The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-04

Grafton now unborn are going 10 care
70 know where this mans division came
n ard that ether regiment dashed forthza
This is the criticism OF the detailed mark
ing Of our great battlefield parks. While
its language VIII be understood. most OF
the facts and terms recorded viii be lit
tie more than hieroglyphics 10 the distant
future An exception should Of course
be made to students Of strategy, OF nil
itary critics. and OF the really Dainstak-
/ ing readers OF American history.
StiH, the plans Of George c. Round of
Manassas. who has this battlefield pro-
jet IN charge. are BY no means elaborate.
He says:
7 think the land should be kept ex-
actly as il now IS and substantially as il
was before the war, with the exception OF
TWO or three convenient roadways and
some fencing Of prominent character.
! II possible 10 do more, I suggest from 50
/ 10 one hundred permanent tablets. in leu
! OF the wooden ones erected by the Grand
/ Army committee in 1892 These would
! give all the information ordinarily sought
/ By visitors.
! 1 also suggest two steel towers. one
on Henry Hiu and another on Douglas
Hin, from which tourists could easily
see the two lines Of railroad and the
junction al Manassas: Fairfax Court
{ House, CentreviIIe Heights. and the whole
valley Of Bull Run from SuCley 10 Union
Mills; the battie-felds of blackburn s
Ford and ChantiIly; the location Of Fitz
John Porters column and Of the two
battles OF Bristow Stations Thoroughfare
Gap. Hopewell Gap, and the whole length
o fthe Bull Run range; TO the north could
be seen the vicinity of Balls Bluff. the
outlines Of the Potomac Valley and be-
yond the SugarIoaf mountain and the ad-
jacent hills Of Maryland: to the south
west would be seen Warrentown the
outlines Of the Eappahannock valley. and
far beyond the Blue Ridge for more than
q hundred miles In fact the whole STRAIT
esy Of the campaigns of 81. e. s. could
be read IS from an open book II there
Is any other part Of the world where
50 many military operations can be seen
and studied 20 advantage, do not know
il.
II believe the whole expense would not
exceed $4,000 and think j. could be fairly
well done for that sum. The annual ex-
penditure need not thereafter exceed 500
or $50 for keeper. who could be allowed
the use Of the lands for grazing and cuI-
tivatioa under reasonable restrictions.
The inscription, To the patriots who
fell at Bull Run" written as it were by
the chief of STAFF OF the commanding gen
eraI. is singu-ariy brief and appropriate.
Not scintilla of reflection on those who
fought against US but rather. as I pre-
fer TO consider it. a phophesy Of the time
ROW AT hand when all American oldiers
who died for what theey believed right
VIII be considered patriots. even though !
mistaken.
1t is true that since the monuments /
were erected most of the Union dead have I
been removed TO Arlington but they are |
nat ali removed. The ploughman has fire. /
quently revealed this fact. though now /
40 distinction can be discerned between /
friend and foe The duty of the govern
ment however. is clear. whether we con- 1
slider its duty 10 the owners Of the soil /
or its duty 20 the dead and living. or its
duty to itself
Manassas is surprising attractive
little Southern town; it has grown up
wholly since the war, but IS laid out Ike
he old Southern towns about here. with
he shops and stores on the sidewalks.
which axe here made of fagstone. y rcd
granite which is quarried nearby appears
n the trimmings CT all the prominent
buildings. The impression which most
ravelers have OF Manassas is gained by
glimpse from the express train. which Us
Tally pulls up here in the morning just
Is they are walking in preparation for
trivial in Washington, thirty-three miles
way: their impression is unfortunate, for
he part Of the town near the railroad
s not its most promising. and some
lody has had the bad taste 10 plaster
'ver The sides of q railroad hotel memoir
ais of the destruction of the Batuesnip
Maine. with a great picture of it. and an
.djuraticn 70 remember the calamity.
when there is nothing in this village TO
suggest the Maine. but world OF interest
n another episode. which in an outburst
Z new patriotism the owner of this house
strangely desires 70 pass by.