So long as we preserve, and appreciate the achievements of Jefferson and Adams, of Franklin and Madison, of Hamilton, of Hancock, and of Rutledge, men who labored for the whole country, and lived for mankind, we cannot sink to the petty strife which would sap the foundations, and destroy the political fabric our fathers erected, and bequeathed as an inheritance to our posterity forever.
It needs the united power, harmonious action and concentrated will of the people of all these States to roll the wheel of progress to the end which our fathers contemplated, and which their sons, if they are wise and true, may behold.
From Florida to California, from Oregon to Maine, from the center to the remotest border, may the possessors of our constitutional heritage appreciate its value, and faithfully, fraternally labor for its thorough development, looking back to the original compact for the purposes for which the Union was established, and forward to the blessing which such union was designed and is competent to confer.
The stars on our flag, recording the number of the States united, have already been more than doubled; and I hopefully look forward to the day when the constellation shall become a galaxy covering the stripes, which record the original number of our political family, and shall shed over the nations of the earth the light of regeneration to mankind.
This great country will remain united. How “united” is set forth in the language to which this clause was a conclusion, “united to protect our national flag whenever a foreign power, presuming on our domestic dissention, should dare to insult it.”
I say to you the people of New York, I cling tenaciously to our constitutional Government, seeing as I do in the fraternal Union of equal States the benefit to all and the fulfillment of that high destiny which our fathers hoped for and left it for their sons to attain.
Greeley read it again then threw it on the top of the table.
This isn’t quite up to the speech that Mr. Lincoln gave at Gettysburg, but it is no bad one. It will answer Mr. Davis’ purpose of rallying the people of New York to the Confederate Union, or, at the very least, of convincing them to maintain quiet neutrality. This is going to be a long war.
8
The White House, August 28, 1860
President Jefferson Davis thumbed through the four pages of Copy #1 of the document labeled Confederate Union General War Plan — 1861. Copies #2, #3, #4, and #5 were held by Secretary of War Stanton, General of the Eastern Armies George B. McClellan, General of the Western Armies Robert E. Lee, and Secretary of the Navy Franklin Buchanan whom Davis had brought in to replace Caleb Cushing. To maintain security these were the only copies extant.
The plan was written in Stanton’s style of the legal briefs he had been trained to write as a lawyer. Its strategic substance bore the imprint of George McClellan’s thinking. Its tactical details in the Western Theater derived from Lee’s thoroughgoing consideration.
Davis read the plan aloud while Lee, McClellan, Stanton, and Buchanan followed along in their copies:
General War Plan 1861
1. Strategic Objectives, Department of the East.
A) Take possession of the ports at Boston, Portsmouth, Portland, and Providence. The foreign trade of the Insurgent States will thereafter be limited to the Canadian port of Montreal, served by single-track railroads and ice-bound from December through mid-April. Occupation of the New England ports will suppress the Rebel operation of warships and privateers.
B) Secure possession of the arsenals at Watertown, Massachusetts near Boston and Kennebec, Maine near Augusta.
C) Destroy by cavalry raid the arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts and the Colt factory at Hartford, Connecticut.
2. Strategic Objectives, Department of the West.
A) Destroy the Insurgent armies in Illinois and Indiana — the army commanded by Grant in Illinois; the army commanded by McDowell in Indiana; and the garrison at Terre Haute.
B) Isolate the westernmost Insurgent States of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and the Territory of Kansas by blocking their communications through Illinois and Indiana.
3. Government of recovered territories.
A) In New England restore Confederate Union civil government to the vicinities of Boston, Massachusetts; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Portland and Augusta, Maine; and Providence, Rhode Island.
B) In the Northwest restore Confederate Union civil government to the principle cities and populated districts of Indiana and Illinois and Southwestern-most Ohio as far as the line of Rock Island — Chicago — Fort Wayne — Dayton — Cincinnati.
C) The civil and military governments in the recovered territories will be administered by persons loyal to the Confederate Union. Until hostilities cease, the civil government will be subordinate to the military. Insurgent activities, most specifically recruitment and procurement of supplies, will be suppressed. Movement of persons and trade in and out of the recovered areas will at the discretion of the military authority. The recovered areas will be garrisoned and fortified against Insurgent counterattack.
4. Attainment of objectives. When these objectives are attained we will have confined the remaining Insurgent armies to the states of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the inland portions of New York and New England west of the Connecticut River. We will be positioned to close out the Rebellion of these last Insurgent-held territories in 1862.
5. Commencement of operations. The Western Campaign will begin on about October 1, 1861. The Eastern Campaign will begin about two weeks later after the Insurgents’ attention has been focused westward.
6. Duration of operations. The campaigns will be constrained after December due to the onset of winter rain and snow. The offensive will therefore halt by early December and defensive lines will be constructed. The large cities of Chicago, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Dayton, and Cincinnati should be within our lines by then and will quarter our men through the harsh winter season. Communication lines to supply bases will be garrisoned to prevent disruption by insurgents.
7. Allocation of forces. The Eastern Campaign anticipates 100 regiments of the National Army will be allocated to the occupation of Boston and its immediate vicinity; 25 will be allocated to the occupation of Portland; 15 to Augusta; 15 to Portsmouth; and 25 to Providence. The Western Campaign anticipates 240 regiments of combined state militias for the initial operation — 120 to pin the armies of Grant and McDowell and 120 to envelop them. These will be augmented by 100 follow-on regiments within 30 days to occupy lines of communication and replenish losses.
8. Concentration of forces.
A) In order to deceive the Insurgents into believing that no offensive may be expected before 1862 our concentrations must remain obscure. In the West our final concentrations will be begin no earlier than 72 hours before the start of the offensive. In the East a movement to the seaboard ports will begin no sooner than one week prior to the start of the offensive.
B) Order of Concentration, Department of the East. Units of the National Army will debark from these ports: in Florida, Jacksonville; in Georgia, Savannah; in South Carolina, Charleston; in North Carolina, Wilmington, in Virginia, Norfolk. The transports will assemble at Hampton Roads. From there they will be escorted direct to amphibious landings at or near the harbors of Boston, Portsmouth, and Portland.
C) Order of Concentration, Department of the West. State militia companies will gather: in Alabama, Mobile; in Mississippi, Vicksburg; in Tennessee and Arkansas, Memphis; in Kentucky, Louisville; in Louisiana, New Orleans; in Texas, Galveston. To expedite the arrival of forces near the front, rail traffic will be one-way toward the fronts for three days prior and three days after the commencement of operations.