ELECTRICITY. 



From General G. W. Dodge, U. S. A., Fort Leavenworth, March 16, 1866. 



My corps (the IGtli) reached Reswell Sunday noon, Jnly 10, 1865, and we 

 immediately crossed the river, and worked until Wednesday night putting in a 

 double-track trestle bridge. The weather was excessively hot, the hottest, I 

 think, we experienced during the campaign. On the south side of the river my 

 6orps was formed very compact in a tete du pont, covering the bridge, for I had 

 all my artillery in position, and most of the infantry had their arms stacked, as 

 there were heavy details for work on the bridge. It was finished about 5 p. m. 

 Wednesday, and the 15th corps, which amved there that day, commenced cross- 

 ing about 6 p. m. A gale of wind arose, blowing terrifically for 15 minutes, 

 when the thunder-shower came on, the rain pouring down in toiTcnts, and the 

 thunder and lightning close together, and hardly any distinction from one peal 

 to another. It was so strong that at times the 15th corps had to halt. This 

 corps was crossing the bridge during the storm, and passed directl}' through my 

 lines, and went to the left, there not being room in rear of my entrenchments 

 for it to Invouac, and it was halted right on the road and on the bridge, thus 

 being in the midst of my corps at the heaviest part of the shower. The light- 

 ning first struck on the hill, on the south side of the river, in a battery in position ; 

 then in a regiment of infantry a short distance to the right; then on the north 

 side of the bridge, in the valley, and right at the head of the bridge, where my 

 pioneer corps Vv'as camped, killing one man and several mules. During this 

 time it struck one or two other points, doing no damage, however. Horses and 

 men in the 15th corps, on the bridge, were knocked down, but not materially 

 injured ; and a great many in the 15th and 16th corps felt the shock. It was 

 the most destructive in the battery. In my corps 33 or 34 were killed or 

 wounded, and quite a number — 1 believe 18, but I may be mistaken — were 

 killed outright. The wounded were burned, paralyzed, and shocked — some 

 severely, some slightly, but all had to be put in hospital. On the bodies 

 of the killed could be traced the tracks of the lightning ; so I was told, but I did 

 not examine them. They were not much, if any, mutilated ; and I remember it was 

 spoken of that one or two of the killed had not even a trace on them. Several 

 stacks of muskets were struck, bent up, butts split, &c. It was one of the 

 most terrific storms I ever experienced, and the lightning appeared to strike 

 close around us at every flash for nearly half an hour. It struck close to my 

 tents, so close that all in them felt the shock sensibly. They were pitched on 

 the bluifs north of the river, one-half mile from the line, where most of the 

 damage was done. No persons were injured except in my corps. It was Lieu- 

 tenant Maury's light battery F, 2d United States artillery, that suffered most. 

 I forget the regiments of infantry, but it included two or three. 



I think the storm came from the northwest, but I will not be certain about 

 this. I know that, although it was only six o'clock or thereabouts, it was so 

 dark that we could not see. The heavens were very black, and all light of day 

 seemed to be shut out. The ground, trees, and some stone buildings W'e had 

 erected were struck. The storm did not extend very far to the north of us, nor 

 to the south. Its track seemed to be from the northwest to the southeast. I 

 ordered the medical officer to make a full report, stating the circumstances, the 

 nature of the wounds on both killed and wounded, which was done, and properly 



