On July 11, 1864, Jubal Early’s Confederate army made a stab at Washington, D.C. It was the closest any Rebel army came to the capital in the Civil War. It was the only Civil War battle fought within the boundary of Washington. The city was very well-defended and had 68 forts, so Early had no chance of taking it. However, his approach caused quite a scare. The Rebels attacked Fort Stevens and the battle continued on July 12. Pres. Lincoln could not resist the temptation to see the war up close. He rode out to the fort to get a front row seat. Lincoln was standing at the parapet watching the battlefield. He saw a unit pass by and the soldiers yelled “Hurrah for Lincoln!” The fort was under cannon fire and there were sharpshooters in the area. A Union surgeon was wounded nearby. At this point, a young officer, not knowing he was the President, yelled “Get down, you damned fool!” Lincoln sheepishly got down. That officer was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1902-1932. (The story may be apocryphal or it might have been someone else who told Lincoln to get down and it might not have been that colorful a request.) Secretary of War Edwin Stanton insisted that Honest Abe get in an ambulance to be transported back to the White House. Lincoln reluctantly complied and grumbled “I thought I was the Commander-in-Chief”. Lincoln was the only President to ever be under enemy fire.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/president-lincoln-under-fire-at-fort-stevens.htm
https://www.lincolncottage.org/a-close-call-at-fort-stevens/
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