The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-16
.GEn 9ntdLiaet6M
MANASSAS.
One Of the Old Battle Fields Reviewed
by One Who Was There in 1862.
An Interesting Description Of Manas-
sas as It Appears To-Day.

MANASSAS STATION on MIDLAND R. R., |
PRINCE WILLIAM Co., Va, Oct. y, 1878. J
Correspondents Of the IntsllIEeneer.
We arrived here yesterday from Wash
~inston, having made our entire trip from
Wheeling to this point in 10 hours run
ming time. This station, on the Virgins
Midland Railroad, formerly the Orange
& Alexandra Railroad, vas o place o.
considerable importance in the Virgins
campaign ofAugust 1862, as a base o fsup'
plies for the Federal forces. At that time
It consisted OF only a few d~ilapidated
structures used for Government store
houses, with a plentiful amount of side
tracks upon which loaded trains Of cars
were standing in readiness to either push
on South II Federal victories warranted II
or to retire to Alexandria or Washington
in case of defeat.
During the August campaign of 1852, or
what Is more often called Gen. Pope's
campaign, the Union army had large sup
plies at this point in cars, ready for use as
occasion required, witch Gen. stonewall
Jackson, with his command, s~uccecdedin
capturing and destroying. This was on
the night OF the eth and morning OF the
18th OF August, 1862. In the afternoon Of
the 2Sth the Federal forces again occupied
the place, only to witness the devastation,
some S3,000,000 worth OF property de-
\ stroyed, railroad cars and contents
burned; not a house left, here and
there desolate and blackened chimney,
dead men, dead horses and mules, broken
wagons, stray canteens and the debris
found in the track OF a rapidly marching
army. This was sixteen years ago, and
:his Is my first visit to this place since, the
war is over, peace reigns, the roar OF the
battle between Kings Division and Jack.
sons forces, near the Douglass House, Is
heard only III my Imagination. l invol.
UNFAIRLY look for the bursting OF the shells
over Tie pinetree tops, and listen for the
peculiar scream OF the fragments as they
fly through the air. But no such sights or
sounds are here, what was then a waste
place without a dwelling, o woman or a
child, and where men were striving to
compass the ruin and death OF each other,
thereis now q neat little village OF some
OOinhabltants. Thesurroundingcountry
IA mostly under cultivation, neat white
farm houses and out buildings here and
there give relief to the landscape, and de-
note a material advancement from what
this country was in the days %ofslayery, in:
dicatiye Of the day when the "Neg South"
relieved from the petty predjudices OF
section and party, will present a character
az advancement and thrift equal to any
portion OF our country.
The scenery from hero northwesterly IS
delightful. We took q carriage this morn
ing 10 90 to the battle field, some six miles
distant, in a northwcsterly direction. The
roads were good and the day all that we
could wish for. As we travelled along the
Bull Run Mountains doomed up before us
some is or 20 miles away, behind which
We occasionally catch glimpse OF the
Blue Ridge range. These mountains are
broader from base to top and the co!orlng
given to the foliage. by the October irosts,
blended by light, shade and distance give
them the appearance OF being ciothed IN
some gorgeous covering unequalled Tor
beauty or splendor. But we are now near
ing the bloody ground. On onr right, some
three hundred yards from the road, stands
the "Henry House, "an old Virginia struc-
ture with the chimneys outside at either
end. II was around this house that the
first battle in July, A. D. 1861, ragged, and
here during that battle an old bed ridden
woman was killed by a shell penetrating
-the house and bursting inside. ul
In front OF us and down on foung's
Branch where the Manassas and Dudly
snrinps road crosses the Warrenton,
Gainesville and C%entreville Pike stands
the celebrated "Stone House, mentioned
in history, q very substantial two story
structure. Here over this ground and
'around this house the battle OF Saturday
afternoon, August 80, 1852, ragged with ter
rble severity. ' HD
From the Stone House we proceed up
the pike towards Groycton! The sccneis
familiar but not at all pleasant; Here on
the left Is an elevation on which u pat
teries stood, on Friday morning, before
we advanced down in low ground. Along
Young's Branch is the exact place where
the Fourteenth Brooklyn (Zouayes) N.Y.,
Volunteers suffered so OH Saturday. Over
on our right, behind a gently rising &C.
eliyfty, Is the place where the West ir-
einia boys lay massed on Saturday about
|5ioiclock, and at different points, places
were recognized by me as having. been. oc-
cupied BY our troops, ready for the strug..
ole which commenced on that day about 4
AS we proceeded up tho road towards
Groyeton, and short distance this side TO
tie right Of heroad or pike, we came to
the Confederate Cemetery" The space
enclosed includes about four acres IT
rounded by aplain board fence, rapidly
going TO decay. There are no headboards
Sr stonest 10 mark the place, name OF the
regiment or company OF the remains OF
The soldiers who lie buried here, except
one marble slab, Upon which Is inscribed: