The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-04-17

1
mn III satisfied il was several mil.
lions moro or lcss.
| received my first wound at the
Seven Pines battle, and the last at
the Second Cold Harbor battle, gune
1864.
This last wound is in my cheek,
similar to General j. B. Gordon 8, on
ly mine is deeper, while his was
glanciDg shot. Mine was dangerous
one, the ball entering NY cheek bone.
broke it in splintcrs and cut under my
ear, whipped around my jugulsr artery
and lodged III the back side Of my
neck on the gee side, and remained
there seven days before could prevail
| on tic doctors to take it. out. They
thought would die, but l knew it
was not forcordained for me to die
then. This was in the Scabrooks hos
pital in Richmond, where all the
wounded of all States were carried and
then sent to their own State hospitals.
AS L stated the doctors thought l
would die and would not do anything
for ME. Even the nurses treated me
as though | was dead dog. They
would not do anything for me. This,
of course, caused me to feel like waa
"out in the cold world alone" Itook
it to heart. [ got mad. 1 knew l
had been good and brave soldier. |
knew l had left my comfortable faith
er's home way off in Carroll, Georgia,
at my country's call. l knew I had
always faced the shells, grape, canis-
ter and balls on many battle6elds, and
after realizing all this after had
"ft, blcd and died" for my country,
to be neglected when I was disabled
it was enough to cause me to say
base ingratitude. said it too. l
knew then my life was suspended on
very slender thread and had it not
been for kind hearted old gray head
ed negro's nursing and care this arti-
Gle and true narrative would not be
written. When l realized the doctors
and nurses would not do anything for
me, saw through my blood stained
and swollen eye lids an old negro in
the hospital. l caught his attention
and molioned him to me. He bended
over my dark, bloody, swollen and ball
pierced face, and says: "Youpg boss
what can l do for you?"
I told him through my closed teeth
that the doctors and nurses would not
do anything for me and if he would
get me some cruel TO drink and bathe
my head and face three or four times
per day would get vel. "Boss, you
think you can get we'll with dat hole
in your head?" "Yes, will. if you
will do as I say" "I'll do it, said he,
and from then on until the seventh
day of June mothers tender hand
could not have been any more soothing
than his. Day and night he was al
most constantly by my bunk, bathing
my face and doing all he could for
me.
At first we could not tell where the
ball was in my nook. On the 4th day
of June my neck began to pain me and
swell I told the negro-my nurse
to go and get doctor to come and see
me, for 1 had located the ball and
| wanted it cut out. He went and the
doctor came to me for the first time.
| told him there was a bali in the
back of my neck and asked him kind
ly to cut it out. Ho said: cit will
kill you to have it taken out" I told
him it would not. He left me and
would not do anything fer me. The
next day-the fifth day-I sent again
for the doctor; it was the same old
story. l repeated it the next day, the
sixth-result the same. I began to
feel like fighting the whole Confeder-
acy. got desperately mad by tho
seventh day and told my negro to go
after the doctor again. I tell you
was hurting, but I did not grunt. The
doctor came and told him it was his
business to cut the ball out of my
neck, and "by gum, you have to take
it out" 1T will kill you to have it
cut out" says he. ''Let it kill me.
Ill risk it, for it will kill me il it
stays in my necl. / prevailed and
they carried me to the dissectisg room,
put me on table and did what they
should have donc four days before. 1t
did not kill mo either. I have the
rugged and bone pierced ball yet. It
has blood stains ON it, and bones
sticking in it yet. Many on seeing
ho ho1 nd -