In Carl Schurtz’ war reminiscences, we find the following, showing the
apprehension felt by Lincoln at the outbreak of the war:
One afternoon, after he [President Lincoln] had issued his call
for troops, he sat alone in his room, and a feeling came over
him as if he were utterly deserted and helpless. He thought
any moderately strong body of Secessionist troops, if there
were any in the neighborhood, might come over the “long bridge”
across the Potomac, and just take him and the members of the
Cabinet--the whole lot of them. Then he suddenly heard a sound
like the boom of a cannon. “There they are!” he said to himself.
He expected every moment that somebody would rush in with the
report of an attack. But the White House attendants, whom he
interrogated, had heard nothing. Nobody came, and all remained
still. Then he thought he would look after the thing himself.
So he walked out, and walked and walked until he got to the
arsenal. There he found the doors all open, and not a soul to
guard them. Anybody might have gone in and helped himself to the
arms. There was perfect solitude and stillness all around. Then
he walked back to the White House without noticing the slightest
sign of disturbance. He met a few persons on the way, some of
whom he asked whether they had not heard something like the boom
of a cannon. Nobody had heard anything, and so he supposed it
must have been a freak of his imagination. It is probable that
at least a guard was sent to the arsenal that evening. (Text.)
(126)
=Aptitude=--See CAPACITY, ORIGINAL.
=Arch, The=--See ANCIENT ART.
=Architecture Imitating Nature=--See NATURE A MODEL.