The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-06-28
SHERMAN Stops OVER.
How He Abused a Pulaski Doc
tor and His Merited Re
buke.

buke.
General William Tecumseh Sher-
man retires from the generalship of
the United States armies this fall
and is to be succeeded by Gen'l
Sheridan. After that event it will
be in order to demand of him salts
faction in the matter of which this
sketch treats. His gray hairs may
protect him.
At the bloody battle of Jones
boro, Ca, after the sound of battle
had changed to means of dying men,
DIR. G. G. Alternately, now a practic-
ing physician in this city, found
himself in charge of some three
the woods within the Federal lines.
The men had been wounded at short
range and they were frightfully torn
and mangled and needed the prac-
ticed skill and close attention of
such an eminent surgeon. The ad-
vancing yankees found DIR. Aber-
nathy busily caring for his men, but
he found himself under the direc-
ton of DIR. Jones, the surgeon of
the 18th army corps. DR.. Jones
was very insolent and overbearing
in his demeanor, and DR.. Alternately
had anticipated what was to- follow
and had hidden under a wounded
mans head his two cases of fine in
struments. He had supplied him
self with a door-shutter from which
to construct an operating table as
occasion required, and he carried a
tenant-saw and a Ratchet to build it,
and these were lying in view when
DR.. Jones came up. He surveyed
the camp with foppish airs of
superiority, and then addressing
DR.. Alternately in drawing con
descension, said:
"Doctaw, have you no instru-
ments?'
eyes, sir, was the polite response.
swell, aw; are these the imple-
ments with which rebels amputate
limbs? "-pointing to the Ratchet
and saw.
DR.. Abernathy's ire was only ex-
ceeded by his disgust, and he quick
ly replied:
F'When a brave soldier who fell
valiantly facing our guns falls into
our hands the rebels have the finest
instruments in the world to operate
upon him. We carry these to use
in case cowardly puppy of a doc
tor falls under our guns and is left
upon the field which our armies al
ways hold after battle, and we saw
through flesh and bones with this
rusty blade and count that too good
for him."
Jones was furious of course, but
be knew he merited the rebuke.-
He demanded the instruments and
DIR. Alternately resigned them, pro-
testing that it was contrary to es-
tabiished courtesy and that his
generals never permitted a sur
geon's private property to be mo-
Tested and his associates were too
gentlemanly to demand it. Jones
took the instruments and carried
them off, leaving DR.. Alternately with
his three hundred bleeding men
without a blade above a penknife.
In few hours one of the wounded
men burst a ligated artery in the
hand and men had to take it by
turns COMPRISING their thumbs into
his wrist until DIR. Alternately could
send to another yankee surgeon who
proved to be humane gentleman
and secured his assistance. This
man loaned him a case of instru-
ments for several days. In few
days Sherman ordered the hospital
removed to Jonesboro and thither
it went. DR.. Jones selected an old
hotel to pack the men in. Near at
hand were two large warehouses and
DR.. Alternately insisted that they
be used, arguing that the men
packed in the old hotel would sicken
and die of hospital gangrene and
erysipelas, but Jones sneeringly
gave his orders otherwise. DR..
Alternately made the best Of it he
could. Just here, before reciting
the part of this sketch in which
Gen. Sherman figured, it is inter
esting to know that DR.. Alternately
met a cordial and gentlemanly re-
ception from all the other surgeons
and he reported Jones discourtesy
and his instruments were ordered
returned. Jones sent the original
cases, but he took care to abstract
Ill +bo ,,eofnI ips+ruroa0to o01 o111
ply their places with old rusty odds
and ends. DR.. Alternately refused
to accept them. He met Jones at
dinner of surgeons one day and in
presence of all his comrades de-
nounced him, telling him if he ever
fell into his hands he would cut his
ears off. Jones showed fight and
DR.. Alternately asked the surgeons
If he could have fair play and when
they guaranteed it he backed the
sneering little bully down and made
him swallow his choler.
While engaged in waiting upon
his wounded in the old hotel one
day he had occasion several times
to crowd out of his way an unpre-
tentious looking man whom he took
for a reporter or a chaplain. Di-
rectly the intruder accosted him:
"Are you the surgeon in charge
herer'
Il am, sir"
"Ya-s. And is this your own ar
rangement for hospital?"
mo, sir; and when You write to
your paper wish you would venti-
late the inhumanity that crowded
these men here to die"
"Write to my paper, hey! And
pray, sir, who do you take me for?"
"Well, L judge from your appear
ance that you are reporter or
chaplain"
'And do I look like a reporter or
chaplain? Well, 1 am neither re-
porter nor chaplain
"Well who the devil are you
then?"
"My name is Sher-r-r-man."