Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-31

Sahp ohd AOA PAOiApshSco = WoS 80
signed the post of honor Gas he told
me, although / didn't know what II
meant). My beat was next the river
and 1t was much more comfortable
marching back and forth four rods un-
der the starlight and with good musket
than 1t was in the sail. We expected
the attack would come, IL at all, from
Alexandria and by way of the river.
We peered out into the darkness which
hung over the broad waters Of the Po-
tomac, trying to get sight of an enemy
that we hoped would not come. About
sixty yards of lay long, low. black
steamer that had been captured, and
which, about 8 o'clock a. m. showed
signs of getting up steam. After hold
ing short council with the sentry
next to me we concluded to report the
fact that the vessel was making steam
to the commandant of the yard, which
we did through the corporal Of the
guard, and word was returned that it
was all right and according to orders
About an hour later Commander DAHL
gren came out Of his residence In full
dress uniform, and being challenged
gave the password Massachusetts,
and then descended the steps to the
waters edge. got into his gig, went on
board the suspicious vessel and 1t NOV
ed slowly and silently away. l now
understood what the corporal meant
by the post Of honor"
The arrival of the Sixth Massachu-
setts infantry. on April 10. did not re-
lieve the apprehensions Of the presf-
dent and other officials. Rioters In
Baltimore had killed four and wounded
thirty-si1 members of that regiment,
and the authorities. Of Baltimore de-
clared that no more troops should pass
through the city. President Lincoln
declared that they should. During that
night the secession leaders Of Balti-
more mobs were busy burning bridges
and tearing up the railroad track, thus
cutting Off all connection with the
north. Without mail facilities, or 9TH
er means of communication with the
outside world, the gloom. thickened.
Men now had q great desire to leave
Washington and some paid extrava-
CANT and almost fabulous sums to be
carried north by livery teams. Others
Of southern birth, were equally anxious
to get south. and in few days WASH
ington was considerably thinned out
of It's transient population. This was
believed, however, to be a time OF real
danger-when the days were filed
with apprehension and the nights with
dread.
This sense of danger, with it, strain
and tension Of sleepless anxiety. was
not relieved until the afternoon OF
April rs, 1851, when the famous Seventh
New York regiment reached the city,
and as they marched up Pennsylvania
avenue to the inspiring music of their
fine regimental band, bearing at their
head the Stars and Stripes, their we'll
filled columns. their regular step and
soldierly bearing, won the admiration
Of all, and each one felt that the crisis
was past and the capital saved.
At any moment, at any hour Of the
day or night. the Virginia boys could
have taken Washington and won great
prestige to the Confederacy. After that
date the troopers Of the northland
came pouring into the city on every
train. But the war was not over In
thirty days nor in ninety days. For
four long years the national capital
was the rendezvous, the. biyouac and
camping ground Of hundreds of thou
sands Of men, and tens Of thousands OF
them spent weeks and months in hos
pitfalls there. sick, wounded and dying.
Smith D. Fry.