Description:

CONFEDERATE MINIE BALL GOES CRAZY!
Fine content A.L.S. of Frederick Jackson of the 44th Massachusetts, 7pp. 8vo., New Bern, Feb. 16, 1863 to his friend George Child in Boston in which he relates the story of a soldier who was hit by a minie ball in the most unusual way: "...Yes old Boy, I've been plugged by the Rebs and it was a tip to shot. Don't you think rather rough that I should have popped right in the middle of the back. They had plenty fof chances and tried pretty hard to give me an honorable wound. It was just my luck. I think it must have been amusing to him (The sharpshooter) to see the original pigeon wing. I cut[?] when I was struck. But I was soon up and moving, in as much, as there was a battery of artillery just behind me, waiting for our regiment to get out of the way, before they let drive shot, shell, grape, and canister, at a rate exceeding six miles an hour. I didn't care to lay under such a fire so I 'stirred my stumps'. You can't think how careless these artillery men are.... Perhaps you have heard of eccentric bullet wounds but I think I know of a case that rather knocks them. At the battle of White Hall there was a chap in the fiftieth Rhode I'd who was struck with a spent minie ball in the heel of his show. The ball continued between the shoe and foot richotted [sic] (I can't spell that word) against his shoe strings, which gave it a rotary upward motion, and it began spinning round, skipping all the bones and veins when it reached the thigh, it flew off at a tangent, and made a beautiful caron [?] on his testicles, entering his left thigh then went a curious zig-zag up his left side just under the skin, till it reached the breast then left the body and flew round in the air wildly, taking off all his finger nails and piece of his moustache. When asked if he was wounded he said [']Well, I dun know of any perticler [sic] spot but I kinder [sic] feel it all over' Poor fellow he died that night of the measles. Sich [sic] is war. Moral 'don't go to war.'... one of our boys saw a Reb, belonging to the 17 NC that was taken prisoner. He says that he was with his regiment at the battle of White Hall and that our regiment was recognised [sic] and described our position. He spoke very favorably of our rifle firing, and gave the loss of his regiment which was very large. He spoke of an abolitionist he recognized in the rank and spoke of his firing as being death to the commissioned officers. The whole staff and several captains and Lieuts of his regiment fell before his unerring aim...". With original transmittal envelope. Much more fine content.

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December 16, 2010 11:00 AM EST
Stamford, CT, US

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