Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-12-21
WEST VIRGINIA. SATURDAY, DEC H. 1878
GORDON AT sHARPsBURG.
WOUNDED FIVE TINES IN One BATTLE
"A MAN NcT TO BE KILLED BY BULLETS.

WOUNDED FIVE TINES IN One BATTLE
"A MAN NcT TO BE KILLED BY BULLETS.
at Snarpsburg General (uow Senator)
Gordon (then coloneD furnished the
sublimest spectacle of endurance and
courage that think is furnished by the
annals. Before the battle Lee rode
down the lines and expressed doubt as
TO Gordon's being able to hold his posi-
ton, and conveyed to him an idea OF
the importance of his doing so. Gordon,
turned so that his men could hear him,
said: General Lee. my men are deter
mined that they will stay here"
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 terrific.
The ground was literally blue with the
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 come to ''stay," and, dead
or alive, they were determined to"stay.
Gordon was wounded early in the
fight. a Minnie ball passed through
the calf Of his leg, tearing the flesh in a
most fearful manner. The flow OF blood
was incessaut, but he had no time to
staurch the wound In about half
hour another ball plunged through the
same leg, about foot above where the
other had gone. The loss of blood from
these two wounds weakened him, but
he still kept his feet and gave his orders
calm ard clear to his men, who were
lying on their faces. An hour later he
was shot again, the ball tearing through
his left arm, making hideous wound
and cutting a small artery. This dis
abled his arm aud helped drain his
weakened system, but still, haggard and
bloody, he staggered up and down the
line, encouraging his men. A fourth
ball then entered his shoulder, knocking
him from his feet. His men who saw
the orimsoned unform and pale face go
down thought their heroic leader was
killed. With sublime courage, how
ever,he struggled to his feet, land though
he had hardly strength to stand waved
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
wounded aud that the men were waver-
ing. Tell them | am not hurt, he
said. And so through those dreadful
hours OF slaughter, with four unsiauch-
ed wounds drawing blood from his
body, he stood, determined to die with
his men and in defense Of the part that
Lee had confided to his trust. Al length
a fifth ball struck Gordon full in the
face, and entering bis cheek knocked
him senseless. lie fell, and for some
time his PROSTATE body was wrapped in
the smoke of battle. We hear from
General Gordon's own lips story that
"a metaphysical point is exceedingly in
teresting. He said that when he fell he
was utterly incapable of moving. He
gradually began to think of his condi-
ton, and this is the half dream and half
solloquy that he carried on: 81 have
been struck in the head with six poand
solid shot. II has carried away my
head. On the left side there is little
piece of skull left. But the brain is en-
iireIy. Therefore, am dead. And yet
I am thinking. How can man think
with his head short OFF, And if | am
thinking, I cannot be dead. And yet
no man can live after his bead is shot
off. / may have consciousness while
dead but not motion. If | can lift my
leg, then am alive. l will try that.
Can 1? Yes, there it is; lifted up! I'm
all right" The General says that every
stage of this soliloquy is iudelibly stamp
ed on his mind, and that in his exhaust
ed state the reasoning was carried on as
logically as ever man reasoned at his
desk. Doubt succeeded argument and
argument displaced doubt just as logi-
cally as could be. He says he will
never forget with what anxiety he made
the test of lifting his leg-with what
agony he waited to see whether or not
it would move in response to his effort
and how he hesitated before trying il
for fear that it might fail aud bis death
be thereby demonstrated.