New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-20

regular waves Of field and forest but the roads ara
ceepiy CUT and filled with looss stones, very dir
| agreeable 70 ride Or drive over. The houses Of
WOOD, with The usual negro huts adjoining them, aud
| the specimens OF the race which 1 saw were well
dressed ana Dot Unlocking. Ga turning into one Of
Cenreville beyond IL, the distant sound of canno,
reached u.s. That must have been about 81 A. IN, Il
never ceased all day; at least whenever the rattle Of
che gig ceased the booming Of rolled through
| the woods on our ears. One said il began Mt 2
o'clock, but the pickes told j, had really become
| continuous about z, or O'Clock. In few minutes
atterward, body of men appeared on the road with
! their backs toward Ceutre,ie, and their faces TO-
ward Alexandria. Their march SO disorderly that
could not have believed they were soldiers 10
emys country for Vginia hereabout iscet1nly 80 but
for their and uniform IL s0on appeared that there
was no less than entire regiment marc ing away,
sngy OF ia small knots OF two three extending for
some three or four uiles along the road Babel of
| tongues rose from them, and they were al Ia good
spirits, bat with al air abou; them could not under
| stand DsrnOunng at stream. where group of
thirsty men were drinking and haltlpg Id the shade,
asked an officer 8 Where are your men gong Sr
well we re going bone, Sir, reckon 20 Penpsyt
vanil." II was the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, wbi'h
was on its march, a. learDed from the men, sup
nose there is severe work going on behind you Jd.ing
from the fringe "Well, l reckon. Sir there ls'
"We're going home" he added after pause, during
which occurred to bim perhaps, that the movement
required exclamation" because the mems time u up
We have had three months OF this work. pro
ceeded on my way, Illuminating on me ieenpgso %
pthtTdi WHO seer Dd q UiiStuC tH-N'J .''J
on the morning Of an action, and ON
the frame OF mind Of the men, vino would nave
shouted till they were hoaree about their pc
loved Union-p0saibly have hunted down any
poor creature who expressed belief that IT was not
the very quutesseuce OF everything great and good In
gOverDneGt aud glorious and omnipotent III arms
coolly turning their backs OH - when III its utmost
peril because the letter of their engagement bound
ihem no further. Perhaps the 4th Pennsylvania
were right bu let NJ bear no more OF the excellence
Of three months service volunteers. And 80 we leit
then. The road was devious and difficult. There
we're few persons their way, for most of the SeDs
tors aud Congressman were on before us. Some few
comnissarat wagons were overtaken at intervals
Wherever there wac house by the roadside tee ne
groes listening to the firing. All at ouce ter
rife object appeared in the wood above the uee5-tbe
dome OF a church public builo 4, apparently suer-
ing from the shocks OF earthquake, and hesving 70
aud fro ia the most violent manner. In mach doubtwe
approached well as the horses minds would let rs,
ard discovered that the strange tang was an ln1t1
balloon ATTACHED 10 q and wagon, which liz
way to enable Gen. Mcdowell 20 recoDnoitre the po-
sihon he was then engaged IN attackiDs-lust DAY
too late. The operators and attendants swore "a
horribly Annas warrlors IN FLANDERS, but they
could u curse down the trees, and go the balloon
seems like fell into the bands OF the the Coufef-
erates About II O'Clock began TO enter on che di'-
puted territory which had just been abandoned by the
Secessioniss to the Federaists ia front Of Fairfax
Court House II Is not much TO say that tie works
thrown no across the road were shams and nakebe-
ieyes aud that tue Coniederates never intended 70
the position az all, Out oOuguJ W fue Oh Io
Federaiists 10 Manassas, where they were pre-
