GIDEON WELLES.
Secretary of the Navy throughout Mr. Lincoln’s Administration.
SIMON CAMERON.
Secretarj־׳ of War from March 4,1861, until Jan. 15,1862. From a photograph.
“ Then, Mr. President,” I replied, “ the District Attorney has advised your Excellency very badly.”
“ But, Colonel, the District Attorney is an old resident of Washington, and he knows all the little jealousies which exist here. He tells me that you have organized a company from the Northern Liberty Eire Company.”
“ Not only one, but two excellent companies in the Northern Liberty, your Excellency.”
“ And then, the District Attorney tells me you have organized another company from among the members of the Lafayette Hose Company.”
“Yes, your Excellency, another excellent company.”
“And the District Attorney tells me,
Colonel, that there is a strong feeling of enmity between those fire-companies, and, if arms are put in their hands, there will be danger of bloodshed in the city.”
“Will your Excellency excuse me if I say that the District Attorney talks nonsense, or worse, to you? If the Northern Liberties and the Lafayette Hose men wish to fight, can they not procure hundreds of arms in the shops along the avenue ? Be assured, Mr. President, that the people of this District are thinking now of other things than old ward feuds.
They are thinking whether or not the Government of the United States is to allow itself to crumble out of existence by its own weakness. And I believe that the District Attorney knows that as well as I do. If the companies of volunteers are not armed, they will disband, and the Government will have nothing to protect it in case of even a little disturbance. Is it not better for the public peace, your Excellency, even if the bloody feud exists (which I believe is forgotten in a greater question), — is it not better to have these men organized and under the discipline of the Government?”
The President hesitated a moment, and then said :
“ I don’t know that yon are not right, Colonel; but you must take the responsibility on you that no bloodshed results from arming these men.”
I willingly accepted this responsibility. The prohibitory order was revoked. My companies received their arms, and made good use of them, learning the manual of arms in a surprisingly short time. Later, they made good use of them in sustaining the Government which had furnished them against the faction which soon became its public enemy, including Mr. Robert Ould, who, following his convictions (no doubt as honestly as I was following mine), gave his earnest services to his State against the Federal Government.
I think that the country has never properly appreciated the services of those District of Columbia volunteers. It certainly has not appreciated the difficulties surmounted in their organization. Those volunteers were citizens of the Federal District, and therefore had not at the time, nor have they ever had since, the powerful stimulant of State feeling, nor the powerful support of a State government, a State’s pride, a State press to set forth and make much of their services.
These gentlemen probably little thought that a full report of their remarks would be read the next morning by “Old Stone ” to the General-in-Chief. . . .
I must now go back a little in time, to mention one fact which will show in how weak and dangerous a condition our Government was in the latter part of January and the early part of February, 1861. The invitations which I had issued for the raising of companies of volunteers had, as already stated, been enthusiastically responded to, and companies were rapidly organized. The preparatory drills were carried on every night, and I soon found that the men were sufficiently advanced to receive their arms. I began to approve the requisitions for arms; but, to my great astonishment, the captains who first received the orders came back to me, stating that the Ordnance Department had refused to issue any arms! On referring to the Ordnance Office, I was informed by the Chief of Ordnance that he had received, the day before, an order not to issue any arms to the District of Columbia troops, and that this order had come from the President!
I went immediately to the Secretary of War (Mr. Holt) and informed him of the state of affairs, telling him at the same time that I did not feel disposed to be employed in child’s play, organizing troops which could not be armed, and that unless the order in question should be immediately revoked there was no use for me in my place, and that I must at once resign. Mr. Holt told me that I was perfectly right; that unless the order should be revoked there was no use in my holding my place, and he added, with a smile, “And I will also say, Colonel, there will be no use in my holding my place any longer. Go to the President, Colonel, and talk to him as you have talked to me.”
I went to the White House, and was received by Mr. Buchanan. I found him sitting at his writing-table, in his dressing-gown, wearied and worried.
I opened at once the subject of arms, and stated the necessity of immediate issue, as the refusal of arms would not only stop the instruction of the volunteers, which they needed sadly, but would make them lose all confidence in the Government and break up the organizations. I closed by saying that, while I begged his pardon for saying it, in ease he declined to revoke his order I must ask him to accept my resignation at once.
Mr. Buchanan was evidently in distress of mind, and said:
“Colonel, I gave that order acting on the advice of the District Attorney, Mr. Robert Ould.”
SALMON P. CHASE.
Secretary of the Treasury from the beginning of Mr. Lincoln’s Administration until July 1,1864.
HANNIBAL HAMLIN.
Vice-President of the United States from March 4, 1861, to March 4, 1865. (From a photograph.)
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