The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-08-07
Bill APPS "reminiscences of the First
Battle of the War,

Battle of the War.
Atlanta Constitution.
Twenty five years! A quarter of
century has passed since the first bat
| tie of Manassas. What an awful
scene it was, that first battle. At
home it was awful when one man was
suddenly killed. 1t startled whole
community, and the news of it was
carried from neighbor to neighbor
until it was the talk of the county,
Here were men, young men, healthy
and strong and brave, shot down by
the score. Many were dead and
many were dying, and they were all
around me, The pine thicket and
the open field close by, where the
Eighth Georgia and Fourth Alabama
fought side by side. was specked
with them. That pine grove and
field was shock to me, for my
friends were there and some of my
kindred. The dead seemed asleep
with theii arms near by. The woun-
ded asked for water. Their suryiv-
ing comrades had left them to pursue
an enemy that was still fighting,
though retreating. We hurried to
the branch for water. We rode to
the rear for help for ambuances. We
foond the wounded all along the
route and the news was that Barlow
and Bee were killed and Col. Gard
ner was wounded, and prisoner.
Shout after shout was heard as the
front advanced and the enemy re-
treated. Everywhere there Was wild
hurrying to and fro. Ambulances
went on the run to the battlefield.
Couriers with orders flew in hot
haste over hill and plain. Generals
with their staff galloped from hill to
hill to overlook the movements of
their troops who were surging and
swaying at double quick and yelling
like wild C0manches as they drove
back the enemy and broke their col
umns. The air was filled with smoke.
The mimic balls ratified through the
pines or spent their force against the
fences or upon the ground. The can
nOnading was incessant and was con-
tinued long after the enemy was out
of reach. The terrible sound of it
lent wings to their fight and they
left everything behind them.
Night shut down upon the scene
and brought rest-rest to the weary,
but not to the wounded. All night
long we watched and waited, and
nursed and comforted them as best
we could. The surgeons knife was
busy, and as one Door fellow was at
tended to and moved ash de the doc.
tor wiped the perspiration from his
brow and hurredly said, Next"
There was not a groan nor a moan as
arms and legs were hastily amputa-
ted. / don't believe the boys had
much feeling then. The excitement
and the victory had wrought them
up to pitch that SIN othered feeling.
They talked and laughed and cried as
the surgeons dressed their wounds.
saw DR.. Miller cut ball from Jet
Towards hip that had come nearly
through from the other side, and Jet
stood up to haye it done, and as the
ball dropped into the doctors hand
he seized it and said. II wouldn't
take thousand dollars for this" 1t
was Sunday. What a day for such
deeds of carnage. The next day was
devoted to the dead. Our own dead
were buried in spots selected by their
friends and some rude headboard
marked the name. The Federals
were lined 10 trenches with head to
feet in nameless graves. They were
thick in some places, so thick that
one could step from corpse to corpse.
1t was the third day before some of
them were buried, and they had
swollen and looked fat and bIOat.
ed, and some of their clothing
had bursted with swelling flesh.
There was company of Zouaves in
Turkish costume, who looked like a
race of giants sleeping there. Dead
horses strewed the ground, and they
were swollen too and their legs stood
out without touching the ground. and
the buzzards sat upon their heads and
Toasted upon their eyebalIs rs the
sweetest morsel to begin with. ArtiI.
lery horses fell dead upon each other
and were cross and piles and the har-
ness had to be cut away.
The soldiers are having reunions
now, and am glad to see they are
becoming 30 universal at the South.
1t is sad to see how few of a company
have survived the perils of the war
and the snrer perils of death since the
war. One by one they go. But let
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