Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-18


peaceful citizens of the republic they had saved
and amenable to the laws whose supremacy
they had indicated.
ON TO WASHINGTON.
The Troops That First Came and the Obstruc-
tions They Met.
HOW THE CAPITAL WAS FOR TIME CUT OFF FROM
COMMUNICATION WITH THE NoRTH-coNFED-
ERATE PLANS FOR CAPTURING THE CITY-THE
BALTIMORE RIoTs-THE ANNAPOLIS ROUTE.
4 T THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE
"A war, before there was an army in the
field. events occurred about Washington which
deeply impressed themselves ?. in history, be-
cause they shocked the nation though in GER
tain sense they were not of the magnitude of
the great battles that subsequently decided the
fate Of the Union. The operations at Harper's
Ferry, the riot in Baltimore, the arrival of the
first troops in Washington, the death of Els
worth in Alexandria and other occurrences at
that most critical juncture, when the horrors
of war were new to the nation, stand out as
conspicuously marked in the annals of the
country as subsequent events of the war in
which vast armies were engaged.
About the first cry Of the newly formed con-
federacy was ION to Washington" The south
burned with desire to capture this city and
turn it into a stronghold of the rebellion, as
Government hv forn;nar az b - W. 'i U
oress 10 Ace ~ The nnn.h o. 49,. ~
probably no parallel in history for the situa
Here was the capital of country on the verge
Of a civil war utterly defenseess. within dav s
easy march of the heart of the rebellion with
from the IovaI north hv d.. 80
trembling in the balance between remtr,I;tr
and secession. There were no troons hera NO
Notifications no orcnnizations that might he
utilized for defensive purposes, and it Was no
wonder thai the frs. aims of the confederates
should be in this direction.
The south was in a ferment Of entbns;asn,
over the proposition strennonsIg nreacbaJ IN
every town below the line rnnning west from,
Washington, to make this CITY the first canture
of the war. Troops were raised for that mn
pose. and about The oneniro strotao;c ,npra
ment in the great conAict was desio1ed 70 ont
Washington OFF from the hitherto nntonchaI
line of Communication with the north and niti-
msteIv cantura ~ Tbat thn ~. ,.a ao u.s'
from sncb' n toto norv soon,s -; ;,-I
,,,,, 49,. - -. M" ~ o'0u'
W. VI ATTAIN
lhere were TWO points OF attack, the one on
the north at the passage of the Potomac
through the Blue Ridge and the other at the
r,o,,h 90 Ch.s...,. - "' .,'o
onter edge OF the water Iine of commmr . ;nu
from Washington to the sea and TINS 10 the
north Toward both of these points steps we're
y, Almost i,nineaia,eiy after the ordinance
Early in the vear rs, The Al ao rmsrnm .,-
steps TO protect its interests at Harner's Ferrx
where there wos n large armorv "a o,,on.i
but these measures were quite insutfcient ~
subsequent events proved small oarr;son
was sent there comnose6 mootIr nf So 20
the National Guerd of Narvlnn1 reirforcdd H.,
a conn any Of dragons from tbe regular ami
The post was in command of Lieut.. Roger
Jones'. commanding the detacbment -
dragons During the middle of AnriI a rnmor
soon verified. reached him that partv Of VIZ
ginians was on its wav to the fsrrr 70 taIo H.
arsenal and armory Tor the axe of the snnnl r
stored there ms we'll as 70 moLo 81 .La
Acting with secrecy be waited until the bssieo.
ing force was within twenty minutes march 81
the most and then fred The ant;ra ,,Iont a.
stroying a vast amount of property after which
he and his small band escaped into the onen
country across the river and ultimately reached
the barracks at Carlisle. Pa
The destruction OF the arms and other stores
forcs hrt The nnSt san nnima 70 tne invading
great menace of Wasbnoton Sor ner" W ,;, ae
By the middle of NAV il was oarrisoned NV
fully 5000 troops from various narts nf M.
THE NORFOLK HARpop
Tho navy var, q, Nor,oIl -,aa
nav! '"'u Nv Nofio'A was 'aken Dy the
confederates at ABOUT the same time. although
preparations for this step were in progress for
some time before. The ward was nrsc,;cal,r
r.. - -, a.. L.,
SUI SUI 'n a" tuo MIo sue ny tue confederate
iorce, auu MAS "os'nuoned by the national OH
GERS On Tue 1is, .. april; atter an attempt had
oeen maoe 70 destroy an OF the property OF the
government possible. 1nlS euOrt vas little
SUCCESSFUL Una. m, ,ni, OF dollars worth OF
siunitions oi wuI leh INTO the nanas OF the con
Ieaerate auIhorities. Inns also gave them the
ehtire command OF the harbor OF Norfolk. but
thelr enorts 10 secure control OF the fort that
swept the entrance to chesapeake bay did not
succeed. Fortress Monroe remained in the
possession OF the Union army throughout the
war:
ihus, although the way to the north was
partially 6iocked up, through the capture OF
harpers Ferry and tho threatening situation