Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-02
CBt Mlnq9ig 8p2e1I.
fEeoM EyENlNG EDITION or Yesterday
uaT TAILOR SAW AT
mANASAAs.


WHAT BAYARD TAILOR SAW AT
MANASSAS.
The following vivid description Of Manassas,
which we find in the New York Tribune, Is from
the pen of Bsyard Taylor;
The timber rapidly became more scantys much Of it,
in fact. having been fellet since last summer, aud broad,
level fields extended before us seemingly TO the foot Of
me distant mountains. Over tf farthest woods in the
west rose the smokes of newer onhagrstions-tokens Of
ravaqe ana ISOLATION. There vas scsrcely a half hour
during tie day when we aid no notice the kmdhng Of
new fires, many Of them APPARENTLY, not more Than ten
miles distant Over the broad plain lay the sweer, spring
sunshine frogs croaked IN the swamps, and blue birds
sung from the trees the maple trees were busted with
crimson bloom, and the poplar buds were beginning TO
burst. Behind the lower wooded ranges, rose the long
purple line Of the Blue Ridgt- giving q pure, peaceful
background 10 the silent landscape. But how unnatu-
rally still 1t was not the qaiet Of pastoral region, such
as it appeared to the eye, but the unnatural hush and
vacancy Of a land depopu' ated by the pestilenee. On
our night, seated on a wooded knoll, was a hne Old bTcS
mansion we could see the clumps Of box and holly ia
its former garden, but all the Enclosures lad been removed
and the windows and doors were gone, and it stood more
melancholy than any ruin of the olden time.
After we had ridden two or three miles over this plain
following a temporary railroad track, which the rebels
had built FOR the transportation OF supplies 10 the camp
near CenteTvile, 1 began % look out Tor the famous &c
lenses Of the place-the high table land approached by
successive terraces, with their triple line Of embank
nents, the "bastiOns" % Beauregard, and sixty miles Of
rifle pits-the Gibraltar Of the southern newspaPerE-
but the level, open fields continued, with no sign Of r
fortified rise Of land in front. We had not risen more
man Vic nauAAAHA anu utN ANNA ohNhh oN - 0
Run, and that, after the first few hundred yards, by an
almost imperceptible rise. Finally a fort appeared on
the right, and then another on the left, about one and a
quarter mile apart, each advantageously placed on the
summit Of a gentle swell in the place. Ihey were
pierced for eight or ten guns, as nearly as l could see. and
i am informed that there are traces Of heavy siege guns
having been in position. Still further to the left, toward
the east, was a third work, but so distant thai l could not
make out It's character Those, thought ] are the out
works, now we shall see the Gibraltar.
Halt a mile further, through the mud, ]Fplashed the
eager cavalry. Scattered smokes are curling up around
~blaekened e%himneys there are trenches along hn- Of
low mud ramparts, and a little re0an- looking Ike q bro
Ken barrel Now we see a locomotive sheds, remains of
cars, tents, e house or two, snd-best Of a-the stars
aud stripes flying from the highest part Of the camp. /
can scarcely believe my eyes, but Isee TIVE lines of rail-
road striking sway from the western end 81 tho works.
and must admit that this is Manassas Junction.
A hdeous seenel The main buildings, some of which
appear TO have been workshops, are hespHOf ashes. \
Hekening stencil OF burning wool and corn, and nobody
knows what other substances, fills the sir. The track is
Uttered with a mass OF heterogeneous ar1lets-old IN
dershirtg ard packages Of corn starch, wrihHg desks
bowie knives, tin candle moulds, India rubber blankets,
cartridge boxes, bags Of peanuts, love letters, quilts.
