The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
BULL RUN BATTLEFIELD
WHAT VISITORS TO CIVIL W..
ARENA IN VIRGINIA CAN SEE.
Earth and Trees still Yield Grim
Mementoes OF the Confifct-LittIe
Change i'm Surroundings.
p I. Ditmars in New York Times.

r. L. Dtmars. in New York Times
After nearly forty years the veteran of
the civil war may stand on the battlefield
of Bull Run in Virginia. looking over
that great arena of grassy fields. rolling on
all sides toward heavy timber, and realize
that the picture was exactly the same in
1861. when the signal gun announced the
fight was on. And upon this scene. where
the Union army met its two greatest de-
feats. curiosity seekers have roamed and
hunted since 1866. yet tokens Of the fight
are still found upon the field in the shape
of bullet and shell.
The visitor approaches the battlefield
from Manassas, quiet town on the South
ern Railway. 1t is a six-mile drive and
partly through the woods. Suddenly the
latter come to an end, and panorama OF
lovely country spreads itself before the
eye. With one who has perused descrip-
lions of this historic place, the various
points of interest spring suddenly into
view. To the veteran the scene brings back
old memories with a rush. Before him
stands the "Stone house," on Youngs
creek the Henry house, which has been
rebuilt into the same form II presented
when Ricketts, turned his guns upon the
structure and shattered it from cellar to
attic to drive out Confederate sharpshoot-
ers. And Immediately in front the Warren
ton turnpike stretching its red length west
ward toward Groveton and eastward to the
''stone bridge"
Driving along the fence bordering the
Henry house plateau, the visitor arrives
at branch of the road. This terminates
abruptly at a gate leading into the grounds
on which a sign reads to the effect that as
the grounds are private property, an en-
trance fee of so cents will be charged. The
house stands back some distance from the
road, and the way leads steadily up hill.
Arriving at the top of the grassy plateau,
numerous sheep are seen grazing in all d.
rections.
BULL RUN MONUMENT.
The house is surrounded by weather
beaten fence, and beside it stands a monu-
ment of substantial structure. This is built
of red stone, is about fifteen feet high and
ornamented with conical shells of heavy
caliber. Facing the house is the inscrip-
ton: I'm Memory of the Patriots Who Fell
at Bull Run. July q, 1861" II was erected
by a detachment of federal forces under
the direction of General Gamble immediate
ly after the close of the war. Resting
against the base of the stone shaft is
tablet bearing the words: Both battles
ended on these grounds.
The latter was put in place by members
of the Grand Army of the Republic while
visiting the battlefield in recent years. On
looking out over the field numerous tablets
are seen to stand here and there. These
were all erected by Grand Army of the Re-
public veterans. Among the most interest
ing are: Here Jackson was wounded and
got the title of 'Stonewall >; Location of
the cavalry charge on the Fire Zouaves,
July D. 1851" General Bee was killed
here" Many of the tablets pertain to the
death of officers of high rank
On the writer's visit to the field he was
met at the house by A. L. Henry, partial
owner of the grounds
MANY visitors. the majority of them
veterans of the war, come from all over the
country to roam about these fields, said
Mr.. Henry. 1.-The majority come from the
New England States. On the register at
name of somebody from Massachusetts or
Connecticut 1 have planted no corn, nor
have / cultivated the farm to any extent.
Visitors would not care about tramping
over plowed fields to points of interest.
and, besides corn or grain would hide the
landscape to too great an extent. AS 1t is
now, the land is firm and smooth enough
to drive over at any point, and my sheep,
of which / have many, keep the grass
grazed down to such an extent that the
plateau and it's slopes look like great
lawn.
"Our cid house has been replaced. I re-
member when the lumber from it's ruins lay
down there in the hollow as 1t was
dragged away to make room for the new
one. That lumber, torn and riddled by a
heavy cannonade, was used for firewood.
Since the time of it's disposal hundreds OF
people have asked for scrap OF It as. as
what became of the old house, why didn't
you saw up the wood and sell the pieces
as relics?' / have given many relics of
the field away but don't make business
of selling them.
I'm front of the new house, which resem-
bles the old one in almost every respect,
are the old trees which grew there during
the war Each one of them, 1T is safe to
say, contains many pounds of lead. On this
big oak you will see the effects OF the fire
which swept from one army to the other
III the fight of 1851
Approaching the tree, the writer observed
that some parts of it were dead. and on
these part the holes made by balls and
shell fragments were scattered everywhere.
on the living portions the wounds had
healed with time, but the bark showed
bumps and burrows where the missiles of
war hal torn their way Immediately in
front of the house stands the trunk of
once noble oak. now torn. riddled and dead.
That said Mr.. Henry. lis an illustra-
ton of the fire or home was under"
A FAMILY GRAVEYARD.
Standing about twenty-five feet in front
of the house is little Enclosure containing
several gravestones. The largest among
them marks the grave Of Mrs. Henry, who
was an invalid at the time of the war.
She was almost instantly killed during the
heavy cannonading of the first fight. On
the granite slab the inscription reads in
part: 1.-THE grave of our dear mother.
Judith Henry; killed near this spot Dy the
explosion of shells in her dwelling. during
the battle of the 21st of July, 1851 Buried
beside Mrs. Henry are several OF her
daughters.
Among our visitors continued Mr..
Henry have been many army and naval
officers who had never before visited the
field. Their first exclamation on reaching
the top of this hill and looking over the
sweep of country is, What a magnificent
place for a fght,'"
DO you still find many relics on the
held?''
IT find them constantly" was the reply,
although every visitor coming out this
way searches most diligently for something
in the shape of relic. After heavy rains
numerous articles uncovered. Only
yesterday / found a belt plate bearing the
letters u. s. Rusty .bayonets are fire.
quently turned up. while bullets are COM
mon. They look like white pebbles. having
become coated with a peculiar white cor
rosion. This does not seem to injure them.
however, for little scrapfng shows them
TO be in good condition"
While being shown about the place the