History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

you. It represents my whole command ; and, so
help me God, I -will never disgrace it !
Before leaving the city, Lizzie Clawson Jones,
the youthful daughter of the colonel, was adopted
as the daughter of the regiment.
At seven p. Ji. the line of march was taken for
the Worcester depot, under the escort of the second
battalion of infantry. The shouts of the people,
mingled with the discharge of cannon and the ring-
ing of the bells, were heard all through the route.
At Worcester the military, fire department, and
thousands of people lined the track as the train
passed. Early on the morning of the 18th the regiment
arrived in New York and marched to its quar-
ters at the Astor, St. Nicholas, and Metropolitan
hotels. The reception was cordial and enthusi-
astic. The streets were literally packed with sol-
diers and citizens to do it honor. At noon the
6th marched to the Jersey Ferry, and took the
train for Washington. At Trenton and Newark,
N. J., a salute was fired in honor of its appear-
ance. The 6th arrived .at Philadelphia about eight
o'clock, p. M., where the crowds of people were
so dense that the regiment could only move tlirough
the streets by the flank. The cheering was inces-
sant. The officers were entertained at the Conti-
nental Hotel, and the soldiers were quartered at
the Girard House. While the soldiers were
seeking repose. Colonel Jones had a conference
with Brigadier-General P. S. Davis, of the First
Brigade, Massachusetts Militia, who had been sent
forward by Governor Andrew to arrange subsistence
and transportation, and who, liaving heard the
most exciting rumors and threats from Baltimore,
declined to take the responsibility of ordering the
regiment either to go on or wait for further infor-
mation. Colonel Jones' reply was, " My orders are
to reach Washington at the earliest possible moment,
and I shall go on." General Davis, extending Ins
hand, replied, " Colonel, if you go on, I sliall go
with you." The only fear Colonel Jones expressed,
in continuing the conference, was, that the train
might be destroyed by an obstruction on the track,
or by the destruction of a bridge, causing a whole-
sale slauglitei-, for which the friends of the regiment
would hold iiini responsible ; but he added, " My
orders are peremptory, and, whatever may be llie
consequences, I must proceed." They arranged
for the despatch of a pilot engine, in advance of
the train, to avoid a casualty. Tlie soldiers liad
scarcely retired to rest in Philadelpliia, when tlie
long roll sounded, and tiicy were obliged (o (urn
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
"
out. They left at one o'clock, A. m., April 19.
All possible care was taken in embarking the men,
so that, if called upon to disembark suddenly, they
would be in regimental Hue. The car containing
the field and staff' officers was at the head of the
train. At Havre-de-Grace the cars were not run
off the ferry-boat in the order in which they went
on. This derangement may have conferred martyrdom
on men who would otherwise have escaped.
On arriving at the Susquehanna, the train was
augmented by the addition of cars containing an
unarmed corps of young men apparently from
sixteen to twenty-two years of age, numbering
about one thousand, calling themselves Small's
Brigade. In rearranging the train on the south
side of the Susquehanna, it being night, some of
the cars, in which were a portion of the 6th regi-
ment, were misplaced, separating them from the
other companies of the regiment. Company K,
Captain Sampson, was to have had the left, and
thus, with Major Watson, would have had the post
of honor, but for the derangement at Havre-de-
Grace, which misplaced the companies so that, on
their arrival in Baltimore, Company D occupied
the position of Company K, and Company L, which
belonged on the right, was transferred to the left.
Quartermaster Munroe had distributed twenty
rounds of ball cartridge, and Colonel Jones had
gone through the cars, issuing an order for the
regiment to march across Baltimore in column of
sections. The soldiers loaded and capped their
rifles. The colonel ordered Major AA'^atson, his
second in command, to repair, upon the stopping
of the train, to the left company. Captain Sampson,
and remain in the car with that company. When
the train arrived and stopped (about 10 o'clock,
A. M.), the major proceeded fiom the forward car
to the one containing Captain Sampson's command.
No oilier came lo file out. All the cars forward
of (';i|it;iiii Siimpson's company, or tiie larger por-
tion of I hat cnmpany, disappeared, and horses were
being attached to tliat car. Major Watson supposed
he had tlie left of the regiment, and no intimation
had been received of a change in tlie orders. The
railroad authorities, without consulting the colonel,
had ordered the cars drawn across the city by horses,
before the mob collected, as the regiment w".s not
expected until about noon. The car containing
Captain Sampson's company, at the first turn in
the street, owing to obstructions, was thrown from
the track. Major Watson, with the aid of a passing
team, ixqjlaced it upon the track. Tiie mob