The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-24
rrRox ouR OWN CORRESPONDENCE

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE
MANASSAS, VA, May s.
Could one of Bonham's men stop to-day on
the plains of Manassas, he would not recognize
the old site of Camp Pickens, nor the old base
of supplies of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Wonderful changes have occurred in the ap-
pearance of this region during the past decade;
metamorphoses without parallel in American
history. traveller, just before the war,
speaks Of the town as consisting OF low
wooden depot, a dingy saloon, and half
dozen of houses, on broad and monotonous
plain. When General Bonham came up this way
in 1861, he saw the strategic value OF the juno
tion OF the railroads, and rested here with his
three South Carolina regiments, while the
flames of Secession were cracking all over the
South, and thousands after thousands OF re-
cruits came flocking into the nucleus-point OF
Camp Pickens. Men came out from frightened
Washington, three hundred at one time, toJoin
the gathering army, until finally the Pal
metto flag was exchanged for the standard Oh
the Confederacy,o or carried side by side with 1t,
just as the opposing Pine-tree flag Of Massa-
chusetts was borne with the other standard.
There was great population suddenly trans
ferred to these quiet fields, from city and ham
let and farmhouse of the South, sternly and
patiently preparing for coming DAY, now
soon none could know, when the dread arbl-
tration of war would decide their cause. When
that day came, it was an exciting one in the
new city of canvas. Its guards and garrison
Joined the columns retiring from Centreville,
on the banks of Bull Run, and all through that
long, hot Sabbath Of midsummer the roar of
cannon and the crash of musketry rolled
across the plains to the ears of the provost
men, and the number Of wounded came pour
lag thicker and faster from the field, until oil
accommodations were full. Then came that
fearful moment when three or tour shattered
regiments came drifting through the fields and
roads in great cloud of fugitives, broken and
disheartened, probable precursor Of general
route. A train stopped far above the Junction
Elzey's men pour out Of it-form, and sweep
across the fields; and the rout is stayed, the
tables are turned, and old Camp Plckens, reor--
ganizlng it's wearied fugitives, breaks into
cheering and triumphal salvos from captured
guns.
For eight months thereafter the depot of
supplies for the army, great forts grew up about
it, AID miles ofredoubts and redans defended
its outposts at Centerville and Fairfax. One
or two ofthese deld-works were garrisoned by
that jaunty corps Of naval artillery, not a few
of whose members were from Charleston and
Savannah These horse marines and 'sea fenci:
bles" we're so handy with the big guns, as to
command the admiration Of the army-and 1t
would have Jared ill with storming party
who sHould have tried conclusions with these
soldiet tars. But Manassas was demurely
evacuated without trial Of arms, and served
for long after as depot for the magniloquent
Pope-not as his headquarters, of course, for
we all remember that that was sin the
saddle.n He was the gentleman who proposed
to walk right through Virginia, without being
encumbered with "lines of retreat and bases
of supply" SO General Jackson. doubling
Thomas that he was, swung in behind him at
Manassas, and found as fine and costly a base
of supplies as the Southern torch had ever
dissipated. Meanwhile, there was merry
little stampede here by the horses OF Penn
sylvania cavalry regiment, who persisted in
carrying their six hundred riders away into
the Washington Notifications. Sagacious
horses happy masters! Then two Ohio infan-
try regiments, at Union Mills, thought
they would SO up to the junction and investi-
gate little. General Stuart persuaded them
to mako short stay and speedy exit. A day
or two after, the First, Second, Third and
Fourth regiments of New Jersey thought that
they would show the Americans, Federal and
Confederate, what foreign troops could do. So
they started from Alexandria to find out what
was up at Manassas; but they stopped at
Burke's Station, and in a few minutes became
sadder and wiser Jerseymen, under the iron
admonitions of the Confederate fanking COL
umn there awaiting them. The brigade was
''cut to pieces" as the official report has it, but
most of the "pieces" reached Alexandria, pull
ing the biggest kind of a raw-head-and-bloody-
bones panic after them. Meantime the Army
of the Potomac was being beaten in detail;
Rickett marched into Manassas with his ragged
veterans ofthe Cedar Mountain stampede, and
united with King, who had just been thrashed
at Bull Run-massing the two bewildered
divisions over the track, and resting on their
arms. The next day King formed line again,
and at sunset moved down into the battle,
only to see his weary and disheartened men
broken, after short struggle, and in full re-
treat over the fields. The great incohesive
and disjointed army gave back that night, and
the plains aud valleys settled into quietude
once more.
During this complication of combats Manas-
sas reached her lowest ebb OF misfortune. 1t
was broad scene Of smouldering destruction
and desolation. Dead horses lay thickly where
the cavalry and light batteries had been en-
gaged-half fburied corpses emitted horrid and
pestilential efluvia, shattered wagons and the
wreck of retreat strewed the roads, and the
only edifce visible was rude little telegraph
shanty, close by the track, whose rails were
torn up or bent into all shapes by the great
trains burning upon them.