The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-06-15
WAR EXPERIENCES.
BY VIM. W. WEIGH.
Alarms and Changes.

Mr.. Summers had been so dilligent
student and so faithful steward, pursuing
his studies all possible in the field that he
had become very fair practitioner, com
pairing we'll with the average country doc
tor.-many Of whom then had never pur
sued a regular course of study TO gradua-
ton, or even taken degrees in any of the
irregular schools devoted 10 isms, pathies
and other quackeries which make easy
that ordeal.
There is but one "paty'-cVropdthy.
The mission of medicine is to relieve pain,
remove disease, improve health, promote
the best possible bodily and mental con-
ditions, by all the best known means and
methods and to prolong life under what.
ever and all combined legitimate names
and systems. All else Is fraud, swind-
ling and base Imposture of the cor
ruptest sort.
As an evidence of the acceptance with
which Mr.. Summers performed his part,
Surgeon Slaughter. of some Indiana regi-
ment, then In charge Of the Gault House
post hospital being required to be absent
for time, Mr.. Summers was assigned as
surgeon In charge pro tenn. He did me the
honor, several times, to request my atend-
ance and counsel In some Of his more seri
GUS cases. Young as he was In the profess
sion, found him remarkably we'll up"
In his duties, and his cases doing admIra'
bly, well. He had been Of great assistance
to me, not only In hospital management,
but as prescription druggist, lin the duties
of which had instructed him the previ-
Gus year,, and also In the unending, unre-
hitting, paper business, ever a dead
weight from the beginning; and which
must take precedence of all else, however
urgent and immediate were all other de.
mands.
From this detail Mr.. Summers never
again reported 10 me. He was shortly ap.
pointed hospital steward U. s. A., assigned to
duty as chief steward OF the Overton hos
pital at Memphis; from which he passed
from my further knowledge beyond vague,
hearsay reports.
Having to "bring up" and educate all
assistants In their peculiar duties, my stew
ard being thus detailed from me, was
compelled to supply his place with Daniel
Reed, of whom | have heretofore spoken
as having served me 20 faithfully and well,
rs principal nurse, and In incidental and
confidential ways, from the time of first
,ns, Il ant NJ Nu,nn
Ottawa, and all through that miserable
abomination, the so-called siege at Cor
NTH and who had so we'll learned the
stewards duties II was long before
could procure his regular warrant as stew.
ard but this was at length obtained from
Col. Seth q. Earl. who had succeeded to
the command of the regiment. Still later,
Mr.. Reed was further promoted, under
some new order creating the Office to
the position of prescribing steward of the
Freedman's Hospital, at Memphis, by Gen
Stephen A Hurlbut, commander Of that
post II Is due to Mr. Reed, If still living,
and his memory II not, TO say that he was
faithful In duties to the end, as a great
many Of "the boys" can testify as well AZ
myself. / do not think shall have coca
sion TO refer to him but once more in the
course of these papers; and then where
" the boys" called 1t "a pretty huTying
time of year."
In the foregoing recited experiences,
and In many others observed or was con.
Cerned In, II was shown that in great ar
my, among 80 many men to choose from,
although there be few adapted to the more
important situations, as rule, no man Is
absolutely indispensable; nor 30 important
but that his place can be supplied If 1t
were not SO, then would our situation have
been inconceivably disastrous when our gal
liant Mcpherson fell before Atlanta July
90, lS64,-that memorable time when our
glorious Logan assumed command, and
turned the tide Of battle from tumultuous
rout into a splendid victory. Immortal
honor 10 incompatible Logan! and TO such
as he was; II that were possible. Verify,
his works do follow him." as do the graft.
tude and honors of the nation he so largely
contributed 70 preserve
If any who honor these recltals with
continuous reading find them slow and
tedious, | beg they will remember that so
was the service and our experience; more
particularly the wearysome waiting and
watching and wondering what II was all
for, except 10 test the extent of human pa
thence and endurance. With all the fatality
attendant, the undermining of health of
those who did endure, with the wasting of
flesh and spirit, all would have been borne
cheerfully If "the boys" could have been
able to believe there was any use in 1t, for
bear testimony that we had brave and good
men there; If any flnchers or falterers,
sneaks or surrenderers, except to the Great
Conqueror, or TO overcoming, inevitable
disease, they were very few, and saw but
little of their quality. | am even now al
most afraid l was not always as patient
with some Of the poor boys, who were ut.
terly broken down with disease and all the