Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-11-21


The standard of the 79'h Pennsylvania
Infantry MAS shot down six times, and as
often reared aloft, and when forced from
the field the Colonel carried it of:.
Tie 9th Pennsylvania regiment Of Cava'-
nv sent out three times in Sllli column TO
draw the fire of the different batteries OF
| The enemy that were concealed was rained
upon by cross batteries with every concviv-
able artillery missile. With no orders to
move, and unable 10 return the long range
fire, they sat on their horses like statues,
excepting those who were struck, and went
TO the rear. When orderd OH the field
each time, they went off at slow parade
walk disdaining to strike a troi, alter receiN-
inc fire for two hours.
One f, dral regiment, the 10th Michigan,
and Georgia rebel regiment, met in line
of battle in open field; they deliberately
planted their standards at 40 yards distance
from each other, aid stood and loaded,
aimed and fired; both flags were shot down
the Georgia regiment almost totally destroy
ed, and their banner captured
In front of the destroyed Illinois regiment
was worm fence, from which the rebel
soldiers took such deadly aim; in nearly
every fence corner lay dead or wounded
rebel soldier; the fence was fired by the
bursting shells, and in the morning fear
full sight met our eyes in the ashes OF the
fence Law scorched and blackened mass O!
humanity, roasted man, and to all appear
ances from their struggles, many OF them
only wounded when the fire caught them.
The death of our poor men, even with all
the agonies of thirst On them, in the scorch-
Ing sunshine and the dust aud the chilling
Of the long, October night, was merciful
compared with the fortunes these men met
in the slow but shure APPROACH OF the flames
creeping along the fence to the spot where
they lay wrilhing A flock of sheep were
in the field carcasses of the dead ones lay
scattered about, and the wounded ones crept
| into the same fence corners with the men
and man and beast were roasted and charred
| together.
The terrible inhumanity Of the commanders
of this rebel army is proven by the fact
that on the left they had driven US back
on our second line of battle They had
possession of that part Of the field, and held
| it until they retreated at day dawn. Oar
ing that time their dead and living were
literally roasted Git is the actual, horrible
facf. Our dead, and many Of the woun-
ded, lay there stripped by them of all their
coats, hats and shoes, and some of them of
pants, and in the morning they raised their
heads with gasIly chaltering avs, unable
To speak, and fell back senseless. There
was many wounded man who was stripped
,,Io L. 81, - hot
bleak hillside on the cold October night
when it required blankets or fire TO keep
sound, well clothed man comfortable.
The enemy carried, through the day
and night, his thousands upon thousands Of
wounded TO his rear, crowding and crush
ing them into Perryville 10 overfowing,
and into every farm house, shed, and stable
within three miles of the line Of battle.
Gardens and orchards were strewn with
them. As usual, the fierce cannonading
brought on rain the evening Of the 9th
was cold and chilly piercing to the very
bone. 1 went 10 one of their hospitals on
the morning of the 10th. The house, sheds,
yard and garden were crowded to over
flowing with crushed and wounded Tenues-
seams and Georgians, strewn around on
the cold, wet straw and earth, with a poor
tattered blanket for covering TO keep OF
the peltings Of the pitiless storm through
that bitter night.
Poor human nature could not withstand
the chilling air that pressed the vitality
out OF them, and in the morning | saw two
long rows Of white corpses awaiting the
soldiers hasty burial, and was confident,
as with chattering teeth the poor survivors
| begged to have their blankets dried at the
fire, that the cold night air had slain as
many as our bullets had done.
The miserably weak rebel hospital force
left TO cope with The awful work before
them were totally unable to attend to thei
wants at any Of the hospitals, but deatl
was fast making their work less. Th'
amputated legs and arms were lying pilet
up like cord wood.
The Federal dead we're all barred b,
their comrades On the 9th and 10Th. Or
the morning OF the 10Th l estimated tire
thousand dead confederate soldiers lying ei
! the right, centre and left in an extent c
!. six miles OF the line of battle, their com
manders marching off leaving them uu
: buried never even sending in a ilAg {
truce asking US to give them sepulchre
i They were then lying mangled and tori
5 fostering and purifying and the hogs de
: vouring them 1t is the actual horribl
fact p