Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-10-05

mile in the rear, are the first of them.
They have been killed by solid shot or
bursting shells They are lying in
heaps, and in nearly every case the
face is covered by poncho or blanket.
Down this front of n mile in length we
find dead man here and there rs we
advance, sometimes two or three to-
gcther, but there are no wounded.
They were removed under Ere Half a
mile in the rear uf the battle line we
come upon the first Of the men killed
by the musllct fire. They were not
really under fire, but acting as sup
ports, and yet the ranks lost heavily.
1t is curious TO note the positions of
the dead where the bodies have not
been intcrfercd with. Nine out of ten
are lying broad on their backs with
arms outstretched. Their feet are
pointed all around the compass, bat
more of them lie with their heads to the
east than in any other direction. The
men shot in the head are lying ut full
length, those below the neck have one
leg drawn up and their fingers are
clenched. There is not on any face
what you would call look of pain or
anguish and neither do you find smiles
or placidity. Look into the faces of
one hundred men killed in battle and
you will find the same general express
sion, whether old or young II Is a
look OF surprise or fear. This look rests
on the faces of men killed in their
tracks, as il were. The mortality
wounded man may turn on his side TO
die, and you may find him with smile
on his face. He has had time TO breathe
prayer; to think of his wife and
children and home; to realize that his
hour has come.
The battle line runs across a high
way, over an old cotton field, across u
meadow and into the woods. The men
made breastworks of rails and dirt. At
one spot they had the cover of II stone
wall, at another the banks of a wind.
ing creek, Here was where brigade,
without the slightest cover rushed in
10 hold n gap in the line. The dead
and wounded lie just as they fell-hve
dead TO one wounded. The enemy
used grape and canister from battery
planted on that ridge, and the missiles
did terrible execution. Here along the
down and fred from that position.
Nearly every dead man still rests at
full length on his stomach, though
their faces seem half buried in the
grass. Many of the muslSets still rest
across the breastworlts. Here for three
hundred feet we cannot find wounded
man. Most of the dead were struck in
the face or throat
With his back TO the wall sits dead
man who probably lived an hour or two
after he was hit His knees are drawn
up for n rest for his arms, and his head
is thus supported. Next on his left is II
captain lying on his back with his out
stretched right arm still holding the
sword, and that sword rests across the
body of another dead man. The officer
was struck fairly between the eyes by
the bullet His lips are parted as If
shouting a command when death came
We hesitate for II moment and then
step over the breastworlss and advance
10 the creek. At this spot it was mid
way between the combatants. Night
before last friend and foe filed their
canteens here, sometimes elbow to ell
bow, but purposely ignoring each
others presence. Here is the horror of
the battlefield. We knew it would be
SO, but were impelled TO come.
The banks of the creek are nowhere
less than two feet high, in some places
they are five or six. The bed of the
stream is six or eight feet wide, but the
flow Of the water only half that, and
from six inches 10 a foot deep On n
front of half mile all the wounded on
both sides who could creep pull them
selves along inch by inch made for this
creek as fighting ceased. They reached
the banks and flung themselves down.
They filed the bed from bank 30 bank.
lying three, four, or five deep. Here
and there mag be a living man, but
nineteen out of twenty persisted last
night They fought each other for the
water but only the first corners
quenched their thirst. Before they
could move away they were caught in
the crush. 1t is n great trench, with
its dead ready for the dirt 10 hide them,
and the waters Of the. creek have been
damned bacl; until they are seeking a
new outlet through the cotton field.
Help arrives and we walk slowly along
the bank 10 look for wounded men. We
J find and extricate about twenty, none
of whom will, perhaps, live the day
out All otharG ara dead--ghnt orushed.