The Civil War Day By Day Sesquicentennial Thread

#126
#126
May 12 1861

Gen. William Selby Harney was commander of the Union military forces in St. Louis, Mo. He had, in an unfortunate act of poor timing, been on a trip out of town for the last several days, missing his subordinate Nathaniel Lyon’s preemptive strike on the arsenal which provoked a two-day riot. Harney, now back in town, today issued a proclamation calling for public peace to be preservedz. Also The past week has brought good news and bad news to Union leaders—but mostly bad: Future generations may remember May as the month in which the Border States finally slipped away from the Union. Although many had anticipated this following the secession of Virginia in late April, the secession of both Arkansas and Tennessee on Monday have further disheartened those who hoped that the loyalty of these states could be preserved. Although North Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware have thus far remained loyal, the rapid secession of Virginia, Arkansas and Tennessee in the past few weeks has raised fears that the lure of secession may spread across the Border States now just as it spread across the Gulf States in January. This appears particularly likely in North Carolina, which now finds itself surrounded on all sides by Confederates or their allies; it is difficult to imagine that they can hold out much longer.

There is disheartening news farther north as well—nowhere more so than in St. Louis, which has recently been beset by mob riots. Although Missouri had joined many of its Southern neighbors in calling a state convention in February, attitudes in the state have thus far appeared extremely moderate, as the views of its secessionist minority have been tempered by strong Unionist elements elsewhere in the state, leading most to expect a policy of neutrality similar to Kentucky’s. Although this remains the official position of the state, the riots in St. Louis, which followed the capture of a secessionist regiment of the state militia, have lead to an outburst of secessionist feeling in the city, and many worry that the capture of the state militia and the men who died at the hands of Union troops may inflame opinions in the state against the North, driving the state to secession.

Despite these troubling developments, the Border States have also brought some good news to President Lincoln this week, in the form of a cooling of tempers in Maryland, undoubtedly the most important of the Border States for the President’s strategy. Ever since the Baltimore riots of mid-April, rail traffic through the state has been severed, seriously complicating the transport of Northern troops to the capital. Over the past few days, however, rail traffic through Baltimore has been restored, and while troops passing through the city have not been received warmly by its residents, neither have they been harassed or attacked, implying that the citizens of Baltimore have come to terms with the fact of Union troops passing through the city. This should greatly aid the war effort, which will surely require quick and efficient transport of troops to the front along the Maryland-Virginia border. The actions of the Maryland legislature must also be heartening to the President, for although they have recently defied his wishes by calling for an end to the war against the South, they have also rejected secession by a commanding majority, and the state appears likely to remain in the Union for the foreseeable future.

Even this good news comes with several caveats. Despite the pacification of Baltimore, secessionist elements continue appear across the state. Small groups of armed men have been seen moving towards Virginia at Harper’s Ferry, most likely to join the Confederates in their war effort there. On Friday, a small group of men were captured attempting to carry an extremely powerful “steam gun” to the Confederates, and although they were captured easily, others like them may have slipped through. Although this is certainly preferable to the secession of Maryland, the fact remains that the South still receives considerable sympathy from many Marylanders. Union troops will have to remain on guard against treacherous acts from behind the front lines as the war continues. Lastly on this day, The USS Niagara captures the Confederate blockade runner General Parkhill at sea while approaching Charleston, South Carolina.
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#129
#129
That blockade could cause some major problems for the Confederates if they don't assemble a Navy of their own.
 
#131
#131
JTrainDavis said:
I doubt it. All put forth men for either side, I don't believe the symbolic effect would have had much impact.
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Agreed. Soldiers from border states fought on both sides. Same would have happened if they joined the Confederacy. One interesting result if MD had left is that the Capitol would have had to be relocated. No way DC remains with VA on one side and MD on the other, both being hostile states. My vote would have been relocation to Philly or possibly NYC.
 
#132
#132
The forced joining of the confederate army under pain of death flies in the face of the modern romanticized vision of the confederacy some hold. War is always ugly and never heroic in itself.
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#133
#133
May 13, 1861

Acting completely without orders or authorization of any sort, Gen. Benjamin Butler, USA, occupied the city of Baltimore today. He moved troops from outlying Relay Station, Md., into town and seized Federal Hill. His first justification was the claim that he had heard that there was a riot going on. As there was in fact no civil disturbance, he searched around until he found weapons stores, munitions and other supplies he claimed were intended for distribution to the “rebels.” Also Violence erupted over the weekend between the Home Guards and citizens in St. Louis, Missouri, possibly killing “scores of people.” Peculiarly, the most recent incident was sparked when “ladies among the spectators began hooting, hissing, and otherwise abusing the companies as they passed, and a boy about fourteen years old discharged a pistol into their ranks.” The guards then returned fire into the crowd creating another chaotic scene in St. Louis.

An eyewitness traveling through Virginia reports to the New York Times that there are 25,000 armed soldiers in and around Richmond.* This account, combined with rumors of a skirmish in Alexandria, are leading some to believe that the next big clash between Union and secessionist forces will soon take place in the Old Dominion State.

In western Virginia, Union supporters are debating their next course of action. Unlike their pro-secessionist statesmen to the east and south, an estimated thirty to forty counties in the west have Union majorities and are displeased with the legislature’s decision to adopt the recent secession ordinance.* The anti-secessionists from the western part of the state convened Wheeling, Virginia, over the weekend to consider either forming an independent state and government, challenging the position of the government and perhaps attempt a coup d’etat, or advocating for another state convention with more representatives coming from outlying counties.

Transatlantic Great Eastern steamer brings news that the British government will remain disengaged from our national affairs.*Speaking before the House of the Lords, Lord Woodhousk “stated that the Government recognized no right or obligation to interfere in the conflict unhappily commenced in the United States, either diplomatically or otherwise.”

