Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-12-30

Bual01nxos ss&AA
The inauguration OF President fas
coin and the stirring scenes here II nv
early part Of 1861 were wildly bronx
to mind to many Of our older residenn
by the appearance Of the United Stafsl
engineer battalion In President McKts.
ley's inaugural procession, for 4 4.
tachment Of the engineers had durfp.
the inauguration Of Mr.. Lincoln ~
special duty of guarding the President |
The detachment was In the line Of -
procession next to the Presidents -.
riage, and numbered about sixty mer
Differed by Lieutenants Godfrey WEI.
eel and J.. G. Duane, both OF whom .
short time thereafter were in the fold
and before the war closed were ppn.
eral officers, the first named with ~.
di :ision entering Richmond Just Altar
the surrender ut Appomattox.
Though history, as 1t Is written hv,
some Of the magazine writers, states
that regiments Of regular troops
guarded Mr.. Lincoln to and from the
Capitol" the fact is that the engineers
formed about one-tenth Of the entirs
force Of government men. 1t Ia true
that extra precautions were taken
against any possible outbreak, and
there was or less alarm felt on|
the part Of the citizens that there
might be some disturbance, yet there
were no regiments Of regulars here OIL
that occasion.
There was, however, with the Dis
trict troops, possibly a force Of 3,Ootss
men on duty, and Of these two batteries
OF light artillery, q troop Of cavalry and
the engineers represented the reguluSs
army, and, with the marines, made IN
the government force. The enginenI
were assigned to a position In the LIND,
as the special guard Of the President
and the light batteries during the cersS
monies stood In B street, east of Delat
ware avenu northeast. Near by wa6
General Scott, apprehensive, no doubt
that he might be called on to take
heroic measures There were perhauss
twenty companies Of the District, a.
but one Of the infantry branch, and .
number Of these were detailed for dury
on the roof Of the Capitol and the root
of buildings on the route Of the process
sion. Before the ceremonies took placl
at the east front the National Guard
battalion cleared a space Immediately
In front of the stand. and, facing tn
crowd, kept 1t back till the conclusioa1
Of the exercises. This disposition Of,
the troops was made under the direcI
ton Of the commanding general By
Colonel Chas. p. Stone Of his stan, whp1
had previously satisfied himself as tAi
the loyalty Of u District companies
That 1t was a judicious one and prob
ably prevented an outbreak there Is nS
question.
In the immediate vicinity Of Crawl
ford's Washington it looked squally fof
n time, for a man seated in q tree, whe1.
the President came out on the stand
commenced a harangue to the crowd
in which he urged that Mr.. Lincai
should not be allowed to take the oatf7
for it would be followed by a deluS7
of blood for the country, and all ION y
count of the id niger" There vi
some approval Of his sentiments, b
he was carried Off by the police. ~
old guardsman says OF the enginee1s
''They were marched in the armoA
building 18th and b streets southwesz
where our battalion had its quarte1
and we found them an intelligent, COZ
panionable set Of men, and soon v
were fraternizing. They drilled as 4
fantry, and by their example and Y
s%truction, some Of them giving thet
services as drill masters to the coz
panies, taught US the art of war. ING
when In the following April the Dl1
trict companies were sworn In thei3
were not many green men among Their
The 'Snappers and Miners as v
called them, were with us a couple /
months, and during the war M
some Of them serving as officers OF "
Fifteenth and F1fty-arst New 1o1
Volunteers (of the engineer brigade f
the Army Of the Potomac)."-WasniuH
ton Star.