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 headlong speed; those in front
stopped, those in rear closed up; the
lines were dressed as straight as an
arrow, with the battle-hags ripping
as they moved cheers rcsounded, and
the regiments entered Tie woods, from
which rose the long, continnous crash
Of muskctry, as the opposing lines
came together.
That was late in the evening, and
the Federal forces never made an
other charge. On the'contrary, the
Confederate lines cyel whore ad-
vanced
Longstreet swept steadily round,
closing in, with bis 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 Copfed-
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 Centreville, whence he speed
ily 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 it possesses an in
tcrest Of its own. a strange character
separating it from almost all other
conflicts. Few events in the annals
Of war exceed it in that singularly
dramatic character which the locality
gave il. 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 bad
changed sides. Hunter had fought
Evens aud Bee with his back to Sud
ley; it was jackson now who held
that position. Johnston and Beaurc-
gard had assailed in old days from the
direction OF Manassas; 1t was now
Pop6who had his base thore-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 speal,
for himself. Before him lies a leai
with these lines in pencil--written on
the night of the battle: "Strange
passing strangel Yonder mile ol
two away, is the ground where Evans
commenced the battle of the 2Ist.
A dispatch, just arrived, says Jackson
is at the Stone House'-we sleep upor
the soil bathed year ago in Southern
blood"
Batteries were planted and cap
tured yesterday" said wri tel, ,"wher,
they were planted and captured last
year" The pine thicket, where tn,
Fourth Alabama and Eighth Georgia
suffered SO terribly in the first battle
is now strewn with the slain of the
invader. We charged through the
same woods yesterday, though from .
different point, where Kirby Smith
the Blucher OF the day, entered the
fighs before"
Thus, this bloody action had come
to add additional shadows TO the al
ready wierd and sombre fields of Ma
nassas. Again the Federal power wa:
broken; a second time the banks Of
this stream, once so insignificant, were
baptized with the Hood of battle.
There are spots on the worlds sur
face over which seem to lower huge
shadowy figures, uttcring 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
ofnature Manassas and Cold Harbor
are among these places, and there
hover double troop of sombre sha-
dows for here men have twice met
in mortal grapple-here the graves
are double in number; so thick arc
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, aud the sunshine itself seems
sad
These spots, with Gettysburg, are
the three Golgolhas OF the Western
World.
any dear Amelia said a dandy,
al have LONG wished for this onDortu.