Wounded by the same ball

[Mike Serpa]

Patrick Hickey and William J. Wray were injured by the same ball. Wray compiled the book and I was hoping for dental about when they were shot.I don't know if this story is from him or "one of the boys."

"One of the boys of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, tells this story of Pat Hickey of Company F. They were chums at home, and when under fire Pat always covered him in the ranks. At Fredericksburg they were both wounded, no doubt by the same ball, one in the head, the other in the left arm. On the way back to the rear, assisted by Billy Craig, they struck a double ambulance. Putting the other fellow into it, Craig bid them good-bye and crawled back to his place in the company, as the enemy was at this time sweeping the ground with his batteries. Just then a shell passing near the ambulance, frightened the driver, and jumping off, away went the team. Hickey with his one arm tried to check them and finding it was no use, got out on the step and catching his chum's waist-band jumped off and out he came, sock on the ground completely knocking him out. Just then one of the wounded passing, helped him back to the rear, where he fell into the hands of Surgeon Roller of the Twenty-third. After doing what was possible to stop the flow of blood, he told Hickey to stick to him. This he did, remaining with him until the army re-crossed the river, although, during Sunday and Monday, he had the chance like all others who were able to travel to go North. Hick got a $5 bill from one of the officers and walked six miles to the train and bought a can of beef tea. It was eleven days before they reached the hospital at Washington, he caring for his chum during that time. When they came up before the surgeon for examination for furlough, given according to the disability, not exceeding sixty days, Hickey got thirty and his chum sixty, his chum asked that his be reduced to thirty. This surprised the surgeon and when told how faithful Pat had been, gave him sixty days. As they passed down Pennsylvania Avenue on the way to take the train, they ran across Dr. Roller who had taken a run up for a few days from the front. He had just drawn his pay, was glad to meet the boys, found them dead broke and gave each a $5 bill. These facts are a sample of the Twenty-third, they always stuck to each other."

History of the twenty third Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, Birney's zouaves ... 1861-1865; comp. by the secretary
by Pennsylvania infantry. 23d regiment; Wray, W. J
Publication date 1904

History of the twenty third Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, Birney's zouaves ... 1861-1865; comp. by the secretary : Pennsylvania infantry. 23d regiment : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

432 p

archive.org

Post war photo of Wray

Any other instances of two men being injured by the same bullet?

 

[Tom Elmore]

Very rare for gunshot cases. I have seen only three examples (out of 2,675 identified strikes) recorded at Gettysburg, and some doubt exists even in those three instances whether it was actually by a (minie) ball or from artillery (like a fragment or small iron ball from a case shot):

Levi Rust and John P. "Johnny" Wing of the 150th New York were both killed by the same bullet; Wing was behind Rust at the time. Given the location and time (Culp's Hill on the morning of July 3), it was almost certainly a single gunshot.

Avery Harris and Stephen E. Miller of the 143rd Pennsylvania were both wounded by the same "bullet" on July 1. Harris had his hand badly bruised and his weapon was damaged at the same time. At the time the term "bullet" was used both to describe gunshot and artillery projectiles.

Colonel Samuel P. Lumpkin of the 44th Georgia and Captain William B. Haygood of Company C, 44th Georgia were struck by the same ball (or maybe a shell piece) on July 1. Lumpkin was wounded in the leg and Haygood was wounded in his left arm.

Likewise, very rarely, a soldier might be wounded twice by the same gunshot. Private J. J. Smith of Company E, 22nd Georgia had a minie ball pass through his body and then through his right arm, which was afterwards amputated.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Very rare for gunshot cases. I have seen only three examples (out of 2,675 identified strikes) recorded at Gettysburg, and some doubt exists even in those three instances whether it was actually by a (minie) ball or from artillery (like a fragment or small iron ball from a case shot):

Levi Rust and John P. "Johnny" Wing of the 150th New York were both killed by the same bullet; Wing was behind Rust at the time. Given the location and time (Culp's Hill on the morning of July 3), it was almost certainly a single gunshot.

Avery Harris and Stephen E. Miller of the 143rd Pennsylvania were both wounded by the same "bullet" on July 1. Harris had his hand badly bruised and his weapon was damaged at the same time. At the time the term "bullet" was used both to describe gunshot and artillery projectiles.

Colonel Samuel P. Lumpkin of the 44th Georgia and Captain William B. Haygood of Company C, 44th Georgia were struck by the same ball (or maybe a shell piece) on July 1. Lumpkin was wounded in the leg and Haygood was wounded in his left arm.

Likewise, very rarely, a soldier might be wounded twice by the same gunshot. Private J. J. Smith of Company E, 22nd Georgia had a minie ball pass through his body and then through his right arm, which was afterwards amputated.

Thanks for adding these. I thought there might be more instances of this. Wasn't there a single bullet that supposedly went through JFK and Govenor Connally?

 

[JOHN42768]

A whole different meaning to" Blood Brothers"

 

[James N.]

Their monument on Culp's hill at Gettysburg.

 

[OldReliable1862]

If I remember correctly, wasn't Brigadier General Micah Jenkins killed by the same ball that hit James Longstreet in the neck?

 

[huskerblitz]

There is an account I have of a minie ball killing one and wounding two others, all from the 22nd Kentucky. This was a "friendly fire" event where one soldier was mad at another after playing cards, picked up a rifle and fired it at the other. The ball killed the intended man and then passed through and wounded two more sitting behind the first guy.

 

[huskerblitz]

Here is one of the accounts by the surgeon of the regiment:

To-day we had a death in camp, resulting from a game
of cards. William F. Walls, private in Co. A, whilst en-
gaged in a losing game, grabbed the stake, twenty dollars,
and ran with it. The winner grasped his musket and
pursued. Walls finding himself hard pressed turned at
bay, and just at the moment the charge was fired. The
ball passed into the abdomen, severing the great abdominal
aorta, shattered the spine, and, passing out of the body,
it struck and passed through the glutei muscles of William
Wilson, also of Co. A, thence through the gastrocnemius
muscles of a private of Co. E; and thence into the ground,
from whence it was grabbled by a soldier. A court martial
found it a case of accidental shooting.*

*At a later period in the war the newspapers of the day re-
ported the wounding of a Major General and two privates by the
same ball; not, however, with such fatal result as that in the 22d
regiment. The General and the privates mentioned were soon
ready for duty, and to stand in their proper rank at morning call.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Thanks for adding these. I thought there might be more instances of this. Wasn't there a single bullet that supposedly went through JFK and Govenor Connally?

Sorry. This question is 100 years later than everyone's expertise!

 

[huskerblitz]

Sorry. This question is 100 years later than everyone's expertise!

LOL....And, yes, there was a bullet that struck both men in the car.