Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-01-04

smell struck ana killed Two oil the men
and horses of one of the guns and,
wounded General Shields. General
Banks then taking his place
throughout the rest of the battle.
The firing continued for while
after dark and then ceased. and
during the night the hidden infantry
force was quietly brought up. Our
cavalry had fallen back to town to its
quarters. With the first streaks OF
daybreak Sunday the battle began in
earnest, infantry being hotly engaged
as well as artillery. Our cavalry was
massed in column of tours on the
principal streets in Winchester soon
after daylight to await orders. The
roar OF the battle was now terrific and
many missiles flew into and over the
city. While waiting here | saw an
officer walking back and forth in front
of the Taylor House smoking cigar.
A lady came along, and when she was
abreast of him he in very natural
way gave her glance when she spat
in his face. His hands were crossed
behind his back, but he brought one
around with some force and struck
her in the face with his open palm
and brought her to the sidewalk. She
quickly arose aud moved on, and he
continued his walk as though moth
ing had happened. Soon we were
ordered to march, and proceeded to
the right of line to support battery
which was ordered into action. AS
we moved through piece of wood, at
quick intervals a crash would be
heard and mass of grape and canister
would cut through the branches and
leaves overhead and strew the ground
with them, we passed TO the left ofacol-
umn of infantry then holly engaged.
1t was the Saith Pennsylvania, Colon
Ell Murray / saw the colonel mount
a stump and address his men. He
spoke in tone so loud that l could
clearly distinguished his words above
the noise of battle. He said: Men (!
our mission here is to whip these
Rebels, aud by the grace of God we
will do it." In a few minutes the
brave patriot fell mortally wounded
and died ere almost the words he had
spoken had lost their echo. The bat
tie swayed now this way and now that
the Rebels fighting with desperation
to accomplish what they had boosted
to their Winchester friends they
would, until sometime after dark.
After darkness set in the air seemed
full of flashes of light caused by the
rapid discharges OF arms Of all sorts.
Suddenly the roar ceased somewhat
and the glad cry was raised, THANK
God we have got them on the rum
Into them, boys!" Owing, however,
to the intense darkness pursuit was
suspended for the night, and then
came the CHASTITY work of battlefield
when the strife is over-picking up
the manned and mutilated victims and
gathering the dead. In the quiet hours
of darkness the cries and meanings
of the wounded were the only uuds
heard The dead were left unt't
morning where they fell Coles Cay
airy picketed in body on the battle
field all night. moving slowly around
here and there and carefully avoiding
ttampling the dead. They lay very
thickly in spots. We had had
nothing to eat or drink from the time
we went in in the morning except
what we had in our haversacks and
canteens Before daylight we were
all in a state of suffering from thirst
and when daylight came detail was
formed to dismount and go with all
the canteens they could carryin search
of water. We made for a hollow or
ravine in view and proceeded down it
until we came to little rivulet, where
we filled our canteens. On our way
we found many dead and some wound
ed. A few of us stopped to examine
the dead body of a soldier lying
across our path. He was a sergeant
of an Ohio regiment. The head and
breast were covered with blood. He
had on him a well-filled haversack.
While we were looking at him, one
of the men knelt down and deliberate
| 1y proceeded to empty the haversack
of the food that was in it. and to eat
without any apparent lack Of relishl
That was too much for me. / walk
ed away Disguised, and feeling as
though l wouldn't need food for a
week to come. The act to me looked
very brutal; but before the war was
over lost some of my squeamishness
in that respect. One wounded Con-
federate lying on his side scowled at
us as we passed. and would not open
his mouth to answer when we ques-
toned him about his wound. We
passed one spot where counted forty
odd dead Rebels lying so near each
other as to almost touch, their features
swollen and so black as to almost re
semhle negroes 1t was said to have
been caused by drinking powder in
their coffee. At another spot where
our infantry had charged upon and
captured a Rebel battery the dead
were lying on top of one another foul
and FIVE deep around the guns and
the ground was sodden with blood
When we returned with the water we
passed spot where long trench
was in process of being dug and ovel
three hundred bodies of Union deac
had already been gathered beside il
to be placed in it. The poor fellow: