NEW YORK CITY. 



531 



in danger and must be, saved. Citizens of all 



s breathed but one spirit of patriotism, 



and the Mayor of the city issued the following : 



MAYOR'S OFFICE, NEW YOBK, April 15, 1861. 

 To the People of the City of New York : 



As Chief" Magistrate, representing the whole people, 

 I feel compelled at this crisis to call upon them to 

 avoid excitement and turbulence. Whatever may be 

 or may have been individual positions or opinions on 

 questions of public policy, let us remember that our 

 country now trembles upon the brink of a precipice, 

 and tliat it requires a patriotic and honest effort to 

 prevent its final destruction. Let us ignore the past, 

 rising superior to partisan considerations, and rally 

 to the restoration of the Constitution and the Union, 

 as they existed in the days and in the spirit of our 

 fathers. Whether this is to be accomplished by 

 fratricidal warfare, or by concession, conciliation, and 

 sacrifice, men may differ ; but all will admit that here 

 at least harmony and peace should prevail. Thus may 

 we, under the guidance of Divine Providence, set au 

 example of peace and good will throughout our ex- 

 tended country. In this spirit and with this view, I 

 call upon the people of New York, irrespective of all 

 other considerations or prejudices, to unite in obedi- 

 ence to the laws, in support of the public peace, in the 

 preservation of order, and in the protection of property. 

 FERNANDO WOOD, Mayor. 



The allusions in this proclamation to mob 

 violence were in consequence of persons seizing 

 the moment of excitement to incite the mob to 

 make many newspapers show the Union flag. 

 All citizens were now deoorated with the 

 national emblem in, every variety of form, while 

 from store, dwelling, church, and public build- 

 ings, signs, and lamp posts fluttered the Stars 

 and Stripes in every variety of form and in the 

 greatest profusion. 



Instantly the military were in motion ; every 

 drill room and armory was alive with active 

 officers calling for and enrolling men. On the 

 16tli several regiments were already partly 

 equipped. The 1st National Guard, Col. Allen, 

 the 7th Regiment, 79th Highlanders, the 71st, 

 the Fire Zouaves of Ellsworth, the 70th, the 

 55th, the 12th, and others were rapidly organ- 

 izing to march. On the 17th the 6th Massa- 

 chusetts, Colonel E. J. Jones, arrived in New 

 York on its way to Washington, and met the 

 most enthusiastic reception. It made a tri- 

 umphal march through the city on the 17th of 

 April. 



The intelligence that the favorite New York 

 regiment, the 7th, would leave for Washington 

 on the 19th, created an immense excitement. 

 Although it was announced that the departure 

 would not be before 3 p. M., the streets were 

 thronged at an early hour of that day. Lafay- 

 ette Place, where the regiment was to form pre- 

 vious to marching, was very attractively dressed 

 a huge flag being displayed from the Astor Li- 

 brary, with many others from private buildings. 

 The aspect of Broadway was very gay. The 

 Stars and Stripes were floating everywhere, 

 from the costliest silk, 20, 30, 40 feet in length, 

 down to the homelier bunting, and the few 

 inches of painted calico. But the gayest and, 

 in this respect, the most remarkable thorough- 

 fare was Cortlandt street, * which showed a 



gathering of flags, a perfect army of them. 

 They were not, in that comparatively brief 

 space, from Broadway to the Jersey City 

 Ferry, to be numbered by dozens or by scores : 

 every building seemed like " Captains of Fif- 

 ties," flag over flag waving. From every win- 

 dow, from the first floor to the roof, from every 

 doorway, they waved responsive to the flutter- 

 ing banners that were held in every hand. 



Through this gay and expectant throng 

 marched the 8th Massachusetts, Col. Timothy 

 Monroe, accompanied by Gen. B. F. Butler, who 

 had been the Breckinridge candidate for Gov- 

 ernor at the election in November, and was 

 now leading the Massachusetts troops. The 

 regiment was presented with colors on the way. 

 This, which would have been an absorbing 

 ceremony at another time, merely filled a por- 

 tion of the time until the 7th came. 



They formed in Lafayette Place about 4 p. M., 

 in the presence of an immense crowd, each 

 window of each building being filled with 

 applanders. Before moving, the excitement 

 of the crowd was made wild by the news 

 of the attack upon the 6th Massachusetts 

 in Baltimore, and there were served out to 

 the 7th forty-eight rounds of ball-cartridge. 

 Once in line, they proceeded through Fourth 

 street to Broadway, down that great thorough- 

 fare to Cortlandt street, and across the ferry, 

 in boats provided for the purpose, to Jersey 

 City. The line of inarch was a perfect ovation. 

 Thousands upon thousands stood on the side- 

 walks. The regiment was escorted by a band 

 of Zouaves, who volunteered for the occasion. 

 Their gay uniform and peculiar step revived the 

 excitement that had begun somewhat to droop 

 among the crowd that had waited for hours, as 

 the regiment did not reach the Park till half-past 

 five. After the Zouaves came a strong body 

 of police, and after the police the regiment. 

 The officers were Col. M. Lefferts, Lieut.-Col. 

 W. A. Pond, Major A. Shaler. 



The public bodies at once began to adopt 

 measures to supply and move the troops. An 

 immense mass meeting, without distinction of 

 party, was called for, April 20, in Union Square. 

 It proved one of the largest and most en- 

 thusiastic ever held. It was addressed by 

 J. A. Dix, Secretary of the Treasury under 

 Mr. Buchanan, D. S. Dickinson, Senator Baker 

 of Oregon, Robert J. Walker, formerly Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury, Mayor Wood, Ex-Gov- 

 ernor Hunt, James T. Brady, John Cochrane, 

 Hiram Ketchum, D. S. Coddington, Esq., and 

 a number of Irish and German citizens, all 

 breathing the one unanimous sentiment of 

 ignoring the political opinions of the past, and 

 standing by the Government with their whole 

 heart, regardless of who might administer it 

 for the time. The fortunes and lives of the 

 citizens were pledged to that end. 



A meeting of the merchants of New York 

 city was held at the Chamber of Commerce, 

 April 19th. The proceedings were character- 

 ized by the utmost harmony and unanimity. 



