The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-07-26
Gen. Shields's Terrible Wound
at CerrO GOrdO.


~ The San Francisco Examiner says:
An erroneous Statement concerning the
terrible wound received by Gen. James
Shields in Mexico, and from which he so
wonderfully recovered, has been going
the rounds of the press. 1t is to the
effect that the gallant officer owed his
recovery mainly to a surgeon in the Mex
lean service, who had been taken pris-
oner, and whose skill in surgery sur
passed that of any of the profession in.
the American army. This is an error,
and as it does great Injustice 'toa well
knewnpioneer citizen of San Francisco,
we propose to notice the matter in the
interest of truth. Our authority is the
statement of General Shields himself,
as we find it in the North american, a
semi-weekly paper published in the City
of Mexico during the American occupa-
ton, a bound volume of which has been
kindly loaned to US by Capt Kane, a
veteran of that war. Gen. Shields
wrote the facts of his case to the Wash
ington Union, September 81, 1S47, and
the latter was copied into the North
american. 1t is too long to be repro
duced here, but the following extract
win show to whom the credit should be
given. He says:
g The wound was made by leaden
or iron grape, nearly three times the size
OF musket-ball. 1t entered my right
breast, just under the nipple, and past
out of my back within half an inch Of
the spine. was carried two miles, to
the hospital, on the arms of soldiers,
under the direction of my aids, Lieuts.
! Hammond and Davis. The whole route
was tracked with the blood which pour
ed from the wound. The agony | suf-
fered was so intolerable that longed
for death, and often requested to be
stretched on some smooth, green spot
where might breathe my last within
hearing of the victorious shouts of my
troops. My aids demonstrated with me,
however, and had me borne to the hos
pital. There my wound was dressed
and the blood stanched by DR.. Wright,
of the regular army, and DIR. Mcmillan,
4 then attached to one of my regiments as
acting surgeon. From that hospital 1
was borne on a litter to a hut on the
,Jalapa Road, two and q half miles, the
same day. Here | was attended for
/ several days by DR.. McMillan-all ex-
1 pecting that every hour would be my
last. was then taken on litter to
Jalapa, where | remained until my
recovery. l was attended during the
whole of my illness by DR.. Mcmillan,
who exhibited during that time not
only the most cOnsummate skill as a
surgeon, but such care, assiduity and
devotion, as to endear him to me for
life. | must not omit to mention that
DR.. Vanderlinden, Surgeon-General of
the Mexican army (who had been taken
a prisoner by my eommand), rendered
efficient aid to DR.. Mcmillan during a
portion of this time ......I attribute,
with grateful heart, my preservation
and recovery to God alone, but, next to
God, my gratitude is due and my recOv-
cry attributable to the skill and devotion
of my attending surgeon, DR.. McMil-
LAM"
The DR.. Mcmillan to whom Gen.
Shields pays this noble tribute is DR..
Robert Mcmillan, who has been a resi-
dent of this city since early in 1848, and
is known and honored as one of our
most sterling citizens. To him, there
fore, is due the credit of having, under
Providence, brought Gen. Shields safe
ly out of the jaws of death. 1t may be
well to add that the Lieut.. Hammond,
who was aid to Gen Shields, is Major
r. P. Hammond, another of the most
honored of the pioneers of California,
who likewise distinguished himself in
the war with Mexico.