Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-07
THIRTY YEARSAFTER
A LADY CORRESPONDENT RevIslTs
THE FIELD or MANASSAS
The Changes from War to Pesee-Prosperf-
" and Smiling Landscapcs--war Relics
and Historic Houses.
Written for the nisnatch.l

Written for the Dispatch.l
How the years 60 by was brought forci-
bly, TO my mind last week by few days
so1ourn at the Compton farm. In Prince
William county, and o drive over the ad-
joining places-the Chinn farm, the Henry
place, the Ludley- Church road, and al!
the principal points of interest made his
torical by the two battles OF Manassas
fought over the ground. A soft shower
overnight, followed by brilliant, sun
shining morning, lighted up the bright.
tender green OF the fields. wooded slopes.
and rolling lands around. The quietly
grazing focks. and herds. the. peaceful
farm-houses glittering with whitewash,
with their abundant fruit-trees, blooming
roses. and generally quiet aspect, present
| ed quite contrast to that time long ago,
when as correspondent for TBE RICHMOND
DISPATCH, o few weeks after the first bat
tie Of Manassas, started for a ten-miles'
ride TO visit the outpost of the Confede-
rates and give glimpse OF camp-life from
feminine point of view.
AFTER TEE BATTLE.
The Compton house was large, roomy
cottage and was filed with wounded and
dying from both armies after the battles,
and only survived that tragic time to fail
prey to flames in more peaceful DAYS,
Only huge heap Of stones mark the spot,
but few feet distant Is q smaller house
| occupied by the two remaining survivors Of
| that large, hospitable family. The Chinn
| house, mile distant, was desolated, and
the Henry house, a little further on. was
almost battered down with shot and shell
and as we rode around the ruins the
ground looked like newly ploughed field.
MARKED CHANGE.
There the thickest Of the fight took place
| on the rising ground. Great trenches had
been dug and the Union soldiers placed in
them and covered with earth, but the
heavy rams which followed had washed il
away in many places, and boot or shoe
with human foot in it protruded. or a
blue sleeve was exposed with its CHASTITY
| contents, while pieces Of clothing. hats,
bayonets, broken guns. battered cart
ridge-boxes, shot. and she'll were scattered
around. Now 1t is beautiful green slope,
with shade-trees dotting it, surrounding a
| quiet. rustic home, and the inmates Of the
| trench are reposing in their peaceful, hon.
ored graves at Arlington, receiving each
| year their tribute of flowers, and q monu-
ment marks the spot where they fell.
NOTABLE MONUMENTS.
! The monument is of dressed sandstone
| taken from the abutments of the holly
| contested stone bridge and is set with q
| white tablet, which tells the date when the
| patriots fell. Another monument of the
| same kind is erected in the corner of q
| fenced-in field and has a large cedar at
! each of the four corners, Just IN front OF
| the railroad cut, where, after their ammu-
milton gave out, the Confederates fought
| so valiantly with rocks torn from the rail-
road-bed and with such effect that hum
| dreds fell injured with no other weapon.
| The place is rapidly growing over with
| old-feld pines, scrubby growth that
| takes uncultivated lands in many parts OF
| Virginia. These monuments are as yet
| quite we'll preserved, but in some places
show the ravaGes of relic-hunters, as the
stone is easily broken.
AN HISTORIC LOCALITY.
! just back of this spot is the body of
woods in which Jackson's army lay con-
| cealed awaiting Longstreets division. One
/ could hardly realize with the bright May
sun streaming over it, the gentle breeze
stirring the green, tender leaves. and the
/ birds carolling out their joyous hearts,
! that it was the scene that other summer
| day of those horrible battle-sounds and
misery; that this was the place where
hunger and thirst and pain held high revel
with man and beast.
FAMOUS TREE.
The road-bed is denuded of almost every
rock here, and near it we were shown O
tree through the body of which a cannon
ball passed The hole.is clean-cut and the
tree hourishing. The conclusion killed a
! Union soldier who vas sheltered behind II
without leaving n mark upon him. Only
last year a broken gun was found in the
1oax aI nd hftf I ha1
fallen from soldiers hands. and other
relics are still found here. Eyeryyear some
reminder of the war is ploughed up on the
Henry or Chlnn place. and some are sold
for considerable sum.
PRECIOUS HABITATIoy.
The Henry house is owned and occupied
by the son of the old lady. who lost her
life in the first battle of Manassas. The
Chinn farm has changed owners several
times. II was partially restored and oc-
cupied by some of the family in the first
years after the war, but was given over by
them to the ghosts which were said to
make it too uncomfortable for human oc-
cupancy after fair trial.
HAUNTED.
The story is that a widow lady whose
little son had it by inheritance went
there to reside, hut the sights and
sounds were too mucn Tor ner ana she
took refuge in a smaller house on the
place. Misty. gray figures -glided
through unopened doors or up and down
the staircase and signs and groans fol-
lowed With other articles. of furniture
she moved in with her was large, antique
sideboard, which, although 1t had always
been a well-behaved sideboard before, no
sooner reached the ghostly precincts than
it took to locking and unlocking at any
and all times with sharp, noisy click and
pounding and humping resounded within.
ABANDONED.
In vain they moved it from room to
room. The noises followed until the lady
abandoned it and the house. Her ghost
was as much matter of discussion when
she met her neighbors as any other every
day affair. After remaining unoccupied
for a time it was bought by Pennsylvania
family, who are living very comfortably
there. Whether they laid the ghost in
finding a skeleton in an obscure place and
taking note of it, or whether the ghost
betook it to other and less crowded places
than battlefield, chronicle doth not say.
b. q. LOCKE.