Casey and Cora were hanged on Thursday, May 22d. On Monday, June 2d, a
meeting of the advocates of Law and Order was held in the Plaza.
Thousands of the Committee members and supporters assembled about the
square. Nothing effective came of it. Governor Johnson had meantime been
prevailed upon by prominent citizens, on the side of Law and Order, to
adopt a course calculated to suppress the Committee. It was too late.
The Law and Order element had organized a military force under the State
militia 1 ws. W. T. Sherman was made General. Governor Johnson issued a
proclamation commanding the State militia to hold themselves in
readiness for duty, and to report to General Sherman. In the city a
force of about three hundred mustered. It was totally inadequate, and
not enough could be expected from the country. In the harbor, in front
of the city, the war-ship John Adams, Commander Bontwell, was anchored.
Commodore Farragut, commandant of this naval station, was at Mare
Island. It was rumored that the Adams would support the authorities in
case of conflict with the Committee. Another rumor was that cannons were
to be placed upon the hills and at points which commanded the city, to
be used if necessary. The excitement continued and increased. A
deputation was sent to Washington, at the instance of the Governor, to
represent the condition of affairs to the President, and prevail upon
him to order the services of the military and naval forces to the
suppression of the Committee and the restoration of law and order. The
deputation took the next steamer and proceeded to the national capital.
President Pierce replied that the federal government had no authority to
interfere until the request came from the State government after the
Legislature had assembled, acted upon the matter, and the State
authorities had exhausted every means to put down the Committee and
failed.

While the excitement was heightened by these rumors and proceedings, an