The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-01-31


the people were massing to resist the
invaders. My diary under date of
Monday, April 2ad, 1861, bears ample
testimony to the excitement and con-
sternation of the hour.
Horsemen galloped to and fro warn
ing the people of the impending dan
ger. Stores and dwellings were clos
ed up. Women and children terror
stricken were screaming, fainting and
fleeing to the country. Men were
shouting, firing alarm guns and tolling
bells. Some very ludicrous as well as
distressing scenes occurred. One wo-
man seized a large feather-bed and
| fled from her house toward the country,
leaving articles of far greater value and
much less bulk and weight behind. A
young woman snatched up her child
land fastened several squares when its
screams attracted the attention of per-
sons less excited, who discovered that
Tits frightened mother was carrying it
with head downwards. One old gen.
teman was short of ammunition.
Mounting his old horse, in woman
fashion, with gun in one hand, he
dashed up and down the street shout
ng in Pennsylvania German. "Wo
kann ich koogla griega? Wo kann ich
zoogla griega?" (Where can l get
bullets p Another one got down his
flint lock shot gun and in his haste to
load it and light his pipe to calm his
nerves at the same time, he put the to-
bacco into the gun and the powder into
the pipe. Having occasion to use the
| pipe first, he discovered his mistake by
the explosion which seriously damaged
his eyes.
John w. Love, now pastor of the Re-
formed Church in Greensburg, Pa,
was coming toward town in buggy
when he met an old female acquaint-
ance mile or two out. In reply to his
query "Why, Aunt Polly, what's the
matter?" she exclaimed "For Gods
sake, turn back the Baltimore rowdies
are burning the town, and killing off
the people, men, women and children,
just like flies !"
The old market house then stood in
the centre of the town where the foun-
tain is now located. This was the
rallying point and here the excitement
and confusion was intense. An old
sailor had loaded small swivel with
slugs and it was pointed down Balti-
more street ready to deal out destruction
to the rowdies who were momentarily eX-
pected to rush into town. Those who
had no guns were equipped with such
formidable weapons as dung forks, pitch
forks, corn-cutters and even scythes.
In the midst of the panic some of the
infuriated people resolved to put Capt.
Jenifer out of the way before his rowdy
Baltimore accomplices would make
their assault. One man with gun in
his hand said he would like to put goo
bullets into Jenifer.
A rush was made toward the hotel
where he was closely confined, under
gudrU. Capr-A- w. ElchelDerger
bravely threw himself in front of the
mob and motioned them with both
hands to stand back, exclaiming that
they would have to go over his dead
body before they could kill prisoner
of war. Itwas critical moment and
Jenifer's doom seemed to be sealed.
The writer and his friend Kieffer to-
gether with several Gettysburg College
students, and some sensible citizens oi
Hanover, rushed forward and gave
three cheers for Captain Eichelberger.
This caused a pause, slight reaction,
and gave opportunity to expostulate
with the mob. We told them that Jen-
ifer would be defended at every hazard
until the rowdies actually made their
appearance, that it would be cowardly,
brutal and inhuman to kill an unarm-
ed prisoner. By such conduct they
would disgrace themselves and the town
forever. 1t would be worse than the
assault of the Baltimore mob on the
Massachusetts troops the previous Fri
day, &c. The writer has vivid re-
collection of that scene. He can still
see short heavy-set man with glaring
dark eyes ready to discharge his shot
gun into Jenifer, while around him
pressed savage-looking comrades, some
apparently just from the country, armed
with guns, pitchforks, &c. We were
ready to club our own gun and use ii
on their heads if the mobocrats should
advance. Fortunately, they desisted
and in little while Rev. DR.. Zieber,
who had ascertained the unfounded orr
gin of the rumor, came along, and
mounting a meat block in the market
house, counseled calmness and modera.
tion or they would be forever disgraced
as a community.
Had it not been for the timely inter
ference of Capt Eichelberger and few
others Jenifer would certainly have
been murdered in the frenzy of the
hour. The burgess concluded to send
the prisoner to York for safe keeping
and from fear of the mob. To this end
Jenifer's legs were bound with chains
4 and handouts were sent for. Capt.
Eichelberger who knew Jenifer's father
by reputation as worthy man who had
been for many years a Wing Congress
man from Charles Co., Md, and U. S.
Minister to Austria, protested against
the indignity and insisted that as q
gentleman and an officer of the army,
Capt. Jenifer must not be chained OF
handcuffed. The prisoner gave assur-
ance that he would not attempt to es-
cape. The chains were removed and
under guard of the burgess and two
other armed persons Capt. Jenifer was
conveyed in a close carriage to York,
where he was placed in the Jail at mid
night. Next day he was placed in
stronger cell and heavily ironed.-
Through the efforts of Lieut.. Wells ol
the Navy and Major George H.
Thomas, Capt. Pentz and others of his
regiment which had quite recently been
transferred from Carlisle to York, Judge
Fisher was induced to release Capt.
Jenifer after consulting by telegraph
with the Governor. His fellow officers
insisted that he should lodge at their
| Laadouortarc ;nctead Of remaining in