena of his remark- 
 able dispute with Douglas, who was already famous as a speaker. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln, guarded by troops, was inaugurated President on the 4th 
 of March, 1861. In his inaugural address he tried to convince the South 
 that they had, in the Constitution of the United States, a remedy for all 
 their grievances, his earnest desire being to prevent the flow of blood. 
 
264 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 Soon after the secession of the Southern States they organized a gov- 
 ernment, and made choice of Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, as President, 
 and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, as Vice-President. 
 
 South Carolina had, on the 14th of January, 1861, declared in her 
 Legislature that any attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter would be regarded 
 as a declaration of war. April 11th, Governor Pickens, in a note to Major 
 Robert Anderson, commanding Fort Sumter, ordered him to deliver up the 
 fort. Anderson answered that he had no power to comply. 
 
 The navy-yards at Brooklyn received orders to have vessels in readi- 
 ness to send supplies to the beleaguered 
 Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor. Sup- 
 plies were sent by the " Star of the West," 
 but did not arrive in season, the vessel 
 having retreated from the harbor after 
 being fired upon. These were, in reality, 
 the first hostile shots from the South on 
 the national flag, though the attack on 
 Fort Sumter is regarded as the beginning 
 of the war. 
 
 The attack was conducted by Gen. G. 
 T. Beauregard, favorably known in con- 
 nection with the Mexican war, now ap- 
 pointed to the chief command of the Con- 
 federate forces. The assault was opened 
 at four o'clock of April 12th, when was 
 fired the first gun of the terrible civil 
 war which ensued. The fort was sur- 
 rendered on the afternoon of the 13th, after Anderson and his brave band 
 of seventy men had fought for thirty-four hours, exposed to death by shot, 
 shell and conflagration. Major Anderson reports that he " marched out on 
 the 14th with colors flying and drums beating, bringing away company and 
 private property, and saluting our flag with fifty guns." The men carried 
 away the flag they had defended. That same day and hour, four years 
 afterwards, that memorable flag was restored, and again waved over the 
 shattered remains of Fort Sumter. 
 
 The lightning of the telegraph flashed the news over the country that 
 the flag was dishonored and the life of the nation threatened. Mr. Lin- 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 265 
 
 coin, nerving himself to the terrible emergency, immediately issued a 
 proclamation, in which he called for 75,000 troops, and convened Congress 
 to meet, on the 4th of July. There was a great uprising in the North and 
 troops were hurried forward to Washington. 
 
 The troops collected in the vicinity of Washington had surrounded the 
 city with fortifications. Security was felt, and the cry " On to Richmond " 
 began. General Scott had allowed himself to be misguided by it, and 
 unwisely to sanction an onward 
 movement, the command of which 
 he gave to General Irwin McDowell, 
 and which resulted in the disastrous 
 battle of Manassas, or Bull Run. 
 This was the name of a small af- 
 fluent of the Ocoquan River. On 
 this, thirty-seven miles from Alex- 
 andria, and near the important point 
 of Manassas Junction (so called from 
 the meeting of railroads), the Con- 
 federates, anticipating the move- 
 ment, had been for some time pre- 
 paring their battle-ground. They 
 had so arranged their army that 
 when the Union force should ap- 
 pear they might be lured to a cer- 
 tain fortified position on the stream. 
 
 General Joseph E. Johnston, 
 who had commanded a force of sev- general Joseph e. johnston. 
 
 eral thousands at Harper's Ferry, after burning the bridge across the Poto- 
 mac, removed his troops to Winchester, where was the able officer General 
 Thomas J. Jackson, with his brigade, and a corps of cavalry. General Scott 
 had, in the meantime, sent General Patterson, with an ample force, to keep 
 General Johnston from leaving the valley of Virginia; but having Manas- 
 sas in view, Johnston, after amusing Patterson with a skirmish at " Fall- 
 ing Waters," eluded him, and escaped with his force through a gap in the 
 mountain, in time to turn the fortunes of the day at Manassas. 
 
 General McDowell moved from Washington on the 16th of July, 1861. 
 On the 18th, the army passed through Centreville, their enemy luring 
 
266 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 tliem on as he quietly retired before them. A conflict in advance of the 
 final battle, however, occurred, in which the losses of the combatants were 
 eightjKhree Union and sixty-eight Confederate. General Beauregard, who 
 commanded the Confederates, wished to delay the final action, to give the 
 necessary time for Johnston to join him from the valley, and General 
 McDowell was obliged to defer the battle one day to receive provisions. 
 On the morning of the 21st the attack, which was to have been made at 
 six o'clock, was delayed for two or three hours. 
 
 "There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall." 
 
 Johnston had, meanwhile, arrived with a part of his force. His encoun- 
 ter with Colonel Ambrose Burnside was the opening of the fight. It was 
 at first a hotly- contested field, and such as did no discredit on either side 
 to American valor and military skill. The advantage at first was on the 
 side of the Unionists. Sherman, since so well known, was here distin- 
 guished. But while flushed with well-grounded hopes of victory, the Union- 
 ists were suddenly assaulted with a fresh body of nearly 3,000 troops 
 arrived by the railroad from the West, under General K. K. Smith, with 
 cavalry under Jackson. The Confederate General Bee called to him, " Gen- 
 eral, they are beating us back." Then turning to his men he exclaimed, 
 *' Look, there is Jackson, standing like a stone wall." The troops rallied, 
 and though Bee was killed, the day was won for the Confederates. The 
 Unionists could not, by the utmost efforts of their officers, be rallied, and 
 their retreat became at length a panic-stricken rout. 
 
 The day when the telegraph sent throughout the North the unex- 
 pected news of this defeat, is yet known as "dark Monday;" the darkest 
 day of the war. A pursuit was not ordered, though President Davis him- 
 self was, at the close of the battle, on the ground. Jackson said : " Give 
 me 10,000 men and I will take Washington ;" and probably he could then 
 have done so ; for he possessed a genius for war perhaps greater than any 
 other developed by the American conflict. 
 
 Ball's Bluff, an eminence on the upper Potomac, opposite Harrison's 
 Island, became known as the scene of a disastrous conflict. About 2,000 
 of the Union army, under command of Col. B. Baker, of California, were 
 employed by General Stone, of Massachusetts, in connection with other 
 forces, to reconnoitre, and learn the position of the Confederates under 
 General Evans, extending along the Virginia side of the Potomac. By a 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 267 
 
 skilfully concealed and superior force, Evans furiously assaulted Baker's 
 command, whicli bravely stood firm till tkeir gallant commander fell. They 
 were then forced in wild disorder to the stream, where no adequate means 
 had been provided for them to cross. One crazy scow was soon filled and 
 
 swamped, and the 
 men, with others, 
 were shot as they 
 were swimming to 
 the further shore. 
 Seeing escape was 
 hopeless, 500 gave 
 themselves up as 
 prisoners. 
 
 Lieutenant-Gen- 
 eral Scott, on ac- 
 count of lameness 
 and other infirmi- 
 ties, requested, in 
 a note to the Sec- 
 retary of War, to 
 be relieved of his 
 high command, and 
 now onerous duties. 
 With every demon- 
 stration of respect 
 from the President, 
 and a special Cab- 
 inet council, his 
 request was com- 
 plied with. Gen. G. 
 
 GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN. B. McClellaU waS 
 
 thereupon appointed to succeed him as commander-in-chief of the armies 
 of the United States. 
 
 Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, now in command at Cairo, made a demonstration 
 on Belmont, in Missouri, a landing-place on the Mississippi River, opposite 
 to Columbus, Ky., and the headquarters of the Secession force opposed to 
 Cairo. In Belmont, which was connected by a ferry with Columbus, was 
 
268 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 a camp, whicli Grant took with its munitions ; having at the time drawn 
 off the attention of the Confederates by a feigned attack on Columbus, 
 which he had ordered from Paducah. Before Grant had withdrawn his 
 men, however, superior forces under General Polk and General Pillow 
 attacked them ; and, though in the desperate fighting which ensued, their 
 valor won them honor, they could not claim the victory. 
 
 An important expedition left Hampton Roads on the 29th of October, 
 under Commodore Dupont, with a fleet of sixty ships, bearing a land-force 
 of 10,000, under the command of Gen. W. T. Sherman. Their destination 
 was Port Royal and Hilton Head, on the coast of South Carolina. On the 
 7th of November they attacked the two new forts. Walker and Beauregard, 
 commanding the entrance of Port Royal ; and here the ships, by skillful 
 firing and manoeuvring, in four hours performed an extraordinary feat, 
 proving that moving water-craft can defeat and silence stationary forts. On 
 landing, forty-three heavy cannon were seized, but the garrison escaped. 
 The adjoining sea-islands, so fruitful in the best of cotton, were thus com- 
 manded by the Unionists, who encouraged the negroes to remain and 
 cultivate them. Beaufort was soon after occupied. 
 
 Immense Army in the Field. 
 
 At the assembling of Congress early in December, the reports of the 
 Secretaries showed that the government had in service 682,000 soldiers, and 
 22,000 seamen and marines. These had mostly been raised by voluntar}^ 
 enlistment, excited by large bounties and high pa}^ ; but the expense Avas 
 appalling. A popular loan system was ingeniously devised by the able 
 Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. 
 
 The entire force of the Confederates at this time was estimated at 
 350,000. Their funds were raised by loans from enthusiastic friends, and 
 by Confederate bills representing money, and at first answering its purpose ; 
 but, like the Continental money of the Revolution, continually dimin- 
 ishing in value. 
 
 Gen. George H. Thomas, encountered, near Mill Springs, in South- 
 eastern Kentuck}^, the Confederate Generals ZoUikoffer and Crittenden, and 
 gained a victory ; for which he received the thanks of the President, — com- 
 municated by Edwin M. Stanton, now Secretary of War, in place of Simon 
 Cameron, resigned. In this battle General ZoUikoffer was killed. 
 
 On the 2d of February, General Grant sailed from Cairo, with Com- 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 269 
 
 modore Foote commanding a fleet of gunboats and transports. Entering 
 the Tennessee River at Paducah, they proceeded to Fort Henry, near the 
 southern border of Kentucky, which, after a short, but earnest, resistance, 
 was evacuated and taken. The expedition proceeded as far as Florence, at 
 the foot of the muscle-shoals, in Alabama. 
 
 This unexpected appearance of the old Union flag was hailed by the 
 loyalists, not unfrequently, with tears of joy. Twelve miles east, on the 
 Cumberland River, lay the formidable fortress of Fort Donelson, garrisoned 
 by 15,000 men, which Grant resolved to attack. The gunboats were to 
 co-operate on their return from Florence. Grant, meantime, marched across 
 the country, and, at the head of 15,000 troops, proceeded to invest the 
 stronghold. Unfortunately, a brave, but premature, attack was made on 
 the works by a portion of the army under Gen. Lewis Wallace. On the 
 arrival of the gunboats, Foote at once ran his iron-clad steamers close to 
 the batteries, from which, however, they received so deadly a fire, that his 
 flag-ship and ten others were disabled. He withdrew with the loss of fifty- 
 four men killed and wounded. 
 
 Capture of Fort Donelson. 
 
 The attack by water having failed, Grant besieged the fort, hoping 
 the further co-operation of the boats. General Floyd, commander of the 
 garrison, attempted now to retreat to Nashville ; but was attacked by Grant's 
 army, and, after a bloody battle, with severe loss on both sides. Fort Donelson 
 was surrendered. Floyd and Pillow having fled with a brigade up the 
 river, the formalities of surrender were enacted by General Buckner, the 
 third in command. Nashville was now open to the Unionists, and was 
 occupied by them within a week. 
 
 Columbus, after the fall of the forts, was abandoned by the Confed- 
 erates, after first moving what they could of their guns and munitions 
 further down the river, to Island No. 10, a few miles above New Madrid. 
 On the 3d of March, a body of Union cavalry entered Columbus, and 
 hoisted the national flag. 
 
 On the 12th of January, there sailed from Hampton Roads, under 
 Commodore Goldsborough, a fleet of 100 vessels of all classes, bearing land 
 forces under General Burnside : they were destined to take Roanoke Island, 
 on the coast of North Carolina. This spot, lying between Albemarle and 
 Pamlico Sounds, commanded their seashore, and had been strongly fortified 
 
270 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 with two new forts, bearing forty-three guns, and garrisoned by 3,000 men. 
 The invaders made their entrance into the inner waters at Hatteras Inlet, 
 the same as in the former expedition; but a storm of terrible length and 
 violence delayed them, and it was not until the 3d of February that the 
 attack on the forts could be begun. Colonel Shaw, their commandant, 
 resisted bravely till the evening of the 5th, when he surrendered. A small 
 fleet of gunboats, under Commodore Lynch, had aided the forts, but now 
 withdrew to Elizabeth City, to which place the Union vessels pursued 
 them : they were all destroyed but two, which escaped up the Dismal 
 Swamp Canal. In an attack on Fort Blan chard, Colonel Russell, of Con- 
 necticut, was killed; and, on the Confederate side, Capt. O. J. Wise, son 
 of the ex-governor of Virginia, lost his life. 
 
 Bloody Battle of Pea Ridge. 
 
 In Missouri, after Fremont and Hunter had retired. General Halleck, 
 who succeeded in command, had by judicious military operations driven 
 Price across the State line into Arkansas. General Curtiss co-operated — 
 while Price was joined by Generals Van Dorn and McCulloch, the former 
 in command of a Confederate force said now to be 30,000 strong. Here 
 the bloody battle of Pea Ridge occurred, lasting two days. On the first 
 day the Confederates had the advantage; but on the second the valor and 
 conduct of the German General Sigel turned the fortunes of the field. The 
 Confederates were defeated, and two Generals, McCulloch and Mcintosh, 
 were killed. On the same day as the battle of Pea Ridge occurred the 
 wonderful afi'air of the ram " Merrimac." 
 
 In no particular did the American war attract attention throughout 
 the civilized world more than in the changes in naval warfare brought 
 about by the iron-coating of vessels, making them impenetrable to shot. 
 The Confederates had thus iron-plated the sides, and made roof-like the 
 top of the old U. S. steam frigate " Merrimac," and had fastened to the 
 bow an immense iron prong. 
 
 Its destructive powers were appreciated, The Union Navy Department, 
 as well as several patriotic individuals, encouraged Mr. Ericsson, a Swede, 
 in a plan which he had invented of a steam water-craft to meet this ram 
 " Merrimac.'' On the morning of March 8 it was seen advancing upon 
 the Union fleet in Hampton Roads. Regardless of terrific broadsides, the 
 ram steered directly up to the frigate "Cumberland," struck her with the 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 271 
 
 iron prong, and beat a large hole in her side. She sank, and half her 
 crew were lost. The "Merrimac" next sought the frigate "Congress," 
 which struck her colors, and at night was burned. Another frigate, the 
 "Minnesota," had run aground, and the "Merrimac" rested. Amazement and 
 dread sat on every countenance ; was the whole navy to be thus destroyed ? 
 The next morning — so had Providence ordered — the little Ericsson 
 battery, called a "Monitor," appeared, commanded by Lieutenant Worden. 
 
 IRON-CLAD GUNBOAT. 
 
 She seemed like a small raft, with a revolving turret, in which were two 
 enormous guns. As the "Merrimac" approached to assault the "Minne- 
 sota," this little craft closed witii her in a deadly conflict which lasted 
 several hours. The "Merrimac" was finally obliged to succumb, and drew 
 off totally disabled, never again to renew the conflict. 
 
 In abandoning Columbus, the Confederates had made a stand at Island 
 No. 10, in the Mississippi River, four miles above New Madrid. To take 
 this island General Pope was sent by General Halleck with a land force, 
 to co-operate with Commodore Foote with a fleet of gunboats, prepared at 
 
272 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR 
 
 Cairo for this purpose. A memorable event occurred in the capture of 
 this island; this was the cutting of a channel twelve miles long, through 
 a part of which Colonel Bissell, of the engineer corps, had to employ his 
 men in sawing off large trees four feet under water. Through this channel 
 a part of the army of General Pope were moved to New Madrid, and thus 
 the island, invested from above and below, was besieged for three weeks. 
 
 Commodore Foote then determined, despite a hostile fleet, on running 
 the gunboats past the forts on the island. The iron-clad steamer "Caron- 
 delet,'' Captain Walke, was selected, and in a thunder-storm on the night 
 of the 5th of April she accomplished the perilous success. The remainder 
 of the fleet followed on the succeeding night, and debarked a land force. 
 The Confederates at once, and without a conflict, evacuated the island. 
 General W. D. McCall surrendered 5,000 soldiers, a great quantity of 
 ammunition, tents, horses, etc., with more than 200 cannon. 
 
 Surrender of Memphis. 
 
 Some of their vessels the Confederates sank, but the larger part fell 
 down the river to their next fortified point, which was Fort Pillow. There 
 occurred severe naval fighting under Commodore Davis, to whom Foote 
 had given over the command; but it was evacuated finally on the 4th of 
 June. On the 5tli Commodore Davis assaulted the Confederate fleet in the 
 harbor of Memphis, and after a fierce battle (there being iron-clad rams) 
 victory remained with the Unionists, and Memphis, the largest city on the 
 Mississippi between St. Louis and New Orleans, was now surrendered to 
 the naval power of the Union. 
 
 The Confederate army in the Southwest was under the command of 
 General Beauregard and General A. S. Johnston, and was encamped at 
 Corinth, in Mississippi, near the Tennessee line. General Grant, intending 
 to attack as soon as reinforcements under General Buell should arrive, had 
 arranged his army at Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee, on the west side 
 of the Tennessee River, and twenty miles from Corinth. The three 
 divisions of his army under Sherman, McClernand and Prentiss, were 
 the most advanced. 
 
 To attack this army before it was reinforced, Beauregard and Johnston 
 liad urged forward their forces in three divisions, under Generals Hardee, 
 Bragg and Polk. Leaving Corinth on the 4th, they had hoped to arrive 
 on the 5th, but were delayed until early on the morning of the 6th. Their 
 
OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 273 
 
 attack was so spirited, and so little expected, that at first the advanced 
 Union divisions were thrown into great confusion. The soldiers were 
 driven from their camps, and some, never having been in battle, fled like 
 cowards. The officers made desperate efibrts to rally the fugitives, and to 
 form and direct regiments that stood firm. 
 
 Sherman was twice wounded, and had three horses killed under him. 
 The Confederates, 
 on their side, fought 
 with great bravery, 
 and were managed 
 with much skill. 
 Johnston fell, and 
 the sole command 
 now devolved upon 
 Beauregard. The 
 Unionists, on the 
 first day of this 
 great battle, were 
 driven a mile and 
 a half from their 
 camps on the high 
 ground, where the 
 small church of 
 Shiloh stood, to the 
 low banks of the 
 river. 
 
 Here Colonel 
 Webster had found 
 cannon sufficient 
 for a powerful bat- 
 tery, and when the 
 Confederates had 
 formed for a final general w. t. sherman. 
 
 effort, he opened it upon them with prodigious effect. At the same time 
 two gunboats, lying in the river, had, by putting into the mouth of a small 
 stream, found a gap through which they could reach them with shells, and 
 thus, just at night, they were obliged to fall back to the camps. 
 
 18 
 
274 OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 
 
 Thus the Union army were preserved from destruction, and, knowing 
 that help was near, they rested on the bloody field, confident of regaining 
 their losses the next dajr. The army of General Buell had, by General 
 Grant, been hurried on, and arriving on the opposite bank of the Ten- 
 nessee, they were ferried over that river during the dark and rainy 
 night, and were ready at morning to aid those who the day before had 
 fought so desperately. History makes mention of few battles fought on 
 both sides with more courage and military skill than brother Americans 
 here displayed in destroying each other. Success fluctuated, but finally 
 the Unionists regained their lost guns and camps, and the Confederates 
 retired, but the}' did so without confusion and in good order. 
 
 Great Losses of both Armies. 
 
 General Beauregard, during the night, drew off the remains of his 
 army, and directed his course to Corinth. He sent to General Grant for 
 permission to bury his dead, and also that some who had lost friends 
 might be allowed to seek for them. General Grant replied that he had 
 already caused all who had fallen to be buried. Strewn upon the bloody 
 field had lain 10,000 dead, and twice that number wounded, a destruction 
 far exceeding that of any other battle ever before fought within the limits 
 of Republican America. 
 
 General Halleck now arrived. By his rank he superseded in command 
 botb Grant and Buell. He moved his army nearer to Corinth, and General 
 Grant nrged, though vainly, an immediate attack. On the 29th of April 
 General Beauregard, not feeling strong enough to meet so large a force, aban- 
 doned his encampment, taking away all his guns, and removing or destroying 
 his munitions. On the 23d of July General Halleck (General McClellan's com- 
 mand being confined to the Army of the Potomac) was made General-in-chief, 
 and ordered to Washington, the army being sent in different directions. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 E go back in the order of time. The attention of republican 
 America was now fixed on the main Union army concentrated 
 near Washington, and to be employed against Richmond by 
 McClellan. This army was kept back inactive till the middle 
 of March, in order, says General McClellan, to be disciplined, 
 formed, and instructed, and a formidable artiller}^ to be created ; and, while 
 other armies were first to move and accomplish certain results, this one 
 might then give the death-blow to the rebellion. 
 
 Previous to this period. General McClellan had ordered movements, as 
 commander-in-chief, extending over the whole country. Afterwards his 
 command was cut down to the army of the Potomac ; and parts of that 
 army, which were to co-operate with him, were directed to other objects. 
 Concerning no other officer of the war has the country been so divided 
 in its opinion. 
 
 It was on the 17th of March, 1862, that McClellan began embarking 
 from Alexandria the main portion of his army, amounting to 85,000 men, 
 in transports, for Fortress Monroe, where they debarked about the 1st of 
 April. On the 4tli he received an astounding report from the War Depart- 
 ment at Washington, that parts of the army whose co-operation, under 
 General Banks and McDowell, he was to have received by a direct route as 
 he approached Richmond, were to be diverted to other objects. 
 
 He obtained, however, an increase of his force of 11,000 men, sent by 
 General Franklin from McDowell's corps, and he made such representations 
 at Washington, that he continued to advance with the strong hope that the 
 original plan of the campaign might yet be carried out. General Joseph K- 
 Johnston was in command of the Confederate militar}^ operations ; but the 
 engineering skill of General Robert K. Lee had planned their great system 
 of defence. General McClellan marched twenty miles to besiege Yorktown, 
 in a violent rain over a miry road. 
 
 The siege was memorable for the military skill displayed on both 
 
 275 
 
276 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 sides. At length, when McClellan was about to storm the works, the 
 Confederates abandoned their stronghold, and on the night of the 4th of 
 May silently withdrew. Gloucester, on the opposite side of York River, fell 
 with Yorktown, and its guns and munitions also helped to increase the ' 
 stores of the Unionists. 
 
 General McClellan, on the morning of the 5th, ordered forward in 
 pursuit cavalry and horse artillery, under General Stoneman. This led to 
 the battle of Williamsburg. The pursuing party encountered a severe 
 attack amidst rain and mire, and fought with determined bravery — Stoneman 
 being relieved by Hooker, and he, after hours of fighting, by Kearney. 
 Hancock had meantime flanked the Confederates, when they withdrew and 
 evacuated Williamsburg, their policy being to delay the advance of their 
 enemy, and thus gain time to perfect the defences of Richmond. 
 
 Military Operations at Norfolk. 
 
 Meantime General Wool, having obtained, during a visit of President 
 Lincoln to him at Fortress Monroe, his consent for capturing Norfolk, 
 marched to the assault at the head of 5000 men; but when he arrived at the 
 fortified camp of General Huger, the Confederate commander, he found it 
 had been evacuated. 
 
 Citizens of Norfolk surrendered the city to General Wool. Huger had 
 taken away or destroyed all the guns and munitions possible. The dreaded 
 ^'Merrimac" still lay at Craney Island; but the next day after General 
 Wool's arrival, her commander blew her up. A naval expedition was now 
 set on foot by Commodore Goldsborough, to go up the James River, and 
 co-operate with General McClellan. The vessels, among which was the 
 ''Monitor," assaulted Fort Darling, seven miles from Richmond; but, after 
 an unsuccessful engagement, the attempt failed. 
 
 General McClellan advanced; and, on, the 15th of May, his army was 
 at the White House, a point where the Pamunky branch of the York River 
 is intersected by a railroad from West Point to Richmond, it being under- 
 stood that his supplies were to be sent to the White House by the way of 
 the Potomac, Chesapeake Bay, and James River. 
 
 The confidence in the co-operation of McDowell, with which McClellan 
 had undertaken the capture of Richmond, had been shaken, but was renewed; 
 and he went forward, confidently expecting his arrival from the North, his 
 headquarters being at Fredericksburg. Learning that a Confederate force 
 
 1 
 
eS5-: 
 
 1£WL. (£E(yj. &. M E f\B \L. 
 
I 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 211 
 
 was at Hanover Court House, througli which McDowell must pass, McClellan, 
 on the 27th, detached a force under General Fitz-John Porter, when, after 
 a mar,ch of fourteen miles, and a spirited engagement, the Confederates were 
 driven from the field, and the way for the expected advance opened ; and 
 
 McClellan's last ^, -._ 
 
 orders at night 
 were, that McDow- 
 ell's signals were 
 to be listened for, 
 and without a mo- 
 ment's delay re- 
 ported to him. But 
 those signals were 
 never made. 
 
 General Mc- 
 Dowell, much to 
 his discontent, was 
 recalled by Presi- 
 dent Lincoln to 
 guard Washing- 
 ton, which was 
 threatened by the 
 Confederates, led 
 by Stonewall Jack- 
 son, who, in the 
 Valley of the Shen- 
 andoah, had over- 
 come the Union 
 forces under Gen- 
 erals Milroy, Fre- 
 mont, and Banks, general t. j. (stonewall) jackson. 
 
 in sanguinary battles fought at Front Royal, Kernestown, and Winchester. 
 On the 25th of May, General McClellan began crossing his army over 
 the Chickahominy, at Bottom's Bridge, ten miles from Richmond. But a 
 violent storm so raised the river as to destroy his new bridges before his 
 army had completely crossed them. As the storm cleared away, on the 
 29th, the Confederates discovered that the army was thus divided by the 
 
278 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 river; and, taking advantage of this, they attacked, on the 31st, at noon, j 
 with great fury. J 
 
 Some of the front ranks, seized with panic, fled, while their of&cers li 
 vainly sought to rally them ; but other and firmer spirits taking their places, 
 the day was recovered, and closed with almost the whole field in posses 
 sion of the Unionists. The Confederates, trusting to regain the battle, 
 renewed it the next morning ; but McClellan's army were now prepared, 
 and the fight resulted in a Union victory. The carnage had been great on 
 both sides. Joseph B. Johnston was carried from, the field severely wounded, 
 and General Robert E. Lee was appointed to succeed him. 
 
 Severe Engagements in Virginia. 
 
 General (Stonewall) Jackson, the hero of the Valley, pursued Banks to 
 the Potomac, and entered Harper's Ferry. His advance, so sudden and 
 unexpected, had spread consternation. The President, as we have seen, 
 recalled McDowell to the defence of Washington, thus defeating the plans 
 of McClellan. The Secretary of War called on Northern Governors for 
 troops. Jackson received, at Harper's Ferry, intelligence that Shields, sent 
 by McDowell from Fredericksburg, and Fremont coming from the South 
 branch of the Potomac, were moving to form a junction at Strasburg, 
 his rear ; but Jackson, with his wonted celerity, had passed Strasburg before 
 Fremont and Shields arrived. 
 
 They pursued him along the passes of the mountains, but could not 
 bring him to a stand, his rear being guarded by cavalry, commanded by 
 that wonderful cavalry officer. Colonel Ashby, who died fighting, near Har- 
 risonburg, before Jackson reached Port Republic. Here Jackson determined 
 to make a stand, believing that the two pursuing armies were so situated 
 that they might be fought separately, and defeated in detail; and in the 
 event so it proved. A sanguinary battle was fought on the 8th and 9th of 
 June, in which the Unionists were defeated. Jackson, with his remaining 
 army, backed through a mountain pass, and joined Lee at Richmond. He 
 had received from him an order, which his messenger delivered, directed to 
 Stonewall Jackson, somewhere. 
 
 After the first battle of Fair Oaks, McClellan had occupied his army 
 for more than three weeks in constructing intrenchments, which extended] 
 twelve miles east and northeast of Richmond, on both sides of the Chicka- 
 hominy, the nearest point being five miles distant. 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 279 
 
 On the otHer hand, Lee and his assistants had intrenched Richmond 
 by all the improved methods of modern art. McClellan was meantime 
 urging on Mr. Lincoln and General Halleck, who had been called to 
 Washington as commander-in-chief, the necessity of more troops to enable 
 him to take Richmond. 
 
 The Confederate leader was watching him. He sent General Stuart, 
 his able cavalry commander, who rode quite around McClellan's camp, and 
 had discovered one unguarded point. Lee had meantime found means to 
 summon Stonewall Jackson from the valley, and was now fully ready to 
 commence the memorable seven days fighting. This was begun on the 26th 
 of June, at "Fair Oaks" or "Seven Pines," the two adjoining stations nearest 
 the city. McClellan pushed his left wing towards Richmond, and after a 
 day's hard fighting, succeeded in gaining a mile. In the meantime Stone- 
 wall Jackson had been sent by Lee with a strong force to penetrate the 
 centre of the Union army at the unguarded point, and thus, by a flank 
 movement, divide the right wing from the left. 
 
 Severe Fighting and Dreadful Carnage. 
 
 General Lee co-operated by attacking the left wing in front. This was 
 on the 2Tth, at Mechanicsville. Meantime, three miles east, Jackson, after 
 a detour, had made a fearful attack. McClellan prevented the capture of 
 his whole left wing by immediately ordering his forces to retreat from 
 Mechanicsville. Severe was the fighting, and dreadful the carnage. The 
 Confederates were victorious, but they did not accomplish their purpose of 
 dividing the army, though they caused McClellan to abandon his fortifica- 
 tions on the left bank of the Chickahominy, and cut him off from his 
 base of supplies. 
 
 Anticipating that such might be the case, he had prepared for the 
 emergency, and so succeeded in masking his intentions that the Confed- 
 erates found little spoil at the White House ; the stores and munitions 
 having been brought in wagons to his camp, or embarked in transports to 
 be sent up the James River, to which McClellan now directed the march of 
 his army. He succeeded in safely conducting his long train of supplies, 
 and finally saving his hard-pressed and diminished army — marching by 
 night and fighting by day. 
 
 At Malvern Hill was the last battle, and it was one of the most 
 sanguinary of the war. From the 26th of June to the 1st of July, inclusive, 
 
280 
 
 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 the army of the Potomac lost 15,249 men. The army embarked at Harrison's 
 Landing, on James River, and was at length removed by water to the 
 vicinity of Alexandria. 
 
 New Orleans was then the second city in the United States in a com- 
 mercial and mili- 
 tary view — the 
 most important 
 in the Confeder- 
 acy. Plans for 
 its capture were 
 early set on foot. 
 Captain David G. 
 Farragut, of the 
 navy, was select- 
 ed to prepare for 
 the expedition 
 and command the 
 naval force, with 
 General B.F.But- 
 ler to lead the 
 land army. Cap- 
 tain Farragut was 
 a native of Ten- 
 nessee, and at the 
 age of fourteen 
 years had distin- 
 guished himself 
 as a midshipman 
 on board the frig- 
 ate Essex, Com- 
 modore Porter, 
 
 COMMODORE DAVID G. FARRAGUT. lU the bloodicst 
 
 naval battle in the last war with England. At the opening of the Civil 
 War he left his home in Norfolk, Va , took his family to New York, and 
 hastened to Washington to offer his services to his country. 
 
 Captain Farragut sailed from Hampton Roads February 3d, with a fleet 
 of forty-six vessels (including mortar-boats, under Commodore Porter), the 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 281 
 
 whole bearing three hundred guns of different descriptions. As a prelimi- 
 nary measure, General Butler had already sent Brigadier-General John W. 
 Phelps, of Vermont, to occupy Ship Island, lying off the southern coast of 
 the Mississippi. The fleet arrived at Ship Island the 20th of February, 
 and after making a reconnoissance. Captain Farragut decided to enter the 
 Mississippi through its mouths, or "passes," knowing that after ascending 
 twenty-five miles he would find on opposite sides of the river the two 
 strong forts, Jackson (the stronger), and Fort Philip, seventy-five miles 
 from the city of New Orleans. 
 
 The Confederate Fleet Captured by Farragut. 
 
 On entering the river, the bars at the mouth detained the fleet, but 
 they were all passed by the 5th of April. The Confederate fleet, long 
 sheltered under the guns of the forts, was commanded by Commodore G. N. 
 Hollins, and consisted of thirteen gunboats, and two powerful iron-clad 
 steamers. A formidable chain was also extended from one fort to the other. 
 So confident were the newspapers of the city in the sufiiciency of their 
 defences, that they published, "Our only fear is that our Northern invaders 
 will not appear." 
 
 On the 18th of April, the bombardment opened, the mortar vessels 
 taking the lead, and each throwing a shell once in ten minutes. They 
 were answered by the 225 guns of the forts, and the fire of the Confederate 
 fleet. Five ships, cotton loaded, were sent down from New Orleans to mingle 
 with, and set fire to the Union fleet. They did no harm. The bombard- 
 ment of the forts continued five days. Then Commodore Farragut succeeded 
 in breaking the boom, or chain, across the river. 
 
 After a fierce conflict with the Confederate fleet, in which one of the 
 Federal ships, the "Varuna," Captain Boggs, sunk or disabled five Confed- 
 erate vessels, and was then run ashore in a sinking condition. Captain 
 Farragut destroyed or captured the Confederate fleet. The forts were passed, 
 and Commodore Porter was left, with the transports and a part of the 
 fleet, to reduce them. They were silenced, and were surrendered on the 
 27th of April. 
 
 Captain Farragut next proceeded, with nine vessels, to New Orleans, 
 meeting burning vessels loaded with cotton, and other evidences of the 
 destruction to which the Confederates had subjected their propert}--, rather 
 than that it should fall into Union hands. 
 
282 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 On the 26tli Captain Farragut addressed a letter to Mayor Monroe, 
 requesting him, since General Lovell, the military commander, had disap- 
 peared, to see that no flag but that of the United States should be permitted 
 to fly in the presence of the fleet; and he particularly requested the mayor 
 to see that there be no firing upon women and children for expressing 
 pleasure at witnessing the old flag. Mayor Monroe answered him, " that 
 the city was his ' by brutal force ; ' but as to his hoisting any flag not of 
 their own adoption or allegiance, there lives not a man in our midst whose 
 hand and heart would not be paralyzed at the mere thought of such an act." 
 
 Insult to United States Officers. 
 
 Captain Farragut, in answer, said, that not only was the flag of 
 Louisiana still flying, but those officers whom he had sent to hoist the flag 
 of the United States over the mint were grossly insulted, and he therefore 
 requests that women and children be removed previous to his vindicating 
 the honor of his government by shelling the city. The mayor refused, and 
 the captain happily did not fulfil his threat. He left the command to 
 General Butler, who landed on the 1st of May. Farragut was afterwards 
 promoted to the rank of Commodore. 
 
 The results of the expedition were the opening of the Mississippi to 
 Natchez, the capture of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and the occupation 
 of a large part of the State of Louisiana. 
 
 The troops operating in Northern Virginia under Generals McDowell, 
 Fremont, and Banks, were all combined in one army under Major-General 
 Pope. He took the field on July 14th, his forces being stationed at Cul- 
 pepper and Fredericksburg. The withdrawal of General McClellan's army 
 from the Peninsula had left General Lee to direct all his forces against 
 General Pope. By the 1st of August the Confederates were in motion, 
 marching northward — intending to invade Maryland, and capture Washington 
 and Baltimore. The plan of the campaign was to fall upon and crush the 
 forces of General Pope before any part of General McClellan's army could 
 be brought to his support. 
 
 The first conflict occurred at Cedar Mountain, where General Banks 
 met and repulsed the advance of General Lee. General Pope, however, being 
 unable to check the superior force brought against him, retired behind the 
 Rapidan. Here he was attacked, but maintained his position, and compelled] 
 General Lee to move higher up, and seek a pass through the Bull Runl 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 283 
 
 mountains. In tlie meantime, Stuart's cavalry got into Pope's rear, and 
 captured several trains, and made many prisoners. Before General Lee 
 could .strike General Pope, a part of McClellan's army had arrived, and a 
 severe battle was fought on tlie plains of Manassas, and another at Chan- 
 tilly, in both of which General Pope was defeated. In the latter the Union 
 Generals Stevens and Kearney were killed. The army was drawn into the 
 defences at Washington. General Pope's losses in this campaign were 
 estimated at 15,000 to 20,000. 
 
 The way was now open to General Lee either to attack Washington 
 or invade Maryland. He chose the latter, and crossed the Potomac near 
 Point of Rocks. He advanced as far as Frederick, where, on the 8th, he 
 issued an address to the people, inviting them to join his standard. 
 
 The Battle of Antietam. 
 
 When General McClellan arrived in Washington he was within General 
 Pope's department, and without a command. By direction of the President 
 he was ordered to assume command of all the troops for the defence of 
 the capital. He took measures immediately to check General Lee. By 
 the 9th of September his army was within sixteen miles of Frederick, and 
 so posted to command all the lower fords of the Potomac. As soon as Lee 
 heard of the approach of McClellan he withdrew from Frederick, and took 
 a strong position at South Mountain. At the same time he dispatched 
 Stonewall Jackson with 25,000 men to capture Harper's Ferry, and after- 
 wards to rejoin him. 
 
 General McClellan overtook Lee at South Mountain, and at once 
 assaulted his position. The battle raged all the afternoon, when the Con- 
 federates were driven from their ground, and retreated to a position behind 
 Antietam Creek. The Federal army occupied the battle-ground. 
 
 The Federal forces at Harper's Ferry numbered 13,000, commanded by 
 Colonel Miles. The place was not fortified, and was not, perhaps, defensible. 
 Colonel Miles surrendered, without any effort at defence or escape. The 
 consequences were disastrous. If he had held the place even for a day or 
 two he would have prevented the junction of Jackson and Lee at Antietam. 
 
 General McClellan pushed on his troops in pursuit cf Lee, and attacked 
 him at Antietam. The battle began early in the morning, and raged all 
 day. Attack and defence were obstinate on both sides ; the ground was 
 alternately lost and won, and nightfall left both armies on the field of 
 
284 
 
 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 ^r==v--^^s^ 
 
 battle, apparently ready to resume the contest in the morning. General 
 McClellan being the attacking party, and having won some points of the 
 Confederate position, had the advantage. But he did not deem it prudent 
 to renew the attack the next day, and during the night General Lee 
 abandoned the field, recrossed the Potomac, and gave up all hopes of 
 remaining in Maryland. The Confederate loss in this campaign is sup- 
 posed to have reached thirty thousand. The Union losses, including the 
 surrender at Harper's Ferry, must have been much larger. 
 
 General McClellan, after the 
 battle of Antietam, lay encamped on 
 the north bank of the Potomac, in 
 the vicinity of Sharpsburgh and Har- 
 per's Ferry, until September 26th, 
 when the cavalry under Pleasan- 
 ton, with General Burnside's corps, 
 crossed into Virginia. While so en- 
 camped the Confederate General 
 Stuart again appeared at Chambers- 
 burg witb 1,800 cavalry, and, making 
 the entire circuit of McClellan's 
 army, re-entered Virginia at Con 
 rad's Ferry, six miles below th 
 mouth of the Monocacy. He burne 
 government store-houses and ma 
 chine shops, and carried off 1,000 
 horses. All attempts to intercept 
 him failed. The delay of McClellan dissatisfied the Government. The 
 army was in good condition and good spirits, and was steadily advancing 
 and pressing the Confederates before it. On the 7tli General McClellan 
 was ordered to turn over his command to General Burnside, and await 
 further orders at Trenton, New Jersey. 
 
 General Burnside did not seek the command. He had refused it 
 twice, and expressed the opinion which many held, that McClellan ought 
 to be retained. He accepted only under peremptory orders from his 
 superiors. He took command November 10, and moved the army rapidly 
 towards Fredericksburg. He had hoped to cross and occupy the heights 
 around the city before General Lee could reach tbem. The pontoons, by 
 
 g 
 
 GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 
 
 Ji 
 
^<^^^^^^..z^ 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 285 
 
 wliicli he expected to cross the river, did not leave Alexandria uutil two 
 days after he had arrived at Falmouth, nor until Lee had occupied the 
 heights ' of Fredericksburg. 
 
 During the 11th and 12th General Burnside threw bridges over the 
 river, and his army crossed and occupied the city. The next day was 
 spent in disposing his forces for an attack upon Lee's position, which 
 extended in a semicircle from Point Royal to a point six miles above the 
 city, and consisted of two rows of batteries, one a mile in rear of the other, 
 and both overlooking the city. On the morning of the 13th General 
 Burnside ordered the assault. His left wing was commanded by General 
 Franklin, who endeavored to take a battery, but was repulsed. He then 
 attempted to turn the right of Lee's position, and gained nearly a mile, 
 which was the only success of the day. 
 
 Driven Back by a Storm of Shot and Shell. 
 
 General Sumner on the right, and General Hooker in the centre, 
 made three attempts to scale the heights, but so deadly was the storm of 
 shot and shell that they did not reach the first line of the Confederate 
 position. The Federal dead and wounded lay where they fell, and could 
 not be brought off. General Burnside ordered his army to recross the 
 river on the night of the 15th, which was done without molestation from 
 Lee. It was a bloody and fruitless battle, if battle it can be called, when 
 one army, secure in its intrenchments, deliberately shoots down another, 
 led out into the open field helpless and shelterless. 
 
 The Confederate loss was very small, while the Union loss was 1,138 
 killed, 9,105 wounded, and 2,078 missing, a total of 12,321. General Burn- 
 side retained command until January 2G, 1863, when at his own request, 
 he was relieved, and General Joseph Hooker was appointed to succeed him. 
 
 After the battle of Shiloh, General Beauregard retired to his strong 
 position at Corinth. General Halleck prepared to attack him by regular 
 siege approaches. The Confederates did not wait for an assault, but, keeping 
 up a show of strength in front, quietly withdrew, with nearly all their 
 material, into Alabama and Georgia. General Halleck returned to St. 
 Louis, leaving General Buell in command. The war was transferred to 
 Middle Tennessee and Kentucky, and the Federal army was rapidly 
 marched there, to meet the advances of General Kirby Smith and General 
 Bragg from Chattanooga, northward, threatening Nashville and Louisville. 
 
286 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 Smith drove before him small detachments of Unionists through Cumber- 
 land Gap. Sharp encounters occurred between the cavalry of the two 
 armies, but Bragg's march could not be checked. 
 
 Buell fell back from Murfreesborough and from Nashville, reaching 
 Louisville September 25th. Buell advised the evacuation of Nashville, but 
 the military governor, Andrew Johnson, remonstrated so strongly against 
 it, that it was decided to hold it. Bragg, detaching a force to attempt 
 Nashville, pushed on towards Ivouisville, occupying Mumfordsville Septem- 
 ber 17th. While Buell was collecting his troops at Louisville, an order 
 came from Washington that Major-General George H. Thomas should 
 supersede Buell, but, by his advice. General Buell was retained, with 
 General Thomas second in command. 
 
 Generals Price and Van Dorn, having crossed the Mississippi, at the 
 head of a large force, too late to join Beauregard, advanced against Corinth, 
 Miss., where General Rosecrans was stationed. A sharp battle was fought 
 at luka, September 19th. General Price attempted to storm the Federal 
 works without success. During the night he withdrew. Joining Van Dorn, 
 their united forces fell upon Corinth October 4th ; after a fierce conflict of 
 three hours, the Confederates were repulsed. In the two battles Rosecrans 
 lost 2,600 men. He captured 2,268 soldiers, 3,000 stand of small arms, and 
 many guns. He estimated the Confederate loss at 8,800 men. 
 
 Furious Onset on the Union Lines. 
 
 On the 1st of October, Buell resumed operations, moving one division 
 of his army towards Frankfort, and the other three towards Bardstown. 
 On the morning of the 8th, the Confederates were found strongly posted 
 at Perrysville, and a brisk engagement occurred, the contest being for pos- 
 session of a commanding position, covering some pools of water, for which 
 the Federal army had been suffering three days. During the day, Bragg 
 made a furious onset on the Federal lines, and at first gained a decided 
 advantage, but, re-enforcements coming up, the Confederates were repulsed, 
 and driven back through the town to their first position. Darkness ter- 
 minated the conflict. Only two divisions of the Federal army had been 
 engaged. The arrival of a third induced General Bragg to retreat, which 
 he did during the night, in good order. Among the Union killed were 
 Generals Terrell and Jackson. The Confederate loss is not known. 
 
 General Buell pursued Bragg as far as Bowling Green and Glasgow, 
 
f CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 287 
 
 Kentucky, where lie remained until the 27tli, when he was superseded by 
 Gen. William S. Rosecrans. Bragg had concentrated his army at Mur- 
 freesboi-ough, having in his advance captured an immense booty, consisting 
 of cattle, clothing, bacon, grain, and arms, which he took safely off in his 
 retreat. Rosecrans reached Nashville November 7th, and remained there 
 until December 26th, the time being actively spent in repairing the railroad 
 to Louisville, and in bringing forward supplies. Bragg having sent a large 
 cavalry force into Tennessee, and another into Kentucky, the occasion was 
 seized to attack him. 
 
 Forward Movement of Rosecrans. 
 
 The movement began December 2Gth, and by the 30th, the army was con- 
 centrated in the vicinity of Stone River. McCook commanded the right wing, 
 Thomas the centre, and Crittenden the left. The plan was to turn the Confed- 
 erate right, but Bragg began the fight by an early and furious onslaught upon 
 the right of Rosecrans. The Union forces were driven from their position, 
 and were only saved from defeat by the strenuous exertions of their general, 
 who rallied them late in the day, and, forming a new line, repulsed the 
 Confederates. The next day was spent in feeling each other's lines. On 
 the morning of January 2d, Bragg opened a heavy fire of artillery upon 
 Rosecrans' centre. It was soon silenced by a return fire, and, for a time, 
 the combat ceased. 
 
 Rosecrans pushed a division across Stone River, taking a strong posi- 
 tion. About three o'clock p.m., the Confederates fell upon it, and drove it 
 back, pursuing closely. But a terrible fire of artillery, followed by a charge 
 of infantry, drove them in disorder across the river. Darkness and a chill 
 winter rain closed the day, and prevented pursuit. The rain fell all the 
 next day. On the night of the 3d, General Bragg evacuated Murfrees- 
 borough, and General Rosecrans entered it on the 5th. Rosecrans had 
 43,400 men, of whom he lost 1,533 killed, 7,245 wounded, and 2,800 missing^ 
 a total of 11,578. Bragg's army was estimated at 62,490, and his total 
 loss at 14,560. 
 
 An Indian massacre in Minnesota added to the horrors of the Civil 
 War. The first disturbance, August 17th, was by four drunken Indians, 
 near Red Wood, who, after an altercation with each other, killed several 
 white men. The next day, between 250 and 300 Indians, led by their 
 chief, Little Crow, attacked the agency at Little Medicine, and slaughtered 
 
 L 
 
288 CAMPAIGNS OF McCLELLAN AND LEE. 
 
 all the whites. Then they spread themselves throughout all the western 
 part of the State and into Dakota, burning and plundering isolated and 
 defenceless farm-houses, murdering men, women, and children, thus renewing 
 all the atrocities that marked the Indian wars of our early history. Colonel 
 Schley held them in check, until at length General Pope was sent with a 
 suf&cient force, and, in a sharp battle at Wood Lake, utterly defeated them. 
 Five hundred were taken prisoners, and sentenced to be hung. 
 
 By the President's order only thirty-eight were hung, and the rest, 
 after a long imprisonment, were set at liberty. It is estimated that from 
 20,000 to 30,000 persons were driven from their homes, and that 500 lost 
 their lives. Thousands of w^omen and children were made dependent upon 
 charity. In raising the means the excellent Bishop Whipple was very active. 
 
 Depredations by Confederate Cruisers. 
 
 A few cruisers, sailing under the Confederate flag during the war, 
 inflicted great damage upon commerce. Every facility was afforded in 
 Great Britain, and in her colonial ports, for building, victualling, arming, 
 equipping and repairing these vessels. The " Oreto " was built in Liver- 
 pool, sailed to Nassau August, 18G2, was there detained awhile, and then 
 delivered to Captain Mafiit, and subsequentl}^ appeared as the " Florida," 
 sailing from Mobile. The " Alabama," built at Birkenhead, sailed from 
 the Mersey June 29, 18G1, under Captain Senimes. The "Shenandoah," 
 built at Glasgow in 1863, sailed from Liverpool to Madeira, and there 
 received her crew and armament from the British brig " Laurel," and 
 started on a cruise to the Arctic Ocean to destroy American whaling ves- 
 sels. The British Government either could not, or would not, prevent 
 these violations of neutrality. Our Government gave England notice that 
 indemnity would be claimed for the damage done by such vessels. 
 
 The Emperor Napoleon, in 1862, proposed to Great Britain and to 
 Russia to unite with him in a joint effort at mediation between the United 
 States and the Confederates. Those powers declining he undertook it alone. 
 He proposed that the two parties should appoint commissioners to deliber- 
 ate upon and discuss the matters in difference, and endeavor to come to a 
 peaceable solution. The President's reply respectfully declined the emperor's 
 good of&ce, and informed him that the Confederate States could, at any 
 time, terminate the war by laying down their arms and resuming their old 
 relations in the Union. 
 
CHAPTER ■ XXVII. 
 
 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 HE operations of 1862 had given to the Union possession of the 
 whole valley of the Mississippi from Cairo to Memphis, and 
 from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. The Confederates still 
 held Vicksburg and Port Hudson, with the intermediate coun- 
 try. The campaign against Vicksburg began in November. 
 General Grant was maturing his plans for a movement, and had already 
 given orders for the forces at Memphis and Helena, in Arkansas, under 
 General Sherman, and those at Cairo, under General McClernand, to 
 descend the river to Vicksburg ; while he himself intended to march against 
 the Confederates in the States of Mississippi, to the north and east. But 
 the cowardly surrender of Holly Springs, his base of supplies, by Colonel 
 Murphy, to General Van Dorn, with all the army stores of food, clothing, 
 ammunition, etc., compelled General Grant to fall back, and suspend the 
 land movement. 
 
 General Sherman, meantime, moved down the Mississippi to the mouth 
 of the Yazoo River, and prepared to attack the defences of Vicksburg and 
 the important post of Haines' Bluff, in its vicinity. The assault was made ; 
 but the strength of the positions, the desperate defence of the Confederates, 
 and the failure of General Grant to co-operate, induced General Sherman 
 to suspend his attack and withdraw his forces to Milliken's Bend, twelve 
 miles up the Mississippi River. While remaining here an expedition was 
 sent up the Arkansas River, under General McClernand, which captured 
 Arkansas Post, taking about 5,000 prisoners. Other small places on the 
 White River were also taken. 
 
 During January Grant moved his army from Memphis down to Young's 
 Point, on the west bank of the river, a few miles north of Vicksburg. The 
 whole of February and March were spent in preparing means to get below 
 Vicksburg with the army. On the night of April 16th he attempted to 
 run the gunboats and transports past the batteries of Vicksburg, and 
 march the army by land. This perilous undertaking was successfully 
 
 19 289 
 
290 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 accomplished. One transport was struck, set on fire, and abandoned by the 
 crew. Six more followed, one of which was sunk ; but the others went 
 through with slight injury. 
 
 A part of the army had already reached the bank of the river, and 
 were taken on board the transports down to Grand Gulf, which was shelled 
 by the gunboats, but proved too strong to be captured by them. The 
 troops were again landed, and marched to a point below ; while the gun- 
 boats and transports ran the batteries of Grand Gulf, and the troops crossed 
 the river below, at Bruinsburg. The next day the army moved down to 
 Port Gibson, and, defeating the Confederate troops that opposed them, 
 Grand Gulf was evacuated, and possession taken by Commodore Porter. 
 
 The Capture of Vicksburg. 
 
 When General Grant, in the prosecution of his original plan, at length 
 moved east and north from the river, he took only five days' provisions. 
 By the 19th of May he had fought five battles and one skirmish, and had 
 occupied Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, driving General Joseph John- 
 ston into the interior, and General Pemberton, with about 30,000 men into 
 Vicksburg. While he was closing in and around Vicksburg, Commodore 
 Porter ascended the Yazoo River; and, just as the advance of Sherman's 
 army made its appearance at Snyder's Bluff, Commodore Porter captured 
 Haines' Bluff just below Vicksburg, whose fourteen forts, with all their 
 armament, fell into his hands ; and the place was made thereafter the base 
 of supplies for Grant's army. 
 
 General assaults were twice made upon Vicksburg, but without suc- 
 cess. Grant not having troops enough completely to invest it ; but, draw- 
 ing re-enforcements from the army of the Ohio, General Grant was thus 
 enabled to complete the investment, and he then commenced a regular 
 siege. After the 26th of May firing was continued night and day. A hat 
 was once held above a port-hole, and in two minutes was pierced with 
 fifteen balls by the Union sharpshooters. For the first five days of the 
 siege the garrison had full rations ; but each person was afterwards re- 
 duced to fourteen and a quarter ounces of food daily. It was on the 4th of 
 July, the nation's birthday, that the important event of Pemberton's final 
 surrender occurred. 
 
 The indomitable courage and perseverance shown by Grant had its 
 influence upon the whole war; not merely in the opening of the Missis- 
 
"^ IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 291 
 
 sippi, but as it manifested to America and to the world that the Union 
 had in this officer a master mind, with a genius for war ; and this mani- 
 festation was made after the Confederates had lost Stonewall Jackson. 
 
 Grant reported that during the campaign the Confederates had lost 
 37,000 in prisoners, and 10,000 killed and wounded. His own loss was 
 1,234 killed, 7,095 wounded, 557 missing. 
 
 In order to aid General Grant, by destroying the communications of 
 General Johnston with the East, an important expedition had been organ- 
 ized at Memphis, which, under General Grierson, marched southward 
 through the heart of Mississippi. In his course he destroyed the Memphis 
 and New Orleans Railroad, with many bridges, and property to a great 
 amount. General Grierson's march terminated at Baton Rouge. 
 
 Battle of Ohancellorsville. 
 
 The Mississippi was now open from its source to its mouth, and the 
 Confederac}^ practically cut in twain. After the repulse of Burnside, General 
 Lee remained at Fredericksburg, while General Hooker occupied the opposite 
 bank of the river at Falmouth. Late in April General Hooker crossed the 
 Rappahannock by Kelly's ford, twenty-live miles above Fredericksburg, and 
 by the 30th had reached Chancellorsville, a few miles southwest of that 
 place. Before moving his army, he had sent a strong cavalry force under 
 General Stoneman to cut the railroad in Lee's rear, so as to prevent his 
 receiving reinforcements from Richmond. Stoneman rode within a few miles 
 of Richmond, destroyed many miles of railroad, much government property, 
 arrived at Gloucester Point in safet}^, and embarked for Washington. 
 
 When news of this success reached Hooker, the bloody battle of 
 Chancellorsville had been lost and won. On the 2d of May, the left wing 
 of Lee's army, led by Stonewall Jackson, made a powerful attack upon 
 Hooker's right, and after heroic deeds of valor on both sides, victory rested 
 with the Confederates. Stonewall Jackson, to whose skill in ordering the 
 battle this success was owing, fell mortally wounded ; and so universally 
 was he respected and admired, that the news of his death sent a thrill through, 
 both armies, and throughout the nation. The Union loss was 11,000, 
 among them General Whipple. The loss of the Confederates is unknown. 
 On the night of the 5th, Hooker recrossed the Rappahannock in a 
 heavy rain storm. 
 
 General Lee was encouraged by his victory to make another invasion 
 

 
 BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. JACKSON'S ATTACK ON THE RIGHT WING. 
 292 
 
IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 293 
 
 of Maryland and Pennsylvania. His army numbered more than 100,000. 
 He advanced by the Shenandoah valley, surprised and captured Winchester 
 and Martinsburg, with their stores, and his march to Chambersburg was 
 unchecked by any serious opposition. 
 
 General Hooker, however had early divined Lee's purpose and had 
 prepared for it by 
 sending his sick, his 
 wounded, and his mil- 
 itary stores to Wash- 
 ington. His army had 
 been weakened by the 
 return home of volun- 
 teers whose term of 
 enlistment had ex- 
 pired, and he could 
 expect no re-enforce- 
 ments from the east. 
 Yet Hooker had so 
 disposed his retreat- 
 ing army as to deter 
 Lee from an attack, 
 and also to cover 
 Washington. When 
 Lee had reached 
 Chambersburg, Hook- 
 er was at and near 
 Frederick, Md. Lee's 
 march had been rapid, 
 and Hooker had kept 
 pace with him. An 
 order of President 
 Lincoln, made at the 
 request of General Ilooker, now placed General George G. Meade at the 
 head of the army of the Potomac. This change of commander at such a 
 critical moment was a hazardous experiment; and that no evil consequences 
 resulted is an evidence that General Hooker had conducted his operations 
 with skill, and had brought his army to a high state of discipline. 
 
 GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADE. 
 
294 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 Both armies were marching for the same point — the village of Gettys- 
 burg in Pennsylvania, upon which many important roads converged. The 
 army that should first occupy the town would have the advantage of 
 choosing its position. General Reynolds, of the Union army, first passed 
 through the village, and encountered the advance of his enemy on the 
 heights north of the town. A brisk engagement followed, which ended by 
 the withdrawal of the Union forces to Cemetery Hill, south of the village. 
 During the night both armies were placed in position for the struggle of 
 the next day. At noon General Lee began the attack, and hurled his masses 
 with great fury and persistence upon the Federal lines. 
 
 Battle of Gettysburg. 
 
 The battle raged all the afternoon and until 9 o'clock in the evening. 
 The Confederate General Longstreet had gained and held a piece of ground 
 from which General Lee thought the position, on the crest of Cemetery 
 Hill could be successfully assailed. Early the next morning General Lee 
 renewed the attack. The contest was kept up along the whole line, but 
 the design of Lee was to conceal his real object, which was the Cemetery 
 Hill, the key to Meade's position. All the forenoon was occupied in arranging 
 his batteries to bring a concentric fire upon this hill. At 1 o'clock, at a 
 given signal, one hundred and fifty guns opened a simultaneous fire, and 
 within five minutes the crest of the hill was swept entirely bare. This rain 
 of iron hail fell incessantly for three hours. General Howard, who com- 
 manded the hill, had withdrawn behind the crest, and for two hours scarcely 
 replied to the storm. 
 
 General Lee, supposing the Federal guns silenced, ordered his columns 
 to scale the hill. As they approach, a terrible fire of grape, shell, and 
 canister, is opened upon them from forty guns. They press forward, 
 charging over the rifle-pits, and up to the muzzles of the guns. A scorch- 
 ing fire of infantry is now poured into their thinned and broken ranks^ 
 They reel, they fall back. A regiment throws down its arms and sur- 
 renders. All along the field, smaller detachments do the same ; and the 
 escaped are seen flying, a disordered mass, over the plain. The celebrated 
 charge of the Confederate General Pickett was one of the most daring 
 exploits of the war. He was driven back with great loss. The battle was 
 ended ; and during the night the combatants, tired and exhausted, slept. 
 
 The morning of the 4th was spent by both armies in burying the 
 
296 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 dead, and caring for the wounded. In the afternoon it rained heavily. 
 During the night, Lee began his retreat, and by the 11th was at Williams- 
 port, near the Potomac, On the night of the 13th, he succeeded in taking 
 his army over the Potomac at Falling Waters and Williamsport. The 
 Federal loss at Gettysburg was 2,834 killed, 13,790 wounded, 6,643 missing. 
 The Confederate loss was larger — 4,500 being buried on the field by the 
 Union soldiers, and 40,121 were taken prisoners, 26,500 of whom were 
 wounded. Nearly one-half of Lee's army was dest^-oyed or taken. 
 
 General Meade continued his pursuit until j -ily 25th, when Lee had 
 retired south of the Rapidan, and Meade was near Warrenton. The two 
 armies occupied nearly the same quarters that they had two months before, 
 and so remained all winter. 
 
 The famous Confederate John Morgan was sent on a raid into Indiana 
 and Ohio this year, to create diversions in favor of Lee, and prevent re-en- 
 forcements being forwarded to Generals Grant and Hooker. He passed, in 
 June, from Tennessee, near Burksville, on the Cumberland River, up 
 through Kentucky to Brandenburg, on the Ohio, and then crossed into 
 Indiana, with a force of about 4,500 cavalry. He marched through Cin- 
 cinnati, made a detour a little north of that city, and pursued his way to 
 Pomeroy, where he expected to cross, at Buffington's Island, into Kentucky. 
 
 , Pursuit and Capture of General Morgan. 
 
 Here he was overtaken by General Hobson, and his force partly dis- 
 persed and captured. He was taken prisoner with 500 men, by Colonel 
 Shackelford, five days after, near New Lisbon. He had caused great alarm, 
 and done much damage on his route, by the destruction of bridges, rail- 
 roads, and other property, and by taking horses and levying on the inhab- 
 tants for food and forage. 
 
 This raid was part of the general plan of which Lee's invasion of 
 Pennsylvania was the great feature, to transfer the war to the North. It 
 is probable that aid was expected from the disaffected people in the Middle 
 and Western States, whose numbers and influence were greately over-estimated 
 at the South. There was practically no party ; there was only a small and 
 contemptible faction, who would have made peace at the price of a divided 
 Union, and a dissevered country. 
 
 During the summer of 1863, the Confederate cruisers "Alabama" and 
 " Florida '' inflicted great damage upon American commerce. They at first 
 
IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 297 
 
 cruised in the West Indies, and had little difficulty in escaping the Federal 
 war vessels by retiring, when hard pressed, into neutral ports. 
 
 Thfe "Florida" was captured October 7th, in the neutral port of Brazil, 
 by Captain Collins, of the "Wachusett." The " Vanderbilt," given to the 
 government by Captain Vanderbilt, one of the swiftest and strongest 
 steamers in the navy, made an unavailing chase after the "Alabama" 
 across the Atlantic to Cape Town, and then through the Indian Ocean. 
 
 Strategic Operations in Tennessee. 
 
 The winter of 1863 was spent by the opposing armies in Tennessee 
 in recruiting and preparing for the summer campaign. The only military 
 operations were mutual raids to interrupt each other's communications, cut 
 off and destroy trains and supplies. 
 
 From January to June the Union army, under General Rosecrans, 
 lay at Murfreesboro. Supplies were brought forward, and a large fortified 
 depot was established. A cavalry force was also organized and equipped. 
 Bragg's army, meantime, occupied a line on the north of Duck River, with 
 his main base at Chattanooga, and a depot at Tullahoma. On the 23d of 
 June Rosecrans began the campaign, and, by a series of strategetic move- 
 ments, turned Bragg's position, and compelled him to abandon Tullahoma, 
 which he did on the 30th. By the 5th of July Middle Tennessee was in 
 possession of Rosecrans, and Bragg had crossed the Tennessee River at 
 various points, fortifying himself in Chattanooga. This important result 
 was obtained without any severe battle, and with but few slight skirmishes, 
 in which Rosecrans lost 85 killed, 462 wounded, and 13 missing He 
 captured 1,634 prisoners. 
 
 The next object was to capture Chattanooga, which commanded the 
 route towards Atlanta and Georgia. The railroads between the Tennessee 
 River and Nashville were first repaired, and were in condition for use July 
 25th, when Sheridan's division occupied Stevenson and Bridgeport. Between 
 the 16th and 29th of August the army had crossed the Tennessee 
 Mountains, and by the 4th of September had passed the Tennessee River. 
 Passing the Sand Mountains and Lookout Mountain, on the 18th of Sep- 
 tember, the army was concentrated near Crawfish Springs, in the valley of 
 the Chickamauga. Meanwhile Bragg had retreated to La Fayette, Georgia, 
 where, being reinforced by Longstreet's division from Virginia, he again 
 moved towards Chattanooga. It was near midnight when Longstreet 
 
298 
 
 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 reached Bragg's headquarters. He was placed in command of the left 
 wing. A new disposition of the forces was made, and it was ordered that 
 the action should commence at daybreak on the morrow, which was Sunday, 
 
 LONGSTREET'S ARRIVAL AT BRAGG'S HEADQUARTERS. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th began the battle of Chickamauga, by an 
 attack led by General Thomas upon Bragg's right. The battle became 
 general along the whole line, and lasted all day, without material advantage 
 to either side, darkness closing the contest. The next morning Bragg 
 renewed the fight by an overwhelming assault upon the Union centre, com- 
 manded by Davis and Sheridan, piercing the line and cutting the army in 
 twain. The right wing was driven in confusion from the field, and retreated 
 
IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 299 
 
 in great haste to Chattanooga, General Rosecrans being carried along with 
 the other fugitives. 
 
 The left wing, under General Thomas, maintained its ground, repulsed 
 every assault, held its position until night, and then withdrew in good 
 order to Rossville. Remaining there all the next day, General Thomas at 
 night marched to Chattanooga. His skill and conduct saved the army. 
 On the night of September oOth Bragg dispatched Wheeler's cavalry across 
 the Tennessee River, above Chattanooga, with directions to cut Rosecrans' 
 communications. Wheeler was closely followed by Generals McCook and 
 Mitchell, who defeated him in two actions, and drove him out of Tennessee 
 before he could do any damage to the railroads. 
 
 The Federal Armies United. 
 
 After the battle of Chickaniauga, the three departments of the Ohio, 
 the Cumberland, and the Tennessee were combined, and named the Mili- 
 tary Division of the Mississippi, General Grant assuming command. The 
 Army of the Cumberland was at Chattanooga ; the Army of the Ohio, 
 under General Burnside, was at Knoxville ; General W. T. Sherman, with 
 Blair's division of the Army of the Mississippi, was on his march from 
 Memphis to re-enforce Rosecrans ; and Hooker's corps, from the Army of 
 the Potomac, was on the way to Chattanooga. General Thomas, who had 
 succeeded General Rosecrans in the command of the Army of the Cumber- 
 land, ordered Hooker to occupy Bridgeport. General Grant, arriving at Chat- 
 tanooga October 23, approved and executed the plans of General Thomas. 
 
 Bragg's army was strongly posted on the heights around and below 
 Chattanooga, and unless he could be dislodged that place was untenable. 
 A series of movements, planned by General Thomas, wrested from Bragg 
 the positions that commanded the river, and opened it as a channel of sup- 
 plies, which had previously been brought in wagons sixty miles across the 
 mountains. Early in November, and while Grant was concentrating his 
 forces, Bragg weakened his army by detaching Longstreet to attack Burn- 
 side at Knoxville. 
 
 November 16, General Sherman reached Bridgeport, and November 23, 
 crossing the river, fortified himself on Missionary Ridge. Grant now 
 ordered the attack upon Bragg's position. It was begun by General Thomas, 
 who drove the Confederates from their front line, interposing one of his 
 corps between them and the river. The same morning Hooker scaled the 
 
300 IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 
 
 western slope of Lookout Mountain, drove the Confederates from their 
 rifle-pits, capturing many prisoners, with small loss. The next morning he 
 took possession of the top of the mountain, and swept across Lookout val- 
 ley to Rossville. His march was for hours among the clouds that enveloped 
 the mountains, hiding the army from view, their course being indicated by 
 the report and echoes of their guns. 
 
 At the same time General Sherman assailed Bragg's right, gaining and 
 holding a line close to his rifle-pits. General Thomas also assaulted Bragg's 
 centre, his troops nimbly climbing the steep sides of Missionary Ridge, 
 carrying the summit, and dashing irresistibly through and over the Con- 
 federate works. Bragg, believing the heights impregnable, delayed his own 
 retreat until the Unionists were close upon him, and in his haste he could 
 not save his personal effects. By midnight his army was in full retreat, 
 leaving on the field thousands of small arms, and a large part of his artillery. 
 
 Hasty Retreat of General Longstreet. 
 
 General Grant, without delay, ordered Sherman, with a strong body of 
 men, to the relief of Burnside, now sorely pressed by Longstreet. The city 
 had been furiously assailed by the best division of Lee's army of Northern 
 Virginia, and had been gallantly and successfully defended. The approach 
 of Sherman caused Longstreet to raise the siege, and retreat towards Vir- 
 ginia. Sherman's advance entered Knoxville on the night of December 3, 
 and he arrived on the 16tli. Remaining a few days to advise with Burn- 
 side about the pursuit of Longstreet, and leaving Granger's corps at 
 Knoxville, with the rest of his division he returned by slow marches 
 to Chattanooga. 
 
 General Grant's loss in the campaign was 757 killed, 4529 wounded, 
 and 330 missing. He captured 239 ofi&cers, 5903 privates, 40 guns, and 
 7000 small arms. The Confederate loss is not known, but it must have 
 been at least equal to Grant's. 
 
 In March, 1863, Congress passed an act requiring an enrolment of all 
 the able-bodied male citizens of the United States. The whole country was 
 divided into districts, for each of which a provost-marshal was appointed, 
 subordinate to a provost-marshal-general at Washington. The enrolment 
 was rapidly completed, amidst some excitement and dissatisfaction. The 
 result showed that the number of men, between the ages of eighteen and 
 forty-five years, liable to military duty, and not in the army, was 3,113,305. 
 
IMPORTANT UNION SUCCESSES. 301 
 
 The draft was ordered to be made in July. One-fifth of the number 
 enrolled was assumed as the quota of each district. As the day approached 
 for the drawing to begin threats were publicly made of forcible opposition. 
 In many of the large cities combinations to resist were secretly formed. 
 The draft, however, was made, and in most places without opposition. But 
 in New York city, on the second day, the office of one of the provost- 
 marshals was assailed and demolished by a mob. A fearful riot followed, 
 which raged for four days. Alany houses and stores were sacked and 
 burned. The fury of the mob was directed against prominent Union men, 
 soldiers and citizens, many of whom were brutally murdered. Armories, 
 gun-stores and rifle-factories were plundered. 
 
 Great Destruction of Life and Property. 
 
 The negroes were especially the objects of the fiendish hate and assault 
 of the mob. They were knocked down, robbed and killed, without pity. 
 The Colored Orphan Asylum was entered, its inmates thrust into the 
 streets, and the building fired. Property valued at three or four millions 
 of dollars was destroyed. Governor Seymour visited the city, and by public 
 speech and private influence strove to save the city from violence. But 
 reason and persuasion failed. Martial law was proclaimed, and the United 
 States troops, under the direction of General Wool, aided by the admirable 
 police of the city, finally suppressed the riot. It is said that more than a 
 thousand lives were lost. A similar riot occurred in the city of Troy. In 
 Boston, Portsmouth, and other places, the mob spirit was promptly 
 quelled. This, and subsequent drafts, were completed without a recur- 
 rence of violence. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 HE close of the year 1863 left the Federal government in pos- 
 session of the Mississippi River, and also of all the important 
 ports on the Atlantic coast and Gnlf of Mexico, except Wil- 
 mington, Charleston, and Mobile. The Confederacy still had 
 two large armies, nnder two able commanders. Lee, in Vir- 
 ginia and North Carolina, at the head of 150,000, and Johnston, in Georgia, 
 at the head of 60,000. The United States had, probably, twice that nnmber 
 in the field, besides those in forts and garrisons. 
 
 The clash of arms ceased during the beginning of the winter. The 
 lull was broken by expeditions preparatory to the final struggle. General 
 Sherman, February 3d, marched from Vicksburg, with 30,000 men, to Mer- 
 idian, reaching the place on the 15th. Here he expected to be joined by a 
 cavalry force of 7,000, under Gen. W. F. Smith, who set out from Mem- 
 phis on the 11th. But General Smith was met and checked by superior 
 forces, under Forrest, and fell back to Memphis. 
 
 General Sherman occupied Meridian for a week, and then returned, 
 February 26, to Vicksburg, having destroj^ed 200 miles of railroad, with 
 cars and connections, sixty-seven bridges, thousands of bales of cotton, and 
 millions of bushels of corn. This destruction of communications and prop- 
 erty crippled the Confederates, and had a damaging effect upon all their 
 operations for the year. 
 
 General Johnston sent a force from Dalton to oppose the march of 
 Sherman, supposing his object to be Mobile. To counteract this movement, 
 General Grant ordered General Palmer to advance towards Dalton, and 
 threaten an attack upon Johnston. The army moved forward within two 
 miles of Dalton, but, after some slight skirmishes, withdrew to Ringgold. 
 General Schofield, who had superseded General Bumside in East Ten- 
 nessee, moved against General Longstreet, who had wintered there. Long- 
 street retreated into Virginia, rejoining Lee. 
 
 An expedition designing to occupy Florida, consisting of twenty 
 
 302 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 303 
 
 steamers and eight schooners, with 5,000 men, under General Gillmore, 
 sailed from Hilton Head. The army began its march immediately, under 
 General' Seymour, and by the 15th, after slight skirmishing, reached 
 Baldwin. Continuing the march, on the '20th they encountered General 
 Finnegan, at Olustee ; and, after suffering a disastrous defeat, returned 
 to Jacksonville. 
 
 A formidable expedition for the capture of vShreveport, on the Red 
 River, and the occupation of Western Louisiana, was organized under 
 General Banks, at New Orleans. A large fleet under Rear-Admiral Porter, 
 consisting of three monitors, seven iron-clads, and ten other vessels, was 
 collected at the mouth of Red river. March 12th, the expedition began 
 the ascent of the river. On the 14th, Fort De Russy was captured. The 
 Confederate forces, under Gen. Dick Taylor, were defeated in two encounters, 
 on the. 21st, at Henderson Hill, and the 28th, at Cane river. On the 
 morning of April 6th, the whole army, which had been concentrated at 
 Alexandria and Grand Ecore, moved from the latter place, and engaged 
 the Confederates at Pleasant Hill, very soon succeeding in driving them in 
 disorder from the field. 
 
 Heavy Losses of the Union Army. 
 
 On the morning of the 8th, the advance of General Banks, consisting 
 of about 8,000 men, reached Sabine Cross Roads ; while General Franklin, 
 with the Nineteenth Corps, was in camp nine miles in the rear, and Gen- 
 eral Smith, with half of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps, was twent\^ 
 miles in the rear. Gen. Dick Taylor fell with his whole force upon 
 General Banks, and, before General Franklin could come to his aid, 
 defeated him, with a loss of 2,000 men, and the whole of his transportation 
 train. Banks retreated during the night to Pleasant Hill, followed by 
 Taylor, and a second battle ensued, in which the Confederates were driven 
 from the field. But Banks' victory was barren, and his losses so great, 
 that the next morning, leaving his dead unburied, he began his retreat 
 towards Alexandria, where he arrived April 27th. Here he was detained 
 until May 14th. 
 
 The water in the river was so low that the gunboats could not descend 
 the falls, until Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey suggested the construction of 
 wing-dams on each side of the river, leaving a channel fifty feet wide in 
 the middle. His suggestion was carried into effect, under his own super- 
 
304 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 intendence: the fleet passed safely over the falls, and reached the mouth 
 of Red River, May 16th. The army returned to New Orleans, and the 
 fleet to its station on the Mississippi. The expedition was a disastrous 
 failure, with the loss of 3,000 men, 20 pieces of artillery, 1,200 horses and 
 mules, and immense quantities of army stores. 
 
 General Steele left his station at Little Rock, Ark., March 23d, to 
 co-operate with General Banks. He reached Arkadelphia the 28th. April 
 -16th, he was joined by General Thayer, who had marched from Fort 
 Smith. After several severe skirmishes, in which he was successful, he 
 occupied Camden, where he remained until the 26th. In the meantime, 
 iaving heard of the defeat and retreat of General Banks, he retraced his 
 steps, reaching Little Rock, May 2d. 
 
 April 19th, a Confederate force under General Hoke, aided by the 
 ram "Albemarle," attacked Plymouth, N. C, commanded by Gen. H. W. 
 Wessels, carried the place by assault, and captured the entire garrison and 
 armament. The gunboat " Smithfield " was almost immediately sunk, and 
 the "Miami" considerably disabled. 
 
 Frightful Slaughter of Negro Troops. 
 
 During the months of March and April, the Confederate General 
 Porrest entered Kentucky, captured Union City and its garrison, and, 
 March 24th, attacked Paducah, but was repulsed by Colonel Hicks. On 
 the morning of April 13th, Forrest attacked Fort Pillow, Tenn., garrisoned 
 iDy a detachment of Tennessee cavalry and by the first regiment of Ala- 
 bama colored troops, under Major Booth. The garrison refused to surrender, 
 and fought bravely until 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; when, the fort being 
 carried by assault, the men threw down their arms, but, being of the 
 negro race, they were massacred without mercy. 
 
 The guerilla John Morgan entered Kentucky, through Pound Gap, in 
 the latter part of May, with two or three thousand men. After his capture 
 in Ohio, he had escaped from prison. He attacked Cynthiana June 11th, 
 and captured the garrison. On the 12th, he was met by General Bur- 
 bridge, routed with loss, and driven out of the State. This dreaded raider 
 was subsequently killed at Greenville, Tenn., while attempting to escape 
 in the night, from a house which was surrounded by Union troops under the 
 command of General Gillem. 
 
 The army of the Potomac had lain on the north side of the Rapidan 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 305 
 
 from December, 1863, until May, 1864. The army of General Lee was 
 encamped on the south side of the same river. The first important move- 
 ment in^ the spring was the expedition under General Kilpatrick, who left 
 Stevensburg February 28th with about 8,000 men, and crossed the Rapidan 
 at Germania and Ely's Ford, about sixty miles from Richmond. He struck 
 the Virginia Central railroad at Frederickshall, and tore it up for several 
 miles. He then detached Colonel Dahlgren towards the James River Canal, 
 and moved himself to Ashland. The detachment under Colonel Dahlgren 
 was misled by a negro guide, and, failing to rejoin Kilpatrick at Ashland, 
 was defeated in a skirmish with Lieutenant-Colonel Pollard, Colonel 
 Dahlgren was killed, and sixty of his men captured. Kilpatrick went 
 within six miles of Richmond. Unable to approach nearer, he moved 
 down the peninsula, effecting a junction with General Butler at Tunstall's 
 Station, on the York River railroad. 
 
 Promotion of General Grant. 
 
 Congress, February 29th, passed an act reviving the grade of Lieuten- 
 ant-General. The President approved the act, and immediately sent to the 
 Senate the name of Ulysses S. Grant, whose nomination was confirmed 
 March 3d. General Grant coming to Washington, his commission was 
 presented to him by President Lincoln, in the presence of the Cabinet and 
 other distinguished persons. His first order, assuming command of the 
 armies of the United States, was issued from his headquarters at Nashville. 
 By direction of the President he assigned the military division of the 
 Mississippi, composed of the Departments of the Ohio, the Tennessee, the 
 Cumberland, and the Arkansas, to Major-General W. T. Sherman; and 
 the army of the Tennessee was placed under the direct command of Major- 
 General J. B. McPherson. 
 
 November 25th, in the night, a number of fires were set in the city 
 of New York, simultaneously, in different places. They were clearly the 
 work of incendiaries. The police subsequently arrested Robert Kennedy, 
 in the cars near Detroit. He was tried and convicted of setting fire to 
 Barnum's Museum, Lovejoy's Hotel, Tammany Hall and the New England 
 House. He said he had five accomplices, who each set fire to their board- 
 ing-houses. They all stayed in the city the next day, and then escaped 
 to Canada. He further stated that he and his accomplices were hired to 
 burn the city of New York by Confederate agents in Canada, The reason 
 
 20 
 
306 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 assigned in justification of the crime was the desolation of the Shenandoah 
 Valley by General Sheridan. 
 
 October 19th a raid from Canada upon St. Albans, Vermont, was made 
 by a party, twenty or thirty in number, claiming to be in the Confederate 
 service. They robbed the St. Albans' Bank of fifty thousand dollars, stole 
 horses enough to mount the party, fired upon unarmed citizens, and set 
 fire to a hotel. Some of them were arrested in Canada and brought to 
 trial, but were discharged unpunished. The Canadian government, how- 
 ever, refunded a part of the money. This was the only successful raid 
 among many planned by Confederates in Canada, aided and encouraged 
 by sympathizing friends. 
 
 General Grant, whose labors had hitherto been done in the West, left 
 Nashville a fortnight after being made Commander-in-chief, and established 
 his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 Soldiers Calmly Preparing for Death. 
 
 Between the battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, and the close of the 
 year. General Meade had followed Lee, until the latter took post on a 
 strong line south of the Rapidan, a few miles east of Gordons ville. The 
 campaign had been one of manoeuvres, by which each had sought to gain 
 some position where he could fight his antagonist at a disadvantage. At 
 one time Meade crossed the Rapidan, near a small stream called Mine Run^ 
 and drew up his troops in order of battle. The soldiers, who knew the 
 strength of Lee's position, conscious of the desperate and hopeless task 
 before them, calmly prepared for death. 
 
 Each one wrote on a slip of paper his name, his company, regiment 
 and residence, and pinned it to his clothes, so that his dead body might 
 be recognized by his friends. Meade did not put them to the test. He 
 recrossed the Rapidan to his camp, and thus the two armies confronted 
 each other all winter. Both were strongly reinforced, and improved in 
 drill and discipline. Longstreet was recalled by Lee from East Tennessee, 
 and his corps was encamped near Gordons ville. Lee also summoned to 
 his aid all the troops that could be spared from the Carolinas. On the 
 Union side the army of the Potomac v;as increased to nearly 100,000, and 
 Burnside's corps, transferred from East Tennessee, was held in reserve. 
 
 Meade's army was composed of three corps: the Second, Fifth and 
 Sixth, commanded respectively by Generals Hancock, Warren and Sedg- 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 307 
 
 wick. General Sheridan commanded the cavalry; General H. J. Hunt 
 was chief of artillery; Major Duane, chief engineer, and General Ingalls, 
 quartermaster. Although Grant had supreme direction, all orders were 
 issued by Meade. 
 
 As co-operative movements. General Butler, with 30,000 men, was at 
 Fortress Monroe, ready to threaten Richmond by the James river; and 
 General Sigel, with 17,000 men, was in West Virginia — one column in the 
 Shenandoah Valley, and another, under General Crook, in the Valley 
 of the Kanawha. 
 
 The army of the Potomac moved on the night of the 3d of May. The 
 right column, under Warren and Sedgwick, crossed at Germania Ford, 
 and the left, under Hancock, at Ely's Ford, six miles below. During 
 the 4th the army crossed the river, and at night encamped on the battle- 
 field of Chancellorsville. 
 
 Clever Tactics of Lee and Longstreet. 
 
 General Lee did not oppose the crossing. His right was turned. His 
 force, consisting of three corps, extended from Somerville Ford to Gordons- 
 dlle — Longstreet's corps near the latter place, Hill's in the vicinity of 
 Orange Court-house, and Ewell's to the right and along the Rapidan. On 
 Lhe morning of the 5th General Meade put his forces in motion, intending 
 to place himself between the Confederate army and Gordonsville. But 
 3-eneral Lee, to foil this plan, marched his army rapidly to the east, on 
 the Orange and Frederick plank-road and turnpike, and assailed Meade 
 in the Wilderness. 
 
 The country so called is a region where mining operations had been 
 :arried on, and the original forest having been cleared away, the land was 
 rocky and uneven, overspread with a thick growth of low, scraggy pines 
 md scrub-oaks. Cavalry could not penetrate it, and artillery could not be 
 iragged over it. It was just such a field as that on which Braddock had 
 been lured to destruction. It was a battle of musketry only, and only 
 [ndian tactics prevailed. 
 
 Before noon Longstreet fell upon Hancock's left with such fierceness 
 that it was forced to the Brock road, which Longstreet determined to seize. 
 Should he succeed in doing so Grant would be forced to retreat to the 
 Rapidan under circumstances as disastrous as his predecessors, who had 
 invariably fallen back from before Lee. 
 
3Q8 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 This success of Longstreet in making this 
 highly important movement was prevented by a 
 remarkable accident. He spurred for- 
 ward to lead the movement. At that 
 rioment some Confederate troops mis- 
 took him and his escort for Union 
 cavalry, and fired a volley at them. 
 Longstreet waved his hand ' 
 and shouted to them to stop 
 firing. 
 
 They ' I, 
 
 did so, \. A 
 
 WOUNDI 
 
 :<0 OF GENERAL LONGSTREET BY 
 HIS OWN MEN. 
 
 but not 
 until a 
 bullet passed 
 through his 
 throat, coming out 
 at the shoulder. He 
 fell from his horse, and 
 was believed to be dead. 
 Such a calamity spread 
 dismay for a time in the 
 Confederate ranks, and prevented the 
 success of the movement. 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 309 
 
 Lee expected, by his sudden and fierce onset, in a place where cavalry 
 and artillery were useless, and his sharpshooters were at home, to drive Grant 
 back over the Rapidan. Grant hoped to destroy Lee's army by the weight 
 of his superior masses. Both failed. 
 
 The Civil War here presented the melancholy spectacle of 15,000 Union 
 and 8000 Confederate dead. The Union General Wadsworth was killed, and 
 Generals Seymour and Shaler taken prisoners. General Longstreet was 
 badly wounded, and disabled for the rest of the campaign. 
 
 Battle of Spottsylvania Ocurt-House. 
 
 General Grant, on the 7th, directed his army to move to Spottsylvania 
 Court-house, and turn Lee's right. General Meade set the army early in 
 motion, hoping to plant it between Lee and Richmond. The Confederate 
 general was first on the ground, and intrenched. For twelve days the armies 
 faced each other, Lee acting on the defensive. All attempts to break through 
 his lines failed. One was attended with partial success. General Hancock, 
 before daylight, carried the first line of Lee's works in the centre, taking 
 4000 prisoners and twent}^ guns. 
 
 The ground thus gained was held, although General Lee in his 
 endeavor to recapture it, kept up the contest until midnight, a continuous 
 battle of twenty hours. It was the fiercest and bloodiest struggle of the 
 campaign. General Grant afterwards made repeated attempts to find a weak 
 point in Lee's lines, but they were impregnable. 
 
 Here General Sheridan was detached with his three divisions of cavalry, 
 numbering 12,000 men, with thirty-two pieces of field artillery, under 
 Generals Gregg, Merritt, and Wilson, besides those left with the army for 
 picket and orderly duty, upon an expedition to the Confederate rear. The 
 raid was designed to cut Lee's communications, by destroying in part the 
 railroads between him and Richmond, to threaten, and, if practicable, seize 
 that city, and to open communications with the army of the James. 
 
 General Sheridan succeeded in burning Beaver Dam and Ashland 
 Stations, with an immense accumulation of supplies, and in tearing up more 
 than twenty miles of railroad. Near Beaver Dam he overtook and recap- 
 tured nearly 400 Union prisoners, including Colonels Phelps and Tally. 
 He proceeded towards Richmond, met and defeated the Confederate cavahy 
 at Yellow Tavern, eight miles north of the city, in a sharp combat, 
 which resulted in the, death of General J. E. B. Stuart. 
 
310 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 Sheridan pushed on, carried the first line of the defences of Richmond, . 
 again encountered the Confederate cavalry, reinforced b}- the Home Guards 
 and other infantry, strongly intrenched, and after foiling a desperate effort 
 to entrap his command, succeeded by hard fighting in forcing the passage 
 at Meadow Bridge, and withdrawing to the north side of the Chickahominy. 
 Thence proceeding through Mechanicsville, he again met and defeated the 
 Confederates, and then pushed on to Haxall's Landing, on the James 
 river, where he communicated with General Butler at Bermuda Hun- 
 dred. Here he embarked his force on transports, and rejoined the Army 
 of the Potomac. 
 
 On the same day that Meade crossed the Rapidan, General Butler 
 embarked his troops on board of transports at Fortress Monroe, and sailed 
 up the James river, convoj^ed b}^ a fleet of gunboats. The next day he 
 effected a landing at City Point and Port Powhatan, but disembarked his 
 main bod}^ at Bermuda Hundred, a neck of land lying between the Appo- 
 mattox and James rivers, ten miles north of Petersburg, and twenty miles 
 south of Richmond. General Beauregard quickly drew all available forces 
 from the south, foiled Butler's attempts upon Petersburg and Richmond, 
 attacked him on the IGth, and dro\-e him within his lines between the forks 
 of the two rivers, and, intrenching in his front, covered the railroad and 
 both cities. General Beauregard then reinforced Lee, who also was now 
 joined by the troops under Breckinridge, from Tennessee. 
 
 Union Troops Headed toward Richmond. 
 
 General Sigel, advancing up the Shenandoah, was defeated at New 
 Market, May 15, when he was superseded b}^ General Hunter, who in his 
 turn defeated the Confederates at Piedmont. Hunter marched to Lynch- 
 burg, but finding the place too strongly defended, he turned back by a 
 route through West Virginia, bringing his command safely through. 
 
 The twelve days' conflict at Spottsylvania was ended by another turn- 
 ing movement, which began by the march of Hancock's corps towards 
 Richmond. The point aimed at was the line of the North Anna river. 
 The two armies were soon in motion, and moving on parallel lines, the 
 whole object of Lee being to interpose himself continually between Grant 
 and Richmond. Grant crossed the North Anna river, but Lee still was 
 able to intrench himself in an unassailable position, and again Grant, by a 
 flank movement, reached Cold Harbor, once more to be confronted by Lee, 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 311 
 
 in a position in advance of the Chickahominy, covering the Virginia Cen- 
 tral, and the Fredericksburg and Richmond railroads. 
 
 Ail attack was made at live o'clock in the evening on Lee's lines by 
 the Sixth Corps, and the troops under General William F. Smith, just 
 arrived from General Butler's army. The attack was successful, and the 
 ground gained held against repeated assaults. An attack was made along 
 the whole line, and within twenty minutes more than ten thousand men 
 
 BATTLE OF COLD HARKOR. 
 
 fell before they could reach the Confederate lines. Some hours later General 
 Meade ordered a second advance, and the men unanimously refused to obey. 
 
 General Grant, June 14, transferred his army south of the James river. 
 He then ordered General Butler to send General Smith, during the night, 
 against Petersburg. The movement was not prompt, and General Smith, 
 instead of marching into Petersburg, which was then undefended, rested 
 over-night The next morning it was too late. All that could be done was 
 to carry the outer works. A good position was gained, and the army pro- 
 ceeded to envelop Petersburg towards the Southside railroad, as far as pos- 
 sible, without attacking fortifications. 
 
 As early as the 7th of June, General Sheridan had been sent on a 
 
312 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 raid towards Gordonsville, there to efifect a junction, if possible, with Gen- 
 eral Hunter, and destroy the Virginia Central railroad. General Sheridan 
 reached Trevilian Station, where he encountered and defeated a body of 
 cavalry, and destroyed about twelve miles of railroad. Hearing nothing of 
 General Hunter he turned back, and on the 25th crossed the James river 
 at Powhatan and rejoined the army. 
 
 Between the 22d and 30th of June, Generals Wilson and Kauiz made 
 a cavalry raid against the railroads, south of Richmond. General Wilson 
 reached Burkesville Station, and destroyed twenty-five miles of the Danville 
 railroad. The Southside road and the Weldon road were both damaged. 
 The expedition then returned, but with the loss of its artillery. 
 
 A Regiment and Battery Blown Up. 
 
 For some weeks in July the Ninth Army Corps had been engaged in 
 digging a mine under one of the Confederate forts. Before springing the 
 mine a demonstration was made on the north side of the James river against 
 the New Market road, to induce the sending of troops away from the 
 Petersburg defences. On the morning of the oOth, between four and five 
 o'clock, the mine was sprung, blowing up a battery and most of a regi- 
 ment. The advance of the assaulting column, formed of the Ninth Corps, 
 took possession of the crater made by the explosion. Not being properly 
 supported they were driven back with great slaughter. The failure to take 
 the fort, the capture of which was certain to compel the evacuation of Peters- 
 burg, w^as a bitter disappointment to General Grant and the nation. 
 
 The occupation of the Weldon railroad, the completion of a railroad 
 from City Point to the Weldon railroad, facilitating the transit of troops, 
 arms, and supplies through the Union lines, the capture of Fort Harrison, 
 north of the James river, and a futile attempt to extend the Federal lines 
 to the Southside railroad, were the most important events in the siege of 
 Petersburg and Richmond until the final grand advance. 
 
 Here we break the current of our narrative and turn our attention to 
 the movements of General Sherman. It was on the l4th of March that 
 General Sherman took command of the Department of the Mississippi. He 
 had three armies encamped in and around Chattanooga — the Army of the 
 Cumberland, General Thomas commanding, 60,773 men ; the Army of the 
 Tennessee, General McPherson commanding, 24,465 men ; and the Army 
 of the Ohio, General Schofield commanding, 13,559 men. The whole was 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 313 
 
 composed of 88,188 infantry, G149 cavalry, and 44G0 artillery; or, 98,797 
 men and 254 guns. To supply this army there was but a single line of 
 railroad from Louisville, Kentucky, through Nashville to Chattanooga. By 
 the first of May the depots at Nashville and Chattanooga were well filled 
 with supplies of provisions and military stores, and everything in readiness 
 for an onward march. 
 
 The Confederates lay in and about Dalton, thirty-eight miles south of 
 Chattanooga. Their force was estimated at 50,000 infantry and 10,000 
 cavalry, mostly veterans, under the command of General Joseph H. Johnston, 
 an able general, second only, and by some deemed superior, to General 
 Lee in military skill and capacity. What he lacked in numbers was made 
 up in the rugged and defensible character of the country. His position at 
 Dalton was well fortified, and the hundred miles to Atlanta was the most 
 impracticable region over which an aggressive march was ever undertaken. 
 
 Retreat of General Johnston. 
 
 General Sherman began his movement May Gth. He found the position 
 at Buzzard's Roost too strong to be assaulted. General McPherson was 
 sent through Snake Gap to turn it, while Generals Thomas and Schofield 
 threatened it in front and on the north. The movement was successful. 
 General Johnston, finding his retreat likely to be cut off, fell back to his 
 fortified position at Resaca. Here he was attacked, and a heav}^ battle 
 ensued May 15th. During the night Johnston retreated. His rear-guard 
 was overtaken and attacked at Adairsville. Severe skirmishing ensued. 
 
 He continued his retreat until the 19th, when he crossed the Etowah 
 river. While these operations were going on General Jefferson C. Davis' 
 division of Thomas' army was sent to Rome, which, with its forts and 
 artillery, its valuable mills and foundries, was captured and destroyed. 
 After resting a few days. General Sherman put his army in motion for 
 Dallas, with a view to turn the difficult pass of Alatoona. On the 25th 
 General Hooker had a severe battle v/ith a part of Hood's and Hardee's 
 corps, driving them back to New Hope Church. Of several encounters, 
 at and near Dallas, the most important was a desperate assault upon 
 McPherson, which met with a bloody repulse. 
 
 On the 4th of June Johnston retreated to the strong positions of Pine, 
 Kenesaw and Lost mountains. For several days there was incessant skir- 
 mishing. In the meantime the Federal army was reinforced by General 
 
314 
 
 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 Blair, with two divisions of the Seventeenth Army Corps.; and the Con- 
 federate army by the Georgia militia and accessions of cavalry. On the 
 14th the warrior-bishop, Leonidas 
 Polk, was killed by an exploding 
 shell while standing with 
 Johnston and Hardee on %^ 
 the crest of ^^~^ = ^ =^ 
 
 Pine Moun- 
 tain. On the 
 28th Generals 
 Thomas and 
 McPherson 
 made a determined assault on 
 Johnston's works, but were re- 
 pulsed with terrible slaughter. 
 Defeated in his direct attack, 
 General Sherman again moved 
 his army by the right, and turned John- 
 ston's position, compelling him to aban- 
 don Kenesaw and retreat, July 3d, across 
 the Chattahoochee. Both armies rested 
 in comparative quiet, the time being occupied by General Sherman in 
 manoeuvres and movements for the purpose of crossing the Chattahoochee 
 
 ~:^.^^cX^ 
 
 DEATH OF GENERAL POLK. 
 
CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 315 
 
 and turning Johnston's position, which had been carefully chosen, and 
 strongly fortified, as the last defence of Atlanta. On the 17th General 
 Shernian had crossed the Chattahoochee, and by the 2(Jth had forced 
 Johnston into his intrenchnients in front of Atlanta, and here General 
 Johnston was, by order of President Davis, superseded in command by 
 General J. B. Hood. 
 
 General Hood immediately assumed the offensive, and made, during 
 the latter part of July, several desperate assaults upon General Sherman's 
 lines. The most determined attack was on July 22, during which the 
 brave and accomplished General McPherson was killed. Hood was defeated 
 in every attempt, and his army suffered losses which could not be repaired. 
 The Confederate loss in this battle, the bloodiest in the campaign, was 
 about 12,000 killed, wounded and prisoners, while that of the Federals was 
 3,722. General Logan succeeded General McPherson in command, until 
 superseded by IMajor-General Howard. 
 
 Three Expeditions Sent Forward. 
 
 During the month of August General Sherman partially invested 
 Atlanta. In the meantime three expeditions, under Generals McCook, 
 Garrard and Stoneman, were made to cut the railroads south of Atlanta. 
 The first was successful ; the others failed. General Rousseau had pre- 
 viously made a successful raid upon the Atlanta and Montgomery railroad, 
 and its branches near Opelika. About the same time, also, the Confederate 
 General Wheeler left Atlanta with a large force of cavalry, intending to 
 cut General Sherman's communications in the rear. He crossed the rail- 
 road near Dalton, passed into East Tennessee, and then went to McMinn- 
 ville, Murfreesboro, and Franklin, and finally into Alabama. The damage 
 done by him was repaired in a few days. 
 
 General Sherman becoming convinced that he could not completely 
 invest Atlanta, decided to move round Hood's left flank upon the Mont- 
 gomery and Macon railroad, and thus draw him from his fortifications. 
 Hood was compelled to abandon Atlanta, and being defeated at Rough and 
 Ready, at Jonesboro and Lovejoy's, he retreated south. On the 2d General 
 Slocum entered the city, and General Sherman, desisting from the pursuit 
 of Hood, returned and encamped around it on the 8th. 
 
 While General Sherman was marching and fighting his way towards 
 Atlanta the single line of railroad from Nashville, by which alone he 
 
316 CAMPAIGNS OF SHERMAN AND GRANT. 
 
 could receive supplies, had to be guarded the whole distance. The Con- 
 federate General Forrest, in Northern Mississippi, was meditating an attack 
 upon it, to cut off Sherman's retreat should he meet with a serious 
 reverse. General Sherman, therefore, directed General Washburne to send 
 General Sturgis, with the forces in West Tennessee, to operate against 
 Forrest. On the morning of the 10th of June General Sturgis met Forrest 
 near Guntown, Mississippi, was badly beaten, and retreated in utter con- 
 fusion hotly pursued, to Memphis. But the conflict defeated Forrest's 
 designs against Sherman. 
 
 The movements of General Sherman were in keeping with the plan 
 to divide the Confederacy, and break it up. Already the Union armies 
 held a strong position in the central part of those States which were try- 
 ing to sever themselves from the Union. 
 
 General Sherman's plan was to cut the Confederacy in twain. While 
 military operations were going on farther north, and on the coast, he 
 resolved to strike at vital points. Possessed of great energy and military 
 skill, his plans were formed with a far end in view, and he pushed for- 
 ward, bravely determined to accomplish his purpose. Already the forces 
 of the South were becoming weak, although not yet ready to give up the 
 fight. Enthusiasm could not make up for lack of numbers. Men might 
 be willing to starve, and even lay down their lives, but this was no surety 
 that they could obtain the victory. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 ^IIvMINGTON, North Carolina, was the only seaport town on 
 P' the coast that the United States fleet had been unable to 
 blockade with any degree of success. The entrance to the 
 city is by Cape Fear river, whose outlet is such that the 
 navy could not effectually close it against blockade-runners, 
 which were daily passing in aud out with supplies from abroad, and exports 
 of cotton and other products. 
 
