The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-05-16

On the other band, when Coione
Lefferts arrived in Philadelphia with
the Seventh New York ON the goth, he
, found the railroad agents unwilling to
agree to put his men through to Wash
ington by rail and finally received or
ders to go around by way of Havre de
Grace and thus avoid Baltimore
when returned to my post at Fort
McHenry after the experience on the
street with the Maryland artillery cap
tain, l knew how to interpret affairs.
Promptly notifying the war department
in this terse language, / think / shall
be attacked tonight, but think I can
hold the fort, set about preparing for
active work at close quarters Hand
bombs were made to use against assail-
ants in the ditch, an old mortar was
planted, and fieldpiece mounted. 1t was
possible to shell the city so long as the
old armament would work In the midst
of these menacing preparations Com
| missioner Davis of the Baltimore police
board entered the fort bearing letter
from the president of the board Offering
to send 200 Maryland militiamen to aid
my handful of regulars in holding the
post. Mr.. Davis found it necessary to
commend the offer to me in these strange
terms, Permit me here to repeat the
assurance that no disturbance at or near
your post shall be made with the sane
; tion of any of the constituted authorities
Of the city Of Baltimore. He further
said thatthe detachment it was proposed
to send to my support belonged to the
Maryland guard, body of men known
to me to be active secessionists. With
out word of comment upon the offer l
took Mr.. Davis and showed him our &C.
tivity in making ready for fight. That
done, said to him CURLY, No Mary
land militia can come here, Mr.. Com
missioner. Davis replied, We are anx-
ious to avoid collision, captain. so
am I, answered. If you really mean
to avoid a collision, place your guard
at distance l will name. They can
ward off an attack by the mob from
there. If they draw nearer, shall fire
ON them.
Would you fire Oh the citizens of
DdItluOI0s SdlQ ne.
" / shall be sorry to do so, but if it
becomes necessary in order to hold this
fort l shall not hesitate, sir. Davis
spoke up passionately. IF there is a
woman or child killed in that city by
your fire, there will not be a man of you
left alive in this work, said he. Not to
be Overawed, l closed the interview
with home thrust. Mr.. Davis, said
/, if Baltimore mob comes out here
tonight. you won't have another mob in
this city in ten years.
"My patience with these people was
exhausted. Baltimore was sound at the
core, but the rabid secession element
had got the upper hand temporarily,
and it required sharp treatment to break
their hold. Proposed to give it to them,
and they knew that would do it. The
militiamen showed themselves around
the fort that night and for several
nights thereafter, but made no attempt
to draw near, and the mob offered no
violence. The United States receiving
ship lay in the harhor close to the docks,
and by my advice steamed up under the
range of the fort The only route of
communication remaining open between
the capital and the loyal sections of the
Union was by water, under gunboat
protection.
Meanwhile large nondescript force
had been gathered under my command
at Fort McHenry, but Major Morris Of
the regular army, who came to inspect
the position, reported the fort as quite
defenseless on account of poor arma-
ment, want of ammunition and INSULT
cheney of trained soldiers. In taking a
firm stand under pressure I had played
successful game of bluff. I knew the
loyal heart of the populace, said the
veteran general at the close of the spir-