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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7a6a790 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68126 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68126) diff --git a/old/68126-0.txt b/old/68126-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0d13fd8..0000000 --- a/old/68126-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13069 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of My Diary: North and South (vol. 2 of -2), by William Howard Russell - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: My Diary: North and South (vol. 2 of 2) - -Author: William Howard Russell - -Release Date: May 19, 2022 [eBook #68126] - -Language: English - -Produced by: MWS, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet - Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY DIARY: NORTH AND SOUTH -(VOL. 2 OF 2) *** - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been - placed at the end of the book. - - Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book. - - - - -MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH. - - - - - MY DIARY - - NORTH AND SOUTH. - - - BY - WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL. - - - IN TWO VOLUMES. - - VOL. II. - - - LONDON: - BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET. - 1863. - - [_The right of Translation is reserved._] - - - - - LONDON: - BRADBURY AND EVANS PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - Down the Mississippi--Hotel at Vicksburg--Dinner--Public - meeting--News of the progress of the war--Slavery and - England--Jackson--Governor Pettus--Insecurity of life--Strong - Southern enthusiasm--Troops bound for the North--Approach to - Memphis--Slaves for sale--Memphis--General Pillow 1 - - CHAPTER II. - - Camp Randolph--Cannon practice--Volunteers--“Dixie”--Forced - return from the South--Apathy of the North--General retrospect of - politics--Energy and earnestness of the South--Firearms--Position - of Great Britain towards the belligerents--Feeling towards the - Old Country 22 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Heavy Bill--Railway travelling--Introductions--Assassinations - --Tennessee--“Corinth”--“Troy”--“Humbolt”--“The Confederate - camp”--Return Northwards--Columbus--Cairo--The slavery question - --Prospects of the war--Coarse journalism 41 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Camp at Cairo--The North and the South in respect to Europe-- - Political reflections--Mr. Colonel Oglesby--My speech--Northern - and Southern soldiers compared--American country-walks-- - Recklessness of life--Want of cavalry--Emeute in the camp-- - Defects of army medical department--Horrors of war--Bad - discipline 63 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Impending battle--By railway to Chicago--Northern enlightenment - --Mound City--“Cotton is King”--Land in the States--Dead level of - American society--Return into the Union--American homes--Across - the prairie--White labourers--New pillager--Lake Michigan 77 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - Progress of events--Policy of Great Britain as regarded by - the North--The American Press and its comments--Privacy a - luxury--Chicago--Senator Douglas and his widow--American - ingratitude--Apathy in volunteering--Colonel Turchin’s camp 88 - - CHAPTER VII. - - Niagara--Impression of the Falls--Battle scenes in the - neighbourhood--A village of Indians--General Scott--Hostile - movements on both sides--The Hudson--Military school at West - Point--Return to New York--Altered appearance of the city-- - Misery and suffering--Altered state of public opinion as to - the Union and towards Great Britain 96 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Departure for Washington--A “servant”--The American Press on - the War--Military aspect of the States--Philadelphia--Baltimore - --Washington--Lord Lyons--Mr. Sumner--Irritation against Great - Britain--“Independence” day--Meeting of Congress--General - state of affairs 114 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Interview with Mr. Seward--My passport--Mr. Seward’s views - as to the war--Illumination at Washington--My “servant” - absents himself--New York journalism--The Capitol--Interior of - Congress--The President’s Message--Speeches in Congress--Lord - Lyons--General M‘Dowell--Low standard in the army--Accident to - the “Stars and Stripes”--A street row--Mr. Bigelow--Mr. N.P. - Willis 124 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Arlington Heights and the Potomac--Washington--The Federal - camp--General M‘Dowell--Flying rumours--Newspaper correspondents - --General Fremont--Silencing the Press and Telegraph--A Loan - Bill--Interview with Mr. Cameron--Newspaper criticism on Lord - Lyons--Rumours about M‘Clellan--The Northern army as reported - and as it is--General M‘Clellan 142 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Fortress Monroe--General Butler--Hospital accommodation--Wounded - soldiers--Aristocratic pedigrees--A great gun--Newport - News--Fraudulent contractors--General Butler--Artillery - practice--Contraband negroes--Confederate lines--Tombs of - American loyalists--Troops and contractors--Duryea’s New York - Zouaves--Military calculations--A voyage by steamer to - Annapolis 160 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - The “State House” at Annapolis--Washington--General Scott’s - quarters--Want of a staff--Rival camps--Demand for horses--Popular - excitement--Lord Lyons--General M‘Dowell’s movements--Retreat - from Fairfax Court House--General Scott’s quarters--General - Mansfield--Battle of Bull’s Run 186 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Skirmish at Bull’s Run--The crisis in Congress--Dearth of - horses--War prices at Washington--Estimate of the effects of - Bull’s Run--Password and countersign--Transatlantic view of - “The Times”--Difficulties of a newspaper correspondent in - the field 202 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - To the scene of action--The Confederate camp--Centreville-- - Action at Bull Run--Defeat of the Federals--Disorderly retreat - to Centreville--My ride back to Washington 214 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - A runaway crowd at Washington--The army of the Potomac in - retreat--Mail-day--Want of order and authority--Newspaper - lies--Alarm at Washington--Confederate prisoners--General - M‘Clellan--M. Mercier--Effects of the defeat on Mr. Seward and - the President--M‘Dowell--General Patterson 250 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Attack of illness--General M‘Clellan--Reception at the White - House--Drunkenness among the Volunteers--Visit from Mr. - Olmsted--Georgetown--Intense heat--M‘Clellan and the Newspapers - --Reception at Mr. Seward’s--Alexandria--A storm--Sudden death - of an English officer--The Maryland Club--A Prayer and Fast - Day--Financial difficulties 267 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Return to Baltimore--Colonel Carroll--A priest’s view of the - abolition of Slavery--Slavery in Maryland--Harper’s Ferry--John - Brown--Back by train to Washington--Further accounts of Bull - Run--American vanity--My own unpopularity for speaking the - truth--Killing a “Nigger” no murder--Navy Department 284 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - A tour of inspection round the camp--A troublesome - horse--M‘Dowell and the President--My opinion of Bull Run - indorsed by American officers--Influence of the Press--Newspaper - correspondents--Dr. Bray--My letters--Captain Meagher--Military - adventures--Probable duration of the war--Lord A. Vane - Tempest--The American journalist--Threats of assassination 304 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Personal unpopularity--American naval officers--A gun levelled - at me in fun--Increase of odium against me--Success of the - Hatteras expedition--General Scott and M‘Clellan--M‘Clellan on - his camp-bed--General Scott’s pass refused--Prospect of an - attack on Washington--Skirmishing--Anonymous letters--General - Halleck--General M‘Clellan and the Sabbath--Rumoured death of - Jefferson Davis--Spread of my unpopularity--An offer for my - horse--Dinner at the Legation--Discussion on Slavery 320 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - A Crimean acquaintance--Personal abuse of myself--Close - firing--A reconnaissance--Major-General Bell--The Prince de - Joinville and his nephews--American estimate of Louis Napoleon - --Arrest of members of the Maryland Legislature--Life at - Washington--War cries--News from the Far West--Journey to the - Western States--Along the Susquehannah and Juniata--Chicago-- - Sport in the prairie--Arrested for shooting on Sunday--The - town of Dwight--Return to Washington--Mr. Seward and myself 341 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Another Crimean acquaintance--Summary dismissal of a newspaper - correspondent--Dinner at Lord Lyons’--Review of artillery-- - “Habeas Corpus”--The President’s duties--M‘Clellan’s policy--The - Union army--Soldiers and the patrol--Public men in America--Mr. - Seward and Lord Lyons--A judge placed under arrest--Death and - funeral of Senator Baker--Disorderly troops and officers-- - Official fibs--Duck-shooting at Baltimore 366 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - General Scott’s resignation--Mrs. A. Lincoln--Unofficial mission - to Europe--Uneasy feeling with regard to France--Ball given - by the United States cavalry--The United States army--Success - at Beaufort--Arrests--Dinner at Mr. Seward’s--News of Captain - Wilkes and the Trent--Messrs. Mason and Slidell--Discussion - as to Wilkes--Prince de Joinville--The American press on the - Trent affair--Absence of thieves in Washington--“Thanksgiving - Day”--Success thus far in favour of the North 392 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - A Captain under arrest--Opening of Congress--Colonel Dutassy--An - ex-pugilist turned Senator--Mr. Cameron--Ball in the officers’ - huts--Presentation of standards at Arlington--Dinner at - Lord Lyons’--Paper currency--A polyglot dinner--Visit to - Washington’s Tomb--Mr. Chase’s Report--Colonel Seaton--Unanimity - of the South--The Potomac blockade--A Dutch-American Crimean - acquaintance--The American Lawyers on the Trent affair--Mr. - Sumner--M‘Clellan’s Army--Impressions produced in America by - the English Press on the affair of the Trent--Mr. Sumner on the - crisis--Mutual feelings between the two nations--Rumours of war - with Great Britain 410 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - News of the death of the Prince Consort--Mr. Sumner and - the Trent Affair--His dispatch to Lord Russell--The Southern - Commissioners given up--Effects on the friends of the South--My - own unpopularity at New York--Attack of fever--My tour in - Canada--My return to New York in February--Successes of the - Western States--Mr. Stanton succeeds Mr. Cameron as Secretary - of War--Reverse and retreat of M‘Clellan--My free pass--The - Merrimac and Monitor--My arrangement to accompany M‘Clellan’s - head-quarters--Mr. Stanton refuses his sanction--National vanity - wounded by my truthfulness--My retirement and my return to - Europe 426 - - - - -MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - Down the Mississippi--Hotel at Vicksburg--Dinner--Public - meeting--News of the progress of the war--Slavery and - England--Jackson--Governor Pettus--Insecurity of life--Strong - Southern enthusiasm--Troops bound for the North--Approach to - Memphis--Slaves for sale--Memphis--General Pillow. - - -_Friday, June 14th._--Last night with my good host from his -plantation to the great two-storied steamer General Quitman, at -Natchez. She was crowded with planters, soldiers and their families, -and as the lights shone out of her windows, looked like a walled -castle blazing from double lines of embrasures. - -The Mississippi is assuredly the most uninteresting river in the -world, and I can only describe it hereabout by referring to the -account of its appearance which I have already given--not a particle -of romance in spite of oratorical patriots and prophets, can ever -shine from its depths, sacred to cat and buffalo fish, or vivify its -turbid waters. - -Before noon we were in sight of Vicksburg, which is situated on a -high bank or bluff on the left bank of the river, about 400 miles -above New Orleans and some 120 miles from Natchez. - -Mr. MacMeekan, the proprietor of the “Washington,” declares himself -to have been the pioneer of hotels in the far west; but he has now -built himself this huge caravanserai, and rests from his wanderings. -We entered the dining saloon, and found the tables closely packed -with a numerous company of every condition in life, from generals -and planters down to soldiers in the uniform of privates. At the -end of the room there was a long table on which the joints and -dishes were brought hot from the kitchen to be carved by the negro -waiters, male and female, and as each was brought in the proprietor, -standing in the centre of the room, shouted out with a loud voice, -“Now, then, here is a splendid goose! ladies and gentlemen, don’t -neglect the goose and apple-sauce! Here’s a piece of beef that _I_ -can recommend! upon my honour you will never regret taking a slice of -the beef. Oyster-pie! oyster-pie! never was better oyster-pie seen in -Vicksburg. Run about, boys, and take orders. Ladies and gentlemen, -just look at that turkey! who’s for turkey?”--and so on, wiping the -perspiration from his forehead and combating with the flies. - -Altogether it was a semi-barbarous scene, but the host was active and -attentive; and after all, his recommendations were very much like -those which it was the habit of the taverners in old London to call -out in the streets to the passers-by when the joints were ready. The -little negroes who ran about to take orders were smart, but now and -then came into violent collision, and were cuffed incontinently. One -mild-looking little fellow stood by my chair and appeared so sad that -I asked him “Are you happy, my boy?” He looked quite frightened. -“Why don’t you answer me?” “I’se afeered, sir; I can’t tell that to -Massa.” “Is not your master kind to you?” “Massa very kind man, sir; -very good man when he is not angry with me,” and his eyes filled with -tears to the brim. - -The war fever is rife in Vicksburg, and the Irish and German -labourers, to the extent of several hundreds, have all gone off to -the war. - -When dinner was over, the mayor and several gentlemen of the city -were good enough to request that I would attend a meeting, at a room -in the railway-station, where some of the inhabitants of the town had -assembled. Accordingly I went to the terminus and found a room filled -with gentlemen. Large china bowls, blocks of ice, bottles of wine and -spirits, and boxes of cigars were on the table, and all the materials -for a symposium. - -The company discussed recent events, some of which I learned for the -first time. Dislike was expressed to the course of the authorities in -demanding negro labour for the fortifications along the river, and -uneasiness was expressed respecting a negro plot in Arkansas; but -the most interesting matter was Judge Taney’s protest against the -legality of the President’s course in suspending the writ of _habeas -corpus_ in the case of Merriman. The lawyers who were present at this -meeting were delighted with his argument, which insists that Congress -alone can suspend the writ, and that the President, cannot legally do -so. - -The news of the defeat of an expedition from Fortress Monroe against -a Confederate post at Great Bethel, has caused great rejoicing. The -accounts show that there was the grossest mismanagement on the part -of the Federal officers. The Northern papers particularly regret the -loss of Major Winthrop, aide-de-camp to General Butler, a writer of -promise. At four o’clock p.m. I bade the company farewell, and the -train started for Jackson. The line runs through a poor clay country, -cut up with gulleys and water-courses made by violent rain. - -There were a number of volunteer soldiers in the train; and their -presence no doubt attracted the girls and women who waved flags and -cheered for Jeff. Davis and States Rights. Well, as I travel on -through such scenes, with a fine critical nose in the air, I ask -myself “Is any Englishman better than these publicans and sinners in -regard to this question of slavery?” It was not on moral or religious -grounds that our ancestors abolished serfdom. And if to-morrow our -good farmers, deprived of mowers, reapers, ploughmen, hedgers and -ditchers, were to find substitutes in certain people of a dark skin -assigned to their use by Act of Parliament, I fear they would be -almost as ingenious as the Rev. Dr. Seabury in discovering arguments -physiological, ethnological, and biblical for the retention of -their property. And an evil day would it be for them if they were -so tempted; for assuredly, without any derogation to the intellect -of the Southern men, it may be said that a large proportion of the -population is in a state of very great moral degradation compared -with civilised Anglo-Saxon communities. - -The man is more natural, and more reckless; he has more of the -qualities of the Arab than are to be reconciled with civilisation; -and it is only among the upper classes that the influences of the -aristocratic condition which is generated by the subjection of -masses of men to their fellow-man are to be found. - -At six o’clock the train stopped in the country at a railway crossing -by the side of a large platform. On the right was a common, bounded -by a few detached wooden houses, separated by palings from each -other, and surrounded by rows of trees. In front of the station -were two long wooden sheds, which, as the signboard indicates, were -exchanges or drinking saloons; and beyond these again were visible -some rudimentary streets of straggling houses, above which rose three -pretentious spires and domes, resolved into insignificance by nearer -approach. This was Jackson. - -Our host was at the station in his carriage, and drove us to his -residence, which consisted of some detached houses shaded by trees -in a small enclosure, and bounded by a kitchen garden. He was one of -the men who had been filled with the afflatus of 1848, and joined -the Young Ireland party before it had seriously committed itself to -an unfortunate outbreak; and when all hope of success had vanished, -he sought, like many others of his countrymen, a shelter under the -stars and stripes, which, like most of the Irish settled in Southern -States, he was now bent on tearing asunder. He has the honour of -being mayor of Jackson, and of enjoying a competitive examination -with his medical rivals for the honour of attending the citizens. - -In the evening I walked out with him to the adjacent city, which has -no title to the name, except as being the State capital. The mushroom -growth of these States, using that phrase merely as to their rapid -development, raises hamlets in a small space to the dignity of -cities. It is in such outlying expansion of the great republic that -the influence of the foreign emigration is most forcibly displayed. -It would be curious to inquire, for example, how many men there are -in the city of Jackson exercising mechanical arts or engaged in small -commerce, in skilled or manual labour, who are really Americans in -the proper sense of the word. I was struck by the names over the -doors of the shops, which were German, Irish, Italian, French, and by -foreign tongues and accents in the streets; but, on the other hand, -it is the native-born American who obtains the highest political -stations and arrogates to himself the largest share of governmental -emoluments. - -Jackson proper consists of strings of wooden houses, with white -porticoes and pillars a world too wide for their shrunk rooms, and -various religious and other public edifices, of the hydrocephalic -order of architecture, where vulgar cupola and exaggerated steeple -tower above little bodies far too feeble to support them. There -are of course a monster hotel and blazing bar-rooms--the former -celebrated as the scene of many a serious difficulty, out of some of -which the participators never escaped alive. The streets consist of -rows of houses such as I have seen at Macon, Montgomery, and Bâton -Rouge; and as we walked towards the capital or State-house there -were many more invitations “to take a drink” addressed to my friend -and me than we were able to comply with. Our steps were bent to the -State-house, which is a pile of stone, with open colonnades, and an -air of importance at a distance which a nearer examination of its -dilapidated condition does not confirm. Mr. Pettus, the Governor of -the State of Mississippi, was in the Capitol; and on sending in our -cards, we were introduced to his room, which certainly was of more -than republican simplicity. The apartment was surrounded with some -common glass cases, containing papers and odd volumes of books; the -furniture, a table or desk, and a few chairs and a ragged carpet; -the glass in the windows cracked and broken; the walls and ceiling -discoloured by mildew. - -The Governor is a silent man, of abrupt speech, but easy of access; -and, indeed, whilst we were speaking, strangers and soldiers walked -in and out of his room, looked around them, and acted in all respects -as if they were in a public-house, except in ordering drinks. This -grim, tall, angular man seemed to me such a development of public -institutions in the South as Mr. Seward was in a higher phase in the -North. For years he hunted deer and trapped in the forest of the far -west, and lived in a Natty Bumpo or David Crocket state of life; -and he was not ashamed of the fact when taunted with it during his -election contest, but very rightly made the most of his independence -and his hard work. - -The pecuniary honours of his position are not very great as Governor -of the enormous State of Mississippi. He has simply an income of -£800 a year and a house provided for his use; he is not only quite -contented with what he has but believes that the society in which he -lives is the highest development of civilised life, notwithstanding -the fact that there are more outrages on the person in his State, -nay, more murders perpetrated in the very capital, than were known in -the worst days of mediæval Venice or Florence;--indeed, as a citizen -said to me, “Well, I think our average in Jackson is a murder a -month;” but he used a milder name for the crime. - -The Governor conversed on the aspect of affairs, and evinced that -wonderful confidence in his own people which, whether it arises from -ignorance of the power of the North, or a conviction of greater -resources, is to me so remarkable. “Well, sir,” said he, dropping -a portentous plug of tobacco just outside the spittoon, with the -air of a man who wished to show he could have hit the centre if he -liked, “England is no doubt a great country, and has got fleets -and the like of that, and may have a good deal to do in Eu-_rope_; -but the sovereign State of Mississippi can do a great deal better -without England than England can do without her.” Having some slight -recollection of Mississippi repudiation, in which Mr. Jefferson Davis -was so actively engaged, I thought it possible that the Governor -might be right; and after a time his Excellency shook me by the hand, -and I left, much wondering within myself what manner of men they -must be in the State of Mississippi when Mr. Pettus is their chosen -Governor; and yet, after all, he is honest and fierce; and perhaps he -is so far qualified as well as any other man to be Governor of the -State. There are newspapers, electric telegraphs, and railways; there -are many educated families, even much good society, I am told, in the -State; but the larger masses of the people struck me as being in a -condition not much elevated from that of the original backwoodsman. -On my return to the Doctor’s house I found some letters which had -been forwarded to me from New Orleans had gone astray, and I was -obliged, therefore, to make arrangements for my departure on the -following evening. - -_June 16th._--I was compelled to send my excuses to Governor Pettus, -and remained quietly within the house of my host, entreating him -to protect me from visitors and especially my own _confrères_, -that I might secure a few hours even in that ardent heat to write -letters to home. Now, there is some self-denial required, if -one be at all solicitous of the _popularis aura_, to offend the -susceptibilities of the irritable genus in America. It may make all -the difference between millions of people hearing and believing you -are a high-toned, whole-souled gentleman or a wretched ignorant -and prejudiced John Bull; but, nevertheless, the solid pudding of -self-content and the satisfaction of doing one’s work are preferable -to the praise even of a New York newspaper editor. - -When my work was over I walked out and sat in the shade with a -gentleman whose talk turned upon the practises of the Mississippi -duello. Without the smallest animus, and in the most natural way -in the world, he told us tale after tale of blood, and recounted -terrible tragedies enacted outside bars of hotels and in the public -streets close beside us. The very air seemed to become purple as he -spoke, the land around a veritable “Aceldama.” There may, indeed, be -security for property, but there is none for the life of its owner in -difficulties, who may be shot by a stray bullet from a pistol as he -walks up the street. - -I learned many valuable facts. I was warned, for example, against the -impolicy of trusting to small-bored pistols or to pocket six-shooters -in case of a close fight, because suppose you hit your man mortally -he may still run in upon you and rip you up with a bowie knife before -he falls dead; whereas if you drive a good heavy bullet into him, -or make a hole in him with a “Derringer” ball, he gets faintish and -drops at once. - -Many illustrations, too, were given of the value of practical lessons -of this sort. One particularly struck me. If a gentleman with whom -you are engaged in altercation moves his hand towards his breeches -pocket, or behind his back, you must smash him or shoot him at once, -for he is either going to draw his six-shooter, to pull out a bowie -knife, or to shoot you through the lining of his pocket. The latter -practice is considered rather ungentlemanly, but it has somewhat -been more honoured lately in the observance than in the breach. In -fact, the savage practice of walking about with pistols, knifes, -and poniards, in bar-rooms and gambling-saloons, with passions -ungoverned, because there is no law to punish the deeds to which they -lead, affords facilities for crime which an uncivilised condition of -society leaves too often without punishment, but which must be put -down or the country in which it is tolerated will become as barbarous -as a jungle inhabited by wild beasts. - -Our host gave me an early dinner, at which I met some of the citizens -of Jackson, and at six o’clock I proceeded by the train for Memphis. -The carriages were of course, full of soldiers or volunteers, -bound for a large camp at a place called Corinth, who made night -hideous by their song and cries, stimulated by enormous draughts of -whiskey and a proportionate consumption of tobacco, by teeth and by -fire. The heat in the carriages added to the discomforts arising -from these causes, and from great quantities of biting insects in -the sleeping places. The people have all the air and manners of -settlers. Altogether the impression produced on my mind was by no -means agreeable, and I felt as if I was indeed in the land of Lynch -law and bowie knives, where the passions of men have not yet been -subordinated to the influence of the tribunals of justice. Much of -this feeling has no doubt been produced by the tales to which I have -been listening around me--most of which have a smack of manslaughter -about them. - -_June 17th._ If it was any consolation to me that the very noisy -and very turbulent warriors of last night were exceedingly sick, -dejected, and crestfallen this morning, I had it to the full. Their -cries for water were incessant to allay the internal fires caused -by “40 rod” and “60 rod,” as whiskey is called, which is supposed -to kill people at those distances. Their officers had no control -over them--and the only authority they seemed to respect was that -of the “gentlemanly” conductor whom they were accustomed to fear -individually, as he is a great man in America and has much authority -and power to make himself disagreeable if he likes. - -The victory at Big or Little Bethel has greatly elated these men, -and they think they can walk all over the Northern States. It was -a relief to get out of the train for a few minutes at a station -called Holly Springs, where the passengers breakfasted at a dirty -table on most execrable coffee, corn bread, rancid butter, and very -dubious meats, and the wild soldiers outside made the most of their -time, as they had recovered from their temporary depression by this -time, and got out on the tops of the carriages, over which they -performed tumultuous dances to the music of their band, and the great -admiration of the surrounding negrodom. Their demeanour is very -unlike that of the unexcitable staid people of the North. - -There were in the train some Texans who were going to Richmond -to offer their services to Mr. Davis. They denounced Sam Houston -as a traitor, but admitted there were some Unionists, or as they -termed them, Lincolnite skunks, in the State. The real object of -their journey was, in my mind, to get assistance from the Southern -Confederacy, to put down their enemies in Texas. - -In order to conceal from the minds of the people that the government -at Washington claims to be that of the United States, the press -politicians and speakers divert their attention to the names of -Lincoln, Seward, and other black republicans, and class the whole of -the North together as the Abolitionists. They call the Federal levies -“Lincoln’s mercenaries” and “abolition hordes,” though their own -troops are paid at the same rate as those of the United States. This -is a common mode of procedure in revolutions and rebellions, and is -not unfrequent in wars. - -The enthusiasm for the Southern cause among all the people is most -remarkable,--the sight of the flag waving from the carriage windows -drew all the population of the hamlets and the workers in the field, -black and white, to the side of the carriages to cheer for Jeff. -Davis and the Southern Confederacy, and to wave whatever they could -lay hold of in the air. The country seems very poorly cultivated, -the fields full of stumps of trees, and the plantation houses very -indifferent. At every station more “soldiers,” as they are called, -got in, till the smell and heat were suffocating. - -These men were as fanciful in their names and dress as could be. -In the train which preceded us there was a band of volunteers armed -with rifled pistols and enormous bowie knives, who called themselves -“The Toothpick Company.” They carried along with them a coffin, with -a plate inscribed, “Abe Lincoln, died ----,” and declared they were -“bound” to bring his body back in it, and that they did not intend -to use muskets or rifles, but just go in with knife and six-shooter, -and whip the Yankees straight away. How astonished they will be when -the first round shot flies into them, or a cap full of grape rattles -about their bowie knives. - -At the station of Grand Junction, north of Holly Springs, which -latter is 210 miles north of Jackson, several hundreds of our warrior -friends were turned out in order to take the train north-westward for -Richmond, Virginia. The 1st Company, seventy rank and file, consisted -of Irishmen armed with sporting rifles without bayonets. Five-sixths -of the 2nd Company, who were armed with muskets, were of the same -nationality. The 3rd Company were all Americans. The 4th Company -were almost all Irish. Some were in green others were in grey, the -Americans who were in blue had not yet received their arms. When the -word fix bayonets was given by the officer, a smart keen-looking man, -there was an astonishing hurry and tumult in the ranks. - -“Now then, Sweeny, whar are yes dhriven me too? Is it out of the -redjmint amongst the officers yer shovin’ me?” - -“Sullivan, don’t ye hear we’re to fix beenits?” - -“Sarjent, jewel, wud yes ayse the shtrap of me baynit?” - -“If ye prod me wid that agin; I’ll let dayloite into ye.” - -The officer, reading, “No 23, James Phelan.” - -No reply. - -Officer again, “No. 23, James Phelan.” - -Voice from the rank, “Shure, captain, and faix Phelan’s gone, he wint -at the last depôt.” - -“No. 40, Miles Corrigan.” - -Voice further on, “He’s the worse for dhrink in the cars, yer honour, -and says he’ll shoot us if we touch him;” and so on. - -But these fellows were, nevertheless, the material for fighting -and for marching after proper drill and with good officers, even -though there was too large a proportion of old men and young lads in -the ranks. To judge from their dress these recruits came from the -labouring and poorest classes of whites. The officers affected a -French cut and bearing with indifferent success, and in the luggage -vans there were three foolish young women with slop-dress imitation -clothes of the Vivandière type, who, with dishevelled hair, dirty -faces, and dusty hats and jackets, looked sad, sorry, and absurd. -Their notions of propriety did not justify them in adopting straps, -boots, and trousers, and the rest of the tawdry ill-made costume -looked very bad indeed. - -The train which still bore a large number of soldiers for the camp -of Corinth, proceeded through dreary swamps, stunted forests, and -clearings of the rudest kind at very long intervals. We had got -out of the cotton district and were entering poorer soil, or land -which, when cleared, was devoted to wheat and corn, and I was told -that the crops ran from forty to sixty bushels to the acre. A more -uninteresting country than this portion of the State of Mississippi I -have never witnessed. There was some variety of scenery about Holly -Springs where undulating ground covered with wood, diversified the -aspect of the flat, but since that we have been travelling through -mile after mile of insignificantly grown timber and swamps. - -On approaching Memphis the line ascends towards the bluff of the -Mississippi, and farms of a better appearance come in sight on the -side of the rail; but after all I do not envy the fate of the man -who, surrounded by slaves and shut out from the world, has to pass -his life in this dismal region, be the crops never so good. - -At a station where a stone pillar marks the limit between the -sovereign State of Mississippi and that of Tennessee, there was -a house two stories high, from the windows of which a number of -negro girls and young men were staring on the passengers. Some of -them smiled, laughed, and chatted, but the majority of them looked -gloomy and sad enough. They were packed as close as they could, -and I observed that at the door a very ruffianly looking fellow in -a straw hat, long straight hair, flannel shirt, and slippers, was -standing with his legs across and a heavy whip in his hand. One of -the passengers walked over and chatted to him. They looked in and up -at the negroes and laughed, and when the man came near the carriage -in which I sat, a friend called out, “Whose are they, Sam?” “He’s a -dealer at Jackson, Mr. Smith. They’re as prime a lot of fine Virginny -niggers as I’ve seen this long time, and he wants to realise, for the -news looks so bad.” - -It was 1.40 p.m. when the train arrived at Memphis. I was speedily -on my way to the Gayoso House, so called after an old Spanish ruler -of the district, which is situated in the street on the bluff, which -runs parallel with the course of the Mississippi. This resuscitated -Egyptian city is a place of importance, and extends for several miles -along the high bank of the river, though it does not run very far -back. The streets are at right angles to the principal thoroughfares, -which are parallel to the stream; and I by no means expected to see -the lofty stores, warehouses, rows of shops, and handsome buildings -on the broad esplanade along the river, and the extent and size -of the edifices public and private in this city, which is one of -the developments of trade and commerce created by the Mississippi. -Memphis contains nearly 30,000 inhabitants, but many of them are -foreigners, and there is a nomad draft into and out of the place, -which abounds in haunts for Bohemians, drinking and dancing-saloons, -and gaming-rooms. And this strange kaleidoscope of negroes and whites -of the extremes of civilisation in its American development, and of -the semi-savage degraded by his contact with the white; of enormous -steamers on the river, which bears equally the dug-out or canoe of -the black fisherman; the rail, penetrating the inmost recesses of -swamps, which on either side of it remain no doubt in the same state -as they were centuries ago; the roll of heavily-laden waggons through -the streets; the rattle of omnibuses and all the phenomena of active -commercial life before our eyes, included in the same scope of vision -which takes in at the other side of the Mississippi lands scarcely -yet settled, though the march of empire has gone thousands of miles -beyond them, amuses but perplexes the traveller in this new land. - -The evening was so exceedingly warm that I was glad to remain within -the walls of my darkened bed-room. All the six hundred and odd guests -whom the Gayoso House is said to accommodate were apparently in the -passage at one time. At present it is the head-quarters of General -Gideon J. Pillow, who is charged with the defences of the Tennessee -side of the river, and commands a considerable body of troops around -the city and in the works above. The house is consequently filled -with men in uniform, belonging to the General’s staff or the various -regiments of Tennessee troops. - -The Governors and the Legislatures of the States, view with dislike -every action on the part of Mr. Davis which tends to form the State -troops into a national army. At first, indeed, the doctrine prevailed -that troops could not be sent beyond the limits of the State in -which they were raised--then it was argued that they ought not to be -called upon to move outside their borders; and I have heard people -in the South inveighing against the sloth and want of spirit of the -Virginians, who allowed their State to be invaded without resisting -the enemy. Such complaints were met by the remark that all the -Northern States had combined to pour their troops into Virginia, -and that her sister States ought in honour to protect her. Finally, -the martial enthusiasm of the Southern regiments impelled them to -press forward to the frontier, and by delicate management, and -the perfect knowledge of his countrymen which Mr. Jefferson Davis -possesses, he is now enabled to amalgamate in some sort the diverse -individualities of his regiments into something like a national army. - -On hearing of my arrival. General Pillow sent his aide-de-camp to -inform me that he was about starting in a steamer up the river, to -make an inspection of the works and garrison at Fort Randolph and -at other points where batteries had been erected to command the -stream, supported by large levies of Tennesseans. The aide-de-camp -conducted me to the General, whom I found in his bed-room, fitted up -as an office, littered with plans and papers. Before the Mexican war -General Pillow was a flourishing solicitor, connected in business -with President Polk, and commanding so much influence that when the -expedition was formed he received the nomination of brigadier-general -of volunteers. He served with distinction and was severely wounded at -the battle of Chapultepec and at the conclusion of the campaign he -retired into civil life, and was engaged directing the work of his -plantation till this great rebellion summoned him once more to the -field. - -Of course there is, and must be, always an inclination to deride -these volunteer officers on the part of regular soldiers; and I was -informed by one of the officers in attendance on the General that -he had made himself ludicrously celebrated in Mexico for having -undertaken to throw up a battery which, when completed, was found -to face the wrong way, so that the guns were exposed to the enemy. -General Pillow is a small, compact, clear-complexioned man, with -short grey whiskers, cut in the English fashion, a quick eye, and -a pompous manner of speech; and I had not been long in his company -before I heard of Chapultepec and his wound, which causes him to -limp a little in his walk, and gives him inconvenience in the saddle. -He wore a round black hat, plain blue frock coat, dark trousers, and -brass spurs on his boots; but no sign of military rank. The General -ordered carriages to the door, and we went to see the batteries on -the bluff or front of the esplanade, which are intended to check -any ship attempting to pass down the river from Cairo, where the -Federals under General Prentiss have entrenched themselves, and are -understood to meditate an expedition against the city. A parapet of -cotton bales, covered with tarpaulin, has been erected close to the -edge of the bank of earth, which rises to heights varying from 60 to -150 feet almost perpendicularly from the waters of the Mississippi, -with zigzag roads running down through it to the landing-places. This -parapet could offer no cover against vertical fire, and is so placed -that well-directed shell into the bank below it would tumble it all -into the water. The zigzag roads are barricaded with weak planks, -which would be shivered to pieces by boat-guns; and the assaulting -parties could easily mount through these covered ways to the rear of -the parapet, and up to the very centre of the esplanade. - -The blockade of the river at this point is complete; not a boat -is permitted to pass either up or down. At the extremity of the -esplanade, on an angle of the bank, an earthen battery, mounted with -six heavy guns, has been thrown up, which has a fine command of the -river; and the General informed me he intends to mount sixteen guns -in addition, on a prolongation of the face of the same work. - -The inspection over, we drove down a steep road to the water -beneath, where the Ingomar, a large river steamer, now chartered for -the service of the State of Tennessee, was lying to receive us. The -vessel was crowded with troops--all volunteers, of course--about to -join those in camp. Great as were their numbers, the proportion of -the officers was inordinately large, and the rank of the greater -number preposterously high. It seemed to me as if I was introduced to -a battalion of colonels, and that I was not permitted to pierce to -any lower strata of military rank. I counted seventeen colonels, and -believe the number was not then exhausted. - -General Clarke, of Mississippi, who had come over from the camp -at Corinth, was on board, and I had the pleasure of making his -acquaintance. He spoke with sense and firmness of the present -troubles, and dealt with the political difficulties in a tone of -moderation which bespoke a gentleman and a man of education and -thought. He also had served in the Mexican war, and had the air -and manner of a soldier. With all his quietness of tone, there was -not the smallest disposition to be traced in his words to retire -from the present contest, or to consent to a re-union with the -United States under any circumstances whatever. Another general, -of a very different type, was among our passengers--a dirty-faced, -frightened-looking young man, of some twenty-three or twenty-four -years of age, redolent of tobacco, his chin and shirt slavered by its -foul juices, dressed in a green cut-away coat, white jean trousers, -strapped under a pair of prunella slippers, in which he promenaded -the deck in an Agag-like manner, which gave rise to a suspicion of -bunions or corns. This strange figure was topped by a tremendous -black felt sombrero, looped up at one side by a gilt eagle, in -which was stuck a plume of ostrich feathers and from the other side -dangled a heavy gold tassel. This decrepit young warrior’s name was -Ruggles or Struggles, who came from Arkansas, where he passed, I was -informed, for “quite a leading citizen.” - -Our voyage as we steamed up the river afforded no novelty, nor any -physical difference worthy of remark, to contrast it with the lower -portions of the stream, except that upon our right hand side, which -is, in effect, the left bank, there are ranges of exceedingly high -bluffs, some parallel with and others at right angles to the course -of the stream. The river is of the same pea-soup colour with the same -masses of leaves, decaying vegetation, stumps of trees, forming small -floating islands, or giant cotton-tree, pines, and balks of timber -whirling down the current. Our progress was slow; nor did I regret -the captain’s caution, as there must have been fully nine hundred -persons on board; and although there is but little danger of being -snagged in the present condition of the river, we encountered now -and then a trunk of a tree, which struck against the bows with force -enough to make the vessel quiver from stem to stern. I was furnished -with a small berth, to which I retired at midnight, just as the -Ingomar was brought to at the Chickasaw Bluffs, above which lies Camp -Randolph. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Camp Randolph--Cannon practice--Volunteers--“Dixie”--Forced - return from the South--Apathy of the North--General retrospect of - politics--Energy and earnestness of the South--Firearms--Position - of Great Britain towards the belligerents--Feeling towards the - Old Country. - - -_June 18th._ On looking out of my cabin window this morning I found -the steamer fast alongside a small wharf, above which rose, to the -height of 150 feet, at an angle of 45 degrees, the rugged bluff -already mentioned. The wharf was covered with commissariat stores and -ammunition. Three heavy guns, which some men were endeavouring to -sling to rude bullock-carts, in a manner defiant of all the laws of -gravitation, seemed likely to go slap into the water at every moment; -but of the many great strapping fellows who were lounging about, not -one gave a hand to the working party. A dusty track wound up the hill -to the brow, and there disappeared; and at the height of fifty feet -or so above the level of the river two earthworks had been rudely -erected in an ineffective position. The volunteers who were lounging -about the edge of the stream were dressed in different ways, and had -no uniform. - -Already the heat of the sun compelled me to seek the shade; and a -number of the soldiers, labouring under the same infatuation as that -which induces little boys to disport themselves in the Thames at -Waterloo Bridge, under the notion that they are washing themselves, -were swimming about in a backwater of the great river, regardless of -cat-fish, mud, and fever. - -General Pillow proceeded on shore after breakfast, and we mounted -the coarse cart-horse chargers which were in waiting at the jetty to -receive us. It is scarcely worth while to transcribe from my diary a -description of the works which I sent over at the time to England. -Certainly, a more extraordinary maze could not be conceived, even in -the dreams of a sick engineer--a number of mad beavers might possibly -construct such dams. They were so ingeniously made as to prevent the -troops engaged in their defence from resisting the enemy’s attacks, -or getting away from them when the assailants had got inside--most -difficult and troublesome to defend, and still more difficult for the -defenders to leave, the latter perhaps being their chief merit. - -The General ordered some practice to be made with round shot down -the river. An old forty-two pound carronade was loaded with some -difficulty, and pointed at a tree about 1700 yards--which I was told, -however, was not less than 2500 yards--distant. The General and his -staff took their posts on the parapet to leeward, and I ventured to -say, “I think, General, the smoke will prevent your seeing the shot.” -To which the General replied, “No, sir,” in a tone which indicated, -“I beg you to understand I have been wounded in Mexico, and know all -about this kind of thing.” “Fire,” the string was pulled, and out -of the touch-hole popped a piece of metal with a little chirrup. -“Darn these friction tubes! I prefer the linstock and match,” quoth -one of the staff, _sotto voce_, “but General Pillow will have us use -friction tubes made at Memphis, that arn’t worth a cuss.” Tube No. 2, -however, did explode, but where the ball went no one could say, as -the smoke drifted right into our eyes. - -The General then moved to the other side of the gun, which was fired -a third time, the shot falling short in good line, but without -any ricochet. Gun No. 3 was next fired. Off went the ball down -the river, but off went the gun, too, and with a frantic leap it -jumped, carriage and all, clean off the platform. Nor was it at all -wonderful, for the poor old-fashioned chamber cannonade had been -loaded with a charge and a solid shot heavy enough to make it burst -with indignation. Most of us felt relieved when the firing was over, -and, for my own part, I would much rather have been close to the -target than to the battery. - -Slowly winding for some distance up the steep road in a blazing sun, -we proceeded through the tents which are scattered in small groups, -for health’s sake, fifteen and twenty together, on the wooded plateau -above the river. The tents are of the small ridge-pole pattern, six -men to each, many of whom, from their exposure to the sun, whilst -working in these trenches, and from the badness of the water, had -already been laid up with illness. As a proof of General Pillow’s -energy, it is only fair to say he is constructing, on the very summit -of the plateau, large cisterns, which will be filled with water from -the river by steam power. - -The volunteers were mostly engaged at drill in distinct companies, -but by order of the General some 700 or 800 of them were formed into -line for inspection. Many of these men were in their shirt sleeves, -and the awkwardness with which they handled their arms showed that, -however good they might be as shots, they were bad hands at manual -platoon exercise; but such great strapping fellows, that, as I -walked down the ranks there were few whose shoulders were not above -the level of my head, excepting here and there a weedy old man or a -growing lad. They were armed with old pattern percussion muskets, -no two clad alike, many very badly shod, few with knapsacks, but -all provided with a tin water-flask and a blanket. These men have -been only five weeks enrolled, and were called out by the State of -Tennessee, in anticipation of the vote of secession. - -I could get no exact details as to the supply of food, but from the -Quartermaster-General I heard that each man had from ¾ lb. to 1¼ -lb. of meat, and a sufficiency of bread, sugar, coffee, and rice -daily; however, these military Olivers “asked for more.” Neither -whisky nor tobacco was served out to them, which to such heavy -consumers of both, must prove one source of dissatisfaction. The -officers were plain, farmerly planters, merchants, lawyers, and the -like--energetic, determined men, but utterly ignorant of the most -rudimentary parts of military science. It is this want of knowledge -on the part of the officer which renders it so difficult to arrive at -a tolerable condition of discipline among volunteers, as the privates -are quite well aware they know as much of soldiering as the great -majority of their officers. - -Having gone down the lines of these motley companies, the General -addressed them in a harangue in which he expatiated on their -patriotism, on their courage, and the atrocity of the enemy, in an -odd farrago of military and political subjects. But the only matter -which appeared to interest them much was the announcement that they -would be released from work in another day or so, and that negroes -would be sent to perform all that was required. This announcement was -received with the words, “Bully for us!” and “That’s good.” And when -General Pillow wound up a florid peroration by assuring them, “When -the hour of danger comes I will be with you,” the effect was by no -means equal to his expectations. The men did not seem to care much -whether General Pillow was with them or not at that eventful moment; -and, indeed, all dusty as he was in his plain clothes he did not look -very imposing, or give one an idea that he would contribute much to -the means of resistance. However, one of the officers called out, -“Boys, three cheers for General Pillow.” - -What they may do in the North I know not, but certainly the Southern -soldiers cannot cheer, and what passes muster for that jubilant sound -is a shrill ringing scream with a touch of the Indian war-whoop in -it. As these cries ended, a stentorian voice shouted out, “Who cares -for General Pillow?” No one answered; whence I inferred the General -would not be very popular until the niggers were actually at work in -the trenches. - -We returned to the steamer, headed up stream and proceeded onwards -for more than an hour, to another landing, protected by a battery, -where we disembarked, the General being received by a guard dressed -in uniform, who turned out with some appearance of soldierly -smartness. On my remarking the difference to the General, he told me -the corps encamped at this point was composed of gentlemen planters, -and farmers. They had all clad themselves, and consisted of some of -the best families in the State of Tennessee. - -As we walked down the gangway to the shore, the band on the upper -deck struck up, out of compliment to the English element in the -party, the unaccustomed strains of “God save the Queen;” and I am not -quite sure that the loyalty which induced me to stand in the sun, -with uncovered head, till the musicians were good enough to desist, -was appreciated. Certainly a gentleman, who asked me why I did so, -looked very incredulous, and said “That he could understand it if -it had been in a church; but that he would not broil his skull in -the sun, not if General Washington was standing just before him.” -The General gave orders to exercise the battery at this point, and a -working party was told off to firing drill. ’Twas fully six minutes -between the giving of the orders and the first gun being ready. - -On the word “fire” being given, the gunner pulled the lanyard, but -the tube did not explode; a second tube was inserted, but a strong -jerk pulled it out without exploding; a third time one of the -General’s fuses was applied, which gave way to the pull, and was -broken in two; a fourth time was more successful--the gun exploded, -and the shot fell short and under the mark--in fact, nothing could -be worse than the artillery practice which I saw here, and a fleet -of vessels coming down the river might, in the present state of the -garrisons, escape unhurt. - -There are no disparts, tangents, or elevating screws to the gun, -which are laid by eye and wooden chocks. I could see no shells in -the battery, but was told there were some in the magazine. - -Altogether, though Randolph’s Point and Fort Pillow afford strong -positions, in the present state of the service, and equipment of -guns and works, gunboats could run past them without serious loss, -and, as the river falls, the fire of the batteries will be even less -effective. - -On returning to the boats the band struck up “The Marseillaise” and -“Dixie’s Land.” There are two explanations of the word Dixie--one -is that it is the general term for the Slave States, which are, of -course, south of Mason and Dixon’s line; another, that a planter -named Dixie, died long ago, to the intense grief of his animated -property. Whether they were ill-treated after he died, and thus had -reason to regret his loss, or that they had merely a longing in the -abstract after Heaven, no fact known to me can determine; but certain -it is that they long much after Dixie, in the land to which his -spirit was supposed by them to have departed, and console themselves -in their sorrow by clamorous wishes to follow their master, where -probably the revered spirit would be much surprised to find himself -in their company. The song is the work of the negro melodists of New -York. - -In the afternoon we returned to Memphis. Here I was obliged to cut -short my Southern tour, though I would willingly have stayed, to have -seen the most remarkable social and political changes the world has -probably ever witnessed. The necessity of my position obliged me to -return northwards--unless I could write, there was no use in my being -on the spot at all. By this time the Federal fleets have succeeded -in closing the ports, if not effectually, so far as to render the -carriage of letters precarious, and the route must be at best devious -and uncertain. - -Mr. Jefferson Davis was, I was assured, prepared to give me every -facility at Richmond to enable me to know and to see all that was -most interesting in the military and political action of the New -Confederacy; but of what use could this knowledge be if I could not -communicate it to the journal I served? - -I had left the North when it was suffering from a political -paralysis, and was in a state of coma in which it appeared conscious -of the coming convulsion but unable to avert it. The sole sign of -life in the body corporate was some feeble twitching of the limbs at -Washington, when the district militia were called out, whilst Mr. -Seward descanted on the merits of the Inaugural, and believed that -the anger of the South was a short madness, which would be cured by a -mild application of philosophical essays. - -The politicians, who were urging in the most forcible manner the -complete vindication of the rights of the Union, were engaged, when I -left them arguing, that the Union had no rights at all as opposed to -those of the States. Men who had heard with nods of approval of the -ordinance of secession passed by State after State were now shrieking -out, “Slay the traitors!” - -The printed rags which had been deriding the President as the great -“rail splitter,” and his Cabinet as a collection of ignoble fanatics, -were now heading the popular rush, and calling out to the country -to support Mr. Lincoln and his Ministry, and were menacing with war -the foreign States which dared to stand neutral in the quarrel. The -declaration of Lord John Russell that the Southern Confederacy -should have limited belligerent rights had at first created a thrill -of exultation in the South, because the politicians believed that in -this concession was contained the principle of recognition; while -it had stung to fury the people of the North, to whom it seemed the -first warning of the coming disunion. - -Much, therefore, as I desired to go to Richmond, where I was urged -to repair by many considerations, and by the earnest appeals of -those around me, I felt it would be impossible, notwithstanding the -interest attached to the proceedings there, to perform my duties in -a place cut off from all communication with the outer world; and so -I decided to proceed to Chicago, and thence to Washington, where the -Federals had assembled a large army, with the purpose of marching -upon Richmond, in obedience to the cry of nearly every journal of -influence in the Northern cities. - -My resolution was mainly formed in consequence of the intelligence -which was communicated to me at Memphis, and I told General Pillow -that I would continue my journey to Cairo, in order to get within the -Federal lines. As the river was blockaded, the only means of doing so -was to proceed by rail to Columbus, and thence to take a steamer to -the Federal position; and so, whilst the General was continuing his -inspection, I rode to the telegraph office, in one of the camps, to -order my luggage to be prepared for departure as soon as I arrived, -and thence went on board the steamer, where I sat down in the cabin -to write my last despatch from Dixie. - -So far I had certainly no reason to agree with Mr. Seward in -thinking this rebellion was the result of a localised energetic -action on the part of a fierce minority in the seceding States, and -that there was in each a large, if inert, mass opposed to secession, -which would rally round the Stars and Stripes the instant they were -displayed in their sight. On the contrary, I met everywhere with -but one feeling, with exceptions which proved its unanimity and its -force. To a man the people went with their States, and had but one -battle cry, “States’ rights, and death to those who make war against -them!” - -Day after day I had seen this feeling intensified by the accounts -which came from the North of a fixed determination to maintain the -war; and day after day, I am bound to add, the impression on my mind -was strengthened that “States’ rights” meant protection to slavery, -extension of slave territory, and free-trade in slave produce with -the outer world; nor was it any argument against the conclusion that -the popular passion gave vent to the most vehement outcries against -Yankees, abolitionists, German mercenaries, and modern invasion. -I was fully satisfied in my mind also that the population of the -South, who had taken up arms, were so convinced of the righteousness -of their cause, and so competent to vindicate it, that they would -fight with the utmost energy and valour in its defence and successful -establishment. - -The saloon in which I was sitting afforded abundant evidence of the -vigour with which the South are entering upon the contest. Men of -every variety and condition of life had taken up arms against the -cursed Yankee and the black Republican--there was not a man there -who would not have given his life for the rare pleasure of striking -Mr. Lincoln’s head off his shoulders, and yet to a cold European the -scene was almost ludicrous. - -Along the covered deck lay tall Tennesseans, asleep, whose plumed -felt hats were generally the only indications of their martial -calling, for few indeed had any other signs of uniform, except -the rare volunteers, who wore stripes of red and yellow cloth on -their trousers, or leaden buttons, and discoloured worsted braid -and facings on their jackets. The afterpart of the saloon deck -was appropriated to General Pillow, his staff, and officers. The -approach to it was guarded by a sentry, a tall, good-looking young -fellow, in a grey flannel shirt, grey trousers, fastened with a belt -and a brass buckle, inscribed U.S., which came from some plundered -Federal arsenal, and a black wide-awake hat, decorated with a green -plume. His Enfield rifle lay beside him on the deck, and, with great -interest expressed on his face, he leant forward in his rocking-chair -to watch the varying features of a party squatted on the floor, who -were employed in the national game of “Euchre.” As he raised his -eyes to examine the condition of the cigar he was smoking, he caught -sight of me, and by the simple expedient of holding his leg across -my chest, and calling out, “Hallo! where are you going to?” brought -me to a standstill--whilst his captain, who was one of the happy -euchreists, exclaimed, “Now, Sam, you let nobody go in there.” - -I was obliged to explain who I was, whereupon the sentry started to -his feet, and said, “Oh! indeed, you are Russell that’s been in that -war with the Rooshians. Well, I’m very much pleased to know you. I -shall be off sentry in a few minutes; I’ll just ask you to tell me -something about that fighting.” He held out his hand, and shook mine -warmly as he spoke. There was not the smallest intention to offend in -his manner; but, sitting down again, he nodded to the captain, and -said, “It’s all right; it’s Pillow’s friend--that’s Russell of the -London _Times_.” The game of euchre was continued--and indeed it had -been perhaps all night--for my last recollection on looking out of my -cabin was of a number of people playing cards on the floor and on the -tables all down the saloon, and of shouts of “Eu-kerr!” “Ten dollars, -you don’t!” “I’ll lay twenty on this!” and so on; and with breakfast -the sport seemed to be fully revived. - -There would have been much more animation in the game, no doubt, -had the bar on board the Ingomar been opened; but the intelligent -gentleman who presided inside had been restricted by General Pillow -in his avocations; and when numerous thirsty souls from the camps -came on board, with dry tongues and husky voices, and asked for -“mint juleps,” “brandy smashes,” or “whisky cocktails,” he seemed -to take a saturnine pleasure by saying, “The General won’t allow no -spirit on board, but I can give you a nice drink of Pillow’s own iced -Mississippi water,” an announcement which generally caused infinite -disgust and some unhandsome wishes respecting the General’s future -happiness. - -By and bye, a number of sick men were brought down on litters, and -placed here and there along the deck. As there was a considerable -misunderstanding between the civilian and military doctors, it -appeared to be understood that the best way of arranging it was not -to attend to the sick at all, and unfortunate men suffering from -fever and dysentery were left to roll and groan, and lie on their -stretchers, without a soul to help them. I had a medicine chest on -board, and I ventured to use the lessons of my experience in such -matters, administered my quinine, James’s Powder, calomel, and -opium, _secundum meam artem_, and nothing could be more grateful -than the poor fellows were for the smallest mark of attention. -“Stranger, remember, if I die,” gasped one great fellow, attenuated -to a skeleton by dysentery, “That I am Robert Tallon, of Tishimingo -county, and that I died for States’ rights; see, now, they put that -in the papers, won’t you? Robert Tallon died for States’ rights,” and -so he turned round on his blanket. - -Presently the General came on board, and the Ingomar proceeded on -her way back to Memphis. General Clarke, to whom I mentioned the -great neglect from which the soldiers were suffering, told me he was -afraid the men had no medical attendance in camp. All the doctors, in -fact, wanted to fight, and as they were educated men, and generally -connected with respectable families, or had political influence in -the State, they aspired to be colonels at the very least, and to -wield the sword instead of the scalpel. - -Next to the medical department, the commissariat and transport were -most deficient; but by constant courts-martial, stoppages of pay, and -severe sentences, he hoped these evils would be eventually somewhat -mitigated. As one who had received a regular military education, -General Clarke was probably shocked by volunteer irregularities; -and in such matters as guard-mounting, reliefs, patrols, and -picket-duties, he declared they were enough to break one’s heart; but -I was astonished to hear from him that the Germans were by far the -worst of the five thousand troops under his command, of whom they -formed more than a fifth. - -Whilst we were conversing, the captain of the steamer invited us to -come up into his cabin on the upper deck; and as railway conductors, -steamboat captains, bar-keepers, hotel-clerks, and telegraph officers -are among the natural aristocracy of the land, we could not disobey -the invitation, which led to the consumption of some of the captain’s -private stores, and many warm professions of political faith. - -The captain told me it was rough work abroad sometimes with “sports” -and chaps of that kind; but “God bless you,” said he, “the river now -is not what it used to be a few years ago, when we’d have three or -four difficulties of an afternoon, and may-be now and then a regular -free fight all up and down the decks, that would last a couple of -hours, so that when we came to a town we would have to send for all -the doctors twenty miles round, and may-be some of them would die -in spite of that. It was the rowdies used to get these fights up; -but we’ve put them pretty well down. The citizens have hunted them -out, and they’s gone away west.” “Well, then, captain, one’s life -was not very safe on board sometimes.” “Safe! Lord bless you!” said -the captain; “if you did not meddle, just as safe as you are now, if -the boiler don’t collapse. You must, in course, know how to handle -your weepins, and be pretty spry in taking your own part.” “Ho, you -Bill!” to his coloured servant, “open that clothes-press.” “Now, -here,” he continued, “is how I travel; so that I am always easy in my -mind in case of trouble on board.” Putting his hand under the pillow -of the bed close beside him, he pulled out a formidable looking -double-barrelled pistol at half-cock, with the caps upon it. “That’s -as purty a pistol as Derringer ever made. I’ve got the brace of -them--here’s the other;” and with that he whipped out pistol No. 2, -in an equal state of forwardness, from a little shelf over his bed; -and then going over to the clothes-press, he said, “Here’s a real old -Kentuck, one of the old sort, as light on the trigger as gossamer, -and sure as deeth--Why, law bless me, a child would cut a turkey’s -head off with it at a hundred yards.” This was a huge lump of iron, -about five feet long, with a small hole bored down the centre, fitted -in a coarse German-fashioned stock. “But,” continued he, “this is my -main dependence; here is a regular beauty, a first-rate, with ball or -buckshot, or whatever you like--made in London; I gave two hundred -dollars for it; and it is so short and handy and straight shooting, -I’d just as soon part with my life as let it go to anybody” and, -with a glow of pride in his face, the captain handed round again a -very short double-barrelled gun, of some eleven or twelve bore, with -back action locks, and an audacious “Joseph Manton, London,” stamped -on the plate. The manner of the man was perfectly simple and _bonâ -fide_; very much as if Inspector Podger were revealing to a simpleton -the mode by which the London police managed refractory characters in -the station-house. - -From such matters as these I was diverted by the more serious subject -of the attitude taken by England in this quarrel. The concession of -belligerent rights was, I found, misunderstood, and was considered -as an admission that the Southern States had established their -independence before they had done more than declare their intention -to fight for it. - -It is not within my power to determine whether the North is as -unfair to Great Britain as the South; but I fear the history of the -people, and the tendency of their institutions, are adverse to any -hope of fair-play and justice to the old country. And yet it is the -only power in Europe for the good opinion of which they really seem -to care. Let any French, Austrian, or Russian journal write what -it pleases of the United States, it is received with indifferent -criticism or callous head-shaking. But let a London paper speak, and -the whole American press is delighted or furious. - -The political sentiment quite overrides all other feelings; and it -is the only symptom statesmen should care about, as it guides the -policy of the country. If a man can put faith in the influence for -peace of common interests, of common origin, common intentions, -with the spectacle of this incipient war before his eyes, he must -be incapable of appreciating the consequences which follow from man -being an animal. A war between England and the United States would -be unnatural; but it would not be nearly so unnatural now as it was -when it was actually waged in 1776 between people who were barely -separated from each other by a single generation; or in 1812-14, when -the foreign immigration had done comparatively little to dilute the -Anglo-Saxon blood. The Norman of Hampshire and Sussex did not care -much for the ties of consanguinity and race when he followed his lord -in fee to ravage Guienne or Brittany. - -The general result of my intercourse with Americans is to produce -the notion that they consider Great Britain in a state of corruption -and decay, and eagerly seek to exalt France at her expense. Their -language is the sole link between England and the United States, and -it only binds the England of 1770 to the American of 1860. - -There is scarcely an American on either side of Mason and Dixon’s -line who does not religiously believe that the colonies, alone and -single-handed, encountered the whole undivided force of Great Britain -in the revolution, and defeated it. I mean, of course, the vast mass -of the people; and I do not think there is an orator or a writer who -would venture to tell them the truth on the subject. Again, they -firmly believe that their petty frigate engagements established -as complete a naval ascendancy over Great Britain as the latter -obtained by her great encounters with the fleets of France and Spain. -Their reverses, defeats, and headlong routs in the first war, their -reverses in the second, are covered over by a huge Buncombe plaster, -made up of Bunker’s Hill, Plattsburg, Baltimore, and New Orleans. - -Their delusions are increased and solidified by the extraordinary -text-books of so-called history, and by the feasts, and festivals, -and celebrations of their every-day political life, in all of which -we pass through imaginary Caudine Forks; and they entertain towards -the old country at best very much the feeling which a high-spirited -young man would feel towards the guardian who, when he had come of -age, and was free from all control, sought to restrain the passions -of his early life. - -Now I could not refuse to believe that in New Orleans, Montgomery, -Mobile, Jackson, and Memphis there is a reckless and violent -condition of society, unfavourable to civilisation, and but little -hopeful for the future. The most absolute and despotic rule, -under which a man’s life and property are safe, is better than the -largest measure of democratic freedom, which deprives the freeman -of any security for either. The state of legal protection for the -most serious interests of man, considered as a civilised and social -creature, which prevails in America, could not be tolerated for -an instant, and would generate a revolution in the worst governed -country in Europe. I would much sooner, as the accidental victim of -a generally disorganized police, be plundered by a chance diligence -robber in Mexico, or have a fair fight with a Greek Klepht, suffer -from Italian banditti, or be garroted by a London ticket-of-leave -man, than be bowie-knifed or revolvered in consequence of a political -or personal difference with a man, who is certain not in the least -degree to suffer from an accidental success in his argument. - -On our return to the hotel I dined with the General and his staff -at the public table, where there was a large assemblage of military -men, Southern ladies, their families, and contractors. This latter -race has risen up as if by magic, to meet the wants of the new -Confederacy; and it is significant to measure the amount of the -dependence on Northern manufacturers by the advertisements in the -Southern journals, indicating the creation of new branches of -workmanship, mechanical science, and manufacturing skill. - -Hitherto they have been dependent on the North for the very -necessaries of their industrial life. These States were so intent -on gathering in money for their produce, expending it luxuriously, -and paying it out for Northern labour, that they found themselves -suddenly in the condition of a child brought up by hand, whose nurse -and mother have left it on the steps of the poor-house. But they have -certainly essayed to remedy the evil and are endeavouring to make -steam-engines, gunpowder, lamps, clothes, boots, railway carriages, -steel springs, glass, and all the smaller articles for which even -Southern households find a necessity. - -The peculiar character of this contest develops itself in a manner -almost incomprehensible to a stranger who has been accustomed to -regard the United States as a nation. Here is General Pillow, for -example, in the State of Tennessee, commanding the forces of the -State, which, in effect, belongs to the Southern Confederacy; but he -tells me that he cannot venture to move across a certain geographical -line, dividing Tennessee from Kentucky, because the State of -Kentucky, in the exercise of its sovereign powers and rights, which -the Southern States are bound specially to respect, in virtue of -their championship of States’ rights, has, like the United Kingdom -of Great Britain and Ireland, declared it will be neutral in the -struggle; and Beriah Magoffin, Governor of the aforesaid State, has -warned off Federal and Confederate troops from his territory. - -General Pillow is particularly indignant with the cowardice of the -well-known Secessionists of Kentucky; but I think he is rather more -annoyed by the accumulation of Federal troops at Cairo, and their -recent expedition to Columbus on the Kentucky shore, a little below -them, where they seized a Confederate flag. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - Heavy Bill--Railway travelling--Introductions--Assassinations - --Tennessee--“Corinth”--“Troy”--“Humbolt”--“The Confederate - camp”--Return Northwards--Columbus--Cairo--The slavery question - --Prospects of the war--Coarse journalism. - - -_June 19th._ It is probable the landlord of the Gayoso House was a -strong Secessionist, and resolved, therefore, to make the most out -of a neutral customer like myself--certainly Herodotus would have -been astonished if he were called upon to pay the little bill which -was presented to me in the modern Memphis; and had the old Egyptian -hostelries been conducted on the same principles as those of the -Tennessean Memphis, the “Father of History” would have had to sell -off a good many editions in order to pay his way. I had to rise at -three o’clock a.m., to reach the train, which started before five. -The omnibus which took us to the station was literally nave deep -in the dust; and of all the bad roads and dusty streets I have yet -seen in the New World, where both prevail, North and South, those -of Memphis are the worst. Indeed, as the citizen, of Hibernian -birth, who presided over the luggage of the passengers on the roof, -declared, “The streets are paved with waves of mud, only the mud is -all dust when it’s fine weather.” - -By the time I had arrived at the station my clothes were covered -with a fine alluvial deposit in a state of powder; the platform was -crowded with volunteers moving off for the wars, and I was obliged -to take my place in a carriage full of Confederate officers and -soldiers who had a large supply of whisky, which at that early hour -they were consuming as a prophylactic against the influence of the -morning dews, which hereabouts are of such a deadly character that, -to be quite safe from their influence, it appears to be necessary, -judging from the examples of my companions, to get as nearly drunk -as possible. Whisky, by-the-by, is also a sovereign specific against -the bites of rattlesnakes. All the dews of the Mississippi and the -rattlesnakes of the prairie might have spent their force or venom in -vain on my companions before we had got as far as Union City. - -I was evidently regarded with considerable suspicion by my fellow -passengers, when they heard I was going to Cairo, until the conductor -obligingly informed them who I was, whereupon I was much entreated to -fortify myself against the dews and rattlesnakes, and received many -offers of service and kindness. - -Whatever may be the normal comforts of American railway cars, they -are certainly most unpleasant conveyances when the war spirit is -abroad, and the heat of the day, which was excessive, did not -contribute to diminish the annoyance of foul air--the odour of -whisky, tobacco, and the like, combined with innumerable flies. At -Humbolt, which is eighty-two miles away, there was a change of cars, -and an opportunity of obtaining some refreshment,--the station was -crowded by great numbers of men and women dressed in their best, who -were making holiday in order to visit Union City, forty-six miles -distant, where a force of Tennesseean and Mississippi regiments -are encamped. The ladies boldly advanced into carriages which were -quite full, and as they looked quite prepared to sit down on the -occupants of the seats if they did not move, and to destroy them -with all-absorbing articles of feminine warfare, either defensive -or aggressive, and crush them with iron-bound crinolines, they soon -drove us out into the broiling sun. - -Whilst I was on the platform I underwent the usual process of -American introduction, not, I fear, very good-humouredly. A gentleman -whom you never saw before in your life, walks up to you and says, “I -am happy to see you among us, sir,” and if he finds a hand wandering -about, he shakes it cordially. “My name is Jones, sir, Judge Jones -of Pumpkin County. Any information about this place or State that I -can give is quite at your service.” This is all very civil and well -meant of Jones, but before you have made up your mind what to say, -or on what matter to test the worth of his proffered information, -he darts off and seizes one of the group who have been watching -Jones’s advance, and comes forward with a tall man, like himself, -busily engaged with a piece of tobacco. “Colonel, let me introduce -you to my friend, Mr. Russell. This, sir, is one of our leading -citizens, Colonel Knags.” Whereupon the Colonel shakes hands, uses -nearly the same formula as Judge Jones, immediately returns to his -friends, and cuts in before Jones is back with other friends, whom -he is hurrying up the platform, introduces General Cassius Mudd and -Dr. Ordlando Bellows, who go through the same ceremony, and as each -man has a circle of his own, my acquaintance becomes prodigiously -extended, and my hand considerably tortured in the space of a few -minutes; finally I am introduced to the driver of the engine and -the stoker, but they proved to be acquaintances not at all to be -despised, for they gave me a seat on the engine, which was really a -boon considering that the train was crowded beyond endurance, and in -a state of internal nastiness scarcely conceivable. - -When I had got up on the engine a gentleman clambered after me in -order to have a little conversation, and he turned out to be an -intelligent and clever man well acquainted with the people and the -country. I had been much impressed by the account in the Memphis -papers of the lawlessness and crime which seemed to prevail in the -state of Mississippi, and of the brutal shootings and stabbings -which disgraced it and other Southern States. He admitted it was -true, but could not see any remedy. “Why not?” “Well, sir, the -rowdies have rushed in on us, and we can’t master them; they are -too strong for the respectable people.” “Then you admit the law is -nearly powerless?” “Well, you see, sir, these men have got hold of -the people who ought to administer the law, and when they fail to do -so they are so powerful by reason of their numbers, and so reckless, -they have things their own way.” - -“In effect, then, you are living under a reign of terror, and the -rule of a ruffian mob?” “It’s not quite so bad as that, perhaps, for -the respectable people are not much affected by it, and most of the -crimes of which you speak are committed by these bad classes in their -own section; but it is disgraceful to have such a state of things, -and when this war is over, and we have started the Confederacy all -fair, we’ll put the whole thing down. We are quite determined -to take the law into our own hands, and the first remedy for the -condition of affairs which, we all lament, will be to confine the -suffrage to native-born Americans, and to get rid of the infamous, -scoundrelly foreigners, who now overrule us in our country.” “But are -not many regiments of Irish and Germans now fighting for you? And -will these foreigners who have taken up arms in your cause be content -to receive as the result of their success an inferior position, -politically, to that which they now hold?” “Well, sir, they must; we -are bound to go through with this thing if we would save society.” I -had so often heard a similar determination expressed by men belonging -to the thinking classes in the South that I am bound to believe -the project is entertained by many of those engaged in this great -revolt--one principle of which indeed, may be considered hostility to -universal suffrage, combining with it, of course, the limitation of -the immigrant vote. - -The portion of Tennessee through which the rail runs is exceedingly -uninteresting, and looks unhealthy, the clearings occur at long -intervals in the forest, and the unwholesome population, who came -out of their low shanties, situated amidst blackened stumps of trees -or fields of Indian corn, did not seem prosperous or comfortable. -The twists and curves of the rail, through cane brakes and swamps -exceeded in that respect any line I have ever travelled on; but the -vertical irregularities of the rail were still greater, and the -engine bounded as if it were at sea. - -The names of the stations show that a savant has been rambling about -the district. Here is Corinth, which consists of a wooden grog-shop -and three log shanties; the acropolis is represented by a grocery -store, of which the proprietors, no doubt, have gone to the wars, as -their names were suspiciously Milesian, and the doors and windows -were fastened; but occasionally the names of the stations on the -railway boards represented towns and villages, hidden in the wood -some distance away, and Mummius might have something to ruin if he -marched off the track but not otherwise. - -The city of Troy was still simpler in architecture than the Grecian -capitol. The Dardanian towers were represented by a timber-house, in -the verandah of which the American Helen was seated, in the shape of -an old woman smoking a pipe, and she certainly could have set the -Palace of Priam on fire much more readily than her prototype. Four -sheds, three log huts, a sawmill, about twenty negroes sitting on -a wood-pile, and looking at the train, constituted the rest of the -place, which was certainly too new for one to say, _Troja fuit_, -whilst the general “fixins” would scarcely authorise us to say with -any confidence, _Troja fuerit_. - -The train from Troy passed through a cypress swamp, over which the -engine rattled, and hopped at a perilous rate along high trestle -work, till forty-six miles from Humbolt we came to Union City, which -was apparently formed by aggregate meetings of discontented shavings -that had travelled out of the forest hard by. But a little beyond it -was the Confederate camp, which so many citizens and citizenesses -had come out into the wilderness to see; and a general descent was -made upon the place whilst the volunteers came swarming out of their -tents to meet their friends. It was interesting to observe the -affectionate greetings between the young soldiers, mothers, wives, -and sweethearts, and as a display of the force and earnestness of -the Southern people--the camp itself containing thousands of men, -many of whom were members of the first families in the State--was -specially significant. - -There is no appearance of military order or discipline about -the camps, though they were guarded by sentries and cannon, and -implements of war and soldiers’ accoutrements were abundant. Some -of the sentinels carried their firelocks under their arms like -umbrellas, others carried the butt over the shoulder and the muzzle -downwards, and one for his greater ease had stuck the bayonet of his -firelock into the ground, and was leaning his elbow on the stock -with his chin on his hand, whilst Sybarites less ingenious, had -simply deposited their muskets against the trees, and were lying -down reading newspapers. Their arms and uniforms were of different -descriptions--sporting rifles, fowling pieces, flint muskets, smooth -bores, long and short barrels, new Enfields, and the like; but the -men, nevertheless, were undoubtedly material for excellent soldiers. -There were some few boys, too young to carry arms, although the zeal -and ardour of such lads cannot but have a good effect, if they behave -well in action. - -The great attraction of this train lay in a vast supply of stores, -with which several large vans were closely packed, and for fully -two hours the train was delayed, whilst hampers of wine, spirits, -vegetables, fruit, meat, groceries, and all the various articles -acceptable to soldiers living under canvas were disgorged on the -platform, and carried away by the expectant military. - -I was pleased to observe the perfect confidence that was felt in -the honesty of the men. The railway servants simply deposited each -article as it came out on the platform--the men came up, read the -address, and carried it away, or left it, as the case might be; and -only in one instance did I see a scramble, which was certainly quite -justifiable, for in handing out a large basket the bottom gave way, -and out tumbled onions, apples, and potatoes among the soldiery, who -stuffed their pockets and haversacks with the unexpected bounty. One -young fellow, who was handed a large wicker-covered jar from the -van, having shaken it, and gratified his ear by the pleasant jingle -inside, retired to the roadside, drew the cork, and, raising it -slowly to his mouth, proceeded to take a good pull at the contents, -to the envy of his comrades; but the pleasant expression upon his -face rapidly vanished, and spurting out the fluid with a hideous -grimace, he exclaimed, “D---; why, if the old woman has not gone and -sent me a gallon of syrup.” The matter was evidently considered too -serious to joke about, for not a soul in the crowd even smiled; but -they walked away from the man, who, putting down the jar, seemed in -doubt as to whether he would take it away or not. - -Numerous were the invitations to stop, which I received from the -officers. “Why not stay with us, sir; what can a gentleman want to go -among black Republicans and Yankees for.” It is quite obvious that my -return to the Northern States is regarded with some suspicion; but I -am bound to say that my explanation of the necessity of the step was -always well received, and satisfied my Southern friends that I had -no alternative. A special correspondent, whose letters cannot get -out of the country in which he is engaged, can scarcely fulfil the -purpose of his mission; and I used to point out, good-humouredly, to -these gentlemen that until they had either opened the communication -with the North, or had broken the blockade, and established steam -communication with Europe, I must seek my base of operations -elsewhere. - -At last we started from Union City; and there came into the car, -among other soldiers who were going-out to Columbus, a fine -specimen of the wild filibustering population of the South, which -furnish many recruits to the ranks of the Confederate army--a tall, -brawny-shouldered, brown-faced, black-bearded, hairy-handed man, -with a hunter’s eye, and rather a Jewish face, full of life, energy, -and daring. I easily got into conversation with him, as my companion -happened to be a freemason, and he told us he had been a planter -in Mississippi, and once owned 110 negroes, worth at least some -20,000_l._; but, as he said himself, “I was always patrioting it -about;” and so he went off, first with Lopez to Cuba, was wounded -and taken prisoner by the Spaniards, but had the good fortune to be -saved from the execution which was inflicted on the ringleaders of -the expedition. When he came back he found his plantation all the -worse, and a decrease amongst his negroes; but his love of adventure -and filibustering was stronger than his prudence or desire of gain. -He took up with Walker, the “the grey eyed man of destiny,” and -accompanied him in his strange career till his leader received the -_coup de grace_ in the final raid upon Nicaragua. - -Again he was taken prisoner, and would have been put to death by the -Nicaraguans, but for the intervention of Captain Aldham. “I don’t -bear any love to the Britishers,” said he, “but I’m bound to say, -as so many charges have been made against Captain Aldham, that he -behaved like a gentleman, and if I had been at New Orleans when them -cussed cowardly blackguards ill-used him, I’d have left my mark so -deep on a few of them, that their clothes would not cover them long.” -He told us that at present he had only five negroes left, “but I’m -not going to let the black republicans lay hold of them, and I’m -just going to stand up for States’ rights as long as I can draw a -trigger--so snakes and Abolitionists look out.” He was so reduced by -starvation, ill-treatment, and sickness in Nicaragua, when Captain -Aldham procured his release, that he weighed only 110 pounds, but at -present he was over 200 pounds, a splendid _bête fauve_, and without -wishing so fine a looking fellow any harm, I could not but help -thinking that it must be a benefit to American society to get rid of -a considerable number of these class of which he is a representative -man. And there is every probability that they will have a full -opportunity of doing so. - -On the arrival of the train at Columbus, twenty-five miles from -Union City, my friend got out, and a good number of men in uniform -joined him, which led me to conclude that they had some more serious -object than a mere pleasure trip to the very uninteresting looking -city on the banks of the Mississippi, which is asserted to be -neutral territory, as it belongs to the sovereign state of Kentucky. -I heard, accidentally, as I came in the train, that a party of -Federal soldiers from the camp at Cairo, up the river, had recently -descended to Columbus and torn down a secession flag which had been -hoisted on the river’s bank, to the great indignation of many of the -inhabitants. - -In those border states the coming war promises to produce the -greatest misery; they will be the scenes of hostile operations; the -population is divided in sentiment; the greatest efforts will be made -by each side to gain the ascendancy in the state, and to crush the -opposite faction, and it is not possible to believe that Kentucky can -maintain a neutral position, or that either Federal or Confederates -will pay the smallest regard to the proclamation of Governor -McGoffin, and to his empty menaces. - -At Columbus the steamer was waiting to convey us up to Cairo, and -I congratulated myself on the good fortune of arriving in time for -the last opportunity that will be afforded of proceeding northward -by this route. General Pillow on the one hand, and General Prentiss -on the other, have resolved to blockade the Mississippi, and as -the facilities for Confederates going up to Columbus and obtaining -information of what is happening in the Federal camps cannot readily -be checked, the general in command of the port to which I am bound -has intimated that the steamers must cease running. It was late in -the day when we entered once more on the father of waters, which is -here just as broad, as muddy, as deep, and as wooded as it is at -Bâton Rouge, or Vicksburg. - -Columbus is situated on an elevated spur or elbow of land projecting -into the river, and has, in commercial faith, one of those futures -which have so many rallying points down the centre of the great -river. The steamer which lay at the wharf, or rather the wooden -piles in the bank which afforded a resting place for the gangway, -carried no flag, and on board presented traces of better days, a list -of refreshments no longer attainable, and of bill of fare utterly -fanciful. About twenty passengers came on board, most of whom had -a distracted air, as if they were doubtful of their journey. The -captain was surly, the office keeper petulant, the crew morose, and, -perhaps, only one man on board, a stout Englishman, who was purser -or chief of the victualling department, seemed at all inclined to be -communicative. At dinner he asked me whether I thought there would be -a fight, but as I was oscillating between one extreme and the other, -I considered it right to conceal my opinion even from the steward of -the Mississippi boat; and, as it happened, the expression of it would -not have been of much consequence one way or the other, for it turned -out that our friend was of very stern stuff, “This war,” he said, -“is all about niggers; I’ve been sixteen years in the country, and I -never met one of them yet was fit to be anything but a slave; I know -the two sections well, and I tell you, sir, the North, can’t whip the -South, let them do their best; they may ruin the country, but they’ll -do no good.” - -There were men on board who had expressed the strongest secession -sentiments in the train, but who now sat and listened and acquiesced -in the opinions of Northern men, and by the time Cairo was in sight, -they, no doubt, would have taken the oath of allegiance which every -doubtful person is required to utter before he is allowed to go -beyond the military post. - -In about two hours or so the captain pointed out to me a tall -building and some sheds, which seemed to arise out of a wide reach in -the river, “that’s Cairey,” said he, “where the Unionists have their -camp,” and very soon the stars and stripes were visible, waving from -a lofty staff, at the angle of low land formed by the junction of the -Mississippi and Ohio. - -For two months I had seen only the rival stars and bars, with the -exception of the rival banner floating from the ships and the fort at -Pickens. One of the passengers told me that the place was supposed -to be described by Mr. Dickens, in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” and as the -steamer approached the desolate embankment, which seemed the only -barrier between the low land on which the so-called city was built, -and the waters of the great river rising above it, it certainly -became impossible to believe that sane men, even as speculators, -could have fixed upon such a spot as the possible site of a great -city,--an emporium of trade and commerce. A more desolate woe-begone -looking place, now that all trade and commerce had ceased cannot -be conceived; but as the southern terminus of the central Illinois -railway, it displayed a very different scene before the war broke out. - -With the exception of the large hotel, which rises far above the -levée of the river, the public edifices are represented by a church -and spire, and the rest of the town by a line of shanties and small -houses, the rooms and upper stories of which are just visible above -the embankment. The general impression effected by the place was -decidedly like that which the Isle of Dogs produces on a despondent -foreigner as he approaches London by the river on a drizzly day in -November. The stream, formed by the united efforts of the Mississippi -and the Ohio, did not appear to gain much breadth, and each of the -confluents looked as large as its product with the other. Three -steamers lay alongside the wooden wharves projecting from the -embankment, which was also lined by some flat-boats. Sentries paraded -the gangways as the steamer made fast along the shore, but no inquiry -was directed to any of the passengers, and I walked up the levée and -proceeded straight to the hotel, which put me very much in mind of -an effort made by speculating proprietors to create a watering-place -on some lifeless beach. In the hall there were a number of officers -in United States’ uniforms, and the lower part of the hotel was, -apparently, occupied as a military bureau; finally, I was shoved into -a small dungeon, with a window opening out on the angle formed by the -two rivers, which was lined with sheds and huts and terminated by a -battery. - -These camps are such novelties in the country, and there is such -romance in the mere fact of a man living in a tent, that people -come far and wide to see their friends under such extraordinary -circumstances, and the hotel at Cairo was crowded by men and women -who had come from all parts of Illinois to visit their acquaintances -and relations belonging to the state troops encamped at this -important point. The _salle à manger_, a long and lofty room on the -ground floor, which I visited at supper time, was almost untenable -by reason of heat and flies; nor did I find that the free negroes, -who acted as attendants, possessed any advantages over their enslaved -brethren a few miles lower down the river; though their freedom was -obvious enough in their demeanour and manners. - -I was introduced to General Prentiss, an agreeable person, without -anything about him to indicate the soldier. He gave me a number of -newspapers, the articles in which were principally occupied with -a discussion of Lord John Russell’s speech on American affairs: -Much as the South found fault with the British minister for the -views he had expressed, the North appears much more indignant, and -denounces in the press what the journalists are pleased to call -“the hostility of the Foreign Minister to the United States.” It is -admitted, however, that the extreme irritation caused by admitting -the Southern States to exercise limited belligerent rights was not -quite justifiable. Soon after nightfall I retired to my room and -battled with mosquitoes till I sank into sleep and exhaustion, and -abandoned myself to their mercies; perhaps, after all, there were not -more than a hundred or so, and their united efforts could not absorb -as much blood as would be taken out by one leech, but then their -horrible acrimony, which leaves a wreck behind in the place where -they have banqueted, inspires the utmost indignation and appears to -be an indefensible prolongation of the outrage of the original bite. - -_June 20th._--When I awoke this morning and, gazing out of my little -window on the regiments parading on the level below me, after an -arduous struggle to obtain cold water for a bath, sat down to -consider what I had seen within the last two months, and to arrive -at some general results from the retrospect, I own that after much -thought my mind was reduced to a hazy analysis of the abstract -principles of right and wrong, in which it failed to come to any very -definite conclusion: the space of a very few miles has completely -altered the phases of thought and the forms of language. - -I am living among “abolitionists, cut-throats, Lincolnite -mercenaries, foreign invaders, assassins, and plundering Dutchmen.” -Such, at least, the men of Columbus tell me the garrison at Cairo -consists of. Down below me are “rebels, conspirators, robbers, slave -breeders, wretches bent upon destroying the most perfect government -on the face of the earth, in order to perpetuate an accursed system, -by which, however, beings are held in bondage and immortal souls -consigned to perdition.” - -On the whole, the impression left upon my mind by what I had seen in -slave states is unfavourable to the institution of slavery, both as -regards its effects on the slave and its influence on the master. But -my examination was necessarily superficial and hasty. I have reason -to believe that the more deeply the institution is probed, the more -clearly will its unsoundness and its radical evils be discerned. The -constant appeals made to the physical comforts of the slaves, and -their supposed contentment, have little or no effect on any person -who acts up to a higher standard of human happiness than that which -is applied to swine or the beasts of the fields “See how fat my pigs -are.” - -The arguments founded on a comparison of the condition of the slave -population with the pauperised inhabitants of European states are -utterly fallacious, inasmuch as in one point, which is the most -important by far, there can be no comparison at all. In effect -slavery can only be justified in the abstract on the grounds which -slavery advocates decline to take boldly, though they insinuate it -now and then, that is, the inferiority of the negro in respect to -white men, which removes them from the upper class of human beings -and places them in a condition which is as much below the Caucasian -standard as the quadrumanous creatures are beneath the negro. Slavery -is a curse, with its time of accomplishment not quite at hand--it is -a cancer, the ravages of which are covered by fair outward show, and -by the apparent health of the sufferer. - -The slave states, of course, would not support the Northern for a -year if cotton, sugar, and tobacco became suddenly worthless. But, -nevertheless, the slave owners would have strong grounds to stand -upon if they were content to point to the difficulties in the way of -emancipation, and the circumstances under which they received their -_damnosa hereditas_ from England, which fostered, nay forced, slavery -in legislative hotbeds throughout the colonies. The Englishman may -say “We abolished slavery when we saw its evils.” The slave owner -replies, “Yes, with you it was possible to decree the extinction--not -with us.” - -Never did a people enter on a war so utterly destitute of any reason -for waging it, or of the means of bringing it to a successful -termination against internal enemies. The thirteen colonies had a -large population of sea-faring and soldiering men, constantly engaged -in military expeditions. There was a large infusion, compared with -the numbers of men capable of commanding in the field, and their -great enemy was separated by a space far greater than the whole -circumference of the globe would be in the present time from the -scene of operations. Most American officers who took part in the -war of 1812-14 are now too old for service, or retired into private -life soon after the campaign. The same remark applies to the senior -officers who served in Mexico, and the experiences of that campaign -could not be of much use to those now in the service, of whom -the majority were subalterns, or at most, officers in command of -volunteers. - -A love of military display is very different indeed from a true -soldierly spirit, and at the base of the volunteer system there lies -a radical difficulty, which must be overcome before real military -efficiency can be expected. In the South the foreign element has -contributed largely to swell the ranks with many docile and a few -experienced soldiers, the number of the latter predominating in the -German levies, and the same remark is, I hear, true of the Northern -armies. - -The most active member of the staff here is a young Englishman -named Binmore, who was a stenographic writer in London, but has -now sharpened his pencil into a sword, and when I went into the -guard-room this morning I found that three-fourths of the officers, -including all who had seen actual service, were foreigners. One, -Milotzky, was an Hungarian; another, Waagner, was of the same -nationality; a third, Schuttner, was a German; another, Mac -something, was a Scotchman; another, was an Englishman. One only -(Colonel Morgan), who had served in Mexico, was an American. The -foreigners, of course, serve in this war as mercenaries; that is, -they enter into the conflict to gain something by it, either in pay, -in position, or in securing a status for themselves. - -The utter absence of any fixed principle determining the side which -the foreign nationalities adopt is proved by their going North or -South with the state in which they live. On the other hand, the -effects of discipline and of the principles of military life on rank -and file are shown by the fact that the soldiers of the regular -regiments of the United States and the sailors in the navy have to -a man adhered to their colours, notwithstanding the examples and -inducements of their officers. - -After breakfast I went down about the works, which fortify the bank -of mud, in the shape of a V, formed by the two rivers--a flêche with -a ditch, scarp, and counter-scarp. Some heavy pieces cover the end -of the spit at the other side of the Mississippi, at Bird’s Point. -On the side of Missouri there is a field entrenchment, held by a -regiment of Germans, Poles, and Hungarians, about 1000 strong, with -two field batteries. The sacred soil of Kentucky, on the other side -of the Ohio, is tabooed by Beriah Magoffin, but it is not possible -for the belligerents to stand so close face to face without occupying -either Columbus or Hickman. The thermometer was at 100° soon after -breakfast, and it was not wonderful to find that the men in Camp -Defiance, which is the name of the cantonment on the mud between the -levées of the Ohio and Mississippi, were suffering from diarrhœa and -fever. - -In the evening there was a review of three regiments, forming a -brigade of some 2800 men, who went through their drill, advancing in -columns of company, moving _en echelon_, changing front, deploying -into line on the centre company, very creditably. It was curious to -see what a start ran through the men during the parade when a gun -was fired from the battery close at hand, and how their heads turned -towards the river; but the steamer which had appeared round the bend -hoisted the private signs, by which she was known as a friend, and -tranquillity was restored. - -I am not sure that most of these troops desire anything but a long -residence at a tolerably comfortable station, with plenty of pay -and no marching. Cairo, indeed, is not comfortable; the worst -barrack that ever asphixiated the British soldier would be better -than the best shed here, and the flies and the mosquitoes are beyond -all conception virulent and pestiferous. I would give much to see -Cairo in its normal state, but it is my fate to witness the most -interesting scenes in the world through a glaze of gunpowder. It -would be unfair to say that any marked superiority in dwelling, -clothing, or comfort was visible between the mean white of Cairo or -the black chattel a few miles down the river. Brawling, rioting, and -a good deal of drunkenness prevailed in the miserable sheds which -line the stream, although there was nothing to justify the libels on -the garrison of the _Columbus Crescent_, edited by one Colonel L. -G. Faxon, of the Tennessee Tigers, with whose writings I was made -acquainted by General Prentiss, to whom they appeared to give more -annoyance than he was quite wise in showing. - -This is a style of journalism which may have its merits, and which -certainly is peculiar; I give a few small pieces. “The Irish are -for us, and they will knock Bologna sausages out of the Dutch, and -we will knock wooden nutmegs out of the Yankees.” “The mosquitoes -of Cairo have been sucking the lager-bier out of the dirty soldiers -there so long, they are bloated and swelled up as large as spring -’possums. An assortment of Columbus mosquitoes went up there -the other day to suck some, but as they have not returned, the -probability is they went off with _delirium tremens_; in fact, the -blood of these Hessians would poison the most degraded tumble bug in -creation.” - -Our editor is particularly angry about the recent seizure of a -Confederate flag at Columbus by Colonel Oglesby and a party of -Federals from Cairo. Speaking of a flag intended for himself, -he says, “Would that its folds had contained 1000 asps to sting -1000 Dutchmen to eternity unshriven.” Our friend is certainly a -genius. His paper of June the 19th opens with an apology for the -non-appearance of the journal for several weeks. “Before leaving,” -he says, “we engaged the services of a competent editor, and left a -printer here to issue the paper regularly. We were detained several -weeks beyond our time, the aforesaid printer promised faithfully to -perform his duties, but he left the same day we did, and consequently -there was no one to get out the paper. We have the charity to suppose -that fear and bad whisky had nothing to do with his evacuation of -Columbus.” Another elegant extract about the flag commences, “When -the bow-legged, wooden shoed, sour craut stinking, Bologna sausage -eating, hen roost robbing Dutch sons of ---- had accomplished the -brilliant feat of taking down the Secession flag on the river bank, -they were pointed to another flag of the same sort which their guns -did not cover, flying gloriously and defiantly, and dared yea! double -big black dog--dared, as we used to say at school, to take that -flag down--the cowardly pups, the thieving sheep dogs, the sneaking -skunks, dare not do so, because their twelve pieces of artillery were -not bearing on it.” As to the Federal commander at Cairo, Colonel -Faxon’s sentiments are unambiguous. “The qualifications of this man, -Prentiss,” he says, “for the command of such a squad of villains -and cut-throats are, that he is a miserable hound, a dirty dog, a -sociable fellow, a treacherous villain, a notorious thief, a lying -blackguard, who has served his regular five years in the Penitentiary -and keeps his hide continually full of Cincinnati whisky, which he -buys by the barrel in order to save his money--in him are embodied -the leprous rascalities of the world, and in this living score, the -gallows is cheated of its own. Prentiss wants our scalp; we propose -a plan by which he may get that valuable article. Let him select -150 of his best fighting men, or 250 of his lager-bier Dutchmen, we -will select 100, then let both parties meet where there will be no -interruption at the scalping business, and the longest pole will -knock the persimmon. If he does not accept this proposal, he is a -coward. We think this a gentlemanly proposition and quite fair and -equal to both parties.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - Camp at Cairo--The North and the South in respect to Europe-- - Political reflections--Mr. Colonel Oglesby--My speech--Northern - and Southern soldiers compared--American country-walks-- - Recklessness of life--Want of cavalry--Emeute in the camp-- - Defects of army medical department--Horrors of war--Bad - discipline. - - -_June 21st._ Verily I would be sooner in the Coptic Cairo, narrow -streeted, dark bazaared, many flied, much vexed by donkeys and by -overland route passengers, than the horrid tongue of land which licks -the muddy margin of the Ohio and the Mississippi. The thermometer at -100° in the shade before noon indicates nowhere else such an amount -of heat and suffering, and yet prostrate as I was, it was my fate to -argue that England was justified in conceding belligerent rights to -the South, and that the attitude of neutrality we had assumed in this -terrible quarrel is not in effect an aggression on the United States; -and here is a difference to be perceived between the North and the -South. - -The people of the seceding States, aware in their consciences that -they have been most active in their hostility to Great Britain, and -whilst they were in power were mainly responsible for the defiant, -irritating, and insulting tone commonly used to us by American -statesmen, are anxious at the present moment, when so much depends -on the action of foreign countries, to remove all unfavourable -impressions from our minds by declarations of good will, respect, and -admiration, not quite compatible with the language of their leaders -in times not long gone by. The North, as yet unconscious of the loss -of power, and reared in a school of menace and violent assertion -of their rights regarding themselves as the whole of the United -States, and animated by their own feeling of commercial and political -opposition to Great Britain, maintain the high tone of a people who -have never known let or hindrance in their passions, and consider it -an outrage that the whole world does not join in active sympathy for -a government which in its brief career has contrived to affront every -nation in Europe with which it had any dealings. - -If the United States have astonished France by their ingratitude, -they have certainly accustomed England to their petulance, and one -can fancy the satisfaction with which the Austrian Statesmen who -remember Mr. Webster’s despatch to Mr. Hulsemann, contemplate the -present condition of the United States in the face of an insurrection -of these sovereign and independent States which the Cabinet at -Washington stigmatises as an outbreak of rebels and traitors to the -royalty of the Union. - -During my short sojourn in this country I have never yet met any -person who could show me where the sovereignty of the Union resides. -General Prentiss, however, and his Illinois volunteers, are quite -ready to fight for it. - -In the afternoon the General drove me round the camps in company -with Mr. Washburne, Member of Congress, from Illinois, his staff -and a party of officers, among whom was Mr. Oglesby, colonel of -a regiment of State Volunteers, who struck me by his shrewdness, -simple honesty, and zeal.[1] He told me that he had begun life in the -utmost obscurity, but that somehow or other he got into a lawyer’s -office, and there, by hard drudgery, by mother wit, and industry, -notwithstanding a defective education, he had raised himself not only -to independence but to such a position that 1000 men had gathered at -his call and selected one who had never led a company in his life to -be their colonel; in fact, he is an excellent orator of the western -school, and made good homely, telling speeches to his men. - -“I’m not as good as your Frenchmen of the schools of Paris, nor am I -equal to the Russian colonels I met at St. Petersburg, who sketched -me out how they had beaten you Britishers at Sebastopol,” said he; -“but I know I can do good straight fighting with my boys when I get -a chance. There is a good deal in training, to be sure, but nature -tells too. Why I believe I would make a good artillery officer if I -was put to it. General, you heard how I laid one of them guns the -other day and touched her off with my own hand and sent the ball -right into a tree half-a-mile away.” The Colonel evidently thought -he had by that feat proved his fitness for the command of a field -battery. One of the German officers who was listening to the lively -old man’s talk, whispered to me, “Dere is a good many of tese -colonels in dis camp.” - -At each station the officers came out of their tents, shook hands all -round, and gave an unfailing invitation to get down and take a drink, -and the guns on the General’s approach fired salutes, as though it -was a time of profoundest peace. Powder was certainly more plentiful -than in the Confederate camps, where salutes are not permitted unless -by special order on great occasions. - -The General remained for some time in the camp of the Chicago light -artillery, which was commanded by a fine young Scotchman of the Saxon -genus Smith, who told me that the privates of his company represented -a million and a half of dollars in property. Their guns, horses, -carriages, and accoutrements were all in the most creditable order, -and there was an air about the men and about their camp which showed -they did not belong to the same class as the better disciplined -Hungarians of Milotzky close at hand. - -Whilst we were seated in Captain Smith’s tent, a number of the -privates came forward, and sang the “Star-spangled banner” and a -patriotic song, to the air of “God save the Queen,” and the rest of -the artillerymen, and a number of stragglers from the other camps, -assembled and then formed line behind the singers. When the chorus -was over there arose a great shout for Washburne, and the honourable -Congress man was fain to come forward and make a speech, in which -he assured his hearers of a very speedy victory and the advent of -liberty all over the land. Then “General Prentiss” was called for; -and as citizen soldiers command their Generals on such occasions, -he too was obliged to speak, and to tell his audience “the world -had never seen any men more devoted, gallant, or patriotic than -themselves.” “Oglesby” was next summoned, and the tall, portly, -good-humoured old man stepped to the front, and with excellent tact -and good sense, dished up in the Buncombe style, told them the time -for making speeches had passed, indeed it had lasted too long; -and although it was said there was very little fighting when there -was much talking, he believed too much talking was likely to lead -to a great deal more fighting than any one desired to see between -citizens of the United States of America, except their enemies, -who, no doubt, were much better pleased to see Americans fighting -each other than to find them engaged in any other employment. Great -as the mischief of too much talking had been, too much writing had -far more of the mischief to answer for. The pen was keener than the -tongue, hit harder, and left a more incurable wound; but the pen was -better than the tongue, because it was able to cure the mischief it -had inflicted. And so by a series of sentences the Colonel got round -to me, and to my consternation, remembering how I had fared with my -speech at the little private dinner on St. Patrick’s Day in New York, -I was called upon by stentorian lungs, and hustled to the stump by -a friendly circle, till I escaped by uttering a few sentences as to -“mighty struggle,” “Europe gazing,” “the world anxious,” “the virtues -of discipline,” “the admirable lessons of a soldier’s life,” and the -“aspiration that in a quarrel wherein a British subject was ordered, -by an authority he was bound to respect, to remain neutral, God might -preserve the right.” - -Colonel, General, and all addressed the soldiers as “gentlemen,” -and their auditory did not on their part refrain from expressing -their sentiments in the most unmistakeable manner. “Bully for you, -General!” “Bravo, Washburne!” “That’s so, Colonel!” and the like, -interrupted the harangues and when the oratorical exercises were -over the men crowded round the staff, cheered and hurrahed, and -tossed up their caps in the greatest delight. - -With the exception of the foreign officers, and some of the Staff, -there are very few of the colonels, majors, captains, or lieutenants -who know anything of their business. The men do not care for them, -and never think of saluting them. A regiment of Germans was sent -across from Bird’s Point this evening for plundering and robbing the -houses in the district in which they were quartered. - -It may be readily imagined that the scoundrels who had to fly from -every city in Europe before the face of the police will not stay -their hands when they find themselves masters of the situation in -the so-called country of an enemy. In such matters the officers -have little or no control, and discipline is exceedingly lax, and -punishments but sparingly inflicted, the use of the lash being -forbidden altogether. Fine as the men are, incomparably better -armed, clad--and doubtless better fed--than the Southern troops, -they will scarcely meet them man to man in the field with any chance -of success. Among the officers are bar-room keepers, persons little -above the position of potmen in England, grocers’ apprentices, and -such like--often inferior socially, and in every other respect, to -the men whom they are supposed to command. General Prentiss has seen -service, I believe, in Mexico; but he appears to me to be rather an -ardent politician, embittered against slaveholders and the South, -than a judicious or skilful military leader. - -The principles on which these isolated commanders carry on the war -are eminently defective. They apply their whole minds to petty -expeditions, which go out from the camps, attack some Secessionist -gathering, and then return, plundering as they go and come, -exasperating enemies, converting neutrals into opponents, disgusting -friends, and leaving it to the Secessionists to boast that they have -repulsed them. Instead of encouraging the men and improving their -discipline these ill-conducted expeditions have an opposite result. - -_June 22nd._ An active man would soon go mad if he were confined -in Cairo. A mudbank stretching along the course of a muddy river -is not attractive to a pedestrian; and, as is the case in most of -the Southern cities, there is no place round Cairo where a man can -stretch his legs, or take an honest walk in the country. A walk in -the country! The Americans have not an idea of what the thing means. -I speak now only of the inhabitants of the towns of the States -through which I have passed, as far as I have seen of them. The roads -are either impassible in mud or knee-deep in dust. There are no green -shady lanes, no sheltering groves, no quiet paths through green -meadows beneath umbrageous trees. Off the rail there is a morass--or, -at best, a clearing--full of stumps. No temptations to take a stroll. -Down away South the planters ride or drive; indeed in many places the -saunterer by the way-side would probably encounter an alligator, or -disturb a society of rattlesnakes. - -To-day I managed to struggle along the levée in a kind of sirocco, -and visited the works at the extremity, which were constructed by an -Hungarian named Waagner, one of the _emigrés_ who came with Kossuth -to the United States. I found him in a hut full of flies, suffering -from camp diarrhœa, and waited on by Mr. O’Leary, who was formerly -petty officer in our navy, served in the Furious in the Black Sea, -and in the Shannon Brigade in India, now a lieutenant in the United -States’ army, where I should say he feels himself very much out of -place. The Hungarian and the Milesian were, however, quite agreed -about the utter incompetence of their military friends around them, -and the great merits of heavy artillery. “When I tell them here the -way poor Sir William made us rattle about them 68-pounder guns, -the poor ignorant creatures laugh at me--not one of them believes -it.” “It is most astonishing,” says the colonel, “how ignorant they -are; there is not one of these men who can trace a regular work. Of -West Point men I speak not, but of the people about here, and they -will not learn of me--from me who knows.” However, the works were -well enough, strongly covered, commanded both rivers, and not to be -reduced without trouble. - -The heat drove me in among the flies of the crowded hotel, where -Brigadier Prentiss is planning one of those absurd expeditions -against a Secessionist camp at Commerce, in the State of Missouri, -about two hours steaming up the river, and some twelve or fourteen -miles inland. Cairo abounds in Secessionists and spies, and it is -needful to take great precautions lest the expedition be known; but, -after all, stores must be got ready, and put on board the steamers, -and preparations must be made which cannot be concealed from the -world. At dusk 700 men, supported by a six-pounder field-piece, were -put on board the “City of Alton,” on which they clustered like bees -in a swarm, and as the huge engine laboured up and down against the -stream, and the boat swayed from side to side, I felt a considerable -desire to see General Prentiss chucked into the stream for his utter -recklessness in cramming on board one huge tinder-box, all fire and -touchwood, so many human beings, who, in event of an explosion, or a -shot in the boiler, or of a heavy musketry fire on the banks, would -have been converted into a great slaughter-house. One small boat hung -from her stern, and although there were plenty of river flats and -numerous steamers, even the horses belonging to the field piece were -crammed in among the men along the deck. - -In my letter to Europe I made, at the time, some remarks by which the -belligerents might have profited, and which at the time these pages -are reproduced may strike them as possessing some value, illustrated -as they have been by many events in the war. “A handful of horsemen -would have been admirable to move in advance, feel the covers, and -make prisoners for political or other purposes in case of flight; -but the Americans persist in ignoring the use of horsemen, or at -least in depreciating it, though they will at last find that they may -shed much blood, and lose much more, before they can gain a victory -without the aid of artillery and charges after the retreating enemy. -From the want of cavalry, I suppose it is, the unmilitary practice -of ‘scouting,’ as it is called here, has arisen. It is all very well -in the days of Indian wars for footmen to creep about in the bushes, -and shoot or be shot by sentries and pickets; but no civilised war -recognises such means of annoyance as firing upon sentinels, unless -in case of an actual advance or feigned attack on the line. No camp -can be safe without cavalry videttes and pickets; for the enemy -can pour in impetuously after the alarm has been given, as fast as -the outlying footmen can run in. In feeling the way for a column, -cavalry are invaluable, and there can be little chance of ambuscades -or surprises where they are judiciously employed; but ‘scouting’ on -foot, or adventurous private expeditions on horseback, to have a look -at the enemy, can do, and will do, nothing but harm. Every day the -papers contain accounts of ‘scouts’ being killed, and sentries being -picked off. The latter is a very barbarous and savage practice; and -the Russian, in his most angry moments, abstained from it. If any -officer wishes to obtain information as to his enemy, he has two ways -of doing it. He can employ spies, who carry their lives in their -hands, or he can beat up their quarters by a proper reconnaissance on -his own responsibility, in which, however, it would be advisable not -to trust his force to a railway train.” - -At night there was a kind of _émeute_ in camp. The day, as I have -said, was excessively hot, and on returning to their tents and huts -from evening parade the men found the contractor who supplies them -with water had not filled the barrels; so they forced the sentries, -broke barracks after hours, mobbed their officers, and streamed up -to the hotel, which they surrounded, calling out, “Water, water,” -in chorus. The General came out, and got up on a rail: “Gentlemen,” -said he, “it is not my fault you are without water. It’s your -officers who are to blame; not me.” (“Groans for the Quartermaster,” -from the men.) “If it is the fault of the contractor, I’ll see -that he is punished. I’ll take steps at once to see that the -matter is remedied. And now, gentlemen, I hope you’ll go back to -your quarters;” and the gentlemen took it into their heads very -good-humouredly to obey the suggestion, fell in, and marched back two -deep to their huts. - -As the General was smoking his cigar before going to bed, I asked him -why the officers had not more control over the men. “Well,” said he, -“the officers are to blame for all this. The truth is, the term for -which these volunteers enlisted is drawing to a close; and they have -not as yet enrolled themselves in the United States’ army. They are -merely volunteer regiments of the State of Illinois. If they were -displeased with anything, therefore, they might refuse to enter the -service or to take fresh engagements: and the officers would find -themselves suddenly left without any men; they therefore curry favour -with the privates, many of them, too, having an eye to the votes of -the men when the elections of officers in the new regiments are to -take place.” - -The contractors have commenced plunder on a gigantic scale; and their -influence with the authorities of the State is so powerful, there -is little chance of punishing them. Besides, it is not considered -expedient to deter contractors, by too scrupulous an exactitude, -in coming forward at such a trying period; and the Quartermaster’s -department, which ought to be the most perfect, considering the -number of persons connected with transport and carriage is in a -most disgraceful and inefficient condition. I told the General that -one of the Southern leaders proposed to hang any contractor who was -found out in cheating the men, and that the press cordially approved -of the suggestion. “I am afraid,” said he, “if any such proposal -was carried out here, there would scarcely be a contractor left -throughout the States.” Equal ignorance is shown by the medical -authorities of the requirements of an army. There is not an ambulance -or cacolet of any kind attached to this camp; and, as far as I could -see, not even a litter was sent on board the steamer which has -started with the expedition. - -Although there has scarcely been a fought field or anything more -serious than the miserable skirmishes of Shenck and Butler, the -pressure of war has already told upon the people. The Cairo paper -makes an urgent appeal to the authorities to relieve the distress and -pauperism which the sudden interruption of trade has brought upon so -many respectable citizens. And when I was at Memphis the other day, -I observed a public notice in the journals, that the magistrates of -the city would issue orders for money to families left in distress by -the enrolment of the male members for military service. When General -Scott, sorely against his will, was urged to make preparations for -an armed invasion of the seceded states in case it became necessary, -he said it would need some hundreds of thousands of men and many -millions of money to effect that object. Mr. Seward, Mr. Chase, and -Mr. Lincoln laughed pleasantly at this exaggeration, but they have -begun to find by this time the old general was not quite so much in -the wrong. - -In reference to the discipline maintained in the camp, I must admit -that proper precautions are used to prevent spies entering the lines. -The sentries are posted closely and permit no one to go in without -a pass in the day and a countersign at night. A conversation with -General Prentiss in the front of the hotel was interrupted this -evening by an Irishman, who ran past us towards the camp, hotly -pursued by two policemen. The sentry on duty at the point of the -lines close to us brought him up by the point of the bayonet. “Who -goes tere?” “A friend, shure your honour; I’m a friend.” “Advance -three paces and give the countersign.” “I don’t know it, I tell you. -Let me in, let me in.” But the German was resolute, and the policemen -now coming up in hot pursuit, seized the culprit, who resisted -violently, till General Prentiss rose from his chair and ordered -the guard, who had turned out, to make a prisoner of the soldier -and hand him over to the civil power, for which the man seemed to -be most deeply grateful. As the policemen were walking him off, he -exclaimed, “Be quiet wid ye, till I spake a word to the Giniral,” and -then bowing and chuckling with drunken gravity, he said, “an’ indeed, -Giniral, I’m much obleeged to ye altogither for this kindness. Long -life to ye. We’ve got the better of that dirty German. Hoora’ for -Giniral Prentiss.” He preferred a chance of more whisky in the police -office and a light punishment to the work in camp and a heavy drill -in the morning. An officer who was challenged by a sentry the other -evening, asked him, “do you know the countersign yourself?” “No, sir, -it’s not nine o’clock and they have not given it out yet.” Another -sentry who stopped a man because he did not know the countersign. The -fellow said, “I dare say you don’t know it yourself.” “That’s a lie,” -he exclaimed, “its Plattsburgh.” “Plattsburgh it is, sure enough,” -said the other, and walked on without further parley. - -The Americans, Irish, and Germans, do not always coincide in -the phonetic value of each letter in the passwords, and several -difficulties have occurred in consequence. An incautious approach -towards the posts at night is attended with risk; for the raw -sentries are very quick on the trigger. More fatal and serious -injuries have been inflicted on the Federals by themselves than by -the enemy. “I declare to you, sir, the way the boys touched off their -irons at me going home to my camp last night, was just like a running -fight with the Ingins. I was a little ‘tight,’ and didn’t mind it a -cuss.” - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Impending battle--By railway to Chicago--Northern enlightenment - --Mound City--“Cotton is King”--Land in the States--Dead level of - American society--Return into the Union--American homes--Across - the prairie--White labourers--New pillager--Lake Michigan. - - -_June 23rd._--The latest information which I received to-day is of -a nature to hasten my departure for Washington; it can no longer -be doubted that a battle between the two armies assembled in the -neighbourhood of the capital is imminent. The vague hope which from -time to time I have entertained of being able to visit Richmond -before I finally take up my quarters with the only army from which I -can communicate regularly with Europe has now vanished. - -At four o’clock in the evening I started by the train on the famous -Central Illinois line from Cairo to Chicago. - -The carriages were tolerably well filled with soldiers, and in -addition to them there were a few unfortunate women, undergoing -deportation to some less moral neighbourhood. Neither the look, -language, nor manners of my fellow passengers inspired me with an -exalted notion of the intelligence, comfort and respectability of the -people which are so much vaunted by Mr. Seward and American journals, -and which, though truly attributed, no doubt, to the people of the -New England states, cannot be affirmed with equal justice to belong -to all the other components of the Union. - -As the Southerners say, their negroes are the happiest people on the -earth, so the Northerners boast “We are the most enlightened nation -in the world.” The soldiers in the train were intelligent enough to -think they ought not to be kept without pay, and free enough to say -so. The soldiers abused Cairo roundly, and indeed it is wonderful if -the people can live on any food but quinine. However, speculators, -looking to its natural advantages as the point where the two great -rivers join, bespeak for Cairo a magnificent and prosperous future. -The present is not promising. - -Leaving the shanties, which face the levées, and some poor wooden -houses with a short vista of cross streets partially flooded at right -angles to them, the rail suddenly plunges into an unmistakeable -swamp, were a forest of dead trees wave their ghastly, leafless arms -over their buried trunks, like plumes over a hearse--a cheerless, -miserable place, sacred to the ague and fever. This occurs close -to the cleared space on which the city is to stand,--when it is -finished--and the rail, which runs on the top of the embankment or -levée, here takes to the trestle, and is borne over the water on the -usual timber frame work. - -“Mound City,” which is the first station, is composed of a mere heap -of earth, like a ruined brick-kiln, which rises to some height and is -covered with fine white oaks, beneath which are a few log huts and -hovels, giving the place its proud name. Tents were pitched on the -mound side, from which wild-looking banditti sort of men, with arms, -emerged as the train stopped. “I’ve been pretty well over Europe,” -said a meditative voice beside me, “and I’ve seen the despotic armies -of the old world, but I don’t think they equal that set of boys.” The -question was not worth arguing--the boys were in fact very “weedy,” -“splinter-shinned chaps,” as another critic insisted. - -There were some settlers in the woods around Mound City, and a -jolly-looking, corpulent man, who introduced himself as one of the -officers of the land department of the Central Illinois railroad, -described them as awful warnings to the emigrants not to stick in -the south part of Illinois. It was suggestive to find that a very -genuine John Bull, “located,” as they say in the States for many -years, had as much aversion to the principles of the abolitionists as -if he had been born a Southern planter. Another countryman of his and -mine, steward on board the steamer to Cairo, eagerly asked me what I -thought of the quarrel, and which side I would back. I declined to -say more than I thought the North possessed very great superiority of -means if the conflict were to be fought on the same terms. Whereupon -my Saxon friend exclaimed, “all the Northern States and all the power -of the world can’t beat the South; and why?--because the South has -got cotton, and cotton is king.” - -The Central Illinois officer did not suggest the propriety of -purchasing lots but he did intimate I would be doing service if I -informed the world at large, they could get excellent land, at sums -varying from ten to twenty-five dollars an acre. In America a man’s -income is represented by capitalizing all that he is worth, and -whereas in England we say a man has so much a year, the Americans, in -representing his value, observe that he is worth so many dollars, by -which they mean that all he has in the world would realise the amount. - -It sounds very well to an Irish tenant farmer, an English cottier, -or a cultivator in the Lothians, to hear that he can get land at the -rate of from £2 to £5 per acre, to be his for ever, liable only to -state taxes; but when he comes to see a parallelogram marked upon the -map as “good soil, of unfathomable richness,” and finds in effect -that he must cut down trees, eradicate stumps, drain off water, build -a house, struggle for high-priced labour, and contend with imperfect -roads, the want of many things to which he has been accustomed in -the old country, the land may not appear to him such a bargain. In -the wooded districts he has, indeed a sufficiency of fuel as long as -trees and stumps last, but they are, of course, great impediments to -tillage. If he goes to the prairie he finds that fuel is scarce and -water by no means wholesome. - -When we left this swamp and forest, and came out after a run of many -miles on the clear lands which abut upon the prairie, large fields -of corn lay around us, which bore a peculiarly blighted and harassed -look. These fields were suffering from the ravages of an insect -called the “army worm,” almost as destructive to corn and crops as -the locust-like hordes of North and South, which are vying with each -other in laying waste the fields of Virginia. Night was falling as -the train rattled out into the wild, flat sea of waving grass, dotted -by patch-like Indian corn enclosures; but halts at such places as -Jonesburgh and Cobden, enabled us to see that these settlements in -Illinois were neither very flourishing nor very civilised. - -There is a level modicum of comfort, which may be consistent with the -greatest good of the greatest number, but which makes the standard -of the highest in point of well-being very low indeed. I own, that -to me, it would be more agreeable to see a flourishing community -placed on a high level in all that relates to the comfort and social -status of all its members than to recognise the old types of European -civilisation, which place the castle on the hill, surround its outer -walls with the mansion of doctor and lawyer, and drive the people -into obscure hovels outside. But then one must confess that there are -in the castle some elevating tendencies which cannot be found in the -uniform level of citizen equality. There are traditions of nobility -and noble deeds in the family; there are paintings on the walls; the -library is stored with valuable knowledge, and from its precincts are -derived the lessons not yet unlearned in Europe, that though man may -be equal the condition of men must vary as the accidents of life or -the effects of individual character, called fortune, may determine. - -The towns of Jonesburgh and Cobden have their little teapot-looking -churches and meeting houses, their lager-bier saloons, their -restaurants, their small libraries, institutes, and reading rooms, -and no doubt they have also their political cliques, social -distinctions and favouritisms; but it requires, nevertheless, little -sagacity to perceive that the highest of the bourgeois who leads -the mass at meeting and prayer, has but little to distinguish him -from the very lowest member of the same body politic. Cobden, for -example, has no less than four drinking saloons, all on the line of -rail, and no doubt the highest citizen in the place frequents some -one or other of them, and meets there the worst rowdy in the place. -Even though they do carry a vote for each adult man, “locations” here -would not appear very enviable in the eyes of the most miserable -Dorsetshire small farmer ever ferretted out by “S.G.O.” - -A considerable number of towns, formed by accretions of small stores -and drinking places, called magazines, round the original shed -wherein live the station master and his assistants, mark the course -of the railway. Some are important enough to possess a bank, which is -generally represented by a wooden hut, with a large board nailed in -front, bearing the names of the president and cashier, and announcing -the success and liberality of the management. The stores are also -decorated with large signs, recommending the names of the owners to -the attention of the public, and over all of them is to be seen the -significant announcement, “Cash for produce.” - -At Carbondale there was no coal at all to be found, but several -miles farther to the north, at a place called Dugoine, a field of -bituminous deposit crops out, which is sold at the pit’s mouth for -one dollar twenty-five cents, or about 5_s._ 2_d._ a-ton. Darkness -and night fell as I was noting such meagre particulars of the new -district as could be learned out of the window of a railway carriage; -and finally with a delicious sensation of cool night air creeping -in through the windows, the first I had experienced for many a long -day, we made ourselves up for repose, and were borne steadily, if -not rapidly, through the great prairie, having halted for tea at the -comfortable refreshment rooms of Centralia. - -There were no physical signs to mark the transition from the land -of the Secessionist to Union-loving soil. Until the troops were -quartered there, Cairo was for Secession, and Southern Illinois is -supposed to be deeply tainted with disaffection to Mr. Lincoln. -Placards on which were printed the words, “Vote for Lincoln and -Hamlin, for Union and Freedom,” and the old battle-cry of the last -election, still cling to the wooden walls of the groceries often -accompanied by bitter words or offensive additions. - -One of my friends argues that as slavery is at the base of Secession, -it follows that States or portions of States will be disposed to -join the Confederates or the Federalists just as the climate may be -favourable or adverse to the growth of slave produce. Thus in the -mountainous parts of the border States of Kentucky and Tennessee, in -the north-western part of Virginia, vulgarly called the pan handle, -and in the pine woods of North Carolina, where white men can work at -the rosin and naval store manufactories, there is a decided feeling -in favour of the Union; in fact, it becomes a matter of isothermal -lines. It would be very wrong to judge of the condition of a people -from the windows of a railway carriage, but the external aspect -of the settlements along the line, far superior to that of slave -hamlets, does not equal my expectations. We all know the aspect of a -wood in a gentleman’s park which is submitting to the axe, and has -been partially cleared, how raw and bleak the stumps look, and how -dreary is the naked land not yet turned into arable. Take such a -patch and fancy four or five houses made of pine planks, sometimes -not painted, lighted, by windows in which there is, or has been, -glass, each guarded by a paling around a piece of vegetable garden, -a pig house, and poultry box; let one be a grocery, which means a -whisky shop, another the post-office, and a third the store where -“cash is given for produce.” Multiply these groups if you desire -a larger settlement, and place a wooden church with a Brobdignag -spire and Lilliputian body out in a waste, to be approached only by -a causeway of planks; before each grocery let there be a gathering -of tall men in sombre clothing, of whom the majority have small -newspapers and all of whom are chewing tobacco; near the stores let -there be some light wheeled carts and ragged horses, around which are -knots of unmistakeably German women; then see the deep tracks which -lead off to similar settlements in the forest or prairie, and you -have a notion, if your imagination is strong enough, of one of these -civilising centres which the Americans assert to be the homes of the -most cultivated and intelligent communities in the world. - -Next morning, just at dawn, I woke up and got out on the platform -of the carriage, which is the favourite resort of smokers and their -antitheses, those who love pure fresh air, notwithstanding the -printed caution “It is dangerous to stand on the platform;” and under -the eye of early morn saw spread around a flat sea-like expanse not -yet warmed into colour and life by the sun. The line was no longer -guarded from daring Secessionists by soldiers’ outposts, and small -camps had disappeared. The train sped through the centre of the great -verdant circle as a ship through the sea, leaving the rigid iron wake -behind it tapering to a point at the horizon, and as the light spread -over it the surface of the crisping corn waved in broad undulations -beneath the breeze from east to west. This is the prairie indeed. -Hereabouts it is covered with the finest crops, some already cut and -stacked. Looking around one could see church spires rising in the -distance from the white patches of houses, and by degrees the tracks -across the fertile waste became apparent, and then carts and horses -were seen toiling through the rich soil. - -A large species of partridge or grouse appeared very abundant, and -rose in flocks from the long grass at the side of the rail or from -the rich carpet of flowers on the margin of the corn fields. They -sat on the fence almost unmoved by the rushing engine, and literally -swarmed along the line. These are called “prairie chickens” by the -people, and afford excellent sport. Another bird about the size -of a thrush, with a yellow breast and a harsh cry, I learned was -“the sky-lark;” and _à propos_ of the unmusical creature, I was very -briskly attacked by a young lady patriot for finding fault with the -sharp noise it made. “Oh, my! And you not to know that your Shelley -loved it above all things! Didn’t he write some verses--quite -beautiful, too, they are--to the sky-lark.” And so “the Britisher was -dried up,” as I read in a paper afterwards of a similar occurrence. - -At the little stations which occur at every few miles--there are some -forty of them, at each of which the train stops, in 365 miles between -Cairo and Chicago--the Union flag floated in the air; but we had left -all the circumstance of this inglorious war behind us, and the train -rattled boldly over the bridges across the rare streams, no longer -in danger from Secession hatchets. The swamp had given place to the -corn field. No black faces were turned up from the mowing and free -white labour was at work, and the type of the labourers was German -and Irish. - -The Yorkshireman expatiated on the fertility of the land, and on -the advantages it held out to the emigrant. But I observed all the -lots by the side of the rail, and apparently as far as the eye could -reach, were occupied. “Some of the very best land lies beyond on each -side,” said he. “Out over there in the fat places is where we put our -Englishmen.” By digging deep enough good water is always to be had, -and coal can be carried from the rail, where it costs only 7_s._ or -8_s._ a ton. Wood there is little or none in the prairies, and it was -rarely indeed a clump of trees could be detected, or anything higher -than some scrub brushwood. These little communities which we passed -were but the growth of a few years, and as we approached the Northern -portion of the line we could see, as it were, the village swelling -into the town, and the town spreading out to the dimensions of the -city. “I daresay, Major,” says one of the passengers, “this gentleman -never saw anything like these cities before. I’m told they’ve nothin’ -like them in Europe?” “Bless you,” rejoined the Major, with a wink, -“just leaving out London, Edinbro’, Paris, and Manchester, there’s -nothing on earth to ekal them.” My friend, who is a shrewd fellow, by -way of explanation of his military title, says, “I was a major once, -a major in the Queen’s Bays, but they would put troop-sergeant before -it them days.” Like many Englishmen he complains that the jealousy of -native-born Americans effectually bars the way to political position -of any naturalised citizen, and all the places are kept by the -natives. - -The scene now began to change gradually as we approached Chicago, -the prairie subsided into swampy land, and thick belts of trees -fringed the horizon; on our right glimpses of the sea could be -caught through openings in the wood--the inland sea on which stands -the Queen of the Lakes. Michigan looks broad and blue as the -Mediterranean. Large farm-houses stud the country, and houses which -must be the retreat of merchants and citizens of means; and when the -train, leaving the land altogether, dashes out on a pier and causeway -built along the borders of the lake, we see lines of noble houses, a -fine boulevard, a forest of masts, huge isolated piles of masonry, -the famed grain elevators by which so many have been hoisted to -fortune, churches and public edifices, and the apparatus of a great -city; and just at nine o’clock the train gives its last steam shout -and comes to a standstill in the spacious station of the Central -Illinois Company, and in half-an-hour more I am in comfortable -quarters at the Richmond House, where I find letters waiting for me, -by which it appears that the necessity for my being in Washington in -all haste, no longer exists. The wary General who commands the army -is aware that the advance to Richmond, for which so many journals are -clamouring, would be attended with serious risk at present, and the -politicians must be content to wait a little longer. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - Progress of events--Policy of Great Britain as regarded by - the North--The American Press and its comments--Privacy a - luxury--Chicago--Senator Douglas and his widow--American - ingratitude--Apathy in volunteering--Colonel Turchin’s camp. - - -I shall here briefly recapitulate what has occurred since the last -mention of political events. - -In the first place the South has been developing every day greater -energy in widening the breach between it and the North, and preparing -to fill it with dead; and the North, so far as I can judge, has -been busy in raising up the Union as a nationality, and making out -the crime of treason from the act of Secession. The South has been -using conscription in Virginia, and is entering upon the conflict -with unsurpassable determination. The North is availing itself of -its greater resources and its foreign vagabondage and destitution -to swell the ranks of its volunteers, and boasts of its enormous -armies, as if it supposed conscripts well led do not fight better -than volunteers badly officered. Virginia has been invaded on three -points, one below and two above Washington, and passports are now -issued on both sides. - -The career open to the Southern privateers is effectually closed by -the Duke of Newcastle’s notification that the British Government will -not permit the cruisers of either side to bring their prizes into or -condemn them in English ports; but, strange to say, the Northerners -feel indignant against Great Britain for an act which deprives -their enemy of an enormous advantage, and which must reduce their -privateering to the mere work of plunder and destruction on the high -seas. In the same way the North affects to consider the declaration -of neutrality, and the concession of limited belligerent rights to -the seceding States, as deeply injurious and insulting; whereas our -course has, in fact, removed the greatest difficulty from the path of -the Washington Cabinet, and saved us from inconsistencies and serious -risks in our course of action. - -It is commonly said, “What would Great Britain have done if we had -declared ourselves neutral during the Canadian rebellion, or had -conceded limited belligerent rights to the Sepoys?” as if Canada -and Hindostan have the same relation to the British Crown that the -seceding States had to the Northern States. But if Canada, with its -parliament, judges, courts of law, and its people, declared it was -independent of Great Britain; and if the Government of Great Britain, -months after that declaration was made and acted upon, permitted the -new State to go free, whilst a large number of her Statesmen agreed -that Canada was perfectly right, we could find little fault with the -United States’ Government for issuing a proclamation of neutrality -the same as our own, when after a long interval of quiescence a war -broke out between the two countries. - -Secession was an accomplished fact months before Mr. Lincoln came -into office, but we heard no talk of rebels and pirates till Sumter -had fallen, and the North was perfectly quiescent--not only that--the -people of wealth in New York were calmly considering the results -of Secession as an accomplished fact, and seeking to make the best -of it; nay, more, when I arrived in Washington some members of the -Cabinet were perfectly ready to let the South go. - -One of the first questions put to me by Mr. Chase in my first -interview with him, was whether I thought a very injurious effect -would be produced to the _prestige_ of the Federal Government in -Europe if the Northern States let the South have its own way, and -told them to go in peace. “For my own part,” said he, “I should not -be averse to let them try it, for I believe they would soon find out -their mistake.” Mr. Chase may be finding out his mistake just now. -When I left England the prevalent opinion, as far as I could judge, -was, that a family quarrel, in which the South was in the wrong, had -taken place, and that it would be better to stand by and let the -Government put forth its strength to chastise rebellious children. -But now we see the house is divided against itself, and that the -family are determined to set up two separate establishments. These -remarks occur to me with the more force because I see the New York -papers are attacking me because I described a calm in a sea which -was afterwards agitated by a storm. “What a false witness is this,” -they cry, “See how angry and how vexed is our Bermoothes, and yet the -fellow says it was quite placid.” - -I have already seen so many statements respecting my sayings, -my doings, and my opinions, in the American papers, that I have -resolved to follow a general rule, with few exceptions indeed, -which prescribes as the best course to pursue, not so much an -indifference to these remarks as a fixed purpose to abstain from -the hopeless task of correcting them. The “Quicklys” of the press -are incorrigible. Commerce may well be proud of Chicago. I am not -going to reiterate what every Crispinus from the old country has -said again and again concerning this wonderful place--not one word -of statistics, of corn elevators, of shipping, or of the piles of -buildings raised from the foundation by ingenious applications of -screws. Nor am I going to enlarge on the splendid future of that -which has so much present prosperity, or on the benefits to mankind -opened up by the Illinois Central Railway. It is enough to say that -by the borders of this lake there has sprung up in thirty years a -wonderful city of fine streets, luxurious hotels, handsome shops, -magnificent stores, great warehouses, extensive quays, capacious -docks; and that as long as corn holds its own, and the mouths of -Europe are open, and her hands full, Chicago will acquire greater -importance, size, and wealth with every year. The only drawback, -perhaps, to the comfort of the money-making inhabitants, and of the -stranger within the gates, is to be found in the clouds of dust and -in the unpaved streets and thoroughfares, which give anguish to horse -and man. - -I spent three days here writing my letters and repairing the wear -and tear of my Southern expedition; and although it was hot enough, -the breeze from the lake carried health and vigour to the frame, -enervated by the sun of Louisiana and Mississippi. No need now to -wipe the large drops of moisture from the languid brow lest they -blind the eyes, nor to sit in a state of semi-clothing, worn out and -exhausted, and tracing with moist hand imperfect characters on the -paper. - -I could not satisfy myself whether there was, as I have been told, -a peculiar state of feeling in Chicago, which induced many people -to support the Government of Mr. Lincoln because they believed it -necessary for their own interests to obtain decided advantages over -the South in the field, whilst they were opposed _totis viribus_ to -the genius of emancipation and to the views of the black Republicans. -But the genius and eloquence of the little giant have left their -impress on the facile mould of democratic thought, and he who argued -with such acuteness and ability last March in Washington, in his -own study, against the possibility, or at least the constitutional -legality, of using the national forces, and the militia and -volunteers of the Northern States, to subjugate the Southern people, -carried away by the great bore which rushed through the placid North -when Sumter fell, or perceiving his inability to resist its force, -sprung to the crest of the wave, and carried to excess the violence -of the Union reaction. - -Whilst I was in the South I had seen his name in Northern papers with -sensation headings and descriptions of his magnificent crusade for -the Union in the west. I had heard his name reviled by those who had -once been his warm political allies, and his untimely death did not -seem to satisfy their hatred. His old foes in the North admired and -applauded the sudden apostasy of their eloquent opponent, and were -loud in lamentations over his loss. Imagine, then, how I felt when -visiting his grave at Chicago, seeing his bust in many houses, or -his portrait in all the shop-windows, I was told that the enormously -wealthy community of which he was the idol were permitting his widow -to live in a state not far removed from penury. - -“Senator Douglas, sir,” observed one of his friends to me, “died of -bad whisky. He killed himself with it while he was stumping for the -Union all over the country.” “Well,” I said, “I suppose, sir, the -abstraction called the Union, for which by your own account he killed -himself, will give a pension to his widow.” Virtue is its own reward, -and so is patriotism, unless it takes the form of contracts. - -As far as all considerations of wife, children, or family are -concerned, let a man serve a decent despot, or even a constitutional -country with an economising House of Commons, if he wants anything -more substantial than lip-service. The history of the great men of -America is full of instances of national ingratitude. They give -more praise and less pence to their benefactors than any nation on -the face of the earth. Washington got little, though the plundering -scouts who captured André were well rewarded; and the men who fought -during the War of Independence were long left in neglect and poverty, -sitting in sackcloth and ashes at the door-steps of the temple of -liberty, whilst the crowd rushed inside to worship Plutus. - -If a native of the British isles, of the natural ignorance of his own -imperfections which should characterise him, desires to be subjected -to a series of moral shower-baths, douches, and shampooing with a -rough glove, let him come to the United States. In Chicago he will -be told that the English people are fed by the beneficence of the -United States, and that all the trade and commerce of England are -simply directed to the one end of obtaining gold enough to pay the -western States for the breadstuffs exported for our population. We -know what the South think of our dependence on cotton. The people -of the east think they are striking a great blow at their enemy by -the Morrill tariff, and I was told by a patriot in North Carolina, -“Why, creation! if you let the Yankees shut up our ports, the whole -of your darned ships will go to rot. Where will you get your naval -stores from? Why, I guess in a year you could not scrape up enough of -tarpentine in the whole of your country for Queen Victoria to paint -her nursery-door with.” - -Nearly one half of the various companies enrolled in this district -are Germans, or are the descendants of German parents, and speak only -the language of the old country; two-thirds of the remainder are -Irish, or of immediate Irish descent; but it is said that a grand -reserve of Americans born lies behind this _avant garde_, who will -come into the battle should there ever be need for their services. - -Indeed so long as the Northern people furnish the means of paying -and equipping armies perfectly competent to do their work, and equal -in numbers to any demands made for men, they may rest satisfied with -the accomplishment of that duty, and with contributing from their -ranks the great majority of the superior and even of the subaltern -officers; but with the South it is far different. Their institutions -have repelled immigration; the black slave has barred the door to the -white free settler. Only on the seaboard and in the large cities are -German and Irish to be found, and they to a man have come forward to -fight for the South; but the proportion they bear to the native-born -Americans who have rushed to arms in defence of their menaced -borders, is of course far less than it is as yet to the number of -Americans in the Northern States who have volunteered to fight for -the Union. - -I was invited before I left to visit the camp of a Colonel Turchin, -who was described to me as a Russian officer of great ability and -experience in European warfare, in command of a regiment consisting -of Poles, Hungarians, and Germans, who were about to start for the -seat of war; but I was only able to walk through his tents, where -I was astonished at the amalgam of nations that constituted his -battalion; though, on inspection, I am bound to say there proved -to be an American element in the ranks which did not appear to -have coalesced with the bulk of the rude and, I fear, predatory -Cossacks of the Union. Many young men of good position have gone to -the wars, although there was no complaint, as in Southern cities, -that merchants offices have been deserted, and great establishments -left destitute of clerks and working hands. In warlike operations, -however, Chicago, with its communication open to the sea, its access -to the head waters of the Mississippi, its intercourse with the -marts of commerce and of manufacture, may be considered to possess -greater belligerent power and strength than the great city of New -Orleans; and there is much greater probability of Chicago sending its -contingent to attack the Crescent City than there is of the latter -being able to despatch a soldier within five hundred miles of its -streets. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Niagara--Impression of the Falls--Battle scenes in the - neighbourhood--A village of Indians--General Scott--Hostile - movements on both sides--The Hudson--Military school at West - Point--Return to New York--Altered appearance of the city-- - Misery and suffering--Altered state of public opinion, as to - the Union and towards Great Britain. - - -At eight o’clock on the morning of the 27th I left Chicago for -Niagara, which was so temptingly near that I resolved to make a -detour by that route to New York. The line from the city which I took -skirts the southern extremity of Lake Michigan for many miles, and -leaving its borders at New Buffalo, traverses the southern portion of -the state of Michigan by Albion and Jackson to the town of Detroit, -or the outflow of Lake St. Clair into Lake Erie, a distance of -284 miles, which was accomplished in about twelve hours. The most -enthusiastic patriot could not affirm the country was interesting. -The names of the stations were certainly novel to a Britisher. Thus -we had Kalumet, Pokagon, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti, among the -more familiar titles of Chelsea, Marengo, Albion, and Parma. - -It was dusk when we reached the steam ferry-boat at Detroit, which -took us across to Windsor; but through the dusk I could perceive the -Union Jack waving above the unimpressive little town which bears a -name so respected by British ears. The customs’ inspections seemed -very mild; and I was not much impressed by the representative of -the British crown, who, with a brass button on his coat and a very -husky voice, exercised his powers on behalf of Her Majesty at the -landing-place of Windsor. The officers of the railway company, who -received me as if I had been an old friend, and welcomed me as if I -had just got out of a battle-field. “Well, I do wonder them Yankees -have ever let you come out alive.” “May I ask why?” “Oh, because you -have not been praising them all round, sir. Why even the Northern -chaps get angry with a Britisher, as they call us, if he attempts to -say a word against those cursed niggers.” - -It did not appear the Americans are quite so thin-skinned, for whilst -crossing in the steamer a passage of arms between the Captain, who -was a genuine John Bull, and a Michigander, in the style which is -called chaff or slang, diverted most of the auditors, although it was -very much to the disadvantage of the Union champion. The Michigan -man had threatened the Captain that Canada would be annexed as the -consequence of our infamous conduct. “Why, I tell you,” said the -Captain, “we’d just draw up the negro chaps from our barbers’ shops, -and tell them we’d send them to Illinois if they did not lick you; -and I believe every creature in Michigan, pigs and all, would run -before them into Pennsylvania. We know what you are up to, you -and them Maine chaps; but Lor’ bless you, sooner than take such a -lot, we’d give you ten dollars a head to make you stay in your own -country; and we know you would go to the next worst place before -your time for half the money. The very Bluenoses would secede if you -were permitted to come under the old flag.” - -All night we travelled. A long day through a dreary, ill-settled, -pine-wooded, half-cleared country, swarming with mosquitoes and -biting flies, and famous for fevers. Just about daybreak the train -stopped. - -“Now, then,” said an English voice; “now, then, who’s for Clifton -Hotel? All passengers leave cars for this side of the Falls.” -Consigning our baggage to the commissioner of the Clifton, my -companion, Mr. Ward, and myself resolved to walk along the banks of -the river to the hotel, which is some two miles and a half distant, -and set out whilst it was still so obscure that the outline of the -beautiful bridge which springs so lightly across the chasm, filled -with furious hurrying waters, hundreds of feet below, was visible -only as is the tracery of some cathedral arch through the dim light -of the cloister. - -The road follows the course of the stream, which whirls and gurgles -in an Alpine torrent, many times magnified, in a deep gorge like that -of the Tête Noire. As the rude bellow of the steam-engine and the -rattle of the train proceeding on its journey were dying away, the -echoes seemed to swell into a sustained, reverberating, hollow sound -from the perpendicular banks of the St. Lawrence. We listened. “It is -the noise of the Falls,” said my companion; and as we walked on the -sound became louder, filling the air with a strange quavering note, -which played about a tremendous uniform bass note, and silencing -every other. Trees closed in the road on the river side, but when -we had walked a mile or so, the lovely light of morning spreading -with our steps, suddenly through an opening in the branches there -appeared, closing up the vista--white, flickering, indistinct, and -shroud-like--the Falls, rushing into a grave of black waters, and -uttering that tremendous cry which can never be forgotten. - -I have heard many people say they were disappointed with the first -impression of Niagara. Let those who desire to see the water-leap in -all its grandeur, approach it as I did, and I cannot conceive what -their expectations are if they do not confess the sight exceeded -their highest ideal. I do not pretend to describe the sensations or -to endeavour to give the effect produced on me by the scene or by -the Falls, then or subsequently; but I must say words can do no more -than confuse the writer’s own ideas of the grandeur of the sight, -and mislead altogether those who read them. It is of no avail to -do laborious statistics, and tell us how many gallons rush over in -that down-flung ocean every second, or how wide it is, how high it -is, how deep the earth-piercing caverns beneath. For my own part, I -always feel the distance of the sun to be insignificant, when I read -it is so many hundreds of thousands of miles away, compared with the -feeling of utter inaccessibility to anything human which is caused by -it when its setting rays illuminate some purple ocean studded with -golden islands in dreamland. - -Niagara is rolling its waters over the barrier. Larger and louder it -grows upon us. - -“I hope the hotel is not full,” quoth my friend. I confess, for the -time, I forgot all about Niagara, and was perturbed concerning a -breakfastless ramble and a hunt after lodgings by the borders of the -great river. - -But although Clifton Hotel was full enough, there was room for -us, too; and for two days a strange, weird-kind of life I led, -alternating between the roar of the cataract outside and the din -of politics within; for, be it known, that at the Canadian side -of the Falls many Americans of the Southern States, who would not -pollute their footsteps by contact with the soil of Yankee-land, were -sojourning, and that merchants and bankers of New York and other -Northern cities had selected it as their summer retreat, and, indeed, -with reason; for after excursions on both sides of the Falls, the -comparative seclusion of the settlements on the left bank appears to -me to render it infinitely preferable to the Rosherville gentism and -semi-rowdyism of the large American hotels and settlements on the -other side. - -It was distressing to find that Niagara was surrounded by the -paraphernalia of a fixed fair. I had looked forward to a certain -degree of solitude. It appeared impossible that man could cockneyfy -such a magnificent display of force and grandeur in nature. But, -alas! it is haunted by what poor Albert Smith used to denominate -“harpies.” The hateful race of guides infest the precincts of the -hotels, waylay you in the lanes, and prowl about the unguarded -moments of reverie. There are miserable little peepshows and -photographers, bird stuffers, shell polishers, collectors of -crystals, and proprietors of natural curiosity shops. - -There is, besides, a large village population. There is a -watering-side air about the people who walk along the road worse -than all their mills and factories working their water privileges -at both sides of the stream. At the American side there is a lanky, -pretentious town, with big hotels, shops of Indian curiosities, -and all the meagre forms of the bazaar life reduced to a minimum -of attractiveness which destroy the comfort of a traveller in -Switzerland. I had scarcely been an hour in the hotel before I was -asked to look at the Falls through a little piece of coloured glass. -Next I was solicited to purchase a collection of muddy photographs, -representing what I could look at with my own eyes for nothing. -Not finally by any means, I was assailed by a gentleman who was -particularly desirous of selling me an enormous pair of cow’s-horns -and a stuffed hawk. Small booths and peepshows corrupt the very -margin of the bank, and close by the remnant of the “Table Rock,” -a Jew (who, by-the-bye, deserves infinite credit for the zeal and -energy he has thrown into the collections for his museum), exhibits -bottled rattlesnakes, stuffed monkeys, Egyptian mummies, series of -coins, with a small living menagerie attached to the shop, in which -articles of Indian manufacture are exposed for sale. It was too bad -to be asked to admire such _lusus naturæ_ as double-headed calves and -dogs with three necks by the banks of Niagara. - -As I said before, I am not going to essay the impossible or to -describe the Falls. On the English side there are, independently of -other attractions, some scenes of recent historic interest, for close -to Niagara are Lundy’s Lane and Chippewa. There are few persons in -England aware of the exceedingly severe fighting which characterised -the contests between the Americans and the English and Canadian -troops during the campaign of 1814. At Chippewa, for example, -Major-General Riall, who, with 2000 men, one howitzer, and two -24-pounders, attacked a force of Americans of a similar strength, -was repulsed with a loss of 500 killed and wounded; and on the -morning of the 25th of July the action of Lundy’s Lane, between four -brigades of Americans and seven field-pieces, and 3100 men of the -British and seven field-pieces, took place, in which the Americans -were worsted, and retired with a loss of 854 men and two guns, whilst -the British lost 878. On the 14th of August following Sir Gordon -Drummond was repulsed with a loss of 905 men out of his small force -in an attack on Fort Erie; and on the 17th of September an American -sortie from the place was defeated with a loss of 510 killed and -wounded, the British having lost 609. In effect the American campaign -was unsuccessful; but their failures were redeemed by their successes -on Lake Champlain, and in the affair of Plattsburgh. - -There was more hard fighting than strategy in these battles, and -their results were not, on the whole, creditable to the military -skill of either party. They were sanguinary in proportion to the -number of troops engaged, but they were very petty skirmishes -considered in the light of contests between two great nations for the -purpose of obtaining specific results. As England was engaged in a -great war in Europe, was far removed from the scene of operations, -was destitute of steam-power, whilst America was fighting, as it -were, on her own soil, close at hand, with a full opportunity of -putting forth all her strength, the complete defeat of the American -invasion of Canada was more honourable to our arms than the successes -which the Americans achieved in resisting aggressive demonstrations. - -In the great hotel of Clifton we had every day a little war of our -own, for there were----but why should I mention names? Has not -government its bastiles? There were in effect men, and women too, who -regarded the people of the Northern States and the government they -had selected very much as the men of ’98 looked upon the government -and people of England; but withal these strong Southerners were not -very favourable to a country which they regarded as the natural ally -of the abolitionists, simply because it had resolved to be neutral. - -On the Canadian side these rebels were secure. British authority was -embodied in a respectable old Scottish gentleman, whose duty it was -to prevent smuggling across the boiling waters of the St. Lawrence, -and who performed it with zeal and diligence worthy of a higher post. -There was indeed a withered triumphal arch which stood over the spot -where the young Prince of our royal house had passed on his way to -the Table Rock, but beyond these signs and tokens there was nothing -to distinguish the American from the British side, except the greater -size and activity of the settlements upon the right bank. There is -no power in nature, according to great engineers, which cannot be -forced to succumb to the influence of money. The American papers -actually announce that “Niagara is to be sold;” the proprietors of -the land upon their side of the water have resolved to sell their -water privileges! A capitalist could render the islands the most -beautifully attractive places in the world. - -Life at Niagara is like that at most watering-places, though it is -a desecration to apply such a term to the Falls, and there is no -bathing there, except that which is confined to the precincts of -the hotels and to the ingenious establishment on the American side, -which permits one to enjoy the full rush of the current in covered -rooms with sides pierced, to let it come through with undiminished -force and with perfect security to the bather. There are drives and -picnics, and mild excursions to obscure places in the neighbourhood, -where only the roar of the Falls gives an idea of their presence. -The rambles about the islands, and the views of the boiling rapids -above them, are delightful, but I am glad to hear from one of the -guides that the great excitement of seeing a man and boat carried -over occurs but rarely. Every year, however, hapless creatures -crossing from one shore to the other, by some error of judgment or -miscalculation of strength, or malign influence, are swept away into -the rapids, and then, notwithstanding the wonderful rescues effected -by the American blacksmith and unwonted kindnesses of fortune, there -is little chance of saving body corporate or incorporate from the -headlong swoop to destruction. - -Next to the purveyors of curiosities and hotel keepers, the Indians, -who live in a village at some distance from Niagara, reap the largest -profit from the crowds of visitors who repair annually to the Falls. -They are a harmless and by no means elevated race of semi-civilised -savages, whose energies are expended on whiskey, feather fans, bark -canoes, ornamental moccasins, and carved pipe stems. I had arranged -for an excursion to see them in their wigwams one morning, when the -news was brought to me that General Scott had ordered, or been forced -to order the advance of the Federal troops encamped in front of -Washington, under the command of M‘Dowell, against the Confederates, -commanded by Beauregard, who was described as occupying a most -formidable position, covered with entrenchments and batteries in -front of a ridge of hills, through which the railway passes to -Richmond. - -The New York papers represent the Federal army to be of some grand -indefinite strength, varying from 60,000 to 120,000 men, full of -fight, admirably equipped, well disciplined, and provided with an -overwhelming force of artillery. General Scott, I am very well -assured, did not feel such confidence in the result of an invasion of -Virginia, that he would hurry raw levies and a rabble of regiments to -undertake a most arduous military operation. - -The day I was introduced to the General he was seated at a table -in the unpretending room which served as his boudoir in the still -humbler house where he held his head-quarters. On the table before -him were some plans and maps of the harbour defences of the Southern -ports. I inferred he was about to organise a force for the occupation -of positions along the coast. But when I mentioned my impression to -one of his officers, he said, “Oh, no, the General advised that long -ago; but he is now convinced we are too late. All he can hope, now, -is to be allowed time to prepare a force for the field, but there are -hopes that some compromise will yet take place.” - -The probabilities of this compromise have vanished: few entertain -them now. They have been hanging Secessionists in Illinois, and -the court-house itself has been made the scene of Lynch law murder -in Ogle county. Petitions, prepared by citizens of New York to -the President, for a general convention to consider a compromise, -have been seized. The Confederates have raised batteries along the -Virginian shore of the Potomac. General Banks, at Baltimore, has -deposed the police authorities “_proprio motu_,” in spite of the -protest of the board. Engagements have occurred between the Federal -steamers and the Confederate batteries on the Potomac. On all points, -wherever the Federal pickets have advanced in Virginia, they have -encountered opposition and have been obliged to halt or to retire. - - * * * * * - -As I stood on the verandah this morning, looking for the last time -on the Falls, which were covered with a grey mist, that rose from -the river and towered unto the sky in columns which were lost in the -clouds, a voice beside me said, “Mr. Russell, that is something like -the present condition of our country, mists and darkness obscure -it now, but we know the great waters are rushing behind, and will -flow till eternity.” The speaker was an earnest, thoughtful man, but -the country of which he spoke was the land of the South. “And do -you think,” said I, “when the mists clear away the Falls will be as -full and as grand as before?” “Well,” he replied, “they are great as -it is, though a rock divides them; we have merely thrown our rock -into the waters,--they will meet all the same in the pool below.” A -coloured boy, who has waited on me at the hotel, hearing I was going -away, entreated me to take him on any terms, which were, I found, an -advance of nine dollars, and twenty dollars a month, and, as I heard -a good account of him from the landlord, I installed the young man -into my service. In the evening I left Niagara on my way to New York. - -_July 2nd._--At early dawn this morning, looking out of the sleeping -car, I saw through the mist a broad, placid river on the right, -and on the left high wooded banks running sharply into the stream, -against the base of which the rails were laid. West Point, which is -celebrated for its picturesque scenery, as much as for its military -school, could not be seen through the fog, and I regretted time did -not allow me to stop and pay a visit to the academy. I was obliged to -content myself with the handiwork of some of the ex-pupils. The only -camaraderie I have witnessed in America exists among the West Point -men. It is to Americans what our great public schools are to young -Englishmen. To take a high place at West Point is to be a first-class -man, or wrangler. The academy turns out a kind of military -aristocracy, and I have heard complaints that the Irish and Germans -are almost completely excluded, because the nominations to West Point -are obtained by political influence; and the foreign element, though -powerful at the ballot box, has no enduring strength. The Murphies -and Schmidts seldom succeed in shoving their sons into the American -institution. North and South, I have observed, the old pupils refer -everything military to West Point. “I was with Beauregard at West -Point. He was three above me.” Or, “M‘Dowell and I were in the -same class.” An officer is measured by what he did there, and if -professional jealousies date from the state of common pupilage, so -do lasting friendships. I heard Beauregard, Lawton, Hardee, Bragg, -and others, speak of M‘Dowell, Lyon, M‘Clellan, and other men of the -academy, as their names turned up in the Northern papers, evidently -judging of them by the old school standard. The number of men who -have been educated there greatly exceeds the modest requirements of -the army. But there is likelihood of their being all in full work -very soon. - -At about nine a.m., the train reached New York, and in driving to -the house of Mr. Duncan, who accompanied me from Niagara, the first -thing which struck me was the changed aspect of the streets. Instead -of peaceful citizens, men in military uniforms thronged the pathways, -and such multitudes of United States’ flags floated from the windows -and roofs of the houses as to convey the impression that it was a -great holiday festival. The appearance of New York when I first saw -it was very different. For one day, indeed, after my arrival, there -were men in uniform to be seen in the streets, but they disappeared -after St. Patrick had been duly honoured, and it was very rarely I -ever saw a man in soldier’s clothes during the rest of my stay. Now, -fully a third of the people carried arms, and were dressed in some -kind of martial garb. - -The walls are covered with placards from military companies offering -inducements to recruits. An outburst of military tailors has taken -place in the streets; shops are devoted to militia equipments; -rifles, pistols, swords, plumes, long boots, saddle, bridle, camp -beds, canteens, tents, knapsacks, have usurped the place of the -ordinary articles of traffic. Pictures and engravings--bad, and very -bad--of the “battles” of Big Bethel and Vienna, full of furious -charges, smoke and dismembered bodies, have driven the French -prints out of the windows. Innumerable “General Scotts” glower at -you from every turn, making the General look wiser than he or any -man ever was. Ellsworths in almost equal proportion, Grebles and -Winthrops--the Union martyrs--and Tompkins, the temporary hero of -Fairfax court-house. - -The “flag of our country” is represented in a coloured engraving, the -original of which was not destitute of poetical feeling, as an angry -blue sky through which meteors fly streaked by the winds, whilst -between the red stripes the stars just shine out from the heavens, -the flag-staff being typified by a forest tree bending to the -force of the blast. The Americans like this idea--to my mind it is -significant of bloodshed and disaster. And why not! What would become -of all these pseudo-Zouaves who have come out like an eruption over -the States, and are in no respect, not even in their baggy breeches, -like their great originals, if this war were not to go on? I thought -I had had enough of Zouaves in New Orleans, but _dîs aliter visum_. - -They are overrunning society, and the streets here, and the dress -which becomes the broad-chested, stumpy, short-legged Celt, who seems -specially intended for it, is singularly unbecoming to the tall and -slightly-built American. Songs “On to glory,” “Our country,” new -versions of “Hail Columbia,” which certainly cannot be considered by -even American complacency a “happy land” when its inhabitants are -preparing to cut each other’s throats; of the “star-spangled banner,” -are displayed in booksellers’ and music-shop windows, and patriotic -sentences emblazoned on flags float from many houses. The ridiculous -habit of dressing up children and young people up to ten and twelve -years of age as Zouaves and vivandières has been caught up by the -old people, and Mars would die with laughter if he saw some of the -abdominous, be-spectacled light infantry men who are hobbling along -the pavement. - -There has been indeed a change in New York: externally it is most -remarkable, but I cannot at all admit that the abuse with which I -was assailed for describing the indifference which prevailed on -my arrival was in the least degree justified. I was desirous of -learning how far the tone of conversation “in the city” had altered, -and soon after breakfast I went down Broadway to Pine Street and -Wall Street. The street in all its length was almost draped with -flags--the warlike character of the shops was intensified. In front -of one shop window there was a large crowd gazing with interest at -some object which I at last succeeded in feasting my eyes upon. A -grey cap with a tinsel badge in front, and the cloth stained with -blood was displayed, with the words, “Cap of Secession officer killed -in action.” On my way I observed another crowd of women, some with -children in their arms standing in front of a large house and gazing -up earnestly and angrily at the windows. I found they were wives, -mothers, and sisters, and daughters of volunteers who had gone off -and left them destitute. - -The misery thus caused has been so great that the citizens of New -York have raised a fund to provide food, clothes, and a little -money--a poor relief, in fact, for them, and it was plain they were -much needed, though some of the applicants did not seem to belong to -a class accustomed to seek aid from the public. This already! But -Wall Street and Pine Street are bent on battle. And so this day, hot -from the South and impressed with the firm resolve of the people, and -finding that the North has been lashing itself into fury, I sit down -and write to England, on my return from the city. “At present dismiss -entirely the idea, no matter how it may originate, that there will -be, or can be, peace, compromise, union, or secession, till war has -determined the issue.” - -As long as there was a chance that the struggle might not take place, -the merchants of New York were silent, fearful of offending their -Southern friends and connections, but inflicting infinite damage on -their own government and misleading both sides. Their sentiments, -sympathies, and business bound them with the South; and, indeed, till -“the glorious uprising” the South believed New York was with them, -as might be credited from the tone of some organs in the press, and -I remember hearing it said by Southerners in Washington, that it was -very likely New York would go out of the Union! When the merchants, -however, saw that the South was determined to quit the Union, they -resolved to avert the permanent loss of the great profits derived -from their connection with the South by some present sacrifices. They -rushed to the platforms--the battle-cry was sounded from almost very -pulpit--flag raisings took place in every square, like the planting -of the tree of liberty in France in 1848, and the oath was taken to -trample Secession under foot, and to quench the fire of the Southern -heart for ever. - -The change in manner, in tone, in argument, is most remarkable. I met -men to-day who last March argued coolly and philosophically about -the right of Secession. They are now furious at the idea of such -wickedness--furious with England, because she does not deny their -own famous doctrine of the sacred right of insurrection. “We must -maintain our glorious Union, sir.” “We must have a country.” “We -cannot allow two nations to grow up on this Continent, sir.” “We -must possess the entire control of the Mississippi.” These “musts,” -and “can’ts,” and “won’ts,” are the angry utterances of a spirited -people who have had their will so long that they at last believe -it is omnipotent. Assuredly, they will not have it over the South -without a tremendous and long-sustained contest, in which they must -put forth every exertion, and use all the resources and superior -means they so abundantly possess. - -It is absurd to assert, as do the New York people, to give some -semblance of reason to their sudden outburst, that it was caused -by the insult to the flag at Sumter. Why, the flag had been fired -on long before Sumter was attacked by the Charleston batteries! It -had been torn down from United States’ arsenals and forts all over -the South; and but for the accident which placed Major Anderson in -a position from which he could not retire, there would have been no -bombardment of the fort, and it would, when evacuated, have shared -the fate of all the other Federal works on the Southern coast. Some -of the gentlemen who are now so patriotic and Unionistic, were -last March prepared to maintain that if the President attempted -to re-inforce Sumter or Pickens, he would be responsible for the -destruction of the Union. Many journals in New York and out of it -held the same doctrine. - -One word to these gentlemen. I am pretty well satisfied that if they -had always spoke, written, and acted as they do now, the people of -Charleston would not have attacked Sumter so readily. The abrupt -outburst of the North and the demonstration at New York filled the -South, first with astonishment, and then with something like fear, -which was rapidly fanned into anger by the press and the politicians, -as well as by the pride inherent in slaveholders. - -I wonder what Mr. Seward will say when I get back to Washington. -Before I left, he was of opinion--at all events, he stated--that all -the States would come back, at the rate of one a month. The nature of -the process was not stated; but we are told there are 250,000 Federal -troops now under arms, prepared to try a new one. - -Combined with the feeling of animosity to the rebels, there is, I -perceive, a good deal of ill-feeling towards Great Britain. The -Southern papers are so angry with us for the Order in Council -closing British ports against privateers and their prizes, that they -advise Mr. Rust and Mr. Yancey to leave Europe. We are in evil case -between North and South. I met a reverend doctor, who is most bitter -in his expressions towards us; and I dare say, Bishop and General -Leonidas Polk, down South, would not be much better disposed. The -clergy are active on both sides; and their flocks approve of their -holy violence. One journal tells with much gusto of a blasphemous -chaplain, a remarkably good rifle shot, who went into one of the -skirmishes lately, and killed a number of rebels--the joke being -in the fact, that each time he fired and brought down his man, he -exclaimed, piously, “May Heaven have mercy on your soul!” One Father -Mooney, who performed the novel act for a clergyman of “christening” -a big gun at Washington the other day, wound up the speech he made -on the occasion, by declaring “the echo of its voice would be _sweet -music_, inviting the children of Columbia to share the comforts of -his father’s home.” Can impiety and folly, and bad taste, go further? - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Departure for Washington--A “servant”--The American Press on - the War--Military aspect of the States--Philadelphia--Baltimore - --Washington--Lord Lyons--Mr. Sumner--Irritation against Great - Britain--“Independence” day--Meeting of Congress--General - state of affairs. - - -_July 3rd._--Up early, breakfasted at five a.m., and left my -hospitable host’s roof, on my way to Washington. The ferry-boat, -which is a long way off, starts for the train at seven o’clock; and -so bad are the roads, I nearly missed it. On hurrying to secure my -place in the train, I said to one of the railway officers, “If you -see a coloured man in a cloth cap and dark coat with metal buttons, -will you be good enough, sir, to tell him I’m in this carriage.” “Why -so, sir?” “He is my servant.” “Servant,” he repeated; “your servant! -I presume you’re a Britisher; and if he’s your servant, I think you -may as well let him find you.” And so he walked away, delighted with -his cleverness, his civility, and his rebuke of an aristocrat. - -Nearly four months since I went by this road to Washington. The -change which has since occurred is beyond belief. Men were then -speaking of place under Government, of compromises between North and -South, and of peace; now they only talk of war and battle. Ever since -I came out of the South, and could see the newspapers, I have been -struck by the easiness of the American people, by their excessive -credulity. Whether they wish it or not, they are certainly deceived. -Not a day has passed without the announcement that the Federal troops -were moving, and that “a great battle was expected” by somebody -unknown, at some place or other. - -I could not help observing the arrogant tone with which writers of -stupendous ignorance on military matters write of the operations -which they think the Generals should undertake. They demand that an -army, which has neither adequate transport, artillery, nor cavalry, -shall be pushed forward to Richmond to crush out Secession, and -at the same time their columns teem with accounts from the army, -which prove that it is not only ill-disciplined, but that it is -ill-provided. A general outcry has been raised against the war -department and the contractors, and it is openly stated that Mr. -Cameron, the Secretary, has not clean hands. One journal denounces -“the swindling and plunder” which prevail under his eyes. A minister -who is disposed to be corrupt can be so with facility under the -system of the United States, because he has absolute control over -the contracts, which are rising to an enormous magnitude, as the war -preparations assume more formidable dimensions. The greater part of -the military stores of the State are in the South--arms, ordnance, -clothing, ammunition, ships, machinery, and all kinds of _matériel_ -must be prepared in a hurry. - -The condition in which the States present themselves, particularly -at sea, is a curious commentary on the offensive and warlike tone -of their Statesmen in their dealings with the first maritime power -of the world. They cannot blockade a single port effectually. The -Confederate steamer Sumter has escaped to sea from New Orleans, and -ships run in and out of Charleston almost as they please. Coming -so recently from the South, I can see the great difference which -exists between the two races, as they may be called, exemplified in -the men I have seen, and those who are in the train going towards -Washington. These volunteers have none of the swash-buckler bravado, -gallant-swaggering air of the Southern men. They are staid, quiet -men, and the Pennsylvanians, who are on their way to join their -regiment in Baltimore, are very inferior in size and strength to the -Tennesseans and Carolinians. - -The train is full of men in uniform. When I last went over the line, -I do not believe there was a sign of soldiering, beyond perhaps -the “conductor,” who is always described in the papers as being -“gentlemantly,” wore his badge. And, _à propos_ of badges, I see that -civilians have taken to wearing shields of metal on their coats, -enamelled with the stars and stripes, and that men who are not in the -army try to make it seem they are soldiers by affecting military caps -and cloaks. - -The country between Washington and Philadelphia is destitute of -natural beauties, but it affords abundant evidence that it is -inhabited by a prosperous, comfortable, middle-class community. -From every village church, and from many houses, the Union flag -was displayed. Four months ago not one was to be seen. When we -were crossing in the steam ferry-boat at Philadelphia I saw some -volunteers looking up and smiling at a hatchet which was over the -cabin door, and it was not till I saw it had the words “States -Rights’ Fire Axe” painted along the handle I could account for -the attraction. It would fare ill with any vessel in Southern -waters which displayed an axe to the citizens inscribed with “Down -with States Rights” on it. There is certainly less vehemence and -bitterness among the Northerners; but it might be erroneous to -suppose there was less determination. - -Below Philadelphia, from Havre-de-Grâce all the way to Baltimore, -and thence on to Washington, the stations on the rail were guarded -by soldiers, as though an enemy were expected to destroy the bridges -and to tear up the rails. Wooden bridges and causeways, carried over -piles and embankments, are necessary, in consequence of the nature -of the country; and at each of these a small camp was formed for the -soldiers who have to guard the approaches. Sentinels are posted, -pickets thrown out, and in the open field by the way-side troops -are to be seen moving, as though a battle was close at hand. In one -word, we are in the State of Maryland. By these means alone are -communications maintained between the North and the capital. As we -approach Baltimore the number of sentinels and camps increase, and -earthworks have been thrown up on the high grounds commanding the -city. The display of Federal flags from the public buildings and some -shipping in the river was so limited as to contrast strongly with -those symbols of Union sentiments in the Northern cities. - -Since I last passed through this city the streets have been a scene -of bloodshed. The conductor of the car on which we travelled from -one terminus to the other, along the street railway, pointed out the -marks of the bullets on the walls and in the window frames. “That’s -the way to deal with the Plug Uglies,” exclaimed he; a name given -popularly to the lower classes called Rowdies in New York. “Yes,” -said a fellow-passenger quietly to me, “these are the sentiments -which are now uttered in the country which we call the land of -freedom, and men like that desire nothing better than brute force. -There is no city in Europe--Venice, Warsaw, or Rome--subject to such -tyranny as Baltimore at this moment. In this Pratt Street there have -been murders as foul as ever soldiery committed in the streets of -Paris.” Here was evidently the judicial blindness of a States Rights -fanatic, who considers the despatch of Federal soldiers through -the State of Maryland without the permission of the authorities an -outrage so flagrant as to justify the people in shooting them down, -whilst the soldiers become murderers if they resist. At the corners -of the streets strong guards of soldiers were posted, and patrols -moved up and down the thoroughfares. The inhabitants looked sullen -and sad. A small war is waged by the police recently appointed by the -Federal authorities against the women, who exhibit much ingenuity in -expressing their animosity to the stars and stripes--dressing the -children, and even dolls, in the Confederate colours, and wearing the -same in ribbons and bows. The negro population alone seemed just the -same as before. - -The Secession newspapers of Baltimore have been suppressed, but -the editors contrive nevertheless to show their sympathies in the -selection of their extracts. In to-day’s paper there is an account -of a skirmish in the West, given by one of the Confederates who took -part in it, in which it is stated that the officer commanding the -party “scalped” twenty-three Federals. For the first time since I -left the South I see those advertisements headed by the figure of -a negro running with a bundle, and containing descriptions of the -fugitive, and the reward offered for imprisoning him or her, so that -the owner may receive his property. Among the insignia enumerated are -scars on the back and over the loins. The whip is not only used by -the masters and drivers, but by the police; and in every report of -petty police cases sentences of so many lashes, and severe floggings -of women of colour are recorded. - -It is about forty miles from Baltimore to Washington, and at every -quarter of a mile for the whole distance a picket of soldiers guarded -the rails. Camps appeared on both sides, larger and more closely -packed together; and the rays of the setting sun fell on countless -lines of tents as we approached the unfinished dome of the Capitol. -On the Virginian side of the river, columns of smoke rising from the -forest marked the site of Federal encampments across the stream. The -fields around Washington resounded with the words of command and -tramp of men, and flashed with wheeling arms. Parks of artillery -studded the waste ground, and long trains of white-covered waggons -filled up the open spaces in the suburbs of Washington. - -To me all this was a wonderful sight. As I drove up Pennsylvania -Avenue I could scarce credit that the busy thoroughfare--all red, -white, and blue with flags, filled with dust from galloping chargers -and commissariat carts; the side-walks thronged with people, of whom -a large proportion carried sword or bayonet; shops full of life -and activity--was the same as that through which I had driven the -first morning of my arrival. Washington now, indeed, is the capital -of the United States; but it is no longer the scene of beneficent -legislation and of peaceful government. It is the representative of -armed force engaged in war--menaced whilst in the very act of raising -its arm by the enemy it seeks to strike. - -To avoid the tumult of Willard’s, I requested a friend to hire -apartments, and drove to a house in Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the -War Department, where he had succeeded in engaging a sitting-room -about twelve feet square, and a bed-room to correspond, in a very -small mansion, next door to a spirit merchant’s. At the Legation I -saw Lord Lyons, and gave him a brief account of what I had seen in -the South. I was sorry to observe he looked rather careworn and pale. - -The relations of the United States’ Government with Great Britain -have probably been considerably affected by Mr. Seward’s failure in -his prophecies. As the Southern Confederacy develops its power, the -Foreign Secretary assumes higher ground, and becomes more exacting, -and defiant. In these hot summer days, Lord Lyons and the members of -the Legation dine early, and enjoy the cool of the evening in the -garden; so after a while I took my leave, and proceeded to Gautier’s. -On my way I met Mr. Sumner, who asked me for Southern news very -anxiously, and in the course of conversation with him I was confirmed -in my impressions that the feeling between the two countries was -not as friendly as could be desired. Lord Lyons had better means -of knowing what is going on in the South, by communications from -the British Consuls; but even he seemed unaware of facts which -had occurred whilst I was there, and Mr. Sumner appeared to be as -ignorant of the whole condition of things below Mason and Dixon’s -line as he was of the politics of Timbuctoo. - -The importance of maintaining a friendly feeling with England -appeared to me very strongly impressed on the Senator’s mind. Mr. -Seward has been fretful, irritable, and acrimonious; and it is -not too much to suppose Mr. Sumner has been useful in allaying -irritation. A certain despatch was written last June, which amounted -to little less than a declaration of war against Great Britain. -Most fortunately the President was induced to exercise his power. -The despatch was modified, though not without opposition and was -forwarded to the English Minister with its teeth drawn. Lord Lyons, -who is one of the suavest and quietest of diplomatists, has found it -difficult, I fear, to maintain personal relations with Mr. Seward at -times. Two despatches have been prepared for Lord John Russell, which -could have had no result but to lead to a breach of the peace, had -not some friendly interpositor succeeded in averting the wrath of the -Foreign Minister. - -Mr. Sumner is more sanguine of immediate success than I am, from -the military operations which are to commence when General Scott -considers the army fit to take the field. At Gautier’s I met a number -of officers, who expressed a great diversity of views in reference -to those operations. General M‘Dowell is popular with them, but they -admit the great deficiencies of the subaltern and company officers. -General Scott is too infirm to take the field, and the burdens of -administration press the veteran to the earth. - -_July 4th._--“Independence Day.” Fortunate to escape this great -national festival in the large cities of the Union where it is -celebrated with many days before and after of surplus rejoicing, -by fireworks and an incessant fusillade in the streets, I was, -nevertheless, subjected to the small ebullition of the Washington -juveniles, to bell-ringing and discharges of cannon and musketry. -On this day Congress meets. Never before has any legislative body -assembled under circumstances so grave. By their action they will -decide whether the Union can ever be restored, and will determine -whether the States of the North are to commence an invasion for -the purpose of subjecting by force of arms, and depriving of their -freedom, the States of the South. - -Congress met to-day merely for the purpose of forming itself into -a regular body, and there was no debate or business of public -importance introduced. Mr. Wilson gave me to understand, however, -that some military movements of the utmost importance might be -expected in a few days, and that General M‘Dowell would positively -attack the rebels in front of Washington. The Confederates occupy -the whole of Northern Virginia, commencing from the peninsula -above Fortress Monroe on the right or east, and extending along -the Potomac, to the extreme verge of the State, by the Baltimore -and Ohio Railway. This immense line, however, is broken by great -intervals, and the army with which M‘Dowell will have to deal may be -considered as detached, covering the approaches to Richmond, whilst -its left flank is protected by a corps of observation, stationed near -Winchester, under General Jackson. A Federal corps is being prepared -to watch the corps and engage it, whilst M‘Dowell advances on the -main body. To the right of this again, or further west, another body -of Federals, under General M‘Clellan, is operating in the valleys -of the Shenandoah and in Western Virginia; but I did not hear any -of these things from Mr. Wilson, who was, I am sure, in perfect -ignorance of the plans, in a military sense, of the general. I sat -at Mr. Sumner’s desk, and wrote the final paragraphs of a letter -describing my impressions of the South in a place but little disposed -to give a favourable colour to them. