James Ford Rhodes - The History of the Civil War (Complete Edition)

Apart from the newspapers there seems to have been little boasting in the South. The men in authority did not for a moment believe that the North would give up the contest. On the contrary they felt that a long and hard struggle was before them.

For a while bitter discouragement prevailed at the North; and the blow was the harder to bear, inasmuch as England, from whom sympathy was ardently desired, now regarded the dissolution of the Union as an accomplished fact. Friends of the South saw in this victory a promise of her eventual triumph and to help forward her cause, endeavored to cloud the issue. "It is surprising," wrote Charles Francis Adams, our minister to Great Britain, in a private letter from London, "to see the efforts made here to create the belief that our struggle has nothing to do with slavery, but that it is all about a tariff.… I cannot conceal from myself the fact that as a whole the English are pleased with our misfortunes." 102

Fifty-two years after the struggle, this feeling may be accounted for by the remark of Rochefoucauld, "The misfortunes of our best friends are not entirely displeasing to us"; but such an attitude during the war on the part of the kin across the sea was felt bitterly by men who were risking life and fortune in what they deemed a sacred cause. 103

1Nov. 6. For a characterization of Lincoln, see II, 308; Lect., 46.

2See map.

3I, II.

4On the Amer. Civil War, 1913.

5III, 115.

6Jowett, III, 82.

7Dec. 20, 1860.

8III, 114-125, 192-206; Lect., 65 et seq.

9I, 39 et ante.

10I, Chap. II.

11I class as cotton States, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas.

12See I and II.

13A real slave State was impossible. Twenty-two slaves in the territory was the result of seven years'work. III, 176, 268 n., 313. In New Mexico there was a belt 30 miles wide with additional width at the eastern end which was north of 36° 30'.

14III, 150-179, 253-265; Lect., 68 et seq. For a Senate vote Jan. 16, 1861, III, 266. For vote of the House Feb. 27, 1861, and of the Senate March 2 on the Crittenden Compromise, III, 313.

15Texas was not at first represented. III, 291, n. 4.

16I, 389.

17III, 291-296, 320-325; Lect., 77 et seq. The first session of this Provisional Congress ended March 16.

18Lincoln, C. W. I., 660.

19III, 318.

20III, 280, 285 n., 321.

21II, 450.

22III, 216.

23Bancroft, II, 134, 136, 157.

24It was not disclosed until Nicolay and Hay printed it in their History in the Century Magazine, February, 1888.

25III, 326, 327.

26The full strength of the regular army was 17,000 men, N. & H., IV, 65.

27III, 341.

28 I bid.

29III, 344; the authorities cited in n. 3; J. Hay. Oct. 22, 1861, I, 47; private letters from Horace White, June 11, 1908-March 7, 1909. See Life of Trumbull, Horace White, 158.

30N. & H., IV, 44.

31 I bid ., 33.

32III, 348.

33O. R., I, 14, 301. In both despatches are provisos unnecessary for this narrative.

34O. R., I, 60.

35O. R., I, 31, 306, 307.

36Chesnut 33, 39. "The steamer Nashville from New York [merchant steamer] and a number of merchant vessels reached the bar and awaited the result of the bombardment, giving indications to those inside of a large naval fleet off the harbor." G. V. Fox, O. R. N., IV, 249; Chadwick, 333.

37 Harriet Lane , revenue steamer.

38 Pawnee.

39The Powhatan had been detached and never arrived at Charleston. The Pocahontas arrived at 2 P.M., April 13.

40Crawford, 427.

41O. R., I, 35, 44, 46, 54.

42Crawford, 427.

43O. R., I, 40.

44O. R., I, 19, 21.

45O. R., I, 31.

46O. R., I, 41.

47O. R., I, 12.

48O. R. N., IV, 252, 262.

49III, 351 n. 3.

50Watson, 98; see Russell, 204.

51M. H. S., XLIII, 687.

52III, 357.

53O. R., II, LI, Pt. I, III, I; N. & H., IV; Globe, July 18, 1861; Hanson; III; Pearson.

54The Baltimore riot occurred on Friday, April 19.

55II, 364 et seq.

56J. Hay, I, 14 et seq.