The New York Times’ Washington correspondent attend a party at the White House on Thursday and provides rich descriptions of the soiree, celebrated military personnel in attendance, the first lady (whose beautiful arms and shoulders captured much attention, and, of course, the “man who has to study and settle the most complicated questions which has ever engaged the attention of the ancient or modern world.” According to the dispatch, President Lincoln was “nearly a head taller than any other gentleman in the room. He has a much finer face than some of the prints which represent him, and though not really handsome, has a manly, honest, genial face, which invites confidence and respect.
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#136
#136
May 14 1861

At the outbreak of the Civil War William Tecumseh Sherman was a schoolmaster. A West Point graduate, he had resigned from the Army as many did in search of a better income. What’s more, the school he headed was in Baton Rouge, La (later to be Louisiana State University.) Living in the South did not alter his allegiance, though. Today he reenlisted and was commissioned as the commander of the 13th Regular Infantry
Federal troops now occupy Baltimore and the city is under martial law.* At least 1,000 soldiers formerly stationed at the Relay House marched through the city yesterday and made grounds on Federal Hill overlooking the city.* Although the sudden influx of soldiers was unexpected, the citizens of Baltimore cheered, waved the flag, and provided a warm welcome for the troops.

Conflicting stories from several newspapers do nothing to alleviate the fear that a there will soon be a large-scale conflict in Virginia.* A government official visiting Harper’s Ferry reports that, although there are 6,000 secessionist troops stationed there, the group lacks provisions because their supply line has been cut off by Union supporters in western Virginia, a move that will soon force them to retreat. However, the Richmond Daily Dispatch describes Virginian troops at Harper’s Ferry as being “fully prepared” to face an attack from Federal troops.* Moreover, the Baltimore American says, “General Lee, commander of the forces of Virginia, has his headquarters in Richmond, and is rapidly but as quietly and secretly as possible, concentrating all the available troops near Richmond; and it is the belief here that, in less than forty-eight hours, fifty thousand armed and disciplined troops can be got into this city.”

The convention of pro-Union supporters in western Virginia focused primarily on procedural features in yesterday’s session, but several delegates were able to make impassioned remarks about what should be done and the importance of the meeting. Large crowds gathered outside the convention and enthusiastically showed their support for separation from Virginia when the American flag was raised above the convention hall.

The New York Times lays allegations of “terrorism” against Virginia authorities after they imprisoned hundreds of lumberyard hands working for a businessman from the North and declared that the laborers would not be released unless they enlisted in the Confederate army.* The Northern businessman has petitioned the Federal government to take action, but the cabinet is apparently “in a fog about it” and “afraid of offending Virginia.”

The stock market is generally trending down, but railroad shares have improved
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#138
#138
Wednesday, May 15, 1861

A disturbing May 12 report out of Culpeper County is alleging*that Republicans plan to violate the*tomb of George Washington. In response, Virginians have allegedly removed the remains of the President and his family to a more central location in the state. We are awaiting confirmation of this story.

The security of Federal arms is increasingly an issue. Captain Tyler, of the Second Dragoons currently stationed at Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory, has received threats due to the weaponry in his possession. On the evening of May 10, he spiked ten 12-pound howitzers under his guard out of fear that a mob might take the arms and use them against his garrison. Fearful for the guns’ security, Tyler had ignored orders to remove the pieces to Fort Leavenworth.

Additional arms have arrived from England. The Cunyard steamship Africa is currently being unloaded at the dock in Jersey City. She is said to be carrying approximately 10,000 Enfield rifles that have been cosigned to the United States government. Meanwhile, a report out of Richmond states that the Confederate government just received the same amount of arms from Belgium. It is believed that a large portion of these will go immediately to Virginia.

A large stockpile of secessionist arms has been captured at Camp Jackson near St. Louis, including three 32-pound guns, a large quantity of bombs and balls, 1,200 late-model rifles, six brass field pieces, six brass mortars, 30-40 horses, and a considerable amount of camp tools. The retrieval of this*material*was carried out by the First Brigade of Missouri Volunteers under the command of General Lyon. Following the seizure, 639 prisoners were taken to the arsenal, fifty of whom were officers.

Tensions in Baltimore have spiked with General Butler’s arrival in Baltimore with about sixty troops to retrieve the contraband arms taken during the April 19 riot. He exchanged sharp words with Marshal Kane and offered the Police Commissioners 15 minutes to prove their loyalty by providing him the keys to the location where the guns were being stored. Once the*Commissioners*complied with this request, General Butler had the arms moved to Fort McHenry. While most Unionists find no fault with Butler’s actions, the secessionists have caused quite a stir over them. Keeping pace with the discontent, however, are the *Federal troops continuing to flow into the area. It is believed that within the next fortnight Baltimore will be occupied by 15,000 troops.

Recent reports indicate that there are some in South who, while loyal to their states, do not relish the idea of prolonged warfare. One reporter states:

"The peaceful tone of President Davis’ message to the Southern Congress will put the whole North in a reflective mood. A similar spirit on the part of President Lincoln is only needed to allow the opening of negotiations and a settlement of all pending difficulties upon some amicable basis. It is now time for the people of the North to demand a stay of hostilities. Congress should be immediately summoned to the capital to deliberate and act. Let us have peace."
Also, United States interference in the affairs of Central America has a long history. Today the USS Bainbridge was ordered to the Atlantic coast of Panama. This was a major transshipment point for cargo from the American west coast--including the gold mines of California. The concern was that this would be very attractive to Southern privateers, since the Confederate government desperately needed the gold to buy munitions abroad.

