The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-03-28

as the East Tepnesseeans. But this
could not be known at that time. Only
one railroad then connected Washing
ton with the North-the Baltimore &
Ohio, from Baltimore to Washington.
Baltimore at that time had most I'M
enyiable reputation for rowdyism.
Rowdyism was more or less the fashion
then in all the large cities. made so in
a great degree By. the volunteer fire
companies The brawling, street-corner
loafer. the habitue of the FIRE engine
houses, the stalwart tough with the tall
hat. the soap-locli i'll front of his ears
the red shirt. black pantaloons and top
boots, was fleroiZed in dramas and else
where very much as the cowboy IS to-
day. Baltimore's Dead Rabbits,
"Blood-Tubs." Plug Uglies'' and SINH
lar gaHgs claimed pre-eminence in
recklessness and pugnacity over those
of any other city. even the Bowery
B'hoys and Five Pointers of New York.
They had been particularly conspicuous
fn the Know Nothing" riots, in which
many foreigners had been brutally and
cruelty slain. All these toughs. and all
who aimed to be toughs, were rank Sc
cessionists. making no end of noise in
the saloons and on the street corners.
They were the men who held slavery
TO be the most sacred of earthly things,
and that the man hostile to their in
stftutions was simply infamous. As they
had the @ountcnance of a large portion
of the mercantile community which
traded with the South and resented the
competition of New York and Philadel-
phia the Secession element was quite
formida BILE in ready aggressiveness
While IL was later demonstrated to be
only fraction of the population OF
Baltimore it seemed at the time TO be
sn decided majority. Confederate re-
cruiting offices We're established in
prominent places in the city. and we'll
known TO all who cared to know about
them. The Governor of the State,
Thomas Holiday Hicks, was loyal
man. and his influence was of the great
est value in holding Maryland for the
Union. He had resisted all the efforts
of the secession consoirators to follow
the example. which had proved so dis
astrous TO the South. Of converting the
Legislature in special session to pave
the way for secession. He had even
promised the Government the four reg
aments allotted to Maryland but found
himself unable to make good this prom
fse at the time.
The First Defenders.
Pennsylvania has the honor of fur
nishing the first troops for the defense
of the Capital. These were five COM
panies from the interior of the State
the washington Artillery and National
Light Infantry. Of Pottsville; the Ring
gold Light Artillery. of Reading: the
Logan Guards OF Lewiston, and the
Allen Infantry. of Allentown. Their
commanders had notified Gov. Curtin
that their ranks were full and they
were ready for service. The Governor
ordered them To rendezvous at Harris
burg. where they all met on the even
ing of April L.. II was expected that
they would find arms at Harrisburg,
but these were not then ready, and the
necessity of their presence at the Capital
being keenly felt. they were ordered
forward with 10 Regulars over the
Northern Central r. r. TO Baltimore,
the battery of Ringgold artillery re-
naming in Harrisburg. II was ex-
pected that they would get arms from
Harper's Ferry, but these had been de-
! stroyed by Lieut.. Jones on evacuating
: .he place
The Washington Artillery was COM
: handed by Capt. James Wren; the Ma
: ional Light Infantry by Capt, E. Nc
Donald; the Ringgold Light Arti.l ry
by Capt. James Mcknight: The Logan
Guards by Capt. j. 3. Selheimer. and
the Allen Infantry by Capt. Thomas b.
Yeager. There were in all $50. The
news of their coming had reached Bal
timore and they We're greeted there by
y mob largely of South Carolinians and