The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-10-31

The OLD BULL Run BATTLE FIELD
A correspondent OF the Philadelphia In
Qutrer gives the following description of a
visit to the old Bull Run battlefield:
On Monday night rested with part of
the army that pitched their tents on the
section OF the old Bully Run battlefield
adjacent to the Warrenton pike. A poet
might find here, in the suggestive relics of
the deadly strife, the theme of an epic, or
a painter might illustrate on canvas the
horrors of war from the mementoes here
left of its ruthless work,
Bullets are picked up and exhibited by
the handful, and soldiers who participated
IN the tray are comparing at the same time
their gathered mementoes and their person.
al recollections of the bloody field. In the
long, luxuriant grass one strikes his foot
against skulls and bones, mingled with the
deadly missiles that brought them to the
earth. Hollow skulls lie contiguous to
hemlspheres of exploded shells. The shall
low graves rise here and there above the
grass, sometimes in rows, sometimes alone,
or scattered at irregular intervals.
Through the thin layer of soil that hides
the nameless hero who gave his life for his
country, one sees the protruding ribs
whence the rain has washed their covering,
a loot or an arm reached out beyond its
earthen bed; and once | saw one of these
long sleepers covered snugly up to the
chin, but with the entire face exposed and
turned up to the passer by; one could ina
slne him a soldier lying on the field wrap
ped up in his blanket, but that the blanket
was OF clay and the face was fleshless and
eyeless.
In one case foot protruded, with the
flesh still partially preserved; in another
an entire skeleton lay exposed upon the
surface, without any covering whatever
The tatters of what had been his uniform
hot hn 1nI
Inc flesh was, of course, decomposed but
the tanned and shriveled skin still encased
the bony framework of the body, and
even the finger-nails were in their places.
The ligaments that fasten the joints must
have been preserved, for he was lifted by
the belt which was still around the waist,
and not bone fell out of its place.
calm repose, like one who had fallen asleep
from WEAKNESS. This was the camp of the
9TH Massachusetts regiment. He was bu-
RED, as were many more that night who
had waited long fourteen months for
their funeral rites. In fact, the different
pioneer corps were engaged for some time
in paying this last tribute to the gallant
dead, whose fragmentary remains were
scattered round our camps.
The Pennsylvania Reserves bivouacked
for the night on the ground where they
themselves were engaged in deadly strife
in the battle of fourteen months ago, and
the skulls and bones of some of their for
mer companions in arms lay around with
in the light Of their camp-fires. 1t may
even have happened that the men pitched
their tents over the grave of lost COM
rade, and again unwittingly rested under
the same shelter with one who had often
before shared their couch on the tented
field.
A soldier the 1st Regiment struck his
foot against cartridge box near his tent,
and, picking it up, read on it the name Of
an old associate who had been among the
missing, and whose death was only known
from his prolonged absence. His resting
place had at length been found, for near
the box was a small mound of earth that
doubtless contained bis Wondering bones.
An officer of my acquaintance recognized
the spot where his tent was located as one
near which he was severely wounded and
where he lay through a long, weary night,
by the side Of a dead captain. The painful
"reminiscences which the place called up
rendered it anything but an agreeable cam
ping ground to him.