Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) The Battle in Baltimore April 19th 1861
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00493.04 Author/Creator: Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Place Written: s.l. Type: Print Date: circa 1880-1890 Pagination: 1 etching : b&w ; 26.2 x 34.7 cm. Order a Copy
What Volck calls a "battle" has been more often been described as the Baltimore Riot. Shows the 6th Massachusetts Regiment travelling through Baltimore to Washington, answering Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers for ninety days' service to defend the capitol. The troops had to switch train stations in Baltimore and a riot broke out on route to the transfer station. Image depicts the riot taking place at train tracks between Union soldiers and secessionist sympathizers. Shows civilians throwing stones and brandishing pistols. Also portrays Union soldiers, some on the train, using rifles with bayonets. Size in extent is for the mount. The actual size of the etching is 20.1 x 26.6 cm. Title in pencil on verso.
Adalbert John Volck was a dentist, political cartoonist, and a caricaturist who sympathized with the Southern cause. During the Civil War, Volck supported the Confederacy through his satirical political cartoons. He also smuggled drugs and medical supplies for the Confederate army, and served as a personal courier to President Jefferson Davis.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.