Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. I would like to welcome you to fort stevens. We would like to welcome you to historic fort events and the 54th anniversary of for stephens, and the national for its managers as well as an national cemetery, we have some programming there as well. At this time, we will present the colors, today, representing the 54th regiment of massachusetts and the u. S. Colored troops from connecticut. We will open now with the presentations of colors. Please be seated. For those who were wondering, that was the him from the 18th 61 versus written by oliver holmes, senior some by carroll heart. At this time, we will have creating from our park superintendent, julie awash burn. Good morning, and what a Beautiful Day we have, we really locked out on the weather and it feels like it may be hot but not to human, so we are lucky. On behalf of the acting director of the National Parks service, i bring you greetings from the nds, as well as welcome each of you to Rock Creek Park and forth stevens. For those of you who dont know, Rock Creek Park and ministers the civil war defenses of washington on the side of the city, so it is part of Rock Creek Park. I know of not only welcoming you to Rock Creek Park and for the event, but also thinking each of you. We want to hear the washington, specifically their current and those that have partnered to plan, cosponsor and execute the battle for the event we cannot have put that on each year without their help, thank you very much. I would like you to thank the volunteers who have worked behind the scenes to make the best ever, absolutely. We welcome you to the 155th anniversary of the battle of for stephens. As you will hear from our distinguished 2019 keynote speaker and many others. The battle afford to defense, the only battle to take place in the Nations Capital was quite a pivotal event in our companys history. We again thank you for joining us and we hope that you will stay for this afternoon programming and all the exciting activity, including the cannon firing demonstration. I want to look to kim to see if our special guests have arrived. They have night, so i will pass it back to stelter, thank you. I want to mention that our superintendent is very supportive of all the programming that we put on here for those who dont know, for stephens is only one of four sites that they manage today. However, at the closing there was a closure of 64 for its that circle, and i will tell you more than that because we will hear a lot more of the civil war defenses of washington today and we hope you will stay this afternoon. We have talks here, talks over in this smaller tent, lots and lots of living history demonstrations and over 100 plus volunteers today from all over the country, including many of the regiments that actually fought here and 1861. So at this time we will now have a musical tribute by the washington rebels jubilee voices, and at this time they will come forward. Thank you we are at the washington voices and may specialize and singing music from the civil war and, case you have not figure that out from our costumes. We sing music specifically from this period. And we are unleashing the full spectrum of music reflecting the feelings of people of that time, singing work songs, singing songs of joy, songs of sorrow like this song here. , applause applause the song was written to recruit colored troops into the ninth and eventually, it was called the knee grow battle helm. applause thats beautiful music and beautiful voices lets give another round of applause. We will hear from them a little bit later, and im so happy. Now i will ask shes exiting the stage at this time i will act Loretta Newman the president to bring us greetings and introduce us to some very important folks joining us today. Good morning and welcome, this is so good when you work in several months for something and the day comes, its wonderful to see it so successful. I want to tell you a little bit about the alliance. The alliance to preserve washington, those four that were built at the beginning of the civil war to protect it from a confederate tactic and it worked until 1864 when a confederate general came up from the north with. And they did come today, fortunately for a gave ground time to remain the fourth. All around the city were in play during the battle hand had the biggest cannons there were the first shot and for drowsy which is just out military wrote, they were a very big part, part of the washington d. C. They saw and they saw the dust up the confederate soldiers coming marching down and more and everybody, theyre coming, their coming and then they saw that there was no way they would get there. They went there, down seven straight which is now Georgia Avenue and they were very very close. They got in and there will be a walk to walter reid and back i will tell you more than i have and my notes, i just thought that you would have some history there. About the alliance, we provide funds to the National Park service for this wonderful commemoration of the battle for its events. We also provide speakers and conduct historical hikes to educate both children and adults. We are all volunteers and we do not have a paid membership. We prefer to have, instead, hundreds of friends to whom we provide information you. You can become a friend by signing up at our table, and i encourage you to visit them and you can sign up there and we will put you on our left and you will hear about us. We do get donation from our friends but that is truly voluntary. But we do expect them on our website and that is www. The civil war its that ordered. We do want to give you some two support our activities they put in a lot of activity and we are in that throughout the year and use it for this purpose. I want to note that they are hoping to come, i dont know if he is but i will tell you they made a very generous contribution from their constituencies so, we all a big hit to her and also brandon todd who will be here, i hope people show up but i know you have another commitment and made a generous contribution and also the d. C. Humanities council. We cannot have done that without that support. The alliances also, we have been serving as partners for the National Parks service and will enter soon, but we have done and we will sign it soon. I want to extend my personal thanks to the park service is Program Manager for the civil war defenses of washington youve seen her before so please, some applause there she works is still hard and she has all of these to worry about and steve van, there is steve, dunn mccaskill and she has been around there, so if you see her please give her her things. I also want to thank you and introduce the officers were every single one of them has a major opportunity, they worked very hard. I know there right over there, hes been around, in a new uniform military civilian but he organizes our reactors so its a very important what he does. This afternoon, chuck loosen will be managing so you can meet and. Hes been at the authors table and he is speaking this afternoon about lou wallace, who had will mention in a moment. Marty its back there, so all the volunteers that you see its because she figured out but she should do, and make sure she did it. I would not forget my board we have some advisers here, i always believe people should be thanked and these people work very hard. Arab mueller, he will be playing, he will be rallying and he will be playing again when we have the services there. Patricia tyson, where she . She is with the fried ladies, the female ran actors of extinction, African American for the most part, the some of us white folks and theyre wearing beautiful outfits, each of us represent a real person that was alive back then. So talk to them, they are so interesting and informative. Gary thompson. And linda white, shes with the African American genealogical of the society there, she will be giving a talk this afternoon, again with marvin jones about how to research your life, but she also has a table, so if youre interested in more you can go there. We also have a past president before me, susan, she will be keeping time on speakers but doesnt do it. Church and i were the founder of the alliance and i always like to introduce him. Many thanks to dana carr, there he is in the back, from american university. He will have this it is filled with photos, visit us and artifacts relating to the civil war differences of washington, so to it, and its air conditioned and side. I want to represent, but its a very important person and, canadas nelson. She is head of the work of democrats and shes a great friend. I appreciate you being here. I also want to thank the barbecue smokehouse, both located on Georgia Avenue we like, to support our local establishments, and they are providing lunches for our speakers and volunteers. They will be here, so its like a yellow or red truck, and they will have a barbecue for sale as well as the official concession are and they will have food and drink and ice cream. We will also have our local exhibitors, which i mentioned, African American and the battlefield foundation, African American genealogical foundation and the Shepherd Park citizens association. Thats not to be pat, and i love it because of a local and national. Last but not lakes, i would like to express our deep appreciation for our congresswoman, and i understand shes on the way, she has been for many years, she has introduced legislation in the past and its hopeful that she will establish the civil war defenses of Washington National historical park, this designation would help tremendously to elevate the status of these places that are so important to our local history. Im pleased to introduce president Abraham Lincoln hes. Doesnt he look good and he is betrayed by Eric Richardson who is . There twice between the battles and he will be around. Had he been hit, not kill the but it, there was a soldiers standing there so we could have been killed that day and the whole course of the nation what have changed, fortunately, he did not get, someone told him to get down and he did but he is the only sitting president and the nations history to come under direct enemy fire and he will be around this afternoon, he will be gracious and being in the kids tend to have special pictures taken with the children. The general who helped it was lou wallace. This year this is the second year that they have for trade lewis the, beer was a little bit longer but gary grows his beard, that his own period that he does for the occasion. He has read every book about wallace, it was a renaissance man, the violin and in the 19 century and anyone did this to have the tenth in the back, its medium size. At 1 22 to 45, i want to make sure you have all the activities, too many to let them all, the candidates go off there is no cannonball in it. Just a loud source, and then of course the must get firing and between the hours, and our military and civilian reactors, and i want to thank them all, a lot of them are up and around and they are fun to talk to. Then, dont miss to victoria and dancing, what we do under this and it was a huge hit. After the four can set of speakers we all helped move it is sized and we had the Dance Association from harrisburg, pennsylvania. They came down, a day we did not have to pay them, they donated 500 dollars before we even knew they existed, and then we invited them and i thought, to repay them . They said we will help you raise money and we can do dancing. Our congresswoman is here, but at any rate, at 2 pm, two to three and you want to hear that. Thanks to all for coming here today, and i want to repeat what i said earlier that congresswoman or ten would not have heard, i want to thank you for your continuing support and i see brendan todd has come there with us, im already thank you for your generous donation. She has introduced in the past legislation that will benefit the park so i greatly appreciate them. Thank