Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-23
lOOYEARSA NARMYPOST
RECORD OF THx
WAsHINoToN BARRAcKa
Laying Of the War College Corner
Stone Marks the Beginning
Of Great Work.


Saturday had significance that IL not gen
crafty known 70 the people OUTSIDE the
army. u was, In Q measure. the centennial
celebration Of the establishment OF the
Washington barracks. The sixty-nine acres
comprising tbs post became q military sta
ton for the United States army In 1903,
Just one hundred years ago. A depot TOR
supplies was erected and q detachment OF
troops was stationed there. In 1914 when
the British captured Washington the bar
backs. among other buiidings. were made
food for the 0anea, and when the govern
where their chief military post in this Dis
astrous visit OF the British soldiers they
found nothing but ashes to mark the spot
where their chief military post in this dis
trict had rested The work OF rebuilding
was begun Immediately and In addition. to
penitentiary on the reservation. This peni-
Tertiary held some historic prisoners dur
Ing the half century or more OF Its exist
ence.
At the close Of the civil war 1t was full
Of confederate soldiers and had also within
It's walls the conspirators arrested for COM
pIicity In the plot against President Lincoln
which ended in his assassination. Those
who were condemned to death were execut-
ed within the reservation. and their bodies,
together with that Of John Wilkes Booth,
were buried there. Later the bodies were
removed. The penitentiary stood near where
was laid. where the barracks building now
stands.
What the Post Comprises
The post at the Washington barracks at
present comprises the engineers school Of
application. the depot quartermaster's Office
and warehouse and the headquarters Of the
third battalion OF United States engineers.
For number Of years before the coming
Of the engineers the post was devoted ex-
clusively to artillery, battalion occupying
the spacious barrack buildings. The prin-
cipal ofncers' quarters were situated on the
peninsula where the war college Ii to be
built. The quarters for the commanding Of
hcer and some quarters Of the married Of
dcers were located nearer the headquarters
building. It was the custom in the old
days to make Washington barracks the
headquarters for regiment of artillery.
but to station only one battalion at the
post. This battalion usually consisted Of
two batteries of field artillery and two COM
panies Of what was then known as heavy
artillery. The last artillery detachment
Quartered at the barracks was Capron's bat
terry Of the LIST Artillery, commanded by
Capt Allyn X. Capron, the father Of Capt.
Allyn K Capron. Jr.. Of the Rough Riders.
Young Capt. Capron was the first officer
killed in the war with Spain, and his ia
ther died Of disease contracted while serv-
Ing with his battery during the Cuban cam
pa IN Iatt I nb rs,elv IN al
used during the Cuban campaign. The bat
terry moved out of Washington barracks
early in the summer Of 1893. and there has
not been an artillery detachment stationed
there regularly since.
When the artillery moved out the bar
racks became the camp Of instruction for
the signal CORPS and the volunteers for
this important branch of the service were
mobilized at the barracks just before their
active service in the field commenced. One
of the United States general hospitals Of
at the barracks, and after the signal corps
moved from there to the field the hospital
became the center OF activity. Sick and
convalescent soldiers from Cuba were sent
here to recuperate, and after the battles
the wounded were shipped here as quickly
as possible. The hospital was crowded for
many months after the war with soldiers
from every branch Of the service. Then
there temporarily, as well as portions OF
other regiments of-other branches OF the
service. Less than two years ago 1t was
decided to locate the school Of application
for the engineers at this place, and the Sd
Battalion of Engineers was moved here I'm
der the command Of Major William Black.
sioner of the District Of Columbia. Then it
was decided to build the Army War College
on the reservation. and the work Of the en-
gineer battalion in preparing the ground
for the college was commenced.
Long Cherished Desire.
The laying of the corner stone Of the
Army War College Saturday signalizes
the accomplishment Of q desire which
has long been uppermost In the minds
of the devoted band of men who have
the best interests Of the army OF the
United States at heart. The laying OF the
corner stone is but the beginning. but it
shows that the institution has ceased to be
q creature Of fancy, and has at last become
thing Of fact It will be at least two
years before the college building. the con-
structfon Of which was begun Saturday un-
SfOk~
open its doors for the enlightenment and
improvement Of the officers Of the army,
but the great fact remains that 1t Will be
open-that the Army War College is an
more progressive Of the officers OF the army
have been working quietly to obtain this
end. They have studied out the plans and
have reduced the scope Of the institution to
governing powers. The war college that
Will receive the young army officers two
years hence will not be the complete instts
tuition that was planned by those who first
ginning. and that is a great thing. they
think. In the course Of time the idea OF
the college will develop until 1t reaches the
stage that marked its ideal when the mat
ter was first thought OF, but 1t will not stop
there.
1t will continue to develop and grow. The
course OF study will be heightened and
broadened. the facilities provided for study
auQ Ie5SaTCu Will US SuidI8e0. IA the
course Of time the little group Of buildings
will grow into q great group Of buildings,
and the college will become a great ma
tional university with a curriculum which
will include every course Of study that can
possibly make opportunity for officers to
learn and simplify plans for national de-
Tense.
Aided by Secretary Root.
Secretary Root IL one Of tho most earnest
workers Tor the institution. and 1t Is due
to his efforts more than to those Of any
other civilian that The college today 10 an
established fact. The importance Of an in
stitution OF this kind cannot be overesti-
mated, according to the officers Of the aymy
who have from time to time had charge OF
the training Of young officers. and who
have observed Tie conduct of the officers In
the field.
The necessity cannot be more easily dem
onstrated than by glancing at the number
Of officers who have Joined the army since
the war with Spain. There have been 1878
lieutenants commissioned by the President.
OF this number but 276 are graduates of
West Point, or about 10 per cent; 618 have
been appointed from the volunteer army,
Ala have been promoted from the ranks and
512 have been appointed from civil life.
It will be seen. therefore. that technical
would be absolutely necessary for
So per cent Of these officers. and would be
extremely beneficial to the other Is per