Chronicles of Baltimore - Part 17



Page 552 continued

1857. On Friday evening, January 30th, George Peabody, Esq., was received 
at the rooms of the Maryland Historical Society, where he met with much of 
the cultivation and refinement of the city, and was entertained by a 
sumptuous banquet provided with the most lavish hand. On Monday evening he 
met another welcome at the Maryland Institute--embracing all classes and 
all phases of our business and social life, with its large and expanding 
popular usefulness. The Mayor and members of the City Council, and other 
city officers, and a large number of distinguished citizens, were present.

Mr. Robert Garrett, the aged and highly esteemed citizen, of the 
mercantile house of Robert Garrett and Sons, died suddenly with apoplexy 
at the Eutaw House on Tuesday morning, February 3d, in the 74th year of 
his age. In all relations of his life he was regarded as an exemplary 
Christian, kind-hearted, and liberal in cases of distress amongst the 
poor, and ever willing to extend a helping hand to those of his fellow-
merchants requiring it from the vicissitudes frequently accompanying a 
mercantile life.

In a letter from Mr. Geo. Peabody to the trustees for the establishment of 
an institute in the city of Baltimore, dated February 12th, 1857, he 
donate $300,000 for the purpose. The gentlemen named by Mr. George Peabody 
as the trustees of the institute he has so munificently endowed, met 
together on Thursday, the 19th of February, and twenty-four out of the 
twenty-five signified their acceptance of the trust, as will be seen by 
the following letter:

"Baltimore, February 19th, 1857.

"To George Peabody, Esq.

"Sir:--The undersigned acknowledge the receipt of your letter addressed to 
us on the twelfth of this month, and with a grateful sense of this 
evidence of your confidence and regard, accept the office of receivers and 
dispensers of the munificent fund which you therein dedicate to the 
erection and endowment of an institute in the city of Baltimore. On behalf 
of those for whom this great benefaction is designed, we offer you most 
cordial thanks, with our admiration of the noble and generous heart which 
could conceive and execute so comprehensive a scheme for the improvement 
and gratification of thousands unknown and unborn. We will endeavor to 
manifest a just appreciation of our obligations to you, by prompt and 
unremitted efforts to carry out the views and suggestions contained in 
your letter. And we earnestly hope you may be permitted for many coming 
years to have the satisfaction of witnessing the accomplishment of all you 
propose and desire in founding so splendid a monument of enlightened 
philanthropy and patriotism.

Page 553

"John M. Gordon, Samuel W. Smith, Chauncey Brooks, Wm. F. Murdoch, Enoch 
Pratt, J. Mason Campbell, Geo. W. Brown, Galloway Cheston, Geo. P. 
Tiffany, Charles Bradenbaugh, Edward M. Greenway, Jr., Wm. C. Shaw, Wm. E. 
Mayhew, John P. Kennedy, Chas. J. M. Eaton, Thomas Swann, George Brown, 
John B. Morris, S. Owings Hoffman, G. W. Burnap, Wm. D. H. C. Wright, 
Josiah Pennington, Wm. McKim, David S. Wilson."

Mr. Peabody also named Mr. Wm. Prescott Smith, but he declined.

Mr. Moses Sheppard died in the city of Baltimore on the 1st of February, 
aged 84 years. He has transmitted his name to posterity, and enshrined his 
memory in the hearts of all who cherish a regard for afflicted humanity, 
by his munificent gift that founded the asylum for indigent insane which 
bears his name. This institution is located about one mile from 
Towsontown, between the York and Charles street roads. There are three 
hundred and seventy acres of ground attached to it. The building is 375 
feet front, built of stone and brick, and will amply accommodate one 
hundred and fifty patients. The far-seeing mind of its founder directed 
that nothing of its endowment should be used in its construction or 
management except the interest. This amount is about thirty-five thousand 
dollars per annum, the appraised value of the estate being about $560,000. 
The grounds cost $65,000. The board of trustees, to whom the management of 
this thud and the erection of the institution are committed, consists of 
J. Saurin Norris, president; D. M. Perine, R. H. Townsend, Dr. Wm. Riley, 
Gerard T. Hopkins, Wm. H. Graham, and Gerard H. Reese.

In accordance with previous notice, the remains of the late Dr. Elisha 
Kent Kane, the universally lamented explorer of the Arctic regions, and 
intrepid soldier in the war with Mexico, arrived in our city on the 
morning of the 10th of March from Wheeling, in charge of the committee of 
reception on the part of the membership of the Maryland Institute. At half-
past three o'clock the body was removed from the hall at Camden Station, 
and placed upon a caisson belonging to the artillery of Fort McHenry, and 
the line of procession taken up along Eutaw street to Baltimore, and 
thence to the Maryland Institute. The streets began to fill at an early 
hour, along the line which the procession was to take, and before two 
o'clock Baltimore street, from the Institute to Eutaw street, and from 
Eutaw street to the Camden depot, was crowded with a dense mass of human 
beings, filling the sidewalks and the doors and windows, and even the 
roofs of the houses. It seemed as if the whole population had been poured 
forth to testify by their presence their homage to departed worth. There 
was a general suspension of business and closing of the stores on the 
streets through which the procession was to pass, and many of the houses 
and stores were draped in mourning, and flags displayed at half-mast 
throughout the city. The solemn tolling of the bells, and the booming of

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cannon at intervals, added to the impressiveness of the occasion. On 
arriving at the Institute, the sarcophagus was conveyed to the large hall, 
and placed upon a suitable platform erected in the centre of the 
apartment, appropriately draped in black, with a United States flag at 
each corner dressed in mourning. After the procession was dismissed, the 
Independent Greys mounted guard over the bier, and the hall remained open 
until a late hour; and during that time was visited by a great number of 
persons. The body was taken to Philadelphia the next day in charge of a 
Baltimore committee, accompanied by the Philadelphia and other committees.

A few minutes after eight o'clock on the erecting of the 14th of April, 
the bell of the Mechanical company sounded an alarm of fire due west, and 
upon repairing of the companies in the direction pointed, it was found 
that the large and handsome five-story warehouses Nos. 37, 39, and 41 
South Charles, a few doors north of Lombard street, had been set on fire, 
and were burning briskly. Flames were first seen illumining the windows 
near the stairway which runs sideway of the buildings, and owing to the 
large quantity of inflammable material, the three houses soon became 
enveloped in flames. The fire communicated from the rear of the stores on 
Charles street to the large four-story iron store of E. L. Parker & Co., 
on Lombard street, which, with its contents, was entirely destroyed. The 
fire then spread to the three-story stores east of Parker's building. The 
first store was occupied by Hodges & Emack, hardware merchants, the next 
by Hanly & Bansemer, as a wholesale grocery, and the third by Gilpin, 
Bailey & Canby, as a wholesale drug store. They were entirely consumed, 
with their contents. A small two-story building, between Parker's and 
Hodges & Emack's stores, was also consumed. The upper house of the three 
on Charles street was occupied by J. S. Robinson, paper dealer, and L. 
Harrison & Co., cap manufacturers. The middle building was occupied by 
Messrs. R. Edwards & Co., the lower portion was used by Messrs. B. S. & W. 
A. Loney. The lower house was occupied by Messrs. Norris & Bro. About half-
past ten o'clock, while a number of persons were on the first floor of the 
grocery store of Handy & Bansemer, the upper part of the building, as well 
as those on both sides, being in flames, the floor above fell, enveloping 
them in flames and covering them in the ruins. A number were gotten out 
shortly after, seriously burned and injured. A search for dead bodies was 
made, and during two days fourteen were recovered from the ruins. The 
calls for aid by those who were thus caught by. the falling wall were said 
to have been appalling, while the view of others with their hair and 
clothes on fire struggling to escape presented a heart-rending sight. All 
the next day the streets surrounding the ruins were full of spectators who 
came to gaze upon the scene of the most severe catastrophe of the kind 
which has ever occurred in Baltimore. The dead recognized were Joseph R. 
Brace, Joseph Ward,

Page 555

George Boyle, Jacob Marshek, James Hasson, Wm. E. Abell, James Payne, 
Herman Bellman, Theodore Brun, James Hussy, Thomas Buckley, and Jos. 
Litzinger. Out of the thirteen bodies taken to the station-house there was 
but one that had the head attached to it.

The conductors and others having charge of the burthen trains over the 
first and second divisions of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stopped work 
on the 29th of April, and refused to do duty. The men allowed themselves 
to become the slaves of such extreme passion and hardihood as to attempt 
by force to secure their ends. During the week the woods from Baltimore to 
the Relay House were interspersed with bonfires, around which they sat in 
anticipation of the approach of the freight trains; but none were sent out 
without the same was accompanied by an armed body of men determined to 
fight their way against the desperate opposition presented. The crisis 
took place about four o'clock on the afternoon of the 1st of May. At that 
hour Sheriff Pole, of Baltimore County, with a posse of officers, appeared 
at the Camden Station, and were placed in an old passenger-car, which 
being attached to one of the tonnage trains, was started for the main stem 
near Gwynn's Falls. Here several trains from Mount Clare depot were drawn 
up, and proceeded along immediately after the pioneer train. They 
encountered no resistance until nearing the deep cut at Jackson's bridge. 
Here a man was seen ahead of the engine waving his hat for the engineer to 
stop; but no heed was paid him, the train continued on, and the man, who 
endeavored to stop it, jumped from the track barely in time to save 
himself from being caught and crushed beneath the "cow-catcher." This 
ineffectual effort to check the train was a signal for the disgraceful 
onslaught which followed. Pistols, short rifles and missiles of different 
kinds were discharged and hurled at the engineer and sheriff's posse, 
whilst they in return fired some thirty muskets heavily loaded amongst the 
rioters, several of whom were severely wounded. The car was pretty well 
peppered with balls, and several of the inmates narrowly escaped death. 
Upon passing under the bridge rocks were hurled down upon the cars, 
crushing them in several places. This train passed on, but the three that 
followed were not so successful. They were surrounded by the rioters at 
the bridge, who jumped upon them, put down the brakes, uncoupled the cars, 
and threw the coupling-pins away. They were not further interfered with, 
and the train returned to Mount Clare. The disgraceful proceedings of 
Friday, May 1st, were continued on Saturday, and to some extent during 
Sunday, along the line of the road from the city limits to Ellicott's 
Mills. Governor Ligon having arrived in town, he was waited upon at 
Barnum's Hotel on Saturday morning by the officers of the road, and after 
consultation with them. issued a proclamation "warning all persons to keep 
away from the neighborhood of these disturbances." At four

