YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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INCIDENTS

ANECDOTES OF THE ¥AR

TOGETHER "WITH

LIFE SKETCHES OP EMINENT LEADEKS,

AHD NABEATIVBS OP THB

Most Memorable Battles for the Union.

EDITED BY
OEVILLE J. VICTOR,
' mSTOBY OF THE SOUTHEBN BEBELLION," " LIFE OF QABIBALDI," " 1
OP WmPIELD 800TT," " LIPK OP AUTHONT WATNE," iO. 40.

JAMES D, TOBRET, PUBLISHER,
13 SPEUCE STREET.

loitered, according to Act of Congress, in .the year 1862, by J.iHES D. Tokeet, in the aerlc'g
Office of tho District Court of the Uuited States for the Southern District of New York.

W W Cf ? <3 j I

INTRODUCTION.

When Oassius M. Clay offered his services to the Secretary
of War, to raise a regiment of Kentucky volunteers, or to serve
as a private in the ranks, the Secretary expressed his surprise,
saying : " Sir, this is the first instance I ever heard of a foreign
Miaister [Clay had been nominated as U. S. Minister to Eus-
sia,] volunteering for service in the ranks." "Then let us
make a little history I" exclaimed the gallant Kentuckian.
Clay only typified the spirit which prevailed, in almost all
conditions of life at the North, when the tocsin was sounded
ia April, 1861. The world never before witnessed such an
uprising. It was as if the whole current of thought and feel
ing had been changed in a day. Men met on the marts to
forget all about stocks and market quotations, to prove the de
gree of their own loyalty to the Grovemment Congregations
gathered in the Churches to forget creeds and theological dif
ferences in their absorbing devotion to the salvation of the
Country. Women gathered to forget small-talk and social tri
bulations in the noble enthusiasm ever awakened in woman's
bosom when great emergencies come. Schools were listless,
and the eyes of both teachers and pupils turned longingly, to
the streets where the people were gathering. The solemn
tread of regiments was answered by the acclamations of the
gathered thousands who- everywhere thronged the highways.
Men met friends changed to soldiers, and with a benediction
bade them adieu. Fathers, mothers and sisters sat down to
the evening meal to find one chair vacant, and the prayer
which went up from that family circle called down God's bless
ing on the absent ona It was, indeed, the season of sorrow.

IV INTKODUCTIOU".
but it was also the carnival of patriotism. The world may
never witness its like again Let us pray that an overruling
Providence may spare the country fi-om another such visitation
of treason, when citizens shall fly to arms to protect with their
lives and fortunes, their beloved country; So let us pray I
The incidents of joy and sorrow, of pleasure and pain, con
nected with that Great Awakening, would fill a book — ^would
make a volume to become the treasured tome for to-day, for
to-morrow, and for the long, years to come. It will only be
made by time. " When the war is past, and the soldier returns
to rejoin the home he has so long forsaken — alas ! how many
homes wiU never have their doorway darkened again by the
forms of their loved ones! — ^then wiE come forth the incidents
of that patriot-service, to mAke their way over the cdminunity
and become 'a part' of the neighborho6d's treasures. Those
treasures, time will surely gather and present in a foUo, which ¦
eiach loyaj hom.e will love to call ite own. ' It will be our pur-
j)osetogo over the field and glean what" we inay. Enough
already has been recorded to make such a voluine as we now
propose. We shall devote a few weeks to gathering the scat
tered leaves---thus to contribute our share to the store from
which the Home-Tome of the War shdiH be made hereafter, by
some loving and competent hand.
We have superadded Life Sketches of Ellsworth, Winthrop,
Baker, Lyon — all o'ffered up as sacrifices upon the altar of
Liberty. May their memory ever be held dear I Also biog
raphies of General Scott and General McClellan. Also concise
but explicit accounts of those conflicts which stand forth in
the History of the Wiu as " representative" eventa

GONTENTS.

ceaptbb.- page.
Ihtboductiqn . . . . . . • • 3
L The Awakening  7
n. The. New Nation  .33
m, ThjB .Mustering  39
IV. The Poets . ,  49
y. Early Incidents  . 67
YI. The Humors of the Hour  78
vn.. The Spirit ofthe South  85
Vin. ,.Ilhe .First and .Second Tragedy . . . .91
IX. Ellsworth .... . . . . . 101
X. The First Capture of the Flag  114
XL A Northern Breeze from the South . . . 120
xn. General Scott  127
XHI. McClellan's First Campaign .... 141
XIV. The First Disaster  153
XV. Major Winthrop  161
XVI. The Second Disaster  168
XVH. Incidents of the Battle of Bull Run ... 178
XVni. General McClellan . . . . . . .187
¦XTX. The Third Disaster  197
XX. Incidents of Ball's Bluff Disaster . . . .209
XXI. Colonel Baker  216
XXn. Joseph Holt and the Kentucky Soldiers . , . 229
XXIH. The Spirit of Violence in the South . . . 237
2a2

XXIV. Treason in Tennessee  253
XXV. Persecution of Unionists in Tennessee — Parson
Brownlow's Story  260
XXVI. The Campaign in Missouri. The First Disaster . 276
XXVn. Incidents of the Wilson's Creek Disaster . . 291
XXVm. General Lyon  266
XXIX. The Second Disaster in Missouri. The Siege and
Fall of Lexington  301
XXX. The Charge of the Three Hundred . . . .308
XXXL Bombardment of the Port Royal Forts . . 318
XXXH. Incidents of the Capture of the Port Royal Forts . 323
XXXm. The Fall ofForts Henry and Donelson . . 329
XXXTV. Incidents of the Battles before Fort Donelson . 339
XXXV. The Battle of Pittsburg Landmg ... 343
XXXVL Incidentsof the Battle of Pittsburg Landing . . 358
XXXVn. A Digression  366
XXXVin. Bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and
Pall of New Orleans  370
XXXTX. Incidents at the Bombardment of Forts Jackson
and St. Philip, and Fall of New Orleans . 380
XL. Secession Atrocity on the Field .... 386
XLL Anecdotes and Incidents  392

INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.

«.»

THE AWAKEKING.
APEiL,19th, 1775, the blood of the Men of Massachusetts,
the first martyrs in the cause of American Independence, was
shed at Lexington.
April 19th, 1861, the blood of the Men of Massachusetts, the
first martyrs in the cause of the American Union, was shed at
Baltimore. How the news flew over the land to arouse the already
awakening vengeance of the Men of 1775 I The blood of
Lexington had not become dry ere the beaeon-fires of alarm
gleamed fi-om the hills. While the young men flew to arms,
the old men leaped into the saddle, to herald the tragedy and
call the country to its defense. The message flew from lip to
' lip, fi-om lull-top to mi-top, "until village repeated it to vil
lage ; the sea to the backwoods ; the plains to the highlands ,
and it was never suffered to droop tiU it had been borne North
and South, and East and West throughout the land. It spread
over the bays that receive the Saco and the Penobscot. Its
loud reveUle broke the rest ofthe trappers of New Hampshire,
and ringing like bugle-notes fi-om peak to peak, overleapt the
Green Mountains, swept onward to Montreal, and descended
the ocean river, tiU the responses were echoed fi-om the cliff at
Quebec. The hills along the Hudson told to one another the
tale." The summons hurried to the South. In one day it was
at New York ; in one more at Philadelphia ; theu it flew to

H'^

8 ¦ INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the South, to the West — ^was borne along the sea-coast to
awaken the answering shout from bays, and sounds, and har
bors — was hurried over the Alleghanies to awaken the note of
response in the solemn wilds of the pathless West.
How sublimely did the men of that time respond to the
call! The ferries -over, the Merrim^c swarined^ with, the men
of New Hampshire. Three days after that cry "to arms/"
John Stark was on the Boston hOls with his invincible bat
talion. From Connecticut came Putnam, the man of iron, rid
ing his horse one hundred miles in eighteen hours, and gather
ing as he ran a troop of followers, each' armed with a rifle as
true in its aim as the heart of its owner was loyal to Freedom.
Little Ehode Island had, a thousand of- her resolute and hardy
sons before Boston ere the oppressor had retreated fi:om his
sacrifice at Concord, and Nathaniel Greene was Ehode Island's
leader. Thirty thousand patriots ia a few days hemmed in the
city of Boston, where the British had taken up their defiant
Stand ; and the tragedy of Bunker's Hill was soon enacted
before her gates.
How all this sounds like the rush to arms in 1861 ! Sounds
like it because the cause was the same — ^the defense of Consti
tutional Liberty and Inalienable Eights ; because the loyal men
of '61 were worthy sons of the sires of '75 ; while the .enemy
of '61 were the degenerate sons of their sires, bent upon the
destruction of those institutions which the heart of Liberty and
the hand of Freedom had built It was a cause worthy of the
devotion lavished upon it ; and history wiU never tire of re
cording the generous deeds of those who answered the call for
men to " suppress treasonable combinations and to cause the
laws to be duly enforced."
The Diary of Events, fi-om the fall of Sumter to May 1st,
deserves to be. preserved in every man's memory. The events
were so extraordinary in themselves, the spirit in which the
people acted was so astonishingly alive with devotion to the
country and the sustenance of its laws, that another generation
will study, the story with amazement As preliminary to our
work, we may offer the record of that remarkable Awakening.

OF TSCB WAK. 9
. AprUlSth, 1861. . Thciattack upon Fort Sumter, and its
surrender, instead of depressing, firps; and animates all patriotic
heaj-t^ ,.-¦ One. deep, strong, overpowering sentiment now sweeps
over thewhote cpmmnnity — ^a sentiment of determined, de
voted, active loyp,ltyi .The day for the toleration of treason —
treason to the- Gomstitution ! defiance to the. laws that we have
made ! — ^has gone, by. The people have discovered that what
they 4eemed. almost impossible, has. actually come to pass, and
that., the. rebels, are determined to break up this Government,
if they can do it With all such .piirpos.es they are determined
to make an end as speedily as may be.
I ,-r-The; Pennsylvania Legislature passed the war bill, last
evening, without amendment Previous, to its passage the
news of the bombardment of Fort Sumter was announced; and
produced a profound sensation. ^The bfll appropriates five
hundred tho.asand dollars for the purpose of arpiing and equip- ^
ping the militia ; authorizes a temporary loan; provides for
the appointment of an Adjutant-General, Commissary-General,
a,pd .Quartermaster-General, who, with the Governor, are to
have power to carry the act into effect
April .15tL The President of the United States called by
proclamation for 75,000 volunteers to suppress insurrectionary
combinations; and commanded "the; persons composing the
combinations afpresaid to disperse and retire peaceably to their
respective abodes within twenty days." In the same proclama
tion, an extra session of both Houses of Congress was called
for the 4th of July.
—Large Union meetings were held at Detroit, Mick, West
chester and Pittsburgh, Pa., Lawrence, Mass., and Dover, N. H
At Pittsburgh the meeting was opened by the Mayor, who in
troduced the venerable William Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson^
was made Presidentof the meeting^ About twenty-five Yice-
Presidents were also appointed Eesolutions were adopted,
declaring undying- fealty to the Union, approving the course
of the Legislative and Executive branches of the State Govern-
HiQUtin responding to the call of the President, disregarding
all partisan, feeling, and, pledging their lives, fortunes, and

10 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
sacred honor in the defense of the Union, and appointing a
Committee of Public Safety.
— Governor Yates, of Illinois, issued a proclamation to convene
the Legislature at Springfield, on the 23d of April, for the pur
pose of enacting such laws and adopting such measures as may
be deemed necessary upon the following subject, to wit: The
more perfect organization and equipment of the militia of the
State, and placing the same upon the best footing, to render
efficient assistance to the General Government in preserving
the Union, enforcing the laws, protecting the property and
rights of the people, and also the raising of such money, and
other means, as may be required to -carry out the foregoing
objects. - — At Philadelphia the Union pledge is receiving the signature
of all classes of citizens. It responds to the President's pro
clamation, and declares an unalterable determination to sustain
the Govermnent, throwing aside aU differences of political
opinion. — An excited, crowd assembled this morning before the print
ing office on the corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets, where
the Palmetto Flag, a small advertising sheet, is published, and
threatened to demolish it The proprietor displayed the
American flag, and threw the objectionable papers from the
windows — also, the Stars and /Stripes, another paper printed at
the same office, restoring the crowd to good-humor. The
crowd moved down to the Argits office in Third street, oppo
site Dock street, ordering that the flag should be displayed
— ^After visiting the newspaper offices and Government pro
perty, they marched in a body up Market street, bearing a flag.
At all points on the route, well-known Union men were obliged
ito make all haste to borrow, beg, or steal something red, white
and blue, to protect their property with. Searches were made
for the publication rooms of the' Southern Monitor; but as that
paper had suspended, the mob were unable to carry out their
intention of destroying the forms. They satisfied themselves
with breaking the signs to pieces. The ring-leaders were fur-
Viished with ropes, with which to hang the editor if caught
2

OF .THE WAR. 11
During the afbemoon. General Patterson's mansion, corner
of Thirteenth and Locust streets, was mobbed and threatened
with destruction. A servant answered their call, and unfor
tunately slammed the door in tiieir faces. The crowd became
uproarious and violent, and made an attempt to force open the
door. General Patterson finally appeared at the window, bear
ing the colors of the regiment The crowd then moved away.
It is understood that General Patterson, who is charged with
secessionism, intends throwing up his commission.
They then visited General Cadwallader, who made a Union
speech and threw out a flag. Several prominent Southerners,
with secession proclivities, including Eobert Tyler, have received
warnings from a so-caUed Vigilance Committee.
The following is the speech that was made by Mayor Henry
to the excited mob which threatened the Palmetto Flag
building :
' " Fellow Citizens : By the grace of Almighty God, treason
shall never rear its head or have a foothold in Philadelphia.
[Immense cheering.] I call upon you as American citizens to
stand by your flag and protect it at all hazards — ^at the point
of the bayonet, if necessary ; but, in doing so, remember the
rights due your feUow-citizens and their private property^
[Immense cheering.] That flag is an emblem of the Govern
ment, and I call upon all good citizens who love their country
and its flag, to testify their loyalty by going to their respective
places of abode, leaving to the constituted authorities of the
city the task of protecting the peace, and preventing every act
wliich could be construed into treason to their country." The
Mayor then hoisted the Stars and Stripes.
— Seventeen vessels were seized in the port of New York from
ports in southern States, their clearances being improper, and
not signed by United States officers. They were fined $100
each, and some were held subject to forfeiture.
— Albany, New York, has presented an imwonted appearance
all day to-day. The Capitol has been thronged with citizens
who have apparently left their business to gather at head-quar
ters, and watch eagerly the progress of events. The spirit of

12 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the masses is decidedly arouaed,,and, frpm present indications,
Albany will be behind no city ij;L the St^e or Union in evinc
ing her patriotism and her determination, as the crisis, has
come, ito stand firmly by the Government pfthe country, with-,
out pausing tp, charge upon any the responsibility pf the pre
sent .terrible events. : • ,
-7-The Directors of theBankof Ooinmerce, of Providence, E. L,
advanced a loan of $30,0PQ to the State, for aiding in the outfit
of troops. Large offers from private citizens have also been,
made to Governor Sprague fpr a, similar purpose. The Globe
Bank tendered to the .State a loan of $50,000.
^^An eijithusiastic Unipn meeting was held, at 01evel9.ndj
Ohio. Speeches, -vv-ere ma,de by Senator Wade, and. other pro
minent gentlemen. Eesolutions were _ adopted to sustain tiie
Government, approving. pf the President's call for volunteers,
recommending the Legislature to make appropriations of men
and money, and appointing, a committee tp ascertain, the ef
ficiency of the Cleveland nulitia . .
. ^T-Fernando Wood, Mayor of New York, issued a proclamar
tion, calling upon the people of the city to avoid turbulence
an4 excitement, and to rally to, the restoration ofthe Constitu
tion and, Union.
—An immense Union meeting held in Troy, New York, ad-
jpurned in a body to the vicinity of General Wopl'^ residfince,
In response to the patriotic address of the chairman. General
W.ool, rejoiced; at the glorious demonstration. Never before
had he been., filled with such a measure of joy. He had
fought under the old flag, but had only done his duty. His
appeal in behalf of his country's honor was very touching.
."Will you,", he said,, "permit the Stars and Stripes to be dese-
prated and trampled in the dust by traitors now ? Will you
permit our noble Government to be destroyed by rebels, in
order that they may advance their schemes of political am
bition and extend the area of slavery ? _ It cannot be done !
The spirit of the age forbids. Humaijity and manhood forbid
it The sentimejat of the civilized world forbids it That flag
Uaust be lifted from the dust and saved frpm saciilege at the

OF THE WAE. 18
hands of apostates to truth, liberty, and honor. I pledge yoil
my 'heart, my"hS,nd, niy energies to the cause. The Union
shall ))e maintained I am prepared to'devotte' my life to the
work, and tP lead you in the struggle."
- — The Governor of Kentucky; in reply to Secretary Caiiie-
ron's call for troops froih that State, says : " Your diispatch is
received. In answer, I say efhphatically, Kentucky will fiir-
nish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister
Southern States, ' B. Magoffin."
—^General visitation, by the populace, to newspaper offices
in New York and several other cities. Newspapers regarded
as of doubtful loyalty are compelled to run out the Stars and
Stripes'. ' ' ' '' -'
April 16th. A great Union meeting was held to-day at Ty-
i:one. Pal ' Ex;-U. S. Senator Bigler expressed unequivocal sen
timents of loyalty,"and called upon the people to sustain the
Government in the exercise of its energies to siippiresS rebellion.
— The Einggold Flying A.rtillery, of. Beading, Pa., Captain
James McKnight, 180 men,- 'with foui" field-pieces, received a
requisition from the Governor this moming to set diit this
evening, at six o'clock, for Harrisburg, the place of rendezvous
for the first Pennsylvanians in the field Two military com
panies from Tyrone, two from Altoona, 'and two from HoUi-
daysburg, will leave to-morrow for Harrisburg.
— ^Four regiments, ordered to report for service in Boston^
Mass., commenced arriving there before nine A. M. this moming,
the companies first 'arriving not hwing received their orders
untD. last night Already about thirty companies have ariived,
numbering dv'ef 1,700 men in uniform, and with these are
several hundred who are importunate to be allowed to join the
ranks. , .
—The City Government of Lawrence, Mass., appropriated
$5,000 for the benefit ofthe families of those who have volun
teered to defend the country's flag. '
— Governor Bjickingham, of Connecticut, issued a proclama
tion fcalling for volunteers, to rendezvous at Hartford
^ ' — The Mechanics', Bhn City, Fairfield County, Thames, and
B

14 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
othei' banks of Connecticut, voted large sums of money to
assist in equipping the troops, and the support of their families.
— New Hampshire responds to the President's proclamation,
and will furnish the troops required. The Concord Union
Bank tendered a loan of $20,000 to the Governor, and all the
Directors, with the Cashier, agree to contribute $100 each to
the support of such families of the volunteers of Concord, as
may fall in defending the flag of the country.
— The session of the New York East Methodist Conference
was opened by the following prayer : " Grant, 0 God, that all
the efforts now being made to overthrow rebellion in our dis
tracted country, may be met with every success. Let the
forces that have risen against our Government, and Thy law,
be scattered to the winds, and may no enemies be allowed to
prevail against us. Grant, 0 God, that those who have aimed
at the very heart of the republic may be overthrown. We ask
Thee to bring these men to destruction, and wipe them from
the face of the country !"
— Governor Letcher, of Virginia, responds to the demand for
troops : "I have only to say that the militia of Virginia wiU
not he furnished to the powers at Washington for an'y such vse or
purpose as they have in view. Your object is to subjugate the
Southern States, and a requisition made upon me for such an
object — an object, in my judgment, not withui the purview of
the Constitution or the Act of 1795 — wiU not be -complied
with. You have chosen to inaugurate civil war, and, having cfowe
so, lue will meet it in a spirit as determined as the Administration
has exhibited towards the South."
—The Governor of North Carolina refused to comply with
the call, expressing liis doubts as to the President's authority
to make the call. He, at the same date, made quick prepara
tions to seize all Government property in the State, and to
place the State on a footing of military efficiency.
—A large meeting of German workmen held in Newark, New
Jersey. The Germans everywhere in the Nrath evince a spirit
of great devotion to the cause ofthe Union.
—General Cass, late Secretary of State, in a speech at De-

OP THE WAR. 15
troit, took the strongest ground for the Union. Every citizen,
he declared, should stand by the Government
— Great meetings are held to-day throughout the chief towns
in the Western States. The people are represented as " all on
fire," — ^all parties " fdsing" on the common ground of devotion
to the Union. Intense enthusiasm prevails. A volunteer roU
opened at Michigan City, Indiana, was first signed by a minis
ter of the Gospel The first company of Indiana Volunteers
left Lafayette, to-day, for the rendezvous at Indianapolis. Over
two hundred companies are represented as nearly formed iii
the State, ready for regimental organization. Illinois is not
behind Ohio has moved with alacrity. Captain McClellan
wiU be made Major-General, to command the Ohio Volunteers.
— Virginia " seceded" to-day, and her Governor issued a-
proclamation acknowledging the Independence of the Southern
Confe(J'eracy. — Washington City is regarded as in great danger of seizure
by the Secessionists of Virginia, aided by a mob of cut-throats
from Baltimore. Colonel Ben McCi^llough is known to be
chief of the organization for the seizure of the Capital The
Southern papers generally regard the seizure as certain, and it
is proclaimed that the Davis Government will occupy the Capi
tal Great precautions are being taken by General Scott to
guard the place. The city is under arms. Volunteer compa
nies, comprising Members of Congress and Government em
ployees, are organized, armed and on • duty. The District
militia is enrolled and in service, under command of Adjutant-
General McDowell. L^rge numbers of Northern men, singly
and in squads, are hurrying to the Capital to enlist in its de
fense. One entire battalion of Philadelphia troops reach the
city — ^the first volunteers in the field
— Jefferson Davis to-day issued his proclamation, initiating
the privateer system.
April 18. Governor Harris, of Tennessee, replies to Presi
dent Lincoln's, call for two regiments of troops, by saying that
" Tennessee will not furnish a single man for coercion, but fiifty

;ii£

16 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
thousand, if necessary, for the defense of our rights, or thoSe
of our Southern brothers."
— Governor Jackson, of Missouri, answers Secretary' Came
ron by telling him that his " Irequisition is illegal, unconsti
tutional; revolutionary, itihuman; diabolical; and cannot be
complied witL"
— The Common Council of Boston appropriated $100,000 to
provide for soldiers enlisting from Boston. The Lowell city
government appropriated $8,000 for soldiers' families.
— The banks in Trenton, N. J., Chicago, HL, Portland, Me.,
subscribed in support of the Federal Government A meeting
of the officers, representing all the Boston (Ma^s.) banks, was
held this moming, when resolutions were adopted to loan the
State of Massachusetts 10 per cent on -their entire capiM for
the defense of the Government ' The capital of the Boston
banks amounts to $38,800,000.
— At Pittsburg, Pa., an intense war feeling prevails. Busi
ness is almost suspended Immense crowds throng all the
prominent streets, flags are floating everywhere, and the volun
teer companies are all filled and departing eastward.- Liberal
subscriptions are being made for the comfort of volunteers and
the support of their families. Eecruiting is still going oil, al
though there are more than enough for the requirements of the
State to fill the Federal requisition. A Committee of Public
Safety held a meeting to-day, and organized. A large quantity
of powder which had been sent down the river, was intercepted
at Steubenvilie, it being feared it would fall into the hands of
the Secessionists. Eop,es were suspended to lamp-posts last
night, by unknown persons, labelled " Death to traitors." Some
assaults have been made on persons who have expressed sym''
pathy with the Secessionists. »
— Lieutenant E. Jones, of the United States army, in com
mand at Harper's Ferry with forty-three men, destroyed the
arsenal at that place and retreated. He was advised that a
force of 2,500 men had been ordered to take his post, by
Governor Letcher ; and he put piles of powder in straw in all

OF THE WAR. 17
the buHdings, and quietly awaited the approach of the enemy.
When his picket-guard gave the alarm that 600 Virginians
were approaching by the Winchester road, the men were run
out of the arsenal and the combustibles fired. The people
fired upon the soldiers, killing two, and rushed into the ar
senal. All the works, munitions of war, and 15,000 stand of
arms were destroyed
— ^An intimation is given tha||the U. S. volunteers will be
assailed, if any attempt is made to pass to AVashington through
Baltimore. The Baltimore canaille is being excited to a mob
spirit by secession emissaries.
— The Sixth Massachusetts regiment pass .through New
York en route for Washington, via Baltimore.
— The Mayor of Baltimore and the Governor of Maryland
unite in a proclamation, urging the people to preserve the
peace. The Governor stated that no Maryland troops should
be placed at the General Government's disposal, except for the
defense of the Capital.
— An immense mass Union meeting was held in Louisville,
this evening.
— Governor Morgan, of New York, issued his Proclamation
for volunteers.
— Major Anderson and his command arrive in New York on
the transport Baltie. They have an enthusiastic reception.
April 19. The President of the United States issues his
Proclamation of Blockade of the ports in the rebellious States.
— A most important session of the New York Chamber of
Commerce is held to-day. Perfect harmony prevailed The
Government was sustained, and a Committee of the leading
capitalists appointed to insure the taking of nine millions of
the *rreasury loan yet on the market The resolutions adopted
fairly rung with decision and patriotism As the Chamber
represented over two hundred millions of dollars in actual re
serve, the proceedings were regarded as of the highest import
ance: From that moment the men of wealth of the metropolis
were almost unanimously committed to the policy of an over-
b2 3

18 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
whelming demonstration of the Government's power against its
enemies. — An American flag, forty by twenty feet, was run out on
Trinity Church spire. New York. The church bells chimed
national airs in honor of the occasion.
— An attack is made, by the Baltimore ruffians, on the Mas
sachusetts Sixth and the Pennsylvania Seventh regiments,
which were passing through^e city en route for Washington.
The Massachusetts men occupied eleven cars. Nine cars suc
ceeded in reaching the Washington depot : the other two were
cut off by the mob, when their troops alighted, formed a solid
square, and, preceded by the Mayor and police, marched up
Pratt street for the depot Brickbats, stones, and pieces of iron
were hurled at the troops, but, obeying orders, they withheld
any demonstration against their assailants, notwithstanding
several of the men were seriously injured This leniency only
served to inflame the mob to further violence. Attempts were
made to seize the muskets of the men, and a pistol-shot from a
window killed one of tbe soldiers. The ruffian who committed
the deed was immediately shot by one of the soldiers. An
immediate passage of shots followed — ^the solid square; with
fixed bayonets, led by the Mayor, still pressing on to the de
pot, bearing their wounded and dead in their centre. The de
pot was at length reached, when it was found that two of the
Massachusetts men were killed and eight wounded — one mor
tally. Eleven of the mob were killed and thirteen wounded
This affair so fearfully excited the people of Baltimore that, for
several days, the mob virtually reigned uncontrolled, overaw
ing the Mayor and Governor, and finding coadjutora in the
Chief of Police and the Police Board The Chief of Police
sped a dispatch and sent runners over the country to hurry
forward the secession emissaries to " drive back the Northern
invaders." His dispatch, soon brought to Hght, proved the
fellow to be one of the secret agents of the traitors.
— The Pennsylvania troops arrived in Baltimore a few
minutes after the Massachusetts men, and remained at the

OF THE WAR. 19
Philadelphia depot to await the issue of the attempt to pass.
The mob fell back, after the tragedy in Pratt street, upon the
^Pennsylvanians, who were entirely unarmed They gathered
•in the depot, and soon orders came from the city authorities
and the Govemor for the railway company to return the troops
¦ to the State line — an order soon obeyed.
— ^In -view of the state of feeling at -Baltimore, the Mayor
¦and. Governor united in a commission to the President to re
present that no more troops could pass through their city un
less they fought their way. The President decided to spare
the effusion of blood by ordering the regiments to march
around the city. The route by way of PerryvUle and Annap-
oHs was soon opened by General Butler, with the Massachu
setts Eighth, assisted 'by the New York SeventL
— The entire North was fearfully excited by the news of the
attack on the Massachusetts men. It only served to intensify
the antagonisms. existing^ It was so potent in exciting the
public that every recruiting rendezvous in the North was
literally overrun with applicants. for positions in the ranks. It -
is estimated that more men offered in Pennsylvania than
-would fill the entire requisition of April 15th.
— Govemor Andrew, of Massachusetts, sent the following
! dispatch to Mayor Brown : "I pray you, cause the bodies of
our Massachusetts soldiers, dead in battle, to be immediately
laid out, preserved in ice, and tenderly sent forward by ex
press to me. All expenses will be paid by this Common-
wealtL" This was complied with, and the Mayor wrote
apologetically for that sad occurrence.
— The City Council of Philadelphia, at a special meeting,
appropriated $1,000,000 to equip the volunteers and support
their families during their absence from home. Fourteen
thousand dollars were subscribed for the same purpose at
Norwich, Conn.
—The Seventh regiment, N. Y. S. M., left for Washington at
noon, amid the wildest enthusiasm. An innumerable throng
¦ cheered them on their way. News of the assault in Baltimore
was received before they left, when forty-eight rounds of ball-
cartridge were served out

20 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
— The Ehode Island Marine artillery followed the Seventh.
This superb battery reflected great credit on the State and its
Governor. It was composed of 130 men, 110 horses, eight
splendid field-pieces and all requisite accessories. The com
mander. Colonel Tomkins, was eager to open the route through
Baltimore. — The Massachusetts Eighth followed the Ehode Islanders.
It was accompanied by Brigadier-General B. F. Butler, in
general command of the Massachusetts forces.
— Anticipating the descent of the forces now gathered at
Philadelphia, the Baltimbre mob proceeded to Canton station,
on the Philadelphia railway, and, stopping the evening train,
compelled the passengers all to leave it The engineer was
then made to run the mob up to the Gunpowder bridge — a
fine structure over Gunpowder Creek. The draw and shore
sections of the bridge were burned The train then returned
to Bush Eiver bridge, which was also burned Then the Can
ton bridge was fired and consumed After the work of de
struction the mob returned to Baltimore, on the train, and were
received with acclamations.
— Stupendous mass meeting of the people of New York
City, called by citizens of aU parties and religious denomina
tions, to express sympathy with the Government The entire
demonstration was harmonious and satisfactory, and resulted
in great good to the common cause. It is estimated that one
hundred thousand people, directly or indirectly, participated in
the proceedings. The " Union Defense Committee" — composed
of twenty-six of the most wealthy and prominent men of the.
city [the number afterwards was increased to thirty-two,] grew
out of the great gathering. Its business was to collect and
disburse funds for arming, equipping, and placing in the field
the New York City regiments — to care for the families of the
volunteers — to co-operate with Government in whatever would
tend to strengthen the National cause. It was one of the most
beneficent and effective organizations of the war. Besides the
large private subscriptions placed at its disposal, the City Gov
ernment voted one million of dollars, to be expended under
the Committee's direction.

OF THE WAR. 21
— The Gosport (Norfolk) Navy -yard destroyed during the
night of Aprd 19-20. Government, property to the amount
of over eleven millions of dollars was committed to the flames
and the water, " to keep it," as the officer in charge. Commander
McAuley said, " from falling into the hands of the revolu
tionists" — ^thenin considerable force at Norfolk, under com
mand of General Taliaferro. Commodore Paulding sailed in,
on the Pawnee, at eight P. M., (April 19th,) to find the Merrimac
steam frigate disabled, the Qermantown, Raritan, Pennsylvania,
Plymouth, and other vessels either scuttled or given up to the
flames. The Chimberland fiigate alone, of all that fine fleet,
was saved by the accidental presence ofthe Yankee, steam-tug,
owned by WUham B. Astor, of New York, and sent out by
him " to be of some service to Government somewhere." The
buildings, timber, two thousand pieces of ordnance (of all sizes,
from the heavy Columbiad and Dahlgren to the boat howitzer,)
small-arms, stocks, shears, machinery — all were offered up, a
holocaust to rebelli on and James Buchanan's want of foresight
and courage. Neither is the administration of Mr. Lincoln
blameless, for it should have taken all the movable property
away, under the guns of the very frigates which were commit
ted to the flames and waves. Viewed in every aspect, it was
a most wretched affair.
— At a second great Union meeting in Chicago, during the
proceedings, at the suggestion of Judge Manniere, the eatire
audience raised their • right hands and took the oath of alle
giance to the United States Government — repeating the oath
after the Judge.
— rOrders were issued by the officers of the Western Union,
and the New York, Albany and Buffalo Telegraphic Compa
nies, that no messages be received ordering arms or munitions
of war, unless for the use of the General Government
April 20th. Govemor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, convenes
the Legislature of his State for the 30th of April, " to take into
consideration and to adopt such measures as the present emer
gencies may demand"
— ^A- letter wa,s received at Philadelphia from Govemor

22 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Letcher, of Virginia, offering $30,000 to the patentee of the
buHet-mould The reply was, " No money can purchase it
against the country."
— The Council of Wilmington, Del, appropriated $8,000
to defend the city, and passed resolutions approving of the
President's proclamation. Also, asking the Govemor to issue
a proclamation for the same purpose. The Brandywine bridges
and all on the road between Susquehanna and Philadelphia are
guarded, and workmen have been sent to repair the bridges
destroyed on the Northern Central road
— The Missourians seized the United States arsenal, at
Liberty, Mo., and garrisoned it with 100 men. In the arsenal
were 1,300 stand of arms, ten or twelve pieces of cannon, and
quite an amount of powder.
—Two thousand stand of arms were furnished the citizens
of Leavenworth, from the arsenal at Fort Leavenworth, and the
commander ot that post accepted the services of 300 volun
teers, to guard the arsenal, pending the arrival of troops from
Fort Kearney.
— The Federal Government takes possession of the railway
between Philadelphia and Baltimore.
— General Scott telegraphed to John J. Crittenden, of Ken
tucky, who had questioned him by telegraph as to the truth of
the report that he had resolved to desert the Federal cause :
" I. have not changed ; have no thought of change ; always a
Union man."
April 21st The Mayor of Baltimore had an interview with
the President, to try and persuade him not to order any more
troops through Maryland.
—Arrival in New York of the Third battalion of Massachu
setts rifles. Major Devens commanding.
— An immense mass meeting in Boston (it being Sunday)
was held preparatory to raising a choice regiment for Fletcher
Webster (son of Daniel Webster). It became a popular ova
tion before its close. A large number of the leading citizens
addressed the crowd throughout the day.
— The First Ehode Island regiment passed through New

OF THE WAR. 23
York, en route for Washington, by way of Aimapolis. It sailed
from New York this (Sunday)' evening, in company with the
New York Sixth, Twelfth, and Seventy-first regiments of militia.
The crowd was dense in the streets, during the entire day, to
witness the embarkation ofthe re^ments on the transports.
The incidents of this day in New York we advert to in a suc
ceeding chapter.
— ^The North Carolinians seized the United States Branch
Mint, at Charlotte, in that State.
. — Great gatherings in all the churches throughout the North,
to hear "Sermons on the Crisis." Some most remarkable de
monstrations were witnessed In Henry Ward Beecher's
church, at Brooklyn, a communication was read from the Thir
teenth regiment of New York militia, asking for help in uni
forming and equipping them for service. Over $1,100 were
forthwith contributed. In the city of New York patriotism
was the theme lof discourse. In the Broadway Tabernacle, the
pastor, Eev. J. P. Thompson, D. D., preached a sermon in the
evening on " God's Time of Threshing." The choir performed
" The Marseillaise" to a hymn composed for the occasion by the
pastor. A collection was taken for the Volunteers' Home
Fund, amounting to $450 — ^to which a member of the congre
gation afterwards added $100. Dr. Bethune's sermon was
from the text : " In the mme of our God we will set up our'
banners." In Dr. Bellows' church, the choir sang " The Star
Spangled Banner," which was vigorously applauded by the
whole house. At Grace Church, (Episcopal,) Dr. Taylor began
by saying, " The Star Spangled Banner has- been insulted"
The gallant Major Anderson and his wife attended service at
Trinity. At Dr. McLane's Presbyterian Church, WOliams-
burg, "The Star Spangled Banner" was sung. Dr. T. D.
Wells (Old School Presbyterian) preached from the words :
" He that hath no sword, let him buy one." Dr. Osgood's text
was : " Lift up a standard to the people." The religious world
certainly never before witnessed. such an invasion of the pul
pit Great numbers of churches were organizing companies,

24 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and one pastor, Eev. Dr. Perry, of Brooklyn, assumed com
mand of a regiment
— The American flag was publicly buried at Memphis,
Tenn., on this day, amid a great concourse of citizens. The
funeral rites were read, and a volley fired over the grave.
April 22d. Great pressure brought to bear on the President
to procure some countermand of the order for troops to march
to Washington. One delegation of- thirty, from five " Young
Men'.s Christian Associations" of Baltimore, had a prolonged
interview, but made no impression upon him. Governor
Hicks approached him with a communication, again urging
the withdrawal of troops from Maryland, a cessation of hostil
ities, and a reference of the National dispute to the arbitrament
of Lord Lyons. To this the Secretary of State replied, that
the troops were only called out to suppress insurrection, and
must come through Baltimore, as that was the route chosen
for them by the Commander-in-Chief, and that our troubles
could not be " referred to any foreign arbitrament"
— Colonel Eobert E. Lee, late of the U. S. Army, is named
by the Governor of Virginia Commander-in-Chief of the forces
of that State.
— The U. S. arsenal at Fayetteville, N. C, is seized bythe
orders of Governor Ellis. The Govemor, at. the same date,
called out 30,000 troops, in addition to the organized militia,
to be in readiness at a moment's notice.
— The N. Y. city Common Council appropriated one million
of dollars for equipping and caring for the comfort of vol
unteers. — The N. Y. Twenty-fifth militia regiment arrived in the
city from Albany, en route for Washington.
— The N. Y. Seventh and Massachusetts Eighth regiments
arrive, by transports from Philadelphia, at Annapolis, where
they land and seize the railway to Washington. The troops
of the Eighth seized the frigate Constitution — " Old Ironsides,"
wliich was in danger of capture by the Secessionists. Genera]
Butler, in his order congratulating the men on the safety of

OF THE WAR. 25
the old frigate, said : " The fi:igate Constitution has lain for a
Ipng time at this port substantially at the mercy of the armed
mob which sometimes paralyzes the otherwise loyal State of
"Maryland Deeds of daring, successful contests, and glorious
.victories, had rendered Old Ironsides so conspicuous in the
naval history of the country, that she was fitly chosen as the
school in which to train the future officers of the navy to like
heroic acts. It was given tb Massachusetts and Essex county
first to man her ; it was reserved to Massachusetts to have -the
honor to retain her for the service of the Union and the laws."
— The Secretary of War conveys to Major Anderson the ap
proval of the Executive of his conduct in the defense of Fort
Sumter, viz. :
"War Department, Washington, )
April 23d, 1861. f
"Major Robert Anderson, late Commanding Officer at Fort
Sumter :
" Mt Deajb Sir : I am directed by the President of the
United. States, to communicate to you, and through you to the
officers and men under your command at Forts Moultrie and
Sumter, the approbation of the Government of your and their
judicious and gallant conduct there ; and to tender to you and
them the thanks of the Government for the same.
" I am, very respectfully,
"SIMON CAMEEON, Secretary of War."
— ^Father Eafina, priest of the Montrose Avenue Catholic
Church, Williamsburg, N. Y, with his own hands raised the
American flag upon the top of his church. The ceremony was
witnessed by at least two thousand people, who greeted the
glorious emblem with cheer after cheer, as it waved majestic
ally over the sacred edifice. The reverend father addressed
the 'assemblage in a few appropriate remarks, which were re
ceived with marked enthusiasm.
— The Charleston Mercury flings defiance art; the North — call
ing Lincoln a usurper, and saying : " he will deplore the
' higher-law' depravity which has governed his counsels. Seek
ing the sword, in spite of aU moral or constitutional restraints
c ' 4
' 'Z,  . 

26 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and obligations, he may perish by the sword He sleeps al
ready with soldiers at his gate, and the grand reception-room
of the White House is converted into quarters for troops from
Kansas — ^border ruffians of Abolitionism."
— A fine Union meeting was held in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Stars and Stripes were raised ; the people generally ex
pressed their determination to adhere to them to the last
Speeches were made by Messrs. Field, Critienden, Codey, and
others. The most unbounded enthusiasm prevailed, and the
speakers were greeted with great applause.
April 23d. The feeling in the South at 'this date may be
inferred from the call of the Govemor of Louisiana for troops.
He said: "The Government at Washington, maddened by
defeat and the successful maintenance by our patriotic people
of their rights and hberties against its mercenaries in the har
bor of Charleston, and the determination of. the Southern
people forever to sever themselves from the Northern Govern
ment, has now thrown off the mask, and, . sustained by the
people of the non-slaveholding States, is actively engaged in
levying war, by land and sea, to subvert your hberties, destroy
your rights, and to shed your blood on your own soiL If you
have the manhood to resist, rise, then, pride of Louisiana, in
your might, in defense of your dearest rights, and drive back
this insolent, barbaric force. ' Like your brave ancestry, resolve
to conquer or perish in the effort ; and the flag of usurpation
will never fly over Southern soO. Eally, then, to the proclama
tion which I now make on the requisition of the Confederate
Government" The enthusiasm in the South was represented
as equal to that prevailing in the North. The contest was re
garded as a war of sections, and the South seemed to entertain
no other idea but that of the complete defeat of the North.
The idea generally prevailed that a Southern soldier was equal-.
to five Northern " hirelings." The terms used to characterize
the Northern soldiers were very offensive, and the idea seemed
Jo prevail that the army of Federal volunteers was composed
ofthe very lowest scum of society. As Northern papers could

OF THE WAR. 27
not circulate in the South, the people i-eally never knew better,
until they learned at the bayonet's point
-^The Western Pennsylvania regiments pass through Phila
delphia, en route for Washington, by way of Annapolis.
—The Eighth, Sixty-ninth, and Thirteenth regiments of New
York militia start for Washington.
— Sherman's celebrated battery, consisting of ninety men
and eight, howitzers, passed through Philadelphia, Pa., on the
route to Washington.': The train containing the troops stopped
in Market street, between Fifteenth and -Sixteenth. Imme
diately the ladies of Benton street rushed out, and vied with
each other in their attention to the weary soldiers. Bread,
meat, pies, and cakes, were brought forward in goodly supplies,
hundreds of girls running with hot dinners just from the
ranges; bakers with baskets of bread and cakes; fruiterers
with baskets 'of apples, oranges, etc., were quickly upon the
ground. The men said that they were thirsty, and in a trice
there were a dozen pretty girls handing up cups of water.
After the battery . had been thus refreshed, a collection was
taken up, and the\oldiers were supplied with enough cigars
and tobacco to last for some days. The mihtary cheered con
tinually fi)r the ladies of Philadelphia, and, a.s the train moved
off, they gave nine hearty cheers for Philadelphia, the Union,
the Constitution, and the success of the Federal arms in the
SoutL April 24tL .The New York Twenty-fifth regiment of militia
sailed for Washington.
— ^An immense Union meeting was held in Detroit, over
which General Cass presided His speech was brief, but
strongly loyal He called upon all citizens -to stand by the
Administration. — The Faculty and students of the Brown High School, at
Newburyport, Mass., raised the American flag near their school
'building, in presence of a large concourse of citizens. Patriotic
speeches were made by Caleb Cushing, and others. s^
April 25th. General Harney, on his- way to Washington,
was arrested by the Virginia authorities, at Harper's Ferrv. He

28 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
left Wheeling, Virginia, for the purpose of reporting himself at
head-quarters at Washington. Before the train reached 'Har
per's Ferry it was stopped, and a number of troops mounted
the platforms; while the train was moving slowly on, the
troops passed through the cars, and the General being pointed
out, he was immediately taken info custody.
— A deputation of twenty Indians, headed by White Cloud,
in behalf of the Sioux and Chippewas, arrived in New York.
They tended to the United States, in behalf of themselves and
three hundred other warriors, their services against rebellion.
Having heard that the Cherokees had sided with the rebels,
they could not remain neutral, and, with a promptness worthy
of imitation in high quarters, have come to offer their Services
in defense of the Government They ask to be armed and led,
— A second detachment of Ehode Islanders arrived in New
York, bound for Washington. The New York Herald said :
"As a proof of the patriotic spirit which animates the citi
zens of Ehode Island, it may be mentioned that a man named
WUham Dean, who lost one arm in the Mexican war, is now
a volunteer in this corps, being willing to lose another limb in
defense of the honor of his country. The noble fellow carries
his musket slung behind his back, but it is said when the hour
comes for bloodier action he can use it with as good effect and
expertness as if in possession of his natural appendages. The
regiment also carries a flag which was borne through all the
terrors of the Eevolution The uniform of the regiment is
light and comfortable ; it consists of a blue flannel blouse, gray
pants, and the army regulation hat The volunteers bring
along with them two very prepossessing young women, named
Martha Francis .and Katey BrowneU, both of Providence, who
propose to act as ' daughtets of the regiment,' after the French
plan." — The N. Y. Seventh arrived at Washington to-day, and
were welcomed with great demonstrations of joy. They were
the first regiment to reach the Capital after the Massachusetts
Sixth. The Massachusetts Eigh th almost immediately followed
the Seventh into the city. With these troops Washington

OF THE WAR. 29
was pronounced safe. From this date troops constantly poured
'into*the Capital, by the Annapolis route. The route by
Baltimore and the Northern Central railroad was not opened
until May 13th.
— ^Virginia transferred to the Southern Confederacy, by
treaty between the State Convention and Mr. Stephens, Vice-
President of the Confederate States. By this transaction the
people were literally " sold out of house and home."
April 26th. A correspondent of a Boston journal, writing
from the West, over which he was travelling, said of the feel
ing prevailing in that section : " The enthusiasm of the people
at the West, in rallying for the defense of the Union, far ex
ceeds the expectations ofthe most sanguina Throughout the
entire North-west there is a perfect unanimity of sentiment'
Ten days ago, men who now cry, down -svith the rebels, were
apologizing for the South — justifying its action, and wishing
it success. Every town in Illinois is mustering soldiers, and
many of the towns of five or six thousand inhabitants, ha|^-
two and three companies' ready for action. Companies are
also formed for driU, so that, in case of need, they wiU be pre
pared to march at any moment Money is poured out freely
as water,. and ladies unite in making shirts, blankets, and even
coats and pants for the soldiers. Arrangements have been
made to take care of the families of the soldiers during their
absence. All say, none shall fight the battles of their country
at their own expense."
— The bridges over Gunpowder Eiver, on the Philadelphia,
Wilmington, and Baltimore Eailroad, were burned by the
rebels of Baltimore. The bridge over Bush Eiver, on the
same route, had been destroyed the evening "previous. The
mob still reigned in Baltimore, although' the loyal press of
the city represented that the " conservative" sentiment was
growing. — The Seventh regiment of New York took' the oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States, at the War Depart
ment, in Washington, to-day. Not a man hesitated. The
scene was most impressive.

30 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
— Many- Southern men, stfll in the employ of the Depart
ments, at Washington, refused to take the oath of allegiance.
They aU " resigned" and took their way South to give their
services to the Slave States.
April 27tL Great numbers of Virginians whose loyalty to
the Constitution forbade them to sustain the high-handed
tyranny of the State Convention, are passing North to escape
persecution The outrages perpetrated on the Unionists of
that State are daily: becoming more atrocious. The State is in
possession of the Confederate forces, and the Secession cut
throats have it aU their own way. The mob-'everywhereap-
propriate to their own use whatever they may fency ; farmers
are stopped on the road, their horses taken from them under
the plea that they are for the defense of the South ; granaries
are searched, and everything convertible for food for either
man or beast, carried off. This has been practiced to such an
extent that, along the northern border of Virginia, a reaction
is rtaking place, and instructions' are being sent from Western
Maryland, to the Delegates at Annapolis, that if they vote for
secession the people will hang them; on their return homa The
news of the unanimous sentiment of the North, the prompt
and decisive action on the part of the State Governments in
enlisting men, has strengthened the' Union men of Western
Maryland and the border counties of Virginia
I — The " New York Ladies' Eehef Union"^ — one of the or
ganizations devised for centralizing the efforts of women in be
half of the Union cause — issue, to-day, their circular, setting
forth the " importance of systematizing the earnest efforts now
making by the women of New York for the supply of extra
medical aid to the Federal army, through the present' cam
paign" — Mr. Lincoln issues his supplementary proclamation, includ
ing the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina in the order of
blockade. April 28th. The Daylight, the first steamer direct from New
York, via Potomac, reached Washington at ten A. M. Many
lights were out on the Virginia coast, and many buoys had

OF THE WAR. 81
been destroyed by the rebels. The Daylight came without
convoy. She had no guns, except one howitzer, which Cap
tain Viele obtained from the Pocahontas, at the mouth of the
Potomac. Captain Viele and the one hundred and seventy
two recruits for the New York Seventh regiment, have the
honor of the first passage up the Potomac.
— The New York Fifth regiment of militia leaves to-day for
AnnapoliSj in the- British steam transport Kedar. This regi
ment, commanded by Coloner Sohwartzwaelder, is composed
almost entirely of Germans.
April 29tL B. F. HaUett, of Boston, a leading man in the
opposition party of Massachusetts, comes out strongly for the
war, at a meeting of the Suffolk bar.
— Great excitement iii Tennessee, consequent on the seizure
(April 26th) at Cairo, by the Federal forces, of the steamer
Hillman, laden with munitions of war. Governor Harris or
ders $75,000 iu Tennessee bonds, and $5,000 in coin — all in
possession, of the United States Collector at NashviUe, to be
seized as a reprisal.
' — Grand military review in New Orleans, of troops prepared
to march NortL Thirty thousand people turned out to wit
ness the pageant
— Ellsworth's Fire .Zouaves left New York for Annapolis.
A grand demonstration was made by the New York city fire
department in honor of their departure. One hundred thou
sand people were gathered in the route of their march to wit
ness the proceedings.
April 30th, Persons from the South; residing in Washing
ton, are warned to leave that city before its destruction by the
Southern army.
— The School-teachers of the Boston, Mass., schools, relin
quished a large portion of their salaries, to be apphed, during
'lie .war, to patriotic purposes.
— The New York Yacht Club offer the Government the use
of all their craft for any service for which they may be fitted
— Govemor Dennison, of Ohio, reports that, up to this
date, 71,000 volunteers had offered to meet the President's

32 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
requisition for thirteen regiments. All regiments furnished
by the State, are picked men The same may be said of the
offers made in other States. It is now known that an army of
three hundred thousand men Could be made up of volunteers
from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio alone.
Every church and public building in New York, Phila
delphia and Boston, is surmounted by the American flag.
Pubhc- buildings generally throughout the North are thus
decorated The demand for bunting is so great, that the sup
ply is exhausted, and flags are being made out of all kinds of
materials of the .proper color.
^The Twenty-eighth regiment of New York militia leaved
Brooklyn for the seat of war. It is composed of the best class
of German citizens — many men of wealth being in the ranks.
It is commanded by Colonel Burnett The streets were
thronged to witness its departure.
— The Harvard University Medical School adopt a resolu
tion, viz. : " That we, the members of the Harvard Me&cal
School, do here and now resolve ourselves into a volunteer
medical corps, and as such do hereby tender our services to
the Governor of this Commonwealth, to act in behalf of this
State or country, in whatever capacity we may be needed -
— The contributions of cities, indi-viduals. Legislatures, banks,
etc., up to this date, to the patriotic fund, are estimated to ex
ceed twenty-eight millions of doUars. Government finds its
soldiers literally made to order — ^taking the field armed and
equipped, through the patronage and care of the localities from
which the companies and regiments came.
This will end our Diary of Events, occurring in the brief
space of fifteen days. What a record ! The world never read
its Hke. It will be read by our descendants with astonishment
Let us preserve the memory of these days to inspire our ardor,
to strengthen our faith, to deepen our love for the Union, thtf
Constitution and the Laws 1

II.
THE NEW NATION.
Men awakened on the moming of April 14th to enter upon
the New Era of the Eepublic. The hour of trial had come.
The people of the North were to say if the Union should sur
vive or perish-^-if the " Great Democratic Experiment" should
ignominiously fail, or should assert its true nobility by show
ing a ' consolidated front to revolution and disorganization.
The guns which opened upon Sumter were aimed at the Na
tional heart, -^hich the fortress typified in its silent grandeur
as it lay away off in the waters, not to be awakened until as
sailed Would the Nation protect its heart ? It needed only
such an assault to send the blood bounding through every
loyal bosom ; and the cry " TO AEMS 1" which flew over the
lahd, answered for the people. Eent into factions, divided in
sentiment, antagonistic in personal interests, absorbed in
schemes of gain, they had seemingly lived at open variance.
As " Eepubhcans," " Democrats," " Unionists," " Conserva
tives,"' " Abohtionists," "Pro-Slavery" and "Anti-Slavery"
Extensionists, they had harbored bitter differences ; but, these
all melted away in that night when Major Anderson slept in
his battered fortress, defeated in the defense of his assailed
flag ; and the people awoke on the morning of Sumter's evac
uation to a new hfe — the New Nation was bom. All partisan
differences, aU local antipathies, all personal dishkes, were
buried, and over their grave arose. the resurrected patriotism
which had too long - slumbered Sumter lost but Freedom
won when the madmen put the Union on its trial.
We cannot better convey an idea of the astonishing change

34 ¦ INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
that came over the people-than to recur to the utterances of
the press chronicling the events of those hours, so potent with
great results to the country.
The New York Herald, up to the hour of Sumter's bom
bardment, was inimical to the Administration, and strongly in
favor .of concessions to the South. After that event, its right
hand of fellowship was withdrawn, and, with the common sen
timent of the North, it declared for a vigorous pohcy against
the revolutionists, saying: "Whatever opinions may have
prevailed, and whatever views of expediency may have been
advocated, hitherto, there is. clearly no other course for Gov
ernment to pursue now, than to 'retake the places and prop
erties' that have been seized and occupied, ih the Southerfi
States. Upon this point, the people of the Northern and
Western States wiU be nearly a unit As a consequence, past
organizations and platforms are virtually swept away, and
none of the issues remain of present importance which recently
agitated the public mind * * The time for undue excite
ment has passed The passing events of each hour are so so
lemn, that every pulse should beat equably, and every aspi
ration be for a speedy restoration of the Eepubhc to .peace,
and its pristine unity and greatness. The utmost unanimity
of feehng should prevail in sustaining the only pohcy which is
any longer practicable ; and every nerve should be strained
to aid the Government in rendering its measures as efficient
as possible."
The Boston Posi, the organ ofthe Breckenridge Democracy,
sent forth this clarion call : " The uprising is tremendous ; and
well would it be for each good citizen. South and North, to
feel this invasion of the public order at Fort Sumter as his
own personal concern. In reality it is so. There is left no
choice but between a support of the Government and anarchy !
The rising shows that this is the feeling. The Proclamation
calls for seventy -five thousand men ; and from one State alone,
Pennsylvania, a hundred thousand are at the President's com
mand at forty-eight hours' notice 1 Nor is this all. Capital
ists stand ready to tender millions upon mfllions of money to

OF THE WAR. ' 35
sustain the grand Government of the Fathers. Thus the civ
ilized world will see the mighty energy of a free people, sup
plying in full measure the sinews of war, men and money, out
of loyalty to the supremacy of law. Patriotic citizen ! choose
you which you will serve, the world's best hope, our noble
Eepublican Government, or that bottomless pit, social anarchy.
Adjourn other issues until this self-preserving issue is settled"
The Philadelphia Inquirer (Opposition) spoke as well. It
said : " ' Take your places in hne.' The American flag trails
in the dust There is from this hour no longer any middle
or neutral ground to occupy. All party hues cease. Demo
crats, Whigs, Americans, Eepublicans and Union men, all
'merge into one or two parties — ^patriots or traitors. For our
selves, we are not prepared for either or any form of govern
ment which the imagination might suggest as possible, or
probable to follow in the wake of a republic. We are for the
Government as handed down to us by our fathers. It was
consecrated in blood, and given to us as a sacred legacy. It
is ours to hve by, and, by the blessing of God, it shall be ours
to die by. We will have it and none other. We have no
pohtical feuds or animosities to avenge ; we know no cause
save to wipe an insult from our flag, and to defend and main
tain an assailed Government and a violated Constitution We
care not who is President, or what political party is in power ;
so long as they support th^e honor and the flag of our country,
we are with them ; those who are not, are against us — against
our flag — and against our Government ' Take your places
in line 1' "
The New York Times correctly stated the facts and hopes
(3f the hour in its issue of April 16th. It said : j' The inci
dents of the last two days will Hve in history. Not for fifty
years has such a spectacle been seen, as that glorious uprising
of American loyalty which greeted the news that open war
had been commenced upon the Constitution and Government
of the United States. The great heart of the American peo
ple beat with one high pulsation of courage, and of fervid love
and devotion to the great Eepublic. Party dissensions were

36 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
instantly hushed ; pohtical differences disappeared, and were
as thoroughly forgotten as if they had never existed ; party
bonds flashed into nothingness in the glowing flame of patriot
ism ; men ceased to think of themselves or their parties — ^they
thought only of their country and of the dangers which men
aced its existence. Nothing for years has brought the hearts
of all the people so close together, or so inspired them all with
common hopes, and common fears, and a common aim, as the
bombardment and surrender of an American fortress.
" We look upon this subHme outburst of pubhc sentiment
as the most perfect vindication of popular institutions — ^the
most conclusive reply to the impugners of American loyalty,^
the country has ever seen It has been quite Common to say
that such a Eepublic as ours could never be permanent, be
cause it lacked the conditions of a profound and abiding loy
alty. The Government could never inspire a patriotic instinct,
fervid enough to melt the bonds of party, or powerftil enough
to override the selfishness which free institutions so rapidly
develop. The hearts of our own people had begun to sink
within them, at the apparent insensibihty of the pubhc, to the
dangers which menaced the Government The pubhc mind
seemed to have been demoralized — the public heart seemed
insensible to perils which threatened utter extinction to our
great Eepublic. The secession movement, infinitely the most
formidablcdanger which has ever menaced our Government,
was regarded with indifference, and treated as merely a novel
form of our usual pohtical contentions. The best among us
began to despair of a country which seemed incompetent to
understand its dangers, and indifferent to its own destruction.
" But all this is changed The cannon which bombarded
Sumter awoke strange echoes, and touched forgotten chords in
the American heart American Loyalty leaped into instant
life, and stood radiant and ready for the fierce encounter.
From one end of the land to the other — ^in the crowded streets
of cities, and in the solitude of the country — wherever the
splendor of the Stars and Stripes, the glittering emblems of
our country's glory, meets the eye, come forth shouts of devo-

OF THE WAR. 37
tion and pledges of aid, which give sure guarantees for the
perpetuity of American Freedom. War can inflict no scars on
such a people. It can do them no damage which time cannot
repair. It cannot shake the solid foundations of their material
prosperity — while it will strengthen the manly and heroic vir
tues, which defy its fierce and frowning front.
" It is a mistake to suppose that war — even Civil War — ^is
the greatest evil that can afflict a nation. The proudest and
noblest nations on the earth have the oftenest felt its fury, and
have risen the stronger, because the braver, from its Over
whelming wrath. War is a far less evil than degradation —
than the national and social paralysis which can neither feel a
wound nor redress a wrong. When War becomes the only
means of sustaining a nation's honor, and of vindicating its
just and rightful supremacy, it ceases to be an evil, and be
comes the source of actual and positive good. If we are
doomed to assert the rightful supremacy of our Constitution
by force of arms,' against those who would overthrow and de
stroy it, we shaH grow the stironger and the nobler by the very
XJontest we are compelled to wage.
" We have reason to exult in the noble demonstration of
American loyalty, which the events of the last few days have
called forth from every quarter of the country. MUHons of
freemen rally with exulting hearts, around our country's stand
ard The great body of our people have but one heart and
one purpose in this great crisis of our history. Whatever may
be the character of the contest, we have no fears or misgivings
as to the final issue."
Particularly referring to the unanimity of the political lead
ers in support of the Administration, the New York Courier
and Inquirer of May 2d, said : " We have all witnessed the
sudden transformation of the scene-painter's art— a whistle, a
creak of a wheel, and in place of a cottage, a palace ! — a sigh
ing maiden is foHowed by an exultant conqueror ; and seeing
these delusions of the canvas, we have accustomed ourselves
to look upon it as a trick of the drama, and never in our ex
perience to be paralleled by the actual ' We are to see aU

38 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Strange- things in the nineteenth century, and of the very
sti-angest'is the sudden change of a Northem people from a
race of quiet, patient, much-enduring, calm, 'consistent mem
bers of the Peace Society,' wiUing to compromise to the last
possible interpolation of the Constitution, to a gathering of
armed men, backing up courage by cash, and coming together
with a union of the purse and the sword, which is to be one
of the most remarkable chapters that history ever wrote.
" The Macaulay of American iannals will record that in one
brief, earnest, intense ten of days, the chain of party melted ;
the organization of party shivered ; the leaders of opposing
opinions were as brethren ; — Seward, Douglas, Dix, even Caleb
Cushing, wrote a full acquittance of past pohtical strife, and
declared that the life of their political doctrine was the preser
vation of the country's honor. Who shall ever despair of a
nation after this ? K from our quarrels, our pale compromises,
our bondage to the exchange and to the warehouse, from all
the indolence of prosperity, such a transformation to the camp
of a brave and united soldiery, a close and compact counsel —
the purse inverted over the soldier's needs — ^the struggle who
shall quickest forget his party watch-word, and learn that of
the line of battle — ^if this new Hfe has thus sprvtng, the philos
opher of history must learn of us new ideas bf the power of a
free people.
" The Eevolution of 1776 witnessed no such union. More
families left New York and her sister colonies, because they
would not show steel to King George, (and that when New
York had population only of thousands where it now has hun
dreds of thousands,) than have now suggested doubts of our
right from all the vast numbers of the Northern States. We
cannot even yet realize the- change these ten days have
¦wrought We are Hke those -who bring aU their valuables to
the fire of the furnace, and recast the compound. That pro
cess is now in our inidst Does any man suppose we are to
be fused in just such party shape again? Differ we shall—
but the gold has been tried, and the great fact established, that
those dwelhng in the Northern States have that devotion to

OF THE WAR. 39
t
the country at whose call the mother gives her son to the
battle, the capitahst his treasure to the cause, and men blend
as a Nation. Were .we ever a Nation before ?
"All lineages — ^the Mayflower man is in the front rank only
to be met in line by those who look back to Delft Haven, I
have fpund the warmest thought and act in those who but a
month since were doubtful of the patriotism of those of us who
could not see the merit of ' compromisa' The voice of Ed
ward Everett rings out its call to arms— the men who have
risked to offend the North by their ultra Southern -views, have
thrown all aside as the call for Uuion for the country's honor
reached them."
Thus it was that the New Nation sprang into existence, to
redeem the past and plant anew the tree of Liberty and Union,
which the conspirators had so nearly torn up and shattered.

III.
THE MITSTERINa.
Who shall teU the story of the gathering of those who flew
to arms at the call ? Every company of those first forward
has its chapter of incidents honorable to its patriotic devotion
and creditable to its inteHigenca Every regiment has its re
cord of patriotism and self sacrifice, for in its ranks stood those
whom no mercenary motive hitd impelled to arms. Doctors,
lawyers, merchants, stud.ents, mechanics, were there — all de
serting lausiness and home to encounter the toils, privations,
¦ sufferings, and dangers of military servica' The Massachusetts,
New York, and Ehode Island militia regiments which were
first ready, and, in a few days, were on the way to.Washington,
were composed almost entirely of citizens of the most respect-

40 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
able character — ^men, whose intelhgence and social standing
rendered them eminently fit to become the guardians of the
Capital and pioneers of the immense host to follow. How
their souls must have scomed the foe who called them
"menials," "mercenaries," "hirelings," "Hessians!"* The
press of the South almost generally resorted to such epithets,
and sedulously sought to disseminate the idea that the Northem
volunteers were dra-wn from the lowest classes. Thus the
Mobile Advertiser characterized them, and welcomed them to
Southern graves :
" These volunteers are men who prefer enlisting to starvation ;
scurvy fellows from the back slums of cities, whom Falstaff would not
have marched through Coventry with ; but these recruits are not sol
diers — least of all the soldiers to meet the hot-blooded, thorough bred,
impetuous men of the South. Trencher soldiers, who enlisted to war
upon their rations, not on men ; they are such as marched through
Baltimore — squalid, wretched, ragged, and half-naked — as the news
papers of that city report them. Fellows who do not know the breech
of a musket from its muzzle, and had rather filch a handkerchief than
fight an enemy in manly combat. White-slaves, peddling wretches,
small-change knaves, and vagrants, the dregs and offscourings of the
populace ; these are the levied ' force.s' whom Lincoln suddenly arrays
as candidates for the honor of being slaughtered by gentlemen — such as
Mobile sent to battle. Let them come South, and we will put our ne
groes to the dirty work of killing them. But they will not come South.
Not a wretch of them will live on this side of the border, longer than
it will take us to reach the ground and drive them off."
Under the chapter head " The Spirit of the South," we shall
give further evidences of that malignancy of the Southern heart
which was one of the prime causes of the EebeUion : — the
above extract we introduce to show, at this point what a differ
ence there was between the North and South, as exemplified
in the relative spirit and character of their volunteers.
Adjutant-General Schouler, of Massachusetts, in his Eeport
* Private Moses Jenkins, of the Rhode Island First/lvas worth one
million dollars. Others in the same regiment were worth their tens
of thousands. Mr. Jenkins had arranged for a tour to Europe, and
had purchased his ticket. At the call he tore up his ticket and fol
lowed his regiment.

OF THE WAR. 41
for 1861, referred to some of the incidents illustrative of the
alacrity -with which the men came to the first call He said :
" The first call for troops was by a telegram from Senator Wil
son, dated at Washington, April 15th, requesting twenty com
panies to ' be sent immediately to Washington, and there
mustered into ser-vica. * * * This order was
sent by mail and by special messengers to the Colonels, who
severally resided at Lowell, Quincy, New Bedford, and Lynn.
The companies were scattered through the cities and towns of
Plymouth, Bristol, Norfolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties.
"In obedience to orders, nearly every company in the above
regiments arrived in Boston the next day. The first were three
f'- infantry companies from Marblehead, under Captains Martin,
Phillips, and Boardman. They arrived at the Eastern depot
at nine o'clock A. M., and were welcomed by a large multitude
of people, who cheered the gallant and devoted men as they
marched to their quarters at Faneuil Hall, through rain and
sleet, to the music of ' Yankee Doodle.' During the entire
day the troops arrived at Boston by the different raUroad
trains. " Captain Pratt, in command of the Worcester company,
received his order to join the Sixth regiment late in the after
noon of the 16th, and he was in Boston -with his full command
early on the morning of the 17th. It was nine o'clock in the
. evening of the 16th before your Excellency decided to attach
the commands of Captains Sampson and Dike to the Sixth
regiment A messenger was dispatched to Stoneham, with
orders for Captain Dike. He reported to me at eight o'clock
the next moming, that he found Captain Dike at his house in
Stoneham, at two o'clock in the moming, and placed your
Excellency's orders in his hands ; that he read them, and said :
'TeU the Adjutant-General that I shall be at the State House
with my fuU company by eleven o'clock to-day.' True to his
; word, he reported at the time, and that afternoon, attached to
the Sixth, the company left for Washington. Two days after
ward, on the 19th of April, during that gallant march through
Baltimore, which is now a matter of history, Captain Dike
d2 6
 I

42 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
was shot down while leading his company through the mob.
Several of his command were kiHed and wounded, and he
received a wound in the leg, which wiU. render him a cripple
for lifa"
The spirit of New York loyalty was betrayed in the eager
attention given by all classes to the mustering and movements
of the regiments. The New York Seventh, chiefly composed
of the young men of wealthy families, volunteered to go on to
Washington and remain there one month, or longer if neces
sary for the safety of the Capital. It left the city amidst the
greatest excitement, April 19th. April 21st, it was followed by
the New York Seventy-first, Twelfth, and Sixth regiments, all
of the organized State militia, which volunteered as regimentSj ¦
for the three months service. The Sixty-ninth, Eighth, and
Thirteenth, started forward Apfil 23d It was thus the Em
pire State answered, -with her choice troops, the first calls for
aid. The departure of the regiments, by transports, April
21st, (Sunday,) was accompanied by such popular manifesta
tions, as to be worthy of record From the report prepared
for the press we gather these paragraphs :
" The usual quiet of our city on the Sabbath-day was. broken
at an early hour, yesterday, with the note of preparation for
the departure of the Sixth, Twelfth, and Seventy-first regi
ments, to whom orders had been issued on the day previous.
The flags that had the day before been thro-wn to the breeze
were generally still flying, and squads of recruits, -with drum
and fife, paraded the streets for an early airing. Officers in
undress uniform may be seen, -with an air of business, hurrying
in different directions ; and the chimes of Old Trinity mingled
with, the boom of cannon fired in the Park. By nine o'clock
the multitudes began to swarm the streets, and Broadway bade
fair to furnish a repetition of the patriotic scene of the day pre
vious. The Sunday papers, in consequence of the surveillance
under which the telegraph had passed,' did not contain the
gossiping dispatches which the pubhc have so long been accus
tomed to find. In this respect there was a void
" The Annories presented an animated scena In front of

OF THE WAR. 43
them the streets were filled -with the patriotic masses, and the
poHce experienced difficulty in keeping a passage open for the
ingress and egress of those who were entitled to enter. None
were aHowed inside but members of the corps, their immediate
fiiends, or those in some way connected -with their movements,
and the reporters. Inside all was business and bustle, not to
any confusion. Here and there were mothers and sisters part
ing with sons and brothers, or -with motherly and sisterly interest
were engaged in assisting to arrange the blankets and pack the
soldier's limited baggage, to which there was certain to be
added some memento or other thing that relates to his comfort
and welfara Words of patriotic eucouragement and tenderest
affection' were spoken at leave-takings. But these had gene-
raUy been spoken at home, where we could not penetrate,
though we might recite many a touching scene, where parents
gave up their sOns, and -wives their husbands to serve their
country. " It was shortly after ten o'clock when the regiments began
to form on Bond street, leading to Broadway. Hither the
people had thronged in immense numbers, and what was
among .the noticeable things, was the presence in that vicinity
and do-wn Broadway, of some fifteen or twenty Fire Engines,
and Hook and Ladder Companies, including two Steam Engines.
It was appropriate, for hundreds of those about to leave have
long served in the Department, or at least, in the expressive
parlance of the day, have 'run with the machine' many a
year. In the hour that elapsed, the crowd in Broadway
swelled to the large proportions which we are accustomed to
see only on great occasions. At the junction with Canal street,
it was the largest, because the Sixth regiment would at this
point leave Broadway, and proceed to the Baltic, at the foot of
Canal street While waiting for its appearance, ' The Star-
Spangled Banner,' ' Hail Columbia,' ' Eed, White and Blue,'
and other similar airs, were sung by thousands of voices.
" It was about twelve o'clock when the Sixth regiment moved
from their armory down Broadway. It was the signal for the
-wildest outburst The shouts and cheers which rose from the

44 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
multitude at the junction of these two streets, were caught up
and prolonged almost the whole length of Broadway. At every
step the soldiers were greeted -with the wildest demonstrations,
not only from the people that Hned the streets, but from the
windows and the roofs of buildings on the routa More than '
once a mother darted from the crowd, and in spite of poHce or
other restraints, gave her son a parting kiss—only one— for
the column moved on, and the boy was a soldier now, boimd
for the seat of war, and there was no such thing as stopping.
Discipline could not restrain adieus between old friends, who
would shake hands, and giye and take hastily spoken but
hearty good-byes. The Twelfth and Seventy-first regiments
followed, when there was a repetition of the scenes of the
previous half-hour.
" So great was the throng in Canal street that it was -witii
the greatest difficulty that the poHce force could clear the -way
for the Sixth to pass. The crowd was entirely good-naturedj
but enthusiastic, and determined to extend its greetings to the
soldiers from a position as close as they could assume. The
Sixth was accompanied by several files of citizens as an escort,
but the multitude mistook aU in citizens' clothes for volun
teers, and cheered them tremendously.' At the foot of Canal
street there were thousands of ladies congregated — ^the -windows
and roofs of the houses commanding a -view of the pier teem
ing -with crinoHne and female apparel Monahan's band, which
headed the re^ment, here struck up that favorite soldier's air,
' The Girl I left behind me,' which was received -with tremen
dous cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs.
" Arriving on the covered pier, the regiment was marched
on board the Baltic, taking position on the upper deck. Then
came the order, ' AU who are not going to fight, ashore ;' the
last fareweU was hastily spOken ; hands which might never
be clasped again were clasped for a parting shake, and a stamp
for the gang plank foUowed But the vessel saUed not ; and
¦as the quarter-hours succeeded each other, the crowd on the
piers, sheds and contiguous vessels, began to grow impatient
GraduaUy they began to depart, confident that some misman-

OF THE WAR. 45
agement would prevent the sailing of the Baltic for some
hours. StiU. hundreds of people lingered, anxious to wave
their hats after the departing regiment, but their patience was
rapidly becoming exhausted when the announcement came
that the Twelfth regiment was soon expected to arrive. This
brought the multitude back in such numbers that for a time
the efforts of the pohce to keep a passage clear were unavaU-
ing. The ghtter of bayonets was soon seen in Canal street,
and the Twelfth regiment, accompanied by a cheering throng,
approached Arri-ving at the gate leading to the pier at which
the Baltic lay, the regiment halte.d for a quarter of an hour or
more. This delay was improved by hundreds of persons to
engage in conversation -with departing friends, or to add the
last item to their stock of comforts, not to mention luxuries.
Cigars and tobacco were freely distributed among the recruits,
most of whom appeared -with no other uniform than knap
sacks, belts, blankets, and musk'ets. One young man broke
through the line of policemen, and forcibly seizing a young
recrait, attempted to drag him away. The young soldier re
sisted, and the pohce interfered, when it appeared that the re
cruit was the only brother of the one who had seized him, and
the latter contended that his brother was too young to become
a soldier. The patriotic youth would not yield, however, and
so, after, a hasty and affectionate parting -with his weeping bro
ther, he resumed his place in the line, and marched onward.
" The Twelfth was eventuaUy admitted on the pier, when the
cause of the delay was -made kno-wn. The mismanagement
of some person in authority had got the two regiments most
effectually mixed. It was intended that the Twelfth regunent
should saU by the Baltic, and thefr baggage had accordingly
been stowed in the hold of that vessel The Sixth regunent
received orders to -march to the Baltic, and they comphed im
mediately by taking possession of the ship. The consequence
was, that the members of the Twelfth regiment were forced to
dispose -themselves as best they could among -the bales of hay
and other freight on the pier. Many of these soldiers were
worn out -with the fatigue of preparation, and had contemplated

It

46 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
a good rest on shipboard, but in this they were mistaken.
Added to the discomfort of their standing for hours on the
pier, most of them had partaken of an early breakfast, and the
pangs of hunger began to be seriously felt From one o'clock
to four they thus waited, with no place to rest and nothing to
eat, surrounded by a curious and constantly moving crowd,
when an attempt was made to comfort their inner mdividuals
by a supply of food from the stores of the ship. Shoes of
bread and meat were brought, but the demand outrun the
supply, and caused much scrambhng among the recruits.
Much disappointment was felt when it became known that the
steamer Ariel would necessarily receive the Sixth regiment,
and that consequently the soldiers would not leave until after
dark. StUl the crowd would not dispersa With short inter
vals for refreshments, they remained at their posts, and only
dispersed when the steamers were fairly under -weigh.
"The Seventy-first regiment, after marching do-wn Broad
way, turned toward the North Eiver, and went through Albany
street to Pier No. 12. The route was Hned up to this place,
where an immense crowd had gathered, -which increased every
moment As the main part of the regiment were in the act
of embarkatioii, the recruits which brought up the rear be
came the special object of attention from the crowd Most of
them had only muskets, some laeing old and rusty, and none
of the recruits had yet put on the soldier's uniform. Some
wore slouch hats, some ' plug' hats, some roundabouts, some
peajackets, some had Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, and some
looked as if they had recently left the workshop. This im-
promtu appearance of the recruits, who numbered nearly half
of the regiment, gave an aspect of earnestness to the causa
Enthusiasm burst forth in a continuous yell, which did not
subside until the troops had left the streets. After this the
crowd continued to look on until the R. R. Cayler hauled out
into the stream.
" The cheering on board the Cuyhr was frequently respond
ed to by a thousand Ehode Islanders on board the Empire
State. 'The latter arrived in the harbor on Saturday night, and

OF THE WAR. 47
were anchored in the North Eiver, off Jay street Their red
uniforms could be distinctly observed from, the piers, where
hundreds of people gathered as early as the day da-wned
During the day, the Ehode Island Eegimental Band from time
to time played national airs, and at five o'clock the troops were
transferred aboard the steamer Coatzacoalcos, which, until then,
had been getting ready at the foot of Warren street"
What a Sabbath day's spectacle I Yet it was heightened
by the stirring on the wharves and on the water of the trans
ports loading for the South -with the materiel of war, stores,
&c. The press reported as foUows of the steamers under orders
on that day :
" West street witnessed such a scene as -will not probably be
often repeated -within a century. In addition to the: excite
ment caused by the departure of three regiments of New York
troops, the presence of one regiment of Ehode Island troops,
and the arrival in the evening of another regiment of Massa
chusetts troops, the usual quiet of Sunday was encroached
upon by the occasional blo-wing and smoking of at' least a
dozen large ocean steamers, which had been quietly freighted,
and were now gradually waking up their gigantic powers to
depart hence in concert, on a most important mission. A stroU
along West street was sufficient to find out that the following
steamers (and there may have been more) were about to de
part under Government orders :
" The Ariel, Pier No. 3, had steam up, and was making
much noise. She had been taking on provisions and stores
for some days. An inquisitive crowd gathered here at six
o'clock in the morning, and continued throughout the day.
In the aftemoon a squad of Metropolitan PoHcemen were sent
to the spot, to keep order on the arrival of troops from Massa
chusetts by the Fall Eiver steamboat
" At the next pier. No. 4, was the Columbia, the vessel, untU
recently, of the notorious traitor Captain Berry, who, it is said,
is not an American, but an Enghshman,. and a Secessionist
because he is unprincipled She had steam up at 4 p. M.
During Saturday ¦ night workmen were engaged on her aU

48 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
night The Marion was at the same pier ready for departure,
and had steam up at four o'clock.
"The James. Adger was at the stem of the Marion, with
steam up, some people aboard, and also ready for departure,
as it appeared Crowds of people were gathered along these
steamers, and at some places on the decks and rigging of saU-
ing craft in the docks and near by.
" The R. R. Cuyhr which took the Seventy-first regunent
on board, was at pier No. 12. She lay in the stream aft:er
three o'clock.
" Several of MitchiU's Line of Southern steamers, lying at
pier No. 36, have also been chartered The Star of the South,
the Alabama and the Augusta are the ones. They did not
have steam up yesterday, as they were not to depart until
Monday or Tuesday.
" The Coatzacoalcos was at the foot of Warren street, and .
had steam up. She went out to the Empire State at 6 P. M.
The De Soto, one of the New Orleans steamers, at the next pier
south of the. Coatiacoahos, was steaming up -with much noise,
as if about to sail, at 4 P. M.
" The propeUer Chesapeake, of the Savannah line, got stea^j
up yesterday aftemoon, and went out into the stream, but soon
after returned to her berth, where she remained until night
The propeller ParJcersburg, of the same line and pier, had steam
up at the same time.
" The propeller Monticelh, of the Alexandria and Washing
ton line, had steam up and was freighted with large quantities
of war material, such as muskets, brass field pieces of improv
ed manufacture, grape-shot for very large guns, -and large pUes
of boxes and bundles, the- contents of which were unknown.
" Adding considerably to the martial bustle, was the stated
firing of guns from the several transport vessels having troops
on board."
This was but the opening of the Crusade for the restoration
of the Union which followed It was a sublime prelude to a
sublime tragedy — one at which the generation stood aghast,
but one of those which, since the world began, has initiated
all great political and social chariges.

I v^.

THE POETS.

No hi^ory of the Great Struggle -wiU be complete that does
not recur to the part which the poets of the land took in
stirring the popular heart. City and country press teemed
with lyrics and invocations, well calculated to awaken enthu
siasm in the popular cause. The occasion caUed forth many
fine compositions, well worthy of preservation— some of which
-wUl, indeed, find their way into our permanent Hterature.
Patriotism found in the poet-heart a fall and deep response ;
and the future "wUl draw upon the poems of -th^ spring of 1861
when it wpuld refresh its love of country and its faith in the
Eight We give such of the compositions as seem to us to
possess a permanent interest ¦*
This Sonnet, from the pen of WUliam H. Burleigh, gives
admirable expression -to the sense of relief felt by the nation
at the end of the suspense regardmg the course to be pursued
in the crisis :

* Many of the finest contributions were lyrics devoted to special oc
casions, or themes whose interest was but local or temporary. A col
lection of the choicest Lyrics of the War could not fail to be well
received, but it would require a good sized volume to contain them.
Perhaps some " enterprizing publisher" may be found to place such a
volume on his lists, even though it may not pay the profit of a popular
novel. If issued, it should be compiled by an appreciative and fully
competent and unbiassed mind— to find which it will be quite necessary
to choose some other than one of the standing literary providers, who
infest the publishing houses of the metropolis. That class rarely thinks
of looking for merit outside the atmosphere of its own nal-row associar
tions, and warped sense of the beautiful.
B 7

50 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
APRIL 15TH, 1861. §¦
Thank God ! the Free North is awake at last !
"When burning cannon-shot and bursting shell,
As, from the red mouth of some volcan's hell,
Eained on devoted Sumter thick and fast,
The sleep of ages from her eyelids past.
One bound— and lo ! she stands erect and tall,
While Freedom's hosts come trooping to her call,
Like eager warriors to the trumpet's blast !
Wo 1 to the traitors and their robber-horde 1
Wo 1 to the spoilers that pollute the land 1
"When a roused Nation, terrible and grand,
Grasps, in a holy cause, th' avenging sword,
And swears, from Treason's bloody clutch to save
The priceless heritage our fathers gave.
' The " Alarum," by E. H. Stodderd, is a fine poem, brimming
with that terse enthusiasm which characterizes aU true war
lyrics : j»-
MJSN of the North and West,
Wake in your might.
Prepare, as the Rebels have done,
For the fight ;
Tou, cannot shrink from the test,
Rise 1 Men of the North and 'West 1
They have torn down your banner of stars ;
They have trampled the laws ;
They have stifled the freedom they hate,
•For no cause ! ¦ '
Bo you love it, or slavery best ?
Speak I Men of the North and West I
They strike at the life of the State —
Shall the murder be done ?
They cry, " We are two 1" And you I
" We are one .'"
Tou must meet them, then, breast to breast,
On 1 Men of the North and West 1

OF THE WAR. 51
Not -with words — they laugh them to scorn, '
And tears they despise ;
But, with swords in your hands, and death
In your eyes,
Strike home ! leave to God all the rest,
Strike 1 Men of the North and West 1
" A Northern Eally," by John Clancy, is significant Coming,
as it did, from a leading Democratic Editor, of New York City,
who had long supported the cause of the South, it happUy
illustrates the feehng which moved suoh men to action :
Wb'-vb borne too long this Southern -wrong,
That ever sought to shame us ;
The threat and boast, the braggart toast,
" That Southern men would tame us."
We've bent the knee to chivalry,
• Have borne the lie and scorning ;
But now, thank God, our Northern blood
Has roused itself from fawning.
The issue's made, our flag's displayed.
Let he who dare retard it ;
No cowards here grow pale with fear.
For Northem swords now guard it.
The men that won at Lexington
A name and fame in story,
Were patriot sires, who lit the fires
To lead their sons to glory.
Like rushing tide down moimtain side,
The Northern hosts are sweeping ;
Each freeman's breast to meet the test
With patriot blood is leaping.
Now Southern sneer and bullies' leer,
Will find swift vengeance meted ;
For never yet since foemen met
Have Northern men retreated.
United now, no more we'll bow,
Or supplicatCj or reason ;
'Twill be our shame and lasting' bljune
If we consent to treason. ,. ''

62 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Then in the fight our hearts unite,
One purpose move us ever ;
No traitor hand divide our land.
No power our country sever.
Eev. John H Hopkins gave utterance to this tmly patriotic
National Hymn, — ^before, we may say, the rush to arms in
April. It was afterwards submitted to the Committee on
National Hymns, in conjunction -with music, (by C. Jerome
Hopkins). It deserves to be embalmed in the Songs of the
Nation. God save our Fatherland from shore to shore;
God save our Fatherland, one evermore.
No hand shall peril it.
No strife shall sever it.
East, West, and North and South I
M One evermore 1
Ohorus — God save our Fatherland ! true homeof Freedom I
>%¦.. God save our Fatherland, one evermore ;
One in her hills and streams,
One in her glorious dreams.
One in Love's noblest themes —
One evermore !
Strong in the hearts of men, love is thy throne ;
Union and Liberty crown thee alone ;
Nations have sighed for thee ;
Our sires have died for thee ;
We'll all be true to thee— r
All are thine own.
Ohonts — God save our Fatherland, etc.
Ride on proud Ship of State, though tempests lower ;
Ride on in majesty, glorious in power ;
Though fierce tho blast may be.
No wreck shall shatter thee —
Storms shall but bring to thee
Sunshine once more.
Ohorus — God save our Fatherland, etc.
A weU-known lady -writer gave to our hterature this nobly
conceived and finely rhythmed " Invocation." It is oDii .>f
 #-

OF THE WAR. 53
these compositions caUed forth only by moments of great pub-
He excitement, and may be referred to as mdicative of the
strong undercurrent of devotion to country which possessed
even the hearts ofthe women ofthe land:
Oh, mother of a matchless race I
Columbia, hear our cry ; '"
The children nursed in your embrace.
For you will live and die.
We glory in our fathers' deeds,
We love the soil they trod;
Our heritage we will defend
And keep, so help us God 1
Rise, rise ! Oh Patriots, rise 1
Let waiting millions see I
What courage thrills, what faith inspires
The Nation of the Free 1
Hail ! brothers in a -common cause I
True to your birthright stand 1
The Constitution and the Laws
Must know no -Vandal hand.
Let foreign foes invidious gaze.
To see our light expire ;
They'll shrink in awe before the blaze
Of Freedom's deathless fire.
Hark 1 how the hymns of glory swell
Above our fathers' graves I
Th' unfaltering men of Seventy-six
Begot no race of slaves.
The blood that bought our sacred right
Still in their lineage runs ;
No tribute gold, no traitor's might
Shall wrest it from their sons.
Shade of heroic Washington 1
Still guard our Native Land 1
Rebuke, rebuke each wavering one,
Direct each ardent hand 1
Oh, mother of a matchless race 1
Hear our united cry 1
'Tis noble in your cause to live,
And nobler still to die 1
e2

54 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Charles G. Leland gave to the press the foUowing resonant
" Northerner's CaU," set to the weU-know German air, Burschen
herausl Northmen, come out !
Forth unto battle with storm and shout I
Freedom calls you once again.
To flag and fort and tented plain ;
Then come with drum and trump and song.
And raise the war-cry wild and strong :
Northmen, come out 1
Northmen, come out 1
The foe is waiting round about,
" With paixhan, mortar, and petard,
To tender us their Beau-regard ;"
With shot and shrapnell, grape and shell
We'll give them back the Are of heU.
Northmen, come out ;
Northirien, come out 1
Give the pirates a roaring rout ;
Out in your strength and let them know
How Working Men to Work can go.
Out in your might and let them feel
How Mudsills strike when edged -with steel;
Northmen, come out I
Northmen, come out !
Come like your grandsires stem and stout ;
Shough Cotton be of Kingly stock.
Yet royal heads may reach the block,
The Puritan taught it once in pain,
His sons shall teach it once again ;
Northmen, come out I
' Northmen, come out I
Forth into battle -with storm and. shout I
He who lives with victory's blest,
He who dies gains peaceful rest.
Living or dying, let us be
Still vowed to God and liberty 1
Northmen, come out 1
Oliver Wendall Holmes, after the burial of the Massachu-

OF THE WAR. 55
setts dead, MUed by the mob at Baltimore, penned this adju
ration for the hour :
Weave no more silks, ye Lyons looms.
To deck our girls for gay delights I
The crimson flower of battle blooms,
And solemn marches fill the nights.
Weave but the flag whose bars to-day
Drooped heavy o'er our early dead.
And homely garments, coarse and grey.
For orphans that must cam their, bread !
Keep back your tunes, ye viols sweet.
That pour delight from other lands 1
Rouse there the dancer's restless feet —
The trumpet leads our warrior bands.
And ye that wage the war of words
With mystic fame and subtile power.
Go, chatter to the idle birds,
Or teach the lesson of the hour I
Te Sibyl Arts, in one stem knot
Be all your offices combined I
Stand close, while Courage draws the lot.
The destiny of humankind 1
And if that destiny could fail,
The sun should darken in the sky.
The eternal bloom of Nature pale,
And God, and Truth, and Freedom die !
One who had gone to the wars (Albert Bornitz), on his
humble camp couch dreamed of her from whom his hands, not
his soul, was torn. He penned her this passionate " Was it a
Dream?" I sat in her garden (or, was it a dream ?)
At the quiet of night, in the middle of June :
Below, through the lawn, flowed a musical stream,
And above, in the cloudless expanse, hung the moon.

