USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 19
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inaugural address, March 4, 1861, said : "I declare that I have no purpose, di- rectly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so; and I have no inclination to do
s0. Those who nominated and elected me did so with the full knowledge that I had made this and many similar declarations, and had never recanted them. And, more than this, they placed in the platform for my acceptance-as a law to themselves and to me-the clear and emphatic resolution which I now read :
"' Resolved, That the maintenance in- violate of the rights of the States-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 depend ; and we denounce the lawless invasion, by an armed force, of the Government of any State or Terri- tory, no matter under what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes.'"
April 29-Southern Rights' ticket for delegates to the Border State convention withdrawn, by order of the State central committee.
April 30-Death at Jacksonville, Ili- nois, aged 79, of Mrs. Elizabeth Logan Clay, widow of Rev. Porter Clay, a brother of the great statesman Henry Clay. She was a daughter of a leading Ky. pioneer, Gen. Ben. Logan; her first husband was Gen. Martin D. Hardin, U. S. senator from Ky. in 1816-17 : and one of her sons was the gallant Col. John J. Hardin, of an Illinois regiment, who fell at Buena Vista.
May 1-Railroad trains from Nashville to Louisville crowded to overflowing with people going North.
May 1-Gov. Magoffin having asked the governors of Indiana and Ohio to " co- operate with him in a propositon to the government at Washington for peace, by the border states, as mediator between the contending parties ;" and further-through Col. Thos. L. Crittenden as his representa . tive, who went to Cincinnati to meet them- having " solicited their co-operation in an effort to bring about a truce between the general governinent and the seceded states, until the meeting of congress in extraordi- nary session, in the hope that the action of that body may point out the way to a peaceful solution of our national troubles ; " Gov. Win. Dennison, of Ohio, replies that, " believing the general government to be wholly in the right, he can see no reason for the interposition suggested ; any other peaceful solution is impossible, than the return of the seceded states to their allegi- ance to the government of the Union ; a truce would only aggravate the impending evils." Gov. O. P. Morton, of Indiana, replies that he does " not recognize the right of any state to act as mediator between the federal government and a rebellious state; he declines the co-operation sought for, believing the action of the federal
government strictly in accordance with the constitution and the law of the land; he believes Kentucky bound to obey the requisitions of the president, and invokes her to take her stand with Indiana, on the side of the Union."
May 4-Special election for delegates to the Border State convention : "Union " ticket-John J. Crittenden, James Guth- rie, R. K. Williams, Archie Dixon, Francis M. Bristow, Joshua F. Bell, Chas. A. Wickliffe, Geo. W. Dunlap, Chas. S. More- head, Jas. F. Robinson, John B. Huston, Robert Richardson-elected, without op- position, receiving 107,334 votes in 105 counties. No returns from five counties, Ballard, Hickman, Marshall, Simpson, and Woodford.
May 6-Legislature in called session, until May 24; when it adjourns sine die- having fixed the first Monday in Septem- ber as the day of meeting for the next leg- islature, to be chosen in Angust.
Gov. Magoffin's message "renews the recommendation of a previous message, for the passage of a law providing for the submission to the people of the question of a convention, and the election of dele- gates ; " says "the very homes and fire- sides of our people are unprotected against invasion from without or servile insurrec- tion within ;" the people appeal for arms ; he recommends the necessary measures to place the commonwealth in a condition of military defense.
May 8 to 18-Petitions pour in to the legislature, daily, from the "Mothers, Wives, Sisters, Daughters of Kentucky," praying to " guard them from the direful ca- lamity of civil war, by allowing Kentucky to maintain inviolate her armed neutrality ;" from the counties of Bracken (241), Larue (143), Clark, Pendleton, Nelson, Boyle, Bourbon, Bath, Mason, Campbell, Fayette, Woodford, Lincoln, Kenton, Anderson, Muhlenburg, Nicholas, Warren, Mercer, Rockcastle, Garrard, Whitley, Knox, Lau- rel, Breckinridge, Adair, Graves, Henry, Grant, Fleming, and McLean ; and from the cities and towns of Louisville, Lexing- ton, Covington, Maysville, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Flemingsburg, Nicholasville, Hustonville, Harrodsburg, and Princeton.
May 10-Gov. Magoffin, in reply to & request of the legislature therefor, in & special message promptly furnishes the details of his efforts to borrow money and therewith purchase arms and military sup- plies for the state, the kind of arms ob- tained, and the contracts made ; alludes to the efforts of the Louisville city council to purchase arms for defense of that city ; says the Confederate States have made no requisition upon Ky. for troops, nor has ho had any official correspondence with the Confederate States' president or govern- ment.
May 10-At an informal conference of leading men of both the Bell and Douglas parties, John J. Crittenden, Archibald Dixon and Samuel S. Nicholas were se- lected as representatives of those parties,
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to negotiate with three representative men of the Breckinridge party whom they se- lected and proposed-Gov. Beriah Ma- goffin, John C. Breckinridge, and Richard Hawes-and who should first be recognized by that party. It was believed that those six persons would be authorized-by the respective members of those parties in the legislature, then in session-to de- vise an adjustment that all would combine to make the united action of the state, in the then alarming condition of the coun- try. Those men promptly and cheerfully left their homes and repaired to Frankfort, anxious if possible to avert the threatened civil war and preserve the peace of the state, if not of the country. In the even- ing of the day they arrived, a caucus of the Breckinridge members of the legisla- ture was held in the representative hall, and a similar one of the members of the united Bell and Douglas (who called them- selves the " Union ") parties in the senate chamber-each eagerly consenting to the mode of arbitrament proposed, and agree- ing (the former, at least, unanimously) to abide by, and carry out by legislative action, whatever the Six "arbitrators " should agree in recommending.
Next morning the Six met in conference. The first distinct proposition was made by the three Breckinridge Democrats-that the legislature should call a state conven- tion, as representing the sovereignty of the people, to determine what should be done. This was positively and earnestly resisted, and after free interchange of opinions rejected.
The second leading proposition was- that the state of Kentucky should not take part either with the federal govern- ment or with the seceded states, in the conflict then impending ; but should oe- enpy a position of armed neutrality, for- bidding and resisting the entrance of either upon her territory. This was unanimously adopted.
The remaining subject of consideration, of long and serious consideration and dis- cussion, was the raising, arming, organiz- ing and equipping the military forces of the state. The Union party, it was said, would not consent to leave this extraordi- nary power and discretion in the hands of Gov. Magoffin. It was ultimately agreed to entrust it to a board of five persons, to be established by act of the legislature ; Gen. Simon B. Buckner to be one, and the others to be selected, two each, by the high contracting or arbitrating parties re- spectively. The Breckinridge Democrats designated Gov. Magoffin, and Geo. W. Johnson, of Scott county ; and Messrs. Crittenden, Dixon and Nicholas fixed upon Archibald Dixon and Samuel Gill, the latter the superintendent of the Louisville and Lexington railroad.
This consultation was protracted until 10 or 11 o'clock, at night. The legislature had adjourned at an early hour in the day, and the members were, even at that late hour, assembled in caucus and anxiously
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awaiting the result of the reference. Mr. Hawes was deputed to communicate it to the caucus of Breckinridge Democrats, and Judge Nicholas to that of the two Union parties. The mission of Mr. Hawes was immediately successful ; his Democratic friends, after a short discussion, unani- mously ratified the entire action of the Committee of Six, and resolved to abide by and carry out the agreement. Judge Nicholas was not so fortunate ; he returned at a late hour of the night, and reported that he met with strong opposition, chiefly confined to the name of Gov. Magoffin as one of the board of commissioners. He requested the arbitrators to convene, so as if possible to substitute an acceptable name.
They met accordingly, next day, and discussed the point of embarrassment. Gov. Magoffin declining to stand in the way of any adjustment, Gustavus W. Smith was named in his stead. The Dem- ocrats in caucus, not a little excited and indignant at the breach of the agreement by the Union caucus, ultimately agreed unanimously to the report of Mr. Hawes and pledged themselves to carry it out. The Union members in caucus in the sen- ate chamber discussed the report. it is supposed in no very amiable inood, until long after midnight. Judge Nicholas, at an carly hour next morning, called upon the Breckinridge arbitrators, expressed himself as deeply mortified that the caucus of his party could not agree to carry out the award-adding, with much chagrin, that he would wash his hands of the whole business, and leave on the morning train for his home in Louisville, which he did.
May 14-House of representatives, by 47 to 43, passes a bill authorizing the Har- rison county court to borrow $20,000, for the purchase of fire arms, sabres, cannon. or other implements and equipments of war for the use of the county. May 18, the senate rejceted the bill, yeas 10, nays 15.
May 15-A regiment of troops from Ky .. under Col. Blanton Duncan, now at Har- per's Ferry, Virginia, in the Confederate army.
May 16-In the house of representa- tives, the report of the committe on fed- eral relations-Geo. B. Hodge, chairman, Curtis F. Burnam, Nat. Wolfe, John G. Carlisle, Jas. B. Lyne, A. F. Gowdy, Richard T. Jacob, and Richard A. Buck- ner, jr .- was adopted as follows :
" Considering the deplorable condition of the country, and for which the state of Kentucky is in no way responsible, and looking to the best means of preserving the internal peace, and securing the lives, liberty and property of the citizens of the state ; therefore,
" Resolved by the House of Representa- tives, That this state and the citizens thereof should take no part in the civil war now being waged, except as mediators and friends to the belligerent parties ; and that Kentucky should, during the contest, occupy the position of strict neutrality.
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" Resolved, That the act of the Gov- ernor, in refusing to furnish troops or mil- itary force upon the call of the executive authority of the United States, under ex- isting circumstances, is approved."
The preamble was adopted by yeas S2, nays none ; the first resolution, by yeas 69, nays 26; the second resolution, by yeas 89, nays 4 (Thos. H. Clay, Geo. A. Houghton, Joshua Tevis, and H. S. Tye).
May 18-Lieut. Wm. Nelson, U. S. navy, procures at Washington city 5,000 muskets and bayonets, with a supply of cartridges and caps, to be shipped to Cin- cinnati, for distribution to the "home guards " and Union men of Kentucky- " requiring that every man to whom a gun was delivered should pay $1 for it," to re- imburse " the price of transportation, and some other charges and expenses." Hon. Garret Davis " has ordered to be distrib- uted to Mason and Fleming and the counties backing them, according to his recollection, about 1,500 stand ; to Boyd 200, to Greenup 200, to Montgomery 100, to Bath 100, to Clark 100, to Madison 100, to Fayette 200, to Scott 200, to Bourbon 300, and to the city of Covington 500;" he says " these arms are intended for true, faithful and reliable Union men."
May 20-Proclamation of Gov. Magoffin, in favor of armed neutrality, and " noti- fying and warning all other states, whether separate or united, and especially the 'United States' and the 'Confederate States,' that I solemnly forbid any move- ment upon the soil of Kentucky, or the oc- cupation of any port, post, or place whatever within the lawful boundary and jurisdiction of this state, by any of the forces under the orders of the states aforesaid, for any pur- pose whatever-until authorized by invita- tion or permission of the legislative and executive authorities of this state previ- ously granted."
May 21-In the house of representa- tives, Wm. W. Cleary moved an investi- gation " as to the arms brought into this state without authority of the laws there- of," &c. Nat. Wolfe moved to amend so as to require the same committee to report about the " Knights of the Golden Circle." Referred to the committee on federal rela- tions, only three days before adjournment, and too late for investigation and report.
May 24-Legislature suspends all the courts in the state, except for the trial of criminal and penal causes-by repealing the laws establishing them-until Jan. 1, 1862, ....... Provides for arming the state, under the care and control of a board of 5 commissioners, Gov. Magoffin, Samuel Gill, Geo. T. Wood, Gen. Peter Dudley, and Dr. John B. Peyton-who are authorized to borrow, from the banks of issue in this state, $1,060.000, for 10 years at six per cent ; $750,000 for arms and accoutrements, equally distributed between the State Guard and such Home Guards as may be organized for home and local defense ex- clusively (which latter shall not be called into the service of the state ;) powder mills
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may be erected; the state arsenal to be controlled by the board ; the Active Mi- litia (State Guard) to be trained in camps ; neither the arms nor the militia are to be used "against the Government of the United States, nor against the Confederate States, unless in protecting our soil from unlawful invasion-it being the intention alone that said arms and munitions of war are to be used for the sole defense of the state of Ken- tucky." Banks may suspend specie payments, without forfeiture of charter.
Besides the names finally selected as the board of commissioners, the following were proposed and passed over: Gen. Simon B. Buckner, Col. Thos. L. Crittenden, James Speed, Warner L. Underwood, Abraham Buford, and Harry I. Todd.
May 24-The Governor appoints, with the advice and consent of the senate, Simon B. Buckner inspector-general, Scott Brown adjutant-general, and M. D. West quartermaster-general.
May 24-Within half an hour of final adjournment, when too late to have action upon them in the house of representatives, the senate, by 13 to 9, adopted a preamble and resolutions offered by John B. Bruner -in brief, that " being connected with the seceded states geographically, and having the same domestic institution, Kentucky is unwilling to take up arms against them ; being attached to the national government under which she has always lived and greatly prospered, and having no cause for war against it, she cannot take up arms to overthrow it; having in good faith taken this position, she asks the belligerents to respect it ;" and "with this position, she is willing to go before the civilized world, and let her conduct pass into history and await the candid and calm judgment of future and disinterested generations ;"' tuerefore
" Resolved, That Kentucky will not sever her connection with the national gov- ernment, nor will she take up arms for either of the belligerent parties ; but will arm herself for the one purpose of pre- serving tranquillity and peace within her own borders.'
