Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-12-01
LIGHTNING INSTEAD OF LEAD
One of the Elements Which Helped to
Reduce the Fighting Force
The Majors "Reminiscences.


Il wonder" said the major, III any
of the Seventy-sixth Ohio men living
in Chicago can tell what became of the
boys of Company b struck by lightning
at or near Young's Point, La. in Feb
ruary, 1863. The story was told me 30
or more years ago, and | have forgot
ten the details. remember, however,
that a member of Company B said that
on the night of February IA, 1863, the
tent of the noncommissioned officers
was struck by lightning.
1.-TWO of the men in the tent were
killed by the bolt and four others were
disabled. The lightning. in fact, caused
as much commotion in camp as an at
tack by the enemy, and there were all
sorts of rumors as to the sensations
of those who recovered from the
shock. The question of interest now
Is, we're any of those struck by light
ming permanently disabled, and IL so,
did they have as many queer expert
ences as men disabled by wounds?
The records show that good many
soldiers were injured by lightning dur
ing the war. What became Of them?
Twenty years ago a Twenty-third
Illinois man told me the story Of y
man severely wounded at the battle
of Lexington, Mo-, which that story
of the 'Checkess battery reminded me
Of This comrade of the Twenty-third
Illinois was severely wounded early
in the day. He remained in the works,
however, and fired as he had strength
and opportunity. In the afternoon the
confederates opened furious fire on
the union works and the men on the
firing line were ordered to move out of
the way so that the little six-pounder
on the advance line could open on the
enemy.
"All got out of the way except the
wounded man. who was not able to
move far enough to escape the sue
ton of the wind after each discharge.
The result was that before the other
men realized what was going on the
muscles were shredded from the
wounded mans arm above the elbow.
The poor fellow made no protest or
complaint and was not rescued from
| hlo u lhS olludIlOu uulLl lhC sun hiu
been discharged several times. Now
l would like to know what became of
that man."
"One of the regiments in that bat
! tie of Lexington" said the captain,
had been in service not more than
a hundred days, but the men fought
like veterans. 1t is true they were
informal and irregular at times, but
they stood by their guns. For ex-
ample, there was a little Dutchman
| of company A First Illinois cavalry,
who on the third day, after all the men
who had manned the six-pounder had
been shot, swabbed, loaded and fired the
gun himself He was precision itself
and as unexcited as if on drill
after the white flag had been or
dered up for the third time by the
had been taken down as often by in
dignant men, most of the boys in our
part of the works in front of the hos.
pital cut out for the main works
around the college. E. A. Jellison,
however, remained with the little
Dutchman and his six-pounCer, firing
his old musket as rapidly as circum-
stances would permit. After firing all
his own cartridges and all that he
could fine in the cartridge boxes OF
the dead within his reach, Jellison
tied a handkerchief to his ramrod
and went over to the movable hemp
bale breastworks of Gen. Rains, con-
federate commander Of the investing
force
"Jellison was received by Gen. Rains
himself, who asked eagerly If Col.
ready to surrender Jellison replied
that he didn't know, he didn't come
from Col. Mulligan. and couldn't speak
for him. He represented only himself,
and as he was out of ammunition
and was occupying an exposed posi-,
tion he was ready to surrender.
Scarcely noticing the explanation.
Rains wrote out formal demand
for the surrender of the union forces
and sent it to Col. Mulligan by Jelli-
sor.
THE latter delivered the message
to Mulligan, secured another gun and
more ammunition, and again opened
on the johnnies. In later days Jellison
admitted this was very irregular but
he contended that Gen. Rains did not
formally accept his surrender, did not
take his parole, did not even ask him
to return. So he felt free, after he
had delivered Rains message to Mul.
ligan, to resume business at the old
stand. He always insisted that Rains
didn't know any more about the eti.
quette of the occasion than the little
Dutchman did. or than Jellison him.
self did.
"Those movable breastworE5 OF
hemp bales used by the confederates
at Lexington seemed very formidable
to most of our men. Yne confederates
pushed them forward. throwing wa
ter on them to prevent them TAX