56 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Around us the roses were blushing vidth red,
And the air held the odor of blossom arid bud ;
On my breast (did I dream it ?) was pillowed her head,
And the flame of the roses went into our blood 1
The fire ofthe roses went into our veins.
And the hue of the roses stole over her face 1
And her sighs, faintly heard, were angelic refrains,
As I folded her form in my ardent embrace.
Ah, golden-jhaired darling I proud hazel-eyed queen I
Have I dreamed it ? or was it not audibly sighed,
By a being wliose presence was felt, though unseen,
That our souls were forever and ever allied ?
It may be that I dreamed it : but after the war,
Should the Fates be propitious, the dream may prove true ;
Should I perish in battle — then know that afar,
In a land of romance, I am waiting for you.
There is in this fine poem ah undertone of pathos, which
makes it very touching in its sorrow :
I know the sun shines, and the lilacs are blowing,
And Summer sends kisses by beautiful May —
Oh ! to see all the treasures the Spring is besto-wing,
And think— ^my boy Willie enlisted to-day 1
It seems but a day since at twilight, low humming,
I rocked Tiim to sleep with his cheek upon mine,
"While Bobby, the four-year old, watched for the coming
Of father, adown the street's indistinct line.
It is many a year since my Harry departed,
To come back no more in the twilight or dawn ;
And Robby grew weary of watching, and started
Alone, on the journey his father had gone.
It is many a year — and this afternoon, sitting
At Bobby's old window, I heard the band play,
And suddenly ceased dreaming over my knitting
To recollect Willie is twenty to-day ;
And that, standing beside him this soft May-day morning,
The sun making gold of his -svreathed cigar-smoke,
I saw in his sweet eyes and lips a faint warning,
And choaked down the tears when he eagerly spoke.

OF THE WAR. 57
" Dear mother, you know how those traitors are cro-wing,
They trample the folds of our flag in the dust ;
The boys are all fire ; and they wish I were going — ''
He stopped, but his eyes said, " Oh say if I must 1"
I smiled on the boy, though my heart it seemed breaking:
My eyes filled -with tears, so I turned them away,
And answered him, " Willie, 'tis well you are waking —
Go, act as your father would bid you to-day 1"
I sit in the window and see the flags flying.
And dreamily list to the roll of the drum.
And smother the pain in my heart that is lying,
And bid all the fears in my bosom be dumb.
I shall At ia the window when Summer is lying
Out over the fields, and the honey-bees hum
Lulls the rose at the porch frotn her tremulous sighing,
And watch for the face of my darling to come.
And if he shQuld fall  his young life he has given
For Freedom's sweet sake .... and for me, J will pray
Once more with my Harry and Robby in heaven
To meet the dear boy that enlisted to-day.
The Spirit of scom at treason and high resolve to strike and
spare not, rings out in these stirring stanzas, by Franklin
Lushington. It has in it the clang of the old Eoman's steel
No more words ;
Try it with your swords 1
Try it -with the arms of your bravest and your best I
Tou are proud pf your manhood, now put it to the test :
Not another word ;
Try it by the sword I
No more notes :
Try it by the throats
Of the cannon that will roar till the earth and air be shaken?
For they speak what they mean, and they can not be mistaken;
No more doubt ;
Come — fight it out.
8 . . 

58 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
No child's play 1
Waste not a day ;
Serve out the deadliest weapon you know ;
Let them pitilessly hail in the faces of the foe ;
No blind strife ;
Waste not one life. ¦; . '
Tou that in the front \
Bear the battle's brunt —
Wh^n the sun gleams at dawn on the bayonets abreast.
Remember 'tis for Government and Country you contest ;
For love of all you guard,
Stand and strike hard.
Tou at home that stay.
From danger far away.
Leave not a jot to chance, while you rest in quiet ease ;
Quick 1 forge the bolts of death ; quick! ship them o'er the seas;
If war's feet are lame.
Tours will be the blame.
Tou, my lads, abroad,
" Steady 1" be your word :
Tou, at home, be the anchor of your soldiers young and brave ;
Spare not cost, none is lost, that may strengthen or may save ;
Sloth were sin and shame ;
Now play out the game.
Bayard Taylor thus charmingly worded the incident which
it commemorates, of the 'old soldier of 1812 pleading -with
General Scott for a place in the ranks :
An old and crippled veteran to the War Department came.
He sought the Chief who led him, on many a field of fame —
The Chief who shouted " Forward 1" where'er his banner rose.
And bore his stars in triumph behind the flying foes.
" Have you forgotten. General," the battered soldier cried,
" The days of eighteen hundred twelve, when I was at your side t
Have you forgotten Johnson, that fought at Lundy's Lane ?
'Tis true I'm old, and pensioned, but I want to flght again."
" Have, I forgotten ?" said the Chief: " my brave old soldier. No 1
And here's the hand I gave you then, and let it tell you so ;
But you have done your share, my friend ; you're crippled, old; and grey.
And we have need of younger arms and fresher blood to-day."

OF THE WAR. 59
" But, General I" cried the veteran, a flush upon his brow ;
" The very men who fought with us, they say, are traitors now ;
They've torn the flag of Lundy's Lane, our old red, white, and blue,
And while a drop of blood is left, I'll show that drop is true.
'' I'm not so weak but I can strike, and I've a good old gun
To get the range of traitors' hearts, and pick them, one by one.
Tour Minie rifles and such arms it ain't worth while to try :
I couldn't get the hang o' them, but I'll keep my powder dry 1"
" God bless you, comrade 1" said the Chief—" God bless your loyal
heart 1
But younger men are in the field, and claim to have their part.
They'll plant our sacred banner in each rebellious town.
And woe, henceforth to any hand, that dares to pull it down 1"
" But, General I" — still persisting, the weeping veteran cried ;
" I'm young enough to follow, so long as you're my guide :
And some, you know, must bite the dust, and that, at least, can I ;
So, give the young ones place to iSght, but me a place to die I
" If they should fire on Pickens, let the Colonel in command
Put me upon the rampart, with the flag-staflf in my hand ; •
No odds how hot the cannon-smoke, or how the shells may fly,
I'll hold the Stars and Stripes aloft, and hold them till I die 1
" I'm ready. General, so you let a post to me be given,
'Where Washington can see me, as he looks from highest Heaven,
And say to Putnam at his side, or, may be, General Wayne ;
' There stands old Billy Johnson, that fought at Lundy's Lane 1'
" And when the fight is hottest, before the traitors fly ;
"WTien shell and ball are screeching, and bursting in the sky,
If any shot should hit me, and lay me on my face,
My soill would go to Washington's, and not to Arnold's place 1"
It was chronicled among the incidents Ulustrative of the
spirit which prevaUed at the South, that " a company of Con
federate Horse Guards, at Memphis, lately took a IJnited
States flag and buried it in a grave in the earth, -with appro
priate funeral ceremonies." Some poet adverted to the act in
this poem, which strongly reminds the reader of Mrs. Brown
ing's numbers :

60 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
So you've buried the flag at Memphis ?
How many fathoms deep ?
What seal did you set on the Stars and Stripes ?
And who that grave shall keep ?
Alas for the dead at Memphis !
Mere dust to dust you bear ;
No vision of Life all glorified, *
Of Love grown'heavenly fair —
No radiant dream, -with a Christly sign,
Of the Victor's living palm ;
Of the odorous golden joy that dares
Join Seraphs in their psalm I
Tou never read, in a rich man's cave
The Life of the world lay, slain 1
And the mourning women went to watch,
But found — where he hadlaia.
Come, guess — who roll'd from his cave the rock ?
Who broke great Pilate's seal ?
" While tlie soldiers sleep, and the women weqp.
Base hands the Body steaV
Vain guess for knowledge ! Children dear,
Not Death lay in that cave.
But Living Love ! While the world above
Went wailing — '•'¦Bied to aameP''
Well— judge if Freedom's sacred sign ¦
Can molder under ground,
With the march of a million men o'erhead,
Their banners eagle-crowned ?
From Plymouth Rock to the Golden Gate
A shout goes right and left ;
The aliens' dreamful watch is done —
The sepulcher is cleft.
Weak hands I Heap clay on the Stars of God 1
They never shone before !
They rend the shroud, and they pierce the cloud,
All hail, then, Thirty-Four I

OF THE WAR. 61
Nor should we omit the humor and satire which also flowed
from the pens of those who scorned the traitors' and plun
derers' part Punch came forward, from over the sea^.'with
this terribly bitter — but who shall say inappropriate? —
" National Hymn of the Confederate States" :
¦When first the South, to fury fanned.
Arose and broke the Union's chain, »
This was the Charter, the Charter of the land.
And Mr. Davis sang the strain :
Rule Slaveownia, Slaveownia rules, and raves —
" Christians ever, ever, ever have had slaves."
The Northerns, not so blest as thee,
At Aby Lincoln's foot may fall.
While thou shalt flourish, shalt flourish fierce and free
The whip, that makes the Nigger bawl.
Rule Slaveownia, Slaveownia rules, and raves —
" Christians ever, ever, ever should have slaves."
Thou, dully savage, shalt despise
. Each freeman's argument, or joke ;
Each law that Congress, that Congress thought so wise,
Serves but to light thy pipes for smoke.
Rule Slaveownia, Slaveownia rules, and raves —
" Christians eter, ever, ever must have slaves."
And Trade, that knows no God but gold.
Shall to thy pirate ports repair ;
Blest land, where flesh — where human flesh is sold,
And manly arms may flog that air.
Rule Slaveownia, Slaveownia rules, and raves —
" Chiistians ever, ever, ever should have slaves."

Jefferson- Davis, in his Message at. the opening of the extra
session of the Confederate Congress, 1861, said among other
remarkable things, that aU the South wished was to be let alone.
Some appreciative person, through the Hartford (Conn) Cou-
rant, embodied the Secessionist's wishes in this effusion :
F

g2 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
As vonce I valked by a dismal swamp.
There sot an Old Cove in the dark and damp.
And at everybody that passed that road
A stick or a stone this Old Cove throwed.
And venever he flung his stick or his stone,
He'd set up a song of " Let me alone."
" Let me alone, for I loves to shy
These bits of things at the passers by —
Let me alone, for I've got your tin
And lots of other traps snugly in-
Let me alone, I'm riggin' a boat
To grab votever you've got afloat —
Iri a veek or so I expect' to come
And turn you out of your 'ouse and 'ome —
Pm a quiet Old Cove, says he, with a groan:
All I axes is — Let me alone."
Just then came along, on the self same way,
Another Old Cove, and began for to say —
" Let you alone ! That 's comin' it strong I —
Tou've been let alone — a darned sight too long —
Of all the sarce that ever I heerd I
Put down that stick 1 (Tou may well look skeered I)
. Let go that stone ! If you once show fight,
I'll knock you higher than any kite.
Tou must have a lesson to stop your tricks.
And cure you of shying them stones and sticks,
And I'll have my hardware back, and my cash.
And knock your scow into tarnal smash.
And if ever I catches you 'round my ranch,
I'll string you up to the nearest branch.
The best you can do is to go to bed.
And keep a decent tongue in your head ;
For I reckon before you and I are done,
Tou'U wish you had let honest folks alone,"
The Old Cove' stopped, and the t'other Old Co-ve^
He sot quite still in his cyijress grove,
And he looked at his stick, revolvin' slow,
Vether 'twere safe to shy it or no —
And he grumbled on, in an injured tone,
" All that I axed vos, ht me cdone,^''

OF THE WAR. 63
To the ever-Uving Yankee Doodle the world owes much of
its best humor. Southern dislike of " the Yankees" did not
serve to render the term any the less popular among the loy
alists. Hence we find a large number of songs to the good old
" tune" which were re-echoed among the hiUs of much of the
"sacred soU" bythe Northern troops — so Httle respect had
they for the = prejudices of their enemies ! Early in the cam
paign against rebeUion, the foUo-wing " Suggestions" were made
by G. W. Westbrook :
Tankee Doodle's come again
Among the sons of Gotham —
Not to see the gods and shows,
But to see the facts, and quote 'em.
He heard of South Carolina's boast
That Jonathan was craven —
That Cotton was the king of earth.
And nothing else could save 'em.
But, Tankee Doodle says : " Dear sirs,
Tou know not what's the matter —
Tou see through glasses darkly smoked
With error and tobacker 1
" Tour darkies plough, and hoe, and dig,
To raise -your rice and cotton,
And sugar, too, and cornstalks big,
And many thii^igs forgotten.
" Tou orter know that Tankees make
Tour cotton into muslin.
And thread, and tape, and hosiery,
And ladies' wear quite puzzlin'.
" Besides, they make the canvas sheets
That forms the wings of commerce,
To take your schooners and your fleets
To every harbor on earth.
" They also make the canvas bags,
And send them to the prairies
Of Indiana, Illinois,
As the soil and climate varies.

64 INCIDENTS AND- ANECDOTES
" To hold potatoes, com, and oats,
And wheat, and rye,_ and barley,
And sometimes coal, and ice in boats,
And coverings for the darkey.
" They also take your rice in ships
Built by the Tankee nation —
From Charleston's docks and New Tork slii>s
All over the creation.
" Tour sugar, too, the Tankees take —
Although they tap the maple,
That produces matter saccharine,
And forms a Tankee staple.
"Tobacker, too, the Tankees chew,
And smoke and snuff in plenty —
The ladies, too, if you only knew,
SendTto you by the twenty
" For early fruits and early flowers,
Before the North can raise 'em,
To decorate their lovely bowers.
Their sweethearts to amaze 'em.
, " Then why this strife ? like man and -wife
In a domestic quarrel —
That after all must end with life,
With no unfading laurel ?
" Jonathan's advice, therefore,
Is, peacefully be living.
And kind and true to every one,
Forbearing and forgiving.
" If you refuse to take this hint
Intended for your favor.
We'll show you how the cap and flint •
Will cause you much more labor."
Edward S. Ellis, a popular -writer in the fields of romance,
came out of the regions of fiction to discourse facts in this hu
morous strain :

OF THE WAR. 65
Clergymen are mustering
Members of their flocks,
Satisfied they 're able
To inflict some Knocks :
Editors are gathering.
And the walls of Fame
¦ Soon will Aow their " devil"
"What is in a name.
Every inland steamer,
Every train of cars,
Bring their eager thousands
Going to the wars.
Tailors, clerks, mechanics,
Shoemakers to ioot ;
Teachers tell their " ideas"
Nbw^s the time to shoot !
Bronzed and honest farmers
Say, " We're bound to jin^"
As the hardy fellows
Hasten " into line."
Students, doctors, lawyers,
Make a sight sublime,-
With the shoulder-hittera
" Coming up to time."
Officers and seamen,
Salts and jolly tars,
AU are now enlisting — ¦
Going to the wars.
Timid, tender maiden
Softly gasps " My gracious 1"
As her gallant lover
Swears he'll shoot Jeff Davis.
Proud and doating father.
When he says " My son 1"
Hears his martial progeny
Ans-wer — " of a gun."
Gallant-looking firemen,
In their flannel shirts,
" Beckon they can handle
Them 'ere Southem squirts."

r2 9

66 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Armies from the mountains —
Armies from the hills —
Armies from the workshops-^
Armies from the mills.
Hosts oi freemen rushing
Round the Stkipbs and Staes !
Verily the Southerns .
Will get their full of wars 1
This may suf&ce for our half hour -with the Poets. That it
¦vdll prove a pleasant treat for the reader, we are assured
We have quoted such poems as were avaUable. Many fine
things are necessarily omitted if we would not absorb too much
of our book -with rhymes. The contributions of Mrs. Howe,
Mrs. Whitman, Eose Terry, Miss Proctor, OHver WendaU
Holmes, E. H. Stoddard, George H. Boker, T. B. Eead, Low-
eU, A. J. H. Duganne, Alice Gary, Bayard Taylor, Whittier,
John Neal, Park Benjamin, were very noticeable for their
spirit and strengtL*
* We can but hope that some competent hand will gather and pub
lish them in a volume fitted for popular circulation. A large number .
of the finest poems went without an author's name. These it should be
the duty of the editor to carefully gather, and, if possible, to ascertain
and make known their authorship.

«

EARLY INCIDENTS.
When one of the New York city regiments was marching
to the steamer, a young man, who had risen from a sick bed
to go with his company, fainted in the street A sturdy fellow
stepped from- the crowd on the sidewalk, saying, " Give me his
musket and cartridge-box." They were given to him, and
¦without another word he marched on in the place of the sick
man. In one of the Massachusetts regiments was a young citi2;en
of Maine. He had come from that State to Massachusetts to
¦visit his mother, whom he had not seen for five years, and had
been -with her only an hour, when he was asked if he did not
wish to volunteer. He said his grandfather went to Bunker
HUl on short notice, and he would go nbw ; so he bade his
mother good by, and was gone.
One of the captains of the Massachusetts Sixth regiment
stated that four hundred were refased admittance to the ranks.
" It went agin me," said he, " to leave one fellow beffind
When we told him he could not go — ' I've walked fourteen
mUes,' exclaimed he, ' and given up a situation of a doUar and
a quarter a day just to go, and I think you might take me.'
When I had- to refase," said the Captain, "he sat down and
cried." A Southem merchant -wrote to a large firm in New York,
requesting a Hst of the names of those who supported and
sympathized -with the "movement against the South." The
New Yorker replied" by sending through Adams & Co.'s Ex-
,;^ress, a copy of the " City Directory !"
\ 

68 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
A wealthy Quaker merchant in New York, had in his em
ploy a stout, healthy, able-bodied young man, -without family.
He thought the fellow could serve his country to advantage,
and he accordingly addressed him thus : " WUHam, if it is thy
desire to become a soldier, thou art at Hberty to do so, and thy
salary shaU be continued during thy absence as if thou wert
here ; btit if thou dost not desire to become a soldier and serve
thy counti-y, I no longer require" thy services here." The
young man enlisted
" My spn," said a solid merchant to his heir and namesake,
" I would rather give $1,000 than have you go to Washington
soldiering." " Father," was the kindly but decided response,
" if you could make it $100,000 it would be of no use ; for
where the Seventh regiment goes, I go."
Before the saUing of the Columbia, transport from New York;
a demand was made in the name of the regunent that the
emblematic Palmetto trees on the bow, paddle-boxes, and stem,
should be painted black. The eeremony of obHteration was
performed amid the most unbounded applause of the regiment,
and the citizens on the wharf
The Harmony Society, of Beaver County, Pa, deposited five
thousand doUars in the bank at New Brighton, to the order of
Daniel Agnew, Chairman of the Committee of Safety, for such
gengral purposes as the war movements might requira This
society consists of men of advanced age and peacefiil pursuits
too old for active defense; but they were patriotic,. and deter
mined to do aU that loyal citizens could do for the Govemment
A lady of kno-wn patriotism who had done good service in
se-wing and contributing for the volunteers, visited her country
place in Byberry, near PhUadelphia, when the farmer, in honor
of her arrival, run up a flag upon the barn. Said flag had
been made some years ago for the chUdren, and, to economise
material and stitches, contained but three stripes and a short
dozen of stars. Some of the neighbors beheld the tii-striped

OF THE WAR. 69
colors and at once gave the alarm. In a short time an excited
crowd from aU the country around approached the place, bran
dishing Weapons of every description, threatening to bum do-wn
the buUdings. They took the strange fl'ag to mean secession.
It was promptly removed, and the crowd invited to an extem
pore coUation.
Among other incidents worthy of mention is that of Eode-
rick W. Cameron, a worthy Scotchman, one of the leading
citizens of New York, who was offered a place on the staff of
the brigade in which the Seventy-ninth (Scotch) regiment was
to serve. In answer to the offer he said :
" My Dear Colonel : I am rejoiced to see the prompt ac
tion of the gallant Seventy-ninth.
'^Scotchmen areinvariably true to theiraUegiance. Although
as a subject of Great Britain, I could not accept the flattering
offer tendered to me by your good self, of a staff appointment ;
stUl, there is no reason why a good subject of Great Britain
should not be an acceptable^volunteer to defend the laws and
the flag of this great country. I therefore heartUy tender my
self to serve in the ranks of the Seventy-ninth Highlanders,
and share the dangers of those who wear the tartan of my clan.
1 cannot promSe to be constantly with the regiment, but if
- -danger threatens, I -will endeavor to be present- at the moment
when the first shot is fired.
" All; loyal Britons must feel as I do, that it is for the honor
and- safety of Great Britain "to support their cousins of the
; United States, and to maintain the Stars and Stripes as an em
blem of true freedom on this continent"
It was this gallant Seventy-ninth which Colonel Cameron
(a brother of the then Secretary of War) led to battle, (BuU
Eun;) and, in leading them, perished
The Cincinnati I^mes related a good story of an old fifer
employed at the Mihtary Institiite near Frankfort, Kentucky.
The old feUowhad served in the North-west in the second war
¦with Gjgat Britain, and took- part in the battle of the Thames

70 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and other fights. During the late Secession tornado over
Kentucky, the cadets, affected with the fever, talked pretty
severely against those devoted to the Stars and Stripes. The
old veteran listened, but said nothing. One evening he went
into the room of our informant, and seemed to be in some
thing of a passion. He paced backward and forward, saying
nothing, and refusing to answer aU questions. At last he
pulled out his fife, and, sitting down, sent forth "Yankee
Doodle" -with its .shrillest strains. Then he played "Had
Columbia," and then " The Star-Spangled Banner," whUe the
tears rolled down his aged and weather-beaten cheeks. Con
cluding that, he jumped to his feet, and exclaimed : "Now,
d—n 'em, I guess they knoiu which side I'm on /"
Five sons of one mother volunteered at the first caU' for
troops. The mother was absent from home at the time, and
was informed by letter of the step taken by her sons. Her
reply deserves tb be embalmed in the casket of the Eoman
mother's jewels. It read :
" Mt Dear Husband : Your letter came to hand last even
ing. I must confess I was startled by the news referring to
our boys, and for the moment I felt as though a baU had
pierced my o-wn heart For the first time I was obUged to
look things full in the face. But although I have always
loved my children vdth a love that none but a mother can
know, yet, when I look at the state of my country, I cannot
withhold them ; and in the name of their God, and their mo
ther's God, and their country's God, I bid them go. If I had
ten sons, instead of five, I would give them aU sooner than
have our country rent in fragments. The Constitution must
be sustained at any cost We have a part to act and a duty
to perform, and may God, our father, strengthen us, and nerve
us to the task, and enable us to say. Whatever Thou requirest
that will I cheerfuUy give and do. May He bless and protect
our dear chUdren, and bring them home to us in safety. I
hope you wUl provide them each -with a Bible, and give them
their moth.er's love and blessing, and tell them' ouc, prayers

OF THE WAR. 71
wiU accompany them, and ascend on their behalf night and
day." Colonel Hazard, the great powder manufacturer, -wrote to
Colonel Colt as follows :
" I am informed that the regiment you are so generously
and patrioticaUy arming and fitting out is nearly fuU. May I
be permitted, through you, and in behalf of my company, to
famish them -with powder sufficient for fifty thousand cart
ridges, or as much as you may require for target practice,
which they and you 'wUl please accept from your friend."
Colonel Colt fitted out and fully armed -with his choicest
weapons a complete regiment As early as January, 1861, it
is said, the Colonel gave orders that no arms should be sold
to the South. It has been stated that arms were suppHed to
aU orders up to the breaking out of hostUities, though it is cer
tain that Colonel Colt was thoroughly loyal
A letter from PhUadelphia, dated April 21st, gave this pic
ture of affairs in that city : " Pennsylvania has for once e'cHps-
ed New York ! In this- contest for the prize of self-sacrificing
patriotism which now prevaUs among the States, you can gen
erously afford to listen and acknowledge the fact Pennsyl
vania passed the first thoroughgoing war bUl, authorizing the
Governor to caU out any number of men, and giving $500,000.
New York foUowed 'with $3,000,000 and tMrty thousand men.
This was worthy 0f the great heart of New York. It electri
fied and staggered us — ^we were fairly outdone. But when
Sumter was assaUed we recovered our equiHbrium, and our
Legislature, by unanimous vote — ^the whole Democracy fusing
'with us — pledged the State of Pennsylvania ' to any amount,
and to every extent,' to sustain the Govemment and put down
treason There it stands upon the record, whoUy unsurpassed,
overtopping even glorious New York. Do what others may,
can any devotion to the Union exceed this ? Now this is not
bravado. Our whole population is ablaze with eagemess to
see it realized Our city banks immediately offered all the

72 INCIDENTS, AND ANECDOTES
money Pennsylvania might want Private citizens tendered
money in amounts never before offered, and I do beHeve that
if Government were to offer $100,000,000 of Treasury notes in
Pennsylvania, smaU enough for general circulation, they would
be absorbed in less than thirty days. Our confidence in the
Govemment is firmer than it ever was, and every new deveh
opment of its vigorous pohcy serves to strengthen it Two
such' communities as New-York and Pennsylvania moving
shoulder to shoulder,- seeking to outdo each other in the race .
of devotion to a common country, present a spectacle at which
the world may not. only wonder, but exult, .and before which
treason wUl, ere yet, call upon the mountains to cover it
" On Friday last it was discovered that ten thousand uni
forms for our volimteers must be suppHed by the State, and
orders were at once issued for making them. The empty Gi-
rard House 'was rented, an army of cutters employed, cloth
famished by merchants at mere nominal prices, and. our wo
men, taking fire at the caU, came by thousands to offer their
help to make up. No such sight was ever seen. The large
buUding is- now fiUed with ladies, 'wives of our best citizens,
¦with their daughters, working aU day on coatS' and blankets,
aided by an army of sewing-machines. At least three thou
sand persons, mostly ladies, are now at work, aided by one
hundred cutters. Ladies come from all parts, to'wn and coim-
try, volunteering to take home work, and Chesnut street is
fairly blocked up -with these. patriotic women seeking to do
something for the cause. The work thus goes bravely on.
Another incident of the times is the organization of a body of
some three h'iindred women as nurses, experienced hands, who
intend going with the troops to take care of the sick and
wounded. Most of these are young women in robust health
This same anxiety to aid the cause appears in all the neigh
boring towns. In short, the spectacle of a people so united
has probably never been seen."
The same letter added these incidents of the hour : " The
general enthusiasm breaks forth in a multitude of novel shapes;.
Boys are peddling Union flags mounted on sticks in all our

OFTHEWAR. 73
(lioroughfares, and from their hands they find, their way into
all the neighboring towns, where they hang from window and
doorpost Men walk our streets under umbrellas made of
material printed -with the Stars and Stripes. The first who
showed himself under such a banner was greeted -with cheers
as he moved along. Union parasols of printed silks are com
ing out for the ladies. Four hundred girls in one of our pub
He schools have each contributed stitches in a huge flag, and
raised it on the school-house amid tremendous cheering. The
women are working laboriously for the volunteers and their
femiHes, whom they leave behind them. One lady has smug
gled herself in as a volunteer alongside her husband, dressed
in a suit of his clothes, and passing as his brother. Others,
unmarried, have offered themselves as -dvandiers, to accom
pany the troops. The owners of many smaU houses occupied
by departing volunteers have notified them that they shaU
charge no rent whUe they are absent at the wars, and others
are imitating the example thus set A vast array of names —
some forty thousand — ^has been signed to the pledge of faith
fulness to the Government, drawn up and headed by Horace
Binney. Captain Archambault, an old officer under Napoleon,
has called out the French. citizens to sweU the ranks of the
Garde Lafayette under his command, and they respond heart
Uy. The utmost rivalry prevails among the companies now
ferming as to which shaU be first fiUed DrUling goes on
nightly in at least fifty places. I saw some six hundred vol
unteers marching in one body behind the recruiting officer,
through as drenching a rain as ever feU. The Stock Brokers,
as a body, have unanimously pledged themselves to sustain
the Govemment The Drug Exchange people have donfe the
same thing. Factory hands are every where giving combined
.ejipression to similar sentunenta Men over sixty years old
are presenting themselves as vqlunjpers, and insisting on being
accepted. Merchants and business men, exempt by age from
military duty, have organized a home guard of ten thousand
for city defense. Arms are in great demand, and our manu
factures are as busy as bees. There is a complete cessation
O 10

74 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
of shipments of all kinds of merchandise to the rebel States,
money in hand not tempting our citizens to either feeding or
clothing them. I hear a rumor of a force of five thousand
blacks being organized They offer to raise that number of
men provided a pledge is given them that they -will be march
ed directly do-wn among the rebels. Such a body could be
raised here, and in this neighborhood." .
It may be said, in reference to this last sentence regarding
the blacks, that great numbers of those residing in the North
ern States — large numbers of whom were well-to-do people —
were anxious to serve their country ; but, in no instance dur
ing the war were they called into £eld service. Numbers of
" contrabands" were employed in camp, hospital and laborer
service ; but, throughout aU the war the loyal blacks were not
permitted to take up arms. The reason, doubtless, was, that a
great hue and cry would have been raised by the enemies of
this Govemrnent, here and in Europe, that the negroes were
being let loose to " commit atrocities" upon the South. As if
negroes could rival in atrocity the savages who made drinking
cups of the skuUs of the " Fire Zouaves," and who,brutaUy
scourged, starved, robbed and hung the defenseless Unionists
of Tennessee I When Parson Brownlow, at an early day of
the rebellion, said : " K it shall so happen, in the progress of
affairs, that the authorities of the land shaU give us oux
choice, and submit the same to us as an ultimatum, either to
go to h — or take refage in the Southern Confederacy, we "wiU
claim a week to consider of the matter, and to make up our
mind, as between the two e-vils" — ^he simply showed that he
app^ciated the spirit of maHce and e-vil upon which the whole
movement was founded.
The following is a specimen of the news dealt out to the
Sotithem people. It is» from a New Orleans journal :
". All the Massachusetts troops now in Washington are ne
groes, »with the exception, of two or three drummer-boys.
General Butler, in command, is a native of Liberia.. Our
readers may recollect old Ben, the barber, who kept a shop in

OF THE WAE. 75
Poydras street, and emigrated to Liberia with a smaU compe
tence. General Butier is his son." As General Butler and
some Massachusetts troops had the pleasure of taking posses
sion of New Orleans, the people of that city had an oppor
tunity of testing his " quahty."
When Getieral Butler, in command of the Massachusetts
reginients, landed at Annapolis, Md, some of the authorities
protested against the passage of Massachusetts troops over
Maryland soil ; to which he repHed : " Sir, we came here not as
citizens of Massachusetts, but as citizens of and soldiers of the
United States, -with no intention to invade any State, but to
protect the Capital of our common country from invasion. We
shaU give no cause of offense | but there must be no fugitive
shots or stray bricks on the way."
Butler's troops soon became noted for their general efficiency.
Probably no regiment was called to the field, embodying more
ingenious men than the Massachusetts Eighth. When saUors
were wanted to take the Constitution ("Old Ironsides") out of
danger in Annapolis harbor, fifty -four men stepped from the
ranks. When the railway to the Annapolis junction -with' the
Washington raUway was seized for the transport service of the
Govemment, the only engine was found crippled and useless.
; Butler's caU for machinists was answered by eight excellent
workmen — one of whom had helped to construct that identical
engine. The machine was in running order in two hours'
time. The railway track had been torn up, culverts destroyed,
bridges burned : the men were there to place all in order.
The Sixth Massachusetts regiment — ^the reginient assaUed
by the mob in Baltimore — was chiefly dra-wn from the county
of Middlesex, -which embraces the battle-fields of Bunker's
HUl, Concord and Lexington, and manj of the men were line
al descendants of those who fought on those fields.
In the Fifth Massachjisetts was the Concord company, four

76 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
J*
members. of which were named Buttrick, sons of one man, a
direct descendant from the Colonel Buttrick who gave the
command at Concord bridge : " Fire, fellow soldiers ! for God's
' sake, fire I "
How it sounded, to Northem ears at least, to hear its volun
teers characterised as the lowest scum of society. The Ealeigh
Banner said, in urging the attack on Washington City : " The
army of the South wUl be composed of the best material that
ever yet made up an army ; whUst that of Lincoln wiU be
gathered from the sewers of the cities — ^the degraded, beastly
offscourings of aU quarters of the world, who -wUl serve for pay,
and run away as soon as they can when, danger threatens
them." The Charleston Mercury characterised our troops as
"invading s-wine." And so of almost innumerable papers.
The opinion was so sedulously disseminated that the Northem '
volunteers were a beggarly set of cowards, (see page 40,) that
the only wonder is, Southem "gentlemen" could consent to
take the field against them. The MobUe Advertiser ehhght
ened us in this fashion: " Owr volunteer soldiery is not the
soldiery of necessity — men worth their hundreds of thousands
carry the musket in the ranks. Plenty reigns in our dwellings,
and is gladly abandoned for the privations of the camp. Such
is the materiel 'with which we meet a mercenary pauper sol
diery. Who would doubt the issue when it is man to man?
The creatures of one side, sordid and indifferent, fight for so
much per diem as the alternative of starvation. The men on
the other side fight for rights and hberties, fiUed -with ardor by
the noblest impulses. Let these foes meet in pitched battle,
and the sons of the South will triumph, were the enemy five
to one." Alas ! how their dream dissolved in mist — how their
tune changed before a twelvemonth I
Let us a;ppend, as a comment on the above, the foUo-wmg
pleasing incident from the New York Sun :^-" A taU, splendid-
looking man, dressed in the uniform ofthe AUen Greys, Ver
mont, stood conversing -with a friend on Broadway. He was

l\

OF THE. WAR. 77
entirely unconscious that his superior height was attracting
universal attention, untU a splendid barouche drove up to the
sidewalk, and a young man sprang from it and grasped his
hand, saying, ' You are the most splendid specimen of hu
manity I ever saw. I am a Southemer, but my heart is -with
the Union ; if it were not, such noble-looking feUows as your
self would enlist me in the cause.' The subject of the remark,
although surprised, was perfectly self-possessed, and answered
the cordial greeting of the young Southemer with warm enthu
siasm. He was several inches above six feet, and his noble,
open countenance, beamed with the ancient patriotism of the
Green Mountain Boys, of wjiich he was so fine a specimen.
He had walked fifteen miles from the vUlage of Chittenden to
enlist, and was the only representative of that vUlage ; but he
was a host in himself Long may he Hve to honor our Stars
and Stripes."
In the same company of one of the Ohio regiments, were
sixteen brothers by the name of Finch, all from Dayton, in that
State, though bom in Germany. This remarkable circum
stance — sixteen members of one family in one mUitary com
pany — has not its parallel, we beHeve, in the annals of war.
The Newport Artillery (company F of the First Ehode Is
land regiment) has a most notable history, which was thus
narrated by a good authority : " It is one of the oldest military
organizations in the country. It is an independent company,
and was chartered by the British Cro-wn in 1741. With but
three exceptions since that time (during the Eevolutionary
war, when Nevrport was in possession of English and Hessian
troops) the company has held annual meetings under the
charter and elected officers, who consist of a Colonel and others
connected with a regiment The names of Generals Greene
and Vaughan, of Eevolutionary fame. Commodore Perry, and
other distinguished personages, are among the enrolled mem
bers of the cornpan'y, which number between two and three
thousand since its organization. In their armory, at Newport,
they have an autograph letter from General George Washing-
g2

78 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
ton, vmtten in 1792, thanking them for an mvitation to be
with them at their annual celebration on the 22d of February
of that year, which is handsomely framed Of the fifty-two
active members, forty-seven volunteered then- services for the
defense of the National Capital, when Govemor Sprague tele
graphed to inquire the number of men they could furnish, and
in a few hours the number was increased to one hundred and
thirty-five by recruits.

V^I.

THE HUMOR OF THB HOXTB.
One of the Ohio regiments chose for its chaplain Eev. Gran-
vUle Moody, a well-kno-wn Methodist minister. He refused to
serve except the regiment properly equipped him -with a fuU
fighting costume, "for," said he, "in our persuasion we do not
believe in faith -without works." A good thing is also told of
another " member of the cloth," in Ohio — ^Eev. Mr. Beattie,
of Cleveland Presenting a revolver to a member of the
Seventh (Ohio) regiment, he said : " If you get in a tight spot,
and have to use it, ask God's blessing if you have time, but be
sure and not let your enemy get the start of you. You can say
' Amen /' after you shoot /"
Corporal Tyler, of the Massachusetts Sixth regiment, when
describing his experience in Baltimore, says he saw a man with
three stones under his arm and one in his hand, pelting away
at the troops, when he fired at him, and — to use Mr. Tyler's
own language — " The man dropped the bricks, and laid down."
Southern Illinois was named " Egypt," because of the mul
titude of Southern men who had brought, as residents, igno-

OF THE WAE. 79
ranee, and its concomitant, insolence, along with them. Ddring
the excitement foUo-wing upon the President's caU for troops,
the Southern spirit manifested itself pretty plainly in the lower
section of the Prairie State. The occupation of Cairo by the
Federal forces effectually " squelched" this secession spirit An
old farmer one day said to the Chicago Light ArtUlery, whose
guns made Cairo a terror to Secessionists along the two rivers :
" I teU you what it is, boys, them brass missionaries has con
verted a heap of folks hereabouts that was. on the anxious seat,
and scared some others right into kingdom come /"
A deputation of sixteen Virginians and eight Marylanders
visited the President on the 21st bf AprU, and demanded a
cessation of hostihties until after the session of Congress ! Mr.
Lincoln, of course, declined the proposition, One of the depu
tation said,, that 75,000 Marylanders -would contest the passage
of troops over her soU ; to which the President replied, that he
presumed there was room enough on her soil to bury 75,000
men. This is grim humor, but a fine instance of dignified
retaliation to threat
The Charleston Mercury relagated its readers -with these tales
of the Fire Zouaves — a regunent which stmck more real terror
to the Southern heart than any other brought into the service
during the entire war.
" The first inquu-y made by the Fire Zouaves on landing at
Washington, was, -with grave-faced earnestness, •" Can you teU
us where Jefferson Davis is? we're lookin' for him." "Yes,"
said another, "we're bound to hang -his scalp m the White
House before we' go back." Another one, whose massive un-
derjaw and breadth of neck 'indicated him 'some in a plug
muss,' remarked, that they had expected to have arrived by
way of Baltimore. " We would have come through Baltimore
Hke a dose of salts," he added, with an air of disappointment
One of them' beckoned a citizen, confidentially, to his side, and
inquired " Is there any secession flags about here ?" He was
assured that secession bunting was an article that did not pre-
vaU there. He nodded, and added, " I only wanted to know.

80 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" On coming do-wn the Avenue, the- Franklin Fire Company
reel passed them at a sharp run, on its way to a fire ; and the
famUiar apparatus'was saluted -with such a yeU of recognition
along the entire Hne, as must have fairly astonished the staid
old reel
" Somebody remarked to one of the b'hoys, that his hair was
cut rayther short. " Oh, yes," was th'e reply, " we aU had our
heads jUed before we left New York" They aU look like'
fighting boys ; but one company seems to have a special pres-'
tige that way. " If there's any mischief done, lay it onto
Company 68," seemed to be a pet phrase amongst the b'hoys,^
" Some of the Zouaves, in emerging' from their quarters (Co
lumbian Market buUding) this morning, disdaining the tedious,
common-place mode of exit by the stairway, let themselves
down to the street from the third story by a rope, Hke so many
monkeys." . /
" One blank cartridge, hereafter. Captain, -wiU be sufficient ;
that being given, you can fire -with baU ; ammunition is just
now rather expensive," said General Lyon to one of his cap-.
tains, after four blank shots had been fired to bring about a
steamboat that was passing the arsenal at St Louis, -without
answering the summons of the river guard
This, from " Secessia," will bear repeating. The New Or
leans authorities seized a ship caUed American Union. The
telegraph operators were somewhat confounded when the cap
tain (Lincoln) called on them to send a dispatch of this nature :
" W. V. 0. Moses, Bath — American Union in the hands of
the enemy. (Signed) "A LINCOLN, Master."
The Crescent says the operator would not let it go. " Why
not ?" says the red-haired captain. Operator replies, " The
Govemor must countersign it" The captain inquires, " Where
is the Governor?" " On Canal street, at his office," replies
the operator. Off goes the captain to Governor Moore, pre
sents the dispatch, who was taken aU aback, and so much

OF THE WAR.

\ 81

amused, that the American Union, Captain Lincoln, "was in
the hands of the enemy," that he permitted the dispatch to go,
saying, -with a smUe, to the Captain, that it would be so by-
and-by. Nobody persecuted the South more than George D. Prentice,
editor of the LouisvUle (Kentucky) Journal. His words of
satire, daggers of derision, lightnings of lampoon, and -wither
ing storms of wit, did more outrage upon the feehngs of the
rebels than a dozen battles lost to them. In the earher stages
of rebelHon, his paper fairly scintiUated with the flashes of its
keen-cutting , though in-visible, weapons. We here quote a
few paragraphs by. way of Ulustration :
It -will be a hard fight, and perhaps about an even one be
tween the United States and the Confederate States. The
former has t-wice as many men and five times as much money
as the latter, but the latter has Colonel Blanton Duncan. The
thing is about even, we guess. *
The Mobile Register recommends the Secessionists to seU
their watehes. They might as well — ^have been behind the
time, for a long while, by several centuries.' If they wait a
Httle, however, the United Std,tes wUl furnish them with
" regiUators." Some people kick a little at the Morrill tariff. This is
smaU business, just now, when the rebels and then- abettors
are kicking over the moral tariff, in the face of aU Christendom.
Something the enemy wUl not be Hkely to' do— Go Scott-
free. A Northem editor caUs Virginia " the seat of war and the
seat of honor." He is making a butt of her.
A man upwards of fifty years of age has sent us a commu
nication, insisting upon Kentucky's plunging into the war.
We can understand why these old codgers are so anxious for
hostilities. They know that their age would protect them from
service, whilst we young fellows would have to do aU the
fightinig. The North CaroHna Sentinel says that a mUitary company,
11

82 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
just organized in its town, has "elected Mr. Wmg, Captain,
and Mr. Head, First Lieutenant" That company is Hke a
sleeping hen — ^it has its Head under its Wing.
The prevalence of patriotism at the North, in its entire ig
noring of partizanship and politics, suggests the coining of a
new word for its proper expression, -viz. : — Unionimity.
Who -wants a better " National Him" than General Scott ?
University op Virginia, May 17th, 1861.
Prentice — Stop my paper. I can't afford to read abbolition
journals these times — the atmosphere of old Virginia -wiU not
admit of such a filthy- sheet as yours has grown to be.
Yours, etc., ' GEOEGB LAKE.
To Editors of Louis-ville Journal. .
Lake ! — I think it a great pity that a young man should go
to a University to graduate a traitor and a blackguard — and
so ignorant as to speU abolition with two " b's." G. D. P.
The Charleston Mercury calls the Yankee troops, now threat
ening the South, " tin peddlers." It is 'tme that the Yankees
have, generally, in their visits South, peddled tin, but we guess
they mean to peddle lead this time.
The man who, to make a show of chivalry, would wantonly
provoke a war, the horrors of which must faU upon his -wife
and chUdren, is unworthy to have wife, and chUdren.
If any man scratched a name from our noble ticket on Sat
urday, we hope that his wife (if any woman has the hard luck
to be his wife) scratched his face when he went to tea.
Some fellows are getting to call every man who is for the
Union, an Abolitionist: We have only to "say that any man
who applies that term to us is a base liar. We mean this for
any " chivalrous" son of the South who -wishes to make his
words good.
Mr. Yancey has not been publicly received by the British
Ministry, yet he seems to have succeeded in getting its private-
ear— (jsmaieer. )
HuSphreys county, Tennessee, is a fighting district A
NashviUe paper would have us beHeve that seven hundred
recruits came from it to join the Secession army, and when the

OP THE WAE. 83
•
last company left, they had to tie the old men to keep them from
going ; and that the women in that county, even, are ready now
to volunteer in the service of the Confederate States. This is
the first time we ever heard of a Tennessee woman offering to
serve in a bad cause.
Some -wretch proposes, as a great peace measure, that all the
lawyers, in the country go off to the war.
Why is the Union like a crab-apple ? Because to be worth
ainything, it must be preserved
A Norfolk paper says : " WhUe the ladies of this city were
recently gathered in cutting out drawers for the soldiers, it ap
peared that after their labor was concluded, cloth was left for
just one leg of the same. The question being raised as to
what should be done with this, one of the number promptly
responded, ' Oh, that wUl do for use, after they get back.' "
AU very good — as far as it goes. But as the Yankees don't
mean to leave any legs on the Southem soldiers who get in
their way, the ladies of Norfolk wiU have to keep that one
leg of a drawer to remind them of what was. It wiU be their
only leg-i-see.
The Confederates propose to remove their capital to Eich-
mond. As this consists of stocks, bonds and treasury notes,
the Montgomery people wUl be a Httle poorer and the Eich-
mond people little the richer by this removal of the deposits.
The only letters the Secessionists will have after the 31st
instant, are their letters of marque— which are Hkely to prove
dead letters to those who take them out
It is said that'the gambling saloons in Washington are lan
guishing for want of business. The patriotic excitement in
the city has been the ruin of faro, and " the board of green
cloth" has adjourned sine die. All it has to do is to go after
its fiiends and emigrate to — Eichmond !
The following rather remarkable story -will do to go -with
that mentioned above, of sixteen brothers enhsting in one
company. Though sounding somewhat fabulous, w% are as
sured of its trath. The New York Evening Post related :
" Before the departure of the Fourteenth New York regiment,

84 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
a man who carried on a blacksmith shop in connectioii -with
two of his sons, went to the head-quarters and concluded to
enlist He said that he could leave the blacksmith business
in the hands of the boys — ' he couldn't stand it any longer,
and go he must' He was enlisted
"Next day do-wn comes the oldest of the boys. The black
smith's business 'wasn't very dri-vin', and he guessed John
could take care of it' ' Well,' said the old man, ' Go it' And
the oldest son went it But the foUo-wing day John made his
appearance. He 'felt lonesome, and had shut up the shop.
The father remonstrated, but the boy would enlist, and enHst
he did Now the old gentleman had two more sons who
' worked the farm' near Flushing, Long Island The military
fever seems to have run in the famUy, for no sooner had the
father and two elder brothers enlisted, than the younger sons
came in for a like purpose. The pater-familias was a m^n of
few words, but he said that he 'wouldn't stand this anyhow.'
The blacksmith business might go to — some other place, but
the farm must be looked after. So. the boys were sent home.
Presently one of them reappeared They had concluded that
one could manage the farm, and had tossed up who should go
with the Fourteenth, and he had won the chance.
" This arrangement was finally agreed to. But on the day
of departure the last boy of the family was on hand to join
and on foot for marching. The old man was somewhat puz
zled to know what arrangement could have been made which
would allow aU of the famUy to go, but the explanation of the
boy solved the difficiUty : ' Father,' said he, -with a confiden
tial chuckle in the old man's ear : ^ I've let ihe farm on shares!'
The whole famUy — father and four sons — went with the regi
ment" At Bangor, Me., a young man offered himself as a recruit at
one of the offices in that city, who, e-vidently being a minor,
was asked if he had his father's permission to volunteer. He
repHed that he had no father; but admitted that his mother
was not willing. " Then you must get your mother's consent,"

OF THE WAR. 85
said the officer. The young man retired, and returned -with
the following brief but noble letter : — " He is my all, but I free
ly give him to my country I"
An Indiana man, -with hair whitened by age, apphed for
admission to the ranks. He was rejected, o-wing to his evident
age. Eepairing to a barber's he had his hair and beard color
ed black, and again apphed. The metamorphosis was so
¦ complete that he "passed" When asked his age he repHed :
"rising of thirty-five."

"\ril.

THE SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH.
A BRIEF section -wUl not be uninteresting which will show
to the reader the spfrit moving the Southern heart m the con
flict with the North; It is by knowing the hidden springs of
a man's actions that we are best able to judge him : so of a
state, or a country :— by knowing the animus of its people we
are aU the better prepared to consider the justice or injustice
of its cause.
The rebeUion sprung from a spirit of dishonor. It originated
in no "wrongs" committed by the North; the North, as the
dominant section, had rather sacrificed its own feelings and
self-respect to ?issist the South to place and prosperity. From
the date of the first purchases of territory to add to the area
of Slavery and its political power, the South had experienced
only a constant succession of benefits from the General Gov
emment The great, oft repeated complaints of the non-en
forcement of the Fugitive Slave law, was shown, over and over
H

86 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
again, to be most trifling.* The election of a " sectional" Pre
sident was entirely and solely o-wing to the fact that the
Southem malcontents ran Breckenridge against Douglas. The
united. vote for these two Democrats would have defeated Mr.
Lincoln by over three hundred and fifty thousand votes ! And,
all they (the Democrats) had to do to elect their man, was to
run but one candidate at the next election. Besides this, they
first set the example of electing a purely " sectional" ticket —
Jackson and Calhoun as President and Vice President on the
ticket of 1831, beirfg both Southern men. The asseveration
of the existence of an inimical feeling at the North against 'the
South, was sho-wn to be unfounded in fact; the combined
Democratic and Bell-Everett tickets poUed -within one hundred
#iousand as many votes, in the Free States alone, as were given
(in the same States) to the Lincoln ticket.
What, then, was the cause of the secession rebelHon ? It
originated in what the Western men caU a spirit of "pure
cussedness" — in the ambition of a few daring, resolute men to
found a new government, in which they should be the master
' spirits — ^to engraft the idea of property in man upon the or
ganic law of such Government^ and thus nationalize Slavery.
If other causes existed they were such as only would serve to
strengthen the judgment of mankind, that it was one of the
most wicked attempts against a good government that the -world
ever saw.
The spirit fostered by the conspirators was one of Evil
Their game depended for its success lipon the complete ahena-
tion of the South from the North, and, in the place of respect,
to plant the seeds of dislike. The .press — that great engine
for evU or for good — in the Cotton States was suborned, bul
lied, bought or cajoled into a support of the schemes for a new
confederacy ; and, once on the_ side of the conspiracy, it lent
* See the speeches of Mr. Douglas and of George E. Pugh, United
States Senator from Ohio, (a Breckenridge Democrat,) in the U. S. Sen
ate, Dec. 11, '60.
t See the Exposition of the Southern Constitution made by the Vice-
President of the Confederate States at Savannah, March 33d, 1861.

OF.THEWAE. 87
its energies to a dissemination of the most shocking falsehoods
which human depravity could conceiva By these falsehoods
the masses of the South were led astray, and kept ignorant of
the most -vital facts. They were excitedinto a violent hate of
everything appertaining to the North; and, when the hour
came for the shock of battle, the leaders found themselves at
the head of a people swayed by passions whose malignancy
were only excelled by their baseness. Does this seem a strong
statement of the case? Alas! that the page of history is
darkened by a record which proves aU we have asserted and
more than we care to assert.
[A leading journaHst — a Democrat — who had candor enough
to express his sentiments on the relations so long existing be
tween his party and the aristocrats of the South, wrote (Mav
15th) : " Southem people misunderstand us, and in fact de
spise us, in so -vdtal a particular that we are not fit to live to
gether untU both are forced to mutual respect They actually
look upon us, in regard to courage, as little better than so many
Chinamen or Sepoys, and the secret of this whole rebellion is,
not any new endangerment of Slavery, but the revolt of a set
of barons, who for thirty years have encouraged themselves to
believe they are of a superior race, and fancied they had hit
upon a proper period to withdraw and prove it Though es
sentially aristocratical in all their sentiments and institutions,
they had maintained an alliance with the Democratic party,
because they had certain commercial principles in common,
but they promptly sacrificed that party as soon as' their -mista
ken pride had culminated, and left it captive in the hands of
the Eepublicans. It was some time before the Democracy
could understand the philosophy of this action by its aristo
cratic ally ; but the depth of the desertion broke' upon it in
the acknowledgments of such men as Yancey, Keitt and Ehett,
while the recently-developed' predictions of statesmen like
Calhoun, enabled it to realize the uses to which it had been
put The ifcsult is that the indignant Democratic party now
stands foremost in this war, and seeks a fresh ascendancy by
new devotion to the nation. It will not be hasty to form new

88 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
alliances 'with a party which acknowledges that aU its tenden
cies are aristocratical, and whose main maxim, as uttered by
one of its leading statesmen, is, that ' all labor is dangerous.' "
This statement of the case is so eminently just that we are
impelled to give it place.
The first essay of the leaders was to rob and steal from the
Government all that it was ppssibie to appropriate. In Mr.
Buchanan's cabinet one of the conspirators was placed at the
head of the Treasury Department He took the keys to find
a treasury so over full as to render it burdensome ; he left it
utterly depleted and the country's credit almost ruined " on
change." His part of the enterprise appears to have been so
far to bankrupt the Govemment finances as to render the in
coming Administration powerless to punish treason or to stay
the revolution. Another conspirator was Secretary of War.
His office in the enterprise was to fill aU the arsenals in the .
South with arms and munitions, to stock aU the forts 'with
ordnance and supplies, and to send away aU their garrisons
and guards. How well he performed his part is apparent in
the sobriquet by which he is now known — " Floyd, the Prince
of thieves." i
When the moment came to " spring the trap," these wor
thies withdrew from their dishonored places to receive the
acclaims of their fellow-conspirators. A general ''seizure"
followed of everything which a confiding Government had
permitted to remain in the rebelHous sections — arms, muni
tions, money, military property, buildings, &c. These " seiz
ures" honorable men termed thefts or highway robberies : the
Secessionists called them " captures" or " appropriations."
The moral turpitude of the acts only indicated the baseness of
" the cause," and the baseness of the cause only reflected the
degeneracy of the people who approved of the secession
revolution. A general repudiation of debts due to Northem creditors
followed The North, with astonishing liberality, had trusted
the South for goods, for n^achinery, for provisions — had buUt
Southern railways and canals— had stocked their marts -with

OF THE WAE. 89
capital ready for any want of the planter or real estate opera
tor. As a consequence the South became an enormous debtor
— o'wing over sixty millions of dollars to New York city alone,
which came due in the year 1861. To repudiate was an easy
way, with dishonorable men, to discharge an honorable obH-
gatioh ; and that Legislatures forbade the coUection of debts
due to the North through the State Courts, was only another
crime to add to the category of sins which are now scheduled
under the name of secession.
It was so natural to abuse those whom they had injured,
that we are not surprised to find the Cotton States, in 1861,
fairly sHppery 'with falsehood and misrepresentation. With a
few honorable exceptions — exceptions which stand Hke green
! spots out of that Dismal Swamp of demoralization — ^the press
adopted a system of paragraphing, whose first and last prin
ciple was to misinform their readers — ^to o-yerrate their own
importance and strength and to underrate that of " their ene
my" — to deceive and betray. A first impulse of men base
enough to act the part performed by the Secessionists would
be to contemn, and affect to despise, those whose favors they
had fattehed upon. Such paragraphs as that quoted on page
40 foUowed fast in the van of events, as if to pUot the South
in the way it should not go. A few more extracts -wiU suffice
to convince the most incredulous, of the base part played by
the press in exciting the baser passions of Southem human
nature. A gentleman of Richmond, Va., was in New Tork. The scenes which
he witnessed in the streets reminded him of the descriptions of the
Reign of Terror in Paris. Nothing was wanting but the bloody guillo
tine to make the two pictures identical. The violent and diabolical
'temper everywhere conspicuous, sho-wing but too clearly whither all
things are tending in the commercial metropolis. A spirit is evoked
which can only be laid in blood. The desperadoes of that great city
are now in the ascendant. — Bichmond Whig.
The tremendous outburst of ferocity that we witness in the Northern
States, is simply the repetition of one of the most common traits of
their national character. It is the fashion of the day, the humbug of
the hour, and it will cease as suddenly as it has commenced. Like
straw on fire, the periodical sensations of the North make a great flame,
h2 12

90 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
but to sink to the ashes and the dust of indifference as s-vriftly as they
STpra.ng.—.'Bichmond Bxa/mmer.
When the Commonwealth of Rome was subverted, the people were
compelled to worship the image of the despots whom the brute force
of the mercenary soldiery had elevated to brief authority. So it seems
the Black Republican mobs of the Northern cities compel the people to
worship striped rags as evidence of their obeisance to the Abolition
despots who now desecrate the seats of power in the Federal city. —
Chairleaton News.
The Richmond Whig says that the last reliable intelligence represents
that Old Abe had been beastly intoxicated for the previous thirty-six
consecutive hours, and that eighty Border Ruffians, from Kansas, under
the command of Lane, occupied the East Room to guard His Majesty's
slumbers. It is broadly hinted in a Washington paper, that his guard
exerts a despotic control over the Presidential inmate^that all his de
crees are of its inspiration. The paper (TAe States and Union) then
proceeds to shed a becoming quantity of tears over this " sad subject
for contemplation."— JV. 0. Sunday Belta.
General Scott, it seems, has taken position against his native State.
It is a sight to see the drivelling old fop, with his skinny hands and
bony fingers, undo, at one dash, the labors of a long and active life.
With the red-hot pencil of infamy, he has written upon his wrinkled
brow the terrible, damning word, " Traitor." — Abingdon (.Va!) Bemoerat.
It was, no doubt, the profound policy of Lincoln and his. faction to
throw the operatives of the North out of employ, to secure the recruits
for the army of coercion. Starvation produces a certain sort of valor,
and a hungry belly may stimulate patriotism to a kind of courage which,
on a good feed, will risk the encounter with a bullet It appears that
the Lincoln recruits from Massachusetts, at Baltimore, were in large
proportion cobblers. The revolution seems to have affected their craft
more than any other, according to some of the accounts ; their vocation
gave them admirable facilities in the fight, especially in running ; they
used their footing expeditiously, and took a free fiight with their soks
(souls)— not one of them apparently being anxious, under the fire of
Baltimore brickbats, to see his last. — Charleston Mercury. '
Massachusetts, the telegraph so reports, is all alive with the war
spirit Those who know these Puritan fanatics will never believe that
they intend to take the field against Southem men. They may muster
into service to garrison posts comparatively free from, attack, and when
they can be sheltered within impregnable walls, but the hereafter will
have little to tell of their deeds in the tented field, or the " imminent
deadly breach."— iVka Orleans BuUetin.

"VIII.

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND TRAGEDY.
The movement forward, early in the morning of May 24th,
1861, of the Union army, was the first definite step toward
meeting the enemy. General Scott's plans were only known to
the President and Cabinet, whose confidence he ha;d, in an
eminent degree. A journal weU versed in matters, said, (May
15th) : " General Scott is about to remodel the United States
army upon the French system, so as to give it more efficiency
and perfection." The old hero works with astonishing zeal,
and his mind operates as actively as many a man at fifty-five.
It is undoubted that he contemplates a long campaign, that
Washington is to be the base of operations, that a large force
wUl be kept permanently stationed here, and that aU demon
strations in support of the loyal men in the South, and in
ftirtherance ofthe determination to retake stolen property, wUl
move from this point Some complainte are made because an
expedition has not already been sent into Virginia, for the
purpose of capturing Eichmond; but I am disposed to repose
my tmst entfrely upon the experience and patriotism of
' General Scott He is heartily sustained by the Presidentand
Messrs. Chase, Cameron, Seward, and the rest of the Cabinet,
although it is not doubted that Postmaster-General Judge Blaur
favors a more extreme and aggressive pohcy."
The gathering of troops at the Capital argued something
more than its defense. With approaches aU open and com-^
manding positions- unoccupied by Federal forces, the mere_ re
tention of the city would have been to insure its destruction

92 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
for the enemy's artUlery on Arlington Heights would have laid
the Capital itself in ruins. The safety of the city depended
on an advance. But, more than the protective policy it was
e-yident was required The fact became daUy clearer that, if
the Union was sustained it must be done vi et armis ; if rebel
Hon would be crushed and treason punished, it would be done
only by a campaign in the heart of the rebellious region ; if
the Southern madmen were stayed in their designs, it would
be necessary to meet them, on land and sea, with the fuUest
terrors of the outraged Govemment No one comprehended
this more fully than the President and the venerable General-
in-Chief; and we find their plans weU developed, by May 20th,
for an active prosecution of the war.
It became evident at Washington, on the 23d of May, that
some important movement was contemplated — ^that, in fact,
Virginia was to be "invaded" The note of preparation was
sounded throughout the camps on the aftemoon of that day,
though the officers were ignorant of the extent of the service
to be performed. At midnight, the District MUitia, six com
panies, moved forward as scouts and pickets, over the. Long
Bridge. They were first on the " sacred soU." The New York
Seventh was detaUed as the reserve, and, forming Hue near the
bridge, saw the whole forces, under General. Mansfield, pass
over, before it brought up the rear. The New York Twelfth
and Twenty-fifth, the First Michigan, and the First, Second,
Third and Fourth New Jersey, passed over Long Bridge be
tween two and four o'clock A. M. — -the Seventh crossing at day
break. Above, at the Chain Bridge, McDowell's forces passed
over, at the same time, comprised of the New York Sixty-
ninth and Twenty-eighth, -with Drummond's cavalry and a
battery. This detachment took possession of Arlington
Heights, and immediately commenced the work of constructing
defences. The New York Fire Zouaves (Colonel EUsworth)
moved down by transports to Alexandria, landing, at five
o'clock, under the guns of the Pawnee. The First Michigan,
(Colonel Wilcox) moved down from the Long Bridge to co
operate -with the Zouaves in the occupancy of Alexandria.

OP THE WAR. 93
The New York Twelfbh took position about half-way between
the two points. The Twenty-fifth advanced toward Falls
Church. The Seventh held Long Bridge. The moming of
the 24th- found Virginia in possession of the " hirehng mob,"
who had thus made their first step toward the work of
" coercion." No enemy opposed the invasion — contrary to aU expecta
tion. General Scott, in person, was at the bridge to be pre
pared for any emergency which might arise, but was not caUed
to tiie field Generals Mansfield- and McDowell only found
pickets far in advance of their lines in the moming.
This step excited the country greatly, for the moment The
Confederates fairly shrieked in their imprecations ; and their
vows of a summary revenge were neither few nor made in the
most ci-vilized spirit of modem warfare. We quote from the
Enquirer of Eichmond, as a specimen of the rhetoric excited
by the Federal act :
" We congratulate the people bf Virginia that the last flimsy
pretext of the Eump Govemment at Washington, of regard
for constitutional laws, has been thrown aside. The sovereign
State of Virginia has been invaded by the Federal hirelings,
without authority of Congress, which alone has the war-making
power. Heretofore, the pretense that it was the duty of the-
-Federal Government to repossess itself of the forts and arsenals
in the Seceded States, has been put forward to. "justify the ag-
gressi-^e movements of. Federal troops. But in the present
case there is no such pretense ; no forts, or arsenals, or other
Federal property have been seized at Alexandria. The
' bloody and bmtal' purposes of the Abolitionists, to subju
gate and exterminate the Southem people, stands confessed by
this flagrant outrage upon Virginia soU.
" Virginians, arise in your strength and welcome the invader
with '.bloody hands to hospitable graves,' The .sacred soU
of Virginia, in which repose the ashes' of so many of the Ulus-
trious patriots who gave independence to their country, has
been desecrated by the hostUe tread of an armed enemy, who
proclauns his malignant hatred of Virginia because she wiU

94 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
not bow her prpud neck to the humUiating yoke of Yankee
rule. Meet the invader at the threshold Welcome him with
bayonet and buUet Swear eternal hatred of a treacherous
foe' whose only hope of safety is in your defeat and subjection."
But the occupation was not bloodless. Our country lost
one of its most promising officers. Colonel Elmer EUsworth^
of the New York Fire Zouaves, fell by the hand of an assassin
while in the performance of his dufy at Alexandria.
Colonel EUsworth was, in many respects, a remarkable per
son. His regiment of Zouaves were remarkable men. Both
officers and men had been counted upon for extraordinary ser-
"vice from the known abUity of the commander and the kno-wn
courage and endurance of the entire regiment A New York
city journal said of him :
"It is about a month since^a young man of soldierly bear
ing, of an unusually fine physique, of frank and attractive
manners, and of great intelligence, caUed on us on the day of
his arrival from Washington^ to state his wishes and purposes,
in relation to raising a regiment among the New York firemen
A fortnight later we saw him on his way to embark for Wash
ington at the head of his men, and escorted by the most im
posing procession this city has ever witnessed This man was
¦ Colonel Ellsworth of the Firemen Zouaves. ' I want,' he said,
' the New York firemen, for there are no more effective men
in the country, and none with whom I can do so mucL They
are sleeping on a volcano at Washington,' he added, ,'and I
want men who can go into a fight now.' The impression he
made upon us was that of a fearless, gaUantand energetic man,
one pf those possessed of the qualities that distinguish those
who have them as soldiers, and of powers that especiall^fit
them to be leaders among men In him we think the country
has lost a very valuable Hfe."
' The Zouaves gathered at his caU with alacrity ; two regi
ments could have been "made up immediately from the firemen
of New York city, had they been wanted. A short time suf
ficed to place the commander at the head of his men In
twenty days from the date of his first appearance in New York

OF THE WAR. 95
he was in Washington (May 2d) -with one thousand of as brave
and reckless men as ever walked the field They only required
to be ruled with a firm hand and led by a fearless heart to
perform great service. In EUsworth they at once had a leader
whom they idolized and a ruler whom they obeyed with alac
rity, for out of their -wUd natures he promised to coin heroes
whom the country would love to honor.
The regiment was chosen for the first forward movement in
expectation of hard work. Theirs were spirits too eager for
action, too accustomed to excitement, to bear the dead hfe of a
camp. " Onward to Eichmond 1" became thejr cry. The
troops broke up camp at two o'clock A. M., and passed do-wn
to Alexandria by transports. So utterly unexpected had the
movements been conducted, that the Virginia people were
completely taken by surprise, and no opposition was* offered
at any point Had the design of General Scott been betrayed,
it is probable the rebels would have stubbornly opposed the
descent and occupation. The Zouaves landed at Alexandria
unopposed The tragedy of Ellsworth's death soon followed
One who was present and witnessed the assassination, thus
detaUed its circumstances :
" The Colonel gave some rapid directions for the interrup
tion of the raUway course, by displacing a few rails near the-
depot, and then turned toward the centre of the town, to de
stroy the means of communication southward by the telegraph ;
a measure which he appeared to regard as very seriously im-
'portant He was accompanied by Mr. H. J. Winser, Mihtary
^' Secretary to the regiment ; the Chaplain, the Eev. B. W.
D^dge ; and myself. At first he summoned no guard to fol
low him, but afterwards turned and called forward a single
squad, with a sergeant from the first company. We passed
quickly through the streets, meeting a few bewUdered travel
lers issuing from the principal hotel, which seeme4 to be slow
ly coming to its daily senses, and were about to tum toward
¦ the telegraph office, when the Colonel, first of aU, caught sight
of the secession flag, which has so long swung insolently in
foU view of the President's House. He immediately sent

96 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
back the sergeant, with an order for the advance "of the entire
first company, and, leaving the matter of the telegraph office
for a whUe, pushed on to the hotel, which proved to be the
' MarshaU House,' a second-class inn. On entering the open
door the Colonel met a man in his shirt and trowsers, of whom
he demanded what sort of flag it- was that hung abjove the
roof. The stranger, who seemed greatly alarmed, declared he
knew nothing of it, that he was only a boarder there. With
out questioning him further the Colonel sprang up stairs, and
we aU followed to the topmost story, whence, by means of a
ladder, he clambered to the roof, cut do-wn the flag -with Wm-
ser's knife, and brought it from its staff. We at once tumed
to descend, private: BrowneU leading the way, and Colonel
Ellsworth immediately foUo-wing him with the flag. As Brow
neU teached the first landing-place, or entry, after a descent of
a doggn steps, a man jumped from a dark passage, and hardly
noticing the private, leveUed a double-barreUed gun square at
the Colonel's breast Bro-wnell made a quick pass to turn the
weapon aside, but the fellow's hand was firm, and he discharg-
,| .ed one barrel straight to its aim, the slugs or buckshot -with
.- which it was loaded entering the Colonel's heart, and kUling
him at the instant .He was on the second or third step from
the landing, and dropped forward -with that hea-vy, horrible,
headlong weight which always comes of sudden death inflicted
in this manner. . His assailant turned Hke a flash to give the
contents of the other barrel to BrowneU, but either he- could
not command his ahn or the Zouave was too quick -with him,
for the slugs went over his head, and passed through the pan
els and wainscot of a door. Suhultaneously -with this second
shot, and sounding Hke the echo of the firet, Bro-wneU's rifle
was heard and the assassin staggered backward He was hit
exactly in the middle of the face, and the wound, as I after
ward saw it, was the most frightful I ever witnessed. Brow
neU did not know how fatal his shot had been, and so before
the man dropped, he thrust his sabre bayonet through and
through the body, the force of the blow sending the dead man
violently down the upper section of the second flight of stairs,

OF THE "WAR. 97
*
at the foot of which he lay with his face to the floor. Winser
ran from above crying, ' Who is hit ?' but as he glanced down
ward by our feet, he needed no answer.
"Be-wUdered for an instant bythe suddenness of this attack,
and not knowing what more might be in store, we forbore to
proceed, and gathered together defensively. There were but
seven of us altogether, and one was -without a weapon of any
kind. BrowneU instantly reloaded, and whUe doing so per
ceived the door through which the assaUant's shot had passed,
beginning to- open. He brought his rifle to the shoulder, and
menaced the occupants, two travellers, -with immediate death
if they stirred. The three other privates guarded the passa
ges, of which there were quite a number converging to the
point where we stood, whUe the Chaplain and .Winser looked
to the staircase by which we had descended, and the^adjoining
chambers. I ran down stairs to see if any thing was threaten
ed from the story below, but it soon appeared there was no
danger from that quarter. The first thing to be done was to
look to our dead friend and leader. He had faUen on his face,
and the streams of blood that flowed from his wound had Hte-
rally flooded the way. The Chaplain tumed him gently over,
and I stooped and called his name aloud, at which I thottght
then he murmured inarticulately. I presume I was mistaken,
and I am not sure that he spoke a word after being struck.
Winser and I lifted the body with aU care and laid it upon a
bed in a -room near by. The rebel flag, stained with his
blood, we laid about his feet. Before the first company, or
dered up by the Colonel, as before stated, arrived, we had re
moved some of the unsightly stains from the Colonel's features,
and composed his limbs. His expression in death was beau
tifully natural The Colonel was a singularly handsome man,
and, excepting the paUor, there was nothing different in his
countenance now from what all his friends had so lately been
accustomed to gladly recognize. The detachment was heard
approaching at last, a reenforcement was easily called up, and
the surgeon was sent for. His arrival, not long after, of course
sealed our own unhappy belief A terrible scene was enacting
I 13"

98 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
on the floor below. A woman had run from a lower room to
the stairwp,y where the body of the defender of the secession-
flag lay, and recognizing it, cried aloud -with an agony so
heart-rending that no person could -witness it without emotion.
¦She flung her arms in the air, stmck her brow madly, and
seemed in- every way utterly abandoned to desolation and
frenzy. She offered no reproaches — appeared indeed almost
regardless of our presence, and yielded only to her own frantic
despair. It was her husband that had been shot He was
the proprietor of the hotel BG.s name was James T. Jackson.
Winser was confident it was the same man who met us at the
door when we entered, and told us he was a boarder. His
wife, as I said, was -wUd almost to insanity. Yet she listened
when spoken to, although no consolation could be offered her.
" It is not from any -wish, to fasten obloquy upon the slayer
of Colonel Ellsworth, but simply because it struck me as a
frightful 'fact, that I say the face of the dead man wore the
most revolting expression of rage and hatred that I ever saw.
Perhaps the nature of his wound added to this effect, and the
w&und was something so appalling that I shall not attempt to
describe it, as it impressed me. It is probable that such a
result from a bullet- wound could not ensue once in a thousand
times. Either of Brownell's onslaughts would have been in
stantaneously fatal The saber-wound was not less effective
than that of the baU. The gun which Jackson had fired lay
beneath him, clasped in his arms, and as we did noff at first aU
know that both barrels had been discharged, it was thought
necessary to remove it, lest it should be suddenly seized and
made use of from belo-w. In doing this, his countenance was
revealed. "As the morning advanced, the townspeople began to gather
in the vicinity, and a guard was fixed, preventing ingress and
egress. This was done to keep all parties from knowing what
had occurred, for the Zouaves were so devoted to their Colonel
that it was feared if they all were made acquainted with the
real fact, they would sack the house. On the other hand, it
was not thought wise to let the Alexandrians know thus early

OF THE WAR. 99
the fate of their townsman. The Zouaves were the only regi
ment that had arrived, and their head and soul was gone. Be
sides, the duties which the Colonel; had hurriedly assigned 'be
fore leaving them had scattered some companies in various
quarters of the tpwn Several persons sought admission to
the Marshall House, among them a sister of the ¦ dead man,
who had heard the rumor, but who was not allowed to know
the true state of the case. It was painful to hear her remark,
as she went away, that ' of course they wouldn't shoot a man
dead in his own house about a bit of old bunting.' Many of
the lodgers were anxious to go forth, but they were detained
untU after I had left All sorts of arguments and persuasions
were employed, but the Zouave guards were inexorable.
" At about seven o'clock, a mounted officer rode up, and in
formed us that the Michigan First had arrived, and had cap
tured a troop of rebels, who had at first demanded time for re
flection, but who afterward^ concluded to yield at discretion.
Not long after this, the surgeon made arrangements for the
conveyance of Colonel EUsworth's body to Washington It
was properly veUed from sight, and, with great tenderness,
taken, by a detachment of the Zouaves and the Seventy-first
New York regiment (a smaU number of whom, I neglected to
state, embarked in the moming at the Navy-yard, and came
do-wn with us) to the steamboat, by which it was brought to
the Navy-yard and given over to the tender care of Captain
Dahlgreriir" The excitement which followed this assassination was great
The Secessionists of course gloated over it The press of the
South wasjubilantf and the mffianwho did the act was placed
in then- Pantheon of heroes. The press of the North mourned
the death of one so chivalrous, so young, so early lost to his
country. The President was shocked at the calamity, for his
personal attachment to Ellsworth was feincere. A gentleman
who happened to caU at the White House to see the President,
on the moming of the sad day, thus narrated the incident :
" I called at the White House with Senator WUson of Mas
sachusetts, to see the President on a pressing matter of business,

100 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and as we entered we remarked the President standmg before
a Window, looking out across the Potomac. He did not move
tUl we approached very closely, when he tumed round abrupt
ly and advanced towards us, extending his hand ' Excuse
me,' he said, ' but I cannot talk.' The President burst into
tears, and concealed his face in his handkerchief He walked
up and down the room for some moments, and we stepped
aside in silence, not a little moved at such an unusual spec
tacle, in such a man, in such a place. After composing hun-
self somewhat, the President took his seat and desired us to
approacL ' I will make no apology, gentlemen,' said the Presi
dent, ' for my weakness ; but I knew poor Ellsworth weU, and
held him in great regard Just as you entered the room, Cap
tain Fox left me, after giving me the painful detaUs of EUs
worth's unfortunate deatL The event was so unexpected,
and the recital so touching, that it quite unmanned me.'
" The President here made a violent effort to restrain his
emotions, and after a pause he proceeded, -with a tremulous
voice, to give us the incidents of the tragedy that had occurred
' Poor fellow,' repeated the President, as he closed his relation,
' it was undoubtedly an act of rashness, but it only shows the
heroic spirit that animates our soldiers, from high to low, in
this righteous cause of ours. Yet who can restrain their grief
to see them fall in such a way as this, not by the fortunes of
war, but by the hand of an assassin? ' Towards the close of
his remarks, he added : ' There is one fact which has reached
me, which is a great consolation to my heart; and quite a relief
after this melancholy affair. I learn from several persons, that
when the Stars and Stnpes were raised again in Alexandria,
many of the people of the town actuaUy wept for joy, and
manifested the liveHest gratification at seeing this familiar and
loved emblem once more floating above them. This is another
proof that aU the South is not Secessionist ; and it is my ear
nest hope that as we advance we shaU find as many friends as
foes.'" The remains were removed to the White House on the
morning of the 25th, under escort of the New York Seventy-

OF THE WAR. 101
first, as a guard of honor, accompanied by a detachment of
Zouaves, including BrowneU, the slayer of the assassin. Fi^om
the White House, where it lay in state, untU three o'clock, P. M.,
the body was taken to the house of his parents, at Mechanics-
viUe, New York, for burial Vast and imposing demonstra
tions were made over the remains in New York and Albany ;
and at MechanicsvUle he was buried amid the tears of a large
concourse of people and in the presence of the local mUitary
and the guard of honor.
This act of assassination was in perfect keeping with the
- spirit of Secession. A community where the use of pistol and
knife were almost every day occurrences — where all indignities
were wiped out in blood, was not likely to foster a feeling of
loyalty to a Government, where just men aimed to suppress
all -nolations of the peace. Jackson was a -violent Secessionist
He flouted his odious flag from his house as expressive of de
fiance ; and, though Southem gentlemen did not make him
their equal as an associate, they did not disdain to applaud his
act and to accord him the place of a martyr in the cause of the
SoutL

IX.

ELLSWORTH.

The death of EUsworth served to arouse the inunical feel
ings of the North, even more than could have been anticipated
The faU of the officer in battie would have been mourned as a
calamity, but would, nevertheless, have been ascribed to the
inevitable necessities of war. His faU, by an assassin shot,
i2 

102 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
gave no palliation to grief, but rather added to its intensity,
and did not fail to reawaken animosities, which had somewhat
subsided since the assault upon the Massachusetts men in the
streets of Baltimore. Flags were placed at half-mast in all
places ; men met on the streets to discuss the circumstances of
the tragedy ; committees and to-wn authorities continued to
pass resolutions of respect ; everywhere was enlisted a feehng
at once suggestive of respect for the memory of the deceased, _
and of undying hostility to the cause which the assassin repre
sented and typified
EUsworth was a pure embodiment,' in his tastes, experiences,
and character, of the true American. It has been said by a
supercUious foreign flunky — and his words are stUl repeated
by the race of flunkies generally : " What is an American ?
Composed of English, Irish, German, French, Spanish, -with an
admixture of all other civiHzed nations, to say nothing of the
unci-\dlized and barbarian, it is difficult to realise what an
American is.- Will some one teU us ?" There is a fair pre
sumption that the person who penned the above might trace
his own origin to the race of asses. Had the question been —
" Tell us the characteristics which typify the true American it
would have been answered as readily as the question : " What
is the characteristic of an Englishman — a Frenchman^-a Ger
man — a Moor — an IndiMB
In the record of EUsworth's life we have the life-history of
many thousands of American youth, who have grown up un
der the same peculiar /Circumstances — ^the same incentives to
exertion — the same sole dependence on personal merit for s-uc-
cess ; while in his energy, quickness of intellect, shrewdness",
rapidity of performance of duty, his truth and manhness, we
have the results of his American training and American incen
tives to development. From a humble printer boy he became
a distinguished man, as thousands of humble apprentice boys
have done before him, and as thousands -will continue to do in
a land where no law of caste lives down human energies, where
no discriminations against choice of occupation prevaUs, where
the dignity of labor is recognized

OF THj; WAR. _ 103
Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth, we are informed, was bom at
Mechanics-viUe, in New York State, April 23d, in the year
1836 — being a Httle less than twenty-five years of age at the
moment of his assassination. His parents (stUl living) were
then well-to-do people, of the -village ; but, owing to great re
verses, did not command the means necessary to educate their
son as became his evident, and early manifested talents. His
eduration was obtained in the schools of his native place. The
taste for mUitary art and action soon became a leading mental
incHnation ; and his reading of books relating to war, cam
paigns and mUitary service, soon embraced every volume •with
in his reach.
His habits of industry and thirst for a wider experience with
men and 'books, led him into a printing office. Ha-ving ac
quired a knowledge of type-setting, he struck out for New
York, to carve his "sray " to fortune and to fame." His expe
riences in the great Metropolis were severe and sad, and were
scarcely less so after a year's experience in Boston In 1857
he found his way to Chicago, where, in company with Arthur
F. Devereux (afterwards the most gaUant Captain of the Salem
Zouaves, Eighth Massachusetts regiment) he started in business
— an agency for securing patents to inventors. AU promised
fairly for the two energetic men, when the rascality of an agent
hopelessly shipwrecked their Htfle .enterprise. This so dashed
the hopes of Devereux that he returned to Massachusetts, but
Ellsworth remained A' biographical sketch in -the Atlantic
Monthly for July, 1861, said;
" The next year of Ellsworth's life was a miracle of endur
ance and uncomplaining fortitude! He read law -with great
assiduity, and supported himself by copying, in the hours that
should have been devoted to recreation. He had no pastimes
and very few friends. Not a soul besides himself and the
baker who gave him his daily loaf, knew how he was living.
During aU that time he never slept in a bed— never ate with
friends at a social board So acute was his sense of honor, so
deHcate his ideas of propriety, that, although the most generous
of men, he never would accept from acquaintances the slightest

104 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
favors or courtesies which he might be unable to return. He
told me once of a severe struggle between inclination and a
sense of honor. At a period of extreme hunger, he met a friend
in the street who was just starting from the city. He accom
panied his friend into a restaurant, -vrishing to converse with
him, but declined to take any refreshment He represented
the savory fragrance of his friend's dinner as almost maddming
.to his famished senses, whUe he sat there pleasantly chatting,'
deprecating his friend's entreaties to join him in the repast, on
the plea that he had just dined"
The same writer, evidently thoroughly famiHar with the
man, thus further wrote of his mental, physical and moral
, nature :
" What would have kUled an ordinary man did not injure
Ellsworth. His iron frame seemed incapable of dissolution or
waste. Circum.stance had no power to conquer his spirit His
hearty good-humor never gave way. His sense of -honor,
which was sometimes even fantastic in its dehcacy, freed him
from the very temptation to -wrong. He knew there was a
better time coming for him. Conscious ¦ of great mental and
bodily strength, with that bright lookout that industry
and honor always give a man, he was perfectiy secure of ulti
mate success. His plans mingled in a singular manner the
bright enthusiasm of the youthful dreamer and the eminent
practicality of the man of affairs. At one time, his mind was
fixed on Mexico — ^not with the Hcentious dreams that excited
the ragged Condottieri who followed the fated footsteps of the
' grey-eyed man of Destiny,' in the wUd hope of plunder and
power — nor with the vague reverie in which fanatical theorists
constract impossible Utopias on the absurd framework of
Icarias or Phalansteries. His clear, bold, and thoroughly ex
ecutive mind planned a magnificent scheme of commercial
enterprise, which, having its centre of operations at Guaymas,
should ramify through the golden waters that streteh in sUenoe
and soHtude along the tortuous banks , of the Eio San Jose.
This was to be the beginning and the ostensible end of the en
terprise. Then he dreamed of the influence of American arts

OF THE WAR. 105'
and American energy penetrating into the twilight of that
decaying nationaUty, and saw the natural course of events
leading on, first. Emigration, then Protection, and at last An
nexation. Yet there was no thought of conquest or rapine.
The idea was essentiaUy American and Northern. He never
wholly lost that dream. One day last -winter, when some one
was discussing the propriety of an amputation of the States
that seemed thoroughly diseased, Ellsworth swept his hand
energetically over the map of Mexico that hung upon the waU,
and exclaimed — ' There is an unanswerable argument against
the recognition ofthe Southem Confederacy.'
" But the central idea of Ellsworth's short life was the tho
rough reorganization of the mihtia of the United States. He
was con-vinced that there was much of weU-directed effort yet
lacking to its entire efficiency. In fact, as he expressed it, a
weU-discipUned body of five thousand troops could land any
where on our coast and ravage two or three States before an
adequate force could get into the field to oppose them To
reform this defective organization, .he resolved to devote what
ever of talent or energy was his. This was a very large under
taking for a boy, whose majority and moustache were stUl of
the substance of things hoped for. But nothing that he could
propose to himself ever seemed absurd He attacked his work
with his usual promptness and decision.
" The conception of a great idea is no proof of a great mind ;
a man's caHbre is shown by the way in which he attempts to
realize his idea. A great design, planted in a littie mind, fre
quently bursts it, and nothing is more pitiable than the spec
tacle of a man staggering into insanity under a thought too
large for him, Ellsworth chose to begin his work simply and
practically. ,Pe did not write a memorial to the President, to
be sent to the Secretary of War, to be referred to the Chief
Clerk, to be handed over to FUe-Clerk No. 99, to be glanced
at, and quietly thrust into a pigeon-hole labeUed ' Crazy and
trashy.' He did not haunt the ante-room of Congressman
Somebody, who would promise to bring his plan before the
House, and then, bowing him out, give general orders to his
14

106 incidents' and anecdotes
footman, ' Not at home, hereafter, to that man.' He did not
float, as some theorists do, ghastly and seedy, around the Adyta
of popular editprs, begging for space and countenance. He
wisely determined to keep his theories to himself untU he
could iUustrate them by living examples. He first put him
self in thorough training. He practised the manual of arms in
his own room, untU his dexterous precision was something
akin to the sleight of a juggler. He investigated the theory
of every movement in an anatomical view, and made several
most valuable improvements on Hardee. He rearranged the
manual, so that every movement formed the logical ground
work of the succeeding one. He studied the science of fence,
.so that he could hold a rapier -with De VUHers, the most dash
ing of the Algerine swordsmen. He always had a hand as
true as steel, and an eye like a gerfalcon. He used to amuse
himself by shooting ventilation-holes through his -window-
panes. Standing ten paces from the -window, he could, fire the
seven shots from .his revolver, and not shiver the glass beyond
the circumference of a half-dollar. I have seen a photograph
of his arm taken at this time. The knotted coU of thews and
sinews looks Hke the magnificent exaggerations of antique
sculpture. " His person was strikingly prepossessing. His form, though
slight — exactly the Napoleonic size — ^was very compact and
commanding ; the head statuesquely poised, and crowned with
a luxuriance of curling black hair ; a hazel eye, bright, though
serene, the eye of a gentleman as well as a soldier ; a nose such
as you see on Eoman medals ; a light moustache just shading
the lips, that were continually curving into the sunniest smUes.
His voice, deep and musical, instantly attracted attention ; and
his address, though not without soldierly brusqueness, was
sincere and courteous. There was one thing his backwoods
detractors could never forgive : he always dressed well ; and,
sometimes, wore the mihtary insignia presented to him by dif
ferent organizations. One of these, a gold circle, inscribed
with, the legend ' Non nobis, sed pro patria,' was driven
into his heart by the slug of the Virginian assassin

OP THE WAR. 107
"He had great tact and executive talent, was a good mathe
matician, possessed a fine artistic eye, sketched weU and
rapidly, and, in short, bore a deft and skUful hand in aU gen-
tiemanly exercise.
" No one ever possessed greater power of enforcing the res
pect and fastening the affections of men. Strangers soon
¦recognized and acknowledged this power ; while to his friends
he always seemed like a Paladin or CavaHer of the dead days
of romance and beauty. He was so generous and loyal, so
stainless and brave, that Bayard himself would have been
proud of him. The grand bead-roU of the virtues of the
Flower of Kings contains the principles that guided his Hfe ;
he used to read with exquisi-te appreciation these lines :
' To reverence the King as if he were
Their conscience, and their conscience as their Bang, —
To break the heathen and uphold the Christ, —
To ride abroad redressing human wrongs, —
To speak nu slander, no, nor listen to it, —
To lead sweet lives in purest chastity, —
To love one maiden only, cleave to her,
And worship her by years of noble deeds.
Until they won her' ;
and the rest, — ' high thoughts, and amiable words.
And courtliness, and the desire bf fame,
And love of truth, and all that makes a man.'
" Such, in person and character, was Ellsworth, when he
organized, on. the 4th day of May, 1859, the United States
Zouave Cadets, of Chicago.
" This company was the machine upon which he was to ex
periment Disregarding all extant works upon tactics, he
¦ drew up a simpler system for the use of his men. Throwing
aside the old ideas of soldierly bearing, he- taught them to use
'vigor, promptness, and ease. Discarding the stiff buckram
strut of martial tradition, he edu-cated them to move 'with the
loafing insouciance of the Indian, or the graceful ease of the
panther. He tore off their choking collars and binding coats,

108 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and invented a uniform which, though too flashy and. conspi
cuous for actual service, was very bright and dashing for holi
day occasions, and left the wearer perfectly free to fight, strike,
kick, jump, or run.
" He drUled these young men for about a year, at short in
tervals. His discipline was very severe" and rigid Added to
the punctilio of the martinet was the rigor of the moraHst
The slightest exhibition of intemperance or licentiousness was
punished by instant degradation and expulsion. He struck
from the roUs at one time twelve of his best men, for breaking
the rule of total abstinence. His moral power over them was
perfect and absolute. I beHeve any one of them would have
died for him.
" In two or three principal towns of Illinois and Wisconsin,
he driUed other companies : in Springfield, where he made the
fi-iends who best appreciated what was best in him ; and in
Eockford, where he formed an attachment which imparted a
coloring of tender romance to all the days of his busy Hfe that
remained. This tragedy would not have been perfect -vdthout
the plaintive minor strain of Love in Death.
" His company took the Premium Colors at the United
States Agricultural Fair, and Ellsworth thought it was time to
show to the people some fruit of his drill They issued their
soldierly defi and started on their Marche de Triomphe. It is
useless to recaU to those who read newspapers, the clustering
glories of that bloodless campaign. Hardly had they left the
suburbs of Chicago, when the murmur of applause began.
New York, secure in the championship of half a century, lis
tened with quiet metropolitan scorn to the noise of the shout
ing provinces ; but when the crimson phantasms marched out
of the Park, on the evening of the 15th of July, New York,
¦with metropolitan magnanimity, confessed herself utterly van
quished by the good thing that had come out of Nazareth.
There was no resisting the Zpuaves. As the .erring Knight
of the Eound Table said :
' men went down before his spear at a touch,
But knowing he was Launcelot ; his great name conquered.' "

OF THE WAR. 109
A New York journal thus chronicled their advent to the
MetropoHs, and their successes : " On their arrival in this city
they were received -with appropriate honors, and on the day of
their arrival, after having journeyed over one thousand miles,
they gave an exhibition drUl in the Park before the Mayor
and Common CouncU, a large number of mUitary men, and at
least eight thousand spectators. Their evolutions were pro
nounced unexceUed At that time the Zouave drUl was new
to most of us. The unique and j aunty dress of the Chicagoians,
their quick and strange evolutions, their masterly precision and
unanimity of driU, attracted general admiration from the pub
lic and won golden opinions for Colonel Ellsworth. AU the
colonels of our crack regiments attended their drills, (of which .
they gave a series in this city and Brooklyn,) and studied
Colonel EUsworth's manoeuvres. At the urgent soHcitation of
many of our leading ci-nlians and mihtary men— among the
latter was the lamented Colonel Vosbui'gh— they gave an ex
hibition at the Academy of Music, and notwithstanding it was
midsummer and the heat very oppressive, that colossal edifice
was fiUed from parquette to ampitheatre by the elite of the city.
On the departure of the Chicago Zouaves from this city they
were' magnificently entertained by the Second company Na-
• tional Guard, at the St Nicholas Hotel In reply to a senti
ment, complimenting his corps. Colonel EUsworth repHed,
'that it was from witnessing the proficiency of the National
Guard, of New York, in mUitary movements, that induced
him to take command of his comrades, and take them as his
model' After visiting Boston, Colonel EUsworth and his
command returned to this city, and were escorted hence to West
Point, where they gave an exhibition driU in the presence of
Governor Banks, Jeff. Davis and Colonel Hardee. At Boston,
Philadelphia, Washington and the other cities visited. Colonel
EUsworth and his command were received with marked favor.
Indeed, there is not an instance in our mUitary history where
a mUitary company were so hospitably received Colonel EUs
worth's name wUl go down to posterity as the founder, in this
country, of the popular Zouave drUl At this time there are
K

110 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
several thousand Zouave organizations in this section and the
West, all dating their organization since the tour of the Chi
cagoians." This military escapade of course had seriously interrupted
his legal studies. After the return from the East, of the Zou
aves, Ellsworth entered the law office of Abraham Lincoln, at
Springfield, Illinois. But, the excitement of a warmly con
tested political campaign, in which he took an active and very.
popular part, sorely interfered -with the prosecution of his
studies of the law. An enthusiastic devotion to mihtary sci
ence with special reference to an elaboration of his plan for a
State and National Military organization, left little thought of
legal lore in his mind Conceiving the election of Mr. Lincoln
to be assured, he gave such detailed consistency to his plan as •
to have drawn up his schedule of organization. It embraced
— as quoted by the -writer in the Atlantic Monthly from Ells
worth's o-wn exquisitely neat memorandum — the following
sections :
" First : The gradual concentration of all business pertaining
to the mUitia now conducted by the several bureaus of this
Department " Second: The collection and systematizing of accurate infor
mation of the number, arm, and condition of the militia of aU
classes of the several States, and the compUation of yearly re
ports of the same, for the information of this Department
" Third: The compUation of a report of the actual condition
of the mUitia, and the working of the present systems of the
General Government and the various States.
" Fourth : The publication and distribution of such informa
tion as is important to the mUitia, and the conduct of all cor
respondence relating to militia affairs.
" Fifth : The compilation of a system of instruction for light
troops, for distribution to the several States, including every
thing pertaining to the instruction of the militia in the school
of the soldier — company and battalion, skirmishing, bayonet,
and gymnastic drill, adapted for self-instruction
" Sixth : The arrangement of a system of organization, with

OFTHE WAR. Ill
a -view to the establishment of a uniform system of drill, disci
phne, equipment, and dress, throughout the United States."
Mr. Lincoln became strongly attached to EUsworth — as the
incident already related (page 100) -will prove. When the jour
ney tp Washington was arranged, he became one of the chosen
few to form the cortege of the President-elect On that journey
he was the life and spirit of the party. He seemed to enter
tain hopes of a realization of his dreams : -why should he not
have been happy ? How Httle the novice in intrigue knew of
the humUiation, mortification, self-abasement, sacrifices of per
sonal independence necessary to secure " an office" ! How his
soul must have shrunk from contact with the countless horde
of " seekers" who infested Washington in March, 1861 1 If his
. pen had been asked to portray the impression which that
scramble for office made on his mind, what a loathing picture
it would have been !
With the President's endorsement- he applied formally for
the position of First Clerk in the War Department — hoping,
ultimately, to obtain a bureau organization devoted to his
scheme of reconstruction of the mUitary department The
First Clerkship, he ascertained to his astonishment and morti
fication, had long been bestowed upon another. Inquiry
showed him that almost aU other responsible places in the
War Department had been allotted to political favorites. He
-withdrew, in disgust, from the scene of such bargain and sale
of place, and would have returned immediately to the West,
to work out his schemes unaided, had not the President inter
posed, by commissioning him Second Lieutenant in the regular
army, with the promise of detailing him to a special service.
This opened the way for mihtary activity, and gave promise
of the golden opportunity for initiating his reforms. But here
the jealousy of the " regulars" came to mortify and annoy
him. The appointment to the army of a " civUian" was bad
enough ; but when this same " outsider" came with schemes
of re/mn.— bah 1 -he was not to be endured ! And so the
young aspfrant was put " in Coventry," and a fever followed
The bugle note of alarm came sounding up from the South

112 INCIDENTS AND ANEODOTES
to catch his ear. . The crisis so long threatened had come, and
it found him prepared His sick couch was deserted The
President's commission was quietly returned to the War De
partment, and' Ellsworth was soon on his way to New York to
enlist a regiment of men whom he knew would f611ow him to
the death. The pages of this work attest how well he succeed
ed in his original design. In twenty days' time he returned to
the Capital with a regiment, eleven hundred str.ong — ^turbu
lent spirits, many of them, but all brave' and heroic to the last
degree. The -writer in the Atlantic said :
*' He divided his regiment, according to his o-wn original
idea, into groups of four comrades each, for the campaign. He
Exercised a personal supervi^on over the most important and
the most tri-vial minuti* of the regimental business. The
quick sympathy of the public still followed him. He became
the idol of the Bowery and the pet of the Avenue. Yet not
one instant did he waste in recreation or lionizing. Indulgent
to all others, he was mercUess to himself He worked day and
night, like an incarnation of energy. When he arrived with
his men in Washington, he was thin, hoarse, flushed, but en
tirely contented and happy, because busy and useful
" Of the bright enthusiasm and the quenchless industry of
the next few weeks, what need to speak ? Every day, by his
unceasing toil and care, by his -vigor,, alertness, acti-vity, by his^
generosity, and by his relentless rigor when duty commanded,
he grew into the hearts of his robust and manly foUowers,
untU every man in the regiment feared him as a Colonel
should be feared, and loved him as a brother should be loved
" On the night of the twenty-third of May, he caUed his
men together, and made a brief, stirring speech to them, an
nouncing their orders to advance on Alexandria. ' Now, boys,
go to bed, and wake up at two o'clock for a sail and a skir
mish.' When the camp was silent, he began to work. He
-wrote many hours, arranging the business of the regiment
He finished his labor as the midnight stars were crossing the
zenith. As he sat in his tent by the shore, it seems as if the
mystical gales from the near eternity must have breathed for

¦OF THE WAR. 118
a moment over his soul, freighted -with the odor of amaranths
and asphodels. For he -vsTote two strange letters : one to her
who moums him faithful in death ; one to his parents. There
is nothing braver or more pathetic. With the prophetic in
stinct of love, he assumed the office of consoler .for the stroke
that impended."
The letter to his beloved, no eyes have seen but hers for whom
they were -written — eyes that never more were to look upon
their ideal until the portals of Heaven open to reveal him as
transfigured in the light of a world where aU is peace. The
letter to his parents, so touching and so tinie in its divided de
votion, we may quote as a fitting close to this record of one of
the sixty thousand Hves sacrificed in the struggle -with con-^
spiracy and treason :
" Head-quarters First Zouaves, Camp Lincoln, )
Washington, D. C, May 23d, 1861. j
" My Dear Father and Mother : The regiment is ordered
to move across the river to-night. We have no means of
knowing what reception we are to meet -with. I am inclined
to the opinion that our entrance to the city of Alexandria wUl
be hotly contested, as I am just informed a large force have
arrived there to-day. Should this happen, my dear parents,
it may be my lot to be injured in some manner. Whatever
may happen, cherish the consolation that I was engaged in the
performance of a sacred duty ; and to-night, thinking over the
probabilities of tc-morrow, and the occurrences of the past, I
am perfectly content to accept whatever my fortune may be,
confident that He who noteth even the fall of a sparrow, will
have some purpose even in the fate of one like me.
" My darUng and ever-loved parents, good-bye. God bless,
protect and care for you. ELMER"

k2 15

X.

