The Civil War Journal of Dr. Samuel A. Harrison

THE CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF DR. SAMUEL A. HARRISON Edited by Charles L. Wagandt Blood splattered the streets of Baltimore that fateful Friday, April 19, 1861. To the dead went the dubious distinction of being the first killed in action in the Civil War. But the riot against the 6th Massachusetts did more than slay a few contestants. Its emotional impact tore Baltimore from its Union bearings and temporarily dropped the city into the eager hands of the secessionists. Those who clung to the Union in the midst of chaos gazed helplessly . One loyalist commented on April 21 as the city feverishly prepared to meet the rumored advance of Yankee troops: "I was angry, disgusted, amused, mortified, sorry by turns. I scolded, I railed, I laughed, and I cried." Tearfully, he watched patriotism "disowned, and the country dishonored."1 This man was Samuel Alexander Harrison, a writer uniquely endowed with keen insight into the feelings and motivations of himself and others. The incident displayed his ability to hold steadfast in a time of turbulence, but it equally demonstrated the emotional impact of such events upon him. Fortunately, he could write honestly and openly about bis reactions. Bom in 1822 of a very substantial Eastern Shore (Maryland) family , Harrison achieved a good education. He practiced medicine while still a young man but soon ventured into other fields during residencies in St. Louis and Baltimore. Early in the Civil War Harrison returned to his native Talbot County to pursue his agricultural and literary interests.2 Here in the middle of the Eastern Shore he found 1 The Journal of Dr. Samuel A. Harrison, written in the years 1861-1865, is in the Maryland Historical Society. The dates listed in this article are as recorded in the diary. The actual writing usually took place on the day succeeding that date. Whenever Dr. Harrison has usea the ampersand, the word "and *" has replaced it. In a few places a period or comma has been added for the sake of clarity, but generally Harrison's punctuation has been followed. Baltimore American, June 1, 1861. Harrison posted in his Journal a clipping from that issue. The article contained a letter dated April 28, 1861. Though no name was printed, Harrison signed the letter in ink in his Journal. 2 For biographical sketches of Dr. Harrison see the Baltimore Sun, May 30, 1890; Easton Star, June 3, 1890; Prentiss Ingraham, Land of Legendary 131 132CIVIL WAR HISTORY a land of strong southern attachments but, among many, deep loyalty to the Union. The war cut off much of his social life because differing loyalties estranged personal relationships. To fill the void Harrison found comfort in writing a journal. It served, however, as more than a comforter for loneliness. The act of putting pen to paper helped to clarify his thinking. Because he wrote with no intention of publishing, Harrison freely expressed his passing, sometimes contradictory, thoughts on many of the critical issues of that day—issues that in some cases are still unresolved. From his pen emerged many images—the power of the slave aristocracy , the arousal of class feeling, and a fear bom of prejudice. Nor could he overlook the world of politics. Sensitive to the slightest personal imputation, he entertained "a most hearty disgust for party men, party contests, and party conduct."3 He excoriated corruption and deplored election irregularities, but his more practical nature upheld questionable electoral verdicts that were favorable to his views. Harrison declined the opportunity to run for the state senate in 1864 but later accepted the presidency of the county school board. On an earlier occasion he also surrendered his preferences for simply observing politics from the sidelines. That was in the summer of 1861 when he assumed the role of a delegate to a Baltimore city convention of Unionists.4 It was then and in the fall of 1861 that Harrison savored the joys of seeing Maryland right itself and declare emphatically for the Union. This issue settled, the state reluctantly became embroiled in the question of slavery, a question that had long rankled Marylanders. Now the so-called peculiar institution plunged into a final, embittered contest. Praised and damned...