The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-05

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"wounded men, I" said the colonel, "were
often misunderstood. General Fuller OF
Toledo told me that be never expected for
giveness for one harsh judgments OF his.
In the midst Of battle he was trying to
stop the flight Of panic stricken men. One
man came stumbling along, not needing
word that was said to him. Indignant
and impatient, Fuller, as he came near
him, leaned from his horse and touched
the man with his sword. saying sharply,
go back, sirl' The man looked up with
a look that said as plain as words. i am
looking for place to de- He opened his
blouse and showed great, gaping wound
in his breast. Then he dropped to the
ground. The general dismounted as soon
as he could but almost as he took the
mans head In his arms the poor fellow
died.
"Some men when struck showed no
sign. remember one little fellow who
was struck three times In as many min
utes. The first shot struck his right arm,
and he proceeded to load with his left.
The next shot struck him In the leg and
brought him to his knees He had his left
arm UP, ramming home load, when a
bullet struck that arm. Then he looked
up and said quietly: They have partic-
ular spite against me. l guess I'll quit.
And he dropped down"
"We had one man in our company"
said the sergeant, "who was shot through
the body at Shiloh, He was carried of In
an ambulance, and the boys supposed they
would never see him again. But three
days after the battle the regiment went
into camp not far from the field hospital,
and that afternoon the men were surprised
to see the man who had been shot through
and through walk into camp, using his
rifle as cane. He announced that he had
had enough of the hospital and wouldn't
go back to 1t. The regimental surgeon
swore a good deal, insisting that the
wounded man should return to the hospi-
tai, but In the end agreed that the plucky
fellow should be cared for in the CON-
pany's quarters. The boys took great care
of him. He improved rapidly, went on
duty as soon as he was able to walk and
was with the company to the end OF the
service.
"Other men who couldn't bear physical
pain were greatly troubled by flesh wounds
and received less sympathy than they de-
served. The hardest wounds to bear were
those from spent balls. These were more
painful than the wounds from the hard
hitters, but mon struck by spent bullets
received no sympathy at ALL For some
reason IL was counted disreputable to be
hit by spent ball or a splinter from a
rock, and many men worried along under
the most painful wounds without going
to the hospital or without even consulting
the surgeon. Some of these fellows carry
the marks today and say nothing about
them.
"The official report of the capture of
Lookout mountain, said the major,
"stated that General Walter g. Whitaker
was wounded, but that he didn't leave the
field That is all true. but it Is only half
the story. Whitaker was one of the most
impetuous, driving officers in the army.
He was q regular old stormer. He was
pushing things in great shape in front
when he was struck by n rifle ball. He
became deashly sick, and it was supposed
at first that he was fatally wounded. The
surgeons and some of his associate officers
gathered about him, anxious and nervous.
A surgeon opened the generals coat and
vest looking for the wound, which seemed
TO DO in the vicinity of the stomach. He
found between the vest and the under
clothing "a rifle ball that had not broken
the skin.
"He said quietly, "A spent ball. The
general opened his eyes and looked W
wrathful and indignant. What's that
What's that? Somebody hit me with a
spent ball? / won't stand it. Bring me
my horse And, fairly throwing aside al
the people about him, he sprang to his
! feet, climbed on his horse and, with his
clothing in disarray and his hat banged
on his head. started for the front, swear
| ing at the man who had hit him with 6
spent ball. But the old general after thai
probably had more sympathy with The
men who were struck by balls that seemed
| to fall from the air or that came with al
little force as a stone thrown by q vicious
! boy. Sometimes these would strike mar
on the foot and fairly craze him with pain
Sometimes they would drop on his bacl
| as he lay face down on the ground kicking
| up his heels, and he would writhe a
| though he were in the agonies of death. I"
| "While 1 was In charge of one of tn
hospitals at Nashville" said the surgeon
"the most difficult cases to handle wer
those in which the soldiers were influences
by Authorizations or superstitions. TIL
patients were arranged In large hall, tn
cots In long rows, extending the full length
of the room. One night patient abou
half way down the hall died. The mex
night the man coming next In the roy
died, and the next day the third man II
order died. Immediately Nos. 4, 8 and
insisted on being moved from the row
and they were SO wild about 1t that the
had to be moved.
"No. z, / noticed was quiet, uncom
planning man of equable temper, and, fee
Ing that i must in some way stop tn
panic and break the line of superstition
dread, / went to him and led up to tn
point by asking him II he had any supel
stitious notions. He said he had moi
Then I asked him II he would be Statistic
to remain as he was and explained that
he did not insist upon being moved coul
quiet the excitement He smiled and sal
he would trust himself In the unluck
row. Trifling as this circumstance wa
1t had the greatest influence on the p
tients In the row. They watched that ma
for two days with unfagging interest, an
1t was great trial for him to see. whel
ever no was lifted up by the nurse, doze
wild eyed men looking him over to ~