The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-10-16


for several hundred yards around, dead
rebels could be seen. The sight was aw-
full. In a space Of quarter Of mile
dead rebels were strewn over the ground,
also fragments Of clothes, hats, caps, guns,
horses, shells and fragments Of shells.
and mounted artillery in such profuaion,
that one could not step foot upon the
ground without stepping on some Of the
effects of the mighty struggle between
the contending armies. Tho bodies of
men were lying around mangled in eve
ry conceivable manner. Legs of, and
heads and parts Of heads of, and mortal
wounds Of every description--tEe most
were from rifle shols. In this road large
puddles of blood were visible for several
days after the battle. One rcbel laid
across the fence in the act OF making his
escape from the army, with three bullet
holes in his postsrior. I have not lea, ned
how many fell. but from all information
| could get from the rebels, and our own
men, the rebel loss was about seven
tho usand killed and twenty thousand
wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg.-
Their loss snoe their invasion Of Mary.
land is estimated at sixty thousand killed
wounded, and taken prisoners. On Thurs.
day the rebels sent flag of truce for
permission to bury their dead, which was
only an excuse to obtain more time to
make their escape lin fact they commeu-
ced re,reating on Wednesday night which
was continued all day Thursday and
Thursday night, SO that by Friday, all
with the exception OF some who refused
10 go, were safely over the river on the
Virginia side. l cannot account for Nc
Clel,an not renewing the fight on Thurs
day. If he had done so, he would have
captured the great bulk of the rebel army.
The retreat of the reb4ls was in much
confusion, for they left their dead and a
great number of their wounded on the
battle field. On the day Of battle they
carried large proportion Of their wound
ed to Shepherdslown and in the direction
of Winchester. Some Of tier dead they
also carried away. There are at this
time about four thousand wounded in
She pherds.own. Our neighborhood il
one vast graveyard. The rebels are bn.
lied in bitches dug sufficient to hold as
high as eighty-pilcd in such q manner
rs to be barely covered sufficiently over
the top layer of men. The stencil is be-
coming so dissgreeable. particularly ahel
sundown, that we can hardly endure it
In addition to the dead rebels We had
abou, four bundled dead horses on the
field. cannot describe all as it really
was and is at this time. Ole thing il
remarkably strange, and that is the rapic
decomposition Of tho dead rebels. Or
Friday | rode over the battle field ant
with few exceptions, they were all swol
len and perfectly black, while the deaC
Union men we're pale. and looked as tho
lie hud Just departed from the body. AL
} | met observed the same contrast. |
must be owing to their taking freely o
gunpowder aud whisky.
must say little more about the char
actvr of the rebels. They were destitute
Of everything necessary 10 sustain LIT
: comfort. | never saw set Of men re
, duced go far to the point of starvation
: They would eat any ything, no mat'er hoy
dirty and filthy it was. to satisfy thei
craving appetite They came upon u
; like gang of hungry wolves or hyeuaF
Nothing could. be hid from their grasp
All the fruit and vegetables Of every de
scription were devoured by them. Near
ly every house was robbed Of everything
. ea,atle Some few that remained g
. home succeeded in saving what they hat
but all who were forced TO leave town los
: everything. When they once had pos
b session OF q house it was stript clear
even the cbildren's clothes, knives, fork
!. dishes, aud bed cothes--in fact notbin
escaped, for what they could not us'
they wilfully destroyed. Two'thirds
d the families in this place, lad nothin
X but The clothes on their backs. After It
c battle several poor people in town ha
d their houses burned down, after first b
n ing robbed of all that was in them. M
x ney, jewelry, and all articles ofany val'
: to them was carried eff. l Inever thoug|
N it possible that human nature in civi
is lied land could lose, 10 such degree, {
sympathy for their fellow beings. The
8, entered several poor PERSONS houses at
5. robcd them Of everything they had in th
D. world. Stealing and plunder seemed
D. be their profession and design. They a
se near 10 have lost all feelings OF humani