Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-06-13
HAIR BREADTH ESCAPES.

!
At the battle of Antietam, Yer
mont soldier got strayed away from
his regiment, and finding it impossi
bic to return, concluded to fight Oh
his own hook. Happening to see 9
hollow stump, he got inside, and in
that position fired ninety shots, part
of which be gathered from the dead
soldiers around him. During this
time the balls whistled around his
fertilization, as he described it, ''like
nor wester round a log barn." sew
eral of them striking the stump
At last a shell exploded over his
head, a piece of which fell inside the
stump. Thinking it rather hot he
evacuated his fort, ana before he
had gone ten steps another shell ex-
ploded in the very spot he had left,
tearing the stump into shivers.
One of the Texas soldiers was ad-
vancing with his bayonet upon a
Lieutenant of the 9th Iowa, whose
sword had been broken. The officer
saw his intention, avoided his thrust,
fell down at his foeman' feet, caught
hold Of his legs, threw him heavily
to the ground, and before he could
rise drew a long knife from his ad
versary's belt and buried it in his
bosom.
The Texan, with dying gasp seized
the Lieutenant by the hair, and sank
down lifeless, bathing the brown
leaves with his blood. So firm was
the hold of the nerveless hand, that
it was necessary to cut the hair from
the head of the officer before he
could be freed from the corpse of
his foe.
Among the phenomena Of the fight
was the condition of the uniform of
Captain Bennett 1t had eight bullet
holes in it. One through the collar of
his coat, one through the right coat
sleeve, one through both pantaloons
and drawers above the right knee,
and through the skirts of his coat
There was not scratch on this man s
skin.
A soldier came suddenly upon a
number of the enemy who fired at
him. Suddenly retreatiGg, his KNAPP
sack, belt, indeed his entire "traps"
were shot away, bat he got off with
out wound.
Corporal Springer, of the 18th
Indiana, whom Colonel Wilder says
is the best soldier he ever saw in
danger, had charge of the rihed gun
near the stockade. He would jump
on the parapet to see the effect of
his shots, amidst hail storm of
balls. He saw Bragg and Buckner,
and staff riding q mile distant, and
FREQ at them. Buckner afterwar1
inquired after Springer, and stated
that the first of his two shells struck
within thirty feet and the second
passed within four feet of his head
without exploding.
At Mountain Run, "a small branch
which joins the Rappahannock,
Federal battery of six pieces com
menced 10 throw shells by way of di-
version, but were promptly engaged
by the Donaldsonville battery Lou
isiana, Capt. Mora, and soon after
retired. In this affair, Gen. Roger
A. Prior had narrow escape
While sitting on fence by the road
side, shell burst Immediately over
his head. and the fragments dashed
into the ground around him on every
side, without deing injury.
"Humph'' said Pryor, "they mis-
take my position. am not so high
as that
He wore a high felt hat, and was
in plain sight of the Federal artiller-
lists, who were probably amusing
themselves by firing at Sc important
q target.
General Wilcox likewise received
similar attentions. He was riding i'll
advance of the army, attended by a
single trooper, when the latter dis
covered one of the Yankee pickets
peeping over the top of a boulder.
"Shall I bring him DOWN." said the
soldier, raising his piece to his
shoulder.
'No," replied the General; "the
distance is too great, better not waste
your powder"
Hardly were the words cut of his
mouth before 'swhiz"-a Minnie ball
flew within three inches of the Gen
erals ear, and lodged in the bank
behind him.
"You may shoet,' said Wilcox.
While the division of General
Kearney was halting at Manassas
junction, General Kearney suggest
ed to Brigadier General Birney the
propriety of making 8 reconnaissance
towards Centerville. General Bir-
ney took with him some orderlies,
and about twenty cavalrymen, and
started in the direction indicated, to
which point, from Manassas, the dis
tance is four miles. As he proceed
ed along he saw nothing of Secesh,
but as a precautionary measure, to
prevent surprise, he would occasion
ally send one of the cavalry in this
direction, another in some other, and
by so doing lessening the number he