Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-03-19
STRUCK DOWN IN BATTLE.

STRUCK DOWN IN BR H.
1t was strange and queer to watch
the demeanor Of men wounded in bat
tie. You might have stood beside hun
dreds who were struck down, and yet
YOU would not have found two whose
actions were exactly alike When Int
while standing inactive most men
threw up their hands and cried out
and staggered about before falling Ii
hit while the regiment WAS advancing
tbev fell with curses on their lips, and
sometimes rose up again and lmped
painfully after their comrades. If
reached by bullet while the COM
mand was being driven OF retreatlng
or changing its position, then men
walled out likechildreu-not so much
over the hurt as because they realized
that they were to be left on the tIeId
to suffer and would be helpless to pro-
tect themselves.
When regiment was in line, wait
INC to move 10 the right or the left or
be advanced, the thud Of a bullet as
it struck man could be heard 10y the
men on his right and left. If struck
in the chest OF shoulder or head he
fell out of the ranks. threw up ms
hands with a shout, and then fell like
a log If struck below the breast he
nearly always lurched forward and
placed his hands on the wound and
sunk down with groan. The de-
meanor of no two wounded men was
alike in minor particulars, but strange
" alike in the first movements. y
soldier shot through the head or heart
shot dead in his tracks, as you might
term it, was not instantly killed. There
was no such thing as instant death un-
less struck with a solid shot or blown
to pieces by an exploding she'll No
matter whether the bullet pierced heart
or brain the victim lived on for a few
seconds-long enough to throw up bi~
hands and call out and clutch at the
comrades beside him for support
Few men preserved silence after be-
ING hard hit. After the first exclama-
ton they cursed or wept, and were
not conscious of what they did. Each
felt that he had been grievously wrong
ed by beng shot down-sometlnes
they cursed first and wept afterwards
sometimes wept and sobbed like
. children from the first moment OF feel
ing pain. The cursing and the weep
ing were the direct results of the ner-
vous system being keyed too high by
the excitement Of the battle. II a
wounded man was carried to the real
he soon got the better OF his Mysteries
and it was the same if left to himself
for three or four hours on the field
provided the fighting had ceased IN
his vicinity. 1t was the wounded who
Law on a field where the fighting con
tinued who were the most to be plted
They feared to be wounded again ol
killed outright, and their shouts and
screams could be heard whenever the
roar of the battle died away little
Their fears were by no means ground
less. Bullet and ball and graPe-shoi
were continually falling among them
and during the war thousands Of sol
ders were killed while lying wound
ed between the lines. The burial par,
ties used to find bodies which had beer
hit from three to ten times, and aitei
Grants first battle in the WILDERNESS
we found Confederate with twenty
three bullet wounds IN his dead body
And there was more than the teaI
ofmlssiles before the eyes OF the wound
ed men. Ii infantry charged owe
them they might not suffer, but II
battery changed position or there VA
a charge Q: cavalry they might b'
ground INTO the earth When IN HI
normal condition a cavalry horse VII
not step on the body Of man lynn!
in his path, but when excited to mad
ness by the roar Of battle the steed
of war will trample down anything
The wounded men lying about mus
take their chances when the bugIe
blew charge. Some would escap
the iron-shod hoots-others would b
almost beaten in the earth. 1t wa
the same way if battery was retire
or advanced. The change Of posltlo
was made with horses on the dead run
and their riders could take no though
of the dead and wounded lying III I'll
way. The fate OF brigade or diYis
ion, or even a wing Of the army, nigh
be at stake, and the sacrifice OF a scor
of men already wounded did not count
When the guns were advanced a
Charlottesville to check jackson