Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Fort Stevens battle-ground.

Fort Stevens battle-ground.
The battle-ground of Fort Stevens.
located in the immediate suburbs OF
Washington, is easily accessible to Wis
itors during the encampment week,
and is a pleasant walk from the central
sections Of Washington. This locality
is as picturesque as 1t Is historical.
On a parapet Of Fort Stevens the great
wartime President, Abraham Lincoln.
stood by the side of Gen. Horatio G.
Wright amid the whizzing mimic balls
from the guns of Earlys infantrymen.
watching with grave and pensive
countenance the progress OF the battle.
After an army surgeon, standing near
President Lincoln, had been hit by
mimic ball and severely wounded Gen.
Wright entreated the President not to
expose his life to the missiles OF the
Confederates.s But the great Lincoln
seemed oblivious to his surroundings,
and finally Gen. Wright said with a
show Of firmness: Mr. President,
know you are commander of the armies
mander here, and. as you are not safe
where you are standing, order you to
come down" President Lincoln smiled
at Gen. Wright's earnestness and slow
Even then, Gen. Wright said. he would
persist in standing up and exposing his
tall form.
That old Lincoln parapet at Fort
Stevens stands today and for history's
sake 1t will be preserved in memory OF
Lincoln, and as a tribute to the Amer
lean soldier. Near the Fort Stevens
battle-ground there ts a little cemetery
in which repose the remains OF some OF
the gallant fellows who gave up their
lives there in defense Of the United
States Capital.
Historic Arlington Cemetery.
A point of pathetic interest to visitors
will be Arlington national cemetery.
where sleep thousands of Union and
Confederate warriors. and within whose
, hallowed precincts stands the ancient
Custis-Lee mansion in all Its old-time
glory. Arlington is but few minutes
ride from Washington. across the Po-
tomac. and thence to the Virginia. hills
in the near background. dotted here
and there by. the leveled remains OF
Whipple, now Fort Myer. where are
CHARTERED several troops of regular
cavalry and batteries of light artillery.
| To the north of Arlington is the ven
cradle Chain bridge. another relic OF
the civil war, where in 1851. the Dis
trict of Columbia militia was lined up
to prevent invasion Of Washington from
that direction. To the south of Airing
ton is the site OF old Long bridge, that
spanned the Potomac during the war
period, and which was crossed and re-
crossed many times by the forces OF
Uncle Sam. The original bridge. demol-
ished some years ago. has been re-
placed by two modern steel structures
forming part Of the highway and rail-
way connection with Alexandra. seven
miles away.
This old Virginia city will be another
point of interest for the thousands OF
visitors who come to Washington to
witness the last grand review and par
ticipate in the functions incident to the
great e1campment. The old hotel in
which Col. Ellsworth was killed by
Jackson; the slave pen. the colonial
Braddock House. old Christ Church.
which was attended by Gen. Washing
ton: the Confederate cemetery and
monuments. are some of the remaining
features Of early days in old Alexan-
dria.
Points on River and Bay.
On the Potomac river. south Of
Washington, reached by steamboat, are
other points Of wartime interest, in
Guiding the monuments at Point Look
out. where thousands of Confederate
AIDES and prison camps. Near Point
Lookout the government has erected
an imposing monument in memory of
the more than three thousand southern
soldiers who died there while prison
ers. Another monument to the pris-
oner dead was erected by the state of
Maryland, while the general govern
ment has constructed at q point in full
view Of Chesapeake bay memorial to
] the men in blue who died. while on