Camp Carroll Rioting Troops Being Mustered Out
The muster out of troops and return to civil life of the men who had
been hardened soldiers was attended with difficulties. The men often
began to feel liberty while yet with arms in their hands, and rioting,
the effect of too much "fire water" was frequent. Camp Carroll was a
muster out rendezvous in the western end of Baltimore.
Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
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Baltimore, June 6, 1865.
Lieut. Smith:
I have sent four companies of infantry and a detachment of
cavalry to report at Camp Carroll at once. They will be
provided with ammunition. Find Colonel Johannes, 11th Md.
Infantry, if you can, and direct him to take command of all
reinforcements and enforce order in the Camp and neighborhood;
if Colonel Johannes is not there, see the senior colonel at
the Camp and impart the order to him.
Brigadier General Lockwood has been ordered to proceed to Camp
Carroll at once and take command.
Please report state of affairs from time to time.
By command of Major General Wallace.
SAM'L B. LAWRENCE,
A. Adjutant General.
Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
June 6, 1865.
Lt. Smith:
Send all the Cavalry you have to spare at once to report to
the Commanding Officer, 11th Md. Infantry at Camp Carroll.
Read the order I have written to him. Keep the three orders I
wrote to General Lockwood and C. O. Federal Hill, and if you
do not need them to-night, return them to me in the morning.
Send the order at once to Commanding Officer, 11th Md.
If anything serious occurs to-night send an orderly to me.
Yours, &c.,
SAM'L B. LAWRENCE,
A. Adjutant General.
Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
Provost Marshal's Office.
Baltimore, June 6, 1865.
Colonel:
I have the honor to report in the case of the disturbance at
and near Camp Carroll this evening.
I proceeded to the spot, assisted by Capt. Jones and Lt. Smyth
with their commands. I arrested some forty of the
ring-leaders. I then proceeded to the Camp to quiet the men.
I gave the Comdg. Officer of the 11th Md. a verbal order to
place his men on guard over all of the troops not armed, and I
promised him a written order from you, placing him properly in
Command, in which case I herewith return you the orders given
to Mr. Babcock.
After placing a guard over the Camp I had the country about
patroled and all ordered in. Everything is now quiet. It had
become a very serious matter and I felt justified in placing
the 11th Md. on duty. Hoping my action in this case will meet
your approval, I am,
Very respy. your obdt. servt,
H. B. SMITH,
Lt. & Asst. Provost Marshal.
To
Col. Lawrence,
A. A. G.
Lieut. Smith:
Your action is approved. I have no material present to write
the order for Colonel Johannes, but will do so and send it to
him.
Let me know where the Md. Brigade is, and if you apprehend
danger or think the Brigade and the 11th Md. will fight if
they are encamped together, let me know.
I send you the orders for General Lockwood and Federal Hill.
If all is quiet, and likely to remain so, retain them, but if
there is any indication of further trouble send them at once.
Please let me know where the Brigade is. I directed it to be
encamped at Carroll, and cannot understand why it is not
there.
Respectfully,
SAM'L B. LAWRENCE,
A. Adjutant General.
If the Brigade is at Carroll, the Commanding Officer should be
directed to take command of all and use his troops. Let me
know and I will give the orders.
The whole cause of the trouble, and reason why I know so
little about it is that they were ordered to report to Colonel
Brown, A. A. P. M. Gen'l.
I remained at the head of my department during all of 1865, and saw the
veteran armies disbanded. It seemed strange to see the Confederates
(Marylanders) who had been so long shooting at us, come home and resume
their occupations at the desk or plow right before our eyes.
There were not many disturbances like the Camp Carroll riot. America may
well be proud of the peaceable disbandment of the two great armies.
There was no evidence of remaining venom between the fighters. Not so,
however, with the slimy secret society disturbers who brought on the
war, and nursed its continuance. Whenever a sneering, vitriolic sound is
heard, you may be sure that it emanates from the copperhead element.