Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1862-06-20
TIE SHENANDOAH BATTLES.
;(,1res;N>1!leuci. Of he New York VINES.
Battle tisou:p OF THE Cross KEYS |
Nl!.iay Morning, juno 2. 1862.

am writing. on lne GROUND W1le}t 50 many
If the EIGHTH New York met their DOOM
Sn1dom is wheat field IS terribly sown. The
poor fellows lie around me in all postures and
no,itons some on the very spot where they
i:ll. others propped up against the fences
where they crawled to die. think the hor-
rors Of the battle field have been very much
exaggerated The features OF these men, save
where they have persisted from strangulation
fr received wounds in the face, are as calm and
nIacid as though they had died peacefully in
bed. }Isny Of them lie on their backs with
their arms stretched YEARLY, careIessly out, IN
the attitude Of men who have thrown them
selves on the ground to rest and suddenly sunk
INFO sIumber. | noticed one man IN this attl-
tulle very particularly. 1t was impossible to
believe hirn dead, even when he failed to reply
10 repeated calls, until | cn9eayorod TO raise
his head ia more comfortable position, and
The Rightly Of the body told that life was not
there The groans Ct the wounded, that form
one Of the great staple horrors, are mainly a
fiction When thc pain is very acute a low
moaning is heard but IN the most cases they
silent in despair Their only request is water
OF to death. / apprehend that from a bullet
sufferer not knowing that it is going Hope is
50 strongly developed within US that question
whether any one ever really believed himself
denly struck down, it seems impossible he
while he is thinking OF the glory that will re-
,ounA to him from his scars. Many of our
wounded have lain upon the field al night, and
il is questionable whether ambllIances will come
10 their relief much before the middle Of the
day. | am glad to learn from their lips that
they have been kindly treated by the Southern
soldiers. Two Germans nave just told me how
Tie latter came during the night, covered them
over with blankets, brought them water, and
in some cases, washed their wounds. What |
have witnessed, entirely dispels any faith | ever
had in what is commonly termed rebel bar
barty." When the news came ol Ashhy S
death, one Of our officers cried like a chld-he
was wounded on some field, and Ashby, he said
came and SAT- by hin ali the night through: ia
king as tender care Of him as though he were
brother. | am especially pleased to have
learned the truth in this ease from the Iii s OF
the wounded soldiers themselves, for one of
the scouts came into camp while ago, saying
1ha4 he had been over the field and the Woun-
ded told him the rebels came down and leased
them all night long, taking away their canteens
and ritlmg their pockets These stories are
rife on both sides; manufactured 81 knaves.
they are told to fools with the intention of Ell
gendering a mutual hate. OF nearly every
prisoner taken within the past week the qucs-
ion has been asked How about that courier
OF ours you blew away from the mouth OF a
cannon? Yesterday Louisiana Tiger replied
TO his nterlocutor Why you Northern men
ire as big fools IS the Virginians; we tell all
such stories as these about you to them but We
dln t expect to find you believing them