The sun., 1897-02-14
THE WAR OF SLAVERY.
rnEv IT wAsnEALLY coMMENCrD.
rh. First Secession or n State was On
Dee. 30. 1s9e Offers or Troops 10 the
Gevernme.t-Ths Omoini Reoords-Airo
the Ftght,ue McCook Family OF Ohio.

Govern umen ent-Ths omctnt beoordn-Atsc
the Ftghting McCook Family OF Ohio
Many or the now generation harbor q vaRus
Impression that tho attack on Fort Sumter.
April 12. 1851. was the beginning of the great
,ivil war. That Il was the fret actual collision
at arms 10 true. tut the outbreak had. in fact.
occurred and overt acts had been commit ed
moro than four months previously. AZ early
as December, 1860. both sides were preparing.
the South actually ar ming. fer the conflict. The
South was far advanced toward readiness for
war before the slow-paced North realized the
fact: IL was acting with feveri.h energy In pur-
suance OF a definite. well-understood purpose,
while the North could hardly believe that a
war was impending. N required such blow
as Beaurrgard delivered to awaken II 10 tho
knowledge that tho South was serious.
Yet South Carolina had paved the way to
war by seeding ~ early as Dec. 20. 1850. and
wss making hostile demonstrations. Florida
followed on Jan. 10. 1851. Alabama the 11th,
Georgia and Mississippi tho 10th. Louisiana
tho 28th. and Texas Feb. /. Jefferson Davis
and Alex. II. Stephens had been insugtrated
President and vice-Prcsident OF tho Confed-
erato states at Montgomery on Feb. 1s. 1901.
The whole south had been ahamo with seces-
sion and military ardor within thirty days after
the election NJ Abraham Lincoln. II is hard
ly remembered now. but military event Of
really moro importance nnu OCCuTTeu IWO
months prior To tho attack on Sumter-tho
treacherous surrender early IN February by
Gen. David II. Twiggs OF all the rerulsr troops
engaged in protecting Texas from Indian raids
and Mexican ;anditu. more than 1000 men,
on the armed demand OF the Southern authori-
ties. This was actual war: there was sporadic
indiRnation at the North. but no national out.
break of passion like that which followed tho
Sumter pyrotochnics. Forts. arsenals. and
much other public property had b~en promptly
psized by the secessionists long previous 70 the
fall OF Sumter.
But while tho masses slept serenely on
through all these portentous events. seeming
ly.conhdent almost up TO the moment OF the ex-
plosion that tho storm would blow over. there
is.evldence that many Intelligent citizens pcne-
trated with falcon eye the unaltcrable design
Of the secessionists. by refusing all coinpos..
tion. to force a permanent dissolution o. the
Union. even at the expense of'war. They
wished TO he prepared for war. Upon the
ocssion OF South Carolina some OF these vigil
ant patriots quietly began TO ORGANIZE and drill
Independent companies OF volunteers In all
quarters OF tho country. TO be In readiness for
the call TO arms which to them now seemed IT.
evitable. Several OF these commands were
rendered to tho Government several weeks
prior to the bombardment OF Sumter and Mr.
Linoolnr call for $4,000 three months troops.
After the lapse Of nearly forty years. IL is
interesting to trace through the of1ciai records
tho beginning OF the movement TO enforce the
national authority. The first written profYer
Of military aid appears TO have come from Gov
Morgan " New York, through Adjutant-C,en
Thomas Hillhouso. who proposed on Dec. 81.
1860, to garrison all the national forts within
that State with New York militia. doubtless
with q Wow to relieving the regular troops TO
Samuel Cooper replied. Jan. 8. 1851. that the
Government "held in high apprsciation" III,
patriotism Of New York, but that IL would
itself look TO the defense of our frontiers and
seaports" Cooper was a graduate of West
Point, and although a New Yorker by birth
he shortly afterward resigned and went sop,h
where he was appointed Adjutant-G General Of
0he Confederate States army. which po,ition
no held until the close Of the war. He was
close friend of Jefferson Davis. who was preat
ly criticised by sou.herners for his Northern
appointmenfs,
The second .ofacisl tender came from Mas.a-
chusetts. Jan. 12. 1861. Gov. Andrew wrote
Gen. Scott for Information ''bear,ne upop the
prcparations of Massachu ,etts To meet env de
msud for patriotic citizen soldiers tn assi,t
You in maintaining the law, and integrity oI
the country. II n, Thought not pniite,v that
such contribution of men may be wanted and
shonld tha. be the case Massachusetts will
respond with an alacrity and force which will
meet your entire satisfaction. Two Br,pndier-
Generals of the active yolunteer militia b.v,
already rendered their services ~ One Of tb..e
Brieniiers wa. Bsniamfn F. ButI,r- who suh.
seouently distinguished himself At BaItimor,
Roanoke Island. New Orleans. and eIs.wbere
Tho third of,cial ofrer OF aid was made from
New York. Jan. 10. 1861. Gen. CharIe. w
Sanford Of the New York State militia, pro-
posed axain 10 Gen. Scott to parrison the foru.
cations in New York harbor in case 4, was
necessary Z, withdraw the United state, repu.
lars for duty elsewhere. He also offered. with
The approval of Gov. Morgan. to send nj short
notice live or ak good reoim.nts" IN Wash
ington. Gen. Sandford subsequently led some
New York militia regiments into Virginia. and
psrticip tied in some o. the earlier opers,ion.
along the Potomac.
Jan. "a. 1s8l. Gen. Samuel 7. K,rlrood y,
Iown communicated to the Hon. Joseph Holt
President Bucbauan's last Secretary OF War
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