Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-22
District Troops In 81.

To the Editor OF Inc star:
From reading of the Opening of the
Civil War" published in Mondays Star. one
is led to believe that the saving of the ma
tional capital in the early days of u was
due to the services rendered by the Gas
sius NJ Clay Battalion and the Frontier
Guards of Senator James II. Lane. I see
no mention In that article of the work per-
formed by the loyal boys of the District of
Columbia. They were ready for duty long
before the Inauguration of President Lin
coin. l don't wish to detract one iota Of
praise from any who came to the pro-
lection of the capital during those terrible
days.
In the interview with your reporter Mr. c.
NJ. Keyes says: II witnessed the outgoing
of President Buchanan and the incoming of
President Lincoln" If he witnessed that
line of soldiers guarding the two Presidents
down the avenue to the Capitol he saw over
2,000 of the loyal boys of the District of
Columbia. with loaded muskets and forty
rounds on hips. We had orders to fire
at the first attempt on the life of the Presi-
dent, and We would have done it. From the
November election we feared there would be
trouble. We met almost nightly in our ar
mories for drill and to prepare ourselves for
any trouble that might come. To show the
proper authorities that these We're a body
of loyal men they could depend on. we pa
raded the avenue on Washingtons birthday
guration approached many Of us slept in
our armories ready to respond to any call
In case of any trouble during the daytime
we were to leave places of business or
workshops on the first alarm and make for
the enemy On the 9th day of April 81
when President Lincoln made the first call
for troops. through Secretary of War Cam
eron (see Rebellion Records series | VOL
ume 81, part y. for ten companies of the
uniformed militia of the District of Column
bia TO report. the next morning inward of
800 responded, few being southern sympa-
thizers who refused to take the oath of al
legiance. BY the evening of the 11th Of
April 6lo were sworn In the United States
service tsee Rebellion Records, series l, vol
ume 81, part l. pages 321 to 324).
There We're other calls previous TO the
18th for more companies to report so by
the time of the call for 1900 men the
District had over 2,Goo troops already In
the service When the 9th Massachusetts
Regiment was fired on in Baltimore on the
10Th of April, some of the companies were
ordered UP the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
as far as Annapolis Junction, to hold the
road 80 the troops from the north could
rived they found the District troops under
the command OF Col. Chas p Stone an
officer of the United States army on guard
everywhere = on the bridges. ON the
wharyes on all the roads leading IN To the
city. / viii say here that while 1 took an
active part In the defense OF the capital
at that time I never heard nor met any of
the CLAY Battalion or Frontier Guards
The city was as well protected and de-
Tended as could be expected from the number
OF men In service The 18th OF April the
time Mr.. Keyes says that these batanions
were raised for the protection OF the can't
tai, we had over $500 men doing duty for
Uncle Sam
II Mr.. Keyes will send me his address l
will take great pleasure in sending him a
copy of Col Chas. p. Stones letter to Con-
gress on the work performed by the TROOPS
OF the District OF Columbia bofore the cali
for the 70.000 men. and after the beginning
OF the war. He win md there who were the
ones that held this city safe.
Tho drst troops sworn in the service OF
the United States In the civil war took