Evening star., 1901-06-27

washington that he did not follow up Wal
Iace, put marched at once on the capital.
On July 10 he appeared at Rockville ten
miles from Fort Stevens where Mai. Fry
2t Lowells cavalry. briskly engaged him
Tor an hour and a half but when Early
brought his artillery to bear reiterated to
"thin a couple OF miles Of Tenleytown."
The Peril of the Capital.
1t Is said that there We're grave reasons
TO believe that the national capital stripped
oy General Grant of Its disciplined artll-
Iery, would be captured by the confederate
veterans, melted by the prize and inspired
by the audacity OF the undertaking.
AS we look back at the actual condition
OF affairs in Washington in 1854" con-
tinues Mr. Cox we find that there were
barely enough artillerymen for a single
feliet OF gunners. There was only one
NTH enough infantry available to man
the parapets and a small brigade of cav
AIRY, mostly unmounted. on July 10 1854,
Fcrt Stevens was garrisoued by Company
X, 10th Ohio National Guard, comman anded
by Captain Stafford: a portion of the 18th
Michigan Battery. commanded by Captain
Dupont, and conyalesceuts from various
branches of the service, commanded by
Lieutenant Turner, and numbering in all
2o9 men. General {. c. Augur was In COM
rnand of the Department OF Washington
while General A. Med. McCook was in
command of the troops and fortiacatiens.
The latter on July IL and II had his head
at MOOreianG Tavern, where the
Brightwood Hotel stands. The swiftness
of Early's approach gave little time for
preparation. The Veteran Reserves and
the District Volunteers were called out
and all available sailors and marines We're
placed under command Of Admiral Colds
borough. while all the men that could be
spared We're drawn from the forts south Of
the Potomac. General VI. C. Meigs called
out the quartermaster employees and estab-
lished his headquarters at Fort Slocum. the
first fort east of Stevens. During the night
of July 1o the I'd Regiment, District Nol-
unteers: the 9Th Regiment Veteran Re-
serves. and Captain Gibbs and Captain
Bradley's batteries reported to General
McCook.
when General Grant realized the grav-
ity OF the situation. and that Hunter could
render no assistance. he at first thought Of
returning from Petersburg To Washington
to take command in person. On reelection.
however, he decided to send back the 9TH
Corps. commanded by General Horatio u.
Wright. AN excellent officer as he says"
The 25th New York Cavalry the head
quarters guard of General Grant. which
left Citypoint, Va, July Z. appears to have
been the first regiment to reach Wash
ington from the James, and Ii went into
camp about midnight Of the 10th OF July
near Fort Stevens. The same day the LIST
and % Divisions of the 9th Corps left city
point for Washington. A few hours later
General w. H. Emory. with a part Of the
18th Corps, just returning from New Or
leans to join General Grant, left Fortress
Monroe for Washington without disem-
barking from his ocean transports.
Gen. Early's Attack.
General Early left his camp near Rock
vile on the morning of July IL and moved
along the Georgetown and 7th street pixies.
About IL O'Clock the signal officer at Fort
| Reno observed clouds Of dust and army
wagons moving on the 7th street pike, and
General McCook was informed. About the
same time he received a message from Cap
a hAf
enemy, with artillery, cavalry and infantry,
was moving in the direction Of Silver
Spring. General MeCook ordered the picket
line, composed of the 1Jth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, the 25th New York Cavalry. dis
| mounted cavalry under Maj. G. G. BRIGGS.
7th Michigan Cavalry and the Veteran Re
serves, to contest the ground and to retire
slowly on approach Of the enemy until
within range of the guns of Forts Stevens,
Slocum and De RuSsy.
Shortly after noon. riding in advance
with RodeS, whose division. consisting of
Given's and Coxs North Carolinians.
Crooks Georgians and Battles Alabam-
iaus, was in the van. General Early came,
as he says. in full view of Fort Stevens.
and found Ii feebly manned. as had been
reported to him. Smith Of Imbodens cav
airy, Gen. Early says. drove small body
of Union cavalry before him into the works
| and dismounting his men deployed them as
skirmishers.
Early ordered Rodes to bring his veteran
division into line and move upon the works
mand could be executed the confederates
| saw strong lines of disciplined troops move
from behind the works and deploy a
skirmish line. part OF the 9th Corps had
arrived
During the afternoon of July ii Gen.
Early sought without success to find a
weak spot in the Union line. Firing. at
times brisk and at other times desultory,
continued throughout the night. On July
II at daybreak the confederates upon ex-
animation of the Union works. saw them
lined with troops and abandoned the at
tack on Washington. Fighting by skirmish-
ers continued during the day.
Confederates Driven Back.
About 5 O'Clock pm Gen. Wright ordered
Gen. Wheaton to drive back the confed-
crate skirmish line and occupy the wooded
heights controlled by the men in gray. The
execution OF this order required five hours
of fighting. Gen. Wheaton in his report OF
the engagement saying that the last shot
was fired at 10 O'Clock. The remainder or
the night, says Mr.. Cox, in quoting Gen.
Wheaton was occupied in strengthening
the position. burying the dead, caring for
the wounded and relieving the skirmish
line which had been two days constantly
In front and under fire.
AT one time during the progress Of the
battle" writes Mr.. Cox. ION the parapet OF
Fort Stevens. by the side of Gen. Wright.
amid the whizZing bullets stood Abraham
Lincoln That old parapet stands today.
About four years ago it was identified by
Gen. Wright.
The loss IN killed and wounded, as given
by federal authorities quoted by Mr.. Cox.
was, on the Union side. 3I3. and on the
confederate side about 500. Gen. Early is
reported to have said that the strength or
the infantry commanded by him before
Washington was 10000 men.
Legislation Initiated.
The paper Of MIR. Cox is concluded by
reproduction from The Evening Star OF a
report of a meeting of the executive COM
mittee OF the Fort Stevens-Lincoln National
Park Association, at which IL was decided
that a committee should wait upon MEM
bers of the Senate and request that a bill
for acquiring the Fort Stevens battlefield
for a national park be introduced in Con-
gress. This bill was subsequently introduc-
ed and referred to the military AFFAIRS COM
mittee.
RIOTING At ROCHESTER.
Il