The National tribune., 1901-08-22
llesX@M00|
AZ aENae
By Capt. M. H. MCNAMARA, 9th Mass.

The battlefelds of South Mountain and
Antietam showed a frightful loss of hui
man life. The dead were thickly strewn
about the roads and piled in stagnant
bitches, in some cases hidden by the corn
stalks and grass, in many instances fright
fully mutilated by the feet of the i'm
mense bodies of cavalry and infantry that
had passed over them in the progress of
the terrific struggle. As We slowly Jnd
carefully picked our way along, long lines
of the soiled gray coats of the dead en-
envy showed the position III which they
had been placed and which they were in
structed to maintain at all hazards, and
In defending which they had persisted gal
lantly Blue coats and gray coats were
lying side by side, their quarrels over
though in life divided, yet in death
united" Wounded men were thickly
scattered around, and many of them had
lain for two nights upon the field before
they were removed to the hospital. Upon
some of the bodies of the dead rebels we
noticed papers attached, giving the names
of the unfortunate men, and requesting
that their graves might be marked, as a
means of future identification. One OF
the most revolving scenes we have ever
witnessed actually came under our notice.
This was after the engagement of South
Mountain, two days before the decisive
battle of Antietam. We came to a field
inclosed on every side by stone walls, lit
orally covered with dead men, IN lnde-
scribable confusion. These were the re-
mains of the Georgia Legion, under the
command of Gen. Howell Cobb. They
had marched into the incloSure, there to
hold the position at the base OF the noun
tain; they were then instantly attacked
by our troops on all sides, and literally
destroyed. Cavalry, infantry and artil-
iery simultaneously asSalied them, and
scarce one man of that fine legion es-
capped to tell the story of its fate! There
they lay in all attitudes of death; some
stiff and cold, in the act of firing; some
calmly lay as if in sleep; others appeared
like living men resting against trees
which were there; again there were
masses of dead, many manned, bruised,
and so mangled by shot and shell as
scarcely to retain the appearance of hui
man beings. 1t was a terrible picture OF
human ferocity, and yet scarcely expressed
q title of the horrors of that campaign.
Houses and barns in the vicinity of the
battlefelds were used for hospital pur-
poses, and these were filed with wounded
men, mostly rebels. Low platforms were
raised before the doors of many of these
houses ON which would be stretched the
figure of a man, one of whose limbs
would be in process of amputation. Rebel
Surgeons worked side by side with Union
Surgeons, and, unlike doctors in general,
seemed to agree most cordially. Ampn-
tated arms and legs were flung unconcern-
edly upon the ground, and sometimes
carelessly handled and examined by the
soldiers whose curiosity led them TO be
spectators of the scene.
Ladies, richly dressed, would come from
the iacent places to visit the rebel
wounded, bringing with them jellies, wines
and preserved meats, which they would
give to our wounded prisoners, passing the
poor Northern solder upon his bed OF
racking pain, without a word or look of
sympathy, or drop of the precious liquid
with which they cooled the lips OF the
wounded traitor.
Many Of the rebels expressed hopes
that the war would soon be over, aud
more of them spoke of the North with
great bitterness, and said that only by a
war of determination would the South be
beaten; many of them asserted the su-
periority of their soldiers over ours, which
we thought displayed considerable hardi-
hood, after the terrible whipping we had
Just given them; but 1t was made SEEM
ingly with full reliance in its truth. The
wounded men left in our hands by the
rebels amounted to several thousands, a
humber of whom were conscripts.
These received every care from our Sur
geOns and their own, as well as from Wis
ftors; and our lads supplied them with
such necessaries as they could command,
In the shape of tobacco, pipes, etc, for
which they seemed very thankful.
They were eager TO exchange their
"scrip' for our greenbacks, sometimes Of
fering $40 in scrip for 81 in our cur
rency.
Owing to the care taken, very few of
those injured died, and as soon as they
recovered were sent to Washington, and
shortly after their arrival would be eI-
changed.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
Scenes like these could be witnessed
about Sharpsburg, and within less than
half a mile of the Potomac, and in the
immediate vicinity of the camp occupied
by the 9th. Our men paid daily visits
to the hospitals containing the rebel
wounded, and many of them contracted
friendships which they afterwards found
very useful, some when wounded on the
battlefield, and others when in the pris-
ons at Richmond.
remember an incident which occurred
one day before one of these temporary
hospitals. A rebel Surgeon was busily
engaged in amputating the leg of one of
his own men, and at the same time con-
yersing with a tall, muscular man, of the
sMaine lumber" species.