Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-15
Correspondence Of the London Morning Herald.
The Field Of Battle--horrible sights.


The Field Of Battle--horrible sights.
On the evening Of battle / went over the field.
/ think have said, over and over again, that il
was sight which could never be described. A
considerable number, some 800 10 1000 Russians
killed and wounded were lying among our tents,
and here also were many, too many, corpses OF
Zouayes and French infantry Of the line. All our
wounded have been removed, and the wounded Of
the enemy were being gathered In. The Kindness and
attention of our fellows 10 their helpless enemies
beyond all praise They brought them water, got
knapsacks to put under their heads, and borrowed
blankets irr which to cover them from the raw
night air; here and there small groups OF them
stood absorbed in pity round some prosrate foe, 10
whom their kindness came too late, and who shot
either through the head or lungs, gasped out his
existence in painful sobs or terminated it In hor-
rble conyulsion which made your blood curdle to
hear A little above the line OF tents was the brow
of the Hill overlooking Inkermann Lights. Here
was the spot where the allied artillery engaged that
Of the enemy after the retreat and here the sight
was sckening indeed.
There is nothing 80 awful as the spectacle Of
the bodies of those who have been struck down
by round shot or shell. One poor fellow Of the
95th had been struck by two 24-pounders in the
head and body. A shell afterwards burst on him
and tore him to pieces, and IL was only by the
fragments Of cloth, with the regmental buttons
adherng, that you could tell that the rough bloody
mass which lay in the road had ever been hui
man being But it is useless to dwell on these
sickening details suffice it to say that here,
among the carcasses Of some 400 killed and wound
ed horses, lay the bodies Of our brave English and
French artillerymen, all more or less frightfully
mutilated Some had their heads taken off at the
neck as with an axe; Others their legs gone from
the hips; others their arms and others, again, who
were hit in the chest stomach, were literally as
smashed AZ II they had been crushed in a machine
But It was not alone the allies who lay here on
the contrary, there were ten Russian corpses for
one Of theirs; bnt the latter were all killed by
muskctry before the artillery came up. On this
spot the Russians kept dropping shells the whole
who lay in reach of their missiles had suffered the
last which they were to endure on earth.
Passing up the road to Sebastopol between heaps
of Russian dead, you came to the spot where the
Guards had been compelled to retire from the de-
fence Of the wall above Inkermann Valley. Here
our dead were nearly as numerous as the enemy's.
Across the path, side by side, lay five guardsmen
who were killed by one round shot, as they ad-
vanced to charge the enemy. They lay on their
faces, in the same attitude, with their muskets
tightly grasped in both hands, and all had the same
grim, painful frown upon their features, like men
who were struck down in the act Of closing with
their foes. Beyond this, the Russian guardsmen
and line regiments lay thick as leaves inter-
mixed with dead and wounded horses. The latter,
with fractured limbs were now and then rising,
and after staggering a few steps, rolling over
among the corpses, snoring and plungng fearfully.
Up to the right Of the wall was the way to the two
gun battery. The path lay through thick brush
wood; but the path was slippery with blood, and
the brushwood was broken down and encountered
with the dead.
The scene from the battery was awful-awful be-
yond description. stood upon the parapct at
about nine at night, and felt my heart sink az !
gazed upon the scene of carnage around. The
moon was at its full, and showed every object as
il by the light Of day. Facing me was the Valley
Of Inkermann, with the Tchemaya like band Of
of silver flowing gracefully between the hills, which
for varied and picturesque beauty, might vie with
any part of the world. Yet l shall never recall
the memory Of mkermann Valley with any but feel
ngs Of loathing and horror, for around the spot
from which / surveyed the scene lay upwards Of
5000 bodies. Many badly wounded also lay there
and their low, dull means of mortal agony struck
with horrible distinctness upon the ear or, worse
still, the hoarse gurging cry and vehement strug-
giles of those who were conyulsed before they passed
away. Around the hill small groups of men with
hospital stretchers were searching out for those
who still survived; and others, again, with lanterns,
busly turning over the dead looking for the bodies
of officers who were known to be killed, but who
had not been found. Here also were English wo-
men, whose husbands had not returned, hurrying
about with loud lamentations, turning the faces of
dead to the moonlight, and eagerly seeking for
what they feared to find. These latter were far
to be pitied than the nanimate forms Of those
who lay slaughtered around
The ambulances, as fast as they came up, recciv-
ed their load of sufferers and even blankets were
employed to convey the wounded to the rear. Out
uid he h.tta he pua La II.
deep. Inside the place was literally full with boz
dies Of Russian Guardsmen, 55th and goth. The fine
tail forms Of our poor fellows could be distinguished
at glance, though the gray grcat-coats, stained
with blood, rendered them alike externally They
lay they fell, in heaps sometimes our men over
three or four Russians, and sometimes Russian
over three or four Of ours. Some had passed away
with smile on their faces, and seemed II asleep
others were horribly contorted and with distended
eyes and swollen features, appeared to have died
in agony, but defying TO the last Some lay as II
for burial, and as though hands Of rela-
tives had arranged their mangled limbs, while 9th
ers again, were In almost startling positions, half
standing, or kneelng, clutching their weapons, or
drawing a cartridge. Many lay with both their
hands extended toward the sky, as IL TO avert a
blow, or utter prayer, while others had malg-
nant scowl Of mingled fear and hatred ms Il, in
deed they died despairing. The moonlight impart-
ed an aspect Of unnatural paeness 10 their forms;
and, as the cold, damp wind swept around the
hills, and waved the boughs above their upturned
faces, the shadows gave a horrible appearance Of
vitality and il seemed II the dead were laughing
and about 10 rise. This was not the case on one
spot, but all over the bloody field.
The Russian soldiers, have already remarked,
were infinitely inferior in appearance 10 those we
met ut Alma In all that relates TO discipline and
courage, our late antagonists were far superior.
They we're all clean, but ragged in the extreme
None had KNAPP but merely alitte canvas-bag
Of that disgusting, nauseous-looking stuff they cal
their bread. No other provisions were found on
any. The knapsacks, presume, were left behind,
in order that they might scale the heights on our
left with greater facility. Every man wore strong,