I have recently written of two of the local militias that were formed in the unsettled days between the election and inauguration of President Lincoln. The story of Company C of the Union Regiment ended with the resignation of Captain Arnold and his replacement by George W. Miller. However, as I have continued to work my way through the newspapers of the time, I came to the realization that I had missed the real story of this company, a fairly dark story that highlights the danger and paranoia of the times.
The news that Captain Miller had been elected to replace Captain Arnold was printed in the Daily National Republican on April 10, 1861. Less than two weeks later, the Navy Yard was thrown into turmoil through the resignation of its commandant, Commodore Franklin Buchanan (pic) and five other officers. With this clear evidence of secessionist sympathizers in the Navy Yard, the new commandant, Commander John Dahlgren set out to secure the area, putting Company C in charge of guarding the ordnance shop.
The company went about its business with great zeal, and, a few days later, one of the Sergeants, one John Murphy, overheard a local man “utter…treasonable expressions” including the fact that he hoped “to see the Palmetto flag floating from the dome of the Capitol in three days.” Murphy took this news to Captain Miller, who requested that the sergeant “bring him evidence of the fact.” While no order was given for a squad to go out and arrest the apparent secessionist, this is exactly what happened. The further story is murky at best, though it appears that Murphy and a large number of men went off to find him.
Cornelius Boyd was a local brickmaker, employed a few blocks west of the Navy Yard. He lived a quiet life, though he had once, some seven years earlier, been arrested for disturbing the peace. On the night in question, he was doing anything but disturbing the peace, at home with his wife, when he found his house surrounded by a large group of militiamen. While the exact sequence of events was never satisfactorily determined, the one thing everyone could agree on was that Boyd was hit with a musket ball that “entered into his side four inches below his left arm, passing completely through his body, and coming out his right side.” Murphy swore at the inquest that Boyd had had a pistol on him when killed, but was, along with seven others arrested and “committed to jail.”
About ten days later, there was a closer examination of those in jail as well as one of Captain Miller, who was charged with being an accessory. After the examination indicated that Miller had never given any sort of order in regards to Boyd, the case against him was dismissed. It would be some months before the rest of the men were tried.
Finally, on July 30, the trial was held. While a fair number of people testified to the effect that Miller had, in fact, given some sort of order, or, at the very least, seemed fine with the outcome, the jury ended up being unable to come to an agreement.
In the second trial, the majority of the members of the militia were found innocent, only Sergeant Murphy was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison. Almost immediately, a petition began to circulate, requesting that Murphy be pardoned. Among the many signatures were those of the members of the jury that had just convicted him.
The pardon as signed by Abraham Lincoln and William Henry Seward (HistoryForSale.com)
The petition bore fruit: On September 27, Abraham Lincoln signed a pardon in which he stated that “there is reason to believe that he committed the offense out of a mistaken sense of duty and not from a depravity of heart.” Murphy was released from prison.
By this time, Company C of the Union Regiment was no more. Murphy’s pardon, however, lives on, and is currently available for the low, low price of $88,000. If any The Hill is Home reader would like to purchase it for me, I would be forever grateful.