Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-09-26
A Sketch of Manassas junction.

So much has been said and read about Manassas
Junction-a locality which will hencetorward be hstOr
ca-tbat the following, very faithful sketch of the
place. will be found interesting to those who have never
been there:
The village of Manassas or Tudor Hail. as the Post
Office is Called is very much smaller than is generally
imagined. In the village proper there are not above
three four houses, and within circuit OF three or
four miles, perhaps not than five or six hundred in
habitans. The station is situated on the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad, quarter of mile from its
junction with the Manassas Gap Road. There is no
regular depot but rudey constructed building
the purposes at present One plain twostory house,
with porch in front, to which you mount by half
dozen steps, was formerly the hotel while the on
naming roofs the place boast is small white cot
tage, now used hospital, and small rough Office,
occupied by Adams & Co.'S Express. The telegraph is
in two horse cars like those used the city railroads.
in of which the battery is placed, and in the other
is the operating room, receiving room, baggage room
dining room by day, and lodging room by night OF the
busy operators. These placed at right angles
with each other, closely connected and over them,
among the wires which radae from this COM
mon centre, floats large and very handsome rebel "
flag From early morning until far into the night the
steady click of the instrument is heard and the busy
operators seen ntently engaged upon their work.
unmndful of the din and noise Without-the beating of
drums the shr of the steam whistle the pas
sage OF trains-or of the many curious men who con-
tinualIy crowd around the windows Close beside the
wound upon the cylinder, ready at moments notice to
be laid from headquarters to point. The Chief oper
aor here s Mr. Barnes who has two assistants, and
be easily supposed, the three are kept as busy as
bees
Just beyond the telegraph Office is that of the Ex-
press Company which this time has quite the appear
ance of a curiosity shop The building itself is filled up
with all kinds of curious boxes and parcels addressed
principally to in the army, and which have remain
ed here some time uncaleI for Outside large recan
che hoo boon bui1t which arOp
boxes and barrels three four hundred IN number
are retained until called for by the owners Nowlth-
standing the seeming confusion of the place. the greatest
order prevails. Every parcel Is properly Labelled and
recorded and sing glance at the office book tells the
story of each in few words. All the vacant space is
now filled, and board house, OF peculiar structure
something the Hbernian ORDERS being built for
winter quarters The Express messenger leaves here
out day. and then in the train at o'clock, a. NJ
| said there regular depot building, but am
mistaken There is one-a low diDgy-looking house,
extremely dirty one end of which is used the Tudor
Hall Post Office and the other variety store where,
by the way, soldier spend great deal OF money,
with as little satisfaction as in any place this side of
Kansas and Nebraska The trade here is principally in
matches pipes tobacco, shoestrngs, thread and but
TONS and is divided between this store and three suter
shops tents, in the immediate vicinity. There is a
long triangular platform beyond the depot building upon
which is piled large amount of freight, which is re-
ceived for the different companies and regiments Three
or four sentnes constantly guard hee but these
are not vigant enough to prevent about onethrd OF
the freight sent here from being stolen. Many things
have been taken during the present week, and now
have list 10 my pocket of several barrels and boxes
that have been taken without the knowledge of the
freight agent or the station master 1t is very
ry that better arrangements Tor receiving freight be
made and more viglant police system adopted Sol
des cannot afford to lose the necessaries which their
friends at home have carefully provided and forward
ed to them.
Back of the hotel building is small grove, which is
generally filed either with tents transport wagons
At the Eastern end of this is the Medical Purveyors
Office while still further small white cottage
cuped by Major Cornelius Boyle, the Provost Marsta
of the post. Some distance away, but still within sight
are many farm houses which, with their outbuldings
and barns form interesting feature in the scenery
Although the place is generally called Manassas, the
correct name is Tudor Hall. This is Manassas Gap
but there is another village of II" name at tht
other end OF the railroad and it vas found that there
was often difficulty in having mai! matter delivered cor
rectly Consequently the citizens petitioned to have
the name changed to Tudor Hail. the name of the farm
upon which the present village is built This was dom