DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Andrew F. Davis papers, 1862

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07_1862-04-17-Page 03

and then the tide of Battle began to turn in our favor, and by the time we arrived on the field the enemy ware in full retreat.  After we had got formed we went double quick for about 4 miles and tried to come on their flank as they retreated but they ware a little too quick for us.  The right of our Brigade (the 57th Ind.) got close enough to skirmish with them a little and got 4 of our men wounded.  The left of division (the 40th Ind) succeeded in captureing 40 prisoners. Three or 4 of the enemys Shells passed over the 15th. and one bursted immediately over my head but none of us ware hurt nor did we get close enoughf to fire a gun and that is the part that we took in the battle.  About 1/4 of a mile from the landing we first come to the dead bodies and I do not suppose there was an acre of ground for 4 miles wide and 8 miles long but what had a dead body on it, and in many places they lay so thick that a person could Step from one one to another for many rods. and in one place I counted 7 rebels piled on top of each other where they had Stood at their cannon and fought.  The sights ware horrid indeed.  In some cases they appeared to have been shot dead and had died without a struggle then again the features and limbs ware greatly contorted as though they had had died in the most bitter agony.  Then again you would see one with his head entirely shot away. then one cut entirely in two. then again you would see them them their legs or arms shot off and several instances they ware so mangled that it would be almost impossible to tell that they had ever been a human being.  Lying among the dead ware also large numbers of wounded, Some only slightly and others so mangled that it looked like an imppossibility for them to live.  Some of them lay still and seemed resigned others ware raveing like demons.  Some calling loudly for help and nearly

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and then the tide of Battle began to turn in our favor, and by the time we arrived on the field the enemy ware in full retreat. After we had got formed we went double quick for about 4 miles and tried to come on their flank as they retreated but they ware a little too quick for us. The right of our Brigade (the 57th Ind.) got close enough to skirmish with them a little and got 4 of our men wounded. The left of division (the 40th Ind) succeeded in captureing 40 prisoners. Three or 4 of the enemys Shells passed over the 15th. and one bursted immediately over my head but none of us ware hurt nor did we get close enoughf to fire a gun and that is the part that we took in the battle. About 1/4 of a mile from the landing we first come to the dead bodies and I do not suppose there was an acre of ground for 4 miles wide and 8 miles long but what had a dead body on it, and in many places they lay so thick that a person could Step from one one to another for many rods. and in one place I counted 7 rebels piled on top of each other where they had Stood at their cannon and fought. The sights ware horrid indeed. In some cases they appeared to have been shot dead and had died without a struggle then again the features and limbs ware greatly contorted as though they had had died in the most bitter agony. Then again you would see one with his head entirely shot away. then one cut entirely in two. then again you would see them them their legs or arms shot off and several instances they ware so mangled that it would be almost impossible to tell that they had ever been a human being. Lying among the dead ware also large numbers of wounded, Some only slightly and others so mangled that it looked like an imppossibility for them to live. Some of them lay still and seemed resigned others ware raveing like demons. Some calling loudly for help and nearly