Lastly, General Butler was relieved of his command after capturing / occupying Baltimore without orders. A side note, this was the first capture of a rebel flag for the Union
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#139
#139
Thursday May 16, 1861

The State of Tennessee was officially and ceremoniously admitted to the Confederate States of America today. The Confederate Congress took the action at its meeting place in Montgomery, Ala., which was the capital of the secessionist nation at this time. The first capital would not be the capital much longer. To encourage the secession of Virginia it was decided to move the Confederate seat of government to Richmond. In the news, As mentioned on May 10, there is some controversy over the role that abolitionist values are playing in this war. Today, another Northern newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, has weighed in on the topic. Disputing the allegation that the North is fighting a crusade for Abolition, one reporter states that, not only have the rights of slave owners under the Constitution been observed throughout the conflict thus far, but also:

"When application is made for a right of transit for some black soldiers through one of our States, it has been refused by Governor Curtin in Pennsylvania. No single company of black troops has been accepted into the service, or so far as appears, encouraged to organize. Where insurrectionary movements among the slaves have been feared, our people have promptly offered aid in suppressing them, as did General Butler in Maryland.

Supporting this argument, recent statistics imply that the number of runaways and abductions have decreased 20 percent over the last decade. It is reported that the fugitive slaves in 1850 numbered 1,011, while in 1860 there were only 803 reports of runaways.

We hasten to add that this decrease does not imply that all Northerners support the suppression of insurrectionary movements.*John A. Andrews, of Boston, wrote to Brigadier General Butler on April 25 and expressed his opposition to inhibiting slave uprisings:

"In general, I think that the matter of servile insurrection among a community in arms against the Federal Union, is no longer to be regarded by our troops in a political, but solely in a military point of view, and is to be contemplated as one of the indirect weaknesses of the enemy, from the disastrous operations of which we are under no obligation of a military character to guard them, in order that they may be enabled to improve the security which our arms would afford, so as to prosecute with more energy their traitorous affairs upon the Federal Government and Capital."

Andrews closes with his assertion that the manner in which the United States military deals will slave uprisings should be based solely on the loyalty or disloyalty of the community in which they occur.

The Secretary of the Treasury has clarified which*items fall under the definition of “other supplies” as regards*contraband goods. These include mercury in all its compounds, chlorate of potash, muriatic acid, ehloride of potash, nitrate of soda, chloride of potassium, potash and pearlash, bagging, rope and nitric acid. The Treasury Department is doing its best to ensure that citizens of insurrectionary states who remain loyal to the Union are exempt from the seizure of contraband. To this end, seizures have been suspended in western Virginia until further notice.

Supplies from the Ohio Valley bound for secessionists*have been entirely cut off from access to the Baltimore and Ohio railway. Eight thousand troops were sworn into service of the United States in western Virginia, and two regiments in Ohio are ready to cross the river at a moment’s notice to ensure that no supplies are transported along this route.

As of yesterday, the Pennsylvania Union Nurse Corps has successfully passed and obtained the the Governor’s signature on a bill formally incorporating their organization. Misses Fulton, Smith, Bunnel and Baldwin traveled from Philadelphia to Harrisburg to ensure the passage of this bill. One Northern reporter asserts, “They deserve credit for their energy and perseverance in the interest.”

Also on this day, the Kentucky Declaration of Neutrality was a resolution passed by the Kentucky Legislature declaring the Commonwealth of Kentucky officially neutral in the American Civil War. It was enacted on May 16, 1861, following Governor Beriah Magoffin's refusal of troops to aid the Union in invading the South the previous month. Magoffin had flatly refused President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops to fight seceded Southern states. The Legislature passed the resolution in an effort to prevent Kentucky from seceding and also to prevent Kentucky from becoming a battleground. Kentucky remained neutral until September 1861, after numerous violations of neutrality. Pro-Union members of the Legislature argued that the Confederacy had especially violated Kentucky's neutrality and voted to raise the Union flag above the capitol, though in fact both sides were equally guilty.
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#140
#140
Friday, May 17, 1861

BALTIMORE, Maryland—The Federal government today received solid and credible intelligence that the South’s plans for an attack on Washington are nearly complete. The plans call for an attack with overwhelming force. Additional forces have been called to Washington, and General Scott has apparently ordered the immediate occupation of Arlington Heights by a powerful park of artillery. We’ll have more updates on this story in coming days.

The Governors of Pennsylvania and Ohio have pledged the forces of their states to the protection of the Union men in western Virginia. The Governors of Indiana and Illinois have made similar pledges to those loyal to the Union in Kentucky and Missouri. In response, President Lincoln has pledged that “no compromise shall be entertained till the National flag again covers the entire national property.”

Secessionists are interrupting travel. Yesterday morning, passengers were returned to Wheeling, Virginia, after trying to reach Baltimore by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Two culverts on the road near Harper’s Ferry have been blown up and the rails removed. As a result, rail passengers were detained for 14 hours before being turned around. A full regiment of Union men are expected to reach the area within a few days.

Secessionists are not the only ones hampering travel. A May 6 dispatch from the New-Orleans Bulletin asserts that the Federal government intends to blockade all Southern ports. Schleiden, the Minister Resident of the Free Hanse city of Bremen at Washington, believes that the blocking of the Mississippi will not be enforced before May 25, and that foreign vessels that enter the port before the actual blockade will probably be give 15 days to leave, with or without cargo.

There is now more news about the disturbing reports from two days ago claiming that President Washington’s remains were removed from their resting place at Mount Vernon. The managers of the Mount Vernon Society claim no knowledge of any such action. And while John A. Washington holds title to the tomb itself, he has no legal right to remove the remains of the “Father of the country.”