 The number of vessels that ran the blockade in fifteen months, from 
 October 1, 1863, to December 31, 18G4, was 397. English capitalists had 
 invested in the trade more than sixty millions of dollars. Fifty cruisers 
 stationed on the coast could not guard the entrance, although they made 
 sixty-five captures of steamers, whose value \vas more than thirteen 
 millions of dollars. 
 
 In the summer of 18G4, it was determined to make an effort to capture 
 the town. Its main defences were Fort Caswell, situated on the north end 
 of Oak Island, on the south side of the river; and Fort Johnson, near 
 Smithville, on the mainland ; and Fort Fisher, on the southern point of 
 the mainland, on the south side of the river, commanding both the channel 
 of the river and that of New Inlet. It was a strong fort, and garrisoned 
 by 2,300 men. The naval part of the expedition was assembled in Hamp- 
 ton Roads, and was ready to sail early in the fall. It consisted of the 
 iron-clads "Ironsides," " Monadnock," " Canonicus," and " Mahopac ; " the 
 frigates " Alinnesota," "Colorado," "Wabash;" and several gunboats and 
 vessels of smaller size, and a fleet of transports. 
 
 The expedition got off on the 13th: the troops on board numbered 
 6,500. It was intended by General Grant that General Weitzel should 
 command them. But General Butler, through whom, as the superior officer, 
 the instructions to Weitzel were given, put the instructions in his pocket, 
 and went himself. General Grant did not dream that Butler would take 
 command, and thouglit that if he went, it would be merely to see the 
 
 317 
 
318 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 explosion of a boat laden with powder, which he had prepared at great 
 expense and delay, as if fancying that the mud walls of Fort Fisher 
 would fall at the noise, as the walls of Jericho did at the sound 
 of Joshua's trumpets. 
 
 The fleet arrived off New Inlet on the 15th, but a storm delayed the 
 attack until the 24tli. The powder boat was exploded the same morning, 
 with so little effect that the Confederates did not know the object of it 
 until they were informed by the Northern newspapers. At one o'clock the 
 bombardment began, and in an hour and fifteen minutes the fort ceased to 
 fire in return. The fire was kept up for five hours. The fleet suffered no 
 injury, except by the explosion of its own guns, by which about forty 
 men were killed, and others were wounded. 
 
 The Works too Strong to be Taken. 
 
 The next day the bombardment was renewed, and a landing of part 
 of the force was made ; but General Weitzel, after a survey of the work, 
 reported that it would be " butchery to order an assault." This opinion 
 coincided with that of General Butler, who ordered the troops to re-embark, 
 and return to Fortress Monroe. Rear-Admiral Porter, who commanded the 
 fleet, did not agree with General Butler, and so wrote to the Navy Department. 
 
 He remained off New Inlet two days, and then went to Beaufort, and 
 waited in the confident expectation that General Grant would order a 
 second attack. Accordingly, on the 30th of December, General Grant wrote 
 to Admiral Porter to hold on, and he would send a force, and make another 
 attempt to take the place. The same troops were ordered back, with 
 the addition of a brigade of 1,500 men, and Gen. A. H. Terry was selected 
 for the command. 
 
 The expedition sailed January Gth, and arrived at Beaufort on the 8th. 
 Here it was detained by rough weather until the 12th. The next day the 
 troops were all landed. The fleet opened fire upon the fort, and kept it up 
 continuousl}^ for two days. 
 
 The assault was made at 3 p. m. January 15, by the army on the land 
 face, and by a body of sailors and marines on the northeast bastion. The 
 latter failed, but the army was more successful. By 5 o'clock nine traverses, 
 being half the land front, were carried by hand-to-hand fighting. By 9 
 o'clock two more were carried, and an hour later the occupation of the 
 fort was complete. 
 
BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 319 
 
 The garrison retreated to Federal Point, where, their retreat being cut 
 off, they surrendered unconditionally, to the number of 2083 ; the rest were 
 killed and wounded. The Union loss, of both army and fleet, was about 
 900. The fall of Fort Fisher was followed by that of Fort Caswell, and the 
 forts at Smith's Island, Smithville, and Reeve's Point, and the city of 
 Wilmington. The Confederate gunboats "Tallahassee" and "Chickamauga'^ 
 were also destroyed. 
 
 The city of Mobile was defended by three forts at the entrance of 
 Mobile Bay, forts Morgan and Gaines, on opposite sides of the channel, the 
 latter on Dauphin Island, and the former at the end of a long sandy reach 
 of the mainland. These forts kept the blockading fleet out of the bay. 
 Admiral Farragut, who commanded the Gulf Squadron, reconnoitered the 
 approaches to the bay early in the year, and offered, with the assistance of 
 two or three iron-clads and a few thousand soldiers to gain full possession 
 of the bay. In the latter part of July four monitors were added to his 
 squadron, and General Granger was prepared to co-operate with the troops. 
 
 The Whole Fleet in Motion. 
 
 On the evening of August 4th the monitors and wooden vessels were 
 all assembled off the bar of Mobile Bay, and the next morning, before six 
 o'clock, the whole fleet moved up the bay. The wooden ships had each an 
 iron-clad lashed to the side next to Fort Morgan, for the double purpose of 
 protection, and that if either should be disabled her partner might tow her 
 along. The four monitors also moved between the ships and the fort, at 
 the distance of about two hundred yards from the latter. 
 
 Admiral Farragut, lashed to the topmast of his flagship, the Hartford, 
 led the attack, and opened such a terrible and continuous fire upon the 
 fort that the gunners were driven from their guns, and all the fleet passed 
 the forts with very little damage, except to the monitor Tecumseh, which 
 was struck by a torpedo, staving a hole in her side, M^hen she filled and 
 sank, carrying down her brave commander, T. A. M. Craven, and all her 
 crew but four officers and seventeen men. 
 
 Soon after eight o'clock a desperate battle began with the Confederate 
 fleet, consisting of the "Selma," "Morgan," and "Gaines," and the iron-clad 
 ram "Tennessee," the most formidable ship ever constructed by the 
 Confederates, and commanded by Admiral Buchanan, who had formerly 
 commanded the Merrimac. After a contest of two hours with the whole 
 
320 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 Federal fleet, the ram surrendered. Admiral Buchanan lost a leg, and twelve 
 of his crew were killed and wounded. Two hundred and eighty prisoners 
 were taken. Admiral Farragut lost fifty-two killed and one hundred and 
 seventy wounded, besides those drowned in the "Tecumseli." 
 
 The forts were immediately invested. Gaines surrendered on the 7th, 
 and Morgan on the 23d. Fort Powell was blown up and abandoned. The 
 number of prisoners captured was 1464. Henceforth Mobile Bay was closed 
 to external commerce. 
 
 Early in June the ''Alabama," Captain Semmes, after a successful cruise 
 in the Southern Atlantic and Indian oceans against American merchant- 
 men, returned, and put into the harbor of Cherbourg. The United States 
 steamer "Kearsarge," Captain John A. Winslow, lying then at Flushing, 
 immediately sailed for Cherbourg, to watch the Alabama. Captain Semmes 
 repaired and refitted his ship, and twenty minutes past 10 o'clock Sunday 
 morning, June 19th, sailed out of the harbor to fight the "Kearsarge.'' He 
 was accompanied by the French ironclad "Couronne," and an English 3^acht, 
 the "Deer-hound," owned by a Mr. Lancaster. 
 
 The Famous Cruiser Goes Down. 
 
 The two vessels were nearly equal in size and armament, the "Ala- 
 bama" being larger b}^ 120 tons, and having eight guns to the " Kearsarge's " 
 seven. The latter had the more powerful engines. The crew of the 
 "Kearsarge" was twenty-two ofiicers and one hundred and forty men. It 
 is not known what number of men the "Alabama" had. 
 
 This naval combat was not between two American ships. The "Ala- 
 bama" was a British ship, built in England, her armament and all her 
 outfit English. Her crew were nearly all British sailors, her second 
 lieutenant, Armstrong, being a relative of the inventor of the Armstrong 
 gun. There was nothing American about her, except her name, and her 
 captain, and a part of her ofiicers. Before leaving Cherbourg, her guns were 
 manned by trained and skilful artillerists, who were transferred from the 
 British practice-ship "Excellent." 
 
 After a short engagement the " Alabama " was sunk. The crew jumped 
 into the sea. The " Kearsarge" picked up sixty-nine, of whom seventeen 
 Avere wounded. Twelve were taken to France by two pilot-boats. The 
 *' Deer-hound" picked up forty-two, including Captain Semmes, and took 
 them to England. How many were killed and wounded cannot be known. 
 
BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 321 
 
 The conduct of Captain Semmes, who, after striking his flag, threw his 
 sword into the sea, and allowed himself to be carried off to P^ngland has 
 been severel}^ censured in the United States. 
 
 The constitution and laws required a new election of President in I8G4. 
 
 SINKING OF THE "ALABAMA" BY THE " KEARSARGE. " 
 
 It could not be postponed. Could it be peaceably held in the midst of war? 
 Could the canvass for the rival candidates be conducted without riot and 
 bloodshed amid the clash of arms? The statesmen of the old world asked 
 these questions. But the people of the United States, with no more than 
 the ordinary agitation of the political elements, went through the canvass 
 and elected a president and vice-president. The friends of Mr. Lincoln 
 proposed him as a candidate for re-election, and for the second time he 
 was chosen president. 
 
 The year 1S64 was crowdeci with events, and we must go back a little 
 
 21 
 
322 
 
 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA, 
 
 in the order of time. In June, General Lee ascertaining that, in consequence 
 of Hunter's slow retreat through the mountains of West Virginia, Mary- 
 land was open to another invasion, and Washington exposed, ordered Gen- 
 eral Early with 12,000 men to descend the Shenandoah Valley and threaten 
 
 Washington. Early 
 reached Martinsburg 
 on July 3d, and four 
 days later he occupied 
 Frederick, Maryland. 
 The only force to 
 oppose him was a small 
 division of the Sixth 
 Army Corps, and such 
 scattered bands as Gen» 
 Lewis Wallace could 
 collect together at Bal- 
 timore. He met Early 
 at a crossing of the 
 Monocacy on the 8th^ 
 and although beaten, 
 he gained considerable 
 time for the 19th Army 
 Corps, under General 
 Wright, and the re- 
 mainder of the Sixth. 
 Corps, to arrive. He 
 advanced on Washing- 
 ton, but was repulsed 
 GENERAi. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN. by General Wright and 
 
 compelled to retreat back to the Shenandoah Vallej- again. 
 
 When General Grant, however, ordered the return of the Nineteenth 
 and Sixth Corps to Petersburg, Early was again re-enforced, and enter- 
 ing Maryland, a flying column sacked and burnt the city of Chambers- 
 burg, Pennsylvania. 
 
 General Lee, by sending a large force into the Shenandoah Valley, 
 expected to induce Grant to detach from his army so large a body of men as 
 to weaken his hold upon the investing lines of Petersburg and Richmond. 
 
BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 323 
 
 But tHe hero of Vicksburg would not relax a grasp ouce made. He 
 determined rather to destroy the Confederate force in the Shenandoah Val- 
 ley. He formed a new military department, and gave the command to 
 General P. H. Sheridan. General Early was encamped near Winchester, 
 on the west bank of Opequan creek, and General Sheridan on the east 
 side, near Berrysville. General Sheridan took command August 7, and the 
 next six weeks were spent in organizing his army. 
 
 General Grant paid him a visit August 15, and after consultation 
 ordered him to attack Early. This he did on the 19th, inflicting a severe 
 defeat. Early rallied his broken forces and made a stand at Fisher's Hill, 
 where he was again attacked and defeated. He then retired beyond the 
 passes of the Blue Ridge, Sheridan pushed his pursuit as far as Staun- 
 ton, and then retiring, laid waste the valley by the destruction of all barns, 
 grain, forage, farming implements and mills. Early being again re-enforced 
 took the offensive. The Union forces were posted at Cedar Creek. Gen- 
 eral Sheridan had gene to Washington, leaving the command to General 
 Wright. By a night march Early surprised the Union camp, before day- 
 light of October 19. A complete rout ensued, and the whole Union army 
 retired in confusion and disorder as far as Middletown, where General 
 Wright succeeded in arresting the flight and reforming his lines. 
 
 Sheridan Suddenly Appears upon the Field. 
 
 It was now ten o'clock a.m. At this moment General Sheridan dashed 
 upon the field, and immediately ordered a counter-attack, which drove 
 Early in confusion beyond Cedar Creek, the Union forces recovering their 
 camps, recapturing all they had lost, and taking many prisoners. Early 
 then abandoned the valley, and joined Lee at Richmond. With this cam- 
 paign ended all military operations in the Shenandoah Valley. The Sixth 
 Corps and two divisions of cavalry were returned to Grant at Petersburg. 
 
 Sherman, with the consent of General Grant, undertook to march from 
 Atlanta to the sea. Having collected his forces, he began by destroying 
 the railroad from Atlanta to Dalton. Atlanta the prize so fiercely fought 
 for, and won at such a sacrifice of life and treasure, was burnt and aban- 
 doned. He divided his army into two divisions, the right under General 
 Howard, and the left under General Slocum. He took with him only 
 small provision and ammunition trains, intending to forage and subsist 
 upon the country. 
 
'324 
 
 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 Two lines of railroad connect Atlanta with the seaboard, one by 
 Augusta through South Carolina to Charleston, 308 miles ; the other 
 through Macon and Alillcn to Savannah, 293 miles. Between these two 
 croads, from fort}^ to one hundred miles apart, General Sherman marched. 
 
 SHERIDAN'S CAVALRY CHARGE AT CEDAR CREEK. 
 
 his wings overlapping them. Two hundred miles of railroad were destroyed, 
 the rails were heated and twisted, every tie, bridge, tank, wood-shed, and 
 depot was burnt, and every culvert was blown up. 
 
 All the cotton discovered was burned, about fifteen thousand bales. 
 All the cattle, horses, mules, hogs, and poultry were taken, and eithei' 
 
BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 325 
 
 Gousuined on the way, or brought to Savannah. Eight or ten thousan(jfc 
 slaves followed the army. It was forbidden to burn and pillage houses^ 
 but this was done to some extent b}^ stragglers. A tornado's path burnt; 
 by fire could not have been more destructive. The Carolinas and Virginia 
 were severed from Alabama and Mississippi, and Hood and Lee could not^ 
 again support each other. 
 
 On the 11th of December, a dispatch from General Howard wa^ 
 received by General Foster, in command on the coast. On the 12th, Fort- 
 McAllister, which had resisted three assaults of the monitors in 1863, was 
 taken by assault by General Hazen. Preparations \vere made to besiege 
 Savannah, but General Hardee withdrew from it during the night of the^ 
 20th, and it was occupied by Sherman the next day. His own losses on, 
 the march had been less than fifteen hundred men. 
 
 Many Towns Captured. 
 
 Anticipating General Sherman's arrival at Savannah, General Grant,! 
 December 6th, had issued orders to have his army put upon transports-, 
 and brought to the aid of General ]\Ieade. But, after learning the defeat of 
 Hood by Thomas, the order was countermanded, and he was directed to 
 resume his march from Savannah, through the Carolinas, to Goldsboro, 
 N. C. He was ready, and began his movement January 15th. The spring 
 rains had caused such an overflow of the rivers, that all the low grounds 
 and swamps were subiaerged, and no real progress was made until the 
 middle of February. 
 
 He captured Columbia, S. C, February 17th, and March 12th he 
 reached Fayetteville, N. C, when he opened communication with General 
 Schofield, by way of Cape Fear river. On the 15th he resumed his march, 
 and on the same day encountered and defeated a part of Johnston's forces 
 at Averysboro. On the 18th, General Slocum, who led the advance, was 
 attacked at Bentonville by Johnston's army, and driven back three miles, 
 with the loss of three guns. General Slocum, learning that Johnston's 
 whole army was in front, intrenched himself, and awaited re-enforcements. 
 
 But, before their arrival, and on the night of the 21st, Johnston 
 retreated to Smith field, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. General 
 Sherman had up to this time skilfully interposed his superior forces 
 between the inferior .forces of Johnston on the hills, and Hardee on the 
 coast, and prevented their junction until he could unite with Schofield and 
 
326 BATTLES ON LAND AND SEA. 
 
 Terry, the former from Newbern, and the latter from Wilmington. This 
 junction was effected on the 22d at Goldsboro, where the army lay during 
 tlie month of March. 
 
 The results of this campaign were the evacuation of Charleston on 
 the 18th of February, and its occupation by General Gilmore on the 21st. 
 As he marched northward, the whole coast, with all its forts, docks, and 
 property, from Savannah to Newbern, fell into possession of the Federal 
 troops and fleets. 
 
 Sheridan lay in winter-quarters at Winchester until February 27th, 
 when, with 10,000 cavalry, he set out for an overland journey to join 
 Grant or Sherman, his instructions directing him to cross the James river, 
 strike the Southside railroad at Farmville, destroy it, and seek Sherman 
 at Raleigh. But after scattering Early's small infantry force at Staunton, 
 and destroying the railroad from Charlottesville to Lynchburg, and the 
 James River Canal from New Market to Duiguidsville, he learned that the 
 bridges across the James had been burned by the Confederates. He, there- 
 fore, took another route, marched through Virginia to the White House, 
 and thence across the peninsula to Jones' Landing, and joined the 
 army before Petersburg. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 
 
 HE circle of destruction was now drawing closer and closer arounfi 
 the citadel of the Confederacy. Sherman was coming up from 
 the South, and Stoneman was ready to co-operate with him, 
 having crossed the mountains of Tennessee into North Caro- 
 lina, destroying railroads, bridges, depots of supplies, and cap- 
 turing Salisbury. 
 
 The leaders of the Confederacy were now anxious to bring the war to 
 a close. Three commissioners, among whom were Alexander H. Stephens, 
 Vice-President of the Confederacy, and Senator Hunter, were charged with 
 power to arrange with Union agents the terms on which peace could be 
 concluded. The preliminary discussions resulted in nothing, and finally 
 President Lincoln and Secretary Seward went to Fortress Monroe to con- 
 tinue the negotiations. As before, the conference brought no results, Mr. 
 Lincoln insisting that the only terms of peace were for those who had 
 originated the war to lay down their arms. 
 
 Lee saw the painful necessity of abandoning Richmond and uniting 
 with the Southern army under Johnston. He could, at the head of the 
 combined forces, maintain the contest for some time, and negotiate for 
 favorable terms of peace. His best line of retreat was along the south bank 
 of the Appomattox to Burkesville, and thence to Danville. Before he could 
 set out it was necessary to weaken Grant's line on the left, near Hatcher's 
 Run. This could be done most effectually by an assault upon some point 
 near and east of Petersburg. In pursuit of this plan, on the morning of 
 March 25, Fort Steadman was surprised by a night attack and taken, but 
 could not be held. A counter-assault not only drove the Confederates out 
 of the fort, but gained for the Union troops the strongly intrenched picket- 
 line, within a few steps from the Confederate works. The attack upon 
 Fort Steadman cost Lee 2500 men killed and wounded, and 1900 men 
 taken prisoners. The Union loss was less than 2000. 
 
 327 
 
THD PKACE COMMISSIONKRS. 
 
 328 
 
SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 329 
 
 General Grant, prior to this affair, had issued orders for a general 
 movement of the whole army. He had been apprehensive for weeks, every 
 night when he retired to rest, that before he shonld awake next morning- 
 Lee would be gone. General Ord, at the head of four divisions of the 
 Army of the James, moved out to Hatcher's Run. Other divisions, under 
 Warren, Humphreys, Wright and Parke, followed the next day ; while 
 Sheridan, with his cavalry, held the extreme left of the line at Dinwiddle 
 Court-house. A heavy rain for two days delayed the attack. Lee had 
 divined the object of his antagonist, and marshalled all his available forces 
 to resist the shock upon his right. The contest opened with a fierce attack 
 by Lee upon Warren, which was resisted with great bravery. 
 
 The Main Works Assaulted and Carried. 
 
 The battle raged furiously all the morning, but Warren held his 
 ground, and finally drove Lee back to his lines on the White Oak road. 
 Foiled here, Lee turned his attention to Sheridan, who, by a bold push, had 
 gained Five Forks, about eight miles north of Dinwiddie. Two divisions 
 of infantry, under Pickett and Bushrod Johnson, forced Sheridan's cavalry 
 back towards Dinwiddie. He dismounted his men, and deployed them as 
 infantry, and so maintained his ground till night. McKenzie's cavalry and 
 the whole Fifth Corps were, during the night, ordered to join Sheridan. 
 In the morning he took the offensive, hurled the Confederates back to Five 
 Forks, assaulted and carried the main works, and captured about five 
 thousand prisoners. 
 
 There were now left only two strong works in the hands of the Con- 
 federates. These were Forts Alexander and Gregg. Fort Alexander was 
 close to the Federal line, and it was overrun and captured with a hurrah. 
 This left only Fort Gregg, and for a time the fate of the Confederate 
 Army of Northern Virginia depended on that; for, if it could not be held 
 until Lee had time to take a nev/ position, his army was doomed. Its 
 garrison numbered two hundred and fifty. 
 
 General Ord immediately sent Gibbons' division to storm Fort Gregg. 
 It charged in fine order, but within fifty yards received such a murderous 
 volley that it fell back. This repulse was so admirably made that the 
 thousands of Confederates who were watching broke into ringing cheers. 
 A second charge was jinade, and then a third; but the fourth prevailed. 
 The Union troops swept over and into the works, and found that, out of 
 
330 
 
 SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 
 
 the two hundred and fifty comprising the garrison, only thirty were unhurt. 
 
 All the rest were killed or wounded, , • 
 
 This decided the day. But Gen. Grant, ^, j 
 fearing that Lee would abandon his lines fSS' 
 
 GALLANT DEFENSE OF FORT GREGG. 
 
 ^^ and fall upon Sheridan with all his force, 
 ordered a general bombardment of Peters- 
 burg, which was continued until four 
 
 o'clock in the morning, when an assault was made on the outer works. 
 
 It was successful at all points. General Wright, with the Sixth Corps, 
 
SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 331 
 
 pierced completely through, and reached the Appomattox river, thus sepa- 
 rating v Lee's right wing from his centre and left. The broken columns 
 were pursued by General Miles to Sutherland Station, and made prisoners 
 or dispersed. The Union troops now closed around Petersburg. Lee still 
 tenaciously held his inner works, and even made two desperate attempts 
 to retake some of the lost ground, in one of which — the last blow struck 
 by the Army of Northern Virginia — fell General A. P. Hill, who had 
 borne a distinguished part in all its campaigns. 
 
 Richmond was no longer tenable, and there was but one line of retreat 
 for Lee — by the Appomattox westward to Burkesville and the Danville 
 line. The Fifth Corps of the Union Army was encamped at Sutherland 
 Station, on the Southside railroad, two miles west of Petersburg; and 
 Sheridan's cavalry had bivouacked at Ford's, ten miles further west. 
 
 Lee Telegraphs to Jefferson Davis. 
 
 At ten o'clock in the forenoon of Sunday Lee telegraphed to Jefferson 
 Davis that he must evacuate Richmond. The message found him in church, 
 from which his sudden withdrawal made known the fatal tidings to the 
 people. During the day President Davis and all the State of&cers, with 
 the papers and coin belonging to the Confederate government, departed on 
 a train for Danville. During the night the troops were quietly withdrawn 
 from Petersburg and Richmond and all the fortified lines, and before morn- 
 ing were sixteen miles on their way westward. 
 
 AVhen the rear-guard crossed the James to leave Richmond General 
 Bwell gave the foolish order to set fire to the warehouses containing the 
 government tobacco, and soon all the business portion of the city was 
 wrapped in flames. By the light of the blazing buildings, and the sound 
 of exploding shells, General Weitzel was informed of the event, and in 
 the gray dawn of Monday morning forty troopers entered Richmond and 
 planted their colors on the capitol. 
 
 But General Grant did not enter the deserted cit3^ Knowing that the 
 strength of the Confederate government was concentrated in Lee's army 
 he bent all his energies to the pursuit. To cut off Lee, by striking the 
 Richmond and Danville railroad before he could reach Burkesville, was 
 his first object. For this purpose Sheridan pushed on witb all speed, fol- 
 lowed by the Fifth afid Sixth Corps, along the South side railroad. 
 
 Before Lee left Richmond he had sent orders to Danville to tranship 
 
332 SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 
 
 stores and rations for his army to Amelia Courthouse. When he arrived 
 at that place, April 4th, he learned that the train had passed on to Rich- 
 mond, leaving his army without provisions. He also learned, before he 
 was ready to move, that General Sheridan had already reached Jettersville, 
 seven miles west. He then turned towards Ivynchburg. But General Ord, 
 who had occupied Burkesville on the 6th, sent forward a small force under 
 General Read to Farmville, where this gallant ofi&cer met and attacked the 
 head of Lee's column, and by the sacrifice of his own life and the loss of 
 most of his heroic band, detained Lee until General Ord came up with his 
 whole army. General Sheridan and the Sixth and Second Corps were 
 crowding upon Lee's rear, and the same day Bwell's Corps and nearly the 
 whole wagon-train of the army were captured near Deatonsville. 
 
 The Confederates in Full Retreat. 
 
 The next day, the 7th, Lee crossed the Appomattox near Farmville, 
 and ordered the bridges to be burned behind him. So vigorous, however, 
 was the pursuit that General Humphre3^s was in time to save the wagon- 
 bridge, and all but four spans of the railroad-bridge. The Union troops 
 crossed immediately. But during the night Lee marched towards Appo- 
 mattox Courthouse, hoping to reach Appomattox Station on the Lynchburg 
 railroad. It was his only hope of escape. 
 
 In the meantime General Grant had, on the 7th, demanded, in a letter 
 to General Lee, the surrender of his army. Lee courteously asked what 
 terms would be granted. Grant replied that the only conditions would be 
 that the men and officers should be disqualified from ever again taking up 
 arms against the United States. Lee declined to surrender, but proposed 
 to meet Grant to confer upon the restoration of peace. To this suggestion 
 Grant replied that he had no authority to treat on the subject of peace. 
 Grant's last letter was dated the 9th, and before it reached Lee the time 
 for parley had gone by. 
 
 Sheridan, by a rapid march of thirty miles on the 8th, had reached 
 Appomattox Station in the evening, just as Lee's vanguard arrived. Four 
 trains of cars from Lynchburg, with supplies for Lee's army, were approar^ nI 
 ing. Sheridan threw a force in rear of the trains, captured them, a j 
 then attacking the vanguard, drove it back to Appomattox Court-houa 
 Lee could now escape only by breaking through Sheridan's lines. Th^^ 
 he attempted in the morning. He ordered his remnant of an army — eighi^ 
 
SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 333 
 
 or ten thousand men — in battle array, to cut their way through at all 
 hazards. The attack was begun with zeal and impetuosity, and the 
 Federal' cavalry gave way; but, just at this moment, General Sheridan,, 
 who had been to Appomattox Station to hurry up the Army of the James, 
 came upon the field. 
 
 He directed his troopers to fall back gradually, resisting slightly, to 
 give time for the infantry to come up and form into line. No sooner did 
 the Confederates see the line of advancing bayonets than they began to 
 give ground. Sheridan then gave the order to mount, and placing his 
 cavalry on the left flank, was about to charge on the trains and the 
 unarmed and confused mass, when a white flag emerged from the Confed- 
 erate lines, bearing a letter from Lee to Grant, requesting a suspension of 
 hostilities and an interview. Evidently, a matter of importance was on hand. 
 
 Liberal Terms of Surrender. 
 
 Li an old farm-house the two generals met, and on a plain deal table 
 drew up the form of agreement by which the Army of Northern Virginia 
 ceased to exist. 
 
 The terms of surrender were liberal. Nothing was exacted to humiliate 
 the discomfited foe. Three days afterwards the Confederates marched to a 
 designated place, near Appomattox Court-house, stacked their arms, and laid 
 down their accoutrements. The number of armed men was 8000, and the 
 unarmed about 20,000. Paroles were then accepted, and the men then 
 dispersed to their several homes. The Union troops slowly retraced their 
 steps to Richmond. 
 
 Having put his arm}^ in camp at Goldsboro, General Sherman made a 
 flying visit to City Point, where he had an interview with General Grant, 
 who disclosed his plans, and directed Sherman to return to Goldsboro, and 
 move against Raleigh as soon as April 10th. The stirring news of Grant's 
 success reached him while still at Goldsboro. He immediately set his 
 columns in motion, occupied Raleigh April 13th, and the next day entered 
 into correspondence with General Johnston, which resulted in a suspension 
 of hostilities, and a memorandum, or basis for peace, subject to the approval 
 of the President. 
 
 The agreement did not arrive at Washington until President Lincoln 
 was succeeded by Mr. Johnson, who disapproved it, and dispatched General 
 Grant with instruction to General Sherman to terminate the truce, and 
 
SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 335 
 
 commeuce operations against Johnston. The Confederate general made no 
 further resistance ; but agreed to surrender on the same terms accorded to 
 General Lee. The Confederate troops grounded their arms, accepted paroles, 
 and dispersed to their homes, while Sherman's soldiers continued their 
 march through Richmond to Washington, where, after a grand review, they 
 were honorably dismissed to their several states. 
 
 The Confederates, after the capture of the forts at the mouth of Mobile 
 Bay, still held the city of Mobile. On the 20th of March General Canby 
 moved against the city. The troops collected at the forts sailed up the 
 bay. A force under Major-General Steele marched from Pensacola. Spanish 
 Fort was occupied by the combined forces on the 8th of April, and Fort 
 Blakely carried by assault on the 9th. Two days later the city was 
 evacuated, and on the 12th General Canby took possession. 
 
 Closing Scenes of the War. 
 
 The last wasteful raid of the war was that of General Wilson, who, 
 with 12,500 mounted men, marched from Chickasaw, Alabama, to Macon, 
 Georgia. On the 1st of April he encountered General Forrest at Ebenezer 
 Church, and defeated him. On the 2d he took by assault the fortified city 
 of Selma, destroyed the armory, arsenal, naval foundry, machine shops, vast 
 quantities of stores, and captured 3000 prisoners. On the 4th he destoyed 
 Tallahassee. On the 14th he reached Montgomer}^. On the 16th he cap- 
 tured Columbus and West Point, destroying and taking an immense amount 
 of property. On the 20th he took possession of Macon, Georgia, with sixty 
 field guns, 1200 militia, and five generals, surrendered by General Howell 
 Cobb. On the 4tli of May General Dick Taylor surrendered to General 
 Canby all the remaining Confederate forces east of the Mississippi. 
 
 An army sufficient to overcome General Kirby Smith in Texas was 
 organized, and immediately put in motion for Texas, with General Sheridan 
 placed in command. General Smith, not waiting for an attack, surrendered 
 all the Confederate troops in Texas to General Canby on the 26th of May; 
 but exhibited the bad faith of first disbanding most of his army, and per- 
 mitting an indiscriminate plunder of public property. This was the closing 
 act of the war. 
 
 When the Confederate president left Richmond, April 2d, he went to 
 Danville, Virginia, and there, on the 5th, issued a proclamation, in which 
 there is a mingled tone of confidence and defiance, based upon his expecta- 
 
336 SURRENDER OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. 
 
 tion that General Lee would escape from Grant, and unite his army with 
 that of General Johnston. But the surrender of both those generals dashed 
 his hopes to the ground. With a small body of cavalry as an escort, he 
 attempted to thread his way through ths Federal lines, reach the coast of 
 Florida, and escape on some vessel. He got as far as Irwinsville, Georgia, 
 when he was overtaken by a squadron of the Fourth Michigan cavalry, and 
 captured, May 1 1th, with his family. He was removed to Fortress Monroe, 
 where he was finally paroled, as were the Confederate troops. The United 
 States government magnanimously declined to condemn and execute any of 
 the officers or men who had been engaged in the attempt to set up 
 an independent government. 
 
 The terms of the surrender were arranged on the 9th of April. On 
 the 12th the Army of Northern Virginia formed in divisions for the last 
 time, and marching to a designated spot near Appomattox Court-house, laid 
 down its arms, and disbanded. About seventy-five hundred men with arms, 
 and about eighteen thousand unarmed stragglers, took part in the surrender. 
 The Federal troops treated their vanquished opponents with true soldierly 
 Mndness, and carefully refrained from everything which might seem to 
 insult the valor that had won their earnest admiration. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 N the 4th of March, 18G5, Mr. Lincoln was sworn into office for 
 a second term, before Chief-Justice Chase. His inaugural 
 address was pervaded by a deep religious feeling. He took a 
 hopeful view of the future, but ventured upon no promises or 
 predictions. The fate of the nation is in the hands of God, 
 ^ who governs the world according to His own purposes. The address con- 
 cludes as follows : " With malice towards none, with charity for all, with 
 firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to 
 finish the work we are in ; to bind up the nation's wounds ; to care for 
 him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan ; 
 to do all which ma}' achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among 
 ourselves, and with all nations." 
 
 On the 8tli of March, he rescinded an order which required passports 
 from all persons entering the United States from Canada. This order had 
 been issued December 17, 1864, in consequence of the gathering of many 
 Confederates in Canada, their threatened raids into the country, and the 
 facility with which spies and hostile persons could cross the frontier, travel 
 from place to place, avoid detection, and escape apprehension. 
 
 In the progress of the war, large numbers of soldiers had deserted, 
 and subjected themselves to court-martial, and the penalt}^ of death. Air. 
 Lincoln, in compliance with an act of Congress, also issued a proclamation 
 giving them sixty days in which to return, otherwise they would be con- 
 sidered as having forfeited their rights of citizenship, and be forever 
 incapable of exercising any rights of citi.zenship 
 
 He knew that Gf^neral Grant was intending to move against Richmond, 
 and went to Cit}^ Point to be present at what both thought would be the 
 final and successful struggle. He went into Richmond the day after its 
 occupation by the Union troops. He there had an interview ^^•ith Judge 
 Campbell, who urged him to permit the assembling of the Virginia Legis- 
 lature. On the Gth day of April, he wrote to General Weitzel, directing 
 
 22 387 
 
338 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 hxm to permit them to meet, and sit until they might attempt some act 
 hostile to the United States. He subsequently recalled his permission. 
 
 The President returned to Washington, and on the evening of the 
 11th of April, the Presidential mansion and all the other public buildings 
 in Washington were illuminated, in honor of the surrender of General Lee 
 and his army. To the people, who assembled to congratulate him, he 
 made the last address that fell from his lips, in which he briefly discussed 
 the subject of the restoration of the States to the Union. He dwelt prin- 
 cipally upon the State government in Louisiana in 1863, and defended his 
 conduct. But he said that he was not inseparately wedded to any plan. 
 He added : " So great peculiarities pertain to each State, and such important 
 and sudden changes occur in the same State ; and, withal, so new and 
 unprecedented is the whole case, that an exclusive and inflexible plan 
 would surely become a new entanglement." 
 
 United States Authority Re-established. 
 
 He did not think it wise to discuss the question whether the seceded 
 States, so called, were in or out of the Union. He thought it a pernicious 
 abstraction. He said : " We all agree that the seceded States, so called, 
 are out of their political relation with the Union, and that the sole object 
 of the government, civil and military, in regard to those States, is again 
 to get them into that proper practical relation. I believe that it is not 
 only possible, but in fact easier, to do this without deciding, or even con- 
 sidering, whether these States have ever been out of the Union, than with 
 it. Finding themselves safely at home, it would be utterly immaterial 
 whether they had ever been abroad." 
 
 Believing the war to be substantially ended, proclamation was made 
 closing all the Southern ports, and claiming to exercise over them the 
 same authority as over other ports of the United States, and declaring that 
 ships of war belonging to foreign nations would receive in ports of the 
 United States the same treatment which was given in their ports to cruisers 
 of the United States. Orders were issued to stop recruiting for the army 
 and navy, to make no more contracts for supplies, and no more purchases 
 of war material. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln naturally felt the elation which follows success. It was 
 apparent in his gait, in his face, in his talk. The events of the last 
 month lifted a burden from his mind, and inspired him with new life. 
 
 1 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN 339 
 
 The cares and perplexities, the labors and responsibilities of office had 
 borne heavily upon him. That his election had been made the occasion of 
 secessio.n and rebellion; that his whole term of four years had been one of 
 civil war; that thousands of his fellow-citizens had fallen in the fratricidal 
 contest, had sorely afflicted his generous and placable spirit. His tall 
 form, that had bent slightly before the storm, was now again erect. The 
 sadness that had settled upon his countenance was dispersed by the sun- 
 rise of peace. 
 
 If he had pushed the war resolutely and sternly, if he had refused to 
 listen to any proposition that looked to a broken Union and disrupted ter- 
 ritory, it was from a conviction of duty and with a determination to trans- 
 mit to his successor the constitution unimpaired and the country undi- 
 minished. His triumph was certain and his ambition satisfied. The war 
 had not embittered his feelings. He loved his friends, and did not hate his 
 enemies. He did not speak of crime and punishment ; his thoughts dwelt 
 upon reconciliation and forgiveness. It was his intention to temper justice 
 with mercy, and to spend his second term in healing the wounds that had 
 been given and received during the first. 
 
 The Victim of a Foul Conspiracy. 
 
 His life had been threatened in anonymous letters. He had been often 
 warned to beware of assassination ; but he could never be persuaded to 
 harbor the suspicions, nor take the precautions of a tyrant. His house 
 was unguarded, his person was unattended, and he went from place to place, 
 to public offices and private houses, to the church, to the theatre, like 
 any citizen. He showed neither fear nor distrust. He was accessible 
 and affable to all. 
 
 And yet this good man, whose heart at the time was going out in 
 mercy and kindness to his enemies, was the victim of a foul conspiracy. 
 The conspirators only waited for the place and occasion. Mr. Lincoln, 
 oppressed with the cares of state, had occasionally sought relief in recrea- 
 tion in the theatre. He had been invited, and consented to attend Ford's 
 theatre on the evening of the 14th of April. 
 
 While he was seated in a private box, with his family and friends 
 around him, absorbed in the mimic representation of the stage, the assassin 
 stealthily entered the box, fastened the door with a board previously pre- 
 pared for the purpose, so that he could not be followed, and with a Der- 
 
340 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. ^ 
 
 ringer pistol shot his unconscious victim behind the ear, the ball penetrat- 
 ing the brain. Mr. Lincoln's head fell back upon the chair, and his body 
 remained motionless. He was removed to a house near by and attended 
 by surgeons. The wound was mortal. He did not speak after it, but 
 sank gradually until twenty-two minutes after seven o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, when he expired. 
 
 The body was embalmed and lay in state in the Green Room of the 
 Presidential mansion, inclosed in a splendid coffin, and within a grand cata- 
 falque, until the 19th of April. The funeral was observed on that day, 
 and it was set apart throughout the country as a day of mourning. The 
 body was removed to the Rotunda of the Capitol, and for two days lay in 
 state, and was visited by more than twenty-five thousand people. The next 
 day it was placed on the car prepared for it, and borne to Springfield, 111., 
 by the same route over which Mr. Lincoln came on his way to Washing- 
 ton to enter upon his office. 
 
 Demonstrations of Profound Sorrow. 
 
 Bverywhere on the route the funeral cortege was received with demon- 
 strations of respect and grief. The engines and cars on all the railroads 
 were hung with crape ; churches were draped in mourning ; the buildings 
 on all the principal streets in every village and city were festooned in 
 black ; nearly all citizens of both sexes wore some funeral emblem. Every- 
 where the national flag waved at half-mast. Wherever the cortege stopped 
 thousands thronged to obtain a last look at the face of the dead. The 
 nation was profoundly grieved. No man, whether monarch, statesman, 
 martyr or public benefactor, was every more widely or sincerely mourned, 
 and by none was his sudden death more deeply lamented and regretted 
 than by those who had stood towards him for four years in the attitude 
 of enemies. 
 
 The funeral train arrived in Springfield, 111., on the 3d of May- The 
 corpse was carried to the State House and placed in the Hall of Repre- 
 sentatives. The people came into the city from every direction, and more 
 than seventy-five thousand persons passed into the hall, gazed a moment at 
 the familiar features, and went weeping away. The next morning the 
 coffin was finally closed at ten o'clock and the body, followed by the pro- 
 cession, under the charge of Major-General Hooker, was carried to Oak 
 Ridge Cemetery and deposited in the tomb. 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 341 
 
 The assassination of President L-incoln called forth letters of grief and 
 condolence from all foreign countries. Queen Victoria wrote a letter of 
 sympathy to Mrs. Lincoln. The ruler of every nation of Europe expressed 
 his horror at the deed. China, Japan and Siam sent words of condolence. 
 Nor was the grief of Europe expressed alone in the courtly customary 
 
 verbiage of di- 
 plomacy. The 
 people were af- 
 flicted and in- 
 tensely stirred. 
 They regarded 
 Mr. Lincoln as 
 the representa- 
 tive of their 
 class, and had 
 broadly studied 
 his character 
 and watched his 
 career. His suc- 
 cess had always 
 claimed their 
 admiration, and 
 his wisdom and 
 goodness had 
 won their love. 
 His life would 
 be an ever-liv- 
 
 THK GRAVE OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. ingdcuialof the 
 
 rights of legitimacy, and the divinity of kings, the claim of many centuries. 
 Even in the South, which had made the election of Abraham Lincoln 
 the occasion of the dissolution of the Union, the unaffected and manly 
 virtues of this simply great man had conquered the people, who had come 
 to regard him as their best and truest friend. 
 
 His death was sincerel}^ lamented there, and in the lamentation of the 
 South, Abraham Lincoln had his proudest triumph. His death was a 
 crushing misfortune to the whole country. He was the only man capable 
 of carrving out a policy of generous conciliation towards the South, and 
 
342 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 he had resolved upon such a course. He was sincerely desirous to heal 
 the wounds of the war as soon as possible, and was strong enough to 
 put down all opposition to his policy. His untimely death, as well as 
 the manner of it, threw back the settlement of our national troubles 
 fully five years. 
 
 As he leaped from the president's box to the stage the assassin's foot 
 caught in an American flag with which the box was draped, and he fell 
 heavily, breaking his leg. He managed to escape, however. It was imme- 
 diately ascertained that the assassin was John Wilkes Booth, a younger son 
 of the famous actor, Junius Brutus Booth. Almost at the same time that 
 the President was shot another assassin, one Payne, alias Powell, entered 
 the residence of Secretary Seward. Proceeding to the chamber where the 
 Secretary was confined to a sick bed, he attacked the two attendants of the 
 invalid and his son, Frederick W. Seward, and injured them severely, and 
 then attempted to cut Mr. Seward's throat. He succeeded in gashing the 
 face of his intended victim, but fled before further harm could be done. 
 
 Why the Plot Failed. 
 
 Booth, who most probably was insane, had drawn quite a number of 
 persons into a conspiracy, which had for its object the murder of the 
 President and Vice-President, Secretaries Seward and Stanton, and Chief 
 Justice Chase. The plot failed through unexpected movements of some of 
 the intended victims and the cowardice of some of the conspirators. Booth 
 and a young man named Harold fled into lower Maryland, from which they 
 crossed the Potomac into Virginia. They were pursued by the government 
 detectives and a squadron of cavalry, and were tracked to a barn in Caro- 
 line County, Virginia, between Bowling Green and Port Royal. 
 
 Here they were surrounded on the 26th of April. Harold surrendered 
 himself, but Booth, refusing to yield, was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett, 
 and died a few hours later, after suffering intensely. His accomplices were 
 arrested, and were brought to trial before a military commission at Wash- 
 ington. Payne or Powell, Atzerot, Harold, and Mrs. Surratt were condemned 
 to death, and were hanged on the 7th of July, 1865, for complicity in the 
 plot. Dr. Mudd, O'Laughlin, and Arnold were imprisoned in the Dry 
 Tortugas for life, and Spangler for six years. 
 
 What Booth expected to accomplish by his horrible deed jQt remains 
 a mystery. It is now generally believed that he was insane ; rendered so 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN 
 
 343 
 
 perhaps by his dissipated habits — and in this state of mind had conceived 
 the idea that Mr. Lincoln was a tyrant, and as such ought to be put to 
 death.^ He had no accomplices in the South, and his bloody deed was 
 regarded with horror by the southern people. 
 
 CAPTURE OF BOOTH, THE ASSASSIN OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 We must now return to Sherman's army, which we left resting at 
 Goldsboro. Johnston's army was in the vicinity of Raleigh, and after the 
 fall of Richmond was joined by ]\Ir. Davis and the various of&cers of the 
 Confederate government. On the 10th of April Sherman advanced from 
 
344 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 Goldsboro towards Joliiison's position, and steadily pressed the Confederate 
 army back. On the 1-lth Sherman entered Raleigh. Being convinced that 
 further resistance was hopeless, and having learned of the surrender of 
 General Lee's army, General Johnston now opened negotiations with General 
 Sherman for the surrender of his army to the Federal commander. 
 
 The result of these negotiations was an agreement signed by the two 
 commanders on the 18th of April. As this agreement provided for the 
 restoration of the States of the Confederacy to their lost places in the 
 Union, it was disapproved by the Federal government, and Sherman was 
 ordered to resume hostilities. General Johnston was at once notified by 
 General Sherman of this order, and on the 2Gth of April entered into an 
 agreement with him b}^ which he surrendered to General Sherman all the 
 Confederate forces under his command on terms similar to those granted 
 to General Lee by General Grant. 
 
 The Last to Surrender. 
 
 [ The example of Generals Lee and Johnston was followed by the other 
 
 'Confederate commanders throughout the South. The last to surrender was 
 General E. Kirby Smith, in Texas, on the 26th of May. On the 29th of 
 May President Johnson issued a proclamation announcing the close of the 
 war, and offering amnesty to all who had participated in it on the Con- 
 ffederate side, with the exception of fourteen specified classes. 
 i Upon the surrender of Johnston's army Mr. Davis and the members 
 
 'of his former cabinet endeavored to make their way to the coast of Florida, 
 from which they hoped to be able to reach the West Indies. Some of 
 them succeeded in doing so; but Mr. Davis was captured at Irwinsville, 
 Georgia, on the 10th of May, and was sent as a prisoner to Fortress Mon- 
 roe, where he was held in confinement until May, 1867. 
 
 The civil war was over. It had cost the country one million men in 
 the killed and crippled for life of the two armies. In money the North 
 and South had expended probably $5,000,000,000. The exact amount will 
 never be known, as the Confederate debt perished with that government. 
 
 Upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, the Vice-President, 
 by the terms of the Constitution, became President of the United States. 
 He took the oath of office on the 15th of April, and at once entered upon 
 the discharge of his duties. His first act was to retain all the members 
 of the cabinet appointed by Mr. Lincoln. 
 
ASSASSINATION' OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 345 
 
 Mr. Johnson was a native of North Carolina, having been born in 
 Raleigh on the 29th of December, 1808. At the age of ten he was bound 
 as an apprentice to a tailor of that city. He was at this time unable to 
 read or write. Some years later, being determined to acquire an education^ 
 he learned the al- 
 phabet from a fel- 
 low-workman, and 
 a friend taught 
 him spelling. He 
 was soon able to 
 read, and pursued 
 his studies stead- 
 ily, working ten or 
 twelve hours a day 
 at his trade, and 
 studying two or 
 three more. In 
 1826 he removed 
 to Greenville, Ten- 
 nessee, carrying 
 with him his mo- 
 ther, who was de- 
 pendent upon him 
 for support. 
 
 Upon attaining 
 manhood he mar- 
 ried, and continued 
 his studies under 
 the direction of 
 his wife, support- 
 ing his family in 
 
 ANDREW JOHNSON. 
 
 the meantime by his trade. He was subsequently chosen alderman of his 
 town, and, with this election, entered upon his political career. Studying 
 law he abandoned tailoring, and devoted himself to legal pursuits and 
 politics. He was successively chosen mayor, member of the legislature, 
 presidential elector, and State senator. He was twice elected governor of 
 Tennessee, and three times a senator of the United States from that State. 
 
346 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
 
 Upon tlie secession of Tennessee from the Union he refused to relinquish 
 his seat in the Senate, and remained faithful to the cause of the Union 
 throughout the war, winning considerable reputation during the struggle 
 by his services in behalf of the national cause. 
 
 He was an earnest, honest-hearted man, who sincerely desired to do 
 his duty to the country. His mistakes were due to his temperament, and 
 proceeded from no desire to serve his own interests or those of any party. 
 In his public life he was incorruptible. A man of ardent nature, strong 
 convictions and indomitable will, it was not possible that he should avoid 
 errors, or fail to stir up a warm and determined opposition to his policy. 
 
 Soldiers Return to their Homes. 
 
 The iirst duty devolving upon the new administration was the dis- 
 iDanding of the army, which, at the close of the war, numbered over a 
 million men. It was prophesied by foreign nations, and feared by many 
 persons at home, that the sudden return of such a large body of men to 
 the pursuits of civil life would be attended with serious evils, but both the 
 Union and Confederate soldiers went back quietly and readily to their old 
 avocations. Thus did these citizen-soldiers give to the world a splendid 
 exhibition of the triumph of law and order in a free country, and a proof 
 of the stability of our institutions. 
 
 On the 29th of March, 1867, a treaty was concluded between the 
 United States and Russia, by which the latter power sold to the United 
 States, for the sum of seven million two hundred thousand dollars, all of 
 the region in the extreme northwestern part of the American continent 
 known as Russian America. The treaty was ratified by the Senate on the 
 9th of April. The new territory added to the area of the United States a 
 district of about five hundred and seventy-seven thousand three hundred 
 and ninety square miles. 
 
