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 27
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July 16, 1861, Edward Thompson, a private soldier in the Watson Guards, died at the age of sixty-four years. The Watson Guards were, at the time, under command of Captain Callan. In 1814, he was at the battle of Bladensburg; in 1836-37, he was in the Florida war; in 1846- 47, he served with the District of Columbia volunteers under Colonel Watson in the war with Mexico; and in April, 1861, he volunteered to defend the National Capital against the rebels, in the Watson Guards.
Several regiments went over into Virginia, July 20, 1861. The battle of Manassas Junction, or the first battle of Bull Run, was fought on Sunday, July 21, commencing about 10:30 A. M., and lasting until 4:00 P. M. The history of this battle is sufficiently well known not to need recital in this work, though it may not be out of place to note that for several days after it was fought, it was continuously asserted to have been the fault of non-combatants that there was a rout and a stampede of the Union forces. General McDowell's official report, however, set the matter before the public in its true light. After the rout, many of the soldiers made their way to Wash- ington as fast as possible, and were picked up and made comfortable
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by members of the National Rifles, of the District volunteers, in their fine armory in Temperance Hall. There were others that wandered about the streets, seeking shelter from the driving rain which fell on the day after the battle, which fact -that is, the fact of the shower of rain - was seized upon by certain meteorologists to direct attention to their theory that rain always follows heavy cannonading.
July 27, there was a fearful explosion at the Navy Yard, in the rocket house, which killed two men and wounded two others. The killed were Francis C. Brown and John P. Ferguson, and the wounded William Martin and Nicholas Ray.
A. Porter, colonel of the Sixteenth United States Infantry, was appointed provost-marshal of the District of Columbia, August 1, 1861. His General Order No. 1 was issued August 2, ordering all officers and enlisted men to remain in camp unless absent by per- mission; and all officers and soldiers were forbidden to be in the streets, at hotels, or at other places, after 9:00 P. M.
Following are names of Washingtonians killed at the battles of Stone Bridge and Bull Run, July 18 and 21, in the First Regiment Virginia Volunteers: Captain C. K. Sherman and Isidore Morris.
August 6, the first company of Colonel Everett's new regiment of District of Columbia volunteers was mustered into the service, with Captain Knight in command. Captain Geary's company of cavalry was mustered in for three years, as were also the Everett's Guards about the same time, with Maurice Tucker captain, James R. IIar- rover first lieutenant, Jeremiah O'Leary second lieutenant, and George Augerton orderly sergeant.
One of the important institutions of Washington pertaining to the war was the army bakery, located in the Capitol, in the exterior vaults. It was in control of Lieutenant Thomas J. Cate, of the Twelfth United States Artillery, who, upon the necessity for such an institution arising, offered his services to build the ovens. This work being performed he employed one hundred and seventy hands, divid- ing them into day and night squads. By this bakery the soldiers were supplied with fresh and wholesome bread. In the employ of the bakery were twelve wagons, which were kept constantly going, loaded with bread, carrying out nearly sixty thousand loaves per day. Each loaf weighed twenty two ounces. In October, 1861, this bakery was consuming one hundred and fifty barrels of flour per day. A yeast room was attached to the bakery, employing eight men. The ovens were large and well built, and each was capable of baking about four thousand three hundred loaves in twenty-four hours.
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November 5, 1861, the mansions of Senator Douglas, Senator Rice, and Mr. Corbin, known as Minnesota Row, were engaged for a military hospital, at an annual rental of $7,000.
The Navy Yard was kept busy all the time during the war. December 1, 1861, Captain Dahlgren, in charge, had at work under him eighteen hundred men. A number of very large anchors, weigh- ing from eight thousand pounds downward, were made there, as also many chain cables.
