Delaware During the Civil War: a Political History

DELAWARE DURING THE CIVIL WAR A Political History by Harold Bell Hancock A Delaware Heritage Press Book Telephone: (302) 744-5077 Website: heritage.delaware.gov Copyright © 1961 by the Historical Society of Delaware Reprinted, January 1, 2003 and Digitally Reprinted, April 12, 2011 by the Delaware Heritage Commission 121 Duke of York Street Dover, DE 19901 All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced for profit without written permission from the Delaware Heritage Commission. ISBN (hardcover edition): ISBN: 0-924117-24-9 ISBN (ePub edition): ISBN: 978-0-924117-43-5 Acknowledgments At the time the author wrote his doctoral thesis in 1954 upon the effect of the Civil War in Delaware, the topic had been largely neglected. Since then, the activities of the Fort Delaware Society, roundtable clubs, and a commission to plan commemorative events have stimulated interest. The most important source of information lies in the manuscript and newspaper collection of the Historical Society of Delaware. Valuable material was examined at the State Archives, Wilmington Public Library, Longwood Library, Memorial Library at the University of Delaware, National Archives, and Library of Congress, and individuals permitted papers in their personal possession to be consulted. The author is indebted to many persons for assistance. Miss Ruthanna Hindes, Mrs. Marie Windell, and Miss Gertrude Brincklè, who were then on the staff of the Historical Society of Delaware, graciously extended aid and service far beyond the line of duty. Mr. Leon deValinger, Jr. and Miss Virginia Shaw of the State Archives and Dr. John A. Munroe and Dr. H. Clay Reed of the University of Delaware made available material of importance. Through the courtesy of Mr. Frank L. Battan, the author was permitted to examine manuscripts in the Eleutherian Mills Historical Library before they were fully catalogued. At Otterbein College he received encouragement from Mrs. Mary Crumrine, Dean and Mrs. Marion Chase, and his tireless student assistants, Duane Hopkins and Karl Dilley. At Ohio State University his research was guided by Dr. Henry H. Simms. The author is grateful to the directors of the Historical Society of Delaware for publishing this study in book form after it had first appeared in installments in Delaware History. It is particularly fitting that they have provided for the publication during the centennial of the Civil War. HAROLD HANCOCK TO ELIZABETH AND MARTY Illustrations [A] A Procession of Wide Awakes in the Campaign of 1860 [B] Democratic Leaders - James A. Bayard, Thomas F. Bayard, Willard Saulsbury, and Samuel Townsend [C] The Opposition - George P. Fisher, Nathaniel B. Smithers, Governor William Cannon, and Joseph P. Comegys [D] "The Lincoln Quickstep" [E] The News From Fort Sumter [F] "Sounds From Fort Delaware" [G] Delaware Fractional Currency [H] The State Capitol in 1850 [I] Prisoners at Fort Delaware [J] A Lottery Wheel Used in a Civil War Draft [K] An Attack On A Copperhead [L] Victory Handbill [M] Mourning Handbill [N] Lincoln Memorial Picture [A] A Procession of Wide Awakes in the Campaign of 1860 This parade of the supporters of Lincoln and Hamlin was published in Harpers' Weekly, Oct 13, 1860. While it depicts a scene outside the state, the banners and signs are similar to those described in Wilmington newspapers, and the uniforms have the same design as a Wide Awake cap and cape which was worn by a supporter of the Lincoln ticket and is now in the museum of the Historical Society. [B] Democratic Leaders JAMES A . BAYARD, JR. THOMAS F .. BAYARD The photograph of James A. Bayard, Jr. made by a Wilmington studio, is in the files of the Historical Society. The portrait of his son, Thomas F. Bayard, is reproduced from an original painting which is in the possission of Mrs. Thomas F. Bayard, of Wilmington. The artist is unknown. WILLARD SAULSBURY SAMUEL TOWNSEND The photograph of Willard Saulsbury, made by a Wilmington studio, is in the possession of the Historical Society. The one of Townsend is reproduced from a photograph (which Townsend himself believed to have been taken in 1864), through the courtesy of Mrs. J. Wilmer Fennermore, of Townsend, Delaware. [C] The Opposition GEORGE P. FISHER NATHANIEL B. SMITHERS The photographs of George P. Fisher and Nathaniel B. Smithers are from the files of the Historical Society. 