THE GREAT REBELLION: Expiration of the Twenty Days’ Grace for the Rebels; All the Southern Ports to be Blockaded in a Week; Editorial: The Road to the Capital (5/5/1861)

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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Saturday, May 4.

The policy of the Administration relative to the secession rebellion is beginning to crystallize in definite acts. To-day expires the twenty days' grace within which the President's proclamation warned the rebels to disperse, and we shall now immediately have practical demonstrations that his words are to be followed up by deeds.

The Virginia Secessionists, whose spies here are vigilant, have satisfied themselves that there is trouble abroad for them, and they are racing about from point to point in evident panic, without organization, or any apparent and definite object in view, except to drink bad whisky and curse "ABE LINCOLN." At no one point have they concentrated any considerable body of well-armed and equipped troops.

Alexandria has become suddenly quiet. It is rumored, apparently on good authority, that the New-York Twelfth and Seventy-first Regiments are to be sent down to occupy that city on Monday next. The prohibition of exportation of provisions to Washington has been rescinded, the Alexandirians already smelling a huge rat.

The Maryland news is better again to day. Official advices are that the Assembly will reject the bill putting the State into the hands of a Secessionist Committee of safety. The entire Baltimore delegation, elected especially and without opposition, for the very purpose of passing a secession ordinance, oppose it unanimously. So much for exhibition of back bone on the part of the Government.

Respectable Baltimoreans arrived to-day, report the condition of affairs in that city as truly lamentable. Not a single guest had crossed the threshold of the Butaw House in forty-eight hours.

Coal had risen to fourteen and fifteen dollars per ten, because the usual shipments have all been stopped by the secession excitement. Many other necessaries were advancing in anticipation of a short supply.

[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/3956129/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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5

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Great Rebellion: Highly Important News from Washington – 2-3
Privateering at New-Orleans – 3
Union Feeling in Western Virginia – 3
Important from Cairo, Ill. – 3-4
The Blockade of Norfolk Harbor – 4
Enlistments in Canada – 4
Balloon Service – 4
A Novel Battery – 4
Fort Pickens – 4
Editorial: The Road to the Capital – 4
Editorial: Light Cannon vs. Rifles – 4-5
Editorial: Affairs in Maryland – 5
Editorial: Whiskey Brisk! – 5
It’s a Way They Have – 5

[C19fan]

I noticed an article describing towed artillery via steam tractor or even steam powered self-propelled artillery.

That is the stuff of steampunk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2oRo7eb0tQ

[BroJoeK]

Even as we speak, there's a North Carolinian living in Indianapolis, Indiana, working on a machine that sounds remarkably like the ones described here.
His name is Richard G. Gatling (not to be confused with the Gatlin Brothers!)

His invention will look something like this:

For reasons not well understood, Gatling's machine will only be occasionally used and will not much effect this war's outcome.

[BroJoeK]

"Editorial: The Road to the Capital – 4"

Again for DiogenesLamp's benefit I read this editorial which complains about Baltimore's refusal to let railroad lines connect from New York to Washington, DC.
Now here, if ever, there was a need for DiogenesLamp's alleged "Northeastern Power Brokers" to step in and complete the railroad connections to Washington, this is the time, but apparently it's not happening.

So maybe those New York financial interests are not quite as powerful as DL wants us to think?

However, never fear, this is not a problem with the Confederacy which has the same situation as Baltimore in Richmond, Virginia.
As with Baltimore, Richmond railroads don't connect with each other.
But our eagle-eyed editors have noticed that "despotic" Confederates have ordered their Richmond railroad lines be connected and... lo and behold... it's happening right away.

Who knew?
It seems that among Confederate President Jefferson Davis' first actions was to make Richmond railroads run on time.
He may be the first, but won't be the last such.

[C19fan]

The dominant attitude was a smaller rate of fire but aimed was somehow superior to throwing up as much lead as possible. The Unions had breech loading weapons available at the start of the war, for example, Sharps rifles. but retained the traditional muzzle loader.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[BroJoeK]

"Important from Cairo, Ill. – 3-4"

Another reported Confederate threat against Cairo, Illinois.
It will not be the last, indeed, invasion of Illinois is one of Jefferson Davis' pet ideas and will not completely disappear until the Confederacy does.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

John Hay today writes a satirical letter to a Kentucky state senator who sent a complaint to Lincoln about the movement of troops to Cairo. The southerners get indignant when northerners display opposition to them.