1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 622 Trigger

Colonel Barlow's concerns were not unfounded. These Baltimore women who came to Fort McHenry in the name of condolences were not kind people.

These women in Baltimore cried out to the garrison at Fort McHenry, claiming that their husbands were innocent and the breadwinner of the family. Without their husbands, they could not even maintain a basic life. Hopefully the garrison at Fort McHenry will de-martialize Baltimore and free their husbands, fathers and children.

The tears of the Baltimore women moved the few soft-hearted young garrison troops to sympathize with their plight.

But General Dix had already given strict orders. How could the garrison at Fort McHenry dare to disobey military orders, lift military control over Baltimore, and release slaveholding elements?

Seeing that softness was too much, the women of the Baltimore Women's Federation decided to be tougher and strengthen the garrison at Fort McHenry.

A representative of the Baltimore Women's Federation stood in front of a cannon, pointed at the cannon and asked Lieutenant Colonel Barlow coldly: "Your Majesty, Lieutenant Colonel, why do your cannons not point at the Atlantic Ocean, not at the enemy, but at Baltimore City? People of America, are the people of Baltimore your enemies?”

Lieutenant Colonel Barlow, who was still young and had limited experience, was speechless for a moment. He didn't know how to answer this sensitive and difficult question appropriately in front of everyone, especially in the presence of newspaper reporters.

This is a political question rather than a military question, and it is not something that a young lieutenant colonel like him can answer clearly. Military enemies are easy to define, but political enemies are always difficult to define.

Why did you come to Fort McHenry on the outskirts of Baltimore to garrison? Why should the muzzle be pointed at the people of Baltimore who are also Americans? Lieutenant Colonel Barlow himself felt very confused and confused about this.

"If you are restless, you are our enemy, and I will definitely suppress it. The cannon you are pointing at is the first cannon I want to fire." Dix walked to the front and stabilized the situation. Said ruthlessly.

Dix's words did not scare away the Baltimore women who gathered at Fort McHenry. After all, few Baltimore women who dared to come to the Union Army Fort were timid.

Furthermore, Dix's military control of Baltimore did seriously affect the normal production and life of local people. The non-frontier areas of the United States have enjoyed peace for a long time. The last time Baltimore was under martial law was in 1815 during the Second War of Independence.

Not to mention the opposition in Baltimore, even the local people who supported the abolition of slavery were not accustomed to this unfree life with restricted travel everywhere, and opposed the military control of Baltimore.

Collins, the chief photographer of "The Daily Californian," seemed to have anticipated what was going to happen next. He had already prepared his bulky camera and was ready to capture the next scene.

The women of Baltimore did not leave. Seeing that the Union Army at Fort McHenry refused to accept their offer, they started shouting and swearing in Fort McHenry and even got into physical conflicts with the Union Army officers and soldiers.

General Dix, who had a bad temper to begin with, was very angry at the behavior of these slave owners and wives, and ordered the arrest of some of the most noisy ones in the crowd, hoping to deter this unreasonable group of people. Slave owner's wife.

The soldiers who received the order quickly targeted the crowd and stepped forward to arrest several Baltimore vixens.

Unexpectedly, these Baltimore shrews took out explosives from the vegetable basket or lifted up their skirts and took the initiative to detonate them at the Union soldiers who wanted to arrest them.

Before Dix, Barlow, and the soldiers at Fort McHenry realized what was happening, more than a dozen of their companions went to see God, and another twenty or thirty others fell in a pool of blood holding their broken bodies and arms. wailing. In addition, three or four valuable cannons were damaged to varying degrees in this sudden attack.

"These damn Dixie bitches!" Dix obviously didn't realize that these Baltimore women would play such a trick on him.

The messy scene in front of him and the painful wails of the wounded soldiers made Dix completely lose his mind. You must know that many of these soldiers who fell on the ground, dead or injured, were fellow countrymen he brought from New York or even relatives and friends.

