Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-28

BULL RUN TODAY.
A Visit to the Battlefield Where the War
Opened.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 19.-Very
much such Sunday as has just pass
ed it was when Mcdowell came to
Bull Run, July 81, 1861. The corn
was tasselling in some fields, and at
least waist high in all, as it is now
The wheat was in the shock. The
oats had been Graded. Marching
along the Virginia pike the northern
invaders passed the fringe of hills
south of the Potomac. They came to
an undulating country. AS they reach.
ed successive SUBMITS of the gradual
rises they looked forward upon
stretches of country divided into
squares of woodland, corn6elds, mead.
ows and small grain stubble. At the
bottom of every descent was as tream
of pure spring water wriggling to the
eastward to find its way to the Po
tomac. At the top of every ridge the
soil was thin, the powders were in
sight, and the suggestion of a semi
mountainous region was impressed by
the frs, as we'll as by the excess ot
rock.
The country has changed but little
the inhabitants say. There are about
the same divisions of woods and titled
field that there were then. The roads
are where they were. On the pixies
can be seen today some of the close
cobblestone paving that was done
with slave labor and was in use st
years ago. Today the farmer of Fair
fax and London and Prince William
doesn't wreck the springs of his tor
buggy on that pavement. He drives
in the dirt road beside it.
State militia from New York, bat
teries from the regular army, battalions
of United States, cavalry, marines
from the navy yard, Fire Zouaves from
New York city, volunteers from all Of
the New England states and New
York, single regiment from Michi'
gan, one from Wisconsin, one from
MINNESOTA, and two from Ohio march
ed down and upon that field where
Beauregard was waiting to fight the
first battle of the war. The ten bri'
gades had been the best part of the
week getting out Of Washington and
following the pixies to Bull Run. They
were going to Manassas, which lay
half a dozen miles beyond Bull Run
and, if not stopped, intended to con-
tinue "on to Richmond" They had
been hastily modified. Their uni
forms were as many colored as Jacobs
coat. Their commander, Mcdowell
was only a brigadier. William T.
Sherman, destined to become famous
was a colonel in charge of brigade
Howard, who has just retired as 8
major general held position as colo
mel, as also did Robert c. Schenck
who was afterward minister to Eng
land, William B. Franklin, of Soldiers
Homes management, Ambrose E. Burn
side, Samuel P. Heintzelman and Or.
lando B. Wilcox.
1t was a motley army that came
upon the fields of Bull Run from the
north. 1t was composed of soldiers
who expected to end the war in &C
days and get back to the offices and
shops and stores and farms after g
summers campaigning. Assembled
along the south side of Bull Run tc
meet the mixture of regulars and mi
litia and marines and volunteers was
the provisional army of the Confeder'
ate states, arrayed in even greater
variety of clothing, for many of the
organizations were without uniforms
and those who bore the semblance ot
real soldiery were in the garb of the
militia of their respective states. Two
days before the battle Beauregard, tc
distinguish his men from the northern
troops, found it necessary to issue such
an order as this:
after midnight tonight the red flame
scarf badge will hereafter be worn as 6
cravat or neck scarf by all to whom it has
been issued. The enemy has resorted tt
this badge, and today is wearing it rounC
the left arm. Nevertheless, it is enJolnee
on brigade, regimental and company
necessity for the greatest circumspectior
and seli-command, so as to avoid firing
on friends wearing the armed badge by
mistake, or from ignorance OF the change
Certainty should be sought for by al
possible precautions before firing is be-
gum"
Just before midnight the Confeder'
ate commander concluded that the rec
badge would not answer the purposes
of Identification. He issued another
order to this effect:
"From and after this date all order!
providing badges are revoked, and M
badge will be worn until otherwise spe
cialiy ordered from these headquarters
Instead of which signal Of recognition
will be the raising of the right or lef
hand as high as the hat or cap rlm-the
palm to the front; or watchword lssuec
Goth of July, 1861, Our Homes"
When, at a few minutes past 5 thai
Sunday morning, the opening gun wa:
fired by the Northern army, both side:
knew all about the theory of war
Beauregard occupied position along
Bull Run which did great credit to hi
Judgment, as the civilian riding dowr
the pike from Centerville toward War
renton can see today. The way i:
down hill to the stone bridge. Their
comes a flat of a few hundred yards
and the hills rise rather abruptly
There are wood lots to conceal rea
strength and open fields to permit the
deploying of considerable bodies
From the hills the Confederates coult
look toward Centerville and see tn
Union brigades moving toward then
with the worst part of Bull Run tt
cross before the battle became hot
But after the opening gun, which wa:
opcwarod oil olono the front the brl