Posted on 07/30/2019 5:45:14 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.
Posting history, in reverse order
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.
And yet another fascinating editorial on a subject that now goes directly at some of my own ancestors' history.
But first, a little background:
In 1860 the United States and the German Confederation shared some remarkable similarities -- both consisted of about 39 states or territories, both had just over 30 million citizens and both were divided by North-South rivalries.
Frankfurt am Main was the German Confederation's capital.
German Confederation after 1815:
In Germany, Prussia lead the dominant Northern alliance and Austria allied with rebellious Southerners.
When German Civil War (Austro-Prussian War) came in 1866, Otto von Bismarck's Prussia made quick work of victory over Austria, absorbing all it's northern-most allies, including Hanover, into Prussia.
However, at our historical time, now in 1859, the Northern Kingdom of Hanover (famous for supplying kings to Britain) was still trying to remain officially neutral in the North-South rivalries, while raising up an army to defend itself.
When Austro-Prussian War did come, in 1866, Hanover sided with Southern Austria, was defeated and so absorbed into the Prussian Empire.
German Confederation in 1866 showing North-South alliances:
In the meantime, our editorialist here compares the Kingdom of Hanover draft laws to Prussia's, and so our good naturalized US citizen, one Christian Ernst, on returning to his native Hanover on business, finds himself impressed into Hanovcr's army.
Anyway, according to family history, this is just the time and place when some of our own ancestors -- who were neither Prussian nor even German, but subject to their laws, decided to dodge the draft & flee for the peace & safety of... western Illinois.
Like that write-up. Thanks. That event chased more than a few Germans this way.
Were they German speakers? If so, they might have been lumped with the "Germans" who made up an important voting bloc with the 1860 election approaching. A candidate would need to be a highly skilled politician to gain the support of those immigrants as well as their antagonists from the former nativist Know-Nothings Party, while appealing to both the radical abolitionists of the northeast and the hands-off-slavery voters. Tough assignment.
CHAMBERSBURG, PA., August, 1859.
DEAR FRIEND, — I forgot to say yesterday that your shipments of freight are received all in apparent safety; but the bills are very high, and I begin to be apprehensive of getting into a tight spot for want of a little more funds, notwithstanding my anxiety to make my money hold out. As it will cost no more expense for you to solicit for me a little more assistance while attending to your other business, say two or three hundred dollars in New York, — drafts payable to the order of I. Smith & Sons, — will you not sound my Eastern or Western friends in regard to it? It was impossible for me to foresee the exact amount I should be obliged to pay out for everything. Now that arrangements are so nearly completed, I begin to feel almost certain that I can squeeze through with that amount. All my accounts are squared up to the present time; but how I can keep my little wheels in motion for a few days more I am beginning to feel at a loss. It is terribly humiliating to me to begin soliciting of friends again; but as the harvest opens before me with increasing encouragements, I may not allow a feeling of delicacy to deter me from asking the little further aid I expect to need. What I must have to carry me through I shall need within a very few days, if I am obliged to call direct for further help; so you will please expect something quite definite very soon. I have endeavored to economize in every possible way; and I will not ask for a dollar until I am driven to do so. I have a trifle over one hundred and eighty dollars on hand, but am afraid I cannot possible make it reach. I am highly gratified with all our arrangements up to the present time, and feel certain that no time has yet been lost. One freight is principally here, but will have to go a little further. Our hands, so far, are coming forward promptly, and better than I expected, as we have called on them. We have to move with all caution.
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 535-6
Wrote wife for Watson and Danphin Thompson to come on; also wrote James N. Gloucester and J. Henrie.
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 520
CHAMBERSBURG, PENN., Aug. 2, 1859.
DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN, ALL, — If Watson and D. should set out soon after getting this, it may be well. They will avoid saying anything on the road about North Elba. It will be quite as well to say they are from Essex County; and need not say anything about it unless they are questioned, when they had better say as above. Persons who do not talk much are seldom questioned much. They should buy through tickets at Troy or at New York for Baltimore, where they will get tickets for Harper's Ferry and there, by inquiring of Mr. Michael Ault, who keeps the toll-bridge over which they have to pass, they can find I. Smith on the Kennedy farm. Watson will be a son and D. his brother-in-law Thompson, if any inquiry is made at the bridge or elsewhere. They had better not bring trunks. We are all well. May God abundantly bless and keep you all!
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 530-1
There is a chapter on John Brown from the History of Iowa written in 1900
http://iagenweb.org/history/moi/moi31.htm
Just to put in time/location perspective from Iowa eyes.
Iowa was established in 1846 from treaties with the Indians 182o’s-1840’s
Iowa had 3 fronts. The Indian wars in the nw, guerillas on the southern border and participation in the main war. most of the population was on the eastern third along the mississippe.
Spirit Lake massacre in 1857
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_Lake_Massacre
SW Minnesota massacre in 1862
https://wildwesthistory.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-minnesota-massacre-or-dakota-war-of.html
As federal troops were removed, the Indians and guerillas were emboldened.
