bels were moving back, and the fact was reported;
but no attention was paid to it. A truce, under pretense of burying the
dead, gave the rebels a quiet day, in which to prepare for their escape,
by sending their trains and much of their artillery to the rear; and on
the night of the 18th, the whole rebel army disappeared. So this
memorable and sanguinary battle ended. A defeat for the rebels, but not
the decided victory to our arms that could have been hoped for.

The Second division of the Sixth corps was relieved soon after noon of
the 18th by Couch's division, which was soon afterward joined to the
Sixth corps. Until now our corps had consisted of but two divisions, the
First and Second. Our men were glad to fall back enough to allow them to
cook their coffee once more, and they proceeded to the work of preparing
a good meal with great spirit.

The scene on the battle-field was past description. The mangled forms of
our own comrades lay stretched upon the ground, side by side with those
of the rebels. On almost every rod of ground over one hundred acres, the
dead and wounded, some clad in the Union blue and some in confederate
gray, were lying. A ghastly sight, presenting all the horrible features
of death which are to be seen on such a field. At one point in our own
front, for more than half a mile, the rebels lay so thickly as almost to
touch each other. On the field where Hooker's men had won and lost the
field, the dead and dying were scattered thickly among the broken
cornstalks, their eyes protruding and their faces blackened by the sun.
Wherever the lines of battle had surged to and fro, these vestiges of
the terrible work were left. In the edge of the wood, where the rebels
had made a stand against Hooker's advancing divisions, the bodies lay in
perfect line, as though they had fallen while on dress parade. Further
to the left there was a narrow road, not more than fifteen feet wide,
with high fences on either side. Here a regiment of rebels was posted;
when our batteries getting an enfilading fire upon them, and the
infantry at the same time opening a murderous fire, the regiment was
literally destroyed; not more than twenty of their number escaping.
Their bodies filled the narrow road. Some were shot while attempting to
get over the fence; and their remains hung upon the boards. A more
fearful picture than we saw here, could not be conceived.

Broken caissons, wheels, dismounted guns, thousands of muskets,