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The　Day　of　the　Confederacy；　A　Chronicle　of　the　Embattled　South

by　Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson





CONTENTS

I。　THE　SECESSION　MOVEMENT

II。　THE　DAVIS　GOVERNMENT

III。　THE　FALL　OF　KING　COTTON

IV。　THE　REACTION　AGAINST　RICHMOND

V。　THE　CRITICAL　YEAR

VI。　LIFE　IN　THE　CONFEDERACY

VII。　THE　TURNING　OF　THE　TIDE

VIII。　A　GAME　OF　CHANCE

IX。　DESPERATE　REMEDIES　X。　DISINTEGRATION

XI。　AN　ATTEMPTED　REVOLUTION

XII。　THE　LAST　WORD

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE






THE　DAY　OF　THE　CONFEDERACY

Chapter　I。　The　Secession　Movement

The　secession　movement　had　three　distinct　stages。　The　first；
beginning　with　the　news　that　Lincoln　was　elected；　closed　with　the
news；　sent　broadcast　over　the　South　from　Charleston；　that　Federal
troops　had　taken　possession　of　Fort　Sumter　on　the　night　of　the
28th　of　December。　During　this　period　the　likelihood　of　secession
was　the　topic　of　discussion　in　the　lower　South。　What　to　do　in
case　the　lower　South　seceded　was　the　question　which　perplexed　the
upper　South。　In　this　period　no　State　north　of　South　Carolina
contemplated　taking　the　initiative。　In　the　Southeastern　and　Gulf
States　immediate　action　of　some　sort　was　expected。　Whether　it
would　be　secession　or　some　other　new　course　was　not　certain　on
the　day　of　Lincoln's　election。　Various　States　earlier　in　the　year
had　provided　for　conventions　of　their　people　in　the　event　of　a
Republican　victory。　The　first　to　assemble　was　the　convention　of
South　Carolina；　which　organized　at　Columbia；　on　December　17；
1860。　Two　weeks　earlier　Congress　had　met。　Northerners　and
Southerners　had　at　once　joined　issue　on　their　relation　in　the
Union。　The　House　had　appointed　its　committee　of　thirty…three　to
consider　the　condition　of　the　country。　So　unpromising　indeed　from
the　Southern　point　of　view　had　been　the　early　discussions　of　this
committee　that　a　conference　of　Southern　members　of　Congress　had
sent　out　their　famous　address　To　Our　Constituents：　〃The　argument
is　exhausted。　All　hope　of　relief　in　the　Union　。　。　。　is
extinguished；　and　we　trust　the　South　will　not　be　deceived　by
appearances　or　the　pretense　of　new　guarantees。　In　our　judgment
the　Republicans　are　resolute　in　the　purpose　to　grant　nothing　that
will　or　ought　to　satisfy　the　South。　We　are　satisfied　the　honor；
safety；　and　independence　of　the　Southern　people　require　the
organization　of　a　Southern　Confederacya　result　to　be　obtained
only　by　separate　state　secession。〃　Among　the　signers　of　this
address　were　the　two　statesmen　who　had　in　native　talent　no
superiors　at　WashingtonJudah　P。　Benjamin　of　Louisiana　and
Jefferson　Davis　of　Mississippi。

The　appeal　To　Our　Constituents　was　not　the　only　assurance　of
support　tendered　to　the　convention　of　South　Carolina。　To
represent　them　at　this　convention　the　governors　of　Alabama　and
Mississippi　had　appointed　delegates。　Mr。　Hooker　of　Mississippi
and　Mr。　Elmore　of　Alabama　made　addresses　before　the　convention　on
the　night　of　the　17th　of　December。　Both　reiterated　views　which
during　two　days　of　lobbying　they　had　disseminated　in　Columbia　〃on
all　proper　occasions。〃　Their　argument；　summed　up　in　Elmore's
report　to　Governor　Moore　of　Alabama；　was　〃that　the　only　course　to
unite　the　Southern　States　in　any　plan　of　cooperation　which　could
promise　safety　was　for　South　Carolina　to　take　the　lead　and　secede
at　once　without　delay　or　hesitation。。。that　the　only　effective
plan　of　cooperation　must　ensue　after　one　State　had　seceded　and
presented　the　issue　when　the　plain　question　would　be　presented　to
the　other　Southern　States　whether　they　would　stand　by　the
seceding　State　engaged　in　a　common　cause　or　abandon　her　to　the
fate　of　coercion　by　the　arms　of　the　Government　of　the　United
States。〃

