Evening journal., 1888-09-21
THE YELLOW SPECTER.
EXPERIENCE or A STAFF OFFICER
DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
A Tragedy Which Frustrated Fivo and
Took Two--A sc1autist and Soldier
Closed His Carecr-Detaiis OF the Sick
.snecsal corresnondenco.l

death Of Professor Richard A. Proctor.
the astronomer, from yellow fever, re.
calls wildly tragedy, every incident Of
which. though 1t occurred twenty-six
years ago is stamped indelibly on nv
mind. Ormsby M, Mitchell and Richard
a. Proctor We're the only men who ever
achieved any great reputation in America
as lecturers on astronomy. Mitchell bo-
gan the work Of popularizing astronomy
in 1871, at Cincinnati, and Proctor fol
lowed him more than thirty years later.
In my biographical narrative of Gen.
Mitchel* ! touched upon the events am
going to narrate here only so far as they
concerned the subject Of the narrative.
In that book / refrained from the use of
the EGO" SO essential in giving personal
experiences. The following story will
tell entirely from my own standpoint.
s*4
Gen. Mitchell had been campaigning
Ia the west for year during 1851 and
1862. BE had about him a personal staff
which with himself constituted singu-
larly united military family. In the fall
of 1862 when he was placed in command
of the department. of the south with head.
quarters on Hilton Head Island, this
military family consisted Of Lieut.. Col.
William p. Prentice, chief Of staff; Mai.
Bushrod Burch. Capt James C. Williams
and myself aides, and Capt E. w.
Mitchell temporarily acting also as aide.
Williams Gnd had boen playmates and
afterward ehums at college. Capt. E. w.
Mitchell and myself we're both sons Of the
general. and being both captains and of
the same name soon came to be called
Capt. Ned and Capt Fred. Mai Burch
was near the generals age; tho rest Of us
were youngsters. Burch was devoted to
TO the general and made more of a com
panion for him than youngsters, none Of
whom was far above 90 years of age.
It was about the middle of September
that we arrived at Hilton Head Island.
Almost the first thing reported was sew
eral cases Of yellow fever We found O
long row Of frame quarters, roughly CON
structed for the occupancy of the com
manding general and his staff. Beside
these quarters, men were engaged in con
structing earthworks fronting Oh the har-
Dor, every day turning up fresh earth.
dangerous thing to do in fever countries.
Capt. Williams was lodged nearest these
works, Col. Prentice next, Capt. Ned
Mitchell next, then Mai. Bnreh, and next
to the general, myself. This is as near as
/ can remember the order, and | think it
Is correct.
Several Of rs rode out one day with the
general TO q plantation near BY, and
noticed that Williams. who was with us.
was in burning fever. urged him to
return to his quarters, but he said he
would rather be in the saddle than in
bed. Soon after this, upon going into
Col. Prentice's quarters, / found him in
bed, thrashing with fever. Next Capt.
Ned Mitchell was taken down, and then 1t
came my turn. The fever skipped Mai.
.Burch entirely. He had been taking daily
doses of whisky and quinlne.
The general and his medical director
suspected yellow fever. | have often
thought what must have been tho feelinps
of tho general at seeing his staff one
by one thus prostrRted. The only time at
which he showed to me how dSbply II
affected him was in the middle Of the
night after was taken. He came into
my room and after speaking to mo turned
with an expression of pain he could not
conceal and left the room Suspeetinp
too late that the location might be the
cause of our troubles he determined TO
remove us to Beaufort, where the old Hay
mould house, commodious mansion, had
been reserved for Headquarters. He
placed us on a steamer one morning and
that afternoon we were lodged at Beaufort
Col. Prentice and Capt. Ned were placed
in one room on the second floor, while
Capt. Williams and myself were placed in
another on the opposite sido Of the hall
! remember distinctly the evening Of
our arrival. fire had been built ia the
great open fireplace in the room occupied
by Williams and myself The general
was with us and was sitting by the fire
which had just been lighted. Williams
was very i'll; much more 80 than / then
realized He said to me that he would
rather die than suffer much longer as he
was then suffering. Maj Burch came in.
and the general said to US: II am either
going to be sick as you boys are, or I'm
going to have one Of my sick headaches" "
Maj. Burch took him by the arm and led
him down stairs.
Williams and were on the same broad.
old fashioned bed We were tossing with
the fever and retching continuously.
remember lady coming in-she was
doubtless one Of the colony At Beaufort
who were attempting TO teach the negroes
-and fixing a musquito net over our bed.
She went about It as coolly as Gen. Grant
would have set on his horse and faced a
moro tangible enemy. Everybody about
us was perfectly cool. and did not for a
moment suspect the presence of the
dreaded yellow fever. Williams. when
we arrived at Beaufort, was really enter
ing the last stages Of the disease. His
lips were cracked and he had a terrible
flushed and at the same time pincbed
look. The day after we were put on the
same bed together he was seized
with the black vomit. The nurses
took him up and hastily carried
him into an adjoining room. Tho removal
was quickly done that | should not see
the tale telling black vomit and suspect
the truth. For some time heard sounds
coming from the room where be was
taken, but was too Ill to fully grasp the
situation. Mai. Burch came 10 nv door.
and | asked him to 60 in and sec VIII
iams, as feared he was very sick. Burch
stammered some excuse which did not
please me, and not realizing how i'll | was
told him that if he did not do as /
wished | would get up and 20 ia there
myself. He left me with promise to do
as / asked.
At last heard no further sounds from
Williams room. / lay day after dav
without seeing any one except my nurse
and the surgeon. II was fever. burning
fever, and vomiting, though this at last
ceased. / wondered at the stiffness.
seemed to be deserted by nv former COM
panions. ldidn't know that the general
was i'll, and could not account for his not
coming to my room. The doctor came
morning and evening, but STAYED only a
few minutes; the rest of the time there
was no one In the room except my regu.
lar nurse from the hospital and at nigh.