The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-05-30

Il
THE BATTLE-FIELD.
So great is the interest that attaches to
/ this lately unknown but now celebrated
/ locality, that few remarks in regard to
the appearance of the battlefield may be
read with interest," although the ground has
been often described. SOD il
With Capt. Dusouchet and Gus. Lemcke
of the Fanny BatIL6tt for guides, our party
| went over the sanguinary field. The wrath
of the god of battles seems to lower over
it. The air reeks with the corruption of
decomposng bodies thinly covered, bullet
holes are seen in every tree, and numerous
4 trees are slivered as with lightning or
pierced through with cannon balls. On
some parts of the field the ground is as
| bare of verdure as a barn-foor, showing
| where thousands of maddened combatants
have contended in mortal strife. A few
farm-houses are to be seen vacant, and rent
| by shot and she'll Scattered through the
| woods that cover the vast field, graves are
to be-seen by hundreds some of them in
closing dozens of the slain. A few hospi-
tai camps are yet scattered about, The
remains of deserted camps, cast-off uni
| forms, broken down wagons, dismounted
i and spiked cannon, shattered caissons
bursted shells, unused cartridges, large and
small, dilspidated harness, and a hundred
other melancholy evidences of a fresh bat
tie-held, cause the heart of the observer to
sickeu while rejecting on "the horrors
of war"
On that portion of the field occupied by
our left wing there is a deep ravine running
at right angles from the river, and up
which the wooden gunboats cast their DEATH
dealing shells. Shattered trees and numer-
Gus rebel burial-pits attest the dreadful eff.
icacy of these missiles.
/ Near this ravine Capt. Dusouchet showed
us three artificial mounds, made ages ago by
some former race. They are square in
form, in dimensions about ten feet high ard
fifty to seventy-fve feet square at the sum-
NIT. Trees a hundred years old stand on
them. On one of these mounds are the
graves of forty-three members of the 18th
Illinois volunteers, who were killed at the
battle of Shiloh. Amongst them is that of
Lieut.. Col. T. NJ. Fitzpatrick.
One of our party counted in one tree one
hundred and ta0enty bullet holes. It is hard
to find any tree or stump on some portions
of the field that does not bear the marks of
shot of some kind. 4a lst
The country on the field and in the vi
cinity is undulating and thickly covered
with trees, principally oak. Where the
troops have not been, there is thick uader-
growth.
Our party had no trouble in finding me-
mentoes of the battle. Canes were cut,
bullets dug out Of trees, unexploded shells,
fragments of shells, and cannon balls picked
up, and other articles too numerous to men
ton brought away. A soldier pointed out
Albert Sidney Johnston's grave, surround-
ed by pickets made of rough pine board
He declared positively that he saw the
rebel General buried there; but we doubt
ed the correctness of his story.
Amongst the mementoes of the field we
obtained some sensitive plants and wild
honeysuckles, which grow spontaneously in
the woods. in delicate contrast to their grim
surroundings.
TO THE ADVANCE
i By the kind aid of Quartermaster Ly-
man, Chaplain Monfort of the SID Indiana,
and Chaplain Hibben of the 18th Indiana,
the writer procured pass through the
8 lines and conveyance to the camp Of Gen.
Lew. Wallaces brigade, located from eight
to nine miles from the Landing, according
to the road that is taken.
-5fo} ROADS AND TEAMS ias
Speaking of roads, the whole country,
wherever the army has extended its opera.
tions, is literally checkered with them.
There are roads from Crump's Landing,
Pittsburg Landing, Buelps Landing two
miles above), and Hamburg -four miles
above), to the center and right and lett
wings of the army. Then these roads are
all connected together by dozens of other
roads; the various landings are also con-
neeted-likewise all the camps-by many
roads. The most experienced topographer
or woodsman could not unerringly find his
way over them. After rain, with so
much travel on them, they are to use an
expressive phrase, awful.
In travelling to and from the advanced
lines, one is never out of sight of wagons
and ambulances on the main roads. The
brigade quartermasters GO in to the river
with forty and fifty wagons in their respect
i've trains. There must be over three thou
sand wagons and ambulances belonging to
the army-at least that many. This gives
some idea of the amount Of travel. There
are numerous low, wet places, badly i'm
proved, and those heavily laden six-mule
teams frequently stall. Much time is lost
for the want of better roads Much would
be saved by the labor of thousand meu
for few days in corduroying aud filing in
with brush. An immense amount of this
kind of labor has been done already. The
difficulties to be overcome have been formi-
dable.
71 GEN. wALLAoE's DIVISION
Was in the reserve of Gen. Thomas's army
CORPS stayed over night in the camp of
the 18th regiment, with Capt. D. B. Culey.
This regiment and the oath and 23d are all
the Indiana regiments in this division. The
camp is a beautiful and healthy one, on a
low part of Pea Ridge, and has good water
: near. The boys are having a comparatively
- rood time Generals Wallace and Hovey,
Coils. McGinnis, Spicely, and Sanderson,
3, Lieut. Coils. Barter and Anthony, and Majors
Macauley, Grill, and Davis were on hand,
doing their duty, like true soldiers. Lieut.
Col. Robinson, of the 18th, is at home on
sick leave. DR.. 7. W. Fry, Gen. Wallace's
chief surgeon, is, as usual, at the post OF
@ usefulness.
Capt. Darnall, of the 11th, in whose
= company area our Evansville boys, has a
+ company whose drill he can be proud of.
| 1t has taken the palm in this respect from all
s. competitors Capt. Grill of the Gath has
"a been appointed Major. Capt. Connect has
| 4