The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-08-31
Curious Chance Shots.
T. w. NJ, in Richmond Times.


ran, who at the scenes related here
rode as Captain at the head OF COM
pany in the Second Virginia cavalry.
He is known by all, loved by all and
full of "reminiscences which are very
interesting, twice as much so from
his own lips, but enough SO by them
selves to deserve print.
He was talking sometime ago and
sill, ssI'ye Doticed in the papers that
war correspondents are describing
some chance shot or other that is re-
markable FOR its curious antics.
Many sach things happened in the
sixGiesE So many that we didn't no.
tice them particularly and yet a few
impressed themselves upon my mem
Dry.
SIN my company were two men,
both fine, soldiers, named Andrew b.
Bevil and William Hawkins. Bevll
was a Yankee, who originally lived
in Camden, n. J. He came to Lynch
burg, just before the war and when
it broke out he joined the forces OF
the South and fought as valiently as
any man that ever shouldered gun.
eHe was a crack shot, in fact, one
of the 6nest sharpshooters [ ever saw.
He was rather reckless in exposing
himself, however, and consequently
came to grief from it. 1t was at
Louisa court house just before the
battle of Jrevillian's Station, where
I was wounded. We were skirmish-
ing with some of Sheridan's calvary
and were having rather hot time of
it. I was lying behind an old rail
pile with Hawkins stretched out by
my side, while Bevil was encounced
in the chimney corner of an old leg
cabin that was standing near by.
II took great deal of interest in
watching him. He would stick one
eye behind the chimney, level bis
gun, fire and drop back and you could
be just as certain that death followed
that shot as you could be OF the suns
rising. Finally, however. a Yankee
sharpshooter caught sight Of that eye
and the next time it appeared sent
bullet into it. The bullet literally
tore his skull all to pieces, came out
of his head, went skirmishing around
and finally came out at his hip.
"We carried him back to the rear to
be buried but finding some signs OF
life in him sent him to the hospital.
About thirty minutes afterward haw-
kins jumped up and caught hold of
his thigh and yelled, "there's sixty
days furlough here, Cap'p," a bullet
coming through the rail pile and pen
etrating his thigh, not breaking the
bone, though, bat infictiug an limo
cent looking flesh wound. I signed
paper giving him his furlough and
rather more pleased than otherwise
he limped back to the rear.
"a few days afterward I went to-
the hospital and the chief surgeon
met me and said, Look here, one Of
your men died last night 'Who?
said I. Hawkins he replied. 'Haw-
kins,' I exclaimed, why I thought
you were talking about Bevil. Oh
said be, hes going to get WELL and
so it turned out. It appears that
the bullet that went through Haw
kins' thigh carried piece of flannel
Goth down to the bone; this event
ually produced gangrene which killed
him. Bsvil recovered and is still
plying bis trade of carpentering in
his adopted home, Lynchburg.
Another rather remarkable Incl
dent occurred at Ashland the day be-
fore the fight at Yellow Tavern. A
Yankee company charged straight
down upon Col. Munford's regiment
and as they did I took them in the
flank. There was with Manford a
sharpshooter named Foster and with
me sbarpshooter named Rucker.
There was a slight rivaly between
these two and We never could decide
who was the better shot, though I
think if anything it rested little
with Rucker. In this charge the
Yankee Captain was moltally wound
ed and after it was all over I found
Foster and Rucker disputing as to
who killed him.
Il told them it was no use disput
ing but as they persisted held sort
of court to, settle it. Foster was the
first to speak up. He was directly
in front of the fellow and he said, "if
I shot him he is hit in the left breast,
that's the spot I aim at Rucker,
At that time I lived in Piedmont,
but thirty years afterward I moved