The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-10-23
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
Letter nom General Shields.

Letter from General Shields.
MEuco Sept 81, 1917.
To the Editor of the Union.
DEAR SIR: hope you will permit me to avail myself of
your columns 10 notice article, which first appeared in
the New York Herald and afterwards obtained circnla,
ton in other papers throughout The Union rejecting Sc
yeey upon the medical department of the army and
terriDg to the treatment OF my first wound an instance
Of the ignorance of the surgeons of that department The
following is the article to which allude Fi'l
"lany members Of the medical department, OF the army
are lamenaby deficient in skill aud experience In proof
of his would point the fact that the surgeons in attend
Gen. Shields did discover the Of his in
all that time ignorant thar of his ribs injured
Gen Butler w in all probability be lame for life, through
dressed his wound Many other instances Of ike nature
are within my knowledge" 7
| regard II act of simple Justice TO attempt 10
rescue the character of the surgeons who attended me- in
my time OF trial and suffering, from the mputatons con-
tanned in this article received the wound to which al
fusion is made on the 18th OF April at Cerro Gordo
while assaultDg battery of five guns with portion of
my command in front-another portion of my command
having attacked il at the same time, pursuant my
ders, on the flank The wound was made BY a eaden
or IRON grape nearly three times the size of msket
ball entered my right breast, just under the NIPPLE
and passed out OF my back within about half inch of
the SPINE From the spot where fell was carried on
the arms OF soldiers (under the direction OF my aids
Leus Hammond and Davis, about two miles to the gen.
era hospital During the whole Of this route my
might be tracked by the blood which seamed out of the
wound. The agony suffered was so ntolerabe that
onged for DEATH and often requested TO be stretched
within hearing OF the victorious shouts of my troops
My aids, however demonstrated with on this, and
had me borne EDWARDS to the hospital Here my wound
dressed and the blood staunched by Dr. Wright of
the regular army, and Dr. Mcmillan, then attached to
one of my regiments acting surgeon From the hos
pita was again borne on litter the day. about
Here was attended for several days by Dr. Mcmillan
every one expecting that every hour would be my last
From this place was borne in few days litter to
Jaapa, where remained until my recovery. was attend
ed during the whole of my illness by DR. Mcmillan who
exhibited during that time not only the consunmae
skill as surgeon but such care, assiduity and Devotion
ton that Dr. Vanderlinden Surgeon General of the Mex
lean army, (who had been made prisoner by my
portion of this time The broken ribs to which aluson
is made in the article not only known to the sur
geons who attended me, but to myself, the moment
stripped and examined but this considered so tring
a matter, compared with the terrible nature of my
wound that it excited but little uneasiness and aten-
ton. It becomes me to say here-what l sincerely
skill and surgical talent could do but little for such
a terrible wound. understand there is no instance
recorded of such recovery attribute therefore, with
grateful heart my preservation and recovery to God
alone; but next to God, my gratitude is due, and my
covery attributable, to the skill and devotion of nv at
tending surgeon, DR. Mcmillan, recently, am happy to
assert that the medical department OF the regular army
will compare. in professional skill and intelligence, with
that of any other medical body OF equal size in the world
Some OF the recent appointments know also to be
excellent; but there doubtless who are con-
fessedy deficient in all the attributes of surgical skill and
experience This could scarcely be avoided under the cir
cumstances and considering The hurried manner in which
the appointments had to be made regret to say that am
again suffering under the affection of another wound re-
ceived at the sorming of Chapueec The wound from
muske ball. received in the left which has OCCASION
ed me much pain, but my surgeons the is
safe So entire has been my recovery from the effects the
former wound, that at Puebla | assumed command OF
brigade, consisting Of the New York and South Carolina
volunteers and the marine corps, under Lieut. Col Wat
son. We marched from Puebla and entered the valley
A1ayic Ill Az
sand two hundred men. Our march one of extreme
dlthcuy-over roads broken up and filled with rocks
We reached San Augustin the sh OF August, from
whence we could see the enemy's troops and works at
Contreras On the 10Th | led two regiments-the New
Workers and Palmeos-acroes route that was deemed
impossible BY Mexlcans for everything but goats join
ed the other forces in the night; remained of the
night without shelter covering, under ncessant
and joined in the attack in the morning which carried
All this encountered without suffering any injury from
the effects OF my former wound From Conreras join
ed in pursuit of the enemy towards Mexico. We came
up with the main body OF his army Churubusco The
enemys force about thirty thousand The position
was most formidable The Notifications were not only
exceedingly strong, but their infantry posted under
cover OF embellishments, which afforded them such protec
ZION as to enable them to fire with security The
battle at this place was not only bloody but terrible
one. The Mexcans determined to make it their last
great struggle. and the Americans fought with despera
ton; knowing that nothing was left for them but sue
cess. Here | lost over half my command in killed
and wounded. Some of the noblest. officers and
that bloody field. Yet we routed the whole Mex-
can army, and drove it, panic struck, into the ciy
and had who happened to be in the advance only been
permitted to continue the pursuit into the city, doubt
not from what have since heard of their fright, that
they would have through the city and sought shelter
in the mountains. Peace, however, being the great OBJ
ject it hoped that the moment favorable for that
purpose Santa Anna, however, whose whole being is
of fasehood and treachery, employed the
time preparation for Defence and imposed upon us the
further necessity of carrying Chapuepec and taking the
CITY, This all done, too, in the most glorious man.
ner. The whole American force the ground exclu-
sive OF killed and wounded when Mexico was taken,
was less than SO00 the whole force employed was little
more than 5000 So, my dear friend, you may tell the
world that an army OF between 5000 and 1000 Amer
leans has taken the city of Mexico, strongly fori
hed with an army OF between twenty and thirty thou
sand men within its walls. True, have suffered and
suffered severely Many noble spirit has breathed his
have proved to the world the nvinciby of the Ameri-
can arms have been thus ditusive to show that my
recovery has been tested every species of trial and
turance to which the human system can be subjected
1t hard case, therefore, that the physicians who con-
rbuted much to this recovery should be accused of
and that my recovery, in itself so wonderful
should be vouched an instance to prove this ncapa-
city, trust those journals that gave place nconsderae-
", TO the article to which aude will do me the favor
N justice to my physician and the medical department Of
he army to insert this letter.
have the honor to be, your friend and obeden ser.
want,
JAMES SHIELDS.
Cry MEXICO, Sept. 81, 1s47
To The Editor of tLe III, ,oo