The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-07-18
browns House.

So much has been written about the
battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse.
Va, May IL. 1864. that its name Is
synonymous OF bloody Golgotha,
that Is. II we can reconcile contradis-
tinct terms into such an expression.
The writer, who participated in this
struggle, was fortunate enough not
long since TO enjoy the company OF n
young man by the name OF Brown.
who hailed from this very section, 20
aptly called the Bloody Angle. In
! fact. this battle was fought on his
grandfather farm. take the thread
OF his narrative, which runs as fol-
lows:
| was n lad about y years old when
this battle was fought; remember
well the Federal troops as they massed
on our farm. and remember distinctly
the roar OF the battle all day long and
way into the night. After the battle
was over / remember Chat was when
Grant was down towards Richmond)
that men came up from Richmond
and searched the field for arms, can
non. etc. They would take IN iron
prod. drive IL into the loose earth,
and II the touch was soft they knew
that the excavation contained human
bodies. III resistance was made. then
they would dig and unearth rides and
Announcements, and in one or two
cases some cannon were recovered.
Frequently the corrses and equipments
" ould be buried together.
After NIL the rifles we thought re-
covered. they took axes and chopped
the lead out of the trees. and took
away wagon loads He said he
remembered that many cartridge
boxes had the laps cut of close and
couldn't understand IL until / told him
that we did that frequently on the
battlefield TO get half-soles for our
shoes. our shoes being OF such poor
material that the pixies soon cut them
out. As soon as we halted for "A day
or two. our cobblers would peg on
rough half-soles TO our shoes; though
rough, they answered for while
! Sometimes you would see three or
\ four thicknesses of these soles. and
as soon they became worn or loose
they were trimmed OIL and another
one took its place.
/ He told me OF the unbearable
stencil that arose from the battlefield.
and how frightened he was all the
/ time on account of the proximity TO
SO many dead men. One evening.
late. he was sent out TO drive up the
cows, who were belaied As he
walked briskly through the woods.
whistling 10 keep his courage up. he
suddenly heard mysterious patter-
ing OF tiny feet lightly treading be-
hind him. As he stopped To listen
the sound OF pursuit ceased. "A ire
auent repetition OF this alarmed
him. and he broke into wild run
down the zizag cattle-tralls. Still the
mysterious pattering followed. moved
as be moved. halted whoa he halted.
then. suddenly. and as the wind in n
mornful requiem OF unusual tones
swept through the trees. be could
stand Il no longer. but took 10 his
heels and struck bce-line for home.
A meandcring rivulet lay across his
way. and with bound he cleared IL
and nlighted in n clump OF bushes on
a soft mass that yielded 10 his impetus,
and In n moment from head TO foot.
he was wallowing In the ghostly re-
mains OF dead Federal soldier. He
shuddcred az he related his dire ex-
perience OF how he rid himself OF the
reeking mass aud turned homeward
nearly dead with fright and with the
horrible etfiuvia; but he had time TO
catch n glimpse OF fox, which had
been following him. aud had oom-
pletely worked on his fears. The
varmlnt was evidently after tho de-
composed carcass. and 10 him who un-