The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-24
THE YELLOW SPECTER.
EXPERIENCE OF A STAFF OFFICER
DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
A Tragedy Which Frustrated Five and
Took Two-A Scientist aad Soldier
Closed His Cars.r-Det1ils of the Sick
Room.
rsneclal corresnonderco1

N-o ooNANA'i-NAt At|tA .N..1N i-fff, re-
calls wildly a tragedy, every incident OF
which. though it occurred twenty.siz
years ago, is stamped indeiibly On ms
mind. Ornsby NJ. Mitchell and Richard
a Proctor were the only men who ever
achieved any great reputation in America
a. lecturers on astronomy. Mitchell be-
gan the w0r., Of popuiariziny astronomy
+ IN 1cil, at Cincinnati, and Proctor fol.
lowed him mo.C than thirty years later.
il ny biographical narrative Of Con.
Mitchell toucLaI upon the events am
going % naTratc here only 50 fai rs they
7 Concerned the subject Of the narrative.
F IA that book rafrlinod from the u-c Of
f the ego 20 Is eniial IN giving personal
F experiences. The following story will
tell entirely from my own standpoint.
22
Gen Mitchell lad ueen campairr.nr
in tie west fora year during 1861 and
1862 He he'd about Lin o personal stan
VIII "a with himself constituted a.rgg-
larly united military family ID ;Le fall
Of 1862 when ne wa5 placed In command
Of the department of tie south with head
guar. RS on Elton Head Island, this
military family consisted Of Lieut. Col
William i. Prentice, chief Of staff. Maj
Bushrol Burch. Capt. James {. Williams
and myself. aides. and Capt. r.. w..
Nit bel temporarily acting also as aide.
Williams and had been playmates and
aitcrwari clums at college. Capt z w.
Mitchell and myself were both sons Of the
general. aad being both captains and Of
The same name soon cage % be called
Capt Ned and Capt. Frdi Maj Burch
was Lea1 the generals age, the rest of US
were youngsters Burch was devoted 10
10 the general and male more Of com
pen.0l for him than Youngsters, none Of
whom was far aJoyc 80 years Of arc.
Il was about the middle Of September
that we arrived at Hilton Head islam.
Almost tie FIRST thing reported was sey
elal cases oi yellow fever We found d
long row ol frame quarters, roughly con-
strue;ed for the occupancy Of the com
handing general and his staff. Beside
these quarters. men were engaged in c0n-
structiug carthworSs fronting on Use Lar-
Dor. every day turning up fresh Garth q
dangerous thing to do in fever countries.
Cart Williams was lodged nearest these
works. Col. Prentice next, Capt. Ned
Mitchell next. then Maj. Durch, and next
o. the general. myself This Is rs near IS
| can remember the order, and | think it
is correct
Several Of us rode on. one day With tie
general 80 plantation rear by. and |
noticed that Williams. who was With MS.
wa in % burning fcvce. urged him 90
return - bis quarters, but le said be
would rather be ia the saddle than in
b.l. Soon after this. upon going into
Lol rHatiec's quarters / found him in
bed tarashinr with fever. Next Capt
.-eL M.t bel was taken down. and chen il
GAIA uy tlrn Tire fever skipped Maj.
1-rcL entirely Lclad been taking daily
dos of VIII Ey and Quiaiao.
The general and lis medical director
suspected yellow fever. | have often
tLou-..t villa, mast have been tho feelings
Of tie general at seeing bis staff one
u one thus Frustrated The oaly tillo at
v1i,n IL showed % me how deeply it
affected him was in the middle Of the
l-i-lt after was taken. He came in.o
~ ro1- and ci-or Speaking % me turned
with Ga c..r.-. ion Of pa.n Be could not.
Co1ce-l and lett tlc room Suspecting
too l~te that The location might be the
case o. our troubles De determined 10
rc--0,eus 90 Beaufort, where the old Hay
mood l.a-e, g. eommod.ogs mansion, had
been reserved for Headquarters he
PLACED as on steamer one morning and
TIA. afternoon vc we've lodged 49, Beaufort.
Col Prentice and Capt. Aed were placed
m one room on tie second floor, while
Capt Williams and myself were placed in
another Oh tuc opposite side If the hail.
/ remember distinctly the evening OF
our arrival \ FIRE had been built in tsc
great open fireplace in the room occupied
by Williams ard myself The general
was Wi,A as aud Was sitting by the fire
which had just been lighted Williams
Was very ll; much more 3D. than / then
realized. lia s-il Cd me that be would
rather die than suffer much longer as De
was ineu 81 fering Mai Burch came .n.
and the geaoml said 10 us. II am ci.hcr
going Is be sick SIS sou boys ave, or I'm
going 20 hayo one al my sick headaches.
Maj Burch took him by the arm and led
him dOHn stairs.
Williams and lwere on the same broad,
old fashioned bod We were tossing with
the fever and retcAing continuously /
remember a lady coming in-she was
doubtless one of tie colony at Beaufort
who were attempting 10 teach the negroes
and fixing mosquito uet over our bed.
She went about il as ccolIy 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 q
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 4 terrible
flushed and at the same time pinched
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 on adjoining room. The 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 he was
taken. but | was too i'll to fully grasp the
situation Mai. Burch came to my door,
and | asked him to 60 in and see Will
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 thar if he did not do as |
wished | would get up and go in there
myself. He left me with promise to do
as | asked.
At last | heard no further sounds from
L.. dor DAG