Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-21
could easily, with his company, take the arms he

arms, and those tour men could not prevent my
taking them"
''Ah!' replied; 'In what part Of the armory
are those arms kept?" He said they were on the
upper floor, which was true.
''Well," said 1, "you seem to be well in
formed II you think 1t best, just try taking the
arms by force. / assure you that II you do you
shall be fred on by one hundred and fifty SOL
diers as you come out Of the armory."
The fact was, that only two enlisted men of
ordnance were on duty at the Columbian arm
DRY. so feeble was the military force at the time
But Barry's battery had Just arrived at the
Washington arsenal. and on my application Gem
eral Scott had ordered the company Of sappers
and miners at West Point to come to Washing
ton to guard the Columbian armory; but they
had not yet arrived. The precautions taken in
ordering them were thus clearly proved advis-
able.
The time had evidently come to disarm
Captain Schaeffer; and when lie reached his
office after leaving mine. he found there an
order directing him to deposit in the Column
b1an armOry, before sunset on that day. the
two howitzers with their carriages which he had
in his possession, as we'll as the saDers and re-
volvers. as these weapons formed no part of the
proper armament of q company of rifemen. He
was taken by surprise. and had not time to call
together men enough to resist SO that nothing
was lett to him but to comply with the order
He obeyed it, well knowing that II he did not 1
was prepared to take the guns from his armory
by means of other troops
Having Obeyed. he presented himself again in
my office. and before he had time to speak in
formed him that / had a commission of major
for his name. He was much pleased, and said
"Yes, heard that had been appointed"
then handed him slip of paper on which had
written out the form of oath which the old law
required to be taken by officers, that law never
having been repealed, and said to him:
''Here is the form of oath you are to take.
You will find justice of the peace on the next
s(vy rfc a.
cate, and bring both to me. One will be filed
with your letter Of acceptance. the other will
be filed In the clerks Office Of the Circuit Court
of the District
He took the paper with sober look, and
stood near my table several minutes looking at
the form Of oath and turning the paper in his
hand. while ]. apparently very busy with my
papers. was observing him closely. Ithen said:
"Ah, schaeffer, have you already taken the
mo-" said he.
"Well. please be quick about 1t, as have no
time to spare"
He hestated, and said slowly:
I'm ordinary times l would not mind taking
1t, but in these times -"
"Ah!" said I, ''you decline to accept your
commission of major Very wel" and i re-
turned his commission to the drawer and lock ed
it in.
"Oh, no." said Schaeffer, 81 want the commits
sion"
IT,.
pose that, in these times. which are not, as you
say, Ordinary times would think of deliver
Ing commission of feld-Of1icer to man who
hesitates about taking the oath of office? Do
you think that the government Of the United
States is stupid enough to allow man to march
armed men about the federal District under it's
authority when that man hestates to take the
simple oath of office? No. sir, you cannot have
this commissions; and more than that now in
form you that you hold nc Office in the District
OF Columbia volunteers"
''Yes, do; l am captain and have my COM
mission as such. signed by the President and de-
l1vered to me by the major general"
II am aware that such paper was delivered
to you, but you failed legally to accept it,"
81 wrote letter of acceptance to the adiutant
general. and forwarded it through the major
general"
Eyes, I am aware that you did but know
also that you failed to inclOse in that letter. &C
cording to law, the form of oath required to
accompany all letters of acceptance, and on the
register of the War Department. while the issl-
ance of your commission is recorded. the &C
ceptance is not recorded. You have never
legally accepted your commission. and it is now
too late The oath Of man who hesitates to
take it will not now be accepted
So Captain Schaeffer left the National Ri
fes," and with him left the secession members
OF the company. induced quite number of
true men to join its ranks; new election was
ordered, and strong. loyal man Oieutenant
Smead of the U. S. artillery was elected it's
captain. Smead was then on duty in the office
of the Coast Survey, and easily procured from
the War Department permission for him to &C
cept the position.
If my information was correct. the plan had
been formed for Selling the public departments
at the proper moment and obtaining possession
of the seals Of the government Schaefcer's
part, with the battalion he was to form,
was to take possession Of the Treasury De-
partment for the benefit of the new provisional
government Whatever may have been the
the breaking up Of the National Volunteers"
with the transformation of the seces-
sion company of National Rifles" into
thoroughly faithful and admirably drilled
company ready for the service of the Govern
ment; with the arrival from West Point of the
company OF sappers and miners, and later, the
arrival of the Military Academy battery under
Griffin; and with the formation in the District of
thirty new companies of infantry and riflemen
from among the good citizens of Washington
and Georgetown the face of things in the
national capital had much changed before the
fourth OF March, 1851.
must now go back little in time to men,
ton one fact which will show in how
weak and dangerous condition our Gov
eminent was in the latter part OF January and
the early part of February, 1861. The invita-
lions which I had issued for the raising of
companies Of volunteers had, as already
stated, been enthusiastically responded to, and
companies were rapidly organized. The pre-
paratOry drills were carried on every night. and
soon found that the men were sufficiently ad-
vanced to receive their arms. l began to ap-
prove the acquisitions for arms; but to my great
establishment the captains who first received the
orders came back to me, stating that the ord
nance department refused to issue any arms!
On referring to the ordnance Office was in
fOrmedby the chief of ordnance that he had re-
ceived, the day before, an order not to issue any
arms to the District of Columbia troops, and
that this order had come from the President!
went Immediately to the Secretary of War
(Mr. HOlt) and informed him of the state
of affairs, telling him at the same time that
did not feel disposed to be employed in
child's play, organizing troops which could
not be armed, and that unless the order in
question should be Immediately revoked there
was no use for me in INV place and that l must
at once resign. Mr.. Holt told me that was
perfectly right; that unless the order should be
revoked there was no use in my holding my
place. and he added, with smile, "and 1 will
also say, Colonel. there will be no use in my
holding my place any longer. Go to the Presi-
dent, Colonel and talk to him as you have talked
to me-"
went to the White House, and was received
by MIR. Buchanan. / found him sitting at his
writing-table, in his dressing gown, looking
w nd vvOrr iod