Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-16
A Visit 10 the Battle. Field.


A Visit 10 the Battle. Field.
A correspondent Of the Missouri
Democrat, who was on the steamer
White Cloud on its way up the Tennes.
sec, relates his experience as follows:
1t is fact which can hardly account
for on principles Of acoustics that, when
we were forty miles from Pitttburg,
confused and vague reports came to Us
OF the caunonsding heard al day Sun
day. These stories, although frequent
~ repeated, served only to amuse me
at first. As we came within ten miles
OF Savannah, and twenty miles from
P;ttsbnrg, the dull boom Of cannon be-
came distinctly audible, and grew sharp
er and louder as VIC advanced. The CT
!ect Of the sound, now repeated at slow
intervals, now Increasing almost into
volleys, when con- ined with our know
led e Of the vast forces probably en-
gagged, brought to mind the tones OF
Waterloo, heard in the halls of Brussels.
1t was half the pean Of victory, aud half
the knell Of untold dead.
When we reached Savannah the most
incoherent and conflicting stories we're
hurled at us from deck and shore. The
cry was, "Hurry on with your batteries
Immediately they want them" How
slowly the craft seemed to toll against
the stream. Perhaps our little six.
pound howitzer might change tho for.
tune Of the day. At last the Pittsburg
Landing, with its line Of smoke-stacks
and steep bluffs came into sight. Its
sides for mile were swarming with blue
coats, artillery horses struggling up the
bank, cavalry, infantry, army stores,
filters bearing the wounded aud dying,
mingled in chaotic confusion. What
couli this mean? Could it be another
Ball Run /? When the boat Landed, We
learned that we had been repuIsed on
Sunday, but had retrieved our fortunes
the next day; that the enemy we're re-
treating, and that the battle was pretty
much ended. | rushed ashore, hoping
to find some place to deposit my bag
gage in safety, but for half an hour the
attempt seemed hopeless. Meantime
the quivering report Of the monster
guns behind the bluff told plainly
enough that the contest was not ended.
At last found an hospital steward, who
relieved me Of my burden, and got
fairly under way, floundering along
through the mud among the snake-tran
Of ambulanccs and artillery wagons.
For halt a mile l pressed on through
the forest, which covered the entire sur
rounding country, without finding any
evidences of all engagement, except
here and there the scar Of an occasional
shot high mp on the trees. Twas told that
the hard fighting was mile beyond.
AT last broken muskets, cartridge box
es, haversacks, horse here and there
stretched out in his Llood, Legan to ap
pear. Before long found poor fel
low mangled and rottng, who had
doubtless fallen the day before. pick
ed mp letter lying upon him, but re
hectcd that it might identity the body
and replaced it. These were the fire
drops in the tempest Of human blood
At some little distance beyond, through
the ercampment Of the Sd Ohio, thu
scene batll-d description. Muskets By
the hundreds had been thrown dowl
and abandoned. Bodies Were ing a
intervals Of rod in all directions. Man
gIed trunks of horses were scattered
about. The fighting here must have
been well contested aud desperate. II
detail all the hidcous aspects Of the dcae
in this field Of carnage, if It were posi-
Die, would be simply revolving. was
drawn by sort of fascination to ont
corpse after another. The expression o
mortal agony in the faces of many wa.
as fresh as Parrhasius could have wish
cd to pai:t. Some were distorted ane
ieIisn.. The faces were hard anc
bearded. Others we're boyrh, and wor,
alnas. the repose Q! sleep. One smooth
;!iat in the dying moment he saw hi
N tTer. God pity such mothers. Mos
OF tie hands were clenched the glaze,
eye still glazing as il glazed upon III,
enemy in the moment OF death.
IN 4 ravine further on. tie corpses o
the enemy lay thickcst. Here Their
had been cannonade of gfape-shot ant
balls. Trees a foot in diameter hat
been cut III two. Nothing seemed t.
be uuscathed. Two rebels Law olsen
boweled and Drained by hinge ball
which had apparently slain a horse be
yond. Here lay poor wretch In tn
clamn'ncss and pallor of apparent de
comro ;i.en. ! supposed he had diet
on Sunday; but conceive Of my horro
when l saw that his chest heaved, "a
IN his breast the wave OF lie kept Leav
ing to and flo." A cannon shot ha,
Drained him, but life still worked in
spasm upon his features. Behind m
came strange, agonizing cry; it wa
that of wounded man borne BY on
litter. A Kentucky Captain was es
ceed'ngy anxious tha. l should supe,
intend the burial OF an old friend an,
recent enemy, whitc-hcaded gentle
man Of the manor born, and made hit
some vain pledges. He said that
would break his wife's heart if she kuc,
that he was rotting there. How man
hearts will be broken how man
J homes made desolate, by the last fe,
hours! One soldier told me that he va
tying to fiud the body of his brothc
who might be dead on the field.
On the bluff to the aon,h of fh