Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-05
WARS BLooDsPcr.

Should you ask veteran OF tho 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
he named. and not one in a hundred
answers would locate the spot
1t was ut Spottsylvania, on the
second day of the fight. On the after
noon OF the first as the Second aud
Filth Corps moved up against the
earthworks crowning Laurel Hill, they
were driven back after fight lasting
not over forty minutes. with loss of
almost six thousand killed and wound
ed. The dead were ten TO every
wounded man. There was no heavy
lighting next day. Grant was inspect
ing Lees lines for weak spot. He
found it at the point known to every
solder on both sides aud TO history as
"the Horseshoe. In forming his bat
tic line Lee had left this to stand. In
deed. his troops had formed it as they
came on the field. At this one spot
bis iield-works projected out from the
main liue like tongue of land into
bay. A whole Federal corps might
have been rushed against it in day
light 10 its destruction, but Grant
moved Hancock's troops by night and
stationed them for a dash in the gray
OF morning. They rested on the fields
of the Brown farm and the farmers
house was Hancock's headquarters.
From Hancocks lines to the Horseshoe
was less than half mile, with the route
obstructed by thickets and n second
growth forest.
Just before daybreak of that early
summers morning, with a mist rising
from the fields and thiekets. and while
the birds we're fainty chirpiug in the
trees as they noted the coming of
dawn, Hancock's men moved forward.
The Confederate pickels were only
pistol-shot away. As they challenged
the lines got the word to double-quick
and the pickets were carried along
with the rush. With cheers and yells,
which were heard two miles away, the
Federals struck the ieldworks- dashed
over them-were upon the Confed-
crates before even a single company
had rallied. Some of the defenders
were preparing an early breakfast
some yet slept. More than 3, 900 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 it
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 repused with dreadful
slaughter. Every charge was made
with momentum which carried the
Confederates clear up TO the field
works, and they were shot and bayouet.
ed or taken prisoner. After the third
charge the dead almost blockel the
way, while the cries Of the wounded
almost drowned the roar of mu5kCtry.
There was not tree nor bush nor
twig nor blade Of grass which was not
cut by the flying missiles. The earth
was ridged aud plowed aud furrowed
rs if some mighty drag had passed and
repassed. The very air seemed to
blaze and burn. After / o'clock il
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 parchcd tongues by
catching few drops. In front of a
part OF Birneys Division was sink
hole. Into this rain and blood collected
until it was full of red water and
around this were a hundred wounded
men, drinking and moaning.
Not when the sun went doWD-nOt
when tho night came-but only at mid.
! night did Lee cease hurliug his gray
masses at Hancock's front. Then the
| living could no longer charge over the
| dead and wounded. And when the
m0rning came again ami men looked
out on those acres of field aud bush
they saw what was seen nowhere else
during the long aud bloody war--the
earth hidden from sight--thc soil so
glutted with blood that when the burial
parties cleared it of its awful burden
it had tnrned red!