Ten　years　before；　in　the　unsuccessful　secession　movement　of　1850
and　1851；　Andrew　Pickens　Butler；　perhaps　the　ablest　South
Carolinian　then　living；　strove　to　arrest　the　movement　by　exactly
the　opposite　argument。　Though　desiring　secession；　he　threw　all
his　weight　against　it　because　the　rest　of　the　South　was　averse。
He　charged　his　opponents；　whose　leader　was　Robert　Barnwell　Rhett；
with　aiming　to　place　the　other　Southern　States　〃in　such
circumstances　that；　having　a　common　destiny；　they　would　be
compelled　to　be　involved　in　a　common　sacrifice。〃　He　protested
that　〃to　force　a　sovereign　State　to　take　a　position　against　its
consent　is　to　make　of　it　a　reluctant　associate。。。。　Both
interest　and　honor　must　require　the　Southern　States　to　take
council　together。〃

That　acute　thinker　was　now　in　his　grave。　The　bold　enthusiast　whom
he　defeated　in　1851　had　now　no　opponent　that　was　his　match。　No
great　personality　resisted　the　fiery　advocates　from　Alabama　and
Mississippi。　Their　advice　was　accepted。　On　December　20；　1860；
the　cause　that　ten　years　before　had　failed　was　successful。　The
convention；　having　adjourned　from　Columbia　to　Charleston；　passed
an　ordinance　of　secession。

Meanwhile；　in　Georgia；　at　a　hundred　meetings；　the　secession　issue
was　being　hotly　discussed。　But　there　was　not　yet　any　certainty
which　way　the　scale　would　turn。　An　invitation　from　South　Carolina
to　join　in　a　general　Southern　convention　had　been　declined　by　the
Governor　in　November。　Governor　Brown　has　left　an　account
ascribing　the　comparative　coolness　and　deliberation　of　the　hour
to　the　prevailing　impression　that　President　Buchanan　had　pledged
himself　not　to　alter　the　military　status　at　Charleston。　In　an
interview　between　South　Carolina　representatives　and　the
President；　the　Carolinians　understood　that　such　a　pledge　was
given。　〃It　was　generally　understood　by　the　country；〃　says
Governor　Brown；　〃that　such　an　agreement。。。had　been　entered
Into。。。and　that　Governor　Floyd　of　Virginia；　then　Secretary　of
War；　had　expressed　his　determination　to　resign　his　position　in
the　Cabinet　in　case　of　the　refusal　of　the　President　to　carry　out
the　agreement　in　good　faith。　The　resignation　of　Governor　Floyd
was　therefore　naturally　looked　upon；　should　it　occur；　as　a　signal
given　to　the　South　that　reinforcements　were　to　be　sent　to
Charleston　and　that　the　coercive　policy　had　been　adopted　by　the
Federal　Government。〃

While　the　〃canvass　in　Georgia　for　members　of　the　State　convention
was　progressing　with　much　interest　on　both　sides；〃　there　came
suddenly　the　news　that　Anderson　had　transferred　his　garrison　from
Fort　Moultrie　to　the　island　fortress　of　Sumter。　That　same　day
commissioners　from　South　Carolina；　newly　arrived　at　Washington；
sought　in　vain　to　persuade　the　President　to　order　Anderson　back
to　Moultrie。　The　Secretary　of　War　made　the　subject　an　issue
before　the　Cabinet。　Unable　to　carry　his　point；　two　days　later　he
resigned。*

*　The　President　had　already　asked　for　Floyd's　resignation　because
of　financial　irregularities；　and　Floyd　was　shrewd　enough　to　use
Anderson's　coup　as　an　excuse　for　resigning。　See　Rhodes；　〃History
of　the　United　States；〃　vol。　II　pp。　225；　236　（note）。

