CONGRESS PASSES WAR MEASURES

1861

Washington to reorganize the Army of the Potomac, demoralized by the defeat of Bull Run. General W. S. Rosecrans succeeded him in his former command.

July 22-25 Congress passed a General Enlistment act, calling into service 500,000 volunteers; the Government was authorized to borrow $250,000,000, and a war tariff was put into effect.

The average imposts on dutiable articles were raised from 19 to 36 per cent, and on total importations from 15 to 28 per cent, by changes in the Morrill Bill; and a bill was passed for a direct tax of $20,000,000 on the States. Congress confiscated all slaves employed by the Confederates for military purposes, as "contraband of war," as General Butler, in command of the Department of Annapolis, styled it. On August 6 Congress adjourned, after having appropriated $207,000,000 for the army and passed seventy-two acts relating to the war.

The Confederate Congress was in session from July 20 to the last day of August. All citizens of border States who should aid the Union were declared to be alien enemies, and so were all citizens of the Confederate States who were not sustaining the Confederacy. All debts and property belonging to alien enemies were confiscated.

Lincoln found his foreign relations very unsatisfactory. England and France were in the main ill-disposed toward the North. Despite the efforts of Seward, Southern privateering received their assent. In October news came that a combined English, French, and Spanish fleet was fitting against Mexico for the purpose of collecting defaulted debts. The Russian Czar, however, declined Napoleon's invitation to join the league, and Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Italy remained friendly to the United States. Seward sent abroad discreet men to set the cause of the Union in a more favorable light. Charles Francis Adams was appointed Minister to

1861

AFFAIR OF THE "TRENT"

England, and served the Union cause there with exceptional ability and firmness.

Mason and Slidell, accredited by the Confederate Government to the Governments of Great Britain and France, were seized on board the English mail steamship "Trent," by Captain Wilkes of the United States sloop "San Jacinto," outside of Havana. Great Britain, through Lord Lyons, sent a demand that the captives should be forthwith released. It was refused. Lord Russell drafted a peremptory ultimatum, but Queen Victoria, on the advice of the Prince Consort, then on his deathbed, overruled her Prime Minister's decision. Seward ultimately announced the liberation of the Commissioners. Europe accepted this act as the strongest proof of a cool and calm direction of affairs. Recognition of Confederate independence was postponed. Every foreign Power except Great Britain excluded privateers from its ports. This policy drew England into a quasi-partnership with the South, for which subsequently she was called to account.

In the West events were less decisive than in the East. It was important for the Union cause to control the basin of the Ohio and Mississippi; and for that object two points were of the first importance, St. Louis and Cairo. Lyon, on May 10, compelled the surrender of the Confederate camp near St. Louis. He steamed up to Jefferson City three days later with 2,000 men, and the State officers fled. On July 22 the Missouri Convention set up a provisional government whose capital was St. Louis. On July 3 Frémont, as Major-General, was appointed by Lincoln to the Department of the West, but proved inefficient. He neglected to secure the safety of Lyon, who was 100 miles from his railroad base. Lyon was killed at the battle at Wilson's Creek on August 10. Sterling Price captured Lexington for the Confederacy and compelled Fort Mulligan to surrender. Frémont took the field with 40,000 men. On October 28 Frémont was super

BATTLE OF BELMONT

1861

seded by General David Hunter, who gave place on November 18 to General Henry W. Halleck.

In Kentucky the new Legislature was for the Union in sentiment. The Federal troops were called upon to aid in expelling Leonidas Polk from Columbus. At Bowling Green there was a Confederate army under A. S. Johnston, and Zollicoffer held the mountain gaps in the east. General Anderson of Fort Sumter fame was in Federal command. He invited two officers who had served at Bull Run to accompany him, William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas. Sherman was sent to St. Louis, and Don Carlos Buell succeeded him. At the same time there appeared the man who was to lead the Union to final victory, Ulysses S. Grant, a former army officer who had distinguished himself in the Mexican war, and who now tendered his services to Governor Yates of Illinois. Grant was made colonel of a half mutinous volunteer regiment. Starting with his men on foot, he marched them to the Missouri River, and fitted them for active service on the way. Late in August he was sent to Cairo, and was soon made Brigadier-General of Volunteers. Columbus was in the hands of Polk. Grant organized an expedition, and, steaming up the Ohio to its junction with the Tennessee, occupied Paducah. On his return, anxious to "do something,” he attacked the Confederates at Belmont, Missouri, but the enemy was too strong, and with great difficulty he reembarked and steamed away.

McClellan reached Washington on July 26, and assumed command the next day. On November 1 he succeeded Scott in command of the armies of the United States, and at once began to display his unusual talent for organization. He had ordered a demonstration in October, with the purpose of forcing the evacuation of Leesburg. At Ball's Bluff an engagement occurred in which Colonel Baker, Senator from Oregon, was killed. Things were very serious, but McClel

1861

CAPTURE OF PORT ROYAL

lan refused to move, and began the procrastinating policy which marked his entire career.

