Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-12
A SURGEONS STORY.

was somewhere near fifty, and ha,
come to New York from Italy, wher
he mad been in servico with Garibaldi
He was an American by birth, but n
had been away from his native lant
so long that he had bee ome almost de
M OraliZed.
In the same regiment 8 younf
man of about twenty-five. He was
handsome, energetic fellow. and on
of tue best soldiers in tue regiment
He was of English birth. he said, anl
seemed to have no friends, no relation
in this country. for he never rec iveG
any letters or presents as did tue Other
men. He had frequently attracted
the attention of his company, HpC
some of the regimsnt-l ffic-rs; bu
to the astonishmant of al, tue colopt
steadily exerted himself to prevent any
reward being given to the y"uug mau
| Hill, fOl that was the nam ne went ny,
never complained, however, though he
knew well what WAS going on. He was
st, let in the discharge of his duty,
and gave no cause Tor complaint.
During the winter of 1861 90 the
army lay before Centerfile, doipg
very little but scouting. pickrting aud
preparing for the spring crmpA ga.
Though there was. nothing exciting in
all this, it was very trying to the men,
for the season was unusuaily severe,
aud the hospitals we're we'll filled.
One morning Hill C me to my quar-
ters.
We'll, Hill,' said [, as he entered,
w hat can do foi you this morning !?
L wish to go on the sick list, if you
please sir, he replied i'll II quiet tone.
| started, and looked ut hlm search
irgIy. Though I had seen tn young
soldier often, [ had never been in his
presence before. He was slight,
| finely formed felloE, With the mot
effeminate face | ever saw. Had he
| been a woman, should have called
him a beauty; and AS it was. l cou d
not deny him the distinction of being
pretty. His voice was soft and clear,
and, though it did not seem to be that
of mau, was hardly that OF a woman.
[ gazed at him searchingy, but he
bore my scrutiny we'll.
You are not sick Ihupe? | remarked
at length.
aM broken down, doctor, he al
| swered. L have been on guard for
five successive nights.
The deuce you have exclaimed in
astonishment. The. reg giment isn't so
short of men as that. is it i?
i No sir, he replied quietly. [ was
! kept on by the Coionefs orders. He
| says the gu ,rd duty is very important
just now, and he wants the best men
IN the regiment to be put on it.
Has he kept any one else on SO
long questioned.
No, sir, [ would not have come to
you to-day, but I am incapable
standing another night. should fall
asleep on my post from sheer exhaust
| ion. Then I suppose / wonld be shot
| for sleeping in the presence of the
| enemy.
By jove ? muttered, that's what
Colonel Anson is mp to.
spoke louder than intended. He
heard me, and replied in a tone in
wnlch there was some bitterness, in
spite of his efforts to repress it:
[ am afraid SO, sir. l do not see
why Col. Anson should dislike me SO
much. [ never merited his displeas-
ure. Heaven knows, he added, and
saw his features tremble as with a
sharp pain, I would die to serve him.
Very good, said. You can remain
at your quarters for two days and con-
slider yourself on the sick list for that
time.
Thanking me, he went away.
The fellow perplexed me. I was
confident that there was some mystery
existing between him and the colonel,
and known only to these two. While
[ was musing upon this, the colonel
sent for me. He received me with very
cold politeness.
Whit is the matter with Hill he
asked
He is broken down by the unusual
fatigue to which ne had been sub
jected Five successive tnrns of, guard
duty would kill much stronger man
than he is.
Who has kept him out so long !?
| asked the colonel biting his lip.
He kept on by your orders, [ be-
lieve sir, I replied, looking him full in
tue face; and must say, colonel, that
am surprised at your putting him to
such a test, unless You want to kill
him.
Colonel Anson started, and looked
ut me searchingly.
| Has Hill dared to ref ,ct upon the
conduct of his commanding officer he
a. ked coldIy but without meeting my
eye.
He said no more than every one in
! the regiment has, 1 replied, that he
regretted having gained your dislike,
,ss he was sure he had done nothing to
merit it.
| Was that all he said, doctor?
He added, I replied, after hesitat-
ing a moment, that he would gladly
de to serve you.
An expression of intense pain swept
over Colont Anson's face; but he was
| silent. After a brief pause he said
| quietly: [ will not detain you Ion ger,
| doctor. L am sorry to hear of Hills
sickness.
I was more perplexed when I left the
room than [ was when entered it; and
during all the winter [ had no means
of gratifying M curio~ity. Indeed, it
was intensified by the fact that. Mt the
express request of Colonel Anson, the
President promoted Hill 10 a vacant
htntenancy III his company.
At la: { we went to the Peninsula, and
! err, long my regiment was called on to
participate i'll the desperate battle at
| Fair Oaks. I at engagement brongnt
me- work enough, for my regim: nj
suffered terrIbiy. AS hardened as l
thought [ had become, L grew faint
and sick over the dreadful work that
5ave me- neither rest nor hope of rest.
! r.e little field hospital which 1 bad
! established on the edge of the swamp
seemed to NE .rfect tslaughterhouse,
and longed more eagerly than had
ever done for Cessation OF the fight
ing. 1t came at last, little after ten
o'clock on Sunday morni. G
had cleared out my-hospistal, and
sent my last man across the Ch ;cka-
hominy. My assistants were absent
for purpose, and [ was the only person
i'll the little structure of boughs.
Suddenly l was aroused from a reverie
unto which had fallen. by the hur-
ried eBtraLce of some one. 7 looked
up and saw. Colonel .Anson standing
before me He was pale and e3
hausted, aud was bleeding from d
deep cut in his head. He held ia his
arms the inanimate form of Lieutenant
Hill. never saw so much grief in q
human face as was written on that oi
| G,lonnl ho laid his hT1rf Il y