Other resolutions tendered " mediation to bring about a just and honorable peace," and directed the governor to transmit a copy of the preamble and resolutions to the presidents of the United States and of the seceded States, and to the governors of all the states.
May 27 to June 3-Border slave state convention in session at Frankfort ; com- posed of 12 delegates from Ky. (already mentioned as elected on May 6), 4 from Missouri-Hamilton R. Gamble, Wm. A. Hall, John B. Henderson, and Wm. G. Pomeroy-and one from Tennessee, John Caldwell; John J. Crittenden, president. They issue an address " To the people of the United States ;" and the Ky. delegates another "To the people of Kentucky." Chas. S. Morehead, in a note to the lat- ter, approves of the policy indicated-of re- fusing to furnish troops to the general gov-
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ernment to prosecute the civil war now going on, and the policy of neutrality- but does not commit himself to all that is said upon other matters.
June 13-Harrodsburg springs, recently used by the U. S. government as the West- ern Military Asylum, sold at auction for $120,000 to Capt. Thompson as agent for a company of gentlemen who design re- opening it as a watering place. Two years ago the property was offered for $27,500, without finding a purchaser.
June 13-Death of Daniel Vertner, at Lexington, aged 92; he voted for Wash- ington, and at every presidential election since.
June 20-Special election for members of congress : 1. Henry C. Burnett (States- Rights) 8,988, Lawrence S. Trimble (Un- ion) 6,225-maj. 2,763; 2. Jas. S. Jack- son 9,271, John T. Bunch 3,368-maj. 5,903 ; 3. Henry Grider 10,392, Jos. H. Lewis 3,113-maj. 7,279 ; 4. Aaron Hard- ing 10,344, Albert G. Talbott 2,469-maj. 7,875 ; 5. Chas. A. Wickliffe 8,217, Gen. Read 2,719-maj. 5,498; 6. Geo. W. Dun- lap 8,181, scattering 229; 7. Robert Mal- lory 11,035, Horatio W. Bruce 2,862-maj. 8,173 ; 8. John J. Crittenden 8,272, Wm. E. Simms 5,706-maj. 2,566; 9. Wm. H. Wadsworth 12,230, John S. Williams 3,720-maj. 8,510 ; 10. (Except Boone co.) John W. Menzies. 8,373; Overton P. Hogan 4,526-maj. 3,847. Union candi- dates elected except in 1st district. Total Union majority 54,760.
June 24 -- Surveyor of port of Louisville prohibits shipments over Louisville and Nashville railroad, without " permits " from his office.
Inspector-general S. B. Buckner orders six companies State Guards, under Col. Lloyd Tilghman, to Columbus, Ky., to preserve the neutrality of the state in that neighborhood. Col. T. resigns, and is succeeded by Col. Ben. Hardin Helm.
July 3-A brilliant comet visible in the heavens, from dark till 10 p. M. J. R. Hinde, the English astronomer, thinks it probable that on June 30th, the earth passed through the tail of the comet, at a distance of perhaps ?3ds of its length from the nucleus. He observed, on that evening, a peculiar illumination of the sky, which he attributes to the comet's tail. The comet of 1770 came within 1,500,000 miles of the earth, the nearest approach positively known.
July 4-Inauguration of the Henry Clay monument, recently completed at Lexington.
July 10-In the circuit court at Louis- ville, in the case of Brady & Davies v8. L. & N. R. R. Judge Muir decided that the United States has a right to stop the shipment of goods to the south.
Large purchases of mules in Ky., for U. S. army purposes.
July 15-At Camp Boone, 8 miles from Clarksville, Tennessee, several regiments of Kentuckians are volunteering, for the Confederate army.
At camp Clay, opposite Newport, and at camp Joe Holt, opposite Louisville, four "Kentucky " regiments are volunteering for the U. S. army ; probably one-third of them are recruited elsewhere, and aro not Kentuckians.
