Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-21

crext Of field adjoining the woods on
the right, and hither those Of the staff
not otherwise employed followed the
Ganeral. The position commanded q
view of the rebel lines, and as the
GENERAL sat peering anxiously forward
to be ready to meet any new demon
stration, the whole scene was to me
awfully exciting and impressive. The
shadows Of night gradually descended,
and it seemed to me that ! saw at least
mile Of lightning leaping from rebel
mrskets, while q perfect storm Of rebel
thunderbolts went crashing through
the woods, or came shrieking like
fiends over and among us.
During the fight Lieutenant had,
wish some Of mis- men, been thrown out
as picket to notify us of any attempt
at fanking. While thus engaged he saw
in the dusk acolumn of men, apparent
ly in their shirt sleeves. hurrying up
toward the rebel lines.
"Who goes there!" was his instant
challenge.
"The Twenty-fourth Virginia." was
the immediate response.
"All rightl Pass, Twenty-fourth
Virginia." And they did pass, without
stopping for inquiry or they would
have taken our men with them-as
prisoners.
This shows the nearness of the hos
tile lines and accounts for the great
slaughter in this brief contest. The
battle did not last more than half an
hour, and yet more than one third of
the Fourth Brigade, and also of our
own two regiments, were left dead or
wounded on the field, among them five
captains in one regiment, the Seventy
sixth New York; and the enemy must
have suffered as severely.
Here Ewell, one of their best gen.
erals, lost his leg, and two other gen
eral officers were wounded, and their
own statement admits loss of over
one thousand men.
At last the dread combat was over,
night having come with friendly dark
ness to end the bloody work. Still
firm and undaunted, our thinned ranks
held strongly their position, the en-
emy's fire ceased first, and then loud
and long above the woods rose three
times three OF good Union cheers, the
claim of victory.
And now to look out for our wounded.
The night was SO dark, the whole affair
had been so short and sudden that no
one seemed to know the positions of
the surgeons and their ambulances.
In my search for them / had ride Of
gloom, the memory of which can never
desert me. Details were busy bring
ing the wounded down to the road.
and here, under the trees, lay the suf-
ferers awaiting each his turn to receive
the attention of the two or three sur
geons in this part of the field. Lighted
by torches or bits of candle, these sur
geons were busily engaged in their
melancholy labors. / heard few COM
plants or groans; but as I gazed upon
the poor, patient fellows. my heart
grew sick within me, and the whole at
mosphere seemed full Of anguish.
Hither and thither I rode through
the wood, very carefully lest my horse
should tread upon some prostrate
form, and finding. no signs Of hospi-
tai until i became almost frantic at
my i'll success. At length my shouts
brought response, and ] found
one Of our Surgeons who had
already. in his al hesco hospital
with the light of a single candle, at
tended to over thirty cases. I had
been looking in the wrong direction.
Very soon all the wounded were
cared for, many went with us in the
ambulance, the remainder being left
in chargeof surgeons.
On my return to the General I found
him seated at q little campfire on the
side Of the road, around which also re-
c1ined the division General and the
General Of the Fourth Brigade. Our
pickets had just brought in two prison
ers. an officer and private. who had
strayed by mistage into our lines. The
manners and appearance Of the young
officer pleased me. Hi, dress was the
usual gray uniform, with little decora-
tion, and slouch hat, with dropping
feather, lent . picturesque air to his
prepossessing figure. As he stood in
the glare of the campfire, that hand.
some young rebel, he answered the
questions put to him by one or the
other OF our Generals courteously,
frankly reserving to himself the right
to say nothing which could iniure his
cause. 5r
The separate examination Of the
other prisoner confirmed our BELIEF
that we had fallen in with Jackson's
entire army, and also that the enemy
was completely deceived as to our
numbers, believing that they had been
engaged with Pope's main body. The
cheers Of our men at the close Of the
battle, and the later cheering, sent up
by our Generals direction after the
regiments had left the front in order
to make the enemy believe that we
were welcoming re-enfo nforcements, doubt
less aided considerably to this mistaken
idea. In no other way can / account
for the fact that we were permitted,
with our broken divisions, to withdraw
from the point unmolested. Chicago
Ledger.
Touch ON the shoulder.
During the battle Of Chickamauga
and at . moment when our boys were
falling fast, / felt = touchon my right
shoulder. Turning my head ] saw
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