New-York tribune., 1886-05-05
HEROISM AND HEARTLESSNESS.
A SOLDIERS WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
SEVENTEEN WOUNDS.

SEVENTEEN WOUNDS.
,FIoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIE TRIBUNE }
WAsHINGTON, May 1.-The Government pay
ia wounded soldiers who in q condition Of absolute
helressness requiring the and attention OF
another person 81 month. General Black. who In his
capacity OF Pension Commissioner draws S5 900 year
out Of the public trensury is paid pension OF 300
month. Waving iof the time being the question OF
PROF reiy the part Of General Black drawing large
pension wnile there thousands who more de-
serving of getting 81 90 month than he. want TO can
attention TO "A case which Las Lately come under my
notice. in which the Pension Office. under General
Blacks direction. has peaSf INABILITY to order an IN
OF pension, and the soldier has been compeed 10
20 20 Cor gre-s for relief
William l.. Clark enlisted SEPTEMBER l., 1862. in COM
panv A. 1sr Regiment Connecticut Cavalry. ana was
DISCHARGED disability May 20, 1853. His name Is
borne upon tie pen. ion roll at the rate OF S2i month
lie has seventeen wounds Dr. Thomas simmonds' OF
Hart orl. testides find him CLARK the worst
wounded man that have examined prescribed for
since the wAr." Other surgeons say substantially the
same thing. The story Of the manner in when these
seventeen gunshot wounds incurred deserves more
than passing notice, think.
on the wilson Raid " Clark was wounded. June 49,
1861 in the back oi the mead. in the attempt to break
thrauIn right flank ., the Confederate army on tie
Following day al stony Creek. ne received another
wound the left foot. rSO horses had been snot from
under him. The following morning lie was ordered ny
las major to go ahead OF ihe commard BY ten
o'clock the command came MP TO him and passed MN
At certain point the rOld curved and he was ordered
by Wilson to cut lots TO the head oi tue
column and joiE his regiment This Proceeded to do
coming ont on The road hal mil. ahead OF the
column Here BE- was halted aud captured ny fourteen
o. the enemy. who also capglt private I'm the 3th
New York Cavalry. and colored man. Later In The
day they took their prisoners nO tie woods rs ClrK
tho, sAt. with the idea Of putting them III some prison
fit. fay
shot tho colorel irom the rear, killing him in
stanty. The 9TH NcwNork man Vas neat - tall shot
in a similar manner rins all were destined t0 the
clark spraus to the lett IN the hove Of placing
some large trees between himself and the Con
iederates. bat his movement not quite qucA
enough and he received Two balls IN tho lower leit e-
when leed him to tae ground me ConfederhtrS thrh
came u md very clO.c range Inflicted the remainder
" the wounds. many twenty rounds must nave
been him fne last shot penetrated ni- leit
breast rendering hlm unconscious, IGd was nrei ID
sue close pfoximtr that powder from the muzze ~
tue gun burned The c.otuin-. lie lay senseess until
altcr sunrise the following morilDs. 49,
With returning CONSCIOUSNESS, came lndesci ipahle
suffering from Pain and thirst After several ei'ctu
attempts 10 ge III on nj khrr- he or-a 10 crd" loWu
the dead men IN the.i ot seciring waller rom
iAer canirens but lie ound hrthet cahe'h nor "a@l.
Ermembcring 10 have crossed bfOoS "uhe uhitr
guard Isl previous 90 the shooting he began again 10
crawl 10 the rear on ll- rsht slde' Ms iet was el
iorat'd with holes pnlv ie" fett III he couIu ne
travel a. wounds began 10 bleed aircsh The Ole
o the dnv early evening was consumed am oush
the distance wa hOt over iOr'y Ip's. a III "a
reached brook AFTER drinking anl resting ne ionh
could nut not uton nl- Icct lOf
the bone the 10 lett leg had uern spin tered
And occurred o. this Wounded bleeding nero one
OF those remaIkaDe Dtcosiuos 0i DIVINE providence
which Exhausted 1s lie W's Ae h;.u Ie WI anu eo afS
turn 10 account WlEe ne lay on the bailA an oid
aded on cavalry horse which had escaped shouting
by the ar-suard came through ihe woods ana ap-
preached brook where the sol ler was seeing the
rsrae soldier. tue DIute up and rubbed It's nose
against his tDy. Clark seized It NV the prelock ami
with desperate effort succeeIed in pulling hmself up
a standing POSITION. He next uniastened his siis-
penders with right hand ana teeth nadn moose
nv which lie secured the under Jaw OF the horse. The
animal nearly feeble hp-elf was now allowed 10
drink ant then fastened To shrub near ny After rest
iug awhile Clark BEGAN making tue attempt 70 mount,
y era Wing before he led the animal 10 the trunk on
en- tree which was on a level vita the horses hack
several successful attempts we're made by nliI 10
crawl from horses back, III Two OF which
he was precpIiated the ground with much pain. At
las; he gained the ANIMALS back Trusting IN God, ana
letting tho Inte take IT'S own course. ne "hs carried
after tune upon the main ro over whch General
wilson's cavalry had passed and thence 10 farn
where he obtained food aud remained All night Cnape
10 keep his when lifted 10 the horses Dhck
next d9y he was carried ia two.Wheelcu uump cart
through the Uuon lines, four miles away, 10 roWhat
tan on the james I.Ivcr. viii not follow him through
the official hospital reports o his present home IN Con
necticut He himself III his sworn statement says:
Judged from what heard the surgeon say 10 MS at
endant and from the :haplans daily visits 10 my De-
side that he deemed il useless my hopeless condition
bul cts rom NY body" The officers OF the Russian neet
when l,y I'm HAMPTON Roads visited his bedside and.
after examining hs wound. pronounced the case TO De
one most miraculous from death hey had
ever heard Of y A. BO.wc rth. Of Hartford. who wac
sergeant in CiaIks company, says: Hs capture, the
shooting and probably the oct enarkabe
adventure soldier IN the service. Ills present
CONDITION 1856 is almost helpless He II confined 20 bed
O the time and IN general Is tue wreck OF Que o.
the brightest strongest and braves soldiers III our reg
ment" ~
describes himself is physical wreck" Incapable oi
any effort wholly destroyed, etc. etc though able
to earn $1,000 year as Commissioner, aud draw "a
= 200 pension hesdes-thir is the man. say whose
pension Of s24 month General Black thinks Is su1ci
ent- Comment II seems to me. Is srIeiiinous'