The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-10-05
BY CHARLES L. SHIPLEY.

after LOngstreet's soldiers
had driven the Second Corps
into their intrenchmentS along
the Brock road, a battle exhaust
ed infantryman stood behind
large oak tree. His back rested
gainSt it. He was very tired
and held his rifle loosely in his
hand The Confederates were di
rectly in our front. The soldier
was apparently in perfect safety.
\ solid shot from a Confederate
gun struck the oak tree squarely
about four feet from the ground.
but it did not have sufficient
force to tear through the tough
wood. The soldier fell dead.
There was not a scratch on him.
He was killed by the concusSion.
"While we were fighting say
agely over these intrenchments
the woods in our front caught on
fire, and | saw many of our
wounded burn to death. Must
they have not suffered terribly.
| am not at all sure of that. The
smoke rolled heavily and slowly
before the flames curled around
them. The spectacle was cour-
age -sapping and pitiful, and it
appealed strongly to the mag
nation of the spectators. but |
do not believe that the wounded
soldiers who were being burned.
suffered greatly, if they suffered
at all.
Wounded soldiers, it matter
ed not how slight their wounds
were, generally fastened away
from the battle lines. a wound
entitled a man to go to the rear
and to hospital. OF course,
there were many exceptions to
this rule, as there would neces.
Sarily be in battles where from
10000 to $4,000 men were
wounded. | frequently saw
slightly wounded men who were
marching with their colorS.
personally saw two men wounded
who continued to fight. During
the first days fight in the Will
derneSs | saw youth of about
twenty years skip and yell, stung
by a bullet through his thigh.
He turned to limp to the rear.
After he had gone few steps he
stopped, then he kicked out his
leg once or twice to see if it
would work. Then he tore the
clothing away from his leg SO as
to see the wound. He looked at
it atteutively for an instant, then
turned and took his place in the
ranks and resumed firing. There
was considerable disorder in the
ranks, and the soldiers in the
lines moved to and tro-nOw a
few feet to the left, now a few
feet to the right. One of these
movements brought me directly
behind this wounded older. |
could see plainly from that posi-.
ton, and l pushed into the gap
ing line and commenced firing.
In a minute or two the wounded
soldier dropped his rife. and
clasping his left arm, exclaimed,
4 am hit againp lie sat down
behind the battle ranks and tore
off the sleeve Of his shirt. The
wound was very slight - not
much more than skin deep. lie
tied his handkerchief around it.
picked up his rifle, and took pc.
sition alongside of me. | said:
"Hou are fighting in bad luck
today. You had better get away
from here He turned his head
to answer me, His head jerked,
ne staggered, then fell, then re
gained his feet. A tiny fountain
Of blood and teeth and bone and
bits of tongue burst out Of his
mouth. He had been shot
through the jaws; the lower one
had been broken and hung down.
| looked directly into his open
mouth, which was ragged and
bloody and tongueless. He cast
his rifle furicusly on the ground
and staggered oft.
"The next day, just before
L0ngsueet's soldiers made their
first charge on the Second Corps,
heard the peculiar cry d
stricken man utters as the bullet
tears through his flesh. / turned
my mead as | loaded my rife to
see who was hit. / saw beard
ed Irishman pull mp his shirt.
He had been wounded on the left
side just below the floating ribs.
The wound looked as though it
was mortal. He looked at it for an
instant, and then poked it gently
with his index finger lie flush
ed redly and smiled with salts
faction. He tucked his shirt
! into his trousers and was fight
ing in the ranks again before
had capped my rifle. The ball
had cut a groove in his skin only.
The play Of the Irishman's face
was so expressive, his emotions
changed so quickly, that could