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

LEV lOuAu I'LL Al q
mood for remi-
niscences, and it happened to be the eve
OF the anniversary which the Maryland.
ers celebrated with great eclat in Balti-
more, the centennial of the hosting OF
the star spangled banner over Fort Nc
Henry in 1894, where it still waved
"o'er the land of the free and the home
Of the brave" that memorable morning
in 1914.
When the Baltimore celebration and
its significance were recalled, the gen
eral said:
'There might have been occasion fol-
a supplementary version of the Star
Spangled Banner or perhaps for a
southern rendering of the idea which SC
grandly inspired the author of our ma
tional flag song, had certain people been
allowed their own way around Fort Nc
Henry in April, 1861. 1t has remained
to this day mystery how so great re-
vulsion of feeling came about that with
in ten days after the Union soldiers had
been mobbed by Baltimoreans while
passing through their city on the way
to sustain the Lincoln government at
Washington other troops sent from the
north upon the same errand were ten.
dered ovations in those same streets,
and by Baltimoreans too.
For some time before the coming on
of the war excitement my station had
been at Fort McHenry. Two days after
the evacuation of Fort Sumter, when
the war proclamation was stirring the
loyal people and the tread of armies had
begun, Police Marshal Kane of Balti-
more hOisted a secession signal by his
notorious dispatch to the agent of the
Philadelphia and Baltimore road at
Philadelphia. 1t read: Is it true that
an attempt will be made to pass the
volunteers from New York, intended to
war upon the south, over your road to-
day? 1t is important that we have an
explicit understanding upon this sub
ject. The marshal thus drew sectional
line and placed Baltimore on the side Of
the south so far as the head of it's police
could represent it. Recruiting for the
southern army was begun there, and the
militia of the state, independent bat
teries and companies of other arms took
position in the streets and paraded under
the flag of Maryland, not the star span
gled banner.
"Thus matters stood when the clash
came between the passing troops and
the city mob on the memorable 10th of
April. The air was filed with excite.
ment and rumors, and nerves were over
strained. l attempted to place Fort Nc
Henry in a condition for defense, for it
commands the city of Baltimore COM
pletely. The work is an old one, built
of brick 1t is Fashioned, without case
mates, and surrounded by deep dry
ditch The armament at that time con-
sisted Of old garrison guns. without
proper ammunition and having rusty
bearings. with rotten carriages.
1.-The affair in the streets between the
Sixth Massachusetts regiment and the
mob had sent the burning pulse of the
people up to fever heat. Meetings were
held under the folds Of the flag of Mary
land, and the secession element had the
upper hand for the time, bearing down
all opposition. The stars and stripes
were openly dishonored. Seeing that
there was every prospect that the fort
might be shut off from communication
with the city, donned plain citizens
clothes and went into the business sec
ton ostensibly to order some private
supplies, but really to test the pulse of
public feeling upon the question of the
hour. was recognized by friend who
commanded Maryland militia battery
and already had his guns planted at the
postotfice This officer warned me to be
cautious and continued in my company
until l left the streets in order, as he
declared, to shield me from attack. The
thoroughfares were alive with the city
military; bands and conspirators from
the country were pouring in, generally
mounted and armed. The secession ele-
ment i'll the city knew its weakness and
knew also where there was a reserve to
strengthen it, and it was part of the
general plot to carry Baltimore and
Maryland with the south.
Following close on the riot, Marshal
Kane wired to colleague at Frederick
this exciting dispatch; Streets red with
Maryland blood. Send expresses over
mountains of Maryland and Virginia
for rihemen to come without delay.
Fresh hordes will be down ON us tomor-
row. We will fight them or whip them
or die. The fresh. hordes referred to in
cluded the New York Seventh under
Marshal Lefferts. All over the south at
tention was conferred upon the issue at
Baltimore. The superintendent Of the
South Side road at Petersburg tele-
eraphed the Confederate secretary of
war that Z, 900 men could be put into
Baltimore in "a hours by using the rail
way and steamboat facilities under his
control. and which he placed at the dis
posal of the Confederate government