Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-09-08

our front; but the practice Of the
enemy was poor, and | don't know
of single casualty happening in
the regiment. l saw n she'll strike
a very handsome white horse, said
| to belong to a Massachusetts, colonel;
the miSsive exploded as 1t struck
the beast, and the gallant charger
was blown into fragments. This
was the only damage | saw inflicted
during the remainder of the fight.
Towards noon we were marched
back across the river, over desc
lated piece of ground, perfectly
pestilential with the debris of battle.
From one spot, where the ground
had been recently dug, protruded u
large number of human limbs,
much swollen, but betraying no
further signs of decomposition.
They had been recently deposited
there by the surgeons. After Il
march of two miles, the brigade
bivouacked i'm Il dense pine wood,
where we rested without molCstO-
ton until the next day,
THE CoRoLLARuls or BATTLE.
As soon as the men had cooked
dinner, they pitched tents, cut poles
and crotches for hunks, strewed
these copiously with pine tufts, and
made themselves comfortable, |
had formed Il mess with the nom
commissioned staff, being influenced
with the idea that as the pack
horses were under charge of the
QuartermAster-serge could
have my knapsack carried on one
of these animals, and thus save my
self very unpleasant incumhr0nCe,
Here il was that | became initiated
into the radical and universal thicV-
ing propensities of soldiers. Our
men We're new in the field, but they
fell into this dcreglement as
readily as if they had been to the
manner born. In their wholesale
abandonment of personal effects
and camp and garrison cquipage at
Belle Plaine, One-half of them had
thrown away hnvcrsacks as we'll as
| knapsacks, only retaining their
Canteens, arms and ammunition.
Here they discovered their error.
They had nothing to eat, and when
they drew rutions they had nothing
| to carry them i'm. The Quartcrmas-
ter's establishment was bivouacked
In small cleared space, few rods
away from the regiment, and to
prevent pilfering | had placed the
guards quarters there, putting u
sentinel also over the stores. Among
these | deposited my knupack, haV-
ersack and canteen, charging the
guard to keep his eye on my effects,
aud to communicate these instruC-
tlons to the man who relieved him.
| then walked abroad to rccOnnoitre.
A short distance from our hivouac,
on Il newly cleared road, II number
of field hospitals were erected, where
the surgeons were holding grand
saturnalia among amputated limbs
and mangled bodies. | could not but
admire how large share of comfort
was improvised for the poor mutt
lated sufferers. Commodious hospi-
tai tents were pitched with wide
stretched flies the walls were loop
ed up and the open space planted
with green boughs, This admitted
of the free circulation of mir, and
lent an invigorating freshness to tlR
appearance Of the place. Within
some tents the wounded as they
were brought In from the ambu-
lanccs were tcnderly placed on fresh
Uttered straw; I'm Others blankets
were spread on the grassy turf. As
their turns came they were eNnmin-
ell by the surgeons cases for ampu-
tation were carried to the board,
other wounds were dressed on the
ground. The worst cases after being
dressed were laid on mattresses
spread upon light iron bedstoads,
and the hospital attendants were
unrcmitting In the service of the un-
complaining sufferers. stimulating
drinks and nourishing diet werc
freely administered, aud saw
abundance of sanitary commission
stores, which contributed greatly to
the aid and comfort Of the wounded.
These places had CHASTITY fasciDa-
tiOn for me they seemed fitting
cOrollary TO the bloody business Of
war.