GRIEVING AND RECONCILIATION IN BALTIMORE AFTER THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR By JENNIFER PRIOR B.A., Loyola College in Maryland, 1994 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Universit
THE DIVISION OF BALTIMORE •
A border state with a choice, the Civil War—often called the brothers' war—pitted former neighbors against one another and divided the nation While many analyses emphasize strategic battles and political shifts, the deeper story lies in personal experience: families torn apart, friends compelled to take opposing sides, and communities altered forever by split loyalties This human toll reveals how a border state's decisions could redefine kinship, daily life, and the very fabric of society Looking beyond the big picture, we glimpse the intimate reasons people chose sides and how those choices shaped the course of a nation.
During a nation divided, families were torn apart, friends separated, and individuals wrestled with which side to take; for many, the decision followed where they grew up and how they were raised, revealing how geography and upbringing shaped allegiance A telling example is General Robert E Lee, who grew up in Virginia and was raised not as an "American" but as a "Virginian," illustrating how regional identity could define a person's loyalties in a divided nation.
Consequently, when faced with the war, his ingrained loyalty to Virginia took precedence over his feelings on political issues and responsibilities to his national government
General Lee's decision to fight for the Confederacy was not a choice but an obligation, and for him the duty to join the Confederate cause outweighed personal preference By contrast, many others—especially those living in border states—were less fortunate, and for them the choice was painful and enervating.
During the Civil War the term "border states" generally ref erred to those states located on the "border" between the North and the south: Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky,
7 Delaware, and Maryland When the war broke out, most border states already existed as decidedly pro-Union or
Confederate Consequently, their choice had been made long ago Maryland was a different story 4 Maryland had to choose a side
Maryland's unique location characterized i t as a combination of Northern and Southern cultures The state's rural economy, mixed with its growing industry and commerce, provided the best of both worlds Baltimore, the state's most significant city, was affectionately referred to as the Northernmost Southern city and the Southernmost Northern city Its active seaport and railroad depots allowed i t to act as a liaison between Southern plantations and Northern factories This arrangement offered Baltimore a lucrative economy and simultaneously ingrained i t with loyalties to both the Union an4 the Confederacy In 1861, Baltimore was teeming with Northern and Southern sympathizers When the threat of war arose, Baltimoreans had to choose a side
How did they choose? Ideally a choice might be based on moral beliefs, values, and conscience Pragmatically, a choice would be based on economics and survival As sectional tensions mounted and war became a likely
Throughout this thesis, Maryland and Baltimore may appear interchangeable, but the analysis centers on Baltimore, Maryland, with any discussion of state politics limited to how it affects Baltimore City.
During a pivotal moment, Baltimore residents felt the city needed to clarify where its loyalties lay and to set its political course according to the will of the majority In line with the Declaration of Independence, they argued that a government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people' should determine its stance by verifying what most residents want, ensuring leadership reflects the public's consent and democratic principles.
Only t~rough an assessment of the peoples' opinions could the true will of the city be accurately discovered
However, both Northern and Southern sympathizers in
Baltimore assumed that their "side" embodied the true will of the people As animosities between the two sides increased, Maryland Governor Thomas Halliday Hicks carefully considered the situation
In 1861, Maryland Governor Hicks faced a precarious position as the Civil War loomed He was acutely aware of the city’s divided loyalties, with strong pro-Union and pro-Confederate sentiments swirling through Baltimore Yet Hicks publicly identified as a pacifist and clung to the hope that armed conflict could be averted, signaling a measured, peace-seeking approach amid mounting tensions.
One Marylander proclaims his deep loyalty to both Maryland and the Union, declaring that he would suffer his right arm to be torn from his body rather than lift it to strike a sister state As the war threat grows stronger, delegates of the Maryland legislature grapple with the choices facing their state in the crisis ahead.
