“Independence Day.” Fortunate to escape this great national
festival in the large cities of the Union where it is celebrated with many days
before and after of surplus rejoicing, by fireworks and an incessant fusillade
in the streets, I was, nevertheless, subjected to the small ebullition of the
Washington juveniles, to bell-ringing and discharges of cannon and musketry. On
this day Congress meets. Never before has any legislative body assembled under
circumstances so grave. By their action they will decide whether the Union can
ever be restored, and will determine whether the States of the North are to
commence an invasion for the purpose of subjecting by force of arms, and
depriving of their freedom, the States of the South.
Congress met to-day merely for the purpose of forming itself
into a regular body, and there was no debate or business of public importance
introduced. Mr. Wilson gave me to understand, however, that some military movements
of the utmost importance might be expected in a few days, and that General
McDowell would positively attack the rebels in front of Washington. The
Confederates occupy the whole of Northern Virginia, commencing from the
peninsula above Fortress Monroe on the right or east, and extending along the
Potomac, to the extreme verge of the State, by the Baltimore and Ohio Railway.
This immense line, however, is broken by great intervals, and the army with
which McDowell will have to deal may be considered as detached, covering the
approaches to Richmond, whilst its left flank is protected by a corps of observation,
stationed near Winchester, under General Jackson. A Federal corps is being
prepared to watch the corps and engage it, whilst McDowell advances on the main
body, To the right of this again, or further west, another body of Federals,
under General McClellan, is operating in the valleys of the Shenandoah and in
Western Virginia; but I did not hear of any of these things from Mr. Wilson,
who was, I am sure, in perfect ignorance of the plans, in a military sense, of
the General. I sat at Mr. Sumner's desk, and wrote the final paragraphs of a
letter describing my impressions of the South in a place but little disposed to
give a favorable color to them.
SOURCE: William Howard Russell, My Diary North and
South, Vol. 1, p. 378-9
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