USA > Rhode Island > The Dorr war; or, The constitutional struggle in Rhode Island > Part 15
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CLAYVILLE @
PAWTUXET
MAP OF PROV. COUNTY.
CONTEMPORARY NEWSPAPER MAP. (COLLECTION RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.)
BLACKSTONE. R.
CONNECTICUT
CHAPTER XV.
THE ARSENAL.
HILE the charter authorities were waiting and doing nothing, the People's Governor was not spending the day in inaction. Within thirty-six hours after his arrival in Providence, he had made sufficient preparation, as he thought, to warrant him in beginning his attack on the de facto government. Most of the time was spent in quiet movements that did not reach the ears of Governor King or his subordinates. The first public act occurred near the close of the afternoon of Tuesday, May 17, and clearly foreshadowed his course. A portion of the militia and other armed men that had remained to guard Governor Dorr's headquarters were sent to the "Town House Lot," with directions to take the field pieces in the possession of the artillery com- pany.(1) Although the demand for the surrender of the guns was not complied with, no resistance was offered, and two pieces were seized. (a) The movement was made so hurriedly that balls and shot were forgotten; and the authorities recovered their wits in
(a) These guns did not belong to the State. They had been taken at the surrender of Burgoyne and had been sent to the artillery company by Washington, to replace some that had been borrowed from them and lost. Turner, Trial of Dorr, 36: testimony of Capt. Josiah Reed.
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THE DORR WAR.
time to remove these useful munitions to a place of safety before the company returned after them. These guns, together with four or five others, were placed in front of Anthony's house, and pointed directly down the steep hill toward the center of the city.(2)
This bold stroke seemed to awaken the charter government, for the time being. The militia of Providence was called upon to be in readiness, and the companies outside the city were ordered to report in the city, armed and equipped for service.(b) Early in the evening, guns and ammunition were given to citizens, by official orders, and a steamboat was sent down the bay to be ready to bring up companies of militia. . At Governor Dorr's headquarters all was activity: a council of war was held early in the evening, but many of his friends, including several of his immediate relatives and members of the people's legislature, attempted to persuade the Governor that his designs could never be accomplished and to pre- vail upon him to refrain from a useless shedding of blood. Some of his chief counsellors agreed that the employment of force was inadvisable, but nothing that could be said influenced him. After these friendly advisers had retired, he presented to the few faithful followers plans, which, it was said, were first to seize the arsenal, and then to establish barracks in the college. He considered that, when he had effected so much, he would be strong enough to seize the cadet and infantry armories, and the market house.(+) Whether he made these propositions or not, it is certain that he attempted
(b) Providence Journal, May 18, 1842. "Orders No. 5.
" Adjutant-General's Office, Providence, May 17, 1842.
"SIR : - You are hereby ordered to report yourself, with the men under your command, armed and equipped for service, forthwith, to this department, for further orders. By order of his Excellency,
"SAM. W. KING, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
"E. DYER, JR., Adjutant-General of Rhode Island."
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THE ARSENAL.
TO THE CITIZENS
OF PROVIDENCE !!!
You are regested FORTHWITH to repair to the
State Arsenal and TAKE ARMS.
SAMUELL W. KING.
Governor of the State of Rhode Island.
Providence, May 17, 1842, 6 o'clock P. M. WALL PLACARD USED TO NOTIFY CITIZENS. (COLLECTION RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.)
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THE DORR WAR.
to carry out the first of them; failing in this, the whole campaign was lost.
About midnight a force arrived from Woonsocket, and joined the guard around the headquarters. (5) Orders were issued for an attack upon the arsenal, and at midnight a gun was fired as a signal. Before two o'clock the little army, accompanied by Dorr himself, set out for the arsenal.(6) The city bells rang in an alarm, and militia and citizens began to fill the streets. The charter government was unprepared, and was, at this moment, practically leaderless. No one knew where the enemy were. The night was dark, and a dense fog had set in. Each citizen felt that his near- est companion might be an enemy.
