The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-04-21
THE NINETEENTH OF APRIL, 1861.

An Eye Witness's Account OF the Attack
Upon the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment
in Baltimore.
The attack on the Sixth Massachusetts regi-
ment on its passage through Baltimore, on the
18TH OF April, 1861, is an event which has
passed into history and can never be forgotten
by those who witnessed it. 1t did more, per-
maps, than any other circumstance except the
Dombardment of Fort Sumter to kindle into
fierce flames the heated elements of sectional
strife which for four years desolated our coun-
try. All of the accounts / have seen have
made no mention of the entirely accidental
origin of this affair. Although there was very
great excitement in Baltimore on account OF
the firing on Fort Sumter and the Presidents
call for troops nothing more serious than
few knock-downs and great noise had oc-
CURED.
On the 18th of April a small body of q. S.
troops from Carlisle Barracks marched from
Bolton depot to Camden station, very little
notice being taken of them except by boys
On the forenoon of the 10th | was at the cor
ner of Pratt street and Marsh Market Space
The first thing that attracted my attention was
the unusual number of passenger cars passing
along Pratt street. Seven or eight passed be-
fore saw that they were filled with soldiers
As the ninth car, l think it was was coming
down the grade from Pratt street bridge the
brake gave way. The driver detached his
team and the car came on and stopped of its
own accord between Frederick and Gay streets.
When it stopped small crowd commenced
hurrahing for jeff Davis and the Confederacy
while the driver was bringing up his team. All
this occupied not more than two or three
minutes
Pratt street was being repaired at that point
| and as the car started stone not larger than
Il walnut was thrown at it. This was the be-
| ginning, and before the ear reached Gay street
all the glass on one side of the car was broken.
Another car which had come up in the mean
time shared the same fate, but both got through
| in safety. Not so the next that followed. Be
| fore it reached Gay street the crowd had
the car returned to President street station,
where the soldiers disembarked and prepared
/ to march to Camden station. Up to this time
\ | do not think uniformed soldier had been in
| jured.
After going up town 1 returned to the cor
ner of Pratt and Commerce streets, in time to
| crossing Pratt street bridge, led by their cap
| tain and Major Brown, and preceded by q
| crowd of some twenty or thirty men, one of
Ho aE Satri standing on aIepius had
| good view of the march. which was through u
| regular storm of stones, brick-bats and pistol
| windows. When they arrived near the spot
/ where stood remarked to gentleman who
leave here They will soon shoot We both
left Just as the company crossed Commerce
street, leaving one of their number in the gut
] ter. Several others had fallen between the
bridge and Commerce street.
Up to this time, SO far as could see, moth
ing had been done by the tso ops zen
| volleys, one to their front ana one to their
| rear. About Calvert street they fred again
| ana once more Wnen near CndrleS street. AT
| the latter point Marshal Kane with detach-
| ment of police interviewed between the mob
| and the troops
| AS am only relating what fell under my
| own observation will stop here. Ny opinion
| has always been that but for the giving way
| of the car-brake the Sixth Massachusetts
| would have pussed safely and without moles-
tation through Baltimore to Camden station
and no riot would have occurred. as the city
| authorities were fully prepared for all that
could be fo cen or might have been expected
| to occur as was evident by the manner in
which the crowds at President street and Cam
| W. L.