The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-04-17

tant feature OF the struggle was DrouSHb W
view. Dead bodies in the woods, the dead and
dying in the fields. lying in every concei' able
shape met the gaze on either hand Some lay
on their back with their cIenched hands raised
at arms length, upright in the air. Others had
fallen with their guns fast in their grasp as il
they were in the act OF loading therI when the
fatal shaft struct them dead. Others still had
aeceived ,he winged messenger Of death, and
with their remaining strength had craWIed
away from further danger, and shetering them
selves behind cid logs had laid down to die.
Here were the bodies of those who had fallen in
the fight Of yesterday, and mingled with them
were those frem whose wounds the blood was
yet trickling away. The scene beGgars all
description and l do not wish to attempt to
depict its horrors The fatality on the open
space have referred to as the " Battalion Drill
Ground, was the greatest which came under
my observation. This execution was done by
Taylor's Chicago Battery.
The canister which had swept it over in
the morning had been terrible in it's results.
Strongly contested as its possession had been
by both Sides yet the dead were as five to one
on the side of the rebels. One man here was
in bent position resting on his hands and feet,
with his face downward, yet cold and rigid as
marble One had crawled away to the border
of the woods and ensconcing himself between
two logs had spread his blanket over him to
shield him, perhaps from the rain of the preyi-
Gus night. He was q wounded rebel, and he
pitifulIy asked IF we could do anything for
him Z" At his feet lay the body of one OF those
Union boys have spoken of as having had
his hair burned from his head. On interrega-
ting the rebel as to the cause Of his being in
such condition, his only reply was, " do
not know did not do it." We assured him
| that an ambulance would soon be at hand to
take him to better quarters, and left him.
The larger guns had done some strange work
One case / saw where the entire lower portion
of mans foot had been carried away, leaving
two toes and the upper portion remaining, An
other had been struck by bullet on the tore
head, and the missile had followed the curve of
the head entirely round to the termination Of
the hair on the back part Of the Uranium, The
case of the celebrated Kansas scout, Carson,
mot kit was horrifying His face and the en-
tire lower portion of the head were entirely
gone, his brain dabbling into the little pool of
blood which had gathered in the cavity below.
[ could fill pages with such cases, but it is use
less TO partcularize. Suffice it to say, that the
slaughter is immense.
An old surgeon, who has been long in the
service, and who has just returned from the
field for the first time since the battle began,
said to me as he sat down tonight on the riv-
er bank: d" have been present at both Bull
Run and Fort Donelson, but they were Skin
mishes to what | have seen since yesterday
morning" Such, it seems is the testimony
of all with whom have conversed in relation
to this great contest.
THE FORCE ENGAGED, AND THE KILLED AND
WOUNDED.
AS near as 1 can estimate of the entire force
engaged in this conflict, have set it down al
the opening of the battle as being about sixty
thousand on the rebel side, with a somewhat
smaller number, say over fifty thousand, or
ours. This morning witnessed an addition to
our troops of about twelve thousand men, while
from the testimony of the rebel prisoners taken
to-day, the reinforcements to the enemy were
about eight thousand men-more than halt o
whom had been left at Corinth when the troops
moved from that point on Saturday evening.
The intricate knowledge possessed by the en-
envy of every foot of the contested soil on which
the battle was fought, gave them a greater ad
vantage than was awarded US by the trifiing in
crease in numbers; but on either side the
battle was fought with desperation which
could not have believed to exist i'll the minds
of men, unless in cases of strong personal griev
ance. The determination appeared, even an
der the most calling fre,to be victory or death
The Mississippians, on the side of the enemy
were the ruling spirits, and they will deserve
to be set down as among the best fighting mel
.
of the day.
, As for our Own troops, l shall not refer f
but few especially. The Illinois, already famou
, az Donelson, fought like devils to sustain thei
well-earned reputation. The same may be saiC
s of Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, and some O
the Iowa regiments.
4 In regard to those troops raised in our vicin
ity, must say that all acquitted themselve
, mos. valiantly The 48th, under Col. Sullivan
was the very first whose camp was invaded
$ and even after the regiments on either side hat
! fallen back they retired in good ORDER fighting
every step of the way to the line of the secon(
division. 1t should be remembered that this il
the first time they were ever brought into bat
tie, and from the suddenness OF the attack you
readers may judge that the introduction was
not one calculated TO steady the nerves of raw
troops. At one time during the contest 1t was
rumored that every field officer of the 46th wa
t killed, but they turned up in time to gathe
/ their men to the number of $50, and after
+ bivouac upon the wet ground last night, the.
led them to the field agaan to-day.
: The 9th Ohio, under Lieut.. Col. Anderson,
I occupied dangerous position from the time 0
their arrival to the close of the battle, and
could see no difference iii their manner an(
e mode Of bearing to that of the famous 18th Ill
who had borne the onslaughts on the left winl
/ the day pre- ious Every man did his dat.
F., well.
The Ist and 2nd Kentucky, in the fight to
day, were the men for the position they occu
, pied They, as we'll as the 9th, were under
, CALLING fire for no less than five hours, ye
when the enemy thought proper to turn thei
faces toward the most sacred soil of Mississip
r pi," they were ready and eager to follow, which
they did with great aacrity.
The 54th Zouave regiment were at their pos
in the thickest of the fight. Also the 57th
Al, Il, II hsaTz
do their duty
THE BATTLE GRoUND-ITs LOCATION.