Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-08-19
more somber and grewsome-that
strangest of all battleAelds of the war,

more somber and grewsome-that
strangest Of all battlcAelds Of the war,
the evidences"
When Hooker swung his army around
to Charlottesville, he was in the edge
of that dark, dense and silent forest
which extends from that point TO the
Mine run and beyond. it is a 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 a lonely
ride along even the best travelled high
way in time Of peace. The boot of the
owl Is heard from the dark thickets at
MONDAY, and the deadly moccasin
snake leaves his trail in the dust as he
crosses the highway TO plunge into a
denser swamp. There is not q spot on
the main highway where one could see
the length of n 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
n horror of this wilderness. Run
Always sought Its cover, and were 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
eta.ita ,auia11fnar coil and tho utrunn a
lonesomeness OF the woods. War
would have avoided it, but war was
dragged there. Every acre of the dark
pines, every acre of the tangled thick
cts, every dismal swamp and barren
knoll echoed the shrieks and groans OF
wounded men and the travail of fierce
battle. History may tell you that it Ii
a singular spot for a grapple of enc
mics thirsting for carnage, but history
will not paint the weirdncss of even @
peaceful ride through that desolate
tract.
In the first grapple between Grant
and Lee In this dense tan9le 20.00(
men fought for Eve hours, and at the
going down of the sun 5000 lay dead
and wounded. In the seven miles
front occupied by the two armies there
were not half a dozen spots where a
single battery could be massed u
sweep an acre OF clear ground. There
was not a spot where a brigade com
mander could stand and overlook his
four regiments as they stood in line Of
battle.
There vas at one point on the right
n 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'Clock
in the morning Of the second day. In
ten minutes three of the guns were
silenced by the musketry fire, and a
charge was made by the confederate
10 capture the whole. Here
two regiments grappled and
fought until 800 men incumbereC
the ground. Again the battery opened
and again it was charged, and wher
the c~onfederates retired the dead hat
10 be corded up to get them n Of the
way. Again and again fresh a~rtiller
lists were brought up and a fresh fir,
opened, and again and again the con
federates charged and added cores anC
hundreds to hat pyramid of dead
Grant had not advanced on his right
Lee had not advanced on his left
Where the dead fell in the gray o
morning there was the battle lin,
when night shuddered az the sights i
hid from view.
The fighting Of the second day was t.
save that narrow and tortuous highway
known as the Brock road to tn,
federals. 1t was the path int
and out Of that great forest. Along
il must move every man, horse. gul
and wagon. IL is a dark and lionel,
highway as you ride over il today
and every foot of it has a storl
of blood. The burial partie
found hundreds who had crawled int,
tbs thickets aud swamps and died, an,
$780, 1855 sns sSv-ra.a.@. so..rsctor-
uonaI csnie,sries. foaaa $3.50 s e. "a. .S ss
, etons which had never been buried
: all. When night came again the feC
!, erals had secured possession of th
road, and under the pines were thou,
ands of dead-thousands of maine
and crippled; and a twilight fade
into darkness along hat front of seve
miles, stretching over swamp an
thicket, there arose n direful sound. |
was a murmur ut first. Then il swelleC
TO a 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 iik'
the wall of a gathering tempest. |
was the piteous cry of the wounded an
helpless as night added to the frightfu
horrors of that somber wilderness.