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Interview with Mr. Seward--My passport--Mr. Seward’s views - as to the war--Illumination at Washington--My “servant” - absents himself--New York journalism--The Capitol--Interior of - Congress--The President’s Message--Speeches in Congress--Lord - Lyons--General M‘Dowell--Low standard in the army--Accident to - the “Stars and Stripes”--A street row--Mr. Bigelow--Mr. N.P. - Willis. - - -When the Senate had adjourned, I drove to the State Department and -saw Mr. Seward, who looked much more worn and haggard than when I saw -him last, three months ago. He congratulated me on my safe return -from the South in time to witness some stirring events. “Well, Mr. -Secretary, I am quite sure that, if all the South are of the same -mind as those I met in my travels, there will be many battles before -they submit to the Federal Government.” - -“It is not submission to the Government we want; it is to assent to -the principles of the Constitution. When you left Washington we had -a few hundred regulars and some hastily-levied militia to defend the -national capital, and a battery and a half of artillery under the -command of a traitor. The Navy-yard was in the hands of a disloyal -officer. We were surrounded by treason. Now we are supported by -the loyal States which have come forward in defence of the best -Government on the face of the earth, and the unfortunate and -desperate men who have commenced this struggle will have to yield or -experience the punishment due to their crimes.” - -“But, Mr. Seward, has not this great exhibition of strength been -attended by some circumstances calculated to inspire apprehension -that liberty in the free States may be impaired; for instance, I hear -that I must procure a passport in order to travel through the States -and go into the camps in front of Washington.” - -“Yes, sir; you must send your passport here from Lord Lyons, with his -signature. It will be no good till I have signed it, and then it must -be sent to General Scott, as Commander-in-Chief of the United States -army, who will subscribe it, after which it will be available for all -legitimate purposes. You are not in any way impaired in your liberty -by the process.” - -“Neither is, one may say, the man who is under surveillance of the -police in despotic countries in Europe; he has only to submit to a -certain formality, and he is all right; in fact, it is said by some -people, that the protection afforded by a passport is worth all the -trouble connected with having it in order.” - -Mr. Seward seemed to think it was quite likely. There were -corresponding measures taken in the Southern States by the rebels, -and it was necessary to have some control over traitors and disloyal -persons. “In this contest,” said he, “the Government will not shrink -from using all the means which they consider necessary to restore -the Union.” It was not my place to remark that such doctrines were -exactly identical with all that despotic governments in Europe have -advanced as the ground of action in cases of revolt, or with a view -to the maintenance of their strong Governments. “The Executive,” -said he, “has declared in the inaugural that the rights of the -Federal Government shall be fully vindicated. We are dealing with -an insurrection within our own country, of our own people, and the -Government of Great Britain have thought fit to recognise that -insurrection before we were able to bring the strength of the Union -to bear against it, by conceding to it the status of belligerent. -Although we might justly complain of such an unfriendly act in -a manner that might injure the friendly relations between the -two countries, we do not desire to give any excuse for foreign -interference; although we do not hesitate, in case of necessity, to -resist it to the uttermost, we have less to fear from a foreign war -than any country in the world. If any European Power provokes a war, -we shall not shrink from it. A contest between Great Britain and the -United States would wrap the world in fire, and at the end it would -not be the United States which would have to lament the results of -the conflict.” - -I could not but admire the confidence--may I say the coolness?--of -the statesman who sat in his modest little room within the sound of -the evening’s guns, in a capital menaced by their forces who spoke -so fearlessly of war with a Power which could have blotted out the -paper blockade of the Southern forts and coast in a few hours, and, -in conjunction with the Southern armies, have repeated the occupation -and destruction of the capital. - -The President sent for Mr. Seward whilst I was in the State -Department, and I walked up Pennsylvania Avenue to my lodgings, -through a crowd of men in uniform who were celebrating Independence -Day in their own fashion--some by the large internal use of -fire-water, others by an external display of fireworks. - -Directly opposite my lodgings are the head-quarters of General -Mansfield, commanding the district, which are marked by a guard -at the door and a couple of six-pounder guns pointing down the -street. I called upon the General, but he was busy examining certain -inhabitants of Alexandria and of Washington itself, who had been -brought before him on the charge of being Secessionists, and I left -my card, and proceeded to General Scott’s head-quarters, which I -found packed with officers. The General received me in a small room, -and expressed his gratification at my return, but I saw he was so -busy with reports, despatches, and maps, that I did not trespass on -his time. I dined with Lord Lyons, and afterwards went with some -members of the Legation to visit the camps, situated in the public -square. - -All the population of Washington had turned out in their best to -listen to the military bands, the music of which was rendered nearly -inaudible by the constant discharge of fireworks. The camp of the -12th New York presented a very pretty and animated scene. The men -liberated from duty were enjoying themselves out and inside their -tents, and the sutlers’ booths were driving a roaring trade. I was -introduced to Colonel Butterfield, commanding the regiment, who was -a merchant of New York; but notwithstanding the training of the -counting-house, he looked very much like a soldier, and had got -his regiment very fairly in hand. In compliance with a desire of -Professor Henry, the Colonel had prepared a number of statistical -tables in which the nationality, height, weight, breadth of chest, -age, and other particulars respecting the men under his command -were entered. I looked over the book, and as far as I could judge, -but two out of twelve of the soldiers were native-born Americans, -the rest being Irish, German, English, and European-born generally. -According to the commanding officer they were in the highest state -of discipline and obedience. He had given them leave to go out as -they pleased for the day, but at tattoo only 14 men out of 1000 were -absent, and some of those had been accounted for by reports that they -were incapable of locomotion owing to the hospitality of the citizens. - -When I returned to my lodgings, the coloured boy whom I had hired -at Niagara was absent, and I was told he had not come in since the -night before. “These free coloured boys,” said my landlord, “are a -bad set; now they are worse than ever; the officers of the army are -taking them all away from us; it’s just the life they like; they get -little work, have good pay; but what they like most is robbing and -plundering the farmers’ houses over in Virginia; what with Germans -Irish, and free niggers, Lord help the poor Virginians, I say; but -they’ll give them a turn yet.” - -The sounds in Washington to-night might have led one to believe the -city was carried by storm. Constant explosion of firearms, fireworks, -shouting, and cries in the streets, which combined, with the heat -and the abominable odours of the undrained houses and mosquitoes, to -drive sleep far away. - -_July 5th._--As the young gentleman of colour, to whom I had given -egregious ransom as well as an advance of wages, did not appear -this morning, I was, after an abortive attempt to boil water for -coffee and to get a piece of toast, compelled to go in next door, and -avail myself of the hospitality of Captain Cecil Johnson, who was -installed in the drawing-room of Madame Jost. In the forenoon, Mr. -John Bigelow, whose acquaintance I made, much to my gratification in -time gone by, on the margin of the Lake of Thun, found me out, and -proffered his services; which, as the whilom editor of the _Evening -Post_ and as a leading Republican, he was in a position to render -valuable and most effective; but he could not make a Bucephalus to -order, and I have been running through the stables of Washington -in vain, hoping to find something up to my weight--such flankless, -screwy, shoulderless, cat-like creatures were never seen--four of -them would scarcely furnish ribs and legs enough to carry a man, but -the owners thought that each of them was fit for Baron Rothschild; -and then there was saddlery and equipments of all sorts to be got, -which the influx of officers and the badness and dearness of the -material put quite beyond one’s reach. Mr. Bigelow was of opinion -that the army would move at once; “but,” said I, “where is the -transport--where the cavalry and guns?” “Oh,” replied he “I suppose -we have got everything that is required. I know nothing of these -things, but I am told cavalry are no use in the wooded country -towards Richmond.” I have not yet been able to go through the camps, -but I doubt very much whether the material or commissariat of the -grand army of the North is at all adequate to a campaign. - -The presumption and ignorance of the New York journals would be -ridiculous were they not so mischievous. They describe “this horde -of battalion companies--unofficered, clad in all kinds of different -uniform, diversely equipped, perfectly ignorant of the principles of -military obedience and concerted action,”--for so I hear it described -by United States officers themselves--as being “the greatest army the -world ever saw; perfect in officers and discipline; unsurpassed in -devotion and courage; furnished with every requisite; and destined on -its first march to sweep into Richmond, and to obliterate from the -Potomac to New Orleans every trace of rebellion.” - -The Congress met to-day to hear the President’s Message read. Somehow -or other there is not such anxiety and eagerness to hear what Mr. -Lincoln has to say as one could expect on such a momentous occasion. -It would seem as if the forthcoming appeal to arms had overshadowed -every other sentiment in the minds of the people. They are waiting -for deeds, and care not for words. The confidence of the New York -papers, and of the citizens, soldiers, and public speakers, contrast -with the dubious and gloomy views of the military men; but of this -Message itself there are some incidents independent of the occasion -to render it curious, if not interesting. The President has, it -is said, written much of it in his own fashion, which has been -revised and altered by his Ministers; but he has written it again -and repeated himself, and after many struggles a good deal of pure -Lincolnism goes down to Congress. - -At a little after half-past eleven I went down to the Capitol. -Pennsylvania Avenue was thronged as before, but on approaching -Capitol Hill, the crowd rather thinned away, as though they shunned, -or had no curiosity to hear, the President’s Message. One would -have thought that, where every one who could get in was at liberty -to attend the galleries in both Houses, there would have been an -immense pressure from the inhabitants and strangers in the city, as -well as from the citizen soldiers, of which such multitudes were in -the street; but when I looked up from the floor of the Senate, I was -astonished to see that the galleries were not more than three parts -filled. There is always a ruinous look about an unfinished building -when it is occupied and devoted to business. The Capitol is situated -on a hill, one face of which is scarped by the road, and has the -appearance of being formed of heaps of rubbish. Towards Pennsylvania -Avenue the long frontage abuts on a lawn shaded by trees, through -which walks and avenues lead to the many entrances under the -porticoes and colonnades; the face which corresponds on the other -side looks out on heaps of brick and mortar, cut stone, and a waste -of marble blocks lying half buried in the earth and cumbering the -ground, which, in the magnificent ideas of the founders and planners -of the city, was to be occupied by stately streets. The cleverness of -certain speculators in land prevented the execution of the original -idea, which was to radiate all the main avenues of the city from -the Capitol as a centre, the intermediate streets being formed by -circles drawn at regularly-increasing intervals from the Capitol, -and intersected by the radii. The speculators purchased up the land -on the side between the Navy-yard and the site of the Capitol; the -result--the land is unoccupied, except by paltry houses, and the -capitalists are ruined. - -The Capitol would be best described by a series of photographs. -Like the Great Republic itself, it is unfinished. It resembles it -in another respect: it looks best at a distance; and, again, it is -incongruous in its parts. The passages are so dark that artificial -light is often required to enable one to find his way. The offices -and bureaux of the committees are better than the chambers of the -Senate and the House of Representatives. All the encaustics and the -white marble and stone staircases suffer from tobacco juice, though -there is a liberal display of spittoons at every corner. The official -messengers, doorkeepers, and porters wear no distinctive badge or -dress. No policemen are on duty, as in our Houses of Parliament; no -soldiery, gendarmerie, or sergens-de-ville in the precincts; the -crowd wanders about the passages as it pleases, and shows the utmost -propriety, never going where it ought not to intrude. There is a -special gallery set apart for women; the reporters are commodiously -placed in an ample gallery, above the Speaker’s chair; the diplomatic -circle have their gallery facing the reporters, and they are placed -so low down in the somewhat depressed Chamber, that every word can -be heard from speakers in the remotest parts of the house very -distinctly. - -The seats of the members are disposed in a manner somewhat like -those in the French Chambers. Instead of being in parallel rows to -the walls, and at right angles to the Chairman’s seat, the separate -chairs and desks of the Senators are arranged in semicircular rows. -The space between the walls and the outer semicircle is called -the floor of the house, and it is a high compliment to a stranger -to introduce him within this privileged place. There are leather -cushioned seats and lounges put for the accommodation of those who -may be introduced by Senators, or to whom, as distinguished members -of Congress in former days, the permission is given to take their -seats. Senators Sumner and Wilson introduced me to a chair, and made -me acquainted with a number of Senators before the business of the -day began. - -Mr. Sumner, as the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, is -supposed to be viewed with some jealousy by Mr. Seward, on account -of the disposition attributed to him to interfere in diplomatic -questions; but if he does so, we shall have no reason to complain, -as the Senator is most desirous of keeping the peace between the two -countries, and of mollifying any little acerbities and irritations -which may at present exist between them. Senator Wilson is a man -who has risen from what would be considered in any country but a -republic the lowest ranks of the people. He apprenticed himself to -a poor shoemaker when he was twenty-two years of age, and when he -was twenty-four years old he began to go to school, and devoted all -his earnings to the improvement of education. He got on by degrees, -till he set up as a master shoe maker and manufacturer, became a -“major-general” of State militia; finally was made Senator of the -United States, and is now “Chairman of the Committee of the Senate on -Military Affairs.” He is a bluff man, of about fifty years of age, -with a peculiar eye and complexion, and seems honest and vigorous. -But is he not going ultra crepidam in such a post? At present he is -much perplexed by the drunkenness which prevails among the troops, -or rather by the desire of the men for spirits, as he has a New -England mania on that point. One of the most remarkable-looking men -in the House is Mr. Sumner. Mr. Breckinridge and he would probably -be the first persons to excite the curiosity of a stranger, so far -as to induce him to ask for their names. Save in height--and both -are a good deal over six feet--there is no resemblance between the -champion of States Rights and the orator of the Black Republicans. -The massive head, the great chin and jaw, and the penetrating eyes of -Mr. Breckinridge convey the idea of a man of immense determination, -courage, and sagacity. Mr. Sumner’s features are indicative of a -philosophical and poetical turn of thought, and one might easily -conceive that he would be a great advocate, but an indifferent leader -of a party. - -It was a hot day; but there was no excuse for the slop coats and -light-coloured clothing and felt wide-awakes worn by so many Senators -in such a place. They gave the meeting the aspect of a gathering -of bakers or millers; nor did the constant use of the spittoons -beside their desks, their reading of newspapers and writing letters -during the dispatch of business, or the hurrying to and fro of the -pages of the House between the seats, do anything but derogate from -the dignity of the assemblage, and, according to European notions, -violate the respect due to a Senate Chamber. The pages alluded to -are smart boys, from twelve to fifteen years of age, who stand below -the President’s table, and are employed to go on errands and carry -official messages by the members. They wear no particular uniform, -and are dressed as the taste or means of their parents dictate. - -The House of Representatives exaggerates all the peculiarities I have -observed in the Senate, but the debates are not regarded with so -much interest as those of the Upper House; indeed, they are of far -less importance. Strong-minded statesmen and officers--Presidents -or Ministers--do not care much for the House of Representatives, so -long as they are sure of the Senate; and, for the matter of that, -a President like Jackson does not care much for Senate and House -together. There are privileges attached to a seat in either branch -of the Legislature, independent of the great fact that they receive -mileage and are paid for their services, which may add some incentive -to ambition. Thus the members can order whole tons of stationery for -their use, not only when they are in session, but during the recess. -Their frank covers parcels by mail, and it is said that Senators -without a conscience have sent sewing-machines to their wives and -pianos to their daughters as little parcels by post. I had almost -forgotten that much the same abuses were in vogue in England some -century ago. - -The galleries were by no means full, and in that reserved for the -diplomatic body the most notable person was M. Mercier, the Minister -of France, who, fixing his intelligent and eager face between both -hands, watched with keen scrutiny the attitude and conduct of the -Senate. None of the members of the English Legation were present. -After the lapse of an hour, Mr. Hay, the President’s Secretary, made -his appearance on the floor, and sent in the Message to the Clerk of -the Senate, Mr. Forney, who proceeded to read it to the House. It -was listened to in silence, scarcely broken except when some Senator -murmured “Good, that is so;” but in fact the general purport of it -was already known to the supporters of the Ministry, and not a -sound came from the galleries. Soon after Mr. Forney had finished, -the galleries were cleared, and I returned up Pennsylvania Avenue, -in which the crowds of soldiers around bar-rooms, oyster shops, -and restaurants, the groups of men in officers’ uniform, and the -clattering of disorderly mounted cavaliers in the dust, increased my -apprehension that discipline was very little regarded, and that the -army over the Potomac had not a very strong hand to keep it within -bounds. - -As I was walking over with Captain Johnson to dine with Lord Lyons, -I met General Scott leaving his office and walking with great -difficulty between two aides-de-camp. He was dressed in a blue frock -with gold lace shoulder straps, fastened round the waist by a yellow -sash, and with large yellow lapels turned back over the chest in the -old style, and moved with great difficulty along the pavement. “You -see I am trying to hobble along, but it is hard for me to overcome my -many infirmities. I regret I could not have the pleasure of granting -you an interview to-day, but I shall cause it to be intimated to you -when I may have the pleasure of seeing you; meantime I shall provide -you with a pass and the necessary introductions to afford you all -facilities with the army.” - -After dinner I made a round of visits, and heard the diplomatists -speaking of the Message; few, if any of them, in its favour. With -the exception perhaps of Baron Gerolt, the Prussian Minister, -there is not one member of the Legations who justifies the attempt -of the Northern States to assert the supremacy of the Federal -Government by the force of arms. Lord Lyons, indeed, in maintaining -a judicious reticence whenever he does speak, gives utterance to -sentiments becoming the representative of Great Britain at the court -of a friendly Power, and the Minister of a people who have been -protagonists to slavery for many a long year. - -_July 6th._--I breakfasted with Mr. Bigelow this morning, to meet -General M‘Dowell, who commands the army of the Potomac, now so soon -to move. He came in without an aide-de-camp, and on foot, from his -quarters in the city. He is a man about forty years of age, square -and powerfully built, but with rather a stout and clumsy figure and -limbs, a good head covered with close-cut thick dark hair, small -light-blue eyes, short nose, large cheeks and jaw, relieved by an -iron-grey tuft somewhat of the French type, and affecting in dress -the style of our gallant allies. His manner is frank, simple, and -agreeable, and he did not hesitate to speak with great openness of -the difficulties he had to contend with, and the imperfection of all -the arrangements of the army. - -As an officer of the regular army he has a thorough contempt for what -he calls “political generals”--the men who use their influence with -President and Congress to obtain military rank, which in time of war -places them before the public in the front of events, and gives them -an appearance of leading in the greatest of all political movements. -Nor is General M‘Dowell enamoured of volunteers, for he served in -Mexico, and has from what he saw there formed rather an unfavourable -opinion of their capabilities in the field. He is inclined, however, -to hold the Southern troops in too little respect; and he told me -that the volunteers from the slave states, who entered the field -full of exultation and boastings, did not make good their words, -and that they suffered especially from sickness and disease, in -consequence of their disorderly habits and dissipation. His regard -for old associations was evinced in many questions he asked me about -Beauregard, with whom he had been a student at West Point, where the -Confederate commander was noted for his studious and reserved habits, -and his excellence in feats of strength and athletic exercises. - -As proof of the low standard established in his army, he mentioned -that some officers of considerable rank were more than suspected of -selling rations, and of illicit connections with sutlers for purposes -of pecuniary advantage. The General walked back with me as far as my -lodgings, and I observed that not one of the many soldiers he passed -in the streets saluted him, though his rank was indicated by his -velvet collar and cuffs, and a gold star on the shoulder strap. - -Having written some letters, I walked out with Captain Johnson and -one of the attachés of the British Legation, to the lawn at the -back of the White House, and listened to the excellent band of the -United States Marines, playing on a kind of dais under the large -flag recently hoisted by the President himself, in the garden. The -occasion was marked by rather an ominous event. As the President -pulled the halyards and the flag floated aloft, a branch of a tree -caught the bunting and tore it, so that a number of the stars and -stripes were detached and hung dangling beneath the rest of the flag, -half detached from the staff. - -I dined at Captain Johnson’s lodgings next door to mine. Beneath us -was a wine and spirit store, and crowds of officers and men flocked -indiscriminately to make their purchases, with a good deal of tumult, -which increased as the night came on. Later still, there was a -great disturbance in the city. A body of New York Zouaves wrecked -some houses of bad repute, in one of which a private of the regiment -was murdered early this morning. The cavalry patrols were called -out and charged the rioters, who were dispersed with difficulty -after resistance in which men on both sides were wounded. There is -no police, no provost guard. Soldiers wander about the streets, and -beg in the fashion of the mendicant in “Gil Blas” for money to get -whisky. My coloured gentleman has been led away by the Saturnalia and -has taken to gambling in the camps, which are surrounded by hordes of -rascally followers and sutlers’ servants, and I find myself on the -eve of a campaign, without servant, horse, equipment, or means of -transport. - -_July 7th._--Mr. Bigelow invited me to breakfast, to meet Mr. Senator -King, Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Thurlow Weed, a Senator from Missouri, a -West Point professor, and others. It was indicative of the serious -difficulties which embarrass the action of the Government to hear Mr. -Wilson, the Chairman of the Military Committee of the Senate, inveigh -against the officers of the regular army, and attack West Point -itself. Whilst the New York papers were lauding General Scott and his -plans to the skies, the Washington politicians were speaking of him -as obstructive, obstinate, and prejudiced--unfit for the times and -the occasion. - -General Scott refused to accept cavalry and artillery at the -beginning of the levy, and said that they were not required; now -he was calling for both arms most urgently. The officers of the -regular army had followed suit. Although they were urgently pressed -by the politicians to occupy Harper’s Ferry and Manassas, they -refused to do either, and the result is that the enemy have obtained -invaluable supplies from the first place, and are now assembled in -force in a most formidable position at the second. Everything as -yet accomplished has been done by political generals--not by the -officers of the regular army. Butler and Banks saved Baltimore in -spite of General Scott. There was an attempt made to cry up Lyon -in Missouri; but in fact it was Frank Blair, the brother of the -Postmaster-General, who had been the soul and body of all the actions -in that State. The first step taken by M‘Clellan in Western Virginia -was atrocious--he talked of slaves in a public document as property. -Butler, at Monroe, had dealt with them in a very different spirit, -and had used them for State purposes under the name of contraband. -One man alone displayed powers of administrative ability, and that -was Quartermaster Meigs; and unquestionably from all I heard, the -praise was well bestowed. It is plain enough that the political -leaders fear the consequences of delay, and that they are urging -the military authorities to action, which the latter have too much -professional knowledge to take with their present means. These -Northern men know nothing of the South, and with them it is _omne -ignotum pro minimo_. The West Point professor listened to them with a -quiet smile, and exchanged glances with me now and then, as much as -to say, “Did you ever hear such fools in your life?” - -But the conviction of ultimate success is not less strong here than -it is in the South. The difference between these gentlemen and -the Southerners is, that in the South the leaders of the people, -soldiers and civilians, are all actually under arms, and are ready to -make good their words by exposing their bodies in battle. - -I walked home with Mr. N.P. Willis, who is at Washington for the -purpose of writing sketches to the little family journal of which -he is editor, and giving war “anecdotes;” and with Mr. Olmsted, who -is acting as a member of the New York Sanitary Commission, here -authorised by the Government to take measures against the reign -of dirt and disease in the Federal camp. The Republicans are very -much afraid that there is, even at the present moment, a conspiracy -against the Union in Washington--nay, in Congress itself; and regard -Mr. Breckenridge, Mr. Bayard, Mr. Vallandigham, and others as most -dangerous enemies, who should not be permitted to remain in the -capital. I attended the Episcopal church and heard a very excellent -discourse, free from any political allusion. The service differs -little from our own, except that certain euphemisms are introduced in -the Litany and elsewhere, and the prayers for Queen and Parliament -are offered up _nomine mutato_ for President and Congress. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - Arlington Heights and the Potomac--Washington--The Federal - camp--General M‘Dowell--Flying rumours--Newspaper correspondents - --General Fremont--Silencing the Press and Telegraph--A Loan - Bill--Interview with Mr. Cameron--Newspaper criticism on Lord - Lyons--Rumours about M‘Clellan--The Northern army as reported - and as it is--General M‘Clellan. - - -_July 8th._--I hired a horse at a livery stable, and rode out to -Arlington Heights, at the other side of the Potomac, where the -Federal army is encamped, if not on the sacred soil of Virginia, -certainly on the soil of the district of Columbia, ceded by that -State to Congress for the purposes of the Federal Government. The -Long Bridge which spans the river, here more than a mile broad, is an -ancient wooden and brick structure, partly of causeway, and partly of -platform, laid on piles and uprights, with drawbridges for vessels -to pass. The Potomac, which in peaceful times is covered with small -craft, now glides in a gentle current over the shallows unbroken by -a solitary sail. The “rebels” have established batteries below Mount -Vernon, which partially command the river, and place the city in a -state of blockade. - -As a consequence of the magnificent conceptions which were -entertained by the founders regarding the future dimensions of -their future city, Washington is all suburb and no city. The only -difference between the denser streets and the remoter village-like -environs, is that the houses are better and more frequent, and -the roads not quite so bad in the former. The road to the Long -Bridge passes by a four-sided shaft of blocks of white marble, -contributed, with appropriate mottoes, by the various States, as a -fitting monument to Washington. It is not yet completed, and the -materials lie in the field around, just as the Capitol and the -Treasury are surrounded by the materials for their future and final -development. Further on is the red, and rather fantastic, pile of the -Smithsonian Institute, and then the road makes a dip to the bridge, -past some squalid little cottages, and the eye reposes on the shore -of Virginia, rising in successive folds, and richly wooded, up to -a moderate height from the water. Through the green forest leaves -gleams the white canvas of the tents, and on the highest ridge -westward rises an imposing structure, with a portico and colonnade -in front, facing the river, which is called Arlington House, and -belongs, by descent, through Mr. Custis, from the wife of George -Washington, to General Lee, Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate -army. It is now occupied by General M‘Dowell as his head-quarters, -and a large United States’ flag floats from the roof, which shames -even the ample proportions of the many stars and stripes rising up -from the camps in the trees. - -At the bridge there was a post of volunteer soldiers. The sentry on -duty was sitting on a stump, with his firelock across his knees, -reading a newspaper. He held out his hand for my pass, which was in -the form of a letter, written by General Scott, and ordering all -officers and soldiers of the army of the Potomac to permit me to -pass freely without let or hindrance, and recommending me to the -attention of Brigadier-General M‘Dowell and all officers under his -orders. “That’ll do, you may go,” said the sentry. “What pass is -that, Abe?” inquired a non-commissioned officer. “It’s from General -Scott, and says he’s to go wherever he likes.” “I hope you’ll go -right away to Richmond, then, and get Jeff Davis’s scalp for us,” -said the patriotic sergeant. - -At the other end of the bridge a weak _tête de pont_, commanded by -a road-work further on, covered the approach, and turning to the -right I passed through a maze of camps, in front of which the various -regiments, much better than I expected to find them, broken up into -small detachments, were learning elementary drill. A considerable -number of the men were Germans, and the officers were for the most -part in a state of profound ignorance of company drill, as might -be seen by their confusion and inability to take their places when -the companies faced about, or moved from one flank to the other. -They were by no means equal in size or age, and, with some splendid -exceptions, were inferior to the Southern soldiers. The camps were -dirty, no latrines--the tents of various patterns--but on the whole -they were well castrametated. - -The road to Arlington House passed through some of the finest woods -I have yet seen in America, but the axe was already busy amongst -them, and the trunks of giant oaks were prostrate on the ground. The -tents of the General and his small staff were pitched on the little -plateau in which stood the house, and from it a very striking and -picturesque view of the city, with the White House, the Treasury, the -Post Office, Patent Office, and Capitol, was visible, and a wide -spread of country, studded with tents also as far as the eye could -reach, towards Maryland. There were only four small tents for the -whole of the head-quarters of the grand army of the Potomac, and in -front of one we found General M‘Dowell, seated in a chair, examining -some plans and maps. His personal staff, as far as I could judge, -consisted of Mr. Clarence Brown, who came over with me, and three -other officers, but there were a few connected with the departments -at work in the rooms of Arlington House. I made some remark on the -subject to the General, who replied that there was great jealousy on -the part of the civilians respecting the least appearance of display, -and that as he was only a brigadier, though he was in command of -such a large army, he was obliged to be content with a brigadier’s -staff. Two untidy-looking orderlies, with ill-groomed horses, near -the house, were poor substitutes for the force of troopers one would -see in attendance on a general in Europe but the use of the telegraph -obviates the necessity of employing couriers. I went over some of the -camps with the General. The artillery is the most efficient-looking -arm of the service, but the horses are too light, and the number of -the different calibres quite destructive to continuous efficiency in -action. Altogether I was not favourably impressed with what I saw, -for I had been led by reiterated statements to believe to some extent -the extravagant stories of the papers, and expected to find upwards -of 100,000 men in the highest state of efficiency, whereas there were -not more than a third of the number, and those in a very incomplete, -ill-disciplined state. Some of these regiments were called out -under the President’s proclamation for three months only, and will -soon have served their full time, and as it is very likely they will -go home, now the bubbles of national enthusiasm have all escaped, -General Scott is urged not to lose their services, but to get into -Richmond before they are disbanded. - -It would scarcely be credited, were I not told it by General -M‘Dowell, that there is no such thing procurable as a decent map of -Virginia. He knows little or nothing of the country before him, more -than the general direction of the main roads, which are bad at the -best; and he can obtain no information, inasmuch as the enemy are -in full force all along his front, and he has not a cavalry officer -capable of conducting a reconnaissance, which would be difficult -enough in the best hands, owing to the dense woods which rise up in -front of his lines, screening the enemy completely. The Confederates -have thrown up very heavy batteries at Manassas, about thirty miles -away, where the railway from the West crosses the line to Richmond, -and I do not think General M‘Dowell much likes the look of them, but -the cry for action is so strong the President cannot resist it. - -On my way back I rode through the woods of Arlington, and came out on -a quadrangular earthwork, called Fort Corcoran, which is garrisoned -by the 69th Irish, and commands the road leading to an aqueduct -and horse-bridge over the Potomac. The regiment is encamped inside -the fort, which would be a slaughter-pen if exposed to shell-fire. -The streets were neat, the tents protected from the sun by shades -of evergreens and pine boughs. One little door, like that of an -ice-house, half buried in the ground, was opened by one of the -soldiers, who was showing it to a friend, when my attention was -more particularly attracted by a sergeant, who ran forward in great -dudgeon, exclaiming “Dempsey! Is that you going into the ‘magazine’ -wid yer pipe lighted?” I rode away with alacrity. - -In the course of my ride I heard occasional dropping shots in the -camp. To my looks of inquiry, an engineer officer said quietly, “They -are volunteers shooting themselves.” The number of accidents from the -carelessness of the men is astonishing; in every day’s paper there is -an account of deaths and wounds caused by the discharge of firearms -in the tents. - -Whilst I was at Arlington House, walking through the camp attached -to head-quarters, I observed a tall red-bearded officer seated on a -chair in front of one of the tents, who bowed as I passed him, and as -I turned to salute him, my eye was caught by the apparition of a row -of Palmetto buttons down his coat. One of the officers standing by -said, “Let me introduce you to Captain Taylor, from the other side.” -It appears that he came in with a flag of truce, bearing a despatch -from Jefferson Davis to President Lincoln, countersigned by General -Beauregard at Manassas. Just as I left Arlington, a telegraph was -sent from General Scott to send Captain Taylor, who rejoices in the -name of Tom, over to his quarters. - -The most absurd rumours were flying about the staff, one of whom -declared very positively that there was going to be a compromise, and -that Jeff Davis had made an overture for peace. The papers are filled -with accounts of an action in Missouri, at a place called Carthage, -between the Federals commanded by Colonel Sigel, consisting for the -most part of Germans, and the Confederates under General Parsons, in -which the former were obliged to retreat, although it is admitted -the State troops were miserably armed, and had most ineffective -artillery, whilst their opponents had every advantage in both -respects, and were commanded by officers of European experience. -Captain Taylor had alluded to the news in a jocular way to me, and -said, “I hope you will tell the people in England we intend to whip -the Lincolnites in the same fashion wherever we meet them,” a remark -which did not lead me to believe there was any intention on the part -of the Confederates to surrender so easily. - -_July 9th._--Late last night the President told General Scott to send -Captain Taylor back to the Confederate lines, and he was accordingly -escorted to Arlington in a carriage, and thence returned without any -answer to Mr. Davis’s letter, the nature of which has not transpired. - -A swarm of newspaper correspondents has settled down upon Washington, -and great are the glorifications of the high-toned paymasters, -gallant doctors, and subalterns accomplished in the art of war, who -furnish minute items to my American brethren, and provide the yeast -which overflows in many columns; but the Government experience the -inconvenience of the smallest movements being chronicled for the use -of the enemy, who, by putting one thing and another together, are no -doubt enabled to collect much valuable information. Every preparation -is being made to put the army on a war footing, to provide them with -shoes, ammunition waggons, and horses. - -I had the honour of dining with General Scott, who has moved to -new quarters, near the War Department, and met General Fremont, who -is designated, according to rumour, to take command of an important -district in the West, and to clear the right bank of the Mississippi -and the course of the Missouri. “The Pathfinder” is a strong -Republican and Abolitionist, whom the Germans delight to honour--a -man with a dreamy, deep blue eye, a gentlemanly address, pleasant -features, and an active frame, but without the smallest external -indication of extraordinary vigour, intelligence, or ability; if he -has military genius, it must come by intuition, for assuredly he has -no professional acquirements or experience. Two or three members of -Congress, and the General’s staff, and Mr. Bigelow, completed the -company. The General has become visibly weaker since I first saw -him. He walks down to his office, close at hand, with difficulty; -returns a short time before dinner, and reposes; and when he has -dismissed his guests at an early hour, or even before he does so, -stretches himself on his bed, and then before midnight rouses himself -to look at despatches or to transact any necessary business. In -case of an action it is his intention to proceed to the field in a -light carriage, which is always ready for the purpose, with horses -and driver; nor is he unprepared with precedents of great military -commanders who have successfully conducted engagements under similar -circumstances. - -Although the discussion of military questions and of politics was -eschewed, incidental allusions were made to matters going on around -us, and I thought I could perceive that the General regarded the -situation with much more apprehension than the politicians, and that -his influence extended itself to the views of his staff. General -Fremont’s tone was much more confident. Nothing has become known -respecting the nature of Mr. Davis’s communication to President -Lincoln, but the fact of his sending it at all is looked upon as -a piece of monstrous impertinence. The General is annoyed and -distressed by the plundering propensities of the Federal troops, -who have been committing terrible depredations on the people of -Virginia. It is not to be supposed, however, that the Germans, who -have entered upon this campaign as mercenaries, will desist from -so profitable and interesting a pursuit as the detection of Secesh -sentiments, chickens, watches, horses, and dollars, I mentioned that -I had seen some farm-houses completely sacked close to the aqueduct. -The General merely said, “It is deplorable!” and raised up his hands -as if in disgust. General Fremont, however, said, “I suppose you -are familiar with similar scenes in Europe. I hear the allies were -not very particular with respect to private property in Russia”--a -remark which unfortunately could not be gainsaid. As I was leaving -the General’s quarters, Mr. Blair, accompanied by the President, -who was looking more anxious than I had yet seen him, drove up, and -passed through a crowd of soldiers, who had evidently been enjoying -themselves. One of them called out, “Three cheers for General Scott!” -and I am not quite sure the President did not join him. - -_July 10th._--To-day was spent in a lengthy excursion along the front -of the camp in Virginia, round by the chain bridge which crosses the -Potomac about four miles from Washington. - -The Government have been coerced, as they say, by the safety of the -Republic, to destroy the liberty of the press, which is guaranteed -by the Constitution, and this is not the first instance in which -the Constitution of the United States will be made _nominis umbra_. -The telegraph, according to General Scott’s order, confirmed by the -Minister of War, Simon Cameron, is to convey no despatches respecting -military movements not permitted by the General; and to-day the -newspaper correspondents have agreed to yield obedience to the order, -reserving to themselves a certain freedom of detail in writing their -despatches, and relying on the Government to publish the official -accounts of all battles very speedily. They will break this agreement -if they can, and the Government will not observe their part of the -bargain. The freedom of the press, as I take it, does not include the -right to publish news hostile to the cause of the country in which it -is published; neither can it involve any obligation on the part of -Government to publish despatches which may be injurious to the party -they represent. There is a wide distinction between the publication -of news which is known to the enemy as soon as to the friends of the -transmitters, and the utmost freedom of expression concerning the -acts of the Government or the conduct of past events; but it will be -difficult to establish any rule to limit or extend the boundaries -to which discussion can go without mischief, and in effect the only -solution of the difficulty in a free country seems to be to grant the -press free licence, in consideration of the enormous aid it affords -in warning the people of their danger, in animating them with the -news of their successes, and in sustaining the Government in their -efforts to conduct the war. - -The most important event to-day is the passage of the Loan Bill, -which authorises Mr. Chase to borrow, in the next year, a sum -of £50,000,000, on coupons, with interest at 7 per cent, and -irredeemable for twenty years--the interest being guaranteed on a -pledge of the Customs duties. I just got into the House in time to -hear Mr. Vallandigham, who is an ultra-democrat, and very nearly a -secessionist, conclude a well-delivered argumentative address. He is -a tall, slight man, of a bilious temperament, with light flashing -eyes, dark hair and complexion, and considerable oratorical power. -“Deem me ef I wouldn’t just ride that Vallandiggaim on a reay-al,” -quoth a citizen to his friend, as the speaker sat down, amid a -few feeble expressions of assent. Mr. Chase has also obtained the -consent of the Lower House to his bill for closing the Southern ports -by the decree of the President, but I hear some more substantial -measures are in contemplation for that purpose. Whilst the House is -finding the money the Government are preparing to spend it, and they -have obtained the approval of the Senate to the enrolment of half -a million of men, and the expenditure of one hundred millions of -dollars to carry on the war. - -I called on Mr. Cameron, the Secretary of War. The small brick house -of two stories, with long passages, in which the American Mars -prepares his bolts, was, no doubt, large enough for the 20,000 men -who constituted the armed force on land of the great Republic, but -it is not sufficient to contain a tithe of the contractors who haunt -its precincts, fill all the lobbies and crowd into every room. With -some risk to coat-tails, I squeezed through iron-masters, gun-makers, -clothiers, shoemakers, inventors, bakers, and all that genus which -fattens on the desolation caused by an army in the field, and was -introduced to Mr. Cameron’s room, where he was seated at a desk -surrounded by people, who were also grouped round two gentlemen as -clerks in the same small room. “I tell you, General Cameron, that -the way in which the loyal men of Missouri have been treated is a -disgrace to this Government,” shouted out a big, black, burly man--“I -tell you so, sir.” “Well, General,” responded Mr. Cameron, quietly, -“so you have several times. Will you, once for all, condescend to -particulars?” “Yes, sir; you and the Government have disregarded our -appeals. You have left us to fight our own battles. You have not sent -us a cent----” “There, General, I interrupt you. You say we have sent -you no money,” said Mr. Cameron, very quietly. “Mr. Jones will be -good enough to ask Mr. Smith to step in here.” Before Mr. Smith came -in, however, the General, possibly thinking some member of the press -was present, rolled his eyes in a Nicotian frenzy, and perorated: -“The people of the State of Missouri, sir, will power-out every drop -of the blood which only flows to warm patriotic hearts in defence of -the great Union, which offers freedom to the enslaved of mankind, and -a home to persecuted progress, and a few-ture to civil-zation. We -demand, General Cameron, in the neame of the great Western State----” -Here Mr. Smith came in, and Mr. Cameron said, “I want you to tell me -what disbursements, if any, have been sent by this department to the -State of Missouri.” Mr. Smith was quick at figures, and up in his -accounts, for he drew out a little memorandum book, and replied (of -course, I can’t tell the exact sum), “General, there has been sent, -as by vouchers, to Missouri, since the beginning of the levies, six -hundred and seventy thousand dollars and twenty-three cents.” The -General looked crestfallen, but he was equal to the occasion, “These -sums may have been sent, sir, but they have not been received. I -declare in the face of----” “Mr. Smith will show you the vouchers, -General, and you can then take any steps needful against the parties -who have misappropriated them.” - -“That is only a small specimen of what we have to go through with -our people,” said the Minister, as the General went off with a lofty -toss of his head, and then gave me a pleasant sketch of the nature of -the applications and interviews which take up the time and clog the -movements of an American statesman. “These State organisations give -us a great deal of trouble.” I could fully understand that they did -so. The immediate business that I had with Mr. Cameron--he is rarely -called General now that he is Minister of War--was to ask him to give -me authority to draw rations at cost price, in case the army took -the field before I could make arrangements, and he seemed very well -disposed to accede; “but I must think about it, for I shall have all -our papers down upon me if I grant you any facility which they do not -get themselves.” After I left the War Department, I took a walk to -Mr. Seward’s, who was out. In passing by President’s Square, I saw a -respectably-dressed man up in one of the trees, cutting-off pieces of -the bark, which his friends beneath caught up eagerly. I could not -help stopping to ask what was the object of the proceeding. “Why, -sir, this is the tree Dan Sickles shot Mr. ---- under. I think it’s -quite a remarkable spot.” - -_July 11th._--The diplomatic circle is so _totus teres atque -rotundas_, that few particles of dirt stick on its periphery from -the road over which it travels. The radii are worked from different -centres, often far apart, and the tires and naves often fly out in -wide divergence; but for all social purposes is a circle, and a very -pleasant one. When one sees M. de Stoeckle speaking to M. Mercier, -or joining in with Baron Gerolt and M. de Lisboa, it is safer to -infer that a little social re-union is at hand for a pleasant -civilised discussion of ordinary topics, some music, a rubber, and -a dinner, than to resolve with the _New York Correspondent_, “that -there is reason to believe that a diplomatic movement of no ordinary -significance is on foot, and that the ministers of Russia, France, -and Prussia have concerted a plan of action with the representative -of Brazil, which must lead to extraordinary complications, in view -of the temporary embarrassments which distract our beloved country. -The Minister of England has held aloof from these reunions for a -sinister purpose no doubt, and we have not failed to discover that -the emissary of Austria, and the representative of Guatemala have -abstained from taking part in these significant demonstrations. We -tell the haughty nobleman who represents Queen Victoria, on whose -son we so lately lavished the most liberal manifestations of our -good will, to beware. The motives of the Court of Vienna, and of the -republic of Guatemala, in ordering their representatives not to join -in the reunion which we observed at three o’clock to-day, at the -corner of Seventeenth Street and One, are perfectly transparent; but -we call on Mr. Seward instantly to demand of Lord Lyons a full and -ample explanation of his conduct on the occasion, or the transmission -of his papers. There is no harm in adding, that we have every -reason to think our good ally of Russia, and the minister of the -astute monarch, who is only watching an opportunity of leading a -Franco-American army to the Tower of London and Dublin Castle, have -already moved their respective Governments to act in the premises.” - -That paragraph, with a good heading, would sell several thousands of -the “New York Stabber” to-morrow. - -_July 12th._--There are rumours that the Federals, under Brigadier -M‘Clellan, who have advanced into Western Virginia, have gained some -successes; but so far it seems to have no larger dimensions than the -onward raid of one clan against another in the Highlands. And whence -do rumours come? From Government departments, which, like so many -Danaes in the clerks’ rooms, receive the visits of the auriferous -Jupiters of the press, who condense themselves into purveyors of -smashes, slings, baskets of champagne, and dinners. M‘Clellan is, -however, considered a very steady and respectable professional -soldier. A friend of his told me to-day one of the most serious -complaints the Central Illinois Company had against him was that, -during the Italian war, he seemed to forget their business; and that -he was busied with maps stretched out on the floor, whereupon he, -superincumbent, penned out the points of battle and strategy when -he ought to have been attending to passenger trains and traffic. -That which was flat blasphemy in a railway office may be amazingly -approved in the field. - -_July 13th._--I have had a long day’s ride through the camps of the -various regiments across the Potomac, and at this side of it, which -the weather did not render very agreeable to myself or the poor hack -that I had hired for the day, till my American Quartermaine gets me -a decent mount. I wished to see with my own eyes what is the real -condition of the army which the North have sent down to the Potomac, -to undertake such a vast task as the conquest of the South. The -Northern papers describe it as a magnificent force, complete in all -respects, well-disciplined, well-clad, provided with fine artillery, -and with every requirement to make it effective for all military -operations in the field. - -In one word, then, they are grossly and utterly ignorant of what an -army is or should be. In the first place, there are not, I should -think, 30,000 men of all sorts available for the campaign. The -papers estimate it at any number from 50,000 to 100,000, giving the -preference to 75,000. In the next place, their artillery is miserably -deficient; they have not, I should think, more than five complete -batteries, or six batteries, including scratch guns, and these are of -different calibres, badly horsed, miserably equipped, and provided -with the worst set of gunners and drivers which I, who have seen -the Turkish field-guns, ever beheld. They have no cavalry, only a -few scarecrow-men, who would dissolve partnership with their steeds -at the first serious combined movement, mounted in high saddles, on -wretched mouthless screws, and some few regulars from the frontiers, -who may be good for Indians, but who would go over like ninepins at -a charge from Punjaubee irregulars. Their transport is tolerably -good, but inadequate; they have no carriage for reserve ammunition; -the commissariat drivers are civilians, under little or no control; -the officers are unsoldierly-looking men; the camps are dirty to -excess; the men are dressed in all sorts of uniforms; and from what I -hear, I doubt if any of these regiments have ever performed a brigade -evolution together, or if any of the officers know what it is to -deploy a brigade from column into line. They are mostly three months’ -men, whose time is nearly up. They were rejoicing to-day over the -fact that it was so, and that they had kept the enemy from Washington -“without a fight.” And it is with this rabblement that the North -propose not only to subdue the South, but according to some of their -papers, to humiliate Great Britain, and conquer Canada afterwards. - -I am opposed to national boasting, but I do firmly believe -that 10,000 British regulars, or 12,000 French, with a proper -establishment of artillery and cavalry, would not only entirely -repulse this army with the greatest ease, under competent commanders, -but that they could attack them and march into Washington over them -or with them whenever they pleased. Not that Frenchman or Englishman -is perfection, but that the American of this army knows nothing of -discipline, and what is more, cares less for it. - -Major-General M‘Clellan--I beg his pardon for styling him -Brigadier--has really been successful. By a very well-conducted -and rather rapid march, he was enabled to bring superior forces to -bear on some raw levies under General Garnett (who came over with -me in the steamer), which fled after a few shots, and were utterly -routed, when their gallant commander fell, in an abortive attempt -to rally them by the banks of the Cheat river. In this “great -battle” M‘Clellan’s loss is less than 30 killed and wounded, and -the Confederates loss is less than 100. But the dispersion of such -guerilla bands has the most useful effect among the people of the -district; and M‘Clellan has done good service, especially as his -little victory will lead to the discomfiture of all the Secessionists -in the valley of the Keanawha, and in the valley of Western Virginia. -I left Washington this afternoon, with the Sanitary Commissioners, -for Baltimore, in order to visit the Federal camps at Fortress -Monroe, to which we proceeded down the Chesapeake the same night. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Fortress Monroe--General Butler--Hospital accommodation--Wounded - soldiers--Aristocratic pedigrees--A great gun--Newport - News--Fraudulent contractors--General Butler--Artillery - practice--Contraband negroes--Confederate lines--Tombs of - American loyalists--Troops and contractors--Durevy’s New York - Zouaves--Military calculations--A voyage by steamer to Annapolis. - - -_July 14th._--At six o’clock this morning the steamer arrived at the -wharf under the walls of Fortress Monroe, which presented a very -different appearance from the quiet of its aspect when first I saw -it, some months ago. Camps spread around it, the parapets lined with -sentries, guns looking out towards the land, lighters and steamers -alongside the wharf, a strong guard at the end of the pier, passes -to be scrutinised and permits to be given. I landed with the members -of the Sanitary Commission, and repaired to a very large pile of -buildings, called “The Hygeia Hotel,” for once on a time Fortress -Monroe was looked upon as the resort of the sickly, who required -bracing air and an abundance of oysters; it is now occupied by the -wounded in the several actions and skirmishes which have taken place, -particularly at Bethel; and it is so densely crowded that we had -difficulty in procuring the use of some small dirty rooms to dress -in. As the business of the Commission was principally directed to -ascertain the state of the hospitals, they considered it necessary -in the first instance to visit General Butler, the commander of the -post, who has been recommending himself to the Federal Government by -his activity ever since he came down to Baltimore, and the whole body -marched to the fort, crossing the drawbridge after some parley with -the guard, and received permission, on the production of passes, to -enter the court. - -The interior of the work covers a space of about seven or eight -acres, as far as I could judge, and is laid out with some degree -of taste; rows of fine trees border the walks through the grass -plots; the officers’ quarters, neat and snug, are surrounded with -little patches of flowers, and covered with creepers. All order and -neatness, however, were fast disappearing beneath the tramp of mailed -feet, for at least 1200 men had pitched their tents inside the place. -We sent in our names to the General, who lives in a detached house -close to the sea face of the fort, and sat down on a bench under -the shade of some trees, to avoid the excessive heat of the sun -until the commander of the place could receive the Commissioners. He -was evidently in no great hurry to do so. In about half an hour an -aide-de-camp came out to say that the General was getting up, and -that he would see us after breakfast. Some of the Commissioners, from -purely sanitary considerations, would have been much better pleased -to have seen him at breakfast, as they had only partaken of a very -light meal on board the steamer at five o’clock in the morning; but -we were interested meantime by the morning parade of a portion of -the garrison, consisting of 300 regulars, a Massachusetts’ volunteer -battalion, and the 2nd New York Regiment. - -It was quite refreshing to the eye to see the cleanliness of the -regulars--their white gloves and belts, and polished buttons, -contrasted with the slovenly aspect of the volunteers; but, as far -as the material went, the volunteers had by far the best of the -comparison. The civilians who were with me did not pay much attention -to the regulars, and evidently preferred the volunteers, although -they could not be insensible to the magnificent drum-major who led -the band of the regulars. Presently General Butler came out of his -quarters, and walked down the lines, followed by a few officers. He -is a stout, middle-aged man, strongly built, with coarse limbs, his -features indicative of great shrewdness and craft, his forehead high, -the elevation being in some degree due perhaps to the want of hair; -with a strong obliquity of vision, which may perhaps have been caused -by an injury, as the eyelid hangs with a peculiar droop over the -organ. - -The General, whose manner is quick, decided, and abrupt, but not at -all rude or unpleasant, at once acceded to the wishes of the Sanitary -Commissioners, and expressed his desire to make my stay at the -fort as agreeable and useful as he could. “You can first visit the -hospitals in company with these gentlemen, and then come over with -me to our camp, where I will show you everything that is to be seen. -I have ordered a steamer to be in readiness to take you to Newport -News.” He speaks rapidly, and either affects or possesses great -decision. The Commissioners accordingly proceeded to make the most -of their time in visiting the Hygeia Hotel, being accompanied by the -medical officers of the garrison. - -The rooms, but a short time ago occupied by the fair ladies of -Virginia, when they came down to enjoy the sea breezes, were now -crowded with Federal soldiers, many of them suffering from the -loss of limb or serious wounds, others from the worst form of camp -disease. I enjoyed a small national triumph over Dr. Bellows, the -chief of the Commissioners, who is of the “sangre azul” of Yankeeism, -by which I mean that he is a believer, not in the perfectibility, -but in the absolute perfection, of New England nature, which is the -only human nature that is not utterly lost and abandoned--Old England -nature, perhaps, being the worst of all. We had been speaking to the -wounded men in several rooms, and found most of them either in the -listless condition consequent upon exhaustion, or with that anxious -air which is often observable on the faces of the wounded when -strangers approach. At last we came into a room in which two soldiers -were sitting up, the first we had seen, reading the newspapers. Dr. -Bellows asked where they came from; one was from Concord, the other -from Newhaven. “You see, Mr. Russell,” said Dr. Bellows, “how our -Yankee soldiers spend their time. I knew at once they were Americans -when I saw them reading newspapers.” One of them had his hand -shattered by a bullet, the other was suffering from a gun-shot wound -through the body. “Where were you hit?” I inquired of the first. -“Well,” he said, “I guess my rifle went off when I was cleaning it -in camp.” “Were you wounded at Bethel?” I asked of the second. “No, -sir,” he replied; “I got this wound from a comrade, who discharged -his piece by accident in one of the tents as I was standing -outside.” “So,” said I, to Dr. Bellows, “whilst the Britishers and -Germans are engaged with the enemy, you Americans employ your time -shooting each other!” - -These men were true mercenaries, for they were fighting for money--I -mean the strangers. One poor fellow from Devonshire said, as he -pointed to his stump, “I wish I had lost it for the sake of the old -island, sir,” paraphrasing Sarsfield’s exclamation as he lay dying on -the field. The Americans were fighting for the combined excellences -and strength of the States of New England, and of the rest of the -Federal power over the Confederates, for they could not in their -heart of hearts believe the Old Union could be restored by force of -arms. Lovers may quarrel and may reunite, but if a blow is struck -there is no _redintegratio amoris_ possible again. The newspapers and -illustrated periodicals which they read were the pabulum that fed the -flames of patriotism incessantly. Such capacity for enormous lying, -both in creation and absorption, the world never heard. Sufficient -for the hour is the falsehood. - -There were lady nurses in attendance on the patients; who -followed--let us believe, as I do, out of some higher motive than -the mere desire of human praise--the example of Miss Nightingale. -I loitered behind in the rooms, asking many questions respecting -the nationality of the men, in which the members of the Sanitary -Commission took no interest, and I was just turning into one near the -corner of the passage when I was stopped by a loud smack. A young -Scotchman was dividing his attention between a basin of soup and a -demure young lady from Philadelphia, who was feeding him with a -spoon, his only arm being engaged in holding her round the waist, in -order to prevent her being tired, I presume. Miss Rachel, or Deborah, -had a pair of very pretty blue eyes, but they flashed very angrily -from under her trim little cap at the unwitting intruder, and then -she said, in severest tones, “Will you take your medicine, or not?” -Sandy smiled, and pretended to be very penitent. - -When we returned with the doctors from our inspection we walked round -the parapets of the fortress, why so called I know not, because it -is merely a fort. The guns and mortars are old-fashioned and heavy, -with the exception of some new-fashioned and very heavy Columbiads, -which are cast-iron 8-, 10-, and 12-inch guns, in which I have no -faith whatever. The armament is not sufficiently powerful to prevent -its interior being searched out by the long range fire of ships with -rifle guns, or mortar boats; but it would require closer and harder -work to breach the masses of brick and masonry which constitute the -parapets and casemates. The guns, carriages, rammers, shot, were -dirty, rusty, and neglected; but General Butler told me he was busy -polishing up things about the fortress as fast as he could. - -Whilst we were parading these hot walls in the sunshine, my -companions were discussing the question of ancestry. It appears your -New Englander is very proud of his English descent from good blood, -and it is one of their isms in the Yankee States that they are the -salt of the British people and the true aristocracy of blood and -family, whereas we in the isles retain but a paltry share of the -blue blood defiled by incessant infiltrations of the muddy fluid -of the outer world. This may be new to us Britishers, but is a Q. -E. D. If a gentleman left Europe 200 years ago, and settled with -his kin and kith, intermarrying his children with their equals, -and thus perpetuating an ancient family, it is evident he may be -regarded as the founder of a much more honourable dynasty than the -relative who remained behind him, and lost the old family place, -and sunk into obscurity. A singular illustration of the tendency to -make much of themselves may be found in the fact, that New England -swarms with genealogical societies and bodies of antiquaries, who -delight in reading papers about each other’s ancestors, and tracing -their descent from Norman or Saxon barons and earls. The Virginians -opposite, who are flouting us with their Confederate flag from -Sewall’s Point, are equally given to the “genus et proavos.” - -At the end of our promenade round the ramparts, Lieutenant Butler, -the General’s nephew and aide-de-camp, came to tell us the boat was -ready, and we met His Excellency in the court-yard, whence we walked -down to the wharf. On our way, General Butler called my attention -to an enormous heap of hollow iron lying on the sand, which was the -Union gun that is intended to throw a shot of some 350 lbs. weight or -more, to astonish the Confederates at Sewall’s Point opposite, when -it is mounted. This gun, if I mistake not, was made after the designs -of Captain Rodman, of the United States artillery, who in a series -of remarkable papers, the publication of which has cost the country -a large sum of money, has given us the results of long-continued -investigations and experiments on the best method of cooling masses -of iron for ordnance purposes, and of making powder for heavy shot. -The piece must weigh about 20 tons, but a similar gun, mounted on an -artificial island called the Rip Raps, in the Channel opposite the -fortress, is said to be worked with facility. The Confederates have -raised some of the vessels sunk by the United States officers when -the Navy Yard at Gosport was destroyed, and as some of these are to -be converted into rams, the Federals are preparing their heaviest -ordnance, to try the effect of crushing weights at low velocities -against their sides, should they attempt to play any pranks among -the transport vessels. The General said: “It is not by these great -masses of iron this contest is to be decided: we must bring sharp -points of steel, directed by superior intelligence.” Hitherto General -Butler’s attempts at Big Bethel have not been crowned with success -in employing such means, but it must be admitted that, according -to his own statement, his lieutenants were guilty of carelessness -and neglect of ordinary military precautions in the conduct of the -expedition he ordered. The march of different columns of troops by -night concentrating on a given point is always liable to serious -interruptions, and frequently gives rise to hostile encounters -between friends, in more disciplined armies than the raw levies of -United States volunteers. - -When the General, Commissioners, and Staff had embarked, the steamer -moved across the broad estuary to Newport News. Among our passengers -were several medical officers in attendance on the Sanitary -Commissioners, some belonging to the army, others who had volunteered -from civil life. Their discussion of professional questions and of -relative rank assumed such a personal character, that General Butler -had to interfere to quiet the disputants, but the exertion of -his authority was not altogether successful, and one of the angry -gentlemen said in my hearing, “I’m d--d if I submit to such treatment -if all the lawyers in Massachusetts with stars on their collars were -to order me to-morrow.” - -On arriving at the low shore of Newport News we landed at a wooden -jetty, and proceeded to visit the camp of the Federals, which was -surrounded by a strong entrenchment, mounted with guns on the water -face; and on the angles inland, a broad tract of cultivated country, -bounded by a belt of trees, extended from the river away from the -encampment; but the Confederates are so close at hand that frequent -skirmishes have occurred between the foraging parties of the garrison -and the enemy, who have on more than one occasion pursued the -Federals to the very verge of the woods. - -Whilst the Sanitary Commissioners were groaning over the heaps of -filth which abound in all camps where discipline is not most strictly -observed, I walked round amongst the tents, which, taken altogether, -were in good order. The day was excessively hot, and many of the -soldiers were laying down in the shade of arbours formed of branches -from the neighbouring pine wood, but most of them got up when they -heard the General was coming round. A sentry walked up and down at -the end of the street, and as the General came up to him he called -out “Halt.” The man stood still. “I just want to show you, sir, what -scoundrels our Government has to deal with. This man belongs to a -regiment which has had new clothing recently served out to it. Look -what it is made of.” So saying the General stuck his fore-finger into -the breast of the man’s coat, and with a rapid scratch of his nail -tore open the cloth as if it was of blotting paper. “Shoddy sir. -Nothing but shoddy. I wish I had these contractors in the trenches -here, and if hard work would not make honest men of them, they’d have -enough of it to be examples for the rest of their fellows.” - -A vivacious prying man, this Butler, full of bustling life, -self-esteem, revelling in the exercise of power. In the course of -our rounds we were joined by Colonel Phelps, who was formerly in the -United States army, and saw service in Mexico, but retired because -he did not approve of the manner in which promotions were made, and -who only took command of a Massachusetts regiment because he believed -he might be instrumental in striking a shrewd blow or two in this -great battle of Armageddon--a tall, saturnine, gloomy, angry-eyed, -sallow man, soldier-like too, and one who places old John Brown -on a level with the great martyrs of the Christian world. Indeed -one, not so fierce as he, is blasphemous enough to place images of -our Saviour and the hero of Harper’s Ferry on the mantelpiece, as -the two greatest beings the world has ever seen. “Yes, I know them -well. I’ve seen them in the field. I’ve sat with them at meals. I’ve -travelled through their country. These Southern slaveholders are a -false, licentious, godless people. Either we who obey the laws and -fear God, or they who know no God except their own will and pleasure, -and know no law except their passions, must rule on this continent, -and I believe that Heaven will help its own in the conflict they -have provoked. I grant you they are brave enough, and desperate too, -but surely justice, truth, and religion, will strengthen a man’s -arm to strike down those who have only brute force and a bad cause -to support them.” But Colonel Phelps was not quite indifferent to -material aid, and he made a pressing appeal to General Butler to -send him some more guns and harness for the field-pieces he had in -position, because, said he, “in case of attack, please God I’ll -follow them up sharp, and cover these fields with their bones.” The -General had a difficulty about the harness, which made Colonel Phelps -very grim, but General Butler had reason in saying he could not make -harness, and so the Colonel must be content with the results of a -good rattling fire of round, shell, grape, and cannister, if the -Confederates are foolish enough to attack his batteries. - -There was nothing to complain of in the camp, except the swarms -of flies, the very bad smells, and perhaps the shabby clothing of -the men. The tents were good enough. The rations were ample, but -nevertheless there was a want of order, discipline, and quiet in -the lines which did not augur well for the internal economy of -the regiments. When we returned to the river face, General Butler -ordered some practice to be made with a Sawyer rifle gun, which -appeared to be an ordinary cast-iron piece, bored with grooves, on -the shunt principle, the shot being covered with a composition of -a metallic amalgam like zinc and tin, and provided with flanges of -the same material to fit the grooves. The practice was irregular and -unsatisfactory. At an elevation of 24 degrees, the first shot struck -the water at a point about 2000 yards distant. The piece was then -further elevated, and the shot struck quite out of land, close to -the opposite bank, at a distance of nearly three miles. The third -shot rushed with a peculiar hurtling noise out of the piece, and -flew up in the air, falling with a splash into the water about 1500 -yards away. The next shot may have gone half across the continent, -for assuredly it never struck the water, and most probably ploughed -its way into the soft ground at the other side of the river. The -shell practice was still worse, and on the whole I wish our enemies -may always fight us with Sawyer guns, particularly as the shells cost -between £6 and £7 a-piece. - -From the fort the General proceeded to the house of one of the -officers, near the jetty, formerly the residence of a Virginian -farmer, who has now gone to Secessia, where we were most hospitably -treated at an excellent lunch, served by the slaves of the former -proprietor. Although we boast with some reason of the easy level -of our mess-rooms, the Americans certainly excel us in the art of -annihilating all military distinctions on such occasions as these; -and I am not sure the General would not have liked to place a young -Doctor in close arrest, who suddenly made a dash at the liver wing of -a fowl on which the General was bent with eye and fork, and carried -it off to his plate. But on the whole there was a good deal of -friendly feeling amongst all ranks of the volunteers, the regulars -being a little stiff and adherent to etiquette. - -In the afternoon the boat returned to Fortress Monroe, and the -general invited me to dinner, where I had the pleasure of meeting -Mrs. Butler, his staff, and a couple of regimental officers from the -neighbouring camp. As it was still early, General Butler proposed a -ride to visit the interesting village of Hampton, which lies some -six or seven miles outside the fort, and forms his advance post. A -powerful charger, with a tremendous Mexican saddle, fine housings, -blue and gold embroidered saddle-cloth, was brought to the door for -your humble servant, and the General mounted another, which did equal -credit to his taste in horseflesh; but I own I felt rather uneasy on -seeing that he wore a pair of large brass spurs, strapped over white -jean brodequins. He took with him his aide-de-camp and a couple of -orderlies. In the precincts of the fort outside, a population of -contraband negroes has been collected, whom the General employs in -various works about the place, military and civil; but I failed to -ascertain that the original scheme of a debit and credit account -between the value of their labour and the cost of their maintenance -had been successfully carried out. The General was proud of them, -and they seemed proud of themselves, saluting him with a ludicrous -mixture of awe and familiarity as he rode past. “How do, Massa -Butler? How do, General?” accompanied by absurd bows and scrapes. -“Just to think,” said the General, “that every one of these fellows -represents some 1000 dollars at least out of the pockets of the -chivalry yonder.” “Nasty, idle, dirty beasts,” says one of the staff, -_sotto voce_; “I wish to Heaven they were all at the bottom of the -Chesapeake. The General insists on it that they do work, but they are -far more trouble than they are worth.” - -The road towards Hampton traverses a sandy spit, which, however, is -more fertile than would be supposed from the soil under the horses’ -hoofs, though it is not in the least degree interesting. A broad -creek or river interposed between us and the town, the bridge over -which had been destroyed. Workmen were busy repairing it, but all the -planks had not yet been laid down or nailed, and in some places the -open space between the upright rafters allowed us to see the dark -waters flowing beneath. The Aide said, “I don’t think, General, it is -safe to cross;” but his chief did not mind him until his horse very -nearly crashed through a plank, and only regained its footing with -unbroken legs by marvellous dexterity; whereupon we dismounted, and, -leaving the horses to be carried over in the ferry-boat, completed -the rest of the transit, not without difficulty. At the other end of -the bridge a street lined with comfortable houses, and bordered with -trees, led us into the pleasant town or village of Hampton--pleasant -once, but now deserted by all the inhabitants except some pauperised -whites and a colony of negroes. It was in full occupation of the -Federal soldiers, and I observed that most of the men were Germans, -the garrison at Newport News being principally composed of Americans. -The old red brick houses, with cornices of white stone; the narrow -windows and high gables; gave an aspect of antiquity and European -comfort to the place, the like of which I have not yet seen in the -States. Most of the shops were closed; in some the shutters were -still down, and the goods remained displayed in the windows. “I have -allowed no plundering,” said the General; “and if I find a fellow -trying to do it, I will hang him as sure as my name is Butler. See -here,” and as he spoke he walked into a large woollen-draper’s shop, -where bales of cloth were still lying on the shelves, and many -articles such as are found in a large general store in a country -town were disposed on the floor or counters; “they shall not accuse -the men under my command of being robbers.” The boast, however, was -not so well justified in a visit to another house occupied by some -soldiers. “Well,” said the General, with a smile, “I daresay you -know enough of camps to have found out that chairs and tables are -irresistible; the men will take them off to their tents, though they -may have to leave them next morning.” - -The principal object of our visit was the fortified trench which -has been raised outside the town towards the Confederate lines. -The path lay through a churchyard filled with most interesting -monuments. The sacred edifice of red brick, with a square clock -tower rent by lightning, is rendered interesting by the fact that -it is almost the first church built by the English colonists of -Virginia. On the tombstones are recorded the names of many subjects -of his Majesty George III., and familiar names of persons born in -the early part of last century in English villages, who passed to -their rest before the great rebellion of the Colonies had disturbed -their notions of loyalty and respect to the Crown. Many a British -subject, too, lies there, whose latter days must have been troubled -by the strange scenes of the war of independence. With what doubt -and distrust must that one at whose tomb I stand have heard that -George Washington was making head against the troops of His Majesty -King George III.! How the hearts of the old men who had passed the -best years of their existence, as these stones tell us, fighting for -His Majesty against the French, must have beaten when once more they -heard the roar of the Frenchman’s ordnance uniting with the voices -of the rebellious guns of the colonists from the plains of Yorktown -against the entrenchments in which Cornwallis and his deserted band -stood at hopeless bay! But could these old eyes open again, and see -General Butler standing on the eastern rampart which bounds their -resting-place, and pointing to the spot whence the rebel cavalry -of Virginia issue night and day to charge the loyal pickets of His -Majesty The Union, they might take some comfort in the fulfilment of -the vaticinations which no doubt they uttered, “It cannot, and it -will not, come to good.” - -Having inspected the works--as far as I could judge, too extended, -and badly traced--which I say with all deference to the able young -engineer who accompanied us to point out the various objects of -interest--the General returned to the bridge, where we remounted, and -made a tour of the camps of the force intended to defend Hampton, -falling back on Fortress Monroe in case of necessity. Whilst he was -riding _ventre à terre_, which seems to be his favourite pace, his -horse stumbled in the dusty road, and in his effort to keep his -seat the General broke his stirrup leather, and the ponderous brass -stirrup fell to the ground; but, albeit a lawyer, he neither lost his -seat nor his _sang froid_, and calling out to his orderly “to pick -up his toe plate,” the jean slippers were closely pressed, spurs and -all, to the sides of his steed, and away we went once more through -dust and heat so great I was by no means sorry when he pulled up -outside a pretty villa, standing in a garden, which was occupied by -Colonel Max Webber, of the German Turner Regiment, once the property -of General Tyler. The camp of the Turners, who are members of various -gymnastic societies, was situated close at hand; but I had no -opportunity of seeing them at work, as the Colonel insisted on our -partaking of the hospitalities of his little mess, and produced some -bottles of sparkling hock and a block of ice, by no means unwelcome -after our fatiguing ride. His Major, whose name I have unfortunately -forgotten, and who spoke English better than his chief, had served -in some capacity or other in the Crimea, and made many inquiries -after the officers of the Guards whom he had known there. I took an -opportunity of asking him in what state the troops were. “The whole -thing is a robbery,” he exclaimed; “this war is for the contractors; -the men do not get a third of what the Government pay for them; as -for discipline, my God! it exists not. We Germans are well enough, of -course; we know our affair; but as for the Americans, what would you? -They make colonels out of doctors and lawyers, and captains out of -fellows who are not fit to brush a soldier’s shoe.” “But the men get -their pay?” “Yes; that is so. At the end of two months, they get it, -and by that time it is due to sutlers, who charge them 100 per cent.” - -It is easy to believe these old soldiers do not put much confidence -in General Butler, though they admit his energy. “Look you; one -good officer with 5000 steady troops, such as we have in Europe, -shall come down any night and walk over us all into Fortress Monroe -whenever he pleased, if he knew how these troops were placed.” - -On leaving the German Turners, the General visited the camp of -Duryea’s New York Zouaves, who were turned out at evening parade, -or more properly speaking, drill. But for the ridiculous effect of -their costume the regiment would have looked well enough; but riding -down on the rear of the ranks the discoloured napkins tied round -their heads, without any fez cap beneath, so that the hair sometimes -stuck up through the folds, the ill-made jackets, the loose bags -of red calico hanging from their loins, the long gaiters of white -cotton--instead of the real Zouave yellow and black greave, and smart -white gaiter--made them appear such military scarecrows, I could -scarcely refrain from laughing outright. Nevertheless the men were -respectably drilled, marched steadily in columns of company, wheeled -into line, and went past at quarter distance at the double much -better than could be expected from the short time they had been in -the field, and I could with all sincerity say to Col. Duryea, a smart -and not unpretentious gentleman, who asked my opinion so pointedly -that I could not refuse to give it, that I considered the appearance -of the regiment very creditable. The shades of evening were now -falling, and as I had been up before 5 o’clock in the morning, I was -not sorry when General Butler said, “Now we will go home to tea, or -you will detain the steamer.” He had arranged before I started that -the vessel, which in ordinary course would have returned to Baltimore -at 8 o’clock, should remain till he sent down word to the captain to -go. - -We scampered back to the fort, and judging from the challenges and -vigilance of the sentries, and inlying pickets, I am not quite so -satisfied as the Major that the enemy could have surprised the place. -At the tea-table there were no additions to the General’s family; he -therefore spoke without any reserve. Going over the map, he explained -his views in reference to future operations, and showed cause, with -more military acumen than I could have expected from a gentleman of -the long robe, why he believed Fortress Monroe was the true base of -operations against Richmond. - -I have been convinced for some time, that if a sufficient force -could be left to cover Washington, the Federals should move against -Richmond from the Peninsula, where they could form their depôts at -leisure, and advance, protected by their gunboats, on a very short -line which offers far greater facilities and advantages than the -inland route from Alexandria to Richmond, which, difficult in itself -from the nature of the country, is exposed to the action of a hostile -population, and, above all, to the danger of constant attacks by the -enemies’ cavalry, tending more or less to destroy all communication -with the base of the Federal operations. - -The threat of seizing Washington led to a concentration of the Union -troops in front of it, which caused in turn the collection of the -Confederates on the lines below to defend Richmond. It is plain that -if the Federals can cover Washington, and at the same time assemble a -force at Monroe strong enough to march on Richmond, as they desire, -the Confederates will be placed in an exceedingly hazardous position, -scarcely possible to escape from; and there is no reason why the -North, with their overwhelming preponderance, should not do so, -unless they be carried away by the fatal spirit of brag and bluster -which comes from their press to overrate their own strength and to -despise their enemy’s. The occupation of Suffolk will be seen, by any -one who studies the map, to afford a most powerful leverage to the -Federal forces from Monroe in their attempts to turn the enemy out of -their camps of communication, and to enable them to menace Richmond -as well as the Southern States most seriously. - -But whilst the General and I are engaged over our maps and mint -juleps, time flies, and at last I perceive by the clock that it is -time to go. An aide is sent to stop the boat, but he returns ere -I leave with the news that “She is gone.” Whereupon the General -sends for the Quartermaster Talmadge, who is out in the camps, and -only arrives in time to receive a severe “wigging.” It so happened -that I had important papers to send off by the next mail from New -York, and the only chance of being able to do so depended on my -being in Baltimore next day. General Butler acted with kindness and -promptitude in the matter. “I promised you should go by the steamer, -but the captain has gone off without orders or leave, for which he -shall answer when I see him. Meantime it is my business to keep my -promise. Captain Talmadge, you will at once go down and give orders -to the most suitable transport steamer or chartered vessel available, -to get up steam at once and come up to the wharf for Mr. Russell.” - -Whilst I was sitting in the parlour which served as the General’s -office, there came in a pale, bright-eyed, slim young man in a -subaltern’s uniform, who sought a private audience, and unfolded a -plan he had formed, on certain data gained by nocturnal expeditions, -to surprise a body of the enemy’s cavalry which was in the habit of -coming down every night and disturbing the pickets at Hampton. His -manner was so eager, his information so precise, that the General -could not refuse his sanction, but he gave it in a characteristic -manner. “Well, sir, I understand your proposition. You intend to go -out as a volunteer to effect this service. You ask my permission to -get men for it. I cannot grant you an order to any of the officers in -command of regiments to provide you with these; but if the Colonel of -your regiment wishes to give leave to his men to volunteer, and they -like to go with you, I give you leave to take them. I wash my hands -of all responsibility in the affair.” The officer bowed and retired, -saying, “That is quite enough, General.”[2] - -At 10 o’clock the Quartermaster came back to say that a screw -steamer called the Elizabeth was getting up steam for my reception, -and I bade good-by to the General, and walked down with his aide -and nephew, Lieutenant Butler, to the Hygeia Hotel to get my light -knapsack. It was a lovely moonlight night, and as I was passing down -an avenue of trees an officer stopped me, and exclaimed, “General -Butler, I hear you have given leave to Lieutenant Blank to take a -party of my regiment and go off scouting to-night after the enemy. -It is too hard that--” What more he was going to say I know not, for -I corrected the mistake, and the officer walked hastily on towards -the General’s quarters. On reaching the Hygeia Hotel I was met by the -correspondent of a New York paper, who as commissary-general, or, -as they are styled in the States, officer of subsistence, had been -charged to get the boat ready, and who explained to me it would be at -least an hour before the steam was up; and whilst I was waiting in -the porch I heard many Virginian, and old world stories as well, the -general upshot of which was that all the rest of the world could be -“done” at cards, in love, in drink, in horseflesh, and in fighting, -by the true-born American. Gen. Butler came down after a time, and -joined our little society, nor was he by any means the least shrewd -and humorous _raconteur_ of the party. At 11 o’clock the Elizabeth -uttered some piercing cries, which indicated she had her steam up; -and so I walked down to the jetty, accompanied by my host and his -friends, and wishing them good bye, stepped on board the little -vessel, and with the aid of the negro cook, steward, butler, boots, -and servant, roused out the captain from a small wooden trench which -he claimed as his berth, turned into it, and fell asleep just as the -first difficult convulsions of the screw aroused the steamer from her -coma, and forced her languidly against the tide in the direction of -Baltimore. - -_July 15th._--I need not speak much of the events of last night, -which were not unimportant, perhaps, to some of the insects which -played a leading part in them. The heat was literally overpowering; -for in addition to the hot night there was the full power of -most irritable boilers close at hand to aggravate the natural -_désagrémens_ of the situation. About an hour after dawn, when I -turned out on deck, there was nothing visible but a warm grey mist; -but a knotty old pilot on deck told me we were only going six knots -an hour against tide and wind, and that we were likely to make less -way as the day wore on. In fact, instead of being near Baltimore, -we were much nearer Fortress Monroe. Need I repeat the horrors of -this day? Stewed, boiled, baked, and grilled on board this miserable -Elizabeth, I wished M. Montalembert could have experienced with me -what such an impassive nature could inflict in misery on those around -it. The captain was a shy, silent man, much given to short naps in -my temporary berth, and the mate was so wild, he might have swam off -with perfect propriety to the woods on either side of us, and taken -to a tree as an aborigen or chimpanzee. Two men of most retiring -habits, the negro, a black boy, and a very fat negress who officiated -as cook, filled up the “balance” of the crew. - -I could not write, for the vibration of the deck of the little -craft gave a St. Vitus dance to pen and pencil; reading was out -of the question from the heat and flies; and below stairs the fat -cook banished repose by vapours from her dreadful caldrons, where, -Medea-like, she was boiling some death broth. Our breakfast was of -the simplest and--may I add?--the least enticing; and if the dinner -could have been worse it was so; though it was rendered attractive -by hunger, and by the kindness of the sailors who shared it with me. -The old pilot had a most wholesome hatred of the Britishers, and not -having the least idea till late in the day that I belonged to the old -country, favoured me with some very remarkable views respecting their -general mischievousness and inutility. As soon as he found out my -secret he became more reserved, and explained to me that he had some -reason for not liking us, because all he had in the world, as pretty -a schooner as ever floated and a fine cargo, had been taken and -burnt by the English when they sailed up the Potomac to Washington. -He served against us at Bladensburg. I did not ask him how fast he -ran; but he had a good rejoinder ready if I had done so, inasmuch as -he was up West under Commodore Perry on the lakes when we suffered -our most serious reverses. Six knots an hour! hour after hour! And -nothing to do but to listen to the pilot. - -On both sides a line of forest just visible above the low shores. -Small coasting craft, schooners, pungys, boats laden with wood -creeping along in the shallow water, or plying down empty before wind -and tide. - -“I doubt if we’ll be able to catch up them forts afore night,” said -the skipper. The pilot grunted, “I rather think yu’ll not.” “H---- -and thunder! Then we’ll have to lie off till daylight?” “They may let -you pass, Captain Squires, as you’ve this Europe-an on board, but -anyhow we can’t fetch Baltimore till late at night or early in the -morning.” - -I heard the dialogue, and decided very quickly that as Annapolis lay -somewhere ahead on our left, and was much nearer than Baltimore, it -would be best to run for it while there was daylight. The captain -demurred. He had been ordered to take his vessel to Baltimore, -and General Butler might come down on him for not doing so; but I -proposed to sign a letter stating he had gone to Annapolis at my -request, and the steamer was put a point or two to westward, much to -the pleasure of the Palinurus, whose “old woman” lived in the town. -I had an affection for this weather-beaten, watery-eyed, honest old -fellow, who hated us as cordially as Jack detested his Frenchman in -the old days before _ententes cordiales_ were known to the world. He -was thoroughly English in his belief that he belonged to the only -sailor race in the world, and that they could beat all mankind in -seamanship; and he spoke in the most unaffected way of the Britishers -as a survivor of the old war might do of Johnny Crapaud--“They were -brave enough no doubt, but, Lord bless you, see them in a gale of -wind! or look at them sending down top-gallant masts, or anything -sailor-like in a breeze. _You’d_ soon see the differ. And, besides, -they _never can_ stand again us at close quarters.” By-and-by the -houses of a considerable town, crowned by steeples, and a large -Corinthian-looking building, came in view. “That’s the State House. -That’s where George Washington--first in peace, first in war, and -first in the hearts of his countrymen--laid down his victorious sword -without any one asking him, and retired amid the applause of the -civilized world.” This flight I am sure was the old man’s treasured -relic of school-boy days, and I’m not sure he did not give it to me -three times over. Annapolis looks very well from the river side. The -approach is guarded by some very poor earthworks and one small fort. -A dismantled sloop of war lay off a sea wall, banking up a green lawn -covered with trees, in front of an old-fashioned pile of buildings, -which formerly, I think, and very recently indeed, was occupied by -the cadets of the United States Naval School. “There was a lot of -them Seceders. Lord bless you! these young ones is all took by these -States Rights’ doctrines--just as the ladies is caught by a new -fashion.” - -About seven o’clock the steamer hove alongside a wooden pier which -was quite deserted. Only some ten or twelve sailing boats, yachts, -and schooners lay at anchor in the placid waters of the port which -was once the capital of Maryland, and for which the early Republicans -prophesied a great future. But Baltimore has eclipsed Annapolis into -utter obscurity. I walked to the only hotel in the place, and found -that the train for the junction with Washington had started, and that -the next train left at some impossible hour in the morning. It is an -odd Rip Van Winkle sort of a place. Quaint-looking boarders came down -to the tea-table and talked Secession, and when I was detected, as -must ever soon be the case, owing to the hotel book, I was treated to -some ill-favoured glances, as my recent letters have been denounced -in the strongest way for their supposed hostility to States Rights -and the Domestic Institution. The spirit of the people has, however, -been broken by the Federal occupation, and by the decision with -which Butler acted when he came down here with the troops to open -communications with Washington after the Baltimoreans had attacked -the soldiery on their way through the city from the north. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - The “State House” at Annapolis--Washington--General Scott’s - quarters--Want of a staff--Rival camps--Demand for horses--Popular - excitement--Lord Lyons--General M‘Dowell’s movements--Retreat - from Fairfax Court House--General Scott’s quarters--General - Mansfield--Battle of Bull’s Run. - - -_July 19th._--I baffled many curious and civil citizens by -breakfasting in my room, where I remained writing till late in the -day. In the afternoon I walked to the State House. The hall door was -open, but the rooms were closed; and I remained in the hall, which is -graced by two indifferent huge statues of Law and Justice holding gas -lamps, and by an old rusty cannon, dug out of the river, and supposed -to have belonged to the original British colonists, whilst an officer -whom I met in the portico went to look for the porter and the keys. -Whether he succeeded I cannot say, for after waiting some half hour I -was warned by my watch that it was time to get ready for the train, -which started at 4.15 p.m. The country through which the single line -of rail passes is very hilly, much wooded, little cultivated, cut up -by water-courses and ravines. At the junction with the Washington -line from Baltimore there is a strong guard thrown out from the camp -near at hand. The officers, who had a mess in a little wayside inn on -the line, invited me to rest till the train came up, and from them -I heard that an advance had been actually ordered, and that if the -“rebels” stood there would soon be a tall fight close to Washington. -They were very cheery, hospitable fellows, and enjoyed their new mode -of life amazingly. The men of the regiment to which they belonged -were Germans, almost to a man. When the train came in I found it was -full of soldiers, and I learned that three more heavy trains were -to follow, in addition to four which had already passed laden with -troops. - -On arriving at the Washington platform, the first person I saw was -General M‘Dowell alone, looking anxiously into the carriages. He -asked where I came from, and when he heard from Annapolis, inquired -eagerly if I had seen two batteries of artillery--Barry’s and -another--which he had ordered up, and was waiting for, but which -had “gone astray.” I was surprised to find the General engaged on -such duty, and took leave to say so. “Well, it is quite true, Mr. -Russell; but I am obliged to look after them myself, as I have so -small a staff, and they are all engaged out with my head-quarters. -You are aware I have advanced? No! Well, you have just come in -time, and I shall be happy, indeed, to take you with me. I have -made arrangements for the correspondents of our papers to take -the field under certain regulations, and I have suggested to them -they should wear a white uniform, to indicate the purity of their -character.” The General could hear nothing of his guns; his carriage -was waiting, and I accepted his offer of a seat to my lodgings. -Although he spoke confidently, he did not seem in good spirits. -There was the greatest difficulty in finding out anything about the -enemy. Beauregard was said to have advanced to Fairfax Court House, -but he could not get any certain knowledge of the fact. “Can you not -order a reconnaissance?” “Wait till you see the country. But even if -it were as flat as Flanders, I have not an officer on whom I could -depend for the work. They would fall into some trap, or bring on a -general engagement when I did not seek it or desire it. I have no -cavalry such as you work with in Europe.” I think he was not so much -disposed to undervalue the Confederates as before, for he said they -had selected a very strong position, and had made a regular _levée -en masse_ of the people of Virginia, as a proof of the energy and -determination with which they were entering on the campaign. - -As we parted the General gave me his photograph, and told me he -expected to see me in a few days at his quarters, but that I would -have plenty of time to get horses and servants, and such light -equipage as I wanted, as there would be no engagement for several -days. On arriving at my lodgings I sent to the livery stables to -inquire after horses. None fit for the saddle to be had at any price. -The sutlers, the cavalry, the mounted officers, had been purchasing -up all the droves of horses which came to the markets. M‘Dowell had -barely extra mounts for his own use. And yet horses must be had; -and, even provided with them, I must take the field without tent or -servant, canteen or food--a waif to fortune. - -_July 17th._--I went up to General Scott’s quarters, and saw some of -his staff--young men, some of whom knew nothing of soldiers, not even -the enforcing of drill--and found them reflecting, doubtless, the -shades which cross the mind of the old chief, who was now seeking -repose. M‘Dowell is to advance to-morrow from Fairfax Court House, -and will march some eight or ten miles to Centreville, directly in -front of which, at a place called Manassas, stands the army of the -Southern enemy. I look around me for a staff, and look in vain. There -are a few plodding old pedants, with map and rules and compasses, who -sit in small rooms and write memoranda; and there are some ignorant -and not very active young men, who loiter about the head-quarters’ -halls, and strut up the street with brass spurs on their heels and -kepis raked over their eyes as though they were soldiers, but I see -no system, no order, no knowledge, no dash! - -The worst-served English general has always a young fellow or two -about him who can fly across country, draw a rough sketch map, -ride like a foxhunter, and find something out about the enemy and -their position, understand and convey orders, and obey them. I look -about for the types of these in vain. M‘Dowell can find out nothing -about the enemy; he has not a trustworthy map of the country; no -knowledge of their position, force, or numbers. All the people, he -says, are against the Government. Fairfax Court House was abandoned -as he approached, the enemy in their retreat being followed by the -inhabitants. “Where were the Confederate entrenchments? Only in the -imagination of those New York newspapers; when they want to fill up -a column they write a full account of the enemy’s fortifications. -No one can contradict them at the time, and it’s a good joke when -it’s found out to be a lie.” Colonel Cullum went over the maps with -me at General Scott’s, and spoke with some greater confidence of -M‘Dowell’s prospects of success. There is a considerable force of -Confederates at a place called Winchester, which is connected with -Manassas by rail, and this force could be thrown on the right of the -Federals as they advanced, but that another corps, under Patterson, -is in observation, with orders to engage them if they attempt to move -eastwards. - -The batteries for which General M‘Dowell was looking last night have -arrived, and were sent on this morning. One is under Barry, of the -United States regular artillery, whom I met at Fort Pickens. The -other is a volunteer battery. The onward movement of the army has -been productive of a great improvement in the streets of Washington, -which are no longer crowded with turbulent and disorderly volunteers, -or by soldiers disgracing the name, who accost you in the by-ways for -money. There are comparatively few to-day; small shoals, which have -escaped the meshes of the net, are endeavouring to make the most of -their time before they cross the river to face the enemy. - -Still horse-hunting, but in vain--Gregson, Wroe--_et hoc genus omne_. -Nothing to sell except at unheard-of rates; tripeds, and the like, -much the worse for wear, and yet possessed of some occult virtues, -in right of which the owners demanded egregious sums. Everywhere I -am offered a gig or a vehicle of some kind or another, as if the -example of General Scott had rendered such a mode of campaigning -the correct thing. I saw many officers driving over the Log Bridge -with large stores of provisions, either unable to procure horses -or satisfied that a waggon was the chariot of Mars. It is not fair -to ridicule either officers or men of this army, and if they were -not so inflated by a pestilent vanity, no one would dream of doing -so; but the excessive bragging and boasting in which the volunteers -and the press indulge really provoke criticism and tax patience and -forbearance overmuch. Even the regular officers, who have some idea -of military efficiency, rather derived from education and foreign -travels than from actual experience, bristle up and talk proudly -of the patriotism of the army, and challenge the world to show -such another, although in their hearts, and more, with their lips, -they own they do not depend on them. The white heat of patriotism -has cooled down to a dull black; and I am told that the gallant -volunteers, who are to conquer the world when they “have got through -with their present little job,” are counting up the days to the -end of their service, and openly declare they will not stay a day -longer. This is pleasant, inasmuch as the end of the term of many -of M‘Dowell’s, and most of Patterson’s, three months men, is near -at hand. They have been faring luxuriously at the expense of the -Government--they have had nothing to do--they have had enormous -pay--they knew nothing, and were worthless as to soldiering when they -were enrolled. Now, having gained all these advantages, and being -likely to be of use for the first time, they very quietly declare -they are going to sit under their fig-trees, crowned with civic -laurels and myrtles, and all that sort of thing. But who dare say -they are not splendid fellows--full-blooded heroes, patriots, and -warriors--men before whose majestic presence all Europe pales and -faints away? - -In the evening I received a message to say that the advance of the -army would take place to-morrow as soon as General M‘Dowell had -satisfied himself by a reconnaissance that he could carry out his -plan of turning the right of the enemy by passing Occaguna Creek. -Along Pennsylvania Avenue, along the various shops, hotels, and -drinking-bars, groups of people were collected, listening to the -most exaggerated accounts of desperate fighting and of the utter -demoralisation of the rebels. I was rather amused by hearing the -florid accounts which were given in the hall of Willard’s by various -inebriated officers, who were drawing upon their imagination for -their facts, knowing, as I did, that the entrenchments at Fairfax -had been abandoned without a shot on the advance of the Federal -troops. The New York papers came in with glowing descriptions of -the magnificent march of the grand army of the Potomac, which was -stated to consist of upwards of 70,000 men; whereas I knew not half -that number were actually on the field. Multitudes of people believe -General Winfield Scott, who was now fast asleep in his modest bed -in Pennsylvania Avenue, is about to take the field in person. The -horse-dealers are still utterly impracticable. A citizen who owned a -dark bay, spavined and ringboned, asked me one thousand dollars for -the right of possession. I ventured to suggest that it was not worth -the money. “Well,” said he, “take it or leave it. If you want to see -this fight a thousand dollars is cheap. I guess there were chaps paid -more than that to see Jenny Lind on her first night; and this battle -is not going to be repeated, I can tell you. The price of horses will -rise when the chaps out there have had themselves pretty well used up -with bowie-knives and six-shooters.” - -_July 18th._--After breakfast. Leaving head-quarters, I went across -to General Mansfield’s, and was going up-stairs, when the General[3] -himself, a white-headed, grey-bearded, and rather soldierly-looking -man, dashed out of his room in some excitement, and exclaimed, -“Mr. Russell, I fear there is bad news from the front.” “Are they -fighting, General?” “Yes, sir. That fellow Tyler has been engaged, -and we are whipped.” Again I went off to the horse-dealer; but this -time the price of the steed had been raised to £220; “for,” says -he, “I don’t want my animals to be ripped up by them cannon and -them musketry, and those who wish to be guilty of such cruelty must -pay for it.” At the War Office, at the Department of State, at the -Senate, and at the White House, messengers and orderlies running in -and out, military aides, and civilians with anxious faces, betokened -the activity and perturbation which reigned within. I met Senator -Sumner radiant with joy. “We have obtained a great success; the -rebels are falling back in all directions. General Scott says we -ought to be in Richmond by Saturday night.” Soon afterwards a United -States officer, who had visited me in company with General Meigs, -riding rapidly past, called out, “You have heard we are whipped; -these confounded volunteers have run away.” I drove to the Capitol, -where people said one could actually see the smoke of the cannon; -but on arriving there it was evident that the fire from some burning -houses, and from wood cut down for cooking purposes had been mistaken -for tokens of the fight. - -It was strange to stand outside the walls of the Senate whilst -legislators were debating inside respecting the best means of -punishing the rebels and traitors, and to think that amidst the -dim horizon of woods which bounded the west towards the plains of -Manassas, the army of the United States was then contending, at -least with doubtful fortune, against the forces of the desperate and -hopeless outlaws whose fate these United States senators pretended to -hold in the hollow of their hands. Nor was it unworthy of note that -many of the tradespeople along Pennsylvania Avenue, and the ladies -whom one saw sauntering in the streets, were exchanging significant -nods and smiles, and rubbing their hands with satisfaction. I entered -one shop, where the proprietor and his wife ran forward to meet me. -“Have you heard the news? Beauregard has knocked them into a cocked -hat.” “Believe me,” said the good lady, “it is the finger of the -Almighty is in it. Didn’t he curse the niggers, and why should he -take their part now with these Yankee Abolitionists, against true -white men?” “But how do you know this?” said I. “Why, it’s all true -enough, depend upon it, no matter how we know it. We’ve got our -underground railway as well as the Abolitionists.” - -On my way to dinner at the Legation I met the President crossing -Pennsylvania Avenue, striding like a crane in a bulrush swamp among -the great blocks of marble, dressed in an oddly cut suit of grey, -with a felt hat on the back of his head, wiping his face with a red -pocket-handkerchief. He was evidently in a hurry, on his way to -the White House, where I believe a telegraph has been established -in communication with M‘Dowell’s head-quarters. I may mention, -by-the-bye, in illustration of the extreme ignorance and arrogance -which characterise the low Yankee, that a man in the uniform of a -Colonel said to me to-day, as I was leaving the War Department, -“They have just got a telegraph from M‘Dowell. Would it not astonish -you Britishers to hear that, as our General moves on towards the -enemy, he trails a telegraph wire behind him just to let them know -in Washington which foot he is putting first?” I was imprudent -enough to say, “I assure you the use of the telegraph is not such a -novelty in Europe or even in India. When Lord Clyde made his campaign -the telegraph was laid in his track as fast as he advanced,” “Oh, -well, come now,” quoth the Colonel, “that’s pretty good, that is; I -believe you’ll say next, your General Clyde and our Benjamin Franklin -discovered lightning simultaneously.” - -The calm of a Legation contrasts wonderfully in troubled times with -the excitement and storm of the world outside. M. Mercier perhaps -is moved to a vivacious interest in events. M. Stoeckl becomes more -animated as the time approaches when he sees the fulfilment of his -prophecies at hand. M. Tassara cannot be indifferent to occurrences -which bear so directly on the future of Spain in Western seas; but -all these diplomatists can discuss the most engrossing and portentous -incidents of political and military life, with a sense of calm and -indifference which was felt by the gentleman who resented being -called out of his sleep to get up out of a burning house because he -was only a lodger. - -There is no Minister of the European Powers in Washington who watches -with so much interest the march of events as Lord Lyons, or who feels -as much sympathy perhaps in the Federal Government as the constituted -Executive of the country to which he is accredited; but in virtue of -his position he knows little or nothing officially of what passes -around him, and may be regarded as a medium for the communication of -despatches to Mr. Seward, and for the discharge of a great deal of -most causeless and unmeaning vituperation from the conductors of the -New York press against England. - -On my return to Captain Johnson’s lodgings I received a note from -the head-quarters of the Federals, stating that the serious action -between the two armies would probably be postponed for some days. -M‘Dowell’s original idea was to avoid forcing the enemy’s position -directly in front, which was defended by movable batteries commanding -the fords over a stream called “Bull’s Run.” He therefore proposed -to make a demonstration on some point near the centre of their line, -and at the same time throw the mass of his force below their extreme -right, so as to turn it and get possession of the Manassas Railway -in their rear: a movement which would separate him, by-the-bye, from -his own communications, and enable any general worth his salt to make -a magnificent counter by marching on Washington, only 27 miles away, -which he could take with the greatest ease, and leave the enemy in -the rear to march 120 miles to Richmond, if they dared, or to make a -hasty retreat upon the higher Potomac, and to cross into the hostile -country of Maryland. - -M‘Dowell, however, has found the country on his left densely wooded -and difficult. It is as new to him as it was to Braddock, when he -cut his weary way through forest and swamp in this very district to -reach, hundreds of miles away, the scene of his fatal repulse at -Fort Du Quesne. And so, having moved his whole army, M‘Dowell finds -himself obliged to form a new plan of attack, and, prudently fearful -of pushing his under-done and over-praised levies into a river in -face of an enemy, is endeavouring to ascertain with what chance of -success he can attack and turn their left. - -Whilst he was engaged in a reconnaissance to-day, General Tyler -did one of those things which must be expected from ambitious -officers, without any fear of punishment, in countries where military -discipline is scarcely known. Ordered to reconnoitre the position -of the enemy on the left front, when the army moved from Fairfax to -Centreville this morning, General Tyler thrust forward some 3000 or -4000 men of his division down to the very banks of “Bull’s Run,” -which was said to be thickly wooded, and there brought up his men -under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, from which they retired -in confusion. - -The papers from New York to-night are more than usually impudent and -amusing. The retreat of the Confederate outposts from Fairfax Court -House is represented as a most extraordinary success; at best it -was an affair of outposts; but one would really think that it was -a victory of no small magnitude. I learn that the Federal troops -behaved in a most ruffianly and lawless manner at Fairfax Court -House. It is but a bad beginning of a campaign for the restoration of -the Union, to rob, burn, and destroy the property and houses of the -people in the State of Virginia. The enemy are described as running -in all directions, but it is evident they did not intend to defend -the advanced works, which were merely constructed to prevent surprise -or cavalry inroads. - -I went to Willard’s, where the news of the battle, as it was called, -was eagerly discussed. One little man in front of the cigar-stand -declared it was all an affair of cavalry. “But how could that be -among the piney woods and with a river in front, major?” “Our boys, -sir, left their horses, crossed the water at a run, and went right -away through them with their swords and six-shooters.” “I tell you -what it is, Mr. Russell,” said a man who followed me out of the crowd -and placed his hand on my shoulder, “they were whipped like curs, -and they ran like curs, and I know it.” “How?” “Well, I’d rather be -excused telling you.” - -_July 19th._--I rose early this morning in order to prepare for -contingencies and to see off Captain Johnson, who was about to start -with despatches for New York, containing, no doubt, the intelligence -that the Federal troops had advanced against the enemy. Yesterday was -so hot that officers and men on the field suffered from something -like sun-stroke. To unaccustomed frames to-day the heat felt -unsupportable. A troop of regular cavalry, riding through the street -at an early hour, were so exhausted, horse and man, that a runaway -cab could have bowled them over like nine pins. - -I hastened to General Scott’s quarters, which were besieged by -civilians outside and full of orderlies and officers within. Mr. -Cobden would be delighted with the republican simplicity of the -Commander-in-Chief’s establishment, though it did not strike me as -being very cheap at the money on such an occasion. It consists, in -fact, of a small three-storied brick house, the parlours on the -ground floor being occupied by subordinates, the small front room -on the first floor being appropriated to General Scott himself, -the smaller back room being devoted to his staff, and two rooms -up-stairs most probably being in possession of waste papers and -the guardians of the mansion. The walls are covered with maps of -the coarsest description, and with rough plans and drawings, which -afford information and amusement to the orderlies and the stray -aides-de-camp. “Did you ever hear anything so disgraceful in your -life as the stories which are going about of the affair yesterday?” -said Colonel Cullum. “I assure you it was the smallest affair -possible, although the story goes that we have lost thousands of -men. Our total loss is under ninety--killed, wounded, and missing; -and I regret to say nearly one-third of the whole are under the -latter head.” “However that may be, Colonel,” said I, “it will be -difficult to believe your statement after the columns of type which -appear in the papers here.” “Oh! Who minds what they say?” “You will -admit, at any rate, that the retreat of these undisciplined troops -from an encounter with the enemy will have a bad effect.” “Well, I -suppose that’s likely enough, but it will soon be swept away in the -excitement of a general advance. General Scott, having determined to -attack the enemy, will not halt now, and I am going over to Brigadier -M‘Dowell to examine the ground and see what is best to be done.” On -leaving the room two officers came out of General Scott’s apartment; -one of them said, “Why, Colonel, he’s not half the man I thought him. -Well, any way he’ll be better there than M‘Dowell. If old Scott had -legs he’s good for a big thing yet.” - -For hours I went horse-hunting; but Rothschild himself, even the -hunting Baron, could not have got a steed. In Pennsylvania Avenue -the people were standing in the shade under the ælanthus trees, -speculating on the news brought by dusty orderlies, or on the ideas -of passing Congress men. A party of captured Confederates, on their -march to General Mansfield’s quarters, created intense interest, -and I followed them to the house, and went up to see the General, -whilst the prisoners sat down on the pavement and steps outside. -Notwithstanding his affectation of calm and self-possession, General -Mansfield, who was charged with the defence of the town, was visibly -perturbed. “These things, sir,” said he, “happen in Europe too. If -the capital should fall into the hands of the rebels the United -States will be no more destroyed than they were when you burned it.” -From an expression he let fall, I inferred he did not very well -know what to do with his prisoners. “Rebels taken in arms in Europe -are generally hung or blown away from guns, I believe; but we are -more merciful.” General Mansfield evidently wished to be spared the -embarrassment of dealing with prisoners. - -I dined at a restaurant kept by one Boulanger, a Frenchman, who -utilised the swarms of flies infesting his premises by combining -masses of them with his soup and made dishes. At an adjoining table -were a lanky boy in a lieutenant’s uniform, a private soldier, and -a man in plain clothes; and for the edification of the two latter -the warrior youth was detailing the most remarkable stories, in the -Munchausen style, ear ever heard. “Well, sir, I tell you, when his -head fell off on the ground, his eyes shut and opened twice, and his -tongue came out with an expression as if he wanted to say something.” -“There were seven balls through my coat, and it was all so spoiled -with blood and powder, I took it off and threw it in the road. When -the boys were burying the dead, I saw this coat on a chap who had -been just smothered by the weight of the killed and wounded on the -top of him, and I says, ‘Boys, give me that coat; it will just do for -me with the same rank; and there is no use in putting good cloth on -a dead body,’” “And how many do you suppose was killed, Lieutenant?” -“Well, sir! it’s my honest belief, I tell you, there was not less -than 5000 of our boys, and it may be twice as many of the enemy, or -more; they were all shot down just like pigeons; you might walk for -five rods by the side of the Run, and not be able to put your foot -on the ground.” “The dead was that thick?” “No, but the dead and the -wounded together.” No incredulity in the hearers--all swallowed: -possibly disgorged into the note-book of a Washington contributor. - -After dinner I walked over with Lieutenant H. Wise, inspected a model -of Steven’s ram, which appears to me an utter impossibility in face -of the iron-clad embrasured fleet now coming up to view, though it -is spoken of highly by some naval officers and by many politicians. -For years their papers have been indulging in mysterious volcanic -puffs from the great centre of nothingness as to this secret and -tremendous war-engine, which was surrounded by walls of all kinds, -and only to be let out on the world when the Great Republic in its -might had resolved to sweep everything off the seas. And lo! it is an -abortive ram! Los Gringos went home, and I paid a visit to a family -whose daughters--bright-eyed, pretty, and clever--were seated out on -the door-steps amid the lightning flashes, one of them, at least, -dreaming with open eyes of a young artillery officer then sleeping -among his guns, probably, in front of Fairfax Court House. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Skirmish at Bull’s Run--The crisis in Congress--Dearth of - horses--War prices at Washington--Estimate of the effects of - Bull’s Run--Password and countersign--Transatlantic view of - “The Times”--Difficulties of a newspaper correspondent in - the field. - - -_July 20th._--The great battle which is to arrest rebellion, or -to make it a power in the land, is no longer distant or doubtful. -M‘Dowell has completed his reconnaissance of the country in front -of the enemy, and General Scott anticipates that he will be in -possession of Manassas to-morrow night. All the statements of -officers concur in describing the Confederates as strongly entrenched -along the line of Bull’s Run covering the railroad. The New York -papers, indeed, audaciously declare that the enemy have fallen back -in disorder. In the main thoroughfares of the city there is still -a scattered army of idle soldiers moving through the civil crowd, -though how they come here no one knows. The officers clustering -round the hotels, and running in and out of the bar-rooms and -eating-houses, are still more numerous. When I inquired at the -head-quarters who these were, the answer was that the majority were -skulkers, but that there was no power at such a moment to send -them back to their regiments or punish them. In fact, deducting -the reserves, the rear-guards, and the scanty garrisons at the -earthworks, M‘Dowell will not have 25,000 men to undertake his seven -days’ march through a hostile country to the Confederate capital; and -yet, strange to say, in the pride and passion of the politicians, -no doubt is permitted to rise for a moment respecting his complete -success. - -I was desirous of seeing what impression was produced upon the -Congress of the United States by the crisis which was approaching, -and drove down to the Senate at noon. There was no appearance of -popular enthusiasm, excitement, or emotion among the people in the -passages. They drank their iced water, ate cakes or lozenges, chewed -and chatted, or dashed at their acquaintances amongst the members, -as though nothing more important than a railway bill or a postal -concession was being debated inside. I entered the Senate, and found -the House engaged in not listening to Mr. Latham, the Senator for -California, who was delivering an elaborate lecture on the aspect -of political affairs from a Republican point of view. The Senators -were, as usual, engaged in reading newspapers, writing letters, or -in whispered conversation, whilst the Senator received his applause -from the people in the galleries, who were scarcely restrained from -stamping their feet at the most highly-flown passages. Whilst I was -listening to what is by courtesy called the debate, a messenger from -Centreville, sent in a letter to me, stating that General M‘Dowell -would advance early in the morning, and expected to engage the enemy -before noon. At the same moment a Senator who had received a despatch -left his seat and read it to a brother legislator, and the news it -contained was speedily diffused from one seat to another, and groups -formed on the edge of the floor eagerly discussing the welcome -intelligence. - -The President’s hammer again and again called them to order; and from -out of this knot, Senator Sumner, his face lighted with pleasure, -came to tell me the good news. “M‘Dowell has carried Bull’s Run -without firing a shot. Seven regiments attacked it at the point of -the bayonet, and the enemy immediately fled. General Scott only gives -M‘Dowell till mid-day to-morrow to be in possession of Manassas.” -Soon afterwards, Mr. Hay, the President’s secretary, appeared on the -floor to communicate a message to the Senate. I asked him if the -news was true. “All I can tell you,” said he, “is that the President -has heard nothing at all about it, and that General Scott, from whom -we have just received a communication, is equally ignorant of the -reported success.” - -Some Senators and many Congress men have already gone to join -M‘Dowell’s army, or to follow in its wake, in the hope of seeing -the Lord deliver the Philistines into his hands. As I was leaving -the Chamber with Mr. Sumner, a dust-stained, toil-worn man, caught -the Senator by the arm, and said, “Senator, I am one of your -constituents. I come from ----town, in Massachusetts, and here are -letters from people you know, to certify who I am. My poor brother -was killed yesterday, and I want to go out and get his body to send -back to the old people; but they won’t let me pass without an order.” -And so Mr. Sumner wrote a note to General Scott, and another to -General Mansfield, recommending that poor Gordon Frazer should be -permitted to go through the Federal lines on his labour of love; and -the honest Scotchman seemed as grateful as if he had already found -his brother’s body. - -Every carriage, gig, waggon, and hack has been engaged by people -going out to see the fight. The price is enhanced by mysterious -communications respecting the horrible slaughter in the skirmishes -at Bull’s Run. The French cooks and hotel-keepers, by some occult -process of reasoning, have arrived at the conclusion that they must -treble the prices of their wines and of the hampers of provisions -which the Washington people are ordering to comfort themselves at -their bloody Derby. “There was not less than 18,000 men, sir, killed -and destroyed. I don’t care what General Scott says to the contrary, -he was not there. I saw a reliable gentleman, ten minutes ago, as cum -straight from the place, and he swore there was a string of waggons -three miles long with the wounded. While these Yankees lie so, I -should not be surprised to hear they said they did not lose 1000 men -in that big fight the day before yesterday.” - -When the newspapers came in from New York I read flaming accounts of -the ill-conducted reconnaissance against orders, which was terminated -by a most dastardly and ignominious retreat, “due,” say the New York -papers, “to the inefficiency and cowardice of some of the officers.” -Far different was the behaviour of the modest chroniclers of these -scenes, who, as they tell us, “stood their ground as well as any -of them, in spite of the shot, shell, and rifle-balls that whizzed -past them for many hours.” General Tyler alone, perhaps, did more, -for “he was exposed to the enemy’s fire for nearly four hours;” and -when we consider that this fire came from masked batteries, and -that the wind of round shot is unusually destructive (in America), -we can better appreciate the danger to which he was so gallantly -indifferent. It is obvious that in this first encounter the Federal -troops gained no advantage; and as they were the assailants, their -repulse, which cannot be kept secret from the rest of the army, will -have a very damaging effect on their _morale_. - -General Johnston, who has been for some days with a considerable -force in an entrenched position at Winchester, in the valley of the -Shenandoah, had occupied General Scott’s attention, in consequence -of the facility which he possessed to move into Maryland by Harper’s -Ferry, or to fall on the Federals by the Manassas Gap Railway, which -was available by a long march from the town he occupied. General -Patterson, with a Federal corps of equal strength, had accordingly -been despatched to attack him, or, at all events, to prevent his -leaving Winchester without an action; but the news to-night is -that Patterson, who was an officer of some reputation, has allowed -Johnston to evacuate Winchester, and has not pursued him; so that it -is impossible to predict where the latter will appear. - -Having failed utterly in my attempts to get a horse, I was obliged -to negotiate with a livery-stable keeper, who had a hooded gig, -or tilbury, left on his hands, to which he proposed to add a -splinter-bar and pole, so as to make it available for two horses, -on condition that I paid him the assessed value of the vehicle and -horses, in case they were destroyed by the enemy. Of what particular -value my executors might have regarded the guarantee in question, the -worthy man did not inquire, nor did he stipulate for any value to be -put upon the driver; but it struck me that, if these were in any way -seriously damaged, the occupants of the vehicle were not likely to -escape. The driver, indeed, seemed by no means willing to undertake -the job; and again and again it was proposed to me that I should -drive, but I persistently refused. - -On completing my bargain with the stable-keeper, in which it was -arranged with Mr. Wroe that I was to start on the following morning -early, and return at night before twelve o’clock, or pay a double -day, I went over to the Legation, and found Lord Lyons in the -garden. I went to request that he would permit Mr. Warre, one of the -_attachés_, to accompany me, as he had expressed a desire to that -effect. His Lordship hesitated at first, thinking perhaps that the -American papers would turn the circumstance to some base uses, if -they were made aware of it; but finally he consented, on the distinct -assurance that I was to be back the following night, and would not, -under any event, proceed onwards with General M‘Dowell’s army till -after I had returned to Washington. On talking the matter over the -matter with Mr. Warre, I resolved that the best plan would be to -start that night if possible, and proceed over the long bridge, so as -to overtake the army before it advanced in the early morning. - -It was a lovely moonlight night. As we walked through the street -to General Scott’s quarters, for the purpose of procuring a pass, -there was scarcely a soul abroad; and the silence which reigned -contrasted strongly with the tumult prevailing in the day-time. A -light glimmered in the General’s parlour; his aides were seated in -the verandah outside smoking in silence, and one of them handed us -the passes which he had promised to procure; but when I told them -that we intended to cross the long bridge that night, an unforeseen -obstacle arose. The guards had been specially ordered to permit no -person to cross between tattoo and daybreak who was not provided with -the countersign; and without the express order of the General, no -subordinate officer can communicate that countersign to a stranger. -“Can you not ask the General?” “He is lying down asleep, and I dare -not venture to disturb him.” - -As I had all along intended to start before daybreak, this -_contretemps_ promised to be very embarrassing, and I ventured to -suggest that General Scott would authorise the countersign to be -given when he awoke. But the _aide-de-camp_ shook his head, and I -began to suspect from his manner and from that of his comrades that -my visit to the army was not regarded with much favour--a view which -was confirmed by one of them, who, by the way, was a civilian, for -in a few minutes he said, “In fact, I would not advise Warre and you -to go out there at all; they are a lot of volunteers and recruits, -and we can’t say how they will behave. They may probably have to -retreat. If I were you I would not be near them.” Of the five or six -officers who sat in the verandah, not one spoke confidently or with -the briskness which is usual when there is a chance of a brush with -an enemy. - -As it was impossible to force the point, we had to retire, and I -went once more to the horse dealer’s, where I inspected the vehicle -and the quadrupeds destined to draw it. I had spied in a stall a -likely-looking Kentuckian nag, nearly black, light, but strong, and -full of fire, with an undertaker’s tail and something of a mane to -match, which the groom assured me I could not even look at, as it was -bespoke by an officer; but after a little strategy I prevailed on -the proprietor to hire it to me for the day, as well as a boy, who -was to ride it after the gig till we came to Centreville. My little -experience in such scenes decided me to secure a saddle horse. I knew -it would be impossible to see anything of the action from a gig; that -the roads would be blocked up by commissariat waggons, ammunition -reserves, and that in case of anything serious taking place, I should -be deprived of the chance of participating after the manner of my -vocation in the engagement, and of witnessing its incidents. As it -was not incumbent on my companion to approach so closely to the scene -of action, he could proceed in the vehicle to the most convenient -point, and then walk as far as he liked, and return when he pleased; -but from the injuries I had sustained in the Indian campaign, I could -not walk very far. It was finally settled that the gig, with two -horses and the saddle horse ridden by a negro boy, should be at my -door as soon after daybreak as we could pass the Long Bridge. - -I returned to my lodgings, laid out an old pair of Indian boots, -cords, a Himalayan suit, an old felt hat, a flask, revolver, and -belt. It was very late when I got in, and I relied on my German -landlady to procure some commissariat stores; but she declared the -whole extent of her means would only furnish some slices of bread, -with intercostal layers of stale ham and mouldy Bologna sausage. I -was forced to be content, and got to bed after midnight, and slept, -having first arranged that in case of my being very late next night -a trustworthy Englishman should be sent for, who would carry my -letters from Washington to Boston in time for the mail which leaves -on Wednesday. My mind had been so much occupied with the coming event -that I slept uneasily, and once or twice I started up, fancying I was -called. The moon shone in through the mosquito curtains of my bed, -and just ere daybreak I was aroused by some noise in the adjoining -room, and looking out, in a half dreamy state, imagined I saw General -M‘Dowell standing at the table, on which a candle was burning low, so -distinctly that I woke up with the words, “General, is that you?” Nor -did I convince myself it was a dream till I had walked into the room. - -_July 21st._--The calmness and silence of the streets of Washington -this lovely morning suggested thoughts of the very different scenes -which, in all probability, were taking place at a few miles’ -distance. One could fancy the hum and stir round the Federal -bivouacs, as the troops woke up and were formed into column of -march towards the enemy. I much regretted that I was hot enabled to -take the field with General M‘Dowell’s army, but my position was -surrounded with such difficulties that I could not pursue the course -open to the correspondents of the American newspapers. On my arrival -in Washington I addressed an application to Mr. Cameron, Secretary -at War, requesting him to sanction the issue of rations and forage -from the Commissariat to myself, a servant, and a couple of horses, -at the contract prices, or on whatever other terms he might think -fit, and I had several interviews with Mr. Leslie, the obliging and -indefatigable chief clerk of the War Department, in reference to the -matter; but as there was a want of precedents for such a course, -which was not at all to be wondered at, seeing that no representative -of an English newspaper had ever been sent to chronicle the progress -of an American army in the field, no satisfactory result could be -arrived at, though I had many fair words and promises. - -A great outcry had arisen in the North against the course and policy -of England, and the journal I represented was assailed on all sides -as a Secession organ, favourable to the rebels and exceedingly -hostile to the Federal government and the cause of the Union. Public -men in America are alive to the inconveniences of attacks by their -own press; and as it was quite impossible to grant to the swarms of -correspondents from all parts of the Union the permission to draw -supplies from the public stores, it would have afforded a handle to -turn the screw upon the War Department, already roundly abused in the -most influential papers, if Mr. Cameron acceded to me, not merely -a foreigner, but the correspondent of a foreign journal which was -considered the most powerful enemy of the policy of his government, -privileges which he denied to American citizens, representing -newspapers which were enthusiastically supporting the cause for which -the armies of the North were now in the field. - -To these gentlemen indeed, I must here remark, such privileges were -of little consequence. In every camp they had friends who were -willing to receive them in their quarters, and who earned a word of -praise in the local papers for the gratification of either their -vanity or their laudable ambition in their own neighbourhood, by the -ready service which they afforded to the correspondents. They rode -Government horses, had the use of Government waggons, and through -fear, favour, or affection, enjoyed facilities to which I had no -access. I could not expect persons with whom I was unacquainted to -be equally generous, least of all when by doing so they would have -incurred popular obloquy and censure; though many officers in the -army had expressed in very civil terms the pleasure it would give -them to see me at their quarters in the field. Some days ago I had -an interview with Mr. Cameron himself, who was profuse enough in -promising that he would do all in his power to further my wishes; -but he had, nevertheless, neglected sending me the authorisation -for which I had applied. I could scarcely stand a baggage train and -commissariat upon my own account, nor could I well participate in the -system of plunder and appropriation which has marked the course of -the Federal army so far, devastating and laying waste all the country -behind it. - -Hence, all I could do was to make a journey to see the army on the -field, and to return to Washington to write my report of its first -operation, knowing there would be plenty of time to overtake it -before it could reach Richmond, when, as I hoped, Mr. Cameron would -be prepared to accede to my request, or some plan had been devised -by myself to obviate the difficulties which lay in my path. There -was no _entente cordiale_ exhibited towards me by the members of the -American press; nor did they, any more than the generals, evince any -disposition to help the alien correspondent of the _Times_, and my -only connection with one of their body, the young designer, had not, -indeed, inspired me with any great desire to extend my acquaintance. -General M‘Dowell, on giving me the most hospitable invitation to -his quarters, refrained from offering the assistance which, perhaps, -it was not in his power to afford; and I confess, looking at the -matter calmly, I could scarcely expect that he would, particularly -as he said, half in jest, half seriously, “I declare I am not quite -easy at the idea of having your eye on me, for you have seen so much -of European armies, you will, very naturally, think little of us, -generals and all.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - To the scene of action--The Confederate camp--Centreville-- - Action at Bull Run--Defeat of the Federals--Disorderly retreat - to Centreville--My ride back to Washington. - - -Punctual to time, our carriage appeared at the door, with a spare -horse, followed by the black quadruped on which the negro boy sat -with difficulty, in consequence of its high spirits and excessively -hard mouth. I swallowed a cup of tea and a morsel of bread, put the -remainder of the tea into a bottle, got a flask of light Bordeaux, -a bottle of water, a paper of sandwiches, and having replenished -my small flask with brandy, stowed them all away in the bottom of -the gig; but my friend, who is not accustomed to rise very early in -the morning, did not make his appearance, and I was obliged to send -several times to the legation to quicken his movements. Each time I -was assured he would be over presently; but it was not till two hours -had elapsed, and when I had just resolved to leave him behind, that -he appeared in person, quite unprovided with _viaticum_, so that my -slender store had now to meet the demands of two instead of one. We -are off at last. The amicus and self find contracted space behind the -driver. The negro boy, grinning half with pain and “the balance” with -pleasure, as the Americans say, held on his rampant charger, which -made continual efforts to leap into the gig, and thus through the -deserted city we proceeded towards the Long Bridge, where a sentry -examined our papers, and said with a grin, “You’ll find plenty of -Congressmen on before you.” And then our driver whipped his horses -through the embankment of Fort Runyon, and dashed off along a country -road, much cut up with gun and cart wheels, towards the main turnpike. - -The promise of a lovely day, given by the early dawn, was likely to -be realised to the fullest, and the placid beauty of the scenery as -we drove through the woods below Arlington, and beheld the white -buildings shining in the early sunlight, and the Potomac, like a -broad silver riband dividing the picture, breathed of peace. The -silence close to the city was unbroken. From the time we passed the -guard beyond the Long Bridge, for several miles we did not meet -a human being, except a few soldiers in the neighbourhood of the -deserted camps, and when we passed beyond the range of tents we drove -for nearly two hours through a densely-wooded, undulating country; -the houses, close to the road-side, shut up and deserted, window-high -in the crops of Indian corn, fast ripening for the sickle; alternate -field and forest, the latter generally still holding possession of -the hollows, and, except when the road, deep and filled with loose -stones, passed over the summit of the ridges, the eye caught on -either side little but fir-trees and maize, and the deserted wooden -houses, standing amidst the slave quarters. - -The residences close to the lines gave signs and tokens that the -Federals had recently visited them. But at the best of times the -inhabitants could not be very well off. Some of the farms were -small, the houses tumbling to decay, with unpainted roofs and side -walls, and windows where the want of glass was supplemented by -panes of wood. As we got further into the country the traces of -the debateable land between the two armies vanished, and negroes -looked out from their quarters, or sickly-looking women and children -were summoned forth by the rattle of the wheels to see who was -hurrying to the war. Now and then a white man looked out, with an -ugly scowl on his face, but the country seemed drained of the adult -male population, and such of the inhabitants as we saw were neither -as comfortably dressed nor as healthy looking as the shambling -slaves who shuffled about the plantations. The road was so cut up -by gun-wheels, ammunition and commissariat waggons, that our horses -made but slow way against the continual draft upon the collar; but -at last the driver, who had known the country in happier times, -announced that we had entered the high road for Fairfax Court-house. -Unfortunately my watch had gone down, but I guessed it was then a -little before nine o’clock. In a few minutes afterwards I thought I -heard, through the eternal clatter and jingle of the old gig, a sound -which made me call the driver to stop. He pulled up, and we listened. -In a minute or so, the well-known boom of a gun, followed by two or -three in rapid succession, but at a considerable distance, reached -my ear. “Did you hear that?” The driver heard nothing, nor did my -companion, but the black boy on the led horse, with eyes starting out -of his head, cried, “I hear them, massa; I hear them, sure enough, -like de gun in de navy yard;” and as he spoke the thudding noise, -like taps with a gentle hand upon a muffled drum, were repeated, -which were heard both by Mr. Warre and the driver. “They are at it! -We shall be late! Drive on as fast as you can!” We rattled on still -faster, and presently came up to a farm-house, where a man and woman, -with some negroes beside them, were standing out by the hedge-row -above us, looking up the road in the direction of a cloud of dust, -which we could see rising above the tops of the trees. We halted for -a moment. “How long have the guns been going, sir?” “Well, ever since -early this morning,” said he; “they’ve been having a fight. And I do -really believe some of our poor Union chaps have had enough of it -already. For here’s some of them darned Secessionists marching down -to go into Alexandry.” The driver did not seem altogether content -with this explanation of the dust in front of us, and presently, when -a turn of the road brought to view a body of armed men, stretching to -an interminable distance, with bayonets glittering in the sunlight -through the clouds of dust, seemed inclined to halt or turn back -again. A nearer approach satisfied me they were friends, and as soon -as we came up with the head of the column I saw that they could not -be engaged in the performance of any military duty. The men were -marching without any resemblance of order, in twos and threes or -larger troops. Some without arms, carrying great bundles on their -backs; others with their coats hung from their firelocks; many foot -sore. They were all talking, and in haste; many plodding along -laughing, so I concluded that they could not belong to a defeated -army, and imagined M‘Dowell was effecting some flank movement. “Where -are you going to, may I ask?” - -“If this is the road to Alexandria, we are going there.” - -“There is an action going on in front, is there not?” - -“Well, so we believe, but we have not been fighting.” - -Although they were in such good spirits, they were not communicative, -and we resumed our journey, impeded by the straggling troops and by -the country cars containing their baggage and chairs, and tables and -domestic furniture, which had never belonged to a regiment in the -field. Still they came pouring on. I ordered the driver to stop at -a rivulet, where a number of men were seated in the shade, drinking -the water and bathing their hands and feet. On getting out I asked -an officer, “May I beg to know, sir, where your regiment is going -to?” “Well, I reckon, sir, we are going home to Pennsylvania.” “This -is the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, is it not, sir?” “It is so, sir; -that’s the fact.” “I should think there is severe fighting going on -behind you, judging from the firing” (for every moment the sound of -the cannon had been growing more distinct and more heavy). “Well, -I reckon, sir, there is.” I paused for a moment, not knowing what -to say, and yet anxious for an explanation; and the epauletted -gentleman, after a few seconds’ awkward hesitation, added, “We are -going home because, as you see, the men’s time’s up, sir. We have had -three months of this sort of work, and that’s quite enough of it.” -The men who were listening to the conversation expressed their assent -to the noble and patriotic utterances of the centurion, and, making -him a low bow, we resumed our journey. - -It was fully three and a half miles before the last of the regiment -passed, and then the road presented a more animated scene, for -white-covered commissariat waggons were visible, wending towards -the front, and one or two hack carriages, laden with civilians, -were hastening in the same direction. Before the doors of the wooden -farm-houses the coloured people were assembled, listening with -outstretched necks to the repeated reports of the guns. At one time, -as we were descending the wooded road, a huge blue dome, agitated -by some internal convulsion, appeared to bar our progress, and it -was only after infinite persuasion of rein and whip that the horses -approached the terrific object, which was an inflated balloon, -attached to a waggon, and defying the efforts of the men in charge to -jockey it safely through the trees. - -It must have been about eleven o’clock when we came to the first -traces of the Confederate camp, in front of Fairfax Court-house, -where they had cut a few trenches and levelled the trees across the -road, so as to form a rude abattis; but the works were of a most -superficial character, and would scarcely have given cover either to -the guns, for which embrasures were left at the flanks to sweep the -road, or to the infantry intended to defend them. - -The Confederate force stationed here must have consisted, to a -considerable extent, of cavalry. The bowers of branches, which they -had made to shelter their tents, camp tables, empty boxes, and -packing-cases, in the _débris_ one usually sees around an encampment, -showed they had not been destitute of creature comforts. - -Some time before noon the driver, urged continually by adjurations -to get on, whipped his horses into Fairfax Court-house, a village -which derives its name from a large brick building, in which the -sessions of the county are held. Some thirty or forty houses, for -the most part detached, with gardens or small strips of land about -them, form the main street. The inhabitants who remained had by no -means an agreeable expression of countenance, and did not seem on -very good terms with the Federal soldiers, who were lounging up and -down the streets, or standing in the shade of the trees and doorways. -I asked the sergeant of a picket in the street how long the firing -had been going on. He replied that it had commenced at half-past -seven or eight, and had been increasing ever since. “Some of them -will lose their eyes and back teeth,” he added, “before it is over.” -The driver, pulling up at a roadside inn in the town, here made -the startling announcement, that both he and his horses must have -something to eat, and although we would have been happy to join him, -seeing that we had no breakfast, we could not afford the time, and -were not displeased when a thin-faced, shrewish woman, in black, came -out into the verandah, and said she could not let us have anything -unless we liked to wait till the regular dinner hour of the house, -which was at one o’clock. The horses got a bucket of water, which -they needed in that broiling sun; and the cannonade, which by this -time had increased into a respectable tumult that gave evidence of -a well-sustained action, added vigour to the driver’s arm, and in -a mile or two more we dashed in to a village of burnt houses, the -charred brick chimney stacks standing amidst the blackened embers -being all that remained of what once was German Town. The firing of -this village was severely censured by General M‘Dowell, who probably -does not appreciate the value of such agencies employed “by our -glorious Union army to develop loyal sentiments among the people of -Virginia.” - -The driver, passing through the town, drove straight on, but after -some time I fancied the sound of the guns seemed dying away towards -our left. A big negro came shambling along the roadside--the driver -stopped and asked him, “is this the road to Centreville?” “Yes, sir; -right on, sir; good road to Centreville, massa,” and so we proceeded, -till I became satisfied from the appearance of the road that we -had altogether left the track of the army. At the first cottage we -halted, and inquired of a Virginian, who came out to look at us, -whether the road led to Centreville. “You’re going to Centreville, -are you?” “Yes, by the shortest road we can.” “Well, then--you’re -going wrong--right away! Some people say there’s a bend of road -leading through the wood a mile further on, but those who have tried -it lately have come back to German Town and don’t think it leads to -Centreville at all.” This was very provoking, as the horses were much -fatigued and we had driven several miles out of our way. The driver, -who was an Englishman, said, “I think it would be best for us to go -on and try the road anyhow. There’s not likely to be any Seceshers -about there, are there, sir?” - -“What did you say, sir,” inquired the Virginian, with a vacant stare -upon his face. - -“I merely asked whether you think we are likely to meet with any -Secessionists if we go along that road?” - -“Secessionists!” repeated the Virginian, slowly pronouncing each -syllable as if pondering on the meaning of the word--“Secessionists! -Oh no, _sir_; I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a Secessionist -in the whole of this country.” - -The boldness of this assertion, in the very hearing of Beauregard’s -cannon, completely shook the faith of our Jehu in any information -from that source, and we retraced our steps to German Town, and were -directed into the proper road by some negroes, who were engaged -exchanging Confederate money at very low rates for Federal copper -with a few straggling soldiers. The faithful Muley Moloch, who had -been capering in our rear so long, now complained that he was very -much burned, but on further inquiry it was ascertained he was merely -suffering from the abrading of his skin against an English saddle. - -In an hour more we had gained the high road to Centreville, on which -were many buggies, commissariat carts, and waggons full of civilians, -and a brisk canter brought us in sight of a rising ground, over -which the road led directly through a few houses on each side, and -dipped out of sight, the slopes of the hill being covered with men, -carts, and horses, and the summit crested with spectators, with their -backs turned towards us, and gazing on the valley beyond. “There’s -Centreville,” says the driver, and on our poor panting horses -were forced, passing directly through the Confederate bivouacs, -commissariat parks, folds of oxen, and two German regiments, with a -battery of artillery, halting on the rising-ground by the road-side. -The heat was intense. Our driver complained of hunger and thirst, to -which neither I nor my companion were insensible; and so pulling up -on the top of the hill, I sent the boy down to the village which we -had passed, to see if he could find shelter for the horses, and a -morsel for our breakfastless selves. - -It was a strange scene before us. From the hill a densely wooded -country, dotted at intervals with green fields and cleared lands, -spread five or six miles in front, bounded by a line of blue and -purple ridges, terminating abruptly in escarpments towards the left -front, and swelling gradually towards the right into the lower spines -of an offshoot from the Blue-Ridge Mountains. On our left the view -was circumscribed by a forest which clothed the side of the ridge on -which we stood, and covered its shoulder far down into the plain. A -gap in the nearest chain of the hills in our front was pointed out by -the bystanders as the Pass of Manassas, by which the railway from the -West is carried into the plain, and still nearer at hand, before us, -is the junction of that rail with the line from Alexandria, and with -the railway leading southwards to Richmond. The intervening space was -not a dead level; undulating lines of forest marked the course of the -streams which intersected it, and gave, by their variety of colour -and shading, an additional charm to the landscape which, enclosed in -a framework of blue and purple hills, softened into violet in the -extreme distance, presented one of the most agreeable displays of -simple pastoral woodland scenery that could be conceived. - -But the sounds which came upon the breeze, and the sights which met -our eyes, were in terrible variance with the tranquil character of -the landscape. The woods far and near echoed to the roar of cannon, -and thin frayed lines of blue smoke marked the spots whence came the -muttering sound of rolling musketry; the white puffs of smoke burst -high above the tree-tops, and the gunners’ rings from shell and -howitzer marked the fire of the artillery. - -Clouds of dust shifted and moved through the forest; and through the -wavering mists of light blue smoke, and the thicker masses which rose -commingling from the feet of men and the mouths of cannon, I could -see the gleam of arms and the twinkling of bayonets. - -On the hill beside me there was a crowd of civilians on horseback, -and in all sorts of vehicles, with a few of the fairer, if not -gentler sex. A few officers and some soldiers, who had straggled -from the regiments in reserve, moved about among the spectators, and -pretended to explain the movements of the troops below, of which they -were profoundly ignorant. - -The cannonade and musketry had been exaggerated by the distance -and by the rolling echoes of the hills; and sweeping the position -narrowly with my glass from point to point, I failed to discover any -traces of close encounter or very severe fighting. The spectators -were all excited, and a lady with an opera-glass who was near me -was quite beside herself when an unusually heavy discharge roused -the current of her blood--“That is splendid. Oh, my! Is not that -first-rate? I guess we will be in Richmond this time to-morrow.” -These, mingled with coarser exclamations, burst from the politicians -who had come out to see the triumph of the Union arms. I was -particularly irritated by constant applications for the loan of my -glass. One broken-down looking soldier observing my flask, asked me -for a drink, and took a startling pull, which left but little between -the bottom and utter vacuity. - -“Stranger, that’s good stuff and no mistake. I have not had such -a drink since I come South. I feel now as if I’d like to whip ten -Seceshers.” - -From the line of the smoke it appeared to me that the action was in -an oblique line from our left, extending farther outwards towards the -right, bisected by a road from Centreville, which descended the hill -close at hand and ran right across the undulating plain, its course -being marked by the white covers of the baggage and commissariat -waggons as far as a turn of the road, where the trees closed in upon -them. Beyond the right of the curling smoke clouds of dust appeared -from time to time in the distance, as if bodies of cavalry were -moving over a sandy plain. - -Notwithstanding all the exultation and boastings of the people at -Centreville, I was well convinced no advance of any importance or any -great success had been achieved, because the ammunition and baggage -waggons had never moved, nor had the reserves received any orders to -follow in the line of the army. - -The clouds of dust on the right were quite inexplicable. As we were -looking, my philosophic companion asked me in perfect seriousness, -“Are we really seeing a battle now? Are they supposed to be fighting -where all that smoke is going on? This is rather interesting, you -know.” - -Up came our black boy. “Not find a bit to eat, sir, in all the -place.” We had, however, my little paper of sandwiches, and descended -the hill to a bye lane off the village, where, seated in the shade -of the gig, Mr. Warre and myself, dividing our provision with the -driver, wound up a very scanty, but much relished, repast with -a bottle of tea and half the bottle of Bordeaux and water, the -remainder being prudently reserved at my request for contingent -remainders. Leaving orders for the saddle horse, which was eating his -first meal, to be brought up the moment he was ready--I went with -Mr. Warre to the hill once more and observed that the line had not -sensibly altered whilst we were away. - -An English gentleman, who came up flushed and heated from the plain, -told us that the Federals had been advancing steadily in spite of a -stubborn resistance and had behaved most gallantly. - -Loud cheers suddenly burst from the spectators, as a man dressed in -the uniform of an officer, whom I had seen riding violently across -the plain in an open space below, galloped along the front, waving -his cap and shouting at the top of his voice. He was brought up by -the press of people round his horse close to where I stood. “We’ve -whipped them on all points,” he cried. “We have taken all their -batteries. They are retreating as fast as they can, and we are after -them.” Such cheers as rent the welkin! The Congress men shook hands -with each other, and cried out, “Bully for us. Bravo, didn’t I tell -you so.” The Germans uttered their martial cheers and the Irish -hurrahed wildly. At this moment my horse was brought up the hill, and -I mounted and turned towards the road to the front, whilst Mr. Warre -and his companion proceeded straight down the hill. - -By the time I reached the lane, already mentioned, which was in a -few minutes, the string of commissariat waggons was moving onwards -pretty briskly, and I was detained until my friends appeared at the -roadside. I told Mr. Warre I was going forward to the front as fast -as I could, but that I would come back, under any circumstances, -about an hour before dusk, and would go straight to the spot where -we had put up the gig by the road-side, in order to return to -Washington. Then getting into the fields, I pressed my horse, which -was quite recovered from his twenty-seven mile’s ride and full of -spirit and mettle, as fast as I could, making detours here and there -to get through the ox fences, and by the small steams which cut up -the country. The firing did not increase but rather diminished in -volume, though it now sounded close at hand. - -I had ridden between three and a half and four miles, as well as I -could judge, when I was obliged to turn for the third and fourth -time into the road by a considerable stream, which was spanned by a -bridge, towards which I was threading my way, when my attention was -attracted by loud shouts in advance, and I perceived several waggons -coming from the direction of the battle-field, the drivers of which -were endeavouring to force their horses past the ammunition carts -going in the contrary direction near the bridge; a thick cloud of -dust rose behind them, and running by the side of the waggons, were -a number of men in uniform whom I supposed to be the guard. My first -impression was that the waggons were returning for fresh supplies of -ammunition. But every moment the crowd increased, drivers and men -cried out with the most vehement gestures, “Turn back! Turn back! We -are whipped.” They seized the heads of the horses and swore at the -opposing drivers. Emerging from the crowd a breathless man in the -uniform of an officer with an empty scabbard dangling by his side, -was cut off by getting between my horse and a cart for a moment. -“What is the matter, sir? What is all this about?” “Why it means we -are pretty badly whipped, that’s the truth,” he gasped, and continued. - -By this time the confusion had been communicating itself through the -line of waggons towards the rear, and the drivers endeavoured to -turn round their vehicles in the narrow road, which caused the usual -amount of imprecations from the men and plunging and kicking from -the horses. - -The crowd from the front continually increased, the heat, the uproar, -and the dust were beyond description, and these were augmented when -some cavalry soldiers, flourishing their sabres and preceded by an -officer, who cried out, “Make way there--make way there for the -General,” attempted to force a covered waggon in which was seated a -man with a bloody handkerchief round his head, through the press. - -I had succeeded in getting across the bridge with great difficulty -before the waggon came up, and I saw the crowd on the road was still -gathering thicker and thicker. Again I asked an officer, who was on -foot, with his sword under his arm, “What is all this for?” “We are -whipped, sir. We are all in retreat. You are all to go back.” “Can -you tell me where I can find General M‘Dowell?” “No! nor can any one -else.” - -A few shells could be heard bursting not very far off, but there was -nothing to account for such an extraordinary scene. A third officer, -however, confirmed the report that the whole army was in retreat, and -that the Federals were beaten on all points, but there was nothing in -this disorder to indicate a general rout. All these things took place -in a few seconds. I got up out of the road into a corn-field, through -which men were hastily walking or running, their faces streaming with -perspiration, and generally without arms, and worked my way for about -half a mile or so, as well as I could judge, against an increasing -stream of fugitives, the ground being strewed with coats, blankets, -firelocks, cooking tins, caps, belts, bayonets--asking in vain where -General M‘Dowell was. - -Again I was compelled by the condition of the fields to come into -the road; and having passed a piece of wood and a regiment which -seemed to be moving back in column of march in tolerably good -order, I turned once more into an opening close to a white house, -not far from the lane, beyond which there was a belt of forest. Two -field-pieces unlimbered near the house, with panting horses in the -rear, were pointed towards the front, and along the road beside them -there swept a tolerably steady column of men mingled with field -ambulances and light baggage carts, back to Centreville. I had just -stretched out my hand to get a cigar-light from a German gunner, -when the dropping shots which had been sounding through the woods -in front of us, suddenly swelled into an animated fire. In a few -seconds a crowd of men rushed out of the wood down towards the guns, -and the artillerymen near me seized the trail of a piece, and were -wheeling it round to fire, when an officer or sergeant called out, -“Stop! stop! They are our own men;” and in two or three minutes the -whole battalion came sweeping past the guns at the double, and in the -utmost disorder. Some of the artillerymen dragged the horses out of -the tumbrils; and for a moment the confusion was so great I could not -understand what had taken place; but a soldier whom I stopped, said, -“We are pursued by their cavalry; they have cut us all to pieces.” - -Murat himself would not have dared to move a squadron on such ground. -However, it could not be doubted that something serious was taking -place; and at that moment a shell burst in front of the house, -scattering the soldiers near it, which was followed by another that -bounded along the road; and in a few minutes more out came another -regiment from the wood, almost as broken as the first. The scene on -the road had now assumed an aspect which has not a parallel in any -description I have ever read. Infantry soldiers on mules and draught -horses, with the harness clinging to their heels, as much frightened -as their riders; negro servants on their masters’ chargers; -ambulances crowded with unwounded soldiers; waggons swarming with men -who threw out the contents in the road to make room, grinding through -a shouting, screaming mass of men on foot, who were literally yelling -with rage at every halt, and shrieking out, “Here are the cavalry! -Will you get on?” This portion of the force was evidently in discord. - -There was nothing left for it but to go with the current one could -not stem. I turned round my horse from the deserted guns, and -endeavoured to find out what had occurred as I rode quietly back on -the skirts of the crowd. I talked with those on all sides of me. Some -uttered prodigious nonsense, describing batteries tier over tier, -and ambuscades, and blood running knee deep. Others described how -their boys had carried whole lines of entrenchments, but were beaten -back for want of reinforcements. The names of many regiments were -mentioned as being utterly destroyed. Cavalry and bayonet charges -and masked batteries played prominent parts in all the narrations. -Some of the officers seemed to feel the disgrace of defeat; but the -strangest thing was the general indifference with which the event -seemed to be regarded by those who collected their senses as soon -as they got out of fire, and who said they were just going as far as -Centreville, and would have a big fight to-morrow. - -By this time I was unwillingly approaching Centreville in the midst -of heat, dust, confusions, imprecations inconceivable. On arriving -at the place where a small rivulet crossed the road, the throng -increased still more. The ground over which I had passed going out -was now covered with arms, clothing of all kinds, accoutrements -thrown off and left to be trampled in the dust under the hoofs of -men and horses. The runaways ran alongside the waggons, striving to -force themselves in among the occupants, who resisted tooth and nail. -The drivers spurred, and whipped, and urged the horses to the utmost -of their bent. I felt an inclination to laugh, which was overcome by -disgust, and by that vague sense of something extraordinary taking -place which is experienced when a man sees a number of people acting -as if driven by some unknown terror. As I rode in the crowd, with -men clinging to the stirrup-leathers, or holding on by anything they -could lay hands on, so that I had some apprehension of being pulled -off, I spoke to the men, and asked them over and over again not to be -in such a hurry. “There’s no enemy to pursue you. All the cavalry in -the world could not get at you.” But I might as well have talked to -the stones. - -For my own part, I wanted to get out of the ruck as fast as I could, -for the heat and dust were very distressing, particularly to a -half-starved man. Many of the fugitives were in the last stages of -exhaustion, and some actually sank down by the fences, at the risk -of being trampled to death. Above the roar of the flight, which was -like the rush of a great river, the guns burst forth from time to -time. - -The road at last became somewhat clearer; for I had got ahead of some -of the ammunition train and waggons, and the others were dashing up -the hill towards Centreville. The men’s great-coats and blankets had -been stowed in the trains; but the fugitives had apparently thrown -them out on the road, to make room for themselves. Just beyond the -stream I saw a heap of clothing tumble out of a large covered cart, -and cried out after the driver, “Stop! stop! All the things are -tumbling out of the cart.” But my zeal was checked by a scoundrel -putting his head out, and shouting with a curse, “If you try to stop -the team, I’ll blow your ---- brains out.” My brains advised me to -adopt the principle of non-intervention. - -It never occurred to me that this was a grand débâcle. All along I -believed the mass of the army was not broken, and that all I saw -around was the result of confusion created in a crude organisation -by a forced retreat; and knowing the reserves were at Centreville -and beyond, I said to myself, “Let us see how this will be when we -get to the hill.” I indulged in a quiet chuckle, too, at the idea of -my philosophical friend and his stout companion finding themselves -suddenly enveloped in the crowd of fugitives; but knew they could -easily have regained their original position on the hill. Trotting -along briskly through the fields, I arrived at the foot of the slope -on which Centreville stands, and met a German regiment just deploying -into line very well and steadily--the men in the rear companies -laughing, smoking, singing, and jesting with the fugitives, who were -filing past; but no thought of stopping the waggons, as the orders -repeated from mouth to mouth were that they were to fall back beyond -Centreville. - -The air of the men was good. The officers were cheerful, and one big -German with a great pipe in his bearded mouth, with spectacles on -nose, amused himself by pricking the horses with his sabre point, -as he passed, to the sore discomfiture of the riders. Behind the -regiment came a battery of brass field-pieces, and another regiment -in column of march was following the guns. They were going to form -line at the end of the slope, and no fairer position could well be -offered for a defensive attitude, although it might be turned. But it -was getting too late for the enemy wherever they were to attempt such -an extensive operation. Several times I had been asked by officers -and men, “Where do you think we will halt? Where are the rest of the -army?” I always replied “Centreville,” and I had heard hundreds of -the fugitives say they were going to Centreville. - -I rode up the road, turned into the little street which carries the -road on the right-hand side to Fairfax Court-house and the hill, -and went straight to the place where I had left the buggy in a lane -on the left of the road beside a small house and shed, expecting -to find Mr. Warre ready for a start, as I had faithfully promised -Lord Lyons he should be back that night in Washington. The buggy was -not there. I pulled open the door of the shed in which the horses -had been sheltered out of the sun. They were gone. “Oh,” said I, to -myself, “of course! What a stupid fellow I am. Warre has had the -horses put in and taken the gig to the top of the hill, in order to -see the last of it before we go.” And so I rode over to the ridge; -but arriving there, could see no sign of our vehicle far or near. -There were two carriages of some kind or other still remaining on the -hill, and a few spectators, civilians and military, gazing on the -scene below, which was softened in the golden rays of the declining -sun. The smoke wreaths had ceased to curl over the green sheets of -billowy forest as sea foam crisping in a gentle breeze breaks the -lines of the ocean. But far and near yellow and dun-coloured piles -of dust seamed the landscape, leaving behind them long trailing -clouds of lighter vapours which were dotted now and then by white -puff balls from the bursting of shell. On the right these clouds were -very heavy and seemed to approach rapidly, and it occurred to me they -might be caused by an advance of the much spoken-of and little seen -cavalry; and remembering the cross road from German Town, it seemed -a very fine and very feasible operation for the Confederates to cut -right in on the line of retreat and communication, in which case -the fate of the army and of Washington could not be dubious. There -were now few civilians on the hill, and these were thinning away. -Some were gesticulating and explaining to one another the causes -of the retreat, looking very hot and red. The confusion among the -last portion of the carriages and fugitives on the road, which I had -outstripped, had been renewed again, and the crowd there presented a -remarkable and ludicrous aspect through the glass; but there were two -strong battalions in good order near the foot of the hill, a battery -on the slope, another on the top, and a portion of a regiment in and -about the houses of the village. - -A farewell look at the scene presented no new features. Still the -clouds of dust moved onwards denser and higher; flashes of arms -lighted them up at times; the fields were dotted by fugitives, among -whom many mounted men were marked by their greater speed, and the -little flocks of dust rising from the horses’ feet. - -I put up my glass, and turning from the hill, with difficulty forced -my way through the crowd of vehicles which were making their way -towards the main road in the direction of the lane, hoping that by -some lucky accident I might find the gig in waiting for me. But I -sought in vain; a sick soldier who was on a stretcher in front of the -house near the corner of the lane, leaning on his elbow and looking -at the stream of men and carriages, asked me if I could tell him what -they were in such a hurry for, and I said they were merely getting -back to their bivouacs. A man dressed in civilian’s clothes grinned -as I spoke. “I think they’ll go farther than that,” said he; and then -added, “If you’re looking for the waggon you came in, it’s pretty -well back to Washington by this time. I think I saw you down there -with a nigger and two men.” “Yes. They’re all off, gone more than an -hour and a-half ago, I think, and a stout man--I thought was you at -first--along with them.” - -Nothing was left for it but to brace up the girths for a ride to -the Capitol, for which, hungry and fagged as I was, I felt very -little inclination. I was trotting quietly down the hill road beyond -Centreville, when suddenly the guns on the other side, or from a -battery very near, opened fire, and a fresh outburst of artillery -sounded through the woods. In an instant the mass of vehicles and -retreating soldiers, teamsters, and civilians, as if agonised by an -electric shock, quivered throughout the tortuous line. With dreadful -shouts and cursings, the drivers lashed their maddened horses, and -leaping from the carts, left them to their fate, and ran on foot. -Artillerymen and foot soldiers, and negroes mounted on gun horses, -with the chain traces and loose trappings trailing in the dust, -spurred and flogged their steeds down the road or by the side paths. -The firing continued and seemed to approach the hill, and at every -report the agitated body of horsemen and waggons was seized, as it -were, with a fresh convulsion. - -Once more the dreaded cry, “The cavalry! cavalry are coming!” rang -through the crowd, and looking back to Centreville I perceived coming -down the hill, between me and the sky, a number of mounted men, who -might at a hasty glance be taken for horsemen in the act of sabreing -the fugitives. In reality they were soldiers and civilians, with, -I regret to say, some officers among them, who were whipping and -striking their horses with sticks or whatever else they could lay -hands on. I called out to the men who were frantic with terror beside -me, “They are not cavalry at all; they’re your own men”--but they -did not heed me. A fellow who was shouting out, “Run! run!” as loud -as he could beside me, seemed to take delight in creating alarm; -and as he was perfectly collected as far as I could judge, I said, -“What on earth are you running for? What are you afraid of?” He was -in the roadside below me, and at once turning on me, and exclaiming, -“I’m not afraid of you,” presented his piece and pulled the trigger -so instantaneously, that had it gone off I could not have swerved -from the ball. As the scoundrel deliberately drew up to examine -the nipple, I judged it best not to give him another chance, and -spurred on through the crowd, where any man could have shot as many -as he pleased without interruption. The only conclusion I came to -was, that he was mad or drunken. When I was passing by the line of -the bivouacs a battalion of men came tumbling down the bank from the -field into the road, with fixed bayonets, and as some fell in the -road and others tumbled on top of them, there must have been a few -ingloriously wounded. - -I galloped on for a short distance to head the ruck, for I could -not tell whether this body of infantry intended moving back towards -Centreville or were coming down the road; but the mounted men -galloping furiously past me, with a cry of “Cavalry! cavalry!” -on their lips, swept on faster than I did, augmenting the alarm -and excitement. I came up with two officers who were riding more -leisurely; and touching my hat, said, “I venture to suggest that -these men should be stopped, sir. If not, they will alarm the whole -of the post and pickets on to Washington. They will fly next, and the -consequences will be most disastrous.” One of the two, looking at -me for a moment, nodded his head without saying a word, spurred his -horse to full speed, and dashed on in front along the road. Following -more leisurely I observed the fugitives in front were suddenly -checked in their speed; and as I turned my horse into the wood by the -road-side to get on so as to prevent the chance of another block-up, -I passed several private vehicles, in one of which Mr. Raymond, of -the _New York Times_, was seated with some friends, looking by no -means happy. He says in his report to his paper, “About a mile this -side of Centreville a stampedo took place amongst the teamsters -and others, which threw everything into the utmost confusion, and -inflicted very serious injuries. Mr. Eaton, of Michigan, in trying -to arrest the flight of some of these men, was shot by one of them, -the ball taking effect in his hand.” He asked me, in some anxiety, -what I thought would happen. I replied, “No doubt M‘Dowell will stand -fast at Centreville to-night. These are mere runaways, and unless the -enemy’s cavalry succeed in getting through at this road, there is -nothing to apprehend.” - -And I continued through the wood till I got a clear space in front on -the road, along which a regiment of infantry was advancing towards -me. They halted ere I came up, and with levelled firelocks arrested -the men on horses and the carts and waggons galloping towards them, -and blocked up the road to stop their progress. As I tried to edge -by on the right of the column by the left of the road, a soldier -presented his firelock at my head from the higher ground on which -he stood, for the road had a deep trench cut on the side by which I -was endeavouring to pass, and sung out, “Halt! Stop--or I fire!” The -officers in front were waving their swords and shouting out, “Don’t -let a soul pass! Keep back! keep back!” Bowing to the officer who -was near me, I said, “I beg to assure you, sir, I am not running -away. I am a civilian and a British subject. I have done my best -as I came along to stop this disgraceful rout. I am in no hurry; I -merely want to get back to Washington to-night. I have been telling -them all along there are no cavalry near us.” The officer to whom I -was speaking, young and somewhat excited kept repeating, “Keep back, -sir! keep back! you must keep back.” Again I said to him, “I assure -you I am not with this crowd; my pulse is as cool as your own.” But -as he paid no attention to what I said, I suddenly bethought me of -General Scott’s letter, and addressing another officer, said, “I am a -civilian going to Washington; will you be kind enough to look at this -pass, specially given to me by General Scott.” The officer looked at -it, and handed it to a mounted man, either adjutant or colonel, who, -having examined it, returned it to me, saying, “Oh, yes! certainly. -Pass that man!” And with a cry of “Pass that man!” along the line, I -rode down the trench very leisurely, and got out on the road, which -was now clear, though some fugitives had stolen through the woods on -the flanks of the column and were in front of me. - -A little further on there was a cart on the right hand side of the -road, surrounded by a group of soldiers. I was trotting past when a -respectable-looking man in a semi-military garb, coming out from the -group, said, in a tone of much doubt and distress--“Can you tell me, -sir, for God’s sake, where the 69th New York are? These men tell me -they are all cut to pieces.” “And so they are,” exclaimed one of the -fellows, who had the number of the regiment on his cap. - -“You hear what they say, sir?” exclaimed the man. - -“I do, but I really cannot tell you where the 69th are.” - -“I’m in charge of these mails, and I’ll deliver them if I die for it; -but is it safe for me to go on? You are a gentleman, and I can depend -on your word.” - -His assistant and himself were in the greatest perplexity of mind, -but all I could say was, “I really can’t tell you; I believe the army -will halt at Centreville to-night, and I think you may go on there -with the greatest safety, if you can get through the crowd.” “Faith, -then, he can’t,” exclaimed one of the soldiers. - -“Why not?” “Shure, arn’t we cut to pieces. Didn’t I hear the kurnel -himsilf saying we was all of us to cut and run, every man on his own -hook, as well as he could. Stop at Cinthreville, indeed!” - -I bade the mail agent[4] good evening and rode on, but even in this -short colloquy stragglers on foot and on horseback, who had turned -the flanks of the regiment by side paths or through the woods, came -pouring along the road once more. - -Somewhere about this I was accosted by a stout, elderly man, with the -air and appearance of a respectable mechanic, or small tavern-keeper, -who introduced himself as having met me at Cairo. He poured out -a flood of woes on me, how he had lost his friend and companion, -nearly lost his seat several times, was unaccustomed to riding, was -suffering much pain from the unusual position and exercise, did not -know the road, feared he would never be able to get on, dreaded he -might be captured and ill-treated if he was known, and such topics as -a selfish man in a good deal of pain or fear is likely to indulge in. -I calmed his apprehensions as well as I could, by saying, “I had no -doubt M‘Dowell would halt and show fight at Centreville, and be able -to advance from it in a day or two to renew the fight again; that he -couldn’t miss the road; whiskey and tallow were good for abrasions;” -and as I was riding very slowly, he jogged along, for he was a burr, -and would stick, with many “Oh dears! Oh! dear me!” for most part of -the way joining me at intervals till I reached Fairfax Court House. A -body of infantry were under arms in a grove near the Court House, on -the right hand side of the road. The door and windows of the houses -presented crowds of faces black and white; and men and women stood -out upon the porch, who asked me as I passed, “Have you been at the -fight?” “What are they all running for?” “Are the rest of them coming -on?” to which I gave the same replies as before. - -Arrived at the little inn where I had halted in the morning, I -perceived the sharp-faced woman in black, standing in the verandah -with an elderly man, a taller and younger one dressed in black, a -little girl, and a woman who stood in the passage of the door. I -asked if I could get anything to eat. “Not a morsel; there’s not a -bit left in the house, but you can get something, perhaps, if you -like to stay till supper time.” “Would you oblige me by telling me -where I can get some water for my horse?” “Oh, certainly,” said the -elder man, and calling to a negro he directed him to bring a bucket -from the well or pump, into which the thirsty brute buried its head -to the eyes. Whilst the horse was drinking the taller or younger man, -leaning over the verandah, asked me quietly “What are all the people -coming back for?