May 1, 1861 (Wednesday)

                                     May Day, 1861

A dairy entry from Villiage Life in America shares scenes of soldiers being recruited -- From Daily Observations from the Civil War. "...it will not seem so grand if we hear they are dead on the battlefield, far from home...."

"...A lot of us girls went down to the train and took flowers to the soldiers as they were passing through and they cut buttons from their coats and gave to us as souvenirs...It seems very patriotic and grand when they are singing, 'It is sweet, Oh, 'tis sweet, for one's country to die,' and we hear the martial music and see the flags flying and see the recruiting tents on the square and meet men in uniform at every turn and see train loads of the boys in blue going to the front, but it will not seem so grand if we hear they are dead on the battlefield, far from home...." 

Reminds me of this poem:  Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilford Owen -- one of the great war poets of the 20th century.

An article by Disunion--New York Times, April 30, 2011 -- What Were the Women Doing?  A narrative of black women in the mid-1800's and their role of activism leading up to the Civil War.  Very informative....

"Troops are hourly arriving here..." from The American Civil War, May 1, 2011.   Private James W. Vanderhoef writes to his sister to describe the trip to Washington, DC from New York City.

And finally, from the Civil War Daily Gazette, "Troops to Washington, Virginia Prepares for War and North Carolina Gets Ready to Leave the Union." 

April 30, 1861 (Tuesday)

"I experienced for the first time
the feeling of coming in contact with
bullets, bayonets, and sabres of our enemies.
I hope I may see you again...."
--Letters from Elisha Paxton,
Officer in the Confederate Army

Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton:  Officer in the Confederate Army -- Harper's Ferry, Daily Observations from the Civil War, April 30, 1861.

"Nothing could be half so interesting as a line from dear wife and little ones at home. Be cheerful and act upon the motive which made me leave you to risk my life in relieving my State from the peril which menaces her. I hope I may see you again, but if never, my last wish is that you will make our little boys honest, truthful, and useful men. Last Thursday night, I experienced for the first time the feeling of coming in contact with the bullets, bayonets, and sabres of our enemies...Now I know what the feeling is, and know I shall enter the struggle, when it comes, without fear.
My health was never better. I have spent two nights on duty in the open air without suffering, and feel assured now that my health will not suffer by such exposure.  Kiss the little ones for me and never let them forget “papa gone,” perhaps forever. Accept for yourself every wish which a fond husband could bestow upon a devoted wife."


 A new Secession Map is displayed at The Long Recall, The American Interest, as of April 30th.  Click on the link to view the map...

The narrative for the day by Civil War Daily Gazette:  Col. Jackson Arrives at Harpers Ferry -- Dumps Whiskey -- Federal Building Full of Troops.


The narrative of Pastor Witherspoon, a Southern minister from Mississippi, who joined the Confederate army and became a chaplain.   "Pastor Witherspoon Goes to War," by Ronald S. Coddington, Disunion--New York Times, April 29, 2011. 

"Pastor Dwight Witherspoon burned with passion for God and country as he preached his farewell sermon to a flock of the faithful on April 30, 1861. The 25-year-old clergyman spoke on a Bible chapter and verse appropriate to the occasion: Psalm 20:7, 'Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.' Fittingly, after the sermon he left the church and joined a company of North Mississippi farm boys and students preparing to go to war."  (Click on the link above for all the details.)

And finally, Hidden Patterns of the Civil War:  Digital Scholarship Lab, University of Richmond.  Includes Mining the Richmond Daily Dispatch, Mapping Richmond's Slave Market, Visualizing Emancipation, Mapping Marriage and Migration in Emancipation-era Virginia, Text Mapping, Voting in American --1860, and Scale and Freedom in the American South.

April 29, 1861 (Monday)

"...all we ask is to be let alone."
                                              -- Jefferson Davis

The narrative for the day -- Civil War Daily Gazette, Davis -- 'All we Ask Is To Be Let Alone' -- Maryland in, but Not of the Union, Confederates Try to Secure Western Virginia.

