The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-05

count the battle Of Winchester by an 9,
witness:
THE BATTLE
For ten days previous to the fight skirmisf
ing had been going on, and on Sunday after
noon when about three miles from Winchester
the rebel General jackson ordered his men
attack US on the right, and turn our flank, thu
to take Winchester. At this same time Gen
Shields ordered his men to turn the enemy
left flank, which movements were executes
simultaneously, thereby bringing on genera
engagement. The combatants were not NOR
than two hundred yards apart when the fight
ing commenced, and as usual the rebels wer
behind stone wall, from which they opened
murderous fire on our unprotected men. Afte
| the fight commenced there were but few orders
given and 1t soon turned into q free fight, go
ing on the principle, ''every man for himself
and the devil take the hindmost."
There were about 6, 200 on each side, and il
was fair test of Northern vs.. Southern valol
the result showing that ''mudsills'' can fight
Wishing to dislodge the enemy from the!l
| strong position behind the stone fence, which
they occupied two hours, Col. Tyler ordered
the 9TH Ohio to charge. At the enemy they wen,
giving q most unearthly yell, and away secuted
| the rebels, coat tails flying and muskets trail.
ing.
They rallied on slight knoll after running
short distance, when our boys gave them ga
hair of the dog that bit them, +" which routed
them again. The 7th captured in this second
charge, two field pieces, which was presented
them for their valor. They fought splendidly,
az steadily as veterans as they and Col ler
behavedin the most gallant manner. The officers
were cool and collected, and the men intrepid
and daring. Being on the extreme right, they
received the first and most destructive fire
The battle commenced at o'clock Sunday af-
ternoon, and lasted precisely 3 hours and Al
minutes. The Ohio 9Th, It'll, 9Th, Indiana It'll,
and Pennsylvania 10th, bore the brunt of it.,
with the lst Virginia; and all fought desperate
y. Colonel Daum, the Chief of Artillery,
fought with the Ohio It'll. For two hours it
seemed about an even thing, the chances being
against US, but the charge of the 18th Ohio, to
their honor be it said, won the day.
The retreat of the rebels soon became rout
and our balls did fearful execution az they ran
Their dead and wounded were scattered from
Winchester to Strasburg, every farm house
being filled with the wounded and dying
They carried the dead in wagons. but when too
closely followed, they killed their mules, and
piled the dead on the ground and left them for
our men to bury. The mortality among them
was fearful, over 300 being killed and many
wounded. They fought desperately, but could
not resist Northern, valor
THE SCENES OF THE Battlefield AND THE
HOSPITAL.
Correspondence OF the New York world1
The enemy fought we'll, and it is useless and
untrue to speak lightly of their bravery
They fought well and held out long against the
superior firing and daring of our forces, as
their immense loss makes very evident.
No wonder Stone-wall Jackson thinks it was
desperate fight am informed, by one of
the staff of Gen. Shields, who has just returned
from the track of their retreat, that, as far as
he moved, the enemy's dead were found strewn
along the turnpike. For twenty-four hours
from the beginning of the fight the enemy were
burying their dead. In one barn along the
road there had been left fifty, all but eight of
whom we're buried The estimate of their loss
is carefully made, and is very nearly accurate
without doubt.
The scene of the conflict is terrible. Civil
ians are generally prevented from visiting it
for the present 1t is impossible to describe
the scene so as to give realization of its
ghastliness and terror, which any one ought to
blush not to perceive while walking amid the
remnants of humanity which are scattered
about. Bodies in all the frightful attitudes
which violent and frightful death could pro-
duce, stained with blood, mangled and lacera-
ted perhaps, often begrimed and black, lay
scattered here and there, sometimes almost in
heaps.
Some had crawled away when wounded to
comfortable place to die Two men lay al
most covered with straw, into which they had
scrambled and lay until death released them
In the woods through which our troops had
to pass to charge the rebels lie the largest
number of our dead, and beyond on the other
side of the wall from behind which they pour
ed their volleys of balls at our men, large
numbers of the rebels lie. pierced in the fore
head or face as they rose above their hiding
place to shoot at the Federals. There is
peculiar ghastliness in the appearance of the
enemy's dead Did not their dress distinguish
them, their faces would enable and one in
stantly to tell which were Federals and which
not. One would think they were all Indians
SO very dark had they become by their expos
ure, sleeping without tents as they did for a
Ong time at the beginning of the war.
One who has not seen it can not tell what it
is to see battle field.
If there is any thing more dreadful it is
visit to the hospitals after battle.
In the Court House are placed large num-
Der of the wounded of our own and the enemy's
without discrimination, and in several places
in town, hospitals have been established since
the battle. 1t is difficult to compel ones self
to dwell long enough upon the scenes witness
ed here, of the dying and dead, to give
them faithful description. Surgeons and at
PENDANTS have been constantly at labor, with
out rest, in attending to the unfortunate SOL
diers in the hospitals.
Yet, after all their efforts, it was long before
many of the wounded could be properly cared
for and their wounds properly dressed.
The Court room was filed with the sufferers
lying upon the floor, SO many that it was diff
fcult to pass among them. Among them was
the Confederate Captain Jones, who had both
eyes shot out, and whose face, covered thickly
with clothed blood, presented the most repuls-
i've and pitaible sight which one could well be-
hold. Some, from loss of blood were swollen,
distorted and discolored. Some, indeed were
cheerful, and rejoicing that while their COM
rades were many of them so seriously injured
their slight wounds soon heal and become hon
orable scars, testifying their patriotism and
loyalty. But the majority of those which I
saw here were dangerous wounds, and some
were to suffer amputations, and their fellow.
soldiers about them, suffering from their own
wounds, were obliged to listen to their cries
and groans, and to hear the grating of the sur
geon's saw, premonitor of their own hard
fate. saw many in the agonies Of death
One, who was seated and raised half upright,
haunts me now with his pale sorrowflu, coun-
tenance. He was almost dead, and every mo-
ment would raise his head. open his eyes, and
stare vacantly around as if he would assure
himself that he had not yet lost all sense of
sight.
Here, also, lay some who had just died, and
as passed through, the hall gray-haired
guard, resting upon his musket, with solemn
grave countenance, was standing beside q
number of dead, in the attitude of u death
struggle, each with a paper pinned to his
clothing, stating the name, regiment, etc, OF
the deceased.
Many ladies of the town were seen visiting
all the hospitals. Must it be said that their
anxiety was to find out the Confederate pris
oners only, and administer to them the com
forts which they did not extend to our own?-
Can it be, in such case, that humanity can
so distinguish between friend and foe stricken
down by suffering and DEATH Yet many have
observed the unconcern for Federal sufferers
and the anxiety and care for the Confederates
which was very generally exhibited at our hos
pitfalls. The people of the place have display.
ed more sullenness and hatred toward us since