The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-03-21
AN ARMY PHYSICIAN
Graphically Describes the Scenes Al
The Battle Of Shiloh,
The Third Of q series OF Articles on tho
Medical Department Of tho Army
RATTLE or sHLoH,

what III detail the ordinary duties OF
the army surgeon while troops are IN
camp, or on post duty, During an On
gagement or battle his duties arc nee
eisarily more active ana labOrous, Al
the same time attended with greater
responsibilities,
Ia the early part OF tho war there WaH
some compliant among tho people Al
home about the reckless manner In
which the surgeons cut on arms and
legs OF wounded soldiers, as though II
was a work Of pleasure, The idea orig
mated without doubt In the cock and
bull stories told by men home on fur,
Tough about the war, aA II WAS calGu-
lated 10 magnify their own exploits,
sOme people delight IN playing upon
the uredullty of Others, Gen, Sherman,
u short time since commenting upon
an article he had read, deaorlptiyeOf an
expedition he had commanded, said II
was 80 NJ variance with the truth that
he sometimes doubted whether he was
present on the occasion | will not
deny that mistakes are committed IN
the medical department Oi the army
mistakes Of omission ah well as OF com
mission but this / will say without fear
Of successful contradiction, that the
best was done that could be under all
the circumstances,
IL must be remembered that We were
forced into this war without prepare
ton or any training, Nor was the time
| alinmau altar IA naa uVaciuifatad unnn
us for the necessary drill, no important
" aucCenful management Unlike
the strong government OF Europe with
their standing armies under constant
drill, working by system and In haT'
mOny IN every department, We
WORKED 10 A plsApyANTAGE
As was the case in the lirbt Bull Run
battle.
was ut Shiloh immediately after the
battle, seut there by the Governor with
other surgeons in charge Of q hospital
transport 10 bring back wounded, II
was the lirat great battle Of the war, In
which our side lost IN killed and wound,
ed over ten thousand, and the cOnfod
crates about the same, Our forces were
taken by surprise. The pickets driven
In about daylight, the men engaged In
cooking their breakfast, and many OH
GERS still In bed and before our men were
properly aroused 20 the danger Of the
situation several thousand
WE'RE TAKEN PRISONERS
aud many more were driven back and
completely demorall2ed,
Our troops had not yet learned the
! advantage Of temporary earth works
! Would II be % all strange that the med,
! ical department was caught unpre.
| paired u Not u single depot established,
not even ground established for its con
yenlence 10 water, not an assignment
made among the surgeons ~ 10 who
were 10 Oe Operat0rsinCh chief IN each
division and who assistants, not u
strotchor bearer appointed, In short the
whole business for the lrst several days
was confusion worse C0nfounded
On reaching the landing | hastened
ashore, mounted the bluff and the FIRST
object that attracted attention was the
PILES OF AAPUTATED LEGS
and arms lying around, There were
operating tables with patients lying
upon them and surgeons standing
around consulting, recognized atone
OF the tables Prof Blackman, OF my
| alma mater, with knife IN his hand,
stepped up Just nv he plunged the
knife into the shoulder Joint aud with
q sweep, circled and disarticulated II In
less time than II has taken me 20 write
the line,
Our delegation In the discharge
Of the duty assigned US, d.
vlded ourselves into companies OF
two and started over the battle field,
visiting encampments and field hoBpit.
ais In search of wounded in proper con.
dition to transfer north, and 10 arrange
for their removal 10 the boat On our
route we came 10 Shiloh church and
found there several dead and wounded
rebels. Cen M. Cook was questioning
one about the particulars Of the death
OF Albert Sidney Johnson, commander
in.chief OF the Confederate forces, with
whom, II seems, he was personally nc
quainted,
10 was warm and showery and the
ground heavy which made the tramp
rather laborious, The sights we're well
calculated 20 impress any one with the
AWFUL DESTRUCTION or BATTLE.
Trees SCARED and riven with shot and
she'll; under brush moved az with
sCythe; artillery wagons and caiss0ns
wedged between heavy trees or upset
IN a raYine; dead horses lying around.
A number OF places we saw cast off
rebel clothing and shoes, for which Fed.
eral suits taken from our dead soldiers
| ,uuv.. ut,huttNHtal Nj a. Tnv k.y,,I Lk.
loh church were the picket lines be.
tween which there were number of
our dead that II was not safe 10 attempt
20 recover, nor would therebels consent
% a truce for reasons best known 10
themselves There was q Cadayerous
smell everywhere, and | noticed bu2
Yards circlng around In the sky. From
every direction could be heard the regi.
mental bands playing funeral dirge as
some officer was being inferred, like
Sir John Moore, with his martial cloak
around him.
Several days were occupied in gath.
eriug together the complement OF
wounded for which we had accommo.
dations. There were over two hundred
Of our own men and between seventy
aud eighty of the enemy. Our passage
mp the river was far from being pleas.
ure trip. Several OF the wounded died
on the way, and number suffered TO
such an extent IL was impossible for
them 10 restrain their meanings The
consignment was distributed among
the hospitals Of Cincinnati and Camp
Dennis0n.
found an order awaiting me to pro.