A Waif from Washington: November 2, 1861

Source: Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: January 16, 1862

(Correspondence of the P.C. Advertiser)
Washington, November 2, 1861

MY DEAR COMMERCIAL:- Three months since, I sent you a waif from this great focus of excitement, written just after the disastrous panic and route of our army at Bull Run. Yet here I find the two great armies occupying about the same relative position as before that engagement. The Unionists guarding the Capital at every point, and pressing, the more slowly and cautiously them before, upon the as slowly retreating rebels, with each prospect of a general engagement at any moment. The desperate fight near Leesburg, a few days since, in which the advance guard of Gen. Stone’s division was attacked and repulsed, after a most brave resistance, by a force of four times their number, was a needless sacrifice. The attempt to push a force across the river on a hostile shore, without providing sufficient transportation, either for reinforcements or a means of retreat, was a gross blunder, and to our brave troops a fatal one. 

I witnessed a few days ago, the funeral pageant of the lamented Col. Baker, the distinguished Senator from Oregon, who fell in that bloody fight all cheering on his men. His body was pierced with ten balls, almost any one of which would have proved fatal. The funeral cortège was someone and imposing; it was composed of three regiments of infantry, with arms reversed, and bands playing a solemn dirge, and long procession of carriages containing persons of distinction, among home where the President, (who was under intimate personal friend of Baker, who had resided in Illinois,) and his Cabinet, Gen. Scott and staff, and others. That was the last public appearance of Gen. Scott as Commander-in-Chief of the army. Yesterday, being infirm and worn out by the arduous duties of a long life spent in the service of his country, he availed himself of the special act of Congress passed at the last session, which permits him to retire with full honors and pay during his life, and resigned his command as the head of our immense army to the more vigorous but less experienced, Gen. George B McClellan. The proceedings on this deeply interesting occasion, and the documents accompanying them, show the perfect confidence and esteem in which this noble chieftain is held, and must have been extremely gratifying to the scarred and worn veteran. He leaves to-day for Europe, and will be accompanied to New York by the Secretaries of war and navy. His wife has been in Europe some years. It would be an interesting spectacle to witness, if the stern old warrior should come in contact with any of the Rebel Commissioners in Europe, as he may probably do. The boldest of them might well quail before the indignant glance of his eagle eye, dimmed though it may be with years. 

The great topic now occupying men's minds is the destination of the great Naval Expedition which has just sailed from Fortress Monroe. A few hours more of suspense will solve the mystery, and bring us tidings of great success or defeat. So well has the secret been kept, that I find even to-day knots of citizens at Willard’s speculating upon its objects, and each with a different theory as to its destination. And yet it is possible that the rebel government is in full possession of the secret ere this. Their spies abound everywhere, and notwithstanding the researches of the Congressional Committee, and the numbers discharged in consequence thereof, I don't not there are even now in every department of the government employees who secret sympathies are with the Secessionists, or whose wives are ready to communicate any straight bit of information they may gather that will help the rebel cause. I find everywhere in Washington, among the ladies, instances of secession proclivities, as though the manifestation of them is more restrained since the arrest, by government, of certain fashionable ladies here who were acting as rebels spies, still it is easy to see that the feeling exists as an active principle. 

The great question as to what principle shall be adopted concerning the slaves who come into camp and deliver themselves up, is fast approaching its solution. If the Naval Expedition effect a landing on the Southern coast, and open a cotton port, as it is supposed by many it is their intention to do, the issue will speedily be made, and the war will in my opinion become one of freedom against slavery. The persistent efforts made by the leaders of the rebels to identify the Unionist troops with the Abolitionist, for the sake of rousing the prejudices of the South, although it was notorious that some of our foremost men in arms were leaders of the Breckenridge or pro-slavery party, is likely to recoil with terrible effect in their own heads. The President has heretofore lent a deaf ear to those who were clamoring for the immediate emancipation of the slaves of those engaged in the rebellion, deciding to take no important step of this sort in contravention of the Constitution, except as “military necessity” of sufficient urgency to justify so radical a measure. In this view he was confirmed by the voice of the border slave states, which continued (though nominally perhaps more than really) loyal, and which would have been driven at once into secession by such a policy. Now, however, the emergency seems to have arrived for the step, and the reasons adverse to its adoption to have in a great measure, disappeared. 

