New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-21

| rlneS at Iuc udfF NaIus were LIS tnllT'
available force at the time of the Inaugural
| ton.
After the address of Mr.. Lincoln EVENT.
crowded one another with startling rapid
itv. and IT soon became evident that civil
war was indeed upon us, and that the dan
ger of the seizure OF Washington was I'M
minent Its isolated position almost in
yited attack. At a distance from the IN
questiOnablv loval States. between TWO
States whose action in the coming struggle
could not then be foretold, with Alexandra
upon one side and Baltimore on the other
| ayOwedly secession in their sympathies
with Georgetown scarcely less SO. and with
a large dislOyal element among its own
citizens, Southerners. By birth, who, il
they were not prepared TO join op
emily in the rebellion, would gladly
have welcomed an attacking party
! and would probably have risen 10 Its
aid; at the same time there was well
founded distrust OF the loyalty of many OF
the leading officers OF the regular army and
navy then stationed at Washington. Rob
! ert +. Lee was there. Samuel Cooper. Adj
lutant General. was there. John c. Penn
bertUn, John d. Magruder, Joseph l.. john
stOn. Quartermaster General: A. Z. Hill. l..
l.. Lomax Robert ). Garrett, of the army:
Commanders Boutwell,, Fairfax. Maury.
Semmes and Captain Ingram of the navy.
All these and others were there, and nearly
| all were occupying high and important pO-
/ sitions One after another these men
| dropped away. deserving their country
| flag in sOrest need, to become leaders of the
forces of rebellion. As their native States
seeded. many others grew lukewarm. and
some. who afterward came TO be pillars OF
| strength of their country, seemed then al
most to WAIVER. or were so much depressed
| to be objects of suspicion. At one time
| the rumOr spread. and was almost believed.
so great distrust had grown. that General
Scott himself had resigned. That grand
old hero. whose loyalty was as his very life
blood. even he was thought 10 have yielded
TO the flood of treason which swept away so
many from around him. To one who told
him of these painful rumOrs. he answered
Il have served my country under the flag
OF the Union for more than fifty years: a.
long as God permits me TO live | will de
fend that flag with my sword, even if NV
own native State assails it."
Aided By some who afterward came to be
recognized as among our ablest officers, he
was busted. even then, with further prepar-
atoms for the defense of the city against a
sudden attack. More OF the District militia
were organized; patrols moved constantly
through the streets TO guard against fires;
mounted sentrles were posted at all the
bridges and avenues leading out of the city;
field pieces, with infantry supports, were so
posted as to command the river; Colonel
George H. Thomas (afterward major gen
erall was placed in command OF George
town; Captain Shiras iafterward commits
sary general) in charge of the Treasury
building; Captain Charles P. Stone then
colonel of militia) guarded the Presidents
house; Major Mcdowell (afterward major
general) had command of Capitol Hill from
the railroad depot to the navy yard. Com
missary supplies were stored in and around
the general postOtfice; a body of troops
was stationed at the Patent Office. In
the basement of the Treasury build
ing We're strange deposits of whole
tiers of barrels of beans, pork.
beef and sacks of coffee, while It's
pOrticOs bristled with cannon. The CAPT
toll, under Major Mcdowell, was rapidly
converted into a fortress. The grounds
were put under the strict regulations of a
military camp. Sentries paced everywhere.
The pOrticos were barricaded the iron
plates for the unfinished dome were used
for breastwOrks between the marble col
umns behind these were placed barrels of
cement, piles Of stone and timber, forming
an almost impenetrable barrier. The crypt
was made bomb proof. Howitzers were
placed so as to sweep every approach. The
Supreme Court room was converted into !
hospital The basement was stored with
an abundant supply of provisions and am
munition, and everything put in readiness |
10 stand siege if necessary, until aid could |
come from the North. In the basement. |
too, bakery was established, which did /
good service long after that in supplying /
daily fresh bread 10 the army about Wash |
ingtOn.
On the seventeenth day of April there |
were with Major Mcdowell, Captains Me |
Comb and Woodruff tengineer offieersJ. two /
of militia two hundred strong, /
composed of the stone cutters and other
about the Capitol. Near the navy
yard were four other companies, and near /
the railroad depot still another, all local
militia. The company at the depot some
Of my hearers may remember, was composed
Of Germans, many of whom were soldiers
N the tatherland, and whose captain kept
theatre and tavern in that part of the city.
where he provided quarters and ratiOns for
his men.
In the midst of this excitement the Presi-
lent, at last convinced by the attack upon
Fort Sumter that all peaceful measures had
allied, and that an appeal to arms could
alone save the country. issued on the
fifteenth day of April proclamation call
ng into the service of the United States
5000 men of the militia forces of the sew
,ral States.
The response which this call received
hone could have foreseen. Almost as one
nan the people of the North made answer
o it. Many were stunned and Inundated
~ the simple knowledge of the existence
# such treason, but none were dismaved.
There was no hesitation there was no fall
ering; there as no doubt. In the face of
his common danger all parties and all
lasses made common cause. East and
Vest the language was the same. Every
where the press, with its lion-tongued !
'Oice, called the people to arms. Every
where the pulpits told the true lesson of
he hour, that next to service to our God |
ve owed a sacred duty to our country. On !
he streets, in all public places, at our
ZONES, there was but one expression: in our /
losetS there was but one prayer. No |
Ongue or pen can describe the profound
which stirred throughout the
and. No one who saw can ever forget that
rand uprising of a free people Men
ushed to arms by tens of thousands. The /
uOta of every State was filed at once, and
every State many regiments stood beg
ing to be received into the service.
eaceful people, skilled only in the arts of
eace. ignorant of war, and with nothing
q their simple annals to inspire them with
martial spirit. they accepted war. Not at
racted by its pomp and circumstance. not
rawn to "seek the bubble reputation at
he cannons mouth" with no selfish ambi-
ions to serve. but stirred to their inmost I
epths by love of country, they went forth
D do battle for principle, and to lay down
heir lives. if need be, for the cause OF lib
rty and free government.
The heart of the people beat with one de- |:
ire: BY the grace of Almighty God, at : !.
'hatever cost Of blood or treasure this I'M
oily treason must be put down. s,
Another has said that the thrilling events
f those DAYS now seem like a dream to Us |
hO survive them. To me the solemn gran =