Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-05-15
IFrOm the Richmond Medical JournaIl
The Last Wound of the late General
jackson.
The AmputatiOn OF the Arm-His Last Mo-
mentS and Death.
BY HUNTER INQUIRE, NJ. D.

Supported upon either side by his aids,
Captains james Smith aud Joseph Morrison,
the General moved slowly and painfully to-
wards the rear. Occasionally resting for a
moment, to shake off the exhaustion which
PAIN and the loss of blood produced, he at
last reached the line of battle, where most of
the men were lying down, to escape the she'll
and canister, with which the Federals raked
the road General Pender rode up here to
the little party, and asked who was wounded.
and Captain Smith, who had been instructed
Dy General jackson to tell no one of his in
jury, SIMPLY answered, "a Confed rate off
Ger; but Fender recognized the General,
and, springing from his horse, hurriedly ex>
pressed his regret, and added that his lines
were SO much broken, he feared it would be
necessary to fall back At this moment the
scene Was fearful one. The air seemed to
be alive with the shrieks of shells and the
whlsting of bullets horses riderIess and
mad with fright. dashed in every direction;
hundreds left tt e ranks and fed to the rear.
and the groans Of the wounded and dying,
mingled with tho wild shouts of others to be-
led again to the assault. Almost faiuting as
he was, from the loss of blood, fearfully
wounded. aud as he thought, dying, Jackson
was undismayed by this terrible scene. The
words OF Pender seemed to rouse him to life.
flushing aside the men who supported him,
he stretched himself to his full height, and
answered teebIy, but distinctly enough to be
heard above the din of the battle, General
Pcnder. you must hold on to the field, YOU
must hold out to the last" 1t was .Jackson's
last order upon the field of battle Still more
exhausted by this effort, he asked to be per-
mtted to lie down Tor few moments, but rhe
danger from the fire, and capture by the Fed
eral advance, W.. too imminent, and his aids
hurried him on. A litter having been OBJ.
taned, he was placed upon it, and the bear
ers passed on as rapidly as the thick woods
and rough ground permitted. Uutortunute>
ly, another one Of the bearers was struck
down, aud the litter having been supported
at each Of the four corners by man, fell.
aud threw the General to the ground. The
fall Was a serious one, and as he touched the
earth, he gave, for the first time, expression
to his suffering, and groaned piteousy
Captain Smith sprang to his side, and as
he raised his head, bright beam of moon
light made its way through the thick foliage,
ard rested upon the pale face of the sufferer.
The Captain was startled by its great palIor
and stiffness, and cried out, ''Oh General,
are you seriously hurt?" "No, he answered,
''don't trouble yourself, my friend, about me,
and presently added something about winning
afterwards. He was placed upon the litter
again, and carried few hundred yards, when
| met him with an ambulance. knelt down
By him, and said, 81 hope you are not badly
hurt, General" He replied, very calmly,
but teebly, 81 am badly injured, Doctor; [
fear am dying" After pause he contim-
ued, 81 am glad you have come. think the
wound in my shoulder is still blceding.''-
His clothes were saturated with blood, and
hmmorrhage was still going on from the
wound. Compression Of the artery with the
finger arrested it, until lights being procured
from the ambulance, the hant!eerchief which
had slipped a little, was readjusted His
caImncss amid the dangers which surrounded
him, and at the supposed presence of death,
and his uniform politeness, which did not for
sake him, even under these, the most trying
circumstances, were remarkable. His com
pcte control, too, over his mind, entcebed
as it was, by loss of blood, pain, &C., was
wonderful. His suffering at this time was
intense his hands were cold, his skin clam
my, his face pale, and his lips compressed
and bloodlcss; not groan escaped him-not
a sign OF suffering, except the slight corruga
ton of his brow, the fixed aud rigid face, aud
the thin lips. SO tightly compressed, that The
impression of the teeth could be seen through
them. Except these, he controlled, by his
iron will, all evidence Of emotion. and more
difficult than this even, he controlled that
disposition to restles>nrss, which many of us
have observed upon the fed OF baItle. at
tending great loss of blood. Some whi>key
and murihia were procured FROM DR. StraiIh
aud administered TO him, aud placing him in
the ambulance, it was started lvr the Corps
Field lmirmary, ut the Wilderness Tavern
Colonel Crutchfeld, his Chief of Artillery
was also in the ambu.dnce wagon. lie had
been wounded very seriously i'll the leg, and
was suffering intensely.
The General expressed very feelingIy, his
sympathy for Crutchtied, and once, when the
latter grOaned aloud, he directed the ambu-
lance to stop, and requested to see if some>
thing could not be done for his relief
Torches had been provided, and every means
taken to carry them to the hospital, US safely
and easily us possible. l sat in the front part
OF the ambulance. with my finger resting
upon the artery, above the wound, to arrest
bleeding if 1t should occur When was
recognized by acquaintunces, and asked who
was wounded, the General would tell me to
say "a Confederate officer" At one time he
put his right hand upon my head, and pulling
me down to him, asked If CrutcLfield was
dangerously wounded. When answered ''No.
ouly painfully hurt" he replied, Il am glad
it is no wursc'' In a few moments after.
Crutchfed did the same thing, and when he
was told that the General was very seriously
wounded, he grOaned and cried out, "Oh, my
God !" 1t was for this. that the General d.
rected the ambulance to be halted, and re-
quested that something should be done for
C.s relief
After reaching the hospital, he was placed
in bed, covered with blankets, and another
drink of whiskey and water given him. Two
hours and half elapsed before sufficient re-
At two o'clock Sunday morning, Surgeons
Black, Walls and Coleman being present, [
informed him that chloroform would be given
him, and his wounds examined 1 told him
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