Thanks Marge, I knew it was something to that effect. So in fact by suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus Lincoln basically gave himself dictatorial powers and took away the freedoms and rights of duly elected efficials, their constituents, and subjugated the government and people of the Sovereign State of Maryland. In that old song "Maryland, My Maryland" that the Maryland boys in the C.S. armies sung during the War for Southern Independence must have been talking of that when it says..."the depot's heel is upon thy....!". All that nonsense that he and the Federal government were doing was one of the reasons that we (the South) suceeded from the Union. Below is a link to some very interesting information from the Southern point of view at the time. It is four speaches given by four people in post war years who lived through those times, explaining the whys and how comes of those terrible times from the Southern point of view at the time. Very interesting in my opinion and should be a prerequisite to anyone studying the history of the Civil War era, sucession, its causes, etc.. It is interesting to hear from the horses' mouths so to speak as far as each side's point of view goes. The title of the speaches and the orators/authors are; Causes of the Civil War From "Reminiscences Of The Civil War", (Chapter I) By John B. Gordon, Maj. Gen. CSA Origin of the War Written by Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter, of Virginia around 1876. Slavery and States Rights A speech by "Fight'n" Joe Wheeler in 1894. The Confederate Cause and Its Defenders An Address delivered by Judge George L. Christian in 1898. The Vindication of The South An Address delivered by B. B. Mumford in 1889. To read them go to: http://www.civilwarhome.com/confederatecauses.htm Here is a little piece of Charles County history: My grandmother, Eloise Gilmore Berry (Mrs. David Middleton Edelen) used to tell me of how her area of Maryland was pro Southern, how Union occupation forces camped in her grandfather's yard while the officers stayed inside, etc.. It was on one of their many sorties into Southern Maryland to keep an eye on locals, Southern soldiers sneaking home to Maryland, etc.. She even showed me a letter from a Union officer thanking them (her grandfather Thomas B. Berry) for their hospitality and apologizing for any trouble they might have been. A nice letter actually. She also used to tell me of a story in the family of a Lt. "Tip" Edelen that was engaged to one of her aunts during the Civil War, how he and a cousin or something, Jesse Edelen, also from the Piscataway area, had gone looking for horses and a Yankee patrol had chased them in a running fight until cornering them somewhere. The Union officer of course gave them every oppurtunity to surrender and pointed out that they were trapped and surrounded. Jesse, just 16, came on out and surrendered. According to the rest of the family tale, "Tip" Edelen then drew his sword and said, "I'll never surrender to a damned Yankee!" and charged the Union cavalrymen. Naturally he was shot down. But the Union officer, supposedly from that area and knowing Tip's family and that of his fiance, personally took Tip's personal possetions back to Charles Co Maryland and gave them to his fiance. My grandmother said that Tip's watch and tobacco pouch he had had on him when he died were among the effects and had been in her family ever since, but some years ago had dissappeared. There is nothing worse than a thief in the family!! There is a great book called "Marylanders in the Confederacy". If I remember correctly it states that more than 35,000 Marylanders fought for the South, some in Maryland units but many others in other units, many in the C.S. Navy, etc.. My own gr gr grandfather Dr. Alexius Llewellyn Middleton served as an Asst Surgeon in the 2nd Texas Infantry in the Trans-Miss Dept of the Confederacy. How he wound up down there is not known, but he was probably sent where he was needed by the CS War Dept.. There was a Thomas B. Berry who served as a Corporal in Gray's Virginia Cavalry. I have often wondered if that was Thomas Baker Berry, Jr., the son of my gr. gr. grandfather Judge Thomas Baker Berry? Oh well, I am way off topic so forgive me y'all for rambling on and boring you with family tales. Take care, Davd Edelen Alabama ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marge" <[email protected]> To: "David Middleton Edelen II" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 10:46 AM Subject: Re: [MDPGEORG] Joseph Benidict Edelen (1833-?) > The Writ of Habeas Corupus means that your lawyer is allowed to have the > court schedule an appearance so you can have the court tell you why you > are being detained. > > When Lincoln suspended this, it meant that, he(the government) could > arrest someone hold them indefinetly without a trial or explanation as to > their arrest.