The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-08-19
strangest Of all battlefie1ds Of the war,

strangest of all battlefields Of the wal,
the Wilderness
When Hooker swung his army around
10 charlottesville, he was in the edge
of hat dark, dense md silent forest
which extends from that point to the
Mine run and beyond. 1t is n strip OF
country from three to seven miles long,
which is penetrated here and there by
roads, but whose depths furnish safe
retreats for the wildcat, the owl, the
serpent and the fox. 1t is n lonely
ride along even the best travelled high
way in time of peace. The boot of the
owl is heard from the dark thicliets at
nocnday, and the deadly moccasin
snake leaves his trail i'll the dust as he
crosses the highway to plunge into a
denser swamp. There - not a spot on
the main highway where n could SEQ
the length of a regiment on the march,
and he who would hide from the
whole world has but to take twenty
steps to right or left. In days gone by
the slaves in that part of Virginia had
u horror of this Wilderness, Run
Always sought Its cover, and We're safe
from master and dog, but as they
skirted the swamps the deadly
serpent reared its head and
struck them with death. Muir
derers have been driven in there by hot
pursuit, never to be heard of again, and
men have made clearings here and
there, only to be driven out by the
sterile, unyielding soil and the strange
lonesomeness of the woods. War
would have avoided it, but wal was
dragged there. Every acre of the dark
pines, every acre of the tangled thick
cts, every dismal swamp and barren
knoll echoed the shriells and groans of
wounded men and the travail of fierce
battle. History may tell you that it is
a singular spot for a grapple Of enc
mics thirsting for carnage, but history
will not paint the weirdness of even a
peaceful ride through that desolate
tract.
In the first grapple between Grant
and Lee in this dense tangle 20, 900
men fought for five hours, and at tho
going down of the sun 5000 lay dead
and wounded. In the seven miles
front occupied by the two armies there
were not half q dozen Spots where a
single battery could be masscd to
sweep an acre of clear ground. There
was not a spot where q brigade com
mander could stand and overlook his
four regiments as they stood in line of
battle.
There was at one point on the right
q cleared spot of about two acres in
extent, and a federal battery, which
was dragged through the forest, was
placed in position there, about 7~o'clocll
in the morning of the second day. In
ten minutes three of the guns were
silencea by the musketry fire, and a
charge was made by the c~onfederates
to capture the whole. Here
two regiments grappled and
fought until 300 men incunbered
the ground. Again the battery opened
and again it was charged, and when
the c~onfederates retired the dead had
to be corded up to get them ont of the
way. Again and again fresh a%rtiller.
lists were brought up and q fresh fire
opened, and again and again the con
federates charged and added scores and
hundreds to that pyramid of dead.
Grant had not advanced on his right.
Lee had not advanced on his left.
Where the dead fell in the gray OF
morning there was the battle line
when night shuddered at the sights il
hid from view.
The fighting of the second day was tc
save that narrow and tortuous highway
known as the Brock road to the
federals. 1t was the path into
and out of that great forest. Along
it must move every man, horse. CUR
and wagon. 1t is q dark and lonely
highway as you ride over it today
and every foot of it has a story
of blood. The burial partie.
found hundreds who had crawled int
the thickets and swamps and died. anc
years after the government contractors
who We're removing the dead to the ma
tional cemeteries, found scores of skel
etons which had never been buried u
all. When night came again the fed
erals had secured possession of TIL,
road, and under the pines were thous
ands of dead-thousanas of maimet
and crippled; and as twilight faded
into darkness along that front of sever
miles, stretching over swamp ant
thicket, there arose a dircful sound. 1
was Il murmur at first. Then it swellci
TO q steady cry-not one shout or groal
or shrek, but thousands of them min
gled together and %quivering owe
thicket and rising over the pines lik
the wall of a gathering tempest. l
was the piteous cry of the wounded an,
helpless as night added to the frightfn
horrors of that somber wilderness.