The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-08-15

lotOtu tuciT frktuiCutS All thN
while stretcher bearers were passing
np and down. Descending they
bore pitiable burdens. A wounded
man upheld by one or two comrades,
haliiugly made his way To the hos
pital, followed by another and ancih-
e.. The colonel was conveyed by
fsur men "a tie town, 10 agony, on u
portion OF panel oi fence torn down
in tie progress Of the charge. The
stretcher-bearers, not distinguishing
between persons, bad taken what
soever one they first saw that needed
their assistance; moreover there was
no time for selection. The next
minute all the wounded on the bill
side might be 10 the hands Of the
Confederates.
A DARK NIGHT
There was the darkness which be-
longs to night The regiment bad
reformed srouno their respective
standards. They presented short
front compared with the long lines
that had gone up the steep, hurrah-
ing. The Soutberners were quiet
and close behind their works 1t
seemed that they would not sally
forth. Then from each regiment a
lieutenant with small party went
up the ascent, and sought in the
darkness what fate had befallen the
missing, and brought succor TO the
wounded. They went from man to
man, as they lay on tie ground. In
The obscuriIy it was hard TO distin-
guish be features Of the slain. They
felt iur the letters and Numbers on
the caps. The letters indicated the
company, the numbers denoted ;he
regiment. Whatsoever man of their
regiment they discovered. him they
bore of if wounded; if dead, they
took the yaluables found on his
person, for bis friends, and left him
10 lie on the earth where be bad
fallen, composing his limbs, turoing
his face to the sky They found
such all the way up; some not far
from the stone wall, a greater num-
Der near the corners of the house,
" here the rain of bullets had been
.hickest.
At 3 O'Clock at night the command
was withdrawn from the frcnt, and
'ested on their arms in the streets OF
he town. Some sat on the curb
'tones, meditating, looking gloomily
It the ground; others lay on the pave
nent, trying to forget the events of
he day in sleep. There was little
aid: deep detection burdened the
pirits of all. The incidents of the
,attIe were net rchearsed, except
low and then. Always when any
me spoke, it was of slain comrade-
# his virtues or of the manner of his
leatb; or of one missing. with many
;oDjectures respecting him. Some of
hem, it was said, had premonitions,
md went into the battle not expect
ng to survive the day. Thus they
ay or sat. The conversation was
With bowed heads, and in low man
,er, ending in a sigh. The thoughts
# all were in the homes Of the killed,
eeing there the scenes and sorrow
which a day or two afterward occur
ed. Then they reverted
o the comrade of the morning, the
lying stark and dead up
N Marye's Hill or at its base. A
,rave lieutenant lay on the plank
Dad, just where the brigade crossed
or the purpose of forming for the
:harge. A sharpshooter Of the ene-
ny had made that spot his last bed.
il was December and cold. There
vas no campfire, aud there was
lei,her tlalk,t nor overcoat. They
lad been stored in a warehouse prep
Iratory to moving out to the attack.
5u. no one mentioned the cold; it
vas not noticed. Steadily the woun-
led were carried by to the hospital
rear the river. Some one now and
hen brought word of the condition
If a friend. The hospitals were q
narrowing sight; full, crowded; never
heless patients were brought in con-
sanity. Down stairs, up stairs, ev-
Try room full. Surgeons, with their
pats of and sleeves rolled up above
he elbows, sawed off limbs, admins.
cred anesthetics. They took of
eg or an arm in a twinkling, after
,rief consultation. 1t seemed to be,
n case of doubt-off with his limb
colonel lay in the middle of the
main room on the first floor, white,
When the surgeon
vas asked what hope be turned bis
iand down, then up, as much as to
'sy it may chance to fall either way.
But the sights iD field hospital after
/ battle are not to be minutely de
cribed. Nine thousand was the
ale of the wopnGed--nine thousand
md not all told
CHASTITY PICKET LINE.
After midnight, perhaps it was 2
,'clock in the morning, the brigade
vas again marched out of the town
Ind, filing in from the road, took up
. position q short distance below the
rick hanse L. WAS tie ornnnd oyer