The New York herald., 1862-09-15
THE BATTLE FIELDS IN VIRGINIA.

the BATTLE FIELDS IN VIRGINIA.
~~~o~>~~~~~~~~~~-o
The Removal or the WOunded-The Ex.
perience Of Volunteer Nurses-The Care
OF tho Wounded by tho Rebels-Frater.
nixatlon OF Union and Rebel Surgeons-
Surgical Operations tn tho Field-Opi.
MONS OF Rebel Soldiers-Their Condi.
tion, &c., Co., Sc.
OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON, Sept. IL, 1852
In pursuance OF the order Of tho Secretary Of War for
volunteer TO visit the battle field Of Bull rum for
the purpose Of administering to the wounded train was
soon filed TO ovsrdowng-n all thousand persons.
After undergoing various trials aud tribuations the re-
collection Of which would be painful recall we ar
rived safely At Fairfax staton-some fifteen miles from
the battle ground In order that the reader may compre
bend this Information In all it, magnitude, he must ina
gine over thousand vounteers-minus grub (breakast
dinner and supper ncusive minus sleep aud blankets,
with over supply Of buckets lint cups other para
phernala too numerous to mention and too heavy to
carry.
Imagine the consolation Of this interesting patriotic
group when the intelligence received had
march through the drenohing rain and mud fifteen
miles TO the battle ground. Out Of the whole number
some seveuty-fve only reached the battle field.
wounded numbered ninety y-four, including nurses and
soldiers, under command Of Lieutenant Fletcher of the
United States infantry. then had the first view
OF the battle field There laid the dead they fallen
their bodies laying side by side with the wounded who
were sickened by the horrible sfnuvia Of decayed
corpses in consequence OF their remaining for
nine days upon the field. The dead were In horrible
state Of decomposition, rendering them black coal
and perfectly unacceptable.
The wounded suffered terribly for tho want Of water
their cries pitiul Owing to bad manag
the locality chosen for the hospital quarter Of
mile distant from the only spring. which served
mon for the rebels and ourselves hence il
dered muddy TO be unht for It's capacity was
never great We obliged to al the buckets BY dip
ping cups n the spring; hence some estimate be
formed Of the number Of suffering the result Of this tardy
process OF obtaining water We eventually down an
ambulance to spring mile below and loaded some small
casks with water We found from subsequent calculation
that the Of wounded left the from the
battles Of Thursday, Friday and Saturday and exclusive
Of those that able TO lump of upwards OF one
thousand four hundred. These unable move or
help themselves and during the interval between the bat
o and our arrival they were cared for by the rebels
as best they could, they themselves being severely
pressed by hunger from lack Of subsistence sores aud
having, addition, their wounded to attend TO- From
the account Of wounded generally the rebels treated
them all with as much kindness possible. We imme.
datoy organized ourselves corps OF each corps
experimenting the wants OF certain number OF wounded
We had means Of shelter occupying orchard with
the canopy of heaven . To increase discom
fort IL raued almost incsssanty and when did rain
nght the dew which very heavy fell rain. But
despite the ncemencies Of the and the severely
cold nights which numerous nres Of fence rails served in
measure TO moderate We lost bat two from e.
Of subsistence reduced to three Of concentrated
meat given to by the rebels originally captured from
u.s. but this instance divided fairly On Thursday even
ing Or. Duhed, OF the Ninetsenh Indiana, purchased
from the rebels, for Treasury notes, two year
ling calves aad . quarter Of beef, which placed
dileu ma TO cook, utensils being very limited
However BY dnt Of perseverance and inventive genius
arranged structure by driving stakes tho ground
at certain intervals and placing fence rails top sup.
porting camp kettles in which made broth Of the beef
the wounded using the broth, and tho the meat
Our commissary department remained in this condition
until Friday morning, when train Of supplies sent
u.s. the first received from the United States Our
surgeons began early examining the Of the wounds
pr. so.and So looked and another approved, and thsn
wss determined that limb must come of Accordingly
the patient laid upon rckstty table, chloroform
mnstered, and cooy as il they cutting beef, they
OF the limb the operation being viewed by the rest
Of the wounded many Of whom undergo tho same
ordeal. one poor fellow, shot badly above the
knee perstcnty refused TO takes choroorm DO held
and bravsy held his leg in the proper position until
the operation performed, never uttcrng groap.
The universally displayed noble fortude and TO
who unaccutomed 70 these scenes the apshetc
OF the surgeons repusive their
responding sympathy for tho sufsrings Of the wounded
Our surgeons and the rebels exchanged coureses and
sisted each other in operatons-n fact, drank brandy
together talked politics. and generally did the agreeable
The uniform Of the rebel surgeons far more elegant than
that Of the rect OF their officers 10 generally very
gold braid. They were particularly destitute Of
surgical instruments and the only outrage commit
ted by the rebels the robbery OF one or eur
surgeons Of his instruments and some greenbacks
be had in his pockets and all the ready cash in
those Of the men, forty 10 ALL Upon tho complaint
OF surgeons to robel officers, they expressed
great indignation, andromsed severe punishment tho
offenders discovery must not omit 10 state that the
condition Of the rebels for clothing especially shoes was
destitute In the extreme. All Of dead and some Of
wounded were despoiled Of the latter aud often
bodies found, even wounded men, completely
stripped OF all clothing should judge, from what have
that full twenty per cent OF the rebels lacked shoes
fact some six thousand passed by walking
their toes, entirely shoeless They said they had been
sent out Of the hospital 81 Richmond half sckal that
able to move having to co. that they had marched
all the way but could make only seven eight miles per
day In spite OF all their suffering they determined
TO 6ght for their Independence, though they said we
ought whip them, having the and resources but
we would have 10 kill the last man.
They universally agreed when they spoke OF our gene
rails styling Mcclellan greatest and also the most
gentlsmanly From careful inquiry among the wounded to
Gdence Ia him truly marvellous Most OF our men
were wounded the lower limbs Rebel oficerS account
for II by their having bad powder aud guns, strange
case was met with on the neone man WIS sho. in the
tho rcbes passed 90 the road from Bu run westward. IN