The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-23
AFTER THE BATTLE.
LIFE IN CAMP NEAR THE BATTLE.
FIELD OF MANASSAS.
RccollectiOns OF DR.. Bagby as Pub.
Iished I'm the Philadelphia Times.

Iished I'm the Philadelphia Times.
On Monday. the 22d OF July. it rained
n steady, straight downpour the livelong
| day. Everybody flocked to headquarters.
Not one word was said about forward
movement upon Washington. We had toe
many generals.in-chief; we were south.
| erners; we didn't fancy marching in the
mud and rain-we threw away n grand
opportunity. For days, for weeks you
might say, our friends kept coming from
Alexandria, saving with wonder and inn
patience: "Why don't you come on
Why stay here doing nothingy" No suffi-
cient answer, in my poor judgment, was
ever given. The dead and the dying were
forgotten In the general burst OF congratu-
lation. Now and then you would hear the
loss OF Bee and Barlow deplored, or OF
some individual friend 1t would be said
Yes, he Is gone, poor fellow" But this
was as nothing compared to the joyous
hubbub over the victory. How proud and
happy we were. Didn't we know that we
could whip the Yankees? Hadn't we
always said soY Henceforth II would be
easy sailing-the war would soon be over,
too soon for all the glory we felt sure OF
| gaining. what 1o0ls
HEROES OF THE HOUR.
Captain III. Gray Latham, in his red shirt,
was conspicuous figure at headquarters.
His battery had covered itself with re-
nown; congratulations were showered
upon him. / saw Captain afterwards
Colonel on General Lees stlfi) Henry f.
Peyton come over from General Beaure-
CARDS room blazing with excitement and
exultation. Yesterday he was a private
now he was captain. promoted by Beau
regard first of all because Of his signal gal
lantry on the field. "By-!" he eX-
claimed to me, "when die intend to die
gloriously." Alas Colonel Peyton, conf
Dental clerk OF the United States Senate
and owner OF one Of the best farms i'm LOU
doun county, is like to die in his bed as
ingloriously as the rest Of Us.
A young Mr.. Fauntleroy, desiring an
interview with General Joseph T.. Johnston,
/ offered to procure it for him, and pushed
through the crowd to the table at which he
sat. "Excuse me, General Johnston"
began. "EXcuse me, sir J" he replied, in
tones that sent me away in q state oil
generalization.
HOW Mr.. DAVIS APPEARED.
The next thing / remember is the CON-
ing on of night and my resuming my post
as night orderly. i was seldom aroused,
and slept soundly in chair tilted back
against the wall. In the yard just in front
OF me were Il number a tents, one Of which
was occupied by President Davis. The
rising sun awakened me. My eyes were
still half opened when Mr.. Davis stepped
out OF his tent, in full dress, having made
his toilet with care. Seeing no one but a
private. apparently asleep in q chair, he
looked about, turned and slowly walked to
the yard fence, on the other side OF which
a score or more Of captured cannon were
parked, Long Tom being conspicuous.
The President stood and looked at the
cannon for ten minutes or more. Having
never seen him close ut hand / went up
and looked at the cannon. too, but in re-
ality was looking at him most intently.
A CRITICAL MOMENT.
That was the turning point in my life.
Had | gone up to him, made myself
known, told him what / had done in his
behalf, and asked something in return, my
career in life would almost certainly have
been far different. We were alone. II was
an aus picious time to ask favors-i ust after
great victory-and he was very respon-
siye to personal appeals. Ny prayer would
have been heard. In that event | should
have become member OF his political and
military famly-an aid OF some kind-Or,
what would have suited me much better,
have gone to London, as John II. Thomp-
son afterwards did, to pursue in the inter-
est Of the Confederacy my calling as
| journalist.
AT WARES HOUSE.
General Beauregard removed his head
quarters to the house OF Mr.. Ware, some
| distance from Manassas station, commo-
dious brick building in which our friend
Lieutenant James X. Lee lay wounded.
Mr.. Wares family remained, but most OF
the house was given up to lis. ! slept in
the carret with the soldier detailed to nurse
| Lieutenant Lee. In the yard were a num-
| Der OF tents occupied by the General and
his staff. Colonel .Jordan's Office was
in the house. My duty, hitherto
! light and pleasant, now became some
what heavy and disagreeable. had to file
and forward applications for furlough,
based mainly upon surgeons certificates.
This brought me in contact with many un-
lovely people, each anxious to have his
! tttSt llltllutu W at DliiNs IL W uS WI WI
rying. Others besides myself, the clerks
and staff officers, seemed to be as much
worried by their abors as i was by mine.
Fact is, young southern gentlemen, used
to having their own way, found it hard to
be at the beck and call Of anybody. The
| excitement OF battle over, the detail OF
business was pure drudgery. We de-
! tested II.
The long, hot days OF August dragged
themselves away. No advance, no signs
of it; the men in camp playing cards, the
officers horse-racing. This dlsheartened
me more than all things else; but | kept
nv thoughts to myself. At night would
walk out in the garden and brood over the
possible result OF this slow way OF making
war. The garden looked toward the battle
field. At times / thought | detected the
odor OF the carcasses lightly buried there
at others fancied heard weird and dole
full cries borne on the night wind. l grew
melancholy.
ADEATH-BED SCENE.
Twice or thrice day | went to see Lieu
tenant Lee. Bright and hopeful OF recovery,
he gave his friends a CHEEKY welcome and
an invitation TO share the abundant good
things with which his mother and sisters
kept him supplied. A visit to his sick
chamber was literally treat. The chances
seemed all in his favor for two weeks OF
more after our arrival at the Ware house,
but then there came change for the
worse, and soon the symptoms were such
that his kipsman. Peachy X. Grat.
tan, reporter OF the Court OF APP
peals. was sent for. He rallied little,
but we saw the end was nigh. Mr.
Grattan promised to send for me during
the night in case anything happened. and
at O'Clock I was called. The long respi-
ration preceding death had set in. Mr.
| C.a,.a,a l.,.aoIinor at the hedside, was nray.