Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-03-31
TIE BsTTLE-FiELDs OF SHILOH AND
CORIyTH.
The Bones of 10 900 Confederate Soldiers
Bleaching Above Ground.
Cornth Miss Correspondence of the Memphi
Daily Argus, March 9. =


Corinth Miss Correspondence of the Memphis
Daily Argus, March 3.
During the past two days, portion
of my sojonrn here has boon spont in a
partial exploration of that part OF
the battlefield which lies in the
northwestern angle, formed by the
crossing Of the Memphis and Charles
ton, and Mobile and Ohio railroads,
The sights that 1 saw, of vast numbers
of confederate "bones" whole skele-
tons and parts of sheletons-lying ex-
posed and bleaching on the field, in the
bushes and on the hill sides under the
logs and on stumps; of the neatly in
closed and well-marked graves of fed
eral soldiers, all buried at the proper
depthi and of the forest trees, in all
directions, rent and torn by shot and
shell. and all the ''storm of furious
war;" and of many separate and dis
tinct desperate conflicts, hand to hand.
and muz8le to muzzle; all these ''sights, -
/ say, are well worthy of brief record
in this correspondence. Besides, 1
have another object in calling attention
to the battlefield of Corinth, apart
from the qualification of public curiosity;
and that is to urge upon our people the
propriety of collecting the bones of
their dead brethren, at some suitable
spot near this place, and give them de-
cent interment 1t is estimated by an
intelligent gentleman of this town that
upon the two fields of Shiloh aud Cor
NTH, in this vicinity, there are not less
than II, 900 confederate dead, T" whose
bones for the most part lie bleaching
above ground
The simple annouT cement of this sad
and startling fact, it seems to me, ought
to be sufficient to arouse the people of
Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama,
and indeed of every part of the south
west, to the adoption of prompt meas
ures for giving the remains of our fall
len brethren at least the poor tribute of
respectful sepulture. But of this shall
have more to say hereafter.
The first point usually visited, by
those who stop here to examine the
battle field, is a strong earthwork known
as Fort Robinett, Immediately north of
the Memphis aud Charleston road, on
the hill just above the first "cut" on the
road, about quarter of mile west
from town. Here occurred, on the
morning of the 4th of October, that des-
perate conflict so well known to immor-
tai fame, in which fell Col. VIM. p.
Rogers, of the I'd Texas regiment, COM
manding on that and the previous day q
brigade of Texas and Arkansas sharp
shooters Col. Rogers fell fighting with
in the fort, and is buried just within the
ditch. OF all the confederate dead on
this field, Col. Rogers Is, / am told, the
only one who was properly buried; that
is to say, the only one who was buried
deep enough to prevent the rains from
washing the dirt away and exposine rho
bones. He, it is said, was buried under
the immediate supervision OF General
Rosecrans.
In the northwestern angle formed by
the crossing of the railroads, from Co
rinth out to aud beyond the outer line
of works, three and a half miles distant,
the whole of this great battle field is
dotted. here and therein some places
thick as meadow mole-hills-w;th the
graves of federal, and the exposed re-
mains of confederate dead. The con-
federate dead, it clearly appears, were
merely covered upon the ground where
they fell. The federal dead were nearly
all inferred, in the usual way, with head
and foot boards in every instance, and
in most cases, / believe, were inclosed
with wooden palings. saw but one
federal grave where the bones were at
all exposed. / saw but one confederate
ta9nluiuS, where the bones-generally the
skulls-were not more or less exposed
and scattered around in all objections.
AT the outer line of intrenchments,
where Maury's division made the as
sault, / saw two human skull-bones,
one pelvis, aud two jaw bones, lying on
q stump, with no trace of a grave or
tumulus nearer than 80 or 10U yards
In front of the outer breastworks, not
far from the same spot, saw two t,tnaasii
where some six or eight confederate
dead had been covered up on the. side
of hill. Here the skulls aud the feet
of most of the bodies had been uncov-
cred by the action of the elements, and
we're lying around upon the ground,
already bleached perfectly white, and of
course rapidly crumbling TO decay. The
condition of these tumuti, / am told by
gentlemen residing In the vicinity, who
have examined every part of the field.
is fair specimen of all the rest. In
one place las I have been informed by
Capt. Mask, of this place, who, with
Col. Polk, rode over the field with me.
the babies of two or three confederates
were placed by the side of log Ito save
labor, i suppose, and little dirt thrown
upon them; the dirt had all washed
away, and there the skeletons lie, who'll
ly exposed and uncared for, '.iike the
beasts that perish ~ 4saed. "a s.
@Sa The Vote on the Loan Bill.
01The following is the vote on the Loan