Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/404

 384 VIRGINIA of 1861 public opinion was divided on the question of secession. On Jan. 7 the legis- lature met in extra session, and subsequently provided for the assembling of a convention to determine what course should be adopted by the state, and passed resolutions recom- mending the states to appoint commissioners to a national peace convention to be held in Washington in February, for the purpose of adjusting " the present unhappy controversies in the spirit in which the constitution was originally formed." The legislature also ap- pointed ex-President John Tyler a commis- sioner to the president of the United States, and Judge John Robertson to South Carolina and " the other states that have seceded or shall secede, with instructions respectfully to request the president of the United States and the authorities of such states to agree to ab- stain, pending the proceedings contemplated by the action of this general assembly, from any and all acts calculated to produce a collision of arms between the states and the government of the United States." The reply of President Buchanan was that he had no power to make such agreement. In the mean time the legisla- ture authorized the appropriation of $1,000,000 for the defence of the state. The state con- vention assembled in Richmond on Feb. 13, and was composed of 152 delegates, who had been elected on the 4th. A majority of these were " conditional " Union men, a few were in favor of immediate secession, and some were uncon- ditional Unionists. On March 10 the commit- tee on federal relations submitted a majority report, composed of 14 resolutions which con- demned all interference with slavery, asserted the right of secession, and defined the circum- stances under which Virginia would be justi- fied in exercising that right, viz., the failure to procure such guarantees from the north- ern states as she demanded, the adoption of a warlike policy by the general government, or the attempt to exact payment of duties from the seceded states, or to reenforce or recapture the forts. These resolutions wore discussed and adopted as far as the 13th, when the cap- ture of Fort Sumter and the consequent proc- lamation of the president calling for troops led to the passing on April 17 of an ordinance of secession by a vote of 88 yeas to 55 nays. The people of the state had required that th,e action of the convention should be submitted to a popular vote. The election for this pur- pose was held on the fourth Thursday of May, when the secession ordinance was ratified by a majority of 96,750 in a total vote of 161,- 018. Immediately after the passing of the ordinance by the convention, the state author- ities took possession of the custom house in Richmond, the navy yard at Norfolk, the Uni- ted States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and oth- er federal property ; troops were called out by Governor Letcher, and money was raised for arming and equipping them. On April 25 the convention passed an act for the adoption of the constitution of the provisional govern- ment of the Confederate States, having on the. previous day entered into an agreement to place the military force of the state under the control of- the president of the confederacy, and to turn over to the confederacy all the public property, munitions of war, &c., ac- quired from the United States. On May 7 the state was admitted to representation in the confederate congress, and later in the month Richmond was made the seat of the confed- erate government. Large forces of confeder- ate troops were now concentrated in north- ern and eastern Virginia to resist the advance into the state of the Union army. During the year there were numerous engagements between the opposing forces, generally With advantage to the confederates, except in the western part of the state, which was cleared by the federals under Gen. McClellan. The most important battle was that of Bull Run, July 21. (See BULL RUN.) Early in the spring of 1862 McClellan advanced upon Richmond by way of the peninsula formed by the York and James rivers. (See CHICKAHOMINY.) In the mean time federal military operations in the northern part of the state were under command of Generals McDowell, Banks, and Fremont. The confederate forces, inferior in numbers, were led by Gen. T. J. Jackson. Early in March the confederates began to fall back along their entire line, and were follow- ed by the advance of the Union forces. On March 23 Gen Shields, commanding a part of Banks's troops, repulsed an attack of Jackson near Winchester. Banks was attacked by Jackson at Strasburg on May 24, defeated at Winchester on the 25th, and forced to retreat rapidly to the Potomac. Subsequently Jack- son fell back up the Shenandoah valley, and was followed by Fremont and Shields on op- posite sides of the river. On June 8 an inde- cisive battle was fought at Cross Keys between Fremont and a part of Jackson's command under Ewell. (See CROSS KEYS.) Soon after, Jackson moved his troops to Richmond. In June all the federal troops in Virginia, except- ing those under McClellan, were placed under command of Gen. Pope and styled the army of Virginia. The advance of the army was soon after begun. On Aug. 9 the battle of Cedar run or mountain was fought between a Union force under Gen. Banks and the confederates under Gen. Jackson. (See CEDAB MOUNTAIN.) After the withdrawal of McClellan from before Richmond, Lee moved with the entire confed- erate force upon Pope, which led to the second battle of Bull Run, Aug. 29, 30. (See BULL RUN, II.) This resulted in the defeat of the Union army and its retreat to the Potomac. After the battle of Antietam in Maryland (Sept. 16, 17) Lee returned into Virginia and took a strong position near Culpeper Court House. He was followed by McClellan, who was pre- paring to make an attack when on Nov. 7 ho was superseded by Gen. Burnside. The latter