The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-20
sroh1ns ABoUr WoUnDED MEx.
Tn,pEs' Tsnt Ia,sre.tea saa rs--,ea omcsrs or
Surgeons.
Nom the chicago Inter Ocean.

ZION the chicago Inter Ocean.
wounded men," said tho Colonel. were OF.
ten misunderstood. Gen. Fuller Of Toledo told
mo that he never expected forgiveness for one
harsh judgment Of his. In tho midst OF n bat
tic ho was trying to stop the flight OF panic.
stricken men. Ono man camo stumbling along,
not needing q word that was said TO him. In
dignant and impatient, Fuller, ms he came near
him, leaned from his horse and touched tho
man with his sword. saying sharply: Go back.
sirl' Tho man looked up with n look that said
as plain as words: I am looking for a place to
de- He opened his blouse and showed n great,
gaping wound In his breast. Then he dropped
to the ground. The General dismounted as soon
rs he could but almost rs no took the mans
head in his arm tho poor fellow died.
Some mon whom struck showed no sign. I
'ememher ono little fellow who was struck three
times In as many minutes. The first shot struck
his right arm, and he proceeded to load with his
left. Tho next shot struck him in tho leg, and
brought him 10 his knees. lie had his left arm
up. rnmming homo a load. whom n bullet struck
that arm. Then he looked up and said quietly.
They have q particular spite against me-. /
guess I'll quit and he dropped down."
"Wo had one man In our company" said tho
Sergeant, who was shot through the body at
Shiloh. He was carried Off in an ambulance,
and the boys supposed they would never see
him again. But three days after the battle tho
regiment went into camp not far from the fold
hospital, and that afternoon the men were sur
prised TO see the man who had been shot through
and through walk into camp, using his rifle rs n
7ane. He announced that ho had had enough Of
the hospital and wouldn't go back to 1t. The regi.
mental surgeon sworc n good deal. insisting that
the wounded man should return TO the hospital,
but In tho end agreed that the plucky fellow
ahOuld he cared fOr In fhp COypno py'a p,,nrfpra
Tho boys took great care Of him. He improved
rapidly, went on duty as soon as he was able to
walk, and was with the company to the end OF
the service.
"Other men who couldn't bear physical pain
were greatly troubled by flesh wounds. and
received less sympathy than they deserved.
The hardest wounds to bear were those from
spent balls. These were moro painful than tho
wounds from the hard hittcrs, but men struck
by spent bullets received no sympathy at all.
For somc reason IL was counted disreputable
to be hit by n spent ball or n splinter from a
rock, and many men worried along under the
most painful wounds without going to the hos
pital or without even consulting the surgeon.
Some Of these fellows carry the marks to-day
and say nothing about them.
The official report of the capture of Lookout
Mountain" said the Major, Stated that Gen.
Walter C. Whitaker vas wounded, but that he
didn't leave the field. That is all true, but 1t
is only half the story. Whitaker was one of
tho most impetuous. driving officers In the
army. He was n regular old stormcr. lie was
he was struck by n rifle ball. lie became death.
~ sick. and it was supposed at first that he was
fatally wounded. Tho surgeons and some of his
associate officers gathered about him, anxious
and nervous. A surgeon opened the Generals
coat and vest looking for. the wound. which
seemed to be in tho vicinity OF the stomach.
He found between the vest and tho unlCrrlOtl-
ing q rifle, ball that had not broken the skin.
lie said quietly. a spent ball The General
dignant. What's thati What's that Some
body hit me with a spent ballf / won't stand
aside all the people about him. he sprang TO his
feet. climbed on his horse, and with his clothing
started for the front, swearing at the man who
had hit him with n spent ball. Blu the old Gen
eral after that probably had more sympathy
seemed to fall from the air or that came with rs
little force as a stone thrown by a vicious boy.
fooS and fairly craze him with pain. Some
times, they would drop on his. back as he lay
and and he now wo1 I'd WI! Writ froa as though n,uEihnEf lie up we're n,s in n'g the
agonics of death"
Gases of malingcring were so common said
the doctor. that surgeons were suspicious
over wounds that had any mystery about
them. Sometimes a man would come from
scious. and would shrink from the touch as
though he were sore all over. There were so
many cases OF lrauu among the men VINO acted
in this way, that surgeons were in danger of
doing injustice to severely wounded men.
one day II man was brought back who
seemed In great agony. but upon whom VIC
could find no wound. He couldn't talk cUhcr-
emily. but he pressed his hand constantly, 10 his
had been struck by n frngmCn of shell or II
piece Of rock SO large as TO make n bruisc two
or three inches across. 1t was. in fact. one of
the most difficult cases to treat that came under
my personal notice. and the mans suffering for
weeks was intense. And yet probably no mark
of a wound is on that mans body.
While ! was in charge OF one of the hosp;-
tails at Nashville the most difficult cases TO
handle were those in which the soldiers were
influenced by authorizations or superstitions.
Tho patients were arranged in n large hail. the
cots in long rows. extending the full length of
the room. One night n patient about half way
down the hall died. The next night the man
coming next in the row died and the next day
Nos. I. 5 and g insisted on being moved from
tho row and they were SO wild about it that
they had TO be moved.
mo. Z, noticed. was n quiet. uncomplaIn.
ing man OF equablc temper, and, feeling that |
must in some way stop the panic and break
the line Of superstitious dread. l went to him
and led up TO the point by asking him II he had
any supcrstitious notions. lilo said he had not.
Then ! asked him IL he would he satisfied to re-
main as he was. and exp aimed that II he did
excitement. He smiled and said he would trust
himself in the unlucky row. Trifling as this
circumstance was 1t had the greatest influence
on the patients in the row. They watched
est and 1t was great trial for him to see,
whenever he was lifted up by the nurse, n dozen
widowed men looking him over TO sec whether
death was on him or not: but he stood his
ground and stopped tho panic. He recovered
and has been as hearty as a buck ever since"