THE FIRST CAPTURE OF THE FLAG.
The tragedy of Ellsworth gave a sad interest to the flag
which had floated from the roof of the " MarshaU House," in
' Alexandria That flag had floated there in defiance, in fuU
¦view of the Capital, and its insolent proprietor had sworn it
never should come do-wn as long as he was alive.
Before the occupation of the place, on the moming of the
24th of May, by the Federal forces, an attempt to seize and bear
away the detested emblem of rebeUion and defiance had been
made by the daring of a. single man. The incident so hap
pUy Ulustrates the nerve of the true " Yankee," and is, withal,
so fuU of exciting interest, that we give the story at length.
Two brothers were seen in Alexandria on the evening of
Tuesday, May 21st They entered their names on the " Mar
shaU House" register, as Charles E. Fuller, of Boston, and W.
J. A. Fuller, of New York. Of course both became " spotted"
characters from that moment. They extended their observa
tions to all parts of the place, where sentinels did not bar the
way. After a thorough exploration of the city, they dined at
the hotel, with about fifty officers of the Secession army, and
the elder brother took the last stage for Washington, which he
reached that night -without any striking adventure. The
younger brother, Charles, had tarried, to accomplish his pur
pose of seizing the fiag which covered the house, and which
Jackson, its proprietor, insolently told Mr. Fuller, ' no d — d
Yankee ever would see come do-wn I" As Mr. FuUer haUed
from Boston, the taunt had made him resolved that a Yankee
would not only see it down, but that he himself would be tlie

J

OF THE WAR. 115
very person to take it down. So it was arranged by the
brothers that Charles should stay atthe hotel all night, while
W. J. went to Washington, and then pulled down the river to
the sloop of war, Paumee, which lay off Alexandria, -with guns
shotted and men ready for any emergency. With the officers
of the Paumee he concerted to answer his brother's signals, and
to offer his aid when he should plunge into the river, after
seizing the flag.
The hotel, a large four-story buUding, was fiUed -vnth Seces
sion officers and men. Mr. FuUer had a room assigned him in
the main buUding, from the roof of which the flag-staff ran up
through an open scuttle. After tea he groped his way toward
the roof, and fouhd the upper doors locked He then climbed
the nearest -window, eight or ten feet above the stairway, and
found it nailed down. He bought a hammer at a hardware
Store, went back, and drew the nails. Being a perfect gym
nast, and active as a cat, he expected to cHmb to the roof by
the spout, but this proved rotten as paper, and compelled him
to abandon the attempt " He next searched about the city and
found a locksmith, whom he told that he wanted a bunch of
keys to open a closet The man offered to go -with him and fit
the lock, but Mr. Fuller '' did not see it" in that light He
said he would not trouble him to go, but would take a bunch
of keys, and leave five dollars deposit for their return
Armed with ten keys, he returned to the hotel, watched like
a cat for his opportunity, and, when the coast was clear,
ascended to the upper story, and tried his keys. - Six of them
were tried unsuccessfully, and the seventh had turned the lock,
when he was nearly surprised by a party of soldiers who came
up the stairs. He rushed into a sort of dark closet adjoining,
secreted himself under a mattress, and waited with breathless
anxiety untU they passed into the next room, where they soon
became absorbed in a lively game of " poker,"- at five cents
"ante;" he then went back, unlocked the door, felt his way in
the dark to the flag-staff, tried the signal halyards, found that
everything worked beautifiUly, and that he was sure, at least,
of hauHng down the flag. He mounted to the roof, and took

116 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
a general survey of the premises. This was about eight o'clock
in the evening ; the stree^ were fuU of citizens and troopers,
and the full moon shone bright as day. He was again alarmed
by a party of soldiers mounting the stairs, and feared that the
slight lowering and raising ofthe flag, made when he was trying
the halyards, had been observed from the streets. He stood be
hind the door, determined to jump by the first comers, and over
the heads of ^hose coming after, and make a run for the dock,
some four or five blocks off, jump in and s-wim to the Pawnee.
Happily the troops went into another room He then went
toward the river to alter the moorings of a smaU vessel, so
that her change of position might signify to his brother, that a
boat could approach -within haU ; ^ut was tumed back by sen
tinels at every street approaching the river ; the whole shore
was guarded He then determined to go back to the hotel,
haul down the flag, and trust to the chapter of accidents. After
a careful reconnoissance, at about ten o'clock, when everybody's
attention was engaged by the passing of three cavalry com
panies, he hauled do-wn the flag, cut the halyards and made
them fast to the- elect, that they might not be observed swing
ing loosely. To his horror he discovered that he had caught.
an "elephant" The flag was over thirty feet long, and about
fifteen feet wide. He took off his coat, vest, and pants, and
commenced winding the flag about his body. To use his own
expression, he thought he never should get it all coUed away.
He succeeded, however, by making a sort" of Daniel Lambert
of himself Tying around him his pants and coat -with a cord,
he effectuaUy hid the piratical emblem. Marching' boldly
down stairs, he got out of the house -vrithout exciting suspicion,
and started on his travels. Critical as was his position, -with
the river bank lined with sentries, and the picket guards ex
tended to Long Bridge, where he knew the draw was raised, it
soon became perilous in the extreme, by a general alarm,
which was given in consequence of the flag ha-ving been mis
sed Patrolmen rushed in every direction to " cut off retreat"
from the house, yet the fleet-footed Yankee only laughed at
their pains, for he was safely beyond the square. An .old shed

OF THE WAR. 117
offered a retreat from the excited street. Into it he crept, pro
posing to He concealed untU the moon should be obscured by
passing clouds, when he determined to push for the back
country, make a circuit above the town, and swim across to
Ellsworth's Zouave camp, whose fires he could plainly see.
He saw his brother's boat (with a detachment of twelve men
from the Massachusetts Fifth) lying off in the middle of the
river, but dared not haU her, for fear of causing his certain
arrest He managed to push from picket to picket, by wary
advances, at one time lying flat on his back for half-an-hour,
whUe the guard was smoking -within a few feet of him, untU
he broke cover in the open country, beyond the suburbs, when
the moon shown out brightly, and he found himseK suddenly
confronted by two sentries. He made a rush to pass them,
when both of them seized him. He grasped one by the breast
and threw him to the ground with such violence that he
-wrenched off one of the Virginian army buttons, which he
afterward wore on his watch-guard as a trophy. The other
sentry dropped his gun and fled ; but a third soldier, a power
ful man, clinched him from behind, and, after a brief but fierce
struggle, he was hopelessly a prisoner. He retained his pres
ence of mind, and by ready -wit and fertUity of invention saved
himself from personal violence.
His captor proved to be Jackson, who, at first indignant at
the theft, was so pleased with the nonchalance of the Yankee
as to be disarmed of his anger ; and he marched the prisoner
back to the hotel in perfect good humor. Fuller was permited
to retire to his room on his parole not to escape. Jackson re
marked that he was " too smart and decent for a miserable
Yankee." FuUer tried the power of money, but the rank
rebel replied that " it could not be bought for $10,000"— that
" old Lincoln had threatened to take it down, and he wanted
to see him do it"
After a night of anxious unrest, Mr. Fuller came down to
breakfast, and found that everybody was observing him and
pointing him out as the " d — d Yankee" who had hauled down
the flag. He sauntered through the city, made smaU pur-

118 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
chases of tobacco, &c,, in the deserted stores, and went to a
secession meeting at night One of the speakers alluded very
feehngly to the imperishable glory which covered the Stars
and Stripes, and related with thrUHng pathos how his father, "
a veteran of eighty years, stiU clung to them. At this point
Fuller's patriotic feeling overcame his prudence ; he clapped his
hands loudly in applause, when the whole meeting, electrified
by the speaker, applauded to the echo. But the excitabUity
of " the Yankee" caused the crowd to glower at him so fero
ciously that he concluded " to beat a retreat rather than be
borne do-wn in front or outflanked."
The detention of Charles caused great apprehensions for his
safety. Arranging -with the officers of the Paumee for the co-
. operation of its guns and marines in event of his (W. J.'s) de
tention, he pushed down to Alexandria from the Long Bridge,
Wednesday moming. After much negotiation, and the mena
cing position assumed by the sloop-of-war, Charles was released
on Thursday and given over to. Commander Eowan, of the ¦
Pawnee. Arrangements had been thoroughly made to assault
and bum the city, had the Fullers been detained Several.
companies of the Massachusetts Fifth took a solemn vow that
they would take the city, ," orders or no orders," and EUs
worth's " boys" were " in the ring." But the orders would have
been given. On the night of Thursday, Mr. FuUer, sure of co
operation by water, again tried to take the flag ; but it was
guarded by two soldiers, sleeping in the attic, and watched in
cessantly by sentinels outside. So he contented himself -with
taking the flag whiph hung up in the haU. This he wound
round his person, and succeeded in bringing away with him.
The elder brother had arranged a " seizure" of his own —
thus to anticipate Charles and snatch the trophy from him, or
at least to insure its certain capture as weU as the capture of
Alexandria itself! The story mns: W. J. FuUer, in com
mand of a detachment of twelve sailors from Captain Ward-
well's company, under Lieutenants Stoddard and Williams',
determined to go round the Paumee, and then puU straight to
.shore, answering any haU with — "boat from the Pawnee."

OF THE WAR. 119
He knew the fears of the city, troops and all, that her guns
could level the place in thirty minutes. He intended to take
half his men, seize the sentries, march openly to the hotel, de
mand the flag, his brother, and the unconditional surrender of
the troops and the, city. But this pretty scheme was vetoed
by the Commander. It was, of course, not in the Commander-
in-Chief's programme of operations ; but was, nevertheless, a
characteristic Yankee invention.
In conceiving this assault, Mr. FuUer was but embodying
the ideas which he enunciated at the great demonstration in
New York city. May 20th — on which occasion he was one of
the chosen speakers. He said, among other stirring things :
" Let the Govemment forever discard its ' do. Httle and drift
along' poHcy, and give the people action, action — prompt, vig
orous, energetic, crushing, bloody and decisive. Let it quit
searching musty law tomes for precedents. Make precedents.
The idea of the Govemment being harnessed down by the iron
bands of formula and delay when dealing with revolutionists,
traitors and rebels, is criminal and absurd Inter arma leges
silent. When General Jackson threatened to hang Calhoun, he
was told by his Attorney-General that there was no law for it.
His reply was, ' If you can't find law for me, I -wUl appoint an
Attorney-General who can,' If the Govemment wUl adopt a
-vigorous policy, the law for everything it does -wiU be found
in the hearts of the people. The eyes of the people are upon
the Government They cannot wait its tardy action. They
¦wUl reward energy, and wUl hold it to a strict accountabUity
for imbecUity."

tz.

XI.

A NORTHERN BREEZE FROM THE SOUTH.
The Great EebeUion caUed forth many splendid efforts of
oratory. It is probable that no people on the face of the globe
are more constantly associated -with the sublime elements of
country, which.are supposed to influence the minds of men to
subHme expression, than Americans ; yet, it has frequently
been remarked by ourselves, as weU as by foreigners, that
no country produces so few truly elo'quent orators. The
experience of the past few months proves that the talent for
eloquent expression is wide-spread, and that only the occasion
is wanting to caU it fortL The Congress of 1860-61 gave birth
to many supurb declamations : — indeed, the entire session was
one succession of speeches and argumentative efforts, which
alone, would immortalize the occasion. We may point to
them, in confidence, as a living e-vidence of the extraordinary-
mental resources of the American people, as the war which
followed was an e-vidence of their tremendous physical '
resources. Our volume of "Incidents and Anecdotes" scarcely permits
the reproduction of these oratorical efforts ; yet, some of them
were made under such peculiar circumstances as to become
incidents of the struggle. Such were the impassioned speeches
made in the Virginia Convention and General Assembly by
the Union men ; in Tennessee, by the fearless men of the hills ; .
in Kentucky, by the worthy sons of " Old Kentuck" sires.
Few of these, however, were reported, much to the loss of our
patriotic literature ; only sketohes were placed on record, to
outline vshat was, at the moment, a splendid creation.

OF THE WAR. 121
One made by Mr. Eosseau — afterwards a briUiant General
in the Union army — in the Kentucky Senate, May 21st, 1861,
was reported. It came at a critical moment in the destiny of
his State, when she hung in the meshes of the miserable
" neutraHty," which was nothing more nor less than an attitude
of defiance of the General Govemment, by refusing to honor
its caU for troops, and arming the State to resist any occupa
tion pf its soil by Federal troops, prosecuting* the war for the
Union. Against this attitude the Senator protested, and finally
came out, -with his splendid declamation, against the revolu
tion and in behalf of a hearty support of the General Govem
ment in its contest -with treason. Our young men wUl find in
the KentucMan's words and thoughts incentives to patriotism
and honor, and to them we sincerely commend the extracts
which we may feel at Hberty to give :
" Mr. Speaker: Permit me to tell you, sir, what I think of
this whole atrocious scheme of Secession. I speak for myself
only, and am alone responsible for what I say ; and I thank
God that I may stUl speak what I think on Kentucky soU.
Yes, sir, good, brave old Kentucky, my mother, 'my own
native land,' is stiU free. There is no reign of terror here. We ,^
stUl have free speech, a free press, and, as yet, we are free n^gp.
Kentucky is true and loyal to the Government She^|jl^ij6lts
her head in peace and security upon the fond brelWofiier
mother — ^the Union ; and there may sheerest forever ! ^!e has
caUed upon her gaUant sons to rally around her, and beat off
the Vandals who would tear her away from her earhest and
holiest associations, and bear her to certain destruction.
" Kentucky is in a Mse position. I felt it from the first ^
Yet, she having assumed a neutral attitude, I felt it to be my
duty to stand by her, and I have faithfully done so. I am
wUling still to stand by the position of Kentucky, if we can do
so in peace and security. But the position is an awkward
one, and may be more awkward yet before our difficulties are
ended The Union is threatened ; the Govemment is threat
ened by those who have not one well-grounded complaint to
make against it — ^by those who have controUedits destinies for
L 16

122 INCIDENTS, AND ANECDOTES I
years. I denounce the effort, and those who make it I say
it is -wrong — infamous 1 and, if successful, it must entaU ruin
upon us and ours. We see the work of mischief going on,
and quietly sit by with folded arms while it is done.
" Kentucky has as much interest in the Union as any' other
State. She loves it as devotedly, and shares its benefits &,nd
blessings in common with her sister States. She owes it her
allegiance, and her aid. Her people work for the Union ; they
talk for it ; they pray for its preservation ; yet they stand idly
by, and let others, who have no more interest in it than them
selves, defend it, and save it if they can. It is in a death
struggle for existence, yet we have not a hand to raise in its
defence. You say- that it is the best Govemment that ever
existed on earth — it has ever protected and never oppressed
you. But we are told that this is a fratricidal war— -a wiclced
war I Well, who began it ? Who caused it ? Who -attempted
to break up the Government ? Who set the -wUl of the people
at defiance, and overturn the " best Govemment on earth ? "
Let recently passed events, and those which are daUy being
enacted, answer. .
* * * ii rpij^e truth is, our duty at first was to stand by
our Govemment, and protect and defend it If fit to Hve
undCTj^t^was entitled to our respect and confidence and aUe-
gianOTP''*If unfit, it should have been abandoned at once, and
another formed more perfect. But whUe we owe our alle
giance to it, let us acknowledge it like true men, and not tum
our backs upon its greatest peril We should not do this if
we desire its preservation. We should stand by it Hke men,
or pull it down at once. But we should not stand by and see
others puU it do-wn over our heads against our -wUl to the
destruction of our liberties, and say :
" ' We oppose you. "We love the Government. It is the Government
of our fathers ; bought with their blood, and bequeathed to us. It is
the best Government on earth, and in its destruction we see ruin to us
and ours ; but as you and we live in Slave States, go on and do as you
please. We will not resist you. Buin us if you will.'
'' And so never lift a hand to save us and our chUdren the

OF THE WAR. 123
blessings of liberty. In my heart I do not approve of this
course, and what I do not approve, no power on earth shaU
make me say. I am for the old Constitution of Washington
and his compeers. For the old flag, the Stars and Stripes.
God bless them ; and I am against all factions that would take
them from me. It matters not who they are or whence they
come. Whether they come from England, France, Massa
chusetts or South Carolina, If they would destroy the Gov
ernment of our fathers, I am against them. No matter what
may be the pretext No, sir, I am for the Union, and I am
wiUing to defend it by any and aU proper means.
" Our Government is the best in the world It has answered
well aU the ends for which governments are made. We aU
know this. It has oppressed no man, nor has it burdened us
a feather's weight It has brought us nothing but blessings.
Under it we have been happy, prosperous and free. What
more can we ask ? All that Government can do, our Govern
ment has done for us. We have been free, as no nation was
ever free before ; we have prospered as no nation ever prospered
before, and we have rested in peace and security. Yet aU
this would not do. Mr. Lincoln was elected, and corrupt poH-
ticians lost their places. They had controUed the Government
in their own way for years. When they lost their power, -they
declared that the Govemment was corrupt and oppre^ive, and
that they would destroy it They robbed it of its arms and
munitions of war, sending them South ; they involved the
Government in a debt of "nearly a hundred mUHons of doUars ;
robbed the treasury ; and thus leaving the Govemment im
poverished and distracted, they commenced the atrocious busi
ness of secession. They had lost the offices, and they thought
it necessary to create new ones for the benefit of the defunct
poHticians, and they did it This is the grand secret of the
whole affair. Had they retained their grip upon the offices,
you had never heard of secession. AU our losses, aU our
troubles and suffering, are the legitimate results of secession.
We must bear all, we must submit to aU this in silence, that
those disappointed politicians may be presidents, ministers,

124 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and high officials. Their day was ended by the election of
Lincoln They knew this, and seceded — ^made new offices and
flUed them !
" Behold the results of secession ! Distress and min stare
men in the face. Strong men, honest and industrious men,
cannot get bread for their wives and children. The -widow
and the orphan, helpless and destitute, are starving. In all
the large cities the suffering is intense ; work is not to be
obtained ; and thosp who Hve by their labor get no money.
Property of every description has depreciated untU it is almost
worthless. In the Seceded States, Union men are driven
pennUess from their homes, or hanged ; and aU this, that
' peaceable secession' may go on, and that politicians may fiU
offices ! And, after you gentlemen bring all these calamities
¦upon us, you falsely say that ' Lincoln did it,' and that we
Union men are Abohtionists, and aid him ! I teU you that
Lincoln has not done it He was elected President by your
help. You ran a candidate for the Presidency, that the Demo
cratic party might be di-vided, and Lincoln elected. That
was your purpose, and you accomplished it ; and now you
have elected Lincoln thus, you must break up the Govem
ment because he is elected ! This is your programme — deny
it who can !
" South Carolina was irritated at the presence of Major
Anderson and fifty -five men at Fort Sumter ; so irritated that
she could not bear it She tried to starve him to death ; she
tried to knock his head off, and bum him up ; she bombarded
the people's fort ; shot into the flag of our Govemment, and
drove our soldiers from the place. It was not Mr. Lincoln's
fort ; not his flag, nor his soldiers, but ours. Yet after aU
these outrages and atrocities. South • Carolina comes -with
embraces for us, saying : ' Well, we tried ; we intended to kUi^
that brother Kentuckian of yours ; tried, to storm him, knock
his brains out, and burn him up. Don't you love us for it ?
Won't you fight with us, and for us, and help us overthrow
your Government ?' Was ever a request so outrageously
unnatural ; so degrading to our patriotism ? And yet, Mr.

OF THE WAR. 125
Speaker, there were those among us who rejoiced of the result,
and termed the assault upon their own fort and the capture of
their o-wn flag and their own soldiers, a heroic victory !
" Mr. Speaker, I am sick and tired of all this gabble about
irritation over the exercise by others of their undoubted right ;
aiid I say once for aU to you secession gentlemen, that we
Union men know our rights ; intend to maintain them. If
you get irritated about it, why — get irritated ! ' Snuff and
snort yourselves into a rage ; go into spasms if you wUl ; die
if you want to, and can't stand it — ^who cares ? What right
have you to get irritated because we claim equal rights and
equality with you ? We are for peace ; we desire no war, and
deprecate colHsion. AU we ask is peace. We don't intend
you any harm. We don't want to hurt you, and don't intend
you shall injure us if we can help it We beg of you to let us
Hve in peace under the good old Govemment of our fathers.
We only ask that 'Why keep us ever on the alert watching
you, to prevent you from enslaving us by a destruction of that*
Govemment ?
* * * " Kentucky is an armed neutral, it is said I
submit, -with others, to that position. I hope that circum
stances may not drive us from it I hope that our secession
friends -wUl be, in fact, neutral If we remain so, it is said we
shall have peace. I hope so ; but the neutrality that fights
all on one side I do not understand. Troops leave Kentucky
in broad dayhght, and our Govemor sees them going to fight
against our own Govermnent, yet nothing is said or done to
prevent them. Is this to be our neutraHty ? If it is, I am
utterly opposed to it If we assume a neutral position, let us
be neutral in fact It is as little as we can do.
" Our Government, constitutionally administered, is entitled
to our support, no matter who administers it If we -wUl not
support it, and yet enjoy its blessings, in Heaven's name let us
not war against it, nor allow our people to do so. . Let us be
trae tp our position, whatever it may be. We are nullifying
at any rate. Our Govemment has not objected to it But
who can look an honest man in the face, while professing
•L2

126^ INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
neutraHty, refusing to help his Govemment to preserve its
existence, yet secretly and traitorously warring against it?
For one, sir, I'U none of it Away -with it Let us be men —
honest men, or pretend to be nothing but vagabonds.
" 1 hear it said that Kentucky -wUl go out of the Union ;
that if she goes anywhere, she wUl go South, &c., &c. Mr.
Speaker, let me tell you, sir, Kentucky -will not ' go out' She
will not stampede. That has been tried Secessionists must
invent something new in the way of secession apphances before
they can either frighten or ' drag' Kentucky out of the Union
I tell you sensation gentlemen that your exciting events have
ceased to effect us. Try something else. Get up a fight at
Cairo, that you may get us to side -with you. That is your
game, and you wUl play it whenever you think you can succeed
at it You tried to scare us, but you feUed in your purpose.
And if you illegally and against right assault Cairo, I hope
every man of you -wUl get his head knocked or be taken
'prisoner, and that the Cairo folks -wUl never permit you to
come to Kentucky again. That's what I wish, and what I
believe would happen in such an event
" But we wpn't ' go out' — have not the least notion of it in
the world. You must take us out according to law and right,
or take us dead BeHeve this, and act accordingly. It would
be better for all of us. We shaU be but too happy to keep
peace, but we cannot leave the Union of our fathers.
" When Kentucky goes do-wn, it -wiU be in blood Let that
be understood. She -will not go as other States have gona
Let the responsibility rest on you, where it belongs. It is aU
your work, and whatever happens wUl be your work. We
have more right to defend our Govemment than you have to
overturn it Many of us are sworn to support it Let our
good Union brethren of the South stand their ground. I know
that many patriotic hearts in the Seceded States stUl beat
warmly for the old Union — the old flag. The time -will come
when we shall all be together again. The poHticians are
having their day. The people will yet have theirs. I have an
abiding confidence in the right, and I know that this secession

OF THE WAR. 127
movement is all -wrong. There is, in fact, not a single substan
tial reason for it K there is, I should be glad to hear it ; our
Govemment has never oppressed us -with a feather's weight
The direst oppression alone could justify what has brought aU
our present suffering upon us. fjMay God, in his mercy, save
our glorious Eepubhc 1"
There is in this noble address the impassioned eloquence of
the patriot and the incormptible citizen. In reading it the
-vision of Patrick Henry rises up before us as he appeared to
the Virginia House of Delegates when he uttered his ever-
memorable anathema against King George. It was such
declarations as those which fell from Eosseau's lips— ras those
which fell from the pen of the incormptible Joseph Holt — as
those which the sage and patriot John J. Crittenden event
ually avowed — that saved Kentucky to the Union and pre
served her hiUs and vaUies from becoming the battle-fields of
the horrid straggle to achieve the independence of a Slave
Dominion.

XII.

GENERAL SCOTT.
" So long as that man is true, the nation is safe," Joseph
Holt said to a fiiend during the " dark days" of AprU. None
knew the weight of responsibUity resting upon the veteran's
shoulders better than the ex-Secretary of War, and none better
knew than he Scott's abUity to discharge his tmst Like Mr.
Holt, the North reposed the utmost confidence in the General-
in-Chief, though ids rapidly growing feebleness of body gave-
great anxiety lest his strength should faU ere his great work
was done.

128 INCIDENTS AND A.NECDOTES
At an early stage of the rebellion, Scott was cautiously
approached by the emissaries of the rebeUion — ^many of whom
were his life-long friends and coadjutors. ¦ His sturdy loyalty
was his protection against open proposals to desert his flag ;
yet the enemy's anxiety to ojlitain either his acquiescence to
the right of secession and his resignation from the Federal
service, or his acti-ve co-operation in the Southem scheme for
a Confederacy of Slave States, led them to hope, to the last,
that he would not conduct the campaign against them. How
fallacious that hope was events soon determined From the
incipient stages of the treason the old general — comprehending
its true character, and ha-ving a clearer knowledge of it than
the majority of men — ^had arranged, so far as lay in his power,
to meet ' the coming storm ; and the caU for troops in April,
found him at his post in Washington, ready to assume their
command The country wUl hardly realise the peculiar position in
which Scott was placed. His extreme age and bodUy infirmi
ties would have excused his retirement from service. His
Virginia parentage, and relationship by near, and Hfe-long
association with leading Southern families, were powerful
instruments to impel him to retire from a contest with these
friends. His close personal intimacy with officers who had
become directing military leaders' in the rebel cause, made a
campaign against them one of extreme painfulness, and might
very naturaUy. have impelled his soul to shrink from the
ordeal of crushing those men and bringing their necks to the
scaffold. But, as aU true greatness ever rises above adverse circum
stances and personal considerations, so Scott's soul arose to the
claims of his country. The very magnitude of the crisis was
the leading motive which, undoubtedly,- impeUed him to retain
his leadership — ^fearing that, in that hour of great perU, no
other hand could do so well as his own Forgetful of all
social ties, of Hfe-long associations, of the distasteful nature of
the imprecations which would be heaped upon his head, of his
bodUy feebleness and need of rest, he assumed the trust wU-

OF THE WAR, 129
lingly, and essayed the herculean task of creating a vast army,
and of plaping it in the field ready for duty. Mind, body, heart,
and soul were enlisted in the work: his personal comfort,
happiness, fame — aU were cast- aside in that hour of duty. It
is a sublime spectacle to contemplate : and, in the future, when
the story of the rebelHon is -written from the stand-point of
history, the conduct of the man wiU command the admiration
of all discriminate and dispassionate minds.
AprU 19th (1861) it was announced by telegraph, to the
South from Washington, that General Scott had resigned his
position in the army of the United States and had tendered his
sword to his native State, Virginia. Immense rejoicing foUowed
In MobUe, for instance, one hundred guns were fired in honor of
his defection to the Union cause ! So generally was the report
credited throughout the Southem States, that John J. Critten
den, of Kentucky, telegraphed to the General to know the
truth. -The reply was :
" / have not changed — have no thought of changing — always a
Union man !"
This set at rest the calumny hatched to bolster up the
Southem cause, and to " fire the Southem heart." When it
was thus announced, by authority, that he was true to his flag
and his oath, the Southem press opened its vUe batteries of
abuse and defamation of the incorruptible patriot, whom they
had but the day before " exalted to the seventh Heaven" by
their praise. As an evidence at once of the depravity of the
Southem press and of the malignity of the spirit which
animated the breasts of the rebels, we may quote a few. of the
notices made of Scott by the Secessionist journals.
The Eichmond Examiner, edited by John M. Daniel— Mr.
Buchanan's Charge to one of the leading cities of Southem
Europe-^thus spoke :
" The infamy of this man constitutes no small portion of the crush
ing load of shame under which Virginia is now struggling. She gave
birth to'this unnatural monster. She has heaped honors and rewards
upon this war mandarin of the Abolitionists. That Scott was born in
Virginia is a misfortune which cannot be remedied; but there are

130 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
means by which the State may brand him with the marks of her indig
nant scorn. The treason of Arnold swallowed up and effaced all recol
lection of his long deeds of valor and patriotism, and this name was
blotted from the list of our Eevolutionary Generals. The Legislature
of Virginia should expunge from their journals every resolution expres
sive of Virginia's confidence, respect, and admiration for this man. We
should ofi'er to pay him a pecuniary consideration fifty times their value,
if necessary, for the medals and swords which we gave him, when he
was esteemed a worthy and grateful son of the Old Dominion, and the
now dishonored name of Scott should no longer be borne by one of our
counties. How fortunate for the old General's fame and honor that he
did not act so as to -win the applaudits of such a man as the
writer of the above !
The foUowing, from the Eichmond Whig, if more dignified,
is yet -indicative of the disappointment and hate which rankled
in its editor's breast :
The ancients had a saying, that no man was happy till his death.
The hero of Oliippewa and Lundy's Lane is a living illustration of this
antique apothegm. When all the noble and chivalrous spirits of the
Federal service were abandoning the flag which had become the badge
of despotism, and, flying to the rescue of Liberty and their native States,
he, oblivious of every sense of duty to Ms " dear old mother," remained
with her enemies, to organize armies ffir her invasion and desolation.
It is not worth while to inquire whether he was prompted by vanity,
avarice, or ambition. He has chosen his part. He must be a parricide,
or he must betray the cause which he has now espoused. He can never
again put foot upon the soil that gave him birth, except as an invader
or a traitor, with a rope around his neck. To any feeling ihind would
not death be a thousand times preferable to such a fate ?
The New Orleans Delta was quite exercised in its> pecuHar
way that any Southern man should adhere to the Stripes and
Stars. It said :
The three greatest villains and traitors which the present war has
produced are, beyond all doubt. Governor Hicks, of Maryland, and
Generals Scott and Harney. We-place them in the order of their infamy.
Hicks ranks his confederates by long odds. Scott and Harney have
some palliation in the fact of theu- being meroeinaries, and in their carnal
¦weakness, etc., etc.

OF THE WAR. ' 131
And more of the same sort It afterwards became evident
that ^Q Delta! s patriotism was of a kind the goat on the house
top betrayed to the lion on the street .below; — impudent,
because of its own, distance from danger.:^. .When General
'Butler took possession of New Orleans, the "leading journal"
liastened to write to the Union General's acceptance. It had
neither the spirit to close its rooms, nor the courage to sauce
the Hon then on the house-top.
As a choice specimen of Southem use of the BUlingsgate
dictibnaiy, we may give the foUo-wing extract from the Florida
Sentinel, of TaUahassee— the leading journal of the Alligator
State: . Our indignation, contempt, and abhorrence of. this plebeian dema
gogue [Lincoln] are only equalled by what we feel for his friend and
adviser, the traitor to the home of his birth, " the jackass in. politics,
and Jupiter in vanity," Lieutenant-General Winfleld Scott. If there be
not " some chosen curse, some hidden thunder in the store of heaven'," to
blast this wretch who causes his country's ruin, the curse of unborn mil
lions will damn him to the lowest depths of human degradation.
It is a relief to tum from these disgusting expressions of
malice and baseness to contemplate the old general at his
labors to avert the threatened dangers to his country. A cor
respondent, who was at the Capital early in June, wrote :
" We must advert', to a scene, now a daily one, in one of the
'lofty apartments of the War Office, where General Scj.ott passes
many hours of the day and night, at a time of life when most
men naturally court ease, but which the old hero is now devot
ing to the greatest achievement of his eventful and honorable
career, the demonstration of the strength and power of a repub-
Hcan form of govemment
" Enfeebled in body, but clear-minded and vigorous in intel
lect as ever. General Scott is now cheerfully undergoing labors
that would overtax the strength of many far his juniors in life
and in service. An early hour of the day finds him surrounded
by aids and advisers, and not until a late* hour of the night
• does the work cease. The bustle and din of the city and camp
are hushed at nightfall, but not for many hours later does the

132 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
headquarters of the Lieutenant-General lose its features of
activity. " The scene on the day iifi question was one on which the
pencU of a.Leutze would dwell lovingly to the production of a
painting that should be -vivid history. General Scott, suffering
more than usual by an attack of gout, lay half reclining upon
a lounge drawn'into the centre ofthe large apartment, his feet
resting upon pUlows. About the old chieftain, whose massive
frame seemed more impressive from the contrast, were gathered
men in uniform of army and navy, eminent citizens in the
plain black civUian's dress, with here 'and there one whose
dress and features told of rough service on some errand, whose
results were now to be reported to the modification or compre
hensive plans of the War Department
" Ori the wall opposite the lounge, occupied by General
Scott were' suspended two large military maps of Virginia and
Maryland, with all their careful detaUs, closely representing
the country, its features, accesses, fastnesses and approaches. . It
was noticeable that about Harper's Ferry, Eichmond, and
Norfolk, were drawn large circles, within which the detaUs
became more minute, with symbols and signs abundant, of
significance to mUitary men, the key to which belongs to the
War Office.
" By General Scott's side lay a long, light reed, which he
made use of in pointing to different localities on these maps.
Aids, amanuenses, ad-visers, were all busy, quietly, and aU
without stir or confusion.' In that room, and on such scenes
and consultations hang safely the fate of this war, in the speedy
and condign punishment of traitors. Probably no one but the
hungrier of the Washington correspondents, wiU regret, or faU
to applaud the -wisdom of the War Department, or, indeed, of
the Government as a whole, in only sparingly admitting to
confidence the newspapers and the general pubhc. It is
enough to know that the Government is thoroughly at work
in aU its departments for the crushing out of treason, and that
General Scott is indeed a close and voluntary 'prisoner' to

OF THE WAR. 133
duties whose execution will make the setting, sun of the old
hero Ulustrious in all tim'fe."
The gratification felt by all classes at the General's devotion
to duty was expressed in the address of leading citizens of
PhUadelphia — ^including a number of those who Md opposed
the coercion of the South up to a late hour. This document,
so honorable to both recipient and the signers, read :
" Philadelphia, April 30th, 1861.
" To Lieutenant- General Winfield Scott, General-in- Chief of the
Army of the United States :
" Sir : The shock .of a ci-vil war in our beloved country,
whose history, for inore than half a century, has been Ulus-
trated, not less by your wisdom and patriotism than the splen
dor of your achievements in arms, will, we trust, justify this
letter to you, even though it be a departure from usage.
" We are your fellow-citizens of the United States. We
are devotedly attached to our country. Her reno-wn is precious
to us. It is our richest inheritance ; and we had fondly hoped
to transmit it to our children untarnished, as it came to us from
our fathers.
" In the civU -strife which has just lighted up our land with
an unnatural and deadly glare, we do not stop to inquire into
the soundness of conflicting opinions a& to the origin of the
deplorable controversy. It is enough for us to know that the
beloved and glorious flag of our Federal Union has been
assaUed, and we ask no further questions. In such a crisis,
we are for sustaining, to any and every extent, the constituted
authorities of the Union, believing, in the language of Mr.
Jefferson, that ' the preservation of the General Government, in
its whole constitutional vigor, is the sheet-anchor of our peace at
home and safety abroad.' While the Govemment stands bythe
flag, we stand by the Government In this determination we
obHterate, for the time being, all traces of party difference by
which many of us have been heretofore widely separated.
" The citizens of Philadelphia — a city which, we are ^re,
must be endeared to your recollections, as it is to ours, by
somp of the proudest memories of the era of Independence —
M /

134 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
where the Declaration was sighed — where the Constitution was
signed, and from whence our iUustri(5us founder issued to his
countrymen his immortal fareweU address — we adopt this
mode of testifying our admiration, and offering you our deep-
felt thanks "for your great services to your country-, in this hour
of her extremest peril — services which -wiU rival . in immor?
tality, and, we trust, in their triumphant results, your early
and subsequent renown in the second and third great wars of
the United States.
" At a time like this, when Americans, distinguished by the
favor of their country, intrfenched in power, and otherwise high
in -influence and station, ci-vU and mUitary, are renouncing
their allegiance to the flag they have sworn to support, it is an
inexpressible source of consolation and pride to us to kiiow
that the General-in-chief of the army remains Hke an impreg
nable fortress at the post of duty and glory,- and that he -wUl
continue to the last to uphold that flag, and defend it, if neces
sary, with his sword, even if his native State should assail it.
" That your career of rare distinction may be prolonged for
many years of continued usefulness to your country, and hap^
piness to yourself, and that you may live to see that great
country once more in the enjoyment of the prosperity and
renown among nations, to which your wisdom in councU and
your sword in battle have 'so largely contributed, is the anxious,
earnest hope of those who here unite in tendering to you, not
only the assurances of their profound respect, but what we
believe you wiU value as highly, the spontaneous tribute of
loyal American hearts."
This admirable address was prepared by the eminent coun
sellor, Horace Binney. It was signed by more than two hun
dred names of those whose endorsement it was an honor to
-win. . The address was only one of several offered to the
old hero.
A sketeh of the life of the " hero of an hundred battles" -wUl
find admiring readers ; and we here append one prepared by a
leading .journalist immediately after his retirement from the
service, November 1st, when all was well for the Union causa
\

OF THE WAR. 135
• Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott is a native of Virginia,
ha-ving beeri bom in Petersburg on the 13th of June, 1786.
He is of Scottish descent, and it would appear, from the records
of his famUy, that his great mUitary abUities were inherited,
the name being a celebrated one in the military annals of
Scotland. At the battle of Culloden, in 1746, so disastrous to
the last hopes of the Stuarts, his grandfather played a conspicu
ous part, and his grand uncle was left among the slain in that
sanguinary struggle for the British crown. It may, however,
be safely stated that none of his family ever rose to such dis
tinction in the pursuit of arms. His ancestors ha-ving been
ardent supporters of the unfortunate Stuarts, the defeat of the
Pretender at the battle of Culloden led to their involuntary
exile, as well as that of their royal leader.
The Scott famUy, on their arrival in the then British colo-.
nies, settled down in Virginia, where, as we have already.
stated, the future general of the American Eepublic was bom.
His preparatory education ha-ving been completed, he entered
WUHam and Mary College, where he devoted a couple of years
to the study of the higher branches. On lea-vdng college he
entered the profession of the law, and at the age of twenty was
admitted to the bar. As Charleston, South Carohna, appeared
to the mind of the young lawyer to present a more fruitful
field for the successful practice of his profession, he proceeded
to that city in the autumn of 1807. Here, however, he was
not as successful as he desired, and, having satisfied himself
that fortune and fame were slow to reward him in this pursuit,
he determined to leave Charleston and return to the NortL
It may, in fact, weU be doubted, from his subsequent career,
whether the incHnations of young Scott qualified him for the
pecuHar duties and labors of the legal profession His mind
was naturally adapted to a more active and vigorous life— a
Hfe made up of the dangers and perUs of the battle-field — a
life in camp and field — in which only the sterner qualities of
the soldier could hope to achieve success.
Accordingly he entered the army, and, although his first
experience of military Hfe was rather discouraging, still he was

136 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
determined to persevere in the new career which he had chosen.
It appears that in 1809 the conduct of his superior officer —
General WUkinson — led him to indulge in some expressions
which, though just, betrayed a want of discretion, which, viewed
with leniency, might be regarded as pardonable in one who
had just entered the army. The rigidity of military discipline
is a stranger to the milder virtue of clemency, and after a trial
by court martial, sentence of suspension from pay and service
for twelve months was pronounced upon the offender. To a
man not wedded to the profession of arms this would have
proved a discouragement too great to be borne ; but Scott had
made his final resolution, and was determined to persevere
despite of all obstacles.
The twelve months for which he was suspended were
devoted to unremitting study of mUitary service, so that on
the proclamation of war in 1812, between the United States
and Great Britain, there was none better qualified to lead his
countrymen against the enemy. He was at this time pro
moted to the position of Lieutenant-Colonel of artUlery, and
he acquired the reputation of being one of the .best officers in
that important department of the army.
At the battle of Queensto-wn Heights his intrepidity and
skill as a commanding officer were for the first time brought
out in a most conspicuous and creditable manner. The
engagement was one of the most desperate recorded in the
annals of American warfare, and, although it ended in the
defeat of the American forces, the victory ^of the enemy was
dearly purchased. Scott, with his surviving comrades, was
captured and sent to Quebec; but he was soon afterwards
liberated, by an exchange of prisoners. In this battie his per
sonal daring and lofty stature -rendered him a prominent mark
for the Indian sharpshooters, who, as in the ifistance recorded.
in the life of Washington, exerted their skiU to the utmost,
but without success, to bring him down. Failing in open,
manly conflict to destroy their fearless and intrepid foe, they
had recourse to Indian cunning and treachery to carry out
their fell design Gaining access tp his prison, two of them

OF THE WAR, 137
rushed upon him, but were foiled by the superior agility and
strength of Scott, as well as by the fortunate interposition of
Captain Coffin, of the British army, to whose timely presence
in the hour of danger his escape from his savage enemies was
partly attributable.
The bravery of Scott was recognized in a substantial man
ner, after his release, by his promotion to the position of Adju
tant-General and chief of the staff under General Dearborn,
who at that time was commanding on the Northern frontier.
The justice of this promotion was made manifest by his con
duct on the capture of Fort George, at which he was severely
wounded by a splinter, after performing prodigies of valor.
At the battle of Chippewa, the credit of which the commanding
officer* generously acknowledged was due to Soott, he added
another briUiant page to the history of his country, and ano
ther leaf to the chaplet which was one day to adorn his brow.
We would not be doing justice to his gallant conduct did we
fail to notice an incident which occurred during that battle,
and which affords a happy Ulustration of the' indomitable
character of the man. As the two armies approached to close
quarters, Scott caUpd aloud to McNeU's battalion, " The enemy
say we are good at«long shot, but cannot stand the cold iron.
I call upon the Eleventh instantly to give the He to that slan
der. Charge 1" And, responding -with an exultant hurra,
they did charge, and with a vengeance. Sweeping upon the
enemy with the force of a mountain torrent swollen by autumn
floods, they drove them from the field, and that, too, -with
their own favorite weapon, before which it had been the boast
of the British, no foe was ever able to stand. These, too, were
a portion of that world-renowned army of veterans with which
British generals had expeUed the French from Spain, and who,
it was vauntingly said would drive the American forces from
one end of the country to the other. The -victory was accom-
pHshed before the American commander. General Brown,
could engage the enemy with his division. In his report he
spoke as follows of the heroism of the youthful General :
m2 18

138 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" Brigadier-General Scott is entitled to the highest praise our
country can bestow. His brigade covered itself with glory."
But it was at Niagara, July 28th, 1814, that he even sur
passed himself -Here he was twice wounded, once by a bullet
through the shoulder, and the second time bv a spent baU,
Placing himself at the head pf his men, he cheered them on to
the attack, and although -the British had the advantage in the
strength of their position, they gave way before the terrible
charge of the Americans and fled in confusion, lea-ving Scott,
who was the first man to enter, in possession of the fort The
victorious commander hauled down the British colors -with his
own hands and amid the cheers of his brave troops.
These constant successes attracted to him the eyes of the
whole country, who regarded with the most enthusiastic" admi
ration the brilliant career of the young officer — for he had not
yet quite attained his twenty-seventh year. On the 9th of
March, 1814, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-Gene
ral, with the -hearty approval of all classes of his countrymen.
For his services at Chippewa and Niagara — commonly called
Lundy's Lane — he received the rank of Major-General. This
was not all The gratitude of the country could not be easUy
exhausted, in view of the great services which he had ren
dered, and the glory he had reflected on the flag. November
3d, 1814, the National Legislature passed a resolution award
ing him a gold medal " in testimony of the .high sense enter
tained by Congress of his distinguished services in the sricces-
sive confliots of Chippewa and Niagara, and of his uniform
gallantry and good conduct in sustaining the high reputation
ofthe arms ofthe United States."
When peace was proclaimed the position of Secretary of
War was tendered General Scott, in the Cabinet of President
Madison, but the offer was declined, as the General was still
suffering from his wounds. _ He visited Europe soon after for
the restoration of his health, having also been entrusted with
an important diplomatic mission by the Govemment, which
was so successfully discharged as to eHcit a letter of thanks
from the Secretary of State in the name of the President

OF THE WAR. 139
¦ In his career thus far we have seen him only as the brave
and successful General ; but we are now to view him in ano
ther aspect — one in which the finer quahties of his nature
were brought out, if possible, in a stiU stronger light The
truly brave are always humane ; and never was bravery so
blended with humanity as in the conduct of Scott whUe on his
way with his forces to put down Black Hawk and his savage
tribes. On his passage from Buffalo to Chicago, with about a
thousand troops, in the summer of 1832, the cholera broke out
among his men -with' such terrible violence that on one vessel,
on board of which there were two hundred and twenty, no
less than one hundred and thirty cases of cholera and fifty-one
deaths occurred in six days. On his arrival at the Mississippi
river from Chicago, the same fearful pestilence made its
appearance, making dreadful ravages among the troops. No
thing could exceed the kindness and deHcate care with which
he attended to the poor sufferers, fearlessly exposing himself
to the contagion in his all-absorbing desire to alleviate the
misery and suffering by which he was surrounded.
The Black Hawk war ha-ying been successfully terminated.
General Scott and Govemor Eeynolds were appointed Com
missioners to treat -with the Northwestern Indians, in reference
to all pending difficulties. It is sufficient to say that this task,
which displayed the qualities of a statesman in no ordinary
degree, was as successfully discharged as the others -with which*
he had been entrusted The Indians ceded the title to more
than ten mUlions of acres, forming the greater part of the
present States of Iowa ajnd Michigan. In the same year (1832),
by his prudence and firmness in South Carohna, which then
threatened the country -with all the evils of civU war, by her
nuUification principles, he saved the country from rebellion
and its attendant horrors.
Next foUowed the Florida war, where he added new laurels
to his already historic fame ; his successful mission to the
Canadia,n frontier, which was greatly excited by the burning
of the Caroline ; the removal of the Cherokees, which displayed
his energy, and humanity in a remarkable degree. In 1839,

140 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
by his judicious course on the Northeastern boundary difiS.-
culty, he avoided a war -with England, which at the time was
regarded as ine-vitable.
But the crowning success of all these glorious achievements
was his campaign in Mexico, which, in the brUliancy of its
successes, the rapidity of its marches, and its results, -wUl bear
comparison with those of any other campaign of ancient or
modern times. On the 10th of March, 1847, he arrived before
Vera Cmz, and, on the 14th, of September of the same year,
having stormed the " impregnable castle" of San Juan d'UUoa,
and fought the batties of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, San Antonio,
Cherubusco, Molino del Eey, Chepultepec, besides lesser
battles, and taken several cities, he entered the City of Mexico
at the head of six thousand men.
Had his advice and directions been foUowed, before the
unfortunate battle of Bull Eun — which the veteran rightly
styled a Congressional battle— the backbone of the Southem
rebellion would have been broken ere. this. But, unfortu
nately, the cry of " On to Eichmond" dro-wned the prudent
ad-vice of the General, whose counsel would have saved the
nation from a humUiating defeat.
As a commander, Scott had but few equals among his con
temporaries, and even his enemies bear wUHng testimony to
his great mUitary genius. One of the British Generals who
was opposed to him in 1812, speaking of his qualities in the
freedom of conversation, expressed the most unqualified admi
ration of his genius and skill as a commander. In the opinion
of many he was not .second to Wellington himself, and there
is certainly no campaign in the career of that great General
which can be said to surpass, if it equals, Scott's campaign in
Mexico. He was the only American General, -with the excep
tion of Washington, who received the title of Lieutenarit-
General, and this was conferred upon him as the highest testi
monial which could be bestowed by a grateful country.
His retirement from the high position which he has occupied
so many years, -with honor and distinction to himself and
advantage to the interests of the nation, was an event well cal-

OF THE WAR. 141
culated to arrest attention at home and abroad, for it may be
said with truth, that the principal events in the last fifty years
of his life would, to a great extent, embrace the most promi
nent and important facts in the history of the country. Al
though he has never been honored "with the highest offic'e in
the gift of the people, no man has occupied a more distin
guished and exalted position, and none of his contemporaries
wiU fill a larger space in the future annals of the Great Eepub
hc. His -withdrawal from the active duties of official life, and
his generous resignation of his command into the hands of a
General so much his junior, indicate a self-abnegation which
proves the tmth of the time-honored adage, that he only who
can command himself is truly qualified to govern others.

XIII.

McCLELLAN'S FIRST CAMPAIGN.
The appointment of Captain McClellan to the responsible
position of Major-General of the Volunteers of the State of
Ohio (AprU 24th, 1861), was soon followed by the General
Government's creation of the "Department of the West," over
which he was placed in superior comriiand It comprised the
States of Ohio, Indiana,^ Illinois, Western Pennsylvania, and
Western Virginia.
The proposed assemblage (June 14th) of the Wheeling Con
vention, for re-organizing the State of Virginia as a State of
the Union, rendered it necessary to arrange a campaign in
Western Virginia, both to expel the rebel armies from that
section, and to give stability -to the new State Govemment-

142 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
The promulgation % McClellan (May 26th) of the following
proclamation announced the movements on foot i
" Hbad-quabtbks, Dbpaetment of Ohio, \
CiNCnmATi, May 26th, 1861. J
" To the Union Mm of Western Virginia :
" ViBGiNiAirs :— The General Government has long enough endured
the machinations of a few factious rebels in your midst Armed traitors
have in-vain endeavored to deter you frpm expressing your loyalty at
the polls. Having failed in this infamous attempt to deprive you of tlie
exercise of your dearest rights, they now seek to inaugurate a reign of
terror, and thus force you to yield to their schemes, and submit to the
yoke of the traitorous conspiracy, dignified bythe name of the Southern
Confederacy. They are destroying the property of citizens of your State,
and ruining your magnificent railways. The General Governmenthaa
heretofore carefully abstained from sending troops across the Ohio, or
even from posting them along its banks, although frequently urged by
many of your prominent citizens to do so.
" It determined to await the result of the State election, desirous that
no one might be able to say, that the slightest effort had been made
from this side to infiuence the free expression of your opinions, although
the many agencies brought to bear upon you by the rebels were -w^ell
known. Tou have now shown, under the most adverse circumstances,
that the great mass of the people of Western Virginia are true and loyal
to that beneficent Government under which we and our fathers have
lived so long. As soon as the result of the election was known, the
traitors commenced their work of destruction. The General Govern
ment can not close its ears to the demand you have made for assistance,
I have ordered troops to cross the river. They come as your friends
and brothers ; as enemies only to armed rebels who are preying upon
you. Your homes, your families, and your property are safe under our
protection. All your rights shall be religiously respected.
" Notwithstanding all that has been said by the traitors to induce
you to believe our advent among you will be signalized by an interfer
ence with your slaves, understand one thing clearly : Not only -wiU we
abstain from all such interference, but we will, on the contrary, with an
iron hand, crush any attempt at insurrection on their part.
" Now that we are in your midst, I call upon you to fly to arms and
support the General Government ; sever the connection that binds you
to traitors ; proclaim to the world that the faith and loyalty so long
boasted by the Old Dominion are still preserved in Western Virginia,
and that you remain true to the Stars and Stripes.
" G.. B. McCLELLAN, Major-General Commanding."

OF THE WAR. 143
This document gave the proper reasons for the contemplated
movement To his troops, then cantoned in Eastern Ohio, he
addressed a stirring address, weU calculated to win the confi
dence of the people among whom they were to move. It
read: " SoLDiBiis : — ^You are ordered to cross the frontier, and to enter on
the soil of Virginia. Tour mission is to restore peace and confidence ;
to protect the majesly of the law, and to secure our brethren from the
grasp of armed traitors. I place under the safeguard of your honor the
persons and property of the Virginians. I know you will respect their
feelings and all their rights, and wiU preserve the strictest discipline.
" Remember, that each one of you holds in his keeping the honor of
Ohio and the Union. If you are called to overcome armed opposition,
I know your courage is equal to the task. Remember that your only
foes are armed traitors. Show mercy even to them, when in your power,
for many of them are misguided.
" When, under your protection, the loyal men of Western Virginia
have been enabled to organize and form until they can protect them
selves, you can return to your homes, with the proud satisfaction of
having preserved a gallant people from destruction."
Prior to the issue of these documents, everything had been
arranged for the advance. Colonel Kelly, in command at
Camp Carhsle, in Ohio, opposite. WheeHng, gave the word of
command for *the onward movement, Sunday evening, (May
26th), by reading the Proclamation and Address.
The announcement was received -with wUd huzzas by the
troops, the First Virginia Volunteers. Monday morning they
poured over into Virginia eleven hundred strong, and, at seven
o'clock, were en route for Grafton, a place of some strategic
importance, lying at the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Northwestern Virginia railways. The First Virginia
was foUowed immediately by the Sixteenth Ohio Volunteers,
Colonel Irvine. The Fourteenth Ohio, Colonel Steadman,
crossed the river at Marietta, and occupied Parkersburg, the
western terminus of the Northwestern raUroad
The rebels, then in possession of Grafton, designed a descent
on Wheeling ; but, hastily evacuated on the night of Mon
day, ha-ving pre-viously destroyed raUway bridges at various

144 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
points to the west of Grafton The Federal forces did not fuUy
occupy the place until Thursday moming, when the two regi
ments, with aU their baggage and trains, took possession. The
rebels withdrew to Phillippi, .where they resolved to make a
stand. The Federal advance was soon joined by the Fifteenth
Ohio, and the Sixth Indiana, Colonel Crittenden, regiments,
the Seventh Indiana, Colonel Dumont, while the forces landed
at Parkersburg had pushed up the raUroad to a conjunction
The attack on Phillippi was not delayed— McCl'eUan . having
ordered the enemy to be surprised by' a fipced march. On
the night of June 2d, the Federal forces (four regiments)
started for the point of attack by two routes — one di-vision by
way of Webster, under command of Colonel Dumont, con
sisted of eight companies of the Seventh Indiana ; four com
panies ofthe Fourth Ohio, Colonel Steadman, -with his artUlery,
under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sturgis, assisted and
directed by Colonel Lander ; four companies of the Sixth
Indiana, Colonel Crittenden. The other di-vision consisted of
the First. Virginia, and companies from the Sixteenth Ohio and
Seventh Indiana regiments, under command of Colonel KeUy,
which moved eastj by way of Thornton, thence south to PhU-
lippi (twenty -two miles) by a forced march. The darkness was
intense, the mud deep, and the storm of wind and rain unceas
ing. The division of Kelly did not reach the enemy's position
at four o'clock — the time indicated for the conjunction and
'combined attack — owing to the dreadful fatigues of the marcL
His forces were to strike the enemy's rear, and whUe Colonels
Dumont and Lander pressed the front, to cut off the retreat,
and thus " bag" the entire rebel force. Dumont arrived at the
appointed time, and disposed his forces for battle. It soon
became evident that the rebels had discovered the movements
of their foe,' and were preparing to run. Lander not deeming
it prudent longer to await Colonel KeUy's appearance, ordered
the artUlery to open. The Associate Press account of the
fight read :
Simultaneously with the roar of the first gun. Colonel Kelly,
at the head of his command, came in sight across the river

OF THE WAR. 145
below the camp, and, comprehending the position of affairs, he
rushed forward in the direction of the camp. Meanwhile the
battery, having got accurate range, played upon the camp with
marked effect, tearing through the tents and houses at a fearful
rate. This thp chivalry could not stand, and they scattered
like rats from a burning bam, after firing at random a volley
which did no damage.
Colonel Kelly's command was close after them, and, at the
same time, Colonel Lander's force came rushing down the hUl
yelling Hke Indians. After chasing them a few miles, the
already exhausted men returned to the evacuated camp, to
learn the painful fact that their -victory, though complete, -was
dearly bought Colonel KeUy, who, -with bravery amounting
to rashness, was foremost from first to last, was rallying his
men in the upper part of the town, the enemy having all
apparently fled, when he feU by a shot from a concealed foe.
The assassin was an Assistant-Quartermaster in the Confederate
force, named Sims. He was immediately seized
A correspondent who was present thus_ referred to - Colonel
Lander's ride do-wn the hUl on which the artUlery was posted,
and his subsequent achievement :
" The hUl on which the artillery was planted is both high
and steep, and it would be dangerous for an inexperienced
rider to walk a horse down the -slope toward the pike. Seeing
Dumont's right rushing for the bridge, closely foUowed by the
Ohio Fourteenth, (Colonel Steadman,) and supposing the pas
sage of the bridge would be disputed, he grasped a revolver
in each hand, plunged spurs into the flanks of his horse, and
dashed down the hill, over fences, and stumps, and stones, and
dead timber, through a wheat field, to the pike, and swept
past the column like the -wind, looking (as one who saw him
says) more Hke a demon than a man. Colonel Steadman, in
the excitement of the moment, had advanced some three hun
dred yards ahead of his command as Lander passed. ' Go
back. Colonel Steadman — go back to your column,' said he,
' or you wUl be cut off !' forgetting that he was exposed to the
same danger.
M 19

146 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" By this time Colonel Kelly had arrived and attacked the
rear of the rebels. Colonel Lander now rode alone across the '
town to join KeUy, but just after he had passed Kelly, a
rebel brought Kelly down by a shot through the lungs.
Lander at once charged among the enemy and chased the rebel
into an angle of a fence, where he guarded him untU the
infantry came up. An unsuccessful charge was made by a
few of the rebels to rescue the prisoner. On Kelly's men
ahiving they were determined to bayonet the prisoner, but
were prevented by Colonel Lander, against their urgent remon
strances. The Quartermaster of the Virginia regiment fook
charge of him, becoming responsible for his safety. Colonel
Lander maintained that the man had thro-wn do-wn his axnis
and yielded himself to him as a prisoner of war ; that if he
had kUled Kelly he would have done it in actual fight, and
after our troops had commenced the engagement, and that he
should protect him with his life."
The enemy retreated, with a loss of all his baggage, tents,
&c., to Beverly, finally taking up position on Laurel HiU,
which he proceeded to fortify. The campaign which foUowed
was thus chronicled by one who participated in it :
" The rebel forces, after the battle of PhiHppi, lay at Laurel
Hill, near ' Beverly, in a strong position, which commanded
our road to the southem portion of the State, and in which
they had fortified themselves -with great labor and care. ¦ From
this point they had repeatedly threatened us with attack, and
our officers felt very eager to repeat the action by which the
campaign had been so successfully opened at PhUippi. A
plan was formed, therefore, to move down from our head
quarters at Grafton and capture or destroy the enemy. The
fortifications at Laurel Hill had, however, greatly strengthened
a position of the most advantageous kind, and the attack was
not to be Hghtly undertaken.
"On the side of the Laurel Mountain lies a fine, broad and
cleared plateau, which afforded ample room for an encamp
ment and a parade-ground in the rear. The slopes in front
down to the valley were fortified with a more extended system

OF THE WAR. 147
of intrenchments, wliich our men are now engaged in destroy
ing, and which were so complete as almost to defy a direct
attack by any force at our command. It was resolved, there
fore, to combine with the direct assault a movement in the
enemy's rear, for which the shape of the country afforded pecu
liar faciUties. Stretching away, north-east and south-west, lay
the western range ofthe Alleghanies, impassable -without great
difficulty for an army, and even then passable only at certain
points. At the foot of the mountain was the main iroad, whi(3h
gives access to Southem Virginia on this western slope of the
range. By this route alone could the enemy receive reen-
forcements or supplies, and this fact determined the scheme of
operations. To occupy his • attention by a direct attack in
front, while another body of our forces should go around into
his rear,- and cut off communication with his base, would place
him at our mercy, and enable us to assaU him in his intrench
ments -with an overpowering force, and in both directions at
once, or else to starve him out, should it be deemed best not
to conclude the affair by a direct engagement
" The plan thus formed was executed by the two divisions
of General McClellan's army. The main body of ten thou
sand, led by himself, went round by Clarksburg and Buck-
hannon, on the west ofthe enemy; while the- other 'and smaller
di-visiori of four thousand, under General Morris,' made the
direct attack, which was to hold .the rebels in check on the
north, and occupy them whUe the former force should be get
ting into their rear.
" General McClellan, after a sharp skirmish at Buckhannon,
approached the rear of the enemy, which, however, he found
strongly fortified at Eich Mountain, and defended by a force
of some two or three thousand under Colonel Pegram. Send
ing General Eosecrans with a force of some three thousand to
assail them in the rescr, while he was himself to attack them in
front, he hoped to capture the enemy entirely ; but some want
of co-operation took place, which interfered with the complete
ness ofthe result General Eosecrans reached the rear of the
mountains, which was held by some three hundred rebels,

148 INCIDENTS AND AN-ECDOTES

but did riot succeed in communicating to General McClellan
the^information that he was ready to attack, and the command
of McClellan lay inactive for many hours, waiting for this
intelligence. Hence, though the . attack of Eosecrans was
entirely successful upon the smaU force before him. Colonel
Pegram took the alarm, and silently moved off with his main
body to' join Garnett at Laurel HUL He found it impossible,
however, to do so, and after lying in the woods for two days,
utterly destitute of provisions, was obliged to surrender -with
all those of his troops who had not succeeded in getting away.
This successful move captured or killed about one thousand or
perhaps twelve hundred rebels.
" Meanwhile, the di-vision of General Morris was cautiouisly
making ,its way down upon the enemy from Grafton and Phi
Hppi. The command of the advance brigade was given by
General Morris to his chief engineer officer, Captain Benham^
of the United States Topographical Engineers,- an officer of
great experience and skiU, whose judgment had before been
tested by the conduct of several difficult operations. Captain'
. Benham had thoroughly explored and mapped the country,
and his accurate dehneations of the topography had given
essential aid in the planning of the expedition When General
McClellan's order was received to march upon Laurel HUl,
Captain Benham arranged the plan of the march, and started
at two A. M. on the 7th of July. By skUlfuUy avaihng him
self of the pecuharities of the country, he avoided the neces
sity of thrice fording a stream, as had been supposed necessary
by the commanding General, in order to avoid defiles where
effective resistance might be offered; and thus brought the
army to its designated position some two hours earher than
would have been possible otherwise, to the complete surprise
of the enemy. Here a position" was chosen at Beehngton, on
the opposite side of the vaUey from Laurel HiU, and within
rifle-shot of the enemy's intrenchments ; and, notwithstanding il'
repeated attacks and skirmishes -with the enemy, it was success.-
fuUy fortified and held tiU the approach of the other col'umtt
" Upon the overthrow of Colonel Pegram at Eich Moun-

:!

f

OF THE WAR. 149
tain. General Garnett, the rebel commander, began to under
stand the extent of his danger, and made haste to extricate
himself from a position in which he could no longer fight with
advantage, nor even retreat with success. He left his intrench
ments, and moved at once south toward Beverly, hoping, by
great expedition, to reach that place before General McClellan
should arrive. But by the time he had got within a few miles
of it the fugitives from Pegram's corps informed him that the
effort was hopeless. Beverly was occupied in force by the
Union troops. His only remaining resource was to tum upon
his'steps, and retrace his path to Leedsville, where another
turnpike road branched off to the north-east, on the other side
of Laurel Mountain. Pursuing this route with all speed, he
' passed Leeds-vUle the same afternoon, and pressed on along the
base of the mountains down the Cheat Eiver, hoping to find
some practicable path across the mountains into the valley of
Virginia. Throwing away, therefore, all superfluous baggage,
he fled rapidly, and soon tumed off from the main road into
a narrow path along the mountains, in which pursuit might be
more easUy obstructed. .Here he closed the narrow path after
him, and filled every defile through which he passed, by fell
ing the largest trees into and across it. ^
" His flight, however, which took place on Thursday even
ing, was ascertained on Friday moming by some of our men
at Laurel Hill ; and, on word being sent to General Morris, he
gave immediate orders for pursuit, though his force was greatly
inferior to .that of the enemy. Following -with the somewhat
larger portion himself, he sent Captain Benham forward with
the advance di-vision, giving him orders to press forward after
the rebels as far as Leedsville, secure the ford at that place,
and await his arrival Captain Benham set out instantly, at
first -with caution, for it might be only a feint to draw us on
into an attack ; but, on reaching the intrenchments, they were
found entirely deserted, and the Captain had the pleasure to
be the first officer within the . abandoned works. The com
mand pressed on to LeedsvUle and there halted, according to
orders. This order to halt was unfortunate; had Captain
•n2

150 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Benham been authorized to advance further, a more effectual
pursuit might have been made ; but, held back by positive
directions, he was compelled, to wait— his men under arms and
ready to resume the pursuit — tUl General Morris arrived at ten
p. M. It was then too late to move till morning; the men
must have some rest ; and they were allowed a brief slumber
of three hours, from eleven in the evemng tUl two A. M., when
the pursuit was eagerly resumed.
" The pursuit was a memorable one. Captain Benham led,
with one thousand eight hundred men, composed of Ohio and
Indiana troops. General Morris followed -with the rear. Up
and down the mountains, through defiles, and over rugged
ridges, everywhere impeded by the obstructions thrown in the
way by the flying enemy — the pursuit was pressed with an '
ardor .which was not to be repressed Many men feU behindj
exhausted with hunger and exertion.
" At length, after crossing one of the branches of Cheat
Eiver, we saw before us the provision-train of the rebels at rest ;
but a fooHsh boy firing his musket set it in motion' again in
full retreat, and brought out two heavy regiments to protect it,
before our first regiment could reach the ford This caused a
further pursuit of three or four miles, when the train was again
overtaken half across the stream; and here General Garnett
made a vigorous stand for its defense.
" The locality 'afforded a fine position to repel our assaul-t
Cheat Eiver, in one of its numerous bends, -winds here round a
bluff of fifty or sixty feet high, the lower portion of which is
covered with a dense growth of laurel, through which it is
almost impossible to penetrate. On the top of this bluff he
placed his cannon, which .swept our approach to the ford j
while his troops were drawn up in line — some two thousand in
number — on either side of their guns, in a line some four
hundred feet in length, with the remainder of his force -within
a mile. They were well protected from our fire, by a fence,
which showed only their heads above it, and by numerous
trees which afforded them cover.
" On coming up. Colonel Dumont's men, the Seventh Indi-

OF THE WAR. 151
ana regiment, pressed into the stream, crossed it, and attempted
to scale the bluff in front, in face of the enemy's fi:/e of mus
ketry and artUlery, but the steepness of the ascent rendered it
impossible. When Captain Benham came up he found the
men climbing the steep ascent almost on their faces ; and, see
ing the difficulty of success, he ordered them do-wn again into
the stream. On our right was a depression in the bluff, just
where a ravine came down to the river, and he directed them
to try the ascent there. They did so, but found the way so
steep, and so obstructed by the dense cedar roots, that they
soon found this, too, impossible. Captain Benham then ordered
the regiment to cross the stream, and, keeping in its bed,
immediately under the bluff, to pass down it to out left, where
they could gain the road This happy manoeuvre was imme
diately executed. The men. passed down the whole front of
the enemy, protected so effectually by the steepness of the bank
from his fire,, that they emerged on the ri'ght of the rebels
-without losing a man ; and, as the head of the column showed
itself on their fiank, the rebels fled, leaving one of their guns,
and a number of killed, wounded,' and prisoners in our hands.
" About a quarter of a mUe in advance, the river makes
another turn, and here the enemy again attempted a stand.
General Garnett himself bravely stood, and tried to gather his
men around him, but in vain. He then begged for thirty
skirmishers to go back -with him and pick off our officers — as
we were informed by our prisoners subsequently. - A few did
return with' him to the bank of the stream ; but, as we came
up, they fired a volley and again fled, and left him with only
a single compamon Our men ran forward to the bank of the
stream, where a group of three cedars gave them a slight cover,
and fired upon the fugitives. General Garnett was standmg
-with his back to us, trying iji vain to rally his men, when he
received a Minie baU just on the left of the spine. It made a
terrible wound, piercing the heart and coming out at the right
nipple, and the poor General threw up his arms; and with his
single companion fell dead. Our men passed over, and find
ing by the straps on his shoulder that he was an officer of rank.

152 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
sent word back immediately to the commanding officer. Cap
tain Benham was stiU at the bluff, caring for the wounded and
du-ecting the removal of the cannon, but, on receiving the
news, he at once rode forward to the spot, and himself first
identified the body as that of General Gamett, late Major
Garnett, U. S. A.
" The body, which had remained undisturbed, was carried,
by Captain Benham's order, into a smaU log-house, where the
General's money was taken from his pockets and counted, and,
with his watch and sword, preserved for his famUy ; his field-
telescope, an elegant opera-glass, a large map of Virginia, and
some small sketches of our own positions near Grafton, became
the legitimate trophies of the conqueror."
The enemy was utterly broken — hopelessly defeated Not
more than 'two thousand of the five thousand -with which Gar
nett had commenced his flight, escaped ; and these were in
such a disorganized condition as to be unavaUable. Parties
of them kept coming in to the Union camps for several days..
They were well received and humanely cared for — ^hungry and
almost naked, as they were in most instances. After recruiting
them, the lenient policy was adopted of administering the oath
of allegiance, or of a release on parole. Of course, men base
enough to take up arms against their country scorned oaths
and paroles ; and those scoundrels, almost -without exception,
were soon in the ranks of. the Confederates. The Union Gen
erals were long in discovering that the best way to serve a
rebel was to place him where his honor or oath were not to be
called into requisition.
This infamous disregard of oaths and honor was happUy
illustrated in the sarcasm of a Captain in one of the Ohio regi
ments. A rattlesnake was caught alive on the mountains and
brought into camp. After tiring of its presence, its captor
asked the Captain what he should do with the reptUe. " Oh,
swear him and let him go 1" was the curt -reply.
With the destruction of Garnett's army Western Virginia;
was left to pursue its course of reorganization. The Wheeling
Convention labored zealously and patriotically,- heai-tily en-

or THE WAR. 153.
dorsed in their efforts by the vast majority of people in the
thirty counties west of the Blue Eidge Mountains. The new
State soon came up like a Phoenix, and -with Govemor Pierre--
pout at its head, became the recognized State of Virginia.
Such were the fruits of McCleUan's first campaign.

» **9»4 ^

XI^

THE FIJIST DISASTER.
The first real disaster which fell upon the Union arms oc
curred at Big Bethel, on York Peninsula, on Monday, June
10th. Butler, in his report, stated the reasons for the advance
ordered, as follows :
" Having learned that the enemy had established an outpost of some
strength at a place called Little Bethel, a small church, about eight
miles from Newport News, and the same distance from Hampton, from
whence they wefe accustomed nightly to advance both on Newport
News and the picket guards of Hampton to annoy them, and also from
whence they had come do-wn in small squads of cavalry and taken a
number of Union men, some of whom had the safeguard and protection
of the troops of the United States, and forced them into the rebel ranks,
and that they were also gathering up the slaves of citizens who had
moved away and left their farms in charge of their negroes, carrying
them to work in intrenchments at Williamsburg and Torktown, I had
determined to send up a force to drive them back and destroy their
camp, the head-quarters of which was this small church. I had also
learned that at a short distance further on, on the road to Torkto-wUj
was an outwork of the rebels, on the Hampton side of a place called
Big Bethel, a large church, near the head of the north branch of Back
River, and that here was a very considerable rendezvous, -with works
of more or less strength in process of erection, and from this point the
whole country was laid under contribution,"
20

154 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
^e accordingly ordered Brigadier- General Pierce " to send
Duryea's regiment of Zouaves to be ferried over Hampton creek
at one o'clock on the moming of the lOth, and to march by
the road up to Newmarket bridge, then crossing the bridge,
to go by a by-road, and thus put the:regunent in the rear of
the enemy, and. between Big Bethel and Little Bethel, .in part
for the purpose of cutting him off, and then to make an attack
upon Little Bethel." This regiment was to be supported by
Colonel To-wnsend's regiment (Third New York volunteers)
at Hampton, which was to take up its Hne of march at two .
o'clock. Coldnel Phelps, at Newport News, was ordered to
send forward "such companies of the regunents under his
command as he thought best, under command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Washburne, in time to make a demonstration upon Lit-
. tie Bethel in front, and to have him supported by Colonel
Bendix's regiment, with two field pieces." Bendix and To-wn-
send were to form a junction at the forks of the roads leading
from Hampton and Newport News, about a mUe and a half
from Little Bethel.
These movements were so arranged that the attack upon
Little Bethel was to be made at daybreak ; when, the enemy
bein^ repulsed, Duryea's Zouaves and one ofthe Newport News
regiments were to "follow upon the heels ofthe. flying rebels
and attack the battery on the road to Big Bethel, whUe cover
ed by the fugitives, or, if it was thought expedient by Gen
eral Pierce, faUing to surprise the camp at Little Bethel, they
should attempt to take the work^ at Big Bethel To prevent
the possibUity of mistake in the darkness, Butler directed that
no attack should be made until the watchword was shouted by
the attacking regiment ; and, in case that, by any mistake in
the march, the regiments to make the junction should unex
pectedly meet and be unknown to each other, it was directed
fhat the members of Colonel Tbwnsend's regiment should be
known, if in daylight, by something white worn on the arm."
These orders were expHcit, it -wUl be seen, and exonerate ;
Butler from blame for the disaster which attended the expe-

OF THE WAR. 155
dition, since, had they been carried out, the objects of the ex
pedition would have been accomplished
The troops were aU put in motion as ordered. The beau
tiful night, clear -with the light of stars, rendered every move
ment easy. The regunents had passed to their several desig
nated, positions— Duryea's in the adv3,nce and Lieutenant
Colonel Washbume -with the Newport News troops close at
hand To-wnsend's regiment was coming up, and when within
a few yards, of the rendezvous, suddenly a furious fire was
poured in upon his ranks, of smaU arms and cannon. This fire
was supposed to proceed from an ambuscade of the enemy,
and was returned, while the assaUed regiment left the road
and took the cover of a ridge in the rear. Not until several
rounds had been discharged and two of Townsend's men kill
ed and eight wounded did the assailants (who proved to be-
a portion of Colonel Bendix's regiment of German riflemen,
together -with a few companies of Massachusetts and Vermont
men) discover their grievous mistake.
- In the meanwhUe, Colonel . Duryea and Lieutenant- Colonel
Washburne, hearing the firing, supposed the attack to proceed
from the enemy, and, fearing that their communications might
be cut off, fell back. The enemy's pickets had been reached
by Duryea, and five of them were captured ; but, the alarm
being given, and the advance retarded, the rebels had ample
time to evacuate their position at Little Bethel; and to make
good their retreat to Big Bethel, where they had, as it after
wards appeared, excellent defensive works, held by a North
Carolina regiment, and strong batteries manned by'Magrader's
own choice men.
A conference was held by the several officers in command,
when it was determined to push forward and assail Big Bethel
— Duryea still on the advance. A messenger was dispatched to
Butler gi-ving an account of affairs, and suggesting that a regi
ment be sent forward as a reserve. Colonel Allen was, there
upon, thrown forward upon \53'i'ipto^- ^o opposition was
offered, save from one house, from which- a shot was fired,
wounding one man The .house was in flames in a .few

156 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
moments. The vicinity of Big Bethel was reached by half-
past nine A. M. The position was thus described :
" On the right of the road as the troops advanced was a
wood ; in the centre lay the road, and, on their left, a large
open field. The enemy's batteries were placed so as not only
to command the field, which was directly in front of them, but
also the road and the centre woods on its left A private
house and some outbuUdings stood in the. plain, so that the
Secessionists were placed on a hUl, backed and concealed by
woods ; in their entire front a stream, on the further side of
that Stream a large plain, with no shelter but that of one or
two insignificant houses, and to the right, but commanded by
their guns, a wood, through which ran the road."
The enemy opened his cannonade at the first appearance of
the Federal troops. Duryea, covered by two howitzers and a
brass six-pounder, took the centre ; To-wnsend the left, near
the plain,, with two guns; Bendix the right, in the woods,
with Lieutenant Greble ser-ving his single piece of artUlery, in
front, openly. The fight was, from the first, extremely un
equal The enemy, lurking behind intrenchments, and -with
guns commanding the entire approach, was also further guarded
by a narrow, but deep stream, passing along their entire front,
and covering their flank from approach. Thus secure, the
contest was alariningly unequal. Pierce, seeing how unex
pectedly warm was to be his reception, dispatehed a second
messenger to Butler for reenforcements, when Colonel Carr's
regiment, then advanced as far as Newmarket bridge, moved
to the scene of conflict — only reaching it, however, to partici
pate in the retreat
The fortunes of the day only needed a master-hand to direct
therii,'to have tumed in favor ofthe Union troops! General
Pierce refrained from much command — each regiment seeming
tb act entirely on its own responsibility. Several most gaUant
advances were made by the Zouaves, up to the enemy's very
face, to pick off the men lurking behind their guns. Colonel
Bendix prepared for a final assault, but found no orders given
for a support Townsend's men behaveji with great gallantry,

OP THE WAR. 157
and were only brought away from the murderous fire of the
artUlery by the personal leadership of the Colonel, who, on his
horse, rode between the fires, and compeUed his troops to
retire. Lieutenant-Colonel Washbume had, also, arranged
for a flank movement which, -with a combined attack frorii the
front, must have ended the struggle ; but the order for retreat
was given before the movement could be. executed One who
was present as an observer, -wrote :
" The raw troops, recruits not yet two months enlisted, and
many of them not having received two weeks drill, stood fire
.weU. They were almost utterly unable to defend themselves,
from the nature of things, but never flinched Some were less
disciplined than others, and their efforts less available, but no
lack of the most difficult sort of courage, that which consists
in enduring -without the excitement of performing, was mani
fested The cannonading of the enemy was incessant Shrap
nell, canister, and rifled baUs came at the rate of three a minute ;
thetoiUy intervals being those necessary to allow their guns to
cool Our own guns, although of comparatively little use,
were not idle, untU the artUlery ammunition was entirely ex
hausted -Almost aU of the cartridge rounds of the Zouaves
were also fired.
" At about one o'clock. Colonel Allen's regiment, the First
New York, came up as a reenforcement, and, at about the
same time. Colonel Carr's, of the Troy Volunteers ; these also
received several discharges of artUlery; but did not move
upon the open field, with the exception of two hundred of the
Troy Eifles. Their approach, however, seemed to the com
manding General to give no hope that he would be able, -with
out more artUlery, to take or silence the batteries, and, at
alDout twenty minutes past one, he gave the order to -withdraw."
The Federal loss was fourteen killed, forty-nine wourided, and
five missing. Among the killed were two ofthe most gallant and
noble men in the service — Major Theodore Winthrop, Secretary
and Aid to General Butler, and First-Lieutenant John T. Greble,
of the United States regular ArtiUery, Second regiment The
enemy pronounced his loss to have been but one killed and

158 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
four wounded The retreat was accompHshed in good order—
the enemy not pursuing. A troop of cavalry saUied over the
bridge, and feU upon the wagons collecting the wounded—
disregarding the flag of tmce borne by the Chaplairi in com
mand, but no attack was made on the Imes. Colonel. Phelps
had dispatched two hundred and fifty men, under Colonel
Hawkins, to the scenp of combat; but these troops only met
the retreat -
This contest excited the public mind greatly.- Upon General
Pierce the censure of defeat feU, with mercUess severity. He
was charged with inefficiency, ignorance of field manoeuvres,.
want of pluck, etc., etc. It is questionable if the charges were
wholly true. The first error was in dispatching so large a
force without equivalent artillery. ¦ Had there been a dozen
good field pieces, the enemy would have been driven from his
position in half-an-hour. As it was, Greble's single gun did
memorable service, and, had Bendix and Duryea been allowed
to charge, as they wished, at a moment when it was e-vident
that Greble and the sharpshooters had sUenoed over half of the
enemy's guns, it is more than probable that the day would
have been won General Pierce lacked confidence in himseK
It was his first experience on the battle field ; he seemed con
fused by its responsibilities.^ Conceded to be a brave officer
and a good disciplitiarian, he still lacked the experiences- of a
general field command. Had he wisely conferred that com
mand upon Duryea, or, indeed, upon any one of. his Colonels,
that army never would have retreated, especiaUy after the
arrival of Colonel Carr's fine troops, with their two effective
pieces of artillery.
In the enemy's account of the fight, as given by the Eich
mond Dispatch, the fact was made known that Magruder coiri-
manded in person. The infantry present consisted of the First
North Carolina regiment. Colonel HiU. Their guns consisted
of a superb howitzer battery (seven guns), embracing one fine
Parrot field-piece. The battery was worked by one - hundred
chosen riien, under Major Eandolph. The account stated,
among other things : i

OF THE WAR. 159
" About nine o'clock, the glittering bayonets of the enemy
appeared on the hUl opposite, and above them waved the Star
Spangled Banner. The moment the head of the column ad
vanced far enough to show one or two compardes, the Parrot
gun of .the ho-witzer battery opened on them, throwing a "shell
right into their midst Their ranks broke in confusion, and
the column, or as much of it as we could see, retreated behind
two small farm-houses. From their position a fire was opened
on us, which was repHed to by our battery, which commanded
the route of their iapproach. Our firing was excellent, and the
shells scattered in. all directions when they burst They could
hardly approach the guns which they were firing for the shells
which came from our battery. Within our encampment fell a
perfect haUstorm of canister-shot, bullets, arid balls. Eemark-
able to say, not one of. our men was kUled, inside of our en
campment Several horses were slain by the shells and
bullets. " Finding that bombardment would not answer, the enemy,
about eleven o'clock, tried to carry the position by assault, but
met a terrible repulse at the hands of the infantry, as he tried
to scale the breastworks. The men disregarded sometimes the
defenses erected for them, and, leaping on the embankment,
stood and fired at the Yankees, cutting them down as they
came up. One company of the New York Seventh regiment,
nnder Captain Winthrop, attempted to take the redoubt on the
left The marsh they crossed was strewn with their bodies.
Their Captain, a fine-looking man, reached the fence, and, lean
ing on a log, waved his sword, crying, ' Come on, boys, one
charge, and the day is ours.' The words were his last, for a
CaroHna rifle ended his Hfe the next moment, and his men fled
in terror back. At the redoubt on the right, a company .of
about three hundred New York Zouaves charged one of our
guns, but could not stand the fire of the infantry; and retreated
precipitately. .
" During these charges, the main body of the enemy on the
hUl were attempting to concentrate for a general assault, but
the sheUs from the howitzer battery prevented theno. As one

160 INCIDENTS AND ANEdDOTES
reghnent would give up the effort, another would be marched
to the position, but with' no better success, for a shell would
scatter them like chaff. The men did not seem able to stand
fire at all.
" About one o'clock their guns were sUenced, and a few
moments after, their infantry retreated precipitately down the
road to Hampton"
The Ealeigh State Journal published the foUowing in an
extra : ' " ToKKTO-wN, "Va., June 11th, 1861.
''Hon. J. W. Ellis, Governor of Worth Carolina: .
" " Sir : I have the honor to report that eight hundred men of my regi
ment and three hundred and sixty Virginians were engaged for five
and a half hours with four and a half regiments of the enemy, at Bethel
Church, nine miles from Hampton.
" The enemy made three distinct and well-sustained charges, but were
repulsed with heavy loss. Our cavalry pursued them for six miles, when
their retreat became a total route. Fearing that heavy reenforcements
would be sent up from Portress Monroe, we fell back at nightfall upon
our works at Torktown. I regret to report the loss of one man killed,
private Henry L. Wyatt, Edgecomb Guards, and seven wounded.
" The loss of the enemy, by their own confession, was one hundred
and fifty, but it may be safely estimated at two hundred and fifty.
" Our regiment behaved most gallantly. Not a man shrunk from his
post or showed symptoms of fear. When more at leisure, I will give
you a detailed report of the operations.
" Our Heavenly Father has most wonderfully interposed to shield our
hearts in the day of battle ; unto His great name be all the praise for
our success. " With much respect, , D.. H. HILL,
" Colonel First Regiment N. 0. Volunteers."

x^.

