The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-01-02
ACTING PosT-suReEoN.
An Amusing War Incident Said to Have
Occurred in Mississippi.

An Amusing War Incident Said to Have
Occurred in Mississippi.
During the war Dr. Wright of the
Confederate army, wasthe post-surgeon
at Canton, Miss. Among the furloughed
soldiers at that place was tall, COM
manding-looking fellow named Forester
Richards, high private in the Ninth
Mississippi. He had been wounded, and
his furlough having expired, he was, by
a general ORDER" required to report to
DR.. Wright, who had power to extend
his furlough or to send him back to his
command. Richards was havinga good
time, and although his wound had healed
he was not altogether ready or axious to
go back to the front He was good
deal of wag and managed to so win
the Doctors favor that the latter detailed
him as a clerk in his office. One day
while the Doctor was out for drive,
Richards dressed himself out in an extra
suit of the Doctor uniform, and seating
himself in the office, awaited his return.
When DR.. Wright arrived he rose from
his seat in a very digniied manner and
introduced himself as DR.. Ford, Chief
Medical Director of General Braggs
army, and Immediately commenced rep
rimanding him for neglect of duty-for
being absent from his post, etc OF
course DR.. Wright, who had not recog-
nized his clerk in the person of his visitor,
and, as he thought, ranking officer
was very much agitated and offered
all manner of excuses and apollo
gies. Richards could not contain him
self and soon gave himself away by his
smiles, and when the Doctor found out
that it was joke, he at once bound
Richards up to keep it a secret, know
ing that if the officers of the post got
hold of it he would Enever hear the
end of it. Richards assented, and in
the course of week or two the Doctor
told him that he was going to Jackson,
Miss, for day or two, and that he
wanted Richards to act in his place as
post surgeon, in other words, that he
would leave the office in his charge in
til his return. DR.. Wright had hardly
gone before Richards called lot of his
soldier friends into the office and fur
Laughed the last one of them for sixty
days.
In che afternoon Mrs. Apologize,
whose little son had received gratuitous
medical treatment from Dr. Wright, de.
sent large tray of cake and severA
bottles of wine to che office. Richards
and half-dozen of his recently fur
Laughed companions were having a high
time over the good things when in
stepped DR.. Wright, who at once de.
manded to know ''what they were
doing"
Richards explained, Whereupon DR.
Wright wanted to know show he dared
to take such liberty with his property. ;
To which Richards replied: "Am
not, by your authorirJe-ssting surgeon
of the postp Do you think, DIR. WrighG
that would accept the responsibilities
of the position without the benefits o
some of its pleasures.
''Well, all have got to say is thinl
your conduct outrageous and in viola
ton of all military discipline, and
shall Immediately order every one o
you back to your commands" said tn
Doctor.
"You do it, DIR. Wright, and shall a
once appeal the case to DR.. Ford" re
piled Richards, and the party arose ant
left the office.
In about ten minutes the Doctor sen
his servant for Richards. AS the latte
entered the office the Doctor said
"Look here, old fellow, don't you wan
a sixty days furlough so that you can g
home and hunt and fish until you
wound gets perfectly wellP"
That suits me exactly, Doctor" sal
Richards.
1t is needless to add the desired ful
Tough was Immediately forthcoming
but not until Richards had promised
say nothing about what had happene
while he was in the post surgeons ofliC
, at least, not until the war was over.
Detroit Free Press