Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-29

lEXtracts from private letter from Worcester
boy, to friend in this citvl

Noon alter laSt WrOteJ we returned to the
old camp ground, camp Revere, where we re-
manned until the 4th of the present month
We then again received marching orders, and
we marched to Centreville, where we halted
for the night, and resumed the march on the
following morning, and went as far as Ma
nassas.
While we were at Manassas, in company
with several OF the 18th Massachusetts regi
ment, THAT were stationed there to guard the
| place. l visited the rebel burial ground at
Manassas Junction. l must confess, they ex-
hibited great deal of taste in planning that
ground; it contained nearly six hundred
bodies. The bodies were laid with inter
walls of about six feet between them, with
beautiful straight walks, which they had taken
the pains to gravel; at the head of every grave
board was placed, with the game Of the one
that had been buried there inscribed upon it,
also the company and regiment to which he
belonged. l noticed at the farther end the
graves oftwo Union soldiers belongin, to New
York.
We went from the graveyard 10 where their
hospital had been. A mass of backened ruins
is the only thing that meets the eye, Judging
from the large piece OF ground that was burn
ed over, | should think they had very eX-
tensve hospital. AS were wandering over
the spot, one of my companions accidentally
stepped on something, which caused him to
slip down, uttering loud shrek. We turned
to the spot to see what the trouble was, when
We were nearly as frightened rs he was, at be-
holding the blackened form of a man. His
head was nearly burned off, his feet were quite
gone, and his flesh was burned nearly to a
crisp all over his body. We carefully remoy-
ed the rubbish from around his body, to see if
we could not find something of his history
but our search was in vain. We then procured
a box and placing the remains in it, we buried
it as well as we could. We placed at the head
of his grave a board, with the following in.
scription upon it ITO the CnknoCn Dead "
My companions made many suggestions how
the body came there and they all finally
agreed-which was afterwards confirmed by
a negrO-that he was an unfortunate Union
soldier who had fallen into the hands of the
rebels and as they could not take him along
in their hasty retreat from Manassas, they had
tied him TO 4 tree near their hospital and burn
ed him alive.
On the morning of the 9ih inst, we left Man.
assaS, for Warrenton, but fearful storm was
blowing from the east, and Broad Run creek
was 80 high we could not ford it, SO we were
compelled to halt near Milford Mills. The
roads were also very bad the mud being so
deep our horses would sink to their bellies,
and our pieces and cassonS would frequent
| ly sink deep in the soft surface, that we
were obliged 10 take of our horses, and put
I 1. L III. I
| l can only briefly describe to you our i'm
mense suffering tile next two days. A fear
full storm OF rain, hail. sleet, and snow, was
blowing from the east. 1t was the worst
storm we lave seen since we have been in
old Virginia, and | do not think any OF us
have the least desire to see another like it
very soon. We had consumed all of our
raIions, which we had taken with US from
| Alexandria, and we could not obtain any more
short of Warrenton. And it was this reason
that made our general anxious TO push us for
ward 10 Warrenton as quick as possible. The
entire division were without their tents, las
we are not allowed to take them on a march)
so We had no shelter whatever from the raging
storm. The only comfort we could imagine
was to build large camp fires, and stand
around them. When we would get SO tired
we could not stand up any longer, we would
scrape the snow off around our fires, and lay
down our rubber blankets i'll the mud, and
lay upon them, covering our wooden blankets
over Us. In this condition we passed two long
weary day and nights, tired, wet to our very
skins, halt starved, and shivering as though
we would shake ourselves to pieces with the
cold.
All along the banks of Broad Run Creek
for nearly three miles, these camp fires illum
mated the sky, which seemed to bid detianc,
to the raging storm and the strong wind al
it whistled a mournlul sound among the tree,
! served to render the scene most mournfull,
sublime. Our poor horses suffered as bad, i
not worse than we did, standing to their knee:
in mud, and without any thing to eat, (save
little wheat straw, which we obtained from
stack near farm house they would kick and
bite each other with rage, and whenever we
would approach them they would give US
look that never can forget, which seemed to
ask us to deliver them from their misery. |
will now hasten to other scenes.
On the morning of the 10th the sun rose in
clear and cloudless sky, and shed forth its
VAIN rays upon fifteen thousand as wet and
hungry human beings as ever adorned an
army. Many were the silent prayers that
went up 10 lin, who doeth all things well,
Tor that glorious morning. The boys all
seemed happy and lively, and preparations
were ia1t going on to obtain food for both man
and beast, when at the farther end of the en-
cAihphent large crowd was seen gathering
together. All fastened to see what the II GU,
Die was, when they learned that the lieuten.
ant OF the picket guard on the south of our en-
campment had come in with report that four
OF his men were missing, and that some of the
Ashby (rebel) cavalry had been seen near our
lines. The missing men belonged to the New
York 10Th regiment, (the regiment that sup
port our company in battlel This report
, caused great excitement to prevail through
the division concerning them.
General Franklin ordered a reconnoiterin,
party OF tity mounted men in search of them
So many OF the cavalry in our division wer,
on duty At the time, that they had to cali OF
some OF the artillery to make up the party s,
l was detailed with several more in our com
pany to 60 with the party, Every thing beinl
ready, we commenced our hazardous search
under the command of Capt. Boyd. We frs
went to the place where they had leen sta
toned, and after considerable searching W,
found their tracks in the direction of a farm
house, which had been deserted but day OF
two previous. In looking about the place. W,
found lamb that had lately been slaughtered
which TACT convinced US that the boys bat
: been there in search of something TO satisf,
, their hunger and finding lamb had killed
it, and were about to carry it off, when the;
were captured.
we soon came across a trail of quite a larp,
number OF horses, which we followed for near
ly four miles, when we came across one of iii,
most heartsickenng scenes the human cy,
ever witnessed. There were our poor, BRAY,
picket guard tied to trees, with their throat
cut from ear to ear, their tongues cut out ant
laid ut their feet, and their bodies stripped q