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the　20th　of　that　month　the　Ordinance　of　Secession　was　passed。　　On

the　10th　of　Jan…nary；　three　days　after　Vincent　returned　home　from

his　expedition；　Florida　followed　the　example　of　South　Carolina

and　seceded。　　Alabama　and　Mississippi　passed　the　Ordinance　of

Secession　on　the　following　day；　Georgia　on　the　18th；　Louisiana　on

the　23d；　and　Texas　on　the　1st　of　February。



In　all　these　States　the　Ordinance　of　Session　was　received　with

great；　rejoicing：　bonfires　were　lit；　the　towns　illuminated；　and　the

militia　paraded　the　streets；　and　in　many　cases　the　Federal　arsenals

were　seized　and　the　Federal　forts　occupied　by　the　State　troops。　　In

the　meantime　the　Northern　Slave　States；　Virginia；　North　Carolina；

Tennessee；　Kentucky；　and　Missouri；　remained　irresolute。　　The

general　feeling　was　strongly　in　favor　of　their　Southern　brethren；

but　they　were　anxious　for　peace；　and　for　a　compromise　being

arrived　at。　　Whether　the　North　would　agree　to　admit；　the

constitutional　rights　of　secession；　or　whether　it　would　use　force　to

compel　the　Seceding　States　to　remain　in　the　Union；　was　still

uncertain；　but　the　idea　of　a　civil　war　was　so　terrible　a　one　that　the

general　belief　was　that　some　arrangement　to　allow　the　States　to　go

their　own　way　would　probably　be　arrived　at。



For　the　time　the　idea　of　Vincent　going　to　West　Point　was

abandoned。　　Among　his　acquaintances　were　several　young　men

who　were　already　at　West　Point；　and　very　few　of　these　returned　to

the　academy。　　The　feeling　there　was　very　strongly　on　the　side　of

secession。　　A　great　majority　of　the　students　came　from　the

Southern　States；　as　while　the　sons　of　the　Northern　men　went

principally　into　trade　and　commerce；　the　Southern　planters　sent

their　sons　into　the　army；　and　a　great　proportion　of　the　officers　of

the　army　and　navy　were　Southerners。



As　the　professors　at　West；　Point　were　all　military　men；　the　feeling

among　them；　as　well　as　among　the　students；　was　in　favor　of　State

rights；　they　considering　that；　according　to　the　constitution；　their

allegiance　was　due　first　to　the　States　of　which　they　were　natives；

and　in　the　second　place　to　the　Union。　　Thus；　then；　many　of　the

professors　who　were　natives　of　the　seven　States　which　had　seceded

resigned　their　appointments；　and　returned　home　to　occupy

themselves　in　drilling　the　militia　and　the　levies；　who　were　at　once

called　to　arms。



Still　all　hoped　that；　peace　would　be　preserved；　until　on　the　11th　of

April　General　Beauregard；　who　commanded　the　troops　of　South

Carolina；　summoned　Major　Anderson；　who　was　in　command　of

the　Federal　troops　in　Fort　Sumter；　to　surrender；　and　on　his　refusal

opened　fire　upon　the　fort　on　the　following　day。



On　the　13th；　the　barracks　of　the　fort；　being　set　on　fire；　and　Major

Anderson　seeing　the　hopelessness　of　a　prolonged　resistance；

surrendered。　The　effect　of　the　news　throughout　the　United　States

was　tremendous；　and　Mr。　Lincoln　at　once　called　out　75；000　men　of

the　militia　of　the　various　States　to　put　down　the　rebellion…the

border　States　being　ordered　to　send　their　proportion。　　This　brought

matters　to　a　climax。　　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　Kentucky；

Tennessee；　and　Missouri　all　refused　to　furnish　contingents　to　act

against　the　Southern　States；　and　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　and

