Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-12
THE MILITARY INTERFERENCE IN MARYLAND
INTERESTING EXPOSITION.


i From The Upper Marlboro Prince Georgian Of Noe Gil
1t due to the great Importance Of the circumstance
which characterized the e con in this State last Wed
nesday that brief record should be made of what
PRED and emitting therefore, tor the present, any dis
cussion Of the legality Of what was done, and any ausio
to the motives of those who the prominent actors
propose to give, matter If record, very bre
and correct account Of the mode in which the election
; was conducted in Prince Georges county.
There had be- various aaDat for several weeks
to the general pupor that the election would be inter
Tered with by the military Who was to thus tC
set aside the laws of the State and to impose on ega
voters and illegal qualifications, could not be
tanned but the belief that such interference would be
sayed generally obtained among the people, and produced
very painful state of apprehension in the public mind
All doubts however resolved on Monday last, by
the sudden arrival the county OF body OF cavalry
der command of Captain Thomas II. Watkins, Of Anne
Arundel These troops-all If whom conducted them.
selves in the most unexcepionabe dstri-
buted in small squads at the various polls Some Of
citizens happening to be personally acquainted with Capt
Watkins, waited upon him. and were assured by him,
formally that the object of his visit not to interfere
with to obsruct the election, but only to protect the
judges, &c. ....... ..M
On Tuesday it deemed due both to the Captain and
to citizens that the intentions of the military
should be more definitely ascertaned Quite large
mittee again waited upon Capt. Watkins and
corded formal interview, at which the Captain informed
them that his instructions from Gen. Schenck and
to the following purport first the military were
not to Interfere in any respect with the voting second
that if the vote of any should be challenged by c
zen the party challenged would be required to take the
oath of allegiance, and would be arrested refusing to
do He also furnished the committee with copy Of
the oath.
The oath is the that contained in the order of
Gen Schenck published in the Intellgencer of Wednes
day.
Early Wednesday morning our citizens were much
astonshed to od that another military occupation Of the
county had been made-ths tine by Col Baker, of Wash
ngton who dispatched squads of his to all the polls
execute certain orders Of bic These orders ema
mated from Major Gen. Augut, commanding the deences
of Washington and required the oath of allegiance to be
put TO all voters Unfortunately else to allow right
of challenge to the miitay-thereby differing from the
orders of Capt Watkins.
The polls at this place regularly opened and the
voting proceeded for half hour, when Col Baker took
possession of them and publicly read his orders Captain
Watkins here interposed and protested against the
else of any such authority the part of Col Baker on
the ground that this the department of Gen. Schenck
and of Gen Augur and consequently that the aters
orders nullty when they came into conflict with
those of the former. Col Baker, however, Didn't
it, and announced that he would execute bis orders to
which Capt Watkins finally yielded under protest
Shelby Clark Esq Provost Marshal of the county,
then appeared and produced his commission and then
proceeded to read the orders under which he acted and
the grounds on which he protested against the nteer-
ence of Col Baker. He also read the proclamation of
Governor Bradford in which Gen. schencks orders
we're declared be unwarraned and illegal aud in which
the judges of election called to that the laws
were faithfully executed aud test oath allowed &c.
Mr.. Clark afterwards made the following protest in
writing: ....
UPPER MARLBORO, (Mp) NOVEMBER 4, 1868
Col. BAKER--Dear SIR: As Deputy Provost Marshal
for Prince Georges county expected to act upon and
| execute order of Major Gen. Schenck commanding
this Department relating to the of conducting the
elections My construction of that order that the oath
of allegiance to be administered to those persons only
whose loyalty may be called in question by challenge
regularly made by qualified voter, aud in accordance
with the laws of the State
You present at polls to-day acting by virtue of
another authority and under order which construe
that the oath must be administered to all persons
before voting and on attempting to vote.
AS the execution of this order by you necessarily
in conflict with and prevents the execution Of the order
under which am directed to act deem it due to my
self as citizen of the State Of Maryland and Provost
Marshal for Prince Georges county to protest and to
make known this my protest in order that the Govern
ment may see and know by what means and by what
thorty have been prevented from executing orders
according to their plain phraseology and meaning.
am, sir very respectfully, your obedent servant,
SHELBY CLARK.
Col Baker declined himself to administer the OATH but
said it should be done by the judges who should be
rested if they refused The voting hen resumed,
each voter being required to take the oath before deposit
ing his ballot.
In view of the conflict of authority between the mill
tary Col Baker sent messenger to Washington, who
returned 10 the afternoon with revocation Of Gen. Au
gurs orders, as follows:
UPPER MARLBORO, NOVEMBER 4, 1868.
| To Judges OF Elections Upper Marlboro
GENTS BY special order this moment received from
Major Geo. Augur, commanding the deences Of Washing
ton am directed to ask for demand that the oath
of allegiance be taken by the voters where said
voters refuse TO take said cath.
am gentlemen, with much respest, your obedent
want, L.. z. BAKER,
Commanding First Ind. Cavalry.
When this order was received there had been hun
dred and votes taken at these polls Forty Others
were afterwards taken making total Of two hundred and
| FIVE votes which quite full.
At Nottingham polls. Watkns's men peremptoriy re-
fused to submit to Bakers detachment aud the latter left
| the ground without disturbance.
The same proceedings which we have recounted took
place in all the other districts except Aquasco where
from Misunderstanding the polls were not opened
| at oil. ".....'
ST MARYs COUNTY.
| From the Lsonardtopn Gazette Of November 9Th