The National tribune., 1900-09-27
FORT STEVENS.
Mrs. Lincoln Was Present During the Flight.
ing of July IL.

ing Oh July IL.
Comrade Lewis G.. White, Of 902 D ST
S. W., Washington, d. c., is collecting in.
formation relative to the battle of Fort
Stevens, July II and 12, 1864, and the
following letter from Comrade Hawk
gives an incident worthy of preservation
for all time, and one perhaps known tG
but few:
Lewis White:
81 will give you my rccollections OF the
battle of Fort Stevens, July IL and y
1861
Our regiment G02d Pa, with the rest
of the corps, the Sixth, We're encampcd tC
the left of Petersburg from the Sth to the
9Th of July. 1864. |, with two others of
my company, was detailed. We were on
picket duty from the morning of the 9th
went on picket and were on until O'Clock
in the morning of the 10th, when we were
relieved by detail of the Second Corps
and the pickets of the Eighth Corps start
ed FOR City Point, where we arrived III
the morning about 6 o'clock, and were
loaded an Il steamer q don't remember the
name of it, for Washington City. where
we arrived about / o'clock in the after.
noon, July II, and were marched out to
Fort Stevens: got there about O'Clock
i'll the evening. We had not been there
more than 30 minutes until an orderly
came riding into our line with an order
from Gen. Wheaton TO place n guard on
the road To keep the vehicles that were
coming out from the city from blockading
the road, so that the troops could use
it. The order was to allow no person to
pass beyond the guard unless he had Il
pass from Gen. Wheaton. | was placed
on guard (the first oncD, and had not been
there more than - or 20 minutes till
there was Il carriage and Il lot of persons
on horseback came up. | halted them
and told them my orders. I supposed they
were some of the city people come out to
see the fight The persons in the car
riagc were man and woman. | did
not know who they We're. The man in
the carriage pulled out a book and wrote
in it and tore Il leaf out and handed it Ia
one of the men on horseback, telling him
To give it to the guard. He rode mp and
gave it to me, and to my surprise 1t was
Il note from President Lincoln to Gen.
Wheaton requesting permission to pass to
The front. | called the Corporal of the
guard and gave il to him; he called one
Of the other guards and sent him with the
note to Gen. Wheaton. In short time
an orderly from Gen. Wheatons staff
came up with an order from the General
to allow the President and others to pass
the guard. Shortly after this happened
was relieved, and I went into Fort Ste
vcns and was watching the firing at the
enemy with the guns i'll the fort. Shortly
after | went in the fort the President and
others came back, dismoJnted and came
into the foIt. The President, Mrs. Lin
coin and others were watching the men at
the guns, when Il mimic bail came into the
fort and wounded DR.. Crawford i'll the
calf of the leg. DIR. Roberts, of our rcgi-
mcut, and the Surgeon of the both dressed
the leg Of DIR. Crawford. When they
stripped the wounded leg, and Mrs. Lin
coin saw the blood, she tainted, and DR..
Roberts had to leave DIR. Crawford and
attend to Mrs. Lincoln. After Mrs. Lin
coin revived President Lincoln made the
remark that she would not make very
good soldier if she would faint ut the
sight of blood.
This is about all that l can remember
at the present time about the battle of
Fort Stevens. but the above incident | re-
member distinctly, as | had to laugh at
the President about the funny face he
made when he made the remark about
Mrs. Lincoln fainting.-lsAAC \. HAWK,
Co. II, 1929 Pa, 302 Mihin ST., Butler,
Pm