391]           The Maryland Constitution of 1864.              45

Northern Central Railroad near Cockeysville on July 10,
and pushed across the country, cutting the telegraph wires
on the Harford and Philadelphia turnpikes. A small de-
tachment came down Charles Street Avenue and burned
Governor Bradford's handsome residence five miles from
Baltimore at an early hour on the morning of July 11. This
was done as a retaliation for the burning of the residence
of Governor Letcher, of Virginia, by a Union force under
General Hunter.

There was skirmishing on the York Road at Govans-
town, a few miles from the city, and also near Pikesville,
but the main part of the force struck the Philadelphia Rail-
road at Magnolia Station, eighteen miles from Baltimore,
and captured two of the morning trains from the city; also
burning the Gunpowder River bridge. They soon after
retired toward the west and joining the main body of Gen-
eral Early's army, the whole force recrossed the Potomac
at Seneca and near Poolesville, carrying a large amount
of booty with them. A levy of $200,000 had been laid
upon Frederick and collected before the town was evacu-
ated.²⁶

The excitement throughout the state was most intense,
but at no place greater than in Baltimore City, especially
on Sunday, July 10, when it was learned that General Wal-
lace had been defeated at Monocacy. The city was
startled at an early hour of that day by the general ringing
of alarm bells, and in a short time the streets were thronged
with excited crowds. A joint proclamation was issued by
Governor Bradford, who was in the city, and by Mayor
Chapman, calling upon the citizens to rally at once to resist
the invaders, and the City Council, by a joint resolution,
appropriated $100,000 to aid in the defense. The call
met with a ready response, and it was estimated that about
ten thousand of the citizens of Baltimore were organized.
Major-General E. O. C. Ord arrived in the city on Monday,

²⁶ See contemporary newspapers for further particulars.