Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-02-01
SCENES AT ASTIETAM.
Horrors OF the Battlefield Described Years
After the Struggle.

After the Struggle.
On the day after the battle of Ante
tam, says a writer in the LesIsvon Jour
nal, passed over the field. 1 well re-
membered that while passing through q
corn patch near stone wall 1 noticed
young man of perhaps SO years who did
not die suddenly. There was evidence of
a struggle, and the fragments Of letters
lying around showed that he had secret
ne wished to die with him. But the
broken pieces of ar old fashioned
dsgueIrotype lying by his side gave me
curiosity TO learn his name. tore open
the old frsme that held the picture he de-
stroye6, and found written on the pink
paper inside the name of Young lady
living at Warreuton. South Csrolina.
Only her nsme and address were written
In a feminine hand. | took the paper
ont and placed it in my pocketbook, and
the soldier was buritd near by where he
'ay. The next day l wrote the young
lady, enclosing the sli of paper and de
scrlolng the body. The lady replied in
due season, giving the sad information of
her betrothal To the young man. 1t was
her phOtogrsF he had destroyed.
l saw q rsbel soldier who sat by a rail
fence, with his gun poinCing as though in
the act of firing OF the Yankees. On ex-
animation it was found that a bullet had
passed through his head, aud his sitting
position showed that he hsd been shot
dead while III the act OF firing. With q
touch of my foot his lifeless body fell
over. / found his gun loaded and cooked
ready 10 fire.
Noticed in brick meeting house be
tween the two lines of battle a rebel
soldier lying on his back on the floor of
The church wounded, with bullet III his
right hip, passing through the spine
He was entirely helpless The writer
kEelt beside him and poured water from
his cRnteen on the wound. Drawback
was about IS years old-a fine looking
young man. l asked him where he be
'onged-to what regiment. He said his
father was clergy man in South Caro-
lima, and he was member of Company
E, Sjh South Carolina regiment of infan-
try. He said he had one brother in the
same con- pany who was killed in the bat
tie of Slaug liter Mountain, August 9, 1868
In an orchard enclosed by stone wall
found the body of Lieut.. Harlow P.
Brown, Company l, 9TH Maine regiment,
son of the late Deacon David Brown of
Bethel. HarlOwe was a graduate OF Bow
uOiu sOlS kS III IoOt- enlisted dS llGuESn-
ant IL Com pRny |, 9TH Maine, IN the win
ter of 1860. No drawer boy went to war.
He feil in an orchard. Under an apple
tree by his side the writer counted seven
Others of his company lying within few
feet of him cold in death. Capt. Robin
son of the Fourth Maine, battery, being
| present. ordered the writer, assisted by
Charles B. Patterson of Augusta. to bury
Harlow under the apple tree on the spot
where he fell. A cavalry jacket was
thrown over his face and about two feet
of Maryland soil was his shroud. Two
weeks later his father and Rev. Mr.
Wheel wright, pastor of the Congreg CATION
al church in Bethel, visited the spot and
removed his remains to his home in
Bethel.
The writer was g member of the 4th
Maine Battery, light artillery, and was in
position on hill overlooking the battle
field, guarding the Autietam bridge,
which was taken few hours before by
| the 9th corpse, commanded by Gen. But
Ter. Daring the day of the battle | Wis
tied the field hospital, where the wounded
were being brought in thick and fast and
laid on long table some 100 feet long.
Surgeons were standing, smoking cigars,
as if in ballroom, with saw by their
side and in their hands a bloody kuife.
To the right and left were piles OF arms
and legs. The scene was anything but a
pleasant one.