The Southern Panic

Every southern newspaper that finds its way North, gives indications of the prevalence of a panic throughout rebeldom.  Just such an alarm as spread over North Carolina after the fall of Hatteras, and over South Carolina after the capture of Port Royal, has been initiated throughout the south by their recent reverses and the general retrograde movement of their troops.  We published, last week, copious extracts from Richmond papers showing the extreme disquietude there.  We turn to other towns to show the universality of the feeling of apprehension and the confusion of counsels among the rebels.  The Charleston Courier of Feb. 28th, says:

We are gratified to learn from high military authority that there is no foundation for the alarming rumors which have been afloat in this city for several days, and that there is no just cause at present for apprehension.

If the feeling of security were real it would hardly be worth while to be at such pains to reassure the people.

The Augusta, Georgia, Daily Constitutionalist, of March 2d, says:

The anxiety arising from the large stock of cotton in our city is carried to extremes.  The fear that the cotton will add to the enemy’s inducements to move on Augusta and attempt its capture is magnifying the danger in the eyes of many of our citizens.  * * *  May we not pronounce all present schemes for removing the cotton from August as unnecessary, impolitic, mischievous?  The enemy have been within one hundred and fifty miles of the city for three months, yet we have remained serene and quiet.  During all this time cotton has been crowding to Augusta as to a place of safety.  To commence now to remove it would savor the unmanly panic, rather than of sound judgment.  And if the people of Augusta thus give way to apprehensions, might not  a sort of stampede insure in every other town in the south in two hundred miles of the enemy’s camp.

Fear is infectious and “betrays like treason.”  Commence to remove the cotton, and soon timid women, and possibly come timid men, would be flying from the city, and in less than a week it would be reported throughout the land that the enemy had captured Augusta.

We would exhort the impulsive to pause the excitable to be cam, the timid to stand firm. – Augusta is a long distance from the enemy’s gunboats.  It is hardly a conceivable thing that the gunboats can get here.

The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph says:

We hardly know which threatens greater peril to the independence of the South – the hordes of Lincoln, who are precipitating themselves upon our border, or the insane spirit of speculation which is possessing some of our people.  A friend from a neighboring city says it is an actual fact that the people are talking less of our perils by war than our perils by sharpers; and if two things continue long at this rate we shall have two of what Lincoln could call civil wars on our hands at one and the same time.

From the great degree of exasperation among the people, he seriously fears that the internal peace of the country will be in danger, unless a greater spirit of moderation prevails among dealers and manufacturers.

* * * * * * *

The occasion of the present excitement is the extraordinary and general rise in sugar and molasses immediately on the receipt of intelligence of our disaster in Tennessee, by which it was supposed the railway communication with the Mississippi and New Orleans were endangered.  Upon this ever dealer held out at once for a rise, and it is said molasses in various markets went up ten to twenty-five cents a gallon, and sugar three to six cents a pound.

The Mobile Register of the 4th says:

It will, of course, be generally known to-day that Gen. Bragg left this city this morning, by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.  At a time when every circumstance is rolled as a sweet morsel under to tongues of croakers and panic makers, this departure will be sure to be magnified into undue proportions of significance, and some amiable people will be delighted at a fresh opportunity to terrify the women and children and perhaps send a few more of the sex that do wear unmentionables and ought to wear crinoline, flying into the country and creating a panic among the egg and poultry dealers, and thereby help to starve out the town they had not the courage to help defend.

He has gone upon the invitation of General Beauregard to consult upon the plan of campaign for the defence of the Mississippi valley.  He will be within a few hours reach of the city, and steam and electricity can bring him back before the enemy could make his first dispositions for a land or sea attack.  Meantime he has left the city with a complete plan of defense matured, and the defenses in the hands of accomplished officers.  Gen. Jones, now chief of the army at Pensacola, will assume command here, and will be seconded by Col. Villipigue, the Hero of Fort McRae.  The skilled artillerists of this officer’s regiment will be entrusted with the principle batteries.  Fort Morgan is in the brave and energetic hands of Major Powell, and Fort Gaines is commanded by Major Hallonquist, a highly instructed artillery officer.

We assure the women and children that there is no cause of present alarm. * * *

The Duty of our men is plain.  It is to arm, drill and prepare to hold their city to the last extremity; to keep cool themselves, frown down the panic makers, and assure the woman that they are able and willing to defend their homes.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 22, 1862, p. 1