Quoted in Matthew Page Andrews, "Passage of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment through Baltimore, April 19, 1861," Maryland Historical Magazine, XIV (1919), 60–76, the account describes the regiment's passage through Baltimore and notes that there were attempts to coerce Governor Hicks into convening the State Assembly to address the question of secession.
Determined to keep Maryland from taking sides and risking division or violence, Hicks pursued a policy of neutrality The Baltimore American explained that Maryland faced an unusually difficult position, unable to fully express the voice of its citizens without inviting intense hostility from the opposing side While his stance was unpopular with his peers, Hicks turned to the public for support, and on April 19, 1861, he, together with Baltimore Mayor George William Brown, publicly appealed for neutrality.
Brown, published a proclamation in the Baltimore Sun addressing the residents of Maryland on the issue of
"choosing sides." The Governor's proclamation was concurrent with his dreams of avoiding war:
Because of our peculiar position, it is not to be expected that the people of the State will unanimously agree on the best method for preserving its honor and integrity The complexity of the situation invites a variety of opinions, making complete consensus unlikely and suggesting that attempting to enforce a single approach would be impractical Instead, the focus should be on solid, adaptable principles that uphold the state's reputation while accommodating diverse perspectives.
State, and of maintaining with in her limits that peace so earnestly desired by all good
6william J Evitts, A Matter of Allegiances - Maryland from 1850 to 1861 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
10 citizens The emergency is great The consequences of a rash step will be fearful
It is the imperative duty of every true son of
Maryland should do all it can to avert the threatened evil, and I earnestly urge the people to refrain from any act that could drive us into a gulf of discord and ruin waiting to receive us By withholding our hands from measures that provoke conflict and division, we safeguard the state’s future and preserve unity Let prudent restraint guide our actions so we do not fall into upheaval or ruin.
As the threat of war loomed and the governor offered a non-committal response, Baltimore found itself exposed to mounting instability Nine Union and Confederate supporters grew increasingly anxious, leaving the city ripe for street violence.
On April 19, 1861, Hicks's.dreams of peaceful neutrality for Baltimore were shattered when a train arrived from Philadelphia carrying soldiers of the Sixth
Massachusetts Regiment on route to Washington, o.c., these soldiers were required to transfer trains in Baltimore
They disembarked at President Street Station around 10:30 A.M and began walking to Camden Station The regiment's commander knew Baltimore's streets were lined with Confederate sympathizers eager to "greet" the Union troops, so the unit was ordered to proceed through the city carrying loaded guns.
811Proclamations of Governor Hicks and Mayor Brown to the People of Maryland," Baltimore Sun, March 19, 1861
9while there is some evidence in Baltimore's newspapers of public support for Hick's neutrality policy, the overall trend indicates the growth and division of partisan viewpoints
11 marching, the soldiers were taunted by large groups of
BEREAVEMENT AND CELEBRATION
As residents of a border city, Baltimoreans were traumatized by a war that divided not only their country and state, but also the environment in which they lived
During the postwar period, residents endured innumerable hardships, including the loss of loved ones, diminished financial and social stability, and intense emotional distress In the years that followed, they mourned these losses both individually and as a community, reflecting on what had happened and how it reshaped their lives Their bereavement began when Baltimore was forced to choose a side and lasted well into the late nineteenth century, by which time residents were finally prepared to reconcile their Union and Confederate halves.
In Death and Dying, Jean Knox outlines the grieving process, explaining that the loss of a loved one necessitates a period of bereavement during which emotional healing unfolds through several phases Typically, the bereaved first react with numbness and denial, as the loss does not yet feel real and emotional pain seems distant With time, the experience evolves as reality sinks in and the griever begins to process the loss, moving through recognizable stages toward healing.
Jean Knox and Ann Kaiser Sterns are selected as primary sources for this thesis because their theories on the stages of grief align with Beverly Raphel’s framework as a respected thanatologist Their aligned perspectives provide a cohesive foundation for understanding bereavement and strengthen the overall argument by corroborating the stage-based model proposed by Raphel.
