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310

PERIOD VI. 1861-1880. THE GREAT REBELLION.

   57. All the vessels in the rebel navy were soon surrendered, except the SketchShenandoah, whose commander, Captain Waddell, refused to credit the news of the fall of the Confederacy, and continued for some months a destructive cruise among the American whalemen in the North Pacific. At length he sailed to England, and gave up his vessel to the British authorities, by whom it was transferred to the United States.
   58.
When Jefferson Davis2 fled from Richmond, he hurried southward. Near Irwinville, Georgia, the fugitive was surprised in his tent, and, attempting to escape, disguised in a cloak and shawl, was captured, May 11. He was conveyed to Fortress Monroe, a prisoner, to await his trial for treason. This was the end of the Southern Confederacy.
   59. Thus closed this wicked war. Forced upon the government by the restless ambition of designing men, the loyal people engaged in it in defence of the Union and the Constitution, and to avert the greater calamity of continuous strife between petty states. Begun by some of the slave states in jealousy of the growing political power of the free states, it has left the north rich and strong, and reduced the south to poverty;3 begun to divide the Union, it has bound the states indissolubly together by the strong arm of the national authority; begun to perpetuate the system of human bondage, it has struck the chains from every American slave.
   60. The government now began rapidly to adapt itself to a state of peace. Steps were at once taken to remove the blockade, and to reduce the army and navy.
   At the close of the war there were in the army over a million of men, and in the navy over fifty thousand. Within a few months, more than four fifths of these forces had been discharged. Scarcely less wonderful than the alacrity with which peaceful citizens rushed to arms in the time of their country's peril were the ease and rapidity with which this immense number of men resumed the vocations of civil life.


   1 see p. 301, ¶ 34.     2 See p. 307, ¶ 50.
   3 Notwithstanding the great destruction of life occasioned by the war, the loyal states threw a vote for president, in 1864, larger by more than 140,000 than the vote thrown by the same states for president in 1860. A southern historian [Pollard] says that the war "closed on a spectacle of ruin the greatest of modern times. There were eleven great states lying prostrate; their capital all absorbed; their fields desolate; their towns and cities ruined; their public works torn to pieces by armies; their system of labor overturned; the fruits of the toll of generations all swept into a chaos of destruction." In illustration of the poverty of the south, produced by the war, the same historian cites the case of South Carolina. By the census of 1860 the property of this state, including slaves, was valued at $400,000,000. The war swept away three fourths of this, and what was left consisted chiefly of lands which had fallen immensely in value.
   4 See p. 311, note 1.
   5 See p. 241. ¶¶ 3, 4. "After the disasters on the Peninsula in 1862, over eighty thousand troops were enlisted, organized, armed, equipped, and sent to the field in less than a month. Sixty thousand troops have repeatedly gone to the field within four weeks. Ninety thousand infantry


   QUESTIONS. -- 57. What is said of the rebel navy? Of the Shenandoah? 58. What of Jefferson Davis's fight and capture? 59. For what purpose had the loyal people engaged in this war? What is said of the cause of the war, and the result? 60. To what did the government now begin to adapt itself? What steps were at once taken? -- What is said of the number of men in the Army and the navy at the close of the war? What of the reduction of these forces?


JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION.

311

   61. The cost of the war, in life and treasure, was immense. Probably three millions of men were, for a longer or shorter time, drawn from their ordinary occupations to recruit the armies of both sections.1 On the Union side not less than three hundred thousand men were either killed in battle, or died of wounds received or of diseases contracted in the service. If, as is probable, the mortality among the rebels was as great, six hundred thousand men perished by this unhappy war. It may be presumed that four hundred thousand more were


were sent to the army from the five states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin within twenty days."-- Report of the Secretary of War.
   
1 The following tables of the Union forces are compiled from the Report of the Provost-Marshal General, of March 17, 1866: --

NUMBER OF MEN FURNISHED BY EACH STATE

NUMBER OF MEN CALLED FOR, PERIODS OF

   AND TERRITORY, FROM APRIL 15, 1861, TO

   SERVICE, AND NUMBER OF MEN OBTAINED,

   JUNE 30, 1865.

   UNDER EACH CALL, TO JUNE 30, 1865.

Men fur-
Paid com-

Number
Periods
Number

States and Territories.

nished
mutation.

Date of Call.

called for
of service.
obtained

Maine

69,738

2,007

April 15, 1861,

75,000

3 mos.

