The Washington times., 1911-07-08

hard pressed by an enemy, so also Lee
determined on a hurried attack on the
enemy's capital. Jubal Early was or
dered to carry out the maneuver. At
| the head of a large column Of vet.
forced marches. Early found the back
door to Maryland and the Northern
| Capital by way of the Shenandoah val
ley left invidngly open. He slipped
mac, defeated Gen Lew Wallace, who
blocked his way, at Monocacy, and, in
| stead of pursuing Wallace's beaten
army, rushed on to Washington.
March on the Capital
On Monday morning. July II. 1864. the
men in grav. exultant with success. ap-
preached the city in two columns, and
looked upon the Nations Capital, made
quately fortified along it's vulnerable
edges. In the afternoon OF that day
they bivouacked at Rockville. In the
evening they moved forward and en-
camped about five miles from the city.
| One column was just beyond Tenley-
| town. The other in front of Fort Ste
vens. Both in Washington and BaIti-
more there was much excitement, bor-
| dering at times on panic. In the Capital
/ there were barely enough artillerymen
| for a single relief Of gunners. The
| tie time for preparation. Every man
| in Washington, including wounded SOL
| diers from the hospitals. clerks from
! the War Department. and firemen were
| called on for service. Barricades were
! hastily thrown up in the streets. Re
ports as to the strength and intentions
| of the invaders were conflicting, and
the air was filled with exciting and per-
picking rumorS, conjectureS, and inven~
| tions.
General Augur in Command.
Gen. C. c. Augur was in command of
the Department of Washington, Gen. A
Med. McCook OF the troops and fortifi-
cations. McCook had his headquarters
at MooreIands Tavern. on ground
where now stands the Brightwood Ho-
tel General McCook, in his report,
writes regarding the defensive forces:
Il hazard the statement that there
never was before SO heterogeneous yet
so orderly an army. The hale and
hearty soldier the invalid. the GONZALES
cent, the wounded. and the quartermas-
ters employees side by side, each work
ing with a singleness or purpose, and
willing to discharge any duty imposed
upon him."
Gen. D. A. Couch. Gen. Francis A.
Walker. and other Union officers, were
quartered at the Emery mansion, an
eighth of a mile south of Fort Stevens,
on the old Seventh street pike road.
The house, which is now the residence
of w. V. Cox. president of the Second
National Bank. was used as signal
Stevens was garrisoned by a hundred
men, most of them convalescents, MAIN
ed, and crippled soldiers of other bat
ties, and among them there was not an
effective gun crew.
Confederates Driven Back.
Across the District line, at Silver
Spring. in the orchard of the Blair es-
tate. the army of Confederate veterans
was well entrenched. Their sharp
shooters had found coverts in the i'm
mediate vicinity Of Fort Stevens. Five
miles to the south was Pennsylvania
avenue, the White House, and the Capt.
tol. Only Fort Stevens. inadequately
manned, frowned feebly on his pro-
ject. But the hundred crippled soldiers
and inexperienced volunteers held back
Early's fighting legion until from the,
shout of relief ana unbounded joy
went up that echoed throughout the
threatened city and penetrated to the
ranks of the soldiers in gray. The
First and Second divisions of the Sixth
Army Corps, sent by Grant to the re-
lief of the Capital reached here at
noon. All day Early had been seeking
to break through the line OF the Capt.
tails volunteer defenders, but had been
checked from Immediately penetrating
to the heart of the city. The veterans
wearing the badge of the Greek cross
were welcomed at the landing place by
President Lincoln, who had been at
Fort Stevens throughout the morning,
and drove to the wharf to meet them.
Sergt. Louis Cass White in his diary
Of the time has the following entry:
Monday, July II, lS6+Slept until af-
ter daylight. Arrived Mt. Vernon 10:3O,
Fort Washington. IL, Alexandria, 80,
and WASHINGTON II o'clock. We got off
the beat and moved up through tho city
along Seventh street and marched to
Crystal Spring and rested there a while
Then our regiment went on picket duty
l stayed with the colors. This was a
had tubs Of water and loaves OF bread in
front Of them for us as We passed along
II we asked for q chew Of tobacco We
got the whole plug. There is q good
deal Of excitement here now
Lincoln Remained Calm.
Throughout the crisis in the life of the
Capital Lincoln remained calm. In the
evening of the dav when the re-enforce-
ments arrived. the President left the
White House and rode to the cottage he
occupied at the Soldiers Home Secre-
tary of War Stanton, when he learned
of Lincoln's proximity to the Confsder-
ate lines, sent carriage for him and
insisted on his returning to Washing
ton that night. The New York Herald.
which had found opportunity to heap
some criticism on the Administration.
made the following editorial comment
about this tims:
"Since the more recent deyelopments
of the rebel designs the President has
displayed wonderful degree of martial
ardor."
1t was on one of his visits to Fort
stevens that Lincoln was halted at the