American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-08-17
INCIDENTS OF THE GREAT BATTLE.

an eyewitness of the stirring scenes which
transpired, can begin to comprehend, from
description. the terrible realities of battle;
and even those who participated are compe-
tent to speak only of their own personal ex-
perience. When friends and foes are falling
by scores, and every species of missile was
flying through the air threatening each in
stance to send one into eternity little time
is afforded for more observation or reflection
than is required to preserve personal safety.
The scene is one of the most exciting and
most exhilirating that can be conceived.
Imagine regiment passing you at "double
quick" the men cheering with enthusiasm,
their teeth set, thier eyes flashing, and their
whole souls in frenzy of resolution. You
accompany them to the field. They halt.
An Aid-de-Camp passes to or from the com
handing General. The clear voices of the
officers Ting along the line in tones of pas
sionate eloquence; their words short, thrilling
and electric The men feel like gians. The
word is given to march, and the body moves
into action. For the first time in your life
you listen TO the whizzing of iron hail.
Grape and canister fly into the ranks bombs
burst overhead and the fragments fly all
around you. A friend falls; perhaps dozen
or twenty of your comrades lie wounded or
lying at your feet; strange, involuntary
shrinking steals over you which is impossible
to resist. You feel inclined neither to adj
vance or recede, but are still bound by the
81,
zeal man. The cheek blanehes, the lip quiz
ers, and the eye almost hesitates to look
upon the scene. In this attitude you may
perhaps, be ordered to stand an hour mac
tive, havoc meanwhile marking its footstep
with blood on every side. Finally the order
is given to advance, to fire, or to. charge.
And now what metamorphosis With
your first shot you become new man. Per-
sonal safety is your least concern. Fear has
no existence in your bosom. Hesitation
gives way before an uncomfortable desire to
rush into the thickest of the fight. The
dead and dying around you, if they receive
a passing thought, only stimulate you to
revenge. You become cool and deliberate
and watch the effect of the bullets, the
shower of bursting shells, the passage of
cannon balls as they rake their murderous
channels through your ranks; the plunging
of wounded horses, the agonies Of the dying
and the clash of contending arms which fol-
lows the dashing charge, with feeling so
callous by surrounding circumstances, that
your soul seems dead to every sympathizing
and selfish thought.
Such is the spirit which carries the soldier
through the field of battle. But when the
excitement has passed, when the roll of mus
kerry has ceased, the noisy voices of cannon
are stilled, the dusky pail of sulphurous
smoke has risen from the field, and you stroll
over the theater of carnage, hearing the
groans of the wounded, discovering here,
shattered almost beyond recognition, the
form of some dear friend whom only an hour
before you had met in the full flush of life
and happiness; there another, perforated by
bullet; a third with a limb shot away;
fourth with his face disfigured; fifth torn
almost to fragments; sixth a headless
corpse; the ground ploughed up and stained
I
limbs, scattered here and there; and the
same picture duplicated scores of times, then
you begin to realize the horrors of war and
experience reaction of nature. The heart
opens its foodgates, humanity asserts herself
again, and you begin to feel and act more
the man and less the demon. Friend and
foe alike now receive your kindest minister
ngs. The enemy who but short time be-
fore, full of hate, you were doing all in your
power to kill, you now exert to save. You
supply him with water to quench his thirst,
with food to sustain his strength, and with
sympathizng words to soothe his troubled
mind. All that is human or charitable in
your nature now rises to the surface, and
you are animated by that spirit of mercy
switch blesseth him that gives and hlm that
takes" A battle field is eminently place
that tries mems souls.
Passing over the ground few minutes
after the retreat of the enemy, l had ample
opportunity of witnessing the exhibition of
these noble traits. Dead and wounded lay
scattered by hundreds-men from Massa-
chusetts and South Carolina; from Maine and
Louisiana; from Rhode Island and Alabama
from New York and Firginia-representing
one bloody congregation from nearly every
State of the Old Confederacy; the victims of
each others hate. Rapidly as possible those
who could be moved by hand were raised
and borne to the neighboring hospitals.
Those most desperately wounded awaited
the arrival of the ambulances, but friend and
enemy alike received all the attention that
could be rendered. By the side of those
who could not be moved until late in the
night, or until the ensuing day, crackers and
cups Of water were placed. Bushes were
torn up and little arbors made above them,
and pillows of leaves were placed under
their heads, that the sufferers might be
made as comfortable as possible.
At almost every step, as you passed across
the localities in which the fighting ragged
fiercest, might be heard the cry for water;
and in no instance that | am aware of was
the appeal UNDECIDED. Our men spared no
trouble to afford relief. One noble fellow,
a So,,th Caroliniaa by the way lust as I en-