Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-09-10
Burying the Dead al Manassas.

y stN'icnaulS chii'N v'hNCht va 'HN
s Stcaaah RcpaG'ican, who visited the bat
tie ground at Ball Run three days after
the last contest, gives the following sadly
interesting account of the personal appear
auco of our noble, brave men, young and
Old. who sunk 10 their poor graves while
fighting for the protection of distant homes,
aud for the perpetui,y of the Flag OF the
Free. OF the las, moments sud hours OF
the many who thus fell, 10 further knowl-
edge will ever be gained t. friends or KIN,
Ohou,h some, doubtless, left none TO
mourn for them y than is given in these
whole sale descriptions
1t was sad sight-the battle field that
day. The encmy's dead still lay scatter
ed in every direction, aud the silent
vultures had begun to circulate above
them. They were well clad, aud we're
larger and s,outc. men than ours. Near
Is all of them were lying upon their backs,
some of them with their legs aud arms
stretched ont to the utmost. Many had
their feet drawn mp somewhat, while their
arms, from the elbows, were raised, aud
the hands rather closed, after the fashion
of boxers It was singular and ye, the
prevailing attitude. Most of them had
sandy or red hair, (ond | havo observed
that this is the predominant color among
our own so.dicrs) Those who were not
killed instantly, had almos; invariably torn
open their shirt collars, and loosened their
clothing about the waist. There was
another mark in addition to this, by which
we could tell whether their death was sud
den or lingering. Il was the color Of the
face. If the body had time to become
cool and quiet before death, thc corpse
was pale, though not SO much 50 as those
who die fron disease Those who were
killed instantly, however, and while heat
ed aud excited, were purple and black in
the face In such cases, the blood being
10 full circulation, there was not time for
it 20 return to the heart before the body
had ceased all its functions. At least |
suppose such is the explanation, and a
physician confirms me in it. Such Of the
poor wrctches as had been buried were
placed in long bitches or trenches, some
times twenty or thirty in the same trench.
Of course it was impossible TO procure
clfiins or boxes fer them. They were laid
away in the same attitude in which they
were found, and in which their bodies and
limbs had become stiff and rigid-one
with his arms and legs stretched out, an
Other beu,suoariy doublc, a third with lis
hauGs raised, as described above. Oue
poor fenow had died With his arms closf
around a small tree, aud others With their
hands closed tightly about their muskets,
or such twigs or roots as were in their
reach. One oas toun3 1ciM his Bile
opeacd upo" has breast. Some hal their
hraols crossed, and the arholc body comp0s.
ci, atjer the mnaae. Of It corpse. y few
were found upon whom there was not the
least wound or mark. Whether they had
died from sun stroke, or from exhaustion,
or simple fright, it was impossible to say,
though, probably, i, was from the first
cause.
was glad to see that most of our o,rn
dead had been buried upon the battle
ground-many of them where they bad
fallen. Ia some instances, those belong
ing to the same company or regiment
were gathered up and buried near each
other, each little hillock being marked by
a board or stone, with the D4me Of the
hero cut upon it.
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