The Federal Advance into Virginia.

Alexandria to find that Commander Rowan, of the gunboat Pawnee, already had given the people warning of the advance -á hint for the enemy's troops to escape, of which they availed themselves. But a little company of cavalry remained as a squad of observation. The Zouayes, with a small detachment from the New York Seventy-first, landed under cover of the Pawnee's guns, and immediately proceeded to take possession of the town, the railway, telegraph and the approaches. At this time Colonel Wilcox, with his Michigan regiment, came down from Long Bridge; simultaneously the two regiments took possession. The New York Twelfth, took position midway between the Bridge and Alexandria. The New York Twenty-fifth pushed out towards Falls Church. The New York Seventh held Long Bridge, whose approaches they proceeded at once to fortify and secure against any possible assault.*

The Assassination of
Colonel Ellsworth.

floor stairs by the proprietor
of the house, one Jackson,
who levelled the double
barrelled shot-gun with which he was armed
directly at Ellsworth and fired almost instant-
ly-the charge lodging in the Colonel's
breast. Ellsworth fell forward, with an ex-
clamation of sharp pain. The assassin drop-
ped the aim of his gun to take off Brownell,
but the Zouave shot and bayoneted the mur-
derer in an instant—the shot-gun discharging
its contents into the wainscoting over head.
Ellsworth was borne to a bed, but was dead.

This tragedy sent a thrill of horror through the country. While it illustrated the spirit of insane malignity which controlled the Secessionists, it demonstrated the folly of leniency towards such an enemy. To the Zouaves -a corps of as fine soldiers as ever walked the field-the loss of their beloved leader was indeed irreparable. They never afterwards were the model regiment which they had become under Ellsworth's peculiar and wonderfully thorough discipline. His loss was a

Outcry of Secession
Journals.

This occupation of Virginia of course excited the revolutionists intensely.Their press teemed, for a few days, with a rhetoric which ran the octave of defamatory and incendiary expletives. The Richmond journals were not least in that wordy bombardment of the "Yankees." The Enquirer

In the occupancy of Alexandria occurred the tragedy of the assassination of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. The landing of his regi-source of national regret, for a more devoted ment having been effected in safety, he proand promising officer the Union army did not contain. ceeded at once into the village. Perceiving on the "Marshall House" the secession flag still flying, which had been run up as a taunt to the President's House-from which it was visible-he pushed direct for the hotel, accompanied by three persons, and a Sergeant's squad from Company A, as a guard. The entire company was afterwards ordered up. The Colonel, his three friends and a private named Francis E. Brownell, proceeded to the roof of the hotel, where Ellsworth lowered away the flag. Returning, Brownell led the way, followed by his Colonel with the flag in They were confronted on the third

his arms.

said:

"We congratulate the people of Virginia that the last flimsy pretext of the Rump Government at Washington, of regard for Constitutional laws, has been thrown aside. The sovereign State of Virginia has been invaded by the Federal hirelings, without authority of Congress, which alone has the war-making power. Heretofore, the pretense that it was

* This fine regiment, having proceeded to Wash ington to guard the Capital until other forces could arrive, was relieved of duty by orders of May 30th. May 26th it was returned to Washington by orders the duty of the Federal Government to reof Brigadier-General Mansfield, whose order read:

66

The security of this city renders it imperative that you should resume your encampment on this side;

and you will this afternoon march over accordingly, and hold your regiment here ready to turn out when called upon." It accordingly returned, giving place to other troops, which passed on over the Bridge daily after the 24th.

possess itself of the forts and arsenals in the Seceded States, has been put forward to justify the aggressive movements of Federal troops. But in the present case there is no such pretense; no forts, or arsenals, or other Federal property have been seized at Alexandria. The bloody and brutal' purposes of

MCDOWELL IN COMMAND.

177

ens, Manassas Junction, do

Beauregard's Infamous Proclamation.

hearts of freemen

the Abolitionists, to subjugate and extermi-
nate the Southern people, stands confessed by
this flagrant outrage upon Virginia soil.
“Virginians, arise in your strength and
welcome the invader with 'bloody hands to
hospitable graves.' The sacred soil of Vir-
ginia, in which repose the ashes of so many
of the illustrious patriots who gave independ-
ence to their country, has been desecrated by
the hostile tread of an armed enemy, who
proclaims his malignant hatred of Virginia
because she will not bow her proud neck to
the humiliating yoke of Yankee rule. Meet
the invader at the threshold. Welcome him
with bayonet and bullet. Swear eternal
hatred of a treacherous foe, whose only hope in my power will be given to you all.
of safety is in your defeat and subjection."

make this my Proclamation,
and invite and enjoin you by
every consideration dear to the
and patriots, by the name and memory of your Re-
volutionary fathers, and by the purity and sanctity
of your domestic firesides, to rally to the standard
of your State and country; and, by every means in
your power, compatible with honorable warfare, to
drive back and expel the invaders from your land.

Beauregard's Infamous Proclamation.

This rhetorical indignation culminated in the Proclamation issued by Beauregard, a few days subsequently, (June 5th,) which, for the baseness of its untruths and the malignity of its spirit was scarcely paralleled, during the war, by the address of the rebel leaders. We may reproduce the document, both as a curiosity and to stamp its author's name with that infamy which is sure to follow all dangerous pandering to the worst passions of deceived men:

HEAD-QUARTERS, DEP'T OF ALEXANDRIA,
Camp Pickens, June 5th, 1861.

A PROCLAMATION.

}

"I conjure you to be true and loyal to your country and her legal and constitutional authorities, and especially to be vigilant of the movements and acts of the enemy, so as to enable you to give the earli est authentic information at these head-quarters, or to the officers under my command.

"I desire to assure you that the utmost protection

"G. T. BEAUREGARD, "Brigadier-General Commanding." As the Federal army had, in its "invasion" studiously avoided any and every act of violence toward those not in arms against their country-as it proclaimed peace and protection to all unarmed citizens, and carefully guarded the property even of those known to be disloyal-the rebel General's declarations of "beauty and booty" were calculated to drive a less magnanimous foe to the commission of violence in retaliation. But, through all the struggle, prosecuted with unfeeling rigor by the Southern leaders, even toward their own people, the Federal army, of invasion, appeared as the friend of its worst ene

To the People of the Counties of Loudon, Fairfax, and mies. It found chaos, suffering, lawlessness

Prince William:

“A reckless and unprincipled tyrant has invaded your soil. Abraham Lincoln, regardless of all moral, legal, and constitutional restraints, has thrown his

Abolition hosts among you, who are murdering and imprisoning your citizens, confiscating and destroying your property, and committing other acts of violence and outrage, too shocking and revolting to humanity to be enumerated.

"All rules of civilized warfare are abandoned, and they proclaim by their acts, if not on their banners, that their war-cry is Beauty and Booty.' All that is dear to man-your honor and that of your wives and daughters-your fortunes and your lives, are involved in this momentous contest.

"In the name, therefore, of the constituted authorities of the Confederate States-in the sacred cause of constitutional liberty and self-government, for which we are contending-in behalf of civilization itself, I, G. T. Beauregard, Brigadier-General of the Confederate States, commanding at Camp Pick

everywhere as it advanced into the rebellious sections, only to restore law, order, business, and to give social peace. A more truly forgiving, lenient and chivalrous foe the world

never saw than the one which confronted the desperate men who sought to erect a Slave aristocracy on the ruins of the Union and Constitution.*

* Those who write in the interest of Secession, of course will deny this averment; but, we are quite willing to rest our statement on a showing of facts. From the date of the President's Proclamation of April 15th, (1861,) down to his Proclamation announcing the terms of the Congressional Act of Confiscation (passed July 10th, 1862), but one spirit was betrayed toward the enemies of the country-a spirit of forbearance and conciliation, to which time will not fail to affix its seal of evidence that a truly humane and Christian policy actuated the Federal Executive in its prosecution of the war.

McDowell in
Commannd.

Brigadier-General Irwin | campaign afterwards worked out. Though McDowell assumed com- changed in some of its details by his successmand of the army of occu- ors, and modified by the force of circumpation May 27th. The military department | stances, the War for the Union was proseof the Potomac was created May 28th, over cuted throughout upon the general plan dewhich he was placed. Its boundaries com- veloped by the Lieutenant-General in the prised the section of Virginia lying east of early stages of the struggle. It comprised the Alleghanies, and north of James River, simply a crowding of the enemy toward a exclusive of the Yorktown Peninsula and common centre. To this end camps were Fortress Monroe, where Major-General Butler formed at Cairo, Chambersburg, Washington then was in supreme command. McDowell and Fortress Monroe, from General Scott's Plan. issued (June 2d) his orders (General Order each of which to advance; No. 4) requiring, from the commanders of while naval expeditions accomplishing the brigades and officers in charge of forti- captures of strong positions on the Atlantic fications, "statements of the amount, kind, and Gulf, would give points of occupation to and value of all private property taken and assail the revolutionists in the rear. The used for Government purposes, and the dam- plan contemplated the early capture of age done in any way to private property by Charleston, Pensacola, Mobile and New reason of the occupation of this section of Orleans. the country by the United States troops." The Proclamation further stated: "The commanders of brigades will make this order known to the inhabitants in their vicinity, to the end that all loss or damage may, as nearly as possible, be ascertained while the troops are now here, and by whom and on whose account it has been occasioned, that justice may be done alike to the citizen and the Government."

