Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-08-08

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS
CAMP PErrus, Fairfax County. Va. }
Thursday Evening, August l, 1851
Dear Enquirer: Since the great battle
of which We wrote you in our last, nothing
of marked military or camp interest, has
occurred within reach of our eyes and ears.
Our "deld of view," however, you must
know is quite limited-being confined chief
ly to the beautiful blue hills and luxuriant
clover pastures Immediately around us ; for
We receive papers even from Richmond on
| ly with the greatest irregularity. Occa-
sionally Charleston Mercury, and usually
once week the ENQUIRER, pay us very
welcome visits; and these are about all the
papers we get to see from our native State.
These few papers, seen and read so much
alb randum, are insufficient to furnish us
with little material at all times; and now
and then, especially while the tented villa
is our abode, while immobility rests like a
nightmare upon the army, and while no
brilliant individual achievements and side
events even give spice to the leaden calm,
the letter-writer finds sore need of all his
enterprise and ingenuity. But tomorrow
yea, to night, eveu-a tide Of stirring
events may begin to roll over US, which it
would require volume to chronicle.
We have visited the battle fields, both of
Blackburn's Ford and Stone Bridge, which
should be the name given to the last great
battle They were in one sense sad and
sickening scenes, recalling to mind the po,
cts plaiutive couplet:
~ "Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn
For miles the ground was strewn with the
dead or wounded bodies of men and horses.
Although it was noon of Monday when we
reached the field, and although every dill
gence had been used by our available caval-
ry and wagons to clear the field, yet We saw
a number of arms and could stand in diff
ferent places and count hundred prostrate
forms stiff in death, or weltering in their
gore Here and there we're to be seen
groups of Southeruers digging graves and
consigning cherished comrades to them !;
while as far as eye could reach, visitors
were struggling over the field to crafty
their curiosity and gather up trophies of
the grand victory. Most Of our maimed
had been carried to Manassas, or placed in
the neighboriug houses-indeed, we
saw not one of them on the field but
large proportion of the enemy's wounded,
owing to the impossibility ofremoving them
sooner, were still lying where they had fal-
len, with faces upturned to the descending
rain. We conversed with poor fellow
from Michigan, Canadian by birth, who
said he had joined a volunteer company
merely to defend Washington, and forced
into action, after his time had expired on
Virginia soil. He was shot through the
stomach-was evidently dying-and under
the circumstances we could but deem him
truthful. We conversed with another who
had been through the Crimean war, who
praised the fearful accuracy Of the South
ern rifle, and said if he got home now, he
should never fight against the South again
A third-a beardless youth Of fine form
and countenance-bore his misfortunes with
a proud reserve and manly fortitude, show
ing that there was no craven blood in his
veins. We admired both his appearance
and bearing, and stopped to converse with
him. He replied with marked politeness
every time, but invariably waited for US to
ask the questions. Among other things, he
said: awe should have been in N. York
yesterday instead of here" and we believed
him, too; for we thought there was too
much boyish caudor and real manhood a.
bout him, to quibble there. A wounded
regular tcld US that, if he had not been
bound to 60 wherever called, he never
would have been engaged in this war. Now
and then prisoner would justify, or ex-
cuse the North; but the vast majority,
either in sincerity or to Tighten their pun
ishment, keep silence or take sides with
the South.
One thing we think certain, and that is :
the Northern volunteers will never fight so
we'll again. We have several good reasons
for this confident opinion. The next time,
they will send worse men into the arena Of
strife. The hosts we fought on Sunday,
2lst ult., were raised to defend their capi.
tai; the next army will be raised for our
subjugation Many who espoused the first
cause, will recoil from the other. Again,
they were gulled into the belief that South
eruers would not fight that perhaps short
skirmish at Bulls Run, and then little
hotter fight at Manassas, would give them
possession of thatimpcrtaut key to Virginia
and they were inspired with more conf
dence in themselves and hopes of success
than they ever can have again. 1t was 4
current impression in the s'Grand Army Of
the Potcmac"-a wounded prisoner has
told us-that Richmond Tas reduced aud
held by Northerners; and statesmen and
ladies of to~, everybody here believes, were
on to greet the victors and cover them with
aurels while the dust Of battle was yet on
their brows. The yelled deception and the
inspiring presence of their gifted and fair
the confidence springing from belief Of
our weakness, the hope Of reward and the
fear of shame if defeated-all nerved their
arms; and "thcy fought like brave men,
long and we'll" Their utter defeat has
cast the dispiriting gloom of despondeucy
over the whole North while the prestige
of success CLEANS over the South, like the
flaming sword set by the angel over the