Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-07-07

BROADER FIFTY YEARS ACC.
enemy. How much Of this policy was
due to SCOTS own ideas and how
much to the administration cannot be
determined fully, but a part of the eau
ton at least came from President Lin
coin and his advisers. The country
was in a crucial position, and the NOR
al effect of a Union defeat was feared
not only for its influence on the north
and south, but on account of the foreign
situation. All the diplomacy of the
Lincoln administration was then en-
gagged in the effort to prevent the rec
ognition of the Southern C~onfederacy
by any of the great powers. 1t was
felt that a Confederate victory in the
very beginning Of the war would rem
der this task more difficult.
Thus it was hat while Greeley and
most of the north were crying ION to
Richmondr' and were clamoring for an
aggressive policy the administration
was content to defend the capital and
to advance slowly, but surely. Into the
enemy's country.
After the battle of Big Bethel on
June 10 the fighting became general
and continuous. a. clash occurring
somewhere nearly every day. Com
pared to the later battles these early
engagements were little more than
skirmishes, yet they were sufficiently
exciting at the time.
Events In Virginia and Missouri.
In the month Of June Virginia and
Missouri were the backgrounds. The
week ending June II saw rather i'm
portant fights at Romney and Vienna,
Va. and at Boonville, Mo. There were
minor brushes, but Of no particular
moment. Other notable events Of the
week were the assembling OF a conven-
tion at Wheeling and it's issuance of
q declaration Of independence for West
Virginia, the evacuation of Harpers
Ferry by the Confedefates, the fight
Of Governor Jackson and state officers
from Jefferson City, Mo-, and he oc-
cupation of hat town by General
Lyons troops, the commissioning OF
John A. Dix as major general, Of John
Pope, w. s. Rosecrans and s. A. Hurl-
but as brigadier generals and Of u. s.
Grant as colonel, the capture Of the
Confederate %privateer Savannah and
the declaration Of neutrality by Spain.
The fight at Romney, in what is now
the next day after that at Big Bethel.
The north needed some good news to
dispel the gloom of the first defeat,
and Rom4ey had the Joy touch. The
Union commander was Colonel Lew
Wallace, afterward the famous gen.
eral and novelist Wallace had but
n Indiana regiment and was warn
ed at Grafton that the C~onfederates
were in the vicinity of Romney, prob
ably 1900 strong. Nevertheless he
pushed on, made a forced march, ran
into the Confederate sentries near
Romney and followed them so closely
that they scarcely had time to give
the alarm. The foe, which, like the
troubles we anticipate, was not half
20 large as imagined. hurried out Of
the town and sought a more favorable
position on a hill. They expected the
Eederals to follow a winding road to
the attack, but that was not Wallace's
style. Hoosier fashion, he charged
straight up the hill through the brush.
and this 30 surprised the C~onfederates
that they soon ned. Colonel Wallace
reported that they ran sixteen miles,
which is something OF a rSn for q hot
day In June. The historian Losing
u authority for the statement that the
battle Of Rornney had much t do
With the evacuation OF Harpers Ferry
By the Confederates three days later,
q it alarmed General ]. d. Johnston,
who feared the approach Of III Nc
.0ollaA's 1oece0.