The Washington herald., 1914-06-07

ored 70 place the blame for this delay on
Gen. Lee. 1t appears. however, that ne
acted strictly within his military rights
II was time when even the most urgent
call on humanity would not justify him
In yielding any moral advantage TO Gen.
Grant Nothing Is palmer than that
Gen. Lee was fairly entitled to all the
moral and military advantages to be de-
rived from the fact that he had beaten
on Grants assault" writes Gen. Francis
A Walker, conservative Northern his
torian-
The truce having been granted by Gen.
Lee, orders were issued in the Federal
army directing corps commanders to
send out under white flags medical Of
ncers with stretcher bearers to bring in
the dead and wounded. The order for
bade intercourse of any kind with the
enemy and requested medical officers
and their attendants mot to converse
upon any subjects connected with mill
tary operations likely to give any in
formation to the enemy
AT the hour agreed on firing ceased
along the hostile lines, and the stretcber
bearers issued from the Federal work.
and entered on a labor of revolving bor-
ror.
The ardent sun Of five days had Caused
the bodies to become greatly swollen and
TO turn black. The corruption Of The
nesh was nameless. A sfckenins ef,u-
vium. like nothing else on earth. 6IIed
tne air. The strongest of the stretcher
bearers Injured to the horrors of the bat
uefield. turned faint
To steel the mems n.rve. for ,..t
work II was deemed necessary to issue a
ration of spirits.
While the bodies were being gathered
up, long trenches were dug. and 10 tbese
the stretcher bearers brought their aw-
full burdens.
Ihere was little chance for recognition
Here and there some comrade couId cor.
tlfy the place where his friend feu dead
beside him. An officer was recognized
ny badge on his coat: but for the most
part tne bodies were consigned to a
common srave in one red burial blent-
a hSing man was found on the
helo. one poor wretch had survived bv
sucking the dew from the grass hes;ds
him. He had lost all consciousness ~
time. vi
"hhe the stretcher bearers were poin,
aDout their solemn duties the soldiers Of
Doth armies were making the most on
the truce. They entered into converse
uon from their respective lines and
Wherever opportunity offered came to-
gether TO shake hands or engage in
traae. The Confederates greatly desired
conee. for which they traded Virginia
tobacco. Old copies Of the Nortbarr
newspapers were exchanged for copies
OF Richmond papers At one point in
tne lines an officer Of the Eighty-sevepth
pennsylvania Regiment drank the health
OF Aoraham Lincoln In the COMPANY of a
South Carolina captain who at the SANE
time drank the health of Jefferson Davis
WINE me truce was in progress Con-
Ieoerate soldiers wandered through the
FederaI lines in several places They
were deserters who wished to give tban,-
selves up.
During the truce a party of two cor-
ieoerate omcers and six privates were
detained at Federal headquarters They
had gone out the evening before-think-
ing the truce was then on-in search for
the body OF Col. Kenneth NJ. Murchison.
OF the Eighth North Carolina Regiment.
ana had been captured. Gen. Grant noti-
ned Gen. Lee of the mistake. and or
dered that the men be sent back to tne;v.
command. This was done after the trucl
was concluded. as 1t was advisable to
pass them through the lines after dark.
The duty of returning them devolyed
upon a stan officer Of the Sixth Corns
Col Thomas w. Hyde. He found the
task delicate one. 1t was then mid
night and how to make a nag of truce
Vlslple ne Old not know. Proceeding to
the front Of New Jersey brigade he re-
quested its commander. Col w. II. PEN
rose, to stop the fire on his front and
see II the enemy would not do the same.
After a while they ceased firing, and Col
Hyde stepped over the works.
II want to see the rebel commander >,
he shouted.
For Gods sake, say Confederate y.
continued Col Penrose
Hyde obeyed. and the hail was an
swered. Col. Hyde was requested to wait
until Gen. Lee could be communicated
with. He sat down in a half-filled grave
and waited IN stencil and horror" II
seemed hours before anybody came. He
could hear a low buzz In the enemy,s
rife pits. What IL they should resume
firing? After a time, two dim forms an
peared in the darkness and resolved
themselves into officers of a Mississippi
regiment. They at down beside the Fed
erai officers and talked with them. He
then brought out his eight ,Confederates,
and they were returned to their works
The Federal officer then made his way
back to the point where he had left his
trenches and hostilities were resumed.
Temerrsw, Lineeln Reneninatod.