Evening Star Newspaper, January 1, 1933, Page 44

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, P. C, JANUARY 1, 1933, MARINE CORPS IN WASHINGTON HISTORY BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. O, tell it to the Marines, and l/ they will shoot you!” was a common saying years ago when one doubted a statement being made to him, which only goes to show that as far back as one’s memory goes, the United States Marines were a discerning, reliable set of men who were noted for their alertness in detecting implaus- able stories and for supplying drastic punish- ment to the offender, if necessary. Perhaps the Marines are a more familiar sight to the citizens of Washington than to those who reside elsewhere, for not only have we here the headquarters of the corps, but also the Marine Barracks and the famous Marine Band, known the world over, and positively never forgotten by those who have seen them upon important occasions at the White House, dressed in their attractive uniforms, or march- inz up Pennsylvania avenue. The first detachment of Marines, that formed the nucleus of the permanent post in the Dis- trict of Columbia, arrived here—according to Maj. Edwin N. McClellan, U. S. M. C,, officer- in-charge of the historical section—in the Spring of 1800. But, according to the same authority, a recruiting rendezvous had been established in Alexandria and in Georgetown at an earlier date. It was a small body that first came here, and only included Sergt. Jonathan Meredith and “twelve of his best men.” They were ordered here from Baltimore, and the hike over con- sumed two days, their equipment being carried in a cart. Under the act of Congress, approved by Presi- dent John Adams, July 11, 1798, the New Marine Corps came into existence, for it should be noted that the Marine. contingent that served in the War of the American Revolution, was disbanded as soon as that war was over. Benjamin Stoddert, for whom the Georgetown school was recently named, was then serving as the first Secretary of the Navy, having assumed his duties as such, June 18, 1798. And that makes two very good reasons why the Nation should transfer his body to Arlington National Cemetery: because he was the first Secretary of the Navy and the father of the United States Marine Corps. After the act was approved, which again brought into existence the Marine Corps, W. W. Burrows became the major commandant, and it was through him that Secretary Stoddert directed that a company of Marines should be sent to Washington “to guard and protect the materiels” on ‘“the proposed site for the Navy Yard.” Sergt. Meredith and his men of the first contingent sent here, arrived in Washington on March 31, 1800, and reported to Lieut. Thomas Barclay who had been ordered by the com- mandant to see that the men were provided with good quarters, rations, wood and straw. At first the detachment was quartered in Georgetown, but during the latter part of July we find the headquarters removed to Observatory or Camp Hill, the reservation selected for the National University on E street between Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth streets northwest, where tents were set up. It was a “beautiful hill overlooking the Potomac,” ac- cording to early reports, but, apparently, in August, it was about as warm a spot as else- where in Washington, for in her diary of August 29, 1800, Mrs. Thornton tells us that “Col. and Mrs. Burrows returned our visit— he said the thermometer was at 94 yesterday in his tent.” HE statement has been made that Revolu- tionary soldiers were encamped on Observa- tory Hill during the Revolutionary War, but there seems to be no proof for the statement. Perhaps the nearest authentic reference to Revolutionary soldiers being in the District of Columbia is that made by Christian Hines in his “Early Recollections of Washington City,” when in referring to Boundary street in the neighborhood of Kalorama, he says: *“It appears from information I received from an uncle of mine, whom I visited in the State of Ohio, that a portion of the French army were encamped in this neighborhood for a while during the Revolutionary War, as they were on their march to the South, while a portion of the Continental, or American Army, were encamped near to where the old Methodist meeting house in Georgetown since stood, and near the upper bridge, my uncle being then in that portion of the Army. This Army was also marching in a southerly direction. The French Army crossed Rock Creek by fording it near where the old paper mill stood. Wash- Ington City was not then thought of. “This information was so strange to me (never having had any knowledge of it before) that on my return from Ohio I was induced to make some inquiry among the old inhabitants who lived here at the time these things took place, and three of four of them confirmed what my uncle, Rudolph Hines, told me. “The first of whom I inquired was Mrs. Thomas W. Pairo, who was occasionally a customer at 2 large grocery store we then carried on at the corner of Twentieth and I streets. I asked her if she recollected any of the circumstances, and, after a short pause, she replied by saying that the French army officers had made her parents’ kitchen their