Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-20

they had been drilled so that they would move
and handle their guns WELL They marched in
good form amid the shouts of their feIlow-citi.
Zens, to the dock where lay the steamer Day.
light, which had been chartered, and was ready
TO receive them. During
THE JOURNEY TO FORT MONROE
the men were put through u rigid drill on deck
OF the steamer, Capt Viele giving them instruc-
lions every day. During the trip young man
Horace Porter, saying that he was endeavoring
TO reach his regiment, but had failed, and offer
ing to serve with the New York boys Being
satisfied OF his position, Capt. Viele accepted
his offer with the understanding that he must
be subject TO his orders This young Porter
agTeed TO- and after that assisted Capt Niee in
Monroe, which they reached by forced pass
age, they found two or three men of war and
were warned not to go nearer Washington. The
9TH regiment proper. they were told, had gone
10 Annapolis as had Gen. Butler, with 5000
men:
ton, said the commandment 1.-THE rebels have
notifications above. They have possession of
every thing. You can't make it. Gen: Butler
with three thousand men, did not think it
safe You will come across the rebels in force. "
But that's what we came for,' said Capt.
Vielc. "We are to protect the capital; If the
reDelS are SO near, it's time we should be there.
THE PASSAGE OF THE POTOMAC.
Then he asked if they could furnish him with
cannon. The cOmmandant gave them two
Dahlgren howitzers. These were mounted
upon the bows of the Daylight, and Lieut..
Horace Porter was put in command of them
The engines were protected by the coal bunk
ers, and Lieut.. Porter drilled his men with the
artillery. They steamed up the river tor Wash
lngton. AT Fort Washington shot was fired
across their bows. This unnoticed was fol-
lowed by a round shot, and they then stopped
at the fort. The officers i'm command told them
they could not go further without running the
risk OF getting blown out of the water. He re-
peated the statements that had been made at
Fort Monroe, and said that the rebels had forth
f1catiOnS ut Alexandria. that "a rabal In tod
over the city. They had possession OF every
thing, and 1t would not be safe for the Daylight
to advance further. Capt NieIe said they in
tended to go, and on they went. As they
APPROACHED ALEXANDRIA,
they saw the confederate flag flying high, and
they went on, expecting to come across forti-
fications and have their progress challenged.
But they were not molested. When they got
opposite the city they saw one solitary sentinel
marching up and down in his shirt sleeves.
This and the flag was all. They reached Wash
ington and learned that they had been the first
to come up the Potomac. The 9TH regiment
proper had reached the city by land the day be-
fore, and 1T was ten hours later before Gen.
Burnside and the Rhode Island boys came up
in the wake of the Daylight. Capt. Viele wanted
to report to the President at once, and looked
for a conveyance to take HIM to theWhite House.
All the horses had been sent out of the city for
fear that they might tall into the hands of the
enemy, and many OF the people, Gen. Viele
they greeted the soldiers Finally the captain
found one old three-legged horse that had been
allowed to stay in the city because his fourth
leg was too bad for use. This horse with the
assistance Of the neigh5ors, was hitched to
AN OLD MILK WAGON,
and in this he drove to the White House. Presi-
dent Lincoln was OUTCOME to church the at
tendant said, SO the captain left his report and
map of the Potomac with the places marked
where the bouys had been removed by the con-
federates. When he got back to the wharf he
found the President and Secretary Stanton
there. 1t was raining hard, and tour soldiers
held a canvas over the Presidents head while
he addressed the men. He shook hands with
every man from the captain to the cook, and
ture. "That night" Gen. Viele says, 81 slept on
the floor of the Hall of Representatives, where
now have q seat"