Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, Md. City, port of entry, and seat of justice of Baltimore co. Situated on the Patapsco River, about 14 miles from its entrance into Chesapeake Bay, and about 200 miles from the ocean by ship channel. It lies 40 miles N. E. from Washington, and 97 S. W. from Philadelphia. The population in 1790 was 13,503; in 1800, 26,514; in 1810, 35,583; in 1820, 62,738; in 1830, 80,625; in 1840, 102,313; in 1850, 169,012. (Gazetteer of the United States of America, 1854)

Place Unit Type
City or Town
Containing Unit
Date Type
A Police and Fire Alarm System goes into operation in Baltimore, Maryland Science/Technology
A Reform Association is constituted in Baltimore to attempt to bring order to the city Legal/Political
A storm dumps snow over wide areas of the East, from Washington, DC to Boston Crime/Disasters
Abraham Lincoln secretly heads directly to Washington arriving in the early morning hours Campaigns/Elections
African-American actress and activist Henrietta Vinton Davis born in Baltimore, Maryland Personal
At eight o'clock in the morning President Lincoln begins his twelve-day journey home from Washington D.C. Personal
At ten o'clock in the morning President Lincoln's remains reach Baltimore to lie in state there for several hours Personal
At the Baltimore depot, the presidential rail car, the President not aboard, collides with a freight train Crime/Disasters
- Baltimore barricades itself against the Confederate advance Battles/Soldiers
Baltimore gets its first steam fire engine Science/Technology
Baltimore holds the first elections under the new Maryland constitution Campaigns/Elections
Baltimore rioters mount a deadly attack on the Sixth Massachusetts in the streets of the city Battles/Soldiers
Baltimore's first regular streetcar service goes into operation Science/Technology
Baltimore's first streetcar goes into operation on Broadway in the city Science/Technology
Bodies of 6th Massachusetts soldiers killed in Baltimore return to Boston Battles/Soldiers
Breakaway delegates in Baltimore nominate John C. Breckinridge, splitting the Democratic Party Campaigns/Elections
- Democratic National Convention continues in Baltimore locked in debate over credentials and slavery Campaigns/Elections
Democratic National Convention enters its second day in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
Democratic National Convention reconvenes in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
Federal troops arrest Baltimore's four Police Commissioners in pre-dawn raids on their homes Battles/Soldiers
- Federal troops in Maryland swoop to arrest pro-secession legislators, officials, and newspaper editors Lawmaking/Litigating
First Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States visits Baltimore and Philadelphia US/the World
Floods in Baltimore Crime/Disasters
For the second time in two days, a steamship rescues the crew of a sinking vessel off South Carolina. Crime/Disasters
Former Maryland congressman Henry May, imprisoned at the start of the Civil War, dies in Baltimore. Personal
Gales and snowstorms ravage the north-eastern United States and Canada Crime/Disasters
George W.L. Bickley, notorious Copperhead and founder of the the Knights of the Golden Circle, dies in Baltimore. Personal
Governor Swann of Maryland removes the Baltimore Police Commissioners board. Campaigns/Elections
In Baltimore, a hotel suspected of being a Confederate mail station is raided and seized Crime/Disasters
In Baltimore, assassination conspirator Michael O'Laughlin is arrested in the morning in Baltimore Crime/Disasters
In Baltimore, federal troops begin a systematic search for arms caches in the city Battles/Soldiers
In Baltimore, pre-election political parades and meetings spawn violence Campaigns/Elections
In Baltimore, Stephen Douglas speaks to a large crowd in Monument Square Campaigns/Elections
In Baltimore, the first Catholic Church exclusively for the use of African-Americans is dedicated Religion/Philosophy
In Baltimore, the War Department, to secure local shipping from hijack, seizes two Chesapeake ferries Battles/Soldiers
In baseball, Brooklyn Excelsior visits Maryland to play Baltimore Excelsior Education/Culture
In baseball, the Brooklyn Excelsior visits the Baltimore Excelsior Education/Culture
In Boston, family members officially identify the bodies of the Massachusetts soldiers killed in Baltimore Battles/Soldiers
In Charleston, South Carolina, the Democratic National Convention votes to adjourn and meet in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
