Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-05-01
Correspondence of the Charleston Courier

move or showed themselves near enough.
Correspondence of the Charleston Courier.
CoRINTH, Cibursday) April 10, 1862.
No reality in the entire range of human experience
car be mere gfaGGly solemn than 10 stand a battle
fec and gaze around upon The bloody picture OF man.
gd, dying and dead humanity which the red band left
behind The sounds of strife have been hushed the
ground no longer rembes under the tramp of legions
and he air has ceased to yibrate with tie rolling OF
muketry, the thunder OF artillery and the wild shouts
OF Naught disurbs the silence of the spot save
the whispering of the leaves, the cagoirg Of the ords
and the subdued vol Of friends searching for the dead
mingled with tie OF the wounded and their plead
Dgs for relief
The excitement OF he battle has passed away, and
before the bodies over which you may have careessly
trodden few hours before. you bend in reverence
and read lessons whose imprint will never leave your
memory. Hearts bqoyant with hope and fervor have
been forever sed lips with which you have been wont
commune are parted in death eyes that have looked
Familiarity into your own low dim and CLASSY turn
ed towards the cold sky, and faces pad with the
CHASTITY marble Of he grave upon them The blood still
flows from tie unstaunCGed wounds OF the living has
thickened ard d. led upon their persons and passing by
ptifu gauces follow You if they silently mpl0red the
assis ance which it is not in your power to render
The ground is cod AMI wet yet there they lie, unable
to waiting while minutes seem to drag into hours,
for the arrival Of the comrades who to them
TO the hospitals It is of those periods Of existence
when empbatCaly, they
count time by heart hrobs,
Not by figures on he dial
And now tlese poor fellows shudder and groan with
anguish tho rough manpulaions of those who have
cone to their relief. How [ have seen strong men
weep under this burden Of agony, and pray for death to
relieve their suff lirg5!
All! If those who rUthessIy make war could stand
upon the battlefield aud lis results long would they
hesitate before they placed human life in tie balance to
weigh against the acc mplishment Of their designs.
AS l haze already informed you, the theatre of the
recent conflict cannot be less than three or four miles 10
extent Over the entire area the victims were scattered
by thOusa hare and there where the struggle was des
perae, lying almost in piles that you could step from
one body to the other. The ground is covered with the
limbs OF trees and bushes that have been shot away
while ggea CIos of blood frequently mark the spot where
some unfortunate soldier has poured out bis LIES hba
ton in q torrent. The earth is poughed up by the
wheels Of artillery, the hoof CT horses and the footsteps
OF men, and the debris Of the fgh-muskets, canteeus
haversacks and useless booty visible every side
Imagination only can ill up these rude outlines of the
battle field Of Shiloh.
Turn your thoughts ye. little farther, and count if
you can TIE hearts broken the tears wept the homes
made des0ae, tie CARDS OF mourning and brows of sad
ness that follow 10 the train of such event. and pray
God that this uuhoy crusade upon our affections and
our hearth-s1ones may come to a speedy end
One Of the most touching sights [ have seen during
this came under my observation this morning The
remains of young lad Of fifteen, who had fallen in the
fight of Monday brought to Corinth to be placed
in coffin and forwarded to his home in louisiana He
was lair-haired handsome bow with features 50 deli
cate and beautifully rounded that but for the stamp of
manlness upon them, they might have been taken for
those of girl They seemed to be the shrine and type
of every noble trait in human nature. He had fallen
pierced by ball in the breast
" He slept where blood had been poured lie rain,
Another field before him,
And he slept calm as his mothers eyes
? ere sWeetly watching Ter him."
The corpse was accompanied by brother by whose
side be had fallen, and, the comrades around were
preparing pat it in cOfiO the poor bereaved Young
man threw himself upcn the body, and wept if his
heart would break He told u.s. who stood around that
the little fellow was only brother to whom he had
been attached with almost wOman's devotion that he
had refused be separated from him. and young be
was years, felt it to be conscientious duty to lend
his feeble to his country. His widowed mother
had hidden them both G0d-speed" their journey
bat few weeks before, and her soul to be torn
again by afflcti terrible than the first. All
be loved in the world but his mother was now gone
bis noble gentle generous 0n-hearted little brother
He became almost frantic 10 his grief He wanted to
die himself. No be would live to avenge his death,
and throwing himself upon the lieIess FORM he 8obhed
ard moaned in the agony of his heart. Then, with a
voice almost iD ,Gble from emotion be tried to pray
he prayed for bis mOhertbat she might have strength
to bear up under Der sorrow for his sained brother
and tor himself that he might be spared go through
this trial. and aVenge the death stroke that had made
bis home desoate.
w t endeaVOTeQ 10 draw MN away, but instead OF
yielding to the gentle peruasons, he convusivey threw
his around the dead BOY, pressed kiss upon the
cold lips, and then nature gave way, and he tainted
There not dry eye in the little company that look
ed upon the scene, ind doubt if its memory will ever
he 0bteraed from the mind Of any individual by whom
it witnessed
saw two mere brothers In the Office Of the 1ishom-
ingo House, which has been appropriated to hospital
uses One wounded in the leg and had undergone
amputaticn. he other was sitting by the side of the
rude cot which bis brother lay and there for hours
be quietly held he nutilaed limb and watched him as
he slept, nursing him tenderly a woman while
great and thea stole down his bronzed face
the thought Of the affection and danger consequent upon
lit.
Speaking Of boys, there appears to have been hun.
dre1s IN tie fight and every one from whom have
heard, has acted Ike hero Fhe majority of them are
from Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee, bat many
are likewise TO be found ia the ranks of other States
have seen some fifteen twenty of these wounded
the following incident which have from a Captain il
one of the Kentucky regiments concerning a lad under
bis command, will illustrate the spirit to which alude
Though ne had volunteered, the younggter was deem
ed too small to endure the agues of the campaign and
was suggested to the parents that they should procure
substitute. This accordingly done, and the latter
took bis place IN the ranks The boy however obsti
najey refused to go home and when the regiment wen
into battle ne dashed not only into the thckes charges
tut always managed to keep far ahead of his compan
IONS On one occasion be left the regiment three q
four hundred yards in the rear and reckless of the dan
ger of being shot from behind crept from tree to tre