Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-01-07


carpets, arms, ammunitions, provisions.
&c. Turkey carpets were found scatter
cd in all directions. Those confederate
Generals held the Weir house, and the
house OH my farm for n long time. hold
ing councils of war here-Jeff Davis, a.
III. Stevens, Tocmbs, Benjamin. and other
leaders of The rebellion came up here TO
confer with them.--Stevens stopped with
Mr.. Butler, on my farm, two months.
while the army was here he told Beau
regard, johnson and others, while at this
house, repeatedly, that "they should fail
in their attempt 10 secede; it was only a
question of time and they would find it to
be So"
Before the confederate army left. the
residents finding that they could not live
here, ovcr-run by SO large an army. and
fearing that their slaves would escape to
the Union lines, hand -cuffed them and
took what personal property they had left,
and in body started South, Sunday was
The day fixed for their departure; bu, Mr..
Buffers slave, Anthony Bolts, and wife,
conceived the idea Of an escape through
their picket lines to the Union army,
some twenty miles north of here. This
colored man, Bolts. was Mr.. Buffers
foreman among his slavcs-he is now
residing on my farm, have let him n
portion of the same, for the next season.
They with nine others, making eleven, all
slaves, on Saturday eve before thew were
TO be hand-cnhrcd and driven south the
next day, armed themselves rs best they
could, calculating to fight unto death, or
escape; the rebel picketS lay within a
mile of this point, and in the darkness
OF the night, they quietly, unobserved,
passed within stones throw OF them.
They went through fields and woods,
crossing bogs and streams. all night they
toilcd on. keeping west of the railroad,
and having that to guide them. at the
dawn of day they were ordered to halt,
by Union picket, and to give an account
of themselves. They soon learned that
they had struck the Union lines, near
Burkc's Station, which is not far from
Alexandria.
Soon after this. the Union army got
possession of this town. and their Gencr-
ais took possession Of the Butler and Weir
houses. and made their headquarters
here: To overcome the mud, and TO get
up our heavy trains from Ccntcryille. the
army built through my farm, and on
towards Centcrville \ Corduroy road {;
they also, ut one time, built just west OF
me and through the Weir farm, TO Bull
Run and TO Ccntervillc temporary rail-
road. while Gen. Mcdowell WAS con-
fined ut this Weir house by injuries re-
ccivcd from being thrown from his horse.
Al the time this railroad was in operation
President Lincoln came TO Manassas, and
thence by this army railroad, to see Nc
Dpwell; he came alone, walking a short
distance from the road 20 the Generals
headquarters the army did not know OF
his presence until he had gone.
The barn and out. buildings on my farm
were used and filled with army stores !;
when the Union army was compelled to
cvacuate hastily this town. they burned
all the buildings aud supplies on this farm
to prevent their falling into the rebel
hands but the time came when they were
driven out, and the Union army were
here again in larger force than before {;
they wintcred here. and one can hardly
calculate the destruction Of property,
where an army OF hundred thousand
men camp. Through Fairfax, Prince
William. Fanquier, Culpepper, Orange.
SpotSylvania and Louisa Counties. they
cut down all the woods. and took the
fences for tents, fires, and for army roads
in the line of their march. from one, to
five miles wide. have examined the
destruction Of the forest, orchards fences,
aud buildings, in the Counties Aforesaid.
There were only two houses left in sight
of here at the close of the Wharf.-The in
habitauts here were completely cleared
Out,-some OF them SAY that they were rs
much damaged by their own army, rs
they were by the Union, their destruc-
ton was as complete is was the Jews At
Jcrusalcm-their houses were burned or
pulled down, and their foundation stones
were taken for chimneys or TO build
bridges. so that there was not one stone
left upon another; the foundation Of the
large house where mine stands, also that
Of another house on this farm one halt
mile distance, were taken, to the last
stone, and carried so far away, that Mr..
Butler says, in building this new house,
he was unable to find 4 single one of
them,-thcre was not stick of fence, 4
stick of timber, a board, or scarcely tree
left, on this whole farm. The grass was
completely trod, cut, and worn out, so
that scarcely green blade could be seen,
nothing but the naked soil was leit,-thc
destruction was SO complete. that his wife
who was born and always lived on this
farm, did not know the place until she
found the spring, which they could not
destroy. But there were left on this farm,
scattered all over the same, lots of army
relics, cords of old shoes, boots, straps,
parts Of harnesses,-iron of all desc rip
tons, gun barrels. Jocks, bayonets, swords,