When death becomes real, sorrow and depression soon follow, and the bereaved feels the pain of separation from a loved one Knox explains that this sadness is a natural stage of grieving—a time to mourn, honor memories, reflect on the relationship, and begin the healing process.
"mourn the departed, yearning for his or her company." 2
Although the initial emotional pain is intense, it gradually softens and gives way to a grief-recovery phase During this phase, the bereaved redefines their understanding of death and the person who died, paving the way for a growing sense of peace and acceptance Knox notes that this final stage represents a fresh beginning, as the mourner slowly shapes a new identity forged by the experience of grief.
Grieving is the path the bereaved take to continue with life, and the deeper and more fully they grieve, the more relief they can feel as they move toward recovery The mourning process typically spans roughly six weeks to a year, with the timeline varying according to the circumstances of the death For survivors of disasters like war, however, the mourning process may never truly end, leaving them scarred with lasting emotional wounds.
"imprint of death," whereby the emotional journey from
2Jean Knox, Death and Dying (New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989), 60
4Ann Kaiser Sterns, Living Through Personal Crisis
28 denial to recovery may take a lifetime 5
Residents of Baltimore allowed themselves to experience grief, as i t enabled them to move on with their lives
Baltimore’s mourning progressed at its own pace, with the imprint of death shaping a collective grief that stretched over fifty years and repeatedly surfaced as denial, sorrow, and fragile recovery through the late nineteenth century The city never fully completed its recovery, its attention pulled toward the Spanish–American War and the losses of Civil War veterans, even as it inched toward reconciliation of its divided self in the late nineteenth century This process was solidified in the mid‑twentieth century, when a new generation, free from Civil War grief, publicly reconciled Baltimore’s Northern and Southern identities.
Baltimore's progress through its painful grieving process pervaded many aspects of city life The community's focal points of public assemblage included places, events, and organizations These public institutions provided
Baltimore’s cultural institutions acted as straightforward reflections of shared ideas, shaped by social forces and simultaneously helping to build and test social relations They operated as a means of communication across political groups and social classes, revealing the prevailing notions of the city Public gathering points—such as public cemeteries, national holiday celebrations, and broad citywide organizations—provide a window into Baltimore’s evolving feelings about the war and its aftermath Analyzing these spaces illuminates the city’s progression through the grieving process toward recovery, with each gathering point capturing changing sentiments and signaling the trajectory of Baltimore’s social healing.
On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse The prayers of many
Northerners and Southerners had finally been answered the
6susan G Davis, Parades and Power, (Philadelphia:
30 Civil War was over This occasion of peace was met with reactions ranging from quiet reflection to joyful outcry
In Baltimore Northern sympathizers were elated with victory Southern sympathizers, although defeated, were relieved to see the conflict finally end
Although the Civil War officially ended in April 1865, signs that its end was near were already evident in Baltimore during the early spring months The approaching Union victory stirred growing patriotic and nationalistic fervor among Baltimoreans, while the voices of Southern sympathizers remained subdued This widespread Unionist zeal in Baltimore stemmed from military successes, the prospect of peace, and the home front’s desire to support loved ones in battle The surge of enthusiasm became evident on George Washington’s Birthday.
By the mid nineteenth century, Washington's Birthday was an established national holiday 8 In 1865 i t fell just days after the Union Army's recapture of Fort Sumter in
South Carolina and only three months before Grant's final victory The possibility that peace was within reach
8This statement is based upon the Baltimore sun's coverage of Washington's birthday between 1860 and 1890
31 excited Baltimoreans Consequently, they used February 22 to celebrate extravagantly Traditionally, Washington's Birthday was a day to commemorate the honorable man who led Britain's fledgling colonies in building their own nation
The observance included flag displays, school closures, and the era’s typical 19th-century social entertainments, balls and plays In Baltimore, the day had long been celebrated with commemorative festivities and enthusiasm, but by 1865 the celebration reached an unprecedented level of excitement.
