The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-12
ERavalg,yes of Cruel War.

Acceded that OF the confederntes n. It's
.warlton dev ton / rode through the
country occupied by both armies and,
Judging only bys1its actual condition, ne
could not tell where the southern lines
ended and those 81 the Tcderals began.
Both armies committed many 8inexcus w.. . e.
goutrages v upon property. Farmers f e g.
Sruently said to us,s''WhenK It comes 70
the care taken Of our property. we had
Just as soon have the X IN KEGS oafnped on
our places as our 0wn IN en- III n
Passing I; to the left 4 Of IIu tohinsons
house, and through tho yard 81 descended
by a narrow bridle-path to one OF the
slcvelest " lens III the world Z The foliage
was OF the brightest hue. the rocks OF the
most fantastic forms, N and nature seem
ed to have chosen It ms one OF her most
favored haunts. III t was n place in which
the Nymph Egerla might have .s n 4.
met old 5Nura III his hallowed walks
hAnd Whispered in lis ear her words d.
5vire.''S ~ 555 ss55 IL III 58
1 ~ It was hard to imagine that war had
stamped his iron heel here; n bu t SCI tier
ed treas and broken boug hss told too plain
battle had swept through5thist
valley a 10, II II s M
81 Az mile 81 a & milo & and a half Il from
.Hutchlnson' 8 I saw the remains of many
isulphurlc acid carboyH, a ma king the spot
from which one OF the army balloons OF
iProfe sor 10 we had boen wont TO ascend
and look into Richmond. The as-gener-8
atns apparatus was captured. ana III; ! i af-
Welt lothed Negroes
us Half ian hour riding brought II mo to-
sydnor's farmhouse. This was situated
very oloae to the river, ana had suffered
less than any other residence thatSI say q
1T had, no doubt, been the hendQuartors3
$of some 4 corps or division commander,
and this circumstance may have saved
1t from injury a grent man I OF u N n
tsydnors negroes were still on the pla CO..
They wore dressed IN Federal uniforms
and IA one OF their quarters 4 saw cloth
ing enough to supply u small regiment.
Il stopped to wa ter my horse here and
entered into conversation with one Of
the negroes They were sulloni and dis
5contented. and regarded mo with 8llr-
friendly looks. One OF them was civil
enough to direct mo to Gnines's Nj Lend
I went on my way. !, s VA slia sts
& Emerging from the woods a short dis
ltance beyond sydnor s house, + came upon
a large open plain through which ran
tho Federal military telegraph and n
broad and finely constructed }rond.
passed rapidly over this road, and at the
end Of It reached the! residence OF Dr.
of the premises. & It had been onco q
lovely country seat the residence OF an
educated gentleman Of wealth and taste
1t had suffered sadly, however. The most
OF the outhol,ses were gone, the fencing
was down, and the house itself greatly
injured. Tho grounds and shrubbery.
once famed for their beauty, were utterly
ruined The house was mt one time Gem
oral McClellan's headquarters. Y and ) Dr.
Gaines spoke In high terms Of the Gem
erals kindness to him ana the excellent
protection which he afforded his property.
Ell Soon headquarters werc reno we'd 70 mn A
other house, and than tho work OF davas-
ltation began. III b 81
Evidences Of Hospital Work,
1 During the battles the house seems to!
have been used as a. hospital, for found
the YARD, full OF amputnted legs and arms,
which had been thrown out In tho hurry
OF attending to the wounded. a number
OF graves extended across tho garden ind
grounds In the raar OF tho house, reach
Ing ,lp to the very windows Of the man-y
s!on.s What a pity that this was! done,
for 1t forced the owner to sacrifice the
finest and most beautiful portion Of his
estate, or to disregard tho dead buried
there. X "a " u Is .l
ia After leaving DR.. Ga!ness my route
Jay for some distance across what was
once fine wheat field, but which was
now trodden down hard, ana which bore
traces OF having been the camping ground
tof a large number OF mon. Pieces OF
shell. round shot. mimic bullets. cart-
ridge boxes and belt plates lny scattered
5thickly from here to Gaines's Mil. At
- SIT, Hnlx N&.k., lk.tz
public highway again, md after about
ton minutes hard riding came abruptly
Into an open stretch OF country.
passed rapidly across this and entered a
deserted camp on the hill IN front OF
Gaines'H MIL, q IN
Here the telegraph pissed to tho right.
across the field and Into the woods and
to my left. near the mill. were q NUM-
Der OF strong works. The camp seemed
to have been abandoned IN haste. for
Immense piles Of ammunition were
the camp itself, was full of plumber,
secured several articles as relics.
Battle OF Gaines's Mill,
Galnes's MIL was an old,fashoned
brick building, the very beau ideal of a
Virginia grist mill, II lay In a hollow
ION the side OF a small creek. Very little
fighting occurred at the mill itself, Toe
greater part was done to tho right OF
Tho mill, where the battle began, md
thence extended through the woods to
Cold Harhar, where the great battle Of
tho day was fought Tho woods between
Gaines's Mill and Gold Harbor. a dis
lance Of two miles, were almost ruined
By the Iron hall that swept through
them II, was nearly impossible to ind
q tree without seynral deep gashcs In IL,
or several limbs gone, Some were cut
down entirely. The fighting In thess
description. M 1ii
Just beyond the woods T found a car
riage standing before q white frame
10. "a .I.I.. ,alkal