The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-15

Patriotic exercises were held at Fort
Stevens yesterday in oommemoration of
Flag Day. Addresses were made by Com
missioner mcfarland. Or. C. V. Pettys,
President of the Sixth Corps Survivors
Association. and by Prof. W. E. Nally,
principal of the Brightwood Public School.
REGULATIONS were delivered by pupils of
the Brightwood school and patriotic an
thems were sung by the school children
and the audience. The band of the Sol
diers' Home provided the music for the
occasion.
Bunting of the national colors decorated
the stand from which the exercises were
held. A huge national flag was wound
about the tree under which President Lin
coin is supposed to have stood in July,
1864, during the battle in which the Fed
eral troops repulsed the assault of Gen.
Jubal Early upon the National Capital.
The blue flag with the white Greek cross,
bearing the figure 6, the colors of the
Sixth Army Corps, who. at SO timely a
moment. marched into Washington in de-
fence of the city, was prominently dis
played on the field of their triumph.
Among those present were Secretary
Hay, Gen. Thomas n. Vincent, Col. S.
Z. Chamberlain. and others. Secretary Hay
was the private secretary of President
Lincoln during the civil war and was pres
ent with him at the battle of Fort Stew
mand of the Twenty-ffth Regiment New
York Volunteers. which participated in the
battle.
The ceremonies were under the charge
Of W. Y. Cox. The exercises began with
the appearance of the children of the
Bfightwood Public School, who marched
to the ground and took their position en-
circling the flagstaff. Mr. Cox then in
troduced the principal of the school, Prof.
W. E. Nally, who made a few remarks on
the early history of the flag. He spoke
Of the first movement by the Boston school
children, ten years ago, to observe Flag
Day with fitting ceremonies.
DIR. Pettys' Address.
The next speaker was DR.. C. V. Pettys,
President Of the Sixth Corps Survivors
Association. who said:
''Thirty-five years have come and gone;
people have gone, and others have passed
along and beside Fort Stevens without
even the knowledge of its glorious history.
Today flagstaff has been raised, and from
it Old Glory will fly. raised by the daugh-
tiers Of our gallant general H. G. Wright,
who stood upon these parapets thirty-five
years ago with the martyred Lincoln, and
saw his gallant veterans of the old Sixth
Corps go to victory and save this Capital.
What an honor to have belonged to such
an organization, and that out OF forty reg
iments thirty-two are classed with the
fighting regiments II has been stated
that at Antietam, If Our corps had been
ordered in with its customary impetuosity
and determination at the time Jackson
made his attack, there would have been
different story told that day.
Colonel Fox, in his regimental losses,
gays The history of the Sixth Corps, more
than any other, is replete with fascinating
interest; its record is invested with more
of the romance and briiiiancy of war than |
any other. There was the successful as |
sault on Marye's Heights, the brilliant dash |
into the rife pits at Rappahannock station, |
the deadly hand to-hand fighting in the |
gloomy thickets of Spottsylvania; the |
breathless interest which attaches to that |
lone fight at Fort Stevens, when, under the |
eye of the President, they saved the Ma /
tional Capital from the hands of the in |
vaders; the victories in the valley. with |
the dramatic incident at Cedar Creek, and |
the browning success at the storming of |
Petersburg. Over Ill of these the Greek |
cross waved proudly on the banners of the |
corps. while its veteran legion wrought |
deeds which linked that badge with an un-
fading glory and renown.
Let US now speak of an event which 1
took place thirty-five years ago last July, I
and Of the part this corps took in saving |
the Capital. The Fighting Sixth as il was |
then called, marched out Seventh Street 10
this old fort. The roads then were dust, |
while now they are laid off in Streets
with electric cars running out beyond
Silver Springs and branching off to Ia
koma Park and other beautiful suburban
villas. What change in these few years,
II the old boys could now come back they
would not recognize or know the old fields
over which they SO CALAMITY contended
against Early's rebel veterans, and hurled
them back and saved the Capital of this,
the greatest nation on earth.
The Fight mt Fort stevens.
THE Third division Of the old corps
under General Ricketts,, the bravest of
the brave, had preceded the other two
divisions and met Early at Monocacy,
Nd, on the 9th day of July, 1864. when
Sch. &c" NaAidIe looh tolninanu, ana !
after holly contested fight, lasting from
s O'Clock until o'clock p. m, of that day. |
delayed the progress OF the Confederate
leader for two days, and which, heading
oil Early at that point, permitted such |
results as followed, when on the after
noon Of the l1th, he appeared before Fort
Stevens. President Lincoln, having been
informed of the failure of General Wal
lace to further hold his own with an in I
ferior force against Early's powerful
army, and knowing that Early was then
in sight of the city, proceeded at once
to Fort Stevens TO do what he could by ,
his presence to inspire the confidence and
courage which the raw troops SO much |
needed for such trying ordeal, and to-
day we are on the very spot where Lin
coin stood and saw his veteran troops
20 out to meet the foe, and / earnestly )
pray that some measure be taken at an |
early day to the end that II may be pre-
served, by making il a national memorial
park
Upon the arrival of the old Greek |
cross they espied the tall form of the
President walking and aDxiously waiting ,
for their arrival and at the recognition, ,
cheer after cheer rent the air. and they :
were not only ready TO fight as they never
had before, but TO die IL need be, with
the President spectator of their gallant d,
work, and no doubt Lincolns presence
with the wild cheers that greeted him
and the ears of the Confederate chieftain
caused stimulus to them to hasten their !
advance, for they felt confident that there L
was something 10 cause such an out 1
break of enthusiasm. But they wern TIM | '