Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

The Star Of Monday. April 10. 1861. con-
tanned the news OF the surrender Of Fort
Sumter under the sinister
First Call heading. long to be con-
for Troops. War;. The same issue
contains President Lincoln's proclamation
issued on that day. calling for 1900
troops. appealing to loyal citizens to aid
the governments effort to maintain the
Union. and summoning Congress to meet
in extra session on the Fourth OF July
Ito consider and determine such meas
ures as. in their wisdom. the public safe
ty and interest may seem to demand"
Simultaneously with the President s
printed the text of letter sent by Sec
rotary Cameron to the governors OF the
loyal states. specifying the quota Of
troops to he furnished by each state. as
follows: Maine. one regiment. $50 men:
New Hampshire. one regiment. 80 men:
Vermont, one regiment. $50 men: Massa-
chusetts. two regiments. $50 men: Rhode
Island. one regiment. $50 men: COnnecti-
cut. one regiment. 80 men: New York.
seventeen regiments. 1920 men: Penn
sylvania. sixteen regiments. 1850 men:
New Jersey, four regiments, 1928 men;
Delaware. one regiment, $50 men: Mary
land, four regiments. 3123 men; Virginia.
three regiments. 234O men; North Caro-
lima. two regiments, 1850 men: Tonnes
see, two regiments. 1850 men; Arkansas,
one regiment. $50 men: Kentucky four
regiments. 1928 men; Missouri. four regi-
ments. 3,123 men; Illinois. six regiments,
1853 men: Indiana. six regiments. 1858
men; Ohio, thirteen regiments. 10, 153 men
Michigan, Wisconsin. Iowa and Minnesota.
one regiment each, of $50 men. g. total OF
ninety-four regiments. comprising a force
of 13, 391 men.
\
which the news from Charleston was re-
ceived by the citizens of
Intense Washington, printed In the
r.,: issue of April ID. 1851 is an
ree11AS' interesting reflex of the state
of the public mind al the capital:
1T is safe to say that the people of
this city have never been wrought up
to such a feverish state Of excitement
by any event within the memory of this
generation at least, as was the case after
the news Of the commencement of hos
tilities at Charleston reached here. The
raid upon the newspaper offices for any
thing later from Charleston was terrible.
indeed, and on Saturday afternoon the
pressure upon The Star Office was the
most intense We have experienced. Not
only was the interior of the office damned
and crammed. but the street in front of
the office for some distance was blocked
up In all directions by the anxious crowd.
Those who got papers were unable to
make their exit the way they entered,
and a passageway through the office
and SO out by rear alley was I'M
provised for the occasion. Fast as the
presses worked. they were quite unable
to supply the demand or to thin the
crowd Of news seekers. Later in the
evening after the working off Of our reg
ular city edition, the Intelligence Of the
surrender Of Fort Sumter was received,
but the news was really so unpalatable
that 1t was at first utterly discredited.
This dispatch. when placed upon our bull
letin board, attracted dense crowd in
stanter. and it was almost amusing to
see people starting on the run squares
away in the direction Of the bulletin on
seeing others gathering about 1t.
To-day, and now that the news Of the
surrender has been confirmed, 1t is
noticeable that politics are comparatively
sunk here, the phrases republican, dem
There is but one feeling amongst bona
fide citizens Of Washington, anu that is
that the honor OF the country must be
vindicated."
fifty years ago appears evidence of in
tense military activity in
Local Washington and a large
rru... part of the news space OF
11AAA'A"' each issue is devoted to the
doings Of the different militia companies
of the city. There was a continual
process of wedding out as original MEM
bers of the different companies refused
to take the oath of allegiance to support
the government of the United States. but
nearly as fast as vacancies occurred in
tie ranks they were relied by new
recruits. An interesting phase of this
stage Of the military preparedness is the
continual reference to various makes OF
guns adopted by the several companies.
Secretary Camercns letter to the gov
ernors of the states that had not yet
actually seeded was sent
Tro0ns to all tie border states and
to Virginia, North Carolina,
1SeAuSeu' Arkansas and Tennessee. 1t
was assumed in Washington that these
states were still in the Union, but the
governors of North Carolina and Ken
lucky were prompt to respond by tele-
graph, as noted in The Star of April II.
1851. emphatically declaring their purpose
to furnish no troops to the Union.
In The Star OF April -, 1861. is a tel
egraphic report of the attack in Balti-
more upon the eth Massa-
Baltimore chusetts, in transit through
that city to Washington.
SiVtAAI6' The first dispatch is as fol-
lows:
There has been terrible bloodshed here
today The last portion of the 7th were
attacked and several were killed. The
governor has proclaimed martial law. 1t
is believed that the railroads will con-
tinue to convey all the troops for the
government. The governor has issued an
order to preserve peace at every hazard"