New Sam Gaty.—On April 18, 1861, a steamboat called the "New Sam Gaty" arrived at Leavenworth from St. Louis flying a Confederate flag. That was four days after the surrender of Fort Sumter and the excitement was intense throughout the North. As soon as the news of the arrival of the steamer spread people rushed to the levee and in a short time an immense crowd had assembled, demanding that the captain of the Gaty he summarily dealt with for thus displaying the flag of treason. Seeing that the people were in no mood for trifling, and concluding that "discretion was the better part of valor," the captain hauled down the ensign and raised the Stars and Stripes. Wilder says "This was the decisive day for Leavenworth."