Memphis 1871 from Harper's Magazine
I’ve been learning how political groups were formed during the highly contentious election of 1860. Wide-Awakes for Lincoln; Little Giants for Douglas. Recently I posted an excerpt from The New-York Times. that described South Carolina’s Minute Men, who organized to defend their state because of the impending election of a “Black Republican”. Apparently, even before the election, some Minute Men from South Carolina tried to encourage other Southerners to join the secessionist movement. On Election Day, November 6, 1860 The New-York Times. published this report:
FROM TENNESSEE .
Attempt to Create a Disunion Sentiment –
Opinion of the New-York Fusion.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Tuesday, Oct. 30,1860.
We have some missionaries from South Carolina
among us, in the shape of a brace of “cockades.”
Two of her “minute-men” are here, trying to induce
the sober conservative sentiment of Memphis to belie
itself and join in a revolutionary movement, to be
started when the Disunionists of South Carolina shall
tap the drum. Last evening a meeting was held, when
about half a dozen infatuated individuals agreed to
join the treasonable organization. Upon the strength
of this, at least one of the representatives of Carolina
got “boozy,” and seeming to have money to spare, he
hired him a band of music and serenaded certain
Breckite politicians. The result was a number of
speeches, including three from a Mr. SHILMAN, or
HILMAN, who, being frequently interrupted on the oc-
casion of his last effort, by loud cries of “Hurrah for
Bell,” and ” Hurrah for Douglas,” thus expressed
himself:
” I hate JOHN BELL (uproar)—I despise JOHN BELL.
I despise DOUGLAS. (Uproar renewed.) I love JOHN C.
BRECKINRIDGE and Gen. LANE. They are the only
men in the country worth a cent.”
The noise here greatly increasing, he hallooed out:
“Band, for God’s sake, give us a tune—’Hail Co-
lumbia,’ ‘Yankee Doodle,’ ‘Dixie,’ or any other na-
tional air.”
The band played, poorly enough, “Dixie,” and the
crowd dispersed, leaving the worthy hater of JOHN
BELL discoursing learnedly upon ” constitutional
right.”
The New-York Fusion is everywhere spoken of as
he only hope of these Southern sectional agitators,
and yet their denunciations of it should warn Northern
men of the danger of entering into its support . No-
body here speaks of it with confidence in its result to
their benefit. All denounce the men who are engaged
in it as partners in an “unholy alliance.” They love
the treason, but the traitors they despise. …
Links and Thoughts
Wearing the Blue Cockade
I got the Harper’s Magazine photo of Memphis (across the river) at TN History for Kids!. This is a great one-page review of Memphis history. Did you know that Randolph, Tennessee originally challenged Memphis as the most important Tennessee city on the Mississippi river? When Memphis got the railroad line, Tennessee farmers brought their cotton to Memphis, which then took off in its growth. Union troops destroyed most of Randolph during the Civil War. According to Wikipedia’s article on Randolph, TennesseeGeneral William T. Sherman ordered the place burned down the first time in 1862 in retaliation for a guerrilla attack.
Union Fleet at Ft. Randolph
Memphis Memories has other historical photos of Memphis, including an 1895 postcard showing bales of cotton at the Public Landing.
It’s interesting that a South Carolina Minute Man on October 30, 1860 would consider “Hail Columbia”, “Yankee Doodle”, and “Dixie” national airs. Less than two months later South Carolina seceded. I’m not sure about “Hail Columbia”, but “Yankee Doodle” was probably an enemy air after that. I was not familiar with “Hail Columbia”, so I looked it up:
As always, I’d appreciate your comments. Thank you.
