The National tribune., 1903-06-25
ON SHILOH'S BLOODY FIELD.
A Comrades Remarfabl. wounds.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When I
read in The National Tribune, March 26,
of the circumstances attending the wound
ing of Charles Il. Young, Go. A, I'd N. H.,
l was surprised to note that his remark
able wound was similar to the extraordi-
nary one 1 received at Shiloh.
At the age Of IS, Aug. 10, 1861, en-
listed in Co. H, 10th ILL.,, and about noon
on the first day of the battle of Shiloh,
while we were making a bayonet charge,
two rifle balls entered my body at the
same place-the lower part of the breast
bone. The course of the balls was a trifle
downward. the exit of one being two and
one-half inches from the spine, between the
10th and 11th ribs, and of the other,
one-half inch from the spine, on level
with the 10th rib, both exits being to the
right of the spine. In passing through my
body the balls broke two of the back ribs.
Two balls striking the same spot at the
same time is. of course, remarkable CO.
incidence. Sometimes 4 man in battle pur-
posely, unconsciously, Or by accident, puts
more than one ball in his gun. the point
of one fitting into the cavity of the other.
When the gun is fired the balls will move
together on the same line until they meet
with resistance that will cause them to
part company. In my case it is not i'm
probable that obstacles in my chest sepa-
rated the two balls, the exits being two
inches apart.
Lying within the rebel lines, a comrade
shot through both hips beside me, l ap-
pealed to passing rebels for water. They
cursed me. and, like the Priest and the
Levite, passed by on the other side. FL
nally, the good Samaritan, an 1rshman,
came along and generously supplied the
coveted water. Recognizing my lineage, he
said he could not refuse to give brother
Irishman water.
That night I lay about two rods be-
hind the Confederate line, and on the next
morning when the Union troops drove the
rebels back short distance, l was be-
tween the two firing lines, and lay there
the greater part of the day. When our
troops drove the rebels, about o'clock
p. m, i crawled to the creek, few rods
away, and got some water. l lay on
the bank of that creek all night, and all
day Tuesday, until 8 p. m, when l was
carried on stretcher to tent. My case
being considered hopeless, l was left
there to die. When l was found still liv-
ing, Wednesday, l was put into an ambu-
lance and sent to the river, where for
IL days l lay among the many wounded
uncared for. excepting occasionally when
some sympathetic soul gave me q drink of
river water.
From Pittsburg Landing I was trans
IerTeu 10 tHe HOSpltiil Ut heohuh, WHERE L
lay SIX weeks unable to eat any substan-
tial food, my weight meanwhile being re-
duced from 14S pounds to 60. i was dis
charged for disability, but, my youth and
vigorous constitution being in my favor,
1 recovered rapidly, and. having a desire
to find the fellow who shot me. l Joined
Co. +, 14th Ill. Cav, Oct. 15. 1862.
Recurring to the field of Shiloh: On
Sunday night, when many wounded and
prisoners were within the Confederate
lines. the rebels would say: ''Well, we
uns have licked you 'uns ont of your boots
and tomorrow we will drive what is left
of yOu'uns into the river" Hearing the
steamboats, coming and going. the John
MES said: "Your army is licked and get
ting away as fast as it can. leaving you
'uns to our tender care" To this we re-
Piled: "You fellows will get all the fight
ing you want in the morning, and before
night you will be tired"
When Buell. arrived. he inquired Of
Grant: ''Have you used the bayonet"
have a lot of lop-eared Dutch and Irish
who can use the steel"
On Monday morning 1 saw Buell's
Dutch and Irish in solid phalanx coming
across the field. with fixed bayonets, turn
ing the apparent defeat of the previous
day into a glorious victory.
| Possibly I foand the fellow who shot
me Mt Cumberland Gap, Bristow Station,
Siege of Knoxville. Beams Station. in the
| fight with Thomas's Legion of whites and
Cherokee Indians, WaynesbOro. Duck
River. Nashville. or when pursuing Nor
gan through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.
Patrick KENNEDY, Co. III. 10th ILL.,,
and Co. f, 14th Ill. Cav, Waseca, MINI.