Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-08
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR.

| Washington was under strain of
| movement of his army
| Watching from the base which il
| r. had occupied south of the
"' Nv Rappahannock following
the battle Of Charlottesville in the
spring of 1868. In The Star of June
| /. 1863. is the following article descrip-
tive of the state of public feeling here
relative to the possibility of an attack
upon the capital:
Yesterday was one of the 'feverish
Sundays in the way OF sensational
| rumors to the effect that Lee. with his
talked-of army of invasion. was MAX
ing his appearance at points widely
apart. now at kellys ford. now at
Thoroughfare Gap and now at Har-
pers Ferry. The only one of the
rumors that finally took any reliable
shape was that of a raid on the Orange
and Alexandria railroad by Mosby's
gang OF guerrillas. which were. how
ever. speedily scattered by Stahl's com
mand
From what we can ascertain posi-
1
no doubt that the COnfederates are
shifting position. and the indications
are that they have moved consider
able force up river in the direction of
Culpeper. Persons who have hereto
| fore prophesied as to the moves of the
| COnfederates indicate belief that
third battle upon the bloody ground
of Manassas max occur shortly.
| Yesterday there were to be seen but
| few rebel pickets for a distance OF
ten miles up and down the river front
| ing Falmouth. and Barksdale's Missis-
sippi Brigade I3th. 18th. 18th and 21st
Regiments), which were drilling
Thursday in the vicinity of Fredericks-
burg: show now no sign Of their pres
ence Whatever the rebels are up to-
they will not catch our commanders
mapping. most assuredly.
! I'm relation to the reports in regard
| to the appearance of the Confederates
in the Shenandoah valley the Baltimore
American Of this morning says:
! ".Our city was full of rumors on Sat
urday of the temperance OF rebel
troops in the Shenandoah valley and the
driving in OF the pickets at Harpers
| Ferry. Persons who came direct from
the ferry before day on Saturday report
| ed an attack momentalily expected but
| 1t all turned out to be a few struggling
guerrillas who fired from the bushes on
some of our pickets. and no enemy was
| found by the scouts sent out within ten
miles of the ferry. and none had been
heard from in that vicinity We learn
| from Gen. Schenck that he is in tele-
graphic communication with the differ
ent commands in all portions Of his de-
partment from Wheeling. New Creek.
| Winchester. Cumberland and Harpers
Ferry and that the utmost quiet pre-
vailed. There were not even rumors
among the people. and extensive cavalry
"Reminiscences through all the mountain
passes. from Winchester and down the
| line Of the Potomac to point opposite
| the mouth OF the Monocacy. failed to
discover any signs or even reports OF the
| enemy. There were some bushWhackers
discovered and caught. but nothing to
| indicate the presence or approach OF any
| considerable force. In fact. all was quiet
along our lines on the upper Potomac and
| the Shenandoah valley up TO IL O'Clock
| last night
During the civil war considerable race
feeling prevailed in Washington. and
! now and then ii broke out
! Attack on violently. In The Star of
-, June :, 1853, is a news ac-
Ne6Aocs' count of a serious conflict
between whites and blacks:
| "A riot apparently continuation OF
previous ones occurred last night at the
wagon camp corner Of 23d and NJ streets.
| the party being composed of white team
sters and the cause of the riot appearing
| to have been from i'll feeling between
| them and the negroes 1t would seem
| that the assault had been premeditated
i from two or three days ago. and the
! urepa ra tons for it were quite extensive.
| The signal for the attack was to be the
| lighting of bonfires at the camp above
mentioned which was accordingly done
about IL O'Clock. The parties were armed
with shotguns. pistols. slunRshots etc,
and began their work upon the negroes
| in the vicinity. They entered ana cleared
| out a number Of houses on 22d street ana
| that neghborhood. The police. hearing
| of the difficulties. fastened TO the spo..
| AS soon as they were recoRnized thes
| were fired upon. but none OF the omcers
| were injured. we believe. \ provost
| charge under Lieut.. Brannin was tnen
sent by Capt. Johnson. VINO succeeueu
| in uuelling the riot and arrestinE tne Io,
lowing: Pat Henry thomas %. to1 Rna.
sell NJ. Kenny. NJ. McDonouxh, John
smith. Thomas Mum. Michael smith.
| John Flaherty, Felix OBryan' Ma
guire Squire Loder and James Ryan,
| They were committed to the centra.
qua rdhouse During the night som" .'H'
other arrests were made of parties
charged with sympathizing Nith ana aid-
| ing the rioters
The hone IN W dSnlEstOn was tHdl Inc
| Federal army at the Rappahannock
would be able tn stop Lee
Threatened from moving northward in
the course Of his proposed
INVASION. invasion of northern ter
| ritorv. In The star of June =. 1sH'. is the
| following news article touching upon the
| situation in this regard
I'VE learn that there wee indications
| Wednesday night that Lee was nlassln2
| forces at United States ford. on the Rap
| pabannock apparently either 70 attempt
| crossing there or to make q feint for
| crossing elsewhere. 1t would not be prop
| or for US to intimate what preparations
| Hooker has made TO meet the enemy
should they undertake to pay TINS size or
the river q visit: but 1t is safe TO say tnat
| Lee will find the attempt a hazaruous
| one and that he will not be permitted 10
return with impunity when once across.
| The rebels have some facilities for crosse
| ing lust now in the very low stage OF the
! water of the Rappahannock. Wnlch can
| be crossed almost dryshod at numerous
points but otherwise than this they nnd
| Jordan so hard road to traNel IN their
proposed invasion project tas Is evidenced
/ by their huctuating plans ana move
| ments, that Lee has, IL is believed. ad-
! yised the abandonment of the project,
/ and if he undertakes ii will do SO against
| his Judgment by force OF the on 10
! Washington pressure. which seems at
| the south to be a counterpart of the ia
| nous .on to Richmond cry. winch pre-
| vailed with us at one time with such DIS
astrous results.
i