Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07
YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

In luE OlAN
A rumor was in currency at this time
fifty years ago that Jefferson Davis,
having virtually ex-
Slave Troops hausted the recruiting
Suggested. proposed to arm the
slaves as a means of bringing the
ranks of the Confederacy up to a point
of numerical efficiency. In The Star OF
August 81. 1863. this is discussed as
follows:
well informed persons here place no
confidence whatever in the current
story that the oligarchy design resort
ing to q large levy of slaves to serve
as soldiers against the Union cause.
Doubtless they have squads Of negroes
in arms here and there. but the idea
Of trusting an organized. army of them
anywhere with weapons in their hands
is preposterous; as they know full well
that they would surely be turned
against them and their cause on the
first passing opportunity. Such an act
on their part would also be the most
speedy and effectuaL mode of abolish
ing slavery throughout the whole
south. while it would be, received by
the owners Of the slaves thus con-
scripted as deliberate robbery of them,
by their own government, of the very
property for the better security OF
which to them the war was nominal
ly made Thus. there could be no truth
lin the story, which, IL true, would end
the rebellion in double-quick time, by
the act Of the leading rebel conspira-
tors; feat they have no desire what
ever to perform"
AS the days went by and Lee made
no decisive move from his position near
Fredericksburg curl o sity
Gen. Lees arose in the north as to his
49, intentions. and every shift
11vsSe' ing of his troops was re-
garded as the indication of a new cam
paign by him. A characteristic report
from the front is printed in The Star
of September l, 1853. as follows.
"A report has reached this city that
large body of the rebel army, said to
number $1,000 men Of all arms, yester-
,day crossed the Rappahannock at Port
Conway. it is supposed for the purpose
of thanking Gen. Meade. This report
needs confirmation up to the time we go
to press. but may be true, as the rebels
have lately shown signs of restlessness,
indicating that the time has come, in
the opinion Of the rebel leaders. to do
or die before the rebellion plays out
entirely. Lee In crossing SO low down
as Port Conway, II he has done so, must
have counted upon the extremely low
stage of water in the Rappahannock to
save him from a flank attack by our
gunboats; but his position may yet prove
a precarious one. II he does elect to
try an advance movement our army will
gladly welcome him.
The next day The Star stated that
contrabands brought further report of
| a crossing Of the -Rappahannock at Port
Conway by Confederate estimated at
from 10000 to $1,000. which The Star
styled pretty large margin" It also
quoted from the Richmond Inquirer of
a late date confessing to lack of its
usual Information from the front owing
to the failure of train to arrive which
| was due to the appropriation of cars by
the military authorities for the convey
ance of troops ito certain points threat
ened by the enemy, which we are not
at liberty to mention"
The fall of vicksburg and the defeat
of Lee at Gettysburg unquestionably
created a belief In the
Wall Street north that the end of the
| rebellion was at hand,
T1uIy. and when the expected
collapse failed to materalize there was
a sharp reaction of public confidence,
and in consequence about the LIST of
September a seni-panic occurred in
Wall street. In The Star of September
3. 1868, the matter was discussed as fol-
lows:
1.-THE delay in the reduction of
Charleston Is doubtless at the bottom
of the recent rise in the price OF gold
| in Wall street While this was to have
been accepted to a certain extent. it
| by no means justifies the course of the
copperhead press, who are seeking to
shake public confidence in the ultimate
| success of the campaign of Gen. Gill
more. When journals of the stripe of
the New York Herald are doing their
best to create the impression that Gen.
| Gilmore's work in hand was but few
| hours job, The Star urged that hopes
built upon such silly prognostications
must necessarily prove fallacious, the
difficulties in his way were as great as
| those which beset the path of Gen. Grant
| 10 his Vicksburg campaign. and We're
| likely to consume perhaps as much time
ere the expected contamination might be
achieved. Events, in demonstrating the
| soundness of this conclusion. have In no
manner weakened the certainty that COM
plete victory will sooner or later perch
upon the banners OF Gen. Gilmore and
| Admiral Dahlgren. nor has aught yet oc-
Cured to create a doubt as to the entire
efficiency Of all the measures of the War
and Navy departments to that end.
There was no reason whatever to an
| ticipate the fall Of Charleston before the
advent of the season in which our army
can venture off Morris Island to points
nearer the city without risking as great
| loss from the climate as from the gums
| Of the traitors in arms. Our present op-
erations there are evidently but prelim-
| mary to those which are promptly to fol-
| low the advent of that season. They are
necessarily slow. because the point of
sacrificing as few of our troops as pos
sible is being wisely kept in view. The
history of war affords no other instance
has already been achieved by Gen. Gill
more and Admiral Dahlgren with SO small
a loss of life. We trust that policy. will
be adhered to by them. Until after the
first sharp frost of the season they could
not venture to hold Charleston for a
week. Though Gen. Gilmore can probably
reduce it to heap of ashes at any time
In twenty-four hours. it seems clear that
the time for SO doing with all the adj
vantage to the Union cause anticipated
by its reduction has not arrived by prob
ably a month or 500
X x
The news columns Of The Star Of the
period just fifty years ago contained
many interesting dis
Charleston patches from the
Charleston campaign.
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