Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-05-21
FRONI sTRAsRuRC.
An Interesting Letter from One OF
Our Wheeling Boys.

OTRASBURG HOSPITAL, May 10.
Editors IntetligeNcer:
Allow mc, through the columns of your
paper, to present to the citizens of Wheel
ing aud vicinity, n picture that their eyes
do not every day behold. Strasburg Hos
pitAl is situated ut the outskirts of the
town, on an eminence near the Shenandoah
River. II is very beautiful place, sur.
rounded by orchards and meadows, while
just across n narrow field flows quietly the
beautiful Shenandoah. Will you take n
walk around through the grounds with
me? If you will, will show you some of
the most heHrt-renGing scenes TINT your
eyes ever beheld. Yonder in tent, and
on IL rude bunk, with coarse mattrass
filled with straw, lays victim, probably of
typhoid fever, probably of mountain fever.
Hear the groans that come from that tent;
listen to the begging of some unfortunate
being for water! Hark to that unearthly
sound coming from that other tent! Lis
ten to the dying grouns OF yonder man,
as the nurses shift him into n new
position! You hsk, what is going on
there? A few steps in that direction soon
-convinces you of what is about TO trans
pire. Justinside of a tent you see a man
lying on a pallet of straw, suffering the
most excruCiRting pain from a wound re-
ceived probably a month ago. The sur
ge0nis about to perform the painful oper.
alton of amputating one of his legs. Like
true soldier and brave mau he listens
TO his doom, nothing but sigh escaping
his lips. The work of pain commences.@
OceastonRfly-a deep grOAn CRATES upon the
ear 1.-THE bystander, causing the heart to
shldder and sicken at the sight. The dull
grating of the saw as it is drawn back and
forth through the bone of ahumanfleg is
moro than the ear of q common feeling
mau can bear, aud you turn away from the
scene with sad thought and sickened
heart, exclaiming, hard is the lot of the
oorVolunteerl
Over yonder In the old church is another
sight far from pleasant. The seats of the
church have all been removed. and in their
stead-ure placed upwards of fifty rude
hunks, on each of which,lies a sick soldier,
in the last stage of some fatal
disease. To-day walked over to the
church,to.see one of my triends. who is .ly-
ing sick there with the typhoid fever.
went in and the air almost stifed me. /
knew where his bunk was and 1 immedi-
ately went to him. He was asleep.
spoke to him when he aRoke and looked
up at me. U, how changed! What awful
features, what death-like look, what sun.
ken eyes and prominent cheek bones. The
whole aspect of that soldiers couutenancc
was changed from once handsome young
man to the skeleton form of IA fast dying
patient. asked him how be felt. Said
he, az GHI dying! Lam choking 70 death.
My throat Is on fire. Just look ut my
tongue" He opened his mouth and tried
to stick out his tongue but, could not. j
saw enough, however. His tongue from
one end to ;hc other WAS one mass of fe.
verish blisters, and in two different places
it was cracked clear across, aud was as dry
as a chip, told him that the Captain had
sent.him furlOugh, aud that he could go
home. "Yes," said he, 81 wish | was able
70 GO; bnt it Is Of no use TO me. II 0ueoF
the other boys wants to- 90 home let the
surgeon filliit out for him.5, will soon be
where ! won't need futlough. Iaingoing
| TO die" tried to console him, bur it was
of no use. Poor fellow, he Is dying of fe-'
yer aud low spirits. 1 could not stly long
inthe room, the air being so offensive and
sickeniug.
The gFoaus of the sick bre enough toset
one wild. The knell of death sounds
throughout tue OLD CHURCH, like the notes
of nuthed drum at a night funeral.
Such are some of the scenes aud sounds in
the hospital Dear reader, you may thank
God that you are NOT one of those unEor-
tuhate beings. The average deaths here
are about two every tWenty-four hours.
All that have died here have received very
decent bnrials. The Government furnishes
plain collins and plaini headsEtpnes mark
jng the place, and the name of the de.
fce6sed.
There is a great lack Of nurses here.
Tho sick do not get the attention they re-