Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-30

DS SenQlnS General JuDal early
with 10000 men upon his famous raid up the
Shenandoah, through Maryland and against
Washington. The defenses of the national
capital. thirteen miles in circumference had
at that time less than 5000 men to the
mile; not veterans, but in the main raw,
state militia, brave and dauntlesS, but in
experienced
Washington Threatened.
ION July Early defeated Gen. Lew Wal
lace al Monocacy and moved on northward
Wallace wired on the 10th: I have been
defeated; the enemy are not pressing me-
from which I infer they are marching on
Washington During the day Early ap-
pears at Rockville ten miles distant from
where we now stand. At that hour Fort
Stevens, just across the street yonder,
which Is to be the center Of the attack had
a garrison of 203 men. The soldiers have
torn down Aunt Beckeys house and con-
verted her cellar into an arsenal. and she
whose aged form is the center of attraction
here today is sitting at eventime under
yonder sycamore tree, then mere sapling
her baby in her arms, crying at the loss of
her home. AS she looks up a tall and I'M
known stranger stands by her side. 1t is
Abraham Lincoln. He fingers to say a
few kind and sympathetic words and moves
on to examine more infinitely the fortifica-
lions and the enlargement of the fort.
Meantime the veteran reserves, the Dis
trict volunteers and the quartermaster
employees have been called into service
Gen. McCook in his report says: I hazard
the remark that there never was before a
command so heterogeneous yet so ordered.
The hale and hearty soldier the invalid and
the convalescent, the wounded and the
quartermaster's employees. side by side
each working with singleness of purpose
and willing to discharge any duty imposed
upon them.
Early's Defeat.
'On the 18th Early appears at the brow
nf fhp Nd
dome of the Capitol. McCook wires to
headquarters: The enemy is advancing on
my front with cavalry. infantry and artil-
lery.' The signal officer wires: The enemy
Is within twenty rods of Fort Stevens
Early reports finding the fort 'feebly man
ned He prepares for the attack, but his
men are exhausted. He must give them a
they fell down when halted and instantly
dropped asleep even in the dust of the high
way under that burning July sun.
Meantime portion of the second di-
vision of the 9th Army Corps arrives and
Early loses his opportunity The confed-
crate skirmishers are driven back and the
two armies bivouac for the night. Early
prepares to attack with full force in the
morning. Unfortunately for him, the hours
that intervene enable Gen. Wright to land
the remainder of the second and the entire
third division of the 9th Army Corps These
combined forces, though less than 600 men
all told, prove too strong for Early's worn
and exhausted troops, and on the 10Th thew
triumphantly swept the plains, crossed yon-
der gullies and before morning Early had
retreated.
''Is 1t any wonder these brave bows in
blue fought like demons? On the parapet,
watching with anxious eyes the effect of
every shell and witnessing with intensest
anxiety the gallant charge, stands Abra-
ham Lincoln, the only President of the
United States whose person, during his
term of office. was ever exposed in battle
and no soldier Of any rank ever exhibited
greater bravery.
Burying the Dead.
GAS compared with other engagements of
that most sanguinary war; the battle of
Fort Stevens has never taken high rank.
Four hundred killed and wounded on the
Union side and five hundred confederates
did not count for much in those DAYS This
little plot of ground which contains the re-
mains of those only who We're killed here
has received scant recognition among ma
tional cemeteries. But one who was present
that day describes the burial scene as fol-
lows:
We gathered our dead comrades from
the field where they had fallen and gave
them the rude burial of a soldier on the
common near Fort Stevens. No officer of
state, no lady Of wealth, no citizen of
Washington was there, but we laid them in
their graves, within sight of the Capitol
without collins, and with only their gory
garments and their blankets around them.
With the rude tenderness of a soldier we
covered them In the earth and marked their
names with our pencils on the little head
boards of pine and turned sadly to other
scenes
THE Importance of this engagement is
not easily overestimated Other battles
could have been lost and the final result of
the war remain unchanged Perhaps not
so with the battle of Fort Stevens With
the national capital in the hands of the
enemy 1t would have been impossible to
prophesy the probable foreign complica-
lions, to say nothing of the demoraliZa-
ton of the people of the United States
And 1t must be borne in mind that the
result turned on several events which
now seem to us providentiaL General
Wallace was defeated on the 9th, but he de-
layed the confederate army twenty-four
hours Fry was unable to successfully re-
sist at Rockville. but he entertained Early
for nearly two hours. and who shall say
that on the 18th of July, 1864, those two
hours did not hold the destiny Of the ma
tional capital, If not the nation itself?"
The program also included addresses by
Representative Lucius N. Littauer and
Senator Proctor. songs by the children of
Brookland Public School, a song and sa-
Lutte to the flag by the children of the
Brightwood and Takoma public schools
and a benediction pronounced by Rev. ].
T. OBrien of st. Anthony's Catholic
Church. Brookland.
The school children decorated the graves,
accompanied by the veterans and many Of
the audience, and during the performance
of a dirge by the Soldiers Home Band. A
selection :'Einsam Wandle Ich," by the
band, and the sounding of TAPS over the
graves brought the exercises to a close.
Roll of the Dead.
A roster of the veterans who lost their
CONTINUED on Fourteenth Page.)