This record, which is in itself such a tribute of praise to the State and its governor, is none the less so because many other States showed similar patriotism, and other governors wrought with similar zeal and fidelity in the work of saving the nation.

In this first year of the war and time of hesitancy as to what should be done, and what the North was ready to do, when there were such divided counsels as to the management of the war, and who should be put at the head of our armies, and when our armies were to be raised and the whole art of war was to be learned by us; such a bare record of what had to be done, and was done, by one of these loyal States, is illuminating. It shows, too, what its governor meant when he was urging the government to prosecute the war with more vigor, and gave the Secretary of War this pledge in behalf of himself and State: "With this statement I only beg to confirm the views herein expressed to your Excellency, with the assurance that no State, large or small, shall send you better troops, or stand by you in all your embarrassments and perplexities more firmly, than this Commonwealth."

CHAPTER XII.

THE YEAR 1862.

Review of the Situation up to 1862-Progress of the War in the West and on the Coast-Governor Buckingham's Re-election-A Patriotic Legislature-The Peace Party in Connecticut-Demands that the Army of the Potomac Move.

The second year of the war, 1862, opened with some important gains to the Federal government, though the preceding year had been one of fearful perils, and not a few heavy losses. Several of the Southern States had been kept from joining the Confederacy, and Missouri, the most hostile and dangerous of the border States, had been pretty well subdued, thanks to the prompt action and vigorous campaigns of General Lyon. Our military line of occupation from the Cumberland Mountains across Kentucky to the mouth of the Ohio, had been pushed down into Tennessee, and the upper Mississippi had been opened as far down as Memphis. The blockade of the Southern ports had been made so effectual that no foreign nation ventured to treat it as a "paper blockade," except at the risk of forfeiting every ship and cargo engaged in blockade running, and though the coast-line to be guarded was more than 3,000 miles, and required 600 vessels, most of them steamers, to do it effectually, more than half this number had been provided and were engaged in this business within nine months after the war broke out. Our navy, too, which was comparatively nothing at first, soon became formidable enough to fear no rebel cruiser, and to recover the more important of our government fortifications, or to seal up the ports where they were situated. This nivy was collected and created out of every craft that could be strengthened to carry a rifled cannon, or sustain a mortar, until we had a fleet of war and transport steamers, of ironclads and rams and monitors, which soon took possession of Hatteras Inlet and Newbern, the refuge of blockade runners, recaptured Fort Pulaski, the defense of Savannah, and sweeping away the defenses of New Orleans, brought that important city, and more important river, under Federal control. There was another peculiar part of our navy called into existence at that time; the stout, swift, side-wheel steamboats of our Western rivers, with no armor, only altered for the better protection of their machinery, and carrying

several rifled guns; the powerful steamers of 5,000 tons burden, heavily armored, and each carrying a dozen heavy guns; and those smaller but still more powerful steamers, heavily armored, with slanting casemates, a plating of two and a half inches, carrying thirteen guns and steaming nine miles an hour, together with the "tin clads," which were only musket-proof. These all went to make up Commodore Foote's gunboat fleet on our Western waters, with which he soon cleared the upper Mississippi of the enemy's fleet and obstructions, reducing "Island No. 10," its strong hold, and keeping the river open until our fleet was met at Memphis by Farragut's fleet from the mouth of the river, and that great prize, the free navigation of the Mississippi, was won for the West. It was this fleet, under this commander, which reduced Forts Henry and Donelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and made it possible for General Grant to win that all-important battle of Corinth, or Pittsburg Landing, and clear his passage for the investment of Vicksburg, and open the way afterwards for General Sherman to set out on his "march to the sea." Then our army which was so insignificantly small at the breaking out of the war was reported by the Secretary of War as having within nine months been increased by voluntary enlistments to 600,000 men. Even the Army of the Potomac, only one of the half-dozen of our Northern armies, had upon its muster rolls, January 1, 1862, 219,707 men. And this was the rate at which enlistments had to be kept up to make good the losses of the service, until probably 2,000,000 of Union men had been in the field before the war closed. One million and fifty thousand were on the rolls and drawing pay when the war ended.-Draper's " Civil War," Chaps.'44 and 45, Vol. II.