--what’s set them a running towards Alexandria?” - -“Oh, it’s only a fright the drivers of the commissariat waggons have -had; they are afraid of the enemy’s cavalry.” - -“Ah,” said the man, and looking at me narrowly he inquired, after a -pause, “are you an American?” - -“No, I am not, thank God; I’m an Englishman.” - -“Well, then,” said he, nodding his head and speaking slowly through -his teeth, “There _will_ be cavalry after them soon enough; there is -20,000 of the best horsemen in the world in old Virginny.” - -Having received full directions from the people at the inn for the -road to the Long Bridge, which I was most anxious to reach instead -of going to Alexandria or to Georgetown, I bade the Virginian good -evening; and seeing that my stout friend, who had also watered -his horse by my advice at the inn, was still clinging alongside, -I excused myself by saying I must press on to Washington, and -galloped on for a mile, until I got into the cover of a wood, where -I dismounted to examine the horse’s hoofs and shift the saddle for -a moment, wipe the sweat off his back, and make him and myself as -comfortable as could be for our ride into Washington, which was still -seventeen or eighteen miles before me. I passed groups of men, some -on horseback, others on foot, going at a more leisurely rate towards -the capital; and as I was smoking my last cigar by the side of the -wood, I observed the number had rather increased, and that among the -retreating stragglers were some men who appeared to be wounded. - -The sun had set, but the rising moon was adding every moment to the -lightness of the road as I mounted once more and set out at a long -trot for the capital. Presently I was overtaken by a waggon with -a small escort of cavalry and an officer riding in front. I had -seen the same vehicle once or twice along the road, and observed an -officer seated in it with his head bound up with a handkerchief, -looking very pale and ghastly. The mounted officer leading the escort -asked me if I was going into Washington and knew the road. I told him -I had never been on it before, but thought I could find my way, “at -any rate we’ll find plenty to tell us.” “That’s Colonel Hunter inside -the carriage, he’s shot through the throat and jaw, and I want to get -him to the doctor’s in Washington as soon as I can. Have you been to -the fight?” - -“No, sir.” - -“A member of Congress, I suppose, sir?” - -“No, sir; I’m an Englishman.” - -“Oh indeed, sir, then I’m glad you did not see it, so mean a fight, -sir, I never saw; we whipped the cusses and drove them before us, -and took their batteries and spiked their guns, and got right up in -among all their dirt works and great batteries and forts, driving -them before us like sheep, when up more of them would get, as if out -of the ground, then our boys would drive them again till we were -fairly worn out; they had nothing to eat since last night and nothing -to drink. I myself have not tasted a morsel since two o’clock last -night. Well, there we were waiting for reinforcements and expecting -M‘Dowell and the rest of the army, when whish! they threw open a -whole lot of masked batteries on us, and then came down such swarms -of horsemen on black horses, all black as you never saw, and slashed -our boys over finely. The colonel was hit, and I thought it best to -get him off as well as I could, before it was too late; And, my God! -when they did take to running they did it first-rate, I can tell -you,” and so, the officer, who had evidently taken enough to affect -his empty stomach and head, chattering about the fight, we trotted -on in the moonlight: dipping down into the valleys on the road, -which seemed like inky lakes in the shadows of the black trees, then -mounting up again along the white road, which shone like a river in -the moonlight--the country silent as death, though once as we crossed -a small water-course and the noise of the carriage wheels ceased, I -called the attention of my companions to a distant sound, as of a -great multitude of people mingled with a faint report of cannon. “Do -you hear that?” “No, I don’t. But it’s our chaps, no doubt. They’re -coming along fine, I can promise you.” At last some miles further on -we came to a picket, or main guard, on the roadside, who ran forward, -crying out “What’s the news--anything fresh--are we whipped?--is it -a fact?” “Well, gentlemen,” exclaimed the Major, reining up for a -moment, “we are knocked into a cocked hat--licked to h----l.” “Oh, -pray don’t say that,” I exclaimed, “It’s not quite so bad, it’s only -a drawn battle, and the troops will occupy Centreville to-night, and -the posts they started from this morning.” - -A little further on we met a line of commissariat carts, and my -excited and rather injudicious military friend appeared to take the -greatest pleasure in replying to their anxious queries for news. “We -are whipped! Whipped like h----.” - -At the cross-roads now and then we were perplexed, for no one knew -the bearings of Washington, though the stars were bright enough; but -good fortune favoured us and kept us straight, and at a deserted -little village, with a solitary church on the road-side, I increased -my pace, bade good-night and good speed to the officer, and having -kept company with two men in a gig for some time, got at length on -the guarded road leading towards the capital, and was stopped by -the pickets, patrols, and grand rounds, making repeated demands for -the last accounts from the field. The houses by the road-side were -all closed up and in darkness, I knocked in vain at several for a -drink of water, but was answered only by the angry barkings of the -watch-dogs from the slave quarters. It was a peculiarity of the road -that the people, and soldiers I met, at points several miles apart, -always insisted that I was twelve miles from Washington. Up hills, -down valleys, with the silent, grim woods for ever by my side, the -white roads and the black shadows of men, still I was twelve miles -from the Long Bridge, but suddenly I came upon a grand guard under -arms, who had quite different ideas, and who said I was only about -four miles from the river; they crowded round me. “Well, man, and how -is the fight going?” I repeated my tale. “What does he say?” “Oh, -begorra, he says we’re not bet at all; it’s all lies they have been -telling us; we’re only going back to the ould lines for the greater -convaniency of fighting to-morrow again; that’s illigant, hooro!” - -All by the sides of the old camps the men were standing, lining -the road, and I was obliged to evade many a grasp at my bridle by -shouting out “Don’t stop me; I’ve important news; it’s all well!” -and still the good horse, refreshed by the cool night air, went -clattering on, till from the top of the road beyond Arlington I -caught a sight of the lights of Washington and the white buildings -of the Capitol, and of the Executive Mansion, glittering like snow -in the moonlight. At the entrance to the Long Bridge the sentry -challenged, and asked for the countersign. “I have not got it, but -I’ve a pass from General Scott.” An officer advanced from the guard, -and on reading the pass permitted me to go on without difficulty. -He said, “I have been obliged to let a good many go over to-night -before you, Congress men and others. I suppose you did not expect to -be coming back so soon. I fear it’s a bad business.” “Oh, not so bad -after all; I expected to have been back to-night before nine o’clock, -and crossed over this morning without the countersign.” “Well, I -guess,” said he, “we don’t do such quick fighting as that in this -country.” - -As I crossed the Long Bridge there was scarce a sound to dispute the -possession of its echoes with my horse’s hoofs. The poor beast had -carried me nobly and well, and I made up my mind to buy him, as I had -no doubt he would answer perfectly to carry me back in a day or two -to M‘Dowell’s army by the time he had organised it for a new attack -upon the enemy’s position. Little did I conceive the greatness of the -defeat, the magnitude of the disasters which it had entailed upon -the United States or the interval that would elapse before another -army set out from the banks of the Potomac onward to Richmond. Had I -sat down that night to write my letter, quite ignorant at the time of -the great calamity which had befallen his army, in all probability -I would have stated that M‘Dowell had received a severe repulse, -and had fallen back upon Centreville, that a disgraceful panic and -confusion had attended the retreat of a portion of his army, but -that the appearance of the reserves would probably prevent the enemy -taking any advantage of the disorder; and as I would have merely been -able to describe such incidents as fell under my own observation, and -would have left the American journals to narrate the actual details, -and the despatches of the American Generals the strategical events -of the day, I should have led the world at home to believe, as, in -fact, I believed myself, that M‘Dowell’s retrograde movement would be -arrested at some point between Centreville and Fairfax Court House. - -The letter that I was to write occupied my mind whilst I was crossing -the Long Bridge, gazing at the lights reflected in the Potomac from -the city. The night had become overcast, and heavy clouds rising up -rapidly obscured the moon, forming a most phantastic mass of shapes -in the sky. - -At the Washington end of the bridge I was challenged again by the -men of a whole regiment, who, with piled arms, were halted on the -chaussée, smoking, laughing, and singing. “Stranger, have you been -to the fight?” “I have been only a little beyond Centreville.” But -that was quite enough. Soldiers, civilians, and women, who seemed -to be out unusually late, crowded round the horse, and again I -told my stereotyped story of the unsuccessful attempt to carry the -Confederate position, and the retreat to Centreville to await better -luck next time. The soldiers alongside me cheered, and those next -them took it up till it ran through the whole line, and must have -awoke the night owls. - -As I passed Willard’s hotel a little further on, a clock--I think -the only public clock which strikes the hours in Washington--tolled -out the hour; and I supposed, from what the sentry told me, though I -did not count the strokes, that it was eleven o’clock. All the rooms -in the hotel were a blaze of light. The pavement before the door was -crowded, and some mounted men and the clattering of sabres on the -pavement led me to infer that the escort of the wounded officer had -arrived before me. I passed on to the livery-stables, where every one -was alive and stirring. - -“I’m sure,” said the man, “I thought I’d never see you nor the horse -back again. The gig and the other gentleman has been back a long -time. How did he carry you?” - -“Oh, pretty well; what’s his price?” - -“Well, now that I look at him, and to you, it will be 100 dollars -less than I said. I’m in good heart to-night.” - -“Why so? A number of your horses and carriages have not come back -yet, you tell me.” - -“Oh, well, I’ll get paid for them some time or another. Oh, such -news! such news!” said he, rubbing his hands. “Twenty thousand of -them killed and wounded! May-be they’re not having fits in the White -House to-night!” - -I walked to my lodgings, and just as I turned the key in the door a -flash of light made me pause for a moment, in expectation of the -report of a gun; for I could not help thinking it quite possible -that, somehow or another, the Confederate cavalry would try to beat -up the lines, but no sound followed. It must have been lightning. -I walked up-stairs, and saw a most welcome supper ready on the -table--an enormous piece of cheese, a sausage of unknown components, -a knuckle-bone of ham, and a bottle of a very light wine of France; -but I would not have exchanged that repast and have waited half an -hour for any banquet that Soyer or Careme could have prepared at -their best. Then, having pulled off my boots, bathed my head, trimmed -candles, and lighted a pipe, I sat down to write. I made some feeble -sentences, but the pen went flying about the paper as if the spirits -were playing tricks with it. When I screwed up my utmost resolution, -the “y’s” would still run into long streaks, and the letters combine -most curiously, and my eyes closed, and my pen slipped, and just as -I was aroused from a nap, and settled into a stern determination to -hold my pen straight, I was interrupted by a messenger from Lord -Lyons, to inquire whether I had returned, and if so, to ask me to go -up to the Legation, and get something to eat. I explained, with my -thanks, that I was quite safe, and had eaten supper, and learned from -the servant that Mr. Warre and his companion had arrived about two -hours previously. I resumed my seat once more, haunted by the memory -of the Boston mail, which would be closed in a few hours, and I had -much to tell, although I had not seen the battle. Again and again I -woke up, but at last the greatest conqueror but death overcame me, -and with my head on the blotted paper, I fell fast asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - A runaway crowd at Washington--The army of the Potomac in - retreat--Mail-day--Want of order and authority--Newspaper - lies--Alarm at Washington--Confederate prisoners--General - M‘Clellan--M. Mercier--Effects of the defeat on Mr. Seward and - the President--M‘Dowell--General Patterson. - - -_July 22nd._--I awoke from a deep sleep this morning, about six -o’clock. The rain was falling in torrents and beat with a dull, -thudding sound on the leads outside my window; but, louder than all, -came a strange sound, as if of the tread of men, a confused tramp -and splashing, and a murmuring of voices. I got up and ran to the -front room, the windows of which looked on the street, and there, to -my intense surprise, I saw a steady stream of men covered with mud, -soaked through with rain, who were pouring irregularly, without any -semblance of order, up Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol. A -dense stream of vapour rose from the multitude; but looking closely -at the men, I perceived they belonged to different regiments, -New Yorkers, Michiganders, Rhode Islanders, Massachusetters, -Minnesotians, mingled pellmell together. Many of them were without -knapsacks, crossbelts, and firelocks. Some had neither great-coats -nor shoes, others were covered with blankets. Hastily putting on my -clothes, I ran down stairs and asked an “officer,” who was passing -by, a pale young man, who looked exhausted to death, and who had lost -his sword, for the empty sheath dangled at his side, where the men -were coming from. “Where from? Well, sir, I guess we’re all coming -out of Verginny as far as we can, and pretty well whipped too.” -“What! the whole army, sir?” “That’s more than I know. They may stay -that like. I know I’m going home. I’ve had enough of fighting to last -my lifetime.” - -The news seemed incredible. But there, before my eyes, were the -jaded, dispirited, broken remnants of regiments passing onwards, -where and for what I knew not, and it was evident enough that the -mass of the grand army of the Potomac was placing that river between -it and the enemy as rapidly as possible. “Is there any pursuit?” I -asked of several men. Some were too surly to reply; others said, -“They’re coming as fast as they can after us.” Others, “I guess -they’ve stopped it now--the rain is too much for them.” A few said -they did not know, and looked as if they did not care. And here came -one of these small crises in which a special correspondent would -give a good deal for the least portion of duality in mind or body. A -few sheets of blotted paper and writing materials lying on the table -beside the burnt-out candles, reminded me that the imperious post-day -was running on. “The mail for Europe, _viâ_ Boston, closes at one -o’clock, Monday, July 22nd,” stuck up in large characters, warned me -I had not a moment to lose. I knew the event would be of the utmost -interest in England, and that it would be important to tell the truth -as far as I knew it, leaving the American papers to state their own -case, that the public might form their own conclusions. - -But then, I felt, how interesting it would be to ride out and watch -the evacuation of the sacred soil of Virginia, to see what the enemy -were doing, to examine the situation of affairs, to hear what the -men said, and, above all, find out the cause of this retreat and -headlong confusion, investigate the extent of the Federal losses and -the condition of the wounded; in fact, to find materials for a dozen -of letters. I would fain, too, have seen General Scott, and heard -his opinions, and have visited the leading senators, to get a notion -of the way in which they looked on this catastrophe.--“I do perceive -here a divided duty.”--But the more I reflected on the matter the -more strongly I became convinced that it would not be advisable to -postpone the letter, and that the events of the 21st ought to have -precedence of those of the 22nd, and so I stuck up my usual notice on -the door outside of “Mr. Russell is out,” and resumed my letter. - -Whilst the rain fell, the tramp of feet went steadily on. As I lifted -my eyes now and then from the paper, I saw the beaten, foot-sore, -spongy-looking soldiers, officers, and all the debris of the army -filing through mud and rain, and forming in crowds in front of the -spirit stores. Underneath my room is the magazine of Jost, negociant -en vins, and he drives a roaring trade this morning, interrupted -occasionally by loud disputes as to the score. When the lad came -in with my breakfast he seemed a degree or two lighter in colour -than usual. “What’s the matter with you?” “I ’spects, massa, the -Seceshers soon be in here. I’m a free nigger; I must go, sar, afore -de come cotch me.” It is rather pleasant to be neutral under such -circumstances. - -I speedily satisfied myself I could not finish my letter in time -for post, and I therefore sent for my respectable Englishman to go -direct to Boston by the train which leaves this at four o’clock -to-morrow morning, so as to catch the mail steamer on Wednesday, and -telegraphed to the agents there to inform them of my intention of -doing so. Visitors came knocking at the door, and insisted on getting -in--military friends who wanted to give me their versions of the -battle--the _attachés_ of legations and others who desired to hear -the news and have a little gossip; but I turned a deaf ear doorwards, -and they went off into the outer rain again. - -More draggled, more muddy, and down-hearted, and foot-weary and -vapid, the great army of the Potomac still straggled by. Towards -evening I seized my hat and made off to the stable to inquire how the -poor horse was. There he stood, nearly as fresh as ever, a little -tucked up in the ribs, but eating heartily, and perfectly sound. A -change had come over Mr. Wroe’s dream of horseflesh. “They’ll be -going cheap now,” thought he, and so he said aloud, “If you’d like -to buy that horse, I’d let you have him a little under what I said. -Dear! dear! it must a’ been a sight sure-ly to see them Yankees -running; you can scarce get through the Avenue with them.” - -And what Mr. W. says is quite true. The rain has abated a little, -and the pavements are densely packed with men in uniform, some -with, others without, arms, on whom the shopkeepers are looking -with evident alarm. They seem to be in possession of all the -spirit-houses. Now and then shots are heard down the street or in the -distance, and cries and shouting, as if a scuffle or a difficulty -were occurring. Willard’s is turned into a barrack for officers, -and presents such a scene in the hall as could only be witnessed in -a city occupied by a demoralised army. There is no provost guard, -no patrol, no authority visible in the streets. General Scott is -quite overwhelmed by the affair, and is unable to stir. General -M‘Dowell has not yet arrived. The Secretary of War knows not what -to do, Mr. Lincoln is equally helpless, and Mr. Seward, who retains -some calmness, is, notwithstanding his military rank and militia -experience, without resource or expedient. There are a good many -troops hanging on about the camps and forts on the other side of the -river, it is said; but they are thoroughly disorganised, and will run -away if the enemy comes in sight without a shot, and then the capital -must fall at once. Why Beauregard does not come I know not, nor can -I well guess. I have been expecting every hour since noon to hear -his cannon. Here is a golden opportunity. If the Confederates do not -grasp that which will never come again on such terms, it stamps them -with mediocrity. - -The morning papers are quite ignorant of the defeat, or affect to -be unaware of it, and declare yesterday’s battle to have been in -favour of the Federals generally, the least arrogant stating that -M‘Dowell will resume his march from Centreville immediately. The -evening papers, however, seem to be more sensible of the real nature -of the crisis: it is scarcely within the reach of any amount of -impertinence or audacious assertion to deny what is passing before -their very eyes. The grand army of the Potomac is in the streets -of Washington, instead of being on its way to Richmond. One paper -contains a statement which would make me uneasy about myself if I had -any confidence in these stories, for it is asserted “that Mr. Russell -was last seen in the thick of the fight, and has not yet returned. -Fears are entertained for his safety.” - -Towards dark the rain moderated and the noise in the streets waxed -louder; all kinds of rumours respecting the advance of the enemy, -the annihilation of Federal regiments, the tremendous losses on both -sides, charges of cavalry, stormings of great intrenchments and -stupendous masked batteries, and elaborate reports of unparalleled -feats of personal valour, were circulated under the genial influence -of excitement, and by the quantities of alcohol necessary to keep out -the influence of the external moisture. I did not hear one expression -of confidence, or see one cheerful face in all that vast crowd which -but a few days before constituted an army, and was now nothing better -than a semi-armed mob. I could see no cannon returning, and to my -inquiries after them, I got generally the answer, “I suppose the -Seceshers have got hold of them.” - -Whilst I was at table several gentlemen who have _entrée_ called on -me, who confirmed my impressions respecting the magnitude of the -disaster that is so rapidly developing its proportions. They agree in -describing the army as disorganised. Washington is rendered almost -untenable, in consequence of the conduct of the army, which was not -only to have defended it, but to have captured the rival capital. -Some of my visitors declared it was dangerous to move abroad in the -streets. Many think the contest is now over; but the gentlemen of -Washington have Southern sympathies, and I, on the contrary, am -persuaded this prick in the great Northern balloon will let out a -quantity of poisonous gas, and rouse the people to a sense of the -nature of the conflict on which they have entered. The inmates of -the White House are in a state of the utmost trepidation, and Mr. -Lincoln, who sat in the telegraph operator’s room with General Scott -and Mr. Seward, listening to the dispatches as they arrived from the -scene of action, left it in despair when the fatal words tripped from -the needle and the defeat was clearly revealed to him. - -Having finally cleared my room of visitors and locked the door, I -sat down once more to my desk, and continued my narrative. The night -wore on, and the tumult still reigned in the city. Once, indeed, if -not twice, my attention was aroused by sounds like distant cannon -and outbursts of musketry, but on reflection I was satisfied the -Confederate general would never be rash enough to attack the place -by night, and that, after all the rain which had fallen, he in all -probability would give horses and men a day’s rest, marching them -through the night, so as to appear before the city in the course of -to-morrow. Again and again I was interrupted by soldiers clamouring -for drink and for money, attracted by the light in my windows; one -or two irrepressible and irresistible friends actually succeeded -in making their way into my room--just as on the night when I was -engaged in writing an account of the last attack on the Redan my hut -was stormed by visitors, and much of my letter was penned under the -apprehension of a sharp pair of spurs fixed in the heels of a jolly -little adjutant, who, overcome by fatigue and rum-and-water, fell -asleep in my chair, with his legs cocked up on my writing-table--but -I saw the last of them about midnight, and so continued writing till -the morning light began to steal through the casement. Then came the -trusty messenger, and, at 3 a.m., when I had handed him the parcel -and looked round to see all my things were in readiness, lest a rapid -toilet might be necessary in the morning, with a sigh of relief I -plunged into bed, and slept. - -_July 23rd._--The morning was far advanced when I awoke, and hearing -the roll of waggons in the street, I at first imagined the Federals -were actually about to abandon Washington itself; but on going to the -window, I perceived it arose from an irregular train of commissariat -carts, country waggons, ambulances, and sutlers’ vans, in the centre -of the street, the paths being crowded as before with soldiers, or -rather with men in uniform, many of whom seemed as if they had been -rolling in the mud. Poor General Mansfield was running back and -forwards between his quarters and the War Department, and in the -afternoon some efforts were made to restore order, by appointing -rendezvous to which the fragment of regiments should repair, and -by organising mounted patrols to clear the streets. In the middle -of the day I went out through the streets, and walked down to the -long bridge with the intention of crossing, but it was literally -blocked up from end to end with a mass of waggons and ambulances -full of wounded men, whose cries of pain echoed above the shouts of -the drivers, so that I abandoned the attempt to get across, which, -indeed, would not have been easy with any comfort, owing to the depth -of mud in the roads. To-day the aspect of Washington is more unseemly -and disgraceful, if that were possible, than yesterday afternoon. - -As I returned towards my lodgings a scene of greater disorder and -violence than usual attracted my attention. A body of Confederate -prisoners, marching two and two, were with difficulty saved by their -guard from the murderous assaults of a hooting rabble, composed of -civilians and men dressed like soldiers, who hurled all kinds of -missiles they could lay their hands upon over the heads of the guard -at their victims, spattering them with mud and filthy language. -It was very gratifying to see the way in which the dastardly mob -dispersed at the appearance of a squad of mounted men, who charged -them boldly, and escorted the prisoners to General Mansfield. They -consisted of a picket or grand guard, which, unaware of the retreat -of their regiment from Fairfax, marched into the Federal lines before -the battle. Their just indignation was audible enough. One of them, -afterwards, told General M‘Dowell, who hurried over as soon as he -was made aware of the disgraceful outrages to which they had been -exposed, “I would have died a hundred deaths before I fell into these -wretches’ hands, if I had known this. Set me free for five minutes, -and let any two, or four, of them insult me when my hands are loose.” - -Soon afterwards a report flew about that a crowd of soldiers were -hanging a Secessionist. A senator rushed to General M‘Dowell, and -told him that he had seen the man swinging with his own eyes. Off -went the General, _ventre à terre_, and was considerably relieved -by finding that they were hanging merely a dummy or effigy of Jeff. -Davis, not having succeeded in getting at the original yesterday. - -Poor M‘Dowell has been swiftly punished for his defeat, or rather -for the unhappy termination to his advance. As soon as the disaster -was ascertained beyond doubt, the President telegraphed to General -M‘Clellan to come and take command of his army. It is a commentary -full of instruction on the military system of the Americans, that -they have not a soldier who has ever handled a brigade in the field -fit for service in the North. - -The new commander-in-chief is a brevet-major who has been in civil -employ on a railway for several years. He went once, with two other -West Point officers, commissioned by Mr. Jefferson Davis, then -Secretary of War, to examine and report on the operations in the -Crimea, who were judiciously despatched when the war was over, and -I used to see him and his companions poking about the ruins of the -deserted trenches and batteries, mounted on horses furnished by -the courtesy of British officers, just as they lived in English -quarters, when they were snubbed and refused an audience by the Duke -of Malakhoff in the French camp. Major M‘Clellan forgot the affront, -did not even mention it, and showed his Christian spirit by praising -the allies, and damning John Bull with very faint applause, seasoned -with lofty censure. He was very young, however, at the time, and is -so well spoken of that his appointment will be popular; but all that -he has done to gain such reputation and to earn the confidence of the -government, is to have had some skirmishes with bands of Confederates -in Western Virginia, in which the leader, Garnett, was killed, his -“forces” routed, and finally, to the number of a thousand, obliged to -surrender as prisoners of war. That success, however, at such a time -is quite enough to elevate any man to the highest command. M‘Clellan -is about thirty-six years of age, was educated at West Point, where -he was junior to M‘Dowell, and a class-fellow of Beauregard. - -I dined with M. Mercier, the French minister, who has a prettily -situated house on the heights of Georgetown, about a mile and a-half -from the city. Lord Lyons, Mr. Monson, his private secretary, M. -Baroche, son of the French minister, who has been exploiting the -Southern states, were the only additions to the family circle. -The minister is a man in the prime of life, of more than moderate -ability, with a rapid manner and quickness of apprehension. Ever -since I first met M. Mercier he has expressed his conviction that the -North never can succeed in conquering the South, or even restoring -the Union, and that an attempt to do either by armed force must end -in disaster. He is the more confirmed in his opinions by the result -of Sunday’s battle, but the inactivity of the Confederates gives -rise to the belief that they suffered seriously in the affair. M. -Baroche has arrived at the conviction, without reference to the fate -of the Federals in their march to Richmond, that the Union is utterly -gone--as dead as the Achaian league. - -Whilst Madame Mercier and her friends are conversing on much more -agreeable subjects, the men hold a tobacco council under the shade -of the magnificent trees, and France, Russia, and minor powers talk -politics, Lord Lyons alone not joining in the nicotian controversy. -Beneath us flowed the Potomac, and on the wooded heights at the -other side, the Federal flag rose over Fort Corcoran and Arlington -House, from which the grand army had set forth a few days ago to -crush rebellion and destroy its chiefs. There, sad, anxious, and -despairing, Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward were at that very moment -passing through the wreck of the army, which, silent as ruin itself, -took no notice of their presence. - -It had been rumoured that the Confederates were advancing, and the -President and the Foreign Minister set out in a carriage to see with -their own eyes the state of the troops. What they beheld filled them -with despair. The plateau was covered with the men of different -regiments, driven by the patrols out of the city, or arrested in -their flight at the bridges. In Fort Corcoran the men were in utter -disorder, threatening to murder the officer of regulars who was -essaying to get them into some state of efficiency to meet the -advancing enemy. He had menaced one of the officers of the 69th with -death for flat disobedience to orders; the men had taken the part of -their captain; and the President drove into the work just in time to -witness the confusion. The soldiers with loud cries demanded that the -officer should be punished, and the President asked him why he had -used such violent language towards his subordinate. “I told him, Mr. -President, that if he refused to obey my orders I would shoot him -on the spot; and I here repeat it, sir, that if I remain in command -here, and he or any other man refuses to obey my orders, I’ll shoot -him on the spot.” - -The firmness of Sherman’s language and demeanour in presence of the -chief of the State overawed the mutineers, and they proceeded to put -the work in some kind of order to resist the enemy. - -Mr. Seward was deeply impressed by the scene, and retired with -the President to consult as to the best course to pursue, in some -dejection, but they were rather comforted by the telegrams from -all parts of the North, which proved that, though disappointed and -surprised, the people were not disheartened or ready to relinquish -the contest. - -The accounts of the battle in the principal journals are curiously -inaccurate and absurd. The writers have now recovered themselves. -At first they yielded to the pressure of facts and to the accounts -of their correspondents. They admitted the repulse, the losses, the -disastrous retreat, the loss of guns, in strange contrast to their -prophecies and wondrous hyperboles about the hyperbolic grand army. -Now they set themselves to stem the current they have made. Let any -one read the New York journals for the last week, if he wishes to -frame an indictment against such journalism as the people delight to -honour in America. - -_July 24th._--I rode out before breakfast in company with Mr. Monson -across the Long Bridge over to Arlington House. General M‘Dowell was -seated at a table under a tree in front of his tent, and got out his -plans and maps to explain the scheme of battle. - -Cast down from his high estate, placed as a subordinate to his -junior, covered with obloquy and abuse, the American General -displayed a calm self-possession and perfect amiability which could -only proceed from a philosophic temperament and a consciousness that -he would outlive the calumnies of his countrymen. He accused nobody; -but it was not difficult to perceive he had been sacrificed to the -vanity, self-seeking, and disobedience of some of his officers, and -to radical vices in the composition of his army. - -When M‘Dowell found he could not turn the enemy’s right as he -intended, because the country by the Occoquan was unfit for the -movements of artillery, or even infantry, he reconnoitred the ground -towards their left, and formed the project of turning it by a -movement which would bring the weight of his columns on their extreme -left, and at the same time overlap it, whilst a strong demonstration -was made on the ford at Bull’s Run, where General Tyler brought on -the serious skirmish of the 18th. In order to carry out this plan, -he had to debouch his columns from a narrow point at Centreville, -and march them round by various roads to points on the upper part of -the Run, where it was fordable in all directions, intending to turn -the enemy’s batteries on the lower roads and bridges. But although -he started them at an early hour, the troops moved so slowly the -Confederates became aware of their design, and were enabled to -concentrate considerable masses of troops on their left. - -The Federals were not only slow, but disorderly. The regiments in -advance stopped at streams to drink and fill their canteens, delaying -the regiments in the rear. They wasted their provisions, so that -many of them were without food at noon, when they were exhausted by -the heat of the sun and by the stifling vapours of their own dense -columns. When they at last came into action some divisions were not -in their places, so that the line of battle was broken; and those -which were in their proper position were exposed, without support, -to the enemy’s fire. A delusion of masked batteries pressed on -their brain. To this was soon added a hallucination about cavalry, -which might have been cured had the Federals possessed a few steady -squadrons to manœuvre on their flanks and in the intervals of their -line. Nevertheless, they advanced and encountered the enemy’s fire -with some spirit; but the Confederates were enabled to move up -fresh battalions, and to a certain extent to establish an equality -between the numbers of their own troops and the assailants, whilst -they had the advantages of better cover and ground. An apparition -of a disorderly crowd of horsemen in front of the much-boasting -Fire Zouaves of New York threw them into confusion and flight, and -a battery which they ought to have protected was taken. Another -battery was captured by the mistake of an officer, who allowed a -Confederate regiment to approach the guns, thinking they were Federal -troops, till their first volley destroyed both horses and gunners. -At the critical moment, General Johnston, who had escaped from the -feeble observation and untenacious grip of General Patterson and his -time-expired volunteers, and had been hurrying down his troops from -Winchester by train, threw his fresh battalions on the flank and rear -of the Federal right. When the General ordered a retreat, rendered -necessary by the failure of the attack--disorder spread, which -increased--the retreat became a flight which degenerated--if a flight -can degenerate--into a panic, the moment the Confederates pressed -them with a few cavalry and horse artillery. The efforts of the -Generals to restore order and confidence were futile. Fortunately a -weak reserve was posted at Centreville, and these were formed in line -on the slope of the hill, whilst M‘Dowell and his officers exerted -themselves with indifferent success to arrest the mass of the army, -and make them draw up behind the reserve, telling the men a bold -front was their sole chance of safety. At midnight it became evident -the _morale_ of the army was destroyed, and nothing was left but a -speedy retrograde movement, with the few regiments and guns which -were in a condition approaching to efficiency, upon the defensive -works of Washington. - -Notwithstanding the reverse of fortune, M‘Dowell did not appear -willing to admit his estimate of the Southern troops was erroneous, -or to say “Change armies, and I’ll fight the battle over again.” He -still held Mississippians, Alabamians, Louisianians, very cheap, and -did not see, or would not confess, the full extent of the calamity -which had fallen so heavily on him personally. The fact of the -evening’s inactivity was conclusive in his mind that they had a -dearly bought success, and he looked forward, though in a subordinate -capacity, to a speedy and glorious revenge. - -_July 25th._--The unfortunate General Patterson, who could not keep -Johnston from getting away from Winchester, is to be dismissed the -service--honourably, of course--that is, he is to be punished because -his men would insist on going home in face of the enemy, as soon as -their three months were up, and that time happened to arrive just as -it would be desirable to operate against the Confederates. The latter -have lost their chance. The Senate, the House of Representatives, the -Cabinet, the President, are all at their ease once more, and feel -secure in Washington. Up to this moment the Confederates could have -taken it with very little trouble. Maryland could have been roused -to arms, and Baltimore would have declared for them. The triumph -of the non-aggressionists, at the head of whom is Mr. Davis, in -resisting the demands of the party which urges an actual invasion of -the North as the best way of obtaining peace, may prove to be very -disastrous. Final material results must have justified the occupation -of Washington. - -I dined at the Legation, where were Mr. Sumner and some English -visitors desirous of going South. Lord Lyons gives no encouragement -to these adventurous persons. - -_July 26th._--Whether it is from curiosity to hear what I have to -say or not, the number of my visitors is augmenting. Among them was -a man in soldier’s uniform, who sauntered into my room to borrow -“five or ten dollars,” on the ground that he was a waiter at the -Clarendon Hotel when I was stopping there, and wanted to go North, -as his time was up. His anecdotes were stupendous. General Meigs and -Captain Macomb, of the United States Engineers, paid me a visit, -and talked of the disaster very sensibly. The former is an able -officer, and an accomplished man--the latter, son, I believe, of the -American general of that name, distinguished in the war with Great -Britain. I had a long conversation with General M‘Dowell, who bears -his supercession with admirable fortitude, and complains of nothing, -except the failure of his officers to obey orders, and the hard fate -which condemned him to lead an army of volunteers--Captain Wright, -aide-de-camp to General Scott, Lieutenant Wise, of the Navy, and many -others. The communications received from the Northern States have -restored the spirits of all Union men, and not a few declare they are -glad of the reverse, as the North will now be obliged to put forth -all its strength. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - Attack of illness--General M‘Clellan--Reception at the White - House--Drunkenness among the Volunteers--Visit from Mr. - Olmsted--Georgetown--Intense heat--M‘Clellan and the Newspapers - --Reception at Mr. Seward’s--Alexandria--A storm--Sudden death - of an English officer--The Maryland Club--A Prayer and Fast - Day--Financial difficulties. - - -_July 27th._--So ill to-day from heat, bad smells in the house, -and fatigue, that I sent for Dr. Miller, a great, fine Virginian -practitioner, who ordered me powders to be taken in “mint juleps.” -Now mint juleps are made of whiskey, sugar, ice, very little water, -and sprigs of fresh mint, to be sucked up after the manner of sherry -cobblers, if so it be pleased, with a straw. - -“A powder every two hours, with a mint julep. Why, that’s six a day, -Doctor. Won’t that be--eh?--won’t that be rather intoxicating?” - -“Well, sir, that depends on the constitution. You’ll find they will -do you no harm, even if the worst takes place.” - -Day after day, till the month was over and August had come, I -passed in a state of powder and julep, which the Virginian doctor -declared saved my life. The first time I stirred out the change -which had taken place in the streets was at once apparent: no -drunken rabblement of armed men, no begging soldiers--instead -of these were patrols in the streets, guards at the corners, -and a rigid system of passes. The North begin to perceive their -magnificent armies are mythical, but knowing they have the elements -of making one, they are setting about the manufacture. Numbers of -tapsters and serving men, and _canaille_ from the cities, who now -disgrace swords and shoulder-straps, are to be dismissed. Round -the corner, with a kind of staff at his heels and an escort, comes -Major General George B. M‘Clellan, the young Napoleon (of Western -Virginia), the conqueror of Garnet, the captor of Peagrim, the -commander-in-chief, under the President, of the army of the United -States. He is a very squarely-built, thick-throated, broad-chested -man, under the middle height, with slightly bowed legs, a tendency -to _embonpoint_. His head, covered with a closely cut crop of dark -auburn hair, is well set on his shoulders. His features are regular -and prepossessing--the brow small, contracted, and furrowed; the -eyes deep and anxious-looking. A short, thick, reddish moustache -conceals his mouth; the rest of his face is clean shaven. He has -made his father-in-law, Major Marcy, chief of his staff, and is a -good deal influenced by his opinions, which are entitled to some -weight, as Major Marcy is a soldier, and has seen frontier wars, and -is a great traveller. The task of licking this army into shape is -of Herculean magnitude. Every one, however, is willing to do as he -bids: the President confides in him, and “Georges” him; the press -fawn upon him, the people trust him; he is “the little corporal” of -unfought fields--_omnis ignotus pro mirifico_, here. He looks like -a stout little captain of dragoons, but for his American seat and -saddle. The latter is adapted to a man who cannot ride: if a squadron -so mounted were to attempt a fence or ditch half of them would be -ruptured or spilled. The seat is a marvel to any European. But -M‘Clellan is nevertheless “the man on horseback” just now, and the -Americans must ride in his saddle, or in anything he likes. - -In the evening of my first day’s release from juleps the President -held a reception or levée, and I went to the White House about nine -o’clock, when the rooms were at their fullest. The company were -arriving on foot, or crammed in hackney coaches, and did not affect -any neatness of attire or evening dress. The doors were open: any -one could walk in who chose. Private soldiers, in hodden grey and -hob-nailed shoes, stood timorously chewing on the threshold of the -state apartments, alarmed at the lights and gilding, or, haply, by -the marabout feathers and finery of a few ladies who were in ball -costume, till, assured by fellow-citizens there was nothing to fear, -they plunged into the dreadful revelry. Faces familiar to me in -the magazines of the town were visible in the crowd which filled -the reception-rooms and the ballroom, in a small room off which a -military band was stationed. - -The President, in a suit of black, stood near the door of one of the -rooms near the hall, and shook hands with every one of the crowd, -who was then “passed” on by his secretary, if the President didn’t -wish to speak to him. Mr. Lincoln has recovered his spirits, and -seemed in good humour. Mrs. Lincoln, who did the honours in another -room, surrounded by a few ladies, did not appear to be quite so -contented. All the ministers are present except Mr. Seward, who has -gone to his own state to ascertain the frame of mind of the people, -and to judge for himself of the sentiments they entertain respecting -the war. After walking up and down the hot and crowded rooms for an -hour, and seeing and speaking to all the celebrities, I withdrew. -Colonel Richardson in his official report states Colonel Miles lost -the battle of Bull Run by being drunk and disorderly at a critical -moment. Colonel Miles, who commanded a division of three brigades, -writes to say he was not in any such state, and has demanded a -court of inquiry. In a Philadelphia paper it is stated M‘Dowell was -helplessly drunk during the action, and sat up all the night before -drinking, smoking, and playing cards. M‘Dowell never drinks, and -never has drunk, wine, spirits, malt, tea, or coffee, or smoked or -used tobacco in any form, nor does he play cards; and that remark -does not apply to many other Federal officers. - -Drunkenness is only too common among the American volunteers, and -General Butler has put it officially in orders, that “the use of -intoxicating liquors prevails to an alarming extent among the -officers of his command,” and has ordered the seizure of their grog, -which will only be allowed on medical certificate. He announces, too, -that he will not use wine or spirits, or give any to his friends, or -allow any in his own quarters in future--a quaint, vigorous creature, -this Massachusetts lawyer. - -The outcry against Patterson has not yet subsided, though he states -that, out of twenty-three regiments composing his force, nineteen -refused to stay an hour over their time, which would have been up in -a week, so that he would have been left in an enemy’s country with -four regiments. He wisely led his patriot band back, and let them -disband themselves in their own borders. Verily, these are not the -men to conquer the South. - -Fresh volunteers are pouring in by tens of thousands to take their -places from all parts of the Union, and in three days after the -battle, 80,000 men were accepted. Strange people! The regiments which -have returned to New York after disgraceful conduct at Bull Run, with -the stigmata of cowardice impressed by their commanding officers on -the colours and souls of their corps, are actually welcomed with the -utmost enthusiasm, and receive popular ovations! It becomes obvious -every day that M‘Clellan does not intend to advance till he has got -some semblance of an army: that will be a long time to come; but -he can get a good deal of fighting out of them in a few months. -Meantime the whole of the Northern states are waiting anxiously for -the advance which is to take place at once, according to promises -from New York. As Washington is the principal scene of interest, the -South being tabooed to me, I have resolved to stay here till the army -is fit to move, making little excursions to points of interest. The -details in my diary are not very interesting, and I shall make but -brief extracts. - -_August 2nd._--Mr. Olmsted visited me, in company with a young -gentleman named Ritchie, son-in-law of James Wadsworth, who has been -serving as honorary aide-de-camp on M‘Dowell’s staff, but is now -called to higher functions. They dined at my lodgings, and we talked -over Bull Run again. Mr. Ritchie did not leave Centreville till late -in the evening, and slept at Fairfax Court House, where he remained -till 8.30 a.m. on the morning of July 22nd, Wadsworth not stirring -for two hours later. He said the panic was “horrible, disgusting, -sickening,” and spoke in the harshest terms of the officers, to whom -he applied a variety of epithets. Prince Napoleon has arrived. - -_August 3rd._--M‘Clellan orders regular parades and drills in every -regiment, and insists on all orders being given by bugle note. I -had a long ride through the camps, and saw some improvement in the -look of the men. Coming home by Georgetown, met the Prince driving -with M. Mercier, to pay a visit to the President. I am sure that the -politicians are not quite well pleased with this arrival, because -they do not understand it, and cannot imagine a man would come so far -without a purpose. The drunken soldiers now resort to quiet lanes -and courts in the suburbs. Georgetown was full of them. It is a much -more respectable and old-world looking place than its vulgar, empty, -overgrown, mushroom neighbour, Washington. An officer who had fallen -in his men to go on duty was walking down the line this evening -when his eye rested on the neck of a bottle sticking out of a man’s -coat. “Thunder,” quoth he, “James, what have you got there?” “Well, -I guess, captain, it’s a drop of real good Bourbon.” “Then let us -have a drink,” said the captain; and thereupon proceeded to take a -long pull and a strong pull, till the man cried out, “That is not -fair, Captain. You won’t leave me a drop”--a remonstrance which had a -proper effect, and the captain marched down his company to the bridge. - -It was extremely hot when I returned, late in the evening. I asked -the boy for a glass of iced water. “Dere is no ice, massa,” he -said. “No ice? What’s the reason of that?” “De Sechessers, massa, -block up de river, and touch off deir guns at de ice-boats.” The -Confederates on the right bank of the Potomac have now established a -close blockade of the river. Lieutenant Wise, of the Navy Department, -admitted the fact, but said that the United States gunboats would -soon sweep the rebels from the shore. - -_August 4th._--I had no idea that the sun could be powerful in -Washington; even in India the heat is not much more oppressive -than it was here to-day. There is this extenuating circumstance, -however, that after some hours of such very high temperature, -thunder-storms and tornadoes cool the air. I received a message -from General M‘Clellan, that he was about to ride along the lines -of the army across the river, and would be happy if I accompanied -him; but as I had many letters to write for the next mail, I was -unwillingly obliged to abandon the chance of seeing the army under -such favourable circumstances. There are daily arrivals at Washington -of military adventurers from all parts of the world, some of them -with many extraordinary certificates and qualifications; but, as Mr. -Seward says, “It is best to detain them with the hope of employment -on the Northern side, lest some really good man should get among the -rebels.” Garibaldians, Hungarians, Poles, officers of Turkish and -other contingents, the executory devises and remainders of European -revolutions and wars, surround the State department, and infest -unsuspecting politicians with illegible testimonials in unknown -tongues. - -_August 5th._--The roads from the station are crowded with troops, -coming from the North as fast as the railway can carry them. It is -evident, as the war fever spreads, that such politicians as Mr. -Crittenden, who resist the extreme violence of the Republican party, -will be stricken down. The Confiscation Bill, for the emancipation -of slaves and the absorption of property belonging to rebels, has, -indeed, been boldly resisted in the House of Representatives; but it -passed with some trifling amendments. The journals are still busy -with the affair of Bull Run, and each seems anxious to eclipse the -other in the absurdity of its statements. A Philadelphia journal, -for instance, states to-day that the real cause of the disaster was -not a desire to retreat, but a mania to advance. In its own words, -“the only drawback was the impetuous feeling to go a-head and fight.” -Because one officer is accused of drunkenness a great movement is on -foot to prevent the army getting any drink at all. - -General M‘Clellan invited the newspaper correspondents in Washington -to meet him to-day, and with their assent drew up a treaty of peace -and amity, which is a curiosity in its way. In the first place, the -editors are to abstain from printing anything which can give aid -or comfort to the enemy, and their correspondents are to observe -equal caution; in return for which complaisance, Government is to be -asked to give the press opportunities for obtaining and transmitting -intelligence suitable for publication, particularly touching -engagements with the enemy. The Confederate privateer Sumter has -forced the blockade at New Orleans, and has already been heard of -destroying a number of Union vessels. - -_August 6th._--Prince Napoleon, anxious to visit the battle-field at -Bull Run, has, to Mr. Seward’s discomfiture, applied for passes, and -arrangements are being made to escort him as far as the Confederate -lines. This is a recognition of the Confederates, as a belligerent -power, which is by no means agreeable to the authorities. I drove -down to the Senate, where the proceedings were very uninteresting, -although Congress was on the eve of adjournment, and returning -visited Mr. Seward, Mr. Bates, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Blair, and left cards -for Mr. Brekinridge. The old woman who opened the door at the house -where the latter lodged said, “Massa Brekinridge pack up all his -boxes; I s’pose he not cum back here again.” - -_August 7th._--In the evening I went to Mr. Seward’s, who gave a -reception in honour of Prince Napoleon. The Minister’s rooms were -crowded and intensely hot. Lord Lyons and most of the diplomatic -circle were present. The Prince wore his Order of the Bath, and -bore the onslaughts of politicians, male and female, with much good -humour. The contrast between the uniforms of the officers of the -United States army and navy and those of the French in the Prince’s -suit, by no means redounded to the credit of the military tailoring -of the Americans. The Prince, to whom I was presented by Mr. Seward, -asked me particularly about the roads from Alexandria to Fairfax -Court-house, and from there to Centreville and Manassas. I told him -I had not got quite as far as the latter place, at which he laughed. -He inquired with much interest about General Beauregard, whether -he spoke good French, if he seemed a man of capacity, or was the -creation of an accident and of circumstances. He has been to Mount -Vernon, and is struck with the air of neglect around the place. Two -of his horses dropped dead from the heat on the journey, and the -Prince, who was perspiring profusely in the crowded room, asked me -whether the climate was not as bad as midsummer in India. His manner -was perfectly easy, but he gave no encouragement to bores, nor did -he court popularity by unusual affability, and he moved off long -before the guests were tired of looking at him. On returning to my -rooms a German gentleman named Bing--who went out with the Federal -army from Washington, was taken prisoner at Bull’s Run, and carried -to Richmond--came to visit me, but his account of what he saw in the -dark and mysterious South was not lucid or interesting. - -_August 8th._--I had arranged to go with Mr. Olmsted and Mr. Ritchie -to visit the hospitals, but the heat was so intolerable, we abandoned -the idea till the afternoon, when we drove across the long bridge -and proceeded to Alexandria. The town, which is now fully occupied -by military, and is abandoned by the respectable inhabitants, has -an air, owing to the absence of women and children, which tells the -tale of a hostile occupation. In a large building, which had once -been a school, the wounded of Bull Run were lying, not uncomfortably -packed, nor unskilfully cared for, and the arrangements were, taken -altogether, creditable to the skill and humanity of the surgeons. -Close at hand was the church in which George Washington was wont in -latter days to pray, when he drove over from Mount Vernon--further -on, Marshal House, where Ellsworth was shot by the Virginian -landlord, and was so speedily avenged. A strange strain of thought -was suggested, by the rapid grouping of incongruous ideas, arising -out of the proximity of these scenes. As one of my friends said, -“I wonder what Washington would do if he were here now--and how he -would act if he were summoned from that church to Marshall House or -to this hospital?” The man who uttered these words was not either -of my companions, but wore the shoulder-straps of a Union officer. -“Stranger still,” said I, “would it be to speculate on the thoughts -and actions of Napoleon in this crisis, if he were to wake up and -see a Prince of his blood escorted by Federal soldiers to the spot -where the troops of the Southern States had inflicted on them a -signal defeat, in a land where the nephew who now sits on the -throne of France has been an exile.” It is not quite certain that -many Americans understand who Prince Napoleon is, for one of the -troopers belonging to the escort which took him out from Alexandria -declared positively he had ridden with the Emperor. The excursion -is swallowed, but not well-digested. In Washington the only news -to-night is, that a small privateer from Charleston, mistaking -the St. Lawrence for a merchant vessel, fired into her and was -at once sent to Mr. Davy Jones by a rattling broadside. Congress -having adjourned, there is but little to render Washington less -uninteresting than it must be in its normal state. - -The truculent and overbearing spirit which arises from the -uncontroverted action of democratic majorities develops itself in -the North, where they have taken to burning newspaper offices and -destroying all the property belonging to the proprietors and editors. -These actions are a strange commentary on Mr. Seward’s declaration -“that no volunteers are to be refused because they do not speak -English, inasmuch as the contest for the Union is a battle of the -free men of the world for the institutions of self-government.” - -_August 11th._--On the old Indian principle, I rode out this morning -very early, and was rewarded by a breath of cold, fresh air, and by -the sight, of some very disorderly regiments just turning out to -parade in the camps; but I was not particularly gratified by being -mistaken for Prince Napoleon by some Irish recruits, who shouted -out, “Bonaparte for ever,” and gradually subsided into requests -for “something to drink your Royal Highness’s health with.” As I -returned I saw on the steps of General Mansfield’s quarters, a -tall, soldierly-looking young man, whose breast was covered with -Crimean ribbons and medals, and I recognised him as one who had -called upon me a few days before, renewing our slight acquaintance -before Sebastopol, where his courage was conspicuous, to ask me for -information respecting the mode of obtaining a commission in the -Federal army. - -Towards mid-day an ebony sheet of clouds swept over the city. I went -out, regardless of the threatening storm, to avail myself of the -coolness to make a few visits; but soon a violent wind arose bearing -clouds like those of an Indian dust-storm down the streets. The black -sheet overhead became agitated like the sea, and tossed about grey -clouds, which careered against each other and burst into lightning; -then suddenly, without other warning, down came the rain--a perfect -tornado; sheets of water flooding the streets in a moment, turning -the bed into water-courses and the channels into deep rivers. I waded -up the centre of Pennsylvania Avenue, past the President’s house, -in a current which would have made a respectable trout stream; and -on getting opposite my own door, made a rush for the porch, but -forgetting the deep channel at the side, stepped into a rivulet which -was literally above my hips, and I was carried off my legs, till I -succeeded in catching the kerbstone, and escaped into the hall as if -I had just swum across the Potomac. - -On returning from my ride next morning, I took up the Baltimore -paper, and saw a paragraph announcing the death of an English officer -at the station; it was the poor fellow whom I saw sitting at General -Mansfield’s steps yesterday. The consul was absent on a short tour -rendered necessary by the failure of his health consequent on the -discharge of his duties. Finding the Legation were anxious to see -due care taken of the poor fellow’s remains, I left for Baltimore -at a quarter to three o’clock, and proceeded to inquire into the -circumstances connected with his death. He had been struck down at -the station by some cerebral attack, brought on by the heat and -excitement; had been carried to the police station and placed upon -a bench, from which he had fallen with his head downwards, and was -found in that position, with life quite extinct, by a casual visitor. -My astonishment may be conceived when I learned that not only had the -Coroner’s inquest sat and returned its verdict, but that the man had -absolutely been buried the same morning, and so my mission was over, -and I could only report what had occurred to Washington. Little value -indeed has human life in this new world, to which the old gives vital -power so lavishly, that it is regarded as almost worthless. I have -seen more “fuss” made over an old woman killed by a cab in London -than there is over half a dozen deaths with suspicion of murder -attached in New Orleans or New York. - -I remained in Baltimore a few days, and had an opportunity of -knowing the feelings of some of the leading men in the place. It may -be described in one word--intense hatred of New England and black -republicans, which has been increased to mania by the stringent -measures of the military dictator of the American Warsaw, the -searches of private houses, domiciliary visits, arbitrary arrests, -the suppression of adverse journals, the overthrow of the corporate -body--all the acts, in fact, which constitute the machinery and the -grievances of a tyranny. When I spoke of the brutal indifference -of the police to the poor officer previously mentioned, the -Baltimoreans told me the constables appointed by the Federal general -were scoundrels who led the Plug Uglies in former days--the worst -characters in a city not sweet or savoury in repute--but that the old -police were men of very different description. The Maryland Club, -where I had spent some pleasant hours, was now like a secret tribunal -or the haunt of conspirators. The police entered it a few days ago, -searched every room, took up the flooring, and even turned up the -coals in the kitchen and the wine in the cellar. Such indignities -fired the blood of the members, who are, with one exception, opposed -to the attempt to coerce the South by the sword. Not one of them but -could tell of some outrage perpetrated on himself or on some members -of his family by the police and Federal authority. Many a _delator -amici_ was suspected but not convicted. Men sat moodily reading the -papers with knitted brows, or whispering in corners, taking each -other apart, and glancing suspiciously at their fellows. - -There is a peculiar stamp about the Baltimore men which distinguishes -them from most Americans--a style of dress, frankness of manner, -and a general appearance assimilating them closely to the upper -classes of Englishmen. They are fond of sport and travel, exclusive -and high-spirited, and the iron rule of the Yankee is the more -intolerable because they dare not resent it, and are unable to shake -it off. - -I returned to Washington on 15th August. Nothing changed; skirmishes -along the front; M‘Clellan reviewing. The loss of General Lyon, who -was killed in an action with the Confederates under Ben McCullough, -at Wilson’s Creek, Springfield, Missouri, in which the Unionists were -with difficulty extricated by General Sigel from a very dangerous -position, after the death of their leader, is severely felt. He was -one of the very few officers who combined military skill and personal -bravery with political sagacity and moral firmness. The President -has issued his proclamation for a day of fast and prayer, which, -say the Baltimoreans, is a sign that the Yankees are in a bad way, -as they would never think of praying or fasting if their cause was -prospering. The stories which have been so sedulously spread, and -which never will be quite discredited, of the barbarity and cruelty -of the Confederates to all the wounded, ought to be set at rest by -the printed statement of the eleven Union surgeons just released, -who have come back from Richmond, where they were sent after their -capture on the field of Bull Run, with the most distinct testimony -that the Confederates treated their prisoners with humanity. Who -are the miscreants who tried to make the evil feeling, quite strong -enough as it is, perfectly fiendish, by asserting the rebels burned -the wounded in hospitals, and bayoneted them as they lay helpless on -the field? - -The pecuniary difficulties of the Government have been alleviated by -the bankers of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, who have agreed -to lend them fifty millions of dollars, on condition that they -receive the Treasury notes which Mr. Chase is about to issue. As we -read the papers and hear the news, it is difficult to believe that -the foundations of society are not melting away in the heat of this -conflict. Thus, a Federal judge, named Garrison, who has issued his -writ of habeas corpus for certain prisoners in Fort Lafayette, being -quietly snuffed out by the commandant, Colonel Burke, desires to -lead an army against the fort and have a little civil war of his own -in New York. He applies to the commander of the county militia, who -informs Garrison he can’t get into the fort as there was no artillery -strong enough to breach the walls, and that it would require 10,000 -men to invest it, whereas only 1400 militiamen were available. What -a farceur Judge Garrison must be! In addition to the gutting and -burning of newspaper offices, and the exercitation of the editors -on rails, the republican grand juries have taken to indicting the -democratic journals, and Fremont’s provost marshal in St. Louis has, -_proprio motu_, suppressed those which he considers disaffected. -A mutiny which broke out in the Scotch Regiment 79th N. Y. has -been followed by another in the 2nd Maine Regiment, and a display -of cannon and of cavalry was required to induce them to allow the -ringleaders to be arrested. The President was greatly alarmed, but -M‘Clellan acted with some vigour, and the refractory volunteers are -to be sent off to a pleasant station called the “Dry Tortugas” to -work on the fortifications. - -Mr. Seward, with whom I dined and spent the evening on 16th August, -has been much reassured and comforted by the demonstrations of -readiness on the part of the people to continue the contest, and of -confidence in the cause among the moneyed men of the great cities. -“All we want is time to develop our strength. We have been blamed for -not making greater use of our navy and extending it at once. It was -our first duty to provide for the safety of our capital. Besides, -a man will generally pay little attention to agencies he does not -understand. None of us knew anything about a navy. I doubt if the -President ever saw anything more formidable than a river steamboat, -and I don’t think Mr. Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, knew the -stem from the stern of a ship. Of the whole Cabinet, I am the only -member who ever was _fairly_ at sea or crossed the Atlantic. Some of -us never even saw it. No wonder we did not understand the necessity -for creating a navy at once. Soon, however, our Government will be -able to dispose of a respectable marine, and when our army is ready -to move, co-operating with the fleet, the days of the rebellion are -numbered.” - -“When will that be, Mr. Secretary?” - -“Soon; very soon, I hope. We can, however, bear delays. The rebels -will be ruined by it.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - Return to Baltimore--Colonel Carroll--A Priest’s view of the - Abolition of Slavery--Slavery in Maryland--Harper’s Ferry--John - Brown--Back by train to Washington--Further accounts of Bull - Run--American Vanity--My own unpopularity for speaking the - truth--Killing a “Nigger” no murder--Navy Department. - - -On the 17th August I returned to Baltimore on my way to Drohoregan -Manor, the seat of Colonel Carroll, in Maryland, where I had been -invited to spend a few days by his son-in-law, an English gentleman -of my acquaintance. Leaving Baltimore at 5.40 p.m., in company -with Mr. Tucker Carroll, I proceeded by train to Ellicott’s Mills, -a station fourteen miles on the Ohio and Baltimore railroad, from -which our host’s residence is distant more than an hour’s drive. The -country through which the line passes is picturesque and undulating, -with hills and valleys and brawling streams, spreading in woodland -and glade, ravine, and high uplands on either side, haunted by cotton -factories, poisoning air and water; but it has been a formidable -district for the engineers to get through, and the line abounds -in those triumphs of engineering which are generally the ruin of -shareholders. - -All these lines are now in the hands of the military. At the -Washington terminus there is a guard placed to see that no -unauthorised person or unwilling volunteer is going north; the -line is watched by patrols and sentries; troops are encamped along -its course. The factory chimneys are smokeless; half the pleasant -villas which cover the hills or dot the openings in the forest have -a deserted look and closed windows. And so these great works, the -Carrolton viaduct, the Thomas viaduct, and the high embankments and -great cuttings in the ravine by the river side, over which the line -passes, have almost a depressing effect, as if the people for whose -use they were intended had all become extinct. At Ellicott’s Mills, -which is a considerable manufacturing town, more soldiers and Union -flags. The people are Unionists, but the neighbouring gentry and -country people are Seceshers. - -This is the case wherever there is a manufacturing population in -Maryland, because the workmen are generally foreigners, or have -come from the Northern States, and feel little sympathy with States -rights’ doctrines, and the tendencies of the landed gentry to a -Conservative action on the slave question. There was no good-will -in the eyes of the mechanicals as they stared at our vehicle; for -the political bias of Colonel Carroll was well known, as well as the -general sentiments of his family. It was dark when we reached the -manor, which is approached by an avenue of fine trees. The house is -old-fashioned, and has received additions from time to time. But for -the black faces of the domestics, one might easily fancy he was in -some old country house in Ireland. The family have adhered to their -ancient faith. The founder of the Carrolls in Maryland came over with -the Catholic colonists led by Lord Baltimore, or by his brother, -Leonard Calvert, and the colonel possesses some interesting deeds of -grant and conveyance of the vast estates, which have been diminished -by large sales year after year, but still spread over a considerable -part of several counties in the State. - -Colonel Carroll is an immediate descendant of one of the leaders in -the revolution of 1776, and he pointed out to me the room in which -Carroll, of Carrolton, and George Washington, were wont to meet when -they were concocting their splendid treason. One of his connections -married the late Marquis Wellesley, and the colonel takes pleasure -in setting forth how the daughter of the Irish recusant, who fled -from his native country all but an outlaw, sat on the throne of the -Queen of Ireland, or, in other words, held court in Dublin Castle -as wife of the Viceroy. Drohoregan is supposed to mean “Hall of the -Kings,” and is called after an old place belonging, some time or -other, to the family, the early history of which, as set forth in -the Celtic authorities and Irish antiquarian works, possesses great -attractions for the kindly, genial old man--kindly and genial to all -but the Abolitionists and black republicans; nor is he indifferent -to the reputation of the State in the Revolutionary War, where the -“Maryland line” seems to have differed from many of the contingents -of the other States in not running away so often at critical moments -in the serious actions. Colonel Carroll has sound arguments to prove -the sovereign independence and right of every State in the Union, -derived from family teaching and the lessons of those who founded the -Constitution itself. - -On the day after my arrival the rain fell in torrents. The weather -is as uncertain as that of our own isle. The torrid heats at -Washington, the other day, were succeeded by bitter cold days; now -there is a dense mist, chilly and cheerless, seeming as a sort of -strainer for the even down pour that falls through it continuously. -The family after breakfast slipped round to the little chapel which -forms the extremity of one wing of the house. The coloured people on -the estate were already trooping across the lawn and up the avenue -from the slave quarters, decently dressed for the most part, having -due allowance for the extraordinary choice of colours in their gowns, -bonnets, and ribbons, and for the unhappy imitations, on the part -of the men, of the attire of their masters. They walked demurely -and quietly past the house, and presently the priest, dressed like -a French curé, trotted up, and service began. The negro houses were -of a much better and more substantial character than those one -sees in the south, though not remarkable for cleanliness and good -order. Truth to say, they were palaces compared to the huts of Irish -labourers, such as might be found, perhaps, on the estates of the -colonel’s kinsmen at home. The negroes are far more independent -than they are in the south. They are less civil, less obliging, -and, although they do not come cringing to shake hands as the field -hands on a Louisianian plantation, less servile. They inhabit a -small village of brick and wood houses, across the road at the end -of the avenue, and in sight of the house. The usual swarms of little -children, poultry, pigs, enlivened by goats, embarrassed the steps of -the visitor, and the old people, or those who were not finely dressed -enough for mass, peered out at the strangers from the glassless -windows. - -When chapel was over, the boys and girls came up for catechism, and -passed in review before the ladies of the house, with whom they -were on very good terms. The priest joined us in the verandah when -his labours were over, and talked with intelligence of the terrible -war which has burst over the land. He has just returned from a tour -in the Northern States, and it is his belief the native Americans -there will not enlist, but that they will get foreigners to fight -their battles. He admitted that slavery was in itself an evil, nay, -more, that it was not profitable in Maryland. But what are the -landed proprietors to do? The slaves have been bequeathed to them as -property by their fathers, with certain obligations to be respected, -and duties to be fulfilled. It is impossible to free them, because, -at the moment of emancipation, nothing short of the confiscation -of all the labour and property of the whites would be required to -maintain the negroes, who would certainly refuse to work unless they -had their masters’ land as their own. Where is white labour to be -found? Its introduction must be the work of years, and meantime many -thousands of slaves, who have a right to protection, would canker the -land. - -In Maryland they do not breed slaves for the purpose of selling -them as they do in Virginia, and yet Colonel Carroll and other -gentlemen who regarded the slaves they inherited almost as members -of their families, have been stigmatised by abolition orators as -slave-breeders and slave-dealers. It was these insults which stung -the gentlemen of Maryland and of the other Slave States to the quick, -and made them resolve never to yield to the domination of a party -which had never ceased to wage war against their institutions and -their reputation and honour. - -A little knot of friends and relations joined Colonel Carroll at -dinner. There are few families in this part of Maryland which have -not representatives in the other army across the Potomac; and if -Beauregard could but make his appearance, the women alone would give -him welcome such as no conqueror ever received in liberated city. - -Next day the rain fell incessantly. The mail was brought in by a -little negro boy on horseback, and I was warned by my letters that -an immediate advance of M‘Clellan’s troops was probable. This is an -old story. “Battle expected to-morrow” has been a heading in the -papers for the last fortnight. In the afternoon I was driven over -a part of the estate in a close carriage, through the windows of -which, however, I caught glimpses of a beautiful country, wooded -gloriously, and soft, sylvan, and well-cultivated as the best parts -of Hampshire and Gloucestershire, the rolling lands of which latter -county, indeed, it much resembled in its large fields, heavy with -crops of tobacco and corn. The weather was too unfavourable to admit -of a close inspection of the fields; but I visited one or two tobacco -houses, where the fragrant Maryland was lying in masses on the -ground, or hanging from the rafters, or filled the heavy hogsheads -with compressed smoke. - -Next day I took the train, at Ellicott’s Mills, and went to Harper’s -Ferry. There is no one spot, in the history of this extraordinary -war, which can be well more conspicuous. Had it nothing more to -recommend it than the scenery, it might well command a visit from the -tourist; but as the scene of old John Brown’s raid upon the Federal -arsenal, of that first passage of arms between the abolitionists -and the slave conservatives, which has developed this great contest; -above all, as the spot where important military demonstrations have -been made on both sides, and will necessarily occur hereafter, -this place, which probably derives its name from some wretched old -boatman, will be renowned for ever in the annals of the civil war of -1861. The Patapsco, by the bank of which the rail is carried for some -miles, has all the character of a mountain torrent, rushing through -gorges or carving out its way at the base of granite hills, or -boldly cutting a path for itself through the softer slate. Bridges, -viaducts, remarkable archways, and great spans of timber trestle -work leaping from hill to hill, enable the rail to creep onwards -and upwards by the mountain side to the Potomac at Point of Rocks, -whence it winds its way over undulating ground, by stations with -eccentric names to the river’s bank once more. We were carried on -to the station next to Harper’s Ferry on a ledge of the precipitous -mountain range which almost overhangs the stream. But few civilians -were in the train. The greater number of passengers consisted of -soldiers and sutlers, proceeding to their encampments along the -river. A strict watch was kept over the passengers, whose passes were -examined by officers at the various stations. At one place an officer -who really looked like a soldier entered the train, and on seeing -my pass told me in broken English that he had served in the Crimea, -and was acquainted with me and many of my friends. The gentleman who -accompanied me observed, “I do not know whether he was in the Crimea -or not, but I do know that till very lately your friend the Major was -a dancing master in New York.” A person of a very different type -made his offers of service, Colonel Gordon of the 2nd Massachusetts -Regiment, who caused the train to run on as far as Harper’s Ferry, -in order to give me a sight of the place, although in consequence of -the evil habit of firing on the carriages in which the Confederates -across the river have been indulging, the locomotive generally halts -at some distance below the bend of the river. - -Harper’s Ferry lies in a gorge formed by a rush of the Potomac -through the mountain ridges, which it cuts at right angles to its -course at its junction with the river Shenandoah. So trenchant and -abrupt is the division that little land is on the divided ridge to -build upon. The precipitous hills on both sides are covered with -forest, which has been cleared in patches here and there on the -Maryland shore, to permit of the erection of batteries. On the -Virginian side there lies a mass of blackened and ruined buildings, -from which a street lined with good houses stretches up the hill. -Just above the junction of the Shenandoah with the Potomac, an -elevated bridge or viaduct 300 yards long leaps from hill side to -hill side. The arches had been broken--the rails which ran along the -top torn up, and there is now a deep gulf fixed between the shores -of Maryland and Virginia. The rail to Winchester from this point has -been destroyed, and the line along the Potomac has also been ruined. - -But for the batteries which cover the shoal water at the junction -of the two rivers below the bridge, there would be no difficulty in -crossing to the Maryland shore, and from that side the whole of the -ground around Harper’s Ferry is completely commanded. The gorge is -almost as deep as the pass of Killiecranckie, which it resembles in -most respects except in breadth and the size of the river between, -and if ever a railroad finds its way to Blair Athol, the passengers -will find something to look at very like the scenery on the route to -Harper’s Ferry. The vigilance required to guard the pass of the river -above and below this point is incessant, but the Federals possess -the advantage on their side of a deep canal parallel to the railway -and running above the level of the river, which would be a more -formidable obstacle than the Potomac to infantry or guns. There is -reason to believe that the Secessionists in Maryland cross backwards -and forwards whenever they please, and the Virginians coming down at -their leisure to the opposite shore, inflict serious annoyance on the -Federal troops by constant rifle practice. - -Looking up and down the river the scenery is picturesque, though it -is by no means entitled to the extraordinary praises which American -tourists lavish upon it. Probably old John Brown cared little for the -wild magic of streamlet or rill, or for the blended charm of vale and -woodland. When he made his attack on the arsenal now in ruins, he -probably thought a valley was as high as a hill, and that there was -no necessity for water running downwards--assuredly he saw as little -of the actual heights and depths around him when he ran across the -Potomac to revolutionize Virginia. He has left behind him millions -either as clear-sighted or as blind as himself. In New England -parlours a statuette of John Brown may be found as a pendant to the -likeness of our Saviour. In Virginia his name is the synonym of all -that is base, bloody, and cruel. - -Harper’s Ferry at present, for all practical purposes, may be -considered as Confederate property. The few Union inhabitants remain -in their houses, but many of the Government workmen and most of -the inhabitants have gone off South. For strategical purposes its -possession would be most important to a force desiring to operate -on Maryland from Virginia. The Blue Ridge range running up to the -Shenandoah divides the country so as to permit a force debouching -from Harper’s Ferry to advance down the valley of the Shenandoah on -the right, or to move to the left between the Blue Ridge and the -Katoctin mountains towards the Manassas railway at its discretion. -After a false alarm that some Secesh cavalry were coming down to -renew the skirmishing of the day before, I returned, and travelling -to Relay House just saved the train to Washington, where I arrived -after sunset. A large number of Federal troops are employed along -these lines, which they occupy as if they were in a hostile country. -An imperfectly formed regiment broken up into these detachments and -placed in isolated posts, under ignorant officers, may be regarded as -almost worthless for military operations. Hence the constant night -alarms--the mistakes--the skirmishes and instances of misbehaviour -which arise along these extended lines. - -On the journey from Harper’s Ferry, the concentration of masses of -troops along the road, and the march of heavy artillery trains, -caused me to think a renewal of the offensive movement against -Richmond was immediate, but at Washington I heard that all M‘Clellan -wanted or hoped for at present, was to make Maryland safe and to gain -time for the formation of his army. The Confederates appear to be -moving towards their left, and M‘Clellan is very uneasy lest they -should make a vigorous attack before he is prepared to receive them. - -In the evening the New York papers came in with the extracts from -the London papers containing my account of the battle of Bull’s Run. -Utterly forgetting their own versions of the engagement, the New -York editors now find it convenient to divert attention from the -bitter truth that was in them, to the letter of the foreign newspaper -correspondent, who, because he is a British subject, will prove not -only useful as a conductor to carry off the popular wrath from the -American journalists themselves, but as a means by induction of -charging the vials afresh against the British people, inasmuch as -they have not condoled with the North on the defeat of armies which -they were assured would, if successful, be immediately led to effect -the disruption of the British empire. At the outset I had foreseen -this would be the case, and deliberately accepted the issue; but when -I found the Northern journals far exceeding in severity anything I -could have said, and indulging in general invective against whole -classes of American soldiery, officers, and statesmen, I was foolish -enough to expect a little justice, not to say a word of the smallest -generosity. - -_August 21st._--The echoes of Bull Run are coming back with a -vengeance. This day a month ago the miserable fragments of a beaten, -washed out, demoralised army, were flooding in disorder and dismay -the streets of the capital from which they had issued forth to -repel the tide of invasion. This day month and all the editors and -journalists in the States, weeping, wailing, and gnashing their -teeth, infused extra gall into their ink, and poured out invective, -abuse, and obloquy on their defeated general and their broken hosts. -The President and his ministers, stunned by the tremendous calamity, -sat listening in fear and trembling for the sound of the enemy’s -cannon. The veteran soldier, on whom the boasted hopes of the nation -rested, heart-sick and beaten down, had neither counsel to give -nor action to offer. At any moment the Confederate columns might -be expected in Pennsylvania Avenue to receive the welcome of their -friends and the submission of their helpless and disheartened enemies. - -All this is forgotten--and much more, which need not now be repeated. -Saved from a great peril, even the bitterness of death, they forget -the danger that has passed, deny that they uttered cries of distress -and appeals for help, and swagger in all the insolence of recovered -strength. Not only that, but they turn and rend those whose writing -has been dug up after thirty days, and comes back as a rebuke to -their pride. - -Conscious that they have insulted and irritated their own army, that -they have earned the bitter hostility of men in power, and have -for once inflicted a wound on the vanity to which they have given -such offensive dimensions, if not life itself, they now seek to run -a drag scent between the public nose and their own unpopularity, -and to create such an amount of indignation and to cast so much -odium upon one who has had greater facilities to know, and is more -willing to tell the truth, than any of their organs, that he will -be unable henceforth to perform his duties in a country where -unpopularity means simply a political and moral atrophy or death. In -the telegraphic summary some days ago a few phrases were picked out -of my letters, which were but very faint paraphrases of some of the -sentences which might be culled from Northern newspapers, but the -storm has been gathering ever since, and I am no doubt to experience -the truth of De Tocqueville’s remark, “that a stranger who injures -American vanity, no matter how justly, may make up his mind to be a -martyr.” - -_August 22nd._-- - - “The little dogs and all, - Tray, Blanche, and Sweetheart, - See they bark at me.” - -The North have recovered their wind, and their pipers are blowing -with might and main. The time given them to breathe after Bull Run -has certainly been accompanied with a greater development of lung -and power of blowing than could have been expected. The volunteer -army which dispersed and returned home to receive the _Io Pæans_ of -the North, has been replaced by better and more numerous levies, -which have the strong finger and thumb of General M‘Clellan on their -windpipe, and find it is not quite so easy as it was to do as they -pleased. The North, besides, has received supplies of money, and is -using its great resources, by land and sea, to some purpose, and as -they wax fat they kick. - -A general officer said to me, “Of course you will never remain, when -once all the press are down upon you. I would not take a million -dollars and be in your place.” “But is what I’ve written untrue?” -“God bless you! do you know in this country if you can get enough -of people to start a lie about any man, he would be ruined, if the -Evangelists came forward to swear the story was false. There are -thousands of people who this moment believe that M‘Dowell, who never -tasted anything stronger than a water melon in all his life, was -helplessly drunk at Bull’s Run. Mind what I say; they’ll run you -into a mud hole as sure as you live.” I was not much impressed with -the danger of my position further than that I knew there would be -a certain amount of risk from the rowdyism and vanity of what even -the Americans admit to be the lower orders, for which I had been -prepared from the moment I had despatched my letter; but I confess -I was not by any means disposed to think that the leaders of public -opinion would seek the small gratification of revenge, and the petty -popularity of pandering to the passions of the mob, by creating -a popular cry against me. I am not aware that any foreigner ever -visited the United States who was injudicious enough to write one -single word derogatory to their claims to be the first of created -beings, who was not assailed with the most viperous malignity and -rancour. The man who says he has detected a single spot on the face -of their sun should prepare his winding sheet. - -The _New York Times_, I find, states “that the terrible epistle -has been read with quite as much avidity as an average President’s -message. We scarcely exaggerate the fact when we say, the first and -foremost thought on the minds of a very large portion of our people -after the repulse at Bull’s Run was, what will Russell say?” and then -they repeat some of the absurd sayings attributed to me, who declared -openly from the very first that I had not seen the battle at all, to -the effect “that I had never seen such fighting in all my life, and -that nothing at Alma or Inkerman was equal to it.” An analysis of the -letter follows, in which it is admitted that “with perfect candour -I purported to give an account of what I saw, and not of the action -which I did not see,” and the writer, who is, if I mistake not, the -Hon. Mr. Raymond, of the _New York Times_, like myself a witness -of the facts I describe, quotes a passage in which I say, “There -was no flight of troops, no retreat of an army, no reason for all -this precipitation,” and then declares “that my letter gives a very -spirited and perfectly just description of the panic which impelled -and accompanied the troops from Centreville to Washington. He does -not, for he cannot, in the least exaggerate its horrible disorder, -or the disgraceful behaviour of the incompetent officers by whom it -was aided, instead of being checked. He saw nothing whatever of the -fighting, and therefore says nothing whatever of its quality. He -gives a clear, fair, perfectly just and accurate, as it is a spirited -and graphic account of the extraordinary scenes which passed under -his observation. Discreditable as those scenes were to our army, we -have nothing in connection with them whereof to accuse the reporter; -he has done justice alike to himself, his subject, and the country.” - -_Ne nobis blandiar_, I may add, that at least I desired to do -so, and I can prove from Northern papers that if their accounts -were true, I certainly much “extenuated and nought set down in -malice”--nevertheless, Philip drunk is very different from Philip -sober, frightened, and running away, and the man who attempts to -justify his version to the inebriated polycephalous monarch is sure -to meet such treatment as inebriated despots generally award to their -censors. - -_August 23rd._--The torrent is swollen to-day by anonymous letters -threatening me with bowie knife and revolver, or simply abusive, -frantic with hate, and full of obscure warnings. Some bear the -Washington post-mark, others came from New York, the greater -number--for I have had nine--are from Philadelphia. Perhaps they may -come from the members of that “gallant” 4th Pennsylvania Regiment. - -_August 24th._--My servant came in this morning, to announce a -trifling accident--he was exercising my horse, and at the corner of -one of those charming street crossings, the animal fell and broke -its leg. A “vet” was sent for. I was sure that such a portent had -never been born in those Daunian woods. A man about twenty-seven -or twenty-eight stone weight, middle-aged and active, with a fine -professional feeling for distressed horseflesh; and I was right -in my conjectures that he was a Briton, though the vet had become -Americanised, and was full of enthusiasm about “our war for the -Union,” which was yielding him a fine harvest. He complained there -were a good many bad characters about Washington. The matter is -proved beyond doubt by what we see, hear, and read. To-day there -is an account in the papers of a brute shooting a negro boy dead, -because he asked him for a chew of tobacco. Will he be hanged? Not -the smallest chance of it. The idea of hanging a white man for -killing a nigger! It is more preposterous here than it is in India, -where our authorities have actually executed whites for the murder of -natives. - -Before dinner I walked down to the Washington navy yard. Captain -Dahlgren was sorely perplexed with an intoxicated Senator, whose name -it is not necessary to mention, and who seemed to think he paid -me a great compliment by expressing his repeated desire “to have a -good look at” me. “I guess you’re quite notorious now. You’ll excuse -me because I’ve dined, now--and so you are the Mr. &c., &c., &c.” -The Senator informed me that he was “none of your d----d blackfaced -republicans. He didn’t care a d---- about niggers--his business -was to do good to his fellow white men, to hold our glorious Union -together, and let the niggers take care of themselves.” - -I was glad when a diversion was effected by the arrival of Mr. Fox, -Assistant-Secretary of the Navy, and Mr. Blair, Postmaster-General, -to consult with the Captain, who is greatly looked up to by all -the members of the Cabinet--in fact he is rather inconvenienced by -the perpetual visits of the President, who is animated by a most -extraordinary curiosity about naval matters and machinery, and is -attracted by the novelty of the whole department, so that he is -continually running down “to have a talk with Dahlgren” when he is -not engaged in “a chat with George.” The Senator opened such a smart -fire on the Minister that the latter retired, and I mounted and -rode back to town. In the evening Major Clarence Brown, Lieutenant -Wise, a lively, pleasant, and amusing little sailor, well-known in -the States as the author of “Los Gringos,” who is now employed in -the Navy Department, and a few of the gentlemen connected with the -Foreign Legations came in, and we had a great international reunion -and discussion till a late hour. There is a good deal of agreeable -banter reserved for myself, as to the exact form of death which I am -most likely to meet. I was seriously advised by a friend not to stir -out unarmed. The great use of a revolver is that it will prevent the -indignity of tarring and feathering, now pretty rife, by provoking -greater violence. I also received a letter from London, advising -me to apply to Lord Lyons for protection, but that could only be -extended to me within the walls of the Legation. - -_August 25th._--I visited the Navy Department, which is a small -red-brick building two storeys high, very plain and even humble. -The subordinate departments are conducted in rooms below stairs. -The executive are lodged in the rooms which line both sides of the -corridor above. The walls of the passage are lined with paintings in -oil and water colours, engravings and paintings in the worst style -of art. To the latter considerable interest attaches, as they are -authentic likenesses of naval officers who gained celebrity in the -wars with Great Britain--men like Perry, M‘Donough, Decatur, and -Hull, who, as the Americans boast, was “the first man who compelled a -British frigate of greater force than his own to strike her colours -in fair fight.” Paul Jones was not to be seen, but a drawing is -proudly pointed to of the attack of the American fleet on Algiers -as a proof of hatred to piracy, and of the prominent part taken by -the young States in putting an end to it in Europe. In one room are -several swords, surrendered by English officers in the single frigate -engagements, and the duplicates of medals, in gold and silver, voted -by Congress to the victors. In Lieutenant Wise’s room, there are -models of the projectiles, and a series of shot and shell used in -the navy, or deposited by inventors. Among other relics was the flag -of Captain Ward’s boat just brought in which was completely riddled -by the bullet marks received in the ambuscade in which that officer -was killed, with nearly all of his boat’s crew, as they incautiously -approached the shore of the Potomac, to take off a small craft placed -there to decoy them by the Confederates. My business was to pave the -way for a passage on board a steamer, in case of any naval expedition -starting before the army was ready to move, but all difficulties -were at once removed by the promptitude and courtesy of Mr. Fox, the -Assistant-Secretary, who promised to give me an order for a passage -whenever I required it. The extreme civility and readiness to oblige -of all American officials, high and low, from the gate-keepers and -door porters up to the heads of departments, cannot be too highly -praised, and it is ungenerous to accept the explanation offered by an -English officer to whom I remarked the circumstance, that it is due -to the fact that each man is liable to be turned out at the end of -four years, and therefore makes all the friends he can. - -In the afternoon I rode out with Captain Johnson, through some -charming woodland scenery on the outskirts of Washington, by a -brawling stream, in a shady little ravine, that put me in mind of -the Dargle. Our ride led us into the camps, formed on the west of -Georgetown, to cover the city from the attacks of an enemy advancing -along the left bank of the Potomac, and in support of several strong -forts and earthworks placed on the heights. One regiment consists -altogether of Frenchmen--another is of Germans--in a third I saw an -officer with a Crimean and Indian medal on his breast, and several -privates with similar decorations. Some of the regiments were on -parade, and crowds of civilians from Washington were enjoying the -novel scene, and partaking of the hospitality of their friends. One -old lady, whom I have always seen about the camps, and who is a sort -of ancient heroine of Saragossa, had an opportunity of being useful. -The 15th Massachusetts, a fine-looking body of men, had broken up -camp, and were marching off to the sound of their own voices chanting -“Old John Brown,” when one of the enormous trains of baggage waggons -attached to them was carried off by the frightened mules, which -probably had belonged to Virginian farmers, and one of the soldiers, -in trying to stop it, was dashed to the ground and severely injured. -The old lady was by his side in a moment, and out came her flask of -strong waters, bandages, and medical comforts and apparatus. “It’s -well I’m here for this poor Union soldier; I’m sure I always have -something to do in these camps.” On my return late, there was a -letter on my table requesting me to visit General M‘Clellan, but it -was then too far advanced to avail myself of the invitation, which -was only delivered after I left my lodgings. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - A tour of inspection round the camp--A troublesome - horse--M‘Dowell and the President--My description of Bull’s Run - endorsed by American officers--Influence of the Press--Newspaper - correspondents--Dr. Bray--My letters--Capt. Meagher--Military - adventurers--Probable duration of the war--Lord A. Vane - Tempest--The American journalist--Threats of assassination. - - -_August 26th._--General Van Vliet called from General M‘Clellan to -say that the Commander-in-Chief would be happy to go round the camps -with me when he next made an inspection, and would send round an -orderly and charger in time to get ready before he started. These -little excursions are not the most agreeable affairs in the world; -for M‘Clellan delights in working down staff and escort, dashing from -the Chain Bridge to Alexandria, and visiting all the posts, riding -as hard as he can, and not returning till past midnight, so that -if one has a regard for his cuticle, or his mail days, he will not -rashly venture on such excursions. To-day he is to inspect M‘Dowell’s -division. - -I set out accordingly with Captain Johnson over the Long Bridge, -which is now very strictly guarded. On exhibiting my pass to the -sentry at the entrance, he called across to the sergeant and spoke to -him aside, showing him the pass at the same time. “Are you Russell, -of the London _Times_?” said the sergeant. I replied, “If you look -at the pass, you will see who I am.” He turned it over, examined -it most narrowly, and at last, with an expression of infinite -dissatisfaction and anger upon his face, handed it back, saying to -the sentry, “I suppose you must let him go.” - -Meantime Captain Johnson was witching the world with feats of noble -horsemanship, for I had lent him my celebrated horse Walker, so -called because no earthly equestrian can induce him to do anything -but trot violently, gallop at full speed, or stand on his hind legs. -Captain Johnson laid the whole fault of the animal’s conduct to my -mismanagement, affirming that all it required was a light hand and -gentleness, and so, as he could display both, I promised to let him -have a trial to-day. Walker on starting, however, insisted on having -a dance to himself, which my friend attributed to the excitement -produced by the presence of the other horse, and I rode quietly along -whilst the captain proceeded to establish an acquaintance with his -steed in some quiet bye-street. As I was crossing the Long Bridge, -the forbidden clatter of a horse’s hoofs on the planks caused me to -look round, and on, in a cloud of dust, through the midst of shouting -sentries, came my friend of the gentle hand and unruffled temper, -with his hat thumped down on the back of his head, his eyes gleaming, -his teeth clenched, his fine features slightly flushed, to say the -least of it, sawing violently at Walker’s head, and exclaiming, “You -brute, I’ll teach you to walk,” till he brought up by the barrier -midway on the bridge. The guard, _en masse_, called the captain’s -attention to the order, “all horses to walk over the bridge.” “Why, -that’s what I want him to do. I’ll give any man among you one hundred -dollars who can make him walk along this bridge or anywhere else.” -The redoubtable steed, being permitted to proceed upon its way, -dashed swiftly through the _tête de pont_, or stood on his hind legs -when imperatively arrested by a barrier or _abattis_, and on these -occasions my excellent friend, as he displayed his pass in one hand -and restrained Bucephalus with the other, reminded me of nothing so -much as the statue of Peter the Great, in the square on the banks of -the Neva, or the noble equestrian monument of General Jackson, which -decorates the city of Washington. The troops of M‘Dowell’s division -were already drawn up on a rugged plain, close to the river’s margin, -in happier days the scene of the city races. A pestilential odour -rose from the slaughter-houses close at hand, but regardless of odour -or marsh, Walker continued his violent exercise, evidently under the -idea that he was assisting at a retreat of the grand army as before. - -Presently General M‘Dowell and one of his aides cantered over, -and whilst waiting for General M‘Clellan, he talked of the fierce -outburst directed against me in the press. “I must confess,” he said -laughingly, “I am much rejoiced to find you are as much abused as -I have been. I hope you mind it as little as I did. Bull’s Run was -an unfortunate affair for both of us, for had I won it, you would -have had to describe the pursuit of the flying enemy, and then you -would have been the most popular writer in America, and I would -have been lauded as the greatest of generals. See what measure has -been meted to us now. I’m accused of drunkenness and gambling, and -you Mr. Russell--well!--I really do hope you are not so black as -you are painted.” Presently a cloud of dust on the road announced -the arrival of the President, who came upon the ground in an open -carriage, with Mr. Seward by his side, accompanied by General -M‘Clellan and his staff in undress uniform, and an escort of the very -dirtiest and most unsoldierly dragoons, with filthy accoutrements -and ungroomed horses, I ever saw. The troops dressed into line and -presented arms, whilst the band struck up the “Star-spangled Banner,” -as the Americans have got no air which corresponds with our National -Anthem, or is in any way complimentary to the quadrennial despot who -fills the President’s chair. - -General M‘Dowell seems on most excellent terms with the present -Commander-in-Chief, as he is with the President. Immediately after -Bull’s Bun, when the President first saw M‘Dowell, he said to him, “I -have not lost a particle of confidence in you,” to which the General -replied, “I don’t see why you should, Mr. President.” But there was -a curious commentary, either on the sincerity of Mr. Lincoln, or in -his utter subserviency to mob opinion, in the fact that he who can -overrule Congress and act pretty much as he pleases in time of war, -had, without opportunity for explanation or demand for it, at once -displaced the man in whom he still retained the fullest confidence, -degraded him to command of a division of the army of which he had -been General-in-Chief, and placed a junior officer over his head. - -After some ordinary movements, the march past took place, which -satisfied me that the new levies were very superior to the three -months’ men, though far, indeed, from being soldiers. Finer material -could not be found in physique. With the exception of an assemblage -of miserable scarecrows in rags and tatters, swept up in New York and -commanded by a Mr. Kerrigan, no division of the ordinary line, in any -army, could show a greater number of tall, robust men in the prime -of life. A soldier standing near me, pointing out Kerrigan’s corps, -said, “The boy who commands that pretty lot recruited them first for -the Seceshes in New York, but finding he could not get them away he -handed them over to Uncle Sam.” The men were silent as they marched -past, and did not cheer for President or Union. - -I returned from the field to Arlington House, having been invited -with my friend to share the general’s camp dinner. On our way along -the road, I asked Major Brown why he rode over to us before the -review commenced. “Well,” said he, “my attention was called to you by -one of our staff saying ‘there are two Englishmen,’ and the general -sent me over to invite them, and followed when he saw who it was.” -“But how could you tell we were English?” “I don’t know,” said he, -“there were other civilians about, but there was something about the -look of you two which marked you immediately as John Bull.” - -At the general’s tent we found General Sherman, General Keyes, -Wadsworth, and some others. Dinner was spread on a table covered by -the flap of the tent, and consisted of good plain fare, and a dessert -of prodigious water-melons. I was exceedingly gratified to hear -every officer present declare in the presence of the general who had -commanded the army, and who himself said no words could exaggerate -the disorder of the route, that my narrative of Bull’s Run was not -only true but moderate. - -General Sherman, whom I met for the first time, said, “Mr. Russell, -I can indorse every word that you wrote; your statements about the -battle, which you say you did not witness, are equally correct. All -the stories about charging batteries and attacks with the bayonet are -simply falsehoods, so far as my command is concerned, though some of -the troops did fight well. As to cavalry charges, I wish we had had -a few cavalry to have tried one; those Black Horse fellows seemed as -if their horses ran away with them.” General Keyes said, “I don’t -think you made it half bad enough. I could not get the men to stand -after they had received the first severe check. The enemy swept the -open with a tremendous musketry fire. Some of our men and portions -of regiments behaved admirably--we drove them easily at first; the -cavalry did very little indeed; but when they did come on I could not -get the infantry to stand, and after a harmless volley they broke.” -These officers were brigadiers of Tyler’s division. - -The conversation turned upon the influence of the press in America, -and I observed that every soldier at table spoke with the utmost -dislike and antipathy of the New York journals, to which they gave -a metropolitan position, although each man had some favourite paper -of his own which he excepted from the charge made against the whole -body. The principal accusations made against the press were that -the conductors are not gentlemen, that they are calumnious and -corrupt, regardless of truth, honour, anything but circulation and -advertisements. “It is the first time we have had a chance of dealing -with these fellows, and we shall not lose it.” - -I returned to Washington at dusk over the aqueduct bridge. A -gentleman, who introduced himself to me as correspondent of one -of the cheap London papers, sent out specially on account of his -great experience to write from the States, under the auspices of -the leaders of the advanced liberal party, came to ask if I had -seen an article in the _Chicago Tribune_, purporting to be written -by a gentleman who says he was in my company during the retreat, -contradicting what I report. I was advised by several officers--whose -opinion I took--that it would be derogatory to me if I noticed the -writer. I read it over carefully, and must say I am surprised--if -anything could surprise me in American journalism--at the impudence -and mendacity of the man. Having first stated that he rode along -with me from point to point at a certain portion of the road, he -states that he did not hear or see certain things which I say that -I saw and heard, or deliberately falsifies what passed, for the -sake of a little ephemeral applause, quotations in the papers, -increased importance to himself, and some more abuse of the English -correspondent. - -This statement made me recall the circumstance alluded to more -particularly. I remembered well the flurried, plethoric, elderly -man, mounted on a broken-down horse, who rode up to me in great -trepidation, with sweat streaming over his face, and asked me if I -was going into Washington. “You may not recollect me, sir; I was -introduced to you at Cay-roe, in the hall of the hotel. I’m Dr. Bray, -of the _Chicago Tribune_.” I certainly did not remember him, but -I did recollect that a dispatch from Cairo appeared in the paper, -announcing my arrival from the South, and stating I complained on -landing that my letters had been opened in the States, which was -quite untrue and which I felt called on to deny, and supposing -Dr. Bray to be the author I was not at all inclined to cement our -acquaintance, and continued my course with a bow. - -But the Doctor whipped his steed up alongside mine, and went on to -tell me that he was in the most terrible bodily pain and mental -anxiety. The first on account of desuetude of equestrian exercise; -the other on account of the defeat of the Federals and the probable -pursuit of the Confederates. “Oh! it’s dreadful to think of! They -know me well, and would show me no mercy. Every step the horse takes -I’m in agony. I’ll never get to Washington. Could you stay with -me, sir? as you know the road.” I was moved to internal chuckling, -at any rate, by the very prostrate condition--for he bent well -over the saddle--of poor Dr. Bray, and so I said to him, “Don’t -be uneasy, sir. There is no fear of your being taken. The army is -not defeated, in spite of what you see; for there will be always -runaways and skulkers when a retreat is ordered. I have not the least -doubt M‘Dowell will stand fast at Centreville, and rally his troops -to-night on the reserve, so as to be in a good position to resist the -enemy to-morrow. I’ll have to push on to Washington, as I must write -my letters, and I fear they will stop me on the bridge without the -countersign, particularly if these runaways should outstrip us. As -to your skin, pour a little whiskey on some melted tallow and rub it -well in, and you’ll be all right to-morrow or next day as far as that -is concerned.” - -I actually, out of compassion to his sufferings--for he uttered cries -now and then as though Lucina were in request--reined up, and walked -my horse, though most anxious to get out of the dust and confusion -of the runaways, and comforted him about a friend whom he missed, and -for whose fate he was as uneasy as the concern he felt for his own -woes permitted him to be; suggested various modes to him of easing -the jolt and of quickening the pace of his steed, and at last really -bored excessively by an uninteresting and self-absorbed companion, -who was besides detaining me needlessly on the road, I turned on some -pretence into a wood by the side and continued my way as well as I -could, till I got off the track, and being guided to the road by the -dust and shouting, I came out on it somewhere near Fairfax Court, and -there, to my surprise, dropped on the Doctor, who, animated by some -agency more powerful than the pangs of an abraded cuticle and taking -advantage of the road, had got thus far a-head. We entered the place -together, halted at the same inn to water our horses, and then seeing -that it was getting on towards dusk and that the wave of the retreat -was rolling onward in increased volume, I pushed on and saw no more -of him. Ungrateful Bray! Perfidious Bray! Some day, when I have time, -I must tell the people of Chicago how Bray got into Washington, and -how he left his horse and what he did with it, and how Bray behaved -on the road. I dare say they who know him can guess. - -The most significant article I have seen for some time as a test -of the taste, tone, and temper of the New York public, judging by -their most widely read journal, is contained in it to-night. It -appears that a gentleman named Muir, who is described as a relative -of Mr. Mure the consul at New Orleans, was seized on the point of -starting for Europe, and that among his papers, many of which were -of a “disloyal character,” which is not astonishing seeing that he -came from Charlestown, was a letter written by a foreign resident -in that city, in which he stated he had seen a letter from me to -Mr. Bunch describing the flight at Bull’s Run, and adding that Lord -Lyons remarked, when he heard of it, he would ask Mr. Seward whether -he would not now admit the Confederates were a belligerent power, -whereupon Maudit calls on Mr. Seward to demand explanations from Lord -Lyons and to turn me out of the country, because in my letter to the -“Times” I made the remark that the United States would probably now -admit the South were a belligerent power. - -Such an original observation could never have occurred to two -people--genius concerting with genius could alone have hammered it -out. But Maudit is not satisfied with the humiliation of Lord Lyons -and the expulsion of myself--he absolutely insists upon a miracle, -and his moral vision being as perverted as his physical, he declares -that I must have sent to the British Consul at Charleston a duplicate -copy of the letter which I furnished with so much labour and -difficulty just in time to catch the mail by special messenger from -Boston. ‘These be thy Gods, O Israel!’ - -My attention was also directed to a letter from certain officers -of the disbanded 69th Regiment, who had permitted their Colonel to -be dragged away a prisoner from the field of Bull’s Run. Without -having read my letter, these gentlemen assumed that I had stigmatised -Captain T. F. Meagher as one who had misconducted himself during -the battle, whereas all I had said on the evidence of eye-witnesses -was “that in the rout he appeared at Centreville running across -country and uttering exclamations in the hearing of my informant, -which indicated that he at least was perfectly satisfied that -the Confederates had established their claims to be considered a -belligerent power.” These officers state that Captain Meagher behaved -extremely well up to a certain point in the engagement when they lost -sight of him, and from which period they could say nothing about him. -It was subsequent to that very time he appeared at Centreville, and -long before my letter returned to America giving credit to Captain -Meagher for natural gallantry in the field. I remarked that he would -no doubt feel as much pained as any of his friends, at the ridicule -cast upon him by the statement that he, the Captain of a company, -“Went into action mounted on a magnificent charger and waving a green -silk flag embroidered with a golden harp in the face of the enemy.” - -A young man wearing the Indian war medal with two clasps, who said -his name was Mac Ivor Hilstock, came in to inquire after some unknown -friend of his. He told me he had been in Tomb’s troop of Artillery -during the Indian mutiny, and had afterwards served with the French -volunteers during the siege of Caprera. The news of the Civil War -has produced such an immigration of military adventurers from -Europe that the streets of Washington are quite filled with medals -and ribands. The regular officers of the American Army regard them -with considerable dislike, the greater inasmuch as Mr. Seward and -the politicians encourage them. In alluding to the circumstance to -General M‘Dowell, who came in to see me at a late dinner, I said, “A -great many Garibaldians are in Washington just now.” “Oh,” said he in -his quiet way, “it will be quite enough for a man to prove that he -once saw Garibaldi to satisfy us in Washington that he is quite fit -for the command of a regiment. I have recommended a man because he -sailed in the ship which Garibaldi came in over here, and I’m sure it -will be attended to.” - -_August 27th._--Fever and ague, which Gen. M‘Dowell attributes to -water-melons, of which he, however, had eaten three times as much -as I had. Swallowed many grains of quinine, and lay panting in the -heat in-doors. Two English visitors, Mr. Lamy and a Captain of the -17th, called on me; and, afterwards, I had a conversation with M. -Mercier and M. Stoeckl on the aspect of affairs. They are inclined -to look forward to a more speedy solution than I think the North -is weak enough to accept. I believe that peace is possible in two -years or so, but only by the concession to the South of a qualified -independence. The naval operations of the Federals will test the -Southern mettle to the utmost. Having a sincere regard and liking for -many of the Southerners whom I have met, I cannot say their cause, or -its origin, or its aim, recommends itself to my sympathies; and yet -I am accused of aiding it by every means in my power, because I do -not re-echo the arrogant and empty boasting and insolent outbursts of -the people in the North, who threaten, as the first-fruits of their -success, to invade the territories subject to the British crown, and -to outrage and humiliate our flag. - -It is melancholy enough to see this great republic tumbling to -pieces; one would regret it all the more but for the fact that it -re-echoed the voices of the obscene and filthy creatures which have -been driven before the lash of the lictor from all the cities -of Europe. Assuredly it was a great work, but all its greatness -and the idea of its life was of man, not of God. The principle of -veneration, of obedience, of subordination, and self-control did not -exist within. Washington-worship could not save it. The elements of -destruction lay equally sized, smooth, and black at its foundations, -and a spark suffices to blow the structure into the air. - -_August 28th._--Raining. Sundry officers turned in to inquire of me, -who was quietly in bed at Washington, concerning certain skirmishes -reported to have taken place last night. Sold one horse and bought -another; that is, I paid ready money in the latter transaction, and -in the former, received an order from an officer on the paymaster of -his regiment, on a certain day not yet arrived. - -To-day, Lord A. V. Tempest is added to the number of English -arrivals; he amused me by narrating his reception at Willard’s -on the night of his arrival. When he came in with the usual ruck -of passengers, he took his turn at the book, and wrote down Lord -Adolphus Vane Tempest, with possibly M.P. after it. The clerk, who -was busily engaged in showing that he was perfectly indifferent -to the claims of the crowd who were waiting at the counter for -their rooms, when the book was finished, commenced looking over -the names of the various persons, such as Leonidas Buggs, Rome, N. -Y.; Doctor Onesiphorous Bowells, D.D., Syracuse; Olynthus Craggs, -Palmyra, Mo.; Washington Whilkes, Indianopolis, writing down the -numbers of the rooms, and handing over the keys to the waiters at -the same time. When he came to the name of the English nobleman, -he said, “Vane Tempest, No. 125.” “But stop,” cried Lord Adolphus. -“Lycurgus Siccles,” continued the clerk, “No. 23.” “I insist upon it, -sir,”--broke in Lord Adolphus,--“you really must hear me. I protest -against being put in 125. I can’t go up so high.” “Why,” said the -clerk, with infinite contempt, “I can put you at twice as high--I’ll -give you No. 250 if I like.” This was rather too much, and Lord -Adolphus put his things into a cab, and drove about Washington until -he got to earth in the two-pair back of a dentist’s, for which no -doubt, _tout vu_, he paid as much as for an apartment at the Hotel -Bristol. - -A gathering of American officers and others, amongst whom was Mr. -Olmsted, enabled him to form some idea of the young men’s society -of Washington, which is a strange mixture of politics and fighting, -gossip, gaiety, and a certain apprehension of a wrath to come for -their dear republic. Here is Olmsted prepared to lay down his life -for free speech over a united republic, in one part of which his -freedom of speech would lead to irretrievable confusion and ruin; -whilst Wise, on the other hand, seeks only to establish a union which -shall have a large fleet, be powerful at sea, and be able to smash up -abolitionists, newspaper people, and political agitators at home. - -_August 29th._--It is hard to bear such a fate as befalls an -unpopular man in the United States, because in no other country, -as De Tocqueville[5] remarks, is the press so powerful when it is -unanimous. And yet he says, too, “The journalist of the United States -is usually placed in a very humble position, with a scanty education -and a vulgar turn of mind. His characteristics consist of an open -and coarse appeal to the passions of the populace, and he habitually -abandons the principles of political science to assail the characters -of individuals, to track them into private life, and disclose all -their weaknesses and errors. The individuals who are already in -possession of a high station in the esteem of their fellow-citizens -are afraid to write in the newspapers, and they are thus deprived -of the most powerful instrument which they can use to excite the -passions of the multitude to their advantage. The personal opinions -of the editors have no kind of weight in the eyes of the public. The -only use of a journal is, that it imparts the knowledge of certain -facts; and it is only by altering and distorting those facts that -a journalist can contribute to the support of his own views.” When -the whole of the press, without any exception in so far as I am -aware, sets deliberately to work, in order to calumniate, vilify, -insult, and abuse a man who is at once a stranger, a rival, and an -Englishman, he may expect but one result, according to De Tocqueville. - -The teeming anonymous letters I receive are filled with threats of -assassination, tarring, feathering, and the like; and one of the most -conspicuous of literary sbirri is in perfect rapture at the notion of -a new “sensation” heading, for which he is working as hard as he can. -I have no intention to add to the number of his castigations. - -In the afternoon I drove to the waste grounds beyond the Capitol, -in company with Mr. Olmsted and Captain Haworth, to see the 18th -Massachusetts Regiment, who had just marched in, and were pitching -their tents very probably for the first time. They arrived from -their state with camp equipments, waggons, horses, harness, -commissariat stores complete, and were clad in the blue uniform of -the United States; for the volunteer fancies in greys and greens are -dying out. The men were uncommonly stout young fellows, with an odd, -slouching, lounging air about some of them, however, which I could -not quite understand till I heard one sing out, “Hallo, sergeant, -where am I to sling my hammock in this tent?” Many of them, in fact, -are fishermen and sailors from Cape Cod, New Haven, and similar -maritime places. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - - Personal unpopularity--American naval officers--A gun levelled - at me in fun--Increase of odium against me--Success of the - Hatteras expedition--General Scott and M‘Clellan--M‘Clellan - on his camp-bed--General Scott’s pass refused--Prospect of an - attack on Washington--Skirmishing--Anonymous letters--General - Halleck--General M‘Clellan and the Sabbath--Rumoured death of - Jefferson Davis--Spread of my unpopularity--An offer for my - horse--Dinner at the Legation--Discussion on Slavery. - - -_August 31st._--A month during which I have been exposed to more -calumny, falsehood, not to speak of danger, than I ever passed -through, has been brought to a close. I have all the pains and -penalties attached to the _digito monstrari et dicier hic est_, in -the most hostile sense. On going into Willard’s the other day, I said -to the clerk behind the bar, “Why I heard, Mr. So-and-so, you were -gone?” “Well, sir, I’m not. If I was, you would have lost the last -man who is ready to say a word for you in this house, I can tell -you.” Scowling faces on every side--women turning up their pretty -little noses--people turning round in the streets, or stopping to -stare in front of me--the proprietors of the shops where I am known -pointing me out to others; the words uttered, in various tones, “So, -that’s Bull-Run Russell!”--for, oddly enough, the Americans seem to -think that a disgrace to their arms becomes diminished by fixing the -name of the scene as a _sobriquet_ on one who described it--these, -with caricatures, endless falsehoods, rumours of duels, and the like, -form some of the little _désagrémens_ of one who was so unfortunate -as to assist at the retreat, the first he had ever seen, of an army -which it would in all respects have suited him much better to have -seen victorious. - -I dined with Lieutenant Wise, and met Captain Dahlgren, Captain -Davis, U.S.N., Captain Foote, U.S.N., and Colonel Fletcher -Webster[6], son of the great American statesman, now commanding -a regiment of volunteers. The latter has a fine head and face; a -full, deep eye; is quaint and dry in his conversation, and a poet, -I should think, in heart and soul, if outward and visible signs may -be relied on. The naval captains were excellent specimens of the -accomplished and able men who belong to the United States Navy. -Foote, who is designated to the command of the flotilla which is -to clear the Mississippi downwards, will, I am certain, do good -service--a calm, energetic, skilful officer. Dahlgren, who, like all -men with a system, very properly watches everything which bears upon -it, took occasion to call for Captain Foote’s testimony to the fact, -that he battered down a six-foot granite wall in China with Dahlgren -shells. It will run hard against the Confederates when they get such -men at work on the rivers and coasts, for they seem to understand -their business thoroughly, and all they are not quite sure of is the -readiness of the land forces to co-operate with their expeditionary -movements. Incidentally I learned from the conversation--and it -is a curious illustration of the power of the President--that it -was he who ordered the attack on Charleston harbour, or, to speak -with more accuracy, the movement of the armed squadron to relieve -Sumter by force, if necessary; and that he came to the conclusion -it was feasible principally from reading the account of the attack -on Kinburn by the allied fleets. There was certainly an immense -disproportion between the relative means of attack and defence in -the two cases; but, at all events, the action of the Confederates -prevented the attempt. - -_September 1st._--Took a ride early this morning over the Long -Bridge. As I was passing out of the earthwork called a fort on the -hill, a dirty German soldier called out from the parapet, “Pull-Run -Russell! you shall never write Pulls’ Runs again,” and at the same -time cocked his piece, and levelled it at me. I immediately rode -round into the fort, the fellow still presenting his firelock, and -asked him what he meant, at the same time calling for the sergeant of -the guard, who came at once, and, at my request, arrested the man, -who recovered arms, and said, “It was a choake--I vant to freeken -Pull-Run Russell.” However, as his rifle was capped and loaded, and -on full cock, with his finger on the trigger, I did not quite see -the fun of it, and I accordingly had the man marched to the tent of -the officer, who promised to investigate the case, and make a formal -report of it to the brigadier, on my return to lay the circumstances -before him. On reflection I resolved that it was best to let the -matter drop; the joke might spread, and it was quite unpleasant -enough as it was to bear the insolent looks and scowling faces of -the guards at the posts, to whom I was obliged to exhibit my pass -whenever I went out to ride. - -On my return I heard of the complete success of the Hatteras -expedition, which shelled out and destroyed some sand batteries -guarding the entrance to the great inland sea and navigation called -Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina, furnishing access to coasters for -many miles into the Confederate States, and most useful to them in -forwarding supplies and keeping up communications throughout. The -force was commanded by General Butler, who has come to Washington -with the news, and has already made his speech to the mob outside -Willard’s. I called down to see him, but he had gone over to call on -the President. The people were jubilant, and one might have supposed -Hatteras was the key to Richmond or Charleston, from the way they -spoke of this unparalleled exploit. - -There is a little French gentleman here against whom the fates bear -heavily. I have given him employment as an amanuensis and secretary -for some time back, and he tells me many things concerning the talk -in the city which I do not hear myself, from which it would seem -that there is an increase of ill feeling towards me every day, and -that I am a convenient channel for concentrating all the abuse and -hatred so long cherished against England. I was a little tickled by -an account he gave me of a distinguished lady, who sent for him to -give French lessons, in order that she might become equal to her high -position in mastering the difficulties of the courtly tongue. I may -mention the fact, as it was radiated by the press through all the -land, that Mrs. M. N., having once on a time “been proficient in the -language, has forgotten it in the lapse of years, but has resolved to -renew her studies, that she may better discharge the duties of her -elevated station.” The master went to the house and stated his terms -to a lady whom he saw there; but as she marchandéd a good deal over -small matters of cents, he never supposed he was dealing with the -great lady, and therefore made a small reduction in his terms, which -encouraged the enemy to renew the assault till he stood firmly on -three shillings a lesson, at which point the lady left him, with the -intimation that she would consider the matter and let him know. And -now, the licentiate tells me, it has become known he is my private -secretary, he is not considered eligible to do _avoir_ and _être_ for -the satisfaction of the good lady, who really is far better than her -friends describe her to be. - -_September 2nd._--It would seem as if the North were perfectly -destitute of common sense. Here they are as rampant because they have -succeeded with an overwhelming fleet in shelling out the defenders -of some poor unfinished earthworks, on a spit of sand on the coast -of North Carolina, as if they had already crushed the Southern -rebellion. They affect to consider this achievement a counterpoise to -Bull Bun. - -Surely the press cannot represent the feelings of the staid and -thinking masses of the Northern States! The success is unquestionably -useful to the Federalists, but it no more adds to their chances of -crushing the Confederacy, than shooting off the end of an elephant’s -tail contributes to the hunter’s capture of the animal. - -An officious little person, who was buzzing about here as -correspondent of a London newspaper, made himself agreeable by coming -with a caricature of my humble self at the battle of Bull Bun, in a -laborious and most unsuccessful imitation of _Punch_, in which I am -represented with rather a flattering face and figure, seated before a -huge telescope, surrounded by bottles of London stout, and looking -at the fight. This is supposed to be very humorous and amusing, -and my good-natured friend was rather astonished when I cut it out -and inserted it carefully in a scrap-book, opposite a sketch from -fancy of the New York Fire Zouaves charging a battery and routing -a regiment of cavalry, which appeared last week in a much more -imaginative and amusing periodical, which aspires to describe with -pen and pencil the actual current events of the war. - -Going out for my usual ride to-day, I saw General Scott, between two -aides-de-camp, slowly pacing homewards from the War Office. He is -still Commander-in-Chief of the army, and affects to direct movements -and to control the disposition of the troops, but a power greater -than his increases steadily at General M‘Clellan’s head-quarters. For -my own part I confess that General M‘Clellan does not appear to me -a man of action, or, at least, a man who intends to act as speedily -as the crisis demands. He should be out with his army across the -Potomac, living among his generals, studying the composition of his -army, investigating its defects, and, above all, showing himself to -the men as soon afterwards as possible, if he cannot be with them -at the time, in the small affairs which constantly occur along the -front, and never permitting them to receive a blow without taking -care that they give at least two in return. General Scott, _jam -fracta membra labore_, would do all the work of departments and -superintendence admirably well; but, as Montesquieu taught long ago, -faction and intrigue are the cancers which peculiarly eat into the -body politic of republics, and M‘Clellan fears, no doubt, that his -absence from the capital, even though he went but across the river, -would animate his enemies to undermine and supplant him. - -I have heard several people say lately, “I wish old Scott would go -away,” by which they mean that they would be happy to strike him -down when his back was turned, but feared his personal influence -with the President and his Cabinet. Two months ago and his was the -most honoured name in the States: one was sickened by the constant -repetition of elaborate plans, in which the General was represented -playing the part of an Indian juggler, and holding an enormous boa -constrictor of a Federal army in his hands, which he was preparing to -let go as soon as he had coiled it completely round the frightened -Secessionist rabbit; “now none so poor to do him reverence.” Hard is -the fate of those who serve republics. The officers who met the old -man in the street to-day passed him by without a salute or mark of -recognition, although he wore his uniform coat, with yellow lapels -and yellow sash; and one of a group which came out of a _restaurant_ -close to the General’s house, exclaimed, almost in his hearing, “Old -fuss-and-feathers don’t look first-rate to-day.” - -In the evening I went with a Scotch gentleman, who was formerly -acquainted with General M‘Clellan when he was superintendent of the -Central Illinois Railway, to his head-quarters, which are in the -house of Captain Wilkes at the corner of President Square, near -Mr. Seward’s, and not far from the spot where General Sickles shot -down the unhappy man who had temporarily disturbed the peace of his -domestic relations. The parlours were full of officers smoking, -reading the papers, and writing, and after a short conversation -with General Marcy, Chief of the Staff, Van Vliet, aide-de-camp of -the Commander-in-Chief, led the way up-stairs to the top of the -house, where we found General M‘Clellan, just returned from a long -ride, and seated in his shirt sleeves on the side of his camp-bed. -He looked better than I have yet seen him, for his dress showed to -advantage the powerful, compact formation of his figure, massive -throat, well-set head, and muscular energy of his frame. Nothing -could be more agreeable or easy than his manner. In his clear, -dark-blue eye was no trace of uneasiness or hidden purpose; but his -mouth, covered by a short, thick moustache, rarely joins in the smile -that overspreads his face when he is animated by telling or hearing -some matter of interest. Telegraph wires ran all about the house, -and as we sat round the General’s table, despatches were repeatedly -brought in from the Generals in the front. Sometimes M‘Clellan laid -down his cigar and went off to study a large map of the position, -which was fixed to the wall close to the head of his bed; but more -frequently the contents of the despatches caused him to smile or to -utter some exclamation, which gave one an idea that he did not attach -much importance to the news, and had not great faith in the reports -received from his subordinate officers, who are always under the -impression that the enemy are coming on in force. - -It is plain the General has got no high opinion of volunteer officers -and soldiers. In addition to unsteadiness in action, which arises -from want of confidence in the officers as much as from any other -cause, the men labour under the great defect of exceeding rashness, -a contempt for the most ordinary precautions and a liability to -unaccountable alarms and credulousness of false report; but, -admitting all these circumstances, M‘Clellan has a soldier’s faith -in _gros bataillons_ and sees no doubt of ultimate success in a -military point of view, provided the politicians keep quiet, and, -charming men as they are, cease to meddle with things they don’t -understand. Although some very good officers have deserted the United -States army and are now with the Confederates, a very considerable -majority of West Point officers have adhered to the Federals. I am -satisfied, by an actual inspection of the lists, that the Northerners -retain the same preponderance in officers who have received a -military education, as they possess in wealth and other means, and -resources for carrying on the war. - -The General consumes tobacco largely, and not only smokes cigars, -but indulges in the more naked beauties of a quid. From tobacco we -wandered to the Crimea, and thence went half round the world, till we -halted before the Virginian watch-fires, which these good volunteers -will insist on lighting under the very noses of the enemy’s pickets; -nor was it till late we retired, leaving the General to his -well-earned repose. - -General M‘Clellan took the situation of affairs in a very easy and -philosophical spirit. According to his own map and showing, the -enemy not only overlapped his lines from the batteries by which they -blockaded the Potomac on the right, to their extreme left on the -river above Washington, but have established themselves in a kind of -salient angle on his front, at a place called Munson’s Hill, where -their flag waved from entrenchments within sight of the Capitol. -However, from an observation he made, I imagined that the General -would make an effort to recover his lost ground; at any rate, beat -up the enemy’s quarters, in order to see what they were doing; and -he promised to send an orderly round and let me know; so, before I -retired, I gave orders to my groom to have “Walker” in readiness. - -_September 3rd._--Notwithstanding the extreme heat, I went out early -this morning to the Chain Bridge, from which the reconnaissance -hinted at last night would necessarily start. This bridge is about -four and a half or five miles above Washington, and crosses the -river at a picturesque spot almost deserving the name of a gorge, -with high banks on both sides. It is a light aërial structure, and -spans the river by broad arches, from which the view reminds one of -Highland or Tyrolean scenery. The road from the city passes through a -squalid settlement of European squatters, who in habitation, dress, -appearance, and possibly civilisation, are quite as bad as any -negroes on any Southern plantation I have visited. The camps of a -division lie just beyond, and a gawky sentry from New England, with -whom I had some conversation, amused me by saying that the Colonel -“was a darned deal more affeerd of the Irish squatters taking off his -poultry at night than he was of the Secessioners; anyways, he puts -out more sentries to guard them than he has to look after the others.” - -From the Chain Bridge I went some distance towards Falls Church, -until I was stopped by a picket, the officer of which refused to -recognise General Scott’s pass. “I guess the General’s a dead man, -sir.” “Is he not Commander-in-Chief of the United States army?” -“Well, I believe that’s a fact, sir; but you had better argue that -point with M‘Clellan. He is our boy, and I do believe he’d like to -let the London _Times_ know how we Green Mountain boys can fight, if -they don’t know already. But all passes are stopped anyhow, and I -had to turn back a Congress-man this very morning, and lucky for him -it was, because the Sechessers are just half a mile in front of us.” -On my way back by the upper road I passed a farmer’s house, which was -occupied by some Federal officers, and there, seated in the verandah, -with his legs cocked over the railings, was Mr. Lincoln, in a felt -hat, and a loose grey shooting coat and long vest, “letting off,” -as the papers say, one of his jokes, to judge by his attitude and -the laughter of the officers around him, utterly indifferent to the -Confederate flag floating from Munson’s Hill. - -Just before midnight a considerable movement of troops took place -through the streets, and I was about starting off to ascertain the -cause, when I received information that General M‘Clellan was only -sending off two brigades and four batteries to the Chain Bridge to -strengthen his right, which was menaced by the enemy. I retired to -bed, in order to be ready for any battle which might take place -to-morrow, but was roused up by voices beneath my window, and going -out on the verandah, could not help chuckling at the appearance -of three foreign ministers and a banker, in the street below, who -had come round to inquire, in some perturbation, the cause of the -nocturnal movement of men and guns, and seemed little inclined to -credit my assurances that nothing more serious than a reconnaissance -was contemplated. The ministers were in high spirits at the prospect -of an attack on Washington. Such agreeable people are the governing -party of the United States at present, that there is only one -representative of a foreign power here who would not like to see -them flying before Southern bayonets. The banker, perhaps, would -have liked a little time to set his affairs in order. “When will the -sacking begin?” cried the ministers. “We must hoist our flags.” “The -Confederates respect private property, I suppose?” As to flags, be it -remarked that Lord Lyons has none to display, having lent his to Mr. -Seward, who required it for some festive demonstration. - -_September 4th._--I rode over to the Chain Bridge again with Captain -Haworth this morning at seven o’clock, on the chance of there being -a big fight, as the Americans say; but there was only some slight -skirmishing going on; dropping shots now and then. Walker, excited -by the reminiscences of Bull Run noises, performed most remarkable -feats, one of the most frequent of which was turning right round when -at full trot or canter and then kicking violently. He also galloped -in a most lively way down a road which in winter is the bed of a -torrent, and jumped along among the boulders and stones in an agile, -cat-like manner, to the great delectation of my companion. - -The morning was intensely hot, so I was by no means indisposed to -get back to cover again. Nothing would persuade people there was -not serious fighting somewhere or other. I went down to the Long -Bridge, and was stopped by the sentry, so I produced General Scott’s -pass, which I kept always as a _dernier ressort_, but the officer on -duty here also refused it, as passes were suspended. I returned and -referred the matter to Colonel Cullum, who consulted General Scott, -and informed me that the pass must be considered as perfectly valid, -not having been revoked by the General, who, as Lieutenant-General -commanding the United States army, was senior to every other -officer, and could only have his pass revoked by the President -himself. Now it was quite plain that it would do me no good to have -an altercation with the sentries at every post in order to have the -satisfaction of reporting the matter to General Scott. I, therefore, -procured a letter from Colonel Cullum stating, in writing, what he -said in words, and with that and the pass went to General M‘Clellan’s -head-quarters, where I was told by his aides the General was engaged -in a kind of council of war. I sent up my papers, and Major Hudson, -of his staff, came down after a short time and said, that “General -M‘Clellan thought it would be much better if General Scott had given -me a new special pass, but as General Scott had thought fit to take -the present course on his own responsibility, General M‘Clellan could -not interfere in the matter,” whence it may be inferred there is -no very pleasant feeling between head-quarters of the army of the -Potomac and head-quarters of the army of the United States. - -I went on to the Navy yard, where a look-out man, who can command -the whole of the country to Munson’s Hill, is stationed, and I -heard from Captain Dahlgren that there was no fighting whatever. -There were columns of smoke visible from Capitol Hill, which the -excited spectators declared were caused by artillery and musketry, -but my glass resolved them into emanations from a vast extent of -hanging wood and brush which the Federals were burning in order -to clear their front. However, people were so positive as to -hearing cannonades and volleys of musketry that we went out to the -reservoir hill at Georgetown, and gazing over the debatable land -of Virginia--which, by the way, is very beautiful these summer -sunsets--became thoroughly satisfied of the delusion. Met Van Vliet -as I was returning, who had just seen the reports at head-quarters, -and averred there was no fighting whatever. My landlord had a very -different story. His friend, an hospital steward, “had seen ninety -wounded men carried into one ward from over the river, and believed -the Federals had lost 1000 killed and wounded and twenty-five guns.” - -_Sept. 5th._--Raining all day. M‘Clellan abandoned his intention -of inspecting the lines, and I remained in, writing. The anonymous -letters still continue. Received one from an unmistakable Thug -to-day, with the death’s-head, cross-bones, and coffin, in the most -orthodox style of national-school drawing. - -The event of the day was the appearance of the President in the -Avenue in a suit of black, and a parcel in his hand, walking -umbrella-less in the rain. Mrs. Lincoln has returned, and the worthy -“Executive” will no longer be obliged to go “browsing round,” as he -says, among his friends at dinner-time. He is working away at money -matters with energy, but has been much disturbed in his course of -studies by General Fremont’s sudden outburst in the West, which -proclaims emancipation, and draws out the arrow which the President -intended to discharge from his own bow. - -_Sept. 6th._--At 3.30 p.m. General M‘Clellan sent over an orderly to -say he was going across the river, and would be glad of my company; -but I was just finishing my letters for England, and had to excuse -myself for the moment; and when I was ready, the General and staff -had gone _ventre à terre_ into Virginia. After post, paid my -respects to General Scott, who is about to retire from the command -on his full-pay of about £3500 per annum, which is awarded to him on -account of his long services. - -A new Major-General--Halleck--has been picked up in California, and -is highly praised by General Scott and by Colonel Cullum, with whom I -had a long talk about the generals on both sides. Halleck is a West -Point officer, and has published some works on military science which -are highly esteemed in the States. Before California became a State, -he was secretary to the governor or officer commanding the territory, -and eventually left the service and became a lawyer in the district, -where he has amassed a large fortune. He is a man of great ability, -very calm, practical, earnest, and cold, devoted to the Union--a -soldier, and something more. Lee is considered the ablest man on -the Federal side, but he is slow and timid. “Joe” Johnson is their -best strategist. Beauregard is nobody and nothing--so think they at -head-quarters. All of them together are not equal to Halleck, who is -to be employed in the West. - -I dined at the Legation, where were the Russian Minister, the -Secretary of the French Legation, the representative of New Granada, -and others. As I was anxious to explain to General M‘Clellan the -reason of my inability to go out with him, I called at his quarters -about eleven o’clock, and found he had just returned from his ride. -He received me in his shirt, in his bed-room at the top of the house, -introduced me to General Burnside--a soldierly, intelligent-looking -man, with a very lofty forehead, and uncommonly bright dark eyes; and -we had some conversation about matters of ordinary interest for some -time, till General M‘Clellan called me into an antechamber, where an -officer was writing a despatch, which he handed to the General. “I -wish to ask your opinion as to the wording of this order. It is a -matter of importance. I see that the men of this army, Mr. Russell, -disregard the Sabbath, and neglect the worship of God; and I am -resolved to put an end to such neglect, as far as I can. I have, -therefore, directed the following order to be drawn up, which will -be promulgated to-morrow.” The General spoke with much earnestness, -and with an air which satisfied me of his sincerity. The officer -in waiting read the order, in which, at the General’s request, I -suggested a few alterations. The General told me he had received -“sure information that Beauregard has packed up all his baggage, -struck his tents, and is evidently preparing for a movement, so you -may be wanted at a moment’s notice.” General Burnside returned to my -rooms, in company with Mr. Lamy, and we sat up, discoursing of Bull’s -Run, in which his brigade was the first engaged in front. He spoke -like a man of sense and a soldier of the action, and stood up for the -conduct of some regiments, though he could not palliate the final -disorder. The papers circulate rumours of “Jeff. Davis’s death;” nay, -accounts of his burial. The public does not believe, but buys all the -same. - -_Sept. 7th._--Yes; “Jeff. Davis must be dead.” There are some -touching lamentations in the obituary notices over his fate in the -other world. Meanwhile, however, his spirit seems quite alive; for -there is an absolute certainty that the Confederates are coming to -attack the Capitol. Lieut. Wise and Lord A. Vane Tempest argued -the question whether the assault would be made by a flank movement -above or direct in front; and Wise maintained the latter thesis with -vigour not disproportioned to the energy with which his opponent -demonstrated that the Confederates could not be such madmen as to -march up to the Federal batteries. There is actually “a battle” -raging (in the front of the Philadelphia newspaper offices) this -instant--_Populus vult decipi--decipiatur_. - -_Sept. 8th._--Rode over to Arlington House. Went round by Aqueduct -Bridge, Georgetown, and out across Chain Bridge to Brigadier Smith’s -head-quarters, which are established in a comfortable house belonging -to a Secessionist farmer. The General belongs to the regular army, -and, if one can judge from externals, is a good officer. A libation -of Bourbon and water was poured out to friendship, and we rode out -with Captain Poe, of the Topographical Engineers, a hard-working, -eager fellow, to examine the trench which the men were engaged in -throwing up to defend the position they have just occupied on some -high knolls, now cleared of wood, and overlooking ravines which -stretch towards Falls Church and Vienna. Everything about the camp -looked like fighting: Napoleon guns planted on the road; Griffin’s -battery in a field near at hand; mountain howitzers unlimbered; -strong pickets and main-guards; the five thousand men all kept close -to their camps, and two regiments, in spite of M‘Clellan’s order, -engaged on the trenches, which were already mounted with field-guns. -General Smith, like most officers, is a Democrat and strong -anti-Abolitionist, and it is not too much to suppose he would fight -any rather than Virginians. As we were riding about, it got out -among the men that I was present, and I was regarded with no small -curiosity, staring, and some angry looks. The men do not know what to -make of it when they see their officers in the company of one whom -they are reading about in the papers as the most &c., &c., the world -ever saw. And, indeed, I know well enough, so great is their passion -and so easily are they misled, that without such safeguard the men -would in all probability carry out the suggestions of one of their -particular guides, who has undergone so many cuffings that he rather -likes them. Am I not the cause of the disaster at Bull’s Run? - -Going home, I met Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln in their new open carriage. -The President was not so good-humoured, nor Mrs. Lincoln so affable, -in their return to my salutation as usual. My unpopularity is -certainly spreading upwards and downwards at the same time, and all -because I could not turn the battle of Bull’s Run into a Federal -victory, because I would not pander to the vanity of the people, -and, least of all, because I will not bow my knee to the degraded -creatures who have made the very name of a free press odious to -honourable men. Many of the most foul-mouthed and rabid of the men -who revile me because I have said the Union as it was never can be -restored, are as fully satisfied of the truth of that statement as I -am. They have written far severer things of their army than I have -ever done. They have slandered their soldiers and their officers -as I have never done. They have fed the worst passions of a morbid -democracy, till it can neither see nor hear; but they shall never -have the satisfaction of either driving me from my post or inducing -me to deviate a hair’s-breadth from the course I have resolved to -pursue, as I have done before in other cases--greater and graver, as -far as I was concerned, than this. - -_Sept. 9th._--This morning, as I was making the most of my toilet -after a ride, a gentleman in the uniform of a United States officer -came up-stairs, and marched into my sitting-room, saying he wished -to see me on business. I thought it was one of my numerous friends -coming with a message from some one who was going to avenge Bull’s -Run on me. So, going out as speedily as I could, I bowed to the -officer, and asked his business. “I’ve come here because I’d like -to trade with you about that chestnut horse of yours.” I replied -that I could only state what price I had given for him, and say that -I would take the same, and no less. “What may you have given for -him?” I discovered that my friend had been already to the stable and -ascertained the price from the groom, who considered himself bound -in duty to name a few dollars beyond the actual sum I had given, for -when I mentioned the price, the countenance of the man of war relaxed -into a grim smile. “Well, I reckon that help of yours is a pretty -smart chap, though he does come from your side of the world.” When -the preliminaries had been arranged, the officer announced that he -had come on behalf of another officer to offer me an order on his -paymaster, payable at some future date, for the animal, which he -desired, however, to take away upon the spot. The transaction was -rather amusing, but I consented to let the horse go, much to the -indignation and uneasiness of the Scotch servant, who regarded it as -contrary to all the principles of morality in horseflesh. - -Lord A. V. Tempest and another British subject, who applied to -Mr. Seward to-day for leave to go South, were curtly refused. The -Foreign Secretary is not very well pleased with us all just now, and -there has been some little uneasiness between him and Lord Lyons, -in consequence of representations respecting an improper excess in -the United States marine on the lakes, contrary to treaty. The real -cause, perhaps, of Mr. Seward’s annoyance is to be found in the -exaggerated statements of the American papers respecting British -reinforcements for Canada, which, in truth, are the ordinary reliefs. -These small questions in the present condition of affairs cause -irritation; but if the United States were not distracted by civil -war, they would be seized eagerly as pretexts to excite the popular -mind against Great Britain. - -The great difficulty of all, which must be settled some day, relates -to San Juan; and every American I have met is persuaded Great Britain -is in the wrong, and must consent to a compromise or incur the risk -of war. The few English in Washington, I think, were all present at -dinner at the Legation to-day. - -_September 10th._--A party of American officers passed the evening -where I dined--all, of course, Federals, but holding very different -views. A Massachusetts Colonel, named Gordon, asserted that slavery -was at the root of every evil which afflicted the Republic; that -it was not necessary in the South or anywhere else, and that the -South maintained the institution for political as well as private -ends. A Virginian Captain, on the contrary, declared that slavery -was in itself good; that it could not be dangerous, as it was -essentially conservative, and desired nothing better than to be left -alone; but that the Northern fanatics, jealous of the superior -political influence and ability of Southern statesmen, and sordid -Protectionists who wished to bind the South to take their goods -exclusively, perpetrated all the mischief. An officer of the district -of Columbia assigned all the misfortunes of the country to universal -suffrage, to foreign immigration, and to these alone. Mob-law revolts -well-educated men, and people who pride themselves because their -fathers lived in the country before them, will not be content to see -a foreigner who has been but a short time on the soil exercising as -great influence over the fate of the country as himself. A contest -will, therefore, always be going on between those representing the -oligarchical principle and the pollarchy; and the result must be -disruption, sooner or later, because there is no power in a republic -to restrain the struggling factions which the weight of the crown -compresses in monarchical countries. - -I dined with a namesake--a major in the United States Marines--with -whom I had become accidentally acquainted, in consequence of our -letters frequently changing hands, and spent an agreeable evening in -company with naval and military officers; not the less so because our -host had some marvellous Madeira, dating back from the Conquest--I -mean of Washington. Several of the officers spoke in the highest -terms of General Banks, whom they call a most remarkable man; but so -jealous are the politicians that he will never be permitted, they -think, to get a fair chance of distinguishing himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - - A Crimean acquaintance--Personal abuse of myself--Close - firing--A reconnaissance--Major-General Bell--The Prince de - Joinville and his nephews--American estimate of Louis Napoleon - --Arrest of members of the Maryland Legislature--Life at - Washington--War cries--News from the Far West--Journey to the - Western States--Along the Susquehannah and Juniata--Chicago-- - Sport in the prairie--Arrested for shooting on Sunday--The - town of Dwight--Return to Washington--Mr. Seward and myself. - - -_September 11th._--A soft-voiced, round-faced, rather good-looking -young man, with downy moustache, came to my room, and introduced -himself this morning as Mr. H. H. Scott, formerly of Her Majesty’s -57th Regiment. “Don’t you remember me? I often met you at Cathcart’s -Hill. I had a big dog, if you remember, which used to be about the -store belonging to our camp.” And so he rattled on, talking of old -Street and young Jones with immense volubility, and telling me how -he had gone out to India with his regiment, had married, lost his -wife, and was now travelling for the benefit of his health and to see -the country. All the time I was trying to remember his face, but in -vain. At last came the purport of his visit. He had been taken ill at -Baltimore, and was obliged to stop at an hotel, which had cost him -more than he had anticipated; he had just received a letter from his -father, which required his immediate return, and he had telegraphed -to New York to secure his place in the next steamer. Meantime, he was -out of money, and required a small loan to enable him to go back and -prepare for his journey, and of course he would send me the money -the moment he arrived in New York. I wrote a cheque for the amount -he named, with which Lieutenant or Captain Scott departed; and my -suspicions were rather aroused by seeing him beckon a remarkably -ill-favoured person at the other side of the way, who crossed over -and inspected the little slip of paper held out for his approbation, -and then, taking his friend under the arm, walked off rapidly towards -the bank. - -The papers still continue to abuse me _faute de mieux_; there are -essays written about me; I am threatened with several farces; I have -been lectured upon at Willard’s by a professor of rhetoric; and I am -a stock subject with the leaden penny funny journals, for articles -and caricatures. Yesterday I was abused on the ground that I spoke -badly of those who treated me hospitably. The man who wrote the -words knew they were false, because I have been most careful in my -correspondence to avoid anything of the kind. A favourite accusation, -indeed, which Americans make against foreigners is, “that they have -abused our hospitality,” which oftentimes consists in permitting them -to live in the country at all at their own expense, paying their way -at hotels and elsewhere, without the smallest suspicion that they -were receiving any hospitality whatever. - -To-day, for instance, there comes a lively corporal of artillery, -John Robinson, who quotes Sismondi, Guizot, and others, to prove that -I am the worst man in the world; but his fiercest invectives are -directed against me on the ground that I speak well of those people -who give me dinners; the fact being, since I came to America, that I -have given at least as many dinners to Americans as I have received -from them. - -Just as I was sitting down to my desk for the remainder of the day, -a sound caught my ear which, repeated again and again, could not -be mistaken by accustomed organs, and placing my face close to the -windows, I perceived the glass vibrate to the distant discharge of -cannon, which, evidently, did not proceed from a review or a salute. -Unhappy man that I am! here is Walker lame, and my other horse -carried off by the West-country captain. However, the sounds were -so close that in a few moments I was driving off towards the Chain -Bridge, taking the upper road, as that by the canal has become a sea -of mud filled with deep holes. - -In the windows, on the house-tops, even to the ridges partially -overlooking Virginia, people were standing in high excitement, -watching the faint puffs of smoke which rose at intervals above the -tree-tops, and at every report a murmur--exclamations of “There, -do you hear that?”--ran through the crowd. The driver, as excited -as any one else, urged his horses at full speed, and we arrived at -the Chain Bridge just as General M‘Call--a white haired, rather -military-looking old man--appeared at the head of his column, -hurrying down to the Chain Bridge from the Maryland side, to -re-inforce Smith, who was said to be heavily engaged with the enemy. -But by this time the firing had ceased, and just as the artillery -of the General’s column commenced defiling through the mud, into -which the guns sank to the naves of the wheels, the head of another -column appeared, entering the bridge from the Virginia side with -loud cheers, which were taken up again and again. The carriage was -halted to allow the 2nd Wisconsin to pass; and a more broken-down, -white-faced, sick, and weakly set of poor wretches I never beheld. -The heavy rains had washed the very life out of them; their clothing -was in rags, their shoes were broken, and multitudes were foot-sore. -They cheered, nevertheless, or whooped, and there was a tremendous -clatter of tongues in the ranks concerning their victory; but, as the -men’s faces and hands were not blackened by powder, they could have -seen little of the engagement. Captain Poe came along with dispatches -for General M‘Clellan, and gave me a correct account of the affair. - -All this noise and firing and excitement, I found, simply arose out -of a reconnaissance made towards Lewinsville, by Smith and a part -of his brigade, to beat up the enemy’s position, and enable the -topographical engineers to procure some information respecting the -country. The Confederates worked down upon their left flank with -artillery, which they got into position at an easy range without -being observed, intending, no doubt, to cut off their retreat -and capture or destroy the whole force; but, fortunately for the -reconnoitring party, the impatience of their enemies led them to open -fire too soon. The Federals got their guns into position also, and -covered their retreat, whilst reinforcements poured out of camp to -their assistance, “and I doubt not,” said Poe, “but that they will -have an encounter of a tremendous scalping match in all the papers -to-morrow, although we have only six or seven men killed, and twelve -wounded.” As we approached Washington the citizens, as they are -called, were waving Federal banners out of the windows and rejoicing -in a great victory; at least, the inhabitants of the inferior sort of -houses. Respectability in Washington means Secession. - -Mr. Monson told me that my distressed young British subject, Captain -Scott, had called on him at the Legation early this morning for the -little pecuniary help which had been, I fear, wisely refused there, -and which was granted by me. The States have become, indeed, more -than ever the _cloacina gentium_, and Great Britain contributes its -full quota to the stream. - -Thus time passes away in expectation of some onward movement, or -desperate attack, or important strategical movements; and night comes -to reassemble a few friends, Americans and English, at my rooms -or elsewhere, to talk over the disappointed hopes of the day, to -speculate on the future, to chide each dull delay, and to part with a -hope that to-morrow would be more lively than to-day. Major-General -Bell, who commanded the Royals in the Crimea, and who has passed some -half century in active service, turned up in Washington, and has been -courteously received by the American authorities. He joined to-night -one of our small reunions, and was infinitely puzzled to detect the -lines which separated one man’s country and opinions from those of -the other. - -_September 11th._--Captain Johnson, Queen’s messenger, started with -despatches for England from the Legation to-day, to the regret of -our little party. I observe by the papers certain wiseacres in -Philadelphia have got up a petition against me to Mr. Seward, on -the ground that I have been guilty of treasonable practices and -misrepresentations in my letter dated August 10th. There is also -to be a lecture on the 17th at Willard’s, by the Professor of -Rhetoric, to a volunteer regiment, which the President is invited to -attend--the subject being myself. - -There is an absolute nullity of events, out of which the New York -papers endeavour, in vain, to extract a _caput mortuum_ of sensation -headings. The Prince of Joinville and his two nephews, the Count of -Paris and the Duke of Chartres, have been here for some days, and -have been received with marked attention by the President, Cabinet, -politicians and military. The Prince has come with the intention of -placing his son at the United States Naval Academy, and his nephews -with the head-quarters of the Federal army. The _empressement_ -exhibited at the White House towards the French princes is attributed -by ill-natured rumours and persons to a little pique on the part -of Mrs. Lincoln, because the Princess Clothilde did not receive -her at New York, but considerable doubts are entertained of the -Emperor’s “loyalty” towards the Union. Under the wild extravagance -of professions of attachment to France are hidden suspicions -that Louis Napoleon may be capable of treasonable practices and -misrepresentations, which, in time, may lead the Philadelphians to -get up a petition against M. Mercier. - -The news that twenty-two members of the Maryland Legislature have -been seized by the Federal authorities has not produced the smallest -effect here: so easily do men in the midst of political troubles -bend to arbitrary power, and so rapidly do all guarantees disappear -in a revolution. I was speaking to one of General M‘Clellan’s -aides-de-camp this evening respecting these things, when he -said--“If I thought he would use his power a day longer than was -necessary, I would resign this moment. I believe him incapable of any -selfish or unconstitutional views, or unlawful ambition, and you will -see that he will not disappoint our expectations.” - -It is now quite plain M‘Clellan has no intention of making a general -defensive movement against Richmond. He is aware his army is not -equal to the task--commissariat deficient, artillery wanting, no -cavalry; above all, ill-officered, incoherent battalions. He hopes, -no doubt, by constant reviewing and inspection, and by weeding out -the preposterous fellows who render epaulettes ridiculous, to create -an infantry which shall be able for a short campaign in the fine -autumn weather; but I am quite satisfied he does not intend to move -now, and possibly will not do so till next year. I have arranged -therefore to pay a short visit to the West, penetrating as far as I -can, without leaving telegraphs and railways behind, so that if an -advance takes place, I shall be back in time at Washington to assist -at the earliest battle. These Federal armies do not move like the -corps of the French republic, or Crawford’s Light Division. - -In truth, Washington life is becoming exceedingly monotonous and -uninteresting. The pleasant little evening parties or tertulias which -once relieved the dulness of this dullest of capitals, take place no -longer. Very wrong indeed would it be that rejoicings and festivities -should occur in the capital of a country menaced with destruction, -where many anxious hearts are grieving over the lost, or tortured -with fears for the living. - -But for the hospitality of Lord Lyons to the English residents, the -place would be nearly insufferable, for at his house one met other -friendly ministers who extended the circle of invitations, and two -or three American families completed the list which one could reckon -on his fingers. Then at night, there were assemblages of the same -men, who uttered the same opinions, told the same stories, sang the -same songs, varied seldom by strange faces or novel accomplishments, -but always friendly and social enough--not conducive perhaps to -very early rising, but innocent of gambling, or other excess. A -flask of Bordeaux, a wicker-covered demi-john of Bourbon, a jug -of iced water and a bundle of cigars, with the latest arrival of -newspapers, furnished the _matériel_ of these small symposiums, in -which Americans and Englishmen and a few of the members of foreign -Legations, mingled in a friendly cosmopolitan manner. Now and then a -star of greater magnitude came down upon us: a senator or an “earnest -man,” or a “live man,” or a constitutional lawyer, or a remarkable -statesman, coruscated, and rushing off into the outer world left -us befogged, with our glimmering lights half extinguished with -tobacco-smoke. - -Out of doors excessive heat alternating with thunder-storms and -tropical showers--dust beaten into mud, or mud sublimated into -dust--eternal reviews, each like the other--visits to camp, where we -saw the same men and heard the same stories of perpetual abortive -skirmishes--rides confined to the same roads and paths by lines of -sentries, offered no greater attraction than the city, where one’s -bones were racked with fever and ague, and where every evening the -pestilential vapours of the Potomac rose higher and spread further. -No wonder that I was glad to get away to the Far West, particularly -as I entertained hopes of witnessing some of the operations down the -Mississippi, before I was summoned back to Washington, by the news -that the grand army had actually broken up camp, and was about once -more to march against Richmond. - -_September 12th._--The day passed quietly, in spite of rumours of -another battle; the band played in the President’s garden, and -citizens and citizenesses strolled about the grounds as if Secession -had been annihilated. The President made a fitful appearance, in a -grey shooting suit, with a number of despatches in his hand, and -walked off towards the State Department quite unnoticed by the -crowd. I am sure not half a dozen persons saluted him--not one of -the men I saw even touched his hat. General Bell went round the -works with M‘Clellan, and expressed his opinion that it would be -impossible to fight a great battle in the country which lay between -the two armies--in fact, as he said, “a general could no more handle -his troops among the woods, than he could regulate the movements -of rabbits in a cover. You ought just to make a proposition to -Beauregard to come out on some plain and fight the battle fairly out -where you can see each other.” - -_September 16th._--It is most agreeable to be removed from all the -circumstance without any of the pomp and glory of war. Although there -is a tendency in the North, and, for aught I know, in the South, to -consider the contest in the same light as one with a foreign enemy, -the very battle-cries on both sides indicate a civil war. “The Union -for ever”--“States rights”--and “Down with the Abolitionists,” -cannot be considered national. M‘Clellan takes no note of time even -by its loss, which is all the more strange because he sets great -store upon it in his report on the conduct of the war in the Crimea. -However, he knows an army cannot be made in two months, and that -the larger it is, the more time there is required to harmonize its -components. The news from the Far West indicated a probability of -some important operations taking place, although my first love--the -army of the Potomac--must be returned to. Any way there was the -great Western Prairie to be seen, and the people who have been -pouring from their plains so many thousands upon the Southern States -to assert the liberties of those coloured races whom they will not -permit to cross their borders as freemen. Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Blair, -and other Abolitionists, are actuated by similar sentiments, and -seek to emancipate the slave, and remove from him the protection -of his master, in order that they may drive him from the continent -altogether, or force him to seek refuge in emigration. - -On the 18th of September, I left Baltimore in company with -Major-General Bell, C.B., and Mr. Lamy, who was well acquainted with -the Western States: stopping one night at Altoona, in order that we -might cross by daylight the fine passes of the Alleganies, which are -traversed by bold gradients, and remarkable cuttings, second only in -difficulty and extent to those of the railroad across the Sömmering. - -So far as my observation extends, no route in the United States can -give a stranger a better notion of the variety of scenery and of -resources, the vast extent of territory, the difference in races, the -prosperity of the present, and the probable greatness of the future, -than the line from Baltimore by Harrisburg and Pittsburg to Chicago, -traversing the great States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Plain -and mountain, hill and valley, river and meadow, forest and rock, -wild tracts through which the Indian roamed but a few years ago, -lands covered with the richest crops; rugged passes, which Salvator -would have peopled with shadowy groups of bandits; gentle sylvan -glades, such as Gainsborough would have covered with waving corn; -the hum of mills, the silence of the desert and waste, sea-like -lakes whitened by innumerable sails, mighty rivers carving their way -through continents, sparkling rivulets that lose their lives amongst -giant wheels: seams and lodes of coal, iron, and mineral wealth, -cropping out of desolate mountain sides; busy, restless manufacturers -and traders alternating with stolid rustics, hedges clustering with -grapes, mountains whitening with snow; and beyond, the great Prairie -stretching away to the backbone of inhospitable rock, which, rising -from the foundations of the world, bar the access of the white man -and civilisation to the bleak inhospitable regions beyond, which both -are fain as yet to leave to the savage and wild beast. - -Travelling along the banks of the Susquehannah, the visitor, however, -is neither permitted to admire the works of nature in silence, or -to express his admiration of the energy of man in his own way. The -tyranny of public opinion is upon him. He must admit that he never -saw anything so wonderful in his life; that there is nothing so -beautiful anywhere else; no fields so green, no rivers so wide and -deep, no bridges so lofty and long; and at last he is inclined to -shut himself up, either in absolute grumpy negation, or to indulge -in hopeless controversy. An American gentleman is as little likely -as any other well-bred man to force the opinions or interrupt the -reveries of a stranger; but if third-class Esquimaux are allowed to -travel in first-class carriages, the hospitable creatures will be -quite likely to insist on your swallowing train oil, eating blubber, -or admiring snow drifts, as the finest things in the world. It is -infinitely to the credit of the American people that actual offence -is so seldom given and is still more rarely intended--always save and -except in the one particular, of chewing tobacco. Having seen most -things that can irritate one’s stomach, and being in company with -an old soldier, I little expected that any excess of the sort could -produce disagreeable effects; but on returning from this excursion, -Mr. Lamy and myself were fairly driven out of a carriage, on the -Pittsburg line, in utter loathing and disgust, by the condition -of the floor. The conductor, passing through, said, “You must not -stand out there, it is against the rules; you can go in and smoke,” -pointing to the carriage. “In there!” exclaimed my friend, “why, it -is too filthy to put a wild beast into.” The conductor looked in for -a moment, nodded his head, and said, “Well, I concede it is right -bad; the citizens _are_ going it pretty strong,” and so left us. - -The scenery along the Juniata is still more picturesque than that of -the valley of the Susquehannah. The borders of the route across the -Alleganies have been described by many a writer; but notwithstanding -the good fortune which favoured us, and swept away the dense veil -of vapours on the lower ranges of the hills, the landscape scarcely -produced the effect of scenery on a less extended scale, just as -the scenery of the Himalayas is not so striking as that of the Alps, -because it is on too vast a scale to be readily grasped. - -Pittsburg, where we halted next night, on the Ohio, is certainly, -with the exception of Birmingham, the most intensely sooty, busy, -squalid, foul-housed, and vile-suburbed city I have ever seen. Under -its perpetual canopy of smoke, pierced by a forest of blackened -chimneys, the ill-paved streets, swarm with a streaky population -whose white faces are smutched with soot streaks--the noise of -vans and drays which shake the houses as they pass, the turbulent -life in the thoroughfares, the wretched brick tenements,--built in -waste places on squalid mounds, surrounded by heaps of slag and -broken brick--all these gave the stranger the idea of some vast -manufacturing city of the Inferno; and yet a few miles beyond, the -country is studded with beautiful villas, and the great river, -bearing innumerable barges and steamers on its broad bosom, rolls its -turbid waters between banks rich with cultivated crops. - -The policeman at Pittsburg station--a burly Englishman--told me that -the war had been of the greatest service to the city. He spoke not -only from a policeman’s point of view, when he said that all the -rowdies, Irish, Germans, and others had gone off to the war, but from -the manufacturing stand-point, as he added that wages were high, and -that the orders from contractors were keeping all the manufacturers -going. “It is wonderful,” said he, “what a number of the citizens -come back from the South, by rail, in these new metallic coffins.” - -A long, long day, traversing the State of Indiana by the Fort Wayne -route, followed by a longer night, just sufficed to carry us to -Chicago. The railway passes through a most uninteresting country, -which in part is scarcely rescued from a state of nature by the hand -of man; but it is wonderful to see so much done, when one hears that -the Miami Indians and other tribes were driven out, or, as the phrase -is, “removed,” only twenty years ago--“conveyed, the wise called -it”--to the reserves. - -From Chicago, where we descended at a hotel which fairly deserves -to be styled magnificent, for comfort and completeness, Mr. Lamy -and myself proceeded to Racine, on the shores of Lake Michigan, -and thence took the rail for Freeport, where I remained for some -days, going out in the surrounding prairie to shoot in the morning, -and returning at nightfall. The prairie chickens were rather wild. -The delight of these days, notwithstanding bad sport, cannot be -described, nor was it the least ingredient in it to mix with the -fresh and vigorous race who are raising up cities on these fertile -wastes. Fortunately for the patience of my readers, perhaps, I did -not fill my diary with the records of each day’s events, or of the -contents of our bags; and the note-book in which I jotted down some -little matters which struck me to be of interest has been mislaid; -but in my letters to England I gave a description of the general -aspect of the country, and of the feelings of the people, and -arrived at the conclusion that the tax-gatherer will have little -chance of returning with full note-books from his tour in these -districts. The dogs which were lent to us were generally abominable; -but every evening we returned in company with great leather-greaved -and jerkined-men, hung round with belts and hooks, from which were -suspended strings of defunct prairie chickens. The farmers were -hospitable, but were suffering from a morbid longing for a failure of -crops in Europe, in order to give some value to their corn and wheat, -which literally cumbered the earth. - -Freeport! Who ever heard of it? And yet it has its newspapers, -more than I dare mention, and its big hotel lighted with gas, its -billiard-rooms and saloons, magazines, railway stations, and all the -proper paraphernalia of local self-government, with all their fierce -intrigues and giddy factions. - -From Freeport our party returned to Chicago, taking leave of our -excellent friend and companion Mr. George Thompson, of Racine. The -authorities of the Central Illinois Railway, to whose courtesy and -consideration I was infinitely indebted, placed at our disposal a -magnificent sleeping carriage; and on the morning after our arrival, -having laid in a good stock of supplies, and engaged an excellent -sporting guide and dogs, we started, attached to the regular train -from Chicago, until the train stopped at a shunting place near the -station of Dwight, in the very centre of the prairie. We reached -our halting-place, were detached, and were shot up a siding in the -solitude, with no habitation in view, except the wood shanty, in -which lived the family of the Irish overseer of this portion of the -road--a man happy in the possession of a piece of gold which he -received from the Prince of Wales, and for which, he declared, he -would not take the amount of the National Debt. - -The sleeping carriage proved most comfortable quarters. After -breakfast in the morning, Mr. Lamy, Col. Foster, Mr. ----, of the -Central Illinois rail, the keeper, and myself, descending the steps -of our moveable house, walked in a few strides to the shooting -grounds, which abounded with quail, but were not so well peopled by -the chickens. The quail were weak on the wing, owing to the lateness -of the season, and my companions grumbled at their hard luck, though -I was well content with fresh air, my small share of birds, and a -few American hares. Night and morning the train rushed by, and when -darkness settled down upon the prairie, our lamps were lighted, -dinner was served in the carriage, set forth with inimitable potatoes -cooked by the old Irishwoman. From the dinner-table it was but a step -to go to bed. When storm or rain rushed over the sea-like plain, I -remained in the carriage writing, and after a long spell of work, it -was inexpressibly pleasant to take a ramble through the flowering -grass and the sweet-scented broom, and to go beating through the -stunted under-cover, careless of rattlesnakes, whose tiny prattling -music I heard often enough without a sight of the tails that made it. - -One rainy morning, the 29th September, I think, as the sun began to -break through drifting rain clouds, I saw my companions preparing -their guns, the sporting chaperon Walker filling the shot flasks, and -making all the usual arrangements for a day’s shooting. “You don’t -mean to say you are going out shooting on a Sunday!” I said. “What, -on the prairies!” exclaimed Colonel Foster. “Why, of course we are; -there’s nothing wrong in it here. What nobler temple can we find -to worship in than lies around us? It is the custom of the people -hereabouts to shoot on Sundays, and it is a work of necessity with -us; for our larder is very low.” - -And so, after breakfast, we set out, but the rain came down so -densely that we were driven to the house of a farmer, and finally we -returned to our sleeping carriage for the day. I never fired a shot -nor put a gun to my shoulder, nor am I sure that any of my companions -killed a bird. - -The rain fell with violence all day, and at night the gusts of wind -shook the carriage like a ship at sea. We were sitting at table after -dinner, when the door at the end of the carriage opened, and a man, -in a mackintosh dripping wet, advanced with unsteady steps along -the centre of the carriage, between the beds, and taking off his -hat, in the top of which he searched diligently, stood staring with -lack-lustre eyes from one to the other of the party, till Colonel -Foster exclaimed, “Well, sir, what do you want?” - -“What do I want,” he replied, with a slight thickness of speech, -“which of you is the Honourable Lord William Russell, correspondent -of the London _Times_? That’s what I want.” - -I certified to my identity; whereupon, drawing a piece of paper out -of his hat, he continued, “Then I arrest you, Honourable Lord William -Russell, in the name of the people of the Commonwealth of Illinois,” -and thereupon handed me a document, declaring that one, Morgan, of -Dwight, having come before him that day and sworn that I, with a -company of men and dogs, had unlawfully assembled, and by firing -shots, and by barking and noise, had disturbed the peace of the State -of Illinois, he, the subscriber or justice of the peace, as named and -described, commanded the constable Podgers, or whatever his name -was, to bring my body before him to answer to the charge. - -Now this town of Dwight was a good many miles away, the road was -declared by those who knew it to be very bad, the night was pitch -dark, the rain falling in torrents, and as the constable, drawing -out of his hat paper after paper with the names of impossible -persons upon them, served subpœnas on all the rest of the party to -appear next morning, the anger of Colonel Foster could scarcely be -restrained, by kicks under the table and nods and becks and wreathed -smiles from the rest of the party. “This is infamous! It is a -political persecution!” he exclaimed, whilst the keeper joined in -chorus, declaring he never heard of such a proceeding before in all -his long experience of the prairie, and never knew there was such an -act in existence. The Irishmen in the hut added that the informer -himself generally went out shooting every Sunday. However, I could -not but regret I had given the fellow an opportunity of striking -at me, and though I was the only one of the party who raised an -objection to our going out at all, I was deservedly suffering for the -impropriety--to call it here by no harsher name. - -The constable, a man of a liquid eye and a cheerful countenance, -paid particular attention meantime to a large bottle upon the -table, and as I professed my readiness to go the moment he had some -refreshment that very wet night, the stern severity becoming a -minister of justice, which marked his first utterances, was sensibly -mollified; and when Mr. ---- proposed that he should drive back with -him and see the prosecutor, he was good enough to accept my written -acknowledgment of the service of the writ, and promise to appear the -following morning, as an adequate discharge of his duty--combined -with the absorption of some Bourbon whisky--and so retired. - -Mr. ---- returned late at night, and very angry. It appears that the -prosecutor--who is not a man of very good reputation, and whom his -neighbours were as much astonished to find the champion of religious -observances as they would have been if he was to come forward to -insist on the respect due to the seventh commandment--with the -insatiable passion for notoriety, which is one of the worst results -of American institutions, thought he would gain himself some little -reputation by causing annoyance to a man so unpopular as myself. He -and a companion having come from Dwight for the purpose, and hiding -in the neighbourhood, had, therefore, devoted their day to lying in -wait and watching our party; and as they were aware in the railway -carriage I was with Colonel Foster, they had no difficulty in finding -out the names of the rest of the party. The magistrate being his -relative, granted the warrant at once; and the prosecutor, who was in -waiting for the constable, was exceedingly disappointed when he found -that I had not been dragged through the rain. - -Next morning, a special engine which had been ordered up by telegraph -appeared alongside the car; and a short run through a beautiful -country brought us to the prairie town of Dwight. The citizens were -astir--it was a great day--and as I walked with Colonel Forster, all -the good people seemed to be enjoying an unexampled treat in gazing -at the stupendous criminal. The court-house, or magistrate’s office, -was suitable to the republican simplicity of the people of Dwight; -for the chamber of justice was on the first floor of a house over a -store, and access was obtained to it by a ladder from the street to -a platform, at the top of which I was ushered into the presence of -the court--a plain white-washed room. I am not sure there was even -an engraving of George Washington on the walls. The magistrate in a -full suit of black, with his hat on, was seated at a small table; -behind him a few books, on plain deal shelves, provided his fund -of legal learning. The constable, with a severer visage than that -of last night, stood upon the right hand; three sides of the room -were surrounded by a wall of stout honest Dwightians, among whom -I produced a profound sensation, by the simple ceremony of taking -off my hat, which they no doubt considered a token of the degraded -nature of the Britisher, but which moved the magistrate to take off -his head-covering; whereupon some of the nearest removed theirs, -some putting them on again, and some remaining uncovered; and then -the informations were read, and on being asked what I had to say, -I merely bowed, and said I had no remarks to offer. But my friend, -Colonel Foster, who had been churning up his wrath and forensic lore -for some time, putting one hand under his coat tail, and elevating -the other in the air, with modulated cadences, poured out a fine -oratorical flow which completely astonished me, and whipped the -audience morally off their legs completely. In touching terms he -described the mission of an illustrious stranger, who had wandered -over thousands of miles of land and sea to gaze upon the beauties of -those prairies which the Great Maker of the Universe had expanded as -the banqueting tables for the famishing millions of pauperised and -despotic Europe. As the representative of an influence which the -people of the great State of Illinois should wish to see developed, -instead of contracted, honoured instead of being insulted, he had -come among them to admire the grandeur of nature, and to behold -with wonder the magnificent progress of human happiness and free -institutions. (Some thumping of sticks, and cries of “Bravo, that’s -so,” which warmed the Colonel into still higher flights). I began -to feel if he was as great in invective as he was in eulogy, it was -well he had not lived to throw a smooth pebble from his sling at -Warren Hastings. As great indeed! Why, when the Colonel had drawn -a beautiful picture of me examining coal deposits--investigating -strata--breathing autumnal airs, and culling flowers in unsuspecting -innocence, and then suddenly denounced the serpent who had dogged -my steps, in order to strike me down with a justice’s warrant, I -protest it is doubtful, if he did not reach to the most elevated -stage of vituperative oratory, the progression of which was marked -by increasing thumps of sticks, and louder murmurs of applause, to -the discomfiture of the wretched prosecutor. But the magistrate was -not a man of imagination; he felt he was but elective after all; and -so, with his eye fixed upon his book, he pronounced his decision, -which was that I be amerced in something more than half the maximum -fine fixed by the statute, some five-and-twenty shillings or so, the -greater part to be spent in the education of the people, by transfer -to the school fund of the State. - -As I was handing the notes to the magistrate, several respectable men -coming forward exclaimed, “Pray oblige us, Mr. Russell, by letting us -pay the amount for you; this is a shameful proceeding.” But thanking -them heartily for their proffered kindness, I completed the little -pecuniary transaction and wished the magistrate good morning, with -the remark that I hoped the people of the State of Illinois would -always find such worthy defenders of the statutes as the prosecutor, -and never have offenders against their peace and morals more culpable -than myself. Having undergone a severe scolding from an old woman at -the top of the ladder, I walked to the train, followed by a number of -the audience, who repeatedly expressed their extreme regret at the -little persecution to which I had been subjected. The prosecutor had -already made arrangements to send the news over the whole breadth -of the Union, which was his only reward; as I must do the American -papers the justice to say that, with a few natural exceptions, those -which noticed the occurrence unequivocally condemned his conduct. - -That evening, as we were planning an extension of our sporting tour, -the mail rattling by deposited our letters and papers, and we saw at -the top of many columns the startling words, “Grand Advance Of The -Union Army.” “M‘Clellan Marching On Richmond.” “Capture Of Munson’s -Hill.” “Retreat of the Enemy--30,000 men Seize Their Fortifications.” -Not a moment was to be lost; if I was too late, I never would -forgive myself. Our carriage was hooked on to the return train, and -at 8 o’clock p.m. I started on my return to Washington, by way of -Cleveland. - -At half-past 3 on the 1st October the train reached Pittsburg, just -too late to catch the train for Baltimore; but I continued my journey -at night, arriving at Baltimore after noon, and reaching Washington -at 6 p.m. on the 2nd of October. - -_October 3rd._--In Washington once more--all the world laughing -at the pump and the wooden guns at Munson’s Hill, but angry withal -because M‘Clellan should be so befooled as they considered it, by -the Confederates. The fact is M‘Clellan was not prepared to move, -and therefore not disposed to hazard a general engagement, which -he might have brought on had the enemy been in force; perhaps he -knew they were not, but found it convenient nevertheless to act as -though he believed they had established themselves strongly in his -front, as half the world will give him credit for knowing more than -the civilian strategists who have already got into disgrace for -urging M‘Dowell on to Richmond. The federal armies are not handled -easily. They are luxurious in the matter of baggage, and canteens, -and private stores; and this is just the sort of war in which the -general who moves lightly and rapidly, striking blows unexpectedly -and deranging communications, will obtain great results. - -Although Beauregard’s name is constantly mentioned, I fancy that, -crafty and reticent as he is, the operations in front of us have -been directed by an officer of larger capacity. As yet M‘Clellan has -certainly done nothing in the field to show he is like Napoleon. The -value of his labours in camp has yet to be tested. I dined at the -Legation, and afterwards there was a meeting at my rooms, where I -heard of all that had passed during my absence. - -_October 4th._--The new expedition, of which I have been hearing for -some time past, is about to sail to Port Royal, under the command -of General Burnside, in order to reduce the works erected at the -entrance of the Sound, to secure a base of operations against -Charleston, and to cut in upon the communication between that -place and Savannah. Alas, for poor Trescot! his plantations, his -secluded home! What will the good lady think of the Yankee invasion, -which surely must succeed, as the naval force will be overwhelming? -I visited the division of General Egbert Viele, encamped near -the Navy-yard, which is bound to Annapolis, as a part of General -Burnside’s expedition. When first I saw him, the general was an -emeritus captain, attached to the 7th New York Militia; now he is -a Brigadier-General, if not something more, commanding a corps of -nearly 5000 men, with pay and allowances to match. His good lady -wife, who accompanied him in the Mexican campaign,--whereof came -a book, lively and light, as a lady’s should be,--was about to -accompany her husband in his assault on the Carolinians, and prepared -for action, by opening a small broadside on my unhappy self, whom -she regarded as an enemy of our glorious Union; and therefore an -ally of the Evil Powers on both sides of the grave. The women, North -and South, are equally pitiless to their enemies; and it was but the -other day, a man with whom I am on very good terms in Washington, -made an apology for not asking me to his house, because his wife was -a strong Union woman. - -A gentleman who had been dining with Mr. Seward to-night told me the -Minister had complained that I had not been near him for nearly two -months; the fact was, however, that I had called twice immediately -after the appearance in America of my letter dated July 22nd, and had -met Mr. Seward afterwards, when his manner was, or appeared to me to -be, cold and distant, and I had therefore abstained from intruding -myself upon his notice; nor did his answer to the Philadelphian -petition--in which Mr. Seward appeared to admit the allegations made -against me were true, and to consider I had violated the hospitality -accorded me--induce me to think that he did not entertain the opinion -which these journals which set themselves up to be his organs had so -repeatedly expressed. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - - Another Crimean acquaintance--Summary dismissal of a newspaper - correspondent--Dinner at Lord Lyons’--Review of artillery-- - “Habeas Corpus”--The President’s duties--M‘Clellan’s policy--The - Union army--Soldiers and the patrol--Public men in America--Mr. - Seward and Lord Lyons--A judge placed under arrest--Death and - funeral of Senator Baker--Disorderly troops and officers-- - Official fibs--Duck-shooting at Baltimore. - - -_October 5th._--A day of heat extreme. Tumbled in upon me an old -familiar face and voice, once Forster of a hospitable Crimean hut -behind Mother Seacole’s, commanding a battalion of Land Transport -Corps, to which he had descended or sublimated from his position as -ex-Austrian dragoon and _beau sabreur_ under old Radetzsky in Italian -wars; now a colonel of distant volunteers, and a member of the -Parliament of British Columbia. He was on his way home to Europe, and -had travelled thus far out of his way to see his friend. - -After him came in a gentleman, heated, wild-eyed, and excited, who -had been in the South, where he was acting as correspondent to a -London newspaper, and on his return to Washington had obtained a -pass from General Scott. According to his own story, he had been -indulging in a habit which free-born Englishmen may occasionally -find to be inconvenient in foreign countries in times of high -excitement, and had been expressing his opinion pretty freely in -favour of the Southern cause in the bar-rooms of Pennsylvania Avenue. -Imagine a Frenchman going about the taverns of Dublin during an -Irish rebellion, expressing his sympathy with the rebels, and you -may suppose he would meet with treatment at least as peremptory -as that which the Federal authorities gave Mr. D----. In fine, -that morning early, he had been waited upon by an officer, who -requested his attendance at the Provost Marshal’s office; arrived -there, a functionary, after a few queries, asked him to give up -General Scott’s pass, and when Mr. D---- refused to do so, proceeded -to execute a terrible sort of proces verbal on a large sheet of -foolscap, the initiatory flourishes and prolegomena of which so -intimidated Mr. D----, that he gave up his pass and was permitted to -depart, in order that he might start for England by the next steamer. - -A wonderful Frenchman, who lives up a back street, prepared a curious -banquet, at which Mr. Irvine, Mr. Warre, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Lamy, and -Colonel Foster assisted; and in the evening Mr. Lincoln’s private -secretary, a witty, shrewd, and pleasant young fellow, who looks -little more than eighteen years of age, came in with a friend, whose -name I forget; and by degrees the circle expanded, till the walls -seemed to have become elastic, so great was the concourse of guests. - -_October 6th._--A day of wandering around, and visiting, and -listening to rumours all unfounded. I have applied for permission -to accompany the Burnside expedition, but I am advised not to leave -Washington, as M‘Clellan will certainly advance as soon as the -diversion has been made down South. - -_October 7th._--The heat to-day was literally intolerable, and wound -up at last in a tremendous thunderstorm with violent gusts of rain. -At the Legation, where Lord Lyons entertained the English visitors -at dinner, the rooms were shaken by thunder claps, and the blinding -lightning seemed at times to turn the well-illuminated rooms into -caves of darkness. - -_October 8th._--A review of the artillery at this side of the -river took place to-day, which has been described in very inflated -language by the American papers, the writers on which--never having -seen a decently-equipped force of the kind--pronounce the sight to -have been of unequalled splendour; whereas the appearance of horses -and men was very far from respectable in all matters relating to -grooming, cleanliness, and neatness. General Barry has done wonders -in simplifying the force and reducing the number of calibres, which -varied according to the fancy of each State, or men of each officer -who raised a battery; but there are still field-guns of three inches -and of three inches and a-half, Napoleon guns, rifled 10 lb. Parrots, -ordinary 9-pounders, a variety of howitzers, 20-lb. Parrot rifled -guns, and a variety of different projectiles in the caissons. As the -men rode past, the eye was distressed by discrepancies in dress. -Many wore red or white worsted comforters round their necks, few had -straps to their trousers; some had new coats, others old; some wore -boots, others shoes; not one had clean spurs, bits, curb-chains, or -buttons. The officers cannot get the men to do what the latter regard -as works of supererogation. - -There were 72 guns in all; and if the horses were not so light, there -would be quite enough to do for the Confederates to reduce their -fire, as the pieces are easily handled, and the men like artillery -and take to it naturally, being in that respect something like the -natives of India. - -Whilst I was standing in the crowd, I heard a woman say, “I doubt if -that Russell is riding about here. I should just like to see him to -give him a piece of my mind. They say he’s honest, but I call him -a poor pre-jewdiced Britisher. This sight’ll give him fits.” I was -quite delighted at my incognito. If the caricatures were at all like -me, I should have what the Americans call a bad time of it. - -On the return of the batteries a shell exploded in a caisson just -in front of the President’s house, and, miraculous to state, did -not fire the other projectiles. Had it done so, the destruction of -life in the crowded street--blocked up with artillery, men, and -horses, and crowds of men, women, and children--would have been -truly frightful. Such accidents are not uncommon--a waggon blew up -the other day “out West,” and killed and wounded several people; and -though the accidents in camp from firearms are not so numerous as -they were, there are still enough to present a heavy casualty list. - -Whilst the artillery were delighting the citizens, a much more -important matter was taking place in an obscure little court -house--much more destructive to their freedom, happiness, and -greatness than all the Confederate guns which can ever be ranged -against them. A brave, upright, and honest judge, as in duty bound, -issued a writ of _habeas corpus_, sued out by the friends of a minor, -who, contrary to the laws of the United States, had been enlisted by -an American general, and was detained by him in the ranks of his -regiment. The officer refused to obey the writ, whereupon the judge -issued an attachment against him, and the Federal brigadier came into -court and pleaded that he took that course by order of the President. -The court adjourned, to consider the steps it should take. - -I have just seen a paragraph in the local paper, copied from a west -country journal, headed “Good for Russell,” which may explain the -unusually favourable impression expressed by the women this morning. -It is an account of the interview I had with the officer who came “to -trade” for my horse, written by the latter to a Green Bay newspaper, -in which, having duly censured my “John Bullism” in not receiving -with the utmost courtesy a stranger, who walked into his room before -breakfast on business unknown, he relates as a proof of honesty (in -such a rare field as trading in horseflesh) that, though my groom had -sought to put ten dollars in my pocket by a mild exaggeration of the -amount paid for the animal, which was the price I said I would take, -I would not have it. - -_October 9th._--A cold, gloomy day. I am laid up with the fever and -ague, which visit the banks of the Potomac in autumn. It annoyed -me the more because General M‘Clellan is making a reconnaissance -to-day towards Lewinsville, with 10,000 men. A gentleman from the War -Department visited me to-day, and gave me scanty hopes of procuring -any assistance from the authorities in taking the field. Civility -costs nothing, and certainly if it did United States officials would -require high salaries, but they often content themselves with fair -words. - -There are some things about our neighbours which we may never hope -to understand. To-day, for instance, a respectable person, high in -office, having been good enough to invite me to his house, added, -“You shall see Mrs. A., sir. She is a very pretty and agreeable young -lady, and will prove nice society for you,” meaning his wife. - -Mr. N. P. Willis was good enough to call on me, and in the course -of conversation said, “I hear M‘Clellan tells you everything. When -you went away West I was very near going after you, as I suspected -you heard something.” Mr. Willis could have had no grounds for this -remark, for very certainly it has no foundation in fact. Truth to -tell, General M‘Clellan seemed, the last time I saw him, a little -alarmed by a paragraph in a New York paper, from the Washington -correspondent, in which it was invidiously stated, “General -M‘Clellan, attended by Mr. Russell, correspondent of the London -_Times_, visited the camps to-day. All passes to civilians and others -were revoked.” There was not the smallest ground for the statement -on the day in question, but I am resolved not to contradict anything -which is said about me, but the General could not well do so; and -one of the favourite devices of the Washington correspondent to fill -up his columns, is to write something about me, to state I have been -refused passes, or have got them, or whatever else he likes to say. - -Calling on the General the other night at his usual time of return, -I was told by the orderly, who was closing the door, “The General’s -gone to bed tired, and can see no one. He sent the same message to -the President, who came inquiring after him ten minutes ago.” - -This poor President! He is to be pitied; surrounded by such scenes, -and trying with all his might to understand strategy, naval warfare, -big guns, the movements of troops, military maps, reconnaissances, -occupations, interior and exterior lines, and all the technical -details of the art of slaying. He runs from one house to another, -armed with plans, papers, reports, recommendations, sometimes -good humoured, never angry, occasionally dejected, and always a -little fussy. The other night, as I was sitting in the parlour at -head-quarters, with an English friend who had come to see his old -acquaintance the General, walked in a tall man with a navvy’s cap, -and an ill-made shooting suit, from the pockets of which protruded -paper and bundles. “Well,” said he to Brigadier Van Vliet, who rose -to receive him, “is George in?” - -“Yes, sir. He’s come back, but is lying down, very much fatigued. -I’ll send up, sir, and inform him you wish to see him.” - -“Oh, no; I can wait. I think I’ll take supper with him. Well, and -what are you now,--I forget your name--are you a major, or a colonel, -or a general?” “Whatever you like to make me, sir.” - -Seeing that General M‘Clellan would be occupied, I walked out with my -friend, who asked me when I got into the street why I stood up when -that tall fellow came into the room. “Because it was the President.” -“The President of what?” “Of the United States.” “Oh! come, now -you’re humbugging me. Let me have another look at him.” He came -back more incredulous than ever, but when I assured him I was quite -serious, he exclaimed, “I give up the United States after this.” - -But for all that, there have been many more courtly presidents who, -in a similar crisis, would have displayed less capacity, honesty, and -plain dealing than Abraham Lincoln. - -_October 10th._--I got hold of M‘Clellan’s report on the Crimean war, -and made a few candid remarks on the performance, which does not -evince any capacity beyond the reports of our itinerant artillery -officers who are sent from Woolwich abroad for their country’s good. -I like the man, but I do not think he is equal to his occasion or his -place. There is one little piece of policy which shows he is looking -ahead--either to gain the good will of the army, or for some larger -object. All his present purpose is to make himself known to the men -personally, to familiarize them with his appearance, to gain the -acquaintance of the officers; and with this object he spends nearly -every day in the camps riding out at nine o’clock, and not returning -till long after nightfall, examining the various regiments as he goes -along, and having incessant inspections and reviews. He is the first -Republican general who could attempt to do all this without incurring -censure and suspicion. Unfortunate M‘Dowell could not inspect his -small army without receiving a hint that he must not assume such -airs, as they were more becoming a military despot than a simple -lieutenant of the great democracy. - -_October 11th._--Mr. Mure, who has arrived here in wretched health -from New Orleans, after a protracted and very unpleasant journey -through country swarming with troops mixed with guerillas, tells me -that I am more detested in New Orleans than I am in New York. This -is ever the fate of the neutral, if the belligerents can get him -between them. The Girondins and men of the _juste milieu_ are ever -fated to be ground to powder. The charges against me were disposed of -by Mr. Mure, who says that what I wrote of in New Orleans was true, -and has shown it to be so in his correspondence with the Governor, -but, over and beyond that, I am disliked, because I do not praise -the peculiar institution. He amused me by adding that the mayor of -Jackson, with whom I sojourned, had published “a card,” denying -point blank that he had ever breathed a word to indicate that the -good citizens around him were not famous for the love of law, order, -and life, and a scrupulous regard to personal liberty. I can easily -fancy Jackson is not a place where a mayor suspected by the citizens -would be exempted from difficulties now and then; and if this -disclaimer does my friend any good, he is very heartily welcome to -it and more. I have received several letters lately from the parents -of minors, asking me to assist them in getting back their sons, who -have enlisted illegally in the Federal army. My writ does not run any -further than a Federal judge’s. - -_October 12th._--The good people of New York and of the other -Northern cities, excited by the constant reports in the papers of -magnificent reviews and unsurpassed military spectacles, begin to -flock towards Washington in hundreds, where formerly they came in -tens. The woman-kind are particularly anxious to feast their eyes -on our glorious Union army. It is natural enough that Americans -should feel pride and take pleasure in the spectacle; but the love of -economy, the hatred of military despotism, and the frugal virtues of -republican government, long since placed aside by the exigencies of -the Administration, promise to vanish for ever. - -The feeling is well expressed in the remark of a gentleman to whom I -was lamenting the civil war: “Well, for my part, I am glad of it. Why -should you in Europe have all the fighting to yourself? Why should we -not have our bloody battles, and our big generals, and all the rest -of it? This will stir up the spirits of our people, do us all a power -of good, and end by proving to all of you in Europe, that we are just -as good and first-rate in fighting as we are in ships, manufactures, -and commerce.” - -But the wealthy classes are beginning to feel rather anxious about -the disposal of their money: they are paying a large insurance on the -Union, and they do not see that anything has been done to stop the -leak or to prevent it foundering. Mr. Duncan has arrived; to-day I -drove with him to Alexandria, and I think he has been made happy by -what he saw, and has no doubt “the Union is all right.” Nothing looks -so irresistible as your bayonet till another is seen opposed to it. - -_October 13th._--Mr. Duncan, attended by myself and other Britishers, -made an extensive excursion through the camps on horseback, and I led -him from Arlington to Upton’s House, up by Munson’s Hill, to General -Wadsworth’s quarters, where we lunched on camp fare and, from the -observatory erected at the rear of the house in which he lives, had -a fine view this bright, cold, clear autumn day, of the wonderful -expanse of undulating forest lands, streaked by rows of tents, which -at last concentrated into vast white patches in the distance, towards -Alexandria. The country is desolate, but the camps are flourishing, -and that is enough to satisfy most patriots bent upon the subjugation -of their enemies. - -_October 14th._--I was somewhat distraught, like a small Hercules -twixt Vice and Virtue, or Garrick between Comedy and Tragedy, by -my desire to tell Duncan the truth, and at the same time respect -the feelings of a friend. There was a rabbledom of drunken men in -uniforms under our windows, who resisted the patrol clearing the -streets, and one fellow drew his bayonet, and, with the support of -some of the citizens, said that he would not allow any regular to put -a finger on him. D---- said he had witnessed scenes just as bad, and -talked of lanes in garrison towns in England, and street rows between -soldiers and civilians; and I did not venture to tell him the scene -we witnessed was the sign of a radical vice in the system of the -American army, which is, I believe, incurable in these large masses. -Few soldiers would venture to draw their bayonets on a patrol. If -they did, their punishment would be tolerably sure and swift, but for -all I knew this man would be permitted to go on his way rejoicing. -There is news of two Federal reverses to-day. A descent was made on -Santa Rosa Island, and Mr. Billy Wilson’s Zouaves were driven under -the guns of Pickens, losing in the scurry of the night attack--as -prisoner only I am glad to say--poor Major Vogdes, of inquiring -memory. Rosecrans, who utterly ignores the advantages of Shaksperian -spelling, has been defeated in the West; but D---- is quite happy, -and goes off to New York contented. - -_October 15th._--Sir James Ferguson and Mr. R. Bourke, who have been -travelling in the South and have seen something of the Confederate -government and armies, visited us this evening after dinner. They -do not seem at all desirous of testing by comparison the relative -efficiency of the two armies, which Sir James, at all events, is -competent to do. They are impressed by the energy and animosity of -the South, which no doubt will have their effect on England also; but -it will be difficult to popularize a Slave Republic as a new allied -power in England. Two of General M‘Clellan’s aides dropped in, and -the meeting abstained from general politics. - -_October 16th._--Day follows day and resembles its predecessor. -M‘Clellan is still reviewing, and the North are still waiting for -victories and paying money, and the orators are still wrangling -over the best way of cooking the hares which they have not yet -caught. I visited General M‘Dowell to-day at his tent in Arlington, -and found him in a state of divine calm with his wife and _parvus -Iulus_. A public man in the United States is very much like a great -firework--he commences with some small scintillations which attract -the eye of the public, and then he blazes up and flares out in blue, -purple, and orange fires, to the intense admiration of the multitude, -and dying out suddenly is thought of no more, his place being taken -by a fresh roman candle or catherine wheel which is thought to be -far finer than those which have just dazzled the eyes of the fickle -spectators. Human nature is thus severely taxed. The Cabinet of State -is like the museum of some cruel naturalist, who seizes his specimens -whilst they are alive, bottles them up, forbids them to make as much -as a contortion, labelling them “My last President,” “My latest -Commander-in-chief,” or “My defeated General,” regarding the smallest -signs of life very much as did the French _petit maître_ who rebuked -the contortions and screams of the poor wretch who was broken on the -wheel, as contrary to _bienséance_. I am glad that Sir James Ferguson -and Mr. Bourke did not leave without making a tour of inspection -through the Federal camp, which they did to-day. - -_October 17th._--_Dies non._ - -_October 18th._--To-day Lord Lyons drove out with Mr. Seward to -inspect the Federal camps, which are now in such order as to be -worthy of a visit. It is reported in all the papers that I am going -to England, but I have not the smallest intention of giving my -enemies here such a treat at present. As Monsieur de Beaumont of -the French Legation said, “I presume you are going to remain in -Washington for the rest of your life, because I see it stated in the -New York journals that you are leaving us in a day or two.” - -_October 19th._--Lord Lyons and Mr. Seward were driving and -dining together yesterday _en ami_. To-day, Mr. Seward is engaged -demolishing Lord Lyons, or at all events the British Government, in a -despatch, wherein he vindicates the proceedings of the United States -Government in certain arrests of British subjects which had been -complained of, and repudiates the doctrine that the United States -Government can be bound by the opinion of the law officers of the -Crown respecting the spirit and letter of the American constitution. -This is published as a set-off to Mr. Seward’s circular on the -seacoast defences which created so much depression and alarm in the -Northern States, where it was at the time considered as a warning -that a foreign war was imminent, and which has since been generally -condemned as feeble and injudicious. - -_October 20th._--I saw General M‘Clellan to-day, who gave me to -understand that some small movement might take place on the right. -I rode up to the Chain Bridge and across it for some miles into -Virginia, but all was quiet. The sergeant at the post on the south -side of the bridge had some doubts of the genuineness of my pass, or -rather of its bearer. - -“I heard you were gone back to London, where I am coming to see you -some fine day with the boys here.” - -“No, sergeant, I am not gone yet, but when will your visit take -place?” - -“Oh, as soon as we have finished with the gentlemen across there.” - -“Have you any notion when that will be?” - -“Just as soon as they tell us to go on and prevent the blackguard -Germans running away.” - -“But the Germans did not run away at Bull Bun?” - -“Faith, because they did not get a chance--sure they put them in the -rear, away out of the fighting.” - -“And why do you not go on now?” - -“Well, that’s the question we are asking every day.” - -“And can any-one answer it?” - -“Not one of us can tell; but my belief is if we had one of the old -50th among us at the head of affairs we would soon be at them. -I belonged to the old regiment once, but I got off and took up -with shoe-making again, and faith if I sted in it I might have -been sergeant-major by this time, only they hated the poor Roman -Catholics.” - -“And do you think, sergeant, you would get many of your countrymen -who had served in the old army to fight the old familiar red -jackets?” “Well, sir, I tell you I hope my arm would rot before I -would pull a trigger against the old 50th; but we would wear the red -jacket too--we have as good a right to it as the others, and then it -would be man against man, you know; but if I saw any of them cursed -Germans interfering I’d soon let daylight into them.” The hazy dreams -of this poor man’s mind would form an excellent article for a New -York newspaper, which on matters relating to England are rarely so -lucid and logical. Next day was devoted to writing and heavy rain, -through both of which, notwithstanding, I was assailed by many -visitors and some scurrilous letters, and in the evening there was a -Washington gathering of Englishry, Irishry, Scotchry, Yankees, and -Canadians. - -_October 22nd._--Rain falling in torrents. As I write, in come -reports of a battle last night, some forty miles up the river, -which by signs and tokens I am led to believe was unfavourable -to the Federals. They crossed the river intending to move upon -Leesburg--were attacked by overwhelming forces and repulsed, but -maintained themselves on the right bank till General Banks reinforced -them and enabled them to hold their own. M‘Clellan has gone or is -going at once to the scene of action. It was three o’clock before I -heard the news, the road and country were alike unknown, nor had I -friend or acquaintance in the army of the Upper Potomac. My horse was -brought round however, and in company with Mr. Anderson, I rode out -of Washington along the river till the falling evening warned us to -retrace our steps, and we returned in pelting rain as we set out, -and in pitchy darkness, without meeting any messenger or person with -news from the battle-field. Late at night the White House was placed -in deep grief by the intelligence that in addition to other losses, -Brigadier and Senator Baker of California was killed. The President -was inconsolable, and walked up and down his room for hours lamenting -the loss of his friend. Mrs. Lincoln’s grief was equally poignant. -Before bed-time I told the German landlord to tell my servant I -wanted my horse round at seven o’clock. - -_October 23rd._--Up at six, waiting for horse and man. At eight -walked down to stables. No one there. At nine became very angry--sent -messengers in all directions. At ten was nearly furious, when, at the -last stroke of the clock, James, with his inexpressive countenance, -perfectly calm nevertheless, and betraying no symptom of solicitude, -appeared at the door leading my charger. “And may I ask you where you -have been till this time?” “Wasn’t I dressing the horse, taking him -out to water, and exercising him.” “Good heavens! did I not tell you -to be here at seven o’clock?” “No, sir; Carl told me you wanted me at -ten o’clock, and here I am.” “Carl, did I not tell you to ask James -to be round here at seven o’clock.” “Not zeven clock, sere, but zehn -clock. I tell him, you come at zehn clock.” Thus at one blow was I -stricken down by Gaul and Teuton, each of whom retired with the air -of a man who had baffled an intended indignity, and had achieved a -triumph over a wrong-doer. - -The roads were in a frightful state outside Washington--literally -nothing but canals, in which earth and water were mixed together -for depths varying from six inches to three feet above the surface; -but late as it was I pushed on, and had got as far as the turn of -the road to Rockville, near the great falls, some twelve miles -beyond Washington, when I met an officer with a couple of orderlies, -hurrying back from General Banks’s head-quarters, who told me the -whole affair was over, and that I could not possibly get to the scene -of action on one horse till next morning, even supposing that I -pressed on all through the night, the roads being utterly villainous, -and the country at night as black as ink; and so I returned to -Washington, and was stopped by citizens, who, seeing the streaming -horse and splashed rider, imagined he was reeking from the fray. “As -you were not there,” says one, “I’ll tell you what I know to be the -case. Stone and Baker are killed; Banks and all the other generals -are prisoners; the Rhode Island and two other batteries are taken, -and 5000 Yankees have been sent to H---- to help old John Brown to -roast niggers.” - -_October 24th._--The heaviest blow which has yet been inflicted on -the administration of justice in the United States, and that is -saying a good deal at present, has been given to it in Washington. -The judge of whom I wrote a few days ago in the _habeas corpus_ -case, has been placed under military arrest and surveillance by -the Provost-Marshal of the city, a very fit man for such work, one -Colonel Andrew Porter. The Provost-Marshal imprisoned the attorney -who served the writ, and then sent a guard to Mr. Merrick’s house, -who thereupon sent a minute to his brother judges the day before -yesterday stating the circumstances, in order to show why he did -not appear in his place on the bench. The Chief Judge Dunlop and -Judge Morsell thereupon issued their writ to Andrew Porter greeting, -to show cause why an attachment for contempt should not be issued -against him for his treatment of Judge Merrick. As the sharp tongues -of women are very troublesome, the United States officers have quite -little harems of captives, and Mrs. Merrick has just been added -to the number. She is a Wickliffe of Kentucky, and has a right to -martyrdom. The inconsistencies of the Northern people multiply _ad -infinitum_ as they go on. Thus at Hatteras they enter into terms of -capitulation with officers signing themselves of the Confederate -States Army and Confederate States Navy; elsewhere they exchange -prisoners; at New York they are going through the farce of trying -the crew of a C.S. privateer, as pirates engaged in robbing on the -high seas, on “the authority of a pretended letter of marque from one -Jefferson Davis.” One Jeff Davis is certainly quite enough for them -at present. - -Colonel and Senator Baker was honoured by a ceremonial which was -intended to be a public funeral, rather out of compliment to Mr. -Lincoln’s feelings, perhaps, than to any great attachment for the -man himself, who fell gallantly fighting near Leesburg. There is -need for a republic to contain some elements of an aristocracy if it -would make that display of pomp and ceremony which a public funeral -should have to produce effect. At all events there should be some -principle of reverence in the heads and hearts of the people, to -make up for other deficiencies in it as a show, or a ceremony. The -procession down Pennsylvania Avenue was a tawdry, shabby string -of hack carriages, men in light coats and white hats following -the hearse, and three regiments of foot soldiers, of which one was -simply an uncleanly, unwholesome-looking rabble. The President, -in his carriage, and many of the ministers and senators, attended -also, and passed through unsympathetic lines of people on the -kerbstones, not one of whom raised his hat to the bier as it passed, -or to the President, except a couple of Englishmen and myself who -stood in the crowd, and that proceeding on our part gave rise to -a variety of remarks among the bystanders. But as the band turned -into Pennsylvania Avenue, playing something like the _minuet de la -cour_ in Don Giovanni, two officers in uniform came riding up in the -contrary direction; they were smoking cigars; one of them let his -fall on the ground, the other smoked lustily as the hearse passed, -and reining up his horse, continued to puff his weed under the nose -of President, ministers, and senators, with the air of a man who was -doing a very soldierly correct sort of thing. - -Whether the President is angry as well as grieved at the loss of his -favourite or not, I cannot affirm, but he is assuredly doing that -terrible thing which is called putting his foot down on the judges; -and he has instructed Andrew Porter not to mind the writ issued -yesterday, and has further instructed the United States Marshal, who -has the writ in his hands to serve on the said Andrew, to return it -to the court with the information that Abraham Lincoln had suspended -the writ of _habeas corpus_ in cases relating to the military. - -_October 26th._--More reviews. To-day rather a pretty sight--12 -regiments, 16 guns, and a few squads of men with swords and pistols -on horseback, called cavalry, comprising Fitz-John Porter’s -division. M‘Clellan seemed to my eyes crestfallen and moody to-day. -Bright eyes looked on him; he is getting up something like a staff, -among which are the young French princes, under the tutelage of their -uncle, the Prince of Joinville. Whilst M‘Clellan is reviewing, our -Romans in Washington are shivering; for the blockade of the Potomac -by the Confederate batteries stops the fuel boats. Little care these -enthusiastic young American patriots in crinoline, who have come to -see M‘Clellan and the soldiers, what a cord of wood costs. The lower -orders are very angry about it however. The nuisance and disorder -arising from soldiers, drunk and sober, riding full gallop down -the streets, and as fast as they can round the corners, has been -stopped, by placing mounted sentries at the principal points in all -the thoroughfares. The “officers” were worse than the men; the papers -this week contain the account of two accidents, in one of which a -colonel, in another a major, was killed by falls from horseback, in -furious riding in the city. - -Forgetting all about this fact, and spurring home pretty fast along -an unfrequented road, leading from the ferry at Georgetown into the -city, I was nearly spitted by a “dragoon,” who rode at me from under -cover of a house, and shouted “stop” just as his sabre was within -a foot of my head. Fortunately his horse, being aware that if it -ran against mine it might be injured, shied, and over went dragoon, -sabre and all, and off went his horse, but as the trooper was able to -run after it, I presume he was not the worse; and I went on my way -rejoicing. - -M‘Clellan has fallen very much in my opinion since the Leesburg -disaster. He went to the spot, and with a little--nay, the -least--promptitude and ability could have turned the check into -a successful advance, in the blaze of which the earlier repulse -would have been forgotten. It is whispered that General Stone, who -ordered the movement, is guilty of treason--a common crime of unlucky -generals--at all events he is to be displaced, and will be put under -surveillance. The orders he gave are certainly very strange. - -The official right to fib, I presume, is very much the same all over -the world, but still there is more dash about it in the States, -I think, than elsewhere. “Blockade of the Potomac!” exclaims -an official of the Navy Department. “What are you talking of? -The Department has just heard that a few Confederates have been -practising with a few light field-pieces from the banks, and has -issued orders to prevent it in future.” “Defeat at Leesburg!” cries -little K----, of M‘Clellan’s staff, “nothing of the kind. We drove -the Confederates at all points, retained our position on the right -bank, and only left it when we pleased, having whipped the enemy -so severely they never showed since.” “Any news, Mr. Cash, in the -Treasury to-day?” “Nothing, sir, except that Mr. Chase is highly -pleased with everything; he’s only afraid of having too much money, -and being troubled with his balances.” “The State Department all -right, Mr. Protocol?” “My dear sir! delightful! with everybody, best -terms. Mr. Seward and the Count are managing delightfully; most -friendly assurances; Guatemala particularly; yes, and France too. -Yes, I may say France too; not the smallest difficulty at Honduras; -altogether, with the assurances of support we are getting, the -Minister thinks the whole affair will be settled in thirty days; -no joking, I assure you; thirty days this time positively. Say for -exactness on or about December 5th.” The canvas-backs are coming in, -and I am off for a day or two to escape reviews and abuse, and to see -something of the famous wild-fowl shooting on the Chesapeake. - -_October 27th._--After church, I took a long walk round by the -commissariat waggons, where there is, I think, as much dirt, bad -language, cruelty to animals, and waste of public money, as can be -conceived. Let me at once declare my opinion that the Americans, -generally, are exceedingly kind to their cattle; but there is a -hybrid race of ruffianly waggoners here, subject to no law or -discipline, and the barbarous treatment inflicted on the transport -animals is too bad even for the most unruly of mules. I mentioned the -circumstance to General M‘Dowell, who told me that by the laws of the -United States there was no power to enlist a man for commissariat or -transport duty. - -_October 28th._--Telegraphed to my friend at Baltimore that I was -ready for the ducks. The Legation going to Mr. Kortwright’s marriage -at Philadelphia. Started with Lamy at 6 o’clock for Baltimore; to -Gilmore House; thence to club. Every person present said that in -my letter on Maryland I had understated the question, as far as -Southern sentiments were concerned. In the club, for example, there -are not six Union men at the outside. General Dix has fortified -Federal Hill very efficiently, and the heights over Fort McHenry are -bristling with cannons, and display formidable earthworks; it seems -to be admitted that, but for the action of the Washington Government -the Legislature would pass an ordinance of Secession. Gilmore -House--old-fashioned, good bed-rooms. Scarcely had I arrived in the -passage, than a man ran off with a paragraph to the papers that Dr. -Russell had come for the purpose of duck-shooting; and, hearing that -I was going with Taylor, put in that I was going to Taylor’s Ducking -Shore. It appears that there are considerable numbers of these duck -clubs in the neighbourhood of Baltimore. The canvas-back ducks -have come in, but they will not be in perfection until the 10th of -November; their peculiar flavour is derived from a water-plant called -wild celery. This lies at the depth of several feet, sometimes nine -or ten, and the birds dive for it. - -_October 29th._--At ten started for the shooting ground, Carroll’s -Island; my companion, Mr. Pennington, drove me in a light trap, and -Mr. Taylor and Lamy came with Mr. Tucker Carroll[7], along with guns, -&c. Passed out towards the sea, a long height commanding a fine view -of the river; near this was fought the battle with the English, at -which the “Baltimore defenders” admit they ran away. Mr. Pennington’s -father says he can answer for the speed of himself and his -companions, but still the battle was thought to be glorious. Along -the posting road to Philadelphia, passed the Blue Ball Tavern; on all -sides except the left, great wooded lagoons visible, swarming with -ducks; boats are forbidden to fire upon the birds, which are allured -by wooden decoys. Crossed the Philadelphia Railway three times; land -poor, covered with undergrowths and small trees, given up to Dutch -and Irish and free niggers. Reached the duck-club-house in two hours -and a half; substantial farm-house, with out-offices, on a strip of -land surrounded by water; Gunpowder River, Saltpetre River, facing -Chesapeake; on either side lakes and tidal water; the owner, Slater, -an Irishman, reputed very rich, self-made. Dinner at one o’clock; any -number of canvas-back ducks, plentiful joints; drink whisky; company, -Swan, Howard, Duval, Morris, and others, also extraordinary specimen -named Smith, believed never to wash except in rain or by accidental -sousing in the river. Went out for afternoon shooting; birds wide and -high; killed seventeen; back to supper at dusk. M‘Donald and a guitar -came over; had a negro dance; and so to bed about twelve. Lamy got -single bed; I turned in with Taylor, as single beds are not permitted -when the house is full. - -_October 30th._--A light, a grim man, and a voice in the room at 4 -a.m. awaken me; I am up first; breakfast; more duck, eggs, meat, -mighty cakes, milk; to the gun-house, already hung with ducks, and -then tramp to the “blinds” with Smith, who talked of the Ingines and -wild sports in far Minnesota. As morning breaks, very red and lovely, -dark visions and long streaky clouds appear, skimming along from -bay or river. The men in the blinds, which are square enclosures of -reeds about 4½ feet high, call out “Bay,” “River,” according to the -direction from which the ducks are coming. Down we go in blinds; they -come; puffs of smoke, a bang, a volley; one bird falls with flop; -another by degrees drops, and at last smites the sea; there are five -down; in go the dogs. “Who shot that?” “I did.” “Who killed this?” -“That’s Tucker’s!” “A good shot.” “I don’t know how I missed mine.” -Same thing again. The ducks fly prodigious heights--out of all range -one would think. It is exciting when the cloud does rise at first. -Day voted very bad. Thence I move homeward; talk with Mr. Slater till -the trap is ready; and at twelve or so, drive over to Mr. M‘Donald; -find Lamy and Swan there; miserable shed of two-roomed shanty in a -marsh; rough deal presses; white-washed walls; fiddler in attendance; -dinner of ducks and steak; whisky, and thence proceed to a blind or -marsh, amid wooden decoys; but there is no use; no birds; high tide -flooding everything; examined M‘Donald’s stud; knocked to pieces -trotting on hard ground. Rowed back to house with Mr. Pennington, -and returned to the mansion; all the party had but poor sport; but -every one had killed something. Drew lots for bed, and won this time; -Lamy, however, would not sleep double, and reposed on a hard sofa in -the parlour; indications favourable for ducks. It was curious, in -the early morning, to hear the incessant booming of duck-guns, along -all the creeks and coves of the indented bays and saltwater marshes; -and one could tell when they were fired at decoys, or were directed -against birds in the air; heard a salute fired at Baltimore very -distinctly. Lamy and Mr. M‘Donald met in their voyage up the Nile, to -kill _ennui_ and spend money. - -_October 31st._--No, no, Mr. Smith; it an’t of no use. At four a.m. -we were invited, as usual, to rise, but Taylor and I reasoned from -under our respective quilts, that it would be quite as good shooting -if we got up at six, and I acted in accordance with that view. -Breakfasted as the sun was shining above the tree-tops, and to my -blind--found there was no shooting at all--got one shot only, and -killed a splendid canvas-back--on returning to home, found nearly -all the party on the move--140 ducks hanging round the house, the -reward of our toils, and of these I received egregious share. Drove -back with Pennington, very sleepy, followed by Mr. Taylor and Lamy. I -would have stayed longer if sport were better. Birds don’t fly when -the wind is in certain points, but lie out in great “ricks,” as they -are called, blackening the waters, drifting in the wind, or with -wings covering their heads--poor defenceless things! The red-head -waits alongside the canvas-back till he comes up from the depths -with mouth or bill full of parsley and wild celery, when he makes at -him and forces him to disgorge. At Baltimore at 1.30--dined--Lamy -resolved to stay--bade good-bye to Swan and Morris. The man at -first would not take my ducks and boots to register or check -them--twenty-five cents did it. I arrived at Washington late, because -of detention of train by enormous transport; labelled and sent out -game to the houses till James’s fingers ached again. Nothing doing, -except that General Scott has at last sent in resignation. M‘Clellan -is now indeed master of the situation. And so to bed, rather tired. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - - General Scott’s resignation--Mrs. A. Lincoln--Unofficial mission - to Europe--Uneasy feeling with regard to France--Ball given - by the United States cavalry--The United States army--Success - at Beaufort--Arrests--Dinner at Mr. Seward’s--News of Captain - Wilkes and the Trent--Messrs. Mason and Slidell--Discussion - as to Wilkes--Prince de Joinville--The American press on the - Trent affair--Absence of thieves in Washington--“Thanksgiving - Day”--Success thus far in favour of the North. - - -_November 1st._--Again stagnation; not the smallest intention of -moving; General Scott’s resignation, of which I was aware long -ago, is publicly known, and he is about to go to Europe, and end -his days probably in France. M‘Clellan takes his place, minus the -large salary. Riding back from camp, where I had some trouble with -a drunken soldier, my horse came down in a dark hole, and threw me -heavily, so that my hat was crushed in on my head, and my right thumb -sprained, but I managed to get up and ride home; for the brute had -fallen right on his own head, cut a piece out of his forehead between -the eyes, and was stunned too much to run away. I found letters -waiting from Mr. Seward and others, thanking me for the game, if -canvas-backs come under the title. - -_November 2nd._--A tremendous gale of wind and rain blew all day, and -caused much uneasiness, at the Navy Department and elsewhere, for the -safety of the Burnside expedition. The Secessionists are delighted, -and those who can, say “Afflavit Deus et hostes dissipantur.” There -is a project to send secret non-official commissioners to Europe, to -counteract the machinations of the Confederates. Mr. Everett, Mr. R. -Kennedy, Bishop Hughes, and Bishop M‘Ilwaine are designated for the -office; much is expected from the expedition, not only at home but -abroad. - -_November 3rd._--For some reason or another, a certain set of papers -have lately taken to flatter Mrs. Lincoln in the most noisome -manner, whilst others deal in dark insinuations against her loyalty, -Union principles, and honesty. The poor lady is loyal as steel to -her family and to Lincoln the first; but she is accessible to the -influence of flattery, and has permitted her society to be infested -by men who would not be received in any respectable private house -in New York. The gentleman who furnishes fashionable paragraphs for -the Washington paper has some charming little pieces of gossip about -“the first Lady in the Land” this week; he is doubtless the same -who, some weeks back, chronicled the details of a raid on the pigs -in the streets by the police, and who concluded thus: “We cannot but -congratulate Officer Smith on the very gentlemanly manner in which -he performed his disagreeable but arduous duties; nor did it escape -our notice, that Officer Washington Jones was likewise active and -energetic in the discharge of his functions.” - -The ladies in Washington delight to hear or to invent small scandals -connected with the White House; thus it is reported that the Scotch -gardener left by Mr. Buchanan has been made a lieutenant in the -United States Army, and has been specially detached to do duty at -the White House, where he superintends the cooking. Another person -connected with the establishment was made Commissioner of Public -Buildings, but was dismissed because he would not put down the -expense of a certain state dinner to the public account, and charge -it under the head of “Improvement to the Grounds.” But many more -better tales than these go round, and it is not surprising if a woman -is now and then put under close arrest, or sent off to Fort M‘Henry -for too much _esprit_ and inventiveness. - -_November 4th._--General Fremont will certainly be recalled. There is -not the smallest incident to note. - -_November 5th._--Small banquets, very simple and tolerably social, -are the order of the day as winter closes around us; the country -has become too deep in mud for pleasant excursions, and at times -the weather is raw and cold. General M‘Dowell, who dined with us -to-day, maintains there will be no difficulty in advancing during bad -weather, because the men are so expert in felling trees, they can -make corduroy roads wherever they like. I own the arguments surprised -but did not convince me, and I think the General will find out his -mistake when the time comes. Mr. Everett, whom I had expected, was -summoned away by the unexpected intelligence of his son’s death, so I -missed the opportunity of seeing one whom I much desired to have met, -as the great Apostle of Washington worship, in addition to his claims -to higher distinction. He has admitted that the only bond which can -hold the Union together is the common belief in the greatness of the -departed general. - -_November 6th._--Instead of Mr. Everett and Mr. Johnson, Mr. Thurlow -Weed and Bishop Hughes will pay a visit to Europe in the Federal -interests. Notwithstanding the adulation of everything French, -from the Emperor down to a Zouave’s gaiter, in the New York press -there is an uneasy feeling respecting the intentions of France, -founded on the notion that the Emperor is not very friendly to the -Federalists, and would be little disposed to expose his subjects to -privation and suffering from the scarcity of cotton and tobacco if, -by intervention, he could avert such misfortunes. The inactivity -of M‘Clellan, which is not understood by the people, has created -an under-current of unpopularity, to which his enemies are giving -every possible strength, and some people are beginning to think the -youthful Napoleon is only a Brummagem Bonaparte. - -_November 7th._--After such bad weather, the Indian summer, _l’été -de St. Martin_, is coming gradually, lighting up the ruins of the -autumn’s foliage still clinging to the trees, giving us pure, bright, -warm days, and sunsets of extraordinary loveliness. Drove out to -Bladensburgh with Captain Haworth, and discovered that my waggon was -intended to go on to Richmond and never to turn back or round, for no -roads in this part of the country are wide enough for the purpose. -Dined at the Legation, and in the evening went to a grand ball, given -by the 6th United States Cavalry in the Poor House near their camp, -about two miles outside the city. - -The ball took place in a series of small white-washed rooms off long -passages and corridors; many supper tables were spread; whisky, -champagne, hot terrapin soup, and many luxuries graced the board; -and although but two or three couple could dance in each room at a -time, by judicious arrangement of the music several rooms were served -at once. The Duke of Chartres, in the uniform of a United States -Captain of Staff, was among the guests, and had to share the ordeal -to which strangers were exposed by the hospitable entertainers, of -drinking with them all. Some called him “Chatters”--others, “Captain -Chatters;” but these were of the outside polloi, who cannot be kept -out on such occasions, and who shake hands and are familiar with -everybody. - -The Duke took it all exceedingly well, and laughed with the loudest -in the company. Altogether the ball was a great success--somewhat -marred indeed in my own case by the bad taste of one of the officers -of the regiment which had invited me, in adopting an offensive manner -when about to be introduced to me by one of his brother officers. -Colonel Emory, the officer in command of the regiment, interfered, -and, finding that Captain A---- was not sober, ordered him to retire. -Another small _contretemps_ was caused by the master of the Work -House, who had been indulging at least as freely as the captain, and -at last began to fancy that the paupers had broken loose and were -dancing about after hours below stairs. In vain he was led away and -incarcerated in one room after another; his intimate knowledge of the -architectural difficulties of the building enabled him to set all -precautions at defiance, and he might be seen at intervals flying -along the passages towards the music, pursued by the officers, until -he was finally secured in a dungeon without a window, and with a -bolted and locked door between him and the ball-rooms. - -_November 8th._--Colonel Emory made us laugh this morning by an -account of our Amphytrion of the night before, who came to him with -a very red eye and curious expression of face to congratulate the -regiment on the success of the ball. “The most beautiful thing of -all was,” said he, “Colonel, I did not see one gentleman or lady who -had taken too much liquor; there was not a drunken man in the whole -company.” I consulted my friends at the Legation with respect to our -inebriated officer, on whose behalf Colonel Emory tendered his own -apologies; but they were of opinion I had done all that was right and -becoming in the matter, and that I must take no more notice of it. - -_November 9th._--Colonel Wilmot, R. A., who has come down from -Canada to see the army, spent the day with Captain Dahlgren at the -Navy Yard, and returned with impressions favourable to the system. -He agrees with Dahlgren, who is dead against breach-loading, but -admits Armstrong has done the most that can be effected with the -system. Colonel Wilmot avers the English press are responsible for -the Armstrong guns. He has been much struck by the excellence of the -great iron-works he has visited in the States, particularly that of -Mr. Sellers, in Philadelphia. - -_November 10th._--Visiting Mr. Mure the other day, who was still an -invalid at Washington, I met a gentleman named Maury, who had come -to Washington to see after a portmanteau which had been taken from -him on the Canadian frontier by the police. He was told to go to the -State Department and claim his property, and on arriving there was -arrested and confined with a number of prisoners, my horse-dealing -friend, Sammy Wroe, among them. We walked down to inquire how he -was; the soldier who was on duty gave a flourishing account of -him--he had plenty of whisky and food, and, said the man, “I quite -feel for Maury, because he does business in my State.” These State -influences must be overcome, or no Union will ever hold together. - -Sir James Ferguson and Mr. Bourke were rather shocked when Mr. -Seward opened the letters from persons in the South to friends -in Europe, of which they had taken charge, and cut some passages -out with a scissors; but a Minister who combines the functions of -Chief-of-Police with those of Secretary of State must do such things -now and then. - -_November 11th._--The United States have now, according to the -returns, 600,000 infantry, 600 pieces of artillery, 61,000 -cavalry in the field, and yet they are not only unable to crush -the Confederates, but they cannot conquer the Secession ladies -in their capital. The Southern people here trust in a break-down -in the North before the screw can be turned to the utmost; and -assert that the South does not want corn, wheat, leather, or food. -Georgia makes cloth enough for all--the only deficiency will be in -metal and _matériel_ of war. When the North comes to discuss the -question whether the war is to be against slavery or for the Union -leaving slavery to take care of itself, they think a split will be -inevitable. Then the pressure of taxes will force on a solution, for -the State taxes already amount to 2 to 3 per cent., and the people -will not bear the addition. The North has set out with the principle -of paying for everything, the South with the principle of paying for -nothing; but this will be reversed in time. All the diplomatists, -with one exception, are of opinion the Union is broken for ever, and -the independence of the South virtually established. - -_November 12th._--An irruption of dirty little boys in the streets -shouting out, “Glorious Union victory! Charleston taken!” The story -is that Burnside has landed and reduced the forts defending Port -Royal. I met Mr. Fox, Assistant-Secretary to the Navy, and Mr. -Hay, Secretary to Mr. Lincoln, in the Avenue. The former showed me -Burnside’s despatches from Beaufort, announcing reduction of the -Confederate batteries by the ships and the establishment of the -Federals on the skirts of Port Royal. Dined at Lord Lyons’, where -were Mr. Chase, Major Palmer, U.S.E., and his wife, Colonel and -Mrs. Emory, Professor Henry and his daughter, Mr. Kennedy and his -daughter, Colonel Wilmot and the Englishry of Washington. I had a -long conversation with Mr. Chase, who is still sanguine that the -war must speedily terminate. The success at Beaufort has made him -radiant, and he told me that the Federal General Nelson[8]--who is no -other than the enormous blustering, boasting lieutenant in the navy -whom I met at Washington on my first arrival--has gained an immense -victory in Kentucky, killing and capturing a whole army and its -generals. - -A strong Government will be the end of the struggle, but before they -come to it there must be a complete change of administration and -internal economy. Indeed, the Secretary of the Treasury candidly -admitted that the expenses of the war were enormous, and could not go -on at the present rate very long. The men are paid too highly; every -one is paid too much. The scale is adapted to a small army not very -popular, in a country where labour is very well paid, and competition -is necessary to obtain recruits at all. He has never disguised -his belief the South might have been left to go at first, with a -certainty of their return to the Union. - -_November 13th._--Mr. Charles Green, who was my host at Savannah, -and Mr. Low, of the same city, have been arrested and sent to Fort -Warren. Dining with Mr. Seward, I heard accidentally that Mrs. Low -had also been arrested, but was now liberated. The sentiment of -dislike towards England is increasing, because English subjects -have assisted the South by smuggling and running the blockade. “It -is strange,” said Mr. Seward the other day, “that this great free -and civilized Union should be supported by Germans, coming here -semi-civilized or half-savage, who plunder and destroy as if they -were living in the days of Agricola, whilst the English are the great -smugglers who support our enemies in their rebellion.” I reminded him -that the United States flag had covered the smugglers who carried -guns and _matériel_ of war to Russia, although they were at peace -with France and England. “Yes, but then,” said he, “that was a -legitimate contest between great established powers, and I admit, -though I lament the fact, that the public sympathy in this country -ran with Russia during that war.” The British public have a right -to their sympathies too, and the Government can scarcely help it if -private individuals aid the South on their own responsibility. In -future, British subjects will be indicted instead of being sent to -Fort La Fayette. Mr. Seward feels keenly the attacks in the _New York -Tribune_ on him for arbitrary arrests, and representations have been -made to Mr. Greeley privately on the subject; nor is he indifferent -to similar English criticisms. - -General M‘Dowell asserts there is no nation in the world whose -censure or praise the people of the United States care about except -England, and with respect to her there is a morbid sensitiveness -which can neither be explained nor justified. - -It is admitted, indeed, by Americans whose opinions are valuable, -that the popular feeling was in favour of Russia during the Crimean -war. Mr. Raymond attributes the circumstance to the influence of the -large Irish element; but I am inclined to believe it is partly due -at least to the feeling of rivalry and dislike to Great Britain, in -which the mass of the American people are trained by their early -education, and also in some measure to the notion that Russia was -unequally matched in the contest. - -_November 14th._--Rode to cavalry camp, and sat in front of Colonel -Emory’s tent with General Stoneman, who is chief of the cavalry, and -Captain Pleasanton; heard interesting anecdotes of the wild life -on the frontiers, and of bushranging in California, of lassoing -bulls and wild horses and buffaloes, and encounters with grizzly -bears--interrupted by a one-armed man, who came to the Colonel for -“leave to take away George.” He spoke of his brother who had died in -camp, and for whose body he had come, metallic coffin and all, to -carry it back to his parents in Pennsylvania. - -I dined with Mr. Seward--Mr. Raymond, of New York, and two or three -gentlemen, being the only guests. Mr. Lincoln came in whilst we were -playing a rubber, and told some excellent West-country stories. -“Here, Mr. President, we have got the two _Times_--of New York and -of London--if they would only do what is right and what we want, -all will go well.” “Yes,” said Mr. Lincoln, “if the bad Times would -go where we want them, good Times would be sure to follow.” Talking -over Bull’s Run, Mr. Seward remarked “that civilians sometimes -displayed more courage than soldiers, but perhaps the courage was -unprofessional. When we were cut off from Baltimore, and the United -States troops at Annapolis were separated by a country swarming with -malcontents, not a soldier could be found to undertake the journey -and communicate with them. At last a civilian”--(I think he mentioned -the name of Mr. Cassius Clay)--“volunteered, and executed the -business. So, after Bull’s Run, there was only one officer, General -Sherman, who was doing anything to get the troops into order when -the President and myself drove over to see what we could do on that -terrible Tuesday evening.” Mr. Teakle Wallis and others, after the -Baltimore business, told him the people would carry his head on their -pikes; and so he went to Auburn to see how matters stood, and a few -words from his old friends there made him feel his head was quite -right on his shoulders. - -_November 15th._--Horse-dealers are the same all the world over. -To-day comes one with a beast for which he asked £50. “There was a -Government agent looking after this horse for one of them French -princes, I believe, just as I was talking to the Kentuck chap that -had him. ‘John,’ says he, ‘that’s the best-looking horse I’ve seen in -Washington this many a day.’ ‘Yes,’ says I, ‘and you need not look at -him any more.’ ‘Why?’ says he. ‘Because,’ says I, ‘it’s one that I -want for Lord John Russell, of the London _Times_,’ says I, ‘and if -ever there was a man suited for a horse, or a horse that was suited -for a man, they’re the pair, and I’ll give every cent I can raise to -buy my friend, Lord Russell, that horse.’” I could not do less than -purchase, at a small reduction, a very good animal thus recommended. - -_November 16th._--A cold, raw day. As I was writing, a small friend -of mine, who appears like a stormy petrel in moments of great storm, -fluttered into my room, and having chirped out something about a -“Jolly row”--“Seizure of Mason and Slidell”--“British flag insulted,” -and the like, vanished. Somewhat later, going down 17th Street, I -met the French Minister, M. Mercier, wrapped in his cloak, coming -from the British Legation. “Vous avez entendu quelque chose de -nouveau?” “Mais non, excellence.” And then, indeed, I learned there -was no doubt about the fact that Captain Wilkes, of the U.S. steamer -San Jacinto, had forcibly boarded the Trent, British mail steamer, -off the Bahamas, and had taken Messrs. Mason, Slidell, Eustis, and -M‘Clernand from on board by armed force, in defiance of the protests -of the captain and naval officer in charge of the mails. This was -indeed grave intelligence, and the French Minister considered the act -a flagrant outrage, which could not for a moment be justified. - -I went to the Legation, and found the young diplomatists in the -“Chancellerie” as demure and innocent as if nothing had happened, -though perhaps they were a trifle more lively than usual. An hour -later, and the whole affair was published in full in the evening -papers. Extraordinary exultation prevailed in the hotels and -bar-rooms. The State Department has made of course no communication -respecting the matter. All the English are satisfied that Mason and -his friends must be put on board an English mail packet from the San -Jacinto under a salute. - -An officer of the United States navy--whose name I shall not -mention here--came in to see the buccaneers, as the knot of English -bachelors of Washington are termed, and talk over the matter. “Of -course” he said, “we shall apologise and give up poor Wilkes to -vengeance by dismissing him, but under no circumstances shall we -ever give up Mason and Slidell. No, sir; not a man dare propose -such a humiliation to our flag.” He says that Wilkes acted on his -own responsibility, and that the San Jacinto was coming home from -the African station when she encountered the Trent. Wilkes knew the -rebel emissaries were on board, and thought he would cut a dash and -get up a little sensation, being a bold and daring sort of a fellow -with a quarrelsome disposition and a great love of notoriety, but an -excellent officer. - -_November 17th._--For my sins I went to see a dress parade of the 6th -Regular Cavalry early this morning, and underwent a small purgatory -from the cold, on a bare plain, whilst the men and officers, with red -cheeks and blue noses, mounted on horses with staring coats, marched, -trotted, and cantered past. The papers contain joyous articles on the -Trent affair, and some have got up an immense amount of learning at -a short notice; but I am glad to say we had no discussion in camp. -There is scarcely more than one opinion among thinking people in -Washington respecting the legality of the act, and the course Great -Britain must pursue. All the Foreign Ministers, without exception, -have called on Lord Lyons--Russia, France, Italy, Prussia, Denmark. -All are of accord. I am not sure whether the important diplomatist -who represents the mighty interests of the Hanse Towns has not -condescended to admit England has right on her side. - -_November 18th._--There is a storm of exultation sweeping over the -land. Wilkes is the hero of the hour. I saw Mr. F. Seward at the -State Department at ten o’clock; but as at the British Legation -the orders are not to speak of the transaction, so at the State -Department a judicious reticence is equally observed. The lawyers are -busy furnishing arguments to the newspapers. The officers who held -their tongues at first, astonished at the audacity of the act, are -delighted to find any arguments in its favour. - -I called at General M‘Clellan’s new head-quarters to get a pass, and -on my way met the Duke of Chartres, who shook his young head very -gravely, and regarded the occurrence with sorrow and apprehension. -M‘Clellan, I understand, advised the immediate surrender of the -prisoners; but the authorities, supported by the sudden outburst of -public approval, refused to take that step. I saw Lord Lyons, who -appeared very much impressed by the magnitude of the crisis. Thence -I visited the Navy Department, where Captain Dahlgren and Lieutenant -Wise discussed the affair. The former, usually so calm, has too -much sense not to perceive the course England must take, and as an -American officer naturally feels regret at what appears to be the -humiliation of his flag; but he speaks with passion, and vows that -if England avails herself of the temporary weakness of the United -States to get back the rebel commissioners by threats of force, -every American should make his sons swear eternal hostility to Great -Britain. Having done wrong, stick to it! Thus men’s anger blinds -them, and thus come wars. - -It is obvious that no Power could permit political offenders sailing -as passengers in a mail-boat under its flag, from one neutral port -to another, to be taken by a belligerent, though the recognition of -such a right would be, perhaps, more advantageous to England than to -any other Power. But, notwithstanding these discussions, our naval -friends dined and spent the evening with us, in company with some -other officers. - -I paid my respects to the Prince of Joinville, with whom I had a -long and interesting conversation, in the course of which he gave -me to understand he thought the seizure an untoward and unhappy -event, which could not be justified on any grounds whatever, and -that he had so expressed himself in the highest quarters. There are, -comparatively, many English here at present; Mr. Chaplin, Sir F. -Johnstone, Mr. Weldon, Mr. Browne, and others, and it may be readily -imagined this affair creates deep feeling and much discussion. - -_November 19th._--I rarely sat down to write under a sense of greater -responsibility, for it is just possible my letter may contain the -first account of the seizure of the Southern Commissioners which -will reach England; and, having heard all opinions and looked at -authorities, as far as I could, it appears to me that the conduct of -the American officer, now sustained by his Government, is without -excuse. I dined at Mr. Corcoran’s, where the Ministers of Prussia, -Brazil, and Chili, and the Secretary of the French Legation, were -present; and, although we did not talk politics, enough was said to -show there was no dissent from the opinion expressed by intelligent -and uninterested foreigners. - -_November 20th._--To-day a grand review, the most remarkable feature -of which was the able disposition made by General M‘Dowell to march -seventy infantry regiments, seventeen batteries, and seven cavalry -regiments, into a very contracted space, from the adjoining camps. -Of the display itself I wrote a long account, which is not worth -repeating here. Among the 55,000 men present there were at least -20,000 Germans and 12,000 Irish. - -_November 22nd._--All the American papers have agreed that the Trent -business is quite according to law, custom, and international comity, -and that England can do nothing. They cry out so loudly in this -one key there is reason to suspect they have some inward doubts. -General M‘Clellan invited all the world, including myself, to see a -performance given by Hermann, the conjuror, at his quarters, which -will be aggravating news to the bloody-minded, serious people in New -England. - -Day after day passes on, and finds our Micawbers in Washington -waiting for something to turn up. The Trent affair, having been -proved to be legal and right beyond yea or nay, has dropped out of -the minds of all save those who are waiting for news from England; -and on looking over my diary I can see nothing but memoranda relating -to quiet rides, visits to camps, conversations with this one or the -other, a fresh outburst of anonymous threatening letters, as if I -had anything to do with the Trent affair, and notes of small social -reunions at our own rooms and the Washington houses which were open -to us. - -_November 25th._--I remarked the other evening that, with all the -disorder in Washington, there are no thieves. Next night, as we were -sitting in our little symposium, a thirsty soldier knocked at the -door for a glass of water. He was brought in and civilly treated. -Under the date of the 27th, accordingly, I find it duly entered that -“the vagabond who came in for water must have had a confederate, -who got into the hall whilst we were attending to his comrade, for -yesterday there was a great lamentation over cloaks and great-coats -missing from the hall, and as the day wore on the area of plunder was -extended. Carl discovers he has been robbed of his best clothes, and -Caroline has lost her watch and many petticoats.” - -Thanksgiving Day on the 28th was celebrated by enormous drunkenness -in the army. The weather varied between days of delicious -summer--soft, bright, balmy, and beautiful beyond expression--and -days of wintry storm, with torrents of rain. - -Some excitement was caused at the end of the month by the report I -had received information from England that the law officers of the -Crown had given it as their opinion that a United States man-of-war -would be justified by Lord Stowell’s decisions in taking Mason and -Slidell even in the British Channel, if the Nashville transferred -them to a British mail steamer. This opinion was called for in -consequence of the Tuscarora appearing in Southampton Water; and, -having heard of it, I repeated it in strict confidence to some one -else, till at last Baron de Stoeckl came to ask me if it was true. -Receiving passengers from the Nashville, however, would have been an -act of direct intercourse with an enemy’s ship. In the case of the -Trent the persons seized had come on board as lawful passengers at a -neutral port. - -The tide of success runs strongly in favour of the North at present, -although they generally get the worst of it in the small affairs in -the front of Washington. The entrance to Savannah has been occupied, -and by degrees the fleets are biting into the Confederate lines along -the coast, and establishing positions which will afford bases of -operations to the Federals hereafter. The President and Cabinet seem -in better spirits, and the former indulges in quaint speculations, -which he transfers even to State papers. He calculates, for instance, -there are human beings now alive who may ere they die behold the -United States peopled by 250 millions of souls. Talking of a high -mound on the prairie, in Illinois, he remarked, “that if all the -nations of the earth were assembled there, a man standing on its top -would see them all, for that the whole human race would fit on a -space twelve miles square, which was about the extent of the plain.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - A Captain under arrest--Opening of Congress--Colonel Dutassy--An - ex-pugilist turned Senator--Mr. Cameron--Ball in the officers’ - huts--Presentation of standards at Arlington--Dinner at - Lord Lyons’--Paper currency--A polyglot dinner--Visit to - Washington’s Tomb--Mr. Chase’s Report--Colonel Seaton--Unanimity - of the South--The Potomac blockade--A Dutch-American Crimean - acquaintance--The American Lawyers on the Trent affair--Mr. - Sumner--M‘Clellan’s Army--Impressions produced in America by - the English Press on the affair of the Trent--Mr. Sumner on the - crisis--Mutual feelings of the two nations--Rumours of war with - Great Britain. - - -_December 1st._--A mixed party of American officers and English went -to-day to the post at Great Falls, about sixteen or seventeen miles -up the Potomac, and were well repaid by the charming scenery, and by -a visit to an American military station in a state of nature. The -captain in command told us over a drink that he was under arrest, -because he had refused to do duty as lieutenant of the guard, he -being a captain. “But I have written to M‘Clellan about it,” said he, -“and I’m d--d if I stay under arrest more than three days longer.” -He was not aware that the General’s brother, who is a captain on his -staff, was sitting beside him at the time. This worthy centurion -further informed us he had shot a man dead a short time before for -disobeying his orders. “That he did,” said his sympathising and -enthusiastic orderly, “and there’s the weapon that done it.” The -captain was a boot and shoe maker by trade, and had travelled across -the isthmus before the railway was made to get orders for his boots. -A hard, determined, fierce “sutor,” as near a savage as might be. - -“And what will you do, captain,” asked I, “if they keep you in -arrest?” - -“Fight for it, sir. I’ll go straight away into Pennsylvania with my -company, and we’ll whip any two companies they can send to stop us.” - -Mr. Sumner paid me a visit on my return from our excursion, and seems -to think everything is in the best possible state. - -_December 2nd._--Congress opened to-day. The Senate did nothing. In -the House of Representatives some Buncombe resolutions were passed -about Captain Wilkes, who has become a hero--“a great interpreter -of international law,” and also recommending that Messrs. Mason and -Slidell be confined in felons’ cells, in retaliation for Colonel -Corcoran’s treatment by the Confederates. M. Blondel, the Belgian -minister, who was at the court of Greece during the Russian war, -told me that when the French and English fleets lay in the Piræus, -a United States vessel, commanded, he thinks, by Captain Stringham, -publicly received M. Persani, the Russian ambassador, on board, -hoisted and saluted the Russian flag in the harbour, whereupon the -French Admiral, Barbier de Tinan, proposed to the English Admiral to -go on board the United States vessel and seize the ambassador, which -the British officer refused to do. - -_December 3rd._--Drove down to the Capitol, and was introduced to -the floor of the Senate by Senator Wilson, and arrived just as -Mr. Forney commenced reading the President’s message, which was -listened to with considerable interest. At dinner, Colonel D’Utassy, -of the Garibaldi legion, who gives a curious account of his career. -A Hungarian by birth, he went over from the Austrian service, and -served under Bem; was wounded and taken prisoner at Temesvar, and -escaped from Spielberg, through the kindness of Count Bennigsen, -making his way to Semlin, in the disguise of a servant, where Mr. -Fonblanque, the British consul, protected him. Thence he went to -Kossuth at Shumla, finally proceeded to Constantinople, where he was -engaged to instruct the Turkish cavalry; turned up in the Ionian -Islands, where he was engaged by the late Sir H. Ward, as a sort of -secretary and interpreter, in which capacity he also served Sir G. -Le Marchant. In the United States he was earning his livelihood as -a fencing, dancing, and language master; and when the war broke out -he exerted himself to raise a regiment, and succeeded in completing -his number in seventeen days, being all the time obliged to support -himself by his lessons. I tell his tale as he told it to me. - -One of our friends, of a sporting turn, dropped in to-night, followed -by a gentleman dressed in immaculate black, and of staid deportment, -whose name I did not exactly catch, but fancied it was that of a -senator of some reputation. As the stranger sat next me, and was -rubbing his knees nervously, I thought I would commence conversation. - -“It appears, sir, that affairs in the south-west are not so -promising. May I ask you what is your opinion of the present -prospects of the Federals in Missouri?” - -I was somewhat disconcerted by his reply, for rubbing his knees -harder than ever, and imprecating his organs of vision in a very -sanguinary manner, he said-- - -“Well, d---- if I know what to think of them. They’re a b---- rum -lot, and they’re going on in a d---- rum way. That’s what I think.” - -The supposed legislator, in fact, was distinguished in another -arena, and was no other than a celebrated pugilist, who served his -apprenticeship in the English ring, and has since graduated in -honours in America. - -I dined with Mr. Cameron, Secretary of War, where I met Mr. Forney, -Secretary of the Senate; Mr. House, Mr. Wilkeson, and others, and was -exceedingly interested by the shrewd conversation and candid manner -of our host. He told me he once worked as a printer in the city of -Washington, at ten dollars a week, and twenty cents an hour for extra -work at the case on Sundays. Since that time he has worked onwards -and upwards, and amassed a large fortune by contracts for railways -and similar great undertakings. He says the press rules America, and -that no one can face it and live; which is about the worst account -of the chances of an honest longevity I can well conceive. His -memory is exact, and his anecdotes, albeit he has never seen any -but Americans, or stirred out of the States, very agreeable. Once -there lived at Washington a publican’s daughter, named Mary O’Neil, -beautiful, bold, and witty. She captivated a member of Congress, who -failed to make her less than his wife; and by degrees Mrs. Eaton--who -may now be seen in the streets of Washington, an old woman, still -bright-eyed and, alas! bright-cheeked, retaining traces of her great -beauty--became a leading personage in the State, and ruled the -imperious, rugged, old Andrew Jackson so completely, that he broke -up his Cabinet and dismissed his ministers on her account. In the -days of her power she had done some trifling service to Mr. Cameron, -and he has just repaired it by conferring some military appointment -on her grandchild. - -The dinner, which was preceded by deputations, was finished by one -which came from the Far West, and was introduced by Mr. Hannibal -Hamlin, the Vice-President; Mr. Owen Lovejoy, Mr. Bingham, and other -ultra-Abolitionist members of Congress; and then speeches were made, -and healths were drunk, and toasts were pledged, till it was time for -me to drive to a ball given by the officers of the 5th United States -Cavalry, which was exceedingly pretty, and admirably arranged in -wooden huts, specially erected and decorated for the occasion. A huge -bonfire in the centre of the camp, surrounded by soldiers, by the -carriage drivers, and by negro servants, afforded the most striking -play of colour and variety of light and shade I ever beheld. - -_December 4th._--To Arlington, where Senator Ira Harris presented -flags--that is, standards--to a cavalry regiment called after his -name; the President, Mrs. Lincoln, ministers, generals, and a large -gathering present. Mr. Harris made a very long and a very fierce -speech; it could not be said _Ira furor brevis est_; and Colonel -Davies, in taking the standard, was earnest and lengthy in reply. -Then a barrister presented colour No. 2 in a speech full of poetical -quotations, to which Major Kilpatrick made an excellent answer. -Though it was strange enough to hear a political disquisition on -the causes of the rebellion from a soldier in full uniform, the -proceedings were highly theatrical and very effective. “Take, then, -this flag,” &c.--“Defend it with your,” &c.--“Yes, sir, we will -guard this sacred emblem with--,” &c. The regiment then went through -some evolutions, which were brought to an untimely end by a _feu de -joie_ from the infantry in the rear, which instantly broke up the -squadrons, and sent them kicking, plunging, and falling over the -field, to the great amusement of the crowd. - -Dined with Lord Lyons, where was Mr. Galt, Financial Minister of -Canada; Mr. Stewart, who has arrived to replace Mr. Irvine, and -others. In our rooms, a grand financial discussion took place in -honour of Mr. Galt, between Mr. Butler Duncan and others, the former -maintaining that a general issue of national paper was inevitable. -A very clever American maintained that the North will be split into -two great parties by the result of the victory which they are certain -to gain over the South--that the Democrats will offer the South -concessions more liberal than they could ever dream of, and that both -will unite against the Abolitionists and Black Republicans. - -_December 6th._--Mr. Riggs says the paper currency scheme will -produce money, and make every man richer. He is a banker, and ought -to know; but to my ignorant eye it seems likely to prove most -destructive, and I confess, that whatever be the result of this -war, I have no desire for the ruin of so many happy communities as -have sprung up in the United States. Had it been possible for human -beings to employ popular institutions without intrigue and miserable -self-seeking, and to be superior to faction and party passion, the -condition of parts of the United States must cause regret that an -exemption from the usual laws which regulate human nature was not -made in America; but the strength of the United States--directed by -violent passions, by party interest, and by selfish intrigues--was -becoming dangerous to the peace of other nations, and therefore there -is an utter want of sympathy with them in their time of trouble. - -I dined with Mr. Galt, at Willard’s, where we had a very pleasant -party, in spite of financial dangers. - -_December 7th._--A visit to the Garibaldi Guard with some of the -Englishry, and an excellent dinner at the mess, which presented -a curious scene, and was graced by sketches from a wonderful -polyglot chaplain. What a company!--the officers present were -composed as follows:--Five Spaniards, six Poles and Hungarians, two -Frenchmen--the most soldierly-looking men at table--one American, -four Italians, and nine Teutons of various States in Germany. - -_December 8th._--A certain excellent Colonel who commands a French -regiment visited us to-day. When he came to Washington, one of the -Foreign Ministers who had been well acquainted with him said, “My -dear Colonel, what a pity we can be no longer friends.” “Why so, -Baron?” “Ah, we can never dine together again.” “Why not? Do you -forbid me your table?” “No, Colonel, but how can I invite a man who -can command the services of at least 200 cooks in his own regiment?” -“Well then, Baron, you can come and dine with me.” “What! how do -you think I could show myself in your camp--how could I get my hair -dressed to sit at the table of a man who commands 300 coiffeurs?” I -rode out to overtake a party who had started in carriages for Mount -Vernon to visit Washington’s tomb, but missed them in the wonderfully -wooded country which borders the Potomac, and returned alone. - -_December 9th._--Spent the day over Mr. Chase’s report, a copy of -which he was good enough to send me with a kind note, and went out -in the evening with my head in a state of wild financial confusion, -and a general impression that the financial system of England is very -unsound. - -_December 10th._--Paid a visit to Colonel Seaton, of the _National -Intelligencer_, a man deservedly respected and esteemed for his -private character, which has given its impress to the journal he -has so long conducted. The New York papers ridicule the Washington -organ, because it does not spread false reports daily in the form -of telegraphic “sensation” news, and indeed one may be pretty sure -that a fact is a fact when it is found in the _Intelligencer_; but -the man, nevertheless, who is content with the information he gets -from it, will have no reason to regret, in the accuracy of his -knowledge or the soundness of his views, that he has not gone to its -noisy and mendacious rivals. In the minds of all the very old men -in the States, there is a feeling of great sadness and despondency -respecting the present troubles, and though they cling to the idea -of a restoration of the glorious Union of their youth, it is hoping -against hope. “Our game is played out. It was the most wonderful and -magnificent career of success the world ever saw, but rogues and -gamblers took up the cards at last; they quarrelled, and are found -out.” - -In the evening, supped at Mr. Forney’s, where there was a very -large gathering of gentlemen connected with the press; Mr. Cameron, -Secretary of War; Colonel Mulligan, a tall young man, with dark hair -falling on his shoulders, round a Celtic impulsive face, and a hazy -enthusiastic-looking eye; and other celebrities. Terrapin soup -and canvas-backs, speeches, orations, music, and song, carried the -company onwards among the small hours. - -_December 11th._--The unanimity of the people in the South is forced -on the conviction of the statesmen and people of the North, by -the very success of their expeditions in Secession. They find the -planters at Beaufort and elsewhere burning their cotton and crops, -villages and towns deserted at their approach, hatred in every eye, -and curses on women’s tongues. They meet this by a corresponding -change in their own programme. The war which was made to develop and -maintain Union sentiment in the South, and to enable the people to -rise against a desperate faction which had enthralled them, is now to -be made a crusade against slaveholders, and a war of subjugation--if -need be, of extermination--against the whole of the Southern States. -The Democrats will, of course, resist this barbarous and hopeless -policy. There is a deputation of Irish Democrats here now, to effect -a general exchange of prisoners, which is an operation calculated -to give a legitimate character to the war, and is _pro tanto_ a -recognition of the Confederacy as a belligerent power. - -_December 12th._--The navy are writhing under the disgrace of the -Potomac blockade, and deny it exists. The price of articles in -Washington which used to come by the river affords disagreeable proof -to the contrary. And yet there is not a true Yankee in Pennsylvania -Avenue who does not believe, what he reads every day, that his -glorious navy could sweep the fleets of France and England off the -seas to-morrow, though the Potomac be closed, and the Confederate -batteries throw their shot and shell into the Federal camps on the -other side. I dined with General Butterfield, whose camp is pitched -in Virginia, on a knoll and ridge from which a splendid view can be -had over the wooded vales and hills extending from Alexandria towards -Manassas, whitened with Federal tents and huts. General Fitz-John -Porter and General M‘Dowell were among the officers present. - -_December 12th._--A big-bearded, spectacled, moustachioed, spurred, -and booted officer threw himself on my bed this morning ere I was -awake. “Russell, my dear friend, here you are at last; what ages have -passed since we met!” I sat up and gazed at my friend. “Bohlen! don’t -you remember Bohlen, and our rides in Turkey, our visit to Shumla -and Pravady, and all the rest of it?” Of course I did. I remembered -an enthusiastic soldier, with a fine guttural voice, and a splendid -war saddle and saddle-cloth, and brass stirrups and holsters, worked -with eagles all over, and a uniform coat and cap with more eagles -flying amidst laurel leaves and U.S.’s in gold, who came out to see -the fighting in the East, and made up his mind that there would be -none, when he arrived at Varna, and so started off incontinent up the -Danube, and returned to the Crimea when it was too late; and a very -good, kindly, warm-hearted fellow was the Dutch-American, who--once -more in his war paint, this time acting Brigadier-General[9]--renewed -the memories of some pleasant days far away; and our talk was of -cavasses and khans, and tchibouques, and pashas, till his time was up -to return to his fighting Germans of Blenker’s division. - -He was _not_ the good-natured officer who said the other day, “The -next day you come down, sir, if my regiment happens to be on picket -duty, we’ll have a little skirmish with the enemy, just to show you -how our fellows are improved.” “Perhaps you might bring on a general -action, Colonel.” “Well, sir, we’re not afraid of that, either! Let -’em come on.” It did so happen that some young friends of mine, of -H.M.’s 30th, who had come down from Canada to see the army here, -went out a day or two ago with an officer on General Smith’s staff, -formerly in our army, who yet suffers from a wound received at the -Alma, to have a look at the enemy with a detachment of men. The enemy -came to have a look at them, whereby it happened that shots were -exchanged, and the bold Britons had to ride back as hard as they -could, for their men skedaddled, and the Secession cavalry slipping -after them, had a very pretty chase for some miles; so the 30th men -saw more than they bargained for. - -Dined at Baron Gerolt’s, where I had the pleasure of meeting Judge -Daly, who is perfectly satisfied the English lawyers have not a -leg to stand upon in the Trent case. On the faith of old and very -doubtful, and some purely supposititious, cases, the American lawyers -have made up their minds that the seizure of the “rebel” ambassadors -was perfectly legitimate and normal. The Judge expressed his belief -that if there was a rebellion in Ireland, and that Messrs. Smith -O’Brien and O’Gorman ran the blockade to France, and were going on -their passage from Havre to New York in a United States steamer, -they would be seized by the first British vessel that knew the fact. -“Granted; and what would the United States do?” “I am afraid we -should be obliged to demand that they be given up; and if you were -strong enough at the time, I dare say you would fight sooner than do -so.” Mr. Sumner, with whom I had some conversation this afternoon, -affects to consider the question eminently suitable for reference and -arbitration. - -In spite of drills and parades, M‘Clellan has not got an army yet. A -good officer, who served as brigade-major in our service, told me the -men were little short of mutinous, with all their fine talk, though -they could fight well. Sometimes they refuse to mount guard, or to go -on duty not to their tastes; officers refuse to serve under others to -whom they have a dislike; men offer similar personal objections to -officers. M‘Clellan is enforcing discipline, and really intends to -execute a most villainous deserter this time. - -_December 15th._--The first echo of the San Jacinto’s guns in England -reverberated to the United States, and produced a profound sensation. -The people had made up their minds John Bull would acquiesce in the -seizure, and not say a word about it; or they affected to think -so; and the cry of anger which has resounded through the land, and -the unmistakable tone of the British press, at once surprise, and -irritate, and disappoint them. The American journals, nevertheless, -pretend to think it is a mere vulgar excitement, and that the press -is “only indulging in its habitual bluster.” - -_December 16th._--I met Mr. Seward at a ball and cotillion party, -given by M. de Lisboa; and as he was in very good humour, and was -inclined to talk, he pointed out to the Prince of Joinville, and all -who were inclined to listen, and myself, how terrible the effects of -a war would be if Great Britain forced it on the United States. “We -will wrap the whole world in flames!” he exclaimed. “No power so -remote that she will not feel the fire of our battle and be burned -by our conflagration.” It is inferred that Mr. Seward means to show -fight. One of the guests, however, said to me, “That’s all bugaboo -talk. When Seward talks that way, he means to break down. He is most -dangerous and obstinate when he pretends to agree a good deal with -you.” The young French Princes, and the young and pretty Brazilian -and American ladies, danced and were happy, notwithstanding the -storms without. - -Next day I dined at Mr. Seward’s, as the Minister had given _carte -blanche_ to a very lively and agreeable lady, who has to lament over -an absent husband in this terrible war, to ask two gentlemen to -dine with him, and she had been pleased to select myself and M. de -Geoffroy, Secretary of the Trench Legation, as her thick and her thin -_umbræ_; and the company went off in the evening to the White House, -where there was a reception, whereat I imagined I might be _de trop_, -and so home. - -Mr. Seward was in the best spirits, and told one or two rather long, -but very pleasant, stories. Now it is evident he must by this time -know Great Britain has resolved on the course to be pursued, and his -good humour, contrasted with the irritation he displayed in May and -June, is not intelligible. - -The Russian Minister, at whose house I dined next day, is better able -than any man to appreciate the use made of the Czar’s professions of -regret for the evils which distract the States by the Americans; but -it is the fashion to approve of everything that France does, and to -assume a violent affection for Russia. The Americans are irritated -by war preparations on the part of England, in case the Government -of Washington do not accede to their demands; and, at the same time, -much annoyed that all European nations join in an outcry against the -famous project of destroying the Southern harbours by the means of -the stone fleet. - -_December 20th._--I went down to the Senate, as it was expected at -the Legation and elsewhere the President would send a special message -to the Senate on the Trent affair; but, instead, there was merely a -long speech from a senator, to show the South did not like democratic -institutions. Lord Lyons called on Mr. Seward yesterday to read Lord -Russell’s dispatch to him, and to give time for a reply; but Mr. -Seward was out, and Mr. Sumner told me the Minister was down with the -Committee of Foreign Relations, where there is a serious business in -reference to the State of Mexico and certain European Powers under -discussion, when the British Minister went to the State Department. - -Next day Lord Lyons had two interviews with Mr. Seward, read the -despatch, which simply asks for surrender of Mason and Slidell -and reparation, without any specific act named, but he received -no indication from Mr. Seward of the course he would pursue. Mr. -Lincoln has “put down his foot” on no surrender. “Sir!” exclaimed the -President, to an old Treasury official the other day, “I would sooner -die than give them up.” “Mr. President,” was the reply, “your death -would be a great loss, but the destruction of the United States would -be a still more deplorable event.” - -Mr. Seward will, however, control the situation, as the Cabinet -will very probably support his views; and Americans will comfort -themselves, in case the captives are surrendered, with a promise -of future revenge, and with the reflection that they have avoided a -very disagreeable intervention between their march of conquest and -the Southern Confederacy. The general belief of the diplomatists is, -that the prisoners will not be given up, and in that case Lord Lyons -and the Legation will retire from Washington for the time, probably -to Halifax, leaving Mr. Monson to wind up affairs and clear out the -archives. But it is understood that there is no ultimatum, and that -Lord Lyons is not to indicate any course of action, should Mr. Seward -inform him the United States Government refuses to comply with the -demands of Great Britain. - -Any humiliation which may be attached to concession will be caused -by the language of the Americans themselves, who have given in their -press, in public meetings, in the Lower House, in the Cabinet, and -in the conduct of the President, a complete ratification of the act -of Captain Wilkes, not to speak of the opinions of the lawyers, -and the speeches of their orators, who declare “they will face any -alternative, but that they will never surrender.” The friendly -relations which existed between ourselves and many excellent -Americans are now rendered somewhat constrained by the prospect of a -great national difference. - -_December_ (Sunday) _22nd._--Lord Lyons saw Mr. Seward again, but it -does not appear that any answer can be expected before Wednesday. All -kinds of rumours circulate through the city, and are repeated in an -authoritative manner in the New York papers. - -_December 23rd_.--There was a tremendous storm, which drove over the -city and shook the houses to the foundation. Constant interviews -took place between the President and members of the Cabinet, and -so certain are the people that war is inevitable, that an officer -connected with the executive of the Navy Department came in to tell -me General Scott was coming over from Europe to conduct the Canadian -campaign, as he had thoroughly studied the geography of the country, -and that in a very short time he would be in possession of every -strategic position on the frontier, and chaw up our reinforcements. -Late in the evening, Mr. Olmsted called to say he had been credibly -informed Lord Lyons had quarrelled violently with Mr. Seward, -had flown into a great passion with him, and so departed. The -idea of Lord Lyons being quarrelsome, passionate, or violent, was -preposterous enough to those who knew him; but the American papers, -by repeated statements of the sort, have succeeded in persuading -their public that the British Minister is a plethoric, red-faced, -large-stomached man in top-boots, knee-breeches, yellow waistcoat, -blue cut-away, brass buttons, and broad-brimmed white hat, who is -continually walking to the State Department in company with a large -bulldog, hurling defiance at Mr. Seward at one moment, and the next -rushing home to receive despatches from Mr. Jefferson Davis, or to -give secret instructions to the British Consuls to run cargoes of -quinine and gunpowder through the Federal blockade. I was enabled -to assure Mr. Olmsted there was not the smallest foundation for the -story; but he seemed impressed with a sense of some great calamity, -and told me there was a general belief that England only wanted a -pretext for a quarrel with the United States; nor could I comfort him -by the assurance that there were good reasons for thinking General -Scott would very soon annex Canada, in case of war. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - News of the death of the Prince Consort--Mr. Sumner and - the Trent Affair--Dispatch to Lord Russell--The Southern - Commissioners given up--Effects on the friends of the South--My - own unpopularity at New York--Attack of fever--My tour in - Canada--My return to New York in February--Successes of the - Western States--Mr. Stanton succeeds Mr. Cameron as Secretary - of War--Reverse and retreat of M‘Clellan--My free pass--The - Merrimac and Monitor--My arrangement to accompany M‘Clellan’s - head-quarters--Mr. Stanton refuses his sanction--National vanity - wounded by my truthfulness--My retirement and return to Europe. - - -_December 24th._---This evening came in a telegram from Europe -with news which cast the deepest gloom over all our little English -circle. Prince Albert dead! At first no one believed it; then it -was remembered that private letters by the last mail had spoken -despondingly of his state of health, and that the “little cold” of -which we had heard was described in graver terms. Prince Alfred dead! -“Oh, it may be Prince Alfred,” said some; and sad as it would be for -the Queen and the public to lose the Sailor Prince, the loss could -not be so great as that which we all felt to be next to the greatest. -The preparations which we had made for a little festivity to welcome -in Christmas morning were chilled by the news, and the eve was not -of the joyous character which Englishmen delight to give it, for the -sorrow which fell on all hearts in England had spanned the Atlantic, -and bade us mourn in common with the country at home. - -_December 25th._--Lord Lyons, who had invited the English in -Washington to dinner, gave a small quiet entertainment, from which he -retired early. - -_December 26th._--No answer yet. There can be but one. Press people, -soldiers, sailors, ministers, senators, Congress men, people in -the street, the voices of the bar-room--all are agreed. “Give them -up? Never! We’ll die first!” Senator Sumner, M. De Beaumont, M. -De Geoffroy, of the French Legation, dined with me, in company -with General Van Vliet, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Lamy, &c.; and in -the evening Major Anson, M.P., Mr. Johnson, Captain Irwin, U.S.A., -Lt. Wise, U.S.N., joined our party, and after much evasion of the -subject, the English despatch and Mr. Seward’s decision turned up and -caused some discussion. Mr. Sumner, who is Chairman of the Committee -on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and in that capacity is in -intimate _rapport_ with the President, either is, or affects to be, -incredulous respecting the nature of Lord Russell’s despatch this -evening, and argues that, at the very utmost, the Trent affair can -only be a matter for mediation, and not for any peremptory demand, -as the law of nations has no exact precedent to bear upon the case, -and that there are so many instances in which Sir W. Scott’s (Lord -Stowell’s) decisions in principle appear to justify Captain Wilkes. -All along he has held this language, and has maintained that at the -very worst there is plenty of time for protocols, despatches, and -references, and more than once he has said to me, “I hope you will -keep the peace; help us to do so,”--the peace having been already -broken by Captain Wilkes and the Government. - -_December 27th._--This morning Mr. Seward sent in his reply to -Lord Russell’s despatch--“grandis et verbosa epistola.” The result -destroys my prophecies, for, after all, the Southern Commissioners -or Ambassadors are to be given up. Yesterday, indeed, in an -under-current of whispers among the desponding friends of the South, -there went a rumour that the Government had resolved to yield. What -a collapse! What a bitter mortification! I had scarcely finished -the perusal of an article in a Washington paper,--which, let it be -understood, is an organ of Mr. Lincoln,--stating that “Mason and -Slidell would _not_ be surrendered, and assuring the people they -need entertain no apprehension of such a dishonourable concession,” -when I learned beyond all possibility of doubt, that Mr. Seward had -handed in his despatch, placing the Commissioners at the disposal of -the British Minister. A copy of the despatch will be published in the -_National Intelligencer_ to-morrow morning at an early hour, in time -to go to Europe by the steamer which leaves New York. - -After dinner, those who were in the secret were amused by hearing the -arguments which were started between one or two Americans and some -English in the company, in consequence of a positive statement from a -gentleman who came in, that Mason and Slidell had been surrendered. I -have resolved to go to Boston, being satisfied that a great popular -excitement and uprising will, in all probability, take place on the -discharge of the Commissioners from Fort Warren. What will my friend, -the general, say, who told me yesterday “he would snap his sword, and -throw the pieces into the White House, if they were given up?” - -_December 28th._--The _National Intelligencer_ of this morning -contains the despatches of Lord Russell, M. Thouvenel, and Mr. -Seward. The bubble has burst. The rage of the friends of compromise, -and of the South, who saw in a war with Great Britain the complete -success of the Confederacy, is deep and burning, if not loud; but -they all say they never expected anything better from the cowardly -and braggart statesmen who now rule in Washington. - -Lord Lyons has evinced the most moderate and conciliatory spirit, and -has done everything in his power to break Mr. Seward’s fall on the -softest of eider down. Some time ago we were all prepared to hear -nothing less would be accepted than Captain Wilkes taking Messrs. -Mason and Slidell on board the San Jacinto, and transferring them to -the Trent, under a salute to the flag, near the scene of the outrage; -at all events, it was expected that a British man-of-war would have -steamed into Boston, and received the prisoners under a salute from -Fort Warren; but Mr. Seward, apprehensive that some outrage would be -offered by the populace to the prisoners and the British Flag, has -asked Lord Lyons that the Southern Commissioners may be placed, as -it were, surreptitiously, in a United States boat, and carried to -a small seaport in the State of Maine, where they are to be placed -on board a British vessel as quietly as possible; and this exigent, -imperious, tyrannical, insulting British Minister has cheerfully -acceded to the request. Mr. Conway Seymour, the Queen’s messenger, -who brought Lord Russell’s despatch, was sent back with instructions -for the British Admiral, to send a vessel to Providence town for -the purpose; and as Mr. Johnson, who is nearly connected with Mr. -Eustis, one of the prisoners, proposed going to Boston to see his -brother-in-law, if possible, ere he started, and as there was not the -smallest prospect of any military movement taking place, I resolved -to go northwards with him; and we left Washington accordingly on the -morning of the 31st of December, and arrived at the New York Hotel -the same night. - -To my great regret and surprise, however, I learned it would be -impracticable to get to Fort Warren and see the prisoners before -their surrender. My unpopularity, which had lost somewhat of its -intensity, was revived by the exasperation against everything -English, occasioned by the firmness of Great Britain in demanding -the Commissioners; and on New Year’s Night, as I heard subsequently, -Mr. Grinell and other members of the New York Club were exposed -to annoyance and insult, by some of their brother members, in -consequence of inviting me to be their guest at the club. - -The illness which had prostrated some of the strongest men in -Washington, including General M‘Clellan himself, developed itself as -soon as I ceased to be sustained by the excitement, such as it was, -of daily events at the capital, and by expectations of a move; and -for some time an attack of typhoid fever confined me to my room, and -left me so weak that I was advised not to return to Washington till -I had tried change of air. I remained in New York till the end of -January, when I proceeded to make a tour in Canada, as it was quite -impossible for any operation to take place on the Potomac, where deep -mud, alternating with snow and frost, bound the contending armies in -winter quarters. - -On my return to New York, at the end of February, the North was -cheered by some signal successes achieved in the West principally by -gunboats, operating on the lines of the great rivers. The greatest -results have been obtained in the capture of Fort Donaldson and -Fort Henry, by Commodore Foote’s flotilla co-operating with the -land forces. The possession of an absolute naval supremacy, of -course, gives the North United States powerful means of annoyance -and inflicting injury and destruction on the enemy; it also secures -for them the means of seizing upon bases of operations wherever -they please, of breaking up the enemy’s lines, and maintaining -communications; but the example of Great Britain in the revolutionary -war should prove to the United States that such advantages do not, -by any means, enable a belligerent to subjugate a determined people -resolved on resistance to the last. The long-threatened encounter -between Bragg and Browne has taken place at Pensacola, without -effect, and the attempts of the Federals to advance from Port Royal -have been successfully resisted. Sporadic skirmishes have sprung up -over every border State; but, on the whole, success has inclined to -the Federals in Kentucky and Tennessee. - -On the 1st March, I arrived in Washington once more, and found things -very much as I had left them: the army recovering the effect of the -winter’s sickness and losses, animated by the victories of their -comrades in Western fields, and by the hope that the ever-coming -to-morrow would see them in the field at last. In place of Mr. -Cameron, an Ohio lawyer named Stanton has been appointed Secretary of -War. He came to Washington, a few years ago, to conduct some legal -proceedings for Mr. Daniel Sickles, and by his energy, activity, and -a rapid conversion from democratic to republican principles, as well -as by his Union sentiments, recommended himself to the President and -his Cabinet. - -The month of March passed over without any remarkable event in -the field. When the army started at last to attack the enemy--a -movement which was precipitated by hearing that they were moving -away--they went out only to find the Confederates had fallen back by -interior lines towards Richmond, and General M‘Clellan was obliged -to transport his army from Alexandria to the peninsula of York Town, -where his reverses, his sufferings, and his disastrous retreat, are -so well known and so recent, that I need only mention them as among -the most remarkable events which have yet occurred in this war. - -I had looked forward for many weary months to participating in the -movement and describing its results. Immediately on my arrival -in Washington, I was introduced to Mr. Stanton by Mr. Ashman, -formerly member of Congress and Secretary to Mr. Daniel Webster, -and the Secretary, without making any positive pledge, used words, -in Mr. Ashman’s presence, which led me to believe he would give -me permission to draw rations, and undoubtedly promised to afford -me every facility in his power. Subsequently he sent me a private -pass to the War Department to enable me to get through the crowd of -contractors and jobbers; but on going there to keep my appointment, -the Assistant-Secretary of War told me Mr. Stanton had been summoned -to a Cabinet Council by the President. - -We had some conversation respecting the subject matter of my -application, which the Assistant-Secretary seemed to think would -be attended with many difficulties, in consequence of the number -of correspondents to the American papers who might demand the -same privileges, and he intimated to me that Mr. Stanton was -little disposed to encourage them in any way whatever. Now this -is undoubtedly honest on Mr. Stanton’s part, for he knows he -might render himself popular by granting what they ask; but he -is excessively vain, and aspires to be considered a rude, rough, -vigorous Oliver Cromwell sort of man, mistaking some of the -disagreeable attributes and the accidents of the external husk of the -Great Protector for the brain and head of a statesman and a soldier. - -The American officers with whom I was intimate gave me to understand -that I could accompany them, in case I received permission from -the Government; but they were obviously unwilling to encounter -the abuse and calumny which would be heaped upon their heads by -American papers, unless they could show the authorities did not -disapprove of my presence in their camp. Several invitations sent -to me were accompanied by the phrase, “You will of course get a -written permission from the War Department, and then there will be -no difficulty.” On the evening of the private theatricals by which -Lord Lyons enlivened the ineffable dullness of Washington, I saw Mr. -Stanton at the Legation, and he conversed with me for some time. I -mentioned the difficulty connected with passes. He asked me what I -wanted. I said, “An order to go with the army to Manassas.” At his -request I procured a sheet of paper, and he wrote me a pass, took a -copy of it, which he put in his pocket, and then handed the other to -me. On looking at it, I perceived that it was a permission for me to -go to Manassas and back, and that all officers, soldiers, and others, -in the United States service, were to give me every assistance -and show me every courtesy; but the hasty return of the army to -Alexandria rendered it useless. - -The Merrimac and Monitor encounter produced the profoundest -impression in Washington, and unusual strictness was observed -respecting passes to Fortress Monroe. - -_March 19th._--I applied at the Navy Department for a passage down -to Fortress Monroe, as it was expected the Merrimac was coming out -again, but I could not obtain leave to go in any of the vessels. -Captain Hardman showed me a curious sketch of what he called the -Turtle Thor, an iron-cased machine with a huge claw or grapnel, with -which to secure the enemy whilst a steam hammer or a high iron fist, -worked by the engine, cracks and smashes her iron armour. “For,” says -he, “the days of gunpowder are over.” - -As soon as General M‘Clellan commenced his movement, he sent a -message to me by one of the French princes, that he would have great -pleasure in allowing me to accompany his head-quarters in the field. -I find the following, under the head of March 22nd:-- - -“Received a letter from General Marcy, chief of the staff, asking me -to call at his office. He told me General M‘Clellan directed him to -say he had no objection whatever to my accompanying the army, ‘but,’ -continued General Marcy, ‘you know we are a sensitive people, and -that our press is exceedingly jealous. General M‘Clellan has many -enemies who seek to pull him down, and scruple at no means of doing -so. He and I would be glad to do anything in our power to help you, -if you come with us, but we must not expose ourselves needlessly to -attack. The army is to move to the York and James Rivers at once.’” - -All my arrangements were made that day with General Van Vliet, the -quartermaster-general of head-quarters. I was quite satisfied, from -Mr. Stanton’s promise and General Marcy’s conversation, that I -should have no further difficulty. Our party was made up, consisting -of Colonel Neville; Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, Scotch Fusilier -Guards; Mr. Lamy, and myself; and our passage was to be provided in -the quartermaster-general’s boat. On the 26th of March, I went to -Baltimore in company with Colonel Rowan, of the Royal Artillery, who -had come down for a few days to visit Washington, intending to go -on by the steamer to Fortress Monroe, as he was desirous of seeing -his friends on board the Rinaldo, and I wished to describe the great -flotilla assembled there and to see Captain Hewett once more. - -On arriving at Baltimore, we learned it would be necessary to get -a special pass from General Dix, and on going to the General’s -head-quarters his aide-de-camp informed us that he had received -special instructions recently from the War Department to grant no -passes to Fortress Monroe, unless to officers and soldiers going -on duty, or to persons in the service of the United States. The -aide-de-camp advised me to telegraph to Mr. Stanton for permission, -which I did, but no answer was received, and Colonel Rowan and I -returned to Washington, thinking there would be a better chance of -securing the necessary order there. - -Next day we went to the Department of War, and were shown into Mr. -Stanton’s room--his secretary informing us that he was engaged in the -next room with the President and other Ministers in a council of war, -but that he would no doubt receive a letter from me and send me out -a reply. I accordingly addressed a note to Mr. Stanton, requesting -he would be good enough to give an order to Colonel Rowan, of the -British army, and myself, to go by the mail boat from Baltimore to -Monroe. In a short time Mr. Stanton sent out a note in the following -words:--“Mr. Stanton informs Mr. Russell no passes to Fortress Monroe -can be given at present, unless to officers in the United States -service.” We tried the Navy Department, but no vessels were going -down, they said; and one of the officers suggested that we should -ask for passes to go down and visit H.M.S. Rinaldo exclusively, -which could not well be refused, he thought, to British subjects, -and promised to take charge of the letter for Mr. Stanton and to -telegraph the permission down to Baltimore. There we returned by the -afternoon train and waited, but neither reply nor pass came for us. - -Next day we were disappointed also, and an officer of the Rinaldo, -who had come up on duty from the ship, was refused permission to take -us down on his return. I regretted these obstructions principally -on Colonel Rowan’s account, because he would have no opportunity -of seeing the flotilla. He returned next day to New York, whilst -I completed my preparations for the expedition and went back to -Washington, where I received my pass, signed by General M‘Clellan’s -chief of the staff, authorising me to accompany the head-quarters -of the army under his command. So far as I know, Mr. Stanton sent -no reply to my last letter, and calling with General Van Vliet -at his house on his reception night, the door was opened by his -brother-in-law, who said, “The Secretary was attending a sick child -and could not see any person that evening,” so I never met Mr. -Stanton again. - -Stories had long been current concerning his exceeding animosity -to General M‘Clellan, founded perhaps on his expressed want of -confidence in the General’s abilities, as much as on the dislike -he felt towards a man who persisted in disregarding his opinions -on matters connected with military operations. His infirmities of -health and tendency to cerebral excitement had been increased by -the pressure of business, by the novelty of power, and by the angry -passions to which individual antipathies and personal rancour give -rise. No one who ever saw Mr. Stanton would expect from him courtesy -of manner or delicacy of feeling; but his affectation of bluntness -and straightforwardness of purpose might have led one to suppose he -was honest and direct in purpose, as the qualities I have mentioned -are not always put forward by hypocrites to cloak finesse and -sinister action. - -The rest of the story may be told in a few words. It was perfectly -well known in Washington that I was going with the army, and I -presume Mr. Stanton, if he had any curiosity about such a trifling -matter, must have heard it also. I am told he was informed of -it at the last moment, and then flew out into a coarse passion -against General M‘Clellan because he had dared to invite or to -take anyone without his permission. What did a Republican General -want with foreign princes on his staff, or with foreign newspaper -correspondents to puff him up abroad? - -Judging from the stealthy, secret way in which Mr. Stanton struck -at General M‘Clellan the instant he had turned his back upon -Washington, and crippled him in the field by suddenly withdrawing -his best division without a word of notice, I am inclined to fear -he gratified whatever small passion dictated his course on this -occasion also, by waiting till he knew I was fairly on board the -steamer with my friends and baggage, just ready to move off, before -he sent down a despatch to Van Vliet and summoned him at once to -the War Office. When Van Vliet returned in a couple of hours, he -made the communication to me that Mr. Stanton had given him written -orders to prevent my passage, though even here he acted with all -the cunning and indirection of the village attorney, not with the -straightforwardness of Oliver Cromwell, whom it is laughable to name -in the same breath with his imitator. He did not write, “Mr. Russell -is not to go,” or “The _Times_ correspondent is forbidden a passage,” -but he composed two orders, with all the official formula of the War -Office, drawn up by the Quartermaster-General of the army, by the -direction and order of the Secretary of War. No. 1 ordered “that -no person should be permitted to embark on board any vessel in the -United States service without an order from the War Department.” -No. 2 ordered “that Colonel Neville, Colonel Fletcher, and Captain -Lamy, of the British army, having been invited by General M‘Clellan -to accompany the expedition, were authorized to embark on board the -vessel.” - -General Van Vliet assured me that he and General M‘Dowell had urged -every argument they could think of in my favour, particularly the -fact that I was the specially invited guest of General M‘Clellan, -and that I was actually provided with a pass by his order from the -chief of his staff. - -With these orders before me, I had no alternative. - -General M‘Clellan was far away. Mr. Stanton had waited again until he -was gone. General Marcy was away. I laid the statement of what had -occurred before the President, who at first gave me hopes, from the -wording of his letter, that he would overrule Mr. Stanton’s order, -but who next day informed me he could not take it upon himself to do -so. - -It was plain I had now but one course left. My mission in the United -States was to describe military events and operations, or, in -defect of them, to deal with such subjects as might be interesting -to people at home. In the discharge of my duty, I had visited the -South, remaining there until the approach of actual operations and -the establishment of the blockade, which cut off all communication -from the Southern States except by routes which would deprive my -correspondence of any value, compelled me to return to the North, -where I could keep up regular communication with Europe. Soon after -my return, as unfortunately for myself as the United States, the -Federal troops were repulsed in an attempt to march upon Richmond, -and terminated a disorderly retreat by a disgraceful panic. The whole -incidents of what I saw were fairly stated by an impartial witness, -who, if anything, was inclined to favour a nation endeavouring to -suppress a rebellion, and who was by no means impressed, as the -results of his recent tour, with the admiration and respect for the -people of the Confederate States which their enormous sacrifices, -extraordinary gallantry, and almost unparalleled devotion, have -long since extorted from him in common with all the world. The -letter in which that account was given came back to America after -the first bitterness and humiliation of defeat had passed away, and -disappointment and alarm had been succeeded by such a formidable -outburst of popular resolve, that the North forgot everything in the -instant anticipations of a glorious and triumphant revenge. - -Every feeling of the American was hurt--above all, his vanity and -his pride, by the manner in which the account of the reverse had -been received in Europe; and men whom I scorned too deeply to reply -to, dexterously took occasion to direct on my head the full storm -of popular indignation. Not, indeed, that I had escaped before. Ere -a line from my pen reached America at all--ere my first letter had -crossed the Atlantic to England--the jealousy and hatred felt for -all things British--for press or principle, or representative of -either--had found expression in Northern journals; but that I was -prepared for. I knew well no foreigner had ever penned a line--least -of all, no Englishman--concerning the United States of North America, -their people, manners, and institutions, who had not been treated to -the abuse which is supposed by their journalists to mean criticism, -no matter what the justness or moderation of the views expressed, -the sincerity of purpose, and the truthfulness of the writer. In -the South, the press threatened me with tar and feathers, because I -did not see the beauties of their domestic institution, and wrote -of it in my letters to England exactly as I spoke of it to every -one who conversed with me on the subject when I was amongst them; -and now the Northern papers recommended expulsion, ducking, riding -rails, and other cognate modes of insuring a moral conviction of -error; endeavoured to intimidate me by threats of duels or personal -castigations; gratified their malignity by ludicrous stories of -imaginary affronts or annoyances to which I never was exposed; and -sought to prevent the authorities extending any protection towards -me, and to intimidate officers from showing me any civilities. - -In pursuance of my firm resolution I allowed the slanders and -misrepresentations which poured from their facile sources for months -to pass by unheeded, and trusted to the calmer sense of the people, -and to the discrimination of those who thought over the sentiments -expressed in my letters, to do me justice. - -I need not enlarge on the dangers to which I was exposed. Those who -are acquainted with America, and know the life of the great cities, -will best appreciate the position of a man who went forth daily in -the camps and streets holding his life in his hand. This expression -of egotism is all I shall ask indulgence for. Nothing could have -induced me to abandon my post or to recoil before my assailants; but -at last a power I could not resist struck me down. When to the press -and populace of the United States, the President and the Government -of Washington added their power, resistance would be unwise and -impracticable. In no camp could I have been received--in no place -useful. I went to America to witness and describe the operations -of the great army before Washington in the field, and when I was -forbidden by the proper authorities to do so, my mission terminated -at once. - -On the evening of April 4th, as soon as I was in receipt of the -President’s last communication, I telegraphed to New York to engage -a passage by the steamer which left on the following Wednesday. -Next day was devoted to packing up and to taking leave of my -friends--English and American--whose kindnesses I shall remember in -my heart of hearts, and the following Monday I left Washington, of -which, after all, I shall retain many pleasant memories and keep -souvenirs green for ever. I arrived in New York late on Tuesday -evening, and next day I saw the shores receding into a dim grey fog, -and ere the night fell was tossing about once more on the stormy -Atlantic, with the head of our good ship pointing, thank Heaven, -towards Europe. - - -THE END. - - -BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Since died of wounds received in action. - -[2] It may be stated here, that this expedition met with a disastrous -result. If I mistake not, the officer, and with him the correspondent -of a paper who accompanied him, were killed by the cavalry whom he -meant to surprise, and several of the volunteers were also killed or -wounded. - -[3] Since killed in action. - -[4] I have since met the person referred to, an Englishman living in -Washington, and well known at the Legation and elsewhere. Mr. Dawson -came to tell me that he had seen a letter in an American journal, -which was copied extensively all over the Union, in which the writer -stated he accompanied me on my return to Fairfax Court-house, and -that the incident I related in my account of Bull Run did not occur, -but that he was the individual referred to, and could swear with his -assistant that every word I wrote was true. I did not need any such -corroboration for the satisfaction of any who know me; and I was -quite well aware that if one came from the dead to bear testimony -in my favour before the American journals and public, the evidence -would not countervail the slander of any characterless scribe who -sought to gain a moment’s notoriety by a flat contradiction of my -narrative. I may add, that Dawson begged of me not to bring him -before the public, “because I am now sutler to the ----th, over -in Virginia, and they would dismiss me.” “What! For certifying to -the truth?” “You know, sir, it might do me harm.” Whilst on this -subject, let me remark that some time afterwards I was in Mr. Brady’s -photographic studio in Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, when the very -intelligent and obliging manager introduced himself to me, and said -that he wished to have an opportunity of repeating to me personally -what he had frequently told persons in the place, that he could bear -the fullest testimony to the complete accuracy of my account of the -panic from Centreville down the road at the time I left, and that he -and his assistants, who were on the spot trying to get away their -photographic van and apparatus, could certify that my description -fell far short of the disgraceful spectacle and of the excesses of -the flight. - -[5] P. 200, Spencer’s American edition, New York, 1858. - -[6] Since killed in action. - -[7] Since killed in action fighting for the South at Antietam. - -[8] Since shot dead by the Federal General Jeff. C. Davis in a -quarrel at Nashville. - -[9] Since killed in action in Pope’s retreat from the north of -Richmond. - - - - -NEW WORKS LATELY PUBLISHED OR IN THE PRESS. - - -UNDER HER MAJESTY’S ESPECIAL PATRONAGE. - -_In One Vol., large 4to, printed in the highest style of art, and -embellished with Photographs, Coloured Borders, numerous Wood -Engravings, &c., &c._ - -THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY IN 1862. - - [_In the Press._ - - -MR. THACKERAY. - -_In One Vol., crown 8vo, price 7s., a New Edition, uniform with -“Vanity Fair,” &c._, - -THE VIRGINIANS. - -BY W. M. THACKERAY. - -Author of “Vanity Fair,” “Pendennis,” “The Newcomes,” “Esmond,” &c. - - -LANDSCAPE GARDENING. - -ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS PLANS, SECTIONS, AND SKETCHES OF GARDENS, &C. - -_In One Vol., demy 8vo, a New Edition, much enlarged and improved, of_ - -HOW TO LAY OUT A GARDEN. - -BY EDWARD KEMP, OF BIRKENHEAD. - -INTENDED AS A GUIDE IN CHOOSING, FORMING, OR IMPROVING AN ESTATE. - -(From a Quarter of an Acre to a Hundred Acres in Extent.) - - [_In the Press._ - - -RUSSIA IN THE TIME OF PETER THE GREAT. - -_In Two Vols., post 8vo., price 21s._, - -THE DIARY OF AN AUSTRIAN SECRETARY OF LEGATION - -AT THE COURT OF MOSCOW IN THE REIGN OF CZAR PETER THE GREAT. - -TOGETHER WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE DANGEROUS REBELLION OF THE STRELITZ, -ETC. - -TRANSLATED BY COUNT MACDONNEL. - - [_In the Press._ - - -BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET, E.C. - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - Many words with hyphens, or without them, have been silently - adjusted to be more consistent. For example, instances of - ‘head quarters’ have been made ‘head-quarters’; ‘bedroom’ has been - changed to ‘bed-room’; ‘fire-arms’ has been changed to ‘firearms’. - - For consistency, instances of A.M. or P.M. have been made lower - case a.m. or p.m. - - Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, - and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. - - Pg v: ‘“Tory”’ replaced by ‘“Troy”’. - Pg vi: ‘Battle seenes’ replaced by ‘Battle scenes’. - Pg vii: ‘camp--Generall’ replaced by ‘camp--General’. - Pg 18: ‘volunteeers. He served’ replaced by ‘volunteers. He served’. - Pg 39: ‘or be garotted’ replaced by ‘or be garroted’. - Pg 40: ‘developes itself’ replaced by ‘develops itself’. - Pg 47: ‘the but over’ replaced by ‘the butt over’. - Pg 48: ‘grimace, he exclamed’ replaced by ‘grimace, he exclaimed’. - Pg 53: ‘on a drisly day’ replaced by ‘on a drizzly day’. - Pg 65: ‘defective educacation’ replaced by ‘defective education’. - Pg 70: ‘West-point men’ replaced by ‘West Point men’. - Pg 71: ‘to the field picee’ replaced by ‘to the field piece’. - Pg 79: ‘Illonois railroad’ replaced by ‘Illinois railroad’. - Pg 85: ‘apropos’ replaced by ‘à propos’. - Pg 89: ‘the crusiers of either’ replaced by ‘the cruisers of either’. - Pg 104: ‘ornamental mocassins’ replaced by ‘ornamental moccasins’. - Pg 104: ‘command of McDowell’ replaced by ‘command of M‘Dowell’. - Pg 105: ‘indefinite strengh’ replaced by ‘indefinite strength’. - Pg 119: ‘drove up Pennyslvania’ replaced by ‘drove up Pennsylvania’. - Pg 120: ‘developes its power’ replaced by ‘develops its power’. - Pg 129: ‘the whileom editor’ replaced by ‘the whilom editor’. - Pg 141: ‘that n the South’ replaced by ‘that in the South’. - Pg 169: ‘vivacions prying’ replaced by ‘vivacious prying’. - Pg 177: ‘white gaiter--mdae’ replaced by ‘white gaiter--made’. - Pg 186: ‘started at 4·15’ replaced by ‘started at 4.15’. - Pg 190: ‘with turburlent and’ replaced by ‘with turbulent and’. - Pg 199: ‘stray aide-de-camps’ replaced by ‘stray aides-de-camp’. - Pg 200: ‘spiled with blood’ replaced by ‘spoiled with blood’. - Pg 210: ‘in eference to’ replaced by ‘in reference to’. - Pg 220: ‘to develope loyal’ replaced by ‘to develop loyal’. - Pg 222: ‘commssiariat carts’ replaced by ‘commissariat carts’. - Pg 225: ‘Notwitstanding all’ replaced by ‘Notwithstanding all’. - Pg 228: ‘from he men and’ replaced by ‘from the men and’. - Pg 231: ‘the throng inrceased’ replaced by ‘the throng increased’. - Pg 235: ‘down theere with’ replaced by ‘down there with’. - Pg 241: ‘whiskey and and tallow’ replaced by ‘whiskey and tallow’. - Pg 250: ‘General Patteson’ replaced by ‘General Patterson’. - Pg 253: ‘andot hers who’ replaced by ‘and others who’. - Pg 258: ‘hanging a Secesssionist’ replaced by ‘hanging a Secessionist’. - Pg 267: ‘House--Drunkeness’ replaced by ‘House--Drunkenness’. - Pg 277: ‘developes itself in’ replaced by ‘develops itself in’. - Pg 283: ‘be seat off’ replaced by ‘be sent off’. - Pg 283: ‘time to develope’ replaced by ‘time to develop’. - Pg 294: ‘This day month’ replaced by ‘This day a month ago’. - Pg 306: ‘has been meeted to’ replaced by ‘has been meted to’. - Pg 321: ‘Captain Foote, U.N.S.’ replaced by ‘Captain Foote, U.S.N.’. - Pg 377: ‘and resmbles its’ replaced by ‘and resembles its’. - Pg 382: ‘utterly villanous’ replaced by ‘utterly villainous’. - Pg 391: ‘egregrious share’ replaced by ‘egregious share’. - Pg 401: ‘with grizly bears’ replaced by ‘with grizzly bears’. - Pg 404: ‘his own responsibilty’ replaced by ‘his own responsibility’. - Pg 415: ‘plaee in honour’ replaced by ‘place in honour’. - Pg 421: ‘villanous deserter’ replaced by ‘villainous deserter’. - Pg 421: ‘cotillon party’ replaced by ‘cotillion party’. - Pg 440: ‘almost unparelleled’ replaced by ‘almost unparalleled’. - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY DIARY: NORTH AND SOUTH (VOL. -2 OF 2) *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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display: none;} -.x-ebookmaker .customcover {visibility: visible; display: block;} - -/* Poetry indents */ -.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3em;} - - -/* Illustration classes */ -.illowp50 {width: 50%;} -.x-ebookmaker .illowp50 {width: 50%;} - - - /* ]]> */ </style> - </head> - -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of My Diary: North and South (vol. 2 of 2), by William Howard Russell</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: My Diary: North and South (vol. 2 of 2)</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: William Howard Russell</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: May 19, 2022 [eBook #68126]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: MWS, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY DIARY: NORTH AND SOUTH (VOL. 2 OF 2) ***</div> - - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Footnote anchors are denoted by <span class="fnanchor">[number]</span>, -and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the book.</p> - -<p class="customcover">The cover image was created by the transcriber -and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -<p>Some minor changes to the text are noted at the <a href="#TN">end of the book.</a> -<span class="screenonly">These are indicated by a <ins class="corr">dotted gray</ins> underline.</span></p> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp50" id="i_cover" style="max-width: 30em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i_cover.jpg" alt="original cover" /> -<span class="transnote">(Original cover)</span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1>MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH.</h1> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p1 pfs220">MY DIARY</p> -<p class="p2 pfs180 lsp2">NORTH AND SOUTH.</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs70">BY</p> - -<p class="p1 pfs135">WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL.</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs120">IN TWO VOLUMES.</p> - -<p class="pfs120">VOL. II.</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs100">LONDON:</p> -<p class="pfs100">BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET.</p> -<p class="pfs100">1863.</p> - -<p class="p1 pfs100">[<em>The right of Translation is reserved.</em>]</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="p6 pfs60">LONDON:<br /> -BRADBURY AND EVANS PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.</p> - - -<hr class="p4 chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_v"></a>[Pg v]</span></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak fs150" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - -<hr class="r10" /> - - -<table class="p1 autotable fs90"> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER I.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"></td> -<td class="tdr fs70">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Down the Mississippi—Hotel at Vicksburg—Dinner—Public meeting—News of the progress - of the war—Slavery and England—Jackson—Governor Pettus—Insecurity of life—Strong - Southern enthusiasm—Troops bound for the North—Approach to Memphis—Slaves for - sale—Memphis—General Pillow</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER II.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Camp Randolph—Cannon practice—Volunteers—“Dixie”—Forced return from the South—Apathy - of the North—General retrospect of politics—Energy and earnestness of the - South—Firearms—Position of Great Britain towards the belligerents—Feeling towards the Old Country</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER III.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Heavy Bill—Railway travelling—Introductions—Assassinations—Tennessee—“Corinth”— - <ins class="corr" id="tn-v" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'Tory'">“Troy”</ins>—“Humbolt”—“The Confederate camp”—Return Northwards—Columbus—Cairo—The - slavery question—Prospects of the war—Coarse journalism</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER IV.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Camp at Cairo—The North and the South in respect to Europe—Political reflections—Mr. Colonel - Oglesby—My speech—Northern and Southern soldiers compared—American country-walks—Recklessness - of life—Want of cavalry—Emeute in the camp—Defects of army medical department—Horrors - of war—Bad discipline</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER V.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_vi"></a>[vi]</span></td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Impending battle—By railway to Chicago—Northern enlightenment—Mound City—“Cotton is - King”—Land in the States—Dead level of American society—Return into the Union—American - homes—Across the prairie—White labourers—New pillager—Lake Michigan</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VI.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Progress of events—Policy of Great Britain as regarded by the North—The American Press and its - comments—Privacy a luxury—Chicago—Senator Douglas and his widow—American - ingratitude—Apathy in volunteering—Colonel Turchin’s camp</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_88">88</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Niagara—Impression of the Falls—<ins class="corr" id="tn-vi" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'Battle seenes'"> -Battle scenes</ins> in the neighbourhood—A village of - Indians—General Scott—Hostile movements on both sides—The Hudson—Military school - at West Point—Return to New York—Altered appearance of the city—Misery and suffering—Altered - state of public opinion as to the Union and towards Great Britain</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VIII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Departure for Washington—A “servant”—The American Press on the War—Military aspect of the - States—Philadelphia—Baltimore—Washington—Lord Lyons—Mr. Sumner—Irritation - against Great Britain—“Independence” day—Meeting of Congress—General state of affairs</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_114">114</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER IX.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_vii"></a>[vii]</span></td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Interview with Mr. Seward—My passport—Mr. Seward’s views as to the war—Illumination at - Washington—My “servant” absents himself—New York journalism—The Capitol—Interior of - Congress—The President’s message—Speeches in Congress—Lord Lyons—General - M‘Dowell—Low standard in the army—Accident to the “Stars and Stripes”—A street row—Mr. - Bigelow—Mr. N. P. Willis</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER X.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Arlington Heights and the Potomac—Washington—The Federal <ins class="corr" id="tn-vii" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'camp--Generall'"> -camp—General</ins> M‘Dowell—Flying - rumours—Newspaper correspondents—General Fremont—Silencing the Press and Telegraph—A - Loan Bill—Interview with Mr. Cameron—Newspaper criticism on Lord Lyons—Rumours about - M‘Clellan—The Northern army as reported and as it is—General M‘Clellan</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_142">142</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XI.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fortress Monroe—General Butler—Hospital accommodation—Wounded soldiers—Aristocratic - pedigrees—A great gun—Newport News—Fraudulent contractors—General Butler—Artillery - practice—Contraband negroes—Confederate lines—Tombs of American loyalists—Troops and - contractors—Duryea’s New York Zouaves—Military calculations—A voyage by steamer to Annapolis</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_160">160</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">The “State House” at Annapolis—Washington—General Scott’s quarters—Want of a staff—Rival - camps—Demand for horses—Popular excitement—Lord Lyons—General M‘Dowell’s movements—Retreat - from Fairfax Court House—General Scott’s quarters—General Mansfield—Battle of Bull’s Run</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_186">186</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XIII.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_viii"></a>[viii]</span></td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Skirmish at Bull’s Run—The crisis in Congress—Dearth of horses—War prices at Washington—Estimate - of the effects of Bull’s Run—Password and countersign—Transatlantic view of “The Times”—Difficulties - of a newspaper correspondent in the field</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XIV.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">To the scene of action—The Confederate camp—Centreville—Action at Bull Run—Defeat of - the Federals—Disorderly retreat to Centreville—My ride back to Washington</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_214">214</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XV.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A runaway crowd at Washington—The army of the Potomac in retreat—Mail-day—Want of order and - authority—Newspaper lies—Alarm at Washington—Confederate prisoners—General - M‘Clellan—M. Mercier—Effects of the defeat on Mr. Seward and the President—M‘Dowell—General - Patterson</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_250">250</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVI.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Attack of illness—General M‘Clellan—Reception at the White House—Drunkenness among the - Volunteers—Visit from Mr. Olmsted—Georgetown—Intense heat—M‘Clellan and the - Newspapers—Reception at Mr. Seward’s—Alexandria—A storm—Sudden death of an English - officer—The Maryland Club—A Prayer and Fast Day—Financial difficulties</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_267">267</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Return to Baltimore—Colonel Carroll—A priest’s view of the abolition of Slavery—Slavery in - Maryland—Harper’s Ferry—John Brown—Back by train to Washington—Further accounts - <span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_ix"></a>[ix]</span> - of Bull Run—American vanity—My own unpopularity for speaking the truth—Killing a “Nigger” no - murder—Navy Department</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_284">284</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A tour of inspection round the camp—A troublesome horse—M‘Dowell and the President—My opinion - of Bull Run indorsed by American officers—Influence of the press—Newspaper correspondents—Dr. - Bray—My letters—Captain Meagher—Military adventures—Probable duration of the - war—Lord A. Vane Tempest—The American journalist—Threats of assassination</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_304">304</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XIX.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Personal unpopularity—American naval officers—A gun levelled at me in fun—Increase of odium - against me—Success of the Hatteras expedition—General Scott and M‘Clellan—M‘Clellan on his - camp-bed—General Scott’s pass refused—Prospect of an attack on Washington—Skirmishing—Anonymous - letters—General Halleck—General M‘Clellan and the Sabbath—Rumoured death of Jefferson - Davis—Spread of my unpopularity—An offer for my horse—Dinner at the Legation—Discussion - on Slavery</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_320">320</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XX.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A Crimean acquaintance—Personal abuse of myself—Close firing—A reconnaissance—Major-General - Bell—The Prince de Joinville and his nephews—American estimate of Louis Napoleon—Arrest of - members of the Maryland Legislature—Life at Washington—War cries—News from the Far - West—Journey to the Western States—Along the Susquehannah and Juniata—Chicago—Sport in - <span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_x"></a>[x]</span> - the prairie—Arrested for shooting on Sunday—The town of Dwight—Return to Washington—Mr. - Seward and myself</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_341">341</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XXI.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Another Crimean acquaintance—Summary dismissal of a newspaper correspondent—Dinner at Lord - Lyons’—Review of artillery—“Habeas Corpus”—The President’s duties—M‘Clellan’s - policy—The Union army—Soldiers and the patrol—Public men in America—Mr. Seward and - Lord Lyons—A judge placed under arrest—Death and funeral of Senator Baker—Disorderly troops - and officers—Official fibs—Duck-shooting at Baltimore</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_366">366</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XXII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">General Scott’s resignation—Mrs. A. Lincoln—Unofficial mission to Europe—Uneasy feeling with - regard to France—Ball given by the United States cavalry—The United States army—Success at - Beaufort—Arrests—Dinner at Mr. Seward’s—News of Captain Wilkes and the Trent—Messrs. - Mason and Slidell—Discussion as to Wilkes—Prince de Joinville—The American press on the Trent - affair—Absence of thieves in Washington—“Thanksgiving Day”—Success thus far in favour of the North</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_392">392</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XXIII.</td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">A captain under arrest—Opening of Congress—Colonel Dutassy—An ex-pugilist turned senator—Mr. - Cameron—Ball in the officers’ huts—Presentation of standards at Arlington—Dinner at Lord - Lyons’—Paper currency—A polyglot dinner—Visit to Washington’s tomb—Mr. Chase’s - report—Colonel Seaton—Unanimity of the South—The Potomac blockade—A Dutch-American - Crimean acquaintance—The American lawyers on the Trent affair—Mr. Sumner—M‘Clellan’s - army—Impressions produced in America by the English press on the affair of the Trent—Mr. Sumner on - the crisis—Mutual feelings between the two nations—Rumours of war with Great Britain</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_410">410</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XXIV.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_xi"></a>[xi]</span></td> -<td class="tdr"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">News of the death of the Prince Consort—Mr. Sumner and the Trent affair—His dispatch to Lord - Russell—The Southern Commissioners given up—Effects on the friends of the South—My own - unpopularity at New York—Attack of fever—My tour in Canada—My return to New York in - February—Successes of the Western States—Mr. Stanton succeeds Mr. Cameron as Secretary of - War—Reverse and retreat of M‘Clellan—My free pass—The Merrimac and Monitor—My - arrangement to accompany M‘Clellan’s head-quarters—Mr. Stanton refuses his sanction—National - vanity wounded by my truthfulness—My retirement and my return to Europe</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_426">426</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1"></a>[1]</span></p> - -<p class="p4 pfs150">MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH.</p> - - -<hr class="r30a" /> -<hr class="r30b" /> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I. <span class="hidden">Down the Mississippi</span></h2> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Down the Mississippi—Hotel at Vicksburg—Dinner—Public meeting—News -of the progress of the war—Slavery and England—Jackson—Governor -Pettus—Insecurity of life—Strong Southern enthusiasm—Troops -bound for the North—Approach to Memphis—Slaves for -sale—Memphis—General Pillow.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>Friday, June 14th.</em>—Last night with my good host -from his plantation to the great two-storied steamer -General Quitman, at Natchez. She was crowded with -planters, soldiers and their families, and as the lights -shone out of her windows, looked like a walled castle -blazing from double lines of embrasures.</p> - -<p>The Mississippi is assuredly the most uninteresting -river in the world, and I can only describe it hereabout -by referring to the account of its appearance -which I have already given—not a particle of romance -in spite of oratorical patriots and prophets, can ever -shine from its depths, sacred to cat and buffalo fish, -or vivify its turbid waters.</p> - -<p>Before noon we were in sight of Vicksburg, which -is situated on a high bank or bluff on the left bank of -the river, about 400 miles above New Orleans and some -120 miles from Natchez.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2"></a>[2]</span></p> - -<p>Mr. MacMeekan, the proprietor of the “Washington,” -declares himself to have been the pioneer of hotels in -the far west; but he has now built himself this huge -caravanserai, and rests from his wanderings. We -entered the dining saloon, and found the tables closely -packed with a numerous company of every condition -in life, from generals and planters down to soldiers in -the uniform of privates. At the end of the room there -was a long table on which the joints and dishes were -brought hot from the kitchen to be carved by the negro -waiters, male and female, and as each was brought in -the proprietor, standing in the centre of the room, -shouted out with a loud voice, “Now, then, here is a -splendid goose! ladies and gentlemen, don’t neglect -the goose and apple-sauce! Here’s a piece of beef that <em>I</em> -can recommend! upon my honour you will never regret -taking a slice of the beef. Oyster-pie! oyster-pie! never -was better oyster-pie seen in Vicksburg. Run about, -boys, and take orders. Ladies and gentlemen, just look -at that turkey! who’s for turkey?”—and so on, wiping -the perspiration from his forehead and combating with -the flies.</p> - -<p>Altogether it was a semi-barbarous scene, but the -host was active and attentive; and after all, his recommendations -were very much like those which it -was the habit of the taverners in old London to call -out in the streets to the passers-by when the joints -were ready. The little negroes who ran about to -take orders were smart, but now and then came -into violent collision, and were cuffed incontinently. -One mild-looking little fellow stood by my chair and -appeared so sad that I asked him “Are you happy, my -boy?” He looked quite frightened. “Why don’t<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3"></a>[3]</span> -you answer me?” “I’se afeered, sir; I can’t tell that -to Massa.” “Is not your master kind to you?” -“Massa very kind man, sir; very good man when he -is not angry with me,” and his eyes filled with tears to -the brim.</p> - -<p>The war fever is rife in Vicksburg, and the Irish and -German labourers, to the extent of several hundreds, -have all gone off to the war.</p> - -<p>When dinner was over, the mayor and several -gentlemen of the city were good enough to request -that I would attend a meeting, at a room in the -railway-station, where some of the inhabitants of the -town had assembled. Accordingly I went to the -terminus and found a room filled with gentlemen. -Large china bowls, blocks of ice, bottles of wine and -spirits, and boxes of cigars were on the table, and all -the materials for a symposium.</p> - -<p>The company discussed recent events, some of which -I learned for the first time. Dislike was expressed -to the course of the authorities in demanding negro -labour for the fortifications along the river, and uneasiness -was expressed respecting a negro plot in Arkansas; -but the most interesting matter was Judge Taney’s -protest against the legality of the President’s course in -suspending the writ of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">habeas corpus</i> in the case of -Merriman. The lawyers who were present at this -meeting were delighted with his argument, which insists -that Congress alone can suspend the writ, and -that the President, cannot legally do so.</p> - -<p>The news of the defeat of an expedition from Fortress -Monroe against a Confederate post at Great Bethel, -has caused great rejoicing. The accounts show that -there was the grossest mismanagement on the part<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4"></a>[4]</span> -of the Federal officers. The Northern papers particularly -regret the loss of Major Winthrop, aide-de-camp -to General Butler, a writer of promise. At -four o’clock p.m. I bade the company farewell, and -the train started for Jackson. The line runs through -a poor clay country, cut up with gulleys and water-courses -made by violent rain.</p> - -<p>There were a number of volunteer soldiers in the -train; and their presence no doubt attracted the girls -and women who waved flags and cheered for Jeff. -Davis and States Rights. Well, as I travel on -through such scenes, with a fine critical nose in -the air, I ask myself “Is any Englishman better -than these publicans and sinners in regard to this -question of slavery?” It was not on moral or religious -grounds that our ancestors abolished serfdom. -And if to-morrow our good farmers, deprived of mowers, -reapers, ploughmen, hedgers and ditchers, were to find -substitutes in certain people of a dark skin assigned -to their use by Act of Parliament, I fear they would -be almost as ingenious as the Rev. Dr. Seabury in -discovering arguments physiological, ethnological, and -biblical for the retention of their property. And an -evil day would it be for them if they were so tempted; -for assuredly, without any derogation to the intellect -of the Southern men, it may be said that a large proportion -of the population is in a state of very great -moral degradation compared with civilised Anglo-Saxon -communities.</p> - -<p>The man is more natural, and more reckless; he has -more of the qualities of the Arab than are to be reconciled -with civilisation; and it is only among the upper classes -that the influences of the aristocratic condition which is<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5"></a>[5]</span> -generated by the subjection of masses of men to their -fellow-man are to be found.</p> - -<p>At six o’clock the train stopped in the country at a -railway crossing by the side of a large platform. On -the right was a common, bounded by a few detached -wooden houses, separated by palings from each -other, and surrounded by rows of trees. In front -of the station were two long wooden sheds, which, -as the signboard indicates, were exchanges or drinking -saloons; and beyond these again were visible -some rudimentary streets of straggling houses, above -which rose three pretentious spires and domes, resolved -into insignificance by nearer approach. This was -Jackson.</p> - -<p>Our host was at the station in his carriage, and drove us -to his residence, which consisted of some detached houses -shaded by trees in a small enclosure, and bounded by -a kitchen garden. He was one of the men who had -been filled with the afflatus of 1848, and joined the -Young Ireland party before it had seriously committed -itself to an unfortunate outbreak; and when all hope -of success had vanished, he sought, like many others of -his countrymen, a shelter under the stars and stripes, -which, like most of the Irish settled in Southern States, -he was now bent on tearing asunder. He has the honour -of being mayor of Jackson, and of enjoying a competitive -examination with his medical rivals for the -honour of attending the citizens.</p> - -<p>In the evening I walked out with him to the adjacent -city, which has no title to the name, except as -being the State capital. The mushroom growth of -these States, using that phrase merely as to their rapid -development, raises hamlets in a small space to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6"></a>[6]</span> -dignity of cities. It is in such outlying expansion of the -great republic that the influence of the foreign emigration -is most forcibly displayed. It would be curious -to inquire, for example, how many men there are in the -city of Jackson exercising mechanical arts or engaged -in small commerce, in skilled or manual labour, who -are really Americans in the proper sense of the word. -I was struck by the names over the doors of the shops, -which were German, Irish, Italian, French, and by -foreign tongues and accents in the streets; but, on the -other hand, it is the native-born American who obtains -the highest political stations and arrogates to himself -the largest share of governmental emoluments.</p> - -<p>Jackson proper consists of strings of wooden houses, -with white porticoes and pillars a world too wide for their -shrunk rooms, and various religious and other public -edifices, of the hydrocephalic order of architecture, -where vulgar cupola and exaggerated steeple tower -above little bodies far too feeble to support them. -There are of course a monster hotel and blazing bar-rooms—the -former celebrated as the scene of many a -serious difficulty, out of some of which the participators -never escaped alive. The streets consist of rows of -houses such as I have seen at Macon, Montgomery, -and Bâton Rouge; and as we walked towards the -capital or State-house there were many more invitations -“to take a drink” addressed to my friend and me than -we were able to comply with. Our steps were bent -to the State-house, which is a pile of stone, with -open colonnades, and an air of importance at a distance -which a nearer examination of its dilapidated -condition does not confirm. Mr. Pettus, the Governor -of the State of Mississippi, was in the Capitol; and on<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7"></a>[7]</span> -sending in our cards, we were introduced to his room, -which certainly was of more than republican simplicity. -The apartment was surrounded with some common -glass cases, containing papers and odd volumes of -books; the furniture, a table or desk, and a few -chairs and a ragged carpet; the glass in the windows -cracked and broken; the walls and ceiling discoloured -by mildew.</p> - -<p>The Governor is a silent man, of abrupt speech, but -easy of access; and, indeed, whilst we were speaking, -strangers and soldiers walked in and out of his room, -looked around them, and acted in all respects as if -they were in a public-house, except in ordering drinks. -This grim, tall, angular man seemed to me such a -development of public institutions in the South as -Mr. Seward was in a higher phase in the North. For -years he hunted deer and trapped in the forest of -the far west, and lived in a Natty Bumpo or David -Crocket state of life; and he was not ashamed of -the fact when taunted with it during his election -contest, but very rightly made the most of his independence -and his hard work.</p> - -<p>The pecuniary honours of his position are not very -great as Governor of the enormous State of Mississippi. -He has simply an income of £800 a year -and a house provided for his use; he is not only quite -contented with what he has but believes that the -society in which he lives is the highest development -of civilised life, notwithstanding the fact that there -are more outrages on the person in his State, nay, -more murders perpetrated in the very capital, than were -known in the worst days of mediæval Venice or Florence;—indeed, -as a citizen said to me, “Well, I think our<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8"></a>[8]</span> -average in Jackson is a murder a month;” but he used -a milder name for the crime.</p> - -<p>The Governor conversed on the aspect of affairs, and -evinced that wonderful confidence in his own people -which, whether it arises from ignorance of the power -of the North, or a conviction of greater resources, -is to me so remarkable. “Well, sir,” said he, dropping -a portentous plug of tobacco just outside the spittoon, -with the air of a man who wished to show he could -have hit the centre if he liked, “England is no -doubt a great country, and has got fleets and the -like of that, and may have a good deal to do in -Eu-<em>rope</em>; but the sovereign State of Mississippi can -do a great deal better without England than England -can do without her.” Having some slight recollection -of Mississippi repudiation, in which Mr. Jefferson -Davis was so actively engaged, I thought it possible -that the Governor might be right; and after a time -his Excellency shook me by the hand, and I left, -much wondering within myself what manner of men -they must be in the State of Mississippi when Mr. -Pettus is their chosen Governor; and yet, after all, he -is honest and fierce; and perhaps he is so far qualified -as well as any other man to be Governor of the State. -There are newspapers, electric telegraphs, and railways; -there are many educated families, even much good -society, I am told, in the State; but the larger masses -of the people struck me as being in a condition not -much elevated from that of the original backwoodsman. -On my return to the Doctor’s house I found some letters -which had been forwarded to me from New Orleans had -gone astray, and I was obliged, therefore, to make arrangements -for my departure on the following evening.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9"></a>[9]</span></p> - -<p><em>June 16th.</em>—I was compelled to send my excuses to -Governor Pettus, and remained quietly within the -house of my host, entreating him to protect me from -visitors and especially my own <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">confrères</i>, that I might -secure a few hours even in that ardent heat to write -letters to home. Now, there is some self-denial required, -if one be at all solicitous of the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">popularis aura</i>, -to offend the susceptibilities of the irritable genus in -America. It may make all the difference between -millions of people hearing and believing you are a -high-toned, whole-souled gentleman or a wretched -ignorant and prejudiced John Bull; but, nevertheless, -the solid pudding of self-content and the satisfaction of -doing one’s work are preferable to the praise even of a -New York newspaper editor.</p> - -<p>When my work was over I walked out and sat in -the shade with a gentleman whose talk turned upon -the practises of the Mississippi duello. Without the -smallest animus, and in the most natural way in the -world, he told us tale after tale of blood, and recounted -terrible tragedies enacted outside bars of hotels and in -the public streets close beside us. The very air seemed -to become purple as he spoke, the land around a veritable -“Aceldama.” There may, indeed, be security -for property, but there is none for the life of its owner -in difficulties, who may be shot by a stray bullet from -a pistol as he walks up the street.</p> - -<p>I learned many valuable facts. I was warned, for -example, against the impolicy of trusting to small-bored -pistols or to pocket six-shooters in case of a close fight, -because suppose you hit your man mortally he may -still run in upon you and rip you up with a bowie -knife before he falls dead; whereas if you drive a good<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10"></a>[10]</span> -heavy bullet into him, or make a hole in him with a -“Derringer” ball, he gets faintish and drops at once.</p> - -<p>Many illustrations, too, were given of the value of practical -lessons of this sort. One particularly struck me. -If a gentleman with whom you are engaged in altercation -moves his hand towards his breeches pocket, or -behind his back, you must smash him or shoot him at -once, for he is either going to draw his six-shooter, to -pull out a bowie knife, or to shoot you through the -lining of his pocket. The latter practice is considered -rather ungentlemanly, but it has somewhat been more -honoured lately in the observance than in the breach. -In fact, the savage practice of walking about with -pistols, knifes, and poniards, in bar-rooms and -gambling-saloons, with passions ungoverned, because -there is no law to punish the deeds to which they lead, -affords facilities for crime which an uncivilised condition -of society leaves too often without punishment, but -which must be put down or the country in which -it is tolerated will become as barbarous as a jungle -inhabited by wild beasts.</p> - -<p>Our host gave me an early dinner, at which I met -some of the citizens of Jackson, and at six o’clock I proceeded -by the train for Memphis. The carriages were -of course, full of soldiers or volunteers, bound for -a large camp at a place called Corinth, who made -night hideous by their song and cries, stimulated by -enormous draughts of whiskey and a proportionate consumption -of tobacco, by teeth and by fire. The heat -in the carriages added to the discomforts arising from -these causes, and from great quantities of biting insects -in the sleeping places. The people have all the air and -manners of settlers. Altogether the impression produced<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11"></a>[11]</span> -on my mind was by no means agreeable, and I -felt as if I was indeed in the land of Lynch law and -bowie knives, where the passions of men have not yet -been subordinated to the influence of the tribunals of -justice. Much of this feeling has no doubt been produced -by the tales to which I have been listening -around me—most of which have a smack of manslaughter -about them.</p> - -<p><em>June 17th.