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o'clock Saturday afternoon, in pursuance of power invested in the officers 
of the road by the Governor, the Baltimore City Guards, under the command 
of Capt. Warner, and the Independent Greys, commanded by Captain Brush, 
made their appearance at the Camden Station, where they were placed, 
together with a number of the Sheriff's posse, in passenger cars, in 
advance of three very lengthy burthen trains. To the extreme end of the 
burthen trains were attached the paymaster's car and a small "bunk car," 
denominated "Sebastopol" by the county sheriff's posse and others 
occupying it. Thus prepared, the entire trains, locked together, moved 
off, under the command of Col. Shutt and Capt. Rawlings, conductors. In 
addition to the companies of military the following staff officers of the 
Fifth Regiment were present: Col. J. Alden Weston, Adjutant Johannes, 
Paymaster Tyson, Quartermaster McKim, and Surgeon Stewart. Gen. Egerton 
and Major Montgomery were also in attendance as volunteers. There were 
vast crowds of spectators along the road as far as, and for some distance 
beyond, the city limits; but no difficulty was met with until reaching the 
deep cut at Jackson's bridge. Here, as on the previous day, a volley of 
rocks was hurled at the cars, whilst the sharp reports of revolvers 
indicated that more deadly weapons were being used against the inmates of 
the train. Upon nearing the bridge over the road the rioters threw rocks 
from the bridge, but they were too small to crush the cars, and 
consequently no injury followed. in passing this bridge shots were fired 
by the military stationed upon the engines and by the Sheriff's officers, 
but none of the rioters were injured. After proceeding about a mile 
further, the train, in passing through another deep cut, was again the 
recipient of a sharp fire, and several on board narrowly escaped. The 
rioters in this instance fared worse than those previously encountered. 
Several were seen limping from the scene, whilst one man, named Henry 
Howser, was killed instantly. One ball entered his forehead just above the 
left eye, and penetrated through the brain towards the back part of the 
scalp, whilst another ball barely escaped his windpipe and entered his 
neck. He fell and expired in a few minutes. He was formerly engaged as 
fireman on the road, and lived in the vicinity of Mount Clare. From this 
point no further obstacles of a similar nature were met with; but on 
reaching Lee's water-station the train was brought to a standstill, from 
the fact of the engine and tender of an east bound burthen and stock train 
having been thrown from the track by a heavy stone placed thereon. The 
fragments of the engine after some time were removed from the track, and 
it proceeded on to Ellicott's Mills. It left the Mills at ten o'clock, 
with the run-off stock train in advance, and returned as far as the 
country-seat formerly occupied by Carroll Spence, Esq., about two miles 
from the city, without any injury whatever. At this point some of the 
rioters had spiked the track, which was done by fastening a rail

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inside of and parallel With those forming the regular track. Upon striking 
the rail the engine ran off, and four or five burthen cars were thrown 
from the track, wounding several of the military who were on the engine. 
No engine being ready at hand to bring them to town, they concluded to 
walk, and reached Mount Clare depot as the clock struck two Sunday 
morning. No disposition was manifested to interfere with any of the trains 
afterwards, as the difficulty was amicably settled.

In April La Fayette Square was purchased from Messrs. Knell, Rice, Hoff, 
and others, by the Mayor and City Council for the sum of fifteen thousand 
dollars.

The banks of Baltimore suspended specie payments on Monday, September 28.

Hon. Louis McLane died on Wednesday, October 7th, at his residence in 
Baltimore, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was the son of Allan 
McLane, a distinguished officer in the Revolutionary War; and was born in 
the village of Smyrna, Kent county, Delaware, on the 28th of May, 1784. In 
the year 1798, being then only fourteen years of age, he served with great 
credit as a midshipman on board the frigate Philadelphia, then on her 
first cruise, and under the command of Stephen Decatur, the father of 
Commodore Decatur. In 1801, yielding to the desire of his Family, he left 
the navy; and having completed his education at Newark College, in his 
native State, he began the study of the law in 1804 under the instruction 
of James A. Bayard, of Delaware. He was admitted to the bar in 1807, and 
rapidly attained a high place in his profession. In the war of 1812 he was 
a volunteer in a company commanded by Cæsar A. Rodney, who had been the 
Attorney-Gen. of the United States under Mr. Jefferson, and marched with 
that company to the relief of Baltimore when it was threatened by the 
British. The great capacities of Mr. McLane now began to attract public 
attention in another direction, and in 1816 he was elected to the House of 
Representatives from Delaware; and so largely had he won the confidence of 
his constituents that he remained a member of that body until 1827, when 
he was chosen by the Legislature a Senator of the United States. In May, 
1820, he was appointed by President Jackson to be the minister of the 
United States to Great Britain, where he remained two years, and on his 
return he was called by the same President to take a place in the cabinet 
as Secretary of the Treasury. He served in this place until 1833, when he 
became Secretary of State; and in June, 1834, he retired from political 
life. In 1837, when the financial condition of the country was such as to 
require his services among ourselves, Mr. McLane was prevailed upon to 
accept the presidency of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, and 
removing to this State, he discharged the duties of this laborious office 
until 1847. In this time he was requested by President Polk to occupy, 
during the pendency of the Oregon negotiations, the mission to England, 
and this duty being

Page 558

accomplished, he again returned to Maryland. In 1850 he was solicited and 
prevailed upon by his fellow-citizens in Cecil county, in this State, 
where he resided, to serve as their representative in the convention 
called to reform the constitution of Maryland. After performing this 
service he finally retired from public life. Mr. McLane was a chief actor 
in all the great political events which marked the first half of this 
century. He was the companion, fellow-laborer, and friend of those who 
have with him won the remembrance of our countrymen as the statesmen of 
America.

The corner-stone of the Union Protestant Infirmary, situated on the corner 
of Mosher and Division streets, was laid on Tuesday, October 13th, with 
appropriate ceremonies. The following gentlemen participated: Rev. William 
Hamilton, Rev. Robert L. Dashiells, Rev. Mr. Cabe, Rev. Dr. J. C. Backus, 
and Rev. G. Owen.

Died on Monday, December 28th, Col. Jacob G. Davies, late Mayor of the 
city.

On Saturday, July 18th, a large number of the corporate authorities of our 
sister cities of St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Chillicothe, together with a 
large number of prominent and distinguished citizens of the West, arrived 
here as the guests of the city.

The election for members of the City Council was not allowed to pass off 
quietly on the 14th of October, and scenes of riot and bloodshed occurred 
in several sections of the city. In the eighth ward Sergeant William 
Jordon of the police force was killed. The election was a mere mockery of 
the elective franchise, accompanied throughout the city by riot and 
bloodshed. In some of the wards naturalized citizens were not allowed to 
vote. Owing to the manner in which the election was conducted by the party 
in power, during the day a number of the Democratic candidates withdrew 
from the contest, and quite a number of the judges of election resigned. 
To give an idea of the manner in which the election was carried on, we 
have the following result: The Know-Nothing ticket polled 11,898 votes; 
the Democratic ticket polled 2792 votes; majority for the Know-Nothings 
9106 votes. The Democratic ticket polled in the 20th ward one vote, in the 
11th ward two, in the 14th eight, in the 17th ten, and in the 8th 1013 
votes. Gov. Ligon in his message to the Legislature gives a narrative of 
the political events which transpired in the city of Baltimore at this 
time, from which we extract the following: "At the municipal election in 
Baltimore, held in October, 1856, an organized force was made apparent at 
the polls, which in its direct influence was immediately felt by 
naturalized citizens. This class of voters was to a considerable extent 
excluded from the exercise of suffrage; many of them beaten, and others 
overawed and deterred by violence from visiting the polls. Such were the 
representations made to me, asserted by a portion of the press of the 
city, and measurably conceded by all. in the course of the day, bloody and 
destructive riots took place, and the subsequent record comprehended a 
list of

Page 559

killed and wounded truly appalling. The city was temporarily outlawed by 
its fury, and it is beyond all question with me, that could the executive 
authority have commanded military power at the moment of the emergency, it 
would have been my duty then to have interposed, and overwhelmed a lawless 
demonstration clearly defiant of the municipal police. As the time 
approached for the Presidential election in November, 1856, apprehension 
generally prevailed that a recurrence of similar scenes was inevitable. 
Political sentiment and party animosity were alike demonstrative and 
violent, and peaceable and orderly citizens, and especially naturalized 
citizens, were utterly hopeless of those decencies and proprieties 
essential to the freedom of suffrage. In short, the large body of citizens 
composing the Democratic party within the city of Baltimore saw the day of 
election approach, under the assurance that they would not be suffered to 
record their votes, and on the other hand would be exposed to the 
consequences of the most reckless frauds. * * * * * * * *

"On the eve of the Presidential election I proceeded to Baltimore and 
sought an interview with the Mayor of the city (Thos. Swann), in the vain 
hope of such a co-operation of influences, and moral and material power, 
as would ensure the peace of the city, prevent bloodshed, and secure to 
every citizen, without respect to party, the exercise of his political 
rights. My overtures were repulsed with cold civility. I was thrown upon 
my personal and official responsibility, before an important and 
respectable community, for the initiative in a measure which the exigency 
of the time demanded, and the Executive of the city was indisposed to 
adopt. The day of election was then too near at hand for me to mature, 
under my official authority and by my independent act, a force adequate to 
the probable necessity which menaced the occasion. I accordingly left the 
full measure of accountability with the Mayor and his subordinates. How 
fearful that accountability was, the sanguinary deeds of that election day 
have sufficiently proved. Again party animosity ran riot throughout the 
city; the most desperate encounters took place, in which hundreds of 
infuriated partizans were engaged; arms of all kinds were employed, and 
bloodshed, wounds and death, stained the record of the day, and added 
another page of dishonor to the annals of the distracted city. I retired 
from the scene convinced that all this might have been prevented, and not 
without a painful sense of duty unfulfilled.

