The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-09-26

toward US as though awaiting our ap-
proval. Scarcely knowing what to do We
turned to the ladies. One of them made
scarcely perceptible motion and moved
from the room. In a few moments we
followed, and from her we learned that
the old gentleman was demented. He
was formerly a professor in n college in
Virginia and possessed extraordinary abil-
tiles; but by over-applicatiOn his mind
gave way, ard now he was only fit
"FOr sweet secluslon
For Calm. uninterrupted solitude"
All this we learned with solemn surprise,
and turning beheld the unfortunate sub
| Ject of our conversation standing at the
parlor door, gazing at us with an express
sion of distrust and suspicion. lie was
most noble-loOking man, with a brow
fine intellect which now lay dormant
within. He was in the habit of strolling
around the neighborhood, being known as
| Uncle Jollie, and was freed from any an
noyance in consequence.
We stayed to tea; and when we took
our departure left the poor gentleman
greatly grieYed and disappointed, as we
had become great friends. He shook
hands with US, and begged that we would
visit him again. To this we assented,
if convenient, and came away.
| Rainy weather came upon us. o, the
ennui of those days! We sat within the
tents, the flaps thrown back, gazing out
upon the falling water, and the miniature
rivers cutting their irregular way through
the soft yellow soil and rushing along the
drains of the camp and forming them
| selves into great pools, and looking as if
the tide of the mighty deluge. was fast
lreceding and earth in her native modesty
peeping out for sunshine's smile.
The trees seemed to droop and weep;
and the little dirty brown tents looked as
! if heartily ashamed of their cramped, I'M
comfortable and very ''unjoily'' appear
ance; the fires would struggle fitfully for
n moment to warm the damp hands and
dry the saturated garments of their I'M
comfortable guests, and then flicker down
under the torrent i'll Il mass of thick blue
smoke, through which little tongue of
flame would sometimes fit to show
"That still she lived"
ON THE MARCH AGAIN.
| You could hear, too, the unweary ak,
with its mOnotonOus chop, chop, from the
woods, and the voice of the woOdman SOL
der, as he piled his toll, singing merIily
in the rain. This dismal weather did not
long continue, however, and when the rain
ceased, and the sun came out, we issued
from our canvas huts, stretched our I'M
exercised anatomy and prepared TO move.
/
through Culpeper, much to the delight of
| its inhabitants, marched to the Kappa
hammock, which we crossed the same day,
and moved to WarrentOn Junction, where
Gen. Meade concentrated the Army of
the Potomac, and prepared to oppose by
counter-Strategy the strategic movements
! of Lee. In this Gen. Meade was emf
nently successful. In the progress of his
movements he arrived at Beverly Ford
where he expected Lee would give bat
tie. A few days after the battle of Bris-
toe Station was fought, the 18th of Dc
tOber, in which the Second Corps acted
with splendid gallantry, having been cut
off from the main army, and succeeded
in repulsing the enemy.
About midnight of the day of the bat
tie of BristOe Station the Fifth Corps
came to their assistance. The 9th en-
dured great fatigue during that day and
night, having marched from Bristoe Sta
ton to Centerville, and back to Fairfax,
where they encamped for the night. The
next day we marched to the old battle
ground of Bull Run, where we arrived
Oct. 20, 1868.
The battle-ground is a series of low
hills, intersected with narrow streams of
good water, the great essential of u bat
tlefield or campground.
The tierceSt part of the contest under
Pope was fought in broad, open fields
dense woods, at that time occupied by
our cavalry, which, supported by the
Pennsylvania Reserves, made a most
splendid charge upon the forces of the
enemy, over the open field, fences and
streams, upon the rebels in position at
that point, driving them to the shelter of
the woods upon the southwest portion of
the field.
The contest in the open field must have
been very fierce, for piles of dead were