From The Regimental Flag: A Soldier Shot
part of a series from the regimental newspaper of the 2nd Delaware Infantry
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From The Regimental Flag (Vol. 2), January 23, 1862, pg. 2
A SOLDIER SHOT.
We learn that a private named Murry of Company “B,” now stationed at Onancock, while attempting to escape from the building in which the company is quartered on Sunday night last, was shot in the head by Lieut. Fennimore of the same company.
It seems that the officer saw Murry as he jumped quietly from a window and ordered him to return, when Murry used very abusive language and refused to obey. Fennimore laid his hand on Murry’s shoulder when the latter struck him several times, whereupon Fennimore drew his pistol and fired at Murry. The ball struck him nearly in the centre of the forehead, but fortunately did not enter any further than through the skin, and glancing on the skull pursued its way upward and lowed up the skin on top of his head, wounding him pretty severely but not dangerously. He then surrendered and was sent to the Hospital at Drummondtown, on Monday where he is doing well.
Murry says “if Fennimore was going to shoot him why didn’t he shoot him right, and kill him at once, then he wouldn’t have cared a d––n; but to tear up a fellow’s head in this way, he’d be d––––d if he wasn’t opposed to it.”
Plenty to ponder in this article. Although an unpleasant event, these kinds of tales are the neglected reality of the struggle. Thanks for posting!
That’s what I loved so much about finding this newspaper: it offered such a great slice of daily life for the soldiers. Virtually every regimental newspaper I’ve ever looked at has a similar cross-section of great human interest tidbits.
Why didn’t Lieutenant Fenimore tase Murry?
I want to be like Murray. Shoot to kill so I’m not living with wounds that make me look weird.