The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-08-14
WARS BLooDsPoT.

Should You ask a veteran of the war.
officer or private, TO point out the
bloodspot of the war, the field on which
the carnage was the greatest IN given
time, no two would perhaps agree.
Almost every battle of the war would
be named. and not one in a hundred
answers would locate the spot.
1t was at Spottsylvania, on the
second day of the fight. On the after
noon OF the first, as the Second and
Fifth Corps moved up against the
earthworks browning Laurel Hill, they
were driven back after fight lasting
not over forty minutes, with a loss Of
almost six thousand killed and wound
ed. The dead were ten to every
wounded man. There was no heavy
fighting next day. Grant was inspect
ing Lees lines for a weak spot He
found it at the point known to every
soldier on both sides and to history as
"the Horseshoe" In forming his bat
tie line Lee had left this to stand. Iu-
deed, his troops had formed 1t as they
came on the field At this one spot
his field-works projected out from the
main line like tongue of land into q
bay. A whole Federal corps might
have been rushed against it in day
light to its destruction, but Grant
moved Hancock's troops by night and
stationed them for dash in the gray
of morning. They rested on the fields
of the Brown farm and the farmers
house was Hancock's headquarters.
From Hancock's lines to the Horseshoe
was less than half mile, with the route
INSTRUCTED by thickets and a second
growth forest.
just before daybreak of that early
summers morning, with a mist rising
from the fields and thickets. and while
the birds were fainty chirpius In the
trees as they noted the coming of
dawn, Hancock's men moved forward.
The Confederate pickets were only
pistol-shot away. As they challenged
the lines got the word to double-guick
and the pickets were carried along
with the rush. With cheers and yells,
which were heard two miles away. the
Federals struck the feldworks-dashed
over them-were upon the Confed-
crates before even q single company
had rallied. Some of the defenders
were preparing an early breakfast
some yet slept. More than 5000 prison.
ers were captured in twenty minutes
and Lees right center was pierced.
Then came delay and confusion, and
the golden moment was lost. He
formed new line in the rear of the
Horteshoe, and the Federals reached 1t
to be driven back to the ground they
had captured.
Now it was Lees turn. He did here
what he did at Gettysburg attempted
the impossible. Five times within ten
hours did he hurl great masses of
troops at Hancock's front. but each
time they were repulsed with dreadful
slaughter. Every charge was made
with a momentum which carried the
COnfederates clear up to the field
works. and they were shot and bayonet-
ed or taken prisoner. After the third
charge the dead almost blocked the
almost drowned the roar of musketry.
There was not a tree nor bush nor
twig nor blade of grass which was not
cut by the flying missiles. The earth
was ridged and plowed and furrowed
as if some mighty drag had passed and
repassed. The very air seemed to
blaze and burn. After 1 o'clock 1t
rained heavily. and wounded men
dragged themselves about aud drank
out of the pools and hollows. Those
who could not crawl lay with open
mouth to cool their parched tongues by
catching few drops. In front of a
part of Birney's Division was a sink
hole. Into this rain and blood collected
until it was full of red water, and
around this were hundred wounded
men, drinking and moaning.
Not when the sun went down-not
when the night came-but only at mid
night did Lee cease hurting his gray
masses at Hancock's front. Then the
living could no longer charge over the
dead and wounded. And when the !
morning came again and men looked |
out on those acres of field and bush |
they saw what was seen nowhere else
during the long and bloody war-the
earth hidden from sight-the soil so
glutted with blood that when the burial
parties cleared it of its awful burden
it had tnrned red!