1Gov. WILLIAM CANNON JOSEPH P. COMEGYS The photograph of Governon Cannon, also in the files of the Historical Society, is dated on the reverse, 1864. The photograph of Joseph P. Comegys, made by a Wilmington studio, is also from the files of the Historical Society. The latter's portrait, painted by Laussat R. Rogers and presented to the state in 1914, is based in part, on this photograph. [D] "The Lincoln Quickstep," By Charles Grobe Copies of this music are in the collection of Brown University Library, and the covers are reproduced by special permission. CHAPTER I The Campaign and Election of 1860 HE history of the political strife and tension in Delaware during the Civil War has never been written. No military battles were fought in TDelaware, the state did not join the Confederacy, the fate of the nation did not hinge upon its statesmen or its action, and yet the story of those troubled years in a border state is worth telling. Here Lincoln introduced his plan of compensated emancipation, federal troops interfered in elections, and a military prison confined thousands of Confederates. Many persons sympathized with the South and some joined the Confederate army, while others as staunchly backed Lincoln and the Union. Out of the holocaust came a heritage which has influenced Delaware politics to the present time. Briefly, the political history of Delaware in the period is the story of the reaction to national events of a border state with peculiar problems. The Civil War posed the problem whether Delaware belonged to the South or to the North, and the response was the confused answers of a disturbed people. Delaware, usually classed with the Middle Atlantic and border states, a part of the coastal plain, and drained by a number of small navigable streams, is exceedingly flat, with an average elevation of sixty feet. A standard jest of Delawareans is that there are two counties at high tide and three at low. Mineral resources are lacking, and the inhabitants in 1860 depended mainly upon agriculture for a living.[1] The population in that year numbered 112,216, of which 90,589 were white. Less than ten per cent were born outside of the United States, and of these almost all lived in New Castle County. In order of importance, the principal foreign groups were Irish, English, and German. More than ten per cent of the inhabitants had migrated to the state from either Pennsylvania or Maryland, and conversely more Delawareans had moved to those two states than anywhere else. The Negro population in 1860 totaled 21,627, of which 19,829 were free and 1,798 slave.[2] Under the law code of 1852 the free Negro faced many restrictions. While he was permitted to own real estate and to seek redress in courts for grievances, he was denied permission to attend political meetings, whether formal gatherings or informal treats, to own or possess firearms, to vote or hold office, to testify in criminal cases if a competent white witness had been present, or to participate in any way in cases involving a charge of bastardy against a white man.[3] Only the African School Society in Wilmington concerned itself with Negro education.[4] The great majority engaged in agricultural or domestic work.[5] Every decade for fifty years had seen a decrease in the slave population in Delaware. Quakers and abolitionists escorted some to freedom over the underground railroad, and others were freed by their owners.[6] Although 587 persons were listed as slaveowners, only eight owned over fifteen slaves. No restrictions were placed upon emancipation.[7] Conclusions in a special study of slavery are that "slavery did not appear in Delaware in its most repulsive garb," that "of the fifteen slave states Delaware possessed the most liberal slave code of all," and that "slavery in Delaware existed in a comparatively mild form."[8] While the institution was of negligible importance from the point of view of numbers, it was significant as a political symbol. New Castle County in 1860 was the most progressive and prosperous of the three Counties. With the largest population, it contained few slaves and most of the state's foreign born. Towns of some importance were New Castle, Newark, Middletown, and Odessa. All of these were dwarfed by Wilmington with a population of 21,258, about half the population of the county. As a cultural leader, it provided occasional theatrical attractions, lectures, and concerts. It was the home of the best private schools, the only college, and the most active societies. Adjacent to or in the city were the most important manufacturing enterprises in the state, and their owners shared many common economic problems and interests with industrialists in nearby Philadelphia.[9] Agriculturally, New Castle County led the way. In 1860 it produced the largest amounts of wheat, oats, fruit, and vegetables. Here, agricultural societies were very active, the first experiments with fruit growing, machines, and fertilizers were conducted, and the best farm land was located. The Delaware and Chesapeake Canal and the first railroads built in the state provided satisfactory transportation.[10] The two lower counties in 1860 lagged behind New Castle County in almost every respect, regardless of whether the yardstick of comparison was agricultural progress, manufacturing, educational facilities, or wealth. The inhabitants of both were engaged primarily in agriculture or in services to a rural population.

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