Lyon, determined not to be taken by surprise, had the streets leading to
the Arsenal nightly patrolled and pickets stationed outside the walls.
Gov. Jackson's Police Board complained that this was a violation of
the City ordinances and in direct interference with their duties. They
demanded that he should obey the law, but he refused. When they appealed
to Harney, he at once ordered Lyon to quarter his men in the Arsenal
and forbade him to issue arms to anyone without Harney's sanction.
This brought Blair and Lyon to a parting of the ways with Harney. They
demanded his removal, and April 21 Harney was removed from the command,
and ordered to repair to Washington and report to the General-in-Chief.
65
On the same day Capt. Lyon was instructed to immediately execute the
order previously given to "arm loyal citizens." He was also ordered to
muster into the service four regiments, which the Governor had refused
to furnish. As the men had long been in waiting, Lyon quickly organized
the four regiments, which elected him their Brigadier-General. Some of
the field officers of these regiments were notable men, and were to have
brilliant careers during the war. The Colonel of the 1st Regiment was
F. P. Blair, afterwards to become Major-General commanding a corps; the
Lieutenant-Colonel was George L. Andrews, afterwards to be a Colonel
in the Regular Army; the Major was John M. Schofield, later to be
Major-General commanding the Twenty-third Corps, and still later
Lieutenant-General commanding the Army of the United States. The Colonel
of the 3d Regiment was Franz Sigel, afterwards Major-General commanding
the Eleventh Corps and the Army of the Shenandoah.
The four regiments having been filled to the maximum, there were large
numbers yet demanding muster. From these a fifth regiment of Missouri
Volunteers and five regiments of "United States Reserves" were formed.
The most notable among the field officers of these were John McNeil,
Colonel of the 3d Regiment, who afterwards became a Brigadier-General,
and B. Gratz Brown, Colonel of the 4th U. S. Reserves, afterwards Vice
Presidential nominee on the Greeley ticket. These additional
regiments formed another brigade, and elected Capt. Sweeny their
Brigadier-General. After arming these 10,000 men Lyon secured the
balance of the stores from all danger of treachery or capture by
transferring them to Alton, Ill.., where they would be under the
guardianship of loyal men.
66
Thus, in a few, swift weeks after the inauguration of President Lincoln,
Blair and Lyon, bold even to temerity, and even more sagacious than
bold, had snatched away from the sanguine Secessionists the great
Arsenal, with its momentous contents, which were placed at the service
of the Union.
More than 10,000 loyal men of Missouri were standing, arms in hand, on
her soil to confront their enemies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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