The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-11


published at the time of my entrance
into the city. 1 quote the following
I from the Baltimore Clipper of the mex
morning, May IA, 1861:
i Ion the road to the hill the streets
i were crowded with people who greeted
I the military with cheers at every step
the ladies at the windows and doors
handkerchiefs.'
Il Statements so Numerically op-
| posed, perhaps. should be verified OF
the one side or the other
l "The next morning after our arrival
I received, on Federal Hill, the follow
ing note from the Mayor of the city:
i The Police Did Not Know.
i "I have just been informed that you
| have arrived at the Camden Station
with large body Of troops under your
/ command. As the sudden arrival OF a
force will create much surprise in the
community, beg to be informed
| whether you propose that it shall re-
main at the Camden Station, so that the
police may be notified and proper pre-
/ cautions may be taken to prevent any
disturbance of the peace
| 81 had marched thru the settled part
| of Baltimore, and the police hadn't
| found it out. 1t was intended as a sur
prise.
| Scouts were at once sent out with
| lanterns to examine the surroundings
| To show how wet We were, let me say
that the large cavalry boots which
| had on were filled with water, and when
| my foot came upon the ground in dis
mounting, the water was dashed d.
rectly in my face.
"As we came to the foot OF the hill
| a flash showed me a very large wood
yard beside the street. ] Immediately
made large detail and sent down to
| the yard. The men found carts. and
soon built up very large fires of wood
on different parts of the lliif. and near
the bivouacs of the troops. These fires
We're kept burning, and by them we
| had our quarters properly Illuminated
and the men were enabled to dry and
| warm themselves, and make their cof-
| fee
| There was a little German tavern at
| the top of the hill, with g. beer garden
attached to 1t. 1 took possession Of q
room in it, and had huge fire made
there. Placing my dispatch book so
| that the water would NOT run off me
| on to it, l at once wrote dispatch to
Maj. Morris. of the United States Army
in command of Fort McHenry, to which
before 1 left Annapolis. 1 had sent as
reinforcement Maj. Devens with his
| battalion. / have no copy of that dis
patch, but it was in substance this:
Maj. Morris, U. S. Army,
Commanding Fort McHenry.
| "I have taken possession OF Balti-
| more. My troops are on Federal Hill
which 1 can hold with the aid of my ar
| tillery. If 1 am attacked tonight,
! please open up on Monument Square
| with your mortars. / viii keep the hill
fully lighted with fires during the night
so that you may know where we are
and not hit us. Maj. Devens will know
my hand writing
| 81 found an intelligent German lad
| who said he knew very well the road to
| Fort McHenry, and one of my staff Off
GERS loaned him his horse to take the
| dispatch. In a short time the messen-
ger returned with a note from the brave
| old Major commanding the fort, stating
that the order would be obeyed.
| Il had scarcely got my dispatch away
when Capt. Farmer, of Lowell, who had
| been scouting on his own hook, report
ed to me with his lantern. saying:
General, have been Informed that
this hill is mined and we shall all be
| blown up
"'WelI. Captain said ]. there will
| be one comfort in that; we shall at least
get dry. But will go with you and re-
| connoiter.'
1--WE went down under the hill and
| examined the place, and we found that
the hill had been mined, and that a
deep cave, which we explored. had been
| dug under it. When we got to the
farther end of it we found the utensils
and other tools of the miners, which
showed that it had been mined-for the
| very peaceable and proper purpose OF
getting sand.
| 81 returned to our quarters and got
| a supper of fried bacon and eggs, hard
tack, little soaked by the rain, and
some very powerful Limburger cheese.
l Of hrn 10
coffee. which 1 preferred to the land
lords beer. because l desired to keep
wide awake.
Desiring it to be understood by the
| inhabitants of Baltimore that 1 had
| come there to stay, I sat down, tho
somewhat tired. and wrote a procla-
nation, setting forth the fact Of my
| presence; that 1 held the city in cap
| ture; that proposed to give every good
citizen protection, and to deal properly
with every enemy of the United States.
| In it I laid down rules and regulations
| for the military government of the city.
and had it published in an extra issue
of the Clipper the next forenoon.
| The early morning train brot our
| camp equipments, and we soon had a
| settled encampment.
Immediately after breakfast the next
morning, 1 received a call from the
| Mayor and Marshal Kane, the Chief of
Police and a leader of the Secession
lists. They inquired as to my intentions,
| and l pointed to the proclamation.
| inquired of them whether there were
any arms or ammunition or NUM-
tons of war concealed. Mar
shall Kane said that he knew
| of some, and would deliver them up.
| large number, think 5000 muskets,
| [ knew he denied knowledge Of Many
others 1 knew of. l sent company
under charge of DR.. Hare, of Philadel-
phia, the chemist, and had them all
taken to Fort McHenry. ] think Ross
Winanss pixies were caused to be de-
| ivered by Marshal Kane at the same
place.
Gen. Scott AstOunded.
The receipt of the news of Buffers
occupancy of Baltimore seems to have
startled Gen. Scott worse than an at
| tack by the Confederates. AS soon as
| he recovered his breath, he sent the
| following message to his insubordinate
subordinate:
Washington, u. c. May IA. 1861.
| .Brig.-Gen. Benjamin f. Butler, Com
manding Department of Annapolis
Md,
''Sir: Your hazardous occupation Of
Baltimore was made without my knOwl-
edge, and. of course, without by appro-
baton. Ii Is God-send that it was
without conflict of arms. 1t is also re-
ported that you have sent a detach-
ment to Frederick, but this is impossi-
BILE. Not a word have 1 received from
,,ou nc IN either moyamenf Lot me-