Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-07-08
Close Calls.


He~ Near . soldier Caa Gene - Death
At the battle Of Peach Orchard. when Nc
Clellan was making his change of base, q
Michigan infantryman fell to the ground a.
il shot stone dead and was left living in a
heap as the regiment changed position. Tn,
ball which hit him first struck the barrel o
his gun, glanced and struck button of hi.
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 unconcious for three
! quarters Of an hour, and il was q full month
before the black and blue spot disappeared.
At Pittsburg Landing. member Of the
Twelfth Michigan Infantry stopped down to
give a wounded man drink from his can
teen. While in this act bullet aimed a,
his breast struck the can,een, turned aside
passed through the body Of man and burr
ed itself in the leg Of a horse. The can,een
was split open and dropped to the grou nd
! in halves.
| At the second battle Of Bull Run. a. a
New York infantryman was passing his plug
| of tobacco 10 a comrade, bullet struck the
| plug and glanced of and buried itself in a
knapsaok. The tobacco was rolled up like
a ball of shavings and carried hundred feet
away. Directly in line Of the ball was the
head Of a lieutenant. and had not the bulle,
been detected he would certainly have re-
ceived 1t. As it was, he had both eyes filed
with tobacco dust. and had to be led 10 the
rear.
At Brandy Station one Of Clusters troop
ers had his left stirrup strap cut away by a
grape-sho,, which passed between his leg
and the horse, blistering his skin as If n red.
hot iron had been used. He dismounted to
ascertain the nature Of his injury, and as he
bent over. bullet knocked his hat of and
killed his horse. In the same fight was
trooper who had suffered several DAYS with
toothachc. In a hand-to-hand fight he re-
ceiyed n pistol ball in the righ, cheek II,
Knocked out his aching double tooth and
passed out Of the left hand corner Of his
mouth, taking part Of an upper tooth along
The JOY Of being rid Of the ,oothache was so
great that the trooper could no, be made 10
20 to the rear TO have his wound dressed.
An object however trihing will turn bul-
let from Its true course. This was shown
one day al the remount camp IN Pleasant
Valley. They had bull pen" there, in
which about 500 bounty jumpers and other
hard cases were under guard. Once in
for liberty. Every sentinel in position would
open tire, and it did not matter in the least
II the man ran towards the crowded camp.
on this occasion a prisoner made for the
camp, and many as six shots were fired al
him without effect. One of the bullets en-
tered the tent Of captain in the Twelfth
Prnnsy ylyania Cavalry. He vas lying down,
and the course Of the bullet would have
buried il in his chest Fortunately for him,
the candle by which he Vas reading SAT on
stand between him and where the bullet en-
tered. This was struck and cut square in
two, and the lighted end dropped to the
floor without being snufed out The ball
was DETECTED, and buried itself in the pillow
under the officers head. passed out OF that
and through his tent, entered one behind it,
passed between two men and brought UP
against camp kettle.
There is in Detroit TO-DAY man who was
wounded Ave times in less than ten minutes
al Fair Oaks The frs, bullet entered his
lef arm the second gave him 4 scalp wound;
the third hit him in the foot; the fourth
buried itself in his shGIlder the fifth enter
ed his right leg. While he was being car
ned To the rear the first two men who took
him we're killed. While his wounds were
being dressed an exploding shell almos,
buried him under an avalanche Of dirt. In
being removed farther to the rear a runaway
ambulance horse carried him half mile and
dumped him out, and yet to-day he is seem
ingly hale and hearty and walks without
limp.-Detroit Free Press.