Criticism of My Behavior

As usual, Congressional opposition to President Lincoln were aimed directly at me, his personal bodyguard. Mr. Lincoln had warned me that this would happen.

Reports to the president included complaints that I was extravegant and excessive in my propensity to alcoholic beverages and eating, that I swore too much and that I smoked cigars to the extent that when one was nearly finished I used it to light the next one.

Admittedly these were problems, though minor ones. Mr. Lincoln was aware of my smoking, drinking and swearing. He didn't approve and often chided me about one or the other.  He also knew that I was willing to take a bullet for him, drop anything at any time day or night to aid him, and didn't do any of these to such an extent that it would interfere with my duties.

I smoked probably 15 cigars a day. So what?

I drank whiskey like water, but was also starting to grow fond of champaign and wines. Though my drinking was legendary, I swear I never drank enough that I couldn't recite "When you and I were young Maggie."

Maryland Legislators Arrested

In order to assure that the Maryland legislature didn't vote for succession and leave Washington City on an island and surrounded by the Confederate states, President Lincoln ordered the arrest of key legilators. They were incarcerated in the prison at Fort McHenry. When the state government met in Frederick on September 17, 1861 only eleven answered roll call. Without a quorem, there was no vote.

Several Baltimore residents were also jailed for secession leanings, along with the editor of the secessionist newspaper, The South and Baltimore Mayor George Brown for "complicity with those in armed rebellion against the government."

Secretary of War Simon Cameron said of the arrests "The passage of any act of secession by the Legislature of Maryland must be prevented. If necessary all or any part of the members must be arrested."

Ironically Maryland Governor Thomas Hicks and many of the regional newspapers supported the action of the Lincoln administration.

General Fremont Issue Comes to a Head

President Lincoln's attempt to get General Fremont to change his order (he had ordered that slaves confiscated in Missouri become freemen) failed. Fremont's wife brought the president letters from her husband saying that he refused to modify his order. Lincoln wrote back to General Fremont, this time demanding that the order be rescinded.

Ironclad Board Meets with the President

President Lincoln had been receiving reports that the Confederates were constructing the Virginia, an ironclad ship. Secretary of the Navy Giddeon Welles suggested the Union built several too.  Welles sosught designs from various firms.  When the Ironclad Board met and accepted a design offered by Swedish  engineer John Ericsson. The board thought the design too radical, but Mr. Lincoln did not agree.  After much discussion, Ericcson's design of a flat ship with a rotating turret was accepted.  That first ship was to be called the Moniter.

Meanwhile, in my excitement to raise troops for the Lamon brigade, I attempted to solicit men from Colonel Rowley's area of Pennsylvania.  The assistant adjutant general refused my request, saying that my men were to come only from Virginia.  The decision greatly irked me, but I pushed on to complete the task at hand, while secretly attempting to recruit additional men from Illinois.  

Fremont's Declaration Angers the President

On August 30, General John Fremont declared the slaves in rebellion in Missouri were to be freed. That upset President Lincoln, not only becaue the general failed to tell him (he learnedd in from the newspaper accounts) but because the president feared the message would cause the border states to flee and join the South.
The President wrote to General Fremont asking him to change his order. He said in his letter to the general "Allow me therefore to ask that you will by your own motion, modify (it) to conform to the Confiscation Act."
The president also celebrated the first naval victory. On August 27 a small Union fleet and about 1,000 troops attacked Fort Clark at Hatteras Inlet. After three hours of fighting, 700 Confederates surrendered along with two forts, without a single Union casualty.

President Lincoln's New Worry -- Troubles Brewing WIth the Spanish

President Lincoln met with representatives from the cities of Philadelphia, Boston and New York to help secure a $50,000,000 government loan to help finance the war. He continued to monitor troop action in Missouri.

Meanwhile General George McClellan, assure the president often that his men were in training, something they had not had much of prior to Manassas Junction/Bull Run, and would be much more prepared when they took the field. Mr. Lincoln was not patient waiting for General McClellan to take aggressive action against the sesesh states.

Supreme Court Justice John Catron, a supporter of slavery but a man who opposed secession, was expelled from Nashville, Tennessee because of his loyalty to the federal government.

Captain General of Cuba, Francisco Serrano y Dominguez, declared at this time that he would offer protection of rebel ships in the port of Cuba. And he gave them additional guarantees that were unfavorable to the saving of the Union. This caused a rift in foreign policy that President Lincoln thought might sour the relations between the United States and Spain. Mr. Lincoln feared that a disruption against Spain would bring other foreign nations into conflict, something he didn’t think the country could deal with at the present time.

Pro-treason Newspaper Denied Access to the Mails

Around this time, several newspapers including the Daily News, The New York Journal of Commerce, Freeman’s Journal , The Brooklyn Eagle, and the Day-Book, all considered pro-treason newspapers, were shut off and no longer allowed to use the U.S. mails to send their newspapers into the South. At the same time, government officials seized and shut down The Christian Observer in Philadelphia for similar reasons.

The government also arrested Charles J. Falkner, who had been sent by President James Buchanan to England. Faulkner was charged with treason and furnishing arms for the rebellion.

I spent much of the month organizing the First Virginia Volunteers in Williamsport, Maryland. They were made up mostly of boys from Virginia, just across the river from Williamsport. Mr. Lincoln had encouraged my efforts which ended up being eleven companies called the Lamon Brigade, which included four cavalry, six infantry and one light artillery company with two additional infantry uniots to be filled.