USA > Indiana > The soldier of Indiana in the war for the union, Vol. I > Part 53
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"Our division encamped a few days at Silver Springs, eighteen miles from Nashville, and then marched to Rural Hill, where we were attacked one foggy morning by Wheel- er's cavalry, which expected to surprise the camp; but we were ready for anything by daylight. The brigade was en- camped so that the moment the regiments took arms a square was formed. The Eighty-Sixth was on the side on which the attack was made, and the men stood their ground with coolness, though the Rebel shells made an ugly noise and dug up the earth about them.
"On the 20th of November, Lieutenant-Colonel George F. Dick joined the Eighty-Sixth. He had been Major of the Twentieth Indiana, and was hailed with joy as an officer of experience and reputation. His heart almost failed him when he saw our condition. Our march through Kentucky, which was as dry as powder, no water being found sometimes for thirty-six hours, and the weather generally being exces- sively warm, was enough to kill old soldiers, and of course almost ruined our regiment. An hour often fagged the men out and laid them by the roadside. Many were sent back to hospitals; some died along the road; many, who were left behind, found their way home, and were dropped from the rolls as deserters, so that in November we had lost half our number. Colonel Dick, however, lost no time. Beginning with the work of cleaning arms, which scarcely anybody in the regiment understood, he found guns which had been loaded ever since the battle of Perryville.
" On the 26th of November we moved into camp near Nash- ville, where, before the close of the month, the entire army was concentrated."
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CHAPTER XLII.
POLITICAL HISTORY .- THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF INDIANA IN 1861 .- REGULAR SESSION .- CALLED SESSION.
"When the hour strikes for a people, or for mankind, to pass into a new being unseen hands draw the bolts from the gate of futurity; and all sub- duing influences prepare the minds of men for the coming revolution; those who plan resistance find themselves in conflict with the will of Providence, rather than with human devices; and all hearts and all understandings, most of all, the opinions and influences of the unwilling, are wonderfully attracted and compelled to bear forward the change which becomes more an obedience to the law of universal nature than submission to the arbitrament of men."-Bancroft.
A history in detail of the relations of the politics and pol- iticians of Indiana to the rebellion, would exceed the scope of this work; but at the same time the connection between the two is so intimate as to render it impracticable to give anything like a correct view of the efforts put forth by the people of this State in the prosecution of the war, and the difficulties with which they were surrounded, without at least noticing some of the most prominent features in our political history during the same period.
The General Assembly of Indiana met in regular session on the 10th day of January, 1861, after President Buchanan and Attorney General Black had officially proclaimed to the world the impotency of the National Government to preserve itself from destruction. In the Senate, the Republican can- didate for the Presidency of that body was elected, the vote standing twenty-seven to nineteen, and in the House a Re- publican Speaker was elected, the vote standing fifty-nine to thirty-six. These votes sufficiently indicate the political com- plexion of the Legislature. By the death of Governor A. P. Willard in October, 1860, the office of Governor devolved on the Lieutenant Governor. Hon. A. A. Hammond, who,
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GOVERNOR HAMMOND'S MESSAGE.
like Governor Willard, belonged to and had been elected by the Democratic party.
On Friday, January 11th, 1861, Governor Hammond deliv- ered his annual message before the two Houses of the Gen- eral Assembly, met in joint convention. On the 14th day of the same month, the two Houses again assembled in joint convention, and the returns of the votes cast for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, at the preceding Octo- ber election, were opened and published by the Speaker, and the result proclaimed was, that for Governor Henry S. Lane had received 136,720 votes, and Thomas A. Hendricks had received 126,768 votes, and that for Lieutenant-Governor, Oliver P. Morton had received 136,470 votes, and David Turpie had received 126,192 votes.
Hon. Henry S. Lane was thereupon declared to be duly elected Governor, to serve for four years from and after the second Monday in January, 1861, and Hon. Oliver P. Morton was declared to be duly elected Lieutenant-Governor for the same period. Governor Lane thereupon delivered his inau- gural message to the joint convention by whom his election had just been proclaimed.
The messages of Governor Hammond and Governor Lane, delivered only three days apart, may be supposed to afford a correct index to the sentiment at that time of the two great parties to which they respectively belonged.
In discussing the condition of the country, Governor Ham- mond, in imitation of President Buchanan and Attorney General Black, declared the General Government to be "a Government of affection, and not of force." He exhorted the General Assembly "to show to the people of the Confed- eracy that Indiana will maintain the constitutional right of every State in this Union; that she will extend to the South all rights in the Territories belonging to the Government that she would claim for herself; that she will look to the Consti- tution and the laws to determine rights of property, and not permit any moral question to interpose to affect that deter- mination, and that all property recognized by the Constitution and laws should be alike protected."