By instinct, almost, the throng pushed for the arsenal, a stone building, situated on Cranston street, next to the Dexter Training , Ground. The building and the State armament were in the charge of Quartermaster-General Samuel Ames, a near relative of Gov- ernor Dorr. Colonel Leonard Blodget was commandant of the arsenal, and under him, that night, was a guard of about 200 men, many of them volunteers. () Preparation had here been made to resist an attack, and, when the enemy approached, Blodget was in charge of the upper story, and Ames had posted himself below, with the regular arsenal guard. (8)
The Governor's party proceeded out Atwell's avenue, through Love's lane, or Knight street, and approached the arsenal on the northeast side. Their number has been variously estimated: the testimony of Colonel Carter, that he counted them before they started and found 234 in all, may be accepted as fairly correct. (9) At first they took position in a grove, but soon they approached within short range, halted, and adjusted their field pieces. (10) A flag of truce was sent to the arsenal, and demand was made for its
THE ARSENAL.
185
J. WEmuri, Lithf
The attempt on the Arsenal on the night of May 179 .
Tu Ballen
Upper room of the Arsenal, on the night of the 17th of May.
24
(COLLECTION BROWN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.)
186
THE DORR WAR.
surrender. Colonel Blodget asked, "In whose name?" On re- ceiving the reply, "On the part of Colonel Wheeler, and in the name of Governor Dorr," the commandant retorted that he knew no Colonel Wheeler nor Governor Dorr. (11)
During the march from the headquarters to the arsenal, the small army had lost several of its soldiers and received no re- cruits. Colonel Wheeler vanished on receiving the reply of Col- onel Blodget, and Dorr placed the cannons in charge of Colonel Carter. A peaceful surrender having been refused, Dorr ordered that the cannon be fired. The audacity of this order is almost inexplicable. In a dense fog, with less than 200 men, with two cannon, almost without ammunition, the order is given to fire upon a building, built of stone, stocked with guns, powder, and ball, and fully guarded. If a gun had been fired, the cannons in the arsenal might have ploughed down the unprotected attacking force. But the guns flashed twice without result: they were either plugged, or the touch - holes filled with wet or dissolved powder.(c) A report was circulated the next day, on the authority of Orsen Moffitt, that Dorr himself, after the first failure, was seen vainly to "apply the torch to the cannon."(12) We have, however, the direct testimony of Colonel Carter that he did not; (13) and of four other persons who stated that they did not see Dorr with a torch, and that they did not think that he himself touched a gun.(d) In a dark night, and in dense fog, the testimony of one man is hardly enough to
(c) Colonel Carter's testimony (Turner, Trial of Dorr, 32), that, when the guns were bored out, the following morning, the openings were filled with dissolved powder, which had hardened and become solid, is probably a true statement of the cause of the failure of the guns. Hiram Chappell's testimony (Pitman, Trial of Dorr, 37), that he plugged the cannon, is fully offset by that of John S. Dispeau (Pitman, Trial of Dorr. 45), that Chappell confessed to him, while they were in jail together, that he had made up the story in order to obtain his discharge.
(d) These were Laban Wade, W. H. Potter, Horace A. Pierce, and Henry A. Kimball. Pitman, Trial of Dorr, 55, 75. Turner, Trial of Dorr, 18, 20.
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187
THE ARSENAL.
Entrenchment
Plain
Atwells
B. Anthony's
House
Avenue
St.
Alley_
Federal St.
Lane
Broadway
-
Courtland St
Love
Carpenter St.
1
High St.
Arsenal
Cranston Road
The above map represents the ground upon which the principal events of the 17th and 18th tran s. pired The house of Burrington Anthony, where Dorr's headquarters were established, is situated on a hill 76 feet above high-water mark. The hill rises from the foot of Atwell's Avenue, where it joins Aborn street , Anthony's house is on the level just upon the top of it. The ascent is steep. The dots in front of the house mark the first position of the insurgents' guns. The four dots below, towards Aborn street, mark the spot where the column halted, under the brow of the hill, to unlimber the guns. The dot on Atwell's Avenue, near Love Lane, marks the spot to which one of the insurgents' grune was removed, under cover of which the others were carried out upon the plain to the north, near Dean street : their position is marked on the map by two dots. The guns of the Bristol Artillery and Marine Artillery were then carried near the junction of Dean street and Atwell's Avenue, and those of the Newport Artillery were placed upon the plain on the other side of Dean street, so as to com- mand the flank of the insurgents' guns. At the same time, the Marmy Artillery were ordered to march up Atwell 9 Avenue, and the Bristol Artillery, supported by the Warren Artillery, to match up Dean While they were executing this order, the insurgents agreed to the surrender of the guns, as Jrtaded below
(COLLECTION RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.)
