Evening star., 1912-09-15
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

After the second battle Of Bull Run
there were military operations in the
neighborhood Of Washington
Accused which caused considerable
nH anxiety here but there was
s' still opportunity for an in
terested discussion of charges which grew
out Of that engagement. In The Star OF
September s. 1862, is the following:
Tn his report OF the recent operations
Of his army in failing back to the fortifi-
cations in front of Washington, Gen
Pope. it is currently said around Us,
makes grave charges against q number
Of his brother general offcers. accusing
Gen. Gzel Of cowardice, Gen. Fftz John
Porter of refusing to obey orders and
Gems. Franklin and Grimm OF Intentional
ly delaying the movements Of their sew
erai commands so as to prevent the sue
cess Of his tGen. Popes) operations. We
apprellend that the rumor that he also
brings charges against Gen. Heintzelman
is entirely unfounded. 1t appears to be
understood that on receiving this report
all the officers with. perhaps, the ex-
ception of Gen. SifeD who are subjects
OF its accusations were about to be re-
lieved from duty until their conduct
could be investigated by the court OF in
quiry-consfsting Of Gems Mansfield, Cad
wadAder and Casey--whfch meets here to-
day, having been summoned In response
to Gen. McDowelrs prompt demand for
such court to investigate his conduct
upon the retreat. The exigencies of the
occasion. however, made 1t absolutely
necessary, we apprehend, that they
should be continued in their several COM
mands, leaving the question Of the action
to be taken upon Gen. Pope's charges
against them to be determined wholly by
the result Of the courts Investigations.
Judge Advocate Holt will doubtless make
. thorough investigation OF the whole
matter. Gen. Pope was on Saturday or
western Observation-Disclosures the hostile
Indians of Minnesota at present, We hear
with his headquarters at st. Paul"
= X
After every battle near Washington
this city showed the effects in not only
the hospital congestion
Military that immediately resulted.
oA, but in the presence OF
S1"S6ASAS' numerous stragglers on
the streets. In The Star of September s,
1862. is the following paragraph touching
upon this condition.:
"Since Saturday morning the proves.
guard has sent to the different regiments
nearly 1.0OO stragglers On Saturday the
city was flooded. but by the judicious and
energetic action OF the provost marshal
comparatively few remain. Many of these
stragxlers were really worn ont by lons
marches. but others skedaddled from their
regiments as they passed through. and
T. L., v~rtAc
from whence they were taken and treated
to a shower bath at the guardhouse. As
soon as they appear in the streets or in
other places they are collected together
and sent under guard to the commanders
Of their respective corps. The same is
and not here on orders have been sum-
marily sent to their commands. Special
guards are actively engaged in patrolling
the streets day and night. visiting every
conceivable place where a soldier or Off
Ger may be found. For the past two
weeks the provost marshars office has
been open for business at all hours, day
and night
The effect of the impressment of hack
drivers for ambulance service left the
jehus Of Washington in a sad
Scared state of nerves. as evidenced
~, by the following paragraph in
seAoS' The Star of September 8, 1862
'The hackmen have been twice inn
pressed into the government service tc
20 upon the field Of battle to bring the
wounded AS this involves a long mid
night ride and any quantity Of accidents. IL
is a business which the drivers don't
ache to perform and would escape il pos
~shV tf,,o NJ
had a bone to pick with the whips last
night whispered to them that the provost
marshal was about to send for them. Ir
a minute the stand at Willard's was de-
serted by its double line of carriages
which disappeared tumultuously in a
cloud Of oaths and dust in the direction
Of the Island: and, the alarm spreading, in
q short time Kirkwood's, Browns and
the National were without hacks and a
prices for travelling in dusty vehicles were
disappointed"
The school children of Washington took
part in the care of the wounded in their
small way in the course of
Children the civil war. as the fol-
lowing paragraph printed
AelPeIs. in The Star Of September
II. 1852, indicates:
Upon the recent call being made by
the surgeon general for lint and band
ages the German Aid and Relief Associa-
ton of this city, with its wonted prompti-
tude, Immediately set several schools to
work making the articles called for, and.
in order to stimulate the children to re-
double their exertions in this act OF love
and patriotism, premiums to the amount
of $3.50 were offered in each school for
the largest qusntity furnished. Primary
School No. of the third district, upon
taking a vote whether or not to accept
bounty for what was to them an Oppor-
tunity Of doing good. decided unanimously
that the premiums so literally rendered
by the German Aid Association would be
accepted by the children only on cOndi-
ton that they be permitted to offer the
amount as their mite to the volunteer
fund of this city. This was. of course,
gladly acceGed to by the delegate Of the
association and he was, at once, deputed
to hand the amount over to Mayor Wal
ZACH for the purpose specified"
Washington was keenly interested III the
progress of the street railway construc-
tion half a century ago. as
Street Car such items as the follow
ing in The Star Of Septem-
1IoSIess. ber L. 1862, suggest:
."The first trip Of the passenger railway
from the railroad depot to Georgetown