August 30, 1861 — An Exciting Incident

Bellows Falls Times, Bellows Falls, VT

A member of the Connecticut 7th Regiment Volunteers with Gen Banks’ Division, in writing home relates the following incident: —

On last Thursday I was on the second relief guard from 11 P. M. until 1 A. M., when, as I was treading my beat, guarding two springs of water, I thought I saw an object moving toward one of the springs at the furthest end of my beat. I stood for a moment and watched, when it remained stationary, but when I turned to go on it moved again; and at that I challenged, but got no answer; I then challenged again, and was about to do so for the third and last time, when the thing sank on the ground and began to move off. At that I fired, at a distance of about six rods, when he fell with a groan like a bull. And as soon as I saw him fall, I got my neighboring sentry to help me carry him to the officer of the guard, to see where he was hurt. On examination, we found he was shot (as the doctors say) in groin. We had his wound dressed and took him to the hospital, after taking away from him a pound and a half of arsenic, with which he was about to sweeten our spring.

The camp was thrown into some excitement by the shot. We found a revolver on him and why he did not use it I don’t know. He is not fatally injured and I am glad of it, as he deserves a worse death.

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