Evening star., 1921-06-19

The Federal Army of the-Potomac had
not rounded out into so great a fight
ing machine. You have your choice
of many reasons. 1t did not lose bat
tie after battle to inferior numbers OF
men not SO well equipped as II. be-
cause its soldiers were less coura-
geous or less manly, or less inspired
by the conviction that they fought in
a just cause. 1t was not because 1t
did not have splendid officers. But its
Organization was "spotty." strong in
places. weak in places 1t lacked
teamwork. 1t was heavy and cum.
bersome. 1t lacked the "verve.'
elan esprit" and mobility of the
opposing army. The popular reasons
for this situation. given at the time
and given in the books. is that the
Army of the Potomac was meddled
with by politicians at Wass sinKton.
Over these miles of fields close to
WashinRton's neighbor town of NJ
nassas fell thousands and thousands
of brave Americans from every state
east of the Mississippi river and from
many states and perhaps all the states
west Of the Father of Waters. 1t is
tragic and heroic ground. There is
twenty or thirty year-old plan to
make the blackest and the reddest
fields OF Manassas a battlefield park.
and surely such a thing must come to
pass in time. When the peace Of Ap-
pomattoN had been signed and the
Union armies Of the east were march
Ing up to Washington to pass in that
grand review of which you have all
heard. long columns Of these armies
passed along the roads through the
Bull Run fields. Tens of thousands OF
Grants troops knew these fields. Sof-
diers stopped there and they built two
monuments of stone. They set up one
on the Henry farm. the focal point Of
the first battle. They set another by
the side of the r"ilroad cut on the
Dogan farm. called Peach Tree farm.
one mile from Groveton (Which is
one mile west along the Warrenton
mile and quarter or half north
west of the monument on the first
field
< x x
THESE monuments stand today. al
these lines knows. the United States
has never taken any step toward their
preservation. They stand on private
land. and the families owning these.
descendants of the people who owned
them in 81 and '62. are the caretakerS.
These monuments are soldier monu-
ments' in that they were built by
soldiers to the memory Of their fell
ments the fields around them were
pitted with sunken graves and sunken
trenches in which thousands Of battle
slain men had been buried.
The town of Manassas has greatly
changed. 1t has not grown to be a
large city. but it has become a pleas
ant town of homes and ample bust
ness. 1t has civil war memorials,
| many fine churches, schools that are
| up to the Virginia standard (Which.
by the way. though many of you do
not know it, has. within the past
quarter of a century. become a high
| standard). a woman's college which
is famous. manufactures. banks,
newspapers. a public water system.
| a sewer system and municipal cleo
trio light and power plant. lighting
and selling light and power to in
dustries. It's shipping facilities are
first-class, the town being on the
main line Of the Southern. thirty
three miles from Washington. and
Southern and Chesapeake and Ohio
day and night 1t is still a junction
place and trains come and go over
the Manassas Gap railroad. which
has become part Of the Southern sys-
TEN. The Bull Run mountains rise
fair and blue about fifteen miles away
to the north and west and the chill
dren Of the town go fishing. swim
marched in the civil war lead to the
Henry place, to Blackburn and
Mitchelrs fords, to Stone bridge. to
Stone house, to Sudley. to Groveton.
to Gainesville. to Brentsville, Bris-
tow. Nokesville, Centerville. Chantiily
all places familiar in civil war his