The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-09-25

drews, as published in the Baltimore
Sun and which appeared in Friday
morning issue Of your paper, and a.
our Presidents death has been caused
by an abdominal wound, and as il is
OF local interest to ourselves, I would
like to place on record the remarkable
recovery of the late Gen. Rudolph
Sicsling, of Our city, wounded &: :hc
battle of the second Manassas, and
then lieutenant in the German Ar.
tillery.
The battery in which Lieut.. Sicg-
ling commanded section was ordered
TO take an advanced position. Il bat
terry Of the Fedcrals vas directly op-
positc them. While advancing to the
position shell from riAed cannon
known as Iotcbkiss shell-burst in
front Of the advancing company,
wounding corporal and taking off the
cover Of an ammunition chest.
The base oe the shell struck Lieut..
Siegling in the left groin, tearing
away the clothing and sword belt and
penetrating the abdominal walls. It
made rent about ten inches in length,
exposing all the contents of the left
abdominal region, including tie peri
toneum and intestines. Shreds Of
clothing were carried into the wound
and, being exposed to soil and parti-
cles of vegetable matter, these also
filled in the wound surfaces.
Lieut.. Siegling by the force of the
blow was hurled from his horse and
fell in trench between two corn hills,
bleeding aud in a scmi-insensible con-
dition.
A man Of strong nerve and great
courage, and having in his early life
taken course Of medical study, he
had prepared himself for this very
emergency, aud taking the morphine
in his possession at the time avoided
tho evil effeots Of the shock, which is
so often the immediate cause of death
on the battlefield.
Ireached him in about fifteen min
utes after the wounding and found
him exhausted and in collapse from
the loss Of blood, lying between the
corn hills.
The battle was still raging in our
immediate front, and the whistling of
the balls from the infantry as they
passed above and around US could DO
heard and almost felt. The Federal
artillery were still in action, directing
their fire on the very spot-shells ex-
ploding often so near as to cover us
with earth.
Under these circumstances hem
snorrhage was controlled, the wound
dressed aud, as SUN a5 5tFetofher
could be obtained, the lieutenant was
removed for half-mile along the firing
line to the field iadrmary in the i'm
mediate vicinity. An examination, in
which / had the assistance of the
most eminent surgeons Of our COM
mand, convinced us that the injury
was certainly mortal. The whole alb
dominal vail Of the left side was
opened, the peritoneum torn and
+. lacerated, the intestines not cut, but
bruised and congested and exposed,
being filed with dust, leaves and
shreds of clothing.
In those days We had no hyperder-
mic syringe, nor did we have an idea
Of the antiseptic treatment OF wounds.
Pure spring water was che bes. We
could obtain aud, this being freely
used, the wound was closed, after the
abdominal contents had been returned
and entered as far az the extreme
lacerstion would permit.
The lieutenant was made as COM
Portable as possible, notified Of his
condition, which he fully realized and
made all his preparations for death l.
.even debating his last will.
So certain was the opinion Of the
fatal termination OF his injuries that
one Of his fellow officers (Mr. Simons)
had his coffin made from, the boards of
fence in the neighborhood and the
suit Of uniform to bury, him laid out.
AS it turned out he had no use for it,
and I was informed that the gallant
Col. Gadberry, Of Newberry, was
buried in this coffin.
The treatment Of this wound, par
italy By The c!esed end crres method ::ae.hssa,
was with the cold wet pack of pure
spring water, just as in the case OF
Col. Andrews.
Lieut.. Siegling rallied both from
the shock and tKs operation. He re.
mained under my care for four days