The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-10-12

| chanan had refused to order Anderson
Dack to Moultrie. and ugly stories be-
gan to leak out of late transfers of
government arms and munitions to the
southern states. After this there was
appreeiably less talk in the North Of
Cancellation or compromise. Immedi-
ately after Anderson's move the fed
eral arsenal at Charleston was seized
Dy volunteer troops acting under state
authority. together with all the harbor
and island defenses, except Sumter.
without a protest from the officials
VINO filled the offices. the custom house
and the post Office were also taken
| over by the state government, and the
flag of South Carolina was raised over
them December 81.
Before many weeks FIVE other
southern states had seceded. while in
New York the men who were friendly
10 the South were openly triumphant.
| Arsenals. forts and revenue cutters
were taken over almost daily during
the last weeks of December, 1860, and
early In the new year a ship sent to
Dring supplies to Fort Sumter was
nred on. and forced % turn back. The
pontlcal complexion changed rapidly
In the North. 1t was a time when
events moved rapidly and opinions re-
versed overnight.
| All efforts TO stem the overwhelm-
ing tide were in vain. AS the spring
drew on. Major Anderson's situation in
FORT humter grew critical, and civil
war, until recently thing which
might be argued about, doomed close
ana passionate. Ann found the pros
pect of it so exciting that she almost
forgot her approaching debut.
In February convention of the Sc
ceded states was called in Montgom-
cry. Alabama, where provisional
framework of the Confederate States
OF America was adopted. and Jeffer-
son Davis was elected president. His
inaugural address antedated Abraham
Lincoln's by trifie more than a fort.
night.
On the whole, apathetic incredulity
was the sentiment which seemed most
widely diffused in the North, but there
were still optimists who hoped for
peaceful solution.
Mr.. Cortlandt went over to Washing.
ton for the Inauguration, and would
have taken Ann with him had not an
inconvenient and belated attack of
measles kept her at home. He left
some days before the event, as he
wished to consult with various people
in the capital, and he arrived to hear
that Brigadier General Twiggs, COM
mander of the United States troops in
the Department of Texas, had turned
his entire army over to the seeding
state government, together with all
equipment and munitions in his con-
troll.
"This Is the final touch" Mr.. Cort-
landt wrote Ann. "One-half the total
military force of our country is in
what we must call enemy hands.
|. Washington is in a state of
terror"
When he came back to New York.
Ann found him in a much more hone
full state. He thought highly Of the in
augural address, and he had met and
talked with the new president and adj
vised with him in regard to some of
his appointments. HE is a shrewd
man. he told the girl, "shrewd. and
able, and something more. 1t
may be that he will prove the man for
the hour. But what an hourm
Uncle, don't you think that l had
better postpone my party until all this
trouble is over?" She wondered wby
he looked at her for so long a time,
before he answered her.
mo, my dear. .. Youth.
We shall have the party as planned,
no matter what comes after"
Ann beamed radiantly upon him.
"And perhaps by the thirteenth of
April everything will be all right
again" she said hopefully.
Throughout the latter part of March
and the early part of April it looked
as If AIMS optimistic judgment was
justified for nothing of great import
ance happened.
1t was on the day before the recep-
ton that the calm broke in most
startling manner. Major Anderson had
been in communication with Washing
ton, and every one knew that he had
requested supplies to be sent to him
at once but no one really believed
that the troops Of the Confederate
states would actually attack; the stu
alton had been threatening one for
so long that people had grown used to
it. When. however. the news reached