Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-30
Battle Fields Revisited.

Feeling desire 10 revisit the scenes Of some O
The old battle fields OF 1862, before Richmond ii
which II was my lot to bear an humbe part,
communicated my wish to some OF my milit.r,
friends, several OF whom participated IN that cam
psign with the Pennsylvania Reserves, and u e,
entered cordially nIo the proposition. We follow
ed the line Of retreat taken by the Reserve, from
Beaver Dam to Gaines Mill in 1852, where IN.
battle OF that name was fought on the day ,uc.
ceedng that OF Mech.nlcsvllle he ssme .po
wa, the scene Of the battle Of Cold H.tbor il
June last, after Grant had commenced hi. advsnc,
from the Rpidan. The appearance Of Game,
Mil, ~ you approach il ftom the west, was o.
much changed by the earthworks thrown up by
both armies in the late battle, that, although
those Of our party had been present at the former
battle, we failed to identity the ground until We
had ridden around TO the rear Of il, whepcs ",
could see where the different regiments and bat.
serles were posted 10 1862, when the whole ,csn-
burst upon US a, il by enChantmsnt. Adams
farmhouse, where Gems Porter and Mccall made
their headquarters, still stands, and /, in good
order. Adams ocoupie, it and relales many Incl
dents Of the battle and OF the Generals while they
stopped at bis house. lie says thirty or torty OF
our wounded died at his house, which was used
m hospital at the clo,e Of the battle, aud were
buried near bis house. As the spot vh.ro they
we're buried intertered with his farming op.ra
tlons he afterwards removed them TO tbs orchard,
where they cow lie, without any mark % designate
who they were. Many were buried on The field
during the battle to my own knowledge, but the
only indication Of their grave is greener spo, in
the desert-llse field. Quite large numb4r of
South CarollLians and Georgiaus are inferred 10
the battle-ground, and their graves marked with
wooden boards. A large portion OF the field i.
uncultvated. lnde,d, II cannot well be titled
until the heavy mounds OF earth are levelled off,
and, as the soil is 80 poor, it is doubtful if /,
would be worth the expense
Our Investigations to the right Of Giin.s' Mill
baltls field led us TO the battlefield OF Cold H.r.
Dor. Riding up the narrow road leading from
The Cold larbor Tavern across tho fsld, ana
through labyrinth Of rias-pit, and bfea.lwork,
we observed that the works ahead Of US changed
ironI and faced toward u.s. Continuing on ,hort
distance We came upon the outer line OF rebsl
works, and directly in front OF Grants line Of
works, which was only one hundred feet distant.
Here sight met our eyes, which, 10 men unac-
customed to war and such sesnes, would have
been appalling. First, we came across skull,
hoached aud as clean as ever seen in y medic |
college. Turning over a few bushes, We found the
r'main, Of a Union soldier, whicu We could iden-
lily by his blue blouse and Uslted States accou
ueme.u. dIsmounted, examined the skull and
found Il finely developed head. Poor fellow
lie was one OF the bravest Of the brave, ami in
making the charge upon the rebel lin. be had
peteralel between the second and third liue,
where he met his death. lie had evdeAll,.
otawed into the bushes aud died. Not a yestise
" II sh was Cn hls bones, which were ble,ched
perfectly white. Keeping up the littl, road along
which charge had evidently been made by our
troops, we came across another aud another, till
We passed m,re than a dozen skeletons, all in
Union clothes, ylng just as they fell. The shoe.
were oa mos. OF them, and their clothing which
had shrunk up from the aotio, 4 the weather,
had left the leg bones exposed aud the arm. at
Tue wrists. picked up little head board which
IA dim letters bore the came Of " Corporal Law
Teace Shu'ter 81 PennsJ lvanla Regiment from
which | Inferred that this was tho regiment en-.
Ssgod in the charge, and that the soldiers remains
were those VI PcnnsJlvanIans.
Continuing IN TO the dsbAlable ground between
NV ~" NhFfi s0llpNldl Hlgub presented NSeIl. /
Mere th,n one hundred Unlon soldiers we're un.
buried on the small space Of ground that came
within view and their gtlnning skull, and II ,hless
arms and leg, were lying around IN every difec-
lion, all with more or less Union clothing N the
remains. We commenced to count them, and
rode aOou! iity yards but as they we're lying 10
,very direction, We soon .osl the count and gave
Il up, There we're fully one hundred and inv
exposed, within view, aud how m,ny more We
5ould not ,ell,as the sight sis not pleasant one,
,ud We concluded to return the aay we came, and
tf. These bodies have b.en the prey Of turkey
llailrds, when, with heir eaormou, wings, were
aling 10 The air, watching their opportunity when
We would leave, 70 pounce upon their prey. A /
dog wn shot by one Of cur party, which was
gnawlng away at some Of the remains. A farmer
10 lhs vicinity told u, that, having no fence, to
,Unhne the c,ttle, the hogs wandered about and
he had ofen driven them AWAY from feeding upon
he bodies where they lay. The spot where these
femans l,y 10 about aquutsr Of mile from Cold
HM0or T,vsfn, lutte dilspldated one story
building We rode up to IL, and four young W..
men, named Stewart, came out to meet Us. We
inquired how it was those bodies remained unbu.
led 50 noar their house. lhey stated that the
bodies had been buried once, bu, that GeArys