The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-28

VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD.

invited, on Sunday morning, by General
McClernand, to take ride over the battle-
feld. 1t would be difficult to describe in
few words, the scenes which have met my
view. The battle-ground was chiefly con-
fined to the space outside the rebel fortifica.
ton, extending up the river bank a distance
Of two miles, to the point where General
Netherlands force rallied from the retire.
ment which they were at first forced into
by the impetuous charge of the enemy. 1t
must be remembered that it was here that
the grand sortie was made by the rebels
up the river bank, with the intention of
turning our right flank, and cutting their
way out Some ten or twelve thousand
men composed the force sent out for this
purpose. They advanced under cover of
deadly fire of artillery, and steadily drove
G:neral McClernand's force before them
distance OF fifty or sixty rods. Our troops
here made stand, and, having been rein>
forced by one or two regiments, began the
assault, before which the enemy were forced
TO retreat. The ground was contested with
desperation, aud the slaughter on both sides
was immense. The whole space of two
miles was strewed with dead, who lay in
every imaginable shape and form.
Federa!s and rebels wsre promiscuously
mingled, sometimes grappled in the fierce
death-throe, sometimes facicg each other as
they gave and received the fatal shot or
thrust, sometimes lying across one another,
and again heaped in piles which lay six or
seven deep. l could imagine nothing more
terrible than the silent indications of agony
that marked the features of the pale corpses
which lay at every step. Though dead,
and rigid in every muscle, they still writhed
and seemed to turn to catch the passing
breeze for cooling breath. Staring eyes,
gaping mouths, clenched hands, and strange
ly contracted limbs, seemingly drawn into
the smallest compass, as if by a mighty
effort to rend asunder some irresistible
bond which held them down to the torture
of which they died. One sat against tree,
and, with eyes and mouth wide open, look
ed up into the sky, as if to catch glance
at its feeting spirit. Another clutched the
branch Of an overbanging tree, and hung
half suspended, as in the death pang be
raised himself partly from the ground
The other hand grasped his faithful mus
ket, and the compression of the mouth told
of the determination which would have
been fatal to toe had life ebbed minute
later A third clung with both hands to
bayonet which was buried in the ground, in
the act of striking for the heart of rebel
foe. Great numbers lay in heaps, just as
the fire of the artillery moved them down,
mangling their forms into an almost indis-
tnguishabe mass.
Many of our men had evidently fallen
victims to the rebel sharpshooters, for they
were pierced through the head by rife bul-
lets, some in the forehead, some 10 the eyes,
others on the bridge OF the nose, in the
cheeks and in the mouth. This circum-
stance verified statement made to me by
rebel officer among the prisoners, that their
men were trained to shoot low and aim for
the face, while ours, as general thing,
fired at random, and shot over their heads.
The enemy 10 their retreat, carried off
their wounded and great many of their
dead, so that ours far Outnumbered them on
the field. The scene of action had been
mostly in the woods, althoug b there were
two open places of an acre or two where
GuC uSuC uou toSCu Aul loooiyb ouu cuC SAo
was covered with the dead. All the way
up to their intrenchments the same scene OF
death was presented. There were two
miles OF dead strewn thickly, mingled with
firearms, artillery, dead horses and the
paraphernalia of the battle fielJ. 1t was
scene never to be fOrg0tten-never to be de.
scribad.
The brunt OF the battle was borne by
General Netherlands command, consisting
of Oglesby's, Wallace's and McArthur's
brigades, with 1900 cavalry, including
Dickey's regiment, and five batteries of ar
tillery-in all about 10000 men. have
already alluded to the manner in which they
fought. Nothing could exceed the valor Of
their defence, or the impetuosity of their
charges. General McClernand was every
where present, and always cool and collect
ed. 10 the din of battle he was unmoved,
even when men were being dashed to pieces
around him, and the iron hail was thicker
than rain drops in an April shower. His
staff were active and efficient, and upon all
occasions brave and self-possessed. There
are men upon it who never knew fear.