ceeded to Albany, where he was received by Governor Morgan and the state authorities. After spending an hour or two at the capitol, he repaired to the governor's residence, and dined there, Mr. Seward and others being guests. The next day he took a special train for Springfield, Mass., and thence to Boston. He was conducted to his quarters by the Boston authorities, an immense crowd following. The principal occasions of interest, while stopping in Boston, were as follows: On Thursday he witnessed a great political procession; then received Ralph Farnham, the survivor of Bunker Hill battle; reviewed the troops on Boston Common; attended a children's musical entertainment at the music hall; and went to the ball in the evening. On Friday, visited Harvard college, and examined all the objects of interest at that venerable seat of learning; and subsequently visited Mount Auburn, Bunker Hill, and the Charlestown navy yard.

A very interesting interview was that with Ralph Farnham. The Duke of Newcastle, who, with most of the suite, was present, asked the revolutionary veteran. if he saw Burgoyne when he surrendered, adding, "You rather had him there!" The old soldier then remarked, chucklingly, that hearing so much said in praise of the prince, he began to fear that the people were all turning royalists. This and Mr. Farnham's manner elicited much laughter, in which the prince fully joined. The prince then sent for pen and ink, and exchanged autographs with his visitorone of the men who had stood before British soldiers in 1776, in a manner and with a bearing very different from that with which he received the prince's courtesies and exchanged glances with the majors, colonels, and guardsmen of the royal suite. Mr. Farnham afterwards spoke of the interview with the greatest pleasure, remarking that "he wished to show the boy and his soldiers that he bore no anger for old times."

The musical festival was a novel and pleasant entertainment, at Music Hall.

Twelve hundred school children were arranged upon seats sloping from the floor to the ceiling, and from the platform one could see two large triangles of boys, and two immense parallelograms of gaylydressed girls, while between them was an orchestra of sixty performers. As the prince entered, the whole company rose, and the masses of children waved handkerchiefs and clapped hands, producing a fine effect.

A grand success, too, was the ball, given at the Boston Theater,-not exceeded in splendor by that in New York. If one can imagine the immensity of this theater; the dancing floor inclosed as by a pavilion, each tier differently and most richly decorated, and crowded with superbly dressed ladies; the royal box all aglare with light, and rich in gilt, purple, and azure; the frescoed ceiling, with its pendant dome of light, the marquee, with its groves, flowers, mirrors, arabesque ceiling, its multiform and varied decorations, and its view of Windsor Castle, seen as if from some immense window;-if one can imagine this scene, and then crowd it with richly dressed ladies, with gentlemen in every variety of ball costume, while, over all, the lights streamed their brilliant radiance, mirrors and jewels flashing back and reduplicating the rays, and the soft, sweet swell of the music bearing with it the graceful moving throng in a bewildering maze of beauty, an adequate idea of the magnificent occasion may possibly be gained.

Curiously enough, the Boston ball opened something like that in New York; for all the committees, being anxious to speak to the prince, and leaning forward to do so, crash went a large vase of flowers, scattering its contents over the prince. There were profuse apologies, but the prince was laughing so heartily, that he could not hear nor speak.

The prince's appreciation of American ladies was very marked. At the Boston ball, he remarked slyly to a beautiful belle, "They made me dance with the old chaps in Canada." At Montreal, he

danced with Miss Blackburn, of Natchez, a lady of great beauty; so enchanted did the prince become, that he afterward inquired for her and expressed a desire to meet again. Among those with whom he danced, at the Cincinnati ball, was the beautiful Miss Groesbeck, daughter of Hon. John Groesbeck. The reporters represent that Miss Groesbeck, who was the belle of the evening, wore a white tulle dress, puffed to the waist, low neck, but wore no jewelry; her mother, however, wore elegant diamond ear-drops, rings, and pins. When, therefore, one of the officers. of the evening announced to Miss Groesbeck that she was to be honored with the prince's hand for the second dance, Mrs. Groesbeck quietly took off her own jewelry and passed them to her favored daughter; the latter declined them. Her mother insisted; but Miss Groesbeck, with equal determination, positively refused to wear any kind of ornament other than her simple dress and the wealth of beauty which Nature had bestowed on her.

It is not exaggerating, to say that the prince made an agreeable impression wherever he went. He was described by one of the newspaper reporters, as follows: "He seems to be about five feet four inches high; his eye is beautifully blue, mild, funny, clear, and jolly; his nose is well defined, not perfectly straight, but cleancut and prominent; his mouth is full, and his chin retreats wonderfully. His countenance indicates a happy dispositioned, good-natured, humorous, fun-loving boy, who knows what he is about, and can't easily be fooled. His hair is soft and fine, though disposed to grow rather low down the neck and on the forehead, whilst his head is well shaped, and would indicate firmness, benevolence, quickness of perception, and love of music. The very, very large hands and feet of the young gentleman are but reproductions of those of his

royal mother, to whom Dame Nature has been very generous in that regard. His form is small and very well proportioned, and his bearing is dignified, manly, and modest." His dress varied much, of course, with the place and occasion, but was always simple, elegant, and appropriate.