 In the same year a treaty was negotiated with China, through an 
 embassy from that country, which visited the United States under the 
 charge of Anson Burlingame, formerly the American Minister to China. 
 It was the first instance in which that exclusive nation had ever sought 
 to negotiate a treaty of commerce and friendship with a foreign nation. 
 Liberty of conscience to Americans in China, protection of their prop- 
 erty and persons, and important commercial privileges were secured 
 by this treaty. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 
 
 N the fall of 18G8, the Presidential election was held. The Repub- 
 lican party nominated General Ulysses S. Grant, the commanding- 
 general of the army, for the Presidency, and Schuyler Colfax, of 
 Indiana, for the Vice-Presidency. The Democratic party nomi- 
 nated Horatio Seymour, of New York, for the Presidency, and 
 
 Frank P. Blair, of Missouri, for the Vice-Presidency. The election resulted 
 
 in the choice of General Grant, by a popular vote of 2,985,031, to 2,648,830 
 
 votes cast for Mr. Seymour. In 
 
 the electoral college. Grant received 
 
 two hundred and seventeen votes, 
 
 and Seymour seventy-seven. The 
 
 States of Virginia, Mississippi and 
 
 Texas were not allowed to take 
 
 part in this election, being still out 
 
 of the Union. 
 
 General Grant, the eighteenth 
 
 President of the United States, was 
 
 inaugurated at Washington with 
 
 imposing ceremonies, on the 4th 
 
 of March, 1809. He was born at 
 
 Mount Pleasant, Ohio, on the 27th 
 
 of April, 1822. His father was a 
 
 tanner, and wished him to follow 
 
 his trade, but the boy had more 
 
 ambitious hopes, and, at the age of 
 
 seventeen, a friend secured for him an appointment as a cadet at West 
 
 Point, where he was educated. Upon graduating, he entered the army. 
 
 Two years later he was sent to Mexico, and served through the war with 
 
 that country M'ith distinction. He was specially noticed by his commanders, 
 
 and was promoted for gallant conduct. 
 
 347 
 
 ULYSSES S. GRANT. 
 
348 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 
 
 Soon after the close of the war, he resigned his commission, and 
 remained in civil life and obscurity until the breaking out of the Civil 
 War, when he volunteered his services, and was commissioned by Gov- 
 ernor Yates, colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois regiment. He was soon 
 made a brigadier-general, and fought his first battle at Belmont. His sub- 
 sequent career has already been related in these pages. 
 
 In February, 18G9, the two houses of Congress adopted the fifteenth 
 amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and submitted it to 
 the various States for ratification by them. It was in the following words : 
 " The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied 
 or abridged by the United States, or any State, on account of race, color^ 
 or previous condition of servitude." 
 
 A Great Railroad Across the Continent. 
 
 The next important event of this year was the opening of the Pacific 
 railroad, from the Missouri river to the Pacific Ocean. The eastern 
 division of this road is known as the Union Pacific railway, and was begun 
 at Omaha, Neb., in December, 18G3, and carried westward. But little 
 progress was made in the work until 18G5, when it was pushed rapidly 
 forward. The western division, known as the Central Pacific railway, was 
 begun at San Francisco, near about the same time, and carried eastward 
 across the Sierra Nevada. The two roads unite at Ogden, near Salt Lake 
 City, in Utah, and the union was accomplished on the lOtli of May, 1869, 
 on which day the last rail was laid. The Union Pacific railway, from 
 Omaha to Ogden, is one thousand and thirt3'-two miles in length ; the Cen- 
 tral Pacific, from Ogden to San Francisco, eight hundred and eight-two 
 miles ; making a total line of nineteen hundred and fourteen miles, and 
 constituting by far the most important railway enterprise in the world. 
 
 By the completion of this great road, to the construction of which the 
 general government contributed liberally in money and lands, Portland, 
 Me., and San Francisco, the extremes of the continent, are brought within 
 a week's travel. The long and difficult journey across the plains has been 
 dispensed with, and the traveller may now pass over this once terrible and 
 dangerous route with speed and safety, enjoying all the while the highest 
 comforts of the most advanced civilization. 
 
 On the night of Sunday, October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in the city 
 of Chicago, and raged with tremendous violence for two days, laying the 
 
 . 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT 
 
 349 
 
 greater part of the city in ashes. It was the most destructive conflagra- 
 tion of modern times. The total area of the city burned over was- two 
 thousand one hundred and twenty-four acres, or very nearly three and one- 
 third square miles. The number of buildings destroyed was seventeen 
 thousand four hundred and fifty. About two hundred and fifty persons 
 died from various causes during the conflagration, and ninety-eight thou- 
 sand persons were rendered homeless by it. The entire business quarter 
 
 THE BURNING OF CHICAGO. 
 
 was destroyed. The actual loss will never be known. As far as it can be 
 ascertained, it was about one hundred and ninety-six millions of dollars. 
 
 Almost simultaneous with this disaster extensive forest fires swept over 
 the woods of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. Whole villages were 
 destroyed by the flames, which travelled with such speed that it was often 
 impossible for the fleetest horse to escape from them. Over fifteen hun- 
 dred people perished in Wisconsin alone. 
 
 These terrible calamities aroused the generous sympath}^ of the rest of 
 
350 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 
 
 the country, and aid in money, clothing and the necessities of life was 
 liberally extended to the sufferers in Chicago and the other afflicted com- 
 munities. The telegraph flashed the news across the Atlantic, and in an 
 almost incredibly short time liberal contributions in money came pour- 
 ing in from England and continental Europe, and even from the far-off 
 cities of India. 
 
 In the fall of 1872 the Presidential election occurred. The canvass 
 
 was marked by the most in- 
 tense partisan bitterness. The 
 Republican party renominated 
 General Grant for the Presi- 
 dency, and supported Henry 
 Wilson for the Vice-Presidency. 
 The measures of the admini- 
 stration had arrayed a large 
 number of Republicans against 
 it. These now organized them- 
 selves as the Liberal Republican 
 party, and nominated Horace 
 Greele}^, of New York, for the 
 Presidenc}^ and B. Gratz Brown, 
 of Missouri, for the Vice-Presi- 
 denc3^ The Democratic party 
 made no nominations, and its 
 convention endorsed the candi- 
 dates of the Liberal Republican 
 part}-. The election resulted 
 in the triumph of the Republican candidates by overwhelming majorities^ 
 The elections were scarcely over, when the country was saddened by 
 the death of Horace Greeley. He had been one of the founders of the 
 Republican part}^, and had been closely identified with the political history 
 of the country for over thirty years. He was the " Founder of the New 
 York Tribune^'' and had done good service with his journal in behalf of 
 the cause he believed to be founded in right. 
 
 He was a man of simple and child-like character, utterly unaffected, 
 and generous to a fault. In his manner and dress he was eccentric, but 
 nature had made him a true gentleman at heart. His intellectual ability 
 
 HORACE GREELEY. 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT 351 
 
 was conceded by all. His experience in public life, and his natural dis- 
 position, induced him to favor a policy of conciliation in the settlement of 
 the reconstruction question, and, influenced by these convictions, he signed 
 the bail-bond of Jefferson Davis, and secured the release of the fallen 
 leader of the South from his imprisonment. 
 
 This act cost him a large part of his popularity in the North. He 
 accepted the Presidential nomination of the Liberal party, in the belief 
 that his election would aid in bringing about a better state of feeling 
 between the North and the South. He was attacked by his political 
 opponents with a bitterness which caused him much suffering, and many 
 of his old friends deserted him, and joined in the warfare upon him. Just 
 before the close of the canvass, his wife, to whom he was tenderl}'- attached, 
 died, and his grief for her, and the excitement and sorrow caused him by 
 the political contest, broke down his firmness and unsettled his mind. He 
 was conveyed by his friends to a private asylum., where he died on the 
 29th of November, 1872, in the sixty-second 3^ear of his age. 
 
 Destructive Fire in Boston. 
 
 On the 9th of November, 1872, a fire occurred in Boston, and burned 
 until late on the 10th, sweeping over an area of sixty-five acres in the 
 centre of the wholesale trade of the city, and destroying property to the 
 amount of seventy-eight million dollars. As this fire was confined to the 
 business quarter of the city, comparatively few persons were deprived 
 of their homes. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1873, President Grant was inaugurated a second 
 time, at Washington, with great pomp. Twelve thousand troops took part 
 in the procession, which escorted him to the capitol. 
 
 Barly in 1873, a troublesome war began with the Modoc Indian tribe, 
 on the Pacific coast. These Indians had been removed by the government 
 from their old homes in California to reservations in the northern part of 
 Oregon. They at length became dissatisfied with their new location, which 
 they declared was unable to afford them a supj)ort, and began a series of 
 depredations upon the settlements of the whites, which soon drew upon 
 them the vengeance of the Federal government. 
 
 Troops were sent against them, but they retreated to their fastnesses 
 in the lava beds, where they maintained a successful resistance for several 
 months. The government at length reinforced the troops operating against 
 
352 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 
 
 them, aud General Canb}^ commanding the department of the Pacific, 
 
 assumed the immediate command of the troops in the field. 
 
 At the same time a commission was appointed 
 by the government to endeavor to settle 
 the quarrel with the Indians peaceably. 
 This commission held several con- 
 ferences with Captain Jack, the 
 
 ATTACK BY MODOCS ON THE PEACE 
 COMMISSIONERS. 
 
 head chief of the Modocs, and the 
 other Indian leaders, but accomplished 
 nothing. At length the commissioners 
 and General Canby agreed to meet the 
 Indians in the lava beds, a short distance in advance of the lines of the troops. 
 They went unarmed and without an escort. While the conference was m 
 progress, the Indians suddenly rose upon the commissioners, and killed all 
 
 I 
 
ADMINISTRATfON OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 
 
 353 
 
 but one, who managed to escape with severe wounds. General Canby was 
 shot down at the same time, and died instantly. 
 
 The Indians at once fled to their strongholds amid the rocks. The 
 troops', infuriated by the murder of their commander, closed in upon them 
 from all sides, and shut them in the lava beds. Their position was one 
 which a handful of men might defend against 
 an army, and they held it with a desperate 
 determination. They were dislodged finally 
 by the shells of the American guns, and such 
 as were not killed were captured. Captain 
 Jack and his associates in the murder of 
 General Canby and the commissioners were 
 tried by court-martial and sentenced to death. 
 They were hanged in the presence of their 
 countrymen and of the troops on the 3d of 
 October, 1873. 
 
 The year 1875 completed the period of 
 one hundred years from the opening of the 
 revolution, and the events of 1775 were cele- 
 brated with appropriate commemorative cere- 
 monies in the places where they occurred. 
 The centennial anniversary of the battles at 
 Lexington and Concord was celebrated at 
 those places on the 19th of April, with great 
 rejoicings. On the 17th of June the centen- 
 nial of Bunker Hill was celebrated at Charles- 
 town. Vast crowds were present from all 
 parts of the country. 
 
 One of the most gratifying features of 
 the celebration was the presence and hearty RI'^vkrse of centennial medal. 
 participation iu the ceremonies of a large number of troops from the 
 Southern States. Nearly all of these had served in the Confederate 
 army, and their presence in the metropolis of New England was an 
 emphatic proof that the Union has indeed been restored. The memor}^ of 
 the common glory won by the fathers of the republic has alread}^ done 
 much to heal the wounds and obliterate the scars of the civil war. May 
 the good work go on. 
 
 23 
 
|||||i[l||ilIi[lj|i|l|i::lliiiiiim4A'HMjiiiii[i!i]iK^ III ii HI !i 11//, 
 
 lill^ ■ 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 cr)4 
 
ADMINISTRAIION OF PRESIDENT GRANT. 355 
 
 As early as 1872 measures were set on foot for the proper observance 
 of the one hundredth anniversary of the independence of the United States. 
 It was resolved to commemorate the close of the first century of the republic 
 by aii international exhibition, to be held at Philadelphia in 1876, in which 
 all the nations of the world were invited to participate. Preparations were 
 at once set on foot for the great celebration. 
 
 The Europeans governments with great cordiality responded to tha 
 invitations extended to them b}^ the government of the United States, and 
 on the 10th of May, 187G, the International Centennial Exhibition was 
 opened with the most imposing ceremonies, in the presence of an immense 
 concourse of citizens from all parts of the Union, and of the President of 
 the United States and the Emperor of Brazil. The exhibition remained 
 open from May 10th to November 10th, 1870, and was visited by several 
 million people from the various States of the Union, from Canada, South 
 America and Europe. It was one of the grandest and most notable events 
 of the century, and illustrated our country's progress. 
 
 The exhibition was held in the city of Philadelphia, which, as it was 
 the nation's birthplace, was the most appropriate site for the centennial 
 commemoration. Multitudes of people visited Independence Hall, Carpen- 
 ter's Hall, and other objects of interest associated with the country's history. 
 The year witnessed a great revival of the patriotic spirit, as well as showing 
 the vast and rapid strides made by the republic in everjr department of 
 science and industry during the century. The exhibition was also service- 
 able in extending our commercial relations with foreign countries and 
 opening markets for American products. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 UTHERFORD B. HAYES, the nineteenth President of the 
 United States, was publicly inaugurated at Washington on 
 Monda}', March 5th, 1877. As the 4th of March fell on Sun- 
 day, the President-elect simply took the oath of office on that 
 da}'. The inaugural ceremonies were carried out on the 5tli 
 at the Capitol with the usual pomp and parade, and in the presence of an 
 enormous multitude of citizens and visiting militar}' organizations from all 
 parts of the country. After the customary reception by the Senate, the 
 new President was escorted to the eastern portico of the Capitol, where he 
 delivered his inaugural address to the assembled multitude, after which 
 the oath of office was publicly administered to him by Chief Justice Waite, 
 The new President was a native of Ohio, having been born at Dela- 
 vrare, in that State, on the 4th of October, 1822. He graduated at Kenyon 
 College, Gambler, Ohio, and obtained his professional education at the 
 Cambridge Law School. He began the practice of the law at Cincinnati 
 in 185G. He w^as shortly afterwards made City Solicitor, which office he 
 held until the beginning of the civil war in 18G1. 
 
 Soon after the opening of the war he enlisted in Aiq Twenty-third 
 Ohio Volunteers, with which regiment he served as major, lieutenant- 
 colonel and colonel. He led his regiment, which formed a part of General 
 Reno's division, at the battle of South Mountain, in September, 1862, and 
 and was severely wounded in the arm in that engagement. 
 
 In the fall of 18G2 he was made colonel of the regiment, and in 18G4 
 was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers "for gallant 
 and meritorious services in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and 
 Cedar Creek," and was brevetted major-general " for gallant and distin- 
 guished services during the campaigns of 18G4 in West Virginia, and 
 particularly in the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek." At the 
 time of this last promotion he was in command of a division. He served 
 until the close of the war, receiving four wounds and having five horses 
 
 356 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 357 
 
 shot under him during his niilitcir\- career. In the fdU of 1864 he was 
 elected to Congress, and was returned a second time in 18GG. 
 
 In 1867, before the expiration of his Congressional term, he was elected 
 Governor of Ohio, 
 and was re-elected 
 to that office in 
 1869, being each 
 time the candidate 
 of the Republican 
 party. In 1870 
 General Hayes 
 was again elected 
 to Congress, and 
 in 1874 was nom- 
 inated for a third 
 term as Governor 
 of Ohio. His op- 
 ponent was Gov- 
 ernor William Al- 
 len, one of the 
 most popular of 
 the Democratic 
 leaders of Ohio. 
 General Hayes 
 was elected by a 
 handsome major- 
 ity. In March, 
 1877, he resigned 
 this office to en- 
 ter upon his new 
 duties as Presi- 
 dent of the United 
 States. President 
 
 Hayes, iu his letter accepting the nomination of his party for the Presi- 
 dency, declared that if elected he would earnestly and faithfully seek to 
 do justice to the States of the South, and reform the civil service of the 
 country by ridding it of corrupt men, and requiring a faithful discharge 
 
 RUTHEliFORD B. HAYES. 
 
358 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 of duty at the hands of every public officer. Immediately upon his inau- 
 guration he set to work to make good his promises. He selected his cabi- 
 net from among the ablest men in the countr}^, making ability, and not 
 partisan service, the test of the fitness of the persons selected. 
 
 In the summer of 1880 the various political parties of the country met 
 it convention to nominate candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presi- 
 dency of the United States. The Republican Convention met at Chicago 
 
 on the 2d of June, and nomi- 
 nated James A. Garfield, of Ohio, 
 for President, and Chester A. 
 Arthur, of New York, for Vice- 
 President. The Democratic Con- 
 vention met in Cincinnati, on the 
 22d of June, and nominated Win- 
 field Scott Hancock, of Pennsyl- 
 vania, for President, and Wil- 
 liam H. English, of Indiana, for 
 Vice-President. The Greenback 
 Convention met at Chicago, on 
 the 9th of June, and nominated 
 James A. Weaver, of Iowa, for 
 President, and B. J. Chambers, 
 of Texas, for Vice-President. 
 
 The election was held on 
 the 2d of November and resulted 
 in the choice of General James A. 
 JAMES A. GARFIELD. Garfield, who received 214 elec- 
 
 toral votes to 155 electoral votes cast for General Hancock. The popu- 
 lar vote cast was as follows : Garfield, 4,437,345 ; Hancock, 4,435,015 ; 
 Weaver, 305,931. 
 
 On the second Wednesday in February, 1881, the two Houses of Con- 
 gress met in joint-session in the hall of the House of Representatives, for 
 the purpose of counting the electoral vote. The certificates of the electoral 
 colleges of the various States having been opened and read, with the result 
 mentioned above, the Vice-President announced that James A. Gerfield had 
 been duly elected President of the United States, and Chester A. Arthur 
 Vice-President, for the term of four years, from the 4th of March, 1881. 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 359 
 
 The result of the election was cordially accepted by the country, and the 
 nation began to look forward to a new era of prosperity and happiness. 
 
 On Friday, March 4, 1881, the inauguration ceremonies took place 
 upon a scale of unusual magnificence, and were participated in by numer- 
 ous military and civic organizations, and by thousands of citizens from all 
 parts of the country. After the new Vice-President had taken the oath of 
 office, President-elect Garfield was formally received by the Senate, and 
 escorted to the eastern portico of the capitol, where, in the presence of an 
 immense multitude of citizens and soldiery, he delivered an able and elo- 
 quent inaugural address, and took the oath of office at the hands of 
 Chief-Justice Waite. 
 
 The new President had been long and favorably known to his coun- 
 trymen. He was in his fiftieth year, and in vigorous health. A man of 
 commanding presence, he was dignified and courteous in his demeanor, 
 accessible to the humblest citizen, and deservedly popular with men of all 
 parties. Born a poor boy, without influential friends, he had by his own 
 effiDrts secured a thorough collegiate education, and had carefully fitted him- 
 self for the arduous duties he was now called upon to discharge. 
 
 Promoted to the Rank of Major-General. 
 
 Entering the army at the outbreak of the civil war, he had won a 
 brilliant reputation as a soldier, and had been promoted to the rank of 
 major-general of volunteers. Elected to Congress from Ohio, in 1862, he 
 had entered the House of Representatives in December, 1863, and had seen 
 almost eighteen years of constant service in that body, in which he had 
 long ranked as one of the most brilliant and trusted leaders of the Repub- 
 lican party. Early in 1880 he had been chosen a United States Senator 
 from Ohio, but had been prevented from taking his seat in the Senate by 
 his election to the Presidency. 
 
 Immediately after his inauguration he sent to the Senate for confirma- 
 tion the names of the members of his cabinet. They were chosen from 
 among the leading members of the conservative portion of the Republican 
 party, and were headed by James G. Blaine, of Maine, as secretary of state. 
 They were at once confirmed by the Senate, and the new administration 
 embarked upon its short-lived career. 
 
 Very soon after entering upon his duties President Garfield found that 
 the Executive chair was b}^ no means a bed of roses. The Republican 
 
360 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 party soon divided into two sections, one known as the " conservative," 
 supporting the administration, and the other known as the " stalwarts,'* 
 opposing it. A bitter partisan quarrel sprang up between these two wings 
 of the party, and prolonged the Executive session of the senate until late 
 in June. The quarrel was the fiercest over the appointment of a new col- 
 lector for the port of New York, and culminated in the resignation of 
 their seats in the senate by Senators Conkling and Piatt, of New York, 
 on the sixteenth of May. 
 
 The resignation of these gentlemen was based upon the ground that 
 the President had nominated Judge Robertson to be collector of the port 
 
 of New York, without consulting or yielding 
 to the wishes of the Senators from that State, 
 the said Senators in effect claiming the right 
 to determine what appointments should or 
 should not be made by the President in their 
 State. The President, on his part, insisted 
 upon his right to nominate to of&ce any man 
 whom he should deem worthy of the trust. 
 
 The struggle was in reality a contest for 
 the independence of the Executive in the mat- 
 ter of public appointments, and President Gar- 
 field was warmly supported by the great 
 mass of the nation, without regard to party. 
 JAMES G. BLAINE. jj^^ therefore, pursued with unshaken firm- 
 
 ness the policy he had determined upon. After the resignation of Sen- 
 ators Conkling and Piatt, the nomination of Judge Robertson was 
 confirmed by the Senate. 
 
 As the time wore on, President Garfield gained steadily in the esteem 
 of his countrymen. His purpose to give to the nation a fair and just 
 administration of the government was every day more apparent, and his 
 high and noble qualities became more conspicuous. Men began to feel 
 that the Executive chair was occupied by a President capable of conceiving 
 a pure and noble standard of dut}^, and possessed of the firmness and 
 strength of will necessary to carry it into execution. The country was 
 prosperous, and there was every reason to expect a continuance of the 
 general happiness. 
 
 Soon after the opening of President Garfield's administration, the Post- 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIEID. 
 
 361 
 
 master-General discovered that certain contracts for carrying the mails on 
 what are known as " The Star Routes," were fraudulent, and that the 
 person? interested in them were defrauding the government of large sums 
 of money. The President, Postmaster-General and Attorney-General, sus- 
 tained by the other members of the Cabinet, without exception, thereupon 
 resolved to bring the guilty parties to justice. 
 
 The latter, being men of wealth and position, bitterly resented the 
 course of the government, and violentl}^ denounced it. Nevertheless, the 
 
 THE ASSASSINATION OF JAMES A. GARFIELD. 
 
 President caused measures looking to the punishment of the accused parties 
 to be begun, and only the unexpected adjournment of the grand jury and 
 court prevented a formal indictment from being brought against them. 
 Before other measures could be taken, the attention of the entire nation 
 was occupied by an event of graver importance. 
 
 While these matters were still in progress. President Garfield began 
 preparations for a brief pleasure trip to Long Branch, where Mrs. Garfield 
 was recovering from a severe illness ; intending from th:it point to visit 
 New England, and be present at the commencement exercises of his alma 
 
.362 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD, 
 
 mater^ Williams' College, in Massachusetts. He was to be accompanied by 
 a distinguished part}', including several members of the Cabinet. 
 
 On the morning of the 2d of July, the party proceeded to the Balti- 
 more and Potomac depot, where they were to take the cars, in advance of 
 the President, who arrived soon after, in company with Secretary Blaine, 
 v\^ho came simply to see him off, and say good-bye. They left the Presi- 
 dent's carriage together, and sauntered arm-in-arm through the depot 
 towards the cars. 
 
 In passing through the ladies' waiting-room, the President was fired at 
 twice by a man named Charles J. Guiteau. The first shot inflicted a slight 
 wound in the President's right arm, and the second a terrible wound in 
 the right side of his back, between the hip and the kidney. The Presi- 
 dent fell heavily to the floor, and the assassin was secured as he was 
 seeking to make his escape from the building, and was conveyed to a 
 police station, from which he was subsequently taken to prison. 
 
 Hastily Removed to the White House. 
 
 The President lay helpless upon the floor of the waiting-room, the 
 blood flowing copiously from both his wounds. As soon as those near him 
 recovered from the dismay into which the tragedy had thrown them, he 
 was placed upon a mattress, physicians were summoned, and he was con- 
 veyed to an upper room in the depot. He bore his sufferings with great 
 £rmness, and from the first displayed a cool courage that won the warm 
 admiration of the country. The surgeons summoned were soon at hand, 
 and found that the President's injuries were very critical. It was decided to 
 remove him to the Executive Mansion, and he was carried down the stairs, 
 placed in an army ambulance and driven rapidly to the White House. 
 
 Arriving there he was conveyed to his wife's chamber, overlooking the 
 Potomac, and placed in bed. Two attempts were made by the surgeons 
 to find the ball — one at the depot, and one at the White House after his 
 arrival there — but both were unsuccessful. Grave fears were entertained 
 by the surgeons for the President's life, and Mrs. Garfield was summoned 
 by telegraph from Long Branch. She arrived during the evening. 
 
 The news of the attempt upon the President's life spread rapidly 
 throughout the Union, and was everywhere received with horror and indig- 
 nation. During the afternoon his condition became more alarming, and 
 bulletins were issued by the surgeons in charge at frequent intervals, 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 363 
 
 giving the latest news of the state of the illustrious sufferer. These were 
 telegraphed to all parts of the country, and were watched with eager 
 impatience by vast crowds of citizens wherever they were posted. The 
 sympathj^ of the whole nation went out warmly towards the wounded 
 President and his afflicted family; and from the governments and nations 
 of Europe messages of inquiry and sympathy were constantly received 
 through the Atlantic cable. During the entire period of the President's 
 illness the official bulletins were issued three times each day, and the 
 nation was thus kept informed of his condition. 
 
 Oourageous and Cheerful under Suffering. 
 
 The best medical and surgical skill of the country was employed in 
 the effort to save the President's life, and throughout the whole period of 
 his illness he never lost his calm courage, but displayed a firmness and 
 cheerfulness that astonished his attendants, and encouraged them to hope 
 for a favorable result. 
 
 The afternoon of the 2d of July wore anxiously away, no signs of a 
 reaction being manifested, but after the arrival of Mrs. Garfield, in the 
 evening, the President began to rally slightly. The night was passed in 
 anxious suspense. On the morning of the 3d the President was calm and 
 cheerful, though he fully realized the gravity of his situation. He told 
 Dr. Bliss, the surgeon in charge of his case, that he wished to know 
 exactly what his chances for life were ; that, while he desired to live, he 
 was prepared to die, and did not fear to learn the worst. Dr. Bliss replied 
 that, though his injuries were formidable, he had, in his judgment, a 
 chance for his life. "Well, Doctor," exclaimed the sufferer, with a cheerful 
 smile, ''we'll take that chance." 
 
 The day passed away without any event of importance, and the anxi- 
 ous nation, as well as the President's attendants, drew some hope from the 
 fact he continued " to hold his own." The popular anxiety and sympathy 
 were strikingly manifested on the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the 
 National Independence, in the listless and careless manner in which the 
 day was celebrated. The people were too much engrossed with their anxiety 
 to take part in any demonstration of joy. 
 
 The two months following the wounding of President Garfield dragged 
 wearily away, the patient at times showing symptoms of marked improve- 
 ment, and at others experiencing dangerous relapses. The nation alternated 
 
364 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 between hope and despair, and was kept all the while in a most painful 
 suspense. The surgeons in charge, however, recognized tlie true char- 
 acter of the wound from the first, and while they hoped for a recovery, 
 could not conceal from themselves the fact that such a result would be 
 almost miraculous. 
 
 The President's sufferings were very great during this period, and were 
 increased by the intense heat of the season and the unhealth}^ surround- 
 ings of the White House. Yet he bore them all with unshaken firmness 
 and unalterable cheerfulness. Dr. Bliss, his chief surgeon, writes of him 
 during this period : " The time which passed until the 2od of July, when 
 the first rigor occurred, was chiefly remarkable for the quiet, cool deter- 
 mination of the sufferer. Quite ready for, and evidently expecting the 
 worst, his demeanor was that of the man whose great intellect and wonder- 
 ful will enabled him to give the most intelligent aid to the ph3^sician. 
 Apparently indifferent as to result, so far as it should affect him alone, he 
 still watched every symptom, even making inquiry after each examination 
 as to the temperature, pulse and respiration, and every measure of relief 
 adopted, with evidently firm determination to live for others if possible." 
 
 Conveyed to Long Branch by Special Trair 
 
 Towards the last of August the surgeons in attendance upon the Presi- 
 dent resolved to remove him from the White House to a more healthful 
 locality. The removal was a risk, but not so great a risk as to permit 
 him to remain in the malarious atmosphere which surrounded the Execu- 
 tive Mansion, and which was rapidly destroying the little strength left 
 him. It was decided to convey him to Long Branch, in the hope that the 
 pure and bracing air of the sea would enable him to regain some of 
 his lost vitality. 
 
 Accordingly, on the Gth of September, the President, accompanied by 
 his family, his surgeons and attendants, was conveyed to Long Branch in 
 a train specially prepared for the purpose. The journey was made quickly 
 and successfully, and after reaching Long Branch the President seemed to 
 rally. For the first few days after his arrival at the seashore his S3'mp- 
 toms were so much better that renewed hope sprang up in the hearts of 
 his countrymen. It was only for a brief period, however. On the 16th of 
 September there was a marked change for the worse, with unmistakable 
 evidences of increasing weakness in mind and body. 
 
Pm 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 365 
 
 On the 17th the President sank still lower, and in the forenoon was 
 seized with a severe rigor. On the evening of the 18th another alarming 
 rigor occurred, followed by other grave symptoms. From this time the 
 President continued to grow worse. On the morning of the 19th he was 
 attached with another severe rigor, but after that had passed away ap- 
 peared more comfortable, and his attendants were more hopeful of a quiet 
 night for him. 
 
 Towards nine o'clock in the evening he fell into a quiet sleep, from 
 which he awakened, shortly after ten o'clock, in great pain. General 
 Swaim, who was watching by him, alarmed by the President's symptoms, 
 hastily summoned the family, and the surgeons. The President was uncon- 
 scious when the}^ arrived, and continued to sink rapidly. Efforts were 
 made to revive him with stimulants, but in vain, and at thirty-five minutes 
 after ten o'clock, the brave struggle was brought to an end, and the soul 
 of James A. Garfield passed into eternit}-. 
 
 The Country Shocked by the President's Death. 
 
 The sad news of the death of President Garfield was at once tele- 
 graphed to New York, and by eleven o'clock the whole country was aware 
 that its Chief Magistrate was dead. Bells were tolled in every city, 
 town, and village of the Union, and everywhere citizens draped their 
 houses in mourning. Such a display of national sorrow had never 
 been witnessed before. 
 
 The news of the death of President Garfield was at once transmitted 
 by telegraph to Vice-President Arthur, b}^ the members of the Cabinet 
 present at Long Branch, and he was advised by them to take the oath of 
 office as President without dela3^ Accordingly, Justices Brady and Don- 
 ah oe, of the Supreme Court of New York, were at once summoned by the 
 Vice-President, and, at a little after two o'clock on the morning of the 
 20th of September, he took the oath of office as President of the United 
 States before them at his private residence in New York. 
 
 On the 20th of September, arrangements were made for removing the 
 
 body of the late President to Washington Cit}^ and on the same day an 
 
 autopsy was held upon the body by the surgeons who had been in attend' 
 
 j ance upon the President, assisted by several others. The autopsy revealed 
 
 I the fact that the wound had been fatal from the first. On the morning 
 
 j of the 21st, funeral ceremonies were held in the cottage at Long Branch, 
 
366 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 in which the President died, and at ten o'clock the remains were placed 
 on board of a special train, and conveyed to Washington, and accompanied 
 by the family and friends of the dead President, and by President Arthur 
 and a number of distinguished personages. Washington was reached at 
 4.35 in the afternoon, and the body was escorted by a detachment of 
 military and Knights Templar to the Capitol, and laid in state until the 23d. 
 During the 22d and 23d, it was visited by over one hundred thousand 
 persons. On the afternoon of the 23d, the public funeral services were 
 
 held in the rotunda of the 
 Capitol, after which the body 
 was escorted to the Baltimore 
 and Potomac depot, and con- 
 veyed to Cleveland, Ohio, by 
 a special train. Cleveland 
 was reached the next day, 
 and the remains were laid in 
 state in a structure especially 
 prepared for them, until the 
 morning of the 26th, when 
 they were buried, with the 
 most imposing ceremonies, in 
 Lake View Cemetery, in the 
 suburbs of that city. Busi- 
 ness was suspended, and me- 
 morial services M^ere held 
 during the day in all parts 
 of the United States. 
 
 On the 22d of Septem- 
 ber, President Arthur again 
 took the oath of office, this time at the hands of the Chief-Justice of the 
 United States, and was quietly inaugurated in the Vice-President's room, 
 in the Capitol, delivering, upon this occasion, a brief inaugural address. 
 
 Soon after the attempt upon the life of President Garfield, a popular 
 subscription was set on foot to provide a fund for the support of his 
 family in the event of his death. The movement was successful, and over 
 $330,000 were raised, and invested in United States bonds, for the benefit 
 of the widow and children of the " Martyred President." 
 
 CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 367 
 
 President Arthur entered quietly upon the duties of his administration^ 
 and his first acts were satisfactory to a majority of his countrymen. As 
 he had been the leader of " the Stalwart " section of the Republican party, 
 it was felt by the members of the Cabinet of the late President that he 
 should be free to choose his own advisers. Therefore, immediately upon 
 his accession to the Executive chair, Mr. Blaine and his colleagues tendered 
 him their resignations. They were requested, however, by the new Presi- 
 dent to retain their offices until he could find suitable successors to them. 
 To this they agreed, but before the year was out several important changes 
 had been made- in the Cabinet. The principal of these were the substi- 
 tution of Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, for Mr. Blaine, as 
 Secretary of State, and the appointment of Judge Charles J. Folger to the 
 Treasury Department. 
 
 President Garfield's Assassin Brought to Trial. 
 
 One of the first acts of the new administration was to cause the 
 indictment of Charles J. Guiteau for the murder of President Garfield. The 
 grand jury of the District of Columbia met on the 3d of October, 1881, and 
 promptly found a true bill against Guiteau, who was arraigned in the 
 Criminal Court of the District on the 14th of October. After some delay, 
 the trial of the assassin began on the 14th of November. The first three 
 days were consumed in selecting a jury, and then the trial began in earnest. 
 It ended on the 25th of January, 1882, in the conviction of Guiteau for the 
 murder of the late President. The prisoner was defended by able counsel, 
 and was allowed many privileges never before granted to persons on trial 
 for so grave an offence. 
 
 The plea upon which the defence was based was insanity, but the 
 evidence entirely destroyed this assumption, and the verdict of the jury was 
 received throughout the country as just and proper. An effort was made 
 by Guiteau's counsel to obtain a new trial for him, but this was denied by 
 the court, and on the 4th of February Guiteau was sentenced to be hanged, 
 on the 30th of June, 1882. The counsel for the prisoner still continued 
 his efforts to secure a new trial, but these being unsuccessful in each and 
 every instance, his only resource was an appeal to the clemency of the 
 Executive. The President declined, however, to interfere with the sentence. 
 
 During the interval between his sentence and his execution, Guiteau 
 was confined in the jail of the District of Columbia, at Washington. His 
 
368 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 conduct during this interval was in keeping with that which had marked 
 his trial — vain, egotistical, and blasphemous. To the last the prisoner was 
 confident that President Arthur would interfere in his behalf. 
 
 THE BROOKLYN SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 
 
 The execution took place in the District jail on the 30th of June, 1S82, 
 and was witnessed by about two hundred people, nearly all representatives 
 
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 369 
 
 of tlie press. Guiteau displayed more firmness than liad been expected of 
 liim. He walked to tlie gallows without making the violent scene which 
 had been anticipated by many, and ascended it with a firm step. Upon the 
 scaffold, however, he displa3^ed considerable emotion, which he quickly 
 subdued. His religious adviser offered a short prayer, and Guiteau read 9. 
 selection from the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 Execution of the Murderer. 
 
 Then he read a prayer, strangely at variance with his religious profes- 
 sions, in which he called down the curse of the Almighty upon all who 
 had been engaged in his trial and execution, and upon the nation at large, 
 and denounced President Arthur as a coward and an ingrate. Finally he 
 chanted a poem which he had written during the morning. At the close 
 of this singular recital the trap fell, precisely at forty-three minutes past 
 twelve o'clock, and the great crime against the American people was avenged. 
 Guiteau's neck was broken by the fall, and his d^'^th was painless. He 
 died without a struggle, and with scarce a tremor. 
 
 On the 27th of October, 1882, the two-hundredtn anniversary of the 
 landing of William Penn was celebrated at Philadelphia. The exercises 
 included public addresses, a military display, and an industrial parade. In 
 addition to these there were various historic devices and tableaux, illus- 
 trating events in the early history of Pennsylvania. It was estimated that 
 upwards of four hundred thousand persons attended the celebration. 
 
 One of the notable events of 1883 was the opening of the great 
 Suspension Bridge over the East river, between New York City and 
 Brooklyn. Work commenced January 3, 1870, and the bridge was opened 
 to the public May 24, 1883. The total cost was $15,500,000. The total 
 length from New York to Brooklyn is 5,989 feet, and the length of the 
 main span is l,595i feet. The height of the towers is 27GI feet. The 
 height of the floor of the bridge at the centre, above high-water mark, is 
 135 feet. The height of the floor of the bridge at the piers is 118 feet. 
 
 The caisson for the New York pier was sunk 78 feet, and that for 
 the Brooklyn pier 45i feet below the bed of the river. Each cable is 151 
 inches in diameter, and is made up of 5,000 wires, each i inch in diameter. 
 The anchorages are 930 feet from the towers, and weigh 120,000,000 
 pounds each. The cables are capable of sustaining 49,200 tons. The 
 weight of the central span is 6,742 tons. 
 
 24 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 I HE twenty-secoud President of the United States was Hon. 
 Grover Cleveland. Mr, Cleveland was a native of New Jersey, 
 and was born in Caldwell, Essex County, March 18, 1837. He 
 came from sturdy New England stock, many of his ancestors 
 having held honorable positions in their respective localities, 
 
 President Cleveland, after teach- 
 ing two or three years, studied 
 law in Buffalo, was admitted 
 to the bar, became sherift of 
 the county, mayor of the city, 
 and, having received the nomi- 
 nation for governor of New 
 York, was elected by a large 
 majority. This was followed 
 by his nomination in the Dem- 
 ocratic Convention of 1884, and 
 his election in the following 
 November to the Presidency. 
 
 Naturally the departure of 
 the Republican administration, 
 and the return of the Demo- 
 GROVER CLEVELAND. cratic party to power after 
 
 twenty-four years of exile from the highest seats in the councils of the 
 Republic awakened a profound interest. As the 4th of March, 1885, 
 approached, eyes were turned towards Washington, and multitudes went 
 up to the Capitol as to a Mecca. Washington itself, accustomed to civic 
 displays, exciting events and magnificent parades, was more than usuall^^ 
 awakened, and an interest was exhibited in the inauguration which over- 
 shadowed all other concerns. The representatives of the press throughout 
 the country were there in full force to record the event and depict the 
 scene in its imposing aspects. 
 
 370 
 
372 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 The ceremonies incident upon the inauguration presented a pageant 
 exceeding, in civic and military display, any such preceding occasion in 
 the history of the government. There were in attendance more than one 
 hundred thousand visitors, and the city in its profuse decorations was a 
 bewildering maze of bright colors. Among the significant allegorical 
 designs was a great floral ladder reaching to the roof of a business house 
 en Pennsylvania Avenue, which bore upon its rungs the words, " Sheriff," 
 " Mayor," " Governor," " President," thus graphically symbolizing the life- 
 work of the President-elect. 
 
 The inaugural of President Cleveland began as follows : "In the pres- 
 ence of this vast assemblage 
 of my countrymen I am 
 about to supplement and seal 
 by the oath which I shall 
 take the manifestation of the 
 will of a great and free peo- 
 ple. In the exercise of their 
 power and right of self- 
 government they have com- 
 mitted to one of their fel- 
 low-citizens a supreme and 
 sacred trust, and he here con- 
 secrates himself to their ser- 
 
 COTTAGE IN WHICH GRANT DIED AT MT. m'GREGOR. vice." 
 
 On the 4th of IMarch, the day of President Cleveland's inauguration, 
 ex-President Grant was placed on the retired list of the army. For some 
 months previous to this there were ominous rumors respecting the state of 
 his health. The great general who had led the Federal forces in the last 
 part of the civil war, and who hr.d gained a military reputation second to 
 that of no commander of modern times ; who had also been lifted to the 
 highest position in the gift of a grateful people, and had served eight 
 years in the White House as our chief executive, was reported to be 
 in his last illness. 
 
 The sympathy of the entire country was profoundly stirred by this 
 announcement. IVIedical skill of the highest order was summoned ; daily 
 bulletins of the condition of the illustrious patient were issued ; hope was 
 extDressed that his life might be spared for many years, a hope which soon 
 
7S 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 373 
 
 proved to be unfounded ; and although his labors in the preparation of his 
 " Memoirs " continued, it became evident that he was sustained more by 
 will-pQwer than by any increasing strength, and that very soon he would be 
 compelled to lay down his pen as he had already laid down his sword. 
 
 DEATH OF GENERAL GRANT. 
 
 In the summer of 1885 he was removed to Mount McGregor, in the 
 northern part of the State of New York, in the hope that he would be 
 invigorated by the mountain air. Disease, however, had progressed so far 
 that his death became inevitable, and this occurred on the 23d of July, at 
 eight o'clock A. M. Demonstrations of sorrow attended his obsequies. A 
 special train bore his remains from Mount IMcGregor to the city of New 
 York, where the funeral services and the interment were to take place. 
 On the Gth of August he was laid in state in the City Hall, and vast 
 crowds of people came to take their last look. On August Sth the funeral 
 took place, which was an extraordinary pageantry. It was attended by 
 celebrities from all parts of the land. All that statesmen, members of Con- 
 
374 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 gress, Governors of States, Judges of Supreme Courts aud persons in the 
 highest walks of professional and mercantile life could do to give honor to 
 the illustrious dead was rendered on this occasion. 
 
 The Grand Ann 3^, of which General Grant had been the leader, was 
 full}^ represented. A procession numbering from fifty to sixty thousand 
 men followed the hearse from the City Hall to the mauseleum erected on 
 
 GRNARAT. GRANT'S TEMPORARY TOMB, RIVERSIDE PARK, NEW YORK. 
 
 the banks of the Hudson, which was to contain the remains of the illus- 
 trious dead. The closing scenes of the life of General Grant were as 
 impressive as his previous illness had been painful, and fitted to awaken 
 public sympathy. Thus was laid in the tomb another of the renowned 
 sons of the Republic who had done much to add to her fame and 
 brighten her glory. 
 
 It was not long after this that another death occurred which added to 
 the afdiction caused by that of ex-President Grant. On the 29th of October 
 General George B. McClellan died at his residence at Orange Mountain, 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 376 
 
 N. J. General McClellan's name comes out conspicuously in the history of 
 our country since 1860. In the early part of the war he was commander 
 of the Army of the Potomac. Having been displaced, the part that he 
 occupied in the war was not afterward prominent. He was widely known, 
 however, in political life, and was invested with several offices, one of which 
 was the governorship of New Jerse3\ His funeral took place in the city 
 of New York on the 2d of November. 
 
 In December both houses of Congress passed a bill granting a pension 
 to President Grant's widow. This was thought to be an act of justice in 
 consideration of the services rendered to the nation by her distinguished 
 husband — a measure which was heartily approved by the people at large, 
 and which was another evidence of the fact that, notwithstanding the old 
 saying that " Republics are ungrateful," ours is not to be so classed. 
 
 Evils Threatening the Country. 
 
 In the early part of December, Congress reassembled at Washington, 
 and President Cleveland submitted his annual message. In this message 
 the matter of silver coinage was given a prominent place, and in connection 
 with it the existing condition of the laboring classes throughout the country 
 was discussed. The President expressed the gravest anxiety for the pros- 
 perity of the country, unless measures should be taken b}^ Congress to 
 remedy the existing evils. Another important recommendation had refer- 
 ence to the Indians. It was maintained that the present laws and regula- 
 tions for their control should be prudently administered, while at the 
 same time it was stated that there was a lack of fixed purpose or policy 
 on this subject. 
 
 The President took the ground that the Indians were within the care 
 of the government, and their rights should be protected from invasion by 
 the most solemn obligations. It was stated that there was a general con- 
 currence in the proposition that the ultimate object of their treatment 
 should be their civilization and citizenship, and it was urged that measures 
 to this end should be pressed forward as speedily as possible. The passage 
 of a law was recommended which should authorize the appointment of six 
 commissioners to carry out the preceding recommendations. These were 
 the most important matters which were submitted by President Cleve- 
 land in his message. 
 
 Agitations upon the labor question continued throughout the country; 
 
376 ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 organizations were rapidly formed, conventions were held, leading agitators 
 inflamed the laboring classes, and the subject assumed such grave propor- 
 tions that on the 22d of April, 1886, President Cleveland sent a special 
 message to Congress. The object was to recommend such measures 
 as would tend to quiet the labor agitation, and at the same time guard 
 the interests of capital. 
 
 The next event of importance, although occurring in Chicago, very 
 soon assumed a national aspect. On the 4th of May a riot occurred in 
 that city, instigated by a company of revolutionary spirits, who have been 
 denominated "Anarchists." After having held secret and public meetings 
 for a long time, which were promoted and reported by one or two journals 
 edited by the leaders in the movement, an open outbreak occurred on the 
 above date. While a public meeting was being held, and speeches were 
 being made of a revolutionary description, the police attempted to disperse 
 the crowd. At that instant dynamite bombs were thrown, and seven police- 
 men were killed, and eighty-three ofiicers and citizens were wounded- 
 
 Execution of Anarchists at Chicago. 
 
 A number of arrests followed, and on the 20th of August, after a pro- 
 tracted trial, seven anarchists were convicted of murder, and sentenced to 
 be executed. Able counsel defended them, and managed their trial in such 
 a way as to indicate that they were as much in sympathy with the meas- 
 ures proposed by the anarchists, as they were with the maintenance of law 
 and order. On the 7th of October a new trial was refused, and on the 
 9th formal sentence of execution was pronounced. Four were executed on 
 November 11, 1887, one committed suicide in prison, two were sentenced 
 to imprisonment for life, and one to fifteen years in the penitentiary. 
 
 On the 31st of August, 1886, the city of Charleston, South Carolina, 
 was visited by a severe earthquake. Nearly seven thousand buildings were 
 totally destroyed, or seriousl}^ injured. About one hundred lives were lost, 
 and so great was the work of destruction that more than one-half of the 
 city had to be rebuilt. This calamity threw a gloom over the entire 
 country ; prompt aid was offered the sufferers, and the people of the stricken 
 city began at once to repair their desolated homes. 
 
 On Thursday, October 28, 1886, the great statue of Liberty Enlighten- 
 ing the World was unveiled on Bedloe's Island, in New York Harbor. 
 This massive work was conceived and executed by M. Auguste F. Bar- 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 377 
 
 tholdi, of Paris, France, and was presented by the French nation to the 
 people of the United States. The first steps towards its construction were 
 taken in 1874, when the French- American Union was established, a ban- 
 quet given, and an appeal made to the people of France. In 1876 M. 
 Bartholdi had begun his great work, and with extended right arm of the 
 statue — the first part that was completed — came to America, and placed it, 
 with the torch, in the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, whence it 
 was subsequently removed to Aladison Square, New York. In February, 
 1877, Congress set apart Bedloe's Island for the statue, and a committee 
 was chosen, with William M. Evarts at its head, to make preparations for 
 receiving the great work. 
 
 Description of the Statue. 
 
 The statue weighs 450,000 pounds, or 225 tons. The bronze alone 
 weighs 200,000 pounds. Forty persons can stand comfortably in the head, 
 and the torch will hold twelve people. 
 
 The total number of steps in the temporary staircase, which leads 
 from the base of the foundation to the top of the torch is 403 feet. From 
 the ground to the top of the pedestal, 105 steps. The number of steps in 
 the statue from the pedestal to the head is 154, and the ladder leading up 
 through the extended right arm to the torch has 54 rounds. The cost of 
 the statue was estimated at $250,000; the cost of the pedestal and the 
 erection of the statue, $350,000. Total cost of the work completed and 
 in place, $000,000. 
 
 In September, of 1887, the centennial anniversary of the adoption and 
 promulgation of the United States Constitution was celebrated in Philadel- 
 phia. The celebration occupied the three daj^s — Thursday, Friday and 
 Saturday, September 15th, IGth and 17th. Ou the 15th there was a grand 
 industrial display under the general direction of Colonel A. Loudon Snowdeu, 
 which was seven hours in passing a given point, and was by far the largest 
 exhibition of the sort ever made in America. 
 
 On Friday, the IGth, there was a military parade, composed of United 
 States regular troops. United States marines, Girard College cadets, and 
 companies of State militia from over half the States in the Union. Fifteen 
 thousand men were in line, the governors of States riding at the head of 
 their several State troops, the whole under the command of Eieutenant- 
 General Philip H. Sheridan. It w^as reviewed by the President of the United 
 
:378 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 States. Stands had been erected along Broad street from Wharton to 
 Dauphin streets, and on Market and Chestnut streets from Broad to Fifth 
 streets, and they were filled with tier upon tier of enthusiastic thousands, 
 the whole forming one of the grandest military spectacles of the century. 
 
 On Saturday there were public exercises in Independence Square, at 
 at which President Cleveland presided, the opening and closing prayers 
 being made by Bishop Potter, of New York, and Cardinal Gibbons, of 
 ^Baltimore, respectively. There were addresses by President Cleveland and 
 
 President Kasson, of the Constitu- 
 tional Celebration Committee, and 
 the oration was given by Associate 
 Justice Samuel F. Aliller, of the 
 United States Supreme Court. 
 
 At St. Louis, June 5th, 1888, 
 the Democratic National Convention 
 was held for the purpose of nomi- 
 nating candidates for the of&ces of 
 President and Vice-President. Presi- 
 dent Grover Cleveland, of New York, 
 was unanimously nominated for the 
 office of President of the United 
 States, and Allen G. Thurman, of 
 Ohio, for the office of Vice-Presi- 
 dent; after which the convention 
 adjourned on June 7th. The meet- 
 ings of the convention Mere attended by scenes of excitement and enthu- 
 siasm, which indicated complete harmony in the Democratic party, resolute 
 determination to make the approaching campaign one of great vigor, and 
 hope of success at the general election to be held in November. 
 
 The Republican National Convention, held at Chicago from the 19th 
 to the 25th of June, 1888, nominated the Hon. Benjamin Harrison, of 
 Indiana, for the office of President. 
 
