The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-13

It was worn and partly illegible, but
we made out that it was from the
town of Hamlet, in the State of North
Carolina. It was in lady's hand
writing and the portion that we were
able to read was as follows:
"My Dear Jack: We hope that you
can soon return and help US with the
tobacco crop; but if not, we do hope
and pray to God that our dear Jack
will not be harmed of those terrible
Yankees. y
As we looked at the letter and then
at the upturned face of poor Jack,
turning black from exposure to the
sun, and then thought of that poor
wife, or mother. or sister who was
waiting and watching for the return OF
the dead and mapgled soldier at our
feet, and of the other 10000 homes
from which dear oncs had gone out
who were now among that host OF dead
around US, we began to comprehend
something of the brutal, barbarous
nature of war. And, personally, l
would have had l:eener comprehen-
sion still had I known then what l
learned few days later, that on that
very battlefield, anc not far from the
spot where poor Jack lay, my own
brother had been killed few days
before. He was OIL the skirmishing
line, early in the morning Of May 4,
at the very beginning Of the fight.
He was struck in the thigh with a
mimic bullet, carried to the rear, his
leg amputated and lie died few days
later in hospital.
We had ample time to inspect the
field while our ambulances were visit
ing the houses, barns and huts to
which the wounded bad been carried,
or to which they had been able to walk
or crawl. In some few places an ap-
parent effort had been made to bury
the slain. But this only added to the
horror of the scene, for portions OF
the bodies were exposed.
We could trace the movements Of
the Union line by Ghe appearance OF
the field. In space where evidently
the line of battle had been before the
forward movements, the dead lay as if
some one had measured an accurate
line, and then placed them in order
upon it. Then, apparently, came the
forward dash, and here and there they
lay as they had plunged head foremost
in the rush for the Confederate lines.
So far all were clad in blue, but
where the clash had come and the
opposing lines had met. then gray and
blue lay side by sice or one athwart
the other. Some faces. had smile
upon them, others had "a surprised
and startled look, while others ex-
pressed agony and despair, and still
others had look of hate and defiance
as if they had fought to the very.
death. Looking over the portion of
the field where we were, we saw broken
limbs hanging from trees where shot
and shell struck, trees cut down with
solid shot or split and shattered, the
ground torn up and plowed as the
death messenger sped along, broken
wheels of artillery wagons and ambu-
lances scattered about; these, with the
dead that lay amid them all, made a
picture so internal, so barbarous and
inhuman, that the 30 years that have
intervened have utterly failed to
diminish its horrors.
We loaded every ambulance we had
with the wounded and dying, and
started on the long march towards
Alexandria, Va, where the nearest
help and hospital service could be
secured. In fording the Rappahan-
mock river at the United States ford,
one ambulance was driven into deep
water and two poor fellows were
drowned. Itwas sad ending to their
brief dream Of help and home, and one
of the 10000 cruel bitter scenes of
that cruel and bitter war.-Cyrus c.
Shepard, Co. f., 10Th n. 7. Vol.