The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-29
VIEWING BATTLEFIELDS.
Old War Stories Most Entert"i"i"SS
Told-A Letter Which Came 100
Inte for Last Week.

Old War Stories Most Enter""|'S
Told-A Letter Which Came TOO
Late for Last Week.
At your request / send you an account OF
nv trip TO Richmond, washington anu so'ne
of the battle grounds OF Northern Nre'I!a
That the reun ion was grand success, no s,n une
will DENY. The city of Richmond gave 81
uE-Sl2 600 To the building OF the Auditorium
and $40 COO to feeding and providing quarters
Tor The veterans. who so long ana al suen iea'
fuI sacrifice defended her from the enemy
We epioyed hearing the speeches IN lhe hu'
ditorium both days-allended the reception
given by Mrs. Davis at the DAVIS Msme,Hn A., lou
Wednesday night. took Mrs. Davis oy tme
hand and said, Il have not forgotten lLe lt2, y,
shackles that were put upon your husnanu',
Mrs. Picket, seeing that / felt more IIau
said, reached out her hand saying, ad ! a.i
glad TO see you" When the doQrs oar me,e nioyya
lights were first brought TO the rear piaZEa
and then to the front, where Mrs. DAVIS ap
peared, bowing and smiling hearty respo,nse =
TO the loud cheering OF thousands VINO we
unable To gain admittance to the puliuing.
The third and last day was gisen 10 the pa-
rade aud laying OF the corner stone Oh .ne
Davis monument. 1t will be centraliy anu
most beautifully located In Monroe tatk.
The military display sr was yexeeptng that
of Lees army when he commenced mat ~
nous march northward, when enaeu az
Gettysburg. l saw more people anu lnoIe
and beating of drums than ever before In one
Mr. E. W. Watson and l went TO Washing.
ton the next day. After spending lew Guys
in sight seeing, boarded the train for Manas-
sas, thirty miles distant, to look over the pat
tie grounds OF that historic country. l Sc
cured the services Of young man tainlllar
with the country, After driving some n5 ,na n,a
miles we reached the famous grounds OF tne
first and second battles OF Manassas. An olo
gentlemen showed us where the opposing
lines fought on his farm. ,Io,r,
Passing ON, we came TO she noted henry
House. around which the battle rageu most
fiercely, and where the tide was turned
against the Federal army on that memoraple
Sabbath evening. rec , OF nSH &c eenIs nrsmises
the old house still stands IN the midst OF
green grass and beautiful trees. EVerStnins
was as Quiet as the grave. l Knocked NJ Iue
stood two large marble slabs, marking me
graves OF two OF the family who had oieo
there. One OF them, was told, being that Oh
the old lady killed In the mouse uufiHg i ,he ne
tipbt white board nailed TO tree III tne
ward near these graves, bore this inscription
"Wade Hampton wounded here July Il, 1871.
Other boards were seen here and there over
the fields, marking the spots where prom
inent men were Killed or wounded. was
told that monument or two had been erect
ed, but did not pass In sight OF lnem. oone ls
$40 or 4UO yards further on our ROAD crosseo
the Warrenton and Alexandra turnpiKe, ~
the intersection OF which the Lewis house
S,andsNa two story stone building that was
riddled with shot and shell; but repairs nave
been made, and the Old lazy tolu US tnat eue,e
were no marks left 10 tell the SADIE Ia le. eH'
cent q board posted in front of tne mouse,
which still gives notice 10 the passer-by thal
..This house was used as field hospitai LOT
bot IN armies in the battle OF July u, 1861
/ took the left end of the turnpike and pro-
ceeded towards Groveton until found large
spring for which was IN search, from "tiGu
] drank once more. For TWO reasons, tnis
~h<,fnt had
four years ago. One was that mere saw Tue
largest pile OF amputated limbs (tedrai) that
SAW during the war. The other was tnat ih
some Of the surrounding fields, the lines IN
witch the Federals lay in death, painl,
showed their lines in battle while living. we
turned bere, going back by way OF the Lewis
house. over the turnpike TO Stone Brloge
over Bull Run. Between these two points the
principle part OF the first battle OF Manassas
was fought, the battle beginning al stone
Bridge. Here we again rested, ana looked at
the bridge which has become so celebrated IN
history. We little wondered that the enemy
effected such an easy crossing, as the lay Vi
Ihe ground about the bridge was so much III
their favor. Passing on, an Ola colored man mar
nointed out the spot from which the frst feu'
eral gun was fired. He was HI old resident.
