of Buena Vista fame, were assembling in large force in the neighborhood.

CHAPTER IV.

Effect of the Fall of Sumter.-Call for Seventy-five Thousand Troops, and Replies of States. Congress Convened.-Destruction of Property at Norfolk.-Effect of the Proclamation at the North.-Baltimore Riot.-March of Troops to Washington.The Position of Maryland.-Proceedings of her Legislature.-Pacification of Balti

more.

THE fall of Sumter produced a startling effect throughout the country. The fact that armed resistance to the power of the Government was actually organized, on a large scale, seemed to burst upon the astonished North like a thunder-clap. Party lines at once disappeared, private interests and the pursuit of business were dropped as with one accord, and the people rallied to the support of that Government, the jeopardy of which they had not previously realized. When the news reached Washington, the President immediately issued a proclamation calling out seventy-five thousand of the militia of the several States of the Union, to "repossess the forts, places, and property which had been seized." The persons resisting the operation of the laws were called upon to disperse within twenty days, and Congress was, by the same document, convened for the 4th of July.

The President thus assumed the power of calling out troops, relying upon the exigencies of the case for justification. The assembling of Congress, however, although the Government was much embarrassed for means, was delayed for ten weeks. The effect of the proclamation at the South was at once to consolidate the Confederacy. The dispatches from the War Department, addressed to the Governors of the several States, designated the quotas assigned to each State. The Executives of the slaveholding States, with the exception of Maryland and Delaware, peremptorily refused to comply with the requisition, and Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee seceded, the first immediately, and the others some weeks later, and joined the Southern Confederacy, turning over their arms to it, and acceding to the new Constitution. In response to the call, Governor Magoffin, of Kentucky, replied, that "Kentucky would furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister Southern States." Governor Letcher, of Virginia, replied, that "the militia of Virginia will not be furnished to the powers at Washington to subjugate the South;" Governor Ellis, of North Carolina, "that he could not respond to the call for troops, as he doubts the legality of the call;" Governor Harris, of Tennessee, that "Tennessee will furnish not a single man for coercion, but fifty thousand, if necessary, for the defence of our rights, or those of our Southern brothers;" Governor Jackson, of Missouri, that "the requisition is illegal, unconstitutional, revolutionary, inhuman, diabolical, and cannot be complied with."

The Government of the Southern Confederacy issued a call for thirty-two thousand men, five thousand from each of the Confederate States except Florida, which was to furnish two thousand; and Jefferson Davis, on the 17th of April, issued a proclamation offering to grant letters of marque and reprisal to aid the Southern Confederacy "in resisting the wanton and wicked aggressions" of the Federal Government. This was immediately responded to by President Lincoln, in a proclamation, dated April 19th, declaring the Southern ports in a state of blockade. Jefferson Davis then convened the Southern Congress for the 1st of May.

The State of Virginia, as we have seen, immediately abandoned her doubtful policy, and cast in her lot with the Confederacy, in accordance with the convention signed April 24th. The United States armory at Harper's Ferry, which had been the scene of John Brown's raid, contained fifteen thousand stand of arms, and was held by Lieutenant Jones, of the United States Army, with a force of forty men. On the 18th of April the place was seized by two or three thousand Virginia militia, after Lieutenant Jones had destroyed by fire what he could, and retreated with his men across Maryland into Pennsylvania, having lost two men, killed. The Gosport Navy Yard, at Norfolk, Virginia, was the largest dépôt of ordnance in the United States, containing many first-class ships, some two thousand cannon, and arms and munitions which had originally cost over ten million dollars, but which at this crisis were of almost incalculable value. The conspirators who had hurried Virginia out of the Union saw the importance of getting possession of this place, and sent thither General Taliaferro to obstruct the channel leading from Norfolk to Hampton Roads, and prevent the ingress or egress of National vessels. The Navy Yard was then in charge of Commander McCauley, an old and irresolute officer, who appears, under the apprehension of a rebel attack, to have so far lost his presence of mind, as to consent to a useless and shameful destruction of the National property. Notwithstanding he had received orders from Washington to send the powerful steam-frigate Merrimac to Philadelphia, he refrained, through fear of exasperating the rebels, from doing so, and on the 20th, ordered all the ships in the Yard, except the sailing corvette Cumberland, to be scuttled. When it is considered that he then had several hundred trusty men at his disposal, the act seems almost like treason. Aware, possibly, of the inefficiency of McCauley, the Government, on the 19th, had dispatched Commodore Hiram Paulding in the steam-frigate Pawnee to assume command at Norfolk. Taking on board a reinforcement of four hundred and fifty Massachusetts volunteers at Fortress Monroe, he proceeded safely through the obstructions to the Navy Yard, which he reached at half-past eight P. M. on the 20th.

Commodore Paulding, however, arrived too late to save the ships or the guns. The former had been scuttled and the latter spiked by his predecessor in command, and it was determined with what, now, appears needless precipitancy, to complete the destruction already commenced and abandon the Yard. Accordingly, the books and papers of the establishment were transferred to the Pawnee.

