The Washington times., 1913-07-13
MASTER TELLS
OF GETTYSBURG WORK
Abilities Thoroughly Demon
strated by Activities Among
Veterans at Reunion.
By E. S. MARTIN,
Scout Commissioner.

tennial encampment at Gettysburg, in
which fifty-two boys from Washington
and nearly as many more from Hagers-
town, Fredericks, and other not distant
points, took part.
Not only were they able in unnum-
bered instances to add to the comfort
and convenience of the $1,000 veterans
in the camp, but they also saved many
lives by their promptness in giving
first aid treatment and by summonfng
ambulances to take sick or injured per-
sons to the hospitals.
1t is conservative to say that at least
one veteran out of every two had oc-
casion to ask his way about the camp
or about town of some scout at least
once during his stay, which means that
$4,000 directions We're given. There
afternoon and Sunday night, instead Of
the 10000 which were expected, and
the scout masters and some OF the
scouts worked all night helping the
incoming men find tents and get their
blankets Much the same conditions
obtained Monday night, and there were
probably 5000 veterans aided, although
no attempt was made to keep account
of the help so rendered.
Handle I,4oo Cases.
The hospital records show that more
than 400 cases of heat prostration, ex-
haustion paralysis, epilepsy. apoplexy,
fractures and contusions received first
aid from Boy Scouts or were cared for
by them in the relief stations.
Other tasks of the scouts included
r1,ard duty. carrying water for the vet
Grams. erecting tents, digging trenches,
writing letters for the sick, carrying
mail, and in two instances they helpeu
extinguish fires. 1901,
while the boys were given as much
time as possible for themselves they
were always ION duty so lar as enler-
gencies were concerned.
For example, two local scouts, EdWard
Duke, of I7H Corcoran street anu
dwight Terry, of 4l0l Harrison street,
were uptown sightseeing one AFTERNOON
when they saw man knocked Gown
by a runaway horse. They ran 10 MN
and picked him up, and While one oanu
aged his head the other ran 20 .e ne
phone and summoned an amouIahce'
other scouts who saw the accloent as
sisted in keeping the crowd oacK anu
bv the time the ambulance arrived the
patient was ready to be moved.
Record of Events.
Each scout was given small blank
hook in which to record the events as
they happened, and while many OF then
in the excitement failed to make resu-
lar entries the following dairy SHOWS
~, the hoys spent their time. rms
1ar,ens to be the record kept by WI.
Eann Morringstar, a second class a.
nf the Frederick, Md, troop, but II -
tynical of what the SCOUTS olu'
reads: 81
Saturday. June 2-Got into e,,
tvsburg at Ills and got thinss s,tting t mn mn
=, 10 o7clock. Went to work putIihS uP
tents and helped the nurses Win nc. 80
haprage put nails in all the lelns nv
for the nurses to hang their cIotnes cn' or
They were very glad for the acSoiiiIao Pn,
dation. Also helped to put up lhe ieu
.:snnday. June 81 had to do guard
drty in the morning. In the afternoon
was a mail orderly. The day @ VS. G.
fully hot. We went to the enice no ~
times. Helped some veterans nnu sieep
ing quarters that night . 5,,,,
.7Nonday June 81 did guard duty
all day- Worked one hour and was re-
Ueyed two hours. Did good turns lo's oi
times, such as helping veterans 10 ,nad nlad
tents and blankets. l believe neipeu
thirty veterans find a place to sleep:
..Tnesday. July Ii worked in Waru
Tent No. l. Helped the wardmaster 10
make beds and helped to get the oleLs
ready. had to watch paralyzeea eeor MAJ nan.
per / helped some more veterans 10
And tents and blankets. Got in ABOUT
10 o'clock. Went to bed and slept good
"Wednesday, July FL worked on Am
Is,rla No / we ndO d Ndll way W.
on west Forty-first street for SICK
man We were offered some tips on
Tuesday but did not take them. Ampu-
lance No 2, the ambulance l was on IN
the afternoon, was called out 10 get
man that had his wooden leg broke
we took him to the Provisional Hospi-
tai ,s :; .ho
receiving tent for about two hours.
Then Captain Purnell stationed me 10
that nobody
could get in that way. In the afternoon
I Iav under tree outside the fence and
watched. ,, x
duty at the rest station on Round Top.
Got in about 9 o'clock. We went up
town and walked around till dinner. as
we did not have anything TO do. Went
to Big Round Top in the afternoon al
so to Devils Den.
Gave Aid.
Leslie Downing, William Thomasson.
Charles Stonnell. and Leander Syme, all
lccal scouts, were able to ease the last
moments of an old veteran of General
Early's division who was stricken on
street car. They helped take him off
and gave him what aid they could, but
he died before the ambulance arrived.
The same boys helped a Federal vet
eran who suffered stroke of paralysis
and cared for him until the ambulance
came for him.
Downings entry for Tuesday reads:
Helped to treat eleven cases near
Bloody Angle and carried a sick man
to a first aid station. Also gave many
people water. Found a sick man b"
Bloody Angle and reported It..
Hayes Jack, of Washington Troop -,
was the unconscious instrument of 4
typical Gettysburg scene. He saw a
woman who appeared to be very faint
and helped her to Red Cross Station
No. 8. She proved TO be the daughter
of General Meade. A little later he d.
rected a young man and woman to the
same tent They were the grandson and
granddaughter of General Longstreet.
and the defendants of the two vetera MS
had a long conversation.
On another occasion scout walked uD
town and back. distance of two miles.
In the hot sun, just to get a bottle Of
bGttermilk for sick veteran who felt
that IL was what he wanted.
Yet in spite of their activities the boys
had lots of time TO see the historic
battlefield and enjoy themselves. And
Of the many entries In the diaries OF the
boys / think the following. written by
A Washington boy, Is the most interest
ing:
Tuesday. July Had two cases of
fairting, one very serious. A man came
near dying. Helped to put out fire In
auto.
"Wednesday, July WAS off on sick
leave all day. Had poison ivy. Was in
town in the evening buying Ice cream