Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18
FIRING ON SUMTER.
how the Beginning of the War
Changed Things in This City.
WHO FIRED THE FIRST SHOT.
Downfall of the National Intelligencer-The
Atteanpt Made to Keep it Anoat-Distin-
guished Commissioners Of Pstents-some
1nexcusabls BluDders.

Insxcussbls Blu.dsrs.
A s I BEGIN MY WEEKLY CONTRIB q
"A ton 70 the columns Of The STAR Sunday.
April I'D, am reminded that this day thirty
years ago the first gun was fired on Sumter
Thirty years agol 1t seems but few years,
comparatively. and yet there are not many
here todayfto recall the intense excitement which
pervaded this city and the country. Here the
events which followed had been in some meas
ure anticipated. The ordinances of secession
had been passed in many Of the southern states
We had said goodbye to many southern friends
few months before as they withdrew from
Congress TO take part with their respective
states, but there was still the hope that q re-
treat from the last step toward actual war
might be averted. The peace congress met
some weeks later here in Washington and there
was good deal Of confidence felt that peace in
some way would again spread her wings over
the threatened disrupture. The hope was vain.
Indeed, this city had already put ON the habili-
ments OF war. for on the day after the fall Of
Sumter Mr.. Lincoln issued his call for rs, 900
men, which Gov. Seward thought would be all
that would be needed for a sixty war, as
he expressed it. 1 remember how even then
we seemed unwilling and almost unable to COM
prehend the situation as 1t actually existed.
The fight In the streets Of Baltimore on the L 9th
OF April between the Sixth Massachusetts,, COM
manded by Col Jones, now lieutenant COVER
nor OF New York, and the mob which ragged
there to prevent their passage through the city
to relieve Washington dispsllsd all hopes of
peace.
From that time "the cry was still they come"
until, In a very brief time, the public build
ings had been transformed into military de-
pots for men and arms and all the needed re-
qulrements OF a. campaign. How suddenly the
transformation came Every hour of every
DAY regiments arrived. The rumbling Of ar
tiuery became familiar sound. We grew used
to the speeding orderly as he dashed through
the streets. The provost marshal and his
guard were met on duty almost everywhere,
and "grim-visaged war" was seen and felt in
the preparations under way all over the city.
The change all this brought to Washington
cannot be realized now, for the sheds and tenn
porary shops and stores improvised for the oc-
caslon and to meet the demands Of the rapidly
increased population have long since been
swept away and stately residences have taken
their places.
THE FIRST SHOT.
New York journal states that Gen. Roger A.
Pryor was present at Charleston when the guns
were trained on Sumter and was offered the
first shot, but that he declined it. If that be
So all that 1 have heard of that famed shot
state Of repose, is indirect contradiction and L
sought Information Of it from q confederate
officer upon whose knowledge l would rely. He
says the first shot was fired by Mr.. Edwin
Ruffin Of Virginia; that Mr.. Ruffin was then a
man over seventy and during the war was at
tached to no command, but was generally on
the skirmish line with a Maynord rifle, his in
separabie companion, and at the close of the
war he returned to his home in Virginia and,
writing brief note saying he had no desire to
hnrfp ~ IL, l..
self. This gentleman says the second shot was
fired by John Mitchell, the Irish patriot who
had two sons In the reoccupied Fort Sumter
which was not captured during the
war, but at its close was evacuated
and has never been occupied since.
The regiments which came to Washington and
encamped around the city-the Seventh Of New
York, the Rhode Island regiment. commanded
by Gov Sprague. and other regiments-made
all the region north of the city. then entirely
rural, very attractive. Every afternoon the
grounds at lexington where the Rhode Island
ers were encamped. and the encampment of the
Seventh. were thronged with visitors. We saw
only the bright side Of the picture then. but
very soon the reverse was presented to US, when.
after the battle of Bull Run, the wounded were
brought in, and while hospitals we're being pre-
pared the public squares were resting places,
where the weary burden Of wounds and fatigue
found rest, and there th ladies of Washington,
Ike ministering angels, thronged to comfor.
aHu CoHsoie anu 10 supply the wants OF the suf-
fering. All of this is a twice-told tale, and vet
In how many homes came the thought that this
day, the 18th of April, thirty years ago. began
the greatest war in history.
DOWNFALL OF THE NATIONAL ISTELLrsENcsR.
10 me that period was an anxious one At
one fell swoop the National Inteaqe,scer lost its
main support. The thousands of southern
subscribers who had taken the National InteQi-
genceT for two generations were cut off by the
stoppage of the mails south of Washington.
The large amount Of dues for subscriptions
were lost forever. The friends of the old paper
rallied. Mr.. Thurlow Weed was called to Wash
lngton by Gov. Seward. always a staunch
friend, and was desired to lind the means
needed to supply the loss and continue its pub
llcatlon- Mr.. Lincoln, whose old whig procliv-
tiles, bound him to the organ of that grand old
party, desired something should be done to sus-
tain the paper and Mr.. Weed consulted with
Messrs. Gales and Seaton Is to the amount
needed to carry it safely over the breakers then
In view l returned to New York with Mr.
weed TO obtain the amount required-about
S3O, 900. had never before met Mr. Greeley
and found in him a very earnest friend and
after day or two Mr.. Weed said the sum had
been secured. That nights mail brought a
copy OF the National Irateltig1acer containing
an article denying any power in the gov
eminent to coerce state. Very able. but
at that moment most unfortunately in
appropriate. My mission ended very abruptly
and returned without receiving the promised
help. In the clash of arms the voice of the
Constitution was unheard or was UNDECIDED.
Mr.. Weed subsequently, urged from Washing
ton, secured some relief, and Messrs Gales
and Seaton struggled on, fighting in their own
way for the preservation of the Union. Not
long since DR.. yelling told me that an eminent
legal gentleman Of New York had suggested to
him the republication of the articles written at
that time and published in the National In,.ui- |
gencer, as now, he said, the country would listen
to them. During the whole war the National
Intelhgencer had the confidence of Mr. Lincoln
and Gov. Seward, though the ultras except the |
Hon. Thadeus Stevens, did not agree with it, |
On one occasion Gen. Schenck came over from
Baltimore while in command there and told |
Mr.. Lincoln it was useless for him to remain in |
command in that city while the National IN |
teligence- was allowed to be circulated there
and asked permission to suppress it. Mr.. Lin,
coin replied: General, let those old gentlemen
alone they know hsttar than ma do Xhat tha..