Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-12-11
VIRGINIA. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER H. 1889

I
tails Of the wel.-conIe-ied taiile fields
and see if such declaration Is true.
Jackson. Lee, johnson, Claiborne, stuart
and Forest What tender thoughts, what
hallowed associations gather round the
names of these bright stars in the south
erin constellation Does all history, does
even the field of romance, furnish heroes
,ureIior or patriots more nohle? They
were the leaders of an equally brave and
noble people nho. when all save honor
was lost. submitted 10 the inevitable with
diguity born only Of true graln'S'.
/ And now of the Confederate surgeon let
me say a word. How can | express IA
adequate terms my admiration for him
lie possessed virtues peculiarly his own.
| Coming from civil lite. it Was wonderful
To see how rapidly he adapted himself to
the discipline of the army, and conf rm'
el To the requirements of military lite.
The hard-hip> he endured and the Priva-
lions 10 which he wa. suhlecird soon
transformed him from novice to a vet
eran. and | can say with truth that he
fore the war ended some of the best mill
ory surgeons in the world could be found
j., The Confederate army. His scanty
supply of medicines and hospital stores
Il ad him fertile in expdien's OF ev'ry
Kind | have seen him search field and
forest for plants and flowers whose mo
,licnal virtues he understood and could
use. The pl ant bark of tree made for
him good louriiquet; the juice of The
,recn persimmou -iyptic; a knitting
needle with It's point sharply bent a ten
acuum and Il pel.knile in his hand. a
scllpel anl bistury [ have seen him
break of one prong Of common liable
-urk. b,n the point OF the other prong
aud with it elevate the hone in d,pres>e.
racture of the skull and save lie. Lnr
b,iore he knew the u-c Of the porcelain
ipped probe for fudn. bullets, | hay
seen him uss Il piece Of soit pine w"d
md bring it out Of the wound marked b,
the lrnden ball. Years before we wer
ormalv told Of Nelaliou's method of in
yerting the body in chloroform naco-i'
have seen it practiced by the Conied, p
rale surgeon. Many a time have seer
he ro,t of The operating table raised L.
ct the blood ., bg grdyilalinn to the pa
dents head when death from chloroiorn.
vas imminent, and will add that in th'
.orps To which ! was attached. chlorotnrn'
vas given over 2I,000 times aud no deatI.
vas ever ascribed lu its use. Many o.
he medical officers Of this corps wer
Wounded or killed on the field Ore, J
,aw tail at Sira,burg, amid the cheers t..
.ollicrs at the evidence he gave Of dcvo-
ion to duy. Another, at Sharpshur&
f,cins an assault before which even vcle
ran, quailcd and fiel, aud thirl, .oumi
Ip,n the blpody field of Cold lIarb r
living with a shell wound through hi-
,ide. A, knelt down beside him aud
rld him his wound was mortal, he an
.wcr..d 4 am no more afraid To die than
VA. afraid 10 d my duly.' They wcre
.plendid specimens Of noble race
race whose achievements. astoni9hed the
world and wrung from the foe himself n
all measure of praise. During the ter
.,ble six days which followed the retreat
f our army from Richmond, the medi
al mon, by their answering devotion 10
luty and cheerful support, contributed un
iule to iu>pir' the hcroi.m which turned
,lr defeat into honor. and made Apo.
nattox one Of the proudest memories OF
he war
"Organizaiion must be our watchword.
In IA countr, where all i. pr pgress, where
material resources are being rapidly de.
.eloped, the medical men OF this section
must not prove laggar'is.
"Aaricullure is in state Of progres-
i've Arrangement. Oar milera wealth
at last appreciated and turned to vaIu-
,bIe account; The hum of the loom, the
ring of the anvil and the sound Of the
.,rse resound through ,ut the land. Our
waste places are no longer de.olale; the
nrreu-e growth Of agricultural pro 'uci-
amazing. The cotton crop of 1855 Is
A,rv than double The crop Of lS6O-ihe
ime at which was believed the ; ulh had
.eached the hey day Of prosperity.
Last year 1888 The value Of the
.r,p, Of the S,u'h wa- the larg's 81 Oh re
ri, and yel tbi- year 1889 the value 81
,er agricultural products alone. 1t Is ell
rated. will be increased sl2j,000,OOO
statistics show her rapid growth IN other
industries To be fully a. great, if moi
reaicr. And this is the legitimate out