The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-07-30

\ under the arch OF the trees, and in the
current drew PUNCHES of duck-weeds,
'blne stalked flags, and other aquatic
leaves, the appearance of which indi-
Gated snakes beneath them. We made
another long detour on the other side,
and came TO q pair OF bars which
again admitted It's TO the turn
pike, and here We made inqui-
ries at the Won Belt House, and then
retraced, over the track taken by "
I ler's division, to fhe celebrated stone
bridge. The turnpike was grown up
into long green grass, and before we got
/ to the bridge we saw a snake wriggle
off before the horses hoofs. Close by
the bridge we took the horses out of
their harness, descended beneath the
abutments of the bridge, and proceeded
ourselves to cross the stream by certain
stones and fish boxes which span it.
I We had no sooner put our feet on the
first stone than three black water snakes
dropped noiseiessly into the water and
SWAIN away. \ black boy, coming by,
told US that the stone bridge had become
spot where You are always sure to see
snakes. and that sometimes they lie up
on the tall red abutments, and throw
themselves with o lifeless splash into
the water.
THE BATTLEFIELD.
| sat by the single arch Of red lime
stone-broken, grasseovered, the par
apets of the approaches overgrown-
and heard the dark waters sing and
curdle along under the natural lodges
of rock, and saw the turnpike barred by
worm-Genccs and deep with grass, where
once, in times OF peace, the young men
rode counting, the buggies rolled to
church. the runaway negroes slipped
northwari by night, the cattle and
sheep limped in dusty groves to slaught-
or, and finally, where great guns rum
blel and the troops stacked arms to rest
and thought OF death close by. All
these images were faint by the light OF
lbs highway OF desolation, and these
appealing ahutments stretching toward
each other and seekiEg to span the river.
What a little stream 10 be known
round the world-fordablc every few
rods, not above sixty feet wide, yet
withal stream of dignity and austeri-
ty! The timber that grew along the
half morasses here and there upon its
borders was high and branching; the
morasses themselves were full Of rank
grass, and the movement of the water
was sullen and dull, as if it loved to
tarrv in the dark pools and draw back
from the light To left and right the
woods closed in upon the visitor, and
over these tree tops careened the tall
hills, with but one house in sight, and a
vague suggestion besides of Robinson
shanty in some budding fruit trees,
which carried a human intimation.
Looking back toward Centrevllle
from the bridge, groupe Of negro
quaters and small house stood on one
side in an out-field, and a new negro
hut, solitary in a cornfeld, on the other,
both backed by wood. Down this road
the half willing troops of Tyler had
moved at daylight, blocking up the way,
delaying Hunters men, and these last
had finally reappeared across the
bridge, their advance measured by the
clouds of dust which were denser and
higher than the cannon's smoke.
We followed up this turnpik" to
where the Ludley Ford road crossed it
at right angles, down which, marching
southwark, the thanking divisions of
Hunter came, and by the white cabin OF
Matthews it untolded from column to
line, stretching three-quarters of a mile,
and stakinga fringe OF skirmishers TO
the front. All the forenoon the contest
was to carry the turnpike, and release
the divisions behind the stone bridge.
By heating Evans and Bee this much
was accomplished, and then the battle
was transferred to the other side Of the
turnpike, where one long, oval hill, the
promontory OF high plateau, stretched
from the turnpike to the Ludley road
and on this exalted cape the first armies
Of civil war fought what was the real
battle Of Bull Run, on q space of
ground not above two hundred acres in
area. The shape Of this hill is defined
by two rivulets tributary to Bull Run,
that in front called Young 5 Branch,
which twice crosses the turnpike, once
at the crossroads and again nearer Bull
Run, crossed in the latter case by a
small wooden bridge. The back side OF
the hill is covered with small wild tim
bcr oak AMI pine which leave the sum-
nit and the slopes toward the roads
nearly bare. Upon the bare parts the
tiercest battle ragged for three hours
around two small common farm-houses
Robinson nearest Bull Run, and
Henry's, near by the Ludley road. The
Federal troops were strongest along the
latter half-sunken country road, and
they formed a line of battle like q car
penters square, while the rebels made
line like a crescent in the edge of the
low woods, which half covered their
battalions. The length Of the line Of
battle was about half mile or less,
and the Confederate batteries were
massed OH their right, and the Federal
batteries on their own right, respective
Is. Upon this small oval summit
fight a- dc>pel ate as any OF the war
took place. tierce>t around the shanty
called the Henry House, confined al
most 10 the muskctry and artillery. and
the hottest contests were for the bat
terics, whose horses had been quickly
killed.
4, ,,,,,,,,, ,l,;s L;iI 49, marked with a