Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-15
OUR BATTLE-FIELDS.
Congressman Cummings Revisits
Some Famous Places.
N HISTORIC AARYE'S HEIGHTS.
,...a.r,cksburg- Stories OF the Campaigns
oets6e-'63 by Federal and Confederate
,etrrsns-uistoric Scenes Described.
New York SUM-

new luIk Slusl
o,e- the Long bridge and out Of the
.-,,t,rinc city. II IL O'Clock IN the eve
..- The thermometer is nearing the
-r. The life OF spring is shortened.
v,srmmer seems TO tread upon the heels
tw.,tcr. The cars are hot and dusty as
49,. -,il along the banks of the Potomac
..-5 Alexandria. The air is filed with
..,,re. The birds are nesting. and
opple-trees are in blossom. The
IN trees are giving a pink tint to
.r.rl beneath them. Looking back
.l Tho CITY Won see the great white
. ,rectcd 10 the memory of Washing
gcg0nd It is the Capitol, its marble
wv. reaccuug the light Of the san. The
ruhiic buildings. and Washington
seem buried III the fresh spring
There are white sails upon the
.. bosom Of the Potomac. spiral
.t.f black smoke marks the course of
.f..mhoat returning from Mt. Vernon.
,..,.. are plougning the riyer-bottoms
-f .t. lowing OF cattle IS heard from the
A..tt,n twenty minutes the train rolls
.... ,I. sleepy town Of Alexandra. There
.-,., in the streets. Even the houses
.
.v.rvwhere. They enliven the
-...i ,fIe depot. IL is the only sign of
., Lilo. 4 drove Of mules stands near
o.n heads bowed, eyes cloSed. and
..rv esrs. few passengers step
.. ttr train. The whistle sounds and
move on toward fredericksburg.
,..r'.u3 fiecks the sky. The sun seems
w hotter as il nears the horizon.
H.. eith Ouistretched wings pant In
~ .-... and even the chickens seek the
'.-..s party of old soldiers IN the
~. among them are General Joseph
Ti, n. formerly chief of staff of
visiting Joe Hooker; General j. NJ. Pat
.-r second auditor Of the Treasury
r..... william +. Rogers. Captain A. II.
H. .gscn. and Sergeant Mannion. John
~ rlrn ana Ihomas T.. Woods. we'll
.rr citizens Of Washington, are with
,. 10y some time they smoke cigars
81, -ter army stories. The Occoquan
- --.l This brings up memories
~ N.LHun Shoals. Pohick Church,
.-.Is. Eun. The train does not stop
EN-. r reaches Quantlco. 1t Is a stray
+-. n.fl. place on broad plateau over
'.tr- the Potomac. Dumfries hes not
..-.a,r ODD the right. Every man has a
..-.r...auce Of Dumfrles. Not long after
s.r4 a.uia Creek IS passed. The Sergeant
,.f0.t.rs are awake IN an instant. The
....,.rt journeys On wagon-train details,
!, LOT. tlr army was in camp in the winter
n. I-.-f3 are recalled. Some went to
oil. Lain and others to Aqua Creek. but
b. -.nemher the oysters taken from the
-.r and the boxes received from home
q camp.
THF COUNTRY CHANGED.
C.1.r Run. Brooke's Station, and White
f.t Cturch fy by. The whole face of
t.r.lltry Is changed. No man can pick
En-. ,. camplug-gIOund of his brigade or
-r Tie fences destroyed during the
DAP hove never been rebuilt. The whole
...t-. seems 10 be covered with a second
p afI ut timber. mostly stunted pines
..t c.1a-s. Occasionally, but rarely. a
.-r D.. cultivated. Cedar Run looks about
b. ,l.s as 1t did during the war. The
s... at Bro0ke's Station Is not much
..--.- th.n q dry-goOds box. Stafford
u-,i.u-c lies not tar away. One of the
,--s gives vivid description of the
..-rr. u the little town IN rain-storm
lt.e dead OF night, on Sedgwick's hur-
r.i march 20 JOIN Hooker, who was en-
t.f.lg 10 intercept Lee III Pennsyl-
fa-l.
aut Mannion had been a member of
srtt.i states battery in active service
-..t- battles OF the Army of the Poto-
r.. .is battery had thrown many "a
3D.. NO the city of Frederic sburg. He
.... ares and ears for the town of Fall
.l Each man Is on the qW Ctre for II,
r.flr tram shoots out of a cut and across
.. I.auahannOck So suddenly that only
dance nj Falmouth Heights Is OBJ
.reI Burnside's headquarters are there
ILe Sergeant points out where his
tt.rr was Stationed. The kapDahan-
...s books much narrower after the lapse
.ttN,lfg-n.ne years. 10 IL "a muddy little
.',-au -1 narrow that from the hlgn ran
Pal u-iige YOU could almost fancy that
c.a.s.r could be pitched across 1t. There
.t.r0 brick mill in Fredericksburg on
.. ..n as OF yore. Here is the wharf
-.u wl.ch hundreds of boxes OF tobacco
w.. recovered from the river after the
COS was captured. The Sergeant catches
4r.fc. ID a wall fronting the river and
.-Ur-
Igt.s ume the train had reached the
.s..r IL lsa squatty, One-hoTse affair.
l..i.y worth the mention. There was the
-..4. c- wd of negroes and half dozen
t..Aslu waiting. Warm greetings were
-I,.lI.l Oh tue party. In double files they
..r.t .t. .rp-sacks IN hand. towards the
I.al-e Hotel. 1t Is kept by Mr. Cotton,
vt. served 20 the Union army in ConDec-
tc.tte-ment.
FREDERICKSBURG.
Ils-si- l,tle change in the city. II has
8. Cos. I-lt and - still unpaved. Many OF
t i...es are antlquated, and some OF
--f..ts recall scenes in Charleston.
re.-a charm about the old place, how
ey.-, ilst endears II 10 the heart. The
.. bus gone down and twilight mas crept
f. Mlryt- Heights. The air Is still
stv Family parties sit upon little
f.-Il- and IN open dOorways. The
sheets a1i sidewalks are narrow. There
Or. t. llrse-cars and no linking bells.
..r music Is the soft laughter OF the
a. and their Characteristic Virginia
-.i. ue occasional shout OF negro
t.4-l Iu the darkness, but nothing
Q l-a 20 uucouth. Indeed, the refinement
Pei people seems 70 pervade the whole
.r With over 5000 inhabitants 1t con-
i4l- .ty Twelve saloons.
l.e lo,e was PLAIN but homellke. The
-. .'- $50 upon easy chairs on the Sidewalk
+-..- cool breeze. There Is some
l u.u, IA the gentlemen's parlor.
--i r-.v cam algn Is in progress, but
] pei tle features Of such campaigns
Afl. Here no regular nominations are
.41' Tie candidates announce them
"re- all call upon their friends
20 support them al the polls. Colo
~ hli-s y. Merchant. a gentleman
s'l fl .i, cheeks. bright eyes. and genial
Opposition. rreets the party with true Nlr-
.--A -l,plahty. He is not only the edi-
Jog " Oh. fredericksburg Si0r, but also
l-.i,i..r for mayor. Dinner Is served
Nf1 COVE p0ues and fried chickens. There
q. i-'Tc VINES upon the table. The cat
'-p i4. Is nlmelke smack, and the butter
p. er.tl he irreproaehsble. Cigars are
..-i-i after dinner. Seated IN easy-chairs
i.s sidewalk Confederate and Union
a.a's .Wap stories of the campaign OF
% ul long after midnight.
~ 10 TIE morn with the break OF day.
a. l is tll the streets with music. and
5'ilr breeze seatters the spring blossoms.
I-t Dry. can't. with Confederate acquaint-
feady down at the stone wall.
e-sai- upon his craftsmanship over q
.-'Hei o' century ago. Anon he enters
.'.A with men who we're IN tranklin's
ga il' son, ane they are driven three
gT.'' below TIE city. Deep Run Is crossed.
pr frame house where Franklin had his
~ .af'ers is slill standing. OF here to
ielt YOU see the tree under which
.'l'ial hayard was killed. Here are the
-e walls II the Manning House andthe
.,- cf4' .ery beyond.
yl ie;e tD the left. facing the heights,
were REYNOLDS sailed into Jackson's
'ps 20 The Pennsylvania Reserves. l
- trN ffe very spot Whpre the HrOOklyu