Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-11
TOLD OF CIVIL WAR
WORK OF THE DISTRICT OF CO.
LUMBIA VOLUNTEERS.
FortyFourth Anniversary Of Muster
in Of Local Troops Fittingly
Celebrated.

A
Forty four years ago yesterday the first
company of volunteers FOR the civil war
was mustered in. This was Capt Caring
toms company, consisting of about ninety
officers and men, known as Company A,
I'd Battalion, District Of Columbia volun-
teers. About twenty-five survivors of the
original District of Columbia Volunteers
met last evening. on the forty-fourth ami
versary Of the first muster, at ST. Josephs
Hail. corner 9th and H Streets northwest,
to listen to report on the progress made
toward securing bounty from Congress,
which is being sought by the Survivors
Association of the District Of Columbia Vol
unteers and to live over again the stirring
acts Of that period, just at the outbreak of
the war.
Many unwritten stories of the first muster
and first guard duty were related last even
ing, and the boys all of whom are now
at least sixty-two years old, became boys
again.
The officers of the Survivors Association
are: j. T. Ford, president; ]. P. Seibold,
first vice president; Darius Genau second
vice president; William H. Braund, record
ing secretary: James T. Parsons, financial
secretary, and L. Mundheim treasurer. The
association has about $50 members out of
the 500 survivors now living. AS stated by
the president, the aim of the association is
to lend aid and assistance to any comrades
in sickness or distress and to provide de-
cent burial for those that have covered their
span of life.
One Of the principal objects of the work
now is the securing of a bounty from Con-
gress of 500 to each Of the survivors, to re-
imburSe them at a time when enfeebled by
age and with family dependent on them,
they most need it, for the clothing, food,
etc, which they furnished at the outbreak
of the struggle, when they were at the beck
of the government. President Ford stated
that the work for this bounty had been
going on for three years. At first the at
torney employed by the association gave en-
couraging reports, but of late his ardor has
dampened and he has done nothing. An
other law firm has taken charge of the mat
ter, and they promise to do all in their
power to secure the proper enactment from
Congress.
Many of the survivors who are not
members of the association are lukewarm
when approached on the subject" said
President Ford When seen, they ask,
How is the bounty getting along? AS
soon you get the bounty will join
If they don't come to US in the heat of the
victory, and l believe the association will
keep out all such survivors"
History of the Volunteers.
In discussing the history of the volunteers
of the District of Columbia President Ford
said: 'Forty-four years ago the first troops
were mustered for the civil war by Irwin
Mcdowell, assistant adjutant general. Capt.
Carringtons company, Company A, I'd Bat
talon, District of Columbia Volunteers, and
a portion of the Washington Light Infantry
must be given the credit for being the first
company to be mustered in.
Comrades here will remember the state
of affairs that existed then in this city
the national capital One did not know
friend from foe. AS the stood in
the militia companies one did not know how
his comrades on his right and left stood on
the great question. How many refused to
take the oath at the crucial moment and
fought on the other side! No one knew
when the enemy We're coming across the
Potomac Arms of companies in the south
had been turned over to the confederacy.
In the north army officers were deserving
in large numbers. Out of the regular
troops sent here to guard the Inaugural ton
services of 1861 not 400 remained until
March 4. The men in the possession of
the government were largely confederates.
Buchanan, the President, while not an open
rebel, was such coward he dared do
nothing.
gurated $500 boys of the District of CO.
lumbia, with forty rounds of cartridges
each, and with orders to fire If trouble
broke out, marched down Pennsylvania
avenue as the chief executives escort. If
it hadn't been for them Lincoln would
never have been inaugurated; Z il had not
been for the District volunteers, the con-
federates would have crossed the Potomac
and captured Washington. How long, then,
would it have been before England would
have recognized the southern confederacy?
Our country would now be worse than the
South American republics. 1t was the
District volunteers that stood for their
country, their city and their homes, and
preserved them until help from the north
arrived.
Official records of the War Department
show the first call for troops issued for
the civil war and the first troops to be
mustered in under that call were the Dis
trict volunteers, aggregating 81 men,
First Commander.
Col. Charles P. Stone, who was put in
command of the regiment, thus speaks of
their work in an address to Congress after
the war: Il have commanded many troops
in my time, but none more willing and
anxious to do their whole duty as soldiers
than were the majority of the District of
Columbia volunteers Of April-July, 1861 I
know that they deserve well of this coun-
try. 1 firmly believe that they saved the
nation from the disgrace and calamity of
an abandonment of the capital by the con-
stituted authorities of the time"
Many interesting yarns" were snapped
by those present last night. One told of
standing guard duty at the White House,
particularly or the larQer tnere. In the
cellar were barrels of potatoes, and nearby
was a red hot furnace. Many potato
went from the barrels to the furnace to be
baked. And the President. Abraham Lin
coin, many times came down to eat one
of those baked potatoes.
Another told of the seizure of all the
-four in the Georgetown roller mills and its
transfer to the Capitol. And for more than
two years bread was supplied from a
United States bakery In the basement of
the Capitol.
William L. Phillips. new member of
the association, told how he was one of
the three pickets to- capture the first two
prisoners in the war, about mile out in
Virginia. There were cheers and praises
for Lincoln.
1t was announced last evening that the
forty-fourth anniversary of the muster of
the troops would be celebrated by the
Survivors Association, with an entertain
ment to be given In Masonic Temple, 9th
and F streets northwest, on Wednesday,
April 26. The committees of arrangements
is composed of r.. I. Hogan. William
French, w. A. OMara, l.. P. Seibold, A. l..