BALTIMORE MOB. bits of pavement torn from the sidewalks were now thrown by the infuriated mob against the cars, smashing the windows and bruising some of the troops. In spite, however, of this attack, nine of the cars moved steadily on, and deposited their inmates in safety at the dépot. Two cars, with the rest of the Massachusetts men, were yet behind. In the mean time, the Baltimore mob had succeeded in obstructing the track by means of large and heavy iron anchors, lying near by, which they dragged into the street and placed across the rails. The mob having accomplished this work, began to exult with loud shouts for "the South," "Jefferson Davis," "South Carolina," and "secession," to give vent to their hatred of the North by groans for "Lincoln" and "Massachusetts," and to attack the soldiers, from some of whom they succeeded in snatching the muskets. It was now determined to abandon the cars, and march through the streets to the dépot. The one hundred men, accordingly, who were all that were left behind of the regiment, alighted, and forming, prepared to push forward. Just as they began to move they were met by a large throng crowding down the street, with a secession flag borne at their head. As they approached they saluted the little band of Massachusetts men with a volley of stones, and cried out to them that they could not proceed through the city, and that if they attempted it, "not a white nigger of them would be left alive." 187 Nothing daunted, the soldiers continued their march, when the missiles from the mob began to fly thick and fast. The crowd increased at every step and became more violent each. moment, hurling paving stones and brickbats at the soldiers continually. Two of them had been struck and knocked down by stones, when there came a shot from either pistol or gun. The captain in command of the Massachusetts men now ordered them to prime their guns, which had been hitherto loaded though not capped, and to protect themselves. The soldiers accordingly fired into the people, who, with renewed fury, returned the shot by an increased volley of missiles and the discharge of revolvers. The Mayor of Baltimore at last came forward, and occasionally putting himself at the head of the troops, made a show of protection, which proved, however, of little effect. The Massachusetts men were forced to fight their way through the streets to the dépot, a mile distant. The route was a continued scene of struggle between the mob and the soldiers-the one hurling missiles of all kinds, and occasionally discharging revolvers and guns, and the other returning the attack with a regular musket fire from their ranks. Many, both soldiers and citizens, fell dead by the wayside, some of whom were borne away by their comrades, while others were carried into the nearest apothecary shops. Reaching the dépot, the little band of soldiers, who had thus cut their way through the infuriated mob, once more joined their fellows who awaited "A body of police followed after the them, and the whole regiment prepared crowd, both in a full run, and removed to start for Washington. The mob, how- the obstructions as fast as they were ever, had followed, and still beset them. placed on the track. Various attempts. "The scene while the troops were were made to tear up the track with changing cars," wrote an eye-witness, logs of wood and pieces of timber, and was indescribably fearful. Taunts, there was a great outcry for pickaxes clothed in the most fearful language, and handspikes, but only one or two were hurled at them by the panting could be found. The police interfered crowd, who, almost breathless with run- on every occasion, but the crowd growning, passed up to the car windows, pre- ing larger and more excited, would dash senting knives and revolvers, and cursed off at a break-neck run for another up into the faces of the soldiers. The position farther on, until the county line police were thrown in between the cars, was reached. The police followed, runand forming a barrier, the troops ning, until forced to stop from fatigue. changed cars, many of them cocking At this point many of the throng gave their muskets as they stepped on the it up from exhaustion; but a crowd, platform. longer-winded, dashed on for nearly a "After embarking, the assemblage ex-mile farther, now and then pausing to pected to see the train move off, but its departure was evidently delayed in the vain hope that the crowd would disperse; but no, it swelled; and the troops expressed to the officers of the road their determination to go at once, or they would leave the cars and make their way to Washington. "While the delay was increasing the excitement, a wild cry was raised on the platform, and a dense crowd ran down the platform, and out the railroad track toward the Spring Gardens, until the track for a mile was black with an excited, rushing mass. The crowd, as it went, placed obstructions of every description on the track. Great logs and telegraph poles, requiring a dozen or more men to move them, were laid across the rails, and stones rolled from the embankment. attempt to force the rails, or place some obstruction upon them. They could be distinctly seen for a mile along the track, where it makes a bend at the Washington. road bridge. When the train went out, the mass of