The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-02
A Springfield Surgeon Visits Pitts.
burg Landing.

We do not know as We shall ever weary of
reading about the battle at Pttsburg land
ing. New incidents come TO light every day.
all going to show the terrible carnage there.
and the criminal negligence of orr officers
The Springfield Republican says
DIR Breck of this CITY left for Pittsburg
Landing. by direction of the state authori-
ties. 10 assist in the surgical care of the
wounded in the great battle at that place.
lie returned on SATURDAY.. after an absence
OF fortnight. Having found nearly all the
wounded already sent 10 the hospitals at Ca
iro and elsewhere he only spent few DAYS
on the ground. and then turned his face
homeward. The accounts that he brings OF
the results of the battle are terrible beyond
any description We have seen. From notes
which he has written for US, and from con-
,er>ations with him, we gather for cur :ea-
ders such statements as cannot fail to b.
read by them with great interest
Speaking of the battle ground, DR. Breck
says
The whole surface is covered with mounds
q
vastly greater number than the world will
ever know. The almost fabu, rus accounts
given by the burial parties could no; be cred
! tied without view OF this immense charnal
house. Often, in passing over the field. one
comes upon a grave il which the occupant is
- slightly covered that the head or one or
more hands are seen protruding Bodies
are sell brought in. every day. of those who
have lam uncovered since TIE balte--hoiies
of those who have crawlsd away wounded to
die in secluded places. There are a thousand
dead horses still. unburied. The atmosphere
is so loaded with the fetor of animal decor-
position. as to be almost insupportable
Daring the Smelling of cur sunboats On
Sunday night, after the frs, DAVIS fight. a
! piece of woods was set on FIRE. burning over
surface hardly more than half an acre. on
which were afterwards found the charred
cnrpses of over five hundred rebels Some
of those doubtless had been wounded. but
the flames closed the scene over them ALL
The number Of dead upon the field has been
variousy estimated. and will probably never
be asccrtained. DIR Brock conversed with
many who had charge of lie burial parties,
and they al agree that two thirds of all found
/ dead upon the ti".,. Gcrc rebels. An inteli-
gent ana truthful oihcer. an acquaintance of
l)r Breck, assure! him that. In a little ravine
which he pointed Out II Linn he counted
three hundred rebel earp,e< and fifty of our
men, and the doctor estimates the number
buried upon the battle field at not far from
5000. Two out Of every three of these are
rebels. and this, 1t must be remembered,
leaves uncounted the dead they took away
with them. The mortality among the
wounded is very large. Of six hundred and
/ fifty upon one boat, two hunured died before
/ they reached Cairo. Gen HaIleck
is the idol ot his army, and is as much nen-
teman as soldier, and presents the highes,
type of both. He has pitched his tent in the
! field OF his army. about mile from the land
ing. and, come rain or sunshine, he shares If
with them. All this is very much unlike
Gen Grant. who. on the morning of the
memorable Sabbath days battle, was quietly
hreakfasting at his quarters in fine brick
house in Savannah, ten miles from the scene
OF conflict and carnage, and did not reach
the field until four hours after the battle
commenced. The authority for this state
ment is the captain of the steamer who con-
vetcd hin from Savannah TO Plttsburg
Landing. During stay of FIVE DAYS at
Pittsburg. in constant intercourse with Off
GERS of every grade, the doctor did not hear
respectful word spoken Of Gen Grant. They
openly charged him with The responsibility
of awful sacrifice of life tina. had taken place
in other words, fer Sundays surprise and
defeat. Had not the rebel army been held
in check on Sunday night by the gunboats
and pair Of siege guns on shore, which
were kept firing all night. and the reinforce
ments OF Buell. and Wallace come in, Grants
entire command would inevitably have been
bagged,- an army of $4,000 men. The Off
GERS are at loss for language sufficiently
severe to characterize the conduct of Grant.
They laugh heartily at the notice in the New
York Herald of his riding about the field,
furnishing his sword, &c. They say that
the only demonstration of that character ;
which he made was at the landing among the