Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-05-11
q Ghnnicr of apislory

10 January, 1861, w,s sent for Oy Governor
Henry 4. Wise, who said w must possess our.
selves OF Fortress Monroc. and | mu5t do it, ho
said, whether the State tf Vi:giois seeded or
nof, and he was for fgariGg iur our coustitu-
tlobal rights io the UDiou. We (tne State 30
insuut) Ii ust be in position 70 control terms,
s1d tnat Virginia should DOT bo corrcad uto
dlmagng tcruls by the constant menace which
such iIrt. occupying part OF her soil, would
g,ve thJ teGsra gcVcr0 mept. Having always
uaen go enthusiastic edmircf Of Mise. and hav.
i0g been requested by him, whilo he was Cow
oE0or to 50 t0 Harpcr's Ferry. and sfterwa1d
to CbaIlce;own sud remaiu uuIiI bftcr the exc
cutl0n OF JohG B:own, rapidly fell Into uis
views
Having quite O largo lumber of cur orgsni-
,tioo IL U4o old tom OF Hampton, uome ihleo
.allcS from The tort, proceeded TO that point
pod made 1t my hcaGquar;ers, iuiliatilg NUN
Der OF TIE enlisted u1en OF the galriso. Whom
Ts could bgst ttust, among whom were thteo of
he orderly selGeants. Our plans becoming
batter ma urcd these sergeautE, who We're to
arreDg) TO have proper men on guard al certain
p p,int;, ncludipe Mill Greek Bridge and at
demana for tho surrender was made by the au.
thorliy OF The S!ato of Virginia. aSd tree psss'
port guaranteed TO tbcm TO PEGS through The
STATE with protection Curlug the same. | thcn
bad recourse 10 Governor Wise, who advised
NE TO at once proceed to Rchmoud and through
General Richardson, who bad served as aC ID
tart general of this State for very many yeacs,
aad who was my personal friend, to ley the sit.
! uatiop before Governor Lechcr. fortified with
! i letter trou Governor Wise to General Rich.
ardsoo ur,iug bis assistance aud commit ting
himself iuiiy to the enterprise. visited Rich.
| mood, and after explaining the situation he
thoroughly colnoded gith ths views of Wise
| Di nyseli, and promised bis actI 20 support ln
! Convincing the G9VerpQr OF its immediate ne
] cussiiy, ms himself going with me across the
bslI 10 Governor L9tcher's room. In cODsuta-
!, iiOC Wi,h tue G0voro0r at the tmo was Sccra'
tary Of 5tste Muutord and some two or three
/ OF her geutltm2n, whom | was advised L could
| ;r1st Oae. ihirk, was Mr.. NeesoD. Law.
yer Of Richmond General Richardson had
(; somc coz suite'i9n with the Govufnor and then
stated had c1m9 win DGsi in portsot prop
tiou thst he fully ooEcuittd 10. Governor
! D2icber then asked ma 10 state fully my propo
1 stlop and Gil the facts connected therewlth.
! After dol0g 10 he hesl,a;ed ieT moments aud
! hen replied he was the G4verDor OF Virginia
bat not placed there to make lrws, but only to
z cute them.
"rhe LEGISLATURE was then in session, and if ]
had sny . ans write them out ald he would sub.
! nit thom to the LegisIs;ure Ny reply at once
! was: Governor, you know q number OF The
| mem bers are open and svoEed aborloL lists End
il this WAS submitted to that body the au!hori
ties in w Washington would know Of il witt IN the
hour If 1t WAS go submitted. He then said thit
wss the only thing he could do, and At once re
turned to Norfolk In other interviews with ouI
friends IN the fort l found they were t1e1 II
their dec stion uu. " act except upon the con
dltiun named, and receiving telegram shortly
after ward rom Governor Pettus proceeded t
Mississippi. ! Was sent from there to Mont
gomery and appointed first lieutenant in eh
| regular Confederate Army and assigned to duty
| much in advance of Genera! Cooper's arrival u
assistant sdJutaEt general snd by direction o
L. P Walker, then Secretary Of Wsr OF th
, Con iederacy, had transmitted 20 General Beau
regard by telegraph to open fire upon For
| sumter" You can reud'ly see how easy tn
capture OF Fort Monroe would have been, will
at lesst one fourth Of the enlisted men in ou
sworn orgsT il alton and with over three hundred
men from Hat. pton and Norfolk who woult
| not have hesitated at much more hhZsrdou
! enterprise under ths fierce excitement OF thos
days"- Communication in NORFOLK LanamaTh