r from the duties of
the War Office; putting Mr. Benjamin in his seat as temporary
incumbent. The latter, as before stated, was known as a shrewd lawyer,
of great quickness of perception, high cultivation, and some grasp of
mind; but there was little belief among the people that he was fit to
control a department demanding decision and independence, combined with
intimate knowledge of military matters. Besides Mr. Benjamin personally
had become exceedingly unpopular with the masses. Whether this arose
from the unaccountable influence he--and he alone--had with his chief,
or whether the busy tongues of his private enemies received too ready
credence, is hard to say. But so the fact was; and his elevation gave
rise to scurrilous attacks, as well as grave forebodings. Both served
equally to fix Mr. Davis in the reasons he had believed good enough for
his selection.

Suddenly, on the 7th of February, Roanoke Island fell!

Constant as had been the warnings of the press, unremittingly as
General Wise had besieged the War Department, and blue as was the mood
of the public--the blow still fell like a thunder-clap and shook to the
winds the few remaining shreds of hope. General Wise was ill in bed;
and the defense--conducted by a militia colonel with less than one
thousand raw troops--was but child's play to the immense armada with
heaviest metal that Burnside brought against the place.

Roanoke Island was the key to General Huger's position at Norfolk. Its
fall opened the Sounds to the enemy and, besides paralyzing Huger's
rear communications, cut off more than half his supplies. The defeat
was illustrated by great, if unavailing, valor on the part of the
untrained garrison; by a plucky and determined fight of the little
squadron under Commodore Lynch; and by the brilliant courage and death
of Captain O. Jennings Wise--a gallant soldier and noble gentleman,
whose popularity was deservedly great.

But, the people felt that a period must be put to these mistakes; and
so great was their clamor that a congressional committee investigated
the matter; and their report declared that the disaster lay at the door
of the War Department. The almost universal unpopularity of the
Secretary made this a most acceptable view, even while an effort was
made to shift part of the blame to General Huger's shoulders. But
wherever the fault, the country could not shake off the gloom that such
a succession of misfortunes threw over it.

This fee