The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-07
CURIOUS CHANCE SHOTS.
Some Unaccountabio Results O
Wounds as Told by Veteran.

Not far from this town on the out
skirts Of q little village lives Colonel
--, an old Confederate veteran who
at the time OF the scenes related here
rode a. captain no tho head of o. COM
pany in tho Second Virginia Cavalry.
lie Us known by all, loved Dy al, and lul
OF "reminiscences which are very interest
Ing twice as much so from his own lips.
but enough so by themselves % deserve
print
He was talking sometime ago and said
owe noticed so the papers thai war corr
RESPONDENTS gro always describing some
chance shot or other that SIS remarkable
for its curious antics Many such things
happened in the sixties So many that
We didn notice them particularly and
yet few impressed tEcnseiv-s upon
ny memory
"In my company were two men both
fine soldiers named Andrew B. Beyll ana
William Hawkins. Beville was Yam
kee. who originally lived in Camden. y.
j. Ho came 90 Lynchburg, just before
the war and when lt broke out ne joined
the forces of the South and fought as
valanuy as any man that ever should
cred q gum
ole was crack shot, On fact ono Of
the finest dlau shooters ] ever saw. He
was rather reckless in exposing himself
however and consequently came 10 grief
from IT, 10 was 90 Louisa Courthouse
just before the battle of Trcvillian's sta
ton. where ] was wounded. We were
skirmishng with some of SheridaE's cave
airy and were having rather hot time
Of IT, L was lying behind and old ran
pile with Hawkins stretched cut by my
side. while Bcvine was cnsconccd 600 the
chimney corner of an old log cabin that
was standing near by
took a good deal of interest in watch
ing him. lie would stick one eye beyond
the chimney, level his gun. fire and drop
back and you could he just as certain
that death followed that shot as you
could be Of tho SUMS rising. Finally
however. Yankee sharpshootcr caught
sight of that eye and the next time 10 APP
peared sent a bullet into g. The bullet
literally tore his skull an to pieces came
ont of his head went sk.rmiah'ng around
and finally came out al his hlp.
We carried him back 20 the rear 20 he
buried hu' finding some signs of life in
him sent him 10 the hospital. About
thirty minutes afterwards Hawkins jump
ed up and caught hold of his thigh and
yelled there's "a sixty day furl0ueh here
capn." q bullet coming through the rail
pile had penetrated his thigh not break
ing the bone though. but inAicung am
innocent-loohng flesh wound. I signed
a paper giving him his furiough and
rather moIe pleased than otherwise he
hmped back 10 the rear"
"A few days afterwards 7 went to the
hospital and the chief surgeon met me
and said, Look here. one OF your men
died last night" "Wh02" said /. "Haw-
kins." he replied. Hawkins I exclaim-
ed. why thought YOU were talking about
Beville. "Oh' said he. "hes going 20
get wei" and 80 it turned out TO app
pears that the bullet that went Trough
Hawkins thigh carried piece OF nan-
mel cloth down 20 the bone. this event
ually produced gangrene which killed
him. Bevllle recovered and IS still plying
his trade az carpentering in h's adopted
home, Lynchburg
Another rather remarkable incident oc-
CURED 90 Ashland the day before the
fight at yellow Tavern. a Yankee COM
pany charged etraight down upon Colo
mel Muniords regiment and as they did
] took them in the flank There was
with Munford q sLarpshOoter named Eos
ter ana with me elarpshoOter named
Eucker. There was a slight rivalry be-
tween these two and We never could de-
eide who was the better shot" though
j think IF anything 10 rested O. little
with Ruckcr ion THIS charge the Yam
kee captain was mortaily wounded and
after 10 was an over I found Foster and
Ruckor disputng as 90 who Killed. him..
I told them Sc was no use dispuing but
as they persisted ! held sort Of court
TO settle H. Foster was first 20 speak
mp. He was directly I'm front Of the fel-
low and he said III ] shot him he is bin
IN the left breast that's the spot ! aimed
at" Rucker who was on his flank said.
"He came down the Tile carrying his
sword aloft I'm his right arm, I shot him.
be Is wounded I'm DIS right side We
removed the coat or the officer and found
the two bullet holes. one IN the left breast
the other I'm the right sic. as either shot
would have knocked him out OF his sad-
die 10 Is more than probable that both
fellows fred AZ the same time, either
shot would have been fatal
AT that time I lived In Piedmont but
thirty years afterwards ! moved 10 Ash
land Thinking one day about the above
incident began 10 look around and have
now fully decided that fought that day
I'm a field that was thirty years after
wards TO be the front yard Of my home"
Here the old veteran who has turned
his sword into the pruning hook OF peace
about as thoroughly as any man could
branched of into the discussion OF the
oav-s relating 90 commercial fertilizer
and carnage and slaughter had 10 take a
back seat. J. W. NJ.