Evening star., 1921-05-31
HONOR DEFENDERS
OF FORT STEVENS
Memorial Services for Men
Who Died to Save the
Capital.


coin stood exposed to the Confederate
| fire, G. a. r. veterans and Brightw ood
citizens yesterday afternoon held me-
moria! services for the men who saved
the capital against Gen. Early's at
tack in 1864
Forty soldiers WHO were killed in
the fight at Fort a.evens and now
nave their eternal resting place" in
hattle Ground national cemetery,
where the services We're held were
euIoglZed by Washington Gardiner.
cohinlSsloner of pensions. and other
speakers. The District Commissions
erS and Army officers attended the
The battle of Fort Stevens" said
Mr Gardiner. was not "A great bat
tie. But neither was Lexington. Con-
cord or Ti"onderosa. Small in com
parlSon with the other great conflicts
or the war. yet it was crucial en-
Eagement. Gen. Early. on yonder
hi!l. looked at the Capitol. Suppos-
ing the ConfcderateS had won the
hght. what might have been the re-
suit:
"Snve the World"
Flfty-seven years ago these men
who are buried here said We will
Save tn" world Since that time
many of the governments of Europe
then in sympathy with the attempt
to dissolve the Union. have stood with
Supplicating hands and said Come
over to US or we perish"
ftfcrrlnS to the wounded men in
VA tier Reed Hospital. Mr.. Gardiner
evoked applause when he said:
There is close union between tn"
mutliated men on yonder hill and
tn" men who sleep here in these
sod covered graves"
Preceding the memorial services
IN" new r"strum in the cemetery
was dedicated by Mai. Gen. William
II. Carter. There We're approximate-
ly 500 persons present when ne me-
morla! ceremonial began. at , o'clock.
with a flag raising and salute to tn"
c"I"rS, which was directed by +. d.
Owen. Th" memorial orders of the
! q. y. r. were read by Mai. Gen.
John l.. Glenn.
Col. 3. f. Bingham chairman of
the committee in charge. then was
introduced by William V Cox. the
VIC" chairman. The Invocation was
pronounced by Rev. Clifton X. Ray
| Gettysburg Address Read.
! Reading of I.inco'n's Gettysburg
address by Barry Bulkley. an orig
! inal poem. "F0rt Stevens" by John
! rlaGe't Proctor. and the rrciting Of
Th" star SpanSl"d Banner" hr Iohn
/ NJ. Kline. jr.. preceded the delivery
! of tn" memorial Grafton. Following
tn" address of the commissioner of
( pensions the audience sang Amer
! lea and the hen"dictinn was given
by Rev. J. w. DALEY. Taps was
sounded by hUgl"r and sa!ut"
! fred by United States artillery
Patriotic music was played during
the exercises by the Walter Reed
Band. Others confronting to the
musical program were the Neighho~-
mood Quartet. consisting of Miss Mil
dred l.. Hege. Mrs. w. w. Wallace l.
f. Randolph and Dr. F. A. Owen
Penney. Miss Hege. Mr.. Randolph ana
DIR. Penney sang solos. The gra vns
were decorated by public school chill
drcn.
In addition to the Commissioners
of the District. guests of honor in
cluded Mayor .I"mes L. Wilmet Of Ia
knma Park. Nd: Mai Gen Lansing
r. Reach. Mai Gen Tas'ter II. Big,
Maj. Gen. Peter &. Harris. Brig. cen
George Richards, Mai Cen. Harry I"
Rogers and Lieut.. Col G. o. Sheriff.
Presidents of citizens associations
invited as special guests were r.. +.
Henderson. Piney Branch Park; loss"
G. Suter Takoma Park; J. j. Carr.
n"tworth; Georg" II Russell Park
Daniel e Roper. 1871 street High
Iards. and &. \. Langley Woodburn.
Souvenir programs. illustrated Wit,
views of Fort stevens in 1864. ard
containing the names Of the men who
}if'"d in The Fort Stevens fight.
We're issued.
Tn" no"m read hv Mr. Proctor. dcd-
Gated to the sacrifices of these men.
follows
Poem Dedicated to Heroes.
Today muse what might have been.
II Earr and his S"Vtll"rn
Had "a ireI adnittarc" to door
Way back in July. sixty four.
Iii" city would have gone in flame
For that Gen. Ear.v's aim
Ard history Of III" L. S \.
Would read quite differently today.
Instead Of one unitel land.
With north and south together banned
To whip tho world. II it need DO
There might be the confedrracy.
weakened country. prey to all:
At Europ"'S bidding. heel; ard call.
Praise God. il failed. And You and |
Can thank the dead who round us lie.
They gave their lives-thn greatest act
That home country could exact.
Their loss but tho nations gain
Their sacrifice was not in vain.
They rallied to their ronntry's aid
And with their lifrblord gladly paid
For freedoms cause. for liberty.
And TO preserve our unity.
Oh. let us hark back 10 tha. fight.
Imagining the foe in sight:
You Fort Stevens over there
Defender OF city fair.
Irs guns are beIchins shot ard shell
You 10 hear the rebel yell.
As flushed with victory lately had
They fight like soldiers driven mad.
You gee our banners f1oa ting high,
The enemy's nnrish defy:
And wars carnage You behold.
Your very blood seems freezing cold.
Ynu see a standard bearer fall.
Hit by sniper's rifle bail:
You see our flag grabbed up again.
Forged to the front with m ght and main.
You soe the charge and hear the cry
or wounded men about to die:
You the lines together meet.
And then the buge sound retreat.
Yon Old Abe. whose anxiousness
Gave Gen. Wright much distress
He never left until he knew
The Gray beaten by the Blue.
And when that night he went to he'd.
No doubt grateful prayer he said
To Him VINO gave salvatiOn's aid
In saving from Eariy's raid.
Still stands Fort Stevens az Of yore
Though fifty years have gone. and more:
Its slopes green. Its guns are gone,
Its ramparts here and there are torn.
Kind hands have snved 1t from the spade,
Though many charges have been made.
hut still you can. by looking good
See just the spot where Lincoln stood.
The only. really. bnttle he.
In that great ~ar perr hanred TO see
1t should be bought and marked today.
For much may happen with delay.
And here should I've the monument
Erected TO that President:
Bought by here-our people did
Now in seclusion stored and hid.
oh. let us blot out that dsgrnce
And Fort Stevens ramparts place
The Lincoln whom we all adore
Who watched the fight in sixty four.