Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-11
OUR WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE.
ZEE oAmFAIaN ~ vIReINIA.
In.ors.slnE Letter sron, manassas.

Correspondence Of the Onion and American.
CAMP BARTON, NEAR MANASSAS JUNCTION, Va, I
September LIST, 1861.
MEssRs. EDITORS Having very particular re-
gard for your excellent journal have sat me down
beneath the overspreading branches of majestic
pine, on the banks of the now famous ABull Rum
to give you pen-and-ink sketch of things as they
sppesr to Kentucky volunteer in this region
remote from our own loved valleys and dear hearth
stones. have wandered away from the camp, that
l may for few hours enjoy the sweets of solitude
and soldier if he be at all tasteful WILL after four
months service, enjoy solitude more than he ever
before enjoyed the society of any, of course
bis sweetheart. But there are so many letters
written from this point that can scarcely hope to
add anything to what has already been said viii
trouble you, however with brief description of an
extended visit which paid to the battle field of Ma
nassas on the day after the fight first informing you
that owing to unfortunate railroad accident, the
LIST Kentucky Regiment was not In the fight ar
rived at Manassas Junction at O'Clock on the morn
ing of the I'D, and after remaining there two
hours, started in company with two friends to the
scene of the late conflict. 1 saw before leaving the
Junction" several hundred Yankee prisoners and
great number of their wounded and also some
few of the killed and wounded on the Confederate
side.
had had very dear friend wounded in the fight
and thought that, while visiting the field, would
also look for him. knew that he was with COL
REsTON's Virginia Regiment, (5th) but where that
was knew not accordingly went to Headquar-
tiers and inquired of officer there if he could not
tell me where to find the Regiment he was attached
20 vvbiIa ,aitD for his ansuop had m ornort,,n;t
to see both Generals JOHNSTON and BEAUREGARD.
had seen Gen. JOHNSTON often before, but never,
when he was so peculiarly an object of interest
He was eonversing quietly with one or two officers
of his staff did not seem excited at all but his fea-
lures showed signs of great mental exertiOn. He
is man; perhaps forty five years of age, not more
from appearances five feet six inches high, will
weigh not more than one hundred and forty pounds,
is not remarkable in any one Of his features save
the prominence of his forehead and the sparkling
of his eyes; with hat of, he is very foe looking
man. never wears beard and is very neat in his at
tire.
Gen. BEAUREGARD is not quiet, though he keeps
his own cOunses. He is a talking, chatting man,
very much Frenchman. He is very remarkable
In appearance. and is the most soldier-lookng man
in the Confederate army. As an engineer and plan
ner of defences he is certainly superior to any gen.
eral in our army, while on the other hand, Gener-
al JOHNSTON as a strategist is far superior to Gen.
BzAUREGARD such is my opinion, though not very
valuable one, of the two great men, who now fig
urs so very cOnspicuOusly in our defense.
have digrcssed from my plan, but will return.
II was raining very hard the morning of the
92d, and the mud was very deep. so we made but
little progress in way to the battle field. On
our way thither we met hundreds and hundreds of
soldiers returning from the field, many of them had
swords guns or pistols, trophies Of the fight; as
for eaneens haversacks and the like, they had not
yet began to take them from the field. The ground
was torn into great gulies by the wheels of heavy
artillery carriages and the tramping of thousands
of horses, all the way to the field; all the fences
were torn down, the houses filed with dead, dying
ard wounded and desolation and ruin were depicted
in every thing around. l approached the field
through an opening of pine thicket, and the first
sight which met my eyes some ten or twelve
dead men, members of the Brooklyn, N. y Regi-
ment who were very conspicuous by their red
breeches. They we're just in the edge of the pine
woods; further on we great number of dead
men. dressed in every style and of every nation al
mile when we came to the point where SHERNAN's
Battery was captured there were five or ak hun
dred dead here, and one OF the caissOns was still
there. This was cut up by the soldiers as memen-
toes of the fight We wandered around in the open
fields, and pine thickets for hours, and everywhere
we could see dead men, and once or twice we found
some, who had not yet died.
/ called to one of them and he raised his head
slightly and asked me where was from, told him,
and he requested me to write to his sister Maine
telling her how and where be died. will religious
Iy perform this request after the war closes. He
was handsome youth, and his address and clothes
indicated high life, yet he was dying far away from
home and friends, asking favOrs of those whose
homes he had come to pillage and burn. | turned
away from the scene and Fetraced my steps to the
junction. OH what terrible, terrible sight that
bloody field presented on that day. Many Yankee
lies there now mournful, but truthful announce
ment to the folly of "subjugstion." There were
many letters found, all tending to show that tie
ides of the cOnfscation Of rebel estates had even
entered the heads of the women of the North. l
have several of them in my possession, and will at
some future time, transcribe some of them for
your readers. The camp of the lst Kentucky
regiment is situated near the railroad from Man
assas Junction to Alexandria, in a very healthy
location. We are commanded by Col THOs. H.
TAYLOR. whom many Of the Nashville people know
favorably. Rumors are a1Oat of forward move
ment," but of this know nothing. have matters
of interest to write about in my next, visit to
Fairfax Court House. &c, A A H.