Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1866-07-19
Faces on the Battle Field.

| After the battle Of Inkerman the faces
of many of the dead still wore a smile,
while others had threatening expression.
| Some lay stretched OH their backs, as if
| friendly hands prepared their burial
| Some were still resting on one knee, their
hands grasping their mUsketS. In some
instances 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 Heav-
en-. The faces Of all were pale as though
cut in marble. AS the wind swept across
the battlefield it waved the hair, and gave
the bodies such an appearance of life that
a spectator could hardly help thinking
they were about to rise to continue fight.
Another surgeon, describing the appear
ance Of the corpses on the field Of AIagen-
ia, says that they furnish indubitable proof
| that man may cease 10 exist without sut-
fering the least pain. Those struck on
the head GENERALLY lay with their faces
on the ground, their limbs retaining the
position they were in at the time they
were struck, and most of these still held
their rifles, showing that when ball en-
tered the brain it causes such a sudden
contraction of the muscle 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, even when suspected to be out of
danger During the battle of Solicrino,
Il rifcman was wounded in the head by
a ball which passed through the skull and
buried itself in 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 almost with indifference, as he
filed his pipe and lay smoking it. New
ertheless, before he had finished it, death
came upon him, and he was found lying
in the same attitude, with his pipe be-
tween his teeth He had never uttered
cry, or given any sign that he was suffer
ing pain. In cases where the ball had
entered the heart, nearly the same ap-
pearances were presented as in the cases !
of those who had been struck in the brain /;
death was what we term instantaneous,
Dul IL WAS llOt tHilc 50 SHLlt tiS III t!Ic lOI-
mer case there was generally time for n
movement in the act Of dying.
There was a Louaye, who had been !
strucI, full in the breast he was lying on
his rife, the bayonet was fixed, and point
ing III such way as showed that he was
in the act of charging when struck. His
head was upliffed, and his eountenance
still bore threatening appearance, as if
he had merely stumbled and fallen. and
was in the act of rising again. Close by
him lay an Austrian foot soldier, with
casped hands and uplifted 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
IF striking. On another battle field sew
,ral French soldiers lay in line, with
heir bayonets pointing in the direction of
he foe they were advancing against, when
/ storm of grape moved them down.