The times., 1897-12-05
Major Oldroyd's Visit to That
Historic Region.
THRILLING EVENTS RECALLED
Points Picked Out Where the Clash
of Arms Was the EiercesJ, nion
Soldiers Saved From Death by
Kindhearted Southern Wom@n-
Monuments Erected.

museum in the Lincoln house, on Tenth
street, recently visited the famous battle
field of Bull Run, and delights in relating
what he saw there. To 4 Times reporter
he said:
Il visited the battle grounds of the first
and second Bun Run, the middle nf last
month, piIoted by Mr.. William F Lee,
whose home is within the circle of the
| battlefield. Arriving at Manassas on the
| cars, we walked distance OF five miles
| TO the hcme of Mr. William H. Wheeler,
who resides on fine farm within mile
of Wellington We reached his place just
in time for dinner, and the keen morning
air, the walk over the hills and through
woods sharpened our appetittcs, After
| dinner horse and buggy were placed at
| my disposal, and we drove TO Grovetou, ON
the Warrenton pike, and then to the
] monument erected on the farm OF William
Dogan, who has lived at Groveton since
the beginning Of the war The heaviest
! fighting of the second Bull Run battle
! August %, 1862 was done where this
monument stands, near the deep railroad
| cut. 1t was in this cut that Jackson
| Confederate forces were stationed when
/
them. Gen. Grover was at the head Of
800 men, who charged the Confederates,
but theiI ranks were 50 thinned that they
! We're compelled 10 fan back, losing 500 men
Our next visit was To the Sudley Mil,
then down tie Catharpin Run to the Sud-
| ley Springs. The Catharpm stream feeds
the mil and then emPties into Bail Rom
1t was near the spring that Gen. David
- ha
morning of July II, 1861. The ford over
which the Union Army crossed is three
miles from the Stone Bridge on the War
rentOn pike where the Confederates bad
placed strong guard To prevent the
Union forces from crossing.
'lmmediately after Hunters men crossed
the skirmishing commenced, ana we turned
our horsc's head south and followed the
route the Army took down the sudley
Springs road leading TO Manassas. The
first place OF interest met with was the
Sudley Church, which was used in both
battles as a hospital. The original church
as II appeared in war times was tuilt OF
brick hut in later years the walls caved
in and a new church Of wood was erected
| i'll its place.
we next passed the Matthews house, to
batteries placed around the house. but
they were driven away by the Tniun jFces.
| The stone house at the junction of the
warrenton pike and the sudley Springs
read is still standing. II shows marks OF
being hit with cannon balls.
''Groveton is one Inile west of the stone
house; the stone bridge two miles east;
Manassas six miles south, and Sudlay
I bar
fighting was done around this house, and
up the hill, half mile 10 the Henry house,
the Union troops charged, only to lie met
by a terrific fire from the Confederate
forces on the hill. We stopped at the
Henry house and called upon She ven erable
II. F. Henry, who is now eightysix years
of age. He is quite feeble, but his mind
is yet clear, and he related, with vivid
ness, the contests of July 81, 1861, end
August so, 1862, around his house. AT
the battle OF the first Bull Run, the Con
federate forces repuised the Federals with
great loss, but at the second battle, the
Union forces repulsed the Confederatss.
THE line of battle of the Confederate
army was little to the south Of he Henry
house, and from its ranks Col. f. 5. iSartow
and Gen. Barnard Z. Bee were killed, and
Gen. Bee said; See Jackson standing ike a
stone wall Within the fence which sur
rounds the house is a tree, near which
Gen. Wade Hampton was wounded. Mr..
Henry's mother was an invalid at the time
of the first battle and he, with his other,
carried her on a mattress to a place of
safety, but she pleaded with them TO Il, Ike
her back TO the house, which they ,jid, 3nd
| va not in u-h 81 on
tered and by its explosion killed her She,
with her daughter, is buried within an iron
railing in the yard in front of the house
Mr. Henry's house was burned during the
first fight, but he rebuilt upon the same
spot.
''In the fight of July 81 victory crowned
the Union arms to this point, but in the
middle of the afternoon the Confederate:
Were REINFORCED and the victory turned
into defeat, and such panic as was not
repeated during the entire war. The UnloI
army left ON the field over 900 muske cts
twenty eight pieces OF artillery, 500 00C
Cartridges, ten colors, besides many horses
wagons, camp utensils, etc. Young sbrancI
runs through the ravine near the Stone
house, and supplied the two armies with
water on that hot July day.
l
Church, Methodist congregation. Here I
met MI. Amos Benson, OF GrovetOn, and
heard from his lips the story of how he and
his good wife, now deceased, So "ed the
life of Union soldier. They were walking
over the battlefield two days after the
battle, in 1861, and in looking in fence
corner, near the Sudley Church, found a
Union soldier who had laid there uncon
| cir I,a
condition. They asked him if they could
dc anything for him, and he said he would
like to have something TO eat. So they
carried him some chicken soup, and went
to the church, which was then hospital
for the Union troops, and took a surgeon
to him. Upon quick examination tht
surgeon went away saying he could not
spend any time on hopeless cases, as
there We're too many needing care that could
recover.
THE Bensons did not leave the poo
fellow, but examined the wound and founC
that he had been shot In the lung an
the blood from the wound had purified
and attracted swarms of flies, who's.
larvae were wiggling under his clothine
They washed the wound, changed his lin, N
and carried him such things as they had
for they were poor; having lost everythin,
In the eating line by the WARRIOR tel
days, when he was removed to Richmon,
by the CoDfederates aud placed In Libb
] prison. This soldier proved to be Johl
L. Rice, private, Second New Hampshire
and afterwad rose to the rank of colonel
In S86 he visited the spot where his lif,
was saved, and the good people who
cared for him. He wanted to compensat
them for their kindness ON that occasion
IL