Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Post image for “I am afraid that no human power can stay the evil.”—DNC Chairman August Belmont

“I am afraid that no human power can stay the evil.”—DNC Chairman August Belmont

December 26, 2010

A Few Letters and Speeches of the Late Civil War by August Belmont (DNC Chairman)

To the Hon. J. J. CRITTENDEN

United States Senate, Washington, D.C.

New York, December 26, 1860

My Dear Sir,—Please accept my respectful thanks for the copy of your compromise propositions, which you were kind enough to send me under your frank.

I have yet to meet the first conservative Union-loving man, in or out of politics, who does not approve of them, and consider them as a most efficacious, if not the only remedy, which can save this great country from ruin and destruction.

Your patriotic course is warmly commended by the good men of all parties, and though your noble efforts may prove of no avail against the sectional fanaticism conjured up by designing politicians, the lasting gratitude of every American citizen, who has the greatness of his country at heart, is due to your statesmanlike stand in defense of the Union and the Constitution.

I am afraid that no human power can stay the evil, since the Republican leaders, by their vote in the committee of thirteen, have proved that they are determined to remain deaf to the dictates of justice and patriotism.

Will the American people permit their country to be dragged to ruin by a handful of puritanical fanatics and selfish politicians.

It cannot, it must not be! We can only look for help now to the conservative spirit of the border and middle States, and I trust that prominent and leading men, like yourself, may find early means to make a direct appeal to that spirit by a convention of those States.

I have read with much interest the pamphlet, entitled The Border States, which is attributed to the Hon. J. P. Kennedy, of Maryland. Its suggestions are practical and statesmanlike, and I hope they may find an echo in your State, and in Virginia.

Post image for A Diary of American Events – December 25, 1860

A Diary of American Events – December 25, 1860

December 25, 2010

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

—The dispatches from Pittsburgh, that the arms in the arsenal there would not be allowed to be shipped, made a great sensation at Washington. The story was greatly enlarged. Northern men, including members of Congress, have telegraphed to the people to stand firm, and not allow the arsenals to be stripped of all arms.

Click here to follow on facebook and see all the posts.

Post image for Village Life in America.

Village Life in America.

December 24, 2010

Village Life in America, 1852 - 1872, by Caroline Cowles Richards

December. — I went with the girls to the lake to skate this afternoon. Mr Johnson, the colored barber, is the best skater in town. He can skate forwards and backwards and cut all sorts of curlicues, although he is such a heavy man. He is going to Liberia and there his skates won’t do him any good. I wish he would give them to me and also his skill to use them. Someone asked me to sit down after I got home and I said I preferred to stand, as I had been sitting down all the afternoon! Gus Coleman took a load of us sleighriding this evening. Of course he had Clara Willson sit on the front seat with him and help him drive.

Thursday.—We had a special meeting of our society this evening at Mary Wheeler’s and invited the gentlemen and had charades and general good time. Mr Gillette and Horace Finley made a great deal of fun for us. We initiated Mr Gillette into the Dorcas Society, which consists in seating the candidate in a chair and propounding some very solemn questions and then in token of desire to join the society, you ask him to open his mouth very wide for a piece of cake which you swallow, yourself, instead! Very disappointing to the new member!

We went to a concert at the Seminary this evening. Miss Mollie Bull sang “Coming Through the Rye ” and Miss Lizzie Bull sang “Annie Laurie” and “Auld Lang Syne.” Jennie Lind, herself, could not have done better.

December 15.—Alice Jewett, Emma Wheeler and Anna are in Mrs. Worthington’s Sunday School class and as they have recently united with the church, she thought they should begin practical Christian work by distributing tracts among the neglected classes. So this afternoon they ran away from school to begin the good work. It was so bright and pleasant, they thought a walk to the lake would be enjoyable and they could find a welcome in some humble home. The girls wanted Anna to be the leader, but she would only promise that if something pious came into her mind, she would say it. They knocked at a door and were met by a smiling mother of twelve children and asked to come in. They sat down feeling somewhat embarrassed, but spying a photograph album on the table, they became much interested, while the children explained the pictures. Finally Anna felt that it was time to do something, so when no one was looking, she slipped under one of the books on the table, three tracts entitled “Consolation for the Bereaved,” “Systematic Benevolence” and “The Social Evils of dancing, card playing and theater-going.” Then they said goodbye to their new friends and started on. They decided not to do any more pastoral work until another day, but enjoyed the outing very much.

Christmas.—We all went to Aunt Mary Carr’s to dinner excepting Grandmother, and in the evening we went to see some tableaux at Dr Cook’s and Dr Chapin’s at the asylum. We were very much pleased with the entertainment. Between the acts Mr del Pratt, one of the patients, said every time, “What next!” which made every one laugh.

