Evening star., 1951-01-15

urg. Star Staff Photos.
Suitland is named for. A lot OF
slaves used to die on him. They
are buried right behind those
shackS."
Mrs. Cristofane drove back tt
the Peace Cross, turned right anc
went towards Washington to 6
wooded gully on the northeas
border of Fort Lincoln Cemetery
Before we get to the battle le
me show you the dueling grounds,
she said. There's some dispute
about their location but have al
1848 volume of Harper's Magazine
with an article on the Bladens'
burg duels and it indicates tht
dueling ground was that little leve
spot there now all overgrown witt
trees.
1T was there Commodore Bar.
ron fatally wounded Stephen De-
catur in 1920 in one exchange OF
shots. Decatur had been on the
board of inquiry and the court
martial that cashiered Barron for
allowing a British war vessel to
stop his command, the Chesa-
peake, on the high seas in 1903
and impress seamen without a
shot being fired. Barron opened Q
correspondence with Decatur over
a matter of honor which con-
tinued for six months, Decatur
giving him all the satisfaction in
the matter that a gentleman of
honor could. Barron finally sent
a direct challenge. I wonder how
many of these character assassins
today would risk a duel"
Had Trans Atlantic Shipping.
Mrs. Cristofane drove back to
the Peace Cross.
"One difficult thing to realize
about Bladensburg," she said. lis
that the docks were right where
the Peace Cross is. The river took
a loop then and flowed right
through that grove south of the
Peace Cross. The old pictures
show their masts and spars right
there. The town had a century OF
transatlantic shipping; the las1
ship cleared in 1843.
when the British came ur
from Nottingham on the Patuxent
on August "a, 1914 they had theil
choice of two roads into Washing
ton. One would have taken them
to the Kentucky avenue bridge
across the Eastern Branch. Thai
was about where the Sousa bridge
is now. 1t was blown up that day
by Marines from the Navy Yard
They chose instead to come north
to Bladensburg, probably because
they knew the river was fordable
above the Bladensburg bridge.
For some reason, Gen. STAINS
bury, IN command of the American
brigade at Bladensburg, didn't de-
stroy the bridge. He said in his
report that he gave orders fol
men with axes to cut it away, but
the orders were not carried out
There was a good deal of con-
fusion about orders in this battle
The units were almost all militia
ITO get to the bridge, the Brit
ISL had to march north of th'
Peace Cross, probably in the space
there between the Dixie Pig ant
the Cross Roads"
Mrs. Cristofane drove across tn
bridge toward Washington, tool
the first cross street to the righ
and made another right turn tina
took her back to the river, blocl
upstream. She pointed to tn
remains of a mill, broken ston'
walls.
Mill Mentioned in Stories.
There's the mill mentioned il
accounts of the battle" she said
"It was kept in operation unit
1882"
Mrs. Cristofane drove back t.
the Washington highway ant
turned into town. She passet
the gulley, where the duellins
ground is supposed to have been
and continued in past the lat
Jimmy La Fontaine's gambling
place across the District line tt
where the same little stream
of the duelling ground gulley
crosses the highway again before
winding around the Fort Lincoln
Cemetery hill.
"And here is where Commodore
Joshua Barney and his Marines
and f1otilla men fought their guns
They kept the road clear until
their ammunition was exhausted
and the ammunition wagons had
joined tne general fout.
It's only four miles from here
to Washington. The British
marched in parade formation with
Gen. Ross and Admiral Cockburn
in the lead. About the only shots
fired at them were those from
Robert Sewell's house, now the
headquarters of the National
Womens Party, at Maryland ave-
nue. and Second street NE. The
shots killed Gen. Ross horse.
II know things are bad now but
these people that talk about the
United States being in the worst
situation in her history ought to
give a little thought to that day
when we were much worse off
militarily, politically and morally"