 Previous to the assembling of the convention, and even during its 
 ■early sessions, Mr. Harrison was not so prominently named for the nomi- 
 nation as several others. Sherman, of Ohio; Gresham, of Illinois; Alger, 
 of Michigan, and that distinguished leader of the Republican party, James 
 G. Blaine, had their respective enthusiastic following. The nomination 
 
 i.j:vr r. mortox. 
 
 I 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 379 
 
 was given to Mr. Harrison after a long and patient effort to secure the 
 best man for the high honor of leading the Republican hosts. 
 
 When the convention, on the eighth ballot, declared in favor of Har- 
 rison, the decision was hailed with universal delight. Although the friends 
 of other candidates had worked with great zeal to secure the prize for 
 their favorites, there was a hearty acquiescence in the final decision, the 
 choice was made unanimous, the building shook with hearty plaudits, 
 great waves of excitement swept over the vast audience, and the scene was 
 one never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. At once all differ- 
 ences among the delegates were harmonized, and they prepared to push 
 the canvass with vigor up to the day of decision in November. Hon, 
 IvCvi P. Morton, of New York, was nominated for the office of Vice-President. 
 
 On the sixth of November the election was held, which resulted in a 
 victory for the Republican party, the States voting as they did at the 
 election four years before, with the exception of New York and Indiana 
 which gave their votes to Benjamin Harrison. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 
 
 [HERE was an imposing demonstration at Washington on the 
 occasion of President Harrison's inauguration, March 4, 1889. 
 I) A vast concourse of people assembled from all parts of the 
 country, and the civic and military display surpassed all pagean- 
 tries ever before witnessed at the capital. 
 President Harrison's inaugural address, while recommending some im- 
 portant measures, was regarded as conservative in its tone, and served to 
 inspire confidence in the new administration. The address traced the neces- 
 sary growth of tariff legisla- 
 tion. This legislation was 
 adopted in the early history of 
 the nation. 
 
 " Societi^j for the promotion 
 of home manufactures and for 
 encouraging the use of domes- 
 tics in the dress of the people 
 were organized in many of the 
 States. The revival at the end 
 of the century of the same pa- 
 triotic interest in the preserva- 
 tion and development of domes- 
 tic industries, and the defence 
 of our working people against 
 injurious foreign competition, 
 BENJAMIN HARRISON. {g an iucidcut worthy of atten- 
 
 tion. It is not a departure, but a return that we have witnessed. The 
 protective policy had then its opponents. The argument was made, as now, 
 that its benefits inured to particular classes or sections." 
 
 Continuing, the President said : "I look hopefully to the continuance 
 of our protective system and to the consequent development of manufac- 
 380 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON 381 
 
 turing and mining enterprises in tHe States hitherto wholly given to agri- 
 culture, as a potent influence in the perfect unification of our people. The 
 men Who have invested their capital in these enterprises, the farmers who 
 have felt the benefit of their neighborhood, and the men who work in shop 
 or field will not fail to find and to defend a community of interest." 
 
 Evils Attending Trusts. 
 
 The President gave some timely suggestions respecting the formation 
 of trusts and the evils which are likely to attend them. Among other 
 things he said : " The evil example of permitting individuals, corporations 
 or communities to nullify the laws because they cross some selfish or local 
 interest or prejudice is full of danger, not only to the nation at large, but 
 much more to those who use this pernicious expedient to escape their just 
 obligations or to obtain an unjust advantage over others. They will pres- 
 ently themselves be compelled to appeal to the law for protection and those 
 who would iise the law as a defence must not deny that use of it to others. 
 
 " If our great corporations would more scrupulously observe their legal 
 limitations and duties they would have less cause to complain of the unlaw- 
 ful limitations of their rights or of violent interference with their opera- 
 tions. The community that by concert, open or secret, among its citizens 
 denies to a portion of its members their plain rights under the law, has 
 severed the only safe bond of social order and prosperity. The evil works, 
 from a bad centre, both ways. It demoralizes those who practice it, and 
 destroys the faith of those who suffer by it in the efficiency of the law as 
 a safe protector. The man in whose breast that faith has been darkened 
 is naturally the subject of dangerous uncanny suggestions. Those who use 
 unlawful methods, if moved b}^ no higher motive than the selfishness that 
 prompted them, may well stop to inquire what is to be the end of this." 
 
 The President also recommended that our naturalization laws be so 
 amended as to exclude the worst class of immigrants. " We should not 
 cease to be hospitable to immigration, but we should cease to be careless 
 as to the character of it." 
 
 The address recommended that care be exercised to maintain friendly 
 relations with the other nations of the globe, but not at the expense of 
 our own interests. 
 
 A strong navy for the protection of the United States was urged as a 
 prime consideration, with such appropriations as would be needed to build 
 
382 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 
 
 and equip a fleet of war vessels capable of defending our coasts and 
 upholding the dignity of our flag. 
 
 The reform of the civil service, the admission of new States, the freedom 
 of the ballot, and the safeguards needed to give efficiency to our election 
 laws, were topics discussed by the address in a timely, patriotic manner. 
 
 On the advent of summer, June 1st, the country was horror-stricken 
 by the announcement that a terrible calamity had overtaken the inhabitants 
 of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the neighboring villages on the preceding 
 day. Instantly the whole land was stirred by the startling news of this 
 great disaster. Its appalling magnitude, its dreadful suddenness, its scenes 
 of terror and agony, the fate of thousands swept to instant death by a flood 
 as frightful as that of the cataract of Niagara, awakened the profoundest 
 horror. No calamity in the history of modern times so appalled the 
 entire civilized world. 
 
 The Appalling Calamity at Johnstown. 
 
 The South Forks dam, situated a few miles above the city of Johns- 
 town, suddenly gave way, precipitating an immense body of water into the 
 valley below. The impetuous torrent swept downward with frightful velocity, 
 overturning trees, carrying with it barns, houses, fences and vast accumula- 
 tions of debris. People fled in terror to save their lives, but were overtaken 
 by the rushing torrent. The destruction to life and property was appalling. 
 
 The greatest damage occurred at Johnstown, a large part of the dwellings 
 being swept away, transforming a flourishing manufacturing town of twelve 
 thousand persons into a scene of utter desolation. The story of this great 
 disaster is replete with thrilling incidents, narrow escapes from death, the 
 rending asunder of families, the loss of husbands, wives and children, and 
 in many instances the obliteration of entire households. It was estimated 
 that upwards of four thousand persons perished. Profound sympathy 
 throughout the world was awakened for the surviving sufferers, and 
 immense sums of money and contributions of clothing were sent to the 
 scene of the disaster. 
 
 One of the most important measures enacted during President Harri- 
 son's administration was the McKinle}^ tariff bill. After a lengthy discussion 
 the bill was passed by a party vote, the Republican party being pledged to 
 the principle of protection. The act went into effect October 1, 1890, and 
 in its practical workings was closely watched and universally discussed. 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 383- 
 
 A remarkable political revolution swept over the country in the autumn 
 of 1890, which was considered largely due to the enactment of the McKinley 
 tariff bill. In the Fifty-first Congress the House of Representatives con- 
 tained one hundred and seventy-six Republicans and one hundred and 
 fifty-five Democrats. In the Fifty -second Congress there were eighty-eight 
 Republicans and two hundred and thirty-five Democrats. 
 
 In the autumn of 1890 troubles broke out afresh at the Indian agen- 
 cies. The several tribes were seized with a peculiar craze, and began tD 
 perform the "ghost dance," which was supposed to indicate their belief in 
 a coming Messiah who was about to appear. 
 
 Peculiar Belief of the Indians. 
 
 It seems impossible to trace the exact origin of the Indian faith. An 
 Indian from the upper Columbia river, named Smohalla, preached the doc- 
 trine of an Indian Messiah about the year 1880. This Indian taught that 
 there would be an upheaval of nature, which would destroy the white man 
 and restore to the Indian his ancestral remains, and that the dust of 
 countless dead Indians would spring to life, and would surround without 
 one word of warning each pale face, who would be swept from the face of 
 the earth. None of the deadly weapons of civilization or skill in their use 
 would avail, and the blood of eighty millions of whites would atone for 
 the wrongs done to the red race. 
 
 Within a few months the belief in this new religion spread from tribe 
 to tribe with marvellous rapidit3^ Runners traversed thousands of miles 
 to reach distant tribes and bear the glad tidings. The Arrapahoes, the 
 Shoshones, the great Sioux tribes, the Cheyennes, both north and south, 
 and many other tribes, were taught the faith; and the "ghost-dance," the 
 religious ceremony of the creed, was danced by all these tribes. 
 
 Possessed by these superstitious notions, these extraordinary beliefs, 
 the powerful tribe of Sioux began and continued to perform their fantastic 
 ghost-dances. Sitting-Bull, the old deadly foe of the white men, took 
 advantage of the craze to inflame the anger of his people, and prepare 
 for deeds of blood. 
 
 The disquietude among the Sioux Indians resulting from Sitting-Bull's 
 prophecy that a new Messiah was soon to appear to restore to the Indians 
 the land taken from them by the pale-faces, and to bring back the buffalo, 
 assumed such proportions that, on the 14th of November, the Interior 
 
384 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON 
 
 Department transferred the control of the Indians of North Dakota, under 
 
 orders of the Presi- 
 dent, to the War De- 
 partment, and Gen- 
 eral Miles, command- 
 ing the Department 
 of the Missouri, was 
 placed in control. 
 
 Troops were or- 
 dered to be sent for- 
 ward, and it was ex- 
 pected that within a 
 very short time there 
 would be 3,000 regu- 
 lars massed in North 
 Dakota. Sitting-Bull 
 had about 3,000 war- 
 riors, and it was the 
 intention of the War 
 Department to over- 
 awe the Indians by 
 bringing an equal 
 force of United States 
 soldiers against them. 
 The Indian hos- 
 tility to those of 
 their number who 
 were friendly to the 
 United States Gov- 
 ernment showed itself 
 in the attempted as- 
 sassination of Ameri- 
 can Horse. This In- 
 dian was a prominent 
 SITTING-BULL IN HIS WAR-DRESS. Sioux chicf, aud a 
 
 friend of the United States. He was so regarded for years, and was always 
 
 inclined to be peaceable and loj^al. 
 
 To nothing but the turbulent-, hostile 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 385 
 
 and disaffected spirit of the Indians can be attributed the attempt to 
 murder him. They were seemingly angry because American Horse opposed 
 the turbulent spirit manifested by the Indians. 
 
 On the 7th of December some of the hostile chiefs from the Bad Lands 
 appeared at the Pine Ridge agency to hold a conference with General 
 Brooke. They came bearing a flag of truce and armed with Winchester 
 and Springfield rifles. The entrance of the novel procession created great 
 excitement. First came the chiefs, who were Turning Bear, Big Turkey, 
 High Pine, Big Bad Horse and Bull Dog, who was one of the leaders in 
 the Custer massacre. Next came Two Strike, the head chief, seated in a 
 buggy with Father Jule, a priest who induced the chiefs to take this step, 
 i Surrounding these was a body-guard of four young warriors. 
 
 Great Pow-Wow. 
 
 All the Indians were decorated with war-paint and feathers, while 
 many wore ghost-dance leggings and the ghost-dance shirt dangling at their 
 saddles. The war-like cavalcade proceeded at once to General Brooke's 
 ' spacious headquarters in the agency residence. At a given signal all 
 leaped to the ground, hitched their ponies, and, guided by Father Jule, 
 , entered the general's apartments, where the council was held, lasting 
 about two hours. 
 
 At the beginning of the pow-wow. General Brooke explained that the 
 
 Great Father, through him, asked them to come in and have a talk 
 
 regarding the situation. A great deal of misunderstanding and trouble 
 
 . had arisen by the reports taken to and fro between the camps by irre- 
 
 (, sponsible parties, and it was, therefore, considered very necessary that they 
 
 I have a talk face to face. Through him, he said, the Great Father wanted 
 
 to tell them if they would come in near the agency, where he (General 
 
 \ Brooke) could see them often, and not be compelled to depend on hearsay, 
 
 '' that he would give them plenty to eat, and would employ many of their 
 
 I 3'oung men as scouts, etc. 
 
 The soldiers did not come there to fight, but to protect the settlers 
 \ and keep peace. He hoped they, the Indians, were all in favor of peace, 
 as the Great Father did not want war. As to the feeling over the change 
 in the boundary line between Pine Ridge and Rosebud Agency, he said 
 that and many other things would be settled satisfactorily, after they had 
 shown a disposition to come in, as asked by the Great Father. Wounded 
 
 25 
 
386 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 
 
 Knee was suggested as a place that would prove satisfactory to the Great 
 Father to have them live. 
 
 The representatives of the hostiles listened with contracted brows, 
 sidelong glances at one another and low grunts. When the general had 
 concluded his remarks, Turning Bear came forward, and spoke in reply. 
 He proved a most entertaining person. Simmered down to a few words, 
 Turning Bear gave expression to the following ideas : 
 
 Shrewd Objections to the Plan. 
 
 It would be a bad thing for them to come nearer the agency, because 
 there w^as no water or grass for their horses here. He could not under- 
 stand how their young men could be employed as scouts, if there was no 
 enemy to be watched. They would be glad to be employed, and get paid 
 for it. They might come in, but, as the old men and old women have no 
 horses, and as their people have nothing generally to pull their wagons, it 
 would take them a long time to come. If they should come they would 
 want the Great Father to send horses and wagons to the Bad Lands camp, 
 and bring in great quantities of beef, etc., they had there, and take it 
 anywhere to a new camp that might be agreed on. In conclusion, the 
 speaker hoped that they would be given something to eat before 
 they started back. 
 
 To this the general replied that they should be given food. As for 
 horses and wagons being sent after the beef, the general said that and 
 other things would be considered, after they had acceded to the Great 
 Father's request to move into the agency. Any reference whatever to the 
 wholesale devastation and depredation, thieving and burning of buildings, 
 etc., was studiously avoided on both sides. After the pow-wow was over, 
 the band was conducted to the quarter-master's department, and there given 
 a big feast. The squaws living at the agency came out in gala-day 
 feathers, and gave a squaw-dance. The conference amounted to nothing, 
 and the trouble was no nearer a settlement than before. 
 
 The next news received was of a startling character. It was known 
 that General Miles considered Sitting-Bull the chief instigator of the 
 hostilities on the part of the Indians, yet no public notice had been given 
 of his intention to have the crafty old warrior arrested. The Indian police, 
 however, employed on the Pine Ridge reservation, were ordered to make 
 the arrest. The chief was taken, and, in the melee which followed an 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 387 
 
 attempt to rescue liim, lie was shot, together with his son and six braves, 
 while four of his captors were slain. 
 
 ^The following is a detailed account of the engagement : On the 
 morning of December 15th, 1890, there was a desperate fight at the camp 
 of the hostile Indians, forty miles northwest of Standing-Rock Agency, and 
 before it could be quelled Sitting Bull, his son, Crow Foot, and six other 
 Indians were killed, besides four of the Indian police, while quite a number 
 on both sides were wounded. The fight was the result of an attempt to 
 arrest Sitting Bull in order to prevent his departure for the Bad Lands. 
 
 Sharp Battle with the Red-skins. 
 
 The Indian police were ordered early in the morning to proceed to the 
 camp and arrest the wily old chief, who it was known had arranged to 
 make an early start for the Bad Lands, where he would be almost abso- 
 lutely safe from arrest. The police were followed by a troop of cavalry in 
 command of Captain Fechet and a company of infantry under Colonel 
 Drum. When the police reached Sitting Bull's camp on the Grand River, 
 they found arrangements being made for the departure of the band, and 
 without waiting for the soldiers to come up, at once placed the old chief 
 under arrest and started back with him to the agency. 
 
 Scarcely had the of&cers gotten under way when the friends of the old 
 Indian rallied to his rescue. They announced their determination to retake 
 him, and a terrible fight ensued. The police were surrounded, and, though 
 greatly outnumbered, they fought like demons and succeeded in holding 
 their own against the redskins until the cavalry, attracted by the firing, 
 came up on a quick run and succeeded in compelling the Indians either 
 to fly or surrender. 
 
 The fighting was of the hand-to-hand description, and is said to have 
 been exceedingly savage. One of the Indian police jumped on Sitting 
 Bull's horse as soon as he saw the old man fall and rode back for the 
 infantry, which arrived on the scene shortly after the cavalry had relieved 
 the overmatched police. Then the Indians began to break away, and 
 probably one hundred of the braves deserted their families and fled west, 
 up the Grand river. 
 
 When the smoke of the battle had cleared away it was found that 
 Sitting Bull was dead, as also was his son. Crow Foot, and six braves. Four 
 of the policemen, whose names could not be learned, were also dead, and 
 
388 ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON. 
 
 three of tliem badly wounded. A number of the Indians were badly 
 injured, but managed to escape on their ponies. Captain Wallace, com- 
 manding Troop K, of the Seventh Cavalry, was killed, and Lieutenant 
 Garlington of the same regiment was shot in the arm. After the death of 
 Sitting Bull his warriors saw the hopelessness of continuing the strife and 
 .surrendered on the 22d of December, to the United States troops. 
 
 On the 7th of June, 1802, the Republican Convention met at Minne- 
 apolis. The nomination of President Harrison had been considered a 
 -foregone conclusion up to June 4th, when the country was startled by the 
 news that Secretary Blaine had resigned from President Harrison's Cabinet. 
 A letter writter by Mr. Blaine in the preceding February announced that 
 nnder no consideration would he consent to be a candidate for the Presi- 
 dency. This letter was very generally accepted in good faith, and there was 
 a general conviction that Mr. Blaine was entirely out of the race. 
 
 Mr. Blaine's Unexpected Action. 
 
 It was known, however, that for some time before the Convention 
 assembled, persistent efforts had been made by enemies of the administration 
 to induce Mr. Blaine to reconsider his letter of February, and allow his 
 name to be used at Mineapolis ; and when he suddenly resigned from the 
 Cabinet by a curt letter, and his resignation was accepted by President 
 Harrison in a letter equally brief and barren of all complimentary expres- 
 sions, it was commonly believed that the "Plumed Knight" had decided to 
 seek the nomination. 
 
 There was consequently great excitement preceding the organization of 
 the Convention and during its progress. It became evident at once that 
 there would be a hard contest between the two leading candidates. The 
 States at their Conventions had strongly indorsed the administration of 
 President Harrison, and many of the delegates had been instructed to vote 
 for his renomination in the National Convention. His friends, after they 
 recovered from the first shock which followed the announcement of Mr. 
 Blaine's resignation, rallied bravely, and remained firm to the end. 
 
 Minneapolis was the scene of animated discussions and unique popular 
 demonstrations. The loud huzzahs for Blaine showed that he had a strong 
 hold upon the popular heart; but the thoughtful mass of delegates who 
 were to decide the question remained true to the President, and worked 
 diligently and wisely to secure his nomination. 
 
Nn> 
 
 
 LAFAYETTE MEMORIAL, 
 
 GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON. 
 
 GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT. LINCOLN EMANCIPATION STATUE. 
 
 MONUMENTS AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
GARFIELD JMKMiaaAL. 
 
 GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS. 
 
 
 ADMIRAL DAVID G. FARRAGUT. REAR ADMIRAL DUPGXT. 
 
 MONUMENTS AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON 389 
 
 The brilliant eloquence of Chauncey M. Depew, of New York, awakened 
 an ^ unparalleled scene of enthusiasm as he placed Mr. Harrison in nomina- 
 tion before the Convention. Mr. Blaine was nominated by Senator Wolcott, 
 of Colorado. Mr. Harrison was chosen by the Convention as the nominee 
 of the Republican party for the presidency. 
 
 The National Democratic Convention of 1892 was held in Chicago, 
 June 21st to June 2od. It was conceded before the convention assembled 
 that ex-President Cleveland would again receive the nomination for the 
 Presidency, which prediction received verification on the first ballot. 
 
 The national election on November 8th resulted in the success of the 
 Democratic party by a large majority. The official returns showed that 
 Cleveland and Stevenson obtained two hundred and seventy-eight electors,, 
 or fifty-five more than a majority of the Electoral College. 
 
 Death in High Places. 
 
 The death of Hon. James G. Blaine occurred at his residence in Wash- 
 ington on January 27, 1893. From 1862 he served fourteen years in Con- 
 gress as Representative from Maine, and during the last three terms he 
 was Speaker of the House. In the Republican nominations for the Presi- 
 dency in 1876 and 1880 he was defeated by Hayes and Garfield. Ap- 
 pointed United States Senator in 1876 he served till 1881, and acted as 
 Secretary of State under Garfield, but resigned after Garfield's assassina- 
 tion. He was the Republican candidate for the Presidency in 1884, but 
 was defeated by Cleveland. On the 4th of March, 1888, he received the 
 portfolio of Secretary of State in President Harrison's Cabinet. 
 
 In the long and intricate controversy with Great Britain respecting the 
 Behring Sea fisheries, Mr. Blaine vigorously maintained the rights of the 
 United States and showed himself a master of diplomacy. By his speeches 
 and writings he was known as an advocate of protection to American 
 industries, and he made this one of the leading issues in the presidential 
 campaign of 1884. 
 
 To his ability as a statesman was added the charm of varied accom- 
 plishments, a commanding personal appearance, great controversial power, 
 and those eminent gifts which distinguish the persuasive orator and suc- 
 cessful leader. Always intensely American in his convictions and sympa- 
 thies, his conduct of the State Department at Washington, aimed to main- 
 tain our national prerogatives, and to extend our influence. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S SECOND TERM. 
 
 N THE 4tli of March, 1893, Grover Cleveland entered for the 
 second time upon his duties as President of the United States. 
 The ceremonies of inauguration drew visitors to Washington 
 from all parts of the country, and were of the usual imposing 
 character. 
 
 Congress was called together in extraordinary session August 7th, and 
 received a message from President Cleveland. The main object of the mes- 
 sage was to recommend the immediate repeal of what was known as the 
 Sherman law, relating to the purchase of silver by the government for coin- 
 age. The session was preceded by a period of great financial depression, 
 the closing of many manufacturing establishments and a general disturb- 
 ance of the industrial and business interests of the country. A bill for the 
 repeal of the obnoxious law was introduced into the House of Representa- 
 tives by Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, and after brief dis- 
 cussion was promptly passed by a large majority, August 28th. 
 
 The bill then went to the Senate, where a protracted struggle ensued, 
 attended at times by bitter personalities, and by " filibustering " on the 
 part of the minority, thereby preventing the majority from declaring its 
 expressed will. At length the bill passed the Senate, October 30th, by a 
 vote of forty-three to thirty-two. 
 
 The second session of the Fifty- third Congress began on the first Mon- 
 day of December, 1893. The most important business was the passage of 
 the Tariff bill. The new Tariff bill derived its name from Mr. Wilson, 
 Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. 
 
 Preliminary work was begun upon the bill by the Ways and Means 
 Committee of the House in October, 1893, during the extra session called 
 by the President for the repeal of the Sherman Silver act. It was reported 
 to the House on December 19, and on January 8, 1894, it began to be dis- 
 cussed in that body. It passed the House February 1, by a vote of two hun- 
 dred and four to one hundred and forty, having been modified in only one 
 
 390 
 
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND S SECOND TERM. 391 
 
 important feature — sugar being made free of duty. On the 2d of February 
 it wa^ reported to the Senate and at once referred to the Finance Committee, 
 Promptly on receiving the Wilson bill, the Finance Committee gave 
 over its task to a sub-committee, consisting of Mills, Jones and Vest, who 
 completed a bill on tariff-reform lines, making a few changes in the 
 Wilson bill. This was reported to the full committee on February 26th. 
 Thereupon, Mr. Gorman called together the Democratic caucus to instruct 
 the sub-committee to go to work again, and reconstruct the bill so that it 
 would suit the Protectionist Democratic Senators. 
 
 Important Alterations in the Tariff Bill. 
 
 The sub-committee made a new bill, " amending " the Wilson bill in 
 several hundred particulars, and altering its character in a protectionist 
 sense. It was reported to the Senate on March 20th, but was still unsat- 
 isfactory. On May 5th, Mr. Gorman called another caucus to secure 
 unanimity, after which, on May 8th, some four hundred new amend- 
 ments were reported. 
 
 " The Senate bill " had assumed its final form. On July 3d it passed 
 the Senate, and on the 7th — the House rejecting the 634 Senate amend- 
 ments in gross — consideration of points of disagreement between the two 
 Houses was begun in the conference committee. The Senate conferees 
 presented an iiltimatum — " the Senate bill as it is or no tariff legislation." 
 
 The House conferees demanded free raw materials, and no protection 
 for sugar, but in vain. On July 19th, Mr. Wilson reported the continued 
 disagreement to the House, at the same time making public the Pres- 
 ident's letter insisting on free raw materials. In the Senate, Mr. Gorman 
 replied in a defiant speech, full of personal flings. 
 
 After a week of sensations. Senator Hill's proposal to recede from the 
 amendments putting a duty on ore and coal was voted down, and the bill 
 sent back to conference. After some further dickering by the " compro- 
 misers," and an attempt on the part of Mr. Hill to kill the bill in the 
 Senate, the House became alarmed at the supposed prospect of failure of 
 all tariff legislation, and on August 13th passed the Senate bill. On the 
 same day the House passed four bills, putting sugar, coal, ore and barbed 
 wire on the free list, but they were not acted on by the Senate. 
 
 The President neither signed nor vetoed the Tariff bill, and it became 
 a law without his signature, taking effect August 28, 1894. 
 
392 PRESIDENT CLEVELAND' S SECOND TERM. 
 
 Early in 1891 active preparations were commenced for the appropriate 
 celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America 
 by Columbus. As the centennial anniversary of American independence 
 in 187G had been commemorated by an International Exposition at Phila- 
 delphia, in which nearly all the civilized nations of the earth participated, 
 it was resolved to celebrate the discovery of the New World by an exhi- 
 bition of grander proportions, as the only suitable method of giving dignity 
 to the great occasion. The whole country became interested in the project, 
 and it was advocated with unanimity by the newspaper press. 
 
 A hot rivalry at once sprang up between a number of cities, each of 
 which was eager to obtain the honor of furnishing a site for the World's 
 Fair. The friendly strife finally narrowed itself down to New York and 
 Chicago, but the difficulty of obtaining a convenient site for the exhibition 
 operated strongly as a barrier against the former city. 
 
 Site for the World's Fair. 
 
 The act of Congress, which definitely selected Chicago as the city in 
 which the Exposition should be held, and M^hich fixed the dates of the 
 celebration to be held in 1892, and the formal opening and closing of the 
 Exposition in 1893, was approved by the President of the United States, 
 April 25, 1890. Jackson Park, where the Exposition buildings were located, 
 is beautifully situated on Lake Michigan, having a lake frontage of two 
 miles, and embraces 586 acres. 
 
 The ground was prepared for a system of lagoons and canals from 
 100 to 300 feet wide, which, with the broad, grassy terraces leading 
 down to them, passed the principal buildings, enclosed a wooded island 
 1,800 feet long, and formed a circuit of three miles, navigable by 
 pleasure boats. 
 
 These canals, which were crossed by many bridges, connected with 
 the lake at two points: one at the southern limit of the improved portion 
 of the park, and the other more than half a mile farther south, at the 
 great main court of the Exposition. At this point, extending eastward 
 into the lake 1,200 feet, were piers which afforded a landing-place for the 
 lake steamers, and enclosed a harbor for the picturesque little pleasure 
 boats of all epochs and all nations. 
 
 This harbor was bounded on the east, far out in the lake, by the long 
 columned facade of the Casino, in whose free spaces crowds of men and 
 
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND' S SECOND TERM. 393 
 
 women, protected by its ceiling of gay ownings, looked east to the lake 
 and west to the long vista between the main edifices as far as the gilded 
 dome of the Administration Building. The first notable object in this 
 vista was the colossal statue of Libert}^ rising out of the lagoon at the 
 point where it enters the land, protected by moles, which carried sculptured 
 columns emblematic of the thirteen original States of our Union. Beyond 
 this, beyond the first of many bridges, was a broad basin from which 
 grassy terraces and broad walks led, on the north, to the south eleva- 
 tion of the Main Building, and on the south to the Agricultural Building. 
 
 The Dedication Ceremonies. 
 
 The grounds and buildings were so nearly ready that the dedicaticn 
 ceremonies were held in October, 1892. The celebration in New York 
 extended over several days, ending on the 12tli of October, and consisted 
 of a magnificent military and naval parade. Vast numbers of people 
 flocked to the metropolis from surrounding towns, and even distant locali- 
 ties, and participated in the festivities. The greatest celebration, however, 
 was in Chicago, occupying several days, and attended by multitudes of 
 people. Vice-President Morton was present, also the governors of a number 
 of the States, together with distinguished persons from all parts of the 
 country, including President Harrison's Cabinet, army and navy officers, 
 and members of Congress. 
 
 On Monday, the 1st day of May, 1893, in the presence of 300,000 
 people, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, surrounded by 
 the members of his Cabinet, by a distinguished representation from lands 
 across the seas, and a mighty throng of American citizens, pressed the 
 electric button which set in motion the miles of shafting, the innumerable 
 engines and machines, and the labyrinth of belting and gearing which 
 which made up the machinery of the World's Columbian Exposition. At 
 the same moment a National salute pealed forth from the gun, the "Andrew 
 Johnson," lying off the Exposition grounds, in Lake Michigan; 700 flags 
 released from their "stops" at a concerted signal swung loose, and streamed 
 out under the sky in scarlet, 3^ellow and blue. 
 
 Over in Machinery Hall a great roar arose, and the turrets of the build- 
 ing shook as the wheels began to turn, and a greater volume of sound arose 
 from the throats of a concourse of people who thus acclaimed the opening 
 of the grandest achievement of American pluck, enterprise and generosity. 
 
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 394 
 
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND S SECOND TERM. 395 
 
 From the center of the platform proper there radiated a special stand, 
 and upon this were chairs for President Cleveland, Vice-President Stevenson, 
 the Duke of Veragua and his party, and the higher National and local 
 officers of the Fair. Immediately in the rear were the sections assigned 
 to the members of the Diplomatic Corps, while to their right and left the 
 guests of the occasion were arranged; behind these were placed the orchestra. 
 In front of all, occupying the two wings on the right and left of the 
 speakers' stands, was provision for some 300 representatives of the press, 
 who represented nearly every civilized nation on the face of the globe. 
 
 Prayer was offered by Rev. W. H. Milburn, D. D., Chaplain of the 
 United States Senate, after which a poem, written by Mr. W. A. Croffutt, 
 was read. Then followed addresses by the Hon. George R. Davis, Director- 
 General of the Exposition, and President Cleveland. 
 
 Opening of the Great Exposition. 
 
 As the President was concluding the final sentence of his address his 
 eyes wandered to the table that was close at his left hand. Upon this was 
 the button, the pressure upon which was to start the machinery and make 
 the opening of the Exposition an accomplished fact. It was an ordinary 
 form of Victor telegraph key, such as in use in most telegraph offices, 
 except that it was of gold instead of steel, and a button of ivory instead 
 of rubber. It rested upon a pedestal upholstered in navy blue and golden 
 yellow plush, and on the sides of the lower tier, in silver letters, were the 
 significant dates, 1492 and 1893. As the last words fell from the Presi- 
 dent's lips he pressed his finger upon the button. 
 
 This was the signal for a demonstration difficult of imagination, and 
 infinitely more so of description. At one and the same instant the 
 audience burst into a thundering shout ; the orchestra pealed for the 
 strains of the Hallelujah Chorus; the wheels of the great Ellis engine in 
 Machinery Hall commenced to revolve; the electric fountains in the lagoon 
 threw their torrents towards the sky ; a flood of water gushed from the 
 McMonnies Fountain and rolled back again into the basin; the thunder 
 of artillery came from the vessels in the lake; the chimes in Manufac- 
 turers' Hall and on the German Building rang out a merry peal, and, 
 overhead, the flags at the tops of the poles in front of the platform fell 
 apart and revealed two gilded models of the ships in which Columbus first 
 sailed to American shores. 
 
396 PRESIDENT CLEVELAND' S SECOND TERM. 
 
 At the same moment also hundreds of flags of all nations and all 
 colors were unfurled within sight of the platform. The largest was a great 
 " Old Glor}^," which fell into graceful folds from the top of the centre staff 
 in front of the stand. The roof of the Manufacturers' Building was gorgeous 
 in red gonfalons, while the Agricultural Building was dressed in ensigns 
 of orange and white. It was a wonderful scene of transformation, and amid 
 it all cannon continued to thunder and the crowd to cheer. It was fully 
 ten minutes before the demonstration subsided. Then the band played 
 '' America " and the exercises were at an end. The Columbian Exposition 
 was open to the nations of the world. It was precisely the hour of noon 
 when President Cleveland touched the button and thus declared the open- 
 ing an accomplished fact. 
 
 The Last Day of the Pair. 
 
 The official time for closing the Fair was October 30th. Six months 
 before it was opened with splendid pageantr}^, and a thousand bright new 
 banners were unfurled, while a hundred thousand spectators cheered. On 
 the closing day the weather-stained banners were pulled down almost in 
 silence. Those that represented foreign countries were not raised again. 
 Only the American flag floated afterwards over the buildings. A public 
 meeting was held at 4.30 in Festival Hall. Several addresses were deliv- 
 ered and resolutions were passed, but there was no ceremonj^ by Exposition 
 officials. At 5 o'clock there was a little puff of smoke from the United 
 States steamer " Michigan," which lay at anchor off the grounds. Twenty 
 more peals followed. 
 
 All the flags had been at half-mast ; but when the twenty-first gun 
 was fired the}^ were pulled simultaneously to the flagstaff's peak, and, after 
 fluttering there for a moment, as if in farewell, they went down for the last 
 time, and the official announcement was made that the World's Columbian 
 Exposition as an international affair was at an end. Taps were sounded, 
 and the Innes Band played " The Star-spangled Banner." This was a 
 spontaneous demonstration, and for the first time the people cheered. 
 
 The following are the official figures for the paid admissions to the 
 Fair: May, 1,050,037 ; June, 2,075,113 ; July, 2,760,263 ; August, 3,515,493 ; 
 September, 4,659,871 ; October, 6,816,435; making 21,477,212. The total 
 admissions on passes were 2,052,188, making a grand total of 23,529,400. 
 
 After every debt of the World's Fair was paid there remained $1,000,000 
 
THOMAS A. EDISON 
 
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S SECOND TERM. 397 
 
 to be distributed among the stockholders. The treasurer made this pleasant 
 announcement on the closing day. The Exposition Company paid out 
 $30,558,849.01, or three times the amount the managers expected to spend 
 when they commenced building the Fair. The gate receipts during the 
 Exposition period proper were a little over $10,000,000. Up to the last day 
 $3,300,000 had been collected from concessionaries. The returns from those 
 who held concession privileges was one of the big surprises of the Fair. 
 Nobody was reckless enough to predict that that sum would be realized. 
 The Paris Exposition received but $80,000 from that source, while in 1876 
 the Centennial Exposition managers received $1,200,000. 
 
 The events during Mr. Cleveland's second term of ofl&ce included two 
 issues of bonds to maintain the gold reserve. Another issue was provided 
 for and the subscription was opened in New York, February 20, 1895. Sub- 
 scriptions for $60,000,000 were made in a few minutes. 
 
 On April 8, 1895, the United States Supreme Court delivered a deci- 
 sion respecting the Income Tax law, which declared that the Federal Gov- 
 ernment had no authority to collect a tax on incomes derived from State, 
 county and municipal bonds. 
 
 A message sent to Congress by President Cleveland concerning the 
 dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela, regarding the boundary line 
 between Venezuela and British Guinea, awakened great interest throughout 
 the country, and led to the formation of a commission for investigation. 
 
 Bids for $100,000,000 of four per cent, bonds were opened at the Treas- 
 ury Department, Thursday, February 6, 1896. There were nearly 4700 
 distinct offers, aggregating nearly $700,000,000. This was very substantial 
 testimony to the confidence reposed by the people at large in the financial 
 stability of our Government. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY, 
 
 N the beginning of 3 896 a remarkable interest was shown by the 
 press and the people throughout the country in the pending 
 Presidential campaign. There was a stir in the nation like that 
 in the forest which precedes the coming storm. Radical differ- 
 ences of opinion existed upon the monetar}' question, and it was 
 evident that these would find expression in the national conventions which 
 were soon to be held. On the one hand the majority of the Republican 
 
 party were prepared to maintain 
 the gold standard. As time ad- 
 vanced it became evident that a 
 large part of the Democratic 
 party had adopted the cause of 
 free silver, although President 
 Cleveland, Secretary Carlisle, and 
 many other influential party 
 leaders were opposed to the free 
 coinage of silver at the ratio of 
 16 to 1. The wave of discussion 
 rose higher and higher and the 
 country was filled with clamor. 
 Among all classes of citizens 
 national questions were largely 
 discussed, and the heat and fervor 
 WILLIAM McKINLEY. of the pending campaign were 
 
 such as had not been witnessed since the days of the Civil War. 
 
 The eleventh Republican National Convention met at St. Louis on June 
 16th, and nominated as the candidates of the Republican party Hon. Wm. 
 McKinley, of Ohio, for President, and Hon. Garret A. Hobart, of New Jer- 
 sey for Vice-President. The Convention was an unusually harmonious one. 
 
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 399 
 
 choosing its platform without debate, excepting for the protests of the advo- 
 cates of a plank for the free coinage of silver, who were voted down by 
 a large majority. 
 
 Twenty-one silver advocates under the lead of Senator Teller, of Colo- 
 rado, thereupon " bolted " from the Convention, and severed their allegiance 
 from the Republican party. The scene in the Convention was impressive 
 when Senator Teller, under deep emotion, made a farewell address to the 
 representatives of the party of which he had so long been a conspicuous 
 member, and, followed b}^ twenty of the delegates, left the hall. 
 
 Nomination of McKinley and Hobart. 
 
 Both Mr. McKinley and Mr. Hobart were nominated on the first 
 ballot long before the roll call of the States was finished, and the enthu- 
 siasm for McKinley was intense. For some time before the holding of the 
 Convention, it was plain that Mr. McKinley would be the choice of the 
 Republicans, the rising tide in his favor engulfing all opposition. He 
 was nominated amidst the acclamations of the vast majority of his party. 
 
 The platform pledged renewed allegiance to the principle of protection • 
 declared in favor of the gold standard; demanded reciprocity; reasserted 
 the Monroe doctrine ; expressed sympathy for suffering Cuba ; demanded 
 that the immigration laws be rigidly enforced; renewed the party's decla- 
 rations in favor of civil service; insisted upon the right of trial by jury 
 for criminals, in opposition to lynchings, and recommended arbitration for 
 the settlement of the differences which may arise between employers and 
 employed engaged in interstate commerce. The nominations and the plat- 
 form were favorably received, and were at once heartily ratified by public 
 meetings, and the formation of political clubs. 
 
 The Democratic National Convention met at Chicago on July 8th, and 
 nominated for President, Hon. William J. Bryan, of Nebraska, and for 
 Vice-President, Hon. Arthur Sewall, of Maine. The remarkable feature of 
 the Convention was the strength of the supporters of free coinage of silver, 
 who constituted over two -thirds of the delegates, and represented chiefly 
 Southern and Western States. This turn in the Convention was quite 
 unexpected to many, and suddenly revealed a strong sentiment in favor of 
 free silver in many parts of the country. Mr. Bryan's nomination was 
 largely due to a speech he made in the Convention, which received the 
 hearty applause of many of the delegates. 
 
400 INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 
 
 The silver question thus became the prime issue of the national cam- 
 paign, and large contingents from both the old parties abandoned former 
 political ties, and enrolled themselves on the one side or the other of the 
 monetary question. The populous Eastern States were the strongholds of 
 the gold standard of currency, and scarcely a doubt was entertained that the 
 movement looking towards free coinage of silver by the United States with- 
 out waiting for an international agreement could not prevail. The success 
 of the silver advocates in the Democratic Convention, however, gave the 
 cause of the white metal a great impetus, and roused the people of the 
 nation to study the currency question with more earnestness and thought 
 than they had ever done before. A campaigi. of education was carried on, 
 in which the arguments for and against free coinage of silver were widely 
 circulated and discussed. 
 
 The Country Divided on the Silver Question. 
 
 The Democratic platform denounced the gold standard; opposed the 
 issue of bonds in time of peace; declared in favor of an income tax and 
 tariff for revenue only ; recommended that the Federal government have 
 more control over railroads; denounced the arbitrary interference by Fed- 
 eral authorities in local affairs, and expressed opposition to a third term. 
 
 The divided state of public sentiment on the silver question appeared 
 strikingly in the Convention of the Prohibition party, which was held in 
 Pittsburg, May 2d. A large number of delegates were present, representing 
 rJl parts of the country. The silver question was thrust into the delibera- 
 tions of the Convention, and created great excitement. Many of the dele- 
 gates wanted Prohibition, without any other issue; many others wanted 
 Prohibition and free silver. The Convention was rent in twain ; the 
 seceders met and formed a new party, and the outcome was a complete 
 disruption of that very considerable body of citizens who consider legisla- 
 tion on the Temperance question the first duty of the nation. 
 
 Hon. Joshua Levering, of Maryland, was nominated by the Prohibi- 
 tionists for President, and Hon. Hale Johnson, of Illinois, for Vice-Presi 
 dent. The National party nominated Hon. Joseph E. Bentley, of Nebraska 
 for President, and Hon. J. H. Southgate, of North Carolina, for Vice-Pres- 
 ident. Neither of these parties acted any conspicuous part in the campaign, 
 as the financial question overshadowed all others, affecting, as it did, every 
 individual in the nation. 
 
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 401 
 
 A number of influential Democrats expressed a strong opposition to 
 the action of tlie Democratic Convention at CHicago, and resolved that some 
 movement should be inaugurated to save the party, if possible, from being 
 entirely captured by the advocates of free silver. The sound-money dele- 
 gates in the convention, under the leadership of Senator Hill, of New York, 
 entered a strong protest against the rule of the majority. This, however, 
 was without avail, and during the latter part of the convention those who 
 favored the gold standard took no part in the proceedings. 
 
 Convention of Old-line Democrats. 
 
 It was felt by many of the old-line Democrats that something should 
 be done to preserve the party name and its time-honored principles. A 
 call was issued for a convention to be held at Indianapolis, September 2d. 
 The delegates were among the most influential and conservative of the 
 Democratic party, and were thoroughly in earnest. A platform was adopted, 
 denouncing free-silver coinage, and advocating the gold standard. Strong 
 denunciations were hurled at the Populistic notions and ideas so prevalent 
 in many of the States. The first paragraph of the platform was as follows : 
 
 "This convention has assembled to uphold the principles upon which 
 depend the honor and welfare of the American people, in order that Demo- 
 crats throughout the Union may unite their patriotic efforts to avert 
 disaster to their country and ruin from their party. The Democratic party 
 is pledged to equal and exact justice to all men of every creed and con- 
 dition ; to the largest freedom of the individual consistent with good 
 government ; to the preservation of the Federal Government in its Consti- 
 tutional vigor, and to the support of the States in all their just rights; to 
 economy in public expenditures, to the maintenance of the public credit and 
 sound money, and it is opposed to paternalism and to all class legislation. 
 The declarations of the Chicago Convention attack individual freedom, the 
 right of private contract, the independence of the judiciary and the authority 
 of the President to enforce Federal laws." 
 
 Hon. John M. Palmer, of Illinois, was nominated for President, and Hon. 
 Simon B. Buckner, of Kentucky, for Vice-President. They made an active 
 canvass through the country, but failed to unite the Democratic forces to 
 any great extent, as it was conceded from the outset that there was no 
 possibility of their election. 
 
 The campaign throughout was one of unexampled activity, the eminent 
 
402 INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 
 
 leaders of all parties entering the contest witli great spirit. All the 
 influences and resources of the press and of men in public life were brought 
 to bear upon the great issues involved, which, it was admitted by all, 
 affected the integrity of the nation, if not its very existence. 
 
 Result of the Election. 
 
 In the election of November, Mr. McKinley received 7,101,401 of the 
 popular vote; Mr. Bryan, 0,470,656; Mr. Palmer, 132,056, and Mr. Levering, 
 130,560. Of the Electoral College, Mr. McKinley received 271 votes, and 
 Mr. Bryan 176. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1897, Mr. McKinley was inaugurated President 
 with imposing ceremonies, and Mr. Hobart was inducted into the office of 
 Vice-President. A multitude of people from all parts of the country 
 assembled in Washington, and nothing occurred to mar the success of the 
 inauguration. Mr. McKinley entered upon the duties of his office with the 
 best wishes, not only of his party, but of all classes of his fellow-country- 
 men. His cabinet was constituted as follows : Secretary of State, John 
 Sherman, of Ohio ; Secretary of the Treasury, Lyman J. Gage, of Illinois ; 
 Secretary of War, Russell A. Alger, of Michigan ; Attorney-General, Joseph 
 McKenna, of California; Postmaster-General, James A. Gary, of Maryland; 
 Secretary of the Navy, John D. Long, of Massachusetts ; Secretary of the 
 Interior, Cornelius N. Bliss, of New York; Secretary of Agriculture, James 
 Wilson, of Iowa. 
 
 Mr. McKinley immediately called an extra session of Congress, which 
 assembled on March 15th, for the express purpose of revising the tariff, 
 providing a revenue sufficient for the wants of the Government, and placing 
 the finances of the nation upon a sound basis. Hon. Thomas B. Reed, of 
 Maine, was re-elected Speaker of the House. ^ 
 
 President McKinley sent a message to Congress, in which he said: 
 "Regretting the necessity which has required me to call you together, I 
 feel that your assembling in extraordinary session is indispensable because 
 of the condition in which we find the revenues of the government. It is 
 conceded that its current expenditures are greater than its receipts, and that' 
 such a condition has existed for now more than three years. With unlimited 
 means at our command, we are presenting the remarkable spectacle of, 
 increasing our public debt by borrowing money to meet the ordinary out- 
 lays incident upon even an economical and prudent administration of the 
 
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 403 
 
 government. An examination of the subject discloses this fact in every 
 detail and leads inevitably to the conclusion that the condition of the 
 revenue which allows it is unjustifiable, and should be corrected. 
 
 " Congress should promptly correct the existing condition. Ample 
 revenues must be supplied not only for the ordinary expenses of the 
 government, but for the prompt payment of liberal pensions and the 
 liquidation of the principal and interest of the public debts. In raising 
 revenue duties should be so levied upon foreign products as to preserve 
 the home market, so far as possible, to our own producers; to revive and 
 increase manufactories; to relieve and encourage agriculture; to increase 
 our domestic and foreign commerce; to aid and develop mining and build- 
 ing, and to render to labor in every field of useful occupation the liberal 
 wages and adequate rewards to which skill and industry are justly entitled.. 
 
 " The necessity of the passage of a tariff law which shall provide 
 ample revenue need not be further urged. The imperative demand of the 
 hour is the prompt enactment of such a measure, and to this object I 
 earnestly recommend that Congress shall make every endeavor. Before 
 other business is transacted let us first provide sufficient revenue to faith- 
 fully administer the government without the contracting of further debt, 
 or the continued disturbance of our finances." 
 
 Enactment of a New TariflF Bill. 
 
 Congress entered at once upon the discussion of the Dingley tariff 
 bill, which had been in preparation for several months by the Ways and 
 Means Committee. The most important provisions of the bill related to 
 the duties on wool, sugar, tobacco and liquors. The bill had a double 
 object, namely, to provide sufficient revenue for the current expenses of 
 the government; and, in addition to this, to protect our American industries 
 from the disastrous effects of foreign competition, which was possible mainly 
 through the cheap labor system of Europe. The disposition of the American 
 people was friendly to a wise and conservative revision of the tariff laws. 
 
 In the House of Representatives the Tariff Bill made rapid progress. 
 There was a disposition on the part of all the members to act promptly 
 upon the measure, and relieve the country of suspense. It was universally 
 felt that uncertainty regarding the Tariff was a fruitful source of business 
 depression, and should be removed at the earliest possible moment. 
 
 When the Tariff Bill had been passed by the House it was sent to 
 
404 INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 
 
 the Senate. Here there was more delay, and longer time was required for 
 discussing some of the main features of the bill. Several members, also, 
 had pet projects which they wished to enact into law, and embodied these 
 in the form of amendments to the bill; but so great was the pressure of 
 public opinion, and so great the necessity of speedy legislation, that the 
 measure passed the Senate in much less time than any similar measure 
 had ever done before. Both Houses of Congress finally agreed, and the 
 new Tariff Bill was passed on the 24th of July, 1897, and was signed by 
 President McKinley on the same day. 
 
 The President immediately sent a message to Congress, recommending 
 the appointment of a Commission to consider the currency question, and 
 ascertain what changes, if any, should be made. The House was disposed 
 to consider the President's recommendation at once, but the Senate imme- 
 diately adjourned without taking any action. The disposition of the Presi- 
 dent to do all he could to place the finances of the Government on a sound 
 basis, and allay the agitation arising from the discussion of the silver 
 question, was shown by the appointment of a Commission to confer with 
 the Governments of Europe with a view to an agreement respecting 
 the coinage of silver. 
 
 The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria occurring in June awakened 
 interest throughout the country. Our Government was represented on this 
 occasion by Hon. Whitelaw Reid, who was appointed as special ambassador 
 to convey the greetings and congratulations of the United States to the 
 Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. 
 
 Upon the enactment of the Tariff Bill there were many signs through- 
 out the country of returning prosperity, and the great centres of trade felt 
 the impulse of new life. Simultaneously came reports of satisfactory crops 
 throughout all the agricultural districts, and it was felt that the serious 
 business depression which had lasted for several years had come to an end. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 )HB north-west coast of America was discovered and explored by 
 a Russian expedition under Bering in 1741 ; and, at subsequent 
 periods, settlements were made by tbe Russians at various 
 places, chiefly for the prosecution of the fur trade. In 1799, 
 the territory was granted to a Russo- American fur company by 
 the Emperor, Paul VIII., and in 1839 the charter of the company was 
 renewed. New Archangel, in the island of Sitka, was the principal settle- 
 ment, but the company had about forty stations. They exported annually 
 25,000 skins of the seal, sea-otter, beaver, etc., besides about 20,000 
 sea-horse teeth. 
 
