Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-11-13
SOME QUEER WOUNDS.
Remarkable Cases Taken from tho
Civil War, ON Record in the Wash.
tnGt0n Army Museum.

During the war of 1861 to 1865 it 10
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
eminent. 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: "Of 2S2 cases of in.
cised wounds of the scalp Gnficted
with sabers) only six terminated ia.
tally. One hundred and sixty of the
officers and men thus wounded we're
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; ~ patients deserted;
were furloughed from confederate
hospitals and did not return, and II
remain unaccounted for. OF those dis
charged for physical disability, or
invaded, 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
private of company F, Seventh Michi-
gan cavalry, who lived from July 5,
to August IS, 1868, with 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-moving 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 heavy blow
across his head. He sank to the ground
unconscious. He was found lying by
the adside, still unconscious, by a
union scouting party, and was admit
ted to the cavalry corps hospital. On |
July Is he was suffice ntly rational to |
give an account of his trea tment 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 a 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 |
vitreous plate. A 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
nediately fatal.
Another case is that of a Pennsyl.
rania 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.
May can't imagine anybody slow.
~ than he is, ahout kissing q pirI