Southern stockholders of Adams Express in Georgia have purchased all the property privileges and interests of the company in the Southern Confederacy. A new company will be organized within the coming days; business is expected to continue without interruption

Joseph Hooker was a West Point graduate and a hero of the Mexican War, winning a field promotion at the battle of Chapultepec. Unfortunately, he had somehow gotten on the wrong side of Gen. Winfield Scott, who was the reigning chief of the US Army between Mexico and the Civil War. Hooker quit in disgust and took up farming and business in California. When the war broke out he tried to reenlist, but Scott still had it in for him and blocked it. Today he made it, appointed Brigadier General on the defenses of Washington.

Nathaniel Lyon and John Converse Starkweather also received their promotion to Brigadier General today
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#141
#141
May 18, 1861

Frank Blair received a letter from Abraham Lincoln giving him the authority to relieve Brigadier General William Harney, the top army commander in St. Louis, from command if Blair thought it necessary:


My Dear Sir—We have a good deal of anxiety here about St. Louis. I understand an order has gone from the War Department to you, to be delivered or withheld in your discretion, relieving General Harney from his command. I was not quite satisfied with the order when it was made, though on the whole I thought it best to make it; but since then I have become more doubtful of its propriety. I do not write now to countermand it, but to say I wish you would withhold it, unless in your judgment the necessity to the contrary is very urgent. There are several reasons for this. We better have him a. friend than an enemy. It will dissatisfy a good many who otherwise would be quiet. More than all, we first relieve him, then restore him; and now if we relieve him again the public will ask, "Why all this vacillation?"

Still, if in your judgment it is indispensable, let it be so.

Yours very truly, A. Lincoln


Blair would quickly find it necessary and remove Harney from command on May 30.

Also on this date, Arkansas was admitted to the Confederacy, and, in Virginia, the mouth of the Rappahannock River was blockaded by Union ships.

Another happening on this day, the Battle of Sewell's Point was an inconclusive exchange of cannon fire between the Union gunboat USS Monticello, supported by the USS Thomas Freeborn, and Confederate batteries on Sewell's Point that took place on May 18, 19 and 21, 1861, in Norfolk County, Virginia in the early days of the American Civil War. Little damage was done to either side. By the end of April 1861, USS Cumberland and a small number of supporting ships were enforcing the Union blockade of the southeastern Virginia ports at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay and had taken several ships which attempted to pass the blockade. USS Monticello's bombardment of the Sewell's Point battery was one of the earliest Union Navy actions against Confederate forces, if not the first gunfire by the Union Navy, during the Civil War
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#142
#142
Sunday, May 19, 1861

?The events of the past month testify to the fact that long-simmering tensions tend to explode suddenly, without warning and, perhaps in hindsight, inevitably. Today marks only a month since the surrender of Fort Sumter, yet more has changed over the past moon than changed over the six that followed the election of President Lincoln. Just a month ago, most believed that war could be averted; today no one doubts that war is upon us. The evidence is plain for all to see. The riots that have broken out in Baltimore and St. Louis have only been held down by the army, while smaller disturbances have taken place across the countryside in Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri. North Carolina appears all but lost to the Union, and the admission of Tennessee and Arkansas to the Confederacy has solidified that government’s control over the Southern region of the country.

Yet for all this excitement, the war itself has been extremely slow in coming. For the past few weeks, predictions have flown with wild abandon of attacks across the Potomac by Union forces in the capital, or of Confederate forces in Harper’s Ferry about to march north, yet these attacks have failed to materialize as. This curious stalemate is not limited to the east. Prognosticators have been predicting an attack against Cairo via the Mississippi River for nearly a month now; it hasn’t happened. Instead, most of the fighting has been limited to minor skirmishes between small bands of men in the Border States, mostly radicals without firm ties to either government. Indeed, the blockade of Southern ports remains the only tangible sign of an actual military conflict between two warring states.

The lack of open hostilities tends to call into question the sustainability of the war fervor on both sides. Although a sizable group has called for caution and delay before inaugurating a war against countrymen, the national discourse has been dominated by bellicose calls for immediate action and suppression of the Southern rebellion by force. These calls have been mirrored in the South, where public rhetoric calls for a defiant stand against the Northern “coercionists.” As of yet, the war has consisted mainly of patriotic gatherings, soldiers marching in formations, raucous celebrations and—mercifully—little bloodshed.

It’s hard to see how this crisis can play out without much more blood being spilled, however. Although the frontlines have remained stable so far, there will almost certainly be fighting soon on the territory of the North, the South or perhaps both. Although Northerners and Southerners are backing their leaders right now, both presidents are no doubt asking themselves: Will they continue to back me up if war begins in earnest?
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#143
#143
Monday, May 20, 1861

Hundreds of Northern troops are on their way to Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, to join General Butler in fortifying the Union installation, which is located deep in unfriendly Virginia. General Butler, head of the new Military Department of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, plans to establish his headquarters here and will eventually have 30,000 to 35,000 troops based at the fort.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis is traveling to Pensacola, Florida, to inspect the Southern holdings outside of Fort Pickens.* In addition, 500 Confederate troops are marching towards Pensacola and will be joined by 1,000 more from Georgia late in the week. *Meanwhile, secessionist forces at Harpers Ferry are reportedly growingly restless waiting for a potential attack. The New York Times writes,

[W]hisky and uncertainty have demoralized them, and insubordination is the rule rather than the exception. They are expecting an attack, and so doubtful as to whence it will be made that they cannot tell what points to fortify. They have changed some of their batteries as much as three times.

The Montgomery Advertiser confirms that Richmond, Virginia, will be the new seat of the Confederate government but gave no indication of when the move will occur. The Confederate Congress passed bills pertaining to the regulation of the telegraph, the organization of a patent office and the issuance of bonds. The legislative body also officially admitted Arkansas into its ranks on Saturday.

