The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, 1863-07-18

THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

around WHICH Tile D;ttIle TdSeu. oSyohh
it was where the First and Eleventh corps
contended with Ewell and Longstreet on
the first day of the engagement. After
wards, finding that the, rebels were too
Strong for them, they fell back and took
ND a new position, including this building
in the line. Here the loss was very heavy,
and the seminary shows the fearful nature
of the struggle. It's walls are perforated
with shot and shell, and the bricks are in
dented by numerous bullet marks. It's
windows show the effects of the musketry,
and but little glass remains to shut out
the cold and rain.
ARTIFICIAL OFFENCES.
The line of breastworks continues. From
the centre of our position, far away to the
extreme left, our men threw up hasty de-
fences, from which to resist the rebel at
tack. Wherever stone fences were found
they were taken advantage OF to form
part of the line Where these were not at
hand the rails from fences were heaped up
and covered slightly with dirt. Where
these did not run in the proper direction
works of earth and trees were thrown up,
behind which the men were to fight. They
extended nearly to the base of Round Hill
and into the timber that skirts that eleva-
ton. They were thrown up on Wednes-
dav night, after the First and Eleventh
had been driven back through 'the town.
Tt was General Meade's plan to compel
the enemy to make an attack, and for this
purpose the works were thrown up. At
the same time the rebels were not idle
mi IL Df mi
in length, in some cases constructing 1t
with great care. For much OF the way
their works partakc Moro of the nature OF
permanent defence than they do OF for
tifcation that is designed to be merely
temporary. 1t was evidently their suppo-
sition on Wednesday night that they
could compel us to make the attack. They
looked for an assault with inferior num-
bers upon their army in strong position
of their own choosing. Their expecta-
tions in this particular were not fulfilled.
EFFECT OF THE %HIrwoETH PRoJEcT1Ls.
Moving still to the left, found an or
chard in which the fighting appears to have
been desperate in the extreme. Artillery
shot had ploughed through the ground In
every direction, and the trees did not by
any means escape, the fury of the storm.
The long balls OF, iron, said by officers
present to be modification Of the Whit
worth projectile, Lay everywhere scattered;
The rebels must have been well supplied
with this species 81 ammunition, and they
evidently used it With no sparing hand.
At one time I counted twelve of these
bolts lying on space not fifty feet square
I was told that the forest in rear OF our
position was full of these shot that passed
over our heads in the time OF the action
The rebel artillery fire has heretofore been
excellent, but am told that on the pres
ent occasion it was not accurate. Why
it was SO is difficult to explain.
EFFECTS UPON wHEATFELDs.
A mile from our central position, on the
crest of the hill at the cemetery, was q
field of wheat, antsnear to it large tract,
on which corn was growing luxuriously
before the battle The wheat was fearfully
trampled by the hurrying feet of the dense
masses of infantry as they changed their
positions during the battle. In the corn.
field artillery had been stationed, and
changed its position as often as the enemy
obtained its range Hardly hill of corn
is left in its pristine luxuriance. The lit
tie that escaped the hoof or the wheel,
as the guns moved from place to place,
has since been nibbled off by hungry
horses during the night bivonac subse-
quent to the battle. Not stalk OF wheat
is upright not blade of corn remaining
uninjured all has fallen long before the
time of harvest. Another harvest, IN
which death was thereaper, has been gath
cred above it. 20
THE ASSAULT on THE LEFT.
On the extreme left the pointed summit
of the hill of thousand feet elevation ris-
es toward the sky. Beyond it the coun-
try falls off into the mountain region that