This  brings  me  down  to  the  Great  Rebellion  of  1861  :  when
the  Star  of  the  West  was  fired  on  at  Charleston,  I  knew  that
war  had  begun. Immediately  after  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter  I
repaired  to  Washington  to  see  what  part  it  was  my  duty  to  take
in  what  I  knew  would  be  a  long  contest. On  my  arrival  there,  I
was  received  with  great  kindness  by  General  Scott,  who  told  me
at  once  that  the  Government  required  my  services,  but  in  what
position  had  not  then  been  determined. General  Ripley,  Chief
of  Ordnance,  called  on  me  and  said  that  he  proposed  presenting
my  name  to  the  Secretary  of  War  as  the  proper  person  to  repre¬
sent  their  Department  in  Europe  in  the  purchase  of  arms  and
munitions;  and  after  a  few  days  consultation,  it  was  almost


44


DANIEL  TYLER


decided  that  I  should  leave  at  an  early  date  for  London  as  the
representative  of  the  Ordnance  Department  in  Europe. The
very  day  this  point  was  to  have  been  decided,  General  Scott
received  a  telegram  from  Governor  Buckingham,  of  Con¬
necticut,  asking:  “Is  Captain  Tyler  in  Washington?  If  so,
offer  him  command  of  the  Connecticut  Regiment  now  being
.raised,  and  ask  him  to  report  at  New  Haven  as  early  as  prac¬
ticable.”

General  Scott,  in  communicating  the  telegram,  remarked
that  I  could  render  the  Government  better  service  by  bringing
into  the  city  of  Washington  a  model  regiment  than  by  going  to
Europe ;  and  he  telegraphed  Governor  Buckingham  that  I
would  accept  the  command  offered  and  be  in  New  Haven  at  an
early  date. While  I  was  in  Washington,  the  Massachusetts
Regiment  passing  through  Baltimore  was  fired  on ;  and  the
Saturday  afternoon  after  this  disgraceful  event  I  left  for  Balti¬
more,  and  found  the  bridges  on  the  road  to  Philadelphia  via
Wilmington  burned ;  but  to  what  extent  communication  was
interrupted  was  then  unknown. Being  at  that  time  President  of
the  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  road,  and  therefore  entitled  to
some  courtesy  from  the  Northern  and  Central  road  running  from
Baltimore  to  Harrisburg,  I  applied  to  the  Superintendent  to
assist  me  in  getting  to  the  latter  city. 