The times., 1899-08-06
MEN WHO FOOGH1 EARLY
Forty Graves in Cemetery on
the Battlefield.
A Sacred Place That Brings Back
"Reminiscences of a Day When the
National Capital Was Besieged.
Abraham Lincoln a Witness of the
Successful Fight in Its Defence

OF Washington is that at a distance from
the city, that but makes a pleasant drive
OF jaunt awbeel for a summers evening,
is ground of historic interest surpassed by
that of few localities in our land OF hal
lowed spots and pilgrims meccas. Situ-
ated on the Seventh Street pike. about five
miles from Pennsylvania Avenue, is the
Battle Ground National Cemetery and if
ever a place is entitled to be called Gods
acre. then is this grassy enclosure of
consecrated SOIL of precisely an acres ex-
tent, deserving of that holy appellation
There, in ground whereon- ebbed their life
blood, sleep forty of the brave who fell
that the home of the brave might last
forever.
The cemetery contains the remains of
twoscore of the fifty-nine Union soldiers
who were killed while resisting the, at
tempted incursion to Washington by Gen.
reached by trolley, by way of Fourteenth
Street extended, Seventh Street extended,
or via the Soldiers Home Grounds.
The care of the cemetery is entrusted
TO p. B. Corwin, member of the. W. H.
Tarble Post, G. A. R., of McGrawville, N.
Y, and formerly captain in the Seventy
sixth New York Volunteer Infantry.
Superintendent Corwin takes much pride
in the wide expanse of velvet lawn and in
the magnificent NAPLES which shade it, and
the whole is kept in constant dress parade
order. He is extremely courteous and
ever ready to point out to visitors the va
rious points of interest about the grounds
During Mr.. Corwin's term as superinten-
dent nearly eleven hundred callers have
been entertained in the cozy office OF the
lodge with which the Government provides
him, and have entered their names in the
register which is kept for that purpose.
Listening to the interesting tales of the
superintendent, one feels a peculiar fasci-
nation to look back through the great
volume penned by the hundreds who have
come and gone, making each his mark in
the book of time Turning back its pages,
year by year, one is often startled by the
name of a friend, the memory OF whom is
fading away, even as the ink on the page.
And as one leafs back, back, over years
that have become misty, and listens 10 the
anecdotes of Captain Corwin 1t is the pres
ent which is obscure, and it takes no ef-
fort OF the imagination TO conjure To-
nance when one reaches the trembling
signature of "A. Stranger, from the North
"a story of one who was missing, per-
haps, on this very field when the guns had
ceased to boom, and who found it better
to remain missing-a stranger; and to
whom the simple cognomen "A. Strange"
seemed more fitting here at this place of
memories than did the Jones or Smith
of assumption. Still back and one comes
upon the names of "R. b. Hayes and
Lucy W. Hayes" just as greatly faded,
and never more vivid on this record OF
honor to the noble dead than those OF the
commoners who precede and follow them.
Now, as the rumbling OF the electric cars
passing reaches the ears simultaneously
with the stories of dashing caisson and
cannon, he is of little fancy who does not
involuntarily picture the scenes OF "a and
behold the columns of blue crashing
against unyielding, wavering, and hnally
breaking lines OF grey.
Those were days of the most intense ex-
citement in Washington; that thrill which
no man can feel until comes the dread of
an invasion of his home, the fear not for
self, but for ones beloved, was in the
blood, was coursing through the veins OF
every man and woman in the city. For
word had come that Gen. JubaI A. Early
was somewhere TO the north (none knew
Just where) and had In contemplation a |
dash on the Federal Capital. The citizens
were not panic-stricken, however, but per- |
fected the organizations which had existed |
among department clerks and others, has
tily assembled civilian volunteer compa-
nies. and. with a portion of the Veteran
Reserve Corps and a detachment of the t
Third Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Ar
my Corps, marched out the dusty pike and |
seconded the troops in the several forts |
north of the city, which force consisted, |
mostly Of convalescents. 4 hurry call was |
at the same time sent for re-enforcements. |
At dawn on the 18th of July, the advance
guard of the Confederates came within the |
defences of Washington. To their great |
surprise they beheld the flag of the yete- !
ran Sixth Corps, fiuttering on Fort Ste |
yens and not until 1t was too late did they |
learn that the flag was hoax, that they !
had arrived twelve hours ahead of the
main body of that formidable fighting /
force.
When Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton arriv
ed with the First Brigade and portion |
Of the Third, at p. m, on July II, mat
tiers had reached a point when further de- |
lay meant imminent peril TO the beleag- |
ured city AT o'clock the Federal picket !
line was driven back within Fort Stevens;
and then it was that the invading army /
made its nearest approach to the coveted |
goal.
General Wheaton, with three regiments, |
was ordered by Gen. Horatio G. Wright |
to retake the ground held in the I
afternoon, and, after several hours of |
the Confederates TO their main lines, |
and when darkness fell, having re-
ceiyed two additional regiments, he was |
strongly placed for distance of two miles |
across country, his lines extending |
from a point in front of Fort Slocum on /
the east, beyond Fort Stevens and we'll /
toward Fort Reno on the west. When taps |
sounded, though the enemy had been met /
and repulsed, there were grave misgiyings |
in Washington OF what the morrow would
bring forth. Skirmishing continued, with /
no material gain on either side, during the
night and until p. N. of July 12 when |
General Wheaton, with the First Brigade |
and three regiments of the Third, and as
sisted by the batteries in Fort Stevens,
dashed forward, surprising and hotly en-
gaging the enemy, who, however, were
found to be much stronger than had been
supposed. Then did these valiant troops
fight as they had never fought before.
for on parapet of the fort, exposed to the
fire of the enemy, stood their Commander
in Chief Abraham Lincoln. Others there
were of the nations dignitaries within the |
fort-Cabinet officers, members of Con-
gress, and prominent ladies-but all re-
mained In shelter but President Lincoln,
who could not be induced TO leave his posi-
tion until an officer had been shot down
while standing but few feet from him.
1t became necessary, If the charge were
to be successful, to have more troops
and the three remaining regiments of the
Third Brigade were sent to the front, and
by dint of hard fighting two small wooded
knolls, strategic strongholds, and the cb-
jective points of the sally, were attained.
Word was sent for two more regiments to