May 13, 1861 - Gen. Butler Occupies Federal Hill
May 13, 1861
Gen. Butler Occupies Federal Hill
Baltimore, MD
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=302549 |
Federal Hill
Building the Fort
During the Civil War, Union cannon perched here on Federal Hill loomed menacingly over Baltimore, helping to control the pro-Southern elements of the city. "With artillery posted here," one soldier wrote, "Baltimore itself could be laid in ashes, should occasion require it." At the beginning of the war, Baltimore's largely pro-successionist residents bitterly opposed Union attempts to "suppress the rebellion," opposition that climaxed with the Pratt Street Riot on April 19, 1861. As tensions continued to simmer, Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's troops occupied Federal Hill on May 13 and brought their guns to bear on the city. Baltimore would live under military authority for the rest of the war. The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry arrived to man Federal Hill on July 27, 1861. The unit was outfitted in colorful Zouave uniforms: a tasseled fez, short braided jacket, baggy trousers, and a long sash, inspired by the French Army's famed North African troops. Beginning on August 24, the Zouaves constructed a massive earthwork on this site, working in shifts of 400 men. The finished site included officer's quarters, barracks for 1,000 soldiers, and a guardhouse converted from a bowling alley - and bristled with 42 guns. Tensions with local residents gradually eased. During the eight months of garrison duty, the regiment made numerous friend in the city. Sgt. Stephen Bogardus wrote, "Visitors flock by every day to view the works and Zou Zous as they affectionately call us." Several Zouaves became engaged to local women. When the units departed to join the Army of the Potomac, one soldier wrote, "The men felt as if they were leaving home."
[previous marker inscription]https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=2560
Federal HillBuilding the Fort
Federal Hill
Building the Fort
During the Civil War, Union cannon perched here on Federal Hill loomed menacingly over Baltimore, helping to control the pro-Southern elements of the city. "With artillery posted here," one soldier wrote, "Baltimore itself could be laid in ashes, should occasion require it." At the beginning of the war, Baltimore's largely pro-successionist residents bitterly opposed Union attempts to "suppress the rebellion," opposition that climaxed with the Pratt Street Riot on April 19, 1861. As tensions continued to simmer, Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's troops occupied Federal Hill on May 13 and brought their guns to bear on the city. Baltimore would live under military authority for the rest of the war. The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry arrived to man Federal Hill on July 27, 1861. The unit was outfitted in colorful Zouave uniforms: a tasseled fez, short braided jacket, baggy trousers, and a long sash, inspired by the French Army's famed North African troops. Beginning on August 24, the Zouaves constructed a massive earthwork on this site, working in shifts of 400 men. The finished site included officer's quarters, barracks for 1,000 soldiers, and a guardhouse converted from a bowling alley - and bristled with 42 guns. Tensions with local residents gradually eased. During the eight months of garrison duty, the regiment made numerous friend in the city. Sgt. Stephen Bogardus wrote, "Visitors flock by every day to view the works and Zou Zous as they affectionately call us." Several Zouaves became engaged to local women. When the units departed to join the Army of the Potomac, one soldier wrote, "The men felt as if they were leaving home."
[previous marker inscription]
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=2560
On the evening of May 13, 1861, U.S. General Benjamin E. Butler’s troops occupied Federal Hill and brought their guns to bear on Baltimore. For the next four years the hill, garrisoned by 10 different regiments, served as a strategic Union strong point to control the pro-Southern elements of Baltimore’s population.
The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry pitched its tents here on July 27. Led by Col. Abram Duryee, the unit was outfitted in colorful Zouave uniforms: a tasseled fez, short braided jacket, baggy trousers and long sash inspired by the French Army’s famed North African troops. After Duryee’s second in command, Lt. Col. Gouverneur Kemble Warren, proposed a fort here, ground was broken on August 24. When Duyree was promoted to general, Warren took command as colonel. Laboring in 400-man shifts, the Zouaves constructed a massive earthworks here. The first artillery piece as mounted on October 1, and by the end of the month, 42 guns were added, including 6 8-inch Columbiads and 22 32-pounders. Within the ramparts, regimental carpenters built officers’ quarters and barracks sufficient for 1,000 soldiers.
