Page:War songs and poems of the Southern Confederacy.djvu/19

 THE AUTHOR&#39;S REMINISCENCES OF WAR DAYS 7 the meeting ascertained, than it was discovered that the great majority were for remaining in the Union, and standing by the Fhig of our Country. Mr. Lincohi, at this time, occupied a most unenviable and desperate situation. The people of the South were defiant, and declared their purpose to resist any invasion of their rights. A certain party of the North just as violently declared that the Southern States had no right to secede, and should be forced back into the Union. With these flaming declarations they goaded the new President from day to day. Mr. Lincoln finally yielded, and called for 75,000 troops from the different States to suppress the rebellion. Vir- ginia, being still in the Union, was called upon for her quota. Quick as a flash the sentiment of the great Convention at Richmond changed from a strong determination to remain in the Union, to an immediate decision to withdraw from the United States. See what the Old Commonwealth had to face ! She was called upon to take up arms against her sister States in the South &#59; nor did she wait or hesitate for one moment but cast in her lot &#39;&#39; for weal or woe &#34; with those who were bone of her bone, flesh of her flesh&#59; blood of her blood &#59; and her most distinguished son and ablest military general of his day, or of any day, who was at that time offered the command of the United States forces, presented his sword to the authorities at Washington, and turned his back upon all that had been dear to him as a citizen and a soldier, and offered his services to his own State and his loved Southland. That man was Robert Edward Lee, whose name grows more precious, not only to the South, but to the North, and to all the world as years roll on. Events transpired in rapid and bewildering succes- sion. Great trains loaded with soldiers followed in sight of each other along the railways. Armies were established at points where the struggle would likely be the most severe, and of these places, Manassas, a little railway station not far from Alexandria, Virginia, was early chosen. The battle of Bull Run