By this point, negotiations had completely broken down. The Maryland government had formally thrown its lot in with the South; not even orders from Washington could stop this war.
The bloody Battle of Baltimore erupted. More than a hundred thousand Southern Army troops directly razed the entire city to the ground, and all Black people were pressed into slavery to compensate Southern supporters for their losses.
Supporters of the American North would be expelled wholesale, and the number of refugees swelled once more.
When Washington received Baltimore's telegram pleading for aid, everyone in the White House was dumbfounded. Their first reaction was that the British had attacked again.
Then they thought other great powers were trying to fish in troubled waters. It never occurred to them that this was a civil war.
The White House spent tremendous effort before figuring out that both sides in the standoff were Americans. But by the time they understood, the fighting was already over, and Baltimore had been reduced to ruins.
The two sides gave completely different accounts of the bloody Battle of Baltimore. Franklin Pierce and the northern leadership both hoped to cease fire and enter negotiations.
The upper ranks of the American South were comparatively chaotic. Some wanted to seize this chance to teach the North a lesson; some opposed brothers turning their blades on one another; others believed they should investigate the matter before making a decision.
But everything had happened too quickly.
"Mr. President, you should immediately order the arrest of General Robert Lee. He openly led troops in an attack on innocent civilians.
"This kind of conduct is absolutely intolerable!
"Furthermore, Maryland should compensate the innocent citizens of Baltimore for all their losses."
Lincoln spoke with righteous indignation, only to be cut off by Davis.
"How were they innocent?