During eight months of garrison duty, Warren brought the Zouaves to a superb state of discipline and tactical skill, and the regiment made many friends in Baltimore. Sgt. Stephen Bogardus wrote, “Visitors flock by every day to view the works and Zou Zous as they were affectionately called us. ... We have hundreds of them to witness our evening parade.” Several Zouaves, including Warren, became engaged to local women. When the unit departed to join the Army of the Potomac, a Zouave wrote, “The men felt as if they were leaving home.”
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=302611 |
Federal Hill
The Signal Towers on Federal Hill
— Baltimore National Heritage Area —
The elevated plateau known as Federal Hill Park, or Federal Hill, has long served as a lofty observation point dating back to colonial times. The park area at the top of Federal Hill sits about 80 ft. about its base and 150 ft. above the sea line. Navigators and sea merchants took advantage of the site's topography and in 1795 constructed a marine observation tower on the top portion of Federal Hill. The construction was financed through about 300 subscriptions of $2.50 each, and subscribers were generally owners of merchant ships that frequented the port. The tower was approximately 30 ft. high and watchmen could climb the ladders to the top for an aerial view of approaching ships to the Baltimore harbor. At this height, sight lines, aided by a telescope, stretched about fifteen miles on a clear day. Watchers at the top of the would display flags corresponding to the type or owner of the approaching ship and imminent arrival of goods to Baltimore's port. For several years, the tower was used for observation of commercial seafaring activity, though in the early 1880s the use expanded to military in defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Similar ship notification methods were used in warfare, with certain types of flags indicating the approach of enemy warships. No British ships made it past Fort McHenry during the war in part due to the benefit of an observatory tower on top of Federal Hill. For this reason, Federal Hill was also referred to as "Signal Hill" during this timeframe. The tower continued to serve dual commercial and miliary uses through the 1800s, most prominently during the Civil War. Union troops occupied Federal Hill for much of the war and moved the tower several times though it remained in service. When the City of Baltimore acquired Federal Hill to be a public park in 1880, the tower owners proposed a new, more aesthetically pleasing tower. The old tower was soon supplanted with an ornate replacement designed to provide shade for visitors while still serving as an observatory for approaching sea traffic. Unlike the first tower, the second tower was poorly constructed and existed for a mere seventeen years until 1902 due to the need for structural repairs. It was ultimately felled by strong winds. The second tower was also the victim of the rapidly advancing technology of the time. Observation sites shifted south to Sparrows Point and thereafter to Cove Point, about 60 miles south in the Chesapeake Bay. The advent of the telephone and improvements to seafaring equipment rendered the signal tower a part of Federal Hill history.
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=302616 |
Federal Hill
The Tunnels Under Federal Hill
— Baltimore National Heritage Area —
Many storied recollections exist for the legendary tunnels beneath Federal Hill, some documented and some anecdotal, dating back to the early nineteenth century and providing a glimpse beneath the surface of the hill that Captain John Smith referred to [as] a great red bank of clay back in 1608. Federal Hill looked quite different back in the 1800s. The hill itself looked like a cliff as compared to the multi-level, sloped appearance of today. The shoreline below Federal Hill likely approximated present day Key Highway, and early tunnels reportedly existed on the north side of the Hill facing what is now downtown where munitions and other supplies were stored. Theis storage provided each access to resupply clipper ships coming into port during the War of 1812. Early reports indicate tunnels were also initiated from the south side of Federal Hill, when glass manufacturers dug tunnels for their sand mining efforts near Henry Street. These mining efforts continued throughout the 1800s as multiple local glass manufacturers made use of the fine sand available on and below Federal Hill. Extensive tunneling and mining operations led to concerns as early as 1840 that the Hill would be dug down before a park or other public accommodation could be established. Evidence of additional tunnels soon became apparent on all sides of Federal Hill, and some extended beyond into the surrounding neighborhood. Prior to the Civil War, it was reported that an industry other than class manufacturing, local brewers, made use of tunnels in and around Federal Hill, primarily for cool storage below ground for beer. At the same time, cave-ins became more frequent after heavy rains and at times threatened the Union fort at the top of the Hill during the Civil War. In the early 1900s, more tunnels were found on the western side of Federal Hill along Battery Avenue, and several homes along Battery Avenue initially collapsed during construction due to tunneling below. The most developed of the tunnel networks was discovered in 1992 as part of an enhancement effort to reinforce the Hill after cave-ins due to heavy rains. The entrance to these tunnels was found in the upper chamber of Federal Hill's north side, about 20 feet below the surface, with evidence of mid 1800s artifacts though no Civil War material. The arched tunnels were about 12 ft. high at peak with several large chambers, and similar to the other tunnels, was likely part of a sand mining operation. The entrance was ultimately sealed several weeks later though the main tunnel was left undisturbed within the Hill itself, as it remains to this day.
