Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-31
FOR SAVING FORT STEVENS
WORK OF LOCAL ASSOCIATION
OUTLINED.
Paper Read by Mr.. W. v. Cox at Bat
tleground Ceremonies Yester-
day Afternoon.

feature of the ceremonies yesterday
afternoon at battle-ground cemetery was
the reading of a paper on the work of the
Fort Stevens Association for the preserva-
ton of one of the most important links
during the civil war in the defense of Wash
ington.
Mr.. Cox said his attention was first at
tracted to Fort Stevens and the little ceme-
terry by a pathetic story told by Mary
Clemmer Ames, and it was repeated, as
follows:
Miles out It'll street, beyond Fort Ste
Vens, there is little cemetery where forty
soldiers lie alone, who fell In defense of
Washington. One of these was a poor
widows son. She had three, and this was
the last she gave to the country. She
poor widow, living in northern Vermont.
has never even seen the graves OF her
three soldier sons whom she gave up one
by one, as they came to- man estate and
who went forth from her love to return to
1t no more
ITO this little graveyard on 7th street
one woman went alone with her children,
carrying forty wreaths of Mays loveiiest
flowers, and laid one on every grave. Forty
mothers slept under the green turf,
and one mother. in her large love. remem-
bered and consecrated them all. She chose
these because with more than 10000 others
in the large cemeteries to be decorated
she feared the forty in their isolation might
be forgotten.
NO others followed her. and this mother,
alone with her children scattering flowers
in the silence of love upon those unre-
membered graves, some way wears a halo
which does not shine about the multitude"
Effort to Save the Fort.
"Since the day 1 read that touching story
1t has been my earnest effort to do what
l could to encourage these exercises and
to save from destruction old Fort Stevens,
in front of which these soldiers fell.
MY first endeavor was to have the fort
included in boulevard from fort to fort
around Washington that Engineer Commits
sioner Powell favorably reported on. My
second was through the Fort Stevens-Lin-
coin Military Park Association.
This association was organized on March
%, 1900, and Cen Thomas n. Vincent was
\chosen chairman, and Major A S. Perham
secretary.
The first action taken by 1t was to have
exercises held at this cemetery on Memo
rial day. In this the association had the
active support of the G. A. r. and the
Brightwood Citizens Association. the his
torical committee and the president of the
association, Mr. Shoemaker, rendering most
valuable assistance.
The next most important event was rails
ing a flag on the fort on flag day. 1900, over
thirty years after the garrison flag had
been lowered.
"On that day among the guests was Sec
visited the fort since 1864, when. as private
secretary to Mr.. Lincoln, he accompanied
him to the battlefield Mrs. Rosa Wright
Smith, daughter of Gen. H. G. Wright. who
gave the flag, and many l see around me
today were present.
Since the organization Of the Fort Ste
vens Association much has been said and
written, and this old fort, then almost for
gotten has attracted the attention of the
entire country All who think agree that it
should be saved in grateful remembrance of
Abraham Lincoln and those brave men who
fought and fell to save their countrys cap
ital
Lincoln Under Fire.
Here abruptly ended the last invasion
of the north. Here was the victorious con-
federates nearest approach to the national
capital. Here fought the only battle
in the District of Columbia during the civil
war and many of those who fell lie in this
cemetery. Here is all that remains of the
old fort that saved Washington.
On yonder parapet stood Lincoln under
fire, the only time a President has actually
been in command OF an army in battle
These veterans of the Fort Stevens AS
sociation have done well in arousing inter-
est in this historic field and in the men who
laid down their lives in defense of their
country'S capital.
Great credit is due Gen. Vincent. Major
Perham and especially Dr. Petteys, the
survivors of the 9th Corps; John H. Wolff
and the members of the 25th Cavalry; the
Veteran Reserves, the Ohio boys and all
the other men brave in battle and strong
in peace who working to save Fort
Stevens.
"A word as to myself. l tried in vain for
years to get some public-spirited citizen of
means to buy Fort Stevens. Finally, when
what was left was being dug down and
carted away, 1 bought less than two acres
of the ground, restored the old lines, placed
markers on it and offered the property to
the United States. the District Of Columbia,
or any other patriotic organization that
would convert 1t into a military park. 1
offered it at actual cost to myself and
again in public 1 reaffirm that offer ! say
this in reply to stories that have been cir
culated to the effect that this a real
estate instead of patriotic enterprise.
Changes Manifest.
What changes have taken place since
we first met here on Decoration day. Bat
tleground cemetery Is no longer what it.
was when Mary Clemmer Ames wrote of
the devoted mother who came here alone,
for hundreds now pay tribute to the men,
DRY of the defenders of Washington, thanks
to the good impulses of the members of the
Fort Stevens Association. the Brightwood
Citizens Association and last and moss of
all the veterans of the G. A. r.
Let not forget the still higher love we
owe these sleeping heroes. Let us attest it
by a deeper devotion to the country and
the capital for which they died by saving
old Fort Stevens and by vieing with each
other in decorating the graves of the
fallen