*

creased also. A direct tax of $20,000,000 and an income tax were imposed, whereby it was hoped $75,000,000 would be realized during the fiscal year. Moreover the regular army was increased by 11 new regiments. The President was authorized to close insurrectionary ports of entry by proclamation, was granted permission to hire, purchase, or contract for vessels, and to enlist seamen for three years or during the war, and a considerable number of important amendments to existing laws were passed. Authority was granted the President to collect duty on shipboard. The Force Bill of 1795 was amended so that, in addition to calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrection, and repel invasions, authority was granted to suppress "rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." Conspiracy against the Government was made punishable, unlawful recruiting was prohibited, and the law punishing piracy was amended.

In his message the President spoke of his extraordinary acts since Sumter fell. He believed that the call for 75,000 militia and the blockade proclamation were legal, but he wished Congress to ratify them, as well as the call for the three years' troops and the increase of the regular army and navy. Reso

The income tax was 3 per cent. on incomes over $800. Coffee and tea were taken from the free list and a duty of 4 cents and 15 cents per lb., respectively, imposed. The duty on sugar was considerably augmented.

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lutions ratifying these acts were introduced and met with little direct opposition save from the extreme Democrats. All seemed to agree that the call for 75,000 militia and the blockade proclamation were strictly legal. Some argued that, if they were legal, there was no reason for Congress to approve them, whereas, if they were illegal, no power of Congress could validate them. There was much disagreement in both branches of Congress about the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. However, there was an unwillingness toward opening a serious discussion which might interfere with the prompt disposal of such legislation as was immediately necessary. During the last days of the session a bill to increase the pay of privates was introduced. To this bill was attached a section ratifying the acts and proclamation of the President respecting the regular army and navy, and the volunteers. from the loyal States. In this shape the act was passed with only five negative votes, all of which came from the border slave States. In the House only 19 opposed it. On July 19 Clark, of New Hampshire, moved the expulsion from the Senate, on the ground of their being engaged in a conspiracy against the Government, of Mason and Hunter, of Virginia, Clingman and Bragg, of North Carolina, Chesnut, of South Carolina, Nicholson, of Tennessee, Sebastian and Mitchell, of Arkansas, and Hemphill and Wigfall, of Texas. This was accordingly done.

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Sen

"That if any person held to labor or service in any State, under the laws thereof (by which, of course, is meant a slave in any of those States) is employed in aid of this rebellion, in digging ditches or entrenchments, or in other way, or if used for carrying guns, or if used to destroy this government by the consent of his master, his master shall forfeit all right to him and he shall be forever discharged.""

This amendment was opposed by Crittenden as being unconstitutional and dangerous, but in spite of his influence the bill was passed by a large majority.t

Meanwhile the country demanded a forward movement of the army. On June 26, 1861, the New York Tribune contained this injunction, "Forward to Richmond! Forward to Richmond! The rebel Congress must not be allowed to meet there on the 20th of July. By that date the place must be held by the National army."‡ On June 29 President Lincoln called a council of war of his Cabinet members and of prominent military men to consider the best plan of campaign. By request General Irvin McDowell sub

Congressional Globe, pp. 218-219.

For further details of the session, see Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. iv., chap. xxi.

Rhodes, United States, vol. iii., p. 437; Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. iv., p. 321.

mitted a plan of attack on Beauregard who had at Manassas Junction and within easy distance an effective force of 21,900 men. McDowell said that, if Joseph E. Johnston's force of 9,000 men then in the Shenandoah Valley could be prevented by Major-General Patterson from joining Beauregard, and if Major-General Butler engaged the force then in his vicinity, he would make the movement against Beauregard.* General Scott did not approve the plan of fighting a battle in Virginia, but assured McDowell that if "Johnston joins Beauregard he shall have Patterson right on his heels." With this understanding it was decided and ordered that McDowell should enter on his preparations and that the movement should begin on July 9. The advance was not made as soon as intended, however, and July 16 had come before McDowell's "grand army "marched

to the front. This army consisted of five divisions, commanded respectively by Brigadier-General Daniel Tyler (four brigades), Colonel David Hunter (two brigades), Colonel S. P. Heintzelman (four brigades), Brigadier-General Theodore Runyon (two brigades), and Colonel Dixon S. Miles (three brigades). General Runyon with the fourth division was left behind as a reserve in the region of the fortifications to guard communications. The advance division (Tyler's) reached Centreville on the morning of the 18th, and a brigade was sent ahead

*Official Records, vol. ii., pp. 720-721.

to reconnoitre. After a sharp skirmish in which both sides lost about 60 men, the Union troops withdrew toward Centreville, to which point, hearing of the operations at Blackburn's Ford, McDowell directed the concentration of four divisions.*