 The privileges of the company expired in 1863, and in 1867 the whole 
 Russian possessions in America were ceded to the United States, for a 
 money payment of $7,200,000. The treaty was signed on the 30th of 
 March, and ratified on the 20th of June, 1867; and on the 9th of October, 
 following, the possession of the country was formally made over to a mili- 
 tary force of the United States at New Archangel. It still remains in the 
 military keeping of the United States, under a territorial governor. It has, 
 however, been constituted a revenue district, with Sitka as the port of entry. 
 Since Alaska was ceded to the United States, considerable information 
 has been collected as to the resources of the less sterile parts of the 
 country ; but the central and northern parts of this region are only known 
 as the inhospitable home of some wandering tribes of Indians and Esqui- 
 maux. Portions of Alaska have also been recently explored by the 
 employees of the Russo-American Telegraph Compau}^, in surveying a 
 route for a line of telegraph, which was designed to cross from America 
 to Asia, near Bering Strait — a project which was abandoned, after an 
 expenditure of $3,000,000, on communication with Europe having been 
 secured by the Atlantic cable. 
 
 The climate of the south-western coast of Alaska is tolerably mild, 
 considering its high latitude. The great warm current of the Pacific, 
 
 405 
 
406 
 
 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 sweeping in a north-easterly circuit from the East Indies Islands, and cor- 
 responding very much in character and effects to the Gulf Stream of the 
 Atlantic, washes its shores ; and, while it modifies the temperature, also 
 causes an excessive rainfall. At Sitka the mean temperature is 42° 9', 
 and the average rainfall about eighty inches. 
 
 ^ Cn ALASKA 
 
 PA C/FIC 
 OCEAN 
 
 MAP OF 
 
 •AND I TS • 
 
 GOLD FIELDS 
 
 Alaska will never have any great agricultural value. From the great 
 amount of rain, and the want of heat, cereals grow, but will not ripen, and 
 vegetables do not thrive. Native grasses and berries grow plentifully, but 
 the chief wealth of the country is in its vast forests, in the furs of its 
 wild animals, in the fish with which its rivers and seas abound, and in its 
 rich deposits of gold. The forests, rising from the coast, and covering the 
 mountains to a height of 2,000 feet, consist of a very durable yellow cedar, 
 
ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 407 
 
 spruce, larcli, and fir of great size, and also cypress and hemlock. The 
 wild .animals include the elk, the deer, and various species of bear, and 
 also many fur-bearing animals, such as the wolf and fox, the beaver, 
 ermine, martin, otter and squirrel. 
 
 Near the coast and islands, there are innumerable fur-bearing seals 
 which are caught in great numbers by the settlers ; but, from the rigor of 
 the climate, and the arduous nature of the work, the trapping of the 
 animals of the interior is left to the Indians. The salmon abounds in the 
 rivers, and there are great banks along the shores, the favorite haunt of 
 cod and other fish. Coal and iron are among the most important minerals, 
 but the value of the deposits remains to be ascertained. 
 
 In 1896 and 1897, the reports concerning discoveries of rich deposits 
 of gold in the northern part of Alaska created much interest throughout 
 the country, and a large number of persons set out for the gold-fields, in 
 the hope of securing a sudden fortune. 
 
 Immense Territory of Alaska. 
 
 Alaska has an area of 580,107 square miles. It is therefore about 
 one-fifth the size of the United States, or nearly equal to the combined areas 
 of the New England, Middle and Southern States east of the Mississippi 
 River. Of the interior of this vast area we are practically ignorant. Three 
 or four reconnoissances have been made by ofiicers of the army through 
 portions of the territory, and the courses of several of its great navigable 
 rivers have thus been determined. These expeditions, however, were inade- 
 quately prepared for the work of exploration ; the journeys were neces- 
 sarily made in very great haste, and were confined to the rivers. No sys- 
 tematic exploration of the interior has ever been attempted by the gov- 
 ernment, and the topography, resources and capabilities of Alaska are 
 practically unknown. 
 
 The Eskimo (or Innuit) inhabit the coast line west of the 141st meri- 
 dian, excepting the northern part of Cook's Inlet, that portion of the 
 Alaskan peninsula west of the 157th meridian, and the Shumagin and 
 Aleutian groups of islands. Recent investigators believe that their migra- 
 tion to Alaska occurred at the time of general tribal migration resulting in 
 the settlement on Greenland. This opinion is strengthened by the fact 
 that all the Eskimo tribes, whether on the Alaskan coast, the eastern coast 
 or in Greenland, use the same kind of skin-covered canoes. 
 
408 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 The Aleuts inhabit the northern coast of the Alaskan peninsula, from 
 Cape Stroganof westward, and its southern coast from Pavlof Bay westward, 
 the Shumagin Islands, and the whole group known as the Aleutian chain, 
 extending from the Shumagins in the east to the island of Attoo in the 
 west. As to their origin there are various opinions. Some believe they 
 have a common origin with the people of Kamtchatka ; others, however, 
 urge that they could not have migrated from Asia, owing to lack of facilities, 
 and must have descended from the earliest nations of America. 
 
 They are divided into two tribes, Oonalashkans and Atkhas, speaking 
 different dialects. They wear ornaments in the nose and upper lip. Their 
 weapons consist of barbed darts, lances, spears, harpoons and arrows. They 
 also carry a sharp stone knife, ten or twelve inches long. Their household 
 utensils are made of stone, wood and bone, mats and baskets neatly woven 
 of grass and tree-roots, bone needles, thread and cord of sinews, etc. They 
 are very hospitable, and fond of dancing and pantomimics. 
 
 Curious Traditions among the Natives. 
 
 The Aleuts have a tradition that in olden times the climate of their 
 country was clearer and warmer, and the winds moderate ; that their fore- 
 fathers came from their original dwelling-place in the west — a great land 
 called A/ias/i/ca, or Continent; that in that early country peace and pros- 
 perity prevailed ; but that in the progress of time dissensions arose, result- 
 ing in war, separation and divergent emigration. They also say that in 
 their old country there was a very great flood sent upon the people, because 
 of their disregard of sacred customs. An able and learned Russian priest 
 (Veniaminof ) says : 
 
 " The Aleuts consider as their relatives the Kenaitze, Chugarch, Yaku- 
 tats and Kolosh ; but the Kolosh do not acknowledge this. In substantia- 
 tion of their claim the Aleuts say that one prominent individual, the father 
 of a numerous family, was from necessity compelled to leave his village 
 on Oonalashka; in one summer he collected all his family and relatives, 
 and departed to the northern side of the Aliashka, with the intention to 
 travel and to search for a better and richer country. 
 
 " He landed at first at one of the Aglemute villages ; but the Agle- 
 mutes looked upon them as enemies, and in a general attack put them to 
 flight. Finding it inconvenient or impossible to settle near the seacoast, 
 the Aleuts proceeded to the headwaters of some large river, and, having 
 
ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 409 
 
 selected a convenient spot, settled down for good. Their descendants made 
 peace with the natives of the country and increased ; but with their increase 
 came a greater change in their former customs, appearing principally in the 
 greater inclination to war and hunt. 
 
 "After the lapse of considerable time a quarrel ensued between the de- 
 scendants of the original Oonalashkans and the Creoles or half-breeds, 
 finally resulting in a war. Their village was situated on both sides of the 
 stream, one-half opposite the other. They had adopted the habit, for the 
 sake of accustoming themselves to war, of making sham attacks, one upon 
 the other, shooting spears and arrows without points ; but during one of 
 these sham attacks some one placed a head upon his arrow, and hit an 
 enemy in the eye. The attack was at once changed from sham to reality ; 
 but as the Creoles outnumbered the Oonalashkans the latter were defeated 
 and compelled to move farther eastward, and passed from river to river, 
 finally emerging upon the shores of the gulf of Kenai, where they finally 
 settled down. 
 
 " The present Kenaitze are their descendants. The Creoles left behind 
 rapidly increased, and divisions of them moved to the northeastward, and 
 finally became the founders of the Chugarchs, Yakutats and Kolosh." 
 
 Remains of Ancient Dwellings. 
 
 In their traditions the Aleuts maintain that in former times the sea- 
 shore along the whole group of islands was more deeply indented. In 
 some localities this is even yet perceptible. The grandfathers of the pres- 
 ent Aleuts in their youth heard from their grandfathers that they found 
 on elevated spots, and often far distant from the sea, signs of former 
 dwellings, such as whale-ribs and large logs of drift-wood. 
 
 Between these places and the shore-line they also found small pebbles 
 tied with whalebone fiber, such as are now used for sinkers, fish-lines and 
 nets. From these indications the Aleuts came to the conclusion that at 
 one time these elevated positions, showing the remains of dwelling-places, 
 were on the sea-shore, and over the places where the sinkers were found 
 the sea once extended. But all this was subsequent to the flood. 
 
 With regard to the volcanoes the Aleuts believe that in olden times 
 all the " fire mountains " on Oonalashka and Ounimak islands quarreled 
 among themselves as to which had the largest body of fire within, and 
 after a prolonged dispute, in which not one would yield to the others, they 
 
410 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 concluded to settle the dispute by a trial of strength. Immediately a ter- 
 rible conflict ensued, lasting for many days, the mountains throwing fire 
 and rocks at each other. The smaller peaks could not withstand the larger 
 ones, and recognizing their weakness, bowed down and went out forever. 
 
 Fables Ooncerning Volcanoes. 
 
 The conflict continued until but two craters remained, one on Oona- 
 lashka — Makushin (Ayak), and the other on Cunimak — Recheshnaia 
 ^Ismak). These, having vanquished all the others, engaged in a single- 
 handed conflict, with the most disastrous consequences to their surround- 
 ings. Fire, rock and ashes were thrown in such quantities that all 
 animals inhabiting the neighborhood perished, and the air became heavy. 
 The Ounimak crater finally could not keep up with its rival, and, see- 
 ing destruction impending, gathered all its strength, jumped up with a 
 bound and collapsed. The Makushin volcano, being victor and but little 
 injured, and seeing no more enemies around him, gradually calmed down, 
 and now only smokes occasionally. 
 
 Sitka is the capital of Alaska, but Juneau, although but ten years 
 old, is to-day the largest town. It is situated about 80 miles northeast 
 of the capital, opposite Douglas Island, at the foot of a range of shel- 
 tering mountains, which rise abruptly two thousand feet from the end 
 of every street. These streets seem to follow the gulches or ravines. At 
 precent Juneau is simply a mining camp, founded in 1880 by Joseph 
 Juneau and Richard Harris; but it is destined to become the most import- 
 ant commercial point upon the entire coast. This is owing to the prox- 
 imity of the precious metal, the "Silver Bow Basin" gold placer mines 
 lying immediately back of the town, while in front, but three miles away, 
 on Douglas Island, is the famous Treadwell mine. It is believed several 
 other good "claims" exist in the immediate neighborhood which have not 
 yet been developed. 
 
 The town contains a number of shops, where a system of barter is 
 carried on between the Indian hunter and the white trader. Upon arriving 
 in town with the skins the red man visits every shop and trader before he 
 parts with his goods, and finally disposes of his skins to the highest bid- 
 der. He receives in payment a number of blue or red tickets, which are 
 taken by the storekeeper in exchange for such commodities as he may 
 require to carry back to his Innuit home. 
 
ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 411 
 
 All native villages on the Alaskan coast are built directly on the 
 beach, not only because the Indians look to the sea for a living, but to 
 make ' homes inland means such labor of felling trees and clearing the 
 ground as only the white race undertakes. In the genuine Alaskan lodge 
 there is no window, but one door, and no second story. In the center of 
 the floor on the ground is a fire-place, around which, at a distance of 
 several feet, runs a continuous platform, which constitutes the sleeping 
 apartments. Occasionally the room is divided by curtains. 
 
 The ground beneath the platform constitutes kitchen and reception- 
 room. The head of the house sits opposite the door, his family and friends 
 on either side, while slaves, if there be any, sit with their backs to the 
 door. In front of many of the houses stand one or more large jDoles, 
 carved from top to bottom, generally representing bears, whales, eagles, 
 ravens or wolves. These are the genealogical trees of the natives, of which 
 they are very proud, and tell the family history. 
 
 Alaska's Traffic in Furs. 
 
 The chief industry of Alaska is the seal-fur trade, which is described 
 elsewhere. In addition to this there is considerable traf&c in sea-otter, land- 
 otter, and other furs, and in fish, and a small production of minerals and 
 timber. Notwithstanding efforts made by the United States government 
 for the preservation of the fur-bearing animals in Alaska, the supply 
 (excepting the fur-seals which are adequately protected) is continually 
 decreasing, and may ultimately become extinct. 
 
 On the other hand, the fisheries of Alaska are annually increasing in 
 importance, and are destined to become the staple industry of the future. 
 The catch of salmon is already assuming large proportions, and the number 
 of canneries is rapidly increasing. The largest fishing-port is at Killisnoo, 
 and at this port alone 300,000 gallons of herring oil are shipped annually. 
 The large shipments of dog-fish oil and whale oil form no inconsiderable 
 part of the commerce of the country. 
 
 In minerals, there is on Douglas Island a mountain of gold-ore, but 
 of low grade. The cost of securing the ore is, however, very small. There 
 is no descending into the bowels of the earth with hydraulic machines. 
 The miners chip away in broad daylight, with ore enough in sight to last 
 a score or more of years, and within a stone's throw of the mountain is 
 the mill which receives and reduces the ore. The summit and part of one 
 
412 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 side of the mountain have already been eaten up. The present annual 
 production is nearly $1,000,000. 
 
 The only important breeding grounds of the fur-seals at present are 
 the Pribyloff (or Pribylov) Islands, lying in the heart of Bering Sea, about 
 191^ miles north of Oonalashka, 200 miles south of Matthews, and about 
 200 miles westward of Cape Newenham, on the main land. Two of these 
 islands, St. George and St. Paul, by reason of their temperature, surface, 
 and facilities for landing, are specially adapted for the perfect life and 
 reproduction of these valuable fur-bearing animals. They are located in 
 the Japan Ocean current, and hence the normal temperature is much 
 warmer than that of the surrounding seas. 
 
 These islands are also so enveloped b}^ dense fogs as to furnish a com- 
 paratively secure hiding-place for the seals. St. Paul is about 13 miles 
 long and 6 miles in its greatest width. It has a superficial area of 21,120 
 acres, with a shore line of 42 miles, over 16 of which are adapted for the 
 passage of the seals. St. George is about 10 miles long, and over 4 miles 
 in width, and contains about 27 square miles. 
 
 Islands Populated with Seals. 
 
 During the short summer the fur-seals seek these islands in immense 
 numbers to rest for two or three months on land, on a hard, smooth sur- 
 face, with a cooling, moist atmosphere, which they must have during their 
 breeding season. They find here the admirably adapted grounds of basaltic 
 rock, and of volcanic cement, slopes of gradual ascent from the sea fur- 
 nishing a quiet resting-place for millions of this intelligent species. 
 
 The islands of St. Paul and St. George in Alaska are the only known 
 breeding-grounds of the fur-seal. From early spring until late autumn fur- 
 seals are found in all that part of the North Pacific inclosed by the Alaska 
 coast from latitude 54 deg. 40 niin. to Mount St. Hlias, and thence west- 
 ward along Prince William Sound to the east side of Kenai peninsula, and 
 along the Alaska peninsula, and its continuation, the Aleutian chain of 
 islands. In Bering Sea the fur-seal has not been seen north of latitude 
 58 deg. In the spring only are they found in large numbers in the 
 vicinity of the Straits of Fuca, and along the coast of Vancouver and 
 Queen Charlotte Islands. 
 
 During the general migration to and from the breeding-grounds several 
 of the passes through the Aleutian chain are crowded with adults in the 
 
ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 413 
 
 spring, and young seals in the autumn. After leaving their breeding- 
 grounds they scatter over the broad Pacific to localities where elevated 
 subm'arine plateaus furnish them with abundant feeding-grounds (of fish), 
 until the instinct of reproduction calls them from all directions to the 
 islands named above. 
 
 The sea-otter seems to make its home chiefly on a line parallel with 
 the Japanese current, from the coast of Japan along the Kurile Island to 
 the coast of Kamtchatka, and thence westward along the Aleutian chain, 
 the southern side of the Alaskan peninsula, the estuaries of Cook's Inlet 
 and Prince William's Sound, and thence eastward along the Alaskan coast, 
 the Alexander Archipelago, British Columbia, and the States of Washing- 
 ton and Oregon. Sea-otters are most abundant from the island of Ouniuiak 
 northeasterly along the Alaskan peninsula. 
 
 Valuable Fur-bearing Animals. 
 
 The land-otter is one of the most widely distributed of fur-bearing 
 animals, ranking in this respect next to the common fox. The skin, how- 
 ever, is much more valuable, and is used in the manufacture of an imita- 
 tion seal-skin. In Alaska the land-otter is found on the whole coast from 
 the southern boundary to the northern shore of Norton Sound, also on 
 most of the islands, and along the whole coast of the Yukon as far as known. 
 
 The beaver, the brown bear, the mink, the cross, blue, and white fox, 
 the marten, and a few other fur-bearing animals are also found in many 
 parts of Alaska, and some of them widely distributed and in immense 
 numbers of the several districts. 
 
 And now a general word about the Yukon river and its tributaries. 
 What the Amazon is to South America, the Mississippi to the central 
 portion of the United States, the Yukon is to Alaska. It is a great inland 
 highway, which will make it possible for the explorer to penetrate the 
 mysterious fastnesses of that still unknown region. The Yukon has its 
 source in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, and the Coast Range 
 Mountains in South-eastern Alaska, about 125 miles from the city of 
 Juneau, which is the present metropolis of Alaska. 
 
 But it is only known as the Yukon river at the point where the 
 Pelly river, the branch that heads in British Columbia, meets with the 
 Lewis river, which heads in South-eastern Alaska. This point of confluence 
 is at Fort Selkirk, in the Northwest Territory, about 125 miles south-east 
 
414 ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 
 
 of the Klondike. The Yukon proper is 2,044 miles in length. From Fort 
 Selkirk it flows north-west 400 miles, just touching the Arctic circled 
 thence southward for a distance of 1,600 miles, where it empties into 
 Bering Sea. It drains more than 600,000 square miles of territory, and 
 discharges one-third more water into Bering Sea than does the Missis- 
 sippi into the Gulf of Mexico. At its mouth it is sixty miles wide. About 
 1,500 miles inland it widens out from one to ten miles. 
 
 A thousand islands send the channel in as many different directions. 
 Only natives, who are thoroughly familiar with the river, are entrusted 
 with the piloting of boats up the stream during the season of low water. 
 Even at the season of high water, it is still so shallow as not to be nav- 
 igable anywhere by sea-going vessels, but only by flat-bottomed boats, with 
 a carrying capacity of four to five hundred tons. 
 
 An Immense River of Ice. 
 
 A further fact must be borne in mind. The Yukon river is abso- 
 lutely closed to travel save during the summer months. In the winter the 
 Frost King asserts his dominion, and locks up all approaches with impen- 
 etrable ice, and the summer is of the briefest. It endures only for ten or 
 twelve weeks, from about the middle of June to the early part of Sep- 
 tember. Then an unending panorama of extraordinary picturesqueness is 
 unfolded to the voyager. 
 
 The banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted with all-pervading moss 
 or tundra. Birds, countless in numbers, and of infinite variety in plumage, 
 sing out a welcome from every tree top. Pitch j^our tent where you will 
 in midsummer, a bed of roses, a clump of poppies, and a bunch of blue 
 bells will adorn your camping. But high above this paradise of almost 
 tropical exuberance, giant glaciers sleep in the summit of the mountain 
 wall, which rises up from a bed of roses. By September everything is 
 changed. The bed of roses has disappeared before the icy breath of the 
 Winter King, which sends the thermometer down to eighty degrees below 
 freezing point. The birds fly to the south-land, the white man to his 
 cabin, the Indian to his hut, and the bear to his sleeping chamber in the 
 mountains. Every stream becomes a sheet of ice, mountain and valley 
 alike are covered with snow. 
 
 The part of the basin of the Yukon in which gold in greater or less 
 quantities has actually been found lies partly in Alaska and partly in 
 
ALASKA AND ITS GOLD-FIELDS. 415 
 
 British territory. It covers an area of some 50,000 square miles. But so 
 far the infinitely richest spot lies some one hundred miles west of the 
 A^merican boundary, in the region drained by the Klondike and its tribu- 
 taries. This is some three hundred miles by river from Circle City, which 
 marks the extreme limit beyond which even flat bottom boats cannot find 
 a navigable passage. 
 
 We have described some of the beauties of the Yukon basin in the 
 summer season, but this radiant picture has its obverse side. In the first 
 place the heat is as terrible as the cold in winter. It frequently mounts 
 up to 120 in the shade. 
 
 Horseflies, gnats and mosquitoes add to the discomforts of living 
 throughout the entire length of the Yukon Valley. The horsefly is larger 
 and more poignantly assertive than the insect which we know by that 
 name. In dressing or undressing it has an impertinent habit of detecting 
 any bare spot in the body and biting out a piece of flesh, leaving a wound 
 which a few days later looks like an incipient boil. Schwatka reports that 
 one of his party so bitten was completely disabled for a week. " At the 
 moment of infliction," he adds, " it was hard to believe that one was not 
 disabled for life." 
 
 The mosquitoes, according to the same authority, are equally distress- 
 ing. They are especially fond of cattle, but without any reciprocity of 
 affection. " According to the general terms of the survival of the fittest 
 and the growth of muscles most used to the detriment of others," says the 
 lieutenant in an unusual burst of humor, " a band of cattle inhabiting this 
 district in the far future would be all tail and no body, unless the mos- 
 quitoes should experience a change of numbers." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 ET us suppose that we enter a ship at New York and sail to tlie 
 south, along the eastern coast of the United States. After 
 passing between Florida and Cuba we shall enter the Gulf of 
 Mexico, and after a voyage of about five weeks shall reach 
 Vera Cruz, in Mexico. We shall see nothing very interesting 
 at Vera Cruz except the strong fortress of San Juan de Ulloa ; so we will 
 set out immediately for the city of Mexico. We shall find it situated 
 on a vast plain, spreading to the north for many hundred miles, and 
 elevated six or seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. It 
 occupies a delightful valley, surrounded by mountains, whose tops are 
 always covered with snow, and some of which occasionally send forth vol- 
 umes of fire and smoke. 
 
 We shall be delighted with the city of Mexico at first; for in many- 
 respects it is one of the most charming places in the world. Being so high, 
 it is visited, at all seasons of the year, with fresh breezes, like those of 
 spring. The gardens are full of delicious fruits and fragrant flowers. 
 There are groves of lemon and orange trees ; melons of every kind abound; 
 and the whole face of nature is covered with the most luxuriant vegeta- 
 tion. The forests are thronged with birds of bright plumage ; the hills are 
 adorned with wild flowers of surpassing beauty ; and the very air is filled 
 with fragrance, which comes from the meadows and groves. 
 
 In the city is a large church, called the Cathedral. On entering this 
 church you will be amazed at the splendor of its interior. The altar is 
 surrounded by a railing of solid silver; and there is a lamp of the same 
 metal, so large that three men get into it when it is to be cleaned. It is 
 enriched with lions' heads and other ornaments of pure gold. There are 
 also in this Cathedral many statues of saints made of silver and ornamented 
 with precious stones. Many other buildings in Mexico are lofty and spa- 
 cious, and, being built of stone, have a magnificent appearance. There are 
 many splendid palaces, surrounded with fountains, fragrant groves and beau- 
 
 416 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 417 
 
 tiful gardens. We shall observe that the people have a sallow complexion, 
 with black hair and black eyes. 
 
 This country has many objects of interest — some natural, some artifi- 
 cial. Of the latter are the antiquarian relics of an earlier civilized race, 
 and also of the Aztecs, who conquered them, many centuries before they 
 were themselves conquered by the Spaniards. Some of these Aztec monu- 
 ments are now included in the territory of the United States; and on the 
 south bank of the river Gila, there are ruins of a city covering three miles 
 square, called Casa Grande, or Great House, from a vast square building, 
 set east and west, whose walls are of immense thickness. Fragments of 
 pottery strew the surrounding plain. Among the most interesting natural 
 objects are the lofty peaks of Orizaba and Popocatapetl. 
 
 Government of the Country. 
 
 The country of Mexico is divided into provinces, which are united 
 under a general government, and have a national constitution similar to 
 ours. But there are frequent disturbances in the country, and every thing 
 seems to be in rather an unsettled state. 
 
 Before we leave Mexico, we should, if possible, go and see the silver 
 mines. These are among the richest in the world, and yield several millions 
 of dollars every year. As they lie among the mountains, at a considerable 
 distance, we must again hire some mules, and obtain a guide. As we proceed 
 on our journey we shall meet with a great many of the native Indians, 
 who bear a strong resemblance to the savages of our country. Most of 
 them are partly civilized, and some of them live in villages, quietly pur- 
 suing the various occupations of life. But when, at last, we reach the 
 mines, we shall, perhaps, hardly have the courage to go into them. They 
 are vast pits dug in the earth, some of them having a depth of more than 
 a thousand feet. In these deep and dark caverns the miners are constantly 
 occupied in digging the ore, which is taken from the mines, and afterwards 
 the pure silver is separated from the dross. 
 
 If any of our young readers are tired of the sea, they may return to 
 ■he United States by way of Santa Fe. They must travel on mules, or on 
 toot, eleven hundred miles in a northerly direction, from the city of Mexico, 
 have trusty guides, and be well armed. They will sometimes proceed, for 
 days together, over vast plains ; and perhaps one of the first things they 
 see will be a wild, tawny, bright-eyed man, on a small but spirited horse 
 
418 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 careering at full speed after a lierd of cattle, or chasing its friglitened and 
 scattered individuals. Strong, and active, and expert, he pulls one, and 
 another, and another, down to the ground with his lasso, hamstrings them, 
 disentangles his lasso, and then chases another victim. 
 
 When he has brought down enough, he butchers and skins them, and 
 after the skins, which are called hides, are dried, he brings them to the 
 trading-house, or hurls them down some one of the rocky precipices which 
 line the coast, upon the sandy beach below. Here they are gathered up by 
 the crews of the vessels at anchor, a short distance off, and carried 
 aboard in boats. 
 
 They will often meet with Indians in their journey, some of them 
 living in villages, and some roving through the wilderness. They will 
 occasionally see cougars and fierce animals called jaguars. They will also 
 meet with many wild animals and strange birds and towns filled with 
 people, some of whom are white, some black, some red. After meeting with 
 many adventures, my young friends will reach Santa Fe. 
 
 A Mixed Population. 
 
 Mexico is a vast country, containing twelve millions of inhabitants. 
 Some of these are white, like the people of the United States, and are 
 descended from Spanish emigrants, who settled in the country many years 
 ago. There are negroes, also, who were originally slaves brought from 
 Africa. A large part of the population are Indians, whose fathers once 
 possessed the country, as the Indians possessed the land in the United 
 States, before the Europeans came and took it from them. A little more 
 than three hundred years ago, Mexico was inhabited only by Indians. 
 But they were not savages, living in the woods, and subsisting upon wild 
 beasts ; on the contrary, they had large towns, splendid buildings, and an 
 established government. 
 
 The king resided at the City of Mexico, then called Tenuchtitlan. It 
 was a magnificent city, filled with temples, towers, and palaces. It sur_ 
 passed everything else of the kind, that then existed in America, in rich, 
 ness and grandeur. It was in the year 1519 that the Spaniards first 
 heard of this great kingdom. Expecting to get a great deal of gold and 
 silver, they determined to send some men to conquer it. Accordingly, six 
 hundred soldiers, commanded by Fernando Cortez, set out for Mexico^ 
 Firearms were not then in general use, so that only thirteen of the men 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 419 
 
 had muskets. Tlie rest were variously armed with crossbows, swords, and 
 spears. They had, however, ten small field-pieces, and sixteen horses, the 
 first of these animals ever seen by the natives. They went in eleven 
 small vessels, and soon reached the coast of Mexico. 
 
 They entered the mouth of a river, but the Indians came in multi- 
 tudes to the shore, to oppose their landing. Cortez tried to make peace 
 with them, but they refused to listen, and hurled a shower of stones and 
 arrows upon the fleet. The vessels were soon ranged in a circle, and, the 
 cannon being loaded, they were dis- 
 charged among the crowd. The 
 Indians were utterly astonished at 
 the thunder and the smoke, and 
 frightened by the havoc which the 
 cannon made among the people. 
 They, therefore, ran away, and shut 
 themselves up in a fortified town, 
 called Tabasco. 
 
 Cortez landed his men, and 
 proceeded to the town. This was 
 surrounded with stakes, and the 
 Indians defended it as well as they 
 could. But they were soon over- 
 come, and, flying to the forests, 
 the Spaniards entered the place in 
 triumph. But the next day, Cortez 
 was informed that about forty thou- 
 sand natives were coming against him 
 his men in good situation, and waited for the attack. 
 
 At length they came, seeming as countless as the trees of the forest. 
 The greater part of them were almost naked. Some were armed with 
 bows and arrows ; some Mdth spears ; some with clubs ; some with wooden 
 swords ; and others with slings, by means of which they could hurl large 
 stones with great force. They had martial music, produced by flutes made 
 of reeds and by large shells, and drums formed of the trunks of trees. 
 
 On they came, the little band of Spaniards waiting for them in silence. 
 With a terrible cry, the Indians rushed upon them. Then the cannon 
 opened their mouths, and poured their deadly shot upon the multitude. 
 
 FE]lNANDO CORTEZ. 
 
 He, therefore, left the town, placed 
 
420 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 Many of them were slain ; but the Indians bravely stood their ground, and 
 showered upon the Spaniards such a cloud of arrows as to darken the air. 
 The ranks of the latter were at length broken, and they were on the 
 point of being defeated. 
 
 At this critical moment, Cortez, who was stationed in the woods near 
 by, sallied out upon the Indians with a small troop of horse. Now, the 
 Indians had never seen a horse before, and believing each trooper with his 
 horse to be some horrible monster, they were struck with superstitious 
 dread, and, turning from the fight, ran away like a flock of sheep. Eight 
 hundred of their number lay dead on the field of battle, while the Span- 
 iards lost only two men. 
 
 Cortez and the Chiefs Form a Treaty of Peace. 
 
 Cortez had taken some prisoners, but he treated them kindly, and dis- 
 missed them, having given them some presents. They went away very 
 much pleased, and told their countrymen what had passed. The Indians 
 now dismissed their fears, and some of them brought the Spaniards pro- 
 visions. After this, the chief sent to Cortez, requesting peace, and a treaty 
 was accordingly entered into between him and the Spanish leader. Then 
 the chief came, with some of his principal men, to see Cortez, who received 
 them graciously. While they were talking together, one of the horses 
 neighed. The Mexicans were in great fear, and asked what those terrible 
 people, with long necks and long tails, would have. Cortez told them they 
 were angry because the Mexicans fought the Spaniards. They then ran, 
 and got some quilts for the horses to lie upon, and some chickens for 
 them to eat, and promised to behave better in future. 
 
 After this, Cortez entered into his vessels, and sailed to a place nearer 
 the City of Mexico. Here he landed his troops, and the people, not being 
 suspicious, assisted him. By and by, some of the Mexican warriors paid 
 iim a visit. They were magnificently dressed, and gave the Spaniards a 
 iigh idea of the riches of the country. After a while, messengers came 
 from Montezuma, the king, inquiring why Cortez and his soldiers came. 
 
 Cortez replied that he could only deliver his answer to the king him- 
 self, and requested permission to go to his capital. The king would not 
 consent to this, but he sent to Cortez some very magnificent presents. 
 Among these were bracelets, necklaces, and other trinkets, wrought in 
 solid gold, with the utmost skill and elegance ; boxes filled with precious 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 421 
 
 stones, pearls and gold dust ; and two large orbs, one of massy gold, repre- 
 senting the sun ; and the other of silver, representing the moon. 
 
 Cortez received the presents, but still insisted upon going to see the 
 king. But another messenger came from Montezuma, forbidding him to 
 come. Cortez treated him in a haughty manner, and he was offended ; he 
 therefore, with all the Mexican people, immediately left the Spaniards. 
 Cortez was astonished at this ; but, after a while, he was invited with his 
 men to go and see a cacique or chief, who lived at no great distance. 
 Accordingly they set out, and after marching a few days, came in sight of 
 the town where the cacique lived. At first the soldiers thought the walls of 
 the city were made of silver, for they had a white and shining appearance. 
 But when they came nearer them, it appeared that they were only plas- 
 tered with lime. i 
 
 At length the Spaniards entered the town, and were graciously received 
 by the chief But what was their surprise to find him so fat and bulky 
 that he could neither stand up nor walk alone 1 They could hardly help 
 laughing aloud in his presence. They soon discovered, however, that he 
 was a very intelligent man. He treated them kindly, and the people of the 
 town supplied them abundantly with all sorts of delicious fruits. 
 
 False and Treacherous to Both Sides. 
 
 Cortez now found that several powerful chiefs hated Montezuma, and 
 were anxious to throw off his yoke. Accordingly, he encouraged them to 
 rebel, and promised to assist them. At the same time he secretly sent word 
 to Montezuma, professing to be his friend, and declaring his intention to be 
 devoted to his interests. Thus false and treacherous to both parties, he 
 pursued his own selfish schemes. His determination was to dethrone the 
 king, overturn the government, and become master of the empire. With 
 this view he began to found a Spanish colony at Vera Cruz, the place at 
 which, you will recollect, we landed in our imaginary voyage to Mexico, 
 
 But Montezuma was still afraid of Cortez, and he therefore sent two 
 of his princes to him with presents of immense value, and a message beg- 
 ging him to depart from the country. To this the Spanish leader replied 
 that he had been commanded by his king to march to the capital, and 
 deliver to the emperor himself a message of the utmost importance, and 
 that no danger whatever could deter him, or his men, from executing this 
 high commission. The princes, struck with admiration of the bold character 
 
422 
 
 SLAUGHTER OF NATIVE MEXICANS BY THE SPANIARDS. 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS., 423 
 
 of Cortez, returned to Montezuma, and gave liim a full account of wliat 
 they had seen. 
 
 ^About this time some of the Spanish soldiers had become weary of 
 their toils, and foreseeing the dangers to which they would be exposed, 
 determined to seize the ships, and return to Cuba. Cortez discovered the 
 plot, and, by his artful management, diverted the men from their purpose. 
 He was very eloquent, and he addressed the soldiers, setting before them in 
 glowing colors his splendid schemes and the immense wealth they would 
 all realize should they be successful. Excited by this speech, the soldiers 
 ran to the vessels and destroyed them, thus putting it out of their power 
 to leave the country. This was exactly what Cortez desired, for he knew 
 that the soldiers, having no means of retreat, would fight desperately. 
 
 Fierce Battles with the Indians. 
 
 Cortez now set out with his troops, accompanied by six hundred Indian 
 allies, for the purpose of proceeding to Tenuchtitlan. After having marched 
 two or three days they reached the Cordilleras. Here was a district lying 
 among the mountains called Tlascala. It was inhabited by a nation of 
 brave Indians, who had thrown off the authority of Montezuma, and lived 
 in independence. Cortez sent messengers to make peace with them, but the 
 bold mountaineers would not make peace. They gathered their warriors 
 together, and six thousand of them went against the Spaniards. A dreadful 
 battle followed, but the Indians were defeated. Three more battles were 
 fought; thousands of the Indians were killed; and, finally, the Tlascalans 
 sued for peace. 
 
 Peace was accordingly made, and Cortez, being invited to the city of 
 Tlascala, the capital, went there with his army. The people received them 
 joyfully. The streets were thronged with men, women, and children, who 
 rent the air with shouts and acclamations, intermingled with the noise of 
 drums, fifes, and other instruments. Young girls strewed their path with 
 flowers, and the priests walked before the soldiers with burning incense. 
 At length the Spaniards, whom the people called gods, were conducted to a 
 large building, where everything was provided for their comfort and pleasure. 
 
 After a little while Cortez set out with six thousand Tlascalan warriors 
 to pursue his march towards the capital of Mexico. He was soon met by 
 messengers from Montezuma, requesting him to come by way of Cholula. 
 Accordingly the army marched to that city. But it was soon discovered 
 
424 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 that a plot Had been formed to destroy Cortez and his army ; the chiefs of 
 Cholula were therefore seized, and the town given up to plunder. For two 
 whole days the six hundred Spanish soldiers and the six thousand Tlasca- 
 lans went through the city slaughtering men, women, and children. Tears 
 and cries obtained no mercy. The houses and streets were everywhere 
 stained with blood; and finally a large temple to which hundreds of the 
 inhabitants had fled for safety, was set on fire, and all the miserable 
 people in it were consumed. Such was the awful vengeance of Cortez 
 towards his enemies ! 
 
 Strange as it may seem, Cortez had the address to make friends of the 
 people of Cholula who had escaped the massacre. They became his allies, 
 and he marched on towards Tenuchtitlan. After proceeding several days, 
 he reached a large city, called Tezcuco. The chief received him kindly, and 
 everywhere the people manifested a desire to be released from the harsh 
 government of Montezuma. Leaving this place the army proceeded, and 
 after crossing some mountains, a beautiful valle}^ of great extent was pre- 
 sented to their view. In the midst was a vast lake resembling a sea, and 
 villages, cities, and hamlets seemed to rise out of its very bosom. 
 
 First Sight of the Beautiful City. 
 
 Among these, Tenuchtitlan, the capital, could be distinguished by the 
 prodigious number of its temples and towers. When the Spaniards first 
 looked upon this scene they could scarcely believe their senses. The fertile 
 valley, encircled by mountains, whose tops were covered with snow; the rich 
 groves of fruit trees, the blue lake, and the cities glittering with gold and 
 silver, seemed more like a beautiful dream than a reality. 
 
 At length the army descended into the valley, approached the lake, 
 and, crossing one of the bridges, were about to enter the town. Here they 
 were met by about a thousand people of distinction, dressed in mantles of 
 cotton cloth, with bunches of feathers on their heads. These advanced in 
 silence, each, in passing, saluting Cortez with the most profound respect. 
 Then came two hundred of the king's attendants, richly dressed; and 
 finally Montezuma himself appeared, in a car of gold, borne on the 
 shoulders of four men. Some other men held a canopy of green feathers 
 over him, and three chiefs, bearing golden wands, walked at the head of the 
 company. When these raised their wands the people covered their faces, 
 as if they were not worthy of beholding the august person of their king. 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 425 
 
 Cortez and the king now approacHed each other, the ground being 
 covered with carpets, so that Montezuma's feet might not be soiled by- 
 touching the earth. They met and saluted each other with profound 
 respect. Montezuma was about forty years old, and was dressed in a fine 
 cotton robe, profusely ornamented with gold and silver. On his head he 
 wore a crown of gold. 
 
 After some ceremonies the king entered the city, and the army fol- 
 lowed. The city consisted of about twenty thousand houses, with many 
 magnificent temples and palaces, far surpassing in grandeur anything that 
 had been supposed to exist in America. A large palace was assigned to 
 Cortez and his troops, and they were abundantly furnished with all the 
 provision they wanted. Here Montezuma visited Cortez, and treated him 
 in the most gracious manner. 
 
 They Worshipped a Multitude of Idols. 
 
 We must now tell our readers that the Mexicans knew nothing of 
 the Bible, and had never heard of Jesus Christ. They had many absurd 
 notions of religion, and paid their worship to a multitude of idols. They 
 erected splendid temples in honor of these gods, and entertained for them 
 the most profound reverence. Multitudes of priests attended the temples, 
 and sacrificed thousands of human beings to their deities. These con- 
 sisted chiefly of prisoners taken in war. Their captives were generally pre- 
 served, that their blood might be shed by the priests in honor of the gods. 
 
 Now, Cortez was professedly a Christian, and these things shocked 
 him very much. He could make war upon a defenceless people, slay them 
 by thousands, plot the destruction of their government, and pursue his 
 schemes by falsehood, treachery and violence; but the sacrifice of human 
 victims to idols appeared to him very wicked and absurd. It may seem 
 to us very strange that the Mexicans could imagine the horrid practices 
 of their religion were right; but it is still more strange that Cortez could 
 believe his conduct was agreeable to the peaceful doctrines of Christianity. 
 
 Montezuma supposed that the strangers would be very much gratified to 
 see the Mexican temples. So he went with them, showed them the idols, and 
 explained ever3^thing. After Cortez had seen it all he told the king that the 
 Mexican religion was false and wicked. He also told him something about 
 the Christian religion. Montezuma was very much shocked, and he told 
 Cortez that he must not speak irreverently of the Mexican gods. 
 
426 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 The king was evidentl}' angry, and lie began secretly to take measures 
 for killing the Spaniards. But nothing escaped the vigilance of Cortez. 
 He quickly discovered the plot, and resorted to a very bold measure for 
 defeating it. He went, with about thirty of his bravest men, to the palace 
 of the king. They were admitted and received by Montezuma with appa- 
 rent friendship. After some conversation Cortez told the king he must go 
 with him to his quarters. The monarch was enraged, but Cortez was firm, 
 and finding it in vain to resist, the king yielded, and was carried a pris- 
 oner to the palace which the Spanish soldiers occupied. 
 
 Montezuma Compelled to Submit. 
 
 Thus the sovereign of this vast empire was placed in the power of the 
 bold and artful Cortez. The latter now began to take measures to humble 
 the spirit of Montezuma by assuming a haughty air; and in one instance 
 he went so far as to put chains upon him. At length the subdued captive 
 summoned his chiefs, and, while the tears flowed from his eyes, acknowledged 
 himself a vassal of the King of Spain, and promised to pay him a vast 
 sum of money every year. Cortez now became very arrogant, and resolved 
 to destroy the images in the Mexican temples. He therefore went to one 
 of them for this purpose, but he found the priests and the people deter- 
 mined to resist what they deemed a very impious design. Cortez perceived 
 that it would be imprudent to proceed further, and accordingly abandoned 
 his intention to destroy the temples. 
 
 He was now called to encounter new and unexpected difficulties. Mon- 
 tezuma had messengers in all parts of the kingdom, who immediately came 
 and informed him if anything remarkable happened. One day some of 
 these arrived from the coast with pictures of eighteen European vessels 
 that had just come there. Cortez soon learned that the Governor of Cuba, 
 having become jealous of him, had sent a thousand men in these ships to 
 make him a prisoner or kill him. 
 
 Cortez did not hesitate as to what he should do; he left a hundred 
 and fifty men at the city of Tenuchtitlan to preserve order, and set out 
 with about two hundred and fifty to meet the Spaniards, who were com- 
 manded by Narvaez. He attacked them by night, and after a desperate 
 struggle obtained a complete victory. Narvaez was wounded, and he, with 
 eight hundred of his men, fell into the hands of Cortez. 
 
 He now proposed to the prisoners to become his soldiers, and to this 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 427 
 
 they agreed. Thus an event which seemed to threaten his destruction 
 resulted in adding eight hundred Spanish soldiers to his little army. 
 
 ^ut now messengers came in haste from the capital and informed 
 Cortez that the inhabitants had risen, and made an attack upon the soldiers 
 he had left, and that, if he did not hasten back, they would all be slain. 
 He therefore lost no time, but marched Avitli the greatest expedition, and 
 at length re-entered the city. He immediately took possession of his former 
 quarters, where he found Montezuma still remaining in the care of his 
 troops. They had been fiercely assaulted by the people, who were now 
 greatly excited against the Spaniards. 
 
 A Storm of Arrows and Javelins. 
 
 A few days after this four hundred of the soldiers were surrounded in 
 the streets, and a violent attack was made upon them by thousands of the 
 inhabitants. Stones were hurled from the roofs of the houses, and innumer- 
 able arrows and javelins filled the air like a storm of hail. The Spaniards 
 hewed their way through crowds of the enemy, and regained their quarters, 
 leaving heaps of the slain Indians in the streets. 
 
 But the spirit of vengeance was now thoroughly roused in the Mexi- 
 cans, and, heedless of the dreadful slaughter which was made by the can- 
 non and muskets, they gathered in immense numbers, and came like a rolling 
 torrent against the castle of the enemy. Cortez and his troops, who were 
 never unprepared, received the shock with the utmost firmness. They had 
 planted their cannon in such a manner that at every discharge many of 
 the natives were cut down. But they were not intimidated. 
 
 They rushed to the very gates of the castle, and climbed on each other's 
 shoulders in the attempt to scale the walls. They came up to the very 
 mouths of the cannon and points of the muskets. As the foremost were 
 shot down others filled their places. The air rang with their terrible shouts, 
 and the thunder of the cannon was drowned by the uproar of their drums, 
 fifes and horns. 
 
 Thus, for a whole day, the assault continued. At night the Mexicans 
 withdrew, for their religion did not allow them to continue the battle after 
 sundown. But the next morning the fight was renewed, and throughout 
 the whole day it did not cease for a moment. Thus for several days the 
 siege continued, during which thousands of the Mexicans were killed, and 
 one-third part of the city was laid in ruins. 
 
428 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 At length Montezuma, who was still with Cortez, appeared upon the 
 walls, dressed in a robe sparkling with jewels. When the people saw him 
 they were all silent, and bowed to the earth in the deepest reverence. Then 
 Montezuma spoke to them. He told them the Spaniards were his friends 
 and begged them to throw down their arms, and go home in peace. The 
 people heard this with indignation. At first a gentle murmur was heard 
 among the multitude like a breeze sweeping over a forest. But it grew 
 deeper and louder, and at length the angry shout of the people burst forth 
 like a rushing tempest. Then a thousand arrows flew from the bow strings 
 of the Mexicans, and the wounded monarch fell senseless to the ground. 
 
 He was now taken into the castle, and by and by his senses returned. 
 But oppressed with shame and indignation he grew frantic ; tore open his 
 wounds, upbraided Cortez for his perfidy, rejected with scorn and loathing 
 the attempts that were made to convert him to the Christian religion, and 
 at length found a release from his sufferings in death. 
 
 A New King Renews the Conflict. 
 
 When the Mexicans saw their monarch fall they were struck with 
 amazement, and fearing the immediate vengeance of Heaven, abandoned the 
 siege and returned home. But after his death a new king was elected, and 
 the attack was renewed. On the top of the high temple, which overlooked 
 the Spanish castle, they collected a great many stones and beams to hurl 
 down upon their enemies. Cortez went to this temple, with some of his 
 bravest men, to drive away the Mexicans. 
 
 An awful struggle followed. The two parties met in the upper part of 
 the building, and the Mexicans, consisting of chiefs and men of rank, 
 fought like tigers. They would neither fly nor surrender ; preferring death 
 to submission, some of them leaped from the lofty pinnacle of the temple 
 to the earth, and were crushed in the fall. Two noble youths approached 
 Cortez, and seizing him, dragged him to the edge of the pinnacle. Then, 
 holding fast to his limbs, they leaped over the railing, intending to drag 
 him after them. But Cortez was a strong man, and knowing his great 
 danger, held fast to the railing, while the two Mexicans, forced to qait 
 their hold, swung from the pinnacle, and were dashed in pieces upon 
 the earth below. 
 
 Cortez now returned to his quarters, and finding it dangerous for him 
 to remain in the city, secretly determined to retreat. In a dark and rainy 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 429 
 
 night lie set out witli his army, hoping to escape unperceived. They were 
 crossing the lake, when, being on a narrow part of the causeway, they were 
 suddenl}'' attacked by thousands of the Mexicans, who covered the water 
 with their boats. A dreadful scene followed : fighting in the thick dark- 
 ness they could not distinguish friends from foes. Multitudes of the 
 Indians were slain, and, forming a bridge of their bodies, Cortez and a part 
 of his army escaped to the shore. But two hundred of the Spanish troops 
 were killed, with two thousand of their Tlascalan allies. Some prisoners 
 and all the cannon and baggage fell into the hands of the Mexicans. 
 
 The Capital Besieged. 
 
 This dreadful event is still remembered in Mexico, and the night on 
 which it occurred is called the " night of desolation," Cortez and his little 
 band now retreated to the city of Tlascala, cutting their way, with desper- 
 ate bravery, through the thousands of enemies that opposed them. Here 
 they remained some time, when, having received a reinforcement of several 
 hundred Spanish soldiers, Cortez marched back to Tezcuco, resolved, if pos- 
 sible, to take the capital. With immense labor, timber was brought from 
 a distance ; several vessels were built and launched on the lake, and 
 the siege began. 
 
 We must now tell our readers that Quetlevaca, the brother of Monte- 
 zuma, who had been made king at his death, was not now living. He died 
 of the small-pox, which the Spaniards brought into the country, and Guati- 
 mozin, a young man of high courage, was now king in his stead. He had 
 put the city in the best state of defence ; so that, although the Spaniards 
 attacked it bravely, they were, day after day, and week after week, repulsed 
 by the Mexicans. 
 
 Weary of the protracted siege, Cortez and his troops one day made a 
 fierce assault, and, with incredible valor, burst into the city; cutting down 
 those who opposed them, and trampling the dead and dying beneath their 
 feet, they rushed on to the centre of the city. But there they were 
 opposed with such bravery, that after a while they gave way, and were 
 driven back. Cortez himself was seized by three Mexicans, who were 
 dragging him away, when two of his officers came to his relief. These 
 were both killed in the struggle which followed, but Cortez escaped. 
 
 At length, night came, and the Spaniards, being unable to retreat 
 across the lake, were obliged to stay in the city. In the night, the great 
 
430 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 temple was lighted up, and, by the glare, they could see their companions, 
 who had been taken prisoners, sacrificed to the god of war. They could 
 see them obliged to dance before the hideous idol, and could hear their 
 screams, when the torture was inflicted upon them. 
 
