for a Maryland campaign, the necessity for true position in the premises, I respectfully ask a any person who knows my opinion of George P. Kane and Enoch L. Lowe, will at once admit that I would be very slow to assent to any proposition emanating from or endorsed by them. Their introduction into my chamber at the late hour of the night, to urge my consent to the perpetration of an unlawful act, was not calculated to convince me of the propriety or necessity of that act. Men do not of treason and rebellion. Large Seizures of Large seizures of arms followed the advent of Butler's forces. May 14th, it was ascertained that a vessel lay at the dock loaded ready for Virginia. Being boarded by an officer, she was found to contain a cargo of Minie rifles and about four thousand pikes, from Winans' machine shops. The vessel was removed to the vicinity of Fort McHenry. The same day Butler relieved Marshal Kane of a large quantity of arms found stored in a warehouse, consisting of fifteen dray loads of carbines, flint-lock muskets and pikes, from Winans' shops. All were taken to Fort McHenry. The opposition of fered by this Superintendent of Police, Geo. P. Kane, and his complicity with treason, soon induced his arrest and incarceration in a military jail. Governor Hicks for some days rested under the odium of having ordered, or assented to, the destruction of the railway bridges. He denied this, and gave his opinion of this Kane as follows: Governor Hicks' Defense. "If the Mayor's communication and accompanying certificates have induced any person to doubt my After the occupation of the Relay House and Baltimore, troops from the North passed freely, by railroad, to the Capital, by the Northern Central and Wilmington routes. The Baltimore and Ohio road was not open even for passenger travel, after the 12th of May-the possession of Harper's Ferry giving the Confederates entire control of the track. Up to that date, the trains ran irregularly, and with some restrictions; but, the blowing up of culverts to the west of the Potomac, compelled the entire through traffic of the road to cease. May 16th, Butler was relieved of the command of the Department of Annapolis--having been created Major-General, with orders to repair to Fortress Monroe. Brigadier-General of Pennsylvania volunteers, Cadwallader, was placed in command of the vacated Department, head-quarters at Fort McHenry, in Baltimore. The Federal Governrent's Plan. That the Federal Government proposed a war of offense in its own defense became evident by the middle of May. Butler was placed in command at Fortress Monroe for active operations. Fifteen thousand troops-including all the Massachusetts contingents and several of the New York militia regiments-were placed at his disposal and soon found themselves in quarters at the extremity of the York peninsula. When this movement was ordered, Scott had definitively arranged for the descent over the Potomac, and only awaited the election in Virginia, (May 23d,) to order the first step forward of HOW THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED. 147 the campaign. The heavy concentration of troops at Washington looked less like defense than advance. The seizure, May 20th, of telegraphic dispatches, indicated a determination to ferret out all secret conspirators yet at work in the North-a stroke of policy which quite as greatly terrified the manufacturers and importers of arms, as the hidden enemies of the Government. Up to the last moment, when delivery by Adams' Express was practicable, the operators in fire-arms had freely filled Southern orders, and the Express Company had freely transported the "goods" to their Southern branch lines. When the moment came for cutting off all communication with the Southern States in rebellion, the Express Company preserved its chartered rights by splitting the corporation | into two sections-the Adams' Express South and the Adams' Express North. If Government had examined the secret archives of that carrier company, it would doubtless have obtained enlarged ideas of its industry and usefulness to the South. Before chronicling the movements over the Potomac initiated by the advance of May 24th, it will be necessary to advert to the progress of affairs in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri-the first four to place themselves beside the South, the latter two to vacillate and experiment with "neutrality," but finally to act out their really loyal sentiments by giving a hearty support to the Federal Administration. The narrative is one of melancholy interest, but one offering "food for thought," and rich with a moral which the future may render available. CHAPTER X VIRGINIA.. How the Ordinance was Passed. How the Ordinance was Passed. THE secession of Vir-, tirely in consonance with ginia has been chronicled. the malign spirit which had [See page 92 for the Ordi- controlled the secession renance.] The act was accomplished, in secret volution in other States. No sooner was the session of the