Every

thing of interest to the Government, which it was possible to preserve, was transferred to the Cumberland. Every thing in the Yard, that might be of immediate use to the Confederates, was destroyed, including many thousand stands of arms. Carbines had their stocks broken by a blow from the barrels, and were thrown overboard. A large lot of revolvers shared the like fate. Shot and shell by thousands went to the bottom.

The work of destruction was unweariedly continued from nine o'clock until about midnight, during which time the moon gave light to direct the operations. But when the moon set, the barracks near the centre of the Yard were fired, in order that by the illumination the work⚫ might be continued. But time was not left to complete the work. Four o'clock of Sunday morning came, and the Pawnee was passing down from Gosport harbor with the Cumberland in tow-every soul from the other ships and the Yard being aboard of them, save two. Just as they left their moorings, a rocket was sent up from the deck of the Pawnee, and as it burst, the well-set trains at the ship-houses and on the decks of the fated vessels left behind, went off as if lit simultaneously by the rocket. One of the ship-houses contained the old New York, thirty years on the stocks, and yet unfinished. The other was vacant; but both houses and the New York burnt like tinder. Within thirty minutes from the time the trains were fired, the conflagration roared like a hurricane, and the crackling, soaring flames seemed, by their motion, to sympathize with the work of destruction beneath. In all this magnificent scene, the old ship of the line, Pennsylvania, enveloped in towering masses of flame, was the central figure. She was a very giant in death, as she had been in life. Several of her guns were left loaded, but not shotted, and as the fire reached them they exploded with a roar which shook the surrounding country.

As soon as the Pawnee and Cumberland were known to be gone, the gathering crowds of Portsmouth and Norfolk rebels burst open the gates of the Navy Yard, and rushed in. As early as six o'clock, a volunteer company took formal possession in the name of Virginia, and ran up her flag. In another hour, several companies were at work unspiking cannon, and by nine o'clock they were moving them to the dock, whence they were transferred to points below, where sandbatteries were to be built.

In April, the Star of the West, which had been fired upon on entering Charleston Harbor, in the unsuccessful attempt to supply Fort Sumter, was sent to Indianola, Texas, to bring off the United States troops that had vacated the forts seized by the Texans. On the 17th, the rebel Colonel Van Dorn, with eighty Texan troops, went on board the steamer General Rusk and steamed down to the Star of the West, as she lay off the bar. As they approached, Van Dorn's vessel was hailed, and he replied, "The General Rusk with troops." The captain of the Star of the West took it for granted that they were the troops he was expecting. But in a few moments his vessel was seized and sent into Galveston.

The effect of the President's proclamation calling for troops in the

loyal North was electric. The citizens every where formed themselves into relief and vigilance committees, the young and ardent rushed to arms, and the older and richer organized meetings, and subscribed with a liberal hand for equipping troops to aid the Government. The authorities of the several cities voted means, and the State Executives convened the legislatures to provide for the exigencies of the nation. Governor Yates, of Illinois, convened the legislature for April 23d, to adopt such laws as were necessary for the more perfect equipment of the militia, and to render efficient assistance to the General Government. Governor Buckingham, of Connecticut, issued a proclamation for troops to rendezvous at Hartford. New Hampshire promptly mustered her troops, and subscriptions of money from citizens and corporations were tendered on all hands. All the States set themselves eagerly to the work, and the troops first ready immediately started for Washington.

The call of the President was for seventy-five thousand of the State militia, which, under the laws of Congress, could not be required to serve more than three months in the year. As Congress was not in session and the Government was almost without means, it was evident that the troops must be equipped and forwarded at the States' expense. Accordingly most of the States immediately voted loans. The quota of New York was thirteen thousand, but a bill passed the legislature in a few hours, authorizing thirty thousand volunteers for two years, and creating a military board to organize them. On the 24th of April an agent was sent to England to buy twenty-five thousand Enfield rifles. A loan was authorized for three million dollars, which was soon taken. The common council of New York voted one million dollars, which was promptly advanced by the banks, and various public associations subscribed funds to equip the troops that were promptly mustering, and to aid their families. In all, twenty-three regiments of three months' troops, comprising a force of more-than fifteen thousand men, were put into the field by the State, in compliance with the President's proclamation. Among these were a number of well-equipped and disciplined organizations from the cities of New York and Brooklyn.

In Massachusetts, Governor Andrew, in anticipation of a collision between the rebels and Federal authorities, had previously equipped two thousand militia, who were mostly ready to move. The call for troops was received April 15th, and two regiments mustered on the 16th. The Third Regiment of State Militia, Colonel Wardrop, departed on the 17th for Fortress Monroe, where it arrived in time for the expedition to Gosport Navy Yard on the 20th. The Fourth and Sixth Regiments were also ordered forward at once, the former to Fortress Monroe, and the Sixth to Washington via New York and Baltimore.

The excitement in the latter city was great. On the 18th the Governor of Maryland issued a proclamation, exhorting the people to keep the peace, and assuring them that no troops would be sent from Maryland unless to defend the National capital. On the same day the Mayor of Baltimore issued a proclamation concurring with the Governer. The rumors of approaching troops from other States began,