en of surrender. No one was killed on either side.

The news of the surrender created wild excitement North and South and
united both sections. While the free States rallied to the Union, almost
as one man, the Unionists in the South became ardent supporters of the
cause of disunion. It was now a solid North against a solid South.

[Illustration: FORT MOULTRIE, CHARLESTON, WITH FORT SUMTER IN THE
DISTANCE.]

Three days after the surrender of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called
for 75,000 volunteers to serve for three months, and Congress was
summoned to meet on the 4th of July. Few people comprehended the
stupendous work that would be required to crush the rebellion. While the
South was hurrying its sons into the ranks, 300,000 answered the call of
President Lincoln, who on the 19th of April issued another proclamation
declaring a blockade of the Southern ports.

UNION TROOPS ATTACKED IN BALTIMORE.

Many of the Confederates demanded that an advance should be made upon
Washington, and, had it been done promptly, it could have been captured
without difficulty. Realizing its danger, the national government called
upon the States for troops and several regiments were hurried thither.
While the Seventh Pennsylvania and Sixth Massachusetts were passing
through Baltimore, they were savagely assailed by a mob. A portion of
the Sixth Massachusetts were hemmed in, and stoned and pelted with
pistol-shots. They remained cool until three of their number had been
killed and eight wounded, when they let fly with a volley which
stretched nearly a dozen rioters on the ground, besides wounding many
others. This drove the mob back, although they kept up a fusillade until
the train drew out of the city with the troops aboard.

ACTIVITY OF THE CONFEDERATES.

The Confederates in Virginia continued active. They captured Harper's
Ferry and the Norfolk Navy Yard, both of which proved very valuable to
them. Their government issued "letters of marque" which permitted
private persons to capture merchant vessels belonging to the United
States, against which the Confederate Congress declared war.

The border States were in perhaps the most trying situation of all, for,
while they wished to keep out of the war, they were forced to act the
part of buffer between the hostile States. The secessionists in
Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri made determined efforts to bring about
the secession of those States, but the Union men were too strong.