Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-09-26

Vl s q 1872 Pr -;
@1M +-==z
Hsszzz-, ...u,.,.y -
| Al RIDE OVER THE BAT1LE-FIELr
tempting to rise from the ground. His
head was half lifted, his neck proudly
arched, every muscle seemed re-
ple,e with animal life. The wound
which killed him was wholly concealed
from view, so that I had to ride close
up before 1 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. l wished for some sculptor
! to immortalize in stone this magnif-
cent animal in the exact pose Of his
death-hour: one would like to see
something from battlefield not
wholly terrible.
Over this grave yard 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 it's walls,
while bullets by thousands have
SCARED and battered it. A little crowd
of soldiers were standing about it, and
within few severely wounded rebels
We're 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 filling it with tears.
L had, however, seen many 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, saw q
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 a trench with the rest, with no
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 their
ranks with destruction and compelling
their retreat [ was astonished to see
how cunningly nature had laid up this
long series OF lodges of rocks, breast
high for the protection of the rebel
line. In front of this breast-work we
found 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 to
which the rebel Generals put all their
spare moments of time, aud of their
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
narrow country lane, followed out
somewhat between the fields, par
TALLY shaded, and now literally
crowded with rebel corpses Here
they stood in line of battle, and here.
in the length OF five hundred feet, 1
counted more than two hundred of
their dead. In every attitude conceiv-
able-some piled in groups of five or
six; some graspiag their muskets as if
in the act of discharging them; some,
evidently officers, killed while encour-
aging their men; some lying in the
position ofcalm repose. all black and
swollen, CHASTITY with wounds, this
battalion of the dead filled the lane
with horrors.
AS we rode beside tive could not
ride in it saw the field all about me
black "lth corpses, and I was told that
the corntield beyond was equally
crowded. 1t was place to see once.
10 glance at, and then to ride hurriedlv
~J, Az, ooioASo Alcnltcu rs WAS CleO
my mood, l had gazed upon as much
horror as was able to bear
AS we rode back, l noticed, close by
the lane, several trenches already COW
cred in, one with strip of wood at its
head marked with the inscription
Colonel Garland and eighty dead
rebels. Details of our soldiers from
the various regiments were collecting
their comrades, bringing in the bodies
on fence rails. identifying them, and
laying each in his own separate grave.
with head-piece inscribed with his
name and regiment.
OF course, l cannot personally speak
tive numbers Of the dead on each side
but from my own observations and the
opinions of old, experienced officers
our late foes seemed to outnumber our