Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04

TEREsTIyo occAsIoN-THE DELAY IN coMMU-
NICATIoSs FROM MEADE-HoURs WHEN THE
FATE OF THE CAPITAL HUNG IN THE Ball
ANcE.
In connection with the dedication Of the High
Water Mark monument at Gettysburg June
some interesting correspondence passed between
Albert E. H. johnson, who was private secre-
tary to Secretary Stanton, and Col John B.
Bachelor, the government historian Of the
great battle. Major johnson was with President
Lincoln and Secretary Stanton while they were
anxiously waiting for news from the battle, the
event of which meant so much for the Union,
and in q letter to Col. Bachelor he gives his
recollections Of what occurred as that time.
The letter of Maj. Johnson's, which is dated
Washington, D. c., May 20, 1892, is as follows:
i have the honor TO acknowledge the receipt Of
a seating ticket at the dedication of the High
Water Mark monument" at Gettysburg, June
2, 1892. and to thank you for the same. As it ia
not certain that l can attend the dedication
herewith return the ticket as you request, that
you may assign the seat to another. If my en-
gagements make it possible for me to go shall
| endeavor to find you in the hope Of obtaining a
| seat to witness the exercises in commemoration
of the pivotal battle Of the war, which at that
| time in the War Department was the occasion
of the greatest alarm for the safety of the capi-
tai and of the federal government. As the
laundering echoes of that great battle were
| almost heard in the War Department and as
now recall the alarm which the situation then
created in President Lincoln and in his great
War Secretary. Stanton. feel desire to tell
you how the President and Mr.. Stanton acted
in the War Department while waiting the result
OF that battle.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
At that time, as indeed at all other times dur
ing the war, the Army Of the Potomac was looked
upon as the only hope of the President and his
War Secretary to save the capital of the federal
government. The Army Of the Potomac was
the idol of the government. 1t was its greatest
sOlicitude its greatest trouble its greatest hope,
its greatest fear. All its care conferred in that
army. 1t watched that army day and night.
There never was a moment when the Army of
the Potomac ceased to be the all, and in all the
thoughts, the hopes and the fears of the great
War Secretary who made 1t and who longed to
realize his expectations from its power. 1t was
his constant talk-all its lopg sufferings-all its
hardships-all its patience-and all its defeats
were ever present with him, and the only peace
he ever had in the War Department was when
that army was fighting.
To him that army was greater than all its
commanders than all its defeats and
greater than all the mistakes of its commanders.
To it the government constantly held its out
stretched arms to save it from the enemy,
which hung for four long years like pail of
destruction over the capital. Every battle
fought by the Army of the Potomac was for the
protection OF the gates of the capital, and for
this reason the Army Of the Potomac was the
hope Of the administration.
1t had the greatest generals Of the enemy to
Sight, and it had the greatest army of the enemy
to keep from the capital 1t was always ready
made it and kept it the finest army in the
world.
The President and his War Secretary were
grealy alarmed and dreaded the consequences of
a defeat of Gen. Meade, who was then, as COM
mander Of that great army, unknown in war,
while his adversary was famous for his battles
and for his victories.
WAITING FOR NEWS.
On the night Of July 8, 1868, the President
was with the Secretary until after midnight,
and the last telegram received from Gen.
Meade was near midnight, so that up to and at
that time there was nothing decisive to relieve
the terrible strain of doubt and fear in the War
Department. On that night the President and
Mr.. Stanton reviewed all the kilograms which
had been received from Gen. Meade and
from other commanders in Maryland and
Pennsylvania about the movements of Gen.
Lee. and from these it was thought by the
President, as he then said, that q battle must
have been fought that day with Lees whole
army. and there was feeling with the Secre-
tary that something must have happened for
good or for bad to the national cause, and on
this day and night the tension of feeling there
was at its highest.
Among the telegrams on the Secretary's desk
were copies of two dispatches which Gen. Meade
had sent by couriers and which we're found
upon their dead bodies. These dispatches we're
not for Washington. and they particularly at
tracted the attention of the President, and he
spoke of the singular circumstance of the kill
ing OF the couriers while the enemy did not get
the dispatches.
In all the kilograms from Gen. Meade the abb
senee OF any expression of his confidence of
beating Lee was spoken of by the President,
while at the same time the President called Mr..
Stanton's attention to those kilograms which
Gen. Meade sent to others about the protection
of Washington in the event of his being over
powered by Lee in the battle then impending at
Gettysburg.
Attention to ordinary business was impossi-
BILE. Gen. Lee was in Maryland with a large,
powerful and triumphant army, maneuvering
so as to threaten at once Philadelphia, Harris
burg, Baltimore and Washington. Stuart's
rebel cavalry were riding around between the
federal capital and the army that was to meet
Gen. Lee. working destruction and spreading
general alarm in Washington. 1t was uncertain
where the blow of Lees army, which had but.
little while before defeated the army of the
Potomac, was again to fall. To these conditions
OF intense anxiety was the peril of changing
mac, then marching, as it was believed, to
what was decisive battle. For the federal
army defeat meant almost certain loss of the
capital and the ruin of the country, and under
these circumstances there was feverish and in
cessant alienation of hope and anxiety in the
Secretary and in every person who came to see
him that day.
Yet that very day and about the time when
the pivoted battle was being fought at Gettys-
burg the President pead TO Mr.. Stanton from a
copy of Shakespeare. which obtained from the
department library, and the selection read was
from Hamlet.
For three long days, while the armies were
fighting, direct teiegraphic communication with
Gen. Meade was cut off by Stuart rebel cavalry
and Gen. Meade could only send dispatches by
courier from his headquarters.
TIDINGs OF VICTORY
Early or the morning Of the 4th telegram
written on the day before was received an
nouncing the victory of Gen. Meade, and on
that Independence day the great war Secretary
was different man and gave every indication
that he felt that the capital was safe and that
the army Of the Potoraac was still guarding its
All honor to the brave, who under the lead
of Brigade Commanders Hail. Harrow and
Stannard, fell at the copse of trees on Cemetery
Ridge in defending the gates of the capital all
honor to the auryiyora w M rerulsad that xo~-;