Grandfather was requested to add his picture to the gallery of portraits of eminent men for the Court Room, so he has had it painted. An artist by the name of Green, who lives in town, has finished it after numerous sittings and brought it up for our approval. We like it but we do not think it is as good looking as he is. No one could really satisfy us probably, so we may as well try to be suited.

I asked Grandmother if Mr Clarke could take Sunday night supper with us and she said she was afraid he did not know the catechism. I asked him Friday night and he said he would learn it on Saturday so that he could answer every third question any way. So he did and got along very well. I think he deserved a pretty good supper.

Post image for George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England: “a most melancholy picture of the condition of the country, politically and financially.”

George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England: “a most melancholy picture of the condition of the country, politically and financially.”

December 24, 2010

Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England 1856 to 1861,The American Civil War

1860. December 25. — Christmas. Fahrenheit stood this morning eighteen degrees below freezing point. A rare degree of cold in England, exceeding any we have felt during our residence in London.

Mr. Cobb resigned the Treasury on the 10th instant. He will greatly strengthen the secession movement in Georgia. A dissolution of the Union seems imminent, and, should it occur, will attest and perhaps permanently establish the supremacy of abolitionism; for it will be seen that by the withdrawal of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, let alone the other slave-holding States, Lincoln and the Republican party will at once be placed in an overwhelming Congressional majority, and have a clear field to push their principles to extreme practice. Markoe and Hutchinson, writing on the same day, agree in drawing a most melancholy picture of the condition of the country, politically and financially.

Post image for Intent to retake S. C. Forts if surrendered

Intent to retake S. C. Forts if surrendered

December 24, 2010

The American Civil War,Uncollected Letters of Abraham Lincoln © 1917

To Lyman Trumbull

SPRINGFIELD, ILLS. Dec. 24, 1860

Hon. Lyman Trumbull—

My dear Sir. I expect to be able to offer Mr. Blair a place in the cabinet; but I can not, as yet, be committed on the matter, to any extent whatever.

Despatches have come here two days in succession, that the Forts in South Carolina will be surrendered by the order, or consent at least, of the President.

I can scarcely believe this; but if it prove true, I will, if our friends at Washington concur, announce publicly at once that they are to be retaken after the inauguration. This will give the Union Men a rallying cry, and preparation will proceed somewhat on their side, as well as on the other.

Yours as ever

A. LINCOLN.

Post image for A Diary of American Events – December 24, 1860

A Diary of American Events – December 24, 1860

December 24, 2010

The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

—Governor Pickens, agreeably to the ordinance of secession, issued a proclamation, proclaiming South Carolina a separate, sovereign, free, and independent State, with the right to levy war, conclude peace, negotiate treaties, leagues, or covenants, and do all acts whatever that rightly appertain to a free and independent State.—Herald, Jan. 1, 1861.

—A mass meeting was held at New Orleans to ratify the nominations of the Southern Rights candidates for the Convention. It was the largest congregation of every party ever assembled in that city. Cornelius Fellows was President, and speeches were made by Charles M. Conrad, Charles Gayare, and others, advocating immediate secession, amid unbounded enthusiasm. The Southern Marseillaise was sung as the banner of the Southern Confederacy was raised, amid reiterated and prolonged cheers for South Carolina and Louisiana.—National Intelligencer, Dec. 25.

—The election for delegates to the State Convention to meet January 7th, took place to-day. The separate State secession ticket was elected in Mobile by a thousand majority.

The election passed off quietly through the State. In many places there was no opposition; the secession ticket, in the whole State, has 50,000 majority.—Times, Dec. 25.

—Governor Moore issued a proclamation, convening the Legislature of Alabama January 14th, to provide by State laws for any emergency that may arise from the action of the secession Convention called for January 7th.

—The Speaker laid before the House of Representatives a letter signed by Messrs. McQueen, Bonham, Boyce, and Ashmore, members from South Carolina, to the effect that the act of secession passed by their State had dissolved their connection with that body, and that they should accordingly withdraw. The letter was laid on the table, and the Speaker directed the names of the South Carolina members to be retained on the roll, thus not recognizing the conduct of their State as severing their connection with the House.—(Doc. 6.)

—The Richmond Enquirer of to-day announces that President Lincoln will be forced to relinquish Washington, and suggests the propriety of the prompt interposition of Maryland and Virginia to prevent Mr. Lincoln’s inauguration at Washington, by taking possession of the capital without delay.

—Excitement at Pittsburgh, Pa., in consequence of a report that the artillery at the Alleghany arsenal was to be transferred to new forts in the southwest. A call is in circulation, addressed to the Mayor, to convene a meeting of the citizens to take action in the matter. The call is signed by prominent men of all parties. The feeling against allowing a gun to be removed south is almost unanimous.—Evening Post, Dec. 28.