you. We are truly appreciative of the partnership we have to premiere the civil war defensive washington. We work you around for this program, so thank you very much. At this time, i would like the pleasure of introducing and asking that our Council Member for work for, brendan todd, talked about some greetings. Whenever we call the Council Member, he is available and its very supportive. It is very unfair for stephens. Good morning. This morning im thrilled to be here to celebrate the 155th anniversary of the battle of for stephens, and im just thrilled and i want to thank our partners, i will start by thanking our congresswoman who is so supportive of everything across our city, but certainly all of the things in the world for you and dealing with them for. Certainly really what im always really thrilled to work on our partners from the National Parks service and i want to thank can elder who work so hard on this event each and every day, theyve been working together for 13 years so i want to look forward to many more years. I would also like to acknowledge our superintendent and we are so forward that the majority sits at the heart of our award here and ward for and i will thank you for all of her hard work. My good friend Loretta Newman who works tirelessly to ensure that our civil war defenses and, that they know about them and are protected and that the government, we are doing everything we can to bring together it. Was it in this event and that expand all day and takes a lot of energy to get the reactors to participate so, lets give loretta and the alliance to preserve the position offensives. It really is an honor to be here with you today, to commemorate 155 years of the battle for. To commemorate this moment in our history and this battle is particularly significant because it is the only civil war battle that occurred and the capital. Its the only time when it came under enemy fire the battle was important in the history of our city and certainly for our countrys. The District Of Columbia at the capitol of the union and the center of a moral struggle who was on his ground residents in the years. The city they stood bravely and defensive our city and ideals. We have come along and while we are here today, let us all reflect on the progress we have made as a city and as our cities role as a leader of growth for the entire country. Our declaration of independence opens by stating, we hold these troops to be self evident that all men are created equal. Our nation grappled with this sentiment right here 150 years ago and we are still working towards the fulfillment of that dining promise. So thank you all for attending today, and thank you to everyone who has had a hand and making today a big success. Thank you. Again, thank you very much, we really appreciate those words, and if you dont hear anything resoundingly after today, for stevens was the battle that saved the Nations Capital. So, thank you very much. I have the distinct pleasure to introduce briefly our congress men, and i want to point out that congressman north and has been very supportive of all of the programming regarding the civil war defenses of washington. And we are very deeply indebted to that because, again, without the support from the federal, as well as the municipal section, we would not be able to do the things we did today, but i also want to point out that as a Park Services are moving from the civil war in which we had to commemorations and assessment of the civil war, its very befitting in that congressman norton would be here today because as many no, she was on the battlefield for the civil rights, and we want to thank her for that. At this time, ask that they come forward. Thank you. But im very pleased to be here im very pleased to be here today and to see so many of you here commemorating a very important occasion. I dont think that you have to be a history buff to understand how important today is for those of us and the District Of Columbia. I certainly want to think julia washboard, are superintendent. I want to think brendan todd, who owns a rocket park. Its really its really remarkable to be a Council Member for a part of the district were told almost all of Rock Creek Park. Are there any people here . I certainly appreciate our Council Member being here, can elder. Thank you so much, shes a Program Manager for the civil war defence of washington. I want to thank impersonators and all of you at the National Park service. It took some doing to do what you have done today, complete with impersonators, trying to make us believe we were there, and i appreciate all the effort that went into this commemoration today. And its very special because we are at one of those moments that you have every few years. This is a 154th anniversary of the battle for stephens. Now, in the District Of Columbia we are accustomed to celebrating many Historic Buildings we, are bound by them. Many historic events, this is a very historic city in very many ways. There are many historic sites. So this is one of the things that makes a living in the Nations Capital so fruitful. But todays ceremony is a special because there was only one civil war battle that occurred during our city, and that this was for stephens. I dont want to overdramatize but it really was a dramatic that the confederacy got so close to the capital to have the history had imagined the history had they reached this capital. I am completely intrigued by the fact that lincoln and mrs. Lincoln insisted upon coming here to fort stevens. And they both came. I love the story, i have to believe that it is true because, as they say, its in the history books, it must be true. Apparently, all over window home but they kept in from massachusetts. Not get a Supreme Court justice and he was at fort stevens. By the way, lincoln apparently looked just like this man. He unnerved me, he looks so much like him. Apparently, lincoln went everywhere with his top hat, including two for stephens. And all of our window