The Second District Volunteer Regiment was mustered into the service of the United States for three years in February, 1862, and by the 20th of this month all of its companies but three were full. The regimental officers were as follows: Colonel, Isaac K. Peck; major, Charles Alexander; adjutant, C. M. Lienbeck; quartermaster, James P. Sanderson; surgeon, Dr. J. B. Keasby; assistant surgeon, Dr. L. C. Hoole, and chaplain, Rev. Mr. Lockwood. The captains of the several companies were as follows: Company A, Captain Garrett; Company B, Captain Dubant; Company C, Captain Drew; Company D, Captain Ditmarris; Company E, Captain Callan; Company F, Captain Steele; Company G, Captain Stockbridge; Company HI, Captain Blything; Company I, Captain Duncan; Company K, Captain Krouse. On May 21, this regiment was presented with a handsome flag, having in gold letters the following inscription: "President's Guard, Second Regi- ment District of Columbia Volunteers." The flag was mounted on a staff bearing this inscription: "Presented to the President's Guard by the Ladies of Washington, May 21, 1862." The presentation speech was made by Major B. B. French, and the response by Colonel Peck.
At the beginning of the year 1862, there were the following numbers of soldiers in and around Washington, including the various armies as noted: At Fortress Monroe, under General Wool, 15,000 men; south of Washington and partly on the Maryland side of the Potomac, General Hooker's division, including General Sickles's bri- gade, abont 10,000; southwest of the city was the mass of General Mcclellan's army, consisting of eight divisions, nearly 160,000 men, and other troops on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad toward Baltimore, making the grand aggregate nearly 200,000 men.
The force designed for the special defense of Washington, while General MeClellan was engaged on the Peninsula in front of Rich- mond, was described as follows, the forces being placed in command of Brigadier-General James Wadsworth, according to General MeClel- lan's orders, dated April 1, 1862: "The garrisons in the forts around Washington amount to 10,000 men, other disposable troops now with
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General Wadsworth being 11,400 men. The troops employed in guarding the various railroads in Maryland amounted to some 3,350 men. These it was designed to relieve, they being old regiments, with dismounted cavalry, and send them forward to Manassas. General Aber- crombie occupied Warrenton with a force which, including General Geary's at White Plains and the cavalry to be at their disposal, amounted to 7,780 men, with twelve pieces of artillery. Besides these General MeClellan requested that troops be sent to Manassas so as to make the command of General Abercrombie equal to 18,000 men. Thus, to summarize, the troops designed for the defense of Washington were as follows: At Warrenton, 7,780 men; at Man- assas, 10,860 men; in the Shenandoah, 35,470 men; on the Lower Potomac, 1,350; in all, 55,460 men. In front of Washington there were to be left 18,000 men, exclusive of the batteries of artillery, which were as follows: Battery C, First New York Artillery, 2 guns; Battery K, First New York Artillery, 6 guus; Battery L, Second New York Artillery, 6 guns; Ninth New York Independent Battery, 6 guns; Sixteenth New York Independent Battery, 6 guns; Battery A, Second Battalion, New York Artillery, 6 guns; Battery B, Second New York Artillery, 6 guns; total number of guns, 32.
On August 6, a great war meeting was held in front of the Capi- tol building. At 5:00 P. M., a salute of thirty-four guns was fired and the bells of the city were rung. The Marine Band played at this place instead of its accustomed place. The President and his cabinet were in attendance. The Mayor of Washington presided, and Samuel E. Doug- lass was secretary of the committee of arrangements. The speakers were the Hon. George S. Boutwell, Commissioner of Internal Revenue; IIon. Leonard Swett of Chicago, Hon. R. W. Thompson of Indiana, L. E. Chittenden, Register of the Treasury; President Lincoln, General Shepley, Military Governor of Louisiana; Senator Harlan of Iowa, and General E. C. Carrington, United States District Attorney for the District of Columbia. The meeting lasted until 10:15 P. M. A series of resolutions was adopted, expressive of the sentiments of the meeting, regarding the dismemberment of the Union as an event not to be contemplated in any possible contingency; that the hesitation then manifested by loyal citizens was owing solely to their misgivings as to the prosecution of the war; urging the President to adopt effectual means of assuring the people that he was resolved to prosecute the war on a scale limited only by the resources of the country; that the measures adopted should be such as would bear with the most crushing weight upon those in rebellion, whether in arms or not; that
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the leaders of the Rebellion should be regarded as irreelaimable traitors, and either deprived of life or expelled from the country; that the National Capital was eminently the place where treason should be instantly denounced and punished, and that the most stringent meas- ures should be adopted by the proper authorities without delay to arrest the disloyal men and women within the District of Columbia; approving the act of Congress subjecting to confiscation the property of rebels, and declaring free such of their slaves as should take refuge within our lines; that the Federal Government should be sustained, no matter what administration was in power, and pledging to the President and his cabinet the most earnest, cordial, and determined support; and lastly, pledging themselves to make ample pecuniary pro- vision for the support of the families of such of the citizens of the District of Columbia as were in the military service of their country.
The speech of the President was a noteworthy one, being uttered at a time when much criticism was being indulged in by friends of himself and those of General Mcclellan, for opposite reasons, and when there was dissatisfaction with the results of the campaign on the Peninsula. Omitting the mere introductory portion of the speech, the President said :
"There has been a very widespread attempt to have a quarrel between General Mcclellan and the Secretary of War. Now, I occupy a position that enables me to believe, at least, that these two gentle- men are not nearly so deep in the quarrel as some presuming to be their friends. General MeClellan's attitude is such that in the very selfishness of nature he cannot but wish to succeed, and I hope he will be successful. The Secretary of War is precisely in the same situation. If the military commander in the field cannot be success- ful, not only the Secretary of War, but myself, for the time being the master of them both, cannot but be failures. Sometimes we hear a dispute about how many men MeClellan has had. Those who would disparage him say that he has had a very large number, and those who would disparage the Secretary of War insist that General Mcclellan has had but a very small number. The basis for this is that there is always a wide difference between the grand total on Mcclellan's rolls and the men actually fit for duty; those who would disparage him talk of the grand total on paper, and those who would disparage the Secretary of War talk of those present and fit for duty.
"General MeClellan has sometimes asked for things that the Secretary of War could not give him. General Mcclellan is not to blame for asking for what he wanted and needed, and the Secretary
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of War is not to blame for not giving what he had not to give. And I say here, that so far as I know, the Secretary of War has withheld nothing from MeClellan without my approval, and I have with- held nothing at any time in my power to give. I have no accusation against him. I believe he is a brave and able man, and I stand here, as justice requires me to do, to take upon myself what has been charged upon the Secretary of War as withheld from him."
The second battle of Bull Run was fought on the 29th, 30th, and 31st of August, 1862, resulting, as is well known, in the serious defeat of the Union forces under General Pope. In consequence of the great losses to the Union army in wounded, there was great demand for surgeons and nurses to care for them, and a corresponding activity in the departments and among the people at Washington in response to the demand. Fully one thousand persons, employees of the Gov- ernment and others, assembled at the corner of Maryland Avenne and Eighth Street South at four o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday, the 30th, expecting speedy transportation to the battlefield; but owing to the failure to notify the engineer of the train that civilians were to go on it, there was a delay of four hours in getting started. At length, however, at eight o'clock, the train got under way with its load of humanitarians, to carry succor to the sick and wounded. After a ride of ten hours, they reached Fairfax Station, and then could proceed no further, except on foot, and on their own responsibility, the bridge over Bull Run having been destroyed by the rebels the night before; and then there was a march of fifteen miles before them if they went on. The few that did make the attempt to reach the battlefield were peremptorily ordered back; so all gave up and returned to Washing- ton. The next day, the medical director of the District, John Campbell, published a request that all who were willing to receive into their houses convalescent soldiers, in order to make room for wounded soldiers, would send their names to him, together with the number they could accommodate. The movement thus begun at Washington, to send surgeons and other assistance to the battlefields, instantly spread to all the larger cities of the Northern States, and packages of all kinds of clothing, etc., were forwarded therefrom in great abundance.
On September 1, a consultation was held by the President, General Halleck, and General Mcclellan, as to the defenses of the city, and a number of gunboats came up the Potomac, anchoring at different points off the city, so as to be ready in case of an attack upon the city, which was then with good reason apprehended. Quite a number
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of clerks from the departments went down to the boat-landing at Sixth Street, to assist in transferring the wounded, about fifteen hundred of whom reached the city that day. Carriages, wagons, omnibuses, and ambulances were all pressed into the service. The influx of wounded after this battle made it necessary to convert every place capable of use in this way into hospitals for the sick and wounded, the upper story of the Patent Office, the Capitol, and numerous other buildings being converted into hospitals.
