South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-04-11
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and that night, Gen. Hooker finding
all Of his Tlans frustrated and his ar
MY defeated at both points, hastily re
treated across the river, leaving a
great many prisoners, arms, artillery
&c, in our hands.
Our Phone er corps then went to
work buryin8 the dead, and we wit
messed horrible sight: on the left
of our line where the Louisiana bri.
gade had fought the last evening OF
the fight, and drove the enemy about
one mile through the woods, and
then in turn fell back to their own
position, there were great many
dead, and badly wounded left laying,
from both sides, and the woods tax.
ing fire that night from the shells,
burnt rapidly & roasted the wounded
men alive; as we went to bury them
we could see where they had tried to
keep the fire off by scratching the
leaves away from them as far as they
could reach, but done no good as they
were burnt to n crisp, and the only
way We could tell which army they
belonged to, was by turning them o.
yer and whore they laid close TO the
ground there would be some of their
clothing that was not burnt, SO we
could see whether they wore blue or
grey; and We buried them all alike
by covering them up with dirt where
they lay. 1t was the most sickcuing
sight that cav during the war, and
| just wondered if the American peo-
pie were civilized or not, to butcher
one another up in that manner, aud
came to tie conclusion that wo were
barbarians and only half civilized,
both North and South although we
bOasted Of our seats ct learning, and
took rank among the nations OF earth,
as far advanced in Christianity 4 ell
liyhtenment; but war such as we saw
is nothing but relic of barbarism,
and no nation is fully civilized Until
it finally ceases and can settle their
difficulties by some other means than
the sword. If newspaper editors,
politicians and cabinet officers could
see the horrors of war as q private in
the ranks sees it, and undergoes its
hardships. and had to experience it
to tho fullest extent, | think then,
wars would cease, especially if there
were no more honors and pay attach
ed to it than private received, the
glory would soon disappear.
Three of our pioneers were badly
wounded by shells during the battle,
and Lieut.. Pownell who had lately
been elected Lieut.. of my CONF any,
was MORALLY wounded, aud died at the
field Hospital. l had given him the
sword that had gotten
the first days hight, but never saw
him or the sword afterwards.
After everything was qniet we NOV
ed down in the neighbor hood of
Hamilton's crossing and went into
camp, aud the doctors were busy for
sometime, embalming dead bodies,
an sending the TO their friends
south, on the cars.
Our loss was estimated at ten thou
eand five hundred; the enemy's at
eighteen thousand: but we lost jack
son who was whole corps himself.
Gen. Lees force was fifty thousand,
Gen. Hooker's one hundred and TWEEN.
ty-fve thousand, and the fedora! ar
my was better prepared to continue
the tight than we were, for the differ
ence IN numbers was greater after
the battles, than before. Gen. Hook.
er's army lay on the north side of the
river with pickets along the bank and
ours on the south bank with pickets
and they would go IN swimming to-
gether, and trade coffee and tobacco,
and DC as friendly "a if nothing hal
happened; and such is war.
Gen. Jackson was taken to a nri-
vate house near the crossing, the Best
physicians attending lin, and his wife
and daughter, Miss Julia then two
years old came to see him. Our old
brigade would inquire after him eve.
ry day, and the news was that he was
doing well, and we thought that he
would soon be with US aglin; but a.
las vain hope death is 30 rcspecter
of person, and we we're doomed ne.
yer to sec him again
He suddenly got worse and died
on the tenth OF May 1868. We were
terribly shocked, for we thought from
what we heard that he would get
well.
A great many OF the boys SAID then
that our star of destiny would fade.
and our cause would be lost without
Jackson for there was no General
that could execute a flank movement
with so much secrecy and surprise as
jackson, ard such II proved 10 be !;
but the war might have ended the
same as il did, had he lived although
the destiny OF q nation is i'm one man .
hands sUisc times, as Is proven by his,
tory and there is nothing TO contra
dict it, tor the rise and fall Of nations