University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXVI.

May 12th.—Mr. Forsyth had been good enough to invite me
to an excursion down the Bay of Mobile, to the forts built by
Uncle Sam and his French engineers to sink his Britishers—
now turned by "C. S. A." against the hated Stars and Stripes.
The mayor and the principal merchants and many politicians
—and are not all men politicians in America?—formed the
party. If any judgment of men's acts can be formed from
their words, the Mobilites, who are the representatives of the
third greatest part of the United States, will perish ere they
submit to the Yankees and people of New York. I have
now been in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
and in none of these great States have I found the
least indication of the Union sentiment, or of the attachment
for the Union which Mr. Seward always assumes to exist in
the South. If there were any considerable amount of it, I
was in a position as a neutral to have been aware of its existence.

Those who might have at one time opposed secession, have
now bowed their heads to the majesty of the majority; and
with the cowardice, which is the result of the irresponsible
and cruel tyranny of the multitude, hasten to swell the cry of
revolution. But the multitude are the law in the United States.
" There's a divinity doth hedge" the mob here, which is omnipotent
and all good. The majority in each State determines its
political status according to Southern views. The Northerners
are endeavoring to maintain that the majority of the people in
the mass of the States generally shall regulate the point for
each State individually and collectively. If there be any party
in the Southern States which thinks such an attempt justifiable,

it sits silent and fearful and hopeless in darkness and sorrow
hid from the light of day. General Scott, who was a short time
ago written of in the usual inflated style, to which respectable
military mediocrity and success are entitled in the States, is
now reviled by the Southern papers as an infamous hoary traitor
and the like. If an officer prefers his allegiance to the
United States flag, and remains in the Federal service after
his State has gone out, his property is liable to confiscation by
the State authorities, and his family and kindred are exposed
to the gravest suspicion, and must prove their loyalty by extra
zeal in the cause of Secession.

Our merry company comprised naval and military officers
in the service of the Confederate States, journalists, politicians,
professional men, merchants, and not one of them had
a word but of hate and execration for the North. The British
and German settlers are quite as vehement as the natives
in upholding States' rights, and among the most ardent upholders
of slavery are the Irish proprietors and mercantile
classes.

The Bay of Mobile, which is about thirty miles long, with
a breadth varying from three to seven miles, is formed by the
outfall of the Alabama and of the Tombigbee Rivers, and is
shallow and dangerous, full of banks and trees, embedded in
the sands; but all large vessels lie at the entrance between
Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, to the satisfaction of the masters,
who are thus spared the trouble with their crews which
occurs in the low haunts of a maritime town. The cotton is
sent down in lighters, which employ many hands at high
wages. The shores are low wooded, and are dotted here and
there with pretty villas; but present no attractive scenery.

The sea-breeze somewhat alleviated the fierceness of the
san, which was however too hot to be quite agreeable. Our
steamer, crowded to the sponsons, made little way against the
tide; but at length, after nearly four hours' sail, we hauled up
along-side a jetty at Fort Gaines, which is on the right hand or
western exit of the harbor, and would command, were it finished,
the light-draft channel; it is now merely a shell of
masonry, but Colonel Hardee, who has charge of the defences
of Mobile, told me that they would finish it speedily.

The Colonel is an agreeable, delicate-looking man, scarcely
of middle age, and is well known in the States as the author
of "The Tactics," which is, however, merely a translation of
the French manual of arms. He does not appear to be possessed

of any great energy or capacity, but is, no doubt, a
respectable officer.

Upon landing we found a small body of men on guard in
the fort. A few cannon of moderate calibre were mounted on
the sand-hills and on the beach. We entered the unfinished
work, and were received with a salute. The men felt difficulty
in combining discipline with citizenship. They were "bored"
with their sand-hill, and one of them asked me when I "thought
them damned Yankees were coming. He wanted to touch off
a few pills he knew would be good for their complaint." I
must say I could sympathize with the feelings of the young
officer who said he would sooner have a day with the Lincolnites,
than a week with the mosquitoes for which this locality is
famous.

