Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-04
TO DEFEND THE NATION
The District Was Quick to Answer the Call
for Troops.
No Less Than Thirty-Five Companies
Among the Three Months Men
Battalion Organizations.
Written for The Evening Star.

pOTtOn 10 pOpuidtlOl tne OlStTlcC OIL Co.
lumbia stands high in the matter of fur
nishing troops in support of the Union dur
ing the late war. No less than thirty-five
full companies were furnished at the first
call for three months men, and these
were composed of and differed by our best
citizens. Besides these, the District fur
nished a battalion of cavalry. which was
subsequently transferred to the 1st Maine
Cavalry, although a majority of the COM
panies were raised in the District, two regi-
iments of white and one regiment of COL
cred infantry.
There were three companies of cavalry
in the three months service-viz.. the
Presidents Mounted Guard. Captain Sam
tel W. Owen: a second company raised by
Captain l.. F. Whitney, subsequently COM
manded by Captain William H. Orion. and
q third company commanded by Captain
George Thistleton. The last named two
companies were subsequently credited 10
Maryland, and became, respectively, COM
panies NJ and l., 1st Maryland Cavalry
Familiar Names.
Among the officers of the three years
regiments appear such familiar names as
Colonels Robert Boyd. Lemuel Towers.
James A. TAFT, William NJ. Graham now
brigadier general in the regular army,
Isaac A. Peck, Charles NJ Alexander,
u.
Drew, Majors c. ]. Morrison. Robert
Clark, William F. Garrett, Doctors Hines
Mead, keasbey, Baldwin, Woodbury.,
Craigen, and many others. identified be-
fore and since the war with the best inter-
ests of the District.
But it is especially the three months ser
vice that is little known or appreciated by
the present generation, for want of infor-
nation on the subject. In other places the
Grand Army of the Republic and kindred
associations keep up the local. traditions,
but owing to the large influx of people
from all over the country since the war the
national rather than a local character
one Grand Army post, Kit Carson,
No. 2, having from the date of it's organ
ization TO the present time had representa-
tiveS from no less than thirty-one states
ard territories and over 700 regiments and
batteries. When the one CT two organi-
cations composed exclusively of veteran
District of Columbia volunteers, which
meet periodically to talk over old times
shall have died out, the very names of the
men who rushed to arms when the capital
OF the nation was threatened by enemies
from within and without will be forgotten
by the public. -s-r 'i 0sr'''-
The Three Months Men.
The thirty odd companies of three months
volunteers were nearly all mustered within
two weeks in April, 1861. Later it was con-
sidered conducive to the service to organize
these companies, except the cavalry, into
battalions-although, strange to say, the
battalion commanders, while performing
duty as majors, were neither commissioned
FOR paid as such. Then, as now, the Dis.
trict had no representation in Congress-
and no governor or similar official TO look
out fer its soldiers, although the then
mayor of the city did all he could in the
Union cause. Neither was there any pro-
vision for the care OF the families of the
volunteers left behind. as was SO literally
furnished in the northern states. Indeed,
for long time the District three months
men were actually suffering from want of
suitable clothing right in sight of album
dant government supplies.
l have faiiei to see fl-, in public prints
any roster of the battalion organization of
these men. and i think it would be of IN
terest to many survivors at least if The
Star, which is recognized as a most suit
able depository of local history, would pub
fish the following roster, which is believed
to be generally accurate:
Battalion Organizations.
First Battalion, Capt ]. NJ. Hollings-
worth-Anderson Rifles, Capt. Chas. H
Rodier; Andrew Johnson Rifles, Capt. John
II. McBlair; Potomac Light Guard. Capt
Robert Boyd; Darlington Home Guards,
Capt. James Goddard.
Second Battalion, Capt. j. Grey Jewell
Union Volunteers, Company A, Capt, Ed
ward Z. Darlington; Union Volunteers,
Company 4, Capt. James Kelly: Union Vol
unteers. Company d, Capt. John McClel-
land; Union Volunteers, Company E, Capt.
James L.. Callan; Henderson Guards, Capt.
Gabriel j. l.. Foxwell
Third Battalion, Capt. John +. Smead-
National Rifles. Capt. John r. Smead;
Cameron Guards, Capt. James Elder; Union
Volunteers, Company F, Capt. James
Fletcher; Sienimcr Guards, Capt. Henry NJ.
knight
Fourth Battalion. Capt. Lemuel Towers
Washington Light Infantry. Company A.
Capt. l.. A. Towers, succeeded Capt l..
D. Williams; Washington Light Infantry,
Company b, Capt. Samuel a. H. Marks, jr.;
Washington Light Infantry, Company D
(zouavesI, Capt. ]. Tyler Powell; Union
Rifles Company G, ChaS. J. Morrison.
Fifth Bat;alion, Capt Charles Everett
Putnam Rifles Company A, Capt. George
Thistleton; Putnam Rifles. Company Il.
Capt. ]. b. Grinnell: Constitutional Guards,
Capt VIM. ii. Degges: Jackson Guards,
Rifles. Capt VIM. III. Nalley.
Sixth Battalion. Captain James A. TAFT
National Guards. Company A, Captain
Patrick II. King, succeeded by Captain T.
E. Lloyd; National Guards. Company C,
Captain T. Edward Clark; National Guards.
Company +, Captain Richard Morgan; Ma
tional Guards, Company F. Captain VIM. p.
Ferguson.
King-Unicn Volunteers Company c, Capt.
Geo w. Miller: Washington Light In
fantry (Howitzers), Capt. jeremiah Cross;
Washington City Guards. Capt. Robert
Clarke; Mechanics Union Rifles, Capt.
Alexander Rutherford.
Eighth Battalion (German), Capt Ar
thur Observation-Disclosures Rifles, Capt. A.
Balbach, succeeded by Capt Ernst Loef-
fer: Turner Rifles Company \, Capt.
Il, Capt vladimir Krzynowski --t.~
CHAs F. KEEFER.