Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-08-09
communicated

| VINO were lncy! UnkhOWh.
In the early dawn of beautiful morn
ing In July 1863, just few days after
the renowned battle of Gettysburg, in
company with young friend who, long
since, fell in life's battle, we turned our
faces toward that field of bloodshed and
carnage. Being mounted on "plugs" Of
horses which had dropped out of the train
of the retreating Confederate hosts near
the Pennsylvania line, in Maryland, as
they coursed their way toward the green
Potomac, we plodded along steadily until
the distance of about seven miles brought
us to that historic field. The sickening
scenes of that bloodstained field even
then, when about all the dead were buried,
will never be eraced from the tablet of
memory. The losses on both sides were
enormous for the number of soldiers en-
gagged, for they amounted to twenty-sev-
en- per cent. on the side of the Federals,
and more than thirty-six per cent. for the
Confederates, making the earth "red
with blood" for more than forty-six
thousand of the heroic blue and gray were
killed, wounded and missing; and the
work of interring nine thousand dead and
removing about twenty thousand wound
ed, was sickening and herculian task.
The dead were buried everywhere-in
clusters of ten, twenty, fifty or more.
Buried? Many of them, at least, on &C
count of the advanced stage of decompo-
sition, were scarcely buried.
Passing from place to place, we finally
entered a field carpeted with the sweet
scented clover a foot high, little south
west of the "wheatfield," inwhich, alone
five hundred Confederate dead were found,
and few feet from stone fence which
bordered the west side of that clover field,
we saw two men lying side by side on
blanket bed on the ground, with their
heads toward the stone fence, dead and
decaying; they being the only ones we
found unburied. One had bullet hole
in the middle of his forehead, and the
hair had dropped from their heads; they
were clad in the gray uniform, and had
fallen in the terrible conflict far from
their sunny Southern homes and loved
ones. Such was the end of their earthly
career. How did they thus come to their
end? Who can give us their history?
Who knows the awful Consequences
the disappointment, the depth of anguish
and sadheartedness of tender ties riven;
for there were, doubtless, somewhere
among the green for ests or lonely homes
of the South, where the fleet winged war
blers sound their sweet strains, anxious,
interested loved ones, whose hearts were
sad and broken as the lonely hours, days
and weeks sped by without restoring to
them their brave and sacrificing loved
ones. Who were they? All, they were
two of the many thousands both of gray
and blue braves who gave their lives for
the cause they espoused, and are marked
unknown"
True to men unknown, but we'll known
by Him who noticeth even the fall of a
sparrow, and who will, in his own good
time, tenderly gather up the sleeping
dust of our precious loved ones on earth
and sea, for they "shall hear his voice,
and shall come forth" o cruel war of
the rebellion! What hast thou done?
Through the heart of this fair Gland of
the free and the home of the brave" thou
ddst dig trench in which sleep the dust
of one million Northern and Southern
braves. The heart-pangs and sorrows,
the awful results of war, cruel war, eter-
nifty alone will reveal in all it's fullness.
We rejoice that the North and South have
clasped hands and are one common, unit
ed people, and so may it ever be. Oh,
that men may ''learn war" no more. Let
swords be beaten into "ploughshares"
and spears into pruning hooks"
MARYLAND Boy IN BLUE. !!