Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-01
EARLY WAR-DAYS.

on Sundays, when the people are all
agog and astir about war-news, and are
under the excitement which invariably
goes with the assembling of troops. the
Dispatch is forcibly reminded of Paw
nee Sunday"
That "red-letter day." so TO speak, had
its being in the spring of 1861, and
brought with It for us wars first rude
alarums." And 1t was so called-first,
because it was the first day of the week,
and next. because it was wonderfully
and fearfully associated with the United
States revenue cutter, Pawnee.
II was at the very threshold Of the
war. and the Pawnee had been reported
as threatening various towns in Virginia.
on the memorable day in question 1t be-
came generally reported that the Pawnee
was coming up James river with the pur-
pose of Smelling Richmond"
The rumor must have been credited by
the State authorities. for a section Of the
Howitzers was ordered TO Wilton, oppo-
site Dire wry's Bluff, and there 1t awaited
the coming Of the vessel with intent TO
fire upon and sink her. a number OF en-
thusiastic citizens went to the State
Armory, and were permitted to drag
forth one or two great bronze feld-guns
that were left in Virginia after the siege
Of Yorktown.
One of these guns was taken down town
as far as the post-ofice building, where
II was abandoned. Whether it was aban-
doned because the citizens who had it in
charge found it too heavy, or because
they had no hopes of getting a carriage
upon which to mount 1t, or ammunition
with which to fire it, we know not, nor
does either history or Tradition tell us.
But we remember hat that gun lay In
the street a long time before it was car
ried back TO the Armory.
Our people being fully resolved to de-
fend their goodly city TO the last, also
collected all the small arms they could.
Thus, ancient fint-lock muskets, "hoss"
pistols, and more modern weapons were
brought forth from their places In dwell
ing-houses, and the gun-shops of the city
were opened-Sunday though it was--to
supply the public's further demand. And
so, thousands of excited men and boys
went to Libby Hill and Rockets TO meet
the invaders. There they waited almost
in breathless suspense, but the Pawnee
never put In an appearance, and gradually
the would-be-waTiors retired 10 their
homes-perhaps expecting TO dream of
bombardment and cannonades and wars
sad havoc.
Looking back at the thing now with
the accumulated experience OF four
sanguinary years. it all seems very ridicu-
lous, but many were the troubled hearts
in Richmond that day. And 1t was a Sc
rious matter then. Never afterward was
our population so excited. though battles
were fought in sight OF the city where
the aggregated losses did not fall short
of fifty or sixty thousand men.
BY the way, talking about the early
days Of war brings US to Governor
Letcher's proclamation calling out Vir-
ginia's troops. A copy of that procla-
nation was recently sought for among
the archives at the capital, but could
not be found. No doubt. it was taken
away by the Federal soldiers who en-
tered this city upon its evacuation by
the Confederates. Maybe It will be found
in the War Achives office az Wash
ington. II so, it should be reclaimed by
Virginia. North Carolina has been able
to recover many Of her State papers
that were taken under similar circum-
stances, and why may We not do the
like?
When the original OF Governor Let
cher's proclamation is discovered, we
venture 10 say II will be found to be in
the handwriting of Colonel George
Wythe Munford. or In that of his son,
who sometimes acted as his amanuensis.
AT any rate. our information is that the
proclamation was drafted by Colonel
Munford, who was then the Secretary
OF the Commonwealth, and who was
skilled in the preparation of all such
documents. Unless we greatly err, Gov
ernor Letcher especially requested the
Colonel 10 prepare the paper in question.
OF course, the Governor indicated what
its tenor should be. but we have always