John G. Nicolay, The Outbreak of Rebellion

[108] President authorized General Scott to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus within certain limits, and empowered him to arrest or disperse the Legislature in case they attempted treason. Annapolis was garrisoned and lightly fortified; a military guard was pushed along the railroads toward Baltimore simultaneously from the South and the North; and, on May 13th, General Butler, by a bold, though entirely unauthorized movement, entered the city in the dusk of evening, while a convenient thunder-storm was raging, with less than a thousand men, part of whom were the now famous Massachusetts Sixth, and during the night entrenched himself on Federal Hill. General Scott reprimanded the “hazardous” movement; nevertheless, the little garrison met no further molestation or attack, and soon, supported by other detachments, open resistance to the Government disappeared from the entire State. Independent regiments of Maryland volunteers entered the Federal service; a sweeping political reaction also set in, demonstrating that the Union sentiment was largely predominant; between which and the presence of Union troops the legislative intrigue was blighted, and the persistent secession minority and almost irrepressible local conspiracy were effectually baffled, though not without constant vigilance and severe discipline throughout the remainder of the year.

While the Government was thus mainly occupied in restoring its authority in Maryland, the rebels were busy in military organization in various parts of Virginia. Among the resignations from the Federal army were two officers of especial prominence-Joseph E. Johnston, Quartermaster-General, of the rank of Brigadier-General, and Robert E. Lee, lately promoted to be Colonel of the First Cavalry. Lee was an officer of great promise, and a personal favorite of General Scott, who at once conceived the idea of putting