This Proclamation was the key-note of Federal policy: "that justice may be done alike to the citizen and the Government," as Beauregard's wretched fulmination, burdened with falsehood and malice, was the key-note of Confederate policy.

The movement into Virginia did not argue an early advance upon Richmond. The army was too entirely unskilled in war; its equipments, artillery and means of transport were all inadequate to the forward movement which must, of necessity, be made to suppress the insurrection." General Scott adapted means to ends. He clearly comGeneral Scott's Plan. prehended the vastness of his work, and labored diligently to acquire all the materiel to promote and insure success. His slow massing of men ere long excited complaint among those who preferred a short campaign and hot work; but, the confidence reposed in his judgment, by the Administration and the people, left him free to act unrestrainedly. He planned the gigantic

To the perfection of the gigantic means necessary to accomplish such results, the General-in-Chief bent all his energies-then impaired physically, but clear, strong and sagacious as ever, mentally. The storm of invective with which the revolutionists met the President's call for troops, and the derision of his order for the malcontents to lay down their arms and return peaceably to their homes within twenty days, were but minor evidences that the struggle to suppress the rebellion must call forth all the resources of the Government. A truly Herculean struggle was impending. The tone of every Southern proclamation was warlike and defiant. The spirit of peace had vanished, and, in its place, arose passions as ferocious as the human heart could well conceive and bring forth. Prodigious efforts were put forth by the revolutionary leaders to throw into the field, at once, an army of great magnitude and recuperative resources. All these convinced the commanding General that haste, or inconsiderate action must peril the Capital if not the country's very existence. He chose, therefore, the policy inaugurated by the movement into Virginia—of an occupation, to await the time when a well-trained army, with plentiful resources should move forward to certain and effective victory.

One other course he could have pursued― that of early advance and rapid strokes at every vulnerable point. This system best

suited the ardent aspirations of the people. | vicinity excepted. This em-
It might have succeeded-it might have
failed. To have failed would have been to
imperil all. Scott's policy forbade failure:
and he moved on slowly to the consummation
of the great work in hand—that of suppress-
ing the rebellion in such a manner as to lay
it forever.

OF NEW MEXICO: embracing that Terri- by Lieutenant Gordon, of the Second dratory. Head-quarters at Santa Fe.

bombardment was renewed on the following morning, by the Freeborn and Pawnee. It continued with great obstinacy for five hours, when the Union gunboats hauled off but slightly injured, having completely destroyed the railway depot and the pier, and badly cut up the enemy's forces in the batteries. The batteries were not, however, silenced but thereafter, for several months, worried the navigation of the Potomac by their pow erful and well-served rifled guns.

were confronted by two detachments of the | such vigor that the boats were compelled Warrenton rifles and a field-piece, under finally to withdraw from the assault. The command of Colonel Ewell and Governor Smith. A skirmish followed, but the cavalry succeeded in cutting its way out, having secured five prisoners. The Federal loss was one killed, three missing, four wounded, and twelve horses lost. Of the three missing, one afterwards made his way into camp. Two were held as prisoners. The rebels were so infuriated at this saucy assault that they threatened to hang the two prisoners. Hearing which, the advance New York Twentyeighth resolved upon a rescue. Company B of that regiment was immediately mounted and pushed out for Fairfax. The Court House was suddenly surrounded, the prisoners secured, and the company returned in triumph to camp. These exploits had in them that vigor which argued well for the spirit of the contest. The history of the war is filled with exploits of this daring nature, some of which betrayed extraordinary hardihood. Unionists and rebels alike were ready for such enterprises; but, the latter being "at home" in the South, and being also very efficiently mounted, generally succeeded in committing the most havoc with the least injury to themselves.

This partial success in repelling the gunboats, inspired the Confederate authorities with renewed zeal in their efforts for commanding the Potomac with batteries, from Gloucester Point on the Chesapeake Bay, up to High Point at the mouth of the Occoquan, just below the Mt. Vernon estate. It was several months, however, before they succeeded in rendering the "blockade" of the river a matter of serious detriment to the Commissariat department of the National army.

The Mt. Vernon

Estate.

Over Mt. Vernon reigned the spirit of peace. Each party resolved not to invade the estate rendered sacred by the remains of the illustrious dead. Rescued from decay chiefly by the money contributed in the Northern States, the dilapidation of the Washington estate had but recently become other than a disgrace to Virginia and to the country; and, though its female warden was a rank secessionist, she was permitted to plant flowers in safety over the tomb of him whose "Farewell Address" must have made the halls of the old mansion gleam with a hand writing on the wall for its disunion inmates.