Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-06
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

- AAAS
One Of the first actions of Gen. McCleL
OF the Potomac was to
Provost take STEPS to secure better
rRl, order on the part Of the
A''As AoA' troops in Washington In
The Star Of July 81. 1861. is printed an
order issued by him the day preceding,
as follows:
THE general commanding the division
has. with much regret. observed that
large numbers of officers and men sta
toned in the vicinity of Washington are
in the habit of frequenting the streets
and hotels of the city. The practice is
eminently prejudicial to good order and
military discipline, and must at once be
discontinued. The time and services of
all persons connected with this division
should be devoted to their appropriate
duties with their respective commands.
1t is therefore directed that hereafter no
officer or soldier he allowed to absent
himself from his camp and visit Wash
ington. except for the performance of
some public duty, or for the transaction
of important private business. for which
purposes written permits will be given
by the commanders of brigades. The per-
nit will state the object of the visit.
Brigade commanders will be held re-
sponsible for the strict execution of this
order. Col Andrew Porter. 10th United
States Infantry, is detailed for temporary
duty as provost marshal in Washington,
and will be obeyed and respected accord
ingly."
The defeat at Bull Run had the effect
Of stimulating the government to the ut
most endeavors to provide the
Active army in the field with NUM-
Wall lions and equipment. and
Washington quickly felt the
effect of this intense energy. In The Star
of July 81, 1861, is this paragraph:
THE activity noticeable in every de-
partment of the arsenal shows that no
step is to be taken backward by the
government in the prosecution of the war.
The entrance and carriageways are
blocked up with army wagons, carts and
other vehicles, heavily loaded with arms
for the regiments, provisions for the
army. huge shells on their way to be
filled and all the requisites of war. Splen-
did parts of rifled cannons. from ten to
thirty-twO Founders, ornament the lawns
huge guns lie about on the wharf and in
the shops ready to be mounted, while the
tattoo Of hammers and buzz of saws bear
evidence to the life within in the manu-
facture Of armchests and other appur-
tenances of the batteries. Rifled and
round shells. grape. canister and shrap-
mel. mimic and pistol balls. in immense
quantities. roll out ready for their mis-
sion of death. under the manipulation of
many hands, and bright guns go up daily
upon their wheels and turn their dark
mouths toward the blue hills of Virginia,
while a constant tide of muskets, rifles
and bayonets pours in and out of the
formerly guarded the entrances have been
assigned other duties, and the RESPONSE
BILE position Is now filled by Company A,
Capt. Moffett, Of the 18th Pennsylvania
Regiment"
The new provost marshal had plenty Of
work to do in carrying out the orders
Of Gen. Mcclellan against
Keeping city lettering on the part of
49,, the troops stationed around
VAueA' the capital. In The Star of
August /, 1861, is the following:
"A more strict enforcement Of the Or
ders for the preservation of peace In the
streets of the city is inaugurated by the
guard on duty under the provost mar
shall, Col. A. Porter The course pursued
will soon cause return of all stragglers
to their appropriate quarters, and put an
end to the frequent disgraceful scenes
resulting from the intoXication Of soldiers
who roam about the streets. The SOL
diers taken to the guardhOuse are re-
tanned until their cases are represented
to the provost marshal, and they are
either taken directly to their regimental
quarters. or, if guilty of any serious Of
Tense. reprisoned for punishment accord
ing to the law provided in each case. A
guard Is regularly detailed from the
Sturges Rifle Corps for duty at the CEN
trail guardhouse every day. These take
charge Of the military prisoners brought
in by the mounted patrol, the officer Of
the guard reporting every morning to the
marshal and receiving his orders in ref
erence to each prisoner. This is a great
relief to the auxiliary guard On duty at
the guardhouse. Among the cases Of
persons brought in by the provost guard
is that of Charles Anthony. French
man, who has opened liquor store on
the Avenue, south side, near 9th street
Last night his place was open after 10
o'clock, and he sold liquor to soldiers, 1t
is charged. He was taken to the guard
house with two other men in the store,
the civil authorities and fined $5.94 for
keeping his store open after Q o'clock,
contrary to the mayors order issued
some weeks ago. His companions were
dismissed. He says his bottles were
broken and cask spigots turned and a
large quantity of his liquor destroyed by
the provost guard, who, he alleges, broke
the bottles and spigots with their
sabers.".
There was at first greatly exagger-
ated idea of the northern losses at Bull
Run, owing to the excitement
Bull Run and confusion Of the defeat
and panic. In The Star Of
AoSseS. August D. 1861, however, IS
printed a corrected account OF the cost
of that fight to the Federals:
Some days ago we stated the Union
loss in killed. wounded and prisoners to
have been not more than 700. We did
SO on the estimate of Adjt. Gen. Fry of
Gen. McDowell's army, necessarily the
best informed man on the particular sub
ject who participated in the engagement.
His opinion Friday night" 0he night of
the battle) was that not more than $50
had been killed on our side. The return
Of hundreds on hundreds of the written
down killed, wounded and missing dur
ing the last and present week to their
reSpectiya regiments DrOVeS the correct