The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-07-18
WAR MEMORIES.
THE BAfsLE cv rHs WILDERNESS.
-
ny PRANK wrtKgsoy.

Ou tnc uiHht vi way ', isbt, slept unncr CaihsOu
that stood In park close TO the Charlottesville
House, In virginia I was awakened by a buglc
rail- to md the battery belonged to almost ready TO
march. hurriedy toasted a bit Of pork and ate II,
md quickly chewed down q couple Of hard tacks
and drank deeply from my cantcen, and was ready
TO march when the battery moved. IL was de-
ightful morning Almost all the infantry which
had been camped around us the previous evening
had disappeared. We struck Into the road, passed
tho Charlottesville House, turned to the right,
aud marched up broad turnpike toward the
Wilderness forest. After marching on this road for
slioft distance We turned TO the left an old dirt
road, which led obqucly Into the woods, The
picket nrng had Increased In volume since the pre-.
yious evening, and there was no longer any boubt
, mat we we were TO light ~ the Wilderness. The
ing In volume About 10 O'Clock In the morning the
soft, spring air rcsoundcd with fierce yell, the
sound Of which was Instantly drowned by roar Of
mad opened. The battery rolled heavily up tho road
Into the woods for short distance, when We wcrc
met by stan oiiicer, who ordered ns out, saying:
1.-THE battle has opened IN dense timber. Artillery
side OF the woods"
into park. Battery after battery Joined us, some
coming out of the woods and others M the road from
the Chancellorsvllle House, until some hundred
guns or more were parked In the field. wo were
then tho reserve artillery.
Ambuances ana wagons loaded with medical
supplies Rallopcd on to the field, and hospital was
established behind our guns Soon men, slpeiy and
In pairs or In groups OF four and i've, came mpipg
slowly or Walking brlskly, with arms across their
out Of the woods. Some carried their rifles. Others
Ind thrown them away: Az q them were bloody.
camp and asked with bloodcss lips; 10 DO directed
to hospital. Powder smoke hung high abotc the
trees In thin clouds. The noise in the woods was
above II sounded tho Inspiring charging cheers and
wells OF the now thoroughly excited conbatants Al
we c" near tie q
United States Artillery was In action. ny II o'clock
the wounded men were coming out Of the woods In
men from the battle line OF the Fifth Corps roored
through our park supporting more severely wounded
comrsdes. the battle, these men said. di not IN
cline In our favor. They insisted that the Coufed-
crates were in force, and that they having the adj
advantage OF position and knowledge Of the region,
had massed their soldiers for the attack and ont.
numbered us Mt the points OF conflict. They de-
scrbed the Confederate fire az wonderfully accurate.
One man who had CHASTITY flesh wound across his
forehead saii "The J0hnnies are shooting to Kill
this time. Few OF their balls strike the trees higher
than ten feet from the ground. Small trees arc
already falling, having been cut down 10y rne balls.
There is hardly a Union battery in acio" he added
after an lnstant's pause.
BY noon was quite wild with curiosity, and CON
hdent that the artillery would remain In park, de-
cded to go TO the battle line and see what was going
on. neglected to ask my captain for permission to
grant my request, and did not want to tiisobey
orders by going after he had refused me- I walked
out OF camp and up the road The wounded men
men faint from loss OF blood sitting In the shade
ny trees. Other men were lying down. All were
sa e Asf walked saw dead man Ry iyna
under a tree which stood by the roadside. lie had
been shot through the chest and had struggled to
the rear; then, becoming exhausted or chOked with
blood, he had lain down on carpet OF leaves
an, died. His pockets were turned inside out. A
little further on met = sentinel standing by the
roadside. Other sentinels paced TO and fro In the
woods on each side OF the road, OF stood leaning
against trees, looking IN the direction OF the battle
.lrI luEa In
stopped to talk TO the guard posted on the road. He
eyed me inqniringly, and answered my question as
aiers back to the fron Then he added IN an s *
"No enlisted man can go past me to the rear un-
lie turned to private who was Fastening down
the .., roaH b and cried;
The soldier who was going to the rear paid no at
tention 20 the command. Instantly the Bentinei's
rifle was cooked and II rose to his shoulder. He
cOOly covered the soldier and sternly demanded that
he show blood. The man had none to show. The
c0wardly soldier was ordered to return to his reg
sdd e ne vno aSn
halted. These guards seemed to be posted In the
rear Of the battle lines for the express purpose Of In
struck me as quaint idea to picket the rear of an
army which was nghtlng desperate battle.
ery mana and tbat e wante io see e a
"Can 60 past you 2" inquired.
