Evening star., 1943-05-30
In Old Georgetown During Civil War Days
BY John Clagett Proctor.

ny JOHN OldSeIC FTOcLOT.
It would be impossible to tell with
any degree of certainty just how the
majority of the people in Georgetown
felt toward the conflicting parties at
the beginning of the Civil War. In
Washington the majority for the Union
was about two to one, and Georgetown
may have been the same. However, the
sentiment in Georgetown undoubtedly
increased toward the North when the
troops mustered in from April 10 to rs,
1861, began to guard the bridges of
Washington and Georgetown and the
waterworks at Great Falls and the
water system along the Conduit road.
And when a pass was even required to
cross the Potomac by way Of the ferry
then in operation.
To the Union, the Chain Bridge was
regarded as of considerable value, and
from the first the northern end was
guarded by Union troops and the
southern end by Confederate soldiers.
However, after Virginia voted to join
the Confederate States on May %, 1861,
orders were given for the Federal forces
to take possession of and fortify all
strategic places around the Capital
Fort Ethan Allen soon dominated the
bridge and it's approaches from the Vir-
ginia side of the Potomac, while several
batteries protected it from the north.
It was about this time that Grant P.
Robinson, then in camp in Georgetown
with the Pontoon Corps, wrote his poem,
Il Fight Nit Siegel"
But the real evidence of war came
in May, 1861, when the Union Hotel,
which formerly stood at the northeast
corner of Thirtieth and M streets. was
turned into a hospital for Federal SOL
diers
The original of this noted hotel had
its official opening some time shortly
after February % 1899, but it was COM
pletely destroyed by fire on August %,
1882, though while it stood it had as
guests many famous persons, including
the first President, who records in his
diary that he went there on February
7, 1893, to meeting of the Potomac Co.,
but he did not dine there upon this
occasion as he chose to be the guest of
Col Fitzgerald, and at night he lodged
with Thomas Peters, who married one
of Mrs. Washingtons granddaughters,
and whose home was in one of the
houses at 261S-2O K street NV.
The following year. on August s. Gen.
Washington again attended meeting
at this hotel and dined there, but lodged
at Thomas Laws, who married another
granddaughter of Martha Washington.
jerome Bonaparte, the youngest
brother of Napoleon I, and King of
Westphalia. was also a guest at the old
Union at the period of his marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Patterson, the Baltimore
beauty, in 1903.
Nine. Bonaparte's Dress.
We marvel today at the scarcity OF
clothing worn by some women, but I
doubt if there is one who does not wear
more than did Miss Patterson at her
wedding, which was performed by the
Most Rev John Carroll, Bishop of Bal
timore. In commenting on her wedding
costume. the bride said: There was as
little as possible Of any gown at all
Upon another occasion here in 1904
Nine Bonaparte almost created a riot
by the scantiness of the costume worn
by her at select party given in her
honor. OF this event Mrs Samuel Harri-
son Smith, in her Forty Years of WASH
lngton Society" says:
But of Nine. -, I think it no
harm to speak the truth She has made
great noise here, and mobs of boys
have crowded around her splendid equi-
page to see what I hope will not often
be seen in this country, an almost naked
woman. An elegant anG select party was
given to her by Mrs. Robert Smith. Her
appearance was such that it threw all
the company into confusion and no one
dared to look at her out by stealth The
window shutters being left open, a crowd
assembled around the windows to get a
look at this beautiful little creature, for
every one allows she is extremely beau
tlful. Her dress was the thinnest sar-
Genet and white crepe without the least