Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-20
RUINS OF PROVOST MARsHAL's OFFICE.


second ward, being the third subdivision of
the Ninth congressional district of the state,
the provost marshals districts being for the
most part identical with the congressional
districts. Both on Saturday and Monday
the papers announced that all would be quiet
Before many hours one journals office was
on fire and a mob was hunting for the editor,
and before Friday noon the city of which,
according to that paper, 1.-THE most perfect
quiet was assured" had lost 100000 by
fire and robbery, while some 200 of its citi-
gems had been slaughtered. 1t may he profit
able to trace the genesis and evolution of
such an unexpected, murderous and destruc-
tive mob.
PROFESSIONALLY the most gloomy period of
the civil war, for the Federal side, was the
last week of June and first three days of
July, 1863. On the Potomac every move
ment for ten months had resulted in disaster
In Middle Tennessee the army of Rosecrans
was a hundred miles nearer the Ohio than
was the advance of Mitchell and Buell. a year
before, while of Grant the public only knew
that after some brilliant victories he had re-
manned Eve weeks in front of Nicksburg and
could not know that Pemberton's surrender
was near In this condition of affairs the
Washington authorities ordered draft for
100000 more' Scarcely had the people
read this order when they learned that Lee
had invaded Pennsylvania with eighty thou
sand veterans, flushed with victory, and i'm
mediately after that Hooker had been ''re-
lieved from command" and the Army of the
Potomac placed under a general of whom
not one in ten of the people had ever heard
The most steadfast supporters of the admin
istration wavered in their support The
cynical sneered and the critical loudly
exclaimed against this unstable and
shifting policy" while the opposition press,
especially in New York CITY, famed
with fiery invectives against the emanci-'
patton proclamation, against the employ
ment OF negro troops, against the arbitrary
arrests" Of opposition speakers, against the
suspension of the right of habeas corpus and
especially against the draft, which they al
legged to be unconstitutional and unfairly ex-
ecuted In this condition of the public mind
nearly all the militia of New York city were
sent into Pennsylvania to serve against the
invaders, and it was generally expected that
the Fourth of July would witness riot.
Midnight of the Sd brought the first au-
thentic news Of Gettysburg. Gen. Meade
telegraphed that he had "repulsed the enemy
at all points" Before noon of the 4th the
people read on all the bulletin boards of the
principal cues that THE Union army has
won a glorious victory" By night it was
added that 1.-THE Confederate Gen Longstreet
is killed; we have 10000 prisoners and moth
ing can save Lees army from capture or de
struction." Only two days later the people
of Richmond read in their papers: eve have
captured 10000 Yankees; Baltimore and
Philadelphia are at our mercy" But the
early dispatches of July were official and
implicitly believed in New York, and the
day was one of the most peaceful in her his
tory.
Soon after came the inspiring news from
Nicksburg, and Immediately after that the
report Of Gen Rosecrans that he had driven
Bragg from Tullahoma. There was general
acceptance of the official assurance that no
trouble need be apprehended, and so the draft
was ordered to proceed. Some measures were
taken to test the constitutionalty of the con-
scription act-an unsettled point in United
States law-and it was quite generally be
lieved by the opponents of the act that the
course Of those New England governors who
refused to obey the conscription acts of 1872
IA would be taken as precedent. Still it
was emphatically declared by Governor Sey-
mour and his supporters that it was ex-