The National tribune., 1894-12-20

cuts were made, the bone sawed across, ant
the tiny squirting stream of blood wa
stanched.
He stood quietly while the flaps wer,
secured by stitch of silk thread and the
stump was bandaged; then politely thanked
! the Surgeon for the service, salutcd, and
went ashore.
Presently all restrictions were withdrawn
and, permitted to 60 ashore, the banks
| swarmed with soldiers Fastening forward Ia
| look upon strange sights, for which humanity
! inherits morbid fascination, With the
| throng i traversed the road leading from
landing TO village, and at its outskirts came
! upon the shot-torn bodies of several horses,
lying where they had fallen. while all al ont
the dissolvng snow was crinsoncd by the
| flow Of blood.
Near by were spIotches Of REDEEMED snow
mingled with fragments OF hutternut cloth
ing, and little further on was Il saall re-
doubt, in which stood arge s.ege-gun,
which one Of the artilleriSts told he they
had fired 40 times during the action.
He explained the blood and clothing by
saying that two rebel officers leading col
umn Of mounted infantry had ridden up and
ordered a surrender, and tbs reply had been
shot that had killed IN and horses and
repelled the attack
Proceeding to the southern part of the
village, came with others TO livery barn
in which among a number of bales of hay
saw for the first time the bodies of men
killed in battle.
The men, fairly well protected behind the
baled hay, had riddled with balls the front
of large frame house a hundred yards dis
tant, into which their destructive fire had
driven party of the enemy. Fifteen dead
had been found near the house, and from it
a number of prisoners had been taken.
On hillside further on, where already
lay those killed at Dnnelson, buryiug de-
tail was busy in the work of excavating a
trench for the reception Of the rebel dead
that lay near by. The face of these men wore
n calm look, as though their death lad been
painless.
The body OF a small-sized man, from whose
feet the boots had been taken, attracted gem
erai notice because of rumor that it was
the corpse of a Col. Marry. There were no
distinctive marks of dress or decoration 10
indicate rank.
Standing there, parties of our men brought
up and laid by the Others the bodies of rebels
found in the adjacent woods, while several
who had gone mp 10 see Fort DOnels1n, re-
turning. reported ruin not worth the trouble
of a visit. So speedily does Nature by her
servants, the elements, beat down rampant
and rihe-works and eflace the rude memen-
toes of strife.
Prisonersi Yes. / must sea and talk
with them. The guard gave ready assent,
and l was admitted within The door of a
frame building, and in large room, with
fireplace, but no fire, found myself at once
in the midst of crowd of tall, slim, thin
faced men dressed in butternut-colored,
homemade clothing. AS a rule they were
of middle age, much older than "a like num-
Der of Our men, and though theoretically
American, were as essentially different from
Northernefs in build, complexion, speech,
food, clothing, manner, and sentiment us if
they had been from a foreign land.
They crowded about, eager to talk, re-
spectiul in bearing, but confident their side
would win, and expressed their intention
when exchanged 10 do their duty to the
Confederacy. They stoutly maintained that
Vicksburg was imprcgnable, but were silent
about the action in which they had been
captured.
They babe me good-by in friendly way,
rs / left them to their comfortless room, and
thoughtfully making my way to the land
ing, passed across the gaugway plank, that
was soon hauled on board, and the trans
port, pushing off again, moved forward.
Approaching Nashville the fine cornet
band began to play, attracting attention of
soldiers on picket along the south bank of
the river. The gunboats were passed lying
at anchor, their duty done. The Com
mercial lay-to near a three-deck steamboat
named the Striker, swarming with soldiers,
and opposite q prison, from whose grated
windows the occupants gave US harsh we!-
come in q torrent of billingsgate. Our voy-
age had ended and we were near the front,
expecting, not in vain, active service in
Middle Worcestershire. II. McINTosH
Auburn, Ind.