On reaching there, they were called upon by a number of leading citizens, among whom was Hon. Louis McKenzie, afterwards a member of Congress from that district, and then and always a consistent Union man. They requested the Hutchinsons to give a concert in the city before leaving, and promised them a large and sympathizing audience. The Hutchinsons were entirely willing to give a concert, provided they could be assured of protection; but, having just been ordered by General McClellan to leave his command, they feared to sing again south of the Potomac, unless they had permission, and promise of protection, from the local authorities. This the callers promised to procure, and at once went to the general headquarters for that purpose.
They at first called upon General Montgomery. He, while entirely sympathizing with their wishes, hesitated about giving such formal permission, or promising any such protection, for the reason, that, being within General McClellan's command, the General might regard it as a contempt of his order to the Hutchinsons; nevertheless he would impose no objections of any kind, and recommended the applicants to see Judge Freese about it. General Montgomery really desired to do all that the committee requested; but, for the reasons above stated, preferred that Judge Freese should do it, by virtue of his milito-civic authority as judge of the provost-court.
The committee next called upon the Provost-Judge and laid all the facts before him, stating that General Montgomery had suggested that they call upon him. They urgently requested Judge Freese to grant the needed permission, with promise of personal protection. The Judge did not hesitate a moment to grant both requests. He told the committee that if the court, backed by the provost-guard, was not strong enough to protect peaceable citizens in the giving of a concert, no matter what was sung, the sooner the people knew it the better, and he was ready to test the matter at once. As to General McClellan's order, he regarded it as wholly unreasonable, and the army regulations required no officer to obey an "unreasonable" order. While he had a very high regard personally for General McClellan, he thought, in this matter, he had given too much heed to the enemies, and too little heed to the friends, of the government; and, whatever might be the consequences to himself, he had no hesitancy in granting the asked-for permission and promise of protection, even though General McClellan or his friends should regard it in direct contumacy of his order to the Hutchinsons. The Judge further said to the committee, that he "particularly desired Whittier's great poem to be sung, nor need the singers hesitate to introduce other war lyrics of like character—the more the better."
The committee then procured one of the churches in which to hold the concert, and fixed upon the evening of the next day as the time. Meanwhile the Provost-Judge directed the Provost-Marshal to double the number of guards throughout the city for that night, from eight to twelve o'clock, and to have all who were not on post at the church while the concert was being held—each with loaded musket and fixed bayonet.
The news of the proposed concert spread rapidly through the city, and when the evening and hour arrived, every seat in the church was filled, while hundreds were gathered outside. The windows of the church were thrown wide open, that the citizens and soldiers outside might the better hear the words and music. The Provost-judge and Provost-Marshal took seats near the outer door, and it was observed that while they seemed to give one ear to the music, the other was given outside, to catch the first note of alarm, should any occur. General Montgomery expressed a very strong desire to attend the concert, but, out of courtesy to General McClellan, his commanding officer, thought he had better not, and therefore stayed away. The concert proceeded without an iota of disturbance, and gave great pleasure to the many hundreds present. Whittier's poem, and several others of like character, were so encored that the singers were obliged to repeat them. When the concert had ended, the Provost-judge and Provost-Marshal, with the guard which had been stationed about the church, accompanied the Hutchinsons to their lodgings, and left them in care of trusted friends. They were not disturbed through the night, and left next morning for Washington, well pleased with their stop-over at Alexandria.
This was not only a triumph over disloyalty, but another instance strongly illustrating the restraining power which the provost-court held in that community. The day preceding the concert, and the day of the evening on which it was held, there were loud threats not only among avowed secessionists, but among anti-administration men, that the concert should not be given. Their own personal and political prejudices had been so aroused, backed and stimulated by General McClellan's order, that a single spark would have ignited their whole magazine of passion; and but for the wholesome dread which they had of Judge Freese's "Bayonet Court," as they were then in the habit of calling it, that spark would undoubtedly have been applied.
The love of money, old political prejudices, and inordinate ambition, were the three vile roots from which most of disloyalty sprang during the late war, both in the North and in the South; and the illustrations given in this chapter are but two of hundreds which might be given, if the proposed limits of this volume would allow.
