Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-08-12
Mistetlaneuus 8eading.
THE FIELD OF MANASSAS.
Scene of the Coming Autumn Man
oeuvers.

Centerville on the east Groveton and
Gainesville on the west, Sudley Springs
on the north and Manassas on the
south. The changes that have come
over that historic ground since the
civil war are few. The troops-and
there will be according to General
Corbin, 30,O0O-that 60 down into that
part Of Virginia in September might
be guided through the pines, woods,
cornfields and pastures Of the Bull
Run field by the topographic maps
used by Beauregard, Johnston and Nc
Dowell in July, 1861, or by the field
maps used by Jackson, Longstreet,
Lee and Pope in August, 1852. Bull
Run rolls sluggishly from Bull Run
mountains to Acquia creek, and Car
tharpin creek, Youngs branch, Cub
Run-all strategic streams-pour into
it at various points in the fighting
ground. A majority Of the farms are
owned by the same folk, or the chill
iren of the same folk, who titled them
in 81 and '62.
Will Appear as in 81.
The churches and farmhouses de-
stroyed during the engagement have
as a rule been restored on their origi-
nal foundations, and will appear to the
men of 1904 much the same as they
lid to the men Of 1861.
Sudley Springs is no bigger than In
war days. This little group Of houses
marks where Mcdowell, with the
corps of Hunter and Heintzelman,
crossed Bull Run Sunday morning,
July 21, 1861, in the execution Of his
turning movement, whereby he hoped
to take Beauregard in reverse, seizing
the Manassas Gap railroad and inter-
cept Johnson, who was supposed by
the Federals to be in the Valley Of
Virginia with Patterson at his heels,
but whose army, with the exception
of Kirby Smiths brigade, had already
effected a junction with Beauregard.
Sudley Springs was the right Of jack
sons line in the second battle, and the
point at which Pope attacked him.
Cartharpin Creek joins Bull Run at
Sudley Springs. The place Is called
Springs" because a sulphur spring
and an iron spring bubble there. In
ante-bellum times it was a summer
resort of rather wide renown, but all
this was changed by the war. Nobody
goes there now to take the waters.
Saw the Battle.
There are two persons in Groveton
today who lived there in 1852. One Of
these Is Mrs. Lucinda Dogan, 81 years
old, and the other Is an old negro
named Redmond. Mrs. Dogan was
ordered from her home by one Of Jack
sons officers on the morning Of Au-
gust 80, and before she had gone 10
minutes, the artillery fire preceding the
heavy fighting, had opened. Mrs. Do
gan returned to the field after the
withdrawal of Pope, and before the
burial of the dead. She tells a grew
some story of the aspect Of the field.
Inc TdllTOdu cut IuilS tAhou6h eA>
Dogan farm, and it was here that the
bloodiest fighting Of the second battle
of Bull Run occurred. Before the war
a railroad, called the "Independent
Railroad" was projected to run from
Manassas Gap railroad, at Gainesville,
northeasterly to .Leesburg. The road
was graded, hills cut through and low
ground filled. No ties or iron were
laid, the war putting stop to the
work. 1t was along this graded way
that Jackson formed his line for the
second fight. The line of the railroad Is
we'll preserved today. The cuts are
grown up with pine and cedar and the
fills" are also overgrown, but one
may walk along the roadbed from
Gainesville to Sudley. The particular
cut, where troops fought with clubbed
muskets and stones, Is about a thou
sand yards north Of the Dogan house.
Pointing over the field between the
house and the cut, old Mrs. Dogan said
dead men were so thick out there
that you couldn't walk without step
ping on them" BY the side Of the
cut and where the dead lay thickest
there was erected a rude shaft Of
stone in 1865. 1t is we'll preserved to-
day.
Scene of the Panic.
Groveton is one mile west along the
Warrenton pike from the central field
of the first battle of Bull Run, and by
standing on a hill a few rods from the
Dogan house, one can see the Henry
house and the Henry field where the
Union advance southwark from Sud-
ley was checked Sunday afternoon,
July 81, 1861, and where the panic
seized the Union troops Mrs. Dogan
saw the battle. This old lady was a
star witness in the congressional in
uuiry, which reversed the findings OF
the court-martial in the Fitz-John
Porter case. She testified that Long
street and the officers Of his staff ate
breakfast at her house in the morning
Of August %, and that his troops were
coming down the pike from the direc-
ton of Gainesville. 1t was mainly her
testimony which proved that Long
street had joined Jackson in the morn
ing of the day, and thus that Long
street was in front of Porters corps
which lay behind Dawkin's branch
about two miles south Of Groveton.
Bethel church, which was Fitz-John
Porters headquarters, three miles
north of Manassas, has been moved
four miles to the south, but the old
foundations are visible.