The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-07

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pine aud listened to sundry interesting reIaf-
niscencss OF the recent fight. Subsequently
Col Wlthers accompanied me to his marc q se,
where was Introduced TO n wounded Federal
officer Col. Weod, Of brooklyn regiment,
10 whom the utmost atten tion and kindness
had been exhibited. That very morning
fully three days after the battle-ths unfor-
tuna'e sutarer was discovered in nsigbbor-
ing thickat, whittier he had craw,ed after be-
iug disabled. ] an Informed that couple
Of his men remained with him, attended
to his wounds, and brought him water
the only refres hnent they could procure
This i. a deed Of haa o<sIu worthy of being 70.
corded for, why should we noJ recognize the
virtues even of an enemy had some desDl-
tory conversation with the wounded Colonel,
who appeared 80 gentlemanly and arniAb!e
that am not astonished he shouid have been
a great favorIte with his command. "How
much better" observed, that the unfortu-
nate contest which now wages between both
sections of this countryhsd hsen averted Dy ma
Ia Al coHcessops--by anything, IN fact, short
of bloodshedf 'Indeed, yas, SIR he rsi.,in-
ed IN a weak, tremnl lous voice. .Sseins that
tina same results must ultimately eDsue,
then how much more polite to have re-
allied them without war than with il -
Colonel Wood seemed overpowered by the
kind and hospitality shown 10 him by
enemy from whose hands he was Led to ex.
peet no favor, and from whose heart 20 COM
passion. l am credibly informed that the
wounded FederaiIstS in our hos pitais fra-
quently weep, owing to the uniformly Kind
! fear, prevalent idea with the enemy that
Sosthern soldiers are destitu ie of the common
feelings and amenities of Humanity, and that
no quarter need be expsctei should the for
tunas OF war place them at their mercy
" XIII me, If you ike" observed 3 wounded
man to cna Of our soldiers, who approached
him az he was lying helpless on the field
"kiil me-, If you like. l am a true citizen and
Scu therner, but Was forced in to the thing .
h IL me, il yCu like -
After taking farewell OF Colonel Withers
ana his officers, We set out on further expIo-
rati0ns. As we proceeded To Centreviils, !
found the same indications OF n bloody con-
tiict az hld met with during the former por-
ttOn Of nay j0urney-T!cD fields tTodden down,
corn crops destroyed, houses burnt to the
grounds species of vandalism intoieraGie in
the nineteenth century In yonder little
cottage dwelt an aged poor woman and her
daughters, who surely thought that no one
would iulure her She was shot in her bed :
Observe that farm house on the right. Il
looks very unnretsntious, and is plainly in.
dicauye toat Lhe owner Is but struggling
mun- Tna Fsderaiists 81 tered here, robbed
the pcCr fellow of two horses, spoiled his
farm, and too. every portion of food provided
tor O. famii- Of eight children, (some mere in
fants,l 50 th1t for twenty -four hours, or
longer, they had nothing whatever to eas, L
regret that | have mislaid the mans name
whose residence was thus ruthlessly violated
and rified but he is known about the head
quarters OF GeneTal Beauregard, where l
have conversed with him As the poor fell
low told TIE he was ruined By the injury done
to him by ths enemy, should be most happy
10 see private subscription opened for his
benefit st the office of the Dispctch
! con tinua0 my ride in company with Col.
Ch.solm, (vlsiting sundry hospitals, telnpora-
rily iInpro vised, and depots for the reception
OF wagons, stores, Ks, found on the field,
which were placed unoer strong guard,) until
/ arrived at Gen. i.ongsIreets headq uarters,
al Centraville. Here luncheon wa, kindly
prepared FOR us BY the hospitable and brave
soldier, whose name will long he remsmhered
IN c0nnexion with the battle CT Blackburn
| Ford, (at wnich he comInanded,) } as well as
with that OF Manassas. The luncheon form
ed q portion of I'll, Inanubiai stores abandon
Ell during the precipitate fight Of Sunday.
aud consisted OF preserved triDe--a very DELI
cious dish, l can assure you. They apparently
preserve everything well IN the North, ex-
cept the Constitution, and that, having bsen
so fingered and blown upon," has for long
time sav0red Of corruption, which, fear, no
available antiseptic cin restore, even ii at
tempted by the most experienced political
manipulatCr. cannot Well tell cow IL was
so liked that tripe Human natUre is an
heterogeneous amaigaIla tiOn---s. cCra bin1tion
of iucongruities--lG iHcogl prehensiele mass
OF conflicting elements. Was the delicious
favor L .ZpsrieUced al intrinsic component
OF this paiatab;e, luxurious dish or was it
simply or partially produced by the quaint
satistac tion ] eIpAriencad in the knowledge
how it had been procured? Verify, l canrot
answer. Al l know IS, thai I enjoyed it in
inilely. l only wish that you mad bsen thsrs
to have tasted It and ta=ted its quality. Soras
OF the "bovs" will, doubtless, have good HT
ing tor & considerable time.