Kansas　a　few　days　later　passed　Ordinances　of　Secession　and　joined

the　Southern　States。　　Missouri；　Maryland；　and　Delaware　were

divided　in　their　counsels。



The　struggle　that　was　about；　to　commence　was　an　uneven　one。　

The　white　population　of　the　Seceding　States　was　about　8；000；000；

while　that　the　Northern　States　were　19；614；885。　　The　North

possessed　an　immense　advantage；　inasmuch　as　they　retained　the

whole　of　the　Federal　navy；　and　were　thereby　enabled　at　once　to　cut

off　all　communication　between　the　Southern　States　and　Europe；

while　they　themselves　could　draw　unlimited　supplies　of　munitions

of　war　of　all　kinds　from　across　the　Atlantic。



Although　the　people　of　Virginia　had　hoped　to　the　last　that　some

peaceful　arrangement　might　be　effected；　the　Act　of　Secession　was

received　with　enthusiasm。　　The　demand　of　Mr。　Lincoln　that　they

should　furnish　troops　to　crush　their　Southern　brethren　excited　the

liveliest　indignation；　and　Virginia　felt　that　there　was　no　course

open　to　her　now　but　to　throw　in　her　lot　with　the　other　Slaves

States。　　Her　militia　was　at　once　called　out；　and　volunteers　called

for　to　form　a　provisional　army　to　protect　the　State　from　invasion

by　the　North。



The　appeal　was　answered　with　enthusiasm；　men　of　all　ages　took

up　arms；　the　wealthy　raised　regiments　at　their　own　expense；

generally　handing　over　the　commands　to　experienced　army

officers；　and　themselves　taking　their　places　in　the　ranks；　thousand

of　lads　of　from　fifteen　to　sixteen　years　of　age　enrolled　themselves；

and　men　who　had　never　done　a　day's　work　in　their　life　prepared　to

suffer　all　the　hardships　of　the　campaign　as　private　soldiers。



Mrs。　Wingfield　was　an　enthusiastic　supporter　of　State　rights；　and

when　Vincent　told　her　that　numbers　of　his　friends　were　going　to

enroll　themselves　as　soon　as　the　lists　were　opened；　she　offered　no

objection　to　his　doing　the　same。



〃Of　course　you　are　very　young；　Vincent；　but　no　one　thinks　there

will　be　any　serious　fighting。　　Now　that　Virginia　and　the　other　four

States　have　cast　in　their　lot　with　the　seven　that　have　seceded；　the

North　can　never　hope　to　force　the　solid　South　back　into　the　Union。　

Still　it　is　right　you　should　join。　　I　certainly　should　not；　like　an　old

Virginian　family　like　ours　to　be　unrepresented；　but　I　should　prefer

your　joining　one　of　the　mounted　corps。



〃In　the　first；　place　it　will　be　much　less　fatiguing　than　carrying　a

heavy　rifle　and　knapsack；　and　in　the　second　place；　the　cavalry　will

for　the　most；　part　be　gentlemen。　　I　was　speaking　only　yesterday

when　I　went　into　Richmond　to　Mr。　Ashley；　who　is　raising　a　corps。　

He　is　one　of　the　best　riders　in　the　country；　and　a　splendid　specimen

of　a　Virginian　gentleman。　　lie　tells　me　that　he　has　already　received

a　large　number　of　applications　from　young　volunteers；　and　that　he

thinks　he　shall　be　able　without　any　difficulty　to　get　as　many　as　he

wants。　　I　said　that　I　had　a　son　who　would　probably　enroll　himself；

and　that　I　should　like　to　have　him　in　his　corps。



〃He　said　that　he　would　be　glad　to　put　down　your　name；　and　that　he

had　had　many　applications　from　lads　no　older　than　yourself。　　He

considered　that　for　cavalry　work；　scouting；　and　that　sort；　of　thing

age　mattered　little；　and　that；　a　lad　who　was　at　once　a　light　weight；

a　good　rider；　and　a　good　shot　was　of　as　much　good　as　a　man。〃



〃Thank　you；　mother。　　I　will　ride　into　Richmond　to…morrow

morning　and　see　Ashley。　　I　have　often　met　him　at　one　house　or

another；　and　should　like　to　serve　under　him　very　much。　　I　should

certainly　prefer　being　in　the　cavalry　to　the　infantry。〃



Rosie　and　Annie；　who　were　of　course　enthusiastic　for　the　South；

were　almost　as　pleased　as　was　Vincent　when　they　heard　that　their

mother　had　consented　to　his　enrolling　himself。　　So　many　of　the

girls　of　their　acquaintance　had　brothers　or　cousins　who　were

joining　the　army；　that　they　would　have　felt　it；　as　something　like　a

slur　upon　the　family　name　had　Vincent　remained　behind。



On　the　following　morning　Vincent　rode　over　and　saw　Mr。　Ashley；

who　had　just；　received　his　commission　as　major。　He　was　cordially

received。



Mrs。　Wingfield　was　speaking　to　me　about　you；　and　I　shall　be　glad

to　have　you　with　me…the　more　so　as　you　are　a　capital　rider　and　a

good　shot。　　I　shall　have　a　good　many　in　my　ranks　no　older　than　you

are。　　Did　I　not　hear　a　few　mouths　since　that　you　bought；　Wildfire？　I

thought　when　I　heard　it；　that　you　would　be　lucky　if　you　did　not　get

your　neck　broken　in　the　course　of　a　week。　　Peters；　who　owns　the

next　estate　to　mine；　had　the　horse　for　about　three　weeks；　and　was

glad　enough　to　get；　rid　of　it　for　half　what　he　had　given　for　it。　　He

told　me　the　horse　was　the　most　savage　brute　he　ever　saw。　　I

suppose　you　did　not　keep　it　many　days？〃



〃I　have　got　it　still；　and　mean　to　ride　it　with　you。　　The　horse　was　not

really　savage。　　It　was　hot…tempered；　and　had；　I　think；　been　badly

treated　by　its　first　owner。　　Who…ever　it　had　belonged　to；　I　found　no

difficulty　with　it；。　　It　only　wanted　kindness　and　a　little　patience；

and　as　soon　as　it　found　that　it　could　not　get　rid　of　me；　and　that　I

had　no　intention　of　ill…treating　it；；　it　settled　down　quietly；　after

running　away　a　few　times　and　giving　me　some　little　trouble　at

starting。　　And　now　1　would　not　change　it　for　any　horse　in　the

State。〃



〃You　must　he　a　first…rate　rider；〃　Major　Ashley　said；　〃to　be　able　to

tame　Wildfire。　　I　never　saw　the　horse；　for　I　was　away　when　Peters

had　her；　but；　from　his　description　it　was　a　perfect　savage。〃



〃Are　we　allowed　to　bring　a　servant　with　us〃　Vincent　asked。



〃Yes；　if　you　like。　　I　know　that　a　good　many　are　going　to　do　so；　but

you　must　not　make　up　your　mind　that　you　will　get　much　benefit

from　one。