Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/281

. I />/// /.'//A, 1861.

people are arming in muss. To prevent terrific bloodshed the result of your interview and arrangement is awaited." The Mayor in reply sent a dispatch to Mr. Garrett saying: " Be calm and do no- thing until you hear from me again." Having dispatched this, Messrs. Brown, Brune, Wallis and Dobbin returned in haste to the President and exhibited to him Mr. Garrett's dispatch, which gave the President great surprise. The President summoned the Secre- tary of War and General Scott, and urged the recall of the troops, saving he had no idea they would be there. Lest there should be the slightest suspicion of bad faith on his part in summoning the Mayor to Washington and allowing the troops to march on the city during his absence, he desired that the troops should, if it were prac- ticable, be sent back at once to York or Harrisburg. General Scott adopted the President's view, and an order was prepared by the Lieutenant- General to that effect and forwarded to Major Belger, who accompanied the Mayor and his colleagues back to Baltimore. The troops were ordered back to Harrisburg, thence to Philadelphia. From that city they were to go to Perryville, and thence as Major- General Patterson should direct.

THE CAMP AT COCKEYSVILLE.

The troops at Cockeysville, numbering 2,400, about half of them unarmed, did not receive their orders to return to Pennsylvania for several days. During the interval they were in sad plight, without food and proper camp equipment. There was some sickness, due to want of food, and Marshal Kane sent wagon loads of bread and meat to them. After the alarm about the invasion had been quieted by the Mayor many citizens of Baltimore went to Cockeysville to visit the camp. The following incident is from The Sun of April 22: "In the afternoon Mr. Albert Ritchie and Mr. Samuel Gassaway visited the camp. Many of the soldiers expressed a desire to come through Baltimore, and asked Mr. Ritchie which flag the people of Baltimore were under. He told them a few days ago the people of Baltimore were divided, but they were now a unit for secession. He was then asked which he fought under, and promptly replied that he was a secessionist, and showed his badge. Several voices then cried 'seize him,' and Mr. Ritchie was caught by the throat and sur- rounded. He told them that would never do, and he was released. Mr. Ritchie told them that they could not pass through Baltimore unless they sacked the city and killed all the inhabitants. Several