Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-11
MANASSAS.
A visit TO the Bull Run FieId--Seenes
and Sketches of b COnfIet-A Gre
constructed BebeI--The Monument
The Surrounding Landscape.

The Surrounding Landscape.
Especial Correspondence of the Cleveland LEADER. !
MANASSAS, November, 1865.
Awaiting myself of the facilities of
transit afforded by the Orange and Alex
andria railroad, now in good running order,
l found myself, in company with a couple
Of good pedestrian friends, after a little
more than one hours ride, atthis historical
town of Manassas imposing name on
paper and in story, but not so much so to
inspection. The original town stood near
the present one and contained some two
or three hundred people, but Beauregard
burned it in March of 1862. When he
evacuated the locality, all that he left of it
was the blackened chimneys that resisted
the consuming element and stood alone,
when the fires died out. The present town
is a few hundred yards west of the old one
on the line of the railroad, and at present
consists of ten buildings, none of them 1
should judge fully completed. Two of
them are hotels. One is a stone, four are
dwelling houses Zone not yet occupied)
and two are barns. In one of the hotels
are to be two stores. This hotel is being
rapidly completed by the proprietor Oliver
P. Chappell, one of the pioneers of the
town, a go-ahead Northern man and lately
a Captain in the 18th Regiment New Jer-
sey Volunteers. The town is on the most
elevated ground in the neighborhood over
looking the country all around for some
miles. Here are sundry small earth work
forts and the range of rife-pits made and
occupied by our forces after the rebels left.
The fencing as far as the eve can see is
gone, and this distance looks desOlate in
deed.
The Bull Run battle ground, the real
object of our visit here, is seven miles
away. For this point our pedestrian trio
started from Manassas early in the morn
ing of October 22d, the first really frosty
morning of the season, with haversacks
on, and well filed with provisions. On
our course westward, for the first mile or
more, the scattering timber had all been
slashed by our forces, so that if the at
tempt was made to drive them away from
Manassas the Union bullets could be sent
straight to rebel hearts.
Along the road, on either side; some
little distance from it, are still standing
the shanties used for the rebel winter
quarters. Some of them are covered with
shingles, and must have been quite COM
Portable.
The monument which commentaries
the valor of our many fallen heroes of the
first battle we found on the eass side of the
field, just where we came upon it, and
where the battle ended, or where our
forces began to fall back.
About half a mile north of the monu-
ment lives an old colored man on a farm
of his own of 100 acres, named James
Robinson, who gave US a very intelli- |
gent account of the battle which RACED
all about his house as the bullets, cannon |
shot and shell marks on the trees about il |
gave abundant evidence. A shell struck
one tree before the door, exploded, and
killed a South Carolina officer, who fell
partly in the stoop Of the house. One can
non shot passed through one corner of his
house. The trees about it are covered
with names cut upon them by the soldiers
of both armies. He is keeping an old CRATE
which a Philadelphia surgeon, named
Reed, used as his bed, whilst he was at
tending upon the wounded at his house.
This house was General Seigels head
quarters at the SECOND fight.
The first Bull Run fight began at the
Bull Run stone bridge, about half a mile
north OF the eolored mans house, by a
brisk ~cannonading of the rebel position by
our artillery, which seems to haye been
merely a blind for our army to cross the
stream, Ia sluggish but not deep one, about
two rods wide, but with a steep rocky
bank on one side or the other) two miles
above and west, at Sudley's Mills. Our
after crossing, marched about a
nile in a southeasterly direction, through
/ strip of thick, low, and as it seemed sec
md growth of timber, and as it emerged
he rebels discovered it. and Mcdowell at :
began to plant his cannon. We
back the rebel hordes, up the val :
eys, over the elevations, and across the !
for some three miles upon the high 4
round where the monument is erected, q
nd here the battle was terrible, and here !
.ohnson's fresh forces permitted by the y
raitorous Patterson TO march unObstructed !
0 the reinforcement of Beauregard) came !
from Manassas and turned the tide of Il
attic against the army of the Union. 7
Just as we were approaching the Bull Il
bridge we met a couple of country Z
len, young mem with a characteristic .
am and wagon. We hailed them to in p
uire if the bridge ahead was Bull Run a
one bridge. One replied eyes" ais .
us where the fight took place" 1 asked ? 81
Yes said he, "here is whar we drove II
lie Yanks' with as much enthusiasm as if u
e were then again in the midst of the ~
bel success. Here is where you drove "
e Yanks did your "Yes; !" and point IN
g way to the northward, "and over 81
is whar the black-horse cavalry d ;,
me down on EN-" "And you were in "
Bull Run fight, were you ~ "Yes, Pl
lost my leg" "Here 2" "No, in a
at Manassa." Here the crude
ecimen of chivalry began to bethink IT,
mself that he might not be talking to 70
uthern men and he asked, "Whar are De
III FROM" l answered with the ambig-
indefinite, words: "From below
d he drove on with his fears and rising of
lrms, apparently quieted. ps
To come lack again: The monun emit in
s been erected IN the highest ground in its
vicinity. 1t stands on a sloping arti- ex
ial mound about four feet high and an
enty-fve feet square. 1t is a piece of be
asOnry about twenty feet high. The be
in pyramidal form, three steps high, sta
E bottom n being perhaps ten feet We
lare. On this base rises the square ia
ring column of stone-work, about fifteen do
t high, surmounted by an eight inch co,
meal shell. At each corner of the base an
Il small pedestal, or vase, with a shell to
,wning each. On the east side of the in
column is this inscription: hi,
Erected pr
June 10th, 1865. st
the west of it is this: fro
IN MEMORY %
OF THE ~
PATRIOTS WHO FELL "a,
BULL RUN, JULY 2lsT, 1861. IN
This elevated ground, where the monu- iiv
mt is erected, is the most slightly one in Ia
locality. To the west, seemingly but a the
rt distance, but really fifteen miles one
ay, bathed in the beautiful sun cas-
is the range of high 1t
und, clad in forest trees, known as mn
Bull Run mountains. Between the tuo
erver and these mountains, and in all ,
actions except, perhaps, to the South can
I'd, there is an enrapturing view of Lob.