The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-10-07
PLOT IN BALTIMORE.
UNION MEN WERE PREPARED TO
BURN THE CITY IN 1861.

Foot Confidential Disclosures Made by
the Old Tobacconist.
During the first year of the war,
grizzled colonel remarked, while recall
Ing incidents of the great rebellion
"business connected with the recruiting
and equipping of volunteers in Pennsyl-
vania took me frequently to Washing.
ton, and, as the hotels in that city Soon
became crowded and uncomfortable |
made it a custom to stop at B4rnum 5.
| i'll Baltimore, remain overnight there
and run over to the capital carly IN the
morning, and thus | passed many
nights during ls6l in the famous old
hotel Of the Monumental City Near It
was large tohaeeonist's shop, whore |
discovered a superior grade Of cigars
was sold, and OF this shop became
regular customer. Ordinarily | was
served by a young salesman, but fire.
quently saw in the shop an old gentle
man who, | presumed, was the proprie
tor. One day | was rather surprised by
the old gentleman s stepping forward
to wait ON me himself After | was
served he said
" If you are not in hurry sir, /
would be pleased to have you walk iuto
my private Office and have a smoke
Il readily assented, and he led the
way to a room at the rear Of the store
separated from it by glass partition,
! plainly but comfortably furnished, and
having the appearance of long and ha-
bitual use. Pushing toward me large
split bottomed rocker, my host remark
ed
=" Here, for many years, l have been
accustomed to receive my friends, Of
whom l had many but l am sorry to
say that now the number is sadly di-
miniShed
!" Why SOP asked
&" Because of differences in opinion,
he replied 1 need not remind you Of
the condition the whole country is in,
or tell you how completely men vary in
their ideas of duty. Nowhere is that va
rance greater than here in Baltimore,
and nowhere is there greater danger Of
its leading to Il calamity.
You surprise me, | exclaimed 1
knew there was considerable secession
sentiment here, and that months ago it
exhibited itself openly, leading to blood
shed on the streets, but | thought all
that had passed away.
" BY no means, he replied The
rebel sentiment in Baltimore Is as in
tense and bitter today as it ever was
| The apparent quiet is only on the sur
face. You are in the service of tho
! Union, and it may BE- as well for you L.
be informed exactly what the situation
here is.
'Three-fourths of the people of Bal.
timore are intensely southern i'll their
feelings and prejudices All the slave
holders are SO, and they are the leading
citizens. Following them is the class
which always toadics to what is consid
cred the aristocracy, and after. these
comes a large disorderly element known
as the plug uglies, who are willing and
ready to do anything that looks like re
sistance to constituted authority. Now
| know beyond doubt that the leading
seccssionists here are thoroughly organ
lied and are determined, the first favor
able opportunity that offers, to declare
openly for the new Confedcracy and car
ry Baltimore certainly, and Maryland
if possible, out of the Union
3" How is all this to be done | in.
quircd.
Their plan is this: They know
every man upon whom they can rely
and their strength is we'll understood
They have clubs organized, which meet
regularly. The leaders have control of
plenty of money, and supplies of arms
are available. Regular communication
is had with the Confederate leaders i'll
Virginia, and they are waiting only for
o definite, tangible opportunity to strik,
Such an opportunity would come if the
Confederate army made an advance to-
ward Washington-a thing they expect
or should the Union army meet with
another serious reverse in the east If
Beauregard had pursued Mcdowell after
the battle of Bull Run, they would
have risen then, and many We're the
curses heaped upon him for his failure,
} as they expressed it, to follow up his
victory.
What l asked, do you Union
men propose to do if the movement you
anticipate is nader
Burn the city, he replied Just
as certainly as the Russians burned
Moscow will we burn Baltimore if the
rebels here take it out Of the Union.
-" How can you, SO few comparative
ly in numbers, do this?'
Well, sir, we, too, are organized
} and for this one purpose In every part
of the city preparations have been made,
aud when the time comes 100 or more
fires will be started at once, Do you
know what this Isl? he asked, taking
from a closet a ball of tow, cotton, OF
oakum about the size Of n large cocoa
nut 1t is fire ball, thoroughly satu.
rated with turpentine Plenty of these
IRE ready, and at an understood signal
they will he lighted and thrown where
they viii certainly prove effective. Oh.
We know well enough that we cannot
resist the organized rebels, but You CA
rely upon it that only the ruins Of J.. Z
timore will ever become Il pant al ~
slaveholding Confederacy.
81 never saw my old Union lny'
tobacconist after that evening d.
long aftcrward l was sent to tho.
in the southwest and remained
until the end Of the war We al M
that Baltimore remained il t..a#,...
and was not burned, but W. La=.s
that the Confederate army urygr