Convention, April 17th, by a vote on the Ordinance recorded than legislavote of 60 to 53. That it was passed at all tive steps were taken to convey the State to the was owing to threat, bribery, intimidation, Confederate Government. April 25th, Govand a free use of the parliamentary “gag.” ernor Letcher proclaimed the passage, by the Up to that moment the Union men had stood Convention, of an Ordinance adopting the Profirm, and were then placed in the minority visional Constitution of the Confederate States, only by the system of terrorism resorted to and announcing, also, that the Convention by Governor Wise and his adherents to force had agreed to a 'convention between the the State into the vortex. The unusual con- Commonwealth of Virginia and the Confedcession was granted of submitting the Ordi-erate States !" If the Unionists in the State nance to a vote of the people, (May 23d ;) had believed that the people were to decide but, this concession was merely to secure the the question of secession they were now unvotes of a few wavering men. Events which deceived. Their State was transferred to the quickly followed demonstrated that it was a Southern Confederacy, and the proposed voto deception of an infamous character—one en- on the Ordinance became, from that hour, the merest mockery. We place on record | same occur, turn over to said The Deed of Transfer. “An ordinance for the adoption of the Constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America. 'We, the delegates of the people of Virginia, in Convention assembled, solemnly impressed by the perils which surround the Commonwealth, and appealing to the Searcher of Hearts for the rectitude of our intentions in assuming the grave responsibility of this act, do by this ordinance, adopt and ratify the Constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, ordained and established at Montgomery, Alabama, on the eighth established at Montgomery, Alabama, on the eighth day of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-one ; provided that this ordinance shall cease to have any legal operation or effect if the people of this Commonwealth, upon the vote directed to be taken on the ordinance of secession passed by this Convention, on the seventeenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, shall reject the same. "A true copy. "JNO. L. EUBANK, Secretary." “Convention between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Confederate States of America. The Commonwealth of Virginia, looking to a speedy union of said Commonwealth and the other Slave States with the Confederate States of America, according to the provisions of the Constitution for the Provisional Government of said States, enters into the following temporary convention and agreement with said States, for the purpose of meeting pressing exigencies affecting the common rights, interests, and safety of said Commonwealth and said Confederacy. The Deed of Transfer. &c., lic property, naval stores, and munitions of war, ner as the other States of said Confederacy have "3d. Whatever expenditures of money, if any, said Commonwealth of Virginia shall make before the Union under the Provisional Government, as above contemplated, shall be consummated, shall be met and provided for by said Confederate States. "This convention was entered into and agreed to in the city of Richmond, Virginia, on the twenty-fourth day of April, 1861, by Alexander H. Stephens, the duly authorized Commissioner to act in the matter for the said Confederate States, and John Tyler, William Ballard Preston, Samuel McD. Moore, James P. Holcombe, James C. Bruce, and Lewis E. Harvie, ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS, [Seal.] "JOHN JANNEY, President. "1st. Until the union of said Commonwealth with "JOHN L. EUBANK, Secretary." said Confederacy shall be perfected, and said Commonwealth shall become a member of said Confed- Troops actually were ordered to Richmond eracy, according to the Constitution of both powers, from Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina the whole military force and military operations, before the date of "ratification" of this conoffensive and defensive, of said Commonwealth, in tract of sale, and, by April 25th, several regithe impending conflict with the United States, shall ments were en route for the Northern renbe under the chief control and direction of the Pres-dezvous at Richmond. ident of said Confederate States, upon the same The reign of terror was principles, basis, and footing as if said Commonnow fairly inaugurated. wealth were now, and during the interval, a member Union men were silenced; Northern men doing business, or having settled, in Virginia, were compelled to flee, leaving everything in the way of property to the mercy of the mob. One who fled from the scene of violence May 1st, wrote: "Northern and ultra Union men began to leave the State in large numbers, of said Confederacy. “2d. The Commonwealth of Virginia will, after the consummation of the union contemplated in this Convention, and her adoption of the Constitution for a Permanent Government of said Confederate States, and she shall become a member of said Confederacy under said Permanent Constitution, if the The Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror. UNION UPRISING IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. 