MAJOR WINTHROP.
Major Theodore Winthrop was one of those luminaries
whose worth was not fully estimated untU it had departed for
ever. His brief career— his heroic death — gave to the news
paper paragraphist a theme for a brief record ; but to those
who valued those quahties in man which render him adorable,
the life of Major Winthrop was a theme of abiding interest,
and his death the source of an abiding sorrow.
If the young Ellsworth was the embodiment of the spirit
of American energy and -vitality, the young Winthrop was
none the less a representative of American nobUity of nature.
His scarcely opened Hfe had but just begun to display its pu
rity and grace ere it was closed again— to become a tender
memory. Over EUsworth's tomb hangs a halo of the glory
which bursts and bums from the brow of the resistless man.
Over the tomb of Winthrop beams the halo of glory which
radiates and glows from^the brow of the adorable man. It is
weU to enshrine the story of such Hves in the history of the
cause in which they were offered as sacrifices.
The Atlantic Monthly for August, 1861, contained a paper
on Winthrop, which so fully revealed the man, that we adopt
it as the estimate which we desire to attach to his memory.
It -was understood to emanate from the pen of George Henry
Crirtis, Esquire, an intimate associate of the deceased officer,
and one famiHar with that inner life of Winthrop which ren
dered him the type of man, whom it should be the study of our
young men to emulate. • We extract from that paper such
portions of it as are material to a clear comprehension of the
life and character of our subject :
o2 21

162 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" He was bom in New Haven on the 33d of September, 1838, and
was a grave, delicate, rather precocious child. He was at school only in
New Haven, and entered Tale College just as he was sixteen. The pure,
manly morality which was the substance of his character, and his bril
liant exploits of scholarship, made him the idol of his college friends,
who saw in him the promise of the splendid career which the fond faith
of students allots to the favorite classmate. He studied for the Clark
scholarship, and gained it ; and his name, in the order of time, is first
upon the roll of that foundation. He won the Townsend prize for the
best com'position on history. For the Berkeleian scholarship he and
another were judged equal, and, drawing lots, the other gained the
scholarship ; but they divided the honor.
" In college his favorite studies were Greek and mental philosophy.
He never lost the scholarly taste and habit. A wide reader; he retained
knowledge with little efifort, and often surprised his friends by the
variety pf his information. Tet it was^not strange, for he was bom a
scholar. His mother was the great grand-daughter of old President
Edwards ; and, among his ancestors upon the maternal side, Winthrop
counted seven College Presidents. Perhaps, also, in this learned descent
we may find the secret of his early seriousness. Thoughtful and self-
criticizing, he was peculiarly sensible to religious influences, under
which his criticism easily became self-accusation, and his sensitive
seriousness grew sometimes morbid. He would have studied for the
ministry or a professorship, upon leaving college, except for his failing
health. " In the latter days, when I knew him, the feverish ardor of the first
religious impulse was past. It had given place to a faith much too
deep and sacred to talk about, yet holding him always with serene,
steady poise in the purest region of life and feeling. There was no
franker or more sympathetic companion for young men of his own age
than he ; but his conversation fell from his lips as unsuUied as his soul.
"He- graduated in 1848, wh'bn he was twenty years old; and, for the
sake of his health, which was seriously shattered — an ill-health that
colored all his life — he set out upon his travels. He went first to
England, spending much time at Oxford, where he made pleasant
acquaintances, and walking through Scotland. He then crossed Over
to France and Germany, exploring Switzerland very thoroughly upon
foot — once or twice escaping great dangers among the mountains-^and
pushed on to Italy and Greece, still walking much of the way. In Italy
he made the acquaintance of Mr. W. H. Aspinwall, of New Tork, and,
upon his return, became tutor to Mr. Aspinwall's son. He presently
accompanied his pupil and a nephew of Mr. Aspinwall, who were going
to a school in Switzerland ; and, after a second short tour of six months

OF THE WAR. 163
in Europe, he returned to New Toi'k, and entered Mr. Aspinwall's
counting-house. In the employ of the Pacific Steamship Coippany he
went to Panama, and resided for about two years, traveling, and often
ill of the fevers of the country. Before his return he traveled through
California and Oregon — went to Vancouver's Island, Puget Sound, and
the Hudson Bay Company's station there. At the Dalles he was smitten
with the small-pox, and lay ill for six weeks. He often spoke with the
warmest gratitude of the kind care that was taken of him there. But
when only partially recovered, he plunged off again into the wilderness.
At another time, he fell very ill upon the Plains, and lay down, as he
supposed, to die ; but, after some time, struggled up and on again.
" He returned to the counting-room, but, unsated with adventure,
joined the disastrous expedition of Lieutenant Strain, during which his
health was still more weakened, and he came home again in 1845. In
the following year he studied law, and was admitted to the bar. In 1856
he entered heartily into the Pjemont campaign, and from the strongest
conviction^ He went into some of the dark districts pf Pennsylvania, and
spoke incessantly. The roving life and its picturesque episodes, -with
the earnest conviction which inspired him, made the summer and
autumn exciting and pleasant. The following year he went to St. Louis
to practice law. The climate was unkind to him, and he returned and
began the practice in New Tork. But he could not be a lawyer. His
health was too uncertain, and his tastes and ambition allured him else
where. His mind was brimming with the results of observation. His
' fancy was alert and inventive, and he wrote tales and novels. At the
same time he delighted to haunt the studio of his friend Church, the
painter, and watch day by day the progress of his picture, the Heart of
the Andes. It so fired his imagination that he wrote a description of
it, in which, as if rivalling the tropical and tangled richness of the pic
ture, he threw together such heaps and masses of gorgeous words, that
the reader was dazzled and bewildered.
" The wild, campaigning life, was always a secret passion with him.
His stories of travel were so graphic and warm, that I remember one
evening, after we had, been tracing upon the map a route he had taken,
and he had touched the whole region into life with his description, my
younger brother, who had sat by and listened with wide eyes all the
evening, exclaimed, with a sigh of regretful satisfaction, as the door
closgd upon our story-teller, ' It's as good as Robinson Crusoe ! ' Tet,
with all his fondness and fitness for that kind .of life, or, indeed, any
active administrative function, his literary ambition , seemed ito be the
deepest and strongest.
" He had always been writing. In college and upon his travels he
kept diaries ; and he has left behind him several novels, tales, sketches

164 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
of travel, and journals. The first published writing of his which is well
known, is his description of the March of the Seventh Regiment of New
Tork to Washington. It was charming by its graceful, sparkling, crisp,
off-hand dash and ease. But it is only the practised hand that can
" dash off " the story of a day^ or a week, in the life of the regiment,
and he will see that -the writer did that little thing well, because he had
done large things carefully. Tet, amid all the hurry and brilliant ,
bustle of the articles, the author is, as he was in the most bustling mo.
ment of life they described, a spectator, an artist. He looks on at him
self, and the scene of which he is part — he is willing to merge his
individuality ; but he does not merge it, for he could not,
" So, wandering, hoping, trying, waiting, thirty-two years of his life
went by, and they left him true, sympathetic, patient. The sharp pri
vate griefs that sting the heart so deeply, and leave a little poison be
hind, did not spare him. But he bore everything so bravely, so silentiy
— often silent for a whole evening in the.midst of pleasant talkers, but
not impertinently sad, nor even sullen — that we all loved him a little
more at such times. The ill-health from which he always suffered, and
a flower-like delicacy of temperament, the yearning de"sire to be of some
service in the world, coupled with the curious, critical introspection
which marks every sensitive and refined nature and paralyzes action,
overcast his life and manner to the common eye with pensiveness and
even sternness. He wrote verses in which his heart seems to exhale in
a sigh of sadness. But he was not in the least a sentimentalist. The
womanly grace of temperament merely enhanced the unusual manliness
of his character and impression. It was like a delicate carnation upon
the cheek of a robust man ; for his humor was exuberant. He seldom
laughed loud, but his smile was sweet and appreciative. Then the
range of his sympathies was so large, that he enjoyed every kind of life
and person, and was everywhere at home. In walking and riding, in
skating and running, in games out of doors and in, no one of us all in
the neighborhood was so expert, so agile as he. For, above all things,
he had what we Tankees call faculty — the knack of doing everything.
If he rode with a neighbor who was a good horseman, Theodore, who
was a Centaur, when he mounted, would put any horse at any gate or
fence ; for it did not- occur to him that he could not do whatever was
to be done. Often, after writing for a few hours in the morning, he
stepped out of doors, and, from pure, love ofthe fun, leaped and turne'd
summersaults on the grass, before going up to town. In walking about
the island, he constantly stopped by the roadside fences, and,, grasping
the highest rail, swung himself swiftly and neatly over and back again,
resuming the walk and the talk without delay.
" I do not wish to make him too much of a hero. ' Death,' says

OF THE WAR. 165
Bacon, ' openeth the gate to good fame.' When a neighbor dies, his
form and quality appear clearly, as if he had been dead a thousand
years. Then we see what we only felt before. Heroes in history seem
to us poetic because they are there. But if we should tell the simple
truth of some of our neighbors, it would sound like poetry. Winthrop
was one of the men who represent the manly and poetic qualities that
always exist around us-^not great genius, which is ever salient, but the
fine fibre of manhood that makes the worth of .the race.
" Closely engaged with his literary employments, and more quiet
than ever, he took less active part in the last election. But when the
menace of treason became an aggressive act, he saw very clearly the in
evitable necessity of arms. We all taiked of it constantly — watching
the news — chafing at the sad necessity of delay, which was sure to con
fuse foreign opinion and alienate sympathy, as has proved to be the
case. As matters advanced and the war-cloud rolled up thicker and
blacker, he looked at it with the secret satisfaction that war for such a
cause opened his career both as thinker and actor. The admirable
coolness, the promptness, the cheerful patience, the heroic ardor, the
intelligence, the tough experience of campaigning, the profound con
viction that the cause was in truth ' the good old cause,' which was now
to come to the death-grapple with its old enemy, Justice against Injus
tice, Order against Anarchy — all these should now have their turn, and
the wanderer and waiter ' settle himself at last.
" We took a long walk together on the Sunday that brought the
news of the capture of Fort Sumter. He was thoroughly alive with a
bright, earnest forecast of his part in the coming work. Returning
home with me, he sat until late in the evening talking with an unwont
ed spirit, saying playfully, I remember, that, if his friends would only
give him a horse, he would ride straight to victory. Especially he
wished that some competent person would keep a careful record of
events as they passed ; ' for we are making our history,' he said, ' hand
over hand.' He sat quietly in the great chair while he spoke, and at
last rose to go. We went together to the door, and stood for a little
¦while upon the piazza, where we had sat peacefully through so many
golden summer-hours. The last hour for us had come, but we did not
know it. We shook hands, and he left me, passing rapidly along the
brook-side under the trees, and so in the soft spring starlight vanished
from my sight forever.
" The next morning came the President's proclamation. Winthrop
went imrnediately to town and enrolled himself in the artillery corps
of the Seventh regiment During the two or three following days he
was very busy and very happy. On Friday afternoon, the 19th of
April, I, stood at the corner of Courtland street and saw the regiment

166 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
as it marched away. Two days before, I had seen the Massachusetts
troops- going down the same street. During the day the news had •
come that they were already engaged, that some were already dead in
Baltimore. And the Seventh, as they went, "blessed and wept over by
a great city, went, as we all believed, to terrible battle. Thp setting
sun in a clear April sky shone full up the street. Mothers' eyes glis
tened at the windows upon the glistening bayonets of their boys below.
I knew that Winthrop and other dear friends were there, but I did not
see them. I saw only a thousand men marching like one hero. The
music beat and rang and clashed in the air. Marching to death or vicr
tory or defeat, it mattered not. They marched for Justice, and God-
was their Captain.
" From that moment he has told his own story in these pages* until
lie went to Fortress Monroe, and was made acting military secretary
and aid by General Butler. Before he went, he wrote the most copious
and gayest letters from the camp. He was thoroughly aroused, and all
his powers happily at play. In a letter to me soon after his arrival in
-Washington, he says :
" ' I see no present end of this business. We must rionquer the South.
Afterward we must be prepared to do its police in its own behalf, and
in behalf of its black population, whom this war must, without precipi
tation, emancipate. We must hold the South as the metropolitan po
lice holds New Tork. All this is inevitable. Now I wish to enrol
myself at once in the Bolice of the Nation, and for life, if the nation wiU
take me. I do not see that I can put myself — experience and character
— to any more useful use  My experience in this short cam
paign with the Seventh assures me that volunteers are for one purpose
and regular soldiers entirely another. We want regular soldiers for the
cause of order in these anarchial countries, and we want men in com
mand who, though they may be valuable as temporary satraps or pro
consuls to make liberty possible wjiere it is now impossible, vrill never
under any circumstances be disloyal to Liberty, will always oppose any
scheme of any one to constitute a military government, and -wiU be
ready, when the time comes, to imitate Washington. We must think
of these things, and prepare for them.'
" The last days of his life at Fortress Monroe were doubtless also the
happiest. His energy and enthusiasm, and kind, winning ways, and
the deep satisfaction of feeling that all his gifts could now be used as
he would have them, showed him arid his friends that his day had at
length dawned. He was especially interested in the condition and fate
of the slaves who escaped froni the neighboring region and sought
'* Referring to articles contributed to the Atlantic Monthly.

OF THE WAR. 167
refuge at the fort. He had never for an instant forgotten the secret
root of the treason which was desolating the land with war ; and in his
¦view there would be no peace until that rootjivas destroyed. In his
letters written from the fof t he suggests plans of relief and comfort for
the refugees ; and one of his last requests was to a lady in New Tork,
for clothes for these poor pensioners. They were promptly sent, but
reached the fort too late. .
" As I look over these last letters, which gush and throb with the
fullness of his activity, and are so tenderly streaked with touches of
constant affection and remembrance, yet are so calm and duly mindful
of every detail, I do not think with an elder friend, in whom the wis
dom of years has* only deepened sympathy for all generous youthful
impulse, of Virgil's MarceUus, ' Heu, miserande puer .'' but I recall, rather,
still haunted by Philip Sidney, what he wrote, just before his death, to
his father-in-law, Walsingham — 'I think a wise and constant man
ought never to grieve while he doth play, as a^ man may say his own
part truly.'
" The disastrous day of the 10th of June, at Great Bethel, need not
be described. It-is already written with tears and vain regrets in our
history. It is useless tq prolong the debate as to where the blame of
defeat, if blame there were, should rest. But there is an impression
somewhat prevalent that Winthrop planned the expedition, which is
incorrect. As military secretary of the commanding general, he made
a memorandum of the outline of the plan as it had been finally settled.
Precisely what that memorandum (which has been published) was, he
explains in the last letter he wrote, a few hours before leaving the fort.
He says : - If I come back safe, I will send you my notes of the plan of
attack, part made up from the General's hints, part my own fancies.'
This defines exactly his responsibility. His position as aid and military
secretary, his admirable qualities as adviser under the circumstances,
and his personal friendship for the General, brought him intimately
into the council of war. He embarked in the plan all the interest of a
brave soldier contemplating his first battle. He probably made sug
gestions some of which were adopted. The expedition was the first
move from Fort Monroe, to which the country had been long looking
in expectation. These were the reasons why he felt so peculiar a
responsibility for its success ; and after the melancholy events of the
earlier part of the day, he saw that its fortunes could be retrieved only
by a dash of heroic enthusiasm. ¦ Fired himself, he sought to kindle
others. For one moment that brave, inspiring form is plainly visible
to his whole country, rapt and calm, standing upon the log nearest the
enemy's battery, the mark of their sharpshooters, the admiration of
their leaders, waving his. sword, cheering his fellow-soldiers with, his

168 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
bugle voice of victory — ^young, brave, beautiful, for one moment erect
and glowing in the wild whirl of battle, the next falling forward to
ward the foe, dead, butrtriumphant.
" On the 19th of April he left the armory-«loor of the Seventh, with
his hand upon a howitzer ; on the 31st of June his body lay upon the
same howitzer at the same door, wrapped in the flag for which he
gladly died, as the symbol of human freedom. And so, dra-wn by the
hands of young men lately strangers to him, but of whose bravery and
loyalty he had been the laureate, and who fitly mourned him who had
honored them, with long, pealing dirges and muffled drums, he moved
forward."

X^I.

THE SECOND DISASTER.
The defeat of the Federal army of invasion at Bull Eun
Sunday, July 21st, 1861, was one of the most remarkable and
mysterious affairs recorded in the annals of modem warfare.
A magnificent army, having fought, against great odds, ar-bat-
tle of an unusually sanguinary nature, at a moment when -vic
tory was about to rest upon its standard, broke up in a panic,
retreated in disorder to their fartherest defenses, abandoned
vast stores, artillery and equippage, forsook positions which a
few brave men could have held securely, and collected in camp
a disorganized and dispirited mass — all from no perceptible
good reason and without being able to fasten the first fault
upon any particular corps or regiment
That the battle was virtually won by the Federal forces the
rebel leaders themselves confess. Beauregard, at a dinner
given him in Eichmond, stated, with minuteness, the circum
stances of his peril and his defeat — that he had just given the
order to his aid for the grand retreat to Manassas, but retained
the aid to await the solution of a single movement : a banner
V

 1

OF THE WAR. 169
was seen in the distance, to the west, advancing at the head
of a di-vision — if that of the Federals all was lost — ^if that of
one of his o-wn divisions it would steady the movements about
to be ordered, or possi'bly turn the tide of defeat He depict
ed the intensity. of his emotions at that moment, and how his
heart leaped for joy upon distinguishing, with his glass, that
the flag was that of the Confederacy. The order for retreat
was not issued, and soon the General-in-Chief learned that the
long looked-for reenforcements from Johnson's army had ar
rived. This timely arrival of fourteen thousand comparatively
fresh men saved Beauregard's overwhelming defeat and gave
him the vantage ground. The Union troops, however, fought
the way on — were pushing the enemy slowly but surely back
ward wlien, without just cause, a stampede commenced, which
no power of of&cers, or of eminent civilians present, could pre
vent The regiments of most undoubted bravery, those whose
ranks were deplorably thinned by ser-pice fled in dismay be
fore an imaginary pursuit. ArtUlery of the most costly and
ef&cient character was abandoned — ^the gunners taking to the
horses for escape. Wagons loaded -with immense quantities
of stores were abandoned, whUe the teamsters or the flying
infantry seized the horses and mules to hasten in advance of
the disordered mass. Of&cers came on -without commands,
-wUd -with frenzy at the course of their troops, but perfectly
powerless to stay the disgraceful scamper. A few regiments
moved on in comparatively good order, but their course was
Washington- ward, and no efforts to stand were made. Blenk-
er's fine di-sdsion — ^held as a reserve at Centerville, covered the
rout in good order, but did no ser-vice as no enemy pursued.
It was a causeless, senseless, disgraceful panic — one which ever
-wiU stand as one of the inexpHcable phenomena of the modern
battle-field. No battle ever was fought where so many and such various
opinion's were expressed by those present Many newspapers
were represented by able and vigilant correspondents ; num
bers of Congressmen were there ; eminent civUians came out
to view the conflict, which was heralded by the skirmishing
p22

170 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
of three previous days ; — most all of whom pubHshed state
ments and naiTatives of the disaster, many of which disagreed
in important, specific and general particulars. The statements
of ofiicers only added to the confusion, whUe official reports
failed to throw any light upon the actual cause or the extent
of the disaster.
A letter from an officer of the regular service present at the
battle,.gave the following general narrative of the events of
the day :
" The march from our bivouac, near Oentreville, was taken up at ^ A. Kt
on Sunday. Among officers and men the impression prevailed that the
action would occur at Bull's Eun, the scene of General Tyler's repulse.
a diiy or two previously. In this they were disappointed. . Tyler's
brigade posted themselves at the bridge over Bull's Run, where they
were ordered to feign an attack as soon as General Hunter's division
were known to be in position. This order was partially obeyed. Hun
ter's division, composed of Bumside's brigade and Porter's brigade,
after proceeding a mile beyond Centreville, made a detour to. the right,
and proceeded over a wood road, well covered from observation, to the
left flank of the enemy at Manassas, a distance of about eight miles.
At six o'clock firing was heard on the heights at Bull's Eun, from a
battery in Tyler's brigade, which was promptly answered by the enemy's
batteries. Their position thus revealed, the advance division (Hunter's)
ascended a hill at double quick, and almost immediately the Ehode
Island battery and Griflin's West Point battery were in brisk action.
The former was supported by the First regiment Rhode. Island volun
teers, who maintained their ground nobly for a half hour. At this mo
ment Porter's brigade, composed of the Fourteenth, Seventh and Twen
ty-seventh New Tork, with a battalion of United States marines, under
Major Reynolds, and a battalion of United States Third, Second and
Eighth infantry, under Major Sykes, took their position in line of battle
upon a hill, within range of the enemy's fire. Bumside's battery being
sorely pressed, the enemy having charged closely upon it, the gallant
Colonel galloped to Major Sykes and implored him to come to his as
sistance. Major Sykes brought up his men at a run, and, with a deaf
ening shout, they charged upon the enemy's skirmishers, who fled before
them several hundred yards. Forming in column of divisions, Sykes'
battalion advanced a considerable distance, until they drew upon them
selves an intensely hot fire of musketry and ajtUlery. This was a trying
moment. The volunteers expected much of the regulars, and gazed
upon them as they stood in unbroken Hne, receiving the fire, and return-

OF THE WAR. 171
ingit with fatal precision. Impressions and resolutions are formed on
the battle-field in an instant. The impression at this moment was a
happy one, and Heintzelman's brigade coming up into line, our forces
steadily advanced upen the retreating rebels. The batteries, which had
been meanwhile recruited with -men and* horses, renewed their fire with
increased effect, and our supremacy upon the field was apparent. The
enemy's fire was now terrific. Shell, round-shot and grape from their
batteries covered the field with clouds of dust, and many a gallant fel
low fell in that brief time. At this juncture the volunteers, who hither
to had behaved nobly, seeing their ranks thinned out, many losing
their field and company officers, lost confidence, and in a panic ifell back.
Three fresh regiments coming on the field at this time, would have
formed a nucleus upon wliich a general rally could have been effected,
but while the enemy had reenforcements pouring in upon them momen
tarily, our entire force was in the field and badly cut up. Thus was
OUI' actjoil maintained for hours. The panic was momentarily increas
ing. Regiments were observed to march up in good order, discharge
one volley, and then fall back in confusion. But there was no lack of
gallantry, generally speaking, and not a great many manifestations of
cowardice. Our artillery, which made sad havoc upon the rebels, had
spent their ammunition or been otherwise disabled by this time, and in
the absence of reenforcements, a retreat was inevitable. The time for
the last attack had now come. Nearly all of the rebel bat'teries were in
place, though silent. There was a calm — an indescribable calm. Every
man on the field felt it. I doubt if any one could describe it. General
McDowell was near the front of our lines, mounted on his gray charger.
And here let me say, emphatically, that, whatever may be the criticisms
upon his conduct by the military or the abominable stay-at-home news
paper scribblers and politicians, no braver man trod that turf at Manas
sas than General McDowell. Major Sykes' battalion of eight companies,
five of Third. infaritry, two of the Second, and one of the Eighth, were
marched several hundred yards to the right, and formed the right fiank
of the line. Several volunteer regiments were deployed as skirmishers
.on the centre and left. Thus they advanced to the crest of the hill.
The enemy met them with batteries and musketry in front, and two bat
teries and a thousand cavali-y on the right The fire was terrific. We
maintained our position for a half hour. Then it was discovered that
the rebel cavalry were attempting to outfiank our right. We had no
force to resist them, and the bugle of the regulars sounded the march in
retreat. This, so far as we were concerned, was conducted in gOQd
' order. On Major Sykes was imposed the responsible duty of covering
the retreat of the army. In this he was assisted on part of the route
by the United States cavalry, under Major Palmer. The enemy followed

172 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
us with their artillery and cavalry, shelling us constantly, until we
reached Centreville. Here we bivouacked for an hour, and then again
took up the line of march."
This speaks for the regulars, but does meager justice to those
many gallant regiments that bore the brunt of the fight ; whUe
it omits the most material incidents of the retreat Blenker's
troops (four regiments from Mills' division) covered the retreat
— being speciaUy detaUed as the reserve and to hold the heights
of Centreville.
From another more detailed account we glean such items as
-wUl, taken in connection -with the above, give a consistent idea
of the character of the contest
" On a Hne, right and left with Fairfax, the entire column
halted and bivouacked during the night of Wednesday the
17th. Beyond a false alarm caused by the discharge of a sen-
tiael's rqusket, which aroused the entire camp, and placed the
division under arms, nothing of any account occurred. Eleven
rebel soldiers belonging to the Sixth Alabama regiment, and
two citizens, were captured by the Fire Zouaves and brought
to Colonel Blenker, who commanded them to the lock-up un
der a strong guard. At eight o'clock A. M., on the 18th, we
broke camp and proceeded to CentrevUle, where the Fifth
division arrived in advance of all others. Our march to this
spot was difficult and dangerous. The pioneers worked like
beavers ; the roads were barricaded to such an extent, that we
had to cut our way inch by inch. The road being straight
through heavy pine woods, we were compeUed to throw out
skirmishers on our right and left, to guard against a surprise
attack. " At Centreville, we remained from Thursday morning untU
Sunday the 21st, the day of the memorable battle of BuU's
Eun. WhUe the Fifth division was encamped in the valley,
about half-a-mile from Centreville, the right flank of the grand
column arrived, and a portion of it, in command of General
Tyler, was sent in advance towards Bulk's Eun Creek, to recon
noitre the enemy's position and detect his batteries.
" On Friday morning the Secretary of War, accompanied by

OF THE WAR. 173
Colonel Scott and Mr. Moore, his private secretary, arrived at
the encampments, to note the position and condition of the
troops. It was soon rumored that General Scott was at Centre
ville, and great enthusiasm was manifested by the soldiers
when they were told that the veteran Commander-in-Chief was ,
among them. The statement, however, was false, for the hero
of a hundred battles was not there pro. personce. In the even
ing, the commanding officers were in-yited to a council of war
at the quarters of General McDowell
" The orders of General Tyler, it is understood, were specific
not to give the enemy battle ; but the skirmishers of the
Twelfth New York volunteers were scarcely one mile and a
half from Centre-vOle, before a masked battery opened upon
them, kUling and wounding a number ofthe men. The First
Massachusetts, Second Wisconsin, and First Mianesota regi
ments suffered badly. The Twelfth regiment retreated in
disorder. The Sixty-ninth,. Colonel Corcoran, and the Seventy-
ninth, Colonel Cameron, both New York State mUitia, came
up to reenforce our troops, but arrived too late to render any
effectual service. In fact they did not even have an opportu
nity to participate in this fight, all the troops having been
ordered back to Centreville first The Twelfth New York
volunteers and the First Massachusetts volunteers suffered
most; their loss in kUled, wounded, and missing could not
have been less than from one hundred to one hundred and
fifty. In the evening, however, those regiments, besides the
Connecticut volunteers, were moved forward, and camped
upon the late battle-field, the enemy having retreated from
their position. 'With the exception of driving in our pickets,
the capture of a rebel named Wingfield, by Captain Forstner,
of the Eighth regiment New York volunteers, and the sur
render of an orderly sergeant, named Leadbeater, of the
Virginia Ninth, our camps remained quiet until Sunday
morniag. " Early Sunday moming the divisions began to move. The
Warrington road was taken by the centre column ; and General
McDowell directed Colonel Heintzelman to march with his
p2

174 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
division in that direction. Sherman's battery,- Lieutenant
Haynes' thirty-pound rifled siege gun, Parrott's patent, and
Carlisle's battery accompanied this di-vision. Further to the
right, was Colonel Hunter's, Franklin's, Keyes' and Porter's
divisions. Each of them were supported by artUlery. At six
o'clock. Lieutenant Haynes opened the ball by sending a shot
from his battery, which he repeated alternately for upwards of
an hour, without recei-ving any reply from the enemy. FinaUy,
the rebels responded -with some grape and canister, which was
duly appreciated and returned with interest The rebels
seemingly had the proper range of their guns.
" The firing then became general, and the enemy slowly-
retreated, followed closely by our troops. An assault was
contemplated ; and the Sixty-ninth, Seventy-ninth, and Fire
Zouaves were ordered to storm the battery. . These valiant
soldiers steadUy advanced under a galling fire, and were almost
in possession of the guns, when a tremendous volley raked
their front, and they were compelled to fall back. The reason
of the repulse was obvious. The field officers . made a great
mistake in attempting to carry a battery from the front, and
neglected to deploy on the flanks. From this instant the fight
became more general The entire column, on the right now
pressed forward, and the Fire Zouaves, the Sixty-ninth, and
Seventy -ninth regiments had actuaUy captured three masked
batteries, when an immense troop of cavalry advanced, and
commenced cutting the ¦ gallant men to pieces. The Zouave?
lay flat on their faces to load, and their fire was so steady and
accurate, that whoever was hit by them wa^ seen to bite the
dust •
" Colonel Cameron, of the Highlanders, gaUantly led on his
men to the charge. The brave Scotchmen were so eager for
the fight, that some of them actually stripped off itheir shoes
and coats and rushed upon the enemy. The colonel of this
fine regiment did not live long enough to see the valiant deeds
of those whom he commanded, for, after discharging his
revolver twice, and while in the act of shooting the third time,
a ball from a. musket penetrated his left breast, "and he fell

OF THE WAR. 175
from his horse upon the field. Instead of becoming disheart
ened by this event, the gallant Highlanders pushed on, encou
raged by the brave Major -¦ McClelland (Lieutenant-Colonel
Elliott not being on the ground) in their charge on the enemy.
The Sixty -ninth regiment. Colonel Corcoran, also evinced the
most unflinching courage, and the only charge that in any way
approaches that of the rebel cavalry, was the famous charge at
Balaklava ; and it has yet to be proved whether it was so gal
lantly resisted as the charge was by these three New York
regiments. The Ehode Island, Maine, Connecticut, Wisconsin,
Massachusetts, and -the rest of the New York regiments all
fought furiously, regardless, of danger; -The New York
Seventy-first and Eighth regiments also signalized themselves,
and clearly demonstrated that their mUitary training was not
altogether confined to parading on Broadway in fuU dress
uniform. These men, although' their term of service -was
about to expire, did not flinch a hair from the duty they owed
to their country, and sprang forward to the charge, although
their ranks were thinned.
" The Ehode Island battery did good service, the enemy at
one time took the guns, but the gaUant boys recapt-iired them
with considerable slaughter. Thus the fight raged for nine
consecutive hours without interruption. When our troops in
the first place came upon the battle-field, on double-quick
time, they were exhausted to such an extent on reaching the
ground, that their tdngues actually hung out of their moutLs.
The poor soldiers suffered terribly for the want 9f drinking
water, and whene-ver a rill or a moist place was discovered,
the half-famisted men threw i themselves upon the ground,
Hcking the moisture. According to instructions. General Pat
terson was to have come to the reenforcement of our division,
and was etpected at Centreville at twelve o'clock noon. Had
he arrived, our weary troops would have been relieved and
given time to rest, whUe the attack would have been followed
up. Everything went on gloriously until about three o'clock
in the afternoon, and although a goodly number of our men
were kUled, stUl the spirit of those remaining was unbroken

176 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
but physically they were unable to maintain their position
much longer.
" Captain Ayres' battery and a portion of Eickett's battery
fell into the hands of the enemy, but were retaken after* an
immense sacrifice of life. A regiment of Black cavalry made
a circuitous dash at our right and left flanks, which was ob
served by the Zouaves. They immediately fell to the ground,
and each marked his man. Some picked off two and three,
and in less than half an hour from their first appearance the
black cavalry horses were seen dashing back riderless. Only
a few of this troop returned, out of about eight hundred men
" About half-past four o'clock in the afternoon a terrible
dash of cavalry and a fierce charge of artUlery was made at
our exhausted troops. This charge did the most devastating
damage, mowing do-wn everything in its furious career. The
agonized shrieks of the wounded, the terrible roar of artiUery,
snorting of frightened animals, tended to strike terror into the
j hearts of the soldiers. In this charge, Griffin's, Eicket's and
the Ehode Island batteries were taken. Those in citizen's
dress became alarmed and took to their heels, taking what
ever conveyance they could lay their hands upon. From them
the teamsters, some five hundred, who had driven their wag
ons further in advance than was any necessity for, took fright
The road being very narrow, in fact a gorge, the ponderous
vehicles could not be tumed, and in many cases the cowardly
drivers cut the traces, mounted their steedfe and rode off, leav
ing the valuables which were entrusted to their care by the
Government to take care of itself Thus thousands of doUars
worth of provisions were left behind. The army wagons dash
ing down the road, spread the panic among the citizens, who
made all possible haste to leave so hot a neighborhood.
" Colonel Miles in the meantime had received i»structions
to move his reserve forward, and the German brigade, under
Colonel Blenker, following Green's, Hunt's and- TidbaU's bat
teries, started on a double-quick to the scene of battle. The
brigade, however, had scarcely advanced three mUes from Cen
trevUle before the entire army came along, every man looking'

OF THE WAR. 177
out for himself. Through the firmness of Colonel Blenker, a
short stand was made at Cehtre-ville, and the flying troops
somewhat reassured. AU the threats, promises and denunci
ations were of no avaU, and the only course to be pursued was
to cover the retreat as much as possible in case of a pursuit
The troops reached Fairfax in safety, and those regiments
that were sent into Virginia on Sunday were ordered back,
and joined the column of the retreating forces. Between
Washington and Alexandria all travelHng communication was
cut off by the Govemment, so as not to allow the panic-
stricken soldiers to push into the Capital."
As might be expected, the most intense feeling pervaded
aU classes. The . defeat, at the very moment of victory, was
mortifying, but the rout and demoraHzation was mortifying
in the extreme. The public in its eager desire to find some
paUiation for the disaster, sought victims for its blame ; and
the Secretary of War — the " On to Eichmond !" press — ^the
Congressmen who had goaded General Scott by their displays
of temper at his deliberate way of ' pressing the campaign — all
suffered at the hands of the indignant people. But, as the
excitement of the moment cleared away, and matters came to
be understood, attention was directed to the reenforcements
received' by Beauregard — Johnson's entire army from Win
chester : why were they allowed to escape Patterson's heavy
columns sent speciflcaUy to engage the rebel, at every hazard,
and thus to keep him away from Manassas ? That faUure to
engage resulted, as Scott foreknew it must, in overpowering
McDowell's thirty-two thousand men. Had Patterson detain
ed Johnson, as ordered, all would have been well, and " On
to Eichniond 1" would have been, in aU probabUity, a fuMUed-
command. How in|crutable are the ways of Prb-vidence ! Had the
rebels been defeated at Bull Eun and forced from Manassas,
an armistice might have followed — doubtless would have fol
lowed ; when a " settlement" wouid have replaced the rebels
in power as in the past, to domineer over, to browbeat and in
sult, to cast a stigma upon, the North and its Free State senti-
23

178 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
ment, and have only postponed the day of final decision ofthe
great principles of Government involved. That defeat called
forth the yet but half-aroused sentiment of the North, con
vincing the people of the tme nature of the straggle, and com
manding those mighty resources wHch alone were capable of
finally crashing out the rebellion to the last degree, leavmg
the great prmciple of the supremacy of the Central Govem
ment no longer questioned, and the right of the majontv to
rule a fixed fact'

XVII.

INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE OF BULL BUN.
A VOLUME would scarcely suffice to contain aU the stories
related of haps and mishaps, personal achievements and adven
tures, incidents and anecdotes of the field of BuU Eun. We
can devote but a section to them, showing such as seem to
Ulustrate, in an indirect way, the fortunes and circumstances
of the struggle.
The battle consisted of a succession of fires from masked
batteries, which opened in every direction, (when one was
sUenced, its place was supplied by two,) and in the daring
charrges of our infantry in unmasking them. The Second Ohio
anS Second New York mihtia were marched by flank through
the woods by a new-made road, within a mUe of the mam
road, when they came on a battery of eight guns, with four
regiments flanked in the rear. Our men were immediately
ordered to He down on either side of the road, in order__to allow
two pieces of artUlery to pass through and .attack the work,
when this battery opened upon us, and kUled, on the third
round, Lieutenant Dempsey, of company G, New York Second,

OF THE WAR. 179
and WUHam Maxwell, a drummer, and seriously wounding
several others. Our troops were kept for fifteen or twenty
minutes under a galling fire, they not being able to exchange
shots with the enemy, although- within a stone's throw of their
batteries. They succeeded in retiring in regular order, and
with their battery.
The most gallant charge of the day was made by the New
York Sixty-ninth, Seventy-mnth, and Thirteenth, who rushed
up upon one of the batteries, firing as they proceeded, with
perfect eclat, and attacking it with the bayonet's point The
yeU of triumph seemed to carry all before it They found
that the rebels had abandoned the battery, and only taken one
gun, but this success was acquired only after a severe loss of
life, in which the Sixty-ninth mpst severely suffered. The
Zouaves also distinguished themselves by their spirited assaults
on the batteries, at the point of the bayonet
Colonel Cameron, seemed to have a presentiment of his
death. In a conversation with him at his tent, on the evening
prior to the battle, he said that he had accepted the command
of the gallant Highlanders because he admired them, and inas
much as he had only a short time to Hve, he might as weU
devote it to his country. He asked a correspondent whether
he was going to the battle-field. Eeceiving an affirmative
answer, he said : " Good bye, God bless you. We may meet
again, but I am afraid not in this world." Some sixteen hours
afterwards the gallant Colonel was shot from his horse and
kiUed. A member of the Sixty-ninth thus -wrote of the services of
that splendid i^egiment (composed wholly of Irish, drawn from
the City of New York, and commanded by Colonel Corcoran) :
" 4bout ten o'clock we discovered two batteries, and drove
the enemy out The Sixty-ninth advanced. We went off at
a run,, but could not overtake the enemy, as they scattered in
every direction through the woods. We kept up the ran,
tumed to the right, waded through streams, climbed steep
hUls, left our battery behind us, and out-flanked the enemy,
and came on them when we were not expected. The Louisiana

180 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Zouaves were doing big damage when we came on them. We
gave a yell that could be heard far above the roar of the can
non. We fired into them, and charged them with the bayonet.
They were panic-striken and fled. We covered the field -with,
their dead. Haggarty rashed forward to take a prisoner, and
lost his life. The man turned and shot him through the heart
We drove the enemy before us for some distance, then got into
Hne and had them surrounded. General McDowell came up
just then, took off his hat, and said, ' You have gained the
victory.' Our next fly was at a South CaroHna regiment We
killed about three -hundred of them. After fighting hard for
some time, we cleared the field of all the enemy. The enemy
again rallying, the real fight then commenced. We were dra-wn
up in Hne, and saw the other regiments trying to take the
masked batteries. They were cut to pieces and scattered. We
were then ordered forward to attack the batteries. We fought
desperately, but we were cut down. We lost our flag, but
took it back again -with the assistance of a few of the Firemen
Zouaves, who fought like devUs. We charged a second time,
but were mowed do-wn by the grape and rifle of the enemy.
We came together again, to make another charge, but we could
not get tsgether over two hundred men. We formed into a
hollow square, when we saw the enemy turn out their cavalry, .
about a mUe in length, and the hUls all about covered -with
them, trying to surround us. All the regiments on our side
were scattered and in disorder, except what were left of the
Sixty-ninth. The Fire Zouaves had to retreat, leaving a num
ber of wounded on the field. What we could gather together
of our regiment marched back to Fort Corcoran during the
night" Govemor Sprague, of Ehode Island, had two horses killed
under him during the action. After' the first one was kUled,
by his head being shot away by a cannon-ball, his men came
around him and insisted upon his going to the rear. This he
positively refused to do,- and continued throughout the engage
ment at the head of his brigade, gallantly leading thpm, on
and encouraging their efforts^

OF THE WAR. 181
Colonel Cowdin, of the First Massachusetts regiment, was
leaning his back against a tree in a very exposed position,
when a friend expostulated -with him for his recklessness.
The Colonel said the bullet was not moulded that would shoot
him that day. In a few seconds after, another personal friend
came up, and putting out his hand to the Colonel, the latter
stooped a Httle to grasp it, when a conical cannon-ball struck
on the spot where an instant before was the head of Colonel
Cowdin, shattering the tree into splinters. The Colonel
tumed about calmly and remarked, " that he was certain that
the ball that would kill him was not yet cast ;" and proceeded
to issue his' commands.
The brave conduct of Colonel Hunter, commanding the
Second di-vision, deserves special notice. He was shot in the
throat, while directing in person the Second EJiode Island
regiment, in its gallant assault upon a battery. Just before
being wounded, he had given an order to one of his aids for a
distant regiment T|ie aid was about galloping off, when he
saw the Colonel fall from his horse. He immediately came to
his assistance, but the .Colonel motioned him off, telling him
" deliver your order, and never mind me — I will take care of
myself" lieutenant-Colonel Boone, of Mississippi, one of the few
prisoners taken by our troops, states that had the Union troops
held their ground on the other ^ide of Bull Eun for half-an-
hour longer, the entire rebel army would have given way.
A Mississippi soldier was taken prisoner by Hasbrouck, of
the Wisconsin Second regiment He turned out to be Briga
dier-Quartermaster Pryor. He was captured, with his horse,
as he by accident rode into our lines. He discovered himself
by remarking to Hasbro^ick, " We are getting badly cut to
pieces." " What regiment do you belong to.?" asked Has
brouck. " .The Nineteenth Mississippi," was the answer.
" Then, you are my prisoner," said Hasbrouck. '
The Fire Zouaves received the special attention ofthe " Black
Horse Cavalry" — ^the pride of the Southern army, who had
Q '

182 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
sworn to wipe out the " red devils" from New York. The
story of their assault was thus told :
" They came upon the Zouave regiment at a gallop, and
were received by the brave firemen upon their poised bayo
nets, foUowed instantly by a volley, from which they broke
and fled,'though several of the Zouaves were cut down in the
assault They quickly returned, -with their forces doubled-^
perhaps six or seven hundred — and again they dashed -with
fearful yells upon the excited Zouaves. This time they bore
an American flag, and a part of the Zouaves supposed for an
instant that they were friends, whom they had originaUy mis
taken. The flag was quickly thro-wn down, hewever, the
horses dashed upon the regiment, the ru^e was discovered,
and the slaughter commenced. No quarter, no halting, no
flinching ncfw, marked the rapid and death-dealing blows of
our men, as they closed in upon the foe, "in their madness and
desperation. Our brave fellows fell, the ranks filled up, the
sabers, bo-wie-knives and bayonets glistened in the sunhghty.
horse after horse went down, platoon after platoon disappeared.
— the rattle of musketry, the screams of the rebels, the shout
of ' Eemember Ellsworth !' from the lungs of the Zouaves, and
the yells of the wounded and crushed belligerents filled the
air, and a terrible carnage succeeded. The gaUant Zouaves'
fought to the death, and were sadly cut up ; but of those
hundreds of Black Horse. Guards, not many left that bloody
recounter I"
When the Fire Zouaves stormed the masked battery at BuU
Eun, and were forced to fall back by the grapeshot and cav
alry charge, one of them was stunned by a blow from a sabei^
and fell almost under one of the enemy's guns. The Seces
sionists swarmed around him Hke bees, but feigning death, in
the excitement he was unnoticed, and when a sally was made,
managed to crawl back into the thicket inside the Confederate
lines. Here he waited some time for an opportunity to escape,
but finding none, concluded he would make the best of a bad
bargain, and if he was lost, -would have a little revenge before-

OF THE WAR. 183
hand. HastUy stripping the body of a Confederate near by,
he donned his uniform, and seizing a rifle, made his way to
the intrenchments, where he joined the Secessionists, and,
watching his opportunities, succeeded in picking off several of
their most prominent officers whenever thfey advanced out
upon the troops. Here he remained some time, until, think
ing it best to leave before his disguise should be disco-vered,
he joined a party who were about to charge upon our forces,
and was, to his gratification, again captured, but this time by
his own men.
A remarkable incident was related of a private of the New
York Twenty-eighth regiment of volunteers : He had been
wounded in the groin, and was hobbling off the field, when he.
was pursued and overtaken by three rebels. As the foremost
one came up he laid his hand hea-vilyupon his shoulder. The
soldier stumbled forward, and as he fell he drew his bayonet
the only weapon he had — from its scabbard, -with which he
run the rebel through the body, and, at the same time, seized
upon his captor's revolver, drew it from the belt, and shot the
other two. He then made good his escape, and arrived safely
at Washington
An Ohio paper correspondent adverted to the ser-vices of
some of the regiments from that State in glo-wirig strains.
He said :
" The Ohio regiments were in the thickest of the fight, but
fortunately lost but few men.' The Ffrst regiment, under
Colonel McCook, has covered itself with glory. They were
detaUed at an early hour in the day to hunt up batteries, and
they seemed to understand that work to perfection. The
Grays were sent out as skirmishers early in the morning, and
drove in the pickets of the rebels, and commenced the fight
These two Ohio regiments have been trained by Colonel
McCook, and were frequently brought right into the very
range and front of the enemy's most terrible and formidable
guns ; but no sooner would they see the flash than every man
was prostrate upon his face, and* the balls and grape.would

184 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
pass harmlessly over them ; then they would up and at them
with a vengeance in double-quick time."
Colonel McCook's younger brother — ^but seventeen years
old — was a member of the Second Ohio regiment, and was left
¦as a guard to the hospital -One of the enemy's cavalry dash
ed upon him and ordered him to surrender ; . the brave youth,
with fixed bayonet, steady nerve, and cool bearing, replied,
" I never surrender 1" The father. Judge McCook, who had
aU the day been arduously engaged in assisting, and taking
care of the wounded, bringing them in from the field, and
that, too, at the imminent perU of his own life, was in the hos
pital tent and heard the order to his son, and saw others of the
enemy's cavalry near by, and rashed out, and speaking in a
loud tone, " Charley, surrender, for God's sake, or you are
lost" Charley tumed to his father, and with aU the Hon in
his countenance, replied, " Father, I -wUl never surrender to
a rebel" In a moment a baU pierced his spine, but he in
stantly discharged his musket at the rebel horseman, and laid
him low in death, and then fell himself The rebels then un
dertook to drag him off, but his father rushed in and released
him, and he died Monday moming. His body was brought
away by his. father, and was sent to Ohio for burial The
Colonel McCook above alluded to was afterwards the weU
kno-wn General McCook in Halleck's army.
Colonel W. E. Montgomery, for thirty yeaBS an efficient offi
cer of the United States Army, who had .seen service where-'
ever during that time it was to be seen, was in command of
the First New Jersey regiment In the midst of the torrent
of the retreat, he stemmed its tide, forced his regiment in good
order through its surge of' men and horses and wagons, which
earned back -with them his associate regiment, the Second
New Jersey, Colonel McLean, but had no effect on him
With exhortations, remonstrances and bayonets, he checked,
but could not stop the disastrous flight Abandoned by Colo
nel McLean and the Second, he pressed on alone, and alone
his regiment reached the field, and took the post which his

OF THE WAR. 185
orders indicated, formed in square to receive the enemy's cav
alry, and staid five hours on the batthfield waiting for orders.
With regard to this flight, much was, at the time, -written as
to the bad effects of the ci-vdians present It was stated and
beHeved that their scampering away from danger first alai-med
the teamsters, and thus produced the panic. It would appear
that a few rrien here and there in citizens' dress, could have
very Httle to do in creating a panic, even if they did run.
But testimony -is abundant that these non-professional sol
diers reaUy acted a noble part — ^that they, in reality, greatly
aided in restraining the headlong .flight of brave regiments
from the battle-field. An eye-witness wrote to the National
Intelligencer: "Whatever credit there was in stopping that
rout, is due wholly to Senators Wade and Chandler ; Eepre-
sentatives Blake, Eiddle and Morris ; Mr. Brown, Sergeant-at-
Arms of the Senate ; Mr. Eaton of Detroit, and Thomas Brown
.of Cleveland. These gentlemen, armed -with Maynard rifles
and na-vy revolvers, sprang suddenly from their carriages some
three mUes this side of CentrevUle, and, presenting their wea
pons, in loud voices commanded the fugitives to halt and tum
back. ' Their bold and determined manner brought most at that
point to a stand-stUl Many on horseback attempted to dash
by them, and had their horses seized by the bits. Some of
the fugitives were armed, and menaced these gentlemen ; and
one, a powerful man, supposed to be a teamster, shot Mr. Eaton ¦
through the -wrist, as he held his horse by the bridle-rein.
None, however, were permitted to pass, except an army cou
rier, who exhibited his dispatches. Mr. Wade and his party
held the crowd untU the arrival of the First New Jersey regi
ment, then on its way toward the battle-ground, the .Colonel
of which turned back the flying soldiers and teamsters. Two
or three'officers were stopped and turned back." We are glad
to record this, to so weU-known men, simple justice. Congress
man Ely, of New York, was taken prisoner in his efforts to
keep the men up to the assault
General McDowell was so o-vercome by fatigue, that while
¦writing a short dispatch in the telegraph office, at Fairfax, he
q2 24

186 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
fell asleep three times. He had been busy .all the night pre
ceding in making preliminary arrangements^ and had been in
the saddle from two o'clock in the. morning untU ten at night
At nine and a half o'clock his dispatch was received at Wash
ington, announcing his retreat, and his purpose to make a
stand at CentreviUe. At one and a half A. M. it was an
nounced that he would fall back to Fairfax. It was left
to his own judgment whether to retire to the Potomac line
<Sr not
Eegarding the barbarity of the rebels, the stories told almost
defied belief. The New York Herald correspondent -wrote :
" The barbarity practiced by the rebels towards wounded men
in this encounter, throws to the winds the boasted chivalry of
the South, and their assumption of Samaritan tenderness,
They trampled the wounded and dying -(rictims of their pow
der and lead to the ground — fired upon nurses engaged in car
rying away the mortally^ wounded — ^threw hot shot into buUd?
ings used as hospitals, setting fire to theniv The rebels
engaged with our forces at Bull's Eun committed all those
diabolical deeds, which have, as yet, only been' equaUed bythe
East India Sepoys and the Tartars of old. They commenced
these acts on Thursday, this, side of Bull's Eun, on the wounds
ed of the First Massachusetts and Twelfth New York volun.-
teer regiments, and continued it on Sunday."
The Boston Post -wrote :
" But where shall we find words, in this enlightened age,
to reprobate the infamy of their conduct, after their success,
toward our noble soldiers! Are soldiers tumed butchers?
Is their boasted chivalry a mockery ? Who can read without
a thrill of horror the loathsome reports of their bratality. The
wounded are fired into whUe mangled lying on the field— the
bleediDg soldiers are tied to trees and bayoneted— the' weapons
ofthe faUen soldier are taken from him and plunged into him,
dead or dying. A Union soldier takes up the wounded rebel,
ministers to him a cup of cold water, and the dastard, dis
patches his be;nefactor whUe in • the act I To what depths of
barbarism have American soldiers stooped in their treatment

OF THE WAR. 187
of their fellow-citigens ! The blood of the wronged and the
outraged cries aloud for vengeance."
The incident of soldiers sending home Zouave skuUs as tro
phies — of Zouaves ha-ving their heads cut off and put upon
poles — confirmed by repeated propfs — -will ever remain on
record to add to the weight of infamy which ' attaches to the
Southem causa

X^III.

GENERAL MoCLELLAN.
The reverse at Bnll Eun so disorganized — ^if not demora
lized^ — our army' of the Potomac, as to render an acting General-
in-Chief necessary. All eyes turned, instinctively, to General
McClellan, whose Western Virginia Campaign had just closed,
to cro-wn him with the laurels of a great commander. His
energy, his knowledge of his profession, his physical strength,
the prestige of his name, aU combined to render him qualified
for the responsible trust of bringing order out of that chaos at
and around Washington ; and he was caUed immediately (July
22d) to the General command of the field — a position he
assumed August 1st, 1861.
The position since filled so eminently by this General, has
rendered his reputation world--wide, and renders a sketch of his
life eminently proper, if we would answer the interest now felt
in his life ; we therefore compUe from such sources as are
available, the following :
George B. McClellan, the son ' of an eminent physician at
Philadelphia, was bom in that city, December 3d, 1826. At
the age of sixteen, or in 1842, he entered the West Point

188 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Academy, and graduated in 1846, at the age of twenty, at tlfe
head of his class. On the 1st of July of that year, his title
was Brevet Second Lieutenant of Engineers.
This was the period of the. Mexican war, and McClellan,'
about the age of Alexander Hamilton when he began to show
extraordinary abUity, was called into active service. Congress
(May 15th, 1846) had passed an act, adding a company of
sappers, miners, and pontoniers to the corps of engineers, and
McClellan was made* Second Lieutenant in this .company; ¦
Colonel Totten names with warm approbation his great exer
tions, with two others, in organizing and driUing this corps.
As the recruits assembled at West Point, they were at once
put into a course of active driU as infantry, and of practical
instruction in making the differeint materials used in sieges,
running saps, and forming pontoons ; and, through the exer
tions of three officers only, when they saUed from West Point
(September 24th) seventy-one strong, the Colonel says they
were "in admirable discipline." This company was first
ordered to report to General Taylor, and went to Cainargo, but'
were then ordered to countermarch to Matamoras, and move
-with the column of Patterson Here Captain S-wift and nine
teen men were left in the hospital, and from that time until a
few days before the landing at Vera Cruz, the company was
under Lieutenant Smith (Gustavus W. Smith, now a Major-
General in the rebel army), who had but one other officer.
Lieutenant McClellan. " During the march," Colonel Totten
says, " to Vitdria from Matamoras, the company, then reduced
to forty-five effectives, executed a great amount of work upon
the roads, fords, etc., as it did in proceeding thence to Tampi'co, '
when it formed, -with one company of the Third and one of the
Seventh infantry, a pioneer party, under Captain Henry of the
Third infantry. The detailed reports of these labors exhibit
the greatest efficiency and excellent discipline under severe
and trying circumstances, Lieutenan-f; Smith having then but
one officer. Lieutenant McClellan, under his command."
Colonel Totten at Vera Cruz, saw this company, now re
joined by its captain, land with the first line on the beach

OF THE WAR. 189
under General Worth, and its service here. " During the siege
of Vera Cruz," Colonel Totten says, "I was -witness to the
great exertions and service of this company, animated by and
emulating the zeal and devotion of its excellent officers. Lieu
tenants Smith, McCleUan, and Foster." UntU the surrender
of the Castle, Lieutenant McClellan was engaged in the most
severe and trying duties, in opening paths and roads to facUi-
tate the investment, in covering reconnoisances, and in the
. unceasing toU and ha,rdship of the treijches. " The total of
the company," Colonel Totten writes, "was so small, and
demands for its aid so incessant, that every man may be said
to have been constantly on duty, with scarcely a moment for
rest or refreshment." Captain S-wift was, still too ill for such
labors, and died soon afterwards ; but. Colonel Totten remarks,
the other officers directed " the operations of the siege -with
unsurpassed intelhgence and zeal."
Such is the record of th» experience, at the age of twenty,
of the soldier caUed to the command of the Army of the Po
tomac. Let the next be related in the official words of Colonel
Totten : '
" Severe labors followed the surrender of Vera Cruz and its castle, and
accompanied the march to the battle of Cerro Gordo, in which the com
pany displayed, in various parts of the field, its gallantry and efiSciency.
It entered the city of Jalapa with the advance of Twiggs' division, and
Puebla with the advance of Worth's. During the pause at the latter
place, the instruction of the company in its appropriate studies and ex
ercises was resumed by its persevering and zealous oflBcers, and assist
ance was given by all in the repairs of the defenses. Marching from
Puebla with General Twiggs' di-vision, the company was joined to
General Worth at Chalon, and arrived in front of San Antonio on the
18th of August, having greatly assisted in clearing the roaji of obstruc
tions placed by the enemy."
The company, on the 19th, was ordered to take the head of
General PUlow's column, at St Augustine. The service ofthe
company ,was notable, and is specified all along in the official
reports. Before the day of Contreras, General Twiggs, on
discovering his enemy in a naturally strong position, -with
breastworks that commanded approach in every direction, dis-

190 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
patched two engineers to reconnoitre, one of -whom was Lieu
tenant McCleUan. They were stopped by the Mexican pickets,
had their horses shot under them, and were compelled to
return. The action soon commenced — the battle of Contreras
in which ' Lieutenant McClellan was with Magruder's batteiy,
which rendered splendid service. In his official report, Gen
eral Twiggs thus -writes :
"Lieutenant George B. McClellan, after Lieutenant Calendar was
wounded, took charge o^and managed the howitzer battery (Lieutenant
Reno being ^etached with the rockets) ¦with judgment and success,
until it became so disabled as to require shelter. For Lieutenant
McClellan's efficiency and gallantry in this affair, I present his name for
the favorable consideration of the General-in-Chief."
After a night of exposure to a pitUess storm, the army
fought the next day, August 20th, the battle of Cherubusco ;
and that fine soldier, General Persifer F. Smith, thus completes
the record of McClellan :
" Lieutenant G. W. Smith, in command of the engineer company, and
Lieutenant McClellan, his subaltern, distinguished themselves througfi-
out the whole of the three actions. Nothing seemed to them too bold
to be undertaken, or too difficult to be executed, and their services as
engineers were as valuable as those they rendered in battle, at the head
of their gallant men."
For his conduct on that day McClellan was breveted First
Lieutenant Lieutenant McCleUan was breveted Captain for gaUant and
meritorious conduct in the next battie. El MoHno del Eey ;
but declining, he was stUl Lieutenant on the great day of
Chepultepec, and the General-in-Chief, naming him -with' four
others, uses these words : " Those five lieutenants of engineers ,
won the admiration of all about them." His name appears in
the official reports in connection with varied and most arduous
service. On the night of the 11th of September, Captain Lee
and Lieutenants Tower, Smith, and McCleUan, with a company
of sappers, were employed in establishing batteries against
Chepultepec, which were actively served during the next day
(12th), which was the day before the assault

OF THE WAR. 191
laeutenant McClellan, long before daybreak of the 13th, was
in the field, and Major Smith, of the Engineer Corps, thus says
of his morning's work : " At three o'clock a party of the sap
pers- moved to the large convent in advance, and found it
unoccupied. Lieutenant McClellan advanced with a party
into the Alamada, and reported, at daylight, that no enemy
was to be seen. The sappers then moved forward, and had
reached two squares beyond the Alamada, when they were
recalled. This company was under sepior Lieutenant Smith,
and was engaged during the day in street fighting, untU three
o'clock in the aftemoon, and particularly in breaking into
houses vnth crowbars and axes. Major Smith says: "Lieutenant
McCleUan had command of a company for a time in the after
noon, whUe Lieutenant Smith was searching for powder to be
used in blowing up houses from which our troops had been
fired upon contrary to the usages of war. During this time,
whUe advancing in company, he reached a strong position, but
found himseK opposed to a large force of the enemy. He had
a conflict with this force, which lasted some time; but the
advantage afforded by his position enabled him at length to
drive it off, after having kUled more than twenty of its
number." Such is the official record of McClellan, so far as brilliant
special service is concemed. This, however, can convey no
just idea of the labor and skUl that are required, in order that
lasting honor may be conferred on" the country. It is the
every day life of the officer that is keenly watched by the
men ; and what is said of McClellan is, that it was so marked
by thoroughness as to command confidence, and so filled with
sympathy as to wm esteem. Chief-Engineer Totten thus gives
' in general his term of service : " Lieutenant McCleUan, on duty
¦with the engineer company from its organization at West
Point; in the siege ofVeraCrua, and -m aU the batties of
General Scott's march to the city of Mexico." The company
left that city May 28d, 1848, marched to Vera Cruz, and
arrived at West Point on the 22d of June.
Lieutenant McCleUan was breveted captain for gaUant and

192 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
meritorious conduct in battle at Chepultepec, and the following
year (1848) saw him commander of this great company of
sappers and miners and pontonier& ¦ He continued- here until
1851, but the mihtary routine was not enough for him. Dur
ing this period he translated from the French, a manual, which
has become the text book of the service, and introduced the
bayonet exercise into the army.*
Captain McClellan's next service was to superin-tend the con
struction, of Fort Delaware, in the fall of 1851 ; in the spring
of 1852 he was assigned to duty under Major Marcy in the
expedition that explored the Eed Eiver ; and then ordered as
senior engineer to Texas, on the staff of General P. F. Smith,,
-with whom he was engaged in surveying the rivers and har
bors of that State.
Captain McClellan, in the next year, was one of the engi
neers who were ordered to make explorations and surveys to
ascertain the most practicable route for a raUroad from the
Mississippi Eiver to the Pacific Ocean ; and among other
duties, he made the reconnoissance of the Vakima Pass, among
the Eocky Mountains, and the most direct route to Puget
Sound./ He was associated in the exploration of the forty-
seventh and forty-ninth parallels of north latitude -with Gover
nor Stevens, of Oregon, f The Secretary of War, Jefferson
Davis, in his official report to Congress, says of McCleUan!a
services :
" The examination of the approaches and passes of the Cas
cade Mountains, made by Captain McClellan, of the corps of
* See Victor's Life of McClellan — Dime Biographical Series, No. 12,
page 35.
t The results of these laborious surveys bn the northern route, formed- *vi ;'
Vol. I. of the twelve large quartos published by Congress. The other
volumes were devoted to the exploration of various other routes and
sections— the entire series forming a very exhaustive examination ofthe
vast wilds between the valley of the Mississippi and the western declivity
of the continent The West Point education of the explorers proved in
an eminent degree satisfactory. The surveys demonstrated that its
graduates were qualified for almost any duty.

OF THE WAR. 198
engineers, presents a reconnoissance of great value, and, though
performed under adverse circumstances, exhibits all the infer- .
mation necessary to determine the practicabUity of this portion
of the route, and reflects the highest credit on the capacity
and resources of that officer." Nor was this the whole service
of this indomitable public servant In this report, its closing
words. Secretary Da-yis says : " Captain McCleUan, of the
corps- of engineers, after the coriipletion of his field operations,
was directed to -visit various raUroads, and to collect informa
tion and facts established in the construction and working
of existing roads, to serve as data in determining the practi-
cabiHty of constmcting and working roads over the several
routes explored. The results of his inquiries wUl be found in
a very valuable mem'oir herewith submitted."
This aUusion to McCleUan's labors, succeeding the survey,
deserves further mention. He was chosen to investigate the
railway system of the United States, with a view to obtain all
' the data on construction, equipping and running-, necessary to
give the Pacific EaUway the benefit of aU recent experience
and discoveries in its constraction and operation. This duty
occupied the summer of 1854. McCleUan not only visited
the chief railways in the Northem States, and inspected them
thoroughly, but he caUed to his aid the knowledge and assist
ance of several of the best engineers and machinists in the
country. He thus was enabled to report in a very complete
manner— his report, in trath, being a treatise on railways
which possessed value as such to the railway interests of the
country. The report was rendered early in November, 1854,
and gave to the Department entire satisfaction. Its complete
ness proved to railroad managers and directors of so much
interest, that when, a few years later, McClellan resigned his
commission in the army, raUway men sought and obtained his
services in the management of two of the largest enterprises in
the country.
To this engineering service succeeded, for three years, other
duties which largely raised the reputation of Captain McClel
lan After executing a secret service in the West Indies, and
R 25

194 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
recei-ving a commission in the United States cavalry, he was
appointed, April 2d, 1855, one of a mihtary commission of
three officers, to proceed to the Crimea and Northem Eussia
for observation on the then existing war ; and his report " On
the Organization of European Armies and the Operation of
the War," evinced so much grasp of the subject, as to add to
the reputation of a brave and efficient officer in the field, that
of a large comprehension of the science of war.
The record of this tour in Europe is one of exceeding inter
est even to the general reader. The three officers composing
it were Major Delafield, Major Mordecai and Captain McClel
lan — who were constituted a commission to proceed to Europb
and the seat of War in the Crimea to inspect forts^ annories,
foundries, &c. ; to examine into mUitary systems and organ
izations ; to study the conduct of a campaign on the field ;
to inquire into the special forms of rifled arms and ordnance
then being introduced; to study harbor and coast defenses,
&c., &c. That the duty was ably performed, the country is
proud to bear witness. The three separate reports made by
the officers, viz. : On ordnance, gunnery, constraction, armo
ries, &c., by Major Mordecai ; on army organization, defenses,
field ser-nce, &c., by Major Delafield ; on cavalry, infantry,
discipline, barracks, &c., by McClellan, whose report also con
tained a fine disquisition on operations before Sebastopol,
which proved how critically he studied and apprehended the
whole art of war. McClellan's report was the first of the three '
subniitted — appearing, under date of February 25th, 1857.
The character of the volume wUl better appear from a citation
of its eontents, viz. :
" Beport on the operations in the Crimea, with an historical sketch of
the campaign, and strictures on its conduct.
" Report lipon the European troops, embracing a resume of the systems
of the Russians, Prussians, Austrians, French and English.
" Report upon the French, Austrian, Prussian and Sardinian infantry,
with a digest of their composition, regulations, &c.
" Report upon the Russian army, comprising 1st, organization, uni
form, recruiting stations, etc. ; 3d, the instruction and tactics of cavalry;

OF THE WAR. 195
3d, the equipments, arms, stables, horses, etc., of cavalry ; 4th, the Rus
sian-Infantry " Report on the Prussian cavalry.
" Report on the Austrian cavalry.
" Report on the French cavalry.
" Report on the English and Sardinian cavalry.
" Report on the United States cavalry."
This was also followed (in the same volume) by "The Regu-
latio'ns and Instructions for the Field Service of Cavalry, in time
of war, for the United States Army."
The several reports were very full expositions of the several
systems in use in the best armies, and serve to show ho-w inti
mately acquainted Captain McCleUan .was with the subject in
all its features. His final report, devoted to the United States
cavalry, was an embodiment of his suggestions in regard to its
reorganization, so as to adapt it to the improved condition of
that arm of service as perfected by the European nations. The
last section of the volume, as stated, was devoted to a manual
of instruction and regulations for the United States army cav
alry. In the preface modestly announcing his work the au-
' thor said :
" I have translated from the original Russian, and have endeavored
to adapt them (the regulations, etc.) to our own organization, preserving
the original arrangement, and adding merely a few minor details sug
gested by the recollections of former readings and of service in the
field. It is more than probable that they will be found to fill Usefully
an important want in our military literature : while they undoubtedly
are based upon true military principles."
This adverts to the fact of the -writer's acquaintance with the
Eussian language. WhUe in Eussia the Captain was an ardu
ous student of that uncouth and severe idiom of the descend
ants of the Tartars ; and so readily mastered its lingual and
idiomatic structure as to be able to converse without difficulty
-with the native Eiiss. Already a thorough French scholar
from his West Point education, with a good command of Spa
nish, and a reading knowledge of German, the acquisition of
Eussian served to elevate the Captain into the category of lin
guistic scholars. * ^

196 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
The "regulations" have since been repubUshed in convenient
12mo form for use as a text-book in the service, which it has
become — making the second manual from his hand.
And now, as there was no call by his country for service in
the field, he resigned (1857) his position m the army, but stUl
kept, as it were, in the Hne of his profession of engineer, for
he became Vice-President and Engineer of the Elinois Central
Eailroad. Having serve^ here three years, so much valued
were his services that he was chosen General Superintendent
of the Ohio and Mississippi EaUroad, in which capacity he was
acting when the rebelHon broke out He was tendered the
Major-Generalship of the Ohio State forces, and, a Httle later,
Govemor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, also endeavored to secure
his services in organizing the volunteers of that State. He
accepted, however, the earhest offer of Ohio, and very promptly
organized the mUitia of that State in a manner so original and •
efficient as to elicit the warmest encomiums. No State in the
Union has a citizen soldiery truer to the duties of both citizen
and soldier than Ohio under the system inaugurated by Mc-
Lellan As stated by us, in a former section of this work, on the 14th
day of May, 1861, he was assigned to the command of the De
partment of the West From that date the record of his life
up to the date (Aug. 1st) when he assumed command of the
army of the Potomac, is written in the sketch already given of
the Campaign of Westem Virginia.
In private circles the General is known as an amiable man
and a gentleman of the trae kind. He is married — his wife'
being the daughter of General Marcy, U. S. A. She is a lady
, of many -virtues of head and heart The General is, we beHeve, •
a communicant in the Presbyterian (Old School) denomination.

XIX.

THE THIRD DISASTER.
The BaU Bluff defeat, October 21st, 1861, was a melan
choly affair resulting not only in disaster to our 'arms but in
great loss of Hfe, owing to a deficiency of transportation. Men.
were pressed by superior numbers back upon the river, (the
Potomac,) there to find no adequate pro-vision made for their
safe passage over. Many were, therefore, kUled in making a
last desperate stand at the river's bank, many plunged into
the river only to be swept down by the current, many were
taken prisoners — disasters which came after the battle was
closed by defeat The ranks of the regiments came forth from»
the conflict literally riddled, and their gallant leader, Colonel
Baker, was among the slain. It was not a Bull's Eun stam
pede ; but a fearful sacrifice of men whose devotion and cour
age rendered their loss all the more keenly deplored.
For several days prior to the 21st, the brigades on the right
bank of the Potomac, above the Chain Bridge and the Falls
of the Potomac, had been pushed up in the direction of Lees-
burg. These brigades, however, commanded by General
McCall, did not advance further than Drainesville, twelve
miles south-east of Leesburg, although their scouts were push
ed forward to Goose Creek, four mUes from that place. On
Saturday and Sunday General McCall made two reconnois-
sances towards Leesburg, and could find no trace of the enemy.
The country people- declared that the rebels had abandoned
that place some days before.
r2

198 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
It was beheved at Washington that Leesburg had been
evacuated by the rebels, that they had retired from that place
to Aldie, ten miles south'west, where they were fortifying.
Aldie is a stronger position than Leesburg, for there the rebels
could place Goose Creek between themselves and the ad
vancing Union troops. Goose Creek is about the size of Bull's
Eun, but has high and steep banks, and cannot be crossed by
artUlery, except by bridges. On the right bank of the creek
are some high hiUs adaairably calculated for defense, and
these, it was understood, the rebels were fortifying. These
facts, or rather, these reports, were current in the army and in
Washington. General Stone, upon his o-wn responsibUity, it would appear,
determined Upon a, demonstration toward Leesburg, looking to
.its occupation.
McCaU's movement upon Draines-ville had excited the atten- ,
tion of the enemy, it appeared ; for a regiment soon appeared
near Edwards' Ferry, evidently to watch the movements of
Stone. This regiment. took position on a hUl abou-t one mUe
and a half from the ferry. It afterwards proved tha-t the rpgi,-
ment was only " a blind" — ^that General Evans' forces, five
' thousand strong, had not evacuated Leesburg, but had feinted
the evacuation to draw on the Federal forces.
Stone having completed his arrangements, October 20th,
proceeded, at one P. M., to Edwards' Ferry, from PoolsviUe,
with Gorman's brigade, the Seventh Mic"higan volunteers, two
troops of the Van Alen cavalry, and the Putnam Eangers,
sending at the same time to Harrison's Island and vicinity four
compames of the Fifteenth Massachusetts volunteers, under
Colonel Devens, (who had already one company on the island,)
and Colonel Lee with a battalion of the Twentieth Massachu
setts. And to Conrad's Ferry, a section of Vaughn's Ehode.
Island battery and the Tammany regiment, under Colonel.
CogsweU. A section of Bunting's New York State mUitia
battery, under Lieutenant Bramhall, was at the time on duty
at Conrad's Ferry, and Eickett's battery, already posted at
Edwards' Ferry, under Colonel Woodruff Orders were alsp

OF THE WAR. 199
sent to Colonel Devens, at Harrison's Island, some four miles
up the river, to detach Captain Philbrick and twenty men to
cross from the island and explore by a path through woods
little used, in the direction of Leesburg, to see if he could find
anything concerning the enemy's position in that direction ;
but to retire and report on discovering any of the enemy.
General Gorman was ordered to deploy his forces in view of
the enemy, and in so doing, no movement of the enemy was
excited. Three flat-boats were ordered, and at the same time
shell and spherical case shot was thrown into the place of the
enemy's concealment This was done to produce an impres
sion that a crossing was to be made. The shelling of Edwards'
Ferry, and launching of the boats, induced the quick retire
ment of the enemy's force seen there, and three bdat-loads, of
thirty-five men each, from the First Minnesota, under cover
of the sheUing, crossed and recrossed the river, the boats con
suming in crossing from three to seven minutes. The spirit
displayed by officers and men at the thought of crossing the
river was cheering, and satisfied the General that they could
be depended on for gallant service.
As darkness came on, General Stone ordered Gorman's bri
gade and the Seventh Michigan to fall back to their respect
ive camps, but retained the Tammany regiment, the compa
nies of the Fifteenth Massachusetts and artillery near Conrad's
Ferry, in their position, waiting the result of ' Captain Phil-
brick's scout, he (Stone) remaining with his Staff at Edwards'
Ferry. About four p. M., Lieutenant Howe, Quartermaster
of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, reported to General Stone
that Captain PhUbrick had retumed to the island after pro
ceeding, unmolested, to -within a mile and a half of Lees
burg, and that he had there discovered, in the edge of a
wood, an encampment of about thirty tents, which he ap
proached to within twenty-five rods without being challenged,
the camp having no^pickets out any distance in the direction
of the river.
General Stone at once sent orders to Colonel Devens to cross
four companies of his regiment to the Virginia shore, and

200 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
march silently, under the cover of night, to the position of the
camp referred to, to attack and destroy it at daybreak, pursue'
the enemy lodged there as far as would be prudent with the
small force, and return rapidly to the island ; his return to be
covered by the Massachusetts Twentieth, which was directed to
be posted on a bluff directly over the landing place. Colonel
Devens was ordered to use this opportunity to observe the
approaches to Leesburgh, and the position and force of the.
enemy in the vicinity, and in case he found no enemy, or found ;
him only weak and in a position where he could observe weU
and be secure until his party could be strengthened sufficiently
to make a valuable reconnoissance, which should safely ascer
tain the position and force of the enemy, to hold on and report
Orders were dispatched to Colonel Baker, to send the First
California regiment to Conrad's Perry, to arrive there at sun
rise, and to have the remainder of his brigade in a state of
readiness to move after an early breakfast Also to Lieutenant-
Colonel Ward, of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, to move with a
battalion of a regiment to the river bank opposite Harrison's
Island, to arrive there by daybreak. Two mounted ho-witzers,
from Eickett's battery, were detailed to the tow-path opposite:!
Harrison's Island.
In order to distract attention from Colonel Devens' move
ment, and at the same time to effect reconnoissance in the
direction of Leesburgh from Edwards' Ferry, General Stone
ordered General Gorman to throw across the river at that
point, two companies of First Minnesota, under cover of fire
from Eickett's battery, and sent a party of thirty-one Van Alen
cavalry, under command of Major Mix, accompanied by Cap
tain Charles Stewart, Assistant Adjutant-General ; Captain
Murphy, Lieutenants Pierce and Gouraud, with orders to
advance along Leesburgh road . until they should come to the
vicinity of the battery, which was known to be on that road, .
and then tum to the left, and examine the heights between
that and Goose Creek ; see if any of the enemy were posted in
that vicinity, ascertain as near as possible their number and
disposition, examine the country with reference to the passage

OF THE WAR. 201
of troops to the Leesburgh and Georgeto-wn turnpike, and
return rapidly to cover behind the skirmishers of the First
Minnesota. > This reconnoissance was most gaUantly made by aU- in the
party, which proceeded along the Leesburgh road nearly tliree
mUes from the ferry, and when near, the position of a hidden
battery, came suddenly on a Mississippi regiment about thirty-
five yards distant, recei-rod its fire and retumed it -with their
pistols. The fire of the enemy kUled.one horse, but Lieutenant
Gouraud,- the gaUant Adjutant of the cavalry battaHon, seized
the dismounted man, and drawing him on his horse behind
him carried him safely from the field. One private of the
Fourth Virginia cavalry was brought off by the party, and as
he was weU mounted and armed, his mount replaced the one
lost by the fire of the enemy.
Meantime Colonel Devens on the right, ha-ving in pursuance
of his orders arrived at the position indicated by the scouts
as the site of the enemy's camp, found that they had been
deceived by the uncertain hght, and had mistaken the open
ings in the trees for a, row of tents. He found however, wood,
in which he concealed his force from -view, and proceeded to
examine the space between that and Leesburgh, sending back
word to General Stone, that thus far he could see no enemy.
Immediately on receipt of this intelhgence, which was carried
by Lieutenant Howe, Quartermaster of the Fifteenth Massa-
chusett. General Stone ordered a non-commissioned officer and
ten cavalry to join Colonel Devens, for the purpose of scouring
the country near him, whUe-he continued his reconnoissance,
and to give him due notice of the approach of any enemy, and
that Lieutenant-Colonel Ward, with his battaHon of the Fif
teenth Massachusetts, should move on to Smart's MiU, half-a-
mUe to the right of the crossing-place of Colonels Devens and
Lee, where, in strong position, he could watch and protect the
flank of Colonel Devens on his return, and secure a second
crossing-place more favorable than the first, and connected by
a good road -with Leesburgh.
26

202 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Captain Candy, Assistant Adjutant-General, and General
Lander, accompanied the cavalry, to serve with it
The battalion under Colonel Ward was detained on the
bluff in the rear of Colonel Deven, instead o;f being directed to
the right
Stone said in his official report : " For ¦ some reason never
explained to me, neither of these orders were carried out The
cavalry were transferred to the Virginia shore,, but were sent
back -without having left the shore to go inland, and thus
Colonel Devens was deprived of the means of obtaining waml-
ing of any approach of the enemy." The report then went on
to state the orders given to Colonel Baker, under which he
acted, viz. :
" Colonel Baker having arrived at Conrad's Ferry, 'with the First
California regiment at an early hour, proceeded to Edwards' Perry, and
reported to me in person, stating that his regiment was at the former
place,- and thC/threcTother regiments of. his brigade ready to march. 1
directed him to Harrison's Island to assume command, and in a full-
conversation explained to him the position as it then stood. I told him
that General McCall had advanced his troops to Drainsville, and that I
was extremely desirous of ascertaining the exact position and force of
the enemy in our front, and exploring, as far as it was safe, on the right
towards Leesburgh, and on the left towards the Leesburgh and Gum
Spring road. I also informed Colonel Baker tliat General O-orman, oppo
site Edwards' Ferry, should be reenforced, and that I would make every
effort to push Gorman's troops carefully forward, to discover the best .
line, from that Ferry to the Leesburgh and Gum Spring road, already
mentioned, and the position of the breastworks and hidden batterieal
which prevented the movement of troops directly from left to right,
were also pointed out to him. '
" The means of transportation across, of the sufficiency of which he
(Baker) was to be the judge, was detailed, and authority given him to
make use of the guns of a section each of Vaughan's and Bunting's batj
teries, together with French's mountain howitzers Xof Rickett' battery),
all the troops of his brigade and the Tammany regiment, beside the
Nineteenth and part of the Twentieth regiments of Massachusetts volun
teers. I left it to his discretion, after ¦viewing the ground, to retire
from the Virginia shore under the cover of his guns and the fire of the
large infantry force, or to pass our reenforcement? iu case he found it

OF THE WAR. 203
practicable, and the position on the other side favorable. I stated that
I -wished no advance made unless the enemy were of inferior force, and
under no circumstance to pass beyond Leesburgh, or a strong position
between it and Goose Creek, on the Gum Spring, i. e., the Manasses
road. Colonel Baker was cautioned in reference to passing artillery
across the river, and I begged, if he did so, to see it well supported by
good infantry. The General pointed out to him the position of some
bluffs on this side of the river, from which artillery could act with effect
on the other, and, leaving the matter of crossing more troops or retiring
what were already over, to his discretion, gave him entire control of
operations on the right. This gallant and energetic officer left me about
nine 'a. m. or half-past nine, and galloped of quickly to his command."
This statement is precise, and if Colonel Baker was caught
without transports for a retreat, was surprised by an over
whelming force which cut off his retreat, in part, it was not
General Stone's fault, if the orders explicitly detailed above
were given and were understood. Baker's friends as explicitly
state that he undertook the enterprize, conscious that he should
be overwhelmed, and that he so expressed himself to General
Stone, utging the practical impossibUity, with the transports at
his disposal, of thro-wing over the river the force which he
deemed sa,fe— but was ordered forward. From an examination
of all the evidence produced, we credit the General's state
ment, and feel that the censures heaped upon him were really
unmerited. 'Eeenforcements were rapidly thro-wn to the Virginia side by
General Gorman, at Edwards' Ferry, and his skirmishers and
cavalry scouts advanced cautiously and steadUy to the front
and right, whUe the infantry Hues were formed in such posi
tion as to act rapidly and in concert, in case of an advance of
the enemy, and sheUs were thro-wn by Lieutenant Woodruff's
Parrott guns, especial care 'being taken to annoy the enemy by
the battery on the right
¦ Messengers from. Harrison's Island informed General Stone,
soon after the arrival of Colonel Baker opposite the island, that
he was crossing his whole force as rapidly as possible, and that
he had caused- an additional flat-boat to be lifted from the
canal into the river, and had provided a line, by which to cross
the boats more rapidly.

204 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
During the moming a sharp skirmish took place, betweep
two of the advance companies of the Fifteenth Massachusette
and a body of about one hundred strong of Mississippi rifle
men, during which a body of the enemy's cavalry appeared,.
causing Colonel Devens to faU back in good order on Colonel
Lee's position, after which he again advanced, his officers and
men behaving admirably, fighting, retiring, and advancing in
perfect order, and exhibiting every proof of high courage and
good discipline. Had he, at this time, had the cavalry scout
ing party which was sent him in the morning, but which, most .
unfortunately, had been turned back without his knowledge,
he could, doubtless, have had timely warning of the approach
of the superior force, which afterwards overwhelmed his regi
ment and their brave commander and comrades. To that
surprise was o-wing the disaster.
General Stone, evidently thinking that Colonel Baker might
be able to use more artiUery, dispatched to him two additiona,l
pieces of Vaughan's battery, supported by two companies of
infantry, with directions to its officer to come into position
below the place bf crossing, and report to Colonel Baker.
Later in the day, and but a short time prior to the arrival of
the guns, Colonel Baker suggested., the same movement to
General Stone, thus justifying the General's opinion.
A correspondent of the New York Times said,- in reference
to the transports and their apparent want of capacity :
" After Colonel Devens' second advance, Colonel Baker
seems to have gone to the field in person, but he has left no
record of what officers and men he charged -with the care ofthe
boats, and insuring the regular passage of the troops. If any
one was charged with this duty, it was not performed, for it
appears that the reenforcements, as they arrived, found no
system enforced, and the boats were delayed most unneces- ¦
sarUy in transporting back, a few at a time, the wounded that
happened to arrive with attendants. Had an efficient officer
been in charge at each landing, -with one company guarding
the boats, their full capacity would have been made service
able, and sufficient men would have passed on to secure the

OF THE WAR. . 205
success of his operation. The forwarding of artUlery (neces
sarily a slow process) before its supporting force of infantry,
also impeded the rapid assembhng of an imposing force on the
Virginia shore. The infantry which was waiting -with impa
tience should have been first transported, and this alone would
have made a difference in the infantry line at the time of
attack of at least one thousand men — enough to have turned
the scale in our favor."
It was about one o'clock p. M., when the 'enemy appeared in
force, in. front of Colonel Devens. A sharp skirmish then
ensued, which was maintained for some time by the Massa
chusetts Fifteenth. Unsupported, and finding himself about
to be outflanked, Colonel Devens retired a short distance in
¦good order, and took up a position in the edge of the wood,
about half-a-mile in front of Colonel Lee's position, where he
remained untU two P. M., when he again retired with the
approach of Colonel Baker, and took his place in line with
those portions of the Twentieth Massachusetts and First Cali
fornia regiments which had arrived.
Colonel Baker at once formed his line, awaiting the attack
of the enemy, which came upon him with great vigor about
three P. M., and was met with admirable spirit by our troops,
who, though evidently struggling against largely superior
numbers, nearly if not- quite three to one, maintained then-
ground and a most destructive fire upon the enemy.
Colonel CogswSl, with a small portion of his regiment, suc
ceeded in reaching the field in the midst of the hea-viest fire,
and they went gallantly into action with a yell, which wavered
the enemy's line.
Lieutenant Bramhall, of Bunting's battery, had succeeded,
after exertions of labor, in bringing up a piece of the Ehode
Island battery, and Lieutenant French, Ffrst artUlery, his two
mountain howitzers ; but while for a short time these main
tained a weU-dfrected fire, both officers and nearly aU the men
were soon borne away wounded, and the pieces were handed
to the rear to prevent their faUing into the hands of the
enemy.

206 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
At about four o'clock P. M., Colonel Baker, pierced by a
number of balls, fell at the head of his command, while cheer
ing on his men, and by his own example maintaining th& ob
stinate resistance they were making. In full uniform, with a
" regulation" hat and feather, and mounted on his horse, he
was a conspicuous mark for the bloodthirsty traitors. He was
one of the finest appearinig men in full uniform and mounted
that I have seen in the service. Entirely regardless of per
sonal safety, he led and cheered on his men. He remarked to
those around him, "A rascal up in that tree has fired at- me
five or six times ;" and the rascal in the tree was speedily
brought down by a well-directed bail Shortly after this
Colonel Baker was surrounded by a body of rebel cavalry- and
taken prisoner ; but the right -wing of the battalion charged
with the bayonet, routed the cavalry, kUled numbers of them,
and recaptured their Colonel
But a few minutes had elapsed, however, before a tall, fero
cious Virginian, with red hair and whiskers,- came rushing
from behind a tree, with a huge revolver in his hand, and,
placing the weapon almost against the: Colonel's head, inflicted
a mortal wound. Not satisfied -with his deadly work, he fired
the second ball, while simultaneously the body was pierced
with four bullets from the tops of trees, and the brave Colond
fell lifeless from his horse.
Captain Louis -Berial, of New York city, commanding Com
pany G., California regiment, seeing the assassination of Colo
nel Baker, rushed upon the ruffian, seized him by the throat,
and shot him dead on the spot with his revolver.
Colonel Lee then took command, and prepared to commence
throwing our forces to the rear, but Colonel CogsweU, of the
Tammany regiment, being found to be senior in rank, assumed
command, and ordered dispositions to be made immediately
for marching to the left, and cutting a -way through to
Edwards' Ferry.
Unfortunately,- just as the first dispositions were being
made, an officer of the enemy rode rapidly in front of the
Tammany regiment and beckoned them towards the enemy.

OF THE WAR. " 207
Whether the Tammany understood this as an order from one
of our officers, or an invitation' to close work, is not known ;
but the men responded to the gesture with a yeU, and charged
forward, carrying -with them in their advance the rest of the
Hne, which soon received a murderous fire from the enemy at
close distance. Our officers rapidly recalled the men, but in
the position they had now placed themselves, it was imprac
ticable to make the movement designed, and Colonel Cogswell
reluctantly gave the order to retire. The enemy pursued our
troops to the edge, of the bluff over the landing-place, and
thence poured in a hea-vy fire on the men who were endeavor
ing to cross to the island.
Eapid as the retreat necessarily was, there was no neglect
of orders. The men formed near the river, deploying as skir
mishers, and maintained for twenty minutes or more the une
qual and hopeless contest rather than surrender.
The smaller boats had disappeared, no one knew whither.
The largest boat, rapidly and too heavUy laden, swamped some
fifteen feet from the shore, and nothing was left to the gallant
soldiers but to swim, surrender or die.
With a devotion worthy of the cause they are serving, offi
cers and men, while quarter was being offered to such as would
lay down their arms, stripped themselves of their swords and
muskets and hurled them out into the river to prevent their
faUing into the hands of the foe, and saved themselves as they
could by swimming, floating on logs, and concealing them
selves in bushes and forests to make their way up and down
the river, back to a place of crossing.
The Times correspondent, already quoted from, and who
appears to have been in the confidence of General Stone, said :
" While these scenes -w-ere being enacted on the right. General Stone
was preparing for a rapid push forward to the road by which the enemy
would retreat if driven, and entirely unsuspicious of the perilous condi
tion of the troops on the right. The additional artillery had already
been sent in anticipation, and General Stone wa^ told by a messenger
from Baker's position, that the Colonel could, without doubt, hold his
own in case he did not advance. Half an hour later — say at half-past

208 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
three p. m. — a similar statement was made by another messenger from
Colonel Baker, and it was the expectation of General Stone that an ad
vance on the right would be made, so that he could push forward Gen
eral Gorman. It was, as had been explained to Colonel Baker, imprac
ticable to throw Gorman's brigade directly to the- right, by reason of
the battery in the wood, between which we had never been able to
reconnoitre." Presuming that all was progressing favorably. Stone tele
graphed to General Banks requesting him to send a brigade
of his division, intending it to occupy the ground on the Mary
land side of the river, near to Harrison's Island, which could
be abandoned in case of a rapid advance.
Captain Candy arrived at head-quarters from the field of
Colonel Baker about five P. M., and announced to General
Stone the news of Colonel Baker's death, but giving no news
of further disaster, though he stated that reenforcements were
slow. General Stone telegraphed this fact to General Banks,
and the fact of Colonel Baker's death, and instantly rode to
the right to assume command. Before he reached the point
opposite the island, evidences of disaster began to be met, in
men vvho had crossed the river by swimming, and on reach
ing tbe landing the fact was asserted in a manner leaving--
no possible doubt It was reported to General Stone that the
enemy's force was ten thousand — an evident exaggeration
He gave orders to hold the island for the removal of the
wounded, and established a patrol on the tow-path from oppo
site the island to the line of pickets near Monocacy, and then -
returned to the left, to secure the troops there from disaster,-;-}
preparing means of removing them as rapidly as possible.
Orders arrived from head-quarters of the army of the Poto
mac to hold the island and Virginia shore at Edwards' Ferry
at all hazards, and promising reenforcements, and General*' :||
Stone forwarded additional intrenching tools to General Gor
man, with instructions to intrench and hold out against any
force that might appear. That evening General Stone learnedii '
by telegraph- that General Banks was on the way to reenforoei.^
him, and at about three A. M., he arrived and assumed command,rI "

!!X. !2aL .