</em> If it was any consolation to me that the -very noisy and very turbulent warriors of last night -were exceedingly sick, dejected, and crestfallen this -morning, I had it to the full. Their cries for water -were incessant to allay the internal fires caused by -“40 rod” and “60 rod,” as whiskey is called, which is -supposed to kill people at those distances. Their -officers had no control over them—and the only authority -they seemed to respect was that of the “gentlemanly” -conductor whom they were accustomed to fear -individually, as he is a great man in America and has -much authority and power to make himself disagreeable -if he likes.</p> - -<p>The victory at Big or Little Bethel has greatly -elated these men, and they think they can walk all -over the Northern States. It was a relief to get out -of the train for a few minutes at a station called Holly -Springs, where the passengers breakfasted at a dirty -table on most execrable coffee, corn bread, rancid -butter, and very dubious meats, and the wild soldiers -outside made the most of their time, as they had -recovered from their temporary depression by this time, -and got out on the tops of the carriages, over which -they performed tumultuous dances to the music of -their band, and the great admiration of the surrounding<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12"></a>[12]</span> -negrodom. Their demeanour is very unlike that of the -unexcitable staid people of the North.</p> - -<p>There were in the train some Texans who were -going to Richmond to offer their services to Mr. -Davis. They denounced Sam Houston as a traitor, but -admitted there were some Unionists, or as they termed -them, Lincolnite skunks, in the State. The real object -of their journey was, in my mind, to get assistance from -the Southern Confederacy, to put down their enemies in -Texas.</p> - -<p>In order to conceal from the minds of the people -that the government at Washington claims to be that of -the United States, the press politicians and speakers -divert their attention to the names of Lincoln, Seward, -and other black republicans, and class the whole of the -North together as the Abolitionists. They call the -Federal levies “Lincoln’s mercenaries” and “abolition -hordes,” though their own troops are paid at the same -rate as those of the United States. This is a common -mode of procedure in revolutions and rebellions, and is -not unfrequent in wars.</p> - -<p>The enthusiasm for the Southern cause among all -the people is most remarkable,—the sight of the flag -waving from the carriage windows drew all the population -of the hamlets and the workers in the field, black -and white, to the side of the carriages to cheer for -Jeff. Davis and the Southern Confederacy, and to -wave whatever they could lay hold of in the air. The -country seems very poorly cultivated, the fields full of -stumps of trees, and the plantation houses very indifferent. -At every station more “soldiers,” as they -are called, got in, till the smell and heat were suffocating.</p> - -<p>These men were as fanciful in their names and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13"></a>[13]</span> -dress as could be. In the train which preceded us -there was a band of volunteers armed with rifled pistols -and enormous bowie knives, who called themselves -“The Toothpick Company.” They carried along with -them a coffin, with a plate inscribed, “Abe Lincoln, -died ——,” and declared they were “bound” to bring -his body back in it, and that they did not intend to use -muskets or rifles, but just go in with knife and six-shooter, -and whip the Yankees straight away. How -astonished they will be when the first round shot flies -into them, or a cap full of grape rattles about their -bowie knives.</p> - -<p>At the station of Grand Junction, north of Holly -Springs, which latter is 210 miles north of Jackson, -several hundreds of our warrior friends were -turned out in order to take the train north-westward -for Richmond, Virginia. The 1st Company, seventy -rank and file, consisted of Irishmen armed with sporting -rifles without bayonets. Five-sixths of the 2nd Company, -who were armed with muskets, were of the same -nationality. The 3rd Company were all Americans. -The 4th Company were almost all Irish. Some were -in green others were in grey, the Americans who were -in blue had not yet received their arms. When the -word fix bayonets was given by the officer, a smart -keen-looking man, there was an astonishing hurry and -tumult in the ranks.</p> - -<p>“Now then, Sweeny, whar are yes dhriven me too? -Is it out of the redjmint amongst the officers yer -shovin’ me?”</p> - -<p>“Sullivan, don’t ye hear we’re to fix beenits?”</p> - -<p>“Sarjent, jewel, wud yes ayse the shtrap of me -baynit?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14"></a>[14]</span></p> - -<p>“If ye prod me wid that agin; I’ll let dayloite into -ye.”</p> - -<p>The officer, reading, “No 23, James Phelan.”</p> - -<p>No reply.</p> - -<p>Officer again, “No. 23, James Phelan.”</p> - -<p>Voice from the rank, “Shure, captain, and faix -Phelan’s gone, he wint at the last depôt.”</p> - -<p>“No. 40, Miles Corrigan.”</p> - -<p>Voice further on, “He’s the worse for dhrink in the -cars, yer honour, and says he’ll shoot us if we touch -him;” and so on.</p> - -<p>But these fellows were, nevertheless, the material -for fighting and for marching after proper drill and -with good officers, even though there was too large -a proportion of old men and young lads in the -ranks. To judge from their dress these recruits came -from the labouring and poorest classes of whites. -The officers affected a French cut and bearing with indifferent -success, and in the luggage vans there were -three foolish young women with slop-dress imitation -clothes of the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Vivandière</span> type, who, with dishevelled -hair, dirty faces, and dusty hats and jackets, looked -sad, sorry, and absurd. Their notions of propriety did -not justify them in adopting straps, boots, and trousers, -and the rest of the tawdry ill-made costume looked -very bad indeed.</p> - -<p>The train which still bore a large number of soldiers -for the camp of Corinth, proceeded through dreary -swamps, stunted forests, and clearings of the rudest -kind at very long intervals. We had got out of the -cotton district and were entering poorer soil, or land -which, when cleared, was devoted to wheat and corn, -and I was told that the crops ran from forty to sixty<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15"></a>[15]</span> -bushels to the acre. A more uninteresting country -than this portion of the State of Mississippi I have -never witnessed. There was some variety of scenery -about Holly Springs where undulating ground covered -with wood, diversified the aspect of the flat, but since -that we have been travelling through mile after mile of -insignificantly grown timber and swamps.</p> - -<p>On approaching Memphis the line ascends towards -the bluff of the Mississippi, and farms of a better -appearance come in sight on the side of the rail; but -after all I do not envy the fate of the man who, -surrounded by slaves and shut out from the world, has -to pass his life in this dismal region, be the crops never -so good.</p> - -<p>At a station where a stone pillar marks the limit between -the sovereign State of Mississippi and that of Tennessee, -there was a house two stories high, from the windows -of which a number of negro girls and young men were -staring on the passengers. Some of them smiled, laughed, -and chatted, but the majority of them looked gloomy -and sad enough. They were packed as close as they -could, and I observed that at the door a very ruffianly -looking fellow in a straw hat, long straight hair, flannel -shirt, and slippers, was standing with his legs across -and a heavy whip in his hand. One of the passengers -walked over and chatted to him. They looked in and -up at the negroes and laughed, and when the man -came near the carriage in which I sat, a friend called -out, “Whose are they, Sam?” “He’s a dealer at -Jackson, Mr. Smith. They’re as prime a lot of fine -Virginny niggers as I’ve seen this long time, and he -wants to realise, for the news looks so bad.”</p> - -<p>It was 1.40 p.m. when the train arrived at Memphis.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16"></a>[16]</span> -I was speedily on my way to the Gayoso House, -so called after an old Spanish ruler of the district, -which is situated in the street on the bluff, -which runs parallel with the course of the Mississippi. -This resuscitated Egyptian city is a place of importance, -and extends for several miles along the high bank of -the river, though it does not run very far back. -The streets are at right angles to the principal thoroughfares, -which are parallel to the stream; and I -by no means expected to see the lofty stores, warehouses, -rows of shops, and handsome buildings on the -broad esplanade along the river, and the extent and -size of the edifices public and private in this city, -which is one of the developments of trade and -commerce created by the Mississippi. Memphis contains -nearly 30,000 inhabitants, but many of them -are foreigners, and there is a nomad draft into and out -of the place, which abounds in haunts for Bohemians, -drinking and dancing-saloons, and gaming-rooms. And -this strange kaleidoscope of negroes and whites of the -extremes of civilisation in its American development, -and of the semi-savage degraded by his contact with the -white; of enormous steamers on the river, which bears -equally the dug-out or canoe of the black fisherman; the -rail, penetrating the inmost recesses of swamps, which -on either side of it remain no doubt in the same -state as they were centuries ago; the roll of heavily-laden -waggons through the streets; the rattle of -omnibuses and all the phenomena of active commercial -life before our eyes, included in the same -scope of vision which takes in at the other side of -the Mississippi lands scarcely yet settled, though -the march of empire has gone thousands of miles<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17"></a>[17]</span> -beyond them, amuses but perplexes the traveller in this -new land.</p> - -<p>The evening was so exceedingly warm that I was -glad to remain within the walls of my darkened bed-room. -All the six hundred and odd guests whom the -Gayoso House is said to accommodate were apparently -in the passage at one time. At present it is the head-quarters -of General Gideon J. Pillow, who is charged -with the defences of the Tennessee side of the river, and -commands a considerable body of troops around the -city and in the works above. The house is consequently -filled with men in uniform, belonging to the -General’s staff or the various regiments of Tennessee -troops.</p> - -<p>The Governors and the Legislatures of the States, -view with dislike every action on the part of Mr. -Davis which tends to form the State troops into a -national army. At first, indeed, the doctrine prevailed -that troops could not be sent beyond the limits of the -State in which they were raised—then it was argued that -they ought not to be called upon to move outside their -borders; and I have heard people in the South inveighing -against the sloth and want of spirit of the -Virginians, who allowed their State to be invaded -without resisting the enemy. Such complaints were -met by the remark that all the Northern States had -combined to pour their troops into Virginia, and -that her sister States ought in honour to protect her. -Finally, the martial enthusiasm of the Southern regiments -impelled them to press forward to the frontier, and -by delicate management, and the perfect knowledge of his -countrymen which Mr. Jefferson Davis possesses, he -is now enabled to amalgamate in some sort the diverse<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18"></a>[18]</span> -individualities of his regiments into something like a -national army.</p> - -<p>On hearing of my arrival. General Pillow sent his -aide-de-camp to inform me that he was about starting -in a steamer up the river, to make an inspection -of the works and garrison at Fort Randolph and at -other points where batteries had been erected to -command the stream, supported by large levies of Tennesseans. -The aide-de-camp conducted me to the -General, whom I found in his bed-room, fitted up as -an office, littered with plans and papers. Before the -Mexican war General Pillow was a flourishing solicitor, -connected in business with President Polk, and commanding -so much influence that when the expedition -was formed he received the nomination of brigadier-general -of <ins class="corr" id="tn-18" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'volunteeers. He served'"> -volunteers. He served</ins> with distinction and -was severely wounded at the battle of Chapultepec -and at the conclusion of the campaign he retired into -civil life, and was engaged directing the work of his -plantation till this great rebellion summoned him once -more to the field.</p> - -<p>Of course there is, and must be, always an inclination -to deride these volunteer officers on the part of -regular soldiers; and I was informed by one of the -officers in attendance on the General that he had made -himself ludicrously celebrated in Mexico for having -undertaken to throw up a battery which, when completed, -was found to face the wrong way, so that the guns -were exposed to the enemy. General Pillow is a small, compact, -clear-complexioned man, with short grey whiskers, -cut in the English fashion, a quick eye, and a pompous -manner of speech; and I had not been long in his -company before I heard of Chapultepec and his wound,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19"></a>[19]</span> -which causes him to limp a little in his walk, and gives -him inconvenience in the saddle. He wore a round -black hat, plain blue frock coat, dark trousers, and -brass spurs on his boots; but no sign of military rank. -The General ordered carriages to the door, and we -went to see the batteries on the bluff or front of the -esplanade, which are intended to check any ship attempting -to pass down the river from Cairo, where the -Federals under General Prentiss have entrenched -themselves, and are understood to meditate an expedition -against the city. A parapet of cotton bales, -covered with tarpaulin, has been erected close to the -edge of the bank of earth, which rises to heights varying -from 60 to 150 feet almost perpendicularly from -the waters of the Mississippi, with zigzag roads running -down through it to the landing-places. This parapet -could offer no cover against vertical fire, and is so -placed that well-directed shell into the bank below it -would tumble it all into the water. The zigzag roads -are barricaded with weak planks, which would be -shivered to pieces by boat-guns; and the assaulting -parties could easily mount through these covered ways -to the rear of the parapet, and up to the very centre -of the esplanade.</p> - -<p>The blockade of the river at this point is complete; -not a boat is permitted to pass either up or down. At -the extremity of the esplanade, on an angle of the -bank, an earthen battery, mounted with six heavy guns, -has been thrown up, which has a fine command of -the river; and the General informed me he intends -to mount sixteen guns in addition, on a prolongation of -the face of the same work.</p> - -<p>The inspection over, we drove down a steep<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20"></a>[20]</span> -road to the water beneath, where the Ingomar, a -large river steamer, now chartered for the service of -the State of Tennessee, was lying to receive us. The -vessel was crowded with troops—all volunteers, of -course—about to join those in camp. Great as were -their numbers, the proportion of the officers was -inordinately large, and the rank of the greater -number preposterously high. It seemed to me as -if I was introduced to a battalion of colonels, and -that I was not permitted to pierce to any lower -strata of military rank. I counted seventeen colonels, -and believe the number was not then exhausted.</p> - -<p>General Clarke, of Mississippi, who had come over -from the camp at Corinth, was on board, and I had the -pleasure of making his acquaintance. He spoke with -sense and firmness of the present troubles, and dealt -with the political difficulties in a tone of moderation -which bespoke a gentleman and a man of education -and thought. He also had served in the Mexican war, -and had the air and manner of a soldier. With all -his quietness of tone, there was not the smallest disposition -to be traced in his words to retire from the -present contest, or to consent to a re-union with the -United States under any circumstances whatever. -Another general, of a very different type, was among -our passengers—a dirty-faced, frightened-looking young -man, of some twenty-three or twenty-four years of age, -redolent of tobacco, his chin and shirt slavered by its -foul juices, dressed in a green cut-away coat, white jean -trousers, strapped under a pair of prunella slippers, in -which he promenaded the deck in an Agag-like manner, -which gave rise to a suspicion of bunions or corns. This -strange figure was topped by a tremendous black felt<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21"></a>[21]</span> -sombrero, looped up at one side by a gilt eagle, in -which was stuck a plume of ostrich feathers and from -the other side dangled a heavy gold tassel. This decrepit -young warrior’s name was Ruggles or Struggles, -who came from Arkansas, where he passed, I was -informed, for “quite a leading citizen.”</p> - -<p>Our voyage as we steamed up the river afforded -no novelty, nor any physical difference worthy of -remark, to contrast it with the lower portions of the -stream, except that upon our right hand side, which is, -in effect, the left bank, there are ranges of exceedingly -high bluffs, some parallel with and others at right -angles to the course of the stream. The river is of the -same pea-soup colour with the same masses of leaves, -decaying vegetation, stumps of trees, forming small -floating islands, or giant cotton-tree, pines, and balks -of timber whirling down the current. Our progress -was slow; nor did I regret the captain’s caution, as -there must have been fully nine hundred persons on -board; and although there is but little danger of being -snagged in the present condition of the river, we encountered -now and then a trunk of a tree, which struck -against the bows with force enough to make the vessel -quiver from stem to stern. I was furnished with a -small berth, to which I retired at midnight, just as the -Ingomar was brought to at the Chickasaw Bluffs, -above which lies Camp Randolph.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22"></a>[22]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II. <span class="hidden">Camp Randolph</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Camp Randolph—Cannon practice—Volunteers—“Dixie”—Forced -return from the South—Apathy of the North—General retrospect -of politics—Energy and earnestness of the South—Firearms—Position -of Great Britain towards the belligerents—Feeling towards -the Old Country.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>June 18th.</em> On looking out of my cabin window this -morning I found the steamer fast alongside a small -wharf, above which rose, to the height of 150 feet, at -an angle of 45 degrees, the rugged bluff already mentioned. -The wharf was covered with commissariat -stores and ammunition. Three heavy guns, which -some men were endeavouring to sling to rude bullock-carts, -in a manner defiant of all the laws of gravitation, -seemed likely to go slap into the water at every -moment; but of the many great strapping fellows -who were lounging about, not one gave a hand to the -working party. A dusty track wound up the hill to -the brow, and there disappeared; and at the height of -fifty feet or so above the level of the river two earthworks -had been rudely erected in an ineffective -position. The volunteers who were lounging about the -edge of the stream were dressed in different ways, and -had no uniform.</p> - -<p>Already the heat of the sun compelled me to seek -the shade; and a number of the soldiers, labouring<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23"></a>[23]</span> -under the same infatuation as that which induces -little boys to disport themselves in the Thames at -Waterloo Bridge, under the notion that they are -washing themselves, were swimming about in a backwater -of the great river, regardless of cat-fish, mud, and -fever.</p> - -<p>General Pillow proceeded on shore after breakfast, -and we mounted the coarse cart-horse chargers which -were in waiting at the jetty to receive us. It is -scarcely worth while to transcribe from my diary a -description of the works which I sent over at the time -to England. Certainly, a more extraordinary maze -could not be conceived, even in the dreams of a sick -engineer—a number of mad beavers might possibly -construct such dams. They were so ingeniously made -as to prevent the troops engaged in their defence from -resisting the enemy’s attacks, or getting away from -them when the assailants had got inside—most difficult -and troublesome to defend, and still more difficult for -the defenders to leave, the latter perhaps being their -chief merit.</p> - -<p>The General ordered some practice to be made -with round shot down the river. An old forty-two -pound carronade was loaded with some difficulty, -and pointed at a tree about 1700 yards—which -I was told, however, was not less than 2500 yards—distant. -The General and his staff took their posts -on the parapet to leeward, and I ventured to say, -“I think, General, the smoke will prevent your seeing -the shot.” To which the General replied, “No, sir,” -in a tone which indicated, “I beg you to understand -I have been wounded in Mexico, and know all about -this kind of thing.” “Fire,” the string was pulled, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24"></a>[24]</span> -out of the touch-hole popped a piece of metal with a -little chirrup. “Darn these friction tubes! I prefer the -linstock and match,” quoth one of the staff, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">sotto voce</i>, -“but General Pillow will have us use friction tubes -made at Memphis, that arn’t worth a cuss.” Tube -No. 2, however, did explode, but where the ball went -no one could say, as the smoke drifted right into our -eyes.</p> - -<p>The General then moved to the other side of the -gun, which was fired a third time, the shot falling short -in good line, but without any ricochet. Gun No. 3 -was next fired. Off went the ball down the river, but off -went the gun, too, and with a frantic leap it jumped, -carriage and all, clean off the platform. Nor was it at -all wonderful, for the poor old-fashioned chamber cannonade -had been loaded with a charge and a solid shot -heavy enough to make it burst with indignation. Most -of us felt relieved when the firing was over, and, for my -own part, I would much rather have been close to the -target than to the battery.</p> - -<p>Slowly winding for some distance up the steep -road in a blazing sun, we proceeded through the -tents which are scattered in small groups, for health’s -sake, fifteen and twenty together, on the wooded -plateau above the river. The tents are of the small -ridge-pole pattern, six men to each, many of whom, -from their exposure to the sun, whilst working in these -trenches, and from the badness of the water, had -already been laid up with illness. As a proof of General -Pillow’s energy, it is only fair to say he is constructing, -on the very summit of the plateau, large cisterns, which -will be filled with water from the river by steam power.</p> - -<p>The volunteers were mostly engaged at drill in distinct<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25"></a>[25]</span> -companies, but by order of the General some 700 -or 800 of them were formed into line for inspection. -Many of these men were in their shirt sleeves, and the -awkwardness with which they handled their arms -showed that, however good they might be as shots, they -were bad hands at manual platoon exercise; but such -great strapping fellows, that, as I walked down the -ranks there were few whose shoulders were not -above the level of my head, excepting here and there a -weedy old man or a growing lad. They were armed -with old pattern percussion muskets, no two clad alike, -many very badly shod, few with knapsacks, but all -provided with a tin water-flask and a blanket. These -men have been only five weeks enrolled, and were called -out by the State of Tennessee, in anticipation of the -vote of secession.</p> - -<p>I could get no exact details as to the supply of food, -but from the Quartermaster-General I heard that each -man had from ¾ lb. to 1¼ lb. of meat, and a sufficiency -of bread, sugar, coffee, and rice daily; however, these -military Olivers “asked for more.” Neither whisky nor -tobacco was served out to them, which to such heavy consumers -of both, must prove one source of dissatisfaction. -The officers were plain, farmerly planters, merchants, -lawyers, and the like—energetic, determined men, but -utterly ignorant of the most rudimentary parts of -military science. It is this want of knowledge on the -part of the officer which renders it so difficult to arrive -at a tolerable condition of discipline among volunteers, -as the privates are quite well aware they know as much -of soldiering as the great majority of their officers.</p> - -<p>Having gone down the lines of these motley companies, -the General addressed them in a harangue in which he<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26"></a>[26]</span> -expatiated on their patriotism, on their courage, and the -atrocity of the enemy, in an odd farrago of military and -political subjects. But the only matter which appeared -to interest them much was the announcement that -they would be released from work in another day or so, -and that negroes would be sent to perform all that was -required. This announcement was received with the -words, “Bully for us!” and “That’s good.” And when -General Pillow wound up a florid peroration by -assuring them, “When the hour of danger comes I will -be with you,” the effect was by no means equal to his -expectations. The men did not seem to care much -whether General Pillow was with them or not at that -eventful moment; and, indeed, all dusty as he was in -his plain clothes he did not look very imposing, -or give one an idea that he would contribute much to -the means of resistance. However, one of the officers -called out, “Boys, three cheers for General Pillow.”</p> - -<p>What they may do in the North I know not, but -certainly the Southern soldiers cannot cheer, and what -passes muster for that jubilant sound is a shrill ringing -scream with a touch of the Indian war-whoop in it. -As these cries ended, a stentorian voice shouted out, -“Who cares for General Pillow?” No one answered; -whence I inferred the General would not be very -popular until the niggers were actually at work in -the trenches.</p> - -<p>We returned to the steamer, headed up stream and -proceeded onwards for more than an hour, to another -landing, protected by a battery, where we disembarked, -the General being received by a guard dressed in uniform, -who turned out with some appearance of soldierly -smartness. On my remarking the difference to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27"></a>[27]</span> -General, he told me the corps encamped at this -point was composed of gentlemen planters, and -farmers. They had all clad themselves, and consisted -of some of the best families in the State of Tennessee.</p> - -<p>As we walked down the gangway to the shore, the band -on the upper deck struck up, out of compliment to the -English element in the party, the unaccustomed strains -of “God save the Queen;” and I am not quite sure -that the loyalty which induced me to stand in the sun, -with uncovered head, till the musicians were good -enough to desist, was appreciated. Certainly a gentleman, -who asked me why I did so, looked very incredulous, -and said “That he could understand it if it -had been in a church; but that he would not broil his -skull in the sun, not if General Washington was -standing just before him.” The General gave orders -to exercise the battery at this point, and a working -party was told off to firing drill. ’Twas fully six -minutes between the giving of the orders and the first -gun being ready.</p> - -<p>On the word “fire” being given, the gunner pulled -the lanyard, but the tube did not explode; a second -tube was inserted, but a strong jerk pulled it out -without exploding; a third time one of the General’s -fuses was applied, which gave way to the pull, and was -broken in two; a fourth time was more successful—the -gun exploded, and the shot fell short and under the -mark—in fact, nothing could be worse than the artillery -practice which I saw here, and a fleet of vessels coming -down the river might, in the present state of the garrisons, -escape unhurt.</p> - -<p>There are no disparts, tangents, or elevating screws -to the gun, which are laid by eye and wooden chocks.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28"></a>[28]</span> -I could see no shells in the battery, but was told there -were some in the magazine.</p> - -<p>Altogether, though Randolph’s Point and Fort Pillow -afford strong positions, in the present state of the -service, and equipment of guns and works, gunboats -could run past them without serious loss, and, as the -river falls, the fire of the batteries will be even less -effective.</p> - -<p>On returning to the boats the band struck up “The -Marseillaise” and “Dixie’s Land.” There are two explanations -of the word Dixie—one is that it is the general -term for the Slave States, which are, of course, south of -Mason and Dixon’s line; another, that a planter named -Dixie, died long ago, to the intense grief of his animated -property. Whether they were ill-treated after he died, -and thus had reason to regret his loss, or that they had -merely a longing in the abstract after Heaven, no -fact known to me can determine; but certain it is that -they long much after Dixie, in the land to which his -spirit was supposed by them to have departed, and -console themselves in their sorrow by clamorous wishes -to follow their master, where probably the revered -spirit would be much surprised to find himself in their -company. The song is the work of the negro -melodists of New York.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon we returned to Memphis. Here -I was obliged to cut short my Southern tour, though -I would willingly have stayed, to have seen the -most remarkable social and political changes the -world has probably ever witnessed. The necessity of -my position obliged me to return northwards—unless I -could write, there was no use in my being on the spot at -all. By this time the Federal fleets have succeeded in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29"></a>[29]</span> -closing the ports, if not effectually, so far as to render -the carriage of letters precarious, and the route must -be at best devious and uncertain.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jefferson Davis was, I was assured, prepared -to give me every facility at Richmond to enable me to -know and to see all that was most interesting in the -military and political action of the New Confederacy; -but of what use could this knowledge be if I could not -communicate it to the journal I served?</p> - -<p>I had left the North when it was suffering from a -political paralysis, and was in a state of coma in which -it appeared conscious of the coming convulsion -but unable to avert it. The sole sign of life in the -body corporate was some feeble twitching of the limbs -at Washington, when the district militia were called -out, whilst Mr. Seward descanted on the merits of the -Inaugural, and believed that the anger of the South -was a short madness, which would be cured by a mild -application of philosophical essays.</p> - -<p>The politicians, who were urging in the most forcible -manner the complete vindication of the rights of the -Union, were engaged, when I left them arguing, that -the Union had no rights at all as opposed to those of -the States. Men who had heard with nods of approval -of the ordinance of secession passed by State after -State were now shrieking out, “Slay the traitors!”</p> - -<p>The printed rags which had been deriding the President -as the great “rail splitter,” and his Cabinet as a -collection of ignoble fanatics, were now heading the -popular rush, and calling out to the country to support -Mr. Lincoln and his Ministry, and were menacing with -war the foreign States which dared to stand neutral in -the quarrel. The declaration of Lord John Russell<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30"></a>[30]</span> -that the Southern Confederacy should have limited -belligerent rights had at first created a thrill of exultation -in the South, because the politicians believed that -in this concession was contained the principle of -recognition; while it had stung to fury the people of the -North, to whom it seemed the first warning of the -coming disunion.</p> - -<p>Much, therefore, as I desired to go to Richmond, -where I was urged to repair by many considerations, -and by the earnest appeals of those around -me, I felt it would be impossible, notwithstanding -the interest attached to the proceedings there, to -perform my duties in a place cut off from all communication -with the outer world; and so I decided to proceed -to Chicago, and thence to Washington, where the -Federals had assembled a large army, with the purpose -of marching upon Richmond, in obedience to the -cry of nearly every journal of influence in the Northern -cities.</p> - -<p>My resolution was mainly formed in consequence -of the intelligence which was communicated to me at -Memphis, and I told General Pillow that I would -continue my journey to Cairo, in order to get within -the Federal lines. As the river was blockaded, the -only means of doing so was to proceed by rail to -Columbus, and thence to take a steamer to the Federal -position; and so, whilst the General was continuing -his inspection, I rode to the telegraph office, in one of -the camps, to order my luggage to be prepared for -departure as soon as I arrived, and thence went on -board the steamer, where I sat down in the cabin to -write my last despatch from Dixie.</p> - -<p>So far I had certainly no reason to agree with Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31"></a>[31]</span> -Seward in thinking this rebellion was the result of a -localised energetic action on the part of a fierce -minority in the seceding States, and that there was in -each a large, if inert, mass opposed to secession, which -would rally round the Stars and Stripes the instant they -were displayed in their sight. On the contrary, I met -everywhere with but one feeling, with exceptions which -proved its unanimity and its force. To a man the -people went with their States, and had but one battle -cry, “States’ rights, and death to those who make war -against them!”</p> - -<p>Day after day I had seen this feeling intensified -by the accounts which came from the North of a -fixed determination to maintain the war; and day -after day, I am bound to add, the impression on my -mind was strengthened that “States’ rights” meant -protection to slavery, extension of slave territory, and -free-trade in slave produce with the outer world; nor -was it any argument against the conclusion that the -popular passion gave vent to the most vehement outcries -against Yankees, abolitionists, German mercenaries, -and modern invasion. I was fully satisfied in my mind -also that the population of the South, who had taken -up arms, were so convinced of the righteousness of -their cause, and so competent to vindicate it, that they -would fight with the utmost energy and valour in its -defence and successful establishment.</p> - -<p>The saloon in which I was sitting afforded abundant -evidence of the vigour with which the South are entering -upon the contest. Men of every variety and condition of -life had taken up arms against the cursed Yankee and -the black Republican—there was not a man there -who would not have given his life for the rare pleasure<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32"></a>[32]</span> -of striking Mr. Lincoln’s head off his shoulders, and yet -to a cold European the scene was almost ludicrous.</p> - -<p>Along the covered deck lay tall Tennesseans, asleep, -whose plumed felt hats were generally the only indications -of their martial calling, for few indeed had any -other signs of uniform, except the rare volunteers, -who wore stripes of red and yellow cloth on their -trousers, or leaden buttons, and discoloured worsted -braid and facings on their jackets. The afterpart of the -saloon deck was appropriated to General Pillow, his -staff, and officers. The approach to it was guarded by -a sentry, a tall, good-looking young fellow, in a grey -flannel shirt, grey trousers, fastened with a belt and a -brass buckle, inscribed U.S., which came from some -plundered Federal arsenal, and a black wide-awake -hat, decorated with a green plume. His Enfield rifle -lay beside him on the deck, and, with great interest expressed -on his face, he leant forward in his rocking-chair -to watch the varying features of a party squatted -on the floor, who were employed in the national game -of “Euchre.” As he raised his eyes to examine the -condition of the cigar he was smoking, he caught sight -of me, and by the simple expedient of holding his leg -across my chest, and calling out, “Hallo! where are -you going to?” brought me to a standstill—whilst his -captain, who was one of the happy euchreists, exclaimed, -“Now, Sam, you let nobody go in there.”</p> - -<p>I was obliged to explain who I was, whereupon the -sentry started to his feet, and said, “Oh! indeed, you -are Russell that’s been in that war with the Rooshians. -Well, I’m very much pleased to know you. I shall be -off sentry in a few minutes; I’ll just ask you to tell -me something about that fighting.” He held out his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33"></a>[33]</span> -hand, and shook mine warmly as he spoke. There was -not the smallest intention to offend in his manner; -but, sitting down again, he nodded to the captain, -and said, “It’s all right; it’s Pillow’s friend—that’s -Russell of the London <cite>Times</cite>.” The game -of euchre was continued—and indeed it had been -perhaps all night—for my last recollection on -looking out of my cabin was of a number of people -playing cards on the floor and on the tables all down -the saloon, and of shouts of “Eu-kerr!” “Ten dollars, -you don’t!” “I’ll lay twenty on this!” and so on; -and with breakfast the sport seemed to be fully revived.</p> - -<p>There would have been much more animation in the -game, no doubt, had the bar on board the Ingomar -been opened; but the intelligent gentleman who -presided inside had been restricted by General Pillow -in his avocations; and when numerous thirsty souls -from the camps came on board, with dry tongues and -husky voices, and asked for “mint juleps,” “brandy -smashes,” or “whisky cocktails,” he seemed to -take a saturnine pleasure by saying, “The General -won’t allow no spirit on board, but I can give you a -nice drink of Pillow’s own iced Mississippi water,” an -announcement which generally caused infinite disgust -and some unhandsome wishes respecting the General’s -future happiness.</p> - -<p>By and bye, a number of sick men were brought -down on litters, and placed here and there along the -deck. As there was a considerable misunderstanding -between the civilian and military doctors, it appeared -to be understood that the best way of arranging it was -not to attend to the sick at all, and unfortunate men -suffering from fever and dysentery were left to roll and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34"></a>[34]</span> -groan, and lie on their stretchers, without a soul to -help them. I had a medicine chest on board, and I -ventured to use the lessons of my experience in such -matters, administered my quinine, James’s Powder, -calomel, and opium, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">secundum meam artem</i>, and -nothing could be more grateful than the poor fellows -were for the smallest mark of attention. “Stranger, -remember, if I die,” gasped one great fellow, attenuated -to a skeleton by dysentery, “That I am Robert Tallon, -of Tishimingo county, and that I died for States’ rights; -see, now, they put that in the papers, won’t you? -Robert Tallon died for States’ rights,” and so he -turned round on his blanket.</p> - -<p>Presently the General came on board, and the -Ingomar proceeded on her way back to Memphis. -General Clarke, to whom I mentioned the great neglect -from which the soldiers were suffering, told me he was -afraid the men had no medical attendance in camp. -All the doctors, in fact, wanted to fight, and as they -were educated men, and generally connected with -respectable families, or had political influence in the -State, they aspired to be colonels at the very least, and -to wield the sword instead of the scalpel.</p> - -<p>Next to the medical department, the commissariat -and transport were most deficient; but by constant -courts-martial, stoppages of pay, and severe sentences, -he hoped these evils would be eventually somewhat mitigated. -As one who had received a regular military -education, General Clarke was probably shocked -by volunteer irregularities; and in such matters as -guard-mounting, reliefs, patrols, and picket-duties, he -declared they were enough to break one’s heart; but I -was astonished to hear from him that the Germans<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35"></a>[35]</span> -were by far the worst of the five thousand troops under -his command, of whom they formed more than a fifth.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were conversing, the captain of the steamer -invited us to come up into his cabin on the upper deck; -and as railway conductors, steamboat captains, bar-keepers, -hotel-clerks, and telegraph officers are among -the natural aristocracy of the land, we could not disobey -the invitation, which led to the consumption of -some of the captain’s private stores, and many warm -professions of political faith.</p> - -<p>The captain told me it was rough work abroad sometimes -with “sports” and chaps of that kind; but -“God bless you,” said he, “the river now is not what -it used to be a few years ago, when we’d have three or -four difficulties of an afternoon, and may-be now and -then a regular free fight all up and down the decks, -that would last a couple of hours, so that when we came -to a town we would have to send for all the doctors -twenty miles round, and may-be some of them would -die in spite of that. It was the rowdies used to get these -fights up; but we’ve put them pretty well down. The -citizens have hunted them out, and they’s gone away -west.” “Well, then, captain, one’s life was not very -safe on board sometimes.” “Safe! Lord bless you!” -said the captain; “if you did not meddle, just as safe -as you are now, if the boiler don’t collapse. You -must, in course, know how to handle your weepins, -and be pretty spry in taking your own part.” “Ho, -you Bill!” to his coloured servant, “open that -clothes-press.” “Now, here,” he continued, “is how I -travel; so that I am always easy in my mind in case of -trouble on board.” Putting his hand under the pillow -of the bed close beside him, he pulled out a formidable<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36"></a>[36]</span> -looking double-barrelled pistol at half-cock, with the -caps upon it. “That’s as purty a pistol as Derringer -ever made. I’ve got the brace of them—here’s the -other;” and with that he whipped out pistol No. 2, in -an equal state of forwardness, from a little shelf over -his bed; and then going over to the clothes-press, he -said, “Here’s a real old Kentuck, one of the old sort, -as light on the trigger as gossamer, and sure as deeth—Why, -law bless me, a child would cut a turkey’s head off -with it at a hundred yards.” This was a huge lump of -iron, about five feet long, with a small hole bored down -the centre, fitted in a coarse German-fashioned stock. -“But,” continued he, “this is my main dependence; -here is a regular beauty, a first-rate, with ball or buckshot, -or whatever you like—made in London; I -gave two hundred dollars for it; and it is so short and -handy and straight shooting, I’d just as soon part with -my life as let it go to anybody” and, with a glow of -pride in his face, the captain handed round again a -very short double-barrelled gun, of some eleven or -twelve bore, with back action locks, and an audacious -“Joseph Manton, London,” stamped on the plate. -The manner of the man was perfectly simple and <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">bonâ -fide</i>; very much as if Inspector Podger were revealing -to a simpleton the mode by which the London police -managed refractory characters in the station-house.</p> - -<p>From such matters as these I was diverted by the more -serious subject of the attitude taken by England in this -quarrel. The concession of belligerent rights was, I -found, misunderstood, and was considered as an admission -that the Southern States had established their -independence before they had done more than declare -their intention to fight for it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37"></a>[37]</span></p> - -<p>It is not within my power to determine whether -the North is as unfair to Great Britain as the South; -but I fear the history of the people, and the tendency -of their institutions, are adverse to any hope of -fair-play and justice to the old country. And yet it is the -only power in Europe for the good opinion of which they -really seem to care. Let any French, Austrian, or -Russian journal write what it pleases of the United -States, it is received with indifferent criticism or callous -head-shaking. But let a London paper speak, and -the whole American press is delighted or furious.</p> - -<p>The political sentiment quite overrides all other -feelings; and it is the only symptom statesmen should -care about, as it guides the policy of the country. If a -man can put faith in the influence for peace of common -interests, of common origin, common intentions, with -the spectacle of this incipient war before his eyes, he -must be incapable of appreciating the consequences -which follow from man being an animal. A war -between England and the United States would be unnatural; -but it would not be nearly so unnatural now -as it was when it was actually waged in 1776 between -people who were barely separated from each other by a -single generation; or in 1812-14, when the foreign -immigration had done comparatively little to dilute the -Anglo-Saxon blood. The Norman of Hampshire and -Sussex did not care much for the ties of consanguinity -and race when he followed his lord in fee to ravage -Guienne or Brittany.</p> - -<p>The general result of my intercourse with Americans is -to produce the notion that they consider Great Britain -in a state of corruption and decay, and eagerly seek to -exalt France at her expense. Their language is the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38"></a>[38]</span> -sole link between England and the United States, and -it only binds the England of 1770 to the American of -1860.</p> - -<p>There is scarcely an American on either side of -Mason and Dixon’s line who does not religiously -believe that the colonies, alone and single-handed, -encountered the whole undivided force of Great Britain -in the revolution, and defeated it. I mean, of course, -the vast mass of the people; and I do not think there is -an orator or a writer who would venture to tell them -the truth on the subject. Again, they firmly believe -that their petty frigate engagements established as -complete a naval ascendancy over Great Britain as the -latter obtained by her great encounters with the fleets -of France and Spain. Their reverses, defeats, and -headlong routs in the first war, their reverses in the -second, are covered over by a huge Buncombe plaster, -made up of Bunker’s Hill, Plattsburg, Baltimore, and -New Orleans.</p> - -<p>Their delusions are increased and solidified by the -extraordinary text-books of so-called history, and -by the feasts, and festivals, and celebrations of their -every-day political life, in all of which we pass through -imaginary Caudine Forks; and they entertain towards -the old country at best very much the feeling which a -high-spirited young man would feel towards the guardian -who, when he had come of age, and was free from -all control, sought to restrain the passions of his -early life.</p> - -<p>Now I could not refuse to believe that in New -Orleans, Montgomery, Mobile, Jackson, and Memphis -there is a reckless and violent condition of society, -unfavourable to civilisation, and but little hopeful<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39"></a>[39]</span> -for the future. The most absolute and despotic rule, -under which a man’s life and property are safe, is -better than the largest measure of democratic freedom, -which deprives the freeman of any security for either. -The state of legal protection for the most serious interests -of man, considered as a civilised and social creature, -which prevails in America, could not be tolerated for -an instant, and would generate a revolution in the -worst governed country in Europe. I would much -sooner, as the accidental victim of a generally disorganized -police, be plundered by a chance diligence -robber in Mexico, or have a fair fight with a Greek -Klepht, suffer from Italian banditti, <ins class="corr" id="tn-39" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'or be garotted'"> -or be garroted</ins> by a London ticket-of-leave man, than be bowie-knifed -or revolvered in consequence of a political or personal -difference with a man, who is certain not in the least -degree to suffer from an accidental success in his -argument.</p> - -<p>On our return to the hotel I dined with the General -and his staff at the public table, where there was a -large assemblage of military men, Southern ladies, their -families, and contractors. This latter race has risen up -as if by magic, to meet the wants of the new Confederacy; -and it is significant to measure the amount of -the dependence on Northern manufacturers by the -advertisements in the Southern journals, indicating the -creation of new branches of workmanship, mechanical -science, and manufacturing skill.</p> - -<p>Hitherto they have been dependent on the North -for the very necessaries of their industrial life. -These States were so intent on gathering in money -for their produce, expending it luxuriously, and -paying it out for Northern labour, that they found<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40"></a>[40]</span> -themselves suddenly in the condition of a child -brought up by hand, whose nurse and mother have -left it on the steps of the poor-house. But they -have certainly essayed to remedy the evil and are endeavouring -to make steam-engines, gunpowder, lamps, -clothes, boots, railway carriages, steel springs, glass, -and all the smaller articles for which even Southern -households find a necessity.</p> - -<p>The peculiar character of this contest <ins class="corr" id="tn-40" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'developes itself'"> -develops itself</ins> in a manner almost incomprehensible to a stranger -who has been accustomed to regard the United States -as a nation. Here is General Pillow, for example, in -the State of Tennessee, commanding the forces of the -State, which, in effect, belongs to the Southern Confederacy; -but he tells me that he cannot venture to -move across a certain geographical line, dividing Tennessee -from Kentucky, because the State of Kentucky, -in the exercise of its sovereign powers and rights, -which the Southern States are bound specially to -respect, in virtue of their championship of States’ -rights, has, like the United Kingdom of Great Britain -and Ireland, declared it will be neutral in the struggle; -and Beriah Magoffin, Governor of the aforesaid State, -has warned off Federal and Confederate troops from -his territory.</p> - -<p>General Pillow is particularly indignant with the -cowardice of the well-known Secessionists of Kentucky; -but I think he is rather more annoyed by the accumulation -of Federal troops at Cairo, and their recent -expedition to Columbus on the Kentucky shore, a -little below them, where they seized a Confederate -flag.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41"></a>[41]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III. <span class="hidden">Heavy Bill</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Heavy Bill —Railway travelling —Introductions —Assassinations —Tennessee —“Corinth” —“Troy” —“Humbolt” —“The -Confederate Camp” —Return Northwards —Columbus —Cairo —The -Slavery Question —Prospects of the War —Coarse Journalism.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>June 19th.</em> It is probable the landlord of the Gayoso -House was a strong Secessionist, and resolved, therefore, -to make the most out of a neutral customer -like myself—certainly Herodotus would have been -astonished if he were called upon to pay the little bill -which was presented to me in the modern Memphis; -and had the old Egyptian hostelries been conducted on -the same principles as those of the Tennessean Memphis, -the “Father of History” would have had to sell off a -good many editions in order to pay his way. I had to rise -at three o’clock a.m., to reach the train, which started -before five. The omnibus which took us to the station -was literally nave deep in the dust; and of all the bad -roads and dusty streets I have yet seen in the New -World, where both prevail, North and South, those of -Memphis are the worst. Indeed, as the citizen, of -Hibernian birth, who presided over the luggage of -the passengers on the roof, declared, “The streets are -paved with waves of mud, only the mud is all dust when -it’s fine weather.”</p> - -<p>By the time I had arrived at the station my clothes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42"></a>[42]</span> -were covered with a fine alluvial deposit in a state of -powder; the platform was crowded with volunteers -moving off for the wars, and I was obliged to take my -place in a carriage full of Confederate officers and -soldiers who had a large supply of whisky, which at -that early hour they were consuming as a prophylactic -against the influence of the morning dews, which -hereabouts are of such a deadly character that, to be -quite safe from their influence, it appears to be necessary, -judging from the examples of my companions, to -get as nearly drunk as possible. Whisky, by-the-by, -is also a sovereign specific against the bites of rattlesnakes. -All the dews of the Mississippi and the rattlesnakes -of the prairie might have spent their force or -venom in vain on my companions before we had got as -far as Union City.</p> - -<p>I was evidently regarded with considerable suspicion -by my fellow passengers, when they heard I was going -to Cairo, until the conductor obligingly informed them -who I was, whereupon I was much entreated to fortify -myself against the dews and rattlesnakes, and received -many offers of service and kindness.</p> - -<p>Whatever may be the normal comforts of American -railway cars, they are certainly most unpleasant conveyances -when the war spirit is abroad, and the heat of -the day, which was excessive, did not contribute to -diminish the annoyance of foul air—the odour of -whisky, tobacco, and the like, combined with innumerable -flies. At Humbolt, which is eighty-two miles -away, there was a change of cars, and an opportunity -of obtaining some refreshment,—the station was -crowded by great numbers of men and women dressed -in their best, who were making holiday in order to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43"></a>[43]</span> -visit Union City, forty-six miles distant, where a -force of Tennesseean and Mississippi regiments are -encamped. The ladies boldly advanced into carriages -which were quite full, and as they looked quite prepared -to sit down on the occupants of the seats if they did not -move, and to destroy them with all-absorbing articles -of feminine warfare, either defensive or aggressive, and -crush them with iron-bound crinolines, they soon drove -us out into the broiling sun.</p> - -<p>Whilst I was on the platform I underwent the usual -process of American introduction, not, I fear, very -good-humouredly. A gentleman whom you never saw -before in your life, walks up to you and says, “I am -happy to see you among us, sir,” and if he finds a hand -wandering about, he shakes it cordially. “My name is -Jones, sir, Judge Jones of Pumpkin County. Any information -about this place or State that I can give is quite -at your service.” This is all very civil and well meant -of Jones, but before you have made up your mind what -to say, or on what matter to test the worth of his -proffered information, he darts off and seizes one of the -group who have been watching Jones’s advance, and -comes forward with a tall man, like himself, busily engaged -with a piece of tobacco. “Colonel, let me introduce -you to my friend, Mr. Russell. This, sir, is -one of our leading citizens, Colonel Knags.” Whereupon -the Colonel shakes hands, uses nearly the same -formula as Judge Jones, immediately returns to his -friends, and cuts in before Jones is back with other -friends, whom he is hurrying up the platform, introduces -General Cassius Mudd and Dr. Ordlando Bellows, who -go through the same ceremony, and as each man has a -circle of his own, my acquaintance becomes prodigiously<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44"></a>[44]</span> -extended, and my hand considerably tortured in the -space of a few minutes; finally I am introduced to the -driver of the engine and the stoker, but they proved to -be acquaintances not at all to be despised, for they gave -me a seat on the engine, which was really a boon considering -that the train was crowded beyond endurance, -and in a state of internal nastiness scarcely conceivable.</p> - -<p>When I had got up on the engine a gentleman -clambered after me in order to have a little conversation, -and he turned out to be an intelligent and clever -man well acquainted with the people and the country. -I had been much impressed by the account in the -Memphis papers of the lawlessness and crime which -seemed to prevail in the state of Mississippi, and of the -brutal shootings and stabbings which disgraced it and -other Southern States. He admitted it was true, but -could not see any remedy. “Why not?” “Well, sir, -the rowdies have rushed in on us, and we can’t master -them; they are too strong for the respectable people.” -“Then you admit the law is nearly powerless?” -“Well, you see, sir, these men have got hold of the -people who ought to administer the law, and when they -fail to do so they are so powerful by reason of their -numbers, and so reckless, they have things their own -way.”</p> - -<p>“In effect, then, you are living under a reign of -terror, and the rule of a ruffian mob?” “It’s not -quite so bad as that, perhaps, for the respectable people -are not much affected by it, and most of the crimes of -which you speak are committed by these bad classes in -their own section; but it is disgraceful to have such a -state of things, and when this war is over, and we have -started the Confederacy all fair, we’ll put the whole<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45"></a>[45]</span> -thing down. We are quite determined to take the law -into our own hands, and the first remedy for the condition -of affairs which, we all lament, will be to confine -the suffrage to native-born Americans, and to get rid -of the infamous, scoundrelly foreigners, who now overrule -us in our country.” “But are not many regiments -of Irish and Germans now fighting for you? And will -these foreigners who have taken up arms in your cause -be content to receive as the result of their success an -inferior position, politically, to that which they now -hold?” “Well, sir, they must; we are bound to go -through with this thing if we would save society.” I -had so often heard a similar determination expressed by -men belonging to the thinking classes in the South that -I am bound to believe the project is entertained by -many of those engaged in this great revolt—one -principle of which indeed, may be considered hostility -to universal suffrage, combining with it, of course, the -limitation of the immigrant vote.</p> - -<p>The portion of Tennessee through which the rail -runs is exceedingly uninteresting, and looks unhealthy, -the clearings occur at long intervals in the forest, -and the unwholesome population, who came out of their -low shanties, situated amidst blackened stumps of trees -or fields of Indian corn, did not seem prosperous or -comfortable. The twists and curves of the rail, through -cane brakes and swamps exceeded in that respect any -line I have ever travelled on; but the vertical irregularities -of the rail were still greater, and the engine -bounded as if it were at sea.</p> - -<p>The names of the stations show that a savant has been -rambling about the district. Here is Corinth, which -consists of a wooden grog-shop and three log shanties;<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46"></a>[46]</span> -the acropolis is represented by a grocery store, of which -the proprietors, no doubt, have gone to the wars, as -their names were suspiciously Milesian, and the doors -and windows were fastened; but occasionally the names -of the stations on the railway boards represented -towns and villages, hidden in the wood some distance -away, and Mummius might have something to ruin if -he marched off the track but not otherwise.</p> - -<p>The city of Troy was still simpler in architecture than -the Grecian capitol. The Dardanian towers were represented -by a timber-house, in the verandah of which -the American Helen was seated, in the shape of an old -woman smoking a pipe, and she certainly could have -set the Palace of Priam on fire much more readily -than her prototype. Four sheds, three log huts, a sawmill, -about twenty negroes sitting on a wood-pile, and -looking at the train, constituted the rest of the place, -which was certainly too new for one to say, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Troja fuit</i>, -whilst the general “fixins” would scarcely authorise us to -say with any confidence, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Troja fuerit</i>.</p> - -<p>The train from Troy passed through a cypress swamp, -over which the engine rattled, and hopped at a perilous -rate along high trestle work, till forty-six miles from -Humbolt we came to Union City, which was apparently -formed by aggregate meetings of discontented shavings -that had travelled out of the forest hard by. But a -little beyond it was the Confederate camp, which so -many citizens and citizenesses had come out into the -wilderness to see; and a general descent was made upon -the place whilst the volunteers came swarming out of -their tents to meet their friends. It was interesting to -observe the affectionate greetings between the young -soldiers, mothers, wives, and sweethearts, and as a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47"></a>[47]</span> -display of the force and earnestness of the Southern -people—the camp itself containing thousands of men, -many of whom were members of the first families in -the State—was specially significant.</p> - -<p>There is no appearance of military order or discipline -about the camps, though they were guarded by -sentries and cannon, and implements of war and soldiers’ -accoutrements were abundant. Some of the sentinels -carried their firelocks under their arms like -umbrellas, others carried <ins class="corr" id="tn-47" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'the but over'"> -the butt over</ins> the shoulder -and the muzzle downwards, and one for his greater -ease had stuck the bayonet of his firelock into the -ground, and was leaning his elbow on the stock with -his chin on his hand, whilst Sybarites less ingenious, -had simply deposited their muskets against the trees, -and were lying down reading newspapers. Their arms -and uniforms were of different descriptions—sporting -rifles, fowling pieces, flint muskets, smooth bores, long -and short barrels, new Enfields, and the like; but the -men, nevertheless, were undoubtedly material for excellent -soldiers. There were some few boys, too young -to carry arms, although the zeal and ardour of such lads -cannot but have a good effect, if they behave well in -action.</p> - -<p>The great attraction of this train lay in a vast -supply of stores, with which several large vans were -closely packed, and for fully two hours the train -was delayed, whilst hampers of wine, spirits, vegetables, -fruit, meat, groceries, and all the various articles -acceptable to soldiers living under canvas were disgorged -on the platform, and carried away by the -expectant military.</p> - -<p>I was pleased to observe the perfect confidence<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48"></a>[48]</span> -that was felt in the honesty of the men. The railway -servants simply deposited each article as it came -out on the platform—the men came up, read the -address, and carried it away, or left it, as the case -might be; and only in one instance did I see a scramble, -which was certainly quite justifiable, for in handing -out a large basket the bottom gave way, and out -tumbled onions, apples, and potatoes among the -soldiery, who stuffed their pockets and haversacks with -the unexpected bounty. One young fellow, who was -handed a large wicker-covered jar from the van, having -shaken it, and gratified his ear by the pleasant jingle -inside, retired to the roadside, drew the cork, and, -raising it slowly to his mouth, proceeded to take a -good pull at the contents, to the envy of his comrades; -but the pleasant expression upon his face rapidly -vanished, and spurting out the fluid with a hideous -<ins class="corr" id="tn-48" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'grimace, he exclamed'"> -grimace, he exclaimed</ins>, “D—-; why, if the old -woman has not gone and sent me a gallon of -syrup.” The matter was evidently considered too -serious to joke about, for not a soul in the crowd even -smiled; but they walked away from the man, who, -putting down the jar, seemed in doubt as to whether he -would take it away or not.</p> - -<p>Numerous were the invitations to stop, which I -received from the officers. “Why not stay with us, -sir; what can a gentleman want to go among black -Republicans and Yankees for.” It is quite obvious -that my return to the Northern States is regarded with -some suspicion; but I am bound to say that my explanation -of the necessity of the step was always well received, -and satisfied my Southern friends that I had no alternative. -A special correspondent, whose letters cannot<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49"></a>[49]</span> -get out of the country in which he is engaged, can -scarcely fulfil the purpose of his mission; and I used -to point out, good-humouredly, to these gentlemen that -until they had either opened the communication with -the North, or had broken the blockade, and established -steam communication with Europe, I must seek my -base of operations elsewhere.</p> - -<p>At last we started from Union City; and there came -into the car, among other soldiers who were going-out -to Columbus, a fine specimen of the wild filibustering -population of the South, which furnish many -recruits to the ranks of the Confederate army—a tall, -brawny-shouldered, brown-faced, black-bearded, hairy-handed -man, with a hunter’s eye, and rather a Jewish -face, full of life, energy, and daring. I easily got into -conversation with him, as my companion happened to be -a freemason, and he told us he had been a planter in -Mississippi, and once owned 110 negroes, worth at least -some 20,000<em>l.</em>; but, as he said himself, “I was always -patrioting it about;” and so he went off, first with -Lopez to Cuba, was wounded and taken prisoner by the -Spaniards, but had the good fortune to be saved from -the execution which was inflicted on the ringleaders of -the expedition. When he came back he found his -plantation all the worse, and a decrease amongst his -negroes; but his love of adventure and filibustering was -stronger than his prudence or desire of gain. He took -up with Walker, the “the grey eyed man of destiny,” -and accompanied him in his strange career till his -leader received the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup de grace</i> in the final raid upon -Nicaragua.</p> - -<p>Again he was taken prisoner, and would have been -put to death by the Nicaraguans, but for the intervention<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50"></a>[50]</span> -of Captain Aldham. “I don’t bear any love to -the Britishers,” said he, “but I’m bound to say, as so -many charges have been made against Captain Aldham, -that he behaved like a gentleman, and if I had been at -New Orleans when them cussed cowardly blackguards -ill-used him, I’d have left my mark so deep on a few of -them, that their clothes would not cover them long.” -He told us that at present he had only five negroes left, -“but I’m not going to let the black republicans lay -hold of them, and I’m just going to stand up for States’ -rights as long as I can draw a trigger—so snakes and -Abolitionists look out.” He was so reduced by starvation, -ill-treatment, and sickness in Nicaragua, when -Captain Aldham procured his release, that he weighed -only 110 pounds, but at present he was over 200 pounds, -a splendid <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bête fauve</i>, and without wishing so fine a -looking fellow any harm, I could not but help thinking -that it must be a benefit to American society to get rid -of a considerable number of these class of which he is -a representative man. And there is every probability -that they will have a full opportunity of doing so.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of the train at Columbus, twenty-five -miles from Union City, my friend got out, -and a good number of men in uniform joined him, -which led me to conclude that they had some more -serious object than a mere pleasure trip to the very -uninteresting looking city on the banks of the Mississippi, -which is asserted to be neutral territory, as it -belongs to the sovereign state of Kentucky. I heard, -accidentally, as I came in the train, that a party of -Federal soldiers from the camp at Cairo, up the river, -had recently descended to Columbus and torn down a -secession flag which had been hoisted on the river’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51"></a>[51]</span> -bank, to the great indignation of many of the inhabitants.</p> - -<p>In those border states the coming war promises -to produce the greatest misery; they will be the scenes -of hostile operations; the population is divided in sentiment; -the greatest efforts will be made by each side to -gain the ascendancy in the state, and to crush the -opposite faction, and it is not possible to believe that -Kentucky can maintain a neutral position, or that -either Federal or Confederates will pay the smallest -regard to the proclamation of Governor McGoffin, and -to his empty menaces.</p> - -<p>At Columbus the steamer was waiting to convey us up -to Cairo, and I congratulated myself on the good fortune -of arriving in time for the last opportunity that will be -afforded of proceeding northward by this route. General -Pillow on the one hand, and General Prentiss on the -other, have resolved to blockade the Mississippi, and as -the facilities for Confederates going up to Columbus and -obtaining information of what is happening in the -Federal camps cannot readily be checked, the general -in command of the port to which I am bound has -intimated that the steamers must cease running. It -was late in the day when we entered once more on the -father of waters, which is here just as broad, as muddy, -as deep, and as wooded as it is at Bâton Rouge, or -Vicksburg.</p> - -<p>Columbus is situated on an elevated spur or elbow of -land projecting into the river, and has, in commercial -faith, one of those futures which have so many rallying -points down the centre of the great river. The steamer -which lay at the wharf, or rather the wooden piles in -the bank which afforded a resting place for the gangway,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52"></a>[52]</span> -carried no flag, and on board presented traces of -better days, a list of refreshments no longer attainable, -and of bill of fare utterly fanciful. About twenty passengers -came on board, most of whom had a distracted -air, as if they were doubtful of their journey. The -captain was surly, the office keeper petulant, the crew -morose, and, perhaps, only one man on board, a stout -Englishman, who was purser or chief of the victualling -department, seemed at all inclined to be communicative. -At dinner he asked me whether I thought there would -be a fight, but as I was oscillating between one extreme -and the other, I considered it right to conceal my -opinion even from the steward of the Mississippi boat; -and, as it happened, the expression of it would not have -been of much consequence one way or the other, for it -turned out that our friend was of very stern stuff, -“This war,” he said, “is all about niggers; I’ve been -sixteen years in the country, and I never met one of -them yet was fit to be anything but a slave; I know -the two sections well, and I tell you, sir, the North, -can’t whip the South, let them do their best; they may -ruin the country, but they’ll do no good.”</p> - -<p>There were men on board who had expressed the -strongest secession sentiments in the train, but who -now sat and listened and acquiesced in the opinions of -Northern men, and by the time Cairo was in sight, -they, no doubt, would have taken the oath of allegiance -which every doubtful person is required to utter before -he is allowed to go beyond the military post.</p> - -<p>In about two hours or so the captain pointed out to -me a tall building and some sheds, which seemed to -arise out of a wide reach in the river, “that’s Cairey,” -said he, “where the Unionists have their camp,” and very<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53"></a>[53]</span> -soon the stars and stripes were visible, waving from -a lofty staff, at the angle of low land formed by the -junction of the Mississippi and Ohio.</p> - -<p>For two months I had seen only the rival stars and -bars, with the exception of the rival banner floating from -the ships and the fort at Pickens. One of the passengers -told me that the place was supposed to be described by -Mr. Dickens, in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” and as the steamer -approached the desolate embankment, which seemed -the only barrier between the low land on which the so-called -city was built, and the waters of the great river -rising above it, it certainly became impossible to believe -that sane men, even as speculators, could have fixed -upon such a spot as the possible site of a great city,—an -emporium of trade and commerce. A more desolate -woe-begone looking place, now that all trade and -commerce had ceased cannot be conceived; but as the -southern terminus of the central Illinois railway, it -displayed a very different scene before the war broke -out.</p> - -<p>With the exception of the large hotel, which -rises far above the levée of the river, the public edifices -are represented by a church and spire, and the -rest of the town by a line of shanties and small houses, -the rooms and upper stories of which are just visible -above the embankment. The general impression effected -by the place was decidedly like that which the Isle of Dogs -produces on a despondent foreigner as he approaches -London by the river <ins class="corr" id="tn-53" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'on a drisly day'"> -on a drizzly day</ins> in November. -The stream, formed by the united efforts of the Mississippi -and the Ohio, did not appear to gain much breadth, -and each of the confluents looked as large as its product -with the other. Three steamers lay alongside the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54"></a>[54]</span> -wooden wharves projecting from the embankment, -which was also lined by some flat-boats. Sentries -paraded the gangways as the steamer made fast along -the shore, but no inquiry was directed to any of the -passengers, and I walked up the levée and proceeded -straight to the hotel, which put me very much in mind -of an effort made by speculating proprietors to create a -watering-place on some lifeless beach. In the hall -there were a number of officers in United States’ uniforms, -and the lower part of the hotel was, apparently, -occupied as a military bureau; finally, I was shoved -into a small dungeon, with a window opening out on -the angle formed by the two rivers, which was lined -with sheds and huts and terminated by a battery.</p> - -<p>These camps are such novelties in the country, and -there is such romance in the mere fact of a man living -in a tent, that people come far and wide to see their -friends under such extraordinary circumstances, and the -hotel at Cairo was crowded by men and women who -had come from all parts of Illinois to visit their acquaintances -and relations belonging to the state troops -encamped at this important point. The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">salle à manger</i>, -a long and lofty room on the ground floor, which I -visited at supper time, was almost untenable by reason -of heat and flies; nor did I find that the free negroes, -who acted as attendants, possessed any advantages over -their enslaved brethren a few miles lower down the -river; though their freedom was obvious enough in their -demeanour and manners.</p> - -<p>I was introduced to General Prentiss, an agreeable -person, without anything about him to indicate the soldier. -He gave me a number of newspapers, the articles in -which were principally occupied with a discussion of Lord<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55"></a>[55]</span> -John Russell’s speech on American affairs: Much as the -South found fault with the British minister for the -views he had expressed, the North appears much more -indignant, and denounces in the press what the journalists -are pleased to call “the hostility of the Foreign -Minister to the United States.” It is admitted, however, -that the extreme irritation caused by admitting -the Southern States to exercise limited belligerent -rights was not quite justifiable. Soon after nightfall I -retired to my room and battled with mosquitoes till I -sank into sleep and exhaustion, and abandoned myself -to their mercies; perhaps, after all, there were not more -than a hundred or so, and their united efforts could not -absorb as much blood as would be taken out by one -leech, but then their horrible acrimony, which leaves a -wreck behind in the place where they have banqueted, -inspires the utmost indignation and appears to be an -indefensible prolongation of the outrage of the original -bite.</p> - -<p><em>June 20th.</em>—When I awoke this morning and, gazing -out of my little window on the regiments parading on -the level below me, after an arduous struggle to obtain -cold water for a bath, sat down to consider what I -had seen within the last two months, and to arrive at -some general results from the retrospect, I own that -after much thought my mind was reduced to a hazy analysis -of the abstract principles of right and wrong, in which -it failed to come to any very definite conclusion: the -space of a very few miles has completely altered the -phases of thought and the forms of language.</p> - -<p>I am living among “abolitionists, cut-throats, Lincolnite -mercenaries, foreign invaders, assassins, and plundering -Dutchmen.” Such, at least, the men of Columbus<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56"></a>[56]</span> -tell me the garrison at Cairo consists of. Down below -me are “rebels, conspirators, robbers, slave breeders, -wretches bent upon destroying the most perfect government -on the face of the earth, in order to perpetuate -an accursed system, by which, however, beings are held -in bondage and immortal souls consigned to perdition.”</p> - -<p>On the whole, the impression left upon my mind by -what I had seen in slave states is unfavourable to the -institution of slavery, both as regards its effects on the -slave and its influence on the master. But my examination -was necessarily superficial and hasty. I have -reason to believe that the more deeply the institution -is probed, the more clearly will its unsoundness and its -radical evils be discerned. The constant appeals made -to the physical comforts of the slaves, and their supposed -contentment, have little or no effect on any -person who acts up to a higher standard of human -happiness than that which is applied to swine or the -beasts of the fields “See how fat my pigs are.”</p> - -<p>The arguments founded on a comparison of the -condition of the slave population with the pauperised -inhabitants of European states are utterly fallacious, -inasmuch as in one point, which is the most important -by far, there can be no comparison at all. In effect -slavery can only be justified in the abstract on the -grounds which slavery advocates decline to take boldly, -though they insinuate it now and then, that is, the -inferiority of the negro in respect to white men, which -removes them from the upper class of human beings -and places them in a condition which is as much below -the Caucasian standard as the quadrumanous creatures -are beneath the negro. Slavery is a curse, with its time -of accomplishment not quite at hand—it is a cancer, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57"></a>[57]</span> -ravages of which are covered by fair outward show, and -by the apparent health of the sufferer.</p> - -<p>The slave states, of course, would not support the -Northern for a year if cotton, sugar, and tobacco became -suddenly worthless. But, nevertheless, the slave owners -would have strong grounds to stand upon if they were -content to point to the difficulties in the way of emancipation, -and the circumstances under which they -received their <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">damnosa hereditas</i> from England, which -fostered, nay forced, slavery in legislative hotbeds -throughout the colonies. The Englishman may say -“We abolished slavery when we saw its evils.” The -slave owner replies, “Yes, with you it was possible to -decree the extinction—not with us.”</p> - -<p>Never did a people enter on a war so utterly -destitute of any reason for waging it, or of the means -of bringing it to a successful termination against -internal enemies. The thirteen colonies had a large -population of sea-faring and soldiering men, constantly -engaged in military expeditions. There was a large -infusion, compared with the numbers of men capable -of commanding in the field, and their great enemy was -separated by a space far greater than the whole circumference -of the globe would be in the present time from -the scene of operations. Most American officers who -took part in the war of 1812-14 are now too old for -service, or retired into private life soon after the -campaign. The same remark applies to the senior -officers who served in Mexico, and the experiences of -that campaign could not be of much use to those now -in the service, of whom the majority were subalterns, -or at most, officers in command of volunteers.</p> - -<p>A love of military display is very different indeed from<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58"></a>[58]</span> -a true soldierly spirit, and at the base of the volunteer -system there lies a radical difficulty, which must be -overcome before real military efficiency can be expected. -In the South the foreign element has contributed -largely to swell the ranks with many docile and a few -experienced soldiers, the number of the latter predominating -in the German levies, and the same -remark is, I hear, true of the Northern armies.</p> - -<p>The most active member of the staff here is a young -Englishman named Binmore, who was a stenographic -writer in London, but has now sharpened his pencil -into a sword, and when I went into the guard-room -this morning I found that three-fourths of the officers, -including all who had seen actual service, were foreigners. -One, Milotzky, was an Hungarian; another, Waagner, -was of the same nationality; a third, Schuttner, was a -German; another, Mac something, was a Scotchman; -another, was an Englishman. One only (Colonel -Morgan), who had served in Mexico, was an American. -The foreigners, of course, serve in this war as mercenaries; -that is, they enter into the conflict to gain -something by it, either in pay, in position, or in securing -a status for themselves.</p> - -<p>The utter absence of any fixed principle determining -the side which the foreign nationalities adopt -is proved by their going North or South with the -state in which they live. On the other hand, the -effects of discipline and of the principles of military -life on rank and file are shown by the fact that the -soldiers of the regular regiments of the United States -and the sailors in the navy have to a man adhered -to their colours, notwithstanding the examples and -inducements of their officers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59"></a>[59]</span></p> - -<p>After breakfast I went down about the works, -which fortify the bank of mud, in the shape of a V, -formed by the two rivers—a <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">flêche</span> with a ditch, -scarp, and counter-scarp. Some heavy pieces cover -the end of the spit at the other side of the -Mississippi, at Bird’s Point. On the side of Missouri -there is a field entrenchment, held by a regiment of -Germans, Poles, and Hungarians, about 1000 strong, -with two field batteries. The sacred soil of Kentucky, -on the other side of the Ohio, is tabooed by Beriah -Magoffin, but it is not possible for the belligerents to -stand so close face to face without occupying either -Columbus or Hickman. The thermometer was at 100° -soon after breakfast, and it was not wonderful to find -that the men in Camp Defiance, which is the name -of the cantonment on the mud between the levées of -the Ohio and Mississippi, were suffering from diarrhœa -and fever.</p> - -<p>In the evening there was a review of three regiments, -forming a brigade of some 2800 men, who -went through their drill, advancing in columns of -company, moving <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en echelon</i>, changing front, deploying -into line on the centre company, very creditably. It -was curious to see what a start ran through the -men during the parade when a gun was fired from -the battery close at hand, and how their heads -turned towards the river; but the steamer which had -appeared round the bend hoisted the private signs, by -which she was known as a friend, and tranquillity was -restored.</p> - -<p>I am not sure that most of these troops desire -anything but a long residence at a tolerably comfortable -station, with plenty of pay and no marching.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60"></a>[60]</span> -Cairo, indeed, is not comfortable; the worst barrack -that ever asphixiated the British soldier would be better -than the best shed here, and the flies and the mosquitoes -are beyond all conception virulent and pestiferous. I -would give much to see Cairo in its normal state, but -it is my fate to witness the most interesting scenes in -the world through a glaze of gunpowder. It would be -unfair to say that any marked superiority in dwelling, -clothing, or comfort was visible between the mean -white of Cairo or the black chattel a few miles down -the river. Brawling, rioting, and a good deal of -drunkenness prevailed in the miserable sheds which -line the stream, although there was nothing to justify -the libels on the garrison of the <cite>Columbus Crescent</cite>, -edited by one Colonel L. G. Faxon, of the Tennessee -Tigers, with whose writings I was made acquainted by -General Prentiss, to whom they appeared to give more -annoyance than he was quite wise in showing.</p> - -<p>This is a style of journalism which may have its -merits, and which certainly is peculiar; I give a -few small pieces. “The Irish are for us, and they -will knock Bologna sausages out of the Dutch, and -we will knock wooden nutmegs out of the Yankees.” -“The mosquitoes of Cairo have been sucking the -lager-bier out of the dirty soldiers there so long, they -are bloated and swelled up as large as spring ’possums. -An assortment of Columbus mosquitoes went -up there the other day to suck some, but as they -have not returned, the probability is they went off -with <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">delirium tremens</i>; in fact, the blood of these -Hessians would poison the most degraded tumble bug -in creation.”</p> - -<p>Our editor is particularly angry about the recent<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61"></a>[61]</span> -seizure of a Confederate flag at Columbus by Colonel -Oglesby and a party of Federals from Cairo. Speaking -of a flag intended for himself, he says, “Would that its -folds had contained 1000 asps to sting 1000 Dutchmen -to eternity unshriven.” Our friend is certainly a -genius. His paper of June the 19th opens with an -apology for the non-appearance of the journal for -several weeks. “Before leaving,” he says, “we engaged -the services of a competent editor, and left a -printer here to issue the paper regularly. We were -detained several weeks beyond our time, the aforesaid -printer promised faithfully to perform his duties, but he -left the same day we did, and consequently there was -no one to get out the paper. We have the charity to -suppose that fear and bad whisky had nothing to do -with his evacuation of Columbus.” Another elegant -extract about the flag commences, “When the bow-legged, -wooden shoed, sour craut stinking, Bologna -sausage eating, hen roost robbing Dutch sons of —— -had accomplished the brilliant feat of taking down the -Secession flag on the river bank, they were pointed to -another flag of the same sort which their guns did not -cover, flying gloriously and defiantly, and dared yea! -double big black dog—dared, as we used to say at -school, to take that flag down—the cowardly pups, the -thieving sheep dogs, the sneaking skunks, dare not do -so, because their twelve pieces of artillery were not -bearing on it.” As to the Federal commander at Cairo, -Colonel Faxon’s sentiments are unambiguous. “The -qualifications of this man, Prentiss,” he says, “for the -command of such a squad of villains and cut-throats -are, that he is a miserable hound, a dirty dog, a sociable -fellow, a treacherous villain, a notorious thief, a lying<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62"></a>[62]</span> -blackguard, who has served his regular five years in the -Penitentiary and keeps his hide continually full of -Cincinnati whisky, which he buys by the barrel in order -to save his money—in him are embodied the leprous -rascalities of the world, and in this living score, the -gallows is cheated of its own. Prentiss wants our -scalp; we propose a plan by which he may get that -valuable article. Let him select 150 of his best fighting -men, or 250 of his lager-bier Dutchmen, we will select -100, then let both parties meet where there will be no -interruption at the scalping business, and the longest -pole will knock the persimmon. If he does not accept -this proposal, he is a coward. We think this a gentlemanly -proposition and quite fair and equal to both -parties.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63"></a>[63]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV. <span class="hidden">Camp at Cairo</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Camp at Cairo—The North and the South in respect to Europe—Political -reflections—Mr. Colonel Oglesby—My speech—Northern and -Southern soldiers compared—American country-walks—Recklessness -of life—Want of cavalry—Emeute in the camp—Defects of -army medical department—Horrors of war—Bad discipline.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>June 21st.</em> Verily I would be sooner in the Coptic -Cairo, narrow streeted, dark bazaared, many flied, much -vexed by donkeys and by overland route passengers, -than the horrid tongue of land which licks the muddy -margin of the Ohio and the Mississippi. The thermometer -at 100° in the shade before noon indicates -nowhere else such an amount of heat and suffering, and -yet prostrate as I was, it was my fate to argue that -England was justified in conceding belligerent rights to -the South, and that the attitude of neutrality we had -assumed in this terrible quarrel is not in effect an -aggression on the United States; and here is a difference -to be perceived between the North and the South.</p> - -<p>The people of the seceding States, aware in their -consciences that they have been most active in their -hostility to Great Britain, and whilst they were in -power were mainly responsible for the defiant, irritating, -and insulting tone commonly used to us by American -statesmen, are anxious at the present moment, when so -much depends on the action of foreign countries, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64"></a>[64]</span> -remove all unfavourable impressions from our minds by -declarations of good will, respect, and admiration, not -quite compatible with the language of their leaders in -times not long gone by. The North, as yet unconscious of -the loss of power, and reared in a school of menace and -violent assertion of their rights regarding themselves as -the whole of the United States, and animated by their -own feeling of commercial and political opposition to -Great Britain, maintain the high tone of a people who -have never known let or hindrance in their passions, -and consider it an outrage that the whole world does not -join in active sympathy for a government which in its -brief career has contrived to affront every nation in -Europe with which it had any dealings.</p> - -<p>If the United States have astonished France by their -ingratitude, they have certainly accustomed England to -their petulance, and one can fancy the satisfaction with -which the Austrian Statesmen who remember Mr. -Webster’s despatch to Mr. Hulsemann, contemplate the -present condition of the United States in the face of -an insurrection of these sovereign and independent -States which the Cabinet at Washington stigmatises as -an outbreak of rebels and traitors to the royalty of the -Union.</p> - -<p>During my short sojourn in this country I have never -yet met any person who could show me where the -sovereignty of the Union resides. General Prentiss, -however, and his Illinois volunteers, are quite ready to -fight for it.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon the General drove me round the -camps in company with Mr. Washburne, Member of -Congress, from Illinois, his staff and a party of -officers, among whom was Mr. Oglesby, colonel of a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65"></a>[65]</span> -regiment of State Volunteers, who struck me by his -shrewdness, simple honesty, and zeal.<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> He told me -that he had begun life in the utmost obscurity, -but that somehow or other he got into a lawyer’s -office, and there, by hard drudgery, by mother -wit, and industry, notwithstanding a <ins class="corr" id="tn-65" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'defective educacation'"> -defective education</ins>, he had raised himself not only to independence -but to such a position that 1000 men had gathered -at his call and selected one who had never led a -company in his life to be their colonel; in fact, he is -an excellent orator of the western school, and made -good homely, telling speeches to his men.</p> - -<p>“I’m not as good as your Frenchmen of the schools of -Paris, nor am I equal to the Russian colonels I met at -St. Petersburg, who sketched me out how they had -beaten you Britishers at Sebastopol,” said he; “but I -know I can do good straight fighting with my boys -when I get a chance. There is a good deal in training, -to be sure, but nature tells too. Why I believe I -would make a good artillery officer if I was put to it. -General, you heard how I laid one of them guns the -other day and touched her off with my own hand and -sent the ball right into a tree half-a-mile away.” The -Colonel evidently thought he had by that feat proved -his fitness for the command of a field battery. One of -the German officers who was listening to the lively old -man’s talk, whispered to me, “Dere is a good many of -tese colonels in dis camp.”</p> - -<p>At each station the officers came out of their tents, -shook hands all round, and gave an unfailing invitation -to get down and take a drink, and the guns on -the General’s approach fired salutes, as though it was a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66"></a>[66]</span> -time of profoundest peace. Powder was certainly -more plentiful than in the Confederate camps, where -salutes are not permitted unless by special order on -great occasions.</p> - -<p>The General remained for some time in the camp -of the Chicago light artillery, which was commanded -by a fine young Scotchman of the Saxon genus -Smith, who told me that the privates of his company -represented a million and a half of dollars in property. -Their guns, horses, carriages, and accoutrements were -all in the most creditable order, and there was an air -about the men and about their camp which showed -they did not belong to the same class as the better -disciplined Hungarians of Milotzky close at hand.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were seated in Captain Smith’s tent, a -number of the privates came forward, and sang the -“Star-spangled banner” and a patriotic song, to the air -of “God save the Queen,” and the rest of the artillerymen, -and a number of stragglers from the other camps, -assembled and then formed line behind the singers. -When the chorus was over there arose a great shout -for Washburne, and the honourable Congress man -was fain to come forward and make a speech, in which -he assured his hearers of a very speedy victory and the -advent of liberty all over the land. Then “General -Prentiss” was called for; and as citizen soldiers command -their Generals on such occasions, he too was obliged to -speak, and to tell his audience “the world had never -seen any men more devoted, gallant, or patriotic than -themselves.” “Oglesby” was next summoned, and the -tall, portly, good-humoured old man stepped to the -front, and with excellent tact and good sense, dished -up in the Buncombe style, told them the time for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67"></a>[67]</span> -making speeches had passed, indeed it had lasted too -long; and although it was said there was very little -fighting when there was much talking, he believed too -much talking was likely to lead to a great deal more -fighting than any one desired to see between citizens of -the United States of America, except their enemies, -who, no doubt, were much better pleased to see -Americans fighting each other than to find them -engaged in any other employment. Great as the -mischief of too much talking had been, too much -writing had far more of the mischief to answer for. -The pen was keener than the tongue, hit harder, and -left a more incurable wound; but the pen was better -than the tongue, because it was able to cure the -mischief it had inflicted. And so by a series of -sentences the Colonel got round to me, and to my -consternation, remembering how I had fared with my -speech at the little private dinner on St. Patrick’s Day -in New York, I was called upon by stentorian lungs, -and hustled to the stump by a friendly circle, till I -escaped by uttering a few sentences as to “mighty -struggle,” “Europe gazing,” “the world anxious,” -“the virtues of discipline,” “the admirable lessons of -a soldier’s life,” and the “aspiration that in a quarrel -wherein a British subject was ordered, by an authority -he was bound to respect, to remain neutral, God might -preserve the right.”</p> - -<p>Colonel, General, and all addressed the soldiers as -“gentlemen,” and their auditory did not on their part -refrain from expressing their sentiments in the most -unmistakeable manner. “Bully for you, General!” -“Bravo, Washburne!” “That’s so, Colonel!” and -the like, interrupted the harangues and when the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68"></a>[68]</span> -oratorical exercises were over the men crowded round -the staff, cheered and hurrahed, and tossed up their -caps in the greatest delight.</p> - -<p>With the exception of the foreign officers, and some -of the Staff, there are very few of the colonels, majors, -captains, or lieutenants who know anything of their -business. The men do not care for them, and never think -of saluting them. A regiment of Germans was sent -across from Bird’s Point this evening for plundering -and robbing the houses in the district in which they were -quartered.</p> - -<p>It may be readily imagined that the scoundrels -who had to fly from every city in Europe before -the face of the police will not stay their hands -when they find themselves masters of the situation in -the so-called country of an enemy. In such matters -the officers have little or no control, and discipline is -exceedingly lax, and punishments but sparingly inflicted, -the use of the lash being forbidden altogether. -Fine as the men are, incomparably better armed, clad—and -doubtless better fed—than the Southern troops, -they will scarcely meet them man to man in the field with -any chance of success. Among the officers are bar-room -keepers, persons little above the position of potmen in -England, grocers’ apprentices, and such like—often -inferior socially, and in every other respect, to the men -whom they are supposed to command. General Prentiss -has seen service, I believe, in Mexico; but he appears -to me to be rather an ardent politician, embittered -against slaveholders and the South, than a judicious or -skilful military leader.</p> - -<p>The principles on which these isolated commanders -carry on the war are eminently defective. They apply<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69"></a>[69]</span> -their whole minds to petty expeditions, which go out -from the camps, attack some Secessionist gathering, -and then return, plundering as they go and come, -exasperating enemies, converting neutrals into opponents, -disgusting friends, and leaving it to the Secessionists -to boast that they have repulsed them. -Instead of encouraging the men and improving their -discipline these ill-conducted expeditions have an -opposite result.</p> - -<p><em>June 22nd.</em> An active man would soon go mad if he -were confined in Cairo. A mudbank stretching along -the course of a muddy river is not attractive to a -pedestrian; and, as is the case in most of the Southern -cities, there is no place round Cairo where a man -can stretch his legs, or take an honest walk in the -country. A walk in the country! The Americans -have not an idea of what the thing means. I speak -now only of the inhabitants of the towns of the -States through which I have passed, as far as I have -seen of them. The roads are either impassible in mud -or knee-deep in dust. There are no green shady lanes, -no sheltering groves, no quiet paths through green -meadows beneath umbrageous trees. Off the rail there -is a morass—or, at best, a clearing—full of stumps. -No temptations to take a stroll. Down away South -the planters ride or drive; indeed in many places the -saunterer by the way-side would probably encounter -an alligator, or disturb a society of rattlesnakes.</p> - -<p>To-day I managed to struggle along the levée -in a kind of sirocco, and visited the works at the -extremity, which were constructed by an Hungarian -named Waagner, one of the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">emigrés</i> who came -with Kossuth to the United States. I found him<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70"></a>[70]</span> -in a hut full of flies, suffering from camp diarrhœa, -and waited on by Mr. O’Leary, who was formerly petty -officer in our navy, served in the Furious in the -Black Sea, and in the Shannon Brigade in India, -now a lieutenant in the United States’ army, where -I should say he feels himself very much out of place. -The Hungarian and the Milesian were, however, -quite agreed about the utter incompetence of their -military friends around them, and the great merits of -heavy artillery. “When I tell them here the way poor -Sir William made us rattle about them 68-pounder guns, -the poor ignorant creatures laugh at me—not one of -them believes it.” “It is most astonishing,” says the -colonel, “how ignorant they are; there is not one of -these men who can trace a regular work. Of <ins class="corr" id="tn-70" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'West-point men'"> -West Point men</ins> I speak not, but of the people about here, -and they will not learn of me—from me who knows.” -However, the works were well enough, strongly covered, -commanded both rivers, and not to be reduced without -trouble.</p> - -<p>The heat drove me in among the flies of the crowded -hotel, where Brigadier Prentiss is planning one of -those absurd expeditions against a Secessionist camp -at Commerce, in the State of Missouri, about two -hours steaming up the river, and some twelve or -fourteen miles inland. Cairo abounds in Secessionists -and spies, and it is needful to take great precautions lest -the expedition be known; but, after all, stores must be -got ready, and put on board the steamers, and preparations -must be made which cannot be concealed from -the world. At dusk 700 men, supported by a six-pounder -field-piece, were put on board the “City of -Alton,” on which they clustered like bees in a swarm,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71"></a>[71]</span> -and as the huge engine laboured up and down against -the stream, and the boat swayed from side to side, I -felt a considerable desire to see General Prentiss -chucked into the stream for his utter recklessness in -cramming on board one huge tinder-box, all fire and -touchwood, so many human beings, who, in event of -an explosion, or a shot in the boiler, or of a heavy -musketry fire on the banks, would have been converted -into a great slaughter-house. One small boat hung -from her stern, and although there were plenty of river -flats and numerous steamers, even the horses belonging -<ins class="corr" id="tn-71" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'to the field picee'"> -to the field piece</ins> were crammed in among the men -along the deck.</p> - -<p>In my letter to Europe I made, at the time, some -remarks by which the belligerents might have profited, -and which at the time these pages are reproduced may -strike them as possessing some value, illustrated as -they have been by many events in the war. “A handful -of horsemen would have been admirable to move in -advance, feel the covers, and make prisoners for political -or other purposes in case of flight; but the -Americans persist in ignoring the use of horsemen, -or at least in depreciating it, though they will -at last find that they may shed much blood, and -lose much more, before they can gain a victory -without the aid of artillery and charges after the -retreating enemy. From the want of cavalry, I suppose -it is, the unmilitary practice of ‘scouting,’ as it -is called here, has arisen. It is all very well in the -days of Indian wars for footmen to creep about in the -bushes, and shoot or be shot by sentries and pickets; -but no civilised war recognises such means of annoyance -as firing upon sentinels, unless in case of an<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72"></a>[72]</span> -actual advance or feigned attack on the line. No -camp can be safe without cavalry videttes and pickets; -for the enemy can pour in impetuously after the alarm -has been given, as fast as the outlying footmen can -run in. In feeling the way for a column, cavalry are -invaluable, and there can be little chance of ambuscades -or surprises where they are judiciously employed; -but ‘scouting’ on foot, or adventurous private expeditions -on horseback, to have a look at the enemy, can -do, and will do, nothing but harm. Every day the -papers contain accounts of ‘scouts’ being killed, and -sentries being picked off. The latter is a very barbarous -and savage practice; and the Russian, in his -most angry moments, abstained from it. If any officer -wishes to obtain information as to his enemy, he has -two ways of doing it. He can employ spies, who carry -their lives in their hands, or he can beat up their -quarters by a proper reconnaissance on his own responsibility, -in which, however, it would be advisable not -to trust his force to a railway train.”</p> - -<p>At night there was a kind of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">émeute</i> in camp. The -day, as I have said, was excessively hot, and on returning -to their tents and huts from evening parade the -men found the contractor who supplies them with -water had not filled the barrels; so they forced the -sentries, broke barracks after hours, mobbed their -officers, and streamed up to the hotel, which they surrounded, -calling out, “Water, water,” in chorus. The -General came out, and got up on a rail: “Gentlemen,” -said he, “it is not my fault you are without water. -It’s your officers who are to blame; not me.” (“Groans -for the Quartermaster,” from the men.) “If it is the -fault of the contractor, I’ll see that he is punished.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73"></a>[73]</span> -I’ll take steps at once to see that the matter is remedied. -And now, gentlemen, I hope you’ll go back to -your quarters;” and the gentlemen took it into their -heads very good-humouredly to obey the suggestion, fell -in, and marched back two deep to their huts.</p> - -<p>As the General was smoking his cigar before going to -bed, I asked him why the officers had not more control -over the men. “Well,” said he, “the officers are to -blame for all this. The truth is, the term for which -these volunteers enlisted is drawing to a close; and -they have not as yet enrolled themselves in the United -States’ army. They are merely volunteer regiments of -the State of Illinois. If they were displeased with -anything, therefore, they might refuse to enter the -service or to take fresh engagements: and the officers -would find themselves suddenly left without any men; -they therefore curry favour with the privates, many of -them, too, having an eye to the votes of the men when -the elections of officers in the new regiments are to take -place.”</p> - -<p>The contractors have commenced plunder on a -gigantic scale; and their influence with the authorities -of the State is so powerful, there is little chance -of punishing them. Besides, it is not considered expedient -to deter contractors, by too scrupulous an exactitude, -in coming forward at such a trying period; and -the Quartermaster’s department, which ought to be -the most perfect, considering the number of persons -connected with transport and carriage is in a -most disgraceful and inefficient condition. I told the -General that one of the Southern leaders proposed to -hang any contractor who was found out in cheating -the men, and that the press cordially approved of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74"></a>[74]</span> -suggestion. “I am afraid,” said he, “if any such proposal -was carried out here, there would scarcely be a -contractor left throughout the States.” Equal ignorance -is shown by the medical authorities of the -requirements of an army. There is not an ambulance or -cacolet of any kind attached to this camp; and, as -far as I could see, not even a litter was sent on board -the steamer which has started with the expedition.</p> - -<p>Although there has scarcely been a fought field or -anything more serious than the miserable skirmishes of -Shenck and Butler, the pressure of war has already -told upon the people. The Cairo paper makes an -urgent appeal to the authorities to relieve the distress -and pauperism which the sudden interruption of trade -has brought upon so many respectable citizens. And -when I was at Memphis the other day, I observed a -public notice in the journals, that the magistrates of -the city would issue orders for money to families left in -distress by the enrolment of the male members for -military service. When General Scott, sorely against -his will, was urged to make preparations for an armed -invasion of the seceded states in case it became necessary, -he said it would need some hundreds of thousands -of men and many millions of money to effect -that object. Mr. Seward, Mr. Chase, and Mr. Lincoln -laughed pleasantly at this exaggeration, but they have -begun to find by this time the old general was not -quite so much in the wrong.</p> - -<p>In reference to the discipline maintained in the camp, -I must admit that proper precautions are used to prevent -spies entering the lines. The sentries are posted -closely and permit no one to go in without a pass in -the day and a countersign at night. A conversation<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75"></a>[75]</span> -with General Prentiss in the front of the hotel was -interrupted this evening by an Irishman, who ran past -us towards the camp, hotly pursued by two policemen. -The sentry on duty at the point of the lines close to -us brought him up by the point of the bayonet. “Who -goes tere?” “A friend, shure your honour; I’m a -friend.” “Advance three paces and give the countersign.” -“I don’t know it, I tell you. Let me in, -let me in.” But the German was resolute, and the -policemen now coming up in hot pursuit, seized the -culprit, who resisted violently, till General Prentiss -rose from his chair and ordered the guard, who had -turned out, to make a prisoner of the soldier and hand -him over to the civil power, for which the man seemed -to be most deeply grateful. As the policemen were -walking him off, he exclaimed, “Be quiet wid ye, till I -spake a word to the Giniral,” and then bowing and -chuckling with drunken gravity, he said, “an’ indeed, -Giniral, I’m much obleeged to ye altogither for this -kindness. Long life to ye. We’ve got the better of -that dirty German. Hoora’ for Giniral Prentiss.” -He preferred a chance of more whisky in the police -office and a light punishment to the work in camp -and a heavy drill in the morning. An officer -who was challenged by a sentry the other evening, -asked him, “do you know the countersign yourself?” -“No, sir, it’s not nine o’clock and they have not given -it out yet.” Another sentry who stopped a man because -he did not know the countersign. The fellow -said, “I dare say you don’t know it yourself.” “That’s -a lie,” he exclaimed, “its Plattsburgh.” “Plattsburgh -it is, sure enough,” said the other, and walked on -without further parley.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76"></a>[76]</span></p> - -<p>The Americans, Irish, and Germans, do not always -coincide in the phonetic value of each letter in the -passwords, and several difficulties have occurred in consequence. -An incautious approach towards the posts -at night is attended with risk; for the raw sentries are -very quick on the trigger. More fatal and serious -injuries have been inflicted on the Federals by themselves -than by the enemy. “I declare to you, sir, the -way the boys touched off their irons at me going home -to my camp last night, was just like a running fight -with the Ingins. I was a little ‘tight,’ and didn’t mind -it a cuss.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77"></a>[77]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V. <span class="hidden">Impending battle</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Impending battle—By railway to Chicago—Northern enlightenment—Mound -City—“Cotton is King”—Land in the States—Dead level -of American society—Return into the Union—American homes—Across -the prairie—White labourers—New pillager—Lake -Michigan.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>June 23rd.</em>—The latest information which I received -to-day is of a nature to hasten my departure for -Washington; it can no longer be doubted that a battle -between the two armies assembled in the neighbourhood -of the capital is imminent. The vague hope which from -time to time I have entertained of being able to visit -Richmond before I finally take up my quarters with -the only army from which I can communicate regularly -with Europe has now vanished.</p> - -<p>At four o’clock in the evening I started by the train -on the famous Central Illinois line from Cairo to -Chicago.</p> - -<p>The carriages were tolerably well filled with soldiers, -and in addition to them there were a few unfortunate women, -undergoing deportation to some less moral neighbourhood. -Neither the look, language, nor manners of -my fellow passengers inspired me with an exalted -notion of the intelligence, comfort and respectability -of the people which are so much vaunted by Mr. Seward -and American journals, and which, though truly attributed,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78"></a>[78]</span> -no doubt, to the people of the New England -states, cannot be affirmed with equal justice to belong -to all the other components of the Union.</p> - -<p>As the Southerners say, their negroes are the happiest -people on the earth, so the Northerners boast “We -are the most enlightened nation in the world.” The -soldiers in the train were intelligent enough to think -they ought not to be kept without pay, and free enough -to say so. The soldiers abused Cairo roundly, and -indeed it is wonderful if the people can live on -any food but quinine. However, speculators, looking -to its natural advantages as the point where the two -great rivers join, bespeak for Cairo a magnificent -and prosperous future. The present is not promising.</p> - -<p>Leaving the shanties, which face the levées, and some -poor wooden houses with a short vista of cross streets -partially flooded at right angles to them, the rail -suddenly plunges into an unmistakeable swamp, were -a forest of dead trees wave their ghastly, leafless arms -over their buried trunks, like plumes over a hearse—a -cheerless, miserable place, sacred to the ague and fever. -This occurs close to the cleared space on which the -city is to stand,—when it is finished—and the rail, -which runs on the top of the embankment or levée, -here takes to the trestle, and is borne over the water -on the usual timber frame work.</p> - -<p>“Mound City,” which is the first station, is composed -of a mere heap of earth, like a ruined brick-kiln, -which rises to some height and is covered -with fine white oaks, beneath which are a few log -huts and hovels, giving the place its proud name. -Tents were pitched on the mound side, from which -wild-looking banditti sort of men, with arms, emerged<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79"></a>[79]</span> -as the train stopped. “I’ve been pretty well over -Europe,” said a meditative voice beside me, “and I’ve -seen the despotic armies of the old world, but I don’t -think they equal that set of boys.” The question was -not worth arguing—the boys were in fact very “weedy,” -“splinter-shinned chaps,” as another critic insisted.</p> - -<p>There were some settlers in the woods around Mound -City, and a jolly-looking, corpulent man, who introduced -himself as one of the officers of the land department -of the Central <ins class="corr" id="tn-79" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'Illonois railroad'"> -Illinois railroad</ins>, described them -as awful warnings to the emigrants not to stick in -the south part of Illinois. It was suggestive to find -that a very genuine John Bull, “located,” as they say -in the States for many years, had as much aversion -to the principles of the abolitionists as if he had been -born a Southern planter. Another countryman of his -and mine, steward on board the steamer to Cairo, eagerly -asked me what I thought of the quarrel, and which -side I would back. I declined to say more than I -thought the North possessed very great superiority of -means if the conflict were to be fought on the same -terms. Whereupon my Saxon friend exclaimed, “all -the Northern States and all the power of the world -can’t beat the South; and why?—because the South -has got cotton, and cotton is king.”</p> - -<p>The Central Illinois officer did not suggest the propriety -of purchasing lots but he did intimate I would -be doing service if I informed the world at large, they -could get excellent land, at sums varying from ten to -twenty-five dollars an acre. In America a man’s income -is represented by capitalizing all that he is worth, and -whereas in England we say a man has so much a year, -the Americans, in representing his value, observe that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80"></a>[80]</span> -he is worth so many dollars, by which they mean that -all he has in the world would realise the amount.</p> - -<p>It sounds very well to an Irish tenant farmer, an -English cottier, or a cultivator in the Lothians, to hear -that he can get land at the rate of from £2 to £5 per -acre, to be his for ever, liable only to state taxes; but -when he comes to see a parallelogram marked upon the -map as “good soil, of unfathomable richness,” and finds -in effect that he must cut down trees, eradicate -stumps, drain off water, build a house, struggle for -high-priced labour, and contend with imperfect roads, -the want of many things to which he has been accustomed -in the old country, the land may not appear to -him such a bargain. In the wooded districts he has, -indeed a sufficiency of fuel as long as trees and stumps -last, but they are, of course, great impediments to tillage. -If he goes to the prairie he finds that fuel is scarce and -water by no means wholesome.</p> - -<p>When we left this swamp and forest, and came out -after a run of many miles on the clear lands which -abut upon the prairie, large fields of corn lay around us, -which bore a peculiarly blighted and harassed look. -These fields were suffering from the ravages of an -insect called the “army worm,” almost as destructive -to corn and crops as the locust-like hordes of North -and South, which are vying with each other in laying -waste the fields of Virginia. Night was falling -as the train rattled out into the wild, flat sea of -waving grass, dotted by patch-like Indian corn enclosures; -but halts at such places as Jonesburgh and -Cobden, enabled us to see that these settlements in -Illinois were neither very flourishing nor very -civilised.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81"></a>[81]</span></p> - -<p>There is a level modicum of comfort, which may -be consistent with the greatest good of the greatest -number, but which makes the standard of the highest -in point of well-being very low indeed. I own, that -to me, it would be more agreeable to see a flourishing -community placed on a high level in all that relates -to the comfort and social status of all its members than -to recognise the old types of European civilisation, -which place the castle on the hill, surround its outer -walls with the mansion of doctor and lawyer, and drive -the people into obscure hovels outside. But then one -must confess that there are in the castle some elevating -tendencies which cannot be found in the uniform level -of citizen equality. There are traditions of nobility -and noble deeds in the family; there are paintings on -the walls; the library is stored with valuable knowledge, -and from its precincts are derived the lessons not yet -unlearned in Europe, that though man may be equal -the condition of men must vary as the accidents of life -or the effects of individual character, called fortune, -may determine.</p> - -<p>The towns of Jonesburgh and Cobden have their little -teapot-looking churches and meeting houses, their lager-bier -saloons, their restaurants, their small libraries, -institutes, and reading rooms, and no doubt they have -also their political cliques, social distinctions and -favouritisms; but it requires, nevertheless, little sagacity -to perceive that the highest of the bourgeois who -leads the mass at meeting and prayer, has but little to -distinguish him from the very lowest member of the -same body politic. Cobden, for example, has no less -than four drinking saloons, all on the line of rail, and -no doubt the highest citizen in the place frequents<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82"></a>[82]</span> -some one or other of them, and meets there the -worst rowdy in the place. Even though they do carry -a vote for each adult man, “locations” here would -not appear very enviable in the eyes of the most miserable -Dorsetshire small farmer ever ferretted out by -“S.G.O.”</p> - -<p>A considerable number of towns, formed by accretions -of small stores and drinking places, called magazines, -round the original shed wherein live the station -master and his assistants, mark the course of the railway. -Some are important enough to possess a bank, -which is generally represented by a wooden hut, with a -large board nailed in front, bearing the names of the -president and cashier, and announcing the success and -liberality of the management. The stores are also -decorated with large signs, recommending the names of -the owners to the attention of the public, and over all -of them is to be seen the significant announcement, -“Cash for produce.”</p> - -<p>At Carbondale there was no coal at all to be found, -but several miles farther to the north, at a place called -Dugoine, a field of bituminous deposit crops out, -which is sold at the pit’s mouth for one dollar twenty-five -cents, or about 5<em>s.</em> 2<em>d.</em> a-ton. Darkness and night -fell as I was noting such meagre particulars of the new -district as could be learned out of the window of a -railway carriage; and finally with a delicious sensation -of cool night air creeping in through the windows, the -first I had experienced for many a long day, we made -ourselves up for repose, and were borne steadily, if not -rapidly, through the great prairie, having halted for tea -at the comfortable refreshment rooms of Centralia.</p> - -<p>There were no physical signs to mark the transition<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83"></a>[83]</span> -from the land of the Secessionist to Union-loving soil. -Until the troops were quartered there, Cairo was for -Secession, and Southern Illinois is supposed to be -deeply tainted with disaffection to Mr. Lincoln. -Placards on which were printed the words, “Vote for -Lincoln and Hamlin, for Union and Freedom,” and -the old battle-cry of the last election, still cling to the -wooden walls of the groceries often accompanied by -bitter words or offensive additions.</p> - -<p>One of my friends argues that as slavery is at the base -of Secession, it follows that States or portions of States -will be disposed to join the Confederates or the -Federalists just as the climate may be favourable or -adverse to the growth of slave produce. Thus in the -mountainous parts of the border States of Kentucky -and Tennessee, in the north-western part of Virginia, -vulgarly called the pan handle, and in the pine woods -of North Carolina, where white men can work at the -rosin and naval store manufactories, there is a decided -feeling in favour of the Union; in fact, it becomes a -matter of isothermal lines. It would be very wrong -to judge of the condition of a people from the windows -of a railway carriage, but the external aspect of the -settlements along the line, far superior to that of slave -hamlets, does not equal my expectations. We all know -the aspect of a wood in a gentleman’s park which is -submitting to the axe, and has been partially cleared, -how raw and bleak the stumps look, and how dreary is -the naked land not yet turned into arable. Take such -a patch and fancy four or five houses made of pine -planks, sometimes not painted, lighted, by windows in -which there is, or has been, glass, each guarded by a -paling around a piece of vegetable garden, a pig house,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84"></a>[84]</span> -and poultry box; let one be a grocery, which means a -whisky shop, another the post-office, and a third the store -where “cash is given for produce.” Multiply these -groups if you desire a larger settlement, and place a wooden -church with a Brobdignag spire and Lilliputian body -out in a waste, to be approached only by a causeway of -planks; before each grocery let there be a gathering of -tall men in sombre clothing, of whom the majority -have small newspapers and all of whom are chewing -tobacco; near the stores let there be some light wheeled -carts and ragged horses, around which are knots of -unmistakeably German women; then see the deep -tracks which lead off to similar settlements in the forest -or prairie, and you have a notion, if your imagination -is strong enough, of one of these civilising centres -which the Americans assert to be the homes of the -most cultivated and intelligent communities in the -world.</p> - -<p>Next morning, just at dawn, I woke up and got out -on the platform of the carriage, which is the favourite -resort of smokers and their antitheses, those who love -pure fresh air, notwithstanding the printed caution -“It is dangerous to stand on the platform;” and under -the eye of early morn saw spread around a flat -sea-like expanse not yet warmed into colour and life -by the sun. The line was no longer guarded from -daring Secessionists by soldiers’ outposts, and small -camps had disappeared. The train sped through the -centre of the great verdant circle as a ship through the -sea, leaving the rigid iron wake behind it tapering to a -point at the horizon, and as the light spread over it the -surface of the crisping corn waved in broad undulations -beneath the breeze from east to west. This is the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85"></a>[85]</span> -prairie indeed. Hereabouts it is covered with the -finest crops, some already cut and stacked. Looking -around one could see church spires rising in the -distance from the white patches of houses, and by -degrees the tracks across the fertile waste became -apparent, and then carts and horses were seen toiling -through the rich soil.</p> - -<p>A large species of partridge or grouse appeared -very abundant, and rose in flocks from the long grass -at the side of the rail or from the rich carpet of -flowers on the margin of the corn fields. They sat -on the fence almost unmoved by the rushing engine, -and literally swarmed along the line. These are -called “prairie chickens” by the people, and afford -excellent sport. Another bird about the size of a -thrush, with a yellow breast and a harsh cry, I learned -was “the sky-lark;” and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><ins class="corr" id="tn-85" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'apropos'"> -à propos</ins></i> of the unmusical -creature, I was very briskly attacked by a young lady -patriot for finding fault with the sharp noise it made. -“Oh, my! And you not to know that your Shelley -loved it above all things! Didn’t he write some verses—quite -beautiful, too, they are—to the sky-lark.” -And so “the Britisher was dried up,” as I read in a -paper afterwards of a similar occurrence.</p> - -<p>At the little stations which occur at every few miles—there -are some forty of them, at each of which the -train stops, in 365 miles between Cairo and Chicago—the -Union flag floated in the air; but we had left all the -circumstance of this inglorious war behind us, and the -train rattled boldly over the bridges across the rare -streams, no longer in danger from Secession hatchets. -The swamp had given place to the corn field. No -black faces were turned up from the mowing and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86"></a>[86]</span> -free white labour was at work, and the type of the -labourers was German and Irish.</p> - -<p>The Yorkshireman expatiated on the fertility of the -land, and on the advantages it held out to the emigrant. -But I observed all the lots by the side of the rail, and -apparently as far as the eye could reach, were occupied. -“Some of the very best land lies beyond on each side,” -said he. “Out over there in the fat places is where -we put our Englishmen.” By digging deep enough -good water is always to be had, and coal can be carried -from the rail, where it costs only 7<em>s.</em> or 8<em>s.</em> a ton. -Wood there is little or none in the prairies, and it was -rarely indeed a clump of trees could be detected, or -anything higher than some scrub brushwood. These -little communities which we passed were but the -growth of a few years, and as we approached the -Northern portion of the line we could see, as it were, -the village swelling into the town, and the town spreading -out to the dimensions of the city. “I daresay, -Major,” says one of the passengers, “this gentleman -never saw anything like these cities before. I’m told -they’ve nothin’ like them in Europe?” “Bless you,” -rejoined the Major, with a wink, “just leaving out London, -Edinbro’, Paris, and Manchester, there’s nothing -on earth to ekal them.” My friend, who is a shrewd -fellow, by way of explanation of his military title, says, -“I was a major once, a major in the Queen’s Bays, -but they would put troop-sergeant before it them days.” -Like many Englishmen he complains that the jealousy -of native-born Americans effectually bars the way to -political position of any naturalised citizen, and all the -places are kept by the natives.</p> - -<p>The scene now began to change gradually as we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87"></a>[87]</span> -approached Chicago, the prairie subsided into swampy -land, and thick belts of trees fringed the horizon; on -our right glimpses of the sea could be caught through -openings in the wood—the inland sea on which stands -the Queen of the Lakes. Michigan looks broad and -blue as the Mediterranean. Large farm-houses stud -the country, and houses which must be the retreat of -merchants and citizens of means; and when the train, -leaving the land altogether, dashes out on a pier and -causeway built along the borders of the lake, we see -lines of noble houses, a fine boulevard, a forest of masts, -huge isolated piles of masonry, the famed grain elevators -by which so many have been hoisted to fortune, -churches and public edifices, and the apparatus of a -great city; and just at nine o’clock the train gives its -last steam shout and comes to a standstill in the -spacious station of the Central Illinois Company, and -in half-an-hour more I am in comfortable quarters at -the Richmond House, where I find letters waiting for -me, by which it appears that the necessity for my being -in Washington in all haste, no longer exists. The -wary General who commands the army is aware that -the advance to Richmond, for which so many journals -are clamouring, would be attended with serious risk at -present, and the politicians must be content to wait a -little longer.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88"></a>[88]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI. <span class="hidden">Progress of events</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Progress of events—Policy of Great Britain as regarded by the North—The -American Press and its comments—Privacy a luxury—Chicago—Senator -Douglas and his widow—American ingratitude—Apathy -in volunteering—Colonel Turchin’s camp.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I shall here briefly recapitulate what has occurred -since the last mention of political events.</p> - -<p>In the first place the South has been developing -every day greater energy in widening the breach -between it and the North, and preparing to fill it with -dead; and the North, so far as I can judge, has been -busy in raising up the Union as a nationality, and -making out the crime of treason from the act of Secession. -The South has been using conscription in Virginia, and -is entering upon the conflict with unsurpassable determination. -The North is availing itself of its greater -resources and its foreign vagabondage and destitution -to swell the ranks of its volunteers, and boasts of its -enormous armies, as if it supposed conscripts well led -do not fight better than volunteers badly officered. -Virginia has been invaded on three points, one below -and two above Washington, and passports are now -issued on both sides.</p> - -<p>The career open to the Southern privateers is effectually -closed by the Duke of Newcastle’s notification -that the British Government will not permit the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89"></a>[89]</span> -<ins class="corr" id="tn-89" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'crusiers of either'"> -cruisers of either</ins> side to bring their prizes into or condemn -them in English ports; but, strange to say, the -Northerners feel indignant against Great Britain for -an act which deprives their enemy of an enormous -advantage, and which must reduce their privateering -to the mere work of plunder and destruction on the -high seas. In the same way the North affects to consider -the declaration of neutrality, and the concession of -limited belligerent rights to the seceding States, as -deeply injurious and insulting; whereas our course has, -in fact, removed the greatest difficulty from the path of -the Washington Cabinet, and saved us from inconsistencies -and serious risks in our course of action.</p> - -<p>It is commonly said, “What would Great Britain -have done if we had declared ourselves neutral during the -Canadian rebellion, or had conceded limited belligerent -rights to the Sepoys?” as if Canada and Hindostan -have the same relation to the British Crown that the -seceding States had to the Northern States. But if -Canada, with its parliament, judges, courts of law, and -its people, declared it was independent of Great Britain; -and if the Government of Great Britain, months after -that declaration was made and acted upon, permitted -the new State to go free, whilst a large number of her -Statesmen agreed that Canada was perfectly right, we -could find little fault with the United States’ Government -for issuing a proclamation of neutrality the same -as our own, when after a long interval of quiescence a -war broke out between the two countries.</p> - -<p>Secession was an accomplished fact months before -Mr. Lincoln came into office, but we heard no talk of -rebels and pirates till Sumter had fallen, and the North -was perfectly quiescent—not only that—the people of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90"></a>[90]</span> -wealth in New York were calmly considering the -results of Secession as an accomplished fact, and seeking -to make the best of it; nay, more, when I arrived in -Washington some members of the Cabinet were perfectly -ready to let the South go.</p> - -<p>One of the first questions put to me by Mr. Chase in -my first interview with him, was whether I thought a -very injurious effect would be produced to the <em>prestige</em> -of the Federal Government in Europe if the Northern -States let the South have its own way, and told them -to go in peace. “For my own part,” said he, “I -should not be averse to let them try it, for I believe -they would soon find out their mistake.” Mr. Chase -may be finding out his mistake just now. When I left -England the prevalent opinion, as far as I could judge, -was, that a family quarrel, in which the South was in -the wrong, had taken place, and that it would be -better to stand by and let the Government put forth its -strength to chastise rebellious children. But now we -see the house is divided against itself, and that the -family are determined to set up two separate establishments. -These remarks occur to me with the more -force because I see the New York papers are attacking -me because I described a calm in a sea which was -afterwards agitated by a storm. “What a false witness -is this,” they cry, “See how angry and how vexed is our -Bermoothes, and yet the fellow says it was quite placid.”</p> - -<p>I have already seen so many statements respecting -my sayings, my doings, and my opinions, in the -American papers, that I have resolved to follow a -general rule, with few exceptions indeed, which prescribes -as the best course to pursue, not so much an -indifference to these remarks as a fixed purpose to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91"></a>[91]</span> -abstain from the hopeless task of correcting them. -The “Quicklys” of the press are incorrigible. -Commerce may well be proud of Chicago. I am -not going to reiterate what every Crispinus from the -old country has said again and again concerning this -wonderful place—not one word of statistics, of corn -elevators, of shipping, or of the piles of buildings -raised from the foundation by ingenious applications -of screws. Nor am I going to enlarge on the splendid -future of that which has so much present prosperity, -or on the benefits to mankind opened up by -the Illinois Central Railway. It is enough to say -that by the borders of this lake there has sprung up in -thirty years a wonderful city of fine streets, luxurious -hotels, handsome shops, magnificent stores, great warehouses, -extensive quays, capacious docks; and that as -long as corn holds its own, and the mouths of Europe -are open, and her hands full, Chicago will acquire -greater importance, size, and wealth with every year. -The only drawback, perhaps, to the comfort of the -money-making inhabitants, and of the stranger within -the gates, is to be found in the clouds of dust and in -the unpaved streets and thoroughfares, which give -anguish to horse and man.</p> - -<p>I spent three days here writing my letters and repairing -the wear and tear of my Southern expedition; and -although it was hot enough, the breeze from the lake -carried health and vigour to the frame, enervated by -the sun of Louisiana and Mississippi. No need now -to wipe the large drops of moisture from the languid -brow lest they blind the eyes, nor to sit in a state of semi-clothing, -worn out and exhausted, and tracing with moist -hand imperfect characters on the paper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92"></a>[92]</span></p> - -<p>I could not satisfy myself whether there was, as I have -been told, a peculiar state of feeling in Chicago, which -induced many people to support the Government of -Mr. Lincoln because they believed it necessary for their -own interests to obtain decided advantages over the -South in the field, whilst they were opposed <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">totis -viribus</i> to the genius of emancipation and to the views -of the black Republicans. But the genius and eloquence -of the little giant have left their impress on -the facile mould of democratic thought, and he who -argued with such acuteness and ability last March in -Washington, in his own study, against the possibility, -or at least the constitutional legality, of using the -national forces, and the militia and volunteers of the -Northern States, to subjugate the Southern people, -carried away by the great bore which rushed through the -placid North when Sumter fell, or perceiving his inability -to resist its force, sprung to the crest of the wave, and -carried to excess the violence of the Union reaction.</p> - -<p>Whilst I was in the South I had seen his name in -Northern papers with sensation headings and descriptions -of his magnificent crusade for the Union in the -west. I had heard his name reviled by those who had -once been his warm political allies, and his untimely -death did not seem to satisfy their hatred. His old -foes in the North admired and applauded the sudden -apostasy of their eloquent opponent, and were loud in -lamentations over his loss. Imagine, then, how I felt -when visiting his grave at Chicago, seeing his bust in -many houses, or his portrait in all the shop-windows, -I was told that the enormously wealthy community of -which he was the idol were permitting his widow to -live in a state not far removed from penury.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93"></a>[93]</span></p> - -<p>“Senator Douglas, sir,” observed one of his friends -to me, “died of bad whisky. He killed himself with -it while he was stumping for the Union all over the -country.” “Well,” I said, “I suppose, sir, the abstraction -called the Union, for which by your own account -he killed himself, will give a pension to his widow.” -Virtue is its own reward, and so is patriotism, unless -it takes the form of contracts.</p> - -<p>As far as all considerations of wife, children, or family -are concerned, let a man serve a decent despot, or -even a constitutional country with an economising -House of Commons, if he wants anything more substantial -than lip-service. The history of the great -men of America is full of instances of national -ingratitude. They give more praise and less pence to -their benefactors than any nation on the face of the -earth. Washington got little, though the plundering -scouts who captured André were well rewarded; and -the men who fought during the War of Independence -were long left in neglect and poverty, sitting in sackcloth -and ashes at the door-steps of the temple of -liberty, whilst the crowd rushed inside to worship -Plutus.</p> - -<p>If a native of the British isles, of the natural ignorance -of his own imperfections which should characterise -him, desires to be subjected to a series of moral shower-baths, -douches, and shampooing with a rough glove, let -him come to the United States. In Chicago he will be -told that the English people are fed by the beneficence -of the United States, and that all the trade -and commerce of England are simply directed to the -one end of obtaining gold enough to pay the western -States for the breadstuffs exported for our population.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94"></a>[94]</span> -We know what the South think of our dependence on -cotton. The people of the east think they are striking -a great blow at their enemy by the Morrill tariff, and -I was told by a patriot in North Carolina, “Why, -creation! if you let the Yankees shut up our ports, -the whole of your darned ships will go to rot. Where -will you get your naval stores from? Why, I guess in -a year you could not scrape up enough of tarpentine in -the whole of your country for Queen Victoria to paint -her nursery-door with.”</p> - -<p>Nearly one half of the various companies enrolled -in this district are Germans, or are the descendants of -German parents, and speak only the language of the -old country; two-thirds of the remainder are Irish, or -of immediate Irish descent; but it is said that a grand -reserve of Americans born lies behind this <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">avant garde</i>, -who will come into the battle should there ever be -need for their services.</p> - -<p>Indeed so long as the Northern people furnish the -means of paying and equipping armies perfectly competent -to do their work, and equal in numbers to any -demands made for men, they may rest satisfied with -the accomplishment of that duty, and with contributing -from their ranks the great majority of the superior and -even of the subaltern officers; but with the South it is -far different. Their institutions have repelled immigration; -the black slave has barred the door to the white -free settler. Only on the seaboard and in the large -cities are German and Irish to be found, and they to a -man have come forward to fight for the South; but -the proportion they bear to the native-born Americans -who have rushed to arms in defence of their menaced -borders, is of course far less than it is as yet to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95"></a>[95]</span> -number of Americans in the Northern States who have -volunteered to fight for the Union.</p> - -<p>I was invited before I left to visit the camp of a -Colonel Turchin, who was described to me as a Russian -officer of great ability and experience in European warfare, -in command of a regiment consisting of Poles, -Hungarians, and Germans, who were about to start for -the seat of war; but I was only able to walk through -his tents, where I was astonished at the amalgam of -nations that constituted his battalion; though, on -inspection, I am bound to say there proved to be an -American element in the ranks which did not appear -to have coalesced with the bulk of the rude and, I fear, -predatory Cossacks of the Union. Many young men -of good position have gone to the wars, although there -was no complaint, as in Southern cities, that merchants -offices have been deserted, and great establishments -left destitute of clerks and working hands. In -warlike operations, however, Chicago, with its communication -open to the sea, its access to the head waters -of the Mississippi, its intercourse with the marts of -commerce and of manufacture, may be considered to -possess greater belligerent power and strength than -the great city of New Orleans; and there is much -greater probability of Chicago sending its contingent -to attack the Crescent City than there is of the latter -being able to despatch a soldier within five hundred -miles of its streets.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96"></a>[96]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII. <span class="hidden">Niagara</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Niagara—Impression of the Falls—Battle scenes in the neighbourhood—A -village of Indians—General Scott—Hostile movements on both -sides—The Hudson—Military school at West Point—Return to -New York—Altered appearance of the city—Misery and suffering—Altered -state of public opinion, as to the Union and towards -Great Britain.</p> -</div> - - -<p>At eight o’clock on the morning of the 27th I left -Chicago for Niagara, which was so temptingly near -that I resolved to make a detour by that route to New -York. The line from the city which I took skirts -the southern extremity of Lake Michigan for many -miles, and leaving its borders at New Buffalo, traverses -the southern portion of the state of Michigan by -Albion and Jackson to the town of Detroit, or the -outflow of Lake St. Clair into Lake Erie, a distance -of 284 miles, which was accomplished in about -twelve hours. The most enthusiastic patriot could not -affirm the country was interesting. The names of the -stations were certainly novel to a Britisher. Thus we -had Kalumet, Pokagon, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti, -among the more familiar titles of Chelsea, Marengo, -Albion, and Parma.</p> - -<p>It was dusk when we reached the steam ferry-boat -at Detroit, which took us across to Windsor; but -through the dusk I could perceive the Union Jack<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97"></a>[97]</span> -waving above the unimpressive little town which bears -a name so respected by British ears. The customs’ -inspections seemed very mild; and I was not much -impressed by the representative of the British crown, -who, with a brass button on his coat and a very husky -voice, exercised his powers on behalf of Her Majesty at -the landing-place of Windsor. The officers of the railway -company, who received me as if I had been an old -friend, and welcomed me as if I had just got out of a -battle-field. “Well, I do wonder them Yankees have -ever let you come out alive.” “May I ask why?” -“Oh, because you have not been praising them all -round, sir. Why even the Northern chaps get angry -with a Britisher, as they call us, if he attempts to say a -word against those cursed niggers.”</p> - -<p>It did not appear the Americans are quite so thin-skinned, -for whilst crossing in the steamer a passage of -arms between the Captain, who was a genuine John -Bull, and a Michigander, in the style which is -called chaff or slang, diverted most of the auditors, -although it was very much to the disadvantage -of the Union champion. The Michigan man had -threatened the Captain that Canada would be annexed -as the consequence of our infamous conduct. “Why, -I tell you,” said the Captain, “we’d just draw up the -negro chaps from our barbers’ shops, and tell them -we’d send them to Illinois if they did not lick you; -and I believe every creature in Michigan, pigs and all, -would run before them into Pennsylvania. We know -what you are up to, you and them Maine chaps; but -Lor’ bless you, sooner than take such a lot, we’d give -you ten dollars a head to make you stay in your own -country; and we know you would go to the next worst<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98"></a>[98]</span> -place before your time for half the money. The very -Bluenoses would secede if you were permitted to come -under the old flag.”</p> - -<p>All night we travelled. A long day through a -dreary, ill-settled, pine-wooded, half-cleared country, -swarming with mosquitoes and biting flies, and famous -for fevers. Just about daybreak the train stopped.</p> - -<p>“Now, then,” said an English voice; “now, then, -who’s for Clifton Hotel? All passengers leave cars for -this side of the Falls.” Consigning our baggage to the -commissioner of the Clifton, my companion, Mr. Ward, -and myself resolved to walk along the banks of the -river to the hotel, which is some two miles and a half distant, -and set out whilst it was still so obscure that the -outline of the beautiful bridge which springs so lightly -across the chasm, filled with furious hurrying waters, -hundreds of feet below, was visible only as is the -tracery of some cathedral arch through the dim light of -the cloister.</p> - -<p>The road follows the course of the stream, which -whirls and gurgles in an Alpine torrent, many times -magnified, in a deep gorge like that of the Tête -Noire. As the rude bellow of the steam-engine and the -rattle of the train proceeding on its journey were dying -away, the echoes seemed to swell into a sustained, reverberating, -hollow sound from the perpendicular banks of -the St. Lawrence. We listened. “It is the noise of -the Falls,” said my companion; and as we walked on -the sound became louder, filling the air with a strange -quavering note, which played about a tremendous -uniform bass note, and silencing every other. Trees -closed in the road on the river side, but when we -had walked a mile or so, the lovely light of morning<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99"></a>[99]</span> -spreading with our steps, suddenly through an opening -in the branches there appeared, closing up the vista—white, -flickering, indistinct, and shroud-like—the Falls, -rushing into a grave of black waters, and uttering that -tremendous cry which can never be forgotten.</p> - -<p>I have heard many people say they were disappointed -with the first impression of Niagara. Let those who -desire to see the water-leap in all its grandeur, approach -it as I did, and I cannot conceive what their expectations -are if they do not confess the sight exceeded -their highest ideal. I do not pretend to describe the -sensations or to endeavour to give the effect produced on -me by the scene or by the Falls, then or subsequently; -but I must say words can do no more than confuse the -writer’s own ideas of the grandeur of the sight, and -mislead altogether those who read them. It is of no -avail to do laborious statistics, and tell us how many -gallons rush over in that down-flung ocean every -second, or how wide it is, how high it is, how deep the -earth-piercing caverns beneath. For my own part, I -always feel the distance of the sun to be insignificant, -when I read it is so many hundreds of thousands of -miles away, compared with the feeling of utter inaccessibility -to anything human which is caused by it when -its setting rays illuminate some purple ocean studded -with golden islands in dreamland.</p> - -<p>Niagara is rolling its waters over the barrier. Larger -and louder it grows upon us.</p> - -<p>“I hope the hotel is not full,” quoth my friend. I -confess, for the time, I forgot all about Niagara, -and was perturbed concerning a breakfastless ramble -and a hunt after lodgings by the borders of the great -river.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100"></a>[100]</span></p> - -<p>But although Clifton Hotel was full enough, there -was room for us, too; and for two days a strange, -weird-kind of life I led, alternating between the roar -of the cataract outside and the din of politics within; -for, be it known, that at the Canadian side of the -Falls many Americans of the Southern States, who -would not pollute their footsteps by contact with the -soil of Yankee-land, were sojourning, and that merchants -and bankers of New York and other Northern -cities had selected it as their summer retreat, and, -indeed, with reason; for after excursions on both sides -of the Falls, the comparative seclusion of the settlements -on the left bank appears to me to render it -infinitely preferable to the Rosherville gentism and -semi-rowdyism of the large American hotels and settlements -on the other side.</p> - -<p>It was distressing to find that Niagara was surrounded -by the paraphernalia of a fixed fair. I had -looked forward to a certain degree of solitude. It -appeared impossible that man could cockneyfy such a -magnificent display of force and grandeur in nature. -But, alas! it is haunted by what poor Albert Smith -used to denominate “harpies.” The hateful race of -guides infest the precincts of the hotels, waylay you -in the lanes, and prowl about the unguarded moments -of reverie. There are miserable little peepshows and -photographers, bird stuffers, shell polishers, collectors -of crystals, and proprietors of natural curiosity shops.</p> - -<p>There is, besides, a large village population. There is -a watering-side air about the people who walk along the -road worse than all their mills and factories working -their water privileges at both sides of the stream. At -the American side there is a lanky, pretentious town,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101"></a>[101]</span> -with big hotels, shops of Indian curiosities, and all the -meagre forms of the bazaar life reduced to a minimum of -attractiveness which destroy the comfort of a traveller -in Switzerland. I had scarcely been an hour in the -hotel before I was asked to look at the Falls through a -little piece of coloured glass. Next I was solicited to -purchase a collection of muddy photographs, representing -what I could look at with my own eyes for -nothing. Not finally by any means, I was assailed by -a gentleman who was particularly desirous of selling -me an enormous pair of cow’s-horns and a stuffed -hawk. Small booths and peepshows corrupt the very -margin of the bank, and close by the remnant of the -“Table Rock,” a Jew (who, by-the-bye, deserves infinite -credit for the zeal and energy he has thrown into -the collections for his museum), exhibits bottled rattlesnakes, -stuffed monkeys, Egyptian mummies, series of -coins, with a small living menagerie attached to the -shop, in which articles of Indian manufacture are -exposed for sale. It was too bad to be asked to admire -such <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">lusus naturæ</i> as double-headed calves and dogs -with three necks by the banks of Niagara.</p> - -<p>As I said before, I am not going to essay the -impossible or to describe the Falls. On the English -side there are, independently of other attractions, -some scenes of recent historic interest, for close to -Niagara are Lundy’s Lane and Chippewa. There are -few persons in England aware of the exceedingly severe -fighting which characterised the contests between the -Americans and the English and Canadian troops during -the campaign of 1814. At Chippewa, for example, -Major-General Riall, who, with 2000 men, one -howitzer, and two 24-pounders, attacked a force of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102"></a>[102]</span> -Americans of a similar strength, was repulsed with a -loss of 500 killed and wounded; and on the morning of -the 25th of July the action of Lundy’s Lane, between -four brigades of Americans and seven field-pieces, and -3100 men of the British and seven field-pieces, took -place, in which the Americans were worsted, and -retired with a loss of 854 men and two guns, whilst -the British lost 878. On the 14th of August following -Sir Gordon Drummond was repulsed with a loss of -905 men out of his small force in an attack on Fort -Erie; and on the 17th of September an American -sortie from the place was defeated with a loss of 510 -killed and wounded, the British having lost 609. In -effect the American campaign was unsuccessful; but -their failures were redeemed by their successes on -Lake Champlain, and in the affair of Plattsburgh.</p> - -<p>There was more hard fighting than strategy in these -battles, and their results were not, on the whole, -creditable to the military skill of either party. They -were sanguinary in proportion to the number of troops -engaged, but they were very petty skirmishes considered -in the light of contests between two great nations for the -purpose of obtaining specific results. As England was -engaged in a great war in Europe, was far removed -from the scene of operations, was destitute of steam-power, -whilst America was fighting, as it were, on her -own soil, close at hand, with a full opportunity of putting -forth all her strength, the complete defeat of the -American invasion of Canada was more honourable to -our arms than the successes which the Americans -achieved in resisting aggressive demonstrations.</p> - -<p>In the great hotel of Clifton we had every day a -little war of our own, for there were——but why<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103"></a>[103]</span> -should I mention names? Has not government its -bastiles? There were in effect men, and women too, -who regarded the people of the Northern States and -the government they had selected very much as the -men of ’98 looked upon the government and people of -England; but withal these strong Southerners were -not very favourable to a country which they regarded -as the natural ally of the abolitionists, simply because -it had resolved to be neutral.</p> - -<p>On the Canadian side these rebels were secure. British -authority was embodied in a respectable old Scottish -gentleman, whose duty it was to prevent smuggling -across the boiling waters of the St. Lawrence, and who -performed it with zeal and diligence worthy of a higher -post. There was indeed a withered triumphal arch -which stood over the spot where the young Prince of -our royal house had passed on his way to the Table -Rock, but beyond these signs and tokens there was -nothing to distinguish the American from the British -side, except the greater size and activity of the settlements -upon the right bank. There is no power in -nature, according to great engineers, which cannot be -forced to succumb to the influence of money. The -American papers actually announce that “Niagara -is to be sold;” the proprietors of the land upon their -side of the water have resolved to sell their water -privileges! A capitalist could render the islands the -most beautifully attractive places in the world.</p> - -<p>Life at Niagara is like that at most watering-places, -though it is a desecration to apply such a term to the -Falls, and there is no bathing there, except that -which is confined to the precincts of the hotels and to -the ingenious establishment on the American side, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104"></a>[104]</span> -permits one to enjoy the full rush of the current in -covered rooms with sides pierced, to let it come -through with undiminished force and with perfect -security to the bather. There are drives and picnics, -and mild excursions to obscure places in the neighbourhood, -where only the roar of the Falls gives an idea of -their presence. The rambles about the islands, and -the views of the boiling rapids above them, are delightful, -but I am glad to hear from one of the guides that -the great excitement of seeing a man and boat carried -over occurs but rarely. Every year, however, hapless -creatures crossing from one shore to the other, -by some error of judgment or miscalculation of strength, -or malign influence, are swept away into the rapids, -and then, notwithstanding the wonderful rescues effected -by the American blacksmith and unwonted kindnesses -of fortune, there is little chance of saving body corporate -or incorporate from the headlong swoop to -destruction.</p> - -<p>Next to the purveyors of curiosities and hotel keepers, -the Indians, who live in a village at some distance from -Niagara, reap the largest profit from the crowds of -visitors who repair annually to the Falls. They are a -harmless and by no means elevated race of semi-civilised -savages, whose energies are expended on whiskey, -feather fans, bark canoes, <ins class="corr" id="tn-104" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'ornamental mocassins'"> -ornamental moccasins</ins>, and -carved pipe stems. I had arranged for an excursion to -see them in their wigwams one morning, when the -news was brought to me that General Scott had ordered, -or been forced to order the advance of the Federal -troops encamped in front of Washington, under the -<ins class="corr" id="tn-104a" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'command of McDowell'"> -command of M‘Dowell</ins>, against the Confederates, commanded -by Beauregard, who was described as occupying<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105"></a>[105]</span> -a most formidable position, covered with entrenchments -and batteries in front of a ridge of hills, through -which the railway passes to Richmond.</p> - -<p>The New York papers represent the Federal army -to be of some grand <ins class="corr" id="tn-105" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'indefinite strengh'"> -indefinite strength</ins>, varying from -60,000 to 120,000 men, full of fight, admirably -equipped, well disciplined, and provided with an overwhelming -force of artillery. General Scott, I am -very well assured, did not feel such confidence in the -result of an invasion of Virginia, that he would hurry -raw levies and a rabble of regiments to undertake a -most arduous military operation.</p> - -<p>The day I was introduced to the General he was seated -at a table in the unpretending room which served as his -boudoir in the still humbler house where he held his -head-quarters. On the table before him were some -plans and maps of the harbour defences of the Southern -ports. I inferred he was about to organise a force -for the occupation of positions along the coast. -But when I mentioned my impression to one of his -officers, he said, “Oh, no, the General advised that -long ago; but he is now convinced we are too late. All -he can hope, now, is to be allowed time to prepare a -force for the field, but there are hopes that some compromise -will yet take place.”</p> - -<p>The probabilities of this compromise have vanished: -few entertain them now. They have been hanging Secessionists -in Illinois, and the court-house itself has -been made the scene of Lynch law murder in Ogle -county. Petitions, prepared by citizens of New York -to the President, for a general convention to consider a -compromise, have been seized. The Confederates have -raised batteries along the Virginian shore of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106"></a>[106]</span> -Potomac. General Banks, at Baltimore, has deposed -the police authorities “<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">proprio motu</i>,” in spite of the -protest of the board. Engagements have occurred -between the Federal steamers and the Confederate -batteries on the Potomac. On all points, wherever the -Federal pickets have advanced in Virginia, they have -encountered opposition and have been obliged to halt -or to retire.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As I stood on the verandah this morning, looking for -the last time on the Falls, which were covered with a -grey mist, that rose from the river and towered unto -the sky in columns which were lost in the clouds, a -voice beside me said, “Mr. Russell, that is something -like the present condition of our country, mists and -darkness obscure it now, but we know the great waters -are rushing behind, and will flow till eternity.” The -speaker was an earnest, thoughtful man, but the -country of which he spoke was the land of the South. -“And do you think,” said I, “when the mists clear -away the Falls will be as full and as grand as before?” -“Well,” he replied, “they are great as it is, though a -rock divides them; we have merely thrown our rock -into the waters,—they will meet all the same in the pool -below.” A coloured boy, who has waited on me at the -hotel, hearing I was going away, entreated me to take -him on any terms, which were, I found, an advance of -nine dollars, and twenty dollars a month, and, as I -heard a good account of him from the landlord, I -installed the young man into my service. In the -evening I left Niagara on my way to New York.</p> - -<p><em>July 2nd.</em>—At early dawn this morning, looking -out of the sleeping car, I saw through the mist a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107"></a>[107]</span> -broad, placid river on the right, and on the left -high wooded banks running sharply into the stream, -against the base of which the rails were laid. West -Point, which is celebrated for its picturesque scenery, -as much as for its military school, could not be -seen through the fog, and I regretted time did not -allow me to stop and pay a visit to the academy. I was -obliged to content myself with the handiwork of some -of the ex-pupils. The only camaraderie I have witnessed -in America exists among the West Point men. It is -to Americans what our great public schools are to young -Englishmen. To take a high place at West Point is to -be a first-class man, or wrangler. The academy turns -out a kind of military aristocracy, and I have heard -complaints that the Irish and Germans are almost completely -excluded, because the nominations to West Point -are obtained by political influence; and the foreign -element, though powerful at the ballot box, has no -enduring strength. The Murphies and Schmidts seldom -succeed in shoving their sons into the American institution. -North and South, I have observed, the old -pupils refer everything military to West Point. “I -was with Beauregard at West Point. He was three -above me.” Or, “M‘Dowell and I were in the same -class.” An officer is measured by what he did there, -and if professional jealousies date from the state of -common pupilage, so do lasting friendships. I heard -Beauregard, Lawton, Hardee, Bragg, and others, speak -of M‘Dowell, Lyon, M‘Clellan, and other men of the -academy, as their names turned up in the Northern -papers, evidently judging of them by the old school -standard. The number of men who have been educated -there greatly exceeds the modest requirements of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108"></a>[108]</span> -army. But there is likelihood of their being all in full -work very soon.</p> - -<p>At about nine a.m., the train reached New York, -and in driving to the house of Mr. Duncan, who -accompanied me from Niagara, the first thing which -struck me was the changed aspect of the streets. -Instead of peaceful citizens, men in military uniforms -thronged the pathways, and such multitudes of United -States’ flags floated from the windows and roofs of the -houses as to convey the impression that it was a great -holiday festival. The appearance of New York when I -first saw it was very different. For one day, indeed, -after my arrival, there were men in uniform to be seen -in the streets, but they disappeared after St. Patrick -had been duly honoured, and it was very rarely I -ever saw a man in soldier’s clothes during the rest -of my stay. Now, fully a third of the people carried -arms, and were dressed in some kind of martial -garb.</p> - -<p>The walls are covered with placards from military -companies offering inducements to recruits. An outburst -of military tailors has taken place in the streets; shops -are devoted to militia equipments; rifles, pistols, swords, -plumes, long boots, saddle, bridle, camp beds, canteens, -tents, knapsacks, have usurped the place of the ordinary -articles of traffic. Pictures and engravings—bad, -and very bad—of the “battles” of Big Bethel -and Vienna, full of furious charges, smoke and dismembered -bodies, have driven the French prints out of the -windows. Innumerable “General Scotts” glower at -you from every turn, making the General look wiser -than he or any man ever was. Ellsworths in almost -equal proportion, Grebles and Winthrops—the Union<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109"></a>[109]</span> -martyrs—and Tompkins, the temporary hero of Fairfax -court-house.</p> - -<p>The “flag of our country” is represented in a -coloured engraving, the original of which was not -destitute of poetical feeling, as an angry blue sky -through which meteors fly streaked by the winds, whilst -between the red stripes the stars just shine out from -the heavens, the flag-staff being typified by a forest -tree bending to the force of the blast. The Americans -like this idea—to my mind it is significant of bloodshed -and disaster. And why not! What would become of -all these pseudo-Zouaves who have come out like an -eruption over the States, and are in no respect, not -even in their baggy breeches, like their great originals, -if this war were not to go on? I thought I had had -enough of Zouaves in New Orleans, but <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">dîs aliter visum</i>.</p> - -<p>They are overrunning society, and the streets here, -and the dress which becomes the broad-chested, stumpy, -short-legged Celt, who seems specially intended for it, -is singularly unbecoming to the tall and slightly-built -American. Songs “On to glory,” “Our country,” new -versions of “Hail Columbia,” which certainly cannot -be considered by even American complacency a “happy -land” when its inhabitants are preparing to cut each -other’s throats; of the “star-spangled banner,” are -displayed in booksellers’ and music-shop windows, and -patriotic sentences emblazoned on flags float from many -houses. The ridiculous habit of dressing up children -and young people up to ten and twelve years of age as -Zouaves and <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">vivandières</span> has been caught up by the -old people, and Mars would die with laughter if he saw -some of the abdominous, be-spectacled light infantry -men who are hobbling along the pavement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110"></a>[110]</span></p> - -<p>There has been indeed a change in New York: -externally it is most remarkable, but I cannot at all -admit that the abuse with which I was assailed for -describing the indifference which prevailed on my arrival -was in the least degree justified. I was desirous -of learning how far the tone of conversation “in -the city” had altered, and soon after breakfast I went -down Broadway to Pine Street and Wall Street. The -street in all its length was almost draped with flags—the -warlike character of the shops was intensified. In -front of one shop window there was a large crowd -gazing with interest at some object which I at last -succeeded in feasting my eyes upon. A grey cap with -a tinsel badge in front, and the cloth stained with blood -was displayed, with the words, “Cap of Secession officer -killed in action.” On my way I observed another -crowd of women, some with children in their arms -standing in front of a large house and gazing up -earnestly and angrily at the windows. I found they -were wives, mothers, and sisters, and daughters of -volunteers who had gone off and left them destitute.</p> - -<p>The misery thus caused has been so great that the -citizens of New York have raised a fund to provide -food, clothes, and a little money—a poor relief, in fact, -for them, and it was plain they were much needed, -though some of the applicants did not seem to belong -to a class accustomed to seek aid from the public. This -already! But Wall Street and Pine Street are bent on -battle. And so this day, hot from the South and impressed -with the firm resolve of the people, and finding -that the North has been lashing itself into fury, I sit -down and write to England, on my return from the -city. “At present dismiss entirely the idea, no matter<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111"></a>[111]</span> -how it may originate, that there will be, or can be, -peace, compromise, union, or secession, till war has -determined the issue.”</p> - -<p>As long as there was a chance that the struggle -might not take place, the merchants of New York were -silent, fearful of offending their Southern friends and -connections, but inflicting infinite damage on their own -government and misleading both sides. Their sentiments, -sympathies, and business bound them with the -South; and, indeed, till “the glorious uprising” the -South believed New York was with them, as might be -credited from the tone of some organs in the press, and -I remember hearing it said by Southerners in Washington, -that it was very likely New York would go out -of the Union! When the merchants, however, saw -that the South was determined to quit the Union, they -resolved to avert the permanent loss of the great profits -derived from their connection with the South by some -present sacrifices. They rushed to the platforms—the -battle-cry was sounded from almost very pulpit—flag -raisings took place in every square, like the planting of -the tree of liberty in France in 1848, and the oath was -taken to trample Secession under foot, and to quench -the fire of the Southern heart for ever.</p> - -<p>The change in manner, in tone, in argument, is -most remarkable. I met men to-day who last March -argued coolly and philosophically about the right of -Secession. They are now furious at the idea of such -wickedness—furious with England, because she does -not deny their own famous doctrine of the sacred right -of insurrection. “We must maintain our glorious -Union, sir.” “We must have a country.” “We -cannot allow two nations to grow up on this Continent,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112"></a>[112]</span> -sir.” “We must possess the entire control of the -Mississippi.” These “musts,” and “can’ts,” and -“won’ts,” are the angry utterances of a spirited -people who have had their will so long that they at last -believe it is omnipotent. Assuredly, they will not -have it over the South without a tremendous and long-sustained -contest, in which they must put forth every -exertion, and use all the resources and superior means -they so abundantly possess.</p> - -<p>It is absurd to assert, as do the New York people, to -give some semblance of reason to their sudden outburst, -that it was caused by the insult to the flag -at Sumter. Why, the flag had been fired on long -before Sumter was attacked by the Charleston -batteries! It had been torn down from United States’ -arsenals and forts all over the South; and but for the -accident which placed Major Anderson in a position -from which he could not retire, there would have been -no bombardment of the fort, and it would, when -evacuated, have shared the fate of all the other Federal -works on the Southern coast. Some of the gentlemen -who are now so patriotic and Unionistic, were last -March prepared to maintain that if the President -attempted to re-inforce Sumter or Pickens, he would be -responsible for the destruction of the Union. Many -journals in New York and out of it held the same doctrine.</p> - -<p>One word to these gentlemen. I am pretty well -satisfied that if they had always spoke, written, and -acted as they do now, the people of Charleston would -not have attacked Sumter so readily. The abrupt -outburst of the North and the demonstration at -New York filled the South, first with astonishment,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113"></a>[113]</span> -and then with something like fear, which was rapidly -fanned into anger by the press and the politicians, as -well as by the pride inherent in slaveholders.</p> - -<p>I wonder what Mr. Seward will say when I get back to -Washington. Before I left, he was of opinion—at all -events, he stated—that all the States would come back, -at the rate of one a month. The nature of the process -was not stated; but we are told there are 250,000 Federal -troops now under arms, prepared to try a new one.</p> - -<p>Combined with the feeling of animosity to the rebels, -there is, I perceive, a good deal of ill-feeling towards -Great Britain. The Southern papers are so angry with -us for the Order in Council closing British ports -against privateers and their prizes, that they advise -Mr. Rust and Mr. Yancey to leave Europe. We are -in evil case between North and South. I met a -reverend doctor, who is most bitter in his expressions -towards us; and I dare say, Bishop and General -Leonidas Polk, down South, would not be much better -disposed. The clergy are active on both sides; and their -flocks approve of their holy violence. One journal tells -with much gusto of a blasphemous chaplain, a remarkably -good rifle shot, who went into one of the skirmishes -lately, and killed a number of rebels—the joke being in -the fact, that each time he fired and brought down his -man, he exclaimed, piously, “May Heaven have mercy -on your soul!” One Father Mooney, who performed -the novel act for a clergyman of “christening” a big -gun at Washington the other day, wound up the speech -he made on the occasion, by declaring “the echo of -its voice would be <em>sweet music</em>, inviting the children of -Columbia to share the comforts of his father’s home.” -Can impiety and folly, and bad taste, go further?</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114"></a>[114]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII. <span class="hidden">Departure for Washington</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Departure for Washington—A “servant”—The American Press on the -War—Military aspect of the States—Philadelphia—Baltimore—Washington—Lord -Lyons—Mr. Sumner—Irritation against Great -Britain—“Independence” day—Meeting of Congress—General -state of affairs.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 3rd.</em>—Up early, breakfasted at five a.m., and -left my hospitable host’s roof, on my way to Washington. -The ferry-boat, which is a long way off, starts -for the train at seven o’clock; and so bad are the -roads, I nearly missed it. On hurrying to secure my -place in the train, I said to one of the railway officers, -“If you see a coloured man in a cloth cap and dark -coat with metal buttons, will you be good enough, sir, to -tell him I’m in this carriage.” “Why so, sir?” “He is -my servant.” “Servant,” he repeated; “your servant! -I presume you’re a Britisher; and if he’s your servant, -I think you may as well let him find you.” And -so he walked away, delighted with his cleverness, his -civility, and his rebuke of an aristocrat.</p> - -<p>Nearly four months since I went by this road to -Washington. The change which has since occurred is -beyond belief. Men were then speaking of place under -Government, of compromises between North and South, -and of peace; now they only talk of war and battle. -Ever since I came out of the South, and could see the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115"></a>[115]</span> -newspapers, I have been struck by the easiness of the -American people, by their excessive credulity. Whether -they wish it or not, they are certainly deceived. Not -a day has passed without the announcement that the -Federal troops were moving, and that “a great battle -was expected” by somebody unknown, at some place -or other.</p> - -<p>I could not help observing the arrogant tone with -which writers of stupendous ignorance on military -matters write of the operations which they think the -Generals should undertake. They demand that an -army, which has neither adequate transport, artillery, -nor cavalry, shall be pushed forward to Richmond to -crush out Secession, and at the same time their columns -teem with accounts from the army, which prove that -it is not only ill-disciplined, but that it is ill-provided. -A general outcry has been raised against the war -department and the contractors, and it is openly stated -that Mr. Cameron, the Secretary, has not clean hands. -One journal denounces “the swindling and plunder” -which prevail under his eyes. A minister who is disposed -to be corrupt can be so with facility under the -system of the United States, because he has absolute -control over the contracts, which are rising to an -enormous magnitude, as the war preparations assume -more formidable dimensions. The greater part of the -military stores of the State are in the South—arms, -ordnance, clothing, ammunition, ships, machinery, and -all kinds of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">matériel</i> must be prepared in a hurry.</p> - -<p>The condition in which the States present themselves, -particularly at sea, is a curious commentary on the -offensive and warlike tone of their Statesmen in their -dealings with the first maritime power of the world.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116"></a>[116]</span> -They cannot blockade a single port effectually. The -Confederate steamer Sumter has escaped to sea from -New Orleans, and ships run in and out of Charleston -almost as they please. Coming so recently from the -South, I can see the great difference which exists -between the two races, as they may be called, exemplified -in the men I have seen, and those who are in the -train going towards Washington. These volunteers -have none of the swash-buckler bravado, gallant-swaggering -air of the Southern men. They are staid, quiet -men, and the Pennsylvanians, who are on their way to -join their regiment in Baltimore, are very inferior in -size and strength to the Tennesseans and Carolinians.</p> - -<p>The train is full of men in uniform. When I last -went over the line, I do not believe there was a sign of -soldiering, beyond perhaps the “conductor,” who is -always described in the papers as being “gentlemantly,” -wore his badge. And, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à propos</i> of badges, I see that -civilians have taken to wearing shields of metal on -their coats, enamelled with the stars and stripes, and -that men who are not in the army try to make it -seem they are soldiers by affecting military caps and -cloaks.</p> - -<p>The country between Washington and Philadelphia -is destitute of natural beauties, but it affords abundant -evidence that it is inhabited by a prosperous, comfortable, -middle-class community. From every village -church, and from many houses, the Union flag was -displayed. Four months ago not one was to be seen. -When we were crossing in the steam ferry-boat at -Philadelphia I saw some volunteers looking up and -smiling at a hatchet which was over the cabin door, and -it was not till I saw it had the words “States Rights’<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117"></a>[117]</span> -Fire Axe” painted along the handle I could account for -the attraction. It would fare ill with any vessel in -Southern waters which displayed an axe to the citizens -inscribed with “Down with States Rights” on it. -There is certainly less vehemence and bitterness among -the Northerners; but it might be erroneous to suppose -there was less determination.</p> - -<p>Below Philadelphia, from Havre-de-Grâce all the way -to Baltimore, and thence on to Washington, the -stations on the rail were guarded by soldiers, as -though an enemy were expected to destroy the -bridges and to tear up the rails. Wooden bridges and -causeways, carried over piles and embankments, are -necessary, in consequence of the nature of the -country; and at each of these a small camp was -formed for the soldiers who have to guard the approaches. -Sentinels are posted, pickets thrown out, -and in the open field by the way-side troops are to be -seen moving, as though a battle was close at hand. In -one word, we are in the State of Maryland. By these -means alone are communications maintained between -the North and the capital. As we approach Baltimore -the number of sentinels and camps increase, and -earthworks have been thrown up on the high grounds -commanding the city. The display of Federal flags -from the public buildings and some shipping in the -river was so limited as to contrast strongly with those -symbols of Union sentiments in the Northern cities.</p> - -<p>Since I last passed through this city the streets have -been a scene of bloodshed. The conductor of the car -on which we travelled from one terminus to the other, -along the street railway, pointed out the marks of the -bullets on the walls and in the window frames. “That’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118"></a>[118]</span> -the way to deal with the Plug Uglies,” exclaimed he; a -name given popularly to the lower classes called Rowdies -in New York. “Yes,” said a fellow-passenger quietly -to me, “these are the sentiments which are now uttered -in the country which we call the land of freedom, and -men like that desire nothing better than brute force. -There is no city in Europe—Venice, Warsaw, or -Rome—subject to such tyranny as Baltimore at this -moment. In this Pratt Street there have been -murders as foul as ever soldiery committed in the -streets of Paris.” Here was evidently the judicial -blindness of a States Rights fanatic, who considers -the despatch of Federal soldiers through the -State of Maryland without the permission of the -authorities an outrage so flagrant as to justify the -people in shooting them down, whilst the soldiers -become murderers if they resist. At the corners of the -streets strong guards of soldiers were posted, and -patrols moved up and down the thoroughfares. The -inhabitants looked sullen and sad. A small war is -waged by the police recently appointed by the Federal -authorities against the women, who exhibit much -ingenuity in expressing their animosity to the stars -and stripes—dressing the children, and even dolls, -in the Confederate colours, and wearing the same in -ribbons and bows. The negro population alone seemed -just the same as before.</p> - -<p>The Secession newspapers of Baltimore have been -suppressed, but the editors contrive nevertheless to -show their sympathies in the selection of their extracts. -In to-day’s paper there is an account of a skirmish in -the West, given by one of the Confederates who took -part in it, in which it is stated that the officer commanding<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119"></a>[119]</span> -the party “scalped” twenty-three Federals. For the -first time since I left the South I see those advertisements -headed by the figure of a negro running with a -bundle, and containing descriptions of the fugitive, -and the reward offered for imprisoning him or her, so -that the owner may receive his property. Among the -insignia enumerated are scars on the back and over the -loins. The whip is not only used by the masters and -drivers, but by the police; and in every report of petty -police cases sentences of so many lashes, and severe -floggings of women of colour are recorded.</p> - -<p>It is about forty miles from Baltimore to Washington, -and at every quarter of a mile for the whole distance a -picket of soldiers guarded the rails. Camps appeared -on both sides, larger and more closely packed together; -and the rays of the setting sun fell on countless lines -of tents as we approached the unfinished dome of the -Capitol. On the Virginian side of the river, columns -of smoke rising from the forest marked the site of -Federal encampments across the stream. The fields -around Washington resounded with the words of command -and tramp of men, and flashed with wheeling -arms. Parks of artillery studded the waste ground, -and long trains of white-covered waggons filled up -the open spaces in the suburbs of Washington.</p> - -<p>To me all this was a wonderful sight. As I -<ins class="corr" id="tn-119" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'drove up Pennyslvania'"> -drove up Pennsylvania</ins> Avenue I could scarce credit -that the busy thoroughfare—all red, white, and blue with -flags, filled with dust from galloping chargers and -commissariat carts; the side-walks thronged with -people, of whom a large proportion carried sword or -bayonet; shops full of life and activity—was the same -as that through which I had driven the first morning<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120"></a>[120]</span> -of my arrival. Washington now, indeed, is the capital -of the United States; but it is no longer the scene of -beneficent legislation and of peaceful government. It -is the representative of armed force engaged in war—menaced -whilst in the very act of raising its arm by the -enemy it seeks to strike.</p> - -<p>To avoid the tumult of Willard’s, I requested a -friend to hire apartments, and drove to a house in -Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the War Department, -where he had succeeded in engaging a sitting-room -about twelve feet square, and a bed-room to correspond, -in a very small mansion, next door to a spirit merchant’s. -At the Legation I saw Lord Lyons, and -gave him a brief account of what I had seen in the -South. I was sorry to observe he looked rather careworn -and pale.</p> - -<p>The relations of the United States’ Government -with Great Britain have probably been considerably -affected by Mr. Seward’s failure in his prophecies. -As the Southern Confederacy <ins class="corr" id="tn-120" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'developes its power'"> -develops its power</ins>, the Foreign Secretary assumes higher ground, and becomes -more exacting, and defiant. In these hot summer -days, Lord Lyons and the members of the Legation -dine early, and enjoy the cool of the evening -in the garden; so after a while I took my leave, and -proceeded to Gautier’s. On my way I met Mr. Sumner, -who asked me for Southern news very anxiously, and -in the course of conversation with him I was confirmed -in my impressions that the feeling between the two -countries was not as friendly as could be desired. -Lord Lyons had better means of knowing what is -going on in the South, by communications from the -British Consuls; but even he seemed unaware of facts<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121"></a>[121]</span> -which had occurred whilst I was there, and Mr. Sumner -appeared to be as ignorant of the whole condition of -things below Mason and Dixon’s line as he was of the -politics of Timbuctoo.