Post image for “The situation is deplorable already….It is impossible to be merry when one’s country is gasping for breath.”—George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England

“The situation is deplorable already….It is impossible to be merry when one’s country is gasping for breath.”—George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England

December 23, 2010

Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, United States Minister to England 1856 to 1861

1860. December 23. —The Arabia brings the news that Secretary Cobb has resigned. He goes then to join the Disunionists, who, in Georgia, object to joint, but are in favor of separate, secession. Mr. Cobb is forty-five years of age; before he becomes sixty, he will have discovered that a good cause is really only injured by violence, and best promoted by calm and steady action; he will then have become, for he has ample ability, a safe American statesman.

The news in no respect diminishes the gloom of affairs in the United States. The situation is deplorable already, and worse is in prospect. I think it at once proper and becoming to manifest sympathy with my countrymen in their present trials. I have, therefore, declined Mr. Bates’s invitation to the New-Year festivities at Sheen. It is impossible to be merry when one’s country is gasping for breath.

China news is highly interesting. The first Napoleon has been always condemned by the British press for despoiling the academies and temples of Italy of their treasures of art, which he collected in his gallery of the Louvre. Still, they vindicated the burning of our Capitol and White House in 1814 by Ross; they bombarded the superb private residence of Prince Woronzow at Odessa; and here they are again, this time conjointly with the French, avowedly plundering and carrying off the ornaments and comforts of an imperial summer palace! War necessarily leads to excesses, which every effort should be made to restrict as much as possible. What conceivable benefit to the cause in which they are engaged could the allies derive from purloining pictures, statuary, and articles of novelty? But such are the two heads of European civilization. The French have made a separate convention, after the Treaty of Peace, bargaining for liberty to carry off coolies (hem!), for a recognition of Catholicism throughout China, and an indemnity of twelve millions of dollars! Pretty well for Louis Napoleon, and better, considering his looting, for Marshal Montauban.

Post image for Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey to her sisters in Europe.– “Alarming news has been received from Charleston.”

Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey to her sisters in Europe.– “Alarming news has been received from Charleston.”

December 23, 2010

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Dear Girls: Mother and Abby have just come down from Fishkill, Mother declaring that she feels like a different person in consequence of her visit. We are none of us making a time over Christmas presents this year. Abby has had a little bureau just to fit shirts made for Mr. Prentiss, who was in high delight while they lived abroad because he had a drawer to keep his things in. No calls will be received at No. 8 this New Year and indeed I don’t think there will be many made, people are so depressed about the times.

The papers today report from Washington that “alarming news has been received from Charleston. Apprehensions of immediate collision with the Federal government are entertained. Influential Northern men are doing their utmost to avert the calamity. The intention of the people of North Carolina is to seize the forts and arsenals and to prevent the government from collecting the revenues. Despatches have been received stating that the forts would be taken in less than twenty-four hours. The Cabinet is in council. It has not transpired what course the government will pursue. A naval fleet will probably be despatched to Charleston. The amendment of the Constitution to settle the controversy between North and South forever, by a division of the country from ocean to ocean on the parallel of the Missouri line, is the great subject of discussion.” Notwithstanding all this trouble, and the secession ordinance which was published on Saturday, “the stocks of the North have gone up steadily for some days both before and after the fulmination of the ordinance. Never was the strength of the business condition of the northern and central states more decisively proved than now.” I hope you are interested in all this; politics are the only things talked of among all classes of men and women here in this country, now, and foreign affairs relating to the “state of Europe” are comparatively of no importance. In fact, all interest given to Italy centres in the “Casa Zuccara” and especially on our ‘Donna and child. We only wish the Southerners could see how prosperous and happy we look, on the outside at least! “O, yes, Doctor,” one of them said the other day to Dr. Hodge, “it’s a beautiful city this of yours, but in a little while the grass will be growing in the streets.” Lenox’s reports from down town are that it is suggested that the governors of the states should have the troops of the different states in readiness for any emergency, since the South is busy making its preparations, and thus far we have been doing nothing. I took the news word for word from the paper this morning, from the Washington correspondent, and you must take it for what it is worth. People think it worse than anything thus far, though Mr. Seward predicts that in sixty days the troubles will have past away. Only think how jolly! There’s an ordinance in Charleston forbidding the sale of Boston crackers and including farina.

Several pleasant surprises came to lessen the depression of this Christmas. Mr. Martin, a young gentleman returning from Rome, brought to Mother a promised ring — “a Mosaic of a carrier pigeon, which lifted up and displayed a shining curl of the new little baby’s hair,” and Abby writes: “ Uncle Edward¹ gave me some of Father’s early water-colors, interesting to us —the work of a boy of fourteen,—and when Mother and I drove in after spending the day with him what do you think we found besides?— a box with a scarlet camel’s hair shawl for Mother with Cousin William Aspinwall’s best wishes.” (This shawl is now Alice’s.)