On September 2, General MeClellan was placed in command of the fortifieations of Washington and of all of the troops for its defense, and the patrolmen were all busy closing all retail liquor estab- lishments. September 3, the remains of Colonel Fletcher Webster, son of Hon. Daniel Webster, having been embalmed at Alexandria, were brought to Washington, as were also those of General Kearney. The entire army of General Pope, which commenced falling back from Centerville on Monday morning, September 1, reached its position in front of the fortifications on the south side of the Potomac on Tuesday night, General MeClellan assuming command of this army, as also of General Burnside's. In consequence of the threatened danger to the city, the clerks in the several departments of the Gov- ernment were organized into military companies for the defense of the Capital. In the Interior Department a company was formed containing 120 men, under Captain J. M. Edmonds. The Census clerks formed a company of 85 men; the Patent Office, one of 100 men. The Post Office employees made a company containing 87 active men, and 30 reserves, with captain, R. K. Scott; first lieutenant, C. F. MeDon- ald; second lieutenant, William HI. Frazer. The Treasury Depart- ment also organized a company, but the War Department was too busy with its regular duties to give any attention to local military organizations. The employees of the Government Printing Office organ- ized a company containing about 170 men. The total number of employees of the Government thus organized into companies for the defense of the city was about 1,800 men. The National Rifles, about 80 strong, tendered their services. Including this latter company there were, by September 4, 18 companies organized, the Interior Depart- ment furnishing 8, the Treasury Department 5, the Printing Office 2, the Coast Survey 1, the Post Office Department 1, and the National Rifles. On the same day, the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Regiment arrived in the city, and the One Hundred and Twenty-second New York and the Twentieth Michigan. The German Relief Association, organized to relieve and comfort the
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sick and wounded soldiers, performed unusually acceptable service at this time. The clerks of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Auditors' divisions were organized on Wednesday evening, September 3, with captain, D. H. Lusk, first lieutenant, A. J. Bentley, second lieutenant, J. Ilackett. The stonecutters and laborers at work on the Capitol on the same day organized two companies, one company being officered as follows: Captain, Richard Morgan, first lieutenant, H. Ellis, and second lieutenant, P. Fritz; thre other as follows: Captain, A. John- son, first lieutenant, A. Carroll, and second lieutenant, Joseph Sulli- van. Other employees at work on the building organized another company, with captain, C. F. Thomas, first lieutenant, C. Magruder, and second lieutenant, G. Miller.
In consequence of the invasion of Maryland by the successful rebels, and the capture of Fredericksburg, a force of troops left Washington on Sunday, September 7, General MeClellan following at 6:40 P. M., General Banks being left in charge of the defense of Washington. On Saturday night, the troops had been placed under marching orders, and the new levies made the night air resound with their shouting and their cheers, while the old troops, having had considerable severe experience in actual warfare, were much more quiet. The great battle of August 17, at South Moun- tain, was one of the severest of the war, resulting in a victory for
the Army of the Potomac. During the 18th, the firing was not renewed, General MeClellan having agreed to an armistice, proposed by the enemy, to bury the dead. After this great battle, the Sanitary Commission was very active in sending supplies to the army. At this time there were the following hospitals in Washington for the care of the sick and wounded soldiers:
Ascension Hospital, at the corner of II and Ninth streets; Armory Hospital, on Seventh Street, south of the canal; Baptist Hospital, Dr. Samson's, on Thirteenth Street, near G; Baptist Hospital, Rev. Mr. Kennard's, on E Street, near Sixth; Caspion's House, near the Capitol; Carver's House, near Boundary, between Seventh and Four- teenth; Capitol Hospital; Columbian Hospital, Columbian College, on Fourteenth Street; Cliffburne Hospital, near Columbian College; Doug- las Hospital, at the corner of I and First streets; Ebenezer Hospital, on Fourth Street, near G; Eckington Hospital, near the Gales mansion; Emory Hospital, at the Sixth Cavalry Barracks, east of the Capitol; Epiphany Hospital, on G Street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets; Finley Hospital, near the Eckington Hospital; Harewood Hospital, Corcoran's Place, near the tollgate; Judiciary Square Hos-
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pital; Kalorama Hospital, Twenty-first Street and Kalorama Heights; Methodist Hospital (Southern ), Eighth and I streets; Mount Pleasant Hospital, Fourteenth Street, near Columbian College; Ninth Street Hospital, between G and HI streets; Odd Fellows Hospital, Eighth Street East, near the Navy Yard; Patent Office Hospital; Ryland Chapel Hospital, Tenth and D streets; Seminary Hospital, Gay and Washington streets, Georgetown; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Government Insane Asylum; Stone's Hospital, Fourteenth Street, east of the college; Trinity Church Hospital, Third and C streets; Union Chapel Hospital, Twentieth Street, near II; Union Hotel Hospital, Georgetown; Unitarian or Cranch Hospital, Sixth and D streets; St. Aloysius Hospital, near St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Besides these there were ten hospitals in Alexandria.
