User:DarjeelingTea/Def

The Siege of Washington is a contemporary term used to describe a two-week period in April 1861, following the outbreak of the American Civil War, when there was a heightened concern by the United States government of a forthcoming, unstoppable attack on the U.S. capital city of Washington, D.C. by the Confederate States of America. Planning for the military defense of the capital was a major focus of war planning during the spring of 1861. No Confederate attempt on the capital was ultimately made, though, many historians believe the failure of an attack to materialize was due to the deterrent effect defensive preparations had on Confederate military leaders, rather than a lack of intent.

Attack on the 6th Mass.
On April 19, the 6th Massachusetts Regiment arrived, by train, in Baltimore with orders to disembark at President Street Station and proceed, overland, to Camden Street Station to continue the journey to Washington. At the train station a large crowd had formed which jeered the soldiers as they left the rail cars. The regiment formed into two lines and marched down Charles Street under Baltimore Police protection. The 24-piece regimental band was left behind at the President Street Station to rejoin the main body later.

During its transit, the mob followed, becoming increasingly more aggressive. Four of the regiment's soldiers were stoned to death. Near Camden Street Station one soldier, Charles Taylor, was ripped from the regimental line and beaten to death by Baltimoreons. With the death of Taylor, military order began to break down and soldiers began firing at will into the crowd. Rather than dispatching the mob, the gunshots served to enrage it more and the regiment began taking return fire from Baltimoreons shooting from their rooftops and windows.

Eventually the crowd withdrew and returned to the President Street Station where it attacked the railroad car in which the band had been waiting. With several bandsmen badly injured, the unit abandoned the car and split into two, half retreating along the tracks to the north and the other half to the south. The first group were eventually rescued by the Baltimore Police while the second temporarily lost the pursuing mob and were sheltered inside the Baltimore brothel of Ann Manley who dressed their wounds and provided them dinner "at her own cost".

The following day, in an attempt to regain control of Baltimore, Maryland Governor Thomas Hicks requested that the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad not permit any trains carrying United States troops to pass through the city. Though railroad executives initially acceded to Hicks' request, they immediately cabled the United States Department of War requesting further instructions. Meanwhile, communities surrounding Baltimore issued similar proclamations demanding the railroad not transport troops from northern states through the area, these demands accompanied by threats of to disable railroad tracks in the event of non-compliance.

General Order No. 3
On the evening of April 19, Winfield Scott issued General Order No. 3 which temporarily brought Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware into the Department of Washington. The Pennsylvania Militia was, thereafter, ordered to immediately mobilize and secure all southbound railway and telegraph lines from attempts at sabotage. Federal troops seized control of both the Washington head office of the American Telegraph Company as well as the four Potomac Steamboat Company ships that were then at dock in the city.

Plan
Rather than attempting to defend the entire city of Washington, Birch's plans for the defense of the capital established three zones of resistance to which the city's defenders would fall back once the attack came. At the center of each zone was a citadel from which military operations within the zone would be commanded and which would serve as a last stand for the defenders should all other defenses fail.

Defense of the White House
In the middle of April, United States Senator James Lane of Kansas called for a meeting of Kansans then in Washington, organizing 120 volunteers into what was known as the Frontier Guard. Lane assumed command of the irregular force, establishing his headquarters at the Willard Hotel. On April 18, Senator Lane was notified by Major David Hunter of Winfield Scott's staff that concern had arisen within the military leadership of the possibility of a coup. Lane's Frontier Guard was asked to provide for the defense of the White House and a guard from the force was mounted, encamping within the East Room.

Irregular forces
To supplement for the paucity of federal forces and northern militia within the capital city, several irregular forces were formed.

Treasury Guards
Under Winfield Scott's orders, civilian employees of the United States Department of the Treasury were pressed into service to defend the United States Treasury Building as force called the Treasury Guards.