The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
iBB BATTLE OF BULL RUN
Present Aspect Of Centreville and
The Historic Fields.

The Topographic Maps 81 Beaure
gard aaa McDewel Describe tAs
Country Ace.rately NJ Il II Toda,
Few Changes in the Lanaseape-
Anniversary OF the Great Fight
CENTREvHLE. Va. July 21.-On THU
day thirty-nine years ago clouds Of sui
phurous smoke were rising I'VE miles ives,
Of this historic hamlet, guns. great and
small, were crashing. and men were fall
ing under two nags. The FIRST battle Of
Bull Run was being fought. No anniver-
sary exercises are being held. Here and
there a veteran OF one army or the other
struggles in over the rough roads to look
again upon these tragic fields. Time has
wrought few changes here. No new houses
have been built ct Certreville, and the old
ones. with grey. implanted sides. rooted
with moss-green shingles, still stand. The
same rocky pike, over which great armies
moved, still winds westward to the battle
/ field. Along this road McDowelrs army
marched. Midway between Cubb Run and
Bull Run, dark forest road crosses the
pike and winds north through pines and
oaks. 1t was here that Hunters and
Hempelman's division swung to the right
that Bull Run might be crossed at Sudley
Ford, and the Confederate left turned. At
this cross roads stood store and smithy.
and the blacksmith who rang his anvil
here in 1861 rings that anvil still.
Yes, SIR" he said to Times reporter.
''the Yankees left the pike here and went
oh dc v,oc Nv in
the morning of Sunday. 1t was fine sight
to see them going; It was an awful sight
to see them coming back in the AFTERNOON
and night. Yes. sir, lots Of shot fell over
this way. Lots of men were killed down
the pike there. Men PICKUP bones to this
Gay. Last May, in that field over there
(pointing about fifty yards south of the
pilse) they plowed up three or four skulls
and leg bones. That field was in woods In
war times, and those fellows. shot during
the hattie, wandered over there and died.
They plowed up their brass belt buckles.
too. They were Northern soldiers. Yes,
sir. it was bloody times. thirty nine years
age" and the smith again rang a tune
upon his anvil.
The Old Stone Bridge.
Il was along the pike to the west that
Tyler's division moved to the attack OF the
stone bridge over Bull Run. behind which
Evans, with regiment and half and
battery of four guns. was posted. The
bridge is a rough and solid red ston,
structure Of two arhes. 1t is fifty feet
long and connects the rocky and precipi-
tous east bank OF the stream with q
stretch of lowland on the west. Fifteen
feet below the bridge is the sluggish little
run, with pools of black and sEgnant
water here and there. On the east bank
stand the trunks of cedar trees that were
shot away. On the west OF Bull Run the
pike is fianked on the south by cornfieid
and on the forth by swampy land covered
with a dense growth of timber. Many of
the oaks growing there show the scars of
shot and she'll.
A mile and quarter further west Is
material of which 1t is buflO, at the in
tersection of the WarrentonCe ntreville
Pike and Sudley- Manassas Road. Behind
this famous old house is Bucks Hill, di-
rectly south of 1t is the Henry Hill,
and southeast OF it is Bald Hill. The
topographic maps of Beauregard and Nc
Dowell accurately describe the fed IS it is
today. The stretch OF woods behind the
Henry and Robinson houses which
sheltered Jackson's brigade remain as
during the war. When a Times man passed |
that way lazy-looking cattle were grazing |
where Generals Barton and Bee were /
killed.
The hill up which Franklin and Sher-
mans brigades were thrown is as 1t was !
on that bloody Sunday. and the Dogan and |
Chinn houses. between which Howard, |
Porter and Wilcox moved, are still ten
anted by the children of the wartime |
owners. The Stone House is Inhabited by |
B. L. Pridmore, who served in the Fourth |
Virginia Cavalry under Stuart, and fought |
over the same fields. both the first and !
second battles OF Bull Run. which he now |
tills. He was standing by the edge of |
cornheid that grows green over Bald Hill |
as he said to The Times man: my regi- |
ment helped to drive Pope from this hill. |
It was his last stand in the second battle.
It was about sunset. He fell back over
there on the Henry Hill, and during the
night retreated."
In the Henry House there lives grand |
nephew Of Mrs. Judith Henry, who was
killed during the first battle by a shell
passing through the house. She is buried |
n the yard. The stumps OF a grove of
ocust trees, cut away by shot, tell of
he fury of the engagement on the hill.
There are no monuments on this field
'ther than very unobtrusive one to Fed
raj troops. Little markers to indicate
he position of the various commands have
w.
or admittancc to this part of the battle
eld.
Many relics are still found in the woods
nd fields. Miss Sadie Simpson. of Centre
lille, has accumulated a valuable museum
I Bull Run mementoes. including gun bar
els, swords, canteens, belt buckles |
paulettes. cannon balls. shell. and bullets.
he Simpson home is near the Four CHM
ey House, which was McDowell's head.
uarters. and was at one time Pope's head
uarters, telegraph insulator nailed to a
'hite oak tree in front of the house being {
reminder Of this.
COmpOsftion of the Armies.
The official reports of the battle of Bull :
Jun show the Federal loss to have been r
so killed, 1,124 wounded, 1872 captured or v
Kissing; in all. 2,S9s. The Confederate I
,ss as given in the official reports was ss7
filed, 1852 wounded, Is captured or miss !;
,g; a total Of 1882.
General Sherman has said of this battle: .
It was one Of the best planned battles of
ne war, but one Of the worst fought. Both
rmies we're fairly defeated General
ohnston has said Of it: ''If the tactics of r
lie Federals had been equal to their STRAIT
~ We would have been beaten.
Nicolay. in his story of The Outbreak
the Rebellion says: ITO the military