It would be impossible to do more than justice to those who attended the sick, wounded, and dying soldiers in these hospitals. Ladies of every class in society, including the most refined, and members of families of foreign diplomats, all moved by a sympathy for suffering humanity common to all hearts, and as honorable as common, were constantly at work at the bedsides of those needing aid. The amount of good done in this way is inestimable.
After the issuance of the Proclamation of September 22, 1862, a serenade was given the President on Wednesday evening, the 24th. In response, the President said: "I have not been distinctly informed why it is that on this occasion you appear to do me this honor. I suppose-["It is because of the proclamation!"]-I was about to say I suppose I understand it. What I did I did after very full delibera- tion, and under a very heavy and solemn sense of responsibility. I can only trust in God that I made no mistake." Secretary Chase, Cassius M. Clay, and Attorney-General Bates were also visited and serenaded, and all made speeches approving of the proclamation.
The First Regiment, District of Columbia Volunteers, in October, 1862, were sent to Alexandria to act as provost guard, Colonel Tait relieving General Slough as military governor of the city of Alex- andria. This regiment had been in the severe campaigns of Banks and Pope, but notwithstanding this fact had at this time nearly five hundred men in ranks fit for duty, and only twenty-five absent without leave. The Second District of Columbia Regiment was for some time previous to October 31 engaged in duty on the Upper Potomac, but was relieved about this time, and came to the city.
Island Hall Hospital was established at the corner of Sixth Street and Virginia Avenue about November 1, and was under the care of
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Surgeons Hayes and Sehenck. Up to January 1, 1863, bounties were given to such persons as should enlist in the District of Columbia regiments, but at that time this practice was abandoned, because very few of the inhabitants availed themselves of the bounty, and because most of the enlistments were by parties from abroad, who in some instances were deserters from other regiments. At the close of the year 1862, there were about fourteen thousand sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals in Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria. But notwithstanding there were so many, there was sufficient room for all in the regular hospitals, and the Fourth Presbyterian Church, the Church of the Ascension, and the Methodist Episcopal Church South were vacated, when all the churches were vacated which had been in use by the Government for this purpose. On February 18, 1863, Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Doster was relieved at his own request as provost-marshal of the District of Columbia, and Captain Henry B. Todd, of the First New York Cavalry, appointed in his stead.
March 31, 1863, a great war meeting was held in both halls of Congress, under the anspices of the two boards of the city Council. Mayor Richard Wallach presided in the hall of the House of Repre- sentatives, and Lewis Clephane and Alexander R. Shepherd in the hall of the Senate, the former during the first part of the meeting, and the latter during the latter part. In the House of Representatives, Ex-Governor Bebb, of Ohio, submitted a series of resolutions strongly in favor of fighting the war to a successful termination, and quoting John Bright, as to the destiny of the Republic, as follows:
" We cannot believe that civilization, in its journey with the sun, will sink into endless night, to gratify the ambition of the leaders of this revolt, who seek to 'wade through slaughter to a throne,' and ' shut the gates of mercy on mankind.' We have another and far brighter vision before our eyes. Through the thick gloom of the present we see the brightness of the future as the sun in the heavens. We see one vast confederation, stretching from the frozen North in one unbroken line to the glowing South, and from the wild billows of the stormy Atlantic to the calmer waters of the Pacifie main; and we see one people, one law, one language, and one religion, and over all this wide continent the home of freedom and a refuge for the op- pressed of every race."
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