The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-19
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1862.
BATTLE AT PITTsBURG.
PIrTsBURG. ON BOARD THE WHITE CLOUD,


BATTLE AT PITTSBURG.
Special Cor. Missouri Democrat.
PIrTsBuRG. ON BOARD THE WHITE CLOUD, /
MONDAY EVENING, April Z, 1862.
Let me now giveyou q chapter from my
, own experiences. And am aware that I shall
fail to give you anything like an adequate
idea either Of the sights witnessed, or the
impressions they produced. Language could
convey no conception of the CHASTITY horrors OF
great battlefield, much less Of its sickeninp
effect upon ne.unused to such spectacles. The
descriptions of scenes like these, most of your
readers will be happy enough never to realize.
1t is fact which l can hardly account for
on principles of acoustics, that when we were
forty miles from our destination, confused and
vague reports came to US of the cannouadine
heard all day Sunday. These stories although
frequently repeated, served only to amuse me
at first. As we came within ten miles of Sa-
vannah, and twenty miles from Pittsburg, the
dull boom of cannon became distinctly audi
Bile, and grew sharper and louder as we ad-
vanced. The effect Of the sound, now repeat
ed at slow intervals, now increasing almost in
to volleys when combined with bur knowl-
edge Of the vast forces probably engaged,
brought to mind the tones of Waterloo, heard
in the halls Of Brussels. 1t was half the pean
of victory, and half the knell of untold dead.
When we reached Savannah the most inco-
herent and conflicting stories were hurled at
us from deck and shore. The cry was, .Hurry
on with your batteries immediately they want
Them" How slowly the craft seemed to toll
against the stream. Perhaps our little six
pound howitzer might change the fortunes of
the day. At last Pittsburg landing, with its
line of smoke stacks and steep bluffs came into
sight Its sides for mile were swarming
with blue coats, artillery horses struggling up
the bank. cavalry, infantry, army stores, lit
ters bearing the wounded aud dying, mingled
in chaotic confusion What could this mean?
Could it be another Bull Run? When the boat
landed we learned tn 1t we had been repulsed
on Sunday, but had retrieved our fortunes the
next day; that the enemy were retreatig. and
that the battle was pretty much ended.
rushed ashore, hoping to find some place to
deposit my baggage in safety, but for half
hour the attempt seemed hopeless. Mean
time the quivering report Of monster guns
behind the bluff told plainly enough that the
contest was not ended. At last l found an
hospital steward who relieved me of my bur-
den. and got fairly under way, foundering
along through the mud among the snake train
OF ambulances and artillery wagons. For half
mile pressed on through the forest, which
covered the entire surrounding country with
out finding any evidences of an engagement,
except here and there the scar of an occasional
shot high up on the II ees. l was told that
the hard fighting was mile beyond At last
broken muskets, cartridge boxes, haversacks,
horse here and there stretched out in his
blood, began to appear. Before long found
a poor fellow mangled and rotting, who
had doubtless fallen the day before. Ipicked
up letter lying upon him, but reflected that
it might identify the body and replaced it
These were the first drops in the tempest of
human blood At some little distance beyond,
through the encanpment of the Third Ohio.
the scene batfled description. Muskets by the
hundreds had been thrown away and aban-
doned Bodies were lying at intervals of a
rod in all directions. Mangled trunks of
horses were scattered about. The fighting
here must have been we'll contested and des-
perate. To detail all the hideous aspects of
the dead in this field of carnage, If it were
possible, would be simply revolving. was
drawn by sort of fascination to one corpse
after another. The expressions Of mortal ago.
ny in the faces of many was as fresh as Parha-
sius could have wished to paint. Some were
distorted and defiant. Others were boyish,
and wore almost the repose of sleep. One
smooth-faced lad seemed to smile. fancied
er. God pity such mothers. Most of the
hands were clenched; the glazed eye still glar-
ing as it glared upon the enemy in the mo-
ment of death.
In ravine further or, the corpses of the
enemy lay thickest. Here there had been
cannonade of grape-shot and balls. Trees
foot in diameter had been cut in two. Nothing
seemed to be unscathed. Two rebels Law dis
emboweled and Drained by huge ball, which
had apparently slain horse beyond Here
lay poor wretch, in the camminess and pal
lor of apparent decomposition. l supposed he
had died Sunday; but conceive of my horror
when saw that his chest heaved, 'sas in his
breast the wave Of life kept heaying to and
fro" cannon shot had Drained him, but life
still worked in spasm upon his features Be-
hind me came strange, agonizing cry; it was
that of wounded man borne by on litter
A kentucky Captain was exceedingly anxious
that should superintend the burial of an old
friend, and recent enemy-a white headed gen.
tleman Of the manor born, and | made him
some vain pledges. He said that it would
break his wife's heart if she knew that he was
rotting there. How many hearts will be bro
ken--how many homes made desolate by the
last few hours One soldier told me that he
was trying to find the body of his brother who
might be dead ON the field
Such is war. l would have fingered much
longer, but the night was coming on, the land
ing was three miles distant and we had fearful
evidence that the enemy could not be far dis
tant. Surfeited with horrors fell in with the
returning soldiers and ambulances, "the weary
to sleep and the wounded to de-
Reports, which seem to be confirmed, are
afioat that Gen. Prentiss is dying, (he is known
to have been captured;) that A. s. johnson is
killed, (which lacks confirmation, and that Gen.
Beauregard has lost an arm
LATER.
TUESDAY MORNING.-On the bluff to the
south of the Landing l stumbled upon forty.
seven bodies OF the wounded who had since
died. Among them was Lieutenant Colonel
and Major. Gen. Grant is known to have said
that our loss will amount to 10000 in wound
ed, and that of the enemy very much heavier.
Gen. Bragg is reported killed, but this is not
reliable.
10 day (Tuesday) o strong reconnaissance
was made, and the enemy found to be distant
at least fifteen miles. An advance will doubt
less be made tomorrow. The impression is
general that the enemy is completely broken
ONE DAY LATER.
TUESDAY EVENING" have spent good Dor.
tion of the day in taveling over the field of the
engagement, but nave seen only small portion
OF the field The hardest fighting has been up.
on the extreme left under Gen. Nelson. The
enemy's batteries fronting them were taken and
lost, and after desperate fighting charge was
made upon the rebels, which drove than final
ly from the field.
The fighting took place in the effort to drive
the enemy from behind rail fence. Here was
struggle almost hand to hand, and carried on
upon both sides with the greatest obstinacy.-
The loss was very severe Bodies lay in some
places almost in heaps; many of them were
burned almost to cinder by the shell. To
the south of our extreme left also, the carnage
was very great, particularly through an open
orchard. As far as went the dead were to be
seen in all directions Most of them were se-
cessionists, and many Tennesseeans, who had
been pressed into the service. Log cabins had
been turned into hospitals, wherever found.
and were filled with the wounded The dead
were being buried as fast as possible, but under
.d. q