Despite being separated from the East Coast by thousands of miles, Americans living in California are enthralled by the events unfolding in our nation and “as each Pony Express arrives, and the news is received by telegraph, thousands of people congregate in the streets and central localities, continuing for hours discussing the points.” Popular sentiment continues to favor the Union.

Former Senator Stephen Douglas is battling typhoid fever and has been confined to his bed for some time. Although his condition was previously deemed “dangerous”, the Chicago Tribune reports that he is on the mend.* Additionally, former Virginia Governor Henry Wise is also suffering grievously from an illness “so much increased that his life is despaired of.”

Although government and state stocks remained “steady“, railway stocks were down Saturday.

An act was committed on this day which, in later days, would no doubt set off a media frenzy of unprecedented proportions, not to mention a legal and constitutional crisis. At a prearranged time (in the middle of the afternoon) every U.S. Marshall in the North went to pay a visit on the local telegraph office. There the marshals confiscated every single telegram which had been sent for the past year. The intent was to ferret out spies or suspicious patterns of messages. The Constitutional rights to free speech and privacy traditionally take a beating during wartime

North Carolina officially adopted an order of succession today, thus paving the way for the confederate capitol to be moved to Richmond
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#144
#144
Tuesday May 21, 1861

A deal was cut in St. Louis, Mo. today between Gen. William S. Harney and Gen. Sterling Price, both of the Union army, agreeing that Price would command the state militia to maintain order. The only problem with this in some people’s eyes was that Price was well-known to be pro-secession. Harney, who seemed to be much more concerned that the St. Louis Riots not be renewed, even promised in this deal that he would not bring in Federal officers as long as order was maintained. Pro-union locals and officers were not amused.
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#145
#145
Wednesday, May 22, 1861

?Major General Price, Commander in Chief of the Missouri Militia, met yesterday with General Harney. The two discussed the possible maintenance of peace between the Federal and state governments. Price pledges all the power of the state officers to maintain order, while Harney declares that he has no desire to make provocative military movements. At this point, they are united in the common object of restoring order through the state until the “unjust elements which have threatened so seriously to disturb the public peace may soon subside, and be remembered only to be deplored.”

In other areas, disturbances to the public peace are running rampant. The steamer Kentucky exploded yesterday, with twenty lives lost. Also,* the Confederacy has supposedly established a blockade at Memphis, with all northern-bound boats being prohibited passage.

Mr. Boyle’s and Mr. Gamble’s saw factory was set on fire yesterday morning by a group of seven or eight men who first attacked the watchman. Before leaving, the arsonists stole the flag* flying from the top of the building. As the saw factory has been engaged for some time in the manufacture of swords for Southern troops, many have speculated that the arsonists were acting under President Lincoln’s orders.

Indiana is also seeing its share of troubles. There have been several hangings* in the name of the Confederacy in Martin County at the hands of a man named Dromgoale, who was thought to have been driven from the area by Union men three weeks ago. A band of desperadoes has also allegedly carried out a raid in the town of Martin. The exact state of affairs in Martin is not clear. A mob of a hundred armed men arrested four citizens in Dover’s Hill yesterday on suspicion of their being secessionists. We will update you as we receive new information.

The North Carolina state convention passed an ordinance of secession yesterday. The North Carolina Regiment encamped near Richmond gave “a lively and joyous demonstration over the news.” Meanwhile, in Utah, the fall of Fort Sumter and the secession of Virginia have apparently sparked new interest in secession. Two officers, Captain Gardner and Lieutenant Cooke, have already left the service of the United States government. Five more are expected to do the same.

Washington has ordered all telegrams on file for the past year to be seized in offices of the American Telegraph Company across the North. Mr. Murray, a United States Marshal in New York, accompanied* Superintendant of Police* Kennedy in the apprehension of telegrams. It is unclear what the purpose of the seizure is, although some believe that the Government will be examining the telegrams for any connection to the “Southern conspiracy.” Local governments are either also unaware or are simply being tight-lipped on the subject.
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#146
#146
Wednesday, May 22, 1861

Throughout the beginning of the conflict, several claims of the first casualties had been expressed. There were the first Civil War death at Castle Pinckney, the murder of a Southern sympathizer in Ohio, the death in the Baltimore and St. Louis Riots and the deaths during the surrender of Fort Sumter. But this date marked the first death of one soldier at the hands of another.

?Confederate Colonel George Porterfield had been sent to Grafton, western Virginia to raise troops. Upon his arrival, he found little love for the Confederacy. What men he found had to be encamped at Fetterman, two miles north of Grafton. He had recently moved his force to Pruntytown, five miles west of Grafton (both are situated on modern US Route 50).

Meanwhile, newspaper editor-turned Union Captain George Latham was raising pro-Union troops in Grafton. With Union and Confederate troops based within two miles of each other, some kind of contact was inevitable.

Latham had procured an incredibly large United States flag and had raised it over Grafton. The Union troops situated in the town were known as the Grafton Guards. They were awaiting Virginia’s popular vote confirming secession on the 23rd to officially offer their services to Union forces in Wheeling. On this date, the day before the vote, the 200-strong Confederate “Letcher Guards,” being appalled by the site of the flag, marched into Grafton to see to its removal.

Meeting them were throngs of Grafton’s citizenry. They were not cheering, however. According to one Rebel soldier, “they were shouting and cursing and abusing us dreadfully.”

?As the troops moved down Main Street from the west, they stopped in front of the flag. Their captain ordered them to take down the “damn rag.” A young Unionist citizen then hurled a chair at the Rebel captain, knocking him from his horse. He picked himself up and was about to order his men to fire when he noticed the Grafton Guards stationed on the rooftops of the buildings up and down Main Street. Their guns were leveled at the Rebel troops.

This could quickly have developed into the first land battle of the Civil War. If the Rebel Letcher Guards would have fired into the crowd or the Unionist Grafton Guards would have fired from the rooftops, history may have played out in a slightly different way.

