Early in the civil war President Lincoln had Federal Troops occupy the State of Maryland. Though the power vested only with the US Congress, Mr. Lincoln also took it upon himself to suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus (the right of trial) throughout Maryland and eventually throughout the entire Union. Mr. Lincoln also authorized his military commanders to imprison and even execute non-combatant civilians both within Maryland and throughout the Union. Thousands of Marylanders were imprisoned with no charges filed and it is estimated that 14,000 civilians were arrested and imprisoned throughout the Union under this policy.
Military executions, though rare, did happen and were used to show a public display of force to the civilian population. In Fredrick Maryland the citizens were shocked over the execution by Federal troops of Mr. William Richardson a local paper and map peddler. William was hung naked from a locust tree along the roadside about one mile outside of the town of Fredrick and his corpse was left to rot for nearly a week in the hot summer sun. The Union Commander had a note pined to William’s chest that stated “Anybody cutting down the body without orders will take his place”
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