upon him. He was even thanked by the Secretary of the Navy and by Congress; but Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward and some others of our more thoughtful statesmen saw at once that his act, however just it might be according to British law, was not right according to American law. In 1812 the United States went to war with Great Britain because that country claimed the right to search the vessels of any neutral or friendly power, and to take from them not only the goods of an enemy but also any subjects of her own found there. Her men-of-war continually stopped American vessels on the high seas, and took from them British seamen to serve in their navy. As their officers were not very careful in performing this duty, many thousand Americans were thus impressed and made to serve in their ships. The United States Government protested in vain against this, and it was one of the chief causes of the war of 1812-1814. Great Britain was thus forced to let American seamen alone, but she did not even then give up the right she had claimed.

The act of Captain Wilkes, therefore, though right in British law, could not be justified by us because we had always claimed that the flag of a friendly power protects everything on board a vessel, unless the vessel be engaged in an illegal act. The Government of the United States therefore determined to give up the prisoners if Great Britain should demand them, and Mr. Adams, our minister at the Court of St. James, was notified of the fact.

The news of the "outrage," as the English newspapers chose to call the seizure of the commissioners, was received with great indignation in Great Britain, and the government, without waiting to hear whether the United States Government would justify the act of Captain Wilkes, made hasty preparations for war. The great iron-clad Warrior was made ready for sea, cannon were bought, and troops ordered to Canada. The Guards went on board the vessels to the music of "I'm off to Charleston," for they thought they were going to aid the Confederates. Much of this was mere bluster on the part of the British Government, for at the time when these preparations were going on it had in its possession a despatch from Washington which showed that the United States Government would treat the matter in a friendly spirit. But the party then in power in England was not friendly to the United States, and

1861.]

THE TWO DOGS.

159

would have been very glad to see the country divided; so Lord Lyons, the British Minister at Washington, was instructed to demand an apology and the immediate release of the prisoners, many hoping probably that the United States would refuse.

The temper of the people was such that if there had then been an Atlantic telegraph it is probable that war would have taken place. Mr. Lincoln illustrated the feeling of the two nations by a story. "My father," he said, "had a neighbor from whom he was separated only by a fence. On each side of the fence were two savage dogs, who kept running backward and forward all day long, barking and snapping at each other. One day they came to a large opening recently made in the fence. Did they take advantage of this to devour each other? Not at all; scarcely had they seen the gap when they both ran back, each on his own side, with their tails between their legs. These two dogs are fair representatives of America and England." And so it turned out: the United States Government agreed at once to release the prisoners, mainly on the ground that the seizure was contrary to American principles, and the two peoples, who appeared to be on the brink of war, experienced a feeling of relief when the matter was settled, and treated each other thereafter with greater respect than before. Mr. Seward, by way of a joke, in closing the affair, sent word to the British consul in Portland, Maine, that the British troops which had started for Canada to prepare for hostilities against the United States would be permitted to land at that port to escape the dangers of the ice in the bay of St. Lawrence.

Messrs. Mason and Slidell and their secretaries were delivered up, January 1, 1862, to the British authorities, much to the disappointment of the Confederates, who had hoped that a war between the United States and Great Britain would lead to their independence. The commissioners arrived at the end of the month in England, but the excitement in regard to them had nearly died away and they attracted little attention.

1

CHAPTER XXL

MIL, KING - FORT HENRY.

W1135 $1, GENERAL SCHOEFF-SHAN SECESSION OF KOMANDI GARFIMA) —BATTLE OF MILL SPRING-DEATH OF ups WHL Lo9O2+2 CONTRAKANI FUK-SCHNAPPS SCHNAPPS' POR PORY AND DONELBOK-CƏKMƏDORE FOOTE-TOB Hropy 4POPRAL TILGEKAN.—A BLAVE BOY.

་ ་ ་

ob will remember that eastern Kentucky had been to odd in the autumn of 1861 by a Confederate force 11 Monial Zollroffer. Zollicoffer had been sent into east country much like West Virginia, and really a not it mountain region, for the same reason that nant into West Virginia-to put down the strong Town Whohexited there. As soon as he heard that It had veempied Columbus, he marched through mito Nontucky to help the Confederates to Color rate The Unionists gathered to resist post called Camp Wildcat in the dor Colonel Garrard. His force was yed by two or three regiments News Hungarian, who had formerly ***y, and later had served under 1ign independence. Zolliwhe morning of October 21, wooh time repulsed, and at wyr after, General Schoepf, ha large force from Buck

1

N

robing against him, reort of Kentucky again

Bowling Green, and

And, all southern Kenmates. They set up Dr. November 20 a inance of secession.

the State, and in

1862.]

SECESSION IN KENTUCKY.

161

December Kentucky was received into the Confederacy. But this was the act of only a few politicians; most of the people of the State were strong Unionists during the war, and few but those in the Confederate army

so as to

oppose the Con

federate lines, with the

inten

tion of driving

the enemy out of Kentucky, and then pushing on into Ten

nessee.

In January, 1862, Major-General Humphrey Marshall, a graduate of West Point and well known as a colonel of cavalry in the Mexican War, was at Paintsville, on the Big Sandy River, in command of a Confederate force of about twenty-five hundred men. Colonel James A. Garfield was sent with two regi

CHAPTER XIII.

MILL SPRING.-FORT HENRY.

ZOLLICOFFER IN KENTUCKY.-CAMP WILDCAT.-GENERAL SCHOEPF.-SHAM SECESSION OF KENTUCKY.-GENERAL BUELL.-COLONEL GARFIELD.—BATTLE OF MILL SPRING.-DEATH OF ZOLLICOFFER. THE YANKEES WILL COTCH US.-CONTRABAND FUN.-SCHNAPPS! SCHNAPPS! -ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON.-FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON.-COMMODORE FOOTE.-TOR PEDOES.-CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY.-GENERAL TILGHMAN.-A BRAVE BOY.

HE reader will remember that eastern Kentucky had been

under General Zollicoffer. Zollicoffer had been sent into east Tennessee, a country much like West Virginia, and really a continuation of its mountain region, for the same reason that Lee had been sent into West Virginia-to put down the strong Union feeling which existed there. As soon as he heard that General Polk had occupied Columbus, he marched through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky to help the Confederates to get possession of that State. The Unionists gathered to resist this invasion, and formed a post called Camp Wildcat in the Cumberland Mountains, under Colonel Garrard. His force was small, but it was soon increased by two or three regiments under General Albin Schoepf, a Hungarian, who had formerly been an officer in the Austrian army, and later had served under General Bem in the war for Hungarian independence. Zollicoffer attacked Camp Wildcat on the morning of October 21, and again in the afternoon, but was each time repulsed, and at night retired into the hills. But soon after, General Schoepf, who had taken command, hearing that a large force from Buckner's camp at Bowling Green was marching against him, retreated toward the Ohio, and left that part of Kentucky again open to Zollicoffer.

With Polk at Columbus, Buckner at Bowling Green, and Zollicoffer in the valley of the Cumberland, all southern Kentucky was now in the power of the Confederates. They set up a separate government at Russellville, and on November 20 a convention which met there passed an ordinance of secession. Bowling Green was made the new capital of the State, and in