Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-21
BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN
BATTLE FIELD AFTER THE FIGHT
AN EgTERVEESE ~ WITH THE REBEL
GERRRAL STUART.
- Of the \. y. IrIbnne.l

The division OF Cen Rickets remained within
sound Of the battle three hours and did not move
an inch. Not however, because the general
commanding did not desire to take part Ia the
engagement, for all this time himself and his
generals were under the curb Of a superior gem
era, and that general still awaiting the orders Of
his superior. Gems. Ricketts,, Hartsuf and
.P.nce would gladly have been in the thickest
Of the fight but, having been officers in the reg
usr army, they were too much accustomed 70 its
peculiar discipline to march to the relief Of Gen.
Banks without orders.
The only batteries engaged in the fight wel 9
the fourth and SIKH Maine, Kuapp's and Bes.'s
Best lost one gan, tWenty-seven horses, and
about one-thiTd Of nls men. Knapp lost two eeis-
sons, and seven Enen wounded. Every battery
leUght until exery pound of ammunition was ez-
hausted. Within three miles Of the battlefield
were eight or ten batteries, apparently doing
nothing but moving backward and forward over
hill to the Orange road. Why only four bat
teries were LETT to hgls against seven, when SO
many more were within 50 short a distance,
yeur correspondent IS unable to comprehend.
Bstween CulpepeT. and the battlefield we had
artillery enough to have blown Slaughter moun-
tain from its base, but, by the superior skin Of
soma one, only four batteries were brought into
play. Indeed, so great an amount Of artillery
was constantly moving on the roads, that it
hHciAic1 do Al Lu amy VI JNccta
of artillery and nothing else. The position ehO-
sen by Jackson was an admirable one. The
mountain Itself, defended as it was by seven
batteries, was impregnable to the force brought
against it. The rising ground to the right Of the
mountain afforded perfect shelter to vast masses
Of infsntry, which could be poured upon US at
any moment.
The position of our army on the battlefield
could not have been worse. The enemy had
every advantage, iu position and numbers, and
were, therefore, successful Yes, / say success
ful, although official reports viii probably an
nouncs a victory. General Banks however,
covered himself with glory There is not a man
living who could have managed his men with
more skill under the same circumstances. He
was constantly in the thickest OF the fight, and
shared all the dangers of the common soldier
His brave little army was sacrificed for the want
of reinforcemeuts-nOthi else.
The lowest estimate Of cur loss that have
heard is l500-the highest, 1900 The latter
viii probably prove correct. C., in killed,
wounded, prisoners, and missing.
The army OF Virginia is suffering terribly this
morning from want of water If it is not moved
in g few days, hundreds of horses will die Of
thirst, and men of disease, from drinking the
thick mud.
During all these long marches and battles the
weather mas been intensely hot Many soldiers
dropped by the wayside, which viii, in some
measure, account for small numbers on the
battle-ground. All the soldiers who reached
the battle-ground fought like Spartans. The
cowardice was displayed long before a shot was
fired.
The rebel army was under command Of Jack
son, and its strength is supposed to have been
about $4,000.
Correspondence of the New York Heraldl
CEDAR CREEK, August lit was evil at
on Monday, from the movements Of both parties,
that neither was anxious to resume hOsdiities.
The enemy fell back somewhat early in the day,
and fatigue parties advanced from his original
position to continue the intsrment OF rebel dead,
a work at which he had been already engaged.
Some of the mere adventurous of cur soldiers,
and many of the surgeons likewise pushed out
from the UdiOn ranks, and ambulaHces were
hauled to and fro with the manned, the dying
and the helpless. For many hours additional
the dead lay, liYid and disregarded, upon the
site at once Of their glory aud their fall.
Our ambulances and surgeons assistants
were not interrupted, though often within easy
musket range. At length Lieut.. Elliott Jokn-
son, of t1e rebel Gen Garnetts staff, advanced
down a slope bearing a white flag, which he
waved vigorously, as it to attract our attention.
Some of our officers at once went up to the lieu
tenant, who informed them that by permission
of Gen. Stonewall Jackson they might have till
two O'Clock tomorrow to bury the dead. The
bearer wished to diselaim however, the fact
that he was q messenger Of truce, and afterWard
told your reporter that the proposal for cessa-
tion first came from our people. The period al
lowed for burial was afteTward prolonged till
dark The rebels stated with their dag of truce,
that under no circumstances must abandoned
arms, tools or ammunition be carried from the
ground, as they claimed the field and its contents
by reason Of their occupation of the same d0wR
to the aeceptance of the flag Of truce.
APPEARANCE OF THE BATTLE FIELD.
In company with Division Surgeon Bal, Of
General Mergan's brigade, 1 rode down the road
toward Slaughter mountain, passing upward
of a score Of battery horses slain in the traces
by the splendid firing Of our advance pieces on
Saturday at midnight The noble animals whom
thunder could not jar, nor iron rain intmi-
date lay close beside each other, the worms al
ready making havoc in their flesh, their limbs
stffsned ard their ghastly hoofs extended. Here
was q sphntered wheel, with blood and hair
upon The spokes, and stain, ike rvulet, ex-
tending a little way down the clay. Beyond, I
came upon the usual indications of retreat
jackets, bsyOnets, eartridge-bOxes and KNAPP
sacks thrown here and there cOnfusedly, tram
pied, rent and bloody. These traces grew more
numerous until 1 crossed Cedar Creek, where
the stencil Of decsying dssh men and horse,
was plainly perceptible. The ground was
trampled as if by the desperate foot of COM
battants, and of to the left, IN the ruined corn
field saw party of gravediggers engaged in
their solemn bat hasty task Of shutting away
the face of glory. The first Unburied corpse
started out from the shelter of an oak tree but
the resemblance to man had been well nigh
obliterated.
The arms were thrown clenehedly back, aud
the chin raised, with tendons and thews of the
throat bare and black. The eyes had bulged
through their apertures in the flesh, distsnded to
the size of eggs, and tie hair lay long, tangled
and matted with blood, over forehead blue and
yellow by exposure and fastening corruption.
What more may have been remarked it is useless
to say, save that no Imagination Of death was
half so terrible. If such feelings werea engen-
dered by the glimpse Of a single body, what
shall describe the horrible picture of the dead
grouped. nay, heaped, upon each other snd
witherng under fsTy sun They lay by the
margin Of the tributary rivulet, half hidden IN
the stalks Of corn-one with en- arm drawn over
the eye, another with arms tixsdly folded upon
/ the chest andotheTs sitting bolt upright, as if
resurTected and about to speak. There was no
speculation in the eyes that they did glare wthsli
/ the grave seemed to have been opened that
might see, and after glory the worm had come
to hold high reyel upon the good, the gallant,
and the gifted. A few officers were noted but
the tinsel shoulaer straps were rusty and discol-
ored, and they looked ike common clay. no
tieed one stalwart fellow who had fallen with his
musket tightly gripped to his side, as if he had
/ fallen at shoulder arms Some seemed to haze
died irresolutely, and the terror had Petri6ed In
! their visages; but the predominant expression
was one Of wrath, caused, perhaps, by the loss
Of some tried comrade who had fallen previously.
/ A few looked placid, though their features Were
distorted and all were SO swollen that they COM
4 pared in size with the dead horses adjacent.
The bodies of these are lifted by their COM
rsdes and deposited in trenches without coffin or