Fueled by a pre-existing sense of patriotism and nationalism, Baltimore observed Washington's Birthday as a day for personal enjoyment and patriotic fervor Bells rang at sunrise, noon, and sunset, while salutes were fired at regular intervals Flags adorned public buildings and many private residences, and even streetcars carried flags and red, white, and blue banners The city hosted the annual Ball of the Independent Greys, drawing crowds into the streets to celebrate their day off This festive observance touched both Union and Confederate sympathizers and renewed their commitment to their respective causes, underscoring Baltimore's enduring spirit of national pride.
The Annual Ball of the Independent Greys was a formal social event hosted by the civilian-military organization The Independent Greys to honor Washington's Birthday and reflect the ideals of American democracy Because law barred Southern sympathizers from openly expressing their political views, the public commemoration of Washington's Birthday largely belonged to the city's Union residents.
Similarly, when the Fourth of July, 1865, was chosen to be the pinnacle of all victory celebrations, Baltimore's public festivities catered to Union sympathizers
Independence Day has evolved from its first secretive celebration in 1776 to today’s large-scale public observances that allow Americans to take pride in their country and celebrate freedom John Adams described the Fourth of July as a day for “Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one end of this Continent to the other,” capturing the festive spirit that has endured across generations From those early secret beginnings to the present, Independence Day remains a powerful expression of patriotism, with notable moments such as July 4, 1865, when Baltimore marked a unique version of this celebration of freedom.
Unprecedented events that had shaped the nation over the past four years made Independence Day celebrations at the close of the war unlike anything Baltimore had experienced before As the war ended, Baltimore’s festivities reflected a changed mood and a new chapter in the city’s history.
The Baltimore Sun's coverage of the city's 1865
Independence Day celebration filled the entire front page of
1°Taken from a plaque in the Second Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
33 the newspaper 11 According to one article the day's celebration was "more general and hearty than for many years previous." Prior the civil War, the Fourth of July in
Baltimore’s public celebrations had been vibrant, but during the Civil War they fluctuated—from lively and well-attended to almost nonexistent—as the close proximity of Confederate and Union troops sometimes made celebrations impossible.
THE HEALING PROCESS ••
After the Civil War, a small group of Baltimoreans recognized the need for reconciliation and sought common ground between Northern and Southern sympathizers On September 20, 1865, the city erected a public monument to Thomas Wildey, the founder of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, whose Baltimore branch grew after he emigrated from England to promote the Order’s worldwide principle of Charity As Odd Fellow Lodges spread across the United States and into Canada, Wildey’s death in 1861 spurred the Baltimore chapter to honor him with a monument, and a fundraising committee was formed to locate a suitable site When the city government offered land on North Broadway in the heart of Baltimore, the project found a home, and the dedication ceremony took place there.
1Scharf, The Chronicles of Baltimore, 660
2J.F Weishampel, Jr., Weishampel's New Monumental City Guide Book (Baltimore: Weishampel's Bookseller and
44 months after the war's conclusion and was used as a gathering point for Baltimoreans of Northern and Southern sentiments:
Wednesday, the twentieth of September, will long be remembered in the history of the
Today marks not only the dedicatory services for the Wildey Monument but also a grand reunion of fraternal feeling within the brotherhood of the entire Union, as members from North, South, East, and West join hands again in renewed brotherly love This moment celebrates regional unity and the enduring bonds that unite the fraternity across the nation.
The monument's dedication ceremony included a huge procession of all members of the order from their lodge to the monument, underscoring the significance of the site’s central, public location Baltimoreans from both sides of the Civil War gathered peacefully in the town center to participate in the festivities, a display of unity that contrasted with Baltimore's Independence Day celebration in 1865, when Union sympathizers dominated the day’s events.
Although the Wildey Monument was not a Civil War monument, it gave Baltimore a unique chance to bring its divided halves onto neutral, equal ground The gathering functioned as a powerful moment of reconciliation, offering a shared space where memory and grievance could be acknowledged without triumphalism By placing different communities on common soil, the event highlighted a path toward civic healing and unity, turning a monument into a symbol of dialogue and a renewed sense of city identity.
"members of the fraternity from North and South joining hand in hand again with the same brotherly love."
3Scharf, The Chronicles of Baltimore, 660
Residents of Baltimore had a chance to see how i t felt to attempt reconciliation Although the dedication of the
Wildey monument occurred without any major disturbance,
Baltimoreans were not yet ready to forgive one another
This event was the only gathering of its kind where
Unionists and Confederates met equally on common ground between 1865 and 1880 4 Following the dedication of the Wildey monument the theme of reconciliation was rarely
46 mentioned and the war and its aftermath passed without great recognition
In the early stages of grief, the end of the war in Baltimore was initially celebrated with tremendous glory and color, but the arrival of peace brought more sadness than merrymaking.
Compelled out of their sense of denial by the permeating
With the imprint of death lingering over Baltimore, residents began to grieve their losses as the community entered an active mourning phase This transition encompassed deep sorrow and rising questions about personal responsibility Baltimore’s divided nature limited the open expression of personal grief, shaping how individuals processed the tragedy and how the city could begin to heal.
After the dedication of the Wildey monument, Baltimore did not gather publicly on neutral grounds again until the city's sesquicentennial celebration in 1880 Bereavement in public was limited, and grief was relegated to secure spaces of society such as cemeteries.
In The Anatomy of Bereavement, Beverly Raphel argues that the emotional turmoil following the loss of a loved one is the pain of separation The bereaved typically experiences a lasting separation pain in the period after the funeral ceremony, with the absence of the deceased felt as a tangible, constant presence Grief arrives in waves, unleashing distress as the survivor navigates a world without the person they loved.
Separation pain prompts an insatiable desire to see the deceased again As this is not possible the bereaved seeks comfort in the company of others 6 According to Gaines
After the Civil War, many recovering cities became fixated on death, designating segments of society for mourning and public commemoration This shift transformed grief from a private emotion into a communal, societal experience Foster explains that the collective attention to loss—through rituals and memorials—bound communities together and reshaped social life around memory.
"talk of death offered a temporary psychological escape" and thus enabled individuals to comfort one another 7
5Beverly Raphel, The Anatomy of Bereavement (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1983), 41 Raphel was selected as a source for this thesis because she is considered to be one the leading thanatologists in bereavement today (See Wass, Hannelore and Robert Neimeyer, eds., Dying: Facing the Facts (Bristol, Pa.: Taylor and Francis, 1995), 216
7Gaines M Foster, Ghosts of the Confederacy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 37
Baltimoreans initially became fixated with death during the Civil War when the public observation of death in cemeteries rose to an almost daily occurrence Each burial signified not only the loss of an individual, but also represented the utter devastation of war After the war's completion Baltimoreans assessed and grieved their losses and turned to cemeteries as vehicles of bereavement and social communication
The emotional significance of a cemetery far exceeds its practical function as the resting place of the deceased It is not only where graves mark a life but also where funeral rites take place, giving the bereaved a space to grieve openly and to experience the comfort and consolation of others A funeral offers mourners a chance to say goodbye and to feel the presence of the deceased one last time, easing the move from denial into mourning Because of this deep emotional experience, cemeteries gain enduring importance: loved ones can return to the grave site again and again to say goodbye, to re-experience a sense of closeness, and to maintain a living connection with the deceased Thus, cemeteries function as meaningful spaces for remembrance, ongoing mourning, and the ongoing relationship between the living and those who have passed away.
49 the pain of separation as they "found solace and inspiration in the cemeteries 118
Residents of Baltimore increasingly visited cemeteries in the post-war years, seeking personal comfort and social support among burial grounds The healing potential of these spaces grew as cemeteries adopted a horticultural style drawn from the city's parks, lending park-like beauty to mourning landscapes In the nineteenth century, Baltimore boasted several large parks, including Patterson Park, whose design sensibilities informed the aesthetic of the city's cemeteries.
Lafayette Park, and the most popular, Druid Hill Park
Established in 1860 and financed by the city government, Druid Hill Park offered more than lush lawns: it featured natural springs, a zoo, a bandstand, pavilions, lakes, walks, promenades, and statuary, creating a pseudo-rural oasis within a large urban city Baltimoreans flocked there to escape the bustle of daily life and enjoy nature, making the park a premier gathering spot for citywide events such as the Fourth of July while also serving as a beloved place for relaxing walks, picnics, and boating.
9Jaques Kelly, The Pratt Library Album Baltimore
Neighborhoods in Focus (Baltimore: Enoch Pratt Library,
50 on the lake was widely reported as a Sunday afternoon favorite, a lakefront gathering spot that drew locals seeking a relaxed, scenic break by the water At 1110 Druid Hill, the space functioned as neutral ground where residents from all walks of life and political convictions could mingle freely, creating a rare venue for cross-cultural dialogue and community connection.
TRYING TO FORGET • •
By the summer of 1870, Baltimoreans were already moving through the stages of grief, yet they were not ready to face reconciliation Independence Day in 1870 looked different from 1865: the Fourth of July of 1865 celebrated Union victory, while the 1870 celebration avoided references to war and politics The first five years after the war brought Baltimore heavy sorrow for what had been lost, leaving residents with a strong desire to forget the war.
Baltimore declared Independence Day 1870 a city holiday but did not mount a large celebration, opting instead for private observance; standard Fourth of July rituals—patriotic speeches and military pageantry—could have raised political questions and sparked partisan debate The Baltimore Sun described the mood as unusually unpatriotic, noting a genuine spirit of recreation that led many residents to celebrate in quiet, personal ways.
Many chose to stay in the city, gathering in parks like Druid Hill Park to enjoy picnics, sports, and boating, while others answered newspaper advertisements and left town for the countryside in search of a quiet refuge Although the day felt largely apolitical, the enduring legacy of the war could not be escaped.
On July 4, 1870, two editorials reflected the city’s enduring division in the post–Civil War era The first editorial criticized the national government for its ongoing mistreatment of Confederate sympathizers, arguing that the persistent distrust and persecution faced by former Confederates five years after the war’s end disgraced the nation.
To multiply forms and festivities in honor of this national anniversary is a hollow spectacle when our practices violate the world’s most precious asset—civil liberty—an asset entrusted to us for the good of mankind It is to be regretted that another national anniversary will pass without addressing the persistent violations of liberty that undermine the very rights we claim to uphold.
• has returned without the complete restoration, even in form, of the whole
American Union • the Southern States
as if they had no rights which the federal government was bound to respect 4
The second editorial acknowledged the healing powers of forgiveness and its potential to wipe out Baltimore's partisan tensions
Hope remains that a policy grounded in justice and conciliation will prevail, enabling all sections to exist together under their common charter of freedom In this climate, five years of strife would no longer blot the memories of eighty-four years of brotherhood.
Baltimore residents hoped to reconcile their differences, but they weren’t ready yet, still grieving as they processed memories in diverse ways Civilians and veterans alike sought comfort in cemeteries, trying to find solace amid loss Yet many veterans struggled to share their experiences, making reconciliation feel out of reach for now.
Young men who marched off to war in 1861 found camp life and combat far different from the heroic myths they expected; instead of gallantry, military life brought violence, hardship, and intense fear By 1865, returning Civil War soldiers carried disillusionment about the war’s value and were startled to realize that those at home still clung to pre-war fantasies of colorful battles and military fanfare This gap between front-line experience and home-front perception left veterans feeling estranged from family and friends As historian Gerald Linderman notes, they came to believe that those at home did not understand the realities of war.
59 experience through which they were passing 116
Because of a disconnect with civilians, soldiers rarely discussed the harsh realities of battle and camp life with those back home They often found it difficult to share memories even with fellow soldiers Instead, many chose to ignore their wartime experiences and hoped the pain would fade with time, a belief that echoes the adage, "Time heals all wounds."
Soldiers considered difficult memories to be wounds of the mind If left alone, eventually the wound, like a scraped knee, would heal on its own and then disappear As
A veteran would do anything he could to accelerate the disappearance of mind wounds
Disturbing memories were to be kept to oneself, not to be aired publicly to relieve the suffer and certainly not to correct public misapprehension of the nature of combat 8
Today, this behavior is recognized as symptomatic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) PTSD is defined as a psychological condition caused by exposure to warfare, and it examines how traumatic experiences shape survivors’ thoughts, memories, and emotional and physical responses.
6Gerald F Linderman, Embattled Courage (New York: The Free Press, 1987), 216
60 soldier during and after combat 9 According to psychological studies, it is natural for soldiers to want to
"avoid any situation that threatened to recall the original events" such as the sharing of memories 10 Unfamiliar with these twentieth century theories, post civil War
Baltimoreans helped veterans forget the war as their interest in political and patriotic events continued to dissipate
In 1865 Baltimore celebrated George Washington's
Initially, Washington was celebrated with enthusiasm in the city’s newspapers, where editorials portrayed him as a self-sacrificing and almost god-like figure By 1880, however, he attracted far less recognition and came to be described as a selfishly motivated politician, signaling a sharp turn in public perception This change suggests that Baltimoreans were growing disillusioned and no longer viewed the nation in idealistic terms The resulting decline in political fervor reflects a broader shift in how the city understood its leadership.
9Eric T Dean, "We Will All be Lost and Destroyed: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Civil War," Civil War
1°Roger J Spiller, "Shell Shock," American Heritage 41 (May-June 1990), 74 nBaltimore Sun, February 22, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1880
As in 1870, Independence Day 1880 was noted by
Baltimoreans with minimal displays of patriotism On July
3, 1880, the Baltimore Sun published an article entitled
The Nation's Birthday—How It Is Likely to Be Spent was written to inform Baltimoreans about the July 4th activities they could enjoy, emphasizing excursion trips and resorts outside the city rather than orations, parades, firing of salutes, ringing of bells, or displays of fireworks It signals a shift of Independence Day from a political and patriotic occasion to a leisurely holiday, with residents preferring relaxed recreation over public ceremony Although war-related topics were avoided, residents did not forget their losses; as Linderman notes, Americans were willing to thrust into shadow all things martial, with no de-mythologizing of the soldier or renunciation of war as a social experience, yet there remained a pervasive sense of the war as loss Consequently, Baltimore’s Fourth of July coverage largely centered on leisure options, with only a minimal war reference in the city's newspapers on that day.
1880, was an editorial that pleaded for reconciliation:
The real causes of umbrage have been swept away by the spirit of war; envy and jealousy have no anchor to hang onto, and hatreds born of recollection are like a house built on sand When the hour of reason fully prevails over prejudice, it will be seen that the North and the South mutually need one another, and that from that need will arise a union as compact and strong as the clinging together of the male and female screw.
Residents longed for reconciliation even as they mourned the losses of war; Baltimoreans found solace in sharing their bereavement with one another, but were careful to confine the expression of grief to cemeteries.
During the 1870s and 1880s, Baltimore mourned its losses in cemeteries as a visible expression of grief To share their sorrow, residents turned cemetery visits into a communal activity, making these outings feel more like recreation while bringing them closer to those who had died.