"A year glided away, and with the fall of 1857 the political elements were 
again stirred for the election contests of the season. In the meantime the 
civil condition of the city had become more sensibly demoralized. The 
press, without distinction of party, was teeming with every day's report 
of wrong, outrage, violent encounters of partizans, desperate assaults and 
homicides. These things thus grouped are but the catalogue of deeds 
transpiring in

Page 560

rapid succession, and culminating in frequency and ferocity as the day of 
municipal election drew near. The day of election came and passed, and 
although the bloody scenes of the preceding year were not re-enacted, 
violence was everywhere in the ascendant; outrages were perpetrated with 
entire impunity, and many thousands of the citizens were, by causes beyond 
their individual control, deprived of the exercise of suffrage. In a word, 
the Democrats of the city, both native born and naturalized, were, to an 
extent that a few years since would have been absolutely incredible, 
virtually disfranchised. The experience of that day was presented to me by 
several eminent citizens of Baltimore as sufficient proof that the 
municipal authorities were wholly inadequate, from some cause, to cope 
with a fierce organization which held absolute control of the polls. I was 
assured and convinced the people of Baltimore were inextricably involved 
within the grip of a dilemma. On one side was a party disfranchised by 
lawless violence, with which it was unable to cope; on the other, a party 
sustained by violence which even the most honest and upright of its 
members were unable to repress and restrain; while the city authorities 
themselves were either unable to grapple effectually with the diabolism 
broken loose in the community, or unwilling to provoke the retaliatory 
spirit of a desirable but furious ally.

"Such was the condition of affairs in Baltimore when the most urgent 
appeals were made to me to exert the authority vested in the Executive of 
the State for the protection of her citizens against intestine disorder, 
and to see that the laws were executed. I did not feel at liberty to 
hesitate longer in the performance of a duty evidently incumbent upon me. 
It was not for me to consider the contingencies of political antagonism or 
a perverted public sentiment. My duty was plain, and I had no alternative 
but to perform it, and to leave the sequel to the people themselves. I 
realized no accountability in an utter failure to rally a single man to 
the service to which he might be called. It was my duty to present such a 
statement of facts as had been laid before me, to exhibit the remedy, and 
to use the proper means for the application of it. To this end, responding 
to the entreaties of gentlemen earnest in their avowals of co-operation to 
any necessary extremity, and in full compliance with my own sense of duty, 
I visited Baltimore. Immediately upon my arrival I addressed the Mayor of 
the city, and invited his counsel and co-operation in devising and putting 
into practical effect means adequate to the impending emergency. Again 
were my overtures repulsed, and this time the executive authority of the 
State coolly and gratuitously disputed. The object which I had in view 
requiring in my judgment the most prompt and rigorous measures, would not 
admit of the delay incident to an empty controversy about well established 
authority. Accordingly, in the execution of my purpose, I at once 
initiated preliminary measures towards the summary and effective 
organization

Page 561

of the militia, and on Thursday morning, October 29th, issued a 
proclamation informing the people of Baltimore what I had done, and 
further contemplated for the preservation of the peace, and to secure to 
the legal voters of the city their rights against violence and 
intimidation. Orders were issued to Major-General George H. Steuart to 
hold his command, the 1st Light Division, M. V., ready for service at a 
time specified, and to Major-General John Spear Smith to enrol and embody 
without delay six regiments of not less than six hundred men each, to be 
ready for service at the same time. These orders were responded to by the 
general officers with immediate measures in pursuance of the purpose in 
view. Having thus initiated proceedings, I took occasion to reply at some 
length to the very remarkable propositions advanced by the Mayor of 
Baltimore in his letter to me, and renewed my solicitation that he would 
co-operate with me in a harmonious effort to assert the supremacy of the 
laws. The Mayor rejoined briefly, declining to discuss any point at issue, 
remarking that the responsibility was with me--a fact which I had well 
considered from the first, and had resolved to bear with me to the end.

"The measures which had been set on foot progressed during Friday and 
Saturday, the 30th and 31st of October, and reports were made to me from 
time to time. From these I had no difficulty in gathering the conviction 
that, whatever effort might be made by the military officers to embody the 
proposed force, the result would be unsatisfactory and inadequate. This 
was of course a sufficient cause of official embarrassment, and a result 
entirely at variance with what I had been led to expect. Misrepresentation 
and voluble abuse from the press, together with the assiduous diffusion of 
the most erroneous sentiments respecting the executive authority and the 
proceedings I had taken, no doubt had their effect upon the public mind. 
There was, moreover, and had been for so long a time, a peculiar tolerance 
of the lawless element to be subdued, and a species of infatuation 
pervading a large portion of the community which effected or amounted to a 
morbid ignorance of its true character, in consequence of which the class 
of citizens from whom military service was mainly to be expected exhibited 
first indecision and at last unwillingness to respond to the call which 
had been made upon the community I need hardly say, that however a portion 
of the people or of the press found cause to rejoice in this state of 
things, and its obvious consequences, I was made painfully sensible of a 
total perversion of political sentiment, and an indifference to the 
security of equal rights wholly inconsistent with the spirit of our 
institutions. I had been invited to exert the extreme executive authority 
in a community notoriously without sufficient or effective municipal 
power, for the protection of its citizens against outrage and violence, 
and for the execution of its own laws; and when in obedience to my own 
sense of duty I assumed the unwelcome task, I found a complaining people 
more

Page 562

willing to submit to the grievances which oppressed them, to the 
lawlessness which disfranchised them, to the terrors which overawed them, 
than to rally in their strength and vindicate their outraged rights and 
insulted honor. Justly and truly indignant at such a result, I resolved to 
maintain my own, and pursue the purpose I had undertaken. In this resolve 
I was sustained by a few gallant, earnest and faithful men, and by the 
spirit with which one, at least, of the military officers was responded to 
in the district assigned to him. In this case there was an enrolment of 
volunteers, prompt, earnest and effective. And so long as there was but a 
maniple of true men, willing to stand for their rights and honor, I 
determined that they should, at least, have the full sanction of what I 
had done, and my personal interest in the matter until the emergency was 
past.

"On Sunday, the 1st of November, for the first time, a detailed exhibit 
was made to me of the special and extraordinary arrangements matured by 
the Mayor for the maintenance of the peace and the protection of the 
citizens in the exercise of their rights at the approaching election. The 
submission of these arrangements for my consideration then, which were 
withheld from me on my first arrival in the city, was the result of some 
consultations brought about through the intervention of several gentlemen 
representing the respective views of the Mayor and myself. This plan was 
in terms plausible; it had the appearance of sincerity of purpose, and I 
doubt not was offered in good faith. I must confess, however, that had the 
proceedings I had commenced been sustained with all the vigor the occasion 
required, I could not have withheld the conciliatory step I deemed it 
proper to take in view of the arrangements submitted for my consideration 
by the Mayor, and especially as each of the gentlemen with whom I was in 
consultation seemed to be entirely confident of the sufficiency of the 
arrangements which had been now adopted. Under this impression I was urged 
to withdraw my proclamation and to rescind all military orders. I 
positively refused under any circumstances to comply with any proposition 
which included such a stipulation. First, because it had the appearance, 
at least, of a surrender of my constitutional authority at a time when 
violent opposition to the taws was openly threatened; and secondly, 
because I knew not what exigency might arise on the day of election. But 
in deference to the opinions of gentlemen in whom I then had and still 
have great confidence, who were citizens of Baltimore, and who knew more 
of the local condition of affairs than myself, I consented to an 
announcement, that in view of the sufficiency of the arrangements just 
made, 'I did not contemplate the use of the military force which I had 
ordered to be enrolled and organized,' on the day of election.

"In this state of public affairs the day of election approached. A form of 
suffrage was observed under circumstances defiant of the execution of the 
laws. Riot, in its vociferous and most formidable

Page 563

aspect, did not occur, but I was made the recipient of almost ceaseless 
complaints of outrage, violence, and organized ruffianism at the polls, 
whereby multitudes of citizens, native and naturalized, were deterred from 
voting. I was powerless for their protection. The opportunity was past in 
which, as a lawful and enrolled force, they could have exhibited a moral 
as well as material power against their assailants. They were at the mercy 
of a mob, and without protection from the civil power. Abundant evidence 
from respectable citizens in all parts of the city could be obtained to 
prove a state of society verging upon the fiercest anarchy, outrages 
almost incredible in a civilized community, and the ubiquity of an 
organization which prevailed by violence to the exclusion of voters at 
will, and controlled means and resources for the most pernicious and 
daring frauds. It is beyond all question that such wrongs were perpetrated 
on that election day as have no parallel in the election annals of our 
country, but in Baltimore itself; and this, too, under the official 
assurance of municipal authority, and of a police organization and a plan 
of operations adequate to the emergency."

1858. The steam fire-engine built for the first Baltimore company, and 
afterwards called the "Alpha," arrived in this city on the morning of the 
18th of May, by one of the Ericsson line of steamers, from Philadelphia. 
This was the first steam fire-engine owned in this city by the Baltimore 
fire department.

In June the Mayor and City Council adopted the use of the police and fire 
alarm telegraph.

Our city was visited on Saturday afternoon, June 12th, with a flood almost 
equal to that of the year 1837. The amount of property destroyed could not 
be estimated. The rain commenced on Friday afternoon, and continued 
without intermission until four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. The 
principal sufferers in the city were, as usual, those persons who resided 
and did business on Harrison and Saratoga-streets and the east side of 
Centre Market Space. All the houses on the line near the bridge were 
inundated, some to such an extent that the inmates removed their furniture 
into the second stories. Several of the police officers procured a small 
boat and rendered great assistance to persons unable to get out of their 
houses. Charles street bridge was washed down the stream, being the only 
one in the city that was carried away.

In January Mrs. Thomas Winans established a soup-house near her mansion, 
on West Baltimore street, from which the poor were furnished daily with 
soup, bread, and in some instances fuel. This noble work of charity was 
under her own supervision, and very often as many as six hundred daily 
received the renovating beverage from her hands.

September 2d will long be remembered by our citizens, especially by those 
of German origin, as in point of interest the grandest gala-day which we 
have had in our city for a long time. It was

Page 564

to them indeed a social reunion of no common interest, being not merely a 
festival of pleasure, but a fitting tribute to the memory of one of the 
brave sons of their own fatherland, "Baron Steuben," who nobly shared with 
our great Washington and other patriots of the Revolution in the struggle 
for American liberty. Although the majority of the immense concourse 
present were Germans, there were in attendance large numbers of native-
born citizens who mingled freely in the festivities of the day, as members 
of one common brotherhood. From 7 o'clock in the morning our streets were 
enlivened with the music of the bands and the rapid march of the different 
societies as they severally proceeded to Broadway, the place appointed for 
forming the procession. This was accomplished about 9 o'clock, when the 
line, which was over a mile in length, moved up Baltimore street, and 
thence through several streets out to the festive grounds of "Rullman's 
Gardens," on the Frederick road. The opening address was delivered in 
German by Rev. H. Scheib; then followed the orator of the day, Hon. Joshua 
Vansant.

