The National tribune., 1882-08-12
THE GIRL SOLDIER.
WRITTEN FOR TIE NArioaAL TRIBUNE ey A. ]. EDISON,
D., Co. o, t4sTA RECT. lLls. VoLs.

was on detailed duty as surgeon at tn
U, ). General Hospital, Tullahoma, Tennes
see, during the spring of 1865 We bad hat
an accession of new patients, and every ware
was crowded to its utmost capacity TIL,
troops in the vicinity had been augmented
by three or four new regiments and an cpl
demic of measles was at its maximum, anC
very fatal. 1t was dark time, and many
delicate youth, who had always had tn,
comforts of well ordered home and the
tender care of an affectionate mother, found
here hard couch, and with fevered brow
and sad heart, wandered in his thoughts
or delirium back to associations of child
hood with its innocent and happy sports.
Our surgeon, Major Samuel Hart, was
noble man, who, with his equally noble wife
resided in the town, while myself and two
other assistant surgeons occupied large tent
in the vicinity of the hospital. Our tent was
provided with a floor and well furnished
We had an abundance of books and papers
and had it not been for bad health and the
dark clouds of sectional strife which OBJ
scured our National sky, my duties would
have been one of the pleasant episodes of life.
Our hospital was a large three-story build
ing, with porches, high AID airy rooms, and
broad fire-places, and had been designed for
q Southern tavern. My post of duty was
ward No. 3, in the third story, and had an
average of about forty-five patients The
regulations required me to see and prescribe
for them once day, but l always visited
my ward twice and sometimes oftener. In
the morning, attended by the ward master,
l examined each patient and prescribed. At
eight o'clock p. NJ returned to the ward to
see that the attendants were faithful in the
performance of their duties, prescribed for
new patients, or made changes in the treat
ment of the morning if necessary.
Some of our patients were very youthful
mere boys-who contrasted in a marked
manner with men of large frame and brawny
limbs, and strangely, indeed, with men
in advanced life with whitened locks and
the decrepitudes of age upon them. Among
this mixed and varied crowd, with every ex-
treme of life in years, habits, talent and cnl-
ture, observed with interest youth who
appeared to be about eighteen years Of age,
very frail and very fair, private soldier
from an eastern regiment. His name was
Charley H, and his disease was the
measles. Like many others he had pro-
gressed finely for few days, then grew
worse and commenced sinking, his case re-
sisting all the appliances of medical skill.
There was nothing about him different
from other boy-patients except his extreme
tairness-a feminine mould and charm-a
something more delicate and spiritu.H>. His
patience and address soon gained the good
will and care of attendants, and his culture
and refinement the respect and sincere
friendship of all. Everything done for him
was always right, and he was grateful for
the smallest attention and kindness We
became much attached to him without alto
gethe ae -.-sl hy. ale taa
ankle 9yery as .-euefal aud
manif nra faaa ss- .l, gee .i5a
and e, 0sg
too e, te sc ..aa:a sr'a a5
upon ...r euus7
him l. ahe s,-d-h.Jss- ag5 .ap h.aaa
with reversed arms and strains of sad music,
to his last resting place among the honored
dead.
1 had visited my ward for the last time
that day. My colleagues were in their beds,
and / was preparing for rest when the Or
derly-sergeant presented himself and said
Surgeon of ward No. is wanted. Char
ley H is dying"
Isprang to my feet. "Very well, I'll be
there in few minutes" put on my coat,
picked up my memorandum book, and was
soon at the bedside of Charley. l was often
sent for. Sometimes patients fancied them
selves worse; sometimes my presence was
indispensable, and very often l was made
the confdant of some poor fellows dying
message to his parents or wife and children.
There were scenes in that hospital which
shall never forget. There were prayers
offered that would melt the hardest heart.
There were developments of friendship and
love that no human author can portray.
have seen friend linger over a dying
couch, when the exhalations of disease were
as poisonous as the breath of the simeon. |
have seen the dying soldier cover photo
graph of wife, sister or sweetheart with the
kisses of fondest affection or most passionate
love, that ceased only when the eye lost its
lustre and the muscular grasp its strength
in the stiffness Of the last long sleep.
I sought the bedside of Charley. His
pulse was weak and rapid, his breathing hur-
ried and laborious. He reused from titful
slumber, with an unearthly brightness in
his eyes. He knew me in a moment, and
smile lit up his emaciated face. He caught
my hand in both of his, and said:
doctor, am DYING"
81 know that, Charley; can do anything
for you?"
"Yes," said he, with eagerness. He closed
his eyes and relaxed his hold on my hand
and lay for some moments still and silenty
1t was now quite late, and all the nurses,
except the two on duty, were in their well
coined beds. The lights burned dimly, and
the stiffness was only broken by the call of
some patient for water, or the low-muttering
delirium of some one nearing the dark val
ley. Doctor, want to tell you some
thing"
"Very well, Charley, what is it?" l in
clined my head that might hear more dis