Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-05-30
Shot-OH Toes and Einnera


when / returned home after the
grand review in Washington in 1861"
said the Colonel of the Fifty-eighth
Pennsylvania, 81 never passed a man.
who had lost finger or toe in the
service without an uncomfortable
shrinking sensation. This repugnance
to shot-off toes and fingers dated back
to the battle of Cold Harbor in the
Wilderness campaign of 1864 We had
served under General B. T. Butler on
the James until our corps, the Eigh-
teenth, under command of General
Badly Smith, was sent by transports
from Bermuda Hundreds to White
House Landing on York River, where
we disembarked and marched to join
the Army of the Potomac at Cold Har-
Dor.
eve arrived in time to go through
the battle from start to finish. We
reached our position about shutdown,
and while awaiting developments Gen
eral Guy V. Henry rode up, dismOunt-
ed for conference, and we sat down be-
hind tree about fifteen feet in rear Of
our line of battle While was relating
the results of my observation the Gen
eral caught my arm, and, pointing to
soldier in the line, said, See | looked
and saw a soldier, seated behind tree,
making preparations to shoot himself
through the foot.
Believing that he was unObserved,
the fellow was very deliberate, but be-
fore we could interfere he blazed away
and shot himself through the right foot.
There was a great commOtiOn at once,
and when the boys ran to him he was
grieving over the accident" that would
prevent his participating in the battle
and squirming in pain over the wound
inflicted by the bullet that carried away
a part of his big toe. General Henry
and myself were silent, but since that
day l am never comfortable in the
presence of man minus toe or finger.
And yet l know as brave an officer
as ever drew sword who lost a toe on
the firing line, and in a way greatly to
his credit. He was lying in the
trenches on his back, and. to rest his
cramped legs, put one foot up on a
sapling. The foot gradually went
higher until it was exposed above the
intrenchments. Then the alert rebel
sharpshooter fired, and the foot came
down to the old level minus big toe.
The officer was lame a long time, but
he didn't leave the service, and he was
in all his after life a little shy about
stretching his legs"
"In another CASE said the Major, "a
corporal of Colonel Dan McCOOk'S regi.
ment, who was sharpshoOting at Kene-
saw mountain, had painful experience
with his big toe. He was behind tree
in front of our rife pits and became
the target for the enemy's sharpshoot-
ers. He gave them shot for shot for
several hours, and then, as he could
not get back to the rifle pits, sat down
behind his tree, crossed his legs and
announced to the boys that he was go
ing to take a nap. This was taken as
a Joke. but in spite of the heavy skirm.
ish fire the corporal went to sleep.
"He sat with back to the tree, facing
our men in the rifle pits, and for time
he sat very straight. But the flies both
cred him, and as his muscles relaxed
he uncrossed his legs and stretched
them out after the manner Of man
half asleep. One foot got in range and
quick as a flash, rebel put bullet
through his big toe. The corporal
awoke with YELL and under cover OF
furious fire from our line ran back
to the rifle pits. He saved his toe, but
it always stood UP at sharp angle and
he was counted a cripple, wearing In all
his later life a shoe specially construct
cd TO accommodate his Kenesaw toe
Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Ways of Providence Are Best.
During the war the Presbyterians of
Kentucky were divided in their follow
ING between Dr. Breckenridge and DR..
Stewart Robinson.
On one occasion during the rebellion
DR. Breckenridge was INDUCING IN bit
ter words condemnatory of Gen. Nor
gan. when he was replied to by lady
whose sympathies were with the South.
II am astonished,' said she, Ito hear
Won sneak thus of Gen. Morgan's COM
mand, when you have two sons officers