Evening Star Newspaper, October 26, 1930, Page 90

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, OCTOBER 26, 1930. Yorktown Centenary Was D. C. Event g Baron von Steuben, celebrated German tactician in the American Revolution. : v From Leslie's Weekly. - BY JOHN CALGETT PROCTOR N American Revolutionary history the month of October has played quite an important part. In 1777 there were two particularly important events— the battle of Germantown, on October 4, and the surrender of Burgoyne to Gen. Gates at Saratoga, on October 17, and the chief event of all, the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, on October 19, 1781. Of course, the City of Washington was not in existence at this time, and naturally could not take part in ihis glorious victory, which practically brought ihe Revolution to an end, but no doubt there were Georgetown men and Alexandria men at the surrender, as well as men from the coun- ties parts of which later went toward making up the District of Columbia; and, indeed, David Burnes, the original proprietor, might have been there himself, for it is known that he did serve in the War for Independence. . But whereas the District was not in existence in 1781, it was very much in evidence a hun- dred years later, when the corner stone of the Yorktown Monument was laid at Yorktown, Va., on October 19, 1881, and locally at least took an important part upon that occasion. How interesting it is to look over the columns of an old newspaper and read the names of some of the old residents, perhaps long since passed away—well known citizens, with whom you may have had a personal acuaintance, and whom you maybe recall for their sterling worth and for their active part in civic and other affairs. It surely will bring to mind a flood of memories, as it did to the writer when he read in The Star of the entertainment and recep- tion accorded the Government's foreign guests when they stopped over in this city just 49 years ago this month when on their way to Yorktown. 'HE German contingent arrived here on the morning of October 14, and The Star of that date tells us that— “The German guests, members of the great Von Steuben family, arrived in the city a little after 8 o'clock this morning, and had a quiet reception at the depot from officers of the State Department, German Minister, District Com- missioners Dent and Morgan and Messrs. Vogt, Ruppert, Droop and others, representing the German citizens of Washington. The visitors were driven at once to the Arlington Hotel. The party, which is in charge of Gen. Charles Adams, the United States Minister to Bolivia, numbers only seven members, as follows: Arndt von Steuben, aged 56, colonel of the 79th In- fantry, stationed at Hildesheim, and chief of the mission; FPritz von Steuben, aged 45, cap- tain of the 4th Royal Guard Infantry, stationed at Spandau, and a brother of the colonel: vy Wit BT A€ AL e The surrender of Lord Cornwellis at Yorktown. Part Played by People of Washington in Entertaining French and German Guests in 1881—Men of Local Prominence W ho T ook Part in Procession. Kuno von Steuben, aged 26, lieutenant of the 39th Infantry, stationed at Dusseldorf, and a son of Col. Steuben; Berndt von Steuben, aged 24, lieutenant and adjutant of the 23d Line, stationed at Tastadt, another of the colonel's sons; Anton von Steuben, aged 23, lieutenant in the 79th "Infantry, still another of the colonel’s sons, and stationed with his. father at Hildesheim; Richard von Steuben, aged 54, Royal Grand Forester and captain-of the Land- wehr, from Fulsenberg, and Eugen von Steuben, captain in the 98th Infantry, from Branden- burg, his brother. With the exception of Berndt and Anton von Steuben, young men, 23 and 24, they are all married.” Of course, we all recall Edward F. Droop, who was one of those who helped represent the German citizens of the District—tall and portly, with a kindly face and becoming side whiskers, long since gone to his reward, but still well represented here in business by his two sons, Edward H. and Carl A, who have followed in their father’s footsteps and are of our fore- most citizens. He was then a partner in the firm of W. G. Metzerott & Co., at 925 Penn- sylvania avenue, next door to John L. Vogt, the well known confectioner and business man of that period and later, who also served on the Reception Committee. The writer did not know Commissioner Dent nor Commissioner Morgan, but he did have an acuaintance with the latter's son, Thomas P. Morgan, jr., and his daughter, Mrs. Samuel W. Stinemetz, who died only recently. NOTHER group of names occurring in the press in connection with the the procession, in which about all of the military companies of Washington took part, as well as other organi- zations, will naturally be of interest to the old residents, especially in the way The Star tells it: “About the city early today there were evi- dences of the gay ceremonies of the afternoon. The German and French tricolors were seen on every hand, festooned with Stars and Stripes or arranged in tasteful designs. The decora- tions on Pennsylvania avenue in honor of the guests were very general. Here and there some black draperies gave a somber tinge to the whole and reminded the people in the midst of the festivities of the season of sorrow through which the Nation has just passed. Militiamen in gay uniforms, knights in regalia and others, hastening to places of rendezvous, alsg gave animate tokens of the ceremonies in prepara- tion. “The procession to escort the guests from the Arlington to the Capitol commenced to form on Pennsylvania avenue in the neighborhood of the Washington Circle at noon. The late ar- rival of the civil bodies which were expected to parade delayed matters considerably, and it was after 1 o'clock when the procession moved. The following was the order in which the bodies marched: Platoon of mounted police, commanded by