Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-06-12
BULL RI n .
Dedication Of NJ enume nts-lnter esting Ex.



ercISes.
On yesterday an extra train left Washington
for Bull Run, for the purpose of enabling q
large number of invited persons to attend the
ceremonies Of dedicating two mon ume nts erect
ed by the troops Of General Gamble, on the
first and second Bull Run battle fields The
train left the depot on Maryland avenue, about
six q. m. with considerable number of pas.
sengers, including Major Gems. Heintzlemau,
Meigs, Wilcox and Parke, Brig. Gems Benham
and Hall, Prof Henry, Judge DIN, ]. NJ Brod.
head, OF the Treasury, and several ladies' At
ALEXANDRIA number OF other cars 1Iled with
passengers, General Slough among them, were
attached to the train.
At Fairfax Station the party was met by
General Gamble and Staff, who attended in
person TO the transfer OF the visitors from the
cars TO ambuiances provided or the occasion,
ample provisions having been made for a
much larger party. About fifty ambulances
were filled, and the train with an escor. moved
on through Fairfax Court House and Centre
Vile to the battle field eighteen miles distant
reaching i's destination about IL O'Clock
The country through which the excursion.
lists passed siin bears the sad marks of war-
notwithstanding the luxuriant growth of veg.
taton which seems striving to hide the scars
and unsightly wrecks made in the last four
years. From Alexandria to the battle field is
one wide area OF desolatIon Fences are ut.
terly swept away. Here and there a dilapi.
inmates.
snd occasionally a small patch of wheat or
corn is passed, but the whole face of the conn
try is changed and lays a wide waste of
oreariness most saddening to visit. Scrub OAK
ana pine are sprin giHg up everywhere, and
from every eminence the eye com mands a wide
area OF unvaried foliage. A few decrepIt
main OF the once pleasant village Of Fairfax
Court House. The old fashioned Court House
itself is half ruined, its root going to decay and
its walls pierced for rifiemen, threatening at
NO distant day to fall in the general ruin The
hotels are but novels, the groves Of shade trees
and the gravel walks are forgotten, and broken
alone mark the site Of the churches A dozen,
perhaps, OF It's former male population re-.
main Their homes ruined, their families beg.
CARED, and themselves thoroughly humbled
one cannot well avoid an expression OF SYM
patty in their misfortune, utterly wasted
though the sentiment may be
CentreyiIle Is even more Of a desert. Once
a village OF rare beauty, perched upon the gem
tie slope OF the high ridge and commanding a
view OF fertile vailies for many Lciles, war
swept II as with the bosom Of destruction, and
I ne ruins lie about In vested with all the sad.
oenlrg influences Of perfect desolation. The
curse that blasted the ancient cities seems TO
oeis among the crumblipg walls and heaps Of
I uooasa with feeling as II the prophecies Of
trseIuns a.,s'ament were yet working out their
The roads are characterized by all the,hor
rors OF q baroaric period. The pike paved with
.sh hn .Wav me sand and gravel have
m q ~ in
able highway of suffering, Whl,s ,ha e M Lii
filled with stumps and pit-hoies aGoet ~ . we,
less terror to the traveller. In some is.,
becomes necessaryte abandon the vehi ,ie wesoh
and reels over the rockf, threatsuinn I ~
1ois ole ces, while the passenger =, -
snake " "e on foot with nervous apprsA
tns i way ai1 ;s -sfety OF their con veyance.
h nens.1n Tor me me IN, Of holes, span the
creeks. across Which it >. far preferable -. ~
walk than ride, and In the hoilows, seemingly
bottomless depths of sttexe CLAW snS"if the
wheels.
ercnrsior.e the obstacles overcome by the
,o< .sts: not, however, without the loss
. lew ambulances on the road. the exnaus.
.,on OF horses, ar sundry maledictons. Inc
vicinity OF Bull Run would scarcely be reeog-
nized as battle field. Four years have obiit.
erateti nearly all the marks OF the struggle
and the relic hunter only now and then nads
An the grass o memento OF the event. very
few shot snd shell remain upon tho surface,
the trees are hiding the blotches on their trunks
nads by bullets, and the only bones that are
found, with few exceptions, are those OF horses
which visitors rave not invested with suit.
ficient importance to carry Thorn away. Some
Of the fences have been rebuilt aud corn Is
planted in many places. while the rapidly
Growing bushes hide nearly all OF the original
features Of the field The battle field Of Grove.
ron. two miles beyond, towards Warrenton. il
more distinctly marked with traces Of battle
Hare the sh ct and shell are tnickly sire WI, the
Eees ave eppntered, and in many places the