Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-13

Troops Which First Reached the Capital in
April. 1861.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
The article in yesterdays STAR by Mr.. Van
Reuth, in reply to the writer Of "How it hap
pened that troops came to Washington by way
Of Annapolis" in a previous issue of The STAR,
wildly recalls to mind those stirring days of
1861 to those of us who were there, and will no
doubt be Of much interest to your army Of read
ers who have come upon the stage since the
.'wah." have no doubt that the assertions of
both the gentlemen are true SO far as they
go, yet both of them seem to forget one thing,
and this is the fact, that this city had already
been reinforced by volunteers from Pennsyl-
vania and Massachusetts, toge ther with the
several excellent companies of District Of Co.
lumbia volunteers and a small force of regulars
and was in tOlerable good shape to make a stout
defense if it had been attacked. These patriotic
citizen soldiers, the vanguard Of all that
mighty army of men in blue who
folio we'd in their footsteps. consisted
of five companies Of Pennsylvania volun-
then imperiled city on the evening of April 49,
1851, and the gallant sixth regiment of Massachu-
sets volunteers, which arrived one day later,
April 10. after fighting a passage through the
mob which attacked them in the city of Balti-
more. All this occurred previous to the de-
struction of the railroad bridges and the esteb-
lishment Of the blockade. which cut off
commun ,ction with the loyal north through
the then apparently hostile city Of Baltimore.
To these mer belongs the great honor of being
the first troops to respond to the call of President
Lincoln Outside the District of Columbia
1t is well-establis hed fact. as the records Of
tho War Departm snt will show, that these
Pennsylvania citizen soldiers were not only
the first troops to be sworn into the
United States service, but that they were also
tho frat 10 no b;r,x,, - H.
streets of Baltimore and first to reach the then
imperiled national capital, arriving in this
city after dark after desperate street fighting
in Baltimore. They were at once marched to
the then unfinished Capitol building, which
they at once began to barricade by using ce-
ment barrels, &c, and the large iron plates in
| tended for the completion of the dome. For
their prompt and patriotic services they were
rendered the thanks of Congress. The follow
ing is true and correct copy of the resolution:
July %. 166l..-Resolved, That the thanks of
this House are due and are hereby rendered to
the $50 soldiers from Pennsylvania who passed
through the mob of Baltimore and reached
Washington on the 18th day Of April, 1861, for
the defense of the national capital
GALUsHA A GROW,
Speaker Of the House of Representatives
For full particulars regarding the passage Of
these loyal sons of the ''Old Keystone" as well
as that of the sixth regiment, Massachusetts,
VOlunteerb. refer 10 bates HISTORY OF the
Pennsylvania Volunteers" vol. l. also Losing 3
Pictorial History of the Great Rebellion"
VOL !, and the records on file in the War De-
partment 1t has been said by many eminent
persons, including President Lincoln and his
cabinet, Gen. Winfield Scott and others, that
had it not been for the timely ARRIVAL of
| these troops this beautiful city would
have been either captured or pill
LACED, the President and his cabinet
| compelled to fly and the government buildings
destroyed OF the five companies Of Pennsyl-
vania volunteers which left their firesides,
homes and workshops upon an hours notice,
one, ''The Logan Guards" hailed from Lewis
town, to which the writer belonged. The Allen
Rifles came from Allentown, two companies
from the city of Pottsville and the Ringgold
battery from Reading, Pa. Upon our arrival
here. to their honor be it said, we found the
District volunteers under arms and doing all
that was possible for men to do, and re-
| iterate the universal sentiment among
| the people, that the government has
never given these patriotic citizen
soldiers the least semblance of justice. be-
lieve it would be simply an act Of long deferred
justice to pay these men what they SO justly
demand and also to give to the first arrivals
at least Of the three months men from Penn
| sylvania and Massachusetts, some fitting medal
| or other testimonial as an evidence that their
services were appreciated by . generous and
patriotic people. WM F. MCCoY.