</p> - -<p>The importance of maintaining a friendly feeling -with England appeared to me very strongly impressed -on the Senator’s mind. Mr. Seward has been fretful, -irritable, and acrimonious; and it is not too much to -suppose Mr. Sumner has been useful in allaying irritation. -A certain despatch was written last June, which -amounted to little less than a declaration of war against -Great Britain. Most fortunately the President was -induced to exercise his power. The despatch was -modified, though not without opposition and was forwarded -to the English Minister with its teeth drawn. -Lord Lyons, who is one of the suavest and quietest of -diplomatists, has found it difficult, I fear, to maintain -personal relations with Mr. Seward at times. Two -despatches have been prepared for Lord John Russell, -which could have had no result but to lead to a -breach of the peace, had not some friendly interpositor -succeeded in averting the wrath of the -Foreign Minister.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sumner is more sanguine of immediate success -than I am, from the military operations which are to -commence when General Scott considers the army fit -to take the field. At Gautier’s I met a number of -officers, who expressed a great diversity of views in -reference to those operations. General M‘Dowell is -popular with them, but they admit the great deficiencies -of the subaltern and company officers. General Scott -is too infirm to take the field, and the burdens of -administration press the veteran to the earth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122"></a>[122]</span></p> - -<p><em>July 4th.</em>—“Independence Day.” Fortunate to -escape this great national festival in the large cities -of the Union where it is celebrated with many days -before and after of surplus rejoicing, by fireworks and -an incessant fusillade in the streets, I was, nevertheless, -subjected to the small ebullition of the -Washington juveniles, to bell-ringing and discharges of -cannon and musketry. On this day Congress meets. -Never before has any legislative body assembled under -circumstances so grave. By their action they will -decide whether the Union can ever be restored, and -will determine whether the States of the North are to -commence an invasion for the purpose of subjecting -by force of arms, and depriving of their freedom, the -States of the South.</p> - -<p>Congress met to-day merely for the purpose of -forming itself into a regular body, and there was no -debate or business of public importance introduced. -Mr. Wilson gave me to understand, however, that some -military movements of the utmost importance might be -expected in a few days, and that General M‘Dowell -would positively attack the rebels in front of Washington. -The Confederates occupy the whole of Northern -Virginia, commencing from the peninsula above -Fortress Monroe on the right or east, and extending -along the Potomac, to the extreme verge of the State, -by the Baltimore and Ohio Railway. This immense -line, however, is broken by great intervals, and the -army with which M‘Dowell will have to deal may be -considered as detached, covering the approaches to -Richmond, whilst its left flank is protected by a corps -of observation, stationed near Winchester, under -General Jackson. A Federal corps is being prepared<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123"></a>[123]</span> -to watch the corps and engage it, whilst M‘Dowell -advances on the main body. To the right of this again, -or further west, another body of Federals, under -General M‘Clellan, is operating in the valleys of the -Shenandoah and in Western Virginia; but I did not -hear any of these things from Mr. Wilson, who was, I -am sure, in perfect ignorance of the plans, in a military -sense, of the general. I sat at Mr. Sumner’s desk, and -wrote the final paragraphs of a letter describing my -impressions of the South in a place but little disposed -to give a favourable colour to them.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124"></a>[124]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX. <span class="hidden">Interview with Mr. Seward</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Interview with Mr. Seward—My passport—Mr. Seward’s views as to -the war—Illumination at Washington—My “servant” absents -himself—New York journalism—The Capitol—Interior of Congress—The -President’s Message—Speeches in Congress—Lord -Lyons—General M‘Dowell—Low standard in the army—Accident -to the “Stars and Stripes”—A street row—Mr. Bigelow—Mr. -N.P. Willis.</p> -</div> - - -<p>When the Senate had adjourned, I drove to the State -Department and saw Mr. Seward, who looked much -more worn and haggard than when I saw him last, -three months ago. He congratulated me on my safe -return from the South in time to witness some stirring -events. “Well, Mr. Secretary, I am quite sure that, if -all the South are of the same mind as those I met in -my travels, there will be many battles before they submit -to the Federal Government.”</p> - -<p>“It is not submission to the Government we want; -it is to assent to the principles of the Constitution. -When you left Washington we had a few hundred -regulars and some hastily-levied militia to defend the -national capital, and a battery and a half of artillery -under the command of a traitor. The Navy-yard was -in the hands of a disloyal officer. We were surrounded -by treason. Now we are supported by the loyal States -which have come forward in defence of the best Government -on the face of the earth, and the unfortunate and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125"></a>[125]</span> -desperate men who have commenced this struggle will -have to yield or experience the punishment due to their -crimes.”</p> - -<p>“But, Mr. Seward, has not this great exhibition of -strength been attended by some circumstances calculated -to inspire apprehension that liberty in the free -States may be impaired; for instance, I hear that I -must procure a passport in order to travel through the -States and go into the camps in front of Washington.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; you must send your passport here from -Lord Lyons, with his signature. It will be no good -till I have signed it, and then it must be sent to General -Scott, as Commander-in-Chief of the United States -army, who will subscribe it, after which it will be -available for all legitimate purposes. You are not in -any way impaired in your liberty by the process.”</p> - -<p>“Neither is, one may say, the man who is under surveillance -of the police in despotic countries in Europe; -he has only to submit to a certain formality, and he is all -right; in fact, it is said by some people, that the protection -afforded by a passport is worth all the trouble -connected with having it in order.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Seward seemed to think it was quite likely. There -were corresponding measures taken in the Southern -States by the rebels, and it was necessary to have -some control over traitors and disloyal persons. “In -this contest,” said he, “the Government will not -shrink from using all the means which they consider -necessary to restore the Union.” It was not my place -to remark that such doctrines were exactly identical -with all that despotic governments in Europe have -advanced as the ground of action in cases of revolt, or -with a view to the maintenance of their strong Governments.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126"></a>[126]</span> -“The Executive,” said he, “has declared in -the inaugural that the rights of the Federal Government -shall be fully vindicated. We are dealing with an -insurrection within our own country, of our own -people, and the Government of Great Britain have -thought fit to recognise that insurrection before we -were able to bring the strength of the Union to bear -against it, by conceding to it the status of belligerent. -Although we might justly complain of such an unfriendly -act in a manner that might injure the friendly -relations between the two countries, we do not desire -to give any excuse for foreign interference; although -we do not hesitate, in case of necessity, to resist it to -the uttermost, we have less to fear from a foreign war -than any country in the world. If any European -Power provokes a war, we shall not shrink from it. A -contest between Great Britain and the United States -would wrap the world in fire, and at the end it would -not be the United States which would have to lament -the results of the conflict.”</p> - -<p>I could not but admire the confidence—may I say the -coolness?—of the statesman who sat in his modest -little room within the sound of the evening’s guns, in -a capital menaced by their forces who spoke so fearlessly -of war with a Power which could have blotted -out the paper blockade of the Southern forts and coast -in a few hours, and, in conjunction with the Southern -armies, have repeated the occupation and destruction of -the capital.</p> - -<p>The President sent for Mr. Seward whilst I was in -the State Department, and I walked up Pennsylvania -Avenue to my lodgings, through a crowd of men in -uniform who were celebrating Independence Day in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127"></a>[127]</span> -their own fashion—some by the large internal use -of fire-water, others by an external display of fireworks.</p> - -<p>Directly opposite my lodgings are the head-quarters -of General Mansfield, commanding the district, which -are marked by a guard at the door and a couple of -six-pounder guns pointing down the street. I called -upon the General, but he was busy examining certain -inhabitants of Alexandria and of Washington itself, -who had been brought before him on the charge of -being Secessionists, and I left my card, and proceeded -to General Scott’s head-quarters, which I found packed -with officers. The General received me in a small -room, and expressed his gratification at my return, but -I saw he was so busy with reports, despatches, and -maps, that I did not trespass on his time. I dined -with Lord Lyons, and afterwards went with some -members of the Legation to visit the camps, situated -in the public square.</p> - -<p>All the population of Washington had turned out in -their best to listen to the military bands, the music of -which was rendered nearly inaudible by the constant -discharge of fireworks. The camp of the 12th New -York presented a very pretty and animated scene. The -men liberated from duty were enjoying themselves out -and inside their tents, and the sutlers’ booths were -driving a roaring trade. I was introduced to Colonel -Butterfield, commanding the regiment, who was a merchant -of New York; but notwithstanding the training of -the counting-house, he looked very much like a soldier, -and had got his regiment very fairly in hand. In compliance -with a desire of Professor Henry, the Colonel -had prepared a number of statistical tables in which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128"></a>[128]</span> -the nationality, height, weight, breadth of chest, age, -and other particulars respecting the men under his -command were entered. I looked over the book, and -as far as I could judge, but two out of twelve of the -soldiers were native-born Americans, the rest being -Irish, German, English, and European-born generally. -According to the commanding officer they were in -the highest state of discipline and obedience. He had -given them leave to go out as they pleased for the day, -but at tattoo only 14 men out of 1000 were absent, and -some of those had been accounted for by reports that -they were incapable of locomotion owing to the hospitality -of the citizens.</p> - -<p>When I returned to my lodgings, the coloured boy -whom I had hired at Niagara was absent, and I was -told he had not come in since the night before. -“These free coloured boys,” said my landlord, “are a -bad set; now they are worse than ever; the officers of -the army are taking them all away from us; it’s just -the life they like; they get little work, have good pay; -but what they like most is robbing and plundering the -farmers’ houses over in Virginia; what with Germans -Irish, and free niggers, Lord help the poor Virginians, -I say; but they’ll give them a turn yet.”</p> - -<p>The sounds in Washington to-night might have led -one to believe the city was carried by storm. Constant -explosion of firearms, fireworks, shouting, and -cries in the streets, which combined, with the heat -and the abominable odours of the undrained houses and -mosquitoes, to drive sleep far away.</p> - -<p><em>July 5th.</em>—As the young gentleman of colour, to -whom I had given egregious ransom as well as an -advance of wages, did not appear this morning, I was,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129"></a>[129]</span> -after an abortive attempt to boil water for coffee and -to get a piece of toast, compelled to go in next -door, and avail myself of the hospitality of Captain -Cecil Johnson, who was installed in the drawing-room -of Madame Jost. In the forenoon, Mr. John -Bigelow, whose acquaintance I made, much to my gratification -in time gone by, on the margin of the Lake -of Thun, found me out, and proffered his services; -which, as <ins class="corr" id="tn-129" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'the whileom editor'"> -the whilom editor</ins> of the <cite>Evening Post</cite> and as -a leading Republican, he was in a position to render -valuable and most effective; but he could not make a -Bucephalus to order, and I have been running through -the stables of Washington in vain, hoping to find -something up to my weight—such flankless, screwy, -shoulderless, cat-like creatures were never seen—four -of them would scarcely furnish ribs and legs enough to -carry a man, but the owners thought that each of them -was fit for Baron Rothschild; and then there was -saddlery and equipments of all sorts to be got, which -the influx of officers and the badness and dearness -of the material put quite beyond one’s reach. Mr. -Bigelow was of opinion that the army would move -at once; “but,” said I, “where is the transport—where -the cavalry and guns?” “Oh,” replied he -“I suppose we have got everything that is required. -I know nothing of these things, but I am told -cavalry are no use in the wooded country towards -Richmond.” I have not yet been able to go -through the camps, but I doubt very much whether -the material or commissariat of the grand army of the -North is at all adequate to a campaign.</p> - -<p>The presumption and ignorance of the New York -journals would be ridiculous were they not so mischievous.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130"></a>[130]</span> -They describe “this horde of battalion companies—unofficered, -clad in all kinds of different uniform, -diversely equipped, perfectly ignorant of the principles -of military obedience and concerted action,”—for so I -hear it described by United States officers themselves—as -being “the greatest army the world ever saw; perfect -in officers and discipline; unsurpassed in devotion -and courage; furnished with every requisite; and -destined on its first march to sweep into Richmond, -and to obliterate from the Potomac to New Orleans -every trace of rebellion.”</p> - -<p>The Congress met to-day to hear the President’s -Message read. Somehow or other there is not such -anxiety and eagerness to hear what Mr. Lincoln has -to say as one could expect on such a momentous occasion. -It would seem as if the forthcoming appeal -to arms had overshadowed every other sentiment in the -minds of the people. They are waiting for deeds, and -care not for words. The confidence of the New York -papers, and of the citizens, soldiers, and public speakers, -contrast with the dubious and gloomy views of the -military men; but of this Message itself there are -some incidents independent of the occasion to render -it curious, if not interesting. The President has, it -is said, written much of it in his own fashion, which -has been revised and altered by his Ministers; but he -has written it again and repeated himself, and after -many struggles a good deal of pure Lincolnism goes -down to Congress.</p> - -<p>At a little after half-past eleven I went down -to the Capitol. Pennsylvania Avenue was thronged -as before, but on approaching Capitol Hill, the crowd -rather thinned away, as though they shunned, or had no<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131"></a>[131]</span> -curiosity to hear, the President’s Message. One would -have thought that, where every one who could get in -was at liberty to attend the galleries in both Houses, -there would have been an immense pressure from the -inhabitants and strangers in the city, as well as from -the citizen soldiers, of which such multitudes were in -the street; but when I looked up from the floor of the -Senate, I was astonished to see that the galleries were -not more than three parts filled. There is always a -ruinous look about an unfinished building when it is -occupied and devoted to business. The Capitol is -situated on a hill, one face of which is scarped by the -road, and has the appearance of being formed of heaps -of rubbish. Towards Pennsylvania Avenue the long -frontage abuts on a lawn shaded by trees, through -which walks and avenues lead to the many entrances -under the porticoes and colonnades; the face which -corresponds on the other side looks out on heaps of -brick and mortar, cut stone, and a waste of marble -blocks lying half buried in the earth and cumbering -the ground, which, in the magnificent ideas of the -founders and planners of the city, was to be occupied -by stately streets. The cleverness of certain speculators -in land prevented the execution of the original idea, -which was to radiate all the main avenues of the city -from the Capitol as a centre, the intermediate streets -being formed by circles drawn at regularly-increasing -intervals from the Capitol, and intersected by the radii. -The speculators purchased up the land on the side -between the Navy-yard and the site of the Capitol; the -result—the land is unoccupied, except by paltry houses, -and the capitalists are ruined.</p> - -<p>The Capitol would be best described by a series of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132"></a>[132]</span> -photographs. Like the Great Republic itself, it is -unfinished. It resembles it in another respect: it looks -best at a distance; and, again, it is incongruous in its -parts. The passages are so dark that artificial light is -often required to enable one to find his way. The -offices and bureaux of the committees are better than -the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives. -All the encaustics and the white marble -and stone staircases suffer from tobacco juice, though -there is a liberal display of spittoons at every corner. -The official messengers, doorkeepers, and porters wear -no distinctive badge or dress. No policemen are on -duty, as in our Houses of Parliament; no soldiery, -gendarmerie, or sergens-de-ville in the precincts; the -crowd wanders about the passages as it pleases, and -shows the utmost propriety, never going where it ought -not to intrude. There is a special gallery set apart for -women; the reporters are commodiously placed in an -ample gallery, above the Speaker’s chair; the diplomatic -circle have their gallery facing the reporters, -and they are placed so low down in the somewhat -depressed Chamber, that every word can be heard -from speakers in the remotest parts of the house very -distinctly.</p> - -<p>The seats of the members are disposed in a manner -somewhat like those in the French Chambers. Instead -of being in parallel rows to the walls, and at right -angles to the Chairman’s seat, the separate chairs and -desks of the Senators are arranged in semicircular rows. -The space between the walls and the outer semicircle is -called the floor of the house, and it is a high compliment -to a stranger to introduce him within this privileged -place. There are leather cushioned seats and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133"></a>[133]</span> -lounges put for the accommodation of those who may -be introduced by Senators, or to whom, as distinguished -members of Congress in former days, the permission is -given to take their seats. Senators Sumner and Wilson -introduced me to a chair, and made me acquainted -with a number of Senators before the business of the -day began.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sumner, as the Chairman of the Committee on -Foreign Relations, is supposed to be viewed with some -jealousy by Mr. Seward, on account of the disposition -attributed to him to interfere in diplomatic questions; -but if he does so, we shall have no reason to complain, -as the Senator is most desirous of keeping the peace -between the two countries, and of mollifying any -little acerbities and irritations which may at present -exist between them. Senator Wilson is a man who -has risen from what would be considered in any country -but a republic the lowest ranks of the people. He -apprenticed himself to a poor shoemaker when he was -twenty-two years of age, and when he was twenty-four -years old he began to go to school, and devoted all his -earnings to the improvement of education. He got on -by degrees, till he set up as a master shoe maker and -manufacturer, became a “major-general” of State -militia; finally was made Senator of the United States, -and is now “Chairman of the Committee of the Senate -on Military Affairs.” He is a bluff man, of about fifty -years of age, with a peculiar eye and complexion, and -seems honest and vigorous. But is he not going <span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ultra -crepidam</span> in such a post? At present he is much perplexed -by the drunkenness which prevails among the -troops, or rather by the desire of the men for spirits, as -he has a New England mania on that point. One of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134"></a>[134]</span> -the most remarkable-looking men in the House is Mr. -Sumner. Mr. Breckinridge and he would probably be -the first persons to excite the curiosity of a stranger, -so far as to induce him to ask for their names. Save -in height—and both are a good deal over six feet—there -is no resemblance between the champion of -States Rights and the orator of the Black Republicans. -The massive head, the great chin and jaw, and -the penetrating eyes of Mr. Breckinridge convey the -idea of a man of immense determination, courage, and -sagacity. Mr. Sumner’s features are indicative of a -philosophical and poetical turn of thought, and one -might easily conceive that he would be a great advocate, -but an indifferent leader of a party.</p> - -<p>It was a hot day; but there was no excuse for the slop -coats and light-coloured clothing and felt wide-awakes -worn by so many Senators in such a place. They gave -the meeting the aspect of a gathering of bakers or -millers; nor did the constant use of the spittoons beside -their desks, their reading of newspapers and writing -letters during the dispatch of business, or the hurrying -to and fro of the pages of the House between the seats, -do anything but derogate from the dignity of the -assemblage, and, according to European notions, violate -the respect due to a Senate Chamber. The pages -alluded to are smart boys, from twelve to fifteen years -of age, who stand below the President’s table, and are -employed to go on errands and carry official messages -by the members. They wear no particular uniform, -and are dressed as the taste or means of their parents -dictate.</p> - -<p>The House of Representatives exaggerates all the -peculiarities I have observed in the Senate, but the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135"></a>[135]</span> -debates are not regarded with so much interest as those -of the Upper House; indeed, they are of far less importance. -Strong-minded statesmen and officers—Presidents -or Ministers—do not care much for the House of -Representatives, so long as they are sure of the Senate; -and, for the matter of that, a President like Jackson -does not care much for Senate and House together. There -are privileges attached to a seat in either branch of the -Legislature, independent of the great fact that they -receive mileage and are paid for their services, which -may add some incentive to ambition. Thus the members -can order whole tons of stationery for their use, -not only when they are in session, but during the -recess. Their frank covers parcels by mail, and it is -said that Senators without a conscience have sent -sewing-machines to their wives and pianos to their -daughters as little parcels by post. I had almost forgotten -that much the same abuses were in vogue in -England some century ago.</p> - -<p>The galleries were by no means full, and in that reserved -for the diplomatic body the most notable person -was M. Mercier, the Minister of France, who, fixing his -intelligent and eager face between both hands, watched -with keen scrutiny the attitude and conduct of the -Senate. None of the members of the English Legation -were present. After the lapse of an hour, Mr. -Hay, the President’s Secretary, made his appearance on -the floor, and sent in the Message to the Clerk of the -Senate, Mr. Forney, who proceeded to read it to the -House. It was listened to in silence, scarcely broken -except when some Senator murmured “Good, that is -so;” but in fact the general purport of it was already -known to the supporters of the Ministry, and not a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136"></a>[136]</span> -sound came from the galleries. Soon after Mr. Forney -had finished, the galleries were cleared, and I returned -up Pennsylvania Avenue, in which the crowds of soldiers -around bar-rooms, oyster shops, and restaurants, the -groups of men in officers’ uniform, and the clattering -of disorderly mounted cavaliers in the dust, increased -my apprehension that discipline was very little regarded, -and that the army over the Potomac had not a -very strong hand to keep it within bounds.</p> - -<p>As I was walking over with Captain Johnson to -dine with Lord Lyons, I met General Scott leaving his -office and walking with great difficulty between two -aides-de-camp. He was dressed in a blue frock with -gold lace shoulder straps, fastened round the waist by a -yellow sash, and with large yellow lapels turned back -over the chest in the old style, and moved with great -difficulty along the pavement. “You see I am trying -to hobble along, but it is hard for me to overcome my -many infirmities. I regret I could not have the -pleasure of granting you an interview to-day, but I -shall cause it to be intimated to you when I may have -the pleasure of seeing you; meantime I shall provide -you with a pass and the necessary introductions to -afford you all facilities with the army.”</p> - -<p>After dinner I made a round of visits, and heard the -diplomatists speaking of the Message; few, if any of -them, in its favour. With the exception perhaps of -Baron Gerolt, the Prussian Minister, there is not one -member of the Legations who justifies the attempt of -the Northern States to assert the supremacy of the -Federal Government by the force of arms. Lord -Lyons, indeed, in maintaining a judicious reticence -whenever he does speak, gives utterance to sentiments<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137"></a>[137]</span> -becoming the representative of Great Britain at the -court of a friendly Power, and the Minister of a people -who have been protagonists to slavery for many a long -year.</p> - -<p><em>July 6th.</em>—I breakfasted with Mr. Bigelow this morning, -to meet General M‘Dowell, who commands -the army of the Potomac, now so soon to move. -He came in without an aide-de-camp, and on foot, from -his quarters in the city. He is a man about forty -years of age, square and powerfully built, but with -rather a stout and clumsy figure and limbs, a good head -covered with close-cut thick dark hair, small light-blue -eyes, short nose, large cheeks and jaw, relieved by an -iron-grey tuft somewhat of the French type, and affecting -in dress the style of our gallant allies. His -manner is frank, simple, and agreeable, and he did not -hesitate to speak with great openness of the difficulties -he had to contend with, and the imperfection of all the -arrangements of the army.</p> - -<p>As an officer of the regular army he has a thorough -contempt for what he calls “political generals”—the -men who use their influence with President and Congress -to obtain military rank, which in time of war -places them before the public in the front of events, -and gives them an appearance of leading in the greatest -of all political movements. Nor is General M‘Dowell -enamoured of volunteers, for he served in Mexico, -and has from what he saw there formed rather an unfavourable -opinion of their capabilities in the field. He -is inclined, however, to hold the Southern troops in too -little respect; and he told me that the volunteers from -the slave states, who entered the field full of exultation -and boastings, did not make good their words, and that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138"></a>[138]</span> -they suffered especially from sickness and disease, in -consequence of their disorderly habits and dissipation. -His regard for old associations was evinced in many -questions he asked me about Beauregard, with whom -he had been a student at West Point, where the Confederate -commander was noted for his studious and -reserved habits, and his excellence in feats of strength -and athletic exercises.</p> - -<p>As proof of the low standard established in his army, -he mentioned that some officers of considerable rank -were more than suspected of selling rations, and of illicit -connections with sutlers for purposes of pecuniary -advantage. The General walked back with me as far -as my lodgings, and I observed that not one of the -many soldiers he passed in the streets saluted him, -though his rank was indicated by his velvet collar and -cuffs, and a gold star on the shoulder strap.</p> - -<p>Having written some letters, I walked out with Captain -Johnson and one of the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">attachés</span> of the British -Legation, to the lawn at the back of the White House, -and listened to the excellent band of the United States -Marines, playing on a kind of dais under the large flag -recently hoisted by the President himself, in the garden. -The occasion was marked by rather an ominous event. -As the President pulled the halyards and the flag -floated aloft, a branch of a tree caught the bunting -and tore it, so that a number of the stars and stripes -were detached and hung dangling beneath the rest -of the flag, half detached from the staff.</p> - -<p>I dined at Captain Johnson’s lodgings next door to -mine. Beneath us was a wine and spirit store, and -crowds of officers and men flocked indiscriminately to -make their purchases, with a good deal of tumult, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139"></a>[139]</span> -increased as the night came on. Later still, there was -a great disturbance in the city. A body of New York -Zouaves wrecked some houses of bad repute, in one of -which a private of the regiment was murdered early -this morning. The cavalry patrols were called out and -charged the rioters, who were dispersed with difficulty -after resistance in which men on both sides were -wounded. There is no police, no provost guard. -Soldiers wander about the streets, and beg in the -fashion of the mendicant in “Gil Blas” for money -to get whisky. My coloured gentleman has been led -away by the Saturnalia and has taken to gambling in -the camps, which are surrounded by hordes of rascally -followers and sutlers’ servants, and I find myself on -the eve of a campaign, without servant, horse, equipment, -or means of transport.</p> - -<p><em>July 7th.</em>—Mr. Bigelow invited me to breakfast, to -meet Mr. Senator King, Mr. Olmsted, Mr. Thurlow -Weed, a Senator from Missouri, a West Point professor, -and others. It was indicative of the serious -difficulties which embarrass the action of the Government -to hear Mr. Wilson, the Chairman of the Military -Committee of the Senate, inveigh against the -officers of the regular army, and attack West Point -itself. Whilst the New York papers were lauding -General Scott and his plans to the skies, the Washington -politicians were speaking of him as obstructive, -obstinate, and prejudiced—unfit for the times and the -occasion.</p> - -<p>General Scott refused to accept cavalry and artillery -at the beginning of the levy, and said that -they were not required; now he was calling for both -arms most urgently. The officers of the regular army<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140"></a>[140]</span> -had followed suit. Although they were urgently -pressed by the politicians to occupy Harper’s Ferry -and Manassas, they refused to do either, and the result -is that the enemy have obtained invaluable supplies -from the first place, and are now assembled in force -in a most formidable position at the second. Everything -as yet accomplished has been done by political -generals—not by the officers of the regular army. -Butler and Banks saved Baltimore in spite of General -Scott. There was an attempt made to cry up Lyon in -Missouri; but in fact it was Frank Blair, the brother of -the Postmaster-General, who had been the soul and -body of all the actions in that State. The first step -taken by M‘Clellan in Western Virginia was atrocious—he -talked of slaves in a public document as property. -Butler, at Monroe, had dealt with them in a very -different spirit, and had used them for State purposes -under the name of contraband. One man alone displayed -powers of administrative ability, and that was -Quartermaster Meigs; and unquestionably from all I -heard, the praise was well bestowed. It is plain enough -that the political leaders fear the consequences of delay, -and that they are urging the military authorities to action, -which the latter have too much professional knowledge -to take with their present means. These Northern men -know nothing of the South, and with them it is <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">omne -ignotum pro minimo</i>. The West Point professor listened -to them with a quiet smile, and exchanged glances with -me now and then, as much as to say, “Did you ever -hear such fools in your life?”</p> - -<p>But the conviction of ultimate success is not less -strong here than it is in the South. The difference -between these gentlemen and the Southerners is,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141"></a>[141]</span> -<ins class="corr" id="tn-141" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'that n the South'"> -that in the South</ins> the leaders of the people, soldiers and -civilians, are all actually under arms, and are ready to -make good their words by exposing their bodies in -battle.</p> - -<p>I walked home with Mr. N.P. Willis, who is at -Washington for the purpose of writing sketches to -the little family journal of which he is editor, and -giving war “anecdotes;” and with Mr. Olmsted, who -is acting as a member of the New York Sanitary -Commission, here authorised by the Government to -take measures against the reign of dirt and disease in -the Federal camp. The Republicans are very much -afraid that there is, even at the present moment, a -conspiracy against the Union in Washington—nay, -in Congress itself; and regard Mr. Breckenridge, Mr. -Bayard, Mr. Vallandigham, and others as most dangerous -enemies, who should not be permitted to remain -in the capital. I attended the Episcopal church and -heard a very excellent discourse, free from any political -allusion. The service differs little from our own, except -that certain euphemisms are introduced in the Litany -and elsewhere, and the prayers for Queen and Parliament -are offered up <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">nomine mutato</i> for President and -Congress.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142"></a>[142]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X. <span class="hidden">Arlington Heights and the Potomac</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Arlington Heights and the Potomac—Washington—The Federal -camp—General M‘Dowell—Flying rumours—Newspaper correspondents—General -Fremont—Silencing the Press and Telegraph—A -Loan Bill—Interview with Mr. Cameron—Newspaper -criticism on Lord Lyons—Rumours about M‘Clellan—The -Northern army as reported and as it is—General M‘Clellan.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 8th.</em>—I hired a horse at a livery stable, and -rode out to Arlington Heights, at the other side of the -Potomac, where the Federal army is encamped, if not -on the sacred soil of Virginia, certainly on the soil of -the district of Columbia, ceded by that State to Congress -for the purposes of the Federal Government. -The Long Bridge which spans the river, here more -than a mile broad, is an ancient wooden and brick -structure, partly of causeway, and partly of platform, -laid on piles and uprights, with drawbridges for vessels -to pass. The Potomac, which in peaceful times is -covered with small craft, now glides in a gentle current -over the shallows unbroken by a solitary sail. The -“rebels” have established batteries below Mount -Vernon, which partially command the river, and place -the city in a state of blockade.</p> - -<p>As a consequence of the magnificent conceptions -which were entertained by the founders regarding the -future dimensions of their future city, Washington is -all suburb and no city. The only difference between<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143"></a>[143]</span> -the denser streets and the remoter village-like environs, -is that the houses are better and more frequent, and -the roads not quite so bad in the former. The road to -the Long Bridge passes by a four-sided shaft of blocks -of white marble, contributed, with appropriate mottoes, -by the various States, as a fitting monument to Washington. -It is not yet completed, and the materials lie -in the field around, just as the Capitol and the Treasury -are surrounded by the materials for their future and -final development. Further on is the red, and rather -fantastic, pile of the Smithsonian Institute, and then -the road makes a dip to the bridge, past some squalid -little cottages, and the eye reposes on the shore of -Virginia, rising in successive folds, and richly wooded, -up to a moderate height from the water. Through the -green forest leaves gleams the white canvas of the tents, -and on the highest ridge westward rises an imposing -structure, with a portico and colonnade in front, facing -the river, which is called Arlington House, and belongs, -by descent, through Mr. Custis, from the wife of George -Washington, to General Lee, Commander-in-Chief of -the Confederate army. It is now occupied by General -M‘Dowell as his head-quarters, and a large United -States’ flag floats from the roof, which shames even the -ample proportions of the many stars and stripes rising -up from the camps in the trees.</p> - -<p>At the bridge there was a post of volunteer soldiers. -The sentry on duty was sitting on a stump, with his firelock -across his knees, reading a newspaper. He held -out his hand for my pass, which was in the form of a -letter, written by General Scott, and ordering all -officers and soldiers of the army of the Potomac to -permit me to pass freely without let or hindrance, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144"></a>[144]</span> -recommending me to the attention of Brigadier-General -M‘Dowell and all officers under his orders. “That’ll -do, you may go,” said the sentry. “What pass is that, -Abe?” inquired a non-commissioned officer. “It’s -from General Scott, and says he’s to go wherever he -likes.” “I hope you’ll go right away to Richmond, -then, and get Jeff Davis’s scalp for us,” said the patriotic -sergeant.</p> - -<p>At the other end of the bridge a weak <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tête de pont</i>, -commanded by a road-work further on, covered the -approach, and turning to the right I passed through -a maze of camps, in front of which the various regiments, -much better than I expected to find them, -broken up into small detachments, were learning -elementary drill. A considerable number of the men -were Germans, and the officers were for the most -part in a state of profound ignorance of company -drill, as might be seen by their confusion and inability -to take their places when the companies faced about, -or moved from one flank to the other. They were by -no means equal in size or age, and, with some splendid -exceptions, were inferior to the Southern soldiers. The -camps were dirty, no latrines—the tents of various -patterns—but on the whole they were well castrametated.</p> - -<p>The road to Arlington House passed through some -of the finest woods I have yet seen in America, but the -axe was already busy amongst them, and the trunks of -giant oaks were prostrate on the ground. The tents -of the General and his small staff were pitched on the -little plateau in which stood the house, and from it a -very striking and picturesque view of the city, with the -White House, the Treasury, the Post Office, Patent<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145"></a>[145]</span> -Office, and Capitol, was visible, and a wide spread of -country, studded with tents also as far as the eye could -reach, towards Maryland. There were only four small -tents for the whole of the head-quarters of the grand -army of the Potomac, and in front of one we found -General M‘Dowell, seated in a chair, examining some -plans and maps. His personal staff, as far as I could -judge, consisted of Mr. Clarence Brown, who came over -with me, and three other officers, but there were a -few connected with the departments at work in the -rooms of Arlington House. I made some remark -on the subject to the General, who replied that -there was great jealousy on the part of the civilians -respecting the least appearance of display, and that -as he was only a brigadier, though he was in command -of such a large army, he was obliged to be -content with a brigadier’s staff. Two untidy-looking -orderlies, with ill-groomed horses, near the house, -were poor substitutes for the force of troopers one -would see in attendance on a general in Europe -but the use of the telegraph obviates the necessity of -employing couriers. I went over some of the camps -with the General. The artillery is the most efficient-looking -arm of the service, but the horses are too -light, and the number of the different calibres quite -destructive to continuous efficiency in action. Altogether -I was not favourably impressed with what I -saw, for I had been led by reiterated statements to -believe to some extent the extravagant stories of -the papers, and expected to find upwards of 100,000 -men in the highest state of efficiency, whereas there were -not more than a third of the number, and those in a -very incomplete, ill-disciplined state. Some of these<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146"></a>[146]</span> -regiments were called out under the President’s proclamation -for three months only, and will soon have -served their full time, and as it is very likely they will -go home, now the bubbles of national enthusiasm have -all escaped, General Scott is urged not to lose their -services, but to get into Richmond before they are disbanded.</p> - -<p>It would scarcely be credited, were I not told it by -General M‘Dowell, that there is no such thing procurable -as a decent map of Virginia. He knows little -or nothing of the country before him, more than the -general direction of the main roads, which are bad at the -best; and he can obtain no information, inasmuch as -the enemy are in full force all along his front, and he -has not a cavalry officer capable of conducting a reconnaissance, -which would be difficult enough in the best -hands, owing to the dense woods which rise up in front -of his lines, screening the enemy completely. The -Confederates have thrown up very heavy batteries at -Manassas, about thirty miles away, where the railway -from the West crosses the line to Richmond, and I do -not think General M‘Dowell much likes the look of -them, but the cry for action is so strong the President -cannot resist it.</p> - -<p>On my way back I rode through the woods of -Arlington, and came out on a quadrangular earthwork, -called Fort Corcoran, which is garrisoned by the 69th -Irish, and commands the road leading to an aqueduct -and horse-bridge over the Potomac. The regiment is -encamped inside the fort, which would be a slaughter-pen -if exposed to shell-fire. The streets were neat, the -tents protected from the sun by shades of evergreens -and pine boughs. One little door, like that of an ice-house,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147"></a>[147]</span> -half buried in the ground, was opened by one of -the soldiers, who was showing it to a friend, when my -attention was more particularly attracted by a sergeant, -who ran forward in great dudgeon, exclaiming “Dempsey! -Is that you going into the ‘magazine’ wid yer -pipe lighted?” I rode away with alacrity.</p> - -<p>In the course of my ride I heard occasional dropping -shots in the camp. To my looks of inquiry, an engineer -officer said quietly, “They are volunteers shooting -themselves.” The number of accidents from the carelessness -of the men is astonishing; in every day’s paper -there is an account of deaths and wounds caused by -the discharge of firearms in the tents.</p> - -<p>Whilst I was at Arlington House, walking through -the camp attached to head-quarters, I observed a tall -red-bearded officer seated on a chair in front of one of -the tents, who bowed as I passed him, and as I turned -to salute him, my eye was caught by the apparition of -a row of Palmetto buttons down his coat. One of -the officers standing by said, “Let me introduce you -to Captain Taylor, from the other side.” It appears -that he came in with a flag of truce, bearing a despatch -from Jefferson Davis to President Lincoln, countersigned -by General Beauregard at Manassas. Just as I -left Arlington, a telegraph was sent from General Scott -to send Captain Taylor, who rejoices in the name of -Tom, over to his quarters.</p> - -<p>The most absurd rumours were flying about the -staff, one of whom declared very positively that there -was going to be a compromise, and that Jeff Davis had -made an overture for peace. The papers are filled with -accounts of an action in Missouri, at a place called -Carthage, between the Federals commanded by Colonel<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148"></a>[148]</span> -Sigel, consisting for the most part of Germans, and -the Confederates under General Parsons, in which the -former were obliged to retreat, although it is admitted -the State troops were miserably armed, and had most -ineffective artillery, whilst their opponents had every -advantage in both respects, and were commanded by -officers of European experience. Captain Taylor had -alluded to the news in a jocular way to me, and said, -“I hope you will tell the people in England we intend -to whip the Lincolnites in the same fashion wherever -we meet them,” a remark which did not lead me to -believe there was any intention on the part of the Confederates -to surrender so easily.</p> - -<p><em>July 9th.</em>—Late last night the President told General -Scott to send Captain Taylor back to the Confederate -lines, and he was accordingly escorted to Arlington in -a carriage, and thence returned without any answer to -Mr. Davis’s letter, the nature of which has not transpired.</p> - -<p>A swarm of newspaper correspondents has settled -down upon Washington, and great are the glorifications -of the high-toned paymasters, gallant doctors, and -subalterns accomplished in the art of war, who -furnish minute items to my American brethren, and -provide the yeast which overflows in many columns; but -the Government experience the inconvenience of the -smallest movements being chronicled for the use of -the enemy, who, by putting one thing and another -together, are no doubt enabled to collect much valuable -information. Every preparation is being made to put -the army on a war footing, to provide them with shoes, -ammunition waggons, and horses.</p> - -<p>I had the honour of dining with General Scott, who<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149"></a>[149]</span> -has moved to new quarters, near the War Department, -and met General Fremont, who is designated, according -to rumour, to take command of an important district -in the West, and to clear the right bank of the Mississippi -and the course of the Missouri. “The Pathfinder” -is a strong Republican and Abolitionist, whom -the Germans delight to honour—a man with a dreamy, -deep blue eye, a gentlemanly address, pleasant features, -and an active frame, but without the smallest external -indication of extraordinary vigour, intelligence, -or ability; if he has military genius, it must come by -intuition, for assuredly he has no professional acquirements -or experience. Two or three members of Congress, -and the General’s staff, and Mr. Bigelow, completed -the company. The General has become visibly -weaker since I first saw him. He walks down to his -office, close at hand, with difficulty; returns a short -time before dinner, and reposes; and when he has dismissed -his guests at an early hour, or even before he -does so, stretches himself on his bed, and then before -midnight rouses himself to look at despatches or to -transact any necessary business. In case of an action -it is his intention to proceed to the field in a light -carriage, which is always ready for the purpose, with -horses and driver; nor is he unprepared with precedents -of great military commanders who have successfully -conducted engagements under similar circumstances.</p> - -<p>Although the discussion of military questions and of -politics was eschewed, incidental allusions were made -to matters going on around us, and I thought I could -perceive that the General regarded the situation with -much more apprehension than the politicians, and that -his influence extended itself to the views of his staff.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150"></a>[150]</span> -General Fremont’s tone was much more confident. -Nothing has become known respecting the nature of -Mr. Davis’s communication to President Lincoln, but -the fact of his sending it at all is looked upon as a -piece of monstrous impertinence. The General is -annoyed and distressed by the plundering propensities -of the Federal troops, who have been committing terrible -depredations on the people of Virginia. It is not -to be supposed, however, that the Germans, who have -entered upon this campaign as mercenaries, will desist -from so profitable and interesting a pursuit as the -detection of Secesh sentiments, chickens, watches, -horses, and dollars, I mentioned that I had seen some -farm-houses completely sacked close to the aqueduct. -The General merely said, “It is deplorable!” and raised -up his hands as if in disgust. General Fremont, however, -said, “I suppose you are familiar with similar -scenes in Europe. I hear the allies were not very particular -with respect to private property in Russia”—a -remark which unfortunately could not be gainsaid. -As I was leaving the General’s quarters, Mr. Blair, -accompanied by the President, who was looking more -anxious than I had yet seen him, drove up, and passed -through a crowd of soldiers, who had evidently been -enjoying themselves. One of them called out, “Three -cheers for General Scott!” and I am not quite sure -the President did not join him.</p> - -<p><em>July 10th.</em>—To-day was spent in a lengthy excursion -along the front of the camp in Virginia, round by the -chain bridge which crosses the Potomac about four -miles from Washington.</p> - -<p>The Government have been coerced, as they say, -by the safety of the Republic, to destroy the liberty<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151"></a>[151]</span> -of the press, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, -and this is not the first instance in which the Constitution -of the United States will be made <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">nominis -umbra</i>. The telegraph, according to General Scott’s -order, confirmed by the Minister of War, Simon -Cameron, is to convey no despatches respecting military -movements not permitted by the General; and to-day -the newspaper correspondents have agreed to yield -obedience to the order, reserving to themselves a certain -freedom of detail in writing their despatches, and relying -on the Government to publish the official accounts -of all battles very speedily. They will break this agreement -if they can, and the Government will not observe -their part of the bargain. The freedom of the press, as -I take it, does not include the right to publish news -hostile to the cause of the country in which it is published; -neither can it involve any obligation on the -part of Government to publish despatches which may -be injurious to the party they represent. There is a -wide distinction between the publication of news which -is known to the enemy as soon as to the friends of the -transmitters, and the utmost freedom of expression -concerning the acts of the Government or the conduct -of past events; but it will be difficult to establish any -rule to limit or extend the boundaries to which discussion -can go without mischief, and in effect the only -solution of the difficulty in a free country seems to be -to grant the press free licence, in consideration of the -enormous aid it affords in warning the people of their -danger, in animating them with the news of their successes, -and in sustaining the Government in their efforts -to conduct the war.</p> - -<p>The most important event to-day is the passage of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152"></a>[152]</span> -the Loan Bill, which authorises Mr. Chase to borrow, -in the next year, a sum of £50,000,000, on coupons, -with interest at 7 per cent, and irredeemable for twenty -years—the interest being guaranteed on a pledge of the -Customs duties. I just got into the House in time to -hear Mr. Vallandigham, who is an ultra-democrat, and -very nearly a secessionist, conclude a well-delivered -argumentative address. He is a tall, slight man, of a -bilious temperament, with light flashing eyes, dark -hair and complexion, and considerable oratorical power. -“Deem me ef I wouldn’t just ride that Vallandiggaim -on a reay-al,” quoth a citizen to his friend, as the -speaker sat down, amid a few feeble expressions of -assent. Mr. Chase has also obtained the consent of -the Lower House to his bill for closing the Southern -ports by the decree of the President, but I hear some -more substantial measures are in contemplation for -that purpose. Whilst the House is finding the money -the Government are preparing to spend it, and they -have obtained the approval of the Senate to the enrolment -of half a million of men, and the expenditure of -one hundred millions of dollars to carry on the war.</p> - -<p>I called on Mr. Cameron, the Secretary of War. -The small brick house of two stories, with long passages, -in which the American Mars prepares his bolts, -was, no doubt, large enough for the 20,000 men who -constituted the armed force on land of the great Republic, -but it is not sufficient to contain a tithe of the -contractors who haunt its precincts, fill all the lobbies -and crowd into every room. With some risk to coat-tails, -I squeezed through iron-masters, gun-makers, -clothiers, shoemakers, inventors, bakers, and all that -genus which fattens on the desolation caused by an<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153"></a>[153]</span> -army in the field, and was introduced to Mr. Cameron’s -room, where he was seated at a desk surrounded by -people, who were also grouped round two gentlemen -as clerks in the same small room. “I tell you, General -Cameron, that the way in which the loyal men of Missouri -have been treated is a disgrace to this Government,” -shouted out a big, black, burly man—“I tell -you so, sir.” “Well, General,” responded Mr. Cameron, -quietly, “so you have several times. Will you, once for -all, condescend to particulars?” “Yes, sir; you and -the Government have disregarded our appeals. You -have left us to fight our own battles. You have not -sent us a cent——” “There, General, I interrupt -you. You say we have sent you no money,” said -Mr. Cameron, very quietly. “Mr. Jones will be good -enough to ask Mr. Smith to step in here.” Before -Mr. Smith came in, however, the General, possibly -thinking some member of the press was present, -rolled his eyes in a Nicotian frenzy, and perorated: -“The people of the State of Missouri, sir, will power-out -every drop of the blood which only flows to warm -patriotic hearts in defence of the great Union, which -offers freedom to the enslaved of mankind, and a home -to persecuted progress, and a few-ture to civil-zation. -We demand, General Cameron, in the neame of the -great Western State——” Here Mr. Smith came in, -and Mr. Cameron said, “I want you to tell me what -disbursements, if any, have been sent by this department -to the State of Missouri.” Mr. Smith was -quick at figures, and up in his accounts, for he drew -out a little memorandum book, and replied (of course, -I can’t tell the exact sum), “General, there has been -sent, as by vouchers, to Missouri, since the beginning<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154"></a>[154]</span> -of the levies, six hundred and seventy thousand dollars -and twenty-three cents.” The General looked crestfallen, -but he was equal to the occasion, “These sums -may have been sent, sir, but they have not been received. -I declare in the face of——” “Mr. Smith will -show you the vouchers, General, and you can then take -any steps needful against the parties who have misappropriated -them.”</p> - -<p>“That is only a small specimen of what we have to go -through with our people,” said the Minister, as the -General went off with a lofty toss of his head, and -then gave me a pleasant sketch of the nature of the -applications and interviews which take up the time and -clog the movements of an American statesman. “These -State organisations give us a great deal of trouble.” I -could fully understand that they did so. The immediate -business that I had with Mr. Cameron—he is -rarely called General now that he is Minister of War—was -to ask him to give me authority to draw rations at -cost price, in case the army took the field before I could -make arrangements, and he seemed very well disposed -to accede; “but I must think about it, for I shall have -all our papers down upon me if I grant you any facility -which they do not get themselves.” After I left the -War Department, I took a walk to Mr. Seward’s, who -was out. In passing by President’s Square, I saw a -respectably-dressed man up in one of the trees, cutting-off -pieces of the bark, which his friends beneath caught -up eagerly. I could not help stopping to ask what -was the object of the proceeding. “Why, sir, this -is the tree Dan Sickles shot Mr. —— under. I think -it’s quite a remarkable spot.”</p> - -<p><em>July 11th.</em>—The diplomatic circle is so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155"></a>[155]</span> -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">totus teres atque rotundas</i>, that few particles of dirt stick on its -periphery from the road over which it travels. The -radii are worked from different centres, often far apart, -and the tires and naves often fly out in wide divergence; -but for all social purposes is a circle, and a very pleasant -one. When one sees M. de Stoeckle speaking to M. -Mercier, or joining in with Baron Gerolt and M. de -Lisboa, it is safer to infer that a little social re-union -is at hand for a pleasant civilised discussion of ordinary -topics, some music, a rubber, and a dinner, than -to resolve with the <em>New York Correspondent</em>, “that -there is reason to believe that a diplomatic movement -of no ordinary significance is on foot, and that the -ministers of Russia, France, and Prussia have concerted -a plan of action with the representative of -Brazil, which must lead to extraordinary complications, -in view of the temporary embarrassments which distract -our beloved country. The Minister of England -has held aloof from these reunions for a sinister -purpose no doubt, and we have not failed to discover -that the emissary of Austria, and the representative of -Guatemala have abstained from taking part in these -significant demonstrations. We tell the haughty nobleman -who represents Queen Victoria, on whose son -we so lately lavished the most liberal manifestations of -our good will, to beware. The motives of the Court of -Vienna, and of the republic of Guatemala, in ordering -their representatives not to join in the reunion which -we observed at three o’clock to-day, at the corner of -Seventeenth Street and One, are perfectly transparent; -but we call on Mr. Seward instantly to demand of -Lord Lyons a full and ample explanation of his conduct -on the occasion, or the transmission of his papers.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156"></a>[156]</span> -There is no harm in adding, that we have every reason -to think our good ally of Russia, and the minister of -the astute monarch, who is only watching an opportunity -of leading a Franco-American army to the Tower -of London and Dublin Castle, have already moved -their respective Governments to act in the premises.”</p> - -<p>That paragraph, with a good heading, would sell -several thousands of the “New York Stabber” to-morrow.</p> - -<p><em>July 12th.</em>—There are rumours that the Federals, -under Brigadier M‘Clellan, who have advanced into -Western Virginia, have gained some successes; but so -far it seems to have no larger dimensions than the -onward raid of one clan against another in the Highlands. -And whence do rumours come? From Government -departments, which, like so many Danaes in the -clerks’ rooms, receive the visits of the auriferous -Jupiters of the press, who condense themselves into -purveyors of smashes, slings, baskets of champagne, and -dinners. M‘Clellan is, however, considered a very -steady and respectable professional soldier. A friend -of his told me to-day one of the most serious complaints -the Central Illinois Company had against him -was that, during the Italian war, he seemed to forget -their business; and that he was busied with maps -stretched out on the floor, whereupon he, superincumbent, -penned out the points of battle and strategy -when he ought to have been attending to passenger -trains and traffic. That which was flat blasphemy in -a railway office may be amazingly approved in the -field.</p> - -<p><em>July 13th.</em>—I have had a long day’s ride through -the camps of the various regiments across the Potomac,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157"></a>[157]</span> -and at this side of it, which the weather did not render -very agreeable to myself or the poor hack that I had -hired for the day, till my American Quartermaine gets -me a decent mount. I wished to see with my own eyes -what is the real condition of the army which the North -have sent down to the Potomac, to undertake such a -vast task as the conquest of the South. The Northern -papers describe it as a magnificent force, complete in -all respects, well-disciplined, well-clad, provided with -fine artillery, and with every requirement to make it -effective for all military operations in the field.</p> - -<p>In one word, then, they are grossly and utterly -ignorant of what an army is or should be. In the first -place, there are not, I should think, 30,000 men of all -sorts available for the campaign. The papers estimate -it at any number from 50,000 to 100,000, giving the -preference to 75,000. In the next place, their artillery -is miserably deficient; they have not, I should think, -more than five complete batteries, or six batteries, -including scratch guns, and these are of different -calibres, badly horsed, miserably equipped, and provided -with the worst set of gunners and drivers -which I, who have seen the Turkish field-guns, ever -beheld. They have no cavalry, only a few scarecrow-men, -who would dissolve partnership with their steeds -at the first serious combined movement, mounted in -high saddles, on wretched mouthless screws, and some -few regulars from the frontiers, who may be good -for Indians, but who would go over like ninepins -at a charge from Punjaubee irregulars. Their transport -is tolerably good, but inadequate; they have no -carriage for reserve ammunition; the commissariat -drivers are civilians, under little or no control; the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158"></a>[158]</span> -officers are unsoldierly-looking men; the camps are -dirty to excess; the men are dressed in all sorts of -uniforms; and from what I hear, I doubt if any of these -regiments have ever performed a brigade evolution -together, or if any of the officers know what it is to -deploy a brigade from column into line. They are mostly -three months’ men, whose time is nearly up. They -were rejoicing to-day over the fact that it was so, and -that they had kept the enemy from Washington -“without a fight.” And it is with this rabblement -that the North propose not only to subdue the South, -but according to some of their papers, to humiliate -Great Britain, and conquer Canada afterwards.</p> - -<p>I am opposed to national boasting, but I do firmly -believe that 10,000 British regulars, or 12,000 French, -with a proper establishment of artillery and cavalry, -would not only entirely repulse this army with the -greatest ease, under competent commanders, but that -they could attack them and march into Washington over -them or with them whenever they pleased. Not that -Frenchman or Englishman is perfection, but that the -American of this army knows nothing of discipline, and -what is more, cares less for it.</p> - -<p>Major-General M‘Clellan—I beg his pardon for -styling him Brigadier—has really been successful. By -a very well-conducted and rather rapid march, he was -enabled to bring superior forces to bear on some raw -levies under General Garnett (who came over with me -in the steamer), which fled after a few shots, and were -utterly routed, when their gallant commander fell, -in an abortive attempt to rally them by the banks -of the Cheat river. In this “great battle” M‘Clellan’s -loss is less than 30 killed and wounded, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159"></a>[159]</span> -the Confederates loss is less than 100. But the dispersion -of such guerilla bands has the most useful -effect among the people of the district; and M‘Clellan -has done good service, especially as his little victory -will lead to the discomfiture of all the Secessionists in -the valley of the Keanawha, and in the valley of -Western Virginia. I left Washington this afternoon, -with the Sanitary Commissioners, for Baltimore, in -order to visit the Federal camps at Fortress Monroe, -to which we proceeded down the Chesapeake the same -night.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160"></a>[160]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI. <span class="hidden">Fortress Monroe</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Fortress Monroe—General Butler—Hospital accommodation—Wounded -soldiers—Aristocratic pedigrees—A great gun—Newport -News—Fraudulent contractors—General Butler—Artillery -practice—Contraband negroes—Confederate lines—Tombs -of American loyalists—Troops and contractors—Durevy’s -New York Zouaves—Military calculations—A voyage by steamer -to Annapolis.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 14th.</em>—At six o’clock this morning the steamer -arrived at the wharf under the walls of Fortress -Monroe, which presented a very different appearance -from the quiet of its aspect when first I saw it, some -months ago. Camps spread around it, the parapets -lined with sentries, guns looking out towards the land, -lighters and steamers alongside the wharf, a strong -guard at the end of the pier, passes to be scrutinised -and permits to be given. I landed with the members -of the Sanitary Commission, and repaired to a very -large pile of buildings, called “The Hygeia Hotel,” -for once on a time Fortress Monroe was looked upon -as the resort of the sickly, who required bracing air -and an abundance of oysters; it is now occupied by the -wounded in the several actions and skirmishes which -have taken place, particularly at Bethel; and it is so -densely crowded that we had difficulty in procuring -the use of some small dirty rooms to dress in. As the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161"></a>[161]</span> -business of the Commission was principally directed to -ascertain the state of the hospitals, they considered it -necessary in the first instance to visit General Butler, -the commander of the post, who has been recommending -himself to the Federal Government by his -activity ever since he came down to Baltimore, and the -whole body marched to the fort, crossing the drawbridge -after some parley with the guard, and received -permission, on the production of passes, to enter the -court.</p> - -<p>The interior of the work covers a space of about -seven or eight acres, as far as I could judge, and -is laid out with some degree of taste; rows of fine -trees border the walks through the grass plots; the -officers’ quarters, neat and snug, are surrounded -with little patches of flowers, and covered with -creepers. All order and neatness, however, were fast -disappearing beneath the tramp of mailed feet, for -at least 1200 men had pitched their tents inside the -place. We sent in our names to the General, who -lives in a detached house close to the sea face of the -fort, and sat down on a bench under the shade of some -trees, to avoid the excessive heat of the sun until the -commander of the place could receive the Commissioners. -He was evidently in no great hurry to do so. -In about half an hour an aide-de-camp came out to say -that the General was getting up, and that he would see -us after breakfast. Some of the Commissioners, from -purely sanitary considerations, would have been much -better pleased to have seen him at breakfast, as they -had only partaken of a very light meal on board the -steamer at five o’clock in the morning; but we were -interested meantime by the morning parade of a portion<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162"></a>[162]</span> -of the garrison, consisting of 300 regulars, a -Massachusetts’ volunteer battalion, and the 2nd New -York Regiment.</p> - -<p>It was quite refreshing to the eye to see the -cleanliness of the regulars—their white gloves and -belts, and polished buttons, contrasted with the -slovenly aspect of the volunteers; but, as far as the -material went, the volunteers had by far the best of -the comparison. The civilians who were with me did -not pay much attention to the regulars, and evidently -preferred the volunteers, although they could not be -insensible to the magnificent drum-major who led the -band of the regulars. Presently General Butler came -out of his quarters, and walked down the lines, followed -by a few officers. He is a stout, middle-aged man, -strongly built, with coarse limbs, his features indicative -of great shrewdness and craft, his forehead high, -the elevation being in some degree due perhaps to the -want of hair; with a strong obliquity of vision, which -may perhaps have been caused by an injury, as the -eyelid hangs with a peculiar droop over the organ.</p> - -<p>The General, whose manner is quick, decided, and -abrupt, but not at all rude or unpleasant, at once -acceded to the wishes of the Sanitary Commissioners, -and expressed his desire to make my stay -at the fort as agreeable and useful as he could. “You -can first visit the hospitals in company with these -gentlemen, and then come over with me to our -camp, where I will show you everything that is to be -seen. I have ordered a steamer to be in readiness -to take you to Newport News.” He speaks rapidly, -and either affects or possesses great decision. The -Commissioners accordingly proceeded to make the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163"></a>[163]</span> -most of their time in visiting the Hygeia Hotel, being -accompanied by the medical officers of the garrison.</p> - -<p>The rooms, but a short time ago occupied by the -fair ladies of Virginia, when they came down to enjoy -the sea breezes, were now crowded with Federal -soldiers, many of them suffering from the loss of limb -or serious wounds, others from the worst form of -camp disease. I enjoyed a small national triumph over -Dr. Bellows, the chief of the Commissioners, who is of -the “sangre azul” of Yankeeism, by which I mean -that he is a believer, not in the perfectibility, but in -the absolute perfection, of New England nature, which -is the only human nature that is not utterly lost and -abandoned—Old England nature, perhaps, being the -worst of all. We had been speaking to the wounded -men in several rooms, and found most of them either -in the listless condition consequent upon exhaustion, -or with that anxious air which is often observable on -the faces of the wounded when strangers approach. -At last we came into a room in which two soldiers -were sitting up, the first we had seen, reading the newspapers. -Dr. Bellows asked where they came from; one -was from Concord, the other from Newhaven. “You -see, Mr. Russell,” said Dr. Bellows, “how our Yankee -soldiers spend their time. I knew at once they were -Americans when I saw them reading newspapers.” One -of them had his hand shattered by a bullet, the other -was suffering from a gun-shot wound through the body. -“Where were you hit?” I inquired of the first. “Well,” -he said, “I guess my rifle went off when I was cleaning -it in camp.” “Were you wounded at Bethel?” I -asked of the second. “No, sir,” he replied; “I got -this wound from a comrade, who discharged his piece<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164"></a>[164]</span> -by accident in one of the tents as I was standing outside.” -“So,” said I, to Dr. Bellows, “whilst the -Britishers and Germans are engaged with the enemy, -you Americans employ your time shooting each -other!”</p> - -<p>These men were true mercenaries, for they were -fighting for money—I mean the strangers. One poor -fellow from Devonshire said, as he pointed to his stump, -“I wish I had lost it for the sake of the old island, sir,” -paraphrasing Sarsfield’s exclamation as he lay dying on -the field. The Americans were fighting for the combined -excellences and strength of the States of New -England, and of the rest of the Federal power over -the Confederates, for they could not in their heart of -hearts believe the Old Union could be restored by force -of arms. Lovers may quarrel and may reunite, but if a -blow is struck there is no <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">redintegratio amoris</i> possible -again. The newspapers and illustrated periodicals -which they read were the pabulum that fed the flames -of patriotism incessantly. Such capacity for enormous -lying, both in creation and absorption, the world never -heard. Sufficient for the hour is the falsehood.</p> - -<p>There were lady nurses in attendance on the -patients; who followed—let us believe, as I do, out -of some higher motive than the mere desire of human -praise—the example of Miss Nightingale. I loitered -behind in the rooms, asking many questions respecting -the nationality of the men, in which the members -of the Sanitary Commission took no interest, and -I was just turning into one near the corner of the -passage when I was stopped by a loud smack. A -young Scotchman was dividing his attention between a -basin of soup and a demure young lady from Philadelphia,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165"></a>[165]</span> -who was feeding him with a spoon, his only -arm being engaged in holding her round the waist, in -order to prevent her being tired, I presume. Miss -Rachel, or Deborah, had a pair of very pretty blue eyes, -but they flashed very angrily from under her trim little -cap at the unwitting intruder, and then she said, in -severest tones, “Will you take your medicine, or -not?” Sandy smiled, and pretended to be very penitent.</p> - -<p>When we returned with the doctors from our inspection -we walked round the parapets of the fortress, -why so called I know not, because it is merely a fort. -The guns and mortars are old-fashioned and heavy, with -the exception of some new-fashioned and very heavy -Columbiads, which are cast-iron 8-, 10-, and 12-inch -guns, in which I have no faith whatever. The armament -is not sufficiently powerful to prevent its interior being -searched out by the long range fire of ships with rifle -guns, or mortar boats; but it would require closer and -harder work to breach the masses of brick and masonry -which constitute the parapets and casemates. The guns, -carriages, rammers, shot, were dirty, rusty, and neglected; -but General Butler told me he was busy polishing -up things about the fortress as fast as he could.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were parading these hot walls in the sunshine, -my companions were discussing the question of -ancestry. It appears your New Englander is very -proud of his English descent from good blood, and it is -one of their isms in the Yankee States that they are -the salt of the British people and the true aristocracy -of blood and family, whereas we in the isles retain but -a paltry share of the blue blood defiled by incessant -infiltrations of the muddy fluid of the outer world.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166"></a>[166]</span> -This may be new to us Britishers, but is a Q. E. D. -If a gentleman left Europe 200 years ago, and settled -with his kin and kith, intermarrying his children with -their equals, and thus perpetuating an ancient family, it -is evident he may be regarded as the founder of a -much more honourable dynasty than the relative who -remained behind him, and lost the old family place, -and sunk into obscurity. A singular illustration of the -tendency to make much of themselves may be found -in the fact, that New England swarms with genealogical -societies and bodies of antiquaries, who delight in -reading papers about each other’s ancestors, and tracing -their descent from Norman or Saxon barons and earls. -The Virginians opposite, who are flouting us with their -Confederate flag from Sewall’s Point, are equally given -to the “<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">genus et proavos</span>.”</p> - -<p>At the end of our promenade round the ramparts, -Lieutenant Butler, the General’s nephew and aide-de-camp, -came to tell us the boat was ready, and we met -His Excellency in the court-yard, whence we walked -down to the wharf. On our way, General Butler called -my attention to an enormous heap of hollow iron lying -on the sand, which was the Union gun that is intended -to throw a shot of some 350 lbs. weight or more, to -astonish the Confederates at Sewall’s Point opposite, -when it is mounted. This gun, if I mistake not, was -made after the designs of Captain Rodman, of the -United States artillery, who in a series of remarkable -papers, the publication of which has cost the country -a large sum of money, has given us the results of long-continued -investigations and experiments on the best -method of cooling masses of iron for ordnance purposes, -and of making powder for heavy shot. The piece must<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167"></a>[167]</span> -weigh about 20 tons, but a similar gun, mounted on an -artificial island called the Rip Raps, in the Channel -opposite the fortress, is said to be worked with facility. -The Confederates have raised some of the vessels sunk -by the United States officers when the Navy Yard at -Gosport was destroyed, and as some of these are to be -converted into rams, the Federals are preparing their -heaviest ordnance, to try the effect of crushing weights -at low velocities against their sides, should they -attempt to play any pranks among the transport vessels. -The General said: “It is not by these great masses -of iron this contest is to be decided: we must bring -sharp points of steel, directed by superior intelligence.” -Hitherto General Butler’s attempts at Big Bethel -have not been crowned with success in employing such -means, but it must be admitted that, according to his -own statement, his lieutenants were guilty of carelessness -and neglect of ordinary military precautions in the -conduct of the expedition he ordered. The march of -different columns of troops by night concentrating on -a given point is always liable to serious interruptions, -and frequently gives rise to hostile encounters between -friends, in more disciplined armies than the raw levies -of United States volunteers.</p> - -<p>When the General, Commissioners, and Staff had -embarked, the steamer moved across the broad estuary -to Newport News. Among our passengers were several -medical officers in attendance on the Sanitary Commissioners, -some belonging to the army, others who -had volunteered from civil life. Their discussion of -professional questions and of relative rank assumed -such a personal character, that General Butler had to -interfere to quiet the disputants, but the exertion of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168"></a>[168]</span> -his authority was not altogether successful, and one of -the angry gentlemen said in my hearing, “I’m d—d -if I submit to such treatment if all the lawyers in -Massachusetts with stars on their collars were to order -me to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>On arriving at the low shore of Newport News we -landed at a wooden jetty, and proceeded to visit the -camp of the Federals, which was surrounded by a -strong entrenchment, mounted with guns on the water -face; and on the angles inland, a broad tract of cultivated -country, bounded by a belt of trees, extended -from the river away from the encampment; but the -Confederates are so close at hand that frequent -skirmishes have occurred between the foraging parties -of the garrison and the enemy, who have on more than -one occasion pursued the Federals to the very verge of -the woods.</p> - -<p>Whilst the Sanitary Commissioners were groaning -over the heaps of filth which abound in all camps -where discipline is not most strictly observed, I walked -round amongst the tents, which, taken altogether, were -in good order. The day was excessively hot, and many -of the soldiers were laying down in the shade of arbours -formed of branches from the neighbouring pine wood, -but most of them got up when they heard the General -was coming round. A sentry walked up and down at -the end of the street, and as the General came up to -him he called out “Halt.” The man stood still. “I -just want to show you, sir, what scoundrels our Government -has to deal with. This man belongs to a regiment -which has had new clothing recently served out to it. -Look what it is made of.” So saying the General -stuck his fore-finger into the breast of the man’s coat,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169"></a>[169]</span> -and with a rapid scratch of his nail tore open the cloth -as if it was of blotting paper. “Shoddy sir. Nothing -but shoddy. I wish I had these contractors in the -trenches here, and if hard work would not make -honest men of them, they’d have enough of it to be -examples for the rest of their fellows.”</p> - -<p>A <ins class="corr" id="tn-169" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'vivacions prying'"> -vivacious prying</ins> man, this Butler, full of bustling -life, self-esteem, revelling in the exercise of power. -In the course of our rounds we were joined by Colonel -Phelps, who was formerly in the United States army, -and saw service in Mexico, but retired because he did -not approve of the manner in which promotions were -made, and who only took command of a Massachusetts -regiment because he believed he might be instrumental -in striking a shrewd blow or two in this great battle of -Armageddon—a tall, saturnine, gloomy, angry-eyed, -sallow man, soldier-like too, and one who places old -John Brown on a level with the great martyrs of the -Christian world. Indeed one, not so fierce as he, is -blasphemous enough to place images of our Saviour -and the hero of Harper’s Ferry on the mantelpiece, -as the two greatest beings the world has ever seen. -“Yes, I know them well. I’ve seen them in the field. -I’ve sat with them at meals. I’ve travelled through -their country. These Southern slaveholders are a -false, licentious, godless people. Either we who obey -the laws and fear God, or they who know no God -except their own will and pleasure, and know no law -except their passions, must rule on this continent, and -I believe that Heaven will help its own in the conflict -they have provoked. I grant you they are brave -enough, and desperate too, but surely justice, truth, -and religion, will strengthen a man’s arm to strike<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170"></a>[170]</span> -down those who have only brute force and a bad cause -to support them.” But Colonel Phelps was not quite -indifferent to material aid, and he made a pressing appeal -to General Butler to send him some more guns and -harness for the field-pieces he had in position, because, -said he, “in case of attack, please God I’ll follow them -up sharp, and cover these fields with their bones.” The -General had a difficulty about the harness, which made -Colonel Phelps very grim, but General Butler had -reason in saying he could not make harness, and so -the Colonel must be content with the results of a good -rattling fire of round, shell, grape, and cannister, if the -Confederates are foolish enough to attack his batteries.</p> - -<p>There was nothing to complain of in the camp, -except the swarms of flies, the very bad smells, and -perhaps the shabby clothing of the men. The tents -were good enough. The rations were ample, but -nevertheless there was a want of order, discipline, and -quiet in the lines which did not augur well for the -internal economy of the regiments. When we returned -to the river face, General Butler ordered some practice -to be made with a Sawyer rifle gun, which appeared -to be an ordinary cast-iron piece, bored with grooves, -on the shunt principle, the shot being covered with a -composition of a metallic amalgam like zinc and tin, -and provided with flanges of the same material to fit -the grooves. The practice was irregular and unsatisfactory. -At an elevation of 24 degrees, the first shot -struck the water at a point about 2000 yards distant. -The piece was then further elevated, and the shot -struck quite out of land, close to the opposite bank, -at a distance of nearly three miles. The third shot -rushed with a peculiar hurtling noise out of the piece,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171"></a>[171]</span> -and flew up in the air, falling with a splash into the -water about 1500 yards away. The next shot may -have gone half across the continent, for assuredly it -never struck the water, and most probably ploughed its -way into the soft ground at the other side of the river. -The shell practice was still worse, and on the whole I -wish our enemies may always fight us with Sawyer -guns, particularly as the shells cost between £6 and £7 -a-piece.</p> - -<p>From the fort the General proceeded to the house of -one of the officers, near the jetty, formerly the residence -of a Virginian farmer, who has now gone to Secessia, -where we were most hospitably treated at an excellent -lunch, served by the slaves of the former proprietor. -Although we boast with some reason of the easy level -of our mess-rooms, the Americans certainly excel us in -the art of annihilating all military distinctions on such -occasions as these; and I am not sure the General -would not have liked to place a young Doctor in close -arrest, who suddenly made a dash at the liver wing of a -fowl on which the General was bent with eye and fork, -and carried it off to his plate. But on the whole there -was a good deal of friendly feeling amongst all ranks -of the volunteers, the regulars being a little stiff and -adherent to etiquette.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon the boat returned to Fortress -Monroe, and the general invited me to dinner, where I -had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Butler, his staff, and a -couple of regimental officers from the neighbouring -camp. As it was still early, General Butler proposed a -ride to visit the interesting village of Hampton, which -lies some six or seven miles outside the fort, and -forms his advance post. A powerful charger, with a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172"></a>[172]</span> -tremendous Mexican saddle, fine housings, blue and -gold embroidered saddle-cloth, was brought to the -door for your humble servant, and the General -mounted another, which did equal credit to his taste -in horseflesh; but I own I felt rather uneasy on -seeing that he wore a pair of large brass spurs, strapped -over white jean brodequins. He took with him his aide-de-camp -and a couple of orderlies. In the precincts of -the fort outside, a population of contraband negroes has -been collected, whom the General employs in various -works about the place, military and civil; but I failed -to ascertain that the original scheme of a debit and -credit account between the value of their labour and the -cost of their maintenance had been successfully carried -out. The General was proud of them, and they -seemed proud of themselves, saluting him with a -ludicrous mixture of awe and familiarity as he rode -past. “How do, Massa Butler? How do, General?” -accompanied by absurd bows and scrapes. “Just to -think,” said the General, “that every one of these -fellows represents some 1000 dollars at least out of the -pockets of the chivalry yonder.” “Nasty, idle, dirty -beasts,” says one of the staff, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">sotto voce</i>; “I wish to -Heaven they were all at the bottom of the Chesapeake. -The General insists on it that they do work, but they -are far more trouble than they are worth.”</p> - -<p>The road towards Hampton traverses a sandy spit, -which, however, is more fertile than would be supposed -from the soil under the horses’ hoofs, though it is not -in the least degree interesting. A broad creek or river -interposed between us and the town, the bridge over -which had been destroyed. Workmen were busy -repairing it, but all the planks had not yet been laid<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173"></a>[173]</span> -down or nailed, and in some places the open space -between the upright rafters allowed us to see the dark -waters flowing beneath. The Aide said, “I don’t -think, General, it is safe to cross;” but his chief did -not mind him until his horse very nearly crashed -through a plank, and only regained its footing with -unbroken legs by marvellous dexterity; whereupon we -dismounted, and, leaving the horses to be carried over -in the ferry-boat, completed the rest of the transit, not -without difficulty. At the other end of the bridge a -street lined with comfortable houses, and bordered -with trees, led us into the pleasant town or village of -Hampton—pleasant once, but now deserted by all the -inhabitants except some pauperised whites and a -colony of negroes. It was in full occupation of the -Federal soldiers, and I observed that most of the men -were Germans, the garrison at Newport News being -principally composed of Americans. The old red brick -houses, with cornices of white stone; the narrow -windows and high gables; gave an aspect of antiquity -and European comfort to the place, the like of which -I have not yet seen in the States. Most of the shops -were closed; in some the shutters were still down, and -the goods remained displayed in the windows. “I -have allowed no plundering,” said the General; “and -if I find a fellow trying to do it, I will hang him as -sure as my name is Butler. See here,” and as he -spoke he walked into a large woollen-draper’s shop, -where bales of cloth were still lying on the shelves, -and many articles such as are found in a large general -store in a country town were disposed on the floor or -counters; “they shall not accuse the men under my -command of being robbers.” The boast, however, was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174"></a>[174]</span> -not so well justified in a visit to another house occupied -by some soldiers. “Well,” said the General, with a -smile, “I daresay you know enough of camps to have -found out that chairs and tables are irresistible; the -men will take them off to their tents, though they may -have to leave them next morning.”</p> - -<p>The principal object of our visit was the fortified -trench which has been raised outside the town towards -the Confederate lines. The path lay through a churchyard -filled with most interesting monuments. The -sacred edifice of red brick, with a square clock tower -rent by lightning, is rendered interesting by the fact -that it is almost the first church built by the English -colonists of Virginia. On the tombstones are recorded -the names of many subjects of his Majesty -George III., and familiar names of persons born in -the early part of last century in English villages, who -passed to their rest before the great rebellion of the -Colonies had disturbed their notions of loyalty and -respect to the Crown. Many a British subject, too, lies -there, whose latter days must have been troubled by the -strange scenes of the war of independence. With what -doubt and distrust must that one at whose tomb I -stand have heard that George Washington was making -head against the troops of His Majesty King George -III.! How the hearts of the old men who had passed -the best years of their existence, as these stones tell us, -fighting for His Majesty against the French, must have -beaten when once more they heard the roar of the Frenchman’s -ordnance uniting with the voices of the rebellious -guns of the colonists from the plains of Yorktown against -the entrenchments in which Cornwallis and his deserted -band stood at hopeless bay! But could these old eyes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175"></a>[175]</span> -open again, and see General Butler standing on the -eastern rampart which bounds their resting-place, and -pointing to the spot whence the rebel cavalry of Virginia -issue night and day to charge the loyal pickets of His -Majesty The Union, they might take some comfort in -the fulfilment of the vaticinations which no doubt they -uttered, “It cannot, and it will not, come to good.”</p> - -<p>Having inspected the works—as far as I could judge, -too extended, and badly traced—which I say with -all deference to the able young engineer who accompanied -us to point out the various objects of interest—the -General returned to the bridge, where we -remounted, and made a tour of the camps of the force -intended to defend Hampton, falling back on Fortress -Monroe in case of necessity. Whilst he was riding -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ventre à terre</i>, which seems to be his favourite pace, his -horse stumbled in the dusty road, and in his effort to -keep his seat the General broke his stirrup leather, and -the ponderous brass stirrup fell to the ground; but, -albeit a lawyer, he neither lost his seat nor his <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sang -froid</i>, and calling out to his orderly “to pick up his toe -plate,” the jean slippers were closely pressed, spurs and -all, to the sides of his steed, and away we went once -more through dust and heat so great I was by no means -sorry when he pulled up outside a pretty villa, standing -in a garden, which was occupied by Colonel Max -Webber, of the German Turner Regiment, once the -property of General Tyler. The camp of the Turners, -who are members of various gymnastic societies, was -situated close at hand; but I had no opportunity of -seeing them at work, as the Colonel insisted on our -partaking of the hospitalities of his little mess, and produced -some bottles of sparkling hock and a block of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176"></a>[176]</span> -ice, by no means unwelcome after our fatiguing ride. -His Major, whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, -and who spoke English better than his chief, had -served in some capacity or other in the Crimea, and -made many inquiries after the officers of the Guards -whom he had known there. I took an opportunity of -asking him in what state the troops were. “The -whole thing is a robbery,” he exclaimed; “this war is -for the contractors; the men do not get a third of what -the Government pay for them; as for discipline, my -God! it exists not. We Germans are well enough, -of course; we know our affair; but as for the -Americans, what would you? They make colonels out -of doctors and lawyers, and captains out of fellows who -are not fit to brush a soldier’s shoe.” “But the men -get their pay?” “Yes; that is so. At the end of -two months, they get it, and by that time it is -due to sutlers, who charge them 100 per cent.”</p> - -<p>It is easy to believe these old soldiers do not put -much confidence in General Butler, though they admit -his energy. “Look you; one good officer with 5000 -steady troops, such as we have in Europe, shall come -down any night and walk over us all into Fortress -Monroe whenever he pleased, if he knew how these -troops were placed.”</p> - -<p>On leaving the German Turners, the General visited -the camp of Duryea’s New York Zouaves, who were -turned out at evening parade, or more properly -speaking, drill. But for the ridiculous effect of their -costume the regiment would have looked well enough; -but riding down on the rear of the ranks the discoloured -napkins tied round their heads, without any -fez cap beneath, so that the hair sometimes stuck up<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177"></a>[177]</span> -through the folds, the ill-made jackets, the loose bags -of red calico hanging from their loins, the long gaiters -of white cotton—instead of the real Zouave yellow and -black greave, and smart <ins class="corr" id="tn-177" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'white gaiter--mdae'"> -white gaiter—made</ins> them -appear such military scarecrows, I could scarcely -refrain from laughing outright. Nevertheless the men -were respectably drilled, marched steadily in columns -of company, wheeled into line, and went past at quarter -distance at the double much better than could be -expected from the short time they had been in the -field, and I could with all sincerity say to Col. Duryea, -a smart and not unpretentious gentleman, who asked -my opinion so pointedly that I could not refuse to give -it, that I considered the appearance of the regiment -very creditable. The shades of evening were now -falling, and as I had been up before 5 o’clock in the -morning, I was not sorry when General Butler said, -“Now we will go home to tea, or you will detain the -steamer.” He had arranged before I started that the -vessel, which in ordinary course would have returned to -Baltimore at 8 o’clock, should remain till he sent down -word to the captain to go.</p> - -<p>We scampered back to the fort, and judging from -the challenges and vigilance of the sentries, and inlying -pickets, I am not quite so satisfied as the Major -that the enemy could have surprised the place. At -the tea-table there were no additions to the General’s -family; he therefore spoke without any reserve. Going -over the map, he explained his views in reference to -future operations, and showed cause, with more military -acumen than I could have expected from a gentleman -of the long robe, why he believed Fortress Monroe -was the true base of operations against Richmond.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178"></a>[178]</span></p> - -<p>I have been convinced for some time, that if a sufficient -force could be left to cover Washington, the -Federals should move against Richmond from the -Peninsula, where they could form their depôts at -leisure, and advance, protected by their gunboats, on a -very short line which offers far greater facilities and -advantages than the inland route from Alexandria to -Richmond, which, difficult in itself from the nature of -the country, is exposed to the action of a hostile population, -and, above all, to the danger of constant attacks -by the enemies’ cavalry, tending more or less to -destroy all communication with the base of the Federal -operations.</p> - -<p>The threat of seizing Washington led to a concentration -of the Union troops in front of it, which -caused in turn the collection of the Confederates on -the lines below to defend Richmond. It is plain that -if the Federals can cover Washington, and at the same -time assemble a force at Monroe strong enough to -march on Richmond, as they desire, the Confederates -will be placed in an exceedingly hazardous position, -scarcely possible to escape from; and there is no reason -why the North, with their overwhelming preponderance, -should not do so, unless they be carried away by -the fatal spirit of brag and bluster which comes from -their press to overrate their own strength and to -despise their enemy’s. The occupation of Suffolk will -be seen, by any one who studies the map, to afford -a most powerful leverage to the Federal forces from -Monroe in their attempts to turn the enemy out of -their camps of communication, and to enable them to -menace Richmond as well as the Southern States most -seriously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179"></a>[179]</span></p> - -<p>But whilst the General and I are engaged over -our maps and mint juleps, time flies, and at last I perceive -by the clock that it is time to go. An aide -is sent to stop the boat, but he returns ere I leave -with the news that “She is gone.” Whereupon the -General sends for the Quartermaster Talmadge, who is -out in the camps, and only arrives in time to receive a -severe “wigging.” It so happened that I had important -papers to send off by the next mail from New York, -and the only chance of being able to do so depended -on my being in Baltimore next day. General Butler -acted with kindness and promptitude in the matter. -“I promised you should go by the steamer, but the -captain has gone off without orders or leave, for which -he shall answer when I see him. Meantime it is my -business to keep my promise. Captain Talmadge, you -will at once go down and give orders to the most suitable -transport steamer or chartered vessel available, to -get up steam at once and come up to the wharf for -Mr. Russell.”</p> - -<p>Whilst I was sitting in the parlour which served -as the General’s office, there came in a pale, bright-eyed, -slim young man in a subaltern’s uniform, who -sought a private audience, and unfolded a plan he had -formed, on certain data gained by nocturnal expeditions, -to surprise a body of the enemy’s cavalry -which was in the habit of coming down every -night and disturbing the pickets at Hampton. His -manner was so eager, his information so precise, that -the General could not refuse his sanction, but he gave -it in a characteristic manner. “Well, sir, I understand -your proposition. You intend to go out as a -volunteer to effect this service. You ask my permission<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180"></a>[180]</span> -to get men for it. I cannot grant you an order to any -of the officers in command of regiments to provide you -with these; but if the Colonel of your regiment wishes -to give leave to his men to volunteer, and they like to -go with you, I give you leave to take them. I wash -my hands of all responsibility in the affair.” The -officer bowed and retired, saying, “That is quite -enough, General.”<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<p>At 10 o’clock the Quartermaster came back to say -that a screw steamer called the Elizabeth was getting -up steam for my reception, and I bade good-by to the -General, and walked down with his aide and nephew, -Lieutenant Butler, to the Hygeia Hotel to get my -light knapsack. It was a lovely moonlight night, and -as I was passing down an avenue of trees an officer -stopped me, and exclaimed, “General Butler, I hear -you have given leave to Lieutenant Blank to take a -party of my regiment and go off scouting to-night -after the enemy. It is too hard that—” What more -he was going to say I know not, for I corrected the -mistake, and the officer walked hastily on towards the -General’s quarters. On reaching the Hygeia Hotel I -was met by the correspondent of a New York paper, -who as commissary-general, or, as they are styled in -the States, officer of subsistence, had been charged -to get the boat ready, and who explained to me it -would be at least an hour before the steam was up; -and whilst I was waiting in the porch I heard many -Virginian, and old world stories as well, the general<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181"></a>[181]</span> -upshot of which was that all the rest of the world could -be “done” at cards, in love, in drink, in horseflesh, and -in fighting, by the true-born American. Gen. Butler -came down after a time, and joined our little society, -nor was he by any means the least shrewd and humorous -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">raconteur</i> of the party. At 11 o’clock the Elizabeth -uttered some piercing cries, which indicated she had -her steam up; and so I walked down to the jetty, -accompanied by my host and his friends, and wishing -them good bye, stepped on board the little vessel, and -with the aid of the negro cook, steward, butler, boots, -and servant, roused out the captain from a small -wooden trench which he claimed as his berth, turned -into it, and fell asleep just as the first difficult convulsions -of the screw aroused the steamer from her coma, -and forced her languidly against the tide in the direction -of Baltimore.</p> - -<p><em>July 15th.</em>—I need not speak much of the events of -last night, which were not unimportant, perhaps, to -some of the insects which played a leading part in -them. The heat was literally overpowering; for in -addition to the hot night there was the full power of -most irritable boilers close at hand to aggravate the -natural <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">désagrémens</i> of the situation. About an hour -after dawn, when I turned out on deck, there was -nothing visible but a warm grey mist; but a knotty -old pilot on deck told me we were only going six knots -an hour against tide and wind, and that we were -likely to make less way as the day wore on. In fact, -instead of being near Baltimore, we were much nearer -Fortress Monroe. Need I repeat the horrors of this -day? Stewed, boiled, baked, and grilled on board this -miserable Elizabeth, I wished M. Montalembert could<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182"></a>[182]</span> -have experienced with me what such an impassive -nature could inflict in misery on those around it. The -captain was a shy, silent man, much given to short -naps in my temporary berth, and the mate was so wild, -he might have swam off with perfect propriety to -the woods on either side of us, and taken to a tree as -an aborigen or chimpanzee. Two men of most -retiring habits, the negro, a black boy, and a very fat -negress who officiated as cook, filled up the “balance” -of the crew.</p> - -<p>I could not write, for the vibration of the deck of -the little craft gave a St. Vitus dance to pen and -pencil; reading was out of the question from the heat -and flies; and below stairs the fat cook banished repose -by vapours from her dreadful caldrons, where, Medea-like, -she was boiling some death broth. Our breakfast -was of the simplest and—may I add?—the least enticing; -and if the dinner could have been worse it was so; -though it was rendered attractive by hunger, and by -the kindness of the sailors who shared it with me. The -old pilot had a most wholesome hatred of the Britishers, -and not having the least idea till late in the day that I -belonged to the old country, favoured me with some -very remarkable views respecting their general mischievousness -and inutility. As soon as he found out -my secret he became more reserved, and explained to -me that he had some reason for not liking us, because -all he had in the world, as pretty a schooner as ever -floated and a fine cargo, had been taken and burnt by -the English when they sailed up the Potomac to -Washington. He served against us at Bladensburg. I -did not ask him how fast he ran; but he had a good -rejoinder ready if I had done so, inasmuch as he was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183"></a>[183]</span> -up West under Commodore Perry on the lakes when -we suffered our most serious reverses. Six knots an -hour! hour after hour! And nothing to do but to -listen to the pilot.</p> - -<p>On both sides a line of forest just visible above the -low shores. Small coasting craft, schooners, pungys, -boats laden with wood creeping along in the shallow -water, or plying down empty before wind and tide.</p> - -<p>“I doubt if we’ll be able to catch up them forts afore -night,” said the skipper. The pilot grunted, “I rather -think yu’ll not.” “H—— and thunder! Then we’ll -have to lie off till daylight?” “They may let you pass, -Captain Squires, as you’ve this Europe-an on board, -but anyhow we can’t fetch Baltimore till late at night -or early in the morning.”</p> - -<p>I heard the dialogue, and decided very quickly that -as Annapolis lay somewhere ahead on our left, and was -much nearer than Baltimore, it would be best to run -for it while there was daylight. The captain demurred. -He had been ordered to take his vessel to Baltimore, -and General Butler might come down on him for not -doing so; but I proposed to sign a letter stating he had -gone to Annapolis at my request, and the steamer was -put a point or two to westward, much to the pleasure -of the Palinurus, whose “old woman” lived in the -town. I had an affection for this weather-beaten, -watery-eyed, honest old fellow, who hated us as cordially -as Jack detested his Frenchman in the old days before -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ententes cordiales</i> were known to the world. He was -thoroughly English in his belief that he belonged to -the only sailor race in the world, and that they could -beat all mankind in seamanship; and he spoke in the -most unaffected way of the Britishers as a survivor of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184"></a>[184]</span> -the old war might do of Johnny Crapaud—“They were -brave enough no doubt, but, Lord bless you, see them -in a gale of wind! or look at them sending down -top-gallant masts, or anything sailor-like in a breeze. -<em>You’d</em> soon see the differ. And, besides, they <em>never can</em> -stand again us at close quarters.” By-and-by the -houses of a considerable town, crowned by steeples, -and a large Corinthian-looking building, came in view. -“That’s the State House. That’s where George -Washington—first in peace, first in war, and first in the -hearts of his countrymen—laid down his victorious -sword without any one asking him, and retired amid -the applause of the civilized world.” This flight I am -sure was the old man’s treasured relic of school-boy -days, and I’m not sure he did not give it to me three -times over. Annapolis looks very well from the river -side. The approach is guarded by some very poor -earthworks and one small fort. A dismantled sloop of -war lay off a sea wall, banking up a green lawn covered -with trees, in front of an old-fashioned pile of buildings, -which formerly, I think, and very recently indeed, was -occupied by the cadets of the United States Naval -School. “There was a lot of them Seceders. Lord -bless you! these young ones is all took by these -States Rights’ doctrines—just as the ladies is caught -by a new fashion.”</p> - -<p>About seven o’clock the steamer hove alongside a -wooden pier which was quite deserted. Only some ten -or twelve sailing boats, yachts, and schooners lay at -anchor in the placid waters of the port which was once -the capital of Maryland, and for which the early -Republicans prophesied a great future. But Baltimore -has eclipsed Annapolis into utter obscurity. I walked<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185"></a>[185]</span> -to the only hotel in the place, and found that the train -for the junction with Washington had started, and -that the next train left at some impossible hour in the -morning. It is an odd Rip Van Winkle sort of -a place. Quaint-looking boarders came down to the -tea-table and talked Secession, and when I was -detected, as must ever soon be the case, owing to the -hotel book, I was treated to some ill-favoured glances, -as my recent letters have been denounced in the -strongest way for their supposed hostility to States -Rights and the Domestic Institution. The spirit of the -people has, however, been broken by the Federal -occupation, and by the decision with which Butler -acted when he came down here with the troops to open -communications with Washington after the Baltimoreans -had attacked the soldiery on their way through -the city from the north.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186"></a>[186]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII. <span class="hidden">The “State House” at Annapolis</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The “State House” at Annapolis—Washington—General Scott’s -quarters—Want of a staff—Rival camps—Demand for horses—Popular -excitement—Lord Lyons—General M‘Dowell’s movements—Retreat -from Fairfax Court House—General Scott’s -quarters—General Mansfield—Battle of Bull’s Run.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 19th.</em>—I baffled many curious and civil citizens -by breakfasting in my room, where I remained writing -till late in the day. In the afternoon I walked to the -State House. The hall door was open, but the rooms -were closed; and I remained in the hall, which is -graced by two indifferent huge statues of Law and -Justice holding gas lamps, and by an old rusty cannon, -dug out of the river, and supposed to have belonged to -the original British colonists, whilst an officer whom I -met in the portico went to look for the porter and the -keys. Whether he succeeded I cannot say, for after -waiting some half hour I was warned by my watch -that it was time to get ready for the train, which -<ins class="corr" id="tn-186" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'started at 4·15'"> -started at 4.15</ins> p.m. The country through which the -single line of rail passes is very hilly, much wooded, -little cultivated, cut up by water-courses and ravines. -At the junction with the Washington line from -Baltimore there is a strong guard thrown out from the -camp near at hand. The officers, who had a mess -in a little wayside inn on the line, invited me to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187"></a>[187]</span> -rest till the train came up, and from them I heard that -an advance had been actually ordered, and that if the -“rebels” stood there would soon be a tall fight close to -Washington. They were very cheery, hospitable -fellows, and enjoyed their new mode of life amazingly. -The men of the regiment to which they belonged were -Germans, almost to a man. When the train came in -I found it was full of soldiers, and I learned that three -more heavy trains were to follow, in addition to four -which had already passed laden with troops.</p> - -<p>On arriving at the Washington platform, the first -person I saw was General M‘Dowell alone, looking -anxiously into the carriages. He asked where I came -from, and when he heard from Annapolis, inquired -eagerly if I had seen two batteries of artillery—Barry’s -and another—which he had ordered up, and -was waiting for, but which had “gone astray.” I -was surprised to find the General engaged on such duty, -and took leave to say so. “Well, it is quite true, -Mr. Russell; but I am obliged to look after them -myself, as I have so small a staff, and they are all -engaged out with my head-quarters. You are aware I -have advanced? No! Well, you have just come in -time, and I shall be happy, indeed, to take you with -me. I have made arrangements for the correspondents -of our papers to take the field under certain regulations, -and I have suggested to them they should wear a -white uniform, to indicate the purity of their -character.” The General could hear nothing of his -guns; his carriage was waiting, and I accepted his offer -of a seat to my lodgings. Although he spoke confidently, -he did not seem in good spirits. There was -the greatest difficulty in finding out anything about the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188"></a>[188]</span> -enemy. Beauregard was said to have advanced to -Fairfax Court House, but he could not get any certain -knowledge of the fact. “Can you not order a -reconnaissance?” “Wait till you see the country. -But even if it were as flat as Flanders, I have not an -officer on whom I could depend for the work. They -would fall into some trap, or bring on a general engagement -when I did not seek it or desire it. I have no -cavalry such as you work with in Europe.” I think -he was not so much disposed to undervalue the Confederates -as before, for he said they had selected a very -strong position, and had made a regular <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">levée en masse</i> -of the people of Virginia, as a proof of the energy and -determination with which they were entering on the -campaign.</p> - -<p>As we parted the General gave me his photograph, -and told me he expected to see me in a few days at his -quarters, but that I would have plenty of time to get -horses and servants, and such light equipage as I -wanted, as there would be no engagement for several -days. On arriving at my lodgings I sent to the livery -stables to inquire after horses. None fit for the saddle -to be had at any price. The sutlers, the cavalry, the -mounted officers, had been purchasing up all the droves -of horses which came to the markets. M‘Dowell had -barely extra mounts for his own use. And yet horses -must be had; and, even provided with them, I must -take the field without tent or servant, canteen or -food—a waif to fortune.</p> - -<p><em>July 17th.</em>—I went up to General Scott’s quarters, -and saw some of his staff—young men, some of whom -knew nothing of soldiers, not even the enforcing of -drill—and found them reflecting, doubtless, the shades<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189"></a>[189]</span> -which cross the mind of the old chief, who was now -seeking repose. M‘Dowell is to advance to-morrow -from Fairfax Court House, and will march some eight -or ten miles to Centreville, directly in front of which, -at a place called Manassas, stands the army of the -Southern enemy. I look around me for a staff, -and look in vain. There are a few plodding old -pedants, with map and rules and compasses, who sit -in small rooms and write memoranda; and there are -some ignorant and not very active young men, who -loiter about the head-quarters’ halls, and strut up the -street with brass spurs on their heels and kepis raked -over their eyes as though they were soldiers, but I see -no system, no order, no knowledge, no dash!</p> - -<p>The worst-served English general has always a young -fellow or two about him who can fly across country, draw -a rough sketch map, ride like a foxhunter, and find -something out about the enemy and their position, -understand and convey orders, and obey them. I look -about for the types of these in vain. M‘Dowell can find -out nothing about the enemy; he has not a trustworthy -map of the country; no knowledge of their position, -force, or numbers. All the people, he says, are against -the Government. Fairfax Court House was abandoned -as he approached, the enemy in their retreat being -followed by the inhabitants. “Where were the Confederate -entrenchments? Only in the imagination -of those New York newspapers; when they want to fill -up a column they write a full account of the enemy’s -fortifications. No one can contradict them at the -time, and it’s a good joke when it’s found out to be a -lie.” Colonel Cullum went over the maps with me at -General Scott’s, and spoke with some greater confidence<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190"></a>[190]</span> -of M‘Dowell’s prospects of success. There -is a considerable force of Confederates at a place called -Winchester, which is connected with Manassas by rail, -and this force could be thrown on the right of the -Federals as they advanced, but that another corps, -under Patterson, is in observation, with orders to -engage them if they attempt to move eastwards.</p> - -<p>The batteries for which General M‘Dowell was looking -last night have arrived, and were sent on this morning. -One is under Barry, of the United States regular -artillery, whom I met at Fort Pickens. The other is a -volunteer battery. The onward movement of the army -has been productive of a great improvement in the -streets of Washington, which are no longer crowded -<ins class="corr" id="tn-190" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'with turburlent and'"> -with turbulent and</ins> disorderly volunteers, or by -soldiers disgracing the name, who accost you in the -by-ways for money. There are comparatively few -to-day; small shoals, which have escaped the meshes of -the net, are endeavouring to make the most of their -time before they cross the river to face the enemy.</p> - -<p>Still horse-hunting, but in vain—Gregson, Wroe—<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">et -hoc genus omne</i>. Nothing to sell except at unheard-of -rates; tripeds, and the like, much the worse for wear, -and yet possessed of some occult virtues, in right of -which the owners demanded egregious sums. Everywhere -I am offered a gig or a vehicle of some kind -or another, as if the example of General Scott had -rendered such a mode of campaigning the correct -thing. I saw many officers driving over the Log -Bridge with large stores of provisions, either unable -to procure horses or satisfied that a waggon was the -chariot of Mars. It is not fair to ridicule either officers -or men of this army, and if they were not so inflated<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191"></a>[191]</span> -by a pestilent vanity, no one would dream of doing so; -but the excessive bragging and boasting in which the -volunteers and the press indulge really provoke criticism -and tax patience and forbearance overmuch. Even the -regular officers, who have some idea of military efficiency, -rather derived from education and foreign -travels than from actual experience, bristle up and -talk proudly of the patriotism of the army, and -challenge the world to show such another, although in -their hearts, and more, with their lips, they own they do -not depend on them. The white heat of patriotism has -cooled down to a dull black; and I am told that the -gallant volunteers, who are to conquer the world when -they “have got through with their present little job,” -are counting up the days to the end of their service, -and openly declare they will not stay a day longer. -This is pleasant, inasmuch as the end of the term of -many of M‘Dowell’s, and most of Patterson’s, three -months men, is near at hand. They have been faring -luxuriously at the expense of the Government—they -have had nothing to do—they have had enormous pay—they -knew nothing, and were worthless as to soldiering -when they were enrolled. Now, having gained all -these advantages, and being likely to be of use for the -first time, they very quietly declare they are going to -sit under their fig-trees, crowned with civic laurels and -myrtles, and all that sort of thing. But who dare say -they are not splendid fellows—full-blooded heroes, -patriots, and warriors—men before whose majestic -presence all Europe pales and faints away?</p> - -<p>In the evening I received a message to say that -the advance of the army would take place to-morrow -as soon as General M‘Dowell had satisfied himself by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192"></a>[192]</span> -a reconnaissance that he could carry out his plan of -turning the right of the enemy by passing Occaguna -Creek. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, along the various -shops, hotels, and drinking-bars, groups of people -were collected, listening to the most exaggerated accounts -of desperate fighting and of the utter demoralisation -of the rebels. I was rather amused by -hearing the florid accounts which were given in the hall -of Willard’s by various inebriated officers, who were -drawing upon their imagination for their facts, -knowing, as I did, that the entrenchments at Fairfax -had been abandoned without a shot on the advance of -the Federal troops. The New York papers came in -with glowing descriptions of the magnificent march of -the grand army of the Potomac, which was stated to consist -of upwards of 70,000 men; whereas I knew not half -that number were actually on the field. Multitudes of -people believe General Winfield Scott, who was now -fast asleep in his modest bed in Pennsylvania Avenue, is -about to take the field in person. The horse-dealers -are still utterly impracticable. A citizen who owned a -dark bay, spavined and ringboned, asked me one -thousand dollars for the right of possession. I ventured -to suggest that it was not worth the money. -“Well,” said he, “take it or leave it. If you want to -see this fight a thousand dollars is cheap. I guess -there were chaps paid more than that to see Jenny -Lind on her first night; and this battle is not going to -be repeated, I can tell you. The price of horses will -rise when the chaps out there have had themselves -pretty well used up with bowie-knives and six-shooters.”</p> - -<p><em>July 18th.</em>—After breakfast. Leaving head-quarters, -I went across to General Mansfield’s, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193"></a>[193]</span> -was going up-stairs, when the General<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> himself, a -white-headed, grey-bearded, and rather soldierly-looking -man, dashed out of his room in some excitement, -and exclaimed, “Mr. Russell, I fear there -is bad news from the front.” “Are they fighting, -General?” “Yes, sir. That fellow Tyler has been -engaged, and we are whipped.” Again I went off to -the horse-dealer; but this time the price of the steed -had been raised to £220; “for,” says he, “I don’t -want my animals to be ripped up by them cannon -and them musketry, and those who wish to be guilty -of such cruelty must pay for it.” At the War Office, -at the Department of State, at the Senate, and -at the White House, messengers and orderlies running -in and out, military aides, and civilians with -anxious faces, betokened the activity and perturbation -which reigned within. I met Senator Sumner radiant -with joy. “We have obtained a great success; the -rebels are falling back in all directions. General Scott -says we ought to be in Richmond by Saturday night.” -Soon afterwards a United States officer, who had -visited me in company with General Meigs, riding -rapidly past, called out, “You have heard we are -whipped; these confounded volunteers have run away.” -I drove to the Capitol, where people said one could -actually see the smoke of the cannon; but on arriving -there it was evident that the fire from some burning -houses, and from wood cut down for cooking purposes -had been mistaken for tokens of the fight.</p> - -<p>It was strange to stand outside the walls of the -Senate whilst legislators were debating inside respecting -the best means of punishing the rebels and traitors, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194"></a>[194]</span> -to think that amidst the dim horizon of woods which -bounded the west towards the plains of Manassas, the -army of the United States was then contending, at -least with doubtful fortune, against the forces of the -desperate and hopeless outlaws whose fate these United -States senators pretended to hold in the hollow of -their hands. Nor was it unworthy of note that many -of the tradespeople along Pennsylvania Avenue, and -the ladies whom one saw sauntering in the streets, -were exchanging significant nods and smiles, and rubbing -their hands with satisfaction. I entered one -shop, where the proprietor and his wife ran forward to -meet me. “Have you heard the news? Beauregard -has knocked them into a cocked hat.” “Believe me,” -said the good lady, “it is the finger of the Almighty is -in it. Didn’t he curse the niggers, and why should he -take their part now with these Yankee Abolitionists, -against true white men?” “But how do you know -this?” said I. “Why, it’s all true enough, depend -upon it, no matter how we know it. We’ve got our -underground railway as well as the Abolitionists.”</p> - -<p>On my way to dinner at the Legation I met the -President crossing Pennsylvania Avenue, striding like -a crane in a bulrush swamp among the great blocks -of marble, dressed in an oddly cut suit of grey, with a -felt hat on the back of his head, wiping his face with a -red pocket-handkerchief. He was evidently in a hurry, -on his way to the White House, where I believe a -telegraph has been established in communication with -M‘Dowell’s head-quarters. I may mention, by-the-bye, -in illustration of the extreme ignorance and arrogance -which characterise the low Yankee, that a man in the -uniform of a Colonel said to me to-day, as I was leaving<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195"></a>[195]</span> -the War Department, “They have just got a telegraph -from M‘Dowell. Would it not astonish you Britishers -to hear that, as our General moves on towards the -enemy, he trails a telegraph wire behind him just to let -them know in Washington which foot he is putting -first?” I was imprudent enough to say, “I assure you -the use of the telegraph is not such a novelty in Europe -or even in India. When Lord Clyde made his campaign -the telegraph was laid in his track as fast as he -advanced,” “Oh, well, come now,” quoth the Colonel, -“that’s pretty good, that is; I believe you’ll say next, -your General Clyde and our Benjamin Franklin discovered -lightning simultaneously.”</p> - -<p>The calm of a Legation contrasts wonderfully in -troubled times with the excitement and storm of the -world outside. M. Mercier perhaps is moved to a -vivacious interest in events. M. Stoeckl becomes -more animated as the time approaches when he sees -the fulfilment of his prophecies at hand. M. Tassara -cannot be indifferent to occurrences which bear so -directly on the future of Spain in Western seas; but all -these diplomatists can discuss the most engrossing and -portentous incidents of political and military life, with -a sense of calm and indifference which was felt by the -gentleman who resented being called out of his sleep to -get up out of a burning house because he was only a -lodger.</p> - -<p>There is no Minister of the European Powers in -Washington who watches with so much interest the -march of events as Lord Lyons, or who feels as much -sympathy perhaps in the Federal Government as the -constituted Executive of the country to which he is -accredited; but in virtue of his position he knows little<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196"></a>[196]</span> -or nothing officially of what passes around him, and -may be regarded as a medium for the communication of -despatches to Mr. Seward, and for the discharge of a great -deal of most causeless and unmeaning vituperation from -the conductors of the New York press against England.</p> - -<p>On my return to Captain Johnson’s lodgings I received -a note from the head-quarters of the Federals, -stating that the serious action between the two -armies would probably be postponed for some days. -M‘Dowell’s original idea was to avoid forcing the -enemy’s position directly in front, which was defended -by movable batteries commanding the fords over a -stream called “Bull’s Run.” He therefore proposed to -make a demonstration on some point near the centre -of their line, and at the same time throw the mass of -his force below their extreme right, so as to turn it and -get possession of the Manassas Railway in their rear: a -movement which would separate him, by-the-bye, from -his own communications, and enable any general worth -his salt to make a magnificent counter by marching on -Washington, only 27 miles away, which he could take -with the greatest ease, and leave the enemy in the rear -to march 120 miles to Richmond, if they dared, or to -make a hasty retreat upon the higher Potomac, and to -cross into the hostile country of Maryland.</p> - -<p>M‘Dowell, however, has found the country on his left -densely wooded and difficult. It is as new to him as it -was to Braddock, when he cut his weary way through -forest and swamp in this very district to reach, -hundreds of miles away, the scene of his fatal -repulse at Fort Du Quesne. And so, having moved -his whole army, M‘Dowell finds himself obliged to -form a new plan of attack, and, prudently fearful<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197"></a>[197]</span> -of pushing his under-done and over-praised levies -into a river in face of an enemy, is endeavouring to -ascertain with what chance of success he can attack -and turn their left.</p> - -<p>Whilst he was engaged in a reconnaissance to-day, -General Tyler did one of those things which must be -expected from ambitious officers, without any fear -of punishment, in countries where military discipline -is scarcely known. Ordered to reconnoitre the position -of the enemy on the left front, when the army moved -from Fairfax to Centreville this morning, General Tyler -thrust forward some 3000 or 4000 men of his division -down to the very banks of “Bull’s Run,” which was -said to be thickly wooded, and there brought up his men -under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, from which -they retired in confusion.</p> - -<p>The papers from New York to-night are more than -usually impudent and amusing. The retreat of the -Confederate outposts from Fairfax Court House is represented -as a most extraordinary success; at best it was -an affair of outposts; but one would really think that it -was a victory of no small magnitude. I learn that the -Federal troops behaved in a most ruffianly and lawless -manner at Fairfax Court House. It is but a bad -beginning of a campaign for the restoration of the -Union, to rob, burn, and destroy the property and -houses of the people in the State of Virginia. The -enemy are described as running in all directions, but it -is evident they did not intend to defend the advanced -works, which were merely constructed to prevent surprise -or cavalry inroads.</p> - -<p>I went to Willard’s, where the news of the battle, -as it was called, was eagerly discussed. One little<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198"></a>[198]</span> -man in front of the cigar-stand declared it was all an -affair of cavalry. “But how could that be among the -piney woods and with a river in front, major?” “Our -boys, sir, left their horses, crossed the water at a run, -and went right away through them with their swords -and six-shooters.” “I tell you what it is, Mr. Russell,” -said a man who followed me out of the crowd and placed -his hand on my shoulder, “they were whipped like curs, -and they ran like curs, and I know it.” “How?” -“Well, I’d rather be excused telling you.”</p> - -<p><em>July 19th.</em>—I rose early this morning in order to -prepare for contingencies and to see off Captain Johnson, -who was about to start with despatches for New -York, containing, no doubt, the intelligence that the -Federal troops had advanced against the enemy. -Yesterday was so hot that officers and men on the field -suffered from something like sun-stroke. To unaccustomed -frames to-day the heat felt unsupportable. A -troop of regular cavalry, riding through the street at an -early hour, were so exhausted, horse and man, that a -runaway cab could have bowled them over like nine pins.</p> - -<p>I hastened to General Scott’s quarters, which -were besieged by civilians outside and full of orderlies -and officers within. Mr. Cobden would be delighted -with the republican simplicity of the Commander-in-Chief’s -establishment, though it did not strike me -as being very cheap at the money on such an occasion. -It consists, in fact, of a small three-storied brick -house, the parlours on the ground floor being occupied -by subordinates, the small front room on the first -floor being appropriated to General Scott himself, the -smaller back room being devoted to his staff, and two -rooms up-stairs most probably being in possession of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199"></a>[199]</span> -waste papers and the guardians of the mansion. The -walls are covered with maps of the coarsest description, -and with rough plans and drawings, which afford -information and amusement to the orderlies and the -<ins class="corr" id="tn-199" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'stray aid-de-camps'"> -stray aides-de-camp</ins>. “Did you ever hear anything so -disgraceful in your life as the stories which are going -about of the affair yesterday?” said Colonel Cullum. -“I assure you it was the smallest affair possible, -although the story goes that we have lost thousands of -men. Our total loss is under ninety—killed, wounded, -and missing; and I regret to say nearly one-third of the -whole are under the latter head.” “However that may -be, Colonel,” said I, “it will be difficult to believe your -statement after the columns of type which appear in the -papers here.” “Oh! Who minds what they say?” -“You will admit, at any rate, that the retreat of these -undisciplined troops from an encounter with the enemy -will have a bad effect.” “Well, I suppose that’s likely -enough, but it will soon be swept away in the excitement -of a general advance. General Scott, having determined -to attack the enemy, will not halt now, and I -am going over to Brigadier M‘Dowell to examine the -ground and see what is best to be done.” On leaving -the room two officers came out of General Scott’s apartment; -one of them said, “Why, Colonel, he’s not half -the man I thought him. Well, any way he’ll be better -there than M‘Dowell. If old Scott had legs he’s good -for a big thing yet.”</p> - -<p>For hours I went horse-hunting; but Rothschild -himself, even the hunting Baron, could not have got a -steed. In Pennsylvania Avenue the people were standing -in the shade under the ælanthus trees, speculating -on the news brought by dusty orderlies, or on the ideas<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200"></a>[200]</span> -of passing Congress men. A party of captured Confederates, -on their march to General Mansfield’s -quarters, created intense interest, and I followed them -to the house, and went up to see the General, whilst the -prisoners sat down on the pavement and steps outside. -Notwithstanding his affectation of calm and self-possession, -General Mansfield, who was charged with -the defence of the town, was visibly perturbed. “These -things, sir,” said he, “happen in Europe too. If the -capital should fall into the hands of the rebels the -United States will be no more destroyed than they -were when you burned it.” From an expression he let -fall, I inferred he did not very well know what to do -with his prisoners. “Rebels taken in arms in Europe -are generally hung or blown away from guns, I believe; -but we are more merciful.” General Mansfield evidently -wished to be spared the embarrassment of -dealing with prisoners.</p> - -<p>I dined at a restaurant kept by one Boulanger, a -Frenchman, who utilised the swarms of flies infesting -his premises by combining masses of them with his -soup and made dishes. At an adjoining table were a -lanky boy in a lieutenant’s uniform, a private soldier, -and a man in plain clothes; and for the edification of -the two latter the warrior youth was detailing the -most remarkable stories, in the Munchausen style, ear -ever heard. “Well, sir, I tell you, when his head fell -off on the ground, his eyes shut and opened twice, and -his tongue came out with an expression as if he wanted -to say something.” “There were seven balls through -my coat, and it was all so <ins class="corr" id="tn-200" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'spiled with blood'"> -spoiled with blood</ins> and -powder, I took it off and threw it in the road. When -the boys were burying the dead, I saw this coat on a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201"></a>[201]</span> -chap who had been just smothered by the weight of -the killed and wounded on the top of him, and I says, -‘Boys, give me that coat; it will just do for me with -the same rank; and there is no use in putting -good cloth on a dead body,’” “And how many do you -suppose was killed, Lieutenant?” “Well, sir! it’s my -honest belief, I tell you, there was not less than 5000 -of our boys, and it may be twice as many of the enemy, -or more; they were all shot down just like pigeons; -you might walk for five rods by the side of the Run, and -not be able to put your foot on the ground.” “The dead -was that thick?” “No, but the dead and the wounded -together.” No incredulity in the hearers—all swallowed: -possibly disgorged into the note-book of a Washington -contributor.</p> - -<p>After dinner I walked over with Lieutenant H. -Wise, inspected a model of Steven’s ram, which appears -to me an utter impossibility in face of the iron-clad embrasured -fleet now coming up to view, though it is spoken -of highly by some naval officers and by many politicians. -For years their papers have been indulging in mysterious -volcanic puffs from the great centre of nothingness -as to this secret and tremendous war-engine, -which was surrounded by walls of all kinds, and only -to be let out on the world when the Great Republic -in its might had resolved to sweep everything off the -seas. And lo! it is an abortive ram! Los Gringos -went home, and I paid a visit to a family whose -daughters—bright-eyed, pretty, and clever—were seated -out on the door-steps amid the lightning flashes, one of -them, at least, dreaming with open eyes of a young -artillery officer then sleeping among his guns, probably, -in front of Fairfax Court House.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_202"></a>[202]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII. <span class="hidden">Skirmish at Bull’s Run</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Skirmish at Bull’s Run—The Crisis in Congress—Dearth of Horses—War -Prices at Washington—Estimate of the effects of Bull’s Run—Password -and Countersign—Transatlantic View of “The Times”—Difficulties -of a Newspaper Correspondent in the Field.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 20th.</em>—The great battle which is to arrest rebellion, -or to make it a power in the land, is no longer -distant or doubtful. M‘Dowell has completed his -reconnaissance of the country in front of the enemy, -and General Scott anticipates that he will be in possession -of Manassas to-morrow night. All the statements -of officers concur in describing the Confederates -as strongly entrenched along the line of Bull’s Run -covering the railroad. The New York papers, indeed, -audaciously declare that the enemy have fallen back in -disorder. In the main thoroughfares of the city there -is still a scattered army of idle soldiers moving through -the civil crowd, though how they come here no one -knows. The officers clustering round the hotels, and -running in and out of the bar-rooms and eating-houses, -are still more numerous. When I inquired at the -head-quarters who these were, the answer was that the -majority were skulkers, but that there was no power at -such a moment to send them back to their regiments -or punish them. In fact, deducting the reserves, the -rear-guards, and the scanty garrisons at the earthworks,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_203"></a>[203]</span> -M‘Dowell will not have 25,000 men to undertake -his seven days’ march through a hostile country to -the Confederate capital; and yet, strange to say, in the -pride and passion of the politicians, no doubt is permitted -to rise for a moment respecting his complete -success.</p> - -<p>I was desirous of seeing what impression was produced -upon the Congress of the United States by the -crisis which was approaching, and drove down to the -Senate at noon. There was no appearance of popular -enthusiasm, excitement, or emotion among the people -in the passages. They drank their iced water, ate -cakes or lozenges, chewed and chatted, or dashed at -their acquaintances amongst the members, as though -nothing more important than a railway bill or a postal -concession was being debated inside. I entered the -Senate, and found the House engaged in not listening -to Mr. Latham, the Senator for California, who was -delivering an elaborate lecture on the aspect of political -affairs from a Republican point of view. The Senators -were, as usual, engaged in reading newspapers, writing -letters, or in whispered conversation, whilst the Senator -received his applause from the people in the galleries, -who were scarcely restrained from stamping their feet -at the most highly-flown passages. Whilst I was -listening to what is by courtesy called the debate, a -messenger from Centreville, sent in a letter to me, stating -that General M‘Dowell would advance early in the -morning, and expected to engage the enemy before noon. -At the same moment a Senator who had received a -despatch left his seat and read it to a brother legislator, -and the news it contained was speedily diffused -from one seat to another, and groups formed on the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_204"></a>[204]</span> -edge of the floor eagerly discussing the welcome intelligence.</p> - -<p>The President’s hammer again and again called them -to order; and from out of this knot, Senator Sumner, -his face lighted with pleasure, came to tell me the good -news. “M‘Dowell has carried Bull’s Run without -firing a shot. Seven regiments attacked it at the -point of the bayonet, and the enemy immediately fled. -General Scott only gives M‘Dowell till mid-day to-morrow -to be in possession of Manassas.” Soon afterwards, -Mr. Hay, the President’s secretary, appeared on -the floor to communicate a message to the Senate. I -asked him if the news was true. “All I can tell you,” -said he, “is that the President has heard nothing at -all about it, and that General Scott, from whom we -have just received a communication, is equally ignorant -of the reported success.”</p> - -<p>Some Senators and many Congress men have already -gone to join M‘Dowell’s army, or to follow in its wake, -in the hope of seeing the Lord deliver the Philistines -into his hands. As I was leaving the Chamber with -Mr. Sumner, a dust-stained, toil-worn man, caught the -Senator by the arm, and said, “Senator, I am one of -your constituents. I come from ——town, in Massachusetts, -and here are letters from people you -know, to certify who I am. My poor brother was -killed yesterday, and I want to go out and get his body -to send back to the old people; but they won’t let me -pass without an order.” And so Mr. Sumner wrote a -note to General Scott, and another to General Mansfield, -recommending that poor Gordon Frazer should -be permitted to go through the Federal lines on his -labour of love; and the honest Scotchman seemed as<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_205"></a>[205]</span> -grateful as if he had already found his brother’s -body.</p> - -<p>Every carriage, gig, waggon, and hack has been -engaged by people going out to see the fight. The -price is enhanced by mysterious communications -respecting the horrible slaughter in the skirmishes at -Bull’s Run. The French cooks and hotel-keepers, by -some occult process of reasoning, have arrived at the -conclusion that they must treble the prices of their -wines and of the hampers of provisions which the -Washington people are ordering to comfort themselves -at their bloody Derby. “There was not less than -18,000 men, sir, killed and destroyed. I don’t care -what General Scott says to the contrary, he was -not there. I saw a reliable gentleman, ten minutes -ago, as cum straight from the place, and he swore there -was a string of waggons three miles long with the -wounded. While these Yankees lie so, I should not -be surprised to hear they said they did not lose 1000 -men in that big fight the day before yesterday.”</p> - -<p>When the newspapers came in from New York I -read flaming accounts of the ill-conducted reconnaissance -against orders, which was terminated by a -most dastardly and ignominious retreat, “due,” say the -New York papers, “to the inefficiency and cowardice -of some of the officers.” Far different was the behaviour -of the modest chroniclers of these scenes, who, -as they tell us, “stood their ground as well as any -of them, in spite of the shot, shell, and rifle-balls that -whizzed past them for many hours.” General Tyler -alone, perhaps, did more, for “he was exposed to the -enemy’s fire for nearly four hours;” and when we consider -that this fire came from masked batteries, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_206"></a>[206]</span> -that the wind of round shot is unusually destructive (in -America), we can better appreciate the danger to -which he was so gallantly indifferent. It is obvious that -in this first encounter the Federal troops gained no -advantage; and as they were the assailants, their -repulse, which cannot be kept secret from the rest of -the army, will have a very damaging effect on their -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morale</i>.</p> - -<p>General Johnston, who has been for some days with -a considerable force in an entrenched position at -Winchester, in the valley of the Shenandoah, had -occupied General Scott’s attention, in consequence of -the facility which he possessed to move into Maryland -by Harper’s Ferry, or to fall on the Federals by the -Manassas Gap Railway, which was available by a long -march from the town he occupied. General Patterson, -with a Federal corps of equal strength, had accordingly -been despatched to attack him, or, at all events, to prevent -his leaving Winchester without an action; but the -news to-night is that Patterson, who was an officer of -some reputation, has allowed Johnston to evacuate -Winchester, and has not pursued him; so that it is -impossible to predict where the latter will appear.</p> - -<p>Having failed utterly in my attempts to get a horse, -I was obliged to negotiate with a livery-stable keeper, -who had a hooded gig, or tilbury, left on his hands, to -which he proposed to add a splinter-bar and pole, so as -to make it available for two horses, on condition that I -paid him the assessed value of the vehicle and horses, -in case they were destroyed by the enemy. Of what -particular value my executors might have regarded the -guarantee in question, the worthy man did not inquire, -nor did he stipulate for any value to be put upon the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_207"></a>[207]</span> -driver; but it struck me that, if these were in any way -seriously damaged, the occupants of the vehicle were -not likely to escape. The driver, indeed, seemed by -no means willing to undertake the job; and again and -again it was proposed to me that I should drive, but I -persistently refused.</p> - -<p>On completing my bargain with the stable-keeper, -in which it was arranged with Mr. Wroe that I was to -start on the following morning early, and return at -night before twelve o’clock, or pay a double day, I -went over to the Legation, and found Lord Lyons in -the garden. I went to request that he would permit -Mr. Warre, one of the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">attachés</i>, to accompany me, as -he had expressed a desire to that effect. His Lordship -hesitated at first, thinking perhaps that the American -papers would turn the circumstance to some base uses, -if they were made aware of it; but finally he consented, -on the distinct assurance that I was to be back the -following night, and would not, under any event, proceed -onwards with General M‘Dowell’s army till after -I had returned to Washington. On talking the matter -over the matter with Mr. Warre, I resolved that the -best plan would be to start that night if possible, and -proceed over the long bridge, so as to overtake the -army before it advanced in the early morning.</p> - -<p>It was a lovely moonlight night. As we walked -through the street to General Scott’s quarters, for the -purpose of procuring a pass, there was scarcely a soul -abroad; and the silence which reigned contrasted -strongly with the tumult prevailing in the day-time. -A light glimmered in the General’s parlour; his aides -were seated in the verandah outside smoking in silence, -and one of them handed us the passes which he had<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_208"></a>[208]</span> -promised to procure; but when I told them that we -intended to cross the long bridge that night, an unforeseen -obstacle arose. The guards had been specially -ordered to permit no person to cross between tattoo -and daybreak who was not provided with the countersign; -and without the express order of the General, -no subordinate officer can communicate that countersign -to a stranger. “Can you not ask the General?” -“He is lying down asleep, and I dare not venture to -disturb him.”</p> - -<p>As I had all along intended to start before daybreak, -this <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">contretemps</i> promised to be very embarrassing, and I -ventured to suggest that General Scott would authorise -the countersign to be given when he awoke. But the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">aide-de-camp</i> shook his head, and I began to suspect -from his manner and from that of his comrades that -my visit to the army was not regarded with much -favour—a view which was confirmed by one of them, -who, by the way, was a civilian, for in a few minutes -he said, “In fact, I would not advise Warre and you -to go out there at all; they are a lot of volunteers and -recruits, and we can’t say how they will behave. They -may probably have to retreat. If I were you I would -not be near them.” Of the five or six officers who sat -in the verandah, not one spoke confidently or with the -briskness which is usual when there is a chance of a -brush with an enemy.</p> - -<p>As it was impossible to force the point, we had to -retire, and I went once more to the horse dealer’s, -where I inspected the vehicle and the quadrupeds -destined to draw it. I had spied in a stall a likely-looking -Kentuckian nag, nearly black, light, but strong, -and full of fire, with an undertaker’s tail and something<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_209"></a>[209]</span> -of a mane to match, which the groom assured me I could -not even look at, as it was bespoke by an officer; but -after a little strategy I prevailed on the proprietor to -hire it to me for the day, as well as a boy, who was to -ride it after the gig till we came to Centreville. My -little experience in such scenes decided me to secure -a saddle horse. I knew it would be impossible to see -anything of the action from a gig; that the roads -would be blocked up by commissariat waggons, ammunition -reserves, and that in case of anything serious -taking place, I should be deprived of the chance of -participating after the manner of my vocation in the -engagement, and of witnessing its incidents. As it was -not incumbent on my companion to approach so closely -to the scene of action, he could proceed in the vehicle -to the most convenient point, and then walk as far as -he liked, and return when he pleased; but from the -injuries I had sustained in the Indian campaign, I -could not walk very far. It was finally settled that -the gig, with two horses and the saddle horse ridden -by a negro boy, should be at my door as soon after -daybreak as we could pass the Long Bridge.</p> - -<p>I returned to my lodgings, laid out an old pair of -Indian boots, cords, a Himalayan suit, an old felt hat, -a flask, revolver, and belt. It was very late when I -got in, and I relied on my German landlady to procure -some commissariat stores; but she declared the whole -extent of her means would only furnish some slices of -bread, with intercostal layers of stale ham and mouldy -Bologna sausage. I was forced to be content, and got -to bed after midnight, and slept, having first arranged -that in case of my being very late next night a trustworthy -Englishman should be sent for, who would<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_210"></a>[210]</span> -carry my letters from Washington to Boston in time -for the mail which leaves on Wednesday. My mind -had been so much occupied with the coming event -that I slept uneasily, and once or twice I started up, -fancying I was called. The moon shone in through -the mosquito curtains of my bed, and just ere daybreak -I was aroused by some noise in the adjoining room, -and looking out, in a half dreamy state, imagined I -saw General M‘Dowell standing at the table, on which -a candle was burning low, so distinctly that I woke -up with the words, “General, is that you?” Nor did -I convince myself it was a dream till I had walked into -the room.</p> - -<p><em>July 21st.</em>—The calmness and silence of the streets -of Washington this lovely morning suggested thoughts -of the very different scenes which, in all probability, -were taking place at a few miles’ distance. One could -fancy the hum and stir round the Federal bivouacs, as -the troops woke up and were formed into column of -march towards the enemy. I much regretted that I -was hot enabled to take the field with General -M‘Dowell’s army, but my position was surrounded -with such difficulties that I could not pursue the -course open to the correspondents of the American -newspapers. On my arrival in Washington I addressed -an application to Mr. Cameron, Secretary at War, -requesting him to sanction the issue of rations and -forage from the Commissariat to myself, a servant, -and a couple of horses, at the contract prices, or on -whatever other terms he might think fit, and I had -several interviews with Mr. Leslie, the obliging and -indefatigable chief clerk of the War Department, <ins class="corr" id="tn-210" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'in eference to'"> -in reference to</ins> the matter; but as there was a want of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_211"></a>[211]</span> -precedents for such a course, which was not at all to be -wondered at, seeing that no representative of an -English newspaper had ever been sent to chronicle the -progress of an American army in the field, no satisfactory -result could be arrived at, though I had many -fair words and promises.</p> - -<p>A great outcry had arisen in the North against the -course and policy of England, and the journal I represented -was assailed on all sides as a Secession organ, -favourable to the rebels and exceedingly hostile to the -Federal government and the cause of the Union. Public -men in America are alive to the inconveniences of -attacks by their own press; and as it was quite impossible -to grant to the swarms of correspondents from -all parts of the Union the permission to draw supplies -from the public stores, it would have afforded a handle -to turn the screw upon the War Department, already -roundly abused in the most influential papers, if -Mr. Cameron acceded to me, not merely a foreigner, -but the correspondent of a foreign journal which was -considered the most powerful enemy of the policy of his -government, privileges which he denied to American -citizens, representing newspapers which were enthusiastically -supporting the cause for which the armies of -the North were now in the field.</p> - -<p>To these gentlemen indeed, I must here remark, -such privileges were of little consequence. In every -camp they had friends who were willing to receive them -in their quarters, and who earned a word of praise in the -local papers for the gratification of either their vanity -or their laudable ambition in their own neighbourhood, -by the ready service which they afforded to the correspondents. -They rode Government horses, had the use<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_212"></a>[212]</span> -of Government waggons, and through fear, favour, or -affection, enjoyed facilities to which I had no access. -I could not expect persons with whom I was unacquainted -to be equally generous, least of all when by -doing so they would have incurred popular obloquy and -censure; though many officers in the army had expressed -in very civil terms the pleasure it would give -them to see me at their quarters in the field. Some -days ago I had an interview with Mr. Cameron himself, -who was profuse enough in promising that he would do -all in his power to further my wishes; but he had, -nevertheless, neglected sending me the authorisation -for which I had applied. I could scarcely stand a -baggage train and commissariat upon my own account, -nor could I well participate in the system of plunder -and appropriation which has marked the course of the -Federal army so far, devastating and laying waste all -the country behind it.</p> - -<p>Hence, all I could do was to make a journey -to see the army on the field, and to return to -Washington to write my report of its first operation, -knowing there would be plenty of time to overtake it -before it could reach Richmond, when, as I hoped, -Mr. Cameron would be prepared to accede to my -request, or some plan had been devised by myself to -obviate the difficulties which lay in my path. There -was no <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">entente cordiale</i> exhibited towards me by the -members of the American press; nor did they, any -more than the generals, evince any disposition to help -the alien correspondent of the <cite>Times</cite>, and my only -connection with one of their body, the young designer, -had not, indeed, inspired me with any great desire to -extend my acquaintance. General M‘Dowell, on giving<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_213"></a>[213]</span> -me the most hospitable invitation to his quarters, -refrained from offering the assistance which, perhaps, -it was not in his power to afford; and I confess, looking -at the matter calmly, I could scarcely expect that -he would, particularly as he said, half in jest, half -seriously, “I declare I am not quite easy at the idea of -having your eye on me, for you have seen so much of -European armies, you will, very naturally, think little of -us, generals and all.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_214"></a>[214]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV. <span class="hidden">To the scene of action</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>To the scene of action—The Confederate camp—Centreville—Action -at Bull Run—Defeat of the Federals—Disorderly retreat to -Centreville—My ride back to Washington.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Punctual to time, our carriage appeared at the door, -with a spare horse, followed by the black quadruped on -which the negro boy sat with difficulty, in consequence -of its high spirits and excessively hard mouth. I swallowed -a cup of tea and a morsel of bread, put the -remainder of the tea into a bottle, got a flask of light -Bordeaux, a bottle of water, a paper of sandwiches, -and having replenished my small flask with brandy, -stowed them all away in the bottom of the gig; but my -friend, who is not accustomed to rise very early in -the morning, did not make his appearance, and I was -obliged to send several times to the legation to quicken -his movements. Each time I was assured he would be -over presently; but it was not till two hours had elapsed, -and when I had just resolved to leave him behind, -that he appeared in person, quite unprovided with -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">viaticum</i>, so that my slender store had now to meet the -demands of two instead of one. We are off at last. -The amicus and self find contracted space behind the -driver. The negro boy, grinning half with pain and -“the balance” with pleasure, as the Americans say, -held on his rampant charger, which made continual<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_215"></a>[215]</span> -efforts to leap into the gig, and thus through the -deserted city we proceeded towards the Long Bridge, -where a sentry examined our papers, and said with a -grin, “You’ll find plenty of Congressmen on before -you.” And then our driver whipped his horses through -the embankment of Fort Runyon, and dashed off along -a country road, much cut up with gun and cart wheels, -towards the main turnpike.</p> - -<p>The promise of a lovely day, given by the early dawn, -was likely to be realised to the fullest, and the placid -beauty of the scenery as we drove through the woods -below Arlington, and beheld the white buildings -shining in the early sunlight, and the Potomac, like a -broad silver riband dividing the picture, breathed of -peace. The silence close to the city was unbroken. -From the time we passed the guard beyond the Long -Bridge, for several miles we did not meet a human -being, except a few soldiers in the neighbourhood of -the deserted camps, and when we passed beyond -the range of tents we drove for nearly two hours -through a densely-wooded, undulating country; the -houses, close to the road-side, shut up and deserted, -window-high in the crops of Indian corn, fast ripening -for the sickle; alternate field and forest, the latter -generally still holding possession of the hollows, and, -except when the road, deep and filled with loose stones, -passed over the summit of the ridges, the eye caught -on either side little but fir-trees and maize, and the -deserted wooden houses, standing amidst the slave -quarters.</p> - -<p>The residences close to the lines gave signs and -tokens that the Federals had recently visited them. -But at the best of times the inhabitants could not be<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_216"></a>[216]</span> -very well off. Some of the farms were small, the -houses tumbling to decay, with unpainted roofs and -side walls, and windows where the want of glass -was supplemented by panes of wood. As we got -further into the country the traces of the debateable -land between the two armies vanished, and negroes -looked out from their quarters, or sickly-looking women -and children were summoned forth by the rattle of the -wheels to see who was hurrying to the war. Now and -then a white man looked out, with an ugly scowl on his -face, but the country seemed drained of the adult male -population, and such of the inhabitants as we saw were -neither as comfortably dressed nor as healthy looking as -the shambling slaves who shuffled about the plantations. -The road was so cut up by gun-wheels, ammunition and -commissariat waggons, that our horses made but slow -way against the continual draft upon the collar; but at -last the driver, who had known the country in happier -times, announced that we had entered the high road -for Fairfax Court-house. Unfortunately my watch had -gone down, but I guessed it was then a little before nine -o’clock. In a few minutes afterwards I thought I -heard, through the eternal clatter and jingle of the old -gig, a sound which made me call the driver to stop. -He pulled up, and we listened. In a minute or so, the -well-known boom of a gun, followed by two or three -in rapid succession, but at a considerable distance, -reached my ear. “Did you hear that?” The driver -heard nothing, nor did my companion, but the black -boy on the led horse, with eyes starting out of his head, -cried, “I hear them, massa; I hear them, sure enough, -like de gun in de navy yard;” and as he spoke the -thudding noise, like taps with a gentle hand upon a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_217"></a>[217]</span> -muffled drum, were repeated, which were heard both -by Mr. Warre and the driver. “They are at it! We -shall be late! Drive on as fast as you can!” We rattled -on still faster, and presently came up to a farm-house, -where a man and woman, with some negroes beside them, -were standing out by the hedge-row above us, looking up -the road in the direction of a cloud of dust, which we -could see rising above the tops of the trees. We halted for -a moment. “How long have the guns been going, sir?” -“Well, ever since early this morning,” said he; “they’ve -been having a fight. And I do really believe some of -our poor Union chaps have had enough of it already. -For here’s some of them darned Secessionists marching -down to go into Alexandry.” The driver did not seem -altogether content with this explanation of the dust in -front of us, and presently, when a turn of the road -brought to view a body of armed men, stretching to an -interminable distance, with bayonets glittering in the -sunlight through the clouds of dust, seemed inclined to -halt or turn back again. A nearer approach satisfied -me they were friends, and as soon as we came up with -the head of the column I saw that they could not be -engaged in the performance of any military duty. The -men were marching without any resemblance of order, in -twos and threes or larger troops. Some without arms, -carrying great bundles on their backs; others with their -coats hung from their firelocks; many foot sore. They -were all talking, and in haste; many plodding along -laughing, so I concluded that they could not belong to -a defeated army, and imagined M‘Dowell was effecting -some flank movement. “Where are you going to, -may I ask?”</p> - -<p>“If this is the road to Alexandria, we are going there.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_218"></a>[218]</span></p> - -<p>“There is an action going on in front, is there not?”</p> - -<p>“Well, so we believe, but we have not been fighting.”</p> - -<p>Although they were in such good spirits, they were -not communicative, and we resumed our journey, impeded -by the straggling troops and by the country cars -containing their baggage and chairs, and tables and -domestic furniture, which had never belonged to a regiment -in the field. Still they came pouring on. I ordered -the driver to stop at a rivulet, where a number of men -were seated in the shade, drinking the water and -bathing their hands and feet. On getting out I asked -an officer, “May I beg to know, sir, where your regiment -is going to?” “Well, I reckon, sir, we are going -home to Pennsylvania.” “This is the 4th Pennsylvania -Regiment, is it not, sir?” “It is so, sir; that’s the -fact.” “I should think there is severe fighting going -on behind you, judging from the firing” (for every -moment the sound of the cannon had been growing -more distinct and more heavy). “Well, I reckon, -sir, there is.” I paused for a moment, not knowing -what to say, and yet anxious for an explanation; -and the epauletted gentleman, after a few seconds’ -awkward hesitation, added, “We are going home -because, as you see, the men’s time’s up, sir. We -have had three months of this sort of work, and -that’s quite enough of it.” The men who were -listening to the conversation expressed their assent to -the noble and patriotic utterances of the centurion, and, -making him a low bow, we resumed our journey.</p> - -<p>It was fully three and a half miles before the last of -the regiment passed, and then the road presented a -more animated scene, for white-covered commissariat -waggons were visible, wending towards the front, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_219"></a>[219]</span> -one or two hack carriages, laden with civilians, were -hastening in the same direction. Before the doors of -the wooden farm-houses the coloured people were assembled, -listening with outstretched necks to the repeated -reports of the guns. At one time, as we were descending -the wooded road, a huge blue dome, agitated by some -internal convulsion, appeared to bar our progress, and -it was only after infinite persuasion of rein and whip -that the horses approached the terrific object, which -was an inflated balloon, attached to a waggon, and -defying the efforts of the men in charge to jockey it -safely through the trees.</p> - -<p>It must have been about eleven o’clock when we came -to the first traces of the Confederate camp, in front of -Fairfax Court-house, where they had cut a few trenches -and levelled the trees across the road, so as to form a -rude abattis; but the works were of a most superficial -character, and would scarcely have given cover either -to the guns, for which embrasures were left at the -flanks to sweep the road, or to the infantry intended to -defend them.</p> - -<p>The Confederate force stationed here must have -consisted, to a considerable extent, of cavalry. The -bowers of branches, which they had made to shelter their -tents, camp tables, empty boxes, and packing-cases, in -the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</i> one usually sees around an encampment, -showed they had not been destitute of creature -comforts.</p> - -<p>Some time before noon the driver, urged continually -by adjurations to get on, whipped his horses into Fairfax -Court-house, a village which derives its name from a -large brick building, in which the sessions of the county -are held. Some thirty or forty houses, for the most part<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_220"></a>[220]</span> -detached, with gardens or small strips of land about them, -form the main street. The inhabitants who remained had -by no means an agreeable expression of countenance, and -did not seem on very good terms with the Federal soldiers, -who were lounging up and down the streets, or standing -in the shade of the trees and doorways. I asked the -sergeant of a picket in the street how long the firing had -been going on. He replied that it had commenced at half-past -seven or eight, and had been increasing ever since. -“Some of them will lose their eyes and back teeth,” he -added, “before it is over.” The driver, pulling up at a -roadside inn in the town, here made the startling -announcement, that both he and his horses must have -something to eat, and although we would have been -happy to join him, seeing that we had no breakfast, -we could not afford the time, and were not displeased -when a thin-faced, shrewish woman, in black, came -out into the verandah, and said she could not let -us have anything unless we liked to wait till the regular -dinner hour of the house, which was at one o’clock. -The horses got a bucket of water, which they needed in -that broiling sun; and the cannonade, which by this -time had increased into a respectable tumult that gave -evidence of a well-sustained action, added vigour to the -driver’s arm, and in a mile or two more we dashed in -to a village of burnt houses, the charred brick chimney -stacks standing amidst the blackened embers being all -that remained of what once was German Town. The -firing of this village was severely censured by General -M‘Dowell, who probably does not appreciate the value -of such agencies employed “by our glorious Union -army <ins class="corr" id="tn-220" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'to develope loyal'"> -to develop loyal</ins> sentiments among the people of -Virginia.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_221"></a>[221]</span></p> - -<p>The driver, passing through the town, drove straight -on, but after some time I fancied the sound of the -guns seemed dying away towards our left. A big negro -came shambling along the roadside—the driver stopped -and asked him, “is this the road to Centreville?” “Yes, -sir; right on, sir; good road to Centreville, massa,” and -so we proceeded, till I became satisfied from the appearance -of the road that we had altogether left the track of -the army. At the first cottage we halted, and inquired -of a Virginian, who came out to look at us, whether the -road led to Centreville. “You’re going to Centreville, -are you?” “Yes, by the shortest road we can.” -“Well, then—you’re going wrong—right away! Some -people say there’s a bend of road leading through the -wood a mile further on, but those who have tried it -lately have come back to German Town and don’t think -it leads to Centreville at all.” This was very provoking, -as the horses were much fatigued and we had driven -several miles out of our way. The driver, who was an -Englishman, said, “I think it would be best for us to -go on and try the road anyhow. There’s not likely -to be any Seceshers about there, are there, sir?”</p> - -<p>“What did you say, sir,” inquired the Virginian, with -a vacant stare upon his face.</p> - -<p>“I merely asked whether you think we are likely to -meet with any Secessionists if we go along that road?”</p> - -<p>“Secessionists!” repeated the Virginian, slowly pronouncing -each syllable as if pondering on the meaning -of the word—“Secessionists! Oh no, <em>sir</em>; I don’t -believe there’s such a thing as a Secessionist in the -whole of this country.”</p> - -<p>The boldness of this assertion, in the very hearing -of Beauregard’s cannon, completely shook the faith<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_222"></a>[222]</span> -of our Jehu in any information from that source, -and we retraced our steps to German Town, and -were directed into the proper road by some negroes, -who were engaged exchanging Confederate money at -very low rates for Federal copper with a few straggling -soldiers. The faithful Muley Moloch, who had been -capering in our rear so long, now complained that he -was very much burned, but on further inquiry it was -ascertained he was merely suffering from the abrading -of his skin against an English saddle.</p> - -<p>In an hour more we had gained the high road to -Centreville, on which were many buggies, <ins class="corr" id="tn-222" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'commssiariat carts'"> -commissariat carts</ins>, and waggons full of civilians, and a brisk canter -brought us in sight of a rising ground, over which the -road led directly through a few houses on each side, -and dipped out of sight, the slopes of the hill being -covered with men, carts, and horses, and the summit -crested with spectators, with their backs turned towards -us, and gazing on the valley beyond. “There’s Centreville,” -says the driver, and on our poor panting horses -were forced, passing directly through the Confederate -bivouacs, commissariat parks, folds of oxen, and two -German regiments, with a battery of artillery, halting -on the rising-ground by the road-side. The heat was -intense. Our driver complained of hunger and thirst, -to which neither I nor my companion were insensible; -and so pulling up on the top of the hill, I sent the boy -down to the village which we had passed, to see if he -could find shelter for the horses, and a morsel for our -breakfastless selves.</p> - -<p>It was a strange scene before us. From the hill a -densely wooded country, dotted at intervals with green -fields and cleared lands, spread five or six miles in front,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_223"></a>[223]</span> -bounded by a line of blue and purple ridges, terminating -abruptly in escarpments towards the left front, -and swelling gradually towards the right into the lower -spines of an offshoot from the Blue-Ridge Mountains. -On our left the view was circumscribed by a forest -which clothed the side of the ridge on which we stood, -and covered its shoulder far down into the plain. A -gap in the nearest chain of the hills in our front was -pointed out by the bystanders as the Pass of Manassas, -by which the railway from the West is carried into the -plain, and still nearer at hand, before us, is the junction -of that rail with the line from Alexandria, and -with the railway leading southwards to Richmond. -The intervening space was not a dead level; undulating -lines of forest marked the course of the streams which -intersected it, and gave, by their variety of colour and -shading, an additional charm to the landscape which, -enclosed in a framework of blue and purple hills, softened -into violet in the extreme distance, presented one of -the most agreeable displays of simple pastoral woodland -scenery that could be conceived.</p> - -<p>But the sounds which came upon the breeze, and the -sights which met our eyes, were in terrible variance -with the tranquil character of the landscape. The -woods far and near echoed to the roar of cannon, and -thin frayed lines of blue smoke marked the spots -whence came the muttering sound of rolling musketry; -the white puffs of smoke burst high above the tree-tops, -and the gunners’ rings from shell and howitzer -marked the fire of the artillery.</p> - -<p>Clouds of dust shifted and moved through the forest; -and through the wavering mists of light blue smoke, and -the thicker masses which rose commingling from the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_224"></a>[224]</span> -feet of men and the mouths of cannon, I could see -the gleam of arms and the twinkling of bayonets.</p> - -<p>On the hill beside me there was a crowd of civilians -on horseback, and in all sorts of vehicles, with a few of -the fairer, if not gentler sex. A few officers and some -soldiers, who had straggled from the regiments in reserve, -moved about among the spectators, and pretended -to explain the movements of the troops below, of which -they were profoundly ignorant.</p> - -<p>The cannonade and musketry had been exaggerated -by the distance and by the rolling echoes of the hills; -and sweeping the position narrowly with my glass from -point to point, I failed to discover any traces of close -encounter or very severe fighting. The spectators were -all excited, and a lady with an opera-glass who was -near me was quite beside herself when an unusually -heavy discharge roused the current of her blood—“That -is splendid. Oh, my! Is not that first-rate? I -guess we will be in Richmond this time to-morrow.” -These, mingled with coarser exclamations, burst from -the politicians who had come out to see the triumph -of the Union arms. I was particularly irritated by -constant applications for the loan of my glass. One -broken-down looking soldier observing my flask, asked -me for a drink, and took a startling pull, which left but -little between the bottom and utter vacuity.</p> - -<p>“Stranger, that’s good stuff and no mistake. I have -not had such a drink since I come South. I feel now -as if I’d like to whip ten Seceshers.”</p> - -<p>From the line of the smoke it appeared to me -that the action was in an oblique line from our left, -extending farther outwards towards the right, bisected -by a road from Centreville, which descended the hill<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_225"></a>[225]</span> -close at hand and ran right across the undulating plain, -its course being marked by the white covers of the -baggage and commissariat waggons as far as a turn of -the road, where the trees closed in upon them. Beyond -the right of the curling smoke clouds of dust appeared -from time to time in the distance, as if bodies of -cavalry were moving over a sandy plain.</p> - -<p><ins class="corr" id="tn-225" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'Notwitstanding all'"> -Notwithstanding all</ins> the exultation and boastings of -the people at Centreville, I was well convinced no -advance of any importance or any great success had -been achieved, because the ammunition and baggage -waggons had never moved, nor had the reserves received -any orders to follow in the line of the army.</p> - -<p>The clouds of dust on the right were quite inexplicable. -As we were looking, my philosophic companion -asked me in perfect seriousness, “Are we really seeing -a battle now? Are they supposed to be fighting where -all that smoke is going on? This is rather interesting, -you know.”</p> - -<p>Up came our black boy. “Not find a bit to eat, sir, -in all the place.” We had, however, my little paper of -sandwiches, and descended the hill to a bye lane off the -village, where, seated in the shade of the gig, Mr. Warre -and myself, dividing our provision with the driver, -wound up a very scanty, but much relished, repast with -a bottle of tea and half the bottle of Bordeaux and -water, the remainder being prudently reserved at my -request for contingent remainders. Leaving orders for -the saddle horse, which was eating his first meal, to be -brought up the moment he was ready—I went with -Mr. Warre to the hill once more and observed that the -line had not sensibly altered whilst we were away.</p> - -<p>An English gentleman, who came up flushed and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_226"></a>[226]</span> -heated from the plain, told us that the Federals had -been advancing steadily in spite of a stubborn resistance -and had behaved most gallantly.</p> - -<p>Loud cheers suddenly burst from the spectators, as a -man dressed in the uniform of an officer, whom I had -seen riding violently across the plain in an open space -below, galloped along the front, waving his cap and -shouting at the top of his voice. He was brought up -by the press of people round his horse close to where I -stood. “We’ve whipped them on all points,” he cried. -“We have taken all their batteries. They are retreating -as fast as they can, and we are after them.” Such -cheers as rent the welkin! The Congress men shook -hands with each other, and cried out, “Bully for us. -Bravo, didn’t I tell you so.” The Germans uttered -their martial cheers and the Irish hurrahed wildly. At -this moment my horse was brought up the hill, and I -mounted and turned towards the road to the front, -whilst Mr. Warre and his companion proceeded straight -down the hill.</p> - -<p>By the time I reached the lane, already mentioned, -which was in a few minutes, the string of commissariat -waggons was moving onwards pretty briskly, and I -was detained until my friends appeared at the roadside. -I told Mr. Warre I was going forward to the -front as fast as I could, but that I would come back, -under any circumstances, about an hour before dusk, -and would go straight to the spot where we had put up -the gig by the road-side, in order to return to Washington. -Then getting into the fields, I pressed my -horse, which was quite recovered from his twenty-seven -mile’s ride and full of spirit and mettle, as fast as -I could, making detours here and there to get through<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_227"></a>[227]</span> -the ox fences, and by the small steams which cut up -the country. The firing did not increase but rather -diminished in volume, though it now sounded close at -hand.</p> - -<p>I had ridden between three and a half and four miles, -as well as I could judge, when I was obliged to turn -for the third and fourth time into the road by a -considerable stream, which was spanned by a bridge, -towards which I was threading my way, when my -attention was attracted by loud shouts in advance, and I -perceived several waggons coming from the direction of -the battle-field, the drivers of which were endeavouring -to force their horses past the ammunition carts going in -the contrary direction near the bridge; a thick cloud of -dust rose behind them, and running by the side of the -waggons, were a number of men in uniform whom I -supposed to be the guard. My first impression was that -the waggons were returning for fresh supplies of ammunition. -But every moment the crowd increased, drivers -and men cried out with the most vehement gestures, -“Turn back! Turn back! We are whipped.” They -seized the heads of the horses and swore at the opposing -drivers. Emerging from the crowd a breathless man in -the uniform of an officer with an empty scabbard -dangling by his side, was cut off by getting between -my horse and a cart for a moment. “What is the -matter, sir? What is all this about?” “Why it means -we are pretty badly whipped, that’s the truth,” he -gasped, and continued.</p> - -<p>By this time the confusion had been communicating -itself through the line of waggons towards the rear, -and the drivers endeavoured to turn round their vehicles -in the narrow road, which caused the usual amount of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_228"></a>[228]</span> -imprecations <ins class="corr" id="tn-228" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'from he men and'"> -from the men and</ins> plunging and kicking -from the horses.</p> - -<p>The crowd from the front continually increased, the -heat, the uproar, and the dust were beyond description, -and these were augmented when some cavalry soldiers, -flourishing their sabres and preceded by an officer, who -cried out, “Make way there—make way there for -the General,” attempted to force a covered waggon in -which was seated a man with a bloody handkerchief -round his head, through the press.</p> - -<p>I had succeeded in getting across the bridge with -great difficulty before the waggon came up, and I saw -the crowd on the road was still gathering thicker and -thicker. Again I asked an officer, who was on foot, with -his sword under his arm, “What is all this for?” -“We are whipped, sir. We are all in retreat. You are -all to go back.” “Can you tell me where I can find -General M‘Dowell?” “No! nor can any one else.”</p> - -<p>A few shells could be heard bursting not very far off, -but there was nothing to account for such an extraordinary -scene. A third officer, however, confirmed the -report that the whole army was in retreat, and that the -Federals were beaten on all points, but there was -nothing in this disorder to indicate a general rout. -All these things took place in a few seconds. I got up -out of the road into a corn-field, through which men -were hastily walking or running, their faces streaming -with perspiration, and generally without arms, and -worked my way for about half a mile or so, as well as I -could judge, against an increasing stream of fugitives, -the ground being strewed with coats, blankets, firelocks, -cooking tins, caps, belts, bayonets—asking in -vain where General M‘Dowell was.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_229"></a>[229]</span></p> - -<p>Again I was compelled by the condition of the -fields to come into the road; and having passed a piece -of wood and a regiment which seemed to be moving -back in column of march in tolerably good order, -I turned once more into an opening close to a white -house, not far from the lane, beyond which there was a -belt of forest. Two field-pieces unlimbered near -the house, with panting horses in the rear, were pointed -towards the front, and along the road beside them there -swept a tolerably steady column of men mingled with -field ambulances and light baggage carts, back to -Centreville. I had just stretched out my hand to get a -cigar-light from a German gunner, when the dropping -shots which had been sounding through the woods in -front of us, suddenly swelled into an animated fire. -In a few seconds a crowd of men rushed out of the -wood down towards the guns, and the artillerymen near -me seized the trail of a piece, and were wheeling it -round to fire, when an officer or sergeant called out, -“Stop! stop! They are our own men;” and in two -or three minutes the whole battalion came sweeping -past the guns at the double, and in the utmost -disorder. Some of the artillerymen dragged the -horses out of the tumbrils; and for a moment the -confusion was so great I could not understand what -had taken place; but a soldier whom I stopped, said, -“We are pursued by their cavalry; they have cut us -all to pieces.”</p> - -<p>Murat himself would not have dared to move a -squadron on such ground. However, it could not be -doubted that something serious was taking place; and -at that moment a shell burst in front of the house, -scattering the soldiers near it, which was followed by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_230"></a>[230]</span> -another that bounded along the road; and in a few -minutes more out came another regiment from the -wood, almost as broken as the first. The scene on -the road had now assumed an aspect which has -not a parallel in any description I have ever read. -Infantry soldiers on mules and draught horses, with the -harness clinging to their heels, as much frightened -as their riders; negro servants on their masters’ -chargers; ambulances crowded with unwounded -soldiers; waggons swarming with men who threw out -the contents in the road to make room, grinding -through a shouting, screaming mass of men on foot, -who were literally yelling with rage at every halt, and -shrieking out, “Here are the cavalry! Will you get -on?” This portion of the force was evidently in -discord.</p> - -<p>There was nothing left for it but to go with the -current one could not stem. I turned round my -horse from the deserted guns, and endeavoured to -find out what had occurred as I rode quietly back -on the skirts of the crowd. I talked with those on -all sides of me. Some uttered prodigious nonsense, -describing batteries tier over tier, and ambuscades, -and blood running knee deep. Others described -how their boys had carried whole lines of entrenchments, -but were beaten back for want of reinforcements. -The names of many regiments were mentioned -as being utterly destroyed. Cavalry and bayonet -charges and masked batteries played prominent parts -in all the narrations. Some of the officers seemed to -feel the disgrace of defeat; but the strangest thing -was the general indifference with which the event -seemed to be regarded by those who collected their<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_231"></a>[231]</span> -senses as soon as they got out of fire, and who said they -were just going as far as Centreville, and would have a -big fight to-morrow.</p> - -<p>By this time I was unwillingly approaching Centreville -in the midst of heat, dust, confusions, imprecations -inconceivable. On arriving at the place where a small -rivulet crossed the road, <ins class="corr" id="tn-231" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'the throng inrceased'"> -the throng increased</ins> still more. -The ground over which I had passed going out was now -covered with arms, clothing of all kinds, accoutrements -thrown off and left to be trampled in the dust under -the hoofs of men and horses. The runaways ran -alongside the waggons, striving to force themselves -in among the occupants, who resisted tooth and nail. -The drivers spurred, and whipped, and urged the -horses to the utmost of their bent. I felt an inclination -to laugh, which was overcome by disgust, and by -that vague sense of something extraordinary taking -place which is experienced when a man sees a number of -people acting as if driven by some unknown terror. -As I rode in the crowd, with men clinging to the -stirrup-leathers, or holding on by anything they could -lay hands on, so that I had some apprehension of being -pulled off, I spoke to the men, and asked them over -and over again not to be in such a hurry. “There’s -no enemy to pursue you. All the cavalry in the world -could not get at you.” But I might as well have -talked to the stones.