The Washington times., 1902-10-06
Scenes Of the Battlefield
Where the Confederate
ArnnY ATTEMPTED to En-
Ter the Cify-flet BY the
Federal TrOOps-presi-
dent Lincoln a Spectator
During the Exchange Of
ShOtOnd ShsiI-The Part
Of the District Militia in
RepuIsing The Enemy.
Under Their First Fire.

| Sbt>tN>t bt\(4 ~ ~ W ~
tinguished itself perhaps beyond what
1t is given credit in the records thus
far forming the history of this battle.
In the evening on the 11th the Con-
federate pickets made their appearance
again in force in front OF Fort Stevens.
pressing the hard-worked Union pickets
hack. At o'clock Gen. Wheaton
marched outside the fort and trenches,
deploying his whole brigade and re-
| lieviDg our pickets. He drove the
enemy back 500 yards from the fort.
The night set in under these circum-
stances, the Confederate pickets seek
ing Judgement in the various houses,
barns, shops. clumps of forest trees. etc.
Headquarters of Confederate Generals.
Generals Early and Breckenridge oc.
cupied the old Francis p. Blair house,
and some of the other Confederate gen~
erals the James Blair house. The fors
mer house was the general headquarters
of the Confederates, and it was here that !
they held high reyel on the nights of the
10th and 11th. They cleared the cellars !
of the houses. of all OF the wines, liq<t
uors, preserves, etc., and dispatched
them as only those skilled in the art
could dispose OF them. They also
turned things topsy turvy In the old
Blair mansion, and ransacked and scat.
tered all papers that could be found.
| At dawn on the morning of Tuesday,
could be seen from the parapet Of Fort
Stevens, and the enemys pickets and
sharpshooters opened fire from all Of
| the houses in front of Fort Stevens,
where they seemed to be massed. Fort
Stevens opened early on the enemy, di-
recting the first shots at Carbery's house,
1,07S yards distant. then at the Rives
house. Fort Slocum opened with she'll,
also directing its fire to the houses and
other buildings and places affording
lodgment and shield to the sharpshoot-
ers and pickets of the enemy. POST
master General Blair's and number OF
other houses were burned in these ac-
tions. Skirmishing was kept up all Of
the forenoon of Tuesday by the advance
of the Sixth Corps of veterans.
General Wright in Command.
At noon on July ~ General Grant gave
orders. through General Halleck, assign
| ing Major General Wright to supreme
command of all troops moving out
against the enemy, ami gave instructions
that he should get outside the trenches
with all of the force he possibly could
and push Early to the last moment. Atl
this time the entire Sixth Corps had
reached Washington and two divisions
Of the Nineteenth Corps came in next
day. While the enemy were we'll sup-i
piled with cannon, not single shot waA
fred at the forts or upon our pickett
lines. Several attempts were made tor
plant batteries, but they were aban-
doned But one casualty occurred in the
fort. a surgeon being slightly wounded
in Fort Stevens. 1t should not be neg
lected to be mentioned that Fort Ds
Russy rendered very efficient service
throughout those engagements, over 100
shots being fired therefrom.
At 8 o'clock in the evening of July II
General Wright ordered General Wheat-l
on to move against the Confederate
skirmish line and drive 1t back. and this
he did by a most brilliant movement.
The forts opened fire, and as had BEEN
previously arranged, after the thirty,
sixth shot from Fort Stevens had beeni
fired, a signal was made from the
parapet of that work and the commander
of the skirmish line and three assault
ing regiments dashed forward, surpris-
ing and hotly engaging the enemy, and
drove them until dark. The whole at
tack was gallant and successful. the lastI
shot being fired about 10 o'clock. Tbs
balance of the night was occupied in
burrying the dead and caring for the
wounded.
President Lincoln on the Scene.
Manwhile President Lincoln visited,
Fort Stevens, under an escort of cav
airy and stood for while on the para
pet witnessing the fight At the en-
treaty of General Wright he stepped
down and took position behind the para
pet, afterward moving off toward the
west. along the line OF forts.
During the night of the 18th Early
hurriedly left. moving toward the fords
OF the Potomac. abandoning his wound
ed in the hospital tents and under
clumps of trees. General Vincent tells
of finding many Confederate wounded on
the 18th in a most pitiable condition. all
of whom were cared for as best they
could be.
Early could not have made an as
sault upon the forts OF Washington be-
fore the late evening of the 1lth or the
morning OF the 18th. and then 1t was too
late. The 'Old Sixth Corps was here,
besides other efficient soldiery.
There is n hill NOW before Congress- to