"...We feel that our cause is just and holy; we protest solemnly in the face of mankind that we desire peace at any sacrifice save that of honor and independence; we seek no conquest, no aggrandizement, no concession of any kind from the States with which we were lately confederated; all we ask is to be let alone; that those who never held power over us shall not now attempt our subjugation by arms. This we will, this we must, resist to the direst extremity. The moment that this pretension is abandoned the sword will drop from our grasp, and we shall be ready to enter into treaties of amity and commerce that cannot but be mutually beneficial. So long as this pretension is maintained, with a firm reliance on that Divine Power which covers with its protection the just cause, we will continue to struggle for our inherent right to freedom, independence, and self-government."      
                                                                   --President Jefferson Davis

New computer-assisted tools and techniques evaluate patterns of language and emphasis, especially in the debates that took place in Virginia.  Some say "States Rights" was the reason for the Civil War and others claim it was "Slavery."  This article takes a look at the causes of the Civil War through a new lenses.   "The Causes of the Civil War, 2.0" by Edward L. Ayers, Disunion--New York Times, April 28, 2011.

Diary of a Rebel War Clerk-- Daily Observations from the Civil War, April 29, 1861:

"At fifty-one, I can hardly follow the pursuit of arms; but I will write and preserve a DIARY of the revolution. I never held or sought office in my life; but now President Tyler and Gov. Wise say I will find employment at Montgomery. The latter will prepare a letter to President Davis, and the former says he will draw up a paper in my behalf, and take it through the Convention himself for signatures. I shall be sufficiently credentialed, at all events — provided old partisan considerations are banished from the new confederacy. To make my DIARY full and complete as possible, is now my business. And,

“When the hurly-burly’s done,

When the battle’s lost and won,”

if the South wins it, I shall be content to retire to my farm, provided it falls on the Southern side of the line, and enjoy sweet repose “under my own vine and fig-tree.”

April 28, 1861 (Sunday)

New Birth in Springtime...
Babes suckling.

The narrative of the day -- Civil War Daily Gazette:  Missouri Unofficially Raising an Official Army, The Posh Life of the Seventh Regiment

"On this Sunday morning in Washington, the Seventh New York held church services in their quarters, the Chamber of the House of Representatives.  The pulpit was the Speaker's desk."


An article about Dorothea Dix...In April of 1861 she traveled to Washington from Trenton to meet President Lincoln.  She volunteered to organize a corps of women nurses.  She was the organizing force behind the enormous wartime nursing effort.  Here is her story...anecdotes include Clara Barton and Louise May Alcott, author of Little Women.  "Ms. Dix Comes to Washington," by Judith Giesberg, Disunion--New York Times, April 27, 2011.


A Diary from Dixie -- Mary Chesnut:  Daily Observations from the Civil War

"...The New York Herald says, 'Slavery must be extinguished, if in blood.' It thinks we are shaking in our shoes at their great mass meetings. We are jolly as larks, all the same.
Mr. Chesnut has gone with Wade Hampton¹ to see President Davis about the legion Wade wants to get up. The President came across the aisle to speak to me at church to-day. He was very cordial, and I appreciated the honor...."

**********

Baptists and the American Civil War:

Monday, April 22, 1861:  Diary of Mary Bristow, an active member of the Sardis Baptist Church in Union, Kentucky

Tuesday, April 23, 1861:  Conversation Rev. Richard Fuller, Baptist pastor in Baltimore, had with President Lincoln -- Fuller was pro-slavery.

Saturday, April 28, 1861:  The Annual Georgia Baptist Convention issues a report on the present political crisis.

**********

From the Pulpit:  The Long Recall, The American Interest

• Rev. E. E. Adams preached a sermon on Government and Rebellion today at Philadelphia’s Broad Street Church.
• William R. Alger preached a sermon in Boston today discussing the religious implications of the current war.
• “The Love of Country” was the topic of a sermon preached today at Philadelphia’s Presbyterian Church.
• At the West Church in Boston today, a sermon was preached discussing “The Duty of Our Time.”
• At the First Presbyterian Church in Dubuque, Iowa, Rev. A. A. E. Taylor preached a sermon titled “Israel Against Benjamin,” discussing our current national troubles.
• Charles Wadsworth preached a sermon today discussing patriotism in America.

April 27, 1861 (Saturday)

Spring bursting forth....