93,326

New Hampshire,

33,913

692

May 3, 1861,

82,748

3 yrs.

714,231

Vermont,

33,272

1,974

July 22 & 25, 1861

500,000

Massachusetts,

146,467

5,318

May & June, 1862:

3 MOS.

15,007

Rhode Island,

23,248

463

July 2, 1862,

300,000

3 yrs.

431,958

Connecticut,

55,755

1,515

August 4,1862,

300,000

9 mos.

87,588

New York,

445,959

18,197

June 15, 1863,

100,000

6 mos.

16,361

New Jersey,

75,315

4,196

October 17, 1863,

300,000

3 yrs.

374,807

Pennsylvania,

338,155

28,171

February 1, 1864,

200,000

Delaware,

12,265

1,386

March 14, 1864,

200,000

3 yrs.

284,021

Maryland,

46,053

3,678

April 23,1864,

85,000

100 days.

83,652

West Virginia,

32,003

July 18, 1864,

500,000

1, 2, 3 yrs

384,882

District of Columbia,

16,534

338

December 19, 1864

300,000

1, 2, 3 yrs

204,568

Ohio,

310,654

6,479

Indiana,

194,363

784

Totals,

2,942,748

2,690,401

Illinois,

258,162

55

Michigan,

88,111

2,008

Wisconsin,

91,021

5,097

   The calls of October ??3, and February 1,

Minnesota,

24,002

1,032

1864, were combined, and the product of the

Iowa,

75,793

67

draft of July, 1863, was credited thereon.

Missouri,

108,773

  In addition to the above number. 63,322 men

Kentucky,

75,275

3,265

were obtained, chiefly from the territories and

Kansas,

20,095

2

the rebellious states, under different calls, and

Tennessee,

31,092

for various periods of service.

Arkansas,

8,289

  The whole number of men obtained by draft

North Carolina,

3,156

was 168,649. The whole number of colored

California,

15,725

troops obtained was 186,097.

Nevada,

1,080

Oregon,

1,810

Washington Territory,

964

Nebraska Territory,

3,157

STRENGTH OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY,

Colorado Territory,

4,903

AT VARIOUS DATES.

Dakota Territory,

206

New Mexico Territory,

6,561

Date.

Present.
Absent
Total.

Alabama

2,576

Florida,

1,290

January 1. 1861,

14,663

1,704

16,367

Louisiana,

5,224

July 1, 1861,

183,588

3,163

186,751

Mississippi

545

January 1, 2

527,204

48,713

575,917

Texas

1,965

January 1. 1863,

698,802

219,389

918,191

Indian Nations,

3,530

January 1, 1864,

611,250

249,487

860,737

January 1. 1865,

620,924

338,536

959,460

Totals

2,666,999

86,724

May 1, 1865,

797,807

202,709

1,000,516


QUESTIONS -- 61. What is said of the cost of the war? Of the number engaged in the armies of both sections? Of the number that perished on both sides? Of the number crippled or disabled for life?

312

PERIOD VI. 1861-1880. THE GREAT REBELLION.

crippled or disabled for life. Near the close of the war, its cost to the loyal people, in money, Sketchreached the immense amount of three and a half millions a day.1 When the struggle ended, the nation was encumbered with a debt of near three thousand millions of dollars.2
   If to this we add the sums expended by the insurgents, the war expenses of states, counties, and towns, of benevolent organizations and individuals, the loss from withdrawing so many men from the pursuits of productive industry, and the property destroyed by the armies and navies, the pecuniary cost of the war will be found to far exceed twice the amount of the debt.3
   62. The national credit was well sustained. The vast expenses of the war were met by the government with promptitude, and supported by the loyal people with cheerfulness. In addition to the customary sources of revenue, recourse was had to loans of various forms, which were readily taken up by the people,4 and to direct taxation.
   By the first day of January, 1862, the banks had suspended specie payment. Congress authorized the secretary of the treasury to make large issues of United States notes, afterwards known as Greenbacks, which were made legal tender, and soon became the principal circulating medium of the country. Silver and gold commanded a premium, and before long ceased to be in general use.5 Postage stamps, and in some localities omnibus tickets, ferry tickets, bankers' and traders' checks, came into circulation and passed current as small change, till at length Congress authorized the issue of paper money of denominations less than a dollar, called fractional currency. During the war national banks were established, and their notes, known as national currency, secured by government bonds, supplanted other bank paper as a circulating medium.
   63. The rebel finances were by no means in so flourishing a condition. Confederate credit soon began to depreciate, and


   1 The expenditures of the government for the year ending July 1, 1862, the first entire fiscal year of the war, were about $475,000,000, or more than $1,300,000 per day; for the year ending July 1, 1865, they were about $1,290,000,000 or more than $3,500,000 per day. The expenditure of the government during the last year of the war were more than the whole expenditures of the government from the inauguration of Washington to the inauguration of Buchanan!
   