These damn Dixies, men and women, are hopeless.

"Load ammunition!" This was the first order given by Dix after reacting to the attack.

The soldiers of the New York State Militia and New Jersey State Militia around Dix quickly loaded their Springfield M1842 rifles after hearing Dix's concise and clear order.

After finishing loading, these hurried northern militiamen raised their guns and pointed their guns at the Baltimore women who had been frightened and had not yet reacted to the shock.

"Free fire!" Dix gave the order to shoot coldly. At this moment, he already regarded these restless Baltimore women as enemies.

News that Dix's unit shot a Baltimore woman at Fort McHenry quickly spread throughout Baltimore.

Many people in Baltimore who originally chose to remain silent under the bayonets of the Northern Army chose to join armed groups that resisted the Northern Army. They attacked the Union Army patrols, burned the Stars and Stripes symbolizing the federal government, and paraded through the city holding high the Stars and Stripes symbolizing the power of the Confederate states.

In the face of strong resistance from Baltimoreans, Dix's martial law in Baltimore remained in name only.

Dix's two infantry regiments were unable to effectively control Baltimore, a city with a population of more than 100,000 and dense resistance and armed forces. He had to withdraw the troops originally stationed in the city to impose military control on Baltimore back to Fort McHenry to reduce personnel losses and maintain deterrence against Baltimore. At the same time, he called Washington to request reinforcements.

But soon, Dix discovered that the telegraph line at Fort McHenry had long been cut off.

The telegraph line at Fort McHenry, which was still functioning normally, was suddenly cut off, which made Dix realize that what happened today was no accident, but had been planned. These Dixie guys are so fucking shameless, pushing women out to use as shields.

Dix climbed to the tower of Fort McHenry and saw the Baltimoreans flooding into Fort McHenry.

These angry Baltimoreans were armed with a variety of firearms and even pushed a dozen cannons, shouting slogans such as capturing Fort McHenry and rescuing the people of Baltimore. Looking at the posture, it seems that they are going to attack Fort McHenry.

Not long after, a letter sent by Baltimore Mayor Max confirmed his conjecture.

Max's wording in the letter was very harsh. It was more of an ultimatum to Dix than a letter.

Max demanded that Dix and his New York and New Jersey militia surrender, otherwise Fort McHenry would become the wrath of the Union troops.

Dix made his stance clear by tearing up Max's letter and expelling Max's messenger from Fort McHenry.

Fortunately, Fort McHenry is a military fortress built near the sea, and its contact with the outside world has not been completely cut off. Before the sea route was completely cut off, Dix asked Lieutenant Colonel Barlow and three signal corpsmen to take off their military uniforms and put on civilian clothes. They took a speedboat to sea with a letter asking for help and went to Washington to report the emergency situation in Baltimore.

The current situation in Baltimore can no longer be controlled by two militia groups.

Collins took his camera and film aboard Garrett's private yacht.

On the calm waters of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Collins stared at Fort McHenry not far away and asked: "Can this ragtag group of people in Baltimore take Fort McHenry?"

"The armed groups in Baltimore are divided. They don't have a strong leader and lack heavy weapons. It's very difficult to capture Fort McHenry. Besides, what if they capture Fort McHenry?" Garrett is not optimistic. This hastily assembled armed group in Baltimore was able to capture Fort McHenry.

Fort McHenry is a coastal defense fortress carefully built by the federal government. Not to mention the civilian armed groups in Baltimore, even the British army would have trouble taking over the heavily guarded Fort McHenry in a short period of time.

"Also, if Fort McHenry falls, there won't be two militia regiments waiting for the people of Baltimore." Collins sighed.

"I'll take you to New York. You can take the train back to California from New York. The governor is waiting for your photo." Garrett said with his hands behind his back.

"Is the governor eager to get these photos to find a reason not to go with the North?" Collins asked tentatively.

The war between the north and the south is a foregone conclusion, and the only uncertain factor now is the west.