The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-15
THE MUsKETRY.

THE MUSKETRY.
But the enemy had advanced through
the woods close up to our lines, and were
STACKING us in great force, despite our ar
tillery.s We filled the woods with shell,
crossing fires in all directions, but still the
masses of the enemy crowded on. It SEEM
ed as if they were a dense mob, those in
the rear being ignorant of the carnage
going on in front, crowding their compan-
ions on to sure destruction. They appear
ed in front of our lines for at least a mile,
along the front of the entire Sd and I'd
corps, coming up in dense masses, climb
ing over the heads of the fallen, firing
heavy volleys, and going down among the
slain as the response broke from our ranks.
1t was frightful to contemplate the slaugh-
ter to which these men were forced.
Whole brigades would be swept away in
the determined effort to force our lines,
and still other brigades would spring up to
take their places. And so they fought us,
and so we continued to fight, until the car
fridge boxes of our men began to grow
light, and theirpowers of endurance began
to flag under the constant exertion.
In this frightful life and death struggle
the whole plain of Chancellorville was
swept by the missiles of one or the other
party, and, heart-sick and weary of wit
Messing such sacrifices of human life, l
turned my horses head away and moved
down the road towards the ford And
here other scenes equally affecting met my
eye. Long trains of ambulances were
constantly coming down the road, deposit
ing their loads of suffering, mangled men
at impromptu hospitals hastily fitted up
beneath the shelter of the woods, where
large gangs of surgeons were occupied to
the utmost limit of their ability in dress
ing the wounds. The roads swarmed with
those not sufficiently wounded to neces-
state carriage in an ambulance, yet for
whose sufferings as they went went hob
bling and groaning along the stoutest
hearted must bleed.
And still the carnage went on. 1t was
9 O'Clock. Since O'Clock that deafening,
horrible roar of musketry had known no
cessation, and the loud booming of hun
dred cannon sent the sound only to a great
er distance without adding to it's volume.
And yet our men held their position.
Could human endurance stand more? -
They, too, were suffering; not slain so Law
ishly as the enemy, because sheltered; but
sheir ranks were sensibly 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
closed their eyes in death during the past
five hours Two thousand an hour slain!
Ten thousand more have been mangled
and crippled for life. The ratio of deaths
to the simply wounded was never equaled
in war. One to one. We moved the
enemy down by brigade; they wounded US
by dozens and scores. Could we endure
the exertion long enough? Even though
they did so greatly outnumber us, we
should finally destroy them. But our men
were exhausted.
Halfpast 10 O'Clock. Our ranks are
broken. From sheer fatigue our men
have given way. Our entrance into
those rifle pits and the still dense
masses of the enemy make but short work
of clearing them. But though repulsed,
we are not disOrdered. Like veterans,
every column falls back in order, and the
line is re-established at the old brick house,
Chancellorville.
STATEMENT OF WASHINGTON PAPERS.
PHILADELPHIA, May s. The Washing
ton Star of this evening has the following:
"Gen. Dix telegraphs from Fortress
Monroe that, in an extract from the Rich
mond Dispatch of the 9th, found on pris-
oner, was pencil note indorsed by sur
geon in one of the hospitals to his wife,
of hot r,,hn
the late battles. ..{ y t.. -
"From officers just arrived from Rich
mond we learn that, on Monday last, sew
eral members of the Richmond guard,
which was composed of between six and
seven hundred of the Oldest citizens, re-
turned to Richmond, reporting that their
battalion was taken prisoners by Stone
mans cavalry, about fifteen miles from the
city, on Sunday night, while on recon-,
noissance to ascertain the cause of inter-
ruption to travel, and were released on
parole, Stoneman being then in no condi-
ton to cucumber himself with prisoners.
Two of Stoneman's men were captured on
the outskirts of the city early on Monday
morning, and taken into Richmond. The
people Of Richmond were panic stricken,
the stores being closed and business en-
tirely suspended. Stoneman was expec-'
ted to enter Richmond on Monday When,
it was known that he had g9ne down the
peninsula, they took courage, and were
confident that he would meet Gen. Wise
and be captdred. ~ a4mo9 3f0l Oh II =
'In his recent battles, bat three of Gen.
Hooker's corps may be said to have been
engaged viz; Sedgwicks, Sickles', and
Sykes the latter but for a brief period.
The corps Of Howard, which subsequently
acted gallantly, twill be remembered gave
way, without fighting, through the shame
full conduct of the division formerly known
as Sigel's corps. Thus, at most, more
than half our army failed to obtain anop-