Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-02
GENERAL EARLY'S RAID.
Washington Alarmed at the Prospect
of an Invasion.

iuS NdT-uue. LIE writer WAS Oh
terms of particular intimacy with Lin
coin. and he relates many new anec-
doteS concerning the president. Most
of the latest papers is taken up with
an account of Two Wartime Conven-
tons. Mr.. Brooks gives the following
picture of one exciting incident of that
time:
The raid of Early, which occurred in
July, 1864. gave US the only serious
had. although many alarms We're
sounded during the war and after the
first terrorS of the civil inSurrection
had died away. That incurSion of the
daShing rebel hosts was evidently two
fold in its purpose. forage. and plum
der in Maryland and Pennsylvania be
ing part of the scheme, while the more
important and highly desired purpose
was to seize upon Washington. then
left comparatively defenseless so far
as troops We're concerned. The news
of the approach of Early was brought
to the city whatever may have been
the information lodged in the war de-
partmen1 by the panic stricken people
from Rockville. Silver Spring, Ten
naliytown, and other Maryland vii
lagos. These people came f1Ocking
into Washington by the Seventh
street road. flying in wild disorder and
bringing their household goods with
them.
i In general way we understood
that the city was cut off at the north
I -, ~,
ket-stuff, New York newspapers, and
other neceSSaTies of life. was due to
the cutting of railway lines leading
nOrthward. For two or three days we
had no mail, no Geographic messages,
and no railway travel. Our only COM
munication with the outer world was
by steamer from Georgetown. D. c..
TO New York. WaShingtO was in a
ferment; men were marching to and
fro; able-bodied citizens were swept
up and put into the district militia:
scare in the national capital which we
and squads of department clerks We're
set to drilling in the parks. 1t was an
odd sight to see men who had been
thus impressed into the public service,
uniform, being put through the manual
of arms by an imprOmptu captain.
who in his turn was prompted by his
orderly sergeant Ga messenger en-
plOyed in the war Department.. These
sons of Mars were all under command
of Brig. Gen. Bacon, a worthy grocer
of Washington, who was the militia
commander of the District of Column
bia.
The city was also garrisOned by one
hundred men. veteran reserves as
they were called COR invalid corps,
with few dismOunted cavalry These
weak and unOrgaized forces We're
thrown into the Notifications, and
WASHINGTON stood agape while we
listened to the sound of the rebel
cannon less chan ten miles away.
Gen. Halleck was then living on
Georgetown Heights. where the blue
coated invalids mounted guard over
his residence. and the bu@les nightly
blew peas on a trencher." Ill-natured
people were ready to suggest that the
rebels might be guilty of petty larceny
should they rapidly march down Rock
Creek and seize upon Halleck, who
for various reasons was bitterly I'M
popular in Washington. The presi-
dent and his family were at their
summer residence. the Soldiers home,
on the outskirts of Washington. about
halfway between the outer line of
fortified tons at Fort Stevens and the
city; but on Sunday night, the 10th,
Secretary Stanton. finding that the
enemy was within striking distance of
that point. sent out a carriage with
positive orders that the president
should return to the white house. Lin
coin. very much irritated. and against
his will. came back to town. He was
, subsequently greatly discOmposed and
annoyed when he found that the as
SiStant secretary of the navy. Capt.
G.. Y. Fox. had kept under orders
small navy vessel in the PotOmoc for
the presidents escape in case the rebel
column should succeed in piercing the
line Of Notifications.
The widest estimates Of the force
of the invaders were made. and flying
rumOrS were to the effect that Early.
EH ell. Imboden. and Breckenridge
were in command of some forty thou
sand men. As a matter of fact. there
We're. according to the records. not
many more than twelve thousand men.
There was a vast amount Of hurrying
to and fro between the war depart
ment. the white house. and the eXter-
ior lines of defence. and the telegraph
wire was constantly worked to its full
est capacity. There were not a few
domestic rebels in Washington who
looked on this commotion with undis-
gllised glee
It was popularity believed in the
north at that time that President Lin
coin was greatly disturbed by the i'm
mience Of the danger Of the capture
of Washington: but l learned from his
own lips that his chief anxiety was
that the invading forces might not be
permitted 10 get away. Speaking of
their escape afterward, he said that
Gen. Hallecks manifest desire to avoid
taking any responsibility without the
| immediate saI ction of Gen. Grant
was the main reason why the rebels.
having threatened Washington and
sacked the peaceful farms and villages
of Maryland. got off scathele$s.
If Lincoln was the meddlesome mar
: plot in military affairs which some
| have represented him 70 be. ne would
| have peremptorily ordered a sortie Of