The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-09-22

erlckSburg, from Whicn
a narrow gage railroad has been constructed
to Orange Courthouse, which skirts The field Tor
q portion of the distance. The train leaves in
the morning about 8, aud gets back to town be-
fore B. giving nearly four hours to ramble over
the works and through the woods.
My ride thither is not devoid of interest.
One short coach holds all the passengers, with
room to spare. This particular morning there
are Is on board. Black and white are indis-
criminateIy commingled. Nobody in Virginia
is off-color in the cars, nor do the management
think it worth while to run " Jim Crow car"
Equal civil rights seems to be the rule SO far as
| travelling goes. On the broad-gage roads the
narrow-gage passengers who are still averse to
riding in the same car with members of the
colored persuasion. seek Pullman car; bnt
these are not numerous. for the new Southerner
is getting to be thrifty, and is looking more
carefully after the dollars than did his sire.
"Robeys" is the first station reached. For
more than seven miles we have ridden without
seeing house. All is wilderness. Later,
Screamervlle is reached. "a long name and
a small place." the conductor explains. Not a
house in sight. "Arich. F'bg 10 miles," is
the inscription borne by another station. The
being thought hardly worth while to provide
shelter for the one or two passengers or less
who assemble to wait for the train. Alrich-
or Aldrich as we knew it-calls up visions Of
Stonewall Jackson and his feet-footed hosts
who traversed this thoroughfare when bent on
routing our right flank at Charlottesville; !;
and Furnace" another station, is a reminder
of the route pursued by Hancock'5 Second
Corps In marching into the Wilderness via
| Todd's Tavern.
| Anon Brock Road" is reached and alight-
| ing here l find on inquiry at a store near
| by that 1t is but half-mile to the lines. Ny
| first quest is to find where my battery was
| posted. l have not far to look. Two houses.
inhabited by two families, Trigg and Stephens,
occupied a clearing overlooking a valley
| through which had some time run railroad.
| Near these houses the battery was located and
there had little brush with a rebel battery
May g. On inquiring of man at the store the
| location of these houses, he said that they
were still standing; that his name was
Stephens; that he was the son of the man who
occupied the house during the fight; that he
| lived there now, and would be pleased to 60
over the lines with me.
On reaching his house 1 readily identified
the spot and found the lunets constructed by
the company in contiguous plOwed field
where at that time stood negro cabin. The
cabin has disappeared but the line of works of
which the battery's formed part are in very
good state OF preservation. Getting into the
sulky of Mr.. Stephens l ride out on to the
Brock road, over which Hancock advanced to
reinforce Getty on the afternoon of Thursday,
| May 8. The earthwork which the Second
Corps constructed along this highway is still
visible, though much disintegrated in places.
On some portions parts of the head logs which
ran along the top of the works are still in posi-
tion, but no clearing appears any ywhere-wo0ds,
woods ON all sides. Just before debouchng
from the Brock to the Plank road my at
tention is called TO stake driven by the road
side and stone placed near it. Some months
ago party Of three or four gentlemen, includ-
ing one by the name of Hayes, came down here,
and after spending some time in carefully look
ing about the vicinity decided that Gen. Alex
ander Hayes, then of the Second Corps fell
| mortaily wounded very near where the stake
is driven. Here, am Informed, it is intended
some time to erect a monument to the memory
of this gallant soldier
But here we are at tho Plank road, and turn
ing into it We proceed toward the enemy's old
| line. What perfect food of memories como
rolling in upon me, and what pictures the i'm
agination constructs as pass slowly along that
historic thoroughfare. Hancock the Superb,
with his gallant hosts pressing irresistibly
forward along this road, his line at right
angles with it. Here section of Dow's
9th Me. battery dealt out solid blows tho first
afternoon, shedding its own blood and exacting
blood freely till withdrawn. Down in there"
said my companion, pointing along depres-
| sion in the woods at the right. !" the slaughter
|
| line OF intrenchments. 1t is very strong TO-
day, much stronger than the old Union line,
and must originally have been of twice the
| thickness.
Proceeding perhaps quarter of mile fur.
ther we come to second line, not as strong as
the first. Small wonder that the Johnnies,
after their last demonstration on Friday, the
9th, withdrew to their lines and invited an
attack. Who that was in the battle can ever
forget that Neutrality-suspicious. parallel in
the history of the war. And then the horrors
indescribable arising from the burning of the
woods, whereby hundreds of brave fellows who
had fallen wounded aud helpless, perished
miserably. Nor more heart.rending spectacle
occurred during the war.
Not far to the rear of the second line of works
we come to small park ON the right, clear
ing of perhaps an acre, in the center of which
asmall bowlder has been placed. This bowlder
marks the spot near which Gen. Longstrect
was wounded. 1t was also in this vicinity that,
when Hancock was pressing things so vgor-
ousy Lee made the desperate resolve to lead
his hosts in person; resolve which his men
would not permit him to carry out. The park
has been presented to the Memorial Association
| of fredericksburg for Reunion purposes by Mai.
Lacy, the former owner and occupant of the
Lacy House, opposite Fredericksburg. Mai.
Lacy now lives on the Wilderness pike, near
the site of the old Wilderness Tavern. and is q
very genial gentleman to meet.-B., Boston.
!