The National tribune., 1884-12-18
CHANCELLORSVILLE.
Survey of the Field Upon Which the Battle Was
Fought.

To THE EDITOR: have been intensely
interested in the account of the battle of Chan.
cellorsviile by Carleton %; the more So as ]
understand well the lay of the land, having
just year afterward done picket and scouting
duty for week on the battlefield. Yet have
greatly desired to see plan, not only of this,
but every battle, described, with the principal
points of interest clearly shown it would add
so much to the readers interest.
HOW FEW UNDERSTAND
that the breastworks behind which were
massed that terrible line of artillery and
where Berry's veterans stood, were almost
close up to Hooker's headquarters at the Chan
cellOr House; yet such was fact.
How often since the war have l desired,
when reading accounts of battles, the opportu-
nifty of again riding over the field; and my
great regret now is that / did not study mat
ters when had the chance. 1t is fact, that
scarcely two old soldiers can be found who
agree in their story of the same thing even to
as simple fact as east and west.
This battle, like many others in Virginia,
was fought on high ground, where water flows,
1t may be said, in all directions and as person
goes west to Wilderness Tavern, it may be said
rain that falls to the right of the road runs into
the Rappahannock, while on the left it runs
into the Nye. In front of these strong breast
works, and, if my memory serves me, not over
ming at the road, so slight then as to be scarcely
noticeable, gradually deepening as it goes east
ward and not over so yards beyond we come to
THE DENSE WOODS
where SO many brave men lost their lives that
evening of May 2; this, if my recollection be
correct, brings the edge of the woods and breast
works only 300 yards spart and almost doubt
II 1T be even that. Up to the very edge of this
thick woods the Confederates crept in the dusk
before being clearly seen, and here they formed
their battle-line; but few ever lived to get far
up the gentle slope beyond the little ravine
being literally swept away by the awful grape
and canister. These were buried afterward in
the corner of the woods, and there was at
least an acre of ground covered with skeletons,
when We were there year later, of the
COMMON TRASH,
the officers being taken farther back in the
woods and buried in shallow graves and many
grave had the name and rank rudely carved
on rough board, ending with "killed charg-
ing Yankee intrenchments May 2 (or 81,
1858" But the common herd had no such
care or trouble taken with them; no grave
was dug whatever, but they were laid about q
dozen together as closely as possible, and then
leaves and loose dirt was thrown over them to
the depth Of two or three inches, the dirt and
leaves being taken from paths all around them
as they lay, exactly as beds are made in garden;
and when, year after we came there, there were
hundreds on hundreds of skeletons plainly
visible, the little dirt and loose leaves having
been washed away or fallen into the bones; the
forms of nearly all could be seen almost as
plainly as If never covered, the ribs generally
standing up, the flesh gone and the light cover
ing inside the cavity. Let me remark that the
CONFEDERATE DEAD
killed in the attack on Fort Sanders at Knox
Vile were buried in axactly the same way, and
the first thing the boys at the fort had to do when
Longstreet left, six days after, was to send de-
tall to cover these bodies deeper, for health's
sake as well as humanitys sake. There are thou
sands of our boys who can testify to the truth
of this One day riding along one of the paths
between these clumps Of dead ran my saber
into shoe and drew 1t up and there were
all the bones of tho foot therein. Giving
the shoe shake the bones few in every direc-
tion. DO you wonder that the thought came to
me, "who may do so with my foot q year
hence?"
THE FIRING OF MUsKETRY
must have been terrific In this battle and It
was wonder to all of US how any one came
out unwounded when we looked at the marks
of the balls. Why, in the thickets northeast of
Chancellor House bushes no longer than your
finger bore from one to q dozen bullet marks
Then, the woods over the Confederate grave
yard We're literally torn to pieces and the road
side for miles out toward Wilderness Tavern
plentifully sprinkled by shell and solid shot
B. HANNAFoRD, Co. ID, I'd Ohio Cav, Gin
oinnsti, o.