Connecticut western news., 1880-06-16
Very Close Calls.
HOW NEAR SOLDIER CAN COME TO DEATH.

At the battle of Peach Orchard, Mich igan infantryman fell to the ground as if shot stone dead, and was left lying in a heap as the regiment changed position. The ball which hit him first struck the barrel of his gun, glanced and struck button of his coat, tore the watch out of his vest pocket, and then struck the man just over his heart and was stopped there by a song book in his shirt pocket He was unconscious for three-quarters of an hour, and it was full month be- fore the black and blue spot disappeared.
 At Pittsburgh Landing a member of the Twelfth Michigan Infantry stopped down to give wounded man drink from his canteen. While in this act bullet aimed at his breast struck the canteen, turned aside, passed through the body of man and buried itself in the leg of horse. The canteen was split open, and dropped to the ground in halves.
 At the second battle of Bull Run as Q New York infantryman was passing his plug of tobacco to comrade bullet struck the plug and glanced off and buried itself Fin 8 knapsack. The to- bacco was rolled up like ball of shaw ings and carried hdAdred feet away. Directly in line of the ball was the head of lieutenant, and had not the bullet been defected he would certainly have received it. As it was he had both eyes filled with tobacco dust and had to be led to the rear.
 At Brandy Station one of Clusters | troopers had his left stirrup-strap cut away by grape-shot, which passed be- tween his leg and the horse, blisterine his skin as if red-hot iron had been used. He dismounted to ascertain the nature of his injury, and as he bent ovel bullet knocked his hat off and killed his horse. In the same fight was @ trooper who had suffered several days with toothache. In hand-to-hand en' counter he received a pistol ball in the right cheek. It knocked out his aching double tooth and passed out of the left hand corner of his mouth, taking part O an upper tooth along. The joy of being rid of the toothache was so great tha the trooper could not be made to go tc the rear to have his wound dressed.
 An object, no matter how trifiing, vii turn bullet from its true course. Thi was shown one day at the remount caml in Pleasant Valley. They had "bul pen" there in which about zoo bount, jumpers and other hard cases were unde guard. Once in while one of thes men would make @ break for liberty Every sentinel in position would opel fire, and it did not matter in the least the man ran toward the crowded camp On this occasion prisoner made for tn camp, and as many as six bullets wer fired at him without effect. One of tn bullets entered the tent of captain Ii the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. H was lying down, and the course of tn bullet would have buried it in his chest Fortunately for him the candle by whicl he was reading sat on stand between him and where the bullet entered. Thi was struck and cut square in two, an the lighted end dropped to the foo without being snuffed out. The ball wa defected and buried itself in the pillo, under the officers head, passed out c that and through his tent, entered on behind it, passed between two men, am brought up against camp kettle.
 There is in Detroit to-day man wh was wounded five times in less than tel minutes at Fair Oaks. The first bulle entered his left arm the second gay him scalp wound; the third hit him il the foot the fourth buried itself in hi shoulder; the fifth entered his righ leg. While he was being carried to tn rear the first two men who took him wer killed While his wounds were being dressed an exploding shell almost burie' him under an avalanche of dirt In beinI removed further to the rear runawa ambulance horse carried him half mil and dumped him out, and yet to-day h is seemingly hale and hearty and walk without limp.