The culmination of Early’s raid on Washington, the skirmishing at Fort Stevens, one of the many forts guarding Washington, on July 11-12, really didn’t amount to much, Early quickly realizing that the fort was now manned partially by veteran troops of the VI corps from the Army of the Potomac, dispatched by Grant to guard Washington, and that whatever opportunity he had ever had to seize Washington by a coup de main was now gone.
Early withdrew on the evening of July 12 and by July 13 was south of the Potomac, his raid on Washington becoming simply a matter for historians. The attack on Fort Stevens is now chiefly remembered for the visit by President and Mrs. Lincoln during the engagement, and Lincoln becoming the only American president during his term of office to come under combat fire.
Lincoln stood on the parapet to view the Confederate skirmishers apparently oblivious to the shots being fired around him, and the men near him being wounded. Captain Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., future Supreme Court Justice, a veteran soldier of three years with the 20th Massachusetts Infantry, the “Harvard Regiment”, yelled at him, “Get down you fool!” Lincoln, amused by this, got down, and congratulated Holmes on knowing how to speak to a civilian.
Bless Holmes for his order and Lincoln for the wisdom and humor to welcome it.
It reminds me of a story of the 4th Armored’s mad dash across France during Patton’s summer ’44 blitzkrieg. A patch of bad weather hit and a Sherman at the head of a column was mired in the mud. Frustrated beyond words, the crew and some soldiers tried to free it.
An incensed Patton rolled up in his jeep, wondering why the hell the column was stopped. He roared at the tankers and infantry trying to get it moving to get it out of the way.
The tank commander roared back “Why don’t you get and help push, you SOB?!”
[It was the full version of the acronym.]
Then the blood drained out of his face as he recognized who he had just insulted. Patton glared, paused, and got out to help push. And he said nothing further about the matter.
Lincoln, amused by this, got down, and congratulated Holmes on knowing how to speak to a civilian.
Epic. Sadly a characteristic all too many jurists don’t have. And shows the measure of the common man by Lincoln. Also a characteristic too few presidents have.
This is why lefty historians have to tar history so industriously.
It does not require much reading of the untarred history to realize they were better men than we are.
Though men were never angels, and only infrequently saints, we are the inhabitants of a lesser age. Perhaps it’s because our age believes that men are mostly angels and has no use for saints…
TBO:
Men no longer believe in hell.