Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-05-09

presented a spectacle Of apparent dis
organization, which would have made
an European officer trcmble. Then
suddenly all changed. As the men
drew near the enemy, they checked
their hcadlong speedj those in front
stopped, those in rear closed up; the
lines were dressed as straight as an
arrow, with the battle-fags ripping
as they moved cheers resounded and
the regiments entered the woods, from
which rose the long, continuous crash
Of musketry, as the opposing lines
came together
That was late in tho evening, and
the Federal forces never made an
other charge. On the'cortrary, the
Confederate lines cy@ vhcrc ad-
vanced.
Longstrect swept steadily round
closing in, with his inexorable grasp,
upon the enemy's left, toward the
Henry House Hill Jackson's whole
command advanced Night descend
ed upon last infuriated grapple of
infantry, clash of cavalry, and duel of
artillery, amid which it was easy 10
distinguish those tumultuous Confcd-
crate cheers, whose resounding echoes
had on many battle-felds announced
the hard-won victory.
General Pope was defeated his
cannon glared in the dark from the
Henry House Hill, and near the Old
Stone House; then night swallowed
the great scene Of wounds and death.
General Pope retreated in the dark
ness to Ccntreville, whence he speed
lily continued his withdrawal to Wash
ington.
This was Saturday. II was on Mon
day that Gen. Mcclellan telegraphed
from Alexandria:
"This week is the crisis Of our
fate"
Such was the great Second Battle
Of Manassas" and il possesses an in
terest Of its own. a strange character
separating it from almost all other
conflicts. Few events in the annals
of war exceed il in that singularly
dramatic character which the locality
gave it, In judy, 1861, Jackson's bri-
gade had here decided the issue of a
great battle. Now, in August, 1862,
the same commander had grappled
with the old adversary, upon almost
the very same ground-almost, but
not quite, for the opponents had
changed sides. Hunter had fought
Evens aud Bee with his back to Sud
ley; it was Jackson now who held
that position. Johnston and Beaure-
gard had assailed in old days from the
direction Of Manassas; il was now
Popewho had his base thure-a shift
ing base, soon 10 be transferred, as
we have seen, to Alexandria.
And all those old familiar objects
made a singular impression upon the
minds Of the soldiers-at least, the
writer, who saw the fight, can speak
for himself Before him lies leaf
with these lines in pencil-written on
the night Of the battle: strange.
passing strange Yonder, a mile or
two away, is the ground where Evans
the battle Of the 2lst.'
A dispatch, just arrived, says jackson
is at the Stone House sleep upon
the soil bathcd year ago in Southern
blood"
BATTERIES were planted and cap
tured yesterday" said wri ter, "whero
they were planted and captured last
year. The pine thicket, where The
Fourth Alabama and Eighth Georgia
suffered 50 terribly in the first battle,
is now strewn with the slain of the
invader. We charged through the
same woods yesterday, though from a
different point, where Kirby Smith,
the Bluchor OF the day, entered the
fghs before"
Thus, this bloody action had come
to add additional shadows 10 the al
ready wierd and sombro fields of Ma
nassas. Again the Federal power was
broken; a second time the banks of
this stream, once so insignificant, were
with the b lood of battle
There are spots on the worlds sur
face over which seem to lower huge,
figures, uttoring lugubrious
groans, which the winds bear away,
and pointing, with distended eyes, and
arms in sable drapery, TO the yawning
graves which curse the beautiful face
of nature Manassas and Cold Harbor
are among these places, and there
hover double troop Of sombre sha-
dowsj for here men have twice met
in mortal grapple-hero the graves
are double in number; so thick are
they, that you tread on them.
You tread on few flowers; hear the
sigh of the wind in the leaves of few
trees; rarely the birds Of spring sing
here, and the sunshine itself seems
sad
These spots, with Gettysburg, are
The three Golgolhas OF the Western
World
any dear Amelia said dandy.
II have long wished for this opportu |