The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-15
THE INAUGURATION OF m. LINCOLN.
The Armed Occupation Of the Federal Capital by
Federal Troopa to Secure the Peaceful In
auguration Of the President Elect

au8urauon OF the President Elect.
Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1851.
Waylike appearance Of TIE Oty-7he Display of FEDERAL
HooIs-7her Names Numbers Quarters, Services, Bat
tries, Officers, Aen-Mlitary Histories Of Some Of the
Chief 06qcers-WAat they haze done and ,oAo. Aey
noW Doins-TAe local Troopsof WasAington-7heir
Numbers and Oryanisatiops-Perious Condition Of
Things, dc, dc.
The first ntmaon the public received that Lieutenant
General Winfield Scott meditated the occupation Of the
federal capital by federal troops through telegraph
despatch sent by the General from the city Of Washing
70 Fort Leavenworth two months ago. In this
despatch General Scott ordered the presence here with
the despatch Of the United States troops stationed
at Leavenworth, excepting few who retained to
garrison the fort The nature Of this order leaked out
somewhere on the line between Washington and st. Louis
the fact published in the newspapers much TO
the chagrn Of General Scott and much TO the Of
people and TO the indignation OF others in the fede
raj capital This initiative movement Of General Scott
once becoming KNOWN there but little, at any rate
extraordinary pains taken subsequent pro-
ceedngs of similar character.
GENERAL SCOTT ORDERED TROOPS HERE.
Early November last the acting Commander in
Chief received ntmations that the capital would be In
danger before the 4th Of March, He was informed
fIom time TO time that bodies Of armed men, with hos
tile intent against the incoming administration were
holding secret meetings. and forming the daboca
plans against the federal capital These secret meetings.
according to his information, held in the adjoining
States Of Virginia and Maryland Especially in the city Of
Baltimore and in the city of Washington itself At
time reported that force Of thousand men
organized in Virginia to invade the District Of Co.
umba. close surveillance instituted In this city
upon all military meetings Of secret and suspicious
character General Scott kept regularly informed OF
the proceedings Of at least of these meetings. through
the fathlssness Of Of the conspirators These
ganztons there is reason to believe at one time num-
bered seven hundred men, and were daily or
nightly increasing in numbers, until, from several
causes the interest appeared to decline and at this time
it apparently has nearly, If not entirely, died out.
CONSPIRACY ArrEARs TO HAVE DIED OUT AND WHY
REVIVED.
The decline the ardor Of the conspraors in this city
may be ascribed to several The principal how
ever wo-First because the disturbing element Of
disunon was removed from Washington by the with
drawa Of it's chief advocates from Congress- and their
departure to their homes The absence Of formidable
body Of agators and the failure to receive their
couagng counses operated adversely to the the
mscontens cspoused and contributed largely to the
encouragement OF the whole project laid down in the
Original programme. The second cluse the avowed
hazards even he had TO call out fifty thousand volun
troops in addition TO the regular army; and he may
have do yet for II Virginia and Maryland secede,
the grand struggle as General Scott knows will be for
the possession Of the federal capital, the national
chves and the concentrated grandeur Of republic that
has prospered beyond all example for three generations,
The Commander In Chief argues with force that which
of the sections North South holds possession
Of the archives Of the government to that section will
cogntion. And like shrewd old warrior, prontipg by
his experience In the with Mexico, General Scott
for 10 his advice and urgent counses all the regular mill
tary movements toward the capital for the last two
months may be attrlbutedhas determined 10 hold fast
TO that which Ia in possession and TO turn
the public property intact, far as II lies in bis
power, to that which legally succeeds It,
UNITED STATES IRooPs-ARmIERY, DRAGONS, sAPPERs
AND MINERS, CAVALRY, &C.
Were Judge from the great amount OF talk about
'menace and being planted at the doors Of the
capital and all that It might be readily imagined that
army Of at least hundred thousand regulars, armed
edpa and thirstng for the lives Of innocent citizens
had been ordered 10 this city, and here quarered
upon the people, sucking their sustenanoe II not their
life blood. But the contrary appears, from actual
Of the troops in their different quarters TO be
the So far from being bloodthrsty set there s
not soldier among them who does not feel .
melancholy sensation when reviewing his position.
They have been taught TO fight for America and Amcr
cans, against them; and while many may conceive
TO be their duty TO obey orders, 10 against
their fellow citizens, there not few who would
rather resign, aye de than do IT, very sad instance
In the latter connection recently occurred in this city
SO far from quartering on, being burhen 10 the
citizens their expenditures for provisions clothing fuel
incidentals and uxuries have contributed not little
oIiof ehnpk in thaaa tfrnea
The following is list Of the different Companies,
meDcng alphabetically with
COMPANY A, MINERS.
This Is detachment comprising sixty four men, rank
and file, and three officers, OF that truly servceable
branch Of the military service, the sappcrs and miners
There but corps of the kind in the United States
army, the balance Of this company being duty
in Oregon. The detachment here is commanded by
Lieut. J. c. Duane, Of New York. who entered the
vice July l. 1s4s His officers First Lieut. Godfrey
weidze Of Ohio, and Second Lieut.. John A. ardy Jr,
OF New York.
The sappers and miners are quartered in Columbian
Armory-very commodious quarters for the men, but
rather confined for the officers This armory situated
large tract Of government reservation land, and is
finely situated for military purposes but far from the
city proper that has been but little used by the local
military, for whose service 1t originally designed
The duty Of the corps Of sappers and miners briefly TO
doeverythng that turns upto act engineers infantry
artillery, everything but cavalry. The CORPS has been
In service fourteen years II did admirably in Mexico
under Captain Ebenczer Swift having taste Of war
part Of General Taylors line, and the whole Of
that Of General Scott from Vera Cruz TO the Halls Of the
Montezumas, taking conspicuous part in every action
It repeatedly complimented by the Commander in
Chief in his Official dispatches. Since the Mexican
it has been detailed upon service in various parts
Of the country, particularly in Utah, and was among
thc columns which sent TO reinforce Gen. johnson
during the Mormon troubles The company was not in
any engagement there the negotiations Of the Peace Com
missoners having settled the difficulties about the time
Of their arrival They had however good opportunity
TO improve the roads in their long and fatguing march
Of 1900 miles. Is to be hoped that their arrival here
will be sgnalized by an event similar to that which
marked their entrance into Utah-a happy solution Of
national difficulties through the operations Of Peacc
Commissioners, or by any other means