USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Centennial history of the city of Washington, D. C. With full outline of the natural advantages, accounts of the Indian tribes, selection of the site, founding of the city to the present time > Part 26
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Light Infantry of Pottsville, the Ringgold Light Artillery of Read- ing, the Logan Guards of Lewiston, and the Allen Light Infantry of Allentown, in all five hundred and thirty men. During the entire day of the 18th, all avenues to the city were closely watched, cannon were placed on commanding heights so as to sweep the entire range of river front, and the cannon were supported by infantry. Mayor Berrett on this day issued a proclamation exhorting all good citizens and sojourners to be careful to so conduct themselves as neither by word nor deed to give occasion for any breach of the peace.
On April 9, a military department had been created consisting of Maryland and the District of Columbia, as originally bounded, called the Department of Washington, and placed under the command of Brevet-Colonel C. F. Smith. On the 19th, this department was in- creased so as to include Delaware and Pennsylvania, and placed in command of Major-General Patterson, and Major-General Scott placed volunteer soldiers along the railroad from Wilmington, Delaware, to Washington, to guard the railroad and telegraph between the two points. April 22, a proposition was made by several citizens of Washington to form a light artillery company, the services of which were to be tendered to the Government. The office of this proposed organization was at 355 Pennsylvania Avenue, where books were open for signatures. Notice of the proposed movement was signed by L. Oppenheimer, Henry Meling, Johann Walter, Joseph A. Schell, Louis Landrock, August Bruehl, H. Diebeitsch, E. C. Randolph, William Geriske, Charles Werner, and Alexander MeRee. This was afterward changed into a rifle company. By April 24, this company had over forty members, and was organized with the following officers : Captain, Thomas J. Williams; first lieutenant, E. C. Ran- dolph; second lieutenant, W. HI. Standiford; third lieutenant, E. Hunt; orderly sergeant, Henry Kaluzowski; quartermaster sergeant, Charles Werner. The name chosen was "The Turner Rifles." On April 20, a meeting was held on Capitol Hill for the pur- pose of organizing a company of men who, from their age, were exempt from military duty. They were to aid in the defense of the National Capital. Martin King was chairman of the meeting, and Stephen G. Dodge secretary. The name selected was "The Silver Greys." By vote of those present Robert Brown was chosen captain. On the 22d, a number of French and Italian citizens held a meeting at the European Hotel, and resolved to form a company to be called " The Garibaldi Guards," and twenty-two members immediately en- rolled. On the same day, a meeting of the old soldiers of 1812 was
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held, Colonel John S. Williams taking the chair, and Richard Burgess acting as secretary. A committee was appointed to prepare a program and report the next day at 4:00 P. M., consisting of Dr. William Jones, William A. Bradley, and Richard Burgess. At the adjourned meeting the hope was expressed that the time was not remote when the country would be again united; but in the meantime they held themselves in readiness to perform any duty to which they might be assigned by the Government of the United States for the protection of the city of Washington. They invited all persons exempt by law from military service to unite with them in offering their services to the Government. The next day they tendered their services to the Secretary of War, which were accepted, and a written response prom- ised in a few days. On the 25th, another meeting was held and an organization was effected as follows: Captain, John S. Williams; first lieutenant, Edward Semmes; second lieutenant, A. W. Worthington; third lieutenant, F. R. Dorsett; surgeon, Dr. William Jones; orderly sergeant, A. Baldwin.
One of the incidents of the times was the arrest on the 25th of April of five young men, who were captured in the act of carrying arms away from the city. The arrest was made by two members of the Metropolitan Rifles, named Bigley and Frazier. These two young men had watched the five enter the tavern of Christopher Boyle, and were suspicious that all was not right. At length the suspected characters rode away, in a wagon driven by a negro, toward Bladens- burg. The two young men followed them, and though they were armed with nothing more effective than brickbats, challenged them, took them prisoners, and brought back to the city the entire outfit. By order of the Mayor they were taken to the guardhouse, and upon examination a bundle in the wagon was found to contain effective firearms. The names of the five men thus arrested were William Stanton, William Harding, Augustus Hand, William Engerman, and Thomas Davis. Three of the five were quite heavily armed.
Enlistments still went on, and by the 25th of April there were about ten thousand troops in the city. The wounded of the Massa- chusetts Sixth, which had reached Washington ou the evening of the 19th, who were being taken care of at the infirmary, passed resolutions of thanks to the officers thereof, to the surgeons, and the Sisters of Mercy for their kindness and sympathy. On this day, the Seventh New York Regiment came into Washington and marched up Pennsylvania Avenue, making a magnificent appearance. They were received with the wildest demonstrations of delight by the citizens. On the 26th,
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a large body of troops arrived from Annapolis, consisting of one-half of the Rhode Island regiment, commanded by Governor Sprague, and the Butler Brigade of Massachusetts, numbering one thousand and four hundred men, and commanded by Colonel Benjamin F. Butler. Troops now daily arrived, and at this time there were fully seventeen thou- sand soldiers in the city.
On April 27, the Seventy-first New York and the Fifth Pennsyl- vania regiments reached Washington. April 29, the Eighth Massa- chusetts came in, and in the afternoon of the same day the steamers Anacostia, Baltic, and Pocahontas arrived. The Baltic brought about six hundred Pennsylvania and Ohio troops. About this time treachery in the Navy Yard was discovered, a large quantity of bombshells being found filled with sawdust and sand. On April 30, the Twelfth New York Regiment came in, and the other half of the Rhode Island regiment arrived in the steamer Bienville from New York, bringing with them an unusual quantity of supplies, and on their march through the streets displaying the infrequent features of four rican- dieres appropriately uniformed. It was said of this regiment, "For completeness of appointment in all respects, nothing can excel the Rhode Island regiment."
The Twenty-fifth New York came in on the 30th of April, and the Sixty-ninth New York, the afterward famous Irish regiment, under Colonel Michael Corcoran. A notable event took place on the 2d of May, in the raising of a flag over the United States Patent Office in the presence of a large concourse of citizens. The Rhode Island regiment, which was quartered in that building and in com- mand of Governor Sprague, formed in line on Seventh Street. The Metropolitan Rifles, Captain Nalley, were on the roof of the portico, formed in line just behind the entablature, facing to the front. At the appointed time President Lincoln appeared on the roof, and hoisted the flag to the top of the staff, a stout hickory pole fifty feet high. On this day the Rhode Island artillery arrived in the city, having a battery of six pieces, and the Seventh New York took up its quarters at Camp Cameron on Meridian Hill. The Sixty-ninth New York were quartered near the Georgetown college buildings. At this time the Government had six steamships running up and down the Potomac to protect merchant vessels plying upon it. On May 5, Sunday, the Twelfth New York Regiment was on parade on Pennsylvania Avenue, and afterward was drawn up in the form of a hollow square in front of the City Hall. In this position they listened to their chaplain read a chapter from St. Paul's Epistle to
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the Romans, after which the whole regiment joined in the singing of "Old Hundred," accompanied by the band. The Twenty-eighth New York arrived on the 6th, and the First and a portion of the Second New Jersey. May 8, James A. Tait, Charles Everett, and Lemuel Towers were mustered into the United States service as lieutenant-colonels; P. H. King, A. Balbach, and J. Mell. Hollings- worth, as majors. Colonel Ellsworth's Zouaves were sworn into service on the 7th, one thousand strong. The Fourth Pennsylvania, Colonel John F. Hartranft, arrived on the 9th.
The officers of the militia of the District of Columbia, commis- sioned by the President about this time, were as follows: Of the Cameron Guards-James Elder, captain; Thomas Mushaw, Oliver Birkhead, and John W. Glover, lieutenants. Company D, Union Regi- ment,- J. M. MeClelland, captain; Alexander Tait, J. H. Dubant, and J. HI. Posey, lieutenants. Potomac Light Guards - Robert Boyd, cap- tain; C. A. Offut, W. H. Burch, and B. McGraw, lieutenants. Company E, National Guard Battalion, - William McCormey, third lieutenant. Arthur W. Fletcher, brigade quartermaster. John R. Dale, captain of the District of Columbia Rifles. National Guard, Company F- W. P. Ferguson, captain; J. T. Carroll, first lieutenant; W. Notting- ham, second lieutenant, and J. B. Davis, third lieutenant. Union Volunteers, Company F-James Fletcher, captain; Henry P. Duncan, first lieutenant; Isaac E. Owen, second lieutenant, and J. Clement Reynolds, third lieutenant. Washington Light Infantry - Colonel, Thomas A. Scott: Company A -Lemuel D. Williams, captain; C. II. Uttermehle, first lieutenant; Marvin P. Fisher, second lieutenant, and James Coleman, third lieutenant. Sherman's celebrated light artillery arrived May 9, commanded by Major T. W. Sherman. The District brigade of volunteers, numbering about three thousand and five hundred, were out on parade May 13, under command of Colonel Stone. This brigade was composed of eight battalions, commanded as follows: First Battalion, Major J. Mell. Hollingsworth; Second Battalion, Lieutenant -Colonel Everett; Third Battalion, Major J. R. Smead; Fourth Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Towers; Fifth Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Tait; Sixth Battalion, Major J. Grey Jewell; Seventh Battalion, Major P. H. King; Eighth Battalion, Captain Gerhardt. At their head in the parade was the President's Mounted Guard, Captain Owen.
May 17, the volunteers of the District were mustered with the militia of the District, and field officers appointed to each. The com- plete organization was as follows:
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First Battalion, from Georgetown,- Major J. Mell. Hollings- worth; Company A, Anderson Rifles, Captain Rodier; Home Guards, Captain Goddard; Potomac Light Guard, Captain Boyd; Andrew Johnson Guards, Captain MeBlair.
Second Battalion -Major J. Gray Jewell; Henderson Guards, Captain Foxwell; Company A, Union Regiment, Captain Carrington; Company B, Captain Kelly; Company D, Captain McClelland; Com- pany E, Captain Callan.
Third Battalion - Major J. R. Smead; National Rifles, Lieutenant Davis; Company F, Union Regiment, Captain . Fletcher; Slemmer Guards, Captain Knight; Cameron Guards, Captain Elder.
Fourth Battalion - Lieutenant-Colonel Lemuel Towers; Company A, Washington Light Infantry, Captain Williams; Company E, Zouaves, Captain Powell; Washington Light Guard, Captain Marks; District Union Rifles, Captain Dale.
Fifth Battalion-Lieutenant-Colonel Everett; Constitutional Guards, Captain Degges; Company A, Putnam Rifles, Captain Thistleton; Met- ropolitan Rifles, Captain Nalley; Jackson Guards, Captain McDermott: Company B, Putnam Rifles, Captain Grinnell.
Sixth Battalion - Lieutenant-Colonel Tait; Company A, National Guard, Captain Lloyd; Company C, Captain McKim; Company E, Captain Morgan; Company F, Captain - -.
Seventh Battalion - Major P. H. King; City Guards, Captain Clarke; Mechanies Union Rifles, Captain Rutherford; Company D, Washington Light Infantry, Captain Cross; Company C, Union Regi- ment, Captain Miller.
Eighth Battalion - Major A. Balbach; Washington Rifles, Captain Loeffler; Company A, Turner Rifles, Captain Gerhardt; Company B, Captain Kryzanowski.
The Washington Zouaves, on Wednesday, May 15, displayed a handsome flag at their headquarters, in Thorn's building. They had then been on duty several weeks at the arsenal, at Long Bridge, and about the several departments.
About that time, an incident occurred which attracted considerable attention in connection with the First New Jersey Regiment, encamped near Meridian Hill. A party of its soldiers called upon a Mrs. Baker, a widow, who kept a market garden near their camp, and asked her for some onions and other vegetables for one of their number who was sick. She freely complied with the request, and would take no pay. Next day the party returned, and made Mrs. Baker a present of a handsome Bible, which she accepted as of more value than money,
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thus bringing to memory the measure of meal of the widow of Zarephath, which, in consequence of her kindness to the wayfaring prophet, was never again allowed to be empty.
General Benjamin F. Butler arrived in Washington May 16, and was waited upon at the National Hotel by numerous friends, and at night was serenaded by Withers's Band. The Eighth New York was eneamped at Camp Mansfield, on Kalorama Heights. A flag was raised over the General Post Office May 22, in presence of a large assemblage of citizens. General St. John B. L. Skinner was chairman of the committee of arrangements, and made an address, stating that the flag about to be raised was the contribution of the clerks of the Post Office Department. President Lincoln then, upon request, raised the flag. The Hartford Cornet Band played the "Star Spangled Banner," and addresses were made by Postmaster- General Blair, Secretary Seward, and Secretary Smith.
The night of May 23 was a beautiful one on the Potomac. The moon shone brightly and peacefully down, and perfect quiet prevailed all over the valleys and hills in the neighborhood of Washington. But a most important movement was begun that night. The troops in the city were ordered to occupy the heights in Virginia opposite Wash- ington. At eleven o'clock on the night of the 23d the Washington Light Infantry, Company A, was posted some distance up Maryland Avenue from the Long Bridge. A squad of infantry was posted near the Washington Monument, to keep an eye on boats going out of the canal. Near the Long Bridge and on it were the infantry, a company of Rhode Island soldiers, a company of United States cavalry, a company of United States artillery, the Putnam Rifles, the Turner Rifles, Metropolitan Rifles, Company F Union Volunteers, Company E Washington Light Infantry, and the Constitutional Guards, occupy- ing the Virginia end of the bridge. A short time after midnight Captain Powell's Zouaves and Captain Smead's company of National Rifles advanced across the bridge to the vicinity of Roach's Spring, and soon the Virginia pickets set spurs to their horses and made off for Alexandria. The Constitutional Guards, to the number of about eighty, were on duty on the bridge. Upon being asked by Colonel Stone, of the District Volunteers, if they would go beyond the Dis- trict of Columbia, they replied that they would go anywhere in defense of the Union. They were therefore sent forward as far as Four Mile Run. The Virginia picket guard, stationed near Roach's Spring, ran away, and about an hour later the alarm bells were rung in Alexandria.
MILITARY HISTORY. 255
On Friday morning, the 24th, a large body of troops crossed the Potomac into Virginia. Ellsworth's Zouaves in two steamers left their camp on the Eastern Branch, making directly for Alexandria. The Michigan regiment, accompanied by a detachment of United States troops and two pieces of Sherman's battery, proceeded by the Long Bridge to Alexandria. The Seventh New York was held under orders at Hughes's Tavern. The Second New Jersey was at Roach's Spring, one-half mile from the bridge. The New York Twenty-fifth, the Twelfth New York, and the Third and Fourth New Jersey proceeded to occupy Arlington Heights, joined by other troops which crossed over the Georgetown aqueduct.
At 4:00 A. M., Ellsworth's Zouaves landed at Alexandria, and, though fired upon in landing by the few Virginia sentries posted in the town, which fire was returned by the Zouaves on the decks of the steamers, immediately on landing marched directly into the center of the town, meeting with no resistance. Reaching the city flagstaff they hoisted an American flag, and then perceiving a rebel flag floating from the Marshall House, Colonel Ellsworth proceeded there with a squad of men and requested the proprietor, James Jackson, to take it down. This request not being complied with, Colonel Ellsworth went to the top of the house and hauled it down, and wrapping it round his body started down the stairs. As he was descending, the proprietor, who had concealed himself in a dark passage, discharged the contents of one barrel of a double-barreled gun into his body, killing him instantly. Private Francis E. Brownell, of Colonel Ellsworth's Zouaves, instantly discharged the contents of his own musket into Jackson's brain and pierced his body with his bayonet as he fell, the other barrel of Jackson's gun going off as he fell. The news of the assassination of Colonel Ellsworth reached the city at an early hour in the morning, and when it was confirmed all the flags in the city were displayed at half- mast. The remains of the patriotic and brave Colonel were escorted to the Navy Yard by the steamer Mount Vernon, and the funeral occurred from the Executive Mansion at eleven o'clock the same morning, whence the body was taken to the railroad depot for conveyance to New York.
Intrenching tools were conveyed over the river, and on Saturday, the 25th, the work of fortifying the city began in earnest on the Virginia side. One of the New Jersey regiments threw up fortifica- tions at the Junction of the Washington, Alexandria, and Columbia Turnpike, and another work of the same kind was commenced by another New Jersey regiment on the next height above, on the road
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toward Alexandria. The Sixty-ninth Regiment was engaged in de- stroying communications between Alexandria and Leesburg, by the destruction of bridges, etc., on the Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad. The fortifications thus commenced on the 25th of May, 1861, subse- quently became of immense extent, and together with those on other sides of Washington, consisted of forty-eight works, mounting three hundred guns. The entire cireumseribing perimeter of these fortifi- cations was abont thirty-five miles in length.1
To the National Rifles of Captain J. R. Smead is due the honor of first entering upon the sacred soil of the Old Dominion, crossing the Long Bridge at an early hour on the night of May 23, driving in the advance pickets of the rebels, and with other District troops holding the roads to Alexandria. Captain Powell's Zouaves were among the first, as were also the Metropolitan Rifles, under command, at the time, of Lieutenant Chauncey, and all were prompt and meritorions in the discharge of their duty.
At Fort Washington, on the Potomac, a few miles below Alex- andria, on the Maryland side of the river, Major Haskins was in command. The Ninth New York Regiment, which was the first regiment to offer its services to the Government for three years, arrived in Washington May 28. J. W. Stiles was the colonel of this regiment. The Fifth Regiment, District of Columbia Militia, was mustered into the service May 29, Colonel W. II. Philip commanding. The several companies were commanded by Captains S. B. Elliott, W. B. Webb, Hilton, Clark, French, Emory, Jillard, Burchell, and Robinson. The regiment was four hundred strong, and was made up of citizens residing between Seventh and Seventeenth streets and II and Boundary streets.
May 30, the Sixty-ninth New York Regiment raised their flag at
1 These forts and batteries thus erected for the defense of the Capital of the Nation were as follows, commencing at the south of Alexandria, then along the Virginia shore, crossing the Potomac above Georgetown, and extending north of the city and along the ridge east of the Anacostia down to the river opposite Alexandria: Forts Willard, O'Rourke, Weed, Farnsworth, and Lyon; Battery Rodgers; Forts Ellsworth, Williams, Worth, Ward, Reynolds, Garesche, Barnard, Berry, Richardson, Craig, Scott, Albany, Runyon, Jackson, Tillinghast, Cass, Whipple, Woodbury, Morton, Strong, Cor- coran, Bennett, C. F. Smith, Ethan Allen, and Marey; two batteries near the distrib- nting reservoir; Batteries Cameron, Parrott, Kemble, Martin, Scott, Bailey, Vermont, Alexander, and Benson; Forts Sumner, Kerby, Cross, Davis, Mansfield, Simmons, Bay- ard, and Reno; Battery Rossell; Fort Kearney; Batteries Terrill and Smeade; Fort De Russey; Batteries Kingsbury and Sill; Forts Stevens, Slocum, Totten, Slemmer, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Thayer, Lincoln, Mahan, Shaplin, Meigs, Dupont, Davis, Baker, Wagner, Ricketts, Stanton, Snyder, Carroll, Greble, and Foote.
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Fort Corcoran, their new camp at Arlington Heights. Colonel IIunter, of the Third United States Cavalry, who was assigned as commander of the Aqueduct Brigade, composed of the Fifth, Twenty-eighth, and Sixty-ninth New York regiments, made a speech on this occasion, as also did Captain Thomas F. Meagher. Mr. Savage's new national song was then sung by the author, the entire body of troops present joining in the chorus. The New Jersey troops threw up intrench- ments at the Columbia Springs early in June, placing some thirty-two- pound cannon in position, as well as other artillery. The volunteer battalion near the chain bridge, two miles above Georgetown, was well fortified, and had guns so mounted as to sweep the bridge and the Virginia shore in case of necessity.
On the 9th of June, an important movement was made up the Potomac from Washington. The Rhode Island battery, under Colonel Burnside, was sent to join General Patterson at Chambersburg, and on the 10th Colonel Stone's command, consisting of the National Rifles under Major Smead, the Slemmer Guards under Captain Knight, the Cameron Guards under Captain -, Captain Magruder's battery of United States artillery, the First Pennsylvania, and the Ninth New York, and the First New Hampshire, moved up the Rockville road toward Edward's Ferry, about midway between Washington and Harper's Ferry. It was the only crossing for teams between the Dis- triet of Columbia and the Point of Rocks, and was at that time a general thoroughfare for the transit of secessionists and military stores from Maryland into Virginia. The quota of the District in this movement was one thousand, and was promptly furnished to the Government by Washington and Georgetown.
June 18, 1861, Professor T. S. C. Lowe made a number of ascen- sions in his balloon, taking. along a telegraph instrument connected by a wire with the White House. When the balloon was at its greatest elevation, about one-half mile, the following telegram was sent down:
" BALLOON ENTERPRISE, WASHINGTON, D. C., June 18, 1861.
" To the President of the United States:
" This point of elevation commands an area of near fifty miles in diameter. The city, with its encampments, presents a superb scene. I have pleasure in sending yon this first dispatch from an aerial station, and in acknowledging indebtedness to your encouragement for the opportunity of demonstrating the availability of the science of aeronautics to the military service of the country.
"T. S. C. LOWE."
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June 24, the Councils of Washington passed a bill appropriating $5,000 for the support of the families of the District of Columbia volunteers, payable out of the general fund. The first grand review of the Army of the Potomac occurred July 4, 1861. Major Jewell's battalion of District volunteers, after an arduous campaign of some weeks on the line of the Potomac, returned to Washington on the morning of July 4. The same day, the Third Battalion of District Volunteers returned to Washington from Edward's Ferry, having rendered effective service to the Government. Regiments of troops continued to arrive in Washington in such numbers that any attempt to enumerate them would not be of interest. After the 4th of July, they passed over into Virginia in considerable numbers. On the morning of the 9th, two soldiers who had been killed in a skirmish at Great Falls, named Riggs and Uhl, were buried from the armory in the new German cemetery near Glenwood. This appears to have been the first burial of soldiers of the District of Columbia killed in defense of the Union. The term of service of the District volunteers having expired, several of the companies were mustered out, July 10, the companies thus mustered out being Company A, Union Regi- ment, Captain E. C. Carrington; Campany A, Washington Light Infantry; the Washington Zouaves; Company E, Washington Light Infantry; the Anderson Rifles, the Potomac Light Guard, the National Rifles, the Home Guards, and the Andrew Johnson Guards.
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