previous next


[430] in the crowd, was next attacked and dealt several blows about the head. The police, under the direction of Marshal Van Nostrand, succeeded in taking him to the office of the Police Commissioners, adjoining the headquarters of Gen. Dix, where he remained for a half-hour and was then quietly conducted by two policemen to his residence. He thanked the police for their protection. On the way to the headquarters the party were followed by a crowd of five or six hundred men, who cried out “hang him!” “hang him!” and two in the crowd drew out ropes from their pockets intent upon the execution, but the strong detachment of police succeeded, with great difficulty, in his protection.

For three or four hours the crowd continued to increase, until Baltimore street was filled with excited men. Occasionally a secessionist would be seen, when he would either be chased away or beaten if caught, and many a one received blows and kicks which they will long remember. About half-past 11 o'clock Captain Joseph Mitchel, of the Middle District Police Station, proceeded to the Independent Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Assembly Rooms, and had an interview with one of its officials. He described the state of affairs and advised them to suspend their services and retire, especially as many in the crowd threatened to attack the men when they left the building. The official declined doing so, and said he preferred seeing a higher officer in relation to the matter. Marshal Van Nostrand then went up and requested that the males upon retiring, should avoid Baltimore street as much as possible in order to get to their homes peaceably. The suggestion was acted upon by a large number of persons, who retired as privately as possible and received no indignity as far as we could ascertain. The usual afternoon session of the Sabbath-school was not held, and the evening services dispensed with. The cause of the threat made by some in the crowd is obvious when it is known that nearly all the members of the congregation and those who attend the services are avowed secessionists.

In the afternoon, a number of openly avowed secessionists, in various sections of the city, were attacked by the Union men and whipped, on account of their exultation and rejoicing over the defeat of Colonel Kenly's regiment. A difficulty occurred in front of the residence of Mr. Passano, High street, near Lombard, between a secessionist and a Union man, the particulars we have not yet obtained. Mr. Passano, it is reported, left his house and was participating in the affair when the Union man seized a brick and threw it at him, inflicting a severe wound upon the head, which bled profusely. He was taken into the house and received the attention of a physician. There was considerable excitement at the place, and the ladies of the family, who saw the affair from the windows, contributed to it by their loud screaming.

A gentleman named James Knox, of the firm of Knox & Co., shipping and commission merchants on Smith's wharf, while passing along North street, got into a difficulty and was immediately attacked by several in the crowd. A proposition was made to hang him near the Chesapeake Bank, but in this instance, as well as in others, the police proved superior to the crowd, and succeeded in getting him off safely. It is claimed that he is a British subject.

In the course of the morning, Thomas W. Gorman was observed standing in the portico of the City Hotel, when a crowd started in pursuit, but they were not quick enough, for he managed to escape by a private entrance.

In the afternoon the excitement was equally as great as in the morning, but, notwithstanding the crowd was much larger, there were but few fights, and those of but little consequence. The secessionists having been apprized by the events of the morning, of what would result from their appearance in the central portion of the city, were prudent enough to keep out of the way. Those composing the crowd on Baltimore street kept moving up and down the street, from South to Calvert streets. Shortly after five o'clock, Samuel Hindes, Esq., one of the Police Commissioners, mounted a box, near the corner of Calvert and Baltimore streets, and made a spirited address to the crowd, urging these composing it to pay respect to the law by quietly dispersing to their homes. In compliance with his request the crowd dispersed, and quiet reigned once more on the street.

During the day the following-named parties were arrested by the police and taken to the Middle District Station: Robert Morrow, who became engaged in a difficulty through his observing that he wished every one in the Maryland regiment to be killed. He was committed to jail. Frederick Harrison, of Baltimore county, arrested by United States Deputy Marshal Williams, on a charge of interfering with the officers in the discharge of their duties. James Knox and Samuel Drury, Thomas Rodgers, Wensel Kennedy and John Young, were arrested by other officers on charges of acting disorderly or fighting in the street. Young, Kennedy and Drury were discharged by Justice Hiss and the others released on security, Harrison for a hearing this morning. Caleb Sawyer was arrested and fined five dollars for discharging a pistol at John Isaacs. This affair occurred on Calvert street, Sawyer being pointed out as a rebel while passing near the corner of Baltimore street, and on his running away was pursued by an excited crowd, at the foremost of which he discharged several barrels of his revolver. Sergeant Pryor ran to and succeeded in protecting him from the crowd, none of whom received any injury from the discharge of the revolver.

Major-General Dix sent for Marshal Van Nostrand and asked if his force was sufficient to preserve the peace of the city, and received an answer in the affirmative. He assured the Marshal that such proceedings should not be tolerated in his Department, and that if necessary he would call out the military.


--Baltimore American, May 26.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide Places (automatically extracted)
hide People (automatically extracted)
hide Dates (automatically extracted)
Sort dates alphabetically, as they appear on the page, by frequency
Click on a date to search for it in this document.
May 26th (2)
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: