The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-03-28

the court? 1T Is Illegally organized
by General Halleck." "Halleck' act is
mine" Il beg your pardon, Mr.. Presi-
dent, the rules and regulations direct
that in cases of this sort you shall select
the court; you cannot delegate that to a
subordinate any more than you can the
pardoning power" and, opening the book
l pointed to the article. THAT is a
point, he said, slowly rising. "Do you
know, Colonel, that | have been so busy
with this war | have never read the reg
ulatiOns. Give me that book, and I'll
study them tonight" II beg your par
don, Mr.. President, l said, giving him
the book, ''but in the meantime my Gen
eral will be put under arrest for disobe-
dience, and the mischief will be done"
That's So" he replied. Here, give me
pencil" and tearing off corner of the
paper General Schencl had sent him, he
wrote: "All proceedings before the court
convened to try General Milroy are sus-
pended until further orders. A. Lincoln -
The next morning l clanked into the
courtroom with my triangular order, and
had the grim satisfaction of seeing the
owls in epaulettes file out, never to be
called again.
Through one of those freaks of nature
that produce Shakespeare at long inter
walls, giant had been born to the poor
whites Of Kentucky, and the sense of
superiority possessed President Lincoln
at all times. Unobtruding and even I'M
assuming as he was, he was not modest
in his assertion, and he as quietly direct
ed Seward in shaping our delicate and
difficulty foreign policy as he controlled
Chase in the Treasury and Edwin NJ.
Stanton in the War Department. These
men, great as they were, felt their infer
iority to their master, and while all three
were eaten into and weakened by anxiety
he ate and slept and tested as if his
shoulders did not carry, Atlas like, the
fate of au empire.
L never saw him angry but once, and
had no wish to see a second exhibition of
his wrath. We were in command of what
was called the Middle Department, with
headquarters at Baltimore. Gen. Schenck
with that intense loyalty which disting-
uished this eminent soldier, shifted the
military sympathy from the aristocracy
of Maryland to the Union men, and made
the eloquent Henry Winter Davis and
the well-known jurist Judge Bond our
associates and advisers. These gentle
men could not understand why, having
such entire command of Maryland, the
Government did not make it free state,
and so. taking the property from the
dlsloyal, render them weak and harmless
and bring the border of free states to the
capital of the Cnion. The Notifications
about Baltimore, used heretofore to
threaten that city, now under the influ-
ence of Davis, Bond, Wallace and others,
had their guns turned outward for the
protection of the place, and it seemed
only necessary to inspire the negroes with
faith in us as lberators to perfect the
work. The first intimation l received
that this policy of freeing Maryland was
distaSteful to the Administration came
from Secretary Stanton. | had told him
what we thought, and what we hoped t.
accomplish. noticed an amused expires
sion on the face of the War Secretary
ard when ended he said dryly, "You
and Schenck had better attend to your
own business" l asked him what he
meant by ''our business He said
"Obeying orders, that ALL
Not long after this talk with Mr.. Stan
ton, the gallant General William Birney
son of the eminent James G. Birney came
into Maryland 10 recruit for "a negro bri
gade, then first authorized. | directed
| Birney to recruit slaves only. He sale
he would be glad to do so, but wanted
authority in writing from Gen. Schenck
| tried my general and he refused, saying
| that such authority could come only from
| the War Department, as Birney was act
| ing directly under its Instructions.
could not mcve him, and. knowing tina
| he had q leave of absence for few day.
| to transact some business at Boston,
waited patiently until be was fairly off
and then issued the order to Genera
| Birney.
| HOW MARYLAND BECAME FREE.
| The general took an idle government
steamer and left for the part of Maryland
where the slaves did most abound. Biz
ney was scarcely out of sight before
awakened to the opposition l had ex
cited. The Hon. Reverdy johnson ap
peared at headquarters. heading a dele
| CATION of solid citizens, who wanted tn,
| Union and slavery saved one and insep
arabic. gave them scant comfort, ant
they lett for Washington. That after
noon came telegram from the War De
| partment asking who was in command
at Baltimore. responded that, Genera
Schenck being absent for few day
only, had left affairs in control of hi
chief of staff. Then came a curt sum
mons, ordering me to appear at the Wa
Department. | obeyed, arriving in tn
evening at the old, sombra building
Being informed that the Secretary wa
at the Executive Mansion, | repare,
there, sent in my card and was at one
shown in the presence, not of Mr.. Stan
ton, but of the President. do not car,
to recall the words of Mr.. Lincoln.
wrote them out that night, for l wa
threatened a shameful dismissal from tn
service, and intended appealing to tn
public. They were exceedingly sever
for the President was in rage. wa
not allowed word in my own defense
and was only permitted to say that
would couutermaLd my order as we'll a
l could. was saved cashiering throug
the interference of Stanton and Chase
and the further fact that row over sue
| TRANSACTION at tlaC time "oulC Oe eS
tremely awkward.
My one act made Maryland a free state
Word went out, and spread like wildfre
that MIR. Linkum was calm on
slaves to fight foh freedum,' and til
hoe handle was dropped, never again
be taken up by unrequited toll. TIL
poor creatures poured into Baltimore wit
their families on foot. on horseback, i