The Confederate "Army of the Potomac " had been concentrated at Manassas under General P. G. T. Beauregard. In expectation of a Union advance Beauregard occupied the south bank of Bull Run for eight miles; from Union Mills Ford at the. crossing of the railroad to Alexandria to the stone bridge at the Warrenton turnpike, three brigades were thrown forward of that position, one of them to Fairfax Court House. These briThese brigades fell back before the Union advance, skirmishing slightly. Richard S. Ewell's brigade, the right of the line, was at Union Mills, with Theophilus H. Holmes in support; David R. Jones' brigade at McLean's Ford; James B. Longstreet's at Blackburn's Ford; Milledge L. Bonham's between Mitchell's and Ball's Fords; Philip S. Cocke's at Lewis' Ford; and Nathan G. Evans' at the Stone bridge, forming the Confederate left. Johnston's army of the Shenandoah had arrived, and of this Jackson's brigade was in support of Bonham, and Barnard E. Bee and F. S. Bartow in support of Cocke.

Johnston had received a telegram

* Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. iv., pp. 341-342; Rhodes, United States, vol. iii., p. 444.

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from the Confederate government on the morning of July 18 to join Beauregard if practicable. To do this it was necessary to defeat Patterson or to elude him. Patterson had received so many false reports that Johnston's army had been magnified in his mind from a force of 9,000 to 35,000.† On the 15th Patterson advanced to Bunker Hill, prepared to attack if opportunity offered. He was then within 9 miles of Johnston's camp at Winchester, and now had the opportunity to crush Johnston, since he could throw against Johnston's force of 12,000 an army of from 18,000 to 22,000. Instead of remaining where he was, attacking Johnston, or placing himself between the Confederates and the Shenandoah River, Patterson marched directly away from them, on the 17th going to Charlestown, 22 miles from Winchester, thus allowing Johnston an excellent opportunity to escape, which he did and on July 20 joined Beauregard's army. On this day Patterson first learned that Johnston had left Winchester with his whole force and so telegraphed to Washington.||

From each of the fords before mentioned fair roads ran to Centreville. Beauregard had planned an attack upon Centreville, with an advance of

* Official Records, vol. ii., p. 478. Ibid, p. 172.

Ibid, p. 166.

|| Ibid, p. 172. See also Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. iv., pp. 344-346; Rhodes, United States, vol. iii., pp. 445-446; Confederate Military History, vol. iii., pp. 85-88.

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his whole force upon that point. The orders for such an advance and attack were duly written out and approved by General Johnston early on Sunday morning, July 21, but at sunrise this plan was rendered impossible by McDowell's initiative, and a modification was proposed by Beauregard - to stand on the defensive with the left flank at the station bridge and attack the Union right from the region of Blackburn's ford. This suggestion was approved by Johnston and ordered to be carried out.*

The Union army lay encamped about Centreville, from which place the Warrenton turnpike ran westward over a stone bridge crossing Bull Run to Gainesville, several miles beyond. Unaware that Johnston had joined Beauregard, McDowell determined to seize Gainesville to prevent such a junction. As the stone bridge was thought to be defended in force besides being mined, no crossing was considered, and late on Saturday it was reported that Sudley Ford, two or three miles above, could be carried easily by an attacking column. Accordingly, McDowell called a council of war and announced his plan of battle for the following day. Tyler's division was to advance on the Warrenton turnpike and threaten the

stone bridge. Hunter and Heintzelman were to make a detour across Sudley Ford, and, advancing on the enemy's side of Bull Run, carry the batteries at the stone bridge by a rear attack, thus allowing Tyler to cross and join in the main battle.*

Tyler's division was slow in getting out on the road and hindered the divisions which were to make the detour. Tyler marched to the stone bridge, and at 6.30 fired signal guns to show that he was in position. Hunter and Heintzelman did not come to their designated positions until the middle of the morning. The Confederate general, Evans, had discovered the movement and withdrew 11 companies of his division and formed them on a ridge half a mile north of the road just as the head of Hunter's column entered the open fields which extended a mile north of the Warrenton road. The Union troops engaged far outnumbered the Confederates, but Evans made a stubborn resistance and was soon supported by Bee's brigade and Imboden's battery. While the position was hotly contested, the Confederates were pressed back down the hill, across the valley of Young's branch, a tributary of Bull Run, to the plateau south of it on which were the Robinson and Hunter houses. But the Union column was constantly swelling with the arrival of batteries. and regulars. Two of Tyler's brig

* Official Records, vol. ii., p. 326.