57III, 368; J. Hay, I, 23. He added, "Seward's messengers sent out by the dozen do not return." An Ass't. Adj. Gen. telegraphed from Washington, "Washington will fall from starvation alone within ten days." O. R., LI, Pt. I, 367.

58III, 372 et seq . The alarm in regard to Washington was natural but not well founded, I bid., 374 et seq .

59III, 389; N. & H., IV, 172.

60O. R., LI, Pt. II, 11.

61On May 23 a majority of 96,750 was given for its ratification; the 32,134 votes cast against it came mostly from the western counties. III, 387.

62O. R., LI, Pt. II, 18.

63All based on ratification by the popular vote. O. R., IV, I, 242 et seq .; III, 379.

64III, 396; O. R., IV, I, 255.

65O. R., III, I, 72.

66O. R., LI, Pt. II, 831.

67III, 383.

68O. R., III, I, 81.

69III, 384.

70O. R., III, I, 70.

71III, 391; N. & H., IV, 240.

72O. R., III, I, 83.

73III, 393.

74III, 397; Lect., 95.

75Russell, 106, 251, 315, 329; III, 407 n., 433 n.; Lect., 157 et seq.

76Russell, 117; Chesnut, 53; III, 386.

77Nicolay, 153. Nicolay was Lincoln's first private secretary; see Mark Twain, I, 160.

78III, 359 n.

79Morse, I, 252.

80J. D. Cox, B. & L., I, 90.

81O. R., III, I.

82O. R., LI, Pt. I, 333.

83J. D. Cox, B. & L., I, 97.

84J. Hay, I, 13.

8542,034 volunteers for three years; 22,714 for the regular army; 18,000 seamen for the navy. O. R., III, I, 145.

86On April 27 the President had extended the blockade to Virginia and North Carolina. O. R., III, I, 122.

87O. R., LI, Pt. I, IV, I; Chesnut; N. & H.; IV.

88Ollivier, XV; de la Gorce, VI; Walpole, II; Ency. Brit. article Leboeuf; La Rousse, ibid .; von Sybel; Bismarck.

89Jowett, II, 39. Danger of war is meant.

90Chesnut; III, 299.

91May 7, J. Hay, I, 31.

92III, 360 n. 2.

93Russell; III.

94O. R., III, I, 182, 244.

95Russell, July 13, 403, 404. The italics are mine.

96Thucydides. Jowett, IV, 125.

97As far as Cub-run. Had the pursuit continued, McDowell's reserve stationed near Blackburn's ford and Centreville would have protected the rear of the fleeing troops.

98N. & H., IV, 353.

99 Ibid ., 355.

100W. Sherman, I, 189.

101Ropes, I, 154. The casualties were, Union 2984, Confederate 1981, T. L. Livermore, 77.

102Aug. 30, Forbes, I, 234.

103Authorities on Bull Run, III, 437, 443-457; O. R., II; N. & H., IV; W. Sherman, I; Johnston; J. Davis, I; Ropes, I; R. M. Johnston; C. W., Pt. 2; Swinton; Chesnut; B. & L., I; Globe; Hosmer's Appeal; Seward, II; Early; characterizations of Johnston and Jackson, III, 458, 462.

Table of Contents

ON the day after the battle of Bull Run, Congress met at the usual hour and transacted the usual amount of business. Outwardly at least the members were calm. The House, with only four dissenting votes, adopted a resolution of Crittenden's, introduced two days previously, which gave expression to the common sentiment of the country regarding the object of the war. This resolution declared that the war was not waged for conquest or subjugation or in order to overthrow or interfere with the rights or established institutions of the Southern States, but to maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and to preserve the Union: three days later it passed the Senate by a vote of 30:5. 1

Congress had convened July 4, and, in response to the President's request for means to make the war "short and decisive," had authorized him to accept the services of 500,000 volunteers for three years unless sooner discharged, and had empowered the Secretary of the Treasury "to borrow on the credit of the United States" two hundred and fifty million dollars. Although failing to use its power of taxation as effectively as the occasion required, Congress nevertheless did something in that direction, increasing some of the tariff duties, imposing a direct tax of twenty millions on the States and territories and an income tax of three per cent subject to an exemption of eight hundred dollars.