Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-02-18
From Field to Hospital.
BY BLANK.

o'clock a. m., and started on the
march for the Wilderness it crossed
Rapidan River just before sundown
and went into camp, about one and q
half miles, the other side of the river.
At early dawn on the 9TH of May, we
made coffee, ate our breakfast and
started ON the march again. We ar
rived at the well-known Cross Roads
in the Wilderness about noon, when
the regiment threw up temporary
breastworks and took dinner. Be
tween one and two O'Clock, p. M,
orders were given to advance the
regiment in line of battle. We had
only gone a few rods before the mu-
sic of the minnie ball warned us that
the rebels were in close proximity
ahead of us, and right there the writ
er would have gladly been excused
from going any farther in that direc-
ton. It was not bravery, but a little
pride, that kept him in his place. We
were in thick, low, woody growth,
and could not see an object ten rods
to our front. We had advanced less
than quarter of a mile, when orders
came down the line to halt, unsling
knapsacks, load and fire at will.
Then and there commenced the terri
BILE fight of the first day. 1t then
seemed to be every man for himself.
Death was on every side of us, and
above the din of musketry could be
heard the cry of the wounded and dy-
ing. 1t was time when the peril of
a soldiers life could be fully realized.
| had only fired eighteen shots
when | received a severe gun shot
wound in the head and went back to
the rear at that time. The line, what
was left of it, remained where it first
halted. There was temporary Op-
Grating hospital about three-fourths
of. a mile to the rear, the main field
hospital being some two miles away
on large fiat, near by some old min
ing mills, on one of the main roads
leading back to the Rapidan River,
where tents were being erected as
fast as possible, and everything was
made ready for the wounded. The
full ambulance corps were put into
action, and from three o'clock until
midnight were continually coming in
with the wounded, the dead and the
dying for many who were put aboard
the ambulances were dead when they
arrived at the hospital. Oh, the ter
rible agonies and sufferings of that
afternoon and night No one can re-
aliZe who was not a witness to the
scene; no words of mine can picture
of describe it. More than a score of
surgeons were taking off legs and
arms and dressing wounds, some of
them not taking any rest or sleep for
forty-eight hours. Early the next
morning, more than a hundred who
had died during the night had been
carried outside and placed on the
ground and covered by blankets but
not yet buried. AS | went among
the dead [ found two of my comrades
of the Sd Vt. in the number. Even
to-day how sad and solemn the tho't
of that night and morning. The Sec
ond day and night was only a repeti-
ton of the afternoon and night be-
fore, only there was more of it. On
the 9TH the wounded were placed in
the ambulances and army wagons,
a train miles long the tents
were taken down and loaded, and the
started en- route for Fred
where they arrived the 8th
and made halt. Every public place
was filled to overfowing, land the next
day they were started for Bell Plain
Landing, for transportation to Wash
ington, where most of them arrived
the 18th, 18th and 18th, and were
in the various hospitals
there. 1t fell to my lot to 60 to Fin
ley General Hospital, which was To-
Gated at one end, a half mile north
of the Capitol, on 4th ST., between
New York Avenue and Glen Cottage
cemtery. The grounds upon which
the hospital was located were owned
at the commencement of the war by
a United States senator from one of
the southern states, who tooks French
leave," and the property was confis-
Gated by the government. There
were about four acres of land on
which there was spacious two-story
smaller house for the SER
wants, and nice carriage house and
horse barn connected. In one COR
ner of the garden, the gardner had
cosy little house, and the gate tender
had one at the gate. The grounds
were enclosed by high and substan-
tial fence, the main building stand
ing Oh the north side of the enclos-
ure, from which a fine view of the
city could be had. This building was
occupied by the surgeon in charge of
the hospital as headquarters. In
front and south there were three
wooden ward buildings built first.
They were cheaplv built, but well
adapted to the purposes used. being
40 feet long by 30 feet wide. and
contained seventy one beds each, ac-