July 22-In the house of representa- tives of congress, John J. Crittenden, of Ky., offered the following resolution, which was adopted, part of it by 121 yeas to 2 nays, and the balance by 117 yeas to 2 nays [Henry C. Burnett, of Ky., and John W. Reid, of Mo.] :
" Resolved, That the present deplorable civil war has been forced upon the country by the disunionists of the Southern States, now in arms against the constitutional government, and in arms around the cap- ital ; that in this national emergency, con- gress-banishing all feclings of mere pas- sion or resentment-will recollect only its duty to the whole country ; that this war is not waged on their part in any spirit of oppression, or for any purpose of con- quest or subjugation, or purpose of over- throwing or interfering with the rights or established institutions of those states, but to defend and maintain the supremacy of the constitution, and to preserve the Union with all the dignity, equality and rights of the several states unimpaired ; and that as soon as these objects are accom- plished the war ought to cease."
A few days later, in the U. S. senate, Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, offered a resolution to the same purport and almost identical in language-which was passed by yeas 30, nays 5. [John C. Breckin- ridge and Lazarus W. Powell, of Ky., Lyman Trumbull, of Ill., and Trusten Polk and W. P. Johnson, of Missouri.]
Aug. 5-To the house of representatives 76 Union and 24 states rights men elected ; to the senate, including those who hold over, 27 Union and 11 states rights men.
Aug .- Brig. Gen. Wm. Nelson estab- lishes camp Dick Robinson, in Garrard county, where companies of Federal sol- diers from north-eastern, central, and central-southern Ky. are concentrated into regiments-all in violation of the neu- trality of the state. Aug. 19, Gov. Ma- goffin sends Win. A. Dudley and Frank K. Hunt as commissioners to President Lincoln, to urge the removal of this force from the limits of Ky. The President re- plies that this force consists exclusively of Kentuckians, in the vicinity of their own homes, and was raised at the " urgent solicitation of many Kentuckians ;" he do- clines to remove it. On the same day, the governor despatched Geo. W. Johnson as commissioner to the President of the Con- federate States, at Richmond, to elicit an authoritative assurance that that govern- ment will continue to respect Ky. neu- trality. President Davis replied that he had respected it, and would continue to do it, " so long as the people of Ky. will maintain it themselves ;" " but neutrality, to be entitled to respect, must; be strictly maintained between both parties."
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Aug. 20-Arrest, by Col. T. J. Oglesby, commanding Federal forces at Cairo, of Messrs. Watson, Stoveall, and Carter, cit- izens of Ballard co., Ky .; they are re- leased in two days.
Com. Rogers, commanding 3 gun-boats at Cairo, seizes the steamboat W. B. Terry, belonging to three citizens of Paducah and one of Mississippi, and claims her as a prize, because she was still running in her four-years-old trade between Paducah and Eastport on the Tennessee river.
Sept. 3-Confederate troops from Ten- nessee occupy and fortify a strong posi- tion at Hickman and Columbus, Ky.
Sept. 5-Federal troops, by order of Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant, occupy Paducah and other places in Ky.
Sept. 7-U. S. flag hoisted on the capi- tol at Frankfort, by order of the house of representatives, by 77 to 20.
Sept. 9-" Peace " convention at Frank- fort.
Sept. 9- Major-General Leonidas Polk, commanding Confederate army at Colum- bus, Ky., notifies Gov. Magoffin that he will withdraw his troops from Ky .. pro- vided the Federal troops are simultane- ously withdrawn ; and will guaranty that Confederate troops will remain out of the state, provided that Federal troops shall not again be allowed to enter or occupy any point of Kentucky in the future.
Sept. 10-States' Rights state conven- tion in session at Frankfort, Richard Hawes, chairman ; 70 counties represented; speeches by Wm. Preston, Thos. F. Mar- shall, Robert W. Woolley, Lewis E. Har- vie, Edward C. Marshall, and others ; resolutions adopted deploring the unnatu- ral war, advocating strict neutrality, in favor of the dispersion of the Federal camps in the state, and expressing readiness, when that is done, to assist in driving the Tennessee invaders from our shores.
Sept. 11-The house, by 71 to 26, " Re- solves, That his excellency, Gov. Magof- fin, be instructed to inform those concerned that Kentucky expcets the Confederate or Tennessee troops to be withdrawn from her soil, unconditionally ; " and then, by 29 to 68, defeats another resolution re- questing the governor to demand the im- mediate withdrawal of both the Federal and Confederate troops from the south- western part of the statc. The senate, by 25 to 8, adopted the former resolution ; which the governor vetoed on 13th. and both houses promptly passed it over the veto-thus being driven from or abandoning the " neutrality ground" hitherto consist- ently occupied. The governor promptly issued his proclamation, as " instructed," strictly.
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