The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-19


The correspondent of the New York
L xpress, from Fair Oak Station, June
6 th inst, writes as follows:
] paid a visit to the battle field of
Saturday and Sunday, called by some
the "Battle Of the Seven Pines" this
morning. The camp of Casey's division
presented sight which an artist might
envy, and yet one Of desolation. All
around lay charred ruins, clothing, guns,
cartridge boxes, &c, the property main
ly Of our own troops. The whole camp
was just as level as the Russ pavement on
Broadway. Here was where the enemy
first made their appearance on Saturday.
and where they so badly drove back our
men. A little further on is piece of
woods, and by walking through water
and mud knee deep, one is enabled to in
yestigate its contents. The bark of
nearly every tree is peeled Off towards
the roots, the rife balls and canister
fired into the forest by our men, having
taking down the trees about as lively as
they did rebels. Letters, guns by the
dozen, both Secesh and Union, clothing
enough TO start half of Chatham street
in business, new-made graves, yet I'M
buried bodies, and all the minor indi-
cations of battle and death, form one Of
the saddest scenes ever witnessed on the
Virginia Peninsula. In swamp we
found eight bodies of Alabamians close
together, and in such state of decOm-
position that hardly a man saw them
without turning away his head. Their
clothes were on, but the bodies were 80
swollen, that they fitted as tight as the
skin itself. In several cases the flesh
had already been eaten off. by vermin
and the head and the skull lay bare. It
was disgusting scene, which some peo-
pie might have seen with profit But il
ought to be added, that our people are
burying the dead just as fast as they can
reach the remains.
/ saw one body, which was evidently
that of rebel officer. His clothing was
rather better than that of the large ma
jority we saw, and other indications of
rank were numerous. He lay concealed
behind some brush, and had evidently
been wounded, sought its shelter and
there died. The limbs were contracted,
but on the face there seemed TO rest
placid smile. One hand held on to
fence rail near by while the other was
extended upon the earth. Like all the
rest, the body was swollen to twice its
natural size, and millions of vermin were
fast deyouring it. Calling some scouts,
a grave was dug, and the decaying flesh
was consigned to its last resting place
Another body was found sitting on the
ground the back braced against fence.
The skin was peeling off the hands, and
hung down from the fingers in shreds.
One hand rested on the musket, whose
contents had been discharged. The head
dropped to one side, and the features
were fearfully contracted, evidencing a
dying struggle of a most painful nature
In his vest pocket there was a piece Of
paper, and curiosity prompted me TO read
it, There was some scribbling upon it,
the distinguishing words being eighth
Ala. will never yield" "No, sir, never"
Then some pOetical lines, of which amid
the blood and dirt, succeeded in deci-
phering the following:
" suppose we die upon N g Geld
'Iwu prove that never will we Yield,
Twill show the f1e that Ike npod,
Wo'A pour, for southern rights, our blood '
Below this were these words:
"The woman who wrote that South
ern man ought.to marry Northern one
she would sphn."
curiosity might have collect.
ed a bushel of letters, in those woods SO
full of horrors, but | had not the heart
for the task.
To show how desperate was the strug-
gle in the heavy woods between Casey's
and Wards camp, l have spoken of the
bullet marks upon the trees, of the dead
and of their effects, everywhere SEEM
Another indication was the clothing, YET
hanging upon low tree branches, fences
and lying upon the ground. An officer
engaged in the battle tells me that wher
we pursued, on Sunday, the retreating
rebels ITO the woods through which, OF
Saturday, they drove us, a desperate en-.
counter ensued.
Hundreds Of men, on both sides, threw
of all their superlluous clothing and wen
in, as we were told the Goth did al Bul
Run, stripped almost to the waist. Thos,
who had the opportunity, placed theiI
coats where they would be preserved
others with no time for that, threw then
on the ground, and lost them with thei
lives. Within a space of two acres Their,
are ungathered arms enough TO supply
a New York militia regiment. In tina
small space nearly six hundred mel
were sent TO their long account
At Casey's old camp there were n,
human bodies, as there it was an easy
matter to dispose of them immediatel,
after the fight. But hundreds of horses
torn by shot and shell, lay all around
the carcasses emitting a pestilentia
stencil. On Sunday when we were agai
in possession of this field, men and an
imals lay close together.
"Kiier and Bt ed IA one red burial bout"
The animals are now being harmed a
that is the only way in which they ca
be disposed of, and the horrid etiluvi
removed from its close contact with on
camp. Upon approaching this spot,
requires considerable effort to lead a ma
! TO walk up to it, the reeking ode
being so offensive. Tomorrow its con
I dition will be favorable enough for re oc
cupation. In direct railroad line froI
this camp to Richmond it is Just seve
= miles, "Fair Oak is the name Of the sta
4 ton, A building near the switch is no
Q used as q hospital, mainly for the reb,
= wounded, and right opposite are III
. headquarters Of Gen. Meagher and hi
lrisa Brigade,
Speaking Of the hospital at this sta
ton, reminds mo that our men yet fin
wounded rebels in the woods. lesteI
I day, two or three were discovered undt
some brush. One had a leg amputatf
L d