The narrative of the day -- Civil War Daily Gazette:  Lincoln Suspends Writ of Habeas Corpus, Jackson to the Valley


From A Diary of American Events, April 27, 1861 -- some notable entries:

"Our people must rest quiet upon the fact that the military preparations for our defence are under the direction of shrewd, skilful, indefatigable, experienced and patriotic officers.  Our commanding general, Robert E. Lee, has long been the pride of the service, and he is supported by subordinates of acknowledged capacity and large experience...out military boards keep their own counsels, as it is obviously proper they should do so."  --Virginia Sentinel

"Five men arrested at Navy-yard at Washington...filling bomb-shells with sand and sawdust."  N.Y. Times

"A number of residents of Virginia...en route for the North...have left every thing behind and are obliged to depend upon the charities of the people...a reign of terror exists in the interior of Virginia.  The mob appropriates to their own use whatever they may fancy...farmers are stopped on the road and their horses taken from them..granaries are searched and every thing convertible for food...carried off."  --N.Y. Tribune

"Lincoln extends blockade to ports of North Carolina and Virginia"  --Baltimore Sun

Diary of a Yankee in the Patent Office -- Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War

"...Troops from the North are pouring fast now.  There is now here about eighteen thousand men under arms...Pres Lincolns two boys were here today to see mine.  Juliet was at the Pres.  Got fine Boquet from the garden."

Letters from the N.Y. Seventy-First regiment, Daily Observations from the Civil War.   (an excerpt given..click on link to read all the details of the trip to Washington)

"We have just arrived at Washington after a week of very hard work and quite a scarcity of provisions on the way. I am writing in our quarters in the building erected for the Inauguration ball. On Sunday, the day of our departure, we stood in Bond street with our knapsacks about five hours; the march down Broadway was therefore excessively tiresome.  Our ship, R. R. Cuyler, was a sight to behold; she was very filthy, redolent of decayed meat, bilge-water, &c. The men in two or three hours became clamorous for their rations, which, when furnished, were found to consist of two sea-biscuits and a chunk of salt pork, and the rations continued so for the remainder of the voyage. Our beds were wooden bunks in the back part of the ship."

April 26, 1861 (Friday)

"Dear Mother...it is hard to go off
without bidding you goodbye...
the thought of how you will feel
when you find me so unexpectedly gone."
---Robert Gould Shaw, Letters to New York

An excellent article, "Letters to New York," by John Lockwood and Charles Lockwood, Disunion--New York Times, April 25, 1861 shares the story of Robert Gould Shaw and the arrival of the Seventh Reg. of New York to Washington DC.  Robert Shaw would eventually be the head of the black 54th Massachusetts Infantry...made famous in the film "Glory."


The narrative of the day -- Civil War Daily Gazette:  "Johnston and Jackson Promoted, Virginia Gets Some Really Bad Ideas, North Carolina's Call to Arms, Delaware's Fence, Delaware's More Southern Side, Free Blacks Should be Accepted Into Military Service."


Diary of a Yankee in the Patent Office, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, April 26, 1861.

"This has been a fine day and one of much excitement in the City...about 2000 have arrived today and a large number are expected tomorrow."

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, April 26, 1861

"Today I recognize Northern merchants and Jews in the streets, busy in collecting the debts due them.  The Convention has thrown some impediments in the way; but I hear on every hand that Southern merchants, in the absence of legal obligations, recognize the demands of honor, and are sending money North, even if it be used against us.  This will not last long."

And finally, a narrative on the march of troops to Washington DC:  Diary of a Young Officer -- Josiah Marshall Favill, Daily Observations from the Civil War.  (too long to post here...but an excerpt)

"About seven o’clock we were on the alert again, and quickly transformed the nice rail fences into roaring camp-fires, around which we prepared our coffee and ate our breakfast. Afterwards we went foraging, capturing chickens, ducks, pigeons, and whatever was eatable, and had lots of fun; as the government had not provided us with anything to eat here, we were obliged to help ourselves or fast, and under such circumstances we did not hesitate. The natives protested in vain; hungry soldiers must eat, and if the government cannot provide, the country must do so, and the people will be obliged to charge up their losses to the calamity of war.  About five P. M. a long train of cattle-cars came in from Washington, to which we were promptly transferred, and arrived at our journey’s end, Washington, about six o’clock the following morning, marching directly to the navy yard, where quarters were already prepared for us."

April 25, (Thursday)

"We breathe a little free now."
                                   ----Horatio Nelson Taft

"Diary of  Yankee in the Patent Office," Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, April 25, 1861.   "The 7th Regt is at last here, came at 12 o'clock and created much enthusiasm.  We breathe a little free now...."


