Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26
Capital Sidelights

ent Of the Metropolitan Police, comes
Of heroic parentage. His father,
Corpl. John C. Hesse, saved the regi-
mental colors of the 8th infantry
during the Civil War. For TINS ne
received the Congressional Medal vi
Honor and Is still living at olo
street
This is one of the most historic regi.
ments. Organized in 1888, 1t played
| an active and valorous part in many
Indian wars, the Spanish American
War and the late World War, when,
following the signing of the armistice,
the Sth was sent to the Rhine ana
was the bulwark of the American
forces in Germany. Corpl. Hesse's
exploit is one of the most inspiring
| of it's 'recollections.
AT the beginning Of the year 1861,
when ominous war clouds were lower
ing over the young American republic,
| the 8th Regiment was stationed at
| various posts in the new State of
| Texas. Surrounded on all sides by
overwhelming forces Of Confederates,
and realizing the futility of resistance,
Gen. Marshall Twiggs, the department
| commander, ordered all Union troops
| in that section to leave the State by
| way of the coast.
The attempt to comply with this
order resulted in the capture OF the
different attachments of the regiment
by the Confederate forces-but the
regimental colors were not captured.
and thereby hangs this tale:
Company c, on entering the plaza at
| San Antonio on April %, was sur
rounded by an overwhelming force
and obliged to surrender. Lieut.. Col.
Hoffman, commanding the regiment.
and the regimental staff and band
were taken prisoners about 10 O'Clock
the same day at San Antonio. Few
| days subsequent to this surrender
Corpl. Hesse, on going to the former
office Of the regimental headquarters,
which was then in control of the Con-
federates, met there Lieut.. Hartz, the
regimental adjutant, and Sergt. Maj.
Joseph X. Wilson. The regimental
colors were in the Office. Corpl. Hesse
took the torn colors which the regi-
| ment had carried through the Mexican
War, wrapped them around his body,
under his shirt and blouse, and passed
out of the building, which was strongly
guarded. The colors were put in one
of Lieut.. Hartz's trunks and next day
left San Antonio for the North under
constant guard Of the doughty young
| corporal, whose life would not have
amounted to much If his exploit had
| been discovered. They brought the
colors safe to Washington and on
May 26, 1861, turned them over to
the President.
| Largely through the zeal of Repre-
| sentative r. Walton Moore of Fairfax,
Va, the authoritative photography of
George Washington's life and assocl-
ates-which has been undertaken by
| men of outstanding talent and erudl-
| ton upon the subject as one of the
| features of the 1882 bicentennial cele-
| bration of Washington's births to
| be enriched by volume on George
Mason of Gunston Hall, author of the
| famous Bill of Rights and the Vir-
ginia constitution, which was the first
| written on either side of the ocean
setting up a complete system of gov
| eminent.
Following closely upon the memorial
volume by Charles Moore, chairman
of the Commission of Fine Arts, on
| the family life of George Washington,
| comes the information by Representa-
] tive Moore that Armistead G. Gordon,
noted historian, .biographer and essay
! list, living in Staunton has undertaken
the first real biography of George
Mason. He proposes to give picture
of the times in which Washington
lived and his associates, emphasizing
| the part that Mason took In shaping
| the events that brought on and those
| that followed the Revolution, as well
as assisting in carrying on that strug-
| gle. 1t is to be on a par with the
Life of Washington in the American
Statesmen's series, Mr.. Moore ex-
planned. .:.r...
In freshening up his research. Mr..
10 i,,c or nd nf
| the historic Virginia region in which
both Washington and Mason lived, CO.
operating with Charles H. Callahan
of Alexandria, author of the important
volume, George Washington, the
Mason" and Representative Moore,
who has the distinction of being the
best informed man alive on Virginia
history. They visited with especial
inter es: Gunston HaE, Mason's old
home, a beautiful example of colonial
architecture, now owned by Mr.. and
Mrs. Louis Hertle.
This new historical work is Of espe-
cial interest in view Of the fact that
on June IL year ago, the 150th an
niversary of the adoption of the Bill
Of Rights, was celebrated at Williams
burg, which was attended by an Off.
cial delegation from Congress and
the proceedings were subsequently re-
ported in the Congressional Record.
The speeches on that occasion Gen.
tered about Mason as author of the
| Bill of Rights.
Representative Moore said: "All Of
this has helped to stir fresh interest
in one Of the very greatest statesmen
of the early period, who. had he been
willing to accept all of the high offices
placed within his reach. would be more
vividly remembered, instead of being
subordinated in the memory of people
| to many who were inferior to him in
ability and in their contribution to
the cause of independence and the
creation of our institutions.
Mr.. Gordon is distinguished
lawyer and biographer. a member OF
the executive committee of the Vir-
ginia Historical Society. He has more
than 80 important biographical and