Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-10-25
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account Of Stirring Scene.
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
camp-veterans of the Rebellion Re.
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.


1--WE didn't know" said the doctor,
"as much about abdominal surgery in
the Civil War as the doctors do now,
bu we were not such blunderers us
some OF the modern fellows seem to be-
lieve. We treated in all thousands of
abdominal wounds. and in the four
years of the war when there was u
good deal of shooting with large bull
lets, we learned n good deal. 1t is
true that at the beginning of the war
the great majority of surgeons had lit
tie or no knowledge of surgery. and
most of us We're reluctant to perform
any operations outside of the range of
work at home.
"Ihrough this reluctance to perform
operations, or because of the impress
Sion that Il man shot through the abdo-
men could not recover. many wounded
men shot through the body were count
ed no better than dead men. But there
were surprises. / remember the case
OF Michael Kenser of Company G, First
Kentucky volunteer infantry. At Shi-
loh kenser was shot through the body
on the line of the belt, as his orderly
reported, and was regarded as fatally
wounded simply because the bullet had
gone clear through him. But three
days after the battle the man whom
the company mourned as dead, OIL rs
good as dead, walked into camp using
his mlskct as Il crutch. He declined to
return to hospital. was treated in COM
i)any quarters. recovered speedily, and
hecame one of the most robust men in
;he company. serving to the end of the
war and experiencing no trouble what
over from his wound.
II can match that" said the Colonel.
In that same battle of Shiloh Lieut..
Jacob III. Smith of the Second Ken
lucky volunteer infantry. now Il hriga-
dier general in the Philippines, rcceiv-
ed what WAS regarded as a fatal
wound. y mimic bullet struck Il large
gold watch which he carried in the fob
pocket of his trousers splintered the
watch to fragments. carrying some of
these fragments With bits OF his cloth
ing into his body. The bullet came out
just above the pelvis. and when the
doctors saw that the pieces of brass
and of the porcelain of the watch face
had penetrated the wound they took it
for granted that Smith would die. and
practically he received no medical at
tention for three days.
Then one of the officers of the regi-
ment took charge of him, put him in
comfortable quarters, and, noticing
h Il the seepagc of the wound came
from both sides, reported the case TO
the division surgeon. Thereafter Smith
received the most careful attention and
completely recovered. lie entered the
regular army. experiencing no incon-
venience from his abdominal wound.
and is now serving in an important
command in the Philippines
There We're hundreds of such cases.
said Il Confederate colonel, who at one
time commanded one of Gen. Jeb Stu
arts cavalry regiments. wounded
mel always puzzled me. Sometimes
q man with 4 mere scratch died. Again
Il fellow that WAS apparently all torn
to pieces got we'll. But wounded men
puzzled me no more than wounded
horses. / rode Il horse through a good
part of the var Which was in no way
affected by the roar of cannon or rattle
of musketry. But Oh II occasion in an
engagement in Virginia charged Oh Il
T. -. $50 :,t a., - ,,-A, -, n,,l al. ~
him down. | used my sword. and, as /
believed. skillfully, but the Yankee
kept my horse out of effective striking
distance by pricsing him constantly
with the bayonet, backing all the time
toward his own lines.
FINALLY L saw that could not reach
him with my sword, and l drew my
Colt revolver. Taking deliberate aim,
l fired just at the N that the
Union soldier am to Il charge bayo-
net, and plunged forward with Il loud
'schoo.' The horse threw his head up.
and the ball intended for the man
passed between the horses ears. under
the leather of the bride, cutting the
skin to the bone. The horse was stun
ned, shocked. and it was with the
greatest difficulty that l could change
his course to our own lines. Subse-
quently lie was worthless as a cavalry
horse, because OF his fear of musket
firing and of b%ayonets."
"Gep. Green B. Raum," said the Ma
jor, "told me that up to the day of the
battle Of Corinth the horse he rode had
passed through several engagements,
and showed no Indication Of fear of
cannon or musketry firing. but in the
charge of Oct. 4 his horse was shot
through the base of the ear. AS soon
rs he was struck he threw his head
down, trying to rub the wound with
his foot or leg. Ever after that he
would shy ut the noise of n single mus
ket, and could not be ridden with safe
ty near Il battery or firing line. He
showed such fear at the approach, Of n
soldier with a gun that he was useless
in the army, and vas sent home.
"a Third New York cavalry mar told
mo that IN the wav tn Fort Fisher his