The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-25
THE RATTLE.FIELB AND THE CAMP
OF THE RicHnosD DISPATCH
FauauiER Co. VA, Nov. Ia 1861.

comparatively the country here is smooth
and the roads good II country is astoIar-
ably lereP' where you are no sooner down
one nili than another appears before you,
ana II roads are 'pretty good' where you are
perpetually Joltef and jnIn bied over rocks as
ais 's tpeeses, up ana down natural steps,
INTO oeep nod holes, on one side the car
rage, TIL your companion is upexrectadly
jerked into y.ur lap. then irnmediatelv
PITCHED back again by deep rut In the OBJ
posite dirpction-if this at the rate of ,hrae
miles an hour, is "pretty good travelling =,
NAV Heaven preserve our poor men in their
torced marches through the mountains
where roads are re tlly admitted to be bad
oId even to those whose fortitude philoso-
ply, and cont1ntment render them uncom-
planning in the midst of every hardship, and
Aven cheerful in their endurance of it.
Thus we thought of them as we trayersed
hesa "pretty good roads, some half a score
Of miles, to the battle ground Of Bull Run
ih what n scene of desolation meets the
,ye you first catch sight of this memorable
spot. On the brow of the hill the old
roinans house Il seen even in the distance
10 be mere she'll. The sky and the light
shine through II, and every step you approach
+eEeals the havoc of cannon ball AID rife
ouU"t-pr 1strate fences, singed and black
ened rails, and gems of trees broken short
II. their branches lying near them, Will
- altered bones lie bleaching, and tr igments
If every kind even yet remain to point the
pi ces where the conflict was the deadliest
Autumn's winds are rapidly laying bare the
:ew remaining bouehs of the trees around
Door old MS Henry's house where she was
hot in her bed, and where her remains now
lie nterred in the yard close by
du'l and draary day 1t was, BETTING the
narroWi' scenes that pr-sen tel themselves
The wind was siPhing among the pire trees
and whistling through the perior tted roof OF
the shattered dwelling. A IL role sh"f
marks the spot where Col. Btrtow received
ms Moral wound. The place where Gen
Bee fell is within a hundred wards and not
IA n "a hr,ri ia,t
spot on the opposite hill another heap Of in
vaoers were placed beneath the sod. The
Wat-r ali around has been so tainted hy their
'ncrtai remains that 1t cannot be used by the
pccupints OF the neig lboring .rm houses-a
Just retTibution. il IL is true that tho same
otopie We're the means of guiding the lny4-
,ers 10 the ground, rs has been Inferred
Near this place the Fourth Alabama regi
tnent encountered tue enemy for an hour m d
fortv minu'es within 80 yards: the Eirh tn
Georgia held Them at oay in another ,art
'ho many OF these brave men fell near by and
IRE nnrl'd where they tell stone til Of.
marks TIE grave ot Capt. Howard, beneath
he pine trees, near wlera Kershav's rert-
ment, the 4sth Virginia, the 7th ami 18Th
GeoIgIi, and u South Carolina regirl. II t.
kept the Northern forces back and held the
space "for life or for DEATH" as commanded
Tor forty minutes. There was the first posi-.
tton OF Sherman's b 'ttery on the ridge or the
nil by some persimmon trees, aud its advance
is told by broken fences and traces of c,nnon
posite hill, into the old yyomans ward, where
1t " g finally taken Many other PLACES w.
VISITED, all so frequently described that our
readers neei no repetition of the scenes.
Sey~rsi parties were INSPECTING til SO hi
teric grounds even on this dreary atfUmnat
day, ana we were informed that not IA day
nts passed since tn btt'1e but n score ar
more of persons have visltei those BATH.
rounds and we think IL any Que is inclined
TO enter on the speculation, that a comfort
,bie tavern, with an inviting sitting room,
and good cneer always ready, would be- IL very
lucrative an wele, me business on tina road
near Ia Stone Bridge.