Aborn St.
Dean
188
THE DORR WAR.
counterbalance the opposing witnesses, though it would not have been inconsistent with the Governor's character to have attempted to fire: the essential is that he gave the order to fire; he was near the cannon ; his courage or foolhardiness was displayed, whether he personally used the torch or not.
The attack upon the arsenal was a failure; that it was a blood- less failure was due only to the condition of the cannon: the sound of the first gun would have caused blind attack and counter attack, and great loss of life might easily have followed. The honest peo- ple of Rhode Island must have heard with thankful hearts of the "flashes in the pan."
Desertions continued, and when daylight approached not more than fifty men were left on the field.(1) Dorr himself vainly strove to keep some kind of order among his forces, but succeeded only in bringing his cannon from the field.(15) Soon after daylight, about fifty men, under the lead of the Governor, returned to the headquarters; where, in front of Anthony's house, they again placed - the guns, commanding the hill down Atwell's avenue, and prepared them for use. Signals were given for the troops to collect, but the number of armed men diminished rather than increased.(16)
About eight o'clock a letter was handed Governor Dorr, inform- ing him that all the officers of his government, living in Providence, had resigned. (e) His friends, who were at the headquarters, advised him to leave at once, and to return when a fitting opportunity occurred. (16) Dorr followed the advice, though he afterwards said that he strongly regretted the action, (17) and before nine o'clock was rapidly driving towards Woonsocket. (18) Soon after his flight, Gov-
(e) The facts hardly warranted this statement in the letter. Two Senators and nine Representatives had resigned, the entire Assembly delegation from the city, except those who had previously resigned ; but none of the officers of the people's government resigned at this time.
DORR'S HEADQUARTERS-BURRINGTON ANTHONY HOUSE.
189
THE ARSENAL.
ernor King and Sheriff Potter arrived at Anthony's, demanded Thomas W. Dorr, and made a thorough search of the house. (19) Meanwhile a portion of the charter militia attempted to follow the fugitive, but were misled and soon gave up the pursuit. Another portion marched in the direction of Dorr's headquarters, but were stopped on Atwell's avenue by the cannon. The Newport Artil- lery had begun preparations to clear the hill, when the Dorr cannon were withdrawn, attended by about thirty men,(20) who took up a position on the summit of the hill north of Atwell's avenue and overlooking the cove. (21) Under the orders of "General" De Wolf (22) a slight intrenchment was thrown up and signal guns were fired, without success, to attract the adherents of the people's government to the hill. (23) Early in the afternoon they sent a proposition to surrender the guns, but coupled with a request that the Newport Artillery should be withdrawn. Trusting to their word, the charter authorities withdrew the artillery; but the few desperadoes failed to keep the promise, and more firmly entrenched themselves upon the brow of the hill. They were so situated, however, that they were unable to do any injury, and by Thursday morning the guns had been abandoned, "2") and were shortly after returned to the arsenal. The war, for the present, was over.
The charter militia had been kept under arms during the entire day (Wednesday, May 18), and business was at a standstill. Stores were closed, and numbers of citizens enrolled themselves as volun- teers. (f) The greatest excitement pervaded every part of the city,
(1) Providence Journal, May 19, 1842. morning :
The following proclamation was issued early in the
"City of Providence, Mayor's Office, May 18, 1842,
" All citizens friendly to maintaining the peace and good order of the city are urged to lay aside their business for this day and assemble at 712 o'clock A. M., with arms, at the Cadet Alarm Post. If any have not arms, they will be provided.
"THOS. M. BURGESS, Mayor."
1
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THE DORR WAR.
and a general and intense alarm existed. "A speedy and most sanguinary conflict seemed inevitable; and the public mind, which on the day previous had been tossed to and fro by every idle rumor, now dwelt with the most intense and painful anxiety upon one dread object, a civil war." (25) That such a conflict did not occur may be due to the early report that Governor Dorr had fled, to the resignation of the people's government officials, and to the rumor of a compromise which was industriously circulated and which was publicly announced from the people's headquarters.