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And, newly added to the Federal Hill menagerie...
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=302652 |
Revolutionary War Patriots
This marker commemorates the men and women who achieved American independence. These Patriots, believing in the noble cause of liberty, fought valiantly to found a new nation. 1775-1783 Presented by Baltimore Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States
America 250
Daughters of the American Revolution
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=2555 |
Federal Hill
Since the founding of Baltimore, 1729, this hill has been a popular point for viewing the city’s growth. Here 4,000 people feasted 1780, to celebrate the ratification by Maryland of the Federal Constitution and in honor of the new government gave the place its name. An observatory, built here 1795, signalled city merchants of the approach of their vessels, a service which lasted a century. Shipyards have long been located near the hill and it has been mined for clay and sand during the Civil War, Union troops fortified the site and it was made a public park 1880.
Erected 1969 by Maryland Historical Society.
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=66592 |
Grand Army of the Republic
In memory of the Grand Army of the Republic by the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865.
Mother Sperling Tent No. 1, April 23, 1933.
[rear of marker] [Engraving of a 13-star flag] Our fathers saved.
[text on top of marker] The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth. On is nearer God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth. Grow old along with me - the best is yet to be.
Erected 1933 by Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, Mother Sperling Tent No. 1.
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=258903 |
Colonel George Armistead
This monument is erected in honor of the gallant defender of Fort McHenry, near this city during its bombardment by the British Fleet on the 13th and 14th September 1814. He died universally esteemed and regretted on the 25th of April 1818, in the 39th year of his age.
COL.GEO.ARMISTEAD.
Appointed Second Lieutenant of the 7th Infantry January 8th 1799. Appointed Ensign of Infantry January 14th 1799. Appointed First Lieutenant of the 7th Infantry May 14th 1800. Transferred to the 1st Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers February 16th 1801. Appointed First Lieutenant in the __ Regiment of Artillerists April 17th 1802. Appointed Assistant Military Agent at Fort Niagara May __ 1802.
Appointed Assistant Pay-Master February __ 1806. Appointed Captain of Artillery and Engineers November 1st 1806. Appointed Major of the 2d Artillery March 2d 1814, for gallant services at fort George, Upper Canada, May 27th 1813. Transferred to the Artillery Corps under the Act of March 30th 1814. Appointed Brev. Lieut. Col. September 20th 1814, for gallant services in defence of fort McHenry September 12th 13th and 14th 1814, to rank as such from September 12th 1814.
Erected by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore September 12th 1882. Wm. Pinkney Whyte, Mayor, In pursuance of a Resolution approved May 3d 1882, As a substitute for the Monument erected by a former Mayor and City Council, in pursuance of Resolutions approved March 4th 1827 and February 4th 1828, which stood in the Calvert street Spring grounds until it became defaced and destroyed by time during a period of thirty-five years.
Esto perpetuum
Erected 1882 by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.
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| https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=2557 |
Major General Samuel Smith
1752–1839
Under his command the attack of the British upon Baltimore by land and sea Sept. 12-14, 1814 was repulsed. Member of Congress forty successive years, president U.S. Senate, Secretary of the Navy, Mayor of Baltimore.
Hero of both wars for American Independence • Long Island • White Plains • Brandywine • Defender of Fort Mifflin • Valley Forge • Monmouth • Baltimore
Erected 1917 by National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial Commission.
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