149 Governor Letcher's misrepresentations have been carried to such an extent that foreigners and naturalized citizens who, but a few years ago, were denounced by the North and deprived of essential rights, have now been induced to enlist into regiments for the purpose of invading this State, which then vindicated those rights and effectually resisted encroachments which and by every possible means | ginia having been denied, her of conveyance. Many who Territorial rights assailed, her could not get away became, outwardly, soil threatened with invasion by the authorities at Washington, and every artifice emSecessionists, and were thus protected. ployed which could inflame the people of the NorthTo prevent the escape of improper or susern States and misrepresent our purposes and wishes, pected persons, the Mayor of Richmond isit becomes the solemn duty of every citizen of this sued a proclamation forbidding the organi-State to prepare for the impending conflict. Those zation of Vigilance Committees, or Committees of Safety, and ordering the people to give him information of any person ‘suspected' of being disloyal to Virginia, and he would order their arrest and trial. A number of arrests were immediately made, and the jailer's business became quite lively. The operation of this law, or proclamation, was similar to that under which New England witches were arrested and put to death. To be 'suspected' was sufficient cause of arrest. No person was allowed to leave Richmond without a pass. At first the Governor gave them-then the Mayor, or a deputized police officer: and they gave passes to whom they pleased. A number of men escaped who were obliged to leave everything behind them; with them it was a question of life or death, and as life was dearer than property, they saved the first by abandoning the latter. Men were not alone the objects of this persecution; the Richmond Dispatch impudently ordered the Northern female teachers to 'shut their mouths,' and that 'a word to the wise was sufficient.'” threatened their destruction. Against such a policy and against a force which the Government at Washington, relying upon its numerical strength, is now rapidly concentrating, it becomes the State of Virginia to prepare proper safeguards. To this end and for these purposes, and with a determination to repel invasion, I, John Letcher, Governor of the, Commonwealth of Virginia, by authority of the Convention, do hereby authorize the commanding General of the military forces of this State, to call out, and to cause to be mustered into the service of Virginia, from time to time, as the public exigency may require, such additional number of volunteers as he may deem necessary. "To facilitate this call, the annexed schedule will indicate the places of rendezvous at which the com. panies called for will assemble upon receiving orders for service." Union Uprising in Western Virginia. The reception of the news of the issue, by What wonder that, when the day of voting the President, on the same day, of his proclaon the Ordinance came, only thirty-two thou- mation calling for three years' troops, doubtsand votes were polled against it? What less confirmed the Governor's "worst apprewonder that the people residing west of the hensions," and gave the madmen some idea Blue Ridge mountains, should repudiate the of the nature of the lion they had aroused. whole atrocious proceedings, and should These high-handed proproceed to reorganize the State Government | ceedings, in forcing the on its old basis of loyalty to the Federal Gov- State into an attitude of ernment? offense, found bitter opponents and public The reign of tyranny hastened the develop- expressions of indignation in those sections ment of events. If treason had lurked in If treason had lurked in of the Commonwealth where the mob did not shadow, waiting for the moment to strike, rule, and where the Confederate troops had its moment was now come and every re- not yet found their way. As early as May straint was removed the revolutionists had 4th, a large Union meeting was called at entire sway. May 3d, Governor Letcher, Kingwood, Preston county, at which the voice snuffing the battle afar off, found ample exwas unanimous for a division of the State, in cuse in the gathering hosts at Washington | order that the Western section might continue for issuing the following manifesto, calling to be represented in the Federal Congress. out the militia, of whom many thousands The meeting expressed its unalterable hostiliwere already under arms: ty to secession, and took steps looking to a "The sovereignty of the Commonwealth of Vir- Convention of the Western counties. The |