The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-24
HER0IO ARMY SURGEONS.
llen of Peace Who Have Esorne Noble
Parts In The shock OF Battle.

lDr. w. Mitchell Banks Before the Brit
fsh Medical Association
Have you ever heard Of Surgeon Thorn
son, who, during the Crinlean war, when
the army marched of after the battle of
the Alma, volunteered with. hts servant,
John McGrath, to remain behind ON the
open field with hve Hundred terribly
wounded Russians, and passed three aw-
full days and n-ights-these two English
men -alone-among foreign foes, some
dead, some dying, and not able to raise
q hand to save themselves? Have you
ever heard of Assistant Surgeon Wolse-
ley, Of the Twentieth Regiment, who. at
the battle of Inkerman, had quietly estab-
lished his field hospital In that awful
place, the Sandbag Battery? When the
one hundred and fifty men, who We're all
that remained of its defenders, were
forced to desert it, about one hundred Of
them fell back in one direction, and in
that they found, at thirty PAGES from
them, a Russian battalion blocking their
path. There was not a combatant Off
Ger left. so the assistant surgeon took
command. He had not ever a sword with
him, but, laying hold of a firelock with
q fixed bayonet on it, he spoke a few
words to he men within range of his
voice, and told them that what they now
had to fight for was not victory, but life.
Then he gave them the word of COM
mand-"Fix bayonets, charge, and keep
up the hill" The soldiers answered him
with a burst of hurrahs, sprang forward
to the charge, and the next instant We're
tearing through the thickest of the Rus
slams. One-half of these reached the 9TH
er side alive. Have you ever heard of
Surgeon Landon, who was shot through
the spine while attending to the wounded
on Majuba Hill? His legs were p~aralyzed,
but he caused himself to be propped up,
and continued his merciful work till his
strength ebbed away. When unable for
more he quietly said:-"I am dying; do
what you can for the wounded" Have
you ever heard of SUPERINTENDENT Whit
church, who gained the Victoria Cross at
the b~eleaguering of Chitral for the most
determined courage in e~ndeavoring to
save the life Of Major Baird? Yes, you
have, for last year at Carlisle you gave
him the gold medal of the association, the
highest honor which our association can
give to its members. There died the 9TH
er day a certain Surgeon-General Reade,
c. B., v. c.. During the. siege OF Delhi,
while attending to the wounded at the
end of one of the streets of the city, a
party of rebels advanced from the direc-
ton of the bank, and, having established
themselves in the houses in the street,
commenced firing from the roofs. The
wounded were thus in very great dan
ger, and would have fallen into the hands
of the enemy had not Surgeon Reade
drawn his sword, and calling upon a FEW
soldiers who were near to follow, sue
ceeded under a heavy fire in d~islodging
the rebels from their position. Surgeon
all, of whom two were killed and five or
six wounded. OF the one hundred n
eighteen wearers Of the Victoria Cross
fourteen are surgeons, nearly IL per cent.
of the whole number. They stand in the
proportion ofS9.5 per cent. of all the Off
GERS of the army, so at all events they
have contributed not less than their fair
share of the deeds of valor which alone
can win that glorious distinction.