</p> - -<p>For my own part, I wanted to get out of the ruck as -fast as I could, for the heat and dust were very distressing, -particularly to a half-starved man. Many of -the fugitives were in the last stages of exhaustion, and -some actually sank down by the fences, at the risk of -being trampled to death. Above the roar of the flight,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_232"></a>[232]</span> -which was like the rush of a great river, the guns burst -forth from time to time.</p> - -<p>The road at last became somewhat clearer; for -I had got ahead of some of the ammunition train and -waggons, and the others were dashing up the hill -towards Centreville. The men’s great-coats and blankets -had been stowed in the trains; but the fugitives had -apparently thrown them out on the road, to make room -for themselves. Just beyond the stream I saw a heap -of clothing tumble out of a large covered cart, and -cried out after the driver, “Stop! stop! All the things -are tumbling out of the cart.” But my zeal was -checked by a scoundrel putting his head out, and -shouting with a curse, “If you try to stop the team, -I’ll blow your —— brains out.” My brains advised -me to adopt the principle of non-intervention.</p> - -<p>It never occurred to me that this was a grand <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débâcle</span>. -All along I believed the mass of the army was not -broken, and that all I saw around was the result of confusion -created in a crude organisation by a forced retreat; -and knowing the reserves were at Centreville and -beyond, I said to myself, “Let us see how this will be -when we get to the hill.” I indulged in a quiet -chuckle, too, at the idea of my philosophical friend and -his stout companion finding themselves suddenly enveloped -in the crowd of fugitives; but knew they could -easily have regained their original position on the hill. -Trotting along briskly through the fields, I arrived at -the foot of the slope on which Centreville stands, and -met a German regiment just deploying into line very -well and steadily—the men in the rear companies -laughing, smoking, singing, and jesting with the fugitives, -who were filing past; but no thought of stopping<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_233"></a>[233]</span> -the waggons, as the orders repeated from mouth to -mouth were that they were to fall back beyond Centreville.</p> - -<p>The air of the men was good. The officers were -cheerful, and one big German with a great pipe in his -bearded mouth, with spectacles on nose, amused himself -by pricking the horses with his sabre point, as he -passed, to the sore discomfiture of the riders. Behind -the regiment came a battery of brass field-pieces, and -another regiment in column of march was following the -guns. They were going to form line at the end of the -slope, and no fairer position could well be offered for a -defensive attitude, although it might be turned. But -it was getting too late for the enemy wherever they -were to attempt such an extensive operation. Several -times I had been asked by officers and men, “Where -do you think we will halt? Where are the rest of the -army?” I always replied “Centreville,” and I had -heard hundreds of the fugitives say they were going to -Centreville.</p> - -<p>I rode up the road, turned into the little street which -carries the road on the right-hand side to Fairfax Court-house -and the hill, and went straight to the place -where I had left the buggy in a lane on the left of the -road beside a small house and shed, expecting to find -Mr. Warre ready for a start, as I had faithfully promised -Lord Lyons he should be back that night in -Washington. The buggy was not there. I pulled open -the door of the shed in which the horses had been sheltered -out of the sun. They were gone. “Oh,” said I, -to myself, “of course! What a stupid fellow I am. -Warre has had the horses put in and taken the gig to -the top of the hill, in order to see the last of it before<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_234"></a>[234]</span> -we go.” And so I rode over to the ridge; but arriving -there, could see no sign of our vehicle far or near. -There were two carriages of some kind or other still -remaining on the hill, and a few spectators, civilians -and military, gazing on the scene below, which was -softened in the golden rays of the declining sun. -The smoke wreaths had ceased to curl over the green -sheets of billowy forest as sea foam crisping in a gentle -breeze breaks the lines of the ocean. But far and near -yellow and dun-coloured piles of dust seamed the landscape, -leaving behind them long trailing clouds of -lighter vapours which were dotted now and then by -white puff balls from the bursting of shell. On the -right these clouds were very heavy and seemed to -approach rapidly, and it occurred to me they might be -caused by an advance of the much spoken-of and little -seen cavalry; and remembering the cross road from -German Town, it seemed a very fine and very feasible -operation for the Confederates to cut right in on the -line of retreat and communication, in which case the -fate of the army and of Washington could not be -dubious. There were now few civilians on the hill, and -these were thinning away. Some were gesticulating -and explaining to one another the causes of the retreat, -looking very hot and red. The confusion among the -last portion of the carriages and fugitives on the road, -which I had outstripped, had been renewed again, and -the crowd there presented a remarkable and ludicrous -aspect through the glass; but there were two strong -battalions in good order near the foot of the hill, a -battery on the slope, another on the top, and a portion -of a regiment in and about the houses of the village.</p> - -<p>A farewell look at the scene presented no new features.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_235"></a>[235]</span> -Still the clouds of dust moved onwards denser and -higher; flashes of arms lighted them up at times; the -fields were dotted by fugitives, among whom many -mounted men were marked by their greater speed, and -the little flocks of dust rising from the horses’ feet.</p> - -<p>I put up my glass, and turning from the hill, with -difficulty forced my way through the crowd of vehicles -which were making their way towards the main road in -the direction of the lane, hoping that by some lucky -accident I might find the gig in waiting for me. But -I sought in vain; a sick soldier who was on a stretcher -in front of the house near the corner of the lane, leaning -on his elbow and looking at the stream of men and -carriages, asked me if I could tell him what they were -in such a hurry for, and I said they were merely getting -back to their bivouacs. A man dressed in civilian’s -clothes grinned as I spoke. “I think they’ll go farther -than that,” said he; and then added, “If you’re looking -for the waggon you came in, it’s pretty well back to -Washington by this time. I think I saw you <ins class="corr" id="tn-235" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'down theere with'"> -down there with</ins> a nigger and two men.” “Yes. They’re all -off, gone more than an hour and a-half ago, I think, -and a stout man—I thought was you at first—along -with them.”</p> - -<p>Nothing was left for it but to brace up the girths -for a ride to the Capitol, for which, hungry and fagged -as I was, I felt very little inclination. I was trotting -quietly down the hill road beyond Centreville, when -suddenly the guns on the other side, or from a battery -very near, opened fire, and a fresh outburst of artillery -sounded through the woods. In an instant the -mass of vehicles and retreating soldiers, teamsters, -and civilians, as if agonised by an electric shock,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_236"></a>[236]</span> -quivered throughout the tortuous line. With dreadful -shouts and cursings, the drivers lashed their -maddened horses, and leaping from the carts, left -them to their fate, and ran on foot. Artillerymen -and foot soldiers, and negroes mounted on -gun horses, with the chain traces and loose trappings -trailing in the dust, spurred and flogged their steeds -down the road or by the side paths. The firing continued -and seemed to approach the hill, and at every -report the agitated body of horsemen and waggons was -seized, as it were, with a fresh convulsion.</p> - -<p>Once more the dreaded cry, “The cavalry! cavalry are -coming!” rang through the crowd, and looking back to -Centreville I perceived coming down the hill, between -me and the sky, a number of mounted men, who might -at a hasty glance be taken for horsemen in the act of -sabreing the fugitives. In reality they were soldiers -and civilians, with, I regret to say, some officers among -them, who were whipping and striking their horses with -sticks or whatever else they could lay hands on. I -called out to the men who were frantic with terror beside -me, “They are not cavalry at all; they’re your -own men”—but they did not heed me. A fellow who -was shouting out, “Run! run!” as loud as he could -beside me, seemed to take delight in creating alarm; -and as he was perfectly collected as far as I could judge, -I said, “What on earth are you running for? What -are you afraid of?” He was in the roadside below me, -and at once turning on me, and exclaiming, “I’m not -afraid of you,” presented his piece and pulled the trigger -so instantaneously, that had it gone off I could not -have swerved from the ball. As the scoundrel deliberately -drew up to examine the nipple, I judged it best<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_237"></a>[237]</span> -not to give him another chance, and spurred on -through the crowd, where any man could have shot as -many as he pleased without interruption. The only -conclusion I came to was, that he was mad or drunken. -When I was passing by the line of the bivouacs a -battalion of men came tumbling down the bank from -the field into the road, with fixed bayonets, and as some -fell in the road and others tumbled on top of them, -there must have been a few ingloriously wounded.</p> - -<p>I galloped on for a short distance to head the ruck, -for I could not tell whether this body of infantry intended -moving back towards Centreville or were coming -down the road; but the mounted men galloping furiously -past me, with a cry of “Cavalry! cavalry!” on their -lips, swept on faster than I did, augmenting the alarm -and excitement. I came up with two officers who -were riding more leisurely; and touching my hat, -said, “I venture to suggest that these men should -be stopped, sir. If not, they will alarm the whole -of the post and pickets on to Washington. They will -fly next, and the consequences will be most disastrous.” -One of the two, looking at me for a moment, nodded -his head without saying a word, spurred his horse to -full speed, and dashed on in front along the road. -Following more leisurely I observed the fugitives in -front were suddenly checked in their speed; and as I -turned my horse into the wood by the road-side to -get on so as to prevent the chance of another block-up, -I passed several private vehicles, in one of -which Mr. Raymond, of the <cite>New York Times</cite>, was -seated with some friends, looking by no means happy. -He says in his report to his paper, “About a -mile this side of Centreville a stampedo took place<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_238"></a>[238]</span> -amongst the teamsters and others, which threw everything -into the utmost confusion, and inflicted very -serious injuries. Mr. Eaton, of Michigan, in trying to -arrest the flight of some of these men, was shot by one -of them, the ball taking effect in his hand.” He asked -me, in some anxiety, what I thought would happen. I -replied, “No doubt M‘Dowell will stand fast at Centreville -to-night. These are mere runaways, and unless -the enemy’s cavalry succeed in getting through -at this road, there is nothing to apprehend.”</p> - -<p>And I continued through the wood till I got a clear -space in front on the road, along which a regiment of -infantry was advancing towards me. They halted ere I -came up, and with levelled firelocks arrested the men -on horses and the carts and waggons galloping towards -them, and blocked up the road to stop their progress. -As I tried to edge by on the right of the column by -the left of the road, a soldier presented his firelock at -my head from the higher ground on which he stood, -for the road had a deep trench cut on the side by which I -was endeavouring to pass, and sung out, “Halt! Stop—or -I fire!” The officers in front were waving their -swords and shouting out, “Don’t let a soul pass! Keep -back! keep back!” Bowing to the officer who was -near me, I said, “I beg to assure you, sir, I am not -running away. I am a civilian and a British subject. -I have done my best as I came along to stop this -disgraceful rout. I am in no hurry; I merely want to -get back to Washington to-night. I have been telling -them all along there are no cavalry near us.” The -officer to whom I was speaking, young and somewhat -excited kept repeating, “Keep back, sir! keep back! -you must keep back.” Again I said to him, “I<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_239"></a>[239]</span> -assure you I am not with this crowd; my pulse is as -cool as your own.” But as he paid no attention to -what I said, I suddenly bethought me of General -Scott’s letter, and addressing another officer, said, “I -am a civilian going to Washington; will you be kind -enough to look at this pass, specially given to me by -General Scott.” The officer looked at it, and handed -it to a mounted man, either adjutant or colonel, who, -having examined it, returned it to me, saying, “Oh, -yes! certainly. Pass that man!” And with a cry of -“Pass that man!” along the line, I rode down the -trench very leisurely, and got out on the road, which -was now clear, though some fugitives had stolen -through the woods on the flanks of the column and -were in front of me.</p> - -<p>A little further on there was a cart on the right hand -side of the road, surrounded by a group of soldiers. I -was trotting past when a respectable-looking man in -a semi-military garb, coming out from the group, said, -in a tone of much doubt and distress—“Can you tell -me, sir, for God’s sake, where the 69th New York are? -These men tell me they are all cut to pieces.” “And -so they are,” exclaimed one of the fellows, who had -the number of the regiment on his cap.</p> - -<p>“You hear what they say, sir?” exclaimed the man.</p> - -<p>“I do, but I really cannot tell you where the 69th are.”</p> - -<p>“I’m in charge of these mails, and I’ll deliver them -if I die for it; but is it safe for me to go on? You are -a gentleman, and I can depend on your word.”</p> - -<p>His assistant and himself were in the greatest perplexity -of mind, but all I could say was, “I really can’t -tell you; I believe the army will halt at Centreville to-night, -and I think you may go on there with the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_240"></a>[240]</span> -greatest safety, if you can get through the crowd.” -“Faith, then, he can’t,” exclaimed one of the soldiers.</p> - -<p>“Why not?” “Shure, arn’t we cut to pieces. -Didn’t I hear the kurnel himsilf saying we was all of -us to cut and run, every man on his own hook, as well -as he could. Stop at Cinthreville, indeed!”</p> - -<p>I bade the mail agent<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> good evening and rode on, -but even in this short colloquy stragglers on foot and -on horseback, who had turned the flanks of the regiment -by side paths or through the woods, came pouring -along the road once more.</p> - -<p>Somewhere about this I was accosted by a stout, -elderly man, with the air and appearance of a respectable -mechanic, or small tavern-keeper, who introduced<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_241"></a>[241]</span> -himself as having met me at Cairo. He poured out a -flood of woes on me, how he had lost his friend and companion, -nearly lost his seat several times, was unaccustomed -to riding, was suffering much pain from the unusual -position and exercise, did not know the road, feared he -would never be able to get on, dreaded he might be -captured and ill-treated if he was known, and such -topics as a selfish man in a good deal of pain or fear is -likely to indulge in. I calmed his apprehensions as well -as I could, by saying, “I had no doubt M‘Dowell would -halt and show fight at Centreville, and be able to -advance from it in a day or two to renew the fight -again; that he couldn’t miss the road; <ins class="corr" id="tn-241" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'whiskey and and tallow'"> -whiskey and tallow</ins> were good for abrasions;” and as I was -riding very slowly, he jogged along, for he was a burr, -and would stick, with many “Oh dears! Oh! dear -me!” for most part of the way joining me at intervals -till I reached Fairfax Court House. A body of -infantry were under arms in a grove near the Court -House, on the right hand side of the road. The door and -windows of the houses presented crowds of faces black -and white; and men and women stood out upon the -porch, who asked me as I passed, “Have you been at -the fight?” “What are they all running for?” “Are -the rest of them coming on?” to which I gave the -same replies as before.</p> - -<p>Arrived at the little inn where I had halted in the -morning, I perceived the sharp-faced woman in black, -standing in the verandah with an elderly man, a taller -and younger one dressed in black, a little girl, and a -woman who stood in the passage of the door. I asked -if I could get anything to eat. “Not a morsel; there’s -not a bit left in the house, but you can get something,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_242"></a>[242]</span> -perhaps, if you like to stay till supper time.” “Would -you oblige me by telling me where I can get some -water for my horse?” “Oh, certainly,” said the elder -man, and calling to a negro he directed him to bring -a bucket from the well or pump, into which the thirsty -brute buried its head to the eyes. Whilst the horse -was drinking the taller or younger man, leaning over -the verandah, asked me quietly “What are all the -people coming back for?—what’s set them a running -towards Alexandria?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s only a fright the drivers of the commissariat -waggons have had; they are afraid of the enemy’s -cavalry.”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” said the man, and looking at me narrowly -he inquired, after a pause, “are you an American?”</p> - -<p>“No, I am not, thank God; I’m an Englishman.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then,” said he, nodding his head and speaking -slowly through his teeth, “There <em>will</em> be cavalry -after them soon enough; there is 20,000 of the best -horsemen in the world in old Virginny.”</p> - -<p>Having received full directions from the people at -the inn for the road to the Long Bridge, which I was -most anxious to reach instead of going to Alexandria -or to Georgetown, I bade the Virginian good evening; -and seeing that my stout friend, who had also watered -his horse by my advice at the inn, was still clinging -alongside, I excused myself by saying I must press on -to Washington, and galloped on for a mile, until I got -into the cover of a wood, where I dismounted to -examine the horse’s hoofs and shift the saddle for a -moment, wipe the sweat off his back, and make him -and myself as comfortable as could be for our ride into -Washington, which was still seventeen or eighteen<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_243"></a>[243]</span> -miles before me. I passed groups of men, some on -horseback, others on foot, going at a more leisurely -rate towards the capital; and as I was smoking my -last cigar by the side of the wood, I observed the -number had rather increased, and that among the -retreating stragglers were some men who appeared to -be wounded.</p> - -<p>The sun had set, but the rising moon was adding -every moment to the lightness of the road as I mounted -once more and set out at a long trot for the capital. -Presently I was overtaken by a waggon with a small -escort of cavalry and an officer riding in front. I had -seen the same vehicle once or twice along the road, and -observed an officer seated in it with his head bound up -with a handkerchief, looking very pale and ghastly. -The mounted officer leading the escort asked me if I -was going into Washington and knew the road. I -told him I had never been on it before, but thought -I could find my way, “at any rate we’ll find plenty to -tell us.” “That’s Colonel Hunter inside the carriage, -he’s shot through the throat and jaw, and I want to get -him to the doctor’s in Washington as soon as I can. -Have you been to the fight?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p>“A member of Congress, I suppose, sir?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir; I’m an Englishman.”</p> - -<p>“Oh indeed, sir, then I’m glad you did not see -it, so mean a fight, sir, I never saw; we whipped the -cusses and drove them before us, and took their batteries -and spiked their guns, and got right up in among all -their dirt works and great batteries and forts, driving -them before us like sheep, when up more of them would -get, as if out of the ground, then our boys would drive<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_244"></a>[244]</span> -them again till we were fairly worn out; they had -nothing to eat since last night and nothing to drink. -I myself have not tasted a morsel since two o’clock last -night. Well, there we were waiting for reinforcements -and expecting M‘Dowell and the rest of the army, when -whish! they threw open a whole lot of masked batteries -on us, and then came down such swarms of horsemen on -black horses, all black as you never saw, and slashed -our boys over finely. The colonel was hit, and I -thought it best to get him off as well as I could, before -it was too late; And, my God! when they did take to -running they did it first-rate, I can tell you,” and so, the -officer, who had evidently taken enough to affect his -empty stomach and head, chattering about the fight, -we trotted on in the moonlight: dipping down into -the valleys on the road, which seemed like inky lakes -in the shadows of the black trees, then mounting up -again along the white road, which shone like a river in -the moonlight—the country silent as death, though -once as we crossed a small water-course and the noise -of the carriage wheels ceased, I called the attention of -my companions to a distant sound, as of a great multitude -of people mingled with a faint report of cannon. -“Do you hear that?” “No, I don’t. But it’s our -chaps, no doubt. They’re coming along fine, I can -promise you.” At last some miles further on we came -to a picket, or main guard, on the roadside, who ran -forward, crying out “What’s the news—anything fresh—are -we whipped?—is it a fact?” “Well, gentlemen,” -exclaimed the Major, reining up for a moment, -“we are knocked into a cocked hat—licked to h——l.” -“Oh, pray don’t say that,” I exclaimed, “It’s not -quite so bad, it’s only a drawn battle, and the troops<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_245"></a>[245]</span> -will occupy Centreville to-night, and the posts they -started from this morning.”</p> - -<p>A little further on we met a line of commissariat -carts, and my excited and rather injudicious military -friend appeared to take the greatest pleasure in replying -to their anxious queries for news. “We are -whipped! Whipped like h——.”</p> - -<p>At the cross-roads now and then we were perplexed, -for no one knew the bearings of Washington, -though the stars were bright enough; but good fortune -favoured us and kept us straight, and at a deserted -little village, with a solitary church on the road-side, I -increased my pace, bade good-night and good speed to -the officer, and having kept company with two men in -a gig for some time, got at length on the guarded road -leading towards the capital, and was stopped by the -pickets, patrols, and grand rounds, making repeated -demands for the last accounts from the field. The -houses by the road-side were all closed up and in darkness, -I knocked in vain at several for a drink of water, -but was answered only by the angry barkings of the -watch-dogs from the slave quarters. It was a peculiarity -of the road that the people, and soldiers I met, at points -several miles apart, always insisted that I was twelve miles -from Washington. Up hills, down valleys, with the -silent, grim woods for ever by my side, the white roads -and the black shadows of men, still I was twelve miles -from the Long Bridge, but suddenly I came upon a grand -guard under arms, who had quite different ideas, and -who said I was only about four miles from the river; they -crowded round me. “Well, man, and how is the fight -going?” I repeated my tale. “What does he say?” -“Oh, begorra, he says we’re not bet at all; it’s all lies<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_246"></a>[246]</span> -they have been telling us; we’re only going back to -the ould lines for the greater convaniency of fighting -to-morrow again; that’s illigant, hooro!”</p> - -<p>All by the sides of the old camps the men were -standing, lining the road, and I was obliged to evade -many a grasp at my bridle by shouting out “Don’t stop -me; I’ve important news; it’s all well!” and still the -good horse, refreshed by the cool night air, went -clattering on, till from the top of the road beyond -Arlington I caught a sight of the lights of Washington -and the white buildings of the Capitol, and of the -Executive Mansion, glittering like snow in the moonlight. -At the entrance to the Long Bridge the sentry -challenged, and asked for the countersign. “I have -not got it, but I’ve a pass from General Scott.” An -officer advanced from the guard, and on reading the -pass permitted me to go on without difficulty. He -said, “I have been obliged to let a good many go over -to-night before you, Congress men and others. I suppose -you did not expect to be coming back so soon. I fear it’s -a bad business.” “Oh, not so bad after all; I expected -to have been back to-night before nine o’clock, and -crossed over this morning without the countersign.” -“Well, I guess,” said he, “we don’t do such quick -fighting as that in this country.”</p> - -<p>As I crossed the Long Bridge there was scarce a sound -to dispute the possession of its echoes with my horse’s -hoofs. The poor beast had carried me nobly and well, -and I made up my mind to buy him, as I had no doubt he -would answer perfectly to carry me back in a day or two -to M‘Dowell’s army by the time he had organised it for -a new attack upon the enemy’s position. Little did I -conceive the greatness of the defeat, the magnitude of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_247"></a>[247]</span> -the disasters which it had entailed upon the United -States or the interval that would elapse before another -army set out from the banks of the Potomac onward -to Richmond. Had I sat down that night to write -my letter, quite ignorant at the time of the great -calamity which had befallen his army, in all probability -I would have stated that M‘Dowell had received -a severe repulse, and had fallen back upon -Centreville, that a disgraceful panic and confusion -had attended the retreat of a portion of his army, -but that the appearance of the reserves would probably -prevent the enemy taking any advantage of -the disorder; and as I would have merely been able -to describe such incidents as fell under my own observation, -and would have left the American journals -to narrate the actual details, and the despatches of -the American Generals the strategical events of the -day, I should have led the world at home to believe, -as, in fact, I believed myself, that M‘Dowell’s retrograde -movement would be arrested at some point -between Centreville and Fairfax Court House.</p> - -<p>The letter that I was to write occupied my mind -whilst I was crossing the Long Bridge, gazing at the -lights reflected in the Potomac from the city. The -night had become overcast, and heavy clouds rising up -rapidly obscured the moon, forming a most phantastic -mass of shapes in the sky.</p> - -<p>At the Washington end of the bridge I was challenged -again by the men of a whole regiment, who, -with piled arms, were halted on the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chaussée</span>, smoking, -laughing, and singing. “Stranger, have you been to -the fight?” “I have been only a little beyond Centreville.” -But that was quite enough. Soldiers, civilians,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_248"></a>[248]</span> -and women, who seemed to be out unusually late, -crowded round the horse, and again I told my -stereotyped story of the unsuccessful attempt to carry -the Confederate position, and the retreat to Centreville -to await better luck next time. The soldiers alongside me -cheered, and those next them took it up till it ran through -the whole line, and must have awoke the night owls.</p> - -<p>As I passed Willard’s hotel a little further on, a -clock—I think the only public clock which strikes -the hours in Washington—tolled out the hour; -and I supposed, from what the sentry told me, though -I did not count the strokes, that it was eleven -o’clock. All the rooms in the hotel were a blaze of -light. The pavement before the door was crowded, -and some mounted men and the clattering of sabres on -the pavement led me to infer that the escort of the -wounded officer had arrived before me. I passed on to -the livery-stables, where every one was alive and stirring.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure,” said the man, “I thought I’d never see you -nor the horse back again. The gig and the other gentleman -has been back a long time. How did he carry you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, pretty well; what’s his price?”</p> - -<p>“Well, now that I look at him, and to you, it will be -100 dollars less than I said. I’m in good heart to-night.”</p> - -<p>“Why so? A number of your horses and carriages -have not come back yet, you tell me.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, I’ll get paid for them some time or -another. Oh, such news! such news!” said he, rubbing -his hands. “Twenty thousand of them killed and -wounded! May-be they’re not having fits in the -White House to-night!”</p> - -<p>I walked to my lodgings, and just as I turned the -key in the door a flash of light made me pause for a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_249"></a>[249]</span> -moment, in expectation of the report of a gun; for I -could not help thinking it quite possible that, -somehow or another, the Confederate cavalry would -try to beat up the lines, but no sound followed. -It must have been lightning. I walked up-stairs, -and saw a most welcome supper ready on the table—an -enormous piece of cheese, a sausage of unknown -components, a knuckle-bone of ham, and a bottle of a -very light wine of France; but I would not have exchanged -that repast and have waited half an hour for any -banquet that Soyer or Careme could have prepared at -their best. Then, having pulled off my boots, bathed my -head, trimmed candles, and lighted a pipe, I sat down -to write. I made some feeble sentences, but the pen -went flying about the paper as if the spirits were -playing tricks with it. When I screwed up my utmost -resolution, the “y’s” would still run into long streaks, -and the letters combine most curiously, and my eyes -closed, and my pen slipped, and just as I was aroused -from a nap, and settled into a stern determination to -hold my pen straight, I was interrupted by a messenger -from Lord Lyons, to inquire whether I had returned, -and if so, to ask me to go up to the Legation, and get -something to eat. I explained, with my thanks, that -I was quite safe, and had eaten supper, and learned -from the servant that Mr. Warre and his companion -had arrived about two hours previously. I resumed -my seat once more, haunted by the memory of the -Boston mail, which would be closed in a few hours, -and I had much to tell, although I had not seen the -battle. Again and again I woke up, but at last the -greatest conqueror but death overcame me, and with -my head on the blotted paper, I fell fast asleep.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_250"></a>[250]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV. <span class="hidden">A runaway crowd at Washington</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A runaway crowd at Washington—The army of the Potomac in retreat—Mail-day—Want -of order and authority—Newspaper lies—Alarm -at Washington—Confederate prisoners—General M‘Clellan—M. -Mercier—Effects of the defeat on Mr. Seward and the President—M‘Dowell—<ins class="corr" id="tn-250" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'General Patteson'"> -General Patterson</ins>.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 22nd.</em>—I awoke from a deep sleep this morning, -about six o’clock. The rain was falling in torrents and -beat with a dull, thudding sound on the leads outside -my window; but, louder than all, came a strange -sound, as if of the tread of men, a confused tramp and -splashing, and a murmuring of voices. I got up -and ran to the front room, the windows of which -looked on the street, and there, to my intense surprise, -I saw a steady stream of men covered with mud, -soaked through with rain, who were pouring irregularly, -without any semblance of order, up Pennsylvania -Avenue towards the Capitol. A dense stream of vapour -rose from the multitude; but looking closely at the men, -I perceived they belonged to different regiments, New -Yorkers, Michiganders, Rhode Islanders, Massachusetters, -Minnesotians, mingled pellmell together. Many of -them were without knapsacks, crossbelts, and firelocks. -Some had neither great-coats nor shoes, others were -covered with blankets. Hastily putting on my clothes, -I ran down stairs and asked an “officer,” who was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_251"></a>[251]</span> -passing by, a pale young man, who looked exhausted to -death, and who had lost his sword, for the empty -sheath dangled at his side, where the men were coming -from. “Where from? Well, sir, I guess we’re all -coming out of Verginny as far as we can, and pretty -well whipped too.” “What! the whole army, sir?” -“That’s more than I know. They may stay that like. I -know I’m going home. I’ve had enough of fighting to -last my lifetime.”</p> - -<p>The news seemed incredible. But there, before my -eyes, were the jaded, dispirited, broken remnants of -regiments passing onwards, where and for what I knew -not, and it was evident enough that the mass of the -grand army of the Potomac was placing that river -between it and the enemy as rapidly as possible. “Is -there any pursuit?” I asked of several men. Some -were too surly to reply; others said, “They’re coming -as fast as they can after us.” Others, “I guess they’ve -stopped it now—the rain is too much for them.” A -few said they did not know, and looked as if they did -not care. And here came one of these small crises in -which a special correspondent would give a good deal -for the least portion of duality in mind or body. A few -sheets of blotted paper and writing materials lying on -the table beside the burnt-out candles, reminded me that -the imperious post-day was running on. “The mail for -Europe, <em>viâ</em> Boston, closes at one o’clock, Monday, July -22nd,” stuck up in large characters, warned me I had -not a moment to lose. I knew the event would be of -the utmost interest in England, and that it would be -important to tell the truth as far as I knew it, leaving -the American papers to state their own case, that the -public might form their own conclusions.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_252"></a>[252]</span></p> - -<p>But then, I felt, how interesting it would be to -ride out and watch the evacuation of the sacred -soil of Virginia, to see what the enemy were doing, -to examine the situation of affairs, to hear what the men -said, and, above all, find out the cause of this retreat -and headlong confusion, investigate the extent of the -Federal losses and the condition of the wounded; in -fact, to find materials for a dozen of letters. I would -fain, too, have seen General Scott, and heard his -opinions, and have visited the leading senators, to get a -notion of the way in which they looked on this catastrophe.—“I -do perceive here a divided duty.”—But -the more I reflected on the matter the more strongly I -became convinced that it would not be advisable to -postpone the letter, and that the events of the 21st -ought to have precedence of those of the 22nd, and so I -stuck up my usual notice on the door outside of -“Mr. Russell is out,” and resumed my letter.</p> - -<p>Whilst the rain fell, the tramp of feet went steadily -on. As I lifted my eyes now and then from the paper, -I saw the beaten, foot-sore, spongy-looking soldiers, -officers, and all the debris of the army filing through -mud and rain, and forming in crowds in front of -the spirit stores. Underneath my room is the -magazine of Jost, <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">negociant en vins</span>, and he drives a -roaring trade this morning, interrupted occasionally -by loud disputes as to the score. When the lad came -in with my breakfast he seemed a degree or two lighter -in colour than usual. “What’s the matter with you?” -“I ’spects, massa, the Seceshers soon be in here. I’m -a free nigger; I must go, sar, afore de come cotch -me.” It is rather pleasant to be neutral under such -circumstances.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_253"></a>[253]</span></p> - -<p>I speedily satisfied myself I could not finish my -letter in time for post, and I therefore sent for my -respectable Englishman to go direct to Boston by -the train which leaves this at four o’clock to-morrow -morning, so as to catch the mail steamer on Wednesday, -and telegraphed to the agents there to inform -them of my intention of doing so. Visitors came -knocking at the door, and insisted on getting in—military -friends who wanted to give me their versions -of the battle—the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">attachés</i> of legations <ins class="corr" id="tn-253" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'andot hers who'"> -and others who</ins> desired to hear the news and have a little gossip; but I -turned a deaf ear doorwards, and they went off into -the outer rain again.</p> - -<p>More draggled, more muddy, and down-hearted, and -foot-weary and vapid, the great army of the Potomac -still straggled by. Towards evening I seized my hat -and made off to the stable to inquire how the poor -horse was. There he stood, nearly as fresh as ever, a -little tucked up in the ribs, but eating heartily, and -perfectly sound. A change had come over Mr. Wroe’s -dream of horseflesh. “They’ll be going cheap now,” -thought he, and so he said aloud, “If you’d like to -buy that horse, I’d let you have him a little under what -I said. Dear! dear! it must a’ been a sight sure-ly to -see them Yankees running; you can scarce get through -the Avenue with them.”</p> - -<p>And what Mr. W. says is quite true. The rain -has abated a little, and the pavements are densely -packed with men in uniform, some with, others -without, arms, on whom the shopkeepers are looking -with evident alarm. They seem to be in possession -of all the spirit-houses. Now and then shots -are heard down the street or in the distance, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_254"></a>[254]</span> -cries and shouting, as if a scuffle or a difficulty were -occurring. Willard’s is turned into a barrack for -officers, and presents such a scene in the hall as could -only be witnessed in a city occupied by a demoralised -army. There is no provost guard, no patrol, no -authority visible in the streets. General Scott is -quite overwhelmed by the affair, and is unable to -stir. General M‘Dowell has not yet arrived. The -Secretary of War knows not what to do, Mr. -Lincoln is equally helpless, and Mr. Seward, who -retains some calmness, is, notwithstanding his military -rank and militia experience, without resource or -expedient. There are a good many troops hanging on -about the camps and forts on the other side of the -river, it is said; but they are thoroughly disorganised, -and will run away if the enemy comes in sight without -a shot, and then the capital must fall at once. Why -Beauregard does not come I know not, nor can I well -guess. I have been expecting every hour since noon -to hear his cannon. Here is a golden opportunity. If -the Confederates do not grasp that which will never come -again on such terms, it stamps them with mediocrity.</p> - -<p>The morning papers are quite ignorant of the -defeat, or affect to be unaware of it, and declare -yesterday’s battle to have been in favour of the -Federals generally, the least arrogant stating that -M‘Dowell will resume his march from Centreville immediately. -The evening papers, however, seem to be -more sensible of the real nature of the crisis: it is -scarcely within the reach of any amount of impertinence -or audacious assertion to deny what is passing -before their very eyes. The grand army of the Potomac -is in the streets of Washington, instead of being on its<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_255"></a>[255]</span> -way to Richmond. One paper contains a statement -which would make me uneasy about myself if I had any -confidence in these stories, for it is asserted “that Mr. -Russell was last seen in the thick of the fight, and has -not yet returned. Fears are entertained for his safety.”</p> - -<p>Towards dark the rain moderated and the noise in the -streets waxed louder; all kinds of rumours respecting -the advance of the enemy, the annihilation of Federal -regiments, the tremendous losses on both sides, charges -of cavalry, stormings of great intrenchments and stupendous -masked batteries, and elaborate reports of -unparalleled feats of personal valour, were circulated -under the genial influence of excitement, and by the -quantities of alcohol necessary to keep out the influence -of the external moisture. I did not hear one expression -of confidence, or see one cheerful face in all that vast -crowd which but a few days before constituted an army, -and was now nothing better than a semi-armed mob. -I could see no cannon returning, and to my inquiries -after them, I got generally the answer, “I suppose the -Seceshers have got hold of them.”</p> - -<p>Whilst I was at table several gentlemen who have -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">entrée</i> called on me, who confirmed my impressions -respecting the magnitude of the disaster that is so -rapidly developing its proportions. They agree in -describing the army as disorganised. Washington is -rendered almost untenable, in consequence of the conduct -of the army, which was not only to have defended -it, but to have captured the rival capital. -Some of my visitors declared it was dangerous to -move abroad in the streets. Many think the contest -is now over; but the gentlemen of Washington have -Southern sympathies, and I, on the contrary, am<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_256"></a>[256]</span> -persuaded this prick in the great Northern balloon will -let out a quantity of poisonous gas, and rouse the people -to a sense of the nature of the conflict on which they -have entered. The inmates of the White House are -in a state of the utmost trepidation, and Mr. Lincoln, -who sat in the telegraph operator’s room with General -Scott and Mr. Seward, listening to the dispatches as -they arrived from the scene of action, left it in -despair when the fatal words tripped from the needle -and the defeat was clearly revealed to him.</p> - -<p>Having finally cleared my room of visitors and locked -the door, I sat down once more to my desk, and continued -my narrative. The night wore on, and the tumult -still reigned in the city. Once, indeed, if not twice, my -attention was aroused by sounds like distant cannon -and outbursts of musketry, but on reflection I was -satisfied the Confederate general would never be rash -enough to attack the place by night, and that, after all -the rain which had fallen, he in all probability would -give horses and men a day’s rest, marching them -through the night, so as to appear before the city in the -course of to-morrow. Again and again I was interrupted -by soldiers clamouring for drink and for money, -attracted by the light in my windows; one or two irrepressible -and irresistible friends actually succeeded in -making their way into my room—just as on the night -when I was engaged in writing an account of the last -attack on the Redan my hut was stormed by visitors, -and much of my letter was penned under the apprehension -of a sharp pair of spurs fixed in the heels of a -jolly little adjutant, who, overcome by fatigue and rum-and-water, -fell asleep in my chair, with his legs cocked -up on my writing-table—but I saw the last of them<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_257"></a>[257]</span> -about midnight, and so continued writing till the -morning light began to steal through the casement. -Then came the trusty messenger, and, at 3 a.m., -when I had handed him the parcel and looked round -to see all my things were in readiness, lest a rapid -toilet might be necessary in the morning, with a sigh of -relief I plunged into bed, and slept.</p> - -<p><em>July 23rd.</em>—The morning was far advanced when -I awoke, and hearing the roll of waggons in -the street, I at first imagined the Federals were -actually about to abandon Washington itself; but on -going to the window, I perceived it arose from an -irregular train of commissariat carts, country waggons, -ambulances, and sutlers’ vans, in the centre of the -street, the paths being crowded as before with soldiers, -or rather with men in uniform, many of whom seemed -as if they had been rolling in the mud. Poor General -Mansfield was running back and forwards between his -quarters and the War Department, and in the afternoon -some efforts were made to restore order, by appointing -rendezvous to which the fragment of regiments should -repair, and by organising mounted patrols to clear the -streets. In the middle of the day I went out through -the streets, and walked down to the long bridge with -the intention of crossing, but it was literally blocked -up from end to end with a mass of waggons and ambulances -full of wounded men, whose cries of pain echoed -above the shouts of the drivers, so that I abandoned the -attempt to get across, which, indeed, would not have -been easy with any comfort, owing to the depth of mud -in the roads. To-day the aspect of Washington is -more unseemly and disgraceful, if that were possible, -than yesterday afternoon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_258"></a>[258]</span></p> - -<p>As I returned towards my lodgings a scene of -greater disorder and violence than usual attracted my -attention. A body of Confederate prisoners, marching -two and two, were with difficulty saved by their guard -from the murderous assaults of a hooting rabble, composed -of civilians and men dressed like soldiers, who -hurled all kinds of missiles they could lay their hands -upon over the heads of the guard at their victims, spattering -them with mud and filthy language. It was -very gratifying to see the way in which the dastardly -mob dispersed at the appearance of a squad of mounted -men, who charged them boldly, and escorted the prisoners -to General Mansfield. They consisted of a -picket or grand guard, which, unaware of the retreat of -their regiment from Fairfax, marched into the Federal -lines before the battle. Their just indignation was -audible enough. One of them, afterwards, told General -M‘Dowell, who hurried over as soon as he was made -aware of the disgraceful outrages to which they had -been exposed, “I would have died a hundred deaths -before I fell into these wretches’ hands, if I had known -this. Set me free for five minutes, and let any two, or -four, of them insult me when my hands are loose.”</p> - -<p>Soon afterwards a report flew about that a crowd of -soldiers were <ins class="corr" id="tn-258" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'hanging a Secesssionist'"> -hanging a Secessionist</ins>. A senator -rushed to General M‘Dowell, and told him that he had -seen the man swinging with his own eyes. Off went -the General, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ventre à terre</i>, and was considerably -relieved by finding that they were hanging merely a -dummy or effigy of Jeff. Davis, not having succeeded -in getting at the original yesterday.</p> - -<p>Poor M‘Dowell has been swiftly punished for his -defeat, or rather for the unhappy termination to his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_259"></a>[259]</span> -advance. As soon as the disaster was ascertained -beyond doubt, the President telegraphed to General -M‘Clellan to come and take command of his army. It -is a commentary full of instruction on the military -system of the Americans, that they have not a soldier -who has ever handled a brigade in the field fit for -service in the North.</p> - -<p>The new commander-in-chief is a brevet-major who has -been in civil employ on a railway for several years. He -went once, with two other West Point officers, commissioned -by Mr. Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, -to examine and report on the operations in the Crimea, -who were judiciously despatched when the war was -over, and I used to see him and his companions poking -about the ruins of the deserted trenches and batteries, -mounted on horses furnished by the courtesy of British -officers, just as they lived in English quarters, when -they were snubbed and refused an audience by the -Duke of Malakhoff in the French camp. Major -M‘Clellan forgot the affront, did not even mention it, -and showed his Christian spirit by praising the allies, -and damning John Bull with very faint applause, seasoned -with lofty censure. He was very young, however, -at the time, and is so well spoken of that his -appointment will be popular; but all that he has done -to gain such reputation and to earn the confidence of -the government, is to have had some skirmishes with -bands of Confederates in Western Virginia, in which the -leader, Garnett, was killed, his “forces” routed, and -finally, to the number of a thousand, obliged to surrender -as prisoners of war. That success, however, at -such a time is quite enough to elevate any man to the -highest command. M‘Clellan is about thirty-six years<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_260"></a>[260]</span> -of age, was educated at West Point, where he was -junior to M‘Dowell, and a class-fellow of Beauregard.</p> - -<p>I dined with M. Mercier, the French minister, -who has a prettily situated house on the heights of -Georgetown, about a mile and a-half from the city. -Lord Lyons, Mr. Monson, his private secretary, M. -Baroche, son of the French minister, who has been -exploiting the Southern states, were the only additions -to the family circle. The minister is a man -in the prime of life, of more than moderate ability, -with a rapid manner and quickness of apprehension. -Ever since I first met M. Mercier he has expressed -his conviction that the North never can succeed -in conquering the South, or even restoring the -Union, and that an attempt to do either by armed -force must end in disaster. He is the more confirmed -in his opinions by the result of Sunday’s -battle, but the inactivity of the Confederates gives -rise to the belief that they suffered seriously in the -affair. M. Baroche has arrived at the conviction, -without reference to the fate of the Federals in their -march to Richmond, that the Union is utterly gone—as -dead as the Achaian league.</p> - -<p>Whilst Madame Mercier and her friends are conversing -on much more agreeable subjects, the men -hold a tobacco council under the shade of the magnificent -trees, and France, Russia, and minor powers -talk politics, Lord Lyons alone not joining in the -nicotian controversy. Beneath us flowed the Potomac, -and on the wooded heights at the other side, the Federal -flag rose over Fort Corcoran and Arlington House, from -which the grand army had set forth a few days ago to -crush rebellion and destroy its chiefs. There, sad,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_261"></a>[261]</span> -anxious, and despairing, Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward -were at that very moment passing through the wreck of -the army, which, silent as ruin itself, took no notice of -their presence.</p> - -<p>It had been rumoured that the Confederates were -advancing, and the President and the Foreign Minister -set out in a carriage to see with their own eyes -the state of the troops. What they beheld filled -them with despair. The plateau was covered with the -men of different regiments, driven by the patrols out of -the city, or arrested in their flight at the bridges. In -Fort Corcoran the men were in utter disorder, threatening -to murder the officer of regulars who was essaying to -get them into some state of efficiency to meet the -advancing enemy. He had menaced one of the officers -of the 69th with death for flat disobedience to orders; -the men had taken the part of their captain; and the -President drove into the work just in time to witness -the confusion. The soldiers with loud cries demanded -that the officer should be punished, and the President -asked him why he had used such violent language -towards his subordinate. “I told him, Mr. President, -that if he refused to obey my orders I would shoot -him on the spot; and I here repeat it, sir, that if I -remain in command here, and he or any other man -refuses to obey my orders, I’ll shoot him on the spot.”</p> - -<p>The firmness of Sherman’s language and demeanour -in presence of the chief of the State overawed the -mutineers, and they proceeded to put the work in some -kind of order to resist the enemy.</p> - -<p>Mr. Seward was deeply impressed by the scene, and -retired with the President to consult as to the best -course to pursue, in some dejection, but they were<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_262"></a>[262]</span> -rather comforted by the telegrams from all parts of the -North, which proved that, though disappointed and -surprised, the people were not disheartened or ready to -relinquish the contest.</p> - -<p>The accounts of the battle in the principal journals -are curiously inaccurate and absurd. The writers have -now recovered themselves. At first they yielded to the -pressure of facts and to the accounts of their correspondents. -They admitted the repulse, the losses, -the disastrous retreat, the loss of guns, in strange -contrast to their prophecies and wondrous hyperboles -about the hyperbolic grand army. Now they set themselves -to stem the current they have made. Let any -one read the New York journals for the last week, if -he wishes to frame an indictment against such journalism -as the people delight to honour in America.</p> - -<p><em>July 24th.</em>—I rode out before breakfast in company -with Mr. Monson across the Long Bridge over to -Arlington House. General M‘Dowell was seated at -a table under a tree in front of his tent, and got out -his plans and maps to explain the scheme of battle.</p> - -<p>Cast down from his high estate, placed as a subordinate -to his junior, covered with obloquy and abuse, the -American General displayed a calm self-possession and -perfect amiability which could only proceed from a philosophic -temperament and a consciousness that he would -outlive the calumnies of his countrymen. He accused -nobody; but it was not difficult to perceive he had -been sacrificed to the vanity, self-seeking, and disobedience -of some of his officers, and to radical vices in -the composition of his army.</p> - -<p>When M‘Dowell found he could not turn the enemy’s -right as he intended, because the country by the Occoquan<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_263"></a>[263]</span> -was unfit for the movements of artillery, or even -infantry, he reconnoitred the ground towards their left, -and formed the project of turning it by a movement -which would bring the weight of his columns on their -extreme left, and at the same time overlap it, whilst a -strong demonstration was made on the ford at Bull’s -Run, where General Tyler brought on the serious -skirmish of the 18th. In order to carry out this plan, -he had to debouch his columns from a narrow point at -Centreville, and march them round by various roads to -points on the upper part of the Run, where it was -fordable in all directions, intending to turn the enemy’s -batteries on the lower roads and bridges. But although -he started them at an early hour, the troops moved -so slowly the Confederates became aware of their design, -and were enabled to concentrate considerable masses of -troops on their left.</p> - -<p>The Federals were not only slow, but disorderly. -The regiments in advance stopped at streams to -drink and fill their canteens, delaying the regiments -in the rear. They wasted their provisions, so that -many of them were without food at noon, when -they were exhausted by the heat of the sun and -by the stifling vapours of their own dense columns. -When they at last came into action some divisions -were not in their places, so that the line of battle -was broken; and those which were in their proper -position were exposed, without support, to the enemy’s -fire. A delusion of masked batteries pressed on -their brain. To this was soon added a hallucination -about cavalry, which might have been cured had the -Federals possessed a few steady squadrons to manœuvre -on their flanks and in the intervals of their line.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_264"></a>[264]</span> -Nevertheless, they advanced and encountered the -enemy’s fire with some spirit; but the Confederates -were enabled to move up fresh battalions, and to a -certain extent to establish an equality between the -numbers of their own troops and the assailants, whilst -they had the advantages of better cover and ground. -An apparition of a disorderly crowd of horsemen -in front of the much-boasting Fire Zouaves of New -York threw them into confusion and flight, and a -battery which they ought to have protected was taken. -Another battery was captured by the mistake of an -officer, who allowed a Confederate regiment to approach -the guns, thinking they were Federal troops, till their -first volley destroyed both horses and gunners. At the -critical moment, General Johnston, who had escaped -from the feeble observation and untenacious grip of -General Patterson and his time-expired volunteers, and -had been hurrying down his troops from Winchester -by train, threw his fresh battalions on the flank and -rear of the Federal right. When the General ordered -a retreat, rendered necessary by the failure of the attack—disorder -spread, which increased—the retreat became -a flight which degenerated—if a flight can degenerate—into -a panic, the moment the Confederates pressed them -with a few cavalry and horse artillery. The efforts of -the Generals to restore order and confidence were futile. -Fortunately a weak reserve was posted at Centreville, -and these were formed in line on the slope of the hill, -whilst M‘Dowell and his officers exerted themselves -with indifferent success to arrest the mass of the army, -and make them draw up behind the reserve, telling the -men a bold front was their sole chance of safety. At -midnight it became evident the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morale</i> of the army<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_265"></a>[265]</span> -was destroyed, and nothing was left but a speedy retrograde -movement, with the few regiments and guns -which were in a condition approaching to efficiency, -upon the defensive works of Washington.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the reverse of fortune, M‘Dowell -did not appear willing to admit his estimate of the -Southern troops was erroneous, or to say “Change -armies, and I’ll fight the battle over again.” He still -held Mississippians, Alabamians, Louisianians, very -cheap, and did not see, or would not confess, the full -extent of the calamity which had fallen so heavily on -him personally. The fact of the evening’s inactivity -was conclusive in his mind that they had a dearly -bought success, and he looked forward, though in a -subordinate capacity, to a speedy and glorious revenge.</p> - -<p><em>July 25th.</em>—The unfortunate General Patterson, who -could not keep Johnston from getting away from Winchester, -is to be dismissed the service—honourably, of -course—that is, he is to be punished because his men -would insist on going home in face of the enemy, as -soon as their three months were up, and that time -happened to arrive just as it would be desirable to -operate against the Confederates. The latter have lost -their chance. The Senate, the House of Representatives, -the Cabinet, the President, are all at their ease -once more, and feel secure in Washington. Up to this -moment the Confederates could have taken it with very -little trouble. Maryland could have been roused to -arms, and Baltimore would have declared for them. -The triumph of the non-aggressionists, at the head of -whom is Mr. Davis, in resisting the demands of the -party which urges an actual invasion of the North as -the best way of obtaining peace, may prove to be very<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_266"></a>[266]</span> -disastrous. Final material results must have justified -the occupation of Washington.</p> - -<p>I dined at the Legation, where were Mr. Sumner -and some English visitors desirous of going South. -Lord Lyons gives no encouragement to these adventurous -persons.</p> - -<p><em>July 26th.</em>—Whether it is from curiosity to hear what -I have to say or not, the number of my visitors is -augmenting. Among them was a man in soldier’s -uniform, who sauntered into my room to borrow “five -or ten dollars,” on the ground that he was a waiter at -the Clarendon Hotel when I was stopping there, and -wanted to go North, as his time was up. His anecdotes -were stupendous. General Meigs and Captain Macomb, -of the United States Engineers, paid me a visit, and -talked of the disaster very sensibly. The former is an -able officer, and an accomplished man—the latter, son, -I believe, of the American general of that name, distinguished -in the war with Great Britain. I had a long -conversation with General M‘Dowell, who bears his -supercession with admirable fortitude, and complains -of nothing, except the failure of his officers to obey -orders, and the hard fate which condemned him to lead -an army of volunteers—Captain Wright, aide-de-camp -to General Scott, Lieutenant Wise, of the Navy, and -many others. The communications received from the -Northern States have restored the spirits of all Union -men, and not a few declare they are glad of the reverse, -as the North will now be obliged to put forth all its -strength.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_267"></a>[267]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI. <span class="hidden">Attack of Illness</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Attack of Illness—General M‘Clellan—Reception at the White <ins class="corr" id="tn-267" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'House--Drunkeness'"> -House—Drunkenness</ins> -among the Volunteers—Visit from Mr. Olmsted—Georgetown—Intense -Heat—M‘Clellan and the Newspapers—Reception -at Mr. Seward’s—Alexandria—A Storm—Sudden Death -of an English Officer—The Maryland Club—A Prayer and Fast -Day—Financial Difficulties.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>July 27th.</em>—So ill to-day from heat, bad smells in -the house, and fatigue, that I sent for Dr. Miller, a -great, fine Virginian practitioner, who ordered me -powders to be taken in “mint juleps.” Now mint -juleps are made of whiskey, sugar, ice, very little water, -and sprigs of fresh mint, to be sucked up after the -manner of sherry cobblers, if so it be pleased, with a -straw.</p> - -<p>“A powder every two hours, with a mint julep. Why, -that’s six a day, Doctor. Won’t that be—eh?—won’t -that be rather intoxicating?”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, that depends on the constitution. You’ll -find they will do you no harm, even if the worst takes -place.”</p> - -<p>Day after day, till the month was over and August -had come, I passed in a state of powder and julep, -which the Virginian doctor declared saved my life. -The first time I stirred out the change which had taken -place in the streets was at once apparent: no drunken<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_268"></a>[268]</span> -rabblement of armed men, no begging soldiers—instead -of these were patrols in the streets, guards at the -corners, and a rigid system of passes. The North begin -to perceive their magnificent armies are mythical, but -knowing they have the elements of making one, they -are setting about the manufacture. Numbers of tapsters -and serving men, and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">canaille</i> from the cities, who now -disgrace swords and shoulder-straps, are to be dismissed. -Round the corner, with a kind of staff at his heels and -an escort, comes Major General George B. M‘Clellan, -the young Napoleon (of Western Virginia), the conqueror -of Garnet, the captor of Peagrim, the commander-in-chief, -under the President, of the army of -the United States. He is a very squarely-built, thick-throated, -broad-chested man, under the middle height, -with slightly bowed legs, a tendency to <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">embonpoint</i>. -His head, covered with a closely cut crop of dark -auburn hair, is well set on his shoulders. His features -are regular and prepossessing—the brow small, contracted, -and furrowed; the eyes deep and anxious-looking. -A short, thick, reddish moustache conceals -his mouth; the rest of his face is clean shaven. He -has made his father-in-law, Major Marcy, chief of his -staff, and is a good deal influenced by his opinions, -which are entitled to some weight, as Major Marcy is -a soldier, and has seen frontier wars, and is a great -traveller. The task of licking this army into shape is -of Herculean magnitude. Every one, however, is willing -to do as he bids: the President confides in him, -and “Georges” him; the press fawn upon him, the -people trust him; he is “the little corporal” of unfought -fields—<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">omnis ignotus pro mirifico</i>, here. He -looks like a stout little captain of dragoons, but for his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_269"></a>[269]</span> -American seat and saddle. The latter is adapted to a -man who cannot ride: if a squadron so mounted were -to attempt a fence or ditch half of them would be ruptured -or spilled. The seat is a marvel to any European. -But M‘Clellan is nevertheless “the man on horseback” -just now, and the Americans must ride in his saddle, -or in anything he likes.</p> - -<p>In the evening of my first day’s release from -juleps the President held a reception or levée, and -I went to the White House about nine o’clock, when -the rooms were at their fullest. The company were -arriving on foot, or crammed in hackney coaches, -and did not affect any neatness of attire or evening -dress. The doors were open: any one could walk -in who chose. Private soldiers, in hodden grey and -hob-nailed shoes, stood timorously chewing on the -threshold of the state apartments, alarmed at the lights -and gilding, or, haply, by the marabout feathers and -finery of a few ladies who were in ball costume, till, -assured by fellow-citizens there was nothing to fear, -they plunged into the dreadful revelry. Faces familiar -to me in the magazines of the town were visible in the -crowd which filled the reception-rooms and the ballroom, -in a small room off which a military band was -stationed.</p> - -<p>The President, in a suit of black, stood near -the door of one of the rooms near the hall, and -shook hands with every one of the crowd, who was -then “passed” on by his secretary, if the President -didn’t wish to speak to him. Mr. Lincoln has -recovered his spirits, and seemed in good humour. -Mrs. Lincoln, who did the honours in another room, -surrounded by a few ladies, did not appear to be quite<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_270"></a>[270]</span> -so contented. All the ministers are present except Mr. -Seward, who has gone to his own state to ascertain the -frame of mind of the people, and to judge for himself -of the sentiments they entertain respecting the war. -After walking up and down the hot and crowded rooms -for an hour, and seeing and speaking to all the celebrities, -I withdrew. Colonel Richardson in his official -report states Colonel Miles lost the battle of Bull Run -by being drunk and disorderly at a critical moment. -Colonel Miles, who commanded a division of three -brigades, writes to say he was not in any such state, -and has demanded a court of inquiry. In a Philadelphia -paper it is stated M‘Dowell was helplessly drunk -during the action, and sat up all the night before -drinking, smoking, and playing cards. M‘Dowell never -drinks, and never has drunk, wine, spirits, malt, tea, -or coffee, or smoked or used tobacco in any form, nor -does he play cards; and that remark does not apply to -many other Federal officers.</p> - -<p>Drunkenness is only too common among the American -volunteers, and General Butler has put it officially in -orders, that “the use of intoxicating liquors prevails to -an alarming extent among the officers of his command,” -and has ordered the seizure of their grog, which -will only be allowed on medical certificate. He announces, -too, that he will not use wine or spirits, or -give any to his friends, or allow any in his own quarters -in future—a quaint, vigorous creature, this Massachusetts -lawyer.</p> - -<p>The outcry against Patterson has not yet subsided, -though he states that, out of twenty-three regiments -composing his force, nineteen refused to stay an hour -over their time, which would have been up in a week,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_271"></a>[271]</span> -so that he would have been left in an enemy’s country -with four regiments. He wisely led his patriot band -back, and let them disband themselves in their own -borders. Verily, these are not the men to conquer the -South.</p> - -<p>Fresh volunteers are pouring in by tens of thousands -to take their places from all parts of the Union, and in -three days after the battle, 80,000 men were accepted. -Strange people! The regiments which have returned -to New York after disgraceful conduct at Bull Run, -with the stigmata of cowardice impressed by their commanding -officers on the colours and souls of their corps, -are actually welcomed with the utmost enthusiasm, and -receive popular ovations! It becomes obvious every -day that M‘Clellan does not intend to advance till he -has got some semblance of an army: that will be a -long time to come; but he can get a good deal of -fighting out of them in a few months. Meantime the -whole of the Northern states are waiting anxiously for -the advance which is to take place at once, according -to promises from New York. As Washington is the -principal scene of interest, the South being tabooed -to me, I have resolved to stay here till the army is -fit to move, making little excursions to points of -interest. The details in my diary are not very interesting, -and I shall make but brief extracts.</p> - -<p><em>August 2nd.</em>—Mr. Olmsted visited me, in company -with a young gentleman named Ritchie, son-in-law of -James Wadsworth, who has been serving as honorary -aide-de-camp on M‘Dowell’s staff, but is now called to -higher functions. They dined at my lodgings, and we -talked over Bull Run again. Mr. Ritchie did not -leave Centreville till late in the evening, and slept at<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_272"></a>[272]</span> -Fairfax Court House, where he remained till 8.30 a.m. -on the morning of July 22nd, Wadsworth not stirring -for two hours later. He said the panic was “horrible, -disgusting, sickening,” and spoke in the harshest terms -of the officers, to whom he applied a variety of epithets. -Prince Napoleon has arrived.</p> - -<p><em>August 3rd.</em>—M‘Clellan orders regular parades and -drills in every regiment, and insists on all orders being -given by bugle note. I had a long ride through the -camps, and saw some improvement in the look of the -men. Coming home by Georgetown, met the Prince -driving with M. Mercier, to pay a visit to the President. -I am sure that the politicians are not quite well -pleased with this arrival, because they do not understand -it, and cannot imagine a man would come so -far without a purpose. The drunken soldiers now -resort to quiet lanes and courts in the suburbs. -Georgetown was full of them. It is a much more -respectable and old-world looking place than its vulgar, -empty, overgrown, mushroom neighbour, Washington. -An officer who had fallen in his men to go on duty -was walking down the line this evening when his eye -rested on the neck of a bottle sticking out of a man’s -coat. “Thunder,” quoth he, “James, what have you got -there?” “Well, I guess, captain, it’s a drop of real -good Bourbon.” “Then let us have a drink,” said the -captain; and thereupon proceeded to take a long pull -and a strong pull, till the man cried out, “That is not -fair, Captain. You won’t leave me a drop”—a remonstrance -which had a proper effect, and the captain -marched down his company to the bridge.</p> - -<p>It was extremely hot when I returned, late in the -evening. I asked the boy for a glass of iced water.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_273"></a>[273]</span> -“Dere is no ice, massa,” he said. “No ice? What’s -the reason of that?” “De Sechessers, massa, block -up de river, and touch off deir guns at de ice-boats.” -The Confederates on the right bank of the Potomac -have now established a close blockade of the river. Lieutenant -Wise, of the Navy Department, admitted the -fact, but said that the United States gunboats would -soon sweep the rebels from the shore.</p> - -<p><em>August 4th.</em>—I had no idea that the sun could -be powerful in Washington; even in India the heat -is not much more oppressive than it was here to-day. -There is this extenuating circumstance, however, that -after some hours of such very high temperature, -thunder-storms and tornadoes cool the air. I received -a message from General M‘Clellan, that he -was about to ride along the lines of the army -across the river, and would be happy if I accompanied -him; but as I had many letters to write for the -next mail, I was unwillingly obliged to abandon the -chance of seeing the army under such favourable circumstances. -There are daily arrivals at Washington -of military adventurers from all parts of the world, -some of them with many extraordinary certificates and -qualifications; but, as Mr. Seward says, “It is best to -detain them with the hope of employment on the -Northern side, lest some really good man should get -among the rebels.” Garibaldians, Hungarians, Poles, -officers of Turkish and other contingents, the executory -devises and remainders of European revolutions and -wars, surround the State department, and infest -unsuspecting politicians with illegible testimonials in -unknown tongues.</p> - -<p><em>August 5th.</em>—The roads from the station are<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_274"></a>[274]</span> -crowded with troops, coming from the North as fast -as the railway can carry them. It is evident, as the -war fever spreads, that such politicians as Mr. Crittenden, -who resist the extreme violence of the Republican party, -will be stricken down. The Confiscation Bill, for the -emancipation of slaves and the absorption of property -belonging to rebels, has, indeed, been boldly -resisted in the House of Representatives; but it -passed with some trifling amendments. The journals -are still busy with the affair of Bull Run, and each -seems anxious to eclipse the other in the absurdity -of its statements. A Philadelphia journal, for instance, -states to-day that the real cause of the disaster was not -a desire to retreat, but a mania to advance. In its own -words, “the only drawback was the impetuous feeling -to go a-head and fight.” Because one officer is accused -of drunkenness a great movement is on foot to prevent -the army getting any drink at all.</p> - -<p>General M‘Clellan invited the newspaper correspondents -in Washington to meet him to-day, and with their -assent drew up a treaty of peace and amity, which is a -curiosity in its way. In the first place, the editors are -to abstain from printing anything which can give aid -or comfort to the enemy, and their correspondents are -to observe equal caution; in return for which complaisance, -Government is to be asked to give the press -opportunities for obtaining and transmitting intelligence -suitable for publication, particularly touching -engagements with the enemy. The Confederate privateer -Sumter has forced the blockade at New Orleans, -and has already been heard of destroying a number of -Union vessels.</p> - -<p><em>August 6th.</em>—Prince Napoleon, anxious to visit the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_275"></a>[275]</span> -battle-field at Bull Run, has, to Mr. Seward’s discomfiture, -applied for passes, and arrangements are being -made to escort him as far as the Confederate lines. -This is a recognition of the Confederates, as a belligerent -power, which is by no means agreeable to the authorities. -I drove down to the Senate, where the proceedings -were very uninteresting, although Congress -was on the eve of adjournment, and returning visited -Mr. Seward, Mr. Bates, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Blair, and -left cards for Mr. Brekinridge. The old woman who -opened the door at the house where the latter lodged -said, “Massa Brekinridge pack up all his boxes; I -s’pose he not cum back here again.”</p> - -<p><em>August 7th.</em>—In the evening I went to Mr. Seward’s, -who gave a reception in honour of Prince Napoleon. -The Minister’s rooms were crowded and intensely hot. -Lord Lyons and most of the diplomatic circle were -present. The Prince wore his Order of the Bath, and -bore the onslaughts of politicians, male and female, with -much good humour. The contrast between the uniforms -of the officers of the United States army and -navy and those of the French in the Prince’s suit, by -no means redounded to the credit of the military -tailoring of the Americans. The Prince, to whom I -was presented by Mr. Seward, asked me particularly -about the roads from Alexandria to Fairfax Court-house, -and from there to Centreville and Manassas. -I told him I had not got quite as far as the latter -place, at which he laughed. He inquired with much -interest about General Beauregard, whether he spoke -good French, if he seemed a man of capacity, or was -the creation of an accident and of circumstances. -He has been to Mount Vernon, and is struck<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_276"></a>[276]</span> -with the air of neglect around the place. Two -of his horses dropped dead from the heat on the -journey, and the Prince, who was perspiring profusely -in the crowded room, asked me whether the climate -was not as bad as midsummer in India. His manner -was perfectly easy, but he gave no encouragement -to bores, nor did he court popularity by unusual -affability, and he moved off long before the guests were -tired of looking at him. On returning to my rooms -a German gentleman named Bing—who went out with -the Federal army from Washington, was taken prisoner -at Bull’s Run, and carried to Richmond—came to visit -me, but his account of what he saw in the dark and -mysterious South was not lucid or interesting.</p> - -<p><em>August 8th.</em>—I had arranged to go with Mr. -Olmsted and Mr. Ritchie to visit the hospitals, but -the heat was so intolerable, we abandoned the idea -till the afternoon, when we drove across the long -bridge and proceeded to Alexandria. The town, -which is now fully occupied by military, and is -abandoned by the respectable inhabitants, has an air, -owing to the absence of women and children, which -tells the tale of a hostile occupation. In a large -building, which had once been a school, the wounded -of Bull Run were lying, not uncomfortably packed, nor -unskilfully cared for, and the arrangements were, taken -altogether, creditable to the skill and humanity of the -surgeons. Close at hand was the church in which -George Washington was wont in latter days to pray, -when he drove over from Mount Vernon—further on, -Marshal House, where Ellsworth was shot by the -Virginian landlord, and was so speedily avenged. A -strange strain of thought was suggested, by the rapid<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_277"></a>[277]</span> -grouping of incongruous ideas, arising out of the -proximity of these scenes. As one of my friends -said, “I wonder what Washington would do if he -were here now—and how he would act if he were -summoned from that church to Marshall House or to -this hospital?” The man who uttered these words was -not either of my companions, but wore the shoulder-straps -of a Union officer. “Stranger still,” said I, -“would it be to speculate on the thoughts and actions -of Napoleon in this crisis, if he were to wake up and -see a Prince of his blood escorted by Federal soldiers -to the spot where the troops of the Southern States -had inflicted on them a signal defeat, in a land where -the nephew who now sits on the throne of France has -been an exile.” It is not quite certain that many Americans -understand who Prince Napoleon is, for one of -the troopers belonging to the escort which took him -out from Alexandria declared positively he had ridden -with the Emperor. The excursion is swallowed, -but not well-digested. In Washington the only news -to-night is, that a small privateer from Charleston, mistaking -the St. Lawrence for a merchant vessel, fired -into her and was at once sent to Mr. Davy Jones by a -rattling broadside. Congress having adjourned, there -is but little to render Washington less uninteresting -than it must be in its normal state.</p> - -<p>The truculent and overbearing spirit which arises -from the uncontroverted action of democratic majorities -<ins class="corr" id="tn-277" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'developes itself in'"> -develops itself in</ins> the North, where they have taken to -burning newspaper offices and destroying all the property -belonging to the proprietors and editors. These -actions are a strange commentary on Mr. Seward’s -declaration “that no volunteers are to be refused<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_278"></a>[278]</span> -because they do not speak English, inasmuch as the -contest for the Union is a battle of the free men of the -world for the institutions of self-government.”</p> - -<p><em>August 11th.</em>—On the old Indian principle, I rode -out this morning very early, and was rewarded by a -breath of cold, fresh air, and by the sight, of some very -disorderly regiments just turning out to parade in the -camps; but I was not particularly gratified by being -mistaken for Prince Napoleon by some Irish recruits, -who shouted out, “Bonaparte for ever,” and gradually -subsided into requests for “something to drink your -Royal Highness’s health with.” As I returned I saw -on the steps of General Mansfield’s quarters, a tall, -soldierly-looking young man, whose breast was covered -with Crimean ribbons and medals, and I recognised -him as one who had called upon me a few days before, -renewing our slight acquaintance before Sebastopol, -where his courage was conspicuous, to ask me for -information respecting the mode of obtaining a commission -in the Federal army.</p> - -<p>Towards mid-day an ebony sheet of clouds swept -over the city. I went out, regardless of the threatening -storm, to avail myself of the coolness to -make a few visits; but soon a violent wind arose -bearing clouds like those of an Indian dust-storm down -the streets. The black sheet overhead became agitated -like the sea, and tossed about grey clouds, which careered -against each other and burst into lightning; -then suddenly, without other warning, down came -the rain—a perfect tornado; sheets of water flooding -the streets in a moment, turning the bed into water-courses -and the channels into deep rivers. I waded up -the centre of Pennsylvania Avenue, past the President’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_279"></a>[279]</span> -house, in a current which would have made a respectable -trout stream; and on getting opposite my own door, -made a rush for the porch, but forgetting the deep -channel at the side, stepped into a rivulet which was -literally above my hips, and I was carried off my legs, till -I succeeded in catching the kerbstone, and escaped into -the hall as if I had just swum across the Potomac.</p> - -<p>On returning from my ride next morning, I took up -the Baltimore paper, and saw a paragraph announcing -the death of an English officer at the station; it was -the poor fellow whom I saw sitting at General Mansfield’s -steps yesterday. The consul was absent on a -short tour rendered necessary by the failure of his -health consequent on the discharge of his duties. -Finding the Legation were anxious to see due care -taken of the poor fellow’s remains, I left for Baltimore -at a quarter to three o’clock, and proceeded -to inquire into the circumstances connected with his -death. He had been struck down at the station by -some cerebral attack, brought on by the heat and -excitement; had been carried to the police station and -placed upon a bench, from which he had fallen with his -head downwards, and was found in that position, with -life quite extinct, by a casual visitor. My astonishment -may be conceived when I learned that not only had the -Coroner’s inquest sat and returned its verdict, but that -the man had absolutely been buried the same morning, -and so my mission was over, and I could only report -what had occurred to Washington. Little value -indeed has human life in this new world, to which -the old gives vital power so lavishly, that it is regarded -as almost worthless. I have seen more “fuss” -made over an old woman killed by a cab in London<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_280"></a>[280]</span> -than there is over half a dozen deaths with suspicion -of murder attached in New Orleans or New York.</p> - -<p>I remained in Baltimore a few days, and had an opportunity -of knowing the feelings of some of the leading men -in the place. It may be described in one word—intense -hatred of New England and black republicans, which -has been increased to mania by the stringent measures -of the military dictator of the American Warsaw, the -searches of private houses, domiciliary visits, arbitrary -arrests, the suppression of adverse journals, the overthrow -of the corporate body—all the acts, in fact, -which constitute the machinery and the grievances of -a tyranny. When I spoke of the brutal indifference of -the police to the poor officer previously mentioned, the -Baltimoreans told me the constables appointed by the -Federal general were scoundrels who led the Plug -Uglies in former days—the worst characters in a city -not sweet or savoury in repute—but that the old -police were men of very different description. The -Maryland Club, where I had spent some pleasant hours, -was now like a secret tribunal or the haunt of conspirators. -The police entered it a few days ago, searched -every room, took up the flooring, and even turned up the -coals in the kitchen and the wine in the cellar. Such -indignities fired the blood of the members, who are, -with one exception, opposed to the attempt to coerce -the South by the sword. Not one of them but could -tell of some outrage perpetrated on himself or on some -members of his family by the police and Federal -authority. Many a <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">delator amici</i> was suspected but not -convicted. Men sat moodily reading the papers with -knitted brows, or whispering in corners, taking each -other apart, and glancing suspiciously at their fellows.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_281"></a>[281]</span></p> - -<p>There is a peculiar stamp about the Baltimore men -which distinguishes them from most Americans—a -style of dress, frankness of manner, and a general -appearance assimilating them closely to the upper -classes of Englishmen. They are fond of sport and -travel, exclusive and high-spirited, and the iron rule of -the Yankee is the more intolerable because they dare -not resent it, and are unable to shake it off.</p> - -<p>I returned to Washington on 15th August. Nothing -changed; skirmishes along the front; M‘Clellan reviewing. -The loss of General Lyon, who was killed -in an action with the Confederates under Ben McCullough, -at Wilson’s Creek, Springfield, Missouri, in -which the Unionists were with difficulty extricated -by General Sigel from a very dangerous position, -after the death of their leader, is severely felt. -He was one of the very few officers who combined -military skill and personal bravery with political sagacity -and moral firmness. The President has issued -his proclamation for a day of fast and prayer, which, -say the Baltimoreans, is a sign that the Yankees are in -a bad way, as they would never think of praying or -fasting if their cause was prospering. The stories -which have been so sedulously spread, and which never -will be quite discredited, of the barbarity and cruelty of -the Confederates to all the wounded, ought to be set at -rest by the printed statement of the eleven Union -surgeons just released, who have come back from Richmond, -where they were sent after their capture on the -field of Bull Run, with the most distinct testimony -that the Confederates treated their prisoners with -humanity. Who are the miscreants who tried to -make the evil feeling, quite strong enough as it is,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_282"></a>[282]</span> -perfectly fiendish, by asserting the rebels burned the -wounded in hospitals, and bayoneted them as they lay -helpless on the field?</p> - -<p>The pecuniary difficulties of the Government have -been alleviated by the bankers of New York, Philadelphia, -and Boston, who have agreed to lend them -fifty millions of dollars, on condition that they receive -the Treasury notes which Mr. Chase is about to issue. -As we read the papers and hear the news, it is difficult -to believe that the foundations of society are not melting -away in the heat of this conflict. Thus, a Federal judge, -named Garrison, who has issued his writ of habeas corpus -for certain prisoners in Fort Lafayette, being quietly -snuffed out by the commandant, Colonel Burke, desires -to lead an army against the fort and have a little civil war -of his own in New York. He applies to the commander -of the county militia, who informs Garrison he can’t get -into the fort as there was no artillery strong enough to -breach the walls, and that it would require 10,000 men -to invest it, whereas only 1400 militiamen were available. -What a farceur Judge Garrison must be! In addition -to the gutting and burning of newspaper offices, and -the exercitation of the editors on rails, the republican -grand juries have taken to indicting the -democratic journals, and Fremont’s provost marshal -in St. Louis has, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">proprio motu</i>, suppressed those which -he considers disaffected. A mutiny which broke out -in the Scotch Regiment 79th N. Y. has been followed -by another in the 2nd Maine Regiment, and a -display of cannon and of cavalry was required to induce -them to allow the ringleaders to be arrested. The -President was greatly alarmed, but M‘Clellan acted -with some vigour, and the refractory volunteers are to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_283"></a>[283]</span> -<ins class="corr" id="tn-283" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'be seat off'"> -be sent off</ins> to a pleasant station called the “Dry -Tortugas” to work on the fortifications.</p> - -<p>Mr. Seward, with whom I dined and spent the -evening on 16th August, has been much reassured -and comforted by the demonstrations of readiness -on the part of the people to continue the contest, -and of confidence in the cause among the moneyed -men of the great cities. “All we want is <ins class="corr" id="tn-283a" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'time to develope'"> -time to develop</ins> our strength. We have been blamed for not -making greater use of our navy and extending it at -once. It was our first duty to provide for the safety -of our capital. Besides, a man will generally pay little -attention to agencies he does not understand. None -of us knew anything about a navy. I doubt if the -President ever saw anything more formidable than a -river steamboat, and I don’t think Mr. Welles, the -Secretary of the Navy, knew the stem from the stern -of a ship. Of the whole Cabinet, I am the only -member who ever was <em>fairly</em> at sea or crossed the -Atlantic. Some of us never even saw it. No wonder -we did not understand the necessity for creating a navy -at once. Soon, however, our Government will be able -to dispose of a respectable marine, and when our army -is ready to move, co-operating with the fleet, the days -of the rebellion are numbered.”</p> - -<p>“When will that be, Mr. Secretary?”</p> - -<p>“Soon; very soon, I hope. We can, however, bear -delays. The rebels will be ruined by it.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_284"></a>[284]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII. <span class="hidden">Return to Baltimore</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Return to Baltimore—Colonel Carroll—A Priest’s view of the Abolition -of Slavery—Slavery in Maryland—Harper’s Ferry—John -Brown—Back by train to Washington—Further accounts of -Bull Run—American Vanity—My own unpopularity for speaking -the truth—Killing a “Nigger” no murder—Navy Department.</p> -</div> - - -<p>On the 17th August I returned to Baltimore on my -way to Drohoregan Manor, the seat of Colonel Carroll, -in Maryland, where I had been invited to spend a -few days by his son-in-law, an English gentleman -of my acquaintance. Leaving Baltimore at 5.40 p.m., -in company with Mr. Tucker Carroll, I proceeded -by train to Ellicott’s Mills, a station fourteen miles -on the Ohio and Baltimore railroad, from which -our host’s residence is distant more than an hour’s -drive. The country through which the line passes -is picturesque and undulating, with hills and valleys -and brawling streams, spreading in woodland and -glade, ravine, and high uplands on either side, haunted -by cotton factories, poisoning air and water; but it -has been a formidable district for the engineers to get -through, and the line abounds in those triumphs -of engineering which are generally the ruin of shareholders.</p> - -<p>All these lines are now in the hands of the -military. At the Washington terminus there is a -guard placed to see that no unauthorised person or<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_285"></a>[285]</span> -unwilling volunteer is going north; the line is watched -by patrols and sentries; troops are encamped along its -course. The factory chimneys are smokeless; half the -pleasant villas which cover the hills or dot the openings -in the forest have a deserted look and closed windows. -And so these great works, the Carrolton viaduct, the -Thomas viaduct, and the high embankments and -great cuttings in the ravine by the river side, over -which the line passes, have almost a depressing -effect, as if the people for whose use they were intended -had all become extinct. At Ellicott’s Mills, which -is a considerable manufacturing town, more soldiers -and Union flags. The people are Unionists, but the -neighbouring gentry and country people are Seceshers.</p> - -<p>This is the case wherever there is a manufacturing -population in Maryland, because the workmen -are generally foreigners, or have come from the -Northern States, and feel little sympathy with States -rights’ doctrines, and the tendencies of the landed -gentry to a Conservative action on the slave question. -There was no good-will in the eyes of the mechanicals -as they stared at our vehicle; for the political bias of -Colonel Carroll was well known, as well as the general -sentiments of his family. It was dark when we reached -the manor, which is approached by an avenue of fine trees. -The house is old-fashioned, and has received additions -from time to time. But for the black faces of the -domestics, one might easily fancy he was in some old -country house in Ireland. The family have adhered -to their ancient faith. The founder of the Carrolls -in Maryland came over with the Catholic colonists -led by Lord Baltimore, or by his brother, Leonard -Calvert, and the colonel possesses some interesting<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_286"></a>[286]</span> -deeds of grant and conveyance of the vast estates, -which have been diminished by large sales year after -year, but still spread over a considerable part of several -counties in the State.</p> - -<p>Colonel Carroll is an immediate descendant of -one of the leaders in the revolution of 1776, and -he pointed out to me the room in which Carroll, -of Carrolton, and George Washington, were wont -to meet when they were concocting their splendid -treason. One of his connections married the late -Marquis Wellesley, and the colonel takes pleasure -in setting forth how the daughter of the Irish recusant, -who fled from his native country all but an -outlaw, sat on the throne of the Queen of Ireland, or, -in other words, held court in Dublin Castle as wife -of the Viceroy. Drohoregan is supposed to mean -“Hall of the Kings,” and is called after an old place -belonging, some time or other, to the family, the early -history of which, as set forth in the Celtic authorities -and Irish antiquarian works, possesses great attractions -for the kindly, genial old man—kindly and genial to -all but the Abolitionists and black republicans; nor is -he indifferent to the reputation of the State in the -Revolutionary War, where the “Maryland line” seems -to have differed from many of the contingents of the -other States in not running away so often at critical -moments in the serious actions. Colonel Carroll has -sound arguments to prove the sovereign independence -and right of every State in the Union, derived from family -teaching and the lessons of those who founded the Constitution -itself.</p> - -<p>On the day after my arrival the rain fell in torrents. -The weather is as uncertain as that of our own isle. The<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_287"></a>[287]</span> -torrid heats at Washington, the other day, were succeeded -by bitter cold days; now there is a dense mist, -chilly and cheerless, seeming as a sort of strainer -for the even down pour that falls through it continuously. -The family after breakfast slipped round to -the little chapel which forms the extremity of one -wing of the house. The coloured people on the estate -were already trooping across the lawn and up the -avenue from the slave quarters, decently dressed for -the most part, having due allowance for the extraordinary -choice of colours in their gowns, bonnets, and -ribbons, and for the unhappy imitations, on the part -of the men, of the attire of their masters. They walked -demurely and quietly past the house, and presently the -priest, dressed like a French curé, trotted up, and service -began. The negro houses were of a much better -and more substantial character than those one sees in the -south, though not remarkable for cleanliness and good -order. Truth to say, they were palaces compared to -the huts of Irish labourers, such as might be found, -perhaps, on the estates of the colonel’s kinsmen at -home. The negroes are far more independent than -they are in the south. They are less civil, less obliging, -and, although they do not come cringing to shake -hands as the field hands on a Louisianian plantation, -less servile. They inhabit a small village of brick -and wood houses, across the road at the end of -the avenue, and in sight of the house. The usual -swarms of little children, poultry, pigs, enlivened -by goats, embarrassed the steps of the visitor, and -the old people, or those who were not finely dressed -enough for mass, peered out at the strangers from -the glassless windows.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_288"></a>[288]</span></p> - -<p>When chapel was over, the boys and girls came up for -catechism, and passed in review before the ladies of the -house, with whom they were on very good terms. -The priest joined us in the verandah when his labours -were over, and talked with intelligence of the terrible -war which has burst over the land. He has just -returned from a tour in the Northern States, and it is -his belief the native Americans there will not enlist, -but that they will get foreigners to fight their battles. -He admitted that slavery was in itself an evil, nay, -more, that it was not profitable in Maryland. But -what are the landed proprietors to do? The slaves have -been bequeathed to them as property by their fathers, -with certain obligations to be respected, and duties to -be fulfilled. It is impossible to free them, because, at -the moment of emancipation, nothing short of the -confiscation of all the labour and property of the -whites would be required to maintain the negroes, who -would certainly refuse to work unless they had their -masters’ land as their own. Where is white labour to -be found? Its introduction must be the work of -years, and meantime many thousands of slaves, who -have a right to protection, would canker the land.</p> - -<p>In Maryland they do not breed slaves for the purpose -of selling them as they do in Virginia, and yet Colonel -Carroll and other gentlemen who regarded the slaves -they inherited almost as members of their families, have -been stigmatised by abolition orators as slave-breeders -and slave-dealers. It was these insults which stung the -gentlemen of Maryland and of the other Slave States -to the quick, and made them resolve never to yield -to the domination of a party which had never ceased -to wage war against their institutions and their reputation -and honour.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_289"></a>[289]</span></p> - -<p>A little knot of friends and relations joined Colonel -Carroll at dinner. There are few families in this part -of Maryland which have not representatives in the -other army across the Potomac; and if Beauregard -could but make his appearance, the women alone would -give him welcome such as no conqueror ever received in -liberated city.</p> - -<p>Next day the rain fell incessantly. The mail was -brought in by a little negro boy on horseback, and I was -warned by my letters that an immediate advance of -M‘Clellan’s troops was probable. This is an old story. -“Battle expected to-morrow” has been a heading in -the papers for the last fortnight. In the afternoon I -was driven over a part of the estate in a close carriage, -through the windows of which, however, I caught -glimpses of a beautiful country, wooded gloriously, and -soft, sylvan, and well-cultivated as the best parts of -Hampshire and Gloucestershire, the rolling lands of -which latter county, indeed, it much resembled in its -large fields, heavy with crops of tobacco and corn. -The weather was too unfavourable to admit of a close -inspection of the fields; but I visited one or two tobacco -houses, where the fragrant Maryland was lying -in masses on the ground, or hanging from the rafters, -or filled the heavy hogsheads with compressed smoke.</p> - -<p>Next day I took the train, at Ellicott’s Mills, -and went to Harper’s Ferry. There is no one spot, -in the history of this extraordinary war, which -can be well more conspicuous. Had it nothing -more to recommend it than the scenery, it might -well command a visit from the tourist; but as the -scene of old John Brown’s raid upon the Federal -arsenal, of that first passage of arms between the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_290"></a>[290]</span> -abolitionists and the slave conservatives, which has -developed this great contest; above all, as the spot -where important military demonstrations have been -made on both sides, and will necessarily occur hereafter, -this place, which probably derives its name -from some wretched old boatman, will be renowned for -ever in the annals of the civil war of 1861. The -Patapsco, by the bank of which the rail is carried for -some miles, has all the character of a mountain torrent, -rushing through gorges or carving out its way at the -base of granite hills, or boldly cutting a path for itself -through the softer slate. Bridges, viaducts, remarkable -archways, and great spans of timber trestle work -leaping from hill to hill, enable the rail to creep -onwards and upwards by the mountain side to the -Potomac at Point of Rocks, whence it winds its way -over undulating ground, by stations with eccentric -names to the river’s bank once more. We were carried -on to the station next to Harper’s Ferry on a ledge of -the precipitous mountain range which almost overhangs -the stream. But few civilians were in the train. The -greater number of passengers consisted of soldiers and -sutlers, proceeding to their encampments along the river. -A strict watch was kept over the passengers, whose passes -were examined by officers at the various stations. At -one place an officer who really looked like a soldier -entered the train, and on seeing my pass told me in -broken English that he had served in the Crimea, and -was acquainted with me and many of my friends. -The gentleman who accompanied me observed, “I do -not know whether he was in the Crimea or not, but I -do know that till very lately your friend the Major was -a dancing master in New York.” A person of a very<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_291"></a>[291]</span> -different type made his offers of service, Colonel Gordon -of the 2nd Massachusetts Regiment, who caused the -train to run on as far as Harper’s Ferry, in order to give -me a sight of the place, although in consequence of the -evil habit of firing on the carriages in which the Confederates -across the river have been indulging, the -locomotive generally halts at some distance below the -bend of the river.</p> - -<p>Harper’s Ferry lies in a gorge formed by a rush of -the Potomac through the mountain ridges, which it -cuts at right angles to its course at its junction with -the river Shenandoah. So trenchant and abrupt is the -division that little land is on the divided ridge to build -upon. The precipitous hills on both sides are covered -with forest, which has been cleared in patches here and -there on the Maryland shore, to permit of the erection -of batteries. On the Virginian side there lies a mass -of blackened and ruined buildings, from which a street -lined with good houses stretches up the hill. Just -above the junction of the Shenandoah with the Potomac, -an elevated bridge or viaduct 300 yards long -leaps from hill side to hill side. The arches had been -broken—the rails which ran along the top torn up, -and there is now a deep gulf fixed between the shores -of Maryland and Virginia. The rail to Winchester -from this point has been destroyed, and the line along -the Potomac has also been ruined.</p> - -<p>But for the batteries which cover the shoal water -at the junction of the two rivers below the bridge, -there would be no difficulty in crossing to the -Maryland shore, and from that side the whole of the -ground around Harper’s Ferry is completely commanded. -The gorge is almost as deep as the pass of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_292"></a>[292]</span> -Killiecranckie, which it resembles in most respects -except in breadth and the size of the river between, -and if ever a railroad finds its way to Blair Athol, the -passengers will find something to look at very like the -scenery on the route to Harper’s Ferry. The vigilance -required to guard the pass of the river above and below -this point is incessant, but the Federals possess the advantage -on their side of a deep canal parallel to the -railway and running above the level of the river, which -would be a more formidable obstacle than the Potomac -to infantry or guns. There is reason to believe that -the Secessionists in Maryland cross backwards and -forwards whenever they please, and the Virginians -coming down at their leisure to the opposite shore, -inflict serious annoyance on the Federal troops by -constant rifle practice.</p> - -<p>Looking up and down the river the scenery is -picturesque, though it is by no means entitled to the -extraordinary praises which American tourists lavish -upon it. Probably old John Brown cared little for -the wild magic of streamlet or rill, or for the blended -charm of vale and woodland. When he made his attack -on the arsenal now in ruins, he probably thought a -valley was as high as a hill, and that there was no -necessity for water running downwards—assuredly he -saw as little of the actual heights and depths around -him when he ran across the Potomac to revolutionize -Virginia. He has left behind him millions either as -clear-sighted or as blind as himself. In New England -parlours a statuette of John Brown may be found as a -pendant to the likeness of our Saviour. In Virginia -his name is the synonym of all that is base, bloody, -and cruel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_293"></a>[293]</span></p> - -<p>Harper’s Ferry at present, for all practical purposes, -may be considered as Confederate property. The few -Union inhabitants remain in their houses, but many -of the Government workmen and most of the inhabitants -have gone off South. For strategical purposes -its possession would be most important to a force -desiring to operate on Maryland from Virginia. The -Blue Ridge range running up to the Shenandoah divides -the country so as to permit a force debouching from -Harper’s Ferry to advance down the valley of the -Shenandoah on the right, or to move to the left -between the Blue Ridge and the Katoctin mountains -towards the Manassas railway at its discretion. After -a false alarm that some Secesh cavalry were coming -down to renew the skirmishing of the day before, -I returned, and travelling to Relay House just saved the -train to Washington, where I arrived after sunset. -A large number of Federal troops are employed along -these lines, which they occupy as if they were in -a hostile country. An imperfectly formed regiment -broken up into these detachments and placed in isolated -posts, under ignorant officers, may be regarded as -almost worthless for military operations. Hence the -constant night alarms—the mistakes—the skirmishes -and instances of misbehaviour which arise along these -extended lines.</p> - -<p>On the journey from Harper’s Ferry, the concentration -of masses of troops along the road, and the march of -heavy artillery trains, caused me to think a renewal of -the offensive movement against Richmond was immediate, -but at Washington I heard that all M‘Clellan -wanted or hoped for at present, was to make Maryland -safe and to gain time for the formation of his army.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_294"></a>[294]</span> -The Confederates appear to be moving towards their -left, and M‘Clellan is very uneasy lest they should -make a vigorous attack before he is prepared to receive -them.</p> - -<p>In the evening the New York papers came in with -the extracts from the London papers containing -my account of the battle of Bull’s Run. Utterly -forgetting their own versions of the engagement, the -New York editors now find it convenient to divert -attention from the bitter truth that was in them, -to the letter of the foreign newspaper correspondent, -who, because he is a British subject, will prove not only -useful as a conductor to carry off the popular wrath -from the American journalists themselves, but as a -means by induction of charging the vials afresh against -the British people, inasmuch as they have not condoled -with the North on the defeat of armies which they were -assured would, if successful, be immediately led to -effect the disruption of the British empire. At the -outset I had foreseen this would be the case, and -deliberately accepted the issue; but when I found the -Northern journals far exceeding in severity anything I -could have said, and indulging in general invective -against whole classes of American soldiery, officers, -and statesmen, I was foolish enough to expect a little -justice, not to say a word of the smallest generosity.</p> - -<p><em>August 21st.</em>—The echoes of Bull Run are coming -back with a vengeance. <ins class="corr" id="tn-294" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'This day month'"> -This day a month ago</ins> the miserable -fragments of a beaten, washed out, demoralised army, -were flooding in disorder and dismay the streets of the -capital from which they had issued forth to repel the -tide of invasion. This day month and all the editors -and journalists in the States, weeping, wailing, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_295"></a>[295]</span> -gnashing their teeth, infused extra gall into their ink, -and poured out invective, abuse, and obloquy on their -defeated general and their broken hosts. The President -and his ministers, stunned by the tremendous -calamity, sat listening in fear and trembling for the -sound of the enemy’s cannon. The veteran soldier, on -whom the boasted hopes of the nation rested, heart-sick -and beaten down, had neither counsel to give nor -action to offer. At any moment the Confederate -columns might be expected in Pennsylvania Avenue -to receive the welcome of their friends and the submission -of their helpless and disheartened enemies.</p> - -<p>All this is forgotten—and much more, which need -not now be repeated. Saved from a great peril, even -the bitterness of death, they forget the danger that -has passed, deny that they uttered cries of distress -and appeals for help, and swagger in all the insolence -of recovered strength. Not only that, but they turn -and rend those whose writing has been dug up after -thirty days, and comes back as a rebuke to their pride.</p> - -<p>Conscious that they have insulted and irritated their -own army, that they have earned the bitter hostility of -men in power, and have for once inflicted a wound on -the vanity to which they have given such offensive -dimensions, if not life itself, they now seek to run a -drag scent between the public nose and their own -unpopularity, and to create such an amount of indignation -and to cast so much odium upon one who has -had greater facilities to know, and is more willing to -tell the truth, than any of their organs, that he will be -unable henceforth to perform his duties in a country -where unpopularity means simply a political and moral -atrophy or death. In the telegraphic summary some<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_296"></a>[296]</span> -days ago a few phrases were picked out of my letters, -which were but very faint paraphrases of some of the -sentences which might be culled from Northern -newspapers, but the storm has been gathering ever -since, and I am no doubt to experience the truth -of De Tocqueville’s remark, “that a stranger who injures -American vanity, no matter how justly, may make up -his mind to be a martyr.”</p> - -<p><em>August 22nd.</em>—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="verse indentq">“The little dogs and all,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Tray, Blanche, and Sweetheart,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">See they bark at me.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">The North have recovered their wind, and their pipers -are blowing with might and main. The time given -them to breathe after Bull Run has certainly been -accompanied with a greater development of lung and -power of blowing than could have been expected. The -volunteer army which dispersed and returned home to -receive the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Io Pæans</i> of the North, has been replaced -by better and more numerous levies, which have the -strong finger and thumb of General M‘Clellan on their -windpipe, and find it is not quite so easy as it was to -do as they pleased. The North, besides, has received -supplies of money, and is using its great resources, by -land and sea, to some purpose, and as they wax fat -they kick.</p> - -<p>A general officer said to me, “Of course you -will never remain, when once all the press are -down upon you. I would not take a million dollars -and be in your place.” “But is what I’ve written -untrue?” “God bless you! do you know in this -country if you can get enough of people to start a -lie about any man, he would be ruined, if the Evangelists<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_297"></a>[297]</span> -came forward to swear the story was false. There -are thousands of people who this moment believe that -M‘Dowell, who never tasted anything stronger than a -water melon in all his life, was helplessly drunk at -Bull’s Run. Mind what I say; they’ll run you into a -mud hole as sure as you live.” I was not much impressed -with the danger of my position further than that -I knew there would be a certain amount of risk from -the rowdyism and vanity of what even the Americans -admit to be the lower orders, for which I had been -prepared from the moment I had despatched my letter; -but I confess I was not by any means disposed to think -that the leaders of public opinion would seek the small -gratification of revenge, and the petty popularity of -pandering to the passions of the mob, by creating a -popular cry against me. I am not aware that any -foreigner ever visited the United States who was injudicious -enough to write one single word derogatory to -their claims to be the first of created beings, who -was not assailed with the most viperous malignity and -rancour. The man who says he has detected a single -spot on the face of their sun should prepare his winding -sheet.</p> - -<p>The <cite>New York Times</cite>, I find, states “that the terrible -epistle has been read with quite as much avidity as an -average President’s message. We scarcely exaggerate -the fact when we say, the first and foremost thought -on the minds of a very large portion of our people -after the repulse at Bull’s Run was, what will Russell -say?” and then they repeat some of the absurd sayings -attributed to me, who declared openly from the very -first that I had not seen the battle at all, to the effect -“that I had never seen such fighting in all my life,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_298"></a>[298]</span> -and that nothing at Alma or Inkerman was equal to -it.” An analysis of the letter follows, in which it is -admitted that “with perfect candour I purported to -give an account of what I saw, and not of the action -which I did not see,” and the writer, who is, if I -mistake not, the Hon. Mr. Raymond, of the <cite>New York -Times</cite>, like myself a witness of the facts I describe, -quotes a passage in which I say, “There was no flight -of troops, no retreat of an army, no reason for all this -precipitation,” and then declares “that my letter gives -a very spirited and perfectly just description of the -panic which impelled and accompanied the troops from -Centreville to Washington. He does not, for he cannot, -in the least exaggerate its horrible disorder, or the disgraceful -behaviour of the incompetent officers by whom -it was aided, instead of being checked. He saw nothing -whatever of the fighting, and therefore says nothing -whatever of its quality. He gives a clear, fair, perfectly -just and accurate, as it is a spirited and graphic -account of the extraordinary scenes which passed under -his observation. Discreditable as those scenes were to -our army, we have nothing in connection with them -whereof to accuse the reporter; he has done justice -alike to himself, his subject, and the country.”</p> - -<p><i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Ne nobis blandiar</i>, I may add, that at least I desired to -do so, and I can prove from Northern papers that if -their accounts were true, I certainly much “extenuated -and nought set down in malice”—nevertheless, Philip -drunk is very different from Philip sober, frightened, -and running away, and the man who attempts to justify -his version to the inebriated polycephalous monarch is -sure to meet such treatment as inebriated despots generally -award to their censors.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_299"></a>[299]</span></p> - -<p><em>August 23rd.</em>—The torrent is swollen to-day by -anonymous letters threatening me with bowie knife -and revolver, or simply abusive, frantic with hate, and -full of obscure warnings. Some bear the Washington -post-mark, others came from New York, the greater -number—for I have had nine—are from Philadelphia. -Perhaps they may come from the members of that -“gallant” 4th Pennsylvania Regiment.</p> - -<p><em>August 24th.</em>—My servant came in this morning, to -announce a trifling accident—he was exercising my -horse, and at the corner of one of those charming street -crossings, the animal fell and broke its leg. A “vet” -was sent for. I was sure that such a portent had never -been born in those Daunian woods. A man about -twenty-seven or twenty-eight stone weight, middle-aged -and active, with a fine professional feeling for distressed -horseflesh; and I was right in my conjectures that he -was a Briton, though the vet had become Americanised, -and was full of enthusiasm about “our war for the -Union,” which was yielding him a fine harvest. He -complained there were a good many bad characters -about Washington. The matter is proved beyond doubt -by what we see, hear, and read. To-day there is an -account in the papers of a brute shooting a negro boy -dead, because he asked him for a chew of tobacco. -Will he be hanged? Not the smallest chance of it. -The idea of hanging a white man for killing a nigger! -It is more preposterous here than it is in India, -where our authorities have actually executed whites -for the murder of natives.</p> - -<p>Before dinner I walked down to the Washington -navy yard. Captain Dahlgren was sorely perplexed -with an intoxicated Senator, whose name it is not necessary<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_300"></a>[300]</span> -to mention, and who seemed to think he paid me -a great compliment by expressing his repeated desire -“to have a good look at” me. “I guess you’re quite -notorious now. You’ll excuse me because I’ve dined, -now—and so you are the Mr. &c., &c., &c.” The -Senator informed me that he was “none of your -d——d blackfaced republicans. He didn’t care a -d—— about niggers—his business was to do good to -his fellow white men, to hold our glorious Union together, -and let the niggers take care of themselves.”</p> - -<p>I was glad when a diversion was effected by the -arrival of Mr. Fox, Assistant-Secretary of the Navy, -and Mr. Blair, Postmaster-General, to consult with -the Captain, who is greatly looked up to by all the -members of the Cabinet—in fact he is rather inconvenienced -by the perpetual visits of the President, who -is animated by a most extraordinary curiosity about -naval matters and machinery, and is attracted by the -novelty of the whole department, so that he is continually -running down “to have a talk with Dahlgren” -when he is not engaged in “a chat with -George.” The Senator opened such a smart fire on the -Minister that the latter retired, and I mounted and rode -back to town. In the evening Major Clarence Brown, -Lieutenant Wise, a lively, pleasant, and amusing little -sailor, well-known in the States as the author of “Los -Gringos,” who is now employed in the Navy Department, -and a few of the gentlemen connected with the -Foreign Legations came in, and we had a great international -reunion and discussion till a late hour. There -is a good deal of agreeable banter reserved for myself, -as to the exact form of death which I am most likely -to meet. I was seriously advised by a friend not<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_301"></a>[301]</span> -to stir out unarmed. The great use of a revolver is -that it will prevent the indignity of tarring and feathering, -now pretty rife, by provoking greater violence. I -also received a letter from London, advising me to apply -to Lord Lyons for protection, but that could only be -extended to me within the walls of the Legation.</p> - -<p><em>August 25th.</em>—I visited the Navy Department, which -is a small red-brick building two storeys high, very -plain and even humble. The subordinate departments -are conducted in rooms below stairs. The executive -are lodged in the rooms which line both sides of the -corridor above. The walls of the passage are lined -with paintings in oil and water colours, engravings and -paintings in the worst style of art. To the latter considerable -interest attaches, as they are authentic likenesses -of naval officers who gained celebrity in the wars -with Great Britain—men like Perry, M‘Donough, -Decatur, and Hull, who, as the Americans boast, was -“the first man who compelled a British frigate of -greater force than his own to strike her colours in fair -fight.” Paul Jones was not to be seen, but a drawing -is proudly pointed to of the attack of the American -fleet on Algiers as a proof of hatred to piracy, and -of the prominent part taken by the young States in -putting an end to it in Europe. In one room are several -swords, surrendered by English officers in the single -frigate engagements, and the duplicates of medals, in -gold and silver, voted by Congress to the victors. In -Lieutenant Wise’s room, there are models of the projectiles, -and a series of shot and shell used in the -navy, or deposited by inventors. Among other relics -was the flag of Captain Ward’s boat just brought in -which was completely riddled by the bullet marks<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_302"></a>[302]</span> -received in the ambuscade in which that officer was -killed, with nearly all of his boat’s crew, as they incautiously -approached the shore of the Potomac, to -take off a small craft placed there to decoy them by the -Confederates. My business was to pave the way for a -passage on board a steamer, in case of any naval expedition -starting before the army was ready to move, -but all difficulties were at once removed by the promptitude -and courtesy of Mr. Fox, the Assistant-Secretary, -who promised to give me an order for a passage whenever -I required it. The extreme civility and readiness -to oblige of all American officials, high and low, from -the gate-keepers and door porters up to the heads of -departments, cannot be too highly praised, and it is -ungenerous to accept the explanation offered by an -English officer to whom I remarked the circumstance, -that it is due to the fact that each man is liable to be -turned out at the end of four years, and therefore makes -all the friends he can.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon I rode out with Captain Johnson, -through some charming woodland scenery on the outskirts -of Washington, by a brawling stream, in a shady -little ravine, that put me in mind of the Dargle. Our -ride led us into the camps, formed on the west of Georgetown, -to cover the city from the attacks of an enemy -advancing along the left bank of the Potomac, and -in support of several strong forts and earthworks placed -on the heights. One regiment consists altogether of -Frenchmen—another is of Germans—in a third I saw -an officer with a Crimean and Indian medal on his -breast, and several privates with similar decorations. -Some of the regiments were on parade, and crowds of -civilians from Washington were enjoying the novel<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_303"></a>[303]</span> -scene, and partaking of the hospitality of their friends. -One old lady, whom I have always seen about the -camps, and who is a sort of ancient heroine of Saragossa, -had an opportunity of being useful. The 15th -Massachusetts, a fine-looking body of men, had broken -up camp, and were marching off to the sound of their -own voices chanting “Old John Brown,” when one of -the enormous trains of baggage waggons attached to -them was carried off by the frightened mules, which -probably had belonged to Virginian farmers, and one -of the soldiers, in trying to stop it, was dashed to the -ground and severely injured. The old lady was by his -side in a moment, and out came her flask of strong -waters, bandages, and medical comforts and apparatus. -“It’s well I’m here for this poor Union soldier; I’m -sure I always have something to do in these camps.” -On my return late, there was a letter on my table requesting -me to visit General M‘Clellan, but it was then -too far advanced to avail myself of the invitation, which -was only delivered after I left my lodgings.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_304"></a>[304]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII. <span class="hidden">A tour of inspection round the camp</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A tour of inspection round the camp—A troublesome horse—M‘Dowell -and the President—My description of Bull’s Run endorsed by -American officers—Influence of the Press—Newspaper correspondents—Dr. -Bray—My letters—Capt. Meagher—Military adventurers—Probable -duration of the war—Lord A. Vane Tempest—The -American journalist—Threats of assassination.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>August 26th.</em>—General Van Vliet called from General -M‘Clellan to say that the Commander-in-Chief would -be happy to go round the camps with me when he next -made an inspection, and would send round an orderly -and charger in time to get ready before he started. -These little excursions are not the most agreeable -affairs in the world; for M‘Clellan delights in working -down staff and escort, dashing from the Chain Bridge -to Alexandria, and visiting all the posts, riding as hard -as he can, and not returning till past midnight, so -that if one has a regard for his cuticle, or his mail -days, he will not rashly venture on such excursions. -To-day he is to inspect M‘Dowell’s division.</p> - -<p>I set out accordingly with Captain Johnson over -the Long Bridge, which is now very strictly guarded. -On exhibiting my pass to the sentry at the entrance, -he called across to the sergeant and spoke to him aside, -showing him the pass at the same time. “Are you -Russell, of the London <cite>Times</cite>?” said the sergeant. I -replied, “If you look at the pass, you will see who I<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_305"></a>[305]</span> -am.” He turned it over, examined it most narrowly, -and at last, with an expression of infinite dissatisfaction -and anger upon his face, handed it back, saying to -the sentry, “I suppose you must let him go.”</p> - -<p>Meantime Captain Johnson was witching the world -with feats of noble horsemanship, for I had lent -him my celebrated horse Walker, so called because -no earthly equestrian can induce him to do anything -but trot violently, gallop at full speed, or stand on -his hind legs. Captain Johnson laid the whole fault -of the animal’s conduct to my mismanagement, affirming -that all it required was a light hand and -gentleness, and so, as he could display both, I promised -to let him have a trial to-day. Walker on starting, -however, insisted on having a dance to himself, which -my friend attributed to the excitement produced by -the presence of the other horse, and I rode quietly -along whilst the captain proceeded to establish an -acquaintance with his steed in some quiet bye-street. -As I was crossing the Long Bridge, the forbidden clatter -of a horse’s hoofs on the planks caused me to look -round, and on, in a cloud of dust, through the midst -of shouting sentries, came my friend of the gentle hand -and unruffled temper, with his hat thumped down on -the back of his head, his eyes gleaming, his teeth -clenched, his fine features slightly flushed, to say the -least of it, sawing violently at Walker’s head, and -exclaiming, “You brute, I’ll teach you to walk,” till he -brought up by the barrier midway on the bridge. The -guard, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en masse</i>, called the captain’s attention to the -order, “all horses to walk over the bridge.” “Why, -that’s what I want him to do. I’ll give any man -among you one hundred dollars who can make him<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_306"></a>[306]</span> -walk along this bridge or anywhere else.” The -redoubtable steed, being permitted to proceed upon its -way, dashed swiftly through the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tête de pont</i>, or stood -on his hind legs when imperatively arrested by a -barrier or <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">abattis</i>, and on these occasions my excellent -friend, as he displayed his pass in one hand and -restrained Bucephalus with the other, reminded me of -nothing so much as the statue of Peter the Great, in -the square on the banks of the Neva, or the noble -equestrian monument of General Jackson, which decorates -the city of Washington. The troops of M‘Dowell’s -division were already drawn up on a rugged plain, -close to the river’s margin, in happier days the scene -of the city races. A pestilential odour rose from the -slaughter-houses close at hand, but regardless of odour -or marsh, Walker continued his violent exercise, -evidently under the idea that he was assisting at a -retreat of the grand army as before.</p> - -<p>Presently General M‘Dowell and one of his aides -cantered over, and whilst waiting for General M‘Clellan, -he talked of the fierce outburst directed against me in -the press. “I must confess,” he said laughingly, “I am -much rejoiced to find you are as much abused as I -have been. I hope you mind it as little as I did. -Bull’s Run was an unfortunate affair for both of us, -for had I won it, you would have had to describe the -pursuit of the flying enemy, and then you would have -been the most popular writer in America, and I would -have been lauded as the greatest of generals. See -what measure <ins class="corr" id="tn-306" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'has been meeted to'"> -has been meted to</ins> us now. I’m accused -of drunkenness and gambling, and you Mr. Russell—well!—I -really do hope you are not so black as you -are painted.” Presently a cloud of dust on the road<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_307"></a>[307]</span> -announced the arrival of the President, who came -upon the ground in an open carriage, with Mr. Seward -by his side, accompanied by General M‘Clellan and his -staff in undress uniform, and an escort of the very dirtiest -and most unsoldierly dragoons, with filthy accoutrements -and ungroomed horses, I ever saw. The troops -dressed into line and presented arms, whilst the band -struck up the “Star-spangled Banner,” as the Americans -have got no air which corresponds with our -National Anthem, or is in any way complimentary -to the quadrennial despot who fills the President’s -chair.</p> - -<p>General M‘Dowell seems on most excellent terms -with the present Commander-in-Chief, as he is with -the President. Immediately after Bull’s Bun, when the -President first saw M‘Dowell, he said to him, “I have -not lost a particle of confidence in you,” to which the -General replied, “I don’t see why you should, Mr. -President.” But there was a curious commentary, either -on the sincerity of Mr. Lincoln, or in his utter subserviency -to mob opinion, in the fact that he who can overrule -Congress and act pretty much as he pleases in time -of war, had, without opportunity for explanation or -demand for it, at once displaced the man in whom he -still retained the fullest confidence, degraded him to -command of a division of the army of which he had -been General-in-Chief, and placed a junior officer over -his head.</p> - -<p>After some ordinary movements, the march past took -place, which satisfied me that the new levies were very -superior to the three months’ men, though far, indeed, -from being soldiers. Finer material could not be found -in physique. With the exception of an assemblage<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_308"></a>[308]</span> -of miserable scarecrows in rags and tatters, swept up -in New York and commanded by a Mr. Kerrigan, no -division of the ordinary line, in any army, could show -a greater number of tall, robust men in the prime of -life. A soldier standing near me, pointing out Kerrigan’s -corps, said, “The boy who commands that -pretty lot recruited them first for the Seceshes in New -York, but finding he could not get them away he handed -them over to Uncle Sam.” The men were silent as -they marched past, and did not cheer for President or -Union.</p> - -<p>I returned from the field to Arlington House, -having been invited with my friend to share the general’s -camp dinner. On our way along the road, I asked -Major Brown why he rode over to us before the review -commenced. “Well,” said he, “my attention was called -to you by one of our staff saying ‘there are two -Englishmen,’ and the general sent me over to invite -them, and followed when he saw who it was.” “But -how could you tell we were English?” “I don’t -know,” said he, “there were other civilians about, but -there was something about the look of you two which -marked you immediately as John Bull.”</p> - -<p>At the general’s tent we found General Sherman, -General Keyes, Wadsworth, and some others. Dinner -was spread on a table covered by the flap of the tent, -and consisted of good plain fare, and a dessert of prodigious -water-melons. I was exceedingly gratified -to hear every officer present declare in the presence of -the general who had commanded the army, and who -himself said no words could exaggerate the disorder of -the route, that my narrative of Bull’s Run was not -only true but moderate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_309"></a>[309]</span></p> - -<p>General Sherman, whom I met for the first time, -said, “Mr. Russell, I can indorse every word that you -wrote; your statements about the battle, which you say -you did not witness, are equally correct. All the stories -about charging batteries and attacks with the bayonet -are simply falsehoods, so far as my command is concerned, -though some of the troops did fight well. As to -cavalry charges, I wish we had had a few cavalry to -have tried one; those Black Horse fellows seemed as if -their horses ran away with them.” General Keyes -said, “I don’t think you made it half bad enough. I -could not get the men to stand after they had received -the first severe check. The enemy swept the open with -a tremendous musketry fire. Some of our men and -portions of regiments behaved admirably—we drove -them easily at first; the cavalry did very little indeed; -but when they did come on I could not get the infantry -to stand, and after a harmless volley they broke.” -These officers were brigadiers of Tyler’s division.</p> - -<p>The conversation turned upon the influence of the -press in America, and I observed that every soldier at -table spoke with the utmost dislike and antipathy of -the New York journals, to which they gave a metropolitan -position, although each man had some favourite -paper of his own which he excepted from the charge -made against the whole body. The principal accusations -made against the press were that the conductors -are not gentlemen, that they are calumnious and -corrupt, regardless of truth, honour, anything but -circulation and advertisements. “It is the first time -we have had a chance of dealing with these fellows, -and we shall not lose it.”</p> - -<p>I returned to Washington at dusk over the aqueduct<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_310"></a>[310]</span> -bridge. A gentleman, who introduced himself to me -as correspondent of one of the cheap London papers, -sent out specially on account of his great experience to -write from the States, under the auspices of the leaders -of the advanced liberal party, came to ask if I had seen -an article in the <cite>Chicago Tribune</cite>, purporting to be -written by a gentleman who says he was in my company -during the retreat, contradicting what I report. -I was advised by several officers—whose opinion I -took—that it would be derogatory to me if I -noticed the writer. I read it over carefully, and -must say I am surprised—if anything could surprise -me in American journalism—at the impudence -and mendacity of the man. Having first stated that -he rode along with me from point to point at a certain -portion of the road, he states that he did not hear or -see certain things which I say that I saw and heard, or -deliberately falsifies what passed, for the sake of a little -ephemeral applause, quotations in the papers, increased -importance to himself, and some more abuse of the -English correspondent.</p> - -<p>This statement made me recall the circumstance -alluded to more particularly. I remembered well -the flurried, plethoric, elderly man, mounted on a -broken-down horse, who rode up to me in great -trepidation, with sweat streaming over his face, and -asked me if I was going into Washington. “You may -not recollect me, sir; I was introduced to you at -Cay-roe, in the hall of the hotel. I’m Dr. Bray, of the -<cite>Chicago Tribune</cite>.” I certainly did not remember him, -but I did recollect that a dispatch from Cairo appeared -in the paper, announcing my arrival from the South, -and stating I complained on landing that my letters had<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_311"></a>[311]</span> -been opened in the States, which was quite untrue and -which I felt called on to deny, and supposing Dr. Bray -to be the author I was not at all inclined to cement -our acquaintance, and continued my course with a bow.</p> - -<p>But the Doctor whipped his steed up alongside mine, -and went on to tell me that he was in the most terrible -bodily pain and mental anxiety. The first on account -of desuetude of equestrian exercise; the other on -account of the defeat of the Federals and the probable -pursuit of the Confederates. “Oh! it’s dreadful to -think of! They know me well, and would show me no -mercy. Every step the horse takes I’m in agony. I’ll -never get to Washington. Could you stay with me, -sir? as you know the road.” I was moved to internal -chuckling, at any rate, by the very prostrate condition—for -he bent well over the saddle—of poor Dr. Bray, -and so I said to him, “Don’t be uneasy, sir. There is -no fear of your being taken. The army is not defeated, -in spite of what you see; for there will be always runaways -and skulkers when a retreat is ordered. I have -not the least doubt M‘Dowell will stand fast at Centreville, -and rally his troops to-night on the reserve, so -as to be in a good position to resist the enemy to-morrow. -I’ll have to push on to Washington, as I -must write my letters, and I fear they will stop me on -the bridge without the countersign, particularly if these -runaways should outstrip us. As to your skin, pour -a little whiskey on some melted tallow and rub it -well in, and you’ll be all right to-morrow or next day -as far as that is concerned.”</p> - -<p>I actually, out of compassion to his sufferings—for he -uttered cries now and then as though Lucina were in -request—reined up, and walked my horse, though most<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_312"></a>[312]</span> -anxious to get out of the dust and confusion of the -runaways, and comforted him about a friend whom he -missed, and for whose fate he was as uneasy as the -concern he felt for his own woes permitted him to be; -suggested various modes to him of easing the jolt and -of quickening the pace of his steed, and at last really -bored excessively by an uninteresting and self-absorbed -companion, who was besides detaining me needlessly on -the road, I turned on some pretence into a wood by -the side and continued my way as well as I could, till -I got off the track, and being guided to the road by the -dust and shouting, I came out on it somewhere near -Fairfax Court, and there, to my surprise, dropped on -the Doctor, who, animated by some agency more powerful -than the pangs of an abraded cuticle and taking -advantage of the road, had got thus far a-head. We -entered the place together, halted at the same inn to -water our horses, and then seeing that it was getting -on towards dusk and that the wave of the retreat was -rolling onward in increased volume, I pushed on and -saw no more of him. Ungrateful Bray! Perfidious -Bray! Some day, when I have time, I must tell the -people of Chicago how Bray got into Washington, and -how he left his horse and what he did with it, and -how Bray behaved on the road. I dare say they who -know him can guess.</p> - -<p>The most significant article I have seen for some -time as a test of the taste, tone, and temper of the -New York public, judging by their most widely read -journal, is contained in it to-night. It appears that a -gentleman named Muir, who is described as a relative of -Mr. Mure the consul at New Orleans, was seized on -the point of starting for Europe, and that among his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_313"></a>[313]</span> -papers, many of which were of a “disloyal character,” -which is not astonishing seeing that he came from -Charlestown, was a letter written by a foreign resident -in that city, in which he stated he had seen a letter -from me to Mr. Bunch describing the flight at Bull’s -Run, and adding that Lord Lyons remarked, when he -heard of it, he would ask Mr. Seward whether he would -not now admit the Confederates were a belligerent -power, whereupon Maudit calls on Mr. Seward to -demand explanations from Lord Lyons and to turn me -out of the country, because in my letter to the “Times” -I made the remark that the United States would probably -now admit the South were a belligerent power.</p> - -<p>Such an original observation could never have -occurred to two people—genius concerting with genius -could alone have hammered it out. But Maudit is not -satisfied with the humiliation of Lord Lyons and the -expulsion of myself—he absolutely insists upon a -miracle, and his moral vision being as perverted as his -physical, he declares that I must have sent to the British -Consul at Charleston a duplicate copy of the letter -which I furnished with so much labour and difficulty -just in time to catch the mail by special messenger -from Boston. ‘These be thy Gods, O Israel!’</p> - -<p>My attention was also directed to a letter from certain -officers of the disbanded 69th Regiment, who had permitted -their Colonel to be dragged away a prisoner from -the field of Bull’s Run. Without having read my letter, -these gentlemen assumed that I had stigmatised -Captain T. F. Meagher as one who had misconducted -himself during the battle, whereas all I had said on the -evidence of eye-witnesses was “that in the rout he -appeared at Centreville running across country and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_314"></a>[314]</span> -uttering exclamations in the hearing of my informant, -which indicated that he at least was perfectly satisfied -that the Confederates had established their claims to be -considered a belligerent power.” These officers state -that Captain Meagher behaved extremely well up to a -certain point in the engagement when they lost sight -of him, and from which period they could say nothing -about him. It was subsequent to that very time he -appeared at Centreville, and long before my letter returned -to America giving credit to Captain Meagher -for natural gallantry in the field. I remarked that he -would no doubt feel as much pained as any of his -friends, at the ridicule cast upon him by the statement -that he, the Captain of a company, “Went into action -mounted on a magnificent charger and waving a green -silk flag embroidered with a golden harp in the face of -the enemy.”</p> - -<p>A young man wearing the Indian war medal with -two clasps, who said his name was Mac Ivor Hilstock, -came in to inquire after some unknown friend of his. -He told me he had been in Tomb’s troop of Artillery -during the Indian mutiny, and had afterwards served -with the French volunteers during the siege of Caprera. -The news of the Civil War has produced such an -immigration of military adventurers from Europe that -the streets of Washington are quite filled with medals -and ribands. The regular officers of the American -Army regard them with considerable dislike, the -greater inasmuch as Mr. Seward and the politicians -encourage them. In alluding to the circumstance to -General M‘Dowell, who came in to see me at a late -dinner, I said, “A great many Garibaldians are in Washington -just now.” “Oh,” said he in his quiet way, “it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_315"></a>[315]</span> -will be quite enough for a man to prove that he once -saw Garibaldi to satisfy us in Washington that he is -quite fit for the command of a regiment. I have recommended -a man because he sailed in the ship which -Garibaldi came in over here, and I’m sure it will be -attended to.”</p> - -<p><em>August 27th.</em>—Fever and ague, which Gen. M‘Dowell -attributes to water-melons, of which he, however, had -eaten three times as much as I had. Swallowed many -grains of quinine, and lay panting in the heat in-doors. -Two English visitors, Mr. Lamy and a Captain of the -17th, called on me; and, afterwards, I had a conversation -with M. Mercier and M. Stoeckl on the aspect -of affairs. They are inclined to look forward to a -more speedy solution than I think the North is weak -enough to accept. I believe that peace is possible in -two years or so, but only by the concession to the -South of a qualified independence. The naval operations -of the Federals will test the Southern mettle -to the utmost. Having a sincere regard and liking -for many of the Southerners whom I have met, I -cannot say their cause, or its origin, or its aim, recommends -itself to my sympathies; and yet I am accused -of aiding it by every means in my power, because I -do not re-echo the arrogant and empty boasting and -insolent outbursts of the people in the North, who -threaten, as the first-fruits of their success, to invade -the territories subject to the British crown, and to -outrage and humiliate our flag.</p> - -<p>It is melancholy enough to see this great republic -tumbling to pieces; one would regret it all the more -but for the fact that it re-echoed the voices of the -obscene and filthy creatures which have been driven<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_316"></a>[316]</span> -before the lash of the lictor from all the cities of -Europe. Assuredly it was a great work, but all its -greatness and the idea of its life was of man, not of -God. The principle of veneration, of obedience, of -subordination, and self-control did not exist within. -Washington-worship could not save it. The elements -of destruction lay equally sized, smooth, and black at -its foundations, and a spark suffices to blow the structure -into the air.</p> - -<p><em>August 28th.</em>—Raining. Sundry officers turned in -to inquire of me, who was quietly in bed at Washington, -concerning certain skirmishes reported to have -taken place last night. Sold one horse and bought -another; that is, I paid ready money in the latter -transaction, and in the former, received an order from -an officer on the paymaster of his regiment, on a certain -day not yet arrived.</p> - -<p>To-day, Lord A. V. Tempest is added to the number -of English arrivals; he amused me by narrating his -reception at Willard’s on the night of his arrival. -When he came in with the usual ruck of passengers, -he took his turn at the book, and wrote down Lord -Adolphus Vane Tempest, with possibly M.P. after it. -The clerk, who was busily engaged in showing that -he was perfectly indifferent to the claims of the crowd -who were waiting at the counter for their rooms, when -the book was finished, commenced looking over the -names of the various persons, such as Leonidas Buggs, -Rome, N. Y.; Doctor Onesiphorous Bowells, D.D., -Syracuse; Olynthus Craggs, Palmyra, Mo.; Washington -Whilkes, Indianopolis, writing down the numbers -of the rooms, and handing over the keys to the -waiters at the same time. When he came to the name<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_317"></a>[317]</span> -of the English nobleman, he said, “Vane Tempest, -No. 125.” “But stop,” cried Lord Adolphus. “Lycurgus -Siccles,” continued the clerk, “No. 23.” “I -insist upon it, sir,”—broke in Lord Adolphus,—“you -really must hear me. I protest against being put in -125. I can’t go up so high.” “Why,” said the -clerk, with infinite contempt, “I can put you at -twice as high—I’ll give you No. 250 if I like.” This -was rather too much, and Lord Adolphus put his things -into a cab, and drove about Washington until he -got to earth in the two-pair back of a dentist’s, for -which no doubt, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tout vu</i>, he paid as much as for an -apartment at the Hotel Bristol.</p> - -<p>A gathering of American officers and others, amongst -whom was Mr. Olmsted, enabled him to form some idea -of the young men’s society of Washington, which is a -strange mixture of politics and fighting, gossip, gaiety, -and a certain apprehension of a wrath to come for their -dear republic. Here is Olmsted prepared to lay down -his life for free speech over a united republic, in one -part of which his freedom of speech would lead to -irretrievable confusion and ruin; whilst Wise, on the -other hand, seeks only to establish a union which -shall have a large fleet, be powerful at sea, and be able -to smash up abolitionists, newspaper people, and political -agitators at home.</p> - -<p><em>August 29th.</em>—It is hard to bear such a fate as -befalls an unpopular man in the United States, because -in no other country, as De Tocqueville<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> remarks, -is the press so powerful when it is unanimous. And -yet he says, too, “The journalist of the United -States is usually placed in a very humble position,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_318"></a>[318]</span> -with a scanty education and a vulgar turn of mind. -His characteristics consist of an open and coarse -appeal to the passions of the populace, and he habitually -abandons the principles of political science to -assail the characters of individuals, to track them into -private life, and disclose all their weaknesses and -errors. The individuals who are already in possession -of a high station in the esteem of their fellow-citizens -are afraid to write in the newspapers, and they -are thus deprived of the most powerful instrument -which they can use to excite the passions of the multitude -to their advantage. The personal opinions of -the editors have no kind of weight in the eyes of the -public. The only use of a journal is, that it imparts -the knowledge of certain facts; and it is only by altering -and distorting those facts that a journalist can contribute -to the support of his own views.” When the -whole of the press, without any exception in so far -as I am aware, sets deliberately to work, in order to -calumniate, vilify, insult, and abuse a man who is at -once a stranger, a rival, and an Englishman, he may -expect but one result, according to De Tocqueville.</p> - -<p>The teeming anonymous letters I receive are filled with -threats of assassination, tarring, feathering, and the -like; and one of the most conspicuous of literary sbirri -is in perfect rapture at the notion of a new “sensation” -heading, for which he is working as hard as he can. I -have no intention to add to the number of his castigations.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon I drove to the waste grounds beyond -the Capitol, in company with Mr. Olmsted and Captain -Haworth, to see the 18th Massachusetts Regiment, who -had just marched in, and were pitching their tents very<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_319"></a>[319]</span> -probably for the first time. They arrived from their -state with camp equipments, waggons, horses, harness, -commissariat stores complete, and were clad in the -blue uniform of the United States; for the volunteer -fancies in greys and greens are dying out. The men -were uncommonly stout young fellows, with an odd, -slouching, lounging air about some of them, however, -which I could not quite understand till I heard one -sing out, “Hallo, sergeant, where am I to sling my -hammock in this tent?” Many of them, in fact, are -fishermen and sailors from Cape Cod, New Haven, and -similar maritime places.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_320"></a>[320]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX. <span class="hidden">Personal unpopularity</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Personal unpopularity—American naval officers—A gun levelled at me -in fun—Increase of odium against me—Success of the Hatteras -expedition—General Scott and M‘Clellan—M‘Clellan on his camp-bed—General -Scott’s pass refused—Prospect of an attack on -Washington—Skirmishing—Anonymous letters—General Halleck—General -M‘Clellan and the Sabbath—Rumoured death of Jefferson -Davis—Spread of my unpopularity—An offer for my horse—Dinner -at the Legation—Discussion on Slavery.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>August 31st.</em>—A month during which I have been -exposed to more calumny, falsehood, not to speak of -danger, than I ever passed through, has been brought -to a close. I have all the pains and penalties attached -to the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">digito monstrari et dicier hic est</i>, in the most -hostile sense. On going into Willard’s the other day, -I said to the clerk behind the bar, “Why I heard, Mr. -So-and-so, you were gone?” “Well, sir, I’m not. If -I was, you would have lost the last man who is ready -to say a word for you in this house, I can tell you.” -Scowling faces on every side—women turning up their -pretty little noses—people turning round in the streets, -or stopping to stare in front of me—the proprietors of -the shops where I am known pointing me out to others; -the words uttered, in various tones, “So, that’s Bull-Run -Russell!”—for, oddly enough, the Americans -seem to think that a disgrace to their arms becomes -diminished by fixing the name of the scene as a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_321"></a>[321]</span> -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sobriquet</i> on one who described it—these, with caricatures, -endless falsehoods, rumours of duels, and the -like, form some of the little <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">désagrémens</i> of one who was -so unfortunate as to assist at the retreat, the first he -had ever seen, of an army which it would in all respects -have suited him much better to have seen victorious.</p> - -<p>I dined with Lieutenant Wise, and met Captain -Dahlgren, Captain Davis, U.S.N., <ins class="corr" id="tn-321" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'Captain Foote, U.N.S.'"> -Captain Foote, U.S.N.</ins>, and Colonel Fletcher Webster<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a>, son of the great -American statesman, now commanding a regiment of -volunteers. The latter has a fine head and face; a full, -deep eye; is quaint and dry in his conversation, and -a poet, I should think, in heart and soul, if outward -and visible signs may be relied on. The naval captains -were excellent specimens of the accomplished and able -men who belong to the United States Navy. Foote, -who is designated to the command of the flotilla which -is to clear the Mississippi downwards, will, I am certain, -do good service—a calm, energetic, skilful officer. -Dahlgren, who, like all men with a system, very -properly watches everything which bears upon it, took -occasion to call for Captain Foote’s testimony to the -fact, that he battered down a six-foot granite wall in -China with Dahlgren shells. It will run hard against -the Confederates when they get such men at work on -the rivers and coasts, for they seem to understand their -business thoroughly, and all they are not quite sure of -is the readiness of the land forces to co-operate with -their expeditionary movements. Incidentally I learned -from the conversation—and it is a curious illustration -of the power of the President—that it was he who -ordered the attack on Charleston harbour, or, to speak<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_322"></a>[322]</span> -with more accuracy, the movement of the armed -squadron to relieve Sumter by force, if necessary; and -that he came to the conclusion it was feasible principally -from reading the account of the attack on -Kinburn by the allied fleets. There was certainly an -immense disproportion between the relative means of -attack and defence in the two cases; but, at all events, -the action of the Confederates prevented the attempt.</p> - -<p><em>September 1st.</em>—Took a ride early this morning over -the Long Bridge. As I was passing out of the earthwork -called a fort on the hill, a dirty German soldier -called out from the parapet, “Pull-Run Russell! you -shall never write Pulls’ Runs again,” and at the same -time cocked his piece, and levelled it at me. I immediately -rode round into the fort, the fellow still presenting -his firelock, and asked him what he meant, at -the same time calling for the sergeant of the guard, -who came at once, and, at my request, arrested the -man, who recovered arms, and said, “It was a choake—I -vant to freeken Pull-Run Russell.” However, as -his rifle was capped and loaded, and on full cock, -with his finger on the trigger, I did not quite see the -fun of it, and I accordingly had the man marched -to the tent of the officer, who promised to investigate -the case, and make a formal report of it to the brigadier, -on my return to lay the circumstances before him. -On reflection I resolved that it was best to let the -matter drop; the joke might spread, and it was quite -unpleasant enough as it was to bear the insolent looks -and scowling faces of the guards at the posts, to whom -I was obliged to exhibit my pass whenever I went out -to ride.</p> - -<p>On my return I heard of the complete success of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_323"></a>[323]</span> -the Hatteras expedition, which shelled out and destroyed -some sand batteries guarding the entrance to the great -inland sea and navigation called Pamlico Sound, in -North Carolina, furnishing access to coasters for many -miles into the Confederate States, and most useful to -them in forwarding supplies and keeping up communications -throughout. The force was commanded by -General Butler, who has come to Washington with the -news, and has already made his speech to the mob -outside Willard’s. I called down to see him, but he -had gone over to call on the President. The people -were jubilant, and one might have supposed Hatteras -was the key to Richmond or Charleston, from the way -they spoke of this unparalleled exploit.</p> - -<p>There is a little French gentleman here against whom -the fates bear heavily. I have given him employment -as an amanuensis and secretary for some time back, -and he tells me many things concerning the talk in the -city which I do not hear myself, from which it would -seem that there is an increase of ill feeling towards me -every day, and that I am a convenient channel for concentrating -all the abuse and hatred so long cherished -against England. I was a little tickled by an account -he gave me of a distinguished lady, who sent for him to -give French lessons, in order that she might become -equal to her high position in mastering the difficulties -of the courtly tongue. I may mention the fact, as it -was radiated by the press through all the land, that -Mrs. M. N., having once on a time “been proficient in -the language, has forgotten it in the lapse of years, but -has resolved to renew her studies, that she may better -discharge the duties of her elevated station.” The -master went to the house and stated his terms to a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_324"></a>[324]</span> -lady whom he saw there; but as she marchandéd a good -deal over small matters of cents, he never supposed he -was dealing with the great lady, and therefore made a -small reduction in his terms, which encouraged the -enemy to renew the assault till he stood firmly on three -shillings a lesson, at which point the lady left him, with -the intimation that she would consider the matter and -let him know. And now, the licentiate tells me, it -has become known he is my private secretary, he is -not considered eligible to do <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">avoir</i> and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">être</i> for the -satisfaction of the good lady, who really is far better -than her friends describe her to be.</p> - -<p><em>September 2nd.</em>—It would seem as if the North were -perfectly destitute of common sense. Here they are as -rampant because they have succeeded with an overwhelming -fleet in shelling out the defenders of some -poor unfinished earthworks, on a spit of sand on the -coast of North Carolina, as if they had already crushed -the Southern rebellion. They affect to consider this -achievement a counterpoise to Bull Bun.</p> - -<p>Surely the press cannot represent the feelings of the -staid and thinking masses of the Northern States! The -success is unquestionably useful to the Federalists, but -it no more adds to their chances of crushing the Confederacy, -than shooting off the end of an elephant’s -tail contributes to the hunter’s capture of the animal.</p> - -<p>An officious little person, who was buzzing about here -as correspondent of a London newspaper, made himself -agreeable by coming with a caricature of my humble -self at the battle of Bull Bun, in a laborious and most -unsuccessful imitation of <cite>Punch</cite>, in which I am represented -with rather a flattering face and figure, seated -before a huge telescope, surrounded by bottles of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_325"></a>[325]</span> -London stout, and looking at the fight. This is supposed -to be very humorous and amusing, and my good-natured -friend was rather astonished when I cut it out -and inserted it carefully in a scrap-book, opposite a -sketch from fancy of the New York Fire Zouaves -charging a battery and routing a regiment of cavalry, -which appeared last week in a much more imaginative -and amusing periodical, which aspires to describe with -pen and pencil the actual current events of the war.</p> - -<p>Going out for my usual ride to-day, I saw General -Scott, between two aides-de-camp, slowly pacing homewards -from the War Office. He is still Commander-in-Chief -of the army, and affects to direct movements -and to control the disposition of the troops, but a power -greater than his increases steadily at General M‘Clellan’s -head-quarters. For my own part I confess that -General M‘Clellan does not appear to me a man of -action, or, at least, a man who intends to act as speedily -as the crisis demands. He should be out with his -army across the Potomac, living among his generals, -studying the composition of his army, investigating -its defects, and, above all, showing himself to the men -as soon afterwards as possible, if he cannot be with -them at the time, in the small affairs which constantly -occur along the front, and never permitting them to -receive a blow without taking care that they give at -least two in return. General Scott, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">jam fracta membra -labore</i>, would do all the work of departments and superintendence -admirably well; but, as Montesquieu taught -long ago, faction and intrigue are the cancers which -peculiarly eat into the body politic of republics, and -M‘Clellan fears, no doubt, that his absence from the -capital, even though he went but across the river, would -animate his enemies to undermine and supplant him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_326"></a>[326]</span></p> - -<p>I have heard several people say lately, “I wish old -Scott would go away,” by which they mean that they -would be happy to strike him down when his back was -turned, but feared his personal influence with the President -and his Cabinet. Two months ago and his was -the most honoured name in the States: one was sickened -by the constant repetition of elaborate plans, in which the -General was represented playing the part of an Indian -juggler, and holding an enormous boa constrictor of a -Federal army in his hands, which he was preparing to -let go as soon as he had coiled it completely round -the frightened Secessionist rabbit; “now none so -poor to do him reverence.” Hard is the fate of those -who serve republics. The officers who met the old -man in the street to-day passed him by without a -salute or mark of recognition, although he wore his -uniform coat, with yellow lapels and yellow sash; -and one of a group which came out of a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">restaurant</i> -close to the General’s house, exclaimed, almost in -his hearing, “Old fuss-and-feathers don’t look first-rate -to-day.”</p> - -<p>In the evening I went with a Scotch gentleman, who -was formerly acquainted with General M‘Clellan when -he was superintendent of the Central Illinois Railway, -to his head-quarters, which are in the house of Captain -Wilkes at the corner of President Square, near Mr. -Seward’s, and not far from the spot where General -Sickles shot down the unhappy man who had temporarily -disturbed the peace of his domestic relations. -The parlours were full of officers smoking, reading -the papers, and writing, and after a short conversation -with General Marcy, Chief of the Staff, Van Vliet, -aide-de-camp of the Commander-in-Chief, led the -way up-stairs to the top of the house, where we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_327"></a>[327]</span> -found General M‘Clellan, just returned from a long -ride, and seated in his shirt sleeves on the side of -his camp-bed. He looked better than I have yet -seen him, for his dress showed to advantage the -powerful, compact formation of his figure, massive -throat, well-set head, and muscular energy of his -frame. Nothing could be more agreeable or easy than -his manner. In his clear, dark-blue eye was no trace -of uneasiness or hidden purpose; but his mouth, covered -by a short, thick moustache, rarely joins in the smile -that overspreads his face when he is animated by -telling or hearing some matter of interest. Telegraph -wires ran all about the house, and as we sat round the -General’s table, despatches were repeatedly brought in -from the Generals in the front. Sometimes M‘Clellan -laid down his cigar and went off to study a large map -of the position, which was fixed to the wall close to the -head of his bed; but more frequently the contents of -the despatches caused him to smile or to utter some -exclamation, which gave one an idea that he did not -attach much importance to the news, and had not great -faith in the reports received from his subordinate officers, -who are always under the impression that the enemy -are coming on in force.</p> - -<p>It is plain the General has got no high opinion of -volunteer officers and soldiers. In addition to unsteadiness -in action, which arises from want of confidence -in the officers as much as from any other cause, -the men labour under the great defect of exceeding -rashness, a contempt for the most ordinary precautions -and a liability to unaccountable alarms and credulousness -of false report; but, admitting all these circumstances, -M‘Clellan has a soldier’s faith in <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">gros bataillons</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_328"></a>[328]</span> -and sees no doubt of ultimate success in a military -point of view, provided the politicians keep quiet, and, -charming men as they are, cease to meddle with things -they don’t understand. Although some very good -officers have deserted the United States army and are -now with the Confederates, a very considerable majority -of West Point officers have adhered to the Federals. -I am satisfied, by an actual inspection of the lists, that -the Northerners retain the same preponderance in -officers who have received a military education, as they -possess in wealth and other means, and resources for -carrying on the war.</p> - -<p>The General consumes tobacco largely, and not only -smokes cigars, but indulges in the more naked beauties -of a quid. From tobacco we wandered to the Crimea, and -thence went half round the world, till we halted before -the Virginian watch-fires, which these good volunteers -will insist on lighting under the very noses of the enemy’s -pickets; nor was it till late we retired, leaving the -General to his well-earned repose.</p> - -<p>General M‘Clellan took the situation of affairs in -a very easy and philosophical spirit. According to -his own map and showing, the enemy not only overlapped -his lines from the batteries by which they -blockaded the Potomac on the right, to their extreme -left on the river above Washington, but have established -themselves in a kind of salient angle on his front, at a -place called Munson’s Hill, where their flag waved from -entrenchments within sight of the Capitol. However, -from an observation he made, I imagined that the -General would make an effort to recover his lost -ground; at any rate, beat up the enemy’s quarters, in -order to see what they were doing; and he promised to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_329"></a>[329]</span> -send an orderly round and let me know; so, before I -retired, I gave orders to my groom to have “Walker” -in readiness.</p> - -<p><em>September 3rd.</em>—Notwithstanding the extreme heat, -I went out early this morning to the Chain Bridge, from -which the reconnaissance hinted at last night would -necessarily start. This bridge is about four and a half or -five miles above Washington, and crosses the river at -a picturesque spot almost deserving the name of a -gorge, with high banks on both sides. It is a light -aërial structure, and spans the river by broad arches, -from which the view reminds one of Highland or -Tyrolean scenery. The road from the city passes -through a squalid settlement of European squatters, -who in habitation, dress, appearance, and possibly -civilisation, are quite as bad as any negroes on any -Southern plantation I have visited. The camps of a -division lie just beyond, and a gawky sentry from New -England, with whom I had some conversation, amused -me by saying that the Colonel “was a darned deal -more affeerd of the Irish squatters taking off his poultry -at night than he was of the Secessioners; anyways, -he puts out more sentries to guard them than he -has to look after the others.”</p> - -<p>From the Chain Bridge I went some distance -towards Falls Church, until I was stopped by a picket, -the officer of which refused to recognise General Scott’s -pass. “I guess the General’s a dead man, sir.” -“Is he not Commander-in-Chief of the United States -army?” “Well, I believe that’s a fact, sir; but you -had better argue that point with M‘Clellan. He is our -boy, and I do believe he’d like to let the London <cite>Times</cite> -know how we Green Mountain boys can fight, if they<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_330"></a>[330]</span> -don’t know already. But all passes are stopped anyhow, -and I had to turn back a Congress-man this very -morning, and lucky for him it was, because the -Sechessers are just half a mile in front of us.” On my -way back by the upper road I passed a farmer’s house, -which was occupied by some Federal officers, and there, -seated in the verandah, with his legs cocked over the -railings, was Mr. Lincoln, in a felt hat, and a loose -grey shooting coat and long vest, “letting off,” as the -papers say, one of his jokes, to judge by his attitude -and the laughter of the officers around him, utterly -indifferent to the Confederate flag floating from Munson’s -Hill.</p> - -<p>Just before midnight a considerable movement of -troops took place through the streets, and I was about -starting off to ascertain the cause, when I received -information that General M‘Clellan was only sending -off two brigades and four batteries to the Chain -Bridge to strengthen his right, which was menaced -by the enemy. I retired to bed, in order to be -ready for any battle which might take place to-morrow, -but was roused up by voices beneath my -window, and going out on the verandah, could not help -chuckling at the appearance of three foreign ministers -and a banker, in the street below, who had come round -to inquire, in some perturbation, the cause of the -nocturnal movement of men and guns, and seemed -little inclined to credit my assurances that nothing -more serious than a reconnaissance was contemplated. -The ministers were in high spirits at the prospect of an -attack on Washington. Such agreeable people are the -governing party of the United States at present, that -there is only one representative of a foreign power here<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_331"></a>[331]</span> -who would not like to see them flying before Southern -bayonets. The banker, perhaps, would have liked a -little time to set his affairs in order. “When will the -sacking begin?” cried the ministers. “We must hoist -our flags.” “The Confederates respect private property, -I suppose?” As to flags, be it remarked that Lord -Lyons has none to display, having lent his to Mr. Seward, -who required it for some festive demonstration.</p> - -<p><em>September 4th.</em>—I rode over to the Chain Bridge -again with Captain Haworth this morning at seven -o’clock, on the chance of there being a big fight, as -the Americans say; but there was only some slight -skirmishing going on; dropping shots now and then. -Walker, excited by the reminiscences of Bull Run -noises, performed most remarkable feats, one of the -most frequent of which was turning right round when -at full trot or canter and then kicking violently. He -also galloped in a most lively way down a road which -in winter is the bed of a torrent, and jumped along -among the boulders and stones in an agile, cat-like -manner, to the great delectation of my companion.</p> - -<p>The morning was intensely hot, so I was by no means -indisposed to get back to cover again. Nothing would -persuade people there was not serious fighting somewhere -or other. I went down to the Long Bridge, and -was stopped by the sentry, so I produced General -Scott’s pass, which I kept always as a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">dernier ressort</i>, -but the officer on duty here also refused it, as passes -were suspended. I returned and referred the matter to -Colonel Cullum, who consulted General Scott, and -informed me that the pass must be considered as -perfectly valid, not having been revoked by the -General, who, as Lieutenant-General commanding<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_332"></a>[332]</span> -the United States army, was senior to every other -officer, and could only have his pass revoked by the -President himself. Now it was quite plain that it would -do me no good to have an altercation with the sentries -at every post in order to have the satisfaction of reporting -the matter to General Scott. I, therefore, procured a -letter from Colonel Cullum stating, in writing, what -he said in words, and with that and the pass -went to General M‘Clellan’s head-quarters, where I -was told by his aides the General was engaged in a -kind of council of war. I sent up my papers, and -Major Hudson, of his staff, came down after a short -time and said, that “General M‘Clellan thought it -would be much better if General Scott had given me a -new special pass, but as General Scott had thought fit -to take the present course on his own responsibility, -General M‘Clellan could not interfere in the matter,” -whence it may be inferred there is no very pleasant -feeling between head-quarters of the army of the -Potomac and head-quarters of the army of the United -States.</p> - -<p>I went on to the Navy yard, where a look-out -man, who can command the whole of the country to -Munson’s Hill, is stationed, and I heard from Captain -Dahlgren that there was no fighting whatever. There -were columns of smoke visible from Capitol Hill, which -the excited spectators declared were caused by artillery -and musketry, but my glass resolved them into emanations -from a vast extent of hanging wood and brush -which the Federals were burning in order to clear their -front. However, people were so positive as to hearing -cannonades and volleys of musketry that we went out to -the reservoir hill at Georgetown, and gazing over the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_333"></a>[333]</span> -debatable land of Virginia—which, by the way, is very -beautiful these summer sunsets—became thoroughly -satisfied of the delusion. Met Van Vliet as I was -returning, who had just seen the reports at head-quarters, -and averred there was no fighting whatever. -My landlord had a very different story. His friend, -an hospital steward, “had seen ninety wounded men -carried into one ward from over the river, and believed -the Federals had lost 1000 killed and wounded and -twenty-five guns.”</p> - -<p><em>Sept. 5th.</em>—Raining all day. M‘Clellan abandoned -his intention of inspecting the lines, and I remained in, -writing. The anonymous letters still continue. Received -one from an unmistakable Thug to-day, with -the death’s-head, cross-bones, and coffin, in the most -orthodox style of national-school drawing.</p> - -<p>The event of the day was the appearance of the -President in the Avenue in a suit of black, and a parcel -in his hand, walking umbrella-less in the rain. Mrs. -Lincoln has returned, and the worthy “Executive” will -no longer be obliged to go “browsing round,” as he -says, among his friends at dinner-time. He is working -away at money matters with energy, but has been much -disturbed in his course of studies by General Fremont’s -sudden outburst in the West, which proclaims emancipation, -and draws out the arrow which the President -intended to discharge from his own bow.</p> - -<p><em>Sept. 6th.</em>—At 3.30 p.m. General M‘Clellan sent over -an orderly to say he was going across the river, and -would be glad of my company; but I was just finishing -my letters for England, and had to excuse myself for the -moment; and when I was ready, the General and staff -had gone <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ventre à terre</i> into Virginia. After post, paid<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_334"></a>[334]</span> -my respects to General Scott, who is about to retire -from the command on his full-pay of about £3500 per -annum, which is awarded to him on account of his long -services.</p> - -<p>A new Major-General—Halleck—has been picked up -in California, and is highly praised by General Scott -and by Colonel Cullum, with whom I had a long -talk about the generals on both sides. Halleck is a -West Point officer, and has published some works on -military science which are highly esteemed in the -States. Before California became a State, he was -secretary to the governor or officer commanding the -territory, and eventually left the service and became a -lawyer in the district, where he has amassed a large -fortune. He is a man of great ability, very calm, -practical, earnest, and cold, devoted to the Union—a -soldier, and something more. Lee is considered -the ablest man on the Federal side, but he is -slow and timid. “Joe” Johnson is their best strategist. -Beauregard is nobody and nothing—so think -they at head-quarters. All of them together are not -equal to Halleck, who is to be employed in the West.</p> - -<p>I dined at the Legation, where were the Russian -Minister, the Secretary of the French Legation, the -representative of New Granada, and others. As I -was anxious to explain to General M‘Clellan the -reason of my inability to go out with him, I called at -his quarters about eleven o’clock, and found he had -just returned from his ride. He received me in his -shirt, in his bed-room at the top of the house, introduced -me to General Burnside—a soldierly, intelligent-looking -man, with a very lofty forehead, and -uncommonly bright dark eyes; and we had some conversation<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_335"></a>[335]</span> -about matters of ordinary interest for some -time, till General M‘Clellan called me into an antechamber, -where an officer was writing a despatch, which -he handed to the General. “I wish to ask your -opinion as to the wording of this order. It is a matter -of importance. I see that the men of this army, Mr. -Russell, disregard the Sabbath, and neglect the worship -of God; and I am resolved to put an end to such -neglect, as far as I can. I have, therefore, directed the -following order to be drawn up, which will be promulgated -to-morrow.” The General spoke with much -earnestness, and with an air which satisfied me of his -sincerity. The officer in waiting read the order, in -which, at the General’s request, I suggested a few -alterations. The General told me he had received -“sure information that Beauregard has packed up all -his baggage, struck his tents, and is evidently preparing -for a movement, so you may be wanted at a -moment’s notice.” General Burnside returned to my -rooms, in company with Mr. Lamy, and we sat up, -discoursing of Bull’s Run, in which his brigade -was the first engaged in front. He spoke like a man -of sense and a soldier of the action, and stood up -for the conduct of some regiments, though he could not -palliate the final disorder. The papers circulate -rumours of “Jeff. Davis’s death;” nay, accounts of his -burial. The public does not believe, but buys all the -same.</p> - -<p><em>Sept. 7th.</em>—Yes; “Jeff. Davis must be dead.” There -are some touching lamentations in the obituary notices -over his fate in the other world. Meanwhile, however, -his spirit seems quite alive; for there is an absolute -certainty that the Confederates are coming to attack<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_336"></a>[336]</span> -the Capitol. Lieut. Wise and Lord A. Vane Tempest -argued the question whether the assault would be made -by a flank movement above or direct in front; and -Wise maintained the latter thesis with vigour not disproportioned -to the energy with which his opponent -demonstrated that the Confederates could not be such -madmen as to march up to the Federal batteries. -There is actually “a battle” raging (in the front of the -Philadelphia newspaper offices) this instant—<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Populus -vult decipi—decipiatur</i>.</p> - -<p><em>Sept. 8th.</em>—Rode over to Arlington House. Went -round by Aqueduct Bridge, Georgetown, and out across -Chain Bridge to Brigadier Smith’s head-quarters, which -are established in a comfortable house belonging to a -Secessionist farmer. The General belongs to the regular -army, and, if one can judge from externals, is a good -officer. A libation of Bourbon and water was poured -out to friendship, and we rode out with Captain Poe, -of the Topographical Engineers, a hard-working, eager -fellow, to examine the trench which the men were engaged -in throwing up to defend the position they have just occupied -on some high knolls, now cleared of wood, and -overlooking ravines which stretch towards Falls Church -and Vienna. Everything about the camp looked like -fighting: Napoleon guns planted on the road; Griffin’s -battery in a field near at hand; mountain howitzers -unlimbered; strong pickets and main-guards; the five -thousand men all kept close to their camps, and two -regiments, in spite of M‘Clellan’s order, engaged on the -trenches, which were already mounted with field-guns. -General Smith, like most officers, is a Democrat and -strong anti-Abolitionist, and it is not too much to suppose -he would fight any rather than Virginians. As<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_337"></a>[337]</span> -we were riding about, it got out among the men -that I was present, and I was regarded with no -small curiosity, staring, and some angry looks. The -men do not know what to make of it when they see -their officers in the company of one whom they are -reading about in the papers as the most &c., &c., the -world ever saw. And, indeed, I know well enough, so -great is their passion and so easily are they misled, that -without such safeguard the men would in all probability -carry out the suggestions of one of their particular -guides, who has undergone so many cuffings that he -rather likes them. Am I not the cause of the disaster -at Bull’s Run?</p> - -<p>Going home, I met Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln in their -new open carriage. The President was not so good-humoured, -nor Mrs. Lincoln so affable, in their return -to my salutation as usual. My unpopularity is certainly -spreading upwards and downwards at the same -time, and all because I could not turn the battle of Bull’s -Run into a Federal victory, because I would not pander to -the vanity of the people, and, least of all, because I will -not bow my knee to the degraded creatures who have -made the very name of a free press odious to honourable -men. Many of the most foul-mouthed and rabid -of the men who revile me because I have said the -Union as it was never can be restored, are as fully -satisfied of the truth of that statement as I am. They -have written far severer things of their army than -I have ever done. They have slandered their soldiers -and their officers as I have never done. They have fed -the worst passions of a morbid democracy, till it can -neither see nor hear; but they shall never have the satisfaction -of either driving me from my post or inducing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_338"></a>[338]</span> -me to deviate a hair’s-breadth from the course I have -resolved to pursue, as I have done before in other cases—greater -and graver, as far as I was concerned, than -this.</p> - -<p><em>Sept. 9th.</em>—This morning, as I was making the -most of my toilet after a ride, a gentleman in the -uniform of a United States officer came up-stairs, and -marched into my sitting-room, saying he wished to see -me on business. I thought it was one of my numerous -friends coming with a message from some one who was -going to avenge Bull’s Run on me. So, going out as -speedily as I could, I bowed to the officer, and asked his -business. “I’ve come here because I’d like to trade -with you about that chestnut horse of yours.” I replied -that I could only state what price I had given for him, -and say that I would take the same, and no less. -“What may you have given for him?” I discovered -that my friend had been already to the stable and -ascertained the price from the groom, who considered -himself bound in duty to name a few dollars beyond -the actual sum I had given, for when I mentioned the -price, the countenance of the man of war relaxed into -a grim smile. “Well, I reckon that help of yours is a -pretty smart chap, though he does come from your side -of the world.” When the preliminaries had been -arranged, the officer announced that he had come on -behalf of another officer to offer me an order on his -paymaster, payable at some future date, for the animal, -which he desired, however, to take away upon the spot. -The transaction was rather amusing, but I consented -to let the horse go, much to the indignation and -uneasiness of the Scotch servant, who regarded it as -contrary to all the principles of morality in horseflesh.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_339"></a>[339]</span></p> - -<p>Lord A. V. Tempest and another British subject, who -applied to Mr. Seward to-day for leave to go South, -were curtly refused. The Foreign Secretary is not -very well pleased with us all just now, and there has -been some little uneasiness between him and Lord -Lyons, in consequence of representations respecting an -improper excess in the United States marine on the -lakes, contrary to treaty. The real cause, perhaps, -of Mr. Seward’s annoyance is to be found in the -exaggerated statements of the American papers respecting -British reinforcements for Canada, which, in -truth, are the ordinary reliefs. These small questions -in the present condition of affairs cause irritation; but -if the United States were not distracted by civil war, -they would be seized eagerly as pretexts to excite the -popular mind against Great Britain.</p> - -<p>The great difficulty of all, which must be settled -some day, relates to San Juan; and every American I -have met is persuaded Great Britain is in the wrong, -and must consent to a compromise or incur the risk of -war. The few English in Washington, I think, were -all present at dinner at the Legation to-day.</p> - -<p><em>September 10th.</em>—A party of American officers passed -the evening where I dined—all, of course, Federals, but -holding very different views. A Massachusetts Colonel, -named Gordon, asserted that slavery was at the root of -every evil which afflicted the Republic; that it was not -necessary in the South or anywhere else, and that the -South maintained the institution for political as well -as private ends. A Virginian Captain, on the contrary, -declared that slavery was in itself good; that it -could not be dangerous, as it was essentially conservative, -and desired nothing better than to be left alone;<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_340"></a>[340]</span> -but that the Northern fanatics, jealous of the superior -political influence and ability of Southern statesmen, -and sordid Protectionists who wished to bind the -South to take their goods exclusively, perpetrated -all the mischief. An officer of the district of Columbia -assigned all the misfortunes of the country to universal -suffrage, to foreign immigration, and to these alone. -Mob-law revolts well-educated men, and people who -pride themselves because their fathers lived in the -country before them, will not be content to see a -foreigner who has been but a short time on the soil -exercising as great influence over the fate of the -country as himself. A contest will, therefore, always -be going on between those representing the oligarchical -principle and the pollarchy; and the result must be -disruption, sooner or later, because there is no power -in a republic to restrain the struggling factions which -the weight of the crown compresses in monarchical -countries.