In Maryland, the people of Maryland enjoy freakish summer-like temperatures and sunshine Science/Technology
In Maryland, the sailing of the British steamer Somerset inaugurates the Baltimore Liverpool Steamship Line Business/Industry
- In Maryland, thousands of German-Americans are attending a three day "Schutzen Fest" held in Baltimore Education/Culture
In Philadelphia, a Massachusetts colonel dispenses rough justice to a tavern owner for selling his men liquor Battles/Soldiers
In the District of Columbia, the sun rises today at 4:33 am and sets at 7:19 pm local time Science/Technology
In western Maryland, Confederate raiders capture and burn the Baltimore to Wheeling mail train Battles/Soldiers
London based philanthropist George Peabody donates a further $200,000 to the Peabody Institute in Baltimore Education/Culture
Lowell, Massachusetts honors its first townsmen to fall in the Civil War with a splendid new monument Battles/Soldiers
- Maryland Democrats meet in Baltimore to protest the state's restrictive voter registration law Campaigns/Elections
Maryland Democrats meet in their nominating convention in Baltimore. Campaigns/Elections
Maryland former Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson arrested in Baltimore on a charge of treason Lawmaking/Litigating
Maryland holds a Slaveholder's Convention with representatives from almost every county Slavery/Abolition
Maryland Republicans hold their state convention in Baltimore amidst hostile crowds Campaigns/Elections
- Marylanders in sympathy with the South burn railroad bridges linking Philadelphia with Washington DC Battles/Soldiers
Meeting in Baltimore, the Constitutional Union Party nominates John Bell for president Campaigns/Elections
Millard Fillmore nominated as Whig candidate for President in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
Mississippi secession commissioner tells a large Baltimore crowd that "slavery was ordained by God" Slavery/Abolition
Moncure Conway liberates his father's slaves Personal
On behalf of his flock, Archbishop Kenrick of Baltimore sends Pope Pius IX sympathy for his troubles in Italy Religion/Philosophy
- On Chesapeake Bay, a bold stroke captures a Baltimore ferry and turns it into a Confederate privateer Battles/Soldiers
Outgoing president James Buchanan leaves Washington for his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Personal
Philadelphia banks finally resume specie payments Business/Industry
Political riot in Baltimore kills two Campaigns/Elections
President Johnson attends the cornerstone dedication of a new Masonic Temple in Baltimore, Maryland. Education/Culture
President Lincoln leaves Washington for Gettysburg and the dedication of the new National Cemetery Education/Culture
- Prince Albert makes a brief visit to Richmond, Virginia US/the World
Reading, Pennsylvania militia artillery unit called to service arrives in Harrisburg Battles/Soldiers
Robert E. Lee appoints Edward Warren as Medical Inspector of the Department of Northern Virginia Personal
Serious rioting disrupts the municipal elections in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
Steamship from Norfolk to Baltimore burns with one passenger and a crewman lost Crime/Disasters
Strong winds damage buildings in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City Crime/Disasters
Struggling to hold onto power, the Unconditional Union Party of Maryland meets in Baltimore. Campaigns/Elections
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad opens service for the first time in a year Business/Industry
The Constitutional Union Party meets in its national convention in Baltimore, Maryland Campaigns/Elections
The cornerstone of the new City Hall is laid in Baltimore, Maryland. Lawmaking/Litigating
The cornerstone of the Peabody Institute is laid in Baltimore, Maryland Education/Culture
The Democrats nominate Lewis Cass and William Orlando Butler Campaigns/Elections
The depleted Democratic National Convention in Baltimore nominates Stephen Douglas for President Campaigns/Elections
The first telegraphed news bulletin relays the results of the Oregon question debate to Baltimore Science/Technology
The ice cream freezer is patented in Baltimore Commercial
The ill-fated miniature schooner "John T. Ford" sails from Baltimore for the Paris Exhibition. Crime/Disasters
The Ladies' Southern Relief Fair opens in Baltimore. Campaigns/Elections
The miniature schooner "John T. Ford," bound for the Paris Exhibition, capsizes off the Irish coast. Crime/Disasters
The monument to Thomas Wildey, founder of the Odd Fellows in America, is dedicated in Baltimore, Maryland Education/Culture