 The next day Cortez left the city, and soon, being reinforced by more 
 than one hundred thousand Indians, he made an attack at three points. 
 After the most obstinate fighting, and great slaughter, the town was cap- 
 tured, and Guatimozin himself, in an attempt to escape, was taken, and 
 carried a prisoner to Cortez. He besought the Spaniards to treat his wife 
 and children with kindness, but for himself he betrayed neither fear nor 
 anxiety. With an air of dignity, he addressed Cortez, and said, " I have 
 done what I could to save my country, but my efforts have been unsuc- 
 cessful. I have now no desire to live, for my life is worthless to me and 
 my people. I pray you to take that weapon by your side, plunge it in 
 my breast, and release me from an existence that is now a burden." 
 
 The Whole Country Conquered. 
 
 At this speech, the wife of Guatimozin burst into an agony of tears, 
 and Cortez, who was very much affected by the scene, retired, that the 
 unhappy captives might indulge their grief without restraint. 
 
 The Mexicans, now that their king was taken, made no further resist- 
 ance. Not only the capital, but the whole country, fell into the hands of 
 the conquerors. But the soldiers of Cortez did not find a great deal of 
 gold and silver in the city; and, being greatly disappointed, they became 
 very angry. They suspected that Gautimozin had caused his treasures 
 to be concealed, and, therefore, required of Cortez, that he and his first 
 minister should be tortured, in order to make them tell where they had 
 secreted their gold, silver, and precious stones. 
 
 Cortez consented, and Guatimozin and his minister were stretched on 
 live coals by the infuriated Spaniards. Unable longer to endure his dread- 
 ful agony, the minister uttered a shriek, and turned his eye upon Guati- 
 mozin, as if asking permission to disclose the secret desired by the 
 Spaniards. To this the king replied, calmly, "Am I on a bed of roses?" 
 This rebuke silenced the minister, and he said no more, patiently enduring 
 his anguish till he was released by death. Finding that the resolution of 
 Guatimozin could not be shaken by torture, the Spaniards ceased from 
 their cruel endeavors. . 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 431 
 
 Cortez now seut his officers to various parts of the kingdom, and the 
 inhabitants thoroughout the country were soon forced to submit. The 
 empire was divided into provinces, and placed under Spanish governors. 
 These, being destitute of humanity, governed with a degree of cruelty too 
 shocking to relate. The blood of the poor Mexicans flowed like water, to 
 satisfy the avarice of the invaders. Hundreds of them were burnt alive, 
 and wives and children were often compelled to witness the burning of 
 their husbands and fathers at the stake. There is not, in the record of 
 human actions, a page of history more stained with the foulest of crimes, 
 than that which relates to the conduct of Cortez and his generals, after 
 the conquest of Mexico. 
 
 Cortez was soon appointed governor of Mexico, which was called by 
 the Spaniards New Spain. He began to rebuild the capital, which now 
 received the appellation of Mexico. But his enemies sent home to Spain 
 unfavorable reports of his conduct. He, therefore, went back to his native 
 country, where he was received by the king with great respect. But he 
 was deprived of his government, and, from this time, fortune seemed to 
 desert him. He went again to America, and made some discoveries on the 
 western coast. Finally, he returned to Spain, where, being treated with 
 total neglect, he died in obscurity, at the age of sixty-two. 
 
 The Downfall of the Conqueror. 
 
 Such was the fate of Cortez, one of the most extraordinary men the 
 world has ever produced. The story of his deeds seem like a romantic 
 dream. We cannot fail to admire his talents and perseverance; but his 
 cruelty, injustice, and treachery entitle him to everlasting infamy. 
 
 Mexico, from this time, continued to be a dependency of Spain. The 
 government was arbitrary and oppressive. The Indians, of whom there 
 were many millions when the country was conquered, rapidly diminished, 
 and, in the course of time, became the mere slaves and tools of the Span- 
 iards, who settled in the country. 
 
 Thus centuries passed by, till, at length, the oppression of the Spanish 
 government became intolerable. In 1808, the people rebelled, and, in 1820, 
 after a struggle of twelve years, Spain acknowledged their independence. 
 In 1824, a new Constitution was formed, but it was abolished in 1836. 
 
 For many years after this the history of Mexico was a record of 
 merely chronic disorder and civil war. Within that period the country 
 
432 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 Had fifty-two presidents or dictators, another emperor, and a regency; and 
 in nearly every case the change of administration was brought about with 
 violence, a respectable portion of these great men being ultimately shot 
 by some opposing faction. 
 
 In 1836 Texas secured its independence, for which it had struggled 
 for several years, and which Mexico was compelled to recognize in 1845. 
 In that year Texas was incorporated with the United States ; but its western 
 boundary was not settled, which led to the breaking out of war between 
 our own country and Mexico. The war was continued with great energy 
 by both parties until 1848, when peace was finally concluded after several 
 bloody engagements had been fought, and the city of Mexico had been 
 stormed and taken by the Americans under General Scott. 
 
 Outcome of the Mexican War. 
 
 In the Mexican campaign General Zachary Taylor became prominent 
 on account of his military successes. He was considered an able general, 
 a devoted patriot, and, what was of great importance to his political party, 
 an available candidate for the presidency. He was nominated for this high 
 office and elected, but, as already stated, did not live long to enjoy his honors. 
 
 As a result of this war Mexico was compelled to cede half a million 
 square miles to her powerful neighbor. After the fall of President Santa 
 Anna in 1855, down to 1867, great confusion prevailed. In 1858 Benito 
 Juarez became president, but his claims were contested by General Miria- 
 mon, and the country was plunged into civil war. The acts of wanton 
 aggression and flagrant injustice perpetrated on foreigners in Mexico 
 during this period of internal disorder, by which they were robbed of pay- 
 ments which were due them, could not fail to draw upon the Mexican 
 government the serious remonstrance of those European powers whose 
 subjects had just cause of complaint; and the result was to bring a fleet 
 of English, French and Spanish ships into the Mexican Gulf for the pur- 
 pose of enforcing satisfaction. 
 
 In 1861 the Spaniards disembarked a force at Vera Cruz, and this 
 step was soon followed by the arrival before that city of the allied fleet. 
 Preparations to advance at once upon the capital alarmed the provisional 
 government, and brought about an armistice, with a view of negotiating 
 a treaty for the future regulation of commercial intercourse between 
 Mexico and the great European powers. This treaty was drawn up 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 433 
 
 and ratified by the different commanders, but not confirmed on tlie part 
 of France, and consequently the French troops retained occupation of the 
 Mexican territory after the English and Spaniards had declined to join in 
 further hostile demonstrations. 
 
 EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN. 
 
 Discovering that France was seeking to use the expedition to destroy 
 the independence of Mexico, England and Spain settled their claims with 
 the republic by the convention of Solidad, on the 4th of March, 1862, and 
 withdrew their forces. 
 
 The French, however, continued the war, and after a hard struggle, 
 during which the Mexicans fought gallantly for their country, Mexico was 
 
 28 
 
434 
 
 MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 
 
 conquered, and early in June, 1863, the French army entered the capital. 
 The Emperor of the French now proceeded to overthrow the republic, it 
 being his intention to replace it with an empire which should be dependent 
 upon France. An election was held, and, under the intimidation of the 
 
 EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN SHOT BY MEXICAN TROOPS. 
 
 French, resulted in a majority in favor of the abolition of the republic, 
 and the erection of the empire. Through the same influence the Mexicans 
 chose Maximilian, archduke of Austria, Emperor of Mexico, and in an evil 
 hour for himself that amiable and high-souled prince accepted the crown. 
 
MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS. 435- 
 
 The government of the United States had viewed the interference of 
 France in Mexican affairs with marked displeasure; but being too much 
 engaged in its efforts to bring the civil war to a successful close to under- 
 take any new difficulty, simply entered its protest against the action of 
 France. The civil war having been brought to a close, however, it took 
 a bolder stand, and demanded of the French Emperor the withdrawal of 
 his troops from Mexico. The action of the government was sustained by 
 the great mass of the American people, and it was believed by many that 
 foreign war would be a sure and speedy way of bringing about the res- 
 toration of the Union. 
 
 The Emperor Napoleon hesitated for a while, but finally acceded to the 
 American demand. The French troops were recalled at the close of the 
 year 1866, and the Emperor Maximilian was left to face the Mexican people 
 alone. They at once rose against him, defeated his forces and took him 
 prisoner. On the 19th of June, 1867, he was shot by order of the: 
 Mexican government, in spite of the efforts of the United States to save 
 him. Thus ended the hope of reviving the political dominion of France 
 on the American continent. 
 
 On the death of Juarez, in 1872, the chief justice, Lerdo de Tejada,, 
 assumed the presidency, in which, after a revolution, he was succeeded in 
 1876 by Porfirio Diaz, one of the ablest of Mexican rulers. He was. 
 re-elected in 1884, and repeatedly afterward, having proved his ability tO' 
 administer the affairs of the nation to the satisfaction of the people at 
 large. Under him the position of the republic, with regard both to security 
 and the development of its resources, has steadily improved. 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 )UBA, the finest and largest of the West India Islands, was 
 discovered by Columbus himself, on the 28th day of October, 
 1492, and was named by him Juana, in honor of Prince John, 
 the son of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the sovereigns 
 of Aragon and Castile. 
 
 Upon the death of Ferdinand, the Island was called Fernandina. It 
 afterwards received the name of Santiago, as a mark of reverence for the 
 patron saint of Spain, and still later, the inhabitants, to illustrate their piety, 
 gave it that of Ave Maria, in honor of the Holy Virgin. Notwithstanding 
 these several titles, the island is still principally known by its original 
 Indian name of Cuba ; a name which it bore when the great navigator first 
 landed on its shores, and which in all probability it is destined to retain. 
 
 Since the beginning of the present century Cuba has been the scene 
 of revolutions or uprisings of one kind or another. The direct aim of 
 most, if not all, of these has been to free the island from Spanish control. 
 The city-armed natives, joined by bands of stragglers and aided by filibus- 
 ters, have struggled without organization against drilled, uniformed and 
 comparatively well-equipped regular troops representing Spain. 
 
 For a long time insurrection was the term applied to these uprisings. 
 At first and, indeed, until recently, it may be doubted if these uprisings had 
 the genuine sympathy of the Cubans as a body. And, consequently, they 
 were foredoomed to be failures. But the history of these struggles is replete 
 with brave deeds and exhibitions of personal courage and strategy that 
 would do credit to a body of men familiar with the science of warfare and 
 accustomed to facing danger on the battle-field. 
 
 The Spanish colonies, Cuba excepted, gained their independence in 
 1820-21. Bolivar was their successful leader, and when he had freed the 
 other provinces of Spain he turned his attention particularly to Cuba. But 
 for a time his project failed; some revolutionists allege that it was the 
 refusal of the United States to countenance such efforts which prevented 
 
 436 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 437 
 
 tlieir success. Be that as it may, the efforts of the islanders to throw off 
 the Spanish yoke came to nothing material. But Bolivar and his fellow- 
 conspirators were determined and sought by every means in their power to 
 stir up rebellion in the island. Commissioners were sent to Cuba to create 
 sentiment favorable to revolution. They were soon seized by the Spanish 
 authorities and executed. Bolivar's plan came to a dismal end. 
 
 Revolution was in the blood of many of the Cubans, however, and not 
 many years later it had manifestation. From 1848 to 1854 small and ill- 
 planned uprisings took place. Certain elements in the Southern States 
 assisted in encouraging these insurrections. i 
 
 There was for some time in Southern circles a project looking to the 
 annexation of Cuba and its division into four States, each of which, of 
 course, would have been entitled to representation in Congress, giving the 
 South, perhaps, eight Senators and sixteen Representatives, and so throwing 
 the balance of power here into the hands of the slavery advocates. 
 
 Uprising of Patriots Led by Lopez. 
 
 The most important of these movements was that headed by Narciso 
 Lopez, who had served in the Spanish army as a general of division, but 
 who, on going to Cuba, espoused the cause of the revolutionists. He, with 
 Crittenden, the Kentuckian, with a force of some four hundred Americans 
 and two hundred Cubans, set out from New Orleans, landing at Cardenas, 
 on the north coast of Cuba, and captured it by assault. The victory was a 
 hollow one, for the time had been ill-advised and the country did not rise. 
 
 Finding themselves without support and seeing that without aid from 
 the Cubans they must be captured or driven into the sea, the invaders 
 returned to Key West. The Cubans on that occasion regarded the move- 
 ment as one solely in the interest of slavery, and believed its projectors 
 inspired by mercenary motives. 
 
 But Lopez was not to be cast down by one failure. He made a second 
 attempt and landed at Bahia Honda. There he encountered a force of 
 Spanish troops, under General Henna, and put them to rout. The Span- 
 ish commander was killed, and for the time the star of Lopez was in 
 the ascendant. 
 
 Still the country did not rise. Lopez, in the western end of the 
 island, where Spanish troops were strongest and the revolutionary spirit 
 weakest, soon found himself surrounded and overpowered, Crittenden, who 
 
438 
 
 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 was to Have joined him, remained on the coast, and finally attempted to 
 escape, by taking to the open sea in boats. He was captured, with fifty 
 of his men, and all were put to death in Havana. The execution was 
 marked by atrocities, the news of which rang through the civilized world, 
 making the flesh creep. 
 
 The forces of Lopez, overpowered by Spanish troops, were dispersed 
 with ease. The commander himself was garroted. 
 
 CITY AND HARBOR OF HAVANA. 
 
 The island was quiet for a time then, but not for long. Other 
 -attempts to raise the country, up to 1854, were those of Pinto, a Spaniard 
 of revolutionist tendencies ; Bstrampes and Aguero, the last-named of whom 
 freed all his slaves before he raised the rebel standard. He was the first 
 out-spoken abolitionist in Cuba. He and the other leaders were captured, 
 after a brief struggle, and executed. 
 
 There were some unimportant risings after that, but none of note 
 until after the American Civil War. This conflict abolished slavery. Then 
 the Southern States had no further object in meddling with Cuba. The 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 439 
 
 filibustering movements died out. It remained for Cuba to attempt to work 
 out its own salvation. 
 
 . In 18G8 came the hour which thousands of patriots hailed as the 
 dawn of deliverance; for on October 10th, of that year, Cespedes raised the 
 five-barred flag at Yara. He was a lawyer, and logical above all things ; 
 so to begin with he freed his two hundred slaves, and they followed him 
 to battle to a man. The entire eastern end of the island rose against the 
 Spaniards at the call of Cespedes, but the men were without arms or dis- 
 cipline. Their spirit was unquestioned, but they were of little utility 
 against well-armed and disciplined forces. 
 
 Flocking to the Standard of the Insurgents. 
 
 Their leaders were Maximo Gomez, Marmol and Figueredo. The centre 
 of the island, called Camaguey, flocked to the standard of the Marquis de 
 Lucia and the Agramontes in November, and as enthusiasm and confidence 
 came with numbers the beginning of 1889 saw Las Villas in rebellion with 
 14,000 men, among whom there were not more than 100 armed with effec- 
 tive firearms. To oppose these unarmed and undisciplined enthusiasts there 
 were 15,000 regulars. 
 
 The western end of the island proved cold, but even there small up- 
 risings were fomented. They were put down without difficulty. Aid from 
 w^ithout was not wanting. In December, 1868, General Quesada landed 
 with the first expedition from Nassau, bringing the first consignment of 
 arms and munitions of war. The revolutionist cause prospered, and on 
 April 10, 1869, a new government was constituted and a House of Assem- 
 bly established. Cespedes was President of the provisional government, 
 and Quesada commander-in-chief of the forces. 
 
 The government, which had little beyond its name, issued a proclama- 
 tion giving freedom to all the negroes in the island — a matter which gave 
 great offence to the Spaniards, even those of liberal tendencies. 
 
 Ten years of desultory warfare followed ; the revolutionists held the 
 centre of the island and the mountains, but were unable to obtain any 
 "standing in the seaports, as their flag was not recognized there by the great 
 powers, although it was duly saluted from time to time by the South 
 American Republics. The United States did not recognize the revolutiorj 
 ists, despite the efforts of General Rawlings and Senator Sherman to that eii 
 
 Every effort was made to send arms to the insurgents. There wf 
 
440 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 continual attempts at blockade running. Some of tliese expeditions evaded 
 capture, but others were taken by Spanish, troops and the leaders were 
 promptly executed ; the most notable was that of the " Virginius," under 
 Captain Fry. The "Virginius" put out from Kingston, Jamaica. 
 
 The capture of the " Virginius " and the summary execution of Ameri- 
 can citizens by the Spanish authorities so excited this nation at the time 
 that war with Spain seemed certain. This was one of the most notable 
 incidents in Cuban history, at least in point of American interest. 
 
 Had the popular voice been heeded at that time a peaceful solution of 
 the dif&culty would have been impossible. Feeling ran so high through- 
 out the country that public meetings were held all over the country 
 denouncing the execution as a butchery, and warlike preparations were 
 begun in many cities. In some cases ships were prepared to go to sea in 
 anticipation of an immediate declaration of war. 
 
 Story of the Ill-fated ** Virginius." 
 
 The voyage of the " Virginius " was begun in November of 1873. 
 The steamer was pursued by the Spanish warship " Tornado," and cap- 
 tured within sight of the Morant Point Light-house, at the east end of 
 Jamaica. She was towed at once into Santiago de Cuba, despite the fact 
 that she was flying the Stars and Stripes and was in British waters. 
 Fifty-three of her men were shot in a public square in Santiago, in some 
 instances after they had been given a trial lasting only ten minutes. 
 
 Among them was Captain Joseph Fry, who commanded the ship ; Bar- 
 nade Varona, W. A. C. Ryan, Jesus del Sol and Pedro Cespedes. There 
 was no United States cruiser within reach of Santiago, but the British 
 man-of-war " Niobe " arrived in time to prevent further slaughter of Ameri- 
 can and English subjects. Her commander, Sir Lambon Lorraine, acted 
 with quickness and determination. " Shoot another Englishman or Ameri- 
 can," he said, "and the 'Niobe' will bombard the city." 
 
 Then the slaughter ceased. Both the United States and England 
 protested through their representatives, and sent men-of-war to protect the 
 other prisoners. The survivors were delivered up to the rescuing ships 
 and brought to New York, and the "Virginius," with a hole in her bottom, 
 sank off Frying Pan Shoals. 
 
 The return of the survivors, and an accurate knowledge of the details 
 of the shooting, only served to fan into fierce blaze the fire of popular 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, 441 
 
 indignation. The general voice was for war with Spain, and General 
 Sickles, then American Minister in Madrid, had already asked to be 
 recalled, and was preparing to leave the capital. Finally, however, the 
 matter was adjusted diplomatically. The Spanish Government paid an 
 indemnity for the American subjects shot with General Ryan and Thomas 
 Ryan, and the war cloud blew over. 
 
 But in Cuba the revolutionists continued their fight for supremacy. 
 For five years — until 1878 — they strove against terrible odds in the centre 
 of the island and in the mountains. At last they saw that the lack of 
 arms and supplies, and of money to purchase either, had made the struggle 
 a hopeless one, and they decided to make peace. 
 
 Deceptive Promises made by Spain, 
 
 A treaty was signed, by which Spain granted the native Cubans cer- 
 tain liberties, promised to reform their administration in some measure, 
 and recognized the freedom of all the slaves who had fought in the Cuban 
 army. It had been a long and desperate fight. Quesada had been suc- 
 ceeded as general-in-chief by General Thomas Jordan, formerly General 
 Beauregard's chief of staff, and a West Pointer. He lent much strength 
 to the cause, but abandoned it as hopeless after a year's campaigning in 
 the face of overwhelming odds, and with a i^\N arms and scant supplies. 
 
 After him came Agramonte, but he died in a year, and then, when 
 the rebel cause seemed to be prospering. General Gomez took command. 
 He invaded the western part of the island, and almost reached Matanzas, 
 but he, too, saw that he could not gain ground with unarmed men, and 
 withdrew his forces. That was in 1876, and from that time the revolution 
 waned until the treaty of HI Zanjon in February, 1878. 
 
 Still there was not entire quiet. In the east end of Cuba General 
 Maceo refused to recognize the treaty, and continued to fight for eleven 
 months, only to fail in the end and be driven from Cuban soil. 
 
 The treaty concessions were by no means liberal enough to maintain 
 order for any length of time. In 1889 General Garcia tried again. He 
 had been captured in Cuba in 1875, and sent to a fortress in Spain. He 
 shot himself while in prison, but the bullet failed, and when he recovered 
 he made his escape and reached the United States. 
 
 Here he conferred with Jose Marti, President of the Cuban revolution- 
 ary party, 1895-96, and they planned another expedition to Cuba. They 
 
442 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 landed and lield their ground for six months, only to find that the country 
 was not ripe for revolt. The Cubans, weary of continual turmoil and 
 bloodshed, longed for quiet. At last Garcia was captured and sent once 
 more to Spain. 
 
 From this time dates the Autonomist party, started by a group of men 
 who maintained that experience would not justify further attempts to gain 
 freedom for Cuba by force of arms, and that the island's hope lay in 
 peaceful measures alone. The party gained a footing very rapidly ; indeed, 
 its existence and doctrine had much to do with the failure of General Garcia. 
 
 The Spirit of Liberty Breaks Forth Again. 
 
 Despite the efforts of the peace party, however, there were revolutionist 
 leaders who were ready to try again. In 1884 Generals Gomez and Maceo 
 visited the United States and Central America, with a view of preparing 
 for another invasion. The movement was bitterly opposed by the Home- 
 rule party in Cuba, and was abandoned. Small and ill-advised attempts at 
 revolution followed from time to time after that, notably those headed by 
 Limbana Sanchez, Benitez and Aguero. 
 
 The Home-rulers, in the meantime, were attempting to get what con- 
 cessions they could from Spain by peaceful means. In 1890 they became 
 restless again. The peace policy did not prosper. Cuba was growing 
 uneasy again. The concessions, small and unsatisfactory at all times, 
 began to be regarded as sops, which Spain distributed to maintain peace. 
 They gave no promise of more liberal treatment in future. Men began to 
 say that the native Cubans were cheated at the polls, and in time their 
 representatives went to the Cortes no more. 
 
 For fourteen years the Home-rulers, led by such men as Govin Mon- 
 ture, Figueroa, Fernandez, De Castro and Siberga, had made most vigorous 
 fights at the poles, and, notwithstanding Conservative frauds, had sent 
 their best orators to the Spanish Parliament. It was to no purpose. The 
 Home-rulers spoke to empty benches in Spain, and no party there recog- 
 nized them. They succeeded, nevertheless, in forcing the Conservatives in 
 Cuba to modify their polic}^, and aided manfully to complete the emanci- 
 pation of the negro, following the Cuban Constitution, which declared that 
 " all men are free." With the Economic party, they forced the govern- 
 ment to celebrate the Spanish- American treaty, without which the fate of 
 the island was sealed. 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 443 
 
 The Conservatives divided into two groups, one leaning toward union 
 with the Cubans on economic questions, and hoping secretly for the 
 annexation of Cuba by the United States. They were demoralized by the 
 refusals of the Liberals from the polls, the Autonomists having declared 
 that unless the obnoxious suffrage laws, which gave the Spaniards a sure 
 majority at the polls, and disfranchised the Cuban rural population, were 
 abolished, they would never go to Parliament again. 
 
 The Spanish Liberals really formed the Economist party, to obtain 
 commercial concession, and secure a treaty with the United States, and by 
 joining hands with the Cubans, they forced Spain's hand in the matter. 
 
 But this, like the other efforts to restore quiet and content, proved a 
 failure. The Cubans complained that in return for the treaty, and its 
 benefits to the island, Spain imposed new taxes, which more than counter- 
 balanced all the good that had been done. Representatives were sent to 
 the Spanish Parliament again, the Home-rule contingent demanding, as of 
 old, electoral reform sufficient to guarantee just representation. 
 
 Preparations for the Coming Conflict. 
 
 It was then that the Cuban Revolutionary party began to gain prom- 
 inence — the party which drew the sword in 1895 — and asserted boldly 
 that peaceful measures, looking to freedom and equality, had failed, and 
 that Cuba must take up arms again, and drive the Spanish soldiers into 
 the sea. Such talk was dangerous on Cuban soil. Leaders of the party, 
 who were not already in exile, left Cuba, and began to plan from the out- 
 side, to raise money, to stir up the native population by secret agents — in 
 a word, to prepare the island for one grand united effort to be free. 
 
 While this sentiment was being nursed at home and outside of Cuba, 
 the Peace party was still at work on its own lines. In 1894 the reform 
 wing of the Spaniards joined the Cubans in their fight against the Spanish 
 Conservatives. They secured some reforms, but these, the Cubans say, are 
 a mere farce, as the proposition now being passed upon is the establish- 
 ment of a council in Cuba, in which the Spanish element will predominate. 
 This council was to consist of thirty members, of which fifteen were to be 
 appointed by the crown, and the remainder elected. The method of electing, 
 the Cubans contend, would insure a majority for the Spaniards, and, in 
 any event the council might be dissolved at pleasure by the Captain- 
 General, Callejas. The Cubans want universal suffrage and have been 
 
444 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, 
 
 unable to secure it, as the Spaniards have insisted upon them having 
 certain property qualifications. 
 
 On the 14th of March, 1895, Marti and Gomez, the Cuban exiles, with 
 a handful of companions, landed at Baracoa, on the eastern coast of Cuba, 
 and proclaimed the republic. The effect of this bold move was instanta- 
 neous. The news spread from end to end of the island, and although the 
 friends of Cuba thought the moment ill-timed, hundreds of sympathizers 
 flocked to the patriot standard. Like a prairie fire before a brisk breeze, 
 the single spark of insurrection fired the dry tinder of the oppressed Cubans, 
 and the rebellion grew in volume as it flew westward. 
 
 This is not Spain's first experience of the temper of her colony. For 
 the past seventy years conspiracy, insurrection, rebellion, and red war have 
 followed one another in endless progression. A few words will suffice to 
 explain the cause leading up to the conflict of 1895-96. 
 
 Early History of Cuba. 
 
 Cuba became a possession of Spain by the right of discovery on Colum- 
 bus' second voyage. He named it Juana, after the son of Ferdinand and 
 Isabella, and it has successively been known as Juana, Fernandina, Santiago, 
 Ave Maria and Cuba, the latter being the native name of the Queen of the 
 Antilles. It was colonized by Spain, and its early history is a series of 
 sacks and ravages by European foes. Not until the rule of Captain-General 
 Las Casas, beginning 1790, did prosperity begin. 
 
 Under his guidance agriculture and commerce flourished, and the con- 
 dition of the native population was ameliorated. The effect of his sagacious 
 rule was felt for over thirty years, and when Napoleon deposed the royal 
 family of Spain, every member of the Cabildo took oath to preserve the 
 island for their monarchy, and, going even further, they declared war against 
 the French conqueror. This much to show the instinctive feeling of the 
 colony toward the mother country. 
 
 Spanish coffers were empty with the restoration of the Bourbons in the 
 person of Ferdinand VII., and Spain's mistress looked with hungry eyes 
 upon the rich island with her 1800 miles of seacoast, gemmed with pros- 
 perous ports and her plantations of indigo, sugar, tobacco and fruit. It was 
 Fortunata's purse wherein Spain might dip her fingers and forever find it 
 full to overflowing. With this discovery came oppressive taxation. With 
 the gradual impoverishment of Spain came added demands. Then the 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 445 
 
 deprivation of all civil, political and religious liberty and the exclusion of 
 Cubans from all public stations, and in order to enforce this the Cubans 
 were taxed to support a standing army and navy — their gaolers. 
 
 With their oppression came their desire for liberty. In 1829 the Black 
 Kagle conspiracy arose. The purpose of this was to throw off the Spanish 
 yoke. It was suppressed, but was followed in 1840 by an insurrection of 
 the colored population. After smouldering and blazing for awhile the fires 
 of insurrection were smothered only to break out eight years later in a 
 genuine conspiracy of the Cubans under the leadership of Narciso Lopez. 
 This rebellion was quelled and Lopez fled. In 1850 he landed in Cuba 
 with 600 men from the United States. He made a third attempt in 1851, 
 and together with most of his companions, was captured and executed by 
 the Spanish authorities. 
 
 Oppression Resulting from Heavy Taxes. 
 
 The Reformist party, which sprang up at this time, succeeded in getting 
 an inquiry of the abuses at Madrid, with the result, however, of increased 
 taxation. In 18G8 the Advance party in Cuba rose in the district of 
 Bayamo, and on October 10, 1868, signed a declaration of independence at 
 Manzanillo. Their first successes were so great that almost all the Spanish- 
 American republics recognized the insurgents as belligerents. After a war 
 of ten years, that was confined to the mountainous regions east of the town 
 of Puerto Principe, the rebellion was put down. To confine it to that 
 locality the Spanish troops built a great fortified trench, known as La 
 Trocha, across the entire width of the island, in the western portion of the 
 State of Puerto Principe. It was here that Captain-General Campos drew 
 up his forces last summer to prevent the eastward march of the insurgents, 
 who were now heavily reinforced. 
 
 All during the summer of 1895 the insurgent leaders were organizing 
 their forces and receiving supplies of arms and ammunition. The people 
 were flocking to the standard of revolt, and during October, 1895, Gomez 
 and Maceo, with ease, penetrated the lines of the Spanish captain-general, 
 crossing La Trocha, and causing the regular troops to fall back to a line 
 iust east of Romedios ; the insurgents still pushing on, this was followed 
 by a retreat of Campos to Santa Clara, in the province of Santa Clara, 
 still further west. 
 
 Gomez and Maceo were now in supreme authority, for Marti died just 
 
446 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, 
 
 as the command started west. This blow to the insurgent cause was more 
 than offset by the character of the people among which they found them- 
 selves. Of all the provinces of Cuba, Santa Clara is the most outspoken 
 and loyal to the cause of liberty ; the ranks of Gomez and Maceo were 
 increased by thousands of volunteers of an intelligence and physical 
 strength superior even to those of Santiago. Horses were procured in 
 abundance, and the bulk of the insurgent army was formed into a speedy 
 and well-equipped cavalry; they were armed with rifles, and carried with 
 them an abundance of ammunition. 
 
 Terrible Weapon of the Insurgents. 
 
 Each man also carried a machete, which is a long, heavily-weighted 
 iron knife, used by the sugar planters to cut the cane, and by all travelers 
 to open up paths through the heavy tropical underbrush ; they are terrible 
 weapons in the hands of the Cubans, and the Spanish troops fear them 
 more than the rifles. The insurgents took no supply train with them. A 
 stray pig or fowl supplied them with supper, while an ox meant dinner 
 for a company. Thus prepared they turned their faces toward the setting 
 sun and Havana. 
 
 All this while Campos, the Spanish general, was " concentrating," 
 according to the official dispatches. In other words he was drawing dead 
 lines across the island at points where he announced that he would bring 
 the insurgents to a pitched battle. Each successive dead-line was further 
 west than the one preceding it. And each time the insurgents slipped by 
 the troops, leaving a harried country behind them. Railroads, bridges and 
 roads were destroyed ; plantations burned and store-houses empty. The 
 troops, under the spur of necessity, followed as rapidly as possible, leaving 
 the insurgents in possession of the country to the east. 
 
 In this way not only did the Cubans make this remarkable march 
 westward, but they garrisoned it. In Santiago the insurgents kept the 
 Spanish forces in the fortified cities, and in a short time two large expedi- 
 tions successfully landed at that end of the island. One, armed with can- 
 non, fired upon and crippled the " Nueva Espana," of the Spanish navy, 
 while such leaders as Rabi, Martinez and Aguirre were fighting as valiantly 
 there as Gomez and Maceo in the province of Matanzas. 
 
 Similar reports came from Puerto Principe and Santa Clara, showing 
 that the insurgents had complete control of the interior of these provinces. 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 447 
 
 But Campos claimed that it was his plan to get the insurgents between his 
 forces and Havana and crush them as a nut is crushed in a nut-cracker. 
 
 Then came decisive attacks by the insurgents. Campos was driven 
 from pillar to post, changing his headquarters from Santa Clara to Cien- 
 fuegos, from Cienfuegos to Palmillas, from Palmillas to Colon, from Colon 
 to Jovellanos, from Jovellanos to Limonare, from Limonare to Guanabana^ 
 and from Guanabana to Havana, where he was feted as a conqueror by the 
 Spanish authorities, and where he received telegrams of congratulation from 
 the Queen Regent of Spain and her Prime Minister. 
 
 The Insurgent General Threatens Havana. 
 
 Just prior to this noisy welcome, namely on December 24, 1895, Gen- 
 eral Maximo Gomez, at the head of 12,000 men, by a feint, turned the flank 
 of the Spanish commander at Colon, and passing the sleepy old seaport of 
 Matanzas, marched straight on to a point only fifty miles from Havana, 
 Campos with all his 80,000 picked Spanish troops, to the contrary notwith- 
 standing. Christmas and New Year's passed and the insurgents were still 
 there, marching and countermarching in three columns, holding Spain 
 at bay, and waiting for additional supplies of ammunition and arms be- 
 fore pushing on. 
 
 The grave question now was what the insurgents would do ? Havana 
 was in an agony of suspense and preparing for a siege. The loyalty of 
 the citizens was questionable, as well as that of the Grande Civil, or local 
 militia. Campos and all his troops seemed unable to cope with the situa- 
 tion. It was believed that should the insurgents push on and take Havana 
 the defeat of Spain and the liberty of Cuba would arrive. 
 
 The next move on the part of Spain was to recall General Campos, 
 his campaign in Cuba having proved a failure. He was replaced by Gen- 
 eral Weyler, whose tyrannous policy and barbarous cruelties, when pre- 
 viously commanding the Spanish forces in the island, are well known. 
 
 The steamer " Alfonso XIII." arrived at Havana February 10th, 
 1896, having on board General Valeriano Weyler, the new Captain- 
 General of Cuba; Nicolau, Marquis of Teneriffe; and Generals Enrique, 
 Barges, Ferderico Ochando, Miguel Melquiso, Marinues Ahumada, Luis 
 Castelloi, Sanchez Bernal and Juan Arolas, the latter being the hero of 
 Jolo, Philippine Islands. 
 
 The entire city was brilliantly decorated in honor of the occasion. 
 
448 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 and the bay was a splendid sight, all the warships and merchant craft 
 present being decorated with bunting. The wharves were crowded with 
 people at an early hour, and all the steamers and tugs were loaded with 
 sightseers. The Chamber of Commerce, the Bourse, all the big commer- 
 cial houses and government departments, the Canarian Association, Gen- 
 eral Weyler's countrymen and others, crowded upon the chartered steamers 
 or about the landing-place. 
 
 The troops and volunteers were turned out to a man, together with 
 the fire department and police, and for a long time no such brilliant 
 display had been witnessed in Havana. Among the high military officers 
 present were Generals Suarez Valdez, Pando, Marin and Navarro, Admiral 
 Yanas and staff. Colonel Castanedo, Major Moriano and many others. 
 
 Weloonie to the New Captain-General. 
 
 General Weyler was welcomed by the City Council on board the 
 ^' Alfonso XIII." He was presented with an address of welcome and 
 assurance of loyalty. At 11 o'clock the Captain-General came ashore and 
 was received by General Marin and staff. The streets were packed with 
 people, who displayed the greatest enthusiasm. In fact, rarely has a dis- 
 tinguished person been received so warmly as was General Weyler when 
 he landed. There is no doubt that considerable real enthusiasm was 
 manifested, in addition to the greetings which would naturally be bestowed 
 upon the representative of Spain. 
 
 The advent of Weyler produced no perceptible change in the situation. 
 The insurgents continued to land arms and ammunition secretly, and to 
 carry on their peculiar mode of warfare. No great battles were fought, 
 and in the majorit}^ of the skirmishes the Spanish troops were successful, 
 it being apparently the policy of the rebels to worry and harass their 
 enemy instead of coming to open conflict. It was the history of Cuban 
 insurrection repeated — a work of devastation, a scattered warfare, an attempt 
 by Spanish troops to rout or capture the insurgents, yet without success. 
 Spain maintained a large army in Cuba which seemed to be incapable of 
 bringing order out of confusion. 
 
 The most important events affecting the Cuban cause in 1897 were 
 the deaths of the famous Cuban Generals, Jose and Antonio Maceo, both 
 of whom were killed in battle. Each was a tower of strength to the cause 
 of independence in Cuba, and with their death it was believed in Spanish 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 449 
 
 circles that a fatal blow had been struck to the cause of the independence 
 of the island. 
 
 It is not surprising that there was great joy both in Havana and 
 Madrid when it was reported that Antonio Maceo had fallen on the field 
 of battle. The report was, however received with reserve, as this was the 
 sixth time in which he had been reported killed. His ability to rise from 
 death appeared to be like that of the fabled Phoenix, which sprang from 
 its own ashes, and spread its wings with renewed youth and vigor. Soon 
 the question agitated two continents: "Is Maceo really dead?" It was 
 finally admitted that the great leader had come to an untimely death. 
 
 Rejoicing over Macao's Death. 
 
 General Weyler, who was absent from Havana when Maceo's death 
 was reported, immediately returned, arriving at half-past five in the after- 
 noon. He rode into the city on horseback, accompanied by two squadrons 
 of cavalry. His coming had been made known to the public, and large crowds 
 gathered to welcome him. He was given a popular ovation from the time 
 he reached the city limits until he arrived at the palace. At some places 
 along the route, girls strewed flowers in his pathway, and he was in other 
 ways treated as a popular hero. 
 
 The peculiar methods of warfare adopted by the Cuban insurgents led 
 General Weyler to construct his famous barricade, known as the trocha. It 
 has not been the plan of the Cuban army ever to risk a great battle 
 against the immense army of Spain, for the reason that they were much fewer 
 in number, and, for a long time, were but poorly equipped with arms and 
 ammunition. Still, with their cavalry and scattered bands, they were 
 able to occupy a large part of the island, and even to threaten the 
 city of Havana. 
 
 General Weyler's plan was to construct a trocha, extending from a 
 point on the north coast to the southern coast, thus dividing a small part 
 of the island from the remainder. The western section, known as the 
 Province of Pinar del Rio, could then, it was thought, be pacified, and the 
 insurgents driven out. It would be impossible for them to pass the trocha, 
 and they could be pursued and captured. The reader will be interested in 
 a description of this formidable barricade. 
 
 The trocha is a cleared space, 150 to 200 yards wide, which stretches 
 through what is apparently an impassable jungle for fifty miles. The 
 
 29 
 
450 
 
 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 trees, wliicli have been cut down in clearing this passage-way, have been 
 piled up at each side of the cleared space, and laid in parallel rows, form- 
 ing a barrier of tree trunks and roots and branches higher than a man's 
 head. It would take a man some time to pick his way over these barriers, 
 and a horse could no more do it than it could cross a jam of floating logs 
 in a river. The object was to make the obstacles insurmountable to the 
 
 GENERAL WEYLER'S TROCHA ACROSS THE ISLAND OF CUBA. 
 
 insurgent cavalry, and to armed bodies of infantry, presenting an effectual 
 check upon the transportation of artillery, and in fact upon all their 
 offensive movements. 
 
 Between the fallen trees lies the single track of the military railroad, 
 and on one side of that are the line of forts, and a few feet beyond them 
 a maze of barbed wire. Beyond the barbed wire again is the other barrier 
 of fallen trees, and the jungle. In its unfinished state, this is not an 
 insurmountable barricade. Gomez crossed it by daylight with 600 men, 
 and with but the loss of twenty-seven killed, and as many wounded. 
 Where it has been completed, it is almost impossible to cross it, except at 
 the sacrifice of a great loss of life. 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 451 
 
 The forts are of three kinds. They are best ^escribed as the forts, the 
 block-houses and the little forts. A big fort consists of two stories, with a 
 cellar below, and a watch-tower above. It is made of stone and adobe, and 
 it is painted a glaring white. One of these is placed at intervals of every 
 half mile along the trocha, and on a clear day the sentry in the watch- 
 tower of each can see the three forts on either side. 
 
 Midway between the big forts, at a distance of a quarter of a mile 
 from each, is a block-house of two stories, with the upper story of wood, 
 overhanging the lower foundation of mud. These are placed at right angles 
 to the railroad, instead of facing it, as do the forts. 
 
 Between each block-house and each fort are three little forts of mud 
 and planks, surrounded by a ditch. They look something like a farmer's 
 ice-house, as we see them at home, and they are about as hot inside as the 
 other is cold. They hold five men, and are within hailing distance of one 
 another. Back of them are three rows of stout wooden stakes, with barbed 
 wire stretching from one row to the other, interlacing and crossing and 
 running in and out above and below, like an intricate cats' cradle of wire. 
 
 Barbed Fences and Strong Forts. 
 
 One can judge how closely knit it is by the fact that to every tv/elve 
 yards of posts there are four hundred and fifty yards of barbed fencing. 
 The forts are most completely equipped in their way, and twelve men in 
 the jungle would find it quite easy to keep twelve men securely imprisoned 
 in one of them for an indefinite length of time. 
 
 The walls are about twelve feet high with a cellar below and a vault 
 above the cellar. The roof of the vault forms a platform, around which the 
 four walls rise to the height of a man's shoulder. There are loopholes for 
 rifles in the sides of the vault and where the platform joins the walls. 
 These latter allow the men in the fort to fire down almost directly upon the 
 head of any one who might rush up close to the wall of the fort, and where, 
 without these holes in the floor, it would be impossible to fire on him except 
 by leaning far over the rampart. 
 
 Above the platform is an iron or zinc roof, supported by iron pillars, 
 and in the centre of this is the watch-tower. The only approach to the 
 fort is by a movable ladder, which hangs over the side like the gangway of 
 a ship of war, and which can be raised by those on the inside by means 
 of a rope suspended over a wheel in the roof The opening in the wall at 
 
452 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 the head of the ladder is closed at the time of an attack by an iron plat- 
 form, to which the ladder leads, and which also can be raised by a pulley. 
 The Spanish hope to have calcium lights in the watch-towers of the forts 
 with sufficient power to throw a search-light over a quarter of a mile, or 
 to the next block-house, and so light the trocha by night as well as day. 
 With their immense army it would not be difficult to do this. 
 
 A Formidable Barrier. 
 
 As a further protection against the insurgents the Spaniards have 
 distributed a number of bombs along the trocha. These are placed at 
 those points in the trocha where the jungle is less thickly grown, and 
 ■where the insurgents might be expected to pass. Each bomb is fitted 
 with an explosive cap, and five or six wires are attached to this and 
 staked down on the ground. Any one stumbling over one of these wires 
 explodes the bomb, and throws a charge of broken iron to a distance of 
 fifty feet. This, in brief, was General Weyler's scheme for preventing the 
 insurgents roaming at will from one end of the Island to the other; but 
 to make the plan effective he would have to construct several trochas, 
 w^hich ^vonld be an almost impossible task. The length of time required 
 for constructing the trocha, and the necessity of watching it at ever}' 
 point, has led military officers to doubt whether the barricade does not 
 cost more than it is worth. 
 
 Much excitement was caused throughout the United States by Weyler's 
 imprisonment of American citizens, alleging that they were giving aid and 
 encouragement to the Cuban forces. One of the prisoners, whose case 
 excited universal interest, was Dr. Ricardo Ruiz, who, it was reported, had 
 been murdered in a dungeon at Guanabacoa. He was for five years a 
 resident of Philadelphia, having come from Cuba in 1875, at the time 
 Avhen the former war was rendering the Island a place almost uninhabita- 
 ble, bringing with him letters of introduction from well-known parties in 
 Cuba. After having practiced his profession of dentistry for two years in 
 Philadelphia he returned to Cuba, but previous to this, after five j^ears' 
 residence in the United States, he secured naturalization papers and became 
 an American citizen. He settled in Guanabacoa, and married a lady to 
 whom he had been engaged before leaving the Island. All accounts go to 
 show that he was a man of peaceable disposition. 
 
 He was arrested and confined in prison on suspicion of sympathizing 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 453 
 
 with the insurgents, where he remained two years, when his death was 
 reported. It was claimed by his friends that he had died from violence, 
 and that his imprisonment was illegal, as he had never had an impartial 
 trial. These reports created indignation in the United States, which the 
 Spanish authorities endeavored to allay by affirming that an examination 
 after death showed that Dr. Ruiz died from natural causes. 
 
 Early in May, 1897, President McKinley sent Hon. W. J. Calhoun, of 
 Illinois, as a special commissioner to Cuba, who was charged primarily 
 with helping Consul-General Lee to investigate the circumstances surround- 
 ing the death of Dr. Albert Ruiz in a Spanish prison. The Spanish gov- 
 ernment was represented by Dr. Congosto, Spanish Consul at Philadelphia. 
 
 Seeking the Cause of Death. 
 
 Ruiz died, according to the surgeons, from congestion of the brain ^ 
 caused by a blow or blows. When General Lee and Mr. Calhoun visited 
 the jail in Guanabacoa, they were shown the cell in which the Spanish 
 say that Ruiz died. The guard explained to General Lee and Mr. Cal- 
 houn that he heard thumping on the inside of the door, and when he 
 opened it and went in, Ruiz was running at the heavy door, and butting 
 it with his head. Ruiz had only one wound on the top of his head. Had 
 he butted this door, as the jailor says he did, his scalp must necessarily have 
 been lacerated in several places. 
 
 The American representatives decided that they would not ask a single 
 question of the guards if they are called, feeling it absurd to waste time 
 on them under the circumstances. Dr. Congosto was told plainly that the 
 testimony of these men would not be received in any court in the United 
 States, unless they were prisoners, and chose to speak in their own defence. 
 The Americans asked for the official record of the arrest of Ruiz, and the 
 charges made against him. Dr. Congosto said that the record was in 
 Madrid. It was not furnished. The Spanish and American officials came 
 to no agreement concerning the cause of death. 
 
 Almost immediately came a report that another American citizen had 
 been sentenced to imprisonment for life, and that, too, in direct violation 
 of our treaty with Spain, which has been in operation for a hundred years, 
 and, therefore, has all the sanction of time-honored precedent. This treaty 
 specifies the tribunal before which a person charged with treason shall be 
 tried, and it was maintained that the provisions of the compact had been 
 
454 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 unjustly set aside through the operation of martial law, by which General 
 Weyler was attempting to govern Cuba. 
 
 The Committee on Foreign Relations in the United States Senate 
 passed a resolution demanding the immediate release of Julio Sanguilly, 
 who had been sentenced to life imprisonment. Hot words were uttered on 
 the floor of the Senate, and much bitter feeling was engendered in the 
 debate, which followed the introduction of the resolution. Notwithstanding 
 the request from the State Department to suspend action in the case for a 
 few days, the Senators took the question in their own hands, and proceeded 
 to act. A multitude of eager listeners were present. 
 
 Animated. Debate in the United States Senate. 
 
 Senator Daniel, of Virginia, took the floor in behalf of the adoption of 
 the resolution. He said : '' Two years ago yesterday Julio Sanguilly, an 
 American citizen, was thrown into prison. Two years have gone b}^, and 
 this government has done practically nothing for this citizen. Great Britain 
 would have released him as soon as one of her battleships could reach 
 Havana. He has been brutally treated and condemned on unsworn testi- 
 mony before military tribunals ; this country and all civilization having 
 been disgraced by the treatment meted out to this unfortunate man. Every 
 citizen of this country would have patriotically applauded the President if 
 he had sent a fleet of American battleships and compelled the release of 
 this American citizen, whose country has been insulted by the treatment 
 accorded to him and to our representative in Cuba." 
 
 Senator Gray, of Delaware, said he was informed that Sanguilly's coun- 
 sel had withdrawn his appeal to Madrid in order to facilitate his release. 
 Thereupon, with increased force and manifestly increased anger, Senator 
 Daniel said : "If that is true it is a humiliation to the United States that 
 one of her citizens has been compelled by sickness and poverty, and delay 
 on the part of this government, to withdraw his appeal for justice in order 
 to secure his release from prison. It means that he has concluded that the 
 United States has abandoned her citizen, her legal child, and that he des- 
 pairs of justice. His appeal should not be withdrawn. The people of this 
 country should compel his unconditional release." 
 
 It was at this point that Senator Frye, of Maine, electrified the Senate 
 by saying : "If Sanguilly's counsel has withdrawn the appeal of his client, 
 he has done an unjust act which is inexcusable. For, by that withdrawal, 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 455 
 
 he leaves Sanguilly a convicted criminal, liable to imprisonment for life, 
 and surrenders for Sanguilly and for his family all claims for damages 
 against Spain. He surrenders all that Spain has contended for. Here we 
 are contending that Sanguilly has been unjustly treated, and that all inter- 
 national law has been violated in his case when his discouraged counsel 
 withdraws his appeal for justice. If I had my way a ship of war would 
 start immediately to Havana and deliver him." 
 
 The outbreak in the galleries was such as has not been paralleled in 
 years. They were filled with Daughters of the American Revolution, and 
 they would not be quieted. Messengers and doorkeepers warned them, and 
 finally had to force some of them into their seats that order might be 
 restored. Their strong sympathy for Cuba was much in evidence. 
 
 Order for the Prisoner's Release. 
 
 Later in the day it was announced that the government at Madrid, 
 concluding that discretion was sometimes better than valor, had ordered 
 General Weyler to release Sanguilly. This had a tendency to somewhat 
 allay the excitement, yet a very uneasy feeling and excited state of the 
 public mind was apparent, which a breath might inflame into a wild 
 burst of indignation. 
 
 General Sanguilly soon arrived at Key West. He was made a cripple 
 by the former war, and he now appeared to be in an enfeebled condition. 
 Before he descended the gang-plank he was lifted up on the shoulders of 
 friends and conveyed to a carriage. In reply to a request for a speech, he 
 said he was too fatigued after a rough sea voyage, but thanked his country- 
 men for the hearty welcome accorded, which he did not take for himself, 
 but, he said, as an evidence of the loyalty to the cause dear to the heart 
 of every Cuban. 
 