The resignation was prepared by John A. Howland, and hand- bills were printed, by his order, early in the morning after the attack on the arsenal. Eleven members of the People's Assembly from Providence protested against the position of the President in interfering "between the old and the new government of the State as being against the fundamental rights of the people," but they declared that they could not carry on a contest with the general government; and, therefore, they declined to act further, and re- signed. They added that they could not countenance and had not countenanced, "in any manner, the late movement of the Governor elected under the People's Constitution, but in every way had en- deavored to counteract and prevent so deplorable an act and one so destructive to the cause" in which they were engaged. The names appended were those of the two Senators and nine Repre- sentatives from Providence.(26) It is true that some of these names were appended by friends, but they were afterwards approved by the men themselves. (s) Within a few days, at least seven other resignations appeared in the public prints.
() Providence Journal, May 20, 21, and 23. 1842. Senator Hezekiah Willard wrote a letter, giving his "unqualified sanction ; " and Representative Benjamin Arnold, though in New York, ap- proved the signing of his name.
EW Boure Lith'
First section of Cadets in pursuit of Dorr.
( COLLECTION OF SAMUEL W. BROWN,)
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THE ARSENAL.
The rumor of a compromise held the attention of the public for many days. Its first appearance followed soon after the report that Dorr had fled, and therefore gained the more credence. That the Governor would again abandon the cause, so soon after his return, seemed inexplicable unless on the theory that he had agreed to an armistice until the proposed compromise could be concluded. Though no one was able to give the nature or the terms of the compromise, yet the belief that one was pending which would be " honorable to both parties " was strong enough to quiet the city. (27) Interest in the matter was kept up by daily references in the suf- frage organ. No one, however, knew whether the arrangement was temporary or permanent; whether Dorr had actually abdicated or not, when he retired from the city; nor whether the resignations of the Providence members of the Assembly were final, or depend- ing upon some action of the charter government. (28) On Saturday the suffrage organ contained another long editorial on the rumored compromise, "so generally admitted as correct," but acknowledged that it had been able to ascertain only that Burrington Anthony was primarily responsible for the rumor, and that he had promised, early Wednesday morning, that it would be ratified in the course of the day and would be published the next morning. He also declared that no further arrests would be made, and directed the adherents of the people's government peaceably to return to their homes. (20) On the other hand, the charter organ, on Monday, de- clared : " This story (of the compromise) the Express knows to be wholly and utterly false and without the slightest foundation or pretense whatever." (30)
A few days later letters appeared in the Providence newspapers from Burrington Anthony, John S. Harris, and John Whipple, giv- ing the following facts with regard to the so-called compromise. (31)
192
THE DORR WAR.
When Anthony reached Providence, on his return from Washington, he brought a letter from Secretary Webster to John Whipple, urg- ing concessions to the people's party, provided that their government should be abandoned.(32) Not finding Whipple in Providence, An- thony immediately returned to New York, and together with Harris and Pearce held a conference with Whipple. A proposition was made that a case be prepared for the Supreme Court of the United States; its decision would settle the controversy; meanwhile the - people's government would remain quiescent. Another proposition was suggested-that both legislatures should pass identical bills call- ing a new convention. Whipple declined to carry either proposition to Governor King. He finally agreed to advise his government to cease further prosecutions while the people's government remained inactive. This, Whipple declared, was "no compromise." Whipple met Anthony on the street, in Providence, on Monday (May 16), and told him that he did not believe that King and his council would accept the proposition when they met on Wednesday. In the morning, after the return of Dorr from the arsenal, Harris met Samuel H. Wales, who reported that King had said that if Dorr should leave the city the business might be arranged. There- upon Wales and others wrote advising Dorr to retire, but he had already gone. Anthony and Harris addressed the crowd from the window, announcing a compromise, but were met with demands for King. Harris and Wales . went to see the Charter Governor, and were told that they might assure the people that "he would do all in his power to have the differences settled satisfactorily to both parties."
