Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-04
BATTLE PICTURES.
The Hurry scurry OF Battle-Grant ON
the Field-Denth of Gen. Sedgwick
Death Scenes After the battle.

There in the depths of these ravines, under
the shadows of those trees, entangled IN
that brushwo0d, Is no pomp OF war; no hut
tering of banners in an unkindred breeze,
no solid tramp of marching battalion, no
splendid strategy of the fields Napoleon
loved to fight on. There a saturnalia,-
gloomy, hidden, desperate, RACES confined.
That metallic, hollow rack OF musketry. is
like the clanking of great chains about the
damned; the sullen yell of the enemy.
fiendish protest and defiance. How the
hours lag; how each minute Is freighted
with burden that days would have groan-
ed to bear in other times! Still the sad,
shuddering procession, emerging out of the
smoke and tumult and passing on. Still
the appealing eyes and clenched hands and
auivering limbs of human creatures, worse
than helpless, whose fighting Is over. The
paths are full of them, the roads are thick
with them, the forest seems to take up the
slow movement and move with them like
giants lowering over the funeral of our
Iilliputions. Piled in ambulances, they
move on still further yet, While the torture
of battle plies on below making more vic
tins. Here and there, beside some path,
you shall see heaped blanket, labeled by
some thoughtful bearer, with the name
the corpse beneath bore In life; here and
there YOU shall come across group of men
bending over one wounded past help, and
diving an agonized death. And Often-too
often-the shameful spectacle of one bear
inga weapon, unhurt, pallid and fear strick-
en-, fits through an opening towards the
rear and is gone. You shall meet with SOL
diers in groups of one, two or three hidden
in some thicket or cody making coffee by
the roadside. And hearing the roar of the
battle below and seeing the bloody trail of
the battle behind, it shall be glad thing to
see these men hunted by officers back with
curses to the ranks to share the dangers OF
their noble comrades.
General Grant mounted one of his splen-
did horses at headquarters, and made par
tial tour along the lines. Gen. Sedgwick
and his staff, weary with incessant march
ing and fighting, lounged under some BUSH
es by the Germania plank roadside. Gen.
Grant rode up. Gen. Sedgwick went out
to meet him.
''Don't get up General; just came down
for little visit-that's all"
The Lieutenant General had Il taking
way with him when he chose-a straight
forward way, appropriate to the man he
met. The two commanders sat down by
the road and talked quiet talk. The day
stretching through the woods and across
the road and up the slope beyond them,
seethed and simmered in the sultry, dusty
air.
No serious work would be done that day,
if all the signs were true.
Gen. Grant remounted, rode to headquar-
ters in the pine grove up the road, threw
himself down against tree, and began to
browse.
A drowsy and curious scene. The Lieu
tenant General here, at the foot of a tree,
one leg of his trowsers slipped above his
boots, his hands limp, his coat in confusion,
his sword equipments sprawling on the
ground, not even the weight of sleep eras-
ing that persistent expression of the lip
which held constant promise of some
thing to be done. And there, at the foot of
another tree, is General Meade-a military
hat, with the rim turned down, about his
ears, tapping scabbard with his fingers,
and gazing abstractedly into the depths of
the earth, through eyeglasses that should
become historic. General Humphreys,
chief of staff-a spectacled, iron-grey, mid
die aged officer, of pleasant smile and
manner, who wears his trousers below af-
ter the manner of leggins, and Is in all
things Independent and serene, PAGES yon-
der to and fro. That rather thick-set off,
Ger, with closely trimmed whiskers, and
the kindest of eyes, who never betrays
harsh impatience to any conner, is Adjutant
General Williams. Gen. Hunt, Chief of
Artillery, hearty-faced, frank-handed
man, whose black hair and whiskers have
the least touch of time, lounges at the foot
of another tree, holding lazy converse with
one or two members of his staff. Gen. In
gals, Chief Quartermaster of the army,
than whom no more imperturable, efficient
or courteous presence is here, plays idly
and smilingly with a riding-whip, tossing a
telling word hither and thither. Staff Off
GERS, and orderlies, and horses thickly
strew the grove. The sunlight streams in,
little breeze begins to sigh; little
of peace has come, perhaps, to the minds
of these men overladen with the thoughts
of war.
About the middle of the day Gen. John
Sedgwick, who, since the march from Bran
dy Station, had never left his command,
walked out with Lieutenant Col. McMahon,
his chief of staff, to the advanced line of
breastworks occupied by his men. A little
hum of leaden bees about this place caused
the soldiers in the works to dodge and duck
their heads. The General smiled at them
good naturedly-he had a winning smile.
Finally one bee hummed so near a poor
Irishman's auricle that he dropped down
upon his face. General Sedgwick touched
him with his foot, in humorous disdain:
"Pooh, pooh! who ever heard of soldier
dodging bullet? Why, they couldn't hit
an elephant at that distance!"
There was laugh at this. even though
the struggling was yet hummed unpleasant
ly around. The General was still smiling
over the BANTER when Col Mcmahon heard
the buzz of bullet culminatei in what SEEM
ed an explosion close beside him.
.'That must have been an explosive bullet,
General"
No answer. But as the face of General
Sedgwick slightly turned toward the be,
loved officer at his side, curious, sad, not
despairing, but almot contented smile was
upon it. Another moment and the form of
the General fell helplessly backward. 1t
was caught by Colonel Mcmahon as it fell.
A ball had entered the face, just below the
left eye, pierced the brain, and passed out
at the back of the head.
He never spoke afterward, though he
breathed softly for while. He will never
speak again, to command or to caress; to
punish with disdain and censure; to elevate
with reward and praise. o, noble Sixth
corps; tried and true Sixth corps; though
you have been saddened by the death of
many comrades, did you ever weep for q
cOmrade like this? Are your deeds so high,
your banners so glorious, now that he who
directed them is fallen? Are your lost ones
so low now that he slumbers among them?
o, we'll may you speak soft, lips that have
shouted defiance; well may you toll slowly,
guns that have wrung conquest at his