April 29, 1861 – Burning of the Gosport Navy Yard—A Thrilling Scene

Destruction of the United States Navy-Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, by Fire, by the United States Troops, on April 20, 1861

Destruction of the United States Navy-Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, by Fire, by the United States Troops, on April 20, 1861

A correspondent of the New York Times thus describes the scenes presented by the destruction of the vessels and other U. S. property at Gosport Navy Yard, on the night of the 20th :

It is impossible to describe the-scene of destruction that was exhibited. Unweariedly it was continued from 9 o’clock to 12 during which time the moon gave light to direct the operations. But when the moon sank behind the horizon, the barracks near the centre of the yard were set on fire, that, by its illumination the work might be continued. The crackling flames and the glare of light inspired with new energies the destroying marines and havoc was carried everywhere, within the limits of orders. But time was not left to complete the work. Four o’clock of Sunday morning came, and the Pawnee was passing down from Gosport harbor, with the Cumberland, the coveted prize of the secessionists, in tow – every soul from the other ships and yard being aboard them save two. Just as they left their moorings, a rocket was sent up from the deck of the Pawnee. It sped high in air, paused a second and burst in shivers of many colored lights. As it did so, the well set trains at the ship-houses, and on the decks of the fated, vessels left behind, went off as if lit simultaneously by the rocket. One of the ship-houses contained the old New York, a ship thirty years on the stocks and yet unfinished. The other was vacant. The vessels fired were the Pennsylvania the Merrimac, the Germantown, the Plymouth, the Raritan, the Columbia, the Dolphin. The old Delaware and Columbus, worn out and dismantled seventy fours, were scuttled and sunk at the upper docks on Friday.

Surrender of Fort Sumter — Great Rejoicing among the People — Unparalleled Excitement

The interest of our citizens in the exciting events lately occurring in the neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, always intense, as manifested by the crowds that have thronged around the bulletin boards of the different newspapers airing the past week, culminated on Saturday evening on the reception of the news of the surrender of Fort Sumter, In one of the wildest, most enthusiastic and irrepressible expressions of heartfelt and exuberant joy on the part of the people generally, that we have ever known to be the case before in Richmond. Nothing else was talked of, or thought of, save the great triumph achieved by the heroic troops of the glorious Southern Confederacy in obliterating one of the Illinois ape’s standing menaces against the assertion of Southern rights and equality.— So far as the opinion of the people is concerned, it would have been much more to the old rail-splitter’s credit had he ordered Anderson to leave Fort Sumter, as an untenable and undesirable place, than to attempt, as he and his coadjutors did, to make the undoubtedly gallant Major the scapegoat of his insiduous and damnable views. We repeat, that had wise counsels prevailed, the old ape would have had all the credit between a graceful leave-taking and an ignominious expulsion at the cannon’s mouth. 

March 15, 1861 – The Noble Sentiment

The noble sentiment—so exultingly, enthusiastically, and unanimously adopted previous to the election of the Virginia Convention—of holding on to the fortunes of Virginia, whatever they might be—submitting to the decision…
Illustration of a Union cavalry charge

Moseby Redivivus

Army of the Potomac, Feb. 10. — Moseby was on the old Bull Run battle-field yesterday, with three hundred men. The Guerrillas skirmished with our pickets, near Manassas, last evening.…