Never has the victory which was achieved by our arms at the battle of 
North Point been more generally or appropriately celebrated than on 
Monday, the 13th of September. The day had been properly selected by the 
Wells and McComas Monument Association for the reinterment of the mortal 
remains of these brave young men. The ceremonies pertaining to the funeral 
obsequies were of a character reflecting creditably upon those who planned 
them, and under whose supervision they were performed. The several streets 
through which the procession passed were densely crowded with citizens; 
while this was so much the case in the vicinity of the Maryland Institute 
that it was with extreme difficulty the procession could form. The line 
having at length been formed on Baltimore street, the coffins were removed 
from Maryland Institute hall, where they had lain in state, and placed 
upon the funeral car. The line then moved up Baltimore. street, and thence 
through several streets to Ashland square, the place of interment. On 
arriving at the square, the car was placed in front of the stand, but the 
vast concourse of people here assembled precluded the possibility of the 
military forming around the tomb as was designed, and they were 
necessarily compelled to form on the adjacent streets. The ceremonies were 
then commenced by the Rev. Jno. McCron, who delivered a chaste and 
impressive prayer. Mayor Swann was next introduced, and delivered an 
address. At its close, the orator of the day, the Hon. Jno. C. Legrand, 
was presented to the vast multitude, and his address was listened to with 
an unusual interest and attention, and was received with marked favor. 
Immediately aider the close of the oration of Judge Legrand, the stand 
went down with a crash, which for a few moments caused great 
consternation, but fortunately no one was seriously injured thereby.

Page 565

Another foul and unprovoked murder was committed about half-past 11 
o'clock on September 22d, in the western section of the city, which during 
these times stained the record of almost every day with blood. It appears 
that there was a party going on in a private house on Biddle street, 
between Pennsylvania avenue and Marsh street, and at about fifteen minutes 
after 11 o'clock two men named John Eisenhart and David Houck rapped at 
the door and demanded admittance, which was refused. They then insisted on 
coming in, upon which the proprietor called for the officers; and officers 
Benjamin Benton and Rigdon hearing the noise, came up and arrested 
Eisenhart and Houck on the charge of disorderly conduct in the street. 
They had proceeded but a short distance with their prisoners when a man 
named Henry Gambrill approached them, and demanded of the officers that 
they should release their men, which they refused to do, when Gambrill 
immediately drew his revolver and fired, the contents taking effect in the 
head of officer Benton, killing him instantly. Gambrill then ran off, and 
went to the public-house of James Morgan, on the corner of Eutaw and Ross 
streets, and from thence to his own house near by, where he changed his 
clothing. He was arrested shortly after.

In September the ordinance passed both branches of the City Council for a 
Paid City Fire Department.

On Monday night, September 27th, a party of rowdies attacked the German 
Correspondent newspaper office, corner of Baltimore and Gay streets, 
stoning the building and breaking a number of window panes. One of the 
missiles passed close by the head of one of the compositors, who made a 
narrow escape from serious injury.

The 13th of October was the day assigned for the mockery of our municipal 
election. No serious results ensued, as but few save the dominant party 
ventured to visit the polls. The candidates were Thomas Swann, who 
represented the Know-Nothing party, and Col. Shutt, who was the 
independent candidate for Mayor, Mr. Swann received 24,008 votes; Col. 
Shutt received 4,858 votes; Mr. Swann's majority 19,149. At an early hour 
in the day it became manifest that no free or fair expression of the 
popular will, with respect to the choice of municipal officers, would be 
permitted by the bands of armed and lawless ruffians who took and 
maintained possession of the polls. The police made no effort to protect 
citizens in the exercise of their rights of suffrage, but remained 
unconcerned spectators of the violence to which they were subjected. Under 
these circumstances, at the hour of noon, Col. Shutt, the independent 
candidate for the Mayoralty, finding it impossible for those favorable to 
his election to approach the ballot-box without the risk of incurring 
great personal danger, issued the following address:

"Fellow-citizens, it being now clearly manifest that a deliberate purpose 
actuates the Mayor of this city to countenance the general

Page 566

combination which now prevails between his police and the armed bands of 
lawless men who have since the opening of the ballot-boxes held possession 
of the polls, to the exclusion of all voters opposed to Mayor Swarm, and 
it being urged upon me by many of our best citizens that any persistent 
attempts to vote upon the part of my friends can only be attended with 
loss of life and the general disorder of the city, I feel it my duty to 
yield to their judgments, and withdraw my name as a candidate for Mayor. 
A. P. Shutt, Wednesday, October 13th, 12 o'clock M."

On Friday night, November 5th, about 8 o'clock, another most villainous 
murder was perpetrated upon police officer Robert M. Rigdon, at his 
dwelling, No. 468 West Baltimore street. Mr. Rigdon left the western 
police station for his home, having been previously cautioned by Captain 
Lineweaver, who had heard that threats had been made against his life, to 
be on his guard, and to remain at home until the excitement attending the 
rendition of the verdict against Henry Gambrill had subsided; the feeling 
against the deceased, and the threats of vengeance upon him having grown 
out of his having testified so positively in the ease to the guilt of 
Gambrill for the murder of officer Benton, as heretofore mentioned. Upon 
leaving the station-house he proceeded home, and had been there but a 
short time when the assassination took place; whilst he was standing 
leaning against the mantle in the sitting-room of his house in 
conversation with his wife, who was sitting near by, while a small child, 
whom he had found in the street and taken into his family, was playing at 
his feet. Within two feet of where he was standing, a small window opened 
into the yard in the rear of the dwelling, and the assassins had gained 
access to the yard by way of the alley, and fired through this window, the 
weapon used being an old fowling-piece cut down to a length of about 
eighteen inches, and heavily loaded with slugs. Simultaneously with the 
discharge of the weapon Rigdon exclaimed "I am shot!" and instantly fell 
to the floor; the only subsequent signs of life he gave being the 
utterance of a single groan of agony. At the time of the commission of the 
murder, officer John Cook was opposite to the dwelling on Baltimore 
street, and hearing the report of the pistol, ran across; but before he 
reached the premises a man came out of the alley, running with a revolver 
in his hand, and upon the officer attempting to arrest him, he turned and 
fired twice at him without effect, when he again started at full speed up 
Baltimore street. Officer Cook followed in pursuit, and after being thus 
fired at, drew his own revolver and also fired two shots at the fugitive. 
At the intersection of Baltimore and Pine streets the man again turned and 
fired at the officer, which shot the latter returned but again without 
effect. This exciting chase was continued until they reached Penn street, 
where the officer came up close enough to knock the follow down with his 
pistol. Officers Jamison and Higgins here came up and aided in conveying 
the prisoner

Page 567

to the western station-house, when he was recognized to be a man named 
Peter Corrie, a butcher, residing on the Hookstown road. Upon the prisoner 
being arraigned at the station-house he made a full confession of his 
participation in the horrible tragedy, protesting that he did not commit 
the murder, but had gone to the place with Marion Cropps, who fired the 
pistol, he having waited at the mouth of the alley whilst Cropps had gone 
up to the window and fired the fatal shot. A warrant was issued for the 
arrest of Cropps, and he was found at the tavern of Erasmus Levy, on 
Holliday street, near Baltimore.

In accordance with an invitation on the part of the members of the City 
Council, Dr. Thomas Buckler on the 23d of November addressed the First 
Branch chamber upon the project of "filling up of the, harbor or back 
basin from Light street to a line continuous with the west side of Jones' 
Falls, at the same time leveling and grading Federal Hill, and then 
carrying Calvert, South, Commerce, Gay and Frederick streets, Marsh Market 
Space, Concord street, and West Falls avenue across and over the basin and 
Whetstone Point to the Patapsco river, between Fort McHenry and the Ferry 
Bar, and to open Camden, Conway, Barre, Lee, York, Hill, Great Hughes, and 
Montgomery streets eastwardly, to intersect West Falls avenue at or near 
Fell's Point." Dr. Buckler incurred much ridicule from the wiseacres of 
the city for his views, which, however, in time are sure to be adopted. 
The vile nuisance of the stagnant basin has been growing worse and worse 
ever since. Dr. Buckler within the present time, 1873, published a 
stirring pamphlet in support of his theory.

A conviction that some movement to secure the peace and restore the 
reputation of the city was necessary had become general, and several 
prominent citizens, foremost among whom was Mr. George William-Brown, 
united to form a "Reform Association," the object of which was by regular 
meetings and appeals through the press to organize the friends of law and 
order into a body sufficiently influential and powerful to secure quiet 
and fairness at the polls, which at this time were the scenes of the most 
disgraceful fraud, violence and disorder. In addition to the ordinary acts 
of riot and intimidation, honest gentlemen as well as unfortunate wretches 
were frequently seized and "cooped" in vile dens, drugged and stupefied 
with whiskey, and then carried round in omnibuses and "voted" in ward 
after ward, the police offering no opposition and judges of election 
receiving the votes. Firearms were openly displayed and frequently used, 
resulting in at least one murder. A singular but effective means of 
annoyance and intimidation was brought into play by the use of small awls, 
which ruffians in a dense crowd thrust into the persons of their 
adversaries in a manner which easily escaped detection. Accordingly a 
great mass meeting of the people came off in the afternoon of the 8th of 
September, in Monument Square. Not less than

Page 568

10,000 people were on the ground. At four o'clock the committee arrived 
and took their seats upon the platform. Wm. Woodward, Esq., was, on motion 
of Chas. D. Hinks, appointed chairman, and speeches were made by Messrs. 
Geo. Wm. Brown, James Hodges, and Geo. M. Gill. This was the first 
organization of what was formerly known as the "Reform" party.

The cashiers of all the Baltimore banks met on Friday afternoon, March 
5th, in the cashier's room of the Union Bank, and after due deliberation, 
unanimously agreed to establish a "clearing-house," to go into operation 
Monday, March 8th.

The General Assembly of Maryland incorporated on the 24th of February, 
"The Maryland Club," on the 9th of March "The Peabody Institute," and on 
the same day incorporated the "Towsontown Railroad Company."

1859. Mr. Thomas Winans' "Cigar Ship" made quite a successful trial trip 
on Thursday afternoon, January 20th, going as far as North Point.

It would be difficult to conceive of a popular excitement more intense in 
feeling, though subdued in the manner of its manifestations, than that 
which pervaded the city on the 8th of April The day will long be 
remembered in this community as the day upon which the supremacy of the 
law was vindicated by the execution of four convicted murderers, viz: 
Henry Gambrill, Marion Cropps, Peter Corrie, and John Stephens alias 
Cyphus, for the murder of Benjamin Benton, Robert M. Rigdon, and William 
King (colored). Three of the murderers were young men of respectable 
parentage, but who had been led to commit the crimes for which they had 
been condemned to suffer an ignominious death by giving free rein to their 
unbridled passions, and through the baneful influence exerted upon them by 
evil associates. Friends powerful and influential in certain quarters had 
for weeks persistently yet vainly sought to move the Governor of the State 
to exercise a prerogative which, while it might have been an act of mercy 
to the condemned, would have inflicted a most serious injury upon society. 
An extension of the time originally fixed for the execution of the law was 
twice granted by the Governor, but beyond this he finally declined to 
interpose. The number of spectators assembled to witness this tragic 
spectacle has been roughly estimated at thirty thousand.

The ordinance granting permission to William H. Travers and others to 
construct a city passenger railway in our city, was finally passed the 
City Council on Monday, March 14th.

On the 16th of April, the ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the 
Peabody Institute building was performed in the presence of the Board of 
Trustees.

The first operation of the police and fire alarm telegraph took place on 
Monday afternoon, June 27th. It was a test of the power of the telegraphic 
wires in ringing the bell connected with the

Page 569

engine house of the "Alpha," on Paca street, near Fayette. The entire line 
was completed June 30th.

On the 12th of July the first car was placed on the City Passenger Railway 
on Broadway, and a considerable number of persons assembled to witness the 
start. During the entire morning the car on every trip was crowded to 
excess with men and boys, particularly the latter, who were present by 
hundreds; and those of them who could not get a seat inside, clung to the 
platforms and sides of the car. On the 27th of October the cars ran from 
one end of the line to the other.

At an early hour on the morning of the 17th of October, our city was 
thrown into a state of excitement by the publication of a despatch from 
Frederick, stating that a negro insurrection had broken out in the town of 
Harper's Ferry, that the insurgents had taken possession of the place, 
seized upon the armory, and were proceeding to imprison the citizens and 
liberate the slaves of the adjacent country. The intelligence at first 
seemed so improbable that little credit was given to it; but the reception 
of other despatches of the same purport, and non-arrival of the train from 
the west due at 5 A. M., gave color of truthfulness to the statement, and 
the newspaper offices were besieged by an anxious and increasing crowd. 
About noon confirmatory despatches were received from the office of the 
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Shortly after 12 M. the express train 
arrived, and full particulars of the affair were obtained from conductor 
Phelps and his officers. These statements, as may be imagined, excited the 
most intense feeling, and the news was speedily communicated to Washington 
and elsewhere. The Frederick military telegraphed to the President 
proffering their services, which were immediately accepted. Major-General 
George H. Steuart, of this city, instantly tendered the services of his 
division; and five companies, under command of Lieut.-Col. Egerton, left 
at 5 o'clock in the afternoon for the scene of disturbance, amid the 
cheers of the immense crowd who had collected at the depot. Telegraphic 
operators, with proper instruments, were also sent out to establish 
communication between the nearest accessible point to Harper's Ferry and 
the city. The train consisted of eleven cars; the first contained liquor 
and provisions; six cars were filled with the military, and the remainder 
were occupied by passengers and citizens not in uniform, and by the 
principal officers of the road. The companies which left were the 
Independent Greys, Law Greys, Baltimore City Guard, and Wells and McComas 
Riflemen, numbering 201 muskets. At an early hour the next morning the 
Lafayette Guards, Capt. Ferrandini, the reserve guard of the Law Greys, 
the Baltimore and Turner Rifles and the artillery companies, presented 
themselves at the Camden Station ready to proceed to the seat of war, but 
it was not deemed necessary to call their services into requisition. In 
the evening the volunteer companies, except the Independent Greys, which 
left the city on

Page 570

Monday to assist in quelling the insurrection, returned. A very large 
number of persons were in attendance on the arrival of the cars at the 
Camden Station anxious to welcome back their friends. The Independent 
Greys remained to deposit the arms which they captured.

If we could, we would blot out forever the record of the 2d of November's 
shame from the annals of Baltimore; but the deeds that were done can never 
be forgotten, and monuments of brass will not be so enduring as the memory 
of that day. We take the following extracts from the papers in the 
contested election case of the members, as returned to the House of 
Delegates, on the 2d of November, 1859, which fully show by sworn 
statements of respectable gentlemen the melancholy condition of affairs in 
this city, which the scenes and incidents of this day so fully disclosed.

Mr. George H. Kyle, brother to Adam B. Kyle, being requested to state what 
occurred at the 15th ward poll, said:

"I went to the polls at half-past eight o'clock A.M., and was within two 
feet of the window; remained there about five minutes, with my brother. I 
had a bundle of tickets under my arm, and one man walked up to me and 
asked me what it was that I had. I told him tickets; he made a snatch at 
them, and I avoided him and turned round. As I turned, I heard my brother 
say, 'I am struck, George!' At the same time I saw my brother raise his 
stick and strike at some one; the same, I suppose, that had struck him. At 
that moment I was struck from behind a severe blow on the back of the 
head, which would have knocked me down, but the crowd which had gathered 
round us, some thirty or forty in a cluster, was so dense that I was, as 
it were, kept up. After I received this blow I drew a dirk knife, which I 
had in my pocket, with which I endeavored to strike the man, who, as I 
supposed, had struck me. I then felt a pistol placed right close to my 
head, so that I felt the cold steel upon my forehead. At that moment I 
made a little motion of my head, which caused the shot of the pistol to 
glance from my head; my hat showed afterwards the mark of a bullet, which 
I supposed to have been from that shot. The discharge of the pistol, which 
blew off a large piece of the skin of my forehead and covered my face with 
blood, caused me to fall. When I arose I saw my brother in the middle of 
the street, about ten feet from me, surrounded by a crowd who were 
striking at him and firing pistols all around him; he was knocked down 
twice, and at one time while he was down I saw two men jump on his body 
and kick him; he had no other weapon in his hand than his stick. In the 
meantime I drew my pistol and fired into the crowd, which was immediately 
in front of me, every man of whom seemed to have a pistol in his hand and 
was firing as rapidly as he could; in this crowd there were fully from 
forty to fifty persons. I saw at the second story windows of the Watchmen 
engine-house building, in which the polls were held, cut-off muskets, or 
large pistols protruding,

Page 571

and observed smoke issuing from the muzzles, as though they were being 
fired at me; I then turned towards my brother and endeavored to get to 
him. When within a few feet of him I saw him fall, placing his hand on his 
groin as if badly hurt; at the same moment a shot struck me in the 
shoulder, which went through my arm and penetrated into my breast; from 
the direction the ball took I am satisfied that the shot was fired from 
the second story of the engine-house. When I got up my brother was still 
lying on the ground immediately opposite the door of the house into which 
he afterwards managed to get; I supposed that he was dead, and transferred 
my pistol from my right hand, which was disabled, to my left hand, and 
holding it in front of me, backed down towards Lee street, the crowd 
following me. As I backed in that way, just as I got near Lee street, a 
fellow ran out a musket from under a shed, and I pointed my pistol at him, 
which made him change his position a little. As I continued to back off a 
brick struck me in the breast and I fell; just at that moment the musket 
was discharged, and the ball whizzed over me as I was falling. While I was 
so retreating, the crowd were firing at me constantly; when I arose there 
was no further trouble offered to me, and in a few moments some one came 
up, with whom I went off. There were seven bullet-holes in my coat, and 
the coat was cut as if by knives in various places; the pantaloons had 
also the appearance of having been cut by bullets. During all this time I 
saw no police officers, and it was only when I was on my way home that an 
officer came up and asked me my name. My brother died that evening from 
the effect of injuries received there."

Mr. S. Teackle Wallis says: "About twenty minutes or a half an hour after 
the polls were opened in the tenth ward, they were taken forcible 
possession of by the same party of rioters with a volley of bricks and a 
discharge of fire-arms; from that time until I left, no man was permitted 
access to the polls except at the pleasure of the 'Know Nothing party' who 
had so taken possession of them."

Mr. Charles D. Hinks, of the fourteenth ward, says: "I saw Gregory Barrett 
draw his pistol and fire five times, but being intently engaged watching 
him, I did not see at whom his pistol was pointed. After he had discharged 
all the barrels of his pistol he called for rifles; he and some of his 
party raved like madmen, swearing that they would kill the Reformers--and 
I heard McGonnigan, one of the Rip Raps, swear that no Reformer should 
vote, except over his dead body."

