A force of Virginia volunteers moved on Harper's Ferry. The small
Federal garrison asked for a parley, which was granted. In a short time
flames were pouring from the armory and arsenal. The garrison had set
fire to the buildings and escaped across the railroad bridge into
Maryland.
The Virginia troops rushed into the burning buildings, and saved five
thousand muskets and three thousand unfinished rifles. The garrison had
laid trains of powder to blow up the workshops, but the Virginians
extinguished the flames and saved to the South the invaluable machinery
for making and repairing muskets and rifles. It was shipped to
Fayetteville and Richmond and installed for safety.
The destruction of the navy yard at Norfolk was more complete and
irreparable. The dry dock was little damaged, but the destruction of
stores and property was enormous. All ships in the harbor were set on
fire and scuttled.
Events moved now with swift and terrible certainty.
Massachusetts attempted, on April 19, to send a regiment through the
streets of Baltimore to invade the South, and the indignant wrath of her
citizens could not be controlled by the mayor or police. The street cars
on which they were riding across town to the Camden station were thrown
from the tracks.
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