Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-12

lying dead and many mangled with
wounds within the next few minutes. But
not man among us faltered, not one.
1t was while thus advancing to meet
the enemy, and moment only before the
firing commenced that 1 turned my eyes
and looked into my brothers face, who
was few feet to my right. Our eyes
met, for some influence caused each OF
us to look into the others face at the
same instant The lines Of pain had van
ished from his features and he looked
calm and at ease. And such tender love
for me as l could see in his eyes. 1t ap-
peared to me as If he feared 1 would be
killed, and wanted to take one affectionate
look into my face while l was yet alive.
IL was during this short space of time
that we were looking into each others
face that prayed directly to God for his
life.
But we had to look forward how we
went, besides the time had come for dead
ly action, and we had to look away from
each others faces and commence firing
and It was a great. mercy on me that 1
was forced to look away from his face.
1t has never seemed like l could bear
what I would have seen If my eyes had
fingered on his face an atom of time
longer-praying as was with such earn
estness to the giver of all good for his
safety.
And here an unaccountably strange
thing happened that have thought may
have been a mercy to me. AS soon as we
looked away from each others faces, the
instant my short mental prayer for his
safety was ended, my brother passed to-
tally out of my memory, nor did once
think of him during the whole dreadful
battle and do not know when he would
have returned to my memory again If
a comrade had not forced me to think OF
him.
The instant we looked away from each
other the firing commenced and we had
advanced some distance by the time the
enemy abandoned the contest and gave
back a half mile or more. But as yet no
one knew whether the enemy were not
preparing for another onslaught with re-
doubled fury and while many Of the men
continued lying as they were when the
enemy gave back, ready, some had risen
up and were standing still, and few were
walking about just in rear of the line,
slowly and aimlessly. There were no stan
officers, couriers or orderlies passing about
with orders. No one seemed to be In
command Men were rot talking to each
other. There had suddenly come a strange
silence and stiffness over that part OF
the w llderness. There were no wounded
within sight or hearing, for the litter
bearers on each side had done their duty
well and promptly bearing the severely
wounded away to the hospitals as fast as
they fell.
Our dead were scattered about in rear Of
the line. silent and free forever from the
strife Of horrible war. Commencing a
few yards in front of our line and ex-
tending out for nearly half mile were
lying equally as silent the dead OF the
enemy, and also forever freed from hui
man strife. The great number of the
enemy's dead was truly shocking to be-
hold, and when we came to examine the
field 1t seemed strange that any escaped
from 1t alive. There were many small
oaks growing there from two or three to
six inches in diameter, and all the bark
was shot off every one of them from the
ground upward into the limbs, and many
of them three or five inches In diameter
were so completely riddled or shattered
that they were fallen down. Such was
the casesover many acres of the ground
near the main road, and 1t was all done
by rifle balls in the hands of the infan-
try. 1t was among this destruction of the
forest that such shocking numbers Of the
enemy lay dead. Just beyond this de-