A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Diary of Charles Francis Adams, 1861

Thursday 18th

18 April 1861

Saturday 20th

20 April 1861
19 April 1861
120
Friday 19th
Boston
CFA

1861-04-19

AM

The newspapers this morning did not confirm either of the rumors of yesterday excepting the last, and that came in good earnest. The substance of it was that the first of the Massachusetts regiments in attempting to cross from one depot station to the other in Baltimore had met with obstructions. The rails had been taken up, and they were assaulted with stones to such a degree that they had fired and there had been a loss of life on both sides. Baltimore mobs have had a proverbial reputation for more than half a century. The despatches averred that the regiment had succeeded in getting through, but up to a late hour last night there was reason to infer that a hundred or more had been cut off from the rest and left to the tender mercies of the savages, in the Depot for Washington. I confess I could not get over this for some time after I went to bed. Massachusetts has as usual shown her energies advantageously, and on her as usual falls the weight of the struggle. That a corps so imperfectly disciplined121 should have borne so hard a trial without breaking all to pieces is on the whole a consolation. We are also to remember that this is an anniversary, and that eighty six years ago a similar struggle took place. This is but carrying out the principles the struggle for which began then. My day was much the same as usual Mr Palfrey dined with us, and in the evening we had Miss Lucy, Dr Frothingham Mr Ellis and Mr Quincy. Of course nothing is talked of but these events and the war excitement runs higher than ever. Yet the question will recur, if the ingress through Maryland to the Capitol be cut of what is to become of the Officers of the Government. A more cunningly devised rat trap cannot be imagined. More troops sent off today.

Cite web page as:

Charles Francis Adams, Sr., [date of entry], diary, in Charles Francis Adams, Sr.: The Civil War Diaries (Unverified Transcriptions). Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2015. http://www.masshist.org/publications/cfa-civil-war/view?id=DCA61d109