Every now and then they would send over a "feeler," to see how we were getting along.

Sometimes these "feelers" would do some damage.
I remember one morning we were away over a hill, and every now and then here would come one of those lazy-looking "feelers," just bouncing along as if he were in no hurry, called in military "ricochet." They were very easy to dodge, if you could see them in time.

Well, one morning as before remarked, Lieutenant John Whittaker, then in command of Company H, and myself were sitting down eating breakfast out of the same tin plate.
We were sopping gravy out with some cold corn bread, when Captain W.C.Flournoy, of the Martin Guards, hallooed out, "Look out, Sam; look! look!" I just turned my head, and in turning, the cannon ball knocked my hat off, and striking Lieutenant Whittaker full in the side of the head, carried away the whole of the skull part, leaving only the face.

His brains fell in the plate from which we were sopping, and his head fell in my lap, deluging my face and clothes with his blood.
Poor fellow, he never knew what hurt him.

His spirit went to its God that morning.