 On March 1st the President transmitted to Congress important dispatches 
 from Consul-General Lee, including telegrams relating to the case of Charles 
 Scott. These awakened unusual interest in the Senate. On February 20th 
 Mr. Lee telegraphed as follows to the State Department: "Charles Scott, a 
 citizen of the United States, arrested at Regla. No charge given. He has 
 been without communication in jail at Havana 264 hours. I cannot stand 
 another Ruiz murder, and have demanded his release. How many war 
 vessels at Key West or within reach, and will they be ordered here at 
 once if necessary to sustain demand ? " 
 
456 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 On the 23d General Lee said in a cable message: "Situation simple. 
 Experience at Guanabacoa made it my duty to demand, before too late, 
 that another American who has been incommunicado (without communica- 
 tion with friends) 264 hours, be released from said incommunicado, and did 
 so in courteous terms. If you support it and Scott is so released, the 
 trouble will terminate. If you do not I must depart. All others arrested 
 with Scott have been put in communication. Why should the only Ameri- 
 can in the lot not be? He has been incommunicado now 338 hours." 
 
 Later on the same day, the 23d of February, Mr. Lee wired: "Demand 
 complied with. Scott released from incommunicado to-day, on demand, after 
 fourteen days' solitary confinement in cell five feet by eleven, damp, water 
 on bottom of cell. Not allowed anything to sleep on or chair. Was 
 charged with having Cuban postage stamps in the house. Scott says he 
 went always twelve hours without water ; once two days. He was an 
 employee of the American Gas Company." 
 
 General Lee's determination to see that ever}^ American citizen in 
 Cuba should have his rights fully protected, met with a hearty response 
 from all classes of the American people. 
 
 The Cuban General Rivera. 
 
 The veteran, who succeeded General Antonio Maceo in the command 
 of the Cuban forces in the province of Pinar del Rio, was General Ruiz 
 Rivera, and was born in Puerto Rico in 1847. General Rivera was the son 
 of a wealthy Spanish family; his father was a Spanish colonel. Young 
 Rivera was sent to Spain to be educated as a lawyer. When the revolu- 
 tion of 1868 broke out he was studying law in Barcelona; he gave up his 
 college career and sailed for Cuba. 
 
 Rivera fought valiantly ; he displayed at the head of his troops remark- 
 able ability. When the ten years were ended, in 1878, he stood out with 
 Maceo in his refusal to accept the terms of the treaty. He left the island 
 without surrendering, and before going he handed his machete to Colonel 
 Figueredo, his faithful friend, with this injunction: "This is my true 
 weapon. If I ever return to Cuba to fight for her freedom, you shall return 
 it to me. If you ever fight with it, and are forced to surrender or leave 
 the fields of Cuba, break it in twain and bury it. Let it never fall into 
 the hands of the enemy." 
 
 Rivera saw the war renewed sixteen years after ; as soon as he was 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, 457 
 
 called to his post lie left Honduras, where he was prosperous in business ; 
 he took an expedition to Maceo, which materially strengthened the patriots 
 in the west. His long experience and his splendid qualifications made him 
 conspicuous. He was a man of great personal magnetism, and a natural 
 successor to his life-long companion, General Antonio Maceo. 
 
 It was the fate of General Rivera soon to be captured, the story of 
 which is dramatic. General Hernandez Velasco left San Cristobal under 
 secret orders at noon March 18th, with the Castillo Reina battalion and two 
 field pieces and pitched his camp amid the Brujito Hills. The insurgents 
 attacked the regulars from the very outset of the advance. The Spanish 
 column marched upon Perico Pozo, where General Ruiz Rivera awaited 
 them in a strongly entrenched position. The result of the engagement that 
 ensued was the defeat of the insurgents and the capture of General Rivera. 
 
 Rivera opened fire immediately on seeing the head of the column. 
 Colonel Jose Roco advanced with the extreme vanguard, Major Sanchez 
 Bernal leading another division under the protection of artillery, which 
 shelled the trenches held by Rivera, who was already wounded in the thigh. 
 
 Capture of the Insurgent Leader. 
 
 One company of the cavalry galloped forward, capturing the trenches 
 and seizing as prisoners five men who lay severely mutilated by the shells. 
 Colonel Bacallao, on learning that Rivera had been wounded, hurried to 
 the trenches, and begged the soldiers not to kill him. Rivera and Colonel 
 Bacallao were taken into the presence of General Velasco, who shook hands 
 with Rivera and introduced him to the officers of his staff, giving instruc- 
 tions that the first thing to be done was to give him surgical relief. 
 Lieutenant Terry and Colonel Bacallao were also wounded in a fight at 
 the same place, on March 15th. 
 
 The Castillo battalion secured important documents as well as the 
 arms and money of General Ruiz Rivera. The money consisted mostly of 
 American gold coin. A number of splendid watches were left with General 
 Velasco. The villagers of San Cristobal, who went out to receive the small 
 column of Spanish troops, enthusiastically cheered the victors. 
 
 General Rivera, who remained quietly in prison, eulogized the escort 
 of Spanish soldiers. He said the troops treated him with the greatest 
 consideration. He also said the families of the insurgents in the camp of 
 the Cubans were in a critical situation. They suffered greatly from 
 
458 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 hunger, and were compelled to go out in searcH of vegetables whenever 
 it was possible to avoid tbe Spanish troops. The insurgents were well 
 supplied with meat, but had no spices. 
 
 General Rivera would say nothing concerning the war or Cuban politi- 
 cal matters. When asked his name by General Velasco, Rivera replied, 
 and made the following request: "Give me the honors of war, and stretch 
 out to me your hand." Rivera afterwards conversed with some of the chief 
 officers, and offered them tips for services rendered. Velasco, noticing this, 
 said : " Soldiers need not money, but honor, which they have." 
 
 One of the shells exploded in the insurgent camp, wounding many 
 members of Rivera's staff. Rivera himself received a Mauser ball, which 
 caused three serious wounds in the thigh. The moment the Spanish 
 infantry entered the trenches Colonel Bacallao raised General Rivera on 
 his shoulders as if to carry him off. After his capture General Rivera, 
 speaking of the Spanish soldiers, said: "They have treated me very care- 
 fully." He complained much of the pain of his wounds. 
 
 Congratulations from the Queen of Spain. 
 
 Captain-General Weyler received the news of Rivera's capture at Cien- 
 fuegos, where the intelligence was loudly cheered. The Captain-General 
 was described as " satisfied " with the result, and received cablegrams of 
 congratulations from the Spanish Minister of War and the Spanish Premier, 
 who congratulated him in the name of the Queen of Spain. Lieutenant 
 Henry Terry died from his wounds. He was a naturalized American. 
 
 The long-standing case of Cuba again came to the front in the United 
 States on May 17th. President McKinley gave the first indication of his 
 policy by a special message asking Congress to appropriate $50,000 for the 
 relief of suffering Americans in Cuba. The President's message read thus: 
 
 " Official information from our Consuls in Cuba establishes the fact that 
 a large number of American citizens in the island are in a state of desti- 
 tution, suffering for want of food and medicines. This applies particularly 
 to the rural districts of the central and eastern parts. 
 
 "The agricultural classes have been forced from their farms into the 
 nearest towns, where they are without work or money. The local authori- 
 ties of the several towns, however kindly disposed, are unable to relieve 
 the needs of their own people, and are altogether powerless to help our 
 citizens. The latest report of Consul-General Lee estimates that 600 to 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 459 
 
 800 are without nisaus of support. I have assured him that provision 
 would be made at once to relieve them. To that end I recommend that 
 Congress make an appropriation of not less than $50,000, to be immediately 
 available for use nnder the direction of the Secretary of State. 
 
 "It is desirable that a part of the sum which may be appropriated by 
 Congress should, in the discretion of the Secretary of State, also be used 
 for the transportation of American citizens avIio, desiring to return to the 
 United States, are without means to do so.'' 
 
 Two phases of the subject were presented. First came the question 
 of relief to destitute and starving Americans in Cuba. This was presented 
 in the President's message as soon as the session opened. Immediately 
 following the reading of the message, Mr. Davis, Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Foreign Relations, presented a favorable report on the joint 
 resolution originally introduced by Mr. Gallinger, appropriating $50,000 for 
 the relief of American citizens in Cuba. There was only one brief speech — 
 from Mr. Gallinger — and then the resolution went through by unanimous 
 vote, there being no response to the call for nays. It took exactly 
 eighteen minutes for the reading of the message, the presentation of the 
 committee report, the brief speech and the final passage of the resolution. 
 
 Spirited Speeches on the Cuban Question. 
 
 The second phase of the Cuban subject came up in the Senate when 
 the Morgan resolution, declaring that a state of war exists in Cuba, was 
 taken up. Mr. Wellington, the new Senator from Maryland, came forward 
 for his initial speech in the Senate, making a vigorous protest against the 
 resolution, on the ground that it threatened war with Spain. He said the 
 first duty of Congress was to pass the tariff bill. The senator condemned 
 "jingoism," and gave his endorsement to President Cleveland's conservatism 
 on the Cuban question. 
 
 Senator Daniel, of Virginia, said the Senator from Maryland (Wel- 
 lington) had " taken a shot at creation " while presumably discussing the 
 pending resolution. He had gone into the tariff, currency, the late and 
 the present administrations in their various ramifications. Mr. Daniel 
 asserted that the Maryland Senator entirely misapprehended the resolution 
 in declaring that it involved hostility to Spain. In sarcastic tones Mr. 
 Daniel referred to Mr. Wellington's statement, that some debt of gratitude 
 existed, because Spain had produced Christopher Columbus. " It were 
 
460 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 better had there been no Columbus," said Mr. Daniel, " if America was to 
 continue a savagery that prevailed here before the country was discovered." 
 The Senator then took up the legal questions involved in the recognition 
 of belligerency. 
 
 After concluding his legal argument on the powers of Congress and 
 the President, Mr. Daniel branched to the general subject of Cuba, and 
 again aroused the keenest attention by his vigorous words. The diplomacy 
 of Spain had succeeded for two and one-half years, he said, in blinding 
 American diplomacy in the belief that war did not exist in Cuba. But 
 the world knew that war existed there, high-handed, red-handed, bloody, 
 cruel war. It is a war in which Spain emplo3^s more troops than England 
 employed in seeking to put down the American Revolution. 
 
 No Act of Hostility toward Spain. 
 
 And yet. Senators were met with the statement that a recognition of 
 a state of war in Cuba would be inimical to Spain. He denied that the 
 recognition of an existing fact could be construed as a hostile act, but, in 
 any event, the fact should be recognized, and the great influence of the 
 United States thrown toward the cause of civilized and Christian usage. 
 It might subject some American vessels to search, but this would be a 
 small matter compared with the results achieved. It might give Spain a 
 right to blockade Cuba, but in that Spain would suffer more than 
 the United States. 
 
 " It is said this means war," continued Mr. Daniel. " I deny it. If 
 Spain should declare war against us, because we recognized the belliger- 
 ency of her former subjects, who had carried on a war for two and one-half 
 years, she would have an unjust cause of complaint and war against us, 
 and we will have a just cause of complaint and war against her. I do 
 not wish to see the American people involved in war. I look upon war 
 as one of the greatest calamities that can befall a people. But it is a 
 greater calamity for the high public spirit of a great nation to be so 
 deadened that it can look upon murder and arson and pillage with indif- 
 ference, and for the public spirit of that nation to be so dead as to delay 
 one instant in doing an act of justice because of fear of war." 
 
 During the debate. Senator Mason, of Illinois, made a bold, patriotic 
 and eloquent speech, denouncing Spanish atrocities in Cuba. The inhuman 
 barbarities inflicted upon innocent people, the savage attacks made upon 
 
CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 461 
 
 them, and their expulsion from their own homes, condemned to suffering 
 and starvation, were depicted in burning language. Among other things, 
 he said : " Here is the proof in the communication of the President, stating 
 that 800 citizens of the United States have been driven from their homes, 
 and are destitute. Who forced them there ? Was it the insurgents ? 
 Then, there is war in Cuba. Was it the Spaniards ? Then, if there is no 
 war, there ought to be, and with us. Bight hundred Americans driven 
 from home starving, and still some Senators say it is not much of a war." 
 
 Excitement in the Senate Chamber. 
 
 Again and again the galleries broke into loud applause, as the sturdy 
 Senator expressed in eloquent terms the feeling of the American people. 
 The excitement was at white heat ; handkerchiefs waved ; cheers burst 
 forth that could not be repressed. 
 
 Senator Foraker, of Ohio, produced an unpublished letter of Secretary 
 Olney, addressed to the Spanish Government in April, 1896, in which the 
 President offered to Spain the mediation of the United States to bring the 
 war to a close, which was firmly refused by the Spanish Government, who 
 stated, through their minister at Washington, that there was no effectual 
 way to pacify the Cubans, except upon the condition that they should first 
 submit to the mother country. 
 
 Mr. Foraker's speech was delivered with much warmth and earnestness. 
 Several of his well-rounded periods, in which sympathy was expressed with 
 the struggling Cubans, and in which the cruelties and barbarities of the 
 Spanish military forces were denounced, called forth demonstrations 
 from the galleries. 
 
 The Morgan resolution declared : " That a condition of public war 
 exists between the Government of Spain and the Government proclaimed, and 
 for some time maintained by force of arms, by the people of Cuba, and 
 that the United States of America shall maintain a strict neutrality between 
 the contending parties, according to each all the rights of belligerents in 
 the ports and territory of the United States," 
 
 The resolution received in its favor the votes of 18 Republicans, 19 
 Democrats, and 4 Populists ; 12 Republicans and 2 Democrats voted against 
 it — a total vote of 41 to 14. 
 
 Meanwhile the struggle in Cuba went on with varying success. The 
 efforts of the Spanish army of 200,000 men were unequal to the subjuga- 
 
462 CUBA AND HER STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 tion of tlie insurgents. On July 28, 1897, Havana's outposts were again 
 attacked by a large body of insurgents, who, before the Spanish troops 
 could be gathered to resist, had swept through the suburbs, carrying all 
 before them. They used rapid-firing guns and a large quantity of dyna- 
 mite. There was an inclination among the Spanish of&cials in Havana to 
 deny the fact that Cubans had invaded the forts and swept into Havana 
 limits, yet the path left by the insurgents through the suburbs southeast 
 of the city could be plainly traced. 
 
 At the first sounds of firing the Spanish soldiers in the city and 
 suburbs sprang to arms. They proceeded hurriedly to the southeastern 
 part of the city, from where the rattle of musketry, followed by the boom 
 of heavy guns or dynamite, could be heard plainly all over Havana. Then 
 the sound of firing increased, and finally, after a few hours, died away, 
 showing that the insurgents had retired. 
 
 Several wounded Spanish soldiers were brought into Havana and 
 removed to hospitals after the engagement, and it was reported that several 
 were killed. The reticence of Spanish officials prevented any knowledge of 
 the result of the attack becoming general. It is a fact, however, that great 
 damage was done by the insurgents on their bold raid, and that a con- 
 siderable quantity of dynamite was used. 
 
 There was great excitement in Havana during the attack. Hundreds, 
 aroused by the heavy firing, poured into the streets, and the word passed 
 along, " The rebels have attacked the city !" created almost a panic in some 
 quarters. This attack on Havana was not unexpected. For weeks past the 
 rebels had been within sight of the capital, and had practically moved 
 without interference. Captain-General Weyler left Havana for Matanzas, 
 and the belief was expressed that the knowledge by the insurgents of this 
 intention on his part led to the attack. 
 
CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 STORY OF HAWAII 
 
 )HE Hawaiian Islands, the most important group in tHe North 
 Pacific, were discovered early by tlie Spaniards, according to 
 tradition, and were rediscovered by Captain Cook in 1778. He 
 was received by the natives with many demonstrations of aston- 
 ishment and delight ; and offerings and prayers were presented 
 to him by their priest in one of the temples ; and though in the following 
 year he was killed by a native when he landed at Hawaii, his bones were 
 preserved by the priest and continued to receive offerings and homage from 
 the people until the abolition of idolatry. 
 
 At the time of Cook's visit each island had its chief. On the death 
 of the chief who ruled Hawaii at that time there succeeded one named 
 Kamehameha, who appears to have been a man of quick perception and 
 great force of character. When Vancouver visited the island in 1792, this 
 chief being desirous of possessing a vessel on the European model, the 
 keel of one was laid down for him. Ten or twelve years later Mr. Turn- 
 bull found him with twenty vessels of from twenty-five to fifty tons, which 
 traded amongst the islands, and he afterward purchased others from for- 
 eigners. Having encouraged a warlike spirit in his people and introduced 
 firearms, Kamehameha attacked and overcame the chiefs of the other 
 islands one after another, until he finally became the undisputed master 
 of the whole group. 
 
 He encouraged trade with foreigners, and derived from its profits a 
 large increase of revenue as well as the means of consolidating his power. 
 He died in 1819 and was succeeded by his son, a mild and well-disposed 
 prince, but destitute of his father's energy. One of the first acts of Kame- 
 hameha II. was to abolish idolatry throughout the islands. Some disturb- 
 ances were caused thereby, but the insurgents were defeated and the peace 
 of the islands continued for a long time. 
 
 In 1820 missionaries arrived from America and commenced their labors 
 at Honolulu. A short time afterwards the British Government presented a 
 
 463 
 
464 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 small schooner to the king, and this afforded an opportunity for the Rev. 
 William Ellis, the well-known English missionary, to visit Honolulu, along 
 with a number of Christian natives from the Society Islands. Finding the 
 language of the two groups nearly the same, Mr. Ellis, who had spent 
 several years in the southern islands, was able to assist the American mis- 
 sionaries in reducing the Hawaiian language to a written form. In 1824 
 the king and queen of these islands paid a visit to England and both 
 died there of measles. 
 
 For many 3^ears the Hawaiians have continued to advance steadily in 
 intelligence, resources and civilization, but their progress has been at times 
 interrupted by the conduct of the officers of foreign powers. On one occa- 
 sion a British officer went so far as to take possession of Oahu and estab- 
 lish a commission for its government ; and French officers abrogated the 
 laws, dictated treaties, and by force of arms established the Roman Catholic 
 religion in the country. The act of the British officer was disavowed by 
 his superiors as soon as known ; and these outrages led to a representa- 
 tion on the part of the native sovereign to the governments of Great Britain, 
 France and the United States of America, and the independence of the 
 islands was guaranteed by these powers in 1844. Kalakaua became the 
 reigning monarch and was elected king by ballot in 1874. 
 
 A New Ruler of Hawaii. 
 
 King Kalakaua died in San Francisco, January 20, 1891. His visit to 
 this country was on account of his health. He was a great traveler. He 
 came to this country in 187G, and visited most of the principal cities. It 
 was his travels and extravagance which caused the financial troubles 
 that led to a change in the form of government. Princess Liliuokalani 
 succeeded her brother and became Queen of the Hawaiians. She proved 
 herself to be an erratic and self-willed ruler, and was constantly at variance 
 with her legislators and advisors. 
 
 Early in February, 1S93, the question of the annexation of Hawaii was 
 brought to the attention of Congress, accompanied with news of a revolution 
 in the islands. On January 15th the Queen tried to get the Cabinet to 
 sign a new constitution that disfranchised all foreigners and put the whole 
 government in the hands of the native politicians. The ministers refused, 
 and when threatened by the Queen, fled for their lives. They returned 
 later and induced the Queen to postpone her stratagem. There was a 
 
STORY OF HAWAII. 465 
 
 public meeting in front of the palace. The Queen announced the failure 
 of her plans, and a native orator demanded the lives of the ministers. 
 
 Early in the evening citizens met and formed a committee of public 
 safety. On January IGth the United States steamship "Boston" landed 
 three hundred men fully armed. They marched to the office of the Consul 
 General of the United States. The marines were sent to the American 
 Legation, while the sailors, with two Gatling guns, camped for a time on 
 private grounds. The committee of public safety rapidly completed its 
 organization, and made arrangements for the proclamation of a provisional 
 government and its protection by armed force. 
 
 Proposed Treaty of Annexation. 
 
 Commissioners soon arrived in Washington to conduct negotiations 
 with our government with a view of forming a protectorate of the islands 
 or annexing them them to the United States. A treaty of annexation was 
 concluded between Secretary of State Foster, and the commissioners, and on 
 January 21st was transmitted to the United States Senate. No action with 
 a view to annexation was taken b}^ Congress. The treaty was withdrawn 
 by President Cleveland when he came into his second term of office, but 
 was again sent to the Senate by President McKinley soon after his inaugu- 
 ration, on March 4, 1897. 
 
 The physical aspects of the islands are rugged, uneven, and in many 
 places barren and rocky. Many craters of extinct volcanoes are found in 
 several of the group. 
 
 The form of the volcano named Mauna Loa, in the island of Hawaii, 
 is a flattened dome, and this is its most remarkable feature. The idea of 
 a volcano is so generally connected with the figure of a cone, that the 
 mind at once conceives of a lofty sugar loaf ejecting fire, red-hot stones, 
 and flowing lavas. But in place of slender walls around a deep crater, 
 which the shaking of an eruption may tumble in, the summit of the 
 Hawaiian volcano is nearly a plane, in which the crater, though six miles 
 in circuit, is like a small quarry hole, the ancient orifice being not less 
 than twenty-four miles in circumference. 
 
 A violent eruption of Mauna Loa took place in the year 1843, which 
 is thus described by the Rev. Titus Coan : "On the 10th of January, just 
 at the dawn of day, we discovered a rapid disgorgement of liquid fire from 
 near the summit of Mauna Loa, at an elevation of about fourteen thousand 
 
 30 
 
466 
 
 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 feet above the sea. This eruption increased from day to day for several 
 weeks, pouring out vast floods of fiery lava, which spread down the side of 
 the mountain, and flowed in broad rivers, throwing a terrific glare upon the 
 heavens, and filling those lofty mountainous regions with a sheen of light. 
 This spectacle continued till the molten flood had progressed twenty or 
 thirty miles down the side of the mountain, with an average breadth of 
 
 TERRIBLE ERUPTION OF THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANO MAUNA LOA. 
 
 one and a half miles, and across a high plain which stretches between the 
 bases of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. 
 
 "After many weeks another missionary and myself penetrated through 
 a deep forest, stretching between Hilo and the mountain, and reached the 
 molten stream, which we followed to the top of the mountain, and found its 
 source in a vast crater, amidst eternal snow. Down the sides of the moun- 
 tain the lava had now ceased to flow upon the surface ; but it had formed 
 for itself a subterranean duct, at the depth of fifty or one hundred feet. 
 This duct was vitrified, and down this fearful channel a river of fire was 
 rushing at the rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour, from the summit to 
 
STORY OF HAWAII. 467 
 
 the foot of the mountain. This subterranean stream we saw distinctly 
 through several large apertures in the side of the mountain, while the 
 burning flood rushed fearfully beneath our feet. 
 
 " Our visit was attended with peril and inconceivable fatigue, but we 
 never regretted having made it, and we returned deeply affected with the 
 majesty, the sublimity, the power, and the love of that God who ' looketh 
 on the earth and it trembleth, who toucheth the hills and they smoke; 
 whose presence melteth the hills, and whose look causeth the mountains 
 to flow down.' " What an impressive sight this must have been ! 
 
 A Volcano with Two Graters. 
 
 Mauna Loa presents the curious feature of having two distinct and 
 seemingly unconnected craters — one on the summit of the mountain, and. 
 another on its flanks, at a much lower level. This last is named Kirauea,, 
 and is perhaps the most remarkable volcanic crater in the world. It was-, 
 visited by Mr. Kllis, a missionary to those parts, who has given an account 
 of it in his missionary tour. The approach to it lies over a vast tract 
 completely covered with old lava ; and Mr. Ellis describes his visit to it 
 in the following terms : 
 
 " The tract of lava resembles in appearance an inland sea, bounded by 
 distant mountains. Once it had certainly been in a fluid state, but 
 appeared as if it had become suddenly petrified, or turned into a glassy 
 stone, while its agitated billows were rolling to and fro. Not only were 
 the large swells and hollows distinctly marked, but in many places the 
 surface of those billows was covered by a smaller ripple, like that observed 
 on the surface of the sea at the springing up of a breeze, or the passing 
 currents of air, which produce what the sailors call a cat's paw. After 
 walking some distance over the ground, which in several places sounded 
 hollow under our feet, we at length came to the edge of the great crater, 
 where a spectacle sublime, and even appalling, presented itself before us. 
 
 " Immediately before us yawned an immense gulf, in the form of a 
 crescent, about two miles in length, from north-east to south-west; nearly 
 a mile in width, and apparently 800 feet deep. The bottom was covered 
 with lava, and the south-western and northern parts of it were one vast 
 flood of burning matter, in a state of terrific ebullition, rolling to and fro 
 its fiery surges and flaming billows. Fifty-one conical islands, of varied 
 form and size, containing as many craters, rise either round the edge, or 
 
466 
 
 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 from the surface of the burning lake; twenty-two constantly emitted 
 columns of grey smoke, or pyramids of brilliant flame; and several of 
 these at the same time vomited from their ignited mouths streams of lava 
 which rolled in blazing torrents down their black indented sides into the 
 boiling mass below." 
 
 ^ This great crater was also visited by Messrs. Dana and Wilkes, of the 
 United States' exploring expedition. They describe the light from the 
 glowing lava to be so intense as to form rainbows on the passing rain- 
 
 THE GRAND MAUNA LOA IN ACTION. 
 
 clouds. The lava appears almost as liquid as water, and its surface is 
 agitated by waves resembling those of the sea, and breaking, like them, 
 upon the shore formed by the bordering terraces of solid lava. Sometimes 
 they rise to a height of between sixty and seventy feet. The lava, thus 
 tossed into the air, cools in its descent, and falls solidified on the surface 
 of the molten lake, like pieces of broken ice. 
 
 One peculiarity of this volcano is its tendency to throw out its lava 
 m jets to an enormous height. The lava seems to be first forced up in 
 the interior of the mountain, nearly to the top of the great crater; but, 
 instead of overflowing its brim, it opens a passage through the sides of 
 
STORY OF HAWAII. 469. 
 
 the cone at a considerably lower elevation, so that the pressure of the 
 liquid in the interior forces it from the orifice in a jet, whose height is in,. 
 proportion to that of the inner column. 
 
 The lava-jets thrown up from Mauna Loa, during a great eruption in 
 1852, are estimated to have reached a height of 500 feet — those of some 
 later eruptions double that height. The lava, as it ascends, is described 
 as being white-hot ; but, in its descent, it acquires a blood-red tint, and it 
 comes down with a fearful noise. The quantities of lava ejected during 
 some of the recent eruptions have been enormous. One stream is 
 described as having traveled fifty miles, with an average breadth of three 
 miles. A great stream, which burst forth from the side of the mountain 
 in 1855, reached a distance of sixty miles from its source — burning its 
 way through the forests, and advancing at the rate of about a mile 
 in a fortnight, leaving a trail of devastation to mark its course. 
 
 A Mountain of Fire Belching Flames. 
 
 In 1859 this volcano was again in vigorous action, throwing up inter- 
 mitting jets of lava to the estimated height of 800 or 1,000 feet. From 
 this great fiery fountain, the lava flowed down in numerous streams, 
 spreading over a width of five or six miles. One stream, probably formed 
 by the junction of several smaller, attained a height of from twenty to 
 twenty-five feet, and a breadth of about an eighth of a mile. Great stones 
 were also thrown up along with the jet of lava, and the volume of smoke, 
 composed probably of fine volcanic dust, is said to have risen to the height 
 of 10,000 feet. 
 
 An eruption, described as having been of still greater violence, took 
 place in 1865, characterized by similar phenomena, particularly the throw- 
 ing up of jets of lava. This fiery fountain is said to have continued to 
 play without intermission for twenty days and nights, varying only as 
 respects the height to which the jet arose, which is said to have ranged 
 between 100 and 1,000 feet, the mean diameter of the jet being about 100 
 feet. This eruption was accompanied by explosions so loud as to have 
 been heard at a distance of forty miles. A cone of about 300 feet in 
 height, and about a mile in circumference, was accumulated round the 
 orifice whence the jet ascended. It was composed of solid matters ejected 
 with the lava, and it continued to glow like a furnace, notwithstanding its 
 exposure to the air. The current of lava on this occasion flowed to a dis- 
 
470 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 tance of thirty-five miles, burning its way througii the forests, and filling 
 the air with smoke and flames from the ignited timber. The glare, from 
 the glowing lava and the burning trees together, was discernible by night 
 at a distance of 200 miles from the island. 
 
 In the early part of 1887 Mauna Loa was again in action, presenting 
 startling spectacles similar to those just described. It is literally a mountain 
 of fire, roaring and thundering, and belching out lurid flames and immense 
 rivers of lava. This is one of the amazing phenomena which have so long 
 rendered the group of the Hawaiian Islands an object of surpassing interest 
 to the whole civilized world. Here we find one of the great breathing 
 places of the inside world, that tremendous furnace upon which we 
 live. What gigantic forces, what red hot, burning materials, what awful 
 abysses of flame and fury this world of ours holds in its deep, mysterious 
 and unknown recesses ! 
 
 A Strange Superstition of Olden Times. 
 
 In olden times the Hawaiians believed that in the terrible abode of 
 Mauna Loa dwelt their great goddess " Pel ," who sported with her attend- 
 ant demons among the sulphurous waves. There is a curious deposit found 
 in the crevices of the vast lava-hill below the crater, which is still called 
 "Pele's hair." It is of a yellowish-brown color, like coarse spun glass. 
 During an eruption, when the fire-fountains play to a great height, and 
 the lava is thrown about in all directions, the wind catches it and blows it 
 out in long thin threads, which stick to projecting points, and thus this 
 curious-looking substance is formed. 
 
 There have been many terrible earthquakes in Hawaii, some of which 
 are remembered by the present inhabitants. In 1868 a series of earthquakes 
 began in the month of March, becoming more frequent and startling from 
 day to day, till, as one lady aptly expressed it, the island quivered like the 
 lid of a boiling pot nearly all the time between the heavier shocks. The 
 trembling was like that of a ship struck by a heavy wave. This state of 
 things lasted for a week, and then came the climax on a lovely April day. 
 
 The crust of the earth rose and sank like the sea in a storm ; rocks 
 were rent, mountains fell, buildings and their contents were shattered, trees 
 swayed like reeds, animals were scared, and ran about demented ; men 
 thought that the judgment had come. The earth opened in thousands of 
 places, the roads in Hilo cracked open, horses and their riders and people 
 
STORY OF HAWAII. 471 
 
 afoot were thrown violently to the ground ; it seemed as if the rocky ribs 
 of the mountains and the granite walls and pillars of the earth were 
 breaking up. At Kilauea the shocks were as frequent as the ticking of a 
 watch. In Kau, south of Hilo, there were three hundred shocks in one 
 day. An avalanche of red earth burst from the mountain-side, throwing 
 rocks high into the air, swallowing up houses, trees, men and animals; and 
 traveling three miles in as many minutes, burying a hamlet with thirty-one 
 inhabitants and five hundred cattle. 
 
 The people of the valleys fled to the mountains, which themselves 
 were splitting in all directions ; and collecting on an elevated spot, with the 
 earth reeling under them, they spent the night in prayer and singing. 
 Looking towards the shore, they saw it sink, and at the same moment a 
 wave, whose height was estimated at from forty to sixty feet, hurled itself 
 upon the coast and receded five times, destroying whole villages, and even 
 strong stone houses with a touch, engulfing forever forty-six people who had 
 lingered too near the shore. 
 
 Boiling Fountains of Lava. 
 
 After this awful day the earthquakes still continued, and people putting 
 their ears to the ground fancied they could hear the imprisoned lava sea 
 rushing below. After traveling under ground for twenty miles, it burst 
 forth with tremendous force. Four huge fountains boiled up, throwing crim- 
 son lava, and rocks weighing many tons, to a height of one thousand feet. 
 
 A gentleman, who was near the spot at the time, described the scene 
 in these words: ''From these great fountains to the sea flowed a rapid 
 stream of red lava, rolling, rushing, and tumbling, like a swollen river, 
 bearing along in its current large rocks that made the lava foam as it dashed 
 down the precipice, and through the valley into the sea, surging and roaring 
 throughout its length like a cataract, with a power and force perfectly 
 indescribable. It was nothing less than a river of fire, eight hundred feet 
 wide, and twenty deep, with a speed varying from ten to twenty-five 
 miles an hour.'' 
 
 These descriptions are terrible enough. Considering the awful nature 
 of the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in Hawaii, however, the destruc- 
 tion of human life does not seem to have been so great as one would 
 have feared would be the case. There were many marvelous escapes 
 from impending death. 
 
472 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 It was at Hawaii that our great navigator, Captain Cook, met with his 
 death — a circumstance as much deplored by the Sandwich Islanders of the 
 present day as b}^ his own countrymen. To Captain Cook is accorded the 
 honor of having discovered these islands, but there are native traditions of 
 much earlier white visitors, and there is no doubt that Spanish navigators 
 landed there in the sixteenth century. However, our first authentic informa- 
 tion about them was brought by Captain Cook, who, with his two ships, the 
 "Resolution" and "Discovery," approached the two most westerly of the 
 islands in January, 1778. 
 
 Great was the amazement of the first natives who went to examine the 
 ships at what they saw. In those days English seamen used to wear 
 cocked hats; these the Sandwich Islanders thought were a part of their 
 heads, and they described the visitors as having heads "horned like the 
 moon." They stated, moreover, that they had fires burning at their mouths 
 — no doubt meaning cigars — and that they took anything they wanted 
 out of their bodies: such was the general idea conveyed by the civilized 
 institution of pockets. 
 
 The Natives Thought their Visitors were Gods. 
 
 All these circumstances, combined with the strange language of the 
 new-comers and the firing of some guns, made the natives come to the 
 conclusion that their visitors were certainly gods. There was a belief in 
 the islands at that time that a certain much-honored god called " Lono " 
 had sailed away in a fit of jealousy and a triangular canoe, having first 
 prophesied that he would return in after times on an island bearing cocoa- 
 nut trees, swine and dogs. Captain Cook's ships, so much larger than 
 their own canoes and with tall masts, now appeared to the natives like 
 floating islands with trees on them, and they made sure that " Lono " was 
 returning to his own country. 
 
 When Captain Cook landed they came to the conclusion that he must 
 be the great god himself. They prostrated themselves before him, and 
 brought everything they could collect in the way of food as offerings. 
 Captain Cook does not seem to have discouraged the idea that he was a 
 god. He felt that it insured the safety of himself and his crew, and for a 
 fortnight the ships remained at the islands, all living in clover. Then 
 they sailed away. 
 
 Early the following year they returned, and Captain Cook landed, con- 
 
STORY OF HAWAII. 473 
 
 fident of another welcome on the western side of Hawaii. Here, his fame 
 having spread from island to island, he was again received with divine 
 honors, all the offerings the natives were accustomed to make to their gods 
 being brought to him. The king visited him, and threw over him his own 
 cloak, and presented him with pigs and fruit, concluding the interview by 
 changing names with him — a ceremony which was considered the greatest 
 possible sign of friendship and respect. 
 
 For a time all went well, as before, but gradually doubts of the divine 
 origin of the visitors began to rise in the native mind. One of them died 
 and was buried : this showed him to be only mortal like themselves. They 
 began to grudge the supplies for the ships which they had to produce. A 
 quarrel arose between the natives and the seamen, and some of the latter 
 were pelted with stones. Soon after this the ships set sail; they were 
 becalmed within sight of land for a day, and the king sent on board a 
 parting present of pigs and vegetables. 
 
 Captain Cook Assassinated, 
 
 All might now have been well, but unhappily the ships encountered a 
 heavy gale, and put back a week later into the Bay of Kealakeakua for 
 repairs, and this time the welcome received by the Englishmen was not 
 nearly as warm as before. Soon some thefts were committed by natives 
 visiting the ships, who could no longer resist stealing pieces of iron, for 
 which the Pacific islanders in those days craved far more than for gold. 
 Then some shots were fired from the " Discovery " at a canoe. This quar- 
 rel was nominally made up, but soon after one of the " Discovery's " cut- 
 ters moored to a buoy was stolen by a chief 
 
 Captain Cook was determined that this boat should be restored, and, 
 trusting to the veneration in which he was held, he went on shore, with 
 the intention of bringing the king back with him and keeping him as a 
 hostage till the stolen property, so valuable to him, should be given back. 
 The king, it appears, would have consented to this plan, and walked to the 
 shore with Captain Cook ; but the islanders would not submit to what they 
 considered not only a great indignity, but a great risk. They surrounded 
 the king, and protested against his going on board the ships. His wife, 
 too, entreated him to stay. 
 
 While the king hesitated there came a cry that the foreigners had 
 fired at a canoe and killed a chief. Then the natives began to arm them- 
 
474 STORY OF HAWAII. 
 
 selves with clubs, stones and spears. The king sat down, and Captain 
 Cook walked towards his boat. As he walked a native attacked him with 
 a spear, and Captain Cook turned and shot him with' his double-barreled 
 gun. Stones were then thrown, and the sailors in the boat, seeing this, 
 fired on the people. 
 
 Captain Cook tried to stop this, but the noise was so great that he 
 could not make himself understood ; and meanwhile a chief approached 
 from behind and stabbed him in the back. Captain Cook fell into the 
 water and never spoke again. This is the English account of the death 
 of the great navigator, as handed down from Captain King, his companion. 
 The native account differs little from it, except in stating that the warrior- 
 chief who attacked Captain Cook had no intention of killing him, still 
 believing him to be the god " Lono " and immortal, but that, being struck, 
 he gave a cry or groan, which dispelled the belief in his divinity, and the 
 chief therefore killed him. 
 
 The remains of Captain Cook were subsequently restored to his friends, 
 and he was buried at sea — with what sad and awe-stricken feelings one can 
 well imagine — and the exploring ships sailed away from the bay without 
 the guiding spirit which had brought them there. The work of the great 
 navigator was done, and he lay at rest in the bosom of the mighty ocean 
 whose mysteries he had so long loved to unravel. The fame of his adven- 
 tures has filled the world. 
 
 For nearly a hundred years after Captain Cook's death the spot where 
 he fell was only marked by a cocoa-nut stump set up on a bed of stones 
 and broken lava, on which different visitors fixed sheets of copper with 
 simple inscriptions recording the event. Within the last few years, how- 
 ever, a more suitable monument has been erected by some of his fel- 
 low-countrymen. 
 
CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 OUTH AMERICA is a peninsula of triangular form. Its 
 greatest length, from north to south, is 4,500 miles ; its 
 greatest breadth, 3,200, and it covers an area of 6,500,000 
 square miles, about three-fourths of which lie between the 
 tropics, and the other fourth in the temperate zone. The con- 
 tinent is noted for its rivers, forests, mountains, minerals and arable soil. 
 
 Venezuela. 
 
 Columbus on his first voyage discovered the Paria coast on the 
 31st of July, 1498. The next year the whole Venezuelan coast was 
 skirted by Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, and the name "Little Venice" 
 was given to an Indian village built on piles (as is common) on the 
 shores of Lake Maracaybo; this is the origin of "Venezuela," the name 
 now of the whole country. 
 
 In 1527 the territory of Coro was pledged by Charles V. to the 
 Welsers of Augsburg, whose governors and adventurers had eyes and 
 thoughts only for gold and the fabled El Dorado. In 1558 the Crown 
 resumed possession; Caracas was founded in 1567, and in 1578 became 
 the seat of government. During the 17th century the attentions of the 
 Crown were limited to extracting as much revenue from the colony as 
 possible, while the people entered earnestly on agriculture and stock- 
 raising in pursuit of a livelihood. 
 
 But the next century saw the beginning of troubles. The government 
 insisted on all trade being carried on with Spain alone, and ultimately 
 with only one city — first Seville, then till 1778, Cadiz. Legitimate com- 
 merce dwindled away, and smuggling by the Dutch and English alone 
 interfered to keep down the enormous prices of European goods. The 
 first revolt occurred in 1749; other outbreaks kept the land in a ferment, 
 until in 1810 the revolution began which ended with the independence of 
 
 the country, and the withdrawal of the royal forces in 1821. 
 
 476 
 
476 COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 From 1870 to 1877 the "Illustrious American," General Guzman 
 Blanco, was first dictator and then president, and did much to rescue the 
 country from its embarrassments. Joaquin Crespo is the present ruler. 
 There has never been any agreement between Great Britain and Venezuela 
 as to the boundary line between the latter country and British Guiana. 
 The Venezuelan Government represented to ours at Washington that 
 Great Britain was disposed to make encroachments and claim territory 
 that did not by right belong to her. 
 
 In December, 1895, President Cleveland sent a strong message to 
 Congress on this subject, in which he took occasion to assert in very plain 
 terms the Monroe Doctrine. The message was received with great favor, 
 and a commission of investigation was appointed by Congress. For a time 
 there was loud talk of war between Great Britain and the United States, 
 but wiser counsels prevailed, and Great Britain furnished the commission 
 with all information in its possession which could be of service in reach- 
 ing a just and equitable conclusion, satisfactory to all parties. 
 
 Brazil. 
 
 Along the sea coast and banks of some of the rivers, besides some 
 extensive tracts in Minas-Geraes, the country has been brought under cul- 
 tivation ; but by far the greater portion of the surface remains in a state 
 of nature. The dense forests furnish almost every variety of useful and 
 ornamental timber, more than one hundred species of palms, logwood, 
 mahogany, Brazil and numerous other dye-woods, with sassafras, sarsa- 
 parilla, ipecacuanha, and a great variety of other drugs. Cocoa is an indi- 
 genous product ; maize, sugar, coffee, cotton, rice, wheat and tobacco, have 
 been introduced by European culture. 
 
 The animal as well as the vegetable products here present the greatest 
 diversity. The diamond mines of Minas-Geraes are at present the most 
 productive known. Other gems, and large quantities of gold, besides silver, 
 copper, iron and platinum, are among the mineral riches of the same 
 province. Manufactures in Brazil are confined to cotton-weaving, tanning, 
 and the production of goods of primary necessity. 
 
 Brazil was discovered on the 26th of January, 1500, by the Spaniards 
 under Pinzon, one of the companions of Columbus. In the same year the 
 Portuguese fitted out an expedition to follow up the successful discoveries 
 of Vasco de Gama in the East, and finally took possession of the country 
 
COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 477 
 
 in 1640. In 1808 the royal famil}^ of Portugal was expelled by the French 
 and took refuge in Brazil, and the first act of Dom Joao VI., was to open 
 Brazilian ports to foreign commerce. Other wise and liberal measures 
 greatly stimulated the growth of the country. In 1822 he was succeeded 
 by his son, who was proclaimed and crowned Emperor as Dom Pedro I. 
 His reign, however, was not a fortunate one. Vexed with the opposition he 
 encountered he abdicated in 1831 in favor of his eldest son Dom Pedro II. 
 After a brief government by regencies, Dom Pedro II. was crowned in 
 1840. He proved to be a wise and liberal ruler and was popular with his 
 people until the revolutionary disturbances of 1895, when he fled to 
 Europe, where he soon afterward died. The population of Brazil is 
 14,000,000, and a good deal of enterprise is shown in developing the re- 
 sources of the country and fostering foreign trade. 
 
 Peru. 
 
 Peru is, for the most part, of igneous formation and contains a number 
 of active volcanoes, that of Omati being the principal. Earthquakes are 
 frequent and violent. Lying off the coast near Callao are the Chincha 
 Islands, which, with those of Guadafe and Macabo, 3deld guano in vast 
 quantities. Agriculture is much neglected, although the land is productive 
 of excellent coffee, cocoa, cotton ; besides drugs, tobacco, pimento, dyestufifs, 
 etc. The chief articles of exports are, after guano, gold, silver, wine, 
 sugar, quinine, wool, etc. 
 
 When Pizarro, at the head of a small band of Spanish adventurers, 
 first landed on the shores of Peru, 1532, he found it governed by sovereigns 
 called Incas, who were looked up to by their subjects with awe and venera- 
 tion ; and the inhabitants were distinguished for their mild and polished 
 manners. But the avarice of their European conquerors led to scenes of 
 blood and desolation ; the last Inca, Atahualpa, was put to death, and the 
 Peruvians became the victims of the most unheard-of cruelties. 
 
 After being for nearly three centuries a Spanish viceroyalt}^, Peru, in 
 1821, along with the rest of Hispano- America, achieved its independence. 
 In 1864 the Spaniards seized the Chincha Islands until Peru should make 
 reparation for injuries inflicted upon Spanish subjects, and held them till 
 1866, when Peru agreed to pay an indemnity of 60,000,000 reals. This 
 treaty was not ratified, and an alliance entered into with Chili. After war 
 for nearly three years, peace was restored in 1869 by the intervention of 
 
478 COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 the United States. In 1881 war broke out between Peru and Chili, result- 
 ing in the defeat of Peru, and the occupation of portions of the country 
 by the Chilean army. 
 
 On June 3, 1886, General Caceres, who had gallantly defended his 
 country against the Chilians from first to last, became Constitutional Presi- 
 dent of Peru. His policy was retrenchment and the protection of the 
 Indian population. Payment of interest of the foreign debt had become 
 impossible. General Caceres served his term of office, and was peacefully 
 succeeded as President, on August 10, 1890, by Colonel Don Remijio Morales 
 Bermudez. Peru is thus slowly recovering from the disastrous effects of a 
 great calamity. The natural resources of the country are being developed, 
 a greater interest is taken in public affairs, and with a more stable govern- 
 ment, supported by the popular will, there is reason to predict a bright 
 
 future for Peru. 
 
 Chili. 
 
 The backbone of this country is found in the Great Cordillerras of 
 the Andes, here attaining an average height of 14,000 feet, many of whose 
 peaks are volcanic, notably that of Aconcagua (the highest Andean summit), 
 which has an altitude of 23,910 feet above the sea. The coast-line presents 
 steep and rocky shores, broken into by some excellent harbors. The rivers 
 and lagoons are so small as to be undeserving of mention. Climate 
 health}^, taken, as a whole ; a scarcity of rain is, however, often felt. Earth- 
 quakes are of common occurrence ; the last great shock doing much 
 damage in 1868. 
 
 Chili is one bed of metals : silver, gold, lead, and iron are found largely 
 and worked; copper, however, is the principal resource of the national 
 wealth, and is mined by Englishmen on an immense scale. Sulphur, anti- 
 mony, zinc, manganese, alum, nitre, salt, coal, are other mineral items which 
 influence a large exportation. The soil is of varying fertility, fattening 
 most towards the south and the foothills of the Andes. Many hard woods 
 are made useful instead of iron, and the fruits of the temperate zone thrive 
 excellently. The Chileiios have thriven greatly since their emancipation 
 from Spanish rule: the bulk of commercial transactions is carried on 
 with Great Britain. 
 
 Valparaiso is the chief port, Santiago is the capital ; Valdivia, Concep- 
 cion, and Talca are among the largest and finest towns. The government 
 is formed on the constitution of 1833, and consists of three departments — 
 
COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 479 
 
 the executive, legislative and judicial. The first is in the hands of a presi- 
 dent, whose tenure of office is five years ; the legislative consists of a Senate 
 and Chamber of Deputies. The state religion is the Roman Catholic; 
 other religions are tolerated, but their public exercise is not allowed. Chili, 
 before the Spanish irruption, belonged to the Incas of Peru; in 1535-1540 
 its whole extent, excepting only Araucania, was conquered by the lieuten- 
 ants of Pizarro. It thenceforward became a Spanish colony, until 1817, 
 when, after a seven years' war with Spain, the victory of Maypii, gained by 
 General San Martin, secured the independence of the country. At present 
 Chili is the most flourishing of all the Hispaoo-American republics. 
 
 The temperature of Chili is remarkably even and pleasant, and always 
 cool at nights. In the south it is dry for about eight months in the year, 
 and rainy the other four. Vines grow well on the hillsides, and are a 
 source of large income. The Andes are almost everywhere visible, covered 
 with perpetual snow. There are many volcanic peaks, mostly extinct. 
 Chili is subject to frequent shocks of earthquake, and occasionally to 
 destructive tornadoes. The railway system of Chili is well developed, and 
 in the northern provinces there are several mineral railways belonging to 
 English companies. The Constitution of Chili is republican, and based 
 upon that of the United States. 
 
 United States of Colorabia. 
 
 Formerly known as New Granada, the United States of Colombia is 
 one of the most progressive of the South American Republics. It lies in 
 the extreme northwest angle of the continent. On the north is the Carib- 
 bean Sea; on the northeast and east, Venezuela; on the southeast and 
 south, Brazil and Ecuador; and on the west, the Pacific and Costa Rica. 
 Its extreme length from north to south is 1,000 miles, and the extreme 
 breadth from east to west, 760 ; on the Isthmus of Panama, however, the 
 breadth is but 28 miles. It has an area estimated at from 480,000 to 
 520,000 square miles. The population by the last census was 2,880,633. 
 Of these, rather less than a million are whites, and about an equal number 
 have a large admixture of Indian blood. The remainder are civilized 
 Indians, mulattoes, savage Indians, and the various crosses between whites, 
 Indians and negroes. 
 
 The form of government established by the constitution of 1863 
 resembles in many respects that of the United States. The president is 
 
480 COUNTRIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 elected for two years. The Senate consists of three members from each of 
 .the States, and the Lower House of Delegates from the several States, each 
 sending a member for every 50,000 inhabitants. Each State has its own 
 legislative and executive officer. 
 
 Central America. 
 
 Under the head of Central America the countries embraced are the 
 Republics of Guatemala, San Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa 
 Rica. They declared their independence September 21, 1821, and separated 
 from the Mexican confederation July 21, 1823. The States made a treaty 
 of union between themselves March 21, 1847. There has been among 
 them since much anarchy and bloodshed, aggra^^ated greatly by the irrup- 
 tion of American filibusters under Kenny and Walker, 1854-5. 
 
 In Januar}^, 1863, a war began between Guatemala (afterward joined 
 by Nicaragua) and San Salvador (afterward supported by Honduras). The 
 latter were defeated at Santa Rosa June 16th, and San Salvador was taken 
 October 26th; the President of San Salvador, Barrios, fled, and Carrera, 
 the dictator of Guatemala, became predominant over the confederacy. 
 General Barrios, President of Guatemala, attempts the union of the five 
 States, himself to be dictator, opposed by all except Honduras, February. 
 He is defeated and killed in a prolonged battle at Chalchuapa, April 2d ; 
 peace with the States signed April 16th, 1885„ 
 
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