The story of the first volunteer Northern soldiers to come into Washington on this day, April 25, 1861.  Also, the narrative of Private Barnes.  Excellent read....   "Private Barnes and the Saviors of Washington,"  by Ronald S. Coddington, Disunion--New York Times, April 24, 2011.

"With President Lincoln looking on from the White House portico, a crack regiment of volunteer Northern soldiers marched along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., with parade-ground precision, resplendent in tailored gray uniforms trimmed in black.  Nearly 1,000 bayonet-tipped muskets pointed into the spring sky and glimmered in the sun.  Lincoln smiled...Lincoln was the 'happiest looking man in town as the regiment was marching by him' remarked an Illinois gent."  The New York Seventh Regiment numbered among the first to respond to Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion. 

 
The Narrative of the Day:  Civil War Daily Gazette, The Seventh Regiment is Not a Myth, Stephen Douglas -- Lincoln Supporter, Securing Arms from Secessionists in St. Louis, Lincoln Takes Precautions Against Maryland.

News for all over the country:  A Diary of American Events, April 25, 1861.

Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, "War Diary of a Union Woman in the South-Tribulation."  "...A gentleman leaving for Richmond called to bid me good-bye.  We had a serious talk on the chances of his coming home maimed.  He handed me a rose and went off gaily, while a vision came before me of the crowd of cripples that will be hobbling around when the war is over.  It stayed with me all the afternoon while I shook hands with one after another in their shining gray and gold uniforms...."

And finally, a book review:  "1861 -- The Civil War Awakening," by Adam Goodheart.  "The Nation Stirs, The Civil War Begins," by Debbie Applegate, April 21, 2011.  Debbie Applegate is the author of "The Most Famous Man in America:  The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher," which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007.

April 24, 1861 (Wednesday)

Where is the North --
Moments of Angst

Narrative of the Day:  Civil War Daily Gazette, The Story of Troops Trying to Get to Washington from Annapolis, 'I Don't Believe There Is Any North,'  Keeping the Rails Open and Clear.

"Abraham Lincoln visited with the Sixth Massachusetts, the veterans of the Baltimore Riots.  Washington had been virtually cut off for days.  No news about any of the hoped for Northern militia units had reached the city.  'I don't believe there is any North,' said Lincoln to the boys of the Sixth.  Of the regiments supposedly en route to Washington, he exclaimed, 'the Seventh Regiment is a myth.  Rhode Island is not known in our geography any longer.  You are the only Northern realities.'"

"Diary of a Yankee in the Patent Office," Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, April 24, 1861.   "Another warm day with some rain in the afternoon.  The day has passed off much as yesterday.  No troops from the North.  No mails since Friday, and in fact no news at all from the North...."

Daily Observations from the Civil War, "Diary of a Young Officer -- Josiah Marshall Favill:  Orders to march, but cannot do so...."    The continued story of the march of troops towards Washington from the North. 

Daily Observations from the Civil War, "Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hays:  We are rapidly preparing for war...." 


The American Civil War, "USS Cumberland bags a prize," April 24, 1861.

And finally, "Union Proud," by Gary W. Gallagher, Disunion--New York Times, April 23, 2011.   A good argument is given as to the major motivation for winning the Civil War:  It was to save the Union.  Excellent article and worth reading.  Nowadays, we hear the Civil War was fought because of slavery...and that is true to a certain extent...however, from this article we get a picture of the overall theme was to save the Union...to be proud of the Union and to keep it alive.

April 23, 1861 (Tuesday)

"My bosom burst with the
fire of patriotism...."
                          ---Alexander Herritage Newton

"Out of the Briars," by Ronald Coddington, Disunion--New York Times, April 22, 2011.     Here is the narrative of Alexander Herritage Newton, one of the first blacks that served in the Civil War.  His story and the eventual book he wrote, 'Out of the Briars' is shared at the link above.  He said, "I engaged myself for the great Civil War, the War of the Rebellion -- my bosom burst with the fire of patriotism for the salvation of my country and my people.'

The narrative of the day:  Civil War Daily Gazette, The Pacing President, General Lee Takes Over, A Railroad Twist of Fate (Two Old Friends Reunited), and Richmond's New Laws.  

From The Long Recall, April 23, 1861:  "Meanwhile, the South is in a state of jubilation over Virginia's secession.  The tone struck by Southern papers stands in stark contrast to the grim determination found in Northern papers.  Stories from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana are downright giddy, intoxicated by a sense of the inevitability of their triumph, as if their victory would flow naturally from the righteousness of their cause alone...."