Governor Lane, in his inaugural, proclaimed the doctrine
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" that secession is treason, and that every citizen of the Union is under an obligation to defend the country and its consti- tution and laws against the attacks of foreign enemies and the assaults of domestic traitors." He gave the assurance that the people of the State, with very few exceptions, were resolved to support the President of the United States in the free exercise of all his constitutional powers with the manli- ness and courage of a free people. And while Governor Lane announced that "if the anti-Democratic, anti-Republi- can position now assumed by a large party at the South be true, that the result of a Presidential election, legally and constitutionally conducted in all respects, is to be held a good reason for a dissolution of the Union," then the Union can only be preserved by a base surrender of the rights of the majority to rule, and by striking down that liberty and equal- ity which the Constitution was ordained and established to guarantee and perpetuate. He at the same time proclaimed that the people of Indiana were in favor of an amicable set- tlement of the existing difficulties between the different parts of the Republic, but that such settlement, to be permanent and final, must be based upon measures equal and just in their operations, and alike honorable to all portions of our common country. The Governor concluded by asserting that there were certain rights (which he enumerated) belong- ing to every citizen of the United States by the laws of God and man, and that these rights would be maintained and per- petuated by the people of the United States in defiance of all opposition, and even by the free use of the sword, if all other means should fail.
The sentiment of the' two parties may also be gathered from the proceedings of the two Houses of the General Assembly at the same session. Early in the session in the Senate a majority of the Committee on Federal Relations, consisting of the Republican members of that committee, reported the following joint resolution, which subsequently passed both Houses of the General Assembly:
" WHEREAS, The peace and harmony of the Republic are so disturbed as to excite in the mind of all patriots the most serious apprehensions of the public welfare,
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COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL RELATIONS.
« And Whereas, It is the duty of all loyal citizens of our beloved country to exert themselves to the utmost to avert the dangers that threaten to overthrow the stability and per- manence of our free institutions, and to remove the cause or causes, if any such exist, that have arrayed one portion of a once united and happy people against the other;
"And, whereas, We duly appreciate the blessings of the Union under the operation and control of the Federal Con- stitution, as they were devised and intended by the fathers of the Republic;
"And, whereas, We regard the dissolution of the Union and the subversion of the Constitution as a calamity so ter- rible in its consequence that we can contemplate it only as a mighty evil, the extent and magnitude of which we can esti- mate when we shall have become a broken, disjointed people, at war among ourselves, and a prey to our enemies;
"And whereas, In view of all these considerations, we, as a part of the people of this Republic, inviolably attached to its government, and owing the most undivided allegiance to all of its lawsenacted by authority, and in compliance with the provisions of its Constitution, do hereby earnestly pledge ourselves, and resolve by the Senate, the House concurring therein, that, as we have not in the past contributed in any degree to bring about the state of things which threatens to result in overwhelming calamity and unparalleled crime, we will not hereafter do any act or acts that will tend to weaken the bands of Union, violate the Constitution of the United States, or oppose or otherwise interfere with any of the laws passed under and by authority of the same.
" Resolved, That the maintainance of the rights of the State, and especially the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to the balance of power on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depends, and that we, as a portion of the people, will abide by and maintain the same in theory and practice; and in view of the fact that several of the States in the Federal Union have placed themselves in an attitude of hostility
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towards the Government, in our opinion, without justifiable cause, therefore,
"Be it resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that all firm, wise, dignified and patriotic measures, having for their object the preservation of the Union and maintainance of the National authority under the Con- stitution of the United States, whether adopted by the present or incoming administration, should be sustained with firmness and determination; and in behalf of the people of the State of Indiana, we hereby pledge to the Federal Government whatever of power or purpose a loyal and patriotic State should contribute in the effort to preserve the only govern- ment on earth wherein the rights of man constitute the foun- dation of its laws and the measure of its civil authority.
" Resolved That the citizens and Representatives of Mary- land, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, who have patriotically resisted the progress of secession, are entitled to our admiration and the gratitude of all other Union-loving citizens."
Simultaneously with the reporting of the above recited joint resolution by the majority of the Committee on Federal Relations, the minority of the members of that committee, consisting of Democrats, made a minority report, in which they dissented from the majority report, because its recom- mendations were equal to the demands of the crisis, and pre- sented in lieu thereof a memorial to Congress, the adoption of which was recommended. This memorial and the accom- panying resolution are too long for insertion here, but its spirit is sufficiently indicated by the following extract, viz:
" While the State of Indiana is firmly attached to the Union of the States, and regards the unbroken peace of the country as an indispensable condition of its continuance, and while she denies the asserted constitutional right to secede from the Federal Union, and while she recognizes a plain duty in the Federal Government to enforce the Federal laws and maintain the Federal supremacy over Federal property, yet she recognizes the duty and the policy of moderation and forbearance on the part of the Federal Government towards tlie seceding States, and at this juncture only the civil powers
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VOTE ON REPORT.
