New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-25
VISIT TO THE Battlefield.
Correspondence ofThe Chicago Times.


Fort DONrLsoS. Tenn Feb H. 1872.
| | was invited on Sunday morning, by Gen. Ne
Clernlud, to take hide over n Q battlefield. u
would he difficult 10 describe in lew words TIC
scenes which have met my vie -. The iatto ground
was chiefly conf % 10 tho fpace Outside the Rehe
iorliicaiOns excluding MP tie river banA Ci.tancc
of two miles, to the point where Con. MCClernund'
force rallied from the retirement winch they were n
inst forced into by TIE iupetuCus cA.'sc o. tie
enemy.
Il must be remembered TINT il was here that the
grand sortie mace by the RebelI M tie river
bHuh viii tue intention OF tuuIDg our lgl flank
ana cutting their way out some ten OF twelve
thou men composed the force sent ont lOr O 3
purpose. They advanced under cover of deadly
IRE OF artillery, ard stoadi drove Cen McClcr
mana lofce before them distance OF Fifty or sixty
rods.
Our 'rooIs here mode stand. and. havinp been
re-euiorcoi by one or two regiments begun the In.
sauit, tcioie which the enemy we've forced o. re.
treat. Tie ground wss contested with Desperation.
and tie slaughter on hotl sides wIs Imonr,. The
whole space IF Two miles was strcwed with dead
who liy ia every imaginable share and form.
Uuioni-ts aid Rebols were prou,cuoutl \ in
glCd, sometimes grsppled IN the heics deatbhroc,
sometimes facing ca other a. tley gave aud re-
cciyed tie fatal slot or thrust, sometimcs lying
acIoHs Another. aud ngain Leaped IN piles whlc
lay six or seven deep. | could imngine nottin,
more terrible than the silent indications of egony
hat ma, ked the features OF tie pale oorpses winch
lay al every step.
Though dead, and rird in every muscle, they ,'ill
wri,hed ard seemed 90 turn % catch tie passing
breeze for cooling breath. Saring eyes, "a Jin,,
mouths, olonched hands and stnlr gely con- acted
mbs, teemn. ~ drawn into the smallest CONF as, as
II by mighty eiiort TO reild asuLd-r some irresistible
bond which held them down 10 the torture Of which
they died
One Fat agninst n tree aud, with mouth and ey Is
wide open, lopkrd up INTO the sly II to catch "a
glance at he heetifg slilt Anufier clntehed the
branch Of an oyerhhngirg tree, ard hung half sur
pended. Ia tie drnthpuug be raised himself partly
from The ground. TIE other hand gra, ped bis ihIth-
iul mu-het sud tho cOmpre slou al tie mouth told Of
the determination which would have been fatal 10 d
Zoe had he ebbed "a uiuuie later.
A third cluug with both hands TO n bayonet which
bu.od ~ the grould, Ia the at Of striking for
the heart 4 "A Rebel Zoe. Great numbers lay IN
heaps iuei 40 tie fire If the artillery moved item
down. mangling ter forms into an slmo,t uudls-
tin guishablc macs. Many OF our uen had evidently
ialen vi aims 10 the kebe shsrpshooier, for they
we're pierced through the head by rIe bullets, some
in tie for hcad, some ia tho eyo., Others on tie
bridge OF tie nose, "a the cheek aud H. the mouth.
This ri'cum-tarce verified fiGtou NJ made TO me
by Rebel officer among the pnsorcrr, that their
non were trmncdto shooi low aDd AIN for the face
viii onis, o. general thing, fined a. random, and
shot over their hrats.
The enemy, ia their retreat carried OF their
wounded ana 4 gieai many oi their desd, - tba.
ours lar o1tnumbcIca them Oh the lc.d
The scene Of action bad be,n mosily in tho woods,
although there were Two open pisces o. an acr- OF
40 where tie ight bad raced fnriOnrly, and the
grouLd Was covered with dssd. All tie way mp TO
tLeir in'roucl meuis tue sanc scene of death wac
presented. There were two niles Of dead, strewn
lhickly, Mingled with firearms artillery, dead
horses and the paraphornalla OF the battlefield. II
was n scene neyestO 20 fvrgoueu-DeyeT TO be de-
slrbed.