Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-31
WASHINGTON IN DANGER.
"reminiscences Of the Early Days. Of
the Civil War.

"reminiscences Of the Early Days. o
i the Civil War.
At the beginning Of the civil war II
1851, the capitol building was not NOR,
than half completed. The readers wht
were born since 1860 know no more o.
that great struggle for the life Of tht
nation than they know Of the war witt
Mexico or the war Of the revolution
It is all history to them save that 1t ha.
been a home story about the fireside.
south who participated In the grapplt
and carnage Of battle. 1t was won.
derful spectacle, even as reminis.
cence, to see two sections Of great
nation engaged in such deadly combat
extending over a period Of years.
The capital city of the republic was
so located that 1t was on the border
land Of the seeding section. and south
of the center of the loyal north. The
public building, the official records
and the national treasury were also
almost wholly unprotected. The peo-
pie Of the south were in earnest about
secession, and hoped for some sort of q
peaceful compromise. They did not
want to fire on the old flag, or they
could have taken Washington city be-
fore the Inauguration of Abraham Lin
coin. They were prepared for war
and the north was not / have always
given them credit for conservatism al
the outset, In keeping hands off Of the
| capital, which was at their mercy
There was not fort. manned, nor q
sentinel standing there for defense, un-
til after Lincoln's Inauguration.
The capitol building was a mass Of
tall derricks surrounded by piles OF
marble blocks. The central portion OF
the building was complete and occupied
by congress. But the dome looked like
an unfinished parachute. Its iron arms
extended half way to their keystone
without covering, and the workmen
away UP in the air, looked like dwarfs
at play on the limbs Of a leafiess BAN
yam tree with ruined trunk. There
were many men in those days who be-
lieved that II would never be finished
One of them was Senator Clingman OF
North Carolina, who said: "The build
ing is on Maryland soil, and Maryland
will secede with the other southern
states. In the division Of the country
by compromise, 1t will belong to the
south. We will take 1t down and re-
move 1t to Montgomery, Ala, or Rich
mond, Va. OF course we will not have
our capital 80 near to Yankee soil, fol
1t would be exposed IL there should
ever be a war. Besides We will want
| It located nearer the center of the Con-
federacy."
| Many leading southern gentlemen
had no clear idea that war was immi-
nent. They were thoroughly imbued
with the belief that the men Of the
north would not fight against secession
They sincerely regarded their right to
i withdraw from the Union as a consti-
tutfonal privilege. They possessed all
of the Atlantic and gulf ports, with
their Notifications and equipments
and the bulk of the army. Moreover
there were many people in the north
ern states who were like-minded, and
who deprecated war. Hence there was
prevailing sentiment that the capitol
would never be completed. The whole
scene changed in the twinkling of an
eye. The steamer Star Of the West,
flying the Stars and Stripes, carrying
supplies and reinforcements to Fort
Sumter, was fired upon, and immedi-
| ately thereafter Fort Sumter was
bombarded and captured. That settled
the whole matter and we were In the
presence of a crisis-an epoch Of his
tory.
The war began, the national capital
was defended, the president and cab
met remained there, troops were called
for, the congress assembled, and the
work Of completing the capitol build
ing went on as though profound peace
prevailed. The dome was completed
the senate and house wings were add
] ed, and in 1864. while hundreds OF thou
sands of our people were battling fol-
supremacy Of the principles they es-
poused, the marble building on the
summit Of the commanding eminence
grew into what it now is. "a thing OF
beauty and JOY forever"
But there was great excitement here
when Virsinia's legislature passed an
ordinance Of secession on April IL
1861. This was followed by news to
the effect that the young men all over
the south were meeting together In
every village and hamlet and cross
roads, and forming companies and
drilling with muskets; and where mus
kets were not to be had they used
pitchforks or other implements that
first came to hand, and they declared
that in less than fortnight the SOUTH
ern flag should float over the national
capitol This fact alarmed everybody
in Washington. for the capital was
absolutely defenseless. The local pa
| pers called for meetings Of loyal men
to form companies and defend the city.
1t was fully realized that the troops
called for in the proclamation Of Pres
ident Lincoln could not reach wash
ington In time to prevent It's capture.
President Lincoln keenly realized the
situation, and all available troops OF
the small regular army were ordered
here; but transportation was not SO
ready nor 80 speedy as it became with
the exigencies Of the times. This city
was largely In sympathy with secession
But two companies were speedily
formed, composed almost wholly OF
men of the north and west who were
temporarily in the city. Many of them
were prominent in political and official
life. The company called the Frontier
Guards was commanded by Hon. Jas.
H. Lane of Kansas, Of "border-ruffian'
fame. This company guarded the
White House. The other company was
| A. ,io,, ho 70 lion and was COM