Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-20

out fear. The strong arm Of the gov
eminent is here to protect its friends
and puni@a its enemies. whenever II
is manifest that you are able to oeIeno
yourselves and maintain the autnor-
ity of the government and protect the
right Of loyal citizens l shall WITHDRAW
the forces under my command
The signature to this proclamation,
"U. s. Grant" did not command the
attention that would have been given
it one year later. but was doubtless
hailed with JOY by the loyal citizens
Of Paducah. who forthwith tore down
the Confederate flags.
On the day previous to Grants oc-
cupation of Paducah Governor Magof-
fin had shown his hand. The legisla-
ture had already met on Sept 2. and
three days later Magoftin sent IN
message demanding that the Union
troops under Nelson at Camp Dick
Robinson" and other bands raised in
the state should be withdrawn. In re-
Spouse the legislature took exactly the
opposite tack. BY decisive ma5crities
it passed resolutions demanding that
the Confederate troops withdraw and
voted down an amendment including
the Union troops in the order; declared
that the soil Of Kentucky had been In
vaded and called on the governor to
summon the military forces OF the
state to drive out the invaders; asked
the national government for aid and
assistance and requested General Rob
ert Anderson, the hero Of Fort Sumter,
who had since been assigned to Ken
lucky. to enter upon 1.-The discharge Of
his duties
This was prtting Kentucky into the
contest with Il vengeance. Governor Ma
coffin promptly vetoed the resolutions.
but the legislature no less promptly
passed them over his veto. Not only
so. but It took other steps to put Ken
lucky On an armed footing as Union
state and to place its war supplies and
soldiers at the disposal of the national
government. At last the fiction of neu-
trality was cast aside. and the Blue
Grass State took her stand with her
sisters Mt the north.
Heretofore the line of battle had
been q broken one, extending through
Virginia and what is now West Vir-
ginia, ending with Kentucky and re-
suming its course again through Mis-
souri,. Now the gap was filed. and the
line became continuous from Missouri
in the west to Virginia in the east.
Buckner Threatens Louisville.
Generals Polk and Zollicoffer were
not the only Confederates to invade
the state. Simon B. Buckner, formerly
of the Kentucky state guard, but now
q Confederate brigadier, rapidly en-
tered the state with the design to cap
ture Louisville. He was swiftly ap-
preaching by railroad when the au-
thorities took alarm and sent out an
engine TO investigate. This was cap
tured by Buckner. but the fireman es
capped, got handcar and ran back to
the city to give the alarm. General
Anderson interposed Union force, and F.!
Buckner stopped at Bowling Green.
Kentucky's action had immediate po-
litical effects. Senator John c. Breck- |
inridge, Humphrey Marshall, John /!
Morgan and others in sympathy with
the south now departed from the state |
and took up arms for the Confederacy. !
On the other hand. the Union men be- !
gan active measures for defense. Gen-
eral Anderson was placed in command. !
but on account of i'll health delegated /
the task to General William T Sher- |
man. who established a camp near that |
of Buckner at Bowling Green.
Both sides had entertained great |
hopes of winning Kentucky, and it is !
probable that the Confederate authori- |
ties counted on the movements of Polk, |
Z4TI Ia1 ~
scale in their favor. Instead they had /
exactly the opposite effect and forced |
Kentucky into the arms of the Union.