Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-19
e Shoot him on the Sn0t."

The Boston Advertiser once more refers to
the authorship of this famous order. 1t
says:
81 When, in the winter of lS6O-6l, the
southern states were, one after another,
adopting ordinances of secession, and appro-
priatIng national property for Instruction
airy purposes, General Dix, the present Gov
ernor OF New York, was Secretary of the
treasury, and the only member of MIR.
Buchanan's cabinet who seemed to be with
out scruples as to the right of the federal
government to protect its property and up
hold its authority by coercive measures. 1t
was In an attempt to save the revenue cutters
at Mobile and New Orleans from seizure that
he delivered the famous order: If any one
attempts to haul down the American flag,
shoot him on the spot the authorship of
which has been claimed for several different
persons, and which has excited sufficient con-
troversy to make it historical question:
The latest number of the American His
tor'edL Record gives the following account of
this affair, which appears to set all doubt at
rest, if any really ever existed
g. Early in Januury, 1861, General Dix
Hemphill Jones, to Mobile and New Orleans,
oA"ON WIN OIL OldCf DIS lOltOWS
This letter will be presented to you by
William Hemphill Jones, special agent OF
this department you are required to obey
such directions as may be given you. either
verbally or in writing, by Mr.. Jones, with
regard to the vessel under your command
Mr.. Jones arrived at Mobile too late to
save the cutter there, but found the
New Orleans cutter unmolested, and at once
ordered its commander, Captain Breshwood
to proceed with his vessel to New York
This Captain Breshwood refused to do, ano
it was in answer to Mr. Joness report o.
that refusal that General Dix gave utteranct
to the words that flew like wildfre all ovel
the North, assuring the friends Of the gov
eminent that its energies were not who'll,
paralyzed, and that effective measures would
be taken to maintain the integrity of the I'm
ion. The order read as follows
''' TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
January %, 1861.
90 Tell Lieutenant Caldwell to arres
Captain Breshwood, assume command of tn
cutter, and obey the order l gave through
you. If Captain Breshwood after arres
undertakes to interfere with the command 0
! the cutter, tell Lieutenant Caldwell to con
! slider him mutineer and treat him accord
, ingly. If any one attempts to haul dow
! the American flag, shoot him on the spot
''' JOHN A. DIX,
g Secretary of the Treasury
The production of the original draft o
the above dispatch, in the bold and charac
teristic handwriting of General Dix, was no
sufficient to settle the question of the Gu
thorship of the concluding command, for
was claimed that Secretary Stanton, Judge
Advocate General Holt, General Scott an
several others had suggested it; but all as
sertions of this nature have been completed
answered by letter from General Dix him
self to Mr.. Benson j. Losing: dated the 2
of last month, wherein he says:
So The order alluded to was written b
myself, without any suggestion from an
one, and it was sent off three days before i
was communicated to the President or tn
: cabinet. Mr.. Stanton's letter to Mr. Bon
ner, of the Ledger, stating that it wa
wholly mine, was published in the New Yor
} Times last October or late in September, t
i silence forever the Misrepresentation in re
t gard to it,.
The Record publishes fac-simile copy {
the original dispatch which is now in pos
session of the Rev. Morgan L. Dix of Ne
York. a son of the General and a sma
medal bearing on one side representation
t the American flag, and on the other the wor
, @ Dix" surrounded by the closing words {
t the famous order has been struck by privat
hands TO commemorate what must be unlvel
sally considered as one of the most interest
ing, if not the most important, episodes c
the civil war.