Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-24
BATTLE OPENS.
At FORT HUNT
Fortifications Surrounded by
the Attacking Party.
"BATTLESHIP" TAKES PART
Forces Covered With Glory, But At
lacking Party Gets Mud Bath.
Number of Lady Visitors Get Within
Battle Zone-Star Dispatch
Boat Useful.
"BATTLESHIP" TAKES PART

Boat USe1ul.
Special From a STAFF Correspondent.
STAR DISPATCH BOAT, OFF FORT
HUNT Va. July 24.-Fort Hunt was at
tackled last night by "battleship" with a
landing party in ten boats. The battleship
was represented by the War Department
boat Gushing. and the ten boats, which
carried seventy men of Lieut.. Col. OBrien's
supports, were nine of them rowboats and
one uaphtha laUnch-a little The Star
dispatch boat towed men from X, l. and NJ
companies. in five boats, five miles up the
river, from below Mt. Vernon, close in to
the Virginia shore, to avoid the search
lights of Fort Hunt, and cast them loose
when near the fort, to make a landing on
the bush-covered shore south of the long
pier.
Since no decision as to victory or defeat
is TO be made by the umpires in any OF
these contests there can be no talk of Win
ners or losers, but it is generally conceded
and was indeed regarded as foregone con-
clusion. that an attack by landing parties
at Fort Hunt would be futile.
At $50 o'clock last night the Gushing
left the passenger dock at Fort Wash
ington with Lieut.. Col. O'Brien's COM
mand, companies /, K, l. and M, aboard,
and moved to the artillery dock, to the
attached to the port side of the boat. out
of sight OF the men at Fort Hunt, who
We're observing every movement or the
enemy.
A little naphtha lanuch chartered by Col
Coffin took FIVE smaller row boats in tow
ard started down the river. and was soon
followed by the Gushing. The men aboard
the steamer were in high spirits and sang
as they steamed down stream. Aboard the
boat with Lieut.. Col O'Brien and his COM
mand We're Maj. Stevens. chief umpire and
Lieuts Totten and era ne. umoires, all OF
the Artillery Corps. The umplreS at Fort
Hunt were Lieuts. Wiggin and Patterson,
also of the Artillery Corps. AT Fort Wash
ington every movement on both sides was
reported to or observed by Col. Coffin. who
was in battle command station, while
at Fort Hunt Maj. Stephan in command OF
the defense was in a fire command station
with Capt. Ballantyne, commandant of the
post. and Lieut. Fuqua, directing opera
tons.
After the attacking force left Fort Wash
ington patrols and outposts were stationed
along the shore at Fort Hunt. with Com
pier with q machine gun. The forces along
the shore also had machine gun.
Witness the Maneuvers.
Brooks went down the river on The Star
dispatch boat to witness the maneuvers.
Some of the ladies of the post who had
dined at mess and Mrs. Vond, Miss Perry
and Miss Simms, who had also dned with
the staff officers mess, were also aboard
the boat not expecting to be mixed up in
the horrors of war. but the first thing they
knew was that The Star boat became the
head and front of the offending and
was pushed up to the van of battle.
About I o'clock The Star boat left the
Fort Washington dock, but it had not gone
far down the river before little naphtha
launch came chug-chugging up stream
bringing a Macedonian cry from Maj. Ste
vens TO come over and help him. 1t was not
long before the Fairbanks hauled alongside
the Gushing and Maj Stevens hailed The
Evening Star reporter.
Help US out with these boats, will you?'
he asked
only too glad" was the reply, and soon
five heavily laden rowboats, wherein the
men had been struggling vainly against the
combined force of the river current and a
stormy ebb-tide, were made fast in single
file astern of the dispatch boat. The men
would have had row of about five miles
to reach Fort Hunt, and as they were go
ing backwards before the Fairbanks took
hold, they would perhaps have fetched up
this morning at the capes if they had been
left to their own devices.
After the boats had been made fast Capt.
Goderman and Lieut.. Totten of the Ar
tillery Corps and Capt Summers of the
District militia, designated by Col O'Bren
as second in command of the expedition,
boarded the dispatch boat and the trip up
the river was begun, Capt. GOldermdn taxi
ing command and directing the steersman.
All lights were ''doused'' and The Star
boat creIt as near in to the Virginia shore
her tive-foOt draft would permit the
men sitting quietly in their boats astern,
with cars upright, trailing along silently in
the wake of the powerful impromptu tug.
Ladies Within the War Zone
AS 1t was the first time in history, so
far as known to the warriors of the ex-
petition, that ladies have taken part in
an armed attack on fort, the occasion
was made even more memorable for the
members of the expedition.
When the Gushing had made The Star
boats contingent the main force of the at
tack, she extinguished all her lights but
one and steamed fast up stream, keeping
at her starboard side, farthest from Fort
Hunt, the four rowboats by which the rest
of the expedition was to make a landing.
All this time Maj. Stephan's force at Fort
Hunt had been far from idle. At precisely
o'clock the call to quarters was sounded
The artillery men and militia reserves, who
were lounging near Mt Vernon battery
jumped to their feet. and were ready for
battle in less than a minute. At once the
work began with searchlights. but those Of
Fort Hunt only. Fort Washington being |
theoretically nonresident last night.
Down the river flashed the broad beams, |
sweeping back and forth across the river |
seeking the approaching boats, now and
then shooting swiftly close down the bush |
rringed river bank to see II small vessels |
We're creeping up close to shore. At half |
past o'clock the Gushing was spotted, and |
the light was held steadily upon her, while |
bomb was fired, as a signal that she had |
been found and destroyed"
For a half hour longer the Fairbanks |
expedition evadeu the flashing rays of the |
powerful lights. and lew minutes before |
10 O'Clock. having lowed her convoy to |
spot near the shore of the Fort Hunt res |
ervation, she cast the boats loose, and the
men started to row to shore. Then the |
red and green sidelights OF The Star dis |
patch boat were again put into position |
when Immediately two searchlights were |
thrown upon her. Then, at exactly 10
o clock, The Star dispatch boat was also |
found and destroyed" bomb signaling
her end. But she Is on the Job today, as |
good as ever. constructive destruction not |
with her in the least
AS the operations were not q mock bat |
ue, but movements for instruction. when |
the cushing was destroyed" she kept right |
ahead with her small boats until she was |
ABREAST the Fort Hunt pier, when landing |
parties were sent out
Lieut.. Phillips Was "It."
Lieut.. Phillips. who had been captured
and released at Fort Hunt the night before
landed with one boatload of men at the |
end of the pier Onlv 10 fp