homes saw him and yelled not knowing it was the president of the united states, get down you fool before you get shot but before recognizing it was the president. It says everything about 14 events that the president , apparently being insured she did think he should come himself to this very site, so i have been enamored up this so much that so much so that i have been introducing bills for this and we get an order to keep the confederacy some getting here you had at the civil war defenses. Nearly all of the forts that, thats what they are called. On both sides of the potomac and anacostia rivers, they were involved in stopping in the confederate attacks but that culminated right here at fort stevens, which was the second and last attempt of the Confederate Army to attack here. That to recognize and to recognize and preserve the civil war defenses of washington. Tell remember if you enters a lot of bills to testify here hearing the four appeared and you remember what i will do so this year. Remember we were not in charge of congress, i do not mean to imply zones that republicans if you are not on top of the school this part of the eight on controversial bill, ashore here. On the 155th anniversary, this very year, i will have a very special reason for urging passion of my bill as we prepare for your see just my passage of the bill to make the District Of Columbia the 51st state. Thank you very much. We appreciate your support and particularly your presence here on the 155th anniversary of the battle of 14. At this time we will have a short presentation. Shes going to come forward. The way it can do that and, thank you very much. Hello. Some say, if you dont mind, can i ask you one question . Have any of you seen a young fellow about this tall shouldering a rifle and wearing a union uniform . Well i guess, i will introduce myself for the. Im from the fine state of new york now. I thought during the war and what i will tell you, for the event is important to my heart. Even though we lost 23,000 plus before, its still very special. In 1861, i volunteered in joining the army and that they told us it would not last very long, maybe three months, and it all the over and we would do it again. We got two 1863 and we were still fighting all over the place and i reupped and december of 1853, my brother paul the guy im talking about we are joined up to me a. And may have 1863 we were in spots albania and i took a bullet in my Left Shoulder and i ended up with you and ended up in the hospital and washington relied. You know it every single bit this was a hospital. I ended up at the Army Hospital soon so we. You may have seen that their thought it was a fellow from my home state of new york as the secretary of the smithsonian you, are dry by the name of joseph henry. Im there in the hospital and im lucky because i still have all of my limbs because a good at one third of everybody did not come away with everything they came in with. And part of the problem was that they did not have a good hes sophisticated system. There were only three things that they wanted to do. There is a hacksaw and it was about. And a bottle of whisky and a bullet. It is the bottle of whisky force for anastasia third and was really the bullet was for the two bite on while he was losing something. If i was and the hospital, we were visited by a lot of famous people. What witman we are to, a nice guy or the by the name of dorothy addicts, a tall lady who always wore brown or black. They visited us many times. At the beginning of july, we got word that the telegraphed had gone down and harpers ferry. Saw this on july 10th i saw a sergeant standing there at my feet and he said you son, are you ready to go back and fight and i said i would love to do that but they told me i am not capable of doing it. We know we have lowered the standards in the next we formulated a group to go they had formulated it you know. He was in virginia you know that opportunity for years i was a member of the uber they were all down there at the time and the event they had a group called the invalid score, is that a fearful name is . We joined up and other invalids easily which was a bunch of 55 eight clerks that were overweight and not good of shape to go, but we came marching up that seventh street and we got there and we settled down and saw on july the 10th a swarm you of gray uniform speaking there. Marking this was just you know already pretty much demolished the they demolished the and so forth the forces came in and hit us, but they did not do much and then they pulled back, and my fellow, we left them and we were just they were just testing the water. They will be back so we all waited but that night there was a swarm, a blue uniforms seven years and it was people from people from the 33rd is and next time now in the basically we stayed in the fort we. The 43rd wind and to fight and engage in those fine, it was a bloody, dusty horror of a time and. Think then everything stopped, no more sounds and we looked up and we just saw a bunch of bodies and a bunch of million soldiers wearing around. Is now a look around now, whether i looked around the jussie immigrants came across and saw these and i thought about it yesterday we had a band at the end of the gun and was going after some wraps but that is the last time i saw you. Well, that night we went out and we actually dug some graves up the road a little bit, buried about for the folks in a circle and that was a carrot that came by and to follow with a tall stovepipe hat, kind of like the guy over there came riding up and he said, i hereby declare this to be the battlefield of national cemetery. You could see tears coming down his eyes. Well, i kept looking from my brother paul and i did not find him. What i did do was go ahead and get back into the 43rd infantry along the way and i went home you up in the lake george area and i kept thinking that i have to settle this problem and see where paul is. I kept coming back and i cant find him. Anyway, if you