pared meet them. Had It been otherwise the earth
wCTk. would have been Of different character a0d
the troops would have had regular camps and tents,
instead Of byOuac hus Of branches OF trees. VI course
the troops of the enemy did not wish to be cut off and
80 they had cut down trees 20 place across toe roaa
and put tec-peces in their earthworks to com
mand it, On no eide could Richmond be 70 well de-
feI dej The Confederaes had it much It heart 10 in
dnce their enemy to to the strongest place and
attack them, and tbey succeeded in doing But,
tie troops behaved i'll in other places they did ut
| Manassas tie Eederalsts could not have been sue
cessful 10 any attack whatever. La order that the
preparations at Manassas may be Understood, and that
Gen Beauregar1 of whose character gave some biDt
at Charleston, may be known at home as regards his
fitness for his work above all as oifcer or ARTILLERY
aud OF sa ia working it ia field In position, lot ms
insert description of the place and OF the man from
southern Paper;
"Ths psc. the hesdqusrers Of the Of hs
Potonso There az MANY aa'es on' .. H .snaso
bu, hr work OF lorthcsOb still conhae' by nature she pc
whole About hsf between the eastern spur OF tee
Blue Ridge and the Potomac below Aeta1dria cSaiUands
possibility 0s being Therghi wing stretches Oh towsri
he head waters Of the ocOqqsp through wooden cSsnt.y
rolling abe and easily commanded from the successive
sf'sIg s SGa ,l Isa ne SeT y Se po. @
precisely point which Gen e.uregsd chose for m center
tory could there hold % coo at Day The position
Of hi. Eeariy eq6idsn. from each other in 6ont Of
whchi.s ravne 50 deep and ,bckly wooded that IL
pa..sbe at two points AID tose thro sh gores which ~
men defend agaiost shOe army. IL ~s at one OF these
point, the Wzhl gon Artillery lof New OesDsD were ct
hrs. ped and though only hsf hs battalion was thsa
thee su We Only company 4 Infantry supPortus
sept soudy under the ro'-eou OF as hd
snpersde ID here By Gen Besuessd OF Nature q
no, gIPs. p de-, e SI By line
miles il extent 1shag il form, with ssee
ooss 10 kid TIE and sdarsses o. ,h.
ps,o at Manassas aIe very much Increased ~ tne sct hst
fOrmatlcn S1le bs
country between admirably adapted TO tae subsistence snd
| e,.iy be maaeuyefed on the real bsi,ehsld Water
sood and ahuldart foragn such IL everywhere fonnd
In The rc farming districts o. Virgins ard communication
viii al parts the country easy. bere overlooking 80 exten
psu, ~ateied by mounsn Fam, hieh Ultimately NOD
tir way the PotoHsc and divided into verdsnt hed OF
wheat sud oats and pasture aud meadow ere the head
quarter. Ct the sdganced force, OF the Amy OF the rotoac
psns Id NsDaas for the most part the hrt two sngor
enough being ia rooi ard thai they vii keep s nego. AZ
assured. Never have seen hoer BODY OF men
WHO obedent to Discipline. or bIesisd Dors
sschcing patriotism As ush De espeSd rom me san
which euca'p. moves his General Besnrogardi
undv confidence OF his army By nature as also from
wise policy lie is very retieen No. an 9diSd1, hero
aud then only the colonel end his men know where goes
10. rlere n0t man efe VINO eIa give a hs as 1s sa
are 70 distance Of Ia niles around tents every
men; bot how many ped the byrosds ard
forest, can tell T1e eaner from Whist lie s,e.
pats down the numbers at about $4,000 mem
oe ~ho have teen her lIse.t estimate bis Ic' . 900
Gensi. deep his ss 70 him elf that kis len hardly
know, What his sa hSId a S aS iCas ss he
suspected his coat of acquanlance with The psr eVos
VII IN him, he would cast i, "a
Il was noon when we arrived at Fairfax Court
House-a poor village of rome 80 or ~ struggling
wooden and brick houses, deriving its name from the
building in which the Circuit Court OF tie county 70
held believe and looking the Of Onrislmg-
and one may remark ober that the State OF this part
of mia