The alleged "compromise " had no stronger foundation than the conversations just detailed, and it is evident from them that Dorr did not leave the city to carry out any arrangements, especially
193
THE ARSENAL.
as he declared, in a public letter, that he had repeatedly refused to agree to any compromise which should involve the surrender of the constitution. Neither Anthony nor Harris had any official authority to announce a compromise, nor had they any reason for considering that any proposition which they had made would be accepted by the charter government. Dorr expressly repudiated every action taken by Anthony, after his return to Providence; and all knew that Whipple had no official position and could only advise King and his council. True, the charter government had shown confidence in Whipple, entrusting to him the embassy to the President, and his recent return from Washington, as well as the favor of the letter from Webster, would seem to indicate that his advice would probably be followed. The only basis of the compromise seemed to lie in the desire of all parties, on the fate- ful morning, to go to any lengths in order to prevent further trouble. (93)
The farcical failure at the arsenal, the resignations of members of the legislature, and their repudiation of the military movements, together with the flight of the Governor, would seem to have freed the charter government from any accusation of acting under threats. No opposition to the de facto authorities apparently remained, and the way was open for a new convention which would furnish "a liberal extension of the suffrage." Even the charter organ declared: "We take the earliest opportunity, after the establishment of law and the manifestation of the determination of the people to stand by the government, to record our opinion that such an extension should be made." (34)
The collapse of the military movement had its legitimate effect in New York City also. Daily editorials had appeared in the New York New Era after the departure of Governor Dorr for Rhode
25
1
194
THE DORR WAR.
Island, and Editor Slamm did not hesitate to avow that all that had been asked and all that was contemplated in New York was to raise men enough to resist the United States soldiers. (5) These editorials, together with the reports of the Park Meeting and the publication of the correspondence between Colonels Wing and Crasto and Governor Dorr, created great excitement in New York, and even led the Tribune to say: "We fear the firebrands thrown into Rhode Island by reckless demagogues in this city, to subserve their own personal ends, will have caused a general conflagration within forty-eight hours hence."
The agitation continued until the news from Rhode Island sud- denly brought it, outwardly, at least, to an end. Friday (May 20), an official bulletin from Tammany Hall appeared in the New Era, entitled, " Enrollment of Volunteers." (36) After sundry whereases, including one that expressed the fear that the President would send "mercenary soldiers" into the "territory of our sister State of Rhode Island," it was declared that the undersigned, "appealing to Divine Providence for the purity of our motives, do pledge our 'sacred honor' to hold ourselves in readiness, to be organized into companies of 'Patriotic Volunteers,' under such officers as shall by ourselves be elected, and upon the requisition of Governor Dorr, to march at the shortest notice to the aid of our Republican brethren of Rhode Island, in the event that any armed interference be made by the Federal Government to the jeopardy of their inalien- able and indefeasible rights." Scarcely had the bulletin appeared when the story of Wednesday's doings in Providence showed that, for the present, at least, the national government would not need to send troops to that city. (h)
(h) " Judging from their looks, never did a set of people feel before quite so foolish and forlorn, as did the leaders of the Park Meeting of insurgent sympathizers on the receipt of the news from Rhode
195
THE ARSENAL.
The national Senate felt the effect of the change in the situa- tion in Rhode Island. Up to this time, the friends of the Presi- dent and of the charter government in the Senate had been satisfied merely to oppose the resolutions of Senator Allen and his associates. On May 13, Senator Buchanan presented the proceedings at a meet- ing of citizens held in Philadelphia, on the subject of the formation of a new constitution by the people of the State of Rhode Island, which were laid on the table. (37) May 17, Senator Allen moved to take up the resolutions which he had presented a month before, but was defeated, 15 to 23.(38) He had then presented new reso- lutions against the interference of the President, (39) and endorsed . them in a long speech, in which he declared that there were two governments in operation in Rhode Island, and criticised Tyler for assuming to himself the power of deciding between them. Senator Simmons, of Rhode Island, upheld the position of the charter gov- ernment, claimed that it was supported by a majority of the citizens, declared that the franchise in the State was liberal, and denied the legality of the People's Constitution. (37) The matter was passed over informally, and the resolutions were printed. The next day, the resolutions, on motion of Senator Talmadge, were laid on the table, by a vote of 28 to 18.(40)
May 23, however, Senator Talmadge introduced resolutions de- claring that a "recognized State is republican," and entitled to the protection pledged by the Constitution of the United States; that a government cannot be superseded except in the prescribed way ;
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