Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-02-28
visit TO the Bnt.le-Fse.a.
Correspondence of The Chicago Times

fort Doneisons fenn Ie5- il, -stl
| was invited on Sunday morning, by
Gen. McClernand, TO take ride over the
battlefield. 1t would be difficult to des-
cribe in a few words the scenes which have
met my view. The battle-ground was chief
ly confined TO the space outside the Rebel
Notifications, extending up the river a dis
lance of two miles, to the point where Gen.
Netherlands force rallied from the retire
ment which they were at first forcel into by
the impetuous charge of the enemy.
Ii must be remembered that it was here
that the grand sortie was made by the Re
bells up the river bank with the intention of
turning our right flank and cutting their
way out. Some ten or twelve thousand
men composed the force sent out for this
purpose. They advanced under cover Of a
deadly fire of artillery, and steadily drove
Gen. Netherlands force before them a
distance of fifty or sixty rods.
Our troops here made stand, and, hav-
ing been re enforced by one or two regi-
ments, began the assault, before which the
enemy were forced to retreat. The ground
was contested with desperation, and the
slaughter on both sides was immense. The
whole space Of two miles was strewed with
dead, who lay in every imaginable shape
and form.
Unionists and Rebels were promiscuous-
ly mingled, sometimes grappled in the fierce
death-throe, sometimes facing each other as
they gave and received the fatal shot or
thrust, sometimes lying across one another,
and again heaped in piles which lay six or
seven deep. ] could imagine nothing more
terrible than the silent indications OF agony
that marked the features of the pale corpses
which lay at every step.
Though dead, and rigid in every muscle,
they still writhed and seemed to turn to
catch the passing breeze for a cooling
breath. Staring eyes, gaping mouths,
clenched hands, and strangely contracted
limbs, seemingly drawn into the smallest
compass, as il by mighty effort to rena
asunder some irresistible bond which fell
them down to the torture Of which they
died.
One sat against Tree, and, with mouth
and eyes wide open, locke up into the sky
as if to catch a glance at its feeting spirit
Another clutched the branch of an over.
hanging tree, and hung half suspended, as
in the death-pang he raised himself partly
from the ground. The her hand gtasped
his faithful muskei. and the compression oil
the mouth told Of the determinat ion winch
would have been fatal to a foe had life eb-
bed a minute later.
A third chung with both hands to bay
onet which was buried in the ground, in tie
act Of striking for the heart of Rebel foe
Great numbers lay in heaps, just as the fire
OF the artillery moved them down, man.
Cling their forms into an almost undisling.
Unstable mass. Many of our men had evi.
IDENTIFY fallen victims to the Rebel sharp
shooters, for they were pierced through the
head by rifle bullets, some in the forehead
some in the eyes others on the bridge Of
the nose, in the cheek, and in the mouth.
This circumstance verified statement
made to me by Rebel officer among the
prisoners, that their men we're trained to
shoot low and aim for the face, while ours,
as general thing, fred al random, and shot
over their heads.
The enemy, in their retreat, carried off
their wounded and great many Of their
dead, so that ours far ou;numbered them on
the field. M
The scene Of action had been mostly in
the woods. although there we're two open
places of an acre or two where the fight had
ragged, furiously, and the ground was cover
ed with dead. All the way up TO their in
trenchments the same scene of death was
presented. There were two miles of dead,
strewn thickly, mingled with firearms,
artillery, dead horses, and the paraphernalia
OF the battlefield. 1t was a scene never TO
be forgotton-never to be described.
We give the following from correspon-
dent of the n. Y. Tribune: -
Many of the enemy upon the battle.
field, after we had obtained possession of q
part Of the inirenchments on Saturday af.
terncon, were horribly wounded, mostly by
our MIME rifles and EnfieId muskets. and
usually in the face or on The head. Poor
fellows lay upon the ground with their ewes
and noses carried away, their brains oozino
from their erania, their mouths shot into
horrible designation, making a hideous
spectacle that must haunt those who saw II
Tor many future days, and rise in horror
through many distempered dreams.
saw an old gray-hared man, MORALLY
wounded, endeagoring 10 stop with piece
OF his coat the life-tide flowing from the
bosom OF bis son. youth Of twenty years.
he boy told his father that it was use
less; that he could not live; aud, while the
devoted parent was still striving feebly 10
save him who was perhaps his first Torn, a
shudder passed through the frame of The
wouid-be preserver; his head fell upon fhe
bosom OF his youth. and his gray hairs were
ba'hed in death with the expiring blood of
has misguided son.
l saw the twain half an hour after; and
youth and age were locked hfelcss in one
anothers arms.
A dark-haired young man, Of apparently
twenty-five or three, | found leaning against
a tree, his breast pierced by bayoae,. lie