The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1862-11-15
Mscos, Mss. Oct. 2l,t, lsG9.


/ Friend ioughs,g
should have written 30 you long since
but from the fact that have been so bu-ily
engaged as 10 make Il impossible for me u
find the necessary time Having been detailed
into the Commisssfy department. am con
stanty engaged
/ had been to Holly Springs with a drove
OF government cattle at' was returning TO
o. headquarters by railroad, when on the
[ night ~ the 18th = collision occurred twelve
milc- below Grensdn on the Mississippi Cen.
/ tal Railroad, between our train downward
tound and the passenger tnlln upward
bound resulting In consequences more horrl.
bic than anything have ever witnessed or
/ wish to witness again.
! was 10 the hindmost car DOING, when
about O'Clock At night. ! wasa lkened hy
shock, aud -npposing collision had &C.
CURED, immediately jumped up and run out
OF the car. The shock was not severe one
and di1 not suppose any serious damage
had occurred, until | heard cries for help
/ from The forward part Of the train. ! pro.
ceejed ~ fast ~ could In that direction, the
cries aud groans becoming every moment
more and more distinct Proceeding about
half the length Of the train, I found man
| in sitting posture on the platform. lie had
evidently been asleep. and the iron railings
had crushed into his body in frightfui man.
q
tained that ! could do him no good. aud
passed on.
The next man | came tn was negro. lie
was fast bound between the corners of two
ears, which held him through the middle of
the body lie was oscillatipg about a.
though hung on pivot. aud was In intense
agony. ! could not help him any and was
obliged 10 leave him. A little further on. |
Z found one Of his legs which had been viz.
Q l..,., -. a., 4.
{ Oh ~ smooth nearly ~ though A cleaver had
| done the work and 1t made my aesh crawl
Z 10 look Mt IL. Poor fellow God only knows
what he suffered crushed in the manner he
was, and still alive. lie did not however
I live long. These two men were all | bs we
who were killed m the down train, a. IL was
nearly still when the upward bound train ran
/ into u, at the rate OF perhaps forty miles an
hour.
Af,er ra,-in. the two cngiucs. ~ what re
manned OF them ! came 10 where cars were
piled upon ears in an indescribahle manner
underneath the ruins Of which was hideou-
pile Of dead and wounded men, mingled with
boards tlmbors iron bars. dirty knapsaok H.
and every lrtlui. possible which might have
been ON the train, or about tho track at the
time Of the accident, and that too IN an ap.
parently insxtricahle manner. II required a
-touter heart than mine TO 90 into that ruin
and go 10 work lIut astonishing t. relate
out OF q crowd Of two hundred men, or per
haps twice that number, there did not seem
to be more than q half dozen who were will
ing 10 assist In getting out the men who were
still living and crying for help. ! had NJ
choice and 80 pulled OF my oyercoat and
went 10 work The first thing noticed was
what TOOK 10 be strips or strings Of some
body's clothing. scattered along for number
OF yards, but which proved upon closer cx
animation TO be human entnis. II WAS a
sickening spectacle, here q heart, there a
liver, and In another place quantity OF
blood there a leg with some strings u flesh
and a rib OF two hanging toit. All this, and
much more. ao,iccd at . glance. A. | was
/ Fastening underneath 10 assist the wounded.
] had 10 walk over or rather creep over pile
/ Of dead men. who were still warm and palpi'
Z tatng some with their brains crushed ont I;
aud SOME even who seemed to have been
smothorcd. a. they were quite black IN the
| face when taken out and did not appear to
have sustained any other injury. One man =
head was mashed IN very singular manner,
| The portion comprising the face VIA entire
| but seemed g. have been separated thy the
bones being hrokcn) from the back part ~
the head and Il moved about In hideous
manner as YOU would move mask upon
I your face. found men with both their legs
| broken some with both arms broken, aud
| others with their eyes pressed nearly gu, Of
| their head. some were suffering from inter
/ nal injuries; IN fact, II seemed that men were
| injured IN every possible manner, and all
were calling pitcuu-y 10 lie released OF b b"
| given a drink and take hold OF them where
| you might. they would cyclaim that " hurt
| them and beg you to take hold OF them IN
another place. Nor could a man be released
| at all without a great deal Vi work moving
4 OF boards. pieces Of broken cars. and two or
three dead men. | became very sugfy at
seeing men stand around and not assist their
suffering fellow creatures, All the entfcst'
| ing xe could do would not eaa-c them "a
move a finger. and once turned around, and
screamed At the top Of my voice, Come IN
here, come in, 1891 ---- you. and help these
wounded mcn. was promptly rebuked,
| however for quiet man who WAS bending
| all his energies 20 the TASK before him, and
saying not "a word touched me on the shoul
ief and said Ny friend do not curse in the
| presence Of these dead aud dying men.
Towards morning the wounded were all re
moved aud stretched out on blankets around
the tiie. They were t~snty eight In number.
| The dead were next brought out, snd nnm
bered thitsy-ax. I VA TOO much worn out
10 assis, in burying the dead, aud lrt the
| sccne Of tie disaster for a farm hou-e where
| rested awhile, and then went on 10 Wsnons
| Eve mites distant. In the evening = train
came up fos the pnrpo-c Of conveying Away
the wounded, aud gos aboard and proceeded
on my way u this place.
Dr. Russell OF Jefferson VA present and