The　Georgia　Governor；　who　had　not　hitherto　been　in　the　front　rank
of　the　aggressives；　now　struck　a　great　blow。　Senator　Toombs　had
telegraphed　from　Washington　that　Fort　Pulaski；　guarding　the
Savannah　River；　was　〃in　danger。〃　The　Governor　had　reached　the
same　conclusion。　He　mustered　the　state　militia　and　seized　Fort
Pulaski。　Early　in　the　morning　on　January　3；1861；　the　fort　was
occupied　by　Georgia　troops。　Shortly　afterward；　Brown　wrote　to　a
commissioner　sent　by　the　Governor　of　Alabama　to　confer　with　him：
〃While　many　of　our　most　patriotic　and　intelligent　citizens　in
both　States　have　doubted　the　propriety　of　immediate　secession；　I
feel　quite　confident　that　recent　events　have　dispelled　those
doubts　from　the　minds　of　most　men　who　have；　till　within　the　past
few　days；　honestly　sustained　them。〃　The　first　stage　of　the
secession　movement　was　at　an　end；　the　second　had　begun。

A　belief　that　Washington　had　entered　upon　a　policy　of　aggression
swept　the　lower　South。　The　state　conventions　assembling　about
this　time　passed　ordinances　of　secessionMississippi；　January　9；
Florida；　January　10；　Alabama；　January　11；　Georgia；　January　19；
Louisiana；　January　26；　Texas；　February　1。　But　this　result　was　not
achieved　without　considerable　opposition。　In　Georgia　the
Unionists　put　up　a　stout　fight。　The　issue　was　not　upon　the　right
to　secedevirtually　no　one　denied　the　rightbut　upon　the　wisdom
of　invoking　the　right。　Stephens；　gloomy　and　pessimistic；　led　the
opposition。　Toombs　came　down　from　Washington　to　take　part　with
the　secessionists。　From　South　Carolina　and　Alabama；　both
ceaselessly　active　for　secession；　commissioners　appeared　to　lobby
at　Milledgeville；　as　commissioners　of　Alabama　and　Mississippi　had
lobbied　at　Columbia。　Besides　the　out…and…out　Unionists；　there
were　those　who　wanted　to　temporize；　to　threaten　the　North；　and　to
wait　for　developments。　The　motion　on　which　these　men　and　the
Unionists　made　their　last　stand　together　went　against　them　164　to
133。　Then　at　last　came　the　square　question：　Shall　we　secede？　Even
on　this　question；　the　minority　was　dangerously　large。　Though　the
temporizers　came　over　to　the　secessionists；　and　with　them　came
Stephens；　there　was　still　a　minority　of　89　irreconcilables
against　the　majority　numbering　208。

〃My　allegiance；〃　said　Stephens　afterwards；　〃was；　as　I　considered
it；　not　due　to　the　United　States；　or　to　the　people　of　the　United
States；　but　to　Georgia；　in　her　sovereign　capacity。　Georgia　had
never　parted　with　her　right　to　demand　the　ultimate　allegiance　of
her　citizens。〃

The　attempt　in　Georgia　to　restrain　impetuosity　and　advance　with
deliberation　was　paralleled　in　Alabama；　where　also　the
aggressives　were　determined　not　to　permit　delay。　In　the　Alabama
convention；　the　conservatives　brought　forward　a　plan　for　a
general　Southern　convention　to　be　held　at　Nashville　in　February。
It　was　rejected　by　a　vote　of　54　to　45。　An　attempt　to　delay
secession　until　after　the　4th　of　March　was　defeated　by　the　same
vote。

The　determination　of　the　radicals　to　precipitate　the　issue
received　interesting　criticism　from　the　Governor　of　Texas；　old
Sam　Houston。　To　a　commissioner　from　Alabama　who　was　sent　out　to
preach　the　cause　in　Texas　the　Governor　wrote；　in　substance；　that
since　Alabama　would　not　wait　to　consult　the　people　of　Texas　he
saw　nothing　to　discuss　at　that　time；　and　he　went　on　to　say：

Recognizing　as