The Portland daily press., 1881-12-15
The Ecoentricities Of Bullets.

At the battle of Peach Orchard, when Nc
Cellan was making his change of base,
Michigan infantryman fell to the ground as il
shot stone dead, and was left lying in heap
as the regiment changed position. The ball
which hit him frst struck the barrel Of his
gun, glanced and struck button off his coat,
tore the watch out of his vest pocket, and was
stopped there by song-book in his shirt pock-
ct. He was unconscious for three-quarters Of
an hour, and it was full month before the
black and blue spot disappeared. At Pittsburg
Landing, member of the Twelfth Michigan
Regiment of Infantry stopped to give wounded
man drink from his canteen. While in the
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 sec
ond battle of Bull Run, as New York in
fantryman was passing his plug Of tobacco to
a comrade, bullet struck the plug, glanced
off, and buried itself in knapsack. The to-
bacco was rolled up like a ball Of shavings,
and carried hundred feet away. Directly in
the line of the bullet was the head of lieu
tenant, and had not the bullet been DETECTED
he would certainly have received it. AS 1t
was he had both eyes filed with tobacco dust,
and had to be led to the rear. At Brandy Sta
tion one of Clusters troopers had his left STIR
rup-strap cut away by a grapeshot, which
passed between his leg and the horse, blistering
his skin as if a red-hot iron had been used.
He dismounted to ascertain the extent of his
injuries, and as be bent over, bullet knocked
his hat off and killed his horse. In the same
fight was a trooper who had suffered several
-
fight he received pistol ball in his right
cheek. 1t knocked out his aching double
tooth, and passed out of the left hand corner
of his mouth, taking along part Vf an upper
tooth. The joy OF being rid OF the toothache
was so great that the trooper could not be
made to go to the rear TO have his wound
dressed. An object, however tritliDg, will turn
the bullet from its true course. This was
shown one day at the remount camp in Pleas
ant Valley. They had q "bull pen" there, IN
which about five hundred bounty jumpers and
other hard cases were under guard. Once IN a
while one Of these men would make a break
for liberty. Every sentinel in position would
open fire, and it did not matter in the least il
the man ran toward the crowded camp. On
this occasion the prisoner made for the camp,
and as many as six shots were fred at him
without effect. One Of the bullets entered the
tent of a captain in the Twelfth Pennsylvania
Cavalry He was lying down, and the course
of the bullet would have bcried IL 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 being snuffed out. The ball was de-
flected and buried in the pillow under the Off
GERS hear, passed out Of that and through his
tent into the one behind ii, passed between
two men and brought up against a camp kettle.
There is in Detroit Michigan, man who was
wounded five times in less than ten minutes at
Fair Oaks. The first bullet entered his left
arm; the second gave him scalp wound; the
third hit him in the foot; the fourth buried it
self in his shoulder; the fifth entered his right
leg. While he was being carried to the rear
the first two men who took him were killed.
While his wounds were being dressed an ex-
lanche of dirt. In being removed farther to
the rear, runaway ambulance horse carried
him half mile and dumped him out, and yet
he is seemingly hale and hearty, and walks
without limp.