The Globe-republican., 1903-03-05
|Shot and Shell.
Some Curious Freaks Of Bullets on
the Battlefield.

>~.~>o~~~~~~~~~
A very large volume might be writer
by a competent military surgeon on the
extraordinary eccentrlcities of bullets or
the battlefield. And no campaign since
the pointed bullet came In has afforded
more remarkable instances than that
which has recently terminated In South
Africa. But even In the Crimea, the
pointed, in that instance, the Minle bull
let, gave the doctors much to think OF
to which the history Of surgery In the
days Of the old round bullet formed no
guide whatever. In swamp campaign In
Central America many years ago and a
pit after the end of the Crlmean war one
MIME bullets humors afforded cause for
much wonder and gossip. 1t was fired
across the San Juan river about thirty
miles above Greytown, glanced Off \
branch Of a tree, caught an American
filibuster in the right forearm. Travelled
up the arm, round the back, and emerged
from beneath the skin, to be again d.
verified by q buckle on bandoler back
into the body, where It ran down the left
arm and lodged just above the wrist,
whence 1t was easily removed by the
point Of jacknife. The man fell for
dead, but In about minute scrambled
to his knees and called out. u say, hoys,
what tho - was thatY' He bed rather
freely especially at the back, but there
was an end Of #, and he was one of the
few who returned from that ill-gulded
expedition for the relief of William Wal
ker, who then sought to win Central
America for the slave owners Of the
South.
Turks and Russians.
In July, 1877, in Armenia, near Kars
a heavy bullet from q Russian Berdan
rifle went through the arm Of a Turkish
colaghassl, or adjutant major, from the
inside, being detected from metal band
on the scabbard at his side. 1t broke d
bone, continued up the arm to the should
er, and dropped into the right hand, which
he instinctlvely put out In the direction
u the wound, He called upon Allah,
handed me the bullet, ASKED me to tie .
bit Of string no produced from his pocket
tightly around his arm above the first
wound, would stay for nothing to be done
to the shoulder wound, went through the
whole Of long days fighting with his
brigade, and at night preferred intrustng
(nor was he unjustified) the dressing
and setting of tile bone to a Turkish
barber rather than submit himself to the
attentions Of a Greek (Smyrniote) sur
geoh who had already got a name for
losing his cases. On the day of which
Moukhtar Paeha broke the Russian CEN
Ter at Kill Tepe, August 20, one of the
first Muscovlte bullets entered the neck
of an officers horse, passed under the
skin and under the saddle, there got
detected upward and ran along the spine
Of the officer, lodging in the neck just
behind the right ear, whore the pressure
or the shock caused insenslbility for
moment But the horse did not fall,
neither did the rider, and the latter, at
least, survived the campaign. This was
a much lighter bullet than the other, and
probably came from a Winchester rifle,
though | do not remember whether the
Russian cavalry had Winchesters or Ber-
dams. But this does not signify, as the
Ottoman cavalry, such as they we're,
had Winchesters and were frequently
losing them and packets Of cartridges
which the Cossacks used up.
A Skull-Top Removed.
In like manner a severe confusion 7
received at Abu Klea, coming back from
Metemmeh was caused by Martini
Henry ricochet bullet. and we could only
account for one Martini in the hands Of
the Madhlsts, that having been lost
during the disastrous night march by a
lancer who strayed and was murdered.
Later, In 1871, probably October |, my
servant picked UP at the Turco-Russian
fight Of the hill called Kutschuk Yahni, a
blue cloth cap, with a broad gold lace
band, probably that Of a c0mmlssariat or
colonel in the Cars service,
and as he lifted 1t the brain par dropped
out. The pan and cap had been carried
away, and it was evidently done not by
one bullet nor by shell, for there were
in the gold band, at nearly the same level,
three bullet perforations, which must
have been made at the same instant in
q horizontal line. There were no such
marks on the other side Of the cap. The
only inference was that the three Martini
Peabody bullets, striking at once. had
cut off the skull top like an ak swpe or
sword cut. The body had been removed
by the Russian ambulances which
worked that day right up to the fighting
lines, and these got almost within charg-
ing distance Of the Turkish positions,
but without seeing it, the bullet work
Is not difficult to account for. Al tho
same fight a Turkish private had four
holes made In his legs by one bullet at
Abu Kea or Gubat young naval officer
had six But understand, four are not
Three for One.
In a small ghazi raid on the camp to
the west of kandahar one day early IN
1870, when five or six pathans attacked
the chota bazaar, apparently for the pur-
pose of sacrificing themselves 50 as to win
paradise, our sentries Of the Flfty-nnth
and SEVENTEEN over the artillery park
close by killed them at three or four
Yards distance. One Martini bullet, after
passing through the chest of pathan
went through the throat Of another be-
hind and then broke the jaw bone OF
one of our own men, killing him too.
Nothing would astonish me as regards the
penetrative effect of a pointed bullet fired
at close range through human tissues
L the bigger bones happened to be missed
A Clean Clip.
A sergeant of Gordon Hlghlanders'
serving as camel doctor with the Bayuda
lesert column, wore his white helmet at
Abu Kea, A Remington bullet caught
lm on the lions head Of his chin strap,
stunned him, cut between the helmet lin
ng and the scalp white channel IN the
lair, and dropped out by the other lions
read 1t was reported that when ne
ooked at himself in his pocket glass he
jald. "Weel, am barber to my trade,
,ut cudna dae't sac weel myself"
A Bullets TattOOing.
The Remington bullets fired by the
lervishes at long range at Omdurman
we're very easily diverted, as in my case
where falling bullet caught me IN the
eft side of the left eye, but merely cut
bit out. the shoulder Of the missile
,lancng off the cheek bone. One of
hese lightly grazing bullets glanced from
he handle of watch worn in a leather
vrstlet by a young officer and made a
piral mark up his arm, burning 1t, so to
ay, like hot iron, but drawing scarcely
drop of blood. The bullet remained in
he sleeve Of the khaki Norfolk jacket.
heard few weeks ago that the mark
faint red snake, as If 1t were
attooed, round the forearm,
No Brains to Bother About.
The best tale that has reached me Of.
he eccentricities of bullets in the late
var Is most succinctly told by James
illne in 1.-THE Epistles of Atkins" though
is not precisely in accordance with the
-. III .,noJtI,, Won ohad nr,au baod