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Turning next to Baltimore, two interesting incidents are in point. The one carries us back to Revolutionary times, and is to be connected with the name of Jacob Hart, one of a number of patriotic merchants of Baltimore; whether he was the only Jew in the group is unknown. The incident is briefly referred to as follows, in a letter written by Lafayette to Washington, April 18, 1781. (Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette, Vol. I, page 403.) "To these measures for punishing deserters, I have added one which my feelings for the sufferings of the soldiers and peculiarity of their circumstances have prompted me to adopt. The merchants of Baltimore lent me a sum of about £2000 which will procure some shirts, linen, overalls, shoes and a few hats; the ladies will make up the shirts, and the overalls will be made by the detachment, so that our soldiers have a chance of being a little more comfortable. The money is lent upon my credit, and I become security for the payment of it in two years' time, when, by the French laws, I may better dispose of my estate. But before that time, I shall use my influence with the French court, in order to have this sum of money added to any loan Congress may have been able to obtain from them." The following entry "Accounts of the United States with the Superintendent of Finance" (Robert Morris) serves to identify the merchants: "May 27, (1782) Jacob Hart and others for the Repayment of Money Loaned the Marquis de Lafayette at Baltimore—7256 dollars." Further details appear from the following passages in the Journals of Congress, Vol. VII p. 86: "Thursday, May 24, 1781. On the report of the committee to whom was referred a letter of April 22 from Maj. Gen. the Marquis de la Fayette:

Resolved, That Congress entertains a just sense of the patriotic and timely exertions of the merchants of Baltimore who so generously supplied the Marquis de la Fayette with about 2000 guineas, to enable him to forward the detachment under his command; That the Marquis de la Fayette be assured that Congress will take proper measures to discharge the engagement he has entered into with the merchants."

Compare with this an article on "Old Maryland Homes and Ways," by John W. Palmer, in the Century, December 1894, p. 258. Markens in his "Hebrews in America" (p. 93) briefly refers to the incident, describing Hart as a Hebrew of German birth, who came to this country in 1775; he was the father-in-law of Haym M. Salomon, son of the patriot, Haym Salomon. Certainly not less interesting, though less well known, is the following incident in the Mexican War, which is translated from the "Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums," Vol. X p. 508, August 24, 1846: "The New York Herald of July 15, (1846) contains the following item, in reference to the call for 50,000 volunteers to join the army against Mexico: Baltimore July 3. Among the companies which have been formed here, a volunteer corps of Jews attracts particular attention. Although composed for the most part of immigrants, they have given, by the raising of this company, to fight with the native militia on behalf of our institutions, a splendid instance of their love and devotion for these and for their new fatherland. Yes, their love for the fame and independence of our country has been displayed all the more pointedly as they have organized their company by selecting one not of their faith as their chief officer, namely, Captain Carroll, who was paymaster of the Fifth regiment, but willingly resigned his position to accept the command of this patriotic company of volunteers. Its other officers are: Mr. Levi Benjamin, first lieutenant; Joseph Simpson, second lieutenant; Samuel G. Goldsmith, third lieutenant; S. Eytinge, first sergeant; Dr. J. Horwitz, surgeon." An examination of the copy of the Herald thus referred to, fails to show the English original of the above item; either the date or the name of the paper is incorrectly cited, though the facts are no doubt correctly given.