Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-07
AFTER THE BATTLE.
SNICKERsvILLE, LOudoun county, va.

On Sunday the 2lst ult, as the day began 70 wane,
a,;nv rumors intangible and reaching we knew not
how, began 10 disturb the quiet and mono'ouy VI ou'
Village life Men and women wearing anxious hoes'
ware collected here and there In little groups-nss
sons brothers relatives more or less remote-nau al
h.sr called off and bad rallied around our higs ready
a mr. 70 redeem our homes hresdes, and the honor
o glorious Confederacy their efforts and their oiood
an tho battlefield Our females, reared and educated with
toned Virginia feelings have much OF the nre sna
.,r;ot,m Of the old Roman marons, but with all ihe
s.eopse warmth peculiar 10 the sunny South, and our
iuusda.. neighbrhood had sent to Manassas Junction
the last man capable of bearing arms and our hne sec
,op (exoeptipc its fsrtlity) was as gloomy desert
No wonder then that every sound which disturbed the
Sabbath s,illness was listened to ominous. No won
ar that the far distant tramp Of horse ringing on the
ssrapke startled the little groups and ,nas ',s
conner. Expectation at its very highest and our
feelings strained to their highest degree Of tension
when at length the glorious intelligence came booming
over the crowd "a battle has been fought-the foul
invader has been beaten and bis seried ranks bloody,
broken aud PROSTATE have given up the contest and
many as were able have ipgloriously fed, leaving
their baggage, their grand parks of artillery, their
wounded their dead and their DYING the bloody bat
te-fsld" As may be supposed, the intelligence hail
ed with one universal shout Of eIultaon and the graft
fcation was intensified when ascertaned that
enemies numbered more than three one in the fight
that they had the elite of their army both regarded
officers and men-and bad boosted of sudden, speedy
and crushing victory the inatory step Of humbling
the Southern Oonfederacy in general and the State Of
Virginia in particular by continuing their march to Rich
mond, which, it predicted would fall easy prey
to their overwhelming and disciplined numbers
1t is trtely said 'that there is pleasure this
earth without its alloy" and it was, assuredly specially
applicable to our csse-or scarcely had the last eruant
note been re-echoed by our old blue Mountain" when
came the reaction The field had been bloody-our gal
liant Snckersvle boys had been placed where the iron
aad saden messengers Of death flew hckest and fastest
where were our loved ones then. Give reins to the
Imagination and il runs riot at once, and here was the
evidence before to prove the act-it almost mad
dening to think on the uncertain fate of our friends
tears began to steal down the cheeks Of the quiet and
unohtrusive-an hystsricsl sob touched responsive
chord 10 the bosom of another and night closed her
bic wings over us, and went to slumbers reoic
ing over the victory bu! in trepidaton for all loved
mos. on this earth.
This state Of feverish uncertainty could not last and
with the carly the explosion, strange voice
saluted my ears from the adjoining apartment walked
into see who was 20 early astir lady, an esteemed
noghbor, met me with streaming eyes, doctor, you
have good horse and vehicle you must 60 to the bat
tie field; all people there; your presence may
alleviate their sufsrings and assist in their cure or at
least smooth the road TO DEATH" The appeal was ire
sstable. hasty mornings meal lint, medicines, ban.
dases cordias &C.; zen route" for never to be forgot
ten glorious, but blooddyed field of Manassas juno
ton
Onward and forward, twenty-five miles are past
Carriages of every description, horsemen in uniform,
citizens on foot ladies and gentlemen mounted are hu
rying to the Of general attraction familiar face
my eye the crowd is cleared and he is my side
How are our boys?' Gan WELL except few scratches,
aud they have for themselves mperishable name
in the annals Of their country" The reins dropt from
my hands"al praise to the great and merciiu Creator"
burst from my lips my gallant son had learned his
FIST lesson in warfare in the bOodles part Of the hard
fought field.
The stormy passions of our nature obey the same laws
which govern elemental STRIFE when the threatening
cloud has passed over the winds hushed whisper
and So in my case, the sckenng uncertainty which
had kept alive my fears and anyietes was swept away
and Ike the thunder cloud which /. vanishing far down
in the Eastern horizon. left all calm behind few hasty
details and nv friend bids hasty farewell and hur
ries to his destination, once again / am Ten |
route for the battle field. The old mill sudlcy past
the Sulphur Spring is behind me- the turbd waters Of
Bull Run in my rear; am ascending the hill and
AN almost in sight of the venerable Methodist Church.
my horse gives snort the wind soughs mournfully
through the tree tops and brings its wings the first
odor Of DEATH The old barn is in sight and busy
cene is passing around it. meet friends on every si6e
md sm urged look upon the mutilsed beings within
Nay God in mercy grant that it may be my fate
% look upon the like again the wounded Of Lincons
outed army here shot and mangled ;n every ir.
gnsble way grooming with agony, covered with bloody
'andages and enduring every phase OF human suffering
legs and had been Topped OF and thrown in an in
criminae heap and the whole place locked more ike
N "Iaferno" than habtstion for human beings. Hur.
ring away from this loathsome spot, see lying in
very conceivable posture and in great numbers am
uotms6 tat they srs Lincons deluded hirclirgs, nov
dust and ashss-tsnsns Of the tombs-phantoms of the
From the Church to the Junction is distance Of nine
niles tr,versed by plain country road along which the
ate ragged with intense fury. The front OF the invading
rmy occupied miles Of the nine. Here bad 10
ucounter on the whole length OF the line too
orrible to look upon.
Men in Of putrefaction bloated by the gases OF
he body mo longer held in cheek by the living princi
e,) with ivii faces lay in every direction horses
yelled to elephantine proportion, from the cause
~ in juxa position to their late riders, guns stacked
& lns trees and fences coats, jackets and blankets,
aSersacks and their contents, were lying around in
TRANCE confusion everywhere.
Putrescent gases filed the atmosphere, and as We
cached the points where the field most hotly con-
ssted became almost sitting, and poor boys, who
detailed to bury the enemys dead we're staggering
ader their rotting loads aud vomiting.
From this horrible scene escaped as fa, as good
Jadster could carry u.s. and made our way to the Juuc
ion. Here we're met by the gallant boys of ths
.oudoun Eghth, aud in our Joy forgot for time the
Orribls scenes through which we had .ssed.
YECAL.