Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-04
Senator Howe's Plan for Taking Richmond

StH.iOE HoHt-s FIaH lUf idhinp KltiifiGna
Senator HOWE, of this State, incidentally
defended his plan for capturing Richmond, in
the course of a recent debate in the Senate
The bill amending the CONSUMPTION act was
pending. Senator TRUNBULL offered al
amendment empowering the President to call
out 100000 men for one hundred DAYS, to
serve in Virginia. Senator HOWE supported
the amendment, but wished to increase the
number. We annex his remarks from the
Globe:
Mr. Howe. | wish the Senator from Illinois
would increase the number to three hundred
thousand.
Several Senators. Make it million
|. Mr.. Howe. The Government is supplied
with any quantity of arms, as | am informed
The Senator from Massachusetts thinks these
men cannot be raised, and thinks they would
be useless if they were raised I am i'm
pressed with the belief that he is mistaken
upon both points. l introduced proposition
here the other day, which some of nv friends
have-l suppose intending to fatter my iudg-
ment at the expense of my snceritv-profns-
sed to think was intended as Joke IneveI
was more sincere in proposition in nv life.
| believe the men would come come at once,
and believe they would do good work when
they do come; and if the Government will
consent to arm the people of the loyal States,
believe you can put an army in every road
that leads into Virginia, within ninety DAYS,
as large as that which defends the direct road
to Virginia.
Mr.. Fessenden. l should like to ask my
friend if he thinks we could put one on the
TFNad ~ RJ4Ifl
Mr.. Howe. Yes, sir
Mr.. Fessenden. How are YOU going to get
them there?
Mr. Howe. Through North Carolina very
easily, by way of Goldsborough
Mr.. Fessenden. | should like to ask my
friend another question, whether he can give
us any assurance that while we are raising
these one hundred thousand men the prisoners
Will be kept at Richmond, retained there unit
our men get there to take them?
Mr.. Howe. They might not wait for the
execution Of a proposition of that kind auG
if they would retire before a threat is it not
worth something to the Government that the,
should retire
Mr.. FESSENDEN. But the prisoners them
Selves would they not be sent off to some
other place
Mr.. Howe. Let me say to the Senator from
Maine that if they will be content to send the
prisoners further South and to remain there
themselves, we shall be abundantly able tc
make reprisals to indemnify the people Of the
United States.
Mr.. Fessenden. That would not release
the prisoners.
Mr.. Howe. The honorable Senator admit:
that the proposition to arm these people
| would amount to something. If it would moi
y II, :,
who call themselves the government of the
Confederate States, but would lead to the
withdrawal of the prisoners, why would il
to that? Because they would not be safe al
Richmond. If they would not be safe, thai
organization called the government of the
Confederate States would not be safe
| have had piles of letters on this subject
within Il few days. ! received Il letter from
Pennsylvania the other day from a gentleman
whom do not know, saying that he had
hundred men in his employ, and that lie anC
every man he had would 90 if the Government
would arm them. A gentleman, one of the
most energetic men know III Wisconsin, was
i'll the gallery when my proposition was offer
ed, and he said that every man capable OF
bearing arms i'll Wisconsin conld be put un
der arms, and he could arm a regiment il
twenty-fOur hours. | have had letters from
Massachusetts, | have had letters from New
York, and from other States to the same eff
feet.
The President of the United States has
said a great many true things, and one of the
trueSt things he ever said think he said in
1861 and that was that the people of the United
States would put down this rebellion if the
Government but did its duty indifferently
well. L want to improve upon that remark
If 1t be possible to improve upon it, by say
ing to-day that the people Of the United
States will put down this rebellion if YOU will
let them do it. | do not know that one hun
dred thousand men would be adequate in one
hundred days to achieve any decided advant-
ages, but you can have three hundred thous-
and as quickly as one hundred thousand, and
the more YOU will call for the more YOU will
have. | know that in 1861, when the first
call was made, almost every man in the loval
States got up at once and was ready to offer
his services. A great deal of fault has been
found with the army OF the Potomac. 1t has
seemed to me that the army of the Potomac
has had too heavy a burden, too heavy a Ia
Dor imposed upon it. 1t has had the double
duty imposed upon it of defending Washing
| ton and of taking Richmond. The result of
that double duty is that they have been re-
CURED so far to go toward Richmond over
just such route as General Lees army has
prescribed to them; and if General Lee, hay
ing the choice Of position and standing on the
defensive, cannot defend Richmond against
any one hundred thousand men you can send
there, he ought not command an army. Let
an army stanG between Richmond and Wash
ington; call for other men to go where Lee
is not F.; take routes which he does not pre-
scribe to you. Gen. Lee has not been able
to march over the army Of the Potomac when
commanded by Meade or Hooker, or anybody
else, but twice he has marched around that
army. l wish the Senator from Illinois
would increase the number that he proposes
to raise. l shall vote for the proposition any