INCIDENTS OF THB BALL'S BLUFF DISASTER.
The instances of personal gallantry of the highest order
were so many, that it would be unjust now to detail particular
cases. Officers displayed for their men, and men for their
officers, that beautiful devotion which is only to be found
among trae soldiers. Eegimeht after regiment of fresh rebel
troops came mshing upon them down the hUl, yeUing like
fiends, and pouring in deadly volleys, whUe the trees still
swarmed with riflemen, who made the air black -with buUets
aimed at our devoted Httle band. At times the contending
parties were -within four or five feet of each other ; stiU our
men stood steadUy, returning their fire, or plungmg at them
-with the bayonet So near were they at one. time that our
men actually caught a Heutenant, by seizing him as he stood in
the enemy's ranks. He was taken over the river safely by his
captors. During the fiercest portion of the straggle, an officer,
mounted on a fine horse, rushed forward from the woods, ex
claiming to the Federal force behind him : " EaUy gn me,
boys 1" Ejno-wing that other Union regiments were to cross
another ferry, some of our men -were deceived and followed the
horseman ; but they were led, as sheep to» the slaughter, for
' they had proceeded but a few rods when a deadly voUey was
poured into them, kUHng many and hastUy dispersing the rest
* In a few minutes the same man appeared again, to try the same
game. Colonel Baker chanced to see him and exclaimed,
s2 ' .27

210 ' INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" Good heaven ! there is Johnson, what is he doing there ?*
It was not the rebel General, however, but some other, equally-
bold and unscrupulous.
The apparent desertion of Leesburg was only a ruse on
the part of the enemy, -who had drawn their forces out of the
town, and were posted in strength in such positions between
Leesburg and the river, that they could enfilade our advancing
columns, and- attack them not only in front and in the flanks,
but in the rear also. Skirmishers were thrown out as the
column advanced, but no signs of an enemy were seen, untU
the brigade had advanced fully half-way to their destination.
The first intimation of the presence of the enemy was the
simultaneous discharge of about a hundred rifles, froih a thicket
on the top of an eminence. The fire was received by the right
-wiflg of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, who were in the advanca
A lieutenant and six or eight men 'were kUled, and eighteen
severely wounded. Three companies, however, immediately
dashed up the slope, in the direction of the fire, and, on reach
ing the spot, found themselves confronted -with a regiment of
Mississippi riflemen, who, reser-nng their fire till our brave
fellows were -within thirty yards, poured into them another
volley. A captain, a lieutenant, and twelve or thirteen men
were killed by this discharge. Our men, however, nothing
daunted, delivered their fire with good effect, and then charged
with the bayonet The enemy did not wait for the latter, but
cut and ran towards Leesburg in disorder. Colonel Devens j .
then pushed on, but soon found that even that apparent flight
was a ruse to draw him on. He was soon so surrounded as to
have but little hope of the escape of a single person in his
ranks.^ It is stated that the conduct of Colonel Baker, in his
effort to rescue the Massachusetts and other men, under fire,
was heroic beyond description.
Just prior to the faU of Coldiiel Baker, the enemy made a
flank movement to turn the latter's line. Colonel Baker, per-
cei-ving this, immediately wrote an order to be conveyed to
the Tammany companies, which had just arrived, and while
the right was facing his command, to meet the flank move-

OF THE WAR. 211
ment, a,nd when about gi-raig orders to charge, he was kUled,
falling ten feet in advance of his column.
One of the bravest -of the brave -was Lieutenant Bramhall,
ofthe New York Ninth. He was in command of two pieces
of artUlery, one of which was left on -the island when the ad
vance was made. During the fight he was wounded by a
spent ball in his back, and had two other bullets pass through
him, through his side. He was carried to the island. When
the rout took place, he asked Eev. Mr. Scanlan what he should
do yith his battery, where he should place it to cov.er the
retreat Then, as the thought flashed into his mind, said, " I
wUl place it to cover Conrad's Ferry." And though thus
wounded, he caUed two soldiers to his aid, who carried him in
their arms round the island, and sustained him whUe -he placed
his battery in position ! He was about 23 years of age. Be
sides these wounds, he had six buUets pass through his clothes
and hat One strack the scabbard of his sword. It was only
tUl he had got every thing right about his grfns that he would
allow himself to be brought from the island.
A German sergeant, on seeing his captain fall, toward the
close of the fight, collected four or five files of his company,
iabout a dozen men altogether, and crying, " Boys, we tan only
die once ; we'll avenge the captain's deatL" led them fighting
into the very heart of the enemy's position. He immediately
disappeared, and nothing was afterward seen of him or any
of his band.
The officers and men behaved -with the most extraordinary
courage. They were pressed by an overpowering force, but
stood firm untU their whole supply of ammunition was
exhausted, and then retreated to the river, and threw their
guns and swords into it to prevent the enemy getting posses
sion of them. Colonel Eaymond Lee and staff were furnished
-with a skiff to make their escape. _ The Colonel gaUantly
refused, and gave orders to use it for conveying the wounded
across the river. It was filled with wounded, who reached the
Maryland shore in Safety, and the humane and gallant officer
was taken prisoner.

212 INCIDENTS i.ND ANECDOTES
Many of the survivors of the fight escaped by s-wimming.
Captain Crowninsheld, long known in Harva-rd as the stroke^
oar of the boat club, swam to Harrison's Island, -without
clothing, and sa-nng nothing but his watch, which he carried
in his mouth. Being greatly fatigued, he tumed in beneath
the most convenient hay-rick, and slept tUl moming, when, in
the hurry of departure, and the especial anxiety of procuring
clothes, he departed without giving a thought to the watch
wfiich he had taken such pains to keep possession of the night
before, and which he had tucked away beside him before going
to sleep.
A story was related of an Irishman in company D,. of the
Massachusetts Fifteenth, which is very fimny. When the
retreat was ordered, he . threw off his coat and pants and
plunged into the icy current of the Potomac. He swam boldly
across the river, and had just gained the Maryland shore, when
he remembered that he had left $13 25 in the pocket of his
coat " Be jabers, BiUy," said he, " thun thirteen dollars is in
me coat, and the bloody libels will git 'em, and besides, I can't
cbnsint to part -with the amount, so I'U jist go for them," and
in he plunged again. He got safely over, found his coat,
secured his money, and recrossed the river. I saw him in
camp this aftemoon, and congratulated him on his pluck, endur
ance and success, to which he replied, !' Oh, yis sir, 'twas aU
I'd saved from my three months' sarvice, and I'm very fond
of me pipe."
A most exciting scene -transpired at the sinking of the
launch, in which were some sixty wounded men, and twenty
or thirfy members of the California First The launch had
been safely taken half way across the river, when, to their
utter consternation, it was discovered that it was leaking, and
the water 'gradually, but surely, gaining upon them. The
wounded were lying on the bottom of the launch — some shot
in the head, others mangled by the tramp of cavalry, and
others suffering intolerably from their various dislocations,
wounds and injuries, and aU soaking in water, which, at the
very start, was fuUy four inches deep. As the water grew

OF THB WAR. 213
deeper and rose above the prostrate forms of the wounded,
their comrades lifted them into sitting postures, that they
might not be strangled by the fast-rising stream. Despite all
that could be done, the fate of the launch, and all that were in
, -with the exception of a few expert s-wimmers, was sealed ;
suddenly, and Hke a flash of lightning, the rotten craft sank,
carrying with it at least fifty dying, mangled, groaning suffer
ers, and some twenty or thirty others, who had trusted their
Hves to its treacherous hold. '
After aU was finished, and the fragments of the regiments
were brought together at the water's edge, it was determined
to -push upward along the shore, -with the uncertain hope of
finding some means of recrossing to the Maryland side. In
the event of meeting the enemy, however, it was determined
to surrender at once, since any contest under the circum
stances would be a useless sacrifice of Hfe. After progressing
a mUe or so, the officers (Captains Bartiett and Tremlett, and
Lieutenants Whittier and Abbott) discovered a mill, sur
rounded by cottages, about which numbers of persons were
seen ' mo-ving. Here it seemed that they must yield. The
officers ordered a halt, and directed the men to cast all their
arms into the rivei-, so that the enemy should gain as little as
possible by the surrender. Lieutenant Whittier walked on in
advance with a white handkerchief tied . on his sword, to be
used when occasion should demand. The first person met
was an old negro, who, though greatly terrified, contrived to
reveal that an old boat was stored near the mUl, which might
be bailed out and used to convey the fugitives across the
river. A gift of five dollars insured his services, and the boat
was in due time launched and ready for use. It was small^
and only a few could pass at each trip. UntU dawn it passed^
back and forth, untU all were transferred in safety. One offi
cer went over in the third boat, to keep the men well -together
On the Maryland side ; the others waited tUl the last For
that service the old negro was afterwards dreadfully whipped,
and only escaped more tortures by " passing over Jordan"—
crossing the Potomac and making his way tp Pennsylvania^

214 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Before starting upon the expedition on Monday moming,
the men had left their knapsacks and blankets upon Harrison's
Island. In the retreat it was impossible for more than a. few
to gather them up again. A Lieutenant volunteered on Wed
nesday, after the island had been visited by the rebel scquts,
to go over with five and coUect what remained. He did so,
and returned -with more than a hundred knapsacks and blan
kets, tp the great comfort of many of the men who had suf
fered from the^ icy weather. WhUe there, the men scoured
nearly the whole island, but could notJse persuaded to enter
the buUding which had been used as a hospital, in which so
many corpses of their former comrades lay. ,, .
The loss of the Federals in this affair never was accurately
stated. About seventy were kiUed ; as many were drowned
and shot in the water ; over one hundred and fifty were
wounded ; and about four hundred were taken prisoners,
The rebel General in command, Evans, in his report of the
affair, stated his forces to have been twenty-five hundred,, and
his loss to have been three, hundred' kiUed and wounded
The Federal force, aU told, was seventeen hundred andjQfty.
As to the responsibility of the movement made, and of the
surprise, the foUowing orders will afford due Hght ; they were
found in the Colonel's hat, underneath the lining. jBoth were
deeply stained -with Colonel Baker's blood, and one of the bul
lets, which went through his head, carried away a corner of
the first : Edwabds' Pekrt, October 21st, 1861. , i
Colonel E. D. Baker, Commander of Brigade : ' ¦ • ¦•
Colonel : In case of hea-vy firing in front of Harrison's Island, you ¦
will advance the California regiment of your brigade, or retu-e the regi- ¦
> ments under Colonels Lee and Devens, now on the [almost rendered
illegible by blood] Virginia side of the river, ftt your discretion — assum
ing command on arrival.
Very respectfully. Colonel, your most obedient servant,
CHARLES P. STONE,
Brigadier-General Commanding.
The second order, which foUows, was delivered on the
battle-field by Colonel Cogswell, who said to Colonel Baker,

OF THE WAR. 215
in reply to a question what it meant, " AU right, go ahead."
Thereupon, Colonel Baker put it in his hat -without reading.
An hour afterward he feU.
Head- qtjaetbiib Coups ot' Obsekvation, )
Edwabds' Ferry, October 32d— 11:50. )
E. D. Bajkbr, CoMMANDrNG Brigade— Colonel : I am informed that
the force of the enemy is about four thousand, all told. If you can push
them, you may do so as far. as to have astrqng position near Leesburg,
if you can keep them before you, avoiding their batteries. If they pass
Leesburg and take the Gum Springs Road, you will not follow far, but
seize the first good position to cover that road.
Their desire is to draw us on, if they are obliged to retreat, as far as
Goose Creek, where they can be reenforced from Manassas, and have a
strong position.
Report frecLuently, so that, when they are pushed, Gorman can come
up on their flank. Yours, respectfully and truly,
CHARLES P. STONE,
Brigadier- General Commanding.
This little error of the Colonel — ^in not reading the last dis
patch — was the cause of the surprise. Colonel Coggswell's
remark — " AU right, go ahead 1" doubtless served to answer,
in Baker's mind, for the contents of the envelop, and therefore
it was not broken open. It serves at least to reheve General
Stone from the inattention and ignorance of the enemy's force
which were freely charged upon him at one time. The move
ment over the river was Stone's conception, and that remains
open for strictura •

Jc^ .^v. JL «

COLONEL BAKER.
The loss of this officer created a profound sensation, in aU
circles. He was well known personaUy by an immense num
ber of persons in the East and West and on the Pacific coast ;
while his reputation as- the United States Senator from Oregon .;
was such as to have made his name one famUiar to the pubhc ~
ear. His splendid talents as a speaker and debater gave him
a prominent position in the Senate, from which he withdrew ::i
to raise regiments in New York city and PhUadelphia, to be , ;
known as the Califoriiia brigade. His loss was a cause for
national regret ; and the notices bestowed upon his career, his
character and talents e-vinced the depth of the feeling all felt;
at his fate. ^
Edward Dickinson Baker was bom in London, England, : it
February 24th, 1811. His paren* were both persons of refine
ment, honorably connected and of fair reputa The parents l
emigrated to America in 1815, residing in PhUadelphia for ten
years. " Early in the spring of 1825," says a writer in Har- ;
per's Magazine, (December, 1861,) " the elder Baker, impelled ,.'
by that spirit of restless adventure and enterprise that seems
the heritage of all the race, gathered up his household gods- ^ .
and turned his face once more to the sunset. Over the track
less mountains, along the strange rivers, through the stUl -wU- i
d^erness where life was bursting into beauty and bloom, he
journeyed until, tired of wandering, he rested in the rich
vaUey of the Wabash. Only a Httle while though ; for in a

OF THE WAR. 217
year or so we find him at the pleasant old to-wn of BellevUle,
in the county of St Clair, the earhest settled of all Central
Illinois,- filled -with a population more wealthy and refined
than that which settled in the Southem peninsula between the
Mississippi and the Ohio, or that which fought and traded
along the HHnois and Epck Elvers. Most of the educational.
and social advantages of the State clustered at that early day
around the viUages facing the trading station that Laclede had
buUt and called St Louis, and those that nestled cozUy in the
winding vaUey of Kaskaskia. In later yeara^hese towns have
lost their ancient prosperity, and all that reminds the -visitor
of what has. been is the dignified idleness of the men and the
stiU, proud beauty of the women.
" Finding in the good county of St Clair a congenial social
atmosphere, the elder Baker pitched there his tent, and opened
an academy for boys, which he continued with great success
for many years, conducting it upon a system of instruction
then called the Lancasterian plan. His son, Edward, then a
handsome lad of fifteen, by the grace and dignity of his bear
ing, by his personal beauty, and by the astcinishing charm of
conversation which even at that early day distinguished him,
- became a general favorite in the best society there. He was
i always received with kindness in the family of Governor
Edwards, a magnificent old gentlemen in fair top-boots and
raffled -wristbands, who added to a character of great generosity
and fexecutive abUity the grand Seigneur airs of the Old School
Young Baker avaUed himself -with a-vidity of the treasures of
the Governor's library, the best in the State. He was always
a ravenous reader. He had one of those rare memories^wax
to receive, and marble to retain. He was indebted to its trusti
ness and quickness for much of his success as a debater. He
.was rarely mistaken, and never at fault for a fact or an allu
sion. Thus reading and remembering, dreaming and growing,
he passed the pleasant days in pleasant BeUevUle, in congenial
study and edifying society. He took much interest in the
political contests that convulsed the State upon the old and
always mischievous question of Slavery — ^in, which, singularly

218 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
enough. Northern and Eastern men favored the introduction
of Slavery, while the Govemor and his Kentucky associates'
opposed it . By their untiring efforts. Slavery was prohibitedj
and HHnois remained a Free State.
" From BellevUle young Baker went to CairoUton; in Greene
county, a town of less social culture, though filled with a
wealthy and sterling population- Here he studied law in the
office of Judge Caverly, and practiced for some time -with
indifferent success. He married here a lady of high character
and position, who stUl survives him, in desolation and sorrow,
on the far shore of the Pacific Ocean.
" He relieved to Springfield, afterward the capital city of
the State, in 1835. In 1837, when Dan Stone — the mem't.er'
who joined Abraham Lincoln in what his opponents styled
the -' AboHtion protest' — ^resigned his seat in the Legislature
to secure a place on the Supreme Bench, Baker was elected
to fiU the vacancy thus created, and re-elected soon thereafteii
He paid httle attention to Legislative business ; was often out .
of his seat, and more pleasantly employed. He was, howeverj
always called on when an obnoxious, measure was to be de
feated or an opponent demoHshed. . He mastered detaUs -with
great ease when he cared, but he did not often care. He was
State Senator from 1840 to 1844, defeating in the canvass John
Calhoun, who afterward became memorable on accent of an
election manoeuvre in Kansas not whoUy imconnected with
candle-boxes. " AU this time he was applying himself assiduously to the
practice of law. His infaUible memory, his quickness of per- -
ception, and his ardent eloquence, were powerful agencies in >
the management of juries, and were usuaUy successful against '.
the most determined energy and labor. His bonhommie and ;
impetuosity of delivery were irresistible to Western men ; and
his Kentucky admirers delighted to Hken him to the great j
lights of the South-western bar, Barry and Grundy. He was
fortunate in being associated -with men of industry and learn- !
ing, such as Judge Logan, the Nestor of the profession in Eh-

OF THE WAR. 219
nois ; M. Hay ; and, for a while, Albert T. Bledsoe, lately
Assistant Secretary of War in the Southem Confederacy."
The -writer of the article above quoted from — understood to
be Mr. John Hay, Second Private Secretary to President Lin
coln — adverted with some pride to the coterie of really notable
men who, at that day, controlled the sentiment of Illinois.
¦He said : "It would be hard to find in any backwoods town,
at the period of which I have been speaking, a coterie of equal
abUity and equal piossibUities with those who plead, and
wrangled, and electioneered together in Springfield. Logan,
one of the finest examples of the purely legal mind that the
West has ever produced ; M'Dougal, who afterward sought El
Dorado ; Bissell, and Shields, and Baker, brothers in arms and
in council, the fiower of the Western chivalry, and the bright
est examples of Westem oratory ; Trumbull, then as now,
-with a mind pre-eminently cool, crystalline, sagacious ; Doug
las, heart of oak and brain of fire, of energy and undaunted
courage unparaUeled, ambition insatiate and aspiration unsleep
ing ; Lincoln, then as afterward, thoughtful, and honest, and
brave, conscious of great capabUities and quietly sure of the
future, before all his peers in a broad humanity, and in that
prophetic lift of spirit that saw the triumph of principles then
dimly discovered in the contest that was to come."
In 1844, Baker was sent to represent the Sangammon Dis
trict, lUinois, in Congress, and was found in his seat at the
moment ofthe Mexican war. He opposed -the war strenuously ;
yet the restless fire in his heart impelled him to the field. Mr.
Hay rather humorously observed: " There was something in
his veins that would not let him be quiet when there was fight
ing going on. He had had some little experience of soldiering
in the Black Hawk war. Lincoln was a Captain then ; Eobert
Anderson and Jefferson Da-vis were together in an expedition
up the Mississippi, and Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
probably bivouacked together in the Iowa forestSj and dreamed
of battles by the dying fire." Very few Western men of dis
tinction of the elder generation, who have not had early expe
rience in the use of arms in defense of their firesides.

220 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Baker left the Halls of Congress, and proceeded to recruit
the Fourth HHnois regiment in Springfield. With thein he
embarked for Metamoras. From thence he returned to Wash
ington upon important business and as bearer' of special dis
patches. He resumed his seat in Congress 'long enough to
make a powerful speech in behalf of the volunteers. Then,
resigning his membership, he retumed to the seat of war, to
find his regiment at the siege of Vera Cruz. Assuming the
active command, he passed -with the army into the interior by
the National Eoad. At Cerro Gordo heights, the first engage
ment after leaving Vera Cruz, Shields — to whose brigade the
Fourth HHnois was attached — was shot through the body, and,
as was then supposed, was mortally wounded. Baker, as
Senior Colonel, assumed the brigade command, instantiy, and
bore out the responsible duty entrusted to the battahons of
Shields. He led the flank charge upon the Mexican rear
battery, which crossed and enfiladed the road, and thus secured
their way open for a retreat The charge was a most gaUant
affair, capturing the battery and cutting off the Mexicans from
escape. He served out the war, returning home -with the reputation,
of being a competent, courageous, and spirited officer.
Baker was succeeded in Congress by Abraham Lincoln He
did not settle again in Springfield, but at Galena. A few
months residence there -served to give him such a popular
ascendancy that he was again elected to Congress — this time in
a district which had for years been Democratic. Baker was a
Whig, as was Abraham Lincoln^ — a devoted admirer and fol
lower of the principles ^pf Henry Clay; and his election froni
that Democratic District, where the influence of Douglas then
was measurably felt, proves the strength of his personsfl)
popularity. It was on the floor of the House of Eepresentatives in
Washington, in 1850, that he pronounced his eulogy on General
Taylor — ^his old leader-in-arms, and his personal friend. That
effort has been pronounced one of the most splendid efforts of
oratory ever listened to within those walls, and -wUl remain a

OF THE WAR. 221
monument to his memory if eloquence and extraordinary
power over human passions constitute a claim to remembrance.
His term expiring -with the session of 1850, Baker, finding
his professional business in HHnois seriously interrupted by
four years absence in Mexico and at Washington, and finding
;t necessary tp take some active measures for the comfort of ,
his gro-wing family, effected a contract with the newly-organized
Panama EaUroad Company, in pursuance of which he collected
and conveyed to Panama four hundred laborers, with whom
he rendered most important aid to that great enterprise. In sur
veying and cutting out the track through those deep, dark
morasses, frequently passing the whole day in slimy swamps,
teeming with venomous insects and reptUes, his health gave
way, and, senseless and apparently dying from a severe attack
of Panama fever, he was carried on board a vessel and re
moved to -New York. He escaped with his life, but shattered
in constitution, and ten years older in appearance.
In 1852, having measurably recovered. Colonel Baker
removed with his famUy to San Francisco, where he practised
law with distinction and success ; and as a forensic and political
orator, was without a rival in that young State, whose Bar,
cuUed as it is, from aU the States of -the Union, is so rich in
abihty. If Colonel Baker had stopped when he returned from
Mexico, we should all have said he was a remarkable man to
distinguish himself in so many and such diverse pursuits — in
the Court Eoom, and in the forum, on the stump and haUs of
legislation. But he did not stop ; he went to California with
his famUy in 1852, and there he became as active and promi
nent as he had been in Illinois ; perhaps more successful as a
public speaker. We have heard CaHfomians represent the
effects of his speaking in San Francisco, where ten thousand
people assembled to hear him at once ; and from the days that
Demosthenes harangued the. Greeks, no orator has been more
successful than he in the Golden State. It made no difference
what the occasion, -the call was -for Baker. Were they to con
secrate a cemetery, he was the orator ; were they to bury in
that ceinetery some martyr to freedom, he pronounced the

222 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
funeral oration. In politics, he led the van of the Eepublican
forces ; he stumped the State, and would have been elected tp
Congress, if some hundreds of voIjcs more than his party icom^
manded, could have done it In law, he was retained to do
the most important pleading, as Choate was in his time in
Massachusetts. Mr. Hay says : " When a man went to talk for Fremont
among the squatters of Mariposa, or inveigh against slavery
among the refuse ruffianism of. the Gulf, that haunted Yuba
and Sonoma, or expound a hated doctrine to the desperadoes
of Tuolumne, he took his life in his hand, and considered' his
pistols and knife as necessary companions as his pamphlel^ j
and papers. And who was so qualified as Bakef for a strife
like this ? His geniality beguUed as much as his courage im
pressed. Because he was always known to be ready for a fighj^
it was never necessary. He won the hearts of the rough peo
ple who cursed his doctrine, and his name became coupled in
the mouths of the mountaineers with every expletive of pro
fane admiration. He was utterly at home on the hustings.
Those who are acquainted only with his grave senatorial efforts
can form no adequate idea of the ready,. sparkHng, ebullient
wit — the glancing and playful satire, mirthful whUe mercUe^
• — the keen syllogisms — and the sharp sophisms, whose fala-
cies, though undiscoverable, were perplexing — and the sudden
splendors of eloquence that formed the wonderful charm of
his backwoods harangues. His fame became co-extensive vyith
the coast ; and the people, in aUusion to ' the good gray head 1 ,
which all men knew,' used to call him the ' Gray Eagle.'
" Years passed on, and Baker made money and fi:iends in
CaHfomia. At last the great party of the North became
divided on the interminably vexing question of slavery in the
Territories. Broderick — one of the truest diamonds that ever
existed in the rough-rafter battHng with unavaUing pluck for
what, he deemed truth and justice in the Senate, came back to
rally his clansmen for conflict with a haughty and implacable
organization. Here was a conflict that at once enlisted all the
soul of Baker. It was not so forlorn in prospect as his former

OF THE WAR. 223
one, and a glimmer of hope is very inspiriting -in politics. A
coalition was effected between the Eepubhcans and the Doug
las Democrats, by which Baker and M'Kibbin became the
candidates for Congress against the distinctive pro-slavery
men. The story of that well-fought campaign was not a par
ticularly pleasant one. It was like all sudden insurrections of
free thought and manhood against powerful and disciplined
tyranny. The Broderick ticket was defeated, and the baffled
Senator was bullied into a criminal foUy that his better judg
ment condemned, and was slain. His last words were, ' They
have kUled me because I was opposed to the extension of slav
ery and a corrupt Administration.'
" The words and the event feU hea"vUy on the heart of the
nation. Far more crushingly they rested on the saddened
spirits of his friends. The duU heaviness of their grief forbade
parade, and made ceremony mockery. The American mind
runs naturally to committees when great men fall But there
was that -within the hearts of Broderick's friends, Hke the an
guish of the royal Dane, 'passing show.' By' common con
sent Baker was the funeral orator. With none of the ordinary
accessories of solemn burials, the dead Senator lay in the great
square of the city, and the saddened people flocked silently to
the scene. From aU the streets of the crowded town they
gathered in the hush of the autumnal noon, till the square was
filled -with the mourning multitudes, whispering -with lowered
voices of the -virtues of the departed, and striving to come
near enough to gaze upon the calm features of the murdered
tribune, turned stonily to the brightness of the skies. Aloft
the church bells were jangling mounjfully, and their wild
lament, floating do-wn to earth, deepened the emotion of the
hour. As their ringing vibrated into sUence the voice of the
orator stole out upon the air, tremulous vnth tender feeling
and musical with the memories of dead friendship. The mind
of the mighty multitude, softened by the excitement of their
sorrow, lay plastic to his hand, and for an hour the homage
of tears and sobs was paid to Baker's genius and Broderick's
memory, untU he ended in those grandly pathetic words, whose

224 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
touching music breathes ahke the abandon of sorrow and the
joy of ultimate fame :
. " ' The last word must be spoken, and the imperious man
date of death must be fulfiUed. Thus, 0 brave heart ! we bear
thee to thy rest Thus, surrounded by tens of thousands, we
leave thee to the equal grave. As in life, no other voice
among us so rang its trumpet blast upon the ear of freemen,^
so in death its echoes wUl reverberate amidst our mountains'
and pur valleys untU trath and valor cease to appeal to the
human heart
" ' Good friend ! trae hero ! haU and fare-WeU I'
" It is worth, while to die if one could be mourned so
gloriously." The murder of Broderick by Judge Terry — then serving on
the bench — and the shocking perversion of justice by which
the murderer was allow-ed his Hberty, after a mockery of a trial -
in a court composed of his political friends — so oppressed
Baker's spirits as to make him resolve to abandon CaHfomia. '
The anti- Administration men of Oregon wanted a leader — one
who could rally all the elements of the Opposition to~the one
point of defeating the G-win-Lane Democracy. Baker was
solicited, and accepted that leadership. He removed at once
to Oregon, and entered upon the canvass -with a spirit which
proved how much his heart was in the work of defeating the
enemies of law, order and human rights — ^for such he deemed
the Breckenridge-Lane party in Oregon. He gave his entire'
time up to the work, vainly hoping that, even in the face of
the overwhelming majority of south-side Democrats, he might
succeed in sending Daniel Segar to Congress. Segar was an
HHnois man, of fine character, and talents of a high order, *
chosen for his exceUence to contest the supremacy of the '
Breckenridge Democracy ; but, so immensely was the majority
against him that, in spite of Baker's and his own almost
incredible exertions, he was defeated — ^ballot-box fraud being-
resorted to in many " hard" localities, to serve a hard end, as
was the case in Kansas. Segar was defeated ; but the Legisla
ture chosen was so strongly anti-Administration as to elect

OF THE WAR. 225
Baker to represent Oregon in the United States Senate — ai^
honor he had long coveted, and one for which he was emi
nently fitted. No abler man could have been selected to
attend to the interests of his section, and ofthe country, in the.
stirring crisis at hand.
Baker's services in the Senate were brief, but brilliant He
arrayed . himself upon the side of the Administration ; " the
Union at all hazards," became his motto at an early moment
of the Congressional struggle with Secession. His first effort
was his memorable reply to Benjamin, of Louisiana---delivered
in the Senate, Wednesday, January 2d. His fame as an orator
drew to the Senate Hall one of the most briUiant audiences
ever assembled within those sounding walls. The orator fully
answered pubHc expectation. Two aftemoon sessions were
consumed in its delivery. It was so exhaustive as an argu
ment against Secession and of the demands of those whom Ben
jamin represented, and so clear in its exposition of the Union
policy, as to give great satisfaction to the loyal public.
Mr. Hay says : " He was especially great upon great occa
sions. He was a man whom the su^le magnetisna of events
always inspired. Those who heard -wUl surely never forget
the magnificent burst of red-hot rhetoric with which he electri
fied the crowding thousands that filled Union Square last
April It was a mighty assemblage — great in numbers — tre
mendous in earnestness — awful in aroused enthusiasm. We
saw that day how hard it was for common men to address that
crowd. Som.e simply raved, mastered by emotion. Some,
wishing to be solemn, prosed. There were few who could ride
on that whirl-wind, and direct that storm. Baker was one.
From the instant when his graceful form was discovered on
the stand — ^hls handsome face, pale but quiet ; his eye fierce
in its briUiancy ; his white hair crowning the splendid head
like a halo ; and the tones of his clear, firm voice, rang out on
the air in the words : ' The majesty of the people is here to-day
to sustain the majesty of the Constitution'— to the mondent
when he closed in a gust of passionate plaudits, he held the
audience fettered and stUl. A visible thrill ran through the
29

226 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
dense mass when, in closing, he consecrated himself anew to
the service of his country in these words of exquisite melody :
" ' And if from the far Pacific a voice, feebler than the
feeblest murmur upon its shore, may be heard to give you
courage and hope in the contest, that voice is yours to-day ;
and if a man whose hair is gray, who is well-nigh worn out in
the battle and toil of life, may pledge himself on such an occa
sion and in such an audience, let me say — as my last word —
that, as when, amidst sheeted fire and flame, I saw and led the
hosts of New York as they charged in contest upon a foreign
soil, for the honor of your flag ; so again, if Providence shaU
will it, this feeble hand shall draw a sword never yet dis
honored, not to fight for distant honor in a foreign land, but
to fight for country, for home, for law, for Government, for
Constitution, for right, for freedom, for humanity, and in the
hope that the banner of my country may advance, and where
soever that banner waves, there glory may pursue and freedom
be established 1' ,
" This was no idle trick of rhetoric. Before the echoes of
his words had died, he was hard at work recruiting the Cali
fornia regiment It filled rapidly. Men came from a distance
to join in squads or singly. Many came from Philadelphia
and its outlying country. He liked to receive those. ' There
must be a fighting streak somewhere about us Quakers,' he
used to say. There was an inspiration in this man's words
and presence that made men love to fight under him. His
regiment soon was over-full. The President appointed him a
Brigadier-General. He declined it The same friendly hand
desired to place upon his shoulder-straps the double star of a
Major-General He quietly refused it, and kept the eagles to
which his regiment entitled him. As for honors, he had
enough of them in another field. He went into this war for
use, not fame."
The end was rapidly approaching. Baker flitted in and out
of Washington like a spirit — a restless, eager, devoted servant
of hig- country, of his troops, of his friends. One day he would
be in his seat in the Senate Chamber to dash 'in a few strokes

OF THE WAR. 227
of eloquent appeal or stirring sarcasm — ^the next, out on the
field, manoeuvering his regiment, to make it, in drill and
soldierly accomplishments, worthy of the first place he hoped
to acquire by its service. His reply, in August, to Brecken
ridge, in the United States Senate, was his last effort. Colonel
Forney said :
" Breckenridge was delivering a set disunion harangue, as
ingenious and able as any heard on behalf of Secession.
Baker, whose camp was a mUe or two from the Capitol, entered
the Senate Chamber hastily from the duties of a drill, while
Breckenridge was speaking. He was presently called into the
lobby by a message from Mr. Holt, of Kentucky, who begged
him to, reply to' Breckenridge, as no one else would probably
be ready to do so. He did so off-hand, when Breckenridge
sat down, and made one of the most thrUHng speeches which
had been heard for years in the chamber. It squelched Mr.
Breckenridge. Who would not rather now be Baker dead
than Breckenridge living."
A settled conviction of his early death pressed upon him.
To a fiiend he remarked, in August, that he had made his last
appearance in the Senate Chamber, saying : "I am certain
I shall not live through this war, and if my troops should show
any want of resolution, I shall fall in the first battle. I can
not afford, after my career in Mexico, and as a Senator of the
United States, to turn my face from the enemy." There was
no gloom or depression in his manner, ; it was characterized
by a temperate earnestness which carried conviction to the
mind of his friend of its fatal truth. Mr. Hay relates, in
affecting terms. Baker's last -yisit to Washington and to the
President's .mansion, where he ever was a welcome guest He
says : " Why that solemn farewell to his parents, penned by
the dauntless Ellsworth, as live a man as ever breathed, in the
dead of the last midnight that he ever watched ? Why the
strange reckless bewUderment of the -brave Lyon on that dis
astrous day, when his gallant heart was breaking under the
double conviction that death had marked him, and the Govem
ment had forgotten him ? Colonel Baker for several days was

228 INCIDEJSTTS AND ANECDOTES
oppressed -by this overhanging consciousness. He became as
restless as an eagle, in his camp. He came do-wn to Washing
ton and settied aU his affau-s. He went to say fareweU to the
family ofthe President A lady — who in her high position is
StiU gracefuUy mindful of early friendships— gave him a bou
quet of late flowers. ' Very beautiful,' he said, quietly, ' these
flowers and my memory -will wither together.' At night he
hastUy reviewed his papers. He indicated upon each its proper
disposition ' in case I should not return.' He pressed with
quiet earnestness upon his friend Colonel Webb, who depre
cated such ghostly instractions, the measures which might
become necessary in regard to the resting-place of his mortal
remains. AU this without any ostentation. He performed aU
these offices -with the quiet coolness of a soldier and a man of
affairs, then mounted his horse and rode gayly away to his
death." The rest of the tragedy is related in the story of the B^U
Bluff disaster. It is a painful chapter to peruse, but one which
ever comes out of the horrid drama of -war. Oh, how many
tragedies wiU blot and blur the page of Christian history when
the story of the rebelHon is aU vmtten I The land is fiUed
with mourning. Everywhere are the weeds of wo. At almost
every fireside sits a spectre — the spfrit of one gone forever.
Men haunt the streets bereft of limbs, or scarred fearfuUy, or
wasted by suffering and disease. The graveyards are filled
with long rows of mounds, beneath each of which sleeps one
around whose Hfe so many hopes, so much affection clustered.
Every grave is the stanza of a National requiem. A sorrow lays,
night and day, by threshholds where peace and happiness once
were ceaseless visitants. Little chUdren look up in tears to
teU us of him whose loss no human agency can- replace.
Widows, and orphans, and the. childless walk in our midst,
separated from us by a sorrow which no human sympathy can
bridge over or obliterate.
This is the fruit of treason.

XXII.

JOSEPH HOLT AND THE KENTUCKY SOLDIERS.
No firmer patriot graced the trying times of 61-62 than
Joseph Holt of Kentucky. In the cabinet of Mr. Buchanan;
at a late day — ^when it would seem as if a dissolution of the
Union was not only to be accomplished, but the country to
be thoroughly humiHated — ^he had the nerve to face the crisis
and the a'bUity to cope with it In conjunction vrith General
Dix, Attorney-General Stanton and General Scott, he labored
¦with almost superhuman energy to stay the terrible tide of
treason then sweeping everything before it ; and he succeeded
so admirably that, when Mr. Lincoln came into power, the
country hoped to see Mr. Holt continued in the Cabinet He
did -not remain, however, in the Cabinet, though he continued
to give aU his time and abUities. to his country's ser-nce.
'Kentucky balanced in the throes of revolution, and he has
tened to the aid of those sustaining the cause of the Union,
speaking, writing and talldng for the Federal Govemment,
sustaining the Administration in its attitude of offense against
the rebelHon, and opposing the " neutrality" which Kentucky
Legislators had prescribed as their duty. His labors added so
much to the strength ofthe actively lojal element that he soon
had the satisfaction of finding Kentucky's quota of troops for
National service rapidly gathering in the field, under tried and
true Kentucky leaders.
The Kentucky troop^ gathered at "Camp Jo Holt," in Indi
ana—where General Eousseau was in command—before to taking

230 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the field in their own State against the Confederates then pre
paring for the subjugation of Kentucky. These troops he vis
ited prior to the day named for their departure, and addressed
them (July 31st) on the crisis and their duty as citizens and
soldiers. That address is worthy of repetition, for the nobUity
of its sentiments, the strength of its lessons and the moral of its
teachings.. We take pleasure and pride in reproducing such
portions of it as our space and plan permit He said :
" It is not my purpose to occupy you with any political dis
cussion The gleaming banner, the, glistening bayonets, and
' the martial music, and, indeed, all that meets the eye or the
ear upon this tented field, admonish me that -with you at least
the arguhient is exhausted, and that you have no longer doubts
to solve or hesitating convictions to confirm. Your resolution
is taken, and you openly proclaim that, let others do as they
wUl, as for yourselves, unchilled by the arctic airs of neutrali
ty, ybu are determined to love your country, and, unawed by
traitors, to fight its battles, and, if need be, to lay dovm your
Hves for its preservation. It is indeed transporting to the pa
triot's heart to look upon the faces of men thus sublimely re
solved ; and there is to me a positive enchantment in the very
atmosphere whose pulsations have been stirred by the breath
ings of their heroic spirits. Now that the booming of the can
non of treason and the cry of men stricken unto death for
fidelity to our fiag, are borne to us on almost every breeze, it
is harrowing to the soul to be dragged into companionship with
those who stUl vacillate, who are stUl timidly balancing chances
and coldly calculating losses and gains ; who stUl persist in
treating this agonized struggle for national existence as a petty
question of commerce, and deliberately take out their scales
and weigh in our presence the beggarly jewels of trade against
the life of our country.
"Soldiers: next to the worship of the Father of us aU, the'
deepest and grandest of human emotions is the love of the land
that ^ave us -birth. It is an enlargement and exaltation -of all
the tenderest and strongest sympathies of kindred and of home.
In all centuries and climes it has Hved and defied chains and

OF THE WAR. 281
dungeons and racks to crush it It has strewed the earth -with
iti monuments, and has shed undying lustre on a thousand
fields on which it has battled. Through the night of ages,
Thermopylae glows like some mountain peak on which the
morning sun has risen, because twenty-three hundred years
ago, this hallo-wing passion touched its mural precipices and
its crowning crags. It is easy, however, to be patriotic in
piping times of peace, and in the sunny hour of prosperity. It
is national sorrow, it is war, with its attendant perils and hor
rors, that tests this passioij, and winnows from the masses those
who, with all their love of life, still love their country more.
WhUe your present position is % most vivid and impressive il
lustration of patriotism, it has a glory peculiar and altogether
its own. The mercenary armies which have swept victorious
ly over the world and have gathered so many of the laurels that
history has embalmed, were but'machines drafted into the ser
vice of ambitious spirits whom they obeyed, and little under
stood or appreciated the problems their blood was poured out
to solve. But .while you have all the dauntless physical cour
age which they displayed, you add to it a thorough knowledge
of the argument on which this mighty movement proceeds, and
a moral heroism which, breaking away from the entanglements
of kindred, and friends, and State policy, enables you to follow
your convictions of duty, even though they should lead you
up to the cannon's mouth. It must, however, be added that
with elevation of position conde corresponding responsibilities.
Soldiers as you are by' conviction, the country looks not to
your officers, chivalric and skilful as they may be, but to you
and to each of you, for the safety of those .vast national inte
rests committed to the fortunes of this war. Your camp life
will expose you to many temptations ; you should resist them
as you would the advancing squadrons of the enemy. In every
hour of peril or incitement to excess, you will say to yourselves,
" Our country sees us," and so act as to stand forth soldiers, not
only without fear, but also without reproach. Each moment
not absorbed by the toils and duties of your mUitary life,
should, as far as practicable, be devoted to that mental and

232 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
moral training without which the noblest of volunteers must
sink to a level with an army of mercenaries. - Alike in the in^
action of the camp and amid the fatigues of the march, and
the charge and shouts of battle, you will remember that you
have in your keeping not only your own personal reputation,
but the honor of your native State, and, what is infinitely more
inspiring, the honor of that blood-bought ¦ and beneficent Ee
public whose children you are. Any irregularity on your
part would sadden the land that loves you ; any faltering in
the presence of the foe would cover »it -with immeasurable hu
miliation. You will soon mingle in the ranks with the gaUant
volunteers from the North and the West, and with me you will
admfre their moderation, their admirable discipline, and that
deep determination, whose earnestness with them has no lan
guage of menace, or bluster, or passion. When the men from
Bunker Hill and the men from the ' dark and bloody ground,'
unestranged from each other by the low arts of politicians,
shall stand side by side on the same national battle-field, the
heart of freedom will be glad.
" The Govemment has been like a strong swimmer suddenly
precipitated into the sea, and like that swimmer it has unhesi
tatingly and most justifiably seized upon any and every instru
mentality with which it could subdue the treacherous currents
and waves by which it has found itself surrounded. AU that
was irregular or illegal in the action of the President has been
fully approbated by the country, and will no doubt be appro
bated by Congress, on the broad and ¦ incontestable principle
that laws and usages of administration designed to presei-ve
the existence of the nation should not be suffered to become
the instruments of its death. So, for the future I do not hesi
tate to say that any and every measure required to save the
Eepublic from the perils that beset it not only may, but ought
to be, taken by the Administration, promptly and fearlessly.
Within so brief a period no such gigantic power has ever
been placed at the disposal of any govemment as that which
has rallied to the support of this within the last few months,
through those volunteer who have poured alike from hill and

OF THE WAR. 233
. vaUey, city and vUlage, throughout the loyal States. AU
classes and all pursuits have been animated by the same lofty
and quenchless enthusiasm.
" WhUe, however, I would make no in-ndious distinctions,
where all have so nobly done their duty, I cannot refrain from
remarking how conspicuous the hard-handed tillers ofthe soil
ofthe North and West have made -themselves in swelling the
ranks of our army. We honor commerce with its busy marts,
and the workshop with its patient toU and exhaustiess inge
nuity, but stUl we would he unfaithful to the truth of history
did we not confess that the most heroic champions of human
freedom and the most Ulustrious apostles of its principles have
come from the broad fields of agriculture. There seems to be
something in the scenes of nature, in her wUd and beautiful
landscapes, in her cascades, and cataracts, and waving wood
lands, and in the pure and exhUarating airs of her hills and
mountains, that unbraces the fetters which man would rivet
upon the spirit of his feUow-man. It was at the handles of
the plough and amid the breathing odors of its newly-opened
furrows that the character of Cincinnatus was formed, expand
ed and matured. It was not in the city full, but in the deep
gorges and upon the snow-clad summits ofthe Alps, amid the
eagles and the thunders, that WUliam Tell laid the founda
tions of those altars to human liberty, against' which the surg
ing tides of European despotism have beaten for centuries,
but, thank God, have beaten in vain. It was amid the prime
val forests and mountains, the lakes and le^ing streams of
our own laud ; amid -fields of wa-ving grain ; amid the songs
of the reaper and the tinkling of the shepherd's bell that were
nurtured those rare virtues which ' clustered star-like in the
character of Washington, and lifted him in moral stature a
head and shoulders above even the demigods of ancient story.
" There is one most striking and distinctive feature of your
mission that should never be lost sight of You are not
about to invade the territory of a foreign enemy,, nor is your
purpose that of conquest or spoHation. -Should you occupy
the South, you -will do so as friends and protectors, and your
30 u2

234 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
aim will be not to subjugate that betrayed and distracted
country, but to deliver it from the remorseless military despot
ism by which it is trodden down Union men, who are your
brethren, throng in those States, and will listen for the coming
footsteps of your army, as the Scottish maiden of Lucknow
listened for the airs of her native land. It is trae, that amid
the terrors and darkness which prevaU there, they are sUenced
and are now unseen, but be assured that by the .light of the
stars you carry upon your banner you will find them all
'' It has been constantly asserted by the conspirators
throughout the South that this is a war of subjugation on the
part of the Government of the United States, waged for the
extermination of Southern institutions, and by vandals and
miscreants, who, in the fury of their passions, spare neither
age, nor sex, nor property. Even one of the Confederate gen
erals has so far steeped himself in infamy as to publish, in
choice BUlingsgate, this base calumny, through an official
proclamation. In -new of what Congress has recently so so
lemnly resolved, and in view of the continuous and consistent
action of the Administration upon the subject, those who,
through the press and public speeches, persist in repeating the
wretched slander, are giving 'utterance to what everybody,
themselves included, knows to be absolutely and infamously
false. It will be the first and the highest duty of the Amer
ican army as it advances South, by its inoderation and human
ity, by its exemption from every excess and irregularity, and
by its scrupulous observance of the rights of all, to show how
foully both it and the Governnient it represents have been
traduced. " When, therefore, you enter the South, press lightly upon her
gardens and fields ; guard sacredly her homes ; protect, if need
be, at the point of your bayonets, her institutions and her
constitutional rights, for you will thereby not only respond
fully to the spirit and objects of this war, but you will exert
over alike the oppressed and the infatuated portion of. her
people, a power to which the most brilliant of your military
successes~might not attain. But, when you meet in battle

OF THE WAR. 235
array those atrocious conspirators who, at the head of armies,
and through woes unutterable, are seeking the ruin of our
common country, remember that since the sword flamed over
the portals of Paradise untU now, it has been drawn in no
holier cause than that in which you are engaged. Eemember,
too, the mUlions whose hearts are breaking under the anguish
of this terrible crime, and then strike boldly, strike in the
power of truth and duty, strike vrith a bound and a shout,
well assured that your blows wUl fall upon ingrates, and trai
tors, and parricides, whose lust for power would make of this
bright land one vast Golgotha, rather than be balked of their
guUty aims — and may the God of your fathers give you the
-srictory. " Soldiers : when Napoleon was about to spur on his legions
to combat on the sands of an African desert, pointing them to
the Egyptian pyramids that loomed up against the far-off hori
zon, he exclaimed, 'From yonder summitsforty centuries look
down upon you.' The thought was sublime and electric ; but
you have even more than this. When you shall confront
those infuriated hosts,- whose battle-cry is, 'Down with the Gov
emment of the United States,' let your answering shout be,
' The Govemment as our fathers made it ; ' and when you
strike, remember that not only do the good and the great of the
past look down upon you from heights infinitely above those
of Egyptian pyramids, but that uncounted generations yet to
come are looking up to you, and claiming at your hands the
unimpaired transmission to them of that priceless heritage
which has been committed to our keeping. I say its unim
paired transmission; — in all the amplitude of its outlines, in all
the symmetry of its matchless proportions, in all the palpitat
ing fullness of its blessings ; not a miserably shrivelled and
shattered thing, charred by the fires and torn by the tempests
of revolution, and all over polluted and scarred by the bloody
poinards of traitors.
"Soldiers : you have come up to your present exalted po
sition over many obstacles and through many chiUing discour
agements. You now proclaim to the world that the battles

236 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
which are about to be fought in defense of Our common coun
try, its institutions and its homes, are your battles, and that
you are determined to share with your feUow-citizens of other
States alike their dangers and their laurels ; and sure I am that
this determination has been in nothing shaken by the recent
sad reverse of arms whose shadow is stiU resting upon our
spirits. The country has indeed lost a battle, but it has not
lost its honor, nor its courage, nor its hopes, nor its resolution
to conquer. One of those chances to which the fortunes of
war are ever subject, and against which the most consummate
generalship cannot at aU times pro-vide, has given a momentary
advantage to the forces of the rebellion. Grouchy did not
pursue the column of Bulow, and thus Waterloo was won for
Wellington at the very moment that victory, -with her laureUed
-wreath, seemed stooping over the head of Napoleon So Pat
terson did not pursue Johnston, and the overwhelming concen
tration of rebel troops that in consequence ensued was probably
the true cause why the army of the United States was driven
back, excellent as was its discipline, and self-sacrificing as had
been its feats of valor. Panics, from slight and seemingly in
significant causes, have occurred in the best drUled and bravest
of armies, and they prove neither the want of discipline nor of
courage on the part of the soldiers. This check has taught us
invaluable lessons, which we could not have learned from -^dc-
tory, whUe the dauntless daring displayed by our volunteers,
is full of promise for the future. Not to mention the intrepid
bearing of other regiments, -who can doubt our future when he
recaUs the brUliant charges of the New York Sixty-ninth, and
of the Minnesota First, and of the Fire Zouaves ? Leonidas
himself, while surveying the Persian host, that, like a troubled
sea, swept onward to the pass where he stood, would have been
proud of the leadership of such men We shaU rapidly recover
from this discomfiture, which, after all, wUl serve only to nerve
to yet more extraordinary exertions the nineteen mUlions of
people who have sworn that this repubhc shaU not perish; and
perish it wiU not, perish it cannot, whUe this oath remains.
When we look away to that scene of carnage, all strewed with

OF THE WAR. . 237
the bodies of patriotic men who courted death for themselves
that their country might live, and then look upon the homes
which their faU has rendered desolate forever, we realize — what
I think the popular heart in its forbearance has never complete
ly comprehended — the unspeakable and hellish atrocity of this
rebeUion. It is a perfect saturnalia of demoniac passion. From
the reddened waters of BuU Eun, and from the gory field of
Manassas, there is now going up an appeal to God and to mil
lions of, exasperated men, against those fiends in human shape,
who, drunken with the orgies of an infernal ambition, are fill
ing, to its brim the cup of a nation's sorrows. Woe, woe, I say,
to these traitors when this appeal shaU be answered I "

XXIII.

THE SPIRIT OF VIOLENCE IN THB SOUTH.
: The Southern States,, from the .first stages of their rebelHon
against the Federal .Government, put forward as a justification,
the oppressions of that central power, and cited the Declaration
of Independence as their defence. This assumption was indig
nantly denied by Northem men ; in Congress and out of it an
overwhelming sentiment pronounced the rebeUion "causeless,
¦wicked, and unnatural," vd.th- " no justification in the law of the
country, nor in the higher law of self-protection. " From this dis
cordance sprung the passions-and impulses necessary to feed the
frres of discord ; and watchful " guardians of Southern inter-

238 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
ests," were not slow to fan the fiames to a point of lawlessness
necessary to " precipitate" States into the vortex of insurrec
tion. Success in the secession movement depended solely on
the ability of the leaders to fire the popular passions to the
point of hate of the North, and defiance of its association.
Without a complete success in that direction, the revolution
would become nerveless from inanition. A thousand devices
were conceived to accomplish the desired end ; and the secret
history of the insurrection, if it ever shall be divulged, wiU be
found rich in intrigue, profuse in duplicity, mighty in false
hood — all directed to the one purpose of " firing the Southem
heart" The repudiation of debts due to Northern merchants and
manufacturers, became one of the earliest and most exciting
facts of the Southern movement It argued a demoralized
sentiment of probity, which equally alarmed and angered the
Northern people. The Southern merchants had, in .exception
to all commercial usage, obtained credits to an extraordinary
amount, upon extraordinary time. A customer had but to
say, " I am from the Cotton States," in order to obtain almost
any credit desired. That secret and powerful inquisition, the
" Commercial Agency," was scarcely • consulted as to the
Southerner's personal standing and commercial responsibihty
— so eager was the deluded merchant to secure a " Southern
trade." The wretched list of failures in the winter and spring
of 1861 ever will remain as a monument of Northem commer
cial temerity in the matter of Southern credits.
The spirit which found an excuse for aUowing paper to go
to protest, and followed the protest with a note expressing
satisfaction at the refusal to pay, soon betrayed itself in a
passage of " stay" laws, in the Seceded States, and in the visi
tations -of violence upon all agents of Northern business firms
who sought out the recreant debtor in hopes of obtaining some
satisfaction for the overdue claim. Lawyers banded together
not to receive Northem claims for collection, whUe the people
banded together to drive away any unlucky wight who pro
posed to do what the lawyers refused — to collect his ovra

OF THE WAR. 239
accounts. The agents, however, soon " made themselves
scarce," as the vulgar, but sigmficant, announcements in the
papers recorded- Tar and feathers, and an escort of a " com
mittee of citizens" to the nearest railway station, were such
inevitable results as served to rid an "indignant community"
of all " Northern vagabonds" early in the year (1860.)
These occasional persecutions of collectors and agents
seemed to engender an appetite for the excitement ; and it
became a very honorable caUing for -committees to spy out
every man of Northern birth — to seek to inculpate him in
some way, in order to aUow of the usual warning " to leave."
As early as February (1861) tljese inquisitions became so
frequent, that large numbers of persons — chiefly Northern-born
mechanics and tradesmen, who had found employ and a busi
ness in the South — fled for their lives, leaving behind all their
possessions. To meet these refugees in Northern cities became
of such frequent occurrence, in February and March, that the
public almost tired of their uniform stories of injuries received
and sufferings endured.
The spirit of anger was fast culminating, not in a national,
or even sectional resentment, but in a species of inhuman
personal malice, which served to ally that revolution to the
Sepoy drama. Lawlessness towards Govemment soon begat
lawlessness towards society — the dragon's teeth grew with
fearful fecundity. The demoralization betrayed itself even in
the changed tone of the secession portion of the Southern
press. As an evidence, we may quote one of a great many
similar notices made of General Scott — even by professedly
respectable journals like the Eichmond Inquirer. The
Montgomery (Ala'bama) Mail (February 6th) contained this
paragraph :
" We observe that the students of Franklin College, Georgia, burned
General Scott in eflBgy a few days ago, ' as a traitor to the South.' This
is well. If any man living deserves such infamy,- it is the Lieutenant-
General of the (Yankee) United States. And we have a proposition to
make, thereanent, to all the young men of the South, wherever scat
tered, at school or college ; and that is, that they burn this man in effigy
all through the South, on the evening of the 4th of March next. The

240 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
students of the South are an important class of our rising generation.
Let them make an epocli in the history of our sunny land, to which
legend, and tale, and song, shall point in after years. General Scott
deserves this grand infamy. He is a traitor to the soil of his birth ;
false to all the principles of the Commonwealth which nurtured him ;
the tool, willing, pliant, and bloody, of our oppressors ; and it is meet
that his name should descend to our posterity as a word of execration !
What say the students ?"
Some notices of the war-worn veteran — ^who had added
more -glory to the American name than any man since the
" Father of his Country"— were so -violent and vulgar as to
forbid their repetition here, even though they might reflect,
vdth stinging severity, upon a state of society which could be
pleased with such impotent maHce.
To show the nature of the persecutions inflicted on those
" suspected," in the revolutionary States, we shall cite a few
from the numerous well-authenticated instances, that they may
stand before a Christian world, as an evidence of the civiliza
tion which springs from a state of society like that which con
trols the Southem States of America.
An advertisement appeared in a New York daUy, February
18th, (1861) as foUows :
" FARMiNa Manager. — An 'Englishman by birth, having had very
extensive experience in breeding, raising, buying and selling of all kinds
of cattle and sheep in his own country, and who has been engaged
North in agriculture for three years, and South for two, is on his way to
New York, ha-ving been expelled, and his property confiscated, on sus
picion of being opposed to Slavery. He would like to engage -with any
gentleman ha-ving room to grow grain and roots, and to farm on a
modern, enlightened system, not looki^ig to corn alone. He is forty,
and has a small family. Address  ."
This case was that of a person named Gardiner. He had
taken a farm " on shares," near Wilmington, North CaroHna
In August, September, and October, he labored assiduously
and successfully, and got a good start. In the Fall he obtained
about sixty dollars worth of seeds ftom New York, ready for
his Spring planting. He was astounded, one day in February,
to be arrested and thrown into prison, upon representation of
the fellow whose farm he occupied, that he (Gardiner) was a

OF THE WAR. 241
" dangerous" man. Gardiner procured bail from some of his
countrymen, but these men were compelled to -withdraw then-
bond, under threats of a simUar course towards themselves for
being " dangerous" citizens. The matter was " compromised,
out of consideration for his (Gardiner's) wife and children," by
ha-ving his household goods hastily thrust on a little schooner
— on which Gardiner and his family, perfectly pennUess, were
sent to New York. AU his property and improvements passed
into the hands of the good Southern Eights man who had
instigated' the mob, and compelled the authorities to the deed
of -nolence.
Two Jersey men were hung in. the vicinity of Charleston,
early in February, for " suspicion of tampering with slaves."
An Enghsh captain was served with a coat of tar and feathers
in Savannah, in January, for having allowed a stevedore
(black) to sit do-wn with him at the dinner-table. Another
Englishman, belonging in Canada, saUed on a vessel trading
along coast At Savannah, the vessel was -visited by a negro
haying fruit to sell On leaving, the black man asked for a
newspaper, and one was given him which happened to contain
one pf Henry Ward Beecher's sermons. The black was caught
by his master reading the " incendiary" document Eefusing
to tell how he obtained it, he was ordered to the whipping
post, and flogged until he "confessed." The vessel was
boarded by the authorities, and a demand made for the
astonished Canadian The captain, however, stood before him
as a British subject ; and, by agreeing to ship the culprit North,
by- the next day's steamer, succeeded in saving him from the
mob that stood ready on the shore to lynch him. He was
placed on the steamer, on the morrow, wheri two " officials"
came forward with a writ, which they agreed not to serve if
the poor fellow would pay them fifty doUars. This he gladly
paid, and was suffered to depart, " out of consideration for his
being a British subject" Had he been a Yankee, he would
have been hung.
The following item appeared in the Eufaula (Ala.) Express,
(Febraary 6th :)
si V

242 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
"A Suspicious Individual. — The worthy captain of the Home
Guards arrested a man on last Tuesday, upon complaint made by one or
two of our citizens. The charge was the use of improper language in
regard to the acts and position of. the Southern people at this time^
Some of the expressions used by this traveling Yankee were, that Bob
Toombs is a traitor, and that the Secessionists are thieves and robbers,
and that he fully endorsed everything contained in the Knoxville Whig,
in regard to coercion, etc. After the examination, which brought out
the foregoing facts, the committee of five members of the, Home Guards,
appointed to investigate the matter, announced as their decision that as
the individual under arrest was only guilty of using improper language,
they would set him at liberty, with a request to settle his business and
Jeave as soon as possible. An application of tar and feathers wouldn't
be at all amiss in such cases. The man's name is M. A. Smith. He is
traveling agent for Scovil & Mead, of New Orleans, druggists; He will
bear watching. Pass him around."
Mr. Smith proceeded on his way. At AbbevUlc; (Ala.,) he
was again " apprehended." The Vigilance Committee reheved
him of his horse and buggy, $356 in money, and all his
papers. Then, taking him to a grove one- half mile from town,
he was hung. No legal proceedings were had in his case — no
e-ddence existed as to his asserted " crime," except the news
paper's statement He was dealt with according to the law of
the super-judicial Vigilance Committee.
It has been denied that Southern men ever permitted the
roasting alive of slaves, guilty of the high crime of murder of
masters, or of the more heinous and diabolical nameless crime
against females. Proof to the contrary, however, not only is
not wanting, but is quite abundant, which goes to show that
that horrible and barbarous mode of execution has been re
sorted to for lesser crimes than those indicated — even upon
suspicion. A case in point was freely narrated by the Harris
County (Geo.) Enterprise, in February. On the 14th of that
month a lady named Middlebrook, being alone in her house,
was alarmed, early in the morning, by the entrance of some
person. " She haUed the intruder," the paper stated, who, to
silence her cries, took her from her bed, and, carrying her
across the yard, " threw her over the fence." This was all
No violence upon her person, no maiming — only "the fiend"

' OP t;he. WAR. 243
abused her in a "most shameful manner." He was alarmed
by two negro women, and fled. The neighborhood was
aroused. :The lady stated that she believed- the perpetrator of
tiie .outrage .to have been a negro man, named George. The
newspaper account then 'states :
, " Dogs having been procured, the track was pursued to a neighboring
house, -where the boy George had a wife, and thence to the residence of
Mr. John Midd.lebrook. Under these circumstances, it was thought ad
visable to arrest the negro, which was done, and after an investigation
before a justice of the peace, he was duly committed, and placed in the
jail in thjs place, as we thought, to await his trial at the April- term- of
our Superior Court.
" On Monday moming^last a crowd of men from the country assembled
in our village, and made known their intention tp forcibly take the
negro George from the jail, and execute him in defiance of law or oppo
sition. Our efficient sheriff, Major Hargett, together with most of our
citizens, remonstrated, persuaded, begged, and entreated them to desist,
and reflect' for a inoment upon the consequences which might follow
such a course, but -without avaU. Major Hargett promised to guarantee
the safe-keeping of the prisoner by. confining. Mm. in any manner they
might suggest, and our citizens proposed to guard the jail night and
^ay, but allto.no purpose. There was no appeasing them. They rushed
to the jail, and, despite of all remonstrances, with axe, hammer, and
crow-bar, violently broke through the doors, and took the prisoner out,
tarrying him about two miles from town, where they chained him to a
tree, and burned him to death.
" We understand that the negro protested his innocence with his last
brfcath, though repeatedly urged to confess."
This horrible record could be vmtteni of no civilized country
on the globe save of the Southem States of America. How
that last paragraph rings out its silent imprecation upon a
state of society which would allow such a deed to be commit
ted on its soil! These murderers were "citizens," and, of
course,. never were even questioned as to their crime; it was
only a suspected negro whom they burned. This deed was
committed about fifty miles above Eufaula.
Atlanta (Geo.) boasted of as -violent a people as Eufaula or
AbbevUle. The same spirit which roasted a suspected negro
would have hung- a wljite man who might ihave been guUty
of offence to the sensitive people. The Intelligeneer, of Atlanta,

2-44 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
in February, thus paragraphed the public sentiment of that
locality, in regard to the editor of the Nashville (Tenn.) Demo
crat, who had pronounced Jefferson Davis a great humbug :
" If Mr. Hurley will come to Atlanta, we take the responsibility of
saying that his tavern bill or his burial expenses shall not cost him any
thing. The only thing which strikes our astonishment is, that the
people of Nash-ville would tolerate such a paper as the Bemoerat in their
midst. General Jackson, whose bones repose -within twelve miles of
the City of Nashville, doubtless turned in the grave when such abom
inable doctrines were permitted to go forth from a Nashville paper."
These " abominable doctrines" were, loving the Union more
than the newly -hatched Southern Confederacy — that was aU
How. many men were hung for the same crime in that delec
table -neighborhood, the VigUance Committee only knew.
The statement of Mary Crawford, made public in the vnnter
of 1861, detailed, with painful minuteness, the sad story of her
husband's awful murder in Tarrant County, Texas, July 17th,
1860. The man was taken on suspicion of being an AboHtionist,
and, after being shot, was hung. The wretched -wife, informed
by her two little boys (who had been with -their father out to
haul wood, when Crawford was seized) of their fears, had
started out to learn something of her husband's fate. She had
proceeded but a short distance when a party of men informed
her, -with indifference, that her husband was hung. The
narrative read :
" They took me back to the place we Iiad been living in. My grief,
my indignation, my misery, I have no words, no desire to describe. The
body was not brought to me until night, and only then by the direction
of Captain Dagget, a son-in-law and partner of Turner (for whom Craw
ford had 4one much work,) who had been a friend to my husband, and
was the only man of any influence who dared to befriend me. He had
been away from home, and did not return until after the murder had
been done. He denounced the act, and said they killed an innocent
man." The local newspaper — the Fort Worth Chief— thus chronicled
the tragedy :
" Man Hung. — On the 17th instant, was found the body of a man by
the name of William H. Crawford, suspended to a pecan-tree, about
three-quarters of a mile from town. A large number of persons visited

OF THE WAR. 245
the body during the day. At a meeting of the citizens the same even
ing, strong e-vidence was adduced proving him to have been an Abo
litionist. The meeting endorsed the action of the party who hung him.
Below we give the verdict .of the jury of inquest :
" ' We, the jury, find that William H. Crawford, the deceased, came to his death
by being hung with a grass rope tied around his neck, and suspended from a pecan
limb, by some person or persons to the jurors unknown. That he was hung ou
the 17th day of July, 1860, between the hours of 9 o'clock A. m. and 1 o'clock p. m.
We could see no other marks of violence ou the person ofthe deceased.' "
This man Turner — a lawyer, and an owner of forty slaves —
was one of those persons who arraigned Crawford in the pre
sence of his Httle boys, and had borne him away from their
sight to hang him. "The jury took no steps, of course, to learn
anything in regard to the murderers. Indeed, the act w§s not
only justified, but, out of it, grew an organization which suc
ceeded in whipping, banishing, and hanging over two hundred
persons — ^three Methodist ministers included — ^in the course of
¦ the succeeding three months, under plea of their being " Abo
lition emissaries," who had instigated the burning of property,
and incited negroes to run away. The report of that meeting
deserves repetition, in illustration of the manner in which the
slave districts care for their morals and their safety :
"At a large and respectable meeting of the citizens of Tarrant
County, convened at the Town Hall, at Fort Worth, on the 18th day
of July, 1860, pursuant to previous notice, for the purpose of devising
means for defending the lives and property of citizens of the county
against the machinations of Abolition incendiaries, J. P. Alford was
called to the chair, and J. C. Terrell was appointed Secretary. After
the object of the meeting was explained by Colonel C. A. Harper, the
following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted :
" ' Whereas, The recent attempts made to destroy several neighboring towns by
fire, the nearly total destruction of one of them, coupled with the conversation
and acts of one W. H. Crawford, who was hung in this county on the 17th instant,
prove eonclnsively to us the necessity of an organized effort to ferret out and
punish Abolition incendiaries, some of whom are believed to be in our county.
Therefore, to discover and punish said Abolitionists, and to secure the' lives and
property of our citizens, be it
" ' Resolved, That we endorse the action of those who hung W. H. Crawfcrrd in
this county on the 17th instant, convinced as we are, from the evidence npon which
he was hung, that he richly deserved his fate.
" ' Sesolved, That a Central County Committee be appointed by the President,
consisting of seven citizens, whose duty it shallbe to appoint such Committees in
v2

246 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
every precinct in the county, which sub-Committees shaU confer with and report
to the Central Committee the names of all suspected persons in their precincts,
which persons shall be dealt with according to the pleasure of the Central
Committee. '"Resolved, That the members of this meeting hereby pledge themselves to sup
port said Central Committee in the discharge of their . duty in dealing with Aboli
tionists and incendiaries.
^ " ' JAMES P. ALFORD, Chairman.
" ' J. C. TERRELL, Secretary.'
" The Central Committee hereby notify all persons connected -with or
holding Abolition sentiments to leave the county forthwith, or they
may possibly have cause to regret remaining."
It is probable that every one of the men persecuted were as
innocent of offense as Crawford. " Abolition emissaries" were
not fiecessary to instruct negroes how to fire houses. The
"Abolitionists" were, -without exception, men having a calHng,
and pursuing it peaceably ; but, being Northerners, and living
without holding slaves, were proofs conclusive of their danger-
our character to the " highly respectable citizens" of Tex:as.'*
The case of Mrs. Catharine Bottsford, as pubHshed at length
in the New York Tribune of March 22d, afforded the age -with
an evidence that even in the civilized city of Charleston, South
Carolina, an intelligent, honorable, and unprotected lady could
be thrown into prison and be made to suffer indignities be
cause some person had said she had "tampered -with slaves."
Arthur Eobinson, of New Orleans, publisher of the True
Witness, a religious paper of the Old School Presbyterian de
nomination,, was arrested, and thrown into prison without the
usual forms of law. After laying there some time, he was
taken into the criminal court for trial. The indictment, how
ever, was so ignorantly drawn that he was set at liberty pend
ing a second arrest His friends managed to effect his escape
up the river.- He lost everything. His "crime" was, not in
saying or publishing anything offensive, but a " committee"
¦" When Wigfall stated, on the floor of the United States Senate,
that men were hanging from trees in Texas for opinion's sake, he was
known to tell the truth, then, for a certainty. Lovejoy, of Illinois, in
vain tried to get the case of the Methodist ministers, (one of whom was
hung and others whipped,) before Congress.

OF THE WAR. 247
having seai-ched? his premises, found "seditious" Hterature in
his possession, and for that he was 'made to suffer. He would
have been consigned to the State's Prison for having the Bos
ton Liberator on his exchange list, had it not been for the flaw
in his first indictment, and his escape from another arrest.
John 'Watt, a citizen of Michigan, was working near Vicks-
burg, Mississippi; in January. "While under the influence of
Hquor a ^"committee" extracted from him " dangerous' senti
ments," and he was taken over the river into Louisiana and
hung, and his body left hanging to the tree.
The first of&cer of the bark Indian Queen made a statement
in the New York joumals, March 16th, to the effect that the
vessel put into St Marks, Florida, in January — himself and
his second of&cer both being Ul of the Chagres fever. Both
were sent ashore to the 'D'nited States Marine Hospital at that
place, for proper care, while the vessel anchored in the harbor
below, to await their recovery. As soon as Florida seceded,
(January 11th,) the Hospital was seized and the invalids turn
ed out The vessel lay at anchor about ten mUes below the
tovra. She had, as part of her crew, seven colored seamen —
all able and trusty fellows. A plot was hatched to seize aU
these men and seU them into slavery— a judge of the Supreme
(State) Court being one of the conspirators. The plot was re
vealed to the captain at two o'clock in the morning. He arose,
hired a steamer, ran do-wn to his vessel, and had her towed out
tb sea, beyond the jurisdiction of Florida. The discomfited
citizens swore dreadfully over their disappointment
The same oficer stated that, a few days after the Ordinance
of Secession was passed, a resident of St Marks remarked that
the South was -wrong and the North right in the controversy.
Whereupon, he was seized, stripped, whipped, and started "out
of the country."
" Mr! H. Turner, a New Hampshire man, had for several
years, spent the winter on the plantation of Woodworth & Son,
near Charleston, South CaroHna. Before the Presidential elec
tion, in reply to the question of a fellow- workman, he had
stated that, if he held the casting vote, it should be given for

248 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Lincoln. Two weeks after the election he was visited by two
members of a " VigUance Committee," who asked if what had
been reported was true. He answered that he had made that
single remark to a fellow-workman, but to no other person A
warrant for his arrest, as an incendiary and Abolitionist, was
produced, and he was taken to Charleston to jail. Around the
jail a mob of " citizens" gathered, demanding that the jailor
should give up the prisoner to them. It was only dispersed
by the horse patrol He was allowed neither food nor water.
On the afternoon of the day succeeding his arrest, he was taken
before the "Vigilance Association Tribunal," for examination
Confessing, again, that he had said to the workman what was
reported, he was remanded back to jail, to be passed over to
the Criminal Court. The " Judge" of the Tribunal treated the
prisoner with a choice lecture, chiefly composed of oaths and
imprecations. He was placed in a bare cell, where the night
was spent ; and only on the morning of the second day's con
finement was he allowed food, consisting of a small piece of
black bread and a pint of bad water. Yoic fourteen weeks this
man lay in that wretched dungeon. At the end of that time the
son of his employer came to the jail, and stated that his wages,
$248, still .due, should be paid him, and his release procured,
if he would leave at once. This promise was gladly given
He was taken to the steamer amid the hootings and bowlings
of a mob, which made threats of lyn'ching. On the way to
the steamer, he called upon a watchmaker for a fine watch he
had left for repairs before his arrest The watchmaker bade
him, with an oath, to leave his premises. Once on the steam
er, he expected his wages, as promised ; but he received no
thing, and was permitted to work his passage to New York,
where he arrived in a perfectly destitute condition.
Captain E. W. Eider, of the bark Julia E. Aery, and his son
James B. Ryder, as mate, were landing a cargo at Encero
Mills, Camden County, Georgia, in November, 1860, when a
negro came aboard the vessel with oars to sell None being
wanted, he was sent away. He paid a second visit, and some
clothes were intrusted to him to wash, upon his telling that he

OF THE WAR 249
belonged to a Dr. Nichols, H-ving near. That aftemoon five
men came to the vessel, and demanded the right to search for
the negro. The captain gave permission for the search, freely,
but stated that the fellow had gone ashore, taking -with him
some clothes to wash. The five men completed the search
which, it became e-vident to the captain, was but a cover for
the " citizens" to examine his cargo, his means of resistance,
&c., as weU as to discover, if possible, some " AboHtion lite
rature" by which to seize the entire crew and vessel as " dan
gerous to the peace of the community." The " Committee"
returned on the foUo-wing day, late in the evening. It had
grown to fifteen in number, who proceeded, to thoroughly ran
sack the vessel's hold. Every chest and bunker were over
hauled. Nothing " dangerous" being found, the " Committee"
passed on shore where, summoning the negroes who had been
engaged in unloading the vessel, they examined them as to
the conversations on the vessel . Six of them were finally most
unmercifully whipped,. to make them " confess." What they
Confessed, was not kno-wn to the captain ; but, as they prob
ably stated anything required, the mob, it soon became evi
dent, was ready for proceedings. The captain and his son
went before the " Committee", and stated that, not only had
no conversation been had, but that they had positively forbid
den any unnecessary communication between his men and the
negroes — that one or the other of the officers always was pre
sent, to see that orders were obeyed. This did not satisfy the
" Committee," and the two were taken to the jail at Jefferson,
¦fifteen miles away. There they were again arraigned before
another "Vigilance Association," and charged -with being
Abolitionists — a charge which both men denied as unfounded
in proof No proof being produced, they were allowed to
spend that night at a hotel A cook (black) from another
vessel was produced on the succeeding moming, who stated
that he had heard both white men say they were Republicans,
and would have voted for Mr. Lincoln if an opportunity had
offered. The black fellow who had taken the clothes to wash,
was then brought forward, and he corroborated the statement
32

250 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
of the other black man This vras deemed evidence, concl*
sive to the " Committee," and the sentence of a public flogging
was immediately decreed against both father and son. This
was deemed a lenient punishment— hanging was the usual
mode of treating "such scoundrels." The inhuman -wretches
took their prisoners to the front of the court-house, where, both
being stripped to the waist and tied to a tree, they were whip
ped—twenty-five blows -with heavy leather thongs being
administered to each. The. elder Ryder, being an old man,
was -a terrible sufferer under the horrible infliction After
" punishment" both were thrust into cells in the jaU The
large crowd which witnessed the whipping enjoyed it, appa
rently with a real zest, as it jeered and laughed vociferously
during the brutal punishment The two men laj fourteen days
in that jail, suffering exquisite tortures from their wounds-
At the end of that time five men came, took them out, carried
them to their vessel, and remained untU the craft stood, out
to sea.
This instance of atrocious -wrong was simply one of several
similar cases inflicted in the same neighborhood. The civU-
ized world may be excused for doubting e-ndence so inhuman^; t |
but, there is no room for disbelief when an old man's scarred
back is exhibited to the pitying eye.
We may close this revolting record -with the foUowing state
ment made by the Cincinnati Gazette, of -May 18th, 1861 :
" Nearly every day some freih arrivals of refugees from the violence and
ferocity of the New Dahomey bring to this city fresh and corroborative
proofs of the condition of affairs in the rebel States. Many of these have
come thence at the peril of their lives, and to avoid threatened death,have
taken a hurried journey surrounded by thick dangers from the madmen
who now fill the South with deeds of violence and bloodshed. ¦
"The people in that section seem to have been given up to a madness
that is without parallel in the history of civilization — we had almost
written barbarism. They are cut off from the news of the North, pur
posely blinded by their leaders as to the movements and real power Of the
Government, and in their local presses receive and swallow the most out
rageous falsehoods and misstatements.
" Yesterday, one William Silliman, a person of intelligence and reli
ability, reached this city, returning from a year's residence in Southern

-I

OF THE war: 251
Mississippi. He was one of a party who, in 1860 went from this city and
engaged in the construction of the Mobile and Ohio Eailroad.
"Mr. Silliman, for several months past, has lived in Cupola, Itawamba
County, one of the lower tier of counties, two hundred miles from New
Orleans, and one hundred and sixty miles from Mobile. He says a more
blood-thirsty community it wouldbedifllcultto conceive. Perfect terror
ism prevails, and the wildest outrages are enacted openly by the rebels,
who visit with violence all suspected of loyalty, or -withholding full ad
herence to the kingdom of Jefferson Davis. Could the full history of these
outrages be written, and that truthfully, many and most of its features
would be deemed incredible and monstrous, belonging to another age, and
certainly to another country than our o-wn.
" The party who is suspected of hostility, or even light sympathy, with
the rebellion, is at once seized; He is fortunate if he is allowed to leave
in a given time, without floggitig. He is still fortunate if only a flog
ging is added to th% order to depart. Many have been hung or shot on
the spot. Mr. Silliman details five instances of the latter as having oc
curred among the amiable people of Itawamba County, within the past
ten weeks, of several of -which he -w'as the eye-witness, a mob wreaking
their -vengence upon their victims under the approval of local authorities.
These five men were Northerners, at different times assailed by the rebels.
Three of them were strangers to all about them.
" On Saturday of last week a man was hung at G-untown, who refused
to join the rebel army, and also refused to leave. He was taken to a tree
in the outskirts of the village, and left hanging to a limb. He had a
family in the place. Gimtown is ten miles from Cupola. The same day,
at Saltillo, a man was hung under similar circumstances, and still anoth
er at Vonona, where a traveller was seized in passing through the place.
All these to-wns are within twenty miles circuit of Cupola, where Mr. Silli
man resided. He says that he can recall twelve instances of killing,
whippiflg, and other outrages thus visited upon the victims of -the rebels
in that vicinity, within the past two months. Many have been waiting
in the hope that the storm would 'blow over,' but have, one after the
other, been forced to submit or seek safety in flight."
The instances herein given are such as seemed to us to be
so verified as to admit of no doubt as to their entire truthful
ness. Many others made pubHc, and some of a most outra
geous character, which have been repeated to us by refugees
in person, we have refrained from referring to, since a sus
picious public, might question the authenticity of their unsup
ported statements. Enough has been given to throw an his
torical light upon the animus, of the Southern people engaged

252 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
in the re-yolution. The future historian of the great rebeUion
will not fail to discover in that spirit, not only a key to the
social state of that section of the country, but.-wiU, if he be a
disciple of Schlegel, find in it an effect of a cause — which cause
had sedulously, and for generations, insensibly underminded
the moral sentiments of the people.

XXIV^

TREASON IN TENNESSEE.
The history of Tennessee, during the first six months of
1861, forcibly illustrates the spirit of secession, proving it to
be — as Johnson, Brownlow, Holt, and others have character
ized it — the diabolical spirit
The State, it will be remembered, voted (1861) for John Bell
and Edward Everett for President and Vice-President — ^the
vote being Bell, 69,274; Breckenridge, 64,709; Douglas,
11,350. Bell was the Union candidate, and was voted for as-
such. The Union sentiment, however, gave a stUl more
emphatic expression in February (1861,) when the State voted
on the question of " Convention" or " no Convention," — result
ing in a majority against a Convention to consider an Ordi
nance of Secession, of over sixty thousand. This, of course,
closed the door against the designs of the Confederate conspi
rators, who only required a Convention to throw the State into
the Confederacy, in spite of the people. But, men bent upon
treason do not stand upon ceremony. If the people would not
call a Convention, then other ways must be di-vised to accom
plish the fell design It was not long ere the instrument of
tyranny was found. The people, and, we may say, the enthe
V

OF THE WAR. 253
country not in the confidence of Jefferson Davis, were astounded
tb leam, on the morning of May 8th, that they were transferred
to the keeping of a Confederate army ; that an Ordinance of
Secession was adopted, (to be voted on by the people, June
8th, after time enough had been allowed to place Confederate
troojps in every section to intimidate, overawe, arrest, and
"punish" Unionists, as enemies); that, the* Legislature had
adopted (to go into immediate force) the Pro-nsional Constitu
tion of the Confederate States ; thus consummating, in one
dark secret session (May 6th) all that. the most ardent con
spirator could desire. The " League" entered into with the
Confederate authorities, by which Tennessee was transferred,
beyond the power of redemption, into the keeping of Jefferson
Davis, was as foUows :
" CONVENTION BBT-WBBN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE AKD THB CONFED-
BKATB STATES OF AMEBICA.
" The State of Tennessee, looking to a speedy admission into the Con
federacy established by the Confederate States of America, in accordance
with the Constitution for the Provisional Government of said States,
enters into the following temporary Convention, agreement and military
league with the Confederate States, for the purpose of meeting pressing
exigencies affecting the common rights, interests and safety of said
States and said Confederacy.
" First. Until the said State shall become a member of said Confede
racy, according to the Constitutions of both powers, the whole military
force and military operations, offensive and defensive, of said State, in
the impending conflict with the United States, shall be under the chief
control and direction of the President of the Confederate States upon
the same basis, principles and footing as if said State were now and
during the interval, a member of said Confederacy. Said fol-ces, togeth
er with that of the Confederate States, to be employed for the common
defense. " Second. The State of Tennessee -will, upon becoming a member of
said Confederacy, under the permanent Constitution of said Confederate
States, if the same shall occur, turn over to said Confederate States, all
the public property, naval stores and munitions of war, of which she
may then be in possession, acquired from the United States, on the same
terms, and in the same manner, as the other States of said Co^nfederacy
have done in like cases.
" Third. Whatever expenditures of money, if any, the said State of
W

254 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Tennessee shall make before she becomes a member of said Oonfederacyy
shall be met and provided for by the Confederate States.
" This Convention entered into and agreed on, in the city of Nash
ville, Tennessee, on the seventh day of May, A. D. 1861, by Henry W.
Hilliard, the duly authorized Commissioner, to act in the matter for the
Confederate States, and Gustavus A. Henry,- Archibald W. O. Totten
and Washington Barrow, Commissioners duly authorized to act in like
manner for the State of Tennessee. The whole subject to the approval
and ratification of the proper authorities of both Governments,; respect
ively." This infamous and treacherous sale of the State, -without, the
knowledge or consent of the people, of course sealed the fate
of that Commonwealth, and thereafter Tennessee was to hve
in a terrorism bordering on barbarism. The invasion: of the
Huns, bringing fire and sword to civUized homes, was a. coun
terpart of the invasion of Tennessee by the vagabonds- of
Alabama, the cut-throats of Mississippi, and the desperadoes
of Texas and Arkansas.
Davis was given possession of his property May 7th, and
almost immediately his turbulent hordes rushed in, to the
great consternation of society, and more particularly to the
Unionists, who, from that moment, Hved in a state of appre
hension which soon drove them into the ranks of secession, for
self-protection. Thousands upon thousand accepted the order
of things instated at the point of the bayonet ; and when June
8th came, the vote for the Ordinance of Secession was over
whelming. A few brave souls dared to stem the tide of
treason. One of these was Parson Brownlow, of KnoxviUe,
whose paper, the Whig, fairly scintiUated with its fiashes of
scom and indignation at the betrayal of the State by the
Governor and the secretly manoeuvred Legislature — a body
utterly without constitutional power to act upon such matters
as it considered and adopted. He immediately sounded the
alarum, among other things saying :
" In June we are called upon to vote for or against this
Ordinance of Secession, and all its train of evUs, such as enor
mous taxes, and the raising of fifty thousand troops 1 WiU
the people 'ratify it, or -will they reject it? Let every man,

OF THE WAR. 255
old and young, halt and blind," contrive to be at the polls on
that day. If we lose then, our ¦ liberties are gone, and we are
swaUowed up by a mUitaiy despotism more odious than any
no-w existing in any monarchy in Europe."
Brownlow, Maynard, Etheridge, Johnson and Nelson imme
diately entered the field, hoping to arouse the people to a
sense of the danger impending. Johnson being in Washing
ton,- hastened home by way of Virginia,- to enter upon the
crusade against secession. At numerous places in the do-
ininions of Governor Letcher he was treated with great indig
nity by the Virginia chivalry ; but, he forebore to resent the
injuries heaped upon him and his cause, not daring to jeopar
dize an arrest Arrived on Tennessee soil, he at once took
the stump against the tyranny inaugurated. At Elizabeth-
town, May 15th, an immense Union meeting was addressed by
Johnson, T. A. R. Nelson, and N. G. Taylor. Other meetings
rapidly foUowed ; but the minions of the Confederacy were
after the speakers ; and, by June 1st, it became necessary &>v
the Union speakers to flee from Central Tennessee. May 31st,
the Louis-viUe Journal pubHshed this item :
¦ " We don't know where Mr. Etheridge is at this time, but, wherever
he may be, we would warn him of the. danger of his returning to Ten
nessee. We could give bun facts, which would convince him that he
can return only at the imminent risk of his life. Instructions have cer
tainly been given by General Pillow that he shall be hung, or shot^ or
otherwise killed , at the first opportunity. He has been keenly watched
for in all direction. Men were hunting for him last night in the cars,
at or near the Tennessee, line."
In Eastern Tennessee the loyal sentiment was so thoroughly
awakenedthat, when the day came (June 8th) for expressing
at the ballot-box their opinions of the Ordinance and, its prin
ciples; the vote was thirty-two thousand nine hundred and
thirty-two — ^being a majority of over eighteen thousand for
tiie Union. It was otherwise in those sections of the State
where Confederate, troops were gathered. . The vote was :
Separation. No Separation.
Middle Tennessee, . . . 58,269 8,198
Westem " ... 29,127 6,117

256 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
making the aggregate State majority stand -fifty-seven thou
sand six hundred and .sixty -seven for " separation,"
So palpably constrained was this declared vote, that the .
Unionists of Bast Tennessee gathered in mass Convention at
GreenviUe, June 17th, (1861,) to protest against the tyranny
inaugurated over them. Every county was fully represented
except Rhea, as the KnoxviUe Whig said, " by delegates who,
for sound practical sense, determination df wUl and patriotic
purpose, would have done honor to any constituency." The
Address adopted detaUed the facts of that election- how in
West and Middle Tennessee the people were overawed, bul
lied, persecuted, into an adoption of the Ordinance — how the
Secessionists had prepared for the furtherance of their schemes
even though the State had voted "No Separation"-— how no
provision was made for examining the returns otherwise .than
by a disunion Govemor, whose hold on power depended upon
the success of the secession programme — ^how " volunteers" in
the secession army were allowed to vote -witliin and luithout
the State contrary to any law — ^how discussion was forbidden
in those sections where the secession vote was triumphant,
whUe every Union paper there was crushed out — how a mih
tary despotism was ruling, in spite of the -wishes and rights of
the people. The Address then went 'on to say :
" We prefer to remain attached to the Go-vernment of our fathers.
The Constitution of the United States has done us no wrong. The
Congress of the United States has passed no law to oppress us. The
President of the United States has made no threat against the law
abiding people of Tennessee. Under the Government of the United
States we have enjoyed as a ration more of civil and religious freedom
than any other people under the whole heaven. We believe there is no
cause for rebellion or secession on the part of the people of Tennessee.
None was assigned by the Legislature in their miscalled Declaration of
Independence. No adequate cause can be assigned. The select com
mittee of that body asserted a gross and inexcusable falsehood in their
address to tbe people of Tennessee when they declared that the Gov
ernment of the United States has made war upon them.
" The secession cause has thus far been sustained by deception and
falsehood : by falsehoods as to the action of Congress ; by false dis
patches as to battles that were never fought and victories that were

OF THE WAR. 257
never won ; by false accounts as to the purposes of the President ; by
false representations as to the -views of Union men, and by false pre
tenses as to the facility with which the secession troops would take .
possession of the Capital and capture the highest ofiicers of the Govem
ment. The cause of secession or rebellion has no charms for us, and*its
progress has been marked by the most alarming and dangerous attacks
upon the public liberty. In other States, as well as our own, its whole
course threatens to annihilate the last vestige of freedom. -While peace
and prosperity have blessed us in the Government of the United States,
the following may be enumerated as some of the fruits of secession.
-" It was urged forward by members of Congress who were sworn to
support the Constitution of the United States, and were themselves
supported by the Government ; it was effected without consultation
with all the States interested in the slavery question, and without
exhausting peaceable remedies. It has plunged the country into civil
war, paralyzed our commerce, interfered -with the whole trade and busi
ness of our coimtry, lessened the value of our property, destroyed many
of the pursuits of life, and bids fair to involve the whole nation in irre
trievable bankruptcy and ruin. It has changed the entire relations of
States and adopted constitutions without submitting them to a vote of
the people, and where such a vote has been authorized, it has been upon
the condition prescribed by Senator Mason, of "Virginia, that those who
voted the Union ticket ' must leave the State.' It has advocated a con
stitutional monarchy, a king and a dictator, and is, through the Rich
mond press, at this moment recommending to the Convention in "Vir
ginia a restriction of the right of suffl-ag-e, and ' in severing connection
with the Yankees, to abolish every vestige of resemblance to the insti
tutions of that detested" race.' It has formed military leagues, passed
military bills, and opened the door for oppressive taxation, without
consulting the people ; and then, in mockery of a free election, has re
quired them by their votes to sanction its usurpations, under the penal
ties of moral proscription or at the point of the bayonet. It has offered
a premium for crime in directing the discharge of volunteers from crim
inal prosecutions, and in recommending the .Judges not to hold their
courts. It has stained our statute book with the repudiation, of North
ern debts, and has greatly violated the constitution by attempting,
through its unlawful extension, to destroy the right of sufi-rage. It has
called upon the people in the State of Georgia, and may soon require
the people of Tennessee, to contribute all their surplus cotton, com,
wheat, hacon, beef, &c., to the support of pretended governments alike
destitute of money and credit. It has attempted to destroy the accoupt-
ability of public servants to the people by secret legislstion, and set the
obligation of an oath at defiance. It has passed laws declaring it trea-
33 W2

258 ' INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
son to say or do anything in favor of the Govemment of the United
States, or against the Confederate States, and such a law is now before,
and we apprehend will soon be passed, by the Legislature of Tennessee.
It has attempted to destroy, and, we fear soon, utterly prostrate the
freedom of speech and of the press. It has involved the Southern
States in a war whose success is hopeless, and which must ultimately
lead to the ruin of the people. Its bigoted, overbearing and intolerant
spirit has already subjected the people of East Tennessee to many petty
grievances : our people have been insulted ; our flags have been fired
upon and torn down ; our houses have been rudely entered ; our fami
lies subjected to insult ; our peaceable meetings interrupted ; our wo
men and children shot at by a merciless soldiery ; our towns pillaged ;
our citizens robbed, and some of them assassinated and murdered. No
efifort has been spared to deter the Union men of East Tennessee from
the expression of their free thoughts. The penalties of treason have
been threatened against them, and murder and assassination have been
openly encouraged by leading secession journals. As secession has been
thus overbearing and intolerant while in the minority in East Tennes
see, nothing better, can be expected of the pretended majority than
wild, unconstitutional and oppressive legislation ; an utter contempt
and disregard of law ; a determination to force every Union man in the
State to swear to the support of a constitution he abhors ; to yield his
money and property to aid a cause he detests, and to become the ob
ject of scorn and derision as well as the victim of intolerable and re
lentless oppression. In view of these considerations, and of the fact
that the people of East Tennessee have declared their fidelity to the
Union by a majority of about twenty thousand votes, therefore, we do
resolve and declare : " BESOLUTIOSS.
" X. That we do earnestly desire the restoration of peace to our -whole oonntry,
and most especially that our o'wa section of the State of Tennessee should not be
involved in civil war.
" 2. That the action of our State Legislature in passing the so-called ' Declara
tion ot Independence' and in forming the ' Military League' with the Confederate
States, and in adopting other acts looking to a separation of the State of Tennes
see from the Government of the United States, is unconstitutional and illegal, and
therefore not binding upon us as loyal citizens.
" 3. That in order to avert a con-aict with our brethren in other parts of the
State, and desiring that all constitutional means shall be resorted to for the preser
vation of peace, we do, therefore, constitute and appoint 0. P Temple, of Kntix;
John Netherlaud, of Hawkins ; and James P. McDowell, of Greene, commissioners,
whose duty it shall be to prepare a memorial and cause the same to be presented
to the General Assembly ot Tennessee, now in session, asking its consent that the

OF THE WAR. 259
counties composing East Tennessee, and such counties in Middle Tennessee as de
sire to co-operate with them, may form and erect a separate State.
" i. Desiring, in good faith, that the General Assembly will grant this our rea
sonable request; and still claiming the right to determine our own destiny, we do
further resolve that an election be held in all the counties of East. Tennessee, and
in such other counties in Middle Tennessee adjacent thereto as may desire to co
operate with us, for the choice of delegates to represent them in a General Con
vention, to be held iu the town of Kingston at such time as the President of this
Convention, or, in case of his absence or inability, any one of the Vice-Presidents,
or, in like case with them, the Secretary of this iOonvention may designate ; and
the officer so designating the day for the assembling of said Convention shall also
fix the time for holding the election herein provided for, and give reasonable notice
thereof. " 6. In order to carry out the foregoing resolution, the sheriffs of the different
connties are hereby requested to open and hold said election, or cause the same
to be so held, in the usual manner and at the usual places of voting, as prescribed
by law ; and in the event the sheriff of any county should fail or refuse to open
and hold said election, or cause the same to be done, the coroner of such county
is requested to do so, and should such coroner fail or refuse, then any constable
of such county is hereby authorized to open and hold said election, or cause the
same to be dqjie. And if in any county none of the above named officers will hold
said election, then any Justice of the Peace or freeholder in such county is author
ized to hold the same, or cause it to be done. The officer or other person holding
said election shall certify the result to the President of this Convention, or to such
officer as may have directed the same to be holden, at as early a day thereafter as
practicable ; and the officer to whom said return^ may be made, shall open and
compare the polls and issue certificates to the delegates elected."
It was not long before those Unionists and protestants
against wrong were flying for their lives, and were hunted
down Hke wUd beasts. The leaders disappeared from obser
vation, and the people could only acquiepce in a state of affairs
which, in the presence of the armed minions of the Southern
.Confederacy, they, were powerless to prevent

XXV.

