The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-24
How "DocIs,, Pnr.ed.

An ardent patriotism VIII aceompls h
wonders, but when il is encouraged and
stimulated by fright, Its achievements
sometimes approach the marvellous, says
a writer In the Houston Post. Never was
this better Illus rated, perhaps, than in he
case Of a widely known, and wherever
known, welI-hked gentleman who enlis ed
In the Confederate army as a private in
a company Of the Fourth Texas Regiment
Of Hoods Texas Brigade. AS he tells the
story himself, alidavits to It's truth are
scarcely necessary. A name and "a local
place and habitauon" might easily Re as
signed him were he not of such a modest
and retiring disposition that publicity
would likely be annoying 10 him. This
much may be said 10 identify him though;
by his comrades of the old br gade, he is
usually spoken of as j, with an adjec-
tive prefix to the same descriptive OF
physical popularity presumably caused by
an early and precocious pieey and len
dency to keep one eye at least on the
heavens But by all men who have the
hap mess of knowing the gentleman, COM
ra'les, patients and mere acquaintance
alike he is familiarity addressed as
"DO1k"
Enlisting as private in an hour when
patriotic enthusiasm prompted him to spn
The last drop of his blood in defense of the
rights of his beloved South, Dock rose
from that humble rank to a full-hedged
and duly commissioned surgeon in the
Confederate army, at a stage of his sol
dler1ng when he was most tired OF march
ing on foot and best convinced by actual
personal experience, of the dangers of the
battlefield
lie served in the ranks faithfully and
bravely until the battle of Gaines Mil had
been fought and won by the Confederates.
That night, while lying on the hard ground
looking heavenward with both ewes and in
hearing of the groans of the wounded and
dying, Dock thought thought and thought
of the innumerable bullet which during
the day had whistled menacingly by him,
of the destructive shells which had burst
over and on all sides of him, of the viii
famous powder he had smelled and imag-
ined he could still taste, and of the blood
and carnage he had witnessed, until sleep
overraking the poor man, it all became a
horrible, horrible dream. Waking in the
morning, he said to the lieutenant in COM
mand of the company-its captain had
been wounded in the battle of the previ-
Gus day:
"See here, lieutenant, want you to send
my name up to headquarters as an appli-
cant for an appointment as surgeon This
thing of playing private soldier doesn't
exactly suit man of my temperament,
capacities and general qualifcations-its
too devilsh trying on my nerves."
"Bu-bu-but, Dock began the lieuten-
ant. who suffered when surprised 'its
useless. You ca-ca-can't papa pass the
necessary examination, old fellow. A do
do-dozen fellows from the regiment have
tri-tri-tried 1t and fa-fa-failed-every one
of them a da-da-d-d sight be-be-better
doctor tha-tha-than you are"
80 they have, lieutenant" assented
Dock, cheerfully and confidently; so they
have, sir; but then you must remember
and take into consideration that not a id
one of 'em were as badly scared as am
it's a ground hog case with mel just
must pass"
1t only remains to be told that Dock did
pass" and thereafter cooled his thirst
for gore by considerable carving on
wounded Confederates and Federals.