Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-07-09
Army Correspondence.
HEADQUARTERS SIGNAL CORPS ID. 4. a )
In 81 ght of Richmond, June 4th 1862.

OftGs itAA9OetAANtftIs33 HIt maps tlGFe Is
room left for line from one Of the 9Th
who is on detached duty and has not seen
a man or even a paper from Wisconsin for
nearly four months.
Since | last wrote you we have had
somehard battles-the particulars Of which
you had long since-and many brave Eovs
that left home and friends for this country,
now fll soldiers graves, and many more
are languishing on beds Of pain from sick
ness or wounds. But such are the for
tunes Of war; When they left their
homes, they did it with a hearty good Wi,
to fight and if need be, to bleed, and die
for their country. And when tae time for
the sacrifice arrives. they make It without
murmur.
Since leaving our camp in Georgetown
we have seen nearly all the famous battle
fields Of Virginia. Many horrl stories
nave appeared in The papers about the
shocking manner in which our dead and
wounded soldiers were treated. When al
home, ! could not believe them ALT, for T
thought il impossible for a civilized, and
enlightened people, to pecipitato them
selves SO much beneath even canibals.-
But when | walked over the battle feld Of
Bull Run, even at this late day, my own
vision cave me proof enough.
Before leaving their encampnont8
around CenaoyilIa an dManassas, The reb-
els went out among the different buFyine
grounds, and with rails dug up the le-
mains Of our brave boys that fell Ii thaf
awful battle, and left their bones sticking
out Of the ground to bleach ia the wind
and sun. And then were the bodies of
five Of the fire zouayes in fall uniform
with their heads cut of, lasled to stakes
driven in the ground Judging from the
wide hard beaten Dad that led to hem,
thousands had visited them. la their
camps too, were found cmdlesticks made
out Of skulls that had Leen taken from the
graves. OF course we Immediately buried
z all that was above ground, and every sol
der that witnessed these awful sights, a5
5 be assisted in covering up the white bones
g swore vengeance. One little circumstance
Z that happened at Centreyille is worthy Of
q note. A young man, as white as ans Of
us, came to our camp and said che lad
been a slave all his life, bat when tie rel
els left there he gave them the slip, AMI
concluded to be free man" One Of our
officers hired him to cook aud upon COR
yersing with him, he is quite intelligent,
e we asceftainel that lis master had hired
T him out and be had cooked for Gen. Jos.
4 e. Johnston aud staff all winter lie is d
+, very close observer and can tell us of many
= Of their barbarous acts after the ba.ae ot
Bull Run. Also of many Of theH plans
and schemes that lie heard them talk over
among themselves. One Of which was
the planning Of the battle at Balls Bluff.
= He tells Of hearing them read letters
from Gen. Stone and then laugh at the
dupIcty Of the id Yankees. And of
: their talking over the result Of that BATHS
weeks before it came I'll.
What wonder that we meet with losses,
and 50 many lives lost without accomplish
ing anything? Therelaro more Gen. Stones
mi principal, than he that i now a pris
! oner.
Before Yorktown We laid three weeks,
preparing for fight, at the very day be-
fore we were going to give them battle 10
real Yankee style they 4eyacuatat.' At
Williamsburg they made a stand, merely
/ to give their fore IS around tho toNn, tine
70 get away. He "ptched into them,
and they coon realized that we were in
earnest Brigade after brigade of their
retreatiDg forces was recalled to "clean
OUT the Yankees. But 'little Mac" was
right there with us. Although it raiaed
almost all day, our brave boys poure1
taeir deadly yolleys in quick succession in-
to their thinned ranks. None bet those
who have witnessed battle, can form any
conception Of one. There Is something
grand and awful about a battle, That inn
agination fails to portray, or paintings Of
fourth Of July demonstrations to initiate.
The battle was hard one. Toward eve
ming Mcclellan rode along the line cheer
/ ing the boys with his presence, and they
cheering his presence with their voices loud
and long. They seemed to gather re-
doubled energy. Then came the rally By
Gen. Heintzelman and that "souI stirring
Star Spauoled Banner Then the gallant
charge Of Hancocks brigade, and the field
was ours.
We had line Of signal stations long
tho whole line, and as our position II 2
battle is in the front where WE can obtain
a view Of AL that is going on, the Shells
and tallsIwere plenty and feil, some q them
a little closer than was comfortable at
least. From Williamsburg they caEne to
Richmond and We followed close behind,
trying to Get a fair fight out Of them, but
no stop until they were, as they taials. saie
behind their fortilieaiions. We had q
fight with them near Hanover Court
1 House driving them from tAeii posltion
and destroying railroad bridge. Last sat
uiaay and Sunday we had a very severe
fight IN the neiohbofhood Of Bottoms
Bridge, in which our loss as well d theirs
was very great. But long ere this reaches
YOU, you will have read All The particulars.
We ARE now ID sight Of The beseigel city,
lmr balloons aHe III tie mir nearly all the