Though the slave states of Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri are nominally saved to the Union is not with the consent of the slave-holding portion of them. With few exceptions, and those mostly of old men unfit for service, the slaveholders of the Border States are open or secret Secessionists, and a large large proportion of them have joined the rebel army, and are in arms, with the avowed object of driving out the Unionists, and turning their States over to the Southern Confederacy. Those who remain firm for the Union feel that “it is worth more than all the niggers in the South,” as one of them expressed it. And that if the question is whether the Union or Slavery shall cease to exist, are ready for the sacrifice of the latter. So that the status of the States is not now likely to be affected by the issue, and therefore the objection against interfering with the peculiar institution on the score of policy is much weakened, if indeed it any longer exists. Setting aside considerations of justice and humanity, there can be no question that in the present position of affairs, a stern military necessity dictates the striking a blow at the rebels in what is at once their weakest and strongest joint, slavery. Their strongest, because as they themselves boast, their slaves, undisturbed by the war, which there astute leaders have thus far kept from their homes by interposing victimized Virginia as a shield between themselves and the loyal States, have raised their food and their cotton, while their masters have been thus free to fight for their unhallowed cause, and those not needed for this purpose have been employed on fortifications, and in various ways, have aided the rebellion. Their weakest, because they are human chattels, prefer freedom to slavery, and when the opportunity to secure their freedom presents itself to their minds, they will gladly embrace it. Such an opportunity will be offered, if the Naval Expedition is successful in making a landing on the coast of one of the Cotton States, as the Commander of those forces is instructed to act with reference to the slaves upon the principles adopted by General Butler at Fortress Monroe and accepted by the government. 

To day I took a long and very interesting horseback ride of twenty miles into Virginia, among the camps of our vast army, and almost up to the rebel pickets. It is very difficult now to get a pass to go into Virginia, the Provost Marshal being very strict and refusing most applications. Your humble correspondent however, having the honor to be secretary of the military committee of the little village of Westboro’, to which village the band of Senator (now Col.) Wilson's famous regiment, the “22nd Mass,” belonged, and being well acquainted with the venerable chaplain of that regiment, the distinguished clergyman and poet John Pierpont, who soon after the Baltimore massacre, offered his services as chaplain, on condition that his regiment was not to go around Baltimore, (but through it,) obtained a note from Col. Wilson to the Provost Marshal, requesting a pass for me to visit his regiment on business. Armed with this document, I proceeded to the office of that potentate, and found a slow procession in single file reaching from his door some twenty feet along the sidewalk, guarded by a file of soldiers to keep order and see fair play and that no one should “crowd the mourners.” At the caudeal extremity of this lugubrious procession, your waifer took his position and there like other wafers stuck. The file before me was what Artemis Ward would call decidedly mixed, but mainly consisted of most seedy and loaferish looking settlers, and darkies. Some were farmers who had come in on the business and who wished to renew their expired passes; some were sutlers to regiments, and some doubtless were engaged in more objectionable trade with the troops. As an individual emerged every few minutes from the office, his success or failure to procure the coveted permit was easily read from his countenance. After waiting some fifteen minutes, during which time I had advanced about one foot, I made the calculation that I should reach the dread presence in not less than three hours. Not having so much time to spare, I “broke ranks” to the evident gratification of the men behind me, and it concluded to await a more favorable opportunity. The next day I went again at three different times and finally took my place determined to “see it out.” I was forcibly reminded of the Post Office processions in San Francisco in 1849, though here the progress was much slower. By the way, the efficient Postmaster and Mayor of San Francisco in those halcyon days, afterwards one of the flying Governors of Kansas and her troublous times, is now Col. Gearey, an efficient and brave Commander, who has already won laurels in the recent skirmish at Harpers Ferry. After a delay of an hour and a half, I reach the arbiter of my fate, and laying great stress on my being a committeeman, having in charge the families of soldiers, and none at all on my curiosity and social intense, I received a pass for four days to visit camps across the river on official business, coupled with most solemn declarations of my loyalty, which I was made to sign.

