The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-12

Iuusb pIdlsb sbluOm kCb ~ III OhO ups anu
downs of this world. And it is often, too,
that the second-class man bobs up on the
wave of popular approval serenely, while the
flrst-class man sinks like plummet amid the
waters of oblivion. In conversation with
some old Army comrades the other day, the
subject was brought up relative to the fact
that many ''lucky'' chaps got their names in
the newspapers and histories, while others
far more deserving both in character and
action were entirely ignored. 1t occurred to
me then that one of the most mertorious corps
of the Army service on either side had been,
in all the accounts of battles and campaigns
have ever seen, as it were, "Unwept, un-
honored, and unsung." 1 mean the surgical
corps. And had peculiar reason to recognize
the ability and heroism of the corps in one of
the battles of the civil war; am glad of this
opportunity to pay the profession what /
sincerely believe is q deserved tribute. To the
uninitiated it might be supposed that only the
fighting men In the Army are exposed to
danger or deserved credit in case of victory.
On the contrary, the non-combatants-the
surgeons, the chaplains, the quartermasters,
commissaries, ordnance officers, etc., are just
as often as not exposed to the heaviest fire.
when they do their duty thoroughly. And the
worst of it was that they had not the incentive
to action OF the men in the fighting line of be-
ing able to return shot for shot, 1t is comfort
able feeling to know that when man is shoot
ing at you, you are not compelled to stand
and bear it, but are at liberty to give him as
good as he sends. This thing of standing up
to be shot at without the opportunity reply
ing is very trying upon the nerves of the
brayest men.
Now, want to refer here to the surgical
0f Pick in oorfio
the medical profession in the war. so far as 1
have heard of them or my personal observa-
ton extends. And while suppose, as is the
case in every profession, there were black
sheep in the flock, yet the record in memory
OF the Army surgeons on both sides, unrecord-
ed as it is, bears witness to heroic constancy
and devotion to duty which reflects honor on
the profession.
The first time / ever noticed the peculiar
work Of the surgeons-and / want it to be re-
membered that can only speak of the sur
geons of Pickett's division, to which my regf-
ment belonged-was after the fight at Black
burns Ford, Bull Run, on the 18th of July,
1861. had an attack of yellow jaundice and
was sent back to camp at Manassas. On the
21st, in the evening, got out of my bunk to
hear now the battle was going, and twenty
feet away, in field tent, saw where the sur
geons were operating on the wounded, who
were fast being broughtin in from the front. Back
of the tent was what might be called a stack
of the tent the surgeons could be seen at work
with their coats off, and all the instruments of
their profession-saws and knives and lancets
all the dread yet necessary weapons for saw
ing life, if possible. But the sang tr0id with
which they went about their task of seeming
butchery was absolutely repugnant to me as a
tyro. said to myself then that hoped, if l
should be struck in battle afterward, that
would be struck mortally Anything to keep
out of the hands of these surgical butchers
And vet these men dOinp all fhav cOnl6 t,
alleviate the pains of the wounded, although
they were doing it, apparently, in a very
heartless manner.
In subsequent battles Of the war it was
often charged by one side and the other that
the hospital flag "a square yellow fiag) was
fired upon by the opposing artillery. don't
believe that any Of the charges could be sus-
tanned. The allegation of an Intentional
firing OF artillery on tent or building over
which the yellow flag was flying looks to me
absurd. considering the fair play which either
army was disposed to give the other
Now, taking the battles of 1862 and 1868 in
Virginia, for instance, the surgeons showed
their bravery and constancy to duty in re-
naming with the wounded in the field hospi-
tails and submitting to capture sooner than
desert their posts. Thus, at second Manassas
the Federal surgeons refused to leave their
men who were wounded and so they did in the
Seven Days fight around Richmond; So, too,
did the Confederate surgeons stick to their
trust at Antietam and Gettysburg 1t is to
the honor OF both parties in our fratricidal
contest that the surgeons who stayed with the
wounded were treated with the utmost cour-
tesy, and were at once liberated when their
services were no longer called for They were
not considered as prisoners war, but, If / may
use the term, as enforced guests.
But wish TO give my recollection of the in
dlYldual herosm of surgeons in Pickett's
division And FIRST may say that, as far as
my regiment was concerned (the Seventeenth
Virginia) the assistant surgeon, Harold Snow
den, was always up with the line of battle.
To explain to the unnitiated, it may be nee
essary to state that generally field hospital
Tor brigade was established Immediately in
rear OF the front in the main line of battle oc-
cupied by the brigade in the general move
ment OF the troops. The chief surgeons of
The regiments were usually detailed to this
field hospital, while the assistant surgeons
were expected to keep up with the line of
battle In order TO attend to the wounded who
required immediate treatment; for example,
in case of wounds to the arteries, etc.
! recollect funny incident and it was
tragic also in some respects. At the siege of
Suffolk, Va, In 1868, our regiment was sur
prised on the Nansemond Road by Corcoran's
brigade and squadron of cavalry and bat
terry OF artillery. We had TO retreat across
mill-dam after severe loss in killed and
wounded, and when we got across we were
charged by Colonel Dodge's cavalry. They
swept In among us loudly shouting and slash
Ing right and left with there sabres but they
made mistake in supposing that we were
demorallzed because we were disorganiZed by
force OF the surprise as above stated. How
ever, there was captain of cavalry who, in
spite OF the hundreds of shots fired at him,
rode clean through our lines, ,.and riding up to