The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-01-21
REVIsITING BULL RUN.
Old Connecticut Soldiers Looking Over
 the Battlefield

An issue Of the Manassas Journal
 dated some little time back tells tht
 following interesting story of old Con
 necticut soldiers revisiting the famout
 battlefield. It will interest readers tc
 know that since the publication of the
 article MT. Henry has died and the
 property has been placed in charge oi
 a Union soldier, George c. Round, q
 lawyer of Manassas, who was in the
 First Connecticut artillery There is a
 feeling in many quarters that the gov-
 ernment should buy the place and pre-
 serve it. The story of the visit is as
 follows:
 MT. Henry P. stearns, superintendent of the Retreat for the Insane at Hart
 ford, Conn.,, >and General E. w. Whita-
 ker of Washington, D. C., visited the
 battlefield of first Bull Run on Tuesday
 of last week.
 After riding over the field with their
 host, MT Round, and hearing MT. Hugh F. Henrys explanation of the ! battle, they both decided that they had
 never known anything of the battle be-
 fore, though they had been partici-
 pants in it In their respective capaci- 1 ties-thG one as surgeon of the First Connecticut Infantry and the other as a corporal In Captain Joseph R. HaW- | ley's company of the same regiment. Both of them were on duty in q section of the field between Edwin l.. Carter's farm and the Van Pelt house, and from their position could see little of the center of the confiic. They expressed great satisfaction in MT. Henrys reef tai of the facts.
 Dr. Stearns occupied very promi- nent position in the medical history of the war. For some time in the begin- ming of General Grants career he was medical director of his staff. He told some interesting incidents of his illus trious chief. He especially noted him a silent man, very attentive to his bus mess and minute in his directions as to the care for his sick and wounded
 General Whitaker was on April 9, 1865, a colonel and chief of staff of Gen. eral Custer. When Custer received the flag of truce at a. m., from Captain Simms of Longstreet's staff, he handed it to Whitaker with message in re- sponse, and the two hostile officers re- turned to Lees army, with great per- sonal danger to themselves, while ar ranging some details.
 The generals story is of intense in- terest and varies somewhat from the stories of reporters and historians on both sides of the conflict His part in it was seven hours and half befoer Grant telegraphed the consummation of the surrender to Washington. The general made the acquaintance of Ma jor Mclean of Manassas and gives a laughable account of his conversation with the major He has in his posses sion a memorandum in McLean's well known handwriting. which in his ex- citement he dated April g. 1856. Gene ra1 Whitaker has in his residence in Washington the flag of truce which was used on the occasion. He says that the Confederate generals had some difficult ty in securing something white for the flag, but that Captain Simrns had two towels-bought in Richmond for forty | it was one of these towels | which officiated on that historic date simms and Whitaker became great friends, and the latter tells how Sinlms tried to convince him that the towel be- Ionged to him. Whitaker argued to the contrary from military precedents and Simms reluctantly confessed judgment against himself.
 General Whitaker and his friend Corporal Tanner, were among the Un- ion officers who have to Arthur A. | spitzer of R. F. Lee Camp at Rich- mond, letters of introduction to Lafay- ette Post of the Grand Army in New York, composed of men of wealth, who made up twenty-five thousand dollars for the Confederate home at Richmond. It is well to remember such things, when the press is so ready to take up and publish every foolish thing any of the Grand Army may do or iay.
 It may also be of interest to note that he Captain Hawley who is named lboye is the man who for many years las been chairman of the military com nittee of the United States senate. senator Hawley expected to make the rip on Tuesday with his old comrades, ,ut was unexpectedly detained.
 Dr. Stearns was especially gratlfled t meeting Mr. Edwin L. Carter at whose house on Pittsylvania farm he established hospital which he con- rolled from 10 a. m. until about or
 p. m. ' Both of these interesting visitors ,ere very emphatic in their opinions hat the government ought to acquire tile to the battlefield for the benefit of he students and tourists of the future.