The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-05-26

]
The Fifth New York man was next to
fall, shot in a similar manner as the
colored man. Seeing all were destined
to the same fate, the soldier sprang to
the left, in hopes of placing some of the
large trees between himself and the
confederates; but his movement was
not quick enough, and he received two
balls in the lower left limb, which
felled him to the ground. The confed-
crates then came up at a very close
range, inflicting the remainder of the
wounds. AS many as twenty rounds
must have been fired at him. The last
shot penetrated the left breast, render
ing him unconscious, and was fired in
such close proximity that the powder
from the muzzle of the gun burned the
clothing. The shooting occurred, as
near as he could judge, about five P. NJ.
He lay in an unconscious state until
after sunrise the next morning. With
returning consciousness came indescrib-
able suffering from pain and burning
thirst. After several Intellectual at
tempts to get upon his knees, he began
to crawl toward the two dead men, in
the hope of securing water from their
canteens, but, to his great disappoint-
ment, neither canteen nor water was
found. Remembering having crossed
a brook while under guard just previous
to the shooting, he began again to crawl
to the rear on his right side, dragging his
left side, which was perforated with
holes, after him. Only a few feet at
time could be travelled, as his wounds
began to bleed again afresh. The
whole of the day, into early evening,
was consumed, although the distance
was not over forty rods. AT length,
almost exhausted from his long and
painful effort, he reached the brook,
and in his eagerness he crawled into it,
allowing his whole body to be sub
merged while he drank. So refreshing
was the draught it infused new life into
him. Crawling upon the bank he took
long rest, and in making the attempt
found he could get upon his knees but
not upon his feet, for the bone of the
lower left limb had been splintered and
otherwise weakened by the gunshot
wounds. And now occurred to this
wounded, bleeding hero one of those
remarkable interpretations of a divine
Providence, which, exhausted as he
was, he nevertheless had the wit and
undaunted courage, despite his desper-
ate condition, to avail himself of. While
lying upon the bank an old, faded,
cast-off cavalry horse which had escaped
shooting by the rear guard by leaving
the road, came through the woods and
approached the brook where he lay for
drink. Seeing the soldier upon the
ground he came up and smelled of him.
Selling him with the right hand by the
forelock, he succeeded in pulling him
self up to standing position; he next
unfastened his suspenders, and with his
right hand and teeth made moose Sc
cure to the under jaw. The horse,
nearly as feeble as himself, was
now allowed to drink, and then
fastened to shrub near by. After
resting awhile he began making the at
tempt to mount. BY crawling as be-
fore, he led the animal to the trunk of
fallen tree and secured him along
side, and then crawled out on the tree,
which was on level with the animals
back, where he was secured. Several
unsuccessful attempts were made to
mount or crawl from the tree to the
horses back, in two of which he was
precipitated to the ground with much
pain. AT length gaining the animals
back, he urged him forward, trusting in
God, letting him take his own course,
which he did with feeble, faltering
steps. After some time he brought him
out of the woods on the main road over
which General Wilson's cavalry had
passed, the line of march being marked
by dead horses, shot by the rear guard
to prevent their being picked up by the
! Il 10,
ing on the road mile or more, he saw
house on the left which was lighted
up, through the windows of which he
saw persons moving around. Worn
and exhausted, he turned into the yard,
where he was greeted by the inevitable
cur dog, which snapped viciously at
him, the noise of which attracted the
attention of the people in the house,
who came out, and to whom he dis
closed his plight, whereupon the man
of the house ordered two of his colored
men to lift him from the horse, after
which he was given some bread and
milk. Learning that the Union lines
were only some four miles distant from
the house, and that he was on the right
road, he determined to make the at
tempt to reach them, but on again be-
ing lifted upon the animals back he
found it impossible to retain his seat;
all his strength had been exhausted in
making the journey thus far, and he
was so weak he could not sit upright.
So he was allowed to be carried by the
the colored men to the piazza of the
house, where he remained through the
night. In the morning the old horse
was hitched into two-wheeled dump
cart, the only vehicle in the neighbour
hood, the body of which was filled with
straw, and in this manner he was car
ried into the federal lines-to Fort Pow
hatan, on the James river. Here he
was received and kindly cared for, al
though, in his own sworn statement,
he says: l judged from what l heard
the surgeon say to his attendant and
from the chaplain's daily visits to my
bedside that he deemed it useless in
my hopeless condition to infict further
pain by attempting to remove the bull
lets from my body About the 9TH of
July he was transferred to the Chesa-
peake officers hospital, he being the
only private in that hospital. Here his
wounds received the best of care, and
several balls were removed. During
his stay at this hospital the Russian
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