Capt. C. R. Vernon; chief mar- shal, Col. Robert Boyd; aids, M. M. Parker, Levi Woodbury, Thomas L. Hume, James E. Waugh, Dr. Smith Townshend, George H. Plant, S. H. Merrill, W. J. Stephenson and J. R. ‘Thompson. “FIRST DIVISION. “District Militia, Col. Amos Webster com- manding, and staff. Marine Band. - Washing- ton Light Infantry Corps, battalion of four companies, officered by Col. W. G. Moore and Lieuts. Dalton, Ross, Goddard and Miller. Union Veteran Corps, 47 men, Capt. S. E. Thomason, Lieuts. M. E. Urell, T. B. Harrison and Z. E. Thomas. Pistorio’s Band. National Rifies, 656 men, Col J. O. P. Burnside and Lieuts. Fitzagerald and Opyster. Washington Light Guard, 40 men, Maj. Norton and Lieut. Bailey. West Washington Zouaves, 30 men, Capt. Charles Thomas, First Lieut. Fred Shoemaker, First Sergt. Ernest Shoemaker, Second Sergt. Henry Hedrick. Butler Zouaves, 35 men, Capt. C. B. Fisher and Lieuts. Moore, Young, Tyler and Johnson. Capital City Guards, 40 men, Capt. Thomas 8. Kelly, Lieuts. C. R. Douglass, J. G. Marshall and W. H. Smallwood. Washington Gadets, 35 men, Capt C, A. Fleetwood, Lieuts. Ed Brockenborough, George S. Contee and R. Owen. Lincoln Light Infantry, 40 men, Capt. William Cornell. Light Battery A, District of Columbia Artillery, four guns, Maj J. R. Hanneman. “SECOND DIVISION. “Chief marshal, William Dickson; aids, E. B. Hay, T. B. Kalbfus, J. P. R. Phelps and Lloyd Moxley. Uniformed Patriarchs, I. O. O. F, Knights of Pythias, Knights of St. Peter. Weber's Band. District Fire Department, five engines and two truck companies, with Chief Engineer Cronin in command. “The procession moved a few minutes after 1 o'clock, marching to the Arlington by way of Pennsylvania avenue, Scventeenth and H streets.” COL. ROBERT BOYD, the chief marshal of the parade, was for many years a promi- nent hardware merchant at 416 Ninth street northwest. His title of colonel came to him through service during the Civil War as the chief officer of the 1st Regiment, District of Columbia Volunteers, in which he served from April 20, 1861, to August 20, 1865. He was of an old District family, and on October 5, 1854, married Ann Elizabeth Bitner, of the old First Ward. Col. Boyd was the father of 12 children, nine of whom lived to maturity, and a number of his descendants are among the Washington resi- dents who trace their ancestry back to the be- ginning of the Capital City. His issue included Robert Edgar, Willlam Godfrey, Frank, Eliza- beth, Grace, Florence, Mary Estelle, Helen, Alice and Jane. Of these Robert married Mary Eliza- beth Duffy, and had one son, R. Elmo. William Godfrey Boyd married Anna Bell Read, and a daughter, Louise, survives. Elizabeth Grace Boyd became Mrs. William H. McKnight, and their daughter, Marie, mar- ried Ralph B. Pratt. Miss Florence Boyd mar- ried George W. Evans, who was for many years the chief disbursing officer of the Department of - the Interior, and who also for a long while handle@ the finances of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants, of which he was a promi- nent member. Mary, Helen and Alice Boyd remained unmarried, while Jane married. Mau- The Marquis de Lafayette. From Leslie's Weekly. rice Humphrey Joyce, a Washington stock broker, who met a tragic death when he was drowned off Quantico, Md., back in 1910. Mra. Joyce later became Mrs. Charles A. Fiske. Many of the men mentioned as having been prominently connected with that patriotic pro- cession a half a century ago were then in the prime of life. Today, if alive, they must indeed be in the venerable class; for, try as we may, the milestones over which we have passed can- not be removed to suit our pleasure. Col. Myron M. Parker lived to a ripe old age, and died but recently. He later served the Dis- trict in many henorable positions, holding the office of Commissioner of the District of Co- lumbia during 1893 and 1894. ; Capt. Charles R. Vernon, who had charge of the mounted police escort that day, as the writer recalls him, was a tall, slender man, whe reflected much credit upon the department he then served. Naturally the police force was not as large at that time as it is now, and the per< sonnel of chief officers for 1880 includes only the major and superintendent, Willlam G: Brock; property clerk, William J. Dunivan; cape tain and inspector, Charles R. Vernon, and clerk, E. D. Appleton. The detective corps consisted of John W. Coomes, George W. McElfresh, James A. McDevitt, George O. Miller, Augustus H. Voss and Jos°ph A~t~-. . THRRE were then just one-i:alf as many pre- cincts as now. No. 1 was in charge of Lieut. Gessford, father of Harry L. Gessford, retired major and superintendent of police; No. 2 was commanded by Lieut. Johnson, No. 3 by Lieut. Skippen, No. 4 by Lieut. Noonan, No. 5 by Lieut. Kelly, father of the recently made chief of detectives, Capt. Edward Kelly; No. 6 was In the charge of Li~vt. Greer, and No. 7 of Lieut. Austin. Among the other aids mentioned to the chief marshal Levi Woodbury was of the St. James Hotel; Thomas L. Hume of the firm of Hume, Cleary & Co.; James E. Waugh, broker; Dr. Smith Townshend, practicing physician and District Health Officer; George H. Plant of the City Post Office; S. H. Merrill, another official of the Postal Service, and W. J. Stephenson, then one of our foremost coal merchants. Col. William G. Moore, who led the Washing- ton Light Infantry that day, shortly afterward became the superintendent of police, and his administration, which covered a number of years, was an unusually good one. He was & very plainspoken man—sometimes emphatically so—and for that reason no one ever left his office without knowing where he stood, and it was just this characteristic that made him admired by the people. Quite 8 number of names of officers taking part in the military parade are remembered with pride. Burton R. Resa then just a lieutenant, as was also M. Emmet Urell, later were com