, 1862-08-21
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GDE >GEtuuMKe
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 1862.
"Reminiscences Of shiloh
On that peaceful Sunday morning OF April
6, 1862, the sun was rising with eplcndor, l.
had walked cut to enjoy the fresh air, aud, re-
turning by my friend Lieut. DIS tert, called
upon him. Said he, "H, take q cup of cot.
fee; have found some mi1k.'' "Don't care
if I do" said l. II always write home on
Sunday morning, and like to do it over
good cup Of coffee" *tYes, mean to write
to my little Wife,'' said D.. II expect 70 re-
sign soon. Don't you want 4 pair Of new
shoulde1-straps, A., and bran new pair Of
quantities. I told D. would take them;
and in moment lett his tent, after making him
promise to take tea with me,
But, how were things al tea time? .. was
mang1ed and dead, lying by the roadside, at
the hospital by the Landing, with hundreds Of
others, and ! had passed the most momentous
day of my life had participated, Il am since
told creditably) in one Of the greatest battles,
exceeding In fury, courage, waste, stupendous-
ness and gallantry, the Widest dreams Of my
youth. Should your happy city, on some
bright Sunday morning, be sunk with I'LL its
life, by an earthquake, and the cold waves
rolling over 1t in eternal solitude before night,
the change could be no more unexpected, nor
could it cone upon You with more bewilder.
ing and stunning suddenness and awfulness.
On the evening Of the 5th, the 18th Wisconsin
infantry arrived, and were assigned to Gene
ral Prcntiss' division, On lie 'front.' Saia Col,
-, who had preceded them, looking for
the generals qusrters, there they come-the
bully bo5s-they weigh just 1G6 pounds apiece
Just left home six days ago'' The 18th Wis
consln cooked their first snppers in the field
that night at 9 O'Clock, and wrapped them
the roar of battle, and receive, that early,
their bloody baptism. Before they had been
| on the field one day their magnificent corps
| was oecimated, most OF the officers killed
| the proud and Gxultant colonel among the
| dead.
saw an intelligent looking man with his
whole diaphragm torn off, He was holding
| up ncsrly all OF his viscera with both hands
AND arms His face expressed longing for
| assistance and an apprehension Of fatality.
On going to the field the second day, cur
regiment EtroGe OF in line over wounded,
| dying and dead. My c11ice detaching me
| FROM the lines, I had an opportunity to notice
incidents about the field. The regiment
voice calling, aHo. friend! ho! for Gods
| slke, come here" went to 8 CORY pile Of
dtad human forms in every kind Of stiff con-
to1tion. 1saw one arm raised, beceoning me.
I found there rebel, covered with ciotted
| blCod, pillowing his head on the dead body Of
| co1nrade. Both were red from head to foot.
The dead mans brains had gushed out in .
reddish and ercylsh mass over his face. The
live one hnd lain across him all tLat horrible,
long night in the Etcrm. The first thing he
said to me was, Give me some water. Send
mt surgeon, won't you! Oh, God! WHAT
made you CONC down here to fight Us? We
never would have come up there" And then
lie a11tctionatelv put one arm over the form
and laid his bloody face against the cold,
c!ammy, bloody face OF his dead friend.
tiled his cantsen nearly-reserving some fol
1nysel- -knoTinE might be in the Same sad
condition. told him We had no surgeon in
cur regiment, and TIN: VIC would have to
suffer il wounded, the sane as he; that other
I r.gl1rents were coming, and to call on ticH
for q Surgeon; that were humane "For:
wardH' shouted the colonel, and " Forward! II
was rtPcsted br the officers. I left him.
Tic above recalls to mind one Of the hard
| ct PRINCIPLE in warfarc-where your sympa.
thy and humanity is appealed to and from
sense rxpediencY you are are forbidden to ex.
trcise il. Af:cr our regiment had been Near
]
urd.r CALLING fire, a boy was supporting his
dying trothcr On one arm and trying to drag
him IRON the lic,d ard the advancing foe. He
locked at me implor:ng1y and said, Captain,
help hin, ,seo,,t you? 10, Captain, he'll live"
e:jd, 8 He's sb.it through the head, don't you
SET? ard can't live, he .ds Ing now" "Oh, no.
he ain't, Cal.tain: Don't leave me-" was
forced t. reply 't The rebels 2eozst hurt him
Lay Kim down and come, or both you and
~il1 he 1ost.'' The rush Of bullets and the
yells Of the approaching demons hurried me-
:,way-l.aying the young soldier over hi
dy1r.. brother.
Neurls every rebels face turned black I'M
media;tJy after death. Union mems faces re
talncd the natural paior two or three days
I atc Dy dinner on Monday within six pace:
OF Il re5el in four pieces. Both legs Weri
blown Of, His pelvis was the third piece ant
his head and chest was the fourth piece
Those four pit ceB occupied space Of tWeiyt
ftct square I saw five-dead rebels in roR
with their heads knocked off oy q round shot
Myself and other amateur ana:onlsts, Whel
the regiment was resting temporarily OF
arms, would leave to examine the interna
, | structure Of man. We would examine brains
heart, stomach, layers of muscles, structure O
bones, &C., for there was every form Of mu
titation. At home I used to vince at tn
| sight OF ~nund OF of corpse, but here, /,
onr Day, 1ea1 ued tu to au1ou.s the pe.neo
! an describing without emotion-as perfectl
cool as am now. My friend, Adjutant -
and myself on the second night, looking j
the dark for dry place to lie down, he said
"ivt's lie down here. Here's some teller
sleeping. We slept ir quiet until dawn II
!. yealt that we had passed night anon
sprawling, stifIcned, gha5t1y corpscs.
I saW one OF cur dead soldiers with hi
: mouth crammed full OF cartridges until th
checks nere bulged ont. Several protrude
from his mouth this Fas done bJ tile rel
els.
/. On the third day most Of our time was en-
ployeG IN burying the dead. Shallow pi,
L were dug which would soon fill with waite
! heavy splash or dump against the solid bo
= tom. Many & hopeful, promising youth thr
= intecenty ended his career.
Some OF our boys were disposed to k;cA; tt
secesh into these pits. One fell in with
heavy dump on lis face. The more human
!. proposed to turn him over. so, that'l do,
said Union Missouriau, for when he scratcht
he'll scratch nearer ,leu.'' This is hard stor,
know, hut want you to see real war.
Il stood in one place in the woods near tt
i | srot Of the engagement Of the 57th 1llinoi
aud counted ciyhty-nne dead rehe1s. There
saw On. tree, seyeu inches in diameter, wit
tlnrty-one bul1et-hules. Such had been death
storm. Near the Ecene Of the last Of tt
T. lighting, where the rebels precipitately II
treai. d, saw one grave containing 1877 dea
frtcls, and one side Of it another grave CO.
t. ta'pirg iorty-o dead federals. Several 9th
a. trenches We! in view from that spot.
|e One dead and uniformed officer lay coverf
with Il little housing Of rails. GA it was 2 fl
leaf OF 4 memorandum book with the penci
whiting, !" "talera's, 7es2;cct my fathers corpse
= Many of our boys wanted to cut of his bu
= tons and gold cord but ous colonel had tt
body rcligiouely guarded
Many OF our regiments were paid off IN
- previously to The battle, and our dead cor
IA rades were robbed Of hundreds Of thousan
4, OF dollars The rebels were surprised Al
atashed at the apparent wealth OF our arm
Thty artirHd themselves in cur uniforms, al
rit}ed from officers trunks tens of thousan
q Of dollars worth of tine clothing, toilet ar
i. cleE, and interesting souvenirs Of every mar
be trunk. They made themselves stupid al
e ae drunk over our fine yictuals aud wiucs. Tn
- seem to have gone mad with the lust Of plu
DIR.
: To show how complete and successful "
the advance Of the enemy, their advance gus
e lay in the woods Oh the 5:h, witnessing o
II parades and reviews One of our return
paro}ed PRISONERS, 4 mule driver, who "
captured two days before the battle, has to
mt that he was taken through their whole
my, which vas camped three miles from OF
the night btfore the attack.
hofn &+.11 -nr4n A1.n+