Evening star., 1936-07-19
BULL RUN REPEATS
Battle to Be Fought Once More Under
Present Conditions on 18th Anniver.
sary-Defense of Capital.

city, the Capital of the Nation. was a
very poorly protected place. In fact,
it always had been in that condition.
From its capture by the British In
1914 through the years that followed,
it was never dreamed that Washington
ever again would be attacked by an
armed force at war And not even
when the first clouds of civil strife
began to loom above the political hor-
izon was much attention paid to the
necessity of fortifying the city.
Persistently adverse to war, the pre-
vailing opinion was that these gath
ering clouds of dissension would never
be allowed to break and precipitate a
storm. At the last moment they
would disSipate and the threat to the
national existence would vanish. Even
the opening acts of hostility we're un-
able to dislodge the general belief that.
after the first few skirrAishes. the two
sections of the country would get to-
gether and settle once for all their
long-standing troubles.
The ever-increasing threat Of war.
however, forced the military strategists
in charge of the safety of the city 10
lay plans for its defense. In addition
to obstructing the main bridges and
highways and stationing troops at
strategic points, it was decided to use
the natural barriers which surrounded
the Capital as part of its defense sys-
tenn. The invasion, II any, 1t was
naturally thought, would come from
the south. In which event, the Po-
tomac and AnacoStia Rivers, together
with the high, precipitous bluffs and
hills that lined the opposite shore.
would be sufficient obstacles to an
offensive movement against the city.
CHORTLY after the fall Of Fort
- Sumter an event happened which
clearly demonstrated the helplessness
Of the City of Washington before an
energetic enemy. On looking toward
the heights of Arlington one day
thereafter, the inhabitants beheld
strange, new flag floating from the
same pole long used by the Stars and
Stripes. Intuitively, the people hoped
and prayed that no cannons had been
placed beside that flag for the pur-
pose Of bombarding the city into ruins.
This was the first time in this war
and the second In its history that the
safety Of the Capital Of the United
States had been placed in jeopardy.
The threat hung over the city until
y.olfny,ad kTy fhA - tho
teer troops from the North.
Thus awakened and enlightened, the
Federal authorities instantly realized
that If they allowed the Capital to
be captured the result would be a
paralyzing blow to the Union cause.
Immediately they sprang to the city's
defense. Soldiers came pouring into
the city and were rushed to protect
the bridges that crossed the Pntrmec
from the south.
The Chain Bridge, 3 miles UP the
river at the foot of the Little Falls,
constituted one Of these main en-
trance ways into the city. It was
easy Of access to the ConfedsSstes by
reason Of the turnpike that came
down to the bridge from the insurgent
country in the rear. This bridge
should be seized and protected at all
cost.
Accordingly, batteries were stationed
on the District side both on q level
with the bridge in position to sweep
Its floor and above and behind in sew
eral locations on the overhanging
bluffs. To prevent sudden attacks, the
bridge at the Virginia end was barri-
caded and each night the board floor
ing over the deep channel of the river
was removed and the bridge thus
rendered impossible.
Shortly afterward, other measures
were taken to protect the bridge and
safeguard the city from the south. In
September, 1861, troops under Gen. W.
Continued on Eighth Page.)