Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-12-07
NUMBER %.
FACES ON THE BATTLE FIELD.

After the battle of lnkerman the faces OF
many of the dead still wore smile, while
| others had threatening expression. Some
! lay stretched on their backs as if friendly
hands had prepared them for burial Some
were still resting on one knee, their hands
grasping their muskets. In some instan-
ces the cartridge remained between the
teeth, or the musket was held in one hand,
and the other was uplifted as though to
ward off blow, or appealing to Heaven.
The faces OF all were pale as though cut in
marble. As the wind swept across the
battle field it waved the hair, and gave the
bodies such an appearance Of life that
spectator could hardly help thinking they
were about TO rise to continue the fight
Another surgeon, describing the appear
ancc of the c0rpses on the field of Magenta,
says that they furnish indubitable proof
that man may cease to exist without suffer
ing the least pain Those struck on the
head generally lay with their faces ON the
ground, their limbs retaining the position
they We're in at the instant they were
struck, and most of these still held their
rifles, showing that when ball enters the
brain it causes such sudden contraction
Of the muscles that there is not time for the
hand to loose its hold of the weapon before
death. Another popularity observed in the
case Of those who were wounded in the
brain was the suddenness with which they
died when suspected to be out Of danger
During the battle of Solferino, a rifeman
was wounded i'll the head by ball which
passed through the skull and buried itself
i'll the brain. His wound was dressed, and
he was stretched on straw, with his head
resting on his knapsack, like his wounded
comrades He retained the full use of his
faculties, and chatted about his wound al
most with Indifference, as he filled his pipe
and lay smoking it. Nevertheless, before
he had finished it, death came upon him,
and he was found lying in the same atti-
tude, with his pipe still between his teeth
He had never uttered a cry, or gave any
sign that he was suffering pain. In cases
where the ball had entered the heart, nearly
the same appearances were presented as in
the cases Of those who had been struck in
the brain death was what we term instan-
taneous, but it was not quite SO swift as in
the former case there was generally time
for a moment in the act Of dying
There was a Zouave who had been struck
full i'll the breast; he was lying on his rife
the bayonet was fixed and pointing in such
way as showed that he was in the act of
charging when struck. His head was up
lifted, and his countenance still bore
threatening appearance, as if he had mere
ly stumbled and fallen, and was in the act
Of rising again. Close by him lay an Aus
trian loot-soldier, with clasped hands and
upturned eyes, who had died in the act of
praying. Another foot-soldier had fallen dead
as he was in the act of fighting, his fists
were closed, one arm was in the act of
warding off a blow, and the other was
drawn back in the act of striking On an
other battle field several French soldiers
lay in line with their bayonets pointing in
the direction Of the foe they We're advanc-
ing against, when a storm of grape moved
them down-Dicken'S al The Year Round. !