History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

6 FIRST FIVE COMPANIES,
the mob commenced hooting, jeering, and yelling, and proclaimed with oaths,
that the troops should not pass through their city to fight the South.
Arriving near the centre of the city, Pemberton, with his regulars, filed off
towards Fort M'Henry, leaving the volunteers to pursue their way through the
city as best they could. At this juncture the mob were excited to a perfect
frenzy, breaking the line of the police, and pushing through the files of men,
in an attempt to break the column. Every insult, that could be heaped upon
the troops, was offered, but no word of reply was elicited, the officers and men
marching steadily on towards Camden station. At every step the mob increased,
until it numbered thousands of the most determined and desperate rebels of
the war.
The Logan Guards were armed with thirty-four Springfield muskets, which
had been drawn from the National armory, on a requisition from the Adjutant
General of Pennsylvania, at the time of its organization in 1858, and thirty-four
of their number carrying them, were uniformedprecisely like theregulars. The
officers and some of the men wore revolvers at their sides, well loaded. Aside
from these, there was not a charge of powder in the five companies; but one of
the men of the Logan Guards, happening to have a box of percussion caps in
his pocket, had previously distributed them to his comrades, and the thirtyfour muskets of the Guards were capped, and carried, half cocked, at a support
arms, creating the impression in the mob, that these muskets were loaded, and
would be used against them, if they attempted an assault. This feint was believed to have saved that little band of volunteers from the bloody and brutal
attack which awaited the Massachusetts 6th on the following day.
As the volunteers were boarding the train at the station, the angry mob
hurled a shower of bricks, clubs, and stones into their disorganized ranks, fortunately, however, inflicting only slight injuries. In the midst of the confusion,
an attempt was made to detach the engine from the train and run it away.
This was only prevented by the determined character of the engineer and his
assistants, who drew revolvers, and threatened to shoot any who dared to make
the attempt. At length, amidst the demoniac yells of the crowd, the train
moved off, carrying the volunteers safely beyond the reach of their desperate
assailants.
In the meantime, great solicitude was felt by the State officials at Harrisburg, for the safety of these unarmed and defenceless men, pioneers, pushing
forward, amidst threatening and discordant elements, to the rescue of an imperilled and helpless government. The previous, demonstrations of the disorderly element in Baltimore had created alarm, and solicitude was felt, lest an
attack should be made upon the volunteers, and they would need arms-and ammunition for their own defence; but so great was the demand for men, and so
loud the call from Washington to hasten their march, that the necessary equipments, which were not in hand, could not be procured. Upon the arrival of
the volunteers at Baltimore, the Governor and his executive and staff officers,
repaired to the telegraph office in Harrisburg, and awaited, in almost breathless
anxiety, for the first intelligence of these pioneer soldiers. When, at length, the
announcement was made of their successful march through the city, and of
the safe departure of the train bearing them on to Washington, he raised his
arm, and pledged in his own characteristic manner, that not another Pennsylvania soldier should leave the State unarmed, if the capital should be razed
to the ground.