The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-09-23
The wilderness.

III Is tncfe To-Day as II was IN lS6I--
though perhaps even more mber
and grucsome-that strangest Of all
battle fields Of the war, the "Wiider-
ness"
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
10 Mine Run and beyond 1t is q strip
of country from three to seven miles
wide, 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 q lonely ride along even the best
travelled highway 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 us he crosses the
highway to plunge into a dcnser
swamp. .....
There is not spot on the main high
way where one could see the length of
aregiment on the march, and he who
would hide from the whole world has
but 10 take twenty steps To the right
on left, says the Detroit Free Press In
days gone by the slaves in that part
of Virginia had q horror of this wild
ernesS. Runaways sought its cover
and were safe from master and dogs
but as they skirted the swamps the
deadly serpent reared its head and
struck them with death. Murderers
have been driven in there by hot pur-
suit, never to be heard of again, and
men have made clearingS here and
there only To be driven out by the
sterile, unyieltling soil and the strange
Lonesomeness of the woods. War
wou d have avoided il, 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 is a singular spot for grapple
OF enemies thirsting for carnage, but
history will not paint the weirdness
OF even 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 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 dozen spots
where u single battery could be
massed to sweep an acre of clear
ground. There was not spot where
q brigade commander could stand and
overlook his four regiments as they
stood in line of battle.
There was at one point on the right
cleared spot of about two acres in
extent, and n Federal battery, which
was dragged through the forest, was
placed in position there about7 o'clock
IN the morning of the second day. In
ten minutes three of the guns were
siienced by the musketry fire. and
charge was made by the Confederates
to capture the whole Here two regi-
meuts grappled and fought until 800
men mbcred the ground. Again
the battery opened, and again it was
charged, and when the Confeder;ltes
retired the dead had to be corded up
TO get them out Of the way. Again
ind again fresh sartilierists were
brought up and a fresh fire opened,
and again and again the Confederates
charged and added scores and hun
dreds to that awful 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 it
bid from view.
The fighting on the.econd day was
TO save that narrow and tortuous
highway known as the Erock road to
The Fedcrals 1t was the path into
and out of the great forest. Along il
must move every man, horse, gun and
wagon. 1t is dark ard lonesome
highway as you ride over IL to-day
and every foot of it has story of
blood The burial parties found
hundreds who had crawled into the
tnickets and swamps and died, and
years after the government con-
tractors, who were removing the dead
70 the national cemeteries, found
scores of skeletons which had never
been buried at all.
When night came again the Fcderals
had secured possession of the road,
and under the pines were thousands
Of dead-thousands of MANNED and
erippled-and as twilight faded into
darkness along that front Of seven
miles, stretching over swamp and
thicket, there arose n d'reful sound.