The Washington herald., 1922-01-01
Placed Marble Rostrum.

Ou khC uCAN NOAAe ~ DNeNN"s
Placed Marble ROstrum.
Two Of the most important i'm
provements Of this community Sc
cured by the activity OF the ASSOC
citation have been the asphHIting
of Georgia avenue from Webster
street to Piney Branch road at a
cost OF about t122,OO0, which was
one Of the largest single items for
paving ever made.
One of q rather patriotic nature,
the result Of the associations ef-
forts, was the placing Of the marble
rostrum at Battle Ground National
Cemetery in North BrightwOod.
This was only dedicated last
Memorial Day. and IL might be in
teresting to say that the columns
used in its construction were
formerly part Of the Patent once,
prior to the Ere in the early seven
ties, after which they were taken
out and others substituted. II any
one were to ask you where was
BriRhtwood, you probably would
not know. Although the cars are
labelled thus, no one seems 70 know
exactly. Everyone knows where 1t
is not, but few know ~re II Is.
BriEhtwood, Il is said, NNs named
by Archibald White and Lewis
Burnett, before the civil war. \
crossroads store and q postofnce
were established. This was at the
junction Of Piney Branch road and
Georgia avenue, or where now
stands the handsome new temple
OF Stansbury Lodge OF Masons. EVIL
IDENTIFY the entire surrounding coun-
try took his name. for as far south
as SauPs nurseries. II was called
BrIghtwood.
Historically, Brightwood is one
OF the most interesting places in
the United States, and although
the national government does not
seem to recognize this fact by
making provision for preserving
the landmarks connecting II with
the civil war. yet private interests
have temporarily at least come to
the rescue However, the Fort
stevens Association, composed OF a
number Of local and national men
OF distinction are urging leEisla
ton which will save these places
for the benefit of present and fu-
| ture generations.
Marked Crucial spot.
Already the Sixth Army Corps
has marked the spot where Lin
| coin stood on those July days OF
1854, when the Capital was threat
| ened by the Confederate troops I'M
der Gen. JubaI Early.
True, the Battle OF Fort Stevens
was not a big engagement 80 far
as men engaged or men killed OF
wounded was concerned, but II was
one OF those crucial engagements
| like Gettysburg. which, II II had
been lost by the Union, would have
produced such a depression in the
ranks of the North, and would
have SO encouraged the enemy that
no one can tell just what the ulu'
mate result would have been. Nc
doubt the foreign countries, already
| affordinE moral and financial as
sistancc to the South. would have
become more active in this dlreC'
| ton and II would have taken al
! least several more years to have
| terminated the war successfully
assuming that this could have beer
done.
! Knew BriEhtwOOd Then.
AS to whether Gen. Early in hi
raid did or did not intend to TAX
or burn Washington matters little
for no one is willing to say tina
he would not have done one or IN
other or both IL he had foun,
Washington unprotected and insult
fciently defended. Indeed, the ef
feet of the successful accomplish
ment Of either was well worth ~
trying for. IL the opportunity ma
presented itself.
II there is now any question O
the exact geographical position o
Brightwood ffty-seven years ag
there were few people residing il
the District Of Columbia who di
not try to reach its vicinity on thos
memorable July days.
Shortly after the beginning o
the Civil War troops from the scN
Cnth and tenth Massachusetts rcGi
ments. the second Rhode Island ant
the seth New York were statiOnCt
in BriEhtwood. and what later he
came known as Fort Stevens wa
called Fort Mas saChUsetts, in homo
OF the Ba State troops. AS thi
fortified position grew in militar!
Importance. its name was change,
to Fort stevens. in honor of Gen