Evening journal., 1895-07-23

day, 18th inst, we were notified to hold
ourselves In readiness to march at any
moment On Friday morning we were
told that we would leave At 9 o'clock on
Saturday morning. So / and one or two
friends went TO Richmond. While there
we heard that Colonel Johnson had
received orders TO march forthwith.
afterwards saw him In the street. He
caught me by the band, exclaimlng:
4 am happy to inform you OF our early
prospects OF fight, as we leave at s
o clock for Mannases, and the enemy are
preparing to attack us there Colonel
johnson was brave and good man,
beloved aud respected by the whole
legion. He fell early 10 the action.
We did not get of from Richmond
until 10 o'clock at night, and we're placed
In box cars four on a seat; so you may
know we did not sleep much. We got to
Mannsses at 2 o'clock Sunday morning
remained in the cars until about A
o'clock, when we got a chance TO rest on
the ground, where We could stretch out
at full length. Soon we heard
the cannon; and We were or
dered to ges cup Of coffee
aud prepsre TO march. Although my
foot had hardly got well 1 was de
termined to be In and got In so far that
at one time ! gave up all hope Of ever
getting out; but how 80 many balls
struck so close TO me aud killed men all
around me and not one hit me / cannot
understand. You cannot imagine the
sound OF the bullets, bombs and oapnon
balls; but the most peculiar sound was
made by the chain-shot and rifle cannon
balls. You could hear them before they
got TO you. To keep from lodging i
couldn't to save my lie, although
Lieutenant Kllnk once laughingly
reprlmsnded me for it But caught him
doing the same thing not long after
wards. Six inches is as near as came
TO getting my head knocked of by one OF
them, 30 Lieutenant Kllnk said. He is u
very cool man on the field. He was In
command OF the section | was In, and we
were together the greater part OF the
day. Although the balls were thick y yet q
great many Of the men got jokes on some
of their comrades. But l have not a
word to utter against anyone 10 derision
or otherwise. All acted well in our
company--the others must speak for
themselves
'But the most affecting sight Of all
was the poor wounded men, the dying
and the dead. In and around the hospi-
tai were legs and arms msngled and
shot of, and the wounded crying for
water. When l say thousands it is true,
as the Fsd,ralists ran away 30 fast that
they never came back to attend to their
wounded or to bury their dead. This
was done by us as well as we could, in
some instances before our own men.
Every imaginable way in which a man
could be wounded l think l have seen.
I Was on the field on Tuesday after the
battle ! started to 20 on Monday, but
1t rained so that did not get there until
Tuesday and yet there were wounded
men lying there still In one house !
found one Of Ellsworths FIRE z1uaves
lying wounded between two soldiers
one an Allah milan and the other Q
Georgian. The Georgian was tanning
the files of him. This may give you
some idea OF the character OF war. Tho
day before In deadly conflict; to DAY
wounded and waiting on one another
Oae Of the Yankees taken prisoner on
the field assisted In carrying Corpora
Bomar off the field and waited on hin
attentively afterwards
1--WE need surgeons, ls some OF oui
/ men had to wait two or three days
before they could be attended TO- The
woods now are full Of dead bodies
arouI the battle field. The air i.
tainted with blood and hungry buzzards
soar around to feed upon the carcAsses
We have moved twice since the battle
We are now encamped near Brentsvllle
The Court House Of Prince Williams Ii
here as the mail is closing / will stop
/ would send you some relics Of the
battle but l can't get them of
Your brother,
"W. A. KENYON.