Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-10-10
SOME QUEER WOUNDS.
Civil War, on Record In the WASH
ingtOn Army Museum.

During the war of 1861 to 1865 il is
shown that the bayonet and the saber
played important parts. Bayonet
charges and hand-to-hand encounters
were frequent, as were cavalry charges,
and the surgical records of the gov
ernment illustrate many. wounds re-
ceived from those arms. not to mem
ton the slain, says the National Trib-
une.
One document on file at the army
medical museum gives this interest,"
ing statements: "0f 2s2 cases of in
cised wounds of the scalp Cnficted
with sabers) only six terminated fa-
tally. One hundred and sixty of the
officers and men thus wounded were
returned to duty or transferred to the
veteran reserve corps for modified
duty; one officer resigned; 81 prison.
ers of war were placed in the custody
of the provost marshal for exchange
or parole; 81 United States enlisted
men were discharged from the serv-
ice on account of physical disability in
few instances only. and commonly be-
cause of the expiration of their term
of enlistment; II patients deserted;
4 were furloughed from confederate
hospitals and did not return, and IL
remain unaccounted for. OF those dis
charged for physical disability, or
invalided, or pensioned, two suffered
from mental alteration; others from
vertigo, headache, imperfect vision,
persistent pain at the seat of injury,
patosis, and amaurosis."
a remarkable case on record at the
army medical museum is that of a
private of company f, Seventh Michi-
gan cavalry, who lived from July 8,
to August Is, 1868. with a hole in his
skull large enough to admit two fin
gers. The records show that this
Michigan trooper was captured by the
confederates at Gettysburg, July 3,
1868, after his horse had been shot
from under him. He was hurried to
the rear with other prisoners. In the
subsequent retreat of Lees shattered
army he was unable to keep up with
the rapidly-moying column, and all ef-
| forts to goad him were unavailing. A
confederate lieutenant in charge of the
guard finally approached the poor fell
/
low, and with an oath said:
'Well, if you can't keep up, stay
here"
With this he raised his sword and
dealt the cavalryman a heavy blow
across his head. He sank to the ground
unconscious. He was found lying by
the roadside, still unconscious, by a
union scouting party, and was admit
ted to the cavalry corps hospital. On
July 25 he was sufficiently rational to
give an account of his treatment to
| Surgeon Rulison, of the Ninth New
York cavalry.
He fingered until August Is, 1863
when he died. An autopsy was per-
formed. 1t revealed saber cut six
inches long which had raised an osse-
Gus flap, adherent at its base, from the
left parietal, and had cloven the right
parietal with great splintering of the
yitreous plate. photograph of the
skull is on exhibition at the museum
with the great, gaping hole in it, and
the wonder of the surgeons is how the
Michigan cavalryman lived so long aft
er receiving wound which in most
cases would have proven almost inn
mediately fatal.
Another case is that of Pennsyl.
vania infantryman who received bay
onet thrust at Fredericksburg in the
center of his forehead, the weapon
penetrating the skull. He also lived
several days after receiving the wound
Slow stopping.