The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-01-31
A Typical Border Experience.
The Baltimore Scare" in Hanover, Pa
BY REV. CYRUS coRT, OF GREENcAsTLE, PA.


translation of Lange's Commentary on
the Gospel by St. Matthew, DIR. Philip
Schaff has an extended note on Mat.
thew "a 6, "And ye shall hear of wars
and rumors of wars" &c. He therein
graphically describes the experience of
the people of Pennsylvania along the
border just previous to the great inva-
sion of the State by the Southern army
under Gen. Lee, shortly after the battle
of Gettysburg, in 1868, and shows that
''rumors of wars with the confusion,
exaggeration, suspense, anxiety and
imaginary horrors respecting the ad-
vance of an invading army, are really
worse than stwars' themselves.
Such was the experience of Hanover
at the time of what is known as the
Baltimore Scare" on Monday after
noon, April ed, 1861, (not April 21st,
as some papers state.) The communi-
ty was in state of ferment at the time.
Hostilities had commenced, Sumpter
had been fired on, and the Massachu-
sets troops had been furiously assailed
by mob on the streets of Baltimore
few days previous. The bridges had
been burnt on the line of the Northern
Central Railway and regular communi-
cation between Washington and the
HT0rtl. h~I haar intarr1nted --
Two companies of volunteers under
Captains Myers and Diller had left Han
over for York on the previous day (Sun-
day. amid exciting scenes. A Home
Guard containing several hundred mem
bers, had been organized and they had
Just passed through the first drill on
Monday afternoon when Capt. w. H.
Jenifer came riding into town on horse
back from Carlisle Barracks. He be-
longed to the Second Calvary Regiment
of the regular United States Army late
ly arrived from Texas. Its regimental
officers were no less trio than Albert
Sidney Johnson, Robert E. Lee and
George H. Thomas. The mayor or
chief burgess, as he was called, had re-
ceived telegram from Governor Cur
tin requesting the arrest of Capt. Jeni-
fer under the belief that he was desert
ing to the secessionists with valuable in
formation. Jenifer was not deserter,
but had lately resigned his commission,
to take effect April goth, and had re-
ceived leave of absence from Major
Geo. H. Thomas to visit friends in
MARYLAND and Virginia, whittier he was
proceeding on horseback because of the
| interruption of railroad travel.
To allay the angry and excited feel
ings of the crowd, some of whose mem
bers had begun to threaten personal
violence, Capt. Jenifer was permitted
to address the people from window of
the hotel which he did in way that
was satisfactory for the time being.
But shortly afterwards the burgess was
handed letter from a homesick men,
Der of one of the volunteer companies
written from York to his father, con-
demning the action of the State au-
thorities in taking them away from
their homes where they might soon be
needed to defend their families against
an expected attack of Baltimore row.
dies.
Without considering dates or circum-
stances, the burgess, who should have
set an example of calmness, courage
and deliberation, now flung reason to
the winds and throwing up the window
of the hotel, shouted "To Arms r. To
Arms The Baltimore rowdies are COM
ing to destroy the town and Jenifer
was to lead them"
This was like applying a lighted
match to gunpowder. A fearful panic
ensued. With incredible swiftness the
unfounded rumor spread through the
town and to the regions beyond. 1t is
said that the report that the Baltimore
rowdies were destroying Hanover reach
ed Gettysburg by horseback, a distance
Of fourteen miles, and badly demoraliz-
ed town meeting two hours after the
unfounded rumor was recklessly started
in Hanover. In fact it went all along
the Pennsylvania border like a galvanic
shock, reaching far beyond the noun
tains. A lady at Oxford or East Berlin
died of fright and company started
out from Carlisle to help repel the inva-
sion.
The writer was stopping temporarily
in Hanover at the home of Mr.. Stephen
Keefer, along with J. Spangler Kieffer
nephew of Mr.. X, and now Doctor of
Divinity and pastor of the first Reform
ed Church in Hagerstown, Md. Oar
host, like many other citizens of Han
| 1 IL
of the two volunteer companies that
had left town the day before. We had
sat down to supper about 5 P. NJ, wien
the maid of the house rushed in with
the startling report that the Baltimore
rowdies were coming to destroy the
town. We ridiculed the report as ab-
surd and preposterous. She begged us
to come to the front door and see for
ourselves. We went and sure enough