The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-05-28
q he @olt Unp.

.
The Tenaesty OF Life--A e~ng man Sur.
vfving tho Moss Terrible WeanAs and
sunerings.
A ST. Louis letter to Chicago paper r.
lates the following circumstances, which srs
almost too marvellous for belief:
There is now in the city a young man who
exhibits one of the most marvellous instances
Of the tenacity of life that /, at least, ever
saw recorded, and which viii not little puz-
zle men of science and surgical skill. The
man name is Vim. a. Brown. He was .
private in the Eighteenth Iowa infantry, and
enlisted in Sigourney in August, 1852 He
was in the memorable battle of Springfield,
Missouri, in which this noble regiment was
thrown into the breach at moment when
the fortunes of the day were almost lost, and
bears the marks Of the terrible fire which
greeted the bold charge of the brave Eight
eenth. Here he received a wound from .
shell.
He was next wounded at Poison Springs,
on the 18th of April. while the regiment,
which had been lei alone in the field, WAS
cutting its way through force six times its
strength. His wound at this place was from
ball in the side, which detained him from
duty for nearly month Passing through
the battle of Prairie de Anne, April, 1854,
and that of Jenkins Ferry, on the 18th Of
April unscathed, it was reserved for the reh-
81 guerilla and robber, Quantrel, to put his
life strength to the test. Brown, with four
comrades, was captured by this human bye
ma, and Brown was robbed of his clothing
and nearly nine hundred dollars in money
and watch. The four were tied to tree,
with their hands raised above their heads, q
rope around their bodies, and another around
their feet.
When thus secured, the guerillas then
formed in platoon of fifteen men. and tak-
ing position at short distance, discharged
their rifles and revolvers at these defenseless
men. commencing at one and continuing to
the next Brown was the last man left and
mind must fail utterly TO realize his feelings
as he listened TO the repeated volleys, and
listened to the death groans OF his comrades
Awhile these worse than fiends glutted their
venom on them. Having reached him at
last. he was asked by the leader of the band
if he had anything to say. He replied that
they might shoot away, whereupon they took
their station. A noise, flash, dropping
head, and all was dark with poor Brown.
Having finished their work, the demons
left the place. Strange TO say, these fifteen
balls failed 10 do the will of the guerrillas.
Brown survived. He was shot about ten
eclock in the afternoon, and was unconscious
till near evening, when he aroused from his
stupor, suffering intense agony and pain, yet
bound fast to the tree and his dead compan-
ion. For three days and nights he remained
thus. Added to all this were the pangs Of
hunger and thirst, and the fierce yells Of
pack of hungry wolves.
He was on the fourth day, discovered by
young lady named Mary Mills, who at once
brought him relief He was removed to Fort
- b. l..
the fact disclosed that the entire fifteen balls
had passed into his body. One penetrated
the head over the right eye, destroying
that organ, and is now lodged inside the
skull another entered the right eye, passing
around the skull. aud is now lodged under
the right ear; another entered the right
temple, and was removed from under the left
eve; another entered the left side of the
neck and lodged near the wind pipe, where it
now remains; another entered the body IN
der the right arm, passing through both
lobes of the lungs and out under the left
arm; two more were lodged under each hip,
where they now are, and breaking the bones
OF both five balls entered the right thigh
above thu knee, SCATTERING it badly and des>
troying almost the entire bone two balls en-
tered the left thigh, breaking the bone, and
there remain. Thus it will be seen that
eighteen bullets and fragment OF shell had
been shot into bis body, fourteen Of which are
still there, and be is not twenty three years
Of age.
His face is not SO badly disfgured as TO
make him at all ugly, while with the aid OF a
crutch and cane he is able to 60 about, yet
in a crippled condition. He is indeed the
wreck of fine looking, noble young man,
an ornament of heroism to his race, and
honor to his country and native State. He lie
cheerful in conversation and takes bis fate
like philosopher. he is now on visit here
with his relatives. His record seems almost
too marvellous to believe, yet there Is not q
question as to the facts as stated above.