, 1863-07-13

and oated breath, half dreading to hear tn
result Of the ,,combat, are to-day filled viii
the nations defense we vii render our J Ieast ~
felt thanka. To Him " who doeth all thInc
Wen'' shall eternal praise be given.
EFFECT OF THE WENTWORTH rRoJEcT1LEs.
Moving still to the left, found m orchar.
IN which the fighting appears to have beef
desperate in 1he extreme. Artillery shot had
| plowcd through the ground in every dfrec
tion, and the trees did not by any means es
cape the fury Of the storm. The long balIJ
Ct hon, said BY officers present to bc modi
fication Of the Whitworth projcctile, lay eve
rJWhere scattered. The rebels must hay,
been well supplied with this species Of anmu
milton, and they evidently used it with nt
spa1ing hand. At one time I counted twelve
Of these bolts lying on space not fifty fee1
square, 1 ras told that the forest in rear o.
our position WIS full Of these shot that had
passed over our heads in the time Of tho &C
ton. The rebel artillery fire has heretofore
been excellent, but I am told that on the
present occasion it was not accurate. Why II
Was SO is difficult to cxp4ain,
!. RATTLE DEBRIS
The defenees thrown up On our left were
next In order Of v1sit. They consisted Of a
single line Of Temporary earthworks, and in a
lew instances Of two lines. Behind them lay
the debris Of battle scattered everywhere.
Pieces. of clothing, tattercd shelter tents.
spoiled cartridges, canteens pierced by bullets,
torn haTeTsacks, broken muskets, sabres, bav.
oncts, soldiers equipments we're mingled
IN confusion. Stained and saturated with 10y
al blood, the fragments Of clothing torn from
wounded heroes bore evidence Of the terrible
struggle. Behind the breastWork were the
graves Of the fallen, dotted thickly around.
The ground was deeply cut by the wheels Of
the artillery as it Performed It's evolution On
the field.
EFFECTS UroN WHEAT YIELDS.
a mile from our central position, on the
crest OF the hill at the cemetery, was field Of
wheat, and near to 1t a large tract, on which
corn was growing luzuriantly before the bat-
Tie. The wheat vas fearfully trampled by the
1urryfDg feet Of the dense masses Of infantry
as they changed their positions during the bat
Tie. In the corntleld artillery had been sta-
toned, and changed its position as often as
the enemy obtained its range. Hardly n hi1l
# corn Is left In its pristine luxuriance. The
little that escaped the hoof OF the wheel, ns
the guns moved from place to place, has since
been nibbled of by hungry horses during the
night biyouae subsequent to the battle. Not
a stalk Of wheat Is upright; not blade Of
corn remains .uninjured; all has fallen
yesI, LII which death was the reaper, has beon
gathered above 1t.
TIE ASSAULT ON TIE LEPT.
On our extreme left the pointed summit of
hill Of thousand feet eleyation Fises to-
wards the SKY. Beyond it the country falls
OF into the mountain region that extends to
lhe Potomac and across It into Virginia. This
formed strong position, on which the laft Of
our line could rest. The enemy assaulted
this point with great fury, throwing his dlyfs-
ions one after the other against it. Their ef.
forts were Of no avail. Our men defended
ti3 Their ground against every attack. It vas
against the immo7ab1e columns Of the Eng
llEh. Stubborn resistance overcome the ralor
Of the assailants. Time after time they came
to the assault only to fall back as they had nd
vanced.- Their final retreat left the remnant
OF our own men still standing behind their
works. The rebel dead and. wounded were
scattered thickly about tho ground. Ourown
were not wanting.
sToRMED WITH SHOT AyD SHELL.
Nearly to the left extreme Of tho line, and
half way between the crests Of the ridges.
stands neat farm, house. Around this dRel
ling the battle ragged as around Howgoumont
at Waterloo. AT one time it WAS IN the rebel
possession, and vas derce1y attacked by our
men: The walls were pierced with shot and
shell, many Of the latter exploding within,
and making Of themselves scene Of deyasta-
lion. The glass was shattered By rifle bullets
on every side, aud all the woodwork bears
testimony to the struggle. The sharpshoot-
ers we're in every room, and added to the dis
Older caused by the explosion ofshells. What
the missiles spared theso1diery destroyed. The
rebels we're driven from the house, and the
in tn1n we're dislodged, but Rnall, took and
held the place.
CITIZENS SEARCHING TIE FIELD,
In the orchard in rear Of this house mas
the position of the rebel batteries during
portion Of the attack upon the left Fifteen
OF their horses lie dead on the ground, swo1-
len to m enormous size. As yet the citizens
hare made no attempt to bury the putrefying
masses, All over the field arc numerous mea
whatever is Of value. 4 fsw aIo M ms1ely il6 i66
search of relics, but the most Of them are
bearing away any and everything that they
cone1der OF pecuniary value. Here In this |
orchard find q conntryman engaged in cut |
ting the harness from one Of the dead battery |
horses, and preparing to ca1ry it from: the |
1eld. another has collected dozen blankets, |
dropped BY soldiers In the heat Of the en- |
gngement.> Another walks past me with |
Ihtee OF the best muskets he can find on the |
natue neld: sent1les hare very properly been
that is Of value to the Government,
ROCKY ASCENT.
On the second elevation from the cerneterv
the line bends still more to the right. follow
Ing the brow Of the hill. At the base Of tbe
MI! 1s a stream known as Rock creek, across
y shich the rebels were obliged to move in
their advance On the right. It is but few
Steps across, and not large enough to kinder
the movements of the troops. From tie
stream to the summit Of the 1iill the ascent is
quite steep-too steep to be climbed, except |
ut slow wink. The rocks along the whole
ascent are rough and irregular, and, in the
lace Of heavy tire, must be difficult to pass.
The trees are Of good size and the forest is
T11a 1fr,.1, nxx -.
trees are from ten, to twenty feet high, and
'hords no screen to the approaching foe.
SCENE OF TIE ATTACK on TIE RIGHT.
About half way from the centre OF the OK
RENE right Is the location Of the scene Of the
je1cest attack upon that portion Of the field. |
The most terrible fire Of the day has left its
marks upon the trees. and rocks 1 hare seen
he whole Of the Shiloh battlefield, as well +
ls that where Sherman met his disastrous re-.
9ulEe ut the Chickasaw Bayou The traces Of
ighs1ng there are but slight compared to
hose on this ground. find tree after tree
CARED from base to umbs. so .thickly that II !
would have been impossible 10 place ones
'and upon their trunks without covering tho
marks of bnllet. One tree WIS stripped Of
'uLets alone, and many Of Its tWigs were cut
ALI ot, and were hanging wilted and ready
9 drop to the ground. The trunk Of the tree
bout ten inches In diameter, was cut and
CARED In. every part. The fire which had
truck these trees Was that which was directed
rom our muskets upon the advancing rebels.
very tree and bush for the distance Of half q
,ile along these works was nearly IS badly
1arked., Tho storm OF bullets must have
cen as thick as hailstones In an ordinary
form. How i man could exist In it and
ONE out unhnrt Is difficult to imngine. II
EFFECT OF BULLETS UPON TIE ROCKS. -
The trees are not alone in displaying the
;uible effects of the shot. The rocks,
hereyer they face towards our breastworks,
re thickly stippled with dots Of white. On
ne rock, presenting surface of about seven
lna1e feet, bullets have left their traces in
tile blurred spots, like snow fake OF the I
fgest slze. The missiles, fattencd by con-
lct With the rocks, are lying scattered about +
= lhe e leaves, most Of them giving little sign
lat they have ever henn ynusIf3f: 1rn1ertf1aS |