"Yes." he replied, lyon can go np But you had
mark or badge on your dress TO Indicate the arm
you belong IT, yo 20 up you may not Dc allowed Sl
shoulders Inadvertently, "you may get Killed. But
SO went on. There was very heavy nrng to the
left OF the road In chapparel Of brush and scrubby
pines and oaks. There the musketry was q steady
roar, aud tho cheers and yells Of the fighters inces
toward the battle grounds and met many wounded
men who were coming out. They were bound for
the rear ami The hospitals. Then came on n body
ulua la l.ueet
suppose heard the hum Of bullets IN they passed
over the low trees Then noticed the small limbs
OF me. Il was though an army Of squirrels were at
work cutting OFT nut and pine cone laden branches
preparatory to laying In their winters store OF food
Then, partially Obscuredb by cloud Of powder smoke.
! saw u struggling line Of men clad In blue. They
were not standing as II on parade. hut they were
they were firing rapidly. Their line officers were
standing behind them or In line with them. The
smoke drified to and fro AMI there were many riffs
In 1t. saw scores OF wounded men. ] saw many
dead soldiers lying on the ground, and saw men
constantly falling on the battle line. | could not
expressly TO see battle, pushed on, picking my
way from protective tree to protective tree, until
was about forty yards from the battle line The up
roar was deafening. The bullets few through the
air thickly. Now our line would move forward a
! few yar,is, now fall back. stood behind large
oak tree and pecpcd around lis trunk. heard hui.
let's "spat" Into this tree, and suddenly realized
that was In danger. Ny heart thumped Wildly fol
minute Then my throat and mouth felt dry and
in his forehead Just above his lett eye. out OF this
wound bits Of brains OOzed and slid on bloody trail
/ leaned over the body to feel OF 1t. II was still
warm. He could not have been dead for over five
minutes. As stopped over the dead man bullet,
swept past me. and became angry nj the danger
had fooishly gotten into. ! unbucked the dead
mans cartridge belt AMI strapped 1t around me, and
then picked up his ride. remember standing be
hind the large oak tree and dropping the ranlrot
Into the ride to see u u was loaded It was not. sc
loaded II, and before fairly understood what had
run m hiatt a in
which had surged back on the crest OF q battle bill
low, bareheaded, and greatly excited, and blazing
line Of men clad IN gray and slouch,nstied: AS
cooled OF In the heat OF the battle Dire found thai
e was az Ms F Inn sI m OF on ~.
| to the men on either side Of me, and they stared al
me, q stranger. and briefly said that the regiment
forgotten, was near the left OF the Fifth Corps, ant
that they had been lighting pretty steadily since
" S NJ ,e1 aa w
little The nre was rather hot and the men were
falling pretty fast. SIN. II was not anywhere neal
grand. inspiring spectacle II was highly uusltlsfac
tory, owing TO the powder smoke 0bscurlng the
lint AZ maa W. nc cSnn no, zee e
just az though they were In full view. We gained
ground at Ines. and then dead Confederates lay on
| behind u.s. Then we would fall hack, fighting stub
6ornly; but steadily giving ground, until the dead
between and O'Clock the Ore In our front slack,
ened. We did not advance. Indeed, / saw nc
general oficer ON the battle line to take advantage
VI any opportunity that the battles tide might ex.
pose TO q man Of military talent had seen some
general officers near the reserves, but none on the
that the nature OF the ground forbade It's use. Our
line was fed with fresh troops and greatly strength
enei Boxes OF cartridges were carried to us, and
we helped ourselves. We were standing behind
| trees or lying on the ground, and occasionally
shooting at the Confederate line, or where their line
should have been. some OF the old soldiers nut
tered about things In general, aud Internal rebe
lodges In particular, and darkly hlnted that the
sudden sackening OF the nre In our front BODIED nc
good TO U.s. Soon storm OF yells followed Instantly
by roar Of muskery, rolled to US from the left, and
not distant. Almost Instantly II was answered by
cheer and v0lley OF musketry. We Bprang TO OuI
| feet and were In line, but there was nothing In
strength ahead OF US. TO the left the noise increased
| In volume. The musketry was thunderous SOOI
| afrlghted men rushed through tho woods to, our
rear not In and tw0s but In dozens and scores
and as they swept past us they cried loudly:
ave are nanked! Hills corps has got around oul
| left"
Onlcers gave commands which did not under
stand, but did as my comrades did, aud we were
speedily faced AT right angles 10 our original posi-
| tl0n, which was held by heavy skirmlsh line
Many OF the men who were running from the battle
field dropped into our line, and remained with III
until nightfall. saw men from dozen different
| regiments standing In our line. We were dIeadfullJ
nervous and felt around blindly for q few minutes
| not knowing what TO do. Then we were reassuret
| hv xnla inl N.