people had almost returned to the dépot." In the same railroad train by which the Massachusetts regiment had come from Philadelphia, there were some Pennsylvania troops. These formed one half of the Washington Brigade, and consisted of six companies of the First Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Berry, and four companies of the Second Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Schoenleber and Major Gullman. Being, however, unarmed, they did not venture an attempt to force their way, and remained in the cars at the dépot where they had at first arrived. THE MASSACHUSETTS DEAD. 189 a graver aspect than it showed merely in its sentimental bearings. The com without uniforms or arms, they intending to get them here. After we arrived, the cars were taken, two at a time, and drawn to the dépôt, at the lower part of the They, too, were assailed by the insulting cries of the mob, and some of them were bruised severely by missiles hurled against the cars, which broke the windows and penetrated inside. After remaining for two hours thus exposed, city, a mob assaulting them all the way. The Lowell they were finally protected by the police of Baltimore, but were obliged to retrace their way back to the North. Mechanic Phalanx car was the ninth, and we waited till after the rest had left for our turn, till two men came to me and informed me that I had better take my command and march to the other dépôt, as the mob had taken up the track to prevent the passage of the cars. I immediately informed Captain Pickering, of the Lawrence Light Infantry, and we filed out of the cars in regular order. Captain Hart's company, of Lowell, and Captain Dilk's, of Stoneham, did the same, and formed in a line on the sidewalk. The captains consulted together, and decided that the command should devolve upon me. I immediately took my position at the right, wheeled into column of Before we had started, the mob was upon us, with a secession flag attached to a pole, and told us we never could march through that city. They would kill every white nigger of us before we could reach the other dépôt. I The total number of killed and wounded, in the street conflict between the Massachusetts regiment and Baltimore mob, amounted to twenty-two. Of these, nine citizens and two soldiers were killed, and three citizens and eight sections, and requested them to march in close order. soldiers wounded. This tragic event excited great indignation throughout the North, and especially in Massachusetts, where the victims of the Baltimore riot were considered as martyrs who had been sacrificed to a holy cause. The Governor of the State expressed his He did so. After we had marched about a hundred yards, reverence for their memory in this patriotic dispatch to the Mayor of timore: Bal "I pray you cause the bodies of our Massachusetts soldiers, dead in battle, to be immediately laid out, preserved in ice, and tenderly sent forward by express to me. All expenses will be paid. by this Commonwealth. "JOHN A. ANDREW, paid no attention to them, but after I had wheeled the battalion, gave the order to march. "As soon as the order was given, the brickbats began to fly into our ranks from the mob. I called a policeman, and requested him to lead the way to the other dépôt. we came to a bridge. The rebels had torn up most of the planks. We had to play Scotch hop' to get over it. As soon as we had crossed the bridge they commenced to fire upon us from the streets and houses. We were loaded, but not capped. I ordered the men to cap their rifles and protect themselves, and then we returned their fire, and laid a great many of them away. I saw four fall on the sidewalk at one time. They followed us up, and we fought our way to the other dépôt, about one mile. They kept at us till the cars started. Quite a number of the rascals were shot after we entered the cars. We went very slowly, for we expected the rails were torn up along the road. "I do not know how much damage we did. Report says about forty were killed, but I think that is exaggerated. Still, it may be so. There is any quantity of The occurrence, however, presented them wounded. Quite a number of horses were killed. The following report by Captain Follambec, who commanded the Massachusetts men who fought their way through Baltimore, though not in every respect accurate, is interesting: The mayor of the city met us almost half way. He said that there would be no more trouble, and that we could get through, and kept with me for about a hundred yards; but the stones and balls whistled too near his head, and he left, took a gun from one of my company, fired, and brought his man down. That was the last I saw of him. We fought our way to the cars, and joined Colonel Jones and the seven companies that left us at the other end of the city; and now we are here, every man of tions? God forbid. The bodies of the Massachusetts soldiers could not be sent out to Boston, as you requested, all communication between this city and Philadelphia by railroad, and with Boston by steamers, having ceased; but they have been placed in cemented coffins, and will be placed with proper funeral ceremonies in the mausoleum of Greenmount Cemetery, where they shall be retained until further directions are received from you. The wounded are tenderly cared