The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-05-17
DOCTOR THURST0N
A PRISONER OF WAR
Well Known Physician Tells
OF Experience in Rich
mond Prisons.


Or. Joseph NJ. Thurston. one of
Richmond's best known physicians was
for over year during the Civil War.
in which he participated as member
Of an Ohio regiment, prisoner OF
war, being confined in the terrible
Pemberton and Libby prisons at Rich.
mond. Va. and in a prison at Dan
VILE. Va. He still wonders how he was
able to survive this terrible ordeal. At
the request of the Palladium DR..
Thurston prepared an article on his
experiences as prisoner of war. in
which he frequently quotes from the
diary he kept while In prison. His ar
ticle follows:
Or. rhurston's Story.
You have asked me to give some
war experiences. In the outset let me
say that ] did not put down the re-
bellion, never was cut out for SOL
der; II Mars had anything to do with
II. he cut the wrong way of the cloth.
My grandfather. on mothers side. was
In the Mexican war. We children used
to sit around the blazing fire OF long
winter evenings at grandfather's knee
charmed beyond measure with his
thrilling war stories. Like most all
boys. grew to think OF war as the
very top round of fame and glory.
Fifty years ago, April II. 1861.
was clerking In an general country
store In New Holland, o.. sew
eral OF my lay associates were loafing
In the store discussing the firing on
n. Sumter, when Mr. Smith Chaffin, a
patriarch OF the town. ran in waving
= Newspaper and shouting. Boys.
Lincoln has called for seventy-five
thousand men for three months. Why
you can lick 'em and be back home in
three weeksH We all believed old
Smith Chafhn- could not lie. and ten
Of us took the train for Circleville at
two o'clock that afternoon. I even
forgot to notify my parents. who lived
three miles In the country; besides I
was only little past nineteen and
knew mother would. object. At Circle
VILE We filled the quota Of Captain
Blacks company. immediately took
s..n loI OolumDus' y, wnere volun-
.ec wsle rssn'ns rom every direc-
.sOu A"e ru.t anu 0ocoho Onio reg
smcnts Sol OUT ~ tweive O'CLOCK tnat
night for Washington. d. C.
Promises hls Mother.
returning nome rom the three
months service. sick In body, and sick
Of war, ! promised mother never to
90 % AGAIN. Snorty was again at
Sacked WIN the war fever. but kept
tn9 covenant with mother until the
1Srd day OF July, 1862. when l enlist
- n the sOth Ohio volunteer infan-
"a tor three years or during the war.
Wes mustered out OF service at An
oue. Mor - 'eccount Of general or
QcSs No. ~. AZ
lAs u; cso0 - the var, the 26th
- Of JqnA 1Uek ] wAe . corporal Of
Company u. W11t In with this rank
apd held ,it faltAfully until mustered
out. I went In with the ambition Of
Z major general, but was thankful to
ut out With n corporalship and ma.
triotism undamped.
saw service in several canacit,es.
vas made color guard during the
chase after prasr. There were three
color s,,srds and n color hearer ono
suard ON each aide of the nar hearer
ma one behind him. "Never allow IN.
colors to touch the ground "A. long as
there 10 q man of you alive and able
TO hold Il up." These were our orders
when goinG into action. NV place was
behind the color bearer. the most dan.
gerous. 40 well as responsible.
After the battle Of Stone river. I
took pneumonia from severe exposure
on guard duty. and was taken back to
Nashville to Hospital No. IA. When
convalescing. served AZ nurse and was
hnally wardmaster OF the large ward
Tor the wounded. Soon made friends
with the surgeons In charge. as ! had
studied medicine year previous to
enlistment with Doctor Davis OF New
Holland. 0. Was put on special surgi'
cal duty with promise OF a commission
- assistant surgeon. MY health was
now fuiiy recovered ana l began to
long for adventure; quiet routine hos
pttal work became monotonous; be-
sides. was getting letters from my
comrades telling OF the times In camp
ii nj vVy