Comfortable homes desp ilt d and deserted
or half in ruins, ait 'rdii K II e.anty protection
to the teams'ers VINO seem to spend their
days IN trudeing to and fro between the cfm ps
md thu nearest town a"d railroad deIo
mere and there pIckets lowering near the
heap of damp green logs that they vaiuly en-
teayor TO kindle INFO n fire; a company on
mar,h or regiment Just ordered of, with
stray soldiers going and c ming in little par
ties, and these are tae passengers that sr q
yoI proceed mile after mlle through
that beautiful but aesClate country.
who that II as once seen can ever forget the
Y! ew that meets Your eye on reaching the
ridge CT bills hat verioCh he valley aronnC
Cen revit.e This place hss been chosen on
4ccount OF rs elevated and al N irable position
for defence. It seems. indeed, Il natural J.
titication, commanding {. vide, stretciiilg
valley on all sides, especially Westward
" hich. on gaining the hill as YOU approach
from the Stone Bridge, lis spread before YOU
1otted nay, covered with nps. To the
right and left, and on the slopes of the on
posite hills, camps lie everywhere. Among
he woods between and beyond them on tns
open glades, slistening in contrast TO the
glowing tents OF autumn, beau tiful lii the
yet sad to contem plate, we behold
The winter dwellings of tens of thousands of
,ur noble Southerners. As we passed among
them we could but observe a vast difference
IN the arrangement OF these cam,s. Some of
them, standing back to o1ck, with broad
road oet@ cen each double row in front, all at
riga angles, with no rubbish or refuse or
any offensive sight or SMELL Wore a healthy
aud attractive appearance. Others, again.
pitched - down without law or or
der, heaps of rubbish and untiriness choking
np the thorocghfares, epgendering sickness
faster than the hospitals can turn out the
con valesc. ii patients.
Il variety of adv ntures befell the troops,
and befell the tents. too, or bethrew them
during the gales of last week, for they were
:alling about in all directions "The first
thing l knew" said one officer, was the
camp tumbling about my ears, l inside of it:
there was /, all i'll a heap, and could neither
find my way out nor get any one to assist me,
80 ] concluded 70 lie there till the rain was
over Several others shared 4 similar tate
One man, after calling in Y in from beneath
his supara bundanL COW ring managed TO slit
! small aperture, through which he could
peep at his neigh bors, ana beheld them some
dragged hesdlcng while endea voring to keep
their tents together, some extricating them.
selves from the soaking folds, and others w.
ing In neap, trnts and all. like himself-
g We were ordered off on pie ke, in the midst
OF the storm, said one company "our 1en1s
were lling anc being blowd away. hut We
could not stay to fx them, and found them al
of a nedp when We returned, tnree DAYS af.
Those who wer on pieket dutv
at the time returned to find their tents blown
10 the breezes, or torn to shreds, and of course
with loss OF many valuabies besides Oae
mad ft,,,t h, zIa
wet through for three days ana nights, add
ing, good humorediy, "its nothing whsu
YOU re used to it.o Another declared he
could lie down to sleep iii a pend without in-
Jury Such are some of the incidents in the
ilves of our br we sold ers a kili-or cure sort
of training, and We heartily hope they will
all "Ret USED to it this winter
The arm, does not appear to be in much
danger of starving Jast yet. We were regaled
with fresh beef, fried Iotatoes, delicious
bread and biscuit, omel es,good butter, aud
coffse. Whn coul} desire a better supper or
breakfast. The soldiers s"em quite happy in
dispensing their hospltaiities, and b We the
not unfre9uent opportunity of entertati ing
Indies, for the sodiers' W yes and sisters are
always welcome and seem to adapt them
selves to camp life with great zest.
We were favored with an inspec tion of the
and breastworks the contemplate IN
of which, 18th the living scenes round them,
cast us into a TAIN of reflections that would
ex tend far beyond the limits of this newspa-
per. One thought, however, we will impart
TO eur readers. which is that there is not
m uch fear of our men trusting with idleness;"
and that not only the Yankees when ,hey
next favor us will have 60 reason TO ac-
the subst lntiaiity Of these numer-
Gus fort,ncatiOna, but that the future gener-
a ations will visit these places of historic inter
est with pride and veneratlon for their anc-s
tors whose works do honur to their hands
ana hearts
To return from the sublime 10 the practical,
we will ven ture in conclusion to make a .ug
gestion which We h3ps my MT D. out Of
place. while at the same time ws duly appre.
ciate the courtesy aLd hospitality that r.n.
dered our visit to the camps III every way
agree Die anu gratifying j. these times OF
blockade. OF sLterprizs, snd ssii-d pends1ce.
we would sugges, that contract should be