The National tribune., 1881-12-03
THE ECCENTRICITIEs OF BULLETS.

At the battle of Peach Orchard when McClel
Ian was making his change of base Michigan
infantryman fell to the ground as if shot stone
dead, and was left lying in heap as the regi
ment changed position. The ball which hit him
first struck the barrel of his gun, glanced and
struck a button off his coat, tore the watch out
of his vest pocket and then struck the man just
over the heart, and was stopped there by song
book in his SID pocket. He was unconscious
for three-quartNn of an hour, and it was full
month before NE black and blue spot dis
appeared.
AT Pittsburg Landing, a member of the
Twelfth Michigan regiment of infantry stopped
to give a wounded man a drink from his canteen
While in the act, a 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 New
York infantryman was passing his plug of tobac-
co to comrade bullet struck the plug, glanced
off and buried itself in knspsack. The tobacco
was rolled up like ball of shavings, and carried
a hundred feet away. Directly in the line of the
bullet was the head of lieutenant, and had not
the bullet been DETECTED, 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 1eft-stirrup strap cut away by grape shot,
which passed between his leg and the horse, bis
tering his skin as if red-hot iron had been used
He dismounted to ascertain the extent of his in
iuries, and as he bent over bullet knocked his
hat off and killed his horse. In the same fight
was trooper who had suffered several days
with a toothache. In hand to hand fight he
received pistol ball in his right cheek. It
knocked out his aching double tooth, and pass
ed out the left hand corner Of his mouth, taking
along a part of an upper tooth. The Joy of being
rid of the toothache was great that the trooper
could not be made to 90 to the rear to have his
wound dressed.
An object, however trif1ing, will turn the bull
let from its true course. This was shown one
day at 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 a while one of these men would
make break for liberty. Every sentinel in po-
sition would open fire, and it did not matter in
the least if the men ran toward the crowded
camp. On this occasion the prisoner made for
the camp, and as many as six shots were fired at
him without effect. One of these bullets entered
the tent of a captain in the Twelfth Pennsylva-
mia cavalry. He was lying down, and the course
of the bullet would have buried it in his chest
Fortunately for him candle by which he was
reading sat on a stand between him and where
the bullet entered. This was struck and cut
square in two, and the lighted end dropped to
the floor without being snuffed out The ball
was DETECTED and buried in the pillow under
the officers head, passed out of that and through
his tent into the one behind it, passed between
two men and brought up against a camp kettle