THE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA BECOMES THE CAPITAL OF THE
CONFEDERACY.
In the meantime the seat of government of the Confederacy had been
transferred from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond; and here, on the
22d day of February—Washington's birthday—Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi,
and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, having been unanimously
chosen President and Vice-President, respectively, by the votes
of the convention of every Southern State, were duly inaugurated for the
term of six years. The oath of office was administered to the President
by the Hon. J. D. Halyburton, chief Confederate Judge, and to Alexander
H. Stephens by the President of the Confederate Senate. On
the next day President Davis sent to the Senate for confirmation, a list
of cabinet appointments, as follows: Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin,
of Louisiana; Secretary of War, George W. Randolph, of Virginia;
Secretary of the Navy, S. R. Mallory; Secretary of the Treasury,
C. G. Memminger, of South Carolina; Postmaster-General, Mr. Henry,
of Kentucky; Attorney-General, Herschel V. Johnson, of Georgia;
all of which were speedily confirmed. Thus, on the soil of Virginia,
was located the capital of the then existing Southern Republic. The
city thus occupied had been the seat of government of Virginia for a
period of eighty-five years, the State troops, arms and ammunition, and
public records having been removed from Williamsburg to that place in
1777, to prevent their falling into the possession of the British army,
then ravaging Virginia. In May, 1779, the Assembly passed an act
making it the permanent capital of the State. It was called Richmond
because of the fancied resemblance of its location to that of Richmond-on-the-Thames,
in England.
Six days after the inauguration ceremonies, on the 1st of March, the
right wing of the army of the Potomac, commanded by General Banks,
crossed the river, advanced into Virginia, and occupied Bolivar, Charlestown
and Martinsburg. This was the first movement of a series in which
the Federal armies were intended to approach Richmond and attack its
defenses. Banks continued his march in the direction of Winchester,
where Stonewall Jackson was posted with a considerable force.
On the 11th of March the Confederates evacuated Manassas and fell
back beyond the Rappahannock, and the Federals at once took possession
of the abandoned position. It was expected that Banks would
drive Jackson toward Richmond, and that the army at Manassas would
cut off his retreat, and thus capture his entire force; but instead the
wily Jackson retreated up the Valley, closely pursued by Banks. At
Strasburg he halted and took a strong position at New Market, within
supporting distance of Johnston.
