  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, 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 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, Headquarters, Middle Department, 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., Headquarters, Middle Department, Colonel: I have the honor to report in the case of the disturbance at 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, To Lieut. Smith: Your action is approved. I have no material present to write 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, 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 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. |
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