Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-18
Lincoln Conspiracy
and Its Conspiraf0f:s.
TortuGas
copyrighted 1902


killing Of Winters OUT small island anu
lnclosure was visited by yellow ieFes. u
r,a6a fearful ravsges among the limit"
,,,i,,,hcr stationed there, sweeping fcAI ~
LEVY officer a: the post away ~
..r,,ck from earth our best officers ana
,,ern,f,ted the heartiess ones to recover
"a -anca. again. suppose more OF thei'
or,,eli;cs upon humanity nnur' 'iei'
e.s,nand. The ways OF Providence are
,ovs,ertous. and no doubt 1t was cone
for some good and wise purpose
Among the first 10 succnmo 10 'he
dread disease was Brevet Major ). SIM
smith. sur geon in charge. DR. smith
mn mis- arrival NJ The post, which was
,,,,, n few months before, corrected ~
various instances the abuse and reign
ing ;crrors which aboun~ed there iie
was indeed, man OF humanity an"
,.fnsness q gentleman by birth and cui-
t,,re-t,1e soldiers and prisoners friend
and protector. and his memory lives IN
,be mind and the heart OF ali by wnom
mo wss then surrounded as all that was
good, pare. upright, and nooie- He
worked with untiring yea! whilst INC
fever ragged. until the fatal inaiaoF
struck him down upon the pea OF SICK
mss where lie fingered but three Gays
a1s 6ika He received every attention
rom DR.. audd. who at that period. had
MS. Smith was lying in an adjacent
room. sick with the fever. Ior Mud'
asM hsr every attention and WORKED
s:ntaltcrinSlS 10 save her NE. his Ell
forts were crowned with success and she
recovered from the disease. During the
,,erios there was neither an officer nor
an officers wife that came near them TO
administer to their wants their cases
devolvinr Upon the care Of pr Mncd'
ard faithfully die he perform all thai
lay within his power.
In 2 short time the fever proved cpl
5cr,ic. and men could be seen falling
down in every section Of the fort. as the
dread rnalady seized them. When in
former times officers were Daradins
about oevisinG plans wherowith 20 tor
ture the soldiers and prisoners nothing
was seen or heard OF them, they keep
ing themselves closely closeted pal'
Ike unto death seemingly hanging over
the officers quarters Fear was depicted
IRON the countenance of every one Oh
.he island each looking for his turn
rext
Two Of the companies were removed to
>he adjacent Islands. thereby being saved
from the feyers fearful ravages. TWO
COMPANIES were retained TO guard the
fort and prisoners. Prisoners had to
staad the brunt Of the fever. their only
safety being in an overruling Providence.
Out of the tifty-two prisoners confined
There but two died. whereas the garrison
lost in officers and men thirty-seven.
HAD COFFlNS READY.
Men al first when taken sick, were
carried 10 the small key termed Sane
Key upon which 2 small temporary
shed had been erected as a hospital. the
commanding officer thinking thereby, TO
prevent the garrison from being infected.
Sick patients, seated in small boat.
were conveyed over. confronted by cof-
Gins which were piled up in the bow C,
The boat. This. OF itself was sufficient TO
cause alarm. and even to kill the faint
hearted. Of whom there were quite q
number collected on that small area Of
seven and a half acres.
With but few exceptions those who
were conveyed to the key in the small
boat fell victims TO the disease. and are
buried beneath the sandy soil. Whe,.
Dr. Nudd was given charge he stated &c
the commanding officer that it would be
advisable to discontinue this practices.
that the fever was in our midst, and
that it could not be dislodged until the
poison had expended itself advising
that all cases be brought to and treated
al the hospital. This was acceded TO.
and from his manner of treatment i'll
The disease. a great change was soon TO
be noted.
From this period until the arrival from
ney West Of DR. Whitehurst everything
surring DR.. Whtehurst perfectly con-
Fersant with the mode Of treatment. he
having had immense practice in the dis
ease. approved DR.. Mudd's manner of
treatment. and II was continued
throughout The period the fever -ragcd in
cur midst. The fever began TO assume
a more virulcnt type and in spite Of the
dntirfng eNertion of both began to make
SAD inroads into our numbers.
Every one now thought OF self alone.
There was no respect shown by the at
tendants. they being soldiers taken from
different companies, TO either the dead
or the dying. 10 sooner had tho breath
left the body than it was co1fined and
hurried over TO its last resting place,
there being n boat. win a crew. detaiieo
rs the hurying party. always awaiting.
IN many instances coffius We're brought
tnto the hospital and placed alongside OF
The bed Ia receive the body of some one
expected to die. and had TO be removed
again. the patient still tenaciouslv cling
Ing 10 life.
FEAR REIGNED SUPREME.
Men less SICK were startled viewing
these proceedings. il having q tendency 10
cause their own condition to become
worse. During the terrible ordeal Of the
Fever. the garrison kept itself, duties be-
ing neglected by both officers and soldiers.
During its progress. the island assumed
Mas more like place peopled by fiends
Than anything else it could be compared
with. suddenly became calm quiet and
eeaceful. Fear stood out upon the face Of
Avery human being.
Some attempted to assume the tone Of
gaiety and Indifference. but upon their
aces could be read traces Of other feel
nss For two months the fever ragged in
our midst, creating havoc among those
dwelling there. During this time DR..
AIudd was never idle He worked both
day and night, and was always at post,
faithful to his calling. relieving the suffer-
fnGs Of humanity as far as laid within his
power. The fever having abated through
The want Of more subjects, a contract
physician from New York arrived at the
fsost and relieved DR.. Whitehurst Of his
duties. When the new doctor took charge
there were but two or three sick and
they were in state Of convalescence
Soon thereafter DR.. Nudd was taken
down with the fever in his quarters. and
during the entire periol Of his illness was
, never visited by the New York doctor,
the surgeon in charge he remaining closet
ed IN his room. The only medical treat
nent received by DR. Nudd during h,s
Illness was administered at the hands Of
Spangler and myself. True. neither az
Us knew much about the disease or it's
urea meat, all the experience either pos
sessed being derived from observation
5=-!ns its prevalence. ans the mode of ,