The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1862-01-17
A Gala Day In tho Rebel Army at Centre
Vile.

A Gala Day In tho Rebel Army 1t Centre
willie.
Battle FIsAGs-- GEN. VAN D0RN-THE BLEs'
SING OF THE BANNERs-A GRAND REVIEW.
SPEECHES BY COL. JORDAN, BEAuREGATD
AND THE C0L0NELs-J0HNsToN AND BEAU
RE0ARD. 60.
From the Richmond Enquirer.
The brilliant military display Of yester-
terday, shope out 10 stirring contrast against
the leaden 'colored sky, which had overbung
the camps near Centreville for several con.
secutiye days. Tis seldom we have gala
day. Camp life, in the al my Of the Poto-
mac, is without romance and one gets so
used to 6 sreveille," "roll calls and tat
too" that field day, such as that l wit
messed on Monday, was the next best thing
to fight. The ceremony was novel one;
arms were FURNISHED, guns polished and
caissons subjected to scrupulous scrub
bipg. Generals with stars" on richly
caparisonsd horses, galloped from point to
point, and as the hour grew near, column
after column could be seen crossing Nc
Leans Ford, on Bull run, and wheeling
into line in the Old Fields, = on the south.
west side ,.,+s,e,- ,, s.,,.. ..-sy Il. .
Riding over, soon after breakfast, to Gem
eral Van Dorn's quarters, met for the
first time this youthful looking field marshal.
The General is rather under. sized, of q spare
frame, erect and graceful in bis movements !;
his mustache is long but light ;aotherwise he
is closely sbaven, which is one cause Of bis
youthful appearance. His uniform was
gray tunic, with buff collar and cuffs, heavy
gold brsiding on the sleeves, and three stars
On each side of the collar, the one in the
centre the largest, az he drew on his buck>
skin gauntlets, I caught sight of q cross
embroidered thereon, in scarlet silk an an-
CENT symbol of rank. Business despatched,
l took leave, mounted my horse, and joined
in the general movement towards the rem
dezvous, where the strange ceremony was
to be solemnized of presenting battle flags
to dozen regiments. Think of England
preparing for battle without the Red
Gross OF st. George" or France subtituting
any standard for the Tricolor, and then
judge how singular the making up of a new
fay to take the place OF the one recently
adopted by oar Congress. Ask the reason
of this inconsistency have it in the
language of General Beauregard, who re.
Gently stated that " be never wished to see
the Stars and Bars on another battle field"
The General is right 10 he wants to know,
by the colors, what column approaches !;
and this, it may be added, is next to impos.
sible, with the Confederate and United
States flags SO similar in design and color
!cAt twelve o'clock salute Of fifteen guns
announced the arrival of the generals. The
division line bad been formed, and extended
for nearly half a mile--Benham's South
Carolina brigade on the right, Rhodes in
the centre, and Early's on the LETT. Kem-
per's battery was near this point on the hill
side. First in order was the res Jew. Cen
eral Johnston, General Beanregard, and
General Van Dorm, with their ,Adjutants,
70 e abreast, followed by numerous and
splendid staff. In this order they passed up
and down the line, the band playing spirit.
ed airs. On arriving at the right of tie
division, General Van Dorm assumed COM
mand, and at once prepared to march in
review in front of the generals, who had
taken up commanding position near the
! centre. The column in motion presented an
imposing display--the ground was rolling,
! and as the solid mass Of bayonets would
glisten above the hilltop, the scene was re-
ally. very inspiring. 0 After passing, each
brigade closed column in mass, and formed
three sides Of square, the open space be-
ing occupied by the general and their cor
tege. An impromptu stand was soon fur
nished by q caieson from Kemper's battery,
from which the Rev. r. Smulders, the
Catholic chaplain of one Of the Louisiana
regiments, took his stand, and in a fervent
| manner blessed the banner " with the South.
ern cross" and afterwards addressed the
troops. During this impressive ceremony,
every head was uncovered and every voice
hushed. aat 4rjalas E
Colonel Jordan, Adjutant General of the
First corps of the Army Of the Potomac,
thea rode forward and made an appropriate
address, accompanied by Generals Johns
ton, Van Dorm and their stats. General
Beauregard then dismounted, and advance
lug to the centre of the square, was met by
the Colonies of the several regiments and in
heartfelt utterance delivered to each it's sa.
cred trust. all of the officers on receiving
the "Southern Cross" made their acknowl
edgments in patriotic pledges to do their
duty. The bands then played the familiar
air from the opera of +" Puritani, to which
music some soul-stirring lines, suggestive
of the rescue of Maryland, had been written
by j. r. Randall, q young poet of New Or
leans, whose fugitive verses have already
attracted much attention. Printed copies
of these verses were distributed among the
several regiments The parade was then
dismissed, and large party accompanied
General Van Dorm to his quarters, where,
around his hospitable board, the dangers of
the field were forgotten for time, giving
place to " the feast of reason and the flow of
SOUL"
Altogether it was one of the most i'm
posiog military spectacles l have ever SEEN.
] have spoken of Gen. Van Dorn's personal
appearance, and this reminds me that
whenever see Gen. Beauregard, who, by
the way. is gettinga q little frosted, am
struck with, bis look, as OF one thinking
over some matter Of moment be has not
less of the military air, however, although
be does not look SO entirely military as Gen.
Joe ,JOhnstOn 1 noticed the latter narti.