Some of the Iowa Volunteer Calvary were assigned to the Indian war. A distant relative of my wife died in the battle of Julesburg in Colorado. Troop F.
http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/regiment/cavalry/07th/hist.html
STEAMBOAT MINNESOTA, DESCENDING RED RIVER, LA., August 3, 1859.
SIR: I have the gratification to inform you, in advance probably of your official notification by Gov. Wickliffe, that the Board of Supervisors of the Seminary of Learning, State of Louisiana, yesterday elected you to the chair of engineering, architecture, and drawing in that institution, and to the post of superintendent thereof. . .
I am now en route to join my family at Beer-Sheba Springs, Tennessee, where I shall remain until the last days of August and thence to Washington City all the month of September. My address there will be to “care Richard Smith, Esq., cashier, Bank of the Metropolis.” Hope to be at home by first of November, where from the 1st to the 10th, shall be glad if you can join me, making the headquarters of your family at my house, where we have abundant room, but are nine miles distant from Alexandria, thirteen from the Seminary.
If entirely convenient and comfortable to your family, however, to remain behind, it would be wisest for you to come down alone at first, as there are no residences yet provided, and you will all have to quarter at first in the building. Yourself and Dr. Vallas are the only two married men on the Academic Board, and the Board of Supervisors has taken the initiatory for the creation of two dwellings, but it requires the authorization of the legislature, which assembles on the 3rd Monday in January.
It will be necessary for you to be here as soon as possible after my own return, as the preparation for, and the starting of, the whole machinery has been devolved mostly on you and myself, including the furnishments of the building, as you will see from the published accounts of our proceedings which will be forwarded to you (apropos: the statement in the governor's advertisement that “furnished apartments will be provided the professors in the building” was an error of our secretary's. It should have read “Apartments will be furnished the professors in the building free of charge therefor” le meublant of them however to be left to themselves).
I enclose to your address at Leavenworth, to be mailed with this in New Orleans, a packet containing four publications from the Virginia Military Institute, one of them a copy of its “Rules and Regulations,” so that in devoting in advance, what leisure moments you may have to the preparation of your plans, you may have the experience of our model before you.
If an article in the Daily National Intelligencer of Monday, July 4th, headed “Louisiana Seminary” met your eye, you will have gathered from it a pretty exact idea of its locale. A little ground plan which I have endeavored to make amidst the tremulous motion of the boat, and enclose here, will enable you to form some idea of the capacity of the Building.
Doctor Vallas is an Episcopal clergyman (which quality he sinks entirely, that is, in the exercise of it, so far as the institution is concerned), an Hungarian, an accomplished gentleman, an erudite scholar, a profound and practised mathematician and doctor of philosophy. Has occupied various chairs in the colleges of Vienna and at the time of the establishment of the Revolutionary Government in Hungary, was professor of mathematics in the University at Pesth, in which capacity he was ordered by that Government to organize a military department to the University in which he superintended the instruction of about five hundred young men for two years, when the Austrians recovering possession of Pesth he was dismissed from the Military school and was himself court-martialed. Saving his head, they only removed his body from the office of professor of the university, and altho’ there is satisfactory evidence that he might have been restored to that position, he preferred a voluntary expatriation. He resides in New Orleans, readily at hand.
Monsieur St. Ange seems to be a gentleman and well educated scholar-has served in the Marine Corps of France. Is in Alexandria.
David F. Boyd, an eleve of the University of Virginia and native of that state, is now teacher in a school in the northerly part of Louisiana. He, too, is therefore readily at hand.
Francis W. Smith, native of Virginia and eleve of its military institute, is a very young man, a nephew of both Col. Smith, the superintendent, and of Major Williamson, one of the professors in the V.M.I. He comes strenuously recommended as eminently qualified to fill any chair in our school, except that of modern languages, being only a French scholar. Is now at Lexington, Virginia or Norfolk, where his family reside.
In concluding this long, and to me wearying paper, I beg to say to you that much is expected of you - that a great deal will devolve upon you, and to add that at our Board dinner yesterday, Governor Wickliffe with great cordiality and kind feeling proposed your health and success, and that it was responded to by the other members in brimming glasses.
P.S. If you know Mr. and Mrs. A. I. Isaacs, now I think residing in Leavenworth, they can tell you all about our country here.
SOURCE: Walter L. Flemming, Editor, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 29-33
Hi Teach.
I had to lookup a word/phrase, “le meublant.”
The definitions were all in French. It took me a while with my terrible French to figure it out.
5.56mm
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, BATON ROUGE, LA., Aug. 5,1859.
SIR: I have the pleasure to inform you that at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminary of Learning, held at Alexandria on the 1st of August, you were elected to fill the chair of professor of engineering, architecture, drawing, etc., and as superintendent of the institution.
You will please inform me at what time, between this and the first of December, it will be convenient for you to meet a committee of the Board of Supervisors, to make necessary arrangements for the organization of the institution.
SOURCE: Walter L. Flemming, Editor, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 29
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