Mr. John Justus Ritzus, says: "While I was drinking, another man present 
in the room at the corner of Wilkes and Caroline streets, said to me, 'As 
soon as the work here is done you can go back to the other warehouse.' 
After awhile our conductor came and led us through the back of the house 
into a court-yard, and then apparently through one or two yards, until we 
came in front

Page 572

of a crowd of men, about five or six, armed with clubs and guns and other 
weapons, standing at a sort of entrance through the fence or partition 
between two houses. Immediately I was pushed from behind, and caught by 
the arm by one of the crowd and dragged through the opening; at the same 
time another German, not one who had accompanied us, was pushed through 
immediately behind me. The conductor and the two others I saw no more 
after we had been got through the opening into the next house, as I have 
stated. Another man came and led us into a dark room, where we were kept a 
few minutes. While we were there the man with me began to make a noise, 
trying to break the planks out, &c.; immediately thereupon the door opened 
and three or four men appeared, one of whom struck the poor fellow on the 
head with a club which felled him to the ground; a second one raised an 
axe and struck at him through the doorway. Seeing the intention of the man 
I pushed the door to, so as to intercept the blow, which fell upon the 
door, beat it back against my mouth, and hurt my lips severely; the party 
then came in and searched us thoroughly, taking everything of any value 
from us. I had only a small pocketknife, which they took; my companion 
they made strip, and as he drew off his shoes his money fell out, a few 
quarters and some small money. We were left locked in for awhile, then the 
captain of the coop came, opened the door, and led us down stairs to a 
small trap-door which led to the cellar. We were put down there, and as we 
were going down, I in front, my companion was pushed down violently, and, 
falling against me, we both tumbled down into the cellar. Here we found 
ourselves in a dark hole full of all sorts of men, with one solitary 
candle to give us light. There I was kept until Tuesday afternoon, when 
the captain came down and selected the oldest of us; I was called by name 
and led up stairs to the second story, and put into a large room, which 
was also full of persons who were similarly cooped; there I was kept until 
Wednesday morning, the day of the last election. On Wednesday morning, 
after nine o'clock, we were brought out by threes and fours, and had 
tickets put into our hands; I examined the tickets which were given me, 
and know they were 'American' tickets; I recognized them by the names of 
the candidates, the black stripe down their length, the head of Washington 
at the top, and the extreme narrowness of the ticket. Three others and 
myself were brought out, and led by the rowdies, holding us by the arm, up 
to the window of the second ward polls and voted; we four then were put 
into a carriage and driven around through the town, through streets which 
I did not know to various polls, and we were voted five or six times; we 
were then driven to the Holliday street polls, voted there, and then shut 
up in the coop there next to the polls, in the cellar. We were then 
brought up into a room, and ordered by the captain of the coop to change 
clothes with some seven or eight other cooped individuals, which most of 
us did, but I retained

Page 573

my own clothes; the captain changed clothes with a German, taking a nice 
hat and black overcoat in exchange for his cap and coat, which were of 
little value. We were then voted again at these polls, and then we were 
led on foot to Baltimore street, where an omnibus awaited us, and we were 
packed in till it was full, and driven down to the coop house at the 
second ward again. Arrived there, we voted again at the second ward, and 
then we were driven around in the omnibus to various polls and voted some 
six times, until we came to a poll the other side of Ensor street, where 
there was a great crowd hustling and pushing, screaming, &c., in spite of 
which we were led up by the arm, by the rowdies, through the crowd, and 
compelled to vote. I was let go for a moment, while the rowdies who had 
held me joined in the hustling and pushing, and seeing the chance, I 
dodged into the crowd and escaped to my home. I voted at least in the 
various wards sixteen times, compelled each time to give a different name; 
none of the judges said anything to me, or any of us. . . . . The 
treatment of some of those in the coop was disgusting and horrible in the 
extreme; men were beaten, kicked and stamped in the face with heavy boots. 
In the cellar of the second ward there were about seventy or eighty 
persons locked up, not allowed to be about for a moment to satisfy the 
wants of nature, and in the upper room of which I have spoken as many 
more. The three men who were with me, voted, each of them, as often as I 
did."

Mr. Peter Fitzpatrick, of the sixth ward, who was in "Ras Levy's coop," in 
Holliday street, between Fayette and Baltimore, says: "When I got in 
there, there were about fifteen in there before me, and from fifteen, up 
to Wednesday, the number increased until, to the best of my knowledge, 
they had about eighty or ninety; and on Wednesday morning they took us out 
six at a time, to vote the American ticket. I told them I wasn't entitled 
to a vote, and they said if I wouldn't vote I should die. There was a good 
many others that they served in the same way. Knocked them down with 
billies and slung shots, and took their money and their watches." Mr. 
Henry Funk, of the sixth ward, who was in this same "coop," says: "They 
knocked me down flat on my back, and poured the whiskey into me, about 
half a pint. . . . . . . I saw one German, who was very anxious to get 
home, who said he lived in the country twenty-two miles, and left his team 
at the market, and he made a noise to get out, and they handcuffed him and 
kept him so all night, and stripped him of all his clothes except his 
shirt and drawers, and they took a comfort and put it around his neck and 
said they would hang him, and he went down on his knees and said he would 
be quiet, and then they let him alone. I saw fellows come in with 
revolvers in their hands, which they pointed at the men in the "coop," and 
told them to lie down and go to sleep or they would be shot; and they had 
guns at the door, and they always came in with large clubs,

Page 574

like watchmen's clubs, in their hands; and I saw them beat men with them 
too. One German was brought in with a large beard on, and Crab Ashby took 
a candle and set fire to his beard and burnt it off."

The following notice is taken from the Baltimore Clipper of November 1st, 
1859: "Rattlers American Club No. 1, Twelfth Ward--The original members of 
the American Rattlers are hereby notified to meet on Tuesday evening, 
November 1st, at 7 o'clock, as there are traitors in the camp. P. S.--The 
awls will be ready for distribution. By order, Robert Nelson, President."

Mr. Clifton W. Tayleure, who was local reporter for the Baltimore Clipper, 
says of the transparencies, &c., carried in the procession of the Know-
Nothing clubs at a mass-meeting of the party presided over by the Hon. 
Anthony Kennedy, and addressed by the Hon. H. Winter Davis and others, 
which was held in Monument square, shortly before the election of November 
2d, 1859: "Some of them were of the usual character on election 
transparencies; some were humorous and some were threatening; the 
prevailing figure was that of an awl. One of the transparencies was the 
figure of a man running, with another in pursuit, sticking him with an 
awl. There was another figure of a bleeding head, with the device, 'The 
head of a Reformer.' There was another of an uplifted arm, with a clenched 
fist, with the device, 'With this we'll do the work.' One of the parties 
on horseback, with a ribbon around him, carried a large awl strapped to 
his back. A party from the eighteenth ward had a forge, with fire, and 
persons hammering, apparently making awls."

Mr. George Brown, the second son of Alexander Brown, the founder of the 
eminent banking firm of Brown, Brothers & Co., died at his country 
residence, near this city, on Friday morning, August 26th, in the 72d year 
of his age. As a business man he was distinguished by caution, prudence, 
sterling integrity, quickness of perception, and indefatigable 
application. In 1827, when the Mechanics' Bank was reduced almost to 
insolvency by bad management, he consented to become its president, and in 
a short time raised it to a state of great prosperity; and it is a fact 
worthy of notice that a long time afterwards his son George S. 
successfully presided over the same institution, having been called to the 
management in consequence of a serious disaster which it had sustained. 
Mr. George Brown was the principal founder of the Merchants' Bank, of 
which he was for some time the president. The House of Refuge was a 
special object of his care, as was also the Baltimore Association for the 
Improvement of the Condition of the Poor. Mr. Brown was one of the 
principal thunders of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the first 
treasurer of that company. On his decease he was possessed of the largest 
fortune which had ever been left by an individual in Maryland. The 
beautiful Presbyterian church at the corner of Park avenue and

Page 575

Townsend street, known as the Brown Memorial Church, which has recently 
been finished, attests not only his widow's devotion to his memory, but 
his fervent attachment to the faith in which he had been educated, in 
which he lived, and in humble reliance on which he died.

The "Odd-Fellows" of Baltimore dedicated the south wing of their hall on 
Gay street with a grand parade and other appropriate ceremonies, on 
Monday, September 26th. Mr. William H. Young was the orator of the day.

Judge Z. Collins Lee departed this life on Saturday, November 26th.

1860. The new jail, which is so creditable to the enterprise and humanity 
of our city, was in January formally delivered to the municipal 
authorities in a complete condition by Messrs. John Maxwell & Co., the 
contractors and builders.

The Hon. John Nelson died in this city on Wednesday night, January 18th, 
in the 70th year of his age. Mr. Nelson was recognized throughout the 
country as one of the most brilliant ornaments of the American bar, and 
has forever associated his name with several of the most famous successes 
which the annals of the law anywhere record. The deceased gentleman has 
also filled with credit to his country and his own fame several positions 
of honor and of trust, among them that of Attorney-General of the United 
States under President Taylor, and Minister to Naples during the 
administration of General Jackson.

The corner-stone of the Memorial Church, corner of Bolton and Townsend 
streets, in memory of the Rev. Henry V. D. Johns, late Rector of Emanuel 
Church, was laid on Tuesday afternoon, July 3d, with appropriate 
ceremonies. Appropriate addresses were delivered by Revs. Messrs. Schenck 
and Cummings.

The Chicago Zouaves, under the command of Col. E. E. Ellsworth, arrived in 
this city on Wednesday, August 1st, and were received by the Independent 
Greys and Maryland Guards. The Zouaves gave an exhibition drill in the 
evening at the Maryland Institute, which was largely attended by the 
military and citizens. On the 2d they also gave an exhibition drill at the 
terminus of the Madison avenue line of city passenger cars.

The steamer Great Eastern arrived in Annapolis Roads on Sunday, August 
5th, and during the week every means of conveyance to her was crowded by 
persons anxious to get a view of the greatest of steamers. She left for 
New York on the 10th of August.

On the 2d of February the reform bills passed the House of Delegates, and 
became the law of the State. Immediately upon receipt of the news of the 
passage of the bills, Mayor Swarm dispatched a message to the Council, 
asking leave to test their legality, and volunteering his own opinion that 
they were "without the authority of law, and cannot be recognized by the 
courts." The

Page 576

Commissioners of Police, Charles Howard, Wm. H. Gatchell, Charles D. 
Hinks, John W. Davis, designated in the new bill, on the 6th of February, 
appeared in the clerk's office of the Superior Court and subscribed to the 
oath of office, and on the 9th made a formal demand through their counsel, 
Messrs. Reverdy Johnson, S. Teackle Wallis, J. Mason Campbell, and Wm. H. 
Norris, Esqs., upon the Mayor and City Council for the use of the station-
houses, police equipments, &c. On the 10th they received from Mayor Swann 
notice of his refusal to comply. Application was immediately made to the 
Superior Court, Judge Martin, for a mandamus to compel compliance, &c., 
&c. On the 13th of March Judge Martin delivered his opinion upon the 
constitutionality of the Act creating a permanent police force for the 
city of Baltimore. The Mayor and City Council took an appeal to the Court 
of Appeals, and their decision was rendered in favor of the Board of 
Police on Tuesday, April 17th. On the 12th of March the Governor, T. H. 
Hicks, signed the bill passed by two-thirds of the members of each House 
to remove from the office of Judge of the Criminal Court of Baltimore the 
Hon. Henry Stump, then Judge of said court.

On the 7th of May the members of the old police force under Marshal 
Herring and Deputy Marshal Manly, were disbanded at the Marshal's office, 
old City Hall, Mayor Swarm and the Marshals bidding them adieu.

