The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-04-12
e enemy, and was pouring in .

but even turned their flank and slleneed their
battery al the same time.
Falling in with some 1ndauians. away
we went TO the front, reached the scene of
se;ion and found the enemy very strongly
posted behind stone wall. from which he
had repulsed, with terrible slaughter. our
exposed columns: bat BY an oblique move.
We soon routed them from their formidable
barricaie, and pouring in = murderous FIRE
drove them into the next wood. At il We
went in'o the woods, the flashes of our guns
Illuminating the increasing twilight. and
sounding like q Texan cauebrske on fire
Suddenly the firing ceased. Hound myself
sanding in the center OF az open space.
the sounds OF wee and anguish replacing
he crack Of tie rife and The boom OF tie
artillery. Here lay poor fellow with the
back of his hea shot away By bais,iog
shell, his br,in-a sickening sight--pro-
lruiing the size OF hens egg; there noble
youth with lis eyes both of them--shu,
from his hesd By cruel bullet. Behind the
stone wall pills. of rebel deadlay in hesgs.
nearly every ore of them bearing a mortal
wound on the left temple-,heonly part yisi
ble above their fancied barrier.
The 18Th Indiana, although badly cut
up. occupied as a camp ground the very
wood from which they had mainly contrib
uted TO drive the enemy. The 7th ndana.
with which | acted. riven by charge OF
our own troops through their center, was
scattered through various regiments, com
panies and parts OF companies. fighting
wherever and whenever opportunity offered
\ Mr.. Gageby. of company G. introduced
me 10 his cpmrades, and away We trudgea to
find our baggage. An idea of the whirling
~ ,,.b L., -
ed from the following fact: 1t took US just
two and a half hours. and tramp through
field and food OF about one ard a half miles
TO find our baggage. Some Pennsylva
regiments were encamped in our immediate
vicinity. On the ground lay piles OF over
coats, etc. which we had thrown off Soon
the noise aud hubbub incident on a very
spirited search subsidized into the hum of
genial conversation. broken at intervals by
the cry of where's the 7th Indiana" or
"where's the 7lh Ohio" and the answer
"here!' Then some beated wanderer
would approach to hear and retail news Of
the wounded and dead. From bivouac to
bivousc, having stacked my arms with
Gageby's, Thompson and others. l went,
with heart panied at the recital of the
long list of dead and wounded In my
meanderings | stumbled over human form.
1t groaned not, neither did it move. Think
ing 1t was some wounded sufferer-whe,her
Unionist or Secessionist humanity paused
not to inquire-I stopped to minister to his
agony. perhaps to hear his last message to
some loyal friend or foe. Snatching a torch
from a neighboring fire l hasted back to
the ensanguined spot. Picking my way
through crimson rivulets which flowed
seemingly from his shoulder. stopped beside
him-he had on our uniform-raised the
tIppet OF his overc)at. which was thrown
upward over him, and gazed upon-a head
less trunk! Staggering back a few PAGES,
leaned against tree and shook with horri.
fed emotion. The earth seemed to rock be-
meath me. The real character Of this inter-
necine strife took crnel hold upon me. The
ambition of few cotton planters, scizing
upon the iana,icism Of a still smaller faction
of negro-worshipers, as a pretext for their
ambitious designs upon the liberty of the
non slaveboiding "poor white trash" OF the
Southern States, and of the "mudsills" Of
the north, had .'preciptated" FIRST the cot
ton States, then the old Dominion. into a
revolution which is tearing out the vitals of
the nation and McAdsmising our roads and
fields with the bones of Washington $ chill
dren AS | leaned. l seemed to hear the
=
phere. as they gathered around the accused
spot To coFronate cotton King Of He'll; whilst
the few drops OF rain which began to fall.
appeared Ike the tears of angel visitants as
they took their everlasting flight FROM the
desecrated earth
Returning with aver,ed eyes to the place. I
| again threw its mantle over the revolving |
wound, and, murmuring a prayer for his |
oul and for his fan ily--not forgetting an
j lculation for the ultimate preservation of
he Union--l slowly and sadly retired from /
he scene. and ultimately from the field Of
'-gloryl
To day, Tue ,day. 25th. comes the news
10 headquarters from our pursuing army
hat the enemy has not only been defeated
bat totally routed. He has rid himself OF I
us dead and wounded and disencum5ered
himself of his wagons which latter are
leap OF ashes. Both armies ave crossed
Sedar Greek and pushed beyond Strasburg;
helling tEe IN at every step, our victorious
lie panic-strcken foe from point TO point,
and charging linn with cavalry and infantry
10 the very verge Of surrender.
With all its ten-fold horrors, war is
great excitant Of arden. natures. During
the lnarch we forget The Diood, the groan.
the death grapp,e, and gaze only on our
flag. whilst invisible bai,sllions Of departed
heroes seem reinforcing US from the para
diss into which they found ingress through
tie portals of Buuker's Hill. Fort Moul,ris
and Saratoga.
When we remember that Jackson led his
invading legions fifty weary miles from Mt.
Jackson TO attack Winchester, that they
fought well and indastTiously all day Sun
day; that they have retreat. d already eigh
teen or i.enty miles; that they are panic
stricken and totally. yes. rremfdiabiy rou.-
ed; it is not difficult to imagine an early
capitulation unless-which heaven forefend
they rec i've e-cnforcements OF fresh
troops beyond S:.asburg-
The moral efec, Of this victory will not
fully be realized under thirty days. To my
mind. considering the already demolished
condition Of our foe, and the stampede from
Manassas the prestige Which fEts omen field