Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/276

 260 8ou.the.ru Historical Society Papers.

five or six in all, I think, though there may not have been more than three or four. The group scattered instantly Mr. Davis falling. I. thinking that he had slipped across the ties, which were wet and afforded a very insecure footing, asked him if he was hurt. His reply was: ' I am killed.' I called to Colonel Shutt, whom I recog- nized standing on the rear platform of the train, to stop the cars; that there were murderers on board. The others of the party snatched up missies to hurl at the receding train. I helped to raise Mr. Davis, saw the wound in his left shoulder and that he was dead, and placing the body in the hands of the police, who came up at the moment, hastened to town to carry the terrible news to Mr. Davis' partners and friends. There were five in the party. There were no persons nearer to them than another group no larger, and two of whom were policemen, at the corner of the paved street al- ready mentioned, 200 yards off. They were unarmed, had made no demonstration of violence and intended none. No missies were thrown by any of the party, and when they cheered they were in ignorance of .the fact that the troops had met with resistance in town and were exasperated by the loss of their comrades."

In the meantime the unarmed Pennsylvania recruits which had been left at President Street Station, were in a deplorable dilemma. They were surrounded by a hostile and very angry crowd and were subjected to indignities and some violence. Some of them, seized with a panic, fled and dispersed through the city. During the night many of them straggled into the police stations and begged for pro- tection. Those who remained in President Street Station were later on put on cars and hauled out of town toward Philadelphia. Some straggled as far as Harford county and were put in jail. Bridges on the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore and Northern Central roads were burned by order of the Mayor, with the assent of Gov- ernor Hicks, and all communication with the East and North was destroyed. Policemen and members of the Maryland Guard were sent out to do the work. The reason of this action was the convic- tion that if more troops had come through the city at that time, there would be great disturbances and bloodshed. Judge Bond, G. W. Dobbin and John C. Brime were sent to Washington to beg the President to stop the transmission of troops through Baltimore, but he gave them no satisfaction that day, and the city government took hold of the matter and burned the bridges. The next day a letter was received from the President saying that the troops might march around Baltimore and not through it. Governor Hicks said he had