Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

In luz OlAN
Quickly following the federal victory at
Gettysburg came other Union successes
atty years aGo. and the
News After columns Of The Star
r during the week OF July
0ettyspuIg. gill, 1854, ere flled with
items OF the utmost Importance. The ia
sue Of July 8. 1868. carries Gen. Meade's
congratulatory order to the Army Of the
Potomac and a confirmation of the news
of Lees retreat toward the Potomac.
There was also a dispatch from Tuila-
homa, Tenn, announcing that Rosecrans
had driven the Confederatea out of Ten
nessee. and had taken 1900 prisoners.
The situation at Gettysburg Is conveyed
under date Of July 8:
1.-THE enemy have retreated toward the
Potomac. The skirmishers were drawn
in last night and a small cavalry force.
probably the rear guard, passed through
Emmitsburg this morning about daylight
Our troops have been engaged all day in
burying the dead. relieving the wounded
and collecting arms, many thousands OF
which belonged to the rebels. The rebel
pontoon bridge at dam No. 4 has been de-
stroyed by our cavalry, almost unopposed.
and the cavalry, at last advices, has gone
up to Williamsport to destroy the two
bridges there. Other preparations are In
progress to intercept Lees passage to the
Potomac, and our army Is already In mo-
ton. So much time, however, has elapsed
since Lee commenced to withdraw from
our front that the advance may have
reached WilliamSpOrt to cross before we
can prevent it. Lee yesterday paroled
about 1900 Union prisoners They were
received by Gen. Couch
In an extra edition of The Star Of
July Z, 1853. is announced the surrender
of Vicksburg In q dis
Surrender of patch sent to Secre-
u;oL.hr tary Welles by Rear
'snseu6' Admiral Porter, an
nouncing the fall of the city on the
Fourth of July. 1t required three days
for the news to reach Washington. In
the second edition of The Star Of that
date is the following:
I'm our extra Of Saturday we stated
that Gen. Grant fully expected to take his
Fourth of July dinner in Vicksburg and
receiving the glorious news contained in
the dispatch from Admiral Porter, we
gave expression to the belief that Vicks-
burg was at the time Of writing in our
possession, that opinion being founded on
the fact known to US that Gen. Grant pro-
posed to move on the enemys works on
the anniversary Of our national independ-
ence. The words We're scarcely in type
when the thrilling dispatch of Admiral
Porter
nouncing that Grant did, indeed, enter
Vicksburg on the day designated, and
thus added the GROWING achievement to
his list of brilliant exploits. We have at
this time no particulars of the extent Of
his captures, but they could not fail to
comprehend all the immense material OF
war gathered there by the rebels, In the
way of men, guns. ammunition. etc.
THE news of the fall of Vicksburg Gre
ated the most intense enjoyment and ex-
element about the departments, and. in
fact, all over the city As soon as it be-
came known the starry flag was flung
to the breeze at the War and State de-
partments, and the others quickly follow
ed suit. At the Treasury Department the
clerks all FASTENED to. the portico in the
east side of the building, just as a mill
tary company was passing, and the air
was made to resound with cheers. On the
east front of the State Department, too,
crowd soon collected and made similar
demonstrations of joy. An order was
promptly issued from the War Depart
ment for the firing of a grand salute Of
1OD guns In honor OF the glorious event.
The President, Secretary Stanton, Secre-
tary Welles and other members of the
government were waited upon by eager
circles of friends, rendering their hearty
congratulations over the results SO honor
able to them. and to those selected by
them to execute their plans. At The Star
office bulletin was Immediately display
ed, and the glorious news, aS soon as
caught by the crowd, was received with
enthusiastic cheers, the army of news
boys adding big one on their own indi-
yidual account
THE decisive victories gained at Gettys-
burg and Vicksburg, coming together.
must crush the last hope of rebeldom."
I
The expectation in Washington during
the week following the battle of Gettys-
burg was that Meade would
Pursuit pursue and perhaps annihilate
.er Lees army, and this expecta-
y ton was strengthened by a
dispatch printed in The Star of July s,
1863, from Harrisburg, as follows, dated
the evening previous:
Il have just received late and impor-
tant intelligence from Williamsport. The
rebels were drawn up along tae line of
the Potomac. The river was rolling and
surging, brimful. The enemy had no pom
toon bridges, and were ferrying their
wagons across, under great difficulty in
two scows. The operation was SO slow
that it simply amounted to somewhat of
a standstill Our army had already ar
rived at the scene, and at ! o'clock this
afternoon a furious battle was progress
ing in which the humiliation of the rebel
army was almost reduced to certainty"
\ later dispatch from Harrisburg, dated
July 1, 1920 pm, said:
The latest report here is that the
whole rebel army is routed in utter panic.
They are fleeing in all directions, throw
ing away arms, and abandoning guns.
trains and everything else.
This description Of the irrespective de-
struction of Lees army was, as it soon
appeared, greatly exag-
Another FIGHT gerated. In The Star
of July IL, 1868, is the
IAPoo'o"' following description Of
the situation:
THE reports from the upper Potomac
give further indication that a great bat
tie will be fought within forty-eight
hours in the vicinity of Hagerstown. The
rebels hold Funkstown lees headquar-
ters being at HagerstoWn). and their
lines, it Is said. extend from there to the
river, covering Williamsport The posi-
ton at FNunkstown is one of much
strength, and the heights on the Hagers-
town side of Antietam creek at that point
will be made much of by Lee. doubtless.