Private Columbus Rush, a 22-year-old soldier from Company C of the 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment, was wounded during the assault on Fort Stedman, Virginia, on March 25, 1865. Fort Stedman was a crucial Union-held fortification near Petersburg, and the battle was part of the Confederate Army’s desperate attempt to break the Union’s stranglehold on the city. Rush was struck by a shell fragment during the battle, which caused a severe injury. Soldiers during the American Civil War faced a high risk of injury from various types of weaponry, including artillery shells. These fragments could cause significant damage to the human body, often leading to severe pain, disability, or even death. The Battle of Fort Stedman was one of the last major engagements of the Civil War, as the Confederate forces were eventually forced to abandon Petersburg and Richmond, leading to their ultimate surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
