The Portland daily press., 1895-03-22
THE SCARE AT WASHINGTON.
When Jubal Early Made His Famous
Raid.
(Noah Brooks in the Century,


(Noah Brooks in the Century,
The raid of Early, which occurred in
July. 1864, gave US the only serious scare
| i'll the national capital which we had,
although many alarms were 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 plunder in Maryland and
Pennsylvania being part of the scheme.
while the more important and highly
desired purpose was to seize upon Wash
ington, then left comparatively defense
less so far as troops were concerned. The
news of the approach of Early was
brought to the city (whatever may have
been the information lodged in the War
Department) by the panic-stricken'
people from Rockville, Silver Spring,
| Tennallytown and other Maryland Will
ages. These people came f1ocking into
Washington by the Seventh street road,
flying in wild disorder, and bringing
their household goods with them.
| In general way we understood that
the city was cut off at the north and
east, and that the famine of market
stuff, New York newspapers, and other
necessaries of life, was due to the cut
ting of railway line leading northward.
For two or three days we had no mail.
no telegraphic messages, and no railway
travel. Our only communication with
the outer world was by steamer from
Georgetown, d. c., to New York. Wash
ington was in a ferment; men were
marching to and fro; able-b bodied citi-
| zens were swept up and put into the
District militia; and squads of depart
ment clerks were set to drilling in the
parks. 1t was an odd sight to see men
who had been thus impressed into the
publ service, dressed in linen coats or
in partial uniform, being put through
the manual of arms by an impromptu
captain, who in his turn VISA prompted
by his orderly sergeant "a messenger
employed in the War Department.
These sons of Mars were all under COM
mAnd of Brigadier General Bacon, a
worthy grocer of Washington, who was
the militia commander of the District
Of Columbia. 3 N
The city was also garrisoned by 10 ineh,s
veteran reserves as they were called tor
invalid corps), with a few disInounte ted !
cavalry. These weak and unorganized
forces were thrown into the fortifca-
tions. and Washington stood agape while |
we listened to the sound the rebel can
nom less than 100 miles away. Gen.
Hallock was then living on Georgetown
Heights where the blue-eoated Invalides
mounted guard over his residence, and |
the bugles nightly blew "peas on a
trencber." lIl-natuIed 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 unpopular in Wash
ington. The President and his family
were at their summer residence, the
soldiers home, on the outskirts of Wash
ington, about half way between the out
er line of Notifications 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. Lincoln,
very much irritated and against his will
came back to town. He was su subsequenr-
~ greatly discomposed and annoyed
when he found that the assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy, Capt.G V.Fox. had
kept under orders a small navy vessel in
the Potomac for the President's escape
IN case the rebel column should succeed
in piercing the line of fOrtli cations.
The widest estimates of the force OF
the invaders : were made, and flying
rumors were to the effect that Early,
EweIl, I'm mboden and Beckinridge were in
command of some 400,0 men. AS
matter of fact there were, according to
the records, not many more than $4,000
men. There was a vast amount of hur-
rying to and from between the War De-
partment, the White House and the ex-
terror lines of defense, and the telegraph
wire was constantly worked to it's full
est capacity. There were not few do
nestle rebels in Washington who looked
on this commotion with undisguisetl
glee. sa,,s ~ Isl
1t was popularity believed in the North
at that time that President Lincoln was /
greatly disturbed at the imminence of
the danger of the capture of Washington,
but learned from his9own lips that his
chief anxiety was that the invading 4
forces might not be permitted to get
away.
Speaking of their escape afterward. he
said that Gen. Halleek's manifest desire
to avoid taking any responsibility with
out the immediate sanction of Gen. Graut
was the main reason why the re bells,
having threatened Washington and
sacked the peaceful farms and villages of
Maryland, got off seatheless.
If Lincoln was the medd esome marplot
| in military affairs which some have rep-
| resented him to be. he would have per
emplorily ordered sortie of the Union
forces then numerously massed inside
the defenses of Washington; but although
he was "agoniZed" Gas he said } over the
evident failure of all attempts at pursuit.
he kept his hands off.