July 1, 1861 (Monday): Arrest of the Baltimore Police Commissioners

Port of Baltimore-Maryland Historical Society Library

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ANNAPOLIS,
July 1, 1861.
Colonel EDWARD F. JONES,
Sixth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers.
SIR: Major-General Banks directs that you will proceed with a detachment of nine companies of your regiment immediately upon receipt of this order to the residence of Mr. Charles Howard, late a member of the board of police commissioners, or wherever else he may be found and him the said Howard arrest and securely hold and bring him to Fort McHenry in this department without fail; for all of which these presents and orders shall be your full warrant and authority.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBT. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

On June 28th General Banks ordered the arrest of Kane, marshall of police of Baltimore.  The police board of commissioners protested, declaring police law suspended and the police force officially off duty.  Banks believed arms were being stored by the police for some future use against Union authority.  Maryland citizens were volunteering in large numbers for service in the Confederacy and Baltimore was a base of operations against the vital Baltimore and Ohio railroad.  Lincoln and many northerners reserved a particular dislike for the state, and it took little provocation to suspend civil liberties in the state.