The Constitutional Union Convention, composed almost wholly of the old 
Whig party and the waning organization known as the "American" or "Know-
Nothing" party, assembled in the old Presbyterian church on the corner of 
Fayette and North streets, which had been specially fitted up for the 
occasion. John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, called the convention to order, 
and Washington Hunt, of New York, was chosen its president, and after a 
harmonious session of two days, concluded its labors on the 10th of May, 
with nominating its candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. For 
the former position it selected the Hon. John Bell of Tennessee, and the 
Hon. Edward Everett of Massachusetts was named for the latter. Ten of the 
States were not represented at all in this body, viz: California, Florida, 
Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Oregon, South 
Carolina, and Wisconsin.

On Friday morning, May 11th, at about half-past two o'clock, it commenced 
raining in torrents, and continued at intervals up to half-past eleven 
o'clock. The quantity of rain which fell during that time was immense, and 
all the streams in and around the city were so swollen that the water 
rushed over the banks and entered the streets. Jones Falls presented a 
grand appearance; the usually quiet stream became a raging river, and the 
water hurried along its bed with the rapidity of a cataract. About half-
past nine it flowed over the wall at Fish Market Space, and about the same 
time it overflowed at different points between Fayette and Bath

Page 577

streets. It continued to increase in volume until Harrison street, Centre 
Market Space, Holliday street from the old City Hall to Bath street, and 
Saratoga and Bath streets up to Davis street, and Lombard, Second and 
Pratt streets up to Frederick street, and Gay street from Frederick street 
to the bridge, were inundated. Around the Centre and Fish markets, and in 
Holliday and Harrison streets, the depth of water was from three to six 
feet. All the cellars and first floors of the houses along the streets 
named were flooded. In some cases along Harrison street the water stood 
five feet deep in the rooms, and the occupants were compelled to seek 
safety by leaving the premises in boats.

Mr. Frederick W. Brune, of the widely-known firm of Von Kapff & Brune, 
died in this year, aged 84, universally respected. Mr. Von. Kapff died in 
1828. These gentlemen were successfully and most honorably engaged in a 
varied commerce with all parts of the world.

Friday the 8th of June had been looked for with more than ordinary 
interest by our citizens, as the day upon which the Japanese Ambassadors, 
the guests of the Government of the United States, were to pay Baltimore a 
visit, before showing themselves in Philadelphia or New York. In 
anticipation of the event, great preparations had been made by the City 
Council to make their stay here, although short, of the most pleasant and 
interesting character. At an early hour the streets were alive with people 
of every class, moving to and fro, some to take part in the pageant about 
to follow, and others anxious to gain accessible points to view a 
spectacle unknown hitherto to the city or the country. The streets along 
the route of procession were gaily decorated with the American and 
Japanese flags, and other appropriate devices. Along all the thoroughfares 
the crowd was immense, greater perhaps than on any previous occasion in 
the history of the city. Baltimore street being most central, was densely 
packed on either side with people. The windows of the store-houses, 
dwellings and public offices were crowded with ladies, and where the 
storekeepers could not accommodate them inside, platforms built of packing-
boxes and counters were erected on the sidewalks, so as to afford all an 
opportunity to gratify their curiosity. About ten o'clock the strangers 
arrived at Camden Station, where a scene of wild excitement ensued; men, 
women and children, white and black, sent up loud huzzas and screams, and 
ran towards the train as if they might be anxious to throw themselves 
under the wheels of the cars. They were greeted in a cordial manner by 
Mayor Swarm, and with remarkable promptitude the guests were seated in the 
conveyances assigned them, and in about twenty minutes the procession 
moved. The Paid Fire Department of the city appeared in public procession 
for the first time since its organization, and seemed to be the most 
attractive feature in the whole procession. The procession, which was 
preceded by a large body of police under

Page 578

the immediate direction of Marshal Kane and Deputy Marshal Gifford, moved 
up Eutaw to Baltimore street, and down Baltimore street to the hall of the 
Maryland Institute, where a halt was made and the formal reception of the 
strangers took place. After speeches were made, the Embassy and their 
attaches and the officers of the United States army and navy proceeded out 
of the hall and resumed their seats in the carriages. When the procession 
reached Monument Square the members of the Embassy were conducted to the 
Gilmor House, where apartments were prepared for them. In the evening they 
were entertained with an exhibition of the Fire Department and a brilliant 
display of fireworks. The visitors left next morning for Philadelphia.

On the 12th of June, Mayor Swarm sent a communication to the City Council 
nominating John H. B. Latrobe, Robert Leslie, Wm. E. Hooper and Columbus 
O'Donnell, to act as commissioners for the purchase of a site for a park 
or parks. In the middle of July they determined to purchase the present 
Druid Hill Park for the sum of $500,000 from Mr. Lloyd N. Rogers. The 
deeds were signed on the 27th of September.

The National Democratic Convention, in accordance with the order of 
adjournment adopted at Charleston, re-assembled in this city on Monday, 
June 18th. The Front street theatre, selected for the holding of the 
convention, had been arranged so as to take advantage of its fullest 
capacity for the accommodation of the delegates and of the public anxious 
to attend the proceedings of the convention. The whole stage and 
parquette, the latter being floored over, were appropriated to the use of 
the members of the convention, its officers, and the representatives of 
the press. The rostrum for the president and officers, an elevated double 
semicircular platform, occupied the extreme rear of the stage, and 
afforded a commanding view of the whole interior of the house. In front of 
the platform were placed a double row of desks and chairs for the 
reporters of the press, of whom nearly two hundred were in attendance. The 
delegates occupied seats to the right and left of the chair, and extended 
over both stage and parquette.

At ten o'clock the attendance of delegates was not full, a largo number 
having supposed that the convention would not be called to order until 
twelve o'clock. The president, Hon. Caleb Cushing, appeared on the 
platform, but did not take the chair. At eleven o'clock he directed the 
secretary to call the roll of States in order to ascertain if the 
delegates were present. On the calling of the roll the following States 
were found to be fully represented: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, 
North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, 
Iowa, Minnesota, California, Oregon. Subsequently on a call of the States, 
Connecticut and Kentucky were found to be fully represented. Pennsylvania 
was represented with but two exceptions. Two delegates were

Page 579

present from Delaware. When the State of South Carolina was called, the 
chair directed that only those States be called which were present at the 
adjournment of the convention at Charleston; consequently South Carolina, 
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, 
were not called. After a fervent prayer by Rev. John McCron, the 
convention proceeded to business. The delicate and difficult question 
concerning the admission to seats in the convention of representatives of 
States whose delegates had withdrawn from that body, was the first to 
present itself, and Mr. Cushing in the chair refused to make any decision, 
and referred the whole matter to the convention. It was claimed that the 
seceding delegates had a right to re-enter the convention if they chose to 
do so. This right was denied, and the language of the resolution 
respecting the adjournment at Charleston, by which the States represented 
by the seceders were called upon to "fill vacancies," was referred to as 
an expression of the convention, if fairly interpreted, against the right 
of the seceders to return. It was proposed, also, that no delegate should 
be admitted to a seat unless he would pledge himself to abide by the 
action of a majority of the convention and support its nominations. Debate 
speedily ensued. It was hot and acrimonious during at least six hours on 
the first day of the session; and in the evening there were two mass 
meetings of the Democracy in the streets of Baltimore, at which vehement 
speeches were heard for hours by tens of thousands, of people, citizens 
and strangers.

On the following morning, the subject of contesting delegations was 
referred to the committee on credentials. They could not agree; and on the 
21st of June, the fourth day of the session, two reports were submitted, 
the majority report recommending the admission of Douglas delegates (in 
place of seceders) from Louisiana and Alabama, and parts of the 
delegations from other States. The minority report was against the 
admission of the new delegates. These reports were discussed with great 
warmth, which sometimes reached the point of fierce personal quarrels. The 
pro-slavery men gave free scope to the expression of their opinions and 
feelings. Mr. Moffatt of Virginia, said: "I am an out-and-out pro-slavery 
man. I believe in the institution all the time. I believe it is right 
morally, socially and politically. I have fought in my State. for the 
extension of pro-slavery views." Mr. Gaulden, a mercantile dealer in 
slaves from Georgia, said: "I am an advocate for maintaining the integrity 
of the National Democratic party. I belong to the extreme South. I am a 
pro-slavery man in every sense of the word, ay, and an African slave-trade 
man. (Applause and laughter). This institution of slavery, as I have said 
elsewhere, has done more to advance the prosperity and intelligence of the 
white race, and of the human race, than all else together. I believe it to 
be founded upon the law of nature and upon the law of God. I believe it to 
be a blessing to all races. I glory in being a slave-breeder, and

Page 580

though you may say now that I am wrong, yet I think I shall live to see 
the day when the doctrines which I advocate to-night will be the doctrines 
of Massachusetts and of the North. I say I go for non-intervention in the 
broadest sense of the term. I say that this whole thing should be taken 
out of the hands of the General Government. I say it is all wrong to be 
spending two or three millions of dollars annually from our pockets, and 
sacrificing thousands of lives upon the coast of Africa, in that terrible 
clime, to prevent our going there to get a few negroes." Finally, on 
Friday, the 22d, the majority report was adopted--New York throwing her 
controlling thirty-five votes against reconsideration; and the die was 
cast, filling the places of the seceders with Douglas men.

The second act of the Secession drama--or tragedy--commenced. Virginia, 
with twenty-five of her thirty delegates, announced that she could no 
longer remain in the convention. North Carolina, California, and Oregon 
followed Virginia; Kentucky and Tennessee retired for consultation; 
Georgia refused to re-enter the convention;. Missouri. and Maryland were 
preparing to carry out a moiety of their delegations. The scene was an 
impressive and interesting one. Mr. Smith, of California, before 
withdrawing with his delegation, said amid great confusion: "This 
convention has properly been held in a theatre, and upon that stage a play 
has been enacted this evening that will prove a tragedy, of which the 
Democratic party will be the victim." The night of the 22d was a gloomy 
one for those who earnestly desired the unity of the Democratic party. On 
the following morning their hopes were utterly blasted, when Caleb 
Cushing, the president of the convention, and a majority of the 
Massachusetts delegation, also withdrew. "We put our withdrawal before
you," said the Hon. Benjamin F. Butler, of that delegation, "upon the 
simple ground, among others, that there has been a withdrawal, in part, of 
a majority of the States; and further (and that perhaps more personal to 
myself), upon the ground that I will not sit in a convention where the 
African slave-trade--which is piracy by the laws of my country--is 
approvingly advocated." These remarks created a great sensation. On the 
retirement of Mr. Cushing, Governor David Todd, of Ohio, one of the vice-
presidents, took the chair, and the convention proceeded to ballot for a 
Presidential candidate. A considerable number of Southern delegates who 
were satisfied with the Cincinnati platform, remained in the convention, 
and as their respective States were called, some of them made brief 
speeches. One of these was Mr. Flournoy, of Arkansas, the temporary 
chairman of the convention at Charleston. "I am a Southern man," he said, 
"born and reared amid the institution of slavery. I first learned to whirl 
the top and bounce the ball with the young African. Everything I own on 
earth is the result of slave labor. The bread that feeds my wife and 
little ones is produced by the labor of slaves. They live on my plantation 
with

Page 581

every feeling of kindness as between master and slave. Sir, if I could see 
that there is anything intended in our platform unfriendly to the 
institution of slavery--if I could see that we did not get every 
constitutional right we are entitled to--I would be the last on earth to 
submit in this Union; I would myself apply the torch to the magazine and 
blow it into atoms before I would submit to wrong. But I feel that in the 
doctrine of non-intervention and popular sovereignty are enough to protect 
the interests of the South."

