The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-07-02
BROWNS HOUSE.
Finding Arms, Lead in Trees, and Dead B,

Finding Arms, Lead in Trees, and Dead Bodies.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBuSE: l send you
an account OF the condition Of affairs at or near
SpOttsylyania Courthouse Just after the battle
given By ono who was but II years old at the
time. The battle was fought on the young
mans grandistheT's farm. 1t may be interest
ing 10 the boys.
So much has been written about the battle
Of SpottsyivaHia Courthouse, Va, May II, 1864
that its name is synonymous Of a bloody Col
eotha, that Is, II we can reconcile cOntradistinct
terms into such an expression. The writer
who participated in this struggle, was fortu-
nate enough not long since TO enjoy the COM
pany Of young man by the name of Brown,
who hailed from this very section so aptly
called the Bloody Angle. In fact, this battle
was fought on his Grandfathcr's farm. / take
the thread Of his narrative which runs as fol-
lows:
was lad about II years old when this bat
TIC WAS fought; remember well the Federal
troops as they massed on our farm, and re-
member distinctly the roar Of the battle all
day long aud way into the night. After the
battle was over / remember THAT was when
Grant was down towards Richmond) that men
came up from Richmond and searched the field
for arms, cannon, etc. They would take an
iron prod, drive it into the loose earth. and if
the touch was soft they knew that the excaya-
was made, then they would dig and unearth
rifles aud accOnterments. aud in ono or two
cases sOIae cannon were recovered. Ere
qnentiy the corpses and equipments would be
buried together.
After all the rifles were thought recovered,
they took axes and chopped the lead out Of tho
trees, and took away wagon loads. lie said he
remembered that many cartridge-bOxcs had
the Gaps cut of close aud couldn't understand
il until / told him that we did that frequently
on the battlefield TO get halfsOlos for our shoes
our shoes being OF such poor material that the
pixies soon cut them out. A soon as we halted
for day or two our cObbers would 20 10 work
aud peg on rough halfsoles 20 our shoes; though
rough, they answered for while. Sometimes
you would see three or four thiCknesscs Of these
so!cs On 4 pair Of shoes, and as soon rs they be-
came worn or loose they were trimmed oil aud
another one took its place.
He told NE Of the unbcarable stencil that
arose from the battlefield, and how frightened
he WAS all the time on account Of the proxim-
ity 10 so many dead men. One evening late
he vas sent cut TO drive up the cows, who were
bcatcd. As he walked briskly through the
woods, wh.stling 10 keep his courage up, he
suddenly heard mysterious pattering Of tiny
feet lightly tTeadiug behind him. As hc stopt
to listen the sound Of pursuit ceased. A fire.
quent repetition Of this alarmed him, aud he
broke into a wild run down the ZigZag cattle
trails Still the mysterious pattering followed
moved rs lie moved halted when he halted
then suddenly, and as the wind in a mournful
requiem OF unusual tones swept through the
trees, he could stand il longer, but took 10 his
heels aud struck Decline for home
A meandcring Tiyuiet lay across his way
aud with bound hc cleared il aud alighted i'm
clump OF bushes on 4 soft mass that yielded
10 his impetus and in q moment, from head to
foot, he was wallOwinS in the ehostly remains
OF a dead Federal soldier lie shuddcged as ho
related his dire experience Of how he rid him
self Of the rocking mass and turned home
ward nearly dead with fright aud with the
horrible eiiluyia; but he lad time 10 catch 4
glimpse of = fox, which had been following
him, and had completely worked on his fears.
The yarmiut was evidently after the decom-
posed carcass and 10 him who uncOnsciUusy
stumbled upon tie CHASTITY find it seemed as il
q spirit Of some doughty warrior was in ayeEg-
ing pursuiL-B. L. JOuSs, Corporal, Co. A,
18th Pa,