A High-Stakes Stand-Off at the Panorama
When an aggressive war veteran challenged a Black newspaper editor at a Seattle battle exhibit, he didn't realize he was heckling a legendary Union general.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A rather dramatic scene occurred at the panorama of the battle of Bull Run recently, writes a Washington correspondent of the Boston Herald. Calvin Chase, the colored newspaper editor, was explaining to a few friends the leading features of the battle, when he was interrupted by a big, burly fellow, who announced himself as a Virginian who had owned a hundred negroes before the war, and who noisily demanded to know what right Chase had to discuss questions relating to the rebellion. There were a number of people present, and Chase, unwilling to be drawn into a quarrel with the man, who was evidently under the influence of liquor, modestly withdrew. The Virginian then, in a loud voice, declared that he could lick any Yankee that ever lived, and directed his remarks principally to a stout, stocky little man standing near. The latter made a sharp rejoinder, which finally led to the Virginian inquiring the little man's name. 'My name is Philip H. Sheridan; present address, war department, Washington, D. C,' was the unexpected reply. The Virginian raised his hat politely, and, extending his hand, said 'I beg your pardon, General. We tried for four years to lick you and never fairly succeeded. I take it all back. You're a better man than I am. Shake.' The General 'shook,' and there the matter ended.
“My name is Philip H. Sheridan; present address, war department, Washington, D. C.”
This encounter highlights the lingering, performative tensions of the post-Civil War era playing out in Seattle's public spaces. It serves as a reminder that the city's early history was deeply intertwined with the national reconciliation narrative, which often sidelined the experiences of Black citizens like Calvin Chase in favor of celebrating white military figures.
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