The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-05-27
The First Year
Of The War
By JAMES A. EGERTON

BY JAMES A. EGEKION
THE 6rsr year OF the war
W was not conspicuous for
the number or size of its
battles Indeed, the first
Bull Run was the only
general engagement of
first class importance. 1t
was a time OF preparation, Of the mus
tering in and drilling of armies, OF the
planning OF campaigns, OF political
struggle over the border states and of
the selection Of generals.
The preliminary steps leading to the
struggle had taken place in the last
days of 1860 They began immediate
ly after the election. When Congress
met there were various conferences ct
tn Southern Senators and rpresenta-
tives, followed by addresses to their
states and preparations for withdrawal.
South Carolina led the way in actually
seeding from the Union, her ordin-
ance having been adopted on Decem-
Der co. or nearly three weeks prior to
that o. any other state.
WITHOUT COMPASS OR RUD-
DER.
The new year opened i'll gloom and
uncertainty The outgoing admins
tration was vacilating between the
doctrine OF noncoercion on the one
side and the stiffenng Union sentiment
OF the north OH the other and was do
ing nothing effectual Mr.. Lincoln was
silent as to his coming policy. he
ship OF state seemeN to be drifting
without compass or .udder. In this
period Of doubt the condition Of the
public mind may be imagined. The
only people who seemed to know ex
actly what they wanted were the south
ern leaders. There was no lack OF de-
cision here. On January Mississippi
went out. Florida followed on the 10th
and Alabama on the nth January
10 Georgia cast in her lot with her
seeding sisters, and one week later.
on the goth. Louisiana cut loose her
noorings Then calre Texas on Feb
ruary /, completing the seven cotton
States. or cotton republics, as they
were cal ed in The prints OF the day,
that iormed the first provisional gov
eminent OF the southern confederacy.
Events moved swiftly AZ the south.
On February the provisional con
gress met at Montgomery and on the
9th had completed The plans for pro-
visiona, government The next day
Jefferson Davis, who had resigned
I T,,,taJ
Mississippi only few days before, was
elected provisional president and nine
days later on Feb. 49, was inaugurated.
SO matters stood when Abraham Lin
coin became president on March 4,
Things now began TO happen also at
the north There was caution, yes, but
no more indecisicn or hating. The
difference was that the new head OF
the Washington administration knew
as definitely what he wanted as did
the leaders at Montgomery. His ell
tire inaugural address had been devot.
ed to the one theme Of preserving the
Union Perhaps he did not yet realize
the stupendouS nature o. the itruggle
TO reach that end Nobody did. Mr.
Lncoln. inexperienced as he was and
unfamiliar viii recent inside facts at
Washington. yet seemed to have a
keener insight into the situation and
more livey appreciation OF the gray
Sty OF the crisis, however. than did
chose who surrounded him. On the
very first dav of his term he was face
60 face with the question that was TO
prove the actual starting point OF the
war, that OF provisioning and holding
Fort Sumter