Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-12-21
GEN. COUPONS TNJURrEs.
His wounds at Sharpsburg
w Dnnded Five Times at One Bat
tIe-Hfs Strange Mental Com

His wounds at sharpsburg :
] pnnded Five Times at one bat.
tIe-His Strange Mental Con
dit ga.
Atlanta (Ga.) Condition Nov. %.
AT Sharpsburg Gen. Gordon, then
a colonel, furnished the sublimest
spectacle of endurance and courage
TAFT | link Is furnished by the an-
nhals. Before the battle Lee rode
down the lines, and expressed doubt
as 10 Gordon's being able to hold
his position, and conveyed him an
IDEA of the importance of his doing
so. Gordon, turning SO that his
men could hear him, said "Gen.
Lee, my men are determined to stay
here.o Then the battle opened.
Line after line was thrown upon
Gordon's front. But from that
dauntless front they were thrown
back as often as they marched
against it. The slaughter was ter
rible. The ground was literally
blue with corpses of the enemy,
while only six men of the right
wing of the regiment were left.
But the line never Wavered. The
men had CONS - stay" and, dead
or alive they were deter mined TO
" stay"
Gordon was wounded early in the
fight. A mimic bail passea through
the calf of his leg, tearing the flesh
in Il most fearful manner. the flow
of blood was imceSs mt, bu, ne mad
no time To Staunch tae wound. In
/, IL hf.gs | oil
plunged thrOu rn the same leg aD0uI
a foot above WAere the other had
gone The less ol blood fl IN i e T.
two wour Us weakened hin bu
He STILL KEPT HIS FEET
and gave his orders calm and Gle 10
to his men, who we're lying on their
faces. An nour later he was sI,.
again, the bail tearing through hl, |
lie arm, making hideous wound |
and cutting a SIN Il artery. Thi~ |
disabled his arm and helped drain |
his weakened system, but still, hag- /
gard and bloody, he staggered up /
and down the line encouraging his /
men. A fourth ball then entered |
his shoulder. knocking him fro
his feet. His men who saw the |
crinsoned uniform and pale face go /
down thought their hero leader WAS
killed. With sublime courage, /
however, he struggled to his feet,
and though he had hardly strength
to stand, waived his sword above
his head, and called to his men to
remain firm. Some one ran to him
hastily and said it was rumOred up
the line that he was dangerously
and that the men were
"Tell them that l am
not hurt" he said. And so, through
those dreadful hours Of slaughter,
with four unstanrhed wounds draw
ing blood from his body, he stood
determined to die with his men and
IN defence of the part that Lee had
,onfided to his trust.
AT length fifth bail struck Cor
ion full in the face, and, entering
lis cheek. knocked him senselesS.
He fell, and for some time his pros
rate body was wrapped in the
;mOke of battle.
We hear
FROM GEN. GORDON's OWN LIPS
story that, in metaphysical point,
5 exceedingly interesting. He says
when he fell he was utterly incapa-
BE of moving. He gradually be-
ran to think of his condition, and ]
his is the half dream and half sOIil-
,quy that he carried on: " | have
)een struck in the head with six
pound solid shot. 1t has carried
way my head. On the left side
= IF Oh loft /
But the brain is gone entirely.
am dead. And yet /
m thinking. How can man
hink with his head shot off. And
f / am thinking, / cannot be dead.
md yet no man can live after his
lead is shot off. / may have con-
ciousness while dead, but not mo-
ion. If l can lift my leg, then /
m alive. l will try that. Can I?
les, there it is lifted up! Pm all
light ~
The general says that every stage
fthis soliloquy is indplibly stamped
n his mind, and that in his eX-
austed state the reasoning was car
led on as logically as ever man
9asOned at his desk. Doubt sue
aeded argument and argument
isplaced doubt just as Iogi-
ally as could be. He says he
ill never forget with what anxiety
e made the test of lifting his Leg
18th what agony he waited to see
'hether or not it would move in
to his effort, and he hesi-
ted before trying it for fear that it
hight fail and his death be thereby