Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-23
WARS BLOOD spor
The Carnage Was thu ,..
spottsylvania.

Should you ask veteran o..
officer or private, to po,at ON, VI tho ,as :, w
spot OF the war, the ito 4 on w. she n'oa
carnage was greatest ia given u t;'n
two would perhaps agree, AN AIu,e ulne
battle of the war would bc na' eve
not one in hundred anos "a'hed, ~
locate the spot. '"e1s Won
1t was at spottsylvnnia, on the Co.,.
day OF the fight. On tho af tne seco1
the hr't, as the Second aud Fiyth h'"h
moved up against tho oa..l Nor
erowning Laurel Hill, thoy we a'.n "
back after a fight lasting not o o,o ally'
minutes, with loss Of a liver lori
thousand killed and wounded 'S' $
dead were ten to every wounded
There was no heavy fighting new. 'i,a
Grant was inspecting Lees l;nos oa
weak spot. He found it at tbs '''
known to every soldier on both sid, POI
to history as "the Horseshoe. IN = AZ
ing his battle line Lee had loft tb ,%'
stand. Indeed, his troops had tnrm nN
as they came on the field. At this ="
spot his tield-wosks projected on ,'' g
the main line like Il tongue of lana
bay. A whole Federal Corns " ~! ~
have been rushed against it in d0 NY
to its destruction. but Grant mns
Hancock's troops by night and sta,ioay
them for dash in the gray of morr;nl
They rested on the fields Of the pr"
farm and the farmers house was ly'
cocks headquarters. From IIanco.1
lines to the Horseshoe was less than \
q mile, with the roulc obstruc,ea
,hickets and second growth forcs,
Just before oayLrcak of that a.,
summers morning, with mist ris,,I
from the fields and thickcts, and wt1
the birds were faintly chipping in h
trees as they noted the coming Of daw]
Hancock's men moved forward ri
Confederate pickets were only pis,J
shot away. AS they CHALLENGED N
lines got the word TO double-ouick d
the pickets were carried along with h
rush. With cheers and yclls, Will
were heard two miles awav, the FEEDER
struck the field works dashed o1
them-were upon the Confederates \
fore even a single company had ralli1
Some of the defenders wore preparil
an early breakiast-some yet sle1
More than 5000 prisoners were captut|
in twenty minutes and Lees right cal
tire was pierced.
Then came delay and confusion Al
the golden moment was lost. He fo,ml
new line in rear of the Horseshoe Al
the Federals reached it to be driyepbs|
to the ground they had captured.
Now it was Lees turn. He did nd
what he did at Gcttysbxrg-attemp,|
the impossible. Five times within \
hours did he hurl great masses of troo
at Hancock's 'front.' but each time It'd
were rcpulsed with dreadful slauyht,
Every charge was mado with mond
tum which carried the Confcderates cid
up to the field works, and there I'd
were shot and bayoneted or taken prI
oner. After the third charge the ds
almost blocked the way, while the cri
of the wounded almost drowned the I'd
of musketry. There was not tree \
bush nor twig nor blade of grass viii
was not cut by the flying missiles. u
earth was ridged and ploughed and IL
rowed as if some mighty drag had pass
and repassed. The very air seemed
blaze and burn. After o'clock it rail \
heavily, and wounded men dagg 4
themselves about and drank out Of |
pools and hollows. These who cod
not crawl lay with open mouths to Cd
their parched tongues by catching q Il
drops. In front of pmt of Brine!
division was a sink hole. Into this RI
and blood collected until it was full
red water, and around this were
hundred wounded men, drinking a
moaning.
Not when the sun went down Q
when the nj ght ca,ne--bnt only at nj
night did Lee cease hurting his q
m uses ut Hancock front. Then
| living could no longer charge over
dead and wounded. Aud when
morning came again and men looked
on those acres of field and bush, tn
saw what was seen nowhere else dur.
the long and bloody war-the cal
hidden from sight-the son so gutt
with blood that whom the burial part
cleared it of its awful burden it
burned red = New York World.