New-York tribune., 1911-04-20
MARCH OF THE SEVENTH
How It Left New York in 1861
Effect in Washington.

The departure OF the 7th Regiment for the
front on the afternoon OF Friday April 19
1861, is thus described In the files OF The
| New-York Tribune OF Saturday, April 20:
The regiment had all gathered at its
armory by 5 o'clock Every man was at
his post The different companies mus
tered in their respective rooms, and. not
| withstanding the enthusiasm which neces-
sarny marked the occasion, one could not
fail 70 observe the air Of thoughtful order
and quiet determination which marked
I them all. Enthusiasm there was. but no
excitement A conscious air Of earnest
ness. Of work 70 be done. was visible In
the faces OF ali the men, and when alIusion
was made 70 the expedition upon which
they were about 10 start, there was no
thoughtless, boyish impatience, no spirit OF
boasting found a voice. but a simple. manly
! expression OF determination 20 do the duty
that lay before them.
a description OF the crowds outside the
armory waiting for the appearance on the
streets Of the regiment is told thus:
! The avenues and streets in the neighbor-
' hood OF the armory we're filed with a
crowd OF both sexes and al ages. Men
/ old and young. women with children IN
their arms, boys and girls on their way
from school, with their school books under
their arms, people Of all conditions. and OF
almost al, countries, thrOnged every aVaila-
BILE standing point, trees. lamp posts,
! fences. windows house tops awaiting in
silent expectation the appearance OF the
soldiers. II there could be any doubt OF
their feeling. the waving OF banners from
roofs and windows, the little flags fixed 70
horses heads, stuck sometimes IN the hats
and caps OF men, the spots Of color which
cleaned from many badge on patriotic
bOsOns. and above all. the quiet, subdued
air which pervaded the multitude. showed
that a flame OF patriotism blazed with an
intense heat through them all
At length, about o'clock, an electric
a md Ehn nfAr
with a new vibration that came not from
the pleasant Western wind all the ban
ners waving from the nearest housetOps.
Then came over the heads Of the crowds
the gleam of muskets Steadily and IN
solid body the men poured out from both
entrances TO the arnOry and marched 70
Lafayette Place. where they formed. Here
there was halt for an hour. necessary.
no doubt. for the completion of the ar
rangements for their final departure. The
crowd pressed IN upon them. not Obtrusive-
ly kept back by their sense Of prOpriety
and the admirable discipline OF the police.
but still pressed in on all sides. surround
ing them from the allotted space in the
street 10 the sidewalk. surging over from
the sidewalk into houseyards. from house
yards over steps and porticos. from steps
and porticOs up TO windows from story to
story thousands and thousands Of earnest
and excited faces looking out and down
upon the silent soldiers resting on their
arms. At length the drums beat, the
/
regiment falls into line. resumes its march.
wheels into Great Jones street. from Great
Jones street reaches Broadway. heaving
multitude rushing by its side ana great
shouts from probably the largest crowd
that ever thronged that thoroughfare and
waving banners and futtering handker-
chiefs and blessings, not loud but deep,
greet Il and cheer II on its way.
The regiment was preceded by squad
OF police Of sixty men. on foot, under the
command ~ Captains Hopkins. Canrey.
TurnhuH and Silverey. and followed by
Superintendent Kennedy and Inspectors
Carpenter and Dilks IN carriage. No
where was the slightest disorder, but all
along the route "A continuous outburst 4
the same enthusiasm and the same display
Of overwhelming patriotism ana adnlra-
tion which greeted the regiment az the
start.
CORTLAND street as on the day Of the
departure Of the Massachusetts regiments
was an arDor Of banners. Here. as In all
The lower part Of the city, fresh, but not
less numerous nor less ardent multitude.
made up chiefly Of the business men OF
downtown received the advancing troops
"7thi God speed you" waved from a ban
uer on one Of the stores. and the shouts
that greeted 70 even from the returning
crowd when the regiment had crossed the
ferry showed how emphatically and cor
diallv ~ sympathiZed with the parting
blessing At the ferry the rush was tre-
mendous 20 get parting look at the gal
liant fellows on whom so many hopes cen
tre and "a the CLEAN OF the last musket
disappeared beneath the gateway and the
GOAT pushed Of over the heads Of the de-
r,artfng soldiers there waved q single fut-
far ~ "A white handkerchief a single flash
Of the red and white Of the countrys flag
md all voices were siicnced I'm a mute
farewell
The effect upon the national capital Of
the arrival OF the 7th Regiment IL told in
the following extract from Nicolay &
Hays History OF Abraham Lincoln.
Those who were in the Federal capital
that Thursday. April q viii never. during
their lives forget the event An indescrib-
able gloom had hung over Washington
uearly a week paralyZing its traffic and
crushing out its life. As soon as the ar
rival was known an immense crowd gath
cred al the depot % obtain ocular evidence
tbat relief had at length reached the city
Promptly debarking and forming. the 7th
marched up Pennsylvania avenue 20 the
White House
AZ they passed up the magnificent street
,,i,b their well formed ranks. their exact
military step. their sOldierly bearing their
gayly floating hags and the inspiring
,n,,sic Of their splendid Cgimen'al band
NJ seemed 10 sweep all thought Of dan
ecr and al iaint Of treason out Of the
Ereot national thorOuehfaTe and out Of
e,.o,v human heart In tho federal CITY
Tbe presence Of this single regiment
med 10 turn the scales Of fate. Cheer
mon cheer greeted them. windows we're
thrown up, houses opened the population
came forth upon the streets "a FOR holi-
day n vas an epoch IN American history.
For the first time the combined spirit and
power OF liberty entered the nations cap
| itai.