The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-08-09
THE 494'ff CITY.
TUESDAY, AUG. >. 4

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Camp Fuller Rsigde,
sssAy Near Rossyflie. Georgia. tss7
a.ass~s ~ saaas July Is, 1864. ~
u Editor Of the cAda.soeoe Gasests.
SIR: A most remarkable stroke III
s.,s lightning occurred last evening In this
sA- camp, killing aud wonhdfng sbout fifteen
soldiers, aid killing and shocking severe.,
ly several teahs, description Of which
NAV be interesting to your readers.
Mr.. Pollock, regimental waeonmasfer,.
scientific gentleman. who observed the
ga beginning Of the storm closely, relates,
ss'a that assabout six O'Clock r. \. the heavy
clouds gathering in the west divided, one
part passing Southwark and the other
passing Northvard, both emitting light
ming and rain, and finally coming toyeth.
er again right over the feth army CORPS,
carnped on the high hills on the, South
bank of the Chattahoochee, at Rossvile
bridge. AT the moment of the union Of
.ssiathesrwo clouds. the most vivid and ioce<-
SAINT flashes Of lightning wore emitted,
followed BY Thunder peals, aiaaost equal
se' ing 'cur own cannon, with deafening,
Neutrality-suspicious. appalling effect. TIE
discharge which did the principal damage
aas in the 18th regiment Missouri in.aotry.
~ an observer relates, deseended from the
.,,,. cloud .. . very low slti.ads, and sho.
across tue road, lurd, horizontal vol
ume of & me about the thickness of
mans body. 1t struck \ tail oak about
ninety feet high and thirty inches thick,
on high point of ground. and desc nd
j., ed. splitting itfrom The heart, butthsow-
lug no spuuters At the base OF the tree,
where a large number.of soldiers had bl
-vouacked; the fluid seemed 10 leave the
tree and its roots aud dart.ons IN every
direction IN great number of lurid ia,s
similar to those OF a large mass OF pig
iron 1T white heat under The trip ham
mer, except, instead of filing 10 sparks,
they were in continuous streams. All
this was the voik Of only an instas.
Nearly the whole regiment was stunned
and blinded. Many lay shocked 10 in
sensbility. A whole six mule team, at
the distance OF go yards were thro .
s dowu.~Just At this juncturs, the dis
charge OF the cloud seemed TO strike in
brigade, have since learned, killing and
woundIng men and animals
Now TOR description of freaks. Those
little Jsts running from the trunk Of ihs
Z celamu of electric fluid. something like
the roots and tine roolIets of large tree.
penetrated everything they came in con
tact with, With more penetration than a
bullet; and some of them we're no larger
than knitting needle. la their pome-
lures they made no indentive like bullet.
but burnt their way Everything they
touched-blankets. clothing, hair, skin,
b., paper. etc, bad the appearance OF vitrol
sprlnkled over them. fhe appearance OF
the vicinity generally, was that of large
quantity OF vtrol having burst and
r spriuklsd In fine jets around. | exanI-
iued one soldiers knapsack aud contents.
Que little jet sbout the size of buck shot
had entered it. penetrated twenty six
folds OF his blanket, penetrated through
his portfoIlo-through letters, envelopes.
qalIes ut paper. dsguerreo, ypes and the
brass clasp OF the portfolio Several men
were burned, ana the appearance of the
skin is like that Of scsIdlDg water having
run from the head to the heels. singeing
hair. aud burning tue skin 10 a blister,
and IN some instances deep into the fissh,
Eight guns standing by the tree were
discharged without injury TO the guns.--
Corporal John Taylor, company /, and
private John Hensel, company l, were
killed. Eight members Of the eame com
pany severely burned. Those near the
tree received currents Of fluid which ran
along their bodies Those at a distance
bore the appearance on their skins of hav-
ing stood iu The spatters aud corrusca-
tions of molten iron from trip hammer
Three men Of the I'd U. S. battery wcrs
killed. A white four mule team with
driver and negro man on the opposite cid,
of the river were killed.
Examining the topography of the coun
try, l am of the opinion that the vss
number of arms. nu>kets aud steel can
non, drew those two clouds together owe
thar spot, as it was no higher than man,
other bills in their course in the vicinity
The clouds passed low in their Who'll
route for miles, bat did not unite nor dis
charge until arriving over the 18th corps
which was camped close together.
Yours,
WM HEMPsTREET, ~
t Captsin 18th Missouri Iniantry.