Not wishing to make headlines just yet, the Rebels began to retire. As they marched back down Main Street, a group of girls taunted and waved American flags at them. Soon a larger crowd appeared. The Letcher Guards were halted by the railroad hotel as the Unionist mob gathered around them, hurling curses and insults, but nothing more. The officers of the Letcher Guards stood between the men and the crowd, begging the Rebels to keep their cool and not to fire upon the citizens. After an hour stand off, the Rebels retired.

Later that evening, two soldiers of the Unionist Grafton Guards were returning to Grafton from Pruntytown where they were on a recruiting mission (or possibly scouting the Rebel position – the stories vary). A single bridge connected Grafton to Pruntytown. That bridge also served (and was actually closer to) Fetterman.

The two Union soldiers, Daniel Wilson and Thornsbury Baily Brown, had just crossed the bridge on the Northwest Turnpike (Modern US 50). This was a gutsy move since the Rebels had recently occupied Fetterman, but they had heard that the Rebels had left that town as well. As they approached the B&O Railroad crossing, they were ordered to halt.

?Three Rebel soldiers could be seen through the darkness. Brown recognized one as Daniel Knight, a local ruffian who had gotten into a fight with Brown prior to the current political climate. According to some reports, Wilson ordered Brown to fire. In others, Brown exclaimed, “damn him, what right has he to stop us?” Either way, Brown drew his revolver and shot the Rebel, Knight, clipping his ear.

Knight reeled back, but was able to raise his flintlock loaded with buckshot and fired. The three balls hit Brown near his heart and he fell, mortally wounded. Daniel Wilson ran towards Grafton as another Rebel soldier fired at him, hitting him in the heel of the boot.

Thornbury Baily Brown was dead, the first Union soldier to be killed by a Confederate soldier.

Wilson informed Captain Latham of Brown’s death and it was decided to move the Union troops to outside of Grafton. Confederate Colonel Porterfield ordered Brown’s body to be returned to his friends
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#147
#147
Thursday, May 23, 1861

The people of Virginia are expected to vote on the recently passed ordinance of secession today. The ordinance is expected to pass, although some believe it will not do so without coercion. A reporter from the Huntingdon Globe speculates, “Arrangements have, however, been made by rebel authorities to use the soldiers now in service in Virginia, first as voters and then as regulators of the election. Any Union men that may venture to make a demonstration, will fare badly.”

The South is presenting the election in a more favorable light. The Richmond Daily Dispatch states, “Every man who votes to-day for the Ordinance of Secession is a signer of the second Declaration of Independence, and will aid in finishing the work which George Washington begun.”

Southerners have long assumed that California would join their cause. However, Californians continue to show their devotion to the Union, despite the overwhelming Democratic presence in the state; there was recently a large parade of men, women and children in honor of the Union in San Francisco. As one reporter put it:

Every town, every hamlet, and every man is for the Union, and if a single ranche in the gallant Grizzly Bear State harbors a traitor, the rascal had better vamoose at once. So hot and flaming is the enthusiasm that that shorting pony, which sweeps in everlasting gallop from the golden banks of the Sacramento over the mountains, through the canons and across the prairies to the muddy Missouri, seems incapable of conveying any conception of it, and can only say that ‘nothing like it was ever seen before.’

There was another disturbance in Missouri yesterday. The Stars and Stripes were hoisted over the post office in St. Joseph in the afternoon. Soon after, a crowd set upon the office, cut the pole down, threw it in the river and proceeded to tear the flag to pieces. Following this, they raised a state flag above the post office. The crowd then moved on to the Turner’s Hall and ordered the American flag down. The demand met no resistance and the flag was removed. No acts of violence were committed during this demonstration.

The New-England Mutual Life Insurance Company recently clarified its position on policies being held by persons living in the South. If any person holding the policy dies in the violation of the laws of the United States, the policy becomes void. However, the company adopted certain rules allowing Southern policy holders to surrender their policies and receive some compensation. If a member wishes to enter into military service under a seceding state or is drafted into such service, they may surrender their policies with sixty days’ notice. If a holder does not wish to surrender his policy, the policy may be temporarily suspended.

It appears that the North will not suffer from a dearth of cotton over the course of the war. The Mayor of Memphis addressed a note to a firm of cotton brokers assuring them that the city has no intention of interfering with the transport of cotton to whoever purchases it, North or South. A reporter from the New York Times says the question still remains whether the North “will allow its exportation through any route, not that it will not be raised and offered for sale.”The United States Constitution ceased to rule in the home of so many of its writers today. The “Mother of Presidents” voted an ordinance of secession by a total of three to one. The geographic division of the vote told a different story, however. The central and eastern parts of the state voted heavily to secede. The residents of mountainous western Virginia felt differently, and voted almost to a man to remain in the Union.
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#148
#148
May 24 1861

Sergeant Butterworth, of the N. Y. Fire Zouaves, was shot by a sentry at Alexandria,.Va., through his failure to give the word when challenged.—N. Y. News, May 27.

—An attempt to poison the Union forces in Missouri, by means of arsenic in the bread, was betrayed by a negress.

The Missouri troops, organized under the requisition of Governor Jackson, refused to disband, according to the terms of agreement between General Harney and General Price.—St. Louis Democrat, May 24.

—The Steuben Volunteers, 7th Regiment N. Y. S. V., departed from New York for the seat of war.—(Doc. 193.)

—All vessels belonging to the United States, which arrived at New Orleans, La., after the 6th inst., were formally seized by the Confederate States Marshal, in conformity with the act of the Confederate Congress in relation to privateering, which gave thirty days for all vessels in Southern ports to leave, but made no provision for vessels arriving after its passage.—N. O. Picayune, May 25.

