Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-10-14

THE BATTLE FIELD.
This memorable and ever to be romem
bered battle field, continues to be the cen
ter OF attraction, notwithstanding that the
material evidences of that sanguinary
struggle have been hidden from the public
eye. Hundreds flock to the field with the
hope that there may yet be some relic left
for them to pick up and place in their cab.
inets Of curiosities. The fence-raiI breast
works of the rebels, the tail oaks Of The
forest with their shattered limbs, the bullet
pinned dvellinga houses, the Dunkard
meeting house with its bombarled holes
smashed windows, splintered pews and
broken doors, will long remain as signs
whereby visitors can tell, that here it was
that the fearful and bloodiest struggle Of
this fraticidal war was fought Here,
where but few days since the "dogs oi
war" belched forth their missiles Of death
and riyulets Of blood flowed as free as wa
ter from the mountain springs, peace and
quietude now reign supreme. Long may
it SO remain
THE WESTERN BRIGADE,
of Which SO little has been mentioned
through the press If the east, is here in
camp. awaiting orders 10 march, where
and when none can tell, except those in
the confidence of the General 10 command.
TIE temporary rest which this Brigade is
now enjoying, is refreshing to the veterans
of this Lranch of Hooker's corps. 1t is a
sad and sorr, wful sight to one who knew
these gallant regiments composing the
brigade, in their palny days, to see them
now, with not enough men to form one
good regiment, all their field officers with
the exceptions Of Two or three, have been
either killed or wounded ince the goth OF
last August From the time of the adj
vent cf the brigade into Virginia, up to
the goth day Of last August, the campaign
had Teen, comparatively speaking,
an easy ore on our western boys, with the
exception of the Cd Wisconsin, which took
an outline part in the ill-fated battle Of
Bull Run on the 2lst day of July, 1861.
From the official records, we find that on
the goth, 2lst, 22d, 23d, oath, 25th, 26th,
9th, 28th, Goth and 3Oth of August, ana
Sept. 18th, 18th, 18th and 18th, this
''Iron Brigade of the West, as il is termed,
met the enemy on the field Of battle.
During those several hard fought engage
ments, the number Of this gallant COM
mand Las been reduced fro a nearly five
thousand to less than one regiment OF
fighting men. In all of these terrible con-
flicts, where the Tat le ragged the fiereest
our gallant western volunteers have dis
played indomitlblo courage, and unparaI-
Ieltd endurance, never finc-ing from the
stern and ardaous duties required Of them
to rcrfotm The citing men Of the west
wherever they have met the foe and cross-
ed bayonets with them, have established
for themselves, a reputation for uulausted
bravery, not TO be cxcel,e by any peoFfe
or nation. From prisoners captured II the
last great battle in this st te. | learn that
the "BIack Hat Brigade" as Gibbons pets
are termN, are the terror Of "secesh." A
rebel onaecr remarked to me tliat if the
westerYmen would stand back from tie
fight, the South would whip the Odd
Yankees in three months. | do not
make mention of this with any intentions
upon nv part TO detract from the tried
yaor Of our eastern troops, as they are a
brave, courageous and gallant set Of fight
ING men as any country need have to de-
fend it against any attack of the most
formidable foe, but merely for the purpose
of giving your readers an idea of the es-
innate placed in the fighting qualifications
Of our western troops. Upon the lines Of
the Potomac, Wisconsin, Minnesota, aud
Indiana have every reason to be proud OF
the noble and daring deeds performed by
their sons in "my Maryland" and upon
the "sacred soil" Of ",lIAie." The rem
nant OF this veteran brigade, capable ct
shonIderinga musket, are eager still for
the fray, and ready, whenever the CON-
mand IS given to cup boys and at EN-" as
they did at Bull Run, South Mountain,and
Antietam.
A MISTAKE
appears in some Of the cas- tern journals, as
regards the time that Gen. Hooker's corps
went into the fight on the 18th. at Ante
tam, which | have taken occasion to cor
rect, il .sor no other reason than to place
the westel i Brigade where it rightly be-
longs in th, battle. I SEQ it stated in q
Philadelphia; paper tliat Hooker went into
the fight be .ween two 81 three O'Clock III
/ Il + 4ts.0nn