Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-30

cemetery and. In conversation with the SUI
perintendent, Mr.. 2. b. Corwin, gave an
interesting description of the fight at that
point. He a private in the 142d Penn
sylvania Infantry Volunteers and was adj
vancing along tie pike when he was struck
by mimic ball, the wound resulting in tic
loss of his arm. Mr.. Strain was of
three brothers, triplets, all Of whom served
In Pennsylvania regiments and came out
of the service alive This is the only case
recorded in which triplets served as soldiers
on either side during the civil war, and n
entry of the unusual case has been made on
the registry book at the cemetery.
An interesting incident of Memorial day
on the Fort Stevens battle ground was the
simple decoration of the solitary grave of
ar unknown confederate soldier on the Blair
Lee property. This property was occupied
by Gen. Eary's men before and during the
fight. The skeleton was unearthed years
after the by a party of wokmen while
digging a trench and was identified as that
of a southern soldier. 1t is said he was
Georgian who stopped at a spring to get
drink of water while the confederates were
retreating after the battle and was shot by
the advancing soldiers of the 9th Corps.
The remains of the unknown soldier in gray
were buried upon the spot where he fell
and a small marble headstoDe marks his
last resting place.
Elizabeth Thomas, a venerable colored
woman. better known as Aunt Betty oc-
cupied modest frame house on the Fort
Stevens site, just in the rear of the earth
works, during the fight. She still lives
there In a pretty cottage which was provid-
ed for her by the government in lieu of
her old home which was torn down to make
room for the enlargement of the fort.
When seen several days ago she was still
hale and hearty.
II have been living here where this fort
is 7 was wears Old and |
now sixty-nine,' she said. DO l remem-
Der the battle? Why sir, l will never for
get it. Those were awful days. Just be-
fore the fight when we heard that Gen
Early was at Rockville some white folks
told me they had read in the newspapers
that Gen. Stonewau Jackson had declared
he would eat his dinner in the White House
or he would eat it in the bad place. TRen
| knew there was going to be trouble. The
soldiers tore my house down and l had to
find shelter in stable. l was crying with
my six-months-old child in my arms W hen
a tall man dressed in black came out from
the city. He tried to comfort me and said,
1t is hard. but you shall reap great re"
ward That tall man was President Lin
coin.
Soon after that an officer came prancing
along and said All you people must get
out of here: we are going to form a line
of battle This was back of the fort. Then
the artillery came with their fine guns and
some sailors. The next thing knew the
rebel cannon balls came bowling over our
heads, and women and children We're run
ming in all directions l went to my home
In the stable and that day the rebel bull
lets battered against it like hail. I saw
President Lincoln standing on the fort A
bullet hit a doctor Sturgeon Crawford, u"
S. Al who was standing beside him on the
foot and he fell. Then a general made Mr..
Lincoln get down behind the fort. but
he was very tall and kept peeping over the
top at the woods from which the rebels
We're firing. lot of sick men (convalesc-
1tSl thn "a npoi on ~
took charge of the cannon on the Portland
the way they shot at Gen. Eariys men was
something awful Presently the rebels
stopped firing their guns and then the Union
soldiers all yelled. The guns on the fort
set fire to many houses In front of them.
The Union ambulances were in the bottom
back of the fort. and soon after the 9th
Corps charged down the slope they com
menced bringing in the wounded. The first
man brought in was a Union cavalryman.
He was badly shot and they took him back
to the ambulances."
Boys and girls residing in the vicinity of
the crumbling fort still do a lucrative bust
ness digging from the ramparts confed-
crate bullets and selling them to visitors.
At the entrance of the Battle Ground ceme-
terry are two old-style cannon balls which
were fired from the guns of Fort Stevens
at the advancing masses of men in gray.
and We're found in the woods near the Dis
trict line.
There are still a few old-timers residing
near the battlefield who delight to tell the
story of how Gen. Jubal Early and his tat
tered troops Numbered al the doors of
Washington those bright and memOra-
BILE July days, and how his veterans were
driven back by the gallant men of the old
9Th Corps and the other defenders of Fort
Stevens and the capital. Mr.. George Hobbs
is one of these. He said the first attack
was made by the cOnfederates on the Union
picket line at IL 10 o'clock on the morning
OF July IL. He had just returned from his