New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-14


service that dav, I found them recumbent on the
mud beneath their hasiily-pifched tents and IN DO
triumphant mood We had been d--nably whipped,
one sald, adding that had come mp in good ,lme,
perchsnce, 10 witness wolse night than Duii nun
Shot and she'll were lying over our heads; the rain
descspded necessarily; The mad was literally knee
deem; the solders had slept in il during the previous
nj ,ht nor broken their fast during the entire dsy'
Some lay in the mud, utterly worn ont; others
leaned against trees or fences, indiiereht appareh
w. whether they lived or died; Others, more hopeful
bad built scan,y fires which the fierce rain and Ice
cold wind did their beet TO eytnguish. Before, ard
to the left, from the cover oil TIE wocus ana ias'
gathering darkness the boom OF cannon ana the hie
of musketry were incossant. -,
So the sunless day closed and black night de-
scended on the jreary and the horrors OF tie
adjacent battle ground, then unvisted by reporter-
Except among u very few persOns and those not gem
lemen Cf the press were aware OF the extent or
Importance of the fight. We thought big skirmlsh,
beginning disasrou,ly. ending successfully. ara 20
far was the latter rom being universally cfeolted,
the "boy" whom induced to take charge OF my
horse though a servant TO General of acorps ar
NICE. advised me not TO take off, but merely TO slack
en- the gilths OF my saddle, "as we might have to
stampede in the night
How / passed the night II were unimportant To
relate Iu the morning WAS OH bright ano early
to The scene OF the ight. The weather Lad mercl-
fully changed, and the sun shone, sutry and cloud
less though the roads retained their yesterday 3
appearance, being mere channels OF mud OF more OF
less liGuiditv, bordeIed everywhere by dense
growth of forest. Through tins mud came the march
ing soldiers; in It, mules, wagons horses, and riders
struggled onward, often TO the Hretrievable mir
ing" of the animals. l saw men and beasts muddied
from head TO foot their faces undistinguishable IN
consequence OF falls; ami Que poor mute abandoned
and literally buried III filth. Making what progress
/ n h..
gained the road had been unable 10 discover last
night knew now that battle had been fought, some
thousands of men killed both sides, that We had
taken Rebel fort and many prisoners, and were IN
possession OF Williamsburg.
The new road proved worse than the other, hence
where il rlade circuit was glad to quit II and 10
strike into comparatively excellent bridle-pnth cut
through the pines. First, however, l passed huts,
negro calins sl converted into hospitals, in OF our
wounded. will not descant upon what faw tnerei
enough of pain is vet 70 speak Of Suffice il TO cay
that everything was done for the poor fellows that
hamanity and the circumstances OF the csee adnhted
Of All along The brdlepsth sud the eXecrable ROAD
-now only navigable by the exercise OF the u'moet
caution and occasional detolrs into the woods
passed soldiers, sitting, standing, lying, walking,
carrying stIechers containing wrape up human
forms. These lay very quiet, generally, anc the
bearers were as tender with them az women. But
sometimes there were dreadful stains uPen tcelr
wrappngs fragments of bloody rags that II siekensd
know what war Is, that We may duly estimate the
awful responsibility OF ori-oating II VIII tell
enough, but hot ALL that Wee too terrible.
The bs.Ile.feld at length. Emerging from the
thick woods by deep gully OF rasine, Win con-
iinuons pools, slmost forming creek behind, m
elevation covered, for the sIace OF haif mile on
either side Of the road with the sinmps OF fclled
.Tees And not these alone, but their trunks, lying
in every conceivable direction amid the pits, bushes
aud underground. Suppose a bed If mud three feet
deep, itO which an army OF Iitans have hurled an
overrhIown forest, coniusefiyi fancy, beyond this
che-arJ ds friSe, wide, open area three miles IN
e.tc.t con nlsuded by the earth~orks OF Fort
Ms.ru,er the whole landscape closed IN ny the
encirclng woods, now rich III foliage-and this is
the t,ot. Ad these trees, these stumpe, mp to the
open our men fought upon that Dreadful day, amid
TIE ceh-cess rain tie scarcely LEES continuous storm
of bullets and ia delJe igon the Rebel artillery
for eight long hour.
Tie battle md r. qed iercest 70 the lef. Of the
road | have heard Gen. Hooker tore Of ihe bravesi
of brave men, let unCeeeryedly to face the onset OF
eiglt times bis number say Incidentally, that here
tie field was lost end won four distinct times IL
might have been lost altogether bu. for the timely
arrival of Kearney.
To return TO what saw. In the outer rim Of the
forest, amid tue stumIs and fallen trees, tie
bodies OF slain men, and those yet alive, lay thick
tie wounded being in process Of removal. Friend
or foe Rebel or UDonist there reclined on the wet
earth on beds Of leaves, on blankets, stretohers or
coats awaiting Their turns. II was a Iiteous thing
10 see Il eir uptued, suiering, pstenteyes, seeking
tbos. OF the doctors or responsive TO the looks ot
fvmuatby bestowed alike on oomrade or recent
enemy The abo,ainaJle read forbade the approach
o. smUulaices, hence the wounded had 10 lie con
yeV I'D slrctchers, sometimes Ior mile or more 70
a and every building that could be used as
Hospital.
Muele,s canteens, hayersschs, soldiers clothing
caua torn fragments Of rag, scattered all over
re field l counted eight Rebel cOrses behind one
log. Alost of them wore an expression Of cOuute-
Lnnce indicating barred, ferociy. One bad been
killed 10 the act OF biting OF the end Of cartridge
his tOngue Irotruced. ABoth IS teeth were set fast
AZ IN a giin Of defiance, Which death had perifed.
third bad bis musket gripped fast i'll both hands,
nd bJeous wound IN bis forehead from tbe
fragment oi a sne fourth lay with one leg torn
oil M the thigh and the other shattered. But why
continue tie grIey catsoguef
The faces OF ouI dead presented a remarkable con-
,rgst-most Of ihem looked absolutely tranquil
saw but few LayOnet wounds; our soldiers were
nriucirally slain By rife bullets The average o.
nbvsIognO1ny between them and the Rebels will no,
ad.nu VI conpGIisOD.
This war well exempliicd by the faces Of the
temporarily cOniined III their own barracks
In the rear Of the rear o. The fort. visited at least
half dozen Of The hus, talking with and observing
the inmates.
"The nardest-lookirg crowd, Sir, that ever you
saw IN Your lie" Such tie Characterization OF
an officer in charge aDd Just one. Clad III home
spun, rendered sinost colorless by long use, with
bnt the rudest attempt at uhiiorms gaunt sunburnt,
stold and sayaee, they stared at you with knd
of latent ferocty and apprehension perfectly inde
scribable In il, too there was n latent simplicity,
the simplicity OF ignorance SiDge-natured, utterly
unlike the many-tided derizens OF the North,
with I'LL their Individuality flowing into
one narrow channel, embarked 10 high
BY ignorance az 10 exclude tie light Of humanity,
and iu