USA > Virginia > A brief history of the miltary career of Carpenter's battery, from its organization as a rifle company under the name of Alleghany Roughs to the ending of the war between the states > Part 5
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This Monument commemorates the Valor of the Soldiers of Alleghany County, Va., who truly and nobly bore their part in the Confederate Army, from beginning to end of our Civil War.
(Our use of this cut by courtesy of Baltimore Sun.)
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OF CARPENTER'S BATTERY.
CHAPTER XXII.
MANASSAS PEACE JUBILEE.
On July 21st, 1911, was commemorated the Fif- tieth Anniversary of the first battle of Manassas on identically the same old sunbaked field where the tragedies of July 21st, 1861, were enacted, in all the savage ferocity of that sanguinary collision of the Blue and the Gray in relentless, pitiless war. At this latter meeting of those erstwhile foes of 1861 whose enmity held together for four almost interminable years, was commemorated a Peace Jubilee so harmonious and commendable as to make it worthy of record in this history, where some of its occurrences may be contrasted with those of the scenes and acts of that death dealing time of fifty years ago, which are prominently featured on pre- vious pages.
At that first meeting there were probably, in the five regiments constituting the Stonewall Brigade, 3,000 of us to give a warm reception to the boys in Blue, while at this last meeting there were only three of us present, as far as we could ascertain, to welcome our friends of the North. The truth of it is, the old boys of the old Stonewall Brigade in very large part have passed over the river, while the comparatively few that are left are scattered to all points of the compass, at remote distances. On the last and most important day of this celebration a great concourse of people assembled, consist- ing, for the greater part, of country people from the neighboring villages and counties for many miles around and about, who came in all conceiva- ble manner of vehicles, from the automobile, car- riage, and buggy, to the common road wagon and
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cart, which conveyed probably 2,000 or 2,500 of these visitors. The number of old soldiers was comparatively small, embracing, we think, not more than 200 Confederates and 100 Federals. But de- spite these sparce numbers of the Blue and the Gray, the meeting was a great and good one, rife as it was with such fraternal good will, and every mani- festation of warmth of friendship between them, and evidencing, as it did, such enthusiastic enjoy- ment upon the part of all.
In numbering the old boys in Blue at 100, we must not omit to mention that there were present, also, a large troop of regular United States Cavalry, whose fine drilling and maneuvering so graced the occa- sion and so greatly enhanced its enjoyment. Their present status of wonderful acquirements makes their performances an entertainment equaling that of the modern circus, as to the training and intelli- gence of their horses. The riding is truly superb, and its present day attainments make the horse and his rider a true counterpart of the veritable centaur.
On the morning of the 21st, all who had assem- bled at Manassas previously and those who then arrived, had to be conveyed to the battlefield, five or six miles distant, by carriages, hacks, or other vehicles, and the sticky red dust of the drought- dried roads forcibly reminded us of the 1861 period of that particular time in that particular matter of dust and grime. Another similarity of the old time trial and torments was that of the burning, wither- ing heat of the sun, which again made that field almost unendurable to the sweltering mass of cele- brants.
Again, too, the pressing need and scarcity of water reinstated the old condition of distress in that appalling deprivation. And yet again, later in the
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day there burst upon those old plains, very sud- denly, an electric storm, the lightning and thunder of which were vivid reminders and picturings of the fury and storm of the blazing and booming ar- tillery of the old day. But while in those few in- stances the two July days, of an interval of fifty years, bore close resemblance, each to the other in some other ways, the dissimilarity was very marked.
For example, amply numerous banqueting tables were spread, to the proverbially groaning point, with finely prepared and most palatable victuals, all of which were in superabundance and of epi- curean quality, served by ladies whose understand- ing of their office gave grace and piquancy to that function, to the delight and satisfaction of all partakers of that fine feast. Had the old Stonewall Brigade collided with that beautiful banquet, sore and hungry as they were just fifty years ago, it would have required no command, to put on your appetites and charge, boys, from old Jack, to have begotten a descent upon those tables which would have killed or captured every mouthful of bread and meat or sip of coffee, leaving not a morsel of all that provender to tell the tale of utter annihila- tion.
