Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-10-13
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A LUCKY SHOT.
An Incident of the Battle Of Stone River
Related by Wounded soldier.

An incident OF the Battle OF stone RIVER
Related by 3 Wounded soldier
Our brigade was changing position at
Stone River so as TO cover the exposed
flank of another brigade, when ] sud
denly sank down in heap can re-
member of falling, and it seemed as if
I fell a distance of fifty feet l also
heard PARKWAY voice saying:
Forward, men-forward! Steady on
the right"
If the missile which struck me had
reached vital spot death would have
come without pain or consciousness
sank away like going TO sleep, and the
roar of battle lulled rather than dis
turbed me. l think it was as much as
twenty minutes before l came to, and
the fight had then gone down the line
to the left, and it was comparatively
quiet where l lay. ! had been hit! The
thought gave me a sudden shock and
cleared my mind. Where had the bullet
struck me? / felt no pain, and for
few seconds hoped that had only been
stunned. Then / located the wounds.
One of Bragg's shells had exploded near
by. 1t must have been charged with
special reference TO my case, for three
of the bullets it contained struck me in
the right leg, the left shoulder, and the
right hand respectively.
By and by l sat up. was weak and
thirsty but felt no pain. There were
four dead men in front of me and two
on the left and one on the right. OF
the seven four were Federals and men
of my own regiment, who had been
killed by the same shell which wounded
me. could not see behind me, of course,
but ] heard two or three wounded men
grooming. Fortunately l had canteen
of water, and my wounded hand gave
me no pain as lifted it up and drank my
fill. l had just worked along into a
hollow spot, where | had rest for my
back, when a fierce looking fellow,
whose dress showed him to be teamster
or campfollower of some sort, came out
of clump of bushes about ten rods
away His object as l suspected at first
glance, was to rob the dead.
1t was very seldom that even the
worst of the army bummers had the
cheek to play the ghoul in broad day
light, and that with fighting still going
on, but the fellow went about it as
coolly as you please He went through
the pockets of every dead man in front
of me, getting considerable plumber
from each, and when he had finished
with the last he came over to me, re-
garded me with evil eyes a moment,
and then asked
What have you got?"
about ten dollars in money" l re-
piled.
shell out and be hanged quick about
it, tool"
II can't. I am hit in three places,
and the money is in a pocket under me-"
Hand it over, l sayP'
My friend, don't be rough on a
wounded man. If you'll raise me up,
I'll try to get it for you"
RAISE nothing!'' he growled l know
of way to get it without so much
trouble.''
He hadn't far to go to look to find a
loaded musket, and he picked it up and
raised it to his shoulder, and stepped
forward to put the muzzle to my head
before he pulled the trigger. The
Internal ghoul meant to blow my head
off and then rob me at his leisure. saw
IL III HIS eyes DIS plain DIS Qdy. L D6lIeN6
his finger was on the trigger, when he
suddenly staggered back and fell to the
EARTH the musket being discharged in
the air as he fell. 1t hit in the center of
the forehead, and seemed to be en-
veloped in smoke as it it struck.
That's what l think of him, no
matter which side he belongs tor
called voice behind me.
l knew by the voice that he was a
confederate, and l called:
rs that you, Johnny"
Yes, that's me, yank."
did you shoot that fellow"
Thar amt nobody else around yere
as could hev done itr'
Thank We, Johnny! What regiment
do you-I'
But | couldn't finish. tainted dead
away, and when l came to l was being
picked up by the ambulance corps, and
was suffering such pain that forgot
all about my friend When l did ask
for him he could not be traced, and to
this day have not learned his name
American Tribune