The National tribune., 1910-03-24
MRS. TURCHIN.
A Woman Idolized by the Whole Regi-
ment.

ment.
Editor National Tribune: noticed
an-article by J. c. Hartzell, wishing to
know something about Mrs. Turchin
General. Gen. Turchin was formerly
Colonel Of the 18th Ill. The regiment
left Chicago July, 1851, for Missouri,
and marched thru different parts of the
State.~- Mrs. Turchin was present with
the regiment. and always rode at the
head of the column, and altho the
country was infested with guerrillas
she seemed to be as fearless as the Col
onel himself. and she was much thought
OF by every man in the regiment. In
September. 1891. while en- route from
Missouri to Kentucky over the railroad,
the regiment met with serious acci-
dent by bridge giving way, by which
number were killed and wounded.
Mrs. Turchin was very active in caring
for the injured. tearing up her under
garments to bandage their wounds and
cheering and comforting them. Every
man in the regiment adored her.
On our march from Louisville to
Murfreesboro she could always be
| found at the head of the regiment, and
after being brigaded at Murfreesboro
| the regiment was assigned TO Gen.
| Mitchefs Division, and made a forced
| march to Huntsville, Ala. on the Mem
| phis & Charleston Railroad, thereby
cutting the communications of the enc
my between Chattanooga and Corinth.
which was shortly after evacuated by
| the enemy. Col. Turchin was in COM
mand of the brigade, and Mrs. Turchin
still riding at the head of the regiment
J Gen. Turchin had been an officer in
the Russian army. He was a fearless
soldier, loved by every man in the regi-
ment, as he was so good and kind to all,
and would say to his regiment, Come
on" and not Go on and he loved his
regiment and would allow no impOsi-
| ton on 1t, as was proved several times.
| He left the regiment at Huntsville in
| the latter part of 1862. and was shortly
after promoted to Brigadier. We were
all sad to part with him. We did not
see any more of him until June, 1864,
when the regiment was about to start
home from Ackworth, Ga. to be mus
| tered out at Chicago. He left his bri-
gade and came to us, and when drawn
| up in line he made us talk. Among
other things he said he advised us to
be as good citizens as we had been SOL
diers.
/ was appointed Hospital Steward in
I the Regular Army in 1866, and ordered
| to Dry Tortugas for duty; was on duty
| there during the epidemic of yellow
fever in 1867. One-third of the prison.
ers and soldiers and the Surgeon and all
the commissioned officers at the Post
/ oHt anu iidu
escape. After the death of the Surgeon
the greater part of the burden fell
upon me, and kept me on the move day
and night. 1 placed Michael O'Lough-
lin in his coffin after he died, as 1 could
get no one TO help. as the whole place
was demoralized, and, being on an
tisland of about seven acres and 125
miles from mainland. there was no
chance of escape. Before the company
boats We're cut loose two boatloads did
leave the island, 10 men in all, and
among the number was st. Leger Gren-
fell, one of the conspiraters to release
the prisoners at Camp Douglas. / am
satisfied that his boat never reached
land. as a fearful storm came up that
night. The boat contained five prison
ers, all of whom were among the most
desperate on the island.
| / have been in Texas Al years, having
been ordered to Galveston in 1869 and
discharged in 1870, and remained in
the State. I wish some of the boys of
the old 18th would write to me. as 1
have never met any of them since we
were mustered out in Chicago in 1864.
w. w. Wythe, Co. K, 18th JILL, Kelly
vile, Tex.