The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-11


gagged removing the wounded The rumble of
the enemy's ambulances and wagons, in rapid
and hurried motion, did not cease even with
the dawn. At ten o'clock, Wednesday morn
ing, they were still busy, and discontinued
their labors not because their wounded had all
been removed, but for fear of our advance
Our wounded were carried from the field di-
rectly to the farm houses in the neighborhood,
whence, after their injnries had been examined
and dressed, they were brought to this city.
During the morning the enemy evacuated
his position and retreated, still bearing in
southeasterly direction, and apparently not at
tempting to lessen the distance between him
and his gunboats.
The battlefield, surveyed through the cold
rain of Wednesday morning, presented scenes
too shocking to be dwelt on without anguish.
The woods and the field before mentioned,
were, on the western side, covered with our
dead, in all the degrees of violent mutilation;
while in the woods on the west side of the
field lay, in about equal numbers, the blue uni
| formed bodies Of the enemy. Many of the lat
ter were still alive, having been left by their
friends in their indecent haste to escape from
| the rebels.
Great numbers of horses were killed on both
sides, and the sight of their disfgured carcases
and the stencil proceeding from them added
much to the loathesome horrors of the bloody
field. The corn-feds, but recently turned by
| the plough-sharc, were furrowed and torn by
the iron missiles. Thousands of round shot
and unexploded shell lay upon the surface of
the earth. Among the latter were many of
the enormous shells thrown from the gunboats.
They were eight inches in width by twenty
three in length. The ravages of these mon-
sters were everywhere discernablc through the
forests. In some places long avenues were cut
| through the tree tops and here and there great
trees, three and four feet in thickness, were
burst open and split to very shreds. In one
remarkable respect this battlefield differed in
appearance from any of the preceding days.
In the track Of the enemy's flight there were
no cast-away blue great coats no blankets,
tents nor clothing; no letters and no wasted
commissary stores. He had, evidently, before
reaching this point, thrown away everything
that could retard his hasty retreat. Nothing
was to be found on this portion of the field but
killed and wounded Yankees and their guns
and knapsacks. A mute, and to Virginians a
most interesting story, was told by these KNAPP
sacks. Up,oards Of three hundred Of them be-
longed to the famous New York Seventh Regi-
ment, which were once 80 feasted and fondled
i'll Richmond. If remnant of them return
to the Empire City they may say with truth
that, on Virginia soil they were appropriately
welcomed on the occasion Of both their visits
as friends and as foes.
We have it on the authority of those who
assisted on tho field that our loss in the action
of Tuesday amounted to between three and four
thousand, killed and wounded. Two trains of
four.horse wagons, and many private vehicles
reached the city about noon yesterday, with
their freight of wounded. They were distrib-
,ated among the various hospitals.
At the White Oak Swamp, out of which
numbers of the wounded had to be carried in
the arms of the assistants, many Of the wagons
got into the mire; some stuck fast, and others
were overturned in the efforts to extricate
them. Meanwhile, the battle ragged in the dis