In the meantime important naval expeditions were fitted out. Hatteras and Port Royal on the Southern coast were captured, and the effectiveness of the blockade was constantly increased. New gunboats were rapidly provided. The South had neither ships nor seamen, and her ports were soon closed. In the capture of Port Royal, which made an opening into the heart of the Carolina cotton region, fifty vessels were engaged under Samuel F. Dupont and Thomas W. Sherman.

The year closed with the Confederates hopeful, England inclined to favor their cause, and the prestige of Big Bethel and Bull Run not yet destroyed by any Union victory of comparable effect. But the North had at last begun to realize the magnitude of its task, and to bring to bear those enormous resources which the Confederates could not match.

The peace between China and the foreign Powers compelled a revision of the position at Shanghai. Admiral Hope sailed up to Nanking, and exacted a pledge from the Wangs that Shanghai should not be attacked for twelve months, and that the Taiping force should remain at a distance of thirty miles. Ward and Burgevine were compelled to desist from recruiting Europeans, and were taken into the Emperor's service to drill Chinese soldiers. This was the origin of the Ever-Victorious army, which under Gordon was soon to achieve great and lasting results.

Toward the close of the year the death of Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, on December 15, plunged the British Empire into mourning. In announcing his death to the nation, Victoria confessed herself "the heartbroken Queen of England."

EVENTS OF 1862

Spanish, French, and English Warships Land at Vera Cruz to Enforce Payment of Claims against Mexico-Spain and England Withdraw from Intervention-Ward Wins Successive Victories Over Taipings -He is Killed-Burgevine Succeeds Him-Japanese Outrages on Foreigners Cause English Punitive Expedition-It Burns Kagoshima and Exacts Indemnity from Satsuma-Lorencez Marches on City of Mexico-Juarez Calls Mexicans to Arms-French Suffer Defeat at Puebla Forey Brings Reenforcements-He Supersedes LorencezHe Fights His Way to Puebla-French Bombard Acapulco-Stanton Becomes Federal Secretary of War-Burnside and Goldsborough Take North Carolina Harbors-Curtis (Union) Wins Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark.-Grant (Union) Captures Forts Henry and Donelson, Tenn.-United States Ship "Merrimac" Transformed into Confederate Ironclad "Virginia"-Ericsson Builds Ironclad "Monitor" for Federal Government-"Merrimac" Sinks "Cumberland" and Beaches "Congress" at Hampton Roads, Va.-"Monitor" Arrives and Fights Drawn Battle with "Merrimac"-Farragut and Porter (Union) Fight Their Way Up Mississippi and Land Butler's Troops Butler's Rigorous Government-Union Gunboats and New Orleans Fleet Join Near Vicksburg-A. S. Johnston (Confederate) Forces Grant to the River at Shiloh, Tenn.-Johnston is Killed-Buell Joins Grant and Beauregard is Driven Back to Corinth, Miss.-McClellan (Union) Takes Yorktown, Va., and Forces J. E. Johnston Back to Richmond-Jackson (Confederate) Fights His Way Up the Shenandoah Valley-McClellan and Johnston Fight Drawn Battle of Seven Pines-Lee (Confederate) Takes Command of Army of Northern Virginia-Jackson Eludes Frémont and Shields and Joins Lee Before Richmond-Seven Days' Battle of Lee against McClellan Ends in McClellan's Withdrawal to Harrison's Landing-Lincoln Calls for 300,000 More Volunteers-Pope (Union) is Put in Command of Army of Virginia-He Advances Across the Rappahannock-Jackson Beats Banks at Cedar Mountain-He Flanks Pope-Lee Beats Pope in Second Battle of Bull Run-Kearney (Union) is Killed at Chantilly-Pope is Relieved of Command-Lee Occupies Fredericksburg, Md.-Jackson Takes Harper's Ferry, W. Va.-Lee and McClellan Fight Battle of Antietam, Md.-Lee Withdraws Across Potomac-Lincoln Issues Emancipation Proclamation-Rosecrans (Union) Wins Battle of Corinth, Miss.-Buell (Union) Beats Bragg at Perryville, Ky.-Rosecrans Succeeds Buell-He Beats Bragg at Stone River, Tenn.-Burnside Succeeds McClellan-He Attempts to Cross Rappahannock at Fredericksburg and is Beaten Back by Lee -Hooker Succeeds Burnside-Secretary Chase's Successful Financial Policy-Blockade of Southern Ports Produces Cotton Famine in England.

Ρ

worse.

UBLIC affairs in Mexico were going from bad to Juarez, enlightened ruler that he was, was despised by the Hidalgos on account of his Indian blood, by the higher officials on account of his uncompromising honesty, and by the priests for his outspoken hostility to