of the Government can safely be used to enforce the laws; and in behalf of the Union and the peaceful enforcement of the laws, the State of Indiana exhorts the National Congress to second by legislation the efforts of the Executive to enforce the laws by civil process; and while the State of Indiana recognizes as the last resort the inalienable right of revolution by a State, for sufficient cause, and while she does not regard the election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency alone as fur- nishing a sufficient cause for revolution, yet, in frankness and justice to her sister States, she is bound to say that the aggregate of grievances which the South has sustained at the hands of the North, including the election of a sectional President, upon a simple anti-slavery issue, does furnish good grounds of alarm to the slave-holding States, and justifies them in demanding concessions and new guarantees for the safety of their institutions."
The memorial then endorses the Crittenden compromise, and prays for its passage, and in the event of its defeat, prays that a National Convention of the States be called to consider amendments to the Constitution of the United States, and in conclusion the memorial asserts "that the solution of the impending calamity is to be found in conciliation and com- promise, and not in the power of the sword,-which, if once drawn, will never be returned until every State in the Union has become a blood stained desert."
On the 23d day of January, 1861, the vote was taken on the preamble and joint resolution reported by the majority of the Committee on Federal Relations, and resulted in their adoption by a vote of twenty-eight to eleven, all of those voting in the affirmative being Republicans, except two, and all of those voting in the negative being Democrats.
February 21,1861, the same joint resolution was put upon its passage in the House, and the result of the vote was that fifty-eight Republicans voted for the preamble and resolu- tions, and twenty-six Democrats voted against them, and six Democrats were present refusing to vote. This joint resolu- tion of the Senate had been referred in the House to a select committee of thirteen, and the Republican majority of that committee had reported it back and recommended its passage.
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The Democratic members of the same committee made a lengthy minority report. Space can only be here afforded for the following significant extract from this minority report, viz:
"They (the minority of the committee) would further say that they believe this Government 'derives its just powers from the consent of the governed,' and that it would become subversive of the very spirit of liberty and natural right to attempt by the strong arm of Federal power, backed up as it would be by the army and navy, to coerce or compel the people of any State or States to remain an integral part of a government they desire to separate from, and that we cannot view but with serious alarm any attempt on the part of the General Government to make vassals and serfs of the freemen of the country, to do homage to a great power at the point of the sabre or bayonet. If such a course should be pursued and be successful, the free citizens of Indiana would have no guarantee of their liberties worth the name; and when a dominant party, placed in power upon the very question which is now disrupting the government, attempts to enforce its political creeds and dogmas at the point of the bayonet and at the connon's mouth, it becomes every freeman to say whether he will stand idly by and see despotism flourish, or whether he shall take the part and espouse the cause of those who shoulder their arms to protect and preserve their rights and liberties. We believe we will be safe in saying that we speak the sentiments of more than one hundred thousand freemen of Indiana that we will not assist in the scheme, that we will not stand idly by, but, remembering the illustrious examples of their fathers, fight to keep the fires of equal rights, justice and liberty."
Accompanying the report from which the above is extracted were five resolutions, the adoption of which were recom- mended. The first of the resolutions named five commis- sioners to the Peace Congress, viz: Henry S. Lane, Caleb B. Smith, William T. Otto, Cyrus L. Dunham and Thomas A. Hendricks; the second endorsed and accepted the Crittenden propositions; the third instructed the Senators and requested the Representatives of Indiana in Congress to use their in- fluence to have said propositions accepted by Congress, and
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PEACE CONVENTION.
that they do all in their power to have a convention of dele- gates to amend the Constitution; the fourth, that the people of Indiana should have an opportunity to express their opin- ions upon said propositions at the ballot-box; and that a law should be passed as soon as possible to allow the people to vote for or against such propositions on the 22d day of Feb- ruary next ensuing.
During the pendency of the minority report in the House, a motion was made by a Democratic Representative to amend that report by adding the following resolution, viz:
" Resolved, That it is impolitic and inexpedient to coerce by force of arms any seceding States."
This resolution was tabled by a vote of fifty-three to thirty- three, those voting for the motion to lay on the table being Republicans, and those voting against the motion being Democrats.
The General Assembly also at the same session adopted a joint resolution, of which the following is a copy :
" WHEREAS, The State of Virginia has transmitted to this State resolutions, adopted by her General Assembly, inviting all such States as are willing to unite with her in an earnest effort to adjust the present unhappy controversies in the spirit in which the Constitution was originally formed, to send com- missioners to meet those appointed by that State in conven- tion, to be held in the city of Washington, on the 4th day of February next, to consider and, if possible, to agree upon some suitable adjustment;
"And whereas, Some of the States to which invitations were extended by the State of Virginia, have already re- sponded and appointed their commissioners, therefore,
" Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That we accept the invitation of the State of Vir- ginia in the true spirit of fraternal feeling, and that the Gov- ernor of this State is hereby directed and empowered to appoint five commissioners to meet the commissioners ap- pointed by our sister States to consult upon the unhappy differences now dividing the country; but the said commis- sioners shall take no action that will commit this State until nineteen of the States (of the Union) are represented, and
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without first having cornmunicated with this General Assem- bly in regard to such action, and having received the authority of the same so to commit the State.
