1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 621 Baltimore’s Struggle

John Adams Dix's actions in Baltimore aroused great indignation among local slavery supporters.

Baltimore Mayor Max is at a loss to do anything about this. Max knows very well that if Dix is ​​allowed to run wild in Baltimore, Baltimore, and even the entire state of Maryland, will be under the control of the abolitionists.

Max is a big slave owner in Maryland. His butt determines his head. Naturally, he doesn't want to see this happen.

Dix was searching for non-abolitionist members all over Baltimore, even neutrals who were unwilling to speak out. This made Max feel panicked. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before he was captured by Dix and put under house arrest at Fort McHenry. .

Max decided to do something to prevent Baltimore from completely falling under Deeks' control.

After much thought and helplessness, Max quietly came to the headquarters of the Atlantic Railway Company in Baltimore and asked to see Garrett, the president of the Atlantic Railway Company.

"Dix and Lincoln's gang of Republican Yankees and Southern traitors are all barbarians. It doesn't matter what method you use to deal with these unreasonable barbarians." Max said, he now cares more about the results than the results. means.

The headquarters building of the Baltimore Atlantic Railway Company is the only building that Dix currently dares not directly enter and raid. Many local pro-slavery politicians and neutral politicians have hid here to seek shelter, and even joined the citizens at the speed of light. party.

“Let local women, preferably loud-mouthed shrews, go to Fort McHenry in the name of condolences to greet General Dix and the Union soldiers, and put pressure on them to get Dix to order the lifting of martial law. " Garrett said.

As a result, the power of their southern slaveholding faction will be weakened as never before, a result that Max does not want to see.

"Dix dares to arrest people without any scruples in Baltimore. There must be someone behind him to support him. As for who can give Dicks such confidence, I don't think I need to say it clearly." Garrett said calmly. .

"That makes sense. I will contact the Baltimore Women's Federation and ask them to organize an event to express condolences to Dix and the brothers in the Union Army." After saying that, Max quietly left the Atlantic Railway Company through the back door. Headquarters building.

"General, the Baltimore Women's Federation has come to express condolences to us. They are now being blocked by me outside Fort McHenry." Lieutenant Colonel Frances Barlow of the New York Militia Regiment did not dare to let these Baltimore women enter Fort McHenry without permission, so he came to Dix's office reported the unexpected situation to Dix.

What Garrett said makes sense. The reason why Dix can now exercise effective control over Baltimore is because of the implementation of strict military control measures, which greatly restricted the activities of slave-holding armed groups in Baltimore. Various armed groups It is difficult to cooperate effectively between them, and they cannot pose a threat to Dix's army.

"Mr. Garrett, you have to give us an idea! Since Dix led his army into Maryland, he has caused chaos in Maryland and has no peace." Seeing Garrett, Max shouted to Garrett. He hoped that Garrett would come forward to persuade Dix for them.

"Is there no other way but to let Dix do whatever he wants in Baltimore?" Max said angrily.

"Yes, Mr. Garrett, now in the entire city of Baltimore, your words are the only one that has any weight in front of Dix."

"It's not impossible." Garrett hesitated.

As long as Max can be allowed to lift martial law, the slaveholding forces hiding in Baltimore will have time to reorganize and regroup to regain control of Baltimore.

"Mayor Max, since you know what Lincoln is like and Max only follows Lincoln's lead, do you think I can influence Max?" Garrett said.

"Mr. Garrett, please tell me if you have any ideas! How long have you been trying to get away with us?" Max said anxiously.

"It's not that I'm trying to show off." Garrett frowned, "It's just that this method is not gentlemanly."

"Barlow, what do you think about this?" After learning that the Baltimore Women's Federation had organized local women to come to Fort McHenry to express condolences to the labor force, Dix felt that this matter was not that simple.

Once Dix takes complete control of Baltimore and Maryland, not only the state of Delaware in eastern Maryland will also be completely under the control of his political opponents, the abolitionists, but even other southern swing states are likely to choose to surrender to Lincoln and the Republican Party. yield.

"Mr. Garrett, please come forward and persuade Dix. He is acting so recklessly in Baltimore. How will other southern states view him? How will they view the Republican Party?"

The next day, hundreds of local Baltimore women came outside Fort McHenry in the name of condolences to the laborers.

"Then Dix's reputation is completely ruined, isn't it what you want?" Garrett smiled slyly and said meaningfully, "Lincoln and the Republican Party can ignore the name of a slave state, how can they ignore a free state? public opinion?”

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"Now Dix is ​​even more lawless, skipping judicial procedures and arresting people all over Baltimore! What kind of talk is this! I implore you, for the sake of the people of Baltimore, to come forward and persuade Dix."

Even if this didn't stop Dix from arresting political opponents in Baltimore, it would still make him sick.

Garrett was a Citizen, although Dix's army had arrested a large number of pro-slavery and neutral politicians since entering. But Dix did not dare to arrest anyone. For fear of angering the Civic Party and worsening East-West relations, Dix did not dare to arrest the Civic Party members in Baltimore.

In less than a week after Dix arrived in Baltimore, Garrett developed more party members than he had in the past several years combined.

"This is a way, but Dix has always been an unreasonable, impulsive and irritable person. What if Dix arrests our women and even hurts them?" Max hesitated.

"It must be Lincoln! Damn it, this guy hasn't even become the president yet, yet he dares to act so wildly and lawlessly. If he becomes the president, what more ridiculous things he will do is simply unimaginable." When I thought about it, I immediately thought of Lincoln.

They were the troops of the northern state of New York. These slave owners in Baltimore hated them before it was too late, so how could they come to comfort them?

"General, I think they are chickens giving New Year greetings to the weasels." Lieutenant Colonel Barlow said, "We just captured the husbands, children, and fathers of these women. They hated us before it was too late. How could they be so kind as to come to comfort us? I I feel that this matter is very unusual and may be a conspiracy of those Dixie guys in Baltimore. It’s better for us to be careful.”