The original convention, when freed from the withdrawing delegates, 
nominated Mr. Stephen A. Douglas for the Presidency. Of the one hundred 
and ninety-four and a half votes cast on the second ballot, he received 
one hundred and eighty-one and a half. When the vote was called on the 
resolution of Mr. Hoge of Virginia to make Mr. Douglas unanimously the 
"regular nominee of the Democratic party of the United States for the 
office of President of the United States," an overwhelming unanimous "ay" 
was given, and the whole convention rose, the members cheering, waving 
their hats and yelling frantically. The galleries responded with the most 
enthusiastic acclamations, in the midst of which the banner of the 
"Keystone Club" of Philadelphia was displayed from the upper gallery and 
the band struck up "Hail to the Chief." For five minutes the enthusiastic 
demonstration continued. The cheering would die away and be renewed, the 
convention and spectators all being on their feet and apparently wild with 
excitement. At the evening session a unanimous nomination was made of 
Senator Fitzpatrick of Alabama for the Vice-Presidency, which partook of 
the same characteristics of enthusiasm and concord. Two days afterwards 
Fitzpatrick declined the nomination, when the National Committee 
substituted Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia. On the evening of Saturday, 
the 23d, the convention made a final adjournment.

On the 21st, just at the moment when the most intense anxiety prevailed in 
the theatre as to the presentation of the report of the Committee on 
Credentials, and when Mr. Krum of Missouri was expected to rise, a loud 
crash proceeded from the centre of the floor, and about one hundred and 
fifty of the delegates, including the New York delegation, were observed, 
in the true theatrical manner, to be going down through the stage. For a 
moment a scene of the wildest excitement ensued, which was communicated to 
all parts of the house. The calmness of the president and the members of 
the press soon allayed all apppehensions of danger. The flooring being 
cleared it was ascertained that the front of the stage and the portion 
covering the orchestra had given way, and suddenly sunk about three feet 
in the centre, throwing the settees and those who were on them, within a 
circle of about forty feet, into one wedged mass, from which they 
extricated themselves as rapidly as possible, and fled in all directions 
to distant parts of the house.

Page 582

Fortunately no one was injured. The convention soon after adjourned to 
repair damages.

The delegates who had withdrawn from the convention at the Front Street 
Theatre, together with the delegations from Louisiana and Alabama refused 
admission, met at the Maryland Institute at noon on Saturday the 23d of 
June. The following States were represented by partial or full 
delegations: New York, Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, 
Georgia, California, Oregon, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, 
Mississippi, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Delaware, and 
Pennsylvania. At 5 o'clock the convention was permanently organized by the 
appointment of Hon. Caleb Cushing as president. That gentleman was greeted 
when he ascended the platform with the most vociferous applause, and other 
demonstrations of satisfaction. On taking the chair, he declared that the 
body then assembled formed the true National Democratic Convention, 
composed as it was of delegates duly accredited thereto from more than 
twenty States. The convention then proceeded to business with the greatest 
harmony. They resolved that the delegates to the Richmond Convention 
should be requested to unite with their brethren of the National 
Democratic Convention, then assembled, on the same platform of principles 
with themselves, if they felt authorized to do so. They took seats 
accordingly. Mr. Avery of North Carolina offered the majority report, 
which he had submitted in convention at Charleston, and it was adopted 
without dissent as the platform of principles of the sitting convention, 
and of the party represented. After some further business, the convention 
proceeded to the nomination of candidates for the Presidency and Vice-
Presidency, when George B. Loring of Massachusetts arose and said: "We 
have seen the statesmen of Mississippi coming into our own borders and 
fearlessly defending their principles, ay, and bringing the sectionalism 
of the North at their feet by their gallantry. We have admiration for this 
courage, and I trust to live by it and be governed by it. Among all these 
men to whom we have been led to listen, and whom we admire and respect, 
there is one standing pre-eminently before this country--a young and 
gallant son of the South." He then named John C. Breckenridge, of 
Kentucky, as a nominee for the Presidency. Vehement applause then 
followed. A vote by States was taken, and Breckenridge received eighty-one 
ballots against twenty-four for Daniel S. Dickinson, of New York. The 
latter candidate was withdrawn and the nomination of Breckenridge was 
declared unanimous. Joseph Lane of Oregon was nominated for the Vice-
Presidency. The closing speech of the Breckenridge Convention was made by 
Hon. William L. Yancey, of Alabama, and it was without doubt the most 
powerful address to the Democracy of the campaign.

On Monday, December 17th, the cars of the City Passenger Railway Company 
commenced running day and night for the

Page 583

better accommodation of the public--the cars passing the corner of Calvert 
and Baltimore streets every half hour after twelve o'clock, the fare being 
after that hour ten cents. The running of all night cars continued for one 
week only, when they ceased.

On the 24th of February an act was passed by the General Assembly of 
Maryland incorporating the Baltimore, Catonsville and Ellicott's Mills 
Passenger Railway Company.

On the 10th of October the election to fill the offices of Mayor and City 
Council was held, and the result was as follows: For Mayor--Brown, Reform. 
17,625; Hindes, Know-Nothing, 9,684; Brown's majority, 7,991. A reform 
Mayor and a City Council wholly of Reformers were lifted into power by 
majorities so enormous, and amid the shouts of a triumph so overwhelming 
as to beggar the most enthusiastic expectations. Every hope and desire of 
the great conservative movement with which the good citizens acted was 
realized, and the community stood once more where it was before the 
departing dynasty dragged it down and degraded it--a self-governing 
people, knowing its rights and peacefully maintaining them.

The formal ceremony of opening the magnificent Druid Hill estate to the 
uses of a public park took place at noon on Friday, the 19th of October, 
in the presence of an immense concourse of men, women and children, and 
with a military display of an unusually imposing character. The narrow 
lane running from Boundary avenue to the entrance of the Park was 
literally packed with people and vehicles--a continuous string of 
carriages, buggies, hacks, wagons, and, in fact, every class of vehicle. 
Between three and four thousand children of the public schools, under the 
charge of their respective teachers, marched in file from the ears to the 
Park. Lieut.-Col. William H. Hayward, soon after the Mayor and Park 
Commissioners had taken position on the stand near the mansion, stepped 
forward and announced that the ceremonies would be commenced by prayer, 
which was offered by Rev. Dr. Cummins in the most fervent and eloquent 
manner. Volandt's band then played a beautiful air, after which Mayor 
Swann was introduced and delivered the oration, at the close of which the 
Blues' band played the "Star Spangled Banner" which was received with 
cheers. The school children then sung an ode, composed for the occasion by 
John H. B. Latrobe, Esq., one of the Board of Park Commissioners. The 
Mayor and other dignitaries then left the stand and retired to their 
carriage. They then by invitation proceeded to the residence of Mr. Orem, 
adjoining the Park, where they were handsomely entertained. The artillery 
cadets from St. Timothy's Hall, after the conclusion of the address of 
Mayor Swann, fired a gun for each State and Territory in the Union, and a 
salvo for the Park. The immense crowd of people and the numberless 
vehicles all hurried homeward, and thus ended the celebration of opening 
Druid Hill Park.

Page 584

On the morning of the 31st of October the old and well-known banking-house 
of Josiah Lee & Co. suspended payment; also on the 23d of November the 
banking-house of Samuel Harris & Son.

In November, just after the Presidential election, the following letter 
was written by Governor Hicks, and notwithstanding its treasonable and 
murderous import, the writer became conspicuously loyal before spring, and 
lived to reap splendid rewards and high honors under the auspices of the 
Federal Government, as the most patriotic and devoted Union man in 
Maryland. The person to whom the letter was addressed was equally 
fortunate, and instead of drawing out his comrades in the field to "kill 
Lincoln and his men," he was sent to Congress by power exerted from 
Washington at a time when the administration selected the representatives 
of Maryland, and performed all his duties right loyally and acceptably.

"State of Maryland, Executive Chamber,
"Annapolis, Nov. 9th, 1860.

"Hon. E. H. Webster:

"My Dear Sir:--I have pleasure in acknowledging receipt of your favor 
introducing a very clever gentleman to my acquaintance (though a Demo.). I 
regret to say that we have at this time no arms on hand to distribute, but 
assure you at the earliest possible moment your company shall have arms; 
they have complied with all required of them on their part. We have some 
delay in consequence of contracts with Georgia and Alabama, ahead of us, 
and we expect at an early day an additional supply, and of the first 
received your people shall be furnished. Will they be good men to send out 
to kill Lincoln and his men? If not, suppose the arms would be better sent 
South. How does late election sit with you? 'Tis too bad. Harford nothing 
to reproach herself for. Your obedient servant,   Thomas H. Hicks."

The first evidence of the co-operation of any portion of our citizens in 
the secession movement was manifested November 26th, by unfurling to the 
breeze two Palmetto or South Carolina flags. The first was displayed at 
the old Liberty engine-house, on Liberty street, near Fayette (since torn 
down), by a number of men belonging to a branch of an association of 
Southern volunteers.

In pursuance of a call published in the daily papers, a meeting was held 
on Saturday night, December 22d, in the Universalist Church building, 
North Calvert street, to "take some action in regard to the convening of 
the Legislature by the Governor." The Hon. John C. Legrand, Chief Justice 
of the Court of Appeals, was made president. Addresses were then made by 
William H. Ryan, Coleman Yellott and William H. Norris.