The Washington herald., 1914-07-12

as the day passed II was evident the enc
my was becoming more aggressive. and
at p. m. Gen. Wright ordered Gen.
Wheaton, then commanding Getty's d.
vision. to drive them from the vantage
points held on either side OF the highway.
The troops assigned to this work were
the Third Brigade of Getty's division, un-
der Col Daniel ID. Bidwell. of the sd
New York Volunteers. The brigade
formed in two lines. under cover of a
ravine and some woods on the left Of
Fort Stevens.
The 9th and nth New York and 7th
Maine Regiments formed a first line. and
the 43d and l22d New York and 61st
Pennsylvania a second. Fort Stevens and
nearby works swept the ground In their
front with a rapid FIRE Of she'll
Their point OF attack was the Rives
House. about in the center of the enc
my's Iine. Upon this they advanced rap
idly, up a slight activity driving the
enemy from a grove and an orchard. and
from the house. TO a crest beyond.
Here the Confederates made a strong
stand. and the fighting. though brief.
was sanguinary. The position was car
ried. and EaTly's skirmishers were driven
back a mile upon their main force.
Satisfied with this. Gen. Wright ordered
a cessation OF the advance and the hold
ing for the night Of the positions gained.
Losses of the Day.
II was in the period Of the operations
here described that Lincoln stood upon
the parapet Of Fort Stevens. a witness
to the only engagement fought in the
District of Columbia in the war.
1t had been no mimic fight the Pres
ident had seen. Before he left the
works stretcher-bearers and ambu-
lances were bringing in ghastly evil
- % q ~
engagement as this. OF the gallant
young men who had moved fearlessly
out across the hot and smoking valley
proud of the knowledge that they were
defending the Capital, under the eyes
of the President of the United states,
more than two score now lay limp and
lifeless in the dust OF the road. or in the
grove and orchard where the fight had
been.
soldiers rude burial, without Coffins.
wrapped only in their CORY clothes and
their blankets. in a field near Fort Ste
vens. None Of the thousands Of eager
eyes that had witnessed the fighting that
day saw this burial. Only the surgeons
and a few OF the soldiers were there.
For the duration OF the fighting there
had been severe losses in officers. In the
Third Brigade all the regimentsl COM
mdnQers were kllleu OF WOuHueu- LslSAh-
Col. J. D. VIsscher. commanding the
Forty-third New York; Lieut.. Col. c. NJ.
Johnson. commanding the Forty-ninth
New York. and Mai James P. Jones.
commanding the Seventh Maine. were
among the slain. MAJ. J. w. Crosby,
the Sixty-hrst Pennsylvania.
who had just recovered from severe
wound received in the Wilderness, lost an
arm. which was removed at the shoulder
by the surgeons.
OF the total Federal loss OF 50 killed
and 1E5 wounded. 50 were killed in the
Third Brigade and 90 wounded.
The Confederate loss must have been
greater than the Federal. When. that
night, Early began his retreat 20 Of his
dead and n of his wounded were left
upon the field. His two days before
Washington had cost him not less than
900 men. and his invasion OF Maryland
about 100 more. His force now stood at
about 500 infantry and 700 cavalry, and
with this he began a rapid movement
toward the Potomac. with the purpose OF
crossing Il into Virginia about 20 miles
above Washington.