From Fort Gaines the steamer ran across to Fort Morgan,
about three miles distant, passing in its way seven vessels,
mostly British, at anchor, where hundreds may be seen, I am
told, during the cotton season. This work has a formidable
sea face, and may give great trouble to Uncle Sam, when he
wants to visit his loving subjects in Mobile in his gunboats. It
is the work of Bernard, I presume, and like most of his designs
has a weak long base towards the land; but it is provided with
a wet ditch and drawbridge, with demi lunes covering the curtains,
and has a regular bastioned trace. It has one row of
casemates, armed with thirty-two and forty-two pounders. The
barbette guns are eight-inch and ten-inch guns; the external
works at the salients, are armed with howitzers and field-pieces,
and as we crossed the drawbridge, a salute was fired from a
field battery, on a flanking bastion, in our honor.

Inside the work was crammed with men, some of whom
slept in the casemates—others in tents in the parade grounds
and enceinte of the fort. They were Alabama Volunteers,
and as sturdy a lot of fellows as ever shouldered musket;
dressed in homespun coarse gray suits, with blue and yellow
worsted facings and stripes—to European eyes not very respectful
to their officers, but very obedient, I am told, and very
peremptorily ordered about, as I heard.

There were 700 or 800 men in the work, and an undue
proportion of officers, all of whom were introduced to the
strangers in turn. The officers were a very gentlemanly,
nice-looking set of young fellows, and several of them had
just come over from Europe to take up arms for their State,
I forget the name of the officer in command, though I cannot

forget his courtesy, nor an excellent lunch he gave us in his
casemate after a hot walk round the parapets, and some practice
with solid shot from the barbette guns, which did not tend
to make me think much of the greatly-be-praised Columbiads.

One of the officers named Maury, a relative of "deep-sea
Maury," struck me as an ingenious and clever officer; the
utmost harmony, kindliness, and devotion to the cause prevailed
among the garrison, from the chief down to the youngest ensign.
In its present state the Fort would suffer exceedingly
from a heavy bombardment—the magazines would be in
danger, and the traverses are inadequate. All the barracks
and wooden buildings should be destroyed if they wish to
avoid the fate of Sumter.

On our cruise homewards, in the enjoyment of a cold dinner,
we had the inevitable discussion of the Northern and
Southern contest. Mr. Forsyth, the editor and proprietor of
the "Mobile Register," is impassioned for the cause, though
he was not at one time considered a pure Southerner. There
is difference of opinion relative to an attack on Washington.
General St. George Cooke, commanding the army of Virginia
on the Potomac, declares there is no intention of attacking it,
or any place outside the limits of that free and sovereign State.
But then the conduct of the Federal Government in Maryland
is considered by the more fiery Southerners to justify the
expulsion of "Lincoln and his Myrmidons," "the Border
Ruffians and Cassius M. Clay," from the capital. Butler has
seized on the Relay House, on the junction of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, with the rail from Washington, and has
displayed a good deal of vigor since his arrival at Annapolis.
He is a Democrat, and a celebrated criminal lawyer in Massachusetts.
Troops are pouring into New York, and are preparing
to attack Alexandria, on the Virginia side, below
Washington and the Navy Yard, where a large Confederate
flag is flying, which can be seen from the President's windows
in the White House.

There is a secret soreness even here at the small effect
produced in England compared with what they anticipated by
the attack on Sumter; but hopes are excited that Mr. Gregory,
who was travelling through the States some time ago,
will have a strong party to support his forthcoming motion
for a recognition of the South. The next conflict which takes
place will be more bloody than that at Sumter. The gladiators
are approaching—Washington, Annapolis, Pennsylvania

are military departments, each with a chief and Staff, to which
is now added that of Ohio, under Major G. B. McClellan,
Major-General of Ohio Volunteers at Cincinnati. The authorities
on each side are busy administering oaths of allegiance.

The harbor of Charleston is reported to be under blockade
by the Niagara steam frigate; and a force of United States
troops at St. Louis, Missouri, under Captain Lyon, has attacked
and dispersed a body of State Militia under one Brigadier-General
Frost, to the intense indignation of all Mobile.
The argument is, that Missouri gave up the St. Louis Arsenal
to the United States Government, and could take it back if
she pleased, and was certainly competent to prevent the
United States troops stirring beyond the Arsenal.