The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-01-27

NO. ".
To the E!i,o. Of The OcaIa Banner.

1t Is mistake to suppose that
every body in the south before the
civil war were secessionists as well
as to believe that everybody across
the line were abolitionists.
The growth of the abolition senti-
| ment in the north, where slavery had
proven Improbable, made possible
the secession movement in the south
! and the two together made war in
| evitable.
| The wings in the south, as rule,
| were loyal unionists, and the demo-
, Gratis. with here and there conspic-
uous exceptions, were secessionists.
Governor Richard X. Call, Colonel
| George T. Ward, and some other very
eminent statesmen in Florida. took
| very strong ground against secession.
! But. as the slavery agitation increased,
| the secession movement gained mo-
! mentum like gathering tornado and
| the efforts of these men, popular and
! eloquent as they were, proved futile
| to stem the on-rushing tide.
The ordinance of secession WAS
| passed January 21st, 1861, by vote
! of % to =
/ Still very few thought that actual
war would follow, and the proceed
| ings were very generally regarded as
| holiday performance.
Soon after the celebration of the
| states withdrawal from the union
and the patriotic sacrifice Of the
candles (as already described in
| previous article in the illumination
! OF the city in which | was then
| youthful resident d dispatch was
| received from Tallahassee by the
! brigadier-generalo of militia to proceed
| at once to the capture Of the arsenal
at Chattahoochee.
| Here, indeed, was the appearance
/ of red handed war and d scene.
/ entirely different rom the joyful
| demonstration of the week before,
! ensued-
/ Mothers. wives and sisters fiocked
| to the churches and held public
| prayers and the night is remembered
| in that little city as one Of lamenta-
! tions.
4 military company had already
| been organized, which was composed
| of the flower, manhood and chivalry
| of the little community, and this
| company was placed by orders from
| the ''seat of government under the
command OF the brigadier-general.
All the vehicles of every descrip-
ton in the little city were pressed
into service and in that way the first
Florida troops marched forth TO war,
The company reached its point of
! destination just before day and at
this supreme moment 'cOnsulta-
ton of war" was held.
Those familiar with the arsenal at
that time will remember that there
was a board fence surrounding it and
on the inner Enclosure A brick wall
| with large gates At the four cardinal
points.
1t was determined that this COM
pany should he divided into our
squads, each placed under COM
| misSioned officer. and were to march
simultaneously AMI when the four
gates were reached it was to become
known by the explosion of sky rock
cts into the air.
This was done and the four squads
We're drawn up in battle array and
the brigadier-general sent in flag
of truce demanding the immediate
| and unconditional surrender of the
arsenal.
The arsenal was in command of
Corporal Carpenter, VINO afterwards
served faithfully throughout the war
|; as an officer in Florida regiment of
| which the writer was a high private
| in one OF the rear ranks.
Corporal Carpenters army consist
ed of himself. his twelve wear old
son and mulatto servant. but the
| strength of his command was entire
| ly unknown to the brigadier-genera