DISLOYAL GOVERNORS.

179

Lincoln, in his proclamation, issued on the 15th inst." He reviewed, at length, the relation of the two sections, from the origin of the Government to the present time, as they related to the system of slavery, and recounted the history of his efforts with the Buchanan Administration, to secure peaceable secession. He advised the acceptance of the offer of privateersmen, and the instant organization of an army of 100,000 men.

The recommendation of the President met the approval of Congress, and the 100,000 men were authorized to be raised, and bonds and treasury notes of the Confederacy, issued to the amount of $70,000,000. The rebel Congress having made the necessary provision for the establishment of the new Government, and for the prosecution of the war, adjourned, on the 22d day of May, to meet in Richmond, Va., on July 20th, which was fixed upon as the permanent seat of Government.

The insurgents were greatly encouraged by the refusal of several of the Governors of the Border States, to respond to President Lincoln's call for troops.

The Governors of several of the States, insultingly refused to furnish their quotas of troops upon the requisition of the President. Gov. Magoffin, of Kentucky, replied thus: "Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister southern States. Gov. Letcher, of Virginia, replied, "The militia of Virginia will not be furnished to the powers at Washington, to subjugate the South." Gov. Ellis, of North Carolina, that "he could not respond to the call for troops, as he doubts the legality of the call." Gov. Harris, of Tennessee, that "Tennessee will not furnish a single man for coercion, but 50,000, if necessary, for the defense of our rights, or those of our southern brothers." Gov. Jackson, of Missouri, that "the requisition is illegal, unconstitutional, revolutionary, diabolical, and cannot be complied with."

The secession of Virginia, which occurred on the 17th of

180

DESTRUCTION OF HARPER'S FERRY.

April, was immediately followed by an attempt to seize the Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. This, however, was defeated by the prompt action of Lieut. Jones, then in command; who burned the Arsenal buildings and destroyed the arms stored there. He then retreated with his small force to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The following is his official report:

"Immediately after finishing my dispatch of the night of the 18th inst., I received positive and reliable information that 2,500 or 3,000 State troops would reach Harper's Ferry in two hours from Winchester, and that the troops from Halltown, increased to 300, were advancing, and even at that time

a few minutes after ten o'clock-within twenty minutes' march of the Ferry. Under these circumstances, I decided the time had arrived to carry out my determination, as expressed in the dispatch above referred to, and accordingly gave the order to apply the torch. In three minutes, or less, both of the Arsenal buildings, containing nearly 15,000 stands of arms, together with the carpenter's shop, which was at the upper end of a long and connected series of workshops of the Armory proper, were in a blaze. There is every reason for believing the destruction was complete.

"After firing the buildings, I withdrew my command, marching all night, and arrived here at 2 1-2 P. M. yesterday, where I shall await orders."

The day after this, the 19th of April, an event occurred which intensified the popular excitement, and largely increased the number of enlistments. This was the attack on the Massachusetts troops, as they were passing through Baltimore, on their way to Washington. For several days previous to this outrage, the Baltimore secessionists had been greatly excited by the transit of troops through. the city, and on the entrance of the Massachusetts men, this excitement reached such a height, that it was impossible to control it. The 6th Massachusetts, consisting of about 700 men, on reaching the

depot, were immediately transferred to the horse cars, to be carried through the city. They occupied eleven of these, and though assailed by brick-bats and stones, which broke all the windows, and wounded several men, the first nine cars passed through, and reached the depot on the south side of the city, where the troops entered the cars and proceeded to Washington. The remaining two, however, were stopped by obstructions placed on the tracks, and the men in them, numbering only about one hundred, finding it impossible to advance in that way, left the cars and proceeded on foot. In the words of an eye witness, they formed in a solid square, advancing with fixed bayonets, upon all sides, in double-quick time, all the while surrounded by the mob, now swelled to the number of at least 10,000, yelling and hooting. The military behaved admirably, and still abstained from firing upon their assailants. The mob now began throwing a perfect shower of missiles, occasionally varied by a random shot from a revolver or one of the muskets taken from the soldiers. The poor fellows suffered severely from the immense quantity of stones, oysters, brick-bats, paving-stones, etc., the shots fired also wounding several. When two of the soldiers had been killed, and the wounded had been conveyed to the centre of the column, the troops at last, exasperated and maddened by the treatment they had received, commenced returning the fire singly, killing several, and wounding a large number of the rioters; but at no one time did a single platoon fire in a volley. The volunteers, after a protracted and severe struggle, at last succeeded in reaching the station, and immediately embarked.

The following is a more particular account of the severest portion of the conflict, in which the troops were almost swallowed up in the vast mob which pressed upon them.

"From Gay to South street, on Pratt, the fight with the soldiers who marched, or rather ran, through the town, was

terrific. Large paving-stones were hurled into the ranks from every direction, the negroes who were about the wharf in many instances joining in the assault. At Gay street, the soldiers fired a number of shots, though without hitting any one, so far as could be ascertained. After firing this volley, the soldiers again broke into a run, but another shower of stones being hurled into the ranks at Commerce street, with such force as to knock several of them down, the order was given to another portion of them to halt and fire, which they did, firing some twenty shots into the crowd. Here four citizens fell, two of whom died in a few moments and the other two were carried off, supposed to be mortally wounded. As soon as they had fired at this point, they again wheeled and started off in a full run, when some three or four parties issued from the warehouses there and fired into them, which brought down three more soldiers, one of whom was carried into a store and died in a few moments. The others succeeded in regaining their feet, and proceeded on with their comrades, the whole running as fast as they could, and a running fire was kept up by the soldiers from this point to the depot, the crowd continuing to hurl stones into the ranks throughout the whole line of march.

"In the meanwhile, the Pennsylvanians remained in the cars at Baltimore depót, awaiting transportation through the city. This soon became impossible, in consequence of the excitement, and the placing of other obstructions on the road. "General Small then made every effort to have the troops sent back out of the city beyond the reach of danger, as his men were entirely unarmed. The confusion which prevailed, prevented as prompt action as was necessary, and before the cars could be removed, they were assailed by the mob, returning from the conflict with the Massachusetts troops. The windows of the cars were broken by missiles thrown in, and a number of the men injured.