Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-01-17
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR
In The star Of January IL, 1865. is
the news of the removal of Maj. Gen.

selfish and irresponsible persons to Of
fetal positions of trust and RESPONSE
bility. Their indiscretions have often
cost him dearly. and are supposed to
be in no small degree instrumental in
causing his present removal The os-
tensible grounds for depriving him of
his command are undoubtedly his re-
cent fiascos at Wilmington and Dutch
Gap But a mountain of dissatisfac-
tton has been accommodating against
him for months, on account of alleged
illegal and arbitrary arrests. imprison-
many cases of glazing injustice have
come to light and many others are
expected to be developed by his SUPER
sedure. Maj. Gen. Butler is ordered to
and government property and the civil
fund In his possession to the person
named by Lieut.. Gen. Grant as his tenn
porary successor and to proceed to
War Department by letter Maj Gen.
Edward Ohio Cressup Ord. commanding
the cath Army Corps. has been named
the temporary successor of Gen. Butler.
and will at once take charge of the
department.
The following dispatch from the
headquarters Of the Army of the Poto-
mac. investing Rich
Rebel Raid mond, printed in The
p:,h.. Star of January H.,
VA A'Ne'S' 1865. affords an impress
sion Of the inactivity of both the Fed
eral and Confederate forces in the
course of the midwinter campaign not
much different in some respects from the
situation that has been reported from
some of the points on the long battle
n IN
THE rebels made another attack on
the picket line this morning, just be-
fore daybreak. and captured a few
videttes on the right of the I'd Di-
vision. 9Th Corps. The morning was
very dark. and the attacking party ap-
preached cautiously behind an old abat-
tbs until they were almost at our line
ere the pickets were aware of their
coming. The men fred their pieces
and ran back toward the reserves. but
the rebels were close to them, and, be-
ing dressed in our uniform, could not
be distinguished from our own men,
and consequently were not fired on as
they otherwise would have been. Not
ing the attack. and they retreated, tax
ing nine men with them and wounding
one of the 49th New York. Their OBJ
ject seemed to be to obtain food and
soldiers knapsacks and blankets. few
of which they got. however Our men
go on picket for twenty-four hours and
only carry one days rations with
them. taking no knapsacks or blankets.
They got a few haversacks this morn
ing, and today one of them was held
up by rebel to show our boys what
they had gained. Some of them swear
are waiting an opportunity to pay
them back with double fury On the
other part of the line not a gun has
been fired for some days"
The troubles between the hackmen
and the Metropolitan Street Car Com
pany at the b. & o. depot
Street Car were taken to court, but
T,o,,h1. the case was postponed
after a preliminary hear
ing. and there were hopes that the
matter would be amicably settled
without trial. In The Star of January
IA. 1865. is the following paragraph:
"On Saturday last. before the diff
Guilty happened. a partial compromise
was effected which worked well for a
time, the bus drivers agreeing not to
back over the platform and the COM
pany that the cars should not stop
to block up the passage to the coaches,
but while letting out or taking in
passengers. stopping at the lower or
track from the depot to the Capitol
not being in working order at the
time the front of the depot was used
temporarily as stand, and hence the
difficulty. Since the conflict the mat
ter has been laid before Supt Richards
of the police. and the result has been
that a line has been drawn in the
center of the platform which is
guide. the company agreeing to con-
fine themselves to that portion of the
II
afford room for two cars. and the other
parties to have the use of the lower or
southern portion, the company having
the right to drive in a car az fast as
the one on the stand leaves"
About this time fifty years ago
Francis P. Blair, who stood high in the
confidence of Presi-
Blalr'S Visit dent Lincoln. left
to Richmond. ' "a a,s, NV, with ga
Richmond. Immediately the POSSIBLE
ity of negotiations for the surrender
Of the Confederacy on terms suggested
by the President was widely discussed
through the north. In The Star of
January 16, 1865. is news paragraph
stating that Mr.. Blair reached the navy
yard on his return from Richmond
that afternoon on the u s. s. Don, the
flagship of the Potomac flotilla. Else
where in the same edition Is the fol-
lowing comment on the visit Of Mr..
Blair to Richmond:
THE Richmond Examiner of Satur-
day states that Mr.. Blair on his ar
rival announced to jeff Davis that he
had no credentials from President Lin
coin. but would be glad to meet him
as an old friend; that Davis granted
an interview to Mr.. Blair and that
Mr.. B. told Davis he could have peace
on the basis of gradual emancipation.
Mr.. Davis said he was willing to re-
ceive three commissioners to treat for
peace, or to send three to Mr.. Lincoln,
provided he could have any guaranty
that they would be received. The dis