Thus the military and naval strength of the Federal government was steadily and rapidly increasing when the new year opened, and this was to be soon followed by some important successes. Fort Pickens, one of the strongest of our fortifications, the key to the Gulf of Mexico, had just been saved to the Union by the "fidelity and prompt energy of Lieutenant Slemmer, its commander," when most of the Southern forts, with immense. military stores, had been taken possession of by the seceding States. About this time also a military and naval expedition had been planned and successfully executed by Commodore Dupont and General Sherman against Port Royal, S. C. This is a fine port between Charleston and Savannah,

from which expeditions could be fitted out against either of these places, as was done when Fort Pulaski, the defense of Savannah, was taken and held, and whence a position was secured on the neighboring islands of Charleston to operate against that city. A land and sea expedition under General Butler and Commodore Stringham had also been successfully carried out against Hatteras Inlet, which sealed up that part of the coast against blockade runners, and allowed General Burnside and Admiral Goldsborough, a few months later, to capture Roanoke Island, and all the approaches to Newbern, and take possession of the city itself, a position quite inland, important both with reference to North and South Carolina.

Such had been our substantial gains and brightening prospects as the year was closing, when we were suddenly brought into the most critical relations with Great Britain. by the "Trent affair." The case was this: Messrs. Mason and Slidell, Confederate commissioners to foreign governments, had run the blockade to the West Indies, and taken the English mail steamer Trent for England. Captain Wilkes, in command of one of our war steamers, the San Jacinto, learning of this, overhauled the British steamer, demanded and took possession of these commissioners as contrabands of war, and delivered them up to the Federal authorities. Instead of asking for an explanation in the usual form and through the ordinary channels of diplomatic intercourse, and giving us an opportunity to disavow the act and apologize for it, as we might have been expected to do, if it was as illegal and indefensible as was represented, a peremptory and threatening demand was immediately made out for the surrender of the prisoners, and, without any communication with Mr. Adams, our minister at the British court, was forwarded directly to Washington by a private messenger, together with a letter from Earl Russell to Lord Lyons, saying that "the British government

would not allow such an affront to her national honor to pass without full reparation." The London Times also told us in advance that there was no door left open for explanation or negotiation, and that no possible delay of decision would be allowed. Preparations also were immediately begun for war, and large shipments made of troops and arms for Canada, as if we were to be driven into war and no way left open for any peaceful settlement of the difficulty. Indeed, if the tone of the press, the spirit of diplomatic correspondence, the preparation for war on the part of the British government, were an indication of the temper of that people, it seemed as if they desired war, and would provoke us into it if possible.

And what was this astonishing violation of the neutrality laws of nations and gross insult to national honor which England complained of so confidently and resented so keenly? As it appeared to us at the time, it seemed as if we had enough in the exigencies of our condition; in the true meaning and spirit of neutrality law; in the principles and practice of Great Britain, and in the character of the prisoners taken as our own subjects, engaged in a plot to overthrow the government, and enlist foreign nations in aid of such a conspiracy; to justify our procedure. Therefore it was not strange that the act was generally commended by the press and rejoiced over by the people, so that Captain Wilkes, as soon as he reached Boston and had seen his prisoners safely shut up in Fort Warren, accepted a public reception in Faneuil Hall, and was judged worthy to be made an admiral.* He had taken from the ship of a neutral nation, which had no right to help our enemies carry on war against us, " officers and dispatches" of the enemy which were as much "contraband

*Though the government could not properly bestow upon him such promotion when he had neglected to have his act justified by an admiralty court, or out of the proper order of promotion, he was soon after made commodore for distinguished service, and several years later, when upon the retired list, a rear admiral.