and Claimed 10 have seen The gun hred. ~,
Tne next point of interest was Mitchefs
Ford. two and q half miles below StoneBridge.
Taking a country road ard crossing Cub Run
we soon came into the Mitchefs Fora road
the direct route from Centrevllle 10 Manas
sas. The place where We came into this road
was the point from which the Federal guns
fired on us at Mitchel's Ford, being the first
act in the drama played on July IL. Passing
down the road 10 the ford by the country
worse for having been robbed of all of It's
chickens and bee-gums thirty-hve years ago,
while shells were flying over the building. =,
We were now nearing the place. above al
others that most desired to see-the breast
works at MitcheIs Ford. This ford Is not now
as 1t was thirty five years ago, II Is most dam
gerous looking, and was told that Two per-
sons had been drowned there recently: now.
ever, my companion was familiar with the
ford, and we had no difficulty In crossing, but
he did not know that the long line OF breast
works was there and insisted that | must be
mistaken. But they were plain and distinct,
and without the least trouble found them,
going as straight TO that part OF the line occu.
pied by our company, aud Identifying IL as
readily az If 1t had been but yesterday since
we left 1t. The effect OF shells through the
white oak tree tops is still visible. There
stood the tree In rear OF our lines, which Col.
Bacon climbed and looked over at the enemy.
NV friend, Goodwin, ate huckleberries whiE
lived over again the exciting scenes CT other
days 1t has always been source OF pride to
me that Bonham's 5. &. Brigade held the CEN
ter OF Beauregard's line at Mitcheps Ford. II
is rather O strange coincidence, today, July
18th, thlrty-tive years ago. We went into these
We wished to visit Grisbys Barn and our
old winter quarters near by. but had not the
by Centreville TO Fairfax Court House. ! re-
called vividly the famous stampede OF the
Federal army along this road. The battle
ground OF OK Hill or Germantown lay near
the road, but the ride and heat of the day had
given me q severe headache, and we fastened
on to the hotel at Fairfax, where | slept and
rested awhile. canceliing our agreement 10
drive on to Washington over the direct and
familiar road that evening. | regretted very
much that IT was so. us We would have passed
Flint Hill, where our old friend, Speer, used
to run his dog churn, seemingly for the beEe
lit of the soldiers, the graveyard, where Jos
Link, the first OF our company to die, was
buried Vienna, where we learned our first
lessons In tearing up railroads, and Falls
Church which is now almost In the suburbs
OF WashiIgto All these places would have
been of Interest to me. as they were the
cam ping grounds OF Bonham's Brigade. which
by the way, were perhaps the only $. G.
troops which enjoyed the distinction of camp
ing or resting almost under the dome OF the
National Capitol.
At5oclock / took the hack for Fairfax Sta
tion and went on TO Washington. where
met party. including my two daughters
from Due West. We spent some days In the
city, meeting our friend, Mr.. j. Altheus John
son, who showed Us Kindness. We missed
seeing DIR. j. j. Darlington, also a former resi-
dent of Due West, he being out at his country
home the day we called at his office.
We are under special obligation to Mr.. w
o. Bradley for his kindness in showing Vi
through the Treasury Department. We wer,
pleased to see that he held such q responsi
BILE position and was so pleasantly situated.
After an absence OF two weeks we returned
home. having had the pleasantest trip of ou
life. Jno. A. Devlin.
due West, =. G., July Is, 1886.