Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-06-24
Lights on the Battlefield. Rebel Bar.
baritieS all Elections.

Lights on the Battls.field..R Rebel Bar.
barities all FletiOns.
A correspondent Of the New York
Times gives the following description
of the Fair Oaks battle 6eld-waich
differs materially from the picture drawn
of such scenes. 1t will also be observed
that he totally explodcs the stories told
Of rebel barbarities, and leaves US at lib.
erty to believe that our quondam
'brcthren" are very much like the 'rest
of mankind" ourselves included:
l think the horrors of the battlefield
have been very much exaggerated. The
features Of these men, save where they
have persisted from strangulat'on or re-
ceivcd wounds in the face, are as calm
and placid as though they had died in
bed. Many Of them lie on their backs
with their arms stretched YEARLY, care
lessly out, in the attitude of men who
have thrown themselves on the ground
to rest, and suddenly sunk into slum.
Der. l noticed one man in this attitude
very particularly. 1t was impossible TO
believe him dead, even when he failed
to reply to repeated calls, until l en-.
deavo,ed to raise his head in more
comfortable position, and the rigidity Of
the body told that life was not there
The groans Of the wounded, that form
one Of the great staple horrors, are
mainly fiction.
Where the pain is very acute moan.
ing is heard, but in most cases they lie
mu,ely wrapped up in their own
thoughts, silent in despair. Their only
request is ~ater-this given them, and
they sink back to silence or to death. l
apprehend that from bullet wound lite
must ebb unconsciously away, the suf-
ferer not knowing that it is going. Hope
is SO strongly developed within US that
| qnestion whether any one ever really
believed himself MORALLY wounded. To
q strong man thus suddenly struck
down,it St ems impossible that he should
die, and his spirit floats away into space
while he is thinking Of the glory that
will rebound to him from his scars.
Many of our wounded have lain upon
the field all night, and it is questiona-
bic whether ambulances will come to
their relief much before the middle OF
the day. l am glad to learn from their
lips that they have been kindly treated
by the Southern soldiers. Two Ger
mans have inst told me how the latter
came during the night, covered them
over with blankets, brought them wa
ter, and in some cases washed their
wounds.
What l have here witnessed, entire.
" dispels any faint faith ever had in
WHAT'S commonly termed "rebel bar
barity." When the news came OF Ash
by's death, one Of our officers cried like
q child-he was wounded on the same
field, and Ashby, he said, came aud sat
by him all the ght through, taking as
tender care Of him as though be were
brother. l am especially pleased to
have learned the truth in this case from
the lips of the wounded soldiers them.
selves, for one of the scouts came into
the camp while ago saying that he had
been over the field, and the wounded
told him the rebels came down and
leased them all night long, taking away
their canteens and r;fling their pockets.
These stories arc rife on both sides /;
manufactured by knaves, they are told
to fools with the intention Of engender-
ing a mutual bate. Of nearly every
prisoner taken within the past week the
question has been asked: How about
that courier of ours you blew away
from the mouth of . cannon. Yesterday
Louisiana Tiger replied to bis interlo.
cator: Why. you Northern men are as
big f'ols as the Virginians wc tell
ouch stories as these abont you to them,
but didn't expect to end you believing
The cotract for building a monument