Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-11-12

"PictuIe it. think of it.;
Lave inst, drink Of it,
Then If you cant"
MANASSAS AS 1T WAS AND IS.
Those who have known Manassas in other days
may be interested to take glimpse at it now With
US.
From the depot as = central point we will look
towards Ccntreville One "waste of ruin" lies
there All is dry and dead. The dull gray sand
lies bald and desert-like for miles. Turn which
ever way you WILL it is all the same. The genius
of desolaton seems to have made his headquarters
there. Not tree, scarcely shrub with but here
and there solitary sickly weed, can be seen for
mile more. Dust and blight are over all. Every
parched leaf that has survived is coated with dust
Dry-dry-dry as Sahara 1t is miles to the first
good spring of water One poor muddy spring
mile of, and two waterless putrid wells the
- only chances for water. About on the wide plain
of whitsh gray sand rise the old redoubts and re-
dams that were constructed last year. These frown
around magniticently and in gloomy harmony with
that desoatcd field of Mars Theye are many graves
there; few head-stones. A suffers shop.
brotypist's stand, and few hasty plank honscs,
besides the depot and the old Manassas Hotel "a
plank shanty,) are all the buildings there Wars
iron heel has stamped out the life Of the place. 1t
is dead-a gigantic skeleton.
AS Hills Division marched across that Plain of
Manassas on the morning Of Thursday, the 2Sth of
August, about three O'clock the scene was mpos-
ing IN the extreme. quarter Of mile of cars,
richly laden with goods for the Yankee army, was
in one continuous blaze. The arc of circle de-
scrihed by the fires in perspective looked like the
jaw of some fire demon, and the glare was like
great city on fire, or the internal regions.
Our forces moved past that magnificent confa-
grafton Of between one and two hundred cars, so
early, probably because the enemy were touching
our lines with force at least five times our own.
We moved to Centrevllle by Blackburns Ford, in
orer to amIlse the enemy till forces could
centrate-till Longstreet formed junction with
JackSon-tlll We get ready for Pope, as we were on
the 3uth at the old battle ground-Manassas Plains.
BY the way, that battle of Manassas in 1862
should have been called Battle of Groveton, because
it was fought at little village of that name and
distinct name would separate it in history from the
former Manassas. Now. calling both Manassas a
circum'ocution is necessary whenever one speaks
of either battle. Better have named it after a<eai
titul creek upon which it was fought, at-Ilarpn
Run. F.rginians always call creek run.
THE CAPTURE OF HARPERS FERRY.
The CONT asst between the Yankee soldiers and
our own was finely brought out at Harpers Ferry.
AS soon the surrender was complete, Gregg's
brigade put on duty to guard the prisoners and
arms upon Bolivar Heights. The prisoners by
thousands stood in line perfectly uniformed all in
splendid order, with trappinss complete and Quilt
out Of place; not gun or bayonct but was bright
and in perfect tit. The whole army of eleven thou
sand was in magnificent trim. Their guns and
trappings were stacked at their side and as our ILL.,
clad, dusty, rusty and dirty barefoot rebels fled
around that "spendid host with banners traed,"
the contrast was striking. The fine clad Blue coats
made great eyes at Explanations burst from
all sides" Just ooGy here - Did you erer pr
"Well, III be d-d!"-and such, many more pro-
fame than these. Taunt and repartee were banded
freely. "llow is it that you men are content to
fight so with such scanty OUTFIT" I'VE came to
fight and not to dress" "Where's your sodger
clothes p LEFT our store clothes at home"
LOOK here, how came you rugged out so shabby ~
I've never wear our best clothes when We come
! to kill hogs"
AS the thirteenth FLED around their handsome
columns caught these words, spoken in grave, low
tone "Men who can endure that are certainly in
earnest. There must he something in their cause"
| And our brave men, beside that external short
| coming, were even then hungry.
| BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD
| On Thursday, the 18th, Mcclellan, with some
fifteen thousand troops, crossed the Potomac, came
to Marlnsburg and passed down to Harpcr's Fer
ry-all in hurry.
+ Since then our corps Garmee has been engaged
Snrgely in tearing up and burning the famous Balti-
more and Ohio Railroa,k OF this we have de-
molished about twenty miles between the Ferry
and North Mountain. Of the Harpcr's Ferry and
! Winchester Railroad the Yankees tore I'D a part
and we the remainder The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad is splerdidly constructed, double track,
finely graded road-the most splendidly constructed
one we have ever seen. 1t requires about as much
labor to tear it up as would construct an ordinary
road. Our division has just returned from one Of
the road raising excursions back to our former
camp-Camp Barnes
STONEwALL JACKSON
A lew days ago, while our troops were halted on
a road, in groups of regiments every fifty yards,
making continuous line Of some two miles or so,
Gen. jackson rode along. The first regiment gave
him rousing cheer, to which he responded by
raising his hat-(he has new oneD At the next
Group the same was repeated at the third, again.
Old Stonewall began to get nervous 1t flashed up
on him that be was about to have couple of miles
of that. His pace increased STILL off and on went
the hat At length, he kept his hat off in one
hand-held the bride in the other-put spurs to
his horse, and dashed at full speed through the line
Of our corps Tarmes!
:. As he sped on amid the successive cheers of an
enthusiastic soldiery, he was handsome. His broad
high forehead, piercing eye, and will-strong nose,
with lips that rarely SMILE though almost smiling
then, made splendid picture. He looked the he.
TO that he is. Such sights are rare: jackson. is
hardly popular, in the ordinary sense of the word
with his soldiers, least of all probably with A. p
Hills DIVISION