Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-05

GENERAL n. P. BASKs, I. S. A, FEDERt L
COMMANDER IN THE SHENANDOAH VAL
LEY IN THE SPRING OF 1862.
hauls of plumber were being removed
up the valley to his camp at StauntOn.
Although Fremont's army marched F.
promptly from western Virginia into the .
valley in Jacksons rear. the willy Con- |
federate made good his escape TO his |
base at Staunton, actually racing with |
Fremont for its possession.
Jackson's marvellous exploits and the |
retreat OF Banks north of the Potomac |
created an alarm of the first magnitude |
all over the north. A hurry call was
sent out for militia to save Washing
ton from capture and half a million
men offered their services within TWEEN
ty-fOur hours. For the first time the
Federal government confiscated the
property of its loyal supporters to fur
Their the prosecution of the war. I'm
der plea Of an emergency the govern
ment took possession of the railroad
lines throughout the north for military
purposes. Legislative authority for
this extraordinary step had been in
Lincoln's hands for months. but was
not exercised until the following edict
went forth from the war department.
Washington. May IS. 1862
Ordered.-By virtue Of authority vested
by an act of congress the president takes
military possession of all the railroads in
the United States from and after this date
until further orders and directs that the
! respective railroad companies, their off,
GERS and servants shall hold themselves
in readiness for the transportation of
troops and munitions of war may be
ordered by the military authorities to the
exclusion OF all other business.
By Order of the Secretary of War.
The problem Of steam transpOrta-
/ ton began to trouble the armies as Sc
riOusly'as it did the people when mill
| tary activities added to the freight
/ burden. In the south many railway
! lines freely gave the Confederate gov
| eminent the right of way for troops
and army supplies. In the north many
railroad owners were less patriotic,
and TO prepare for an emergency the
/ United States congress. after long de-
batting the situation, had duly empOw-
! cred President Lincoln to take posses
/ graph lines for military uses when. in
his judgment. the public safety might
require it. He was empowered to pre-
scribe rules and regulations for hold
ing. using and maintaining the same in
manner conducive to the safety and
interest of the government and to place
under military control all the officers,
agents and employees of the lines thus
taken possession OF. so that they be
considered a part Of the military force
of the United States subject to the
rules and articles of war. Resistance
to or interference with this sweeping
government regulation system could
be punished as a military offense by
death or such other sentence as a court
martial might impose.
Jackson had created the emergency.
Other Events of the Week.
On May 20 a treaty between the
United States and Great Britain fol-
the suppression Of the slave trade was
ratified in London. The advance guard
Of the Army OF the Potomac reached
the ChickahOminy river opposite Rich
mOnd and about seven miles from that
city.
The United States military telegraph
service. organized by the late General
7. I. Eckert, was IN operation from
Fortress Monroe to within fourteen
miles OF Richmond. where the terminal
office was in a sawmill
May u NJ. MERCER, French minister
to the United States, returned to Wash
ington from a secret visit to the Con
federate capital at Richmond His tri[
had been taken with Il g knowledge OF
, President Lincoln and the secretary Of
state.
On the 22d Professor loves military
. balloon, moving with the advance cav
airy column of the Army Of the Potc
mac. assembled 500 feet. eight mile
, from Richmond. Large Confederate
camps and bodies Of troops were de
serted in front ~ fha city.