Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23


pened that we were on the spot for the defense
OF washington when it was attacked by Early.
The circumstances of our defense of the city.
as remember them (and I can see them as
clearly and as wildly as when on Tuesday and
Wednesday, the 18th and 18th of July, took
part in them), / will give somewhat in detail.
Shortly after midnight Of Monday, the 18th,
our bugles sounded the "fall in" After con-
siderable delay We took up the march tow ashing-
ton, hating when within two miles Of the city.
Up to this none of us, as l remember, knew the
object Of our march. We entered the city
about am. Tuesday and were halted some
little time Some citizens were marching out
to the fort armed with rifles, and then for the
first time l. at least, heard that the city was
being attacked, but did not believe it. The guns,
however, at Fl. Stevens were now heard and all
doubts set at rest. And we then marched out
and halted a little the city side of Ft. Stevens,
where ammunition was served out. We then
advanced by the road that led between Fl. Ste
vens on the right and Fit. de Russey on the left,
taking ground toward the last named fort.
FIdHTINa UNDER PRESIDENT LINCoLN's EYE.
Our right lay close up to the road, where I
noticed a strange looking carriage, which stop
ped when it came abreast of Fl. Stevens, Two
gentlemen alighted, one of them dressed in q
white straw hat, white dust coat, black panta-
looms and a broad black crayat. / at once
recognized the chosen ruler of all the land"
and said, II believe there is the President him
mediately the command WAS given. Form the
center to right and left, take diminishing dis
lance, march" We deployed and moved
steadily down the sloping ground. The
enemy at once opened fire upon US
and before we could return it we
had to advance considerable distance
exposed to severe dropping fire. We flushed
our first game. q skirmish line Of the enemy
almost as heavy line of battle, at a
point a little more than midway between the
tad.
Blair s blue-stone mansion, and what grueling
they gave as in Scotch fashion. without any
thing to render it more palatable; but it is due
to us to say that we took it without grimace
and returned their hospitality into the bargain.
We showed obstinate and determined fight and
pushed them back till we gained fair position,
a couple of small houses with their outbuild-
ings on the right of the wood being taken pos
session Of by US 1--WE took ground well to our
right in the early part Of the action), those
to the right of and beyond Judge Blairs
house Giddings, myself and some six or
eight others selected the best points Of
resistance here and made it warm as we
could for Eariys people The owners of the
ting down to breakfast, for it was on the tables.
We ate the breakfast for them, fighting the
while. Giddings called, out They are getting
around on our Hank" At the same instant they
advanced rapidly against our immediate front
H.
guns from Fort Stevens then opened
tremendous fire on them and after little we
again advanced. reoccupying the ground from
which we had just been driven. Here heard
the slap Of bullet striking some one and look
ing over my shoulder saw Byrnes, one of our
company, with a very dazed expression. 1 said,
'Byrnes, you're hit
He called to Giddings, saying, "Giddings, I'm
hit"
"Well, then, skedaddle to the rear. What do
~-1ts
with grin on his own face that would have
made his fortune on q comic staff. Byrnes was
struck on the throat. There were very few of
US at this spot now and Giddings was saying to
me, This is getting very hot here, Lane"
when the order came to set fire to the houses and
cover from a small manure heap, from which
We had good sight of some gray coats. Sergt.
Richardson was standing on the first rail of the
fence and said to him, Keep low, Richard
They can't fire straight enough to hit me-"
when he was shot through the head and fell of
the fence.
The owner Of one Of the houses Just now
returned and was sitting, dressed only in his
shirt and pantaloons on a box very close to
me and in the middle Of the yard, and I drew
his attention to the risk he ran. He said, II
don't care, I've lost everything l have in the
world" when another idea seized him, and
picking up a carbine and pouch he, from that
moment bred and fought like a Trojan. Again
We were driven back, but again advanced and
got possession Of Judge Blair's house and
grounds, which afforded grand position for
defense. got into the house somehow and
from the library took the loan Of handsome
volume Of 'Moore's Melodies" and the Ara
| bian Nights Tales" I met almost i'm
mediately after with our surgeon major
| q think his name was Jones), who promised to
take care of them for me. l never saw them
after; he told me he put them in his anibu-
lance and they were taken. Had the Judge
known that had borrowed his books / am
certain he would have overlooked my having
! done SO, for shortly after we committed arson
| by setting fire to his house to give better
| sight to our guns on Fort Stevens. Once more
| we were driven out Of our position and our
ammunition running low We were served out
with fresh supply on the line. was one Of
those who went back and helped to carry down
| a box to the line. After some sharp fighting
we again pushed forward and drove the enemy
back from the judges house and grounds and
held them all the time after. Capts. Towns
| ley, Woodward and Wheeler were standing in
the yard around the pump. Townsley was TAX
ing drink Of water and asked him to let me
have one. He handed me the glass and pumped
| it full for me. As replaced the glass on the
spout Of the pump bullet glanced therefrom
and struck Townsley in the groin, giving him,
| however, only skin wound.
HOT PLACE
Wheeler then gave mo instructions to take
| i've men to 60 down to the iron gate that
opened on to the wood from Judge Blair
grounds and keep hot fire up that road.
took with me Cannon, Quinn, Tierney, man
whose name l did not know and little Dan
Dibble Of company A. We had hardly got to
the gate before the man I did not know was
shot through the heart. Cannon got bullet
| through his left breast and arm, the same
bullet think 1t must have been passing into
Quinn immediately above his right hip and
killing him. Tierney had his arm shattered
above the elbow, and only Dibble and myself
were left. l noticed puff of smoke coming
out from large palm tree about fifty yards in
front OF as. and said to Dibble; See the smoke
coming out OF that tree. There is
q man there; IRE at him." He fred, and l
think he must have hit the man, as no more
smoke came from the tree. When Cannon, who
was an lrishman, was struck, he danced about,
poor fellow, calling out in accents racy of his
native soil, s.0im kilt, dim murthsred; what is
it fer, at ALP and thus affording good mark
the bullets came en- N fast and thick. said
to him, '.For Gods sake dance somewhere else
OK you viii have "a al killed. Dibble and /