Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-08-08
THE HORRORS OF THE
WAR.
-FOUR DAYS ON THE BATTLE
GROUND OF GETTYSBURG.
TIE STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS.

hc ANCN. Speaker SAID he bad no de-
sire to unnecessarily excite the scnsibiii-
ties Of his audience by any ATTEMPT to
present a graphic delineation of the hor.
nhie scenes he had witnessed. This
would be an Improbable emplovment.--
To he realized, however, in the remotest
degree, these horrors must he SEEN
Hearing Of them only at distance. or
rearing OF ihcln in the newspapers, men
accuStom themselves 10 regard war as
iilt'e more than 2 spicdil game, a proc
iamatlen, two cunteudine armies, bat
tie, defeat, AMI victory. But tho
case is altered when war Is brought TO
oar doors. Then 20 exagcrate its hny
rcFs. there can exist no termination. 7,
The resl:ty OF the trighiful scenes around
gettysburg, no plaint Of fiction or depth
Of coloring could approach. The sigh:
sent pan@ If sluddcring through lis
frame. \ fortnight ago the sun had
STONE on 10 l"yl:er spot than Gettysburg,
especially dear 70 every Lutheran heart,
I cause the seat Of her own ancien; and
reveTed Institutions. Now It's fru;tfu,ness
end happiness are for Ii. present gonel
larou&h. those streeiS,lnd over those fer
tile feds, two rava@iug armies have pass
Ct, confronting each other, not to draw
closer the bond Of affection, but to re-
n"uuce L, aud hew each other down with
muri'EcuS weapons. Oh what scene
those hospital tents furnished! Thou
saEIs Of siaISgrt mcn we!;cring in blood,
their bodies uiang!ed. their limbs shatter-
e!, and from mary almost every vestige
Of the human form and c,uatenanco de-
parted. Humanity shuddeTs at tie
scene. and pity '!iaws over il sell.
In passing among the tents, we came
to a yourg man from Eastern Virginia,
not over nineteen years cid. cotfered
him food and drink. "Oh" said he, in n
hollow, scpnlehraI tone, ''it is nothing
that need for my body. | am shot
through my lungs. The doctor has Just
teen here, AMI saws modification had set
IN. and ttat | catnot live many hours.
Can YOU do nothing for ms poor soul
Oh, that had n Lo1o Of heaven. but
ny heart IS 50 hard; AMI I cannot feel
that Jesus has forgiven my sins. Oh.
Jesus, help me!' We pointed this diving
Ncuth t. tie Lamb Of God, knelt ut his
Si,!o Oh tie damp earth, aud offered q
prayer, The ladies' Of orr party came
and sang. "Aias, and dil my Savior
b.eed,' with he chorus. "Oh. Lord re
mcmter me-" Then the young rebel
folded his haEls on his breast aud pray
c. Ger, ent'y. We could not remain to
see Him resti c his Iast,far hundreds we're
diving around him, and they had a claim
10 our attention toe.
An affecting scene. too, was the death
Of Capt Griffith, Of Bakers Zouayes, Of
orr owu city. He WAS mortaily wound
ed, anil c ried t. a private res dencc in
The town. His commanding general. the
brave Howard. came Ia his side. They
loved eac'.olher IS brothers. When the
general saw bis favorite captain sinking
INTO the arms Of death. he fell on lis
neck, kissed him ard burst into flood
Of tears. Recovering his self possession,
the Christian general read to the dying
captain part of the 18th chapter Of
Johns Gospel. and then offered Il tervent
and impressive prayer. In few mo-
ments tho spirit Of The brave captain had
fed, when tie general again hurts into
tears, Infringing lis hands, and exclaim-
ing, "Oh, that had died instead Of he.
He was such brave and a true man."
We witnessed. in an open field,
within SIGHT Of the hospital tents, con
lainiu@ $500 wounded. the burial of
eigdt Union soldiers. Theo were laid
side Nv side n trench, their blanket,
serving as collins, and several hundred
spectators surrounding The place Of inter
neut. oh, how grave the words CT the
chaplain: how affecting and earnest his
eloquent prayer; how indescribably sol
EN- the scene!
Hundreds Ct accessicns has the Get
tysbury Cemetery received vithia these
memorable DAYS In one place we c"unt-
ell ever one huHdred graves of New
York Volunteers, the names of the brave
men all inscribed on simple heaiboards.
In clos proxim ~ lie .Gjfy sir rebels in
one trench, and not far off forty tVO
more, without solitary name inscribed.
The spot itself is designated 10y board
nailed against n tree, with the inScrp
ton that here lies as many rebels. Sew
cral soldiers are buried within arms
length of DR.. Kranihs rear door. The
Seminary grounds and DR.. SchuIa1ker's
garden contain number. and thus It is
all through the country, within g circuit
of eight or ten miles, it IS vast burial
ground.
On last Sabbath afternoon we were ut
the hospital tents Of army corps No. 2,
when violent thunder gust prevailed.
The rain fell in torrents We were in
comfortable quarters in the tent of the
Christian Commission, when we recol-
!ectcd that some fifty or sixty rehe's were
lying ~ the foot Of hill close by
Prompted hy motives Of humanity. we
went to lcok after them Oh, what a
scenei There they iay in the drenching
rain, in al their filth and wounds, with
out cover or shelter. sob, my Goiw
exclaimed enc OF them, "won't you gen.
tlemcn hold your umbrella over me! |
am drowning" A stream Of water was
running into bis mouth. We shielded
him with our umbrella until ourselves
were drenched to the skin. when We Gle
vated his head on n pillow made -