The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-05-14

= 40 AC4AASSAeS vs.
LIfe-.-A Young Man Surviving the
Most Terrible Wounds apd Sc neFIng
A st, Louis letter TO a Chicago paper
relates the following circumstances,
which are almost too marvellous for be-
lief:
There is now in this city young
man who exhibits one OF the most mar
veIous instances Of the tenacity of life
that have seen recorded, and which
will not little puzzle men of science
and surgical skill. The mans name Is
William II. Brown. He was private
in the Eighteenth Iowa infantry, and
enlisted at Sigourney in August, 1862,
He was in the memorable battle Of
Springfield, Missouri, inWhich this no.
BILE regiment was thrown into the
breach at a moment when the fortunes
OF the day were almost lost, and bears
the mark of the terrible fire which greet
ed the bold charge of the bold EiRh-
tenth. Here he received a wound from
a shell. He was next wounded Poi
son Springs, on the 18th of April, while
the regiment, which had been left alone
on the field, was cutting its way through
IA force six times its strength.
His wound at this place was
from a ball in the side, which
detained him from duty for near
~ a month. Passing through the bat
tie of Prairie de Anne, April, 1854, and
that OF Jenkins Ferry, on the 29th Of
April, unscathsd, 1t was reserved for
the rebel guerrilla and robber, Guam
trell to put his life strength to the ties t.
Brown, with four comrades, was cap
tured by this human hyenA, and Brown
was robbed of his clothing and nearly
nine hundred dollars in money and a
watch. The four were then tied to a
tree, with their hands raised above
their heads, a rope around their bodies,
and another around their feet. When
thus secured the guerrillAs then formed
in q platoon of fifteen men, and taking
position at short distance, discharged
their rifles and reVolvets at these de-
EenceleSs men, commencing at one and
continuing to the next. Brown was the
last man left, and mind must utterly
fail to realize his feelings as he listen
ed to the repeated volleys, and heard
the death groans of his comrades.
Awhile these worse than fiends glntted
their venom on them. Having reached
him at last, he was asked BIZ the leader
of the gang II he had anything to say.
He replied that they might shoot away,
whereupon they took their position.
A noise, flash, dropping head, and
all was dark with poor Brown.
Having finished their work, the de-
mons left the place. Strange to say,
those fifteen balls Eailed.to do the will
Of the guerrillas. Brown survived,
He was shot about ten o'clock in the
forenoon, and was unconscious till
near evening, when he aroused from
his stupor, feeling intense agony and
pain, yet bound fast enough 70 the tree
and his dead companions. For three
days and nights he remained thus.
Added to this were the pains Of hunger
and thirst, and the fierce yells of u pack
of hungry wolves. He was on the
fourth day, discovered by a young lady
named Mary Mills, who at once
brought him relief He was removed
to Fort Scott, where his wounds were
examined and the fact disclosed that
the entire fifteen balls had passed into
his body. One penetrated the head
over the right eye, destroying that or
gan, and Is now lodged inside the skull;
another entered the right eye, passed
around the skull, and Is now lodged
under the right ear; another entered the
right temple and was removed from I'M
der the len eye; another entered the
LEFT side of the neck and lodged near
the windpIpe, where it now re-
mains; another entered the body under
the right arm, passed through both
lobes OF the lungs; two: more were
lodged under each hip, where they now
are, and breaking the bones OF both;
five balls entered the right thigh above
the knee, shattering il badly, and de-
stroYing almost the entire bone; two
balls entered the left thigh, breaking
the bone, and there remain.
Thus 1t will be seen that eighteen
bullets and fragment of shell had
been shot into his body, fourteen of
which are still there, and he is
not twenty-three years OF age. His
face IS not SO badly disfgured as to
make him ugly, while with, the aid Of a
crutch and cane he Is able to go about,
yet in crippled condition. He Is in.
deed the wreck of a fine looking, noble
young man, an ornament Of heroism to
his race, and honor to his country and
native State. He Is cheerful in CONVEX
sation, and takes his fate like philos-
opher. BE Is now on visit here with
his relatives. His record seems almost
90 marvellous to believe, yet there Is
above. :. ..l.'757 :