The National tribune., 1908-11-12

fs true of It is true OF the hospital es-
Lablis1ment of every other corps in the
army. The historian says:
There Is no more fitting place than
here, at the turning point in the his
tory of the war of the rebellion, to no.
tice the Medical Corps of the army.
Words are too feeble to express the
praise to which its members are entitled.
Gallant in their bearing on the field Of
action, untiring in their efforts to re-
lieve the wounded and suffering under
fire, night would scarcely clothe the
battlefield with It's shadows before they
would go out to gather from the re-
rlotest points the bodies of those left
OF the field. and then when the armies
were taking reYose these were con-
veyed to the field hospitals in rear of
the lines where the Surgeons would
sometimes work all night. coats off and
arms barred TO the shoulders, dressing
wounds and amputating limbs. not even
resting long enough to eat, food being
poked into their mouths by attendants
while they cut away the mang1ed limbs
of the poor unfortunateg- After work.
sng all day and night, they would re-
Join their commands without sleep, and
go thru the weary march Of the day.
The ESmes Of Milhau. Sternberg
Spencer, Woodruff, Jacquette, Gibson,
Webster, Russell, Dean. Lord and many
others of the Fifth Corps's Surgeons will
remain !ndelibly impressed upon the
memories Of those who received atten-
tion at their hands and now live.
Immediately after the engagement
on July 2 the Surgeons and attendants,
with the ambulance corps under Capt.
Games A. Bates, Chief Ambulance Off,
Ger of the Fifth Corps. gathered from
the field of battle, between 4 p. m. and
a. m. OF July 8, 1900 wounded men,
and placed them in the field hospitals
of the corps. under the direction of
Surg. J. J. Mflhau. Medical Director.
Eight hours aftefward they were COM
PEELED TO move these wounded q second
time fmakfn2 a handling of 1900
wounded men), and transport them to
q safer place, some two miles distant,
on account of the tremendous artillery
fire which IL could be seen the Confed-
crates were preparing to deliver. and
when subsequently delivered on that
day fairly swept the plain OF everything
In rear Of the Union lines"
Back Tn the Valley.
AS when a year ago he had seen Nc
Cleilan's mighty army pass out of
Washington to attack him. Lee hastened
to put the rocky ridge OF South Noun
tain-the extension of the Blue Ridge
between him and the Army of the Po-
tomac. In the narrow gaps. which were
80 difficult of attack, he could leave a
rear guard to check pursuit. while his
TRAINS and IDe rest Oh were
making good time for the shelter af-
forded behind the Potomac. Lying di-
rectly back of him as he faced Gettys-
burg were three narrow and difficult
gaps. That at Cashtown was the one
no had come thru. and was the loves,
and easiest. The next two were al
High Point and Smithsburg, and both
of these very narrow and precipitous
The next gap below, going toward Har.
per's Ferry, was the comparatively easy
ascent of Turner's Pass, the scene OF
the sharp struggle on Sept. IA. 1862
known in history as the battle of South
Mountain. Six miles farther toward
Harper's Ferry was Crampton's Gap
which the Sixth Corps had carried or
the eve OF the battle Of Antietam. These
two lower gaps were out of the ques.
ton for Lee, since they were nearer
Meade than him. He was now about
TO repeat much Of the tactics OF his
Maryland campaign. His main army
was directed upon Hagerstown with the
Sntention of crossing the Potomac al
its nearest points. Williamsport and
Failing Waters, only six miles distant
from that quaint little capital of the
Germans who settled in the Valley
I Shout the time Of the Revolution. The