2 January 1, 1866, the national debt was $2,749,491,745.
   
3 This estimate does not include the value of emancipated slaves.
   
4 At times during the war, and after its close, the securities of the United States were much sought for and freely purchased abroad, but not till the people at home had, by subscribing for them, testified their confidence in them and given them value.
   
5 At one time (July, 1864) the depreciation of the paper currency was so great that two dollars and ninety cents, in paper, would buy only one dollar in gold.

   QUESTIONS. -- What was the daily cost of the war near its close? The debt, when this struggle ended? -- What further is said of the pecuniary cost of the war? 62. What is said of the national credit? How were the expenses of the war met by the government and supported by the people? To what was recourse had? -- What is said of the banks? What soon became the principal circulating medium? What of silver and gold? What of fractional currency, and other substitutes for small change? What of national banks? 63. What is said of the rebel finances? Of Confederate credit?


JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION.

313

cotton, the great staple on which the rebels depended to meet their obligations abroad, was kept at home by the Federal blockade. When in Washington it took a dollar and a half in United States notes to buy a dollar in gold, it took ten dollars, in Richmond, in the notes issued by the Confederacy, to buy the same. Before the collapse of the rebellion, Confederate notes had become almost worthless.
   64. In the third year of the wax, loud complaints began to be made in the north of the treatment of Union prisoners in the hands of the rebels. These, unfortunate captives were crowded into filthy and unwholesome rooms, as at Libby Prison, in Richmond; or in shelterless prison-pens, as at Andersonville, Georgia. The last became especially notorious throughout the north, on account of the number of prisoners held there, and their deplorable condition. The food given them was insufficient in quantity and loathsome in quality. In a region of forests, they were mainly unprovided with shelter or fuel to protect themselves from the vicissitudes of the weather. Thousands perished who would have lived had they received the treatment which humanity accords to prisoners of war.
   65. It is a relief to turn from these cruelties and notice the charitable organizations which the war called forth, and the liberal contributions which, while the nation was bearing this heavy burden, were made to relieve human suffering and to promote human advancement, Among the former are the Sanitary Commission and the Christian Commission, private philanthropic associations in the loyal states, whose expenditures amounted to many millions, and whose agents were found in every Union camp and hospital and on every battle-field, supplying to both the Federal and Confederate sick the care, comforts, and delicacies which the government could not furnish, and administering Christian instruction and consolation to all who would accept them. To these must be added the Union Commission, which successfully labored to succor the people of the regions desolated by the war, and the Freedmen's Aid Societies, which were active and efficient in affording aid and instruction to the freedmen. The better to attend to this class, as well as to destitute whites at the south, the government, at the close of the war, established a Freedmen's Bureau, and placed it under the charge of General Howard.1 Contributions to all established charities, and to religious and literary institutions, were, during the war, more liberal than ever before; and a ship-load of provisions was, during the same period, sent to the starving operatives of England.


   1 See p. 300, ¶ 31.

   QUESTIONS. -- What is said of Confederate notes? 64. What can you tell of the treatment of Union prisoners? 65. What is said of charitable organizations and contributions? Of the Sanitary and the Christian Commissions? Of the union commission and the Freedmen's Aid Societies? For what purpose was the Freedmen's Bureau established, and under whose charge was it placed? What further is said of contributions?
   27


314

PERIOD VI. 1861-1880. THE GREAT REBELLION.

