The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the Pratt Street Riot and the Pratt Street Massacre) was a conflict on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland, between anti-War Democrats (the largest party in Maryland), as well as Confederate sympathizers, and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service. It produced the first deaths by hostile action in the American Civil War.
Interesting, that. Especially if you don't believe much in coincidence...
Sent by an ally.
* Just an FYI - Pratt Street today is just a few blocks from Camden Yards, and stretches both east and west, where much of the current action is taking place. As the image on my sidebar mentions: Of course history repeats itself - MotherF*ckers don't listen...
Kerodin
III
Thanks and you'll enjoy this.
ReplyDeleteFirst Confederate Soldier Killed In The WBTS
http://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=56&highlight=tarboro
William R. Clark, First Confederate Soldier Killed In The WBTS
Although Henry L. Wyatt of North Carolina's Edgecombe Guards in Tarboro has always been acclaimed as the first to die at Bethel on June 10, 1861, new evidence shows that William R. Clark preceded him, and Edgecombe's own William Dorsey Pender played a part in this event. Private Wyatt, whose fountain on the Tarboro Common was dedicated by the Dixie-Lee Chapter, CofC in 1910, still retains the honor of being first to give his life in an organized battle.
Artillery Captain William Dorsey Pender went to Baltimore, Maryland March 24, 1861, to take charge of the Confederate Recruiting Station on Market Place. Secession fever was running high, and those enlisting were sent south by boat. On April 11, Captain Pender was suddenly ordered to close the station, and report to Montgomery, Alabama. On the way, he learned of the planned attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina which revealed the reason for his abrupt departure. Captain Pender had enlisted William R. Clark before he left, and Clark was still waiting for transportation south on April 19. This was the day of the Baltimore Massacre, and in a confrontation with Massachusetts Volunteers, Clark was "instantly killed at the corner of Pratt and South Streets by a Minnie ball which entered on the right side of the eye and passing through the head came out the other side."
Captain Pender, who is buried at Calvary Episcopal Church in Tarboro, went on to distinguish himself until he was mortally wounded on the third day of Gettysburg, and became the youngest Confederate Major General at that time to die in defense of his country. Referring to the fact that General Pickett was not properly re-enforced during his famous charge, General Robert E. Lee later said "I shall ever believe if *General Pender had remained on his horse half an hour longer, we would have carried the enemy's position."
Brock Townsend
Gleaned from NC & CW 02/07 & CV 11-12/06, Robert E. Reyes author
*Related by marriage. My mother was Emily Pender Pippen.
And Pratt street is the northern bound of Fells Point, which has a full history for harboring troublemakers of a certain variety... Been to the Red Star Bar many times; its the prefect warmup for the Tatoo Museum.
ReplyDeleteBut the Bond Street Wharf ain't what it used to be, and this area is seasoned well enough with money, that I don't believe it was the locals who wanted to burn stuff down.
Point being - I know those folks. This isn't their brand of shit to pull; so if they're doing it, then there are outside agitators being brought in, forcing the crowd in particular directions, and encouraging them to be violent. That impulse was bussed in. Word I heard was that there were a lotta folks from Philly on those busses...