headquarters; that she, being then a child, wouléd go to the kitchen door and peep through the chink at the officers, and that her mother was alarmed for fear the French soldiers would steal her chickens, but that none of them was stolen by them. “I also made inquiry of Mr. Thomas Taylor, whose parents were living in Georgetown at the time, and who had a perfect recollection of these events, as well as of the fact that a wagon loaded with specie was upset in going down the steep road, or gully, as it was after- wards termed, to join the Americans on the Georgetown side of Rock Creek.” But Camp Hill or Observatory Hill was as cool a place in the Winter as it was warm in the Summer, and as Autumn approached it became quite blustery and the men weté housed in rénted quarfers until other provisions could be made for their comfort. Of course this took time, but by June 21, of the following year, the Gevernment had made 8 real starf by, purs . Capital Had Important Part in Early Expe- riences of Famous Fighting Organization. Record in Campaign Which Turned Tide of World War. President Thomas Jefferson and Col. W. W. Burrows, enjoying a ride around W ashington in the Fall of 1801. chasing for $4,000, square No. 927, the present site of the Marine Barracks. However, there must have been some extras not taken into consideration with the original payment, for we later find the purchase price increased to $6,247.18, According to an old account, the barracks and headquarters office building were built dur- ing the year 1801 at a cost of $29,067.10, and the quarters of the Major General Command- ant, about 1803. THE exploits of the Marines, and their patri- otic devotion and service, when brains and bravery were required, are too many to include in a short story. But many will recall read- ing of the heroic defense made by Commodore Joshua Barney, his sailors and Marines of the Nation’s Capital, on that memorable day when the British burned the public buildings in Washington. Barney, according to orders, had sunk his fleet near Hill's Bridge, a few miles east of Marlboro, and Capt. Samuel Miller's battalion of Marines was ordered to join him at the Woodyard, about fifteen miles from Washing- ton. The detachment included 110 Marines with three 12 -and two 18 pounder guns. Upon the retreat of Gen. Winder from Old Fields, he came into Washington over what was then known as the Lower Bridge, and he re- quested Barney to defend this entrance way into the city, which this intrepid sea fighter made immediate preparations to do. But the British, after resting at Melwood, about three miles from Old Fields, on the Marlboro pike, marched to Bladensburg instead of crossing the bridge at the former place. In adopting this course, the British employed clever tactics by continuing on the road lead- ing to Washington until the last column had passed the road which branches off to Bladens- burg, when it suddenly reversed its front and marched rapidly to the later place, where they were least expecied to enter until they had almost actually arrived there. The Marines were then withdrawn from the bridge, which was later destroyed, and after the unwinding of a little bit more of the red tape responsible in a large measure for the Army’s debacle, were hurried on toward Bladensburg, to meet the cnemy, consisting of 5,123 troops, including 1,500 Marines and 500 bluejackets. By that time the Americans had already been routed, and the British had almost arrived at the District line, when they were stopped by Barney's 400 sailors and Marines. It was the only real resistance the British met, and their admitted casualties included 64 killed and 186 wounded, but Lossing places the enemy’s loss 8 500 i e veasic s 190 P IS SRS & i’ 32 4 Tmmammmuuum.t Capt. Miller of the Marines was wounded in the arm while fighting bravely, and that Capt. Sevier was wounded in the neck by a musket ball. One corporal and seven privates were killed, and bes.des Capts. Miller and Sevier, 1st Lieut. Nicoll, Sergt. Kelley, one corporal and nine privates were wounded, or a total of 22 casualties. Of the killed were Privates James Burrows, Conrad Hooks, Luachlin M. S. Neil, and Nicholas Whiteley, and Corp. Luke Hovey. Pvt. John Bradley later died of wounds received in action, Corp. John Lindon was reported miss- ing, and Corp. Joseph Smith and Pvt, John Fozier were among those wounded. Commodore Barney was wounded and made a prisoner as was Capt. Miller, The former was severely wounded in the thigh and was so weakened from the loss of blood that he was forced to lie down by the spring that afterward took his name, and it might be interesting to know that when construction work was begun just to the south of Fort Lincoln Cemetery, the old spring was walled up. and is today in the basement of the first house south of -that burying ground. 3 During the brief sojourn in Washington, it is said the enemy added insult to injury by oc- cupying the Marine Barracks, the house of the commandant serving as the British headquar- ters, and that to the hitching post, in front of the old Center House of the barracks, Admiral Cockburn tied his horse. As further humilia- tion the barracks on both sides of the Center House were used to confine American prisoners captured at Bladensburg and elsewhere, But the enemy did not quit the Capital with- out suffering a retribution for his wanton de- struction of American property, and at Green- leaf Point a number of British were killed in an explosion. It occurred, we are told, when a British captain with a company of soldiers marched down to the Point, later known as the arsenal grounds, to destroy the powder magazine. On reaching the spot they found the maga- zine empty, the powder, the day before, having been taken out and thrown into a dry well. One of the British soldiers, not being aware of this fact, threw a lighted match or taper into the well. A most violent explosion resulted, flying through the air to great distances, o being totally buried alive under thrown upon them. The survivors we fully taken to Capitol Hill, and most distressed condition were ! in Row adjoining the residence of Dr. Ewel alone; igave 47 of them medical atten i n i RSCENTLY the writer called on his friend, Mrs. Cora P. Mayberry, who lives at The Meadows, on the Marlhoro Pike a few miles beyond Forestville, and with her went a little farther on toward Upper Marlboro to Melwood Park, where the British forced their on Maryland hospitality just beforé entering Washington, and probably gormandized them- selves with Maryland fried chicken, if their owners had not anticipated their coming in time and had not shooed the fowls beyond harm’s reach. Mrs. Mayberry was a Pumphrey, and is descended from Otho Pumphrey, who had five sons: William, Rector, Gabriel, Samuel and Otho. The Pumphreys were large land owners in this part of Maryland. Willlam Pumphrey, of the second generation, once owned Melwood east front as a place In store his chicken feed. is nice to go through nearby Maryland t some of the early homes of the gentry, some of which are well kept and indi- reverence for those who not only helped to establish American freedom, but continued in ;nernfeborenectgloryuponthewwd 1792 to 1794. Governor Lee seems to have lived in large estate, “Needwood,” in Frederick County, Md., where we find him residing in 1790 with his wife, seven sons over 16 years of age, three under 16, and three daughters and 119 slaves, 171 slaves in all. ] ; In 1777 he served in the Provincial Couneil, and from 1783 to 17384 in the Continental Con- gress, He was born near Marlboro, October 29, 1745, though it would seem thut his death, which occurred October 9, 1819, took place at his home in Frederick County. However, he was buried in a private cemetery on the Mel- wood estate, though his remains were removed to the Catholic Cemetery at Upper Mariboro, on April 17, 1888. - ik The Lower Bridge, which was opened to travel on January 12, 1804, and destroyed by the Americans for stragetic purposes on August 24, 1814, was rebuilt during the following year. The width of the Eastern Branch at that time was given as 1,543 feet, the average depth of the water at common low tide four feet, ex- cept one channel, which was 12 to 14 feet in depth and 450 feet wide. The Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge, which is now crossed by upward of a million people a year, is on the approxi- mate site of the Lower Bridge. AST Summer the writer took a trip from Paris to Belleau Wood, also visiting on the way such historic World War spots as Chateau- Thiery, Epeinay, Chalons-sur-Marne, Verdun, Rheims, Soissons and Compiegne, and saw the famous Hindenburg Line and many other in- teresting places enroute. Belleau Wood was particularly inspiring, for here we saw the no man’s land that was deemed untraversable, until successfully cross- ed and possessed by our Marines and the rest of the Second Division in June, 1918. Paris did not -feel quite as independent then as it does today. It would have given us anything then for our assistance. Today it cannot pay us énough for the loss of our boys—the bravest boys who ever wore 2 uniform. Here on the American side are still to be seen holes of all shapes and sizes, dug by the troops of the 2nd Division with anything at hand, such as metal hats, knives and bayonets. Indeed, a pile of utensils of every conceivable description was still to be seen, gathered from the ficld some 14 years before, some bits of which no doubt had served their purpose in en- trenching some boys safely in mother earth beyond the reach of the sharp-shooter. “During the first days of June,” writes Gen. Pershing, “something akin to a panic seized the city (Paris), and it was estimated that 1,000,000 people left during the Spring of 1918,” and it is further reliably stated that everybody be- lieved that Paris was lost unless some saving factor intervened. To this Maj. McClellan of the Marine Corps adds: “Imagine, if you will, what would have hap- pened had the Marines and the remainder of the 2nd Division troops failed at that time. The psychological ‘effect, diffusing through the German armies, would have galvanized the Germans into an irresistible force and at the same time rendered the morale fiber of the allies more flabby than ever. Public opinion would have been conclusively confirmed that German propaganda, as to the inferiorty of the American soldier, was a fact. The Germans had orders ,thaftheiAmeripans must .be pre-, . Sy nawoss g dbe Joesm