The Lincoln Log, April 23, 1861:  "Lincoln paces the floor awaiting troops for defense of Washington."   --   "Cabinet meeting around noon."

From Daily Observations from the Civil War, Diary of William Howard Russell, April 22, 1861.    "Not a man --  no, not one -- will ever join the Union again."  and  "There is something suspicious in the constant never-ending statement that 'we are not afraid of our slaves.'"

From Daily Observations from the Civil War, Diary of a Young Officer -- Josiah Marshall Favill:  "Outrageously crowded -- A gale -- Seasic -- No opposition -- Landfall Annapolis."  The story of a soldier trying to get to Washington.

And finally, from Daily Observations from the Civil War, Letters of a Family During the War of the Union:  "Sarah Chauncey Woolsey to Georgeana Muirson Woolsey -- 'The good-byes are hard enough even if it is for the country.'" 

April 22, 1861 (Monday)

Tacking in a New Direction

Narrative of the Day -- Civil War Daily Gazette:  Washington Cut Off and Surrounded by Rebels, Foiling the Plot to Steal the USS Constitution, More Troops Through Baltimore, Arkansas Finally Responds, Joseph Johnston Resigns, New Arrivals in Richmond.


Fascinating story today about the turn around of the New York Herald -- when it threw its support for President Lincoln.  The New York Herald, according to some, was the most widely-read newspaper in the country.  James Gordon Bennett, who owned and edited the New York Herald, was the last man anyone expected to reach out to Lincoln.  In addition to his support, he, also, offered his yacht for use in the Navy.  Read the whole story at the link below: 
"Yacht for Sale," by Ted Widmer, Disunion--New York Times, April 21, 2011.


Another tack today, a letter written by a son to his father -- asking for permission to leave the University of North Carolina and join the Confederate Army.  "Dear Pa," The American Civil War, April 21, 1861.    Read the letter at the link provided.


In financial news...more tacking:  from The Long Recall, April 22, 1861: 

"In financial news, the stocks of the Border States fell dramatically yesterday, a plunge so great it had 'never been witnessed...Upwards of three hundred thousand dollars of the stocks of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri, were rushed off at almost any price that could be obtained.'"


More tacking:  from West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Clarksburg Convention.

"Throughout western Virginia, citizens met in support of or opposition to the action taken by the delegates at the Richmond Convention.  The majority of westerners opposed the Ordinance of Secession.  In response to a call issued two days prior, on Monday, April 22, 1861, nearly twelve hundred Harrison County citizens gathered...and resolutions submitted for a call of delegates...to gather at Wheeling on May 13th for a larger convention."

And finally, "When the Telegraph Won't Do -- Impersonate a Methodist Preacher," Blue Gray Review, April 22, 2011.

April 21, 1861 (Sunday)

"Lift up a standard to the people."
Dr. Osgood's sermon, Church of the Messiah, NYC, 1861

From Blue Gray Review, "Fervor in the Pulpit," an article about the  gatherings on this Sunday morning. 

From the Long Recall, "From the Pulpit -- Section." The American Interest, April 21, 1861.  Four sermons that were preached today in New York, New Jersey, and Providence, Rhode Island are presented.   (scroll down from the link to this section)  Also, a new updated Secession Map as of April 21st is presented to the reader. 

The narrative of the day from Civil War Daily Gazette -- "Beat Your Ploughshares into Swords!  -- Washington DC effectively cut off."


The narrative of events that describes the beginning of the siege of Washington DC is presented in the article below.  Lincoln was in such a fragile place with no re-enforcements able to get to the Capital.  This surely could have come out bad for the North at the start.
"State of Siege:  The Siege of Washington DC," by John Lockwood and Charles Lockwood, Disunion--New York Times, April 20, 2011.


Diary of a young officer -- Josiah Marshal Favill:  "...wondering what sort of beds we should probably have in the army," Daily Observations from the Civil War. 

From A Diary of American Events, April 20, 1861, there is a report on what happened in churches this day. 

