The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-08

m1nued the corps, hao fe4cned the cfsy some time ahead cf his troops and re- ported at once to General Hzileck. when he vas told 10 proceed ou, 10 the reser- voir beyond Georgetown. as i, was be- lseveu that the enemy would attack there
 He ga; down to write the necessary or der to the officer m charge of the troops. and before he had finished. word came saai Ges. E2s.ys cclunan had appeared in force before Fort Stevens and evidently intended to make the attack there. A large body of troops belonging to the Nineteenth and Eighth corps. on their way from New Orleans to Baltimore. were also headed oil and turned up the Potomac. arriving a, Washington abou, the same time with the first and second divisions of the Sixth corps
 General NJ. (. Meigs, U. 5. chief quar- termaster. had organized about 6 900 of the clerks and other employees of his de- paitment and armed them. These ar- rved on the ground al Fort Stevens nearly a, the same time with the veteran troops.
 At this time" says Squire Osborn, of Brightwood. .ihe troops that had been in Fort Stevens and the other forts until they had learned their duties had las, been taken away and their places filled by company Of Ohio one e-hundled-days' men in each work. There vas only one man in Fort Stevens who knew how 10 load the guns
 That this Is true with regard not only 10 Fort Stevens, bu; all the other forts on the line of defenses. there is little room 10 doubt. for all the drilled troops had short time before been sent down to Grant. and their places supplied with men who had only been pu, in the works on the north and west line the day be- fore.
 Although II IS positively known that on Sunday, July 10th. Early was on the march from Menoeacy 10 Rockville, there 2re plenty of people about ard living in iron, of For; Stevens who insis, that the con federate eavalymen appeared that day and came down the road 10 the residence of the late Montgomery Biair. abou; two miles beyond the for,.
 Early on Monday morning the people of the vicinity began 10 seek the pro;eC- ton of the forts Tn considerable ,repida- ton, but up to noon of that day very little of consequence had occurred \ few confederate eaealrymea had ridden les- urely down the road. looked enauirngly at the forts and rode lcisurely back again IL was not long. however before sharp shooters took concealed positions and be- gan to Ire on all who appeared outside of Fort Stevens. The main body ef the confederates had come forward 10 Frank r. Blairs house, "here they planted ar. ,illery.
 Toward noon the Twenty fifth New York cavalry dismounied, sent out d snail skifmish line, but as the enemy's skirmlsh line advanced thls line fell back and the guns of Forts Stevens. SIocum and De Russey opened a rapid hre. check ing for the time the enemy's advance. Some before this General McCook. with the Second District of Columbia volun- teers, Ninth regimen; of Veteran Reserve corps. and some small deiaehmen's had moved into the trenches on either side of Fort Stevens. The next 10 arrive were the distnounted Cavalry corps under Major C. Briggs, and d skiimish line of .6oo of them was sent out al half pas, one p. m. and drove the enemy's skirmishefs back about 900 yards. General Wr,gh, reached the fort and took command a, three p. m. and the Sixth corps came SD an hour later. The skiTmis shing was kept up all along the lines from the Rockville turnpike two miles to the south <ine hundred men, Colonel BIde~eils br.gade Second division, Sixth corps, were placed on the p.eke, line for the n sh, ptev.oas ,o ,hs me lonfedera,es had been shout ins
 Come on. you d-d quill driver, and hospital bummers Come oai here and get your psul,ices like men.
 But when they saw the well-knosn Greek cross thelr jubilan, shouts changed 10 the dubious inquiry
 '' Hello. old Sixth corps. Where the devil did you come from =
 Come from Richmond Wha. are you johnnies doing here =
 Oh. Early's brought 10, ot wooden furloGghs for your hospital hImners. ou, they won't come ou, and take eu.
 During the afternoon the confederate skirmishers had been conceaiing them selves ln and behind Mir. Moffson peach and apple orchard. and us, before dark detachment of voiunteei, from the quar.ermaster's brigade. consisting of forty men. Lieutenant F.. Moran, wen, oa, and fclled the trees under fire one or two houses and barns were burned be- fore night. but IS soon as darkness settled down a., commotion ceased. the combat ants apparently being wiling 10 accept the needed rest
 By ,his tune. of al! arms and qualities, there could not have been less than O. eoo men or the line Of the defense. from Fort Lincoln on the eastern branch. around 10 the cluster O. forts on inc north tank of the Potomac. above inc chain bridge.
 The l.:h of July came up hrigh, and far, Du; nearly the whole day was con- sum-d n intellectual picket firing. iaoon- sequen, maneuvering and the burning buildings be;~een inc ines. From the parapets ot Fort Stevens both picket lines could be seen far out over the beautiful