President Lincoln there upon called for 75,000 men Militia to protect the Capital. Now burst forth an alarm over the whole North, business was suspended and a general alarm for war was the echo, a great "War Meeting" was held in Union Square New York City, Militia Regiments hastened to Washington. The 6th Massachusetts Militia Regiment while passing through Baltimore was attacked by a mob and two men were killed.

The excitement was great, and active preparations began all over. In a very short time, not less than 600,000 men were organized in the North. The South was not less active. They elected Jefferson Davis as their permanent President and made Richmond Virginia their Capital. Their troops, they advanced almost to the City of Washington, they were as far as Alexandria.

As soon as sufficient troops were in Washington to protect the Capital, a certain Colonel Ellesworth from New York with his Regiment went over the bridge into Alexandria and drove the Rebels (as the Southern troops were generally called) out of Alexandria. By turning back they noticed a Rebel flag on top of a hotel whereupon Ellesworth and a few of his men ran up the stairs and tore down the flag, the hotel keeper a certain Jackson appeared with a shotgun. He shot and killed Ellesworth instantly. A Sergeant shot the hotelkeeper down also.

Now preparations were made to get them green troops in Warlike condition, and about mid summer the two armies met at Bull Run in Virginia for battle where the troops of the North were routed and defeated and strange enough the troops of the South did not follow up their victory, and for quite a time the North lost every battle.

Now the resources of the North came in actively again, business began to get lively, the army was supplied with fresh men from time to time and all necessities such as arms and stores were supplied plenty and the tide of warfare changed more in favor of the North. (Now I outlined the beginning of that war, I advise my followers to study up the history of that war real carefully.)

After the summer was over and business began to move, we got also work again in the Steinway Piano Factory but with a reduction of twenty percent of our wages, so that left me $6.40 per week and we had to work for that wage all winter. Towards spring, as there came more money in circulation, everything had a raise in price and so naturally wages had to rise also.

In this time I made the acquaintance of a young man in the factory that covered the piano hammers with felt, a work which I liked very much, and as there got to be a chance open I expressed my desire to learn that. That young man talked with his foreman and I was accepted. So I become once more an apprentice but I got right off what in shops is called "piece work", that is, get paid by the job, and in a few weeks I was able to make $8.00 per week.