Evening star., 1939-07-09
District Has
Great Share
Historically
Sixth Corps
Protection
Given Here
By John Claeen Proctor.

Vic Nj anu AlIllS VI tllC IIt-
public, the Brightwood Citizens As
sociation and a number of patriotic
organizations will meet at Fort
Stevens Park, Brightwood, to cele-
brate the 18th anniversary of the
Battle of Fort Stevens, which oc-
CURED on July II and IL, 1864, when
the Confederate general, Jubal
Early, was repulsed largely through
the efforts of the 9Th Army Corps,
under Gen. Horatio G. Wright.
This engagement was, indeed, one
of the two outstanding events oc-
curing in the District of Columbia,
the other being the capture of Wash
ington and the burning of the public
buildings on August "a. 1914. But
1t is quite likely that the fight at
Fort Stevens really meant more to
the Nation.
In order fully to appreciate the
serious situation that confronted the
country at the period of this engage
ment, and to realize what it would
have meant-though even tempo
rarily-to have lost this engagement
one must take into consideration the
conditions existing in the United
States at that time. The war had
been going on for more than three
years. Gettysburg had been fought
Just one year before without any tie
cisive results. Lincoln had been out
a month before renominated by the
pnr,l1hlioo,,c Do
certainty of his reelection. Indeed
he himself had despaired of his own
reelection and even went so far as
to write a letter to his opponent
Gen. George B. Mcclellan, imploring
him, If elected, to carry out his pol
icies of the war. Fortunately. cir
cumstances did not make it neces-
sary to deliver this letter.
Administration Hit.
Formidable criticisms were hurled
at the administration from all quar-
ters. Even Horace Greeley used his
powerful New York Tribune to help
(unintentionally, of COARSE to "clog
up the works Added to this. Sal
mon P. Chase had but recently ten
dered his resignation. The country
had gone enormously in debt, owing
nearly two billion dollars, stu
pendous sum at that time Though
q mere bagatelle today. Seven and
three-tenth per cent at par had
been exacted for its last loan and
the pacifists were bowling. as usual,
for peace at any price" At no
time during the war was the country
In a greater or more serious state
of uncertainty than when Gen. Lee
sent Gen. Early up the valley with
the apparent intention of compelling
Grant to weaken his hold on Rich
mond.
The result was that Hagerstown
soon paid Earlys army a tribute
of $4,000 and Frederick ten times
as much. Intoxicated with these
successes, Early determined to make
drive on Washington, which had
been left almost unguarded, as he
had suspected, and probably, in ad-
vance, was made aware of, and when
Lew Wallace withdrew from the
Monocacy following the battle there
of July 8, 1864, naturally the fears
of the citizens and public officials
of the Capital were greatly intensi-
fed.
Wallace had not the remoteSt idea
Of defeating Early. He was sent
merely to retard his progress and
hold him back until Gen. Wright
with other parts of the 9th Army
Corps, could reach Washington
This Wallace accomplished most
satisfactory and although he lost
123 killed and 603 wounded, he was
able to fall back with his army and
put himself in position to pro-
tect Baltimore. Wallace is said tc
have had, at the Monocacy, $3.50
men, and the estimates of Early s
forces run as high as $4,000 men, as
made from reasonable estimates.
Advance On City.
With Wallace out of the way, Early
lost no time in advancing on Wash
ington, for although he did not leave
the Monocacy before noon on July
10, that night some of his forces
at least, camped 4 miles north of
Rockville, having march nearly 29
miles that afternoon and evening
The next day, at dawn, he contin-
ued his march to Silver Spring
where his advance arrived shortly
after noon, greatly fatigued from
the dusty roads and the hot July
sun
The Star Of July II, 1854 carries
this item:
Last evening force of from,
1900 to 1000 rebels entered Rock
vile and passed through to a point
a few miles this side of that village
Hating there for brief while, they
retraced their steps to the town
where they bivouacked for the
night.
This morning they are engaged
with the cavalry force under the
command of Col. Lowell, thrown out
to ascertain their strength and
character
No information embracing de-
tails of this progressing engagement
have yet been received here.
The point where the fight was in
progress was in the vicinity of Rab-
bits Creek post Office, between
TennallytoWn and Rockville
Maj. Gen. Augur has returned
from a tour through the defenses AZ
Washington, on the north side q
the Potomac, made this morning
He found all the works and the
troops defending them in admirable
condition and ready to give the reb-
els a fitting reception should they
approach within range"
tSecond edition, 2 o'clock pmD
Fighting on the Seventh Street
Road.
Messengers Just in report lively
skirmishing going on this morning
in the vicinity of Fort Massachu-
setts near Clagetts place, some
four miles out.
The rebels did not show them
selves in large force then, however
The Rebel Force in Front of Us