Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-23

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east. whenever the rattle Of the gig ceased
the booming Of guns rolled through the woods
on our ears.
One man said it began at two o'clock, but
the pickcts tells us It had really become con.
tinuous about half past seven or eight o'clock.
MEETING THE FOURTH PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENT ON
ITS WAY uoME-TnE MEN/LEAvE IN TIE FACE
or THE ENEMY.
In a few minutes afterwards a body Of men
on the road, with their backs towards
CentrcvilIr and their faces towards Alexandria.
Their march was SO disorderly that | could
not have believed they were soldiers in an enc.
my's oountry-for Virginia hereabout is GER
tainly so-but for their arms and uniforms.
1t soon appeared that there was no less than an
entire regiment marching away, singly or
in small knots Of two or three, extending for
some three or four miles along the road. 4
Babel Of tongues rose from them, and they
were all in good spirits, but with an air about
them | could not understand. D%ismountinc
at stream where q group of thirsty men were
drinking and hating IN the shade, | asked an
officer, Where are your men going, sir 2"
swell we're going home, sir, reckon; to Penn
sylvania." 1t was the Fourth Pennsylvania reei-
mrnt, which was on lis march, rs | learnt from
the mcn. ~ suppose there is severe work 90.
ing on behind you, judging from the firing 81
well | reckon, sir, there is" Were going
hone,' he added after a pause, during which
it occurred to him, perhaps, that the movement
required OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the mems time
is.np. We AatchadthTes months Of this work."
| proceeded OH my way Illuminating on the
feeliags OF 4 General who sees half q brigade
walk quietly away On the very morning OF an
action, and on the frame Of mind Of the men,
who would have shouted till they were hoarsc
about their beloved Union-possibly have
hunted down any poor creature who expressed
a belief hal it was not the very quintessencc
Of everything great and good in government,
and glorious and onnipoJent in arms-coolIy
turning their backs on it when in its utmost
peril because the letter OF their engagement
bound them no further. Perhaps the Fourth
Pennsylvania were right, but let US hear no
more OF the excellence Of three months ser
vice volunteers. And so We left them.
The road was devious and difficult. There
were few persons on their way, for most of the
Senators and Congressman were on before us.
Some few commissariat wagons were overtaken
at intervals. Wherever there was 4 house BY
II oA'''e" ShS 'SStpGo WIZ IlSltIllUP ~ the
bring. All at once 4 terrific object appeared
in the wood above the trees the dome of L.
church or public building, apparently suffer
ing from the shocks Of an earthquake, and
hcaying to and fro in the most violent manner.
In much doubt We approached as we'll as the
horses minds would let US, and discovered
that the strange thing was an inflated balloon,
attached 10 car and wagon which was on its
way to enable General Mcdowell 10 recon-
noitre the position he was then engaged in at
lacking just a day too late. The operators
and attendants sworc as horribly as Annals
warriors in Flanders, but they could no,
curse down the trees and so the balloon
seems likely 10 fall intu the hands of the Con.
federates.
THE REaEL WORKS NEAR FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE.
About eleven o'clock we began TO enter on
the disputed territory which had Just been
abandoned by the secessionists TO the federal
lists, in front Of Fairfax Court House. 1t is
not too much to say that the works thrown up
across the road were shams and make. believes,
and that the Confcderatcs never intended to
occupy the position at all, but sought to lure
on the Fcdetalists 10 Manassas Gap, where
they were prepared to meet them. Had it
been otherwise, the carlhwoIEs would have
been of a different character, and the troops
would have had regular camps and tents, in
stead Of bi7ouac huts Of branches OF trees. Of
course the troops Of the cnemy did not wish
to be cut of, so they had cut down trees to
place across the road, and put some field pieces
in their %earthworks 10 command it. On no
side could Richmond be SO well defended
The Confederates had it much ut heart to in.
duce their enemy 10 como to the strongest
place and attack them, and they succeeded in
doing so. But, 1.-THE troops behaved as i'll in
other places as they did at Manassas, the fed
~eraliSts could not have been successful in any
attack whatever. In order that the prepare.
tons at Manassas may he understood, and that
General Beauregard, Of whose characterI gave
som hints at Charleston, may be known al
home as regards his fitness for lis work, above
all as an officer Of artillery and Of skill in work.
ing it in field or in position, l4. Inc insert a
description OF the place and Of tn. naa by a
Southern paper
hr. Russell here copies a letter dated at
Manassas, eulogizipg the position and comman
der in the higest degrce.-ED. HERALD.
AT FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE AND GERMAST0wN-
TRACES OF THE MARCH OF THE UNION TROOPS.
|: Was noon when we arrived at Fairfax c..
H., a poor village Of some 80 or 10 struggling
wooden and brick houses, deriving its name
from the building in which the Circuit Court
Of the county is held, believe, and looking
the revc sc Of tiourishing, and one may re.
mark, Obiter, that the state Of this part Of
Virginia cannot be very prosperous, inasmuch
as there was not a village along the road up
to this Hoint, and no shops or depo:s, only one
mill, one blacksmith and wheelwright. The
village was held by a part OF th, reserve Of
McDOwelrs force, possible 900 strong. The
inhabitants were, II eyes spoke truth, seces-
sionists to q man, roman aud child, and even
the negroes looked extra black, as if they DID
not care about being fought for.
a short way beyond this village, German.
town-the scene Of the recent excuses Of the
Observation-Disclosures evidence in its blackened
ruins that Gen. McDowell's censure vas more
only 10 show that Gen. Beauregard and his
rival are at least equal in point Of literary
power Us masters Of the English tongue.
Here copies General Orders, No. -, OF the
Confederate army.
The chimney stacks being Of brick are the
sole remains OF the few good houses in the
village.
Here cur driver made q mistake, which was
ths rather persisted in that q colored ciIattcl
informed us that We could get to Centreyille
by the route we were pursuing, instead Of
turning back TO Germantown, as we should
have done. Ccntreville was still seven miles
ahead.
DIFFICULTY ~ FINDING TIE BATTLEFIELD.
The guns sounded, however, heavily from
the valleys. Rising above the forest tops ap.
peared the blue masses Of the Alleghunies, and
we knew Manassas was somewhere on an out
laying open of the hedges, which reminded me
in color and form Of the hills around the val.
ley of Baidar.
A Yirginian who cam out OF a cottage, and
who was assuredly no descendant of Madame
Esmond, told US We wero ''going wrong
right away" There was, he admitted, u by
road somewhere to the left front, but people
who had tried its depths had returned to Ger
nantown, with the conviction that it led 10
" a.. Ill., H.