At length we left fort M’Henry, and the procession was formed to enter Baltimore; general Lafayette led the way in an open carriage, drawn by four horses; the vast extent of ground we had to pass on our left, was ornamented by a line of militia on foot and horseback, which formed in column behind us as we passed. On our right were the people who had flocked to meet us from Baltimore. We arrived at the entry of the town, where we found a triumphal arch, supported upon four beautiful Ionic columns. Under this arch 24 young ladies, robed in white, crowned with myrtle, and bearing lances, upon which were inscribed the names of the states of the union, received the Nation’s Guest, encircled him with garlands, and crowned him with laurels. At the same instant, the roar of cannon, mingled with the acclamations of the multitude. The procession continued its progress, and passing through all the streets, finally stopped in front of the City Hall, in the principal hall of which the general was received and welcomed in a speech by the mayor.
In his reply, general Lafayette proved that he had not forgotten the zeal of the inhabitants of Baltimore in the cause of liberty.
After this answer, and when all the members of the corporation were introduced, we went to the principal street of the city, in the centre of which an alcove, covered and adorned with rich carpets, had been prepared for the reception of general Lafayette and his companions. Here the militia of Maryland, whose martial air disclosed the warlike character of this fine country, defiled before us to the sound of Lafayette’s march. Among the numerous corps which passed before us, one was pointed out to the general which marched under a ragged standard; this corps was Forsyth’s riflemen, and the flag was that under which Pulaski died at Savannah.
Pulaski,[[17]] after having long and uselessly fought for the liberty of his country, Poland, only abandoned it when the cause of independence was altogether desperate, and in search of places where he might still shed his blood for the principles he had hitherto defended. Virginia and Maryland were completely devastated by the war in 1778; when he organized a legion at Baltimore, the arts were no longer cultivated, and the entire activity of the citizens was turned towards war: he was then obliged to have recourse to the most simple colours. A piece of crimson silk, obtained with great difficulty, was embroidered in silk by the religious Moravian women of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. On one side were the letters U. S. (United States) and the words “vis unita fortior,” on the other side was a field emblazoned with 13 stars, with this legend, “non alius reget” Such was the flag of Pulaski, which always conducted to the path of glory, the warriors who rallied under it. In 1778, the lieutenant colonel of this legion fell under the British bayonets at Egg-harbour, in New Jersey; in 1779, the colonel, who had previously commanded a regiment of hussars in the army of Frederick the Great, was sabred before Charlestown; on the 9th of October of the same year, general Pulaski, who had given his name to the legion, was mortally wounded by a shell, in the attack upon Savannah. In 1770, the major was sabred at Mark’s Corner; colonel Bentalou was then the oldest surviving officer; he took command of the legion, and at the end of the war inherited its flag, which he carefully preserved. Since the revolution it had never been displayed, but he thought that the arrival of Lafayette was a sufficiently glorious occasion for bringing it to light. After the ceremony, he presented it to the museum, where it was received by the hands of the ladies of Baltimore.
After the review, we were conducted to our head quarters, which were established in the elegant hotel kept by Mr. John Barney, brother of the intrepid commodore Barney, who gloriously fell, dreadfully wounded, at the head of his sailors, (at that time acting on shore as soldiers,) in the battle of Bladensburg.
In the evening, the city corporation, the senators and representatives of Maryland, and the governor and his staff dined with the general. After dinner, numerous toasts were drank, which for the most part were expressive of attachment to the person and principles of Lafayette, or sometimes according to the American custom, the opinion of their political party. Mr. Adams, still affected by the touching scenes he witnessed at fort M’Henry in the morning, gave the following, which was received with unanimous applause: “The tears of glory, gratitude, and joy, shed under the tent of Washington.”
Every instant of our stay in Baltimore, was marked by the most brilliant festivals, and the most delicate attentions. It is difficult to give a just idea of the elegance and delicacy of manners of the inhabitants of this city, in which we find the amiable union of American frankness, and French ease. The ball given by the city was every thing that was perfect of the kind; it was prepared in the theatre, and disposed with inimitable taste. All the boxes were occupied by ladies, and the carpet was entirely vacant. We were introduced from the stage, only accompanied by some members of the committee. At the moment the general appeared, he was announced by an invisible music, which played Lafayette’s march, and the gas blazing abundantly from numerous pipes, and throwing floods of dazzling light over the hall, discovered to our delighted eyes the most ravishing picture I ever beheld. The splendour of a parterre covered with the most beautiful flowers, would have looked pale along side of this crowd of beautiful ladies, waving their handkerchiefs, scattering flowers, and expressing, by their sweet tears, the happiness they experienced in beholding the Nation’s Guest. In an instant they abandoned their places, advanced to the middle of the hall, and surrounded the general, who remained for some moments incapable of expressing his gratefulness, so much was he affected. The dancing soon after commenced, and gave us an opportunity of admiring more in detail the graces and beauty of the ladies of Maryland.
We only remained five days at Baltimore, but general Lafayette’s time was so skillfully divided, that he could attend to nearly all the invitations he received. He was present successively at the entertainments of the freemasons, of the Cincinnati society, &c. &c. He daily received numerous deputations from a great number of cities earnestly requesting him to visit them. He visited the various public establishments of Baltimore, and on Sunday attended divine service, celebrated by the archbishop. The mass, in music, was admirably chanted by the ladies of Baltimore, under the direction of Mr. Gilles, an excellent professor, who for some years has diffused in the city a taste for good music, and formed a large number of distinguished pupils. On the same day the corps of militia officers was introduced by general Harper, who, on this occasion, pronounced a discourse, the following passage of which, appeared to me, to be especially remarkable.
“This free homage of our hearts,” said he, “stranger to flattery and ambition, is the more precious to you, as you well know, that it is the testimony of a nation, in favour of those principles of government, for which you have shed your blood in this hemisphere, and suffered so much in the other. This testimony perhaps will not be useless to the sacred cause you have embraced: at a moment when Europe is divided between two parties, one of which is endeavouring to perpetuate absolute power, and the other courageously combats for equality of rights and the establishment of a constitutional government; it will we hope be a great encouragement to the friends of the good cause to know that here we are undivided, and that the American nation is unanimous in its attachment to liberty.”
General Lafayette replied to the orator, assuring him that he participated in his opinions, his wishes, and his hopes.