The Peabody Institute building is dedicated in Baltimore, Maryland Education/Culture
The Prince of Wales is in Washington, DC, hosted at the White House US/the World
The Prince of Wales spends twenty-four hours in Baltimore US/the World
The Republican victory in the Baltimore municipal elections kicks off a political firestorm in Maryland. Campaigns/Elections
- The Second Plenary Council Meeting of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church is meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. Religion/Philosophy
The Sixth Massachusetts Regiment arrives in Philadelphia on its way to Washington DC, via Baltimore Battles/Soldiers
The sole survivor of the miniature schooner "John T. Ford" is rescued off the Irish coast. Crime/Disasters
Thomas Wildey, founder of the Order of Odd Fellows in the United States, dies at his home in Baltimore Personal
Tubman returns to Maryland to rescue her niece Personal
U.S. Navy captures Baltimore owned slave ship off Cuban coast with five hundred slaves aboard Slavery/Abolition
Whig National Convention opens in Baltimore Campaigns/Elections
Widespread violence in Baltimore as the state elections are held Campaigns/Elections
With benefactor George Peabody in attendance, the Peabody Institute is officially inaugurated in Baltimore. Education/Culture
Birthplace of
Name Type
Fort McHenry, MD Location or Site
Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, MD Location or Site
Date Title
William Still Recalls "Box" Brown's Escape
New York Herald, "A Nest of Runaway Slaves Captured by Pennsylvanians," August 11, 1850
Boston (MA) Evening Transcript, "The Fugitive Slave Riots in Pennsylvania," September 13, 1851
New Orleans (LA) Picayune, "The Fugitive Slave Riot," September 14, 1851
(Columbus) Ohio State Journal, "The Christiana Tragedy," September 23, 1851
New York Times, “Great Floods in the Potomac and Shenandoah,” April 20, 1852
New York Times, “Louisiana Legislature,” December 11, 1852
Philadelphia Vigilance Committee Journal, April 3, 1853
Debate over the Estimates for Rivers and Harbors, House of Representatives, January 6, 1854
New York Times, “Fatal Railroad Accident,” March 10, 1854
Hiram Wilson to William Still, July 24, 1854
Samuel Miles to William Still, August 20, 1855
Harriet Eglin to William Still, June 1, 1856
Harriet Eglin to William Still, July 31, 1856
Henry James Morris to William Still, September 18, 1856
Harriet Eglin to William Still, October 28, 1856
Richmond (VA) Dispatch, "A Case in Point," January 3, 1857
C. L. Groce to Luke, May 28, 1857
New York Times, “The Financial Panic,” September 14, 1857
New York Times, “Desperate Riots in Baltimore,” October 15, 1857
New York Times, “The Ballot-Box and the Bayonet,” October 30, 1857
Thomas Garrett to William Still, October 31, 1857
Samuel Pattison to L. W. Thompson, November 16, 1857
New York Herald, "The Approaching Conclusion of the Kansas Comedy," January 27, 1858
Richmond (VA) Dispatch, "The Underground Railroad," June 1, 1858
Nat Ambie to William Still, June 10, 1858
Charleston (SC) Mercury, "Hot Weather," July 2, 1858
St. Louis (MO) Republican, “Let the Jubilee be General,” August 29, 1858
New York Herald, “Douglas for the Presidency,” November 7, 1858
Lewis Burrell to William Still, February 2, 1859
James Buchanan to Harriet Rebecca Lane, May 14, 1859
New York Times, “Affray in Baltimore,” May 16, 1859
New York Times, “The Free Negroes of Maryland,” June 13, 1859
San Francisco (CA) Evening Bulletin, “Stage-Coach Travel Forty Years Ago,” July 22, 1859
New York Herald, “Bloody Riots in Baltimore,” August 3, 1859
Lowell (MA) Citizen & News, “Riot at Harper’s Ferry,” October 18, 1859
Carlisle (PA) American Volunteer, “Negro Insurrection!," October 20, 1859
Carlisle (PA) American Volunteer, "Governor Wise on the Harper's Ferry Insurrection," October 27, 1859
Greensboro (NC) Patriot, "Maryland Election," November 11, 1859
Carlisle (PA) American Volunteer, "The Plea Will Not Avail Them," November 17, 1859
John Thomas Lewis Preston to Margaret Junkin Preston, December 2, 1859
Entry by Thomas Jonathan Jackson, December 2, 1859
Columbus (OH) Gazette, "For the Columbus Gazette," December 16, 1859
New York Herald, "The Maryland Legislature and the Underground Railroad," January 19, 1860
T. E. Norris to Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter, March 17, 1860
New York Times, "Democratic National Convention," March 17, 1860
New York Times, “The Last of the Harper’s Ferry Slaughter,” March 17, 1860
Milwaukee (WI) Sentinel, “The Coming Conventions,” May 9, 1860
New York Times, “Disunion Plots,” May 10, 1860