</p> - -<p>I dined with a namesake—a major in the United -States Marines—with whom I had become accidentally -acquainted, in consequence of our letters frequently -changing hands, and spent an agreeable evening in -company with naval and military officers; not the less -so because our host had some marvellous Madeira, -dating back from the Conquest—I mean of Washington. -Several of the officers spoke in the highest terms of -General Banks, whom they call a most remarkable -man; but so jealous are the politicians that he will -never be permitted, they think, to get a fair chance of -distinguishing himself.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_341"></a>[341]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX. <span class="hidden">A Crimean acquaintance</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A Crimean acquaintance—Personal abuse of myself—Close firing—A -reconnaissance—Major-General Bell—The Prince de Joinville -and his nephews—American estimate of Louis Napoleon—Arrest -of members of the Maryland Legislature—Life at Washington—War -cries—News from the Far West—Journey to the Western States—Along -the Susquehannah and Juniata—Chicago—Sport in the -prairie—Arrested for shooting on Sunday—The town of Dwight—Return -to Washington—Mr. Seward and myself.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>September 11th.</em>—A soft-voiced, round-faced, rather -good-looking young man, with downy moustache, came -to my room, and introduced himself this morning as -Mr. H. H. Scott, formerly of Her Majesty’s 57th Regiment. -“Don’t you remember me? I often met you -at Cathcart’s Hill. I had a big dog, if you remember, -which used to be about the store belonging to our -camp.” And so he rattled on, talking of old Street -and young Jones with immense volubility, and telling -me how he had gone out to India with his regiment, -had married, lost his wife, and was now travelling for -the benefit of his health and to see the country. All -the time I was trying to remember his face, but in -vain. At last came the purport of his visit. He had -been taken ill at Baltimore, and was obliged to stop at -an hotel, which had cost him more than he had anticipated; -he had just received a letter from his father, -which required his immediate return, and he had telegraphed<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_342"></a>[342]</span> -to New York to secure his place in the next -steamer. Meantime, he was out of money, and required -a small loan to enable him to go back and prepare for -his journey, and of course he would send me the money -the moment he arrived in New York. I wrote a -cheque for the amount he named, with which Lieutenant -or Captain Scott departed; and my suspicions -were rather aroused by seeing him beckon a remarkably -ill-favoured person at the other side of the way, who -crossed over and inspected the little slip of paper held -out for his approbation, and then, taking his friend -under the arm, walked off rapidly towards the bank.</p> - -<p>The papers still continue to abuse me <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">faute de mieux</i>; -there are essays written about me; I am threatened -with several farces; I have been lectured upon at -Willard’s by a professor of rhetoric; and I am a stock -subject with the leaden penny funny journals, for -articles and caricatures. Yesterday I was abused on -the ground that I spoke badly of those who treated me -hospitably. The man who wrote the words knew they -were false, because I have been most careful in my -correspondence to avoid anything of the kind. A -favourite accusation, indeed, which Americans make -against foreigners is, “that they have abused our hospitality,” -which oftentimes consists in permitting them -to live in the country at all at their own expense, -paying their way at hotels and elsewhere, without the -smallest suspicion that they were receiving any hospitality -whatever.</p> - -<p>To-day, for instance, there comes a lively corporal -of artillery, John Robinson, who quotes Sismondi, -Guizot, and others, to prove that I am the worst man in -the world; but his fiercest invectives are directed against<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_343"></a>[343]</span> -me on the ground that I speak well of those people who -give me dinners; the fact being, since I came to America, -that I have given at least as many dinners to Americans -as I have received from them.</p> - -<p>Just as I was sitting down to my desk for the -remainder of the day, a sound caught my ear which, -repeated again and again, could not be mistaken by -accustomed organs, and placing my face close to the -windows, I perceived the glass vibrate to the distant -discharge of cannon, which, evidently, did not proceed -from a review or a salute. Unhappy man that I am! -here is Walker lame, and my other horse carried off by -the West-country captain. However, the sounds were so -close that in a few moments I was driving off towards -the Chain Bridge, taking the upper road, as that by -the canal has become a sea of mud filled with deep -holes.</p> - -<p>In the windows, on the house-tops, even to the ridges -partially overlooking Virginia, people were standing in -high excitement, watching the faint puffs of smoke -which rose at intervals above the tree-tops, and at every -report a murmur—exclamations of “There, do you hear -that?”—ran through the crowd. The driver, as excited -as any one else, urged his horses at full speed, and we -arrived at the Chain Bridge just as General M‘Call—a -white haired, rather military-looking old man—appeared -at the head of his column, hurrying down to the Chain -Bridge from the Maryland side, to re-inforce Smith, who -was said to be heavily engaged with the enemy. But by -this time the firing had ceased, and just as the artillery -of the General’s column commenced defiling through -the mud, into which the guns sank to the naves of the -wheels, the head of another column appeared, entering<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_344"></a>[344]</span> -the bridge from the Virginia side with loud cheers, -which were taken up again and again. The carriage -was halted to allow the 2nd Wisconsin to pass; and -a more broken-down, white-faced, sick, and weakly -set of poor wretches I never beheld. The heavy rains -had washed the very life out of them; their clothing was -in rags, their shoes were broken, and multitudes were -foot-sore. They cheered, nevertheless, or whooped, -and there was a tremendous clatter of tongues in the -ranks concerning their victory; but, as the men’s faces -and hands were not blackened by powder, they could -have seen little of the engagement. Captain Poe came -along with dispatches for General M‘Clellan, and gave -me a correct account of the affair.</p> - -<p>All this noise and firing and excitement, I found, -simply arose out of a reconnaissance made towards -Lewinsville, by Smith and a part of his brigade, -to beat up the enemy’s position, and enable the -topographical engineers to procure some information -respecting the country. The Confederates worked -down upon their left flank with artillery, which they -got into position at an easy range without being -observed, intending, no doubt, to cut off their retreat -and capture or destroy the whole force; but, fortunately -for the reconnoitring party, the impatience of -their enemies led them to open fire too soon. The -Federals got their guns into position also, and covered -their retreat, whilst reinforcements poured out of camp -to their assistance, “and I doubt not,” said Poe, “but -that they will have an encounter of a tremendous -scalping match in all the papers to-morrow, although -we have only six or seven men killed, and twelve -wounded.” As we approached Washington the citizens,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_345"></a>[345]</span> -as they are called, were waving Federal banners out of -the windows and rejoicing in a great victory; at least, -the inhabitants of the inferior sort of houses. Respectability -in Washington means Secession.</p> - -<p>Mr. Monson told me that my distressed young -British subject, Captain Scott, had called on him at -the Legation early this morning for the little pecuniary -help which had been, I fear, wisely refused there, -and which was granted by me. The States have -become, indeed, more than ever the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">cloacina gentium</i>, -and Great Britain contributes its full quota to the -stream.</p> - -<p>Thus time passes away in expectation of some onward -movement, or desperate attack, or important strategical -movements; and night comes to reassemble a few -friends, Americans and English, at my rooms or elsewhere, -to talk over the disappointed hopes of the day, -to speculate on the future, to chide each dull delay, and -to part with a hope that to-morrow would be more lively -than to-day. Major-General Bell, who commanded the -Royals in the Crimea, and who has passed some half -century in active service, turned up in Washington, and -has been courteously received by the American authorities. -He joined to-night one of our small reunions, -and was infinitely puzzled to detect the lines which -separated one man’s country and opinions from those of -the other.</p> - -<p><em>September 11th.</em>—Captain Johnson, Queen’s messenger, -started with despatches for England from the -Legation to-day, to the regret of our little party. -I observe by the papers certain wiseacres in Philadelphia -have got up a petition against me to Mr. -Seward, on the ground that I have been guilty of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_346"></a>[346]</span> -treasonable practices and misrepresentations in my -letter dated August 10th. There is also to be a -lecture on the 17th at Willard’s, by the Professor of -Rhetoric, to a volunteer regiment, which the President -is invited to attend—the subject being myself.</p> - -<p>There is an absolute nullity of events, out of which -the New York papers endeavour, in vain, to extract -a <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">caput mortuum</i> of sensation headings. The Prince -of Joinville and his two nephews, the Count of Paris -and the Duke of Chartres, have been here for some -days, and have been received with marked attention by -the President, Cabinet, politicians and military. The -Prince has come with the intention of placing his -son at the United States Naval Academy, and his -nephews with the head-quarters of the Federal army. -The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">empressement</i> exhibited at the White House towards -the French princes is attributed by ill-natured rumours -and persons to a little pique on the part of Mrs. Lincoln, -because the Princess Clothilde did not receive her at -New York, but considerable doubts are entertained -of the Emperor’s “loyalty” towards the Union. Under -the wild extravagance of professions of attachment to -France are hidden suspicions that Louis Napoleon -may be capable of treasonable practices and misrepresentations, -which, in time, may lead the Philadelphians -to get up a petition against M. Mercier.</p> - -<p>The news that twenty-two members of the Maryland -Legislature have been seized by the Federal authorities -has not produced the smallest effect here: so easily do -men in the midst of political troubles bend to arbitrary -power, and so rapidly do all guarantees disappear in -a revolution. I was speaking to one of General -M‘Clellan’s aides-de-camp this evening respecting these<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_347"></a>[347]</span> -things, when he said—“If I thought he would use his -power a day longer than was necessary, I would resign -this moment. I believe him incapable of any selfish or -unconstitutional views, or unlawful ambition, and you -will see that he will not disappoint our expectations.”</p> - -<p>It is now quite plain M‘Clellan has no intention of -making a general defensive movement against Richmond. -He is aware his army is not equal to the task—commissariat -deficient, artillery wanting, no cavalry; -above all, ill-officered, incoherent battalions. He -hopes, no doubt, by constant reviewing and inspection, -and by weeding out the preposterous fellows who -render epaulettes ridiculous, to create an infantry -which shall be able for a short campaign in the -fine autumn weather; but I am quite satisfied he does -not intend to move now, and possibly will not do so -till next year. I have arranged therefore to pay a short -visit to the West, penetrating as far as I can, without -leaving telegraphs and railways behind, so that if an -advance takes place, I shall be back in time at Washington -to assist at the earliest battle. These Federal -armies do not move like the corps of the French republic, -or Crawford’s Light Division.</p> - -<p>In truth, Washington life is becoming exceedingly -monotonous and uninteresting. The pleasant little -evening parties or tertulias which once relieved the -dulness of this dullest of capitals, take place no -longer. Very wrong indeed would it be that rejoicings -and festivities should occur in the capital of a country -menaced with destruction, where many anxious hearts -are grieving over the lost, or tortured with fears for -the living.</p> - -<p>But for the hospitality of Lord Lyons to the English<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_348"></a>[348]</span> -residents, the place would be nearly insufferable, for -at his house one met other friendly ministers who -extended the circle of invitations, and two or three -American families completed the list which one could -reckon on his fingers. Then at night, there were -assemblages of the same men, who uttered the same -opinions, told the same stories, sang the same songs, -varied seldom by strange faces or novel accomplishments, -but always friendly and social enough—not -conducive perhaps to very early rising, but innocent -of gambling, or other excess. A flask of Bordeaux, -a wicker-covered demi-john of Bourbon, a jug of -iced water and a bundle of cigars, with the latest arrival -of newspapers, furnished the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">matériel</i> of these small -symposiums, in which Americans and Englishmen and -a few of the members of foreign Legations, mingled -in a friendly cosmopolitan manner. Now and then a -star of greater magnitude came down upon us: a -senator or an “earnest man,” or a “live man,” or -a constitutional lawyer, or a remarkable statesman, -coruscated, and rushing off into the outer world left us -befogged, with our glimmering lights half extinguished -with tobacco-smoke.</p> - -<p>Out of doors excessive heat alternating with thunder-storms -and tropical showers—dust beaten into mud, -or mud sublimated into dust—eternal reviews, each -like the other—visits to camp, where we saw the -same men and heard the same stories of perpetual -abortive skirmishes—rides confined to the same roads -and paths by lines of sentries, offered no greater attraction -than the city, where one’s bones were racked with -fever and ague, and where every evening the pestilential -vapours of the Potomac rose higher and spread<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_349"></a>[349]</span> -further. No wonder that I was glad to get away to -the Far West, particularly as I entertained hopes of -witnessing some of the operations down the Mississippi, -before I was summoned back to Washington, by the -news that the grand army had actually broken up camp, -and was about once more to march against Richmond.</p> - -<p><em>September 12th.</em>—The day passed quietly, in spite of -rumours of another battle; the band played in the President’s -garden, and citizens and citizenesses strolled -about the grounds as if Secession had been annihilated. -The President made a fitful appearance, in a grey -shooting suit, with a number of despatches in his hand, -and walked off towards the State Department quite -unnoticed by the crowd. I am sure not half a dozen -persons saluted him—not one of the men I saw even -touched his hat. General Bell went round the works -with M‘Clellan, and expressed his opinion that it -would be impossible to fight a great battle in the -country which lay between the two armies—in fact, as -he said, “a general could no more handle his troops -among the woods, than he could regulate the movements -of rabbits in a cover. You ought just to make a proposition -to Beauregard to come out on some plain and -fight the battle fairly out where you can see each -other.”</p> - -<p><em>September 16th.</em>—It is most agreeable to be removed -from all the circumstance without any of the pomp and -glory of war. Although there is a tendency in the -North, and, for aught I know, in the South, to consider -the contest in the same light as one with a foreign -enemy, the very battle-cries on both sides indicate a -civil war. “The Union for ever”—“States rights”—and -“Down with the Abolitionists,” cannot be considered<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_350"></a>[350]</span> -national. M‘Clellan takes no note of time -even by its loss, which is all the more strange because -he sets great store upon it in his report on the conduct -of the war in the Crimea. However, he knows -an army cannot be made in two months, and that -the larger it is, the more time there is required to -harmonize its components. The news from the Far -West indicated a probability of some important operations -taking place, although my first love—the army -of the Potomac—must be returned to. Any way there -was the great Western Prairie to be seen, and the -people who have been pouring from their plains so -many thousands upon the Southern States to assert -the liberties of those coloured races whom they will -not permit to cross their borders as freemen. Mr. -Lincoln, Mr. Blair, and other Abolitionists, are actuated -by similar sentiments, and seek to emancipate -the slave, and remove from him the protection of his -master, in order that they may drive him from the -continent altogether, or force him to seek refuge in -emigration.</p> - -<p>On the 18th of September, I left Baltimore in company -with Major-General Bell, C.B., and Mr. Lamy, -who was well acquainted with the Western States: -stopping one night at Altoona, in order that we might -cross by daylight the fine passes of the Alleganies, which -are traversed by bold gradients, and remarkable cuttings, -second only in difficulty and extent to those of -the railroad across the Sömmering.</p> - -<p>So far as my observation extends, no route in the -United States can give a stranger a better notion of the -variety of scenery and of resources, the vast extent of -territory, the difference in races, the prosperity of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_351"></a>[351]</span> -present, and the probable greatness of the future, than -the line from Baltimore by Harrisburg and Pittsburg to -Chicago, traversing the great States of Pennsylvania, -Ohio, and Indiana. Plain and mountain, hill and valley, -river and meadow, forest and rock, wild tracts through -which the Indian roamed but a few years ago, lands -covered with the richest crops; rugged passes, which -Salvator would have peopled with shadowy groups of -bandits; gentle sylvan glades, such as Gainsborough -would have covered with waving corn; the hum of -mills, the silence of the desert and waste, sea-like lakes -whitened by innumerable sails, mighty rivers carving -their way through continents, sparkling rivulets that -lose their lives amongst giant wheels: seams and lodes -of coal, iron, and mineral wealth, cropping out of desolate -mountain sides; busy, restless manufacturers and -traders alternating with stolid rustics, hedges clustering -with grapes, mountains whitening with snow; and beyond, -the great Prairie stretching away to the backbone -of inhospitable rock, which, rising from the foundations -of the world, bar the access of the white man and civilisation -to the bleak inhospitable regions beyond, which -both are fain as yet to leave to the savage and wild -beast.</p> - -<p>Travelling along the banks of the Susquehannah, the -visitor, however, is neither permitted to admire the -works of nature in silence, or to express his admiration -of the energy of man in his own way. The tyranny of -public opinion is upon him. He must admit that he -never saw anything so wonderful in his life; that there -is nothing so beautiful anywhere else; no fields so -green, no rivers so wide and deep, no bridges so lofty -and long; and at last he is inclined to shut himself up,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_352"></a>[352]</span> -either in absolute grumpy negation, or to indulge in -hopeless controversy. An American gentleman is as -little likely as any other well-bred man to force the -opinions or interrupt the reveries of a stranger; but if -third-class Esquimaux are allowed to travel in first-class -carriages, the hospitable creatures will be quite -likely to insist on your swallowing train oil, eating -blubber, or admiring snow drifts, as the finest things -in the world. It is infinitely to the credit of the -American people that actual offence is so seldom given -and is still more rarely intended—always save and -except in the one particular, of chewing tobacco. Having -seen most things that can irritate one’s stomach, and -being in company with an old soldier, I little expected -that any excess of the sort could produce disagreeable -effects; but on returning from this excursion, Mr. -Lamy and myself were fairly driven out of a carriage, -on the Pittsburg line, in utter loathing and -disgust, by the condition of the floor. The conductor, -passing through, said, “You must not stand out there, -it is against the rules; you can go in and smoke,” -pointing to the carriage. “In there!” exclaimed my -friend, “why, it is too filthy to put a wild beast into.” -The conductor looked in for a moment, nodded his -head, and said, “Well, I concede it is right bad; the -citizens <em>are</em> going it pretty strong,” and so left us.</p> - -<p>The scenery along the Juniata is still more picturesque -than that of the valley of the Susquehannah. The -borders of the route across the Alleganies have been -described by many a writer; but notwithstanding the -good fortune which favoured us, and swept away the -dense veil of vapours on the lower ranges of the -hills, the landscape scarcely produced the effect of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_353"></a>[353]</span> -scenery on a less extended scale, just as the scenery of -the Himalayas is not so striking as that of the Alps, -because it is on too vast a scale to be readily grasped.</p> - -<p>Pittsburg, where we halted next night, on the Ohio, -is certainly, with the exception of Birmingham, the -most intensely sooty, busy, squalid, foul-housed, and -vile-suburbed city I have ever seen. Under its perpetual -canopy of smoke, pierced by a forest of -blackened chimneys, the ill-paved streets, swarm with -a streaky population whose white faces are smutched -with soot streaks—the noise of vans and drays which -shake the houses as they pass, the turbulent life in -the thoroughfares, the wretched brick tenements,—built -in waste places on squalid mounds, surrounded -by heaps of slag and broken brick—all these gave the -stranger the idea of some vast manufacturing city of -the Inferno; and yet a few miles beyond, the country -is studded with beautiful villas, and the great river, -bearing innumerable barges and steamers on its broad -bosom, rolls its turbid waters between banks rich with -cultivated crops.</p> - -<p>The policeman at Pittsburg station—a burly Englishman—told -me that the war had been of the greatest -service to the city. He spoke not only from a policeman’s -point of view, when he said that all the rowdies, -Irish, Germans, and others had gone off to the war, but -from the manufacturing stand-point, as he added that -wages were high, and that the orders from contractors -were keeping all the manufacturers going. “It is -wonderful,” said he, “what a number of the citizens -come back from the South, by rail, in these new -metallic coffins.”</p> - -<p>A long, long day, traversing the State of Indiana by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_354"></a>[354]</span> -the Fort Wayne route, followed by a longer night, just -sufficed to carry us to Chicago. The railway passes -through a most uninteresting country, which in part -is scarcely rescued from a state of nature by the hand -of man; but it is wonderful to see so much done, when -one hears that the Miami Indians and other tribes -were driven out, or, as the phrase is, “removed,” only -twenty years ago—“conveyed, the wise called it”—to -the reserves.</p> - -<p>From Chicago, where we descended at a hotel which -fairly deserves to be styled magnificent, for comfort -and completeness, Mr. Lamy and myself proceeded to -Racine, on the shores of Lake Michigan, and thence -took the rail for Freeport, where I remained for -some days, going out in the surrounding prairie to -shoot in the morning, and returning at nightfall. -The prairie chickens were rather wild. The delight of -these days, notwithstanding bad sport, cannot be -described, nor was it the least ingredient in it to mix -with the fresh and vigorous race who are raising up -cities on these fertile wastes. Fortunately for the -patience of my readers, perhaps, I did not fill my diary -with the records of each day’s events, or of the contents -of our bags; and the note-book in which I jotted down -some little matters which struck me to be of interest -has been mislaid; but in my letters to England I gave -a description of the general aspect of the country, and -of the feelings of the people, and arrived at the conclusion -that the tax-gatherer will have little chance of -returning with full note-books from his tour in these districts. -The dogs which were lent to us were generally -abominable; but every evening we returned in company -with great leather-greaved and jerkined-men,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_355"></a>[355]</span> -hung round with belts and hooks, from which were -suspended strings of defunct prairie chickens. The -farmers were hospitable, but were suffering from a -morbid longing for a failure of crops in Europe, in -order to give some value to their corn and wheat, which -literally cumbered the earth.</p> - -<p>Freeport! Who ever heard of it? And yet it has its -newspapers, more than I dare mention, and its big -hotel lighted with gas, its billiard-rooms and saloons, -magazines, railway stations, and all the proper paraphernalia -of local self-government, with all their fierce -intrigues and giddy factions.</p> - -<p>From Freeport our party returned to Chicago, taking -leave of our excellent friend and companion Mr. -George Thompson, of Racine. The authorities of the -Central Illinois Railway, to whose courtesy and consideration -I was infinitely indebted, placed at our disposal -a magnificent sleeping carriage; and on the -morning after our arrival, having laid in a good stock -of supplies, and engaged an excellent sporting guide and -dogs, we started, attached to the regular train from -Chicago, until the train stopped at a shunting place -near the station of Dwight, in the very centre of the -prairie. We reached our halting-place, were detached, -and were shot up a siding in the solitude, with no -habitation in view, except the wood shanty, in which -lived the family of the Irish overseer of this portion of -the road—a man happy in the possession of a piece of -gold which he received from the Prince of Wales, and -for which, he declared, he would not take the amount of -the National Debt.</p> - -<p>The sleeping carriage proved most comfortable quarters. -After breakfast in the morning, Mr. Lamy, Col.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_356"></a>[356]</span> -Foster, Mr. ——, of the Central Illinois rail, the keeper, -and myself, descending the steps of our moveable house, -walked in a few strides to the shooting grounds, which -abounded with quail, but were not so well peopled by -the chickens. The quail were weak on the wing, owing -to the lateness of the season, and my companions -grumbled at their hard luck, though I was well content -with fresh air, my small share of birds, and a few American -hares. Night and morning the train rushed by, -and when darkness settled down upon the prairie, our -lamps were lighted, dinner was served in the carriage, -set forth with inimitable potatoes cooked by the old -Irishwoman. From the dinner-table it was but a step -to go to bed. When storm or rain rushed over the -sea-like plain, I remained in the carriage writing, and -after a long spell of work, it was inexpressibly pleasant -to take a ramble through the flowering grass and the -sweet-scented broom, and to go beating through the -stunted under-cover, careless of rattlesnakes, whose -tiny prattling music I heard often enough without a -sight of the tails that made it.</p> - -<p>One rainy morning, the 29th September, I think, as -the sun began to break through drifting rain clouds, I -saw my companions preparing their guns, the sporting -chaperon Walker filling the shot flasks, and making -all the usual arrangements for a day’s shooting. “You -don’t mean to say you are going out shooting on a -Sunday!” I said. “What, on the prairies!” exclaimed -Colonel Foster. “Why, of course we are; there’s -nothing wrong in it here. What nobler temple can we -find to worship in than lies around us? It is the custom -of the people hereabouts to shoot on Sundays, and it -is a work of necessity with us; for our larder is very low.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_357"></a>[357]</span></p> - -<p>And so, after breakfast, we set out, but the rain -came down so densely that we were driven to the house -of a farmer, and finally we returned to our sleeping -carriage for the day. I never fired a shot nor put a gun -to my shoulder, nor am I sure that any of my companions -killed a bird.</p> - -<p>The rain fell with violence all day, and at night -the gusts of wind shook the carriage like a ship -at sea. We were sitting at table after dinner, -when the door at the end of the carriage opened, -and a man, in a mackintosh dripping wet, advanced -with unsteady steps along the centre of the carriage, -between the beds, and taking off his hat, in the -top of which he searched diligently, stood staring -with lack-lustre eyes from one to the other of the -party, till Colonel Foster exclaimed, “Well, sir, what -do you want?”</p> - -<p>“What do I want,” he replied, with a slight thickness -of speech, “which of you is the Honourable Lord -William Russell, correspondent of the London <cite>Times</cite>? -That’s what I want.”</p> - -<p>I certified to my identity; whereupon, drawing a -piece of paper out of his hat, he continued, “Then -I arrest you, Honourable Lord William Russell, in -the name of the people of the Commonwealth of -Illinois,” and thereupon handed me a document, -declaring that one, Morgan, of Dwight, having come -before him that day and sworn that I, with a company -of men and dogs, had unlawfully assembled, -and by firing shots, and by barking and noise, had -disturbed the peace of the State of Illinois, he, the -subscriber or justice of the peace, as named and -described, commanded the constable Podgers, or whatever<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_358"></a>[358]</span> -his name was, to bring my body before him to -answer to the charge.</p> - -<p>Now this town of Dwight was a good many miles -away, the road was declared by those who knew it -to be very bad, the night was pitch dark, the rain -falling in torrents, and as the constable, drawing -out of his hat paper after paper with the names of -impossible persons upon them, served subpœnas on -all the rest of the party to appear next morning, the -anger of Colonel Foster could scarcely be restrained, -by kicks under the table and nods and becks and -wreathed smiles from the rest of the party. “This is -infamous! It is a political persecution!” he exclaimed, -whilst the keeper joined in chorus, declaring he never -heard of such a proceeding before in all his long experience -of the prairie, and never knew there was such an -act in existence. The Irishmen in the hut added that -the informer himself generally went out shooting every -Sunday. However, I could not but regret I had given -the fellow an opportunity of striking at me, and though -I was the only one of the party who raised an objection -to our going out at all, I was deservedly suffering for -the impropriety—to call it here by no harsher name.</p> - -<p>The constable, a man of a liquid eye and a cheerful -countenance, paid particular attention meantime to -a large bottle upon the table, and as I professed -my readiness to go the moment he had some refreshment -that very wet night, the stern severity becoming -a minister of justice, which marked his first -utterances, was sensibly mollified; and when Mr. —— -proposed that he should drive back with him and see the -prosecutor, he was good enough to accept my written -acknowledgment of the service of the writ, and promise<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_359"></a>[359]</span> -to appear the following morning, as an adequate discharge -of his duty—combined with the absorption of -some Bourbon whisky—and so retired.</p> - -<p>Mr. —— returned late at night, and very angry. It -appears that the prosecutor—who is not a man of very -good reputation, and whom his neighbours were as much -astonished to find the champion of religious observances -as they would have been if he was to come forward to -insist on the respect due to the seventh commandment—with -the insatiable passion for notoriety, which is one -of the worst results of American institutions, thought -he would gain himself some little reputation by causing -annoyance to a man so unpopular as myself. He -and a companion having come from Dwight for the purpose, -and hiding in the neighbourhood, had, therefore, -devoted their day to lying in wait and watching our -party; and as they were aware in the railway carriage -I was with Colonel Foster, they had no difficulty in -finding out the names of the rest of the party. The -magistrate being his relative, granted the warrant at -once; and the prosecutor, who was in waiting for the -constable, was exceedingly disappointed when he found -that I had not been dragged through the rain.</p> - -<p>Next morning, a special engine which had been -ordered up by telegraph appeared alongside the car; -and a short run through a beautiful country brought -us to the prairie town of Dwight. The citizens -were astir—it was a great day—and as I walked with -Colonel Forster, all the good people seemed to be -enjoying an unexampled treat in gazing at the stupendous -criminal. The court-house, or magistrate’s office, -was suitable to the republican simplicity of the people -of Dwight; for the chamber of justice was on the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_360"></a>[360]</span> -first floor of a house over a store, and access was obtained -to it by a ladder from the street to a platform, at -the top of which I was ushered into the presence of the -court—a plain white-washed room. I am not sure -there was even an engraving of George Washington on -the walls. The magistrate in a full suit of black, with -his hat on, was seated at a small table; behind him a few -books, on plain deal shelves, provided his fund of legal -learning. The constable, with a severer visage than -that of last night, stood upon the right hand; three -sides of the room were surrounded by a wall of stout -honest Dwightians, among whom I produced a profound -sensation, by the simple ceremony of taking off my hat, -which they no doubt considered a token of the degraded -nature of the Britisher, but which moved the magistrate -to take off his head-covering; whereupon some -of the nearest removed theirs, some putting them on -again, and some remaining uncovered; and then the -informations were read, and on being asked what I had -to say, I merely bowed, and said I had no remarks to -offer. But my friend, Colonel Foster, who had been -churning up his wrath and forensic lore for some time, -putting one hand under his coat tail, and elevating the -other in the air, with modulated cadences, poured out -a fine oratorical flow which completely astonished me, -and whipped the audience morally off their legs completely. -In touching terms he described the mission -of an illustrious stranger, who had wandered over -thousands of miles of land and sea to gaze upon the -beauties of those prairies which the Great Maker of -the Universe had expanded as the banqueting tables -for the famishing millions of pauperised and despotic -Europe. As the representative of an influence which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_361"></a>[361]</span> -the people of the great State of Illinois should wish to -see developed, instead of contracted, honoured instead -of being insulted, he had come among them to admire -the grandeur of nature, and to behold with wonder the -magnificent progress of human happiness and free -institutions. (Some thumping of sticks, and cries of -“Bravo, that’s so,” which warmed the Colonel into still -higher flights). I began to feel if he was as great in -invective as he was in eulogy, it was well he had not -lived to throw a smooth pebble from his sling at Warren -Hastings. As great indeed! Why, when the Colonel -had drawn a beautiful picture of me examining coal -deposits—investigating strata—breathing autumnal -airs, and culling flowers in unsuspecting innocence, and -then suddenly denounced the serpent who had dogged -my steps, in order to strike me down with a justice’s -warrant, I protest it is doubtful, if he did not reach to -the most elevated stage of vituperative oratory, the progression -of which was marked by increasing thumps of -sticks, and louder murmurs of applause, to the discomfiture -of the wretched prosecutor. But the magistrate -was not a man of imagination; he felt he was but elective -after all; and so, with his eye fixed upon his book, -he pronounced his decision, which was that I be amerced -in something more than half the maximum fine fixed -by the statute, some five-and-twenty shillings or so, the -greater part to be spent in the education of the people, -by transfer to the school fund of the State.</p> - -<p>As I was handing the notes to the magistrate, several -respectable men coming forward exclaimed, “Pray -oblige us, Mr. Russell, by letting us pay the amount -for you; this is a shameful proceeding.” But thanking -them heartily for their proffered kindness, I completed<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_362"></a>[362]</span> -the little pecuniary transaction and wished the magistrate -good morning, with the remark that I hoped the -people of the State of Illinois would always find such -worthy defenders of the statutes as the prosecutor, -and never have offenders against their peace and -morals more culpable than myself. Having undergone -a severe scolding from an old woman at the top -of the ladder, I walked to the train, followed by a -number of the audience, who repeatedly expressed their -extreme regret at the little persecution to which I had -been subjected. The prosecutor had already made -arrangements to send the news over the whole breadth -of the Union, which was his only reward; as I must do -the American papers the justice to say that, with a few -natural exceptions, those which noticed the occurrence -unequivocally condemned his conduct.</p> - -<p>That evening, as we were planning an extension of -our sporting tour, the mail rattling by deposited our -letters and papers, and we saw at the top of many -columns the startling words, “Grand Advance Of The -Union Army.” “M‘Clellan Marching On Richmond.” -“Capture Of Munson’s Hill.” “Retreat of the Enemy—30,000 -men Seize Their Fortifications.” Not a moment -was to be lost; if I was too late, I never would forgive -myself. Our carriage was hooked on to the return -train, and at 8 o’clock p.m. I started on my return to -Washington, by way of Cleveland.</p> - -<p>At half-past 3 on the 1st October the train reached -Pittsburg, just too late to catch the train for Baltimore; -but I continued my journey at night, arriving -at Baltimore after noon, and reaching Washington at -6 p.m. on the 2nd of October.</p> - -<p><em>October 3rd.</em>—In Washington once more—all the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_363"></a>[363]</span> -world laughing at the pump and the wooden guns at -Munson’s Hill, but angry withal because M‘Clellan -should be so befooled as they considered it, by the -Confederates. The fact is M‘Clellan was not prepared -to move, and therefore not disposed to hazard a general -engagement, which he might have brought on had the -enemy been in force; perhaps he knew they were not, -but found it convenient nevertheless to act as though -he believed they had established themselves strongly -in his front, as half the world will give him credit for -knowing more than the civilian strategists who have -already got into disgrace for urging M‘Dowell on -to Richmond. The federal armies are not handled -easily. They are luxurious in the matter of baggage, -and canteens, and private stores; and this is just the -sort of war in which the general who moves lightly -and rapidly, striking blows unexpectedly and deranging -communications, will obtain great results.</p> - -<p>Although Beauregard’s name is constantly mentioned, -I fancy that, crafty and reticent as he is, the operations -in front of us have been directed by an officer of larger -capacity. As yet M‘Clellan has certainly done nothing -in the field to show he is like Napoleon. The value -of his labours in camp has yet to be tested. I dined -at the Legation, and afterwards there was a meeting at -my rooms, where I heard of all that had passed during -my absence.</p> - -<p><em>October 4th.</em>—The new expedition, of which I have -been hearing for some time past, is about to sail to -Port Royal, under the command of General Burnside, -in order to reduce the works erected at the -entrance of the Sound, to secure a base of operations -against Charleston, and to cut in upon the communication<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_364"></a>[364]</span> -between that place and Savannah. Alas, -for poor Trescot! his plantations, his secluded home! -What will the good lady think of the Yankee invasion, -which surely must succeed, as the naval force -will be overwhelming? I visited the division of General -Egbert Viele, encamped near the Navy-yard, which is -bound to Annapolis, as a part of General Burnside’s -expedition. When first I saw him, the general was -an emeritus captain, attached to the 7th New York -Militia; now he is a Brigadier-General, if not something -more, commanding a corps of nearly 5000 men, -with pay and allowances to match. His good lady -wife, who accompanied him in the Mexican campaign,—whereof -came a book, lively and light, as a lady’s -should be,—was about to accompany her husband in his -assault on the Carolinians, and prepared for action, -by opening a small broadside on my unhappy self, -whom she regarded as an enemy of our glorious Union; -and therefore an ally of the Evil Powers on both sides -of the grave. The women, North and South, are -equally pitiless to their enemies; and it was but the -other day, a man with whom I am on very good terms -in Washington, made an apology for not asking me to -his house, because his wife was a strong Union woman.</p> - -<p>A gentleman who had been dining with Mr. Seward -to-night told me the Minister had complained that -I had not been near him for nearly two months; -the fact was, however, that I had called twice immediately -after the appearance in America of my letter -dated July 22nd, and had met Mr. Seward afterwards, -when his manner was, or appeared to me to -be, cold and distant, and I had therefore abstained -from intruding myself upon his notice; nor did his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_365"></a>[365]</span> -answer to the Philadelphian petition—in which Mr. -Seward appeared to admit the allegations made -against me were true, and to consider I had violated -the hospitality accorded me—induce me to think that -he did not entertain the opinion which these journals -which set themselves up to be his organs had so -repeatedly expressed.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_366"></a>[366]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI. <span class="hidden">Another Crimean acquaintance</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Another Crimean acquaintance—Summary dismissal of a newspaper -correspondent—Dinner at Lord Lyons’—Review of artillery—“Habeas -Corpus”—The President’s duties—M‘Clellan’s policy—The -Union Army—Soldiers and the patrol—Public men in America—Mr. -Seward and Lord Lyons—A Judge placed under arrest—Death -and funeral of Senator Baker—Disorderly troops and officers—Official -fibs—Duck-shooting at Baltimore.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>October 5th.</em>—A day of heat extreme. Tumbled in -upon me an old familiar face and voice, once Forster -of a hospitable Crimean hut behind Mother Seacole’s, -commanding a battalion of Land Transport Corps, to -which he had descended or sublimated from his position -as ex-Austrian dragoon and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">beau sabreur</i> under old -Radetzsky in Italian wars; now a colonel of distant -volunteers, and a member of the Parliament of British -Columbia. He was on his way home to Europe, and -had travelled thus far out of his way to see his friend.</p> - -<p>After him came in a gentleman, heated, wild-eyed, -and excited, who had been in the South, where he -was acting as correspondent to a London newspaper, -and on his return to Washington had obtained a -pass from General Scott. According to his own story, -he had been indulging in a habit which free-born -Englishmen may occasionally find to be inconvenient -in foreign countries in times of high excitement,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_367"></a>[367]</span> -and had been expressing his opinion pretty freely -in favour of the Southern cause in the bar-rooms -of Pennsylvania Avenue. Imagine a Frenchman going -about the taverns of Dublin during an Irish rebellion, -expressing his sympathy with the rebels, and you may -suppose he would meet with treatment at least as -peremptory as that which the Federal authorities gave -Mr. D——. In fine, that morning early, he had been -waited upon by an officer, who requested his attendance -at the Provost Marshal’s office; arrived there, a functionary, -after a few queries, asked him to give up -General Scott’s pass, and when Mr. D—— refused to -do so, proceeded to execute a terrible sort of proces -verbal on a large sheet of foolscap, the initiatory -flourishes and prolegomena of which so intimidated -Mr. D——, that he gave up his pass and was permitted -to depart, in order that he might start for England -by the next steamer.</p> - -<p>A wonderful Frenchman, who lives up a back street, -prepared a curious banquet, at which Mr. Irvine, Mr. -Warre, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Lamy, and Colonel Foster -assisted; and in the evening Mr. Lincoln’s private -secretary, a witty, shrewd, and pleasant young fellow, -who looks little more than eighteen years of age, came -in with a friend, whose name I forget; and by degrees -the circle expanded, till the walls seemed to have become -elastic, so great was the concourse of guests.</p> - -<p><em>October 6th.</em>—A day of wandering around, and visiting, -and listening to rumours all unfounded. I have -applied for permission to accompany the Burnside -expedition, but I am advised not to leave Washington, -as M‘Clellan will certainly advance as soon as the -diversion has been made down South.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_368"></a>[368]</span></p> - -<p><em>October 7th.</em>—The heat to-day was literally intolerable, -and wound up at last in a tremendous thunderstorm -with violent gusts of rain. At the Legation, -where Lord Lyons entertained the English visitors at -dinner, the rooms were shaken by thunder claps, and -the blinding lightning seemed at times to turn the well-illuminated -rooms into caves of darkness.</p> - -<p><em>October 8th.</em>—A review of the artillery at this side of -the river took place to-day, which has been described -in very inflated language by the American papers, the -writers on which—never having seen a decently-equipped -force of the kind—pronounce the sight to have been of -unequalled splendour; whereas the appearance of horses -and men was very far from respectable in all matters -relating to grooming, cleanliness, and neatness. -General Barry has done wonders in simplifying the -force and reducing the number of calibres, which -varied according to the fancy of each State, or men -of each officer who raised a battery; but there are -still field-guns of three inches and of three inches and -a-half, Napoleon guns, rifled 10 lb. Parrots, ordinary 9-pounders, -a variety of howitzers, 20-lb. Parrot rifled guns, -and a variety of different projectiles in the caissons. -As the men rode past, the eye was distressed by discrepancies -in dress. Many wore red or white worsted -comforters round their necks, few had straps to their -trousers; some had new coats, others old; some wore -boots, others shoes; not one had clean spurs, bits, -curb-chains, or buttons. The officers cannot get the -men to do what the latter regard as works of supererogation.</p> - -<p>There were 72 guns in all; and if the horses were -not so light, there would be quite enough to do for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_369"></a>[369]</span> -the Confederates to reduce their fire, as the pieces are -easily handled, and the men like artillery and take to -it naturally, being in that respect something like the -natives of India.</p> - -<p>Whilst I was standing in the crowd, I heard a -woman say, “I doubt if that Russell is riding about -here. I should just like to see him to give him a piece -of my mind. They say he’s honest, but I call him a -poor pre-jewdiced Britisher. This sight’ll give him -fits.” I was quite delighted at my incognito. If the -caricatures were at all like me, I should have what the -Americans call a bad time of it.</p> - -<p>On the return of the batteries a shell exploded in a -caisson just in front of the President’s house, and, -miraculous to state, did not fire the other projectiles. -Had it done so, the destruction of life in the crowded -street—blocked up with artillery, men, and horses, and -crowds of men, women, and children—would have -been truly frightful. Such accidents are not uncommon—a -waggon blew up the other day “out West,” -and killed and wounded several people; and though the -accidents in camp from firearms are not so numerous -as they were, there are still enough to present a heavy -casualty list.</p> - -<p>Whilst the artillery were delighting the citizens, a -much more important matter was taking place in an -obscure little court house—much more destructive to -their freedom, happiness, and greatness than all the Confederate -guns which can ever be ranged against them. -A brave, upright, and honest judge, as in duty bound, -issued a writ of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">habeas corpus</i>, sued out by the friends -of a minor, who, contrary to the laws of the United -States, had been enlisted by an American general, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_370"></a>[370]</span> -was detained by him in the ranks of his regiment. -The officer refused to obey the writ, whereupon the -judge issued an attachment against him, and the Federal -brigadier came into court and pleaded that he took -that course by order of the President. The court -adjourned, to consider the steps it should take.</p> - -<p>I have just seen a paragraph in the local paper, -copied from a west country journal, headed “Good for -Russell,” which may explain the unusually favourable -impression expressed by the women this morning. It -is an account of the interview I had with the officer -who came “to trade” for my horse, written by the -latter to a Green Bay newspaper, in which, having -duly censured my “John Bullism” in not receiving -with the utmost courtesy a stranger, who walked into -his room before breakfast on business unknown, he -relates as a proof of honesty (in such a rare field as -trading in horseflesh) that, though my groom had -sought to put ten dollars in my pocket by a mild -exaggeration of the amount paid for the animal, which -was the price I said I would take, I would not have it.</p> - -<p><em>October 9th.</em>—A cold, gloomy day. I am laid up -with the fever and ague, which visit the banks of -the Potomac in autumn. It annoyed me the more -because General M‘Clellan is making a reconnaissance -to-day towards Lewinsville, with 10,000 men. A -gentleman from the War Department visited me to-day, -and gave me scanty hopes of procuring any assistance -from the authorities in taking the field. Civility costs -nothing, and certainly if it did United States officials -would require high salaries, but they often content -themselves with fair words.</p> - -<p>There are some things about our neighbours which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_371"></a>[371]</span> -we may never hope to understand. To-day, for -instance, a respectable person, high in office, having -been good enough to invite me to his house, -added, “You shall see Mrs. A., sir. She is a very -pretty and agreeable young lady, and will prove nice -society for you,” meaning his wife.</p> - -<p>Mr. N. P. Willis was good enough to call on -me, and in the course of conversation said, “I hear -M‘Clellan tells you everything. When you went -away West I was very near going after you, as I -suspected you heard something.” Mr. Willis could -have had no grounds for this remark, for very certainly -it has no foundation in fact. Truth to tell, General -M‘Clellan seemed, the last time I saw him, a little -alarmed by a paragraph in a New York paper, from -the Washington correspondent, in which it was invidiously -stated, “General M‘Clellan, attended by Mr. -Russell, correspondent of the London <cite>Times</cite>, visited the -camps to-day. All passes to civilians and others were -revoked.” There was not the smallest ground for the -statement on the day in question, but I am resolved -not to contradict anything which is said about me, but -the General could not well do so; and one of the -favourite devices of the Washington correspondent to -fill up his columns, is to write something about me, to -state I have been refused passes, or have got them, or -whatever else he likes to say.</p> - -<p>Calling on the General the other night at his usual -time of return, I was told by the orderly, who was -closing the door, “The General’s gone to bed -tired, and can see no one. He sent the same message -to the President, who came inquiring after him ten -minutes ago.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_372"></a>[372]</span></p> - -<p>This poor President! He is to be pitied; surrounded -by such scenes, and trying with all his might to understand -strategy, naval warfare, big guns, the movements -of troops, military maps, reconnaissances, occupations, -interior and exterior lines, and all the technical details -of the art of slaying. He runs from one house to -another, armed with plans, papers, reports, recommendations, -sometimes good humoured, never angry, -occasionally dejected, and always a little fussy. The -other night, as I was sitting in the parlour at head-quarters, -with an English friend who had come to see -his old acquaintance the General, walked in a tall man -with a navvy’s cap, and an ill-made shooting suit, from -the pockets of which protruded paper and bundles. -“Well,” said he to Brigadier Van Vliet, who rose to -receive him, “is George in?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. He’s come back, but is lying down, very -much fatigued. I’ll send up, sir, and inform him you -wish to see him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; I can wait. I think I’ll take supper with -him. Well, and what are you now,—I forget your -name—are you a major, or a colonel, or a general?” -“Whatever you like to make me, sir.”</p> - -<p>Seeing that General M‘Clellan would be occupied, I -walked out with my friend, who asked me when I got -into the street why I stood up when that tall fellow -came into the room. “Because it was the President.” -“The President of what?” “Of the United States.” -“Oh! come, now you’re humbugging me. Let me -have another look at him.” He came back more incredulous -than ever, but when I assured him I was -quite serious, he exclaimed, “I give up the United -States after this.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_373"></a>[373]</span></p> - -<p>But for all that, there have been many more courtly -presidents who, in a similar crisis, would have displayed -less capacity, honesty, and plain dealing than -Abraham Lincoln.</p> - -<p><em>October 10th.</em>—I got hold of M‘Clellan’s report on -the Crimean war, and made a few candid remarks on the -performance, which does not evince any capacity beyond -the reports of our itinerant artillery officers who are -sent from Woolwich abroad for their country’s good. -I like the man, but I do not think he is equal to his -occasion or his place. There is one little piece of policy -which shows he is looking ahead—either to gain the -good will of the army, or for some larger object. All -his present purpose is to make himself known to the -men personally, to familiarize them with his appearance, -to gain the acquaintance of the officers; and with -this object he spends nearly every day in the camps -riding out at nine o’clock, and not returning till long -after nightfall, examining the various regiments as he -goes along, and having incessant inspections and reviews. -He is the first Republican general who could -attempt to do all this without incurring censure and -suspicion. Unfortunate M‘Dowell could not inspect -his small army without receiving a hint that he must -not assume such airs, as they were more becoming a -military despot than a simple lieutenant of the great -democracy.</p> - -<p><em>October 11th.</em>—Mr. Mure, who has arrived here in -wretched health from New Orleans, after a protracted -and very unpleasant journey through country swarming -with troops mixed with guerillas, tells me that I am -more detested in New Orleans than I am in New York. -This is ever the fate of the neutral, if the belligerents<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_374"></a>[374]</span> -can get him between them. The Girondins and men of -the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">juste milieu</i> are ever fated to be ground to powder. -The charges against me were disposed of by Mr. Mure, -who says that what I wrote of in New Orleans was -true, and has shown it to be so in his correspondence -with the Governor, but, over and beyond that, I am -disliked, because I do not praise the peculiar institution. -He amused me by adding that the mayor of -Jackson, with whom I sojourned, had published “a -card,” denying point blank that he had ever breathed -a word to indicate that the good citizens around him -were not famous for the love of law, order, and life, -and a scrupulous regard to personal liberty. I can -easily fancy Jackson is not a place where a mayor -suspected by the citizens would be exempted from -difficulties now and then; and if this disclaimer does -my friend any good, he is very heartily welcome to it -and more. I have received several letters lately from -the parents of minors, asking me to assist them in -getting back their sons, who have enlisted illegally in -the Federal army. My writ does not run any further -than a Federal judge’s.</p> - -<p><em>October 12th.</em>—The good people of New York and -of the other Northern cities, excited by the constant -reports in the papers of magnificent reviews and unsurpassed -military spectacles, begin to flock towards -Washington in hundreds, where formerly they came in -tens. The woman-kind are particularly anxious to -feast their eyes on our glorious Union army. It is -natural enough that Americans should feel pride and -take pleasure in the spectacle; but the love of economy, -the hatred of military despotism, and the frugal virtues -of republican government, long since placed aside by<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_375"></a>[375]</span> -the exigencies of the Administration, promise to vanish -for ever.</p> - -<p>The feeling is well expressed in the remark of a gentleman -to whom I was lamenting the civil war: “Well, for -my part, I am glad of it. Why should you in Europe -have all the fighting to yourself? Why should we not -have our bloody battles, and our big generals, and all -the rest of it? This will stir up the spirits of our -people, do us all a power of good, and end by proving -to all of you in Europe, that we are just as good and -first-rate in fighting as we are in ships, manufactures, -and commerce.”</p> - -<p>But the wealthy classes are beginning to feel rather -anxious about the disposal of their money: they are -paying a large insurance on the Union, and they do -not see that anything has been done to stop the leak -or to prevent it foundering. Mr. Duncan has arrived; -to-day I drove with him to Alexandria, and I think -he has been made happy by what he saw, and has no -doubt “the Union is all right.” Nothing looks so -irresistible as your bayonet till another is seen opposed -to it.</p> - -<p><em>October 13th.</em>—Mr. Duncan, attended by myself and -other Britishers, made an extensive excursion through -the camps on horseback, and I led him from Arlington -to Upton’s House, up by Munson’s Hill, to General -Wadsworth’s quarters, where we lunched on camp fare -and, from the observatory erected at the rear of the -house in which he lives, had a fine view this bright, -cold, clear autumn day, of the wonderful expanse of -undulating forest lands, streaked by rows of tents, -which at last concentrated into vast white patches in -the distance, towards Alexandria. The country is<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_376"></a>[376]</span> -desolate, but the camps are flourishing, and that is -enough to satisfy most patriots bent upon the subjugation -of their enemies.</p> - -<p><em>October 14th.</em>—I was somewhat distraught, like a -small Hercules twixt Vice and Virtue, or Garrick -between Comedy and Tragedy, by my desire to tell -Duncan the truth, and at the same time respect the -feelings of a friend. There was a rabbledom of drunken -men in uniforms under our windows, who resisted the -patrol clearing the streets, and one fellow drew his -bayonet, and, with the support of some of the citizens, -said that he would not allow any regular to put a -finger on him. D—— said he had witnessed scenes just -as bad, and talked of lanes in garrison towns in England, -and street rows between soldiers and civilians; -and I did not venture to tell him the scene we witnessed -was the sign of a radical vice in the system -of the American army, which is, I believe, incurable in -these large masses. Few soldiers would venture to -draw their bayonets on a patrol. If they did, their -punishment would be tolerably sure and swift, but for -all I knew this man would be permitted to go on his -way rejoicing. There is news of two Federal -reverses to-day. A descent was made on Santa -Rosa Island, and Mr. Billy Wilson’s Zouaves were -driven under the guns of Pickens, losing in the scurry -of the night attack—as prisoner only I am glad to say—poor -Major Vogdes, of inquiring memory. Rosecrans, -who utterly ignores the advantages of Shaksperian -spelling, has been defeated in the West; but -D—— is quite happy, and goes off to New York contented.</p> - -<p><em>October 15th.</em>—Sir James Ferguson and Mr. R.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_377"></a>[377]</span> -Bourke, who have been travelling in the South and -have seen something of the Confederate government -and armies, visited us this evening after dinner. They -do not seem at all desirous of testing by comparison -the relative efficiency of the two armies, which Sir -James, at all events, is competent to do. They are impressed -by the energy and animosity of the South, -which no doubt will have their effect on England also; -but it will be difficult to popularize a Slave Republic -as a new allied power in England. Two of General -M‘Clellan’s aides dropped in, and the meeting abstained -from general politics.</p> - -<p><em>October 16th.</em>—Day follows day <ins class="corr" id="tn-377" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'and resmbles its'"> -and resembles its</ins> predecessor. M‘Clellan is still reviewing, and the North -are still waiting for victories and paying money, and the -orators are still wrangling over the best way of cooking -the hares which they have not yet caught. I visited -General M‘Dowell to-day at his tent in Arlington, and -found him in a state of divine calm with his wife and -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">parvus Iulus</i>. A public man in the United States is -very much like a great firework—he commences with -some small scintillations which attract the eye of the -public, and then he blazes up and flares out in blue, -purple, and orange fires, to the intense admiration of -the multitude, and dying out suddenly is thought of no -more, his place being taken by a fresh roman candle or -catherine wheel which is thought to be far finer than those -which have just dazzled the eyes of the fickle spectators. -Human nature is thus severely taxed. The Cabinet -of State is like the museum of some cruel naturalist, -who seizes his specimens whilst they are alive, bottles -them up, forbids them to make as much as a contortion, -labelling them “My last President,” “My latest<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_378"></a>[378]</span> -Commander-in-chief,” or “My defeated General,” regarding -the smallest signs of life very much as did the -French <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">petit maître</i> who rebuked the contortions and -screams of the poor wretch who was broken on the -wheel, as contrary to <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bienséance</i>. I am glad that Sir -James Ferguson and Mr. Bourke did not leave without -making a tour of inspection through the Federal camp, -which they did to-day.</p> - -<p><em>October 17th.</em>—<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Dies non.</i></p> - -<p><em>October 18th.</em>—To-day Lord Lyons drove out with -Mr. Seward to inspect the Federal camps, which are -now in such order as to be worthy of a visit. It is reported -in all the papers that I am going to England, -but I have not the smallest intention of giving my -enemies here such a treat at present. As Monsieur de -Beaumont of the French Legation said, “I presume you -are going to remain in Washington for the rest of your -life, because I see it stated in the New York journals -that you are leaving us in a day or two.”</p> - -<p><em>October 19th.</em>—Lord Lyons and Mr. Seward were -driving and dining together yesterday <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en ami</i>. To-day, -Mr. Seward is engaged demolishing Lord Lyons, or at all -events the British Government, in a despatch, wherein -he vindicates the proceedings of the United States -Government in certain arrests of British subjects which -had been complained of, and repudiates the doctrine -that the United States Government can be bound by -the opinion of the law officers of the Crown respecting -the spirit and letter of the American constitution. -This is published as a set-off to Mr. Seward’s circular -on the seacoast defences which created so much depression -and alarm in the Northern States, where it -was at the time considered as a warning that a foreign<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_379"></a>[379]</span> -war was imminent, and which has since been generally -condemned as feeble and injudicious.</p> - -<p><em>October 20th.</em>—I saw General M‘Clellan to-day, who -gave me to understand that some small movement -might take place on the right. I rode up to the Chain -Bridge and across it for some miles into Virginia, but -all was quiet. The sergeant at the post on the south -side of the bridge had some doubts of the genuineness -of my pass, or rather of its bearer.</p> - -<p>“I heard you were gone back to London, where I -am coming to see you some fine day with the boys -here.”</p> - -<p>“No, sergeant, I am not gone yet, but when will -your visit take place?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, as soon as we have finished with the gentlemen -across there.”</p> - -<p>“Have you any notion when that will be?”</p> - -<p>“Just as soon as they tell us to go on and prevent -the blackguard Germans running away.”</p> - -<p>“But the Germans did not run away at Bull -Bun?”</p> - -<p>“Faith, because they did not get a chance—sure they -put them in the rear, away out of the fighting.”</p> - -<p>“And why do you not go on now?”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s the question we are asking every day.”</p> - -<p>“And can any-one answer it?”</p> - -<p>“Not one of us can tell; but my belief is if we had -one of the old 50th among us at the head of affairs -we would soon be at them. I belonged to the old -regiment once, but I got off and took up with shoe-making -again, and faith if I sted in it I might have -been sergeant-major by this time, only they hated the -poor Roman Catholics.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_380"></a>[380]</span></p> - -<p>“And do you think, sergeant, you would get -many of your countrymen who had served in the old -army to fight the old familiar red jackets?” “Well, -sir, I tell you I hope my arm would rot before I would -pull a trigger against the old 50th; but we would wear -the red jacket too—we have as good a right to it as the -others, and then it would be man against man, you -know; but if I saw any of them cursed Germans interfering -I’d soon let daylight into them.” The hazy -dreams of this poor man’s mind would form an excellent -article for a New York newspaper, which on matters -relating to England are rarely so lucid and logical. -Next day was devoted to writing and heavy rain, through -both of which, notwithstanding, I was assailed by -many visitors and some scurrilous letters, and in the -evening there was a Washington gathering of Englishry, -Irishry, Scotchry, Yankees, and Canadians.</p> - -<p><em>October 22nd.</em>—Rain falling in torrents. As I write, -in come reports of a battle last night, some forty miles -up the river, which by signs and tokens I am led to believe -was unfavourable to the Federals. They crossed -the river intending to move upon Leesburg—were -attacked by overwhelming forces and repulsed, but -maintained themselves on the right bank till General -Banks reinforced them and enabled them to hold their -own. M‘Clellan has gone or is going at once to the -scene of action. It was three o’clock before I heard -the news, the road and country were alike unknown, nor -had I friend or acquaintance in the army of the Upper -Potomac. My horse was brought round however, and -in company with Mr. Anderson, I rode out of Washington -along the river till the falling evening warned -us to retrace our steps, and we returned in pelting<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_381"></a>[381]</span> -rain as we set out, and in pitchy darkness, without -meeting any messenger or person with news from the -battle-field. Late at night the White House was -placed in deep grief by the intelligence that in addition -to other losses, Brigadier and Senator Baker of California -was killed. The President was inconsolable, and -walked up and down his room for hours lamenting -the loss of his friend. Mrs. Lincoln’s grief was equally -poignant. Before bed-time I told the German landlord -to tell my servant I wanted my horse round at -seven o’clock.</p> - -<p><em>October 23rd.</em>—Up at six, waiting for horse and -man. At eight walked down to stables. No one -there. At nine became very angry—sent messengers -in all directions. At ten was nearly furious, when, -at the last stroke of the clock, James, with his inexpressive -countenance, perfectly calm nevertheless, and -betraying no symptom of solicitude, appeared at the -door leading my charger. “And may I ask you -where you have been till this time?” “Wasn’t I -dressing the horse, taking him out to water, and -exercising him.” “Good heavens! did I not tell you -to be here at seven o’clock?” “No, sir; Carl told me -you wanted me at ten o’clock, and here I am.” “Carl, -did I not tell you to ask James to be round here at -seven o’clock.” “Not zeven clock, sere, but zehn -clock. I tell him, you come at zehn clock.” Thus -at one blow was I stricken down by Gaul and Teuton, -each of whom retired with the air of a man who had -baffled an intended indignity, and had achieved a -triumph over a wrong-doer.</p> - -<p>The roads were in a frightful state outside Washington—literally -nothing but canals, in which earth and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_382"></a>[382]</span> -water were mixed together for depths varying from -six inches to three feet above the surface; but late as -it was I pushed on, and had got as far as the turn of -the road to Rockville, near the great falls, some twelve -miles beyond Washington, when I met an officer with -a couple of orderlies, hurrying back from General -Banks’s head-quarters, who told me the whole affair -was over, and that I could not possibly get to the -scene of action on one horse till next morning, even -supposing that I pressed on all through the night, the -roads being <ins class="corr" id="tn-382" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'utterly villanous'"> -utterly villainous</ins>, and the country at night -as black as ink; and so I returned to Washington, -and was stopped by citizens, who, seeing the streaming -horse and splashed rider, imagined he was reeking -from the fray. “As you were not there,” says one, -“I’ll tell you what I know to be the case. Stone and -Baker are killed; Banks and all the other generals -are prisoners; the Rhode Island and two other batteries -are taken, and 5000 Yankees have been sent to -H—— to help old John Brown to roast niggers.”</p> - -<p><em>October 24th.</em>—The heaviest blow which has yet been -inflicted on the administration of justice in the United -States, and that is saying a good deal at present, -has been given to it in Washington. The judge of -whom I wrote a few days ago in the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">habeas corpus</i> case, -has been placed under military arrest and surveillance -by the Provost-Marshal of the city, a very fit man for -such work, one Colonel Andrew Porter. The Provost-Marshal -imprisoned the attorney who served the writ, -and then sent a guard to Mr. Merrick’s house, who -thereupon sent a minute to his brother judges the -day before yesterday stating the circumstances, in -order to show why he did not appear in his place<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_383"></a>[383]</span> -on the bench. The Chief Judge Dunlop and Judge -Morsell thereupon issued their writ to Andrew Porter -greeting, to show cause why an attachment for contempt -should not be issued against him for his -treatment of Judge Merrick. As the sharp tongues -of women are very troublesome, the United States -officers have quite little harems of captives, and Mrs. -Merrick has just been added to the number. She is a -Wickliffe of Kentucky, and has a right to martyrdom. -The inconsistencies of the Northern people multiply <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad -infinitum</i> as they go on. Thus at Hatteras they enter -into terms of capitulation with officers signing themselves -of the Confederate States Army and Confederate -States Navy; elsewhere they exchange prisoners; at -New York they are going through the farce of -trying the crew of a C.S. privateer, as pirates engaged -in robbing on the high seas, on “the authority of a -pretended letter of marque from one Jefferson Davis.” -One Jeff Davis is certainly quite enough for them -at present.</p> - -<p>Colonel and Senator Baker was honoured by a ceremonial -which was intended to be a public funeral, -rather out of compliment to Mr. Lincoln’s feelings, -perhaps, than to any great attachment for the man himself, -who fell gallantly fighting near Leesburg. There -is need for a republic to contain some elements of an -aristocracy if it would make that display of pomp and -ceremony which a public funeral should have to produce -effect. At all events there should be some -principle of reverence in the heads and hearts of -the people, to make up for other deficiencies in it as -a show, or a ceremony. The procession down Pennsylvania -Avenue was a tawdry, shabby string of hack<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_384"></a>[384]</span> -carriages, men in light coats and white hats following -the hearse, and three regiments of foot soldiers, of -which one was simply an uncleanly, unwholesome-looking -rabble. The President, in his carriage, and -many of the ministers and senators, attended also, and -passed through unsympathetic lines of people on the -kerbstones, not one of whom raised his hat to the bier -as it passed, or to the President, except a couple of -Englishmen and myself who stood in the crowd, and -that proceeding on our part gave rise to a variety of -remarks among the bystanders. But as the band -turned into Pennsylvania Avenue, playing something -like the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">minuet de la cour</i> in Don Giovanni, two -officers in uniform came riding up in the contrary -direction; they were smoking cigars; one of them -let his fall on the ground, the other smoked lustily as -the hearse passed, and reining up his horse, continued -to puff his weed under the nose of President, ministers, -and senators, with the air of a man who was doing a -very soldierly correct sort of thing.</p> - -<p>Whether the President is angry as well as grieved -at the loss of his favourite or not, I cannot affirm, but -he is assuredly doing that terrible thing which is -called putting his foot down on the judges; and he -has instructed Andrew Porter not to mind the writ -issued yesterday, and has further instructed the United -States Marshal, who has the writ in his hands to serve -on the said Andrew, to return it to the court with the -information that Abraham Lincoln had suspended the -writ of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">habeas corpus</i> in cases relating to the military.</p> - -<p><em>October 26th.</em>—More reviews. To-day rather a -pretty sight—12 regiments, 16 guns, and a few squads -of men with swords and pistols on horseback, called<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_385"></a>[385]</span> -cavalry, comprising Fitz-John Porter’s division. -M‘Clellan seemed to my eyes crestfallen and moody -to-day. Bright eyes looked on him; he is getting up -something like a staff, among which are the young -French princes, under the tutelage of their uncle, the -Prince of Joinville. Whilst M‘Clellan is reviewing, our -Romans in Washington are shivering; for the blockade -of the Potomac by the Confederate batteries stops -the fuel boats. Little care these enthusiastic young -American patriots in crinoline, who have come to see -M‘Clellan and the soldiers, what a cord of wood costs. -The lower orders are very angry about it however. The -nuisance and disorder arising from soldiers, drunk and -sober, riding full gallop down the streets, and as fast -as they can round the corners, has been stopped, by -placing mounted sentries at the principal points in all -the thoroughfares. The “officers” were worse than -the men; the papers this week contain the account of -two accidents, in one of which a colonel, in another a -major, was killed by falls from horseback, in furious -riding in the city.</p> - -<p>Forgetting all about this fact, and spurring home -pretty fast along an unfrequented road, leading from -the ferry at Georgetown into the city, I was nearly -spitted by a “dragoon,” who rode at me from under -cover of a house, and shouted “stop” just as his sabre -was within a foot of my head. Fortunately his horse, -being aware that if it ran against mine it might be -injured, shied, and over went dragoon, sabre and all, -and off went his horse, but as the trooper was able to -run after it, I presume he was not the worse; and I -went on my way rejoicing.</p> - -<p>M‘Clellan has fallen very much in my opinion since<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_386"></a>[386]</span> -the Leesburg disaster. He went to the spot, and with -a little—nay, the least—promptitude and ability could -have turned the check into a successful advance, in the -blaze of which the earlier repulse would have been forgotten. -It is whispered that General Stone, who -ordered the movement, is guilty of treason—a common -crime of unlucky generals—at all events he is -to be displaced, and will be put under surveillance. -The orders he gave are certainly very strange.</p> - -<p>The official right to fib, I presume, is very much -the same all over the world, but still there is more -dash about it in the States, I think, than elsewhere. -“Blockade of the Potomac!” exclaims an -official of the Navy Department. “What are you -talking of? The Department has just heard that a -few Confederates have been practising with a few light -field-pieces from the banks, and has issued orders to -prevent it in future.” “Defeat at Leesburg!” cries -little K——, of M‘Clellan’s staff, “nothing of the -kind. We drove the Confederates at all points, retained -our position on the right bank, and only left it when -we pleased, having whipped the enemy so severely they -never showed since.” “Any news, Mr. Cash, in the -Treasury to-day?” “Nothing, sir, except that Mr. -Chase is highly pleased with everything; he’s only -afraid of having too much money, and being troubled -with his balances.” “The State Department all right, -Mr. Protocol?” “My dear sir! delightful! with -everybody, best terms. Mr. Seward and the Count -are managing delightfully; most friendly assurances; -Guatemala particularly; yes, and France too. Yes, I -may say France too; not the smallest difficulty at -Honduras; altogether, with the assurances of support<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_387"></a>[387]</span> -we are getting, the Minister thinks the whole affair -will be settled in thirty days; no joking, I assure you; -thirty days this time positively. Say for exactness on -or about December 5th.” The canvas-backs are coming -in, and I am off for a day or two to escape reviews and -abuse, and to see something of the famous wild-fowl -shooting on the Chesapeake.</p> - -<p><em>October 27th.</em>—After church, I took a long walk -round by the commissariat waggons, where there is, -I think, as much dirt, bad language, cruelty to animals, -and waste of public money, as can be conceived. Let -me at once declare my opinion that the Americans, -generally, are exceedingly kind to their cattle; but -there is a hybrid race of ruffianly waggoners here, -subject to no law or discipline, and the barbarous -treatment inflicted on the transport animals is too bad -even for the most unruly of mules. I mentioned the -circumstance to General M‘Dowell, who told me that -by the laws of the United States there was no power -to enlist a man for commissariat or transport duty.</p> - -<p><em>October 28th.</em>—Telegraphed to my friend at Baltimore -that I was ready for the ducks. The Legation -going to Mr. Kortwright’s marriage at Philadelphia. -Started with Lamy at 6 o’clock for Baltimore; to Gilmore -House; thence to club. Every person present said -that in my letter on Maryland I had understated the -question, as far as Southern sentiments were concerned. -In the club, for example, there are not six Union men -at the outside. General Dix has fortified Federal Hill -very efficiently, and the heights over Fort McHenry are -bristling with cannons, and display formidable earthworks; -it seems to be admitted that, but for the action -of the Washington Government the Legislature would<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_388"></a>[388]</span> -pass an ordinance of Secession. Gilmore House—old-fashioned, -good bed-rooms. Scarcely had I arrived in -the passage, than a man ran off with a paragraph to -the papers that Dr. Russell had come for the purpose -of duck-shooting; and, hearing that I was going with -Taylor, put in that I was going to Taylor’s Ducking -Shore. It appears that there are considerable numbers -of these duck clubs in the neighbourhood of Baltimore. -The canvas-back ducks have come in, but they will not -be in perfection until the 10th of November; their -peculiar flavour is derived from a water-plant called -wild celery. This lies at the depth of several feet, -sometimes nine or ten, and the birds dive for it.</p> - -<p><em>October 29th.</em>—At ten started for the shooting -ground, Carroll’s Island; my companion, Mr. Pennington, -drove me in a light trap, and Mr. Taylor and -Lamy came with Mr. Tucker Carroll<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a>, along with -guns, &c. Passed out towards the sea, a long height -commanding a fine view of the river; near this was -fought the battle with the English, at which the “Baltimore -defenders” admit they ran away. Mr. Pennington’s -father says he can answer for the speed of himself -and his companions, but still the battle was thought -to be glorious. Along the posting road to Philadelphia, -passed the Blue Ball Tavern; on all sides except the -left, great wooded lagoons visible, swarming with ducks; -boats are forbidden to fire upon the birds, which are -allured by wooden decoys. Crossed the Philadelphia -Railway three times; land poor, covered with undergrowths -and small trees, given up to Dutch and Irish -and free niggers. Reached the duck-club-house in two -hours and a half; substantial farm-house, with out-offices,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_389"></a>[389]</span> -on a strip of land surrounded by water; Gunpowder -River, Saltpetre River, facing Chesapeake; on -either side lakes and tidal water; the owner, Slater, an -Irishman, reputed very rich, self-made. Dinner at one -o’clock; any number of canvas-back ducks, plentiful -joints; drink whisky; company, Swan, Howard, Duval, -Morris, and others, also extraordinary specimen -named Smith, believed never to wash except in rain or -by accidental sousing in the river. Went out for afternoon -shooting; birds wide and high; killed seventeen; -back to supper at dusk. M‘Donald and a guitar came -over; had a negro dance; and so to bed about twelve. -Lamy got single bed; I turned in with Taylor, as -single beds are not permitted when the house is full.</p> - -<p><em>October 30th.</em>—A light, a grim man, and a voice in the -room at 4 a.m. awaken me; I am up first; breakfast; -more duck, eggs, meat, mighty cakes, milk; to the -gun-house, already hung with ducks, and then tramp -to the “blinds” with Smith, who talked of the Ingines -and wild sports in far Minnesota. As morning breaks, -very red and lovely, dark visions and long streaky -clouds appear, skimming along from bay or river. The -men in the blinds, which are square enclosures of reeds -about 4½ feet high, call out “Bay,” “River,” according -to the direction from which the ducks are coming. -Down we go in blinds; they come; puffs of smoke, -a bang, a volley; one bird falls with flop; another by -degrees drops, and at last smites the sea; there are five -down; in go the dogs. “Who shot that?” “I did.” -“Who killed this?” “That’s Tucker’s!” “A good shot.” -“I don’t know how I missed mine.” Same thing again. -The ducks fly prodigious heights—out of all range one -would think. It is exciting when the cloud does rise<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_390"></a>[390]</span> -at first. Day voted very bad. Thence I move homeward; -talk with Mr. Slater till the trap is ready; and -at twelve or so, drive over to Mr. M‘Donald; find Lamy -and Swan there; miserable shed of two-roomed shanty -in a marsh; rough deal presses; white-washed walls; -fiddler in attendance; dinner of ducks and steak; -whisky, and thence proceed to a blind or marsh, amid -wooden decoys; but there is no use; no birds; high -tide flooding everything; examined M‘Donald’s stud; -knocked to pieces trotting on hard ground. Rowed -back to house with Mr. Pennington, and returned to -the mansion; all the party had but poor sport; but -every one had killed something. Drew lots for bed, and -won this time; Lamy, however, would not sleep double, -and reposed on a hard sofa in the parlour; indications -favourable for ducks. It was curious, in the early morning, -to hear the incessant booming of duck-guns, along -all the creeks and coves of the indented bays and saltwater -marshes; and one could tell when they were fired -at decoys, or were directed against birds in the air; -heard a salute fired at Baltimore very distinctly. Lamy -and Mr. M‘Donald met in their voyage up the Nile, -to kill <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ennui</i> and spend money.</p> - -<p><em>October 31st.</em>—No, no, Mr. Smith; it an’t of no -use. At four a.m. we were invited, as usual, to rise, -but Taylor and I reasoned from under our respective -quilts, that it would be quite as good shooting if we got -up at six, and I acted in accordance with that view. -Breakfasted as the sun was shining above the tree-tops, -and to my blind—found there was no shooting at all—got -one shot only, and killed a splendid canvas-back—on -returning to home, found nearly all the party on the -move—140 ducks hanging round the house, the reward<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_391"></a>[391]</span> -of our toils, and of these I received <ins class="corr" id="tn-391" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'egregrious share'"> -egregious share</ins>. Drove back with Pennington, very sleepy, followed by -Mr. Taylor and Lamy. I would have stayed longer if -sport were better. Birds don’t fly when the wind is in -certain points, but lie out in great “ricks,” as they are -called, blackening the waters, drifting in the wind, or with -wings covering their heads—poor defenceless things! -The red-head waits alongside the canvas-back till he -comes up from the depths with mouth or bill full of -parsley and wild celery, when he makes at him and forces -him to disgorge. At Baltimore at 1.30—dined—Lamy resolved -to stay—bade good-bye to Swan and Morris. -The man at first would not take my ducks and boots to -register or check them—twenty-five cents did it. I -arrived at Washington late, because of detention of -train by enormous transport; labelled and sent out game -to the houses till James’s fingers ached again. Nothing -doing, except that General Scott has at last sent -in resignation. M‘Clellan is now indeed master of the -situation. And so to bed, rather tired.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_392"></a>[392]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII. <span class="hidden">General Scott’s resignation</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>General Scott’s resignation—Mrs. A. Lincoln—Unofficial mission to -Europe—Uneasy feeling with regard to France—Ball given by the -United States cavalry—The United States army—Success at -Beaufort—Arrests—Dinner at Mr. Seward’s—News of Captain -Wilkes and the Trent—Messrs. Mason and Slidell—Discussion as -to Wilkes—Prince de Joinville—The American press on the Trent -affair—Absence of thieves in Washington—“Thanksgiving Day”—Success -thus far in favour of the North.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>November 1st.</em>—Again stagnation; not the smallest -intention of moving; General Scott’s resignation, of -which I was aware long ago, is publicly known, and he -is about to go to Europe, and end his days probably in -France. M‘Clellan takes his place, minus the large -salary. Riding back from camp, where I had some -trouble with a drunken soldier, my horse came down -in a dark hole, and threw me heavily, so that my hat -was crushed in on my head, and my right thumb -sprained, but I managed to get up and ride home; for -the brute had fallen right on his own head, cut a piece -out of his forehead between the eyes, and was stunned -too much to run away. I found letters waiting from -Mr. Seward and others, thanking me for the game, if -canvas-backs come under the title.</p> - -<p><em>November 2nd.</em>—A tremendous gale of wind and rain -blew all day, and caused much uneasiness, at the Navy -Department and elsewhere, for the safety of the Burnside<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_393"></a>[393]</span> -expedition. The Secessionists are delighted, and -those who can, say “<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Afflavit Deus et hostes dissipantur</span>.” -There is a project to send secret non-official commissioners -to Europe, to counteract the machinations of -the Confederates. Mr. Everett, Mr. R. Kennedy, -Bishop Hughes, and Bishop M‘Ilwaine are designated -for the office; much is expected from the expedition, -not only at home but abroad.</p> - -<p><em>November 3rd.</em>—For some reason or another, a certain -set of papers have lately taken to flatter Mrs. -Lincoln in the most noisome manner, whilst others -deal in dark insinuations against her loyalty, Union -principles, and honesty. The poor lady is loyal as -steel to her family and to Lincoln the first; but she -is accessible to the influence of flattery, and has permitted -her society to be infested by men who would -not be received in any respectable private house in -New York. The gentleman who furnishes fashionable -paragraphs for the Washington paper has some -charming little pieces of gossip about “the first Lady -in the Land” this week; he is doubtless the same -who, some weeks back, chronicled the details of a -raid on the pigs in the streets by the police, and who -concluded thus: “We cannot but congratulate Officer -Smith on the very gentlemanly manner in which he -performed his disagreeable but arduous duties; nor -did it escape our notice, that Officer Washington -Jones was likewise active and energetic in the discharge -of his functions.”</p> - -<p>The ladies in Washington delight to hear or to -invent small scandals connected with the White -House; thus it is reported that the Scotch gardener -left by Mr. Buchanan has been made a lieutenant<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_394"></a>[394]</span> -in the United States Army, and has been specially -detached to do duty at the White House, where he -superintends the cooking. Another person connected -with the establishment was made Commissioner of -Public Buildings, but was dismissed because he would -not put down the expense of a certain state dinner to -the public account, and charge it under the head of -“Improvement to the Grounds.” But many more -better tales than these go round, and it is not surprising -if a woman is now and then put under close -arrest, or sent off to Fort M‘Henry for too much <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">esprit</i> -and inventiveness.</p> - -<p><em>November 4th.</em>—General Fremont will certainly be -recalled. There is not the smallest incident to note.</p> - -<p><em>November 5th.</em>—Small banquets, very simple and -tolerably social, are the order of the day as winter -closes around us; the country has become too deep in -mud for pleasant excursions, and at times the weather -is raw and cold. General M‘Dowell, who dined with -us to-day, maintains there will be no difficulty in -advancing during bad weather, because the men are -so expert in felling trees, they can make corduroy -roads wherever they like. I own the arguments surprised -but did not convince me, and I think the -General will find out his mistake when the time -comes. Mr. Everett, whom I had expected, was summoned -away by the unexpected intelligence of his -son’s death, so I missed the opportunity of seeing one -whom I much desired to have met, as the great Apostle -of Washington worship, in addition to his claims to -higher distinction. He has admitted that the only -bond which can hold the Union together is the common -belief in the greatness of the departed general.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_395"></a>[395]</span></p> - -<p><em>November 6th.</em>—Instead of Mr. Everett and Mr. -Johnson, Mr. Thurlow Weed and Bishop Hughes will -pay a visit to Europe in the Federal interests. Notwithstanding -the adulation of everything French, from -the Emperor down to a Zouave’s gaiter, in the New -York press there is an uneasy feeling respecting the -intentions of France, founded on the notion that the -Emperor is not very friendly to the Federalists, and -would be little disposed to expose his subjects to privation -and suffering from the scarcity of cotton and -tobacco if, by intervention, he could avert such misfortunes. -The inactivity of M‘Clellan, which is not -understood by the people, has created an under-current -of unpopularity, to which his enemies are giving every -possible strength, and some people are beginning to -think the youthful Napoleon is only a Brummagem -Bonaparte.</p> - -<p><em>November 7th.</em>—After such bad weather, the Indian -summer, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">l’été de St. Martin</i>, is coming gradually, lighting -up the ruins of the autumn’s foliage still clinging to the -trees, giving us pure, bright, warm days, and sunsets -of extraordinary loveliness. Drove out to Bladensburgh -with Captain Haworth, and discovered that my -waggon was intended to go on to Richmond and never -to turn back or round, for no roads in this part of the -country are wide enough for the purpose. Dined at -the Legation, and in the evening went to a grand ball, -given by the 6th United States Cavalry in the Poor -House near their camp, about two miles outside the city.</p> - -<p>The ball took place in a series of small white-washed -rooms off long passages and corridors; many supper -tables were spread; whisky, champagne, hot terrapin -soup, and many luxuries graced the board; and although<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_396"></a>[396]</span> -but two or three couple could dance in each room at a -time, by judicious arrangement of the music several -rooms were served at once. The Duke of Chartres, in -the uniform of a United States Captain of Staff, was -among the guests, and had to share the ordeal to -which strangers were exposed by the hospitable entertainers, -of drinking with them all. Some called him -“Chatters”—others, “Captain Chatters;” but these -were of the outside polloi, who cannot be kept out on -such occasions, and who shake hands and are familiar -with everybody.</p> - -<p>The Duke took it all exceedingly well, and laughed -with the loudest in the company. Altogether the -ball was a great success—somewhat marred indeed in -my own case by the bad taste of one of the officers -of the regiment which had invited me, in adopting an -offensive manner when about to be introduced to me -by one of his brother officers. Colonel Emory, the -officer in command of the regiment, interfered, and, -finding that Captain A—— was not sober, ordered -him to retire. Another small <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">contretemps</i> was caused -by the master of the Work House, who had been -indulging at least as freely as the captain, and at last -began to fancy that the paupers had broken loose and -were dancing about after hours below stairs. In vain -he was led away and incarcerated in one room after -another; his intimate knowledge of the architectural -difficulties of the building enabled him to set all precautions -at defiance, and he might be seen at intervals -flying along the passages towards the music, pursued -by the officers, until he was finally secured in a -dungeon without a window, and with a bolted and -locked door between him and the ball-rooms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_397"></a>[397]</span></p> - -<p><em>November 8th.</em>—Colonel Emory made us laugh this -morning by an account of our Amphytrion of the -night before, who came to him with a very red eye and -curious expression of face to congratulate the regiment -on the success of the ball. “The most beautiful thing -of all was,” said he, “Colonel, I did not see one gentleman -or lady who had taken too much liquor; there -was not a drunken man in the whole company.” -I consulted my friends at the Legation with respect -to our inebriated officer, on whose behalf Colonel -Emory tendered his own apologies; but they were -of opinion I had done all that was right and becoming -in the matter, and that I must take no more notice -of it.</p> - -<p><em>November 9th.</em>—Colonel Wilmot, R. A., who has come -down from Canada to see the army, spent the day with -Captain Dahlgren at the Navy Yard, and returned with -impressions favourable to the system. He agrees with -Dahlgren, who is dead against breach-loading, but -admits Armstrong has done the most that can be -effected with the system. Colonel Wilmot avers the -English press are responsible for the Armstrong guns. -He has been much struck by the excellence of the -great iron-works he has visited in the States, particularly -that of Mr. Sellers, in Philadelphia.</p> - -<p><em>November 10th.</em>—Visiting Mr. Mure the other day, -who was still an invalid at Washington, I met a gentleman -named Maury, who had come to Washington to -see after a portmanteau which had been taken from -him on the Canadian frontier by the police. He was -told to go to the State Department and claim his property, -and on arriving there was arrested and confined -with a number of prisoners, my horse-dealing friend, -Sammy Wroe, among them. We walked down to inquire<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_398"></a>[398]</span> -how he was; the soldier who was on duty gave a flourishing -account of him—he had plenty of whisky and food, -and, said the man, “I quite feel for Maury, because he -does business in my State.” These State influences -must be overcome, or no Union will ever hold together.</p> - -<p>Sir James Ferguson and Mr. Bourke were rather -shocked when Mr. Seward opened the letters from persons -in the South to friends in Europe, of which they -had taken charge, and cut some passages out with a -scissors; but a Minister who combines the functions of -Chief-of-Police with those of Secretary of State must -do such things now and then.</p> - -<p><em>November 11th.</em>—The United States have now, according -to the returns, 600,000 infantry, 600 pieces of -artillery, 61,000 cavalry in the field, and yet they are -not only unable to crush the Confederates, but they -cannot conquer the Secession ladies in their capital. -The Southern people here trust in a break-down in -the North before the screw can be turned to the -utmost; and assert that the South does not want corn, -wheat, leather, or food. Georgia makes cloth enough -for all—the only deficiency will be in metal and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">matériel</i> -of war. When the North comes to discuss the question -whether the war is to be against slavery or for the -Union leaving slavery to take care of itself, they think -a split will be inevitable. Then the pressure of taxes -will force on a solution, for the State taxes already -amount to 2 to 3 per cent., and the people will not bear -the addition. The North has set out with the principle -of paying for everything, the South with the principle -of paying for nothing; but this will be reversed in -time. All the diplomatists, with one exception, are -of opinion the Union is broken for ever, and the independence -of the South virtually established.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_399"></a>[399]</span></p> - -<p><em>November 12th.</em>—An irruption of dirty little boys in -the streets shouting out, “Glorious Union victory! -Charleston taken!” The story is that Burnside has -landed and reduced the forts defending Port Royal. -I met Mr. Fox, Assistant-Secretary to the Navy, -and Mr. Hay, Secretary to Mr. Lincoln, in the -Avenue. The former showed me Burnside’s despatches -from Beaufort, announcing reduction of the -Confederate batteries by the ships and the establishment -of the Federals on the skirts of Port Royal. -Dined at Lord Lyons’, where were Mr. Chase, Major -Palmer, U.S.E., and his wife, Colonel and Mrs. -Emory, Professor Henry and his daughter, Mr. -Kennedy and his daughter, Colonel Wilmot and the -Englishry of Washington. I had a long conversation -with Mr. Chase, who is still sanguine that the war -must speedily terminate. The success at Beaufort has -made him radiant, and he told me that the Federal -General Nelson<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a>—who is no other than the enormous -blustering, boasting lieutenant in the navy whom I -met at Washington on my first arrival—has gained an -immense victory in Kentucky, killing and capturing a -whole army and its generals.</p> - -<p>A strong Government will be the end of the -struggle, but before they come to it there must be a -complete change of administration and internal economy. -Indeed, the Secretary of the Treasury candidly -admitted that the expenses of the war were enormous, -and could not go on at the present rate very -long. The men are paid too highly; every one is paid -too much. The scale is adapted to a small army not<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_400"></a>[400]</span> -very popular, in a country where labour is very well -paid, and competition is necessary to obtain recruits at -all. He has never disguised his belief the South -might have been left to go at first, with a certainty of -their return to the Union.</p> - -<p><em>November 13th.</em>—Mr. Charles Green, who was my -host at Savannah, and Mr. Low, of the same city, have -been arrested and sent to Fort Warren. Dining with -Mr. Seward, I heard accidentally that Mrs. Low had -also been arrested, but was now liberated. The sentiment -of dislike towards England is increasing, because -English subjects have assisted the South by smuggling -and running the blockade. “It is strange,” said Mr. -Seward the other day, “that this great free and -civilized Union should be supported by Germans, coming -here semi-civilized or half-savage, who plunder and -destroy as if they were living in the days of Agricola, -whilst the English are the great smugglers who support -our enemies in their rebellion.” I reminded him that -the United States flag had covered the smugglers who -carried guns and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">matériel</i> of war to Russia, although -they were at peace with France and England. “Yes, -but then,” said he, “that was a legitimate contest -between great established powers, and I admit, though -I lament the fact, that the public sympathy in this -country ran with Russia during that war.” The British -public have a right to their sympathies too, and the -Government can scarcely help it if private individuals -aid the South on their own responsibility. In future, -British subjects will be indicted instead of being sent to -Fort La Fayette. Mr. Seward feels keenly the attacks -in the <cite>New York Tribune</cite> on him for arbitrary arrests, -and representations have been made to Mr. Greeley<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_401"></a>[401]</span> -privately on the subject; nor is he indifferent to similar -English criticisms.</p> - -<p>General M‘Dowell asserts there is no nation in the -world whose censure or praise the people of the United -States care about except England, and with respect to -her there is a morbid sensitiveness which can neither -be explained nor justified.</p> - -<p>It is admitted, indeed, by Americans whose opinions -are valuable, that the popular feeling was in favour of -Russia during the Crimean war. Mr. Raymond attributes -the circumstance to the influence of the large -Irish element; but I am inclined to believe it is partly -due at least to the feeling of rivalry and dislike to -Great Britain, in which the mass of the American -people are trained by their early education, and also in -some measure to the notion that Russia was unequally -matched in the contest.</p> - -<p><em>November 14th.</em>—Rode to cavalry camp, and sat in -front of Colonel Emory’s tent with General Stoneman, -who is chief of the cavalry, and Captain Pleasanton; -heard interesting anecdotes of the wild life -on the frontiers, and of bushranging in California, of -lassoing bulls and wild horses and buffaloes, and encounters -<ins class="corr" id="tn-401" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'with grizly bears'"> -with grizzly bears</ins>—interrupted by a one-armed -man, who came to the Colonel for “leave to take away -George.” He spoke of his brother who had died in -camp, and for whose body he had come, metallic coffin -and all, to carry it back to his parents in Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p>I dined with Mr. Seward—Mr. Raymond, of New -York, and two or three gentlemen, being the only -guests. Mr. Lincoln came in whilst we were playing a -rubber, and told some excellent West-country stories. -“Here, Mr. President, we have got the two <cite>Times</cite>—of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_402"></a>[402]</span> -New York and of London—if they would only do what -is right and what we want, all will go well.” “Yes,” -said Mr. Lincoln, “if the bad Times would go where -we want them, good Times would be sure to follow.” -Talking over Bull’s Run, Mr. Seward remarked “that -civilians sometimes displayed more courage than soldiers, -but perhaps the courage was unprofessional. When -we were cut off from Baltimore, and the United States -troops at Annapolis were separated by a country swarming -with malcontents, not a soldier could be found to -undertake the journey and communicate with them. -At last a civilian”—(I think he mentioned the name of -Mr. Cassius Clay)—“volunteered, and executed the -business. So, after Bull’s Run, there was only one -officer, General Sherman, who was doing anything to -get the troops into order when the President and myself -drove over to see what we could do on that terrible -Tuesday evening.” Mr. Teakle Wallis and others, -after the Baltimore business, told him the people -would carry his head on their pikes; and so he -went to Auburn to see how matters stood, and a few -words from his old friends there made him feel his head -was quite right on his shoulders.</p> - -<p><em>November 15th.</em>—Horse-dealers are the same all the -world over. To-day comes one with a beast for which -he asked £50. “There was a Government agent looking -after this horse for one of them French princes, I -believe, just as I was talking to the Kentuck chap that -had him. ‘John,’ says he, ‘that’s the best-looking -horse I’ve seen in Washington this many a day.’ -‘Yes,’ says I, ‘and you need not look at him any more.’ -‘Why?’ says he. ‘Because,’ says I, ‘it’s one that I -want for Lord John Russell, of the London <cite>Times</cite>,’ says<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_403"></a>[403]</span> -I, ‘and if ever there was a man suited for a horse, or a -horse that was suited for a man, they’re the pair, and -I’ll give every cent I can raise to buy my friend, Lord -Russell, that horse.’” I could not do less than purchase, -at a small reduction, a very good animal thus -recommended.</p> - -<p><em>November 16th.</em>—A cold, raw day. As I was writing, -a small friend of mine, who appears like a stormy petrel -in moments of great storm, fluttered into my room, -and having chirped out something about a “Jolly row”—“Seizure -of Mason and Slidell”—“British flag insulted,” -and the like, vanished. Somewhat later, going down -17th Street, I met the French Minister, M. Mercier, -wrapped in his cloak, coming from the British Legation. -“<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Vous avez entendu quelque chose de nouveau?</span>” “<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Mais -non, excellence.</span>” And then, indeed, I learned there was -no doubt about the fact that Captain Wilkes, of the -U.S. steamer San Jacinto, had forcibly boarded the -Trent, British mail steamer, off the Bahamas, and had -taken Messrs. Mason, Slidell, Eustis, and M‘Clernand -from on board by armed force, in defiance of the protests -of the captain and naval officer in charge of the -mails. This was indeed grave intelligence, and the -French Minister considered the act a flagrant outrage, -which could not for a moment be justified.</p> - -<p>I went to the Legation, and found the young diplomatists -in the “Chancellerie” as demure and innocent -as if nothing had happened, though perhaps they were -a trifle more lively than usual. An hour later, and -the whole affair was published in full in the evening -papers. Extraordinary exultation prevailed in the -hotels and bar-rooms. The State Department has made -of course no communication respecting the matter.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_404"></a>[404]</span> -All the English are satisfied that Mason and his friends -must be put on board an English mail packet from the -San Jacinto under a salute.</p> - -<p>An officer of the United States navy—whose name -I shall not mention here—came in to see the buccaneers, -as the knot of English bachelors of Washington -are termed, and talk over the matter. “Of course” -he said, “we shall apologise and give up poor -Wilkes to vengeance by dismissing him, but under -no circumstances shall we ever give up Mason and -Slidell. No, sir; not a man dare propose such a -humiliation to our flag.” He says that Wilkes acted -on <ins class="corr" id="tn-404" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'his own responsibilty'"> -his own responsibility</ins>, and that the San Jacinto -was coming home from the African station when she -encountered the Trent. Wilkes knew the rebel emissaries -were on board, and thought he would cut a dash -and get up a little sensation, being a bold and daring -sort of a fellow with a quarrelsome disposition and a -great love of notoriety, but an excellent officer.</p> - -<p><em>November 17th.</em>—For my sins I went to see a dress -parade of the 6th Regular Cavalry early this morning, -and underwent a small purgatory from the cold, on a -bare plain, whilst the men and officers, with red cheeks -and blue noses, mounted on horses with staring coats, -marched, trotted, and cantered past. The papers contain -joyous articles on the Trent affair, and some have got -up an immense amount of learning at a short notice; -but I am glad to say we had no discussion in camp. -There is scarcely more than one opinion among thinking -people in Washington respecting the legality of the act, -and the course Great Britain must pursue. All the -Foreign Ministers, without exception, have called on -Lord Lyons—Russia, France, Italy, Prussia, Denmark.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_405"></a>[405]</span> -All are of accord. I am not sure whether the important -diplomatist who represents the mighty interests of the -Hanse Towns has not condescended to admit England -has right on her side.</p> - -<p><em>November 18th.</em>—There is a storm of exultation -sweeping over the land. Wilkes is the hero of the -hour. I saw Mr. F. Seward at the State Department -at ten o’clock; but as at the British Legation the -orders are not to speak of the transaction, so at the -State Department a judicious reticence is equally -observed. The lawyers are busy furnishing arguments -to the newspapers. The officers who held their tongues -at first, astonished at the audacity of the act, are -delighted to find any arguments in its favour.</p> - -<p>I called at General M‘Clellan’s new head-quarters -to get a pass, and on my way met the Duke of -Chartres, who shook his young head very gravely, and -regarded the occurrence with sorrow and apprehension. -M‘Clellan, I understand, advised the immediate surrender -of the prisoners; but the authorities, supported -by the sudden outburst of public approval, refused to -take that step. I saw Lord Lyons, who appeared very -much impressed by the magnitude of the crisis. Thence -I visited the Navy Department, where Captain Dahlgren -and Lieutenant Wise discussed the affair. The former, -usually so calm, has too much sense not to perceive the -course England must take, and as an American officer -naturally feels regret at what appears to be the humiliation -of his flag; but he speaks with passion, and vows -that if England avails herself of the temporary weakness -of the United States to get back the rebel commissioners -by threats of force, every American should -make his sons swear eternal hostility to Great Britain.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_406"></a>[406]</span> -Having done wrong, stick to it! Thus men’s anger -blinds them, and thus come wars.</p> - -<p>It is obvious that no Power could permit political -offenders sailing as passengers in a mail-boat under -its flag, from one neutral port to another, to be taken -by a belligerent, though the recognition of such a -right would be, perhaps, more advantageous to England -than to any other Power. But, notwithstanding these -discussions, our naval friends dined and spent the -evening with us, in company with some other officers.</p> - -<p>I paid my respects to the Prince of Joinville, with -whom I had a long and interesting conversation, in the -course of which he gave me to understand he thought -the seizure an untoward and unhappy event, which -could not be justified on any grounds whatever, and -that he had so expressed himself in the highest -quarters. There are, comparatively, many English -here at present; Mr. Chaplin, Sir F. Johnstone, Mr. -Weldon, Mr. Browne, and others, and it may be readily -imagined this affair creates deep feeling and much -discussion.</p> - -<p><em>November 19th.</em>—I rarely sat down to write under a -sense of greater responsibility, for it is just possible my -letter may contain the first account of the seizure of -the Southern Commissioners which will reach England; -and, having heard all opinions and looked at authorities, -as far as I could, it appears to me that the conduct of -the American officer, now sustained by his Government, -is without excuse. I dined at Mr. Corcoran’s, where -the Ministers of Prussia, Brazil, and Chili, and the -Secretary of the French Legation, were present; and, -although we did not talk politics, enough was said to -show there was no dissent from the opinion expressed -by intelligent and uninterested foreigners.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_407"></a>[407]</span></p> - -<p><em>November 20th.</em>—To-day a grand review, the most -remarkable feature of which was the able disposition -made by General M‘Dowell to march seventy infantry -regiments, seventeen batteries, and seven cavalry -regiments, into a very contracted space, from the -adjoining camps. Of the display itself I wrote a long -account, which is not worth repeating here. Among -the 55,000 men present there were at least 20,000 -Germans and 12,000 Irish.</p> - -<p><em>November 22nd.</em>—All the American papers have -agreed that the Trent business is quite according to -law, custom, and international comity, and that England -can do nothing. They cry out so loudly in this one -key there is reason to suspect they have some inward -doubts. General M‘Clellan invited all the world, -including myself, to see a performance given by -Hermann, the conjuror, at his quarters, which will be -aggravating news to the bloody-minded, serious people -in New England.</p> - -<p>Day after day passes on, and finds our Micawbers in -Washington waiting for something to turn up. The -Trent affair, having been proved to be legal and right -beyond yea or nay, has dropped out of the minds of -all save those who are waiting for news from England; -and on looking over my diary I can see nothing but -memoranda relating to quiet rides, visits to camps, -conversations with this one or the other, a fresh -outburst of anonymous threatening letters, as if I had -anything to do with the Trent affair, and notes of small -social reunions at our own rooms and the Washington -houses which were open to us.</p> - -<p><em>November 25th.</em>—I remarked the other evening that, -with all the disorder in Washington, there are no<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_408"></a>[408]</span> -thieves. Next night, as we were sitting in our little -symposium, a thirsty soldier knocked at the door for a -glass of water. He was brought in and civilly treated. -Under the date of the 27th, accordingly, I find it duly -entered that “the vagabond who came in for water must -have had a confederate, who got into the hall whilst we -were attending to his comrade, for yesterday there was a -great lamentation over cloaks and great-coats missing -from the hall, and as the day wore on the area of plunder -was extended. Carl discovers he has been robbed of -his best clothes, and Caroline has lost her watch and -many petticoats.”</p> - -<p>Thanksgiving Day on the 28th was celebrated by -enormous drunkenness in the army. The weather -varied between days of delicious summer—soft, bright, -balmy, and beautiful beyond expression—and days of -wintry storm, with torrents of rain.</p> - -<p>Some excitement was caused at the end of the -month by the report I had received information from -England that the law officers of the Crown had given -it as their opinion that a United States man-of-war -would be justified by Lord Stowell’s decisions in taking -Mason and Slidell even in the British Channel, if -the Nashville transferred them to a British mail -steamer. This opinion was called for in consequence -of the Tuscarora appearing in Southampton -Water; and, having heard of it, I repeated it in strict -confidence to some one else, till at last Baron de -Stoeckl came to ask me if it was true. Receiving -passengers from the Nashville, however, would have -been an act of direct intercourse with an enemy’s -ship. In the case of the Trent the persons seized had -come on board as lawful passengers at a neutral port.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_409"></a>[409]</span></p> - -<p>The tide of success runs strongly in favour of the -North at present, although they generally get the worst -of it in the small affairs in the front of Washington. -The entrance to Savannah has been occupied, and by -degrees the fleets are biting into the Confederate -lines along the coast, and establishing positions which -will afford bases of operations to the Federals hereafter. -The President and Cabinet seem in better -spirits, and the former indulges in quaint speculations, -which he transfers even to State papers. He calculates, -for instance, there are human beings now alive who -may ere they die behold the United States peopled by -250 millions of souls. Talking of a high mound on the -prairie, in Illinois, he remarked, “that if all the nations -of the earth were assembled there, a man standing on -its top would see them all, for that the whole human -race would fit on a space twelve miles square, which -was about the extent of the plain.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_410"></a>[410]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII. <span class="hidden">A Captain under arrest</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A Captain under arrest—Opening of Congress—Colonel Dutassy—An -ex-pugilist turned Senator—Mr. Cameron—Ball in the officers’ -huts—Presentation of standards at Arlington—Dinner at Lord -Lyons’—Paper currency—A polyglot dinner—Visit to Washington’s -Tomb—Mr. Chase’s Report—Colonel Seaton—Unanimity of -the South—The Potomac blockade—A Dutch-American Crimean -acquaintance—The American Lawyers on the Trent affair—Mr. -Sumner—M‘Clellan’s Army—Impressions produced in America by -the English Press on the affair of the Trent—Mr. Sumner on the -crisis—Mutual feelings of the two nations—Rumours of war with -Great Britain.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>December 1st.</em>—A mixed party of American officers -and English went to-day to the post at Great Falls, -about sixteen or seventeen miles up the Potomac, and -were well repaid by the charming scenery, and by a -visit to an American military station in a state of -nature. The captain in command told us over a drink -that he was under arrest, because he had refused to do -duty as lieutenant of the guard, he being a captain. -“But I have written to M‘Clellan about it,” said he, -“and I’m d—d if I stay under arrest more than three -days longer.” He was not aware that the General’s -brother, who is a captain on his staff, was sitting beside -him at the time. This worthy centurion further -informed us he had shot a man dead a short time -before for disobeying his orders. “That he did,” said -his sympathising and enthusiastic orderly, “and there’s -the weapon that done it.” The captain was a boot and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_411"></a>[411]</span> -shoe maker by trade, and had travelled across the -isthmus before the railway was made to get orders for -his boots. A hard, determined, fierce “sutor,” as near a -savage as might be.</p> - -<p>“And what will you do, captain,” asked I, “if they -keep you in arrest?”</p> - -<p>“Fight for it, sir. I’ll go straight away into Pennsylvania -with my company, and we’ll whip any two companies -they can send to stop us.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Sumner paid me a visit on my return from our -excursion, and seems to think everything is in the best -possible state.</p> - -<p><em>December 2nd.</em>—Congress opened to-day. The Senate -did nothing. In the House of Representatives some -Buncombe resolutions were passed about Captain -Wilkes, who has become a hero—“a great interpreter -of international law,” and also recommending that -Messrs. Mason and Slidell be confined in felons’ cells, -in retaliation for Colonel Corcoran’s treatment by the -Confederates. M. Blondel, the Belgian minister, who -was at the court of Greece during the Russian war, told -me that when the French and English fleets lay in the -Piræus, a United States vessel, commanded, he thinks, -by Captain Stringham, publicly received M. Persani, -the Russian ambassador, on board, hoisted and saluted -the Russian flag in the harbour, whereupon the French -Admiral, Barbier de Tinan, proposed to the English -Admiral to go on board the United States vessel and -seize the ambassador, which the British officer refused -to do.</p> - -<p><em>December 3rd.</em>—Drove down to the Capitol, and was -introduced to the floor of the Senate by Senator Wilson, -and arrived just as Mr. Forney commenced reading the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_412"></a>[412]</span> -President’s message, which was listened to with considerable -interest. At dinner, Colonel D’Utassy, of -the Garibaldi legion, who gives a curious account of -his career. A Hungarian by birth, he went over from -the Austrian service, and served under Bem; was -wounded and taken prisoner at Temesvar, and escaped -from Spielberg, through the kindness of Count Bennigsen, -making his way to Semlin, in the disguise of a -servant, where Mr. Fonblanque, the British consul, -protected him. Thence he went to Kossuth at Shumla, -finally proceeded to Constantinople, where he was -engaged to instruct the Turkish cavalry; turned -up in the Ionian Islands, where he was engaged by the -late Sir H. Ward, as a sort of secretary and interpreter, -in which capacity he also served Sir G. Le Marchant. -In the United States he was earning his livelihood -as a fencing, dancing, and language master; and -when the war broke out he exerted himself to raise a -regiment, and succeeded in completing his number in -seventeen days, being all the time obliged to support -himself by his lessons. I tell his tale as he told it to -me.</p> - -<p>One of our friends, of a sporting turn, dropped in to-night, -followed by a gentleman dressed in immaculate -black, and of staid deportment, whose name I did not -exactly catch, but fancied it was that of a senator of -some reputation. As the stranger sat next me, and was -rubbing his knees nervously, I thought I would commence -conversation.</p> - -<p>“It appears, sir, that affairs in the south-west are -not so promising. May I ask you what is your opinion -of the present prospects of the Federals in Missouri?”</p> - -<p>I was somewhat disconcerted by his reply, for rubbing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_413"></a>[413]</span> -his knees harder than ever, and imprecating his -organs of vision in a very sanguinary manner, he said—</p> - -<p>“Well, d—— if I know what to think of them. -They’re a b—— rum lot, and they’re going on in a -d—— rum way. That’s what I think.”</p> - -<p>The supposed legislator, in fact, was distinguished in -another arena, and was no other than a celebrated -pugilist, who served his apprenticeship in the English -ring, and has since graduated in honours in America.</p> - -<p>I dined with Mr. Cameron, Secretary of War, where -I met Mr. Forney, Secretary of the Senate; Mr. House, -Mr. Wilkeson, and others, and was exceedingly -interested by the shrewd conversation and candid -manner of our host. He told me he once worked as a -printer in the city of Washington, at ten dollars a week, -and twenty cents an hour for extra work at the case -on Sundays. Since that time he has worked onwards -and upwards, and amassed a large fortune by contracts -for railways and similar great undertakings. He says -the press rules America, and that no one can face it -and live; which is about the worst account of the -chances of an honest longevity I can well conceive. -His memory is exact, and his anecdotes, albeit he has -never seen any but Americans, or stirred out of the -States, very agreeable. Once there lived at Washington -a publican’s daughter, named Mary O’Neil, beautiful, -bold, and witty. She captivated a member of Congress, -who failed to make her less than his wife; and by -degrees Mrs. Eaton—who may now be seen in the -streets of Washington, an old woman, still bright-eyed -and, alas! bright-cheeked, retaining traces of her great -beauty—became a leading personage in the State, and -ruled the imperious, rugged, old Andrew Jackson so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_414"></a>[414]</span> -completely, that he broke up his Cabinet and dismissed -his ministers on her account. In the days of her power -she had done some trifling service to Mr. Cameron, and -he has just repaired it by conferring some military -appointment on her grandchild.</p> - -<p>The dinner, which was preceded by deputations, was -finished by one which came from the Far West, and -was introduced by Mr. Hannibal Hamlin, the Vice-President; -Mr. Owen Lovejoy, Mr. Bingham, and other -ultra-Abolitionist members of Congress; and then -speeches were made, and healths were drunk, and toasts -were pledged, till it was time for me to drive to a ball -given by the officers of the 5th United States Cavalry, -which was exceedingly pretty, and admirably arranged -in wooden huts, specially erected and decorated for the -occasion. A huge bonfire in the centre of the camp, -surrounded by soldiers, by the carriage drivers, and by -negro servants, afforded the most striking play of -colour and variety of light and shade I ever beheld.</p> - -<p><em>December 4th.</em>—To Arlington, where Senator Ira -Harris presented flags—that is, standards—to a cavalry -regiment called after his name; the President, Mrs. -Lincoln, ministers, generals, and a large gathering -present. Mr. Harris made a very long and a very -fierce speech; it could not be said <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Ira furor brevis est</i>; -and Colonel Davies, in taking the standard, was earnest -and lengthy in reply. Then a barrister presented -colour No. 2 in a speech full of poetical quotations, to -which Major Kilpatrick made an excellent answer. -Though it was strange enough to hear a political disquisition -on the causes of the rebellion from a soldier -in full uniform, the proceedings were highly theatrical -and very effective. “Take, then, this flag,” &c.—“Defend<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_415"></a>[415]</span> -it with your,” &c.—“Yes, sir, we will guard this sacred -emblem with—,” &c. The regiment then went through -some evolutions, which were brought to an untimely -end by a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">feu de joie</i> from the infantry in the rear, which -instantly broke up the squadrons, and sent them kicking, -plunging, and falling over the field, to the great amusement -of the crowd.</p> - -<p>Dined with Lord Lyons, where was Mr. Galt, Financial -Minister of Canada; Mr. Stewart, who has arrived -to replace Mr. Irvine, and others. In our rooms, -a grand financial discussion took <ins class="corr" id="tn-415" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'plaee in honour'"> -place in honour</ins> of Mr. Galt, between Mr. Butler Duncan and others, the -former maintaining that a general issue of national -paper was inevitable. A very clever American maintained -that the North will be split into two great parties -by the result of the victory which they are certain -to gain over the South—that the Democrats will offer -the South concessions more liberal than they could ever -dream of, and that both will unite against the Abolitionists -and Black Republicans.</p> - -<p><em>December 6th.</em>—Mr. Riggs says the paper currency -scheme will produce money, and make every man -richer. He is a banker, and ought to know; but to -my ignorant eye it seems likely to prove most destructive, -and I confess, that whatever be the result of this -war, I have no desire for the ruin of so many happy communities -as have sprung up in the United States. Had -it been possible for human beings to employ popular -institutions without intrigue and miserable self-seeking, -and to be superior to faction and party passion, the -condition of parts of the United States must cause regret -that an exemption from the usual laws which -regulate human nature was not made in America; but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_416"></a>[416]</span> -the strength of the United States—directed by violent -passions, by party interest, and by selfish intrigues—was -becoming dangerous to the peace of other nations, and -therefore there is an utter want of sympathy with them -in their time of trouble.</p> - -<p>I dined with Mr. Galt, at Willard’s, where we had a -very pleasant party, in spite of financial dangers.</p> - -<p><em>December 7th.</em>—A visit to the Garibaldi Guard with -some of the Englishry, and an excellent dinner at the -mess, which presented a curious scene, and was graced -by sketches from a wonderful polyglot chaplain. What -a company!—the officers present were composed as follows:—Five -Spaniards, six Poles and Hungarians, -two Frenchmen—the most soldierly-looking men at -table—one American, four Italians, and nine Teutons -of various States in Germany.</p> - -<p><em>December 8th.</em>—A certain excellent Colonel who -commands a French regiment visited us to-day. When -he came to Washington, one of the Foreign Ministers -who had been well acquainted with him said, “My -dear Colonel, what a pity we can be no longer friends.” -“Why so, Baron?” “Ah, we can never dine together -again.” “Why not? Do you forbid me your table?” -“No, Colonel, but how can I invite a man who can -command the services of at least 200 cooks in his own -regiment?” “Well then, Baron, you can come and -dine with me.” “What! how do you think I could -show myself in your camp—how could I get my hair -dressed to sit at the table of a man who commands 300 -coiffeurs?” I rode out to overtake a party who had -started in carriages for Mount Vernon to visit Washington’s -tomb, but missed them in the wonderfully -wooded country which borders the Potomac, and returned -alone.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_417"></a>[417]</span></p> - -<p><em>December 9th.</em>—Spent the day over Mr. Chase’s report, -a copy of which he was good enough to send me -with a kind note, and went out in the evening with -my head in a state of wild financial confusion, and a -general impression that the financial system of England -is very unsound.</p> - -<p><em>December 10th.</em>—Paid a visit to Colonel Seaton, of -the <cite>National Intelligencer</cite>, a man deservedly respected -and esteemed for his private character, which has given -its impress to the journal he has so long conducted. -The New York papers ridicule the Washington organ, -because it does not spread false reports daily in the -form of telegraphic “sensation” news, and indeed one -may be pretty sure that a fact is a fact when it is found -in the <cite>Intelligencer</cite>; but the man, nevertheless, who is -content with the information he gets from it, will have -no reason to regret, in the accuracy of his knowledge or -the soundness of his views, that he has not gone to its -noisy and mendacious rivals. In the minds of all the -very old men in the States, there is a feeling of great -sadness and despondency respecting the present troubles, -and though they cling to the idea of a restoration of -the glorious Union of their youth, it is hoping against -hope. “Our game is played out. It was the most -wonderful and magnificent career of success the world -ever saw, but rogues and gamblers took up the cards -at last; they quarrelled, and are found out.”</p> - -<p>In the evening, supped at Mr. Forney’s, where there -was a very large gathering of gentlemen connected with -the press; Mr. Cameron, Secretary of War; Colonel -Mulligan, a tall young man, with dark hair falling on -his shoulders, round a Celtic impulsive face, and a -hazy enthusiastic-looking eye; and other celebrities.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_418"></a>[418]</span> -Terrapin soup and canvas-backs, speeches, orations, -music, and song, carried the company onwards among -the small hours.</p> - -<p><em>December 11th.</em>—The unanimity of the people in the -South is forced on the conviction of the statesmen and -people of the North, by the very success of their expeditions -in Secession. They find the planters at Beaufort -and elsewhere burning their cotton and crops, villages -and towns deserted at their approach, hatred in -every eye, and curses on women’s tongues. They meet -this by a corresponding change in their own programme. -The war which was made to develop and maintain -Union sentiment in the South, and to enable the -people to rise against a desperate faction which had -enthralled them, is now to be made a crusade against -slaveholders, and a war of subjugation—if need be, of -extermination—against the whole of the Southern States. -The Democrats will, of course, resist this barbarous -and hopeless policy. There is a deputation of Irish -Democrats here now, to effect a general exchange of -prisoners, which is an operation calculated to give a -legitimate character to the war, and is <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">pro tanto</i> a recognition -of the Confederacy as a belligerent power.</p> - -<p><em>December 12th.</em>—The navy are writhing under the -disgrace of the Potomac blockade, and deny it exists. -The price of articles in Washington which used to -come by the river affords disagreeable proof to the -contrary. And yet there is not a true Yankee in Pennsylvania -Avenue who does not believe, what he reads -every day, that his glorious navy could sweep the fleets -of France and England off the seas to-morrow, though -the Potomac be closed, and the Confederate batteries -throw their shot and shell into the Federal camps on the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_419"></a>[419]</span> -other side. I dined with General Butterfield, whose -camp is pitched in Virginia, on a knoll and ridge from -which a splendid view can be had over the wooded vales -and hills extending from Alexandria towards Manassas, -whitened with Federal tents and huts. General Fitz-John -Porter and General M‘Dowell were among the -officers present.</p> - -<p><em>December 12th.</em>—A big-bearded, spectacled, moustachioed, -spurred, and booted officer threw himself on -my bed this morning ere I was awake. “Russell, my -dear friend, here you are at last; what ages have passed -since we met!” I sat up and gazed at my friend. -“Bohlen! don’t you remember Bohlen, and our rides -in Turkey, our visit to Shumla and Pravady, and all -the rest of it?” Of course I did. I remembered an -enthusiastic soldier, with a fine guttural voice, and a -splendid war saddle and saddle-cloth, and brass stirrups -and holsters, worked with eagles all over, and a uniform -coat and cap with more eagles flying amidst laurel -leaves and U.S.’s in gold, who came out to see the -fighting in the East, and made up his mind that there -would be none, when he arrived at Varna, and so started -off incontinent up the Danube, and returned to the -Crimea when it was too late; and a very good, kindly, -warm-hearted fellow was the Dutch-American, who—once -more in his war paint, this time acting Brigadier-General<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a>—renewed -the memories of some pleasant days -far away; and our talk was of cavasses and khans, and -tchibouques, and pashas, till his time was up to return -to his fighting Germans of Blenker’s division.</p> - -<p>He was <em>not</em> the good-natured officer who said the other -day, “The next day you come down, sir, if my regiment<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_420"></a>[420]</span> -happens to be on picket duty, we’ll have a little -skirmish with the enemy, just to show you how our -fellows are improved.” “Perhaps you might bring on -a general action, Colonel.” “Well, sir, we’re not -afraid of that, either! Let ’em come on.” It did so -happen that some young friends of mine, of H.M.’s -30th, who had come down from Canada to see the army -here, went out a day or two ago with an officer on -General Smith’s staff, formerly in our army, who yet -suffers from a wound received at the Alma, to have a -look at the enemy with a detachment of men. The -enemy came to have a look at them, whereby it happened -that shots were exchanged, and the bold Britons -had to ride back as hard as they could, for their men -skedaddled, and the Secession cavalry slipping after -them, had a very pretty chase for some miles; so the -30th men saw more than they bargained for.</p> - -<p>Dined at Baron Gerolt’s, where I had the pleasure of -meeting Judge Daly, who is perfectly satisfied the -English lawyers have not a leg to stand upon in the -Trent case. On the faith of old and very doubtful, -and some purely supposititious, cases, the American -lawyers have made up their minds that the seizure of -the “rebel” ambassadors was perfectly legitimate and -normal. The Judge expressed his belief that if there was a -rebellion in Ireland, and that Messrs. Smith O’Brien and -O’Gorman ran the blockade to France, and were going -on their passage from Havre to New York in a United -States steamer, they would be seized by the first -British vessel that knew the fact. “Granted; and -what would the United States do?” “I am afraid we -should be obliged to demand that they be given up; -and if you were strong enough at the time, I dare say<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_421"></a>[421]</span> -you would fight sooner than do so.” Mr. Sumner, -with whom I had some conversation this afternoon, -affects to consider the question eminently suitable for -reference and arbitration.</p> - -<p>In spite of drills and parades, M‘Clellan has not got -an army yet. A good officer, who served as brigade-major -in our service, told me the men were little short -of mutinous, with all their fine talk, though they could -fight well. Sometimes they refuse to mount guard, -or to go on duty not to their tastes; officers refuse to -serve under others to whom they have a dislike; men -offer similar personal objections to officers. M‘Clellan -is enforcing discipline, and really intends to execute a -most <ins class="corr" id="tn-421" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'villanous deserter'"> -villainous deserter</ins> this time.</p> - -<p><em>December 15th.</em>—The first echo of the San Jacinto’s -guns in England reverberated to the United States, -and produced a profound sensation. The people had -made up their minds John Bull would acquiesce in the -seizure, and not say a word about it; or they affected -to think so; and the cry of anger which has resounded -through the land, and the unmistakable tone of -the British press, at once surprise, and irritate, and -disappoint them. The American journals, nevertheless, -pretend to think it is a mere vulgar excitement, -and that the press is “only indulging in its -habitual bluster.”</p> - -<p><em>December 16th.</em>—I met Mr. Seward at a ball and -<ins class="corr" id="tn-421a" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'cotillon party'"> -cotillion party</ins>, given by M. de Lisboa; and as he was -in very good humour, and was inclined to talk, he -pointed out to the Prince of Joinville, and all who were -inclined to listen, and myself, how terrible the effects -of a war would be if Great Britain forced it on the -United States. “We will wrap the whole world in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_422"></a>[422]</span> -flames!” he exclaimed. “No power so remote that -she will not feel the fire of our battle and be burned -by our conflagration.” It is inferred that Mr. Seward -means to show fight. One of the guests, however, said -to me, “That’s all bugaboo talk. When Seward talks -that way, he means to break down. He is most dangerous -and obstinate when he pretends to agree a good -deal with you.” The young French Princes, and the -young and pretty Brazilian and American ladies, danced -and were happy, notwithstanding the storms without.</p> - -<p>Next day I dined at Mr. Seward’s, as the Minister -had given <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">carte blanche</i> to a very lively and agreeable -lady, who has to lament over an absent husband -in this terrible war, to ask two gentlemen to dine with -him, and she had been pleased to select myself and M. -de Geoffroy, Secretary of the Trench Legation, as her -thick and her thin <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">umbræ</i>; and the company went off -in the evening to the White House, where there was a -reception, whereat I imagined I might be <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">de trop</i>, and -so home.</p> - -<p>Mr. Seward was in the best spirits, and told one or -two rather long, but very pleasant, stories. Now -it is evident he must by this time know Great Britain -has resolved on the course to be pursued, and his good -humour, contrasted with the irritation he displayed in -May and June, is not intelligible.</p> - -<p>The Russian Minister, at whose house I dined next -day, is better able than any man to appreciate the use -made of the Czar’s professions of regret for the evils -which distract the States by the Americans; but it is the -fashion to approve of everything that France does, and -to assume a violent affection for Russia. The Americans -are irritated by war preparations on the part of England,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_423"></a>[423]</span> -in case the Government of Washington do not -accede to their demands; and, at the same time, much -annoyed that all European nations join in an outcry -against the famous project of destroying the Southern -harbours by the means of the stone fleet.</p> - -<p><em>December 20th.</em>—I went down to the Senate, as -it was expected at the Legation and elsewhere the -President would send a special message to the Senate -on the Trent affair; but, instead, there was merely -a long speech from a senator, to show the South -did not like democratic institutions. Lord Lyons -called on Mr. Seward yesterday to read Lord Russell’s -dispatch to him, and to give time for a reply; but -Mr. Seward was out, and Mr. Sumner told me the -Minister was down with the Committee of Foreign Relations, -where there is a serious business in reference -to the State of Mexico and certain European Powers -under discussion, when the British Minister went to -the State Department.</p> - -<p>Next day Lord Lyons had two interviews with Mr. -Seward, read the despatch, which simply asks for surrender -of Mason and Slidell and reparation, without -any specific act named, but he received no indication -from Mr. Seward of the course he would pursue. Mr. -Lincoln has “put down his foot” on no surrender. -“Sir!” exclaimed the President, to an old Treasury -official the other day, “I would sooner die than give -them up.” “Mr. President,” was the reply, “your -death would be a great loss, but the destruction of the -United States would be a still more deplorable event.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Seward will, however, control the situation, -as the Cabinet will very probably support his views; -and Americans will comfort themselves, in case the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_424"></a>[424]</span> -captives are surrendered, with a promise of future -revenge, and with the reflection that they have avoided -a very disagreeable intervention between their march -of conquest and the Southern Confederacy. The -general belief of the diplomatists is, that the prisoners -will not be given up, and in that case Lord Lyons and -the Legation will retire from Washington for the time, -probably to Halifax, leaving Mr. Monson to wind up -affairs and clear out the archives. But it is understood -that there is no ultimatum, and that Lord Lyons is not -to indicate any course of action, should Mr. Seward -inform him the United States Government refuses to -comply with the demands of Great Britain.</p> - -<p>Any humiliation which may be attached to concession -will be caused by the language of the Americans themselves, -who have given in their press, in public meetings, -in the Lower House, in the Cabinet, and in the -conduct of the President, a complete ratification of -the act of Captain Wilkes, not to speak of the opinions -of the lawyers, and the speeches of their orators, who -declare “they will face any alternative, but that they -will never surrender.” The friendly relations which -existed between ourselves and many excellent Americans -are now rendered somewhat constrained by the -prospect of a great national difference.</p> - -<p><em>December</em> (Sunday) <em>22nd.</em>—Lord Lyons saw Mr. -Seward again, but it does not appear that any answer -can be expected before Wednesday. All kinds of rumours -circulate through the city, and are repeated in an -authoritative manner in the New York papers.</p> - -<p><em>December 23rd</em>.—There was a tremendous storm, which -drove over the city and shook the houses to the foundation. -Constant interviews took place between the President<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_425"></a>[425]</span> -and members of the Cabinet, and so certain are -the people that war is inevitable, that an officer connected -with the executive of the Navy Department came -in to tell me General Scott was coming over from -Europe to conduct the Canadian campaign, as he -had thoroughly studied the geography of the country, -and that in a very short time he would be in possession -of every strategic position on the frontier, and chaw up -our reinforcements. Late in the evening, Mr. Olmsted -called to say he had been credibly informed Lord -Lyons had quarrelled violently with Mr. Seward, had -flown into a great passion with him, and so departed. -The idea of Lord Lyons being quarrelsome, passionate, -or violent, was preposterous enough to those who -knew him; but the American papers, by repeated -statements of the sort, have succeeded in persuading -their public that the British Minister is a plethoric, -red-faced, large-stomached man in top-boots, knee-breeches, -yellow waistcoat, blue cut-away, brass buttons, -and broad-brimmed white hat, who is continually -walking to the State Department in company -with a large bulldog, hurling defiance at Mr. -Seward at one moment, and the next rushing home to -receive despatches from Mr. Jefferson Davis, or to give -secret instructions to the British Consuls to run -cargoes of quinine and gunpowder through the Federal -blockade. I was enabled to assure Mr. Olmsted -there was not the smallest foundation for the story; -but he seemed impressed with a sense of some great -calamity, and told me there was a general belief that -England only wanted a pretext for a quarrel with the -United States; nor could I comfort him by the assurance -that there were good reasons for thinking General -Scott would very soon annex Canada, in case of war.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_426"></a>[426]</span><br /></p> - -<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV. <span class="hidden">News of the death of the Prince Consort</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>News of the death of the Prince Consort—Mr. Sumner and the Trent -Affair—Dispatch to Lord Russell—The Southern Commissioners -given up—Effects on the friends of the South—My own unpopularity -at New York—Attack of fever—My tour in Canada—My -return to New York in February—Successes of the Western -States—Mr. Stanton succeeds Mr. Cameron as Secretary of War—Reverse -and retreat of M‘Clellan—My free pass—The Merrimac -and Monitor—My arrangement to accompany M‘Clellan’s head-quarters—Mr. -Stanton refuses his sanction—National vanity -wounded by my truthfulness—My retirement and return to Europe.</p> -</div> - - -<p><em>December 24th.</em>—-This evening came in a telegram -from Europe with news which cast the deepest gloom -over all our little English circle. Prince Albert dead! -At first no one believed it; then it was remembered that -private letters by the last mail had spoken despondingly -of his state of health, and that the “little cold” of -which we had heard was described in graver terms. -Prince Alfred dead! “Oh, it may be Prince Alfred,” -said some; and sad as it would be for the Queen and -the public to lose the Sailor Prince, the loss could not -be so great as that which we all felt to be next to the -greatest. The preparations which we had made for a -little festivity to welcome in Christmas morning -were chilled by the news, and the eve was not of the -joyous character which Englishmen delight to give it, -for the sorrow which fell on all hearts in England had<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_427"></a>[427]</span> -spanned the Atlantic, and bade us mourn in common -with the country at home.</p> - -<p><em>December 25th.</em>—Lord Lyons, who had invited the -English in Washington to dinner, gave a small quiet -entertainment, from which he retired early.</p> - -<p><em>December 26th.</em>—No answer yet. There can be but -one. Press people, soldiers, sailors, ministers, senators, -Congress men, people in the street, the voices of the -bar-room—all are agreed. “Give them up? Never! -We’ll die first!” Senator Sumner, M. De Beaumont, M. -De Geoffroy, of the French Legation, dined with me, -in company with General Van Vliet, Mr. Anderson, -and Mr. Lamy, &c.; and in the evening Major Anson, -M.P., Mr. Johnson, Captain Irwin, U.S.A., Lt. Wise, -U.S.N., joined our party, and after much evasion -of the subject, the English despatch and Mr. -Seward’s decision turned up and caused some discussion. -Mr. Sumner, who is Chairman of the Committee -on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and in -that capacity is in intimate <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rapport</i> with the President, -either is, or affects to be, incredulous respecting the -nature of Lord Russell’s despatch this evening, and -argues that, at the very utmost, the Trent affair can only -be a matter for mediation, and not for any peremptory -demand, as the law of nations has no exact precedent to -bear upon the case, and that there are so many instances -in which Sir W. Scott’s (Lord Stowell’s) decisions -in principle appear to justify Captain Wilkes. All -along he has held this language, and has maintained -that at the very worst there is plenty of time for protocols, -despatches, and references, and more than once -he has said to me, “I hope you will keep the peace; -help us to do so,”—the peace having been already -broken by Captain Wilkes and the Government.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_428"></a>[428]</span></p> - -<p><em>December 27th.</em>—This morning Mr. Seward sent in -his reply to Lord Russell’s despatch—“<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">grandis et -verbosa epistola.</span>” The result destroys my prophecies, -for, after all, the Southern Commissioners or Ambassadors -are to be given up. Yesterday, indeed, in an -under-current of whispers among the desponding -friends of the South, there went a rumour that the -Government had resolved to yield. What a collapse! -What a bitter mortification! I had scarcely finished -the perusal of an article in a Washington paper,—which, -let it be understood, is an organ of Mr. Lincoln,—stating -that “Mason and Slidell would <em>not</em> be surrendered, -and assuring the people they need entertain no -apprehension of such a dishonourable concession,” -when I learned beyond all possibility of doubt, that -Mr. Seward had handed in his despatch, placing the -Commissioners at the disposal of the British Minister. -A copy of the despatch will be published in -the <cite>National Intelligencer</cite> to-morrow morning at an -early hour, in time to go to Europe by the steamer -which leaves New York.</p> - -<p>After dinner, those who were in the secret were -amused by hearing the arguments which were started -between one or two Americans and some English in -the company, in consequence of a positive statement -from a gentleman who came in, that Mason and Slidell -had been surrendered. I have resolved to go to Boston, -being satisfied that a great popular excitement and -uprising will, in all probability, take place on the discharge -of the Commissioners from Fort Warren. What -will my friend, the general, say, who told me yesterday -“he would snap his sword, and throw the pieces into -the White House, if they were given up?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_429"></a>[429]</span></p> - -<p><em>December 28th.</em>—The <cite>National Intelligencer</cite> of this -morning contains the despatches of Lord Russell, M. -Thouvenel, and Mr. Seward. The bubble has burst. -The rage of the friends of compromise, and of the -South, who saw in a war with Great Britain the -complete success of the Confederacy, is deep and -burning, if not loud; but they all say they never -expected anything better from the cowardly and -braggart statesmen who now rule in Washington.</p> - -<p>Lord Lyons has evinced the most moderate and conciliatory -spirit, and has done everything in his power -to break Mr. Seward’s fall on the softest of eider down. -Some time ago we were all prepared to hear nothing -less would be accepted than Captain Wilkes taking -Messrs. Mason and Slidell on board the San Jacinto, -and transferring them to the Trent, under a salute to -the flag, near the scene of the outrage; at all events, -it was expected that a British man-of-war would have -steamed into Boston, and received the prisoners under -a salute from Fort Warren; but Mr. Seward, apprehensive -that some outrage would be offered by the -populace to the prisoners and the British Flag, has -asked Lord Lyons that the Southern Commissioners -may be placed, as it were, surreptitiously, in a United -States boat, and carried to a small seaport in the State -of Maine, where they are to be placed on board a -British vessel as quietly as possible; and this exigent, -imperious, tyrannical, insulting British Minister has -cheerfully acceded to the request. Mr. Conway Seymour, -the Queen’s messenger, who brought Lord -Russell’s despatch, was sent back with instructions -for the British Admiral, to send a vessel to Providence -town for the purpose; and as Mr. Johnson,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_430"></a>[430]</span> -who is nearly connected with Mr. Eustis, one of the -prisoners, proposed going to Boston to see his brother-in-law, -if possible, ere he started, and as there was not -the smallest prospect of any military movement taking -place, I resolved to go northwards with him; and -we left Washington accordingly on the morning of -the 31st of December, and arrived at the New York -Hotel the same night.</p> - -<p>To my great regret and surprise, however, I learned -it would be impracticable to get to Fort Warren and -see the prisoners before their surrender. My unpopularity, -which had lost somewhat of its intensity, was -revived by the exasperation against everything English, -occasioned by the firmness of Great Britain in demanding -the Commissioners; and on New Year’s Night, as -I heard subsequently, Mr. Grinell and other members -of the New York Club were exposed to annoyance -and insult, by some of their brother members, in consequence -of inviting me to be their guest at the club.</p> - -<p>The illness which had prostrated some of the strongest -men in Washington, including General M‘Clellan -himself, developed itself as soon as I ceased to be -sustained by the excitement, such as it was, of daily -events at the capital, and by expectations of a move; -and for some time an attack of typhoid fever confined -me to my room, and left me so weak that I was advised -not to return to Washington till I had tried change of -air. I remained in New York till the end of January, -when I proceeded to make a tour in Canada, as it was -quite impossible for any operation to take place on the -Potomac, where deep mud, alternating with snow and -frost, bound the contending armies in winter quarters.</p> - -<p>On my return to New York, at the end of February,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_431"></a>[431]</span> -the North was cheered by some signal successes achieved -in the West principally by gunboats, operating on the -lines of the great rivers. The greatest results have -been obtained in the capture of Fort Donaldson and -Fort Henry, by Commodore Foote’s flotilla co-operating -with the land forces. The possession of an -absolute naval supremacy, of course, gives the North -United States powerful means of annoyance and -inflicting injury and destruction on the enemy; it -also secures for them the means of seizing upon bases -of operations wherever they please, of breaking up -the enemy’s lines, and maintaining communications; -but the example of Great Britain in the revolutionary -war should prove to the United States that -such advantages do not, by any means, enable a belligerent -to subjugate a determined people resolved on -resistance to the last. The long-threatened encounter -between Bragg and Browne has taken place at Pensacola, -without effect, and the attempts of the Federals -to advance from Port Royal have been successfully -resisted. Sporadic skirmishes have sprung up over -every border State; but, on the whole, success has -inclined to the Federals in Kentucky and Tennessee.</p> - -<p>On the 1st March, I arrived in Washington once -more, and found things very much as I had left them: -the army recovering the effect of the winter’s sickness -and losses, animated by the victories of their comrades -in Western fields, and by the hope that the ever-coming -to-morrow would see them in the field at last. In -place of Mr. Cameron, an Ohio lawyer named Stanton -has been appointed Secretary of War. He came to -Washington, a few years ago, to conduct some legal -proceedings for Mr. Daniel Sickles, and by his energy,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_432"></a>[432]</span> -activity, and a rapid conversion from democratic to -republican principles, as well as by his Union sentiments, -recommended himself to the President and his -Cabinet.</p> - -<p>The month of March passed over without any remarkable -event in the field. When the army started -at last to attack the enemy—a movement which was -precipitated by hearing that they were moving away—they -went out only to find the Confederates had fallen -back by interior lines towards Richmond, and General -M‘Clellan was obliged to transport his army from -Alexandria to the peninsula of York Town, where his -reverses, his sufferings, and his disastrous retreat, are -so well known and so recent, that I need only mention -them as among the most remarkable events which have -yet occurred in this war.</p> - -<p>I had looked forward for many weary months to -participating in the movement and describing its results. -Immediately on my arrival in Washington, I -was introduced to Mr. Stanton by Mr. Ashman, -formerly member of Congress and Secretary to Mr. -Daniel Webster, and the Secretary, without making -any positive pledge, used words, in Mr. Ashman’s -presence, which led me to believe he would give me -permission to draw rations, and undoubtedly promised -to afford me every facility in his power. Subsequently -he sent me a private pass to the War Department -to enable me to get through the crowd of contractors -and jobbers; but on going there to keep my -appointment, the Assistant-Secretary of War told me -Mr. Stanton had been summoned to a Cabinet Council -by the President.</p> - -<p>We had some conversation respecting the subject<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_433"></a>[433]</span> -matter of my application, which the Assistant-Secretary -seemed to think would be attended with many -difficulties, in consequence of the number of correspondents -to the American papers who might -demand the same privileges, and he intimated to me -that Mr. Stanton was little disposed to encourage -them in any way whatever. Now this is undoubtedly -honest on Mr. Stanton’s part, for he knows he might -render himself popular by granting what they ask; but -he is excessively vain, and aspires to be considered a -rude, rough, vigorous Oliver Cromwell sort of man, -mistaking some of the disagreeable attributes and the -accidents of the external husk of the Great Protector -for the brain and head of a statesman and a soldier.</p> - -<p>The American officers with whom I was intimate gave -me to understand that I could accompany them, in -case I received permission from the Government; but -they were obviously unwilling to encounter the abuse -and calumny which would be heaped upon their heads -by American papers, unless they could show the -authorities did not disapprove of my presence in their -camp. Several invitations sent to me were accompanied -by the phrase, “You will of course get a written permission -from the War Department, and then there will -be no difficulty.” On the evening of the private theatricals -by which Lord Lyons enlivened the ineffable -dullness of Washington, I saw Mr. Stanton at the -Legation, and he conversed with me for some time. I -mentioned the difficulty connected with passes. He -asked me what I wanted. I said, “An order to go with -the army to Manassas.” At his request I procured -a sheet of paper, and he wrote me a pass, took a copy -of it, which he put in his pocket, and then handed the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_434"></a>[434]</span> -other to me. On looking at it, I perceived that it was -a permission for me to go to Manassas and back, and -that all officers, soldiers, and others, in the United -States service, were to give me every assistance and -show me every courtesy; but the hasty return of the -army to Alexandria rendered it useless.</p> - -<p>The Merrimac and Monitor encounter produced the -profoundest impression in Washington, and unusual -strictness was observed respecting passes to Fortress -Monroe.</p> - -<p><em>March 19th.</em>—I applied at the Navy Department -for a passage down to Fortress Monroe, as it was -expected the Merrimac was coming out again, but I -could not obtain leave to go in any of the vessels. -Captain Hardman showed me a curious sketch of what -he called the Turtle Thor, an iron-cased machine with -a huge claw or grapnel, with which to secure the -enemy whilst a steam hammer or a high iron fist, -worked by the engine, cracks and smashes her iron -armour. “For,” says he, “the days of gunpowder are -over.”</p> - -<p>As soon as General M‘Clellan commenced his movement, -he sent a message to me by one of the French -princes, that he would have great pleasure in allowing -me to accompany his head-quarters in the field. I -find the following, under the head of March 22nd:—</p> - -<p>“Received a letter from General Marcy, chief of the -staff, asking me to call at his office. He told me -General M‘Clellan directed him to say he had no -objection whatever to my accompanying the army, ‘but,’ -continued General Marcy, ‘you know we are a sensitive -people, and that our press is exceedingly jealous. General -M‘Clellan has many enemies who seek to pull him<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_435"></a>[435]</span> -down, and scruple at no means of doing so. He and I -would be glad to do anything in our power to help you, -if you come with us, but we must not expose ourselves -needlessly to attack. The army is to move to the York -and James Rivers at once.’”</p> - -<p>All my arrangements were made that day with -General Van Vliet, the quartermaster-general of head-quarters. -I was quite satisfied, from Mr. Stanton’s -promise and General Marcy’s conversation, that I -should have no further difficulty. Our party was made -up, consisting of Colonel Neville; Lieutenant-Colonel -Fletcher, Scotch Fusilier Guards; Mr. Lamy, and myself; -and our passage was to be provided in the quartermaster-general’s -boat. On the 26th of March, I went -to Baltimore in company with Colonel Rowan, of the -Royal Artillery, who had come down for a few days to -visit Washington, intending to go on by the steamer to -Fortress Monroe, as he was desirous of seeing his -friends on board the Rinaldo, and I wished to describe -the great flotilla assembled there and to see Captain -Hewett once more.</p> - -<p>On arriving at Baltimore, we learned it would be -necessary to get a special pass from General Dix, and on -going to the General’s head-quarters his aide-de-camp -informed us that he had received special instructions -recently from the War Department to grant no passes to -Fortress Monroe, unless to officers and soldiers going -on duty, or to persons in the service of the United -States. The aide-de-camp advised me to telegraph to -Mr. Stanton for permission, which I did, but no -answer was received, and Colonel Rowan and I returned -to Washington, thinking there would be a better chance -of securing the necessary order there.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_436"></a>[436]</span></p> - -<p>Next day we went to the Department of War, and -were shown into Mr. Stanton’s room—his secretary informing -us that he was engaged in the next room with -the President and other Ministers in a council of war, -but that he would no doubt receive a letter from me -and send me out a reply. I accordingly addressed a -note to Mr. Stanton, requesting he would be good -enough to give an order to Colonel Rowan, of the -British army, and myself, to go by the mail boat from -Baltimore to Monroe. In a short time Mr. Stanton -sent out a note in the following words:—“Mr. Stanton -informs Mr. Russell no passes to Fortress Monroe -can be given at present, unless to officers in the United -States service.” We tried the Navy Department, but -no vessels were going down, they said; and one of the -officers suggested that we should ask for passes to go -down and visit H.M.S. Rinaldo exclusively, which could -not well be refused, he thought, to British subjects, -and promised to take charge of the letter for Mr. -Stanton and to telegraph the permission down to Baltimore. -There we returned by the afternoon train and -waited, but neither reply nor pass came for us.</p> - -<p>Next day we were disappointed also, and an officer of -the Rinaldo, who had come up on duty from the ship, -was refused permission to take us down on his return. -I regretted these obstructions principally on Colonel -Rowan’s account, because he would have no opportunity -of seeing the flotilla. He returned next day to New -York, whilst I completed my preparations for the expedition -and went back to Washington, where I received -my pass, signed by General M‘Clellan’s chief of the -staff, authorising me to accompany the head-quarters -of the army under his command. So far as I know,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_437"></a>[437]</span> -Mr. Stanton sent no reply to my last letter, and -calling with General Van Vliet at his house on his reception -night, the door was opened by his brother-in-law, -who said, “The Secretary was attending a sick child -and could not see any person that evening,” so I never -met Mr. Stanton again.</p> - -<p>Stories had long been current concerning his exceeding -animosity to General M‘Clellan, founded perhaps -on his expressed want of confidence in the General’s -abilities, as much as on the dislike he felt towards a -man who persisted in disregarding his opinions on -matters connected with military operations. His infirmities -of health and tendency to cerebral excitement -had been increased by the pressure of business, by the -novelty of power, and by the angry passions to which -individual antipathies and personal rancour give rise. -No one who ever saw Mr. Stanton would expect from -him courtesy of manner or delicacy of feeling; but his -affectation of bluntness and straightforwardness of purpose -might have led one to suppose he was honest and -direct in purpose, as the qualities I have mentioned are -not always put forward by hypocrites to cloak finesse -and sinister action.</p> - -<p>The rest of the story may be told in a few words. -It was perfectly well known in Washington that I was -going with the army, and I presume Mr. Stanton, -if he had any curiosity about such a trifling matter, -must have heard it also. I am told he was informed -of it at the last moment, and then flew out into a coarse -passion against General M‘Clellan because he had -dared to invite or to take anyone without his permission. -What did a Republican General want with -foreign princes on his staff, or with foreign newspaper -correspondents to puff him up abroad?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_438"></a>[438]</span></p> - -<p>Judging from the stealthy, secret way in which -Mr. Stanton struck at General M‘Clellan the instant -he had turned his back upon Washington, and crippled -him in the field by suddenly withdrawing his best -division without a word of notice, I am inclined to -fear he gratified whatever small passion dictated his -course on this occasion also, by waiting till he knew I -was fairly on board the steamer with my friends and -baggage, just ready to move off, before he sent down a -despatch to Van Vliet and summoned him at once to -the War Office. When Van Vliet returned in a couple -of hours, he made the communication to me that Mr. -Stanton had given him written orders to prevent my -passage, though even here he acted with all the cunning -and indirection of the village attorney, not with the -straightforwardness of Oliver Cromwell, whom it is -laughable to name in the same breath with his imitator. -He did not write, “Mr. Russell is not to go,” or “The -<cite>Times</cite> correspondent is forbidden a passage,” but he -composed two orders, with all the official formula of -the War Office, drawn up by the Quartermaster-General -of the army, by the direction and order of the -Secretary of War. No. 1 ordered “that no person -should be permitted to embark on board any vessel in -the United States service without an order from the -War Department.” No. 2 ordered “that Colonel -Neville, Colonel Fletcher, and Captain Lamy, of the -British army, having been invited by General M‘Clellan -to accompany the expedition, were authorized to embark -on board the vessel.”</p> - -<p>General Van Vliet assured me that he and General -M‘Dowell had urged every argument they could think -of in my favour, particularly the fact that I was the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_439"></a>[439]</span> -specially invited guest of General M‘Clellan, and that -I was actually provided with a pass by his order from -the chief of his staff.</p> - -<p>With these orders before me, I had no alternative.</p> - -<p>General M‘Clellan was far away. Mr. Stanton had -waited again until he was gone. General Marcy was -away. I laid the statement of what had occurred -before the President, who at first gave me hopes, from -the wording of his letter, that he would overrule Mr. -Stanton’s order, but who next day informed me he -could not take it upon himself to do so.</p> - -<p>It was plain I had now but one course left. My -mission in the United States was to describe military -events and operations, or, in defect of them, to deal -with such subjects as might be interesting to people at -home. In the discharge of my duty, I had visited -the South, remaining there until the approach of actual -operations and the establishment of the blockade, -which cut off all communication from the Southern -States except by routes which would deprive my correspondence -of any value, compelled me to return to the -North, where I could keep up regular communication -with Europe. Soon after my return, as unfortunately -for myself as the United States, the Federal troops -were repulsed in an attempt to march upon Richmond, -and terminated a disorderly retreat by a disgraceful -panic. The whole incidents of what I saw were -fairly stated by an impartial witness, who, if anything, -was inclined to favour a nation endeavouring to suppress -a rebellion, and who was by no means impressed, -as the results of his recent tour, with the admiration -and respect for the people of the Confederate States -which their enormous sacrifices, extraordinary gallantry,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_440"></a>[440]</span> -and <ins class="corr" id="tn-440" title="Transcriber’s Note—Original text: 'almost unparelleled'"> -almost unparalleled</ins> devotion, have long since extorted -from him in common with all the world. The -letter in which that account was given came back -to America after the first bitterness and humiliation -of defeat had passed away, and disappointment and -alarm had been succeeded by such a formidable outburst -of popular resolve, that the North forgot everything -in the instant anticipations of a glorious and -triumphant revenge.</p> - -<p>Every feeling of the American was hurt—above all, his -vanity and his pride, by the manner in which the -account of the reverse had been received in Europe; -and men whom I scorned too deeply to reply to, dexterously -took occasion to direct on my head the full -storm of popular indignation. Not, indeed, that I had -escaped before. Ere a line from my pen reached -America at all—ere my first letter had crossed the -Atlantic to England—the jealousy and hatred felt for -all things British—for press or principle, or representative -of either—had found expression in Northern -journals; but that I was prepared for. I knew well no -foreigner had ever penned a line—least of all, no Englishman—concerning -the United States of North -America, their people, manners, and institutions, who -had not been treated to the abuse which is supposed by -their journalists to mean criticism, no matter what the -justness or moderation of the views expressed, the -sincerity of purpose, and the truthfulness of the writer. -In the South, the press threatened me with tar and -feathers, because I did not see the beauties of their -domestic institution, and wrote of it in my letters to -England exactly as I spoke of it to every one who conversed -with me on the subject when I was amongst<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_441"></a>[441]</span> -them; and now the Northern papers recommended -expulsion, ducking, riding rails, and other cognate -modes of insuring a moral conviction of error; endeavoured -to intimidate me by threats of duels or personal -castigations; gratified their malignity by ludicrous -stories of imaginary affronts or annoyances to which I -never was exposed; and sought to prevent the authorities -extending any protection towards me, and to -intimidate officers from showing me any civilities.</p> - -<p>In pursuance of my firm resolution I allowed the -slanders and misrepresentations which poured from -their facile sources for months to pass by unheeded, and -trusted to the calmer sense of the people, and to the -discrimination of those who thought over the sentiments -expressed in my letters, to do me justice.</p> - -<p>I need not enlarge on the dangers to which I was -exposed. Those who are acquainted with America, and -know the life of the great cities, will best appreciate the -position of a man who went forth daily in the camps -and streets holding his life in his hand. This expression -of egotism is all I shall ask indulgence for. Nothing -could have induced me to abandon my post or to recoil -before my assailants; but at last a power I could not -resist struck me down. When to the press and populace -of the United States, the President and the Government -of Washington added their power, resistance -would be unwise and impracticable. In no camp -could I have been received—in no place useful. I went -to America to witness and describe the operations of -the great army before Washington in the field, and -when I was forbidden by the proper authorities to do -so, my mission terminated at once.</p> - -<p>On the evening of April 4th, as soon as I was in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_442"></a>[442]</span> -receipt of the President’s last communication, I -telegraphed to New York to engage a passage by -the steamer which left on the following Wednesday. -Next day was devoted to packing up and to taking -leave of my friends—English and American—whose -kindnesses I shall remember in my heart of hearts, -and the following Monday I left Washington, of -which, after all, I shall retain many pleasant memories -and keep souvenirs green for ever. I arrived in New -York late on Tuesday evening, and next day I saw -the shores receding into a dim grey fog, and ere the -night fell was tossing about once more on the stormy -Atlantic, with the head of our good ship pointing, -thank Heaven, towards Europe.</p> - - -<p class="p4 pfs80">THE END.</p> - - -<p class="p4 pfs60">BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.</p> - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<div class="footnotes"><h2 class="nobreak">FOOTNOTES:</h2> - - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> Since died of wounds received in action.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> It may be stated here, that this expedition met with a disastrous -result. If I mistake not, the officer, and with him the correspondent of a -paper who accompanied him, were killed by the cavalry whom he meant to -surprise, and several of the volunteers were also killed or wounded.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> Since killed in action.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> I have since met the person referred to, an Englishman living in -Washington, and well known at the Legation and elsewhere. Mr. -Dawson came to tell me that he had seen a letter in an American -journal, which was copied extensively all over the Union, in which the -writer stated he accompanied me on my return to Fairfax Court-house, -and that the incident I related in my account of Bull Run did not -occur, but that he was the individual referred to, and could swear -with his assistant that every word I wrote was true. I did not need -any such corroboration for the satisfaction of any who know me; and -I was quite well aware that if one came from the dead to bear testimony -in my favour before the American journals and public, the evidence -would not countervail the slander of any characterless scribe who -sought to gain a moment’s notoriety by a flat contradiction of my -narrative. I may add, that Dawson begged of me not to bring him -before the public, “because I am now sutler to the ——th, over in -Virginia, and they would dismiss me.” “What! For certifying to -the truth?” “You know, sir, it might do me harm.” Whilst on -this subject, let me remark that some time afterwards I was in Mr. -Brady’s photographic studio in Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, when -the very intelligent and obliging manager introduced himself to me, -and said that he wished to have an opportunity of repeating to me -personally what he had frequently told persons in the place, that he -could bear the fullest testimony to the complete accuracy of my account -of the panic from Centreville down the road at the time I left, and that -he and his assistants, who were on the spot trying to get away their -photographic van and apparatus, could certify that my description fell -far short of the disgraceful spectacle and of the excesses of the flight.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> P. 200, Spencer’s American edition, New York, 1858.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> Since killed in action.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> Since killed in action fighting for the South at Antietam.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> Since shot dead by the Federal General Jeff. C. Davis in a quarrel -at Nashville.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> Since killed in action in Pope’s retreat from the north of Richmond.</p> - -</div> -</div> - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="fulla" /> - -<p class="pfs120 bold">NEW WORKS LATELY PUBLISHED OR IN THE PRESS.</p> -<hr class="r10" /> - - -<p class="pfs90 wsp bold">UNDER HER MAJESTY’S ESPECIAL PATRONAGE.</p> - -<p class="pfs60"><em>In One Vol., large 4to, printed in the highest style of art, and embellished with Photographs, -Coloured Borders, numerous Wood Engravings, &c., &c.</em></p> - -<p class="pfs180">THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY -IN 1862.</p> - -<p class="right fs60">[<em>In the Press.</em></p> - - -<hr class="r30" /> -<p class="pfs90 wsp bold">MR. THACKERAY.</p> - -<p class="pfs60"><em>In One Vol., crown 8vo, price 7s., a New Edition, uniform with “Vanity Fair,” &c.</em>,</p> - -<p class="pfs180">THE VIRGINIANS.</p> - -<p class="pfs100 smcap">By W. M. THACKERAY.</p> - -<p class="pfs60">Author of “Vanity Fair,” “Pendennis,” “The Newcomes,” “Esmond,” &c.</p> - - -<hr class="r30" /> -<p class="pfs90 wsp bold">LANDSCAPE GARDENING.</p> - -<p class="pfs60">ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS PLANS, SECTIONS, AND SKETCHES OF GARDENS, &C.</p> - -<p class="pfs60"><em>In One Vol., demy 8vo, a New Edition, much enlarged and improved, of</em></p> - -<p class="pfs180">HOW TO LAY OUT A GARDEN.</p> - -<p class="pfs100 smcap">By EDWARD KEMP, of Birkenhead.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">INTENDED AS A GUIDE IN CHOOSING, FORMING, OR IMPROVING AN ESTATE.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">(From a Quarter of an Acre to a Hundred Acres in Extent.)</p> - -<p class="right fs60">[<em>In the Press.</em></p> - - -<hr class="r30" /> -<p class="pfs90 wsp bold">RUSSIA IN THE TIME OF PETER THE GREAT.</p> - -<p class="pfs60"><em>In Two Vols., post 8vo., price 21s.</em>,</p> - -<p class="pfs150">THE DIARY OF AN<br /> -AUSTRIAN SECRETARY OF LEGATION</p> - -<p class="pfs80">AT THE COURT OF MOSCOW IN THE REIGN OF CZAR PETER THE GREAT.</p> - -<p class="pfs60">TOGETHER WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE DANGEROUS REBELLION OF THE STRELITZ, ETC.</p> - -<p class="pfs100 smcap">Translated by COUNT MACDONNEL.</p> - -<p class="right fs60">[<em>In the Press.</em></p> - - -<hr class="r30" /> -<p class="pfs90">BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET, E.C.</p> - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<div class="p4 transnote"> -<a id="TN"></a> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been -corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within -the text and consultation of external sources.</p> - -<p>Many words with hyphens, or without them, have been silently -adjusted to be more consistent. For example, instances of -‘head quarters’ have been made ‘head-quarters’; ‘bedroom’ has been -changed to ‘bed-room’; ‘fire-arms’ has been changed to ‘firearms’.</p> - -<p>For consistency, instances of A.M. or P.M. have been made lower -case a.m. or p.m.</p> - -<p> -Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, -and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.<br /> -<br /> -<a href="#tn-v">Pg v</a>: ‘“Tory”’ replaced by ‘“Troy”’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-vi">Pg vi</a>: ‘Battle seenes’ replaced by ‘Battle scenes’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-vii">Pg vii</a>: ‘camp—Generall’ replaced by ‘camp—General’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-18">Pg 18</a>: ‘volunteeers. He served’ replaced by ‘volunteers. He served’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-39">Pg 39</a>: ‘or be garotted’ replaced by ‘or be garroted’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-40">Pg 40</a>: ‘developes itself’ replaced by ‘develops itself’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-47">Pg 47</a>: ‘the but over’ replaced by ‘the butt over’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-48">Pg 48</a>: ‘grimace, he exclamed’ replaced by ‘grimace, he exclaimed’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-53">Pg 53</a>: ‘on a drisly day’ replaced by ‘on a drizzly day’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-65">Pg 65</a>: ‘defective educacation’ replaced by ‘defective education’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-70">Pg 70</a>: ‘West-point men’ replaced by ‘West Point men’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-71">Pg 71</a>: ‘to the field picee’ replaced by ‘to the field piece’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-79">Pg 79</a>: ‘Illonois railroad’ replaced by ‘Illinois railroad’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-85">Pg 85</a>: ‘apropos’ replaced by ‘à propos’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-89">Pg 89</a>: ‘the crusiers of either’ replaced by ‘the cruisers of either’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-104">Pg 104</a>: ‘ornamental mocassins’ replaced by ‘ornamental moccasins’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-104a">Pg 104</a>: ‘command of McDowell’ replaced by ‘command of M‘Dowell’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-105">Pg 105</a>: ‘indefinite strengh’ replaced by ‘indefinite strength’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-119">Pg 119</a>: ‘drove up Pennyslvania’ replaced by ‘drove up Pennsylvania’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-120">Pg 120</a>: ‘developes its power’ replaced by ‘develops its power’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-129">Pg 129</a>: ‘the whileom editor’ replaced by ‘the whilom editor’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-141">Pg 141</a>: ‘that n the South’ replaced by ‘that in the South’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-169">Pg 169</a>: ‘vivacions prying’ replaced by ‘vivacious prying’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-177">Pg 177</a>: ‘white gaiter—mdae’ replaced by ‘white gaiter—made’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-186">Pg 186</a>: ‘started at 4·15’ replaced by ‘started at 4.15’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-190">Pg 190</a>: ‘with turburlent and’ replaced by ‘with turbulent and’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-199">Pg 199</a>: ‘stray aide-de-camps’ replaced by ‘stray aides-de-camp’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-200">Pg 200</a>: ‘spiled with blood’ replaced by ‘spoiled with blood’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-210">Pg 210</a>: ‘in eference to’ replaced by ‘in reference to’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-220">Pg 220</a>: ‘to develope loyal’ replaced by ‘to develop loyal’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-222">Pg 222</a>: ‘commssiariat carts’ replaced by ‘commissariat carts’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-225">Pg 225</a>: ‘Notwitstanding all’ replaced by ‘Notwithstanding all’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-228">Pg 228</a>: ‘from he men and’ replaced by ‘from the men and’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-231">Pg 231</a>: ‘the throng inrceased’ replaced by ‘the throng increased’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-235">Pg 235</a>: ‘down theere with’ replaced by ‘down there with’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-241">Pg 241</a>: ‘whiskey and and tallow’ replaced by ‘whiskey and tallow’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-250">Pg 250</a>: ‘General Patteson’ replaced by ‘General Patterson’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-253">Pg 253</a>: ‘andot hers who’ replaced by ‘and others who’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-258">Pg 258</a>: ‘hanging a Secesssionist’ replaced by ‘hanging a Secessionist’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-267">Pg 267</a>: ‘House—Drunkeness’ replaced by ‘House—Drunkenness’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-277">Pg 277</a>: ‘developes itself in’ replaced by ‘develops itself in’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-283">Pg 283</a>: ‘be seat off’ replaced by ‘be sent off’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-283a">Pg 283</a>: ‘time to develope’ replaced by ‘time to develop’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-294">Pg 294</a>: ‘This day month’ replaced by ‘This day a month ago’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-306">Pg 306</a>: ‘has been meeted to’ replaced by ‘has been meted to’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-321">Pg 321</a>: ‘Captain Foote, U.N.S.’ replaced by ‘Captain Foote, U.S.N.’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-377">Pg 377</a>: ‘and resmbles its’ replaced by ‘and resembles its’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-382">Pg 382</a>: ‘utterly villanous’ replaced by ‘utterly villainous’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-391">Pg 391</a>: ‘egregrious share’ replaced by ‘egregious share’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-401">Pg 401</a>: ‘with grizly bears’ replaced by ‘with grizzly bears’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-404">Pg 404</a>: ‘his own responsibilty’ replaced by ‘his own responsibility’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-415">Pg 415</a>: ‘plaee in honour’ replaced by ‘place in honour’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-421">Pg 421</a>: ‘villanous deserter’ replaced by ‘villainous deserter’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-421a">Pg 421</a>: ‘cotillon party’ replaced by ‘cotillion party’.<br /> -<a href="#tn-440">Pg 440</a>: ‘almost unparelleled’ replaced by ‘almost unparalleled’.<br /> -</p> -</div> - - -<div style='display:block; 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