The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-06-24

had ministered to thousands of soldiers.
President Garfield had been a union
soldier. Behind the door of the depot
stood half-crazed, unsuccessful off
seeker, named Guiteau. He held in
hand revolver and with it shot tv
at the president. One shot took eff
and the great and good man fell u
the floor. Secretary Blaine called
assistance; a lady in charge of
ladies room of the depot rushed to
side and raised the head of the stricEen
man into her lap, while she stroked his
forehead with her trembling hands.
The assassin was captured. The APP
parently dying president was taken to
the white house, and Dr. Bliss, the
former surgeon in charge of old A,mory
Square general hospital. was summoned
as attending surgeon.
Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa, had
been secretary of the interior. His
daughter Mary had married Robert 7.
Lincoln, the son of President Lincoln.
DR.. Bliss had for many years been the
family physician of the Harlan family.
Robert I. Lincoln, son of the lamented
marJyred president, was secretary of
war in the Garfield administration He,
of course, knew DIR. Bliss. 1t was by
his order that Dr.. Bliss was summoned
to take charge of the case, and, al
though never published before, that
is the exact truth of the story Of
how DR.. Bliss came to be called in
as surgeon in charge of the fatally
wounded President Garfield. knew
DR.. Bliss intimately, and from his lips
| learned the story of his connection
with that case. also know Robert I.
Lincoln, who is now our minister to
Great Britain, and he confirmed the
statement of DR.. Bliss.
But the fact that the president was
wounded upon the site of the old
Armory Square hospital and that he
was attended by the celebrated sur
gson in charge of that hospital was
never revealed or published until to-
day. James +. Linden, an old and ex-
perienced clerk in the pension division
of the war department, who knows all
of the history of the hospitals of the
war, in conversation the other evening
gave me the materials for the greater
part of this letter. We were talking Of
the historic buildings of the national
capital. when mentioned the fact that
had written for this paper an account
Of the fish commission. He immediate
~ said: Did you know that that build
ing in which the fish commission is To-
Gated was the greatest hospital in
Washington during the WARP" He then
proceeded 20 tell about it He said,
"An of the worst and most dangerous
" wounded cases We're taken to Armory
square; first, because it was neares,
the river. so that the sufferers had less
distance to travel over the rough roads
from the steamboat landing, and
second, because DIR. Bliss was the best
surgeon in the city. The records of the
war department show some of the mos,
remarkable cases in traumatic history
some of the miracles Of surgical skill
under the treatment of DR.. Bliss. Thi.
is one of the unwritten chapters Of wal
history, with which everybody should
be conversant. All Of your old soldier
readers would be interested in it. and
thousands of the sons and daughters OF
veterans and their hosts of friend:
would be glad TO know these things
Mr.. Linden is right. and upon his sug
gestion I have written YOU this letter
SMITH d. Fry.