The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-06-08

| excellent steward, (seVeral times heretoIor
referred to,) MS chief steward OF the Gal
House Hospital" The Case was anothe
showing the rapid change 10 the state o
the Vol. Med'l Service, since the time o
our armies first taking the field. II will
be remembered that long ago set forti
concerning the excess In the mum Der o
applicants, who had passed ExaminiRl
Boards, for positions as surgeons and ass
surgeons, over places for them In the frs
of the war. A year had not more thar
passed, before 80 many In various way
succumbed, that It was difficult, at tine'
impossible, to supply the vacancies thus
made. Those medical officers whose way
of life and practice had been chiefly among
the luxuries, refinements and elegancies OF
society, failed, In the first essays OF their
office, In the severe experiences In the
field, In an unaccustomed climate, practic
ing their profession amidst 80 many diff
cufties and embarrassments. The country
doctors, mostly, were the ones who having
borne the test OF fitness Tor their office by
the Examining Boards, endured to the
end. The more distinguished, who had
practiced among "the better classes In
the cities, but who desiring army service
we're mostly accommodated with positions
as medical directors, medical purveyors
post surgeons, chief Of hospitals, and SINH.
lar positions, whereby they would be re-
lieved from the hardships of the field.
And, II mus. be conceded. many OF them
did good, efficient and faithful work. And
can bear full testimony that In many
cases, their duties we're not OF the lightest
reckoned In view of responsibility, or &C
tual hard work even with power to detail
all needful assistance. II Is to be borne In
mind, that I; was easy TO detail unlimited
muscle; brains, suitable for the purpose,
were not always in full stock.
From the causes here and hetofore emu
merated, the medical service soon and rap
Idly fell short of incumbents; so much so
that citizen physicians and sur
geons had to be employed under con-
trSct to supply their places. During my
service, several were assigned me, so en-.
gagged. 1t was remarkable, considering
the technical striCkness Of the tests of
qualification In the ouset, that at length
the service almost literally went begging.
In this emergency, (so, within the range
of my observatory the more advanced
hospital stewards were In certain instan-
ces, appointed to act temporarily as Asst
Surgeons; then commissioned as such |,
and / know instances where they were
even advanced TO the surgeoncy, / have
spoken of Dr. Rose, of Col. Gresham's sd
Ind. Regiment He had been a student
of medicine, of two years standing,-went
out as steward of that regiment, and was
appointed its Assistant Surgeon; and at
length TO the full surgeOncy, with rank of
Maj. of Cavalry. More than that, proceed
Ing those decisive battles before Atlanta,
July 20, 81 and %, 1864, he was appointed
specially on the operating board In the
corps field hospital, as important posi-
ton as any In the medical service.
Another instance In point: | think II
was during the March to the Sea, the 4th
Ill. Inf. was consolidated with the SD.
DR.. George NJ Yarmouth was the Asst
Surgeon of the 4lst was then the medi-
cal officer In charge of the 41st, and after
wards became Asst Surgeon of the SD.
He had drst been appointed Asst Surgeon
of Kentucky regiment, l think he told
me, the day after he graduated as N. ID.
to be appointed surgeon OF the
SD, when should retire at Savannah, he
was making much account Of being prOba-
bly, ordered north for examination for that
posltion-the more deserving 1t that he had
had no respite since joining his regiment,
In 81 Such an order would enable him to
com bine holiday with business mission,
without expense. Making application for
such an order, when he ascertaine1 that he
was TO receive the appointment, this was
denied and he was commissioned surgeon
10 date from my retirement without this
pseliminary-ITo be concluded next Sat
lrday.