Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-20

The Washington Light lnfantry's 81
vice I'm the Early Days Of the War.

HOW AND WHERE THEY WERE MUSTERED IN
AN UNEASY NIGHT AT THE LONG BRIDGE
THE SEIZURE OF vEssELs-A REcoNNo1s-
sANcE ON THE POTOMAC.
In few weeks as has been announced in The
STAR, the twenty-ffth anniversary of the ''mus-
Ter In" OF the District troops that entered tho
ieoeral service at the outbreak OF the war will
occur The survivors of q number of the organ
izations are preparing to celebrate the event.
Inc arrangements SO far made contemplate O
reunion Of the old boys around the festive
ooaro. There Is some disposition toward gen.
ersi or joint celebration by the survivors of the
various companies, which numbered In all
nearly forty. The Washington Light Infantry
battalion, then under the command of COL Jas.
\. Davis, had then been in existence about 25
years, and numbered four uniformed compa-
ton. f-o0'" "a -o.-
THE FIRST ORDER
The first order received after one fuIl COM
pany of 81 rank and file had been drafted from
companies A, and c, with Capt. Lem Towers
rs the commander was from Major Gen. r. e.
Weightman by Col. Chas. P: Stone, inspector
genera, issued on April 10th. directing. ain
compliance with the requisition Of the Presi-
dent OF the United States dated April 9th,
asSd to report to Major |: Mcdowell, assistant
N astered in the service of the United States.
Ihis order was at once complied with, and the
company marched back to the armory tthe
chesapeake, on the south side OF Pennsylvania
avenue, east of 10th street,. This muster was
!or an unlimited time. Col. Towers still has
the original order in his possession with his
commission as captain, issued by President
Buchanan, dating from October 18th, 1858,
which made him perhaps the senior captain
theh on duty at the capital OF the nation.
GUARDING LONG BRIDGE.
The first actual duty performed was to guard
the Long bridge the night of April 11th
There was also stationed at the bridge bat
terry OF artillery and a company of cavalry
Captain Towers being the ranking officer. This
would De made upon the Capitol by the state
forces from the Virginia side, and the night
was quite an uncomfortable one. The antici-
patcd rush, however, did not take place and
the company returned to the armOry. The
company was ordered in q few days to be mus
tered to the number of 100 men and this was
accomplished without much trouble. Indeed
Notwithstanding the fact that there We're some
men in the battalion who sympathized with the
raised RAISED. any number of men for the infantry.
From the 18th to the 10Th details were made
from company A to guard the State and Navy
departments ana the White House.
A SEIZURE OF STEAMERS.
On April 10th Capt. Towers received orders
for the command to proceed to the Washington
landing of the Aqua creek steamers with
overcoats, blankets ard one days rations" and
report to Major J. c. Pclnberton, who would be
found there. This order was promptly exc
cuted, and the result was that the steamers
Baltimore, Philadelphia, Mount Vernon and
Powhatan (,fterward the King Philip were
seized and "a guard placed on each On the fol-
lowing day an order was received from Cot
Smith to anchor the steamers in the stream
and returned word that he had them tied to
the wharf This caused Gen. Thomas, adjutaut
general, to ..dc down to the wharf, and iie was
stopped 10y one OF the guards, Mr.W. f. Morgan.
and taken on board one of the boats
Though little chagrined, Gen. Thomas could
not help complimenting Capt Towers on the
hnf 1ryfx
Gen. Thomas questioned Capt. Towers as to
protecting the boats, and when the latter as
sured him that he could better hold the boats
as they then were he was satisfied. The cause
OF the alarm was that a report had peen brought
to headquarters that some of the southern SYM
pathizers intended to cut out one more of
the boats. Capt. Towers promised the authori-
ties that he would hold the boats, and ii he
found that he could not he would fire them.
That night, however, company II, of the second
Massachusetts regiment, was sent to reinforce
Capt Towers command, and remained till
ters and asked that the Massachusetts com
pany be relieved, and at his request company Z,
tzouaves) Capt. Tyler Powell, was sent to him.
On the morning of the Dist an order was re-
ceived by Capt Towers from Gen. Scott direct
Ing him to turn over one of the boats to Lieut..
Wainwright, of the navy. In accordance with
this order Lieut. Wainwright took charge OF the
POwhatan. On the same day an order was re-
ceived from headquarters to take the boats to
the navy yard and report to the commanding
officer for ornaments 1t SO happened that
there were In the company a sufficient number
of engineers and machinists to see that til c ma
chinery was in order and to work it; but there
was some difficulty as to pilots.
HOW PILOT WAS SECURED.
Two pilots were easily found. a third waA
drinking about the xharves and expressing the
hope that before the boats reached the navy
yard they would run aground. Some of the
men invited this pilot On board to take drink,
and on complying with the invitation, he was
placed under guard marched to the pilot house
a. q tn he nav
the guards having orders to blow his brains
out II they discovered any trickery on his par.
This boat was safely taken around. On arriv-
ing at the navy yard, Capt. Towers reported to
Commodore Buchanan, who a short time after
went south. The commodore claimed then to
be in charge OF the boats, but to this Capt. Tow
ers demurred, and insisted on a strict COM
pliance with his orders. few days after the
modore BUCHANAN lett ana commodore (a Hf
ward AdmiraD Dahlgren took charge The
boats were at once armed the Mount Vernon
cannon was mounted on her forward deck, and
she was placed under command of Capt. Will
muth, with Gunner Ellis In charge of the gun,
and prtvates >. V. Stillings and E. w. Wood
ruff, OF the infantry, detailed engineers.
These men, with six men from the howitzer
corps OF the navy yard, and four marines made
up her complement.
AN EXPEDITION DOWN THE RIVER
She started down the river at IL o'clock on
the night OF the 22d of April and stopped at
Fort Washington at H. o'clock, and left again
at 5 o'clock, going down the river 70 miles, She
met and passed the AnacOstia and the Key
stone State having on board marines. The
Mount Vernon, having no flag, was taken by
those on board to be confederate craft, and
when she steamed near the Keystone State the
latter vessel had four guns run out and howit
zers ON her upper deck with her men all at
Quarters the | gnnners holding the ianyards
Mount Vernon were drawn up also ready for
action. The captain OF the Keystone State
hailed the Mount Vernon, and Capt. Willmuth
went on board. On returning the Mount Yer
non proceeded down the river. About noon
the Mount Vernon anchored in sight of light
ship (prObably Upper Cedar Point and soon
after saw smoke from that direction. About 2
O'Clock they found the light-ship to be on fire.
Soon afterwards a boat laden with ten or fifteen
men was seen to leave the light-ship for the
Virginia shore. Capt. Willmuth hailed them
but they failed to answer, and Il 32-pound shot
was sent alter them, but they succeeded In
reaching the shore.
THE FIRST SHOT.
This is believed to have been the first actual
shot from cannon fred on the Potomac dur
ing the war. 1--WE next" continued the veteran
who recited these facts to a STAR reporter ..saW
the steamer James Guy acting, We thought,
suspiciously, and firing the gun brought her to.
fuSilade OF muskets made the scene quite
thrilling. The little party was in line and they
fully expected q fight. Captain Willmuth hailed
the Guy, and answer was returned that they
were carrying passengers to Alexandria. HaV-
ing two ladies on board the Guy was allowed to
pass. The Mt. Vernon then went to the burning
wreck Of the light ship, and then put about and
returned to Fort Washington, where the vessel
was ordered to lay, as It was expected an as
hA NN.,xl