Rare 1861 Civil War Pamphlet Baltimore Police Arrest Fort McHenry Lincoln
$650.00
Skip to product information
Civil War & Constitutional History — a rare original 1861 pamphlet documenting the controversial federal arrest and imprisonment of Baltimore’s police commissioners during the opening months of the American Civil War. Titled Memorial of Chas. Howard, Wm. H. Gatchell, John W. Davis, Police Commissioners of the City of Baltimore, to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, this complete 16-page pamphlet was issued by the commissioners following their arrest by Union soldiers and confinement at Fort McHenry.
After the Baltimore Riot of April 1861 and President Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, Union authorities moved to suppress suspected Southern sympathizers and secure Maryland for the Union. Charles Howard, William H. Gatchell, and John W. Davis state that soldiers awakened them during the early morning of July 1, forcibly removed them from their homes and families, and imprisoned them without being formally charged or tried. Their memorial challenges the legality of their detention, defends their conduct as Baltimore police commissioners, and appeals directly to the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The final page reproduces Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s July 1 proclamation justifying their arrest.
An important contemporary primary source concerning the Union military occupation of Baltimore, Fort McHenry political prisoners, civil liberties, federal authority, Maryland’s divided loyalties, and the suspension of habeas corpus during the earliest months of the Civil War.
Complete with all 16 numbered pages in its original printed wrappers. The pamphlet remains intact and presents exceptionally well for its age. Wrappers and pages show expected age toning, light staining and soiling, scattered small marks, gentle handling wear, and minor corner bends, including a crease at the upper-right corner of the front wrapper. The penciled “1861” notation on the front appears to be an older ownership or catalog notation. Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition and appearance.
SKU V/1
Rare 1861 Civil War Pamphlet Baltimore Police Arrest Fort McHenry Lincoln
$650.00
After the Baltimore Riot of April 1861 and President Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, Union authorities moved to suppress suspected Southern sympathizers and secure Maryland for the Union. Charles Howard, William H. Gatchell, and John W. Davis state that soldiers awakened them during the early morning of July 1, forcibly removed them from their homes and families, and imprisoned them without being formally charged or tried. Their memorial challenges the legality of their detention, defends their conduct as Baltimore police commissioners, and appeals directly to the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The final page reproduces Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s July 1 proclamation justifying their arrest.
An important contemporary primary source concerning the Union military occupation of Baltimore, Fort McHenry political prisoners, civil liberties, federal authority, Maryland’s divided loyalties, and the suspension of habeas corpus during the earliest months of the Civil War.
Complete with all 16 numbered pages in its original printed wrappers. The pamphlet remains intact and presents exceptionally well for its age. Wrappers and pages show expected age toning, light staining and soiling, scattered small marks, gentle handling wear, and minor corner bends, including a crease at the upper-right corner of the front wrapper. The penciled “1861” notation on the front appears to be an older ownership or catalog notation. Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition and appearance.
SKU V/1