Evening star., 1914-07-26
90 I'LL,

Run, Blackburns Ford. Welles Store.
the Stone bridge, the Robinson and Van
Pelt houses. Henry HILL Matthews hill.
the Stone house. Sudley Church. Grove
ton Corners and the line of the never
finished railroad grade from Gainesville
TO Sudley Springs. he set foot not only
on the fields of the first Bull Run. July
u. 1861. but on the fields of the far
greater battle Of the second Bull Run.
August IS, 20 and 30. 1862.
y. 1t is the nearest of the fields of big
battle to the capital. The first battle
was a crash between new and undisci-
plined armies commanded as whole by
trained. skillful and courageous officers,
and the fighting on both sides for four
hours, Notwithstanding the final Union
rout, was worthy OF the best traditions
of the American soldier. The second
battle was a fight between powerful
armies of war-seasoned troops in which
officers and men knew their trade. 1t
was the greatest of those battles fought
! so near to Washington that the thunder
of the guns was heard here. In compari-
son with this fighting and the blood-let-
ting and death on these fields. the British
American meeting between Washington
and Bladensburg was a small action"
and the feeble attack by Early on the
snorthern line Of the defenses Of Wash
tngton and its repulse was q trifing
skirmish.
The Rambler has no intent to write
q review of the trip over this bloody
ground. because he has done SO be-
fore. but on this trip he picked out Of
the big subject one story which ap-
peals to him as interesting and which
has not been treated Of by writer's.
most of whom have concerned them
selves with the strategy. military and
political significance. losses and errors
of those battles. What the Rambler
brownstone monuments which stand
on the reddest parts of that once
Gorpse-streWn region. monuments
which. unlike any other civil war mon
uments We're built by Union soldiers,
still under arms. to the memory Of
their comrades who fell there and
while those comrades skulls and skele-
tons still lay all around
These Bull Run monuments were not
only the first monuments of the great
war. but the only ones erected by the
soldiers themselves: their last act be-
fore their final discharge. A historian
OF these monuments has said that they
were erected not only in pursuance Of
spontaneous movement among the
E rank and nle. but with the approval
Pf their officers and with the author
lty OF the United States government
The stone was hauled in Royernment
army wagons and dressed with axes
fand hammers furnished by the quarter
master department. The lime and ce-
Fment were brought from Washington
xnd also the large rifle shells used in
ne ornamentation of the monuments
sEvery stroke of the work was done by
zsoloiers enlisted and paid by the gov
fnment and the entire work from
6eg1nning to end was under the direc-
oon OF United States Army officers
One OF the officers present at the
Geoicat1on OF these monuments was
Gen. Montgomery c. Meigs. quarter
1master general Of the army There is
IN the War Department library
ceremonies Of dedication. Gen. Meirs
IS in the picture So. too, is Gen. viii
liam Gamble. then commanding the
division in which the battlefield was
photograph the staff officers of Gen.
Gamble and Gen. Augur
Lieut. George c. Round. a Union Signal
Corps officer, for a number of years a
prominent resident Of Manassas and a
member of Manassas Picket Post Of Union
veterans. has resurrected from old chron-
lcies the history of these monuments in
connection with efforts to have the Unit
ed states take over certain Of the Bull
Run fields for preservation as battle
held park. and to this veteran. whom he
met at the<Henry House. the Rambler is
indebted for many of the facts contained
IN this ramble.
Lieut. Round said that the Army of the
kotornac. the mightiest in history May
~. 1>t'. passed in grand review before
tn nations on Pennsylvania avenue and
tnitt then the veterans marched back to
their camps on the Virginia hills They
were disbanded, hut before they went to