PERSECUTION OF UNIONISTS IN TENNESSEE. PARSON
brownlow's STORY.
The story of suffering in Tennessee forms one of the most
painful, as it is one of the most revolting features of the rebel
lion. We can realize how men of one section united by no
ties of relationship nor of social sympathy should faU out, and
become rank enemies, but not how the people of a neighbor'-
hood could so far ignore old friendships, old associations, har
monious sympathies on social and moral questions, as to pro
ceed to bitter extremities of violence with theu* neighbors who
differed with them on the question of secession. That they
did resort to such extremities^ the stories of hundreds of per
secuted, exiled and ruined Unionists testify ; and the fact
illustrates, in a vivid light, the hateful nature of the secession
sentiment. We have already devoted a chapter to the " Spirit of Vio
lence" in the Southern States, giving such instances of that
spirit as will afford the reader much " food for thought." But,
all therein stated is nothing as compared to the sufferings, the
-wrongs, the wretchedness, inflicted upon the men and women
of Tennessee. It is a particularly unpleasant task to repeat
the story of these outrages because it is so humiliating to our
boasted American civilization ; but, it should be repeated, oxer
and over again, to tcAch American youths the inestimable
value of law and order, and the repulsive nature of aU revo
lutionary assaults upon the constituted authority. There is,
too,, a propriety in the recollection of those sufferings for opin-

!i^

OF THE WAR. 261
ion's sake, because they Ulustrate that trait of a truly noble
human nature — power to resist wrong even unto death. The
devotion of the few brave men who courted dungeons, confis
cation of property, the lash and the gallows for their faith in
the Union, ever wUl stand as examples worthy of the emula-'
tion and admiration of e-very lover of their country.
Parson Brownlow, after the election, (June 8thy 1861,) be
came the recipient of indignities from the Secessionists. His
house, up to midsummer of that year, floated the American
flag, though many an attempt was made to drag it down
Early in June a Louisiana regiment, en route for Virginia, tar
ried at KnoxviUe, awpiiting transportation over the raUway,
then crowded beyond its. capacity. Of this and other regi
ments which laid over at the same place, the Parson said :
" During May and June a stream of whisky-drinfing, seces
sion fire, hot as hell, commenced to pour through Knoxville,
in the direction of Manassas. These mean scoundrels visited
the houses of Union men, shouted at them, groaned and hiss
ed. My humble dwelling had the honor to be thus greeted
oftener than any other five houses in KnoxvUle. The South
ern papers said they were the flower of their youth. I said
to my wife, if this is the flower, God save us from the rabble."
Upon one of these occasions nine members of the Louisiana
regiment determined to see the flag humbled. Two men were
chosen.as a committee to proceed to the Parson's house to
order the Union ensign down Mrs. More (the Parson's daugh
ter) answered the summons. In answer to her inquiry as > to
what was their errand, one said, rudely :
"We have come to take down that d — d rag you flaunt -
from your roof— the Stripes and Stars."
Mrs. More stepped back a pace or two within the door,
drew a revolver from her dress pocket, and leveling it,
answered :
" Come on, sirs, and take it down !""
- The chivalrous Confederates were startled.
" Yes, come on !" she said, as she advanced toward them.
They cleared the piazza, and stood at bay on the wRlk.

262 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" We'll go and get more men, and then d — d if it don't
come down !"
" Yes, go and get more men — ^you are not men !" said the
heroic woman, contemptuously, as the two backed from the
¦ place and disappeared.
Speaking of those days in June and July, the Parson said :
" Then it was that, wanting in transportation, wanting in rolling
stock, wanting in locomotives, they had to lie over by regiments in our
town, and then they commenced to ride Union men upon rails. I have
seen that done in the streets, and have seen them break into the stores
and empty their contents ; and coming before my own house with ropes
in their hands, they would groan out, ' Let us give old Brownlow a
turn, the d  d old scoundrel ; come out, and we will hang you to
the first limb.' These threats toward me were repeated every day and
every week, until finally they crushed my paper, destroyed my office,
appropriated the building to a smith's shop to repair the locks and bar
rels of old muskets that Floyd had stolen from the Federal Government.
They finally enacted a law in the Legislature of Tennessee authorizing
an armed force to take all the arms, pistols, guns, dirks, swords and
everything of the sort from all the Union men, and they paid a visit to
every Union house in the State. They visited mine three times in suc
cession, upon that business, and they got there a couple of guns and
one pistol. Being an editor and preacher, I was not largely supplied.
I had, however, a small supply concealed under my clothes ! Finally,
after depriving us of all our arms throughout the State, and after taking.
all the fine horses of the Union men everywhere, without fee or reward,
for cavalry horses, and seizing upon the fat hogs, corn, fodder, and
sheep, going into houses and pulling the beds oflf the bedsteads in day
time, seizing upon all the blankets they could find for the army ; after
breaking open chests, bureaus, drawers, and everything of that sort — in
which they were countenanced and tolerated by the authorities, civil
and militai-y — our people rose up in rebellion, unarmed as they were,
and by accident."
After that uprising, which did not occur until November
3d — when the Unionists secretly burned the bridges of the
railways leading from the South and from Virginia into East-
em Tennessee — the Unionists were not suffered to escape with
" civil indignities ;" but were seized, shot, imprisoned, hung
by scores ; were driven to the mountains where they suffered
from ali the rigors of the winter ; were rendered exiles and

,0F THE WAR. 263
hunted men, whom to shoot was a duty. Of that period of
suffering the Parson chiefly spoke in his various addresses to
the people of the North. His story seemed incredible—it was
so horrible in some of its detaUs ; yet, its authenticity none
dared dispute. Persons, names, dates, places, circumstances,
all were given, that not a shadow of doubt might remain.
We shaU reproduce so much of his narrative aa will serve to
give the reader a correct apprehension of the State of affairs
in Tennessee during the faU and winter of 1861-62 :
THE SOUTH guilty OF THE WAR.
" The demagogues," he said, " and the leaders of the South,
are to blame for having brought about this state of things, pnd
not the people of the North. We have intended down South,
for thirty years, to break up this Grovemment It has been
our settled purpose and oiir sole aim down South to destroy
the Union and break up .the Govemment We have had the
Presidency in the South twice to your once, and five of our
men were re-elected to the Presidency, filling a period of forty
years. In addition to that, we had divers men elected for one
term, and no man at the North ever was permitted to serve any
'but the one term ; and, in addition to having elected our men
twice to your once, and occupied the chair twice as long as
you ever did, we seized upon and appropriated two or three
miscreants from the North that we elected to the Presidency,
and ploughed with them as our heifers.. We asked of you,
and obtained at your hands, a Fugitive Slave law. You voted
for and helped us to enact and to establish it We asked of -
you and obtained the repeal of the Missouri Compromise line,
which never ought to have been repealed. I fought it to the
bitter end, and denounced it and all concerned in repeahng it,
and I repeat it here again to-night We asked and obtained
the admission of Texas into the Union, that we might have
slave territory enough to form some four or five more great
States, and you granted it You have granted us from first .
to last aU we have asked, all we have desired ; and hence I

264 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
repeat, that this thing of secession, this -wicked attempt to dis
solve the Union, has been brought about without the shadow
of a cause. It is the work of the worst men that ever God per
mitted to live on the face of this earth. It is the work of a
set of men down South who, in winding up this revolution, if
our Administration and Government shall fail to hang them
as high as Haman — hang every one of them — we will make
an utter failure." IN PRISON.
After detailing his course through the summer, and relating
the incidents of the burning of bridges in November, he told
of his seizure upon suspicion of having been instrumental in
the incendiarism, saying :
" They wanted a pretext to seize me ; and upon the 6th day
of December they marched me off to jaU — a miserable, un
comfortable,, damp, desperate jail — where I found, when ush
ered into it, about one hundred and fifty Union men. There
was not, in the whole jail, a chair, bench, stool or table, or any
piece of furniture, except a dirty old wooden bucket and a
pair of tin dippers to drink with. I found some of the first _
and best men of the whole country there. I knew them all,
and they knew me, as I had been among them for thirty years.
They rallied round me, some smiHng and glad to see me, as I
could give them. the news that had been kept from them.
Others took me by the hand, and were utterly speechless, and,
with bitter, burning tears running down their cheeks, they said
that they never thought that they would come to that at last,
looking through the bars of a grate. Speaking first to one
and then to another, I bade them be of good cheer and take
courage. Addressing them, I said, ' Is it for stealing you are
here ? No. Is it for counterfeiting ? No. I-=i it for man
slaughter ? No. You are here, boys, because you adhere to
the flag and the Constitution of our country. I am here with
you for no other offense but that ; and, as God is my judge,
boys, I look upon this 6th day of December as the proudest

t'!

OF THE WAR. 265
day of my life. And here I intend to stay untU I die of old
age or until they hang me. I -will never renounce my
principles.' "
THE HAN-GMEN A^ WORK.
He was soon made to reali^ie that death, as well as imprison
ment, was the Unionist's lot He said : " In the jaU-yard,
which was in full -view from our windo-w;, we almost daUy
beheld a tragedy. There would drive up a horse and cart,
with an ugly, rough, flat-topped cofiin upon it, surrounded by
fifteen to forty men, who, with bristling bayonets, as a guard,
would march in through the gate into the jaU-yard, -with
steady, mUitary tread. We trembled in our- boots, for they
never notified us who was to be hanged. They came some
times with two coffins, one on each- cart, and they took t^o
men at a time and marched them out A poor old man of
sixty-five and his son of twenty-five, were marched out at one
time and hanged on the same gaUows. They made that poor
old man, who was a Methodist class-leader, sit by and see his
son hang untU he was dead, and then thej caUed him a d— d
Lmcolnite Union shrieker, and said, ' Come on, it is your turn
'next' He sunk, but they propped him up and led him to the
halter, and swung both off on the same gaUows. They came,
after that, for another man, and took J. C. Haum out of jail—
a young man of fine sense, good address, and of exceUent
character — a tall spare-made man, leaving a wife at home with
four or five helpless children. They were kind enough to
notify him an hour before the lianging that he was to hang.
Haum at once made an application for a Methodist preacher,
a Union man, to come and pray for him. They denied him
the privUege ; but, they had near the gallows an unprincipled
drunken chaplain of their ovm army, who got up and under
took to apohgize for Haum. He said : ' This poor, unfortunate
man, who is about to pay the debt of nature, regrets .the course
he took ; he said he was misled by the Union paper.' Haum
rose up, and with a clear, stentorian ¦ voice, said: 'FeUow-
X 84

266 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOT'BS
citizens : there is not a word of truth in that statement I
have authorized nobody to make such a statement What I
have said and done, I have done and said with my eyes open ;
and, if it were to be done over, I would do it again. I am
ready to hang, and you can execute your purpose.' He died
like a man ; he died like a Union man ; like an East Tennes-
sean ought to die ! As God is my judge," added the Parson,
solemnly and earnestly, ""I would sooner be Baum in the
grave to-day, than any one of the scoundrels engaged in, his
murder."

THE TWO LOYAL CLERGYMEN.
The case of two venerable Baptist Clergymen, Mr. Pope and
Mr. Cate, was a painful one, from their age and circumstances
— both of which should have shielded them firomthe barbarous.
treatment they received. Brownlow, referring to this case,
said : '' Mr. Cate was very low indeed, prostrated from the
fever, and unable to eat the miserable food sent there by the
corrupt jailor and deputy marshal — a man whom I had de
nounced in my paper as guilty of forgery time and time again
— a suitable representative of the thieves and scoundrels that
head this rebellion in the South. The only favor extended to
me was to allow my family to send me three mleals a day by
my son, who brought the provisions in a basket I requested
my wife to send also enough for the two old clergymen. One
of them was put in jaU for offering prayers for the President
of the United States, and the other was confined for thro-wing
up his hat and cheering the Stars and Stripes as they passed
his house, borne by a company of Union volunteers. When
the basket of provisions came in in the morning, they ex
amined it at the door, would look between the pie and the
bread to see. if any billet or paper was concealed there, com
municating treason from any outside Unionist to the 'old
scoundrel' they had in jail ; and when the basket went out
again, the same ceremony was repeated, to discover whether I
had slipped any paper in, in any way."

OF THE WAR. 267
A HARROWING INCIDENT.
, "The old man, Cate," said Bro-wnlow, "had three sons in
that jaiL One of them, James Madison Cate, a most exem-
plary-and worthy member of the Baptist church, was there for
having committed no other crime than that of refusing to
Volunteer. He lay stretched at length upon the floor, with
one thickness of a piece of carpet under him, and an old over
coat doubled up for a pillow, in the agonies of death. His
wife came to visit him, bringing her youngest child, which
was, but a babe. They were refused admittance. I put my
head out bf the jail window, and entreated them, for God's
sake, to let the poor woman come in, as her husband was
dying. The jaUer at last consented that she might see him for
the limited time of fifteen minutes. As she came in, and
looked upon her husband's wan and emaciated face, and saw
how rapidly, he was sinking, she, gave evident signs of faint
ing, and would have fallen to the floor with the babe in her
arms, had I not rushed up to her and seized the babe. Then
she sunk down upon the breast of her dying husband, unable
to speak. I sat by and held the babe until the fifteen minutes \
had expired, when the officer came in, and, in an insulting and
peremptory manner, notified her that the inter-new was to
close. I hope I may never see such a scene again ; and yet,
such cases were common all over East Tennessee."

A CASE OF CLEMENCY.
• Among others condemned to death by the drumhead court-
martial which disposed of the Union prisoners, was that of a
man named Hessing Self, who* was informed of his fate a few
hours before the time fixed for his execution Brownlow thus
related the incidents which followed : " His daughter, who had
comedown to administer to his comfort and consolation — a
most estimable girl, about twenty-one years ofage — Elizabeth
Self, a tall, ' spare-made girl, modest, handsomely attired,
begged leave to enter the jail to see her father. They permit-

268 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
ted her, contrary to their usual custom and savage barbarity,
to go in They had him in a smaU iron cage, a terrible affair;
they opened a little door, and the jailor admitted her. A
parcel of us went to witness the^ scene. As she entered the
cage where her father was, she clasped him around the neck,
and he embraced her also, throwing his arms across her
shoulders. They sobbed and cried ; shed their tears and made
their moans. I stood by, and I never beheld such a sight, and
I hope I may never see the like again. When they had
parted, wringing each other by the hand,. as she came out of
the cage, stammering and trying to utter something intelli
gible, she lisped my name. She knew my face, and I could
understand as much as that she desired me to write a dispatch
to Jefferson Davis, and sign her name, begging him to pardon
her father. I worded it about thus :
" ' Hon. Jeffeeson Davis — My father, Hessing Self, is
sentenced to be hanged at four o'clock to-day. I am li-nng at
home, tod my mother is dead. My father is my earthly all ;
upon him my hopes are centered ; and, friend, I pray you to
pardon him. EespectfuUy, 'Elizabeth Self.'
" Jefferson, Da-vis, who had a better heart than the rest of
his coadjutors, immediately responded by commuting his sen
tence to imprisonment" SICKNESS AND SUFFERING.
Many other incidents were mentioned of that Life in Prison,
which all served to prove the malignant and thoroughly heart
less character of the Confederate authorities. Of the winter,
as it passed to the living inmates, he said : " They tightened
up on those of us who held out' Many of our company be
came sick. We had to lie upon that miserable, cold, naked
floor, with not room enough for us all to lie down at the same
time — and you may think what it must have been in December
and January — " spelling" each other, one lying down awhile
on the floor and then another taking his place so made warm.
That was the way we managed, untU many became sick unto

OP THE WAR. 269
death. A number of the prisoners died of pneumonia and
typhoid fever, and other diseases contracted by exposure
there."

A MOST REVOLTING AFFAIR.
A large jaU in Greenfield — the place where Andrew Johnson
resided — was, also, filled -with Unionists, who were treated
with even greater atrocity than those in the KnoxvUle prison.
Brownlow mentioned the case of two men, named Fry and
Nashy. Fry had a wife and six chUdren. " A feUow from
Union," the Parson stated, " named Leadbeater, the bloodiest
and the most ultra man, the vilest wretch, the most unmiti
gated scoundrel that ever made a track, in East Tennessee —
Colonel Daniel Leadbeater, late of the United States Army,
but now an officer in the Secession Army — took these two
men, tied them with his own hands upon one limb, immedi
ately over the raUroad track in the to-wn of Greenville and
ordered them to hang four days arid nights, and. also ordered
all the engineers and conductors to go by that spot slowly, in
order to give passengers an opportunity to hick the rigid bodies
and strike them with switches. And they did it ! I pledge
you my honor that, from the front platforms they made a busi
ness of kicking the dead bodies as they passed by ; and the women
(I will not say the ladies, for down South we make a distinc
tion between ladies and women) — the women, the wives • and
daughters of men in high position, waved their white, handker
chiefs in triumph, through the windows of the car, at the sight
of the two dead bodies hanging there !"
A statement of this character will excite, in the reader's
mind, feehngs of disgust and horror. No wonder every
escaped Unionist had but one wish in his heart— to wrea.k a
bhody revenge on those merciless miscreants, who seemed to
have taken to torture by instinct Men who are famUiar with,
and practice torture upon, slaves, only have to change the
objects of their malice, to become' persecutors of their own
fellow-citizens. Strange that the Parson saw and experienced
. x2

270 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
those simple results of a Slave education, and yet faUed to
ascribe the true cause to the unheard-of atrocity meted out to
the Unionists !
BARBARITIES GENERALLY PRACTICED.
"Seven miles out of Knoxville," said Bro-wnlow, "they
caught up Union men, tied them upon logs, upon blocks six
or ten inches from the ground, put men upon their breasts,
tying their hands and feet under the log, stripped their backs
entirely bare, and then, with s-witches, cut their backs HteraUy
to pieces, the blood running down at every stroke. They came
into court when it was in session, and when the case was
stated, the judge replied : ' These are revolutionary times, and
there is no remedy for anything of the Mud.' He added,
further :
" This as the spirit of secession all over the South ; it is the
spirit which actuates the instruments of the Confederacy every
where. It is the spirit of murder — the very spirit of hell
itself Can you," he cried in an impassioned voice — " can you,
any of you, excuse or apologize for such demons ? Oh, look
upon the picture before you 1 Hanging is even now going on
all over East Tennessee. They shoot them down in the fields,
in the streets, arresting hundreds, and shooting fifty or sixty
in one instance, after they had surrendered and were under
arrest They marched between three and four hundred
through the streets, some of them barefooted, and their feet
bleeding, taking them to the depot and shipping them to At
lanta, Georgia, to work upon their fortifications. These men,
denied water, would lift out of the mud-puddles in the street
with their hands, after a rain, what they could to quench their
thirst They whip them, and, as strange as it may seem to
you, in the counties of Campbell and Anderson they actuaUy
lacerate with suntches the bodies of females, wives and daughters
of Union men — clever, respectable women. They show no quar
ter to male or female ; they rob their houses, and they thro-w
them into prison. Our jails are full ; we have complained

OF THE WAR. 271
land thought hard that our Govemment has not come to our
relief, for a more loyal, a more devoted people to the Stars
and Stripes never lived than the Union people of Tennessee.
With tears in their eyes they begged me, upon leaving East
/ Tennessee, to see the President, to see the army ofiicers, to
have relief sent immediately to them, and bring them out
of JaU."
After presenting this picture of -wretchedness and wo, no
wonder the speaker exclaimed :
" In God's name I call upon President Lincoln, and upon his Cabinet
and army officers, to say how long they will suffer a loyal people, true
to the Union and to the Govemment of their fathers, to suffer in this .
way 1. The Union men of East Tennessee are largely in the majority —
say three to one — but they have no arms ; they are in the jails of the
country ; they are working on rebel fortifications like slaves under the
lash, and no Federal force has ever yet been marched into that oppress
ed and do-wn-trodden country. Let the Govemment, if it has any re
gard for obligations, redeem that country at once, and liberate these
people, no matter at whatcost of blood or treasure."
DEBASED CHARACTER OF SOUTHERN MINISTERS.
Brov^ow delivered in New York (May 19th) an address
on the irreligious character of the rebellion. He then made
public facts and incidents which proved how thoroughly the
ministry of the South was demoralized by the spirit of seces
sion. Some of his statements we may repeat
Eev. Dr. Martin, a New School Presbyterian minister of
' KnoxvUle, was educated anS. graduated at the Union Theo
logical Seminary of New York city. How he was abased by
acquiescence in the revolution, the Parson st'ated :
" Mr. Maynard, our representative in Congress, is an elder
in the New School Presbyterian Church, a scholar, and a gen-
tieman. He had no sooner left in disguise to make his way
through to take his seat in Congress, than the Eev. Joseph F.
Martin made a set speech, going through the formalities of
taking a text — preached an outrageous sermon, and prayed
an outrageous prayer, ' that his wicked and unhallowed tracks
might never again be seen or known in KnoxviUe.' The

272 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
The mortified wife of Mr. Maynard, (who is from the neigh-
borhood of New York bity,) who is a lady, and so regarded,
in every sense ofthe word, an intelligent, charitable. Christian
lady, shedding tears on- that occasion, rose up, left the house
and journeyed home ; and, although she was driven out but a
few weeks ago, with my wife and children, she had, to her
honor and credit, never disgraced her name by visiting his vile
sanctuary any more. Feeling that he had behaved in a con
temptible manner, he made her a -visit and apologized, saying,
' I didn't want to do it, but my elders made me do it, and I
had to do it, or lose my salary and my place.' What do you
. think of a ' laborer in the vineyard' like that ?"
Of the pastor of another KnoxvUle church, he related:
" The pastor of the Old School Church in KnoxvUle, a man
of education and fair talent, and until secession broke out, I
thought him a gentleman and a Christian A short time be
fore I left, he had a special occasion to preach upon the sub
ject of secession, and attracted a large crowd. He made the
bold and open declaration that Jesus Christ was a Southemer,
born on Southern soil. He did it in good faith ; he did it in
sincerity, however, not in truth. He said, ' Jesus CKrist was
a Southerner, born on Southem soil, and so were his disciples
and apostles, all except Judas, and he was a Northern map.'
Holding up a Bible, he said — I presume he was sober, but I
would not guarantee it — ' I would sooner, my brethren, an
nounce to you a text for discussion from the pulpit out of a
Bible or a Testament that I kne^ had- been printed in hell,
than out of a Bible or a Testament that was printed North of
Ma.son and Dixon's line.' That was a part of his Gospel ser
mon on the Lord's day."
The Methodist ministry (Brownlow belonged to that per
suasion) he characterized thus :
" The Methodist preachers in the South were entitled to more con
sideration, for there was more unanimity among them. They were
nearly all, without any exception, rascals."
He thus specified one case : " Fountain E. Fitch was an old
presiding elder of the Conference, a man who had been in

OF THE WAR. 273
every General Conference for thirty years. He went to Eu
rope -with Bishop Soule, and had one or two- sons in the rebel
army. He was a chaplain of a Nash-ville regiment, and made
it a practice to get' drunk, carrying a bottle with him ; he
drank to excess and swore profanely, but preached every Sun
day faithfully to the soldiers. In his discourses he told them
that the cause in which they were engaged — and I only give
him as a specimen of all denominations — fighting for the inde
pendence of the South, fighting to keep back the abolition
hordes of the North, and to repulse the hordes of Lincoln, was
so good and so holy a cause, that if- they died in this cause
they would be saved in heaven, even -without grace."
But there was one loyal man " of the cloth"— that of the
Episcopal minister in Knoxville, whose case the Parson thus
referred to : '
" Rev. Thomas W. Hugh was a slaveholder, and a man of property.
His Bishop, some months ago, furnished him -with a new prayer, which
did not req^uire him to pray for the President of the United States, but
siibstituted Jefferson Da-vis and the Confederate Government. Mr.
Hugh, promptly but frankly, and like a man, said : ' I cannot abandon
my Prayer-Book and regular form. I do not believe in the Confed
eracy ; I do not believe ia Jefferson Davis.' They turned him out and
procured another pliant tool and cat's-paw, who was willing to pray for
anybody for his victuals, his wine, and his parsonage."
GENERAL ZOLLICOFFER.
For ZolHcoffer, Brownlow entertained a sincere respect
Both were Whigs — ^had campaigned it poHticaUy together and
were, personaUy, friends. The rebel General did -not forget
old relation in his new ones — which latter we have good rea
son to suspect were alike painful and distasteful -to him.
Brownlow said :
" After my types and printing-press had been destroyed,
and my office turned into a blacksmith-shop, to repair and put
percussion locks on the old muskets Floyd stole, word was
given to General ZolHcoffer that a regiment of Texans, who
were encamped a few mUes out of town, had fixed up their
35

274 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
plans to pull Brownlow's house do-wn that night ZolHcoffer
immediately gave an order that no soldier should leave camp
that night, and sent a company of soldiers to guard my house,
giving the ladies information of his intention. This was
heralded all through the Southern Confederacy as a piece of,
unheard-of clemency. But I think he did nothing more than
his duty. And now that ZoUicoffer is dead, I must do him the
credit to say that I knew him for more than twenty-five
years ; that I have battled with him ; that he was an honest
man, who never -wronged another out of a cent ; that he
never told a lie ; that he was in aU respects an honorable
man, and as brave a. soldier as ever died in battle, and that
the only mean thing he ever did, was fighting for the South
em Confederacy."
ZoUicoffer was killed at the battle of Wild Cat, Kentucky,
October 21st, by Colonel Fry. His death was sincerely regret
ted by the Unionists of Tennessee. He had been cajoled into
the Confederate service ; his hand, not his heart, seemed to
have been the sinner.
THE BRIDGE ^BURNING.
The burning of bridges in East Tennessee was an act of the
Unionists, to prevent the Confederates from throwing reen
forcements into that section, whUe Garland pushed down
through Cumberland Gap to protect the Unionists in their
pre-arranged uprising. The story of the burning was never
known until the Parson revealed it on his arrival in Nash-vUle,
late in February (1861.) The substance of his statements, at
that time, was thus reported by the Louisville Journal:
" It appears that Chaplin Carter and Captain Fry, of one of
the Tennessee regiments, in the latter part of October, made
their way in disguise and over hidden paths to the house of a
prominent loyalist, within eight mUes of KnoxviUe. Here
they convened about one hundred trustworthy and devoted^
men, to whom they represented that a Federal division was
about forcing its way into the Eastern district, and that, in

OF THE WAR. 275
order to insure the success of the contemplated expedition, and
prevent the reenforcement of the Confederate forces then
guarding the Gap from either the West or East, they were
authorized . by the Federal military authorities to prepare and
execute a plan for the destruction of the principal bridges on
the East Tennessee and Virginia EaUroad.
"Most of those present at once signified their -willingness to
eo-operate with them, and it was accordingly arranged that
parties of fifteen to twenty -five, armed and provided with the
necessary combustibles, should proceed as secretly as possible
to the vicinity of the bridges selected for destruction. Captain
Fry, assuming the character of a Confederate contractor, pro
fessedly engaged in the purchase of hogs, under the name of
Colonel Walker, traveled from point to point, personally
superintending the preparations.
" So well were the plans laid, and so successfully carried
- out, that, although the most westerly of the doomed bridges
was no less than one hundred and seventy-five miles from the
most easterly, the guards at all of them were overpowered, and
the structures fired within the same hour of the same night,
that is, between the hours of eleven and twelve of the night
of the 1,0th of November. The bridges were readily set in
flames by means of ropes dipped in turpentine and stretched
fi:om end to end. - Captain Fry was himself present at the
burning of the Lick Creek bridge.
--. " The guards at that point were not only overcome, dis
armed and tied, but also made to swear allegiance to the
United States, upon a Bible brought along for the purpose.
Captain Fry started for Southern Kentucky immediately after
the burning, to return, as the conspirators all believed, in a
few days, with a Federal army. .His brother was afterward
iflrrested, and hung by the rebels."
It is one of the melancholy episodes of the war that Garland
and Scboepf were stayed in their advance upon East Tennessee.
The way was open ; and . the uprising of the Unionists, with
the help of the Federal forces, certainly would have given that
section up to the Union, The " circumlocution office" had

276 INCIDENTS AND, ANECDOTES
another way of doing the thing — of gathering a tremendous
force, in the course of time — to march down upon NashviUe,
then to wljip the rebels out of West Tennessee ; then to ad
vance into East Tennessee. The poor Unionists pined in
dungeons through the weary ten months which followed before
their deliverance came, by the advance of MitcheU from the
South and of Morgan from Cumberland Gap. East Tennessee
should have been in the Union, in November, 1861 ; and,
doubtless would have been, if counter orders had not arrested
a simple, straight-forward, discreet campaign. This, we beHeve,
is now the opinion of those best qualified to sit in judgment
on events in Kentucky and Tennessee.

XXV^I.

THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. THB FIRST
DISASTER.
The final defection of General Price and Govemor Jackson
(June 12th) was followed by their calHng out all the troops
avaUable to " fight the hirehng Dijtch," as the United States
volunteers were then called. They gathered in strong force at
Boons-ville, whither General Lyon proceeded -with all the avaU
able force at his disposition — consisting chiefly of the First,
Third, and Fourth Missouri regiments volunteers, with several
companies of regulars, two batteries of artillery, and several
companies of Home Guards. The battle of BoonsvUle followed,
June 17th, in which Price's forces were routed, and his camp
equipage, stores, etc., captured. The Federal loss was two
killed and nine wounded. General Price was not in the fight,
having gone home the day previous, Ul.

OF THE WAR. 277
The Second Missouri regiment stopped at Jefferson City,
where Colonel Boernstein assumed command. He issued his
proclamation (June 17th,) announcing the flight of the Gover
nor and other State functionaries, and proclaiming his purpose
to co-operate -with the civil and judicial authorities to preserve
law and order.
On the 18th, General Lyon issued his proclamation to the
people of Missouri, in which he set forth the true.condition of
matters as between the absconding Governor, -with his treason
able coadjutors, and the General Government He assured
peace and safety to all who did not bear arms against the
Govemment, and requested all who had been deceived into a
co-operation -with the treason of their late Executive, to lay
down their arms, and return to their homes. He warned those
in arms, however, against hoping for clemency, if they per
sisted in hostility against their country.
On the 18th, the Secessionists from Warsaw and -vicinity
attacked a body of Home Guards at Camp Cole, and dispersed
them — the Guards losing twenty-three killed, twenty wounded,
and thirty prisoners. The attacking force was comprised
largely of Price's men, who had retired from Boons-ville upon
Lyon's approach.
Lyon immediately proceeded to dispose his .forces so as to
command the best points of occupation in the State. Siegel
was pushed- out toward Springfield, where he arrived June
23d. Learning that Jackson was coming down from the
North with the i-emnant o? his forces, through Cedar County,
Siegel advanced to Mount Vernon to intercept his retreat At
Mount Vemon he ascertained that Price was at Neosho, and
immedia,tely resolved to use him up before striking for Jack
son. With that object in view, he moved (June 30th) on. to
Neosho ; but Price had retreated before him.
The rebels effected a combination of their forces, under Gen
erals Parsons and Eains, at Dry Fork Creek, eight mUes north
of Carthage. By orders of Brigadier-General Sweeny— who
had then arrived at Springfield and assumed command of the
Federal forces operating in South-westem Missouri — Siegel,
Y

278 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
on the moming of July 5th, pushed out to meet the enemy.
His force consisted of eight companies of his own (ThUd) regi
ment, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hassendeubel,
Missouri volunteers ; seven companies of the Fifth regiment,
Colonel Salomon ; and eight field pieces under command of
Major Backof The enemy's force comprised State troops and
Arkansas volunteers to the number of fifty-five hundred—
nearly one half mounted — and a battery of five guns. An
account of the battle given by one who was present, read :
" Our command was about one thousand two hundred
strong, including a part of Colonel Salomon's regiment We
met the enemy in camp, in an open prairie, three mUes be
yond Dry Fork. We could not discover many infantry, but
numbers of cavalry. Approaching within eight hundred
yards, we took our position. The artUlery was -placed in
fi-ont ; we had on our left two six-pounders ; in our center,
two sis-pounders and two twelve-pounders ; and two six-
pounders on our right The enemy, who occupied the high
est ground in the prairie, had in position one six-pounder on
the right and left, and in his center one twelve and two six-
pounders. The fight commenced at half-past nine, when large
bodies of infantry began to appear. The firing of the enemy
was wretched. I have seen much artillery practice, but never
saw such bad gunnery before. Their balls and shells went
over us, and exploded in the open prakie. At eleven o'clock
we had silenced their twelve-pounder and broken their center
so much that disorder was apparent. After the first five shots
the two secession flags which they carried were not shown.
They displayed the State flag, which we did not fire at At
about two o'clock the cavalry attempted to outflank us, on
both right and left As we had left our baggage trains three
mUes in the rear, not anticipating a serious engagement, it -vlte
necessary to fall back to prevent their capture. Colonel Siegel
then ordered two six-pounders to the rear, and changed his
front, two six pounders on the flanks, and the twelve and
six-pounders in the rear, and commenced falling back in a
steady and orderly manner, firing as we went We proceeded)

OF THE WAR. 279
with hardly a word to be heard except the orders of the offi
cers, untU we reached our baggage wagons, which had ap
proached with the two companies left in reserve. They were
formed (fifty wagons) into a solid square, and surrounded by
the infantry and artiUery, as before. The retreat was without
serious casualty until we approached the Dry Fork Creek,
where the road passes between bluffs on either side. The cav
alry of the enemy, eight hundred strong, had concentrated on
the opposite side of the creek, to cut us off. Colonel Siegel
ordered two more cannon to the right and left oblique in front,
and then by a concentrated cross-fire poured in upon them a
brisk filre of canister and shrapneU shell. The confusion which
ensued was terrific. Horses, both with and without riders,
were galloping and neighing about the plain, and the riders in
a perfect panic. We took here two or three prisoners, who,
upon being questioned, said their force numbered about five
thousand five hundred, and expressed their astonishment at
the manner in which our troops behaved.
" We proceeded, after capturing about thirty-five horses, to
ward Carthage. Just before entering the town, at about six
o'clock, we brought up at Buck Creek, where three companies
of infantry conspicuously posted themselves on the bank,
whUe the rest, in two columns, made a small circuit around
the town, which is situated near the creek. The artillery then
poured in a well-directed fire upon the village. The horse
men started out in affright, and our soldiers brought them
down with fearful effect. This was the' heaviest charge of the
whole day. No regular vt)lley of musketry had been ordered
untU this time, and the Minie rifles carried their leaden mes
sengers through man and horse with damaging effect The
enemy must have lost fuUy two hundred men in this skirmish.
Night was approaching as we passed through Carthpge. The
remnant of the horsemen of the rebels were scattered in all
directions ; their forces were coming up in our rear, and we
concluded to make for the woods on the Mount Vemon road.
We could not have captured the entire force without some

280 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
loss ; and as we were acting without orders, thought it pra-
dent to withdraw with our advantage.
" We took in all forty-five prisoners, some of them officers ;
those taken at the Dry Creek at five o'clock reported about
two hundred killed, and as the heaviest fighting was done
afterwards, I estimate their loss at near five hundred. Our
loss up to the time I left, was eight killed and missing, and
forty-five wounded. As we brought off our wounded and
dead, it is probable this may reduce the mortahty list
" The rebels halted at Carthage, and hoisted the secession
rag, when our artillery wheeled, and in a few minutes were in
position, and firing. Shot and shell were whistling over their
heads when the flag disappeared from our -view; We then
kept on our way to Mount Vernon, where we were ordered to
rendezvous, expecting to meet General Sweeney."
. This masterly retreat covered Siegel with glory, and inspired
the utmost confidence among the troops for their commanders.
Almost all those engaged were Germans, whUe the officers
were largely composed of Germans and Hungarians, of large
experience on European battle-fields.
That section of the State immediately became the seat of
stirring movements. There the rebels gathered heavy forces
from Missouri and Arkansas, preparatory to a strike for St
Louis and the Capital, Jefferson city. Lyon immediately as-
sunied the, field command — General Fremont having taken
chief command of the Department of the West, July 9th
Sharp engagements of detached bodies occurred at Florida,
where a rebel, camp was broken up — at Forsythe, which the
Federal forces occupied — at Til ton, &c. ; while, on the 2d of
August, Lyon fell upon Ben McCuUough's advancing brigades,
under command of General Eains and Colonel Mcintosh, at
Dug Spring, nineteen miles South-west of Springfield. The
rebels withdrew before his vigorous first assault, leaving forty
dead and forty -four wounded upon the field. McCuUough's
design was to fall upon Springfield, and, by the very enormity
of his numbers, to cut Lyon's command to pieces. Lyon slowly

OF THE WAR. 281
retreated from Dug Spring to Springfield, resolved to hold it
at all hazards — even if his long looked for, and earnestly called
for, reenforcements from St Louis did not arrive. If Spring
field was lost, McCuUough and Price might march direct upon
St Louis. New Madrid was held by the enemy, fi-om whence
the recusant Governor hoped, by aid of the Confederate forces,
then pentering there, to fall upon Bird Point and Cairo. Au
gust 5th, Jackson issued, from thence, his " Declaration of the-
i Independence of Missouri" — a rather remarkable document
! considering that he had been deposed by the properly con
stituted Convention, July 31st, so that another Govemor
(Judge HamUton E. Gamble) had been chosen (August 1st)
in Jackson's stead. The " Declaration" was the cry of revenge
and mortification, and was put forth as a rejoinder to Gover
nor Gamble's Address and Proclamation tO the People of Mis
souri, issued August 3d.
Price moved his brigade, July 25th— then encamped on
CowsMn Prairie, in McDonald County— toward CassviUe, in
Berry County, where it had iDeen arranged the forces of
\ I McCuUough, Pearce, McBride, and Price should concentrate,
' : preparatory to the march on Springfield. The junction with
McCuUough and Pearce's commands was effected July 28th.
The First Division, under McCuUough, left CassviUe August
1st, taking the road to Springfield, followed by the Second
Division, -under Price and Pearee (of Arkansas.) The Third
Division, under General Steen, started forward August 2d. It
was the advance guards of this combined army which were en
countered by Lyon's forces at Dug Spring. The Federal
•General, discovering the enormous force of the enemy— as the
several divisions came up and concentrated on Crane Creek —
rethed before them, and managed to give them a bloody greet
ing before they reached their destined goal. Accordingly, his
forces marched out, on the night of August 9th,* from Spring-
* Lyon marched out on the 7th, for the night attack, but found
moming so near at hand when he was prepared to move from Camp
Hunter, (two miles from Springfield,) that he recalled the orders and
returned to town, resolved to try it again, if circumstances seemed to
warrant the hazardous enterprise.
36 t2 

282 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
field, to encounter the rebels, then in full force at Wilson's
Creek, about ten miles south of the city. The Federal dispo
sition was to assaU by two columns — one led, by General
Lyon in person, the other by Colonel Franz Siegel.
Lyon's conduct, in ordering this advance, has been censured
as rash, and, perhaps, as influenced somewhat by pique at the
neglect shown him by the commanding General at St Louis,
But, it is certain that he acted from a high and noble sense oi
duty. One who was present at the time, wrote : " A consul
tation was held, and the question of evacuating Springfield
seriously discussed. Looking at it in a mUitary -view, there
was no doubt of the propriety, and even necessity of the step,
and many of General Lyon's officers counseled such a move
ment Some favored a retreat in the direction of Kansas,
whUe others regarded Eolla as the more desirable. General
Sweeney, however, pointed out the disastrous results which
must ensue upon retreating without a battle — how the enemy
would be flushed and boastful over such an easy conquest,
the Union element crushed or estranged from us, and declared
himself in favor of holding on to the last moment, and of
gi-ving. the enemy battle as soon as he shoiUd approach --within
striking distance. This kind of counsel decided General Lyon
to remain, save his o-wn reputation and that of the officers
under him, and not evacuate Springfield untU compeUed."
The enemy, also, had resolved upon a night advance from
Wilson's Creek camp, upon Springfield, hoping to surround
it, and, by day-break, to close in upon Lyon so as to prevent
his escape to Eolla. Every disposition was made for the move
ment — ^the men were under arms, -with orders to march, by.
four columns, at nine o'clock P.M. Price, for some unexr
plained reason, having passed over the chief command to
McCuUough, the latter ordered the expedition to be given up,
late at night, as the darkness was intense and a storm threat
ened. Lyon was not intimidated by the darkness — ^it rather'
was favorable, as it covered his passage and general disposition
from the observation of pickets and scouts.
Price, in his report of the conflict, said : " About six o'clock

OF THE WAR. 283
I received a messenger from General Eainsj that the enemy
were advancing in great force, from the direction of Spring
field, and Were already " -within three 'hundred yards of the
position where he was encamped with the Second Division,
consisting of about l,-200 men, under Colonel Crawford. A
second messenger came immediately afterward from General
¦^Eains to announce that the enemy's main body was upon him,
'but that he would endeavor to hold him in check untU he
could receive reenforcements. General McCuUough was with
me when these messengers came, and left at once for his own
head-quarters, to make the necessary disposition of our forces.
" I rode forward instantly toward General Eains' position,
ordering Generals Slack, McBride, Clark, and Parsons to move
their infantry and artillery forward. I had ridden but a few
hundred yards, when I came suddenly upon the main body of
the enemy, "commanded by General Lyon in person. The
infantry and artUlery which I had ordered to follow me, came
up immediately, to the number of 2,036 men, and engaged the
enemy. A severe and bloody conflict ensued ; my ofiicers
and men behaving with the greatest bravery, and, -with the
assistance of a portion of the Confederate forces, successfully
holding the enemy in check.
" Meanwhile, and almost sirnultaneously with the opening
of the enemy's batteries in this quarter, a heavy cannonading
was opened on the rear of our position, where a large body of
the enemy, under Colonel Siegel, had taken position, in close
proximity to Colonel Churbhill's regiment. Colonel Greer's
Texan Eangers, and 679 mounted Missourians, under com
mand of Lieutenant-Colonels Major and Brown.
" The action now became general, and was conducted with
the greatest gallantry and -vigor on both sides, for more than
five hours, when the enemy retreated in great confusion, leav
ing their Commander-in-Chief, General Lyon, dead upon the
battle-field, over five hundred killed and a great number
wounded. The forces under my command have also a large
number of4)risoners."
This briefly alludes to the attack. Its circumstances were

284 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
so full of interest that we may refer to it more at length. An
account by an eye-witness, as weU as the reports of Siegel and '
Major Sturgis, offer all necessary ihfortnation. "The former
said : "At eight o'clock in the evening. General Siegel, with
his own and Colonel Salomon's command and six pieces of
artillery, moved southward, marching untU nearly two o'clock,
and passing around the extreme camp of the enemy, where he
halted, thirteen miles from town, and on the south side of the
rebels, ready to movfe forward and begin the attack as soon as
he should hear the roar of General Lyon's artUlery. The main
body of troops under General Lyon moved from the city about
the same hour, halted a short time five mUes west of the city,
thence in a south-westerly direction four mUes, where we halt
ed and slept tUl four A. M., Saturday, the day of the battle. * *
* * * "It was now five o'clock. The enemy's pickets
were driven in ; the northern end of the valley in which they
were encamped was visible, -with -its thousand of tents and its
camp-fires ; the sky was cloudy, but not threatening, and the
most terribly destructive of battles, compared with the number
engaged, was at hand. Our army moved now toward the
south-west, to leave the creek and a spring which empties in
it on our left Passing over a spur of high land which lies
at the north end of the valley, they entered a vaUey and be
gan to ascend a hill, moderately covered -with trees and under
wood, which was not, however, dense enough to be any im
pediment to the artillery. ******
" Meanwhile the opposite hill had been stormed and taken
by the gallant Missouri First, and Osterhaus's battalion and
Totten's battery of six pieces had taken position on its snmmit
and north side, and was belching forth its loud-mouthed thun
der much to the distraction of the opposing force, who had
already been started upon a full retreat by the thick-raining
bullets of Colonel Blair's boys. Lieutenant^ DuBois's battery,
four pieces, had also opened on the eastern slope, firing upon
a force which was retreating toward the south-east on a road
leading up the hill, which juts into the south-western angle of

Ill

OF THE WAR. 285
the. creek, and upon a battery placed near by to cover their
retreat *******
" Having driven a regiment of the enemy from one hUl, the
Missouri volunteers encountered in the valley beyond, another
firesh and finely-equipped regiment of Louisianians, whom,
after a bitter fight of forty-five minutes, they drove back and
scattered, assisted by Captain Lothrop and his regular rifle
recruits. Totten and Dubois were, meanwhile, firing upon the
enemy fornung in the south-west angle of^the vaUey, and upon
their batteries on the opposite hill.
" The undaunted First, -with ranks already thinned, again
moved forward up the second hUl, just on the brow of which
they met still another fresh regiment, which poure'd-a terrible
volley of musketry into th^ir diminished numbers. Never
yielding an inch, they gradually crowded their opposers back
ward, stUl backward, losing many of their own men, killed
and wounded, but covering the ground thick with the retreat
ing foe. Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, already wounded, still
kept his position,, urging the men onward by every argument
in his power. Lieutenant Murphy, when they once halted,
wavering, stepped several paces forward, waving his sword in
the air, and caUed successfully upon his men to follow him.
Every Captain and Lieutenant did his duty nobly, and when
they were recalled and replaced by the fresh Iowa and Kansas
troops, many were the faces covered with powder and dripping
-with blood. Captain Gratz, gallantly urging his men forward
against tremendous odds, fell mortally wounded, and died soon
after. Lieutenant Brown, caUing upon his men to ' come for
ward,' fell with a severe scalp wound. Captain Cole of the
Missouri First had his lower jaw shattered by a bullet, but
kept his place untU the regiment was ordered to retire to give
place to the First Iowa and some Kansas troops.
'#Just then General Green's Tennessee regiment of cavalry,
bearing a secession flag, charged down the western slope near
the rear upon a few companies of the Kansas Second who
were guarding the ambulance wagons and wounded, and had
nearly overpowered them, when one of Totten's howitzers was

286 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
turned in that direction, and a few rounds of canister effectu
ally dispersed them The roar of the distant and near artU- ,
lery now grew terrific. On all sides it was one continuous
boom, while the music of the musket and rifle balls flying like
an aggravated swarm of bees around one's ears was actually
pleasant, compared witn the tremendous whiz of a cannpn baU
or the bursting of a shell in close proximity to one's dignity. .
" Up to this. time General Lyon had received two woundSj
and had his fine daj)pled grey shot under him, which is suf
ficient evidence that he had sought no place of safety for him
self while he placed his, men in danger. Indeed he had
already unwisely exposed himself Seeing blood upon his hat,
I inquired, " General, are you badly hurt ?" to which he
repUed, " I think not seriously." He had mounted , another
horse, and was as busily engaged as ever.
" The Iowa First, under Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt, and
part of the Kansas troops were ordered forward to take the
place of the^Missouris. They fought like tigers, stood firm as
trees, and saved us fi:om utter and overwhelming defeat Gen
eral Lyon saw their indomitable perseverance and bravery,
and with almost his last breath praised their beha-vior in glow
ing terms. Three companies of the lowans were placed in
ambush by Captain Granger, of the regulars. Lying do-wn
close to the brow ofthe hill, they waited .for another attempt
of the enemy to retake their position. On they came, in over
whelming numbers. Not a breath was heard among the
lowas, till their enemies came within thirty-five or forty feet,
when they poured the contents of their Minie muskets into the
enemy, and routed them, though suffering terribly themselves
at the same time. Two Kansas companies afterward did the
same thing on the eastern slope, and repulsed a vigorous attack
of the enemy.
" Lyon now desired the men to prepare to make a bayonet
charge immediately after delivering their next fire. The
lowas at once offered to go, and asked for a leader. On came
the enemy. No time could be lost to select a leader. " I will
lead you,' exclaimed Lyon. " Come on, brave men" He

OF THE WAR. 287
had abofUt placed himself in the van of the lowas, while Gen
eral Sweeney took a simUa,r position to lead on a portion of
the Kansas troop, when the enemy came only near enough to
discharge their pieces, and retired before the destructive fire
of our men. Before the gaUing fire from the enemy, the brave
General Lyon fell.
": The command now devolved upon Major Sturgis. There
-was no certainty that Siegel had been engaged in the fight at
all, as our artUlery had kept up such a constant roar that guns
three mUgf' distant were but little noticed. Under these cir
cumstances. Major Sturgis had about determined to cross his
command through the valley (the recent northem camp, of the
' enemy) eastward, and, if possible, make a junction with Siegel
on or near the Fayette-ville road. Before he had time to give
the necessary orders, another attack fi-om the enemy was an
nounced by- the voUeys of musktetry which were heard on our
right Major Sthrgis directed his attention that way, and the
enemy were again repulsed.
" Captain Totten then reported his cannon ammunition nearly
gone. This decided the course tb ' be pursued, and Major
Sturgis at once sent the ambulances toward the city, and
' Lietenant DuBois' battery back to the hUl at the north end of
thevaUey,to protect the retreat Then, in good order, the
i-emnant of the bravest body of soldiers in the United States
!¦ commenced a retreat, even whUe they were victorious in
battle." Siegel was experiencing the fortunes of a reverse on the
East He had advanced so rapidly as to surprise the enemy,
and, by capturing his pickets, was upon them Hke a whirlwind.
They flew before him as he pressed his way toward the
F^yetteviUe road, which he reached, and a fine position was
secured on a hill. Having heard the firing suddenly cease in
the direction of Lyon's forces, he supposed the Federal attack,
Hke his own, to have been successful; and, that Lyon's troops
were pursuing the enemy, he deemed conclusive from the
' large bodies of the rebels moving toward the South. He
""' ' stated, in his report : " This was the state of affairs at half-past

288 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
eight o'clock, A. M., when it was reported that Lyon's men
were coming up the road. Lieutenant Albert, of the Third,
arid Colonel Salomon, of the Fifth, notified their regiments not
to fire on troops coming in that direction, whUst I cautioned
the artillery in the same manner. Our troops, at this moment,
expected with anxiety the approach of our friends, and were
waving the flag raised as a signal to their comrades, when at
once two batteries opened their fire against us— one in front,
on the Fayetteville road, and the other upon the hiU upon
which we had supposed Lyon's forces were in pursuit of the
enemy, whilst a strong column of infantry — supposed to be
the Iowa regiment — advanced from the FayetteviUe road, and
attacked our right
"It is impossible for me to describe the consternation and
frightful confusion which was occasioned by this important
event The cry, ' They (Lyon's troops) are firing against us !'
spread like wildfire through our ranks ; the artUlerymen,
ordered to fire, and directed by myself, could hardly be
brought forward to serve their pieces ; the infantry would not
load their arms untU it was too late. The enemy arrived
within ten paces of the muzzles of our cannon, kiUed the
horses, turned the flanks of the infantry, and forced them to
fly. The troops were throwing themselves into the bushes
and by-roads, retreating as well as they could, followed and
attacked incessantly by large bodies of Arkansas and Texas
cavalry. In thi^ retreat we lost five cannon (of which three
were spiked,) and the colors of the Third — the color-bearer
having been wounded and his s.ubstitute killed. The total
loss of the two regiments, the artillery and the pioneers, in
killed, wounded and missing, amounts to eight hundred and
ninety-two men"
Siegel stated, as the chief cause of the repulse, that four
hundred men of the three months troops, (Colonel Salomon'^
regiment,) whose term of enlistment had expired, were unwill
ing to go into the fight, and stampeded at the first opportunity.
Their defection and insubordination lost all ¦ at the critical
moment

OF THE WAR. 289
The affair was, notwithstanding these reverses, a drawn bat
tle. The enemy, after their last repulse by Major Sturgis, re
tired in confusion and prepared to retreat, fearing an advance
by our troops — ^as would have been the case had not' the artU
lery ammunition have given out, as reported. The rebels set
fire to and consumed a large train of their stores, munitions
and camp equipment, fearing their capture by the Federals.
This alone proves how nearly the battle was won on the right
and front Had Siegel appeared at that opportune moment
the large army of the enemy (confessed to have been 23,000
strong) would have been overwhelmed with defeat by 5,500
Federal troops.
The Federal forces, under Major Sturgis, fell back, in good
order, toward -Springfield — ^the enemy not pursuing — another
proof of their own repulse. After the arrival at Springfield it
was determined to faU back upon Eolla, immediately, since it
was evident the enemy would soon cut off retreat in that direc
tion Siegel took command of the general disposition for the
retreat He was called upon to exercise all his ingenuity to
get out of the net now thrown around him by the strong col
umns of the rebels, who well knew every rood of soil in that
section Preparations were begun for the retreat on the night
of the 14tL By day-break the Federal columns were on the
march toward the Gasconade. A correspondent, on the even
ing of the 10th, wrote : " With a baggage train five mUes long
to protect, it will be singular indeed, if the enemy does not
prove enterprising enough to cut off a portion of it, having
such a heavy force of cavalry." But, the retreat was safely
. effected, and the -vicinity of EoUa was reached Saturday, Au
gust 19th. There the three months men were disposed for
di'sbandment, and the gallant lovya First was sent forward im
mediately to St Louis to be mustered out of service— their
term having also expired.
The official reports of the Federal losses showed them to be
as follows : kUled, 223 ; wounded, 721 ; missing, 292. Of the
latter 231 belonged to Siegel's brigade. Of the wounded 208
were of the First Missouri, 181 of the First Kansas and 138
37 z

290 INCIDENTS. AND ANECDOTES
of the First Iowa volunteers — pro-ving how well these regi
ments fought
This disaster was foUowed by an inroad of the enemy, as
Lyon foresaw, which soon gave them possession of that por
tion of the State. It cost much blood and treasure, and many
months of hard campaigning to dislodge them. Had Lyon
been reenforced all would have been well. Even two or three
fresh regiments of infantry and one of cavalry would have fiU
ed up the ranks of the retiring three months men, and have
afforded forces enough to have kept the enemy at bay untU
Fremont could come on in force. The loss of Springfield in
flicted untold suffering upon the Unionists of that section It
was a disaster for which the country did not cease to hold Fre-
jnont responsible, although the General urged the strong plea
Ihafhis men were totally unfit for the field from want of arms,
transportation, &c.
Price, immediately after the retreat, moved his entire forces
into Springfield, from whence he issued the foUo-wing procla
mation to the People of Missouri :
" Fellow Citizens : The army under my command has been or
ganized under the Laws of the State for the protection of your homes
and firesides, and for the maintenance of the rights, dignity, and honor
of Missouri. It is kept in the field for these purposes alone, and to aid
in accomplishing them our gallant Southern brethren have come into our
State. " We have just achieved a glorious victory over the foe, and scattered
far and wide the appointed army which the usurper at Washington
has been more than six months gathering for your subjugation and en
slavement. This victory frees a large portion ofthe State from the pow
er of the invaders, and restores it to the protection of its army. It con
sequently becomes my duty to assure you that it is my firm determin
ation to protect every peaceable and law abiding citizen in the full enjoy
ment of all his rights, whatever may have been his sympathies in the
present unhappy struggle, if he has not taken an active part in the cruel
warfare which has been waged against the good people of this State by
the ruthless enemies whom we have just defeated. I therefore invite all
good citizens to return to their homes and the practice of their ordinary
avocation, with the full assurance that they, their families, their homes,
and their property shall be carefully protected.
" I at the same time warn all evil-disposed persons who may support

OF THE WAR. 291
the usurpations of any one claiming to be provisional or temporary Gov
ernor of Missouri, or who shall in any other way give aid or comfort to
the enemy, that they will be held as enemies and treated accordingly.
" (Signed) STEELING PRICE,
"Major General Commanding Missouri State Guard."
This had the effect to throw into his ranks a large number
of those people in the south-westem portion of the State who
awaited the result of this conflict before determining their
,,aUegiance. It also forced acquiescence from aU settlers who
did not flee with the Federal^army ; but even that acquies
cence did not protect their farms from devastation by the
hordes of veritable " cut- throats" of which the invading army
was largely composed. It is certain that the army brought
by McCuUough into Missouri was composed almost, exclu
sively of Texan Eangers— men as wUd as Indians and as fe
rocious as hyenas. They never, in all their service in the
Confederate ranks, were brought under subjugation to disci
pline. The " border ruffians" who also gathered around Price
were but Httie better. It was of such elements that the
armies of Price, Van Dom, McCuUough and Eains were
afterwards ccJmposed.

XXVII.

INCIDENTS OF THE WILSONS CREEK DISASTER.
The Iowa and Kansas troops were so full of levity on their
marches that Lyon rather distrusted their steadiness and cour
age. He had occasion, happily, before his death, to learn to
admire their heroic valor. It was in heading the charge of
the lowans that he lost his life.

292 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
When General Lyon fell he was picked up by his body-
servant and one of his guard, and carried lifeless toward the
ambulances, in one of which his body was placed to be con
veyed to Springfield. General Sweeney received a shot in his
right leg, at the same fire, and limped back to the surgeon
Siegel, before his reverse, secured about sixty prisoners and
a large number of horses. These men he made useful at a
critical juncture, by making them pull his only preserved can
non off the field, after all the horses were killed. ,
Colonel Bates of the Iowa First, who had been confined for
several days with a fever and diarrhoea, mounted his horse
and attempted to go to the field of battle on the evening pre
ceding it, but was compelled to return to town much to his
regret, after marching two or three miles with the column
Of the rebel loss nothing is known with certainty, though
the terrific precision of our artillery rendered it apparent that
dreadful havqc followed Captain Totten's balls and shells.
A correspondent wrote : " Dr. Schenck who -visited McCul-
lough and Eains after the battle, while gathering our wounded,
says their loss is much heavier than ours ; that whUe our dead
were comparatively few, theirs were gathered in great heaps
under the trees. He says that so many of their tents were
destroyed by themselves, that not less than two-thirds of them
would have to bivouac under trees and by camp-fires for the
night" Of the doings of a Congressman, the same -writer said : " I
had not proceeded far on the eastern side of the creek when I
met the son of the Honorable John S. Phelps, who had left
town upon hearing the cannonading, with a few mounted
Kansas troops, and not discerning the exact .position of the
two armies, had busied himself taking prisoners on the Fay-
ettevUle road and west of it When I met him he had captured
half a dozen, including a negro belonging to an ofiicer in a Lou
isiana regiment"
Another letter writer said of General Lyon's removal fi:om
the field, that his body was lifted from its ambulance to give
place to the wounded — no one surmising that it was the body

OF THE WAR. 293
of their General. It was soon recovered, however, and buried
near Springfield, whence it was taken by his friends, -with the
consent of the rebels, and conveyed, by way of St. Louis, to
Connecticut for burial.
General Lyon went into the battle in civUian's dress, except
a mUitary coat. He wore a soft hat of an ashen hue, with long
fur and a very broad brim, tumed up on three sides. He had
been wearing it for a month ; there was only one like it in the
command, and it would have indi-vidualized the wearer among-
50,000 men. His*peculiar dress and personal appearance were
well known through the enemy's camps. He received a new
and elegant uniform just before the battle, but never wore it
until his remains were arrayed in it, after his brave spirit
had fled.
The First Kansas regiment was commanded by Coloriel G.
W. Deitzler of Lawrence, whose horse was pierced with four
balls early in the battle. Just as his horse feU the Colonel
himself received a buck-shot in his thigh, inflicting an ugly
wound ; but he tied a handkerchief around the bleeding limb,
mounted a fresh steed, and continued to direct the regiment
until he was unable to sit upright
Every company of this superb regiment was led by " repre
sentative men" — those who knew how to meet an enemy, from
having already served in manj a " border ruffian skrimmage."
-A singular instance of coolness was betrayed by company E,
Captain Clayton of Leavenworth, -which went into the fight
seventy-three strong and came out with but twenty-six un
harmed men. The company having become separated from
its regiment joined what was supposed to be the First Iowa.
Captam Clayton, was astounded to find, however, that he had,
in tmth, joined the enemy, for the regimeiit proved to be that
led by the notorious scoundrel Colonel Clarkson, of border
mffian notoriety. The rebels, in their excitement, did not
discover the identity of the Federal company. Captain Clay
ton, with great presence of mind, did nothing to apprise his
own men of their danger ; but cried out : " Boys, you are
crowding here ; oblique to the right" They obeyed, and were
z2

294 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
forty or fifty paces away when the rebels began to be sus
picious, and one of their officers rode up and asked : " What
troops are you ?" " First Kansas," was the Captain's prompt
reply. " Who are you ?" " I am the adjutant of the Missouri
Fifth." "Southem troops?" "Yes, sir," repHed the adju
tant, putting spurs to his horse ; but in an instant Captain
Clayton dragged him to the ground, and, with a cocked pistol
at his breast, commanded him to give up his sword. He
.obeyed ; but, by this time, the rebel regiment had discovered
" the situation," and presented their guns.* Captain Clayton
still held the adjutant by the collar, directly in front of his
little band, where he would be the most exposed if the rebels
fired, and said : " Order your regiment not to fire." The ad
jutant not only refused to do this, but ordered his men to
" open fire," regardless of him. He was instantly bayoneted
and shot fatally. Eebel though he was, he was certainly a
brave fellow. The Missourians fired upon Captain Clayton's
little company, now only about forty strong, bringing down
about a dozen men. The Kansas boys replied with one vol
ley, and then ran for their Hves, soon reaching one of our regi
ments. But for the coolness of their commander they must
have been captured or quite cut to pieces.
In his report. Major Sturgis said : " The great question in
my mind was — where is Siegel ? If I could still hope for a
vigorous attack by, him on the enemy's right flank and rear,
then we could go forward with some hope of success. If he
had retreated, then there was nothing for us but retreat In
this perplexing condition of affairs, I summoned the principal
officers for consultation. The great question with most of
them was : — Is retreat possible ? The consultation was
brought to a close ,by the advance of a heavy column of in
fantry, from the hill where Siegel's guns had before been
heard. Thinking they were Siegel's men, a line was formed
for an advance, with the hope of forming a junction with him.
These troops wore a dress much resembling that of Siegel's
brigade, and carried the American flag. They were, therefore,
permitted to move down the hUl within easy range of DuBois'

^ OF THE WAR. ' 295
battery, until they reached the covered position at the foot of
the ridge on which we rested, and upon which we had before
been so fiercely assaUed. Suddenly a battery, planted on the
hUl in our front, began to pour upon us shrapnell and canister
— a species of shot not before fired by the enemy. At this
moment the enemy showed his true colors. At once there
commenced along our entire lines the bloodiest and fiercest
engagement of the day. Lieutenant DuBois' battery on our
left, gallantly supported by Major Osterhaus' battalion, and
the rallied fragments of the First Missouri, soon sUenced the
enemy's battery on the hill and repulsed the right wing of the
rebel infantry. Captain Totten's battery in the centre, sup
ported by the lowas and the regulars, was the main point of
attack. The enemy would frequently be seen within twenty feet
of Totten's guns, and the smoke of the opposing lines was often
so confounded as to seem but one. Now, for the first time
during the day, our entire Hne maintained its position with
perfect firmness. Not the slightest disposition to give way
was manifested at any point Captain Steele's battalion, which
was some yards in front of the line, together with the troops
on the right and left, were in imminent danger of being over
whelmed by superior numbers — the contending parties being
almost muzzle to muzzle. Captain Granger rushed to the rear,
and brought up the supports of DuBois' battery, consisting of
two or three companies ofthe First Minnesota, three companies
of the First Kansas and two companies of the First Iowa, in
quick time. These fell upon the enemy's right flank, atd
poured into it a murderous fire, killing or wounding nearly
every man within sixty or seventy yards. From this moment
a perfect route took place throughout the rebel front, whUe
ours, on the right flank, continued to pour in a galling fire
into their disorganized masses."
This saved the day from proving an overwhelming disaster,
and inspired the rebels with such a wholesome dread of the
Unionists' abUity to hold their own — that no pursuit was
made when the retreat was ordered.
A dispatch to the Eebel authorities fi-om Little Eook,

296 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Arkansas, August 19th, confessed the losses of the Southem
army to have been — kiUed, 265 ; wounded, 800 ; missing, 38.
This was much understated. Siegel alone captured over
sixty prisoners, and safely secured them. The enemy's killed
was stated by deserters and other informers to have been over
five hundred. The dispatch said : " The enemy gave a com
plete surprise on the morning of the lOth, commencing on
Churchill's regiment, whilst at breakfast The regiment was
thrown into confusion, but our men saddled their horses and
fought bravely ; they had eight killed and one hundred and
fifty-eight wounded. Totten's battery opened on McCuUough's
headquarters -with six guns. The Little Eock Pulaski artillery
soon retumed their fire, keeping the enemy in check tUl our
men had time to form. General Price led the Third, and part
of the Fifth regiments to McCuUough's aid, and saved the day.
McCuUough afterward said to Price, ' You have saved me and
the battle.' Churchill's regiment, Gratiot's regiment, and the
Texas regiment are badly cut to pieces."

\

XXT^III.

GENERAL LYON.
In the death of General Lyon the National cause experi
enced a great loss. His services already had endeared him to
the people, and his future was looked forward to -with confi
dence, by the army and by the public. The expression of
regret freely uttered by the press was reechoed by the people.
Up to the date of his fall, no officer of the service had perished
on the field whose loss was more sincerely regretted.

¥.''HSi.

OF THE WAR. 297
Nathaniel Lyon was a native Of Connecticut, and spmng
from an old and honored family. He was bom in the town
of Ashford (now Eastford,) Windham County, in the year 1821.
His grandfather, Ephraim Lyon, was an officer in the old
French war, under the command of Sir WUHam Johnson, and
also an ofiicer in the War of the Eevolution. His grandfather
on his mother's side, was Lieutenant Daniel Knowlton, a
brother of Colonel Thomas Knowlton, who fell at White
Plains, and was -with him in that action, and at the battle of
Bunker HUL
The two brothers, Thomas and Daniel Knowlton, had both
distinguished themselves in the war between the Colonists and
Enghsh against the French, from 1755 to 1760. At the com
mencement of the Eevolution, we find these two brothers
among the first to take the field in defense of their country,
and at Bunker HiU, both the historian and the artist have
contributed to place the name of Colonel Knowlton among
the most prominent of those whom a grateful country wUl
ever delight to honor.
The oft recited deeds of daring and patriotism among his
ancestors, thus falling upon the ears of young Lyon from a
mother's lips, fired his youthful heart, and had much to do
-with his choice of the profession of arms. At an early age he
showed great mathematical talent and a power of combination
and plan in, the development of schemes, which, added to ah
iron wUl and an indomitable perseverance, thus early and
unmistakably marked him as one "born to command."
He entered the West Point MUitary Academy in 1837, gra
duating in 1841, with the rank of Second Lieutenant of the
Second Infantry. His first service was in the Florida Ever
glades—then he was- transferred to the ^ frontier. On the
breaking out of the Mexican war, he was detaUed to General
Taylor's command, but soon followed Scott— who, it -will be
remembered, was compeUed to take from Taylor's already
meagre army, enough men to open the campaign against Vera
Cruz. He foUowed the fortunes of the General into the Capi
tal City, serving with distinction in every engagement up to
' 38

298 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the entrance into the Grand Plaza. In February, 1847, he
was made First Lieutenant, and for gallant conduct in the
battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, during August following,
he was breveted Captain. On September 13th, he was wounded
in the assault on the Belen gate, and in June, 1851, was pro
moted to a Captaincy.
After the conclusion of peace with Mexico, he was ordered
to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, preparatory to a contemplated
march, overland, to California. By a change of orders from
the War Department, his regiment was dispatched by ship -via
Cape Horn, and reached California soon after its acquisition
by the United States. His stay in California was prolonged
beyond that of most of his feUow-officers, and his time unceas
ingly employed in operating among the Indians, subjected to
long and tedious marches, constant alarms, and frequent skir
mishes, Hving a large portion of the time in tents, and subject
to the fatigues and privations incident to a campaign in that
new and hitherto unknown country, so far removed from the
comforts of civUization.
After being relieved from his long service in California,, he
was again stationed on our Western frontier, serving most of
the time in Kansas and Nebraska. He consequently became
famUiar with the men and measures which have so agitated
the country for the last few years in that section of the country,
and imbibed no special love for Slavery Propagandism. From
an ardent support of a Democratic Administration he passed —
as so many eminent Democrats also did — into the Free State
party, to become an ardent enemy of the Buchanan regime.
One who knew him well when he was stationed at Fort Eeiley
said : " He possessed great moral courage. Notwithstanding
his personal bravery and his mUitary education, he was consci
entiously opposed to dueUing, and no provocation could ever
drive him into a recognition of the code. On one occasion he
was even struck on the face. Of course, it then required much
more courage to refrain from chaUenging his adversary than
to fight him; but he adhered inflexibly to his con-victions.
For a time this subjected him to misapprehension, and even to

OF THE WAR. 299
contempt, among military men ; but, long before his death,
his fellow-officers understood and respected his position upon
that subject.
The "Department of the West" after the Kansas troubles,
passed under command of General Harney, whose headquarters
were at St Louis. Thither Lyon was called, upon the first
appearance of trouble in the political horizon. The outrages
and infamous treachery toward Government committed by
Floyd and his secession coadjutors, rendered it highly neces
sary that the St Louis Arsenal should be intrusted to loyal
hands; and Lyon was plated in charga Its property was
preserved only by his decision, and his positive stand against
treason. May 10th, he suddenly sallied out, at the head of
two regiments of volunteers and a detachment of regulars, to
seize the " State Guard" located close to St Louis — taking the
entire crowd prisoners, with all their artillery, camp equipage,
munitions, etc. It was a bold stroke, but a masterly one ; for
that State camp, as he well knew, was a camp of Secessionists,
whose designs wer6 inimical to the stability or security of
Govemment property in St Louis. Harney was soon called
upon to relinquish the chief command ; and Captain Lyon,
then chosen by the Missouri volunteers as their commanding
General, was commissioned by the President Brigadier- General
of Volunteers and assigned the chief command in Missouri — a
command which he retained until July 9th, when Major-
General Fremont became General-in-Chief of the Department
¦ of the Mississippi. *
The rest of Lyon's history is written in the chapter devoted
to the campaign which resulted in the disaster at WUson"s
Creek. It is a history at once pleasureable and painful to
perase — pleasurable for the brilliant achievement of the
Federal troops up to their final retreat from South-western
Missouri — painful, from the death of their gallant leader, and
the necessity for such a retreat as followed. One who was in
Missouri, and well knew the circumstances of Lyon's last des
perate dash at the overflowing ranks of the rebels, thus spoke
of that last act and its disastrous termination :

300 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" Now that the smoke begins to clear away from the battle of Spring*
field, it is apparent that his death was worthy of his life. ^ He attacked
the enemy with a full comprehension that the odds were fearfully against
him, and that little short of a miracle could enable him to come off
victorious ; but he felt that the Cause demanded it ; that for him to
abandon Springfield vnthout a battle, would demoralize and dishearten
the Union men of South-west Missouri, and pain every loyal breast in
the nation. The rebels would soon cut off his communication,, and
surround him ; the position was not susceptible of defense against their
overwhelming numbers. He had no alternative but to fall back to
Bella, or to attack the enemy. He obeyed the voice, of patriotism, and
went out to danger and to death on that summer moming, ' as a man
goes to his bridal.' Twice wounded, he was still undaunted, and re
fused to obey the requests of his friends, that he should seek a less ex
posed position. Even after he believed the day lost, he sprang eagerly
from his dead horse into a fresh saddle ; at the head of a forlorn hope,
dashed into the thick of the fight, and died like a true soldier. May
his memory long be green in the nation's heart, and his name high in
the roll of honor, among
" ' The brave, who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest ! ' "
After the battle, Lyon's body was borne back to Springfield,
and thence taken to the farm of Hon. John S. Phelps, near at
hand. There it was placed — by Lyon's brigade surgeon, Dr
Franklin, and by Mrs. Phelps — in a coffin, sealed, and tempo
rarily deposited in a pit, preparatory to its removal to EoUa.
But, the retreat was so rapid, and the necessities of the
wounded so absorbing, that the body of the General was left
for after-removal. Mrs. Phelps had it carefully buried— her
husband having had to flee with the retreating Unionists. It '
was recovered on Friday, August 23d, by a party who obtained
it under the protection of a flag of truce — -General Price kindly
affording every facility for the disinterment
It was borne to Connecticut for interment, accompanied by
a guard of honor, composed of several of his fellow-officerS
and a detachment of the St Louis Home Guards. Every
where on the routp, where the remains tarried, they' were re
ceived with civic and mUitary honors. In New York Oity
they lay in state for a few hours. At Eastford, his native- -vii-"
lage, they were buried, with all the honor which admiring and

OF THE WAE. 301
sympathetic friends could bestow — ^the Hon Galusha A. Grow
pronouncing the funeral oration. Eesolutions were adopted
at a large meeting of the citizens of Eastford, expressive of
their consideration for the -virtues and character ofthe deceased.
We may quote one of several of the resolves adopted :
, " Besohed, That as his fellow-townsmen, while we mourn our loss, we
rejoice that we have his birth-spot among us to cheer us in steadfast
devotion to our country ; and we trust his grave among us will be the
spot where future generations will gather, and be inspired with a noble
emulation of his and the -virtues of Sherman, Trumbull, Putnam, and
others, who have arisen in this State, defenders of their country's flag,
and supporters of its Government"

» n#n <

XXIX.

THE SECOND DISASTER IN MISSOURL THE SIEGE AND
FALL OF LEXINGTON.
The seventy-two hours defense of Lexington, by twenty-
seven hundred and eighty troops under command of Colonel
WUliam Mulligan, was one of the most gallant affairs of the
War. Learning that Price was - pushing up in strong force
toward Lexington, Colonel Mulligan started, September 1st,
with his Irish (Chicago) brigade, from his camp near Jefferson
city — determined to hold Lexington at all hazards. If Lex
ington was lost it would give the rebels command of the Mis
souri, cutting off communication with the army in Kansas and,
threatening Jefferson city. As foreseen by Lyon, the rebels
had, after ,their victory near Springfield, overran the entire
westem section of the State, and so rapid were their advahce
toward the North and East that by September 1st the line of
2a

302 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Missouri river was threatened by them. Fremont ordered
Mulligan forward to Lexington. Colonel Marshall's cavalry
(lUinois) was to join him, -with Colonel White's Home Guards,
while Colonel Peabody (Thirteenth Missouri) was to fall back
upon Lexington from Warrensburg if pressed by the enemy.
In the meantime. General Sturgis was to move down from
Kansas city with his entire disposable force (1,500) to the re
enforcement of Lexington, while General Lane was to press
forward from Harrison-vUle and assaU Price from that direc
tion These movements, it was thought by Fremont, would
so employ the enemy as to keep him at bay until he (Fremont)
could come forward with his own forces from St Louis and
vicinity. Mulligan did his part By a forced march of ten days his
troops reached Lexingtoif, having foraged by the way for
rations. At Lexington he found Colonel MarshaU with his
cavalry and Coloi^el White's Home Guards — each command
about five hundred strong. Colonel Peabody soon came in,
pressed back by the enemy advancing upon Lexington from
Warrensburg. The Federal troops had not long to wait, fqr,
on the aftemoon of September 11th, the rebels under Price in
person appeared off the town. From Colonel MuUigan's own
account of the affair,* we may quote :
" On the 10th of September, a letter arrived from Colonel Peabody,
saying that he was retreating from Warrensburg, twenty-five mUes dis
tant, and that Price was pursuing him with ten thousand men. A few
hours afterward. Colonel Peabody, with the Thirteenth Missouri, entered
Lexington. We then had two thousand seven hundred and eighty men
in garrison and forty rounds of cartridges. At noon of the 11th we
commenced throwing up our first intrenchments. In six hours after
wards, the enemy opened their fire. Colonel Peabody was ordered out
to meet them. The camp then presented a lively scene ; officers were
hurrying hither and thither, drawing the troops in line and givmg
orders, and the Commander was riding with his staff to the bridge to
encourage his men and to plant his artillery. Two six-pounders were
planted to oppose the enemy, and placed in charge of Captain Dan.
Qujjik, who remained at his post till day-break. It was a night of fejar-
* From his Detroit speech, November 29th.

OF THE WAR. 303
ful anxiety. None knew at what moment the enemy would be upon
the little band, and the hours passed in silence and anxious waiting.
So it continued until morning, when the Chaplain rushed into head
quarters, saying that the enemy were pushing forward. Two companies
of the Missouri Thirteenth were ordered out, and the Colonel, with the
aid of his glass, saw General Price urging his men to the fight. They
were met by Company K, of the Irish brigade, under Captain Quirk,
who held them in check until Captain Dillon's company, of the Missouri
Thirteenth, drove them back, and burned the bridge. That closed our
work before breakfast. Immediately six companies of the Missouri
Thirteenth and two companies of Elinois cavalry were despatched in
search of the retreating enemy. They engaged them in a cornfield,
fought -with them gallantly, and harassed them to such an extent as to
delay their progress, in order to give time for constructing intrenchments
around the camp on College Hill. This had the desired effect, and we
succeeded in throwing up earthworks three or four feet in height. This
consumed the night, and was continuecj during the next day, the out
posts still opposing the enemy, and keeping them back as far as possible.
At three o'clock in the afternoon of the 13th, the engagement opened
-with artillery. A volley of grapeshot was thrown among the officers,
who stood in front of the breastworks. The guns within the intrench
ments immediately replied with a vigor which converted the scene into
one of the wildest description. The gunners were inexgerienoed, and
the firing was bad. We had five six-pounders, and the muslcetry was
firing at every angle. Those who were not shooting at the moon were
shooting above it. The men were ordered to cease firing, and they were
arranged in ranks, kneeling, the front rank shooting and the others
loading. The artillery was served with more care, and within an hour
a shot from one of our guns dismounted their largest piece, a twelve-
pounder, and exploded a powder caisson. This achievement was re
ceived with shouts of exultation by the beleaguered garrison. The
enemy retired a distance of three miles. At seven o'clock the engage
ment had ceased, and Lexington was ours again. Next morning Gene
ral Parsons, with ten thousand men' at his back, sent in a flag of truce
to a little garrison of two thousand seven hundred men, asking permis
sion to enter the town and bury his dead, claiming that when the noble
Lyon went down, his corpse had fallen into his hands, and he had
granted every privilege to the Federal officers sent after it. It was not
necessary to adduce this as a reason why he should be permitted to
perform an act which humanity would dictate. The request was wil
lingly granted, an^'we cheerfully assisted in burying the fallen foe. On
Friday the work of throwing up intrenchments went on. It rained all
day, and the men stood knee deep in the mud, building them. Troops

304 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
were sent out for forage, and retumed with large quantities of pro-vi
sions and fodder. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we stole seven
days' provisions for two thousand seven hundred men. We'had found
no provisions at Lexington, and were compelled to get our rations as
best we could. A quantity of powder was obtained, and then large
cisterns were filled with water. The men made cartridges in the cellar
of the college building, and cast one hundred and fifty rounds of shot
for the guns, at the foundries of Lexington. During the little respite
the evening gave us, we cast our shot, made our cartridges, and stole
our own provisions. We had stacks of forage, plenty of hams, bacon,
&c., and felt that good times were in store for us. All this time, our
pickets were constantly engaged -with the enemy, and we were well
aware that ten thousand men were threatening us, and knew that the
struggle was to be a desperate one. Earthworks had been raised breast^
high, enclosing an area of fifteen to eighteen acres, and surrounded by
a ditch. Outside of this was a circle of twenty-one mines, and still
further down were pits to embarrass the progress of the enemy. During
the night of the 17th, we were gettiag ready for the defense, and heard
the sounds of preparation in the camp of the enemy for the attack on
the morrow. Father Butler went around among the men and blessed
them, and they reverently uncovered their heads and received his bene
diction. At nine o'clock on the morning of the 18th, the drums beat
to arms, and the terrible struggle commenced. The enemy's force had
been increased to twenty-eight thousand men and thirteen pieces of ar
tillery. They came as one dark moving mass ; men armed to the te^li
as far as the eye could r6ach — men, men, men, were visible. They
planted two batteries in front, one on the left, one on the right, and one
in the rear, and opened with a terrible fire, which was answered with
the utmost bravery and determination. Our spies had informed us that
the rebels intended to make one grand rout, and bury us in the trenches
of Lexington. The batteries opened at nine o'clock, and for three
days they never ceased to pour deadly shot upon us. About noon the
hospital was taken. It was situated on the left, outside of tho
intrenchments. I had taken for granted, never thought it necessary to
build fortifications around the sick man's couch. I had thought that,
among civilized nations, the soldier sickened and wounded in the ser
vice of his country, would, at least, be sacred. But I was inexperi
enced, and had yet to learn that such was not the case with the rebels.
They besieged the hospital, took it, and from the balcony and roof their
sharpshooters poured a deadly fire -within our intrenchments. It con
tained our chaplain and surgeon, and one hundred and twenty wounded
• men. It could not be allowed to remain in the possession of the enemy.
A company of the Missouri Thfrteenth was ordered forward to retake

OF THE WAR. 305
the hospital. They started on their errand, but stopped at the breast
works, ' going not out because it was bad to go out.' ' A company of
the Missouri Fourteenth was sent forward, but it also shrank from the
task, and refused to move outside the intrenchments. The Montgom
ery Guard, Captain Gleason, of the Irish brigade, were then brought
out. The commander admonished them that the others had failed ;
and with a brief exhortation to uphold the name they bore, gave the
word to ' charge.' The distance was eight hundred yards. They started
out from the intrenchment, first quick, then double-quick, then on a
run, then faster. The enemy poured a deadly shower of bullets upon
them, but on they went,- a wild line of steel, and what is better than
steel, human will. They stormed up the slope to the hospital door,
and -with irresistible bravery drove the enemy before them, and hurled
them far down the hill beyond. At the head of those brave fellows,
pale as marble, but not pale from fear, stood the gallant officer, Captain
Gleason. He said, ' Come on, my brave boys,' and in they rushed.
But when their brave captain returned, it was with a shot through the
cheek and another through the arm, and -with but fifty of the eighty he
had led forth. The hospital was in their possession. This charge was
one of the most brilliant and reckless in all history, and to Captaih
Gleason belongs the glory. Each side felt, after this charge, that a
clever thing had been done, and the fire of the enemy lagged. • We
were in a terrible situation. Towards night the fire increased, and in
the evening word came from the rebels that if the garrison did not sur
render before the next day, they would hoi^t the back flag at their
cannon and give us no quarter. Word was sent back that ' when we
asked for quarter it would be time to settle that.' It was a terrible
thing to see those brave fellows mangled, and with no skillful hands
to bind their gaping wounds. Our surgeon was held with the enemy,
against all rules of war, and that, too, when we had released a surgeon
of theirs on his mere pledge that he was such. Captain Moriarty went
into the hospital, and, -with nothing but a razor, acted the part of a
surgeon. We could not be without a chaplain or surgeon any longer.
There was in our ranks a Lieutenant Hickey, a rollicking, jolly fellow,
who was despatched from the hospital with orders to procure the sur
geon and chaplain at all hazards. Forty minutes later and the brave
Lieutenant was borne by, severely wounded. As he was borne past I
heard him exclaim, ' God have mercy on my little ones !' And God did
hear his prayers, for the gay Lieutenant is up, as rollicking as ever, and
is now forming his brigade to return to the field. On the morning of
the 19th the firing was resumed and continued all day. We recovered
our surgeon and chaplain. The day was signalized by a fierce bayonet
charge upon a regiment of the enemy, which served to show themi that
39 2a2

306 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
our men were not yet completely worried out. The officers had told
them to hold out until the 19th, when they would certainly be reen
forced. Through that day our little garrison stood -with straining eyes,
watching to see if some friendly fiag was bearing aid to them — with
straining ear, awaiting the sound of a friendly cannonade. But no re
enforcements appeared, and, with the energy of despair, they determined
to do their duty at all hazard. The 19th was a horrid day. Our water
cisterns had been drained, and we dared not leave the crown of the hill,
and make our intrenchments on the bank of the river, for the enemy
could have planted his cannon on the hill and buried us. The day was
burning hot, and the men bit their cartridges ; their lips were parched
and blistered. But not a word of murmuring. The night of the 19th
two wells were ordered to be dug. We took a ravine, and expected to
reach water in about thirty hours. During the night, I passed around
the field, smoothed back the clotted hair, and by the light of the moon,
shining through the trees, recognized here and there the countenances
of my brave men who had fallen. Some were my favorites in days gone
past, who had stood by me in these hours of terror, and had fallen on
the hard fought field. Sadly we buried them in the trenches. The
morning of the 20th broke, but no reenforcements appeared, and still
the men fought on. The rebels had constructed movable breastworks
of hemp bales, rolled them up the hill, and advanced their batteriesin
a manner to command the fortification. Heated shot were fired at
them, but they had taken the precaution to soak the bales in the Mis
souri. The attack was urged with renewed vigo% and, during the fore
noon, the outer breastworks were taken by a charge of the rebels in
force. The whole line was broken, and the enemy rushed in upon us.
Captain Fitzgerald, whom I had known in my younger days, and whom
we had been accustomed to call by the familiar nickname, ' Saxy,' was
then ordered to oppose his company to the assailants. As I gave the
order, ' Saxy, go in,' the gallant Fitzgerald, at the head of company I,
with a wild yell rushed in upon the enemy. The Commander sent for
a company on which he could rely ; the firing suddenly ceased, and
when the smoke rose from the field, I observed the Michigan company,
under their gallant young commander. Captain Patrick McDermott,
charging the enemy and driving them back. Many of our good fellows
were lying dead, our cartridges had failed, and it was evident that the
tight wouW soon cease. It was now three o'clock, and all on a sudden
an orderly came, saying that the enemy had sent a flag of truce. With
the flag came the following note from General Price :
" ' Colonel— What has caused the cessation of the fight ? '
"The Colonel returned it with the foUowing reply written on the
back : —

OF THE WAR. 307
" ' General — I hardly know, unless you have surrendered.'
" He took pains to assure me, however, that such was not the case. I
learned soon after that the Home Guard had hoisted the white flag.
The Lieutenant who had thus hoisted the flag was threatened with in
stant death unless he pulled it down. The men all said, ' we have no
cartridges, and a vast horde of the enemy is about us.' They -were told
to go to the line and stand there, and use the charge at the muzzle of
their guns or perish there. They grasped their weapons the fiercer, turned
calmly about, and stood firmly at their posts. And there they stood
without a murmur, praying as they never prayed before, that the rebel
horde would show themselves at the earthworks. An officer remarked,
'this is butchery.' The conviction became general, and a council of war
was held. And when, finally, the white flag was raised, Adjutant Cos-
grove, of your city, shed bitter tears. The place was given up, upon
what conditions, to this day I hardly know or care. The enemy came
pouring in. One foppish officer, dressed in the gaudiest uniform of his
rank, strutted up and down through the camp, stopped before our men,
took out a pair of handcuffs, and holding them up, said, 'Do you know
what these are for ?' We were placed in file, and a figure on horseback,
looking much like ' Death on the pale horse,' led us through the streets
*f Lexington. As we passed, the secession ladies of Lexington came
from their houses, and from the fence tops jeered at us. We were then
taken to a hotel with no rations and no proprietor. After we had board
ed there for some time, we started with General Price, on the morning of
the 30th, for ' the laid of Dixie.' "
This disaster intensely excited the country against the com
manding General of the West It was pronounced a " reck
less sacrifice of men," a "piece of bad generalship," a "reck
less disregard of circumstances ;" the loss of Lyon and the re
treat of his forces were recalled with much bitterness ; and the
call became loud for Fremont's supercedure. But, it is cer
tain that Fremont was unable to cope -with all the embarrass
ing circumstances by which he was surrounded. He assumed
comrnand of the Department at a date when all other cam
paigns were already organized and in motion. He found few
men, few arms, but littie artiUery, no transports aWaiting him
• — aU had to be created. The enemy, in the meanwhile, was
in the field — armed and ready for an immediate attempt to
" drive, the invaders and the hirehng Dutch beyond the Mis
sissippi" He feU upon Lyon and Siegel m overwhelming

308 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
force, and pressed the Federal Hues back untU Lexington was
open before him. That Fremont, during all this advance, was
alive to the peril, his almost reckless exertions to obtain arms,
horses, artillery and transports, aU attest ; and, if he did not
succeed in keeping Price out of Lexington, it is certain that
he came so near accomplishing the circumvention and capture
of the combined rebel forces, that the country has not hesitated
to exonerate him from much, if not all, the blame at one time
heaped upon him.* . His suspension from command at the
very moment when he was about to meet his foe, and to real;;
ize the finiits of his unquestionably weU-laid schemes, was one
of those military errors which seem inseparable from every.
great, war.

xxx

THE CHARGE OF THE THREE HUNDRED.
~ The charge of Fremont's " Body Guard" under Major
Zagonyi, and the " Prairie Scouts" of Major Frank Ward into
5>pringfield, is conceded to have been one of the most briUiant
feats of arms of modem warfare.
* The defense of Fremont made by the Hon. Schuyler Colfax, through
the columns of the South Bend (Indiana) Register, silenced cavil and
excited sympathy for him even among those whose censures had been
most severe. It was shown that, as rapidly as Fremont would fit his
men for the field they were taken from him and sent to swell the ranks
of the army of the Potomac — where the pei-il was regarded as more
imminent than in Missouri. Five thousand men ready to support Mul
ligan were, at the very moment of their departure, counter-ordered to
the East.
An interesting series of papers on " Fremont's Hundred Days in Mis
souri," will be found in the Atlantic Monthly for January, February and
March, 1862.

OF THE WAR. 309
Charles Zagonyi was a Hungarian refugee who, like so many
of his countrymen, had fled to this country after the suppres
sion of the revolution in his native country by the iron hand
of the Eussian Czar. His daring character brought the young
officer to the notice of the invincible General Bem, by
whom he was placed in command of a troop of picked cavalry
for 'extraordinary service. His story, after that hour, up to
the date of his capture by the enemy, was one of unparaUeled
daring. His last act was to charge upon a heavy artUlery
force. Over one half of his men were killed and the rest
made prisoners, but not until after the enemy had suffered
terribly. He was then confined in an Austria-n dungeon, and
finally released, at the end of two years, to go into exile in
America. Fremont drew around him a large number of these refugees
from European tyranny, and found in them men of great
value, in all departments of the service. Zagonyi enlisted
three hundred carefully chosen men who, as a " Body Guard,"
served as pioneers and scouts in Fremont's advance. The ex
ploit at Springfield was only one of many similar services for
which they were designated by Fremont ; but, the suspension
of his command in Missouri broke up the Guard and Zagonyi
¦withdrew from the service untU his leader should again be
given a command.
The Guard was mounted, and was armed with German
sabers and revolvers — the first company only having carbines.
The horses were all bay in color, and were chosen with special
reference to speed and endurance.
The expedition to Springfield was planned, as it afterwards
appeared, upon false information. Instead of Springfield be
ing held by a small force, it was in possession of twelve hun
dred infantry and four hundred cavalry. Major Frank White
had been ordered by General Siegel to make a reconnoissance
toward Springfield — the Union army then being at Camp
Haskell, south ofthe Pomme de Terre Eiver, thirty-four miles
from Warsaw arid fifty-one from Springfield. The Major had
just come in with his dashing " Prairie Scouts," one hundred

310 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
and fifty-four strong, from their gaUant dash into Lexington ;
and the order to strike out for the reconnoissance found them
jaded from over service. The Major, however, put out, and
was far on his way when, on the 24th (of October) he was
joined by Zagonyi, who assumed command of the expedition,
by order of Fremont Zagonyi had with him one half of his
Guard, provided with only one ration. The march to Spring
field was to be forced, in order that the enemy should be sur
prised and the place secured before rebel reenforcements coul'd
reach it The cornbined Scouts and Guard marched aU
Thursday (October 24th) night ; briefly rested Friday mom
ing, then pushed on and were before Springfield at three p. M.
on the 25th-rthe fifty-one miles having beeir accomplished in
eighteen hours.
Eight miles from Springfield five mounted rebels were
caught ; a sixth escaped and gave the alarm to the forces in
the town, whose strength, Zagonyi learned from a Union
farmer, was fully two thousand strong. Nothing was left but
a retreat or bold dash. Zagonyi did not hesitate. His men
responded to his own spirit fully, and were eager for the
adventure, let it result as it would. Major White was so Ul
from over work that, at Zagonyi's entreaty, he remained at a
farm-house for a brief rest The Union farmer offered to pilot
the Body Guard around to the Mount Vernon -approach on the
West — thus hoping to effect a surprise in that direction, as the
enemy was, doubtless, aligned to receive the assault on the
Bolivar road, on the North. Of this detour White knew no
thing, and after his rest he pushed on -with his guard of five
men and a Lieutenant, to overtake his troops. He travelled
up to the very outskirts of the to-wn, and yet did not come up
to his men. Supposing them in possession of the place, he
kept on and soon found himself in a rebel camp — a prisoner.
He was immediately surrounded by a crew of savages, who at
once resolved to have his life. Captain Wroton, a rebel offi
cer, only saved the Federal officer and his men from murder
by swearing to protect them with his life. The blood-thirsty

OF THE WAR. 311
wretches were only kept at -bay by the constant presence of
Wroton. We may quote the particulars of the charge as given by
" jor Dorsheimer in his most admirable papers on Fremont's
Campaign, before referred to, in the Atlantic Monthly:
The foe were advised of the intended attack. When Major Wright
was brought into their camp, they were preparing to defend their posi
tion. As appears from the confession of prisoners, they had twenty-two
. hundred men, of whom four hundred were cavalry, the rest being in
fantry, armed with shot guns, American rifles, and revolvers. Twelve
hundred of their foot were posted along the edge of the wood upon the
crest of the hill. The cavalry was stationed upon the extreme left, on
top of a spur of the hill, and in front of a patch of timber. Sharp
shooters were concealed behind the trees close to the fence along-side
the lane, and a small number in some underbrush near the foot of the
hill. Another detachment guarded their train, holding possession of
the county fair-ground, which was surrounded by a high board-fence.
This position was unassailable by cavalry from the road, the only
point of attack being down the lane on the right ; and the enemy were
so disposed as to command this approach perfectly. The lane was a
blind one, being closed, after passing the brook, by fences and ploughed
land ; it was in fact a cul-de-sac If the infantry should stand, nothing
could save the rash assailants. There are horsemen sufficient to sweep
the little band before them, as helplessly as the withered forest-leaves
in the grasp of the autumn winds ; there are deadly marksmen lying
behind the trees upon the heights, and lurking in the long grass upon
the lowlands ; 'While a long line of foot stand upon the summit of the
slope, who, only stepping a few paces back into the forest, may defy the
boldest riders. Yet, down this narrow lane, leading into the very jaws
of death, came the three hundred.
On the prairie, at the edge of the woodland in which he knew his
wily foe lay hidden, Zagonyi halted his command. He spurred along
the line. With eager glance he scanned each horse and rider. To his
officers he gave the simple order, " Follow me! do as .1 do !" and then
drawing up in front of his men, with a voice tremulous and shrill with
emotion, he spoke —
" Fellow-soldiers, comrades, brothers ! This is yonr first battle. For
our three hundred, the enemy are two thousand. If any of you are
sick, or tired by the long march, or if any think the number is too
great, now is the time to tum back." He paused — no one was sick or
tired. " We must not retreat Our honor, the honor of our General
and our country, tell us to go on. I will lead you. We have been

312 INCIDENTS AND ' ANECDOTES
called holiday soldiers for the pavements of St Louis ; to-day we vrill
show that we are soldiers for the battle. Tour watchword shall be—
'The Union a-nd Frmwnt P Draw saber! Bythe right flank— quick
trot — march !' '-
Bright swords flashed in the sunshine, a passionate shout burst from
every lip, and -with one accord, the trot passing into a gallop, the com
pact column swept on in its deadly purpose. Most of them were boys.
A few weeks before they had left their homes. Those who were cool
enough to note it say that ruddy cheeks grew pale, and fiery eyes were
dimmed with tears. Who shall tell what thoughts, what visions of
peaceful cottages nestling among the groves of Kentucky, or shinmg
upon the banks of the Ohio and the Ulinois— what sad recollections of
tearful farewells, of tender, loving faces, filled their-minds during those
fearful moments of suspense ? No word was spoken. With lips com
pressed, firmly clenching their sword-hUts, with quick tramp of hoofs
and clang of steel, honor leading and glory awaiting them, the young
soldiers flew forward, each brave rider and each straining steed mem
bers of one huge creature, enormous, terrible, irresistible.
" ' T were worth ten years of peaceful life,
One glance at their array."
They pass the fair-ground. They are at the comer of the lane where
the wood begins. It runs close to the fence on their left for a hundred
yards, and beyond it they see white tents gleaming. They are half-way
past the forest, when, sharp and loud, a volley of musketry bursts upon
the head of the column ; horses stagger, riders reel and fall, but the
troop presses forward undismayed. The farther corner of the wood is
reached, and Zagonyi beholds the terrible array. Amazed, he involun
tarily checks his horse. The Rebels are not surprised. There to his
left they stand crowning the height, foot and horse ready to engulph
him, if he shall be rash enough to go on. The road he is foUo-wing
declines rapidly. There is but one thing to do — run the gauntlet, gain
the cover of the hUl, and charge up the steep. These thoughts pass
quicker than they can be told. He waves his saber over his head, and
shouting, " Forward ! follow me 1 quick trot ! gallop I" he dashes head
long down the stony load. The first company, and most of the second
follow. Prom the left a thousand muzzles belch forth a hissing flood
of bullets ; the poor fellows clutch wildly at the air and fall from their
saddles, and maddened horses throw themselves against the . fences.
Their speed is not for an instant checked ; farther down the hill they
fiy, like wasps driven by the leaden storm. Sharp volleys pour out of
the underbrush at the left, clearing wide gaps through their ranks.
They leap the brook, take down the fence, and draw up under shelter
of the hill. Zagonyi looks around him, andto his horror sees that only

OF THE WAR. 313
a fourth of his men are -with him. He cries, " They do not come — we
are lost !" and frantically waves his saber.
He has not long to wait. The delay of the rest of the Guard was not
from hesitation. -When Captain Foley reached the lower comer of the
wood and saw the enemy's line, he thought a flank attack might be ad
vantageously made. He ordered some men to dismount and take down
the fence. This was done under a severe fire. Several men fell, and
he found the wood so dense that it could not be penetrated. Looking
down the liill, he saw the flash of Zagonyi's saber, and at once gave the
order, " Forward !". At the same time. Lieutenant Kennedy, a stalwart
Kentuckian, shouted, " Come on, boys ! remember Old Kentucky !"
and the third company of the Guard, fire on every side of them — from
"behind trees, from untler the fences — with thundering strides and loud
cheers, poured down the slope and rushed to the side of Zagonyi. They
have lost seventy dead and wounded men, and the carcasses of horses
are strewn along the lane. Kennedy is wounded in the arm, and lies
upon the stones, his faithful charger standing motionless beside him.
Lieutenant Goff received a wound in the thigh ; he kept his seat, and
cried out, " The devils have hit me, but I will give it to them yet !"
The remnant of the Guard are now in the field under the hill, a,nd
from the shape of the ground the Rebel fire sweeps with the roar of a
whirlwind over their heads. Here we will leave them for a moment,
and trace the fortunes of the Prairie Scouts,
When Foley brought his troop to a halt. Captain Fairbanks, at the
head of the first company of Scouts^ was at the point where the first
volley of musketry had been received. The narrow lane was crowded
by a dense mass of struggling horses, and filled with the tumult of
battle. Captain Fairbanks says, and he is corroborated by several of
his men who were near, that at this moment an officer of the Guard
rode up to him and said, " They are flying ; take your men down that
lane and cut off their retreat" — pointing to the lane at the left Captain
Fairbanks was not able to identify the person who gave this order. It
¦ certainly did not come from Zagonyi, who was several hundred yards
farther on. Captain Fairbanks executed the order, followed by the
second company of Prairie Scouts, under Captain Kehoe. When this
movement was made. Captain Naughton, with the Third Irish dragoons,
had not reached the comer of the lane. He came up at a gallop, and
was about to follow Fairbanks, when he saw a Guardsman who pointed
in the direction in which Zagonyi had gone. He took this for an order,
and obeyed it. When he reached the gap in the fence, made by Foley,
not seeiug anythmg of the Guard, he supposed they had passed through
at that place, and gallantly attempted to follow. Thirteen men fell in
a few minutes. He was shot in the arm and dismounted. Lieutenant
40 2b

314 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Connolly spurred into the underbrush and received two balls through
the lungs and one in the left shoulder. The dragoons, at the outset
not more than fifty strong, were broken, and, dispirited by the loss of
their officers, retired. A sergeant rallied a few and brought them up
to the gap again, and they were again driven back. Five of the boldest
passed down the hill, joined Zagonyi, and were conspicuous for their
valor during the rest of the day. Fairbanks and Kehoe, having gained
the rear and left of the enemy's position, made two or three assaults
upon detached parties of the foe, but did not join in the main attack.
I now return to the Guard. It is forming under the shelter of the
hill. In front, with a gentle inclination, rises a grassy slope broken by
occasional tree-stumps. A line of fire upon the summit marks the po
sition of the rebel infantry, and nearer and on the top of a lower emi-"
nence to the right stand their horse. Up to this time no Guardsman
has struck a blow, but blue coats and bay horses lie thick along the
bloody lane. Their time has come. Lieutenant Maythenyi with thirty
men is ordered to attack the cavalry. With sabres fiashing over their
heads, the little band of heroes spring towards their tremendoug foe.
Right upon the centre they charge. The dense mass opens, the blue
coats force their way in, and the whole rebel squadron scatter in dis
graceful flight through the corn-fields in the rear. The bays follow
them sabring the fugitives. Days after, the enemy's horses lay thick
among the uncut corn.
Zagonyi holds his main body until Maythenyi disappears in the cloud
of rebel cavalry ; then his voice rises through the air: "In open order
— charge ! " The line opens out to give play to their sword-arm.
Steeds respond to the ardor of their riders, and quick as thought, with
thrilling cheers, the noble hearts rush into the leaden torrent which
pours down the incline. With unabated fire the gallant fellows press
through. Their fierce onset is not even checked. The foe do not wait
for them — they waver, break and fiy. The Guardsmen spur into the
midst of the rout, and their fast-falling swords work a terrible revenge.
Some of the boldest of the Southrons retreat into the woods, and con
tinue a murderous fire from behind trees and thickets. Seven Guard
horses fall upon a space not more than twenty feet square. As his
steed sinks under him, one of the officers is caught around the shoulders
by a grape-vine, and hangs dangling, in the air untU he is cut down by
his friends. ,
• The rebel foot are flying in furious haste from the field. Some take .
refuge in the fair-ground, some hurry into the corn-fields, but the great
er part run along the edge of the wood, swarm over the fence into the
road, and hasten to the village. The Guardsmen follow. Zagonyi
leads them. Over the loudest roar of battle rings his clarion voice —

OF THE WAR. 315
" Come on. Old Kentuck I I'm with you ! " : And the flash of his sword-
blade tells his men where to go. As he approaches a bam, a man steps
from behind the door and lowers his rifle ; but before it has reached a
level, Zagonyi's sabre-point descends upon his head, and his life-blood
leaps to the very top of the huge barn-door.
The conflict now raged through the village — in the public square, and
along the streets. Up and down the Guards ride in squads of three or
four, and wherever they see a group of the enemy, charge upon and
scatter them. It is hand to hand. No one but has a share in the fray.
There was at least one soldier in the Southern ranks. A young officer,
superbly mounted, charges alone upon a large body of the Guard. He
passes through the line unscathed, killing one man. He wheels, charges
back, and again breaks through, killing another man. A third time he
rushes upon the Federal line, a score of sabre-points confront him, a
cloud of bullets fly around him, but he pushes on until he reaches Za
gonyi — he presses his -pistol so close to the Major's side, that he feels it
and draws convulsively back, the bullet passes through the front of
Zagonyi's coat, who at the instant runs the daring rebel through the
body ; he falls, and the men, thinking their commander hurt, kill him
with a dozen wounds.
" He was a brave man," said Zagonyi afterwards, " and I did wish to
make him prisoner."
Meanwhile it has grown dark. The foe have left the village and the
battle has ceased. The assembly is sounded, and the Guard gathers in
the Plaza. Not more than eighty mounted men appear : the rest are
killed, wounded, or unhorsed. At this time one of the most charac
teristic incidents of the affair took place.
Just before the charge, Zagonyi directed one of his buglers, a French
man, to sound a signal. The bugler did not seem to pay any attention
to the order, but darted off with Lieutenant Maythenyi. A few moments
afterwards he was observed in another part of the fleld vigorously pur
suing the flying infantry. His active form was always seen in the
thickest of the fight. When the line was formed in the Plaza, Zagonyi
noticed the bugler, and approaching him said : " In the midst of battle
you disobeyed my order. You are unworthy to be a member ofthe
Guard. I dismiss you." The bugler showed his bugle to his indignant
commander — the mouth-piece- of the instrument was shot away. He
said : " The mouth was shoot off. I could not bugle viz mon bugle,
- and so I bugle viz mon pistol and sabre." It is unnecessary to add, the
brave Frenchman was not dismissed.
I must not forget to mention Sergeant Hunter, of the Kentucky com
pany. His soldierly figure never failed to attract the eye in the ranks
of the Guard. He had served in the regular cavalry, and the Body-

316 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Guard had profited greatly from his skill, as a drill-master. He lost
three horses in the fight. As soon as one was killed, he caught another
from the rebels : the third horse taken by him in this way he rode into
St. Louis.
The Sergeant slew five men. " I won't speak of those I shot," said
he- — " another may have hit them ; but those I touched with my sabre I
am sure of, because I felt them."
At the beginning of the charge, he came to the extreme right and took .
position next to Zagonyi, whom he followed closely through the battle.
The Major, seeing him, said :
" Why are you here. Sergeant Hunter ? Your place is with your
company on the left." " I kind o'wanted to be in the front," was the
answer. " "What could I say to such a man ?" exclaimed Zagonyi, speaking of
the matter afterwards.
There was hardly a horse or rider among the sur-vivors' that did not
bring away some mark of the fray. I saw one animal -with no less than
seven wounds — ^none of them serious. Scabbards were bent, clothes
and caps pierced, pistols injured. I saw one pistol from which the sight
had been cut as neatly as it could have been done by machinery. A
piece of board a few inches long was cut from a fence on the field, in
which there were thirty-one shot-holes.
It was now nine o'clock. The wounded had been carried to the
hospital. The dismounted troopers were placed in charge of them — in
the double capacity of nurses and guards. Zagonyi expected the foe to
return every minute. It seemed like madness to try and hold the town
with his small force, exhausted by the long march and desperate fight.
He therefore left Springfield, and retired before morning twentj-five
miles on the Bolivar road..
Captain Fail-banks did not see his commander after lea-ving the columh
in the lane, at the commencement of the engagement. About dusk he
repaired to the prairie, and remained there within a mile of the village
until midnight, when he followed Zagonyi, rejoining him in the mom
ing. I will now return to Major -Wliite. During the conflict upon the hill,
he was in the forest near the front of the rebel line. Here his horse
was shot under him. Captain Wroton kept careful watch over him.
When the flight began he hurried -White away, and, accompanied by
a squad of eleven men, took him ten miles into the country. They stop
ped at a farm-house for the night "White discovered that their host
was a Union man. His parole having expired, he took advantage of the
momentary absence of his captor to speak to the farmer, telling him who
he was, and asking him to send for assistance. The countryman mount-

OF THE WAR. 317
ed his son upon his swiftest horse, and sent him for succor. The party
lay down by the flre, White being placed in the midst. The- rebels were
soon asleep, but there was no sleep for the Major. He listened anxious
ly for the footsteps of his rescuers. After long weary hours, he heard
the tramp of horses. He arose, and walking on tiptoe, cautiously step
ping over his sleeping guard, he reached the door and silently unfasten
ed it. The Union men rushed into the room and took the astonished
Wroton and his followers prisoners. At daybreak White rode into Spring
field at the head of his captives and a motley band of Home Guard. He
found the Federals still in possession of the place. As the officer of
highest rank, he took command. His garrison consisted of twenty-four
men. He stationed twenty-two of them as pickets in the outskirts of
the -village, and held the other two as a reserve. At noon the enemy
sent a flag of truce, and asked pennission to bury their dead. Major
-White received the flag -with proper ceremony, but said that General
Siegel was in command and the request would have to be referred to him.
Siegel was then forty miles away. In a short time a written communi
cation, purporting to come from General Siegel, saying that the rebels
might send a party under certain restrictions to bury their dead: White
- drew in some of his pickets, stationed them about the field, and under
their suweillance the Southern dead were buried.
The loss of the enemy, as reported by some of their working party, was
one hundred and sixteen killed. The number of wounded could not be
ascertained. After the confiict had drifted away from the hill-side,
some of the foe had retumed to the field, taken away their wounded,
and robbed our dead. The loss of the Guard was fifty-three out of one
hundred and forty-eight actually engaged, twelve men having been left
by Zagonyi in charge of his train. The Prairie Scouts reported a loss of
-thirty One out of one hundred and thirty : half of these belonged to
¦the Iiish Dragoons. In a neighboring fleld an Irishman was found stark
and stiff, still , clinging to the hilt of his sword, which was thrust
through the body of a rebel who lay beside him. Within a few feet a
second rebel lay, shot through the head.
This was the first and the last exploit of the Guard. They
retumed, soon after, to St Louis, along -with Fremont Their
rations and forage were denied them and they were disbanded
-rashamed of their soUed and ragged garments, and humUiated
at their usage. Such are the fortunes of those at the mercy
of opposing factions of the same service.

2b2

XXXI.

BOMBARDMENT OF THE PORT EOTAL FORTS.
Seventy vessels saUed and steamed out of Hampton Eoads,
on -the morning of Tuesday, October 29th, stretching out to
sea, then heading for the South. It was a fleet of conquest,
bearing one of the most superb armaments that ever floated in
American waters. Frigates, sloops-of-war, and gunboats were
mixed in with stately ocean steamers ; whUe these had in tow
nemerous SmaU craft — all loaded to their fullest capacity with
war materiel. Their destination was a mystery, even to those
on board, except to those in whose hands the direction of that
vast expedition was entrusted. The country speculated in
vain as to whither it would_move — Charleston, Savannah, Ne-sv
Orleans, Beaufort (S.C.,) Bull's Bay — aU being named as pro
bable points of attack. This suspense was not cleared up
until November 10th, when it became known, through rebel
sources, that the Port Eoyal forts were ours.
The particulars of the bombardment of these forts are very
interesting. It was one of the most imposing spectacles of the
war — not so sublimely wUd as the bombardment of the New
Orleans forts, but very novel and magnificent as a naval
demonstration. The vessels of the squadron arrived off Kibben Head (Port
Eoyal Harbor entrance) during the night of Sunday and the.
day of Monday, November 3d and 4tL The gunboats imme
diately commenced their soundings, tcTverify their old surveys
of the channel. The rebel fleet, of five small vessels, under
command of Commodore Tatnall, late of the United States
Navy, put out from one of the estuaries, and engaged the

OF THE WAR. 319
reconoitering afid surveying boats. After a sharp passage the
rebels retired — evidently impressed with the smallness of his
means to cope -with such antagonists. The forts on Hilton
Head and Bay Point kept sUence, nor did any land batteries
open, to betray their whereabouts to the fieet
To draw their fire, and determine the order of attack, the
gunboat Mercury, under Captain Oilman, chief of the Engineer
Corps, was dispatched " along shore" to recQunoitre. Several
of the vessels of war during the day dropt so far into the har
bor, as to tempt the enemy to " show his teeth," which he did
in a sharp manner, betraying a heavy battery on Hilton Head
, (afterwards discovered to be a well-appointed fort,) and two
batteries on the opposite shores. The Union gunboats and the
batteries kept up a fire for about two hours, when Commodore
Dupont (in command of the Naval force of the expedition)
signalled the boats out of the fight
Wednesday morning was fixed upon as the moment for the
reduction of the batteries ; but, the flag-ship, Wabash, grounded
on Fishing Eip shoal, and did hot get off until too late for
tide-flow, which her heavy draught required, in order safely to
clear the bar and shoals.
Thursday (November 7th) was the momentous day. The
moming was one ofthe most beautiful of Southem latitudes.
A gentle breeze broke the clear water's face into ripples, as if
the Naiades were smiling- at the tragedy which portended.
. Butterflies fluttered through the air, and the songs of Southem
birds broke the stUlness -with their waves of melody. The
vessels of war reposed in quiet just beyond the reach of the
enemy's guns, whUe beyond swung the transports at anchor,
containing fifteen thousand troops, as an audience, to witness
in -safety the sublime combat of artillery.
At half past nine the vessels began to move into battle — in
most novel and exciting disposition. . The order as arranged
was to saU in singly-* the flag-ship Wabash first ; each vessel
to follow in its aUotted succession. Passing slowly up stream,
the starboard guns were to pour their 'fire into the two bat
teries (or forts) on the Bay Point side — passing down stream,

320 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
on the return, the battery (or fort) on HUtoh Head, was to
receive the :fire. The vessels, thus saiHng in an eUipse, passed
in and out of range of the enemy's stationary guns, dealing,
as they passed in close range, a fearful shower of shot and
sheU '
The first shot was fired by the Hilton Head fortification
(Fort Walker,) as the Wabash steamed within range, at twenty-
six minutes past nine, A. M. Three shots were thus fired
Then the Bay Point battery opened, when the Wabash responded,
with a terrific broadside. Her batteries consisted of twenty-
six guns to the side, and a heavy pivot-gun fore and aft
These HteraUy rained their iron shower on the lesser rebel fort
No attention was paid to Fort Walker. The flag-ship steamed
slowly up stream, keeping the enemy under fire about twenty
minutes, wheri she winded the line, turning southward, and,
steaming down stream, gave Fort Walker her entire attention,
passing within eight hundred yards of the Fort, which showed
itself to be a very powerful work, mounting very heavy and .
superior guns, whose fire proved them to be not only improved
ordnance, but well served, \
The other vessels foUowed the same order of action. The
Susquehanna, Pawnee, Seminole, Bienville, Pocahontas, Mohican,'.
Augusta, and the gunboats Ottawa, Seneca, Unadilla, Pembina^
and Vandalia joined in the fray, firing shell with great rapidity.
and precision, and making the battery vocal with their prac
tice. The rebels fought their guns with a desperate coolness,
and fired- with a rapidity really surprising under the circum
stances. In Fort Walker, against which the Federals directed
their chief efforts — ^the Confederate gunners were stripped to
the waist, and worked like furies. Their officer in command,
Brigadier-General Drayton, was efficient, cool, and stubborn,
but what could withstand that fearful hail ?
Around the course the stately messengers of destruction
moved, never faltering, liever failing to»come up to the work
with exhaustiess fury. The smaller gunboats obtained a posi-',
tion close into shore where the fort guns were enfiladed, while
the Bienville sailed in, at the second round, close to the fort,.

OF THE WAR. 321
and gave her tremendous guns with such fearful effect that
the enemy's best guns were soon silenced, but not until the
vessel had been well spotted -v^^ith the enemy's shot The
Wabash also caine to a stand, at the third round, about six
hundred yards from the fort. That moment decided the day.
No human power could face such a death-storm, and the enemy
suddenly fled, taking to the woods in the rear with such haste
as allowed no time for any to gather up even, the most prized
of their goods. -
The firing ceased at a few minutes past two p. M. — the bat
tle having thus been waged with stubborn fierceness for over
four hours. Discovering that the enemy had probably evac
uated. Commander Eodgers — aid to Flag Officer Dupont^went
ashore in the Mercury to find the enemy really gone. With
his own hands he hauled down the rebel colors and flung the
Stars and Stripes to the breeze. Then foUowed such a shout
from the watching thousands as must have made appalling
music for the Southem heart. Fort Walker had fallen and
South Carolina was " invaded." The " dastard Yankee" had
opened a way into her very -vitals.
A reporter wrote, of the effects of the Federal bom
bardment :
-" The effects of our fire were to be seen on every hand in the work.
On the line along the front, three guns were dismounted by the enfi
lading fire of our ships. One carriage had been struck by a large shell
and shivered to pieces, dismounting the heavy gun mounted upon it,
and sending the splinters flying in all directions with terrific force.
Between the gun and the foot of the parapet was a large pool of blood,
mmgled with brains, fragments of skull and pieces of flesh, evidently
from the face, as portions of whiskers still clung to it This shot must
have done horrible execution, as other portions of human beings were
found all about it Another carriage to the right was broken to pieces,
and the guns on the water fronts were rendered useless bythe enfilading
fire from the gunboats on the left flank. Their scorching .flre of shell,
which swept with resistlej? fury and deadly effect across this long
water pond, where the enemy had placed their heaviest metal, en bar
bette, without taking the precaution to place traverses between the guns,
¦ I ! did as much as anything to drive the rebels from their works, in tbe
*^' hurried manner I have before described. The works wore ploughed
41

322 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
up by the shot and shell so badly as to make immediate, repairs
necessary. "All the houses, and many of the tents about the work were perfo
rated and torn by flying shell, and hardly a Mght of glass could be
found intact, in any building where a shell exploded. The trees in the
vicinity of the object of our fire, showed marks of heavy visitations.
Everything, indeed, bore the marks of ruin. No wonder, then, that the
rebels beat a hasty retreat. I can, and do, cheerfully bear testimony
to the gallant and courageous manner in which the rebels maintained
their position under a hot fire, and fought at their guns when many
would have fied."
Another correspondent wrote :
" The road the rebels took was strewn for miles with muskets; knap
sacks, blankets, cartridge-boxes and other valuables that they had
thrown away in their flight. They had retreated across the island to
Seabrook, a distance of half a dozen miles, where they took boat for
Savannah. Even the wharf at Seabrook was strewn with valuables,
carried even so far and abandoned at the last moment. .The troops who
were in charge of this fort, and who certainly fought most gallantly,
were the Twelfth regiment of South Carolina volunteers, under Colonel
Jones, and the Ninth South Carolina volunteers, commanded by Colo
nel Haywood, and a battalion of German artiUery, under Colonel Wago
ner. They had in the fort about 1,300 men in all — enough to serve all
the guns in the most efficient manner. They had also a field batteiy
with 500 troops stationed at a point a short distance above Hilton Head,
where they anticipated our transports would undertake to send troops
to attempt a fiank movement for the assistance of the navy. On the
Opposite side of the river they had 400 men. It cannot be denied that
the resistance was as gallant as the final panic was complete ; but the
hardest fighting on the rebel side was all done by the German artillery,
they being the last to leave the fort, which they did not do until long
after the greater part of the valiant Palmetto ' OhivS.lry' had taken to
the woods to save their precious necks.
" They had spiked but one gun, a most valuable rifled cannon, which
they temporarily disabled with a steel spike, which can -with difflculty
be extracted. The other guns were, most of them, cblumbiads of the
very largest size, one hundred and thirty-pounders, and of the most ad
mirable finish, being the flnest and latest productions of the Tredegar
Works, Richmond, and fully equal to any guns owned by the Nor£h.
There were twenty-three of these guns in the fort.
" The fortification is of most admirable construction, e-vidently plan
ned and built under, the superintendence of a thoroughly able engineer,

OF THE WAR. 323
and is one of the strongest works of the kind in the whole country.
Our losses were : ten killed ; twenty-five wounded."
As was anticipated, the fate of Fort Walker decided that of
the opposite .fortifications. The two batteries were that night
abandoned without further struggle, and at dayhght in the
moming the Stars and Stripes floated over both the two points
and Slj. Philip's Island. The works there were two well-con
structed earth-works, the one on Bay Point mounting twenty-
one heavy columbiads, and the other mounting four co-
lumbiads. It was a noticeable fact, that the large store of powder found
was, of the best English make — that many of the projectUes
were of English make — ^that several of the rifled guns were of
English manufecture.
The abandoned fort and adjacent islands were immediately
occupied by the troops on the transports. The islands and
forts on the north side of the harbor were occupied Friday
moming. In a few days Beaufort was a Federal city, and the
Sea Islands around were soon sending their treasures of cotton
once more to the " outer world."

XXXII.

INCIDENTS OF THE CAPTURE OP THE PORT
ROYAL FORTS.
General Drayton, the rebel officer in command at Fort
Walker, was brother of Captain Drayton, in command of the
'Pocahontas, gunboat The case certainly afforded a painful
verification of the tmth that, in the war, " brother was arrayed

324 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
against brother. "* Captain Steedman, of the Bienville, gunboat,
was a South Carolinian. He fought his vessel -with remark-.
a^le skill and fury, as did also Captain Drayton the Pocahontas.
After the ships had made one round, and sailed their fiery
circle once, the order of battle was changed; certain ones of
¦ the gunboats dropped out of their assigned places, having dis
covered that they could take up a raking position which would
enable them to remain' stationary, and still keep up a rapid '
and galling fire on the fort. So, hericeforth, the other attack
ing ships moved in a single line, the Wabash still leading. -
Four of the gunboats ran into the bight of the river, to the
north of the Fort, where they were enabled to keep up an
enfilading fire, that completely raked the entire fortificatioiil
of FortvValker, and distressed the enemy exceedingly. These
gunboats were the Ottawa, Curlew, Seneca, and Unadilla. They
were afterward joined by the Pocahontas.
Very many of the shot from the shore batteries were aimed
high, especially at the Bienville, and other steamers ha-ving the
walking-beam of the engine high above the deck, the object
being to cripple the engine, and thus render the vessel un
manageable, so that she might drift on the shoals and become
an easy prey. In these attempts they were not successful in
a single instance, for not one of our ships, save the Penguin!,
which was immediately taken care of by one of our own boats,
was injured in her steam works, so as to be disabled for a
single instant
The rebels regarded the destruction of the fleet as certain —
their powerful guns being relied upon to sink any hull which
should come in their way. In some of the letters found, half
finished, in the officers' quarters, the utter destruction of the
entire expedition was considered so positively assured, and
their belief in the ability of their batteries to put an effectual
quietus upon the pretentions of Lincoln's fleet was so perfect,
that, in one or two of the documents, the writers lamented the
* Among othe^ cases cited, is that of the sons of the venerable John
J. Crittenden. One was a Major-General in the rebel service — the other
was Brigadier-General in the Union army.

OF THE WAR. 325
necessity they should be under of sending the ships to the
bottom, when the Confederates were so much in need of ships.
It was taken for granted that the tremendous execution to be
done by their heavy guns, would perforate the hulls of our
ships, and send them instantly to the bottom. Having this
confident ex;pectation, the rebels looked eagerly after every •
fire to see some of our ships go down. They especially con -
. centrated their guns on the Wabash,' and, as the prisoners
afterward informed our men, were much surprised that she
persisted in remaining afloat When the ships had all passed
their battery in safety for the first time, had " peppered them
well," and had all escaped without apparent injury, the aston
'ighment was great, and the universal impression began to
prevaU that there was some mistake.
For the second time the fleet came steaming down ; for the
second time the Federals poured in their terrible fire, dis
mantling guns, shattering buildings, and stretching in death
numbers of men ; and for the second time the fleet passed on
in safety, showing not the slightest sign of any intention of
going to the bottom.
By this time, a new element began to mingle with the feel
ings of the rebel garrison With astonishment and wonder
that they had not yet sunk any of the opposing vessels, began
to mingle a large, a very large proportion, of doubt whether
they could do it
Without paying more attention to the barking of the battery
at Fort Beauregard, on Bay Point, than to pitch them an occa
sional shot, merely to let them know they were not forgotten,
for the third time the ships rounded their circular track, and
came slowly down to pay their respects again. Again was
the whole fire of the fort concentrated on the Wabash, and
afterward, in turn, on each one of the vessels, as they passed,
in a fiery procession^ before the shore, delivering with -the
utmost coolness and the most exact precision, their murderous
fire, running even nearer than before, firing more effectually
than ever, yet again steaming away unharmed, and turning
the point for still another round.
2c

326 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
The utmost consternation now took full possession of the
rebels, and, in an uncontrollable panic, they fled vnth precipi
tation The panic at Bull Eun was not more complete;
indeed, not half so much so, for the rebels in their mortal
terror ran for the woods without stopping for anything what
ever. • The left in their tents hundreds of dollars of money,
gold watches, costly swords, and other valuables, showing that
their fear was uncontrollable and complete. .) .
The flight, observed first from the Httie gunboat Mercun/.,
was communicated by her to the flag-ship, and then was inune-
diately telegraped to all the fleet . ;
When our men took possession on Bay Point, they disco-vp-
ered a characteristic trick of the enemy, which most luckUy
failed to succeed. The Secession flag was haiUed partly down,
and the halyards were connected with an ingenious percussion-
cap apparatus, so arranged that the complete hauHng down of
the flag would explode the cap, which was intended to ignite
a train of powder connected -with the powder magazine. By
some unforeseen accident, a quantity of sand was thrown over
part of the train of powder, so that although the cap exploded
and fired a part of the powder, and blew up a neighboring
house, it did not communicate with the magazine, and httle
harm was done.
The Wabash fired, during the entire action, nine hundred
shots, being all eight, nine, ten, and eleven-inch sheUs, with
the exception of a few rifled-cannon projectUes of a new pat
tern, and -which .were used simply as a "matter of experiment.
The Susquehanna fired five hundred shots, the Bienville one
hundred and eighty-five, and the average of .the gunboatS' and
the other smaller ships may probably be set down at one hun
dred and fifty each. There were, in all, sixteen vessels
engaged on our side, and, probably, from aU of them were fired
not far from 3,500 shot and shell at the two forts. Walker and
Beauregard, the four-gun battery, and TatnaU's, and the three
steamers. On almost every vessel, after the fight, the men were called
aft" and pubHcly thanked by their respective Captains. On the

OF THE WAR. 327
Bienvilk, particular mention was made and special thanks
returned, in presence of the ship's company, to William Henry
.Steele, a boy not fourteen years old, who conducted himself
with distinguished bravery. He was powder-boy ; and not
only never flinched nor dodged a shot, but when two men
were killed at his gun, he did not turn pale, nor cease,* for an
instant, his duties, but handed the cartridge he had in hand to
the gunner, stepped carefully over the bodies, and hastened
below for more ammunition.
Thomas Jackson, coxswain of the Wabash, was struck by a
shot which so nearly cut his leg off as to leave it hanging by
a smaU portion of the muscle and skin. Partially rising and
leaning painfully against a gun, Jackson glanced at his mangled
limb, and, in an instant perceived its helpless condition Feel
ing behind his back in his belt, where seamen always carry
their knives, he drew his sheath-knife from its leathern scab
bard, and deliberately began to saw away at his leg. He was
borne below by his mates ; and_^ afterward asked continually'
how the fight was going, saying, " I hope we'll win it, I hope
we'll win." In two hours he died; his last words being a
wish for victory, and a word of thanks that he had been able
.to, do something for the honor ofthe " dear old flag."
The Wabash was struck thirty-five times. One shot below
the water-line started a bad leak. Another almost cut away
the mainmast Her rigging was badly cut up. Her handling
was very effective. She was, at no time, in a position to be
raked by the enemy's guns. She escaped -with remarkable
good fortune, considering that, as the flag-ship, she was the
enemy's special target
The Bienville was particularly exposed — having approached
nearer the shore than any other vessel. But five shots struck
her, and only one doing any serious injury. One columbiad
solid shot struck her on the starboard bow, killing two and
wounding three of her crew.
The Penguin was struck in her steam-chest, but no person
was injured by the escaping steam. She was immediately
towed out of action by the Isaac Smith tug-boat, which, though

328 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
not a fighter, was everywhere in the midst of shot and shell,
ready for towing off any disabled ship.'
The Pawnee was struck nine times. The Mohican also
received a number of shots. These two were the most cut-up
of any of the smaller vessels of the fleet The Ottawa, Seneca,
VandaUa, Seminole, Susquehanna, Pocahontas, and Augusta, aU
were several times hit, but none -were disabled. This apparent
lack of execution, when the shots so many times struck the
v'essels, arises from the fact that, either the rebels aimed high,
for the purpose of breaking the walking-beams, and so crip
pling the engines of such of our vessels as could thus be dis
abled ; or not deeming it possible that we worUd have the
temerity to engage them at six hundred yards instead of two
or three miles, the guns were all sighted for the longest range,
and they consequently carried over, and clear' of the hulls of
our ships, and only cut the upper rigging.
The enemy left Fort Walker so hurriedly that their private
effects, indeed, everything were wholly abandoned. The
Federal troops found everything just as they left them. Din
ner tables were set, and good food ready for the hungry
fighters. The amount of stuff found was astonishing., All was
taken possession of by our forces, and, with the exception of a
few articles taken as mementoes of the occasion, everything
was turned over to the proper officers. Quite a number of
elegant swords arid pistols, saddles, etc., were found, and dis
tributed among the deserving.
The appearance of the old flag on the Game Cock State was
hailed by enthusiasticT cheers from the men of war, and caught
up by the transports. Cheer after cheer went round the har
bor, bands played patriotic tunes, and every one felt most gay
and festive. The effect on the men when the flag waved aloft,
was differently and curiously manifested. Some cheered
lustily, while others were choked with their emotions. Some
wept with joy, the tears rolling down their cheeks as large' as
peas, whilst others were much excited at once more seeing the
colors of the Federal Union waving over South Carolina's
traitorous soil.

XXXIII.

THE FALL OF FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON.
The sudden change of programme in the conduct of the war
in the West during Febmary was owing to the fine stage of
water in the rivers and to the proven efficiency of the gun
boats. Anticipating an advance up the Cumberland and Ten
nessee rivers the Confederates had erected two strong fortifica
tions near the Tennessee line — Fort Henry on the Tennessee
river and Fort Donelson, a powerful defense, on the Cumber
land, near Dover. These structures were well constructed,
mounted heavy and numerous guns, were well flanked by rifle
pits, and, beside their regular garrison, had heavy supporting
field forces constantly within reach. It was their powerful
character which induced Grant to desist from his first essay up
the Tennessee.
A movement against them, if successful, would at once
force the rebel lines of defense far to the South, and render
Bowling Green and 'NashviUe an easy conquest Whether
to General Halleck, Commodore Foote, General Grant, or Mr.
Lincoln belongs the credit of first conceiving the campaign,
we do not know. That it was weU -planned and briUiantiy
executed, the- history ofthe war proves.
An order (February 1st)" promulgated by General Grant,
placed his forces on a footing of active service. It was as
follows : " Head-quarteks Distbiot op Caibo, )
Cairo, Feb. 1st, 1862. (
" For temporary government the forces of this military district will be divided
and commanded as follows, to wit :
42 2c2

330 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
"The First brigade will consist of the Eighth, Eighteenth, Twenty-seventh
Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first regiments of Illinois Volunteers, Schwartz's
and Dresser's batteries, and Stewart's, Dollin's, O'Harnet's, and Carmichael's
cavalry. Colonel E. J. Oglesby, senior Colonel ofthe brigade, commanding.
" The Second brigade -will consist ofthe Eleventh, Twentieth, Forty-fifth and Forty-
eighth Illinois infantry, Fourth Illinois cavalry, Taylor's and McAUiater' s artillery.
(The latter with four siege guns) Colonel W. H. L. Wallace commandimg.
" The First and Second brigades will constitute the first division of the district of
Cairo, and will be commanded by Brigadier' General John A. MoClernand.
"The Third brigade will consist of the Eighth Wisconsin, Forty-ninth Illinois,
Twenty-fifth Indiana, four companies of artillery, and such troops as are yet to
arrive. Brigadier General E. A. Paine commanding.
" The Fourth brigade will be composed of the Tenth, Sixteenth, Twenty-second,
and Thirty-third Illinois and the Tenth Iowa infantry ; HoutaUng's battery of light
artillery, four companies oJ the Seventh and two companies ofthe Fii-st Illinois
cavalry; Colonel Morgan commanding.
" General E. A. Paine is assigned to the command at Cairo and Mound City, and
Colonel Morgan to the command at Bird's Point. By order of
" U. S. GRANT, Brigadier General Coomiaudihg.-' '
" Jno. a. Ea-wlins, Assistant Adjutant-General."
The advance — McClernand's two brigades — -from CairOj
commenced by transports, February 3d, passing directly up
the Tennessee river, and disembarking on the 4th four mUes
north of Fort Henry. The iron-clad gunboats of Commodore
Foote's fleet were already there. Upon the arrival of the
troops three of the boats steamed up to reconnoiter and " feel
of" the batteries. . The enemy gave them a warm reception,
fully showing his position and force.- Eeenforcements pressed -
up almost hourly from below, untU Grant's force, by February
6th, was equal to any emergency. February 5th the General
returned from the advance to Paducah to bring up General
Smith's division, then at that point, 7000 strong. These all
debarked at a favorable point, on the 6th, near the Fort
But the activity of Foote anticipated the slower movement?
of the army. He steamed up, February 6th, passing around '
Painter's Creek Island — which lay over on the west side of
the Tennessee, directly in front of Fort Henry. The enemy had
neglected to obstruct that passage.
The boats emerged above the Fort, only one mile away, hav
ing the stream in their favor. The gunboat Cincinnati, (the
" flag ship,") Commodore Foote on board, opened, the fight.

OF THE WAR. 331
slowly advancing directly down upon the fort, foUowed by the
St. Louis, Carondelet, Essex, Conestoga and Lexington. The
Fort replied with a furious and well served fire from heavy
guns. The boats floated do-wn until within , three hundred
yards of the enemy's embrazures, when headway was stopped
and a close quarter action ordered. The fire was perfectiy
appaUing for a few minutes succeeding, when at 1.40 the ene
my's flag struck and the Fort was won Its commander. Gen
eral Lloyd Tilghman of Kentucky, (formerly of the United
-States Army,) surrendered nnconditionally, with his staff and
artillerists, (sixty.) The rebel infantry encamped near the
Fort fled at the first fire, abandoning even their dinner— leav
ing TUghman to do his work alone. The rebels also had
three gunboats which fled hastily up the river. The Fort
.mounted seventeen guns— most of them thirty-two and thirty-
four-pounders rifled, and one, a superb ten-inch columbiad.
The rebel loss -was five kUled and ten badly wounded. Why
Tilghman surrendered, with only two guns disabled, our forces
could not see. Commodore Foote received his sword, when
General TUghman said : " I am glad to surrender to so gallant
an officer." Foote's notable reply was: "You. do perfectly
right, sir, in surrendering ; but you should have blown my
boats out of the water before I would have surrendered
to you 1"
The ancmnafo" wa? hit by thirty-one. shots— some of them
passing through her. The Essex was disabled by a heavy
baU, which entered her side forward port, cut through the
bulkhead and squarely through one of her boUers. The
-escaping steam scalded to death the two pilots in the house
above and injured more or less aU on board, including Com-
¦ mander Porter. His aid, S. B. Brittan, was kiUed at his side
by a shot The Essex, after the disaster, was aUowed to float
down stream beyond the range of the guns. Her loss was six
kiUed, seventeen wounded, and five missing. •
Grant's.forces were in the Fort one half hour after its sur
render. A delay of the attack by the gunboats untU Grant
could have invested the place, doubtless , would have given

332 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the Union army the entire force of rebel infantry which ao
hastily fled across to Fort Donelson
This capture opened the way for an immediate descent on
Fort Donelson. The pursuit of the retreating forces was
rapid, and resulted in the capture of eight brass guns and
thirty-three prisoners. Three gunboats pushed on up the
river disabling the railway bridge across the Tennessee and
DanvUle, and securing considerable quanty of commissary
stores, wagons and army supplies found at the bridge. The
entire property secured by the day's work was valued at about
two hundred thousand dollars. The gunboats retumed on
the 10th, having succeeded in reconnoitering as far up as
Florence, and in capturing and destroying a number of steam
ers used by the enemy as transports.
'The rebels hastened to reenforce Fort Donelson. Generals
PUlow, Floyd and Buckner were all there with their respective
brigades, besides the regular garrison of the fortress, composed
of artUlerists from Columbus and the Mississippi river forts
below. Outlying fortifications were thrown up, and rifle pits .
thrown out flank and rear. , With this force and disposition
it became evident that the reduction of the Fort would be a
bloody affair, at best
Commodore Foote with five boats started down the Tennes
see immediately after the capture of Fort Henry, proceeding
to Cairo to recruit and repair damages: On the night of
February 11th he started for the Cumberland river.
The investment of Fort Donelson was complete by the 12th
— McClemand's division having the Federal right 'wing and
General Smith's the left, whUe Footels gunboats commanded
the river and assaulted the works from the front The pow- .
erful river batteries -were his chief point of attack Six gun
boats went into the fight February 14th before three P. M.,
the flag boat St. Louis leading. A severe contest followed of
an hour and a half duration — the enemy using every possible
exertion to overcome their water antagonists. They were so
far successful as to shoot away the wheel of the St. Louis and
the rudder of the Louisville, whUe all the boats were riddled

/
OF THE WAR. 333 I
with shot The St. Louis alone received fifty solid balls in
and through her maU and upperworks. The firing of the ves
sels was fearfully destructive — much of the time some of the,
boats being. -within four hundred yards of the batteries. The
enemy were completely driven from most of the guns, but
three guns kept up the contest bravely so long as the iron
clads were within range. Fifty-four men were kiUed and
wounded on the boats. The enemy's loss was not ascertained.
The Tyler and Conestoga (not iron-clad) were disabled early in
the -fight
The particulars of the fight are so full of interest, as show
ing the tremendous power of modem enginery of war, that vve
may quote from the account of one present during the terrific
conflict :
''At two p. M. (Feb. 14th) precisely the signal was given from the flag
ship to get under weigh, and in a few moments we were slowly steaming
up the river. We had proceeded perhaps a fourth of a mile when a
single report, emanating from the upper battery of the Fort, greeted us,
and notified us that the rebels were awaiting us in savage expectation.
•On we went, however, not a. sound escaping from our crafts, except the
slow puffing of the escape pipes and tSe cheery plashing of the paddle
wheels, while the enemy were busy awaking the dormant echoes with
their cannonading, and agitating the swollen waters with their shot and
shell, scattered in promiscuous profusion all around us. When we had
sailed up to within a mile of. the Fort, the Flag Officer let go his star
board bow rifle, and we followed him with ours ; then the Pittsburg and
Carondelet followed suit, and the ball was really opened in earnest.
Our first shots fell short ; but a little more elevation of the guns reme
died the failing, and the next round saw our balls dropped into uncom
fortably close proximity to their batteries. From this time to the end
of the action there was not a lull in the steady and constant firing from
our boats, nor was there a moment when the whole of the enemy's fro^t
was not a steady stream of fire. In order to g-et the best view of the
action, I stationed myself upon the upper deck, and just as near in the
wake of the pilot -house as possible, taking my chances at getting a
sight of what was going on in front by abbreviated peeps and squints
around the corners, and hurried stares through the look-out holes which
the considerate carpenter had left for the optical accommodation of the
pilots. The flag-ship St. Louis took the advance, and was hugging the
western shore ; then came our own (the Louismlle), then the Pittsburg
and Carondelet, in order, and as near side by side as was possible in a

334 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
river scarcely -wide enough for two boats tO' p.ass each other. In this
order we formed a straight battery of twelve guns in front, while the
two gunboats Conestoga and Lexington, followed in our wake, pouring
in their quota of njissiles from their bow columbiads at a safe distance.
We could see nearly every one of our shots take effect vpithin or near
the rebel batteries, the more deadly and certain as we slowly steamed
up toward them. Thus we proceeded side by side, our fire never slack
ening or our determination faltering until we arrived withi"n three hun
dred yards of the lower battery. At this time the enemy's shot and
shells were screaming through the air or ravaging our sides and decks
without cessation, while ours were divesting them of their more exposed
batteries, ploughing up their hill-sides aad decimating their camps in
terrible haste. I saw one large shell from the Louismlle fall and explode
directly under one of their guns, sending a score of rebel soldiers to
their long homes, demolishing the battery and scattering those not
killed or wounded in indecent haste tp the nearest covers. When we
had attained the last named position, viz. within three hundred yards .
of their works, we stopped our headway, and when the boats were mo
tionless we poured in our last and most destructive fire. It really
seemed at this time that the quintessence of destruction was contained
in those, twelve great iron thunderers. With each discharge a rebel
gun was silenced, at each broadside a host of frightened rebels would •
scud up the hill to a place of saj^sty behind the upper earthworks, and
all but two of the lower guns had ceased .to deal us their destruction.
Now a new battery of one hundred and twenty-pound guns opened
upon us from the left and rear of the first works. We were within
point blank range, and the destruction to our fleet was really terrible.
One huge solid shot struck our boat just at the angle of the upper deck
and pilot house, perforated the iron plating, passed through the heavy-
timbers and buried itself in a pile of hammocks just in front and in a
direct line with the boilers. Another, a shell, raked us from bow to
stern, passed through the wheelhouse, emerged, dropped and exploded
in the river just at our stern. Then a ten-inch solid shot entered our
starboard bow port, demolished a gun carriage, killed three men and .
Wounded four others, traversed the entire length of the boat, and sunk
into the river in our wake. Then a shell came shrieking through the
air, -striking fair into our forward starboard port, killing another man
and wounding two more, passed aft, sundering our rudder chains; and.
rendering the boat unmanageable. Now we were compelled to drop
astern, and leave the scene of action; but our gunners sent their' respects
to the rebels as long as their fire could be the least effective ; and, so
far as we were concerned, the battle was over.
" The last battery was the one that put the finishing stroke to the

OF THE WAR. 335
fleet. One of the enemy's shells entered and exploded directly in the
pilot house of the St. Louis, killing the pilot and wounding Flag Officer
Foote severely in the leg. Two of the shots entered the Pittsburg below
the guards, causing her to leak badly, and it is probable that she will
sink before moming. Another entered the Carondelet, killing four m-en
and injuring eight others. By this time three of the boats were disabled,
and then the signal was given to back out and return to our anchorage.
The enemy's lower battery was silenced, however, and only the two one
Imndred and twenty-pounders on the hill were playing upon us, and it
is universally conceded that if we had had ten minutes more time Fort
Donelson would have shared the fate of Fort Henry, and the Cumber
land river been opened and divested of its rebel embargo."
Fort Donelson was thus described by one on the ground :
" This Fort takes its name from the Andrew Jackson Donelson
'family of Tennessee. Its construction was commenced in May
last No better position for» defense could have been selected
at any point on the Cumberland as yet passed by us. It is
on a fine slope a hundred and fifty feet high, in a very slight
bend, on the right hand side of the Cumberland, one hundred
and seven miles from the mouth of the river, and nearly two
hundred from Cairo. It mounts sixteen guns. There are
three batteries — ^the first about twenty feet above the water,
dorisisting of six guns, thirty-two and sixty -four-pounders ; the
second about equal in strength, located about sixty feet above
this ; and the third on the summit of the hUl, mounting four
one hundred and twenty-eight-pounders. The trenches in the
vicinity of each battery are unusually deep. The earth works
are not less than six feet thick, braced by heavy logs. The
rebel camp is behind the hill, and cannot be reached from the
gunboats by shot or shell."
¦ The gunboats having been disabled. General Grant resolved
not to await their repair, and prepared at once to assault and
reduce the rebel stronghold. His army was rapidly strength
ened by five detachments from General Hunter's (Kansas)
.'Department, and by all the available regiments ofthe Western
States. The investment of the fort was completed by assign
ing the Federal' c^ter to General Lew Wallace's division
Jhe gunboats withdrew Friday afternoon, (14th.) That
night was. spent in getting the brigades in position Early on

336 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Saturday morning (15th) the enemy opened on the Federal
right (McClernand's division) by a sharp fce on Colonel Law-
ler's Eighteenth Illinois regiment All of Ogleby's brigade
was quickly engaged. The brigades of Wallace and McAr
thur soon came into the fight, which, by ten o'clock, became '
very furious. General Wallace sent four regiments to McCler
nand's support, viz. : the Seventeenth and Twenty-fifth Ken
tucky and Thirty-first Indiana, with the Forty-fourth Indiana
as a reserve.
The troops on the right were disposed as follows : First,
McArthur's 'brigade, consisting of the Ninth, Twelfth and
Forty-first Illinois, ha-ving temporarUy attached the Seven
teenth and Nineteenth Illinois. Next came Ogleby's brigade;
the Eighth, Eighteenth, Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-
first Illinois, and Schwartz's an*d Dresser's batteries. Next,
Colonel W. H. L. WaUace's brigade, the Eleventh,. Twentieth, |j
Forty-fifth and Forty-eighth Illinois, and Taylor's and McAl-
ister's batteries.
These three brigades composed McClemand's division, and
bore the brunt of conflict Upon that point the rebels pressed
-with the utmost tenacity, and the deeds of valor there per
formed by both parties form one of the most splendid, though
bloody, records of the entire war. McClernand's men exhaust^
ed their ammunition entirely, and, finally, were called from
the field to. recuperate and obtain reenforcements. With this
returning movement a counter movement was made by the
charge of Smith's entire division upon the enemy's works.
The charge was so furious as to bear all before it, and Smith's
men" occupied the entire works of the rebels on the left •
Grant announced this to McClernand, ordering his advance.
This was then made, in a brilliant manner, and the enemy
was forced back within his works on the Federal right Thus
the Union army found themselves in a position to carry the
enemy's main work by assault, on the morning of Sunday.
But, no such service was required of the elated and braye
feUows whose achievements during the Saturday's contest cov
ered them with glory. At a very early hour General Simon

OF THE WAR. 337
Buckner, the senior rebel General in the fortification, sent out
to obtain an armistice preHminary to arrangements of terms
of honorable capitulation. Grant replied that nothing but
unconditional and immediate surrender would answer — that
he was prepared for -the assault and should soon carry the
works by the bayonet Grumbling at the discourtesy (!) shown
him, Buckner unconditionally surrendered -with his force of
nearly 15,000 men.
Upon entering the premises it was found that Generals PU
low and Floyd, with their troops, had flown. During the
night they had, at a council of war, declared their purpose to
leave by the three steamers still' at the landing above Dover.
Pillow said he would not surrender — Floyd said it never would
do for him to fall .into Federal hands ; and so Buckner,. the
¦hnfortunate ex-chief of the- Kentucky State Guard, was forced
to do the deed — to give- up his arms and submit to the tender
mercies of the Govemment which 'he had betrayed. The
flight of Floyd and Pillow was the theme of much amusing
comment by the Northern forces. The escape of the great
'-'chief of thieves" was certainly greatly deplored, for if any
rebel among the conspirators deserved the halter more than
another, that man was John B. Floyd, Mr. Bucharian's Secre
tary of War.*
i: The armament of the Fort and water batteries consisted of
forty-four guns, most of them of superior make and heavy
eahbre. About 17,000 stand of small arms were taken, and
an immense amount of stores — among which were twelve
hundred boxes of beef, sho-wing -that the rebels had resolved
to stand a siege before giving up. Floyd's and PUlow's men,
in crossing the river, pitched all superfluous arms and baggage
into the stream. ,A Louisiana cavalry company made its way,
during the darkness, up the river, and thus escaped. PiUow
and Floyd made direct for Clarksville.
* This surrender was the occasion of a pretty sharp correspondence
among the Confederates ; and Johnson had to " explain" to his govern
ment Buckner felt that he was made the scape-goat for greater rogues
than himself.
43 2d

338

INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES

The following table exhibits the losses of the Union regi
ments that were engaged in the battle

Eighth lUiriois .
Ninth Illinois
Eleventh Illinois
Twelfth Illinois
Seventeenth Illinois
Eightee'nth Illinois
Twentieth Illinois
Thirtieth Illinois
Thirty-first Illinois
Forty-first Illinois
Forty-ninth Illinois
Twelfth Iowa
Second Iowa
Fourteenth Iowa
Fifty- eighth Ohio
Taylor's Battery

Killed. . 56 36
. 71 35
. 4
45
. 21
19
. 40 17
. 10 3
. 38 6

Wounded 196
160
180109 20 60
118 71
200 130 3024
160 50 3
4

Total  401 1,515
Prisoners taken  250
Making a total Union loss of 2,166. The rebel loss in kUl
ed and wounded and prisoners is estimated at 15,700.
As was expected these rapid strokes of the Union army as
tounded and disconcerted the enemy. His boasted strong
holds at Bowling Green and Columbus were quickly aban
doned ; Clarksville was soon deserted, and NashvUle tempo
rarUy occupied by the fast retreating rebels. But, the opera
tions of the gunboats on the Tennessee river promised to cut
off retreat by the South, and NashvUle was therefore soon
given up without a struggle — the enemy falling back upon
Murfresboro, then upon Chatanooga, and finally upon Corinth,
where Johnson and Beauregard determined to await the shock
of the combined Federal armies, and thus decide the fate of
the Mississippi Yalley.

XXXI^.

INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE BEFORE FORT
DONELSON.
The enemy's assault was in force upon the moming of
Saturday. McClemand's di-vision not only was the Federal
weak point, but the ground' was so contracted that but one
¦regiment of the Unionists could be brought to bear on the
assaUed point As a consequence, the slaughter was fearful
But no troops ever fought with less idea of giving way.
The first regiment to receive the enemy's onslaught, was the
Eighteenth Illinois, Colonel Lawler, Oglesby's brigade. This
regiment fought until their ammunition was all expended,
when the Eighth Illinois walked into their places, commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Frank L. Ehodes — Colonel Oglesby
acting as commander of the First Brigade. The remaining
regiments of the brigade rendered such assistance as the nature
of tiie ground would admit The Thirtieth Illinois, Lieuten
ant-Colonel E. S. Dennis, commanding, supported Schwart's
Missouri battery, posted on the right, and the Thirty-first
Illinois, Colonel John A. Logan, supporting Dresser's Illinois
battery, posted on the left of the brigade position.
The enemy struck for the batteries, over which a most
sanguinary struggle ensued. Every horse was killed at
Schwartz's guns, and most of the artUlerists. Logan's regi
ment defended the guns until it had lost the Colonel, Lieuten
ant-Colonel, acting-Major, seven Captains, and a proportionate
number of lower grade officers and men, either killed or dis
abled 1 The battery was finally surrounded, and Captain

-340 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Cook drew off the skeleton of the fine regiment — leaving the
guns in the enemy's hands. A reporter present wrote of that
terrible struggle :
" The Eighteenth regiment seems to have resisted the severest storm. -
Against their ranks the Rebels directed their heaviest flre, but instead
of falling back they advanced to the very face of the enemy, and there
stood in the very jaws of death, with scarcely a prospect that a single one
would escape.
" For three hours these regiments, numbering scal-cely 3,000 men held
their ground against the whole rebel garrison. At one time the Eighteenth
being partially flanked, was exposed to a cross-fire of both musketry and
artillery, but our right wing, securing the rebels' left, at once relieved
them. At this critical moment Colonel Lawler fell. Captain Bush, act
ing Lieutenant-Colonel, assumed command, but was soon wounded.
" Captain Crane was shot dead, Captain Lawler was mortally wounded,
Lieutenants Mansford and Thompson killed. Captains Dillon and Wilson
and Lieutenants Kelly and Scanlon wounded, so that the daring Egyptian
regiment stood before an overwhelming fire almost without officers
They fell in heaps dead and wounded. Companies were bereft of Cap-
" tains and Lieutenants, Captains almost bereft of Companies.
"Tbe three other regiments did their duty nobly. Colonels. Oglesby,
Marsh, and Logan dashed along the ranks, waving their hats and .cheer
ing their men to the conflict. ' Suffer death, men,' cried Logail^rbut .
disgrace never. Stand firm,' and well they heeded him. ManJ fell
dead and wounded. Among the latter were Colonel Logan and Lieuten
ant-Colonel White. Oglesby's and Marsh's regiments fought desperately,
losing like other regiments, an undue proportion of officers.
" Colonel Oglesby displayed coolness and courage that have elicited
the highest praise, and served well in stimulating his men. Never, per
haps, on the American Continent has a more bloody battle been fought.
An officer who participated and was wounded in the fight, says: 'The
scene beggars decription. So thickly was the battle-field strewn with
bead arid wounded, that he could have traversed acres of it, treading, at
most every step, up'on a prostrate body. '
" The rebels fought with desperation, their artillerists using their
pieces with most fearful effect. On either side could be heard the
voices of those in command cheering on their men. The four Illinois
regiments held their ground full three hours. Nearly one third had been
killed or wounded, yet the balance stood firm."
But they had to give way before the tremendous odds pre
cipitated against them, composed of some of the choicest troops

OF THE WAR. 341.
in the Confederate army. Slowly the Unionists fell backward,
the shattered regiments being covered by Colonel W. H. L.
Wallace's brigade, composed oi the Eleventh, Twentieth,
Forty-fifth and Forty-eighth, -commanded respectively by
'Lieutenant- Colonel Hart, and Colonels Marsh, Smith, and
'Haynie, and by Arthur's brigade. Colonel Croft's brigade,
from G-eneral Lew Wallace's division, also went into the
fight These united forces succeeded in staying the rebel
advance — which really was an effort to turn the Federal right
wing, and thus offer a means for the garrison's retreat
The assault of the enemy's works on the Federal left by
General Smith's division, as already stated, gave the Union
forces the upper hand. It was a brilliantly conducted affair.
General Lanman, with the Second Iowa, Fifty-second and
Twenty-fifth Indiana, and Seventh Iowa, was commissioned
to the work. These fine regiments advanced in solid column
up to the enemy's outer line of defences, when they broke
• column, and with a yell leaped into the rebel rifle-pits. The -
contest was .brief, but bloody. The enemy flew to the second
hne of .defences, dreadfully cut to pieces by the fire of the four
regiiSBents, which had been reserved. Lanman was accom-
panied-by General Smith in person, whose invincible courage
mad* heroes of his men.
The, correspondence between Buckner and Grant was rather
humorous than otherwise.. It read as follows :
" Headquartees, Foot Donelson, Feb. 18, 1862.
" Bra — In consideration of all the circumstances governing the present situation
of affairs at this station, I propose to the commanding officer of theFederal forces,
the appointment of Commissioners to argue npon terms of capitulation of the
forces at this post under my command. In.that view I suggest an armistice until
twelve o'clock to-day. " I am, very respectfully. " Your obedient servant,
'¦ S. B. BUCKNER,
" Brigadier-General, C. S. A."
" To Brlgadier-Gteneral U. S. Gbant, commanding United
States forces, near Fort Donelson.
2d2

342 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
" Headqitaktebs'on the Field, Fokt Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862.
" To General S. B. Buoknek : <
" Sib — Yours of this date, proposing an armistice and the appointment of Com.
miasioners to settle on the terms of capitulation, is just received.
" No terms, except unconditional and ftimediate surrender, can be accepted.
" I propose to move immediately on your works.
" I am very respectfully, your obedient servant, " U. S. GRANT,
" Brigadier-General Commanding."
" Headquabtees, Doveb, Tenn., Feb. 16, 1862.
" Brigadier-General U. S. Gbant, U. S. A.
" Sib — The distribution of the forces nnder my command, incident to an unex
pected change of commanders, and the overwhelming force nnder your command,
compel me, notwithstanding the brilliant success of the Confederate arms, to
accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which yon propose.
" I am, sir, your servant, " S. B. BUCKNER,
" Brigadier-General, C. S. A."
" Ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose 1 "
Injured gentleman f He doubtless expected to have General
Grant give him a horse and escort to the nearest rebel strong
hold — to have his men suppHed with al half-eagle each and "
rations for three days, with' sundry other comforts, to enable
them to fight somewhere else I It took a good many reverses
to teach the insolent, unprincipled, and ungenerous men, who
wore Confederate epaulettes, that the North and Northem
soldiers were no longer their humble servants, but 'their
superiors in good manners as well as in arm."?.
We should not omit the following good thing which eman
ated from the Frankfort (Ky.) Commonwealth, in -view of the
rather dubious character of the Southern conquests on Ken
tucky soil :
" Mt Dear Eebs : I now take my pen in hand for the purpose of
holding communion with you through the silent medium of pen and
paper. I have just learned that the lines are now open as far as Fort
Donelson, iff Tennessee, and I avail myself, with alacrity, of the oppor
tunity now presented of resuming our correspondence. Tour many
friends in this section, would like to be informed on various topics — ^for
instance :
" How are you, any how I
" How does ' dying in the last ditch,' agree with your general health?
" How is the ' Constitution' down your way ?

t
,OF THE WAE. 343
" Do you think there is any Government ?
" How is ' King Kotting ? ' *
" Is Yancey well, and able to eat his oats ?
" When will Buckner take his Christmas dinner in Louisville ?
"Is Lloyd Tilghman still hanging Union men in the first district?
" Is Floyd still ' rifling ' cannon and other small arms ?
" How is Pillow's ' last ditch,' and when wUl he gratify his numerous
friends by ' dying' in the same ?
" How is the ' Southem heart ? '
" Are you still able to whip five to one ?
" What is your opinion of the Dutch race ?
"Did the recognition of the S. Confed. by England and France
benefit you much ?
" Where is the ' Provisional Government' of Kentucky, and what is
it kept in ?
" Where is the Louis-ville-lTashville-Bowling Green-Courier now pub
lished? Sayl
" And lastly, what do you think of yourselves any how ?
" A prompt answer -will relieve many anxious hearts.
"Yours in a-hom, A LINCOLN MAN.
" United States. Feb.- 18th, 1863." '

THE BATTLE OF PITTSBURGH LANDING-.
Peessed out of Kentucky by the flank movements up the
Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, the rebels fell back upon
Clarksville, ' deserting their boasted stronghold at Bowling
Green, and, soon after, their reputed "Gibraltar," at Columbus
— all without a musket being fired against them. The fall of
Donelson compeUed Johpston to recede to Nashville ; and, from
thence* to the South, as rafpidly as was consistent with the
Southem idea of " retiring." Buell came down with his well-
organized divisions, occupying Nashville, and preparing to

344 INCIDENTS AND AN; E.C DOTES
move from thence down upon the enemy, wherever he was to
be found. Thomas' fine division was recalled from its work
upon East Tennessee (alas for it !) and Mitchell was drawn
from Bowling Green. Andrew Johnson was instated as Mili
tary Governor of Tennessee. Grant, moved forward, from
Donelson dicect to the South, by the Tennessee- river, .design
ing to strike into Northern Alabama and Mississippi,- and brekk
the raUroad connections -with Memphis and the East. This
would flank .^nd. turn Memphis, compelling its evacuation,
whUe the very,centres of the Cotton States would be open .to
invasion In order to counteract this invasion, which promised to
swoop up 'the Confederacy with a grand completeness, the
rebels bent their whole energies to oppose the progress of the
Federal army. General A. Sidney Johnston, as Commander-
in-Chief, and Beauregard, as second in command, called to
their aid the redoubtable General Bragg, with his well-drilled
arnxy, from Pensacola ; Price and Van Dom, with their -wild
brigades from Arliansas and Texas; Breckenridge,, with his
well-ordered brigades of recusant Tenmesseans and Kentuck-
ians ; Pillow and Floyd with their forces of Mississippians and
Yirginians ; Cheatham and the Reverend General'.' Polk, with
their ' well-drilled brigades from the line of the Mississippi.
Hardee, Hindman, and others, were also detailed to the rebel
.lines, which were centered around Corinth, Mississippi: To
fill up the ranks to a number equal to the work in hand of
staying the Federal progress, a conscription was enforeedj by
which great numbers of those, who had not borne arms agaiiist
the Union, were forced into the service. Corinth was fortified-
Memphis was strengthened by the strengthening, of the de^-
fences above it. Every appearance seemed to indicate that
the decisive struggle for the possession of the Mississippi
Valley was at hand.
The Federal Government appreciating the greatness of the
emergency, prepared for it by ordering Buell to join Grant at
Savannah, thence to. move direct against Corinth, while the
indefatigable Mitchell " sky-rocketted" down upon Huntsville,

OF THE WAE. 345
Decatur, etc., to cut off the raUway and river communication
-with the East. Halleck was given the command in chief of
the combined forces — ^thus to bring all the Federal mUitary
resources in the West to the work in hand.
It 'was not untU late in March that Buell's divisions began
to move out of NashvUle toward Savannah and . Pittsburgh
Landing, on the Tennessee river: — there to join Grant's forces,
already on the ground, for the advance against Corinth.
Buell's forces consisted of the superbly-equipped divisions of
Nelson,, Thomas, Wood, McCook, Negeley and Crittenden —
MitcheU going South toward HuntsviUe, by way of Murfrees-
boro' and Fayetteville. Grant's forces comprised the divisions
of McOlemand, Lew Wallace, W. H. L. WaUace, Prentiss,
Hurlburt, anej W. T. Sherman, with most ample equipments,
artiUery, etc. AU of these forces were Westem men— there
being not a single regiment in that combined army from East
of the AUeghanies.
To prevent the unity of the forces of Grant and Buell was
the suddenly comceiv.ed design of Johnston With the usual
success, the rebel coijimander ascertained the plans and dispo
sition of the Federals, and prepared to strike a blow at once
on Grant's divisions, ad-fanced to Pittsburgh Landing and
located in a semi-circle around thp landing, as a. centre. If
Grant could be beaten back before Buell could reinforce him,
the rebels were sure of being able then to overmatch BueU ;
and, if he was forced back, the way was again opened to
recover the ground -lost in Tennessee and Kentucky. Immense
forces, a steady hand, a daring wUl. might accompHsh all, and
th|tt| Johnston had. ' •
/^ant, advancing his forces over the Tennessee, only
awaited the coming up of Buell's di-sdsions to assaU the enemy
intrenched at Corinth. Sherman's division had the extreme
advance, left wing, supported by General Prentiss ; McCler
nand held the left centre ; W. H. L. WaUace (commanding
General Smith's forces) held the left right ; Hurlburt's fine
brigades formed the reserve; General-Lew Wallace's di-pision
44

346 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
was stationed at Cmmp's Landing, forming the Fedetal ex
treme right wing.
The skirmishes of Friday and Saturday (April 4th and 5th)
chiefly with the enemy's cavalry, kept Sherman's men on the
alert. Friday the Federal pickets were driven in on the main
line of the division, with a loss of one Lieutenant and seven
men, when Sherman ordered a charge. The rebel cavalry
were, in tum, driven five miles, with no smaU loss. Saturday
the rebels again made a bold push at the lines, in considerable
force, and retired after a warm reception. These advances
were but reconnoissances to test the Federal spirit and to locate
his lines.
The pickets were again driven in at an early hour on the
morning of Sunday (April 6th) — a day the rebels always
seemed to choose for fight when the choice lay with them.
Sherman immediately ordered his entire division to arms, as,
also, did Prentiss his division-^— both commanders, it is ascer
tained, being suspicious of the impending attempt of the
enemy, in force. The troops stood under arms for an hour,
when, no heavy firing occurring, the General and his staff rode
to the front The enemy's sharpshooters picked off Sherman's
orderly, standing near the General This shot, and others
which rapidly followed; came from a thicket lining a smaU
stream, fiowing north into the Tennessee. Along this stream
Sherman's line was stretched. Sherman observed that, in the
vaUey before him, the enemy was forming. He said, in his .
report : ' '
" About eight A M., I saw the glistening bayonets of heavy
masses of infantry to our left front, in the woods beyondJhe
small stream alluc^d to, and became satisfied for the first'time
that the enemy designed a determined attack on our whole
camp. All the regiments of my division were then in line of
battle at their proper posts. I rode to Colonel Appier and
ordered him to hold his ground at all hazards, as he held the
left flank of our first line of battle, and I informed him that he
had a good battery on his right and strong supports to his

OF THE WAE. 847
rear. General McClernand had promptly and energetically
responded to my request, and had sent me three regiments
which were posted to protect Waterhouse's battery and the
left flank'of my Hne."
This shows that there was no surprise. McClernand was
informed, as early as half-past six, of the' enemy's presence,
and had placed his troops in order of battle. The same with
Prentiss and Hurlburt — both of whom were ready before the
assault on Sherman's front
It would be impossible, in the space of even a lengthy chap
ter, to detaU the movements and events which followed on
that most momentous day. A book alone would suffice to tell
the story in detail.-* The first news dispatched of the battles
which reached the North, gave a graphic, and, in the main,
a correct description of the two days' struggle. It, we may
quote : " PiTTSBUBG, via FoBT Hbnry, April 9th, 3:30 a. m.
" One of the greatest and bloodiest battles of modern days has just
closed, resulting in the complete rout of the enemy, who attacked us at
dajbreak, Sunday morning.
" The battle lasted -^(ftthout intermission during the entire day, and
was again renewed on Monday morning, and continued undecided
until four o'clock in the afternoon,- when the enemy commenced their
retreat, and are still flying toward Corinth, pursued by a large force of
our cavalry.
" The slaughter on both sides is immense.
" The fight was brought on by a body of three hundred of the Twen-
' ty-flfth Missouri regiment, of General Prentiss' division, attacking the
advance guard of the rebels, which were supposed to be the pickets of
the enemy, in fi-ont of our camps. The rebels immediately advanced
on General Prentiss' division on the left wing,t pouring volley after
volley of musketry, and riddling our camps with grape, canister and
shell. Our forces soon formed into line, and returned their fire -vigo-
* See " Pittsburgh Landing and the Investment of Corinth," in
Beadle's series of " American Batties," — where a 12mo. of 100 pages, is
devoted to the subject
+ This account, in common with most all others made by newspaper
reporters, was incorrect in the particulars of the enemy's first advance.
The reader will find the correct statement of the first assault given in
our own -version above.

348 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
rously ; but by the time we were prepared to receive them, they had
turned their hea-viest fire on the left center, Sherman's division, and
drove our men back from their camps, and bringing up a fresh force,
opened fire on our left wing, under General McClernand. , This fire was
returned with terrible effect and determined spirit by both infantry and
artillery along the whole line, for a distance of over four miles.
" General Hurlburt's division was thrown fiarward to support Ihe
center, when a desperate conflict ensued. The rebels were driven back
with terrible slaughter, but soon rallied and drove back our men in
turn. From about nine. o'clock, the time your correspondent arrived
on the field, until night closed on the bloody scene, there was no deter
mination of the result of the struggle. The rebel regiments exhibited
remarkably good generalship. At times engaging the left -with appa
rently their whole strength,. they would suddenly open a terrible, and
destructive fire on the right or center. Even our heaviest and most
destructive fire upon the enemy did not appear to discourage their
solid columns. The fire of Major Taylor's Chicago artillery raked them
down in scores, but the smoke would no sooner be dispersed than the
breach would again be filled.
" The most desperate fighting took place late in the aftemoon. The
rebels knew that if they did not succeed in whipping us then, that their
chances for success would be extremely doubtful, as a portion of General
Buell's forces had by this time arrived on the opposite, side of the river,
and another portion was coming up the river from Savannah. They be
came aware that we were being reenforced, as they- could see General
Buell's troops froni the river-bank, a short distance above us on the left,
to which point they had forced their way.
"At five o' clock the rebels had forced our left wing back so as to oc
cupy fully two-thirds of our camp, and were fighting their way forward
with a. desperate degree of confidence in their eflforts to drive us into the
river, and at the same time heavily engaged our right.
" Up to this time we had received no reenforcements. General Lew.
Wallace failed to come to our support until the day was over, having
taken' the wrong road from Crump's Lauding, and being without other'
transports than those used for Quartermasters' and Commissary stores,
which were too heavily laden to ferry any considerable number of General
Buell's forces across the river, those that were here having been sent to
bring up the troops from Savannah. We were, therefore, contesting
against fearful odds, our force not exceeding thirty-eight thousand men,
while that of the enemy -was upward of sixty thousand.'
" Our condition at this moment was extremely critical. Large num
bers of men panic-stricken, others worn out by hard fighting, -with the
average percentage of skulkers, had struggled toward the river, and could

or -THE WAE. 349
not be rallied. General Grant and staff, who had been recklessly riding
along the lines during the entire day, amid the unceasing storm of bullets,
grape and shell, now rode from right to left, inciting the men to stand
firm until our. reenforcements could cross the river.
" Colonel Webster, Chief of staff, immediately got into position the
heaviest pieces of artillery, pointing on the enemy's right, while a large
number of the batteries were planted along the entire line, from the •
river-bank north-west to our extreme right, some two and a half miles
distant. About an hour before dusk a general cannonading was open
ed upon the enemy from along our whole line, with a perpetual crack of
musketry. Such a roar of artillery was never heard on this continent.
For a short time the rebels replied with vigor and effect, but their
return shots grew less frgquent and destructive, while ours grew more
rapid and more terrible.
" The gunboats LeaAngton andTyler, which lay a short distance off, kept
raining shell on the rebel hordes. This last effort was too much for the
enemy, and, ere dusk had set in, the firing had nearly ceased, when
night coming on all the comhatants rested from their awful work of
blood and carnage."
Then followed a list of the leading officers known to have
been kUled or wounded. It was meager, but gave names
enough: to plunge the country into mourning. Over Congress
it threw a shadow which was betokened by the silence reign
ing in the halls after the news was received. That splendid -
army of the Union comprised some of the country's bravest
spirits among its commanders, and all dreaded to read the lists
which were hourly looked for after the receipt of the first
news. The dispatch added : " There has never been a paraUel
to the gallantry and bearing of our officers, from the com
manding General to the lowest officer. General Grant and
staff were in the field, riding along the lines in the thickest of
the enemy's fire during the entire two days of the battle, and
all slept on the ground Sunday night, during a heavy rain.
On several occasions General Grant got -within range of the
enemy's guns, and was discovered and fired upon. Lieutenant-
Colonel McPherson had his horse shot from under him when
alongside of General Grant General Sherman had two horses
kUled under him, and General McClernand shared like dan
gers ; also General Hurlburt, each of whom received buUet-
2e

350 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
holes through their clothes. General BueU remained -with his
troops during the entire second day, and with General Critten
den and General Nelson, rode continually along the lines en
couraging the men."
This refers specially to the first day's battle which closed,
leaving the enemy in the camps held in the mOrning by the
Federal troops. No wonder that Beauregard — Johnston being
among the enemy's fearful list of slain — telegraphed a -nctory
to the Confederate arms. To have given the Federal advance
a 'staggering blow — to be permitted to feast his half-fed troops
on Federal rations, and to rest their dirty limbs on Federal
blankets, in Federal tents, was indeed a victory for them, even
if the morrow should find them hurled back in confusion
upon their intrenchments and reserves at CorintL*
The second day redeemed the disasters of the first Buell's
forces were marching in divisions, six miles apart The ad
vance (Nelson's'- brigades) reached Savannah on the 5th
There Buell arrived in person, on the evening- of the same
day. Crittenden's division came in during the evening.
Hearing the terrific cannonading, Buell surmised its meaning
and ordered forward Nelson's division at a quick march, with
out its train. Ammen's brigade arrived at the opportune mo
ment, when Grant's forces were being slowly but surely press
ed to the river's bank after their whole day's struggle. The
fresh brigades immediately crossed and walked to the front
This arrival gave the wearied men fresh heart, and caused the
enemy to fall back. The residue of Nelson's di-vision came
up and crossed the ferry early in the evening. Crittenden's
division came on by steamers from Savannah. The .batteries
of Captains Mendenhall and Terrell, of the regular service,
and Bartlett's Ohio battery, also came up. McCook's di-vision,
by a forced march, arrived at Savannah during the night of
the 6th, and pushing on immediately, -reached the* Landing
early on the morning of the 7th.
* As one of the " humors of the campaign," we may mention that the
Memphis Appeal charged the Monday's defeat of the rebels to the roto-
laeiy found, the night before, in the Federal tents !

