The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-12

the comrade divisions, strung out along
the Warrenton turnpike, had been faced
about and started back for Fairfax Court
house. and Ii was apparent that beyond
Manassas in search of Johnston. McClel-
Ian did not care to go AverelIs cavalry,
pushing out southwestward, had spent a
day or two in scouting without seeing any
thing worthy of mention. and then had
drifted back TO Manassas for forage and
supplies.
Here and there through the wooded.
winding lanes that crossed his path Fred
caught sight of little squads of explorers
from his own division, but these became
less numerous he came in view of the
now famous Henry house and the cleared
fields UP the slope to the right. 1t lacked
still two hours TO sunset. He was now
barely mile from the Warrenton pike.
and. with abundant time TO spare. he de-
cided to ride TO the crest and have look
at the battle-ground of the previous year.
War with us had not then become the he'll
described by Sherman two years later. We
still handled both the enemy and the mus
ket with gloves. Each in his turn, Nc
Dowell and Mcclellan, had declared that
the houses of housekeeping Virginians
should he held inviolate, that property Of
every kind should be protected. Even
when, of it's own motion, 1t sought the shell
ter OF the Union camps the law demanded
Its restoration to the master coming. with
whip and hounds, in search OF his cbattel.
Safeguards were still posted at the gates
and doorways and over the pens, roosts,
smokehouses and cellars of the complacent
households whose sres. sons and brothers
were doubtless with the gray-clad army
across the Rappahannock. Benton could
see the CLINT of the sentry's bayonet among
the tall shrubbery in front of the Henry
house, and corporal. with a squad of blue
coated guardians. lounged at the gateway
ahead of him. But other forces, less heed
full of personal rights, perhaps. had been
there before. and the fence was but a ruin
through one of whose numerous gaps he
sent his powerful bay and then logged on
up the hillside. Accustomed to the saddle
from early boyhood, Fred was a horseman
whose easy mastery over the most intrac-
table mounts submitted to him for sub
jugation had won the admiration of such
experts Bayard and Custer, young off,
GERS of the regular cavalry frequently visit
| ing division headquarters during the win
ter. keen observer. he had studied the
soldiers with whom his staff duties so fire.
quently brought him in contact. Mcclellan.
| Mcdowell and Fitz John Porter were his
models of solderly bearing, dignity and
| department. Phil Kearney his ideal Of the
| preux chevalier. while among the few cav
airy commands and the famous light bat
| teries of the regulars rode younger SOL
diers whom he never tired of watching
4
| Griffin. with the West Point battery Weed,
| Ayres, Ames (still crippled and SCARED
| from first Bull Rum, Kirby and Hazlett
and a dozen jaunty boy gunners. while
Bayard. Joe" Taylor. Audenried. Sanders
| and McQuesten and the dashing troops Of
| their set were ever the objects of our
young Badgers scrutiny. He had profited
| by his observation and study, and no aid
de camp in McDowelrs big corps. as the
spring came on, better adorned his position
| than did the tall, sinewy Westerner, not
yet twenty-five.
| Small wonder was it, therefore that the
few sentries scattered about the house and
| gardens gazed admiringly at the slender,
| soldierly figure in the trim-fitting, well-cut
| uniform. Every detail of his equipment
horse furniture. boots. spurs, belt, sash,
| sword and gauntlets, holsters and field
! glasses-was all of the best that experts
| could choose or money buy. for the squire
| had not stinted his only son. A stirring
| picture they made as they halted on the
| heights. horse and rider silhouetted against
the sky. and a grand picture of Virginia
| landscapes beautiful picture when the
| summer clothed the forest in verdure-was
that outspread before him as he gazed
| away northwestward. Spanning the hori-
| zon to his left, eight miles so away, the
long. low range of the Bull Run mountains
the eastermost parallel of the, Blue Ridge
stretched from near Warrenton until lost
| in the hazy distance toward the Potomac
| opposite Point of Rocks. North and west
| ward the ground fell away before him,
| criss-crossed with farm fences and country
| roads, dotted with little hamlets and dark
| ened here and there by copse and grove
| and forest-while. beyond the road by
| which he came a barren crest, bursting
out above abrupt sloping sides, fringed
! with scrub oak and cedar. partially hid the
| view of tangled woodland that seemed to
spread for several miles to and beyond the
| twisting line of the railway toward that
low notch in the Bull Run range-the
height known as Bald Hill and vital point
in the summer months soon to come-the
notch. destined to be the gateway through
| which the Southern hosts were so soon 10
| swarm upon our rear-already known as
Thoroughfare gap. In front of him, n hun
dred yards away. stood the old Virginia
homestead about whose walls the battle
ragged that hot July Sunday OF the year
gone by-beneath whose shattered roof the
poor mother died, stricken by whirring
| fragments of shell. Riding thither and
skirting the Enclosure. he passed on. un-
checked by silent. saluting guardsmen, and
as he rode something prompted him te
glance toward the house again. and there
at a jagged shell hole, just under the caves
peering at him beneath the shattered clap
boards. his keen eyes caught an instant
glimpse of a haggard face-a face that, al
his glance. was instantly withdrawn.
ward edge OF the plateau, he unslung his
field glass to study the country outspreaG
before him and stretching away in alternate
field and forest. TO the dim. white walls oil
Vienna. Just beneath him. at the foot OF
the slope and across the shining ribbon OF
little stream and the broader, dull rec
cash of the Warrenton pike. stood ths
| stone house-the historic stone house OF
the by-gone year; just 10 his right, at the
| edge of the plateau the relics of the Rob