41 Sacramento Street, at nine o'clock A. M. ready for
duty. Time was of course required to circulate the notice through the
City; but soon the men began to congregate from all quarters and the
building, extensive as it was, by half past ten o'clock, was filled,
both above and below stairs. A most extraordinary assemblage was that
which filled those large halls on that Sabbath morning. Men of every
rank, occupation and condition in society obeyed that summons, and
silently took their places side by side, prepared to do their duty and
abide the issue whatever it might be. Many of these order and
peace-loving citizens had never before, when in health, been absent from
church on the Sabbath day or had the slightest skill in the use of arms,
or knowledge of military movements, yet so really a military people are
the Americans, and so completely overmastered was every man by the
sentiment and purpose common to all; that the precision with which the
whole body handled their arms, and marched without music, was remarked
with astonishment even by officers of the regular army.
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