Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-04-24
MY HOSPITAL EXPERIENCES.
TAKEN SICK

in the United States service as private
The Cedar Falls Reserves" the Company
of which was member, was, after numer-
Gus disappointments, finally assigned on the
18th day Of October to the position Of Com
pany B, in the Thirty first Iowa Infantry,
Colonel William Smyth. On the 1st of No
vember the regiment left the rendezvous at
Davenport, and proceeded pia the Sucker
.StGte for st. Louis. After two days sojourn
at Benton Barracks we started for Helena,
Ark, aboard the Continental. The trip was
an extremely tedious one, occupying twelve
days. During this trip was taken sick,
but considered my attack nothing more than
temporary, and felt confident that my consti-
tuition was sufficiently vigorous to endure
the hardships Of soldiers life with any
member Of Company B. We landed ut
Helena on the Goth of November, and had
so far recovered as to feel quite like my self
again, and was sufficiently able to resume
my duties. The morning of the Gath, how
ever, was again suddenly taken i'll, and
went to bed with very severe chill in the
Majors tent. That day we moved camp.
HOSPITAL TENT.
During the evening of the next day two
comrades-one at my foot, the other at my
head-carricd me on my cot to that horror
alike Of soldiers in the field and friends at
home-the Hospital Tent. l shall not soon
forget my feelings as they sat me down, ad-
justed my blankets, and asked me how felt
To know that was really sck-a sick SOL
dier-and in hospital, was very dsagreeable
knowledge but, however, comforted my
self with the thought that the end of the
month, at least, would see me well again.
was the first patient under the tent As the
night advanced my solitude and pain seemed
endurabla no longer, and called out con.
tinually for Mustard Plaster as companion
and alleviator. But must wait till morning
they told me as nothing of the kind could
be found that night. So lay and watched
the night as it went, minute by minute,
which seemed hour by hour to me in my
misery, till finally the day dawned and l re.
ceived my plaster and my disease a name.-
A severe case Of Pneumonia, they called it
and l assure you l was not remarkably
we'll pleased with the classification.
| was not long the only patient Some
were brought in few hours after me, and
day by day the tent filled up till no more
could beaccommodated and many who sought
admission could not obtain it. The accom-
modations were net sufficient for over eight.
cen. The beds, with the exception of two
cots, the property of Capt. Speer and Lieut.
Townsend of Co. 3, were extemporized by
driving foIked sticks in the ground on which
were placed poles running lengthwise, which
supported other poles running crosswisc. The
hospital was not provided with bedding of
any kind, not even straw, and nothing COW
cred these poles unless it were an extra
blanket or some superfluous clothing; but,
hard and uncomfortable as these beds were
they served the purpose of keeping the sick
soldiers off the cold, wet ground. On my
left lay man in all the agony of severe in
hamatory rheumatism at my feet was one
with the bloody hux; and short distance
from me On the right lay poor fellow with
the brain fever, who raved continually day
and night. A few were able to thcIp them
selves somewhat, but for the most part oul
little band were dependent upon the care Of
the nurses entirely, of whom there were but
two for both day and night watch But the
greatest trial we had after all was our diet
Our cook was evidently of no great expert
ence in the culinary art. The food prepared
for us was wretched and wholly unadapted
to the stomachs of sick men. When de.
pended upon the hospital for my meals !
generally received cup of what they told
me was tea, believe. piece. Of dry bakers
bread, cold potato and a chunk of beef
The same bill Of fare answered for the very
sick and the convalescents alike. Sometimes
we got little rice which was invariably half
done or badly burned .Camp-life experience,
doubtless, has made great improvements in
this regard long ere this. At least hope so.
! am well satisfied, had / been entirely de-
pendent upon hospital for attention, never
should have gone out of it's white walls alive,
much less have lived to pen this article.
am under everlasting obligations to John j.
VanNorton, Company d, who watched with
me and nursed me with all the solicitude of
brother, during my stay in Regmental
Hospital. / thanked God then, thank him
now, for this friend, brother, father. He was
ever as constant, patient, and kind as moth
er could be.
MRS. wnITrESMEYER CALLS.
had been in hospital a couple of weeks
Or SO, when one day Mrs. Whittenmeycr,
Iowa State Sanitary Agent, called to look af-
ter the Sanitary condition o: the hospital
She went about among the men in her cheer
ful pleasant way, taking each by the hand
and speaking words Of encouragement and
hope. She stopped at my cot, took my hand
kindly in hers as she had done by the 9TH
u.