This worry edible having heen followed ny
& copious draueht of brandy and Wdter-~very
necessary To assist digestion and keep up the
exudatory action OF the body's suIface, during
q warm season especIaiiy--tISG. LDugE treeI
direc sed Tly attention to the little Episcopal
Church on the hill, within . Few yards Of the
camp, which he recommended me 10 visit.
did so after 4 little, and was perfectly horri-.
fed upon hshoding the sacriiegions manner
,A,.I tbsxr A.
OF the muipotent had been desecrated and
soiiu.ed by the enemy, who had evidently
been q Quartared there on the night previous 10
the battle TheIe can be no palliatioa for
suCh crime l do not believe that
an army Of invading barbarians would
have thus violated the religious feelings
and sentiments OF tas human race.
Several of our soldiers and some civilians
were ii the sacred edittce when l enter
ed, found every portion OF the wills COW
cred over with writing, even tn those OF the
vesLgy, whiiS such portion OF the cellDs as
couid be reached from the pulpit and gallery
was also dsiaced. For the most part, the cali
graphy consisted OF ample signatures and
fiouriSnes with dates hat in several cases l
noticed extensive sen tenceS, grossly aton
Unable expressions III large charac ters, and
the most dlsgustnsly obscene figures drawn
on the walls and the wood work OF the gallery
The very neighborhood OF the altar was not
respected for III close proximity 10 Ii Iead
the words Death 10 Trators-thus saith the
Lord I" together with a cartoon repreSen ting
President Davis suspended by the neck, Illus
trated by the sentsnt'ons sentence, -. ID ;,
the son OF q b-h." death 10 Sseess!onists,"
however, seems to have been the faYor!te
motto, for observed it inscribed every where
The following sentence, being more pretsn-
tions than the rest, copied in my note book
IL was written in the centre OF ihe wall at
the right haud side OF the reading desk
"Citizens OF Virginia, your cowardiy acts
will eertainly fail upon your own heads Ien
| will like Hanan, be hanged upon your own
galioWs you Will hnd that the way CT trans
l. gressors IL hard, and that the war which yOu
have brought Oh by your own acts Will leave
your native homss des3late and many OF your
reoeIhous brothers sleeping in traitors
graves i SuPpoSTRR
Of the Constitute of the y. 5. A. and 3
Lover OF the old Stars and Stripes"
"a Daniel come 10 Judgment truly. What
contrast all this blatant eiuquence pres ents
10 the ignomtGious ''stampsde" OF the list
"L H0naHte propose ct Dieu dispose ~ L was
struck with one sentence written underneath
that already quoted, and as il is worthy CT
more extensive circulation than IL can posi-
bly, obtain in the littls church Of CenT&ville,
wnere now il cannot he read by these for
whose special benefit IL was designed, trust
my friend, Col. WitheIs, Will excuse me for
thus giving such prominence and publicity to
his name:
John Withers, lIth Virginia Volunteers,
takes it upon himself 20 say thSt the writing
upon the wall is a sure indication OF the quai-
tiles OF the Vandal hordes OF Abolitionlsts Is
that true Southern MEN are figh ting against" p"
Whilst engaged III examining the "hand-
writing on the wall which on another occa-
sion was the precursor OF terrible disas ters 10
a nation-l met with the worthy Mayor OF
Richmond, to whom l was presented This
gentleman seemed deeply atfected al the pain
ful sight; 80 l took tor granted that Mr. May o
Is a man OF deep religious sentiments. de
proposed to re IN unerate any body handsomely
who would carefully copy all the Inscriptions
and figures in the church SO Us IL is not likely
that the task has yet been accomplished, some
smart fellow who may wish 10 combine patri-
otic with monetary interests may find it 10