The National tribune., 1902-05-01

q Yankee soldier Sauntered through TIT
gate and walked past the men, looking n
US keenly. He was a ReSular-not :
guard When opposite me he stopped ano
looked intently at me; then remarked
Johnny. YOU look pretty bad" | haC
seen so much in the barracks that | musr
confess l hated Yankee. So l told hin
that il was none of his business if | did
He said he did not mean any harm. but
wanted me to 90 with him to the fort and
stay there. ! told him / had no use fol-
him. and he had better go on and let me
be; but he was persistent. and. although
talked roughly TO him, he stuck TO his
good intentions. The men standing around
insisted that 90 with him; they would If
they were in my place. l agreed to go,
but thought the guard at the gate would
stop me- We passed out without Il ques-
ton. He took me to an officer, and told
the officer that he had been in the bar
racks. and as l looked so bad he had
brought me out, and wanted him TO allow
me to stay in the fort. The officer looked
at me. and instructed him to have n bed
fixed up in casemate. | got a clean bed,
clean clothes and good wash. The cooks
were very attentive 10 me, and fed me
on the best of beefsteak. pie. bread and
other good things. / could see that they
did it through heartfelt sympathy, and |
was forced TO conclude that there were
some good Yankees.
When l recovered from my sickness
went into the QuartemaSter'S office and
helped with the books. l also checked the
cargoes of the boats as they were I'M
loaded.
THE YANKEE HOSPITALS.
| was well fixed, but l became tired of
being away from the boys, and. in spite
of the entreatieSs of the Yankee who took
me out and the Others in the fort. | went
back to the barracks. But my Yankee
friend came in after me every day, and
went out with him and walked up TO the
fort and all over the island. | had plenty
to eat, as ! got food every day in the fort
Still my head troubled me. | did not
want to go to the hospital, as few who
went there ever got well; nearly all died
My Yankee friend insisted that | 90. l
consented, and was put in Ward No. 4,
under charge of DR.. Fromberger. In two
weeks l was better, and l returned to the
barracks. | got down again, and went
back to the hospital. / was again assigned
to Ward 4. But a new doctor was in
charge He was DIR. II. Stone. He was
q staid, solid man, perfect gentleman.
There were 80 beds in Ward 4. and l
was given bed No. 81. The hospital was
well built. Hot and cold water baths
were to be had at any hour, DAG or night.
There were u wards in the hospital,
with 30 beds in each except Ward 4,
which had 81 beds or cots. Each man
had a bed or cot to himself. Ward No. l
was for the Confederate officers confined
on the island. They were confined in
quarters in the barracks, separated from
the men. Ward No. 2 was for the Yam
kee garrison; the other 10 wards were for
the common prisoners.
Attached 10 the hospital was a dispen-
sary, kitchen. laundry and stOreroOm.
A separate building was erected for the
smallpox patients. The Surgeon-in- Chief
was DR.. Silliman. The Stewards and
Ward Masters were Yankees. The nurses
In the rebel wards were rebels, six to
each ward.
Irish women came over from Delaware
City every Monday morning and washed
for the hospital until Saturday, when they
returned home. The man in charge was
a Louisiana soldier.
Rebels also assisted in the kitchen. The
General Ward Master was Mr.. Cunning
ham, of Philadelphia. The Yankee over
Ward was Mr.. Cole.
Each man on entering the hospital was
well washed. He then was dressed in
clean Undertaking and put in a clean
bed. His old clothes We're done up in a
bundle, marked, and deposited in the
store-room, to be returned TO him if he
went back to the barracks.
| noticed that the food was well cooked,
of good variety, but as issued to US at
our beds was insufficient in quantity. The
nurses neglected the sick. Ont of 50 sick
probably five or six would die every a
hours.
The wards were 90 feet wide and 100
feet long, including the bath and other
rooms. Each ward had four large coal
stoves.
Religious and charitable societies kept
the inmates supplied with books and pa
pers. There We're two Chaplains for our
benefit-One an Episcopalan, a cOme-and-
go, take-the-wOrld-easy man; the other
was a Presbyterian, who was glad that
Stonewall Jackson was dead. We had
preaching sometimes, and prayers some
times. Everything was done which the
surroundings would suggest.
Within two weeks l was ready TO go
back TO the barracks. / did not think it
right to keep my bed any longer than
Necessary, as there were many sick wait
ing TO get into the hospital But there
were numbers who had no scruples about
keeping a bed, no matter who needed it
worse than they did. Lots of the prison
ers had no brotherly feeling for their COM
rades, and would get mad with anyone
who forced them to recognize that there
was such thing as humanity. This de-
termination TO stay in the hospital after
getting well gave the doctors and nurses
trouble.
N CHARGE OF WARD.
DIR. Stone visited the ward twice each
day a. III. and 3 p. N. The sick were
admitted from the barracks about 10 a M.
One morning at 9 o'clock j got up and sat
on my cot as the Doctor came in, when
an Alabamian who occupied bed 81 asked
me what / was going to do. He had just
come ont Of the bathroom. i told him
that j was going back to the barracks
He said that while he was in the bath
room he had heard Cole and the Doctor
talking about me, and they had decided to
Eppn in ha ar6 IN,
charge Of it. j told him he must be mis-
taken, as ! had never said word TO Cole
or the Doctor during my stay in the ward
except TO answer questions as TO my con-
dition. The Doctor always commenced at
bed No. !. and / would be the last patient
he would see. At last he reached my bed
and asked me how / felt. told him that
/ was able to go 10 the barracks. He
said he intended TO keep me and put me
in charge Of the ward. lie said TOO many
sick were dying. and il was because of
Ignorance or negligence on the part Of the
nurses In spite of my protests he would
not let me go. He said as he could not
make me Ward Master, and as he had the
full complement Of nurses allowed by the
army and hospital regulations he would
be compelled to let me keep my bed and
put me down as a patient He then told
Cole TO put me in charge of everything
concerning the ward and the sick in il,
and TO get HE some good clothes. Both
then left the ward. and after a while Cole
returned with pair of new Shoes pair
of citizens pants, Yankee soldier-blouse
!