American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-08-17


of wounded Yankee.
The hospitals were located in various
places; some in the woods, some in distant
farm houses and barns, and a few in tents.
To these points, during the battle and after
wards, the injured was removed as fast as
circumstances would permit. Here limbs
were cut off, bodies opened, heads trepanned,
and balls extracted from morning till night,
as fast as they arrived. The sufferers were
laid on the grass, their blood-wet clothing
removed and in few seconds more the keen
knife would be at work among crashed bones,
quivering sinews, and ragged flesh.
The character of some of the wounds was
terrible, and strange to say, those Of our
own soldiers were generally worse than
those Of the enemy. This is owing to the
fact that we fired round balls, while the
Yankees fired MIME balls, every one of
which, wherever it fairly strikes, makes
CHASTITY looking wound. A large proportion
Of our men were wounded in the extremities,
but wherever they struck the balls gener
ally passed through. Some of the wounds
were very singular in their character, and
/ from their peculiar localities it is matter
of wonderment that they did not extermi-
nate life at once. | saw several who had
been shot in the head, the ball apparently
passing through the brain and coming out
behind. Another was struck in the mouth,
the ball coming out at the back of the neck.
Another was struck on the breast bone, the
ball making a complete circuit Of the body
and coming out at its point of entrance. An
other was struck in the abdomen, the ball
coming out of the thigh. Another was shot
1 in the back while lying down, the ball pass
/ ing uuder the shoulder blade, coming out in
/ front and between his shirt and body, where
it was afterwards found.
The wounds inflicted by grape shot and
/ fragments of she'll were also of 4 terrible
character; the latter frequently disfiguring
the faces and forms of the men to such an
extent that they were scarcely recognizable.
/ In many instances the faces were completely
/ blown away, presenting, as may be imagined,
I the most horrible spectacle. One man lying
on the battle field, Yankee, had his jaw
torn off, so that it hung merely by the in
teguments of one side. Another had the
entire front of his abdomen blown away, so
that his entrails protruded. y third had his
shoulder blown off. A fourth the top of his
/ head, leaving the brain exposed; while legs
and arms suffered similar treatment almost
without number.
/ Many of the wounded lay where they fell
/ throughout the whole of Sunday night, and
the whole of Monday, which was a cold,
dreary, drizzly day. What agony they suf-
! fered thus exposed, no one can describe. l
am glad to say, however, that none of our
people are embraced in the unfortunate cat
egory. But few would have suffered thus
/ had they not crawled away in the bushes
where they could not be found.
Many of the enemy's wounded must have
suffered indescribable agony before they ex-
pred. Their bodies were frequently found
concealed among the bushes, far away from
/ the din of battle, where they had crept for
shade and safety, and there they lay in eve
ry attitude that could betoken a peaceful or
horrible death. One poor fellow whom 1
saw on Tuesday, lay with his head support
ed on a bunch of twigs, which he had torn
down for pillow, and there, with bis hands
crossed upon his breast, a Testament by his
side, a smile upon his face, lie had breathed
his life away alone, unattended and unsooth-
ed by the mnistering hands of mother, sis
ter, wife or friends. Enemy, though he
was, it was impossible not to feel throb Of
sympathy for the deluded being who had
thus wandered from his kindred, and fallen
a sacrifice to the folly of policy which looks
to the subjugation of people defending their
rights and firesides. Others, on the contra
ry, looked more like devils than men, their
countenances expressive of an almost fie;d-
ish hate. Black, purifying, disfigured
corpses, presenting loathsome spectacle,
which it was sckening to look upon.
Hundreds of reports were sent away the
day after the battle, relating to those sup
posed to be wounded, which excited the
most serious and unnecessary apprehensions.
In not less than four instances collins have
| been sent here, accompanied by weeping rela-
tives, which intended to receive the remains
of men who were walking about the camp
in the best health and without scratch.
Among others | saw a sweet little wife Of
10 or 20 summers, who tottered from the
cars, supported by the arm of her father, on
her way to search for the body of her hus-
band, an officer reported to have beer
killed. She seated herself upon a box at
the depot while a messenger went to make
some inquiries, and bowling her head upon
her knees wept as if her poor little heart
would break.
/ In 4 few minutes the messenger returned.
/ bringing with him fine looking young Of
/ ficer, who had his arm supported in sling.
He barely spoke her name, when the wife
looked up, and with one glad shrek threw
/ her arms around his neck, and, overcome by
emotions, sank insensible on his breast.
During the thickest of the fight, Virgin
ian, who bad but one arm, being unable 70
take part in the contest, amused himself
by passing recklessly from point to point
and administering whisky and water TO the
! uaun1ed which ha carried ahout his rar-ov