Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-01-03
a scsno on the Battle Field.


Describing Inkermann Valley after TIL
dreadful contest between the Allies ant
Russians on the 9Th of November, whsl
the sun should have yelled his face in ange
at mans wckedness, the correspondent o
the London Morning Herald says
1.-The scene from the battery was awfu
awful beyond description. stood ufoI
the parapet at about nine at night, and tel
nv hearts sink as gazed upon the scene Q
carnage around. The moon was at its full
and Showed every object as if by the ligh
Of day. Facing me was the Valley OF In
kermannn, with the Chsrnaya like bant
OF silver flowing gracefully between the
hills, which for varied and picturesqe beau
ty, might vic with any part of the world
Ye, shall never recall the me nory OF In
hermann Valley with any but feelings o
lea,hing and horror; for around the spot iron
which surveyed the scene, lap upwards Q
5000 bodies Many badly wounded also
Law there; and their law dull means OF NOR
tai agony struck with horrible dstinctnsss
upon the ear, or. worse still, the hearse CUR
Cling cry and vehement struggles Of those
WHO were conyulsed before they passed
away. Around the bill small groups of mei
with hospital stretchers were searching iol
those who still survived; and others again
with lanterns, busily 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 also English wo
men whose husbands had not returned, bur
rying about with loud lamentations, turning
thay l,rrl.t and
eagerly seeking what they feared to find
These latter were far more tobe pitied thar
the animate forms of those who lay slaught
cred around The ambulances, as fast al
they came up, receiving their load OF suffer
res, and even blankets were employed te
convey the wounded to the rear.
..Outsidc the battery the Russians lay
two and three deep. Inside, the place wa:
literally full with bodies Of Russian Guards
| men, 55th and goth. The fine, tall form:
OF cur poor fellows could be distinguished a
glance, though the grey great coats, stain
ed with blood, rendered them alike exter
nally. They lay as they fell, in heaps
sometimes our men over three or four Rus
SLAMS, and sometimes Russian over thret
or four of ours. Some had passed away will
smile on their faces, and seemed as il a
sleep; others were horribly contorted, ast
with distended eyes and swollen features
appeared to have died in agony, but deiying
to the last. Some lay as if prepared fol
burial, and as though hands Of relatives hac
arranged their mangled limbs, while others
again. were in almost startling positions,
hall standing, or knesing, clutching then
weapons, or drawing cartridge. Many
lay with both their hands extended toware
the sky, as If to aver. a blow, or utter a
prayer, while others had malignant scowl
Of mingled tear and hatred as If, indeed
they died despairing. The moonlight In
parted an aspect Of unnatural palsness te
their forms; and, as the cold damp wind
swept around the hills, and waved the
boughs above their upturned faces, the
shadows, gave horrible appearances Of
vitality; any il seemed as if the dead were
laughing, and about to rise. This was not
the case on one spot, but all over the bloody
field.''