Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-26
THE DISTRICTS LOYALTY.
Quota of Troops Furnished by Wash
inRtOn i'm the Civil War.

THE DISTRICTS LOYALTY.
| Quota of Troops Furnished by Wash
inRtOn i'm the Civil War.
| To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
! L was much interested in reading the
statement of Mr.. Keefer in The Star of the
10Th in reference to the number of men
furnished by the District in the civil war
1t is fact not generally known that while
only seven of the states filed their quota,
the District of Columbia filled her quota
and ISL per cent over eXcelling every state
in the Union except Kansas, and if the
rious companies of home guards organized
In the departments, etc, were Included, as
were the home guards in Kansas, the Dis
trict would have eXcelled her.
This is the more remarkable when we re-
member that the preservation and extern
sion of slavery was the real issue in the
war, for, as stated by Alexander Stephens
of Georgia, vice president of the confed-
eracy, Its corner stone was to be human
slavery" 1t is to be remembered also that
the District was carved from two slave
states, and that slavery then existed in
the District, and naturally it was to be ex-
pected that the sympathes of the inhab-
ltants would be with the south on such an
issue. But to their praise be it said many
of the Shareholders of the District We're
loyal to the government, though they con-
sldered the REIMBURSEMENT of the slaves
90 a iioSl al ACT OH the
part of Congress, notwithstanding they
We're paid the value of their slaves In ad-
dition to that it should be remembered that
the District offered no bounty, did all.
or nearly all, the states. Those of our citi-
Zens who have settled here of late wears
have but faint idea of the strength Of
the dlsunion sentiment at that time among
large portion of the residents MANY of
the ohclals and of the employees I'm the
departments openly espoused the cause of
the south, some leaving and going south
Whlle others suppressed any public mani
festation of their sympat HES in order to
retain their positions. 1t was never a won
der TO me that the confederate government
and military authorities were kept in
formed OF every movement and plan on the
part OF the Union government and forces,
Tor Notwithstanding the fact that all We're
required In the spring of 1861 to take an
oath OF loyalty, many sympathZers with
lne southern cause remained i'm the de-
partments, the authorities seeming to be
10Th to dismiss them when informed of
the facts. Indeed, 1 was myself threatened
with dismissal for exposing the disloyalty
OF men IN the patent office where | then
occupied position as an examiner
AS was subsequently developed, the con-
ieuerates nad mail route in constant use
between Washington and Richmond, so
tnat information was being constantly sent
Inc Vile of the public printer who went
TO Richmond and became public printer for
the confederacy, while at my house on one
OCCASION told us that she correspondent
With him regularly every week and of
course, others did the same
The intensity of the southern feeling
here at that time was well illustrated by
the attack made on the Republican, C1nb
which occupied part of what is now the
fremont House. the night after Lincoln's
election. in which stones and pistols were
used by the mob, driving the members to
the roof and setting fire to the building
l remember well while standing ON tho
northwest terrace of the Capitol the string
of oaths and profanity uttered by an EN-
ploye or the Senate at the sight of a bat
terry, consisting Of a single company with
two guns as l recall it. brought here from
Minnesota to protect Lincoln's inauguration
as it came into view on leaving the Bal
timore and Ohio depot. To further show
the state OF feeling, l may state a fact
not generally known, that on the dav the
vote for President and Vice President was
announced in the House, we doorkeepers
all went there armed, and, 1 presume.
others also, by orders, it being feared that
an effort would be made to prevent the
count or destroy the records. though no
one had any idea as to how it was TO be
accomplished But; fortunately. nothing
of the kind occurred. The Vice President,
John c. Breckenridge, presided with the
utmost dignity, and more solemn time
was probably never witnessed in the Capt.
toll, save when the martyred Lincoln's re-
mains lay in state in the rotunda.
l verify believe that in the spring of
1861 there was a preponderance Of disloyal
men in the District. Neighbors and even
Il.
SO intense was the feeling that when men
met on the street to converse, care was
taken that others should not hear what
was said and every passerby was watched
with suspicion by both sides.
In view of the existing conditions thus
briefly stated, the fact that the District
furnished so many men for the Union
army is indeed remarkable.
So, too the District paid its special war
tax of $4,000 in the same proportion as
the loyal states.
The total number of men furnished dur
ord, was 1852.
The record of the District for loyalty in
all prior wars is equally good. In the war
of 1872. with her scant population, she
paid war tax Of $4,000 raised a volun-
tary fund of 5000 and gave it to the Presi-
dent for the defense OF the capital, and
furnished her quota Of men.
In the Mexican war she furnished her
full share of volunteers, among whom
some became famous, for the story of May
and his dragons was repeated from one
end Of the country to the other like that
Of the charge Of the 600 at Balaklava.
Again, in the recent war with Spain, the
District has furnished, as stated. though
1 have not the figures, double the number
of men In proportion to population furnish
ed by any of the states; and many of her
young men have shown themselves to be
gallant and efficient officers, well as
soldiers.
The strangest part of all, In view of this
record is tnat the cltlZenS OF the DlStrlct
have no voice either in the national gov
eminent for which they have done so
much, or in their own local government.
This, to the future historian, will be a
source Of never-ending wonder. 1t shows,
however, that loyalty to the national gov
eminent is not dependent on local favors
or conditions alone. w. c. DODGE.
AnacOstia and Vicinity.
Mr.. Vincent osterman. a well-known
yonpD man who recapf1v eplistod IN, ba