Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-03-28
EVACUATION or CENEERVIALE
AND MANASSAS.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer
HEADQUARTER5 EEBEL ARMY
q

/ rGngsby's House, occupied by Generals smith,
Johnston, and Bssuregsrd
To-day we have rode with Gen Mcclellan and his
statf Manassas Junction aud over the memorable bat
/ lie fields Of July.
/ EVACUATION OF CENTERVILLE AND MANASSAS.
The heavy woods to the left and down toward sanas
have all be en- cut down, thus presenting Just such an
appe rance as we have upon the Virginia side Of the
Potomac near Washington
The Notifications look al q distance formidable ex-
tending from point half mile north OF CenterylIe
away Of the south far the eye reach We
rode up them and found them merely dirt trenches
and sand + ia They have been evidently laid out by
engineer who understood his business but have been con"
sructed by neu who merely wanted % put - he time
Ihsrs has bern single ksaCy mounted IN ttc
Emb have been made and logs Of wood run out
/ ia all Of them. All arranged however, that
field artillery could be used In them The floors
which they could have stood hemlock boards
inch thick and won not have lasted through single
discharge but would have let the guns down into the
some Of those on the left have wicser-work around
the embrasures which has apparently been done by
some old negro basket-maSer Ont"o OF them Wer7 rs~
hides saSed down and sand bags around the ebrasures
but these intended rake stormng party should
we have marched up in front The dtches around them
are nicely arranged 30 that troops could have
marched down and up the sides readily TO make bay
onet charge No timber has ever been placed 10 front TO
obstruct passags the sides dug perpendicular
/ but at 8nge
Five OF these forts command the road to Centeryiie,
/ BY which Mcdowell came in July. They extend over
alne Of mile ani half and are al connected byrihe
pits dug deep enough to allow artillery along
behind them without being ia front, under the pro
racbn Of sand banks from four twelve feet thick
No precauon appears to have been taken to prevent
flank movement in the Of Centervle in any thing
ike such a formidable as the front The ground
! to the north covered with dense woods aud srunted
pfues few dirt banks Ceuterville behind which
artillery could have been sheltered were the only guards
/ on their left.
A piece Of dense woods about a mile aud half from
Ceutervilie, would have afforded protection from
which with siege guns we could have sheed them out
/ in few hours. There we're a few places where they
had masked batteries in this piece Of woods and they
have had regiment in winter quarters here but they
were only on picket and could have easily been driven
to the Centeryine forts.
In the resr of Centeryie cavalry camp, and the
only shelter for the horses cedar trees, which
had been planted 10 protect them from the cold bleak
I winds that whistlng down from the Bull Rul
mountains How effective it be Judged from the
fact that field but half mile to the rear lie the
carcasses Of hundred horses some Of them very
tine 0nes while further down inuu0erable horse
graye-yards but Of them have been buried Over
head immense drove OF yultures were lowering, and
the bnzzards evidently anticipating rcb feast,
! and appeared TO be angry at the delay.
To the left Of Ceutervil a large number Of fine
cabins made Of logs pasered with mud and rofsd with
rough shDges they were in regular and none had
been burned. The grounds around them were quite
clean and should judge that these had been evacua-
ted by she troops who went home furOughtO reeu-
{ lst-nOne Of whom returned. These huts better
made than those Of our own on the Potomac and are
now iiled by our own troops who are highly delighted
! with them
lioe # railroad has been bullt in nearly direct line
from Manassas Junction 20 Centervile, crossing Bull
Run BsckbuFns Ford Il has been built righ along
the top Of the ground ard contains pretty sharp
curves and heavy grsdes The only bridge on IT, which
is the one Blackburn Ford, and which merely
/ frame tres,lework fred and burnt The traca
MAINS however hut il is in d aDdaed condition. The
crosses twice the usual length apart. and LAID in the
( sand ana swamp without any ballast Three OF four
cars Of the '' NJ S. railroad broken up aud over
turned by the side of the track No eft On it
here, and the last traia passed over on Sunday at
noon
The telegraph Office here was connected by single
wire with the South and the poles bear evidence OF is
/ having at time been extended 10 Fairfax Court
House. The wire and ins1lat ons are now a gone ana
nothing r5nans to tell the tale but the bare poles
The wagon road 90 Manassas has been put in good con-
di-iou by the plentiful use Of enSs and logs ihrougn
the urst piece Of woods after leaving Centrryie u
piece If corduroy road which is in terrible condition
The bodies Of half dozen horses who had broken their
legs were scattered along the side testimony against
[ these wretchgd Inventions.
The road is now in good condition az it viii be at
aly tine for months it has been wd-ned for teams 10
pass 20 abreast The turnpike read to War
reton Is ia ine condition a. il ever wasi the helds
are n good order Tor moving aTeFy ad lne 7de foaos
or those OF 0a lttle use ar7 very sooL t1s i1us arc
al good after leave the old line around W Arlington
] and have been so for some time,
About noon Gems Mcclellan and McDo"eh with
their stafs and thousand cavalry for an escort
came up and took the road 10 Manassas fell IN with
rber and followed on down to Manassas An along to
tie left Of the road continuous string 0i nuts
tents and fort all empty no"-ilot hansn being OF
animal showed themselvesuor sound save tae catteg
Of the ho-es h0os hs sr tones Of the bugles OF the
loud orders of the officer
I AZ blackburn Ford we saw The old battlefield Of
t H
forces and bad been udded with shot ana shell, mas
beeu repaired II here Bsaursgard 77as di'g and
made such marrow escape al the time The tree tops
bear thu evidence Of the way shot ana he6N ArGuuu
Large limbs were cut of and tops twisted m hun
dred directions though struck by lightning The
woods fu ,yrrh e New York 9TH The Isl and ID Mich
igau aud the MASSACHUSETTS, st went down. has 81 been
! cut away and we can now where the rebels had
their artillery. upon the bank Of Ban Run, behind g.
! ureas-wosb of logs and dFt
Fhe Washin.tSn Artillery Of New Orleans and three
South Car1laa regiments have been encsmped near the
tatir House for winter but started away some time
Fa-o TIA tf tgry left quantity Of harness etc None
( of-HiM tents wers destroyed Further down the
tents of a whole division AL pitched, though the oe
cuDBnfs had gone hone to recruit and reeus but had
The psias Vi Manassas are really what their name i'm
plies The tine Das yTheu there were objects which OBJ
siructd toe range Of vision but they s gone now
Z for ui ed around We have an uubr0Heu view On the
hills around the camps Still left and column Of
smoke away Oh fhe Eight Indicated tina! Manassas
Z on hre. Our cavalry had gone there during Monday
night aud fGuni the Of the enemy still there; Dut
they dring the remaining property. captain, by
whose sie rode told us Of plies Of new secesh clothes
swords flags etc gaiopng shead Of the restwe reach
/ ed the Junction
The sight here cannot be portrayed the large machine
shops the saton-houses the c0muissary and qusrter
storehouses alt in ashes On the track stood the
wree> Of % locomotive and far down the remains of
four freight which had been burned to the sht
tive hundred barrels of -four had been stove IN and two
hundred barrels of vinegar and m0ssss had been allow
ed 70 try experiments in chemical combinations Some
T barrels Of pork and beef had been scattered aonnd
in the mud, aud d few hundred yards down the track
dense cloud OF smoke arising rom She remains of
factory which had been used for rendering up taow and
boiling bones About Thousand good hides were
stretched in field close by upon stakes and remained
uni jared-
a car upon the track which Ceuterville short
distance up had 1t the whole effects Of printing
Office types cases all that is needed IN an office large
lot of paper and Washington press. The forms had IN
them blanks for muster rolls and furloughs The car
will be great prize for the regiment into whose hands
! It falls An infantry regiment soon fane in and COM
m ncsd 70 rgusack the tents and remaining stores for
plunder aud relics but the printing office remained un
touched
Tie rebels it seems have been going for week in
fact, for month returned who went away lie
that there about forty housend weHt con the
railroad Friday Saturday, Sunday md Monday.
This with the sixteen regiments of artillery snd cavalry
from Centervile, would maze army Of htysE thou
cad for he last fk This ststernent taes with every
thing we have been able to learn from different
The well conducted, in quiet way, until
Monday, at noon, when the rear guard became psnie
stricken and lied confusion The railroad bridge be-
! low Manassas fred about noon by mistake and
when those remaining earned Of H. the last remaining
engine which coal have taken the best Of the stores
was blown up aud the fred Then they scattered
every himself aud in the panic but part OF the
buildings fired, and bat part Of TIE tents; among
The left dozen caissons-the horses belonging
them having died therefore they could not take the
guns y the common road
TIE CRESCENT BLUES.
Posted door Of log house, WHERE everything had
been abandoned in confusion, the following notice
10 he Gsat7ee ~ Of ss North tis Champions Of Free
dan
We abandon these quarters you, ezpec1g return
in o month two. Assure yourselves they not
gift merely lent with the Seriptura Injunction,
Occupy till come
we fea constrained to barn our wearing apparel with
the exception Of what IS W be- found egaces0ur beds