Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08

NE Of the most eventful pages
III. the history Of the National
Capital was written IS years
w. ago this month It was a
black page of terror and pill
lace, but one which contained bless
ING IN disguise for the Union cause,
then hanging in the balance.
curing the closing week of June,
1853 when the Gettysburg campaign
was nearing It's bloody climax ana the
armies were on their way, on opposite
sides 0f the Blue Ridge Mountains. FOR
the peaceful PENNSYLVANIA farming
lands on which the future OF the Ma
ton was decided, WaShingtonS suburbs
became the arena for a military spec
tacle which many critics agree may
have been a decisive factor in the
Union victory at Gettysburg.
This page OF WaShingto1S history,
though of vital Importance to the city
and the Nation. has since been OBJ
scured bs the greater events which fol-
lowed at the little Pennsylvania cross
roads. town Attention has been once
more focused on this page Of the Ma
tons past by the Memorial day visit
of President Coolidge TO Gettysburg.
For more than a week. beginning
about June IS, 1868, this city was
plunged into almost hyStericaf panic as
its communications with its defender,
the Army Of the Potomac, were cut
of and the hostile cavalry troops OF
Mai. Gen. ]. s. B. Stuart hswed
wreckaSe-strewn pathway to the very
gates of the National Capital A long
Federal Army supply train, leaving
WASHINGTON with rafionS and supplies
for the Army. was captured just beyond
To 'eytown. The plumber which eouio
no be carried was burned ana the
clouds of smoke were visible IRON the
White House.
Though the enemy raid completely
der0raiiSed the National Capatai, IL
proved blessing TO the Union cause,
as it separated all Of Lees cavalry nom
the body Of his Confederate army ana |
effectuaiw blinded him TO the move
ments of the rapidly gathering Union
forces until too late to fight on de-
fenSive battlefield of his own choosing,
Moreover. had Stuart obeyed Lees
orders and not lost communication with
his chief by his destructive foray around |
the Union Army. he would have arrived
OH the field Of battle Just as the forces |
were gathering, and the cloSe-pltched
battle Of the first day might have re
suited in q Southern victory.
This story. however. deals not with
Gettysburg. the details of which are so
well known, but with the events In
waShington's immediate vicinity before !
the battle which we're so important, but |
which have been 50 generally over
looked So direct was the menace to
the Federal city on June rs and 20. |
1853. that preparations were made to
arm all male Federal employees and
civilians and send them to the line OF
forts around the city.
**
DRESIDENT COOLIDGE'S delivery
on that battlefield Of his last Me- |
mortal day address during his tenure !
Of Office as President was the occasion |
To- the first visit the President has
made 70 Gettysburg since he became |
President, and the first time a Chief
Executive has visited there since Presi- !
dent Harding witnessed the Marine
Corps franeuvers there six years ago.
The Gettysburg campaign began June |
3. 1853. when Longstreet's corps Of the
Confederate army broke camp at Fred
erickshurg and took the road to Cul-
pepper Court House. Lee himself left
Fredericksburg at noon. June 6. leaving
OF force and hold the Union Army on
the Rappahannock as long as possible.
HiH succeeded in keeping the Union
forces puzzled as to the Confederate
movements for more than a week
On June 8, near Culpeper, Lee and
his generals reviewed the reorganized
cavalry force under Gen. Stuart. which
soon after marched to the outskirts of
Washington The early morning mists.
rolling up under warm Spring sun.
disclosed the finest cavalry force the
South ever gathered; more than 5000
men, divided into the brigades Of Wade
Hampton B. II Robertson, A. g. Jei1-
kins william e. Jones. Fitzhugh Lee.
W. e. r. Lee and Imboden's Partisan
Rangers There were SIX batteries Of
horse artillery. numbering 80 pieces
On June 10 Lees army was well on
its way up the Shenandoah Valley. and
on the same day the Union commander.
Maj Gen. Joseph Hooker, hurriedly
broke up his Winter camp at Falmouth,
on the shores of the Rappahannock,
and set bis army in motion for the
North
The tremendous supplies Of Union
stores at Aqua Greek were taken BY
steamer TO Washington and unloaded at
the Sixth street wharves, where the
quartermaster depots were located. The
city was q scene Of feverish activity as
supply trains were made up and loaded
to follow Rockers army into the field.
On June IL. when the head of Lees
column captured Winchester and Mar
tinSburg, w. Va, Hooker's army was
spread out between the Blue Ridge
Mountains and the Notifications Of
Washington.
Frof.. June IL to IS the work of the
cavalry Of bvth armies formed the i'm
portant element of the campaign
Stuartis forces were used by Lee to
guard the Blue Ridge passes and to
screen the movements of the Southern
army The Union cavalry, commanded
by Maj. Gen. Alfred PleaSanton. had as
its mission the watching o. the passes