—The Senate of Kentucky passed resolutions that that State will not sever her connection with the National Government, nor take up arms for either belligerent party, but arm herself for the protection of peace within her borders, and tender her services as a mediator to effect a just and honorable peace.—Ohio Statesman, May 25.

John Lothrup Motley published an article on the “Causes of the Civil War in America,” in the London Times of this day.—(Doc. 146½.)

—Jefferson Davis issued at Montgomery, Ala., a proclamation appointing Thursday the 18th day of June, 1861, to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer by the people of the seceded States.—(Doc 194.)

—A General movement into Virginia was executed under the command of Gen. Mansfield. The N. Y. Seventh Regiment left their camp in Washington at 1:20 A. M., each man having sixty rounds of ball cartridge. They touched the “sacred soil of Virginia” at 4 A. M., landing at the Alexandria Bridge, near which they encamped. The New York Sixty-ninth and Twenty-eighth Regiments, with Lieut. Drummond’s cavalry and a battery, passed the Chain Bridge, below Georgetown, at about 1 A. M. They first took possession of the Loudon and Hampshire Railroad, seized the train, arrested the passengers, took the cars and engine, and captured one secession soldier, who was on board the train. The 69th then took position on the Orange and Manassas Gap Railroad, which runs out of Alexandria.,

They took up some of the rails, and awaited in ambush the arrival of the train, which they supposed would leave Alexandria with the fugitives. When it came it was surrounded, and the train captured. About seven hundred persons were on board, including 800 men. The entire party were held as prisoners of war, and were kept as hostages for the fair treatment of any loyal citizens that may fall into the hands of the rebels. Two companies of the N. Y. Second, the N. Y. Fifth, Twelfth, Twenty-fifth, three companies of the New York Seventy-first and the N. Y. Fire Zouaves; the Rhode Island First, and the Rhode Island batteries; the Michigan Third; the New Jersey Fourth; three companies of an Ohio Regiment; one company Massachusetts Fifth; three companies of cavalry regular army; and twenty-five hundred District of Columbia troops, also participated in the movement on Virginia—making in all 18,000 men.—N. Y. Times, May 25.

A little before 5 o’clock A. M., the commander of U. S. steamer Pawnee, lying in the Potomac, off Alexandria, Va., sent a flag of truce to the rebel forces, giving them one hour in which to withdraw from the town. At five, the steamers Baltimore and Mount Vernon, with the N. Y. Fire Zouaves, made fast to the wharf. As the steamers approached, the rebel sentinels fired their guns in the air and retreated. The Zouaves landed in good order in double quick time, each company forming on the street facing the river. Company E, Capt. Leveridge, was the first to disembark. It was at once detailed to destroy the railroad track leading to Richmond, which service was promptly performed. After detailing company E, Col. Ellsworth directed the adjutant to form the regiment, and then with his aid, Lieut. Witmer, and a file of men, started for the telegraph office for the purpose of cutting the wires. They marched in double quick time up the street, and had proceeded three blocks, when the attention of Colonel Ellsworth was attracted by a large secession flag flying from the Marshall House kept by J. W. Jackson. Col. Ellsworth entered the hotel, and meeting a man in the hall asked, “Who put that flag up?” The man answered, “I don’t know; I am a boarder here.” Col. Ellsworth, Lieut. Winser, the chaplain of the regiment, Mr. House, a volunteer aid, and the four privates, then went up to the roof; and Col. Ellsworth cut down the flag. The party returned down the stairs, preceded by private Francis E. Brownell of Company A. As they left the attic, the man who had said he was a boarder, but who proved to be the landlord, Jackson, was met in the hall having a double-barrel gun, which he levelled at Brownell. Brownell struck up the gun with his musket, when Jackson pulled both triggers, and the contents lodged in the body of Col. Ellsworth, entering between the third and fifth ribs. Col. Ellsworth was at the time rolling up the flag. He fell forward on the floor of the hall and expired instantly, only exclaiming “My God.”

Private Brownell immediately levelled his musket at Jackson, and fired. The ball struck Jackson on the bridge of the nose, and crashed through his skull, killing him instantly. As he fell Brownell followed his shot by a thrust of his bayonet, which went through Jackson’s body. The companions of Col. Ellsworth, seven in number, immediately posted themselves so as to command the halls of the hotel, and threatened to shoot the first man who showed his head outside of a door. In this way they stood for ten minutes. Their protracted absence alarmed Adjutant Looser, who ordered Company A, Capt. Coyle, to search for the Colonel. The Company found their commander dead, and their comrades in possession of the hotel. They made a litter of muskets, and placing the body of the Colonel on it, returned to the boat, whence it was soon after taken to Washington.

Simultaneously with the landing of the Zouaves the first Michigan Regiment entered Alexandria by the road leading from Long Bridge, and proceeded direct to the railroad depot, of which they took possession, capturing a troop of rebel cavalry numbering one hundred, with their horses and equipments. All the heights which command Washington were occupied in this movement, and the construction of earthworks for batteries was immediately begun. Batteries were placed at each end of the two bridges which cross the Potomac. A portion of the New York troops were ordered towards the Manassas Gap Junction, and the New Jersey regiment was posted at the forks a mile from the Long Bridge. Numerous wagons, with camp equipage, went over about noon to the Federal troops in Virginia, and a great many men commenced work at the intrenchments.

