How can you keep straddling the fence? It was a good question. He wished he knew how to answer it.
Until now he had been nonchalant about the war, not much caring whether Ohio maintained itself under the flag of the United States of Free America or was forced back into the Confederate Union. Having served many of his military assignments in the South, and being well regarded there, he had no quarrel with his Confederate friends. He had no brief against the Free States either, believing that if they wanted a country of their own badly enough to invoke the right of revolution, they had every right to fight for it. But it wasn’t his fight.
Under no circumstances will I draw my sword against my family and friends in Ohio. Yet it would be just as painful for me to fight for the Free States of America, which would mean fighting to dismember the Union. I suppose I could go off to San Francisco, as I first thought, and try to ignore the war. But everybody out there would be asking me why I wasn’t in the fight. They would think me a shirker and a coward. And perhaps they would be right. But how can I involve myself in a cause I am not certain can or should prevail? But John is also right that I’ve got to do something. Torturing myself with indecision will surely drive me insane.
Cump supposed that many other Northerners were wrestling with that same dilemma. They would be those middle-aged people like him who had grown up in the era before 1850 when Northerners and Southerners had compromised over slavery, when they had fought together on the same side in Texas and Mexico.
Those who voted Democratic, and even many moderate Republicans, did not care for the divisive rhetoric of the noisy Northern Abolitionists any more than they cared for the Southern “Fire Eaters.” Like Cump they could not bear to fight against their friends and families in the Free States, but they could not bring themselves to fight with them against the old Union either. Cump thought again: It’s not our fight.
So far the Free State Republicans had left these “fence sitters” alone. They had turned away thousands of their own partisans who wanted to fight but couldn’t be armed or equipped, so why worry about dragooning people who were indifferent to their cause?
In recent weeks the Free Staters had even convinced themselves that the war was winding down. Grant and McDowell had succeeded in stabilizing a well-fortified front across Illinois and Indiana. It wasn’t the Ohio River frontier the Free Staters wanted, but it was far enough south to encompass most of the Republican constituency. In the East the Free Staters had, with a bit of luck brought about by Fremont’s daring reconnaissance, sent the Confederates reeling back from Gettysburg and out of the State of Pennsylvania.
Would the Confederates not be long in concluding that peace based on Free State independence was preferable to continuing the war to force those crazy Abolitionists back into the Confederate Union? Once passions cooled they would surely agree to seek peace on the basis of Horace Greeley’s proposal, which the Free State Government had already endorsed. An air of satisfied complacency had settled in over the Free State Republicans, who smugly assumed that their independence was a done deal.
All of that seemed to have changed in a hurry. His brother’s telegram asking him to come up from Lancaster to attend this rally and hear Mr. Lincoln sounded urgent. Now John had informed him that the Confederates were preparing to renew their assault. Perhaps there would be definite news about that. Well, let’s see the show. It must be a good one if they’ve brought old Abe Lincoln down here.
The Free State Republicans began their show. The first speaker was Governor William Dennison, a distinguished-looking man in his mid-40’s. Dennison spoke with the voice of confident authority:
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to hear us today. We have people here from all across Ohio, and some from Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
“Our speakers include the Heroes of Delphi and our free citizens of color whom they rescued. And most importantly, our President has come down from Cleveland to make the keynote address.
“Let me begin by thanking you for your patriotism with our government’s finances. Our farmers, merchants, and manufacturers are accepting the government’s new-issue currency at par with gold as the law requires. That is allowing us to buy what is necessary to arm and equip the men who are fighting for us.”
The governor paused while the people whistled and cheered.
“I am pleased to announce that the opening of duty-free transit to Montreal has restored our overseas trade. Our seasons’ first harvests are being loaded this very day. Our farmers and merchants have received their first advances from the British and Canadian factors.”
The farmers, merchants, and bankers in the crowd cheered loudly.
“That is the good news,” continued Dennison. “The not-so-good news is that, contrary to all reasoned expectations, the Confederates have spurned our most sensible and fair minded offers of peace. Their armies and navies are reported to be preparing to renew their war against us. We must prepare ourselves to throw them back again, as we did at Gettysburg, while inflicting losses sufficient to convince them that their mad quest to conquer us is futile. We will not be conquered!”
Thunderous cheers again erupted across Capitol Square. It seemed to Cump that the displacement of air from the roaring crowd set the flags and banners to flapping again.
“I regret that we could not accept all of you during our first call for volunteers. We were short of arms, equipment, and of officers qualified to train you. I am pleased to say that those shortages have been alleviated. We have just received ten thousand new and refurbished rifled muskets from the Springfield Armory. And we’re accepting any and all civilian firearms, including shotguns, squirrel guns, and pistols. All firearms are useful for the close-in defensive fighting that we expect to be engaged in. Bring us your surplus firearms and black powder. There can never be too much gunpowder in time of war!”
The crowd laughed a little at Dennison’s understatement of the obvious. Dennison smiled too and continued. “Be assured that all able-bodied men over eighteen will be accepted for service and that all will be armed.”
At least they are doing some things right thought Cump. They are learning from their mistakes.
“I know that some of you are still wondering why you should fight for the Republic of Free America.”
Cump felt that eyes were watching him. When he glanced sideways his brother John was indeed staring at him. Are you listening, Cump?
“Allow me to introduce you to some people who can explain why our cause of Free State Independence is worth fighting for. Please welcome the Heroes of Delphi. Let’s hear first from Eddie Bates and Emma Brown of Cass County, Michigan.”
The Governor shook hands with a thirtyish-looking man with a chocolate-brown complexion who stepped up to the podium. The black fellow wore a well-tailored suit and a hat. He smiled and began speaking with an informal but booming baritone voice that carried across the square.
“Thank you, Governor. My name is Eddie Bates. I’m one of the five free Negroes kidnapped by slave raiders in Cass County, Michigan and freed four days later at Delphi.”