The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-30

with him several of his own men to identify
the graves. On reaching the place he states
that I've commenced digging for the bodies
OF Colonel Slocum and Major Ballou at the
spot pointed out to US by these men who had
been in the action. While digging, some
negro women came up and asked whom We
were looking for, and at the same time said
that 'Slougan' had been dug up by the reb-
els, by some men of a Georgia regiment, his
head cut oH, and his body taken to a ravine
thirty or forty yards below, and there burned.
We stopped digging and went to the spot
designated, where We found Goals and ashes
and bones mingled together. A little dis
, tance from there We found a shirt (still but
toned at the neck) and blankets with large
quantities Of hair upon it, everything indicat-
ing the burning of body there. We re-
turned and dug down at the spot indicated
at the grave of Major Ballou, but found no
body there; but at the place pointed out as
tne grave where Colonel Slocum was buried
we found box which, upon being raised and
opened was found to contain the body of Col
Sloeum. The soldiers who had buried the
two bodies were satisfied that the grave had
been opened. and the body taken out, be-
headed and burned, was that of Major Ballou,
because IT was not la the spot where Colonel
Slocum was buried, but rather to the right
of it They at once said that the rebels had
made mistake, and had taken the body of
Major Ballou for that of Colonel Slocum.-
The shirt found near the place where the
body was burned recognized as one be-
longing to Major Ballou, as had been init
mate with him. We gathered up the ashes
containing portion of his remains that were
left, and put them in coffin, together with
ms shirt and the blanket with the hair upon
1t. After We had done this We went to that
portion of the field where the battle had first
begun to dig for the remains of Capt Tower.
We brought a soldier with US to designate
the place where he was buried. He had
been wounded in the battle, and had seen
from the window of the house where the
Captain was inferred. On opening the ditch
or trench We found it filled with soldiers, all
buried with their faces downward. On tax
ing up some four or FIVE We discovered the
remains of Captain Tower mingled with
those of the men. We took them, placed
them in a coffin, and brought them home.
In reply to question of a member of the
committee as to whether he was satisfied
that they were buried Intentionally with their
faces downward, Governor Sprague's an
swer was, Undoubtedly Beyond all contro-
versy" and that s.it was done as a mark of
indignity." In answer to another question
as to what their object could have been, es-
pecially in regard to the body of Colonel
Slocum, he replied :-"Sheer brutality, and
nothing else. They did it on account of his
courage and chivalry in forcing his regiment
fearlessly and bravely upon them. He de-
stroyed about one-haf of that Georgia regi-
ment, which was made up of their best citi-
zens." When the inquiry was put whether
he thought these barbarities were committed
by that regiment, he responded, "by the
same regiment, as l was told" While their
own dead were buried with marble head and
foot stones, and names upon them, ours
were buried, as have stated in trenches
This eminent witness concludes his testimo-
ny as follows Il have published an order
to my second regiment, to which these Off
GERS were attached, that / shall not be salts
fed with what they shall do unless they give
an account of one rebel killed for each one
OF their own number"