Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-30


most beautiful city in the world and
the admiration of all the people. The
Grand Army of the Republic is an or
ganiZation possessing great influence. and
much needed legislation could be obtained
from Congress in behalf of Washington
if its members would exert themselves in
that direction.
Stirring Scenes Depicted by Mr.. Cox.
W. V. Cox, speaking for the Fort
Stevens Association. described the stirring
scenes of July. 1854. at Fort stevens
where Gen. Jubal 4. Early came so near
capturing Washington, He stated tha'
the Fort Stevens Association was organ
lied IN 1900 to secure regular memorial
exercises at Battle Ground cemetery
where lie buried forty Union soldiers
killed in the battle that the nation
ca pital might be saved from capture 10y
the Army OF Northern Virginia.
THE Fort Stevens Association. ne
said urges the saving Of historic Fort
Stevens. the salient point Of the defense
of Washington. the nearest approach o,
the Confederates to the capital ana
where president Lincoln was Under hre
THE work OF the association has re.
suited in having memorial exercises heid
in this little cemetery regularly on
the battleneid, markers have been
erected smaps and plans have been
troduced and championed i'll Congress to
save the fort and make it a part OF the
park plan of Washington or a part OF
the Walter Reed Hospital grounds. a
Confederate stronghold. where t,ariH
men were so well protected by nature.
The association has erected flaSstaH
and has marked with a granite boulder
the spot where President Lincoln stool
exposed to the fire of the Confederates
1 1T has successfully encouraged the plac-
tv,r for
regiments engaged in tie conflict on that
hot July day in GA. the last monument
being erected by the 1Jith Ohio.
July II. fifty years after the battle Of
Fort Stevens, the survivors of the 2nth
New York Volunteer Cavalry will dedi-
| cate monument here to the memory IF
| the brave bows who We're killed in the
, battle that saved Washington.
THE regiment was the first one TO
| reach the capital from the Army of the
James. 1t bore the brunt Of the fight be-
fore the arrival of the 9Th Corps under
Gen. Wright The 25th lost six men in
the engagement. five of whom are bur
ried in Battle Ground. Sixteen of those
wounded here died and are buried in
| Arlington.
Our friend and comrade John II.
Wolff. has been appointed by the Governor
| of New York a member of the New York
state commission to select and locate the
| monument which Will he placed on the
|
in line with other monuments.
| THE 18th New York Volunteer Cavalry
was known as Sickles' Cavalry. and it is
| with regret that the death is announced
of Gen. Daniel f. Sickles. after whom the
regiment was named and a member of
| the Fort Stevens Association.
Mr. Cox concluded his address by ask
ing those present to support the Fort
Stevens Association in its efforts to save
the old fort that in 1864 saved Washing
1 fnp frIh !.
north and south. and in memory of the
great commoner. Abraham Lincoln, who
was under hostile fire there.
Address by Representative Gray.
Landing the Gettysburg celebration as
a triumph of peace. where the old enc
mics Of the north and the south joined
i, hands to pledge their hearts together to
maintain the Union forever. Representa-
tive Gray said in part:
| The Gettysburg celebration was one
of the great events of this country. In
some respects it was a greater event than
the capitulation of Lee. In some re-
spects it was a greater epoch in history
than the surrender of AppomattoX. APP
pomattox was a surrender of arms: the
Gettysburg celebration was a surrender
of hearts. At Appomattox men yielded
their contentious under force: at the
Getty sburg celebration men gave up the
strife dividing them for fraternity, broth
erhood and love. AppomattoX was tri-
umph of war: the Gettysburg celebration
was triumph of peace. At Appomattox
the south took the oath of allegiance to
the Union; at the Gettysburg celebration
| both the north and south pledged their
hearts together to maintain the Union
forever.
Time cures all the defects in human
| affairs and heals AL wounds. Time is
| carrying us each year farther and
| farther away from the antagonism and
| animosities of thee civil war. The
the faint outline of that great struggle
! The war generation is passing to the
| land of the dead. and the scenes OF
| that conflict are fading from the memory
| of the living. The smoke of those great
| battlefields has lifted from the earth. The
| reverberations of artillery have died
! away with the receding past.
The opposing forces have broken
| ranks to engage in the arts of peace
/ and civil life. The tumult of battle
| has been hushed into suppressed muir
murS of regret Save for the song of
| the lonesome bird and the drone of the
| beetle, the stiffness and silence brood
! ing there today is as appalling as the
| awful clash and ciamor of war was ter
| rible The foliage, the verdure and the
| vine have crept over the scenes of bat
| tie to hide the scars of war. The strife
and bitterness of the past have been
| screened from the present by the mantle
| Of nature and the curtain of time The
| war is over. The country is again
| united and the honor the glory and