lard, horse shoes, with boxes and packages Of every
description, but all m re or less smashed Squads Of
soldiers are turning over these disgusting piles, in the
hope Of finding booty worth taking. Here comes a man
with twenty-fOuT packages Of tobacco, tied toEatherw with
aroDe here another. with a great tin kettle mi Of pea
nuts a third braudishing a bowie knife invach hand
while by far The greater portion are employed in search
ing trunks for daguerreOtypes and love letters
/ have never before in my life beheld such 8 mess
with the exception Of a Chinese pawnbrokers shop in
Shanghai. In one place several tents are hled with suit
lens stores and trunks belonging 20 officers. which have
apparently been left in the haste OF evacuation. There
is something 50 ineEpressibiy nasty in this min that l
hesitafed for awhile to touch an article but 1 finally
selected a large bowie knife, made of a flea United
States car ridge box from Bull Run, and a German silver
soup spoon There are books of all descrptons-medt
cal, religious and military. The lettersaTe mostly loving,
and badly spelled. giving evidence Of nlterate affection.
Some are passes from Beauregard. military documents,
or applications from ofice-seekerE. I am told that a
soldier has found a copy Of the order Of evacuation.
dated since the st Of March, but i cannot get q sight
Of il.
Here comes a white Mansssian, who has survived the
wreck. he seus a straightforward story, and hs man
neris tolersblY frank The rebels, he said, ea1nmeneed
Tetreatlng the first Of last week, saying that they were
going 20 make a stsnd at GOrdonsville. The cemmissaTy
stores, big guns, etc, were sent of by rau, part Of the
troops being also dispatched ia the same way, while 9th
ers marched on the turnpike. The last Of them left Cen
tervlle on Sunday, sad this place on Monday at 2. NJ,
after setting FIRE to everything m Our first
man in Manassas who reached there at s o'clock the
same evening, m advance OF the cavalry, Informs me
that he found the flames at their hight.
Riding down the track toward the redan Of this myth
icsl Sebasiopol, we came upon a mulatto eontraband,
with an unusually bright and intelligent tace. His story
exactly coEfrms that of the first informant The cattle,
he says, were sent first, with one brigade, and ordered to
wait at CulPepper Court House, while the artillery was
forwarded directly 90 GerlonSvile. He Ihinks there
were about sixty thousand soldiers-st least they told
him 50.
"Are yoa not going further north = / asked.
Yes massa but Use got a little interest lers yet"
what sort Of an interest z
"Why an interest, like"
"A family r inquired an officer.
mot exactly dat. masr."
as IL a young LADY,
"Wen-yshl Masr, dats list tp
The generals and staff have mounted the redan, and
are Inspecting the scene. S~quadrons OF cavalry are
dashing about the plain. Ishail not state tine number Of
the troops at present here, nor any other Particulars
which may be construed in giving information to the
enemy. But here ia an item which have just learned,
and which deserves TO pass "A message Rrrived a few
minutes ago from a resident about three milesE0uthwest
Of Manassas stating that the rear guard Of the rebels
were ~plundsiDg and laying waste the eOunty-thath he
could raise twenty OF thirty men 70 attack aud drive OF
the struggling marauders, and wished 10 know if the
general Weud give him permission to do so. of course
the answer vas prompt and satisfactory
A considerable portion Of the winter encaufynent of
the rebels Is Is the east Of the junction, almostiu ahne
with the fortfestions of Ceutervlne. They are very
substantially and comfortably built, and wen probably
not destroyed because there was not sufficient time "a
make the work Of destruction complete. Their may be
other encampmnts farther TO the south, though none are
TO be seen from his point A a rough estimGe, 1 should
judge the greatelt number Of soldiers which Ea quarter
yet discovered would accommodates TO have been less
than fifty THOUSAND
1t is a long way back TO Cenferyile, bysway Of tbs
Bull Run battle field. The sun is getting low, the stink
ing smoke becomes more and more insuier&ie, and I'd,
cavalry hoob tead the mud into deeper and tougher
beds. Rebellion had no euviable quarters during The
winter, and q Curiosity strong enough 20 eonaner disgus
must be my eEcase for lingering in them SO iong.
E-From a gentleman who lives 10 Columbia
Tennessee, and who left there last Friday, ",
learned that the Federals had not crossed Duel
rivar AZ that Mace ON tho Gav hn1aff hut v-ar.