Chapter 62

CHAPTER LXII

We were moved a short distance across the road, into an open field, here we were formed into a line of battle, and after stacking arms we were ordered to break ranks and rest as we could.  We were in plain view of the enemy and it was not long before they sent us their compliments in the shape of 31 pound rifle shells.  They kept up the fun (to the rebels not to us) for several hours.  The shells would occasionally bury themselves in the ground and then exploding would send the ground up in large quantities.  We were almost too far from them and did not receive any damage other than to be pretty badly scared several times.

We remained in the field until nearly 9 o’clock p. m., when we were moved a little in advance of our last position and commenced to erect breast-works and worked hard all night and by the following morning at 7 o’clock, we had a strong line of works finished.

At about the time we had the line completed it commenced to rain, and soon filled our works with from six to ten inches of water making it very disagreeable and unpleasant.  All this time the dead rebels, killed in the battle on the night of the 28^th, lay upon the battle-field, and the stench that filled the air was sickening.  A detail from the division was made to bury the poor unfortunate victims of the vicissitudes of war, and a sorrowful task it was indeed.  The dead lay scattered over an area of about ten acres, lying in all imaginable positions, just as they had fallen, many of them with their pale white faces turned up, with open eyes staring towards the sky, while the unmerciful rain was incessantly beating down upon them, making, a ghastly scene.  What would have been the feelings of the friends of these dead  heroes of the “lost cause,” if they co’d have been permitted to see the sad condition of their loved ones, their tears would undoubtedly have fallen as fast upon their upturned faces as did the unfeeling rain.

The dead lay in a low swampy field and owing to the decomposed state of the men, they were buried where they fell, graves filled up with water as fast as they were dug, and bodies were placed into them and hastily covered.  The sight was sufficient to cause the stoutest heart to quail, for how soon the tables might be changed and the rebels be called upon to perform the same kind (?) of­fices for us, was a question that did not admit of demonstrating with, any degree of certainty.

The rain continued to come down, the ground was so low that our tents did not afford us a particle of shelter, as we sunk into the mud and water almost up to our knees, and as the room in a tent to accommodate four men was about 6x6 ft, it can be readily seen that it was not pleasant to be cooped up in so small a space.  The greater part of the day was spent by the men who seated themselves in a position in which they used to play “rotten egg,” in their boyhood days, and with their ammunition and rifle slung across their knees, and the poncho thrown over them longed for the rain to cease.

Whilst in this sad plight, a man passed our works on foot dressed in a gum suit and was splashed with mud from the sole of his feet to the crown of his hat, and stopping in front of our company asked where:

“Major General Geary’s head-quarters were located?”

Some one answered ‘down the road,’ and the man moved on.  The boys had taken him for a Christian Commission man, and not being very re­ligiously inclined under the circumstances, and held their incivility.

Soon after the man had passed us Lieut. Willett of Co. B, of our regiment came up to us, having been over to Division head-quarters, and asked us whether General Grant had not passed our works a short time ago?

Upon inquiring as to how he was dressed, we learned that the man we had taken for a Christian Commission agent, was no less a personage than the hero of Vicksburg.  This news started a number of our boys down the road but the General could not be found.

The night of the 30^th of September, 1863 is one that will not readily be forgotten by the members of old Com­pany G, the rain continued to fall and we were compelled to sit up all night, and to add to our anxiety and discomfiture, we were ordered to be ready to repel an attack, as the enemy had been discovered to be on the moved and it was altogether probable that they would attack us in force, if they would renew the assault.  Had the enemy made an attack upon us they would have been met by a Division of “mad yanks,” and they would hare been roughly handled.

Saturday morning dawned upon a rough looking body of men, we were wet to the skin, and many of us having been overcome for sleep, laid down in the mud and water and had more the appearance of a drove of swine than a regiment of soldiers.

At about 9 o’clock, a. m., we were ordered under arms, and upon falling into line we were moved about a mile north-west from our works, into an open field, out of range of the battery on Lookout, here we were ordered to build large fires and  to dry out wet clothing.

We soon had large fires built, and it did not take us very long until we made our appearance in a costume, a la Adam, before mother Eve persuaded him to try the apple, and the novelty of the scene made a lasting impression upon the  beholders.

As soon as our clothing were sufficiently dry, we ­donned them and made tracks for a field close by in which a herd of cattle were quietly grazing, and soon had managed to secure fresh meat for dinner.

As soon as our Colonel thought we had a sufficient supply of meat for dinner, he placed a number of guards over the cattle with orders to arrest anyone they should detect molesting the cattle.  Among the few head that escaped was a fine calf, four or five weeks old.  Old Sephes of H Company, saw the calf and at once made for it.  The guards succeeded in capturing him and marching him up before the Colonel.