rutherford b. hayes was responsible for pulling the last federal troops out of the south.
rutherford b. hayes was responsible for pulling the last federal troops out of the south.
who was responsible for pulling the last federal troops out of the south?
rutherford b. hayes
in general he was a moderate and a pragmatist. he kept the promise to withdraw the last federal troops from the south, as democrats took control of the last three republican states. a paragon of honesty, he sponsored civil service reform, where he challenged the patronage hungry republican politicians. though he failed to enact long-term reform, he helped generate public support for the eventual passage of the pendleton civil service reform act in 1883. the republican party in the south grew steadily weaker as his efforts to support the civil rights of blacks in the south were largely stymied by democrats in congress.
presidency of rutherford b. hayes
mccausland's forces were blocked at old town, maryland at the potomac river between hancock, maryland and springfield, west virginia by union army foot troops and, also, a union army iron clad armored train containing both other well shielded federal troops in its troop cars and a gunnery car, itself, containing a 12 lbs howitzer, while also pursued by superior federal forces from the rear. mcnulty brought his horse drawn light cannon to high ground within 200 yards of the iron clad. from this vantage and under a shower of union bullets, he directed the fire of a first cannon shot which breached and exploded the train's boiler. in the ensuing commotion, federal troops scattered from within and without the train. lt. mcnulty then directed the fire of a second shot, astoundingly, from the same 200 yards distant, precisely through one of the howitzer car's armaments open defensive musket portals, disabling this howitzer weapon and causing the train's last federal troops to evacuate the gunnery car. quickly pursued by the confederates, the frontal union troops, thereafter, negotiated their own surrender and parole (withdrawal from the combat), and mccausland's forces returned to the relative safety of west virginia, thereafter, without further incident.
john r. mcnulty