Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-10-27
NO. 81.

i
age battle description. Riderless horses
routed and demoralized infantry, fright,
ened artillery teams running away witt
half calson or galloping through the
panlc-stricken rabble with gun carriage
all sWarmed IN one promiscuous thronl
to the rear, while all over the field drop
| ped like autumn leaves the wounded and
the dead. There was no time to rally, no
time to reform the broken ranks, no re-
serves with which to cover the retreat
| SGuCe Q1tj 1eut was the word, and the sol
dlers disburdened themselves of their
muskets cartridge boxes, knapsacks, hav-
ersacks, clothing, everything which re-
| tarded their flight. Away they went in a
promiscuous stream back toward Chan
cellorsville
And who was to blame for this +? Doubt
less some regiments acted coWardly, and
[ regret to say, they were chiefly among
the German troops. Yet the majority of
the Germans did as well as the Ameri-
cans, and all did probably as well as any
body of troops in the world would have
done under like circumstances. Had the
Corps been in position and intrenched it
could at best only have maintained its
ground until reinforced. But isolated
as it was, without breastworks, deceived,
surprised and instantaneously enveloped
in front flank and rear, how could its
eight or nine thousand be expected to
Withstand thirty thousand rebels? Yet
because they did not do this, the men who
wore the crescent were hooted at as Cow
ards, - galloping half-moons, flying
Dutchmen," etc. And worse than all,
these opprobrious epithets received official
connivance where there should have been
ia manly avowal of the responsibility.
l would not have it supposed that the
L al. I Al Al
troops broke and fed from the field
without making any. resistance. On the
contrary many regiments withdrew COM
paTatlvely unbreken and at every eppor-
tunlty turned upon their pursuers. And
there were many regiments, am certain,
which, were they to pass again through
that bloody ordeal. would stand and die
in their tracks before they would fly again
from the field and receive the brand of
coWardice. at 1
BY nine 0 clock P. NJ, within less than
three hours, the 11th Corps had rallied
from that wild and unknown wilderness
and was again in line of battle. The po-
lice officers subsequently reported that
there were fewer stragglers from that
Corps found at the bridges than from any
other. Every man seemed anxious to
return to his command and to avenge the
bitter disaster that had befallen it. The
Corps was now drawn up in the open
fields near the Charlottesville House,
and supported the lines of the 18th and
Sd Corps. On slight raising ground
near the plank road fifty pieces of artil
lery were massed ready to salute the
enemy with a storm of iron as soon as he
should appear. The lines of infantry
were compactly formed and, concealed
by the darkness, quietly awaited the ap-
proach OF the foe. 1t was not long un-
Til Jackson's triumphant divisions were
heard coming down through the forest.
Soon the pattering shots of the pickets
sing out fercely and in a moment after
ward the main line opens and poUrs a
sheet of fame into the faces of the charg-
ing rebels. The fifty pieces of artillery
chime in with their dreadful thunders
and the ground trembles with the rever-
t6ratlOns. Myrlads of shells hoWted
through the air each marking its path by
stream of blazing light. 1t is no ex
aggeration to say that one felt as though
he had been transported from the light
and peace of earth to the gloomy and
chaotic regions of the damned. Every
element of the scene was hellish. The
dark forest looming up in nights dusky
atmosphere seemed transfgured into a
thousand gnomey shapes. The blazing
artillery flashed like the hrnes of torment.
The screaming of shells reminded one of
the shrieks of unhappy spirits. The
crash of musketry sounded like the roar
ing of the river of death as 1T tumbled
down into some unfathomable abyss.
Finally the enemy was repulsed, and
there went up along our lines wild
cheer which seemed more like cry OF
relief than a shout of triumph. But
jackson had not yet despaired of break
ing the line and driving the army back
into the river. Again he renewed the
onset and again the battle ragged. But
the result was as before, the repulse OF
the assailants. Again and again the at
tack was renewed, but it as often failed.
| Thus the time passed until after midnight
when the foe ceased his efforts and COM
parative calm rested over the dusky field
| In the gloomy depths of the wilderness
the whippoorwill chanted his p.aintive
notes sounding like a requiem for the
dead.
But [ will not try to describe farther
this great battle. l will not linger upon
the details of the perilous and dismal re-
treat across tie Rappahannoek. On the
| 9TH the army returned to its old quarters
fnear Stafford and Falmouth. The sol
diers had lighter burdens to carry but
their hearts were heavier than when they
left those huts ten days before. They
mourned many gallant comrade slain OF
captured, and worse than all, they smart
ed under the sharp sting of failure.
But times and tides change. The bale.
full current of war has marvellous varia-
tions in its course. The 11th Corps re.
turned to Chanceilorsville. 1t returned
not as the 11th, but as part of the gal
liant 10th, the Star Corps of the army OF
Sherman After fighting its way from
Chattanooga to Atlanta, from Atlanta
to the Sea, and from the Sea up through
the Carolinas, it returned in triumph to
the bloody scenes of it's disaster and dis
grace. And how changed was all save
chat historic field. Yet that too was
changed. The green grass had grown
over the graves of the dead. Tree and
shrub, SCARED by bullet and shell, were
slowly healing up their wounds. 1t was
May again, the anniversary month of the
great battle, and the bright sun shone
cheerily over the quiet scene. One was
reminded that the law of Heaven is
peace, and that, after the storms of hu-
man passion, ever come the bright
winged angels to gather mp the good that
is left and to heal the pangs of mortal
woe
'sThe roar and the ravage wero VAN,
| Aud Nature that never Yields,
Was busy with and rain
/ Al her old sweet work again
| . on the lovely battlefield -
Preceding the column in our eagerness
( to return to this place of terrible memo,
! -. H.,