The National tribune., 1898-04-14
"THE AMERICAN
CONFLICT"
Leading Incidents and Episodes
of the War of the Rebellion.
By HORACE GREELEY.
THE BALTIMORE RIOT.
(Con i.ued from last sceeL:l

TIoN-GEN. BUTLER ON ARRIVAL ACTS
COMMUNICATION WITH WASH.
INGToN REoPENED GOV. HlCKs's MES
sAGE-MARYLAND KEPT IN THE UNION.
Baltimore was Secession volcano in
full eruption; while the Counties south
Of that city were overwhelmingly in
sympathy with the Shareholders Re
bellion, and their few determined Union
lists completely overawed and silenced.
The Counties near Baltimore, between
that city aud the S squehanna, were
actively cooperating with the rebellion,
or terrified into dumb submission to its
behesis. The great populous Counties of
Frederick. Washington, and Allegheny.
composing western MISUNDERSTANDING
few slaves-were preponderantly loyal !;
but they were overawed and paralyzed
by tie attitude OF the rest of the State,
and still more by the large force of rebel
Virginians-said to be 5000 strong
who had been suddenly pushed forward
to Harper's Ferry, and who, though not
in season to secure the arms and mu-
nitions there deposited, threatened west
ern Maryland from that commanding
position.
Thus, only the County of Cecil, in the
extreme northeast, remained fully and
openly loyal to the Union; that County
lying this side of the SusquehanHa, and
being connected with the Free States by
railroad and telegraph.
GEN. BUTLER ARRIVES.
The Sth Mass, under Gen. Benjamin
F. Butler, reached Perryville, on the
east bank OF the Susquehanna, on the
20lh, and found Its progress here ar
rested by burned bridges, and the want
OF cars on the other side.
But Gen. Butler was not a man to be
stopped by such impediments. Selling
the spacious and commodious railroad
ferry steamer Maryland, he embarked
his men thereon, and appeared with them
earl y next morning before Annapolis,
the political Capital of Maryland, 80
miles south of Baltimore, and about
equl-distant with that city from Wash
ington, wherewith it is connected by
branch or feeder of the Baltimore road.
He found this city virtually in rebellion,
with It's branch railroad aforesaid dis
mantled, and partially taken up, in the
interest of Secession.
Here, too, were the Naval Academy
and the noble old frigate Constitution
the latter without crew, and in danger
of falling, at any moment, into the
hands of the enemy. He at once
secured the frigate, landed next day un-
opposed, his arrival having been pre-
ceded few hours by that of the famous
9TH regiment, composed of the flower of
the young chivalry of New York City,
which had been transported from Phila-
delphia direct by the steamboat Boston.
The Maryland returned forthwith to
Perryville for still further reinforce
ments, munitions, and supplies-no one
in Annapolis choosing, or daring, for
some time, to sell anything to the Union
soldiers.
Gen. Butler was met at Annapolis by
formal protest from Gov. Hicks
against his landing at that place, or at
any other point in Maryland; the
specific objection to his occupying An
napolis being that the Legislature had
been called to meet there that week.
Gen. Butler, in reply, suggested that,
if he could obtain means of transporta-
ton to Washington, he would gladly
vacate the Capital prior TO the sitting
of the Legislature, and not be under the
painful necessity Of incommodng your
beautiful city while the Legislature is in
pssion."
ON TO WASHINGTON.
On the morning Of the 24th-several
other regiments having meantime ar
rived-Gen. Butler put his column in
motion, the 9Th Mass, in advance,
closely followed by the 9TH \. Y. They
kept the line of the railroad, repairing it
as they advanced. A dismaniled engine,
which they found on the way, was reftted
and put TO use. The day proved In
tensely hot. Many of the men had had
little or nothing to eat for day or two,
and had scarcely slept since they left
Philadelphia. Some fell asleep as they
marched; others fell out of the ranks,
utterly exhausted; one was sunstruck,
and had to be sent back, permanently
disabled
The people whose houses they passed
generally fled in terror at the first sight
o: the Northern Goths, who, they had
been told, had come to ravage and desc
late the South. Nothing to eat could be
bought; and, as they did not choose to
take without buying, they hungrily
marched, building bridges and laying
rails by turns. throughout the day and
the following night.
The 7lsL " Y followed the next day,
and passed, four miles out, the camp OF
Gov. Sprague's Rhode Island regiment,
by whom they were generously supplied