May 14, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
A gentlemen of this city, of military experience, and cool, clear judgment, who spent the greater part of last week on the battle field of Chancellorsville, gives us the following information, which may be depended on as being as nearly accurate as can be obtained in the absence of official reports. Our loss in killed, wounded and missing, he puts at 10,000, of whom about 2000 were taken prisoners, and of the remainder an unusually large percent wounded. He is confident these figures will cover our loss. That of the enemy he estimates at 20,000 including from 8000 to 10,000 prisoners, not counting the wounded who fell into our hands. He could not hear certainly of more than twenty-seven pieces of artillery captured; and we lost eight pieces, six of the Washington Artillery, and two of Capt. Parker’s battery, from this city. The number of small arms captured by us was immense, greater, our informant thinks, than in any former battle. The field was strewn with knapsacks, blankets and clothing, and with all the evidences of a complete rout. The fighting of our men was superb, and General Lee is understood to have been particularly pleased with the part borne in it by the artillery, which exhibited a decided improvement both in practice and ammunition – the latter being in part due to the recent invention of our townsman, Charles McEvoy. The artillery was frequently up in front with the skirmishers. The spirits of our men since the fight are at the highest pitch of exultation, and their enthusiasm for their great commander boundless. One circumstance only threw a shade over the army, the precarious condition of the heroic Jackson. The solicitude on this account was profound and universal. Great praise was awarded Gen. Stuart for the masterly manner in which he handled Jackson’s corps after the fall of that renowned leader. The retaking of Marye’s Hill by Early was considered one of the most brilliant achievements of the war. It was an affair of infantry, and called out the finest display of courage and dash in the troops engaged in it. But, indeed, the whole army, officers and men, behaved so well that discrimination is unjust. Some had the good fortune to have better opportunities for distinction than others, but none flinched from any duty or peril. Our informant heard of no solitary case of bad conduct – no skirking, no halting, no straggling. It was brave, manful, thorough work throughout, and by all.
RICHMOND WHIG.
During the battle, the large brick tavern on the Orange plank road, which, with its out houses, constituted Chancellorsville, and which was occupied by the Yankees as a hospital, was accidentally set on fire by our shells, and, with all its inmates, five or six hundred in number, was consumed. Among those who lost their lives by this catastrophe, was Brigadier General Seth Williams, of Maine, who was Adjutant General, first to McClellan and afterwards to Burnside, and lastly to Hooker, and who is said to have been, before the war, a warm personal friend of General Lee. Such was the exigency of the hour, the battle being at its fiercest, that none could be spared from the ranks to save the poor wounded wretches from the most horrible of deaths – being roasted alive. As the flames approached them and they became aware of their situation, their frantic screams were distinctly heard above the roar of battle that raged around them. Subsequently to this another conflagration, even more appalling, occurred. The woods on a portion of the battle field, where laid intermingled the dead and wounded of both armies, took fire, and many, whose wounds prevented their moving, were burned to death. It is said by some that Hooker had the woods fired to prevent our pursuit of his shattered divisions, but this story is too horrible to be believed even of a Yankee.
RICHMOND EXAMINER.