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

Smelling from Fort Stevens these brave
men, under command of Gen. Frank
Wheaton, assaulted the houses, behind
which in II ravine they found II large force
of the enemy, and carried the positions
with Il loss of $50 killed and wounded.
Gen. Meigs says that one Of our shells had
been thrown into the chimney of one of
these houses, tearing everything to pieces
also that single Confederate sharp shoot
err, concealed behind Il tree, in the fork of
which he laid his gun, did much execu-
ton, until one of our men crept to flank
ing position and shot him.
President Lincoln visited the lines in
person, and refused to retire, although
urged do so. He exposed himself freely
at Fort Stevens, and surgeon standing
alongside of him was wounded by II ball
which struck a gun and glanced.
With this fighting on the 18th the at
tack on Washington came virtually to an
end. On the 18th McCook reported to
Wright 1.-The enemy left my front last
night" and Mr.. C. A. Dana, then assist
ant Secretary of War and now editor of
the New York Sun, telegraphed to Gen.
Grant 1.-The enemy have disappeared
along the entire line" At $3.50 a. IN. on
the day before (July 12th) Mr.. Dana APP
parently felt very uneasy, for he telegraph
ed Gen. Grant as follows
Nothing can possibly be done here to-
wards pursuing or cutting Off the enemy
u
mands the defenses of Washin gton, with
McCook and u lot of brigadiers under him
but he is not allowed to 90 outside.
Wright commands his own corps, Gill
more has been assigned to the temporary
command of these troops of the 10th
Corps in the city of Washington. Ord is
to command the Eighth Corps and all
other troops in the Middle Department,
leaving Wallace to command the city of
Baltimore but there is no head to the
whole, and it seems Indispensable that
you should appoint one. Gen.
llallock Will not give orders except as he
receives them. The President will give
none and until you direct positively and
explicitly what is to be done everything
will 90 on in the deplOrable and fatal way
in which it has gone for the past week"
1t would seem that Gen. lalleck did oc-
casionally give orders, one of which, from
all accounts, seems to have been uuneces
sary. On the 18th he announced that
"orders are given that every officer and
man who leaves his post shall be shot"
On the 18th Gen. Grant telegraphed to
Mr.. Dana 'Boldness Is all that is want
ed to drive the enemy out of Maryland in
confusion. | hope and believe Wright is
the man to assume that"
Gen. Early says after abandoning
the idea of capturing Washington deter
mined to remain in front of the fortitica-
lions during the 18th and retire at night,
rs | was satisfied that to remain longer
would cause the loss of my entire force.
On the night of the 18th the
house of Postmaster General Blair near
Silver Springs was burned, and it was as
suned by the enemy that it was burned
by my orders. The fact is that | had
nothing to do with it, and do not yet
know how the burning occurred"
The Confederates soon crossed the Poto-
mac, pursued by Gen. Wright with his
own corps and part of the 10Th under
Gen. Gilmore but the operations which
ensued formed no part of the defense of
Washington, and the history thereof must
b, found elsewhere. On the 18th Gen.
Meigs's hastily collected, but from all ac-
counts very efficient, forces marched back
to town Justify singing:
John Browns body. lies a moud'ring in the
grave
But his soul is marching on.
The work was done, and Washington
was saved. Only about ten months later
there was Il new and final march through
the city, that of the victorious armies of
Grant and Sherman passing in review be
fore the President.