Pratt Street Riot collection
Collection
0502-MDHC
The first casualities of the American Civil War occurred in Baltimore City on April 19, 1861 when scores of Confederate sympathizers and anti-War Democrats attacked Union troops marching through the city. Documents in this collection from eye-witnesses John E. Brown, Edwin Fowler, Asbury Clark, and Felix van Reuth describe the events of April 19th as well as events that occurred after the riots and various pro-Union and pro-Confederate sentiments in the Baltimore area. The collection consists of correspondence, and one song called "A Southern Song" all written in 1861.
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2.75 Linear Feet
The entirety of the Pratt Street Riot Collection materials date from 1861. The collection consists of personal correspondence from local citizens and visitors who witnessed the riots and its aftermath in Baltimore, as well as the lyrics to one song written by an anonymous Southern sympathizer.
The Pratt Street Riot, also known as the Baltimore Riot of 1861 or the Pratt Street Massacre, occurred on April 19, 1861. Violence broke out between members of the Massachusetts militia who were marching through to Washington, D.C., and local Confederate sympathizers and anti-War Democrats. By the end of the day, four soldiers and twelve civilians were killed and scores were wounded on both sides. The riot prompted the Union to send many more troops to Maryland to ensure that it did not secede and join the Confederacy, and General Benjamin Butler declared martial law in the city the next month. Since there were no deaths at the Battle of Fort Sumter earlier that month, the causalities at the Pratt Street Riot were the first of the Civil War.
This cCollection was purchased in August 2014 from Michael J. Osborne Books with generous funding from the Gordon S. Mackenzie Estate.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives