Evening star. [volume], November 03, 1912, Page 2, Image 54

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
HAVE Been Decorated for
All Sorts of Services?
Decorations Come From
Nearly All Foreign Countries ;..
?The Various Grades of
Foreign Orders?Scientists of
Washington Who Have Been '
Decorated?War Correspond- .
ents Who Have Been Re
membered by Foreign Rulers -
?Veritable Array of Medals
and Crosses Owned in Wash
ington?Ceremonies Are Usu
ally Missing When Decora
tions Are Bestowed.
X the mail of a
Washington physi
cian a few days
agD there came a
heavy, square, offi
cial looking envel
ope, in the upper
left-hand corner of
which a double
eagle was blazoned
in bright gold. In
side was a parch
ment not unlike a
< ollesre diploma, but written in German.
The physician had scarcely finished read
ing this parchment when hiB telephone
hell rang. A second later a voice at the
other end of the wire asked him to come
to the Austrian embassy.
"The eiriperor has given you a decora
tion," said the voice. "I suppose you
have already received your diploma?
Very good, then. Come to the embassy
and the ambassador will give you your
rross? No, you need not change your
clothes?there will be no ceremonies
there never is. The honor Is great enough
not to require them "
The physician to whom the foregoing
relates is Dr. Ernest A. Sellhausen of 620
G street northwest, on whom his imperial
majesty the Emperor of Austria-Hun
gary has just bestowed the chevalier
cross of the Imperial Order of Franz Jo
sef, thereby adding one more to the long
list of Washingtoniana who have been
decorated by foreign governments.
*?
* *
More native Washingtoniana have been
decorated by foreign governments than
the residents of any other ten cities put
together. In all, there are seventy-five
men and women who make this city their
home who have been given the crosses
and Jewels of royal orders?and this num
ber does not include a large additional
number who have received diplomas
making them members of lesser foreign
orders, whose insignia are ribbons.
Still other Washingtonians who are in
the active service of the government have
been decorated, but may not wear their
medals. Instead the bright gold decora
tions are kept locked in some dark safe
in the State Department. This is due to
the fact that the Constitution of the
1 nited States forbids the acceptance on
the part of any one "hold'ng a position
of honor, trust or emolument under the
government of any decoration or g'ft
from a foreign prince, power or poten
tate." Congress alone can give such an
official permission to accept such a deco
ration?and this favor has been granted
but once In twenty years.
The number of orders now existing is
not less than 215, any one or group of
which from a given country may be
wiped out cf existence or grouped, or a
n??w order may even be created to mark
*ome notable event, it is impossible to
compare the stand'ng of the various or
ders of the various countries, although
some are far more noted than others,
as. for instance, the Legion of Honor of
France, the Order of the Garter of Eng
land and the Golden Fleece of the Latin
speakinst countries. There is one order,
however, the Order of All. which has but
a ringle member?the Shah of Persia.
Then there is the Order of Moreto, con
ferred only on the president of the Acad
emy of St. Luke, Rome, but on retiring
from office he retains the order as evi
dence of past service
There are. also, many family orders
to which only the members of reigning
houses are eligib'e. like the Holy Order
of Slam and the Golden Lion of Hesse.
The Order of White Elephant of Slam has
only once been granted to an American,
and tnis one came to a Washingtonlan.
Prof James Howard Gore of the George
Washington University.
v
* *
But while the Washingtonians who
have received decorations receive merely
the honor that they convey, sometimes
being given only the diploma and re
quired to buy their own medal (pro
vided. of course, that they wish one),
they have a distinct advantage over the
citlaens of the country honoring them.
A citlren of a foreign countrv on being
decorated by his sovereign must enter
the lowest grade. Not so with Ameri
cans. Comparatively few of the Wash
? ngtonlans who have been decorated
have been forced to enter the lowest
grade. Instead, so distinguished have
f-een their services that most of them
have been created "officers-." and in one
or two instances have be??n given even
i igher posts.
In addition to being the home of more
Americans who have been decorated than
any other city In the United States.
?tshington is also the* home of the ni"n
w ho lias received more decorations than
any other one American?and also more
than a vast number of tit'ed foreign no
blemen. He is Prof. James Howard
'.ore of 2210 R street, a" ready men
tioned as being the only American re
cent of the White Elephant of Siam.
is a'so one of the greatest
Iving authorities on the subject of for
eign orders, on which he has written
several treatises.
There are cases where the recipient
as made a personal sacrifice to receive
hi a medal. One of the moat notable of
?hese cases is that of John Callan
O Li"ugh in, now the Wushln?r?on cor-e
spondent of a western newspaper. M-.
O T-aughlin haa two decorations, one
from Russia and one from Japan. ft
was the latter Which necessitated the
self-sacrifice.
a
* ??
The Japanese cross was conferred on
Mr. G'Laughlin for hit services as a
member of the American commission to
the Tokio exposition in 1002. He was
made a member of the Order of the
fiislng Eastern Sun by Emperor Mutau
hito, and in 190*, following the Russo
Japanese war. during which he served
as a correspondent, he was presented
with a set of go d cups by the emperor
and was promoted to the second class of
the order, a signal honor. Following
th? war Mr. O'Laughlin was appointed
assistant secretary of **tate* by Presi
dent Roosevelt. Nat long after thut
Czar Nicholas of Russia, fishing to con
fer some recognition on American news
paper men as a class, picked out Mr.
O'Laugblin as n representative menibei
of the fourth estate and bestowed on
him the Cross of the Imperial Order of
Saint Ann?.
Decoration and diploma were sent, to
the Russian ambassador here to be con
ferred?and then came a hitch. Mr.
O'Laughllii was an assistant secretary
of state?one of the highest posts in out
government. The Constitution fo". bad'*
his acceptance of the honor unless^ he
received special permission from Con
gress?and Congress was not then in
session. Meanwhile the decoration must
be either accepted or refused. Thete
could be no de!ay.
Mr. O'Laugh in took the matter up
with the Secretary of State. The de
cision of that official was prompt and
unequivocal. "You munt refuse th?
cross," he said, "or resign."
Mr. O'Laughlin went back to his own.<
office and pondered over the matter for.
an hour. Then he. took up his pen and
wrote out his resignation.
With the exception of the cross of tpe
Legion of Honor, comparatively few
women have ever been decorated, but of
the few who have received such honors
four live in Washington.
Oi these perhaps the most notable is
Miss Mabel Boardman. whose philan
thropic work, especially In connection
with the Red Cross, has won her signal
recognition. But Miss Boardman has nbt
received as many decorations as Mme.
Marie von Unschuld., a pianist of 1347 L
street northwest, who has been honored
by four foreign rulers. Mr*. von
T'nschuld was court pianist to. Queen
Carmen Sylva of Roumania, and In
recognition of this post was decorated
with the cross of Bene Mer^nti. Then
she came to America, and settled in
Washington, where she has lived fcyer
since. Meanwhile, she was composing
and her works were gaining recognition.
They became known in Turkey, and so
delighted the sultan that he conferred
on her the cross of Nlcham-1-Chefakat?
an order given only to women. Her works
also became noted in Servia. and the king
of that country set a new precedent in the
orders of his realm and gave her the
cross of commander of the Order of St.
Sava. Different grades of this order have
been bestowed on other women, but
Mme. von Unschuld is the only woman
in the world, excepting princesses of
blood royal, who holds the rank of com
mander in it. Mme. von Unschuld has
been decorated with the Cross of Merit
by the King of Cobourg-Gotha. another
recognition of her work as a composer.
*
? *
Another Washington woman who has
been decorated is Miss Eliza Ruhamah
Scidmore. whose home is at 1837 M street
northwest, and who in 1908 was given the
cross of the Order of the Eastern Rising
Sun by the Emperor of Japan, in recog
nition of her writings on Japan. Perhaps
more notable than any of the fore
going, however is the case of Mrs. Her
man Schoenfeld, once lady manager of
the George Washington University Hos
pital. Mrs. ScHoenfele and her husband
have both been decorated, and the two
are members of the same order, that of
N"lshanl-MedJ!di, created by the Sultan of
Turkey, In 1S30. Dr. Schoenfeld is now
consul general of Turkey, but for all that
he is a native Washingtonian. He has
lived here many years, where he has long
held a professorship in the George Wash
ington University.
Mrs. Schoenfeld was decorated several
years ago. She is a member of the low
est grade of the Xishani-Medjidi. Her
husband outranks her, he being an of
ficer of the order. And in addiMon to
this decoration Dr Schoenfeld has been
given the cross of commander of the Or
der of the Sun and Lion of Persia, has
been made commander of the Exalted Or
der of Osmanic Turkey and created an
officer In the Order of the Bust of Brazil,
one of the most famous of South Ameri
can chivalric orders. Yet, for all their
decorations. Dr. and Mrs. Schoenfeld live
quietly at their home In Cleveland Park,
with few of their most intimate friends
even dreaming of the Jewel-studded
crosses they keep locked In their velvet
cases, for they never wear them and
never mention them.
Far-off China also has its representa
tive of a chivalric order in Washington
in the person of the director of the Bu
reau of American Republics John Barrett,
who was given the order of the Double
Dragon in recognition of his services to
the yellow empire when he was in the
diplomatic service. Col. Thomas William
Symons. United States Engineer Corps,
whose home Is at 30 Lafayette square,
has also been decorated with this order,
*05^
* -o
of whicn. mere are only twenty. in - all
America. Director Barrett Is also a
.member of. the Order of the Bust of Boli
var of Venezuela.
J * *
. Washington scientists are specially
prominent in the lists of Americans who
have been decorated by foreign govern
ments, and in seeking to Interview them
and get the story of how and why they
were honored. The Star man ran across
a peculiar coincidence. In the new office
building of the National Museum and the
Smithsonian Institution, in ruonis not
more than 100 feet apart, sat two men,
each of whom had been decorated by a
different country. Neither of the two
had ever worn his decoration, and neither
knew that the other had ever received
. one.
The men are Dr. W&l ten- Hough, cu
rator in charge of, ethnology in the Na
tional Museum, and" Dr. Leonharijt Stej
neger, curator In charge of reptiles in the
same institutldn.'
Dr. Hough was created chevalier of the
Order of Charles XII. of Spain nearly
twenty years ago. The honor came as ;i
result of his services In connection with
the exposition at Madrid in 18fl3, during
which he was practically in chaf-ge of the
American exhibit.
"I heard I was to be decorated before
I left Spain," said Dr. Hough, ."but I
didn't take much interest In the report
Of course, I had worked hard?but I
didn't think I had done enough to deserve
a decoration. But a few weeks after I
got home I received a message from
the Spanish minister telling me the king
had awarded me a diploma. I didn't get
any medal or cross with my diploma.
They don't give them in Spain.- Instead,
they take the position that the mere con
ferring of the right *o wear a decoration
is enough. If the recipient of a diploma
wants a cross, he can buy one. I under
stand the cross 1 am entitled to wear is
some sort of a jeweled affair, but I'm
not certain. I never bought one?didn't
see any use in It?and if I have evfer seen
one I have forgotten what it looks like.
I think, though. I have the diploma put
away somewhere at home."
Dr. Stejneger's decoration came from
the King of Norway shortly after the
separation of Norway and Sweden. He
was made a knight of the second class
of the Royal Order of St. Olaf.
"I don't know just why I should have
been given a decoration," said he. "When
a country bestows an order on one of its
own citizens a reason is assigned, but
this is not always done when a foreigner
is decorated, and no reason was assigned
when I got mine. I suppose it must have
been just a sort of recognition of the
Norwegians in America who have worked
themselves up to positions of prominence,
although I don't know why they shouid
have picked me out."
Friends of Dr. Stejneger, however, de
clared him far too modest. They pointed
out the fact that he is the author of
nearly a score of scientific treatises deal
ing with Norwegian and 8wedlsh sub
jects, and that he has a reputation for
learning extending throughout practically
aJ the civilized world. It was for these
reasons, they said, that he received his
decoration. Dr. Stejneger, too, has never
worn his cross.
Some countries are more quick to award
decorations than others, and naturally
enough, the fewer fe decorations tne
more they are to be prized. Austria-Hun
gary is especially chary with her orders?
and hence Frank J. Sobotka is especially
proud of his.
Mr. Sobotka is confidential secretary of
the Austrian embassy here, but for all
that he is a native Washlngtonian. He
was born here, married a Washington
girl and has lived here all his life. Yet
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so valuable have been his seer vices to
the Austro-Hungarian government that,
three years ago, he was given the Golden
Cross of Merite by the Austrian emperor,
and before that he had been given the
Golden Sixtieth Year Jubilee Cross. Ilir
two decorations are of the heaviest anf
purest gold, delicately chased by hand
They are two of the most handsome in
the city
I>r. Frederick A. Kinne is another
Washington ian to be honored by the Aus
trian embassy. Four years apo, In recog
nition of his work as a physician, he whf
made Commander of the Imperial Order
of Franz Josef?the same order which
was recently conferred on Dr. Ernest
Sellhausen. although the latter was given
only the rank of chevalier. Dr. Sell
hausen's decoration came as a mark of
the arpreciat'on nf the emperor for his
services to the Austrian embassy here.
Dr. Sellhausen is the embassy's physician.
Of all the Washln. tonians who have
been decorated, perhaps none is more
typical than that of Walter van Renn
saler Berry, who for many years has al
ternately pursued business interests in
this city, and. diplomatic affairs for
Uncle Sam. In fact, he has combined
the two. for he has specialized in foreign
law, and at various fme? has been of
ftclal counselor to the French, Italian
and German embassies here. Italy has
recognized his services in this connec
tion, creating him a member of the Or
der of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and
a chevalier of the Order of the Crown of
Italy. France has a? o recognized his
services by making him a member of the
Legion of Honor. According to rumors
in diplomatic circles, too, it is not im
probable that Germany will follow suit
and also award him a decoration.
Probably more Washingtonians have
been given the Cross of the Legion of
Honor than that of any other order.
Among these are Samuel Wesley Strat
ton. direcfor of the bureau of standards,
who received his decoration a little less
than two years ago; Gen. William
Crozier of the United States Army, whose
home is at 2389 Massachusetts avenue;
Admiral John Mitchell Hawley of 1514 R
street northwest, Capt. Joseph Newton
Hemphill, Rear Admiral John Francis
Higginson, Francis B. Loomis of the
?m
Sate Department, Admiral Richard
WainwrlRht, who became a national hero
during the Spanish-American war, and
who for many years has made this city
his home, and Dr. Harvey W. Wiley of
pure food fame.
Ministers of the gospel, too, are in
cluded in the list of Wishingtonians wno
have been decorated by foreign govern
ments. Only three in all Ame ica have
been so honored, but one of them lives
in Washington. He is the Rev. Paul A.
Menzel of the German Evangelical
Church at 20th and G streets northwest.
Several years ago, on the day of the
fiftieth anniversay of the founding of his
church. Dr. Menzel was given the cross
of the Pruss an crown, the presentation
being made by the German ambassador,
at the lnstan-e of Emperor Wiliiam of
Germany. The decoration came as a
recognition of Dr. Menzel's services in
keeping German Americans banded to
gether and preserving tne old i? uton tra
ditions among those sons of the father
land who have found a home In the land
of liberty. Dr. Menzel in his church
work has kept atlve the German lan
guage and customs, even preaching his
sermons In German and conducting a
German Sunday school In connection with
his spiritual duties.
Mills Thompson is another Washingto
nian who has been decorated and Is one
of the few Americans who hag received a
cross from the far-off k'.ngdom of Siam.
He was given the royal order of the
crown of S am, the cross being awarded
as a general recognition of his work in
the field of art and especially for services
rendered direct to the land of the sacred
elephant. Mr. Thompson decorated the
Siamese pavilion at the St. Louis expo
sition, basing his work largely on knowl
edge gained in travels through that
quaint land. So artistic was the result
that the Siamese commission, which came
to America to attend the exposition,
recommended that he be decorated, and
the king accordingly made him chevalier
in the second highest order of his king
dom.
Larz Anderson, another Washingtonian.
a close friend of President Taft and
widely known In diplomatic circles, is the
only American who was ever made com
mander of the Order of Saints Maurice
and Lazarus, an Italian order of high
rank. The decoration came at the con
clusion of three years of service as sec
retary and charge d'affaires of the
American embassy at Rome in 181*8. Mr.
Anderson during the present adminis
tration has at various times been promi
nently mentioned for appointment to high
places in the diplomatic corps.
Numerous cabinet officers have been
given foreign orders from time to time
the decorations usually coming after they
have concluded their official service?
this for the reason that they couid not be
accepted while the recipients were in
office. Usually the cabinet officers thus
honored are connected in some way with
the diplomatic corps A large majority
of them have been Secretaries of State.
A notable exception, however. o< curs in
the case of George von Lengerke Meyer.
Secretary of the Navy, who holds a deco
ration even while in office, although he
probably would not wear it, at least not
until he ret res.
Secretary Meyer was decorated shortly
before the end of the Roosevelt admin
istration in 1907, during the briefest o;' in
terims between two official posts. He
had been American ambassador to Rus
sia. filling that post just after the Rus
sian-Japanese war. and in 1907 was re
?w
>,Pauiakenzu
3 otf^'o^slw cs.owk
,?ailed to become a member o? President
Roosevelt's cabinet as Postmaster oen
,-ral. During his service as ambasijailLir
he won the warm friendship <?f the
nese ambast*ador to Ruwla. His work lr*
dealing with the conditions which aro**
between Japan and Russia following tna
settlement of the Portsmouth i eace
tiations was generalv recognized. and na
won a reputation In both countries.
The Japanese mikado had long ex
pressed a desire to decorate him. but h'.*
post made It impossible Then came tha
recall which afforded the desired oppor
tunity. During the period between tha
time he relinquished ills diplomatic pos
;tnd the time he received his appointment
as Postmaster General he wa.? not regard
ed as officially connected with the gov
ernment service. It was during this brief
space that he was made a member of the
tirst class of the Order of the Rising
Eastern Sun. the highest honor which can
be bestowed by the mikado on a for
eigner.
Hut of all the Washingtonlans who hav.?
been decorated none possesses the ver
itable array of medals and crosses which
have been showered on Prof. James How
ard Gore. Prof. Gore was the personal
friend of the late King Leopold of Bel
gium. When that monarch began to be at
tacked for alleged outrages in the Kongo
Free State rubber country. It was to Proi.
Gore he turned for counsel as to the best
way to refute the charges and put him
self right with the world. As a special
representative of the Belgian monarch.
Prof. Gore visited the Kongo, and later
wrote many magazine articles, defending
the Belgian administration there. For hi*
services I/eopold decorated him with thi
Order of Leopold I. then In imO he pro*
moted him to the rank of grand officier,
which is second only to posts held oj
reigning monarch*.
*
* *
Since then he has also been created a
member of the Order of Leopold II of
Belgium. But, while acting as emissary
for the Belgian monarch. Prof Gore was
also lecturing, conducting scientific re
search work and writing text books on
languages and higher mathematics, whlcii
were being used in scho "* and universi
ties throughout the world. In recognition
of this work he was given the Cross of
the Order of Orange and .assau of Hol
land, one of the few Americans to ba
made a member of this order; was given
the Cross of Civil Merit of Bulgaria, a
country extremely chary in bestowing its
decorations on foreigners; given both tna
Merlte Agrico'.e, an order created to honor
persons who have rendered service t?i
agriculture either practically or by in
vestigations or publications, and the le
gion of Honor by France; given the (xosa
of Vasa of Sweden, made grand officer
of the Order of the Crown of Roumanla.
and was given the Order of the Whlta
Elephant of Slam, the highest of Siamese
orders except the family or^er, which has
a restricted membership confined almost
entirely to titled noblemen. Prof. Gore is
one or two Americans In a long list ot
sovereigns who possess the order. Tha
other American is James Hazen Hyde,
the New York financier.
Then there are many other Washing
tonlans who have received the crosses of
foreign orders. The list embraces tha
decorations of practically every country
in the civilized world. Reginald Schroe
der of 1301 K street Is an ouicer of iha
Orde. of Mshani MedJ.d.e of Turkey and
William Pitt Scott is a member of tha ?
Lyakat or Medal of Merit of the sanm
country, possessing one of the four deco
rations of this order ever sent to Amer
ica Admiral Caspar Frrderlch Goodrich
has the Bust of Bolivar of Venezuela f<n?
services rendered the "Venezuelan go\eiu
ment under special appo.ntment from l"n
cle Sam He was allowed to accept tha
decoration on the technical grounds that
while performing his miss on he had tem
porarily severed his connection with tha
United States government and was in the
employ of Venezuela.
3jC *
Admiral Henry Ware Lyon, like Dr.
Stejneger of the National ^fuseum, is a
member of the Order of St. Olaf pf Nor
way. He outranks his scientific fellow,
however, for he 1s a commander of tha
order. Capt. Karl Reichman of the army,
who makes Washington his home, ha*
been honored by the Czar of Russia* wb<J
conferred on him the Order of the Cros*
of St. Anne of the second class. Tha
honor came as a recognition of his serv.
ices as a military attache to the Russia n
army In Manchuria during the Russo
Japanese war. where he was sent to ob
serve the Russian and Japanese method*
of modern warfare by the American gov
'james F. Archibald, another Washing*
tonian. has ilso been given the cross
the same order as a recognition of tna
literary works and for his services as 4
war correspondent during the Russo
Japanese war. As a representative of
one of the American weekly magazine*
Archibald accompanied the Russian
forces throughout the entire campaign in
Manchuria. Archibald has also served
through various South American revolu
tions He was with Castro's army during
the Barcelona campaign in Venezuela and
later followed the forces of the allied
forces against Venezuela, foi which ha
received the Bust of Bolivar and numer
ous other medals. He was also with the
British forces In the Sudan in INBO and
served through the South African war.
For his services in Africa he received a
medal from the British government. Mr.
Archibald as a war correspondent haa
been In practically every war during tha
last twenty years, and once fop a brie:
,>eriod he enlisted in the Philippine con
stabulary to wage warfare against tha
ladromes or robbers of the islands.
Gen. Thomas H. Barry and Kliery C.
Stowell have both received decoration*
from Russia. Hansford S. Miller of tha
State Department has been decorated bvr
Japan and given the cross of the Legion
of Honor. George Burchell Williams,
who was once selected by the Emperor
?f Japan as financial adviser of the gov
ernment of the Land of tha Rising Bun,
and who was later appointed special com
missioner to Europe by the mikado in
connection with financial matters, haa
been given the Order of the Eastern Ris
ing Sun of that country and has also
ieen decorated by the Sultan of Turkey
md made a member of the French Legion
>f Honor. Assistant Secretary of Stata
Huntingdon Wilson has also been dec
>rated by the Japanese mikado, receiving
he honor, however, before he entered
.he government service. John Joaepfc
Toppinger has been decorated by tha Ital
an king. ?
d Cml Wm Dsfeinn
asily Located Air ?mad Waskimigtomi
/.-Ti, JTk . <7
b ?> C^Dk V ^
rc&r V5r
et^s? (
THE remains of a number of the
civil war defenses of Washing
ton may be found in that part
of Virginia south of Fort Myer
and north of the valley of Four
Mile run. During the civil war the first
high ridge west of the Potomac, which
Washingtonians generally call the Arling
ton Heights, extending from the hills
above the Aqueduct bridge four miles
southwardly to Four Mile run. was top
ped with earthworks and batteries which
were, in the main, connected by lines of
rifle pits.
This line of works was not straight, but
a waving line following the strategic val
ues of the land. On the heights one mile
west of the Aqueduct and on a road run
ning to the Chain bridge was Fort C. F.
Smith. A quarter of a mile south of Fort
Smith was Fort Strong. A half mile far
ther south and slightly to the east was
Fort Morton. An eighth of a mile south
east, and more east than south, from Fort
Morton was Fort Woodbury. A quarter
of a mile due south from Woodbury was
Fort Cass; a ha.f mile farther due south
from Cass was Fort TUlinghast; another
half mile to the south, with three inter
vening batteries, brought one to Fort
Craig, and still another half mile south
broupht one to a lar^e battery, the name
of which does not appear on old maps.
The left of this battery, facing west,
was on the Columbia turnpike three
quarters of a mile west by south of the
point where the road from the Aqueduct
to Alexandria, along the east front of
Arlington, crosses the Columbia pike.
Eastward of this long fortified line?that
is, nearer the river?were Forts Bennett.
Corcoran, Haggerty, Whipple and Mc
Pherson.
? *
* *
An irregular triangle was formed by
the railroad and the dirt road running
south from Fort Runyon. half a mile
southwest of the south end of the Long
bridge, to Four Mile run, the Columbia
pike running west and couth from Run
yon to Arlington Mills station, and the
Loudoun and Hampshire railroad, later the
Bluemont division of the Southern rail
way, running northwest from the Wash
tngton-Alexatydna road along the valley
of Four Mile run to the crossing of the
Columbia pike at Arlington Mills sta
tion. The base of this triangle was two
miles long and the opposite sides about
three miles. Inclosed within this triangle
were Fort Albany, In the southwest an
gle of the Washington-Alexandria and the
Columbia roads; Fort Scott, on the hills
above Luna Park; Fort Richardson, com
manding Green valley, through which
Long branch runs and a wide extent of
Four Mile Run valley; Fort Berry and
Fort Barnard and several unnamed bat
teries, commanding a south and West
prospect of the valley of Four Mile run
and the line of the Loudoun and Hamp
shire railroad. The land in this triangle
was mostly owned by the Roach, Fraser,
Jenks, Hunter, Corbett. Squ.res, Gra
ham, Johnson and Lacey families.
*
?f *
The remains of all the. forts in this
triangle, with the exception of Fort Berry,
may be seen today. Fort Berry stood
on the 300-acre farm of 8. B. Corbett.
The parapets of Fort Berry were thrown
up so that they Inclosed the old Corbett
homestead, and the timber of the sur
rounding country wns cut down to give
a clear field of fire to the forts. One
maple tree that grew by the side of a
gun platform of the fort was left stand
.ng, and It Is growing today. A cherry
tree was allowed to remain Inside the
fort, and this also is living. Various
cedars that after the war grew up
on the fort sides are pointed out today,
though the earthworks were leveled a few
years ago. F. 8. Corbett, son of the war
time owner, lives on the place, and the
present Corbett house stands a few yards
southward of the site of the fort. Dr.
H. C. Corbett. another son of the war
time owner of the fort land, also lives on
part of the original tract.
On a hill south and west of Fort Berry,
and also on the Corbett'farm, was built
Fort Barnard, named for the chief engi
neer of the defenses of Washington. This
earthwork, well preserved, may be seen
by going Into the thick woods which cover
the land there. Remains of batteries
south of Fort Barnard and of the rifle
trenches that connected Forts Barnard
and Berry may be traced.
* &
The ruins of Fort Richardson are piled
among scrub pine and oak on the south
edge of a wide plateau that commands
an extensive view south and west. This
land was owned by the Hunter family.
Near the ruins Jive Aunt Ann Jones, col
ored, who admits the age of 110
years, and her daughter, Thlna Kent,
who confesses to the age of ninety
five years. Thina told The Star
man that though Fort Richardson
stood on land owned before the war by
Gen. Hunter, who lived down by the
river in the house in which Nellie Custis
was born, most of the land in the neigh
borhood of Fort Richardson was owned
by the Fraser family. She had lived in
that part of the country all her life, hav
ing belonged to Anthony Fraser of Green
Valley, who lived half a mile west of
Fort Richardson, and who long before
the war was married to a Miss Lee of
Montgomery county, Md. The old Fraser
household, one of the beautiful homes of
the environs of Washington is standing,
bowered in venerable trees and occupied
by descendants of Anthony Fraser.
Fort Albany is one of the best preserved
of the old defenses of Wash.ngLO.i, The
parapets of the old fort are high and
steep, and the ditches deep and upgrown
In small timber. On one side of the earth
works stands Mount Zion Colored Bap
tist Church, erected there in 1884. This
church, a laqpe. bold brick structure, wLh
red sides and a dun front, may be seen
from high points in Washington by fol
lowing with the eye the sky line south
from Arlington Mansion. This church
was organized by ex-slaves soon after
emancipation, and the congregation had
a small building in a settlement nearby
called Freedmen's Village. This village
was wiped out and its site inclosed by the
southeast walls of the late addition to
the grounds of Arlington cemetery. Liv
ing next to the church and under the
shade of trees growing on the ramparts
of Fort Albany is Carrie Bowen, whose
family belonged to the Fauntleroy fam
ily in King and Queen county, Va? and
came to Freedmen's Village directly after
the occupation of Richmond by Union
troops In April, 1865.
On the Georgetown-Alexandria road a
few rods south of Fort Albany is the
brick homestead, gloomily shaded by big
trees of James Roach, one of the old
landholders. Roach owned the grist mill
on Four Mile run marked on old maps
as Roach's mill, and as a contractor he
had much to do with the building of the
Loudoun and Hampshire railroad. The
place has changed hands several times
and none of the Roach family lives in
that neighborhood now.
