Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-04
VIVID STORIES TOLD
L. M. Cooley Tells Interesting
Story While il vicksburg.
TELLS OF THAT FIERCE CAMPAIGN
Relates With Realistic Vividness the
Story of His Wounds and Loss of
One Leg and of His Being Taken
Prisoner.

Is
Prisoner.
egae. t.f "a
l.. M. Cooley, of this city, lost leg
on the battlefield of Vicksburg. Re
Gently he visited the spot where reb-
| ell shot came screaming through the
air and tore his limb away.
Mr.. Cooley was orderly sergeant of
Company E, Twenty-second Iowa, and
while walking up and down the slope
leading to the fort on the historic bat
| tlefield, for gallantry Sand courageous
conduct on which he'was awarded a.
medal by congress, Mr.. Cooley, gave
thrilling account of the manner in
which he received his injuries. The
battle occurred: July 8, thirty-nine
years ago and the following is Mr..
! Godley's remembrance of it together
with the part he played in it:
Il lost this leg of mine within a rod
of this spot. We were lying in line
just behind the crest of the ridge back
there when the signal gun was fired at
10 a. m. Instantly starting forward at
command we were soon under fire, but
kept on at double quick down the hill,
across the ravine filled with fallen
trees cane and briars, and up this
slope. | had just got where | could
see nicely-right about here-when a
| canister shot struck me half way be-
tween the knee and ankle, crushing
the bone. | strove to keep on my feet
| by the aid of my musket, but it was no
use and | went down. | had no knowl-
1 edge at that moment of how or just
where was hit, the thought of bleed
ing to death came to my mind and at
! once brought me to sitting position
iii order that l might make an exam
ination and apply some sort of a liga-
| ture if necessary. Instantly a volley
was fired at me, one of the balls pass
ing through the upper part of the right
] breast and lodging under the shoulder
blade, while the other struck the left
thigh (same leg already wounded),
ranging down into the knee joint. Of
course | went down again. My right
arm was useless and could not move
myself, much less apply bandage.
Hours of Suffering.
But a few seconds later, my first
conscious observation after the shock
showed me Union soldier thrusting
the regimental colors into the parapet
. Of the fort at the corner nearest me,
, while others of his comrades were
close behind and about him. l thought
this meant victory and the thought
!, gave me strength to cheer once and
again-earnestly if not loudly. But as
, hour after hour passed and there was
;, no diminution of the enemy's fire, ex
= cept from the fort itself, and no one
: came to assist me, my hopes and m.
ie,ty z1I T,,,,s
: ly to get at my .Ganteen with my one
a useful hand l only, succeeded in losen
! ing the cork and letting the preciou!
: water run away without being able tt
get crop to my lips in order to ALA,
the fearful thirst that always follow.
Sc, ere wounds. Finally, along in tn,
!, afternoon, Lieutenant Dudley of m.
: comr?py, and another comrade, cre]
up to where | lay,sgave me some waite
and succeeded in pulling me down tn,
e hill a couple of rods where | was bet
1t Ter sheltered from the fire and wher
! a small tree the large ones had al
e been felled) afforded some respit
It from the burning sun. They promised
p to send me detail with stretcher S,
1t soon as night fell, and l afterward
Of learned that the detail started but los
l. the maze of hills and hollows. So a
d The hours passed. I lay in misery an
W increasing weakness; but I never di
k give up, and long after midnight, cal
e ed out to the Confederate pickets
n whom l could hear on the ridge a fey
r rods above me. The sergeant of tn
S, guard. coming in response to the CA
e, OF the vidette, walked down to me.
Is besought him to take me into his line
IS where something might be done t
y save my life. At first he demurret
1T but finally sent for stretcher, whic
n was brought by four black fellow:
N They rolled me on it, carried me IL
es the hill and over the works-the as
er cent being SO steep that | had grea
~ trouble in keeping my place"
- AS Confederate Prisoner.
70 While talking Sergeant Cooley ha,
ID gradually worked up the slope and no,
# stood on the fort itself, looking dow
II into the deep ravines in it's real
h There he added SIS where they cal
in ried me, laying me on the ground in
II little recess dug out of the bank an
i close to the railway; and right Their
To somewhere now lies the missing par
W of me-. About o'clock next mornin
ID ] was visited by the Assistant Surgeo
b OF the Texas Legion, an elderly ma
whose name l have been trying t
learn for the past thirty years. H
did everything that he could hav
done under the circumstances--that is
j.; he dressed the wound in my breas
-, and sawed off my leg. Before begir
- ming the latter task he called two stou
p fellows to hold me down, explainin
that as you Yankees have made chic
-, =. reform contraband of war, this is tn
20 best can do protested so vigorous
e ly against being held that he FINAL
- agreed to try me- and propping m.
=, u self on my good elbow, | became a
= interested spectator of the operation
:, which j am sure was a skillful on
=, About two hours later an army WACO
- came up the railway track and aft,
-, several sick and wounded Confede
l,-