Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-09
WashlngtOn Oorreanondcnce.
WAsH1reTOS CRY, May 9, 1891.

tnrOW tne Dfl0ge OF lettef over the long
breach in my correspondence. I have NOT
written you since Fort Sumter was attacked,
and what an age ago that event now seems
For the rapidity with which events have
moved since then is almost without parallel
in history. And as we live not in the length
Of minutes, but in the number and import
snee of sensations. the three weeks actual
time since the fall of Sumter is more than
equivalent to three years of ordinary peace.
That have been 30 long silent admits Of
this apology; have been in better business
than writing letters. Sallust, you know, has
something to say TO the purport that, ITO act
well for the Republic is noble, aud even to
speak well for ii is no mean thing.p Oouid
| fiatter myself that my letters to you could
be classed under speaking well for the Re.
public" / should still think that did we'll
to be silent and handle musket instead Of
pen.
DARK DAYS.
When 1 ceased writing 10 you, this city
was in great danger. / will 90 further, and
soy what army officers and military men of
Judgment do not hesitate to affirm, that from
the 18th TO the 2lst Of April, this Capital was
in the possession of the rebels, but they did
The rebels had then q force, variously es-
timated at from one to two thousand, at
Alexandria; q considerable force at Harper's
Ferry another at Richmond, and the means
of transport. They had beside of openly
avowed Secessionists here at least five or six
hundred organized men, and an indefinite
number Of sympathizers among the people of
this Federal Capital. do the population of
Washington no injustice when / say that
one-balf synpathised with the Secessionists,
and that one half Of the remainder would
have Joined the rebel, as soon as it became
the winning side. The loyal fourth of the
population were frightened out of their wits,
and continually clamored for 1.-THE Govern.
ment' to do something for them. They did
not appreciate the fact that it was then the
time for them to do something for the Gov
eminent.
The District Militia was raw and undis-
ciplined and unreliable. Had few hundred
bold, determined rebels struck then, the
Capital of the nation, with the archives Of
the Government, would have been in their
hands.
Thank God for their follyl
THE "CIAY" AND FRONTIER" GUARDS.
Upon the 18th and 18th ult, when things
were in this dark state, Jim Lane and Cas-
sius NJ. Clay organized Independent COM
paDies out of the "stranRers" (dIids office
seekers) then in the city. Lanes Frontier
Guards were chiefly Western men. Olay's
Guards were from nearly every State in the
Union, and not man was admitted whose
character was not vouched for by some
responsible person. These Guards were sup
piled with Government arms, and nearly
every man had besides a miscellaneous
"sptinkling" of revolvers and bowie-knives.
| They took no pains to conceal these latter
| and it was, pretty soon after their oTganiza-
ton, circulated through the city by the busy
Dame Rumor, that Clay and Lane had bands
| Of Border Rutfians, armed to the teeth, under
| their control, desperate men, who had each
| killed their man, &C., &C., ready to attack
the peaceful citizens of Washington. There
were some desperate men in our company
| (Clay's Guards / confess. But how few OF
| our number bore "at home the character
| assigned them by Rumor, or merited the
| euphonious title commonly given them, OF
| "Ciay's Devilsl" Guard and patrol duty
were performed by these Guards, and some
| of them went into the enemy's camp, and
| spied out their resources.
| We we're at the armory every night and
there awaited the attacks threatened upor
the city. They did not come. But on sew
eral occasions there were false alarms given
which served the purpose of showing with
what alacrity the men would have responded
to any real danger. In three minutes from
the time the alarm was given the men were
in the ranks with their arms and ammuni.
tion ready. They were greatly disappointed
that the alarms were false.
have said these Guards were Office seek
ers. To large extent this is so, but man,
men there were in the ranks who came oil
here just TO see that Washington was safe
leaving business, friends, everything, moveC
by nothing but patriotism. And under tn,
pressure of a threatened attack upon thu
capital, Office seeking went under in thu
ofice.seekers and love Of country came up
| shall always esteem il as among the pleas
\ ant events of my life, my connection with
these men. When the "Northern hordes )
began to swarm here the necessity for oul
organization ceased of course but we fel
that We would not have exchanged the weel
or ten days of duty there for many dollars
albeit, we have, all of US, colds caught in ou
night duty that in this wet and miserable
weather, stick to US most pertinaciously.
l am sorry to cay that certain person
have endeavored to make the Clay Guards
machine for procuring for themselves offc
and glory. A great deal of folly has beer
uttered and done by these people Flaming
discharges have been gotten up, society
composed of the members of the battalion
and designed to be perpetual, has been or
ganized, and any amount of nonsense in thu
way of resolutions, photographs, &C., perpe
traied. So much has been done in this lin,
as to bring disrepute upon the whole organ
ization; yet the organization was once TO
service and not show, and though il was en-
gagged in no battles, it exerted an infiuenc
in favor of the Government and agains
traitors, that was important and valuable.
THE CITY SAFE. 80
Thanks to the patriotism of the North
there is now no need of the Clay or FroAtie
Guards. The city is safe. The rebels di
not take it when they could; they can NO
now take it If they would. You have learne
already how the regiments from Massachu
sets, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New
Early this morning l was walked by the bea
of the drum, and, hurrying to the window
saw in the street q large body of men Jus
arrived, seeking in the rain their quarters.
SHAMEFUL TREATMENT OF THE VOLUNTEERS
And just here wish to say of all tn
shockiDgly mismanaged pieces of red-tapisn
] have ever seen, the Commissariat AM
Quarter master Department of this Distric
are the chief .f..... b.. --.
The city of Washington, you know, is
Military District, with its Commanding OF
Ger Colonel Mansfeld) and his staff. 1t
his and their duty to receive the troops VIII
come here, quarter and subsist them.
How this duty is performed let these fact
show; 900 ~ -.-.'1r Ii y,
On Thursday night about eight o'cIocI
Ellsworth's Fire Zouayes arrived. Upo
their arrival, Colonel Mansfield confessed I
a certain gentleman whom he commissions
to hunt up quarters for them, that he di
not know they were comingl The gentle
men referred to hurried about and ct last go
them into. some places quartering some 9
them in a buildinR that had been assigned {
the Sixty.ninth New York Regiment, an
was already partially occupied by their bag
gage (sent on In advance OF the arrival of ID
men). What they did for supper, nobod
knows. Later the same night came de-
tschment of the Sixty. ninth, who, of cours,
went TO their quarters and found them oeeI
Again last svening tba RrooklvnfN v