▁experiences ▁during ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁convinced ▁him ▁that ▁free - l abor ▁soci eties ▁were ▁a ▁compet itive ▁war ▁of ▁all ▁against ▁all , ▁which ▁he ▁used ▁in ▁his ▁just ifications ▁of ▁sla very . ▁From ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁Pol l ard ▁was ▁cl erk ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁Jud ici ary . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Pol l ard ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁principal ▁edit ors ▁of ▁the ▁Richmond ▁Ex am iner ▁( al ong ▁with ▁Robert ▁William ▁Hugh es ). ▁The ▁newspaper ▁supported ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁of ▁America , ▁but ▁was ▁host ile ▁to ▁President ▁Jefferson ▁Davis . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Pol l ard ▁attempted ▁to ▁sail ▁for ▁England , ▁but ▁the ▁block ade ▁runner ▁on ▁which ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁was ▁captured , ▁and ▁Pol l ard ▁was ▁conf ined ▁in ▁Fort ▁Warren ▁in ▁Boston ▁Har bor ▁from ▁ 2 9 ▁May ▁until ▁August ▁ 1 2 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁par o led . ▁In ▁December ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁an ▁order ▁of ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁Ed win ▁M . ▁St anton ▁assigned ▁the ▁again - capt ured ▁Pol l ard ▁in ▁close ▁conf in ement ▁at ▁Fort ▁Mon roe . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁soon ▁again ▁par o led ▁by ▁General ▁B . ▁F . ▁Butler , ▁whom ▁Pol l ard ▁had ▁met ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁before ▁the