lincoln the only on ay president ever under enemy s fire while holding office of chief executive it happened at fort stevens stevem just 75 15 years ago 77 71 F 41 4 g RIX T 75 P f V 4 s 7 A V e 7 11 1 1 1 v bmw fi rv f shw VvS Mt alvy fl vy PRESIDENT LINCOLN UNDER FIRE AT FORT STEVENS from the sketch by E K kelly lly tn in the kelly collection owned by dr george hope bope ryder ot of new york city reproduced by eo courtesy ol of the united states army recruiting news BJ B ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper paper union f FIVE years ago this month a president of the S united states stood on the parapets of a fort and heard the bullets of enemy soldiers whistling about his ears the only case on record of a chief executive having that experience during his term of office the president was abraham lincoln and the scene of his narrow escape from death was fort stevens on the outskirts of washington on july 12 1864 it came about in this way in june of that year grant began his famous hammering campaign against richmond which drove lee back upon petersburg by the first of july it seemed certain that petersburg was doomed and when it fell the door to the capital of the confederacy would be opened Reil realizing izing that grant was not to be beaten oft off by direct assault lee decided to make a threatening gesture toward washington he sent gen jubal A early and picked men to the shenandoah valley to sweep down upon washington from the north early had reached martinsburg Mart insburg W va before grant became aware of what was taking place immediately the union commander ordered small detachments of cavalry into the valley to harass early and delay him until he could bring the sixth army corps to the rescue of the capital next he ordered gen lew wallace who was at annapolis with hundred day men to intercept early at frederick sweeping up the shenandoah early crushed a small union force commanded by gen franz sigel swung off to maryland heights and bottled up another force led by general weber on july 5 he crossed the potomac and the next day captured both hagerstown Hagers town and add frederick on july 8 he met wallaces green troops on the banks of the mono cacy and although he defeated them decisively and scattered them wallace partially accomplished his purpose of delaying the invaders for a little while then early began making forced lorcey marches july 10 found him at rockville and the morning of the eleventh his cavalry reached silver spring on tha the outskirts of washington with the main column close behind washington was protected by 29 forts and 11 batteries on the south 12 forts in anacostia two at chain bridge and 19 forts and 23 heavy batteries on the north all ot of these fortifications were connected by deep rifle pits and had heavy guns but maj gen horatio G wright commander of the washington defenses had fewer than men in his garrisons As earlys troops approached the city along the seventh street pike a forte force of federal cavalry was sent to meet the invaders but these were soon beaten back and confederate sharpshooters taking possession of houses along the pike began pouring a murderous fire into the rifle pits into which general wright had rushed all his effect effective ivi troops meanwhile wright had been combing the hospitals to in washington and every man who could walkways wal walk kwas was put into uniform and pressed into service the Union commander marched these troops bade and forth in full view of the confederate lookouts them from fort to jort fort and changed their positions in the rifle pits to give an imbres sion of a great force of troops in reserve then just as the confederates started to deploy along a a two mile front for a concerted attack wright attempted d a magnificent ent bluff A skeleton regiment of 40 0 men of the twenty fifth new york dismounted cavalry commanded by captain chamberlain which had bad just arrived from baltimore where it was being re mounted and reorganized after being cut to pieces during the fighting in virginia filed into the rine rifle pits suddenly they leaped out and yelling like demons charged through the picket line drove back the confederate skirmishers A L f GEN JUBAL A EARLY and recaptured the stone h houses auses where the gray sharpshooters were hiding acting as though grants invincible sixth corps were backing them up instead of a few thousand ineffective troops they completely fooled the invaders and stopped heir advance early hesitated and let slip his golden opportunity to capture washington and perhaps end the war As the forts increased their fire he began to withdraw his troops A few hours later grants veterans of the wilderness marched into the capital washington was saved I 1 that night there was heavy skirmishing in what is now rock creek park and brightwood Bright wood with the guns of fort stevens and fort de russey still roaring defiance at the invaders during the night early learned from his spies how he had been fooled and filled with rage at the thought of his lost opportunity he resolved to renew the attack despite the arrival of the union reinforcements on the morning of july 12 he agam again advanced to the attack after sending his sharpshooters forward to open fire on the defenders of the forts during the morning president lincoln arrived on I 1 the scene in his carriage acco accompanied m by mrs lincoln As general era wright advanced to greet him the president extended his hand saying Geli general eral I 1 am very glad to see you this looks as though we were going to do something mr president replied the general pointing toward FO fort rt stevens if just come along down there with me ill show you one of the prettiest little fights you could wish to see years later general wright told of the historic incident thus no sooner were the words out of my mouth than I 1 deeply regretted having uttered them I 1 fully realized that the presidents life was far too valuable to be brought into danger by any careless words of mine but it was to too 0 late he not only accepted my invitation but insisted upon accompanying me notwithstanding all I 1 could say to prevent him he sent his wife back and when I 1 mounted the parapet there he was beside me looking out upon the scene with a great deal of interest the sharpshooters were firing pretty closely and I 1 explained to him that the place was entirely too dangerous for him it is not more dangerous for me than it is for you he replied coolly clouy but it is my duty to be here while it is your duty not to expose yourself your position requires this and I 1 particularly request you to remember it just then a sharpshooters bullet struck a surgeon who was standing near the president and I 1 became really alarmed for his safety and I 1 have no doubt a little excited as I 1 said firmly mr president you must really get down from this exposed position I 1 cannot allow you to remain here longer and if you refuse I 1 shall deem it my duty to have you removed under guard 11 1 I suppose the absurdity of my threatening to put the president of the united states under arrest amused him for he smiled looked at me quizzically and got down behind the parapet where I 1 provided him with an ammunition box for a seat but he sit still a minute at a time and was constantly stretching up his long form to see what was going on thereby exposing fully half of himself to danger in spite of all I 1 could do and thus he cent continued in to bob up and down until the action was over when he cheered lustily along with the rest and bidding us good night got into his carriage and rode away home 1 I soon afterwards the whole confederate line moved forward but counter attacks from fort de russey drove the flanks in toward fort stevens despite the hot fire poured into the confederates they advanced to within a short distance of the rifle pits before their lines broke and retreated under the cover of darkness general early withdrew his forces and crossed over into virginia at whites ford into lou doun county his retreat was a masterly one and accomplished with such skill that the union forces were not aware of his withdrawal until he was too far away to be overtaken in recent years a reproduction of old fort stevens whose vallant valiant defenders saved the nations capital 75 years ago was constructed ted by workers and toda day a granite monument marks the spot upon which lincoln stood as he watched the fighting A bronze tablet on the monument reproduces the historic scene of july 12 1884 1864 the only time an Amer american icari president was under combat fire while in office Q af GEN HORATIO G WRIGHT WEIGHT this bronze tablet was executed from a sketch made by james E kelly a famous sculptor and artist of bivil civil war scenes early in 1896 1898 kelly was in washington while his bis model submitted in competition for the proposed equestrian monument of gen W T sherman was on display in the war department at that thal t time wright who had been retired 0 y from the e army was in the capital kelly had known wright while both were living in new york during the seventies and had made a medallion portrait of him on january 17 1896 the artist accompanied the general ge ne ral to the site of fort stevens near bright wood D C and there under wrights direction he sketched the picture of lincoln standing on the parapet of fort stevens exposed to the fire of general earlys sharpshooters that picture signed and dated by wright is now in the possession of dr george hope ader of new york city owner of the kelly collection of civil war sketches later this sketch was made into a finished drawing which was used for the tablet erected on the spot and dedicated on july 12 1911 this finished drawing was first reproduced in the united states army recruiting news by whose courtesy it is reproduced with this article when lincoln stood on the para pets of fort stevens and watched batche wa tche the fighting he little realized that a ferow fellow kentuckian who was an old political opponent of his was watching the battle from the other side yet Ye such tsuch was the case for two of earlys divisions were commanded comman did by maj gen john C breckinridge one of the democratic candidates whom lincoln had defeated in the presidential 1 election of 1860 during the attack on washington early and breckinridge made their headquarters at 44 3 C ver spring in the home of francis P blair famous as a member of andrew jacksons kitchen cabinet and editor of the washington globe which was established at jacksons request as the official administration newspaper blair and breckinridge were cousins and before the war breckinridge had often visited in the blair mansion at silver spring so he saw to it that earlys soldiers did not molest blairs beairs private correspondence consisting of letters from jackson henry clay and other notables which had been left in the house H even had blairs beairs silver p alaf 1 19 transferred to another house for safekeeping and sent a note to blair telling him what he had done however the home of blairs beairs son montgomery ry blair postmaster general in Lincol ns cabinet did not escape so easily it W was burned to the ground by earlys soldiers there is an amusing story of how they captured two game cocks owned by the washington correspondent of horace gree leys new york tribune although gamecocks game cocks are not the most toothsome kind of chicken the Gray jackets ard are said to have taken unusual delight in boiling and eating the two which had been owned by old horaces representative I 1 after earlys departure a V vy 9 urne ume of lord byrons poems war found in which a confederate soldier had written this message to the president near washington july 12 1864 now uncle abe you had better be quiet during the balance of your administration we only came near your town this time to show you what we could do but it if you go on in your mad care erwe will come again soon and you had better stand from under yours respectfully the worst rebel you ever saw fifty eighth virginia infantry