Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-11-01
The Horrors of War--Awful Scenes on
the Battlefield Of Chickamauga,

One of the editors OF the Atlanta (Ga') In
telliqsneer, who visited the field Of Chickamau-
ga, ten days after the battle, writes to his pa
Der an interesting account Of his observations,
from which We take the following extracts:
1--WE leave the Chattanooga road and turn
to the right. We ride along the avenue. and
on every side, thickly sirewn, are the marks OF
the sharpshooters' skil, and the terrible effects
of shell and grape from the masked battery.
The loas was pot alone, however, with us, but
the foe also met bis fate: He has LETT the
dreadful evidence Of many dead bodies. In the
woods near the upper end of this opening, We
sav one Of the blae habited dead, sitting with
hIs back against log, bis arms on hls knees
and his fingers dovetaied together. Apparent.
ly he had sat down deliberately to die. The
worms we're feastiDg on him. His Jaw was
hanging down; his black and glisiening
BODY, which had swollen until It burst off
his clothing, was one Of the most horrible
and disagreeable sights we ever Witnessed.
Close by, another man orawled upon log,
and placing his back against q bush, and
resting bis bead on bis hand, the elbow bent the
body In reclining position, he had pulled his
cap over bis eyes and given up his spirit from
kha battlefield.
AT the back part Of the field, sweeping east
ward and south Of east, was O large and de-
struclive battery. The worn places where each
gun was placed indicate that ten or more guns
we're in battery there. The dead horses and
Yankees lying about tell how yengeful the
assault was, and how successful. But from the
| hill where this battery cast its storm and rain
OF shot and shell, and canister, and grape, the
evidences of terrific fire are more apparent
here than anywhere else on the field. The
woods are very thick in trees and bushes, and
the limbs, trunks, and branches, as they lie cut
off and torn In all directions, made an abattis
| through which our forces rushed and charged to
silence the loud tbroated voices Of those death.
dealing engines. We pass through the path of
the artillery storm and here and there are the
graves Of our soldiers. On the second hill with
| trees and limbs lying thick about, evidences
Of the terrible passion Of man the graves
Of many brave Texans, the '24th and 9TH
ers, rest calmly, marked by the careful hand
Of friends; back Of thele are number oi
Georgians. Thence we turn to the lef. and
follow the Savannah road. AT intervals the
open woods show signs OF the conflict being
| more severe than In Che thickly wooded spots
| Il 10 along here, We are told, General Hood and
his men made such terrible onset and slaugh
ter. They and that portion of our army which
advanced from the Red House, and along the
road to the right of the saw mill, did execution
which Is perfectly fearful. The carnage wal
awful-every avenue had been swept as by 9
broad besom of destruction In the hands o.
Hecats. Battery paths are innumerable. g.
Here they fought-,here they retreated-leav
iDg dead horses, men, broken caissons, piles o.
ammunition, rent clothes, and destruction gen
orally. On one point on the rise OF hill, WI
saw the body Of an immense Newfoundland
dog. He evidently was the pet of some battery
and was shot while following IL up. Close b,
him we counted thiriy-eigbt dead Yankees
nearly thirty dead horses--saW more than
ton Of shell, shot and canister, and all th,
broken and abandoned psfaphernalia Of stronG
battery, all within the space Of eight fee
square" 43