Evening star., 1914-07-26
W|SHOF 50 YEARS
NOW FULFILLED
Mrs. Ou HameI Finds Owners
of Diary Found on
Battlefield.
PROPERTY OF c. R. MASON,
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER
Washington Woman Receives Letter
From His Widow in
Virginia.

Through an article published in The
Star two weeks ago Mrs. Elizabeth Hill
Du Hamel of the Olympia apartments.
14th and Euclid streets northwest. has
been able to locate the owners of a per-
sonal diary she picked up on the field
Of battle fifty years ago following the
fight at Fort Stevens. sometimes called
the Battle of Brightwood."
Mrs Du Hamel. who is the widow OF
DR.. W. J. c. Hamel. who was pres
ent at the fight and saw Lincoln on the
field, observing the progress of events.
has received a number of letters from
relatives and friends OF the original own
er of the diary. who was Confederate
soldier named c. R. Mason. That fact
was established at the time The Star
printed the article two weeks ago, on
the anniversary of the fight at Fort
Stevens. The diary contained the name
and "Staunton, Va.
Served Under Gen. Lee.
Mrs. Du Hamel informed The Star last
night that she has learned that Mr.. Ma
son was a member of Company q. 9Th
Virginia Cavalry, division of Gen. Fitz-
hugh Lee. and that she has received a
letter from his widow, who is now Mrs
Mary NJ Mason Crittenden. wife OF DIR.
Crittenden of Orange, Va. to whom she
has been able to return the diary after
a lapse of fifty years. in accordance Win
a long treasured wish.
After the civil war, c. r. Mason took
up the practice OF medicine, ana ne
married in 1850. He died in 1904 and his
widow married DR.. w. J. Crittenden IN
1910.
The diary, described in the articles of
two weeks ago in The Star. is a small
black book, written in with lead pencil
the marks having become faint with
tlefield at Fort Stevens. in common
with thousands of other Washing
tonians. the day after the fight. when
the Confederate troops menaced WASH
ington. the occasion having been tne
only battle at which a President OF the
United States was ever present, ana
she did not know until she received
the letters from Mr.. Mason's trienas
and relatives whether he had died IN
the battle or not. DIR. Du Hamel, who
was White House physician. did not
know Mr.. Mason.
Treasured Fifty Years.
The picking up of the diary was q
chance event The treasuring OF 1t
carefully for fifty years was an act OF
ordinary kindness, Mrs. Du Hamel said
last night. and the finding OF It's
rightful owner after so long lapse
of time was due to The Stars puonca-
rion of an interview with Mrs. Du
HameL in which she told of the trou-
blous days fifty years ago. when the
Capital was so greatly disturbed py
the near presence of the Confederate
troops.
The article in The Star was widely
copied. Relatives and friends OF the
late Mr.. Mason saw 1t, and one OF
them. who was present at the nght OF
Fort Stevens. in defense Of Washing
ton. and attacking it, has writeen q
her interview. The writer ts James
Bumgardner. jr., lawyer OF Staunton'
Va. He says, In part:
"On the occasion you refer to 1 was
present, commanding. as senior cap
tain. the SGD Regiment of Virginia In
fantry of Early's old brigade. After
the battle of Monocacy my brigade
marched from the Monocacy river. near
Frederick toward Washington:
.rITnon reaching Silver Spring, the
residence of Mr.. Blair. the brigade left
the road and formed in line OF battle
on the large lawn surrounding tne
dwelling, and remained in that posi-
tion on the lawn during the entire az
fair.
Describes the Fight.
"Rv going out some distance in front
of our position. as 1 did several times' l
could see the federal fortitications In
our front, and the Confederate sklrm-
ishers in our front engaged with ieo-
eral skirmishers in. or in front o. the
federal fortifications. We lay down
most of the time and many balls anu
shells passed over us. some striking the
ground in front and rlcocheung over
us Several shells struck the blair res
idence. ,
II think your husband. DR.. Du Hamel.
was right in alluding to the affair as a
.skirmish' To the Confederate veteran
of four years service, who par'icipa.eu
Manassas, Fredericksburg. Antietam.
Malvern Hill. Channelsviile, the Blooay
Angle. second Cold Harhor and Gettys-
burg. the affair did not look IKE .
battle.
Says Gen. Early Retired.
81 do not think 1t strictly correct to
saw Gas was said in the article contain
ing your interview) that the Sixth
Army Corps drove Early back. 1t is
true that the Sixth Corps reached
before Early retired. But
my understanding always was that
Early approached Washington in order
to bring federal troops there to relieve
the pressure upon Gen. Lee at Peters,
burg, and that. having accomplished
that, he withdrew to the south side OF
the Potomac.
"I never knew that any advance was
made from the federal fortifications
for the purpose of attacking Early
prior to the beginning Of Early's with
drawal from Washington. However this
may be- 1 do know that on the with
drawal, my brigade was the rear guard
Of Earlys army. Every other part
Of Early's army was on the march to
cross to Potomac in front of us. when
my brigade left the lawn surrounding
the Blair House. and as We moved. un-
along the road. 1 had no con-
sciousness OF being driven.
The infantry fighting on the part OF
the Confederates was all done by the
regular skirmish line OF the corps. who
were all veterans and selected marks
men. Until I saw the article / had no
idea that so many men were actually
killed and wounded"