Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-10-30
Remarkable History Of a Bullet.

On the evening of the 18th of Febru-
airy, 1868, the then Capt. Russell Ell. Con-
well, of the 46th Massachusetts infantry,
was in command of the post at Newport
barracks, near Newbern, N. c., with a
force consisting Of part of the 10Th Massa-
chusetts, of the Sd New York cavalry, of
the 18th New York light battery, of a
part of the 9th New Jersey infantry, and
of battalion of North Carolina troops.
There had been sharp brush with the
rebels that day, and their pickets were
still close upon our lines. Capt. Conwell,
with orderly Parker, went the grand
rounds to inspect the pickets, and, in jump.
ing over fence in the starlight, came sud-
denly upon guard of seven or eight
rebels, who fired and fell back, as is the
rule. The nearest of them discharged a
revolver; Capt. Conwell dropped and
orderly Parker, bringing his bayonet to a
charge" with the musket at the rebels
breast, compelled a surrender. Our pickets
were a few rods off, and the captain was
taken into the camp He soon recovered,
and experienced no further inconvenience
from the wound. A little spot on the
shoulder showed the ball to have been
made of brass, and to be rif1ed missile
about the size of a pea.
Capt. Conwell continued in service in
various positions, in one action receiving
ball in his knee, which still remains.
His final retirement from the service was
caused by wound received at: Kenesaw
mountain, he having been for some time
lieutenant colonel, on Gen. McPherson's
staff. The wound broke his arm below
the elbow, dislocated the elbow, broke
the arm above the elbow, and shat
tered the shoulder some, and was receiv-
ed from fragment Of shell. He refused to
have it amputated, and fortunately it got
we'll In the meantime he was an invalid,
and subsequently was attacked with con-
sumption. BY the advice of physicians,
he travelled in Europe for some months,
and returned but little better
Coming to Boston, one of our surgeons
again examined him, told him he had no
consumption, and that his symptoms were
caused by the lost ball sinking down
through his lungs It's course could be
traced by sounding, and four weeks ago it
was found to have passed the lungs and
the pleura, and was then just behind the
fifth rib, and the right side, in front-that
is, near the waist. If itshould drop down
among the intestines, it would be fatal.
Col. Conwel has recently enjoyed ex-
cellent health, and last week attended the
military convention in Philadelphia. On
his return on Saturday noon last, at the
residence of DR.. L. L. Jacobs, on Fifth
avenue, New York, ether was admins
tered to him-an instrument a few feet
long, a hollow tube a little larger than a
pencil, with sort of clasp on the end.
was thrust into his body below the rib
turned up behind the bone, the bali
touched, clasped, and drawn out, and the
orifce closed, the whole operation occupy.
ing only five or six minutes.
The patient lay for two hours insensible
the weak condition of his right lung not
enabling it to rally, and his condition was
thought for time to be critical. He
finally recovered, took carriage, was
lifted thence into his berth in the steam.
boat, and reached Boston early next morn.
ing, whence he was conveyed in carriage
to his residence on Winter Hill, near the
Somerville Centre station of the Lowell
Railroad. Up to to-day he spoke in whis-
pers, but to-day the improved condition Of
his right lung, which is gradually recover.
ing from the effects of the operation, en-.
abled him to speak aloud. He is able to
walk around the house, looks the picture
of health, and expects to be abroad in a
very few days.-Bostop Tra0etler.