Evening star., 1939-07-09
18th Anniversary of Battle of Stevens Celebrated Week
Lincoln as
Spectator
Faced Peril
Detailed Story of
Event Taken
From Press
treat until he was too far away to
be overtaken.

treat until he was too far away to
be overtaken.
Estimates Differ.
The authorities differ greatly as to
the casualties and the number of
troops engaged. A conservative es-
innate puts the Union killed at not
over 100 with 400 wounded. and
OF the Confederates, 600, which most
naturally included killed, wounded
ana missing. The lowest apparently
conservative estimate of the num-
Der Oh troops with Gen. Early il
given as $1,000, while the general
SAID he had in all only about 5000
men.
one OF the most interesting things
ABOUT Fort Stevens is the fact that
IL was here during the engagement
referred to that President Lincoln
was under fire. Various accounts
Oh thls episode are given, but the
most interesting of all, taken from
an account printed many years ago.
is as follows:
PRESIDENT Lincoln, accompanied
oy MS wife, came on the grounds in
q carriage. Seeing Gen. Wright he
~ ~ once extended his hand, saying:
General. am very glad to see YOU.
Inns looks as though we were going
to do something
Mr.. President said the general
pointing toward Fort Stevens If
you II just come along down there
with me, Ill show you one of the
pfettlest little fights you could wish
to see.'
PRESIDENTS Danger.
NO sooner were the words out
OF my mouth, remarked Gen
wright, in speaking of the matter
afterWard, than I deeply regretted
having uttered them. l fulIv realized
mat the Presidents life was far too
valuable to be brought into danger
by any careless words of mine. But
IL was too late. He not only accepted
my invitation, but insisted upon ac-
/ companylng me, notwithstanding all
could say to prevent him. He
sent his wife back and when I
mounted the parapet. there he was
beside me, looking out upon the
scene with a great deal of interest
The enemy's sharpshooters were fir
ing pretty closely, and I explained
] TO him that the place was entirely
/ too dangerous for him
1t is not more dangerous for
me than it is for you,' he replied
coolly.
But is it my duty to be here
while it is your duty not to expose
yourself. Your position requires
this, and particularly request you
/ to remember it
Just then sharpshooter's bull
let struck surgeon who was stand
ing near the President and I be-
came really alarmed for his safety
and 1 have no doubt, little excited,
as I said firmly:
Mr.. President you must really
/ get down from this exposed position.
cannot allow you to remain here
longer, and if you refuse I shall
deem it my duty to have you re-
moved under guard
I suppose the absurdity Of nv
threatening to put the President of
the United States under arrest
amused him, for he smiled, looked
at me quizzically and got down be-
hind the parapet, while I provided
him with an ammunition box for
seat, but he wouldn't sit still min
ute at time and was constantly
stretching up his long form to see
what was going on, thereby exposing
fully half of himself to danger in
spite of all could do, and thus he
continued to bob up and down until
the action was over when he cheered
Justify along with the rest and, bid
ding us good night, got into his car
rlage and rode away home"
Lincoln Opponent.
Another figure of prominence who
was looking from the other side was
Gen. Breckenridge, who once served
as Vice President of the United
States, and was, in addition, a pres
idential candidate against Lincoln
in the election of 1860
X X
Sdll CCt ldlIlIy DC OILY Il lew
men living, if any, who, as soldiers,
took part in the battle of Fort
Stevens. John M. Kline, commander
Of the Department of the Potomac,
G. A. r, now fast approaching his
92d year, though a member of the
9Th Army Corp, did not take part In
this engagement for one very good
! onI thQt ic thnt ~ Ln iva
this fight was in progress he was
confined in Confederate prison.
This sturdy veteran, when a mere
lad of about 16. enlisted in the Union
Army as a private in Company A,
49th Regiment, Pa, Voluntary In
fantry, and participated in many
battles in which this regiment was
engaged. At the battle of Cold Har-
Dor, Va, June l, 1864, while a
member of a accommodating party.
commanded by a lieutenant and
composed Of about 80 men who VOL
unteered for the duty, he was taken
prisoner, the entire party being
either killed or captured He was
confined in Libby Prison, Richmond.
Va, Andersonville, Ga, and other
Southern prisons until the close Of
the war, when he was paroled at
Vicksburg, Miss, April 81, 1865.
Active Survivor.
Another Grand Army man who IS
still active and the senior vice COM
mander of the Department Of the
Potomac, is John T. Ryan. who it is
believed, is the last surviving Union
soldier who participated in the Bat
tie of the Monocacy, July 9, just pre-
ceding the Battle of Fort Stevens and
which has already been referred to.
Mr.. Ryan, too, is vigorous man for
his 90 years, and daily, when Con-
gress Is in session, guards the
executive door, on the House side of
the Capitol, and sees that none
enter but those who have White
House passes. Until recently, sew