Sunday the Eighteenth day of May was bright and beautiful.  It dawned on the pleasant and picturesque City slumbering in its holy light.  The roar and tumult of the populous City in its hours of business were stilled.  The sun shone joyously in the deep blue sky, undimmed by cloud or vapor.  All was hushed in the breathing repose of nature, and the soft and fragrant air, the still earth, and the unruffled surface of the magnificent bay, graced and dignified by grand old Monte Diavolo looking down upon it from its far off border, seemed united together in the same sweet spirit of devotion.  As the day wore on, the bells of the various churches rang out their summons to the house of God.  No unusual movement or sound in the early morning gave token of that calm solemn, most fearful uprising of the people which, at a later hour, was to make that day one never to be forgotten by any who took part in or witnessed its extraordinary events.  The Executive Committee with consummate prudence had kept their plan of action profoundly secret.

At an early hour in the morning the Commander of the force issued orders to the Captains of Companies to notify their men to appear at Head Quarters, No. 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.

After a short drill in the Rooms, ammunition was distributed, and orders issued to load with ball.  The companies then moved in succession into the street.  Not a drum was struck, or other instrument of music sounded, but in silence the various detachments moved by different routes upon the designated point.  Such a body of men have been seldom if ever seen united, armed, and resolutely bent upon accomplishing such an object.  The high and low, rich and poor, men of all classes, ages, and nations; the merchant, the dairy man, the professional man, the clerk, the porter, the father and son, the philanthropist, the patriot, the Christian, all were in the ranks of this great Company; and with flashing eyes and compressed lips marched in silence to accomplish what they deemed an absolutely necessary measure of Retribution and Reform.