The National tribune., 1901-05-16

The army moved on to Murfreesboro,
FIVE miles distant, and with a guard Of
100 men we were left far in the rear.
The indications being very favorable for
a protracted stay, it became necessary to
concentrate the patients into smaller COM
suffocatiOn, as | have stated, surely to the
| slow poisoning degree. Additional room
was sought by constructing a ward in the
| back yard, composed of three hospital
tents placed end to end with the interior
| end folded back so as to constitute long
hall. A fireplace with chimney was con-
structed in each from bricks from burnt
house a mile or more distant. The brick
were gotten to the ground by the Impress
ing of Government teams and sending
| them under guard.
The weather was, as previously noted,
| rain, snow, sleet, muddy and frozen, but
l somehow got the men to do this work
by standing in the storm with them, as
| sisting, directing and commanding, with
out shadow Of authority. Bunks were
constructed by driving stakes in the
ground, making platform of any avail
| boughs oYerlaid with blanket.
In due time the ward was all ditched
around and by means of the fires well
dried out on the inside, and gave great
satisfaction to the patients who were
promptly concentrated there.
| L DItstuL HO dpOiOBy LOT Ine
| frequent reference to myself, for / was in
everything held responsible, the possible
| and the impossible alike. 1t was my first
experience IN field hospital work, and my
health such that 1 was wholly unfit for
such active duties. During this time l
suffered from q series of small carbunces
on my chest and abdomen, which finally
eliminated in large one on my baA, the
| scar OF which remains there now and
from all l could find time to lay wholly
off for bat a single day. Weakened by
previous illness, afflicted as above de-
scribed, and in addition suffering from a
persistent scorbutic diarrhea, do not now
see how it was possible for me to perform
| the imposed duties.
| The Commissary furnished us literally
with supplies of army rations, but there
were no delicacies, such articles of food as
were fitted for these wounded and
| operated patients, who could be offered no
better quarters than the unventilated room,
| the air of which was loaded with the un-
healthy emanations from so many sup
| purating surfaces.
| know that the mortality was high, but
its exact rate L never knew. There did
not seem to be present in the men any
thing like the normal reserve power that
| comes TO aid in trying occasions.
Ihe repairing tendency was gone, so
that under the shock OF bodily damage
there was rarely left enough vital force
|
nature might make. The result was that
the most complete operations, SO far as
am now able to judge, even in those OF
| robust appearances and who fell doing
arduous duty, resulted in secondary hem
| orrhage, gangrene, sloughing or some
other form of disease, death often oc-
curing from no appreciable cause; the
patients simply would die.
There were available no delicacies, no
nourishing broths, save beef tea (Which
did good service), to spur the tagging
powers, to stimulate hope and the cheerf-
ness that comes when the nourishing food
has been agreeable to the sense of taste.
1t will be recalled that | personally had
trine Of such delicacies on hand, and /
may say, in addition, that We were sup
Piled freely with coffee, tea, sugar and
salt, articles for which the plantation peo-
pie around were starving
also had some very enterprisng young
men who were strongly attached to my
interest. They would go out with q sup
ply of these articles and bring back
chickens and eggs. The terms of their
trading or the division of the spOils at
hospitals | never knew. 1t was sufficient
TO me that l was rather literally supplied
from the proceeds.
All these delicacies were placed with
the worst and most desperate cases. The
dry bread still served for toast, with can
ned milk; there were butter, apple butter
and peaches; there were eggs and
chickens. The quantity was limited and
so must be the recipients, and they were
in no wise forgotten.
There was one rebel private among
them in whom i took an interest because
OF his desperate condition. l do not rate
this as self-praise, because / only did what
any self-respecting man would do and to-
day / am proud Of my action. verify be-
lieVe thus saved several lives; few or any
of whom ever knew tho source from which
the blessings came
These were great hindrances to re-
covery, but the great element was the con-
stitutional condition of the men, I have
dWelt somewhat on the experience and