The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-10
WAR-SCARRED CENTREVILLE.
Virginia Hamlet in Heart of Bloody
 Bull Run Fields,

huhA fHeHEt or BLOODY Bull Rum Fields. Special to The Philadelphia Record Centreville. Va.-In all that has been written about the autum maneuvers of | the army u be hald on the battlefelds of Bull Run in September nothing has been written about the village of Gen. treville. The historic armes, Manas- sas Groveton. Gainesville, Sudley Springs. Thoroughfare Gap. Henry Hill, Warrenton Pike and Stone Bridge, have been frequently used. but not Centre vile, Yet the troops In moving over the | old battle-ground of July. 1861, and Au- l gust, 1862, yill pass and repass one of the most war-racked hamlets in Vir- ginia,
 1 Centrevillo in the herioc age of the
 Republic was what its name indicates
 The civil war threw such glare upon
 the hamlet that the eyes of the world
 were drawn to 1t. Great legions of the
 Union and great armies of the Confed-
 eracy grappled around the place. It was
 d village over which one army and then
 another rolled.
 Four signboards posted at the cross
 roads where the village stands tell the
 way. One reads: ITO Bull Run three
 miles," The legend on another Is: ITO
 Chantilly four miles" A third Is in
 SIl U 1iulc L"SlNO WnlIe
 a fourth points to Fairfax Court House,
 seven miles away. These names are an
 index to tragic fields.
 When Mcdowell marchel west from
 the heights of Arlington in July, 61, he went to Centerville. When Tyler's divi-
 sion went to Blackburn's Ford. July IS.
 6l. it went from Centerville. When
 McDoweN moved to the attack of Beau 1 regard, Sunday morning July 21,' 61
 he set out from Centerville. When he
 tried 10 rally his shattered army 1t was
 at Centerville. When Jackson marched
 from Manassas after having burned
 Union stores in Popes rear at Bristow 1 Station and Manassas. he went to Gen.
 terville. When Jackson took up his po-
 sition between Groveton and Sudley to
 confront Pope and awit the coming of Longstreet he marched out through Gen.
 terville. When Pope retired from the | field of the second Bull Run he fell back to Centerville, and when Jackson fol- lowed him to Chantilly the Army of Northern Virginia encamped around Cen
 treville.
 Those battles variously called the l first and second Bull Run and the first and second Manassas might as accurat-
 ely and more aptly be called the battles l of Centreville The Stone Bridge where Tyler feinted at Beauregards left and engaged Evans and Cooke, Sunday. July 9l, '6l, Is six miles from Manassas and three miles from Centreville. Surley, where McDowell crossed In the execu- ton of the ill-timed turning movement, Is five miles from Centreville and seven from Manassas. The intersection of the Sudley road and Warrenton pike, where the severest conflict took place in 61 and where there was severe fighting in | '62, Is four miles from Centreville and five from Manassas. Groveton, the mid dle ground of the fighting, August 29 and 30, S62, Is about the same distance west of Centreville and northwest of Manassas Cub Run Bridge. the point on the pike where the worst phase of the Federal rout took place, Is two miles from Centreville and seven from Manassas.
 The population of Centreville Is about the same as In '61 and the number of houses has not increased. A dozen per sons live there now who lived there during the war. They nursed the sick and wounded of both armies and helped bury the dead.