THE PRISONERS GIVEN UP.

209

to the British flag, as it was regarded, threw the Kingdom into a tumult of passion. One voice rang from limit to limit -the prisoners must be immediately surrendered, or war declared. The press helped to inflame the public feeling, and it was evident that the government itself would be borne away by the torrent. Troops were ordered to Canada, and war preparations set on foot.

The south was elated. It had begun to despair of forcing England to interfere for the sake of obtaining cotton, but now an unexpected event had precipitated a quarrel between her and the general government.

In the mean time, Mason and Slidell lay in fort Warren, near Boston, waiting the action of the two governments. In process of time, the demand for their release came, and the answer of the Cabinet at Washington was waited on both sides of the water with the deepest solicitude. The reply of Secretary Seward was long and able, and ended with the surrender of the prisoners, on the single ground that Captain Wilkes did not take the vessel into a neutral port to have the case adjudicated. This was a satisfactory reason for the surrender of the prisoners; for the duty of a vessel of a nation engaged in war towards neutral ships suspected of carrying contraband articles is the same as that of a sheriff on land: to arrest and bring to trial, not to seize and adjudicate both. If the act of Captain Wilkes was justifiable, then the commander of every gun boat or war schooner can seize any ship, and converting his deck into a court, adjudicate on his own seizure. That so monstrous a doctrine could be upheld, only shows how feeling will warp the best judgments. It was, in fact, defending a species of legalized piracy.

The case, however, was weak in another point: the vessel was not bound to a belligerent, but to its own, port; and if Mason and Slidell could be legally seized in going from the

210

"MASTERLY INACTIVITY."

West Indies to England, it is hard to see why they could not have been while passing from Southampton to Havre.

It was supposed that the administration would be overwhelmed by the popular clamor, and not dare to do right, even if it wished to. But the country, much to the surprise of the English nation, quietly submitted to the decision of the government.

Much solicitude was felt respecting the course Congress would take when it met in December. The history of our Congress in time of war, from the Revolution down, does not reflect much credit on the nation. Too often, individuals and party have received the first, and the country a secondary consideration. Some of the western members, who arrived in Washington the latter part of the month, were loud in their denunciations of the "masterly inactivity," as it was termed, of McClellan; and it was evident that a party would be formed against him. Various reasons were assigned for his immobility: some asserted that whenever he was ready to make a move, his plans were rendered abortive by being divulged to the enemy, and suspicion began to rest on persons in high position. Others declared that the Secretary of War blocked his path; others still that he was not yet ready to move, and till he was, no outward pressure could make him. It was evident, however, that he had the President's confidence, and that the latter had decided to stand firmly by him, in spite of friends or foes.

At this time the public irritation towards England was still farther increased by the news that the Nashville, which started with Mason and Slidell, had arrived in English waters with the crew of the Harvey Birch, an American merchantman, on board, she having burned the vessel at sea, and was receiving the same protection afforded to vessels of any other nation. The Tuscarora, which had been sent in pursuit of her, had also arrived, and after waiting a

BOMBARDMENT OF FORT PICKENS.

211

while to seize the pirate when she put to sea, was informed by the British government that she could not leave in pursuit till the rebel steamer had twenty-four hours start, thus securing the safety of the latter. This privilege was accorded to all belligerent vessels when forced by stress of weather or want of supplies into a neutral port, and it must be granted to the southern rover. This Shylock view of legal right, without any regard to moral obligation, exasperated the American people, and made many wish for peace at home that they might have a war with England, and teach her that the country would brook no such insults, though committed under technical forms.

With the foreign war cloud still resting on the horizon, the last month of autumn drew to a close. McClellan, fearing the effect of an idle camp life on his army, grew more strict respecting grog shops and intemperance, and issued an order requiring the observance of the Sabbath, and a regular attendance of the troops on the services of the chaplains.

South, no especial advantage had been gained. Men ceased to talk of an advance from Port Royal, inland, and the country seemed occupied with the question, what should be done with the vast crowd of slaves claiming our protection there. For a while they were employed in gathering the cotton; but some permanent system was needed, and yet no one seemed able to devise a satisfactory one. Meanwhile the little cotton that had been seized was forwarded to New York; but where one bale passed along the coast in transports, fifty lighted the midnight heavens with flames kindled by the owners to prevent them from falling into the hands of the hated "Yankees.'

On the twenty-second of the month, the long-looked-for attack of fort Pickens on the rebel batteries opposite, took place. These extended from the navy yard to fort McRae, a distance of four miles, and were mounted with heavy ord

212.

THE ROYAL YACHT.

nance. The steamers Niagara and Richmond took part in the engagement, and all day long till dark, thunder answered thunder, shaking the solid land with the terrific explosions. The next morning it was resumed, but the ships took very little part in the action, as a change of wind had made the water too shoal to allow them to approach within effective range. Fort McRae was silenced and the navy yard at Warrenton and other buildings set on fire, making a frightful conflagration.

The enemy's winter quarters were evidently badly broken up and his works deranged, but no serious loss was inflicted on him. On the other hand, the Richmond had received an ugly shot between wind and water, which killed one and wounded seven, and fort Pickens showed the marks of heavy pounding, but no breach was made in its walls. One killed and six wounded was the only loss sustained by the garrison from the enemy's fire.

For nine months both parties had been occupied in making their defenses so complete that but slight results could be expected, from a mutual cannonade, though it was of the most terrific kind.

Previous to this, on the seventh, a gallant exploit had been performed by Lieutenant Jouett of the frigate Santee, off Galveston harbor, in burning the rebel schooner Royal Yacht. Taking with him two launches, he set out just before midnight, and pulling for seven miles through an intricate channel and against a head sea, wind, and tide, boarded her and set her on fire. Two officers were killed and six men wounded in this daring expedition, the chief object of which was the destruction of the man-of-war steamer General Rusk, lying under the Pelican fort, if they could approach her without being discovered. Failing to do this, they were compelled to abandon the desperate undertaking, and content themselves with the destruction of the schooner.

CHAPTER XV.

DECEMBER, 1861.

OPENING OF CONGRESS-ASPECT OF AFFAIRS-PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE THE QUESTION OF FINANCE-TAX BILL-ARMY AND NAVAL FORCE OF THE COUNTRY-DRAFTING IN THE SOUTH-THE IROQUOIS AND SUMTER-POPE AND HALLECK AT THE WEST-THE INDIANS TAKE PART IN THE REBELLION -A BATTLE BETWEEN THEM-AFFAIRS IN MISSOURI-BATTLE OF MILFORD

GENERAL PRENTISS-FIGHT AT MOUNT ZION-FIGht at Rowlett's STATION,

KENTUCKY-WESTERN VIRGINIA-BATTLE OF CAMP ALLEGHANY.

IN

N the beginning of December, public attention was diverted for a moment from operations in the field to the opening of Congress. It met under peculiar circumstances; for the army it had in the summer authorized the President to raise, had effected comparatively nothing-the young commander of whom so much had been expected, still remained on the Potomac-the Capital was blockaded and beleaguered the vast sums it had voted for the war had proved to be but a drop in the bucket, and even much of that had been recklessly squandered-the President had assumed vast and unprecedented powers, and must either be sustained or condemned-our foreign relations were in a precarious state-the country dissatisfied and agitated, and the Cabinet itself believed to be discordant. To add to this gloomy state of affairs, there was not a leading mind in either branch of Congress to whom the country could look with confidence.

For the first time in the history of the Republic, the west was the controlling power, and would its action be prudent and conservative or rash and radical, was a question that each one felt to be of vital importance. The President's