Fearfully Wounded, Blown Up Twice, And Leg Shot Off

Fighting to defend the sovereignty of their State as well as their firesides during the War, so many Americans in the South ended up maimed or crippled for life, a testament to their bravery and willingness to sacrifice all for their country. The following underscores a North Carolina officer remarking after the War, “try to find a gentleman without a Yankee mark on him.”

Bernhard Thuersam, Director

Cape Fear Historical Institute

========

Fearfully Wounded, Blown Up Twice, and Leg Shot Off:

“Capt. Hickey enlisted early and took an active part in the battles of Booneville, Wilson Creek, and in the siege of Lexington, where Gen. Mulligan and his men were all captured. [After his newly enlisted men] went into camp at Silver Creek, Randolph County [Missouri], and before they could make a start to the South [they] were attacked by Merrill’s Black Horse Cavalry in overwhelming numbers, and badly routed. Capt. Hickey was run upon and shot in the head by a Federal while trying to rally his men, many of whom were killed and wounded. The Captain fell from his horse; but his feet remained in the stirrups, and he was dragged forty or fifty yards…he was carried to a cabin and secreted there…where he recovered sufficiently at length to ride his horse.

The Missouri army engaged at the battle of Corinth…had many of its brave officers and men killed and wounded in that battle. The Sixth Missouri Regiment had every field officer and nine out of ten of its captains killed or wounded. Capt. Hickey was severely wounded in the thigh during this engagement…[and fought in] the battles of Iuka, Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, and Baker’s Creek, the engagement at Big Black River, and the siege of Vicksburg. He was twice blown up while defending the fortifications at Vicksburg and the forts located on Hall’s ferry road [and] was wounded in the shoulder. At the second explosion his first lieutenant, R.A. Dickey, was mortally wounded, the second lieutenant, John Roseberry, and orderly sergeant Samuel Groce, were killed, and seven more buried beneath the falling debris.

In speaking of this tragic event he said: “The explosion was terrific. Over four hundred pieces of artillery poured their shot and shell into our ranks with deadly effect; then the fort was stormed by overwhelming numbers of infantry. The air was made black with hand grenades which were thrown at us by every Federal soldier who got inside the works, and for a time everything seemed as though the Federal troops would be victorious; but in the midst of all this confusion the “Rebel Yell” was raised, a tremendous charge was made against the Federals, and in a short time they were routed and again the Confederate flag floated from the top of the dismantled fort.

Col. Eugene Erwin, a grandson of Henry Clay, led the charge in retaking the fort, and when the yell was raised he called to me, “come on, old brave Company B!” and while on the works, in the flush of victory, his body was lacerated with bullets. After having fought almost night and day for forty days and nights, without relief, with nothing to eat during the last two weeks of the siege but cowpeas ground into meal and mule meat, our army of 23,000 men capitulated to a force of 80,000.

Capt. Hickey was in the battle of Resaca and on through the campaigns in Georgia. He was wounded in the head at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain…During Hood’s campaign to Tennessee, in the battle of Franklin he was fearfully wounded in three places: had his right leg shot off at the thigh, his left arm shattered, and shoulder badly wounded. He was wounded three times while lying on the battlefield with his leg shot off, not being able to get out of the way. Capt. Hickey lay nearly a week in his bloody clothes and on the ground or floor of a church at Franklin.

Over fifty of his men were killed while fighting for the rights of the South. Musing upon the subject, the Captain said: “At the remembrance of a hundred battles, and of thousands of miles of weary march, the future sons of Howard County should pause when the names of these heroes are mentioned.”

During his dreadful illness at Franklin, Rev. E.M. Bounds…spoke to him and said that he would like to read from the Bible and pray with him, but [Hickey] said: “No, no; get me some beer or whiskey, tell me some anecdotes, and I will pull through.”

(A Hero in the Strife, Extraordinary Career of Capt. John M. Hickey While Serving in the Confederacy, Confederate Veteran Magazine, September 1894, pp. 282-283)