OF THE WAE. 351
Buell's di-dsions, taking the Federal left w'ing, opened the
day's work, soon after five o'clock, when Nelson's division
moved forward upon the enemy's pickets, driving them in.
The rebel artUlery opened at six o'clock on Nelson's lines.
Grant gave the right Federal wing to General Lew Wallace's
fine division of fresh men, which had arrived at eight o'clock
on the evening of Sunday. Sherman's broken brigades again
assumed the field, taking position next to Wallace. On the
right the attack commenced early after daybreak, by Thomp
son's artUlery, which opened oh a rebel battery occupying a
bluff to the front and right of Wallace's First brigade.
The battle soon became general The enemy, during the
night, had been reenforced to the utmost extent consistent
with the safety of his defenses at Corinth, and was, therefore,
prepared for a desperate conflict It was evident, from his
fightmg that, if victory was won by the Union army, it must
be at a fearful loss of life: But, the Federals — officers and
men-/were resolved upon -victoiy even at a sacrifice of half
their numbers, and they went into the fight with astonishing
alacrity. Wallace's position on the extreme right was one of great
responsibility. But, he was the right man in the right place.
He had for his coadjutor the really unconquerable Sherman,
whose skeleton of a division was then as ready* for the fray as
if over one half of its numbers was not able to answer the
roll call. Observing that his right was well protected by an
impassable swamp formed by a creek, (Snake,) and discover
ing that the rebel left was open for a demonstration, Wallace
determined to press it, if possible turn it For that purpose,
he stated in his report : " It became necessary for me to
change front by a left half- wheel of the whole division. While
the movement was in progress, across a road through the
woods af the southern end of the field we were iresting by, I
discovered a heavy column of rebels going rapidly to reen
force their left, which was stUl retiring, covered by skirmish
ers, with whom mine were engaged. Thompson's battery was
ordered up and shelled the passing column with excellent

352 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
effect, but while so engaged he was opened on by -a full bat
tery planted in the field just beyond the strip of woods on the
right ¦ He promptly turned his guns at the- new enemy. ¦ A
fine artUlery duel ensued, very honorable to Thompson and'
his company.. His ammunition giving out:in- the midst of it,
I ordered him to retire, and Lieutenant Thurber to take - his
place. Thurber obeyed with such alacrity, that there: was
scarcely an intermission in the fire, which, continued so . long
and with such warmth as to provoke the attempt on thei part
of the rebels to charge the position. -Discovering the inten
tion, the First brigade was brought; across the field to occupy
the strip of woods in frOnt.of Thurber. The cavalry made:the
first dash at the battery, but the skirmishers of the Niath
Missouri poured an unexpected fire into them, and, th'ey retired
pell-mell. Next. the infantry attempted a charge; the First
brigade easily repelled them. All this time my whole di-n-
sion was under a furious- cannonade, but being well masked
behind the bluff, or resting in the hollows . of the woods, the
regiments suffered but little." , .
This, affair only stayed the advance for a brief period. The
cleared field in, front- was intersected by a wUlow-fringed
stream. Over this the First and Second brigades now pressed
The skirmishers in action all the way cleared the .rise, and
grouped themselves behind the groUnd-swells within seventy-
five yards of the rebel lines. As the regiments approached
them, suddenly a sheet of musketry blazed from the woods,
and a battery opened upon them.: About the same instant,
the regiments supporting his left fell hastily back To save
his flank a" halt was ordered. The wavering battalions soon
recovered,! when the two brigades pressed on with fixed bayo
nets. The rebels fell back into the woods, thus abandoning
their first positions, which the Federals now held.
Fortune, however, wavered for a moment on the left of
Wallace's well won position. Sherman advanced under cover
of the three guns of the Chicago Light artillery, (Company A,
Lieutenant P. P. Wood commanding,) until the line of McCler
nand's old camp was gained, on the Corinth road. There he

OF THE WAE. 353
first met Buell's column of veterans^ — such troops as only a
military commander ofthe truest instincts can produce.- Their
steadiness and precision inspired the new recruits of Sherman's
brigades with great confidence and enthusiasm. WiUich's
femous regiment advanced upon the enemy lurking, in heavy
force, in a thicket of water-oaks. The reception by the enemy
compelled even the in-^rincible Indiana Thirty-second to retire
before it The fire of musketry was perfectly astounding,
and Colonel WiUich came from the wood with sadly riddled
ranks. It was evident that there was to be the great struggle
of the day. Into, the thicket, to support Buell's forces, Sher
man now led his men. He says : "The enemy had one bat
tery close to Shiloh, and another near the Hamburg road, both
pouring grape and canister upon my column of troops that
advanced upon the green point of water-oaks. WiUich's regi
ment had been repulsed, but a whole brigade of McCook's
division advanced beautifully, deployed and entered this
dreaded wood. I ordered my Second brigade, then com
manded by Colonel T. Kilby Smith, (Colonel Stuart being
wounded,) to form on its right, and my Fourth brigade. Colonel
Buekland, on its left, all to advance abreast, with the Ken
tucky brigade before mentioned, (Eosseau's.) I gave personal
direction to the twenty-four-pounder guns, whose fire soon
silenced the enemy's guns to the left, and at the Shiloh meet
ing House. Eosseau's brigade moved in splendid order stea
dUy to the front, sweeping everything before it, and at four
P. M. stood upon the ground of our original front line. The
enemy was then in fall retreat"
, This states a splendid achievement in very modest terms.
It was one of the most severe and hotly contested sections of
the field, where Beauregard commanded in person and was
supported by the divisions of Bragg, Polk and Breckenridge.
Thus far for the fortunes of the Federal right The center,
under McClernand's command, was engaged from the first
moment with great obstinacy. Finding Buell gaining ground
on the left, while the right was slowly advancing, the enemy
threw his greatest strength in several assaults upon the center,
45 2e2

354 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
hoping to force it and thus retrieve the day. But McCler
nand's men were invincible. Hurlburt's somewhat thinned,
but still resolute ranks moved up to his support, taking, his
left There the obstinacy of the fight, at times, was not paral
leled on the field. The two contestants seemed equally
resolved not to yield a rood of ground. One who was present,
on this portion of the field, wrote :
" It now became evident that the rebels were avoiding the extreme
of the left wing, and endeavoring to find some weak point in the lines
by which to tum our force, and thus create an irrevocable confusion.
It is wonderful with what perseverance and determination they adhered
to this purpose. They left one point but to return to it immediately,
and then as suddenly would, by some masterly stroke of generalship,
direct a most vigorous assault upon some division where they fancied
they would not be expected. The fire of our lines was steady as clock
work, and it soon became evident that the enemy almost considered the
task they had imderta'ken a hopeless one. Notwithstanding the con
tinued rebuff of the rebels whe'rever they had made their assaults, up.
to two o'clock they had given no evidence of retiring from the field.
Their firing had been as rapid and vigorous at times as during the
most terrible hours of the previous day, yet not so well confined to one
point of attack."
Hurlburt's forces. Second and Third brigades, were also
doing great service in another part of the field, on the left,
where, by their- undaunted bravery, they contributed to the
complete success of the day. Hurlburt thus chronicled the
doings of his brigades :
" The Second brigade led the charge ordered by General Grant until
recalled by Major-General Buell. The Third brigade was deeply and
fiercely engaged on the right of General McClernand, successfully stop
ping a movement to flank his right, and holding their ground until
the firing ceased. About one o'clock of that day, (Monday,) General
McCook having closed up with General McClernand, and the enemy
demonstrating in great force on the left, I went, by the request of Gen
eral McClernand, to the rear of his line to bring up fresh troops, and
was engaged in pressing them forward until the steady advance of
General Buell on the extreme left, the firmness of the center, and the
closing in from the right of Generals Sherman and Wallace determined
the success of the day, when I called in my exhausted brigades, and led
them to their camps. The ground was such on Sunday that I was un
able to use cavalry. Colonel Taylor's Fifth Ohio cavalry was drawn

OF THE WAE. 355
up in order of battle until near one o'clock in the hope that some open
ing might offer for the use of this arm. None appearing, I ordered the
command to be withdrawn from the reach of shot."
Wallace, after ha-ving forced the rebels back into their
centre, pushed in upon them again by an oblique movement
This exposed his right flank, temporarily, when the Confeder
ates suddenly threw their cavalry upon the right The Twenty-
third Indiana and one company of the First Nebraska, kept
the enemy at bay until reserves came up, when a most obsti
nate conflict followed, and the rebels, bringing six or seven
regiments immediately forward — their aim being to cut
WaUace off from the army line, and thus "bag him,"' as Pren
tiss was bagged the day pre-vious. As an evidence of fighting
done there, we may recur to the words of the General :
" Pending this struggle. Colonel Thayer pushed on his command, and
entered the -woods, assaulting the enemy simultaneously with Colonel
Smith. Here the Fifty-eighth Ohio and Twenty-third Indiana proved
themselves fit comrades in battle with the noble Nebraska First. Here
also the Seventy-sixth Ohio won a brilliant fame. The First Nebraska
fired away its last cartridge in the action. At a word the Seventy-sixth
Ohio rushed in and took its place. Off to the right, in the meanwhile,
arose the music of the Twentieth and Seventy-eighth Ohio, fighting
gallantly in support of Thurber, to whom tUe sdund- of rebel cannon
seemed a challenge no sooner heard than accepted.
" From the time the wood was entered, forward was the only order.
And step by step, from tree to tree, position to position, the rebel lines
went back, never stopping again — ^infantry, horse and artillery, all went
back. The firing was grand and terrible. Before us was the Crescent
regiment of New Orleans ; shelling us on the right was the Washington
Artillery, of Manassas renown, whose last stand was in front of Colonel
Whittlesey's command. To and fro, now in my front, then in Sher
man's, rode General Beauregard, inciting his troops, and fighting for
his &Aiiig prestige of invincibility. The desperation of the struggle
may be easily imagined.
" -While this was in progress, far along the lines to the left the con
test was raging with equal obstinacy. As indicated by the sounds,
however, the enemy seemed retiring everywhere. Cheer after cheer
rung through the woods. Each man felt the day was ours.
" About four o'clock, the enemy to my front broke into rout, and ran
through the camps occupied by General Sherman on Sunday morning.
Their own camp had been established about two miles beyond. There,

356 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
without halting, they fired tents, stores, etc. Throwing out the wound-.
ed, they filled their wagons full of arms, (Springfield muskets and En
field rifles,) ingloriously throvm away by some of our troops the day
before, and hurried on. After following them until nearly nightfall, I
brought my division back to Owl Creek, and bivouacked it."
Buell, with Nelson's and Crittenden's divisions, pressed
into the enemy's right as obstinately as Wallace had pressed
their extreme left Buell thus briefly states the important
services of his command :
" Ammen's brigade, which was on the left, advanced in good order
upon the enemy's right, but was checked for some time by his endeavor
to turn our left flank, and by his strong center attack in front. Cap
tain Terrell, who, in the mean time, had taken an advanced position,
was compelled to retire, leaving one caisson, of which every horse was
killed or wounded. It was very soon recovered. Having been reen
forced by a regiment from General Boyle's brigade. Nelson's division
again moved forward, and forced the enemy to abandon entirely his
position. This success flanked the enemy at his second and third bat
teries, from which he was soon driven, with the loss of several pieces
of artillery by the concentrated flre of Terrell's and Mendenhall's bat
teries, and an attack from Crittenden's division in front. The enemy
made a second stand some eight hundred yards in rear of this position,
and opened fire with his artillery. Mendenhall's battery was thrown
forward, silenced the battery, and it was captured by Crittenden's divi
sion, the enemy retreating from it. In the mean time, the division of
General McCook on the right, which became engaged somewhat later
in the morning than the division on the left, had made steady progress,
until it drove the enemy's left from the hotly-contested field. The
action was commenced in this division by General Rosseau's brigade,
which drove the enemy in front of it from his first position, and cap-
tiJred a battery. The line of attack of this division caused a consider
able widening of the space between it and Crittenden's right. It -was
also outfianked on its right by the line of the enemy, who made repeat
ed strong attacks on its flanks, but was always gallantly repulsed. The
enemy made his last decided stand in front of this division, in the
woods beyond Sherman's camp."
Johnston having been killed, Beauregard was in chief com
mand. Everywhere along his lines rode that leader, striving
by appeal, command, exposure of his own person, to arrest the

OF THE WAE. 357
tide of defeat, but to no purpose.* The steady flank advances
of the Federal vfings — ^the solidity of their centre, rendered it
necessary to "retire," if he would not be cut off entirely from
retreat His baffled and somewhat dispirited brigades fell
back slowly, gathering, in good order, in upon the Corinth
road, which, in all the fortunes of the two day's fight, had been
carefully secured from any approach of the Unionists. The
retreat has been described as a rout, but such it was not to any
great degree. Some regiments threw away their arms, blan
kets, etc., from exhaustion, and a reckless disregard of orders ;
while the great numbers of killed, wounded and exhausted, so
absorbed even the transport wagons, as to compel the enemy
to leave behind much of his camp equipage and some of his
guns. The pursuit was feeble.* The nature of the woods restrained
the cavalry in their movements, and rendered them compara
tively useless. Three thousand finely-mounted fellows had
waited, for two days, an opportunity to ride into the conflict ;
and the order, late in the day df Monday, to pursue and harass
the enemy, gave them but a brief service. The infantry
pushed forward only fcfr a mile or two. Colonel Wagner's
brigade of General Wood's division, arrived late in the day,
and was given the order to advance to the front for the pur
suit ; but Buell knew so Httle of the topography of the country
that he considered it hazardous to penetrate too far into the
enemy's midst This neglect to press the retreating foe gave
* To show what importance Johnston attached to the impending
battle, we may quote from his address to his army, dated April 3d :
" SoLDiBES : I have put you in motion to offer battle to the invaders
of yonr country, with the resolution, discipline and valor becoming men
fighting, as you are, for all worth living and dying for. You can but
march to a decided victory over agrarian mercenaries, sent to subjugate
you and to despoil you of your liberties, property and honor.
" Remen^ber the precious stake involved ! Remember the depen
dence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters an;! your children on the
result ! Remember the fair, broad, abounding lands, the happy homes
that will be desolated by your defeat 1 The eyes and hopes of eight mil
lions of people rest upon you !" etc., etc.

358 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
them the, poor consolation of pronouncing their effort to stay
the Federal advance a success, and thereupon a -victory. The
press of the South quite generally heralded it as a great
triumph for the Confederates 1. They needed some crumb of
comfort to console them for the loss of Island No. 10, which
General Pope's masterly strategy and Commodore Foote's
" irrepressible" guns gave to the Federal arms, with all its gar
rison, armaments, stores, etc., on the morning of- the 8th of
April

XXXVI

INCIDENTS OF THE PITTSB.UEGH LANDING
BATTLE.
The field was strewn with the wounded and the dead. No
time offered for the wounded to be cared for by their fellows,
though, on the second day, as the Unionists advanced, the
surgeons came on and did their duty manfully and welL
Friend and foe were treated alike. Captain Jackson, of Gen
eral Grant's staff, wrote : " The field presented a sorry spectacla
It extended over a distance of five miles in length and three-
quarters of a mile in -width. This space was .fought over
twice, in regular battle-array, and many times in the fluctuat
ing fortunes of the different portions of the two armies. It
was covered with dead and wounded. Where the artUlery
had taken effect, men lay in heaps, covering rods of ground,
mingled in wild masses of mangled horses, broken gun-carriages
and all the dread debris of a battle-field. Where our men had
made their desperate charges, the bodies lay in rows as they
had received the bayonet, constituting, at particular points,

OF THE WAE. 359
parapets of flesh and blood, over which a battle might have
been fought, as over a breast- work. Not a tree or a sapling in
that whole space which was not pierced through and through
-with cannon-shot and musket-balls, and, if we may believe the
accounts, there was scarcely a jod of ground on the five mUes
which did not have a dead or wounded man upon it"
The struggle was of that character which made men .forget
ful of self Every man seemed infused with only one thought,
to kUl as many as possible. One who was on the ground
wrote of this obstinacy of both parties :
^' On Sunday, especially, several portions of the ground were fought
over three and four times, and the two lines swayed backward and for
ward, like advancing and retreating waves. In repeated instances,
rebel and Union soldiers, protected by the trees, were within thirty feet
of each other. The rebels derisively shouted ' Bull Run,' and our men
returned the taunt by crying ' Donelson.' Many of the camps, as they
were lost and won, lost again, and retaken, received showers of balls.
At the close of the fight. General McClernand's tent contained twenty-
seven bullet-holes, and his Adjutant's thirty-two. Chairs, tables, mess-
pans, camp-kettles, and other articles of camp furniture were riddled.
In the Adjutant's tent, when our forces recaptured it, the body of a
rebel was found in a sitting position. He had evidently stopped for a
moment's rest, when a ball struck and killed him. In one tree I have
counted sixty bullet-holes. Another tree, not more than eighteen inches
in diameter, which was in front of General Lew Wallace's division, bears
the mark of more than ninety balls, within ten feet of the ground. On
Sunday, Company A, of the Forty-ninth Illinois, lost from one volley
twenty-nine men, including three ofiicers ; and, on Monday morning,
the company appeared on the ground commanded by a Second Sergeant.
General McClernand's Third Brigade, which was led by Colonel Raith,
until he was mortally wounded, changed commanders three times dur
ing the battle. On Monday morning, one of General Hurlburt's regi
ments (the Third Iowa) was commanded by a First Lieutenant, and
others were in command of Captains."
Such statements would be discredited -were they not con
firmed by those of other writers who ha-v« visited the field.
They serve to prove how appalling must have been the slaugh
ter, and yet out of the awful picture how the one great fact
stands forth in a halo of glory — that of the courage of the
Northem men ! Such courage has its elements of sublimity

360 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
which would immortalize any other people. But of Americansi
it is expected, and therefore, will not especially be noted by
-writers on the war. The correspondent above referred to says
of the personal bearing and hair-breadth escapes of some of the
commanders :
" (General Grant is an illustration of the fortune through which some
men, in the thickest showers of bullets, always escape. He has partici
pated in two skirmishes and fourteen pitched battles, and is. universally
pronounced, by those who have seen him on the field, daring even to
rashness ; but he has never received a scratch. At four o'clock on Sun
day evening, he was sitting upon his horse, just in the rear of our line
of batteries, when Captain Carson, the scout who had reported to him
a moment before, had fallen back, and was holding his horse by the
bridle, about seven feet behind him — a six-pound shot, whicli flew very
near General Grant, carried away all Carson's head, except a portion
of the chin, passed just behind Lieutenant Graves, volunteer aid to
General Wilson, tearing away the cantle of his saddle, cutting his
clothing but not injuring him, and then took off the legs of a soldier in
one of General Nelson's regiments, which were just ascending the bluff.
" About the same hour, further up to the right. General Sherman,
who had been standing for a moment, while Major Hammond, his chief
of staff, was holding his bridle, remounted. By the prancing of his
horse, as he mounted. General Sherman's reins were thrown over his
neck, and he was leaning forward in the saddle, with his head lowered,
while Major Hammond was bringing them back over his head, when a
rifle-ball struck the line in Major Hammond's hand, severing it within
two inches of his fingers, and passing through the top and back of
General Sherman's hat Had he been sitting upright it would have
struck his head. At another time a ball struck General Sherman on the
shoulder, but his metallic shoulder-strap warded it off. With a third
he was less fortunate, for it passed through his hand ; but now he has
nearly recovered from the wound. General Sherman had three horses
shot under him, two with three balls each, and the last with two. It
is the universal testimony that he manoeuvered his troops admirably,
and that he is the hero of the battle. His nomination to a Major-
Generalship is a deserved tribute to one'of the best officers in our
service. " General Hurlburt had a six-pound shot pass between his horse's
head and his arm ; a bullet passed through his horse's mane, and one
of his horses was killed under him. Lieutenants Dorchester and Long,
of his staff, each had several bullets and pieces of shell strike their cloth
ing. Lieutenant Tesilian, of General McClernand's staff, had his cloth-

OF THE WAE. 361
ing perforated by five balls, witliout receiving a wound. Major Ham
mond, of General Sherman's stafl^ had his cap cut by two bullets, and
his boots by two, and two horses shot under him, but he escaped unin
jured. A,private in the Seventeenth Illinois had two of his front teeth
knocked out by a bullet, which, though it entered his mouth, did him
no further injury. A rifle-ball struck the temple of another private,
near his right ear, passed through his head, and came out near the left
ear; but he is recovering. Lieutenant Charles Provost, of the First
Nebraska, received a bullet in the clasp of his sword-belt, and was after
ward knocked down by the vyindage of a cannon-ball, but was not
injured." Of BueU's conduct, one of his men wrote in these enthusiastic
terms : "I -wish you could have seen the gaUantry, the bravery,
the .dauntless daring, the coolness of General Buell. He
seemed to be omnipresent. If ever man was qualified to com
mand an army, it is he. He is a great, a . very great General,
and has proved himself so ; not only in organizing and dis-
cipHning an army, but in handling it General Buell had his
horse shot under him. Captain Wright, his Aid, had the
-visor of his cap touched by a ball"
The fighting of not only regiments, but of individuals, af
forded so many instances of remarkable courage, devotion and
endurance, as to make, the record one of extraordinary though
painful interest " Each man fought," said one of the news
paper, correspondents -from the bloody field, "as- if success or
defeat depended on his own right arm ; and charge after charge
was made upon the rebels to regain the ground we had lost
They stood firm as a rock ; and though our artiUery often
swept down their ranks and left fearful gaps in thefr columns,
they manifested no trepidation, nor did they waver for a mo-
' ment The Hying supplied the place of the dead. The
musket that had faUen from a lifeless hand was seized at once,
and the -horrid strife swept on as before. The force of the
enemy appeared increasing, and where the greatest havoc was
made, there- the strongest opposition was shown.. Hand-to-
hand contests were innumerable. Every stmggle was for Hfe.
Quarter was asked on neither side, and the ground drank up
the blood of hundreds of brave feUows every hour. Men lost
46 2f

362 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
their semblance of humanity, and the spirit of the demon
shone in their faces. There was but one desire, and that was
to destroy. There was little shouting. The warriors were too
much in earnest They set their teeth firm, and strained every
nerve to its. utmost tension. Death lost all its terrors, and men
seemed to feed upon the sight of blood."
Of such ghastly features is the " grim front of war ;" only
the reality is more painful, more horrible than words can
express. Men to contemplate it with serenity must be demons
indeed, or else they must be mastered by emotions higher and
nobler than love of Hfe or self — ^the love of a cause which
Heaven consecrates. '
One of General BueU's manoeuvres, characteristic of his off
hand and reliable way of meeting exigencies, is happUy Ulus-
trated in the following :
" They were advancing in great force to tum our left and capture our
transports and supplies, when Buell, becoming aware of their intentions,
made preparations to receive- them. About half a mile above the Land
ing are two large ridges running back from the river. The ridge next
to the Landing is the highest. Buell placed a battery on ejich of the
ridges, and between them he placed a brigade of infantry. The troops
were ordered to lie down. He then ordered the lower battery to fire on
the enemy and make a show of retreating in confusion, so to draw the
rebels on. On came the rebels pell-mell, yelling at the top of their voices,
'Bull Run ! BuU Run ! ' thinking to frighten us. As soon as the rebels
came in range, the lower battery, agreeably to orders, opened flre, re
treated, and took a position in the rear of the upper battery. The rebels,
seeing our men retreating, charged up the hill and took possession of the
battery. The rebels, in the tnean time, were not aware of our troops be
ing in the hollow below them. At this moment the signal was sounded,
and the whole brigade rose to their feet and poured a deadly fire of
rifle-balls into the ranks of the rebels, cutting them down by scores.
At this favorable moment, also, the upper battery poured in a perfect
storjn of grape and canister shot. The rebels reeled and staggered like
drunken men, and at last broke and fled in every direction, leaving the
ground strewed with dead and dying."

OF THB WAE. 363
The losses of the Union forces in the two days struggle have
been set down at 13,508, distributed as foUows :
GRANT'S AEMT.

DIVISIONS.

KILLED.

-WOUNDED.

UISSINO.

TOTAL.

1 — General McClernand,

251

1,351

,236

1,848

2— Seneral W. H. L. Wallace, 228

1,033

1,163

2,424

3 — General Lew WaUace,

43

25T

5

305

i — General Hurlburt,

313

1,449

223

1,985

6 — General Sherman,

313

1,275

441

2,034

6 — General Prentiss,

196

562

1,802

2,760

Total,

1,349

5,927

3,870

11,356

BUELL'S AEMT.

2— General McCook,

95

793

8

896

4 — General Nelson,

90

591

68

739

6 — General Crittenden,

80

410

27

617

Total,

265

1,794

93

2,152

Grand Total,

1,614

7,721

3,963

13,608

That of the enemy in kUled and wounded was much greater
than the Union loss. Of the ^bel losses no authentic data
probably ever wUl be furnished. The Sunday's fight they
could report upon and not upon that of Monday, where they
were compelled to leave their dead upon the field, from which
they were driven. After Monday's fight, General McCler
nand's. di-vision buried the remains of six hundred and thirty-
eight rebels left upon the field. General Sherman's, six hun
dred, General-Nelson's, two hundred and sixty-three, and Colo
nel's Thayer's brigade of General Lew Wallace's division, one
hundred and twenty-three. These were the only commands
from which returns were received ; but the most of the other
divisions and brigades buried a proportionate number. The
rebels must have lost four thousand killed, by the most mode-
fate estimate. After the battle. Captain Eussell of the Sixth
Ohio counted the bodies of one hundred and twenty-six rebels,
lying where they fell, upon a strip of land less than one-fourth
of a mUe long, and fifty yards in width. Eleven of them, in
front, had fallen nearly in Hne, about five paces apart, and were
evidently skirmishera Colonel Thayer of the First Nebraska,

.364 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
-in another portion of the field, opposite General Sherman's
division, counted thirty-seven dead rebels, side by si(}e, who
had evidently been killed while in line of battle, by a single
volley. Sixty-eight were counted in front of the ground held
by the Forty-eighth. Ohio, and eighty-five in front of the Sev
enty-second Qihio. A, detail of men from General McCook's
division buried in a single trench one hundred and forty-seven,
including three Lieutenant-Colonels and four Majors. A tab
ular statement published in the Memphis Argus, AprU 24th,
confessed to nine hundred and twenty-seven kUled^ four thou
sand four hundred and seventy-one wounded and three hun
dred and eixty-one missing. As this statement was but frag
mentary, and " daily additions were being made to the list,"
it was only valuable for showing what regiments were in the
engagement They were (so far as named :) One hundred
and fifty-fourth Tennessee ; Fiffceenth Tennessee ; Bljrthe's
" Mississippi ;" Breckenridge's brigade ; Eleventh, First, Thir
teenth and Fourth Louisiana ; Second, Fourth, Forty-seventh,
Sixth, First, Twenty-second, Thirteenth, Fifth, Twentieth,
Nineteenth, Twenty-eighth, Forty-fifth and Thirty-third Ten
nessee ; Twentieth, Twenty-second, Twenty-fifth and Sixteenth
Alabama ; First and Thirtee'ta.th Arkansas ; Seventh Ken
tucky • Fifteenth and Twenty-second Mississippi ; First Mis
souri ; Polk's, Banks' - and Stamford's batteries ; Forrest's
cavalry, &c., &c. Several companies of Texan rangers were
also engaged in the fight
Bearing on the enemy's losses we may cite the dispatch of
Beauregard to Adjutant-General Cooper, of the Confederate
army establishment That dispatch was intercepted by Gene
ral Mitchell in his rapid and unexpected descent on Hunts
ville, Alabama, where the telegraph of&ce was seized. In its
freshly-booked business file was found the following :
"CoKiNTH, April 9th.
" To Oeneral Samuel Cooper, Richmond, Va. : i
" AU present probabilities are that whenever the enemy moves on this
position he will do so with an overwhelming force of not less than
vrzole xriy lohkjnap men, by wna ahc vkjlyi hate nqhkl lorite xrmy
lohkjnap yx31 wlrmqj mna phia may possibly shrakj ran xyc pnejorlo

OF THE WAR. 365
nghkl xrlly 5a lohkjnap vhmy. Can we not be reinforced xrhn dy vgzilhaj
nive. If defeated here cy thjy lov vrjq mnt 3yc nap dchqn4te hki wnkjy
whereas we could even afford to lose for a while wonilyjlha nap inmzuSyl
for the purpose of defeating qkyt4j nive, which would not only insure
us the valley of the Mississippi, but our independence. P. G. T. BEAUREGARD. "
The "astronomer General" was not long in deciphering this.
He had studied the l3ws of"refraction and reflection too long
.to be baffled by this divertisement. Here is the translation :
"CoBiNTH, April 9th.
" To General Samuel Cooper, Bichmond, Va. ;
" All present probabilities are that whenever the enemy moves on this
position he will do so with an overwhelming force of not less than
eighty-five thousand men. We -can now mustgr only about thirty-five
thousand effective (men.)* Van Dorn may possibly join us in a few days
with fifteen thousand mora Can we not be reenforced from Pemberton's
army ? If defeated here we lose the Mississippi valley, and probably
our cause ; whereas we could even afford to lose for a while Charleston
and Savannah, for the pm-pose of defeating Buell's army, which would
not only insure us the valley of the Mississippi but our independence.
P. G. T. BEAUREGARD."
This teUs a woeful story of losses, for it is certain that, in
the attack of Sunday, forty-five thousand men were engaged ;
while in that of Monday, at least seventy -five thousand men
were brought into the field. The General doubtless considered
a large portion of his command non-effeetive from exhaustion,
demoralization, desertion and sickness.
* Beauregard's dispatch announcing to his Govemment the tidings
ofthe second day's battle, read :
" We have gained a great and glorious victory. Eight tp ten thou
sand prisoners and thirty-six pieces of cannon. Buell reenforced Grant
and we retired to our intrenchments at Corinth, which we can hold.
Loss heavy on both sides.''
No matter if the "eight to ten thousand prisoners" actually was
about one-third of that number — no matter if his own losses in prison
ers were immense— no matter if his losses of artillery exceeded, tla.^ num
ber given as captured by him ; these facts were only for " private circu
lation"— those given in the dispatch were for the public. The confes
sions to the Adjutant-General was the key-note to the truth. But that
was only for the private, official ear.
2f2

XXX^II.

A DIGRESSION.
Victories of the most signal character foUowed so rapidly,
one after the other during the latter part of April and the
early part of May, (1861,) that the public expressed disappoint
ment if each morning's paper did not contain its usual " dis
play" of big type announcing another great conquest Small
aifairs, where but ten or fifteen thousand troops -were engaged,
attracted but little attention. It was only the bombardment
and fall of Fort Macon ; the bombardment and fall of Fort
Pulaski ; the bombardment of 'Forts Jackson and St PhUip
and the fall of New Orleans ; the evacuation of Yorktown
and the pursuit of the rebel grand army toward Richmond ;
only these that were the street talk, so insatiable was the pub
lic for heavy blows. Look at the record of news for one week,
as gleaned from the files of the leading joumals :
Sunday, April 27. — Received news that the advance guard,
under General Halleck, had attacked and driven back a body
,of rebels which acted as rear guard of the rebel post of Cor
inth. Date of fight, April 24th. Lieutenant Gwinn, of the
United States Navy, in command of the Tennessee river fieet,
' led a land expeditipn to Bear Greek Bridge, of the Memphis^
and Charleston RaUroad, destroyed two spans of the bridge,
each one hundred and ten feet, about five hundred feet of
trestle work, and half a mile of the rebel mUitary telegraph
line. The rebels hastily retreated after a shprt skirmish.
Monday, April 28. — Received news of the capture of New

OF THE WAR. 367
Orleans. The surrender was formally made on Saturday,
April 26th. General McClellan captured a lunette fortifica
tion in front of Yorktown, driving the rebels out at a charge.
This capture was also effected on Saturday, April 26. Gene
ral Banks reported our troops in possession of Stanton, Vir
ginia, Saturday, AprU 26th.
Wednesday, April SO. — ^Received news that a cavalry re
connoissance met a foraging party outside of Monterey, near
the Mississippi border, and, after a skirmish, in which five
rebels were kUled, including one Major, captured nineteen
prisoners, putting the rest to flight Major Duncan, of General
Canby's staff, with a small force, obtained a victory over the
Texan rebels in New Mexico, routing them entirely after a
spirited fight
Thursday, May 1. — Received the news that a skirniish had
taken place within a few miles of Corinth, between one of the
advance brigades of General , HaUeck's army and the rebels.
The Union arniy was -notorious. Date of fight, AprU 29th.
Friday, May 2. — Received news that the forces of General
HaUeck had a skirmish -mth the rebels at Purdy ; drove them
through the town, which the Union troops took possession of,
bumt two bridges, and ran a locomotive into the river. This
action cut off all communication between Corinth and the
North. Date of action, April 30th.
Received inteUigence through rebel sources, that Fort Macon
had been surrendered, after a lengthy bombardment Date of
surrender, April 26th.— General MitcheU telegraphed that his
forces had skirmished with, and routed the rebels at Bridge
port, Ala., capturing the place. Date of fight, Wednesday,
A-pril 3Qth.— General Halleck reported that Major Hubbard,
with one hundred and fifty of the First Missouri volunteers,
had defeated Colonels Coffee and Stearnweight, with a force
of six hundred Indians, at Neosho, capturing sixty-two pris
oners and seventy-six horses. Date of conflict, Saturday,
April 26th.
Saturday, May 3. — General Mitchell reports that after his
skirmish of Wednesday, his troops crossed from the island to

368 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
the mainland, captured two cannon and their: ammunition.
The rebels retreated in great confusion, without again offering
battle.— The evacuation of Corinth reported in the SoutL No
of&cial account thereof received from our. troops. — Baton
Rouge reported once more in the possession of the Union
troops. Sunday, May 4. — ^Received full particulars of the battle of
Camden, or South MUls, under General Reno, reported by the
rebels as a victory for then- forces. It has since proved to
have been a defeat — The arrival of the Santiago de Cuba brings
intelligence of the capture of the rebel, steamer Isabel, -or Ella
Warley; capture of the schooner Bee, capture of a schooner
-without a name, etc. — The arrival of the Fhnpire Ciiy reports
the capture of the contraband steamer Nostra Signora de Regla,
-—The captured rebel steajners Bermuda and Florida arrived
at Philadelphia on Saturday, May 3d. •
Sunday Evening, May 4. — Yorktown evacuated by the
rebels. General McClellan reports his forces- in possession of
the ramparts, guns, ; ammunition, ^ camp equipage, everything,
and his troops in fall pursuit of the retreating rebels. — Glou
cester in possession of the Union troops. General Paine made
a reconnoissance to Farinington, Mississippi ; met, fought with
and defeated four thousand five hundred rebels, and captured
the position,- some prisoners, their tents, camp equipage, etc
The cavalry in pursuit ofthe retreating rebels. Date, of fight.
May 3d. — An artillery reconnoissance destroyed two trestle
bridges, and some track of the Memphis.- and Charieston RaU
road, at Glendale, Mississippi. Date, May 3d.
AU this in one week. Yet one of the leading journals, with
an impudence that bordered on the sublime, stated (in the
middle of May) that " what the Union cause now most needs
is a striking victory, which shall at once prove the superiority.
of the Federal arms, and thus demonstrate toward a final
triumph." Can meanness go farther than this ? The London
Times said, early in June, that it was ascertained the Union
victories, if such were ever won, were only obtained hj forcing
the Federal soldiers into battle by planting cavalry behind thein

0F_ THE WAR. 369
to cut down any regiment that flinched! The malignancy
of the Southem ihind found a fit counterpart in the con
temptible meanness of the English heart, for through all our
gigantic struggle against treason and conspiracy to overthrow
the Union, the English press — with one or two honorable
exceptions — sedulously misinterpreted, scoffed, maligned and
ridiculed the progress of the Federal arms and the measures
of the Federal Government So much for a " great and
chivalrous nation 1" History will point to her in scom as the
embodiment of hypocrisy, dishonor and malice. The people
' of the United States can afford to await their time to redress
the insults heaped upon them by a people whose very exist
ence depends in so large a measure upon American products
and money. A bitterness has grown in the American heart,
toward the old enemy, during the progress of the war for the
Union, which it -wUl take more than one generation to forget
There never will be a satisfied people on tJiese shores, until British
insolence and ingratitude is thoroughly and permanently punished.
In saying this we simply interpret a sentiment _which every
intelligent American knows to exist Let those who are wise
read the " signs of the times" aright, and be prepared for a
conflict for supremacy which will as surely come as that
British insolence has an existence. The Great Republic has
only fought half the fight for human Hberty, and popular
Govemment, in repressing the Southem rebellion : the other
half is to be fought with those enemies of the Republic in
Europe who presume to sit in judgment on our affairs ; to say
what we shall .and shall not do — as if they were the arbiters
of the destinies of the American Continent The Nineteenth
Century must witness the complete supremacy of the American
Union in the aflfairs of this Continent, without fears of foreign
" intervention" or dictation, or it must witness the downfall of
popular Govemment The century, has no other issue.

47

XXXVIII.

BOMBARDMENT OF FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP,. AND
THE FALL OP NEW. ORLEANS.
The conflict -with the forts guarding the approach to New
Orleans, added to the lustre of American arms, and afforded
another demonstration of the immense superiority of fleets
over land defenses. The first oflicial announcement from the
scene of the contest was as foUows :
" To the Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
" I have the honor to announce that, in the providence of God, which smiles
npon a just cause, the squadron under flag-officer Farragut, has been vouchsafed a
glorious victory and triumph in the Capture of the city of New Orleans, F(u-ts
Jackson, St. Philip, Livingston and Pike, the batteries above and below New
Orleans, as well as the total destruction of the enemy's gunboats, steam rams,
floating batteries (iron-clad,) fire-rafts, and obstructions, booms and chains. The
enemy, with their own hands, destroyed from eight to ten millions of cotton and
shipping. Our loss is thirty-six killed and one hundred and twenty-three wounded.
The enemy lost from one thousand to fifteen hundred, besides several hundred
prisoners. The way is olearj and the rebel defenses destroyed from the Gulf to
Baton Rouge, and, probably, to Memphis, (ror flag waves triumphantly over them
all. I am bearer of dispatches.
(Signed) " THEODORUS BAILEY."
This most important announcement was dated at Fortress
Monroe, May 8th, 1862. It filled the hearts of loyalists with
rejoicing and sent dismay into the hearts of the revolutionists. -
It was just cause for rejoicing, opening, as it virtually did, the
Mississippi river to commerce, and depriving the rebels of their
most irnportant metropolis. Recognizing its importance, the
Confederates had so fortified the approaches as to deem the
city safe, and they looked forward to the Federal stmggle with

O-F THE WAR. 371
their forts and obstructions, -with a satisfaction not at all re
pressed. The New Orleans papers were defiant and - derisive
until the sudden knowledge (April 26th) that the Federal gun
boats were approaching the city, when dismay sent the over
confident and boastful press into the most painful condition of
wounded pride.
The story of the struggle by which the Union forces under
General Butler were placed in possession of the capital, forms
one of the most novel and deeply interesting chapters of the
-war. We -will recur to it with as much brevity as is consis-'
tent -vfith completeness.
The success of the expeditions against Hatteras, Port Royal
£tnd the North Carolina coast inspired the Navy Department
with new zeal in the prosecution of its plans for the reduction
of New Orleans. It secretly organized an "immense fleet of
gunboats, mortars and transports, giving the fleet command
to Commodore D. G. Farragut, and the mortar flotilla to Cap
tain D. D. Porter ; while an expeditionary corps of land
forces was placed under command of Major-General B. F.
Butlqr. ¦ The destination of the fleet and flotilla was kept a
secret for some time, though by March 20th it became gener
ally understood that New Orleans was its point of combined
operations. Butler's forces centered at Ship Mand early in
March. Brigadier-General Phelps assuming command, await
ing' the superior officer's arrival. The fleet arrived at Ship
Island late in March ; the bomb flotilla and transports rapidly
foUowed, bearing an armament of mortars, the strength of
which exceeded that brought to bear upon Sebastopol.
This concentration a;t once threatened Mobile and New Or
leans. The rebels inimediately deserted Pensacola, which
they had fortified with so much labor and cost — the land
forces under Bragg hastening to reenforce Johnston and Beau
regard at Corinth, and the artiUerists from the forts ' going to
strengthen the garrisons in the forts guarding Mobile; and New
Orleans. ' The forts. Navy-yard, dry dock, store houses, bar
racks and marine hospital at Pensacola were abandoned, April
6-9tL On the night of the latter day they were fired by the

372 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
coast guard and consumed. This left no " enemy in the rear"
to attend to, and all attention was directed to the work in
hand against the forts commanding the approaches to New
Orleans. The fleet and flotilla gathered, during the middle of April,
in the Mississippi River, ten miles below Fort Jackson. The
novel expedient was then resorted to of painting the vessels
with mud — ^the more eflfectually to hide them from the ene
my's sight The masts were afterwards rigged out with bushes
and ever-gEcens, thus quite successfully masking their propor
tions. It was only by the smoke of the Federal guns that
their location could be marked by the enemy. Under the
leafy covert of the river banks the mortar-boats fought, when
the bombardment finally opened, in comparative security,
sending their fearful thirteen-inch Shells into the Fort (Jack
son) with precision, -without offering any target for a return
fire. The mud-paint and bush-masque were a " Yankee trick,"
for which the rebels were not prepared.
The bomb flotUla was prepared for the bombardment by
the 17th. The rebels sent fire rafts, in large numbers, down
the river, hoping to destroy- some of the Union boats, but they
were uniformly suppressed by a ball or two from one of the
rifled guns. " The mortar fleet sent the first missile howling
over the water," wrote a correspondent, " towards Fort Jack
son at precisely half past nine on the moming of Friday, April
18th. It is called Good Friday in the calendar of the Church,
although anything but a good day for the rebels. Our schoon
ers lay partly hidden from the enemy behind the trees and
under the brushwood of a dense swamp which stretches along
the right bank of the river. With a curious display of inge
nuity, they baffled the eyes of the enemy still further by dress
ing up their masts and rigging with the branches of green
wither and leaves, which so confounded them with the woods
that at a distance they could scarcely be distinguished. The
rebel gunners learned only from the wrea,ths of smoke which
curled above the seeming forest the temporary position ' of
their assailants. This will be pronounced a Yankee trick,

OF THE WAR. 873
doubtless, by our secession critics and their sympathetic friends
abroad, or else, that it was borrowed from Macbeth's enemies,
when ' Bimam wood did come to Dunsinane.'
" The distance of the foremost vessel from the Fort was
three thousand three hundred and forty yards, and the three
di-nsions of which the fleet was composed engaged in the fire
alternately, each division firing for four hours and then rest
ing for eight The rate of fire generally observed -was, one
sheU from each mortar of the division every ten minutes. As
Fort Jackson replied with considerable rapidity and vigor, you
may conceive the noise of the thunder, which was continued
for six days and five nights.
" Fortunately, our schooners were mostly out of the range of
Fort Jackson, and only within range of Fort PhUip ; but, even
from the latter, nothing but rifled guns and mortars were at
all dangerous. Fortunately again, the enemy had few of these
customers to send us, and we fought comparatively secure.
Many of our vessels were struck, in the course of the long
engagement, but only one of them was severely injured, and
only two of their men severely wounded,"
The firing of the bomb and gunboats having apparently
done but indifferent service in disabling the forts. Commodore
Farragut determined to " run their fire" and make for the city
without waiting for the reduction of the formidable defenses.
All night long of the 23d the vessels of the squadron were
arranging for the perilous attempt, and were- on the way by
three A. m; Captain Porter, in his report, said :
" We commenced the bombardment of Fort Jackson on
the 18th, and continued it without intermission until the squa
dron made preparations to move. The squadron was formed
in three lines to pass the forts. Captain Bailey's division
composed of the following vessels, leading to the attack on
Fort St Philip, viz. : Cayuga, Pensacola, Mississippi, Oneida,
Varuna, Katahden, Kineo and Wissahicon: Flag Officer Farra--
gut leading the following (second Hne) : Hartford, Brooklyn
And Richmond ; and Commahder Bell leading the third divi-
2g

374 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
sion composed of the following vessels: Sciota,. Iroqvm&, Pi
nola, Wiriona, Itasca and Kennebec.
" The steamers belonging to the mortar flotilla were to enfi
lade the water battery commanding the approaches; mortar
steamers Harriet Lane, Westfield, Owasco, CUfton and Suanee,
and the Jackson towing the Portsmouth. The vessels of the
squadron were rather late in getting -yveigh and into Hne ; and
did not get fairly started until 3:30 A. M. , The unusua,l bustle
apprised the garrison that something was going on.
" In an hour and ten minutes after the vessels had weighed
anchor, they had passed the forts, under a most terrific fire,
which they retumed with interest. The mortar fleet rained
down shells upon Fort Jackson to try and keep the men from
the- guns, while the steamers of the mortar fleet poured in
shrapnel upon the water battery commanding the approach at
a short distance, keeping them comparatively quiet When
the last vessel could be seen, amid the fire and smoke, tp pass
the lottery, signal was made, to the mortars to cease firing,
and the flotilla steamers were directed to retire from: a contest
that would soon become unequal."
This alludes only incidentally to that extraordinary " run
ning the rnuck." From a resume of the eventful passage, we
may quote : " Just before dawn the squadron was discovered
approaching by the enemy. The fury with which it was
attacked is proved by the tremendous exertions our vessels
were compelled to make in order to carry through their pur
pose. At first the re*bel fleet endeavored only to check their
progress, while the two forts poured incessant voUeys upon
them ; but presently the action became closer and more
involved, and mainly confined to the river. HoUins' ' ram,'
the Manassas, although it afterward turned out a helpless and
feeble fabric, served the rebels well for a time. It not only
engaged Commodore Farragut's flag-ship, the Hartford, but
, also succeeded in forcing a fire raft upon her, from which she
narrowly escaped destruction. ' I thought it was all up with
us,' said the Commodore in a letter describing the event to

OF TflE WAR. 375
Captain Porter. The flames were, however, extinguished in
time to save the ship, and the ' ram' betook . itself to other
errands of destruction. The floating battery Louisiana, which
lay moored not far from Fort Jackson, also occasioned great
inconvenience. Its firing was well directed, and its metallic
sides were found to be quite impenetrable. Other 'rams'
emulated the Manassas, and attacked our gunboats with con
siderable effect The Varuna, gallantly commanded by Cap
tain Boggs, was broken in pieces by their repeated onsets, but
before her own destruction she made her name memorable by
, disabling and destroying no less than six of the rebel craft.
Five of these were set in flames by the Yaruna's shell and
run ashore, and another was shattered and forced to surrender.
The intrepid tenacity of the Yaruna's officers and crew is best
illustrated by the fact that her last "broadside, which beat in
the sides of the ram Morgan, was fired while the gun-carriages
on her upper deck were already settling in the water. During
this time our other gunboats were not idle. Nine of them,
together -*ith the sloops-of-war, fought their way up the river,
and gradually widened the space between themselves and the
forts. A few were beaten back, having received injuries to
their machinery which rendered them incapable of proceeding.
The Itasca, for example, is said to have received thirteen shots
under her water line, beside ha-ving her boiler destroyed. But
a sufficient number passed to secure the success of the expe
dition. Even at the last moment, the rebels -maintained the
struggle. Some of their steamers, which had been spared on
condition of surrendering, broke away and renewed the fight
at other points. Finally, the ' ram' Manassas, after the engage
ment had virtually ended, and when the Union squadron was
seeking an anchorage,, bustled up after them, and fired a shot
or two at the Richrhond. The Mississippi turned swiftly to
resent the insult, when, as if fearful of the consequences of its
temerity, the 'ram' immediately ran ashore, was deserted, and.
was forthwith pounded to fragments by three heavy broad
sides from its pursuer.
" The conflict was a short one, lasting only an hour and a

376 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
half at the most By half-past five in the morning our success
had been achieved, and the destiny of New Orleans decided.
It was a result which the rebels never had anticipated, and
which could never have been obtained except by the most
devoted and unshrinking bravery. The consternation of the
people of New Orleans was aU the greater for the confidence
they had cherished. After this decisive action only the merest
show of resistance was offered at the fortifications intended
for the immediate protection of the city. The fleet lay before
New Orleans on the moming of the 25th. The inhabitants
seemed possessed with a frenzy of rage and apprehension.
They were destroying aU accessible property, the rebel Gene
ral Lovell having set the example by burning his o-wn goods.
The officer sent on shore by Commodore Farragut was received
by the people, whom their Mayor afterward characterized as
' gallant and sensitive to all that can affect their dignity and
self-respect,' with brutal and ferocious demonstration of insult
In spite of this and similar actions, the dignity of our own
mission was sustained, and the quiet occupation of the City by
our forces was duly carried into effect"
Farragut announced his success in the foUo-wing rather
laconic epistle to the commander of the flotUla :
" Dear Pokteb : We had a rough time of it, as Boggs vrill tell you,
but, thank God, the number of killed and wounded was very small, con
sidering. This ship had two killed and. eight wounded. We destroyed^
the ram in a single combat between her and the old Mississippi, but the
ram backed out when she saw the Mississippi coming at him so ram
pantly, and he dodged her and ran on shore, -wherupon Smith put t-ivo
or three broadsides through him and knocked him all to pieces. The
ram pushed a fire-raft on to me, and in trying to avoid it I ran the ship
on shore. He again pushed the fire-raft on me, and got the ship on fire
all along one side. I thought it -was all up with us, but we put it out
and got off again, proceeding up the river, fighting our way. We have
destroyed all but two of the gunboats, and these will have to surrender
with the forts. I intend to follow up my success and push for New
Orleans and then come down and attehd to the forts, so you hold them
in statu quo until I come back. I think if you send a flag of truce and
demand their surrender they will yield, for their intercourse with the city
is cut off. We have cut the wires above the Quarantine and are now
going ahead. I took three hundred or four hundred prisoners at

OF THE WAR. 377
Quarantine. They surrendered and I paroled them not to take up arms
again. I could not stop to take care of them. If the General will come
up to the bayou and land a few men or as many as he pleases, he will
find two of our gunboats there to protect him from the gunboats that
are at the forts. I wish to get to the English Tum, where they say they
have not placed a battery yet, but have two above, nearer New
Orleans. "
Captain Boggs' account of his exploit deserves notice. We
give the material portions of his report :
" Sm : I have the honor ta report that, after passing the batteries with
the steamer Varuna under my command, on the morning of the 34th,
fiadino- my vessel amid a nest of rebel steamers, I started ahead, deliver
ing her fire both starboard and port at every one that she passed. The
first on her starboard beam that received her fire appeared to be crowd
ed with troops. Her boiler was exploded and she drifted to shore. In
like manner three other vessels, and one of them a gunboat,, were driven
ashore in flames and afterwards blew up.
" At six A. M. the Varuna was attacked by the Morgan, iron-clad
about the bow, commanded by Beverley Kennion, an ex-naval officer.
This vessel raked us along the port gangway, killing four and wound
ing nine of the crew, butting the Varuna on the quarter and again on
the starboard side. I managed to get three* eight-inch shell into her
abaft her armor, as also several shot from the after rifled gun, when she
dropped out of action partially disabled.
" While still engaged -with her another rebel steamer, iron-clad, vrith
a prow under water, struck us on the port-gangway, doing considerable
damage. Our shot glanced from her bow. She backed off for another
blow, and struck again in the same place, crushing in the side, but by
going ahead fast tbe concussion drew her bow around, and I was able
vrith the port guns to give her, while close alongside, five eight-inch
shells abaft her armor. This settled her, and drove her ashore in fiames.
Finding the Varuna sinking, I ran her into the bank, let go her anchor,
and tied up to the trees.
"During all this time the guns were actively at work, crippling the
Morgan, which was making feeble efforts to get up steam.
" The fire was kept up until the water was over the gun-trucks, when
I turned my attention to getting the wounded and crew out of the
vessel. The Oneida, Captain Lee, seeing the condition of the Varuna,
had rushed to her assistance, but I waved her on, andthe Morgan sur
rendered to her, the vessel in flames.
" I have since learned that over fifty of her crew were killed and
wounded, and she was set on flre by her commander, who burned his
48 2g2

378 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
wounded with his vessel. I cannot award too u^uch. praise to the
officers and crew of the Vmuna for the noble .manner in wMch they
supported me, and their coolness under such exciting circumstances,
particularly when extinguishing fire, lia-ring been set on fire twice
during the action by shells.
"In fifteen minutes from the tiinethe Varuna was struck she was on
the bottom, with only her topgallant forecastle out of water. The
officers and crew lost .everything they possessed, no one thinking of
leaving his station until driven thence by water."'
The forts followed the fate of the city. A' demand was
made by Captain Porter for their surrender, immediately after
the passage up of Commodore Farragut's squadron ; but, the
commanding officer. Colonel Higgins, refused to give up,, par
ticularly as he regarded himself able to hold the position
for a time longer -against Porter's bombs. Porter preferred to
await the. coming up of Butler's forces from the land side, to
invest and carry the works by storm. Aware of this approach
of the land forces, the commanding officer in the main fortress,
together with General J. R. Duncan, commanding the coast
defenses, and W. B. Renshaw,* commanding the. rebel " navy,"
accepted the terms of capitulation extended by Captain Porter.
The forts finally surrendered, as stated, AprU ¦28th. Porter,
in his account of the interview -with the. rebel officers,, reflected
in severe terms upon the want of honor in one commander J.
K. Mitchell, who, while the negotiations for the surrender were
transpiring, towed above the fort, with his three steamers, an
fron floating battery of sixteen guns. This was set on fire and
sent adrift to come down upon the Harriet Lane, on board of
which the articles of capitulation were being arranged. Porter
said : " While drifting down on us the guns, getting heated,
exploded, throwing the shots above the river. A few minutes
after the floating battery exploded with a terrific noise, throw-
* This Eenshaw was one of the Lieutenants in command at Pensacola
Navy Yard, in 1861\ ; and, in conjunction with Captain Farrand, he
betrayed that important property into the hands of those with whom he
had been, for some time, conspiring. His release, on " parole," was a
great mistake, since it recognized him as an ordinary belligerent. He
should have been held, to be tried for high treason.

OF THE WAR. 379
ing the fragments all over the nver, and wounding one of
their own men in Fort St PhUip, and immediately disappeared
under water. Had she blown up near the vessels she would
have destroyed the whole of them." It is well to know that
Porter thmst the scoundrels into close quarters when he ob
tained possession ©f4;heir persons a few hours afterward. They
ought to have been instantly tried by court-martial and shot
for their rascality. In doing as they did, the rebels on board
the steamers only expressed their own disregard for all the
mles of. civilized warfare. They courted savage treatment,
and should, in strict justice, have had it; but, in consonance
with- the general course pursued toward the Southern prisoners,
they were treated with lenity.
The forts, after capitulation, were tumed over to General
Phelps. Porter said of their condition : " JFort Jackson is a
perfect ruin. I am told that over one thousand eight hundred
shells fell in and burst over the centre of the fort The prac
tice was beautiful. The next fort we go at we wUl settle
sooner, as this has been hard to get at The naval officers
rSunk one gunboat whUe the capitulation was going on, but I
have one of the others, a steamer, at work, and hope soon to
have -the other."

26

XXXIX

I

INCIDENTS OF THE CAPTURE OP FORTS JACKSON AND ST.
PHILIP, AND THE FALL OF NEW ORLEANS.
Before our bombardment ofthe forts began, the commanders
of the British and French men-of-war lying in the river ex
pressed a desire to visit the enemy, of course to examine his
preparations. The Commodore readily granted their request
When they returned, they assured him that it was of no use
for him to attempt the capture of New Orleans in that direc
tion ; it could not be done with wooden vessels. The brave
old tar replied : "I was sent here to make the attempt You
may be right, but I came here to take New Orleans — to pass
the forts — and I shall try it on /"
Of the fire-rafts sent down on the 18th and 19th, to destroy
our fleet, a reporter present at the scene, wrote : " Our men
had an opportunity to test, in a practical manner, their means
for destroying fire-rafts, and they proved to be an admirable
success. A turgid column of black smoke, arising from resi
nous wood, was seen approaching us from the vicinity of the
forts. Signal lights were made, the varied colors of which
produceid a beautiful effect upon the foliage of the river bank,
and rendered the darkness intenser by contrast when they dis
appeared. Instantly a hundred boats shot out towards the
raft, which now was blazing fiercely, and casting a wide zone
of light upon the water. Two or three of the gunboats then
got under way and steamed boldly toward the unknown thing
-of terror. One of them, the Westfield, Captain Renshaw, gal
lantly opens her steam valves, and dashes furiously upon it, ,
making the sparks fly and timbers crash with the force of her

of the war. 381
blow. Then a stream of water from her hose plays upon the
blazing mass. Now the small boats lay alongside, coming up
helter-skelter, and actively employing their men. We see
everything distinctly in the broad glare — men, oars, boats,
buckets, and ropes. The scene looks phantom-like, supernatu
ral ; intensely interesting, extreihely exciting, inextricably
confused. But, finally, the object is nobly accomplished. The
raft, yet fiercely burning, is taken out of range of the anchored
vessels and towed ashore, where it is slowly consumed. As
the boats return they are cheered by the fleet, and the scene
changes to one of darkness and repose, broken occasionally by
the gruff haU of a seaman when a boat, sent on business from
one vessel to another, passes through the fleet We have a
contempt for fire-rafts. They have proved, like many other
things, to be 'weak inventions ofthe enemy.' "
Fort Jackson, as stated by Captain Porter, was greatly shat
tered by the appalling fire of the flotilla and fleet The
drawbridges were completely destroyed; the cisterns were
demolished; the casemates and passages were filled with
water, the levee having been cut away. The platforms for
tents were destroyed by the fire of shells. All the casemates
are cracked from end to end, and in some places the roofs are
completely broken, and frequently masses of brick have been
dislodged. Four guns were dismounted, and eleven carriage&-
and traverses injured. The outer works of the fort are cracked
from top to bottom, in several places admitting daylight freely.
It is computed that 3,339 shells were thrown into the ditches
and overflowed parts of the fort ; 1,080 sheUs exploded in the
air over the fort ; 1,113 mortar-shells were counted on the
sloping ground of the fort and levee, and eighty-seven round
shot Altogether 7,500 sheUs were fired. One sheU passed
through the roof of the water battery magazine, but did not
'explode. On the parapet were fourteen new graves.
Porter, when told, at the conference on board ih.e Harriet
Lane, that the rebel " gentlemen of the navy" had fired and
let loose the iron battery, signalled to his captains to look out
for their ships, and then quietly went on with the conference.

382 INCIDENTS- AND ANECDOTES
telling the rebel Colonel who was on board with him, that
"we could stand -the fire and blow-up, if he could." That
speech has the -true ring of the old " Essex"- Porter, who
fought one of the most desperate battles known to history,'
and whose spirit is evidently alive in this descendant of his.
During the conflict the much heard of ram Manassas — with
which Commodore HoUins achieved his sole exploit by mn-
ning into the Brooklyn when she ventured into the river in the
fall of 1861 — again made its appearance, but only to its own
dire UeStruction It was so well " peppered" that it came
drifting helplessly down stream on fire and in a sinking condi
tion Whether her crew remained on board, to be roasted or
parboiled according to their place -in the ship, or whether they
escaped, is not known ' Commodore Portei", who- had an eye
for a joke, did his' best to preserve -that specimen joke of the
rebels; he clapped a hawser round it and tried to tow it to
the bank, but the ridiculous affair gave' a puff, blew a few
harmless flakes of flame into the eyes of the laughing tars who
were endeavoring to surround it, and sunk; ' ¦
Among other things destroyed by the rebels at New Or
leans, was their monster and really formidable floating bat
tery — the Mississippi — upon which the Southern people had
founded high hopes of success to their cause. She had been
seven months in course of construction, employing five hun
dred men th'e whole time, and would have been finished in
three weeks. Her length was two hundred and seventy feet,
her depth sixty, and her armament was to have- been twenty
rifled guns. The frame of the hull was made of Georgia pine,
nine inches thick. Over the -?rood were placed three plates
of rolled iron, making the thickness of the armor alone four
inches and a half She was 5,000 tons burden, and her mo
tive power consisted of three propellers, which were calculated
to give her a speed of eleven knots an hour. Two millions
of dollars are said to have been expended in buUding her.
Some of the prisoners, taken in the gunboats, stated that she
was intended to break up the blockade and then cruise in the
Gulf and near Havana for prizes.

OF THE WAR. 383
A pleasing incident occurred when the Federal frigate Mis
sissippi struck the levee shore at " Algiers" in her effort to
swing around. A large and boisterous crowd collected, and
sought to provoke the officers and men by their remarks.
The Captain, to drown their noise, called the band and bade
them strike up HaU Columbia; Involuntarily, as it were, the
rabble ceased howling, and instinctively some of the old men
in the throng raised their hats in acknowledgment of the strains
which from their youth had inspired them.
Two Irishmen came alongside Captain. Woodworth's vessel
on her way up stream, with milk and eggs to sell. The Cap
tain, to enjoy a joke, offered to pay them for what was pur
chased in Confederate scrip. " Be gorra !" said Pat, " I thought
yez was gintlemen, and paid for what yez wanted. Di-nl a
bit of money have I seen for a year, and Confederate scrip
has brought the wife and children to starvation almost" He
was paid in the coin of Uncle Sam, when he broke out : " Hur
rah for the ould flag ! They wanted to make me fight against
it, but I never have fought and I never -wUl fit for 'em." And
he turned the money in his hand, examining it curiously, as a
chUd might a newly-acquired toy.
A correspondent wrote of the appearance of the city : " I
was impressed with the remarkably desolate appearance of the
city. All the warehouses were shut, and theire was not a ves
sel, save those of the squadron, to be seen anywhere. As
soon as the fleet in its victorious advance, swept away the
defenses at La Chalmette, a few miles below, and appeared
before the city, the deluded people burned all the shipping,
and quantities of sugar, tobacco and cotton. The work of
destruction was complete. More than forty vessels — steamers,
schooners, ships — and immense piles of cotton, were fired at
the same time, and the levee was a Hne of flame. The scene
is described as being terrible. The mob took advantage of the
occasion to plunder, and a panic of the wildest description
raged. I saw the effects of this wanton sacrifice of property
in the half-burned and submerged hulls of several vessels, and

384: INCIDENTS AlfD ANECDOTES
the charred planks of the wharves on Ijoth sides of the river.
Several heaps of cotton were stUl ablaze."
The mob was only learned to cease its -violence and taunts
by the strong hand of Butler's soldiers. A day or two after
the United States flag was hoisted over the public buUdings,
some persons assembled before the Mint, amd tore the colors
from the staff, trampling upon them The Pensacola, then
lying opposite, discharged a round of grape into the crowd,
killing one man and dispersing the othOTS. When Butler as
sumed martial control over affairs the fellow who tore the flag
down (one Mumford) was taken, tried and hung ia sight of
a vast assembly, while his sentence was placarded over the
city. That summary disposition of one incorrigible traitor
had the capital effect to render treason much less popular.
The women of the city — including its leading " ladies" — were,
however, so malignant, and impudent in their malignancy, as
to omit no occasion to bestow upon the Federal officers and
soldiers alike their utmost scom by words and acts. Oaths,
imprecations, indecent epithets and spitting in faces were
everywhere meted out to the quiet and gentlemanly fellows
who were distribtited over the city as a guard. Butler finally
put a stop to this feminine and disgraceful state of affairs by
ordering the enforcement of a local law which assumed aU
females to be " women of the town" who were guilty of public
indecorum : all such were to be consigned to the calaboose.
There was very little female treason visible after that order.
It was that prder which so horrified Johnny Bull as to compel
a leading faction in Parliament to demand English " inter
ference" in our affairs, to put a stop to such outrages, upon
helpless women 1
There were found, safely, stored in the Custom House, at
least $50,000 worth of bells of all descriptions, from the pon
derous cathedral bell to the smallest size of hand-bells. These
had been contributed in response to the proclaination of Beau
regard for gun metal, and were to have been worked up in
the Algiers foundries. The " patriotic" churches, planters and

OF THE WAR. 385
schools which had contributed these beUs to " the cause" must
have relished the joke exceedingly when they were made to
chime melodiously for a Yankee victory. Unlike Tennyson's
poetical bells, they rang in the Old and rang out the New
order of things.
Commodore Farragut's politeness was of a nature to excite
a smUe for its significance. April 26th he dispatched to " His
Honor, the Mayor of New Orleans," the following polite
request :
" Tour Honor will please give directions that no flag but that of
the United States will be permitted to fly in the presepce of this fleet,
so long as it has the power to prevent it ; and as all displaiys of that
hind may be the cause of bloodshed, I have to request that you wUl give
this communication as wide a circulation as possible."
This so injured the feelings of the Mayor that " His Honor"
immediately made it the subject of a special message to the
City CouncU. Faragut's politeness e-vidently was of the over
powering kind.
The day previous (April 26th) the Commodore dispatched
Captain BaUey to the Mayor to demand the unconditional
surrender of the city — the hauHng down of the Louisiana flag
from the City HaU and of the Confederate flag from the Cus
tom House, Post-office and Mint — to require the raising ofthe
United States flag on all these places. The Mayor called in
General Lovell, commander-in-chief of the rebel forces, for the
defense of the city. As stated by " His Honor," in his mes
sage to the Common Council, immediately convened : " Gene
ral Lovell refused to surrender the city or his forces, or any
portion of them ; but accompanied his refusal with the state
ment that he should "evacuate the city, -withdraw his troops,
and then leave the city authorities to act as they might deem
proper." Whereupon the Mayor confessed that he was placed
in a pretty predicament : as a civil magistrate how could he
surrender the city to a hostile force ? ' He asked the Council's
advice, and, in the end, addressed a very impertinent note to
the considerate Commodore, stating that brute force had
power to do as it pleased, and might come and take the city.
49 2h

386 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
It remained for Butler to teach " His Honor" good manners
by sending him to the North to spend the summer in a less
treason-tainted atmosphere than that of New Orleans. Butler
proved to be a capital physician for all the Uls which afflicted
the sensitive souls ofthe Southem " copper-heads." He soon
brought order, peace, security, industry, commerce out of that
chaos of treason and rebel ruffianism. Was it for that service
to law and order that the foreign interventers demanded his
recaU ?

XL.

SECESSION ATROCITY ON THE FIELD.
A FACT made apparent early in the contest, was the shock
ing cruelty practiced upon Federal prisoners, by the rebels.
Parson Brownlow explicitly stated, that troops passed home
from the battle-field of Bull Run, armed with Yankee skuUs,
teeth, finger-bones, etc., as trophies, and exhibited them to
their delighted friends as an Indian would have shown his
scalps, in evidence of his valor.. The same statement was
made by various authorities, and was discovered to be true
upon the reoccupation of the field by McClellan's advanca
Residents in and around Manassas confessed freely that the
wounded were bayoneted, and their bodies left, in many
instances, unburied — that all our dead soldiers were stripped
of clothing and property almost as soon as the retreat com
menced — that numbers were buried face downward, to express
the fiendish disregard of the rules of civUized warfare, which

OF THE WAR. 387
the rebels saw proper to exercise upon many occasions. The
Southem army teamsters frequently referred to the fact, that
they used Yankee skulls for tar-pots, slung under the wagons
by two strings. Women were found in the Shenandoah
valley wearing amulets, made of Yankee finger and toe-bones.
The women of Winchester were remarkable for their profanity
in everything regarding the "Yankee." Even the daughter
of General Taylor — the once beautiful and dg-shing Bessie,
who married Colonel Bliss, and, after his decease, wedded a
physician Hving in Winchester — scarcely refrained from vul
gar rudeness and maHce toward the men and officers of the
Union army. Everywhere, throughout Virginia, the spirit of
- secession seemed aUied to the spirit of evU : men, women, and
even chUdren aUke were possessed of a malignancy of heart,
that argued anything but civilization and self-respect
The Lynchburg (Va) Republican told a story, Ulustrati-v-e
of the indifference entertained by Southem gentlemen toward
Northem friends. It may be repeated :
"Just before the war broke out, and before Lincoln's proclamation
was issued, a young -Virginian named Summerfield was visiting the city
of New York, where he made the acquaintance of two Misses Holmes,
from Waterbury, "Vt. He became somewhat intimate with the young
ladies, and the intercourse seemed to be mutually agreeable. The pro
clamation was issued, and the whole North thrown into a blaze of
excitement. Upon visiting the ladies one evening, and at the hour of
parting, they remarked to Summerfield that their present meeting would
probably be the last ; they must, hurry home to aid in making up the
overcoats and clothiirg for the volunteers from their town. Bummer-
field expressed his regret that they must leave, but at the same time
especially requesting them to see that the overcoats were well made, as
it was his intention, if he ever met the Vermont regiment in battle, to
kill one of them and take his coat.- Now for the sequel. "Virginia se
ceded. The Second Vermont regiment, a portion of which wa6 from
the tovm of Waterbury, was sent to Virginia. The battle of Manassas
was fought, in which they were engaged, and so was Summerfield.
During the battle 8. marked his man, not knowing to what State he
belonged; the fatal ball was sped on its errand' of death; the victim
fell at the flash of the gun, and upon rushing up to secure/ the dead
man's arms, Summerfield observed that he had a fine new overcoat
strapped to his back, which he determined ip appropriate to his own

388 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
use. The fight was over, and Summerfield had time to examine his
prize, when, remarkable as it may appear, the coat was marked in the
lining with the name of Thomas Holmes, and in the pockets were found
letters, signed -with the name of the sister, whom Summerfield had
known in New Tork, and to whom he had made the remark we have
quoted, in which the dead man was addressed as brother. The evi
dence was conclusive — ^he had killed the brother of his friend, and the
remark which he had made in jest had a melancholy fulfilment. We
are assured thi^ narrative is literally true. Summerfield now wears the
coat, and, our informant states, is not a little impressed -with the singu
larity of the coincidence."
" Is not a little impressed with the singularity of the coinci
dence !" No feehng of regret for the shooting of the brother
of those in whose famUy he had been a guest — no compunc
tions of conscience against robbing the dead of goods made up
with hands which he had once pressed in friendship I No !
Southern enmity forbade any such " sentimental qualms ;"
Southern honor and the Southern cause alike demanded that
a Northerner should be regarded as a savage, and treated as
sucL The massacre at Guyandotte, Virginia, Ulustrated this spirit
of secession atrocity. There a troop of Union cavalry was
quartered, when the rebels, secretly informed of the fact by the
residents of the town, made a sudden descent upon the place.
An indiscriminate slaughter of the Federals followed, in which
the people of Guyandotte — including the women — joined.
But about forty escaped of the two hundred cavalrymen —
many of whom were shot by the Guyandotte people as they
were trying to escape by swimming the river. This bloody
..act was followed by a just retribution. • The to-wn was reduced
to ashes by the Unionists, who quickly gathered to avenge the
atrocious conduct of citizens whom they had respected.
The Southem " muse," of course, made itself heard during
the contest If the poetry was , detestable as. poetry, it was
never lacking in the spirit -which comes of the intense emo
tions of hate and scorn. The folio-wing is one of the best
effusions made public. It first appeared in a Virginia paper :

OF THE WAR. 389
Whoop ! the Doodles have broken loose, -
Roaring round like the very deuce 1
Lice of Egypt, a hungry pack,
After 'em, boys, and drive 'em back.
Bull-dog, terrier, cur and lice,
Back to the beggardly land of ice ; =
Worry 'em, bite 'em, scratch and tear
Everybody and everywhere.
Old Kentucky 's caved from under,
Tennessee is split asunder, ,
Alabama awaits attack,
And Georgia bristles at her back.
Old John Brown is dead and gone I
Still his spirit is marching on,
Lantern-jawed, and legs, my boys,
Long as Apes from Dliuois 1
Want a -weapon ? Gather a brick 1
Club or cudgel, or stone or stick ;
Anything with a blade or butt,
Anything that can cleave or cut.
Anything heavy, or hard, or keen !
Any sort of a slaying machine !
Anything with a willing mind,
And the steady arm of a man behind.
Want a weapon ? 'Why, capture one 1
Every Doodle has got a gun.
Belt and bayonet, bright and new,
Eill a Doodle, and capture tiso I
Shoulder to shoulder, son and sire !
AU! call all! to the feast of fire 1
Mother and maiden, and child and sla've,
A common triumph, or a single grave.
Rebel atrocities were renewed at the campaign before Rich
mond. Such evidence was obtained as left no doubt upon the
minds of even the most ardent sympathiser with the rebels,
that- there were men in the Confederate army capable of almost
any atrocity. A letter from a member of the Eighth New
Jersey volunteers, gave the foUo-wing painful relation of the
indignities heaped, at the battle of Williamsburg, upon our
2h2

390 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
wounded officers and men,' whom the varying fortrunes of the
struggle, for a brief period, placed in their possession :
" Major Eyerson fell bravely. No words can do more than justice to
his coolness and courage. Unfortunately we were not able to get his
body off the fleld in the pressure of the engagement. Some of the
enemy came across him, and with their usual brutality and worse than
heathen barbarism, stripped him of all he had about him, save his
shirt and pants. They did the same -with Lieutenant-Colonel Van
Lear's body (of the Sixth New Jersey volunteers). In fact they served
all in the same way, turning out the pockets of e:very stricken soldier
they met. Nor did they stop at this robbery of the dead. They per
petrated savage outrages upon them, bayoneting the wounded and
breaking in the skulls of the dead with the butts of muskets, vmtil the
brain laid entirely bare upon the earth beside the body ! This is fear
ful to recount — almost too shocking. But it is true. • And I give it to
show to those who laud southern honor, chivalry and nobleness, what
southern honor and chivalry and nobleness consist in. I dare not longer
dwell on this. My feelings of indignation might lead to language un
becoming a Christian. Though, in truth, no language to express dis
gust and contempt of such deeds as I have recounted could well be too
strong." This horrible statement was more than confirmed by the
correspondent of the New York Times, who wrote from the
field : " Major Ryerson, ofthe New Jersey brigade, fell wounded
in the action of Monday, and two officers who undertook to
carry him from the field were shot in the attempt A couple
of privates then sprang to his assistance, but he advised them
to leave him for their own safety, telling them that he was not
dangerously injured, and had nothing to fear from the enemy;
but when the field was searched the next day for the dead, he
was found lying among them, with six bayonet wounds in his
breast, his ears slit, and his body nearly stripped of clothing."
The Comanches would not have done worse. It was wonder
ful that, seeing these things, the Federal troops did not seek to
retaliate, but, in no single instance, are we aware of any other
than the most humane and considerate treatment being meted
out to wounded rebel prisoners in our hands. Occasionally
threats were uttered by the men of particular regiments, some
of whose wounded members had suffered outrage and murder

OF THE WAR. 39I
at the hands ofthe vUlams, who comprised fuU one-half of the
rebel army. Thus, a member of the New York Sixteenth
said, m writing of the WUHamsburg fight : " It is hardly
necessary to say that officers and men are very much exasper
ated bythe barbarous conduct of some ofthe rebels— bayonet
ing the dead, cutting the throats ofthe wounded, and, in one
instance, beating with the' butt of a musket the skull of a
drammer-boy, who had received a wound which might weU be
presumed to be mortal ' This war ought to have been one
of extermination from the first,' was read, recently, either in a
rebel newspaper, or in some of the choice specimens of litera
ture left in the camps. The army of the Potomac is quite
ready to accept .thd,t rulq ; possibly to press it Certainly I
should pity any rebel who should ask a favor ofthe men of
the Sixteenth New York' "
OccasionaUy, also, a viUain here and there got his deserts..
Two notorious " bush-whackers," named Koehl and Weimer,
were hung at Sutton, Virginia, having been convicted of mur
der. These barbarous wretches, during the latter part of the
summer of 1861, caught a poor boy who had been, driving a
Governnient team alone on the road. They inhumanly cut off
his head with a scythe, and disemboweled him ; and, in their
fiendish joy, boasted that they had killed one Yankee. They
were captured, convicted of the niurder, and executed. Their
unusual brutality was fully proven at the trial
We could multiply instances of this painful character, but
have given enough to answer our purpose, viz. : to show that
a thirst for revenge was one of the inspiring motives which
filled and fired the Southem heart ' It will take two genera
tions, of prosperity to banish from such breasts the evil effects
of the passions engendered in the brief struggle for " Southem
Independence."

XLI.

ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS.
We find at our disposal an immense number of excerpts,'
Ulustrative of the facts and humOrs of the service. Our
voluine would scarce contain them alL We have already
given many of the incidents which transpired on certain fields ;
and will, now, reproduce such as seem to possess more than a
passing interest
The music of bullets and balls is referred to frequently in
accounts of battles. A soldier, critical in musical intonation
and the graduation of scales, gave us these notes, explanatory
and commentary on the " performances" of the death-dealing
messengers :
" It is a very good place to exercise the mind, with the enemy's picket
rattling close at hand. A musical ear can study the different tones of
the bullets as they skim through the air. I caught the pitch of a large-
sized Minie yesterday — it was a swell from E flat to P, and as it passed
into the distancei and lost its velocity, receded to D — a very pretty
change. One of the most startling sounds is that produced by the
Hotchkiss shell. It comes like the shriek of a demon, and the bravest
old soldiers feel like. ducking. when they hear it. .It is no more destruc
tive than some other missiles, but there is a great deal in mere sound to
work upon men's fears.
" The tremendous scream is caused by a ragged edge of lead, which
is left on the shell. In favorable positions of light, the phenomena can
sometimes be seen, as you stand directly behind a gun, of the clinging
of the air to the ball. The ball seems to gather up the atmosphere and
carry it along, as the earth carries its atmosphere through space. Men
are frequently killed by the wind of a cannon-shot. There is a law
which causes the atmosphere to cling to the earth, or which presses

OF THE WAR. 393
upon it with a force, at the surface, of fifteen pounds to the square inch ;
does the same law, or a modification, pertain to cannon-balls in flight ?
I do not remember of meeting with a discussion of the subject in any
published work. It ia certainly an interesting philosophic question."
A good story is related of Colonel Merideth, of the Nine
teenth Indiana volunteers, regarding his principles and practice
in dodging bullets. It runs : " At the LewisvUle skirmish, the
Colonel was at -the head of his nien, as they were formed in
Hne of battle, under the fire of the enemy. As the shells ex
ploded over them, his boys would involuntarily duck .their
heads. The Colonel sstw their motions, and, in a pleasant way,
exhorted them, as he rode' along the Hne, to hold up their
heads and act like men. He tumed to speak to one of his
officers, and at that moraent an eighteen-pounder shell burst
within a few yards of him, scattering its fragments in all direc
tions. Instinctively he jerked his head almost to the saddle
bow, while his horse squatted -with fear. ' Boys,' said he, as
he raised up and reined his steed, ' you mat dodge the large
ones ! ' A laugh ran along the line at his expense, and after
that no more was said about the impropriety of dodging
shells." There is power in music to send men into the fray with the
•wild abandon which inspires them in the dance. At the battle
of WiUiamsburg, Heintzelman's brigade for some time -with
stood the terrific shock of the assault of the enemy, fully-
numbering three men to his one. Worn out with fighting, it
was evident that he must give way if reenforcements did not
come up to his relief At that critical and anxious moment,
Brigadier-General Berry, of Maine, came in sight, with his fine
brigade, upon a mn. Heintzelman huzzaed with gratitude.
He ran to the nearest band, and ordered it to meet the coming
regiments with " Yankee Doodle," and to give them marching time
into -tfie field with the " Star-Spangled Banner." A wUd " hur
rah 1" went up from the army, and, with a yell that was elec
tric, three regiments of Berry's brigade went to the front,
formed a line nearly half-a-mUe long, and commenced a volley
firing that no troops on earth could stand before— then, at the
50

»
394 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
double-quick, dashed -with the bayonet at the rebel army, and
sent them flying from the field into their earthworks, pursued
them into the largest of them, drove them out behind with the
pure steel, and then invited them to retake it The attempt
was repeatedly made, and repeatedly repulsed. The count of
the rebel dead in that battery, at the close of the fight, was '
fearful evidence of the tenacity of the Northem troops. They
were principally Michigan men who did this work. The equi.
librium of the battle was restored.
This tenacity of the Northem troops was Ulustrated on
many a field. Read our account of the BaU's Bluff disaster,
of the Missouri campaign, of the Pittsburg Landing struggles,
where our men seemed to court death. The same virtue was-
more splendidly illustrated in the six days struggle (June 27th-
July 2d) of McClellan's army in its retreat for reahgnment on
the James River. The history of modern warfare does not
present an instance of greater endurance, heroism, devotion to
orders and desire for the close quarters of deadly conflict It
was an almost ceaseless struggle of life and death, wherein
men freely walked into the fire, to leave on the ground one
half of their numbers. The General who could educate his
men up to that point of duty possesses elements of greatness
even though his campaigns should prove faUures.
At Bull Run, prior to the " panic," the men, as a general
thing, fought splendidly. The records of that two days battle
are alive with deeds of true heroism — some of which we
already have recounted, (see pages 178-187.) One incident,
not there recurred to, deserves mention, bringing out in bold
relief as it does the prowess of men brought up in the forest
and familiar with danger from their childhood.
" On^the evening previous to the battle of Sunday, two of the Minne
sota boys took it into their heads to forage a little, for amusement as
well as eatables. Striking out fromtheir encampment into the forest
they followed a narrow road some distance, until, turning a bend, five
secession pickets appeared not fifty yards distant The parties discov
ered each other simultaneously, and at once leveled their rifles and fired.
Two of the Confederates fell dead, and one of the Minnesotians, the
other also, falling, however, but with the design of trapping the other

OF THE WAR. 395
three, who at once came up, as they said, to ' examine the d — d Tankees.'
Drawing his revolver, the Minnesotian found he had tout two barrels
loaded, and with these he shot two of the picket. Springing to his
feet, and snatching his saber bayonet from his rifle, he lunged at the
survivor, who proved to be a stalwart lieutenant, armed only with a
heavy sword. The superior skill of the Southemer was taxed to the
utmost in parrying the vigorous thrusts and lunges of the brawny lum
berman : and for several minutes the contest waged in silence, broken
only by the rustle of the long grass by the roadside and the clash of
their weapons. Feigning fatigue, the Minnesotian fell back a few
steps, and as his adversary closed upon him with a eat-like spring, he
let his saber come down on the head of his antagonist, and the game
was up. Collecting the arms of the secessionists, he returned to the
camp, where he obtained .assistance, and buried the bodies of his com
panion and his foes in one grave."
An equaUy exciting story is told of a member of the Tenth
Massachusetts, who was taken prisoner at the battle- of Fair
Oaks. A guard of two Alabamians was placed over him
temporarily. Seeing a New York regiment approaching, the
Massachusetts man conclude^ to "secede." He " pitched into"
his guards, knocking down and disarming both of the South
em gentlemen before they were aware of the Yankee's design.
But Yankee was not then ready to leave. A wounded com
rade was placed on a rude litter and the two Alabamians were
made to bear the burden into the New York ];anks.
The women of the South proved, at times, more unconquer- -
able enemies than the men. Their unbridled tongues ran to a
vocabulary of epithets and passion perfectly astonishing to the
Northern men, who had been led to believe that a Southem
woman was a superior creature. Our troops learned,, in their
campaigns, that the spirit of secession made demons of men
and furies of women, and few of them will return home' to
entertain respect for. the females of the South who unsexed
themselves to prove their scom of " the Yankees."
How brightly the story of the war is illuminated by the
sacrifices of many of the women of the North ! As nurses—
as beneficiaries and directors of relief and supply associations —
as ministers of hope to the hospital and the camp — their record
is one to make Northern men rejoice to claim them as mothers,

396 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
sisters, wives and friends. It wUl be a precious volume that
-'elates their good deeds and blessed ministrations. From the
aoble Sisters of Mercy to the humble, self sacrificing woinan
who toiled alone to do something for her beloved ones in the
field, it is one ceaseless story of a devotion over which the
angels must have rejoiced. May the book of their deeds be
written !
After the battle at Pittsburg Landing, great numbers of per
sons fiocked to the vicinity of the conflict to look after their
dear ones dead or wounded. Many affecting stories were re
lated. A lady in search of her boy, reported " wounded," ex
amined all the hospitals to find her. treasure. She passed
through the various wards, and saw none whom she could
recognize as her boy. After looking in vain, and scanning
closely every countenance, she was about to retire in sorrow
and disappointment, when a poor emaciated lad — a mere
shadow of humanity — who had severely suffered from fever
and disease, feebly uttered, Moliier 1 The lady turned and
looked upon the poor sufferer, but could see no likeness of
her boy, who so recently had left home in the bloom of youth
and healtL Again the lad feebly articulated. Mother 1 The
tears started from the eyes of the good woman, as she thought
of her own boy. A gentleman standing near — a Mr. S  ,
of New York— said : " Madame, I can see a Hkeness of you
in that boy ; it must be your so:^" The mother asked his
name, and with scarcely strength enough to speak, he managed
to utter almost inarticulately his name, when the lady saw it
was her boy. The gentleman who narrated this, added':
*' This is a sample of many such cases, the result of the fevers
to which the unacclimated are incident"
Ancfther painfully interesting incident is related of the man
ner in which Mrs. Pfieff, the -wife of Lieutenant Louis Pfieff,
of Chicago, who was kUled at Pittsburg Landing, was enabled
to find her husband's body. No person, when she arrived on
the field, could inform her where her husband's body was
buried ; and after searching among the thousands of graves
for half a day, she was about to abandon the pursuit in despair.

OF THE WAR. 397
Suddenly she saw a large dog coming toward her, which she
recognized as one which had left Chicago with her husband.
The dog seemed delighted to find her, and led her to a distant
part of the field, where he stopped before a single grave. She
caused it to be opened, and found the body of her husband.
It appears, by the statements of the soldiers, that the dog was
by the side ofthe Lieutenant when he fell, and remained with
him tUl he was buried. He then took his station by the
grave, and there he had remained for twelve days, until re-
Heved by the arrival of his mistress, only leaving his post
long enough each day to procure food. This is a weU authen
ticated incident, and wUl go far toward relieving the race of
dogs from the odium which some would attach to their species.
A woman was regularly commissioned Major for her ser-
' vices on the field. Governor Yates, of Illinois, recognized the
eminent and beneficent labors of Mrs. Reynolds, of Peoria, wife
of Lieutenant Reynolds, (Company A, Seventeenth lUinois
volunteers,) by conferring on^her the commission. The lady
accompanied her husband through the greater part of the cam
paign through which the Seventeeth passed, sharing with him
the dangers- and privations of a soldier's life. She was present
at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and, like a ministering
angel, attended to the wants of as many ofthe wounded and
dying soldiers as she could, thus winning the gratitude and
esteem of the brave fellows by whom she was surrounded.
Goverhor Yates, hearing of her heroic and praiseworthy con
duct, presented her with a commission as Major in the Army
— the document conferring the well-merited honor being made
out with all due formality, and having attached the great seal
of the State.
Among some of the most painful experiences of the war,
were those wherein Northern men were first made famUiar
-with the dark side of the institution of Slavery. Throughout
the South, where the Union forces penetrated, slaves and mas
ters were, of necessity, forced upon the attention of the troops.
The negro, longing for freedom, would seek our lines for
safety^ and, to prevent such desertion the master would resort
2i

398 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
to even more rigorous measures than usual — inflicting punish
ments which were, indeed, weU calculated to inspire terror and
to repress effort to escape. In a few instances only were these
shocking brutalities toward slaves properly punished. General
Butler — himself a life-long friend and supporter of the institu
tion of Slavery — -was called upon to consider a case, upon his
first assumption of power in New Orleans. It at once so
shocked him, as to induce the exercise of aU his power in, its
punishment The case was this :
A citizen of New Orleans (one WUliam T. Hunter) had his
house visited, by order of the mUitary authorities, to discover
the store of arms, etc., known to be secreted on the premises.
Hunter being absent, his wife directed a negro woman to show
the guard over the house, which she did. Arms, tents, etc.,
were found. Hunter soon returned, to.'find that not only were
the " contraband" articles gone, but that the negro woman had
followed the guard away. Mrs. Hunter had, however, recov
ered the slave — who, it would appear, simply followed the
cortege away out of curiosity, anc? would soon have retumed of
her own accord. Hunter, however, resolved to " punish" his
servant property for her crime. Taking down the heavy whip
used for negro whipping, he beat the woman crueUy over the
head. Tiring of this, he took her down into the back-yard, to
" the block," to which she was chained — Mrs. Hunter herself
fastening the shackles.
" The husband and wife then threw the servant down upon her back,
fastened her hands to the feet of another servant; who was forced to
hold the girl out to her full length. The girl was then subjected to
head-shaving ; her clothes were next removed, and Hunter beat the
exhausted creature with the horsewhip until he was too ttred to stand.
He then called for a chair, sat dovm, a'nd finished his brutal beating in a
sitUng posture. The screams, of the sufferer attracted the attention of
the neighborhood. One neighbor sent intelligence of what was trans
piring to General Butler. Before word reached the General the mon
ster had flayed the back of his slave until it became raw — washed Tier
down with brine, threw her into a wagon, and, at nine o'clock at night,
conveyed her to the parish prison, with the pleasing information that
the rest of the beating — to the extent of three hundred lashes — would
be inflicted in the morning."

OF THE WAR. 399
Butler was horrified at that early lessOn of the "rights of
masters over slaves." He ordered Hunter, his -wife and the
slave woman into his presence early on the following morning,
and, -with his own eyes, beheld the shocking sight — a human
being, a woman — ^beaten almost into a jelly for no greater
crime than running down -with the crowd, to the Federal quar
ters. Butler gave the -villain — ^who was one of the "most
respectable citizens" of the city — such a talk as the case de
manded, and elided by committing the inhuman creature to
Fort JacksoiL Hunter demurred to the incarceration saying
he had brought along -with him a physician to prove that he
had been sick for six months. Butler sternly remarked that
aU the proof \ie wanted was in that woman's back — ^if Hunter
was able to flog a human being in that manner he was strong
enough to suffer punishment for it " And be careful," said
the irate General, " that you behave yourself perfectly, for I
shall order you to be flogged and your back to be washed
down with brine if any insolence is offered." And the fellow
was marched off to Fort Jackson while the slave was taken
from her mistress— who was one of the leading ladies of New
Orleans-— and turned over to the Thirteenth Connecticut regi
ment as a laundress.
This case greatly excited the indignation of the New Orleans
people, who saw in it " an invasion of their constitutional
rights" — that Butler should have dared to incarcerate a citizen
for simply beating his slave 1 He had a right to beat her,
under the laws 'of the State; and, in sitting in judgment on
the case, Butler had exceeded his authority and had set a
dangerous precedent 1 Perhaps he did exceed his authority
and sit in judgment on a case belonging to the civil authori
ties ; but even B. F. Butier was a " higher law" man when
emergencies required, and,' what was strange, the " conserva
tives" in Congress did not call for an inquiry into the matter,
nor demand the General's recall 1 Had he been some " aboli
tion" General, instead of an old "Hard SheU" Breckenridge
Democrat, Butier would have seen the Hghtning and heard the
thunder of several Congressmen whose labors were chiefly

400 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
devoted to the end of ''securing to outlaws, assassins, thieves
and traitors " constitutional rights." Nero fiddled whUe the
torch was applied to Rome, but Rome had no Senators base
enough to prate of the " constitutional rights" of the incendia
ries and emissaries enforcing the orders of a monster. There
was no Vallandigham there — alas for the memory of Nero 1
We have before us, in a letter from an officer in an Indiana
regiment serving in Arkansas in May, 1862, a Httle incident
of adventure and experience which may be quoted. He says :
" Testerday my heart was fearfully agitated by a sight I shall never
forget We traveled eight miles, and stopped for breakfast at a rich
planter's house. While breakfast was preparing I heard one of the
soldiers remark that in a certain cabin there was a woman with a chain
around her neck. I walked to the cabin, opened the door, and saw
that which made my heart sick. A woman in chains ! It is true she
Yfas yellow in complexion. There mass negro blood in her veins. She
was a quadroon, with regular features. ' -Who placed this chain around
your neck ? ' ' That man.' ' What man ? ' ' The o-wner of this place.'
' What did he do it for?' 'For running away; I am not his; I was
stole from St Louis. Oh, do save me and my little boy. He gave me
three hundred lashes last night. The dear Lord save me. Look at my
feet' I looked. There was blood upon her ankles and feet as it had
trickled down her person. I sent for the master ; he came. ' Take that
chain from that woman's neck.' He hesitated. ' TaJce it away ! ' The
chain was removed. I have done this on my own responsibility. I
suppose I have violated the law, and made myself liable to be tried by
court-martial, and perhaps cashiered." '
" Made myself liable to the law." Then.fAe law does give a
man the right to place chains on a woman's neck, to whip her
with three hundred lashes, and to punish those who gainsay
that right ? The answer is, it does ! Let Christian men, who
have respect for the law, see to it that, in the new order of
things which must follow the struggle for the Union's life, the
right of a man to flay a woman alive, at his pleasure, may be
made one of the things of the past

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