"Resolved, That while we are not prepared to assent to the terms of settlement proposed by the State of Virginia, and are fully satisfied that the Constitution, if fairly interpreted and obeyed, contains ample provision within itself for the correction of the evils complained of, still, with a disposition to reciprocate the patriotic desire of the State of Virginia, and to have harmoniously adjusted all differences existing between the States of the Union, this General Assembly is induced to respond to the invitation of Virginia by the ap- pointment of the commissioners · herein provided for, but as the time fixed for the convention to assemble is so near at hand that the States cannot be represented, it is expected that the commissioners on behalf of this State will insist that the convention adjourn until such time as the States shall have an opportunity of being represented.
" Resolved, That his Excellency, the Governor, be requested to transmit copies of these resolutions to the Executives of each of the States of the Union."
This joint resolution passed the House by a vote of ninety in the affirmative to six in the negative, all the Republican members voting in the affirmative and six Democratic mem- bers voting in the negative.
Two days after the passage of the above recited joint res- olution, twenty-seven Democratic members of the House, who voted in favor of its passage, signed and presented to the House a protest against its passage in these words, to wit:
" The undersigned members of the House of Representa- tives of the State of Indiana, who voted 'aye' upon the passage of House Joint Resolution No. - , providing for the appointment of commissioners to meet the commissioners of other States at Washington, on the 4th of February, 1861, under certain restrictions, do hereby enter their protest against the passage of said resolutions in the shape in which they were passed. They deem it unwise and improper to confer upon the Governor a power which rightly belongs to the representa- tives of the people; that it was wrong and impolitic to
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PEACE CONVENTION.
declare in such resolutions that the General Assembly does not assent to the Virginia basis of settlement, believing as we do that even if the General Assembly would not recognize the innumerable petitions and requests of our constituents in favor of the substance of said basis of compromise, it would have been better to have given no instructions to said com- missioners. And we further protest against the unwise lim- itations in said resolutions as to the number of States to be . represented in the conference. For these reasons we protest against the passage of said resolutions in the manner and form in which they were offered and voted upon. It is scarcely necessary for us to say that we have been and are desirous and anxious that commissioners should be appointed in response to the patriotic call of Virginia, and for that pur- pose we have all labored earnestly and zealously from the day the resolutions of Virginia were laid before the General Assembly."
When this joint resolution was under consideration in the Senate, it was moved that so much thereof as relates to the appointment of the commissioners by the Governor be stricken out, and that the names of Thomas A. Hendricks, Cyrus L. Dunham, Henry S. Lane, Caleb B. Smith and William T. Otto be inserted in the proper place as such commissioners. This motion to amend was laid upon the table by a vote of Twenty-seven to eighteen, those voting in the affirmative being Republicans, and those voting in the negative, with one exception, being Democrats.
It was further moved to amend by adding a resolution setting forth "that the proposition lately submitted by Hon. John J. Crittenden to the Senate of the United States, con- stitutes a fair basis for the action of said commissioners in the adjustment of our National troubles." On motion, this amendment was laid upon the table, twenty-six Republicans voting in the affirmative, and nineteen Democratic Senators voting in the negative. The joint resolution then passed the Senate by a vote of forty-three to three, the three voting in the negative being Democrats.
Having made the political record of which the foregoing
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is believed to be a correct index, the Legislature adjourned sine die on the 11th day of March, 1861.
Governor Morton appointed the following named gentle- men commissioners to the Peace Congress under the joint resolution: Hon. Caleb B. Smith, Hon. P. A. Hackleman, Hon. G. S. Orth, Hon. E. W. H. Ellis and Hon. T. C. Slaughter.
Fort Sumter surrendered on the 14th day of April, 1861, and on the same day the President issued his proclamation calling upon the militia of the several States of the Union to enter the military service of the United States to the aggre- gate number of 75,000 men, "to maintain the laws and the integrity of the National Union and the perpetuity of popu- lar governments, and redress wrongs that have long been endured."
On the 15th day of April, Governor Morton received an official dispatch from the Secretary of War calling upon Indiana for six regiments as her quota of the 75,000 men required by the President's proclamation, and on the next day the Governor issued the following proclamation :
" WHEREAS, An armed rebellion has been organized in cer- tain States of this Union, having for its purpose the overthrow of the Government of the United States;
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