National Republican., 1883-05-17
SURGERY IN TIE FIELD.

"JOhnnies "-baoly shuNereu ny B0u
1t was toward tho close of % dry, hot,
sultry day in juno when the wagon and am.
bulance trains found themselves passing
through a singularly droary tract of coun.
try in full retreat from the sanguinary field
of White Oak Bottom. Down tho narrow,
winding roads, across the brown, bare, ragged
fields poured an intorminable stream of
wagons, ambulances, mules teamsters, and
camp followers on their way TO Harrisons
Landing Behind them the Army of the Po-
tomac, outnumbered, outgeneralled, but un-
whipped and undismayed, fell back steadily,
facing its formidable foe as the lion sullenly
retreats from odds that know better than TO
press him too closely. Before, though they
did not then know IT, was the CORY, un-
fought field of Malvern Hill, and the deep
quagmire beyond through which they
must struggle to the boats which were to
bear them home from the disastrous cam
paign.
DIR. Megs Case, then surgeon of New
York regiment, now practicing in Washing
ton, was in charge Of an ambulance train
loaded with wounded. which no was pressing
forward with all possible haste toward the
landing. A huge wall of cloud in the west
gave notice that another furious storm was
approaching and the gale which preceded IL
was already whirling the dust in great clouds
from the packed and trampled roads The
train had been halted in order that the iaded
and worn-out animals might DO fed, and the
doctor was waiting anxiously to take tho
road again, when he was suddenly and most
unexpt ctedly called upon TO perform u most
difficult operation, such an one as was prob
ably never performed before or since under
more discouraging circumstances. soldier
who had been hit in the shoulder by a
piece of she'll was brought up by a
comrudc, who had captured an old
baroucho somewhere on the retreat in which
he was hurrying him to tho rear The
wounded man was q large, powerful fellow,
chuck full of pluck and glorying in the fact
that he had beaten the 'Johnnies' any
way" though he was quite weak from loss Of
blood, and in sore need of surgical assistance
| Dr. Case hastily examined the injury and
thcn in the midst Of the gathering storm and
the increasing darkness, prepared for
tho operation, the full nature and
extent ofwhch he did not even then fully COM
prchend. 1t was now too dark to see with
out lights and tho wind was blowing a ahur-
ricane-the precursor of the tempest. To get
the man out of the buggy and in position for
the operation was the first care of the sur
geon. This was done, and for u table an old
gate was unswung and placed in the center of
the read, with log under one end so as to
slightly elevate it. The upper clothing of tho
wounded man was removed and with scalpel
and saw in hand Case waited only for lights
till ho should begin. Half dozen ,teamsters
gathered around the impromptu operating
table, each one with candle he tried to keep
lit. The wind was too much for them, and
instead of a continuous radiance there was q
constant Pickering, often general sputterng
out then relighting, with the blaze
faring in the gale. With this
insufficient light, with the inky blackness of
a atn oil 1a1 al obo thn a
roar of the wind incessant the dust whirling
and swirling in heavy masses around the
white face of the wounded man staring
at him from the dust-covered gate DR..
Case began his serious job. The aston
ishing nerve Of the patient steadied
the hand of the operator Boldly he cut
away until he had removed the entire
shoulder blade, which had been literally shiv-
cred into bits by the shell. About two inches
of the cavicle were also cut away, and with
| these, of course, the arm, which, without
them, had no connection with the body A
flap was cut from the under portion of the
arm and turned back so as to cover the
great wound from which the shoulder
blade had been taken. When he began
the operation he was assisted only by
tho teamsters; but later tall, raw. boned
gentleman in civilians dress appeared on
the scene, and took an active part. This gem
tleman subsequently introduced himself to
the operating surgeon as the state agent of
| Maine. He had evidently seen service of this
kind before, for he made himself very use
tul in helping to tie the several
arteries and in other ways. When the
operation had progressed SO far that the
great arteries must soon be severed the doc
tor turned over the knife to him and turned
to the more delicate task of taking up the
severed arteries himself. One false motion at
this point would be fatal. Tho artery must
be caught the moment it is severed or death
would follow instantly. So he tells the
stranger to cut steadily in the direction indi-
Gated, and he obeys. And finally the opera
tion is successfully finished. A stranger
place for a surgeons operating table was
| never had than the dusty road, in the dark
ness Of u stormy night, with victorious
enemy's cannon laundering in the rear, and
the only light furnished the surgeon that
from fickering and expiring candles. And
the patient never shivered nor moaned simply
saying he had nerve enough to stand the
Johnnies, who hadn't got him yet"
OF the fingers Of the excised arm were
taken three rings-one brass two bone
which were divided among the teamsters as
mementoes of the moat skillful and most sim
gular surgical operation ever performed in
the state Of Virginia.
When the operation was finished and the
patient made as comfortable AS possible he was
placed in his buggy, with bottle of brandy,
and rapidly driven away by his comrade. The
state agent followed rapidly behind Oh horse
back, and both were soon lost to sight The
almost grOtesqueness of the situation SO occu-
pied DR.. Case's mind that he did not think of
asking the name either Of the patient or of
the strange, silent, but skillful, civilian who
had so suddenly appeared on the scene; nor had
he time to think long upon what seemed a mys.
terry that yet in its all incidents, even the most
serious, had very humorous aspect. For in
u few moments after the buggy disappeared,
and while the wagon train was just begin
ming to move oil, big drop fell here and
there pattering upon the dust, and then came
a startling sheet of rain that beat upon tho
devoted train for hours with binding and
pelting fury. In the horrors and discomforts
of that night march through the rain and the
mud, with the incessant streaks of lightning
and peals of thunder illuminating yet intens-
flying the darkness, the stranger passed from
memory rs he had previously done from sight.
Not for long, however. The yellow-haired
wagon giant, whenever he saw DIR. Case,
would hold up his hand, on a finger Of which
was one of the rings taken from the ampu-
tated hand. And thon Case determined TO
find out, If possible, the name and the fate of
his plucky and singular patient.
In the latter part of the same year, that
cold, wintry December evening, when the
army of the Potomac was hurled SO vainly
but so gallhntly against the impregnable
heights of Maryo, at Fredericksburg, DIR. Case
was busy among the mutilated and the dying,
While operating on one man he became sud-
denly aware of the civilian who, with the
same swallow-tailed coat he wore on the Chick
ahominy, again came and assisted at a surgi-
| cal ODeratiOn The RECOGNITION was mutual