for. I appreciate your offer, but Baltimore will claim it as her right to pay all expenses in munication between the North and the cease? Are we to have a war of seccapital was threatened with being cut off. The riot at Baltimore proved no mere sudden effervescence of popular fury, such as falls as rapidly as it arises, but the expression of a determined hostility on the part of a great portion of Maryland to the Federal Government. The authorities of the city of Baltimore, as well as of the State, confessed their powerlessness to control the people in their manifestations of opposition to the rightful authority of the Union, and by the weakness of their protests almost justified, if they did not sanction them. The Mayor of Baltimore gave this vague answer to the tender appeal of the Gov-curred. Very respectfully, your obeernor of Massachusetts: dient servant, GEO. W. BROWN, "BALTIMORE, April 20, 1861. "THE HON. JOHN A. ANDREW, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS: "Mayor of Baltimore." The Governor of Massachusetts rejoined with a few words as direct in their significant expression of national duty as the Mayor of Baltimore's letter was vague and undecided : "To HIS HONOR GEO. W. BROWN, MAYOR OF BALTIMORE: "SIR: No one deplores the sad events of yesterday in this city more deeply than myself, but they were inevitable. Our people viewed the passage of armed troops to another State through the streets as an invasion of our soil, and "DEAR SIR: I appreciate your kind could not be restrained. The authori- attention to our wounded and our dead, ties exerted themselves to the best of and trust that at the earliest moment their ability, but with only partial suc- the remains of our fallen will return to Governor Hicks was present, and us. I am overwhelmed with surprise concurs in all my views as to the pro- that a peaceful march of American citceedings now necessary for our pro-izens over the highway to the defence tection. When are these scenes to of our common capital should be deemed cess. the old Phalanx, safe and sound, with the exception of a few marks made by brickbats, and all we want now is a chance to go to Baltimore and clean out all the roughs there. If Colonel Jones would march his command there, we would do it. There are five or six of the regiment missing, and all of the band. I am in hopes that most, if not all of them, are alive." aggressive to Baltimoreans. Through New York the march was triumphal. "JOHN A. ANDREW, "Governor of Massachusetts." The Governor of the State, who was believed to be firmly attached to the AGITATION IN MARYLAND. Union, seemed so overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his position, or so awed by the manifestations of disaffection in his State, as to be incapable of action. In conjunction with the Mayor of Baltimore, he sent a telegraphic dispatch to the President of the United States, which clearly revealed his agitated condition: "MAYOR'S OFFICE, BALTIMORE, "To HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: "SIR: A collision between the citizens and the Northern troops has taken place in Baltimore, and the excitement is fearful. Send no more troops here. We will endeavor to prevent all bloodshed. "A public meeting of citizens has been called, and the troops of the State and the city have been ordered out to preserve the peace. They will be enough. Respectfully, "THOS. H. HICKS, Governor. "GEO. WM. BROWN, Mayor." This was immediately followed by the sending of three commissioners to explain, personally, to the President of the United States, the trepidation of the authorities caused by the riot at Baltimore, and the continued threats of the disaffected. These gentlemen were provided with the following manifesto: "MAYOR'S OFFICE, BALTIMORE,} April 19, 1861. "To HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: "SIR: This will be presented to you by the Hon. H. Lenox Bond, Geo. W. 191 Dobbin, and John C. Brune, Esqrs., who will proceed to Washington by an express train, at my request, in order to explain fully the fearful condition of our affairs in this city. The people are exasperated to the highest degree by the passage of troops, and the citizens are universally decided in the opinion that no more troops should be ordered to come. "The authorities of the city did their best to-day to protect both strangers and citizens, and to prevent a collision, but in vain; and but for their great efforts a fearful slaughter would have occurred. "Under these circumstances, it is my solemn duty to inform you that it is not possible for more soldiers to pass through Baltimore, unless they fight their way at every step. "I therefore hope and trust, and most earnestly request, that no more troops be permitted or ordered by the Government to pass through the city. If they should attempt it, the responsibility for the bloodshed will not rest upon me. "With great respect, your obedient. servant, "GEO. WM. BROWN, Mayor. "I have been in Baltimore since Tuesday evening, and co-operated with Mayor Brown in his untiring efforts to allay and prevent the excitement and suppress the fearful outbreak as indicated above, and I fully concur in all that is said by him in the above communication. "Very respectfully your obedient servant, THOS. H. HICKS, "Governor of Maryland." |