"In nearly all the churches in New York -- and probably in a majority of churches through-out the country -- the sermons of today were mainly in reference to the war.  Many congregations have made the day an occasion for patriotic contributions for the outfit of volunteers, or for the support of their families...or asking for uniforms for recruits.  In the Broadway Tabernacle, the pastor, Rev. J. P. Thompson D. D., preached a sermon in the evening on 'God's time of Threshing.'  Dr. Osgood's text was: 'Life up a standard to the people.'  In Dr. Bellows' church the choir sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' which was vigorously applauded by the whole house.  Dr. T. D. Wells (Old School Presbyterian) preached from the words:  'He that hath no sword, let him buy one.'  Many of the churches -- of all denominations -- are sending some of their most active members to the field as volunteers."


This weeks Harper's Weekly is published:


Baptists and the American Civil War:   Challenges of faith in the coming years

"Few people at this time realize that the South's treason will lead to four years of massive death and destruction.  Many believe, or at least hope, the conflict will be resolved quickly.  And on both sides, in the coming years many politicans, officers, and soldiers will be sustained and/or challenged by their faith convictions, none more so that ex-Baptist Abraham Lincoln."

April 20, 1861 (Saturday)

Beginnings....

The decision of Robert E. Lee is explored in this excellent article.  The author states, "...daughter Mary's letter, along with other previously unknown documents written by his close family and associates, belies such easy assessments [that the decision was easy to make, a no brainer.]  These newly found sources underscore just how complex and painful a choice it was to make.  At the link below, there is an interactive with the letter that his daughter, Mary, wrote.    "The General in His Study:  Robert E. Lee," by Elizabeth Brown Pryor, Disunion--New York Times, April 19, 2011.

"The writing is blurred and the paper nearly translucent, but the scene it portrays is vivid.  In a recently discovered letter, Mary Custis Lee, the eldest daughter of Robert E. Lee, describes how her father wrestled with the decision to resign his commission in the United States Army and side with the South...it provides the most reliable information currently available to historians, overshadowing the questionable second-hand accounts that scholars once had to rely on."  (Read the whole article for all the details on how he came to his decision.)


The narrative of the day from Civil War Daily Gazette, "'Now We are in a State of War Which Will Yield Nothing'--Robert E. Lee, Seizing the Telegraph Office, Burning Your own Bridges, Getting to Washington Somehow or Another, Sacrificing the Gosport Navy Yard."


Some say that this rally in Union Square was the greatest assemblage of people ever in the United States.  Many from New York were part of the early defense of Washington DC.  The author states, "Were it not for the enthusiasm generated by the Sumter rally...the Confederates might have gained a greater advantage in the early days of the war --  changing its outcome decidedly." 
"The Great Sumter Rally in Union Square," by Michael Shapiro, Disunion--New York Times, April 19, 2011.


Letters of a Family During the War for the Union:  Jane Stuart Woolsey to Cousin Margaret Hodge -- "The most extraordinary mixture of feeling," Daily Observations from the Civil War.  (excellent read on the rally in New York City)

"War Diary of a Union Woman in the South -- The Volunteers -- Fort Sumter," Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War. 

"The last few days have glided away in a halo of beauty.  I can't remember such a lovely spring ever before.  But nobody has time or will to enjoy it.  War, war! is the one idea.  The children play only with toy cannons and soldiers; the oldest inhabitant goes by every day with his rifle to practice; the public squares are full of companies drilling...we have been told that it is best for women to learn how to shoot, too, so as to protect themselves when the men have all gone to battle.  Every morning after dinner we adjourn to the back lot and fire at a target with pistols.

In the evening I attended a farewell gathering at a friend's whose brothers are to leave this week for Richmond.  There was music.  No minor chord was permitted."

April 19, 1861 (Friday)

...a pleasant day, as Spring unfolds.
                                                          Photo -- Amy Matsen

Troops were coming to Washington and had to stop and change stations as they entered Baltimore.  On this day there was a riot...  the following links bring the news of what happened in the streets of Baltimore. 


The narrative of the day by Civil War Daily Gazette, Blood and Death in the Streets of Baltimore.


The Battle of Baltimore, by Richard J. Tofel, Disunion--New York Times, April 18, 2011.


The story of a black servant to Capt. James Wren, Nick Biddle,  who went through Baltimore and faced the angry mob...excellent article and a good read...  "Nick Biddle and the First Defenders,"  by Ronald Coddington, Disunion--New York Times, April 18, 2011.


More news on the "Rousing of the Nation" from A Diary of American Events, April 19, 1861.


From the Lincoln Log, Lincoln orders a blockade of the ports in the seceded states of the Confederacy.


 Diary of Rutherford B. Hayes:  "A sharp experience for tenderly reared boys."
Daily Observations from the Civil War, April 19, 1861.

"At the first, I put down my foot that I would not think of going into this first movement.  This, of course, I shall stick to; but if this war is [to] go on, it is obvious that sooner or later thousands will be dragged into it who would now not contemplate doing so.  Platt enjoys it hugely.  So do all the old-style people who like a strong government.  It took a great many delicate youngsters from our neighborhood; almost every other family on our street sent somebody...a sharp experience for tenderly reared boys."

April 18, 1861 (Thursday)

"Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song."



My Country 'Tis of Thee

The Narrative for Today:  Civil War Daily Gazette -- Celebration, Fear, Rage and Fire; Harper's Ferry Falls to the Rebels

Continued Reactions and Responses From Around the Country:  A Diary of American Events, April 18, 1861


The story of how Virginia came to secede from the Union after the surrender of Fort Sumter.  "Virginia's Moment," Week in Review...April 14-20, 1861, by Jamie Malanowski, Disunion--New York Times, April 17, 2011.


The Lincoln Log:  Col. Robert E. Lee is unofficially offered command of the Federal Army at the request of Lincoln.


From the House Divided, April 18, 1861, Chicago Tribune, "The Old Fire."

"Who can doubt that the old fire of the old Revolution still burns in the hearts of the people?  From Maine to Minnesota, the sons of '76 are rising as one man, with a prayer to the God of battles on their lips, and a clear eye on the barrels of their rifles.  The changers of money have forgotten their calling, and opened their coffers to their country's call.  The bulls and bears of Wall Street have ceased worrying...political parties have vanished in the twinkling of an eye.  The Stars and Stripes float on every corner, and in every eye.  The hatred of treason burns deep in every heart.  America is safe in the hands of her mighty people.  Thank God for giving us a Constitution and a government which makes such men!

The traitors and ingrates have sneered their last at the Puritans.  They have called us psalm-singing cowards the last time...they have sworn that a Yankee would sell his soul twenty times for twenty dollars...they have boasted their ability to drive us...they are now going to meet the despised and insulted Northerners where blood will flow.  Let us see who will be the last in putting the harness off.  History shows not the page where the hated Puritans turned their backs on the foe.  It is recorded of them that they always rejoiced greatly when they beheld the enemy...it is recorded that they fear God, but fear no man -- that they endure much for the sake of peace and good will towards the world, but that when their minds are made up, their prayers offered to the Almighty and their enemies shown them in battle array, like giants of old they crush everything in their path."

April 17, 1861 (Wednesday)

Many forms of joy...
happiness.

Virginia Secedes

The narrative of today from Civil War Daily Gazette, "The Brink of Revolution, Blood Will Flow -- Virginia's Secession"

A map is included at the link above that shows states that have seceded and those that have not.

An excellent article on what is happening at this moment in Virginia and its influence on the Middle and Border States of the South,  "Henry Wise's Pistol" by William W. Freehling, Disunion--New York Times, April 16, 2011.

"The star of the decisive moment was ex-Governor Henry Wise.  On April 17, with delegates still endlessly talking, the ultra-thin, ultra-fiery Wise seized the convention podium.  He announced that although he no longer had a governor's authority, he had ordered Virginia militiamen to seize the federal installations at Harpers Ferry Arsenal and Norfolk's Gosport Naval Yards.  If anyone wished to object, warned Wise as he waved his huge horse pistol with its extra long barrel, they can try to assassinate me."


Diary entries for the day:

Diary of a Yankee in the Patent Office, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War.

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War:  The story of Virginia seceding--full of patriotism for the South

"...During a pause in the proceedings, one of the leading members arose and announced that he had information that the vote was about being taken in the other Convention on the ordinance of secession.  'Very well!' cried another member, 'we will give them another chance to save themselves.  But it is the last!'  This was concurred in my a vast majority.

Not long after, Lieut. Gov. Montague came in and announced the passage of the ordinance by the other Convention!  This was succeeded by a moment too thrilling for utterance, but was followed by tears of gladness and rapturous applause...."

From Blue Gray Review:  A Sampling of reaction to the surrender and President Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops as reported today in the New York Times.  (from both sides of the conflict)

From Daily Observations from the Civil War -- Diary of William Howard Russell:  "...Here were these Southern gentlemen exulting in their power to control the policy of Great Britain and it was small consolation to me to assure them there were mistaken...."