Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08
avav in Civil War Once Plunged Capital Into Panic

On June 26 Gen. Heintzelman re-
quested Gen. Halleck to issue orders for
assembling of employees of the quarter
masters and eommissary departments,
and added that he deemed it very i'm
portant Ito have the citizens formed
into some organization, such as home
guards, to aid in the defense in case of
an attack. 1t is very desirable to do so
in such manner as not to add to the
unnecessary alarm that already exists. :"
/ X Il x
lust before noon, June 81, when
- Stuart's movement was gathering
alarming Roadway, j. j. Devereux, SUI
perintendent Of military railroads, was
ordered to run all spare trains to Mary
land avenue or some convenient place in
/ Washington for safety, and to build
stockades against hostile cavalry at
lacks. and to "let no men go to work
elsewhere until the stockade is finished"
Gen. M. G. Meigs, quartermaster gen.
eral, for whom Camp Meigs, on Florida
avenue, was named, went into tower
ing rage when news was brought to him
Of the capture of the big Union supply
train, He characterized the sending OF
such train without proper escort as
gross careIessness and inattention o
military rule"
I'VE are now insulted by burning
wagons three Eliles outside of Tennally-
town." he wrote to Gen. ingalls, at 4O5
I pm. June %. your communications
| are now in the hands of Gen. Fitzhugh
Lees brigade"
Gen, ingalls, replied from his camp,
near Frederick. Md,
| THE cavalry that left before the
wagon train has not beeil heard of here.
| Had the train been guarded by the
/ ~ ha have
been the same. Its staying was ILL
timed and unfortunate. There is a
powerful force Of rebel cavalry between
here and Rockville. Our oMn cavalry
Is in motion, and the army will march
in the morning. We must and Will hght
TO the end"
The cavalry referred to by Gen. In
gals, the I'd New York, left Was hing
ton. about 800 strong. June 81. The
little column ran into Fitzhugh ees
brigade ON the River road just b9yt'nd
Bethesda and again near Rockville, "A, d
we're forced back to Washington WIZ
the loss of Is men. going into camp "a
Tenleytown. At 7:20 pm. June % a
telegraph detachment sent out to re-
place the destroyed telegraph lines wired
from a point 3 miles this side OF
Rockville that the wagon train was still
burning and the rebel pickets were just
this side of Rockville The detachment
leader reported that two of the team
sters, one badly wounded. ESCAPED and
Joined him, and that fugitive citizens
reported 1000 to 10000 Confederate
cavalry in Rockville. He reported that
it was impossible to repair the line, as
the poles were down and the wire eas-
ried away.
On June 30 laborers we're put to worE
clearing brush from in front of the forts
around Washington in anticipation CT
enemy attack The panic in which
Washington was gripped Is rejected IN
communication from Secretary OF
War Edwin NJ. Stanton to Gen. Halleck
ON June 80, suggesting that batteries De
placed on the road leading into the city
/ and at various points in the city itse1.
He urged Halieck to 'see that every
4 possible means OF security Is adopSed
against any sudden raid or incursion Oh
the enemy"
Halleck replied that it would be use
less to place additional batteries, las
the number of these is greater than We
can garrison" He added, Il know OF
no available military means which have
not already been employed to prevent
rebel raid on this Cit" The pitlfulIy
small garrisons were ordered TO arms at
/ o'clock every morning and kept al
their posts until bread daylight in
preparation for early morning attacks.
The guards of the public buildings
were ordered to be ready to meet the
enemy at any threatened point, and
clerks and employees Of the Government
were ordered in case Of alarm TO assem-
Bile at their departments and 70 arm
themselves to guard the public property
- The alarm aroused ameng the citizens
of Washington by all these desperate
preparations was increased oy the &C
tiyities of Southern sympathizers and
spies who sought to fan the terror OF
the population into panic which would
infect the troops assigned to the defense
of the city and render 1t an easy prey
in case Of an assault by Stuart's cavalry.
The tension vas only partially re-
lieved In Washington when il was re-
ported that Stuart's cavalry was NOV
ing rapidly away to the north. On June
40 Stuart'S advance ran into Farms
worth,s brigade of Kflpatriek's union
cavalry division at Hanover. Pa. ana
Il sharp battle followed. Stuart then. be-
cause of lack Of information as 10 Lees
whereabouts. caused by his raid on
washington, missed one of the greatest
/. opportunities Of the war. Buford
Union cavalry, just west OF Gettysburg.
| encountered the advance Of Hills corps
/ and there began the skirmiShing which
brought on the battle of Gettysburg.
The Union line. none too strong, was
HARD pressed TO hold its own, Stuart
was within striking distance. and mad
he pressed to the west he would have
arrived on the field at the critical mo-
| ment. taken the Union line in the flank
and rear. and undoubtedly have ehansed
the entire aspect Of the battle, IN
stead he pushed northward and did not
4 reach the battlefield until the after
/ noon of the second days fighting, TOO
| late to be of any real service. The die
was cast Lee was defeated and the
| anfir tide Of the war changed