Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-09-04

S'p
ARIDE OVER THE BATTnE-FIELD.
tempting to rise from the ground. His
head was half lifted, his neck proudly
arched, every muscle seemed re-
plete with animal life. The wound
which killed him was wholly concealed
from view, so that I had to ride close
mp before I could believe him dead.
Hundreds of his kind lay upon the
field, but all were repulsive save him
self, and he was the admired of every
passer-by. / wished for some sculptor
to immortalize in stone this msgnif-
cent animal in the exact pose of his
death-hour; one would like to see
something from battlefield not
wholly terrible. .
Over this graveyard Of the unburied
dead We reached wood, every tree
pierced with shot or cut with bullets,
and came to the little brick church on
the turnpike. This must have been q
focal point in the battle, for hundred
round shot have pierced its walls,
while bullets by thousands have
SCARED and battered it. A little crowd
of soldiers were standing about it, and
within q few severely wounded rebels
were stretched on the benches, one OF
whom was raving in his agony. Sur
gical aid and proper attendance had
been already furnished, and we did not
join the visitors inside. Out in the
grove behind the little church the
dead had already been collected in
groups ready for burial, some of them
wearing our own uniform, but the ma
jority dressed in gray. No matter in
what direction we turned, it was all
the same shocking picture, awakening
awe rather than pity, benumbing the
senses rather than touching the heart,
glazing the eye with horror rather
than filing it with tears.
had, however, seen many o poor
fellow during my ride, something in
whose position or appearance had
caused me to pause, and here, lying
side by side with three others, l saw a
young rebel officer, his face less dis
colored than the rest, whose features
and expression called forth my earnest
sympathy, not so much for him as for
those who in his Southern home shall
see him no more forever.
No one among the burying party
knew his name, and before night he
was in trench with the rest, with nc
headstone to mark his tomb, one of the
three thousand rebel dead who fill
nameless graves upon this battlefield.
Very slowly, as men move through
the burial places Of the dead, we rode
through these woods back of the church
and reached the rocky citadel, behind
which crouched the enemy to receive
our charging battalions, sweeping theil
ranks with destruction and compelling
their retreat. Twas astonished to see
how cunningly nature had laid up this
l,long series of lodges of rocks, breast.
high for the protection of the rebel
line. In front Of this breast-work we
found o majority Of the dead dressed
in blue. At this point also commenced
the long barricade Of fence-rails piled
SO closely to protect the rebel lines,
and stretching off toward the north.
Here is more evidence of the use te
which the rebel Generals put all theil
spare moments Of time, and of theil
admirable choice Of position,
One more scene in this battle-pic
ture must be witnessed, and with {
glance at this our ride may end. 1t is
o narrow country lane, followed out
somewhat between the fields, par
TALLY shaded, and now literally
crowded with rebel corpses. Herr
they stood in line Of battle, and here
in the length Of FIVE hundred feet,
counted more than two hundred o
their dead. In every attitude conceiv
able some piled in groups OF five o
six; some grasping their muskets as /
in the act Of discharging them; some
evidently officers, killed while encour
aging their men; some lying in tn,
position OF calm repose, all black ant
swollen, ghastly with wounds, thi
battalion Of the dead filed the lam
with horrors. III
/. As we rode beside tive could no
ride in il II saw the field all about M
black with corpses, and ] was told tina
the cornfeld beyond was equal.
crowded. 1t was q place to see once
to glance at, and then to ride hurriedl,
away, for, strong hearted as was thel
my mood, / had gazed upon as mucl
horror as ! was able to bear.
Aswe rode back, Il noticed, close by
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