Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-10
Some Employees Who Were
Heroes in the War;.
REMARKABLE CASE
TH0S. n. SMITH AND HIS FOUR
SEVERE WOUNDS.
Four Past Commanders Of the Depart
ment Of tho Potomac-A Medal
of Honor Man.

The Treasury Department is full Of splen-
| did men who served their country gal
| lantly and faithfully in the great struggle
| between the north and south forty years
| ago. Faithful to their duties and obliga-
| tons now them these men stand we'll
| with the government and with their fellow
| men. On the watch force of the Treasury
| Department particularly are many veterans
| OF the civil war. and it is always notice.
able that the orders of officials above them
are executed with that same promptness
| and exactitude as in days when disobedience
meant severe punishment and possibly dis
grace.
! There are four former commanders of the
| Department Of the Potomac employed IN
| the treasury-men OF the highest standing
| in the city, whose devoted services to their
| country in time Of peril and since then
| have won for them the commendation that
| Is due. These men are Major Jerome B.
Burke, commander of the Department of
| the Potomac In 1886 and 1887; Arthur Hen
bricks, commander in 1898. and chairman
| of the committee on battlefield excursions
| OF the present national encampment: Cal
win Farnsworth. commander In 1892 and
George H. Slaybaugh, commander in 1900
| Throughout the treasury also are men
achievement on the field of battle, but mod
| esty prevents their stories being told Some
wear medals Of honor. others wear the
| great scars that are likewise medals Of
honor and heroism. A man whose history
| probably has no equal In this or any other
country is Charles H. Smith. an employee In
| the stationery department of the treasury.
Few men ever had such a close call as did
| he to the other side of the dark river and
| lived to tell the story and earn his daily
| bread. Mr.. Smith was a corporal of Com
| pany K, 10th New York Regiment Of Vol
uT1teerS.
| entered the service. Few Of his compan-
| ions at the treasury know that he carries
around with him evidences Of his terrible
experience at Gettysburg. This is in the
| shape of an open wound in his side, which
needs constant attention. and which. il
closed. would result in his death in a short
time. Corporal Smith went all through the
early battles Of the war in which his regi-
ment took part.
Receives Four Wounds.
Then came Gettysburg. His regiment
opened the battle the 1st Of July, 1868, and
early in the engagement he received four
wounds. each of which was apparently suf-
| fcient to produce death. The first ball
| passed through his left thigh; the second
entered the left groin and passed entirely
through the body. coming out at the right
and passed through the body. fracturing
the spinal column. and while lying prone
on his face a shell burst over him, tearing
off large portion Of his right hip. The
fracture Of the spinal column was so like
the wound received by President Garfield
when shot by Guiteau that the physicians
of Gen. Garfield examined Mr.. Smith to
see If his wound would lead to assistance in
locating the bullet that entered President
Garfield
Suffering from all these wounds. Corporal
Smith lay upon the battlefield for four days
without assistance or noufshment, the con-
tending armies fighting backwards and for
wards over him four different times, and
several times soldiers fell him and
stepped on him. The passing soldiers, pre-
| Stunning that he was dying and would surely
die took his canteen of water, haversack,
shoes and stockings and other things Much
of the time he was unconscious. Lying I'M
der the scorching hot sun of that July day,
he craved water and could not get it, but
he pulled up some young cornstalks grow
ing near him and chewed them to extract
some moisture. The night of July his
comrades found him and took him to what
was known or the battlefield as the NC
Pherson barn They Invested him of his
clothing and laid him In the cowshed.
The morning Of the 9Th he was found to
be nearly drowned In the oozlngs He re-
manned In that condition until the after
noon, when he was taken to a tree nearby
and his comrades cleaned him off with
straw. From them he received the first
HOuTl5tlIlle1lt uc udu tdhcH SiiiSc July L.
While being taken to town In a stretcher
the regimertal surgeon told him he would
die, and asked If he wanted to send any
word to his mother. He was placed in an
old freight warehouse, where he remained
| until July II. nursed by comrade. the
physicians saying 1t was useless to attempt
to do anything for him. Here 1t was that
he realized the full extent OF his wounds.
He discovered that the little food he a.e
passed out. when partially digested.
through the wounds in his left side and
back. For nine months the greater por-
ton Of what he ate passed out that way
In order to get him out Of the warehouse
young Smiths comrade caused him to
feign death. so that his comrades could
take him away under pretense of burial.
This was done and he was taken to
private house. where he remained until h.
was able to move. In the course of several
weeks receiving the medical attention that
he so much needed. Afterward he was
taken to hospitals In Philadelphia and was
not discharged from these untH October.
1854 Two. three and four times each day
ever since then Mr.. Smith has to dress his
wounds. This consists In bathing with
water. applying linen cloths and covering
them with a bandage eight yards In length
and seven inches wide. An orif1ce has to
be made to allow the gases of the stomach
to escape. The gathering of these gases
sometimes produces the most intense
agony, and the services Of a surgeon are
necessary. Suppuration goes continually
on, and there is constant discharge from
the wound. Some of the wounds have 20
be opened at times by surgeon. Although
suffering all the time Mr.. Smith is most
cheerful and is jolly comrade. He is a
Mason of high standing, and twice
master of Washington Centennial Lodge OF
this city.
Physicians pronounce the wounds and
condition of Mr.. Smith the most remark
able Of their kind in history.
The Past Commanders.
Maj. Burke is well known and highly es-