Grape(s) Shot in the Frying Pan
Narrow Escape #12
Ironton Register 3 Feb. 1887
“Hello, John Wilson, haven’t you a ‘Narrow Escape’ for the Register.”
“I don’t know. I was in several close places.”
“Well, we want your closest call.”
“Well, I believe that was at Winchester. I was in Co. D, 23d O. V. I., President Hayes’ old regiment. Our regiment saw a good deal of hard service. At Cloyd Mountain, we lost 38 killed and wounded out of my company. I have had holes shot through my blouse several times, but I consider my ‘Narrow Escape’ occurred at Winchester on July 28th, 1864.
“We were in the line of battle 3 or 4 miles above Winchester. The rebels charged on us, and the first thing I knew, my company was scattering and falling back, getting away in different directions as fast as the boys could ‘hoof’ it. They all seemed to be seeking more healthy quarters. To save myself, I started too.
“I had fallen back, I suppose, a couple of hundred yards or such a matter, trying to get out of reach of their guns. In order to get under cover or some apple trees, I obliqued to the right. I didn’t go but a very short distance that way until they opened on us with grape and canister.
“I had obliqued off to the right, as I said before, to try to get under cover of the apple trees while the dust kept flying around me powerfully. All at once I felt as if a man had struck me terrible blow across the back. I fell to the earth but soon scrambled to my feet, glad I wasn’t killed and kept going from there. I took along a row of apple trees and ran my best while the apples rained like hail about my ears as a result of the enemy’s firing.
“We kept up our retreat till we reached Bunker Hill. There we fell into the line of battle again, and when the rebs came up, gave them another volley. While we were in the line of battle here, a boy named Cubbage asked:
“John, what makes your frying pan handle stick out so straight?”
“I answered: ‘I must have caught it on an apple tree limb and bent it.’
“But, upon examining my knapsack to see what was the matter, I found a grape shot imbedded in the pan. It had passed through my oil blanket and woolen blanket and bent up my frying pan until it looked like a ____ ___. I was glad it was the pan, though, and not myself that was drawn up so.”
“Well, that we indeed interesting,” added the reporter. “The more I gather in these narrow escapes, the more varied and interesting they become. Thank you, John.”
0 Comments