Evening star., 1936-09-13
By John Clagen Proctor.

-
vt IS. indeed, big step from the
period of the Civil War to the
present time, and the person who
i knew washington then and knows
st now-has seen it grow for 10 years
or more-haS certainly witnessed a
most wonderful transformation. OF
course, we have many residents who
can recall the strife between the
States, but then it will take little fig
uring to disclose the fact that those
who do remember it must be in the
Cctogenarian class or older. The
writer must confess that his own
recollection does not 60 back quite
80 far, and yet. just in his own time,
the changes that have taken place
are really marvellous.
Teh population of the District just
before the Civil War was about 10000.
Potomac water had only recently been
introduced and the Saturday night
bath in the washtub-the aqua pura"
being usually taken from the old hogs
head that stood under the rain spout
was still q universal custom; cattle
browsed on the commons throughout
the city, which was still the City of
Magnificent Distances. Since then
an amazing transformation has taken
place, and when the Grand Army of
the Republic comes here next week
those who are paying their first visit
here since the close Of the war will
surely not recognize the city as the
same Capital of the Nation for which
they fought from 1861 to 1865.
No doubt those who are able to do
30 will try to find the location of the
places in the city Of Civil War in
rerest, especially those places which
they still recall as having existed
when they were young and spry and
in the prime Of manhood and were
fighting for Uncle Sam and the Stars
and Stripes of the Union.
Many Of the points of historic in
terest have long since been obliter-
ated; a few remain to remind US of
tie past, and some sites may still be
pointed out to those interested in the
dark days Of the Republic, when
mems souls were not only tried but
put to the supreme test as well.
ONE of the main Civil War attrac-
~ tions. the old brick Capitol,
stood on the block where is now the
handsome Supreme Court Building.
This historic structure, erected in
1915 to house a homeless Congress
after the burning of Washington by
the British, August "a, 1914, was
taken over by the Government in
1861 and used as prison for political
offenders, and here many notable
people were incarcerated, including
Capt. Henry Wirz, C. S. A., who was
hanged in the lot to the rear Of the
old building for his part in starving
to death Union prisoners at Ander-
sonville Prison, Ga. Wirz was born
in Zurich, Switzerland, and came to
this country in 1849.
Other executions took place there
during the Civil War period.
The Capitol itself. near by, is just
teeming with events of the war and
from the very beginning of the con-
f1ict we find it being used for military
purposes, until other arrangements
could be made. The Washington Ar
tillery Of Pottsville, Pa, among the
first troops to respond to President
Lincoln's call, was quartered in the
Senate chamber for the night of
April 1s, 1861, and other Pennsyl-
vania regiments quartered there were
the National Light Infantry of Potts
vile, Allentown Rifles of Allentown,
Ringgold Artillery Of Reading and the
Logan Guards Of Lewistown. Other
regiments included the 7th and 25th
New York and the 5th, 9Th and 9th
Massachusetts,. At one time the ro-
tunda, the Senate and House halls
snd the corridors were converted into
hospitals, cots and beds being placed
in every available place, and in the
basement bread was baked for the
Army.
ANOTHER place Of much impor-
tance. which fits in with this
period, is the site Of the Willard Hotel,
at Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, where President Lincoln
stopped on his arrival in Washington
in 1861, and where Gen. Grant was
staying when he was made lieutenant
general Of the Army. It was in the
Fields Building, on the Avenue, next
to the Willard, where the fire oc-
Cured, on May 10, 1861, that resulted
in calling for the assistance Of the
New York Fire Zouaves, under Col.
Ellsworth. The Star gives . good ac-
count Of this spectacular fire, closing
with these remarks:
when the alarm Of fire reached
the quarters Of the Zouave Regiment
at the Capitol, leave was given by the
colonel for some Of the men to 60 out
and assist to extinguish it. Nearly
500 men at once rushed to the SEN
tries posts to get past, but not half
that number were permitted to pass.
The lucky ones made break for the
scene Of the fire pell-mell, capturing
on the way everything in the shape Of
fire apparatus they could lay their
hands on-our Washington fire boys
gave way cheerfully to them and re-
linquished their apparatus freely for |
the occasion"
pERHAPS more interesting thing |
connected with the old Willard is
the writing there, by Julia Ward
Howe. Of her immortal poem, THE