The Yale expositor., 1895-05-03

In a 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 lines leading northward.
For two or three days we had no mail,
no telegraphic messages and no rail-
way traffic. Our only communication
with the outer world was by steamer
from Georgetown, d. c., to New York.
Washington was in a ferment; men
were marching to and fro; able-bodied
citizens were swept up and put into the
district militia, and squads of depart
ment clerks were sent to drilling in the
parks. 1t was an odd sight TO see men
who had been thus pressed into the
public service. dressed in linen coats or
in partial uniform, being put through
the manual of arms by an impromptu
captain, who in turn was prompted by
his orderly sergeant Ga messenger en-
ployed in the war Department.. These
sons of Mars were all under command
of Brigadier-General Bacon, a worthy
grocer of Washington, who was the
militia commander of the District OF
Columbia. The city was also garri-
soned by one hundred men, Veteran
Reserves, as they were called Cor Invalid
Corps), with a few dismounted cavalry
These weak and unorganized forces
were thrown into the Notifications, and
Washington stood agape while we lis
tened to the sound of the rebel cannon
less than ten miles away. Gen. Halleck
was then living on Georgetown Heights,
where the blue-coated invalids mounted
guard over his residence, and the bugles
nightly blew peas on 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 Hal
leck, who for various reasons was Bit
terly unpopular in Washington. The
Presider and his family were at their
summer residence, the Soldiers Home,
on the outskirts of Washington, about
half way between the outer 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. 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 assist
ant secretary of the navy, Capt G.. V.
Fox, had kept under orders n small
navy vessel in the Potomac for the
Presidents escape in case the rebel coll
umn should succeed in piercing the line
of Notifications. The widest estimates
of the force Of the invaders We're made,
and flying rumors were to the effect
that EARLY, Ewell, Imboden and BREEZY
inridge were in command Of some forty
hon nd 20. 90 Co
there were, according TO the records,
not many more than twelve thousand
men. There was vast amount Of
hurrying to and fro between the war
department, the White House and the
exterior lines Of defense, and the tele-
graph wire was constantly worked to
its fullest capacity There were not a few
domestic rebels in Washington who
looked on this commotion with undis-
guised glee.
1t was probably believed in the north
at that time that President Lincoln was
greatly disturbed by the imminence of
the danger of the capture of Washing
ton. but / learned from his own lips
that his chief anxiety was that the in
vading forces might not be permitted to
get away. Speaking of their escape
afterward. ne said that Gen. Halleck' s
manifest desire to avoid taking any re-
sponsibility without the immediate
sanction of Gen. Grant was the main
reason why the rebels. having threat
ened Washington, and sacked the
peaceful farms and villages of Mary
land. got off scathless. If Lincoln was
the meddlesome marplot in military af-
fairs which some have represented him
Go be, he would have peremptorily or
dered a sortie of the Union forces then
numerously massed inside the defenses
OF Washington, but although he was
"agonized" (as he said over the evil
dent failure of all attempts at pursuit,
he kept his hands 90