There were now at
President Street Station four companies of the Massachusetts Regiment, C, D, I and L, under
Captains Follonsbee,
Hart,
Pickering and
Dike.
They were cut off from their colonel and the rest of the command.
In these four companies were 220 men, who were confronted by a dense and angry crowd, cheering for
Jeff. Davis and the
Confederacy, and denouncing
Lincoln and the
North.
The unarmed
Pennsylvanians and the regimental band remained in the railroad station, but the four
Massachusetts companies formed on President street and began their famous march to
Camden Station.
As they marched up President street the commotion increased.
A man went for some distance in advance of the soldiers carrying a Confederate flag, but this was taken away from him by other citizens.
The march had hardly begun when the stones began to fly, increasing as the soldiers advanced.
It was remarked that many of the stones were thrown by negroes.
At the corner of Fawn street two soldiers were knocked down, seriously injured.
In crossing Pratt street bridge obstructions were encountered, over which the soldiers had to pick their way. Very soon the soldiers became utterly frightened and demoralized and broke into a run, or a double-quick as it was called, firing at random as they ran. They killed and wounded a number of citizens, but invariably those who were taking no part in the attack.
Those who were engaged in the attack were behind, in pursuit, and the soldiers, instead of facing about to defend themselves, fired generally to the front.
At the corner of
South street several citizens who were standing in a group fell, killed or wounded by the reckless firing of the soldiers.
Near the corner of Light street a soldier was mortally wounded and a boy on a vessel lying in the dock at that place was killed.
Near the
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257]
same place three soldiers at the head of the column fired into a group of spectators standing on the sidewalk and killed Philip Thomas Miles, of West Fayette street, and wounded others.
The first shot was fired by the soldiers at Pratt street bridge, and at the corner of Gay street the first round was fired by the soldiers, and a number of citizens fell.
When it became evident that the troops were firing with ball cartridges there was a mad rush for arms.
The crowd first went to the armory, but that was closely guarded, and then there was a rush for the gun shops.
The store of
J. C. J. Meyer, on Pratt street, and that of
Alexander McComas, on South Calvert street, were invaded and the guns, pistols and ammunition were taken.
At the first of the collison the people were entirely unarmed.
