Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-03-29

In fact, his battery gallantly replied TO
ours from a point 900 feet below our
commanding position on the hill.
The caaps in this noisome, unhealthy
locality seemed the very picture Of desc
lation and despair. The life of the poor
fellows who tenanted those huts must have
been wretchod, requiring almost heroic en-
durance. In some places pieces of the
half-cured bacon dealt out for rations lay
putrefying in the sun, beside the quarter
masters abandoned cabin. The quality
Of this vile food, the entire absence Of for
ago--corn, oats, or hay-from any rack
within dozen miles Gt is the greatest diff
iculty that can procurs food for my sin
gle horse), convince me that the rebels
would speedily have been obliged to fall
back to regions better supplied with the
necessares Of life if equally potential rea-
sons had not enforced an earlier retreat
The rolling stock of the o. G. A. Railroad
was in no condition, learn, to supply the
wants of so large body Of men and hors-
es. II is aosc certain that Ut least ", 900
men hare Jeen oU Vinter encamped aOith,n
te', miles Of CenhrviNe.
Mrs. Butler, whose husband owns the
farmhouse shelled by Ayres's guns, took
me into the attic rooms were our 3 poun-
der went through, and talked with me a
long while about the events subsequent to
the battle of the 18th. Her sympathies
are on the rebel side, and so cannot dis
believe her frightful and sickering narra-
tive of the attrociStes on the victors.-
Nineteen of our men were buried near her
house. But IN a tes0 ,ceeks erery corpse
bal been dug up, the flesh boiled Or backed
from the bones, ard the latter diStrtbuted
as naementos of southern conquest and bar
b0yaSm. The stencil engendered by this
monstrous process was so horrible that the
family had to leave the place, and much
sickness ensued among the troops.
Mr.. Butler confirmed the statement Of
his wife. There is no doubt Of its truth
Among the stuff left behind at the camps,
| Joints of human yertebr0 and human
skulls, scraped and polished, have been
found to-day, Mrs. Butler told me that
on the night of the Goth mounted federal
courier came within their lines and asked
for Gen. McDowell's headquarters. A;
asked the question he saw the Palmetto il
the hat of the South Carolina guard, anc
put spurs to his horse, but was shot ano
killed. Dispatches in cipher were found
on his person. He was buried, but dug W
\ within week, the flesh boiled from hi
bones, and the latter exhibited as emblem
Of Gan invaders fate"
This solves the mystery concerning tn
fate of a courier missing, and never wa
heard of since the evening named. MI
Wand, who was with our outermost picke
that day, remembers that horsema
dashed through and toward the rebel lines
Shots were soon after heard, but the affa
was forgotten in the exciting events of th
next morning.
' Ag we returned home tonight we bega
to meet the old line Of civilians from Wasl
ington coming to see Manassas and obtai
trophies. In the fields, on every side, th
dead horses of the rebel cavalry lio by II
score, attracting clouds of buzzards al
ravens from afar off.
Among really valuable and welcome a
Y rivals tonight are members of the S n
, tary Commission--Rev. DR.. Bellows, d
c Van Buren,, Mr.. Strong, Mr., Olmsted, &
e We GET news herewith of the executi'
c orders appointing Fremont to the Mounta
}, Division, and placing Hallcck, &C., on
: plane with our own general commandin
OF one pleasant fact my few days of la
= intercourse with the army assures me, VII
u that the rank and file have learned to lo'
Mcclellan, and, right or wrong, have Il
u utmost faith and arsor undor his leade
y ship Carr Sp0adem ~ y. HorM.
g BS~Before the days of chloroform the