The National tribune., 1888-11-29
BURIAL DETAILS.
With al The norrors of Bloody War.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: j. S. Patton,
Hutchinson, Kan, says he would like to see a
communication from some comTade who served
on a burial detail, giving the manner of pro-
cedure, the position of the bodies, the clothing
used on the dead bodies, with impressions, ex-
perienees and incidents.
Answering, ! have to say that at the close of
the battle of Seven Pines and Fair Oaks, May
81 June 1 and 2, 1862, the writer assisted in
the burial of the dead There had been adj
vances and retreats for three days, so that
the dead rebels and Yanks were lying together
all over the field. The weather was extremely
hot and the bodies were decomposed beyond
recognition. There were also a great many
horses killed, so that the stencil was terrible.
The bodies we buried were of those killed the
first day, principally from Casey's Division.
The greater part of our mems clothing, and in
some cases ESPECIALLY of ofiCers) the entire
clothing, had been removed. In searching for
bodies we found under a Sibley tent Il think
they were called by that name-they were a
round tent with center pole) II dead rebels,
that were wounded and had crawled under
there and died.
The 81st n. Y. were camped on this same
ground when the battle commenced, and this
was one of their tents. Near this tent was q
well about six feet Deep with an incline dug
to it to walk down to the water. In this lay a
dead rebel with his head under the water. He
had been wounded aud had crawled down to
get drink and could not get back On that
portion of the field there were many more of
the rebels than our men; on other portions
more Of ours than theirs. We found but one
man who was yet alive young rebel about
20 years old, who was wounded in the breast,
had erawled into some underbrush, and had
been left by the rebels while carrying off their
wounded. He was delirious, and would call
piteousiy the name of some girl, which we con-
cluded was his sweetheart, as we found on his
body an ambrotype OF a beautiful girl. We
gave him better burial than the others, be-
cause we could handle the body. We also
found his name, company and regiment, which
| have forgotten. We dug his grave laid him
carefully in, put his coat over his face and
covered him. got a piece of cracker-box for a
head board, and wrote his name company and
regiment as best we could with lead-pencil.
This was pathetic incident. 1t was in the
earl part of the war, and our hearts were still
tender. The other bodies we buried in this
manner: We would dig hole close to the body
about Is inches deep, tip the remains with our
shovels into the grave as quickly as possible
and cover it. We used pieces of bareback
boxes for headboards; but the most of our men
were buried in unknown graves, as it was i'm
possible to get their names. as everything that
would give any clew TO their identity had been
taken by the enemy. The most OF the bodies
were in such state of decomposition that they
were swollen to double their size. There was
no other alternative at that time but to bury
them in the manner stated If this should
strike the eye of any of those three men who
helped me bury that young rebel, please let
mo hear from them.-R. B. MCCULLY, Co. 3,
SIst n Y Fulton n Y