Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-12
WILDERNESS SLAUGHTER PENS.
The Horrors of War as Depicted in
tho Hospital.

The battles OF the Wilderness We're
doubtless the most horrible, in every
respect. of any that took place during
the war of 1S6l-65. | believe the pub
lie has never known, and never will
know. the full details of these bloody
battles. No pen can adequately de-
scribe them. no mere statement CT the
numbers engaged, no list of casualties
can possibly include the sufferings of
these Who participated in those dread
full conflicts. The very flower of the
nation, seasoned soldiers, the heroes OF
both the North and the South. brave.
desperate. blood mad closed in
death grapple that only ended when
exhaustion of numbers and physical
strength found their limit.
was not present on the battlefelds,
but was at the time stationed at Fort
ress Monroe, to which post the wound
ed, VINO had sufficient vitality left to
survive the journey were transported.
The wounded were mostly of the class
known as capitol cases whose lives
hung upon a thread and whose condi-
ton called for surgical skill of the
highest order which service Gould not
possibly he rendered on the battlefield.
Many, perhaps most of them, had only
slight chance to survive the neces-
sary operation. These wounded men
were brought to Fortress Monroe BY
river steamboats,. / do not know now
many there we're. but | remember dis
tinetly. as everyone will who was
there at the time, that these boats
were held back on their trip in order
to reach the fortress under cover of
the darkness to avoid the notice of the
newspaper men. Upon their arrival
the wounded were transferred from
the boats to a railway train, consist
ing of fiat or platform cars, which az
forded the least possible suffering to
the poor fellows. They were taken TO
the hospital on these trains, to Camp
Hamilton, at which place the main
HOSPITALS were located. under COM
mand of Surgeon Ely Mcclellan, one
of the most distinguished members OF
his profession. The hospitals under
his cammand We're understood to be
the largest and best equipped of any
army hospitals near the front at.that
time Everything possible in the way
of facilities, equipment and skill was
available here The most skilful sur
geons were quickly assembled here TO
do the dreadful but important work
that needed to be quickly done me
Government did it's best, but what
was best forty-eight years ago Will
hardly be so considered today. War Is
perhaps less savage, less barbarous,
| but it is still cruel enough to deserve
| the hatred of mankind
T might never have known the truth
about the conditions to which | have
| referred but for an incident which
| needs to be related TO show the au-
| thority for these statements and what
| follows. DR. Mcclellan was at the
| time master of the Army Masonic
| Lodge at Fortress Monroe, and | was
| associated with him as the next DIN
| Ger of the lodge. The duty of presid-
1 ing over the lodge devolved upon me
/ whenever the master was absent Dr.
| Mcclellan was seldom absent, but at
| the time of which | am writing he
failed to appear for two or three meet
ings. one evening he appeared after
i the lodge had been opened, and de-
clined TO assume his duties, under the
plea of being indisposed. l shall new
or forget the look upon his face as ne
| sat by my side during that evening,
| for il was not only a look of cxhaus-
| tion. but also one of indescrlDapie
| sadness. I once saw the same look
| upon the face of Abraham Lincoln
| when I met him, by chance, at tour
o'clock one summer morning. as he was
| coming towards the White House from
| the War Department where he hau
| spent the night waiting for news frohi
the front That was during the dark
| est DAVIS of the Civil War, when the
| nation was passing through its great
| est reril. | can never think of either
| of these two great faithful souls WIN
| out recalling this sad expression
| which revealed the true condition OF
| their minds while under the stress ano
| strain of those awful days.