Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-15
A REBEL PICKETT.
THE PHILOSOPHER TELLS HOW
CALIFORNIA WAS SAVED.
The Muster.ROI OF Seven Hundred
How General Wright stopped
the Arrests of Innocent Men.

the Arrests of Innocent Men.
EDToR GLOBE: During every Presi-
dental campaign, commencing with
1854, the old cock and bull story about
the rebel secret plot to "take California
out of the Union,D has been told with
some variations and additions each time.
As was noted rebel sympathizer all
during such period, talking and writing
much on that side, the News Letter, Van
guard, Press (the predecessor of the Ex-
aminer) and other papers in the city and
interior all the time teeming with my
"disloyal" sentiments, it is presumable
that had there been any plot or conspir-
Cy looking to the seizure of Alcatraz !;
Fort Point, the Navy Yard and the Ben
ica Arsenal, and converting the Legis-
lature to vote al ordinance of secession,
as has been asserted, would have been
advised of such action and had hand
in it. But there was no such action
taken nor intended, except on the con-
tingency to be presently mentioned. The
story is pure action.
Bloody Collisions Feared.
We did, however, apprehend bloody
collisions among ourselves, rs the con-
tict East grew tiercer, and knowing
that we would have considerable ma
jority of fighters Oh our side throughout
the State, unless in San Francisco, in
such event (since large class of for
eigners among us declared they would
remain neutraD our solicitude was
about the lack of arms and ammunition,
military organization and the uncer-
tainty as to rallying centes should our
opponents inaugurate conflict, which
many Of them strove in every manner
to do, since relying upon the U. S. mill
tary and fortified posts to give them an
advantage over us. Col. Stevenson no
doubt speaks correctly about General
.J0hnst0us sentiments and actions, as
does his widow, in her very interesting
interview had with your reporter; but
he and others greatly err in attributing
praise to General Sumner for keeping
California in the Union or preventing
bloody strife here. The reverse is true
of him. He remained in command on
this coast but q short time when he was
fortunately ordered East, and was sue
ceeded by an officer--Gen. Wright--who
was the man, and no other,
Who Saved California 10 the Union,
or rather prevented bloody war among
us, which was about being precipitated
under the bull-headed, prejudiced and
impolitlc Sumner, by reason of the evil
influence large class Of such rabjd,
fanatical and hyena-like "loyalists'
were exercising over him. These men
had prepared q lengthy list of suspects,
including nearly all Southern-born men
of any prominence and many Democrats
of Northern and European birth, who
had condemned the action of the Repub-
lican party for initiating war against
the South. This was the "muster-roll of
seven hundred" that Colonel Stevenson
alluded to, as he no doubt helped to
prepare it, he ought to have frankly
said so, instead of conveying the i'm
preston that it had been prepared by
those on it. In fact, this list, | infer,
was subsequently much increased, from
what General Wright, Colonel Drunlm,
his Adjutant, and Colonel Andrews, the
Provost Marshal, told me, and from what
General Wright intimates inAis card Or
notification, published at the time (some
time during the summer OF 1862, which
put quietus to the "loyalists' bother
alton of him with his long
Roll Of Rebel Sympathizers
whom they were importuning and even
attempting to bulldoze into ordering
seized and imprisoned. Look through
the newspaper files of that period and
republish Wright's notice. l remember
its general tenor. He stated in it that
many were presenting to him lists of per-
sons charged with enmity to the Federal
Government and eonspiring to raise a
secession standard. Some were arrested
and sent to Alcatraz, among them were
Colonies Kewcn and Weller, Captain
Michael Hayes and dozen Or so others.
When Wright further announced in that
publication and believe another, that
he would not have anotherma arrested
unless specific and well attested proof
should accompany the charge against
him, that he was engaged in some overt