Portland, Me., was the place from which the illustrious guest of the nation took his departure for England. As the royal barge left the wharf to convey the prince to the Hero, the British squadron all fired a royal salute of twenty-one guns, and similar salutes were fired from the city and from Fort Preble. The harbor was full of steamers, sail-boats, barges, etc., which accompanied the royal barge from the wharf. As the flotilla neared the royal squadron, the yards were manned, and this, with the strings of bunting and flags flying from every point of the fleet, formed a magnificent spectacle, which was witnessed by an immense concourse of people. To all the parting salutations, the British ships responded by dipping their colors; and, as the squadron sailed, the bands on board each vessel played Yankee Doodle, and Fort Preble saluted the party with farewell guns as they passed.

So heart-felt, generous, and enthusiastic a reception of the prince, in America, produced the highest satisfaction throughout England. The queen, at an early day, caused to be officially communicated to the president and to the people of the United States, "her grateful sense of the kindness with which they received her son;" the hospitality shown him was warmly complimented in parliament; and Prince Albert, as chancellor of the University of Cambridge, directed that the annual gold medal there given for the encouragement of English poetry, should, that year, be awarded for the best poem on "The Prince of Wales at the Tomb of Washington."

began. In vain did President Lincoln declare, in his inaugural, his opposition to any interference with slavery in the states where it existed, in vain were assurances to the same effect proffered by the party that had just triumphed in the presidential contest, and in vain were conferences and consultations held by the leading statesmen and politicians of different sections, with a view to avert the calamity of

war.

Intent on a separate national existence, under which they might maintain unmolested, as well as extend, the institution of slavery, the southern states recalled their senators and representatives from congress, flung out the banner of Secession-which was the wager and signal of War,-and, as an initial step, commenced the seizure of United States custom-houses, arsenals, forts, and other public property, within their borders.

First in order of importance, in this startling programme of overt acts, was the movement of the authorities of South Carolina to possess themselves of Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor, before opportunity should be gained by the national government to re-enforce its scanty resources of men and provisions. To this end, extensive batteries were erected on the shores opposite the fort, by means of which, any ordinary naval force which the federal authorities then had available for conveying supplies, could easily be crippled in attempting such assistance.

In this besieged condition, the brave and loyal commander of the fort, Major Robert Anderson, and his true-hearted men, were kept for several weeks, with the eager eyes of millions of admiring countrymen riveted upon them. The vessel which was finally dispatched by the navy department for their relief, was shelled by the batteries and compelled to return without fulfilling her mission. This was done in accordance with the orders received from the secession authorities at Montgomery, Ala., where a government styled the Confederate States of America had been formally established, with Jefferson

Davis as president, and which was to assume all the responsibility and direction of that mighty struggle through which, as they expected, southern independence was to be secured, and the Republic of the United States rent in twain.

After various official preliminaries, on either side, but without arriving at any satisfactory understanding, a demand was made, April 11th, by General Beauregard, commander of the insurgent batteries, for the surrender of the fort. This demand was declined by Major Anderson-all the officers having been consulted by him in regard to the summons. At about three o'clock, on the morning of the 12th, notice was given that fire would be opened on the fort in one hour, unless the demand to surrender was instantly complied with. Major Anderson resolved not to return fire until broad daylight, not wishing to waste any of his ammunition. From the statements made by the officers of Fort Sumter, it appears that fire was opened upon the fort from all points at once, and, to the astonishment of its defenders, a masked battery of heavy columbiads opened on them from that part of Sullivan's Island near the floating battery, of the existence of which Major Anderson had not the slightest intimation. It was covered with brush and other materials, which completely concealed it, and was skillfully constructed and well secured. Seventeen mortars, firing ten-inch shell, and thirtythree heavy guns, mostly columbiads, were engaged in the assault. The crash made by the shot against the walls was terrific, and many of the shells took effect inside the fort. The inmates took breakfast at half-past six o'clock, leisurely and calmly, after which the command was formed into three reliefs, equally dividing the officers and men. The first relief was under the command of Captain Doubleday, of the artillery, and Lieutenant Snyder, of the engineer corps. This detachment went to the guns and opened fire upon the Cummings's Point battery, Fort Moultrie, and Sullivan's Island. The Iron Battery was of immense strength, so that most of the