Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-04-20
CAPT. EDWARD CARTER
End Of a Life Which was Filled WITH
Adventures.

! re - Satu 70 nave Carried Nor -,
dences OF Wounds Than ANY so,,,.
who Served In the CIviI Wsr...t,..
lie BIuned the Surgeons and Reach,
Hospital.
Capt. Edward W. Carter, formerly q,
| Brattleboro, who is said to have os,-,'5
more evidences of wounds on hrs bo5v
than any soldier who served in The ot-!
war, died Thursday at his home In :,
Louis, MO-, after a short illness with pneu.
monia.
Capt. Carriers life was filled with s4vou
lures. His nature always prompted himto
| do things no one else would dare lie
born in New York city in 1892 His 6-g
adventure at six years Of age. found bir,
buried under pile of sand. He was dn,
out more dead than alive, but whole M
| year after he learned to swim 0y being
thrown into the river from a bipb cU4
He ran away from his home. then =,
Providence, r. l., and went to Newnor,
where he worked for farmer. While there
he was kicked by horse, and carried Tia
scar on his face to his death. His second
master had an OK which crushed youn,
Carriers foot. Seven bones were taken an,
of it, and he did not walk upon It for even
| II. M. a 4
| fire a pipeman purposely or accidentalIv
knocked out the boys front teeth Ate,
many other wanderings, he took berth an
boat TO New York city. He was tbs1
hardly IL years old. BE took many vow
ages, and finally shipped for San Fran.
cisco by way of the Cape. During tia,
trip he narrowly escaped death by sbark
| by drowning, and in other ways. Once he
fell from the mizzen royal yard. bu, man.
aged to catch hold of a rope, which saved
him, midway between the top rigging and
the deck Upon his return he visited HI,
parents IN Vermont for a short while. ate,
which he went to Philadelphia
While he was there President Lincoln
issued his first call for volunteers. Carte
had a remarkable constitution and couA
| lift 700 pounds dead weight. He enlisted a,
private in the 10Th PENNSYLVANIA VoluD.
teers. During the three months he va,
with this regiment he served under Gems
Butler, Dix, and Banks, but saw no active
service. Anxious to fight, and thinkingth that
Vermont soldiers would have a better
chance TO get to the front, he went home
and enlisted in the 4th Vermont. He was
promoted through the various grades on
account of gallant service until he received
the rank Of captain.
During this period he participated in
many battles, including those of Hampton.
Yorktown, Young's Mills, Fort Magruder.
Cold Harbor, before Richmond, Seven DAYS
Battles, Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run
Chantilly, Antietam, Fredericksburg Get.
tysburg, Rappahanock, Harpers Station,
Wilderness, Winchester and Charleston, Il
was during the battle of the Wilderness,
and while captain, that he received the
wounds which made his case one of the
most famous in the history of medical sci
ence.
While leading his company he was sho.
completely through the body. A report on
the case made by DR.. Geo. F. Stevens of
the 18th New York, tells the medical portion
of the story, as follows: "Within half an
hour he he'd received three wounds: First.
through the abdomen, from left to right,
cutting the intestines; second, a bullet
wound through the hand, al the articula-
ton Of the upper phalanx of the thumb
with the trepezium; third bullet wound
OF the left thigh, near the knee. the ball
penetrating to the bone. The wound Of
the abdomen was made by some rough mis-
size, either a bullet much battered, or a
fragment OF shell, or, as the captain sup
posed, by an explosive bullet. 1t had en-
tered point near the outer extremity of
a line between the left ingunal and lumbar
regions, and had made its exit at a CORE
spending point on the right side. In its
course the missile had wounded the intes-
tines and had torn the abdominal wal 50
as TO allow the bowels to protrude from
both the left and right wounds"
dis suffering was intense, and from May
until May 10 he received but little med-
cal attention. At one time he was left TO
die upon the field, but, CHANGING to hear Of
the plans Of the surgeons, he procured a
revolver, and, ordering himself placed on
stretcher, he "bluffed'' his way with the
gun until he finally reached the Armory
Square hospital. Several times the phys-
clans thought he would die, but he did not
give up for a moment. He finally did re-
cover, and at the end of his leave of alb
sence reported to his regiment in time to
participate in the battle of Charleston.
He was still so weak that he tainted during
charge, and was forced to resign his COM
mission.
While the bravery of Capt Carter was
remarkable, he came from family of fight
ers. He had four brothers who served
throughout the war, and in a short history
OF himself which the captain published in
1888, the total number of battles in which
the i've Carter brothers participated was
placed at 200. The deceased was considered
walking wonder by members of the
medical profession who knew of his case,
Elaborate histories of it were published in
medical journals and he was the subject of
many examinations.
After the war Capt. Carter visited many
clties IN the United States and Canada his
restless spirit finding small comfort in re-
naming in one place. Since 1880 he had
lived in St. Louis. He was identified with
the Hygenie Chemical company at the
time OF his death. He was one of the best
known members of Ransom Grand Army
post IN that city and was its commander
IN 1898. He was buried in the National
at Jefferson Barracks.
capt. Carter was the father of Mrs.
Frank Powers of Bratteboro.