Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
GOOD WORK RECALLED
General 0sterhaus to Visit
His Old Comrades.
GERMANS AID TO UNION
WHAT THEY Did IN CIVIL STRIFE
OF THE SIXTIES.
Proposed Visit Of Former Officer Look
ed Forward to With Pleasure
by Partners in Arms.
GERMANS AID TO UNION

|
Maj. Gen. Peter Joseph Osterhaus of
Bonn. Germany, win arrive in Washington
April %. During his stay in this city he
will be entertained by his brother officers
of civil war fame. The most notable Of
these entertainments will probably be that
OF the Whip-poor- Wills which will talse
place at Rauscher's Friday evening, April
%. The arrival of Gen. Osterhaus revives
interest in the German soldiery In the
civil war.
Probably next in Importance to the Puri-
tan immigration into New England was
that wonderful immigration Of tens of
thousands Of enthusiastic, idealistic, edu-
Gated young Germans who sought O home
and refuge in the United States after the
collapse of the so-called revolution of 1S48.
This brought to the United States a Sc
lected class of immigrants of the highest
character, brimfull of energy and trained
ability in many directions. OF which the
country stood in urgent need. That move
ment In 1S4S for united German father
land was premature. 1t gathered into Its
ranks and formed its armies from patriotic
young Germans, a large proportion or
whom were skilled mechanics, merchants
and professional men. Nearly all of
these were trained soldiers, as they had
had to serve their turn In the army OF
their countries, as well as having had ex-
perience in the revolutionary armies In
actual warfare. They brought to the
United States thorough knowledge OF all
the German industries, and were welcomed
by the manufacturers. They introduced
many arts of their own which had not been
previously practiced In this country. Among
other things, many of them were skilled
vine growers and gardeners, and they were
able to teach great deal OF ValuaDie
knowledge in intensive cultivation
DIV hap
great assistance in drilling and organizing
raw material into regiments. Ihey were
opposed to slavery and threw themselves
into the war for the preservation OF inc
Union and the abolition of slavery with
the same ardor they had displayed for their
ideal of a united Germany. They were
particularly strong In ST. Louis, Where
they almost revolutionized the society OF
what was at that time an essentially south
ern city. St. Louis had developed from a
frontier trading post and Indian agency
into a great mart for sugar ana cotton
and planters supplies received from IN, me
north in exchange for these goods Inc
irr,,ntfou of the Germans into the city
started ii upon its development as man
ufacturing center, and brought: pesiues'
world of music, art ana phliosopny "
stimulate and enflcn Inc A'eiiee'uo'
circles.
The soldierly qualities of these Germans
were soon In demand The scheme of the
secessionists who filled all the offices In
Missouri was said to have been to follow
the mode of procedure adopted by the other
southern states. and get possession OF lne
Irn;ted States arsenals and other property
of the state. o.t,o,,,. -
w rich prize as 1t contained iooOoV OF sns
80 o0O stands of arms stored IN the Uniteo
States arsenals, and the possession OF these
would have armed and equipped the MIS-
souri, troops, SO that reslsaahis =, uuas . be-
tieved that the United States omcerS IA
charge would be as complacent as tneIr
fellows had been in other southern states,
and when the formaitles nau t nee eui XIV
turn over their charge to the state autnofi-
ties. 4, r,o,,
nv the assignment to Jefferson Barracks
Of Cant. Nathaniel Lyon with his company
of the I'd United States Infantry The only
obstacle there had been SO far was the
strenuous opposition of Frank +. Blalr, " =
the leader of the Union men OF missouri
AS a rule these Union men were SO m
f1uenced by state pride and the supremacy
of States Rights that they were haroIy
to be relied upon at that stage OF tne coi,-
troyersy when the secesSlonlstS were al
ready in deadly earnest.
The young Germans, however were much
more responsible They We're devoted TO
ar ideal which was sro no s,perstitions
about Estates Rights" The leaders among
these were Franz Sigel, who had been the
minister of war of the Baden Baden revo-
II1tionists and Peter Joseph Osterhaus'
1vbo had been lieutenant in the Prussian
army but who had resigned his commis-
sion to Join in the struggle tor Germa1
unity.
Determined to Hold Arsenal.
Cant. Lyon was an ardent Unionist, and a
jealous abolitionist, and moreover had ag-
gressiveness equal If not superior to that
of the hottest fire eater" He at once
determined that the arsenal should not be
given up, and in this came into hearty ac-
cord with Frank Blair, who brought the
Germans to his assistance The Germans
were gotten together, drilled secretly In
foundries and old warehouses with closed
and darkened windows. They dared not go
to their rendezvous except singiy. Iney
had no arms. while the regular organized
militia companies of the city. which were
fully armed, were under the control OF
young '.fire-eating' secessionists, who were
eager at any time for a collision under any
pretext. to destroy the spirit of the Union
men, and assert the power of secession.
In the meanwhile Lyon was struggling to
get things in shape at the arsenal SO that
he could avail himself of the help OF the
Germans and issue arms to them. His SUI
perior officers were all more or less inclined
toward secession. and strongly averse to
his doing anything to protect hte arsenal.
At last. however, he got things into shape.
While the secessionists were in camp on
height overlooking the arsenal and waiting
the time when they could depend upon it,
Lyon and Blair one night had the Ger
mans come In one at a time on passes FUR
nished them. Then they were formed into
regiments and arms distributed to them SO
that the arsenal was made secure. Sigel
was elected colonel of one of the regiments
Blair of one and Osterhaus major in one.
With this force, and q few regulars, Gen.
Lyon marched out. surrounded Camp jack
son. where the secessionists were. and COM
PEELED them to surrender.
Prominent Figure in War.
From this time on Gen. Osterhaus was q