   IV. FROM THE CLOSE OF THE WAR TO THE CLOSE OF THE PERIOD. -- PEACE:. -- RECONSTRUCTION.-- 1. The war being over, the government addressed itself to the work of Sketchreconstruction. Before the end of May President Johnson issued a Proclamation of Amnesty to all rebels who would take an oath to support the government, except to certain specified classes, and permitting and encouraging even these to apply for pardon.
   2. In Virginia a loyal government had continued throughout the rebellion; but, after the separation of West Virginia,1 its authority extended only over the small part of the state occupied by the Federal armies. In Tennessee a loyal government had been established, supplanting that instituted by Andrew Johnson, as military governor.2 In Louisiana and Arkansas loyal governments had been organized, under a proclamation of amnesty issued by President Lincoln in 1863. These governments were recognized by President Johnson as proper governments for these four states. For the other rebellious states the president appointed provisional governors, empowered to call conventions for the purpose of establishing loyal governments. These states were required to rescind their ordinances of secession,3 declare void all debts contracted in support of the rebellion, and vote to adopt an amendment to the Constitution, proposed by Congress, abolishing slavery.4 These requirements were complied with.
   3. When Congress met in December, it became apparent that an unhappy difference existed between the majority of that body and the president in respect to the restoration of the rebel states to their former political rights. The president claimed that these states, by accepting the conditions he had proposed, had manifested a desire to return to their allegiance, and were entitled at once to representation in Congress, and to all their former rights in the Union. Congress maintained that


   1 See p. 285, ¶ 76. 2 See p. 255, ¶ 6.
   3 South Carolina and Georgia declared the secession ordinance "repealed " Florida "annulled;" Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas, "null and void;" North Carolina, that it "is now, and at all times both been, null and void."
   4 See Appendix, p. 17, Art. XIII., Amendments Const. U. S.


   QUESTIONS. -- 1. To what did the government now address itself? What proclamation did the president issue? 2. What of loyal government in Virginia? In Tennessee? in Louisiana and Arkansas? How were these governments recognized by the president? What steps were taken to establish loyal governments in the other rebellious states? 3. What became apparent on the meeting of Congress? What did the president claim? What did Congress maintain?


JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION.

315

they should not be fully restored until suitable protection had been secured to the freedmen, and proper precaution had been taken againstSketch admitting rebels to a participation in the government. During the session an amendment to the Constitution was proposed to the legislatures of the states, by which Congress hoped to secure these objects.1 Before the close of the session Tennessee ratified this amendment, and senators and representatives from that state were admitted to seats in the national legislature.
   4.
With characteristic industry, energy, and zeal the American people now set about effacing the stains of the conflict. At the south, labor began rapidly to adapt itself to its new condition, and a considerable immigration from the free states aided to repair the ruin of war. A striking evidence of the immense resources of the nation may be found in the fact that even before all the extra troops called into service had been disbanded, the national debt had been diminished (July 1, 1866) more than thirty-one millions of dollars.
   5.
For some years there had existed a secret organization of Irishmen known as the Fenian Brotherhood, having for its object the overthrow of British power in Ireland. In May, 1866, large numbers of the Brotherhood in the United States collected on the northern frontier to attempt an invasion of Canada. A considerable body crossed over into Canada from Buffalo, June 1, but were driven back after some skirmishing with the Canadian troops. Some days later another body of Fenians crossed over from St. Albans, Vermont, and met with the same fate. A proclamation was issued by the president, denouncing the enterprise; and this, with the activity of General Meade2 commanding the national forces on the border, put a stop to this attempt against a power with which the United States were at peace, and at the same time gave Great Britain a much-needed lesson in international justice, courtesy, and good faith.
   6. The year 1866 witnessed the establishment of telegraphic communication between Europe and America, by means of the Atlantic cable.3 The two continents are chiefly indebted for the successful completion of this great undertaking to


   1 This amendment embraces the following principles: 1. Equal civil rights shall be guaranteed to all, without regard to race or color; 2. Representation in each state shall be in proportion to the number of voters; 3. No man who broke his civil oath to engage in rebellion shall hold office or vote for president till permitted by special act of Congress; 4. The national debt, including bounties and pensions to soldiers, shall be held inviolable; 5. The rebel debt shall be held illegal and void; 6. No compensation shall be allowed for emancipated slaves. See Appendix, p. 17, Art. XIV., Amendments Const. U. S. See p. 318, ¶ 14.   2 See p. 291, ¶ 10.
   3 The main cable is eighteen hundred and sixty-six miles in length, extending from Valentia, Ireland, to Heart's content, Newfoundland, from which points, by shorter lines, it extends to the continent of America and to Great Britain and the continent of Europe.


   QUESTIONS. -- What was proposed during the session, and for what purpose? What is said of Tennessee? 4. What did the American people now set about? What is said of labor at the south? Of immigration? What evidence can you give of the immense resources of the nation? 5. What is said of the Fenians, and their attempted invasion of Canada? What was the action of the United States government? 6. What is said of the Atlantic cable?


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