The National tribune., 1888-11-29

Gated at the Military Academy at West
Point and was said TO be a splendid officer.
He turned against the Government the ad-
vantages Of the education be had received
at its expense. He was carried away by the
idea that the right Of the State was para
mount 10 the right Of the Nation, and TINS
Is the end Of States rights for him-killed IN
battle N Pea Ridge.
But II the battlefield was horrible, the
scene at EiShoTn was worse. Dead and
wounded men were lying all about the
house was filed with wounded, and every
few minutes a corpse was brought out 10
make room for q man whom the Surgeons
hoped TO save. Blood was everywhere, and
the sight was a sickening one. All the
medical men were busy as they could be,
and with the hardest work they were not
able to give much attention TO each N
dividBal case.
The next morning the General sent me
to EikhOrn with a message to one OF Tie
Surgeons. Outside of the building was
row of corpses Of officers and men mlneiea
indiscriminately, most Of them having oled
during the night from the effect OF thelr
wounds or after amputation of limbs
Several legs and arms that had been cut OIL
were living on the ground, some Of the legs
of the pantaloons still in place.
The attendants were busy removing the
corpses and carrying them to place OF
burial Each was covered with blanket,
and officers and men were moving among
them, raising the blanket coverings one
after the other, in order TO find some
missing individual. That's Capt. -,
said one of the officers, as he turned down
blanket and revealed q face and the double
barred shoulder-straps that indicated the
rank Of the wearer. That's private -, OF
Co B. OF that's Serg't --, of --- regl-
ment,' were the remarks Of the attendants
as they went steadily on with their work
Here sat a soldier who was crying bitterly,
as he had Just discovered the body OF ms
brother among the dead. The Surgeons and
their aids gave him no attention IN TACT
they were quite regardless Of anything eX-
cept the wounded whom they were trying
to save.
"Details were sent out TO look carefully
over the ground where the battle was fought,
in order 10 bring in the wounded and bury
the dead. The work of humanity was
rapidly performed, and before night all the
dead had been laid TO their rest and al the
wounded, except q few who were not DIS
covered until afterwards were relieved as
ltlT Is possible lie Utst1T ntAeAC tAtSg 10Y
thicklv, were buried in trenches containing
10 and in some cases u or 10 eorpses, but IN
most cases they were buried singly or by two's
and tbree's Most of those who fell at Pea
Ridge found their graves where they lay,
and there they will sleep undisturbed
through ali the rest Of this war that is con-
Tulsing the country and threatening the ex-
istence Of q Nation which WAS founded as
the home Of universal liberty.
From the hospital / carried a message
to Col Bussey, of the Sd Iowa Cav, who had
returned from pursuing the rebels as far as
BentonviBe, and was just then IN that part
Of the field where his regiment made charge
upon the combined white and Indian troops
Of Gen. Pike, and was repulsed with the
loss Of several men. 1t afterwaBd, as have
said eIseR here, rallied and defeated the
rebels, recapturing three guns of battery
which had been temporarily lost.
q The rebels may deny as much as they
please that the Indians scalped their fallen
foes but here was the evidence that they did
It. Eight men of Gen. Busseyis cavalry
were killed IN the charge, and the Indians
occupied the ground Immediately and took
of the scalps of those eight men and other
wise mutilated their bodies. Some Of the
bodies indicated that the men were only
wounded and not dead when the Indians
came into possession of them by the repulse
Of the cavalry, but the scouDdrels quickly
dispatched them with the tOmahawk. Marks
of the tOmahawk, or some weapon Ike It
were plainly visible on several bodies, and
the Surgeons who examined the gHnshot
wounds on some Of the bodies declared that
they were not sufficient to cause death.
"Col. BuSsey and several Of his officers
and men have made cath to the evidences OF
the use Of the tOmahawk and scalping-knife
by the Indian allies of the rebels, and the
documents Will be placed on record. 1t is
probable that more than this number were
scalped. rs several bodies were buried before
an investigation was thought OF, but about
these eight there can be no mistake. We
hope the rebels are proud of these murderous
saVsges, who may yet turn upon them il
their frenzy when least expected to do so
A few Of the Indians were captured, and il
ous men had not been restrained by their
officers they would have hanged or shot
the Esscals. Gen. Curtis has allowed all tht
rebel Surgeons to come and 60 freely under
parole, with the exception Of the Surgeon o.
an Indian regiment him the General i.
keeping close prisoner, and VIII send under
guard to S.. Louis"