Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-22

but we got no word that the fight was to be that day, and Miles [her husbandl had just left the house and gone back to his reg iment when the thing broke loose, and rushed to the cellar with my two little girls. l heard the awful tramp as your men went by; then for don't know how many minutes but it seemed like eternity, could not hear the children crying, though could sec them at it, for the awful crash of guns, and then there was another rush back, and in five minutes the house was jammod full of men and their lifeblood running all down through tho floor and spattering all over us. I had taken box of bread and two jars of apple butter and hid them in the corner of the cellar, for didn't know but my children might starve if we got shut up there. We'll, stream of blood ran all over the jars but didn't get into them to spoil the apple butter. The cellar was soon full of men that got my little girls in a corner and stood part ly over them, and once asked the men to go out, but they said it was death, and when got time to look 1 saw that most of them were more or less wounded.
 'Now, the queerest thing about it is that when you get in a place like that you don't feel like you thought you would at all. The scare comes on, and then it goes of. By and by all was still, and we went out; but, oh, my God, what a sight! It really seemed as if the heavens had rained destruction, and my heart was almost broken at the groans and cries. but was comforted by the thought that Miles was on the other side of our breastworks, and 1 somehow felt that our men hadn't been in much danger. In fact, could see it by just looking across the field"
 The Awful Loss of Life.
 Since my first visit NIT, Garthright has died, and one of the little girls who was sheltered in the corner of the cellar on that dreadful day, herself the mother of several little ones, is now mistress of the place, her husband being one of the numerous class of truck farmers in this vicinity. After a night with them 1 walked out once more to the southwest corner of the battlefield where the Confederate line seemed to terminate at little swamp, but in fact continued below tho swamp and at an angle to its former course like an inverted l.. Down into this angle went ono brigade of the Federals, and scarcely man escaped. There is a curious depression at the nearest point to the Con- fCdCrate line about q rod wide and 10 rods long and not over 3 feet deep. Into this tho repuiScd Fedcrals sprang for safety, hut a concentrated fire was poured upon il, and in less than 12 minutes every man was shredded with bullets, and out of tiiIS DIi St NultC Ol lIlSDIOOO uOWeO 1nCO the swamp Just over a little rise west of that placo the surviving Eederals threw down their arms, fell flat and crawled into the Confederate lines. Seven Irishmcn of MCMahOn 'S New York regiment crOuched behind n big pine tree, where the last volley laid them dead in a heap. In the hand of one was found clinchCd small crucifix and in another's a prayer. book. The man who first reached them lived until quite recently within sight of tho spot. Colonel MCMahon reached the brcastworks and planted tho colorS there but died in n flow minutes.
 As 1 stand hero this peaceful summer day it iS very hard to realize that only 31 years ago tho place was the scene of such awful havoc. All the ground has been scratched over by negroes, who have carried away many tons of ammunition, and ex- Ccpt in a few places where the timber re- mains unbrokcu the intrenchments have long since been plowcd down. Half a mile north of this bloodicSt part of the field runs the White House wagon road, and just north of it is the Gold Harbor cemo- tcry. All around are well titled fields and pretty groves, and aS take in the view at | one quick glance it is hard to believe that this attractive glade was tho scene of tho worst hundrr uf the campaign and the bloodicet rrpul>V ever known on the west rrn continent. !. II. BEADLE.