The National tribune., 1907-02-14

lie property surrendered by Twiggs IN
Texas. d. -
"Shoot HtmsSn the Spot.o
The loyalty of President Buchanan's
Cabinet hadsH been further greatly
strengthened by tho appointment OF
John A. Dix tss Secretary OF tho Treas
ury. Secretary Dix had served as a
boy as Ensighf in the War Of 1919, and
received lessons in patriotism and 10y
atty which dominated him ever after-
wards. and were proof against the
sophisms Of dpaftisanship. Entering
upon his duties as Secretary he at once
took steps to- save what property he
could from the clutches Of the Seces-
sionists. He sent William Hemphill
Jones South to. secure the Revenue Cut
ter Lewis Cass atiMobile and the Rob
ert McClelland atiNew Orleans. Jones
reached Mobile too late. for he found
that the Cass had already been turned
over to the State of Alabama. He hur-
ried Off to New Orleans, where he sent
a note to Capt. J. G. Breshwood, of the
McClelland, inclosing one from Seore-
tary Dix ordering that officer to pro-
ceed at once with his vessel to New
YORK Breshwood Immediately replied
to this: Your letter. with the one of
Jan. 10. from the Honorable Secretary
OF the Treasury. I have duly received.
and In reply will say that I refuse to
obey the ORDER
Mr.. Jones telegraphed this to Wash,
ington with the information that Col
lector Hatch sustained the mutiny Of
Capt. Breshwood Secretary Dix In
stantly telegraphed back:
Tell Lieut.. Caldwell to arrest Capt.
Breshwood, assume command of the
Cutter, and obey the order sent thru
you. If Capt. Breshwood after arrest
fInr toll e. S,,tz
mand of the Cutter, tell Lieut.. Caldwell
to consider him as mutineer and treat
him accordingly. If anyone attempts
to haul down the American flag, shoot
him on the spot"
Unfortunately. the telegraph was in
the hands Of the Secessionists, who
would not allow the message to reach
the officer to whom it was sent. The
McClelland fell into the hands of Lou
tsiana, and two days later the National
Mint and Custom Houses followed, with
coin ana bullion to the amount of $780,
600. which Louisiana placed in her war
fund.
Secretary Dix's order thrilled the
hearts of the American people with a
glad. sweet shock that invigorated
everyone. The people were becoming
weary of the continual cod
ding Of and cringing before the arro-
CANT Secessionists, whose insolence be-
came the more fragrant with each con-
cession. The dread of further 'irri-
tating' the South was getting to be
monotonous and dreadfully tiresome.
The people were becoming anxious to
have the South given some substantial
and they were not averse
even to some examples of sharp "coer-
cfon." Secretary Dix became the hero
of the hour, and the manifest approval
with which his dispatch was received
helped much to stiffen Buchanan's
backbone in the moribund hours Of his
~
Fort PIckens and Pensacola.
The Governors of Alabama and Flor
Ida had consulted together before the |
Secession Conventions in their respec- |
tive States INST with reference to the |
seizure of the,impOrtant Navy Yard at
Pensacola. and! the forts which con- |
trolled the great sharbor of Pensacola |
Bay. The station, at Pensacola had, |
ever since thef. lodgment of white men |
upon thu mainland been one of great |
Importance in connection with the nav
igation of the Gulf of Mexico. 1t was
one of the earliest possessions taken, |
and, fortified BY the Spanish, was held
by them until captured by the English, !,
from whom ftDwasitaken by Ger. Jack |
son. The harboroi is formed by a. fine
expanse of watereat the mouth of the
Escambia River, the entrance to which
was guarded by Fort Pickens a strong.
work ofsthe Fort Sumter Or
der, and ''situatsd on Santa Rosa
Island. Nearly opposite. on low sand
spit, was Fort McRee,'. and oppositcl
Fort PULASKI on the mainland was Fort
Barrancas on the site of the old Spanish
These guarded the large I
and fine Navy Yard. which was about
,ne mile east of Fort Barrancas, and
I've miles up the bay was the little town
If Warrington. The Navy Yard was
lnder the command of Commodore
Armstrong, veteran sailor from Ken
ucky, whose sympathies were with the
but he felt that he could
lot follow the fortunes of the South
,rn Confederacy until his own State
'egularly seeded. The only troops
hen at that place was Co. G, much re-
luced in numbers. of the 1st u. S. Art.
It Barrancas barracks. under the COM
nand of First Lieut.. A. J. Slemmer, a
Lieut.. Slemmer, with
whom was associated Lieut.. Gilman,