Secrets of the Late Rebellion, Now Revealed for the First TimeFreese, Jacob R.
History
Secrets of the Late Rebellion, Now Revealed for the First Time
Freese, Jacob R.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1861-1865
As might have been expected, all this created a great amount of
excitement on the streets and about the headquarters. The minister in
his white robes, in charge of several officers in full uniform, and with
the entire congregation following after, was such a sight as had never
been seen in Alexandria before. Everybody--men, women, and children--who
saw it, followed after, until, when the headquarters were reached, there
were several hundred persons present. When the General's decision in the
case became known to the crowd, there was a general approval, as much
among Unionists as among secessionists; but to this there were some
exceptions. The officers and their informers, who had been balked in
their mad purposes, felt chagrined and angry, and left the headquarters
with scowling faces, as though still bent on mischief. The General
and the Judge went to their private quarters, in a building across the
street, nearly opposite to the general headquarters. They supposed the
trouble ended, and that they should hear nothing more of it.
In about an hour thereafter, when the General and the Judge had
just risen from their mess-table, an orderly came rushing into their
quarters, to say that a large crowd of cavalry officers, soldiers, and
citizens were gathered about the Episcopal church, on E Street (the one
in which the minister had been arrested), and that they were threatening
to burn it. The General at once buckled on his sword, and told his
Adjutant to do the same. Both put their revolvers in their belts. The
Judge then told the orderly to hasten to the Provost-Marshal's office,
and tell him to come himself, and bring as many officers and men with
him as possible to the Episcopal church on E Street,'and there await
further orders from the General or himself. The General and the Judge
then went to the church in all possible haste, and found, as had been
told them, several hundred soldiers and citizens gathered about it. In
a little while after, the Provost-Marshal, with a considerable number
of his guard, appeared on the ground. "Burn it! burn it! burn it!" with
intermingling oaths, could be heard every now and then from the mouths
of half-crazed cavalry soldiers. The General and the Judge worked their
way through the crowd, and took their stations directly in front of the
church. The Provost-Marshal and his guard also worked their way through
the crowd to the same place. The General then told the Judge to command
the peace, in as loud a voice as he could. The Judge did so, and then
added, "If any one attempts to set fire to this church, he will be shot
down at once--and all persons, whether soldiers or citizens, who are
found within five hundred yards of this church building after thirty
minutes shall have expired, will be arrested by the provost-guard, put
in jail until to-morrow, and then brought before the Provost-Court
for disturbing the peace and violating the sanctity of the Sabbath."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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