The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-24
Tn the Beginning.


 winter and spring, the people of Alabama were busy with preparations for war The election of Lincoln, closely followed by John Browns raid. had kindled a flame in the bosom of every true Alabamian that nothing could extinguish. The Legislature had previously authorized the formation of the Alabama Volunteer Corps" to consist of ten regiments, and the first and second had been organized. The first had its headquarters at Mobile, and the second at Montgomery. The field officers of the second were Tennent Lo- max. Colonel; Cullen A. Battle Lieuten- ant-Colonel, and Samuel Marks, Major. About the 1st of January, 1861, Governor Andrew B. Moore ordered the End regl-
 ment to meet at the Capital on the Sth
 to celebrate the battle of New Orleans
 The day came, Montgomery was ablazc with enthusiasm. When the regiment appeared, keeping step to martial music,
 Market Street was packed with fair wo- men and brave men. Cheer after cheer rolled over the city. Lomax looked the very god of war. and every man of his regiment wore the insignia of hero and d gentleman. The parade was brilliant and the day Was honored, but the supreme act was yet to come. At l o'clock Gov ernor Moore issued his order comma nding
 the field officers of the regiment to report | at the executive office without delay. They entered just as the Governor looked up from his table and said, 'I like to have
 written Jackson" He had written the order directing the regiment to proceed 10
 Pensacola and report to Major General Chase. and was signing 1t. He had writ ten Andrew and the impulse to write Jackson was almost irresistible. The de- parture of the troops was witnessed by thousands, and Alabama had taken her first step in the path that led through fields of blood to imperishable glory.
 Florida gave to Alabama a welcome hon. orable to both States. The first movement was against Fort Barancas supposed to
 be strongly garrlsoned. but the enemy had withdrawn under the cover of the night to Fort Pickens, and Fort Barran- cas and McCree were occupied by tke allied forces without opposition. For short time the Warrington navy yard re-
 mained in the possession of the Federal authorities. Commodore Armstrong re- fusing to surrender until he was sa tis-
 fled of his inability to hold it. The allies deployed, and the Stars and Stripes came down, and the flags of Florida and
 Alabama tioated out in serene beauty. Major-General Chase. our commander-in- chief, was in a position of peculiar em- barrassment. A Northern man, gradu- ate of West Point. the engineer under
 whose direction Fort Pickens was built
 He reversed the flag. and loved Pickens as his darling child. He had shed tears
 when the flag came down at the navy yard and how could he train his guns on Pickens? But he lived at Pensacola
 and was a soldier of Florida The war of elements ragged in his bosom, and he
 was solely perrlexed Then, too, his mil ltary reputation was involved If he re- duced Fort P!ckens, it would be a re- hection on his engineering ability; if he failed to reduce it, he would be dlscredit-
 ed as a General. He suffered intensely. One morning. while the agony was on. he drove up to Fort Barrancas and was cordially greeted by Colonel Lomax.
 Good morning. General; hope you are
 well this beautiful day" No, Lomax;
 am not well; my horses ran away with
 me this morning across every foot of the long bridge" What were you doing
 while they were running away?" Well.
 I was praying they would break my old
 neck and get me out of this trouble" All who knew General Chase recognized him
 as man of honor, and no word of cen-
 sure was heard when he resigned hls
 commission and returned to his native State. The situation at Pensacola was i strangely unique. Pickens was provis- | toned from Pensacola. The officers and | men at Pickens visited at Barrancas, and | the United States steamer Wyandote was
 the rendezvous where all met for social | enjoyment. One evening two officers
 from Barrancas met two ladies on the | Wyandotte from Fort Pickens. after an
 hour of whist they passed to the prome- made; one of the ladies said: 70 how you frightened us! When We came to Pickens
 there were no guns in position. and now | there are none on the land side" That
 was just the information wanted. Soon
 as practicable council of war was called