Atchison (KS) Freedom’s Champion, “The Charleston Convention,” May 12, 1860
New York Times, “A Douglas Demonstration in New York,” May 18, 1860
New York Herald, “Extraordinary Activity of the Slave Trade,” May 22, 1860
New York Herald, “Bell and Everett Going Ahead,” May 27, 1860
Schuyler Colfax to Abraham Lincoln, May 30, 1860
Richard W. Thompson to Abraham Lincoln, June 12, 1860
New York Herald, “Commencement of Republican Cabinet Making,” June 12, 1860
Charlestown (VA) Free Press, “Mr. Bell’s Acceptance,” June 14, 1860
New York Times, “The Baltimore Convention,” June 18, 1860
Chicago (IL) Press and Tribune, “The Fillmore Men,” June 19, 1860
Cleveland (OH) Herald, “The Douglas’ Saturday Night,” June 25, 1860
Atchison (KS) Freedom's Champion, “The Democratic ‘Irrepressible Conflict,’” July 7, 1860
Chicago (IL) Press and Tribune, “Shabby Treatment,” July 7, 1860
Chicago (IL) Press and Tribune, “An Important Change,” July 19, 1860
New York Times, “The Herald in Harness,” July 21, 1860
Lowell (MA) Citizen & News, "Who Are For Disunion?," August 8, 1860
Chicago (IL) Press and Tribune, “How the Field Looks,” August 17, 1860
New York Times, “Mr. Yancey's Speech,” August 21, 1860
Dover (NH) Gazette, “Withdrawal of General Houston,” September 8, 1860
New York Herald, “The Trip to Virginia,” October 7, 1860
New York Herald, “American Sensations During 1860,” October 21, 1860
Lowell (MA) Citizen & News, “Secession Explained,” December 26, 1860
Thomas Cadwallerder to Abraham Lincoln, December 31, 1860
Fayetteville (NC) Observer, “An Incident at Fort Sumter,” January 17, 1861
Leonard Swett to Abraham Lincoln, January 24, 1861
Worthington G. Snethen to Abraham Lincoln, February 15, 1861
Fayetteville (NC) Observer, “Lincoln’s Flight to Washington,” February 28, 1861
Atchison (KS) Freedom’s Champion, “Mr. Lincoln at Washington,” March 2, 1861
New York Times, “The Plot Against Mr. Lincoln’s Life,” March 4, 1861
Cleveland (OH) Herald, “The Border States,” April 16, 1861
Proclamation of the Governor of Maryland, April 18, 1861
George W. Brown to John A. Andrew, April 20, 1861
New York Times, “The Position of Maryland,” April 20, 1861
New York Herald, “News from Baltimore,” April 21, 1861
John A. Andrew to George W. Brown, April 21, 1861
David D. Field to Abraham Lincoln, April 23, 1861
Andrew H. Reeder to Simon Cameron, April 24, 1861
- C. P. Kirkland, Jr.’s Letter, April 27-28, 1861
Chicago (IL) Tribune, “Washington Safe,” April 29, 1861
Fayetteville (NC) Observer, “What Can We Believe?,” April 29, 1861
William Willey to Waitman Willey, April 29, 1861
Fayetteville (NC) Observer, "Neutrality," May 2, 1861
New York Times, “Affairs in Maryland,” May 5, 1861
Boston (MA) Advertiser, “Impotent Rage,” May 27, 1861
New York Times, “Civil and Martial Law at Baltimore,” May 30, 1861
(Concord) New Hampshire Statesman, “The Patriot and the Merryman Case,” June 15, 1861
New York Times, “Arrest of Marshal Kane,” June 28, 1861
Worthington G. Snethen to Winfield Scott, June 29, 1861
Marriot Boswell to William H. Seward, July 1, 1861
Cleveland (OH) Herald, “Does It Pay to Feed Passing Troops?,” July 3, 1861
Raleigh (NC) Register, “Arrest of a Traitor,” August 14, 1861
Gen. John Dix to the U.S. Marshals in Maryland, Instructions on the upcoming State Elections, November 1, 1861
Major-General John Adams Dix, To the People of Accomac and Northampton Counties of Virginia, November 13, 1861
Brigadier-General Henry Lockwood, To the People of Accomac and Northampton Counties of Virginia, November 23, 1861
New York National Anti-Slavery Standard, "Speech of Rev. M.D. Conway," August 9, 1862
Reverdy Johnson to Abraham Lincoln, Friday, September 05, 1862
Philadelphia (PA) North America and United States Gazette, “A Desperate Battle At Gettysburg,” July 3, 1863
John Keagy Stayman to Edgar Hastings, July 1863
John Hay to John Nicolay, August 7, 1863
Stephen Minot Weld, Jr. to Stephen Minot Weld, Sr, Annapolis, Maryland, March 25, 1864
Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Great Central Sanitary Fair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1864
Bangor (ME) Whig and Courier, “The Destruction of Chambersburg,” August 2, 1864
"The Consequence," Chicago Tribune, April 17, 1865
Resolutions, Democratic Party of Maryland in Convention, Baltimore, August 8, 1866.
Resolutions, the Unconditional Union party of Maryland in Convention, Baltimore, Maryland, August 15, 1866.
William Whipper to William Still, December 4, 1871
Daniel Bonsall to William Still, 1872
How to Cite This Page: "Baltimore, MD," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/11856.