The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-16

menced his work. This excited our troops
to great enthusiasm.
The position of General Mcclellan on
this day was very remarkable. With part
of his troops he had gone South across the
Chickahominy, and stood against Magru-
der, whilst with the greater part of his
army he had taken position further back,
and nearer to the railroad, where he was
firmly decided to accept battle. His dis
position showed circumspection, talent and
GOODNESS. His different corps took their
position with rare precision. and awaited
an attack with a firm spirit For the first
time the hostile forces met in equal num-
bers The Unionists had the advantage
of a position more covered than ours,
whereby we were more exposed to their fire.
The attack was opened by the divisions
of Hill, l. Anderson and Pickett. With
loud hurrahs our troops advanced under
the deadly fire of the enemy who opened
upon them with grape. Whole rows of
them were moved down, but nothing
could break their courage. The roaring
waves met; man stood against man, eye
met eye, bayonet crossed bayonet. The
brigade Of General Meagher, consisting
mostly of Irishmen, fought like heroes
After vehement contest our troops yield;
in vain are all efforts to rally them; they
flee in the greatest disorder. Raging,
foaming, his head uncovered, and sword
in hand, General Cobb appeared with his
legion in this critical moment on the field
of battle. With him were the Nineteenth
North Carolina and the Fourteenth Vir-
ginia Regiments. Without delay he at
tacks, but all in vain. The Irish hold their
position with a tenacity and determina-
ton which excite the admiration even of
our own officers. Torn and disordered the
remains Of the fine legion fell back. The
Nineteenth regiment lost eight color-bear-
ers, and most Of the staff officers were
killed or wounded.
Once more the Gems. Hill l. and Ander-
son led their troops to the attack; once
more the terrible contest RACES, and
the single regiments covered themselves
with glory. Our troops showed con-
tempt of death which placed them on a
level with old, courageous soldiers. In
spite of the bloody harvest of death, no
disorder, no infrmity betrayed that many
of our regiments were now under fire for
the first time. But the enemy shared
fully our glory. His troops remained cool
and composed. Although some brigades
were without support from o'clock in the
morning till in the evening, they did
what seemed impossible, and only when the
news reached them that jackson was at
lacking their rear, they yielded their posi-
ton to us at O'Clock at night. In spite
of the awful elimination of their ranks,
they left their positions with flying colors,
with firm beating of the drums, and took
with them their slightly wounded, and
their baggage, and when the cavalry regi-
ments of Davies and Wickham commenced
to attack them, they coolly resisted the
onset.
TIE FIELD AFTER THE BATTLE.
Night came and covered with her veil
the field of death, mercifully hiding the
awful picture Of carnage. 1t became quiet
now, and only faint sound of cannon was
to be heard from our left flank, but this
also ceased gradually. Our soldiers were
so exhausted from the fearful fighting Of
these days that many of them fell down as
if dead
Although hardly able to sustain myself
on horseback, | nevertheless went with
one of my aids to that point of the battle
field where the fighting had been severest.
The destruction was terrible; whole lines
of the enemy lay there in the same posi-
ton they had occupied in the beginning Of
the battle. The number of wounded was
great; their groans and cries for relief
were heard on all sides. Although I had
been on many field of battle in Hungary
and Italy, I never before saw such pic
ture of destruction.
THE NEGLECT OF THE WOUNDED.
The preparations for the transport of
the wounded were miserable, and the per-
sonnet ordered for this service were either
not numerous enough or were ignorant of
their duties. Even the medical depart
ment was prevented by the horrors of the
situation from aiding the wounded with
ability and ZEAL With great difficulty l
succeeded, with the help Of some kind
hearted officers, to restore order in this
dreadful confusion. We were lucky in
finding some ambulances of the enemy in
which we could put a number Of the woun-
ded. At midnight the first convoy was
ready to start sixty wagons with two hun
dred badly wounded in them. With diff
Guilty we reached Richmond. AT the first
hospital reception for our wounded was
refused; no place left, was the answer. |
ordered the train to proceed to second
hospital, but with no better success. a
friend informed me there was tobacco
warehouse in the course of preparation for
a hospital.
After waiting an hour and half it was
possible for me to put my dying load into
this place. But what place! did not
believe my eyes when l saw these holes
which were meant for hospital rooms. A
warehouse without windows, without doors,
only some boards for beds! Our soldiers
had suffered hunger, thirst, and heat for
their country; now they lay dying before
the doors of their friends, and there was
no merciful hand to give them a drink of
water or piece of bread. And yet this
was city of forty thousand inhabitants,
full of churches we'll adapted for hospitals,
and full of spiritual advisers. But the
church doors remained closed, and l did
not see any clergymen near our dying SOL
diers. Sad, and unwilling, | gave the Or
T.. 49, @l<x