Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-11-28
ARMY SURGEONS.

\ private letter from devoted and able
surgeon Of aN.Y. regiment, which was
with Burnside through his North Carolina
campaign, and also at Aniietam, to a mem
br Of has family, gives one notion Of the
difficulties and labors to be encountered by a
faithful surgeon in active field service. The
letter Is dated from - Field Hospital for
wounded, near Keedysville, Nd, sept. %,
1862, Just after tue battle Of Antietam -
TIE writer was wilh Buruside's division at
the bloody battle at the bridge crossing, and
in charge of the wounded in a barn near BY.
From the letter we extract as follows
81 AN slowly travelling through the disposal Of
and provision for 40 poor fellows under ny case
here.
Surgery, surgery. surgery; food food, food;
nurses, nurses, nurses COX has get drunk
everybody employed locking ,ut TO- No.
nooedy caring for any body else. Surgeons
come here to get me to take care Of their
sick, not knowing or caring to anything but ,hirt
them of On to me, in addition to my other cares;
AMI When I refuse, asking and arguing about what
they shall d. with them Oh, the incompetent
eies and pay-drawers in this army Is en-, ugh to
ruin any n,tiou'
More than half the time have been sick SIEGE
I have been here, but I am nov thoroughly veil.
came here, and in two log hou aud barn,
the Medical Director had dePOsite' 20 wounded
on the bare floors; they had not raw under
them. There was not a cook, nuI-s or anything
for them, and no provisions dressings or anything
else. The next day he got a furlough to 60 to
Staten Island with his wounded brother in Law.
Well, seized upon straggl,Ts, orchard thieye-,
and any thing, and made a guard Of six men, gave
them mnskets. | then detailed out of the rest
i've cooks, twelve nurs's ard got my own steward.
| got a broken ambulance and sent it of sitter
dressings, medicines, food and cardles. Then
went to TX at the wounds; making a register
between whites, and arres ing nurses, cooks, and
general thieves around, and substituting others in
their places; answering forty .ou.and questions
from everybody meanwhile. his began with
on Thursday. on sunday roas up six miles to
DR.. Church and got bis promise Of good report
and an assistant, who arrived on sunday P II
and proved a trump, and a real assistant. lie is
a regular. His name Is ur. krins OF Grain.
should have gone over without him. for tina;
night was very sick with an exa,ustiag diarrhea,
and next day could harily keep about. He is
with me st:Il Yes.eri,y by filling up with quin-
inc got well again. Now things g sulotaIy
aud we'll have ious al the operations nee ted,
got every one 90 t-i sac or clean straw, have
line scattered al! around. daily changes Of every
dirty thing about rle muses. thiak az saw
age, suppose; Tor If they reg .eet anything ar
vest the one a. fault iui send him oI 60 the Pro-
,ost Marshal.
You have d. ilea lhs labor and bother Of or
ganizing out # nothing, Il! the mere necessities
for the care # sogni,I az m,nsnt's n5ti;s,
with nothing a, had and not knowing where TO
get it. rode fourteen miles to End out where
could get food, directed 20 this headquarters, AID
that headquarters, &c, and all because the Meii-
cal D rector was on his wav TO Staten Island with
one wounded man
Besides fingers and toes I have made eleven am
putations ten, Of the legs, thighs, fore arms,
arms, a; shoulder joint. The Minnie ball striking
a bone does not permit much debate about Ampu-
tation. 70 is more destructive than small crepe,
for it fltteus up and 'hln communities the lone
and drives the fragments iato the neigLborins
soft parts.
have sent oG to the General Hospital at
Frederick City, as could get tra1sPortion, nearly
half Of those here. Iae worst cases remain. and
7 shall be able to do wen for them as soon as The
following memorandum is filled, Which / just
stopped T. sign for the Sanitary Commission to
fiji up if they can, viz: $50 shits, 46 drawers co
blankets, signed - -, in charge Of Field
Hospital, for wounded az Milarls House ami Vi
ciaity, near Keedysyiile, Md"
have to put all that tail into the signature or
they won't know where 70 send them.