An officer of our army, just returned from Manassas, called
last evening, and gave us an interesting account of his visit to Manassas, and
the battlefield of Bull Run. A farmer
residing near Centerville, told him that in January last a number of regiments
were quartered near his house; one from Kentucky, at the expiration of their
time of enlistment, unanimously resolved to return home, and accordingly
stacked their arms and were preparing for a start, when their further progress
was arrested by the appearance of an Alabama and a Tennessee Regiment who were
ordered to reduce the Kentuckians to submission, and compel them to remain. The Kentuckians seized their arms and a
desperate fight ensued, in which many were slain on both sides, and their
bodies were buried where they fell, the graves being yet visible.
From this spot the mutineers retreated a short distance,
threw down their arms, and each drawing their Bowie knife, made a desperate
charge upon the two regiments; the fight was terrific, in which more than a
hundred were killed, and they too, were buried on the field of slaughter.
At last the brave Kentuckians were subdued. The battle field was shown to our informant
by the farmer who witnessed the fearful contest. In traversing the field he found a large
Bowie knife, which doubtless had been used in this fearful fray.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 2
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