Evening star., 1934-05-27
BY John CLACETT PROCTOR.

gNA few days Memorial day will be here
again and the war dead of the Union will
receive q renewed pledge of appreciation
from those who left behind, but STILL
by their acts of loyalty and gratitude. are
endeavoring to preserve the principles upon
which this Nation is founded, and especially to
teach the younger generation, and prove to the
world that these men have not died in vain.
Arlington of course will have its usual elab-
crate exercises, and patriotic organizations will
meet at the other cemeteries In the city as
well, and elsewhere throughout the States.
where kind and willing hands will strew the
graves of our departed heroes with flowers
symbolic of our veneration and love.
Out at battle-ground National Cemetery, on
Georgia avenue the exercises will be especially
notable this year, on account OF the approach
of the seventieth anniversary OF the battle OF
Fort Stevens which will be celebrated on July
IL, of this year, by the Brightwood Citizens
Association, the Grand Army of the Republic
and kindred organizations. 1t Is hoped to have
in attendance Maj. Edward r.. Campbell, now
in his ninety-frst year. the only known Union
survivor of this engagement which occurred
on July II and IL, 1864, when Washington re-
ceived its greatest scare since the British in
vaded the Federal City on August "a, 1914.
As is well known, after the Bladensburg
debacle, that so-called engagement was face
tiously called the "Bladensburg Races" while
the failure of Gen. Early to seize the opportu-
nifty to enter the city before Union reinforce
nents arrived caused him to be characterized
as TOO Late Early
The movements Of Gen. Early were being
carefully watched by the War Department at
Washington, and perhaps he did the best he
could under the circumstances. We, today,
could lay out his campaign very nicely for
him We might even show just how he could
have succeeded-could have destroyed the
Capital and done lot of other things. But
we are looking backward while Mr.. Early was
looking forward, which, as we know, makes
quite a difference in the way one may see
things. However, in connection with this par
ticular occasion, he showed the strategy Of
George Washington in being able to withdraw
his troops in an orderly way, thus avoiding
what would otherwise have been disastrous
defeat.
c COME folks have idea of the number Of
- men engaged in the battle of Fort Stevens,
or what the fight meant, or might have meant
to the Union. First, it was about the darkest
period during the Civil War. The Peace party,
assisted by Horace Greeley, was haranguing
the public and franticaly calling for peace at
any price; the country was enormously in debt,
paying for its last loan the unusual interest Of
73 per cent.
1t was a campaign year; and so uncertain
were things at that time that Mr.. Lincoln
doubted himself, that he would be elected. In
this Thurlow Weed. noted politician of that
day, concurred, and so expressed himself in a
note he wrote on August %, saying: When 10
days since told Mr. Lincoln that his re-
election was an impossibility, I also told him
that the information would soon come to him
through other channels. 1t has doubtless ere
this reached him. At any rate, nobody here
doubts it, do I see anybody from other
States who authorizes the slightest hope of
success"
But President Lincoln, in the event of his
failure of reelection, meant to go down to de-
feat with flying colors and to fight to the very
last minute. Even if defeated, he had
idea of quitting and permitting the States to
remain separated and so, on August %, he
wrote the following note: "This morning, as
for some days past, 1t seems exceedingly prob