On December 20th, 1860, South Carolina “in convention assembled” had declared the union subsisting between that state and other states to be “ hereby repealed.” Other southern states were rapidly following the insane example.

All sorts of efforts, private and public, were made to compromise and patch up, and family friends and relatives on both sides made last attempts to join hands. Abby writes Eliza, “What do you think? I wrote Minthorn Woolsey a long letter the other day asking for information as to the position he holds on secession.”

_______

¹ Our dear Uncle and guardian, Edward John Woolsey, of Astoria, L. I.

Post image for A Diary of American Events – December 23, 1860

A Diary of American Events – December 23, 1860

December 23, 2010

The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

—This evening, Senator Toombs, of Georgia, assuming that there is no hope of compromise, telegraphed from Washington an address to the people of that State—(Doc. 5.)

—At Petersburg, Va., a secession pole, one hundred feet high, erected yesterday on the most prominent street, amid the cheers from a large crowd, and bearing the palmetto flag, was sawed down this morning, just before the dawn of day, by an unknown party, and the flag carried off. There was great excitement when it was known.—N. Y. Daily News, Dec. 24.

—A company of eighty men arrived at Charleston from Savannah, and yesterday tendered their services to the Governor of the State, under the name of the Minute Men, or Sons of the South.—Charleston Courier.

—The disbursing clerk in charge of the Indian Trust Fund, at Washington, was detected in embezzling a large amount of State bonds and coupons belonging to that fund. The sum is estimated at $830,000. The Secretary of State first discovered the defalcation, and telegraphed to Secretary Thompson (who was then in North Carolina as Commissioner from Mississippi to recommend secession) to return to Washington immediately. The Secretary arrived on Saturday evening, and had an interview with the President. In company with the Secretary of State, the Attorney-General, and District Attorney Ould, he then proceeded to make an investigation. Bailey, the defaulter, was absent from his office, and the key of the safe was missing; but entrance was obtained by force, and a large sum in bonds was found to have disappeared.

Godard Bailey, the defaulting clerk, has not been arrested; and it is supposed he has several accomplices, of whom the Washington police are in search.

President James Buchanan.—”No time for resolutions of kindness.”

December 22, 2010

Turning on the Light: A Dispassionate Survey of President Buchanan's Administration, From 1860 to its Close, by Horatio King

(Private.)

Washington, 22d December, 1860.

President James Buchanan

President James Buchanan

My Dear Sir,—I have received your favor of the 20th inst, and rejoice to learn the change of public sentiment in your city. Still secession is far in advance of reaction, and several of the cotton States will be out of the Union before anything can be done to check their career. I think they are all wrong in their precipitation, but such I believe to be the fact.

It is now no time for resolutions of kindness from the North to the South. There must be some tangible point presented, and this has been done by Mr. Crittenden in his Missouri Compromise resolutions. Without pretending to speak from authority, I believe these would be accepted though not preferred by the South. I have no reason to believe that this is at present acceptable to the Northern senators and representatives, though the tendency is in that direction. They may arrive at this point when it will be too late.

I cannot imagine that any adequate cause exists for the extent and violence of the existing panic in New York. Suppose, most unfortunately, that the cotton States should withdraw from the Union, New York would still be the great city of this continent. We shall still have within the borders of the remaining States all the elements of wealth and prosperity. New York would doubtless be somewhat retarded in her rapid march; but, possessing the necessary capital, energy, and enterprise, she will always command a very large portion of the carrying trade of the very States which may secede. Trade cannot easily be drawn from its accustomed channels. I would sacrifice my own life at any moment to save the Union, if such were the will of God; but this great and enterprising brave nation is not to be destroyed by losing the cotton States, even if this loss were irreparable, which I do not believe unless from some unhappy accident.

I have just received an abstract from the late census.

In the apportionment of representatives the State of New York will have as many in the House (30) as Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and South Carolina united. The latter State contains 296,422 free people and 408,905 slaves, and will be entitled in the next Congress to 4 representatives out of 233.

Why will not the great merchants of New York examine the subject closely and ascertain what will be the extent of their injuries and accommodate themselves to the changed state of things ?

If they will do this, they will probably discover they are more frightened than hurt. I hope the Treasury Note Loan may be taken at a reasonable rate of interest. No security can be better, in any event, whether the Cotton States secede or not. Panic in New York may, however, prevent, because panic has even gone to the extent of recommending that the great city of New York shall withdraw herself from the support of at least twenty-five millions of people and become a free city.

I had half an hour, and have scribbled this off in haste for your private use.

Your friend,

Very respectfully,

James Buchanan.

Royal Phelps, Esq.

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →