Maryland Jailings during the Civil War

During the Civil War, Washington D.C.’s location was geographically precarious. Virginia, a Confederate State, sat across the Potomac River while the rest of the District was surrounded by Maryland, an agrarian, slave-holding state with many sympathetic to the South’s cause.

In The Hesperus Prophecy, President Lincoln fears Maryland rebellion, but rather than moving the Union government to Philadelphia, as many suggest, he relies upon Clypeate headquarters for refuge.

President Lincoln was also pro-active, cutting legal corners to keep Maryland in the Union. He ordered the arrest of Maryland legislatures who were Confederate sympathizers, and also suspended habeas corpus in the state, limiting the right of prisoners to challenge their detention in court. 

Union troops fighting their way through Maryland rioters.

The Supreme Court weighing in on President Lincoln’s unconstitutional orders