The National tribune., 1884-03-20
UINISTERING ANGELS.
The Touching "reminiscences of a
Devoted Army Nurse
[By Ms, Harriet Dada E.nens, NJ D., syrae,.se VI
VII.

GBy 1frs Harriet Dada Enens, NJ D. Syracuse, N. II
VII.
Asspring came on, all who we're able for duty
were ordered to the front Those in No.
hospital, with which / was connected, who
were not able to go to the front were sent to
No. hospital. On the 18th of May my hospi-
tai was closed, and on the afternoon of the 22d
of May took the train for Chattanooga, leav-
ing Miss Hall 10 follow when should send for
her.
CHATTANOOGA.
Hospital No 1 at Chattanooga was composed
of eight one-stoTy and four two-story wooden
buildings, besides a large number of tents.
The wooden structures were built by the Con-
federate General Bragg and situated on a hill
near to and including brick building that had
formerly been an academy. found DR.. f Salter
in charge of the hospital. He had been in
charge at Winchester, Va, when | was there,
two years before. He received me most cor
daily, and Immediately wrote to Miss Hall,
asking her TO come at once.
Carloads of the wounded were daily being
brought in from the 'front.' but all vflo were able
to bear transportation were sent on farther
north, and only the most severely wounded
were left there-such as We're brought on
stretchers.
/ was assigned to the second division Of the
hospital, which was composed of eight one
story buildings with twenty-f0ur beds each
and three two-story buildings, with forty-eight
beds each, making 336 beds. I went through
every building and spoke with each patient,
which took me whole day. desired to sur
vey the field and to see what there was to be
done.
While passing through one of the wards, l
found a young man who had been wounded
| through the leg and was very low indeed, aud
/ hot bp ri civ hrs mo
and the address of his parents had not been
/ placed at the head of his bed. / asked him for
| the necessary information. He said: 8 l wish
| they had taken that leg off, but / suppose some
must go with the cause" That afternoon he
/ died. His name was Aborn, and lie belonged
I to the I'd Massachusetts
/ Never was / in hospital where there was so
much suffering as at Chattanooga, and never
was / more kindly received by the surgeons
/ nor were my services ever more appreciated by
/ the sick and wounded. Often, as / passed
I through the wards, the tears would dim the
+ eyes of the patients, as they spoke of a wife,
/ or a mother. or a sister at home, and showed
me the photograph of some dear one that they
/ had sacredly preserved.
1t would be impossible for me TO write Of all
the heartrending scenes that were witnessed
/ during this month of June and the months
I which followed. 1t seemed az If the Angel Of
/ Death was constantly lowering over the hos
pital On the first day there were thirteen
/ deaths.
One of the two-story buildings was used as
the gangrene ward. The dressing Of the
/ wounds Of those who had gangrene caused the
most intense suffering. and there were several
deaths daily. As fast as the beds were vacated
/ by death other eases were brought in-sOme
| directly from the front and others from the
different hospitals.
AN CNHYGIENIC SURGEON.
Although the buildings were we'll arranged
for ventilation, yet there was one old surgeon
I who ordered all the ventilatoTs in his ward
closed every night. The result was that we
had more cases of gangrene from that ward
than any other. The weather was very warm,
and every preeaution should have been taken
for the comfort and safety of the wounded, yet
this old surgeon seemed TO ignore every sani-
tary law. 1t was found that the occurrence OF
so many deaths in a single ward had an un-
favorable effect on the health of those who sur
vived and for that reason a tent was placed in
front OF the building, a short distance away,
and TO it. from time to time, all cases appar-
emily past recovery were taken. But one sol
der of all who were taken there recovered.
In the gangrene ward was a lad from Miehi-
gan named Martin Howell. He had lost both
legs below the knee oh said he, :" / have
been wild boy, and I do not know that /
should ever have been led to think Of my soul
had | not been stopped in this way" and as he
spoke the tears filed his blue eyes. By his side
was Nation Cooley, who had lost a leg. Yet
both seemed in good spirits, reiOiced over Gen
eral Sherman's successful advance, and said
We willingly give what we have lost for the
old flag" In few weeks Martin Howell Wa;
sleeping in the National Cemetery at Chatta
nooga; the other died while friends were tax
ing him home.
As I entered the ward the morning of the 81
. of June | found that Andrew Lille had inst
died. He had been brought IN only two days
before. His leg had been amputated, but while
being brought in from the front, the gaDgrenS
had made such progress that his life could no
be saved. The day before his death / wrote
letter home for him. Often it was founl
necessary to amputate lee or an arm the sec
0nd time, and in such cases it seemed a w0ndel
that any one recovered. There were so many
that we're very low. that l was obliged to buy
milk for them, for which l had TO pay fifty
cents per quart. l felt that these dying mel
ought to have every thing that could be OBJ
tanned which would add to their comfort ant
show our appreciation of what they had don,
and suffered for their country.
At the moment of writing this am IN reeeip
of letter from Thomas Gilmore, of Harrison
Ill., who belonged to the 10th n Y V Ii
lost a leg at Dallas Ca, May % 1864 II
, was in this gangrene ward at the time Of which
am writing. He says in this letter: Do yol
remember me and Charles Frank, Samuel Har
Tison, Moses Garabrant, and the other inmate
of the gangrene ward, who, ike myself, hat
! each lost a leg? Garabrant died on the be,
next to me- What terrible times those were
, and how many Of eur comrades were carrie,
, out of that ward to the cemetery every night
!, l came pretty near going myself How glaa
we were TO see your face coming into the war
every morning, and how nobly you did you
D duty-writing letters home for the boys, fur
r nishing stationery and stamps, carrying deli
cacieS 20 the very sick, forwarding letters aite
| we had been transferred" &c. sc.
Sergeant Livingston was among those brough
r into the gangrene ward. He had been seriOusl
9 wounded by SHELF the left thigh and it seoi
5 became evident that he, too, must yield up hi
! young life, SO full of hope and promise
l | lieutenant's commission had been promises
: him l found that he was not disposed to b
very communicative and it was with difficult
! that [ succeed in getting him to dictate
few lines to the loved ones at home. l remem
: Der that it was q hot summer day, and | sat b.
! the bedside with my pencil and paper. Th
surgeon had said that there might be on
chance for him, and that he must take all tn
!, beef tea he could, so, with nervous grasp, Il
seized the bottle in which was the tea anC
drinking few swallows. dictated the follow
: ing letter.
. DEAR PARENTS: am still here. though yer
: ! low. There may yet be some chance for me to II
cover shall yet hope. There Is One who aion
: can restore me, and lie alone can prepare me fc
i the future world. The doctor has Just told m
that there was possible chance shall try FOR j
T~r,.,