Armed with this all important document, I crossed the long bridge, passed through Fort Runyon, and a long line of encampments on the road to Manassas, being stopped every few rods by a soldier with an order to “show pass,” from the time I entered long bridge, till I returned. I visited the various localities which are now rendered famous, though never heard of before; Munsons Hill, which a few weeks ago was occupied and fortified by the rebels, much to the dismay of the more timid Washingtonians, who felt that if they could be allowed to do that with impunity and plant the rebel flag in full site and within cannon shot of the White House, their next move might be on Washington itself. George McClellan, however, knew what he was about, it while he allowed the rebels to occupy and fortify the hill he made his preparations to cut off and capture the force of about 10,000 that occupied it. Through treachery, however, his signals were discovered, and his well they'd plan foiled by the sudden retreat of the rebels just as his forces had commenced their movement. I also visited Hall’s, Upton’s Hill, Balls Cross Roads, Fall’s Church, and other points of interest. The whole region is desolation and ruin, magnificent forests cutdown, houses burned, or pull down or stripped of all but frames and plaster, beautiful gardens and parks destroyed, and grim visaged war displaying his wrinkled and horrid front, wherever the eye turned. This region has been occupied by rebels and federals by turns, and each party have wrecked their vengeance on the partisans of the other till there is no hardly a house standing. I did not see a child or female from the time I left Washington toward returned to it, but everywhere the bronzed visages of stern warriors. I got out of my way early in the P.M. and having ridden a mile or two without being stopped, or seeing pickets, I thought it was time to consult my map, which had been corrected up to the present time, (at least I was assured so where I procured it,) I was startled at discovering by it that I was within the line of “rebel pickets," and that a rebel fort was just behind me, and rebel cavalry just before me. I began to think that the Commercial Advertiser was about to lose its “humble correspondent,” and that the military committee of Westboro’ their valuable secretary, and was looking forward to an incarceration in the Richmond prison during the war, with most unenviable feelings. They were no camps in sight, but quite near me was a party of soldiers. The question which to me was particularly interesting, whether they were federal or secesh, was not readily answered by their appearance. They were loading a cart with boards from a house which they were pulling down. As this had been the amusement of each party no clue to the answer was furnished. As I knew that they would fire at me without ceremony if I tried to gallop off whether they were friends or foes, I rode up to them, and found, to my relief, that they belonged to a Jersey regiment, and that our pickets had been extended and the rebels had retired. As I returned towards Washington, it was the hour of evening parade, and regimental bands were discoursing most stirring music as I passed in succession the various camps, while cavalry, artillery and infantry were moving through the fields and along the roads, presenting a most imposing and brilliant spectacle. A strange one, indeed, to an American. I could hardly realize that I was in Republican America, witnessing scenes, which I had before only seen in Europe, when I thanked God that I was a citizen of America, where standing armies were unknown. Auwe! auwe! Alas for the Republic! God grant her a safe deliverance from her deadly peril!  

The completion of the Pacific Telegraph brings us within a fortnight of the sunny isles! A wonderful achievement, with the excitement and glory of which the whole of the United States in ordinary times, would ring. But under the absorbing pressure of this fearful contest, hardly a thought is given to any pacific triumph which the soap emphatically is. Most heartily do I congratulate the denizens of the peaceful shores of Hawaii, on this auspicious event, which draws still closer the cords which bind Hawaii and New England forever! Farewell! To-morrow I leave Washington by the old-fashioned mode of travel, the stagecoach, to visit the scene of the bloody Leesburg fight, or rather our troops who were engaged in it, and are Westboro’ boys who were stationed at Harper's Ferry, and we're engaged under Col. Geary in the fierce skirmish of Bolivar Heights. If time permits I will send you a waif from there. 

MAIKELA.