Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-08

force OF l2,OOO TO 2O,OOO men III the benerdl-
in-chief left his post and brought II con
siderable portion of his great army with
him.
That was an anxious July Sunday in
Washington. While Mr.. Lincoln was
writing his telegram and Gen. Early was
moving from Monocacy to Rockville, Sec
rotary stanton and Gen. Halleck, chief OF
staff, and Gen. Augur, commanding the
department at Washington, were bestir-
ring themselves.
"There was mounting 'mong Graemes of the
Netherby clan,
Fosters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves they rode
and they ran"
Gen. A. Med. McCook was ordered to
take command of II reserve camp on Piney
Branch Greek between the city and the
lines. He went out with his staff and
found the place what he did not find was
his army.
1t had been decided by experts that an
adequate garrison for Washington would
consist of 5000 artillerymen and %, 600 in
fantry and the commission of 1862,
which reported on the defences, said,
whenever an enemy is within striking
distance of the Capital, able by II rapid
march to attempt coup dC main which
might result III temporary occupation
of the Capital, the dispersion Of the Gov
eminent, and the destruction of the ar
chives, all of which could he accomplish
ed by a single days possession, a cover
ing army of not less than $4,000 men
should be held in position ready to march
to meet the attacking column" This
emergency had come. The works were in
splendid condition. And fortunately so
completed, as said the engineer in charge,
with established lines of infantry para.
pets and prepared emplacements for field
guns" that inexperienced soldiers could
hardly 90 amisS in taking their posts. The
important works west of Fort Stevens
were Fort de Rlssy and Fort Reno east
of it, Fort Slocum and Fort Totten, and
these were all connected by trenches and
rtle-pits. In the Northern forts,Ion July
10th, there were just 3, 726 men, about half
infantry and half volunteer artillery.
This gave hardly II single relief to the
great guns and only one fifth the infantry
needfu to man the parapets
While Gen. McCook IAN officer of dis.
tinguished gallantry, but who as it hap
pened, was wholly unacquainted with the
defenses) was surveying the ground,
curious force was being collected tor him
to command. 1t was composed, says Gen.
Meigs, "of invalids, called Veteran Re
serves : dism ounted cavalrymen here for
horses, used us infantry mechanics,
agents, clerks, overseers, and laborers"
from the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES De
partment. There were also some excellent
District of Columbia volunteers, and
many of the clerks in the departments
We're enrolled. Gen. McCook says: "Never
before was there command SO heterogen-
eous and yet so orderly. The hale and
hearty soldier the invalid, che GONZALES
cent and the Quartermaster-Gener
employees side by side, each working with
Il singleness of purpose and willing to dis
charge any duty imposed upon hlm
Gen. Meigs describes the bearing of vete-
rams just taken from the hospitals-some
lame and others hardly able to carry their
guns-as admirable, yet pathetic. Later
on Admiral Goldsborough, with 1000 to
1900 sailors, went out TO Fort Lincoln and
lent his valuable aid.
Stationed near the line of the defences
west of the Potomac was, by good fortune,
the gallant and lamented Col. Charles II.
Lowell of the Second Massachusetts Cav
airy, whose services were to prove of the
greatest value. On the evening of the
9th Major Fry of the 10th Pennsylvania
Cavalry, with about 500 men, passed
through Tenallytown Gust outside of
which was Fort Reno), and bivouacked for
the night. ny Ii O'Clock next day he
passed through Rockville and met heavy
force of the enemy advancing. He re-
turned through Rockville and took up II
position where Col Lowell took command
early on Monday, the llth His little force
was driven back by the Confederate Gen
eral McCausland's brigade to position
within two miles of Tenallytown, which
he QowelD held successfully lie kept
Gen. McCook constantly informed of what
he saw, and the latter was soon aware That
the main body of the enemy were advanc-
ing on the Seventh Street Road. He had
abandoned the idea of a reserve camp, i'll
consideration OF the weakness OF the gar
rison, and had advanced his troops on the
morning of Monday, the 18th, to the lines
and thrown out pickets Gen. Early says !:
81 rode ahead of the infantry and arrived
in sight of Fort Stevens on this Seventh
street, road Il short time after noon, when
discovered that the works We're but
feebly manned. Before Rode's
division could be brought up we saw Il
cloud of dust in the rear of the works to-
wards Washington, and soon column of
the enemy filed into them on the right and
left, and sklrmishers were thrown out in
front, while an artillery fire was opened
ON us from number of batteries. This
defeated our hopes of getting possession
of the works by surprise, and 1t became
necessary to reconnoitre. The
position was naturally strong for defense,
and the eXamination showed what might
have been expected, that every appliance
uf science and unlimited means had been
used TO render the fortitications around
Washington as strong as possible.
McCauSland reported the works on the
Georgetown pike (tort Reno too strongly
manned for him to assault.
| AT about noon Gen. McCook's small
plCAtJ WAS uIlNtu llllO the Tlllt- pllS anu
| then the word was given, and destruct-
i've fire opened from the heavy guns OF
| Fort Stevens. When it ceased, Maj. q. c.
| Criggs, who had just arrived from Wash
ington with Il force of 900 dismounted cav.
airy from the army of the Potomac, at
tackled Early's skirmishers, drove them
back, and established the line 1000 yards
in advance of the works. At 3 p. m, Gen
A. q. Wright reported to Gen. McCook
that he had arrived with two divisions o
the well known Sixth Corps. A portion
of the 10Th Corps was also close at hand
and, in the middle of the night, a tele
graphic order directed that Maj Gen. Gil
more, taking with him this part of tn,
10Th Corps, SNo ~ assume command from
Fort Lincoln l,,.l at the east, towards
Blandensburg,) to Fort Totten that Gen
Meigs, who reported in the evening witt
about $500 men, should command from
Fort Totten to Fort De Russy, and Gen
NJ. ID. Hardin from Fort De Russy to tn,
river that the Sixth Corps should b.
held in reserve. and that Gen. McCool
should command the whole The mos
anxious time of all was about noon OF
Monday, the llth but, 10 Will be seen
the position had changed materially b,
midnight and all WAS in readiness for IN