The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-28
MANASSAS AND BLOODY
BATTLES FOUGHT THERE
BY w. r. HoUeHToN.

a the same to the lett OF the gap whist
the Texans were sent to pass about five
miles off. The enemy shelled US till long
after nightfall, and in line we ate our
scant rations Of bread and raw bacon the
latter so spoilt that nothing but extreme
/ hunger could have made the appetite
overcome the odor.
The next morning the enemy had dis
/ appeared and al sunrise we were on the
east side, and with the Texans in front
we made quick time to the relief of our
comrades in Jacksons corps About
o'clock we began to see the smoke of
shells bursting far up in the blue sky,
but could not hear the sound We passed
| Gainesville about 10 a. m, and about II
! o'clock the Texans filed to the left and
/ Toombs brigade to the right of the War
renton pike. about three-fourths OF
mile southwest of Groveton and about
two miles southwest of the Henry House
on the former battlefield.
1t is history how Fitz John Porter's
corps of 10000 veterans lay just east of
US, its line formed through the yard of
| Mr.. L. b. Wheeler, who still lives there
how Pope sent him an order at II a. m,
to march to attack Jaekson's right flank
| how another imperative order was sent
by Pope at p. m. to attack Jackson, how
/ Stuart had his cavalry 10 draw brush
i along the Warrenton pike to raise dust
SO as to deceive Porter till we could ar
rive, now Porter was court martialled and
sentenced to be shot for disobedience to
orders, how Lincoln committed his SEN
tence to dismissal from the army, how
many years after, through Grants in
fiuence congress ordered a court of in
| qury and Longstreet and other Con-
| federates being witnesses 1t was shown
E, that Porter was confronted by Long
streets veterans and could not have
obeyed the order, and Porter's sentence
was reversed. AS seen by us at the time
We lay fronting east in an apple orchard
near house about where the eastern
| fork of Young's branch rises, and there
J we lay for twenty-nine hours behind the
| crest of the hill whilst the terrible volley
! ings of musketry, the charge, the coun-
| ter charge, the shrill yels of the south
ron and the roar of cannon were shal-
| Ing the earth just beyond the hill and
| around Groveton Massing their lines of
| infantry Pope moved them in splendid
order to the westward TO oyerwhelm
jackson. On the hill near Groveton Long
street planted his artillery and 1t opened
| first an enhlading fire on the rear line
which broke and fled Then arose a shout
from Jackson's men at the welcome sound
| of achievements. The artillery swept
the second line of federals and 1t broke in
| confusion and when Jackson's men and
the artillery both turned on the first line
there was no hope for its success.
During the night Pope brought up all
his forces and forming his army one part
! fronting westward to face jackson, the
| other south to face Longstreet, he pre-
pared for the battle of next day, which
was severely contested. About p. m.
| Toomb's brigade and one battery of the
! Washington artillery marched in double
| quick from the crest down the valley of
/ the head Of Youngs branch and met the
enemy just at the Chinn house, and
sweeping them back met the reserve, a
New York brigade, about $50 yards north
east of the house.
The writer had freu just six rounds
| and was putting a cap on his smooth bore
musket when he received Minnie bull
| let through the lower part of his right
| hand At the time he was about Ave
| yards from the oranch facing the enemy
| on the opposite hill some eighty yards
| distant. He was out of me fight at once,
and watched the second Georgia change
front forward on first company under a
terrific fire, which movement put the reg
iment on the flank of the New Workers.
| and they vanished in the smoke amid tu-
/ mutt nAe an Inferno. On the right saw
one of our brigades charge and overcome
the extreme federal left and our forces
! pursued them down the valley of Young's
oranch about one mile to the site of the
! only Henry House, across the chimney
| place of which federal was killed, Bv
TINS time 1t was dark and the pursuit was
| stopped, but Pope's whole army was re-
treating In confusion, protected by bat
! terles across the Stone bridge. [ slpet in
| the portico of the Chinn house that night
and hungry and weak from the loss of
blood, and the sight of the piles of arms
| ana legs in the yard | wandered over
| the field The dead Zouaves with their
req turkish trousers and embroidered
| blue jackets lying In the wet grass rear
! the Chinn house made the appearance of
flower garden Details piled up cap
| tured rifles into heaps as large as a
cottage. | went to the sight of the
ruined Henry house, and found that the
| marble monument to Barlow, which was
round, some eight inches In diameter
and originally five feet tall had been chip
| ped away until its top was beneath the
| surface of the earth by yandals or relic
hunters. Some federals wounded in the
| feet and legs having rations aided by
me with feet and only one serviceable
| hand to get wood for a fire and water
| Tor coffee shared their rations with me
near the Chinn house. woman and
| child were killed at Groveton and the
house now occupied by Mrs NJ E. Do
| gan. born near Sudley, still bears marks
/ VI SiiHl anu Sitll. l4unsStfeet took break
| fast there during the battle A tavern
has been built near the sight of the Hem
| ry house, and the whole field has been
| enclosed by substantial wire fences,
which must be removed before the SOL
| diers can do much marching in line
| The pine thicket in which the Eighth
Georgia made its stand has disappeared,
but the general appearance of the coun-
| try IS the same as in 1862 1t con-
slsts mostly of undulatlng plains with
/ a few slight elevations. and the soil
and the underlying strata is red almost
like the red iron ore, so familiar around
Birmingham. If it rains while the boys
are there they Will set their fill of mud
of a tenacious character, and If it is
dry the dust will spoil the effect of the
blue and their temper. But with this
imperfect description and an actual sur
vey Of the field. they will see that the
southerners were surprised in July 1861
and nothing but their grit prevented
defeat whilst in 1862 Pope was compell-
ed to fight by well laid plan after
he had declared in a general order that
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