The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-05-15

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10 this fflghiiSilif. and death ssfug
. gle the whole plain " ChancsllOrsvllI'
vas swept BY the missiles Of one or thl
! other party, and heart sick and wear
Of witnessing sueh SscrIgces Of humaI
life, ! turned my hOrssb bead away anC
moved down the road towards the ford
} And here other scenes equally edectInr
net my eye. Long trains Of ambulan,
ceS we're reconStantly coming doWnthero road
J depositing their loads Of suffering, man,
gled men at impromptu hospitals hastily
fitted up beneath the shelter the woods
where large gangs Of surgeons we're oc.
cupied to the utmost limit of their abil.
ity 10 dressing the wounds. The road
swarmed with those not sufficiently
wounded to neceSsitate. carriage IN an
ambulance, yet for whoGe sulferings as
they went hObbling and groaning along
the stoutest hearted must bleed
Aud still the carnage went on. Il
was Q O'Clock. Since S o'clock that
deafening, horrible roar Of musketry had
known no cessation, aud the loud boom.
ing Of hundred cannon sent the sound
only to greater distance without ad.
ding to its volume. And yet our men
held their position. Could human en-.
durance stand morei They, too. were
suffering; not slain so laVishly as the
enemy, because sheltered; but their
ranks were sensihly thinning. Half.past
8 o'clock-our column is growing weak,
10 o'clock-the work of death still goes
on. Ten thousand brave men have clos.
ed their eyes in death during the past
Eve hours. Two thousand an hour slain |
Ten thousand more have been nanpled
aud crippled for life, The ratio OF
deaths to the simply wounded was never
equalled in war. One to one. We
moved the enemy down by brigades ;
they wounded US by dozens and scores.
Gould we endure the exertion long
enough2 7 Even though they did so great.
ly outnumber us we should. finally de.
Btroy them. But our men were exhaust.
ed.
Half.psst 10 o'clock. Our ranks are
broken. From sheer fatigue our men
have given way. One entrance iato those
rife pits aud the still dense masses oil
the enemy make but short work of clear.
ing them. But though repulsed, we are
not disordered. Like veterans, every
column fallS back in order, and the line
is re.eStablished ct the old brick house
Chsneellorsville.
The Close Of the Battle.
The old house had been taken earl,
in the battle for hospital, and was nos
crowded with wounded. Our lines we,
reformed along in front of it to- hold, "
possible, the cross roads. The eneni
halted on the edge Of the woods, as il Il
breathe, and there was q few moments
Of silence. That horrible roar has. cesst
ed. The quiet is painful. But il las,
! but a few seconds. The enemy bring
forward bis guns aud commences 10 sheI
our new position.
Marrow Escape OF Gen. HOOke
Aud here the Commanding Gene L
met with very narrow escape. E
was standing upon the porch Of the N
brick house, leaning sgainst one Of "
pillars, when she'll struck the pills,
shattering it to splinters. The GeueS
. was thrown down aud somewhat stunt
ed; but otherwise was uBhurt. 1t wtr
not his fate to be Injured in this battle
!, lie had been on the field throughout it
, continuance, everywhere present wher
;; the fight Was the hottest, encouragin,
= his men to renewed efforts, and had ed
:. capped without scratch. His safet
was most miraculous.
THe BRICK Mouse Bnvaed.
The vigorous shelling of the enem
:. riddled that old mansion in all direc
tions, and some Of the wounded who ha
-, already had their wounds dressed wer
|, killed. Atlast an incendidry shell burs
: within the building, and soon il was en-
= veIoped in flames. Some Of the wound
ed were removed. How many perishe
l have not been able TO ascertain.
A Renewed Assault.
a Between eleven and twelve o'clock th
) enemy mustered their forces and renew
E ed the assault. They came down upo
us in solid masses, against which it seen
ed like folly for our comparatively sma
force, wearied and exhausted as the
,, were, to contend. But they did con
tend. They accepted the challenge q
battle, and though overpowered, Tough
; like heroes, contesting every inch {
= ground back to. the White House, ha
-. mile on the road to the Ford, and her
the contest ceased Here we had pow
erful array Of artillery that drove th
!. rebels back as rapidly as they advanced
! : and they were glad to accept the oppoI
: tunity Of resting from the fierce struggle
=. The Result OF the Great StruggI
4 cannot be told. The burning wood
4 have ended the torture of many wound
!. cd, while the bulk Of our own slain an
!. many Vf our worst wounded were le
b upon the field from which we were dri,
o en-. We have lost ground; but on
). lines are now so circumscribed that "
d shall have no trouble in holding then
b We have taken about Eve thousand priI
( oners. in addition to which we hav
il weakened the enemy BY twenty thol
J. sand killed and wounded. Our ON
}. loss will be not fer from twelve thor
. sand killed, wounded and missing.
y From later dispatches We learn thI