Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-12


the skirmish line and charging column CT
the three regiments moved forward In good
order. The confederates being found much
stronger posted than was expected. the re-
manning three regiments of Bidwells bril-
gade-71th New York, 122d New York and
61st Pennsylvania. volunteers-were
brought from the reserve and placed on
the right of the three already engaged. The
battle was decisive. ending in our holding
the positions gained and no more hghting
occurred after 10 o'clock. In the report
General Wheaton says: General Wright
directed me not to attempt more tnan The
holding of the position l had gain ID, as
the object had been accomplished. and the
important points captured and held. This
whole attack was as gallant as IL wss sue
cessful. and the troops never evinced more
energy and determination. The losses were
severe. the brave Colonel Bidwell losing
many of his most valuable regimental COM
manders.' In this hattie my own regiment,
122d New York Volunteers, had seven men
killed and eighteen wounded. General
Wheaton. 81 his report. gives the losses of
the I'd Division lifty-nne killed and l45
wounded. total. 24.
The morning following Earlys defeat
General Halleck telegraphed General Grant:
The enemy fell back during the night.
From the most reliable estimates
we can get of the enemy's force. Ii numbers
23oo0 to 25.0O0. exclusive of cavalry. They
state that a part OF Hills corps Is coming
to reinforce them, and that without them
they would have captured Washington IL
the 9th Corps had not arrived
After what has been said ii can be safely
affirmed that the timely arrival of the 9th
Corps saved Washington from being cap
iured by Earlys command. What il he
had succeeded? The cause OF the Union
would have received a severe blow. to say
the least, and had the confederate flag
been hoisted yonder Capitol the indie
peBdence of the confederacy might have
been recognized by England and other for
eign powers What then?
On the evening of July II President Lin
coin stood a In Old Fort Stevens
by the side of Gen. Wright. commander OF
the 9th Corps. and watched the battle.
Twenty-Five years afterward the latter
rode out of the fort and identified the spot.
1t was there that a rebel bullet struck a
surgeon standing near them. and Gen.
Wright says that he then ordered" the
President to get down from his dangerous
position.
In the Presence of Lincoln.
AS soldiers of the I22d New York volun-
teers. are justly proud of this incident
in our soldier life. and there is a commend
able pride we always feel in saying that
from parapet In the old fort still In good
preservation. stood Abraham Lincoln and
witnessed the battle in which our regiment
engaged, and there should be placed a mon
ument to his memory.
We have thought this fact worthy of be-
ing cut out in granite. that II shall not
be lost to posterity and may be read by
thousands, many of whom will here learn
front face of our monument is this in
scription:
To the gallant sons
Onondaga County, New York.
Who fought on this field
July II. 1864.
in defense of Washington,
and in the presence
of Abraham Lincoln.
More than this. The Fort Stevens battle
W. the only battle fought In the District
of Columbia II the only battle wit
messed by President Lincoln during the war
of the rebellion.
Great indeed was Abraham Lincoln In all
his acts as Presdent-great as a statesman
and great as the commandments of our
army and navy-and no man in all history
stands I'm such respondent colors. save the
Saviour of mankind, as this good sad-faced
man: but never was he nobler or greater
than the day when he stood in old Fort
Stevens inviting the enemys bullets, ana
witnessed the battle which saved Washing
ton and perha ps-perhaps-s the Union.
To have been a soldier in the I'D New
York Volunteers. raised in response TO Mr.
Lincoln's call of July, 1854, for Do,VOo vol
unteers, is an honor, but to have served IN
the 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac. be
ginning at Antietam and participating IN
those terrible battles which followed, under
generals whose names are well known anu
close a three-years' service at Appomattox.
where the rebellion received Its mai de-
feat added new honors. Stil. to have pc
longed to an army corps which was special
ly selected by Gen. Grant to go to the de-
Tense of Washington and receive the credit
for saving the city from capture, then FOL
low Early in his retreat into the Shenan-
doah valley under the invincible and always
victorious Sheridan, are additional honorS
that we are proud to wear. and glad that
we had so creditable service in the war or
the rebellion.
This national cemetery, in which STANDS
our monument. was authorized by the war
Department Immediately after the batte,
when zone acre of ground embraced IN
the battlefield was purchased ana appTo-
prately named Battle Ground cemetery
the name and date of establishment. July
IL 1864 are on a United States bronze tab
let placed on the wall of the veranda OF the :
superintendent lodge.
The number killed in the Forst Stevens
fight were buried where they fell. but soon
therea fter nearly all were removed to TINS
spot by the government. and here lie forty
of the defenders of the nation S capltal.
five of whom were members OF the I'D
Regiment New York Volunteers. and that
number is one-eighth of all Twenty-three
of those brave boys belonged TO the 81
Brigade and six TO the list Brigade. Il DtVi-
sion, 9th Corps, and eleven 10 seven other
organizations.
| should be remiss to duty If did not. in
behalf of my comrades of the I'D Regi-
ment New York Volunteers. speak of tie
work done in the years past by the officers
and members of the Brightwood Citizens
Association, well as the men and GOOD
women and children residing IN TINS Sec
ton for centering an interest in this ma
tional cemetery, in keeping before the pub
lie the stirring events which took place
about here I'm July, 1864 recitlng the pa
triotism of the 9th Corps. and that 1t was
due to their timely arrival that General
Early failed to capture Washington. L note
also that the citizens of this locality have
done much to make the several past Me-
mortal days impressive and instructive.
md for all they have done they have the
sincere appreciation of the comrades for
whom | speak
Capt. Robt. H. Moses.
Capt Robert II. Moses, 122d Regiment.
New York Volunteers, enlisted as a pri-
vate was promoted to sergeant. then ma
Tor. and was serving as such at the battle
of Fort Stevens, July II, 1864. Later he
was promoted to adjutant and was bre-
yetted captain for meritorious conduct In
the Shenandoah valley campaign under
Gen. Sheridan.
Capt Moses was fortunate enough to be
in every battle and skirmish the regi-
ment engaged in during the three years
service, without receiving an injury suf-
fcient to take him from the field. His
record is that of faithful, splendid
colder and shows that he did good