happen to see that young man ahead tell the people who were with stevens and will be around someplace. Thank you applause thank you very much. Theres a brief musical tribute by the civil war comrades and followed by a keynote speaker. One hundred 55 years ago america came into music. There was music everywhere and they sang and use the microphone. Thank you please. They say they sang and had comfort and it was a very sad time. Singing was the first part of american culture. Id like to think that we can join voices today and id like you to join me and singing some of the most significant patriotic songs of our country and lets just have a few songs here. Until 1941, it was the National Anthem for us as america. Lets see like you all to stand and will sing my country up. Lets sing the last burst. Thank you that was wonderful. There was a tremendous activity of Music Composition during the civil war years. The composers work talented and rose to the clause and were prolific he. Pending these beautiful patriotic songs. One of the most significant of the composers was joe richter and he wrote them a number of very significant patriotic songs and wasnt hesitant to advertised himself from one song to another and making mention a previous songs he was returning writing in the lyrics. So, i dont know of any other composure that is done that and this next song was in a way a musical turning point in the civil war when this first came out in 1861 the. The union bands they would play these songs that often were in a position across the river from the confederates. Sometimes these bands would play back and forth with competing tunes. In this case, when they played battle cry of freedom there were testimonies like confederate soldiers that fear that came with this tune. What and should have felt your hard go down to your boots. We now will sing cry freedom. One, two, three. applause one more. This one we all have to saying because this is really brief. laughs whenever Abraham Lincoln appeared it was known as closing over this song and we want you to sing yankees doodle. applause thank you everybody. I can thank you very much and silver war con read and was there before i wrap the defence of washington i was in force in the oversight and we had the opportunity to be dug and come up here and will be up for the last five years so thank you very much for that dog. applause fact i have the pleasure of entering our keynote speaker this morning. Doctor jonathan no alice. He was a parent and director of the civil war institute. Located in davis hall in san antonio university. My apologies. This highlights the fact that hes the author and editor including the civil war legacy and its the reunion and reconciliation. Hes the author of 100 bucks and was part of seaspan tv and many others. He has a variety of different projects included the National Park service and the Civil War Trust and the battlefield foundation. Our very own know steve and came in contact with him as a student and highly recommended and looking forward to hearing from him because he has a story about how escaped and will give it over to dr. Jonathan for the Keynote Presentation this morning. applause we thank you came for the introduction and to watch burn and the service for the invitation today. Ive been very fortunate over my career to have all sorts of guests in the audience by think this is my first one having the members of congress and blue all us in attendance. People when they withdrew from in front of the arrange of feelings ripped through his command and for regular generals they ordered to pull out of stevenson came as a great disappointment. It was the challenge of flinging open the gates that he wrote that the site of washington with my men who had hail with joy and command moved with intrepidity to its execution. Although some expressed disappointment at retreating when so close to washington, early did not see it in those terms. His movement from st. Petersburg to lindberg in june. He marked marched through the Shenandoah Valley, crossing over the Potomac River into maryland, defeating lou wallace and pushed to this point. They were all part of the generals, larger objective of creating a strategic diversion. When that would relieve pressure from the army of virginia at petersburg. From lees perspective he thought it had been a great success. Amy explained that so far it was intended to relieve the territory in that area. It has up to the present time been successful. He believed he had carried out his task. Ultimately old back into the Shenandoah Valley through snickers gap. The rankandfile of the army might not have agreed about what the push to the Nations Capital achieved. But they were all in agreement about one thing. They were exhausted and wanted a rest. They established camps either along the shenandoah for a little bit further west near berryville. His troops had hoped that after a month of maneuvering and fighting they would be able to get a rest. President lincoln would not allow it to happen. A union force of 30,000 men commanded by general Horatio Wright pursued. On the 17th, supported by james mulligans infantry made repeated attempts to drive confederate general John B Gordon from the banks of the shenandoah at castlemans ferry. All of those attempts proved futile. After viewing the cavalrys failed effort, general wright and george crook now determined to flank the confederate position. By moving a division of about 3500 men the plantation owned by judge richard parker. That is the same judge parker who condemned him to death in the autumn of 1859 for his attack on harpers ferry. The plan was to cross the Shenandoah River at island four and flank the confederate position. However that flank attack never occurred. When musket fire erupted between colonel george wells and elements of the 42nd of virginia. Jubal early hastened troops to the cool spring plantation. While the events that transpired on the afternoon, evening and ninth of july 18. Did not go as they had