I assumed that these men would have been in a firing position which would have presented their left side to the enemy as they aimed. The 1st Arkansas spent the first year of the War in Virginia and were a small part in the Battle of 1st Manassas before returning west to be involved in the Battle of Shiloh. I would figure that they were well trained in rifle drill.

I wonder if it was training that taught these men to stand with their left sides to the enemy to present a narrower target? That would seem logical to me. But, that's not what he said. I wonder why the writter would figure that the left side was better to recieve a bullet in that side rather than any other direction? I know that in some cases there are places on the body where a bullet can pass throught the upper body from front to back without hitting any vital organs or bones. I am not sure that could happen with a side shot. However, he may be figuring that the shoulder and arm would most likely recieve the impact first and slow the bullet. And the left arm would be better to lose by amputation than a right arm.

These old boys were highly pragmatic about death and being wounded. So it is quite probable that they had these things all figure out in some practical manner.