The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-07-08
incidents of Camp Life.-No. 3.

and the commandants of each ordered to report to
one general or another. the two companies that the
senior captain commanded were directed to act as
a brigade burial party. and were accordingly NOV
ed out on to the still warm battlefield. and all night
long were busted in searching for the wounded.
keeping the ambulance corps in their labors. and IN
burying out of sight the CHASTITY dead. Every corpse
was searched for any tokens by which it might be
identified. and it was curious to see how many bad
their name. company, No. and regimental letters
somewhere about them. The marks of taltooing
were generally very distinct. and almost universal
When the knapsack was found with the body. q
search was mostly rewarded by finding letters, pic
lures, little mementoes from :" home" loving gifts
from those who, far away, were all unconscious of
their loyed-ones' white upturned faces as, in long
rows. the pitiful remains of mortality lay stretched
by the side of the wide trench, into which they
were soon to be " in one red burial blent"
The various positions in which the bodies were
found were striking. Here lay one whose placid
face, with the shadow of a faint smile almost ami
mating it, made one pause in doubt as to whether
the spirit had indeed fed. Near him lay one whose
life had been torn from his mutilated body by a
fragment of she'll. He had evidently writhed in
torment until death reached him, as he tugged and
tore at his neck-cloth. to the last fighting for breath.
Farther on lay the body of a stalwart man. who, as
he was tearing a fresh cartridge. was pierced by
the fatal ball and sank dead, with the cartridge
yet between his teeth, his lips grimy with powder,
the brows knit in a heavy frown, and the rigid
had firmly ~grasping his musket. There were but
few who had been killed by the artillery 6re.-the
woods in which the battle had ragged, and the
swampy nature'of the ground. rendering it difficult
to bring forward or maaevre the guns.
The night wore away, and the morning dawned
on ~unsightly mounds of earth. covering hundreds
of bodies, while piled in different parts of the OPEN
ings in the woods were the usual debris of the bat
tle-Held. Arms and ac~coutrements, knapsacks and
haversacks, around which the weary soldiers rested
and waited for the baggage wagons that were to
carry off whatever was worth saving. At the front
and on the right flank the musketry firing was kept
up without intermission, "a sharp affair of the
pickets :" was going on, and all haste was made to
get the wagons loaded and started off on their way
to the james river.
The cap tain of the detachment that had been at
work on the field that night. having reported the
work done, was ordered to ~ccompan the baggage
train as guard. and with his men was soon Flooding
YEARLY over the fearful road hastily constructed
through the swamps. Imagine a rough track cut
through a thick forest of trees and dense under
OluSH tAob btd OCVh SuI w III ldlu Ou lUc
soft DOGGY soil, into which they were pressed cut
of sight by the tread of tens of thousands of men.
a nd thousands of horses and mnles dragging
heavily laden Wagons. and ambulances, and trains
of artillery with their ammunition. Over and
through this horrible road the baggage trains forced
their way. Here a Wagon would break down,
and everything was brought to a standstill, until
the wreck could be broken up. and with its load
otraua6 Ouar tho unipa fhat cuolloua1 IL oil in a
moment. In the afternoon while toiling painfully
along with the sound of heavy fighting going on in
the rear. an aid de-camp rode up. and hastily Or
dered the whole train to be cleared off the road, as
there was artillery behind. that must go to the
front. The wagons were halted, and quickly
unloaded. Every musket was broken over the
wheels. the ammunition boxes forced open, and the
cartridges pitched into the swamps,-knapsacks
and haversacks scattered over the road, the wagons
broken up. and pieces laid down. with the broken
arms, to form a sort of corduroy, while the team
sters with their animals were ordered to wait for
approaching batteries. and to place themselves
under the command of the Artillery officer.
The infantry detachment, then relieved from the
care of the baggage train. that had in half an hour
disappeared in the muddy road. attached themselves
to the artillery that now come up, and. midst rain
ddo hiuA1 VIVA NHSAA - > ~ ASoFJ "ANA "0HNO VI oAOSPg
aud their hearts filled with unknown thoughts of
the morrow. when all knew that a stand must be
made, as the rebs were pursuing our rear guard
almost beyond the limits of endurance. They
pushed on until the grey of the next morning, when.
after reaching some open ground. the halt was
sounded, and one and all threw themselves down
for a short rest before taking position. when they
hoped to check the rebels advancing, and save the
army. The Bugle soon aroused them from their
heavy sleep, and they sprang up to gaze upon a
lovely landscape. shining under the rays of the
morning sun, that rose that Sabbath on Malvern
hill.
Before them lay stretched the thick forest, bro
ken here and there by cleared fields, once cultiva-
ted. but now abandoned, through the %exigence of
war. The road along which they had come. issued
from the wood a little to the right of their position.
and branching. ran round both sides of the hill
on which they were posted.
Along this road passed an unbroken stream of
Artillery. Infantry, baggage-wagOns ambulances.
mounted officers and men, and all the impedimentG
and materiel of a large army. AS the artillery
arrived. the batteries were placed in position half
way up the hillside, with their ammunition chests,
lumber and horses in the rear. In front of the
pieces lay the long line of infantry, stretching regi-
ment, after regiment, far away to the right and left.
Near the brow of the hill, and opposite the right
centre. was a small house, round which was grouped
our general. staff aud orderlies. The members of
the sigualcorps could be seen busily engaged in
fixing a position on the roof of the house, and soon
their flag was waiting Its mystic signals over our
heads,-in one direction signalling to our still adj
vancing forces.-in the other, telegraphing the
arrival of divisions, corps, and batteries, to our
COMMANDMENT Chief. on the banks of the James,
on whose border lay the iron-clad feet, ready to
protect our TANKS and rear.
As the sun rose higher in the sky. the last of our
troops arrived, and, as the rear-guard, now unmo-
Tested, filed by the foot of the bill, cheer after cheer
arose from the forces assembled.-the sound sweep
ing around the hill, and growing fainter as it swe
along the line. echoed by regiment after regiment.
each one straining his throat because be heard biz
neighbor do so.
In front of our position lay one of the openings
in the forest. of which mention has been made be-
fore. and at Its further end we could see the gray
backs forming, the mass of men growing larger
every moment, as one brigade after the other form
ed in close order for the - charge ~ Seen this
dark heavy body started on is way across the
opening for our lines. As they approached we
could see that they had been 8cmsd-i 10 division,
by brigade. closed in mass.' -a- mounted officers
could be seen wildly waving t3rir swords and
cheering the men on. On. on they cane. gathering
momentum with every step. until reaching the edge
of the woodland then about one thousand yards
distant,-the order was given to the batteries to
commence firing with she'll and shranneIl- In a