Volume 10, Number 1 Spring 2011 Official Song, but Is It Maryland? Hecht-II: 1st Civil War Death BCHS Plans Contest for New One Attributed to Fell’s Pointers By Michael S. Franch By Michael J. Lisicky President, BCHS Most people who study this city’s role in Two songs commemorate violence in the Civil War are familiar with “The Baltimore Baltimore. The most famous is our national Riot,” also known as ‘The Pratt Street Riot,” anthem, inspired by the bombardment of that produced, by all accounts until now, the Fort McHenry in 1814. The other is our official first fatalities of the conflict. Trains then -ar state song, “Maryland, My Maryland,” which rived from the north along tracks on Canton commemorates the Pratt Street Riot of April Avenue, known today as Fleet Street, which 19, 1861, when a Baltimore mob attacked the “Baltimore in 1861” by J. C. Robinson fed into President Street Station. At that Sixth Massachusetts Regiment in passage Pratt Street Riot of April 19, 1861. point, the railroad cars--in this case bearing to Washington. There were deaths on both federal troops bound for Washington--were sides, the first of the Civil War. A Maryland Union Cannons Reined in City removed from the locomotive. Each car was native living in Louisiana, James Ryder Ran- then pulled by horses westward on Pratt dall, wrote the poem that, set to the carol “O By Jay Merwin Street, off limits to engines, along tracks to Tannenbaum,” was popular during the war Within a month after the April 19, 1861, Camden Station--now a museum at Oriole and eventually became Maryland’s official Baltimore riot, federal troops seized the com- Park. The cars joined a locomotive there and song—but not until 1939! manding heights of Federal Hill and trained continued south to the capital. On April 19, If you went to elementary school in their cannons on much of the southern end 1861, that routine collapsed into a riot that Maryland, you probably learned some of its of the city. On the low ground, federal au- left at least four soldiers and more than a nine over-wrought verses. It begins: thorities followed through with a proclama- dozen rioters dead. The despot’s heel is on thy shore, tion to seize any munitions destined for the But Simeon Hecht, German-born scion Maryland! My Maryland! Confederacy, restrict meetings of armed men of a family of merchants in Fell’s Point, tells His torch is at thy temple door, and ban display of Confederate flags and a different story about that day. Yes, he tells Maryland! My Maryland! other signs of favor toward the rebellion. of bloodshed but he insists that the first Avenge the patriotic gore Baltimore was the nerve center of casualty did not occur on Pratt, near Gay That flecked the streets of Baltimore, the B&O Railroad, which was essential for Street, but a dozen blocks east in Fell’s Point. And be the battle queen of yore, transporting federal troops to the fight in On that April 19, a long train, 25 to 30 cars, Maryland! My Maryland! Virginia, and a hotbed of southern sympa- arrived in Baltimore by way of the tracks on That is about all that most remember. thy. Of necessity, the military presence was Canton Avenue (Fleet Street). The train car- Lines such as “Huzza! she spurns the Northern overwhelming. ried the Massachusetts 6th Regiment, along scum!” might stick in the craw, but not in the The federal government went on to with some volunteers from Pennsylvania memory. The official version differs in one erect more fortifications around town: just who were responding to Lincoln’s call to regard from the version here. It has a single east of Patterson Park, near the current site of arms. “Maryland!” in the stanzas’ second and fourth Johns Hopkins Hospital, near Mt. Clare, and According to Hecht’s 1908 memoir, lines--not double. This is derided by most other points. Barracks sprang up in Lafay- which surfaced recently at the Jewish Mu- critics and generally it is printed and sung as ette Square, Carroll Park and Druid Hill Park. seum, his son was playing at recess at Public shown. Certainly, there are other reasons to Downtown hotels were commandeered School #2, Broadway and Bank Street. Sud- find the song deficient. It offers a one-sided for military headquarters and former slave- denly the students heard shots and outcries. view of a historic event. It treats the long- dealers’ pens in Camden Station served as They looked down Broadway to see men resolved issue of secession as still open. Many temporary prisons for unruly Union soldiers with guns and axes attacking a train travel- Marylanders then and today find its senti- and detained southern sympathizers. Fort ing westward along Canton Avenue (Fleet ments repugnant. Perhaps most significantly, McHenry, significantly reinforced