Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 3

              nia was the synonym for all that :s hospit- I ing on either .side of the road most adroit^ ' those built by our forces around Wastiing- able, loyal, and chivalrously devoted to the | ly testify. Beyond the Run i.s a ridge \ ton. The rebel generals depend less on Government her sons h.td helped so much covered with pine.s, and at its base on the to found. banks, for over a half mile, the rebels have
From   the   .'he: a idoah   to   Aldic   the   thrown np entrenchments—the   most  for-    forces.    As specimens of engineering skill
country has been but little   ravaged.    The   midable of any I have scon, as well  in po^ fool^prinls of the rebels ore scarcely visible   sition as in  structure until you leave the pike and turn down   to
CKXTKEVtt.I.E.
The wagon tracks then cover tho  entire
them than on the prudence of our   gener¬ als in attacking them, and on   their   own
our officers  regard thcra   with   contempt, and I am of the opinion that in case of an
Wc pa.s.scd lo the westward of the battle j attack the enetny would   have   made their ground, and soon found ourselves in
MANAS.S.VS.
surface of the ground, and, of course, all lead to the last named place. The former —unmilitary—Cenlrcville was a disgrace¬ fully shabby hamlet, needing a deal of paint and much general cleaning up to render it a fit ornament for an angle in the road. A.i you approach—holding the noxc for the stench of the hundreds of car casses of hordes, that lie in squadrons out^ side the fortifications, the dirl-.colored cab¬ ins and tbe long lines of earth works ap¬ pear before you. The position is com¬ manding, though but slightly elevated, so that the four or five forts cover the ap^ proaches from every direction, for a range ol from one-half lojthreefourtbs of a mile. The forts and rifle pits are built within a circle of about one-third of a mile. With in and without this supposed circle, in convenient locations, arc the winter quar¬ ters for some twenty or thirty thou.sand men. They are the rudest of mud chinked hut.s, with a huge fireplace at one end— the only feature at all suggestive of comfort.
The forts are built in this wi-sc. First, stakes, or piles, arc driven into the ground so as to describe a semicircle, or more precisely the curvjiture of a horse shoe.— Outside of these rails arc closely laid, and against these the dirt is thrown up.— Ditches are dug  around   these   rail fence
The eighth wonder of the world it is— until you have been there. For Manassas as il is, imagine a square league of wagon tra;ks and stumps berntting and beslud- ding a soil of rod clay—this for the under ground Two railroad tracks come togeth¬ er, with the usual switch   tracks,   turning
most vigorous defense on the out-posts, as they would, in any event, have been forced to depend much on their troops in open field.
The approaches lo Maii.".ssns, when the roads are good, are not difficult. Nature has interposed but few obstacles. Bull Run is the luoit formidable.
We have now a march    of   forlv    miles
table etc., of a modest railn.ad station.— ^^^^^^ ^,3 ^^ g„j ^^^ Division, which is Along the track, near the junction arc the pushing on after .lackson, who df-clincs charred remains of platforms and the, ^^,^j„j, ^^ g^^,^j ^^^ j,;^^^ ,^„ ^„„„^._^„^.g^. chimneys and foundation of a small hotel.' poggiblc without running risk. Also the vestiges of the   temporary milita-1
ry .storehouses,  which, to all   appearances,
wore many and large.    A barn and a small
farm houso arc slill standing.    Around the
Junction are acres covered wilh boxes  in^
K. E. B.
KuDITOUlAL C0URi:si'0.>'»r>CE6
WoonsToitK, Va. April 11, 1862.
Here wo arc in   the   quiet,   old,    rotter
,        ,. ,    ,   borough   of Woodstock—a   village     until, numerable, trunks   sloven in, detnolishcd 1       .   r ¦      .•      /• n . •  .1
' ,   , ,      ,      , 1    tho advent of our armies, tree from all taint'
camp chests, satchel irons by the thousand'     . . ,
' ' ,    ,       , 1   -    of progrcssivcness.      I hough the   locomo.
showing that the olhcers had lo burn tbcir . ,     .,      a        ,.       ,,  .,       ,   ,
"= ,    .       I.   ,      lives of the Manai-IIS (tap iluilr<>ad   have
baggage:  kettles, plates, pans, knives,forks •      i      1        .        r       -1-    .-
"" "   ' '.'       . ,,   , J       c been screaming bugle notes of civilr/.atioii
spoons, harness trimmings, all   burned,   of ., .     , , .,   . 1.1        .•      1
' ' " this old community nave resolutely relused
course, lay around i.i bewildering   abuud- ^^ ^^,„,.^ ^^^ ^,^^ ^j^^ ^,,, ^^^^^^^ ,j^,^,^^ ^^^.^^
ance, with rags enough of   every   lexli.rc, 5,^ n.j5_,jo,v   occupied  b^i  Gen.    B.u.ks
hue and variety to enrich half iheragpick^ L„j 8,„ff__ia ,,y f„r the mo.st modern   look
ers of London 5 puddles   of dough, where i„^ instilution of the town.
flour was destroyed, and  slacks   of tainted
bacon, piles of pigs' heads, ruins   of tents,
lint   poles,    damaged   accoutrcinents,   in
The for<;es are mo.'itly aboye ns, between / lero and Edinburgh.    Jackson   is   beyond ¦
, .,,,.,,. them, supposed to bo    five   or   six   miles
short every concoivable thing of  ordinary c .      , ^       t   •     ^
.,,     , , , . »   . , froni our   outposts.      Our   Lrigade,   now
utililv IS scattered around 111 profusion and 111     <-,./,     >        r."   ., 1 »r
,• . ' eoiiiinaiKleil nv Lvd. (lurdnn of l.io 2 1 Mas-
confusion.    Two or three acres arc covcr'd       1       ., '•        .   • ., .       .
, ... .    .    stuluisetts regiment, i.s on  the  out post.—
bv a mass convention of   wagons   ot   the ,.. •       /.
       o I T> 1       . I       r        .      .      1'ivo coinpuiiics ot our regiment are   sup-  ,
linuigs at a distance of some   twelve   feetl   ^ enn.sylvania pattern, taken from tho   far-  ^orjing a ballery within half a mile of the l from the line of posts, and   the   dirt   dug    '"^" '^"^^ ^^ J ^'*° ;^*^'=''-    ^ ""'"'^^' °^he enemy's pickets.    A few shots an, ex- >
from them is thrown up against   the   rails
and well pounded down.    The   height   of
these works is some eight  feet.     Enibras.
ures are made through the dirt   walls—for
j the guns lo point outward, and the embra^
I surcs widen outward so as lo   permit   the
j guns to be fired in any direction within uti
angle of. say, sixty degrees.    Three or four
I guns were mounted, in each of these forts,
upon raised   platforms.    In   divers   other
places batteries could be  advantageously
planted, and doubtless were.
To the left and right of Cenlrcville, .some four or five milos distant, can be seen forlilications and villages of   huts,   where
other directions.
From Centreville to Bull Run you take a "corduroy" road of mud nnd pino poles —a deadly mule tr.-vp, as the carcasses ly-
caisson.s of light art illery are also lef^. In ^,h^„„^,, 'j,^;, ,^,„, ^,,^,„ ^^^ ^j^,.^^^.,^ .,^,^ Bight tire several villages of the huts above ^,„. ^ fr.'.qnei.tlv.
described.    The barracks, built  of boards, ' "^
woro all burned. I judge that the greater '^''" ^^^''^'^ '"^^*^ initiated the b.irbarous part of the forces were kept quartered be-1^'""''^^'^*' f'*" «booti"J-' pickets, and are now low the Junction, as there is quite a city of ^'•"'''''"«  '"^'"* P-^>' with interest. Several huts standin" there. casualties have happened to our men,  but
Around the Junction every little crest 6f"°"*' ^" *^"'" »"''t;""i^'»'. while not a few of ground in the undulating field is made th«>^''*^ "''""''"*-' r-'bcls have stood their last silo of one of the horseshoe or lunette forts^"'"" "'^ picket.
—similar in kind and size to those at The patron saint of this part of Virjjinia Cenlrcville. These are so placed as to •« Col. Ashby, the commander of a socall- command the town in every direction, and cd regiment of cavalry—but moro properlv
tho atta.ckiaa'  party   would   be   exposed, the leader of a horde of nvjunt-.H! guerillas.
come from what quarter he would,   lo  the ir^ ;. ,i,„ „; ,1 , 1      ^     .    r    1
,   ^    ^ .        . '        ^     **^ '* "^^- "^'Kbt bower ot   Jack.son,   covers
lire cl two or three ofthe.se batteries.    Bes i,:„ ,...,.... „  ^.^ 1., 1 :. .       -      1 .
. f 111 ...       I    J    • . .1     r   .        1 ,    , , "»»"^*-'<reat>i, teels his way III advance,   nnd
heavy lorces had   been   stationed   during    tween the forts and around   them,   where-  •,,>„„„...... 1   ../...• j       1     ,    ¦
,        . , . •    I , ^ lor general   scouting   around,    plundi-riiicr
the winter to prevent the positions at Ccn. i ever, in fact, the conformation of theground Uie people, picking np prisonors from those treville from being turned, and also to . permits, rifle pils are thrown up. The ,,ho cant quite for ^ct the old flig (or oc- guard the appro.tches to   Manassas   from    woods have been cut awoy to afford range .....siun^Jlv shooting a pi ket    or   nahbiii'-
-"'—''¦—'¦*¦-- to tho guns.    For miles around the June-  g,.iup<.t*-ft.,«l/.r K«i,^»\ .,   '.1 ¦    °
,. „ f   7-c    ,- r.i ....   *       sw-agglor be has gotten to be quite a ,
tion fortifications of the  same, rude   kind  lj,.ol l„.rf,     II. *,-;»a   i.„.i . xt    ¦
, .     ,      ' lA nt "f/"^-    , »? ¦ '-lie'  .OaM to  !lt>«»     Marinn I
are thrown up   to  guard the  approaches.  "''"*• 'tcvuiution, and   hju   succeeded - to These fortifications are  far   inferior   to  '^'"^ I'-'^'ent' namely, that he keeps well out I          'of the wav.