The Washington critic., 1886-02-05
SECOND BULL RUN.
Its Realistic Representation At u
New Cxplornmn

oil painting containing eighteen thou
sand square feet of canvass. 1t is u
panorama of the battle of Manassas.
The building will be open to the public
in about six weeks, and it is safe to say
that the panorama will be one of the
fixtures of Washington curiosities and
Il center of attraction to sight.scers.
The painting is the work of fifteen
French artists, who were brought to
this country for the purpose, aud is a
masterpiece of artistic execution The
artists spent several weeks in the vi.
cinity of Manassas skctching the coun.
try. The cvcr-varying light and
shade of field and forest of summer
afternoon is perfect; the perspective is
magnificent, and the tout ensemble of
the whole picture is so realistic that rs
one stands in the center of the building
he seems to be in the field the painted
| forms alive, and he almost hears the
screaming of the shells through the
air and instinctivcly lodges II fancied
ball
The construction of the piece is such
that the spectator seems to stand in the
centre of the field; at his feet is dark
| pool of clotted blood, a musket, an old
haversack or soldiers cap; over yon-
| der dead man, his CLASSY eyes looking
at you with CHASTITY stare. At a glance
| you take in the battlefield. Far away
to the right over the stubble fields,
nesting in grove of green trees that
seem to rustic in the summer wind, is
the village of Groveton, Fitz John Por-
| ter's headquarters. That Is his COM
mand that you see coming over the
field there, In solid phalanx. in long
battalions, in struggling companies, the
sun glinting on the points of their bayo
nets and lighting up the stern faces Of
the men. On they come, charging up
the slight declivity toward the line Of
| jackson S men, intrcnched over there
by the railroad. Just as they reach the
crest of the hill a volley of grape
crashes through their left flank and
there are horrible gaps in the line of
blue. Colonel Lees artillery of twenty
four guns is hurrying over the fields
from the westward, and three guns are
in position. Again, a crash from the
artillery, rattle Of muskctly from the
Confederates concealed in the copsc,
and the lines of blue wavcr for mo-
ment. But only for moments the
gaps close up and on over the
crest Of the hill they come, com
pany deploys to the left and knecling in
the grass begins 10 pick Off the artiller-
lists. At a break,neck speed over the
fields come more of Colonel Lees ar.
tillcry, and taking position behind the
rail fence open fire on the advancing
Fcderals. The shells go Kissing through
the air high over the heads of the first
rank of the foe and drop in the middle
of the phalanx moving on through
Peach Orchard Farm" Great bare
spots on the side of the hill mark
where the shells fall. To the right of
Colonel Lees battery is Longstreet's
command coming through the woods
and over the rail fence. They emerge
from the cover of the woods just in time
to meet body Of Federals on the hill.
The blues drop upon one knee; quick
command, the carbincs flash out their
messages of death and the Confederatcs
waver. The sun is glistening brightly
on something in the bushes behind the
rail fence. It's the rifles of the Con
federatc sharp shooters; there is rat
tie of musketry and the front rank OF
the blues dissolvcs. Then u hand-to-
hand conflict cnsues. Seen through q
rift in the smoke are the writhine
forms Of men upon the ground, little
streams of crimson trickling through
the tender grass, great furrows
turning up the red clay, showing
where the minnie balls have plowed
through. Over toward the rail
road where the Confcdcrates are in
trcnched is the thickest Of the fight. A
bursting shell lights up the smoky
scene for an instant; dead men cover
the ground; guns and accoutrements
scattered around; Il riderlcss horse with
great clot of human blood upon his
shoulder dashes past, dragging the dead
form of his master, who's, foot IL
caught in the stirrup. Flashes of tirC
in front show the position of the Con
federates. A sudden puff of wind dis
pels the smoke for an instant and Tho
whole scene is clear. 1t is beautiful
August afternoon; the long shadows OF
the trees on the grass show the sun is
going down; away in the distant west
covered with blue mist, are the
mountains. A magnificent panoraml
of rolling upland, yellow field and
shady wood intervene. Above, thu
blue sky filed with ileecy clouds pilet
up in lazy confusion. To tho
eastward, over the stubble fields
are the farm houses of Grovcton. tn,
quaint old gabled houses nesting il
the grove, the ooks and swallows cir
cling above. The wind gently sway
the branches of the trees In the Woo
and the sunshine drifts through thu
leaves, tcnderly bathing the brow of
prostratc man lying in the cool moss,
mocking bird on swinging bough sing
sadly for its mate, The soft glow of
! southern summer day envelopes tn
scene. In harsh contrast is this littl
spot Of hell on the crest of the hill, thi
abyss of death belching forth flame
this chaos into which have fallen S
many brave men to-day.
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