The Washington times., 1902-10-08
Two Rough Stones Erected
by the Union Troops Inn
mediately After the Close Of
the War Alone Mark the
Scenes Of Bloody Enooun-
tiers The Henry House,
Near Which the Heaviest
Fighting Occurred. = y

~ F the historical points within
days trip of Washington none
NJ is of more interest, especially
to the veteran who fought on
either side during the civil war, than a
visit to the Bull Run battlefield. and,
although there are no markings or mon
uments On the grounds except two rough
red stone shafts erected by the Union
troops Immediately after the close of
the war; and the painted board tablets
that mark various points of interest on
the Henry place, where the brunt of the
first battle was fought, the field is Wis
tied each year by great many persons.
And as tine time lengthens since that
eventful period the number of visitors
increases each year.
As the National Government has taken
no steps 10 preserve the locations of
these two battles it would ordinarily be
thought, owing to the changes liable TO
occur in period of forty years, that the
old battlegrour DIS would hardly be recog
nized by those who camped on and
fought over them. But such is not the
case. There is but little change in the
appearance of the fields and timber
lands. and while not many of the houses
that stood at the beginning of the war
remain, others have been built on the
same sites and are not materially differ
ent in structure. So similar is the ap
pearance of the country that visiting
veterans without difficulty point out
with certainty where they fell wounded
or where commanders or comrades were
wounded or killed. In the words of
veteran who wished to locate the point
at which a brother was killed, be said:
ION arriving at the field / Immediately
recognized the place from which our
command charged the enemy. and going
forward, as we had made our advance,
l walked straight TO the place and easily
recognized the fatal spot"
Information Easily Obtained.
Those not familiar with the battles.
except from the reading of history, will
find much of interest and will expert
,nce little difficulty in locating the diff
i
house. ON the plateau where the heaviest
fighting of the first battle occurred, re-
sides Mr. Henry Steen. Union veteran.
who has charge of the place and for
reasonable charge goes over the ground
and gives a lecture on the movements of
the two armies However, many of
those now living in the vicinity were
residents at the time of the battle or are
descendants of former residents. and
there is no difficulty in securing infor-
nation without charge.
A great many mimic balls, cannon
balls. and pieces of shells, as we'll as
other relics of the war. are frequently
picked up by the boys of the neighbor-
hood, and these can be secured for small
sums by those wishing souvenirs of their
visit to the battlefelds. 1t is said that
in a cornfield that had not been plowed
for several years the boys, while thin
ming the corn. each picked 125 to $50
bullets day.
The easiest way to reach the battle
field is by train over the Southern Rail-
way to Manassas and from there by
coach to the battlefield, distance of
FIVE miles from the station. But if it is
desired to go from the Henry house over
the stone bridge to Centerville and back
to Manassas via Mitchell's Ford tnow
called Holden's Ford), the triangle will