g several persons--and
wounding many others.

81

[Illustration: General John C. Fremont]

Sunday the Secessionists were in a panic, and began a wild flight
from the city. Every vehicle that could be obtained was employed at
exorbitant prices to carry men, women and children, baggage and personal
effects, to the depots and wharves, where the railroads and steamboats
were ready to receive them. The Mayor attempted to stay the stampede by
a speech at the Planters' House, in which he assured the people that the
Home Guards were entirely under the control of their officers, and would
only be used to preserve the peace and protect property.

What was more effective was the news that Gen. Harney, hurrying back
from Washington, had arrived the preceding evening and resumed command.
Harney had reached the city on Saturday evening, May 11, and Sunday
morning called at the Arsenal on Col. Blair, not Gen. Lyon, whom he
informed of his intentions to remove the Home Guards from the Arsenal
and disband them. Blair succeeded in convincing him that this was beyond
his authority, and did not hesitate to say that his attempt to do so
would be resisted. Being convinced, Harney sent a messenger to the Board
of Police Commissioners, who were anxiously awaiting the result of his
visit, to the effect that he had "no control over the Home Guards,"
which was intended to mean that he could not remove or disband them, but
which the Commissioners and the people understood to mean that he had
lost control over them.

82

The panic at once resumed its former proportions, and Gen. Harney found
it necessary to issue a proclamation, in which he said that the public
peace must and would be preserved, and the lives and property of the
people protected, but he trusted that he would not be compelled to
resort to martial law. He would avoid all cause of irritation and
excitement whenever called upon to aid the local authorities by using
in preference the Regular troops. Therefore he began by restricting the
Home Guards to the German parts of the city, while he moved about 250
Regulars, under the command of Capts. Totten and Sweeny and Lieuts.
Saxton and Lothrop, with four pieces of artillery, into a central
position, where they went into quarters, to the great relief of
everybody.

It will be perceived that a remarkable change had come over the people
since a few weeks before, when the arrival of a little squad of Regulars
at the Sub-Treasury