Evening star., 1911-08-13
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

- -
Gen. Mcclellan early endeavored to
establish relations with the war cor
respondents stationed in and
Army around Washington and the
local journalists to lessen
NEWS. the likelihood OF news leak
ages benefiting the Confederacy. In
The Star of August s. 1861. is an ac-
count OF a meeting held a few days
earlier with that object in view:
ION Thursday night Gen. Mcclellan
had an interview at his quarters with
porters and correspondents. now here
at which he asked them to come TO
some satisfactory agreement amongst
themselves by which the publication
of army information likely to be OF
benefit to the enemy shall be avoided.
Among those present we're Mr.. San
ford, president OF the telegraph COM
pany; Mr.. Gobright OF the Associated
Press. Mr.. Shaw of the New York
Herald, Mr.. Adams Of the World Mr..
Erastus Brooks Of the Express. Mr..
Bartlett Of the Post, Mr.. Mortimer
Thompson cDoesticks), Philadelphia
American; Messrs. Harding and Paint
er Of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr..
Flint Of the Chicago Times, Mr. Pang-
born OF the Boston Traveller, Col.
Whitley Of the Baltimore Clipper Mr.
Coffin Of the Boston Journal, Mr.. Spot
ford OF the Cincinnati Commercial, Mr..
Glenn Of the Cincinnati Gazette, and
various representatives Of the city
press
"At this interview all were ready to
cooperate to the desired end. but it
was represented to Gen. Mcclellan
that Information was undoubtedly re-
ceived by the enemy more directly
than through the medium Of the loyal
press. and various channels for such
information were designated. To this
Gen. Mcclellan gave an attentive ear.
and 1t Is not unlikely that means will
be found to cut of some Of the Con-
federate news supplies. committee
OF fve was appointed on the part of
the press to take measures for the
furtherance OF the desire of the mill
tary authority The committee has
addressed to the conductors Of the
Union newspapers an appeal to eschew
printing any news or gossip likely to
aid the enemy in comprehending the
movements. etc., Of the Army OF the
Potomac"
Following Bull Run the north expert
enced a great qualm Of fear that the
lack Of military disci-
PRESIDENT pline SO lamentably In
Pet;t;oned evidence on that field
sAOe~' was attributed to politi-
cal conditions inseparable from the con-
duct Of the war by a government om-
cered by men elected by popular suffrage.
One Of the first fruits Of this fear was q
petition to President Lincoln, reproduced
In The Star Of August 8. 1861. signed by
some OF the largest capitalists OF New
York, and urging the Tightening Of dis
ciplinary measures and the exercise of
greater care In offlcering the volunteer
forces The Star, commenting in the
same issue upon this petition, says:
Here all comprehend the importance Of
It's suggestions, because all realize that
the evils OF which it complains have ex-
listed In the army to its almost utter dis
organization. We are. however, happy to
have 1t In our power to say that since the
able change for the better has been
steadily and rapidly progressing. The
current condition OF the streets OF the
federal metropolis proves the fact, not
more significantly than the large number
of designations Of incompetent and inef-
ficient regimental and company officers
that are daily taking place. Both the ex-
ecutfve and military branches of the gov
ernment are thus already straining every
nerve to correct the evils which notcri-
ously led, In great part, to the disaster OF
Bull Run. and to make really irresistible
army out of the admirable material the
country is Offering for the defense Of the
and popular liberty"
Quite early Washington began to be
utilized as the site of numerous military
hospitals, and to the
Military close Of the war. and
Hospitals. ta,ned @ a great r. number n rust Of
sick and wounded soldiers, housed in varl-
GUS parts Of the city. In The Star Of
August 8, 1861, Is a publication of a list
of the hospitals then established, with
the number Of patients in each and their
respective commands, issued by Surgeon
General c. A. Finley, acting in obedience
to a Senate resolution requiring the public
printing Of such information. At the
General Hospital, on Z street between 4th
and 5th streets, there were 225 patients
from Wide range of regiments: at the
Washington streets Georgetown. there
were 2O6 patients; at the General HOspi-
tai, at J6O G street, there were 65 sick and
wounded men: at Miss Englisi1's Semi
nary. located a short distance north Of
the Union Hospital in GEORGETOWN, there
were 12S sick and 53 wounded soldiers.
and at the hospital at Columbia College
there were 25S. In subsequent issue
The Star took occasion to describe the
conditions in these hospitals to refute the
1ino
tions regarding them. declaring them to
be as clean and sanitary and we'll man
aged as 1t was possible for them to be.
4 =
With the advent of such large number
of troops. in those days, smallpox was
almost an inevitable intruder
Small in Washington 1t was regard
ed then with much more hor-
.PvA' ror than at present, as the
following letter from a citizen printed in
The Star of August 10. 1861. indicates:
Il desire. through the columns of your
paper, to call the attention Of the au-
thorities, military and civil, to what
seems to me and other citizens as very
serious oversight, II not absolute outrage.
thickly settled portion OF our city. For
month or more past soldiers afflicted
with this terrible disease have been quar-
tered at q private house. used as a hos
pital, and located on 1st street east, be-
tween D and C streets north-less than
two squares distance from the Capitol
itself. The neighborhood around Is dense