Col. Ellsworth’s body was taken to Washington and placed in the engine-house at the Navy Yard. The house was heavily draped with American flags, crape, and bouquets of flowers. It was guarded by the Zouaves, a company of the Seventy-first N. Y. regiment, and some regulars. Thousands of people assembled there to see the remains during the day, the President’s family among the number. At seven o’clock Alexandria was comparatively quiet. But the Zouaves were anchored at night on a steamer in the river, to prevent them from avenging the death of Ellsworth. They were disposed to burn the town.
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#149
#149
New Gettysburg show/documentary on History Channel next Monday. Looks remotely interesting.
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#150
#150
May 25, 1861

Colonel Duryea’s Zouaves arrived at Fortress Monroe, Va., this morning by the Alabama, and encamped near the Hampton Bridge, with the Vermont and Troy regiments. The Pembroke also arrived with two companies of Massachusetts troops. There are now about 6,000 men within or under the walls of the fortress. The Quaker City came up to the fortress with a rich prize this morning—the bark Winifred, of Richmond, from Rio Janeiro, laden with coffee. Gen. Butler, accompanied by acting Adjutant-Gen. Tallmadge, and his aids, made a dashing reconnoissance several miles between the James and York Rivers. A picket guard of rebels fled on their approach.

Three fugitives, the property of Col. Mallory, commander of the rebel forces near Hampton, were brought in to Fortress Monroe by the picket guard yesterday. They represent that they were about to be sent South, and hence sought protection. Major Cary came in with a flag of truce, and claimed their rendition under the Fugitive Slave law, but was informed by Gen. Butler that, under the peculiar circumstances, he considered the fugitives contraband of war, and had set them to work inside the fortress. Col. Mallory, however, was politely informed that so soon as he should visit the fortress and take a solemn oath to obey the laws of the United States, his property would promptly be restored.—N. Y. Tribune, May 27.

—The New Orleans Picayune of to-day says: “One week hence there will not be any available mode of letter or newspaper express or telegraphic communication between the Confederate and the United States. Our Postmaster-General has announced his determination to assume the discharge of the duties of his office on the 1st day of June. From that date all existing U. S. mail contracts, so far as we are concerned, will have been annulled. Meantime, the Washington Administration adopt the same policy, and to make non-intercourse thoroughly impossible, prohibit express companies from carrying express matter, inclusive of letters, across the Potomac River. By order of the commanding general U. S. A., at Washington, Adams’ Express was opened on the 16th inst., and all such matter was stopped. Without mail or express communication with the North, and the carrying of mail matter by individuals being considered in the light of treasonable communication with the enemy, in a few days we shall have but scant opportunity of enriching our columns with interesting intelligence from the other side of the border. We might get an occasional budget by the way of Havana, but we suppose it is intended by the despotic clique at Washington that the blockade shall prevent that. Won’t it be queer to read, hereafter, the latest news from way down east, via Paris and London?

“Well, we suppose we can stand it as well as they can on the other side of the line. Let us see who will first get tired of the embargo.”

—The First Regiment N. Y. Volunteers, Col. Allen, left New York for the seat of war. —(Doc. 196.)

—Funeral ceremonies over the body of Col. Ellsworth took place in Washington. The remains lay in state in the east room of the President’s house for several hours. Owing to the immense throng of anxious gazers on the remains of the deceased, the funeral cortege delayed moving from the Executive Mansion till near 1 o’clock. All along the line of Pennsylvania avenue flags were displayed at half-mast and draped in mourning. Every available point, including the windows, balconies, and house-tops, was thronged with anxious and sorrowful gazers. Various testimonials of respect were paid. All the bells of the city were tolled, and the heads of the soldiers and troops uncovered. Several companies of the City Corps, followed by the New York Seventy-first Regiment, Marines, and the local Cavalry Corps, formed the military escort, with their arms reversed and colors shrouded. The hearse was followed by a detachment of Zouaves, one of whom, the avenger of Col. Ellsworth, carried the identical secession flag torn down by the deceased. Then followed the President, accompanied by Secretaries Seward and Smith, and the rest of the procession was composed of carriages, containing the captains of the Zouave Regiment

The British Government issued a proclamation, news of which has just arrived, stating that Britain will take no sides between the two belligerents. It further states that Britain will withhold the protection of the Crown from any British citizens who choose to become involved.

Military reports from the South indicate that a number of troops are amassing along the Potomac between Harpers Ferry and Williamsport in Virginia. They number nearly 10,000 and are said to be very well armed. In addition to the usual Virginian and Southern troops, there are a number of armed Cherokee Indians. Residents of western Maryland anticipate an attack from Harpers Ferry at any moment. Others in Maryland, however, report a movement of large numbers of Federal troops towards Harpers Ferry, leading them to expect an imminent Union attack upon the city as well.

In Missouri yesterday, General Sterling Price, who was recently placed in charge of state troops, ordered a large contingent of troops in the state capital to disband in an attempt to maintain order within the state.

The Kentucky senate passed a bill yesterday which opted to continue its union with the Federal government even as it maintains a position of neutrality towards the military forces of the North and the South. Many in Kentucky expect an attack upon their state from men in western Tennessee. Kentucky has a sizable secessionist minority who are believed to be in contact with secessionist elements further South. These secessionists may have appealed to Tennessee for military assistance.

The forces stationed at Cairo, Illinois, have now taken control of both sides of the river, enabling control over all ships traveling to the Ohio River via the Mississippi. Boats traveling to Louisville via the Mississippi are now liable to search, as the city is believed to be a shipping point of goods to rebel forces. The Fred Lorenz was turned back yesterday at Cairo for this very reason.

Reports from New Orleans indicate that a Blockade of the Mississippi River will likely be in effect by the end of this month. Such a blockade would seriously damage the economy of New Orleans, the chief trading port of the South, as well as the entire Mississippi River region, which relies on New Orleans for much of its trade.

The Federal government continues to recall troops stationed in western fortifications to the front in the East. Although the military rationale for this measure is obvious, many have begun to worry that this may make journeys to the Pacific Coast considerably more dangerous, cutting California off from the rest of the Union.


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