Evening star., 1933-10-22

by the President of the United States, suit
able building for the care and preservation Of
the ordnance and arms and accoutrements OF
the United States. required for the use of the
volunteers and militia of the District of Column
bia, and for the care and preservation of the
military trophies of the Revolutionary and
other wars, and for the deposit of newly
invented and model arms for the military
service, and said ordnance and arms and the
building to be used by the volunteers and militia
of the District of Columbia, under such regula-
tions as may be prescribed by the President,
and for the purpose of carrying this act into
effect, the sum of $4,000 be, and the same
hereby is, appropriated out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated
An early description of the old armory build
ing tells us that'the main entrance faced the
east and that flight of steps led to the drill
rooms on the second and third floors. The first
floor was paved and arranged for artillery,
three suitable entrances being provided on the
north and south sides of the building. Each
floor was provided with IL iron pillars and with
racks for guns and cases for accoutrements.
The dimensions of the building are about 81
by 103 feet
\h/HEN the Civil War came on it was taken
possession of by the Government and be-
came the principal building of Armory Square
Hospital, there being a number of temporary
buildings surrounding it. 1t was opened as
hospital in August, 1862, and closed as such
September H. 1865.
After it vacated by the War Depart
ment it remained unoccupied for some years.
Toward the close of the Centennial Exhibition
of 1876, number of foreign governments gave
to the United States enormous amount of
exhibits for the National Museum, the building
mi od
Knowing that space must be secured in which
to store these vast collections Congress- upon
the request of the Smithsonian Institution.
turned over the armory for this purpose. Later
it became the headquarters of the Fish Com
mission and Of its successor the Bureau Of
Fisheries, which remained in this building until
the Department of Commerce Building was re-
Gently completed, when it was moved into that
fine structure. The Armory is now occupied
by branch of the Department of Agriculture.
The force assembled at the armory on the
occasion of the John Brown raid did not leave
the quarters, and as soon as all danger had
passed members were permitted to return to
their homes Indeed, the Federal troops sent
to Harpers Ferry were not long in crushing
Brown and his handful Of followers soon after
their arrival, although the Charestown troops,
under command Of COL Robert W. Bayler; the
Martinsburg levies, led by Capt. Alburtis; the
Shepherdstown troops, and others did much in
checking the disturbance in its early stages.
And, of course, the United States Marines.
displaying their traditional courage, broke up
the party by storming the engine house.
Lieut.. Col. Robert E. Lee, who few years
later led the Southern Army in the Civil War,
was in charge of the United States troops
upon this occasion, and his lieutenant j. E. B.
Stuart, later became the Souths best cavalry
officer but lost his life when a cavalry force
led by him was defeated by Sheridan in 1864.
For his part in attempting to hberate the
slaves, John Brown was tried by the civil au-
thorities and executed as were several of his
followers. The Star at that time was but seven
years old, but growing rapidly in favor, and in
order to supply the people of Washington with
the best write-up possible. of events transpiring
at Charlestown then part of Virgnia), sent
its crack reporter for that purpose, and edl-
torially announced, on December 2 1899, thae
it had done so, saying:
Our assistant, Crosby S. Noyes, Esq, lett