Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Scenes of Desperate Fighting
Within Radius of Seventy
Five Miles of Capital.
REACHED IN TRIPS BY
RAIL, TROLLEY AND AUTO
Maryland and Virginia Offer Special
inducements to Many Veterans
to Revisit Historic Fields.
EXCURSION TRAINS TO RUN
Memorials to Be Dedicated With In
teresting Ceremonies at Chantilly
In Old Fairfax-Descripti
of Points of Interest.

IN Old NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of Points of Interest.
Within easy journey from Washing
ton are some of the battlefields that
saw the biterest fighting of the civil
war and which decided that the Union
should be preserved. A radius OF sew
enty-fve miles Of Washington in
cludes nearly all of the scenes of the
most important engagements Of the
fratricidal strife.
On these fields the majority of those
attending this great jubilee reunion in
the National Capital lived through the
most trying moments of their lives,
and on these fields many of them per-
formed heroic service. for their coun-
try.
During this semi-centennial reunion,
probably the last that will ever be held
in this great home city of the entire
country, most of the veterans are visit
ing again these battlefields. many of
them accompanied by grandchildren to
whom they point out how the historic
encounters were fought, pridefully tell
ing the part that they played In keep
ing the country united
Trips Open to Battledelds.
Trips to these backgrounds are made
BY railroad. trolley cars and automo-
biles. with special rates in force dur
ing the period of the encampment-
An interesting survey of these scenes
of struggle between the Union and
Confederate armies has been prepared
by Capt J. Walter Mitchell. national
historian of the United Spanish war
Within a radius of seventy-five miles
of Washington nearly all of the most
important battles of the civil war were
Is historically interesting in the high
est degree. Included in the list of near
by. combats was Fredericksburg, with
its terrific fighting. December 10, 1852;
May and 4. 1853, including the lively
action at Salem Church; Mine run,
fought in December. 1853. and the gil
at Spottsylvania from May 5 to May
20. 1864. >These battlegrounds are all
within sixty miles of Washington.
,ssa was tss day
miles vest from Washington. A few
miles east of Antietam are South
bitter battles were fought three days
before Antietam. Harpers Ferry, the
scene of the surrender of Gen. Miles
Onion army two days before Antietam.
ton.
Winchester the Storm Center.
Winchester. described by Col. John
4cElroy as the Cockpit Of the Shen-
andoah Valley" around which were
fought some fifty battles and skirm-
fishes, including the great engagement
on the Opequan. is about seventy miles
by railroad from the National Capital
Gettysburg. the turning point of the
civil war. is seventy miles from Wash
ington. in a straight line.
Inside the seventy-mile radius were
fnnumerable other battles and skirm-
ishes, including such hotly contested
engagements as Cedar Mountain. the
the two Bull Runs, Bristow Station and
Chantilly.
At the very gates of Washington, in
Its picturesque suburbs. also remain
the time-worn defenses of Fort Ste
Early's raid upon Washington in July,
1854. So rapid and unexpected were the
movements of Early's men that they
were in sight of the dome Of the Cap
itol before his plans were fully real
lied In the echoes of the roar of
Eariy's guns came the news that he
had defeated Gen. Lew Wallace at
Monocacy bridge. which is within easy
automobile distance of Washington.
Timely arrival of the old 9Th Corps
checked Early's advance on Washing
ton and turned him in retreat and un-
doubtedly saved the Capital from de-
struction.
The time-worn parapet of Fort Ste
vens. on which Lincoln stood under
fire. is preserved. and the spot where
the martyred President exposed HIM
self to the craftsmanship of the men
in gray is suitably marked. The street
cars of Washington carry visitors to
all parts of the battle-ground Of Fort
Stevens.
Dedication Of Monuments.
Already plans are in effect for an ex-
eursfon Friday, October /. by trolley
TO Fairfax Courthouse, and thence by
automobiles and other vehicles to the
battlefield Of Chantilly. on Little River
pike.
Interesting ceremonies will be held
at the dedication of monuments on the
generals of the Union army. Phil
kearny and Isaac !. Stevens. were both
killed within Ave minutes and within
five rods OF each other.
This battle Of Chantilly was fought in
the midst of a terrific thunderstorm,
Gen. Pope's army. then in retreat,
being hercely assailed by Stonewall
jackson. Pope was retreating from the
second Bull Run fight when Jackson,
by rapid marching and fierce fighting,
endeavored to cut his army in two.
The farm on which this action oc-
CURED Is owned by Capt. Ballard. an
ex-Confederate soldier. who has donat-
ed the land for the memorial tablets
which will indicate the spots where
Maj. Gen. Kearny and Maj. Gen. Stew
ems fell. These tablets will be dedicat-
ed at noon, October /. and II is expect
ed many of the G. A. r. visitors from
Washington will attend the exercises,
which will be in charge of a commit
tee of veterans from Gen. Kearny's
native state. New Jersey-Charles F.
Hopkins of Boonton. Theodore Allston
of Newark and John w. Bodine of
Camden, who were members of
kearny's old brigade. An interesting
incident of the occasion will be the
presence of Capt. Hazard Stevens, son
of Gen. Stevens, who was wounded In
the same battle in which his distin-
guished father was killed. He is now q
citizen of Olympia. Wash.
Manassas Scene Of Two Battles.
Manassas, the scene of the two bat
ties Of Bull Run. Is about forty miles
from Washington. The drst battle was
fought July 21. 1861. and the second
thirteen months later, August %, 20
and 80: 1862. The preliminary light
ing in advance of both battles began
at Blackburn Ford on Bull Run
creek. where the very first clash
between the Army of the Potomac and
red July IS. 1861. In these first bat
ties between the men in blue and the
men in gray Gen. Mcdowell command