COPYRIGHT 1902, BY JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS The Lord Baltimore Press THE FRIEDENWALD COMPANY BALTIMORE, MD., U. S. A. PREFACE This work does not attempt to cover the history of Maryland during the early period of the Civil War; nor even to be a full account of the political agitation in the state at that time. I have endeavored simply to trace the course of Governor Hicks, but in doing so, have found it advisable to mention events which had no direct connection with him. A concise statement of these from time to time is necessary to show the setting in which Hicks was placed. Consequently, the importance of the topics discussed can by no means be measured by the respective degrees of fulness of treatment given to them. The data available for a study of the period are numerous; but they are generally so partisan and biased in character, and withal so contradictory, that attempts at drawing conclusions from them are, on the whole, hazardous. The course of events during this period may be traced with a fair amount of assurance, but the influences and the causes which are behind these are wrapt in much obscurity. The sources which have been found most valuable are: I. Newspapers. II. Private correspondence; especially that of Hicks, including thousands of letters, papers, etc. III. "War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Moore's Rebellion Records are useful, especially for giving the views of the press during the period under discussion. IV. Official records in Annapolis, such as the Proceedings of the Executive and the Letter Book of the Executive. V. State publications; as the journals of the Legislature and the laws of Maryland. VI. Many helpful suggestions have been received from those who lived at the time, and from other persons who have given the subject thought and study. The work was undertaken at the suggestion of Dr. Bernard C. Steiner, whose advice has been very helpful. In the great political struggle which immediately preceded the greater conflicts of open war and attempted disunion, three states, lying between the North and the South, slaveholding, yet allied in many interests with the free states, stood out with special prominence. These states were Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. Kentucky, through her favorite son, the "Great Compromiser," had time and time again stood between the heated factions of slavery and anti-slavery. Upon the death of Clay, his mantle seemed to have fallen upon a Kentuckian, fully as earnest, perhaps not so talented. In Crittenden is seen the last of those great men who had devoted their life-long efforts to attempts to ward off what has been so often called "the irrepressible conflict." Virginia, on account of her population and resources, would naturally prove a strong factor to either of the sides upon which she should cast her lot. Bound by the strongest of ties to a Union which she had been so instrumental in creating, Virginia at this time passed through a struggle which will long be memorable; a struggle in which the doctrines of devotion to the Union and devotion to state sovereignty sought the mastery. Even when hope was really gone, after the failure of the Peace Conference and of Congress to stay the tide of disunion, Virginia still lingered until the guns of Fort Sumter had sounded the death-knell of compromise and of peace. The third state in this category absorbed attention throughout the country-not so much because of her population, which was comparatively small; not because of her wealth, which was not so considerable; nor was it because her representatives in public life were men of unusual |