The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-05
COMPOUNDED
QUICK WITH
THE DEAD
CreWsome Blunder of
the Hospital Corps.
H. H. ELvERS0N STILL ALIVE
HIS NAME GIVEN TO A DEAD
CoMRADE.
a Grave in the Nations Gene
terry That Contains the Body
of an Unnamed
Hero.
H. H. ELVERS0N STILL ALIVE
HIS NAME GIVEN TO A DEAD
CoMRADE.

He died and was buried, and is alive
again.
These are the facts in the life of Private
Harry II. Elverson of Company A. Tenth
pennsylvania Regiment. This statement
appears to be paradox, but II is not.
LOT the death register of the division
neld hospital sets forth that Elverson
died at the French Hospital on July q of
pneumonia, and the certificates of death
and burial were duly signed and for
warded through the proper channels to
the War Department at Washington.
where the name of Private Elverson was
erased from the living and consigned to
the list of those heroes who died in de-
tense of Old Glory. After having de-
parted this life and soiourned In the
celestial realms for the brief space of two
weeks, Private EMERSON decided lat he
was not just ready for his gold ~ harp
and milk and honey diet. He p.ferred
the beans and bacon of his soldiers mess,
and besides the angels were not congenial
to him, so he decided to return and the
nrst or last month he aWoke from the de-
nrlum OF fever that had attended his i'll
ness, and when the nurse asked him his
name he stated that he was Private
Elverson of the Tenth Pennsylvania Regi-
ment. The attendant told him that he
was mistaken, and by way of expiana-
ton tried to prove to him that he had
been gathered to his fathers some two
weeks past but Elyerson would not
he had been a corpse long enough and
that he wanted to be a soldier. and that
the nurse might talk until he was black
IN the face but that he. Private Elverson
of the Tenth Pennsylvania, was alive and
well again and that was all there was to
J The nurse declared that he did not
know what could be done under the cir
cumstances. for dead Elverson was, and
buried, to make matters worse, and the
War Department had been so informed
and there was no hope for it. This was a
Woeful dilemma for the young soldier, but
he sent for his company commander and
proved his identity and was permitted to
take his place once again among the liv-
But the story does not end here for IT
appears that if EMERSON was not dead
and buried, then some soldier had died
and been buried under his name, and if
such was the case. the question that was
before the medical authorities was, who
was the soldier who had passed for Ell
version here lies the mystery that the
medical officers must explain. The facts
in the case are meagre, but such as they
are they show that some soldier died and
was buried as Elverson.
1t appears that at the time the Penn
sylVania soldier was taken to the French
Hospital another soldier from some other
command was also taken to the same in
sutution at the same time. On the way
TO the hospital or Just after he arrived
there this man died, and in some man
neT' which no one seems able to explain,
the doctors of the hospital ascertained
that the dead mans name was Elverson
and so reported the death to the division
hospital. 1t is said that the man died
in the ambulance while being transferred
to the hospital and that the driver of the
ambulance told the doctor in charge that
the mans name was Elverson Be that
as 1t may, the man was buried under Ell
VERSIONS name, and the record of his death
and burial forwarded to the War Depart
ment. After he recovered EMERSON was
transferred to the division hospital at the
Preside as a convalescent where he now
IS lively as cricket and none the
worse for his two weeks of non-existence.
Inquiry at the division hospital does not
reveal the name of the soldier who died
and was buried as Elverson. and no one
seems to be able to throw any light upon
the identity Of this unknown hero. Ell
version stated yesterday that he did not
know who the soldier was, but that it was
not himself. and that was ali he was
positively certain Of &
Elverson is from near Pittsburg and
after it was learned by his friends at
home that he really was not dead he was
the daily recipient of a large mail, in
which he was told what his friends had
said and thought of him after his death
and to use his own expression, 1T is
worth dying for two weeks to find out
how good and how meany our friends think
you are.