National Republican., 1885-04-18

Some Of the correspondents here, com
menting on the enthusiasm exhibited by |
the crowds on last Inauguration day, have |
taken occasion to harp upon tho alleged
disloyalty Of tho old residents Of WASH
ington at the outset OF the war. Nowlit
was natur al that the resident population
should feel sympathy with the southern
= people, being placed between two SOUTH
ern states, and many Of them being slave
holders, but that the bulk Of the people
n were disloyal to the flag or the federal
n government Is not borne out by the facts
las recollect them. At tho time OF Presi-
dent Lincoln's first Inauguration tho
~ ISwritor was n student at Georgetown
College, and went out to tho capitol with
others to listen to the inaugural address,
and as we'll as / could judge, there was no
exhibition Of unfriendliness to the in
coming administration, The crowd was
as orderly and as curious to see or hear as
on other similar occasions since, but there
was most assurodly nothing Of organ
lied disloyalty exhibited.
II may DO said that tho presence of o
strong force Of soldiery would have made
such an exhibition an unhealthy under
taking, but our citizens should have at
least the benefit Of the doubt In any crit
icism of their political attitude at that
time. The truth Is, that while tho mass
of the residents were in sympathy, in
sort Of blood-relationship way, with the
southern people, they were strongly for
the Union, and were perfectly willing to
help to thrash these "erring breth-
rem" into the traces. And that they
did 80 afterward can be seen from the
records. for tho District did not furnish
one-twentieth as many soldiers to the
confederates as to the Union forces, and L
am told that In proportion to tho popu-
lation the District furnished as many
troops to the Union cause as almost any
one of the states. However this may be,
one thing is certain, that the people of the
District were not deemed by the confed-
crates to be particularly favorable to the
southern cause, and especially after the
first Bull Run battle, whom the confederate
prisoners taken on that field, as they
marched through the streets of this city
on tho way to tho old capitol prison,
were hooted and almost mobbed by the
populace.
HOW DIsLoYAL YOUTHS ESCAPED.
But what started out to write In this
L. connec ction was the difficulties in getting
home met with by southern boys in
W northern colleges who remained until
n things grew hot, and troops were pouring
" forward to the defense of the capital.
My own experience will, perhaps, give
NJ Some idea Of the state Of affairs in Wash
ington during the latter part of April,
1861. Tho great majority of the students
in Georgetown College were from the
south, and the newspapers were studied
after the President had called for 10000
men on the day after the fall of Fort
M Sumter much more earnestly than our
books. Troops began to pour into the
city from the north. The most alarm ng
reports were prevalent rs to the expected
attempt to capture the capital by the
southerners, and some Of tho newspapers
went so far as to state positively that
Ben Mccullough with regiment OF
Texas Rangers and q battery of artillery
j. had possession of Arlington Heights, at
the other end of the Long bridge. The
military authorities hero doubtless knew
that such reports were untounded, but
they did nothing to discourage their pub
lication, doubtless because 1t stimulated
the sending forward of the quotas from
the different states. Numbers of the col
lege boys were recalled homo. but my
father had ordered me to stay until sent
for said he, 81 don't think we shall CONF
to blows" If / mistake not, this wa
while John j. Crittenden's peace conven
tion was endeavoriug to get its work &C
cepted. Although Virginia, my nativ,
state, had not then seeded, military com
panies in every city. town, and village
were springing up like mushrooms.
was anxious to go home, for the prepara
tions for conflict | saw and read of her,
In Washington only increased my fever
ish apprehension that, If | stayed mucl
longer, the authorities would put sttl
to able-bodied youths going southwark
TIE START.
At last one morning before day one o
80 the dormitory projects, Mr.. King, aroused
me and said, "If you mean to go soutl
and fight you must go Immediately. Mar
nial law is to be proclaimed in the city a
10 o'clock. Leave your trunk and books
M will send them to you if can" hus
g tied on my clothes and sought Fathe
~ Early, the president, aud found him OF
his knees at prayers in his private chapel
y being excited accosted him at once, ask
y ing for money to pay my way home. Th
good old man said, "Oh! | trust Their
will be no bloodshod. 1t would be to-
bad, too bad" However, got the money
and going TO the study room crammed m!
books into my desk, waved an adieu Il
the students, and was of like a shot Or
arriving at the corner of Bridge and Higl
streets, where was the stand Of Wander
werken's omni5uses (there were n
street cars then), none were visible
and | set out for Washington a
fast as my legs could carry me, intend
ing to take the ferryboat at the Seventh
street wharf. When got to Pennsylva
mia avenue and Seventh street au oil
fellow, who kept peanut stand, and VIII
said he was one of Col. Mays dragons Il
the Mexican war, informed me that tn
boats had been stopped the previous even
ing, and that none could run until fur
ther orders. Here was q pretty kettle q
fish, truly. At first L was completed
non -plussed, for it was well known tina
there was strong picket at this end {
the Long bridge, aud there was no reaso
TO hope that they would let me pas
without a passport, and especially atsuc
an early hour of the morning. l fe
~ creeping over me that gruesome feelin
which is forcbly described by the wor
trapped" was about to give up an
20 back to the college, when l remen
n pered that had done nothing for whic
\ could bo punished, and determined
make the attempt to pass the picket.
,tarted of for the bridge, and saw there
r. cannon unlimbered aud pointed to rak
|j it, and some twenty-five or thirty cavalr!
mon and artillerymen lounging arOun
W STOPPED AT LONG BRIDGE.
n As 1 saluted them and was about to pa
OH u sergeant spoke up sharply "Hold G
there. Who are you, and where are va
|U.M EOlnR ISpllSu thuI L WAS " lutCHhul
n employed in Washington; that my faith,
had been suddenly taken i'll in Alexal
dria, and that l WAS going over TO 8,
him. | saw the sergeant didn't believe
4t word Of this, but after questioning an
H tantalizng me somewhat further, he sa
| with grin, you don't look very DANCE
Gus. Go on over and join the rebs
' Heartily thankful, in spite of the tor
IN and words 80 belittling to my marti
|It ardor went on at my hest pace aero
the bridge, and long breath of relief