with troops Street). Hannah Hecht went for Simeon’s it does not promote the state. It says nothing after the riots, was a way station for captured son at school and hustled him home. As of its natural beauty, many attractions, or the Confederate soldiers and sympathizers on Simeon was not home, Hannah huddled achievements of its citizens. “Northern scum” their way to larger, permanent camps to with her children in the cellar but watched certainly doesn’t welcome visitors or inves- the north. Federal gunboats patrolled the the conflict. They witnessed, said Hecht, a tors from above the Mason-Dixon Line. Chesapeake Bay and the Patapsco River. Union soldier being pulled from the train. Several attempts to replace Randall’s Although never reaching the confla- He was beaten to death by the mob and his verses have failed. (Continued on Page 2) gration of the April (Continued on Page 2) body was left on the (Continued on Page 2) Baltimore Burst Into Song Maryland - Continued from page 1 By Don Torres The latest was in 2009, when State Sen. Jen- Chair of Board of Directors . John C. Murphy Most Marylanders may know the state nie Forehand proposed substituting words has an embattled official song, “Maryland, My that John T. White wrote in 1894 celebrating President . Michael S. Franch Maryland,” but how many recall Baltimore’s the state’s beauty. (See Robert H. Johnson Newsletter Editor . Lewis H. Diuguid official anthem, “Baltimore, Our Baltimore”? Jr., “James Ryder Randall and ‘Maryland, My Newsletter Layout . Tina Fleming When was this song last sung in our schools Maryland,’” Maryland Historical Magazine 105, Staff . Jay Merwin and Don Torres or elsewhere for that matter? 2 [Summer 2010], 141-42) for White’s lyrics.) [email protected] www.historicbaltimore.org The song begins in 1915, just 11 years af- The 150th anniversary of the riot that ter the Great Baltimore Fire. It was a growing inspired Randall’s poem should offer inspira- From the President city and civic pride was surging. Progressive tion to poets and songwriters to find new Mayor James H. Preston already had achieved words and perhaps new music to inspire History--More Than a Degree a municipal flag, designed by Hans Schuler. It modern-day Marylanders. Since the inspi- By Michael S. Franch still waves. Preston also wanted an anthem. rational event and subject of the first verse Once upon a time, History (meaning He offered two considerable prizes, of $250 occurred here, the Baltimore City Historical “historians”) would not have been inter- each in gold for the best poem on Baltimore Society is sponsoring a contest to find a song ested in most of us—people who lead and best musical adaptation. Prestigious or songs that Marylanders would be proud to ordinary lives, not armies, political move- judges were selected. Entries were received sing. Recruiting of judges is underway. Watch ments, or voyages of discovery. We might from every state. our website: www.historicbaltimore.org/ for own nice things, but not artistic treasures. In September, the prize for best poem details. We have some “movers and shakers” in our was awarded to a Sun columnist, Folger McK- In the spirit of the original, here is an Historical Society, but most of us are more insey, known as the Bentztown Bard. Com- invitation to your own creativity: shaken than shakers. petition for best musical adaptation com- From Garrett peak to Eastern Shore, Mary- Fortunately, the old way of looking menced. On January 5, 1916, this prize was land! My Maryland! at history is history, and historians have awarded to Emma Hemberger and the song Our state song is a yawning bore, Maryland! discovered and are still discovering new was first performed a month later. Emma, also My Maryland! ways of looking at the past and finding a pianist and singer, had married Theodor No wonder patriots ignore the bad poem new stories to tell. It sometimes comes as Hemberger in 1903. He became a conductor about Baltimore a jolt to think that it was just 20 years ago at Peabody and a member of H.L. Mencken’s Let’s celebrate our great state’s lore, Mary- that a group of scholars published “The Bal- Saturday Night Club of musicians. According land! My Maryland! timore Book: New Views of Local History,” to David Donovan of the Pratt Library’s Fine a ground-breaking look at the city’s labor, Arts Department, Emma also wrote “Sophie Union Cannons - Continued from page 1 African-American, and women’s history. Waltz,” dedicating it to Mencken. A copy was riot, violence flared sporadically in the city, Or consider Seth Rockman’s “Scraping By: found in his effects. especially on the news of significant Union Wage Labor, Slavery, and Survival in Early As for “Baltimore, Our Baltimore,” City Pa- victories.