NEWS OF THE WAR: Highly Interesting from the Federal Capital: Disposition of the Troops There; A Government Censorship of Telegraphic Dispatches (5/1/1861)

New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 5/1/1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

OUR WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April 30.

Senator HUNTER, W.C. RIVES, W.D. PRESTON, Judge CAMDEN and BROCKENBROUGH have been appointed by the Virginia Convention as delegates to the Southern Congress.

The report of the release of Gen. HARNEY by the Gov. of Virginia, is verified. This, however, is a matter of indifference in Administration circles. He has arrived in Washington.

The Virginia Convention has passed an ordinance establishing the Navy of Virginia and authorizing the banks to issue one and two dollar notes.

The Navy Department is to put sea-going vessels on their guard.

The light-houses at Cape Henry and Charles show no lights.

A schooner is sunk in five fathoms of water about six miles north of the Wolf Trap light-ship in the Chesapeake Bay.

The light-boat off Windmill Point has been removed.

Also the light-boat at Smith's Point.

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April 30.

Notwithstanding the large number of troops new in Washington, and although many of them are permitted to have full range of the streets during the day, nothing whatever approaching to even a slight disturbance of the peace, has occurred in any locality. They all seem to be united in a common object: namely, the protection of the Government and the Capital, irrespective of the political views by which, at their homes, they may be divided.

Ladies of the city have tendered their services as hospital nurses should such services be necessary, while some of them are preparing lint, in the possible contingency that it may be needed, although there is no present apprehension on that point.

So far as can be ascertained, all the troops cheerfully perform every duty imposed upon them.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3955086/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

News of the War: Highly Interesting from the Federal Capital – 2-5
Troops for the War – 5
Naval and Military Movements – 5-6
Important from Montgomery: The Secession of Virginia-The Intentions of Jeff. Davis-Washington to be Attacked – 6
Editorial: How the War Shall be Waged – 6-7
Arms for the Rebels – 7
Editorial: A New Method of Warfare – 7
Editorial: A Word to Volunteers – 7-8
Editorial: Volunteer Uniforms – 8
Editorial: Mr. Russell’s First Letter to the London Times – 8-9
The Food of the South – 9
Two Days Later from Europe – 9

[BroJoeK]

"Editorial: A New Method of Warfare – 7"

Our editors are very concerned about ease of sabotage of modern new inventions, especially locomotives and steamships.
Though, curiously, they don't use that obvious word, "sabotage" for it.
It begs for explanation and, lo & behold, here it is:

"The word sabotage is found in 1873–1874 in the Dictionnaire de la langue française of Émile Littré.[3]
Here it is defined mainly as 'making sabots, sabot maker'.
It is at the end of the 19th century that it really began to be used with the meaning of 'deliberately and maliciously destroying property' or 'working slower'.
In 1897, Émile Pouget, a famous syndicalist and anarchist wrote "action de saboter un travail" ('action of sabotaging or bungling a work') in Le Père Peinard[4] and in 1911 he also wrote a book entitled Le Sabotage.[5]"

So, our editors have presented us with a detailed definition of a word which does not, as yet, exist -- sabotage.

It is a word/definition which will concern Union forces throughout the war.

[BroJoeK]

"Editorial: Volunteer Uniforms – 8"

Our editors are wisely concerned about the uniforms soldiers wear, and they have some things right -- uniforms must be simple, quick to put on, "on a surprise", should protect against the elements, should allow for ease of movement and should not include bright colors, or anything else which might catch the eye of a sharpshooter at a distance.

They are also right about the colors -- "The different shades of grey, light blue and brown are best for uniforms.
Red, black, dark green and dark blue are very unfit for soldiers' wear."

Confederates seem to have taken this advice, the Union, not so much.

But the single biggest point about Civil War uniforms, which our editors entirely overlook, is exactly that: they must, must be uniform.
In the heat & smoke of battle, any variations in uniforms are easily mistaken -- friend for foe, foe for friend.

I fear this seemingly minor point, here entirely overlooked, may cost the Union a major battle if not corrected...