The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-20
BY Y. P. HOUGHTON


are but little altered. The wire fences make 1t difficult to get about except on roads
 mere IS an effort being made to nave ehe government convert the grounds into d national park but since the northern army suHered two defeats on that field, the ruling party does not seem to care so much for monuments there as at Get tyspurg, where for the first time Lees army was barely prevented from obtain ing victory. It Is not strange that they loVe the drowning heights of Culp's Hill, Round Top and the boulders of Devils Den, which saved the northern army rom defeat, better than the plains of Manassas where nature opposed no ob- stacle In it's favor. The postoffice near the battlefield is named Wellington, s1atlon on the Manassas Gap R. R., which now runs to Harrisonburg.
 There are no monuments beside those mentioned on the field. The little marble column erected to Barlow, where he fell, near the Henry House, disappeared piece meal from the attacks of the relic hunt CTS before the second battle was fought.
 Tn lew years none will be left to point out the positions of regiments in the re- spective battles. The Fifteenth Alabama occupied the old railroad and so severely were they pressed that clubbed guns and rocks were freely used by both sides. The federal color bearers waved their flags over the heads of our men and in one place broke through the line. Ask any Of that regiment and they will tell you Of the shouts that went up when Longstreets cannon told that help had come to save Jackson's men from the overwhelming numbers which Pope had thrown against them for three days An eye witness tells me he was present when Longstreet, from the hills near Grove ton, saw three lines of battle march against Jackson, and ordered up the ar tlllery, telling them to fire into the rear line. My informant climbed a persimmon tree and saw the line waver and break. Tor It was an enfilade fire, which no troops can resist. Then came the order to fire into the second line, which broke and fled The first line met such fire from the front that 1t soon followed the others.
 Turning Point.
 MT. Wheeler also saw the turning point of the battle, when we got there just in time to keep Jackson from being over whemed. From our position we could not see the fight, but far into the night we heard the yells of the Texans as they drove the Zouaves and the red jackets and caps of the latter made the field look like garden of flowers the next day. l rode to Manassas in a day coach with some whole-souled Virginia gentlemen, who could and did tell me thlngs-what crops they made, how they bought and fattened cattle for the Baltimore market of their bird dogs, blooded cows and horses, of their daily life, and through 1t all was that immense pride in old Virgin 1t, the pride that makes and keeps them gentlemen of the old school.
 The contractors who are double-track- ing the Southern from Washington to Orange have about 2,500 negroes from Birmingham and Montgomery in their employ and in places work night shifts by electric lights.
 The Nirginians say that our Alabama darkies are hard cases who fight with razors, get drunk, shoot craps, and cut up in a surprising way One went to a farmer whose home is on the battlefield | of Brandy Station and wanted work. | When he asked what he could do on farm, he said he could pick cotton. al- though there was none in an hundred l miles. l assured them that the contrac- tors usually got the riff raff from the | cities. and we hope they would send them | off to their bosom friends in Boston.