Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-24
CITY AND DISTRICT
TIE NUsTERING IN 1861.
The First District Company that Took
the Oath % Allegiance.

To the Eiitor OF TIE EvExISs STAR:
As som" question has been raised as to which
Of the District companies was the first to bs
mustered into the service of the United States
In the troubI0us times OF 1861, 1t is due to the
truth Of history. and Oh" surviving members o
company A, Union regiment, that q word Ol
two should he spoken ia their behalf.
This organization was formed after the cleo
tiOn az MIR. Lincoln to the Presidency, and with
special reference to sustaining the regularly
constituted authority of the country in the face
OF impending troubles. II made its first parade
February -. 1861, and took part in the inau-
gural procession ON the 18th of March following.
tn The 10th day of April IL was sworn into
the service of the United States.
THE EVENT>G STAR OF April IL, 1861, OF
To the scenes of the day before. April 10Th at
the War department, uses this language:
Company n, of Union regiment. Capt. Car
rtngtOn. loo men, having been drawn up In
Hoe north of the department building. were
which Major Mcdowell U. = A. called the roll:
the oath was then read and the men ordered 20
hold up their right hands, ungloved, and repeat
the words of the oath, swearing allegiance to
thu United states, to resist all enemies and OPP
ponents OF the said United States whatsoever
10 obey the orders of the President and their
superior officers and to be subject to the army
rules aud regulations. Ten twelve of the
men having refused TO take the oath because
they not willing to be ordered out of the
District, were told by the inspector general that
there was no probability of their being So
ordered, when they consented unanimously to
be sworn in"
The sixty go volunteers from the Wash
tngton Light Infantry were next ordered up,
when the same forms were gone through with.
Eighteen or twenty Of these men refused to
take the oath; the others were sworn in and
the com pany left the ground in two divisions
The enlisted men in one body and the malcon-
tents in another, each having an officer to
march them To- the armory."
Thus IL would appear from a reference to the
events OF that stirring period, as chronicled at
she time, that Company a, of Union regiment,
an organization formed With special reference
To the needs of the hour, and baptiZing itself
with the sacred name OF the Union, led the van
Of the brave and patriotic volunteers of this
District who took the oath OF allegiance, and
offered their services to the government at the
inCipicncy of the great rebellion.
Though mustered in with the quasi under
standing that they were not to go beyond
the District lines for service. yet when the ext
gency arose, and they were asked If they were
willing To waive that understanding, they re-
EpDnded unhesitatingly and took the Held along
with their comrades from this District and from
the north, who by this time had arrived in con-
siderable numbers in behalf of one govern.
ment one people and one flag.
1 wish, Mr.. Editor, that the whole of the arti-
Gle from which have extracted the above could
be reprinted to-day. 1t would show that there
Were patriot hearts In this too often sighted
District in those hours of darkness and peril
But presums IL Is too lengthy, so have only
quoted that portion bearing on the point in
question.
And let me say Mr. Editor; in behalf of all the
early District volunteers, 1t may seem ligh
thing nowadays to rush to the defence of the
government; but it should be remem bered, that
when they responded TO their country's call
coInmotion reisned throughout this broad land
OF ours, the future was dark with uncertainty
the great north had not yet spoken out; and
the air around them was thick with sentiments
and sympathies bitterly hostile TO the new adj
ministration; while south of The Potomac the
secession movement was sweeping all before it
Ike Storm IL Is an easy thing to swim with
the current, but when these men showed their
hands and took their stand, the current had
not set in They led the van OF devotion to the
country and were as fore-ripples of the mighty
wave that rolled down from the north and sweep
ing to final victory assured the stability of the
government and the perpetuity of the Union.