*
* *
Three hundred yards west, along the
Columbia pike from the crossing of the
Georgetown-Alexandria road, one comes
to an abandoned house of no great age,
but surrounded by tree growth showing
that a dwelling house has leng marked
the site. An old brick meat house stands
nearby, as does a venerable "cabin,"
which probably was an ante-bellum
kitchen. This was the Johnson place,
John Johnson living there, and being the
owner of many acres roundabout, in
cluding the land on which Fort Albany
was built. Two hundred yards west of
the site of the Johnson house is the relic
of a battery that looked across the vale
through which Long branch flows. It is
now a jungle of sassafras, sumac and
vines. Standing on the embankment, one
looks down into the colored Odd Fellows'
cemetery. In the Johnson field The Star
man met a colored man, John Simmons,
seventy-one years old. He said he had
belonged to Mina Shears in Prince Georges
county, near Marlboro, Md.; that she had
willed him to William Wells, and that
he in turn had bequeathed him to Mor
decai Plummer of Prince Georges county.
He left his owner in 186"J. came to Freed
men's Village and helped in the work of
building forts.
*
* *
"All this land," he said, "belonged to
John Johnson, who came by it through
marrying the Widow Stone. After her
death It went to her son Charlie Stone,
I
and he left it to his two ha f-brothers,
Dick and Will Johnson. None of them
Is living around here now, and I be
lieve they are all dead."
*
* ?
Half a mile west of the Johnson place
and on the Columbia pike was a series
of batteries on and opposite the Graham
place. The owner of that property dur
ing the civil war was Curtis B. Graham.
His son, also Curtis B. Graham, lives
there today. He told The Star man that
the old Graham home was torn down by
the federals soon after the laying out of
the line of fortifications along the Ar
lington ridge; in fact, it was about the
first house to be torn down in that part
of Virginia that it might not mask tha
fire of the fort guns. The Graham fam
ily moved away after the destruction of
their home, birt returned when peace had
been restored. Then Graham the senior
bought a sutler's house that had been
erected on his land and lived in it for
some time. The present Graham house,
which stands not far from the site of the
old one, was built a few years ago. Gra
ham, senior, before the outbreak of the
war had planned the erection of a large
house on his land, facing the Columbia
pike. The foundation was dug and build
ing material hauled to the spot. War
caused the stoppage of work. Years
after the present Graham house was
built on part of the foundation that was
put down before the Arlington hills were
occupied bv troops. The earthworks be
hind which" the batteries were planted on
the Graham farm are as they were when
the war closed, excepting, of course, that
the embankments are somewhat worn
down. Some that were on the north side
of the pike running in the direction of
Fort Craig have been leveled. Fort Craig
is still standing. People who owned the
land on and about which Fort Craig was
built were William Elliott, Septimus
Brown and Bushrod Hunter. Some of
the land is still in possession of the Hun
ter family. The only war-time house
standing in that neighborhood is the Per
kins house. Warren Perkins lived there.
The Perkinses were northern people, and
?om? of the Union officers stationed in
the adjoining fortifications boardt?d with
them. Mx\ Graham indicated to The Star
man the Perkins house close by and
within easy pistol shot of the wireless
towers southwest of Fort Myer.
Easily Deceived.
CEXATOR POMERENE has a happy
^ knack of driving home a statement
with an epigram. At a luncheon Senator
Pomerene described a would-be littera
teur.
"Thanks to whisky and strong cigars,"
he said, "the poor fellow has failed to
make good. He earns a precarious living
by newspaper work, but, though he is
fifty now. none of the wondrous novels
and thrilling stories that he u.?ted to prate
about have appeared.
"And yet in his shabby apartment ov?_r a
bottle of cheap liquor and a box of cheap
cigars he will boast by the hour, poor
gray-whiskered, wrinkled duffer, of his
unfinished manuscripts. Oh. they will
appear yet! Yes, he will yet illumine
the world with the light of his genius."
Senator Pomerene sighed and concluded:
"Ah, if we cou d deceive others as eas
ily as we deceive ourselves what repu
tations we'd all have, to be sure!"
One Escaped.
APROPOS of the opening of the rabbit
season. W. Goadby Loew. while driv
ing the coach Pioneer from New York
to the Piping Rock Club at Locust Val
ley, said:
"There's a man out this way who in
vited some friends to his place to shoot
rabbits last year. The first day's shoot
ing was very poor. Not a rabbit, in
fact, was located. Accordingly, that
evening the host bought some rabbits
from a farmer and turned them loose in 1
his grounds. i
"He couldn't hunt himself the next i
day, so his guests set off without him.
When they got back he asked them how <
they had made out. 1
" 'Oh, pretty fair,' they answered. 'Look, i
We've got five.' <
" 'There should have been eix,' he eald." j
/