Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-09-26

| the composition of human bodies, with ref
erence to the rapidity that change goes on
after death. Several bodies of rebels srew-
ed the ground on the bank, in the cinity
of the bridge. They fought behind trees,
and fence-rail and stone-heap barrcades, as
many bullet mark in all these defrnses
amply aiteSted; but all that awaited not to
avert death from these poor creatures.
| They had been dead at least forty-eieht
hours when looked at them. Almost all
of them had become discoored in the face
and mnch swollen bot there was one young
man with his face so life-like. and even his
| eye so bright. it seemed almost impossible
that he could be dead. Ii was the loveliest
looking corpse | ever beheld. He was a
young man not 25, the soft, unshaved, brown
beard hardly asserting yet the fulness Of
its owners manhood The features were
too small, and the character of the face OF
too small and delicate an order, to answer
the requirements of masculine beauty. In
death his eve was the clearest blue, and
would not part with its surprisingly gentle,
amiatle, good. and charming expression.
| The face was like piece of wax-work.
One other young man. beardless vet but
of brawnier type, furnished another ex-
ample of slow decomposition. His face
was not quite as life-like; still one could
easily fancy him alive TO see him anywhere
else than on the field of carnage; and
strange his face wore an expression Of mirth
as if I've had just witnessed something anus
ing. A painful sight especially was the
body of rebel who had evidently died of
his wounds, after lingering long enough at
least to apply handkerchief TO his thigh
himself, as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
His comrades were obliged to leave him,
and our surgeons and men had so much
else to do that they could not alterd to him
in time. Perhaps nothing would have saved
him; but perhaps again. little surgical
aid was all he needed. How long he drag
eed out his lessening pulse in pain no one
can tell.
One field especially was thicklv strewn
with orr dead. in which the Hawkins Zou-
avs 10Th N Y. Volunteers) were largely
represented. Several members Of the 1854
n. 7 lay there also. Away across the
fields, for mile within the enemy's battle
line. our gallant odiers had charged and
chased the chivalry. but afterward had heen
obliged to retire before the enemy's barte-
ries leaving their fallen comrades on the
ground. Every dead mans feet saw were
robbed of their shoes, and there were in
stances of our heroic boys being stripped of
their pantaloons. Their arms and accou-
trements were invariably taken, Of course.
On the other hand--I record it with a sense
of relief from disgust at my kind--the en-
emy's dead within our reach lay Just as they
fell, untouched, excepting as their names
might be sought after on their Clothes. or
the buttons might be cut off by the soldiers
for trophies or remembrancers of the field.
God only knows what some of our poor
men have suffered before they died. 1t is
to be hoped that none, or few at worst, died
lingering deaths.
1t is beyond all question, and ! challenge
any one who has been upon the battlefield
10 deny it, that the rebel dead are almost
three to our one. On the other hand, we
lost more in wounded. This is accounted
| for by our officers from the superiority of
our arms. Many of our soldiers are wound
ed with burk-shot, which distigures the
body terribly, but seldom produces a fatal
/ wound
Nearly all the inhabitants of Sharps-
burg have returned to their dwellings. The
work Of removing dead horses from the
streets and repairing the damages to the
buildings has commenced. Two churches
were neatly destroyed, and will have to be
rebuilt.
Fortunately, the mansions OF the rich reb-
els suffered the most severely. The dwell
ing of Mr.. Grover, a notorious secession
list. was almost destroyed. A shell from
one of our guns passed directly through his
portrait, hanging upon the wall in his par
Tor, and tore out his nose, his eyes and his
Inouth--nothing but bis bald head, neck and
shoulders remains within the frame. Dur
! ing the cannonade the women and children
were huddled together for three days in the
cellars one cellar under large stone man.
sion contained more than sixty. They en-
terained themselves with prayer and psalm
singing, and carsing the rebels or the Yam
/ KEGS, as their sympaihies leaned with one
or the other belligerem.
One can imagine how furious the cannon
ade must have been, from the fact that but
| five dwellings in a village containing 500
inhabitants escaped uninjured.
About one hundred rebels were killed
and wounded in the streets and about as
many horses belonging TO the citizens and
rebels. Several barns, containing the cows
of the citizens, locked up for safety, were
set on fire by exploding shell and consumrd
An incident related of boy belonging
to the 9th New York regiment, whose name
could not be ascertained, who stood ia front
OF his regiment while it engaged The enemy
at short range, in which position he fred
all his cartridges, then took his dead com
/ Iade's cartridge-box and fred the entire con-
tents-in all % rounds-not receiving a
SCI atch the whole time, notwithstanding the
ground was covered with dead and wound
ed all around him. The regiment was or
dered 10 charge rlfle-pit where the rebels
we're concealed, and our young hero was
the first sho entered it, the enemy q ing at
the approach of the bayonet.
The Enemy's Effects Carried AWAY,
Their Loss from $4,000 to 10000.