Who can imagine a picture any more replete with the tranquillity and joyousness of Peace than that of the Blue and the Gray banqueting together in the good cheer and brotherly love that belongs therewith ! The salient feature of the occasion, however, was the hand-grasp of fraternal welcome, of good will, and true reciprocity of kindliness be- tween the Blue and the Gray of that great day. Both participants, in that cordial clasping of hands, and the spectator having any proper understanding of its true meaning, must have been deeply im-
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pressed with the solemnity and importance of it, pregnant as it was with deep and far reaching sig- nificance of a true peace and unity of North, South, East and West into one grand central whole of in- separable and perpetual brotherly love.
To the northward into line assembled the Blue, and southward into line the Gray which formation was photographed by the official photographer of the Peace Jubilee, into a picture of much historic interest and value to whom it may concern. When the picture was finished, and the camera withdrawn, the Blue and the Gray lines forwarded upon each other, to within hand-clasping distance, and warmly saluted, man to man, in that way of fraternal greet- ing that only true friends and earnest votaries of peace and harmony feel and know. Of both these functions-the banqueting and the hand-shaking- it may be said, they were interesting, commendable, and most beautifully accomplished ; and we of the Gray hope our brethren of the Blue enjoyed them equally with ourselves.
To other enjoyable features was added that of the fine speaking of orators on both sides, who were duly appointed to that office, and who acquitted themselves with the unstinted applause and ap- proval of the assembled hosts.
Near the conclusion of the ceremonies out on the field a pouring rain fell upon that parched and red-hot place, in perfect torrents, which must have wet to the soaking point many of the visitors, there being no adequate shelter, or protection for the people. Yet that was a most welcome and delight- ful downpour, the drought having been of such long duration, and so ruinous to the farm and gar- den vegetation of that section, rendering too its dust almost unbearable, or certainly very discom-
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forting to whoever had to breathe or battle with it. When the rain had about ceased the scurrying back to Manassas began, very quickly giving evidence of the incapacity of conveyance accommodation, al- though all who desired to do so probably did get back in time to hear the fine and particularly ap- propriate speech of President Taft, full of promise and peace, and the timely setting forth of facts in accord with the Peace Jubilee and Reunion spirit of that auspicious day. His oration was especially felicitous in the expression of his appreciation of the old soldier, Union and Confederate alike, which won for him their equal admiration. There were, also, other speeches of welcome and salutation, filled to the brim with witticisms and eloquence, most creditable to their authors, which entertain- ment was held on the Court House square.
The night before, at the same place, was gatlı- ered a large audience to witness a fine and beauti- ful tableau drill, executed by the pretty, graceful girls of Manassas, who certainly did that program number with great credit to themselves, and being rewarded with the unanimous praise and admira- tion of that large assembly. After that came the fine, five minute camp fire speeches, by local and abroad orators, who did justice to the occasion and proved themselves rich and felicitous entertainers in army life jokes and witticisms, which never fail to produce highly pleasing and edifying effects, when perpetrated by the Hail Fellow well met at such a time and place.
I wish time and space would admit of the em- bellishment of these pages with a goodly portion of the funny and interesting anecdotes and facetiae of that series of speeches and talks, but they must be regretfully omitted. The Blue speakers, I think,
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outnumbered the Gray, and what they said, and the manner of saying it, made a fine impression, and begot for themselves the good will of all.
Of Manassas it may be said, she was in her glory, and was gloriously attired, being emblazoned with innumerable banners, bunting, and festoonings of all bright colors, the charming effect of which made the old town glint and glisten-a thing of beauty and a joy forever !
So taken in parts or as a whole, or all in all that Fiftieth Anniversary of the first Manassas; its Peace Jubilee and Reunion of the Blue and the Gray was a most enjoyable and creditable celebra- tion.
Let us hope, in estimating so highly its great pleasures, that its resultant good will be far reach- ing and of never ending endurance !
History of Carpenter's Battery
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