This Day In Maryland’s History – The Baltimore Riot Of 1861

BALTIMORE — The American Civil War claimed countless lives and was fought in many deadly battles. The bloodshed began in Maryland on April 19, 1861, when pro-Southern civilian sympathizers attacked a Union regiment in Baltimore. The Union soldiers, who were from Massachusetts, were traveling to Washington, D.C., to defend the capital city as a reaction to the conflict at Fort Sumter a week earlier.

As a result of the attack on the Union’s 6th Massachusetts Regiment, a total of 12 rioters and four soldiers lost their lives. Though it was a smaller conflict compared to the battles yet to come, the Baltimore Riot was a major turning point for the war.

The Union soldiers were on their way to a railroad station in Baltimore when Confederate-leaning protesters attacked them, causing the soldiers to fire back in self-defense. Among the casualties were Cpl. Sumner Henry Needham and Pvt. Luther C. Ladd.

The incident caused martial law to be declared in the state of Maryland by the federal government. Eventually, Baltimore would be occupied by Union forces to stop the voices of rebellion from rising in the city.

The Baltimore Riot of 1861, commonly known as the Pratt Street Riot, wasn’t the first conflict of the Civil War. The conflict actually began on April 12, 1861, with the attack on Fort Sumter, a Union base in South Carolina. Though thousands of rounds were fired at the fort, the conflict didn’t directly kill any soldiers.

The Civil War is one of the most notable conflicts in American history, and Maryland played a pivotal role in its beginning. Other Baltimore locations, like Fort McHenry, were essential to Union operations throughout the war.

The Baltimore Riot marked the first fatal casualties of the Civil War, and it also increased tensions across the United States, forever imprinting it into American history.

Fact: The historical Baltimore Riot fell on the same day as the 86th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Where Can You Learn More About Baltimore’s Involvement In The Civil War?

The Baltimore Riot of 1861 is one of the largest events in Maryland’s history, and there are a few locations in our state where you can learn more about how the city reacted to the Civil War. Fort McHenry in Baltimore offers insights into the Civil War via plaques and exhibits set up throughout its grounds, and the National Park Service even hosts a webpage detailing the aftermath of the Baltimore Riot.

Fact: Fort McHenry acted as a Union prison housing Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Not only were soldiers held at Fort McHenry, but other non-military secessionist sympathizers were also imprisoned here, including George William Brown, a former mayor of Baltimore.

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