imagined. The battle of cool spring, the largest and bloodiest engagement it involved 1000 combined union and confederate casualties. It was regarded by some as a footnote to jubal earlys operations in the summer of 1864. We occasionally hear folks come out and discount the battle. It was not statistically large in terms of numbers of troops engaged or casualties suffered. While cool springs does not compare to such notable engagements as antietam and shiloh and gettysburg and chickamauga or petersburg. What happened at cool springs on july 18, 1864, including colonel joseph buber and being outnumbered by almost a margin of 21 stock eating on display his remarkable tactical abilities as he shoveled troops to meet repeated attempts by robert rhodess division ii crack their northern flank. Or the refusal of James Ricketts to cross the shenandoah over the river to support him. And of course the dogged persistence of roads command to not relent. A persistence that resulted in his tactical victory. All of these things and more proved important to those who fought at cool springs cool springs or were wounded. It is these individual stories like those of energy any Civil War Battlefield that give cool spring greater meeting. While forgotten today by some. There is no doubt that individuals such as colonel James Washburn thought about cool spring for the remainder of his life. On the Late Afternoon of july 18, just as washburn had finished his task of hastily moving his buckeyes to the divisionesque above northern flank, the confederate bullet passed through washburns left eye and exited the back of his head. On the ground in agony his men believed him a goner. Before his body was carried to the Shenandoah Rivers eastern shore, at part of the data field that is owned by the university. His men shed tears and kissed his hand because they believed his time nearly up. He believed he would not survive. He handed over his personal expect effects and requested that they be sent home to his family. Remarkably, washburn survived his wounds. Although he survived, the pain from it, not to mention the facial disfigurement he saw every time he looked in the mirror until his death in 1898 took him back to that Late Afternoon of july 18, 1864. The fourth carolina infantry alexander came out unscathed. The regimental color barrier color bearer had been troubled the remaining years of his life by the images of his friend who served with him who had been shot in the neck and killed instantly. Years after he wrote when i come to think of martin snow i feel i am treading on thicker ground. He was my friend and i love him like a brother. Washburn and bikes stories are two of 1000 that give that battlefield meeting. They are reminders of not only the human side of war and the toll that that takes on humanity, but those stories serve as does the entire civil war and the 750,000 americans who perished in it, and the millions more who came home maimed physically who were carrying the psychological trauma. Serves as a reminder to us in the present of the catastrophic trauma that occurs when people are divided. As we reflect on the battle of fort stevens and the crash that occurred less than a week after, let us ever be mindful that a battles importance should never be assessed by statistics. It is a cold unfeeling measuring stick. If we do that we cheapen the lives of those who suffered and sacrificed and we miss out on a more robust understanding of the conflict that transformed us from a mere conglomeration of states into a nation. However statistically large or small a battle was it is always important to remember that to those wounded, to the families and friends left behind to pick up the pieces after a loved one was killed in combat, that engagement proved the civil wars most significant moment. As we gather on this anniversary and reflect on fort stevens. I think it is instructive to keep in mind and observation that mark twain made about history. In the early 1880s as mark twain labored in his study at his home in hartford, connecticut, to develop a game to help his daughters better learn history. He thought about how individuals should weigh those great moments of history with the ones of left lesser historic significance. After ruminating for a while, he concluded that although the minor events of history are not always showy. Thank you all very much. Among applause how informative row is talking about what happened here but what have done after for stephens and thank you very much doctor we, appreciate it. Were wrapping up because though soldiers are going to wrap up our program very showed lee. I want to ask that the washington from washington rebels come up now and they asked that we stand as we all saying lift every voice and sing and for those who may not know, as an insert here in youre program how. We have some many songs today to tell stories. And two brothers wrote a poem in the other set it and hes 120 years ago who told our story and lift every voice and sing. There was first some by 500 schoolchildren on february 12th, 1900 at the segregated school where james weld in johnson was principle. So many stories are a part of the americans story and seeing and lift every voice and sing pop. applause thank you again. We wanted to thank everyone of your and our crowd continues to grow. Now from here the field is already crowded with the children waiting for our cannon fire. For those who dont know we fire a cannon five years ago on the 150th anniversary of the bottle ford stevens and the first time a cannon had been fired in the Nations Capital since 1864. Today, were going to fire it again one time and well ask you to join us on the field as we fire this as well today. This will now conclude our program and again we thank you very much on behalf of the National Parks and is a 155th anniversary, will card to arms and then will go over to the firing of a real cannon. Thank you all very much for coming this afternoon. applause good evening everyone. Welcome to