Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-27
FIFTY YEARS ago
IN THE STAR

During the civil war great difficulty
was experienced in and around Washing
| ton by the authori-
Ructi0n at ties in keeping the
| p,.s..l civilian and military
bladensourg. elements from en-
counters over trvialities. In The Star OF
April - 1883. is a news item which tells
of ruction at Bladensburg which for q
time looked serious:
"On Monday another race came Off near
Bladensburg. which was attended by
quite large number of persons. mostly
from Georgetown and the northern
part Of the city, friends Of the two
horses. After the race was over a row
ensued which Is said to have been origi-
mated by quarrel between a citizen and
soldier. during which the citizen shot
| the soldier in the legs. A number of sol
diers took the part of their comrade and
general row ensued, in which stones.
whips etc, were used and a number were
injured. The citizen who shot the soldier
we hear. was seized by the military. who
| were about to hang him, but they con-
tented themselves by taking him to the
| fort nearby, where, We hear, he Is still
confined.
"P. 8. Since writing the above We learn
that the affair went OF peaceably until
dispute arose between Hillary Smith
of Georgetown and others in relation to
the stakes, during which a pistol in the
hands of Smith was discharged. whether
accidentally or not Is not stated. and the
ball took effect in the leg of soldier.
The soldiers friends and citizens imme-
diately pursued Smith and caught him.
i'm n~A h~AH LII
jawbone. Smith was taken to the guard
house of the fort nearby. but was re-
leased during the afternoon and taken to
his residence in Georgetown"
Proper care Of the horses used by the
army became the subject Of serious con-
sideration on the part Of
Hospital the northern authorities.
F.. u. az in the course Of time
1t became exceedingly diff
ficult to obtain remounts. In The Star OF
April % 1853. is the following article:
THE wonderful change that has taken
place in the substitution Of better ar
rangements for Uncle Sans. war business
in place Of the crude appropriations of
the first necessity is we'll shown in the
extensive, well planned and we'll con-
structed horse hospital buildings. built
and in progress of building. The largest
and best of these yet finished is that on
18th street, under the charge Of Supt. w.
]. Brooke, an officer who has seen serv-
Ice on the plains and is well qualified by
energy and experience for his post The
stables are embraced in an inclosed
square, the ground Of which has been
attention paid to light, cleanliness and to
ventilation. Between 1900 and 1,4O0
horses can be accommodated here. and
cared for In a way which produces aston
1shing results upon the miserable hacks
that enter lame, broken down. worn out
with scarcely apparent strength to draw
their last breath. The stables are NUM-
bered and the invalid horses are adj
Vanceo. as they improve under the judi
clous treatment Of Drs. Picking and Pur-
to those where an array Of sleek. service-
able animals, ready to be turned out for
service, show what can be done for the
worst ills that horse flesh is heir to BY
skill and care"
The following paragraph about the first
District regiment in the field pr;nted in
The Star of April "a,
F1rSt y. =. 1888. indicates the difl-
Reo;nor+ Guilty experienced fifty
years ago In keeping the
ranks OF the; army filled:
Under the late general order of the
War Department relative to all such
cases, the first District regiment, station
ed at Alexandria, on account OF the thin
condition of its ranks, has been reduced
to battalion OF four companies, with
Lieut. Col. Lem Towers in command. BY
the reduction to a battalion five captains
and the same number OF first and second
lfeutenants. respectively. are to be mus
tered out OF service. This regiment was
for long time guarding the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad between this city and
Contee's station. and went thence to the
Valley of Virginia. after Stonewall Jack
sons advance upon Gen. Banks. and
were subsequently engaged in the battle
OF Cheat mountain, where they are said
to have borne themselves creditably.
Since the battle Of Antietam and the re-
occupation of the former lines on the
south side of the Potomac. the regiment
has mostly been acting as provost guard
at Alexandria and vicinity. The major,
several days since and it has been ac-
copied"
Union activities in various parts Of the
field of the war during the spring Of
1853 indicated a much
Progress of more consistent and satis-
+ba yUor factory handling OF the
SAAS ""A' campaign than during
the year previous. In The Star of April
%. 1868, is the following:
The news from the west today. in
bringing the particulars OF the last COLI
sion In that quarter, makes it clear that
the success Of the Union cause in it was
as brilliant as could have been wished;
while that from the south shows beyond
peradyenture that the late dash of the
rebel Gen. Hill against WASHINGTON. N.
c., is regarded in that quarter as having
proved a signal and disastrous failure
The project was doubtless to have de-
feated Foster at Washington and then
by forced marches to transfer Hills
force to the vicinity Of that of Long
street, on the Blackwater and Nanse-
mOnd, before Gen. Peck could be REIN
forced. 1t has turned out, however. that
Foster is an Overmatch for Hill, whom he
is pursuing; while Peck and the gun
boats under Lee have driven Longstreet
well back from our line in front of Nor
folk. The late prOtracted rafnstorm,
though 1t may have delayed some of our
operations in various quarters, can hard
Iy fail to have embarrassed and positively
damaged the rebels far more than our
troops. Thus. in delaying the transporta-
ton to railroads and by rail, they must
suner lmme nsely. as their armies live
everywhere from hand to mouth, as ours
w h hat, AnAo to-